Flight Safety Information December 4, 2015 - No. 243 In This Issue Flight MH370 Update: Malaysia Airlines Plane Likely Had Double Engine Flameout, ATSB Says Aviation safety body applies for 'metadata' access (Australia) Air safety shock: Hundreds of planes 'nearly downed' by volcanic ash Two serious Jetstar incidents under ATSB investigation Global Terror Threat and Safety of Air Travellers in Nigeria All must act to ensure air safety (Indonesia) Thai in a bind...America downgrades Thailand's air-safety rating U.S. Air Force pilots use new simulators for F-35 training Baggage loader catches fire near plane at Sea-Tac Airport Inspector To Probe FAA Oversight of U.S. Regional Carriers PROS 2015 TRAINING Virgin Galactic to Hurl Rockets to Space From Boeing 747 Jet China's first electricity-powered aircraft gets production approval Jet Airways get approvals for for turboprop aircraft operations (India) Might the FAA Inherit the Space Traffic Management Role? Research Survey Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Flight MH370 Update: Malaysia Airlines Plane Likely Had Double Engine Flameout, ATSB Says Map showing MH370 search area. Based on the most recent expert analysis, the purple box is the area of highest priority and within that area is a heat map showing the area of greatest likelihood in red. ATSB Both engines of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 likely flamed out, suggesting that the jet was not intentionally ditched, Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in a new report Thursday. The news comes as Australian authorities showed their confidence over the area where the search for the missing plane has been underway for months. The ATSB report said that analysis about the plane's engines was made after a comprehensive study of the available satellite and meteorological data, including the final satellite communication transmission from the aircraft. A search for the Boeing 777-200 has been ongoing in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean for nearly two years, without any concrete clues as to what led to the plane's mysterious disappearance. Flight MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. The recent ATSB analysis concludes that after Flight MH370 had been airborne for 7 hours and 38 minutes, "fuel exhaustion was probable." "It is likely that the right engine flamed out first followed by the left engine," ATSB said in the report, adding that the left engine "could have continued to run for up to 15 minutes after the right engine flamed out." ATSB said the evidence of a double engine flameout is "inconsistent with a controlled ditching scenario." The bureau said that "a controlled ditching scenario requires engine thrust to properly control the direction and vertical speed at touchdown and to provide hydraulic power for the flight controls including the flaps." The new analysis of data also reportedly shows that the search operation is focused in the right area. The search has been focused on a 46,332 sq. mile area in the southern Indian Ocean off Western Australia. Three-quarters of a "hot spot" area within the search zone has been scoured, Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told reporters in Canberra Thursday, adding that officials were "optimistic" that Flight MH370 will be found. Truss said he remained "hopeful, indeed optimistic, that we will still locate the aircraft" and that the ATSB report gave "real encouragement," BBC reported. The multimillion-dollar search for Flight MH370 has dragged on for several months without success. The only wreckage found so far is a wing flap that was discovered in the French island of Réunion in July. http://www.ibtimes.com/flight-mh370-update-malaysia-airlines-plane-likely-had-double-engine-flameout-atsb-2211195 Back to Top Aviation safety body applies for 'metadata' access (Australia) CASA confirms that it wants ongoing access to telecommunications metadata The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has confirmed it has applied for ongoing warrant-less access to telecommunications 'metadata' under rules introduced by the data retention legislation. CASA is in charge of Australian aviation safety regulation. The latest annual report issued by the Attorney-General's on the use of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 revealed that CASA accessed telco metadata 11 times in the last financial year. "CASA sometimes accesses telecommunications data when it conducts an investigation into whether a person contravened a criminal offence provision in the aviation legislation," a spokesperson for the organisation said. CASA was one of the 83 organisations that accessed so-called metadata during the 12 months to 30 June 2015. In 2014-15, agencies authorised access to telco 'metadata' a total of 365,728 times, the report from the Attorney-General's Department revealed. The data retention legislation passed earlier this year pared back the number of organisations able to gain warrant-free access to metadata. The new regime kicked in on 13 October. The legislation initially restricted access to police and anti-corruption organisations, customs, the Australian Crime Commission, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. There is provision for further organisations to be authorised, however, and the Australian Border Force has been added to the list. The Victorian government recently revealed that it has sought metadata access for the state's Racing Integrity Commissioner. A parliamentary inquiry earlier this year recommended that the Australian Taxation Office be added to the list of authorised organisations. CASA said it is also seeking access. "Following the making of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment (Data Retention) Act 2015, CASA applied to the Attorney-General's Department for ongoing direct access to telecommunications data," the organisation's spokesperson said. The government won't reveal which organisations or the total number to have applied to be authorised to access metadata. Data breach notification scheme 'long overdue' However, an in-progress freedom of information request has revealed that the number is likely to be greater than 40. