Flight Safety Information December 23, 2015 - No. 256 In This Issue JET BLUE'S AB INITIO PROGRAM...SPARKS CONTROVERSY Seven people escape after helicopter crash on Treasure Island, Fiji Boeing Accepts FAA Penalties Over Quality Control Fiery helicopter crash speeds up fuel system discussion PROS 2015 TRAINING Robinson to deliver 700th R66 helicopter Malaysia launches its first sharia compliant airline Oakland lands Dreamliner flights to London on Norwegian Air Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) JET BLUE'S AB INITIO PROGRAM SPARKS CONTROVERSY By Roger Rapoport Contributing Editor Editor's Note: This is the first of a series of Flight Safety Information article on the ab Initio programs. LAKELAND, Florida - Jet Blue's decision to become the first American carrier to train pilots with no previous flying experience (Ab Initio) could open the door to a controversial foreign program called the multipilot license. Among the experts questioning the new program is John Leenhouts, CEO of SUN'n FUN Fly In & Expo which runs the Central Florida Aerospace Academy here. By rejecting the traditional notion that new hires must have previous general aviation, charter or military experience before signing on, Jet Blue is following the model of respected foreign carriers like British Air and Lufthansa. Restricted to training on simulators and transport aircraft, these pilots fly with considerably less than the 1,500 hour minimum required for new pilots hired in the United States. In some parts of the world Ab Initio pilots can get to the right seat of an aircraft with only a few hundred hours of flying time. There are also several exceptions to the American 1,500 hour rule implemented by the FAA following the Buffalo crash of a Colgan Air commuter flight in February 2009. The inexperienced and poorly trained copilot had flunked three check rides prior to the accident. Since the new rule took effect there has not been a single American airline fatality. Today military pilots are eligible for restricted Air Transport (ATP) licenses with 750 hours total flight time and 200 hours cross-country time. Under certain conditions aviation graduates from approved four year universities need just 1,000 hours total flight time. In addition instructors working in an approved flight school can credit their teaching time toward the 1,500 hour requirement. Given the impressive safety record of the American carriers, nearly seven years without a fatal accident, critics like Leenhouts, a former Navy fighter pilot who worked at Northrop Grumman, are keenly interested in the new program: "Jet Blue's approach is the industry's reaction to the reality that the world didn't produce enough experienced pilots over the last 20 years to meet aviation industry demand. They are working on a short cut to get qualified pilots up front who enter training with less experience than was previously required. "Every commercial pilot who is responsible for human life in small or large numbers needs to have the requisite definable experience allowing them to deploy their skills with good judgment. Their decisions need to be based on years of flying small and large aircraft in a wide array of environments they could experience at any time as the senior pilot on board." Leenhouts, who works with pilots from around the world, explains Jet Blue's decision to hire beginners who have never set foot in a cockpit has a valuable American precedent. "I have met people who have gone through it. They are called World War II aviators. The Army Air Corps, Navy and Marines grabbed 18 year-old kids off the farm, stuck them in a Steerman for 20 or 25 hours. Then they put them in another multi engine or older fighter used as a trainer. Based on a total of 225 hours of training they went to war." How did that work? "We lost over 4,000 pilots in training during the first four years. Yes, you can do it but as we said in the Navy, you are going to break a lot of eggs to make an omelet. "When I started training in the Navy back in the 60s and 70s it was 250 hours of basic and advanced training to get into a fleet aircraft and away you went. We killed a lot of guys and I went to a lot of funerals." "From an American perspective these beginners flying airliners in other countries with a few hundred hours experience are considered system operators not pilots. This is a lot different than our methodical training program with a step by step approach over a period of years that teaches pilots how to handle a myriad of aircraft and weather related problems. We are building pilots from the ground up. A good pilot develops judgment and an analytical approach based on their experiences. They need to understand the whole aircraft not just the computer component. "During the required 1,500 hours of American experience in general or corporate aircraft doing whale watching or pipeline tracking they learn to assess the whole plane. From there