Flight Safety Information October 23, 2015 - No. 211 In This Issue Brazil Sentence Final for Legacy Midair Pilots Clutha families call for black box recorders on all aircraft For safety's sake, Jakarta cuts back on flight numbers Bogdan Denies Excessive Risk To Most F-35 Pilots Geese, jet collide in Warrenton, Oregon American Airlines inspector honored with prestigious FAA Master Mechanic Award PROS 2015 TRAINING Stop By and Visit At NBAA - Booth N812 United Continental puts up record 3Q profits as the price of jet fuel tumbles Japan's Mitsubishi regional jet maiden test flight delayed again KC-46 test aircraft touches down at Edwards Airlines Often Waste Millions on Each Aircraft Redelivery Quicksilver Aircraft Ceases Production Sea-Tac nation's fastest-growing major airport through September SAVE THE DATE...ISASI-2016 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST (1) Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Brazil Sentence Final for Legacy Midair Pilots Brazil's Supreme Court recently upheld the conviction of U.S. pilots Joe Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino in the September 2006 midair over the Amazon that brought down a Gol Linhas Aéreas 737 with 154 people aboard. Under a legal cooperation treaty, the sentence of three years, one month and 10 days would be served in the U.S. Brazilian sentences of less than four years are served in an "open regime," similar to a halfway house or, if unavailable, a less restrictive alternative such as probation. Equally, speculation in the press about extradition to Brazil is unfounded, as there is ample precedent to ensure that the sentence would be served in the U.S. The federal trial court in Sinop, Mato Grosso, had imposed an alternative penalty of suspension of the pilots' airman certificates, highlighted in Brazilian press coverage of the recent final ruling. However, legal sources close to the case told AIN that since appeals courts had rejected alternative penalties, license suspension is not part of the sentence. In addition, the FAA declined to enforce a similar administrative decision by its Brazilian equivalent, ANAC. Two air traffic controllers who failed to avert the collision received lighter sentences in Brazil's federal and military courts. Despite a request from the Sinop judge for indictment of the controller who issued the clearance that put the Legacy on a collision course, prosecutors failed to move against him. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-10-22/brazil-sentence- final-legacy-midair-pilots Back to Top Clutha families call for black box recorders on all aircraft The scene of the crash in November 2013. Picture: PA RELATIVES of those killed in the Clutha helicopter crash have said they are "furious" over the publication of a report into the tragedy which has left them with more questions than answers due to the fact the aircraft was not fitted with a black box recorder. After a wait of nearly two years, family members of the victims and survivors said they had been left angry at the lack of information in the Air Accident Investigation Branch's investigation into the causes of the disaster, which claimed the lives of ten people and left many more injured. Ahead of the report's official publication today, they have called for black box flight recorders to be fitted in all passenger-carrying aircraft. The 102-page report is expected to highlight the fact that fuel switches from the reserve tank were off when they should have been turned on, meaning the engines were starved of fuel. But no details will be available about the helicopter's altitude or rate of descent. Two groups of relatives took part in a three-hour briefings with investigators from the AAIB over the past two days. Some of those who attended the first meeting said that although the AAIB had done a thorough job in the circumstances, the lack of evidence over what caused the Eurocopter EC 135 police helicopter to crash through the roof of the Clutha Bar in Glasgow was hard to take. John McGarrigle, who lost his father, also John, said: "Obviously I can't mention the content, but I'm furious, I'm just absolutely furious. I think people [will] understand that when the report comes out on Friday. I don't feel any further forward. I feel that it doesn't make sense. If anything, there's more questions, unknowns and uncertainties Anne-Marie Kennedy "I'm left with even more questions. Flight data recorders should be fitted on all passenger-carrying aircraft, it should be mandatory. In the words of the investigation, the lack of a black box has and is severely hampering the investigation." Ian O'Prey, whose son Mark died in the bar, said after the AAIB briefing: "The pilot wasn't at fault, that's for certain. There were switches left on, or off, and the engine had fuel starvation, that's basically it. "My main question to them was [about] flight recorders. If they had flight