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/590204/casa-applies-metadata-access/ Back to Top Air safety shock: Hundreds of planes 'nearly downed' by volcanic ash MILLIONS of air passengers have been at risk of death as planes fly through potentially deadly volcanic ash clouds - but experts STILL don't fully understand the risks, it was admitted today. Five years after the Icelandic volcanic ash mayhem of 2010 grounded hundreds of planes after the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, the first real tests on the impact of engine contamination have only just been carried out and the results are not even out yet. NASA today revealed it has been left to investigate the safety risk to passengers of ash clouds instead of the industry. Just weeks ago it carried out the first ever tests of passing volcanic dust through and aircraft engine, but a report on the devastating effect on the engine, which can be ground to a halt, are not expected to be out until 2016. The US space agency also revealed that 80 planes were potentially brought down by volcanic ash BEFORE the 2010 chaos. A NASA spokesman said: "According to the US Geological Survey more than 80 commercial aircraft encountered potentially hazardous volcanic ash in flight and at airports from 1993 to 2008. A volcanic ash distribution spider in the inlet of the engine while running, was used to send the ultra-fine particles of ash through the engine.NASA "That was before the big 2010 volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland which disrupted hundreds of flight in Europe and the lives of about 10 million airline passengers over six days." The 2010 volcanic eruption came at the same time that NASA was looking at developing engine health management systems and smart sensors for next generation commercial aircraft engines. Paul Krasa, VIPR project manager, based at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, said although the need fore safety tests was recognised in 2010, it has taken five years for the first meaningful one to be carried out. He said: "Because of the impact of the volcano in Iceland there was also an increased interest in the aviation community in better understanding the effects of volcanic ash in engines." Hundreds of planes were grounded due to Icelandic volcanic ash in 2010 According to the US Geological Survey more than 80 commercial aircraft encountered potentially hazardous volcanic ash in flight and at airports from 1993 to 2008. NASA He said: "NASA partnered with other Government agencies and industry groups, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce Liberty Works, General Electric Aviation and Boeing Research & Technology, to conduct the series of VIPR engine tests - ending with the one in 2015 (July) that actually simulated volcanic ash ingestion." "We don't know of anybody who has ever attempted to introduce volcanic ash directly into the engine core on the wing of the airplane in a controlled way. "We needed to do that because we really needed to understand the full system effect." The Air Force provided the plane, a C-17 cargo transport, and two F117 engines that had been slated for retirement, but were overhauled to like new before the test. The F117 engine is a military version of a commercial Pratt & Whitney engine that is used on the Boeing 757. A first VIPR test on the engine, heavily instrumented with sensors, happened in 2011 at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center/Edwards Air Force Base in California, but it only established engine and sensor performance baselines. Volcanic ash cloud: Chaos of last eruption Tue, August 19, 2014 Some of the best pictures of the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud last time it erupted in 2010 and what we could be in for if the volcano erupts again The Icelandic volcano created a huge ash cloud which covered much of Europe [AP] The second test, in early 2013, used cereal and crayons, material that wouldn't harm the engines, to verify that the sensors could detect tiny bits of debris and that test only established the sensitivity of the sensors. Both were only the building blocks for the real-world scenario - the introduction of introducing volcanic ash, which can and does tear up an engine. Researchers introduced simulated volcanic ash into the engines at low and high flow rates. John Lekki, NASA Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research (VIPR) Principal Investigator, based at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio said: "We used real ash that was broken up from a pumice deposit. "The volcanic ash used that was from the Mt Mazama eruption, which took place around 5700 BC." A NASA spokesman said: "The team will study the data and then publish results once the group can make solid scientific