Flight Safety Information September 4, 2015 - No. 176 In This Issue The evolution of aviation safety Delta Air Lines In-flight Diversion Security cam captures alleged TSA groping Study: The dirtiest place on an airplane isn't the bathroom. So what is? Teacher arrested after drone crashes in Louis Armstrong Stadium during match Plane Crashes in New Jersey, Injuring 2 Pilots Saving pilots' lives: One parachute at a time JFK airport 'pilot examiner' accused of selling Oxycodone prescriptions PROS 2015 TRAINING Stay Current on Aviation Safety - Follow FSI on Twitter Boeing Left With No Net Jumbo-Jet Orders on Nippon Cargo Cutback Here are 12 major airlines' policies for flying with pets United Airlines Begins Powering Planes With Farm Waste China aviation giant buys Irish firm Avolon John Ratzenberger Becomes Official Ambassador of Elite Aviation Products NASA Books Early Seats on Commercial Space Flights Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) The evolution of aviation safety In its newly updated annual analysis of commercial-aviation accidents involving Western-built jets with 40 seats or more, this year's version being Commercial Aviation Accidents 1958-2014, Airbus argues that little of real value can be learned from looking at any individual year's accidents in isolation. This is because commercial-aviation accidents are "very rare events", according to Airbus. They are so rare, nowadays, that trying to compare one year's aviation safety performance to that of another creates statistics which "are governed by 'the law of small numbers'" and "most of the time ... prove to be rather counter-intuitive". Airbus notes that "variations [in fatality and hull-loss rates] from one year to the next can be huge", arguing that "the definition of safety is more subtle than a count of real accidents over a year". ICAO officially defines aviation safety as "the state in which the possibility of harm to persons or of property damage is reduced to, and maintained at or below, an acceptable level through a continuing process of hazard identification and safety risk management". In other words, states Airbus, the official definition of air safety refers "to likelihood more than to real events". However, looking at accident data and causation over "a meaningful number of flights, reasonably at least a million flights per year" is useful, because it creates a large-enough statistical sample that useful inferences may be drawn from the data. Because accident rates can vary widely from year to year - for instance, there were four accidents involving Western-built jets in 2004 but nine in 2005 - Airbus uses a 10-year moving average to describe the accident rate for any given year within that decade. The company uses a 20-year timeframe in analysing the safety performance of each succeeding generation of commercial jets. Manufacturers are now producing the fourth generation, fly-by-wire aircraft with flight envelope protection. Airbus employs the 20-year window because "today's operational conditions bear little resemblance to those at the beginning of the jet age". By aggregating data in these ways, Airbus says multi-year trends become evident. These trends "are less sensitive to yearly random variations" and so "they contribute to providing insights on the evolution of ... air transport system safety". Parsed in these ways, the data show there continues "a steady decrease over time" in the accident rate; and "a virtually stable absolute number of accidents despite a massive increase in exposure" - i.e., the number of flights performed annually grows substantially from each year to the next. Meanwhile, there have been "significant changes in both the number and the nature of aircraft": aircraft are becoming technologically more sophisticated. At the same time the governance of airlines and aviation regulatory authorities continues to improve qualitatively. "Advances in technology bring a decrease in accident rates," Airbus finds: each succeeding generation of aircraft is safer than its predecessors. There is a large and growing improvement in safety from the second generation to the third, as remaining second-generation aircraft reach ages where they need frequent maintenance activity - which isn't always performed. On the basis of a 10-year moving-average, the latest generation of jets has half the accident rate of the previous generation. Over the past 20 years, the rate of fatal accidents per million flights has fallen by a factor of five and the rate of hull-loss accidents has declined by a factor of three. Within those rates, "Nearly 90 per cent of all accidents happened during the descent/approach/landing or take-off/climb phases," reports Airbus. Loss of control in-flight (LOCI), controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and runway excursions were responsible for more than 60 per cent of all fatal accidents over the past 20 years. Runway excursions and aircraft system/component failure or malfunction were responsible for some 44 per cent of hull losses. But while CFIT accidents have fallen by a factor of seven over the past 20 years as new avionics have given pilots better situational awareness, and the rate of LOCI accidents has halved