Flight Safety Information August 24, 2015 - No. 167 In This Issue Shoreham Airshow crash death toll rises to 20, UK authorities confirm Two planes crash at Swiss airshow IAF aircraft crashes, pilot ejects safely de Havilland Beaver Accident - Canada Flight's wine chiller explodes Chinese airline reportedly grounds overweight flight attendant Man punches female flight attendant in the face during Emirates flight Vistara, AirAsia pilots may face trouble during foggy landings India to expedite licensing process for foreign pilots FAA issues list detailing UAV sightings in commercial airspace Blumenthal Calls On FAA To Step Up Drone Rule Enforcement Shunted AI flight safety chief lands plum post (India) Flyers' safety at stake as ILS is on the blink (India) Copper Thief Disables Runway Lights At Texas Airport PROS 2015 TRAINING Vistara applies to DGCA for four new aircraft (India) Ethiopian Airlines Targets 140 Aircraft, 22 Million Passengers In 2025 Congo aircraft held in Dublin due to debt FlightSafety Adds Second Gulfstream G280 Simulator Delta Air Lines hiring flight attendants Back To School with ERAU - Aviation Safety Seminars for Professionals GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Shoreham Airshow crash death toll rises to 20, UK authorities confirm PHOTO: A Hawker Hunter fighter jet plummeted into the A27 while performing a loop manoeuvre at the Shoreham Airshow A British expat living in northern Victoria has been identified by UK authorities as one of 11 people killed when a jet from the Shoreham Airshow crashed into a busy road. The vintage Hawker Hunter fighter jet plummeted into nearby traffic after attempting a loop manoeuvre yesterday. Seven deaths were initially reported but more bodies were recovered from the accident site. Among those killed was personal trainer Matt Jones from Littlehampton in the UK, who had been living in Shepparton. His sister Becky confirmed his death on Facebook. The plane's pilot remains in a critical condition. Assistant chief constable Steve Barry of Sussex Police said the recovery operation was likely to take some time. "As a result of the scale of devastation the recovery process is necessarily complex and thorough, and the work of those undertaking it cannot be understated," he said. "Removal of those who died will carry on today and is likely to continue throughout tomorrow." The aircraft crashed onto the A27 road near the south coast city of Brighton and hit several cars, creating a fireball and sending thick black smoke billowing into the air. "He'd gone up into a loop and as he was coming out of the loop I just thought, 'You're too low, you're too low, pull up'," the BBC quoted eyewitness Stephen Jones as saying. "And he flew straight into the ground either on or very close to the A27, which runs past the airport." The crash happened about 1:20pm (local time) on Saturday. Shoreham Airshow cancelled its event, which was due to run into Sunday. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-24/air-show-crash-death-toll-rises-to-11/6719122 **************** Date: 22-AUG-2015 Time: ca 13:15 LT Type: Hawker Hunter T.Mk 7 Owner/operator: Canfield Hunter Ltd. Registration: G-BXFI C/n / msn: 41H-670815 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 11 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA) - United Kingdom Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Demo/Airshow/Display Departure airport: Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA) Destination airport: Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA) Narrative: A Hawker Hunter jet impacted the A27 road during a loop in a display flight at the Shoreham Airshow, U.K. Four cars were reportedly hit by the aircraft. South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that there has been seven fatalities declared at the scene, one patient with serious life-threatening injuries has been transported to Royal Sussex County Hospital and further 14 patients treated for minor injuries. Preliminary reports suggest the pilot was pulled from the wreckage and has survived the accident. The only Hunter listed in the Shoreham Airshow display program was Hawker Hunter T Mk.7 G-BXFI (carrying military markings WV372). www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Two planes crash at Swiss airshow Pilot dies after two of three aircraft flying in formation touch in mid-air and crash at event in Dittingen, near Basel Emergency services attend the scene of a plane crash in Dittingen, Switzerland, on Sunday. Two light planes have crashed at an airshow in Switzerland, killing one of the pilots. Swiss police said they were two of three C-42b aircraft from Germany, flying in formation. They crashed after they touched in mid-air on Sunday morning. The automatic rescue system of the first plane failed to activate and the 50-year-old pilot died when his aircraft crashed into a barn in the hillside village of Dittingen, near Basel. Nobody else was injured. The pilot from the other plane escaped unharmed by parachute; the third plane landed safely. Police photos showed debris from the two aircraft scattered in the village. The cause of the accident is being investigated, said police in Basel-Landschaft. It follows the plane crash at Shoreham airshow in West Sussex on Saturday that killed at least eleven people. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/23/two-planes-crash-at-swiss-airshow-basel **************** Date: 23-AUG-2015 Time: ca 11:30 Type: Comco Ikarus C42 Owner/operator: GrassHoppers Registration: D-MUHH C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Dittingen Airfield (LSPD) - Switzerland Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Demo/Airshow/Display Departure airport: Dittingen Airfield (LSPD) Destination airport: Dittingen Airfield (LSPD) Narrative: Two Comco Ikarus C42 aircraft of the German GrassHoppers aerobatics team collided in mid-air during a three-ship display at an air show in Dittingen, Switzerland. Both aircraft crashed. The display team consists of D-MSON (1), D-MUHH (2) and D-MHDP (3). GrassHopper 1 and 2 were involved in the collision. GrassHopper 2 (D-MUHH) impacted a road and a house in the village of Dittingen. The aircraft disintegrated and burned. GrassHopper 1 (D-MSON) came down on the fence of a residence in the village of Dittingen. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. A photo from the scene shows a parachute attached to the wreckage, which was likely a ballistic recovery parachute. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top IAF aircraft crashes, pilot ejects safely A Mig-21 Bison of IAF crashed in Soibugh area of Budgam district at around 10.59am but there was no loss of life reported in the incident. A Mig-21 Bison aircraft of the IAF on Monday crashed in the fields in Budgam district of Kashmir, with the pilot managing to eject safely. The aircraft had taken off from Srinagar airfield and was on a "routine" training sortie. Defence spokesman Colonel SD Goswami said that "A Mig-21 Bison of IAF crashed in Soibugh area of Budgam district at around 10.59am but there was no loss of life reported in the incident." The pilot managed to eject from the plane "just in time" and he was retrieved from the crash scene by an army helicopter. A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the crash, the spokesman added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/IAF-aircraft-crashes-pilot-ejects- safely/articleshow/48650371.cms ****************** Date: 24-AUG-2015 Time: Type: MiG-21 Owner/operator: Indian Air Force (IAF) Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Soibugh area of Budgam District - India Phase: En route Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The plane crashed after a technical failure. The pilot ejected safely. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top de Havilland Beaver Accident - Canada Date: 23-AUG-2015 Time: Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Owner/operator: Air Saguenay Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 6 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: 6 km N of Bergeronnes, Quebec - Canada Phase: En route Nature: Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: A seaplane with a pilot and 5 passengers crashed in Quebec's North Shore region. The area is not accessible by road. Four are reported dead, two missing. www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top Flight's wine chiller explodes A flight attendant was injured when an on-board wine chiller exploded during a Garuda Indonesia flight, the airline said. Picture: Ahmad Zamroni Jakarta - A flight attendant was injured when an on-board wine chiller exploded during a Garuda Indonesia flight, the airline said on Monday. The plane was flying from Melbourne to Jakarta on Saturday when the incident occurred, Garuda spokesman Benny Butarbutar said. "There was a small explosion in the galley in the middle of the plane but it did not disrupt the flight," which landed on time in Jakarta, he told dpa. The spokesman said it was not clear what caused the explosion and no passenger was hurt. A flight attendant was injured when a pantry panel was blown off and hit her in the face, Butarbutar said. She was in intensive care after surgery, the report said. http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/flight-s-wine-chiller-explodes-1.1904744#.Vdr-LflVhBc Back to Top Chinese airline reportedly grounds overweight flight attendant Qingdao Airlines allegedly bars woman crew member from flying because she is too heavy for her height but the company denies the claim A flight attendant hopeful goes through the paces during a job interview. According to Chinese civil aviation rules women flight attendants who are between 160cm and 172cm tall should weigh between 45kg and 73kg. A domestic airline in China has barred a flight attendant from flying because she exceeded requirements for cabin crew, a news website quoted a company employee as saying. A crew member from Qingdao Airlines said the airline stopped flight attendants from flying or sacked them if they did not meet height-to-weight ratio requirements, reported Shanghai-based news website Thepaper.cn. The crew member, who was not named, said one flight attendant had been grounded, but refused to give further details. A representative from the company admitted it had stringent weight requirements, but denied any employee had been barred from flying or sacked over the issue. China's civil aviation authority guidelines state that women flight attendants who are between 160cm and 172cm tall should weigh between 45kg and 73 kg. To apply to be a flight attendant with Qingdao Airlines, women must be younger than 30, between 165cm and 172cm tall and weigh between 50kg and 68kg, according to recruitment requirements listed on its website. "We are concerned that exceeding weight standards will compromise the ability of cabin crew members to respond in emergency situations, and we hope the crew can maintain good body shape," the airline representative told Thepaper.cn. According to an employee of the civil aviation authority, taking disciplinary action against staff members over their weight is a violation of human rights. Most international airlines have done away with weight requirements for cabin crew members and only require they pass physical fitness examinations. Airlines in India have previously come under fire for disciplining cabin crew members who are "too fat to fly". According to India's civil aviation authority, crew members who are found overweight based on their calculated body mass index will have three months to bring their weight down to "acceptable levels". If they fail, they are declared "unfit" for cabin crew duties. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1851430/too-fat-fly-chinese-airline-reportedly-grounds- overweight-flight Back to Top Man punches female flight attendant in the face during Emirates flight A passenger attacked a female flight attendant when he couldn't get extra space to lie down on an Emirates flight from Melbourne to Dubai. UPDATE: A MALE passenger had to be cable-tied after he punched a female flight attendant in the face multiple times on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Melbourne. Matt Naylor was on flight EK406 last night and said that the man, who was travelling with a young boy, wanted more space to lie down and became agitated when he didn't get it. "He was struggling to communicate and there was a bit of a disagreement and then one of the flight attendants essentially walked off," Mr Naylor told 3AW. "He went after her and I decided to go and see what it was all about." Mr Naylor said he saw the "aftermath" of the passenger assaulting the woman. "And then a male flight attendant, another gentleman and myself sort of jumped on the man and pushed him to the ground." Mr Naylor said they were handed cable ties which were used around the passenger's hands and feet. "They managed to get him back to his seat where they got an extended seatbelt and put that around him." Mr Naylor said the flight attendant told him that she was punched in the face "a few times". "She was quite shaken up by it," he said. Mr Naylor said the passenger continued to be agitated after he was cable-tied. "He did at one stage ... try to headbutt two of the flight attendants trying to offer him water. So he was very irritated, very worked up, crying, yelling, it was quite unpleasant." Mr Naylor said he didn't think the passenger was drunk. The man wasn't arrested due to personal circumstances. An Emirates spokesperson said: "On Emirates flight EK406 arriving from Dubai into Melbourne this morning, there was an incident with a passenger that resulted in the passenger being restrained. "The Federal Police were called and met the plane on arrival to assess the situation. After this assessment it was agreed that the passenger would meet their connecting flight onto Auckland and did so with no issues. The health and safety of our crew and passengers is of paramount importance. "The cabin crew member involved was not injured and did not need to seek medical treatment." http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/man-punches-female-flight-attendant-in-the-face-during-emirates- flight/story-fni0fiyv-1227492520620 Back to Top Vistara, AirAsia pilots may face trouble during foggy landings NEW DELHI: Pilots manning the aircraft of Vistara and AirAsia and the smaller planes of SpiceJet BSE 14.34 % have not completed low visibility training to fly in conditions such as dense fog, according to a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Aircraft landing in low visibility is considered a bigger problem than takeoffs, the official said, adding that these airlines could see their flights affected in foggy weather. While big planes like Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 have the technology to aid safe landing and takeoff in visibility as low as 125 m, smaller aircraft like Bombardier Q400s and ATRs are not equipped to handle visibility below 200 m. While AirAsia and Vistara's pilots have not yet achieved the 'CAT III' specification, which means they are trained in landing aircraft in visibility as low as 125m, SpiceJet's Q400 pilots have not been upgraded to CAT II level, said the DGCA official, who did not wish to be named. "Vistara's CAT III preparedness could impact its flights and SpiceJet may also see its Q400 flights getting impacted," the official said. "It is not a problem in the case of AirAsia because none of their flights will be landing in the early morning hours, when visibility is the lowest." A spokesperson for Vistara said, "We are working with DGCA and are hopeful of being able to train our pilots soon." The DGCA official pointed out that that while pilots of small aircraft of Alliance Air (subsidiary of Air India) and Jet have been granted provisional CAT II, SpiceJet still lacks it. A spokesperson for SpiceJet said the airline will get its crew trained for CAT II before December. "We have applied to the DGCA for training our crew for CAT II operations on August 18, 2015. We expect the approvals to come soon and will be able to upgrade our fleet to CAT II by December," said Ajay Jasra, GM for corporate affairs at SpiceJet. Meanwhile, DGCA has added six airports- those at Raipur, Varanasi, Bhubaneshwar, Udaipur, Indore and Vadodra-to the list of airstrips that can be used to land aircraft diverted during fog. These six airports will be over and above Lucknow, Jaipur and Amritsar, which have also been upgraded to CAT II standards for the fog season. "All these airports will be available 24 hours during the fog season," the DGCA official said. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/vistara-airasia-pilots- may-face-trouble-during-foggy-landings/articleshow/48646181.cms Back to Top India to expedite licensing process for foreign pilots NEW DELHI, India - The civil aviation ministry is working to reduce the time taken to issue licenses for foreign pilots to expedite hiring by Indian carriers facing a shortage of commanders. It currently takes over 60 days to get a Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorisation (FATA) license, mainly on account of obtaining security clearance for foreign pilots from the home ministry. Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation M Sathiyavathy has written to civil aviation secretary RN Chaubey to raise the issue of security clearance delays with the home ministry. The letter is based on a request from airlines, which had asked the DGCA to expedite the process at a meeting last month. Although the government has set a deadline of phasing out foreign pilots by December 31, 2016, industry insiders said the number of foreign pilots will only increase with airlines in the country expanding. India's carriers have 269 foreign commanders on the rolls among about 3,500 flying in the country. "It takes only seven days for the DGCA to issue FATA license to foreign pilots but the whole process takes more than 60 days due to the security clearance that comes from the home ministry. The Director General has asked the civil aviation ministry to raise the issue with the home ministry and it will be raised," said a civil aviation ministry official. Sources said data on pilots is always sent to the home ministry and then forwarded to Intelligence Bureau, Research & Analysis Wing and the narcotics department. "It takes almost six to seven months to become a foreign pilot operational here. On the contrary, foreign pilots in the Middle East get a local license in one week and can start flying," said an airline official, who did not want to be identified. The airline source added that a proposed solution could be to collate data of all pilots requiring security clearance to be sent electronically in place of a hard copy, thus reducing the time taken. A shortage of Indian commanders is forcing airlines to recruit pilots from overseas at a 60% higher cost. "The operator always has a disincentive to hire too many foreigners because the cost is much higher. But the real issue is that cockpit experience should not be compromised just because we have unemployed junior pilots," said the airline official. "With the growth in Indian aviation predicted to be 9% every year for the next 20 years, we will always be desperately short of Indian pilots," he said. IndiGo said airlines should work towards creating their own pool of pilots. "There is a large pool of unemployed commercial pilots' license holders. IndiGo has found a way to get around that problem. We are only nine years old and we have already created more than 550 A320 type rated junior first officers who joined us with only a CPL," IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said. http://www.eturbonews.com/62928/india-expedite-licensing-process-foreign-pilots Back to Top FAA issues list detailing UAV sightings in commercial airspace FAA has released a list of all reports by pilots, air traffic and the public of possible encounters with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that were submitted between Nov., 2014 and August 20. The list, posted on the FAA site Aug. 21, follows a statement released by the agency in mid-August stating that the number of reports by commercial pilots of drones flying close to their aircraft had increased dramatically over the past year, from a total of 238 sightings in all of 2014 to more than 650 by Aug. 9 of this year." The issue of UAVs operating illegally in commercial aircraft caught worldwide attention in July when a Lufthansa crew on approach to Warsaw Airport reported a near-miss with a drone. The Embraer E-195 with 108 passengers on board was arriving from Munich, on approach at about 2,500 feet altitude, when the crew reported an UAV coming within 100 meters (330 feet) of the airliner. The Lufthansa flight landed safely. "Prompt intervention by air traffic controllers allowed for the safe conduct of further landings," the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) said. Police helicopters were scrambled, but failed to locate the unmanned aircraft or its operator, the agency added. In late July, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a new code of practice for UAV operators and released information on an incident in which an unnamed airline's Airbus A320 came within about 20 feet of a remotely controlled mini-helicopter hovering over London Heathrow Airport in July 2014. CAA recorded three further instances of similar close calls between airliners and UAVs between May 2014 and March 2015. "We want to embrace and enable the innovation that arises from the development of drone technology, but we must ensure that this is done safely, with all airspace users in mind," CAA director of policy Tim Johnson said. "It is imperative that people observe the rules when operating a drone." At a safety conference in Washington DC, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) president Tim Canoll said language requiring that Traffic Collision and Avoidance Systems (TCAS) or similar technology be installed on UAVs should be included in FAA reauthorization legislation that US Congress is expected to take up this year. "It's important that active collision avoidance [technology] be mandated on [UAVs], otherwise these aircraft are invisible to our pilots," Canoll said, adding that UAVs must be required to "use the same rules as we