Flight Safety Information November 17, 2015 - No. 230 In This Issue Metrojet Crash In Egypt Was Result Of 'Terrorist Act,' Russia Says Egypt detains two airport staff in connection with Sinai air crash Arik Air debunks aircraft losing engine, tyre in Ghana Yes, that was an El Al Boeing 777 at the airport in Billings, Mont TSA failed to catch man with loaded gun on airplane U.S. Accuses China Of Stealing Its Jet Design PROS 2015 TRAINING Las Vegas becomes center of private aviation industry this week - NBAA Convention NBAA 2015 AGENDA Cessna Poised to Leap Pacific With Seattle-Tokyo Private Jet Supersonic Business Jet Maker Aerion To Announce First Fleet Customer IATA DG Tyler: Brazil's airlines in 'dire' financial situation Major Surge in Israeli Girls Trying to Enter Elite Air Force Pilots Course Space station suffers small power failure, but it can't be fixed until next year Research Survey Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Metrojet Crash In Egypt Was Result Of 'Terrorist Act,' Russia Says A homemade explosive device blew up on the plane, Alexander Bortnikov said. MOSCOW (AP) - A homemade explosive device brought down a Russian passenger plane over Egypt last month, the head of Russia's FSB security service said Tuesday, telling Russian President Vladimir Putin it's now clear the bombing that killed 224 people was a "terrorist" act. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for downing the Russian plane in written statements, as well as video and audio messages posted on the Internet following the crash. "According to our experts, a homemade explosive device equivalent to 1 kilogram of TNT went off onboard, which caused the plane to break up in the air, which explains why the fuselage was scattered over such a large territory. I can certainly say that this was a terrorist act," FSB head Alexander Bortnikov said. He said tests showed the explosives had been produced outside of Russia, but gave no further details. All of the people on board, most of them Russian tourists, were killed when the Metrojet Airbus 321-200 crashed over the Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31, about 23 minutes after taking off from the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The plane was headed to St. Petersburg, where most of the passengers were from. In Cairo, there was no immediate comment on the news from the Egyptian government. State-owned television carried the newsbreak from Moscow, but had no official comment either. Egypt had resisted British and U.S. assertions that an explosive device was the likely cause of the Russian plane's crash. Later, government officials and the pro-government media shifted their focus away from the cause of the crash to speculating on what they called a Western conspiracy against Egypt and the crushing impact of the crash on the country's vital tourism industry. Putin vowed to hunt down those responsible for the attack. "There's no statute of limitations for this. We need to know all of their names," Putin said. "We're going to look for them everywhere wherever they are hiding. We will find them in any place on Earth and punish them." The Islamic State group said the attack was retaliation for Russia's air campaign against IS and other groups in Syria, where Moscow wants to preserve the rule of President Bashar Assad. Putin said Tuesday that Russia's air campaign in Syria "should not only be continued but should be intensified so that the criminals realize that retribution is inevitable." He instructed the Defense Ministry and General Staff to present their suggestions on how Russia's operation in Syria could be modified. "In this work, including the search to find and punish the criminals, we are relying on all of our friends," Putin said. "We will act in accordance with the U.N. Charter's Article 51, which gives each country the right to self-defense. Everyone who tries to aid the criminals should understand that they will be responsible for giving them shelter." Russia made the announcement the day after meetings with other world leaders in Turkey, where they vowed to work together to combat the Islamic State group. IS has warned Putin that it would also target him "at home," but did not offer any details to back its claim. While releasing specifics would add credibility, the group may be withholding because its claim is false, because doing so would undermine plans for similar attacks in the future, or because the aura of mystery might deepen its mystique among die-hard followers. IS has also claimed responsibility for Friday attacks in Paris that killed 129 people and wounded 350 others. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/metroject-crash-egypt_564aec67e4b06037734a9fcf Back to Top Egypt detains two airport staff in connection with Sinai air crash - sources A debris from a Russian airliner is seen at its crash site at the Hassana area in Arish city CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian authorities have detained two employees of Sharm al-Sheikh airport in connection with the downing of a Russian jet on Oct. 31 that killed all 224 people on board, two security officials said on Tuesday. "Seventeen people are being held, two of them are suspected of helping whoever planted the bomb on the plane at Sharm al-Sheikh airport," one of the officials said. Russia's FSB security service said on Tuesday it was certain a bomb had brought down the plane, joining Britain and the United States in reaching that conclusion. Egypt has not yet confirmed that a bomb was responsible, saying it wants to wait until all investigations are complete. It was not immediately clear what role the employees had at the airport, which is Egypt's third-busiest, handling a vast number of charter and budget flights for tourists seeking sea and sun in the southern Sinai peninsula. Since the disaster, many flights to and from Sharm al-Sheikh have been suspended, raising concerns that Egypt's tourism industry, worth about $7 billion a year and still a pillar of the economy despite having fallen sharply in recent years, will be further ravaged. Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's FSB, said the conclusion of Russian investigators was that a homemade bomb containing around 1 kg (2 lbs) of TNT had detonated during the flight, causing the plane to break up in mid-air. "We can unequivocally say it was a terrorist act," he said. Egyptian ministers, led by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, were meeting in Sharm al-Sheikh on Tuesday, with a news conference expected later in the day. http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-detains-two-airport-staff-connection-sinai-air-093218164.html Back to Top Arik Air debunks aircraft losing engine, tyre in Ghana The management of Arik Airline yesterday debunked the report that its aircraft lost an engine and tyre on the Accra-Banjul flight which had the national U-23 team on board. Debunking the claim, Spokesman of the airline, Mr. Adebanji Ola stressed that the U-23 team and other passengers on board the aircraft were never in danger of an air accident. According to him, "Against the reports in the dailies, none of the aircraft in question lost a tyre on landing in Accra and neither did any of the planes lose an engine. The facts are as follow:" "The aircraft that was conveying the team to Banjul had a stopover in Accra, Ghana. On ground Accra, the Captain, while on routine walk around the aircraft as part of the airline's safety procedure, noticed that one of the tyres had a low pressure (not flat). Instead of keeping the team in Accra longer than necessary, we had to deploy another aircraft that was on a night-stop in Accra to take the team to Banjul. The Captain of this aircraft was airborne when he had to make an air return due to a gear pin in-situ. However, our standard operating procedure required the aircraft to be re-certified by our maintenance partner, Lufthansa Technik before it could continue with the flight to Banjul." Mr. Ola further affirmed that the airline had to fly in Lufthansa engineers from Lagos to change the low pressure wheel on the original operating aircraft for it to fly the team and other passengers to Banjul. The other aircraft were also examined and released back to service. "The safety of passengers is paramount in our operations and we will not compromise this for anything. The Nigeria Football Federation has already issued a statement to correct the erroneous impression that the team nearly had an air crash" Mr. Ola affirmed. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/11/arik-air-debunks-aircraft-losing-engine-tyre-in-ghana/ Back to Top Yes, that was an El Al Boeing 777 at the airport in Billings, Mont. Yes, that was an El Al Boeing 777 on the ground at the airport in Billings, Mont., on Sunday morning. El Al Flight 5 was on its way from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles before diverting to the Montana city around 6 a.m. local time Sunday because of a an engine fire warning, the Billings Gazette reports. An investigation after landing turned up no evidence of a fire, according to Reuters. The flight was carrying 279 passengers and 20 crewmembers, all of whom got an unexpected 12-hour visit to Montana. Al El flew in another aircraft that had been on the ground at Newark to take Flight 5 passengers the rest of the way to Los Angeles. After a 12-hour wait, the replacement aircraft left Billings for Los Angeles around 6 p.m. local time. "We apologize for the inconvenience," an El Al spokesperson says in a statement to The Times of Israel. "El Al views safety as our highest value, and does not compromise on even the slightest concern." Billings does not have regular international Customs and Border Protection agents to process incoming passengers from international arrivals. The Gazette says El Al passengers were "sequestered" in a terminal area for several hours while CBP officials traveled to the airport from Great Falls -- about 240 miles away. Another thing not typically on hand at the Billings airport: Kosher meals for a Boeing 777's worth of passengers. The Gazette reports in a separate story that several members of the local Jewish community pitched in to bring meals to the airport for Flight 5 passengers. "You just don't often get a planeload of Israelis in Billings, and we thought we should do what we could to make them comfortable, and kosher food is a part of that," local resident Donna Healy says to the Gazette. Michael Eisenberg, one of the flight's passengers, was appreciative of the effort to provide meals for everyone on board. "Once the rabbis came, there was more than enough. Tons. People in Billings can eat bagels for a month," Eisenberg tells the Gazette. As for the El Al 777 that originally landed in Billings, Mike Glancy -- Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting supervisor at the airport -- tells Reuters the original El Al aircraft would remain in Billings for additional inspection and repairs, if they're needed. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/11/16/yes-el-al-boeing-777-airport- billings-mont/75867774/ Back to Top TSA failed to catch man with loaded gun on airplane U.S. (KXAN) - The Transportation Security Agency is responding after a big security failure at one of America's busiest airports. A man says he brought a loaded gun through security at Atlanta's airport and boarded a Southwest flight without anyone stopping him. Blake Alford says he didn't know the gun was in his bag until he arrived at his destination. Alford says it was an innocent mistake, but he felt that he had to come forward. "I just want to do the right thing. I didn't want to get into trouble. I didn't want to get anybody in trouble. I guess wanted every body to realize we need to tighten up," said Alford. In response, the TSA says it's investigating the incident and will re-train employees as necessary. http://wfla.com/2015/11/16/tsa-failed-to-catch-man-with-loaded-gun-on-airplane/ Back to Top U.S. Accuses China Of Stealing Its Jet Design The Sino-American relationship is being tested once again after the U.S. has accused China of stealing its aircraft patterns and basing the new fifth-generation J-31 jet on the American F-35 aircraft. China J-31 Stealth Fighter China Unveils The J-31 In Dubai China showcased its Shenyang J-31 fighter jet formally for the first time in an international setting at the Dubai Airshow this past week. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China representatives at the Dubai Airshow lauded the J-31 fighter jet for its "outstanding situational awareness". The officials are reported to have said that the aircraft's superior design makes it exceptionally suited to "the demands of future battlefield environments". U.S. Accuses China Of Stealing Its Jet Design U.S. security experts have declared that the Chinese J-31 jet is based on stolen designs; according to Washington, the Chinese "Gyrfalcon" J-31 aircraft has been modeled after the American F-35 fighter jet. Information pertaining to the U.S. F-35 fighter jet was stolen when the manufacturers' networks were hacked into in April 2009. Lockheed Martin- an equipment manufacturing company that serves the U.S. defence forces- reported a security breach in its systems; it is believed that the hack was part of a cyber attack on the aerospace company Boeing, meticulously planned and executed between 2009 and 2013. The defence contractors responsible for the F-35 fighter jet accused Stephen Su and two other Chinese citizens of perpetrating the hack. Calling the attack "significant and tenacious," Lockheed Martin assured audiences that the company's "systems remain secure; no customer, program, or employee personal data has been compromised". It is, however, now being assumed- given China's launch of the J-31 jet- that there may well have been some truth to the suspicion that data pertaining to the F-35 and the F-22 jets was stolen during the security breach. China's recent presentation of the J-31 jet had initially wooed the international community, but since the U.S. has leveled its accusations, defence experts and potential buyers are now uncertain as to whether or not China's 'indigenous' design truly counts as an authentic accomplishment. Comparing China's J-31 Jet With The American F-35 While praise for and interest in the Chinese J-31 fighter jet picks up steam, so does the cynicism: defense officials within the U.S. are not only criticizing China for copying the American fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, they also opine that the Chinese variant is no match for the original. However, at this point, there has been very little to base practical comparisons of the two fighter jets on; the analyses presently are purely theoretical and observational, rooted in technical specifications and insider expertise. IHS Jane's Defence Weekly states, "The similarity includes the use of two tracking mirrors and a flat- faceted optical window, with bottom fuselage placement just aft the radar radome." At first glance, the physical resemblance between the two fighter jets is uncanny. However, from a defense-oriented point of view, it is the operational characteristics that truly count. In terms of aerodynamic functioning, it is estimated that the Chinese J-31 fighter jet is likely to offer much the same experience as the American F-35. However, as reported in The National Interest, the real multimillion- dollar question is whether or not China has successfully been able to combine several technologies to build a superior aircraft. It is understood that while the J-31is being positioned in the market as an indigenous Chinese design, when it comes to defense technology, very few countries possess the ability, resources and knowhow needed to craft truly native systems. Even if China has, indeed, progressed technologically to a point where it is capable of developing its own defense technologies, it stands to reason that a significant part of the development process involves adapting existing technologies and designs to domestic markets/ needs. The National Interest carries an interview with a high-ranking U.S. military official who opines that the day is not far that Chinese aircrafts will be at par with those built in the U.S. "I think they'll eventually be on par with our fifth-gen jets-as they should be, because industrial espionage is alive and well," said the American aerial security expert. However, as the unnamed official points