Flight Safety Information September 14, 2015 - No. 182 In This Issue Drone hobbyists find flaws in "close call" reports to FAA from other aircraft FAA contractor sentenced to 12 1/2 years for fire at key Aurora radar center Jet Crashes Shortly After Takeoff at Tennessee Air Show Planes bump into each other at LAX Oops! American Airlines flies wrong plane from Los Angeles to Hawaii Air India grounds nearly 125 crew members because they are overweight Weak Link in Asia's Flight Boom: Airports Peter Boyd to resign from CASA (Australia) North Texas Business Aviation Association (NTBAA) Safety Show-Down 23-24 Sep. PROS 2015 TRAINING Stay Current on Aviation Safety - Follow FSI on Twitter Airbus to unveil new jet production plant Monday TR-X: The Skunk Works Studies A New High-Altitude Jet AirAsia X Is in Talks With Airbus to Delay More Aircraft Wizz Air confirms MoU for 110 Airbus A321neos Aviation Industry Curious About How Airbus US Will Work iSMS - Safety Management System Training Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Drone hobbyists find flaws in "close call" reports to FAA from other aircraft Hobbyists who scrutinized reports to the FAA of alleged close calls with drones found that pilots reported near misses in only a small fraction of the cases, according to a study obtained by USA TODAY. The study found that of the 764 close-call incidents between drones and other aircraft, only 27 were actually described by pilots as a "near miss." Pilots reported taking evasive action 10 times, according to the study by the Academy of Model Aeronautics, an advocacy group for 180,000 hobbyists. The group scrutinized the reports that FAA released from Nov. 13, 2014, through Aug. 20 out of concern that hobbyists were unfairly blamed for drone safety problems. None of the sightings involved a mid-air collision, after one suspected incident was debunked as a bird strike. Several crashes involved military drones, rather than the civilian and local-government drones that FAA regulates. "What it reflects is a much more complex equation than merely calling these things close calls or near misses," Richard Hanson, the model group's government-affairs director, told USA TODAY. "We're hoping the report will put it back into perspective." Drone sightings sparked widespread concerns in August because the FAA reported that the number was on pace to quadruple this year, from 238 in 2014. The release was titled: "Pilot Reports of Close Calls With Drones Soar in 2015." Airline pilots are increasingly reporting drones while approaching airports, raising the specter of mid-air collisions that could hurt travelers. For example, pilots reported a cluster sightings in August at 2,000 feet while approaching New Jersey's Newark airport. Firefighters in California temporarily suspended flights in June, which allowed wildfires to spread and cause more damage, after seeing drones near their aircraft at 10,000 feet. And a small drone crashed Jan. 26 on White House grounds, sparking federal security concerns. But the Academy of Model Aeronautics found that many drone sightings reported to FAA were vague, mistaken or involved remotely piloted aircraft that were following the rules. The study found 27 cases, 3.5%, where the pilot reported a "near miss" or "near collision" or "NMAC," for near mid-air collision. The study also found several reports where the pilot "isn't reporting a near mid-air" or "did not consider it as a NMAC." "I think it should be better defined where the problem lies," Hanson said. Hobbyists are supposed to fly lower than 400 feet high and commercial drone operators 500 feet. All are supposed to fly during daylight hours within sight of the remote pilot, at least 5 miles from an airport and away from crowds, unless they have special permission from FAA. The reports to FAA sometimes contained vague descriptions. A Qantas pilot reported a "mini blimp" near Los Angeles airport on May 31. An American Airlines pilot near New York's LaGuardia airport reported a "model rocket" on July 5. Someone landing at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., reported seeing something that resembled a "large vulture" on Nov. 30, 2014. A half-dozen cases involved sightings that sounded too high for off-the-shelf drones, at heights ranging from 19,000 feet near Beaumont, Texas, to 51,000 feet near Washington. The report called that highest sighting July 24 - above where airliners typically fly - a UFO, although the planet of origin remained uncertain. Some sightings involved permitted flights. For example, a "low flying" drone was spotted 5 miles south of the airport in Allentown, Pa., on July 24. A 911 caller reported a "not high" drone 13 miles from Chicago's Midway airport on April 28. The Los Angeles Police Department asked the Inglewood Police Department to remove its drone flying over a crime scene Aug. 18 because it was 2 miles from the end of a runway at Los Angeles International Airport. More than a dozen incidents - including two crashes into the ground - involved military drones rather than the commercial or local-government drones that the FAA grants permits to fly. An MQ-1C Gray Eagle military drone crashed near Wilsona Gardens, Calif., on March 25. Controllers at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. reported a drone crashed near a perimeter fence March 3. Also, a Swedish Air Force C-130 climbed to avoid a military MQ-9 Reaper drone near Victorville, Calif., on May 26. Industry advocates worry about a patchwork of rules being created because the slow pace of federal regulation encourages state and local governments. FAA expects to complete rules for commercial drones weighing up to 55 pounds in mid-2016. Meanwhile, California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Thursday that would have prohibited drones from flying less than 350 feet above private property without the owner's permission. The bill would have greatly restricted drone flights because hobbyists fly up to 400 feet and commercial operators 500 feet. "Before we go down that path, let's look at this more carefully," Brown said in his veto message. Hanson said laws and regulations are already available to sanction reckless operators, but that misrepresenting drone problems leads to poor decisions. "We would call it sort of a knee-jerk reaction," he said. "We're starting to see legislation that is well- intended, but ill-conceived." The FAA threatens $25,000 civil fines for reckless flying, with dozens of open cases, and relies on law- enforcement agencies for criminal charges. On Friday, University of Kentucky campus police charged law student Peyton Wilson, 24, of Louisville, with a misdemeanor for flying a drone that crashed into the remodeled Commonwealth Stadium before a football game Sept. 5. But enforcement is difficult because authorities on the ground have trouble tracking drone operators from reports in the sky. Local law enforcement wasn't called or mentioned in 142 reports to FAA, according to the study. Hanson said a "carrot-and-stick" approach requires better enforcement as a deterrent. But the hobbyist group contends that with more than 500,000 drones sold already, the few hundred sightings reported to FAA are a "small fraction" of flights. "We believe the vast majority of people choose to operate safely and responsibly, and they'll do a better job if education with the right safety information," Hanson said. The hobbyist group made several recommendations to FAA, urging removal of cases that aren't clearly remote-controlled aircraft and better investigation of results. "Once you have better analysis, you can better decide on what actions to take, whether that becomes more educational, legislative or regulatory," Hanson said. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/09/13/drone-reports-faa-close-call-near-miss-academy- model-aeronautics-/72064388/ Back to Top FAA contractor sentenced to 12 1/2 years for fire at key Aurora radar center Brian Howard sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison for setting fire to Aurora FAA center. Sept. 11, 2015. (WGN-TV) FAA contractor headed to prison for wreaking havoc on nation's air traffic system Dan Palmer was driving a rental car through the night, desperately trying to get back to Illinois from Texas before his sister died of colon cancer, but somewhere east of Tulsa, Okla., he got the call that he was too late. Palmer at first had planned to fly back, but his flight had been canceled in Dallas a day after a fire at a key Aurora radar tower plunged the nation's air travel system into chaos. On Friday, Palmer sobbed in Chicago's federal courthouse as he turned toward Brian Howard, the Naperville man who sabotaged the facility last September, and told him how he robbed him of a chance to say goodbye to his sister, Pam. "I want Mr. Howard to know how his actions affected many people in many ways that he cannot even imagine," said Palmer, 57, of west suburban Bartlett. Palmer's testimony was one of many emotional moments at a lengthy sentencing hearing for Howard, a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration who pleaded guilty to setting fire to the radar center in a botched suicide attempt, knocking out crucial telecommunications systems as 135 jets traveled through Midwest airspace. U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman sentenced Howard to 12 1/2 years in prison for what he called an "extremely selfish act" that required not only planning and precision but an insider's knowledge of the facility's most vulnerable points. "It's the equivalent of severing a person's optic nerve (and) the nerve to the brain's speech center," said Feinerman, who also ordered Howard to pay $4.5 million in restitution to the FAA. "This wasn't merely an inconvenience. This was far more than that. ... It created a dangerous situation." Seated at the defense table with a thick, salt-and-pepper beard and black glasses, Howard, 37, showed no reaction to the sentence. As he was led away by deputy U.S. marshals, he turned to two dozen family members and supporters in the courtroom gallery and called out, "Thank you! I love you all." Earlier in the hearing, Howard read a lengthy statement to the court apologizing for his actions, blaming them on a "fog" of depression. "I lost myself and I snapped. I decided to take my own life," he said, pausing often to wipe tears from his eyes as he read from several pages of handwritten notes. "I did not act out of anger. I acted out of despair. I cannot explain why I did it." Howard, an engineer for Harris Corp., an FAA telecommunications contractor, insisted that he thought communications would be out for only a few minutes before they would automatically transfer to another facility. He said he intended to "create a headache" for his company but "did not intend to put any plane or person in danger." Howard pleaded guilty in May to willfully damaging an air navigation facility and using fire to commit a federal felony. According to prosecutors, Howard went to an area in the back of the Aurora center's basement that houses racks of computer servers early Sept. 26 and lifted a floorboard to gain access to critical communications systems. He cut cables with wire cutters, then poured gasoline on a bath towel, wrapped it around the cables and lit the area on fire. Howard then slit his throat and wrists with a knife. Radars went black. The automated handoff system to transfer control of planes to other facilities was down. Even ground-to-ground communications were wiped out. What followed was a controlled panic as the facility was evacuated and FAA traffic controllers used cellphones and other backup devices to ground planes and turn back hundreds of others about to enter Chicago's airspace. The contingency plan worked - no planes were lost and no one was reported injured. But severe damage had been done. "There has never been an outage of the resulting magnitude like the outage (Howard) caused by attacking the Chicago Center," prosecutors said in a filing last month. In asking for a sentence of 13 years in prison, prosecutors said Howard had deliberately cut cables at precisely the most sensitive spot, knocking out the backup telecommunications system in addition to the primary one. In court Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Polovin propped up an exact replica of the 2-foot-by-2- foot, 35-pound floor panel as well as a special metal tool that Howard used to lift it. Polovin explained for the judge how Howard had gone directly to the one area of the 12,000-square-foot basement where both systems were vulnerable to attack. "Out of 3,000 of these floor panels, he approached just one," Polovin said. "... It was a small quirk in the system that only an insider would know." Howard tipped the 5-gallon gas can over before setting the fire to ensure it would spread, the prosecutor said. The damage took 17 days to repair and required workers to scrub sensitive computer equipment with toothbrushes to remove smoke and soot. Howard's attorney, Ronald Safer, sought a sentence of no more than the mandatory minimum of 10 years, saying that would be more than enough time for Howard to get the mental health treatment he needs. Safer said Howard had served in the Navy on a nuclear submarine and won the praises of his co-workers at the FAA. But he'd also battled depression for years amid mounting stress as he took on more and more responsibilities at work. Shortly before his suicide attempt, Howard had accepted a transfer