recorders, it would have taken us a fraction of the time it has taken us." Anne-Marie Kennedy, who was working in the Clutha at the time of the crash on 29 November 2013, said: "I thought the AAIB were on the ball, they obviously carried out the investigation to the best of their abilities. It was all very informative and easy to understand, but my reaction to it is that I don't feel any further forward than I did last night. I think I've built it up so that tonight would have been the night it would have make sense, but I feel that it doesn't make sense. If anything, there's more questions, unknowns and uncertainties." "We still do not know why fuel did not reach the engines. The report goes into significant detail in its analysis but it is clear from what is said in the report that they can't answer all the questions." http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/clutha-families-call-for-black-box-recorders- on-all-aircraft-1-3924222 Back to Top For safety's sake, Jakarta cuts back on flight numbers Lower frequency at airport aims to minimise risks, with more take-offs, landings in off- peak hours JAKARTA - Indonesian officials have announced that they will cut the number of flights allowed per hour from Jakarta's main airport because of safety concerns, following a series of major crashes that have killed more than 300 people in the last year. Indonesian airports have struggled to cope with the huge expansion of air travel in South-east Asia's largest economy, getting poor marks in a 2014 safety audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) because of insufficient staffing. To help ease the workload on air traffic controllers at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, it will be limited to 62 take-offs and landings an hour, down from about 72 at peak hours currently, said Mr Muzaffar Ismail, director for aircraft operations at the transportation ministry. "With the high frequency of flights, there is a greater risk of collisions and accidents," Mr Ismail said. The changes were not expected to lead to a reduction in the number of take-offs and landings per day, as more flights would be scheduled for off-peak hours to meet the new capacity requirements. Haze from slash-and-burn forest fires was not mentioned as a safety concern. Experts questioned how reducing the number of flights would actually fix Indonesia's air safety problems. "If 72 flights an hour was not safe, then why did they approve it in the first place?" said Jakarta-based aviation consultant Gerry Soejatman. "It seems to be an overreaction. Instead of mitigating the risk, they seem to be avoiding the risk." Indonesia has a poor aviation safety record, with four major crashes in less than a year. In December, an AirAsia flight went down in the Java Sea, killing all 162 on board. More than 120 people died in June in the crash of a military transport plane, while all 54 on board a Trigana Air aircraft died in a crash in Papua in August. The safety concerns have not stopped Indonesia from wanting to reclaim control of its airspace above the Riau Islands from Singapore. The airspace controlled by Singaporean air traffic controllers - also known as a Flight Information Region (FIR), where relevant information and alerting services are provided - is delineated through international agreements with ICAO. "The President has instructed us to prepare better equipment, better personnel over the next three or four years, so that we can take over the management of our own airspace," Indonesia Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan said last month. In response, Mr K Shanmugam, Singapore's then Law and Foreign Affairs Minister, said Singapore's management of this particular FIR is sanctioned by the ICAO, with the decision made based on a variety of factors, and if there is any change, it could affect Singapore's status as an aviation hub. "Under a series of agreements that we had negotiated in the best interest of Singapore and of our neighbours, including Indonesia, we have been able to structure these sorts of arrangements, which I think most Singaporeans are not aware of, but which are vital to regional air safety, which are vital in the interests of countries involved, and which are vital to our aviation jobs," he said. Besides reclaiming the airspace from Singapore, Indonesia also plans to take over the control of airspace above its regions bordering Malaysia in North Kalimantan. http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/safetys-sake-jakarta-cuts-back-flight- numbers?singlepage=true Back to Top Bogdan Denies Excessive Risk To Most F-35 Pilots WASHINGTON -- Despite concerns over the safety of lightweight pilots flying the F-35, the vast majority of pilots do not face excessive risk of neck damage during an ejection, the chief of the Pentagon's Joint Program Office (JPO) argued in front of Congress this week. In response to questioning from