thanks to the advent of flight envelope protection, the rate of runway excursions has declined little. "The effect of recent technological breakthrough is not measurable ... yet," concludes Airbus. http://www.mro-network.com/opinion/2015/09/evolution-aviation-safety/5919#sthash.16v0yMK7.dpuf Back to Top Delta Air Lines In-flight Diversion Date: 03-SEP-2015 Time: ca. 20:50 Type: Boeing 747-451 Owner/operator: Delta Air Lines Registration: N670US C/n / msn: 24225/804 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 388 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: west of Akita - Japan Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG/ZSPD), China Destination airport: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW/KDTW), USA Narrative: A Boeing 747-451, operated as DAL/DL582 from Shanghai/Pudong, China to Detroit, USA, diverted to Kansai International Airport (KIX/RJBB), Japan, due to mulfunction of a fuel pump. According to the Flightradar24.com record, The plane took off from Pudong at 17:57CST/09:57UTC, and at around 20:50JST/11:50UTC the Boeing turned back to KIX while crusing at FL310. An emergency landing was carried out on the runway 06L of KIX at 22:40JST/13:40UTC. No injury were reported. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=179244 Back to Top Security cam captures alleged TSA groping Newly-released video shows the alleged groping by a former TSA screener that led to a scandal at Denver International Airport, reports CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave. An airport security camera footage obtained by CBS Denver station KCNC captured the controversial pat- downs. Footage from the morning of Feb. 9 shows former TSA workers Ty Spicha, 27, patting down travelers the Colorado airport, while Yasmeen Shafi, 22, operated the scanner. According to one TSA employee who reported the pair, Shafi would manipulate the scanning machine to identify males Spicha found attractive as female. That would trigger the machine to detect an anomaly in the passenger's genital area and permit Spicha to perform a pat-down. Three months after that tip, the TSA began an investigation and eventually fired the pair. The Denver airport refused to release the video to CBS Denver for months, citing an ongoing criminal investigation. Shafi admitted to participating in the plot, saying it involved at least 10 passengers. The TSA called the incidents "shocking and egregious." The agency has not been able to confirm potential victims and no criminal charges have been filed against Shafi or Spicha. "CBS This Morning" reached out to the former officers, but they have not responded. Last week, a similar incident occurred at New York's LaGuardia airport. According to documents, former TSA agent Maxie Oquendo is facing "sexual abuse and harassment" charges for groping a 21-year-old female foreign exchange student from Korea in a "an airport bathroom." Prosecutors say Oquendo told the women he was screening her for weapons. The TSA has since fired Oquendo. In a statement the agency said it "holds its employees to the highest standards." http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-agent-captured-allegedly-groping-travelers-found-attractive-denver- airport/ Back to Top Study: The dirtiest place on an airplane isn't the bathroom. So what is? Airports and airplanes are dirtier than your home, and the ickiest place on the plane isn't where you might think, according to Travelmath, a trip-calculating website. Travelmath sent a microbiologist to collect 26 samples from five airports and four flights. The samples were then tested to estimate the total bacteria population per square inch. The results? Contrary to what you might think, the dirtiest place on an airplane wasn't the bathroom. It was the tray table, with 2,155 colony-forming units (CFU) per square inch. "Surprisingly, it is the one surface that our food rests on - the tray table - that was the dirtiest of all the locations and surfaces tested," Travelmath said. "Since this could provide bacteria direct transmission to your mouth, a clear takeaway from this is to eliminate any direct contact your food has with the tray table." Here is the study's ranking of the dirtiest places and surfaces on airplanes and at airports: Tray table - 2,155 CFU/sq. in. Drinking fountain buttons - 1,240 CFU/sq. in. Overhead air vent - 285 CFU/sq. in. Lavatory flush button - 265 CFU/sq. in. Seatbelt buckle - 230 CFU/sq. in. Bathroom stall locks - 70 CFU/sq. in. Because bathrooms are sanitized more frequently, they were some of the cleaner surfaces tested. Travelmath advises that fliers bring hand sanitizer for any dirty surfaces they may touch along their journey. But remember, germaphobes, trying to avoid germs is pretty much useless. Read more about the study here. http://www.phillyvoice.com/study-dirtiest-place-airplane/ Back to Top Teacher arrested after drone crashes in Louis Armstrong Stadium during match NEW YORK -- A New York City teacher was arrested early Friday for allegedly crashing a drone into an empty section of seats at the US Open, police said. Daniel Verley, 26, faces charges of reckless endangerment and operating a drone in a New York City public park outside of prescribed area. A police department spokesman said Verley was a teacher at the Academy of Innovative Technology in Brooklyn. Calls for comment to the school and the Department of Education were not immediately returned Friday. It wasn't immediately clear whether Verley had an attorney who could comment on the charges on his behalf. The drone buzzed over the court in Louis Armstrong Stadium on Thursday night before crashing into the seats. U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said no one was injured. A drone entered Louis Armstrong Stadium during a match on Thursday night, temporarily halting the action before crashing into a section of empty seats. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images The black device flew diagonally through the arena during the next-to-last game of a second-round match that 26th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy won 6-1, 6-4 over Monica Niculescu of Romania. Pennetta said she heard the drone fly by and was not sure what it was. Her initial reaction, she said afterward, was that it might have been a bomb. "A little bit scary, I have to say," Pennetta said. "With everything going on in the world ... I thought, 'OK, it's over.' That's how things happen," she said. She said neither the chair umpire nor tournament officials told her that it was, indeed, a drone. It broke into pieces upon landing, and the match was only briefly interrupted between points while police and fire department personnel went to look at it. "The chair umpire just wanted to wait for an OK from the police to be able to continue," Pennetta said, "even if, truthfully, I don't think even they knew what it was." She said her coach and physical therapist were sitting in the opposite end of the stadium from where the drone crashed and they told her later they were afraid, too. "All of these [security measures], and then it comes in from above," Pennetta said. The episode happened a little before 8:30 p.m., during the day's last match in Louis Armstrong Stadium, which has a seating capacity of about 10,000. Pennetta and Niculescu originally were scheduled to play on the much-smaller Court 17, but their match was moved because four earlier matches in Armstrong wrapped up early. "If there had been spectators, it would have hit them and done a lot of damage," Pennetta said. http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen15/story/_/id/13580585/teacher-arrested-drone-enters-louis- armstrong-stadium-crashes-empty-seats Back to Top Plane Crashes in New Jersey, Injuring 2 Pilots A Coast Guard plane crashed in a field in northern New Jersey on Thursday afternoon, seriously injuring the pilot and co-pilot, officials said. The plane crashed shortly before 5 p.m. in Cresskill, N.J., said Arlene Salac, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. She said the aircraft "landed in trees." A spokesman for the Coast Guard said the plane belonged to the Coast Guard Auxiliary and that its two injured crewmen were Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel. Both people in the plane were seriously injured, said James Domville, the deputy chief of the Cresskill Police Department, and were transported to a hospital in stable condition. He said the scope of their injuries included those to the spine and head and "lower extremity wounds" such as compound fractures to their legs and ankles. Mr. Domville said the plane struck the edge of a soccer field on the edge of town. The Palisades Interstate Parkway Police, who also responded to the crash, posted a picture on Twitter of the crumpled wreckage of the aircraft lying near a grove of trees. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/nyregion/plane-crashes-in-new-jersey-injuring-2-pilots.html?_r=0 ************** Date: 03-SEP-2015 Time: 16:43 Type: Cessna R172K Hawk XP Owner/operator: Black Sheep Aviation LLC Registration: N758DK C/n / msn: R1723011 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Bergen County, Cresskill, New Jersey - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: Following a loss of engine power, the aircraft force landed to open field terrain in Cresskill, New Jersey. The airplane came to rest upright in surrounding trees, sustaining substantial damage. The two occupants onboard the aircraft received undetermined injuries. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=179253 Back to Top Saving pilots' lives: One parachute at a time Air Force Senior Airman Jonathan Kunkle, 23rd Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment journeyman, inspects a parachute for damage at Moody Air Force Base. AFE personnel repack parachutes not in use during yearly inspections to ensure the equipment is safe. MOODY AIR FORCE BASE - When an aircraft malfunctions, lives are at stake. If a pilot needs to eject from an aircraft, the equipment meant to save his life has to operate flawlessly in any scenario. The airmen responsible for packing this equipment and keeping it mission-ready for every A-10C Thunderbolt II pilot, belong to the 23d Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment shop. "This job is intimidating because everything has to be done exactly right," said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jonathan