conclusions on just how volcanic ash can affect an airplane engine. Results are expected to be publicly released in summer, 2016." http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/620886/Air-safety-shock-Hundreds-planes-nearly-downed-by-volcanic-ash-no-tests Back to Top Two serious Jetstar incidents under ATSB investigation A Jetstar A321, a jet so badly loaded at Melbourne in October it struggled to get airborne After an unexplained delay two incidents involving Jetstar domestic flights in October are being investigated by the ATSB, with one of them placing a jet equipped with more than 215 seats in grave danger. On 19 October a Jetstar A320 left Brisbane for Melbourne with 16 more passengers on board than advised, meaning the aircraft was about 1,328 kg heavier than the take-off weight used to calculate the take-off and landing data for the flight. On 29 October a Jetstar A321 was found to be so nose heavy during the take off roll from Melbourne bound for Perth that it required an almost full aft control input to raise the aircraft's noses and become airborne. It is understood that Jetstar promptly reported both incidents to the ATSB. The flight had been dispatched with incorrect load information in its flight management computer which placed the jet outside its loading limits for take-off and landing. This was an incident that could have ended in a fireball killing hundreds of people. It is almost inconceivable that an Australian airline, under the diligent oversight of its safety regulator CASA, could place so many people at risk through such a fundamental failure of basic operational procedures. Both incidents are grounds for an urgent inquiry into the fitness of Jetstar to continue to hold an air operator certificate, and the appointment of an independent audit into the capacity of CASA to discharge its obligations to maintain air safety standards in this country. Tiger Airways was grounded by CASA in 2011 for busting the minimum safe altitude over houses in Leopold near Geelong (as well as ignoring repeated safety warnings from the regulator). The risks Tiger posed to air safety in Australia were however manifestly less than those evidenced in these and earlier serious incidents involving Jetstar. For an Australian licensed carrier to be dispatching jets before knowing how many passengers were on board, thus invalidating critical performance calculations on a flight by flight basis is one very serious matter. But the discovery mid take off that a jet, an A321, was so dangerously loaded that it was almost uncontrollable, is a warning to the Australian government, and its dysfunctional safety regulator, as well as to anyone thinking of flying Jetstar, that there is something profoundly wrong in the management and operating culture of this airline. You couldn't make up worse scenarios for the operations of a scheduled mainline airline than those that played out in these incidents. It is important also to get an explanation as to why their notification to the ATSB seems to have taken so long. Integrity in the reporting of safety incidents is a critical element in airline safety in the developed world. The ATSB notifications of these incidents are about as blunt as any in recent years and can be read in full here. Jetstar responds: A spokesperson for Jetstar says "We're investigating these events and working closely with the ATSB to assist with its inquiries. "Since these incidents took place in October, we have put additional measures in place to check our flights have been loaded correctly and that aircraft weight and balance is properly accounted for. "We've had no flights operate with this type of error since we introduced these measures." CASA responds: CASA has begun its own investigation into the two Jetstar passenger loading incidents. This investigation is looking at the root causes of the passenger loading errors, relevant systems and processes and Jetstar's subsequent actions. CASA's investigation is running parallel to the investigation being conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and focusses on regulatory compliance and ongoing safety of flight. The travelling public can be assured CASA will take all appropriate actions to ensure Jetstar has robust and appropriate systems and processes in place to ensure passenger loading mistakes are not made. CASA is oversighting the changes Jetstar have made in relation to passenger loading and aircraft weight and balance following the October incidents. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2015/12/04/two-serious-jetstar-incidents-under-atsb-investigation/ Back to Top Global Terror Threat and Safety of Air Travellers in Nigeria Some air travellers at a departure lounge The terrorism threat to air safety has become more apparent in recent times. Chinedu Eze writes that with the most dreaded terror group in Nigeria, critical action must be taken to preempt and avert attacks On Monday night at Gatwick airport, London, four British police officers, who profiled passengers travelling to Lagos, had sought to find out if any of them would travel to northern Nigerian on arrival in Lagos. Their intention was to dissuade or warn any passenger travelling to the northern part of the country of the inherent dangers there due to the activities of Boko Haram insurgents. With what happened last month at Sharm el Sheik, Egypt where bombs allegedly planted in the aircraft blew Russian airliner into smithereens on take-off and killed about 224 passengers, terror