Flight Safety Information November 26, 2015 - No. 237 In This Issue U.S. military fighter jet crashes in New Mexico, pilot safe JetBlue Shakes Up Pilot Hiring by Training Them From Scratch Hazardous Airliner Landings Are Rare, Data Show, but Pilot Reporting Lags FAA urges pilots to test headsets Ten people, including Rosneft workers, killed in helicopter crash in Siberia Denver-bound flight returns to Sacramento after bird strike FAA: Planes flying into Dallas Love Field, D/FW Airport struck with lasers Wednesday night EGYPT PLANE CRASH PROMPTS UN AVIATION SAFETY REVIEW PROS 2015 TRAINING Could DETACHABLE cabins cut boarding times? Philippine Air Force receiving South Korean FA-50 jets Chinese Aircraft Leasing Firms Prepare for IPO Takeoff Airplane Black Boxes Can Reveal or Conceal a Crime American Airlines stops accepting payments in Argentine pesos Graduate Research Survey Research Survey Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) U.S. military fighter jet crashes in New Mexico, pilot safe A U.S. Air Force fighter jet crashed in New Mexico during a routine training mission on Wednesday but the pilot was able to eject safely, military officials said. The F-16 Fighting Falcon went down in a remote, rugged area northwest of Salinas Peak, near the city of Truth or Consequences, at about 8:45 a.m. after taking off from Holloman Air Force Base, the officials said. The $25 million jet was not carrying any live ordnance at the time, the officials said, and no one on the ground was hurt. The pilot was in good condition when he was found by an emergency response team and was taken to a local medical facility for evaluation, said Holloman spokesman Arlan Ponder. He was identified only as a first lieutenant assigned to the 314th Fighter Squadron. Officials said the single-seat F-16 had been flying in military airspace over the White Sands Missile Range. The crash site is about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of the base. An Air Force team will investigate the cause of the crash, Ponder said. Meanwhile, all flying operations from Holloman have ceased and will resume after the Thanksgiving holiday, he said. The plane is part of the 54th Fighter Group from Luke Air Force Base in near Phoenix, Arizona, but was among two squadrons of F-16s relocated to the New Mexico base to make room at Luke for newer F-35 fighters. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/25/us-newmexico-crash- idUSKBN0TE2XC20151125#TOKH2djCzirbUgZT.99 *************** Date: 25-NOV-2015 Time: 0845 Type: General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon Owner/operator: United States Air Force Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: NW of Salinas Peak, New Mexico - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Training Departure airport: KHMN Destination airport: KHMN Narrative: The aircraft experienced a successful ejection of its operator. The airplane was destroyed and the sole pilot onboard was not injured. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=181731 Back to Top JetBlue Shakes Up Pilot Hiring by Training Them From Scratch * Airline seeks to groom recruits who lack flight experience * Proposal to break with historical practice awaits FAA review JetBlue Airways Corp., breaking with historical practices at U.S. airlines, plans to recruit potential pilots with no flight experience and provide its own training under a proposal awaiting approval from federal regulators. The program would be the first of its kind in the U.S. and would be similar to those used by some European and Asian carriers. Candidates still would have to meet U.S. requirements, including 1,500 hours of flight experience, to be certified as commercial airline pilots, JetBlue said. JetBlue crafted its plan to gain access to a broader group of candidates, oversee their training from the start and expose them earlier to being part of a crew on large aircraft, said Doug McGraw, an airline spokesman. Dubbed Gateway 7, the initiative is being targeted for introduction on a trial basis in 2016 and will initially involve only a small percentage of recruits. "The program is designed to accommodate prospective trainees with little-to-no aviation experience, but who pass a rigorous selection process," McGraw said. JetBlue is focused initially only on pilots for its 100-seat Embraer SA E190 jets. McGraw said that after the trial period, the airline will evaluate whether to extend the program, possibly to the larger Airbus Group SE aircraft that make up more than two-thirds of its 211-plane fleet. They carry at least 150 passengers. Major U.S. carriers have long relied on bringing in pilots with the minimum flight hours, typically amassed in military aircraft or by working as a civilian instructor before snagging a regional-airline job. Either way, pilots would begin in small aircraft and gradually work up to faster, more-sophisticated multi-engine models. Simulator Time JetBlue's approach is known as ab initio -- Latin for "from the beginning." One point of emphasis: More time in simulators for exposure to scenarios involving bad weather and mechanical failures. Recruits also would take academic classes at JetBlue before moving to a partner company to gain the required 1,500 hours of flying time. They then would return to New York-based JetBlue, or could apply at another airline. "We're opposed to it," said Captain Jim Bigham, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association union at JetBlue. "We think there are