out, it is what is on the inside that matters more than the external structure. And here is where defence analysts expect China to trail behind the U.S. It is known that the airframe of the two jets is alike, and the Chinese J-31 is outfitted with two interior weapons bays as well. These are intended to house both guided as well as unguided missiles, much as the American F-35 jet is. Both aircrafts sport the twin forward wheels, as is typical of most career-style fighter jets. The F-35 is outfitted with a mount for a jamming pod or centerline gunnery; the feature is missing in the J-31. China's J-31, however does have an extra light hardpoint on each wing, on top of the basic two heavy hardpoints and one light hardpoint on either end. It is believed that the American F-35 trumps the Chinese J-31 in terms of internal components such as the sensor fusion technology, infrared search and track systems, a superior 'kill ratio', data-links etc. The true mark of a fighter jet's capability is in the quality of its cockpit systems, radars, engines and sensor systems. U.S. defense officials reveal that the state has spent significant time and resources developing and perfecting the F-35; the J-31, in comparison, is still in its nascent stages and officials expect that it will be at least a few years before the Chinese jet is able to go wing-to-wing with its American counterpart. "We didn't develop those over night. It takes a lot of time to get where we are today, which is why we continue to preserve our advantage," explains the U.S. military official in The National Interest, adding, "They are going get there one day, make no mistake." A Closer Look At The Chinese J-31 The Chinese J-31 jet is a fifth-generation, mid-size fighter jet that runs on a twin-engine system. News of the fighter jet first broke when some photographs of a model started doing the rounds online in September 2011. These were succeeded by more photographs in the following year; the pictures showed what appeared to be a prototype aircraft being moved between locations and later, housed at an airfield. The initial photographs are believed to show the F-60; the F-60 is tagged as the export variant of the J-31, which is primarily understood to be for domestic use. Security Implication's Of China's J-31 Jet Perhaps the most significant impact of China's announcement is that it will undoubtedly add yet another dimension to the security landscape in Asia, especially in the context of the South Asian countries. A pointed arms race is already underway in the region, which is known for several traditional rivalries and uneasy bilateral ties. With tensions between China and Japan, India and China, India and Pakistan and China and North Korea constantly simmering under the surface, advancements in weapons technology have become de rigueur. Most Asian states are constantly trying to outcompete one another in terms of native weapons technologies as well as imports; these attempts are usually buttressed (or offset) using bilateral ties and defense agreements: where China and Pakistan have sought more alliances of late, India and the U.S. have turned to each other. Security experts believe that China may intend to use the J-31 to tip the regional balance in its favor, but this might just trigger other countries into purchasing the F-35 or crafting indigenous fifth generation fighter jets to meet China's growing military might. Media reports suggest that Iran and Pakistan have already expressed an interest in the J-31 fighter jets and may pursue extensive deals with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China in the coming months. Whether the J-31 is also formally added to China's Armed Forces or reserved only for foreign buyers- or both- remains to be seen. http://www.valuewalk.com/2015/11/u-s-accuses-china-of-stealing-its-jet-design/ Back to Top Back to Top Las Vegas becomes center of private aviation industry this week - NBAA Convention Yes, that may have been a business jet you saw on Swenson Street in the early-morning hours over the weekend. About 100 business aircraft have flown into Southern Nevada, as Las Vegas becomes the center of the private aviation industry universe this week, hosting the 68th National Business Aircraft Association convention. Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak on Monday welcomed the organization to Henderson Executive Airport, which will have a flight line of more than 80 jets and planes that serve as flying executive offices for some companies. The estimated 27,000 people attending the three-day event that opens Tuesday are coming from more than 90 countries. Aircraft manufacturers from France, Brazil, Canada and the United States are among the 1,100 exhibitors that will display their products at the event's trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the association, said planes have been flying into the Henderson airport, but some others arrived at McCarran International Airport and were part of early-morning transports to the Convention Center from the airport north on Swenson. "The industry views this show as a big opportunity to talk about the value of business aircraft," Bolen said. "With jets like these, it's possible to have meetings in three cities in one day. Companies can move their teams efficiently and with the amenities they have, there's productive work time in transit. "Some corporate jets are equipped with desks and work space with inflight Wi-Fi or email and telephone communication. Sisolak noted that having the high-profile $200 billion industry in the city is a big benefit to the community. "General aviation is extremely important to Las Vegas and having this event here gives us the opportunity to showcase our airport facilities in Henderson," Sisolak said. "This show has a $22 million economic impact on Southern Nevada so we appreciate what they do for us. "The NBAA rotates its annual conference between Las Vegas and Orlando, Fla., and Sisolak made it clear that he'd like to see the association make Las Vegas its permanent home. Bolen said general aviation employs 1.1 million people nationwide and that it's not uncommon for the industry to provide humanitarian aid to communities by transporting sick passengers to medical facilities as a philanthropic effort. Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta will address the association's opening general session Tuesday and retired US Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who piloted the "Miracle on the Hudson" Airbus A320 jet airliner to a safe water landing on the Hudson River after a midair bird strike in January 2009, will speak Wednesday. http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/aviation/las-vegas-becomes-center-private-aviation-industry- week Back to Top NBAA 2015 AGENDA Exhibit HoursExhibit Halls and Indoor Static Display of Aircraft Tuesday, November 17 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 18 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Thursday, November 19 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Static Display of Aircraft at Henderson Executive Airport Tuesday, November 17 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 18 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Thursday, November 19 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. In addition to exhibits at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Henderson Executive Airport (HND), the NBAA 2015 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA2015) will host a variety of significant events for the business aviation industry. * Program Schedule NBAA2015 will feature special events and dozens of education sessions covering topics of interest to all attendees, from those considering the use of an airplane to support their business needs, to those who have long used an airplane to help their business succeed. Review the full program schedule. https://www.nbaa.org/events/bace/2015/agenda/ Back to Top Cessna Poised to Leap Pacific With Seattle-Tokyo Private Jet Hemisphere model will have range of 4,500 nautical miles Textron Inc.'s Cessna, started by a Kansas farmer who built his own plane in 1911, plans to offer a private jet with Seattle-to-Tokyo range to help the company lure buyers seeking bigger business aircraft. Large-cabin corporate planes have led an industry recovery as executives look to travel non-stop across continents. More than 80 percent of the value of luxury-jet purchases in the next five years will be bigger models, according to a survey of fleet operations released Sunday by Honeywell International Inc. The Hemisphere will be Cessna's biggest-ever model, sporting a 102-inch cabin -- the "widest cabin in its class" -- and with a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 kilometers), Chief Executive Officer Scott Ernest said Monday at the National Business Aviation Association's annual trade show in Las Vegas. The plane, expected to sell for about $35 million, is targeting its initial flight in 2019. That range would slot the Hemisphere into the market above Bombardier Inc.'s Challenger 650 and Gulfstream's G450 and below Dassault Aviation SA's Falcon 900LX and Bombardier's Global 5000. Those planes are older models while the Hemisphere will be a new "clean-sheet" design, Ernest said. "Over the last 20 years, customers in this segment have seen little innovation or investment in new products," he said in a statement. Cessna said it's seeking customer feedback on the new aircraft. Cessna also announced that it's changing the design of its Longitude business jet, which was first announced in 2012. The range will be reduced by 15 percent to 3,400 nautical miles and the engines switched to Honeywell's HTF7700 instead of Safran SA's Silvercrest. "We believe that this range and performance is what the market wants for typical missions in this class," Ernest said. The 2017 delivery target for the 12-passenger Longitude is unchanged, Cessna said, and the first flight is on track for next year. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-16/cessna-poised-to-leap-pacific-with-seattle-to- tokyo-private-jet?cmpid=yhoo.headline Back to Top Supersonic Business Jet Maker Aerion To Announce First Fleet Customer In case you weren't planning to purchase your own supersonic private jet, how were you going to fly it unless you had a friend with one? Later today, at high noon in Las Vegas during the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual conference, Aerion Chairman Robert Bass will solve that problem when he discloses the manufacturer's "first major order from a fleet operator" of its AS2 supersonic business jet. According to an invite for the press conference that went out just after midnight EST, "Aerion will be first to market with a supersonic business jet. And now one major fleet operator will be the first to offer its customers supersonic capability." Who is the undisclosed company? Large private jet fleet operators include Warren Buffett-owned NetJets, Directional