they move up the ranks to train on a variety of bigger aircraft including airliners. Good judgment is based on making bad decisions under the watchful eye of a training pilot who catches errors before it is too late. That's true of all of us in aviation. We learned our lessons early so we wouldn't be jeopardizing the lives of hundreds of people in the back of the bus. "I can teach a monkey to fly but I can't teach him what to do when he is staring at a low fuel light. No matter how good the automation is the basic flying skills have to be there. You have to be able to revert to flying a plane, stick and rudder. My worry is that a different program could create pilots who are flying the automation on the theory that it can't fail. We know that's not true. Pilots still need to have a basic understanding of the aerodynamics of the airplane. Unless they fly for the airlines with that experience, these pilots won't be fully qualified." Leenhouts view is shared by veteran flight instructors like Mark Ducorsky who works every day with the SUN 'n FUN team: "The fact is that experience is gained by making mistakes. Actually, experience is a series of non fatal errors. Having little real flight time does not allow for these mistakes to occur. Currently that lack of experience is being supplanted by a big FAA effort in the form of aeronautical decision making (ADM).[1] That attempts to use systems such as the DECIDE model to overcome lack of experience. ADM certainly helps and is useful when combined with 1500 hours of experience. However ADM does not build the judgment which can only come from flying experience." Is it possible that the Ab Initio program will become part of a push back toward the former FAA standard that qualified copilots to fly airliners with just 250 hours? This move is opposed by Ducorsky: "What is the copilot for? Do we want 250 hour pilots being in command on a dark stormy night when the captain dies? I for one would never get in an airliner which allowed such an arrangement. If the general public had the personal experiences of training people with 250 hours many would say the same thing. "I've taught many to fly and many to be and stay proficient and there is nothing that can beat experience, it's like money in the bank when the chips are down. Regardless of age or training, without experience there is rarely a mature pilot. I want a mature and seasoned crew in the airliner I'm flying in." Does that mean that Jet Blue's program is without merit? "Actually," says Leenhouts, "we all applaud Jet Blue's aggressive approach to finding a solution to commercial pilot training and thinking out of the box. This will ultimately reveal a professional pathway for better training. No one knows what it will ultimately evolve into. My hat is off to them for trying it. We respect what they are doing. I just don't think they are going to like the results." "If we continue to look at this problem and approach it in a positive way we will ultimately find a better way to match basic skills to the demands of the profession. They are assessing different flight training options. I appreciate the fact that they are not just sitting there and waiting for someone else to figure it out. They will be testing the process of training in a controlled environment." Could Jet Blue's new approach could weed out poor candidates early on? Leenhouts considers this a possibility: "One of the things we used to disqualify pilots in the military was simulators. We would run pilots through horrific scenarios to see when they would jump out of a jet. You wanted to see how many of the problems they could solve before they thought it was fruitless to continue. The purpose of that training was to see if they could assess and handle a myriad of problems and continue flying the plane without being distracted by annoying issues that did not interfere with safety of the flight. Some would fly it right into a crash because they were distracted and disoriented. They were the guys we disqualified. These pilots crashed because they didn't have the skill set to do multitasking and maintain situational awareness on a multiprong problem. Their brains just couldn't calculate fast enough, they couldn't stay focused on flying the airplane. An experienced pilot has the aptitude to take a bad situation, calmly assess all the parameters around the difficulties they are facing, and fly the plane based on known information. The key is to not guess if you don't know for sure that something is wrong." [1] http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/pilot_handbook/media/PHAK%20- %20Chapter%2017.pdf Back to Top Seven people escape after helicopter crash on Treasure Island, Fiji Seven passengers were lucky to escape with their lives as a helicopter crashed in Fiji. A Eurocopter crashed as it attempted to land on Treasure Island, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation reported. It was apparently