thousands of pilots available that have higher qualifications right now than any pilot coming out of an ab initio program." The program is being reviewed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, McGraw said. The FAA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Gateway 7 is similar to a so-called multicrew pilot license introduced several years ago by the International Civil Aviation Organization and since adopted by airlines including Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the U.K.'s EasyJet Plc. Pilots in that system start training in multiperson cockpits in simulators instead of gaining their first experience in small, single-engine planes. JetBlue plans to begin accepting applications in the first quarter and to open training in mid-2016. Successful trainees would join the airline as first officers in 2020. Gateway 7 will consider applicants with no prior training as well as those with flight experience, McGraw said. Prospective pilots would pay for their own training. "We can assess early whether someone would make a great JetBlue pilot and get them on the path," McGraw said. The program isn't a response to a potential pilot shortage, McGraw said. JetBlue, the fifth-largest U.S. airline, receives thousands of candidates for pilot positions and expects that to continue. Rather, Gateway 7 will supplement six existing recruiting efforts at the airline, he said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-25/jetblue-to-shake-up-hiring-on-start-from-scratch- pilot-training Back to Top Hazardous Airliner Landings Are Rare, Data Show, but Pilot Reporting Lags More than 200 approaches over past 15 years prompted collision warnings, Honeywell report says Hazardous approaches that prompt cockpit emergency collision warnings make up a tiny portion of the more than 20 million flights Honeywell analyzed. By ANDY PASZTOR More than 200 landing approaches made by commercial airliners over the past 15 years prompted cockpit emergency collision warnings-the last possible alert before a crash-yet most of the incidents weren't reported by pilots, according to global data collected by Honeywell International Inc. The hazardous approaches made up a minute portion of the more than 20 million analyzed flights and none resulted in a crash, even though some pilots pulled up at the last instant. But the numbers indicate that premature descents and associated navigation errors, which were the most common cause of crashes in previous decades, haven't been eliminated, even as overall accident rates reach record lows. In recent years, onboard safety systems developed by Honeywell and now made by several others have helped to largely eliminate commercial accidents stemming from such cockpit slip-ups in Western jets, experts inside and outside Honeywell say. The data, which Honeywell says it hadn't previously disclosed partly to avoid antagonizing pilot unions, don't break out specific airlines or even regions where the hazardous incidents occurred. Out of nearly 24.4 million flights between 2000 and 2015 that Honeywell analyzed, the company found 224 so-called premature descent events: when planes were heading for runways, but pilots received computer-generated verbal warnings to "pull up, pull up." Crews either adjusted their trajectories, or abandoned the approaches. The incidents "were mostly unreported by pilots or [air-traffic] controllers," according to a summary document provided by the company. Pilot groups have "worked tirelessly with other industry bodies, over many years, to address the challenges posed" by such incidents, said Martin Chalk, president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations. He added that "under reporting of significant events" remains a problem, which is "not helped by either punitive or apathetic responses" from carriers or regulators. Nearly all of the dangerous approaches were flown without the benefit of sophisticated ground-based navigation aids, like those installed at major airports throughout the U.S., Europe and other regions with mature aviation industries. Many more such dangerous approaches are believed to occur than are formally reported and investigated by government regulators or safety agencies, veteran Honeywell safety expert Don Bateman said. Mr. Bateman, who in the 1990s led development of the advanced safety devices-called enhanced ground-proximity warning systems-said in an interview that "pilots tend to very quickly recover" when they get such a dramatic warning on approach. "They get the heck out of there, in a hurry." Robert Francis, a former vice chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, said the data "absolutely represents a tribute to the system" of safety technologies provided by various suppliers. "It shows things are working" as intended, he said, "and flight crews are trained to react almost instantaneously." A decade ago, "controlled flight into terrain" accidents-when pilots lose track of their location or surroundings-accounted for 25% of fatal commercial crashes. In 2014, they accounted for roughly 2% of all accidents and about 13% of fatalities world-wide, according to statistics assembled by the aviation arm of the United Nations. The lifesaving technology is installed on more than 55,000 commercial and military aircraft. Honeywell gathers incident data whenever ground-collision warning devices are returned for service, upgrade or repair. "Most pilots don't realize the data is there" to be harvested, Mr. Bateman