do." US Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) said he has requested FAA do tests on UAVs "being sucked into aircraft engines" similar to bird ingestion tests, and has been informed FAA will conduct these tests in the near future. Canoll told ATW in an editorial board meeting Aug. 20 that ALPA wants to see a multi-layered approach to mitigate the risks of a drone colliding with a commercial airliner. For small drones, ALPA is advocating for educating operators; the installation of "geo-fencing" technology that would prevent small UAVs from operating within 5 miles of airports; registration of UAVs so owners can be tracked down following an incident; and "more formalized" enforcement against operators violating the airspace used by airliners. In its Aug, 21 statement to which it attaches the details of UAV reports from November to August, FAA says, "because pilot reports of unmanned aircraft have increased dramatically over the past year, the FAA wants to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal. Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time." The FAA list of reports can be seen here. http://atwonline.com/safety/faa-issues-list-detailing-uav-sightings-commercial-airspace Back to Top Blumenthal Calls On FAA To Step Up Drone Rule Enforcement FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. - U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has released a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration calling on it to take tough enforcement action following a surge in reports of dangerous "close calls" between airplanes and drones. According to the FAA, pilots this year have reported more than 650 sightings of drones near planes and helicopters, compared with 238 in all of 2014. Drones have been spotted near commercial aircraft 10,000 feet in the air. There have been numerous reports of drones interfering with firefighters battling wildfires in the West. Pilots have reported near misses between drones and ambulance helicopters. Drones have been spotted hovering over crowded sports stadiums, posing serious public safety concerns. In 2012, Congress required the FAA to provide for the "safe integration of civil unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace" by Sept. 30, 2015. While the FAA has made some progress toward that deadline, it is clear that it will be unable to ensure the safe integration of drones in the public airspace by the end of next month - leaving passengers and pilots in jeopardy. "I write with grave and growing concerns about the dangers of rogue drone users," Blumenthal wrote in the letter. 'Numerous recent news stories have detailed the growing capability of ordinary citizens to launch and pilot sophisticated, sizable devices that have flown into prohibited airspace, threatened privacy and peace of mind, and posed a serious risk to air travel. I call on the Federal Aviation Administration to take aggressive action to protect everyone who relies on safe and secure skies." http://fairfield.dailyvoice.com/politics/blumenthal-calls-on-faa-to-step-up-drone-rule- enforcement/534544/ Back to Top Shunted AI flight safety chief lands plum post (India) MUMBAI: Capt A S Soman, who was removed from the post of Air India executive director (flight safety) last week on orders from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has been awarded another top posting by the national carrier. Despite a number of cases pending against him, Capt Soman was appointed Air India executive director (training) on Wednesday. As executive director (training), Capt Soman will wield greater powers as he would be in charge of evaluation for new recruits, pilots' promotions and career progression. "Training is the heart of flight safety. How could a man found wanting in his performance in the flight safety department be put in charge of pilot training," asked an aviation official. "Airline safety depends primarily on the quality of training imparted to its pilots," he added. AI was not available for comments. The DGCA ordered the removal of Capt Soman from the post of chief of flight safety following a probe into a hard-landing incident, which found him guilty of dereliction of duty. What is shocking is that in the span of a week, Rohit Nandan, AI chairman and MD, signed two letters-one that punished Capt Soman, followed by another that rewarded him. On August 7, Nandan signed a letter that stated that Capt Soman ceases to be chief of flight safety. "However, he will continue to perform other duties as pilot...The dispensation of flying for only 10 hours earlier provided too stands withdrawn with immediate effect," the letter said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Shunted-AI-flight-safety-chief-lands-plum- post/articleshow/48548597.cms Back to Top Flyers' safety at stake as ILS is on the blink (India) Safety of the flyers is at stake as the U.S.