Flight Safety Information November 18, 2015 - No. 231 In This Issue AIR FRANCE 447 CONTRE EXPERTISE REJECTED, CASE MOVED TO NEW COURT Two Air France flights from U.S. diverted by bomb threats Why Did Putin Wait So Long to Blame ISIS for Jet Crash? Drunk Woman Tried to Open UK-to-Boston Jet's Exit Door Russia says bomb brought down jet in Sinai, offers $50 million reward Octogenarian senator pushes bill to loosen medical exam requirements for pilots like him EAA, AOPA and 15 Other Aviation Groups Send Senate Message on Pilot's Bill of Rights Copenhagen Airport evacuates terminal after suspicious bag Qatar Executive first in Mideast to win Europe safety certification PROS 2015 TRAINING Flexjet places order for new supersonic jet being developed by Bass's Aerion Bombardier says to sell 20 business jet to Flexjet NBAA 2015 AGENDA Boeing's KC-46 Tanker Completes Key Flight Tests New Co-chairs for Flight Safety Foundation Business Advisory Committee After 74 deaths in a decade, Delta bans pets from being checked like luggage Private space companies avoid FAA oversight again, with Congress' blessing American Bank Buys Boeing Plane From Airline With Ties To Iran, Syria Research Survey Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) AIR FRANCE 447 CONTRE EXPERTISE REJECTED, CASE MOVED TO NEW COURT PARIS - A French appellate court has rejected the testimony of expert witnesses highly favorable to Airbus in the six year old Air France 447 crash investigation. The landmark decision also immediately moves the case to a new court division focusing on mass accidents. In addition the appellate court approved a portion of the Air France 447 Family Association's request to investigate potential system failures that may have contributed to the June 1, 2009 Airbus 330 accident. The worst accident in French aviation history, the crash of the plane bound to Paris from Rio took the lives of 228 people. The appellate court reversed Investigative Magistrate Sabine Kheris's earlier decision to reject a motion made by attorneys representing the Association of Families of Victims of Flight 447 and Air France to dismiss Contre Expertise highly favorable to Airbus. The plaintiffs contended that these experts failed to meet their obligation to interview parties other than Airbus. Plaintiffs Attorneys also took exception to the decision of the Contre Expertise team to not include Air France representatives on an Airbus 330 check ride demonstrating an approach to stall similar to Air France 447. They argued to the appeals court that these experts were legally obligated to include the airline's own technical specialists. The case now moves to the pôle judiciaire specialise dans les accidents collectifs. Established in December 2011 in Paris and Marseille, this new court department focuses on mass accidents including airplane crashes. Judges with expertise in these kinds of cases, similar to American class actions, hear these matters. The department also handles crimes against humanity cases. The new judge can accept the original experts' report, commission a new Contre Expertise, assign the case to a prosecutor or even begin pretrial hearings. Attorneys for Airbus, Simon Ndiaye and Michel Beaussier are highly critical of the appellate court's rejection of the Contre Expertise and have already raised the possibility of a further appeal. Gerard Arnoux, a retired Airbus 320 captain, pilots union leader and technical expert for the family association called the appellate court's decision, "A victory that will keep the Air France 447 investigation going." The first big French aviation case to go before the judicial mass disaster division, Air France 447 could set important precedents. In the past aviation cases have not always been heard by judges with broad technical expertise. Although Air France challenged the Contre Expertise that favored Airbus, it is also being sued by some of the victims' families who supported the airline's successful appeal. Among the key issues the new judge must decide is now to handle family association's demands for a deeper look at technical failures that may have contributed to the accident. The Contre Expertise challenged the original 700 page expert report, filed three years ago in the French Court of Appeals, First Chamber. In many ways that first expert witness report underscored the position of the civilian investigators at the French Bureau Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses Pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA). After more than three years of research that 2012 BEA document attributed the accident to numerous causes including incorrect flight director indications, loss of angle of attack protection and display to pilots, lack of training on how to handle abnormal air speed indication, absence of any visual information to confirm approach to stall after the loss of limit speeds, erroneous airspeed messages from the electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ECAM) and an obsolete high altitude stall recovery procedure no longer used by the world's airlines. Under the French criminal code, aircraft accidents are considered potential criminal matters that can result in manslaughter prosecution leading to jail time and substantial damages. Both sides are awaiting release of the full text of the appellate court's decision. Back to Top Two Air France flights from U.S. diverted by bomb threats Emergency personnel are shown on the tarmac at Salt Lake City International Airport in this photograph taken by passenger Keith Rosso from a seat inside Air France flight 65 Two Air France flights bound for Paris from the United States were diverted for several hours on Tuesday following anonymous bomb threats, and more than 700 passengers and crew were safely taken off the planes, officials said. Flight 65, an Airbus A-380 that departed from Los Angeles, landed safely in Salt Lake City, where passengers and crew were escorted into the terminal, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Salt Lake Tribune, citing an airport official, said it was carrying 497 passengers and crew. The FBI said in a statement that no evidence was found aboard the plane "which would lend credibility to the threats" against the flight. The airport said operations were not affected, and local Utah media including broadcaster KSL reported that passengers had been cleared to reboard and resume their journey. Keith Rosso, a passenger who tweeted a photo shortly after takeoff from Los Angeles, said he was "thankful to everyone who has been working to keep everyone calm and make sure air travel is safe. Hope to be taking off again shortly." A separate Boeing 777 that left Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., Flight 55, was diverted to Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia, which said 262 passengers and crew members had safely disembarked. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Halifax said on its Twitter feed that police dogs searched the plane for evidence of explosives, but no details were disclosed. In a brief statement, Air France said both flights had been the "subjects of anonymous threats received after their respective take-offs." "As a precautionary measure and to conduct all necessary security checks, Air France, applying the safety regulations in force, decided to request the landings of both aircraft," the airline said in its statement. It said authorities inspected the aircraft, passengers and luggage, adding: "An investigation will be led by the authorities to identify the source of the telephone call." Security officials have been on high alert since Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for attacks last week in Paris that killed 129 people. Russia has said the group was also responsible for the downing on Oct. 31 of a plane returning to St. Petersburg from the Sharm al-Sheikh resort in Egypt, killing all 224 on board. The incidents did not appear to be causing flight delays or cancellations elsewhere. According to data on flight tracking website flightradar24.com, flights operated by both Air France and other airlines appear to be taking off and landing normally at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/us-france-flights-diverted- idUSKCN0T70D920151118#3B5Oiv4EMrHTTQas.99 Back to Top Why Did Putin Wait So Long to Blame ISIS for Jet Crash? The Kremlin batted away any suggestion of ISIS bringing down the plane until Tuesday, when it suddenly said it found explosive residue-and stepped up bombing targets in Syria. MOSCOW - It took Russian security agencies almost two weeks to find what they say is clear evidence of an ISIS bomb aboard Metrojet flight 9268, which crashed on Oct. 31, killing all 224 aboard. A few hours after Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama shook hands in Turkey and discussed a potential joint response to the crisis in Syria, Putin arrived in his office in the Kremlin and sat down with members of his security council on Tuesday. The head of Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, reported to Putin that the FSB had found explosive residue on parts of the Airbus 321 and on passengers' luggage. The participants at the table, including Putin himself, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Foreign Intelligence Service Director Mikhail Fradkov, looked tragic. "The examination showed that all these objects found traces of foreign-made explosives," Bortnikov said, adding there would be a $50 million reward for information about the organizers of the terrorist attack. (Egyptian authorities reportedly arrested two Sharm el-Sheikh airport staff on the same day.) The Kremlin was the last one to say there was a terrorist attack on the Russian plane. Statements by the British government and U.S. intelligence officials were waved away by Russian officials as too preliminary and incompetent. Just a week ago, Putin asked the West to stop jumping to any conclusions about a bomb on the plane. "The Kremlin postponed the news about explosives for as long as it could, as it was ultimately unfortunate and unpleasant-in fact, it was the first time in Putin's Russia that somebody blew up a plane outside of the country's borders," Vladimir Ryzhkov, a political analyst and professor at the Higher School of Economics, told The Daily Beast on Tuesday. On Tuesday many in Russia were wondering why it took Putin so long to confirm that terrorists brought down the plane. And also: Who to blame for that terrorist attack? Russian independent observers speculated about the Kremlin waiting for the best moment to break the scary bomb news to Russians. This week it was delivered in a package with reports about Putin being an important international player and Russia helping the "useless West" in the global war on terror. Ryzhkov said he believed that before bombing Syria, the Kremlin and especially the security council members were supposed to analyze all potential risks and threats to Russian people in the region. Some experts suggested that the Kremlin had deliberately postponed the news of the terrorist bomb planted on the plane. Tuesday's meeting at the Kremlin, broadcast on Russian television, "fit perfectly into the tendency of the last few days," Fyodor Lukyanov, chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, told Gazeta.ru. Once again, it appears a Russian leader has calculated every step and public reaction. On Tuesday evening, Putin arrived at the Defense Ministry to announce that now Russia's plan was to double the number of airstrikes in Syria. (Already, long-range bombers struck targets in Syria in the greatest bombing run in decades.) The Russian president also ordered Russia's navy to work with France on joint military and intelligence operations. "By conducting military missions in Syria, you are protecting Russia and her citizens," Putin told defense ministry commanders. "Our air campaign in Syria must not only be continued, it must be boosted, in such a way that the criminals are made aware that retribution is inevitable." Few in Moscow appeared to agree with the Putin, however. On Tuesday morning, Echo of Moscow radio conducted a survey asking listeners whether Russia should continue bombing Syria in response to the terrorist attacks on the plane and in Paris. Sixty-three percent said Russia should stop bombing Syria. "Syria's war is not our war; Russia's human losses as a result of that war are unacceptable," Professor Ryzhkov told TV Tsentr earlier this week. According to Russia's banking chief, German Gref, Russia is facing its worst economic crisis in 20 years. Can Putin really afford to participate in the global war on terror in such a large-scale crisis? "I doubt that Russia could handle another war," Ryzhkov told The Daily Beast. "Russia has been fighting terrorist groups on its own territory in the northern Caucusus and also took on the responsibility of helping to provide security in Central Asian countries, on the border with Afghanistan. A third front is too much for Russia. Besides, Putin should not forget that the USSR fell apart as a result of the long and expensive war the Soviet army fought in Afghanistan." http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/17/why-did-putin-wait-so-long-to- blame-isis-for-jet-crash.html Back to Top Drunk Woman Tried to Open UK-to-Boston Jet's Exit Door Police say a drunken passenger who tried to open an exit door on a London-to-Boston flight is being charged with interfering with a flight crew. Massachusetts State Police say they don't believe the woman's misconduct had any link to terrorism. They identified her as 32-year-old Kamila Dolniak, a citizen of Poland. Police say Dolniak was restrained Tuesday on British Airways Flight 213. The flight landed about 1:30 p.m., a half-hour ahead of schedule at Boston's Logan International Airport. A clerk set bail at $1,040 for Dolniak. She had not posted bail by Tuesday evening and, as a result, was being held overnight at the state police barracks at the airport. Dolniak is expected to be arraigned in a Boston courtroom Wednesday. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/unruly-passenger-restrained-london-boston-flight- 35256896 Back to Top Russia says bomb brought down jet in Sinai, offers $50 million reward CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 24: Passengers wait in line to go through security screening at O'Hare International Airport's Terminal 1 shortly after the terminal was reopened on September 24, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The ticketing and baggage claim areas of the terminal were evacuated for nearly two hours after a after an unattended bag was discovered around 9:30 this morning. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (CNN)The Russian passenger jet that crashed over Sinai, Egypt, was brought down by a bomb estimated to contain 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of explosives, the head of the Russian Federal Security Service said Tuesday, and the Russian government is offering a $50 million reward for information about those who brought it down. The government had initially resisted the theory that the plane fell victim to terrorism, perhaps in retaliation for Russia's support of the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. But in a turnaround, the government is offering the reward, according to the official Sputnik news. Also on Tuesday, a U.S. defense official said Russia had conducted a "significant number of strikes" in Raqqa in northern Syria in the past several hours. The terrorist group ISIS, which has claimed responsibility for downing the plane, has made its Syrian headquarters in Raqqa. The group's claim has yet to be verified. It has also claimed responsibility for the massive terrorist attack in France on Friday, in which at least 129 people were killed. Metrojet Flight 9268 crashed on October 31 after departing from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. Putin: 'We remember everything' The head of the FSB, Aleksandr Bortnikov, said the homemade bomb had the explosive power of one kilogram of TNT, according to the Kremlin. The remarks came in a meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin held with various security and foreign affairs officials -- a meeting that began with a minute of silence for the victims of the crash. The bomb, Bortnikov told Putin, explained why fragments of the plane were scattered over a large area, the Kremlin website said. "This is not the first time Russia experiences barbaric terrorist crime, usually without any obvious internal or external causes, the way it was with the explosion at the railway station in Volgograd at the end of 2013." Putin said. "We remember everything and everyone." He said Russians would not dry their tears, but would nevertheless find and punish those responsible. "We have to do it without any period of limitation; we need to know all their names," Putin said. "We will search wherever they may be hiding. We will find them anywhere on the planet and punish them." He told the Foreign Ministry to appeal for international help. Is ISIS emerging as global threat? 'Security has got to be enhanced' Western governments, particularly those in Britain and the United States, had said they had information pointing to a bomb having brought the plane down, and have said it may have been smuggled aboard the plane in Sharm el-Sheikh, from which the plane took off -- possibly with help from an airport employee. They have criticized security procedures at the airport at Sharm el-Sheikh. The plane was bound for St. Petersburg, Russia. Reuters, citing security officials, reported Tuesday that two Sharm el-Sheikh airport employees had been detained in connection with the Metrojet investigation. But Egyptian authorities denied the report. Both a spokesman in Egypt's Interior Ministry and a spokesman in Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry denied to CNN that any arrests have been made in connection to the crashed plane. CNN spoke Tuesday with Carolyn McCall, chief executive of the UK budget airline EasyJet, who has called for aviation security and regulation to be improved. "The reason the British government advised all airlines to stop flying to Sharm is that they believed there was a device in the hold of the Metrojet aircraft," McCall said. "They had inside intelligence giving them that information, so that's not surprising to anybody in the airline industry, given that the British government took very strong action immediately. Clearly, that is why security has got to be enhanced at Sharm el-Sheikh." She said EasyJet had suspended flights to Sharm el-Sheikh through the end of this month, as have all other British airlines. "We will not resume flying until we are told unequivocally by the government that it is safe to operate at Sharm el-Sheikh airport," she said. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/middleeast/russian-metrojet-crash-bomb/ Back to Top Octogenarian senator pushes bill to loosen medical exam requirements for pilots like him In this Sept. 29, 2015, file photo, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., questions a witness during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Inhofe, an 81-year-old avid pilot who had quadruple heart bypass surgery two years ago, is trying to loosen medical exam requirements so that private pilots like him don't have to make so many doctors' visits to show they are fit to fly. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) By JOAN LOWY, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Jim Inhofe, an 81-year-old avid pilot who had quadruple heart bypass surgery two years ago, is trying to loosen medical exam requirements so that private pilots like him don't have to make so many doctors' visits to show they are fit to fly. The bill by Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., would double the time allowed between exams for pilots over age 40 from two to four years, so long as they also hold a valid driver's license. Instead of a government-certified medical examiner, pilots could see any doctor they like. There would be no standards for what the medical exam would entail, and the doctor wouldn't have to certify to the Federal Aviation Administration that the pilot was healthy enough to fly. Instead, pilots would have to keep proof of their last doctor visit on hand should an FAA inspector ask to see the logbook where pilots keep track of their flight hours. The bill would narrow the number of medical conditions for which a doctor's special waiver is required, and eliminate the normal waiting period after heart procedures like Inhofe's bypass before