Flight Safety Information October 1, 2015 - No. 195 In This Issue Dash 8 Aborted Takeoff/Gear Up Accident (Germany) MD-82 Engine Failure (Guatemala) AAIB Centenary Conference...'100 Years of Accident Investigation - What's Next?' United flight from Aspen makes emergency landing Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to hire around 500 personnel (India) The future of aviation weather forecasting CASA appoints new industry complaints commissioner (Australia) TSA official: 4,100 pounds of prohibited items discovered at Tallahassee International Airport Crash of airplane heavy on mystery (Indiana) Logan airplane cleaning business cited for safety violations Regulations, technology crucial for aviation safety: Raju (India) Mitsubishi Aircraft makes key certification appointment PROS 2015 TRAINING Louisiana Tech, ExpressJet Airlines Partner to Offer Students Career Opportunities Measuring x-rays created by lightning strikes on an aircraft in-flight Did China perform a successful Mach 5 hypersonic aircraft test flight? Gogo Partners with Ultramain Systems to Connect Aircraft Maintenance Reporting Applications Aircraft Retrofits Will Boost Delta's Fuel Efficiency in 2016 and 2017 NASA trains pilots with Fused Reality Bright futures for Polk State College pilots Turkey's first regional jet, set to perform its first flight in 2019 Boeing risks losing $1.1B jet order on Ex-Im shutdown TNT wins Harding Safety air and road contract ERAU Certificate of Management in Aviation Safety iSMS - Safety Management System Training Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Dash 8 Aborted Takeoff/Gear Up Accident (Germany) Status: Preliminary Date: Wednesday 30 September 2015 Time: 10:45 Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8 Operator: Luxair Registration: LX-LGH C/n / msn: 4420 First flight: 2012 Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 16 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 20 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Saarbrücken-Ensheim Airport (SCN) ( Germany) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Saarbrücken-Ensheim Airport (SCN/EDDR), Germany Destination airport: Luxembourg-Findel Airport (LUX/ELLX), Luxembourg Flightnumber: LG9562 Narrative: A DHC-8-402Q operated by Luxair was involved in an aborted takeoff accident at Saarbrücken-Ensheim Airport (SCN), Germany. Luxair LG9562 was a scheduled passenger service from Hamburg Airport, Germany to Saarbrücken and Luxembourg. Following an intermediate stop at Saarbrücken the aircraft was cleared for takeoff on runway 09. Immediately after lifting off the runway, just as the undercarriage had been retracted, the crew aborted the takeoff. The DHC-8-400Q landed back on the runway with it's gear retracted and came to rest about 360 m before the end of the paved surface of the runway. News reports indicate that smoke was developing in the rear of the cabin. It was not specified if this occurred before or after the gear-up landing. Runway 09/27 is an asphalt runway, 6562 feet long. http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20150930-0 Back to Top MD-82 Engine Failure (Guatemala) Date: 30-SEP-2015 Time: Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-82 Owner/operator: World Atlantic Airlines Registration: N802WA C/n / msn: 53052/1731 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Guatemala City-La Aurora International Airport (GUA/MGGT) - Guatemala Phase: Initial climb Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Guatemala City-La Aurora International Airport (GUA/MGGT) Destination airport: Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport, TX (IAH) Narrative: A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 returned to land at Guatemala City-La Aurora International Airport, Guatemala after suffering an engine failure shortly after takeoff. Engine turbine blade fragments came down on houses and a school near the airport. The aircraft was returning to Houston, Texas after flying Guatemalan deportees to Guatemala City. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=180060 Back to Top AAIB Centenary Conference '100 Years of Accident Investigation - What's Next?' Royal Aeronautical Society, London - 14 October 2015 To mark the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) centenary year and to celebrate 100 years of safety investigation in the UK, the AAIB is holding a one-day conference on 14 October 2015, entitled '100 Years of Accident Investigation - What's Next?'.The conference will take place at the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) at 4 Hamilton Place, London. The programme includes speakers from government investigation agencies, regulators, aircraft and engine manufacturers, operators, the media, academia and the legal profession. Places are limited. To find out more about the programme or to register click: http://aerosociety.com/Events/Event-List/1994/100- Years-of-Accident-Investigation-Whats-Next Back to Top United flight from Aspen makes emergency landing STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Officials say a United flight with about 70 people on board made a safe emergency landing Wednesday morning at Yampa Valley Regional Airport. Flight 4919 originated from Aspen and was headed to Denver when the pilots indicated there was a mechanical problem with the right engine and they chose to shut it down. According to Steamboat Today (http://tinyurl.com/qfrc6c7 ), the plane was a de Havilland Dash 8-400 twin-turboprop. Airport director Kevin Booth says the plane landed safely shortly after 10 a.m. The runway was closed for about 20 minutes while the plane was towed away. Booth says the flight was diverted to Yampa Valley because of the mountainous terrain between Aspen and Denver. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28901201/united-flight-from-aspen-makes-emergency-landing Back to Top Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to hire around 500 personnel (India) NEW DELHI: Country's nodal aviation security body BCAS is in the process of hiring around 400500 personnel, which would help it tide over the acute manpower shortage ahead of India's aviation safety audit by the UN aviation watchdog ICAO. Besides, the Finance Ministry has also given its go ahead to the Civil Aviation Ministry to induct 21 personnel at different levels in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) as well, they said. The ICAO audit, the third in last nine years, would take place in November this year and cover issues such as aerodrome operations, air traffic control, air navigation and aircraft investigation mechanism. "Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is being revamped and strengthened with the hiring of 400500 personnel. The hiring process is expected to be completed soon," sources said. Revamping of the shortstaffed BCAS is one of the key issues the government has to address before the aviation safety audit by the ICAO. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had engaged an expert team of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 2011 for making suggestions for restructuring of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and for sufficient operational infrastructure for aviation security. The hiring is in line with the recommendations of the expert team on the requirement of manpower in BCAS, they said. "The Finance Ministry has also given its approval to a Civil Aviation Ministry's proposal to hire 21 personnel for the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau at different levels including investigators, which is currently being headed by a senior DGCA official," As per the ICAO guidelines, the Bureau has to function as an independent entity. The Bureau was carved out of the DGCA in 2012 and mandated with the investigation of all major aircraft accidents in the country. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/bureau-of-civil-aviation- security-to-hire-around-500-personnel/articleshow/49169842.cms Back to Top The future of aviation weather forecasting Perched atop towers and overlooking airfields, air-traffic controllers' eyes glaze across their screens and the skies, as they orchestrate a symphony of landings and takeoffs to harmoniously ensure the safety of each aircraft and passenger. As they guide airplanes to both the ground and the air, rolling thunderstorms engulf the sunny, cloudless skies and unleash torrential downpours that scrub the flight plans of pilots, while soaking the schedules of frustrated passengers for the rest of the day. In seconds, the controllers reroute aircraft around the storms, trying to minimize the weather's impact, but delays inevitably build and force controllers to stay well into the night to accommodate the additional air traffic pushed through overburdened airways to relieve the hardest hit regions. Make no mistake, these air-traffic controllers are equipped with highly trained eyes to decipher air traffic as complex as the weather forecasts they read to determine when a storm might clear. But, they're not professionally trained meteorologists who can predict weather patterns. They need new technology that not only makes it easier for them to understand and deliver weather forecasts, but also facilitates an understanding of how one weather pattern relates to another and what that means for a given flight path. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), bad weather accounts for 70 percent of all traffic delays within the U.S. National Airspace System, which equals about $6.7 billion a year in passenger costs. Annually, delayed flights cost $40 billion, according to an estimate from the Congressional Joint Economic Committee. That spending also adds up to lost time; in 2013, the airline industry saw 12,212,285 minutes of weather-related delays. The current landscape for weather forecasting and product generation for aviation is scattered across various complex weather systems that ingest and display a myriad of data to air-traffic controllers and planners. Given that 66 percent of delays are preventable with this data and enhanced air-traffic- management-decision support tools, it's critical that air-traffic personnel work with the most accurate and timely weather information possible. As the FAA recognized years ago, the weather needs for aviation are much different than those for general meteorology. The FAA needs specific types of weather data and modeling capabilities that show whether or not any given airspace is safe for travel. With airspace expected to become even more clogged in the next decade, improvements and efficiencies in the management and monitoring of aviation weather data are absolutely critical. Weather technology is rapidly evolving and driving an unprecedented need for consolidated weather processing systems that house modernized weather and computer technology. Air-traffic controllers need tools to make it easier and quicker to process, analyze and distribute highly accurate, aviation-specific weather data that is produced by the world's most sophisticated and complex meteorological algorithms. Imagine a situation where thousands of simultaneous algorithms processes gigabytes of data streaming over interconnected networks and flowing into astute algorithms tuned for real world weather applications, high performance computing humming in remote server rooms 24/7/365 with redundancy, and real-time display of the output across hundreds of systems. This orchestrated concert of events produces the most accurate aviation weather products on the planet - this is the FAA's NextGen Weather Processor. In the years ahead, aviation weather forecasting will include: · Increasing timeframes of weather predictability: These would provide up to eight hours' notice of a flight-jeopardizing weather system, buying controllers, planners and airlines much-needed time to reroute and reschedule traffic accordingly. For example, an Atlanta-bound flight leaving from Boston might now sit on the tarmac for hours if there's a storm over the mid-Atlantic; however, an eight-hour weather warning allows all stakeholders to work together to find a new flight path and get the plane out on schedule. · Creating more confident and accurate forecasts: As of now, the source of weather information has literally been all over the map. Environmental satellites streaming data from hundreds of miles above Earth, dozens of ground radars, sensors mounted on the sides of hundreds of commercial aircraft, lightning observations and statistical forecast models all feed the aviation weather picture. Creating a common weather processing and display platform - with algorithms to make sense of vast amounts of weather data - that's flexible enough to host new scientific breakthroughs in forecasting is paramount. · Providing safer and efficient travel for passengers: The flying public will experience fewer flight delays and cancellations and an overall improvement in the dependability of flight schedules. Aircraft will not idle as much on tarmacs and be able to arrive at their destinations in the quickest amount of time possible, resulting in both fueling savings and environmental benefits. Weather impacts every phase of flight, not just takeoff and landing, so it's imperative to have modernized weather sensors, processing and integrated decision support systems in place that will benefit both the airspace, all segments of flight, air-traffic controllers, planners, airlines and, of course, passengers. The future of aviation weather forecasting is clear for takeoff. http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/255332-the-future-of-aviation-weather-forecasting Back to Top CASA appoints new industry complaints commissioner (Australia) The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has appointed a new industry complaints commissioner. The new commissioner, Jonathan Hanton, started in his new role earlier this week, CASA said. "CASA's industry complaints commissioner can be used by people in the aviation community or the general public to lodge complaints about the regulator's action or behaviour," CASA said. "Complaints can be made about decisions and administrative actions or services provided by CASA staff, delegates or authorised persons which are considered to be wrong, unjust, unlawful, discriminatory or