Rep. Jackie Speier, D-CA, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, JPO chief Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan said there is no elevated risk of injury for F-35 pilots "in the heart" of the weight envelope during an ejection. "We have done the risk analysis on the test points that we have had on the ejection seat, and what we have found is the only area where we have a problem today is with the lightweight pilot below 136 pounds," Bogdan said during an Oct. 21 hearing of the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces. "But the areas that we have tested indicate that, in the heart of the envelope, for the heart of the pilot population, there is not any increased risk of injury at all." Bogdan's remarks appear to conflict with a recent Air Force statement that acknowledged an "elevated level of risk" for pilots between 136 and 165 pounds. The statement noted that the risk of critical injury during an ejection is higher for the F-35 seat than legacy fighter-ejection seats. "While the probability of an ejection in this slow speed regime remains very low, estimated at one in 100,000 flight hours, the risk of a critical injury in that circumstance is currently higher than legacy fighter ejection seats," according to the Oct. 16 statement. "The Air Force has accepted risk of similar magnitude in previous ejection seats." Based on the remote probability of an ejection, the airworthiness authorities recommended - and the Air Force accepted - allowing pilots between 136 and 165 pounds to continue operating the F-35, the statement notes. That same statement officially announced that Air Force leaders recently decided to restrict pilots weighing less than 136 pounds from flying the plane due to concerns about ejection safety, a decision first reported by Defense News on Oct. 1. During the hearing, Speier referred to reports that an internal Pentagon assessment found a 23 percent chance of major injury or death for F-35 pilots between 136 and 165 pounds during ejection. Bogdan refuted those reports before the panel. "Ma'am, that is incorrect. The data that you have came from a reporter who got a copy of an official-use-only internal DOD document that my team put together to assess the risks of a lightweight pilot and a pilot between 136 and 165 pounds. That document should have never been publicly released," Bogdan said, referring to a recent Congressional Quarterly article. He indicated that CQ misinterpreted the document. Bogdan went on to lay out the probability of neck injury for F-35 pilots in different weight classes. A pilot who weighs less than 136 pounds has a one in 50,000 chance of neck injury from an ejection, whereas one between 136 and 165 pounds has a one in 200,000 chance of incurring the same damage, he told the House panel. But after the hearing, Bogdan told a group of reporters that these figures account for the low probability that a pilot will have to eject at all and that they don't reflect the likelihood of injury in the event of an ejection. That 23 percent chance of injury does exist in the event of an ejection, Bogdan told them. "So the 23 percent is when he ejects, but the probability of that [pilot ejecting] is one in 200,000," Bogdan said, adding that the latter figure "is no different than the risk that we see in legacy airplanes today." Bogdan told the panel that the JPO has tested the ejection seat at low speeds using lightweight mannequins (136 pounds and under) and with heavyweight pilots above 245 pounds. But the program has not tested the seat using a middleweight mannequin, representing most pilots, between 135 and 245 pounds. The JPO is planning tests in that weight envelope down the road, Bogdan said. The Air Force expects the manufacturer of the ejection seat, UK company Martin-Baker, to find and implement a solution, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said in the Oct. 16 statement. The F-35 seat is designed to accommodate the full range of pilots between 103 and 245 pounds. The JPO, Martin-Baker and aircraft maker Lockheed Martin are working on three fixes to the ejection problem: designing a lighter helmet, installing a switch for lightweight pilots that will delay deployment of the main parachute and mounting a "head support panel" between the parachute risers that will protect the pilot's head from moving backwards during parachute opening. All three fixes will be fully implemented by summer 2017, the JPO has said. http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense-news/2015/10/22/bogdan-denies- excessive-risk-most-f-35-pilots/74406950/ Back to Top Geese, jet collide in Warrenton, Oregon WARRENTON - A Lektro company jet hit a flock of geese Monday night while landing at the Astoria Regional Airport. Lektro CEO Eric Paulson said the plane's captain, Mark Ramer, was checking the approach speed on his dashboard gauges when he looked up and noticed the