attacks on airports and airplanes have become more frightening and greater actions must be taken to avert such attacks. Insider Threat It has even become more frightening when security apparatus in an airport could be perforated by insider threat. The Chairman of one of Nigeria's domestic carriers, Air Peace, Allen Onyema noted recently that a baggage handling staff of an airline could smuggle unverified baggage into the hull of an aircraft if given huge amount of money to do so. Onyema said to avert this, airlines should treat their workers well; pay them when it is due and develop convivial relationship between the management and the staff. This, he said will make them feel that the place they are working belong to them. He faulted the poor remuneration of airline workers and the delay in payment of their salaries, and expressed worry that despite the poor working condition, these workers receive sack threat every day from their employers. The cleaners at the airports constitute great danger to air airport security. Some of these cleaners earn only about N7, 000 a month. Recent events have shown that the cleaners could be very dangerous. Obviously N7, 000 a month cannot foot their transport bill to the airport. Something makes them keep that job. Perhaps, the money they make when they come to the airport. A cleaner was recently implicated in money laundering case at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The cleaner reportedly facilitated the movement of the money to the airside of the airport before the accused was stopped. These cleaners have also been implicated in cases of drugs movements. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would be playing the ostrich if it claims that it does not know that the cleaners earn peanuts. When the airports are bombed, it is the citizens that perish, the economic consequences of such tragedy will be enormous. Although the cleaning of the airports is given out in concession but FAAN should know that the peanuts earned by the cleaners could make them easy tools to be used to endanger the airports. In a conference on aviation held last week in Ghana, organised by a Nigerian company, Travel and Business News, the former Managing Director of FAAN, Richard Aisuebeogun presented a paper on airport security. Aisuebeogun was in charge of the airports, when the Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab passed through MMIA in the failed American airliner underwear bombing on Christmas day, 2009 in Detroit, US. He gave graphic picture of the apparent terror threat Nigeria and the world is exposed to in air travel. Terror Attacks Aisuebeogun remarked that airports and aircraft continue to offer series of highly attractive targets to terrorists and insurgents for the following reasons: The high value of the aircraft themselves, the concentration of people (often representing different nationalities), the automatic media coverage (breaking news/headlines) generated by aviation related terrorism due to the drama, publicity and psychological effect associated with it and the uniqueness of airlines and airports as veritable instruments of national identity, which makes it targets for terrorist attacks. "It is worthy to note that the protection of civil aviation against global terrorism (Aviation Security) is normally tackled by a two-prong approach: the regulatory framework and the technical/physical protection measures," Aisuebeogun said. He noted that the regulatory framework for the protection of civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference is established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and domesticated by the Member State Civil Aviation Authority for implementation by service providers. "Since the formation of ICAO, the aviation industry has developed in leaps and bounds thereby requiring oversight and regulation in the interest of security and safety of the stakeholders. The civil aviation regulations have been consequently developed from time to time in response to emerging new threats. "Over a thirty-year period for instance, the industry has experienced major challenges and changes including technological advancement as well as criminal activity of international dimension and terrorism. These have called for reassessment of security measures by all players beyond national, territorial and regional scope," the former FAAN boss said. Technology has helped to advance airport security but as the aviation security expert, Adebayo Babatunde once noted, as the world manufactures the latest equipment to checkmate the activities of terrorists, they are inventing new ways to avert such equipment in order to carry out their nefarious activities. Aisuebeogun remarked however, that it is obvious that technology alone cannot safeguard worldwide security without an active involvement of the human elements, a highly trained and properly motivated professional staff is required at all levels. "High emphasis is therefore placed on the continuing high level professional training of the staff worldwide and this requires that each country must make appropriate resources available," he said. Airport Security The challenge in airport security is the ability of a security programme to avert persons with bad intentions from gaining access to sensitive areas of the airport and the overall prevention of any kind of security breach. So it is the responsibility of airport managers to ensure that certain security elements are in place and this includes