Flight Safety Information August 28, 2015 - No. 171 In This Issue FAA urged to get tougher with UAS airspace violators Flight safety -...The perils of private planes Allegiant Airlines Plans To Inspect All Planes After Yet Another Flight Disturbance Dutch air safety body to publish final MH17 crash report in October Upset AI pilots warn of extreme means NTSB: Pilots in fatal air crash didn't take evasive measures PROS 2015 TRAINING British Airways Just Can't Kick its 747 Habit FAA Tech Center opens new research center Fast In-Flight Wi-Fi Is Coming To An Airplane Near You In-Flight Wi-Fi Prices Jump as Demand Surges Boeing hits 777X jet milestone, says program on schedule Buzz Aldrin joins university, developing 'master plan' for Mars settlement Kent State Aeronautics & Dispatch Program Back To School with ERAU - Aviation Safety Seminars for Professionals GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) FAA urged to get tougher with UAS airspace violators The FAA said the latest group of pilot reports it recently released shows a dramatic rise in claims of drone encounters over the last 10 months, leading to calls for the agency to take more aggressive enforcement action. Last week, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a new list of pilot, air traffic and citizen reports covering 765 possible encounters with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) from November last year to August this year. The agency said the latest group of pilot reports shows dramatic rise in claims of drone encounters over the last 10 months. In releasing the information, the FAA said: "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." James Mackler, a Nashville attorney who recently moved his practice to Frost Brown Todd LLC and advises clients on the use of UAS, stressed that the FAA needs to take its enforcement mandate seriously. "The FAA has the tools to punish individuals who interfere with manned aircraft or fly in restricted airspace," he said. "It should also consider referring violators to state authorities for prosecution under local laws prohibiting reckless conduct." Doug Carr, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) vice president for regulatory and international affairs, said the sharp increase in pilots reporting close calls with small UAS is in line with the greater availability of such systems to non-commercial operators. "It seems clear that most-if not all-of these reported encounters were with small UAS being flown by recreational users, versus commercial UAS pilots operating under clear and concise restrictions with prior approval from the agency," he said. "The FAA must continue to reinforce that sUAS operations absolutely cannot interfere with manned aircraft operations." Mackler noted that the fledging U.S. aviation industry once experienced a similar problem. In 1928, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh wrote to the New York Times to warn that inexperienced stunt flyers engaging in "foolish flying" were a threat to the budding aviation industry. "Given the recent news from the FAA about the dramatic increase in UAS near misses, Charles Lindberg's words sound as timely today as they were almost a century ago," Mackler said. "Then, as now, regulators are struggling with how to control the rogue elements of a burgeoning industry. Responsible operators know that nothing hurts public confidence more than 'foolish flying,' yet the responsible pilots are also resistant to increased regulations." Carr emphasized the need for the FAA to implement sensible requirements governing unmanned aircraft operations, including clear guidance on where UAS may and may not be flown. "In our response to the draft notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) issued earlier this year, NBAA encouraged the FAA to adopt a maximum sUAS operating altitude restriction of 400 feet above ground level," he said. "We also stated that sUAS should not operate in the vicinity of airports, or other areas near manned aircraft, without coordination between the sUAS operator and the governing air traffic control authority." Mackler also recommends that the U.S. Congress "reconsider its decision to take a relatively 'hands-off' approach to model aircraft," noting that FAA regulations exempt those aircraft and hobbyists from requirements that apply to commercial users. "If Congress were to begin requiring that such users register their aircraft, the FAA would have a greater ability to identify law breakers," he explained. "Hobby operators would have a strong incentive to comply with this requirement. The current penalty for failure to register an aircraft is up to three years in jail." http://www.uasmagazine.com/articles/1219/faa-urged-to-get-tougher-with-uas- airspace-violators Back to Top Flight safety - The perils of private planes ON AUGUST 22th, at least 11 people were killed and many more injured when a vintage- 1950s Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to a dual carriageway on the south coast of Britain during a display at Shoreham airshow. It follows a summer of carnage across Europe. The same weekend, a pilot died in another airshow crash in Switzerland. And earlier this month, three members of the bin Laden family were killed when their private jet crashed and exploded when landing at a British airport in perfect conditions. The spate of crashes has worried many still yet to fly off