caught by a strong gust of wind. The Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) said there were seven people on board at the time, including the pilot, but there were no fatalities. It is not clear what if any injuries were sustained by those involved, but witnesses suggested that all on board walked away from the scene. Photographs show the craft was severely damaged. Witness Bob Carroll posted on Facebook, that a gust of wind sent the Eurocopter, owned by Island Hoppers Limited, into a tree on Wednesday evening (NZ time). "A beautiful day trip to Treasure Island changed dramatically as an inbound helicopter attempting to land on the Treasure Island helipad only 50m from where we were dining caught a wind gust that sent it into a tree and then crashing into another tree right next to the pool... scary but thank God all got out of the chopper and we are all OK," he said. Fiji Broadcasting Corporation said that, after a preliminary assessment, CAAF classified the crash as an accident. The Attorney General and Minister for Civil Aviation, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, appointed Captain Norman Walding to be the Accident Investigator, which is regular procedure in such cases. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/75429212/seven-people-escape-after-helicopter-crash-on- treasure-island-fiji Back to Top Boeing Accepts FAA Penalties Over Quality Control Plane maker agrees to pay $12 million in sweeping, first-of-its kind settlement A Boeing facility in Everett, Wash. The FAA didn't claim Boeing's actions created unsafe conditions. By ANDY PASZTOR and ROBERT WALL Boeing Co. has agreed to pay $12 million in penalties as part of a sweeping, first-of-its-kind settlement with federal regulators mandating tighter company oversight of suppliers and enhanced quality controls inside its own factories. The settlement announced Tuesday by the Federal Aviation Administration resolves a total of 13 pending or potential civil-enforcement cases. It also subjects the Chicago-based plane maker to as much as $24 million in additional penalties if it fails to complete all the promised manufacturing, auditing and government reporting improvements over the next five years. The agreement is unusual because it raises questions about how Boeing's commercial-airplane unit has implemented some of its core quality, safety and compliance programs. Some of the alleged lapses stretch back several years-and span various offices and product lines. The broad nature of Tuesday's move indicates FAA enforcement officials had alleged or suspected systemic shortcomings. The FAA didn't claim Boeing's actions created unsafe conditions, and the agency has proposed significantly larger fines against airlines that allegedly violated safety rules. In its announcement, the FAA highlighted the importance of internal corporate controls to ensure that everything from design to manufacturing to maintenance functions are "operating according to the highest standards." The agreement "is an important step toward ensuring that Boeing fully meets all applicable compliance standards going forward," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement detailing nearly two dozen specific areas slated for action under the agreement. Some improvements already are under way. In a separate statement, Boeing said the move "fairly resolves" enforcement issues and "will further enhance Boeing's self-correcting quality and compliance systems." The company said "we are actively working on the areas identified in the agreement." The broad nature of the agreement-combined with the extensive and continuing reporting requirements imposed on Boeing-sets it apart from past settlements involving manufacturers. In another unusual twist that deals with Boeing's internal-investigation process, the agreement binds the company to assign all future noncompliance cases to manager-level employees. And according to the release, Boeing also will have to "meet progressively more stringent" requirements regarding "the quality and timeliness of its written submissions to the FAA." The agency typically makes public copies of settlement agreements with airlines. An FAA spokeswoman said the Boeing document wasn't released because it contains extensive proprietary information that needs to be redacted. Among other things, Boeing was tardy in developing information on fuel-tank safety upgrades for its 747 jumbo and 757 jetliner families, the FAA said. In another case that became public previously, the FAA said the company failed to take adequate corrective action when a supplier provided improper fasteners. Details of the 11 other enforcement matters covered by the agreement weren't disclosed by the FAA, and a Boeing spokesman also declined to identify them. In an email, he said Boeing "takes responsibility for our actions in these areas" and has taken steps to simplify specifications and enhance employee