to Hawaii, and the pressure of the impending move had left him virtually unable to function, Safer said. "He lost his battle. He lost his will to live," Safer said. When paramedics arrived at the radar facility, Howard had cut his throat deeply and begged them to let him die, Safer said. But "thankfully they saved his life," he said. Speaking for the family, Howard's sister, April Connor, described her brother as a kind soul who always looked out for others but wasn't good at asking for help himself. "We didn't put the pieces together," Connor said. "I had no idea how much pain he was in." In handing down the sentence, Feinerman said he'd received many letters from travelers who were victimized by Howard's actions, innocent people who missed vacations, baptisms, weddings, honeymoons and family reunions. And there were tragic cases such as that of Palmer, who was deprived of seeing his dying sister one last time, the judge said. Palmer said his sister had always insisted on hearing only good news about her treatment. As a result, he hadn't had the chance to say some of the things he wanted to because it would have been an acknowledgment she was dying. After she died, Palmer said he "became more and more upset" with Howard because "I had been robbed ... of that chance." Near the end of his remarks, Howard turned to the courtroom gallery intending to apologize directly to Palmer, but he had left the courthouse during a break a half-hour earlier. "I'm sorry, where is Mr. Palmer?" said Howard, blinking back tears before turning back to his notes. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-faa-radar-facility-fire-sentencing-met-20150911- story.html Back to Top Jet Crashes Shortly After Takeoff at Tennessee Air Show A jet crashed at a Tennessee air show shortly after taking off Saturday, officials and witnesses said. "He was only in the air after takeoff for less than two minutes before he crashed," a witness, Jennifer Culver, told NBC News. She saw the Aero L-39 go down and out of sight behind a metal hangar, where it crashed in the 4:30 p.m. accident. The jet, identified as an Aero L-39, seen before the crash at a Tennessee airshow Saturday. "I looked over and I saw him, he was going kind of in a nose dive," Bruce Dunlap told NBC station WBIR in Knoxville. "At first I didn't think anything about it because I figured he would pull up and come on, then a few seconds later we saw a puff of smoke, then the rescue squad and helicopters started going that direction," he said. The pilot was the only person aboard and was not identified. His condition was unclear. The Wings Over Big South Fork Air and Car Show at Scott County Municipal Airport in Oneida was cancelled, airport manager Hank Duvall said. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the cause of the crash. Oneida is about 60 miles northwest of Knoxville. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jet-crashes-shortly-after-takeoff-tennessee-air-show-n426496 *************** Date: 12-SEP-2015 Time: 16:30LT Type: Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros Owner/operator: Float Dancer Inc Registration: N139RT C/n / msn: 332505 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Scott Municipal Airport (KSCX), Oneida, TN - United States of America Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Demo/Airshow/Display Departure airport: Scott Municipal Airport (KSCX) Destination airport: Scott Municipal Airport (KSCX) Narrative: The aircraft impacted wooded terrain while performing an aerial maneuver during the Wings Over Big South Fork at Scott Municipal Airport (KSCX), Oneida, Tennessee. The aircraft was destroyed and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=179512 Back to Top Planes bump into each other at LAX United Airlines and Alaska Airlines jets are seen near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Terminal 7 after coming into contact on the tarmac, Sept. 13, 2015. Two passenger planes bumped into each other Sunday evening on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport, according to CBS Los Angeles, but nobody was hurt and the only casualties appeared to be about 340 passengers' schedules. United Airlines Flight 199 came into contact with an Alaska Airlines jet near Terminal 7 after landing from New Jersey. The Alaska jet was being pushed back from the gate prior to takeoff at the time. United Airlines confirmed the incident, saying in a statement that the Alaska Airlines plane "made contact with UA199" as the flight from New Jersey was "taxing to the gate at a low speed." The United passengers were allowed to deplane per normal at the gate following the incident, and United engineers were inspecting the aircraft. "Alaska Airlines Flight 543 was being pushed back from the gate about 7:45 p.m. and its wingtip clipped another aircraft," Alaska said in statement. The airline confirmed there were no injuries and said the 182 passengers on board the plane were able to depart at 9:45 p.m. local time on a different aircraft. Passengers from both aircraft took to social media to comment on the incident, but none seemed too shaken up. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-airlines-alaska-airlines-planes-bump-near-lax-terminal/ Back to Top Oops! American Airlines flies wrong plane from Los Angeles to Hawaii * The A321S plane is not certified to fly the long distance over water that is needed to get to Honolulu * American Airlines wouldn't say how mistake happened American Airlines is under fire for flying the wrong plane from Los Angeles to Hawaii last month. The airline admitted that on August 31, instead of an A321H plane, it flew an A321S, which does not have the proper authorization to fly such a long distance over water, according to aviation blogger Brian Sumers. He first learned about the major gaffe while hanging out on aviation message boards. The Honolulu-bound plane used did not have ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) certification. American Airlines admitted it used a A321H plane to fly to Hawaii from LA instead of an A321S (both look like the plane above) Honolulu-bound passengers would have had no idea they were on the wrong plane last month when they flew AA from Los Angeles It also did not have extra oxygen and a fire suppression cannister mandated for long hauls, according to the Washington Post. Flying the plane to Hawaii violated Federal Aviation Administration regulations. The airline says it discovered the mistake shortly after takeoff but made the decision to continue the flight as the plane was not a safety hazard. However, when it landed it made the return flight back without passengers. 'Immediately when we realize what happened, we notified the FAA and we are working and fully cooperating with them,' spokesman Casey Norton told the Washington Post. 