unfair." A qualified lawyer, Hanton was previously an ombudsman at the United Kingdom's Financial Ombudsman Service and a senior investigator at the New Zealand Banking Ombudsman's office. Hanton reports to the CASA board. New Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) industry complaints commissioner Jonathan Hanton. (CASA) CASA set up the office of the industry complaints commissioner in 2006. Meanwhile, CASA has opened applications for those seeking a grant to support their formal research on topics related to improving aviation safety in Australia. CASA said it was "particularly interested" in receiving grant proposals on aviation safety issues with heliports; aviation safety issues with aerodromes and buildings in Australia; and aviation medicine clinical standards evidence base. "The research grant program is designed to support research activities that promote Australia's civil aviation safety policy objectives and add to the body of knowledge about aviation safety in Australia," CASA said. "Grants for research may include financial or in-kind support such as information materials, communication collateral and CASA staff participation." The deadline for the first round of applications is 5pm Wednesday October 28. More details can be found on the CASA website. http://australianaviation.com.au/2015/10/casa-appoints-new-industry-complaints-commissioner/ Back to Top TSA official: 4,100 pounds of prohibited items discovered at Tallahassee International Airport To date this year, Transportation Security Administration officers seized more than 4,100 pounds of prohibited items during at the main checkpoint at the Tallahassee International Airport. Don't tote a grenade in your carry-on bag while traveling. While you're at it, don't bring bullets, oxygen canisters, hammers, wrenches, pocket knives, utility razors, Billy clubs or replica guns. To date this year, Transportation Security Administration officers seized more than 4,100 pounds of prohibited items during checkpoint screenings at the Tallahassee International Airport. On Wednesday, items were displayed on a table outside the TSA check point during a press conference aimed at alerting travelers on what can and cannot be carried in a carry-on bag and checked luggage. Items such as brass knuckles, knives and the empty shell of a grenade, though not illegal, are prohibited on checked luggage and are left behind by passengers to the tune of 4100 pounds of property at TLH this year. These items can also lead to heavy delays with security checkpoints at the airport. "Most of these items can be in your checked bag," said Sari Koshetz, a TSA spokeswoman representing the southeast, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "The exceptions would be if something is flammable, explosive, like the oxygen canisters, for instance. They can't even go in your checked bag. A hand grenade can't go in your checked bag, because it can be seen and not known whether it has explosives in it at that moment in time." Passengers must be aware of what's in their bag before packing, Koshetz urged, holding up the grenade. . "This was taken from a passenger at Tallahassee International Airport. We want you to know you may not have a grenade in your carry on or your checked luggage," she said. "If we see this on an image ... it can certainly cause an evacuation, flight delays and everything that goes with it." Even fashion-enhanced items can be restricted. Koshetz held up a pewter clutch purse with brass knuckles for handles. The TLH airport doesn't have a mail back program. "The airport works in partnership with the TSA. It's our job, along with TSA, to create a good overall customer experience and expedite them through the terminal safely so they can get to their destination," said Chris Curry, the airport's aviation director. TSA, which is a tenant at the airport, takes custody of the items. An Alabama-based company picks up local items. Passengers are given a chance to return some items to their car or to give them to whoever dropped them off. But most people opt not to do so. Koshetz encouraged travelers to take time to make sure they're not violating TSA regulations before heading to the airport. For more information, go to https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security- screening/prohibited-items. http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2015/09/30/tsa-official-4100-pounds-prohibited-items- discovered-tallahassee-international-airport/73114408/ Back to Top Crash of airplane heavy on mystery (Indiana) FAA handling probe; owner still elusive A small plane that plowed into a north-side neighborhood Saturday had departed Smith Field with an unknown destination, a federal spokesman said Tuesday. But why it crashed, who was at the controls and what agency, if any, is looking for a person on the plane who left the scene remained a mystery. Fort Wayne police said they were not involved in the investigation, which is being handled by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Indiana State Police, according to a spokesman. A state police spokesman said the FAA had taken over the investigation and that the ISP was no longer involved. An FAA spokesman said the agency's probe will take a few weeks. Meanwhile, the plane's owner remained elusive. According to FAA records, the registered owner is Jeffrey R. Mills. A person by that name owns a house north of Smith Field, according to Allen County property records. No one answered the door Tuesday afternoon, and The Journal Gazette could not find a phone number for Mills. A Facebook page for a Jeff Mills of Fort Wayne shows the plane, a single-engine Cessna 150F, identified by its tail number. The page displays Mills' apparent love of planes and flying. The last entry by Mills was Sept. 24, two days before the crash. The airplane's registration, which had expired at the end of July, lists Mills' address as 500 E. Oak St. in Butler. The building is now owned by a man named Charles Decker, who said he bought the building from the man who owned the plane in 2013 and that that was the only dealing he had with him. Officials say the plane approached Smith Field at a low altitude about 3:45 a.m. Saturday, hit a tall maple tree, then tumbled into trees across the street and hit a power line and the corner of the roof of a home on Ludwig Park Drive. The plane came to rest upside down in the home's backyard. One person in the airplane was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, but a second person believed to be in the plane was nowhere to be found. The plane had no flight plan and wasn't required to file one. Most general aviation planes do not file a plan, said Tony Molinaro, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. Flight plans are filed by pilots with paying passengers, pilots in busier airspace and sometimes by general aviation pilots, he said. "It would be like if you and me told the police when we were going to go grocery shopping," Molinaro said. "They're not in areas where there are big airports or anything. There are usually no flight plans." Molinaro could say only that the plane departed from Smith Field. Smith