Flight Safety Information November 6, 2015 - No. 223 In This Issue How Airlines Determine Which Conflict Zones Are Safe to Fly Over Obama Taking Plane Bombing Possibility 'Very Seriously' Bomb Is 'Possibility' in Loss of Russian Jet Over Egypt, Obama Says EasyJet says Egyptian authorities suspend some British flights Russian Plane Crash: Hold Luggage Suspended Amid Bomb Theory Crash forensics to determine whether bomb downed Russian jet Egyptian airport security under scrutiny as bomb suspicions mount IAC believes urgent improvement of Boeing-737 aircraft rudder control system is required (Russia) Small plane pilots keep wary eye on skies as FAA drafts new drone rules A380 super-jumbo: Soon to be a thing of the past? American Airlines flight diverted to Phoenix due to weight issue PROS 2015 TRAINING Stop By and Visit At NBAA - Booth N812 United Airlines CEO to return in early 2016 after heart attack NASA: Flight Testing Prandtl-D Research Aircraft Burt Rutan Takes SkiGull to the Water Singapore Airlines Offers to Buy All of Tiger Airways FAA panel still isn't sure how to regulate drones Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) How Airlines Determine Which Conflict Zones Are Safe to Fly Over By: Justin Worland Debris of the A321 Russian airliner lie on the ground a day after the plane crashed in Wadi al-Zolomat, a mountainous area in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, on Nov. 1. Halting service over a conflict zone may seem like an easy call, but experts say not every airline is equipped to identify danger zones A slew of international airlines have stopped flying over the Sinai Peninsula this week in response to the mysterious crash of a Russian commercial jet with more than 200 people on board. It's still not clear what might have caused the crash, though security officials in Britain and the U.S. have raised growing concerns that it was brought down by a bomb. Halting service over a conflict zone may seem like an easy call, but aviation safety experts say not every airline is equipped with the resources to identify danger zones. Regulatory authorities like the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provide the first line of defense when it comes to managing security risks. The FAA issues notices and regulations restricting operations by U.S. airlines in various regions in the world. Some are blanket restrictions like a federal rule prohibiting all travel over Iraq, where the country's central government faces militants from the Islamic State (ISIS) with extensive military capability. But determining where a commercial plan can fly safely is more complicated than simply identifying conflict zones. Regulators rely on intelligence operations to understand what weapons are in use on the ground and whether they pose any risk to jets. In many cases, like flights over Afghanistan, regulators require pilots to maintain a minimum altitude deemed safe from possible ground fire. Regions within Egypt, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Mali, North Korea and Ukraine all face federal restrictions of one form or another. Government regulators aren't the only ones deciding when U.S. pilots should stop flying over a certain region. Large airlines rely on an extensive security teams that works in tandem with airline operations officials to develop flight plans on a day-to-day basis. Larry Wansley, a former managing director of corporate security at American Airlines, described a collaborative process on security measures between airlines, the FAA, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other government agencies. Airlines had secure lines of communication with government officials where confidential information could be shared, he said. "We always wanted to be not only responsive but also proactive," said Wansley, a former FBI agent and hostage negotiator. "We wanted to be ahead of the game, address trends, go through analysis, and determine the best way to attack a particular issue." In some cases, airline security operations have led carriers to modify their service even while the FAA has remained publicly mum. Delta and United Airlines both cancelled flights to Israel last summer after a rocket landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport. (The FAA later ordered the airlines to halt flights). Other countries, particularly in the developed world, maintain similar standards as the FAA. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) oversees safety concerns for operators from the European Union. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) plays the same role for Chinese operators. "Each country has its own aviation safety authority and its own security authority," said Jacques Astre, an airline consultant at the Wicks Group. "Each country has a responsibility to mandate its airlines not to fly in [a dangerous] region." But small airlines, particularly those in developing countries, lack the same standards and security operations that help make U.S. airlines among the safest in the world. And while U.S. and European airlines avoid flying over certain dangerous air space, others may keep operating as usual. British Airways and all U.S. carriers were among the airlines avoiding flying over eastern Ukraine when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over a war zone in Crimea last year. "I would expect every airline to have that capability and be committed to it," said Wansley of strong security operations. "But realistically speaking there are some airlines around this world that are not even close. And those are some I would not fly on." http://time.com/4101459/airlines-flight-safety/ Back to Top Obama Taking Plane Bombing Possibility 'Very Seriously' Nov 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday there was a "possibility" that the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt was caused by a bomb on board the airliner. "I think there's a possibility that there was a bomb on board. And we're taking that very seriously," Obama said in an interview with KIRO/CBS News Radio that was quoted on CNN. "We're going to spend a lot of time just making sure our own investigators and own intelligence community find out what's going on before we make any definitive pronouncements. But it's certainly possible that there was a bomb on board," he said. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-says-possibility-that-bomb-downed-russian- plane_563bd923e4b0307f2cacc54d Back to Top Bomb Is 'Possibility' in Loss of Russian Jet Over Egypt, Obama Says WASHINGTON - President Obama said Thursday evening that there was "a possibility" that a terrorist bomb was responsible for the destruction of a Russian passenger plane that broke apart last Saturday over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Mr. Obama said in a radio interview that there may have been a bomb on the plane, but he did not go as far as his counterparts in Britain, who have suggested that the destruction of the plane, and the death of all on board, was most likely the result of a terrorist explosion. "I don't think we know yet," Mr. Obama told the Seattle radio station KIRO during an interview broadcast Thursday afternoon. "Whenever you've got a plane crash, first of all you've got the tragedy, you've got making sure there's an investigation on site. I think there is a possibility that there was a bomb on board. And we are taking that very seriously." "We are going to spend a lot of time making sure our own investigators and our own intelligence community figures out exactly what's going on before we make any definitive pronouncements," Mr. Obama added. "But it is certainly http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/world/europe/cameron-sisi-sinai-crash.html?_r=0 Back to Top EasyJet says Egyptian authorities suspend some British flights British tourists leave after finishing their holidays, at the airport of the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Airline easyJet said on Friday Egyptian authorities had suspended British airlines from flying into the Sharm al-Sheikh, meaning that many of the flights planned to repatriate British tourists from the resort would no longer be able to operate. EasyJet said that two aircraft which had already arrived in Sharm would be able to depart, but its other eight planned flights would not be able to operate. Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said the British government had suspended British flights to and from the Red Sea resort airport on security concerns but flights were due to restart on Friday after extra measures were put in place. www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/us-egypt-crash-britain-flights- idUSKCN0SV17V20151106#tHORgU3HrSQE5eVr.99 Back to Top Russian Plane Crash: Hold Luggage Suspended Amid Bomb Theory Air security concerns following the Russian jet crash in Egypt focused on checked luggage Friday, as U.S. authorities reviewed screening for passengers at overseas airports. Several international airlines departing Egypt said they would allow only carry-on baggage as consensus grew that a bomb placed in the cargo hold was likely responsible for the disaster. Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula killing all 224 people on board Saturday after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh. Image:Luggage is scanned at security at Sharm el-Sheikh airport Luggage is scanned at security at Sharm el-Sheikh airport on Friday. KHALED ELFIQI / EPA British officials believe someone with access to the cargo hold placed an explosive device on the plane prior to take-off, the BBC reported Friday. It comes after U.S. officials told NBC News that terrorism was emerging as a likely cause. Both Egypt and Russia have refused to speculate on the cause of the crash until the outcome of their official investigations. One tourist told U.K. channel Sky News that security was so lax at Sharm el-Sheikh airport that he paid an official $35 to avoid luggage checks, Dutch carrier KLM said its flight from Cairo to Amsterdam would be allowing only carry-on bags. "Based on national and international information, and out of precaution, KLM will not allow check-in luggage," the airline said. The British government, which suspended flights to and from the resort two days ago, said journeys back to the U.K. would resume Friday so that stranded vacationers could return home. These flights would be subject to "additional security measures," a government spokesman said in a statement, with passengers unable to check bags into the plane hold. "We are working with the airlines to ensure there are suitable arrangements in place to reunite passengers with their belongings as soon as possible," the statement added. U.K. budget airline EasyJet planned to return passengers from the resort Friday but it said the rescue plans "have been suspended by the Egyptian government" and that "discussions are currently on-going at the highest political level to resolve the situation." No U.S. airlines fly in to, out of or over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where Sharm el-Sheikh is situated. But the crash could expose holes in security measures at overseas airports where U.S. airports do operate, security analysts and members of Congress said Thursday. "While it hasn't been confirmed officially, there are intelligence reports that it is likely that this could have been a bomb placed on the airplane by ISIS, and that is our grave concern at this point in time," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/russian-plane-crashes-in-the-sinai/russian-plane-crash-hold-luggage- suspended-amid-bomb-theory-n458461 Back to Top Crash forensics to determine whether bomb downed Russian jet With world powers divided over the cause of a Russian jetliner crash, much rests on forensic teams as they scour a sandy trail of wreckage almost a week after 224 people died in Egypt's worst air disaster. Britain said on Thursday it believed Islamic State may have downed the jet, but Egypt said there was no evidence of a bomb and Russia said it was too early to draw conclusions. That puts the onus on Egyptian-led investigators to prove or disprove the theory, with only scattered evidence and Egypt's tourist economy at stake. Clues that might reveal whether the plane was deliberately brought down are flung across 10 miles of desert or potentially concealed in the dying microseconds of cockpit recordings. With at least one of the black boxes reported to be damaged, and cockpit sensors likely to be silenced by any blast, the main focus will be on understanding the wreckage as well as any evidence gleaned from bodies of the mainly Russian victims. To tackle their task an international team including Russia, France and Ireland is likely to draw on lessons from one of the bloodiest 12 months in aviation over a quarter of a century ago. In December 1988, 270 people were killed when a bomb brought down Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. In September the following year, a DC-10 flown by French airline UTA blew up over the Sahara en route from the Chadian capital N'djamena to Paris, killing all 170 on board. In both cases, investigators concluded that a device may have been smuggled aboard but drew a blank from 'black box' recorders whose power supply was severed by the explosions. Investigators relied on debris, bags and clothes as well as