on their summer holidays. But while the accident record of flying in private aircraft-often called "general aviation" by wonks-has not improved in Britain over the last five years, the risks of being hurt in an accident while travelling on a scheduled airline flight over the last five years is virtually nil (see first chart). That is part of a longer-term trend since the 1980s, most visible in America, of airline travel getting much safer (see second chart). Meanwhile flying by private plane has remained as dangerous as ever. With vintage planes getting ever more doddery, the rising popularity of comparatively dangerous "microlight" planes, and increasingly crowded skies, it is a problem that seems unlikely to diminish any time soon. http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/08/flight-safety Back to Top Allegiant Airlines Plans To Inspect All Planes After Yet Another Flight Disturbance Last month, federal regulators announced they had stepped up scrutiny of budget carrier Allegiant Airlines after a string of in-flight disturbances and accusations from a pilot's union of poor safety standards. Now, after yet another issue, the airline says it plans to inspect its entire fleet. ABC 7 News in Chicago reports that the Las Vegas-based airline announced it would inspect all planes after a flight headed to Illinois experienced trouble during takeoff. As the flight, traveling from Las Vegas to Peoria, was speeding down the runway, the nose lifted too soon. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is investigating the incident, the jet began to lift off from the runway before it was moving fast enough for a normal takeoff, and the front of the plane stayed up even as a pilot adjusted the controls in a way that should have kept the nosewheel on the runway. Bloomberg reports that pilots abruptly halted the takeoff while the plane was traveling at about 138 miles per hour. The airline blamed a fault in the elevator - the part of the tail that helps an aircraft climb or descend. Allegiant's decision to inspect all of its planes comes after the airline has faced several issues in recent months. Just last month, a flight carrying 150 passengers declared an emergency in order to land at a closed airport because it was running dangerously low on fuel. To make matters worse, the airline had been informed that the airport was closed to passenger jets prior to takeoff and the company's executives - Greg Baden, its vice president of operations, and Michael Wuerger, director of flight safety - were the ones manning the aircraft. The July 23 incident involved a plane flying from Las Vegas to the Fargo, ND, airport, which was closed for the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels aerobatic jets to practice. The airline says the flight was allowed to take off because dispatchers believed the FAA notice meant the airport was still open for passenger airlines. Other recent issues included a plane diverting because of a wasp's nest on a sensor and passengers using emergency exits to climb on a jet's wing after landing when a fuel leak sent fumes into the cabin. At the time the FAA announced its increased scrutiny, a spokesperson for Allegiant said that the airline generally has a high number of diversions - although, he didn't specify a number - because it doesn't have mechanics in most cities it services. "That presents a unique challenge when it comes to customer service, but if anything, it's an example of our focus on safety," he said. http://consumerist.com/2015/08/27/allegiant-airlines-plans-to-inspect-all-planes-after- yet-another-flight-disturbance/ Back to Top Dutch air safety body to publish final MH17 crash report in October AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The final report into the crash last July of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine will be published on Oct 13, the Dutch Safety Board said on Thursday. The crash, attributed in a preliminary report last year to "high energy objects" striking the aircraft, is widely believed to have been caused by a ground-to-air missile fired in error as the Boeing 777 cruised over territory in eastern Ukraine held by Moscow-backed separatists. Two thirds of the 298 victims were Dutch, and the country is leading the judicial and air safety investigations into the crash, which contributed to bringing relations between Russia and the West to their lowest ebb since the Cold War. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-dutch-air-safety-body-to-publish-final-mh17-crash- report-in-october-2015-8 Back to Top Upset AI pilots warn of extreme means AI commanders' have warned of consequences if their removal from workman category isn't reversed. NEW DELHI: Miffed at Air India commanders being taken out of workman category and hence no longer eligible to go on strike, the union of erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots has warned the airline of "extreme means" unless the same is withdrawn. The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA, union of erstwhile IA pilots) wrote to the airline management on Thursday night: "If the notification is not withdrawn immediately, we will be left with no option but to use extreme means to fight your illegal and arbitrary way of functioning... The AI management should be held solely responsible in case of any industrial dispute as you had disrupted the peace by taking law into