a pilot can fly again. The bill does introduce a requirement for pilots to take an annual online course to familiarize themselves with aeromedical information. Ten years ago, the FAA eliminated the requirement for a medical certificate from a government-approved examiner for pilots who fly a special category of lightweight planes typically built from kits. Inhofe and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association say that since then there's been no increase in health-related crashes and fatalities for those "sport plane" pilots. "This is something we now have demonstrated clearly is not going to incur any safety hazards, and it is going to be a real godsend for pilots who don't want to go through this bureaucracy every two years, or more frequently in some cases," Inhofe said in a speech to the Senate in September. But the National Transportation Safety Board says its research shows pilots without medical certificates who are killed in a sport plane crash are more likely than pilots in the same circumstances with a medical certificate to have used potentially impairing drugs, drugs that are used to treat dangerous medical conditions and controlled substances. NTSB Chairman Chris Hart cited the death of a sport plane pilot near the central Texas town of Groesbeck in 2012. The pilot, Darrell G. Sorensen, 69, was attempting to land on a private landing strip when the plane suddenly took a hard left and crashed into woods. He had no medical certificate. An investigation revealed that Sorenson was being treated for hypertension, high cholesterol, a bladder obstruction, chronic pain, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, ADHD, insomnia and restless leg syndrome. Toxicology tests identified seven different medications in his bloodstream, including two considered to be sedating, one known to cause patients to fall asleep without warning and three controlled substances. Investigators concluded that Sorenson's physical and psychological problems contributed to his loss of control of the plane. Had he discussed his health problems with an approved medical examiner, "there would have been an opportunity to address the safety issues that his conditions and medications presented, and the crash might have been avoided," Hart said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this year. The Inhofe-Manchin bill has 69 co-sponsors. A companion bill in the House by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., has 151 co-sponsors. The Senate Commerce Committee had scheduled a vote on the bill for Wednesday, but after a reporter inquired about it aides said the vote may be postponed. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the senior Democrat on the committee, has been pushing for changes to the bill and negotiations were still in progress. Jonathan Kott, a spokesman for Manchin, told The Associated Press that Manchin and Inhofe planned to try to add the pilots bill to a larger, surface transportation bill that has cleared both the House and Senate, but he called back later to say those plans had been dropped. The transportation bill is expected to clear Congress and be sent to the White House by Dec. 4. Inhofe is the Senate's top GOP negotiator on the transportation bill, while Graves is a House negotiator. This is Inhofe's second "pilots rights" bill. In 2011, the senator ran afoul of the FAA when he landed a plane on a closed runway at a rural South Texas airport even though there was a giant yellow X and trucks on the runway. Workers on the ground scrambled to get out of the way. The FAA told him he had to take remedial piloting lessons before he could fly again. But Inhofe had the last word. He persuaded Congress the following year to pass a bill giving pilots more rights when dealing with FAA disciplinary hearings. http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/11/18/senator-pushing-medical- exam-bill-to-benefit-pilots-like-him?page=2 Back to Top EAA, AOPA and 15 Other Aviation Groups Send Senate Message on Pilot's Bill of Rights November 17 - On the eve of a U.S. Senate committee's consideration of the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, EAA and 16 other aviation groups-including those representing medical professionals and airline pilots-have signed a letter urging passage of the bill that would bring significant aeromedical reform. The bipartisan legislation currently has 69 co-sponsors in the Senate. It is scheduled for consideration by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday, November 18. The letter urges that the committee include an amendment authored by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) that helps reform the cumbersome and costly third-class medical process for general aviation pilots. The amendment also includes reforms to the FAA's Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) program and provides protections to volunteer pilots who fly in the public interest. "The amendment stands to reduce barriers to medical certification in a manner that allows for the continued safe operation of general aviation aircraft while providing cost savings to both the FAA and the general aviation community," the letter states. The letter also reminds senators of the importance of third-class medical reform as part of the future for general aviation. It builds on the safe, effective, and successful standards introduced as part of the sport pilot rule in 2004, an effort championed by EAA for more than a decade before its approval. "The FAA's medical certification system is currently both onerous and costly," said Sean Elliott, EAA's vice president of advocacy and safety. "This legislation will maintain safety and allow tens of thousands of pilots to avoid the cost and hassle associated with the medical certification process as we know it today. We are closer now to this vital reform than we ever have been before, thanks to the support of GA groups, those in the aeromedical community, and thousands of EAA members and other aviators who have contacted their lawmakers regarding the bill." More information on the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, originally authored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), a longtime GA pilot and EAA member, is available on EAA's advocacy website. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12139650/eaa-aopa-and-15-other-aviation- groups-send-senate-message-on-pilots-bill-of-rights-2 Back to Top Copenhagen Airport evacuates terminal after suspicious bag Copenhagen Airport's Terminal 3 has been evacuated after suspicious bag was found, a spokeswoman from the airport told Reuters. Flights departures have been moved to other terminals, she said. The Copenhagen Metro said on its web page that the airport's metro station cannot be used. Copenhagen Police said in a tweet it has no further comments. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/18/us-denmark-security-airport- idUSKCN0T71KM20151118#fsGb4zItKwpKyD5h.99 Back to Top Qatar Executive first in Mideast to win Europe safety certification The European Aviation Safety Agency's third-country operator safety certificate enables Qatar Executive to further grow its worldwide aircraft charter business while continuing to leverage on the rapidly developing network and support of the award-winning Qatar Airways group Qatar Airways' corporate jet division, Qatar Executive is the first 'Business Aviation Operator' in the Middle East and one of first worldwide to be awarded the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) third-country operator (TCO) safety certificate. By 2016, all non-EU commercial operators wishing to fly to the EU will be required to hold the authorisation certifying their compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation safety standards. As of now, operators are required to apply for operating permits from each European country, whereas, under the new rule, the "EASA TCO" approval is a single safety authorisation valid in all EASA member states and outlying territories. The EASA aims to reduce bureaucratic obstacles with the new unified approach and seeks to replace today's maze of national authorisations with a single document while maintaining the highest level of aviation safety in Europe. Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker, who also heads up the airline's private jet division, said, "Being the first business aviation operator in the Middle East to be awarded the EASA TCO certificate demonstrates that Qatar Executive is at the forefront of international aviation standards and that we are setting a benchmark for operational excellence across our industry. "The new safety authorisation is a testament to our group's high standards of safety, security, and attention to detail in all operational aspects, and is a proud moment for the company. "The safety and security of all our passengers and staff is our top priority, and we applaud the EASA for its continuous efforts in enhancing international safety standards, and raising the bar for airlines and business aviation operators worldwide." The achievement enables Qatar Executive to further grow its worldwide aircraft charter business while continuing to leverage on the rapidly developing network and support of the award-winning Qatar Airways group. Qatar Airways also obtained the EASA TCO approval in July this year. Qatar Airways is one of a few airlines in the world to provide a private jet service as part of its premium product portfolio. Since its inception just over six years ago, Qatar Executive has evolved into a leader in exclusive air charter services worldwide. Today, the company operates eight wholly-owned Bombardier private jets, comprising three Challenger 605s, four Global 5000s and a Global Express XRS - all featuring spacious cabins, the latter in a two-cabin configuration accommodating up to 13 passengers. To ensure Qatar Executive continues to offer one of the best products in the market, and to keep the private jet fleet young and modern, Qatar Executive has made significant investments in new aircraft and placed an order in May 2015 for up to 30 aircraft from Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, including firm orders and options for a combination of Gulfstream's all-new, wide-cabin aircraft, the G500 and G600, and the flagship G650ER. The first Gulfstream G650ER will join the fleet before the year-end and will offer customers the opportunity to fly non-stop from the Middle East to North America or from destinations in Asia to Africa - further, faster than any other jet of its kind. http://www.gulf-times.com/eco.-bus.%20news/256/details/463255/qatar-executive- first-in-mideast-to-win-europe-safety-certification Back to Top Back to Top Flexjet places order for new supersonic jet being developed by Bass's Aerion Venture to build supersonic business jet is backed by Fort Worth billionaire Robert Bass Company is partnering with Airbus on development and manufacturing New timeline announced at National Business Aviation Association trade show An artist rendering of the proposed Aerion supersonic business jet backed by Fort Worth financier Robert Bass. Aerion, the supersonic-jet maker backed by Fort Worth billionaire Robert Bass, announced Tuesday that the flight-share company Flexjet has agreed to buy 20 of its planes as it decides on a site for its factory. The deal will make Flexjet the initial fleet purchaser of the AS2 model, according to a statement released Tuesday at the National Business Aviation Association trade show in Las Vegas. Financial terms weren't disclosed.. Aerion said Monday that it plans to choose a manufacturing site during the first half of next year as it targets delivering the first faster-than-sound business aircraft in 2023. The timeline fleshes out how Aerion and partner Airbus Group intend to build a civilian plane capable of trans-sonic travel, a niche left vacant since the retirement of the Concorde in 2003. The team has made preliminary designs for a carbon-fiber wing structure, fuselage, landing gear and a fuel system, among other components. "We see clear and achievable technical solutions to the design of a supersonic jet, and a realistic road map for helping Aerion proceed toward construction and flight," Airbus Senior Vice President Ken McKenzie said in a statement. Airbus will provide major components and Aerion will do the final assembly, the companies said in the statement released at the National Business Aviation Association trade show in Las Vegas. For the production site, Aerion needs a 100-acre area near a U.S. airport with a runway at least 9,000 feet long, The plan is to break ground on the factory in 2018. Aerion is targeting the first flight of the AS2 for 2021. The project began in 2002 and was put on hold by the 2008-09 financial crisis. The collaboration with Airbus announced last year increases Aerion's chances of building a private jet that can break the sound barrier. The AS2 is intended to fly efficiently at lower speeds over land because of flight restrictions related to sonic booms. Over oceans, the aircraft can accelerate to Mach 1.5, which is 1.5 times the speed of sound, or about 750 miles per hour at sea level. While military jets have had supersonic capabilities for decades, the economics are daunting for civilian operations. High ticket prices helped do in the Concorde after 27 years of service, which slurped twice as much fuel as a Boeing jumbo jet while carrying only one-fourth as many passengers. In the years since Air France and British Airways parked their Concordes, would-be supersonic jet developers have turned to business aircraft in hopes of putting newer technology in a smaller airframe to attract wealthy buyers and globe-trotting chief executive officers. Aerion has begun to choose suppliers and plans to pick an engine maker during the first half of next year, CEO Doug Nichols said in the statement. http://www.star-telegram.com/news/business/article45218439.