'We also have an ongoing, thorough review of our policies and procedures.' Sumers said that anonymous airline industry employees on message boards were aghast at the mix-up. 'It's really rare,' he said. 'Something like this, when you talk to airline people, they say 'How does this happen? This can't happen?'' American Airlines did not shed light on how the snafu happened but told the outlet that it immediately upgraded its software so that the correct plane is matched to the correct route. ABC News aviation consultant John Nance played down the blunder, saying that while this was a serious mistake, passengers were never in any danger because of it. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3232971/Oops-American-Airlines-flies-wrong-plane-Los-Angeles- Hawaii.html#ixzz3lhz4SqCK Back to Top Air India grounds nearly 125 crew members because they are overweight Air India has decided to ground nearly 125 crew members because they are overweight. Many flight attendants have failed to maintain the weight requirements which are prescribed by the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Some of them may be assigned ground duty, while others could be offered voluntary retirement, Air India sources said. Air India has decided to ground nearly 125 crew members because they are overweight (File photo) AI had given an opportunity to around 600 overweight cabin crew members last year to lose weight within a stipulated time frame to continue flight duty following the DGCA's guidelines to ensure that no overweight or obese person continued as a flight steward or as an air-hostess. Of these 600 cabin staff, around 125, including air-hostesses, have failed to maintain the required Body Mass Index (BMI) or weight standards in the prescribed period. Sources said the airline had no option but to take them off permanently from flying duty. The state-run airline currently has 3,500 cabin crew staff, of which 2,200 are permanent employees and the rest are on contract. As per the DGCA's regulations, a BMI of 18-25 is normal for a male cabin crew, while for a female it is 18- 22. A BMI of 25-29.9 for male crew is considered overweight and 30 and above is obese, while for females BMI of 22-27 is overweight and 27 and above obese. Based on periodic medical reports, the cabin crew would have to be categorised by designated doctors as 'fit', 'temporary unfit' and 'permanent unfit, according to the guidelines. According to the regulations, a cabin crew member found overweight is deemed 'temporarily unfit' and given three months to reduce weight. A cabin crew can continue with flying duty for up to 19 months with the temporarily unfit tag, but if he or she fails to reduce weight to meet the required BMI during this period, he or she will be deemed 'permanently unfit'. These employees had already availed 18 months time to meet the required BMI but had failed to do. Because of this, the airline was left with no choice but to replace them, sources said. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-3232984/Air-India-grounds-nearly-125-crew- members-overweight.html#ixzz3lhy5qpZy Back to Top Weak Link in Asia's Flight Boom: Airports Poor air-safety features in Indonesia and other nations heightens the risk of accidents, experts say Rescue-team members in Papua, Indonesia, carried the bodies of victims of a crashed Trigana Air flight in August. Authorities are still investigating the disaster, in which all 54 people on board were killed. JAKARTA, Indonesia-Indonesia has tried for years to live down its reputation as one of the world's most dangerous places to fly. It has fired aviation bureaucrats, hired safety experts, and tightened regulation. Yet its efforts belie a fundamental problem: Despite huge spending on new terminals, some airports remain ill-equipped to handle soaring passenger traffic that occurred over the past decade. It is a concern also seen in other parts of Asia, experts say, as millions of people take to the skies for the first time and airport-safety investments fail to keep up. A Wall Street Journal examination found several airports in Indonesia, the world's fourth-most-populous nation, lacked modern navigation aids, adequate air traffic control towers, or important weather-safety equipment. On the tourist island of Bali, a wind-shear warning system temporarily installed in 2011 for a visit by President Barack Obama was later removed and hasn't been replaced due to tight budgets, airport officials said. Two years later, Lion Air Flight 904 crashed into the sea while landing there, injuring 46. Pilots made a series of errors while being hit by vicious winds, an official report concluded, the kind of weather event that might readily be detected by a wind-shear detection system. Authorities say they hope to replace the system-which is standard at major airports in the U.S. and richer Asian nations-in the next few months. But they say they lack funding to extend the devices much more widely across the country. Problems are also evident in Pontianak, an important mining and timber center with more than 500,000 people on the island of Borneo. Authorities are completing work on a new airport terminal with a sweeping parabolic roof and room for new lounges, with plans to expand capacity from 850,000 to about four million by 2017. In the rush to build it, the government company responsible for airport construction located the edge of the terminal just 3 feet from the air traffic control tower, obscuring the tower's runway views. As a workaround, a staff member now perches on the terminal roof with binoculars and radios aircraft movements to controllers, which experts say leaves an elevated risk of accidents. Representatives from the construction company, the airport, and the government entity that manages air- traffic towers agree the terminal mishap was caused by poor communication between the parties. Airport general manager Chandra Wiradi said he inherited the problem-which hasn't been linked to any accidents- from a previous manager and that a new tower is planned for next year. Even poor fences at Indonesian airports are a concern. In April, a 21-year-old man narrowly survived death when he jumped a fence and stowed away in the wheel housing of a Garuda Indonesia jet that flew from the city of Pekanbaru to Jakarta. Authorities lifted fence height regulations for Indonesia's airports following the incident and others in which jets crashed into animals on runways in recent years. "Even if we provide the best service, if the airport is bad, it doesn't matter," said Wisnu Darjono, head of safety for AirNav, Indonesia's state-affiliated air traffic control group. Other Indonesian officials say they are