geese, which were too close to avoid hitting. Paulson said Ramer was worried the geese would take flight and possibly be ingested into the engines of the jet, a Cessna Citation 560. In 2009, Canadian geese were sucked into the engines of a US Airways jet after it took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York. The plane's engines lost power and the plane crash-landed in the Hudson River. The geese at the airport in Warrenton Monday remained on runway 8-26 and were hit by the Cessna's landing gear. The only passengers on board were Paulson, Ramer and Ramer's wife. "At first I thought we landed short and struck the runway lights, but I later found out it was geese we hit that caused the rough landing," Paulson said. Paulson said he and Ramer had flown into Astoria twice Sunday, both times noticing geese loitering on the runway. Ramer taxied the jet down the runway Monday morning to ensure the geese were not on the runway when departing, but he was unable to do a flyover before landing Monday night. The aircraft was inspected for damage, which was limited to the right-side landing gear. The jet was deemed safe to fly and taken to Salem for repair with its landing gear down for fear it might malfunction if raised. "I remember when we used to call ahead to have someone check to see if the elk were on the runway, a problem that plagued the airport until a Learjet collided with one during takeoff in the early 2000s, destroying the aircraft and killing the bull elk," Paulson said. The event led the Port of Astoria, which owns the airport, to erect a fence around the perimeter to keep elk out. Mike Weston, the Port's director of business development and operations, said the Port conducts daily rounds and hazes geese and ducks resting or attempting to nest on Port property. This year, he said, the Port has experienced a group of geese continually returning to runway 8-26. "We chase the geese off with a type of shotgun round that makes a loud bang in the air above where the fowl are resting," Weston said in an email. "They are called 'Bird Bangers,' silly name but somewhat effective, at least in the short term." Weston said he has witnessed several bird strikes during his time with the Port, most recently an adolescent eagle flying through an approach at the same time as a Citation jet. Paulson said the Port might have to look at deterrents to birds, such as cannons and sirens. "We certainly do not want to kill any birds, nor do we want them to kill us", Paulson said. http://www.dailyastorian.com/Local_News/20151023/geese-jet-collide-in-warrenton Back to Top American Airlines inspector honored with prestigious FAA Master Mechanic Award AA mechanic gets major award AA's Master Mechanic Paul Osinski, an inspector with American Airlines, walks through an MD-80 aircraft Thursday as he talks about his work. Later in the day, he received the Master Mechanic Award from the Federal Aviation Administration. The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics. To be eligible for the award the mechanic must have worked for a period of 50 years in an aviation maintenance career. For at least 30 of those years, the honoree must have been an FAA-certificated mechanic or repairman working on N-registered aircraft maintained under the Federal aviation regulations. The award is named for Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight. Taylor served as the Wright brothers' mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft. There are 341,409 FAA-certified mechanics and only 2,125 - less than 1 percent - have been awarded the Master Mechanic honor. Everyone at American Airlines' Tulsa maintenance base is better for having Paul Osinski around, said Mark Cantrell, the director of quality control and chief inspector for the airline. "He'll do anything you ask, and he goes over and above," Cantrell said. "And he's a teacher - he'll stop and explain things." On Thursday, Osinski became one of the fewer than 1 percent of Federal Aviation Administration-certified mechanics to receive the FAA's Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award, an honor that Osinski's co-workers put him up for. The award is named for Wright brothers' mechanic Charles Taylor, who is credited with designing and building the engine of their first successful aircraft. To be considered for the Master Mechanic honor, a person must have worked in an aviation maintenance career for at least 50 years and worked as an FAA-certified mechanic for at least 30 of those years. Jay Wilkins, manager of the FAA's Will Rogers flight standards district office, presented Osinski with the Master Mechanic award during a ceremony Thursday at the Tulsa maintenance base. Of the 341,409 FAA-certified mechanics, only 2,125 have been named a Master Mechanic, he said. "It's not just by virtue of years in service," Wilkins said. "It's by your contribution to aviation safety." Osinski was 23 years