you hands by issuing a notification which does not fall within the purview of the management." The notification that said commanders were no longer workmen, and by implication not eligible to strike work, was issued last Thursday. The next day, a number of AI pilots reported sick in protest due to which about a dozen flights were affected. The notification issued on August 20, 2014, by AI ED Deepa Mahajan had said, "A clarification has been given by the ministry of labour and employment regarding differentiation on the categories of pilots in AI, ie between a pilot in command and a co- pilot. The ministry of labour and employment has after examination ... observed that the duties and responsibilities of pilot in command are of managerial and administrative nature which may not fall in the definition of workman". This notification mainly had two implications: that commanders cannot be in any union and they cannot go on strike. The airline management says people earning in lakhs a month, like commanders, are not workman but are doing senior managerial level jobs. ICPA is the only pilot union in the merged airline as the union of erstwhile Air India pilots was derecognized during their last strike in UPA-II regime. The notification meant that the only pilot union, ICPA, would not have any commander in it as a member. Later the ICPA took legal opinion and has cited the same to the management, arguing that the notification be withdrawn. Apart from this notification, pilots are upset for a number of reasons like failure of the AI management to have pay parity between pilots of erstwhile AI and IA pilots even eight hears after the two airlines were merged. In June, a large number of Dreamliner pilots had threatened to resign on the issue of AI and IA pilots being paid differently for the same jab, with the former getting more than the latter. AI has seen a significant number of its pilots quit in past few months. With a new chairman, Ashwani Lohani, going to be at the helm in a matter of days, the issue of pilots is heating up and this will be the first challenge that the new CMD will face at AI. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Upset-AI-pilots-warn-of-extreme- means/articleshow/48702820.cms Back to Top NTSB: Pilots in fatal air crash didn't take evasive measures Witnesses saw the Cessna and Sabrerliner at same altitude near Brown Field OTAY MESA - A preliminary report on the air collision that killed five aboard two aircraft near Brown Field last week says neither pilot appeared to have taken evasive action. The National Transportation Safety Board has released a short report describing how the single-engine Cessna 172 and the twin-engine experimental Sabreliner jet broke apart, with debris scattered about a mile northeast of the municipal airport in Otay Mesa. A final report analyzing how the crash occurred may be completed in about a year, officials said. Cessna pilot Michael A. Copeland of San Diego, a senior marketing manager with Qualcomm, died in the crash. Killed in the Sabreliner were pilot Jeff Percy, 41, passengers Carlos Palos, 40, and John Kovach, 35, all of the Mojave area, and co-pilot James Henry Hale, 66, of Adelanto. Palos, Kovach and Hale worked for military contractor BAE Systems, which leased the Sabreliner. Percy was a BAE contract employee. The collision occurred about 11 a.m. on Aug. 16. Authorities said the Cessna pilot was practicing "touch and go" landings when his plane and the Sabreliner clipped right wings as they flew past each other in opposite directions. Both pilots were in communication with the control tower at the time. The airport has two parallel runways, one longer than the other. The NTSB report does not detail the tower communications. The report said both planes had left Brown Field earlier in the day. The Sabreliner crew filed a flight plan while the Cessna pilot had not. The Cessna was registered to Plus One Flyers, Inc., in San Diego. The report said witnesses saw the Cessna flying away from the airport as the Sabreliner headed toward it, descending. They were flying at the same altitude, according to a witness two miles northeast of the airport. The witness said that "both airplanes did not appear to have made any avoidance action prior to the collision," the report said. "After the collision the smaller airplane broke apart; the larger airplane banked left, impacted the ground and exploded." Other witnesses told NTSB investigators that they saw the two aircraft flying parallel but not directly above the landing strips, in a pattern known as the downwind leg before a pilot would begin turns toward the runway for a descent. Those witnesses turned away briefly, then saw an explosion followed by sections of the airplanes falling from the sky, the report said. Debris from the Cessna scattered across 1,200 feet of brushy land about 400 feet northeast of the Sabreliner. The Sabreliner's right wing was amid the Cessna wreckage. The debris field of the Sabreliner covered only about 100 feet, the report said. Flames from both planes sparked brush fires. The aircraft wreckage was trucked to Arizona for analysis by the NTSB. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/aug/27/cessna-sabreliner-brown- field-airplane-crash-ntsb/ Back to Top Back to Top British Airways Just Can't Kick its 747 Habit If it's the end of the line for Boeing Co.'s 747 jetliner, nobody told British Airways. The largest operator of the hump-backed icon -- dubbed the Queen of the Skies on its debut in 1970 -- is plumping up seat cushions, hanging fresh curtains and upgrading entertainment systems on 18 planes. Yet competitors can't seem to park the four-engine aircraft fast enough. Upgrading the best-selling 747-400 version of the jumbo bucks a wave of retirements that have cast doubt on the model's future, with Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Japan Airlines Co., which once vied with BA for the title of No. 1 operator, ending flights more than three years ago. Demand for the latest 747-8 variant has also faded as airlines prefer leaner twin-jet types. A clue to BA's lingering love affair with the 747 lies in the model's ability to eke out capacity from scarce operating slots at its London Heathrow hub at a time when lower fuel prices make retaining older planes an option. The revamped jets, the first of which returns next month from a refit center in Cardiff, Wales, will also get 16 extra business- class seats, aiding deployment on lucrative trans-Atlantic services. "It makes hard business sense," JLS Consulting Director John Strickland said. "These aircraft have a lot of life in them and can be used in very effective commercial ways. Given the capacity constraints at Heathrow and the high demand they have on certain routes, it's still a very good model." Dwindling Numbers While BA has parked or scrapped 15 of its oldest 747s, about half its remaining 42 planes were built in the late 1990s, and "ought to have a good 10 years of life at least left in them," said George Ferguson, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. Of the 694 747-400s built between 1988 and 2009, only 266 passenger variants remain in service, down from 362 in 2011, according to analysis of fleet data held by Ascend Worldwide, he said. Most are retired as they approach their mid-20s. The arrival of Boeing's 777 in 1995, just six years after the -400's introduction, marked the start of the jumbo's slow decline, with its stablemate able to carry almost as many people but with two engines. The latest 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus Group SE A350 are hastening the retreat by combining twin-jet economics with composite materials that offer a 20 percent efficiency saving versus planes far newer than the 747. Boeing is also slowing output of the 747-8, the stretched model that replaced the -400 amid weak sales. The backlog stands at just 17 planes, excluding freighters, after delivery of the last of 19 ordered by Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the only major airline to sign up to the passenger version. Chicago, New York At British Airways, the revamped 747s will be no shrinking violets, with the jets earmarked for high-frequency destinations including Chicago, Boston and New York, as well as cities such as Lagos, Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait where the onus is on maximizing seat numbers on one or two daily flights. With fuel costs forecast to fall further amid concern over a slowing Chinese economy, BA's combination of "mostly-paid-for 747s" and modest spending on "surface treatments" will look more and more attractive versus a bill in excess of $250 million for the latest Boeing and Airbus models, said Robert Mann, an aerospace consultant in Port Washington, New York. The relatively low capital outlay on sprucing up the 747s means BA will be under less pressure to utilize them should the cost and demand landscape change, according to Strickland. "If things turn sour they can stand any of these aircraft down almost at a moment's notice knowing there are no expensive capex commitments," he said. "They can dip into the availability of these aircraft and not worry that they have an expensive asset that needs to be sweated come what may." Premium Boost The extra business seats on the revamped 747s will take the total to 86, only 11 fewer than on BA's Airbus A380s, making it easier to switch between models without crimping availability of high-yield berths. The change pares overall capacity to 275 seats. While that's 40 percent fewer than on the superjumbo, the A380 is a niche model for the airline, with just 12 orders. BA's 747 refit parallels the introduction of newly minted planes including the 787-8, the first example of which arrived in 2013 alongside the A380, and larger 787-9, due to enter service in October. Jumbo cabins will be harmonized with the new fleet through common features including the latest Panasonic Corp. in-flight entertainment system and matching curtains, carpets and seat covers. British Airways declined to specify how long the upgrade will prolong the 747's lifespan, though it has said the bigger 787 variants and Airbus's largest A350 will be used to phase out some jumbos through 2023. Kathryn Doyle, BA's cabin interiors manager, said the company has no concerns about customer acceptance of a plane whose genesis dates to the mid-1960s. "We know the aircraft has a special place in the heart of many of our customers," she said, adding that the Queens have more than earned "some well-deserved TLC." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-28/boeing-747-dethronement-on- hold-as-british-airways-extends-reign?cmpid=yhoo Back to Top FAA Tech Center opens new research center Officials dedicate new $8 million National Airport Pavement and Materials Research Center and Safety Building at the William G. Hughes Technical Center EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - The Federal Aviation Administration dedicated a new research center at the William J. Hughes Technical Center Thursday that could help change the way that airport runaways are built. The new $8 million National Airport Pavement and Materials Research Center and Safety Building at the William G. Hughes Technical Center allows engineers to use a custom- designed vehicle simulator to test asphalt and other pavement materials at very high tire pressures and temperatures, officials said. "All of the research done at this facility will benefit aviation for years to come,'' said Eduardo Angeles, associate administrator for the airports for the administration. The $4.2 million simulator is 129-feet long and weighs 240,000 pounds. "You want to learn about the pavement's behavior in a short period of time," said Navneet Garg, project manager for the pavement section of the administration. "We are trying to show 20 years of force in a short period of time." The new center will enable the administration to research environmentally-friendly airport pavement materials such as warm-mix and recycled asphalt pavements. The goal of the administration is to expand the use of "greener" materials, and pavement materials that can be modified to enhance pavement durability, workability http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/eht/faa-tech-center-opens-new- research-center/article_ebde04fa-4d02-11e5-ace8-b7a91883ce1c.html Back to Top Fast In-Flight Wi-Fi Is Coming To An Airplane Near You: GoGo Gets Approval For New 70 Mbps Satellite Antennas In-Flight Wi-Fi on airplanes may actually soon be usable. According to GoGo, the "go to" Inflight Wi-Fi provider, it has now received regulatory approval of a new technology the company claims could boost in-flight Wi-Fi speeds to 20 times the current bandwidth. This is good news for anyone who works in a field where precious hours spent trapped on a flying machine are best spent getting caught up on a little work. As a person who occasionally finds myself in such a position, nothing is more infuriating than knowing there's Wi-Fi available, but it's so slow you might as well just forget about getting anything done. With GoGo's technology however, slow inflight Wi-Fi speeds should soon be little more than a distant memory as the updated satellite antennas - dubbed 2Ku - will offer speeds of up to 70 Mbps. "This is a significant milestone for Gogo and a seminal event for in-flight Internet," Gogo's chief technology officer, Anand Chari, said in a statement. "We believe this will be the best performing technology for the global commercial aviation market bar none. Clearing this regulatory hurdle brings us one step closer to enabling our airline partners and their passengers to enjoy the future of in-flight Internet." But as fast as the new in-flight Wi-Fi speeds are, their arrival won't be quite so snappy. The update requires installing new satellite hardware in all aircraft - a process that will take some time. While some aircraft will see the speedier Wi-Fi service arriving within the next few months, for most, the updated in-flight Wi-Fi service won't be accessible until 2016. With the updated technology, however, the question remains: what price will be put on the speedier in-flight Wi-Fi service? GoGo has already exploited a business model that embraces charging somewhat exorbitant fees for access to the service. According to Fortune Magazine, charging large amounts for in-flight Wi-Fi works well for GoGo for a couple of reasons: 1) Few people will pay for it so it keeps the number of users having to share the service down. This is beneficial in that it mediates slow speeds that would come with multitudes of users 2) The users who pay for in-flight Wi-Fi will do it at any cost as most are business travelers who can claim a tax write-off. "Gogo has figured out that you make more revenue by charging as much money as possible to a very small number of people," says [analyst Tim] Farrar. "Typically, only 7% of passengers opt to pay for Internet on Gogo flights, but that's enough for Gogo to cover its costs and send a big check to its airline partners each month." Would you pay for GoGo's speedier in flight Wi-Fi? How much are you willing to fork over? Share with us in the comments below. http://www.idigitaltimes.com/fast-flight-wi-fi-coming-airplane-near-you-gogo-gets- approval-new-70-mbps-satellite-469627 Back to Top In-Flight Wi-Fi Prices Jump as Demand Surges During a Tuesday-morning flight in April from Los Angeles to New York, Christine Lu's smartphone web browser loaded an unpleasant surprise: Gogo, the in-flight Wi-Fi provider, wanted to charge her $27 to use its service during the five-and-a-half-hour trip. The price was more than double the $13 that she had paid for Gogo's Wi-Fi four years earlier, said Ms. Lu, a start-up entrepreneur. "It's like a hotel charging obscene rates for Wi-Fi in the room," said Ms. Lu, who swallowed the cost to do some work. "You get this bad feeling." In the inaugural installment of this new consumer technology feature, we examine the price increases for Wi-Fi on flights from the largest provider of the service, Gogo, and explain why some costs have escalated and some have not, and how travelers can sidestep the worst of the charges. Michael Small, the chief executive of Gogo, said