training. According to the FAA's summary of the agreement, however, Boeing is now obligated to improve its internal audits by appointing personnel "with appropriate technical expertise to assess the extent of regulatory compliance." In addition, to determine whether incomplete work is being accepted improperly from suppliers, the FAA said the company must share audit results with the agency and provide it a summary of corrective actions. Regarding any future violation identified by the FAA, the agreement puts the onus on Boeing to demonstrate it effectively dealt with the problem. And the FAA must receive quarterly reports laying out Boeing's compliance efforts, capped by a final "comprehensive report" in 2021 about the overall effectiveness of those programs. http://www.wsj.com/articles/boeing-faa-reach-settlement-over-safety-compliance-concerns-1450794214 Back to Top Fiery helicopter crash speeds up fuel system discussion Air Methods, the Colorado-based owner of the Flight for Life helicopter that crashed in Frisco in July, acknowledges the fiery crash has sped up the company's desire to retrofit the fuel systems on its entire fleet of AS-350 helicopters. 9NEWS at 4 p.m. 1 KUSA KUSA - Air Methods, the Colorado-based owner of the Flight for Life helicopter that crashed in Frisco in July, acknowledges the fiery crash has sped up the company's desire to retrofit the fuel systems on its entire fleet of AS-350 helicopters. The statement, announced on the company's YouTube page, follows a five-month 9Wants to Know investigation into antiquated helicopter fuel systems. Our investigation has found, among other things, most of the helicopters registered in Colorado are not equipped with fuel systems that would survive a relatively low-impact crash. In addition, 9Wants to Know has found evidence the former manufacturer of the AS-350, Eurocopter, had FAA approval for a crashworthy fuel system aboard the popular helicopter in 1992. The design, outlined in a 1992 FAA Supplemental Type Certificate, was never incorporated into the fleet and subsequently languished for decades as numerous AS-350s continued to erupt into flames following survivable crashes. In July, an Airbus AS-350 B3e Flight for Life helicopter crashed in Frisco thirty seconds after takeoff and quickly ignited. Surveillance video obtained by 9Wants to Know shows fuel pouring out of the aircraft six seconds after impact. Pilot Pat Mahany died, and flight nurse Dave Repsher suffered burns on more than 90% of his body. Fellow flight nurse Matt Bowe survived the crash. Air Methods President of Domestic Air Medical Services Mike Allen stated in the YouTube video the crash has had a large impact on company. "There is no doubt the Frisco accident has accelerated the retrofit discussion." According to a statement provided to 9NEWS, Air Methods plans on retrofitting more than 100 AS-350s starting next year assuming the retrofit design receives FAA approval. It's a move endorsed by Flight for Life Colorado. "Flight for Life Colorado fully supports the research and development of new crashworthy fuel systems for our helicopters," explained Program Director Kathy Mayer in the same video. To see the video go to: http://bit.ly/1OakMT8 http://www.9news.com/story/news/investigations/fueling-the-fire/2015/12/17/fiery-helicopter-crash- speeds-up-fuel-system-discussion/77512924/ Back to Top Back to Top Robinson to deliver 700th R66 helicopter The helicopter is an R66 Turbine Marine and will be delivered to Robinson dealer Air Technology Belgium. Robinson Photo Robinson's 700th R66 Turbine rolled off the production line on Dec. 18, 2015, five years after the five- place helicopter was FAA certified. Serial Number 700 is an R66 Turbine Marine, which is an R66 equipped with pop-out floats, and will be delivered to Robinson dealer Air Technology Belgium. This will be the first Turbine Marine delivered to Europe since EASA approved the float option in October and one of the more than fifty R66s sold to Europe. Robinson recently added the Garmin G500H flight display, and the Genesys HeliSAS autopilot to the R66 options list. Currently in development are an R66 auxiliary fuel tank and an R66 cargo hook. Both options are projected for release in 2016. To date, Robinson has approved 120 R66 service centers worldwide, of which 72 are dealers. http://www.verticalmag.com/news/article/Robinson-to-deliver-700th-R66-Helicopter Back to Top Malaysia launches its first sharia compliant airline Rayani Air takes to the skies. MALAYSIA launched the maiden voyage of its first sharia-compliant airline on Sunday. Rayani Air took off from the capital Kuala Lumpur to the resort island of Langkawi. "We are the first Malaysian airline to be sharia-compliant based on guidelines by relevant authorities," the company's managing director Jaafar Zamhari told Malaysia's Star newspaper. "We are proud of this." In accordance to Islamic guidelines, in-flight meals are halal - meaning that animals must be slaughtered according to Islamic procedures and contain no pork - and alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited. Female Muslim flight crew are required to wear headscarves while non-Muslim crew are to be decently dressed, managing director Jaafar Zamhari told reporters. There will also be prayer recitals on the plane before takeoff. Emirates is sharia-friendly - it doesn't serve any pork products on flights.Source:News Corp Australia There are already other sharia-friendly carriers operating around the world. Emirates doesn't serve any pork products on their flights and Etihad has a travel prayer before takeoff. And the U.K.