Kunkle, 23d OSS AFE journeyman. "If it's not, you could kill somebody. You only get one shot, so everything has to be perfect." Pilots' lives can depend on the AFE airmen and the efficiency of the equipment. "I know several pilots who have had to use (the equipment) and it worked correctly for all of them," said Major Zachary Laird, 23rd Wing director of inspections and a 12-year A-10 pilot. "It gives me confidence that if something were to happen to the aircraft that the equipment is going to save my life. It allows me to come back and continue to do the job. Even though we might lose an aircraft out there, this equipment can save a trained pilot's life. (A person) is a lot harder to replace than a single aircraft." Just as pilots require years of training, learning to maintain this equipment and ensuring it is safe and mission-ready takes time. "To become 100 percent proficient, where you know the job inside and out, can take up to six months," said Kunkle. "Even after that time, you are always learning new things about it that you didn't know before. There's so much that goes into it, but I like packing parachutes because it's different. Once you get into it and really start to learn, it gets easier. You get more comfortable because you know what you're doing. It's a lot of fun." Every week during in-process inspections parachutes are unpacked for quality control to help create proficiency within the shop. "The Aces II parachute contains a 28-foot circular canopy that is stuffed down into a small container," said Kunkle. "Every repack inspection is good for a year. Sometimes they don't make it a full year depending on if the (23rd Component Maintenance Squadron) egress shop wants to pull them early for deployment- related preparation. "When we receive them, we unpack, inspect and repack it every single time," said Kunkle. "I've been doing this job for over three years now and I can get one done between four and six hours depending on what's wrong with it." AFE personnel follow an in-process inspection checklist and then are inspected for quality control to guarantee everything is being done precisely. "We have in-process inspections that are normally done by qualified craftsmen," said Kunkle. "You can't do (inspections) on yourself. The point is to get a second set of eyes on all the critical components." AFE personnel not only handle parachutes, they pack Aces II survival kits that are connected to the parachutes when a pilot has to eject from an aircraft. The kit contains items such as a five-inch hunting knife, clothing items, a flashlight, spare batteries, a space blanket, 16 packs of water, a one-man life raft, raft repair plugs, a candle, a PRC-90 radio and other basic items they might need. "The kits contain things a pilot would need after ejecting from an aircraft," said Kunkle. "They are put underneath the seat where the pilot sits. It is attached to them, so when they eject it goes with the pilot (and) hangs off of them as they are coming down." When packing the survival kits, AFE airmen follow a technical order (TO) to make sure the kit is properly stocked and will pass inspection. "We follow a TO which tells you everything you need to do, you basically follow the directions," said Senior Airman Ciara Jones, 23rd OSS AFE journeyman. "There are times when we can get overwhelmed with the number of items that have to be inspected but, if somebody needs help then we help each other out." Moody airmen work with approximately 60 parachutes and survival kits throughout the year and are expected to fill any orders needed in a timely manner. "We work directly with the egress shop," said Kunkle. "They need things done in a certain time period because they don't want aircraft sitting around not flying. That's something that can get kind of stressful. Most of the time we have a spare ready-to-go if they need it, but sometimes they'll bring (a parachute) in the morning and may need it given back on the same day." AFE personnel are responsible for the equipment that will get a pilot safely to the ground in a worst-case scenario and pilots must trust in them. http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/local_news/saving-pilots-lives-one-parachute-at-a- time/article_1b222b64-f9c6-524f-a755-76ca99da48cf.html Back to Top JFK airport 'pilot examiner' accused of selling Oxycodone prescriptions JAMAICA, Queens -Just the kind of news you wanted to hear about an airport doctor. A senior, aviation medical examiner-who checked pilots to sign off on their medical fitness to fly-was busted Thursday morning, accused of selling prescriptions for powerful, addictive painkillers like Oxycodone. But so far, investigators haven't found any evidence that Dr. Gerald Surya of Valley Stream was writing prescriptions for pilots. Surya was picked up near his home in Valley Stream Thursday, charged with selling the prescriptions since at least 2013, when the investigation of his practice started. Surya also made appearances on television as an aviation expert, including on the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC in March 2015. Surya is an internist who had an office at JFK Medport, located in Building 14 on the airport grounds. Investigators