doing their best to ensure safety and caution against drawing too many conclusions from a few airports. They say they have significantly upgraded facilities, especially in far-flung areas like Papua province that have the poorest records. "Of course we want to improve the quality of our safety infrastructure," said Agus Santoso, the Indonesian transportation ministry's airports director. Basic safety standards are met at all Indonesian airports and equipment such as wind shear devices are optional, he said. Many other Asian airports lack wind-shear devices. While the U.S. installed them at over 120 airports after hundreds of wind shear-related deaths in the 1980s, India and Vietnam have none. Chinese officials declined to comment on whether they have any. As more passengers take to the skies, some of Indonesia's airports remain ill-equipped to handle the traffic despite the country's efforts to rid itself of its reputation as one of the riskiest places to fly. India said last year it planned to overhaul meteorological equipment but plans didn't include wind shear gear, which can cost millions of dollars to install and operate. Vietnam's civil aviation chief, Lai Xuan Thanh, told The Wall Street Journal the devices are too expensive for his country, and while authorities plan to install them eventually, they have no time frame. The International Civil Aviation Organization of the United Nations has recommended major Asian airports acquire wind shear warning systems, especially countries near the equator with tropical thunderstorms. Significant rises in air travel in Asia's emerging nations "increases the probability of wind shear related incidents and accident," an ICAO working group noted. Part of the problem, experts say, is that some countries prioritize spending on glitzy new airport buildings that provide space for luxury stores or improve wait times, while neglecting more-basic safety equipment. India and Vietnam are among the countries that have built expensive new terminals. In Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport is wrapping up a $28 million renovation with new shops and better check-in counters. The International Air Transport Association has rapped the facility for lacking signage and lighting on runways to prevent accidents. The IATA raised the issue again in March and said it had made recommendations to address runway safety after three runway incursions in three months. A Manila airport spokesman said it installed new runway navigational aids last year and considers the issue "settled." Indonesia has been expanding its airport space, including a new facility in Makkasar on the island of Sulawesi, $133 million in upgrades in Bali, and $533 million in expansions for Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport, still under way. Indonesia is one of the countries experts say they worry most about. It has experienced fast passenger growth, with scheduled departures more than doubling in five years to 700,284 a year, outpacing even China, according to United Nations data. Malaysia's AirAsia and Taiwan's China Airlines have expanded there and authorities hope to make it more of a regional hub. Yet Indonesia has struggled to escape a reputation for safety lapses. In 2007, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Indonesia to Category 2 Status after fatal crashes. The downgrade put Indonesia in league with some African republics and Caribbean nations that are restricted from expanding flights into the U.S. The European Union bans most carriers from Indonesia. In response, Indonesia hired more safety overseers and restructured state companies that manage air traffic control and airports. Indonesia's new government elected last year replaced the president and all five directors at the state's biggest airport manager. Muzaffar Ismail, director for airworthiness and aircraft operation at Indonesia's transportation ministry, said the FAA audited the country in May and found improvements since a 2012 review, though not enough to lift its flight ban. The ministry is hopeful the FAA will lift the ban by year's end. The FAA declined to comment. However, planes keep crashing, adding pressure on Indonesian authorities. A military transport aircraft smashed into houses in Medan in June, killing 141. A Trigana Air flight hit a mountain in August, killing 54. Authorities are still investigating those disasters. In December, AirAsia Flight 8501 crashed en route from Surabaya to Singapore, killing 162. Experts say on-the-ground deficiencies may have contributed, including concerns over inadequate support from air- traffic controllers. Officials say they are still investigating. Juanda Airport in Surabaya, where AirAsia Flight 8501 took off, operates well above its capacity, with 17 million passengers departing each year from a facility designed for 13 million. A second runway will soon be built, but to ensure flights aren't disrupted the airport must operate 24 hours a day instead of its current 18, said Trikora Harjo, the airport's general manager. The new schedule leaves little time for runway maintenance, he acknowledged. "Almost every airport in Indonesia is like this," Mr. Harjo said. In addition to control tower issues, Pontianak's Supadio airport has no instrument landing system, which uses radio beacons to help planes land safely during storms and when visibility is poor. It had one, but the system, which is costly to maintain, was ripped out over a decade ago. Mr. Wiradi, the general manager, said a new system will be installed, but not until after terminal upgrades are complete in 2017. Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on the outskirts of Jakarta, a military facility opened to commercial carriers in 2014 to ease congestion in the capital, also has no instrument landing system for planes landing from the west, raising risks when bad weather forces planes to land from that direction. Manager of operations Ibut Astono said the airport was built to handle a low number of military flights daily. So no land was set aside to allow radio beacons at the western end of the runway, which abuts a dense residential neighborhood. As for wind shear, Indonesia's weather agency BMKG wants to install 10 of the detection systems over the next five years. Syamsul Huda, director of aeronautical and marine meteorology for BMKG, said he was negotiating to get one in Bali by November, followed by Jakarta later in the year. But funding to get all 10 isn't confirmed, he said. The weather agency has a budget of IDR 100 billion ($7.6 million) a year to provide services for Indonesia's 237 airports. It is seeking loans from overseas governments. Indonesia's recently released five-year aviation plan states that IDR 182.5 trillion ($12.8 