-made Instrument Landing System (ILS) installed in the premier international airport of the State here to guide aircraft to precision landing has not been calibrated. The emergency landing of Jet Airways aircraft on Tuesday, diverted from Kochi due to inclement weather, at Thiruvananthapuram international airport after three attempts and the 'May Day' message (emergency) from Capt. Manoj Ramawarrier has exposed the laxity on the part of Airports Authority of India (AAI) to calibrate the ILS installed over a month. "It was a crash like and 9/11 situation while the aircraft was hovering around in the city for over 10 minutes. The commander even said good bye after despatching 'May Day' message to the Air Traffic Control. The ATF had gone below the danger level and he was unable to land due to poor visibility. It was only god's grace that saved the lives of 155 on board as the aircraft that was coming from Doha landed at 7.04 a.m.", officials in the Airports Authority of India having access to the whole operation told The Hindu . The existing ILS that was working was shifted to install the ILS procured from Selex ES US by the AAI without taking into account the ongoing inclement weather and monsoon, sources said. The glitches in the civil works to install the ILS and the delay in getting the AAI's Calibrating aircraft had led to the present situation and safety hazard. The AAI officials also did not heed to the advice of the operations wing that the work should be taken later as the weather was unpredictable around this time, sources said. Under the ILS Cat I that was working, the visibility level should be 800 metre or above and descend should be at 260 feet. The pilot should also be able to see the runway or should avert the landing. As the ILS is not working for guiding precision landings, aircraft to the airport are guided using non- precision approach- Very High Frequency Omini Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) that offers the pilots only the lateral guidance. Pilots say the safety of passengers would be at stake as there would be a greater chance of error on their part in the absence of ground support from ILS. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/flyers-safety-at-stake-as-ils-is-on-the- blink/article7568260.ece Back to Top Copper Thief Disables Runway Lights At Texas Airport A would-be copper thief temporarily disabled runway lights at a Texas airport. GALVESTON (August 22, 2015) Galveston police are seeking a thief whose failed attempt to steal copper temporarily disabled the runway lights at Scholes International Airport. No flights were affected. Officials say the person early Monday cut a live wire in a junction box and risked possible electrocution in the process. Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell says the individual left bolt cutters behind after apparently realizing the theft attempt wasn't a smart thing. The incident involved a switch box outside the airport fencing. Maxwell says temporary repairs restored the lighting. Officials say the Federal Aviation Administration has replaced a generator and plans to install a new power line. http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Copper-Thief-Disables-Runway-Lights-At-Texas-Airport- 322591162.html Back to Top Back to Top Vistara applies to DGCA for four new aircraft (India) Vistara, a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and Tata group, has applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for permission of four new aircraft. A senior DGCA official said that the carrier has put in request to incubate new aircraft to expand operations. Vistara officials said that as per their plan they will add three new planes to its existing fleet of six aircraft by the end of this year. "A part of the fleet expansion is for increasing frequencies on existing routes," said a Vistara official. The official said that in the coming week Vistara will also start flying to two new destinations. However, the official declined to comment on the new destinations. At present, the airline operates 245 flights every week. Though Vistara has applied for four planes, company officials are not sure about the fourth aircraft. However, they said Vistara will have at least nine aircraft by the end of 2015. The full service airline has been suffering because of low passenger load factor (PLF) - the lowest in the industry averaging at 60%, while the industry average is over 80%. Company officials said that the low PLF is because of the category in which they operate. They have 16 business class seats, 36 premium economy seats and 96 economy seats. This is 20% less capacity than what low-cost carrier IndiGo (180 seats) has. The premium economy and the business class seats are hard to fill due to high prices. Company officials, however, said that with time passengers will be comfortable with the idea and willing to spend more. Also, with the addition of new routes company officials also expect the PLF to go up. Meanwhile, the airline is giving an offer to business class travellers. For every business class ticket bought, it is offering a free premium economy tickets. Experts said that offering free premium class tickets will allow them to seed users with the experience. http://www.financialexpress.com/article/industry/companies/vistara-applies-to-dgca-for-four-new- aircraft/124476/ Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines Targets 140 Aircraft, 22 Million Passengers In 2025 Mr Solomon Begashaw , General Manager, Ethiopian Airlines, Nigeria office, said on Sunday in Abuja that the airline is expected to have 140 aircraft in its fleet by 2025. Begashaw told newsmen in Abuja that the airline currently has 76 aircraft, adding that the airline was running vision 2025, a 15-year plan and it started in 2010. "Our vision in 2025 is to be the leading airline group in Africa with seven profit-oriented centres and a 4- Star airline with 5-Star services. "In this vision, there are parameters, expectations and requirements that we are supposed to achieve. "In our vision 2025, our mission is to transport 22 million passengers per annum; currently we are at six million plus per annum. "In terms cargo, we are expected to hit 820 tons of cargo per annum; we are currently doing 220 tons of cargo", he said. Begashaw said the airline was projecting to