Field's air space is monitored by controllers at Fort Wayne International Airport. Smith Field is not staffed overnight, said Joe Marana, director of operations and facilities for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority. Had the plane crashed on airport authority property, the agency would be involved in the investigation, he said "Since it's off-airport, we're a lot more removed from it," Marana said. http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Crash-of-airplane-heavy-on-mystery-9086308 Back to Top Logan airplane cleaning business cited for safety violations A contractor at Logan Airport whose workers clean planes flow by JetBlue, Delta, and US Airways has been cited for several alleged workplace safety violations. The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration issued a citation to ReadyJet Inc. of Johnstown, N.Y., on Sept. 18. The company has until Dec. 23 to address issues raised in the citation, and regulators have proposed an $18,000 fine that the company could contest. A man who answered the phone at ReadyJet said the company would not comment. Workers at Logan Airport have protested their working conditions for months. A majority of workers have declared their desire to unionize and sought to bring airport cleaning contractors to the bargaining table, but those efforts have not been successful, according to Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ spokesman Eugenio Villasante. "Contractors like ReadyJet have no place at Logan Airport," said Roxana Rivera, a union official, in a statement. "OSHA just confirmed what these workers have been saying all along: ReadyJet is dangerous and puts workers at risk." The citation accused the company of nine violations it called serious, including supplying airplane cleaning workers with low-quality protective equipment, not alerting them to the hazards posed by certain cleaning products. and using extension cords in places where they weren't allowed. One violation was categorized as "other than serious." https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/09/30/logan-airplane-cleaning-business-cited-for-safety- violations/VjH9vLA4ldyVxWEtGsaWeM/story.html Back to Top Regulations, technology crucial for aviation safety: Raju (India) Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Tuesday said both technology and regulations play an important role for making the skies safer for aviation and called for greater cooperation among south Asian countries for growth of aviation. Speaking after inaugurating the steering committee meeting of Co-operative Development of Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness (COSCAP) - South Asia, he called on COSCAP and SAARC member states to cooperate on various issues concerning the aviation sector to propel its growth, an official statement said. Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey highlighted that very fast paced growth in technology, passenger traffic and quality manpower challenges as the three major issues staring at safety regulators. Stressing that adequate infrastructure should be put in place for growth to follow and not vice versa, he invited member countries of the SAARC region and COSCAP to avail the services offered by India's GPS and geo-augmented navigation system (GAGAN) project. COSCAP South Asia, under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), is a programme of the seven of the eight SAARC countries bar Afghanistan, aiming to assist member states to develop standards and regulations for improving their independent oversight capabilities in aviation safety. http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/regulations-technology-crucial-for-aviation-safety- raju-115092901179_1.html Back to Top Mitsubishi Aircraft makes key certification appointment Mitsubishi Aircraft has appointed Kenishi Inukai as vice-president of its type certification department, only weeks ahead of the planned first flight of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. Effective 1 October, Inukai was also appointed to the role of senior vice-president, head of coordination office of airworthiness. The appointment appears to show that Mitsubishi is ramping up its efforts to have the jet certificated in time to meet its target for first customer delivery of the type in the second quarter of 2017. Mitsubishi has set a window of 26-30 October for the first flight of the MRJ90 from its facility at Nagoya. Following that, five test aircraft will undergo certification testing in the US, operating from an engineering base in Seattle. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/mitsubishi-aircraft-makes-key-certification-appointm-417308/ Back to Top Back to Top Louisiana Tech, ExpressJet Airlines Partner to Offer Students Career Opportunities RUSTON, La. - ExpressJet Airlines has teamed up with Louisiana Tech through a Pilot Pathway Agreement with the university's department of professional aviation. The partnership will ensure aviation students a highly structured path from flight training to potential career opportunities with ExpressJet Airlines. "Over 150 professional aviation students will have the opportunity to participate," said Jordan Lyons, head of the professional aviation department at Louisiana Tech. Students, their families and community members attended aircraft tours and the signing ceremony of the program agreement last Thursday. "The ExpressJet Airline Pilot Pathway Program will allow our aviation students to interview and be hired before graduation," Lyons said. "After selection, students will build the flight time necessary to begin initial airline training while being mentored by a current pilot working with ExpressJet. This partnership will provide students with another possible career track to an airline cockpit. "The partnership is possible through our dedicated, goal-oriented aviation students. Additionally, our graduates have been recognized by many airlines, including ExpressJet, for their hard work and dedication to being true aviation professionals within the industry." "The visit from ExpressJet Airlines will give our students, staff, faculty and local aviation enthusiasts an opportunity to learn about the exciting career opportunities within ExpressJet," Lyons said. Louisiana Tech's Department of Professional Aviation offers Bachelor of Science degrees in both Professional Aviation and Aviation Management. FAA certificates and ratings are available to Louisiana Tech students including the Private, Instrument, Commercial, Certified Flight Instructor, and Certified Instrument Flight Instructor. The department is a member of the University Aviation Association and is accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International. http://www.myarklamiss.com/news/local-news/louisiana-tech-expressjet-airlines-partner-to-offer- students-career-opportunities Back to Top Measuring x-rays created by lightning strikes on an aircraft in-flight Scientists have recorded measurements of x-rays of energies up to 10 MeV caused by electrons accelerated in the intense electric fields inside a thundercloud. The researchers, based at the Eindhoven Univ. of Technology, The