billion) is required to upgrade aviation infrastructure. The government has budgeted only IDR 11 trillion ($776 million) for 2015. Officials hope the private sector will help. Whatever money is raised, however, won't all be spent improving existing airports. The government wants to build 15 new airports in places like Komodo Island and north Bali to open those regions to tourism and new industries. This would see Indonesia's network of airports grow to 252. Arif Wibowo, chief executive of national carrier Garuda, says investment needs to focus on the country's five major airports in Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Makassar and Bali, which are critically congested. "The government has to prioritize which airports are developed first, because it's not efficient if the government has to spend money on all the airports," he said. Mr. Santoso, the transportation ministry's airports director said Indonesia had already done well to limit the number of new airports given so many cities want them. "We actually want to limit the number [of airports], and upgrade the facilities, but people in the remote areas, they will yell at us" if they don't get new ones, he said. http://www.wsj.com/articles/weak-link-in-asias-flight-boom-airports-1442202855 Back to Top Peter Boyd to resign from CASA (Australia) The head of aviation standards at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority will leave after 16 years at the authority and a decade running what has become one of its most controversial functions. CASA boss Mark Skidmore advised staff yesterday that executive manager standards division Peter Boyd would leave the authority on October 2. A CASA insider said the move was not unexpected given changes at the top levels of the aviation safety regulator, which has seen movement at both management and board levels over the past year, and a controversy surrounding the introduction of new regulations. The way in which a swag of new aviation rules were introduced angered many in the industry and in part prompted Mr Skidmore's appointment last year to repair a fractured relationship with operators. The move came after an independent review found the regulator's hard line approach to enforcement had led to a lack of trust in CASA. Mr Skidmore has conceded the introduction of the new rules was not well handled by CASA and has vowed to improve consultation with the industry on future regulatory changes as well as divert more internal resources to handling problems with those already implemented. He said yesterday Mr Boyd had worked "diligently with a very difficult portfolio of responsibilities over this time which has seen him make a significant contribution to CASA''. "As Peter moves on to his next set of challenges, I wish him all the very best and thank him for his energy, effort, unfailing good humour (often in the face of significant work pressures) and collegiate perspective,'' he told staff in a memo. The CASA boss said he was looking at the best mechanism for filling the vacancy permanently and had meanwhile asked senior manager Roger Weeks to act as the division's executive manager. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/peter-boyd-to-resign-from-casa/story-e6frg95x- 1227526819686 Back to Top North Texas Business Aviation Association (NTBAA) Safety Show-Down 23-24 Sep 3RD ANNUAL SAFETY SHOW-DOWN AND GOLF OUTING SEPTEMBER 23 & 24, 2015 NBAA CAM Approved! ***Early Bird Registration Now Open*** Dr. Mark Maier, Ph.D. - Keynote Speaker "Leading with Integrity...Creating a Climate for Open Communication." Additional breakout sessions from industry leading presenters covering... "Maintaining Your Composure When You Want to Strangle Someone" "Renegade Cowboys or Important Skills for Professional Pilots" "Strategic Alignment: Balancing Service and Risk Management" "Maintaining Your Professionalism with the FAA" "Decision Making Under High Stress" "Leadership for Professional Aviators" "NTSB Most Wanted List" Sponsorshipsavailable! Static Display Featuring the Falcon 2000LX, Embraer Legacy 450, Gulfstream G150 and G280 Show-Down 2015 Details!! On behalf of the flight operations personnel represented on the North Texas Business Aviation Association Board of Directors, we want to personally invite you and your department to the 3rd Annual NTBAA Safety Show-Down and Golf Outing on September 23-24, 2015. "You can learn about dealing with the FAA...keeping your temper and your certificate." -Kent Jackson, Aviation Attorney and 2015 NTBAA Show-Down Session Presenter The NTBAA Safety Show-Down is an information packed, safety focused event that brings some of the best subject matter experts presenting on topics exclusively for pilots, flight attendants, schedulers, maintenance technicians, and flight operations personnel. This NBAA CAM Certified event will be located at the Addison Texas Conference Centre (across the street from Addison Airport) on September 23rd and will feature 8 different breakout sessions to choose from throughout the day, including a keynote presentation by internationally renowned writer and producer, Mark Maier, Ph.D. His presentation, "A Major Malfunction..." The Story Behind the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster, has been adopted by over 800 institutions in 23 countries, including many of the nation's leading aerospace firms and Fortune 500 companies. "All of us have the responsibility to lead and make a difference whenever and wherever you can." -Mark Maier, Ph.D. Chapman University and 2015 NTBAA Show-Down Session Presenter In addition to the educational sessions, the Safety Show-Down will also include an aircraft static display, a fire simulator/trainer, and numerous vendor booths. Many flight departments from North Texas and surrounding areas will be in attendance, making this a great opportunity for networking and connecting with others in the aviation community. Various giveaways will occur throughout the day and breakfast, lunch, and snacks are all included! "Do you know how aware you are of your thoughts and behaviors, and of the intentions and actions of others during those times of stress or fatigue?" -Dr. Shari Frisinger, Behavior Analyst and 2015 NTBAA Show-Down Session Presenter Lastly, don't miss out on the NTBAA Golf Outing held at the Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine TX on September 24th. The Cowboys Golf Club is the premier resort-style golf course in Texas. As the world's first NFL themed golf course, this is the ultimate NTBAA Golf Outing to unwind after the Safety Show- Down. Special "Early Bird" registration discounts and package deals are available for the Safety Show-Down and Golf Outing, visit: www.ntbaaonline.com to register. Back to Top Back to Top Stay