said he was selling prescriptions there and at his second practice, Sun Medical Care of Nassau PC, located on South Central Avenue in Valley Stream. DEA agents and investigators for Bridget Brennan, the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, said Surya started out by selling prescriptions for $60 a pop to a select group of patients but then hiked his prices to $100. The government undercover case started in November 2014 and revealed Surya sometimes sold multiple prescriptions in different names, during a single visit by one patient. PIX11 Investigates has reported extensively on doctors and pharmacists writing and selling illegal prescriptions for millions in profit. More than 60 have been busted in New York State since 2011. Oxycodone is an especially powerful painkiller that can sell for up to $80 a pill on the black market. It is a highly-addictive opioid. Because Oxycodone is so expensive, many users-so many of them young people-gravitate to heroin use. Heroin is an opiate that has a similar, euphoric high as Oxycodone. When PIX11 presented its special series last November, "Heroin, A to Z,"-medical experts and grieving parents blamed the explosion of prescription painkiller use and abuse as the main cause of the current heroin epidemic. More than 175,000 Americans fatally overdosed in a twelve year period from painkillers or heroin. DEA Special Agent in Charge, James J. Hunt, noted, "Over the past ten years, the prescription drug overdose rate has doubled." As a result, there's been a "200% increase in arrests." To learn more about the connection between painkillers and heroin, you can go to pix11.com/heroin. Dr. Surya was expected to be arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court Thursday afternoon on 26 counts of criminal sale of a prescription for a controlled substance. http://pix11.com/2015/09/03/jfk-airport-pilot-examiner-accused-of-selling-oxycodone-prescriptions/ Back to Top Back to Top Stay Current on Aviation Safety Follow Flight Safety Information on Twitter https://twitter.com/curtllewis01 Back To Top Boeing Left With No Net Jumbo-Jet Orders on Nippon Cargo Cutback A Boeing 747-8 freighter. Boeing Co. said Nippon Cargo Airlines Co. scrapped orders for four 747 freighters valued at $1.5 billion, leaving the planemaker with zero net orders for the jumbo jetliners this year. Nippon Cargo still has two of the jets on order after taking delivery of eight 747-8 freighters since July 2012, according to Boeing's website. The cancellation comes as Chicago-based Boeing prepares to cut output of the hump-backed 747 to one plane a month amid waning demand for four-engine aircraft and an air cargo market struggling to gain lift amid China's economic turmoil. Through the end of August, Boeing had just 29 unfilled orders for the 747-8, the latest model of its iconic jet. The freighter version is the company's second-most expensive aircraft, with a list price of $379.1 million. The twin-engine 777-9 is costliest, with a $400 million price tag. "We work very closely with all of our customers to understand their evolving fleet requirements" Doug Alder, a Boeing spokesman said in an e-mail. "Nippon Cargo Airlines remains an important customer of the 747-8F." Nippon Cargo, based at Tokyo's Narita International Airport, also flies five Boeing 747-400F jets in addition to the eight 747-8Fs, according to the Japanese company's website. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-03/boeing-747-jumbo-jet-cancellations-mean-no-net- orders-for-2015 Back to Top Here are 12 major airlines' policies for flying with pets One of the most stressful travel experiences I've ever had was when I moved to Asia and towed my cat along with me. Besides all the paperwork and vet appointments, one of the hardest parts was choosing an airline that would a) let my pet fly and b) allow him to stay in the cabin with me. A lot of carriers only let animals fly in the cargo hold, which can be scary, uncomfortable and even life-threatening in some cases. And then there are also extra fees to consider - I learned that if you're flying on one journey with connections, you have to pay separately for each route (and each different airline too). The good news is that there are airlines, like JetBlue, United and Spirit Airlines (I know, I was surprised at the last one too) that are really receptive to letting pets on board, and a handful even offer reward miles on top of that. Hopefully, this guide to airline's pet policies can help other owners save some time and maybe prevent a headache or two: Airberlin: Pets can go in the cabin as long as the total weight (together with the carrier) doesn't go over 8 kg; over 8 kg means traveling in cargo. Charges also vary depending on the route (for example, international costs an extra €70 in cabin and €150 in cargo). There's also a list of countries where Airberlin won't transport animals as well. Air Canada: Pets smaller than 10 kg can ride along in economy class only, at a charge of $50 CAD within North America or $100 internationally. Larger animals up to 32 kg can go in cargo, with charges starting at $105 CAD. American Airlines: Pets are allowed both in cabin and checked as cargo for $125 and $200 