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Bombardier says to sell 20 business jet to Flexjet Nov 17 Bombardier Inc said on Tuesday it has agreed to sell 20 of its Challenger 350 business jets to Flexjet LLC, in a deal valued at about $544 million based on list prices of the planes. Flexjet, which has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bombardier, is owned by Directional Aviation Capital and is one of the world's largest providers of private jet travel. The provisional order comes as a huge boost for Bombardier, which in recent months has seen its order book affected by struggles with its CSeries line of passenger jets, as well as delays and problems with its new business jets. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/17/bombardier-orders- idUSL1N13C1UQ20151117#JoA3xr3BDt2OqwU2.99 Back to Top NBAA 2015 AGENDA Exhibit HoursExhibit Halls and Indoor Static Display of Aircraft 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 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 Boeing's KC-46 Tanker Completes Key Flight Tests WASHINGTON - Boeing's KC-46 Tanker recently completed aerial refueling initial airworthiness, the latest step on the road to full air refueling capability. The test plane's 20th flight on Thursday marked the completion of a series of flight tests that validated the plane's initial airworthiness to conduct aerial refueling operations, Boeing spokesman Charles Ramey told Defense News. The team conducted what is called "free air stability" testing and worked to validate the plane's aerodynamic model during the flights, Ramey said. The initial airworthiness validation is the first of two major milestones necessary for the new tanker to conduct its core mission, aerial refueling, according to Boeing spokeswoman Caroline Hutcheson. The next step is "fuel dock" testing, in which the test team validates the fuel transfer control functions, she said. Soon after completing fuel dock, Boeing will begin conducting full refueling flight tests with six kinds of receiver aircraft, including another KC-46, Ramey said. "It is positive progress and a major block complete in getting us to the first refueling flights that support Milestone C," Ramey said. http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/support/2015/11/17/boeings-kc- 46-tanker-completes-key-flight-tests/75931958/ Back to Top New Co-chairs for Flight Safety Foundation Business Advisory Committee ALEXANDRIA, Virginia - Flight Safety Foundation today announced that it has named Lisa Sasse, director, corporate strategies, VisionSafe Corp., and Jim Kelly, aviation safety manager and pilot, Pfizer, as the new co-chairs of the Foundation's Business Advisory Committee (BAC). The BAC comprises 25 business aviation professionals and is responsible for developing projects in support of business aviation safety. It also has a leading role in the development of the agenda for Foundation's annual Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS). BASS 2016 is scheduled for May 5-6 in Austin, Texas. "Both Lisa and Jim are longtime members of the BAC and have and been involved in numerous projects and initiatives. Working together, I think they will continue the tradition of strong leadership, both on this vital committee and within the international business aviation community," said Jon Beatty, president and CEO of the Foundation. Sasse has been a strong supporter of the work of the Foundation and of the BAC for many years. Through her work at VisionSafe, she has made significant contributions to the reduction and mitigation of in-flight smoke and fire risks. Sasse also has been a driving force in efforts to improve the quality and timeliness of weather information available to flight crews. Kelly, who currently flies the Gulfstream G550 and G650, is a dual rated airline transport pilot (ATP), airplane and rotorcraft, and has a graduate degree in human factors from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He has been an active member of the BAC since 2004, as well as a member of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Safety Committee. Kelly has been a pioneer in corporate flight operational quality assurance (C- FOQA) and was chair of the C-FOQA centerline steering committee. Sasse and Kelly succeed Peter Stein, director of flight operations for Johnson Controls, who recently was elected to the Foundation Board of Governors. ### Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12139668/new-co-chairs-for-flight-safety- foundation-business-advisory-committee Back to Top After 74 deaths in a decade, Delta bans pets from being checked like luggage Pets can not travel in cargo hold on Delta flights after March 1, 2016 Soon you won't be able to check your dog with your suitcase on Delta flights. Delta Air Lines DAL, -0.33% stated on its website that it will no longer allow customers to check their pets with their baggage after March 1, 2016, unless passengers are a member of the military with active transfer orders or require service animals. Certain pets can still travel in the cabin for a fee or be shipped on the ground via the Delta Cargo service. Prices for Delta Cargo shipping range from $193 to $1,481. The move may have been prompted by Delta's history of pet incidents. The airline has recorded the highest number of pet deaths between May 2005 and September 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. On Delta flights alone, 74 pets have died in the 10-year time period, accounting for about 25% of all recorded airline pet deaths in the U.S., and 14 pets have gone missing. However, these numbers are just a small percentage of the thousands of pets that travel on airlines each year. Delta imposed restrictions on pet travel in the cargo compartment in 2011, banning snub-nosed dogs and cats from being checked after a number of incidents with breeds with respiratory problems, according to The Atlanta Constitution-Journal. However, 24 pet deaths on Delta flights were recorded by the Department of Transportation after December 2011. Once the new policy goes into effect, American Airlines AAL, -1.24% will be the only U.S.