chemical analysis to find the subtle imprints of an explosion, according to the report and people involved in the two probes. "A first indication comes from distribution of the wreckage and then you look for potential reasons, and one would have to be a device on the aircraft," a former investigator said. "You are looking for traces of high-energy explosion, such as burns or scorching and penetration of material into bodies or the aircraft," he said. "Close to the device itself you might get traces of gas washing over the surface." SCATTERED EVIDENCE A UK report on the Lockerbie disaster said the bomb sent a double shockwave and supersonic shrapnel and gases through the Boeing 747, contributing to the plane's disintegration. One of the earliest clues in that probe was evidence of fine "cratering and pitting" in the aircraft, which speeded up the criminal investigation, a person involved in the probe said. Investigators in Egypt and Russia, where most bodies are now located, will be looking for lacerated clothing, deformed baggage and burn marks in places otherwise free of fire damage, indicating fire before the A321 plunged into the ground. Russia has however started to bury some of the victims. Forensic experts say detailed examination of bodies would be vital in detecting evidence of any attack. In harsh conditions such as the Sinai peninsula where the Airbus A321 broke up and fell, evidence can be fragile and end up scattered well beyond the main crash site. In the UTA disaster, a team including 60 soldiers faced a 50-mile trail of tiny fragments, 10 times the size of the main wreckage field, according to an official French report. They also had to cope with desert winds and move quickly to make sure vital evidence was found. Their breakthrough came when soldiers combing through 60 square km of Sahara found parts containing traces of explosion. As with the recent Dutch probe into the downing of a Malaysian jet over Ukraine, investigators may reconstruct the recovered debris on a specially constructed frame. That can help pinpoint an explosion's source by examining the impact of shockwaves and debris on the fuselage. Engines may be examined for shrapnel and even paint smears if a suspected blast is thought to have happened near the front of the plane. Doubts meanwhile remain over what evidence the black boxes will supply. Egyptian officials said the voice recorder was damaged and previous disasters suggest the separate flight data recorder would have seen its power cut and produced little of value. But science may help fill in some of the blanks. On the UTA jetliner, as well as a TWA jet whose fuel tank blew up over the Atlantic in 1996, cockpit tapes ended immediately after the blast but still yielded vital clues thanks to a procedure called "spectrum analysis". Scientists use such methods to examine the signature of any sounds picked up in the last microseconds of normal flight. That helped investigators of the UTA disaster to identify a revealing sound: not of the blast itself but of the airframe transmitting shockwaves like a tuning fork. Investigators may be able to compare any usable fragment of audio to the frequencies produced by those previous explosions to try to assess whether they are looking at evidence of a bomb. www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/06/us-egypt-crash-investigation- idUSKCN0SV1AS20151106#LaDi3qXXVLy8IHGp.99 Back to Top Egyptian airport security under scrutiny as bomb suspicions mount Egypt insisted on Thursday its airports were secured to international standards, despite growing concerns that its screening procedures may be flawed and that Islamist militants may have downed a Russian plane by smuggling a bomb on board. Earlier Britain said a bomb planted by an Islamic State affiliate active in the Sinai Peninsula may have caused the jet to crash on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board. It halted flights to Sharm al-Sheikh - from where the doomed plane flew - pending security checks, a move quickly followed by Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands. Egyptian and Russian officials have said it is too early to conclude a blast had brought down the plane. "All Egyptian airports apply international standards in airport security measures," civil aviation minister Hossam Kamal said in a statement, adding that the investigation was ongoing. But Egypt also promoted the airport chief at Sharm al-Sheikh, a resort popular with British, Russian and other European holidaymakers seeking winter sun, to deputy head of operations at the national airport operator. The timing of that move, along with a steady string of security breaches, have stirred doubts about airport safety around Egypt. A day after Islamist militants claimed responsibility for downing the Russian plane, two men cleared the fence at another Red Sea airport, in the resort of Hurghada, and were arrested before they reached the runway, a judicial source said. The source said the youths were criminals planning a robbery but some local media had earlier reported that the men had reached an airplane bound for Spain in the hope of stowing away under the wheels to start new lives in Europe. "How did two youths who were not travelling, without passports, without visas, with nothing, get to the airplane?" asked Amr Abdelhamid, presenter of a current affairs program on private television channel TEN. In another incident in April, a donkey was found wandering around the carpark at Cairo airport and was captured on a video that went viral, with Egyptians tweeting sarcastic comments hashtagged in Arabic "how did the donkey enter the airport?" "He thought and thought and exploited a security loophole," one person tweeted, mocking what they said was the official explanation for the breach, also carried in newspapers. Though Egyptians made light of these incidents with their typically caustic humor, they underscored the widely-held view that standards are low and the potential for corruption high in poorly-paid public sector jobs including travel security. Aside from the loss of lives, at stake are the fate of Egypt's tourist industry, a vital source of hard currency in a struggling economy, and the credibility of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's claims to have brought under control the militants fighting to topple his government. Egypt's tourist industry took years to recover after militant Islamist gunmen killed 58 tourists and four Egyptians at an archaeological site near Luxor in 1997. At Sharm al-Sheikh airport, security appeared to have been tightened on Thursday, with security forces patrolling the terminals and not allowing drivers, tour agents or others to loiter while awaiting tourist arrivals, a witness said. Britain said it was working with airlines and Egyptian authorities to put in place more security and screening measures to allow thousands of stranded British tourists to get home. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said short-term measures would include more levels of baggage screening and searching in order to double-check everything going onto planes. One particular issue raised by security officials appears to revolve around baggage handlers and other staff. One U.S. government source said security at Sharm al-Sheikh airport was porous and that militants could have infiltrated or bribed their way into secure zones. Another noted that no major U.S. carrier flies into or out of Sharm, suggesting that inadequate security was one reason for this. Noting that London was hosting Sisi on Thursday, Bruce Riedel, a former CIA expert on the region, said: "British intelligence is very thorough. The prime minister's office knew suspending Sinai flights on the eve of Sisi's visit would be a major embarrassment so I'm confident the intelligence was pretty strong pointing to a bomb." "Security at other airports in Egypt including Cairo could well be compromised, given the large number of angry young Egyptians who believe their revolution was stolen." Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday there was a "possibility" that the crash was caused by a bomb on board the airliner. "I think there's a possibility that there was a bomb on board. And we're taking that very seriously," Obama said in an interview with KIRO/CBS News Radio that was quoted on CNN. "We're going to spend a lot of time just making sure our own investigators and own intelligence community find out what's going on before we make any definitive pronouncements. But it's certainly possible that there was a bomb on board," he said. Egypt has struggled to lure back tourists since the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule ushered in a period of political instability. Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood won Egypt's presidential election after the uprising, but Sisi - then army chief - removed him from power in 2013 after mass protests. Sisi then banned the Brotherhood, jailed thousands of its members and cracked down on an increasingly violent Sinai insurgency. The Brotherhood says it is not linked to Sinai-based militants who have claimed responsibility for the plane incident. The government treats both as terrorists and a downed jet would raise questions about the effectiveness of its policy. Travelers departing from Egyptian airports are required to put their luggage through scanners before check-in and again before boarding. Additional security measures are in place for flights to particular destinations, notably London, at the request of those authorities, airport security sources said. These may involve, for instance, passengers removing their shoes for inspection, the sources said. Egyptian intelligence and security agencies also carry out background checks on anyone seeking employment at any airport. Egypt must follow regulations set out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the aviation safety arm of the United Nations regarding passengers, staff and baggage. European Union airport security levels are stricter than those of ICAO and Britain in turn has its own special measures in place, which takes its security a notch higher still. Speaking at a news conference in London, Sisi said Britain had approached his country 10 months ago with a view to reviewing airport security and Egypt had complied. Security sources said Britain had provided advanced explosives detection technology for use at Sharm al- Sheikh. One expert said more covert testing was needed to make sure standards were upheld in Egypt and more awareness was needed that threats were not limited to passengers and their bags. "You can have the best procedures in the world, but is everyone following them?" Matthew Finn, managing director of independent aviation security consultants Augmentiq, said. One issue, Finn said, is that airport staff often aren't paid much money and can lack the right skills as a result. British passengers who have traveled in the past through Sharm airport took to Twitter on Thursday to describe lax security, such as staff being more interested in their phones than checking bags. But some said they felt security was fine. Despite some cancellations, flights continue to arrive at Sharm, said Civil Aviation Minister Kamal, including 23 from Russia on Thursday. While the police presence was heavy in Naama Bay, the main strip of hotels and restaurants in Sharm al- Sheikh, shops were open on Thursday night and tourists appeared to be relaxed. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/05/egyptian-airport-security-under-scrutiny-amid-speculation-russia- plane-downed-by-isis.html Back to Top IAC believes urgent improvement of Boeing-737 aircraft rudder control system is required (Russia) TASS reported earlier the Interstate Aviation Committee suspended the certificate for all Boeing-737 aircraft in Russia MOSCOW, November 6. /TASS/. Urgent improvement of Boeing-737 aircraft rudder control system is required, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) said on Friday. "Acts of the air register, just as the international air accident investigation commission, are based only on interests of flight safety and the need to comply with ICAO standards and international agreements in the field of aircraft airworthiness," IAC press service said. "There is a clear distinction between the authority of the IAC as an international organization and functions of Russia's aviation and oversight agencies. IAC sphere of operations do not comprise issues of authorizing or prohibiting flights of Russian air carriers' aircraft," the press service said. TASS reported earlier the Interstate Aviation Committee said in its letter it suspends the certificate for all Boeing-737 aircraft in Russia until receiving a joint notice of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration on the aircraft airworthiness. http://tass.ru/en/economy/834340 Back to Top Small plane pilots keep wary eye on skies as FAA drafts new drone rules A small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operated by Alaska Aerial Media records the scene as about 2,400 runners participate in the Skinny Raven Twilight 12K and Skinny Mini 6k races on Friday, June 5, 2015, along Westchester Lagoon. Alaska Aerial Media has a FAA Section 333 exemption with a closed-set motion picture endorsement and is allowed to fly over crowds when they are considered part of a closed