respectively. When US Airways' fleet is fully transitioned over by October, there will also be quite a few routes where pets are only allowed in carry-on. Until then, pets can't be connected on US Airways flights either. British Airways: Pets can only travel in cargo with the airline's sister company, IAG Cargo. Costs vary according to route. Delta Airlines: Any animals can travel in cabin except to certain destinations like South Africa, Hong Kong and the U.K. Charges vary, but flights within the U.S. costs $125 and internationally $200. Sending a pet through cargo is a flat fee of $200 (but if you're leaving from Europe, it'll be €200 instead). Emirates: Animals are only allowed to travel in cargo with fees depending on the route. Etihad: Pets are only allowed in cargo on Etihad flights, with costs varying depending on departure city. Weirdly enough, falcons are allowed in the cabin (with proper documents, of course). JetBlue: This airline is really pet-friendly, and even has its own program to help owners called "JetPaws." Animals up to 20 pounds can go in the cabin (cargo travel's not an option). It costs a flat fee of $100, which also includes 300 loyalty program points. Southwest Airlines: For $95, animals can travel in cabin only on domestic flights - no cargo or international flights allowed. Unlike most other airlines, one person can bring two animals as long both are within one carrier that fulfills size requirements (the airline sells its own branded two-animal carriers too). Spirit Airlines: Here is one instance where flying Spirit Airlines doesn't totally suck. It's one of the few low- cost carriers that lets pets on board, allowing small animals in cabin on domestic flights. The one-way charge is $100 fee, which is also pretty fair considering Spirit Airlines' other cringe-worthy fees. United Airlines: Small animals are allowed in cabin for a charge of $125 on both domestic and international flights. Larger animals go in cargo through the airline's program, PetSafe, which also offers pet tracking and up to 1,000 reward miles per flight. Virgin Atlantic: Virgin's one of the only airlines where pets are allowed to fly in cargo alone. However, they do have some thorny rules like not allowing pets to fly into the U.S. on weekends and several flights which don't accept pets at all. Cost depends on kennel size, but the pet fee is also good for 1,000 Flying Club miles domestically and 2,000 internationally. http://www.khou.com/story/travel/flights/2015/09/03/here-are-12-major-airlines-policies-for-flying-with- pets/71635024/ Back to Top United Airlines Begins Powering Planes With Farm Waste United Airlines has begun powering flights with renewable biofuels. The aviation industry is getting a whole lot cleaner-and it's using farm waste to do it. Since they were approved for commercial use in July 2011, biofuels have been the target resource among many airlines that aim to cut carbon pollution and reduce the high costs of jet fuel. Now United Airlines will be the country's first domestic airline to fly regular passenger flights on alternative fuel, according to Fast Company. The airline will run commercial flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in the fall, fueled by a combination of non-edible oils and agricultural waste. United was also the first to test out a biofuel flight in 2009, using algae. A spokesman for United Airlines did not return requests for comment. This past June, United invested $30 million in Fulcrum BioEnergy, the single largest investment in an alternative fuel company by a U.S. airline. United also agreed to take 90 million gallons of jet fuel from Fulcrum each year. "A lot of airlines are very interested in what we're doing. There are a number of benefits, including low cost,"Richard D. Barraza, vice president of administration at Fulcrum, told the Observer. "You can get our fuel for less than a dollar a gallon." Later this year Fulcrum is set to start construction on a facility outside of Nevada, where garbage from the Reno and northern Nevada areas will be converted to jet fuel and diesel. The facility is expected to process more than 200,000 tons of waste and convert it to over 10 million gallons of jet fuel, according to Mr. Barraza. While converting from kerosene jet fuel to sustainable biofuel might benefit a flight's carbon emissions, the question remains whether these alternative resources can power an engine for more than a couple hours. After all, the United flight from LAX to SFO is a short trip-approximately one hour and 25 minutes. Since 2011, biofuel demonstration flights have mainly been short trips using a variety of sustainable resources, leaving the potential for biofuel engines on longer hauls up in the air. Examples include a Qantas Airbus A330 flight using refined cooking oil that traveled from Sydney to Adelaide, Australia (a regular trip time of two hours and 10 minutes). Similarly, a Porter Airlines Bombardier Q400 flight whose engine contained the flowering plants camelina sativa and brassica carinata (also known as Ethiopian mustard) flew an approximately one hour flight from Toronto to Ottawa. Not all flights have been short, however: Etihad Airways flew its Boeing 777-300ER from Abu Dhabi