said. Honeywell says it has gone to great lengths to reassure pilot unions that their goal isn't to identify or punish crews that made mistakes. Over the years, Honeywell has used the information to revise databases by correcting errors involving terrain features, as well as adjusting the height and position of other natural and man-made obstacles shown in navigation systems. More recently, the data have been used to document safety trends and to show that timely warnings-combined with enhanced awareness and simulator training for pilots-can prevent deadly crashes. http://www.wsj.com/articles/hazardous-airliner-landings-are-rare-data-show-but-pilot-reporting-lags- 1448477704 Back to Top FAA urges pilots to test headsets The FAA is warning pilots that they may be missing important sounds, including cockpit warnings that aren't transmitted over the intercom system, when wearing noise-canceling headsets. In a special airworthiness information bulletin issued Nov. 20, the FAA urges pilots to evaluate their headsets during normal ground and in-flight operations to determine whether alarms and environmental sounds are audible when using noise attenuation. "Noise-canceling headsets are valuable tools that help reduce pilot fatigue, increase comfort, and deliver clearer communications," said Justin Barkowski, AOPA director of regulatory affairs. "But it's important to know what you may be missing when you're using them. That's why we're encouraging our members to review the advisory information provided by the FAA." The bulletin, SAIB CE-16-08, advises pilots who cannot hear cockpit alarms or such environmental sounds as wind, vibration, or unusual mechanical or engine noises to find other solutions. Similar information was provided in Information for Operators 07001 issued in January 2007. Although the information was directed primarily at commercial operators, general aviation pilots are now being encouraged to review that information as well. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/November/25/FAA-urges-pilots-to-test-headsets Back to Top Ten people, including Rosneft workers, killed in helicopter crash in Siberia MOSCOW - Ten people on board a Mi-8 helicopter, including employees of Russia's state oil company Rosneft, died when the aircraft crashed in the Krasnoyarsk region in Siberia on Thursday, regional transport prosecutors said. There were 25 people total on board, the prosecutors said in a statement on their website www.zsproc.ru. They earlier said that 15 out of 26 people on board died. The civilian helicopter was carrying workers to an oil production site at Vankor, an oilfield belonging to Rosneft. According to a Rosneft statement, there were three crew members and 22 passengers on board. It said that 10 people, including three crew members, died. "Causes of the incident are being investigated," Rosneft said in the statement. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/26/uk-russia-helicopter-crash- idUSKBN0TF0LN20151126#Bg7hqPuietyj0PXw.97 ***************** Date: 26-NOV-2015 Time: Type: Mil Mi-8T Owner/operator: Turuhan Avia Registration: RA-25361 C/n / msn: 98206821/59- Fatalities: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 25 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: 10 km from Igarka - Russia Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Igarka Destination airport: Narrative: A Mi-8 helicopter carrying 22 passengers and three crew members crashed 10 kilometers from the town of Igarka, Russia. As a result, 13 people died, and another 10 are in intensive care, according to Tass Reportedly the helicopter fell into the ice covered Yenisei River. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=181738 Back to Top Denver-bound flight returns to Sacramento after bird strike SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A Denver-bound United Airlines jetliner was forced to return to Sacramento after it hit a bird, causing an engine to fail. Sacramento International Airport Spokeswoman Laurie Slothower says United Airlines flight 2005 departed Sacramento International Airport Wednesday evening and shortly after takeoff struck a bird. The Airbus A320 was carrying 114 passengers and landed safety at the Sacramento airport about 35 minutes after departure. No injuries were reported. Slothower says the passengers had to be booked on other flights. http://q13fox.com/2015/11/26/denver-bound-flight-returns-to-sacramento-after-bird-strike/ Back to Top FAA: Planes flying into Dallas Love Field, D/FW Airport struck with lasers Wednesday night * FAA reports eight laser strikes on planes approaching Dallas Love Field Sunday night * Lasers target three more flights near Dallas Love Field There is much debate over who truly invented the laser - Gordon Gould, perhaps, or Charles H. Townes or, more likely, both men, with input and contributions from several others who pioneered the creation of a device that allowed for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." One thing is certain, however: Whoever invented the laser beam did not intend for it to be shined into the cockpits of aircraft passing overhead. And yet, so far in 2015, there have been more than 120 reported laser strikes in Dallas-Fort Worth - a marked jump from the 85 reported in all of 2014. The nationwide number is way up as well. In just the past two weeks, the Federal Aviation Administration says, there have been 14 cases of people aiming laser pointers at planes trying to land at Dallas Love Field - including eight Sunday night alone. Add two more federal offenses to the growing list. This is what it looks like when someone shines a laser pointer into a cockpit. Not pleasant. FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford says that around 6 p.m. Wednesday - only one of the busiest travel days of the year - an inbound Southwest flight reported being "illuminated by a green laser" on its left side while on approach to Love. The incident occurred at 2,000 feet about three miles northwest of the city- owned airport. "No injuries reported," per the FAA's notes. Lunsford says Grapevine police also spent Wednesday night investigating reports of someone shining a laser at planes flying into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Wednesday night. Lunsford says via email that the light appeared to be coming "from a car driving on 121 North toward Lewisville." Used to be the laser strike was a rare occurrence. Now, Lunsford says, "Hardly a week goes by in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that we don't get one or two." Maybe because people still haven't figured out it's a federal crime - interfering with the operation of an aircraft - punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/11/faa-planes-flying-into-dallas-love-field-dfw-airport-struck- with-lasers-wednesday-night.html/ Back to Top EGYPT PLANE CRASH PROMPTS UN AVIATION SAFETY REVIEW THE UNITED NATIONS' AVIATION AGENCY SAYS ITS PANEL OF SECURITY EXPERTS WILL REVIEW WAYS TO BETTER PROTECT AIRPORTS FROM TERRORISM FOLLOWING CONCERNS OF LAX SECURITY RAISED AFTER A RUSSIAN PLANE WAS DESTROYED ON OCTOBER 31. The International Civil Aviation Organization-led panel, which is to meet in March 2016, will emphasise airport security following the crash of a Metrojet airline in Egypt, ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu told reporters this week. "This will address aviation security issues, the existing standards and to see where there are gaps and to see where we need to develop additional guidance material to assist our member states," Aliu said on the sidelines of a global aviation forum in Montreal. "The security of our member states actually starts, in most cases, at the airport." While stressing that flying is safe, Aliu said ICAO is focusing on finding a balance between aviation security and the facilitation of air travel. The Montreal-based ICAO sets global safety standards for international flights and aviation security standards for 191 member countries. Its security audits evaluate countries' ability to oversee their airports, including how well they conform to those standards. These audit results are confidential. "Most of our members are living up to those standards," Aliu said. Aliu declined to comment on any new recommendations from ICAO in the wake of the destroyed plane, which had just departed from Sharm al-Sheikh airport. "We have to wait for the results of the investigation," Aliu said. "If there are specific recommendations that we need to pay attention to, then you can rest assured that we will take action." Russia has said the downing of the plane, which killed 224 people, was the result of a bomb, and the country's security service has offered a $US50 million ($A69.57 million) bounty to track down the bombers. European and US officials have raised concerns over security at the Sharm al-Sheikh airport, with Britain and France initially suspending flights to the tourist region in the wake of the crash. Angela Gittens, director general of Airports Council International, said airports generally review their security procedures following such incidents. The industry is still waiting for the investigation's results. http://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/egypt-plane-crash-prompts-un-aviation-safety-review/ Back to Top Back to Top Could DETACHABLE cabins cut boarding times? Airbus patent reveals radical new design for future planes * Airbus recently filed a patent detailing 'removable cabin modules' * Passengers could be seated in the cabins while they are still at a gate * The entire cabin can then be lowered and attached to the plane Airbus has come up with some strange concepts for future planes in recent months. These include bicycle-like seat that let passengers perch on chairs, and seats that are stacked on top of one another to allow more people to fly. Now the aircraft manufacturer has come up with another bizarre idea; detachable cabins that could cut down the amount of times it takes to board a plane. Airbus has come up with another bizarre idea; detachable cabins that could cut down the amount of times it takes to board a plane. This is according to a patent that was approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office yesterday Airbus has come up with another bizarre idea; detachable cabins that could cut down the amount of times it takes to board a plane. This is according to a patent that was approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office yesterday This is according to a patent that was approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office yesterday, according to a report in Wired. To reduce a plane's turnaround time, Airbus suggests 'a removable cabin module, comprising a floor, an upper aircraft fuselage portion connected to the floor, and a first and a second end wall. 