-based airline to allow pets to travel in the checked-baggage compartment of its airplanes, according to data from travel review website BringFido.com. Other airlines, like JetBlue JBLU, -0.30% United Airlines UAL, -1.21% and Southwest LUV, +0.42% don't allow animals to travel in the cargo compartment. The Humane Society of the United States doesn't support pets traveling in cargo: "We strongly discourage having your pet travel by air in the cargo hold of a plane," its policy states. "It can be dangerous and stressful." Delta didn't respond to a request for comment, but in 2013 it required travelers provide a health certificate for pets that are traveling on the same flight as the owner, which must be issued within 10 days of transport. The company advises on its website that customers take extra care when traveling with animals: "Your pet is an important member of your family. Review the health, kennel and weather requirements listed below to help keep your pets safe and secure during travel." http://www.marketwatch.com/story/delta-will-no-longer-allow-pets-to-travel-with- checked-luggage-2015-11-17 Back to Top Private space companies avoid FAA oversight again, with Congress' blessing Plus: asteroid miners' rights! This week, President Obama is expected to sign into law a critical bill for the commercial spaceflight sector - one that prevents the government from regulating private space travel for the next eight years. Under the legislation, the Federal Aviation Administration is restricted from issuing standards for commercial spacecraft, as it does for the commercial airline industry, until 2023 at the earliest. The new bill will also keep the International Space Station running through 2024, as well as give companies the rights to any items they've collected in space. The Senate passed the bill H.R. 2262, also known as the US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, last week, and both the House and the Senate have expressed support for it. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has scheduled the bill for final approval this afternoon. After it passes, it goes to the president for his official signature. PRIVATE SPACE TRAVEL IS STILL CONSIDERED YOUNG Many prominent commercial space companies - including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic - have applauded H.R. 2262. The legislation means that private space travel is still considered young, and lawmakers have given the industry more time to experiment and gather data."It allows the industry to grow, to test, and to develop without this overshadow of the regulatory hammer coming down on them," Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a non-profit aimed at promoting commercial spaceflight development, told The Verge. It also means that people participating in private spaceflight do so at their own risks, and there are no government regulations in place specifically to keep them safe. Space travel isn't that safe, of course; nearly 1 in 10 rockets fail, though most vehicles that go into space these days don't have crew members on board. The FAA is concerned about the spacecraft that will carry people, though, which is why the agency doesn't seem supportive of the learning period extension. In February of 2014, George Nield, head of the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, testified before the House Subcommittee on Space that he thinks it's time for the period to expire. Nield said he understands that many in the industry fear overregulation by the FAA, but that his office is more concerned with ensuring crew safety than issuing "burdensome" standards. "We want to enable safe and successful commercial operations," he testified. Regulatory Learning Period The advent of private spaceflight began in the 1960s, but the industry has only started growing rapidly this decade. To address this expansion, Congress passed the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act in 2004. It granted the private sector a "learning period" free of regulation. The learning period was set to expire in December 2012 but was granted two short extensions. H.R. 2262 will extend the period for a further eight years, through September 30th, 2023. THE FAA STILL HAS SOME AUTHORITY TO REGULATE THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR During the learning period, the FAA still has some authority to regulate the commercial sector. The agency is responsible for issuing licenses for rocket launches and for vehicles re-entering Earth's atmosphere. The agency's main concern is to ensure that launch vehicles aren't immediate threats to the uninvolved public and property. Under this legislation, the FAA is restricted from issuing licenses specifically pertaining to the safety of a spacecraft's crew or passengers. Right now, people who participate in commercial spaceflight do so through "informed consent" - meaning they know that they're partaking in an endeavor that could easily kill them. Before these participants can fly, they must sign a document that says spaceflight is inherently dangerous and they understand the risks associated with it. The end of the learning period would allow the FAA to issue standards related to crew safety - but it also means the agency could issue standards for anything else in relation to commercial spaceflight. For example, the agency could dictate specifically how engines or vehicles should be designed and built, similar to how the FAA oversees the commercial aviation industry. NTSB investigators stand next to the crash site of SpaceShipTwo. (NTSB) The FAA hasn't expressed interest in doing this, but Nield noted in his 2014 testimony that the agency wants to regulate spaceflight activities that take place in orbit; for instance, the FAA wants to issue standards for collision avoidance. The agency also hinted it might try to regulate commercial crew safety following last year's Virgin Galactic crash, in which a pilot was killed during a test flight of the company's SpaceShipTwo vehicle. The initial regulatory learning period was contingent on the fact that no one died during commercial space travel, and the SpaceShipTwo crash was the first commercial flight to result in a fatality. The FAA told Bloomberg that the agency may want additional regulations following an accident investigation, without saying what those might entail. H.R. 2262 restricts the FAA from issuing regulations, regardless of what the investigation turns up. Stallmer, of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, argued that there will be a time when more regulations are needed - after this learning period is over, without saying when that would be. He hopes that any new standards will stem from extensive dialogue between the government and commercial sectors, as companies continue to learn more about the business of rocket science. "And as the industry grows, we'll have the knowledge we need so we can eventually have efficient and common sense regulations," said Stallmer. Space Station and Asteroid Mining The International Space Station (NASA) H.R. 2262 also issues a number of other key provisions, which can be found here. For one, the bill officially extends operations of the International Space Station through 2024. President Obama had already approved this ISS extension, but Congress must sign off on it in order for it to be final. "A new president could come and say, 'To hell with this space station,'" said Stallmer. "This puts into law that