to Seattle in January 2012, which takes approximately 14 hours. The delivery flight used a combination of traditional jet fuel and plant-based fuel. Mr. Barraza is confident that well-produced biofuels can power both quick trips and longer hauls. "There should be absolutely no issue between short and long flights," Mr. Barraza told the Observer. "With biofuel mixed with petroleum, there will be a drop in fuel, so there should be no impact." http://tr.im/QoKZM Back to Top China aviation giant buys Irish firm Avolon A unit of the Chinese aviation and shipping conglomerate HNA is buying the Irish aircraft leasing firm Avolon Holdings for about $2.5bn (£1.6bn). Bohai Leasing will pay $31 per share in the deal that includes the assumption of debt and has a total enterprise value of about $7.6bn. The price is lower than the $32 discussed by the firms in August due to the "volatility" in the equity markets. Chinese leasing firms have expanded as local carriers introduce more routes. Most of them are backed by state-owned banks. The two companies had been in negotiations about a deal since July and shares of Avolon have risen more than 20% since the talks began. "We believe Bohai will enhance Avolon's profile, positioning and relationships in the Chinese aviation market - a market which we believe offers one of the most compelling growth opportunities in global aviation over the next two decades," said Avolon chairman Denis Nayden in a statement. The Dublin-based company owned or managed 152 aircraft and had more than 100 more on order as of June. Meanwhile, HNA is China's fourth-largest aviation group and has interests in airlines such as Hong Kong Airlines and Hainan Airlines. The deal is expected to be finalised by the first quarter of next year. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34148849 Back to Top John Ratzenberger Becomes Official Ambassador of Elite Aviation Products IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Elite Aviation Products is proud to share that television, film, and manufacturing aficionado John Ratzenberger is now the official ambassador our company! Mr. Ratzenberger is most widely known for his role as "Cliff Claven" on Cheers, as well as multiple voice acting roles in movies like the 'Toy Story' series, 'Planes', 'Monsters Inc.', 'Up', and many more. However, despite these many wonderful and memorable roles, what drew us most to Mr. Ratzenberger was his work on the show 'Made in America'. Mr. Ratzenberger is very well known as an avid proponent of the reshoring effort (bringing manufacturing back to America) and bolstering the large skilled labor force we were once so proud of. "It's an honor to be partnering with John, an individual who's dedicated the past 15 years of his life to getting the message about manufacturing out there to the masses. His commitment to this craft is clearly evident and inspiring, and given our trajectory for growth, and desire to sponsor that growth from within, John's stewardship in this arena was ideal," said Dustin Tillman, CEO of Elite Aviation Products. We believe that Mr. Ratzenberger's passion for manufacturing makes him an ideal partner in expanding our brand. Our partnership with Mr. Ratzenberger is a small but important part of our push to become the world's premier Aerospace manufacturer and supplier, and set a new standard in an industry that is currently failing to meet the market's demands. About Elite Aviation Products EAP is an advanced design, engineering, and manufacturing company within the aerospace industry. Elite represents a consortium of talented professionals who are passionately committed to providing the highest level of customer service and quality, while delivering cost-competitive supply availability solutions. EAP was formed by senior aviation officials who, tired of their expectations not being met, set out on a campaign for change; challenging conventionality in the marketplace and driving customer-centric part supply strategies. Elite is a proud contributor to the reshoring initiatives, focused on bringing manufacturing back to the United States. EAP's focus on its core values and commitment to excellence has made the company an attractive, competitive standout to consumers and investors alike. For more information, please call us at (949)783-7067 or visit us online at www.EliteAviationProducts.com Back to Top NASA Books Early Seats on Commercial Space Flights U.S. agency is trying to lock in operational missions with Boeing and SpaceX An illustration of an artist's concept of Boeing's CST-100 spacecraft approaching the international space station. Capsules for Boeing and SpaceX are currently slated to be completed by late 2017. By ANDY PASZTOR PASADENA, Calif.