Netherlands, the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), The Netherlands, and Airbus France, report their findings in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics. The researchers were able to mount equipment on an Airbus during test flights that took place in April 2014. These flights allowed an opportunity to further test the In-flight Lightning Strike Damage Assessment System (ILDAS) to which the researchers had previously contributed, in addition to mounting x-ray detectors within the cabin. The study reports on the findings of four lightning strikes on the aircraft, three initiated by the aircraft and one "aircraft intercepted" strike. "These four lightning strikes represent all of the effects we were looking at, so they provided us with excellent data," says Pavlo Kochkin, the first author on the paper. The results show that most of the x-rays are synchronous with the initiating negative flow of charge within the cloud, as the moving electrons create x-rays via bremsstrahlung in bursts immediately preceding a current pulse of the lightning strike. The researchers estimate the highest radiation dose in their detector from one of these x-ray bursts to be in the order of 5 x 10-12 Gy. For comparison, the dose normally received due to long flights at altitude is approximately 8 million times higher. Some of the detected x-ray signals may also be associated with terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGF). Earth-bound TGF have previously been detected from space, but the relevance of these data to TGF requires further investigation. "We were extremely lucky to be able to work with our collaborators and Airbus," explains Alex van Deursen, another author on the paper. "This data is very interesting-we've made other lightning physicists quite jealous by getting it first!" The researchers hope to continue to look for indications of terrestrial gamma-ray flow in the next batch of data from more recent flights. Source: Institute of Physics http://www.rdmag.com/news/2015/09/measuring-x-rays-created-lightning-strikes-aircraft-flight Back to Top Did China perform a successful Mach 5 hypersonic aircraft test flight? An artist's illustration of the X-51 WaveRider being tested by Nasa and the US Air Force. Have the Chinese secretly beaten the US with a successful test flight and landing of a hypersonic jet? Who knows, as the news has been pulled from the internetUS Air Force An article claiming that China succeeded in achieving hypersonic flight at Mach 5 has been mysteriously pulled off the internet a few days after it went live. On 18 September, state-run trade magazine China Aviation News, which focuses on the international aerospace industry, published an English language article about a night-time test flight of an experimental aircraft that took off, reached speeds of Mach 5, and then safely landed on the airfield. Hypersonic aircraft are currently more of a concept than reality, and are generally defined as those travelling above 3,840mph - five times the speed of sound (Mach 5). Until now, no nation has claimed to have successfully launched, flown, and landed such an aircraft. Why was such an amazing breakthrough quickly silenced? According to The Daily Beast, the article spoke of a dark-painted aircraft that disappeared in the sky, much to the excitement of the test team watching from the ground. "A few hours after take-off, the task is complete," reporter Qi Shengjun wrote, adding a literary flourish as he compared the test plane's landing to the sheathing of a sword. "When the 'aircraft brake' instruction is issued, this mission comes to a successful conclusion. The original anxiety and tension is instantly released-applause, laughter sounding in the control room." Apart from China Aviation News, the article was also reported by a Hong Kong newspaper called Ta Kung Pao, so it seems that a test flight did indeed occur. Interestingly, Want China Times reported that Chinese state-owned aerospace and defence manufacturer Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) released a report on 18 September about something similar. The report claimed that AVIC had completed an initial test flight of an unspecified high altitude, super-fast aircraft that had a "unique flying style", but the report was also deleted by the time that the Want China Times article went live on 21 September. Usually China is very happy to celebrate its technological triumphs over the West, but September marked a significant occasion - Chinese President Xi Jinping's first official visit to the US. Still, the reason isn't clear as to why China wouldn't want the world to know that it succeeded in flying and landing an aircraft achieving speeds of Mach 5 - a feat that has been beyond the reach of scientists and aerospace engineers. The complex problems with hypersonic aircraft In order to achieve such speeds - beyond twice that of the Concorde - engineers have been developing supersonic combustion ramjet engine (Scramjet) technology since the 1950s, by changing the way planes function and making them lighter. Rockets work by combining a liquid fuel with liquid oxygen in order to create thrust, and carrying both fuel and oxygen tanks on board the aircraft adds weight and slows it down. To lighten the load, scientists have long theorised about an aircraft engine in which the oxygen needed to create combustion is taken from the atmosphere around and passing through the vehicle as it flies, rather than having a tank on board. However, many test flights for hypersonic aircraft conducted by the US Air Force, Nasa, and scientists in Russia and China have failed completely or shown promise and then crashed. Hypersonic flight technology has been considered more of a pipe dream, that perhaps could lead to increased missile speeds if testing ever does yield results. The most recent test flight of hypersonic aircraft hailed as a success by the US Air Force was conducted in May 2013 by Nasa. During that test flight, the X-51 Waverider was launched off a B-52 bomber already in flight. It accelerated to Mach 5.1 while ascending to 60,000ft, flying for 210 seconds before running out of fuel and crashing into the Pacific Ocean. Who will win the hypersonic race? In April, Airbus received a patent for a hypersonic jet that will supposedly be able to travel from London to New York in four hours. to be in service by 2023. The German space agency announced in September that it is developing a hypersonic rocket jet transportation vehicle that could travel from Australia to Europe in just 90 minutes, to be ready by 2045. Even the US Air Force broke its silence in July to announce a partnership with the Pentagon to speed up development of hypersonic aircraft that could cross the globe in four hours by 2023. But all these projects are merely pipe dreams for now, so it will be interesting to see who succeeds first, especially since aerospace analysts don't think China has any hope of coming out on top. "Hypersonic has been likened to lighting a candle in a hurricane. It's that tough. We've been tantalisingly close but still many decades away," Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at