'The first and second end walls, the floor and the upper aircraft fuselage portion form a cabin for transport of passengers, luggage, freight or combinations thereof.' It suggests that passengers could be seated in the detachable cabins while they are still docked at a gate. To reduce a plane's turnaround time, Airbus suggests 'a removable cabin module, comprising a floor, an upper aircraft fuselage portion connected to the floor, and a first and a second end wall To reduce a plane's turnaround time, Airbus suggests 'a removable cabin module, comprising a floor, an upper aircraft fuselage portion connected to the floor, and a first and a second end wall The entire cabin can then be lowered and attached to the plane. When passengers land, their cabin is removed and immediately replaced with another, fully loaded cabin The entire cabin can then be lowered and attached to the plane. When passengers land, their cabin is removed and immediately replaced with another, fully loaded cabin The entire cabin can then be lowered and attached to the plane. When passengers land, their cabin is removed and immediately replaced with another, fully loaded cabin. Airbus says the 'aircraft pod concept' means 'passengers could be pre-seated in cabin pods before the plane actually arrives, ready for integration on the aircraft, saving time and making processing much simpler.' The patent includes drawings of the docking stations and transport equipment to shuttle the cabin containers. Wired points out, however, that this kind of terminal overhaul is 'highly unlikely.' The patent includes drawings of the docking stations and transport equipment to shuttle the cabin containers. Wired points out, however, that this kind of terminal overhaul is 'highly unlikely' The patent includes drawings of the docking stations and transport equipment to shuttle the cabin containers. Wired points out, however, that this kind of terminal overhaul is 'highly unlikely' The patent follows one filed by Airbus in October which details a split-level mezzanine style aircraft. The arrangement would be used in a premium cabin such as business class with rows in the middle section alternating between floor level and an elevated level that is several feet higher. Every seat would recline into a lying position, and those at the lower level would have an ottoman with stairs or a ladder mounted on the side to allow passengers to climb into their mezzanine seats. The design was created by a team of Airbus employees in Hamburg, Germany, and filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, although it may never see the light of day. The patent follows one filed by Airbus in October which details a split-level mezzanine style aircraft. The arrangement would be used in a premium cabin such as business class with rows in the middle section alternating between floor level and an elevated level that is several feet higher The patent follows one filed by Airbus in October which details a split-level mezzanine style aircraft. The arrangement would be used in a premium cabin such as business class with rows in the middle section alternating between floor level and an elevated level that is several feet higher Based on some drawings, the seats would be angled so passengers in the middle section wouldn't be forced to stare into the backs of the seats in front of them. With this design, business class - where there are no overhead storage bins in the middle section - may no longer be as roomy as it is now. Airbus would be able to fit more seats into premium cabins on wide-body planes where passengers are normally seated six across, and airlines would be able to sell more tickets. Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, insisted the premium cabin would maintain 'a high level of comfort' despite the radical design, and there would be enough head room for passengers on both levels. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3333911/Could-DETACHABLE-cabins-cut-boarding-times- Airbus-patent-reveals-radical-new-design-future-planes.html#ixzz3sbHZBnBS Back to Top Philippine Air Force receiving South Korean FA-50 jets * The Philippine Air Force is receiving the first two jet aircraft ordered from Korea Aerospace Industries as part of its aircraft modernization program. * The FA-50 fighter and trainer ordered by the Philippines from South Korea. Photo courtesy KAI MANILA, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The Philippines will receive on Friday the first two of 12 FA-50 Golden Eagle jets from Korea Aerospace Industries. The planes, lead-in fighter trainers, will arrive at Clark Air Base, a former U.S. facility of the Philippine Air Force, as part of the PAF's modernization effort, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported. The FA-50, built by the Korean company with assistance from Lockheed Martin, has a maximum speed of 1,020 miles per hour and range of 1,150 miles. It can be fitted with air-to-air missiles, heat-seeking missiles, and light automatic cannons. It can also carry a variety of bombs. "This is the first time that we will have supersonic capability since 2005 when our (F-5) jets were decommissioned, said PAF spokesman Col. Enrico Canaya. "This is the revival of the supersonic jet age." The newspaper said the remaining 10 aircraft from South Korea are to be delivered by 2017. The Philippines earlier this year sent three PAF pilots to South Korea to undergo training in operating the aircraft. The delivery of the aircraft comes amid continuing tension between the Philippines and China over ownership of small islands off the Philippines and Chinese military construction in the area. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2015/11/25/Philippine-Air-Force-receiving- South-Korean-FA-50-jets/8781448477968/ Back to Top Chinese Aircraft Leasing Firms Prepare for IPO Takeoff Three of China's top lessors are already making plans to list in Hong Kong A China Southern Airlines Co. aircraft flies over a man standing on a pedestrian bridge as it approaches to land at Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai, China. Leasing companies are looking to raise capital to fund further expansion amid growing demand for air travel in China. HONG KONG-As demand for flights into and out of China grows, a new sector for investors is taking wing-aircraft leasing companies. Three of China's top lessors are already making plans to list in Hong Kong in the near to medium term. BOC Aviation, an arm of Bank of China Group, aims to raise $1-1.5 billion from an initial public offering next year, while China Development Bank's leasing business is also planning a $1 billion IPO within the same time frame, people with knowledge of the matter said. The emergence of aircraft leasing companies onto the public markets offers another potential way to tap into the Chinese consumers' growing spending power. "There is a huge middle class (in China). Incomes are rising. There are people that want to travel," said Sameer Sopori, BNP Paribas' head of capital raising and financing for Asia Pacific. "Leasing is a sector that fits into a consumer-driven economy-a sector of choice from an investor's perspective." Traffic from China's airlines alone increased 13% in the first half of this year, surpassing 100 million passengers for the first time, according to data from Centre for Aviation (CAPA), an independent aviation market research firm. International travel by Chinese people surged by 57% over the same period, though the country's domestic market still accounts for the majority of flights taken. "We are seeing (increasing) demand in the global tourism market, especially outbound traffic from China and Asia," said Joanna Lu, head of advisory Asia with aviation consulting firm Ascend. "IPOs are a logical step for some leasing companies given their large capital expenditure plans to support the backlog scheduled for delivery over the next few years and their global ambitions." More Chinese leasing firms are likely to tap equity markets as they move away from relying on debt financing, said Jeffrey Lowe, managing director of Hong Kong-based aviation services company Asian Sky Group. Bond issuance by Chinese aircraft leasing companies has totaled US$3.8 billion since 2012, according to Dealogic data. BOC Aviation, China Development Bank Leasing Co Ltd and ICBC Financial Leasing Co Ltd, the country's top three aircraft lessors, have also raised more than US$3 billion in loans in the past five years, Thomson Reuters data shows. This picture taken on February 4, 2015 shows passengers checking in at the service counters in Beijing Capital International Airport on the first day of China's spring festival travel rush in Beijing. The travel period known as 'chunyun' is the world's largest annual migration with tens of millions across China boarding trains to journey home for Lunar New Year celebrations. Leasing companies want to have a balance between debt financing and equity funding, Mr. Lowe said. "They don't want to have all their eggs in one basket." A number of China's aircraft lessors are units of banks: spinning them off will also give these financial institutions the chance to monetize their value. BOC Aviation declined to comment further beyond last month's announcement. CDB Leasing and Minsheng Leasing couldn't be reached for comment. http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-aircraft-leasing-firms-prepare-for-ipo-takeoff-1448539619 Back to Top Airplane Black Boxes Can Reveal or Conceal a Crime By Gene Poteat Poland's new conservative government, elected in October and about to take office, is already showing its colors. The minister of foreign affairs-designate, Witold Waszczykowski, told the Polish broadcaster TVN24 on Tuesday that Poland will sue Russia at the European Court of Human Rights for the return of property connected with the crash of a Polish plane near Smolensk, Russia, on April 10, 2010. The crash killed 96 people, including the president of Poland, his wife, and numerous senior political, military, and church dignitaries. The group were on their way to ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre -- the murder by Soviet secret police (the NKVD) of some 22,000 Polish officers and other officials in 1940. A sore point with the Soviet Union and long denied, the murders were finally admitted by Gorbachev in 1990. The Smolensk crash decapitated the pro-Western Polish leadership. In its place, the pro-Russia government of Donald Tusk came to power in Warsaw. It was, many suggested, for Russia a convenient accident. But international attention needed to be swiftly deflected from the crash, and Russian president Vladimir Putin was ready to make that happen. Shortly after the crash, Russia produced an official report, without Polish participation, known as the MAK (Interstate Aviation Committee) report. Drawn up under Putin's oversight, the report identified pilot error during a landing in bad weather as the cause of the crash. It claimed that the airplane struck a birch tree, severing the left wing, which caused the plane to veer into the ground short of the runway. All aboard