new satellite technology should add capacity and eventually let the company lower prices for in-flight Wi-Fi. Credit David Kasnic for The New York Times Many travelers are experiencing sticker shock from in-flight Wi-Fi these days. While there are several in-flight Wi-Fi providers, including ViaSat and Global Eagle Entertainment, Gogo is the top provider, equipping more than 2,000 planes from airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Virgin America with its service, up from 1,300 in 2011. Gogo's prices often change depending on when and where you are flying. But on some flights - especially transcontinental routes crammed with business travelers who may have cushy expense accounts - prices have doubled from three years ago. Consider the following increases: Wi-Fi service on transcontinental flights - such as from San Francisco to New York, from Boston to Seattle or from Los Angeles to New York - now cost $28 to $40, up from roughly $18 in 2012, according to Gogo. Yet those numbers rarely show up in the average price quote for an in-flight Gogo Wi-Fi session, which now amounts to about $12, up just slightly from $10 in 2012. That's partly because on flights where fewer people are likely to use Wi-Fi, pricing has remained unchanged, which brings down the average cost per session. For example, Gogo's Wi-Fi service on flights between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has cost $10 since 2012. In addition, passengers can choose to pay smaller amounts to use Wi-Fi for a portion of a flight instead of the entire trip. Gogo's prices are not just higher now; they are also more unpredictable. The company uses a method called dynamic pricing, in which it tries to forecast the demand for Wi-Fi on each flight and scale pricing accordingly. So the prices for the full durations of transcontinental flights also change each day: Gogo charges the most, $40, on Mondays and Thursdays; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays cost $34; and Saturdays are the cheapest, at $28. Driving the uneven prices on certain routes is Gogo's reliance on higher fees to ease overcrowding of its network. With passengers packing a growing number of Internet- connected electronics like smartphones, gaming devices and tablets in their carry-on luggage, the amount of bandwidth they consume on popular flights keeps expanding. Continue reading the main story How Much Gogo Charges for Its In-Flight Wi-Fi Service The company's prices often change depending on when and where you are flying. On some transcontinental flights, peak prices have doubled in the last three years. Los Angeles ? New YorkSan Francisco ? New YorkBoston ? Seattle The minimum price for Wi-Fi service for the duration of the flight. 2015 $28 2012 $18 Gogo calculates the cost of its in-flight Wi-Fi service based on perceived demand. The higher rates correspond to peak travel times, especially for business travelers. Sun. $34 Mon. $40 Tues. $34 Wed. $34 Thurs. $40 Fri. $34 Sat. $28 Michael Small, the chief executive of Gogo, said in an interview that the company had raised prices because demand for Internet service in the sky had exceeded capacity. "We're starting to have millions of users, so it's getting more and more congested, and we have raised prices, which you typically do when you have more demand than you have supply," he said. "There's nothing to apologize for. We have trouble finding a business in America that does anything differently." Part of the reason Gogo's costs can be so high is that the prevailing technology it uses has hit some limits. Its in-flight Wi-Fi works like the cellular network that provides service for cellphones, in which antennas are used to transmit signals to and from towers on the ground. Adding capacity is difficult because there is a limited amount of radio spectrum available for the towers. To improve the situation, Gogo uses satellite technology for over-water flights, and the company is upgrading to a faster satellite technology called 2Ku. That technology, which received regulatory approval on Monday and will be widely released next year, should add capacity and eventually let the company lower prices, Mr. Small said. "When we start rolling out the satellite technology and bring out more capacity, we'll be back in the business of trying to bring on new customers and grow the business and introduce exciting new price plans," Mr. Small said. Some competitors that already offer satellite-based in-flight Wi-Fi technology have found opportunities to undercut Gogo's prices. JetBlue, which uses satellite technology provided by ViaSat, provides free Wi-Fi service on the majority of its routes, though passengers can pay $9 an hour for faster Internet speeds. Southwest Airlines, which has teamed up with Global Eagle Entertainment on satellite service, charges a flat rate of $8 per Wi-Fi session. Walé Adepoju, the chief commercial officer for Global Eagle Entertainment, said Wi-Fi was one component of the broad package of media services his company provided, including movies, music and television content. The company allows airlines to set the Wi-Fi prices; they can decide to cover the cost of Internet service by including it in ticket prices or to make money through other means, like advertising, he said. Southwest has about 550 aircraft equipped with Global Eagle Entertainment's Wi-Fi services, said Kevin Kleist, Southwest's manager of Wi-Fi