set. Anchorage House of Hobbies is a toy store that sometimes ends up on the front lines of the battle between drones and Alaska's prolific fleet of small planes. Co-owner Ryan Raffuse says many new owners of the DJI Phantom -- the most popular model capable of the sweeping aerial videos taking YouTube by storm -- come into the store and know little about aviation or their new "toy" that can fly thousands of feet high and miles away from an operator. He's all too aware of the low-altitude small plane traffic that dominates Alaska airspace, given the vantage he has from his home near a private airstrip in South Anchorage. "A lot of people come in with absolutely no experience in radio control aircraft. They want it because they see the YouTube videos and want those really cool photographs and videos," Raffuse said. "But they have no experience in how to operate flying aircraft. Sometimes we've got to burst their bubbles and give them a little dose of reality." Consumer education is a major industry focus and a mainstay of the state legislative drone task force working on privacy and safety issues for more than three years. But as the Federal Aviation Administration starts work on an already delayed process to require recreational drone operators to register the craft, pilots say they're concerned that the current lack of educated consumers and up-to-date regulation surrounding drone technology puts them at risk. 'Not what happens' Like drone enthusiasts in the Lower 48, Alaskans are buying scores of the lightweight aircraft. But Alaskans fly more -- and at the lower altitudes occupied by drones -- than any other aviators in the country. Right now, people flying multi-rotor copters and other drones fall under guidelines written for model aircraft: Keep them below 400 feet off the ground, 5 miles from airports and within sight of the operator. "That's not what happens at all," said GCI President Ron Duncan, who flies both his corporate jet and a private plane. "What happens is people put little booster kits on them to run a couple miles away. They fly them by putting cameras on and looking ... they disable the lock that's supposed to stop them from going 400 feet." Duncan said it's too easy for uninformed or intentionally law-breaking operators to unpack a drone and take to the sky. "The chance of seeing one of those things -- which is 1 foot wide -- when you're in an airplane moving 120, particularly when it's coming at you from the side?" he said. "The risk terrifies me." Alaska has more private planes per capita than any other state. There are 855 registered airports and seaplane bases, including 405 public-use facilities and 450 private airports, in Alaska, housing 10,423 aircraft used by 8,202 registered pilots, according to information included in a state resolution about aviation. One estimate puts the number of just one type of popular drone -- the Phantom -- at 15,000 a month coming into the United States. FAA eyes drone registration A federal database lists only one report of a drone "event" in Alaska involving a manned aircraft from November through August: A helicopter pilot reported a drone at 500 to 900 feet within a half-mile of Merrill Field in Anchorage. No evasive action was needed, but Anchorage police spotted and "questioned" the drone operator, according to the report. The database lists nearly 800 reports from pilots about drone sightings in that time period, including a series this year involving passenger jets landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Such reports add urgency to the Federal Aviation Administration's effort to draft new rules for recreational drone registration. The FAA has convened a task force of 25 to 30 people representing government and manned and unmanned aircraft industries to develop recommendations for a registration platform, how to collect registration data, what type of information to collect, when and whom to provide access to that information and the best ways to maintain that data, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which is part of the task force. The group will also explore which, if any, drones should be exempt because of a low threat level. "It's obviously kind of a delicate balance; you don't want to come up with regulations that are so onerous and restrictive they thwart industry or people ignore them," said Tom George, the Fairbanks-based Alaska regional manager for AOPA. "We do need some way, if there are incidents, to figure out whose drone was (involved)." The task force has until Nov. 20 to present its recommendations, with the goal of establishing registration rules before the busy holiday gift-giving season, which is expected to include record drone sales. Along with the task force, FAA has agreements with three manufacturers -- Parrot, DJI and Yuneec -- to voluntarily include "Know Before You Fly" educational materials in packaging, according to FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer. Alaska's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Legislative Task Force has met for several years, putting Alaska ahead of other states addressing drones, according to co-chair, Rep. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer. Hughes got immersed in unmanned aviation after several constituents with privacy concerns asked her to ban them. Rather than an outright ban, Hughes said, the task force found that "pushing public education" is crucial. Commercial drone operators tend to have a solid understanding of the technology and many obtain FAA exemptions to use theirs, often for research. But the recreational users buying most of the drones today can be far less educated. "It used to be with model aircraft it was people who took it pretty seriously," she said. "But now that they're flying off the shelves and they've got these cool cameras, you're getting a lot of people who are not serious geek users and know little if not nothing about aviation, so we are concerned about that." No fly? People can enter their addresses at a website that creates a "no-fly zone" over their homes. Newer drones also come equipped with preprogrammed no-fly areas like airports, and also with a 400-foot ceiling, though pilots and drone enthusiasts both say a savvy operator can override the technology. Mat-Su pilot Michael Pannone said even preprogrammed airport settings might not include small airstrips like those scattered throughout the Valley. He says both drone operators and pilots need to be more aware of the potential for the craft to cross paths. "The ones that are in those GPS units are places like Palmer, Talkeetna, maybe Wasilla, Anchorage," Pannone said. "But if you were to take a look at the Mat-Su, you'd find