-based Firnas Airways is planning to offer similar flights next year, according to a Bloomberg news agency report. Malaysia has a moderate Muslim-majority population, but conservative attitudes are rising. The company is a collaboration between an oil and gas company, Merdeka Jayabumi Enterprise and mining company, Terus Maju Metal. http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/malaysia-launches-its-first-sharia-compliant- airline/news-story/b9b26f92cba8c944611cc6fcdd6456a0 Back to Top Oakland lands Dreamliner flights to London on Norwegian Air A Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 787 Dreamliner. (Photo: Norwegian Air Shuttle) Fast-growing European low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle will add nonstop service from Oakland to London Gatwick. The flights, which will be flown on the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliners, begin May 12. The carrier's three weekly flights will give Oakland its first-ever regularly scheduled airline route to London. That's a boost for Oakland International as it seeks to grow its stature in a competitive Bay Area that's also home to the busy San Francisco and San Jose airports. Rival Mineta San Jose International Airport, for example, also just landed its first-ever route to London on British Airways. And SFO -- the region's busiest air hub -- has several flight options to the British capital. Norwegian Air uses Dreamliners to fuel big U.S. expansion For Norwegian Air, London will be its third route from Oakland. The airline has grown to become the third- biggest carrier at Gatwick, offering seasonal or year-round service to more than 50 destinations in Europe. Norwegian Air also flies from Oakland to its other bases in Oslo and Stockholm. Norwegian spokesman Anders Lindstrom tells Today in the Sky that the carrier's Oakland passengers can connect to a combined 63 European airports via London, Oslo and Stockholm. "The U.S. is one of our key markets and we see great demand from American customers for more affordable fares to Europe, especially in California," Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos adds in a statement detailing the new Oakland route. On the domestic front, Oakland received another lift earlier this month when Southwest Airlines announced new nonstop service to both St. Louis and Reno. Already the busiest carrier at Oakland, Southwest will fly to 26 nonstop destinations from the airport once those flights begin June 5. San Jose lands 1st-ever nonstop route to London with new British Airways route Southwest's new routes also put Oakland in position to hit a milestone once Norwegian Air unveiled its latest route from the airport. "We're pleased that London Gatwick will be our 50th nonstop destination, a record high in our 88-year history," Kristi McKenney, the Port of Oakland's Acting Director of Aviation, says in a statement. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/12/22/oakland-lands-dreamliner- flights-london-norwegian-air/77730606/ Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of researchers in aviation weather, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/halabyfellowship.pdf). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2016 or early 2017) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at improving the integration of weather into decision support tools for improved weather avoidance and air traffic management. The Fellowship will provide: * a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses * round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO * travel to a conference to present results * page charges for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation- relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: * Curriculum vitae * Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) * Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2016 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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: Manager Flight Operation FedEx Express https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=1186411 Deputy Director of Flight Operations & Technical Services Helicopter Association International https://www.rotor.org/AboutHAI/Employment.aspx Curt Lewis