perished. Russia's actions after the crash were odd -- more like those of a criminal sweeping a crime scene than a concerned nation seeking answers. As doubts grew and calls for an investigation were heard, Russians bulldozed the crash site, confiscated the airplane's black box and wreckage, and refused to allow outsiders to examine them, though they did return one computerized device to the Poles. The control tower operator vanished, somehow beyond the reach of investigators. The recovered bodies were sealed in locked caskets, and, with pro-Russian officials firmly in place in Poland, not opened for autopsies or viewing by family members even after their return. To Russia, the case was closed. Not so fast. Poland's parliament decided to establish its own investigation, drawing on local experts and others from the United States, the EU, and Australia, as well as the testimony of individuals who heard and saw the airplane seconds before the crash. The device to which the Polish investigators did gain access is similar to a cockpit voice recorder. While it did not contain the critical technical data needed for an investigation contained in the black box, it did prove conclusively that the plane was never low enough to strike a birch tree; that the pilot had initiated a go-around with full throttles, clearly having decided not to attempt the landing given the weather; and that as he was climbing, two nearly simultaneous explosions occurred onboard. They tore the plane apart. This investigation was led by Antoni Macierewicz, at the time vice chairman of the Law and Justice party -- and today defense-minister-designate in the new pro-Western Polish government of prime minister- designate Beata Szydlo. As her government prepares to sue for return of property from the Smolensk crash, it is interesting to note that Russia isn't always so jealous of evidence that might explain a suspicious plane crash. After the Russian Metrojet passenger flight over Egypt exploded and crashed on October 31, killing all 224 onboard, the Russians were happy to share the black box with Western experts. That time, of course, the downed plane was theirs and they had nothing to hide. Gene Poteat is a retired CIA senior scientific intelligence officer and president emeritus of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. G2Poteat@gmail.com Poland's new conservative government, elected in October and about to take office, is already showing its colors. The minister of foreign affairs-designate, Witold Waszczykowski, told the Polish broadcaster TVN24 on Tuesday that Poland will sue Russia at the European Court of Human Rights for the return of property connected with the crash of a Polish plane near Smolensk, Russia, on April 10, 2010. The crash killed 96 people, including the president of Poland, his wife, and numerous senior political, military, and church dignitaries. The group were on their way to ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre -- the murder by Soviet secret police (the NKVD) of some 22,000 Polish officers and other officials in 1940. A sore point with the Soviet Union and long denied, the murders were finally admitted by Gorbachev in 1990. The Smolensk crash decapitated the pro-Western Polish leadership. In its place, the pro-Russia government of Donald Tusk came to power in Warsaw. It was, many suggested, for Russia a convenient accident. But international attention needed to be swiftly deflected from the crash, and Russian president Vladimir Putin was ready to make that happen. Shortly after the crash, Russia produced an official report, without Polish participation, known as the MAK (Interstate Aviation Committee) report. Drawn up under Putin's oversight, the report identified pilot error during a landing in bad weather as the cause of the crash. It claimed that the airplane struck a birch tree, severing the left wing, which caused the plane to veer into the ground short of the runway. All aboard perished. Russia's actions after the crash were odd -- more like those of a criminal sweeping a crime scene than a concerned nation seeking answers. As doubts grew and calls for an investigation were heard, Russians bulldozed the crash site, confiscated the airplane's black box and wreckage, and refused to allow outsiders to examine them, though they did return one computerized device to the Poles. The control tower operator vanished, somehow beyond the reach of investigators. The recovered bodies were sealed in locked caskets, and, with pro-Russian officials firmly in place in Poland, not opened for autopsies or viewing by family members even after their return. To Russia, the case was closed. Not so fast. Poland's parliament decided to establish its own investigation, drawing on local experts and others from the United States, the EU, and Australia, as well as the testimony of individuals who heard and saw the airplane seconds before the crash. The device to which the Polish investigators did gain access is similar to a cockpit voice recorder. While it did not contain the critical technical data needed for an investigation contained in the black box, it did prove conclusively that the plane was never low enough to strike a birch tree; that the pilot had initiated a go-around with full throttles, clearly having decided not to attempt the landing given the weather; and that as he was climbing, two nearly simultaneous explosions occurred onboard. They tore the plane apart. This investigation was led by Antoni Macierewicz, at the time