old in December 1966 when he joined American Airlines' operations in Buffalo, New York. He'd recently completed four years of service as an instrument repairman in the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command, and he wanted a career working on aircraft. You couldn't just join American as a mechanic, however, Osinski said. You had to wait for a job to open up and pass the proper tests. "I was vacation relief," Osinski said. "I did all the odd jobs - I serviced the johns, cleaned the cabin, loaded and unloaded the bags, served as mail coordinator. Then I worked my way up, slowly improving myself." In 1968, Osinski applied for a job as a junior mechanic in the instrument shop at American Airlines' Tulsa Maintenance Base. He got the position and eventually worked his way up to avionics crew chief. In 2005, he passed the tests to become one of the quality control inspectors at the Tulsa base. As an inspector, Osinski does functional checks of the aircraft that his co-workers are doing maintenance on, making sure that critical systems have been put together perfectly. The inspection and approval process is called a "buy back," Osinski said. "I'm 'buying' that it's OK for that to go on," Osinski said. "I'm taking full responsibility for that." Osinski describes himself as a stickler for making sure that all the work has been done just so. "I can release an airplane for going into service," he said. "I can stop an airplane from going back into service. I can say, 'No, that's wrong, fix it,' and my boss will back me up." Osinski said he was caught by surprise when he learned that the Federal Aviation Administration had selected him for the Master Mechanic award. He's grateful his co- workers put him up for the honor and respects them as well, he said. "American has a gold mine here, to tell you the truth," Osinski said. "Most of these guys have been here 10, 15, 25 years." While accepting the award at Thursday morning's ceremony, Osinski put it this way: "It's been a great privilege to work out here with a wonderful bunch of people who really make this job worthwhile." http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/americanairlines/american-airlines-inspector- honored-with-prestigious-faa-master-mechanic-award/article_7d28800d-8fd2-5d57- b5ee-69984a122848.html Back to Top Back to Top Stop By and Visit At NBAA DATE Nov. 17 - 19, 2015 LOCATION Booth N812 Las Vegas Convention Center 3150 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 Back to Top United Continental puts up record 3Q profits as the price of jet fuel tumbles Record third-quarter profit at United fueled by cheap fuel DALLAS (AP) - Helped by lower jet fuel prices, United Airlines posted a record third- quarter profit even with lower revenue and airfares. The airline's new acting CEO renewed his predecessor's pledge to improve service and boost profit margins. Brett Hart, who was named acting CEO on Monday after Oscar Munoz suffered a heart attack, said the airline was determined to be more reliable and to improve the flying experience. This week in Chicago, United began testing new boarding processes that it hopes will keep flights on time. It has been replacing 50-seat regional planes with bigger jets that include first-class seats that are coveted by some business travelers. Executives said flight attendants are giving free drinks to loyal customers who end up in economy because there weren't enough first-class seats for an upgrade. United trails its closest rivals - American, Delta and Southwest - in on-time performance this year, and its complaint rate is higher than those of Delta and Southwest, according to government figures. Fixing the operational problems will improve customer satisfaction, Hart said. Munoz had been on the job only 37 days after replacing the ousted Jeff Smisek, and United's share price has suffered in comparison to its closest rivals during the changes in leadership. On a conference call with analysts and reporters, the company gave no more information about Munoz's health or whether and when he might return. "The last several weeks have been very eventful for United, with news of Oscar's heart attack hitting many of us hard," Hart said. The turnover in the top job has not seemed to hurt United's financial performance. For the third straight quarter, United Continental Holdings Inc. reported record earnings with the help of cheaper jet fuel. Third-quarter net income was $4.82 billion, including an income tax-related benefit of $3.22 billion. Without that and other one-time items, the airline said it earned $1.7 billion, or $4.53 per share. Ten analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research expected on average $4.49 per share, but 15 analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast $4.55. Revenue fell 2.4 percent to $10.31 billion, although that still topped the $10.27 billion forecast by four analysts surveyed by Zacks and $10.30 billion expected by 10 FactSet analysts. Passengers paid United nearly 6 percent less for every mile flown, and United predicted another decline in per-mile revenue in the fourth quarter. By contrast, Southwest said Thursday it expects a small increase. Stifel analyst Joseph DeNardi said United is being hurt by weaker traffic in Chicago and among corporate travelers in the struggling energy industry - Houston is a major hub for United - and on its U.S.