the number of strips is probably over 35 or 40 between Big Lake and Palmer, down to Goose Bay. We don't know who's operating off those strips or what their awareness is." There's also a feeling in the drone community, however, that the risks of a drone strike are overrated. Most of the smaller craft are lightweight and it's unclear what the effect of one hitting even a small plane would be, said Kurt Gerstung, a drone enthusiast from Anchorage who believes "geofencing" -- coordinates that tell the craft to steer clear of preprogrammed locations -- is the best way to reduce the "idiots by airports" who make most of the trouble for legitimate drone operators. "They're pretty fragile," Gerstung said. "I had one I landed a little rough and broke the whole arm off." http://www.adn.com/article/20151105/small-plane-pilots-keep-wary-eye-skies-faa-drafts-new-drone-rules Back to Top A380 super-jumbo: Soon to be a thing of the past? Just a decade after its inaugural flight, the outlook for the double-decker Airbus A380 now looks uncertain as airlines are increasingly looking to smaller, more fuel-efficient planes. Orders of the super jumbo have dried up following a bumper order book at the Dubai Airshow two years ago. Its key customer, Gulf carrier Emirates is pushing for a revamped version of the jet to boost efficiency. Some analysts are expecting an updated or "neo" version of the Airbus at this year's Dubai Airshow this weekend, or the quiet phasing out of the aircraft. Part of the original attraction of the huge plane, which can seat over 800 passengers, was its cost-per-seat mile (CASM). This is a measurement used to compare the efficiency of various airlines. Given its size, and as global airports are getting increasingly busy, the A380 allows airlines to carry more passengers without having to fight for extra slots. But as smaller, twin-engine planes have improved and are now able to cope with longer-haul flights, the cost per seat advantage is no longer as strong in the four-engined A380. Visitors of Dubai's Airshow walk past an Emirati Canadian-made A6-MBS aircraft sitting on the tarmac in front of a Boeing 777-200LR (back) Drones come to Dubai Airshow...but what about orders? "We believe that Airbus needs to make a decision soon - either re-establish the cost per seat advantage of the A380 (probably through a neo version, perhaps with a small stretch), or risk closing the line," said UBS analyst Charles Armitage. "The longer the delay in launching the new variant is likely to prolong the pain of the transition, as we would expect it to be even harder to sell the current variant if a neo is launched. Given that we believe Emirates is likely to be a large buyer of the A380neo, the Dubai Air Show would seem to us to be an ideal venue for the announcement," he added. Emirates key The European plane manufacturer is set to break even on the jumbo this year and in 2016 and 2017, but beyond 2020 its future isn't clear. Emirates is by far the largest operator of the A380, with over 60 currently in use and a total of 140 on order, after it announced plans to purchase an additional 50 super jumbos in 2013. Chief Executive of Emirates, Tim Clark said earlier this year that a neo version could give the airline around a 10 percent reduction in seat costs per mile, which would be enough to tempt the carrier to book another sizeable order of a new and improved version of the plane. Qatar Airways, which currently operates five A380s have also said it currently can't commit to any more orders. "Emirates has been having quite a campaign to convince Airbus to refresh its A380, to take it to the next level in terms of better payload and ranged efficiency," said John Strickland, director of air transport consulting firm JLS. "But it is still, from Airbus' point of view, a big investment from one customer, albeit from an extremely important customer," he told CNBC. Airbus have a range of development projects in the pipeline, including a next generation A320 in the short haul family, and an A350 and an A330, with the latter being revamped with new engines. Therefore, Strickland said Airbus has "a lot on their plate to take on additional investment at this point." "It would be a bombshell if that came out of the airshow," he added. Neo or die? The development of an A380 neo is also likely to be a costly affair, with UBS estimating that group profits could be hit by around 8 percent in 2018. Nonetheless, failing the launch of a refreshed version of the plane, the future of the aircraft does not look rosy. "Given the choice between launching the (neo) program just for one customer, and letting it die and save billions of dollars, you should let it die and save billions of dollars," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at Teal Group. "Since the A380 mistake was made 15 years ago, they have moved to creating aircraft that are doing a much better job. It is a question of cost, cannibalizing their own back log and watching the production line go dry while people wait for the new model. This is just a toxic brew of horror!" he told CNBC. A 787 airplane during the manufacturing process at the Boeing facility in Everett, Washington. Boeing sees Middle East orders topping 3,000 planes Airbus has said it wouldn't commit to any future redevelopment of the plane at the moment, but the company's Head of Sales, John Leahy told reporters at the Paris Air Show in June that it is currently discussing future versions of the super jumbo with a number of airlines. "We believe that there is a significant chance that if the A380 neo is not launched, then the A380 program will die. We would expect that the terminal phases would result in production losses, which we estimate would be about $200 million in 2018, rising to $550 million in 2020 as the last few aircraft are delivered," Armitage told CNBC. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/06/a380-super-jumbo-soon-to-be-a-thing-of-the-past.html Back to Top American Airlines flight diverted to Phoenix due to weight issue PHOENIX - An American Airlines flight from San Francisco had to be diverted to Phoenix Friday morning. American airlines flight 1772 had to be diverted to Phoenix Sky Harbor because the plane was overweight. It was scheduled to fly from San Francisco to Charlotte, North Carolina. A spokesperson with Phoenix Sky Harbor did not know if the passengers would be taken off or what would be done. http://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/american-airlines-flight-diverted-to- phoenix-due-to-weight-issue 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 Airlines CEO to return in early 2016 after heart attack United Continental Holdings Inc CEO Oscar Munoz is seen in an undated handout picture courtesy of United Airlines. United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL.N) Chief Executive Oscar Munoz will return to work in the first quarter of 2016, he said Thursday, three weeks after suffering a heart attack. The news ends uncertainty about who will run United, the second-largest U.S. airline by capacity. The company earlier appointed General Counsel Brett Hart as acting CEO and said its board had been preparing for "all potential outcomes" resulting from Munoz's hospitalization on Oct. 15. "I am on the road to recovery," Munoz said in a statement. "My time away will be a little longer than I would like, but based upon discussion with my doctors I will be back in the first quarter." Shares were unchanged in after-market trading following the news. Munoz took over as CEO in September with aims to rebuild morale after years of strained labor relations. He spent his first month on the job criss-crossing the United States to hear from employees and travelers how to improve the airline. His predecessor Jeff Smisek resigned because of probes into United's relationship with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which focused on whether the company added flights to Columbia, South Carolina to curry favor with then-Port Authority Chairman David Samson, who had a home there. Hart has promised to continue Munoz's agenda. However, S&P Capital IQ cut its rating on the company's stock to "Buy" from "Strong Buy" because it believed Hart had limited experience in finance, operations or customer service. Under Hart, the company has put forward a tentative deal for maintenance workers, paving the way for the first contract covering technicians from both United and Continental since the airlines merged in 2010. Last week United said it would not outsource more jobs in baggage handling or customer service at least until 2017, following a round of airport outsourcing this year. "It's definitely not too late" for Munoz to make change, Sterne Agee CRT analyst Adam Hackel said. Still, Munoz will face a host of challenges upon his return. Chicago-based United had the worst customer satisfaction of any North American airline, with the exception of low-cost carrier Frontier, according to J.D. Power's 2015 ranking. That's in part thanks to a higher rate of late arrivals than peers. Smisek's team started addressing this by scheduling more planes to fly back and forth from hubs rather than circulating through multiple cities, so that winter storms would not have a ripple effect. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/05/us-ual-ceo- idUSKCN0SU34G20151105#m3VQZyc6GSLyYD4l.99 Back to Top NASA: Flight Testing Prandtl-D Research Aircraft In this photograph, the Prandtl-D No. 2, which had a 12.5-foot wingspan, lands following a flight test. (NASA Image) (NASA.gov) - NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center engineers are working on an increasingly complex aircraft called the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Lower Drag, or Prandtl-D. Resembling a boomerang, the aircraft features a new method for determining the shape of the wing with a twist that could lead to an 11-percent reduction in fuel consumption. On Oct. 28, 2015, the 25-foot remotely piloted Prandtl-D No. 3, which has a 25-foot wingspan, gracefully glided following a bungee-like launch during a one minute, 33 second flight. Continued success of the Prandtl-D aircraft could validate future aircraft designs using the same wing loading, resulting in an 11-percent fuel savings. Another 30 percent fuel savings could be achieved if future designers use the controls benefits of this new wing design to eliminate the use of aircraft tails, thus flying http://spacecoastdaily.com/2015/11/nasa-flight-testing-prandtl-d-research-aircraft/ Back to Top Burt Rutan Takes SkiGull to the Water Burt Rutan has started testing his latest airplane design, the SkiGull, an amphibious design he says will be his last. This week, the legendary airplane designer took the airplane to Hayden Lake for some early water testing. The fuselage was launched into the water before the wings were attached and Rutan briefed test pilot Glenn Smith on what water-taxi maneuvers to perform. Rutan then observed the test from a boat. The testing showed that the SkiGull's design needed some tweaking, as the pitch angles at low speeds were not ideal. Rutan says he will now make modifications to improve the pitch angles and divulged that seaplane designs are "more difficult to perfect than airplane designs." The SkiGull is designed with a retractable, flexible ski system, which provides five times the shock absorption deflection of a typical landplane allowing the airplane to operate in rough water, even beach waves, Rutan said. The system will be pneumatically deployed during water takeoffs at 18 knots and deactivated at 12 knots during landing. Rutan said the amphibious airplane will likely rarely go to an airport since it uses car and boat fuel and can be stored in a single garage. It is designed to resist corrosion, even in saltwater, and will have a docking system using two 12 hp electric motors driving a folding propeller. In addition to providing the capability of maneuvering the airplane on the water, including rotating and backing up, the docking system will be capable of flying the airplane about 8 miles in case the Rotax engine fails. Rutan also claims the unique airplane design will be capable of loitering for 35 hours at about 15 percent power without any noise footprint as long as the airplane stays above 500 feet. Rutan said the SkiGull will be his last design and, having spent more of his life developing new airplanes than flying them, he wants to fly this one around the world with his wife Tonya. http://www.flyingmag.com/news/burt-rutan-takes-skigull-water#YAsyfSc4M4qpxVCo.99 Back to Top Singapore Airlines Offers to Buy All of Tiger Airways Singapore Airlines offers to buy shares it doesn't already own in struggling carrier A Tiger Airways plane is towed on the runway past Singapore Airlines and Tiger Airways planes sitting on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore, July 2014. SINGAPORE- Singapore Airlines Ltd. has offered to buy all the shares of its unit Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd., valuing the unprofitable budget airline at 1.02 billion Singapore dollars (US$729 million) as it seeks greater collaboration between the group's four brands. Singapore Airlines said Friday it will pay S$0.41 in cash for every Tiger share it doesn't already own. The Singapore flag carrier currently owns 55.6% of Tiger. Based on the offer price, Singapore Airlines will pay