vice chairman of the Law and Justice party -- and today defense-minister-designate in the new pro-Western Polish government of prime minister- designate Beata Szydlo. As her government prepares to sue for return of property from the Smolensk crash, it is interesting to note that Russia isn't always so jealous of evidence that might explain a suspicious plane crash. After the Russian Metrojet passenger flight over Egypt exploded and crashed on October 31, killing all 224 onboard, the Russians were happy to share the black box with Western experts. That time, of course, the downed plane was theirs and they had nothing to hide. Gene Poteat is a retired CIA senior scientific intelligence officer and president emeritus of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers. G2Poteat@gmail.com http://www.americanthinker.com/ Back to Top American Airlines stops accepting payments in Argentine pesos An Argentine 100 pesos bank (above) note, featuring an image of former first lady Eva Peron, is displayed next to a U.S. 100 dollar note in Buenos Aires September 17, 2014. American Airlines (AAL.O) has stopped accepting Argentine pesos to pay for tickets due to currency controls that make it hard to convert receipts into U.S. dollars, the carrier said on Wednesday. Foreign businesses operating in Argentina have long complained that they cannot send their profits home due to protectionist controls enacted by President Cristina Fernandez, who will step down on Dec. 10 after two terms in office. "We have not reduced our flights, although we currently do not have inventory available for purchase in Argentine pesos due to repatriation issues," American Airlines said in a statement. The business-friendly mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, won Sunday's presidential election against a candidate from Fernandez's party. Macri vows to ditch Fernandez's currency and trade controls as part of his push toward free markets. "We look forward to working with the central bank and the new government on this matter," American Airlines said in a statement. The airline operates 27 flights per week from Buenos Aires to the United States, increasing to 35 weekly in high season. The situation mirrors the one in Venezuela, where airlines have about $3.7 billion in ticket sales trapped because of the socialist nation's 12-year-old currency control system, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in June. "There is a risk that Argentina is headed down the same path as Venezuela. Both countries top a list of misguided policies and decisions that we are engaging governments across the region to reverse," Tony Tyler, IATA's chief executive officer, said in a speech in Puerto Rico this month. IATA, the trade association for about 260 airlines around the world, would like to talk about policy changes with Macri. "We are seeking to meet the new government as soon as it is in office to find a solution that will preserve connectivity and the vital economic benefits it brings," Tyler said. Alfonso Prat-Gay, a former foreign exchange chief at JPMorgan (JPM.N), is to be Macri's finance minister. Argentina's official peso ARS=RASL was at 9.675 per dollar on Wednesday, 57.3 percent stronger than the black market rate at which many local transactions are made. Under Fernandez, the central bank intervenes to keep the official rate strong. Macri says he will allow the two rates to converge. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/25/us-argentina-airlines-currency- idUSKBN0TE1W120151125#qivLFI5sHDjlPOck.99 Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Dear Colleagues, I am a mature part time student at City University in London, in the final stages of completing my (self funded) Masters Degree in 'Air Safety Management'. As a part of my degree I have chosen to undertake a study on the constructs surrounding the current approach to 'Airworthiness and Safety orientated Expositions (AOC and Continuing Airworthiness), Repair Station Manuals, Processes, Procedures and Forms we all have to use, and show compliance with, in our day to day working lives. I appreciate that you will more than likely have been asked to take part in such surveys previously, and, as a consequence, are probably a little ambivalent to completing this one. However, my plan is to under take one-to-one' interviews with Business Leaders, consider ideas derived from the theories of and discussions with academics and, finally, my own forty plus years experience in the industry to establish if there is a case for the rationalisation and definition of a symbiotic relationship between commercial 'Business Management Systems' and 'Safety / Regulatory Governance'. Ultimately to see if there is a common Business Management System framework that can support both Safety and Commercial related needs without the need for multiple, oftentimes contradictory, documents. Something we all should find useful. If you would like to find out more about me, or have a particular interest in the subject and would like to discuss the matter further, please look for me on LinkedIn. Thanks Peter Gidlow https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PGidlow-MScSurvey1 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: Position Available: Airline Safety Manager - Investigation (Engineering) Cathay Pacific https://career10.successfactors.com/career?_s.crb=Q%252ffWkAOt5SsrsXlBnG3GK%252bmGYsU%253d Auditors Needed Wyvern Consulting, Ltd James.nicoletti@wyvernltd.com Curt Lewis