-Asia routes. United's spending on fuel plunged 38 percent, a savings of $1.19 billion. Labor costs surpassed fuel to become the company's largest single expense, at $2.53 billion, an increase of $190 million from the third quarter of 2014. United shares were up $1.51, or 2.8 percent, to $56.06 in midday trading. The shares began the day down 18 percent since the beginning of the year. http://www.newser.com/article/67d4fca6d5e54d0b991946b562706912/united- continental-puts-up-record-3q-profits-as-the-price-of-jet-fuel-tumbles.html Back to Top Japan's Mitsubishi regional jet maiden test flight delayed again Mitsubishi Aircraft said on Friday it will delay the maiden test flight of Japan's first commercial jet in half a century by at least two weeks to fix a faulty pedal in the test plane's cockpit. Already three years late, Mitsubishi Aircraft, which earlier this year pushed back the first test flight from June, is under pressure to get the aircraft ready for deliveries slated to start in June 2017 to Japan's biggest carrier ANA Holdings . The rescheduled test flight will occur sometime during the second week of November, Mitsubishi Aircraft said in a press release. The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries subsidiary, in which Toyota Motor Corp is an investor, is building the $47-million regional jet with just under 100 seats in a bid to supplant Canada's Bombardier Inc as the world's second biggest maker of smaller passenger jetliners, behind Brazil's Embraer SA. So far the jet, called the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ), has secured 223 firm orders from airline operators including ANA, and the most recent for 32 planes in January from Japan Airlines. The biggest order, for 100 aircraft, with a further 100 options is from Trans State Holdings, a closely-held company that operates three regional U.S. airlines. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/23/japan-mhi-delay-idUSL3N12N2KQ20151023 Back to Top KC-46 test aircraft touches down at Edwards The KC-46 program's first test aircraft, a Boeing 767-2C (EMD-1), departed from its home at Boeing Field in Seattle and touched down at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for the first time Oct. 15, 2015. EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- The KC-46 program's first test aircraft, a Boeing 767-2C (EMD-1), departed from its home at Boeing Field in Seattle and touched down here for the first time for testing Oct. 15. The plan is to have EMD-1 at Edwards Air Force Base for about two weeks, as Boeing and the 418th Flight Test Squadron conduct ground effects and fuel onload fatigue testing on the new tanker. Ground effects testing will gather aerodynamic data for updating the KC-46A Pegasus simulator as well as supporting certification. Fuel onload fatigue tests will gather data to characterize the aircraft interaction typically experienced when the KC-46A is flying in receiver formation behind a current KC-135 Stratotanker or KC-10 Extender. While the KC-46's role is to refuel other aircraft, it too may need to be refueled from other KC-10s or KC-135s to extend its range. Fuel onload fatigue testing is the first look at the KC-46 acting in that role and the interactions between the three different tankers in an aerial refueling formation. As throughout history, Edwards AFB continues to be the premier base for flight testing the Air Force's newest capability. "For ground effects, Edwards Air Force Base provides calm morning weather and long runways, including the lakebeds, both are requirements to take the data," said Capt. Dylan Neidorff, a KC-46 test operations engineer. "For fuel onload fatigue, Edwards has a top notch special instrumentation section who provides modifications to legacy tanker aircraft to support data collection on the 767-2C." Neidorff said Boeing and Air Force pilots have been operating as combined crews through all of the testing at Edwards including the ferry flight from Seattle. "This also includes flight test engineers who have been on each fuel onload fatigue flight," he said. Several units from both on and off base are supporting the testing. The 412th Test Engineering Group is providing special instrumentation support; the 416th Flight Test Squadron is providing chase aircraft support; and the 370th FTS is providing KC-135 tanker crew support. The 92nd Air Refueling Wing based at Fairchild AFB, Washington, is also providing the KC-135 and