airport perimeter control. According to Aisuebeogun, African airports within the limit of resources available to them have secured the perimeters of the airports by providing both Perimeter and Operational fences in some airports. The World Bank is also assisting African countries with some perimeter fence work. "We have also provided access control at designated gates / entry points to ensure strict access control to the airside so that only genuine passengers and staff gain access. "African airports are equipped with perimeter roads to enable security patrol and aid emergency operations. All entry points/gates are also manned and access control measures put in place to prevent intrusion; during periods of red alert, aircraft may also be escorted to holding points by security agents. "The introduction of the machine-readable travel document (MRTD) programme by most African countries Immigration Services which became a mandatory global standard by April 2010 is also a vital tool in addressing aviation terrorism. This programme has been acknowledged as one of the most important available tools for enhancing the security of global civil aviation and promoting global inter- operability, and an essential tool for preventing terrorist movement across borders," Aisuebeogun said. But it has to be noted many of Nigeria's airports are yet to be fully fenced to stop unauthorised access by criminals and potential terrorists. The incidents of stowaways, which have gained frequency in recent times, indicate that the airports are still very porous. The physical fencing must be done before the protection of individuals from accessing the airports could be effectively enforced. "It is pertinent here to state that security at the airport is multilayer and multi-agency, consisting of the military, the police and other Para- military agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Customs, Immigration, Directorate of State Security (DSS), etc. And we rely on timely intelligence for the success of our security operations "Terminal security also involves; management of public areas and restricted areas, access control, security checkpoints and the separation of arrival and departure flows. Terminal buildings are targets in many countries - if not necessarily the target of terrorists, certainly that of criminal elements attracted to the presence of large gatherings. Passengers themselves present additional security challenges to the terminal operation," Aisuebeogun said. Every terror incident, including bombing, kidnap and other major security breaches that had taken place had created an opportunity for security upgrade, technology development and safety programme to avert such incident from happening again. For example in Nigeria, after the Abdulmutallab incident, efforts were made to install full body 3D Scanners in some airports, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. These measures put in place by Aviation Security (AVSEC) is normally complemented by airlines, which ensure a security sweep of the passengers before boarding, secondary screening as well as passenger/baggage reconciliation (if this is not done automatically). Challenges Aisuebeogun observed that the African air transport industry has been experiencing growth in the last two decades which has led to terminal density exceeding critical design levels as such raise security challenges associated with an overcrowded terminal building. "For instance, a space designed for 1500 people now handles 15,000 people, making security very challenging. There's therefore the need to expand airport facilities. The minds of terrorists and criminals are working round the clock churning out innovative ways to beat the security system. It is therefore necessary for African air transport industry to use high technological equipment to enhance surveillance and detection of criminal activities. Such as the 3D Full Body Scanner (FBS), EDS, Millimeter wave scanners etc. Most of the equipment are expensive and therefore not readily affordable at our airports." He noted that inadequate funding is another challenges, remarking that presently, funding issues have become quite critical, however, there are a lot of safety/ security critical issues that urgently need the attention of government to curb aviation security threat across Africa, adding that the this paucity of fund invariably affects "our capacity to implement global standards required to enhance Aviation security." "For example, perimeter fencing- most of our airports are only partially fenced which attracts unwanted trespassing. This implies that our airports are porous and any intelligent person with malicious intentions may succeed in getting into restricted areas. Some of these security issues dovetail into safety issues. "In July 2005, in Nigeria, while an international flight was on short final to land, a herd of cattle entered the runway simply because there was no perimeter fence at the airport constituting a safety threat and by extension, a security threat. For safety in air transport in Nigeria, there must be comprehensive security apparatus that would guaranty foolproof system. This can be actualised with the mobilisation of human and material resources, which are presently lacking in the system. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/global-terror-threat-and-safety-of-air-travellers-in-nigeria/227007/ Back to Top All must act to ensure air safety A day after Indonesia's air safety authority flagged concerns about AirAsia's maintenance and pilot training regime - key factors said to have caused the crash of an Airbus aircraft last December - the airline said it had, in fact, followed procedures. Flight QZ8501 from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore crashed when the system which controls the rudder - a part of the plane's tail - malfunctioned and the pilots lost control of the aircraft. Indonesia's National Transport Safety Committee on Tuesday said the plane had experienced rudder problems 23 times in the 12 months before the crash. Responding, the airline said its technical crew had rectified the faults when they happened in accordance with the Airbus maintenance and troubleshooting manuals, which is why the issue never qualified as a repetitive fault. Airbus has so far kept mum. Should AirAsia - the poster boy for Asia's budget carrier sector led by flamboyant Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes - shoulder the bulk of the responsibility or are there also flaws in Indonesia's air transport regulatory oversight? And could Airbus have done more? For travellers, though, and especially those in Singapore, what's more important is for shortcomings to be addressed and plugged. Indonesia is a key market for Changi Airport. The Singapore-Jakarta air route, operated by 12 carriers, is Singapore's busiest and the second-busiest global international link after Hong Kong-Taipei. AirAsia alone flies from 13 Indonesian cities - including Surabaya, Bali and Bandung - to Singapore. Air links are expected to expand further as Asean member countries, with Indonesia being the largest in the 10-member bloc, push for air liberalisation. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of every government, air safety regulator, airline and even manufacturer to see to it that safety is never compromised. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/all-must-act-to-ensure-air-safety Back to Top Thai in a bind America downgrades Thailand's air-safety rating THE Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), America's air regulator, has ruled that Thailand does not comply with international aviation safety standards. The FAA downgraded Thailand's aviation authority from a "Category 1" to "Category 2" rating, meaning: that the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards, or its civil aviation authority [...] is deficient in one or more areas, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures. The FAA's decision, which means that airlines from the country are allowed to continue to fly existing routes between Thailand and America but not launch new services, is not likely immediately to have a big impact on the flag carrier, Thai Airways-it no longer flies to America, having ditched its Los Angeles service earlier this year. It would, though, prevent it from expanding code-share services with other American carriers. But much more troubling for Thai Airways is the likelihood that European regulators will follow America's lead. The European Aviation Safety Agency is due to announce the results of its own audit later this month. The carrier flies to 11 European destinations, on which it relies for much of its revenue. The news comes as Thai has started to inch back into the black after several years of heavy losses. As part of a big restructuring plan it has begun to overhaul its fleet and is looking to increase transit traffic, particularly between Australia and Europe. http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2015/12/thai-bind Back to Top U.S. Air Force pilots use new simulators for F-35 training To date, 143 pilots and 846 maintainers for the Air Force have qualified through Lockheed Martin's F-35 Training System. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin. HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. Air Force pilots are training for F-35 Lightning II operations using new simulators developed by Lockheed Martin. With the F-35 multirole fighter jet being exclusively a single-seat aircraft, pilots complete academic and virtual education before training with the actual aircraft. After the academic portion of their education, pilots are now using Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Training Systems, which provide virtual flight training programs. New technology links four Full Mission Simulators together in an effort to further prepare pilots to use the F-35's tactical capabilities against both ground and airborne threats. "The F-35 is going to be an incredible advancement in our capability as an Air Force, and the Full Mission Simulators present an environment to adequately challenge our pilots as they prepare for combat," said Lt. Col. George Watkins, 34th Fighter Squadron Commander in a statement. Full Mission Simulators present realistic environments, allowing pilots to develop their skills before stepping foot into the aircraft. As of Tuesday, 143 pilots and 846 maintainers for the Air Force qualified through the system. Lockheed Martin estimates over 190 pilots and 1,000 maintenance personnel will be mission ready for F-35 operations by August 2016. The Lockheed Martin-built F-35 is the U.S. Air Force's fifth-generation fighter, designed to replace the aging fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolts. The craft is designed with the goal to provide pilots with enhanced stealth and situational awareness using an advanced sensor package. http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2015/12/01/US-Air-Force-pilots-use-new-simulators-for-F-35- training/9831448980789/ Back to Top Baggage loader catches fire near plane at Sea-Tac Airport SEA-TAC, Wash. - A photo on Twitter shows heavy smoke billowing from a baggage loader at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. In a nearby plane, a woman in a window seat took video of firetrucks and at least one ambulance responding to the incident near a Virgin America plane. "No one is hurt, as far as we can see," a man said over the intercom in her flight. "It was very well-responded." A Sea-Tac Airport representative told KIRO 7 News around 11:30 p.m. that the fire was extinguished. No damage to the plane was reported, and the flight departed as scheduled. Virgin America released the following statement: "Today [Thursday] at SEA, the baggage loader being used to service Flight 784 prior to departure momentarily caught fire." "There were no injuries to guests or crew, no damage to the aircraft, and the small fire was quickly extinguished by crews. The aircraft has been inspected and cleared by maintenance technicians and will continue to operate as planned." http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/baggage-cart-catches-fire-near-plane-sea-tac-airpo/npbrT/ Back to Top Inspector To Probe FAA Oversight of U.S. Regional Carriers The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (IG) is set to begin an audit into the oversight of regional airlines by the FAA. In a December 3 statement, the IG said that the objectives of the audit, which is set to commence in January 2016, will be to evaluate FAA's processes for identifying periods of transition and growth at regional carriers, and for adjusting oversight in response to changes in these carriers' operations. The audit is being conducted at the request of ranking members of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The congressmen also requested that the IG consider issues relating to regional airline pilot pay, and it has pledged to tackle this subject in a separate report. They questioned whether current levels of FAA oversight are satisfactory to take account of both rapid growth among some regional carriers and financial distress on the part of others. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2015-12-03/inspector-probe-faa-oversight-us-regional-carriers Back to Top Back to Top Virgin Galactic to Hurl Rockets to Space From Boeing 747 Jet Richard Branson is finding a new use for an old Virgin Atlantic jumbo jetliner: to fling rockets to orbit. Virgin Galactic, the commercial space company founded by the billionaire, plans to send small rockets inflight from the Boeing 747-400 nicknamed "Cosmic Girl" that it purchased from Branson's airline. Branson is among the entrepreneurs vying to shake up the $6 billion commercial launch business known for years-long waits to loft $200 million satellites. Instead of firing large boosters from conventional pads, the new rocketeers are working to loft smaller craft from planes and remote locations in Texas or the South Pacific. "Air launch enables us to provide rapid, responsive service to our satellite customers on a schedule set by their business and operational needs, rather than the constraints of national launch ranges," George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic's chief executive officer, said in a statement Thursday. The commercial jet replaces WhiteKnightTwo, a twin-hulled carrier vehicle that will still be used to hoist a suborbital tourist craft. Virgin's SpaceShipTwo venture has been grounded since a training accident killed a pilot last year. A second spaceship is slated to debut in February, with ground and flight tests resuming "soon after," said Michelle Mendiola, a Virgin spokeswoman. Test Flights Virgin expects to begin test flights of its LauncherOne rocket in 2017. It will be mounted under the 747's left wing, adjacent to a position used by other jumbos to ferry a fifth engine, the company said. The spacecraft's payload has been doubled to ferry 200-kilogram (440- pound) payloads to orbit for less than $10 million. Newcomers like Virgin Galactic have the potential to slash prices in a field attuned to government contracts and dominated by traditional aerospace powers like United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin Corp. venture, and Europe's Arianespace SA, according to Marco Caceres, director of space studies for Fairfax, Virginia-based consultant Teal Group. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-03/virgin-galactic-to-fling-rockets-to-space-from-boeing-747-jumbo Back to Top China's first electricity-powered aircraft gets production approval China's first domestically developed electricity-powered aircraft has been approved for production by civil aviation authorities. The two-seat RX1E aircraft can fly for 45-60 minutes with a maximum speed of 120 km per hour after an hour and a half of charging, according to its developer, the Liaoning General Aviation Research Academy in northeast China. The environmentally friendly model has strong market potential, especially in pilot training and tourism. There has been 28 orders for the aircraft, according to the academy. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/business/Chinas-first-electricitypowered-aircraft-gets-production-approval/shdaily.shtml Back to Top Jet Airways get approvals for for turboprop aircraft operations (India) MUMBAI: Jet AirwaysBSE -2.36 % Thursday said it has received approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for CAT II authorisation of its ATR 72 - 500/600 fleet for low visibility operations. The CAT II authorisation from the DGCA makes Jet the first Indian airline to receive these approvals for turboprop aircraft operations, it said. The DGCA authorisation is applicable on low visibility take off with a runway visual range of 125 meters and landing with the range capability of 300 metres. "This will enable Jet Airways to significantly enhance flight operations on ATR routes, especially during winter," said Nikhil Ved, senior vice president, flight operations at .. Jet currently operates ATR flights to 35 destinations across India, connecting metro cities to Tier II destinations such as Aizawl, Bhopal, Dehradun, Diu, Gorakhpur, Indore, Imphal, Madurai and Silchar. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/50028063.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst Back to Top Might the FAA Inherit the Space Traffic Management Role? "We keep hearing [the Air Force] shouldn't be the FAA for space," says Rep. Jim Bridenstine. "Which says to me, maybe the FAA should be the FAA for space." Credit: SpaceNews graphic WASHINGTON - The White House and members of U.S. Congress are in early discussions about how to give the Federal Aviation Administration a greater role in monitoring the space environment and heading off collisions between commercial satellites, a task currently handled by the U.S. Air Force, sources tell SpaceNews. The discussion has a sense of urgency, sources said, as several new businesses, many with ties to Silicon Valley, have plans to launch hundreds of satellites in the coming years. With that in mind, proponents are asking Congress to move quickly to find a new home for space traffic management. Any such shift likely would have the blessing of the Pentagon. Leaders from Air Force Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command have said they would like to lessen the burden on military space operators so they can concentrate on preparing for potential conflicts in space. Currently, the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) at Vandenberg Air Force base in California is responsible for space traffic management, providing services including orbital object tracking and collision avoidance warnings. But with hundreds of new satellites planned for launch in the next few years, the JSpOC's workload is expected to increase while its funding likely will remain flat or decline. Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), a member of both the House Armed Services and Space, Science and Technology committees, said Nov. 16 the Defense Department has inherited the space traffic control role by default. "The DoD needs to focused on fighting wars in space," Bridenstine said at a workshop sponsored by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the U.S Geospatial Intelligence Foundation. While the idea of offloading the military's space traffic management responsibilities routinely resurfaces every few years, a lack of consensus over who would take over has kept it from making any real progress, although the FAA is the only agency consistently mentioned. "We keep hearing [the Air Force] shouldn't be the FAA for space," Bridenstine said. "Which says to me, maybe the FAA should be the FAA for space." Bridenstine stressed that as a conservative Republican he generally opposes new regulations for industry. But in this case, new rules might be necessary he said. At least some industry officials appear to be on the same page when it comes to space traffic management. "The real question is, can [the Air Force] continue to play that role," Kay Sears, president of Intelsat General Corp. of McLean, Virginia, said during a recent panel discussion here. She also said new industry regulations might be necessary to preserve order in the orbital environment. The impetus for any change in jurisdiction over space traffic management likely would have to come from Congress, sources said, with one possible legislative vehicle being the reauthorization bill for the FAA, whose current authorization expires in March. That bill will be drafted by the House Transportation aviation subcommittee, which is led by Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) as chairman and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) as ranking member. The lawmakers also serve on the House Armed Services Committee. LoBiondo is also a member of the House intelligence committee, putting both men in position to receive national security space briefings.. A spokesman for LoBiondo's office did not reply to questions from SpaceNews. In June, Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, then the deputy commander of Strategic Command, said the notion of making space traffic management a civilian responsibility is driven in part by the long-term budget outlook. "As we face budget cuts, as we face personnel cuts ... doing air traffic control in space may not be the best use of" military space operators, Kowalski said. "If the answer is 'we want you to keep doing this for the decade or more,' then we'll keep doing it, but there may be other things we can't do." http://spacenews.com/might-the-faa-inherit-the-space-traffic-management-role/#sthash.CmKBpY2T.dpuf 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: Deputy Director of Flight Operations & Technical Services Helicopter Association International https://www.rotor.org/AboutHAI/Employment.aspx 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