the space station will continue to be a national laboratory." And then there's the asteroid mining. Under one provision of H.R. 2262 called the Space Resource Exploration and Utilization Act of 2015, commercial companies get the rights to any resources that they collect from celestial bodies. The provision is important for companies like the asteroid mining company Planetary Resources, which recently partnered with Virgin Galactic. "Now, if you go out somewhere in space and you pick [something] up, it's yours," said Chris Lewicki, the president and chief engineer of Planetary Resources. "IF YOU GO OUT SOMEWHERE IN SPACE AND YOU PICK [SOMETHING] UP, IT'S YOURS." The bill mostly refines what was originally laid out in the Outer Space Treaty, a document signed by 104 companies in 1967 that eventually became the basis for international space law. The treaty forbids anyone from claiming asteroids or planets as new government territories, but it does grant non-government entities the rights "explore and use" outer space. That means companies can go collect any space materials they can find and bring back home with them. Now, H.R. 2262 guarantees that they will own those materials. The only caveat: H.R. 2262 doesn't grant companies the rights to any biological organisms they might stumble upon in space. That means that Planetary Resources won't be bringing an alien pets home from their asteroid mining missions. http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/16/9744298/private-space-government-regulation- spacex-asteroid-mining Back to Top American Bank Buys Boeing Plane From Airline With Ties To Iran, Syria An Iraqi plane lands at Baghdad International airport. Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani An American bank purchased a Boeing aircraft last month from an Iraqi company with ties to Iran, aviation records show. The Bank of Utah bought the 737 from Iraq's Al Naser Airlines, which has sold aircraft to Mahan Air -- a company that reportedly transports weapons and soldiers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Syria. The purchase took place Oct. 20, but records do not indicate where the plane is currently located. Al-Naser Airlines was blacklisted by the U.S. in May when it sold aircraft to Mahan Air, which has provided financial, material and technological support to the forces supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad. The recent transaction appears to violate U.S. sanctions. The Bank of Utah is a community bank with 13 branches throughout the state. Officials at the bank did not reply to an International Business Times request for comment. The reason for the purchase remains unclear. This is not the first time the Bank of Utah has purchased aircraft with ties to Iran. In 2014 an aircraft purchased by the bank showed up at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran. At the time, Bank of Utah executive Brett King said: "We have no idea why that plane was at that airport." Since January 2014, the Bank of Utah has been listed as the purchaser of 10 aircraft: four of them from Boeing, aviation records show, the rest from McDonnell Douglas, an American aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor. Now, the bank appears to have made a purchase from one of the only airlines in the world still selling to Iran. In October 2011, the Treasury Department announced that Mahan Air would be sanctioned for its support of the Quds Force, which backs Assad. The airline was also accused of flying Quds Force members linked to a plot to kill Saudi Arabia's former ambassador to the U.S., Adel al-Jubeir. Then, six months ago, the Treasury Department took punitive action against Al-Naser Airlines for selling Boeing aircraft to Mahan. The department froze American-held assets of Al-Naser. The U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control, a group in the Department of Treasury, has listed both Al-Naser Airlines and Mahan Air on its Specially Designated Nationals List of people, organizations and vessels with whom U.S. citizens and permanent residents are prohibited from doing business. Despite its presence on the SDN List, Mahan Air and Al-Naser Airlines have been able to continue selling both American manufactured aircraft or aircrafts with American parts. One of Iran's commercial airlines last month bought a jet that was manufactured in the U.K. with a Honeywell engine, IBT learned. The latest deal marked the second time in five months that the Iranian airline purchased aircraft to expand its fleet based in Tehran, Iran, despite being blacklisted by the U.S. since 2008. The transaction underscored the airline's intention to expand the company through new subsidiaries. But as the airline expands, the U.S. is struggling to keep up. Over the years, the Commerce Department has intercepted several third parties attempting to sell to Mahan Air. Still, the department is unable to stop every transaction. Senior U.S. officials told IBT recently that they are investigating the purchase of a U.K.- manufactured aircraft by one of Iran's airlines. Because the jet has an American-made engine, it is subject to U.S. export laws. http://www.ibtimes.com/american-bank-buys-boeing-plane-airline-ties-iran-syria- 2188887 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: 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 | Back to Basics: Prioritizing Safety in a Challenging Economy 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 Faculty Position in UAS ERAU - Prescott Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Prescott, Arizona, is now accepting applications for a tenure-track faculty position in support of our new B.S. degree in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. We will begin reviewing application materials on December 1, 2015, and the position will begin in the summer of 2016. ERAU is the world's leader in aviation and aerospace education. The University is an independent, non-profit, culturally diverse institution providing quality education and research in aviation, aerospace, engineering and related fields. The City of Prescott is nestled at an elevation of 5,200' in the central mountains of Arizona and is surrounded by granite mountains and ponderosa pine forests. Prescott's citizens enjoy a mild climate with four distinct seasons and a variety of outdoor activities. As the first territorial capitol of Arizona, Prescott has a rich history and a strong sense of community. The detailed job description and application instructions are available at the following link: Please forward this information to any potential qualified candidates. Sincerely, Curtis N. James, Ph.D. Professor of Meteorology Dept. Chair, Applied Aviation Sciences Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Bldg. 74, Room 233 3700 Willow Creek Road Prescott, AZ 86301-3720 Office: (928) 777-6655 Email: Curtis.James@erau.edu Curt Lewis