Aviation Capital (owner of FlexJet, Sentient Jet and Flight Options), XOJet, TMC Jets and VistaJet, which of the group would be the most likely candidate, based on its focus of long-haul and ultra-long haul flying. Its fleet includes both Bombardier Challenger and Global jets, and the company has recently been busy expanding its footprint in the United States, the world's large market for private jet travel after having established a strong position in Europe. At the same time, NetJets, the world's largest fleet operator has been expanding China, already has a presence in Europe and recently came to an agreement for labor peace with its pilots after a long simmering dispute. Warren Buffett in the past has used the NBAA conference to announce major orders of private jets. Another potential fleet operator is DeerJet, which is a significant player in Asia market, focused on China. The press invitation promises attendees an "AS2 in customer livery. Champagne will be served" http://www.forbes.com/sites/douggollan/2015/11/17/supersonic-business-jet-operator-aerion-to- announce-first-fleet-customer/ Back to Top IATA DG Tyler: Brazil's airlines in 'dire' financial situation IATA officials, led by DG and CEO Tony Tyler (center), brief media at the ALTA Airline Leaders Forum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Airlines in Brazil, not long ago a global air transport bright spot, are in a "dire" situation requiring urgent government action, IATA DG and CEO Tony Tyler said. Speaking at the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) Airline Leaders Forum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tyler said Brazilian airlines lost a combined $500 million in just the first half of 2015. "The problems facing Brazil's carriers are threefold: the economy is in deep recession with rising unemployment; the real has lost more than a third of its value against the US dollar in the last 12 months; and most importantly, government policies impose crippling costs on the industry," he told the conference, calling for "immediate action ... to protect the benefits of aviation connectivity, by granting relief from high taxes, exorbitant fuel costs and onerous regulation." Following his formal remarks, Tyler told ATW, "Clearly what we've had in Brazil is a weak economy. When the economy is strong, all boats rise. When economies are weak is when you see what the structural policy weaknesses are." He said action on aircraft fuel pricing should be the Brazilian government's top priority in providing relief to airlines. Brazil's import parity pricing formula "overprices fuel massively" and costs Brazilian airlines $400 million a year, Tyler said. "Fuel costs [airlines] as much as 50% more in Brazil than in other places," he said. "That has a huge impact on airline bottom lines." Echoing Tyler, ALTA executive director Eduardo Iglesias told reporters "there are a lot of things the Brazilian government could do" to help airlines. "Brazil has one of the highest tax rates on fuel in the region," he explained. "By lowering those taxes, they could really improve the wellbeing of airlines." Iglesias said the collapse of the real vs. the dollar has had "an immediate effect on [air traffic] demand," adding, "Many places around the world are now having empty flights" going to Brazil. "Aviation is one of the first areas where you feel the effects of political or economic instability, and that is the case with Brazil," Iglesias said. "These reports [of Brazilian airlines' poor earnings performance] are telling us that something must be done in Brazil." Aeromexico CEO Andres Conesa, the current ALTA chairman, said currency devaluation has wiped out the gains of lower fuel prices for airlines throughout Latin America. He doesn't expect relief anytime soon for the real or other Latin American currencies. "Probably what you can expect is there will be further volatility in 2016, some more depreciation of currencies against the dollar," Conesa told reporters. http://atwonline.com/associations/iata-dg-tyler-brazil-s-airlines-dire-financial-situation Back to Top Major Surge in Israeli Girls Trying to Enter Elite Air Force Pilots Course A Red Flag realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States and its allies, including Israel and NATO. Photo: Sgt. Kevin Gruenwald. The Israeli Air Force's elite pilot training course has seen a 60% jump in the number of young women applying to become military pilots, Israel's Channel 2 news reported on Friday. According to the report, 174 young women made it to the trial period before official selection in 2015, which tops the 109 mark in 2013, and 150 in 2014. This increase began after the IDF removed quotas for the number of women who could apply for the pilots course four years ago. Today, there are no caps on the number of men and women who can apply for the pilot training course, but applications are only accepted from candidates who have passed stringent IDF screening. The new figures come 20 years after South African-born Israeli Alice Miller successfully petitioned the High Court of Justice to allow women to be accepted as flight candidates. "Women can be pilots of the same caliber as men," said one Maj. Efrat, adding that the reason there were fewer women pilots than men was simply because fewer women applied. Efrat has been a cargo pilot out of Sde Dov Airport in Tel Aviv for 11 years. "I am certain the upward trend will only continue in the next few years," Lt. Col. Yardena, the