maintenance support, and the 60th Air Mobility Wing based at Travis AFB, California, is providing the KC-10 and maintenance personnel. According to Neidorff, the KC-46A will return to Edwards AFB to accomplish testing in the Benefield Anechoic Chamber as well as conduct aerial refueling certifications. The KC-46A is intended to replace the Air Force's aging tanker fleet, which has been refueling aircraft for more than 50 years. With more refueling capacity and enhanced capabilities, improved efficiency and increased capabilities for cargo and aeromedical evacuation, the KC-46A will provide aerial refueling support to the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps as well as allied nation coalition force aircraft. The 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB is the lead developmental test organization for the KC-46 program. http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/625609/kc-46-test-aircraft- touches-down-at-edwards.aspx Back to Top Airlines Often Waste Millions on Each Aircraft Redelivery Airlines could collectively be spending an extra $2 billion on lease return costs by failing to scrutinize redelivery conditions and processes, according to a new International Bureau of Aviation (IBA) white paper on redelivery expenditures. IBA analyzed manufacturer's maintenance planning document (MPD) requirements and found that lessors' requirements often go beyond the airworthiness tasks called for in the MPD, said CEO Phil Seymour, on the sidelines of MRO Europe Oct. 14. Some of the additional heavy maintenance and engine costs could be paid for via maintenance reserves, depending on what the airline negotiated. (Many large airlines typically do not pay maintenance reserves, in which case they would pay redelivery charges outright.) A typical narrowbody aircraft such as a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 on a six-year lease averages $1.65 million in additional costs per airplane, says Seymour. Given that 522 single-aisle aircraft were returned to lessors last year, this equates to $861.3 million last year. For widebody airliners, the IBA study pegs the additional cost at $3 million for aircraft such as an Airbus A380 or Boeing 777. Turboprops and regional jets incur an average overpayment of $500,000 per redelivery, according to the IBA survey. The consulting company's most recent survey broke out redelivery expenses into major categories covering engines, components, interiors, landing gear, corrosion and more. Engine maintenance accounts for the largest portion of extra cost-at 35.3%-or an average of $350,000 per narrowbody aircraft on a six-year lease, because, IBA says, it is the hardest to manage. "Proving life remaining for an on-condition part can provoke disagreement given its predictive nature. Many leases are written on the basis of no more time since refurbishment than x-amount of hours, or cycles, since that cannot be argued," the consulting firm states. Components represent 15.3% of the extra costs for narrowbody aircraft redeliveries. Life-limited parts often have to be pulled off prematurely because leasing agreements require ones with more minimal cycles of hours, says Seymour. Landing gear, wheels and brakes alone can cost an average of $50,000 per narrowbody jet because airlines need to remove these elements early to satisfy lessor's mandates that they have at least half of their useful life left. Seymour says structural repairs are also problematic-typically because airlines must review old repairs, often without benefit of the original paperwork. "A review of redelivery work packs averages this cost at $150,000 per aircraft" to cover the additional repair, says Seymour. "Airlines need to manage the redelivery process better," and they should ideally start focusing on redelivery when they are negotiating the initial lease, he says. Planning for an end-of-lease check too late can cause airlines to miss their return delivery and incur months of extra costs. Given that airlines don't generate high-profit margins, this really is wasted money. http://aviationweek.com/mro/opinion-airlines-often-waste-millions-each-aircraft- redelivery Back to Top Quicksilver Aircraft Ceases Production Quicksilver Sport 2SE Quicksilver Aircraft, which recently launched the LSA qualified Sport 2SE, is shutting down its production facility in Temecula, California. Quicksilver's president Will Escutia told Flying sales have dropped 25 percent in the past year from a level he described as already being at a "breaking point." The company has produced more than 15,000 ultralights and LSAs over its 42-year history. With that many aircraft on the market, Escutia said Quicksilver was competing against its own used airplanes, which would sell for half the cost of a new one. Escutia and his business partner Daniel Perez took over the company less than five years ago. Escutia said he hopes the intellectual property will be