Current on Aviation Safety Follow Flight Safety Information on Twitter https://twitter.com/curtllewis01 Back To Top Airbus to unveil new jet production plant Monday MOBILE, AL (WLOX) - A major economic development milestone for the central Gulf Coast region will be unveiled Monday morning in Mobile, Alabama. Airbus will officially inaugurate its new $600 million jet production facility. The plant, which is Airbus's first US production facility, covers more than 115 acres at the Brookley Field aerospace complex in Mobile. There is more than 400,000 square ft. of production space. Officials with the French-based company took members of the media on a tour Sunday. They included journalists from the region, across the country, and international reporters as well. Airbus will focus on three types of jet's, mainly the A321, a fuel efficient 200 seater. The plant has been open for about a month now and employs 250 people. Jets are already being produced for Jet Blue and American airlines. When full production is reached in 2018, the plant will employ more than 1000 people. Dozens of those workers are from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Doug Walker will be covering the Monday morning event in Mobile. Watch for his story both on air and online on WLOX news and on WLOX.com. http://www.wlox.com/story/30020744/airbus-to-unveil-new-jet-production-plant Back to Top TR-X: The Skunk Works Studies A New High-Altitude Jet This artists' impression of the TR-X is notional, since the Skunk Works has only just begun studying a new, stealthy, high-altitude platform. (image: Lockheed Martin) The Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has revealed plans for a next-generation, high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform that could replace the U-2 and Global Hawk from 2025. The company has launched an internally-funded study of a stealthy jet designated the TR-X that might also carry alternative payloads such as a high-energy laser, or for electronic warfare. Lockheed Martin (LM) believes that a U.S. requirement for the TR-X could emerge within the next 18 months. In a media briefing on the U-2 in Palmdale, CAlast month, LM officials made passing reference to the project, labeling it the RQ-X, suggesting an unmanned, purely ISR platform. They have since changed the designation to TR-X for 'tactical reconnaissance', reflecting the potential multi-mission capability, and optional manning. However, an LM official told AIN that, "we're leaning away from optional manning, since by the time the TR-X is available, the FAA should have resolved the current issues on the airspace integration of UAVs. Incidentally, the U-2 was redesignated TR-1 in the 1980s, but this cosmetic re- branding was subsequently dropped. The TR-X would feature some key characteristics of today's U-2, such as modular payloads, a high-power (45 Kva) generator, networked communications, and rapid deployability. The study will have to determine whether a new powerplant is necessary, or whether to use the U-2's General Electric F118 engine, which has proved to be very reliable and economic. The TR-X would also have open missions systems (OMS) architecture, similar to the one that was recently test-flown on a U-2. A company official said that the platform would not be completely autonomous, because that would reduce operational flexibility. Adaptability must be a key characteristicto take account of as-yet unknown future needs, he added. Lockheed Martin program officials declined to answer questions from AIN on the status of the highly- classified Penetrating-ISR (P-ISR) high-altitude platform that Northrop Grumman (NG) has built and probably test-flown at Groom Lake, Nev. But two other persons with some knowledge of the program suggested to AIN that NG had missed the opportunity to get it right. At a briefing for the Air Force Association (AFA) in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for ISR, Lt Gen Bob Otto, said that it was a challenge to develop something that could operate on Day Zero of a conflict in denied airspace, yet also be a cost-effective ISR platform for Phases Two and Three. Otto said that the Air Force was evaluating the right balance between these missions, and making decisions on investment right now. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2015-09-13/tr-x-skunk-works-studies-new-high- altitude-jet Back to Top AirAsia X Is in Talks With Airbus to Delay More Aircraft AirAsia X Bhd. is in talks with Airbus Group SE to delay more planes due for delivery in the next two years as the long-haul arm of Southeast Asia's biggest low-fare carrier takes steps to improve its financial standing. The airline has received three of the eight aircraft planned for 2015, with one more scheduled to arrive in October, Chief Executive Officer Benyamin Ismail said in an interview on Sept. 11. AirAsia X would like to rework the schedule for the other four planes due this year and the nine it was supposed to take in 2016 and 2017, he said. "We just want to make sure Airbus assists us in helping manage our capacity moving forward," Benyamin said from the company's head office in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur. "We are not saying that we are not going to take it; what we are saying is give us a bit more time to take it later." AirAsia X, unprofitable for seven straight quarters, is deferring capacity after a price war with state-owned Malaysia Airlines Bhd., which lost two aircraft in crashes last year. Budget carriers in Southeast Asia, including AirAsia X affiliate AirAsia Bhd., have also delayed taking delivery of new planes as competition prompts them to cut routes to reduce losses. Airbus is in regular contact with its customers, but the company doesn't comment on specific discussions with individual airlines, Sean Lee, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail. The net loss at AirAsia X widened to 132.9 million ringgit ($31 million) in the second quarter from 128.8 million ringgit a year earlier. The result was hurt by a weaker ringgit, which has dropped 26 percent against the dollar in the past 12 months. AirAsia group has hedged 56 percent of its 2015 oil needs at $88.26 a barrel, preventing it from taking full advantage of a plunge in crude prices to reduce costs. Crude is hovering around $45 a barrel, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. predicting prices may fall to as low as $20. Investors have sent AirAsia X shares down 73 percent in the past year. To help restore confidence, the company is focusing on boosting passenger yields after trying to fill seats "at all cost" earlier, Benyamin said. The carrier also wants to convert part of its existing order for A330ceo planes to the newer A330neo model, which is more fuel efficient and could allow it to fly longer routes to European destinations such as London, Benyamin said. AirAsia X also plans to start flights to Hawaii and the Japanese city of Sapporo this year. 