head of selection and admissions in the Air Force, told Channel 2. "We see a positive trend concerning the integration of women into combat roles generally, and piloting specifically." https://www.algemeiner.com/2015/11/13/surge-in-israeli-girls-trying-to-enter-air-force-pilots-course/ Back to Top Space station suffers small power failure, but it can't be fixed until next year The International Space Station suffered a small power failure on Friday - one that doesn't pose any immediate dangers to its astronaut crew. One of the eight power channels used to power the ISS is down. The other seven are working just fine, though. Here's what happened: Some equipment short-circuited. That tripped a device designed to switch electrical currents on the orbiting lab. Fortunately, there are failsafes, and anything affected was switched to an alternative line of power. The astronauts aren't in danger, and all six have been working normally since the incident. But the ISS needs a new spare part to fix the power channel - nothing onboard will work, so the part must be delivered via rocket. The part will be delivered on a SpaceX Falcon 9 sometime early next year, says NASA spokesman Dan Huot. SpaceX has yet to release its upcoming launch schedules. Once the part is delivered to the station, astronauts will likely have to do a spacewalk to replace the broken part and get the power channel running again. This is a lot of work for a short circuit! When your circuit breaker trips on Earth, it's easy. You just go down to your dark basement, find the wire that's causing the trouble, and either repair or replace it with wire from Home Depot. On the space station, you have to make do with whatever spare parts you brought with you or wait for the next batch of supplies. (Resupply missions are usually several months apart.) And finally installing your new part means a 5-hour long spacewalk in a cold vacuum, while wearing a suit that may or may not rip your fingernails off. Technology breaks - particularly in space - and when it does, backups are essential. Allocating room for spares is going to be a big part of any long-term space mission, especially to places like Mars. Resupply missions to the Red Planet will take up to six months, so astronauts will need to bring a lot of replacement parts along with them - or somehow make them when they get there. http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/16/9746908/nasa-iss-power-failure-spacewalk-spare-parts Back to Top Research Survey Dear Aviation Colleagues, ***Survey Link https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8nOzSNWYbDGqIsJ ***(copy directly into web browser if link does not work).*** My name is Tyler Spence. I am a PhD student at Purdue University working with Dr. Mary Johnson in the Purdue School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. In the survey that follows, we are seeking input on flight data analysis that may be derived from aircraft with flight data monitoring capabilities like the Garmin G1000, Avidyne Entegra, or Aspen Evolution 1000. We are seeking your input on how we can use metrics, methods, and prototype graphs to improve safety from GA pilots' perspectives. This effort is a part of an FAA-sponsored research project that is exploring ways to improve General Aviation safety performance using flight data. More specifically, our goal is to develop innovative techniques to analyze and present flight data in ways that are useful and meaningful to GA pilots and operators. We are seeking feedback from anyone who uses the GA system including pilots, maintenance personnel, flight instructors, pilot examiners, aircraft owners (individual or fleet), flight data analysts, and administrators. The survey comprises two main sections: 1) Opinions of flight data monitoring and the use of a national database. This part of the survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. 2) Potential flight analysis graphs and figures that could be included in the application tool. This part of the survey should take about 30 minutes to complete. You are free to not answer any questions, and stop participation in the survey at any time. No personally identifiable information will be collected. All answers reported in analysis will only be in aggregate without any connection to you on any response you may provide. Thank you very much for your participation on this survey. Your responses are greatly appreciated and will hopefully help the aviation industry improve the GA safety record. If you have any questions regarding this survey or the information contained within, please feel free to contact the researchers directly at either spence5@purdue.edu or mejohnson@purdue.edu. 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 Gulf Flight Safety Council(GFSC) - Safety Summit December 9-10, 2016 Dubai, UAE www.gfsc.aero 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 6th European Business Aviation Safety Conference 2016 February 23-24, 2016 Frankfurt, Germany www.ebascon.eu 2016 Air Charter Safety Symposium | Safety: A Small Investment for a Rich Future March 8-9, 2016 | NTSB Training Center | Ashburn, VA http://www.acsf.aero/events/acsf-symposium/ CHC Safety & Quality Summit Press Releases and Save the Date April 4-6, 2016 Vancouver, BC www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com BARS Auditor Training Washington, DC Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Auditors Needed Wyvern Consulting, Ltd James.nicoletti@wyvernltd.com Curt Lewis