aerospace and defence industry advisory firm Teal Group, told IBTimes UK in July. "Hypersonic is intriguing but the technological breakthroughs needed are enormous. I don't think you'll see much progress with the Chinese and Russians. If it happens, it will happen in the US." http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/did-china-actually-perform-successful-mach-5-hypersonic-aircraft-test-flight- 1521861 Back to Top Gogo Partners with Ultramain Systems to Connect Aircraft Maintenance Reporting Applications CHICAGO, Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Gogo (NASDAQ: GOGO), the global leader in providing broadband connectivity solutions and wireless in-flight entertainment to the aviation industry, is partnering with Ultramain Systems, a developer of airline operational software, to connect its industry leading aircraft maintenance applications. This partnership between Gogo and Ultramain Systems highlights the value of the connected aircraft. The robust connectivity services provided by Gogo will enable Ultramain's advanced applications to be connected in real-time, which will give airline personnel the ability to assess aircraft maintenance issues as soon as they are detected. "Aircraft maintenance reporting functions are traditionally accomplished using paper log books and analyzed by ground crews between take-offs and landings," said Andrew Kemmetmueller, Gogo's vice president of product for connected aircraft services. "Ultramain's applications modernize this manual process into a digital one by building these applications into pilots' Electronic Flight Bags, maintenance technicians' mobile devices and airlines' back-office systems." Ultramain Systems has developed many notable aircraft maintenance applications. Applications that can now be connected using Gogo broadband connectivity include: efbTechLogs, which allow flight crews to transmit accurate data about problems on the aircraft; eReporting, an integrated flight crew reporting software that replaces paper Air Safety Reports; and eCabin, which provides passenger information such as special needs for passengers. "Ultimately, this partnership can help improve airline efficiencies and reduce maintenance related delays and cancellations, creating a better passenger experience," added Kemmetmueller. To better understand Gogo's vision for the connected aircraft, a copy of Gogo's whitepaper titled, "Building the Case for the Connected Aircraft," can be found here. About Gogo Gogo is a leading global aero-communications service provider that offers in-flight Internet, entertainment, text messaging, voice, connected aircraft services and a host of other communications-related services to the commercial and business aviation markets. Gogo has partnerships with 11 major commercial airlines and is now installed on nearly 2,400 commercial aircraft. More than 6,800 business aircraft are also flying with its solutions, including the world's largest fractional ownership fleets. Gogo also is a factory option at every major business aircraft manufacturer. Gogo has more than 1,000 employees and is headquartered in Chicago, IL, with additional facilities in Broomfield, CO and various locations overseas. Connect with us at www.gogoair.com and business.gogoair.com. SOURCE Gogo http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gogo-partners-with-ultramain-systems-to-connect-aircraft- maintenance-reporting-applications-300151114.html Back to Top Aircraft Retrofits Will Boost Delta's Fuel Efficiency in 2016 and 2017 After a long delay, Delta is finally getting to work on adding seats to nearly one quarter of its planes to improve its fuel efficiency and cut unit costs. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) has the oldest fleet among the three big network carriers -- and a significantly older fleet than most other major U.S. airlines. As a result, it tends to lag the industry in terms of fuel efficiency. DELTA'S A320 FLEET IS GETTING A BIG INTERIOR OVERHAUL. PHOTO: THE MOTLEY FOOL Rather than spending tens of billions of dollars to revamp its whole fleet, Delta is pursuing a more modest fleet renewal plan, while also retrofitting many of its existing planes with extra seats to improve fuel efficiency. These efforts should drive significant fuel efficiency gains in the next two years. That will be particularly important if fuel prices start rising again in the coming years. Slow fuel efficiency gains Recently, Delta's main lever for boosting fuel efficiency has been its project to retire most of its 50-seat jet fleet. It has replaced those planes with 76-seat regional jets and 110-seat mainline aircraft, which are more fuel efficient. In addition, Delta received the first of 100 Boeing 737-900ERs in 2013, and it has been taking delivery of 19 per year lately. These planes are replacing older fuel guzzlers. Still, Delta is only making slow gains in fuel efficiency right now. In Q2, Delta's capacity rose 3.4% year over year, while fuel consumption rose 2.8%. That put its fuel efficiency gain at a very modest 0.6%. Retrofits finally getting off the ground In early 2014, Delta revealed a wide-ranging plan to retrofit 225 domestic aircraft to add passenger amenities and reduce unit costs. Most of the planes will get in-seat power, new seat-back entertainment systems, larger luggage bins, and in some cases, wider seats. Meanwhile, by installing slim-line seats and reducing the size of galleys and lavatories, Delta will be able to add seats to more than 180 of the planes being retrofitted. On average, these moves will increase seating capacity by 7%. This will drive big fuel-efficiency improvements, because putting more passengers on each plane won't impact fuel consumption very much. DELTA'S A319S AND A320S ARE GETTING A WHOLE NEW LOOK. PHOTO: DELTA AIR LINES Originally, these modifications were supposed to be completed by 2016. However, it's taken longer than expected to get this program off the ground. In late July, Delta announced that it finally had completed the first Airbus A319 retrofit. The A319 and A320 modifications are now expected to wrap up in mid-2017. Today, Delta is only about 10% of the way through its retrofit program. However, with the busy summer travel season now over, the pace of retrofits is likely to accelerate. And since Delta is adding seats to nearly one quarter of the planes in its fleet, this will provide a meaningful bump to its overall fuel efficiency. Aircraft replacements speeding up, too As it happens, Delta is also at the beginning of a period of faster aircraft replacements. Between 2016- 2017, it is scheduled to receive 80 new airplanes: enough to replace about 10% of its mainline fleet. Most of these new planes are large narrowbodies (the 737-900ER and A321) that can replace the biggest planes in Delta's domestic fleet (the 757 and 767-300). However, Delta is also receiving A330 and A350 widebodies from Airbus that will allow it to retire its remaining fuel-guzzling 747 jumbo jets. The combined impact of Delta's aircraft retrofits and aircraft replacements should drive faster fuel efficiency improvements in the next few years. By 2018, fuel efficiency could be about 5% better than today's level. Even with the cost of jet fuel having dropped precipitously since mid-2014, it is still one of Delta's biggest expenses. Reducing consumption is thus a straightforward way to save money. Most importantly, if oil prices rebound toward the end of the decade, Delta's fuel efficiency gains will offset some of the increased expense. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/09/30/aircraft-retrofits-will-boost-deltas-fuel-efficien.aspx Back to Top NASA trains pilots with Fused Reality Scott Howe performs a task with the Fused Reality system To gain proficiency, pilots need realistic training, but they also need to avoid needless cost and risk. Real aircraft provide the most obviously realistic training, but they're dangerous in inexperienced hands. Meanwhile, simulators can reproduce much of the look and feel of actual flying without the danger of losing an aircraft or pilot, but they aren't as successful when it comes to complex maneuvers like aerial- refueling. To square the circle, NASA is developing a technology called Fused Reality, which uses a special headset that combines real flying in a real aircraft with an overlaid simulation. Fused Reality was named by its inventor, Ed Bachelder, the technical director at Systems Technology, Inc of Hawthorne, California, where development started in 2003. The systems works like augmented reality glasses like Google Glass or digital pilot goggles by combining the real-world with interactive computer graphics inside the viewer of the headset. The result is a view of the area around the plane that mixes the actual scene with computer generated elements that allow the trainee to practice complicated exercises, such as runway landing at altitude, formation flying, and tracking an aerial refueling drogue, without interfering with the regular operations of the aircraft. "I'm seeing the real world through my camera, so I'm seeing mountains and clouds and the aircraft control panel, but I'm flying formation with a virtual tanker," says pilot Scott Howe, describing a simulated formation flight with KC-135 tanker. "I was just trying to keep station with that tanker and practice aerial refueling with the [Fused Reality] system." The Fused Reality technology was tested by at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, and the National Test Pilot School (NTPS) in Mojave, where three evaluation flights were made in 2012 using a highly modified Learjet in-flight simulator. A second testing phase was carried out in September 2014 with nine flights on board a Gippsland GA-8 Airvan research aircraft from the NTPS. NASA sees Fused Reality as having applications not only in training, but also in evaluating new aircraft by allowing test pilots to gain hands-on experience of new configurations, aircraft control algorithms, and displays under actual conditions without the immediate need for the experimental aircraft. It may also find applications in astronaut training and carrier landing practice. "Fused Reality allows all pilots to learn how to fly difficult and dangerous tasks such as aerial refueling, aircraft carrier landing, formation flight and aerial firefighting, which are usually taught in a ground based flight simulator, by putting the simulator in flight in the actual aircraft," says Armstrong project manager Bruce Cogan. "Virtual images of runways, aircraft carriers, and tanker aircraft are presented to the pilot in a helmet mounted display that reacts with the actual dynamics of the aircraft being flown." The Fused Reality technology will undergo further testing next March at the Air Force Test Pilot School's Test Management Program, where pilots will design a flight test using a Beechcraft King Air C-12 light aircraft, which will be used to compare the system with conventional handling qualities tasks. The video below from the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center walks us through the Fused Reality system. Source: NASA http://www.gizmag.com/nasa-fused-reality-train-pilots/39650/ Back to Top Bright futures for Polk State College pilots You've probably taken one of their airplanes; American Eagle, Delta Connection or United Express. But did you know they are flown by one company -- ExpressJet? They recently sign a deal with Polk State College to train students to be pilots, and if the students pass they will all but be guaranteed a job. Aaron Poidevin and Karissa Strickland are in school today, but not in a traditional classroom. These students are sharpening their piloting skills in a state of the art flight simulator. Strickland says this curriculum track is hard but the payoff is worth it saying, "Flying is such a fun experience that it makes the learning experience fun." Donald Painter, dean of academic affairs for the Lakeland campus, says they started to program because of the growing "graying" retirement community of pilots. Because of the shortage of pilots in Central Florida he says the skills sets of his schools future pilots are in very high demand. Students train on computer simulators but also Flight Deck mock ups. They are paper scaled versions of the cockpits Express Jets uses in its fleet. Students here train on every button and dial on the mock up. If they pass the test on this mock up along with their studies they may get a chance to get a job with ExpressJet. Donald Painter says, "We see that as another reason why this program is so valuable that there is going to be job opportunity." The Polk State program also offers airline administration. For pilots like Poidevin he is taking both courses. He says he understand life's course correction saying "There is a good chance I will retire sitting behind a desk, managing pilots or managing an airline." From the simulator to the real thing these students are now doing their preflight checks for a real flight. They say when it comes to their futures the sky is the limit. To join this career track program no piloting experience is needed Polk State College says have all skill levels join their program. And starting 2016 they say they are starting an Airplane Mechanics degree program. To find more about this program click here. http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/local/2015/09/30/bright-futures-for-polk-state-college-pilots/73109072/ Back to Top Turkey's first regional jet, set to perform its first flight in 2019 Turkey's first regional jet, TRJ328, which is being developed as part of the TRJet program, is set to perform its first flight in 2019, and construction work on a TRJet facility will start in Ankara during the next phase. Giving details about Turkey's cooperation with the regional jet project, Fatih Özmen, the CEO of the U.S.