about S$453 million for the rest of Tiger shares. The offer is at a 32% premium to Tiger's closing price Thursday and a 35% premium to its volume weighted average price in the past month, according to the announcement. Tiger Airways, which has posted a net loss in each of the past four years, has been scaling back on its operations and shut or sold its co-branded affiliates in Indonesia, the Philippines and Australia as it seeks to repair its finances. The airline had a strong debut on the market in January 2010, when it sold shares at S$1.50 in an initial public offering. It has been a steady slide since then, with shares hitting as low as S$0.22 in October last year. Singapore Airlines lifted its holding in Tiger to a majority stake last year and deputed its own executives to run the discount carrier. In recent months, Singapore Airlines has sought to enhance cooperation between Tiger and Scoot Pte., the group's medium-haul budget airline. The two now sell joint tickets on each other's routes and participate in Singapore Airlines' customer loyalty program. "This allows Singapore Airlines to operate Scoot and Tiger more closely," said Timothy Ross, head of Asia Pacific transport research at Credit Suisse. It will also allow Singapore Airlines to focus on growing its core business of premium long-haul routes such as Europe and the U.S. "They finally realize the value proposition that Singapore Airlines has is in the long- haul premium market," Mr. Ross said. Tiger's delisting would allow the group to save some back-office costs, though Mr. Ross said he is "encouraged" by the focus of Singapore Airlines to chase growth. Goh Choon Phong, Singapore Airlines' chief executive said the group believes that Tiger's prospects to grow independently are limited in the highly competitive low cost carrier landscape in Southeast Asia. "We believe that full integration with the SIA Group represents the best option to strengthen Tiger's future growth prospects by allowing for more commercial and network integration, and operational and backroom synergies," Mr. Goh said in an email to the company's employees. The group remains "fully committed" grow its full-service airline business, he added. Singapore Airlines faces intense competition on its long-haul routes to Europe and the U.S. from Persian Gulf carriers such as Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways. Closer to home, the surging growth of highly aggressive budget carriers such as AirAsia Bhd. and Jetstar Airways has taken away a big chunk of its passengers. In the last three years, Singapore Airlines has sought to carve a share in all major segments of the market. It invested in the growth of its unlisted short-haul premium airline SilkAir, which brings in traffic from nearby cities to its long-haul flights. Scoot and Tiger complete the matrix as the budget medium- and short-haul carriers, feeding traffic to each other. Singapore Airlines and Tiger Airways are currently on a trading halt in Singapore. Singapore Airlines reported a net profit of S$213.6 million in the July-to-September quarter, compared with S$90.9 million a year earlier, according to a statement on Thursday evening. http://www.wsj.com/articles/singapore-airlines-offers-to-buy-all-of-tiger-airways-1446772193 Back to Top FAA panel still isn't sure how to regulate drones The Snap drone takes flight in San Francisco during a demonstration on August 24, 2015. Credit: Dan Masaoka The task force faces a Nov. 20 deadline for its proposal A key task force convened to work out registration rules for consumer drones ended a three-day meeting on Thursday with apparently no final conclusion. While it spent the day discussing how the registration program would work, the task force is yet to decide what types of drones would be covered by a registration program and what types would not. That's hugely important, as drones are expected to be hot holiday gifts this year, so the scope of the registration program could affect tens or hundreds of thousands of people. On Thursday, the group focused on reaching consensus on a recommended process for registration, the FAA said. "The discussions included how an operator might prove a [drone] is registered, how the aircraft would be marked, and how to use the registration process to encourage or require [drone] operators to become educated on basic safety rules." The FAA didn't say if a conclusion was reached on those issues, but whatever happened at the meeting, the task force still faces a Nov. 20 deadline to deliver its proposal. The tight schedule matches the speed at which the task force was convened. The FAA only announced its wish for drone registration on Oct. 19, and the members were announced on Oct. 29. The group brings together 25 companies and organizations that are working in the drone industry with government agencies. Co-chair is Dave Vos, who heads Google's Wing delivery drone project, and it also includes representatives from Amazon and Wal-Mart, both of which are researching delivery drones. Other members include drone makers such as DJI, GoPro, PrecisionHawk and 3D Robotics, retailer Best Buy, several industry associations, and the Academy of Model Aeronautics, which represents the model aircraft community. The FAA has already received hundreds of responses from the public concerning the proposal to require registration of drones. Many have come from model aircraft flyers who assert that new rules will place an unfair burden on hobbyists, the vast majority of whom already follow rules and best practices established by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Hobbyists also worry that drone registration will stifle creativity, perhaps requiring a new registration each time a drone is modified or if one is built from scratch. If some form of registration is required, it might be better centered around the operator rather than his or her drones, some contend. The FAA is moving fast because drones are expected to be a popular gift item this year-end holiday season. Hundreds of thousands could take to the skies over the holidays, quickly outnumbering conventional aircraft but piloted by people with little or no aviation knowledge or experience. The number of near-miss incidents with aircraft is on the rise, and the FAA is keen to bring some accountability to the new hobby. http://www.computerworld.com/article/3001736/robotics/faa-panel-still-isnt-sure-how-to-regulate- drones.html Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 BARS Auditor Training Washington DC? Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Flight Data Analyst Air New Zealand https://careers.airnz.co.nz/jobdetails/ajid/Q3W3g/Flight-Data-Analyst,111690 Curt Lewis