taken over and that the aircraft can continue to be produced. Light aircraft industry expert Dan Johnson reported that the assets of the company will go on auction on November 3. Quicksilver is also working with Reserve, Louisiana-based AirTech Inc., Quicksilver's main dealer, to ensure the continued support for the fleet of existing aircraft. http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/lsasport/quicksilver-aircraft-ceases- production#YgeelEvJvS9pWjAk.99 Back to Top Sea-Tac nation's fastest-growing major airport through September Airport remains on track for its fifth straight year of record passenger traffic Passengers wait at a security checkpoint at Sea-Tac Airport on April 24, 2015. A brisk pace of route expansion by the airport's two largest airlines and a healthy Puget Sound economy is helping Sea-Tac Airport set new passenger-handling records through this year's third quarter. Through the end of September, Sea-Tac's passenger numbers were up 13.3 percent over the record numbers in 2014's first three quarters. That pace is more than twice the 5.7 percent average growth experienced by major American airports this year so far, said the Port of Seattle, Sea-Tac's owner. At the rate the airport is processing passengers, Sea-Tac will see more than 42 million travelers pass through the airport by the end of the year. That compares with 37.5 million passengers the airport handled in 2014. The airport said if its projections prove true, 2015 will be the fifth consecutive year in which passenger traffic set records. Both the airport's busiest airline, Alaska, and its second-place airline, Delta, have been adding numerous new nonstop destinations from the airport. Alaska has begun flying to 10 new destinations in the last year. Delta recently announced a significant number of new routes from Sea-Tac this year to feed traffic from its international flights from Sea- Tac. At mid-year next year Delta will have 140 flights from the airport on peak days. To cope with the flood of new passengers, the airport plans a $1.9 billion overhaul and expansion in the next five years. Those projects include a new international arrivals hall, a remodeled and expanded North Satellite and a center runway replacement. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/business/article40977351.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top SAVE THE DATE ISASI is pleased to announce that our 2016 seminar will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland from October 17 - 20, 2016 The theme for the seminar is "Every Link is Important" Details for the hotel, technical program, including the Call for Papers, companion program, and social events will be available on the ISASI web site in the near future We look forward to seeing you all next October Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST I am a Senior First Officer with British Airways (BA), based at London, Heathrow flying the B777. I have been with BA for 15 years and have been flying the 777 for 6 years. Before that I was flying the 747-400. Prior to BA I flew the 747-400 with Virgin Atlantic, B757s and B767s with UK charter airline 'Airtours' (now part of Thomas Cook) and my professional flying career started as a manufacturer's pilot - flying Jetstream turboprops for British Aerospace. Before flying commercially, I worked with British Aerospace within the Technical Sales discipline and was, in my leisure time, involved with general aviation as an flying instructor. I am completing a Master's degree (MSc) in Air Transport Management with City University London and the final piece of that jigsaw is a project/dissertation and I have chosen the subject of 'Ice Crystal Icing'. Rather than the complex aero/thermodynamic concepts involved, I am exploring the operational and training challenges that airline flight crews face with this phenomenon. This qualification is not being sponsored by my employer; I have undertaken to finance it myself - the rationale being that as I intend to retire from airline flying in 5 years from now that new aviation challenges may become available to me based on this contemporary qualification and my aviation background (that is the plan any way!) the survey link follows https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ice-crystal-icing Sincere thanks, Mike Skelhorn Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 Washington DC? Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training 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 Air Cargo Safety and Security Symposium ALPA Washington, DC November 5, 2015 http://aircargoconference.alpa.org 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: Interdisciplinary Engineer (Mechanical or Aerospace Engineer) NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/419032300 Human Performance Investigator NTSB https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/413256600 Curt Lewis