make 10 billion dollars per annum in 2025 and a profit of one billion dollars. He said that currently the airline was making 2.4 billion dollars annual turnover. The general manager said the airline's target was to fly 120 to international destinations in 2025 and 26 domestic destinations, adding that currently the air line is flying 91 international destinations. He said the airline is also expected to have 17, 000 employees in 2025 as against 8,000 employees presently on its payroll. He said in the past three months it has started seven new destinations, namely Manila, Japan, Los Angeles, Cape Town, Republic of Congo, Dublin and Cameroun, He said the ongoing expansion of Adisa Baba Bole Airport, when completed would boost the airline's operations, adding that the Ethiopia Aviation Academy would provide the company with skilled labour. (NAN) http://leadership.ng/business/455806/ethiopian-airlines-targets-140-aircraft-22-million-passengers-in- 2025 Back to Top Congo aircraft held in Dublin due to debt High Court grounds plane from leaving airport in a dispute over a debt of €10m Dublin Airport: the injunction also prohibits the aircraft's removal from the jurisdiction. Photograph: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg The High Court grounded an aircraft, allegedly belonging to a state airline of the Democratic Republic of Congo, from leaving Dublin Airport in a dispute over a debt of €10 million. The interim injunction prevents both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and La Société Congo Airlines from moving, operating or otherwise interfering with the aircraft - an Airbus A320 undergoing works in Dublin - without their consent. The injunction also prohibits the aircraft's removal from the jurisdiction. The interim injunction was granted, on an ex-parte basis where only one side was present in court, by Mr Justice John Hedigan. The order was sought by a US company Miminco LLC and two American citizens John Dormer Tyson and Ilunga Jean Mukendi who are owed some $11.5 million by the Congolese government. The US parties say they got into a dispute with the DRC in relation to the ownership of two diamond mines they bought. http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/congo-aircraft-held-in-dublin-due-to-debt- 1.2324917 Back to Top FlightSafety Adds Second Gulfstream G280 Simulator FlightSafety International's second Gulfstream G280 simulator received FAA level-D approval, the company announced today. Both full-motion simulators are located at FlightSafety's Dallas learning center. The FS1000 simulator built for the G280 includes the company's Vital 1100 visual system, electric motion cueing and new instructor operating station. It features more accurate and higher fidelity simulation than that found in other current- and previous-generation simulators, FlightSafety said. Meanwhile, the flight training provider's fourth Gulfstream G650 simulator is scheduled to enter service at its Wilmington, Del. center early next year. In addition, the first simulators for the new Gulfstream G500 and G600 will be available at its Savannah, Ga. learning center as the aircraft enter service in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Training for Gulfstream aircraft is available at FlightSafety learning centers in Dallas; Columbus, Ohio; Hong Kong; Long Beach, Calif.; Savannah; Wilmington; and at London Farnborough Airport in the UK. The company has a total of 32 full-motion Gulfstream simulators scattered at these locations. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-08-20/flightsafety-adds-second- gulfstream-g280-simulator Back to Top Delta Air Lines hiring flight attendants ATLANTA -- Delta Air Lines is hiring a brand new batch of flight attendants to begin training in 2016. The Atlanta-based airline is looking for flight attendants who speak Danish, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish in addition to English. Positions that do not require bilingual skills are also available. Training is expected to start in January at Delta's world headquarters near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Classes last about seven to eight weeks. Flight attendants are paid during training, and those who live more than 50 miles away are offered dormitory-style housing. Flight attendant candidates must be at least 21 years old, and have valid passports and high school diplomas or GEDs. They must be willing to work nights, weekends, holidays and extended hours. Visit delta.greatjob.net for more information and to apply. http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/hapeville/2015/08/10/delta-hiring-flight-attendants/31410611/ Back to Top CERTIFICATE OF MANAGEMENT IN AVIATION SAFETY Professional education seminars for aviation practitioners Embry-Riddle will host a variety of aviation safety focused executive education courses at its Daytona Beach Campus; all courses are offered in a face-to-face traditional classroom setting taught by subject matter experts from the aviation industry. Who Should Attend: These courses are tailored for industry professionals involved in the operations, management, and supervision of aviation organizations. What You Will Learn:The certificate is designed for participants interested in obtaining a strong safety foundation; the objective is to produce aviation industry professionals who are skilled in providing expertise in safety management and technical guidance on FAA, OSHA, DOT and EPA Compliance Issues. The certificate requires completion of three 5-day courses in Occupational Safety and Health & Aviation Ground Safety, Aviation