'Fly Somewhere' "Ideally, we want to make sure that the aircraft that we are bringing in we can fly somewhere," he said. AirAsia X is working on turning around about a quarter of its 26 routes which are still unprofitable, Benyamin said. These are mainly to South Korea, where an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome hurt travel demand earlier this year. AirAsia X expects its load factor to rebound from the third quarter after increased marketing efforts, Benyamin said. The load factor fell to 68.4 percent in the second quarter from 80.4 percent a year earlier. AirAsia group temporarily suspended flight promotions across carriers in its network during the first few months of this year, following the crash of a plane operated by an Indonesian affiliate. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-14/airasia-x-ceo-says-in-talks-with-airbus-to-delay- more-planes Back to Top Wizz Air confirms MoU for 110 Airbus A321neos Fast-growing Hungarian low cost carrier Wizz Air has formalized the memorandum of understanding it announced at the Paris Air Show in June to purchase 110 Airbus A321neos. In a statement released Sept. 11, Wizz Air said the order was worth $13.7 billion at list prices, but said "Airbus has granted significant discounts". The airline added that it retained its commitment to purchase a further 48 aircraft from Airbus, comprising 21 A320ceos and 27 A321ceos.The first Wizz Air A321ceo aircraft will enter service in November, configured with 230 seats. "All aircraft under the existing order are scheduled for delivery by 2018, however, under an amendment agreement entered into today (which is conditional on the new Airbus agreement coming into force), 10 A320ceo aircraft currently scheduled for delivery in 2018, under the existing order, will be cancelled," the airline stated. The new agreement includes the purchase of 110 Airbus A321neos for delivery between 2019 and 2024, Wizz Air said. "These aircraft will enable Wizz Air to renew its existing fleet and provide additional capacity for further growth. Airbus neo aircraft provide additional efficiencies that will enable Wizz Air to offer even lower fares to the market and will ensure Wizz Air maintains its young, efficient, industry leading fleet." Of the 110 aircraft to be delivered to Wizz Air under the new Airbus agreement, 51 aircraft will be replacements for aircraft to be returned to lessors or sold between 2019 and 2024. "The new Airbus agreement also provides for purchase rights for the purchase of an additional 90 A321neo aircraft. These purchase rights can be exercised in four batches by June 2017, June 2018, June 2019 and June 2020, respectively," Wizz Air said. The airline said it had also negotiated "a significant amount of flexibility with Airbus" to ensure the aircraft delivery stream matches its operational needs, including the ability to substitute a certain number of A321neos with the same number of A320neos. The airline has also committed to making an engine selection for the new aircraft by 31 December 2016. Options for the neo are the CFM International LEAP and Pratt & Whitney PW1000 geared turbofan. "This order will help us to build on our strong market position in Central and Eastern Europe. It also provides significant flexibility to match our fleet to our growth requirements. The new aircraft will enable us to sustain our cost advantage through cabin innovations, the latest engine technology and other efficiency improvements, while enhancing our customer offering and experience. Airbus is a key partner for us and we believe they have the best aircraft to serve our markets and we are happy to be continuing our longstanding relationship with them," Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said. http://atwonline.com/aircraft-engines/wizz-air-confirms-mou-110-airbus-a321neos Back to Top Aviation Industry Curious About How Airbus US Will Work Very little of what I saw Sunday is something I can have in this story. All images and video from the final assembly line tour Sunday have been embargoed. I got on a shuttle with aviation reporters. "For Mobile the issue is really employment and business right, this is a huge boon for the industry, it's a huge boon for the region in terms of getting people and the economic growth here," said Seth Miller with Runway Girl Network. With a bus full of aviation reporters-they're curious. They're about not only how the plane assembly works but how the dollars and cents will work. "I'm curious about how, because of the economics of building something here in the south, how that's outweighed a lot of the costs in the logistics of transportation," said Chris Sloan with Airways Magazine. Others I spoke with say Airbus's American footprint will give them more stability in a global economy. "Airbus sells its planes in us dollars its content has been in euros, labor content, now that content is in dollars and it can better balance and avoid currency risk," said Ernest Arvai with Air Insight. They agree this is a big deal for Mobile and the city's name will be mentioned in just about every aviation power house for a while. "They're all obviously very familiar with Airbus and their products but to have a delivery as well as the final assembly is a big deal," said Karen Walker with Air Transport World. It's a journey that began long before airbus inked a deal with Alabama in 2012. Mobile's aviation dreams began with the Air force refueling tanker which the city landed then lost. "It's been about 10 years for this all to come to fruition so it means a lot of job creation and long term possibilities," said freelance writer Paul Thompson. http://wkrg.com/2015/09/13/aviation-industry-curious-about-how-airbus-us-will-work/ Back to Top iSMS - Safety Management System Training 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 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 Fundamentals of IS-BAO October 1, 2015 Farnborough, UK https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1661564 IS-BAO Auditing October 2, 2015 Farnborough, UK https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1661567 Fundamentals of IS-BAO November 2, 2015 Hong Kong, China https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1724162 IS-BAO Auditing November 3, 2015 Hong Kong, China https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1724176 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: Vice President Flight Operations FEDEX Express https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=1120042 Curt Lewis