- based aerospace systems company Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC), said the Defense Industry (SSM) and STM are making good progress. Underlining that the jet to be produced is expected to change the face of air transportation in Turkey, Özmen said TRJET is essentially a transfer of mastery, expertise and education. TRJET offers a solid foundation in the fields of technology and innovation on which Turkish people will be able to establish new studies for posterity, he said, adding that the final approval process for the historic project still continues. Özmen, who was chosen as one of the 10 most influential Turks in the U.S. by TurkofAmerica magazine, said the TRJet facility to be established in Ankara will produce the TRJ328 using a modernized version of Dornier 328 aircrafts within a few years and it will perform its first flight in 2019. "Turkey aims to benefit from its existing aviation resources in the best way possible to complete the jet before the scheduled flight time," he added. The TRJ328 is considered a major step toward the production of the TRJ628, the first domestically designed passenger plane in Turkey. It is expected that the supply of parts for the production of the TRJ628, which will be designed and produced by Turkish engineers, will lead to a significant surge in the number of suppliers in this field in Turkey. The TR628 is slated to perform its first flight in 2023 in honor of the centenary of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. The project will fill a great gap in Turkey's aviation market as it will offer frequent and direct flights between small cities where large planes cannot operate practically. The aim is that the TRJet plant will support growth in Turkey's civil aviation sector and pave the way for the country to open up to the global aviation market as an aircraft original equipment manufacturer. As well as opening a new horizon for the Turkish civil aviation sector, TRJet offers an investment opportunity for the country's new engineers and the sector's leaders. The project is expected to offer new and indirect employment opportunities in the fields of aircraft engineering and manufacturing. SNC chairwoman Eren Özmen said the human capital is the most important capital that Turkey has and Turkey is lucky to have intelligent and ambitious young people educated at high-quality universities. "We aim to form a future that will bring this potential to the highest level, create highly affective global business opportunities and offer more opportunities for Turkey and the next generation," she added. http://www.dailysabah.com/money/2015/10/01/turkeys-first-regional-jet-set-to-perform-its-first-flight-in- 2019 Back to Top Boeing risks losing $1.1B jet order on Ex-Im shutdown South Africa's Comair may have to drop $1.1 billion in Boeing jet deliveries due to begin in October after struggling to line up financing without U.S. government assistance. The transaction would be the planemaker's first aircraft order imperiled since the U.S. Export-Import Bank's charter expired June 30. Boeing is the biggest beneficiary of the agency, which has been attacked by some congressional Republicans who say it aids big businesses that don't need help. Comair had negotiated financing for three 737-800 jetliners due to be delivered in October, February and November 2016 with the expectation of Ex-Im support, Chief Executive Officer Erik Venter said in a Sept. 28 letter addressed jointly to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg and Ray Conner, who heads the company's airplane unit. Without Ex-Im support, Comair will have to find credit "at a significantly higher cost" due to South Africa's weak currency and the airline's relatively small size, Venter said. Doing so "will undermine the long-term viability of acquiring Boeing aircraft," he said. Also in jeopardy are eight single-aisle 737s slated to be in delivered over a two-year stretch starting in 2019, Venter said. The carrier needs Ex-Im assistance to make progress payments on the jets that are due next year. If that's not available, it will turn to Airbus Group and European agencies for help. Boeing's 737-800 has a $96 million list price, while the newer 737-8 due later this decade retails for $110 million. Carriers typically negotiate discounts. http://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-risks-losing-11b-jet-order-on-ex-im-shutdown/ Back to Top TNT wins Harding Safety air and road contract TNT has been awarded a five-year contract covering air and road express services with supplier of lifesaving equipment, Harding Safety. TNT will become the exclusive carrier for all spares shipments for Harding Safety at global level and will provide a full range of express delivery services using its integrated road and air network. TNT said Harding Safety had redesigned its supply chain by centralising smaller warehouse locations to seven central warehouse locations globally. These warehouses are located in Seimsfoss (Norway), Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Dubai (UAE), Shanghai (China), Singapore, New Iberia (USA) and Macaé (Brazil). TNT will execute Harding Safety's worldwide inbound and outbound transport of spares for lifesaving equipment to merchant, cruise, offshore and Navy customers. TNT is the subject of a takeover bid by FedEx. http://www.aircargonews.net/news/single-view/news/tnt-wins-harding-safety-air-and-road-contract.html Back to Top CERTIFICATE OF MANAGEMENT IN AVIATION SAFETY Professional education seminars for aviation practitioners Embry-Riddle will host a variety of aviation safety focused executive education courses at its Daytona Beach Campus; all courses are offered in a face-to-face traditional classroom setting taught by subject matter experts from the aviation industry. Who Should Attend: These courses are tailored for industry professionals involved in the operations, management, and supervision of aviation organizations. What You Will Learn:The certificate is designed for participants interested in obtaining a strong safety foundation; the objective is to produce aviation industry professionals who are skilled in providing expertise in safety management and technical guidance on FAA, OSHA, DOT and EPA Compliance Issues. The certificate requires completion of three 5-day courses in Occupational Safety and Health & Aviation Ground Safety, Aviation Safety Program Management & Aircraft Accident Investigation and Management. REGISTER TODAY ONLINE ERAU FALL 2015 CERTIFICATE OF MANAGEMENT IN AVIATION SAFETY SERIES: OCT. 19-23, 2015: OSHA & Aviation Ground Safety Oct. 26-30, 2015: Aviation Safety Program Management Nov. 2-6, 2015: Aircraft Accident Investigation LOCATION: DAYTONA BEACH CAMPUS, FLORIDA CONTACT INFORMATION: Ms. Sarah Ochs, Director of Professional Programs Email: case@erau.edu Phone: (386) 226-6928 www.erau.edu/cmas iSMS - Safety Management System Training Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 2016 DTI SMS/QA Symposium January 3, 4, & 5 2016 Disney World, FL 1-866-870-5490 www.dtiatlanta.com Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: *IOSA FLT Auditors *Experienced Trainers in the area of Safety Management Systems *Quality Control Specialist *Manager Quality Assurance and Quality Control Aviation Quality Services GmbH www.aviation-quality-services.com Flight Training Human Factors Specialist Emirates www.emirates.com/careers Manager Group Safety Management Systems Virgin Australia Location: Brisbane, Australia http://careers.virginaustralia.com/cw/en/job/496413/manager-group-safety-management-systems Curt Lewis