Safety Program Management & Aircraft Accident Investigation and Management (Basic or Advanced). REGISTER TODAY ONLINE ERAU FALL 2015 CERTIFICATE OF MANAGEMENT IN AVIATION SAFETY SERIES: OCT. 19-23, 2015: OSHA & Aviation Ground Safety Oct. 26-30, 2015: Aviation Safety Program Management Nov. 2-6, 2015: Aircraft Accident Investigation LOCATION: DAYTONA BEACH CAMPUS, FLORIDA CONTACT INFORMATION: Ms. Sarah Ochs, Director of Professional Programs Email: case@erau.edu Phone: (386) 226-6928 www.erau.edu/cmas Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Aircraft Maintenance Technician Decision-Making Purpose of Project My name is Robert Norcross. I am a doctoral student at Northcentral University in Arizona. I am conducting a research study about aircraft maintenance technician decision-making processes when aircraft repair information is not in the aircraft maintenance repair manuals. Focus group sessions will be held to gain your valuable experience, views, and opinions on nine questions pertaining to the research topic. Your views on the questions are important to me and I invite you to participate. The focus group sessions should last between 30 and 60 minutes and held at a date and time convenient for you. The focus group sessions will use www.gotomeeting.com and a conference call phone number. You are eligible to participate in this research if you: 1. 1. Are older than 18 years of age. 2. 2. Hold a Federal Aviation Administration issued Airframe and Power Plant certificate. 3. 3. Issued the Airframe and Power Plant certificate on or before 1 January 2010. 4. 4. A resident of the United States. Risks: There are minimal risks in this study. Some possible risks include: discomfort sharing views about the proposed research questions, other participants knowing your identity. To decrease the impact of these risks: you can refuse to answer any question, stop participating at any time, or request to answer the questions with a phone call to the researcher. Benefits: If you decide to participate, there is no direct benefits/compensation to you. The potential benefits to others are improved efficiency and less time and money spent reworking aircraft discrepancies. If you are interested in participating please contact me, Robert Norcross at R.Norcross4749@email.ncu.edu or 757-281-9289. Back to Top Upcoming Events: Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 25, 2015 Denver, CO USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1737105 IS-BAO Auditing August 26, 2015 Denver, CO USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1737126 Fundamentals of IS-BAO (En Español) August 25, 2015 Monterrey, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1736215 IS-BAO Auditing (En Español) August 26, 2015 Monterrey, Mexico https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1736218 Fundamentals of IS-BAO September 15, 2015 St. Louis, Missouri USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1660854 IS-BAO Auditing September 16, 2015 St. Louis, Missouri USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1660878 Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 30, 2015 Casablanca, Morocco https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1725994 IS-BAO Auditing August 31, 2015 Casablanca, Morocco https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1725997 Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection & Investigation Course 9-11 Sept. 2015 Hotel Ibis Nanterre La Defense (near Paris) France http://blazetech.com/resources/pro_services/FireCourse-France_2015.pdf AViCON - Aviation Insurance Conference September 10th and 11th, 2015 Stevensville, MD 21666 http://www.rtiforensics.com/news-events/avicon Regulatory Affairs Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/services/regulatory-affairs.php Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUPS) Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/ Safeskies 2015 Aviation Safety Conference 22 to 24 September 2015 Realm Hotel, Canberra www.SafeskiesAustralia.org 2015 International Air Safety Summit (IASS) Flight Safety Foundation November 2-4, 2015 Miami Beach, Florida http://flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2015 OSHA & Aviation Ground Safety Training Course (ERAU) Oct. 19-23, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Aviation Safety Program Management Training Course (ERAU) Oct. 26-30, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Aircraft Accident Investigation Training Course (ERAU) Nov. 2-6, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) Seminar (ERAU) Nov. 17-19, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/sms Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Seminar (ERAU) Dec. 8-10, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/uas 'DTI QA & SMS Workshops are Back in Town!' (Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Melbourne FL, and YOUR town just contact us) www.dtitraining.com Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Staff Engineer ALPA https://jobs-alpa.icims.com/jobs/1193/staff-engineer/job Assistant Airline Safety Manager - Investigation (AASM-I) Cathay Pacific https://cathaypacific.tms.hrdepartment.com/jobs/1580/Assistant-Airline-Safety-Manager-Investigation- AASM-IHong-Kong-Hong-Kong Operations Integrity Risk Specialist Air New Zealand https://careers.airnz.co.nz/jobdetails?jobmc=111020RE Assistant Director, Flight Standards NetJets http://www.netjets.com/careers , requisition #843 Maintenance Program Developer NetJets http://www.netjets.com/careers requisition #926 Director, Aviation Safety NetJets www.netjets.com/careers Curt Lewis