and in-flight entertainment. He said the company had experimented with different prices before concluding that $8 was the sweet spot. "You don't want to overprice and not get enough customers. And you don't want to underprice it and get too many and too much congestion," Mr. Kleist said. Consumers can take heart because there are several ways to pay less for in-flight Wi-Fi. If Internet in the sky is that important, you can always pick an airline offering cheaper Wi-Fi, like Southwest or JetBlue. Or if you're flying on a Gogo-equipped airplane, you can choose a day of the week when Wi-Fi prices are lower. Another way to get a cheaper rate for Gogo is o rdering the service before boarding the plane. People can buy an all-day pass to use Wi-Fi on any Gogo-equipped flight for $16, while frequent travelers can purchase a monthly subscription for $50. These solutions are small comfort to Ms. Lu. "How am I going to remember for a 6 a.m. flight, of all the things I have to do, to log on at 4 a.m. and prepay for my Wi-Fi?" she said. "Are you kidding me?" http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/technology/personaltech/in-flight-wi-fi-prices- jump-as-demand-surges.html?_r=0 Back to Top Boeing hits 777X jet milestone, says program on schedule Boeing Co (BA.N) said on Thursday it has determined the basic design of its 777-9 jetliner, a key milestone that suggests it is on schedule to deliver the first of its new family of long-range 777X jets by 2020. Development of the 777X, which includes the 777-9 and smaller 777-8, comes as Boeing speeds up commercial aircraft production to more than 76 a month by 2020 from 62 now, taking output to the highest level in the company's 100-year history. Boeing expects to build the first 777-9, to be its largest twin-engined plane, in 2017. Output of the current 777 will not slow during the transition, the company has said, although some analysts remain skeptical. The 777X, a successor to the 777 widebody jet introduced in 1995, will have carbon- fiber composite wings with folding wingtips and an aluminum fuselage. It will use 12 percent less fuel and be 10 percent cheaper to operate than competing jets, Boeing said. The 777X will compete with Airbus' A350, which also competes with the Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Boeing's announcement on Thursday that the 777-9 had reached "firm configuration" means the plane's basic design and capabilities have been determined, setting the stage for design of specific parts and systems. The company's stock rose 2 percent to $131.87 on the New York Stock Exchange, about in line with the broader market. The 777-9 will carry 400-to-425 passengers and have a range of 7,600 nautical miles (14,075 kilometers), making it the largest plane in Boeing's lineup by seat capacity. It will be the largest twin-engine plane in the world, though smaller than the four-engine Airbus A380. Under specifications Boeing released earlier this month, its biggest plane, the 747-8, is no longer its largest in terms of standard seat capacity. "The program is right where we want it to be," said Bob Feldman, who heads the 777X program. "We have an airplane and a production system that are on track and on schedule." Boeing is using automated technology to help assemble the 777X, and installing autoclaves, or industrial ovens, in a massive new building in Everett, Washington, to cure the wings under heat and pressure, next door to the assembly line. Boeing said the 777X wingspan will be 235 feet, 5 inches (71.8 meters) with wingtips extended and 212 feet, 8 inches (64.8 meters) with wingtips folded. The 777X has garnered 306 firm orders and another 14 commitments. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/27/us-boeing-idUSKCN0QW1PK20150827 Back to Top Buzz Aldrin joins university, developing 'master plan' for Mars settlement Buzz Aldrin salutes the U.S. flag on the surface of the moon. (NASA) Buzz Aldrin is working with the Florida Institute of Technology to develop a "master plan" for colonizing Mars within 25 years. The second man to walk on the moon took part in a signing on Thursday at the university, less than an hour's drive from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute is set to open in the fall. Aldrin, 85, will serve as a research professor for aeronautics as well as a senior faculty adviser for the institute. Aldrin and Neil Armstrong walked on the moon's surface on July 20, 1969. Aldrin hopes his "master plan" is accepted by NASA and the country, with international input. NASA is already working on the spacecraft and rockets to get astronauts to Mars by the mid-2030s. Aldrin is pushing for a Mars settlement by 2040. More specifically, he's shooting for 2039, the 70th anniversary of his own Apollo 1 moon landing, although he admits the schedule is "adjustable." He envisions using Mars' moons, Phobos and Deimos, as preliminary stepping stones for astronauts. He said he dislikes the label "one-way" and imagines tours of duty lasting 10 years. "The Pilgrims on the Mayflower came here to live and stay. They didn't wait around Plymouth Rock for the return trip, and neither will people building up a population and a settlement" on Mars. As for Aldrin, he's recently settled in nearby Satellite Beach, right on the Atlantic Ocean, after moving from California. He told reporters he considers it "a terminal assignment," using Air Force jargon. "I've traded