-Two years before planned commercial space taxis are scheduled to make their initial manned test flights, NASA already is in the midst of contracting for operational missions to carry working astronauts into orbit. A senior National Aeronautics and Space Administration official said the U.S. agency has formally ordered one such flight for Boeing Co.'s CST-100 capsule to transport crew members to the international space station, and is talking with Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, about contracting for a similar flight. Kathryn Lueders, the agency's program manager for commercial crew, also told a space conference here this week that by looking to contract for multiple flights, NASA is "laying the groundwork for the service and the crew rotation missions" that will be needed past the end of the decade. Ms. Lueders and other NASA officials said they have no choice other than to lock up flights early, because both companies have long timelines to prepare rockets and spacecraft to deliver up to four astronauts per flight to the orbiting laboratory. But the moves essentially mean that NASA is betting that complex demonstrations and certification procedures for both capsules-currently slated to be completed by late 2017-will go as planned. Phil McAlister, NASA's director of commercial spaceflight development, said in an interview that both companies "have performed well to date" and the agency "is continually reviewing their schedules." But NASA appreciates that such complex development work "may not go exactly according to plan," he added. "It illustrates the new normal in space launch," according to one former senior aerospace official familiar with the issue. "We're getting assured access to space by basically buying what the commercial world offers." The decision about which company will fly the first operational mission probably won't be made until late 2016. The two companies previously were chosen by the agency to develop, test and ultimately operate two different space taxi designs capable of ferrying crews to and from the orbiting laboratory. NASA currently relies on Russian rockets and spacecraft to get American astronauts to orbit, paying roughly $75 million a seat. If the commercial strategy succeeds, U.S.-built hardware is projected to take over that job at a price tag estimated to be roughly $20 million less. As a hedge against program delays, NASA has committed to buy Russian seats through the end of 2018, or a full year beyond the currently anticipated start of routine space taxi trips. But before SpaceX signs on to transport its first contingent of astronauts, it has to ensure a smooth return of its Falcon 9 rocket to flight status. The booster has been grounded since late June, when a failed launch ended up destroying an unmanned Dragon cargo capsule destined for the space station. Company officials have said a single, defective structural part started the sequence of events that led to an explosion some two minutes after blastoff. Yet the timing of the next Falcon 9 launch remains uncertain, and SpaceX officials haven't provided firm dates. Some SpaceX officials have said the next flight could occur in a couple of months, while another has indicated it could take "two to three months." Based on such projections and unofficial estimates by NASA officials, it appears the earliest launch window could be sometime in the second half of October. But some SpaceX officials cautioned the process could stretch into December, depending on test results and the outcome of other analyses. For SpaceX's crew program, "there's more than enough time to incorporate the lessons learned" from the cargo failure, according to NASA's Mr. McAlister. At the conference earlier this week, Hans Koenigsmann, the company's vice president of mission assurance, said SpaceX's international backlog of launches including commercial customers means it will launch some 50 more times before the first manned Dragon is slated to take to the skies. And he said about 90% of the capsule, designed to land on water after re-entry, is intended to be reusable. John Mulholland, the head of Boeing's commercial space exploration programs, said at the conference that the CST-100 capsule is intended to be reused as many as 10 times. He also said that for Boeing's commercial space endeavors to be successful "it is imperative that we expand the business case beyond NASA." Despite upbeat assessments of progress, the government seemingly hasn't yet worked out specifics of how the companies will demonstrate they fully meet NASA's safety standards and requirements. Mr. McAlister, for example, said the agency has received a "preliminary certification plan" and "at a very top level, we've got that well defined." But he said a more detailed, step-by-step plan "has not been finalized yet." The situation is further complicated by the fact that each company is scheduled to have only a few months in 2017 to adjust their certification plans based on lessons learned from test flights into orbit. "We don't want any surprises and they don't want to surprise us" with major changes, according to Mr. McAlister. "If there is any test that goes on," he said, "we have a legal right" to the results. http://www.wsj.com/articles/nasa-books-early-seats-on-commercial-space-flights-1441323503 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 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 Southern California Aviation Association "Safety Standdown" September 14, 2015 Carlsbad, CA http://tinyurl.com/pg2yh4g 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 New HFACS workshop Las Vegas December 15 & 16 www.hfacs.com '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 Curt Lewis