earthquakes and fires for hurricanes by coming to Florida," he said. The press conference made reference to Aldrin's recent celebrity pursuits. Florida Tech's executive vice president, T. Dwayne McCay, greeted Aldrin by noting, "Everyone knows what Buzz Aldrin is most famous for, and that is being a contestant on 'Dancing with the Stars.'" "Big Bang Theory," Aldrin corrected. Aldrin - who has a doctorate in science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology - joins two other space fliers on the faculty: former shuttle astronauts Winston Scott and Sam Durrance. http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/08/28/buzz-aldrin-joins-university-developing- master-plan-for-mars-settlement/ Back to Top Kent State Aeronautics & Dispatch Program Kent State Dispatch Program 1) It's available as an academic minor on all 5 of our degrees; Flight, Management, ATC, Systems Engineering, and Aeronautical Studies 2) Only 4-year institution in Ohio with a Part 65 Dispatch program 3) Graduated two classes now with a total of 21 graduates who have completed the practical exam 4) Several students have been hired by local Part 135 operators 5) The dispatch specific classes can be taken over 2-semesters or together during an 8-week summer session. www.kent.edu/caest 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 SURVEY Volunteers needed to take a survey for research: Provide feedback on failure to follow procedure Dear aviation maintenance personnel, If you have experiences to share about the causes of failure to follow procedures on Part 121 aircraft in the maintenance world, we would like to hear from you! Your experiences uniquely describe the daily events in the aviation maintenance hangar and can provide critical information that may identify, mitigate, or even prevent failures to follow procedures in the future. In this survey, we will be asking supervisors, AMTs, other maintenance professionals with Part 121 aircraft experience to answer multiple choice format questions and share your experiences in paragraph format. This is a rare opportunity to shape what is currently known about failures to follow procedure and positively impact aviation mechanics within the industry. We appreciate your time and thank you for your participation in advance. We encourage you to share your experiences. Click the following link or type the address into the address bar of your Internet browser to complete the survey: www.tinyurl.com/FFP-AMT ********** More Information Who is conducting this research? Alex Chaparro, PhD (Alex.Chaparro@wichita.edu), and Brady Patzer (bspatzer@wichita.edu) of Wichita State University (WSU). WSU is an FAA Center for Excellence in the area of Composites and Advanced Materials. The project is sponsored by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, in Oklahoma City, OK. What are we studying? This study is examining the causes of failures to follow procedure in aircraft maintenance. Why participate? Participating in this study provides an opportunity to impact actionable methods for handling failures to follow procedure. This study could improve the efficiency and safety of aviation maintenance work. Who is eligible? We need input from AMTs and others who have worked on Part 121 aircraft. Of particular interest are those have either failed to follow procedure in the past, or have seen other personnel fail to follow procedure for any reason. Your responses will be held confidential. No individual responses will be reported. How do I participate? Click the following link or type the address into the address bar of your Internet browser to complete the survey: www.tinyurl.com/FFP-AMT Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Title: Research Study on Aviation Professionalism needs you support. Hello, you are receiving this message as a courtesy to Mr. Hussain Alhallaf, a Ph.D. candidate at Florida Institute of Technology's doctoral program in Aviation Sciences. Mr. Alhallaf is examining aviation professionalism and is seeking assistance from industry members through completion of an online survey, which would take 10-15 minutes. Mr. Alhallaf's research is the first to empirically study perspectives on professionalism and personal development in aviation. This study is dedicated to Colgan Air flight 3407 (2009), many other aviation catastrophic events, and the aviation industry as a whole. In addition to taking the survey we also are seeking your generosity in distributing the survey's link. The study is targeting participants who work/study in the aviation profession. To participate, you may access the online survey via the following link: http://questionpro.com/t/ALRnkZSa9Y By supporting academic research and donating time and input to the institutions that train the next generation of aviation professionals, you are active in ensuring the future safety of the flying public. Get involved with us. If you have any questions or are unable to distribute the email, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at halhallaf2014@my.fit.edu or by Cell phone at (386) 847-7671. Thank you for your cooperation. 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 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 BARS Auditor Training October 6-8, 2015 Dubai, United Arab Emirates http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training 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 Curt Lewis