Flight Safety Information December 29, 2015 - No. 260 In This Issue PROS 2015 TRAINING Malaysia Airlines aircraft given wrong flight plan TSA Tightening Security for Airport and Airline Staff Too Private Jets Tagged With Graffiti at LA Airport US, Europe spar over airplane cybersecurity Allegiant airplane makes safe emergency landing in Fargo Allegiant plane slides off taxiway at Eisenhower airport Actor Russell Crowe, in a row with Virgin over Segway boards Year of missed targets in aviation (Nigeria) Shoreham air disaster: Call to review safety permits for ex-military planes (U.K.) Air Travel Lessons from 2015: Humans Still Cause Most Plane Crashes Japan eases flight time requirements for non-Japanese to be pilots Pilots Of Plane That Hit Snowplow In Telluride Knew Runway Was Closed FAA Grounds 'Uber for Planes' Barmy European Union bid to ditch co-pilots on airliners 'could put planes at risk' TRAINING FROM THE GROUND UP AT JET BLUE IS THE FAA'S DRONE REGISTRATION PROGRAM LEGAL? FAA and OSHA Enter into Agreement to Strengthen Enforcement of AIR21 Whistleblower Protection Law Honda begins deliveries of HondaJet, its first light jet China appears ready to begin mass production of first stealth fighter jet Alaska to phase out combination aircraft Russia's Irkut aircraft builder fully implements its liabilities under 2015 contracts Component Improvements Drive Aircraft Efficiency Gains Hawaiian Airlines Appoints New COO Upcoming Events Malaysia Airlines aircraft given wrong flight plan A Christmas day Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) flight from Auckland, New Zealand, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia flew an incorrect flight path after the airline submitted the wrong flight plan to New Zealand ATM operations at Auckland Airport. The Airbus A330 was scheduled to fly north, but after takeoff headed west towards Australia instead of taking the usual northwards flight path. "On December 24th 2015 flight MH132 from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur was given the latest flight plan by [our] Operations Dispatch Centre," the airline said in a statement. However, added the airline, "Auckland's Air Traffic Control (ATC) was inadvertently given an earlier flight plan." The aircraft's crew alerted ATC staff at Auckland Airport of the conflicting flight instructions. MAB said that there was no danger to the aircraft or passengers and crew, and that the deviation - which was corrected some eight minutes after takeoff - had no effect on the fuel reserves the aircraft was carrying. "Both [supplied] routes were following an approved flight path and the aircraft had enough fuel for both routes," it said. The carrier said it will carry out an investigation into the flight plan mix up. "Safety is of the utmost priority for Malaysia Airlines and it adheres very strictly to all safety procedures and processes," the airline said. This was the second procedural error involving MAB in December, after passengers from Yangon were inadvertently disembarked without passing through immigration. The search continues to locate the still-missing Malaysia Airlines' Boeing 777-200 that disappeared in March 2014 after diverting from its planned route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The aircraft, flying as MH370, is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, but why it diverted so far from its course and what happened has not been established. http://atwonline.com/safety/malaysia-airlines-aircraft-given-wrong-flight-plan# Back to Top TSA Tightening Security for Airport and Airline Staff Too The Transportation Security Administration is increasing random checks of airport and airline employees who hold badges that enable them to bypass security checkpoints. The decision follows instances in the past two years in which employees used restricted entrances to smuggle guns and launder money. It's also part of a larger push to increase airport security after the Paris terrorist attacks and the crash of a jet flying between Egypt and Russia, believed to have been brought down by a bomb. In a memo to employees this month, Jose Freig, American Airlines' managing director of corporate security, wrote that "we anticipate the random screening process to increase throughout December and during the 2016 calendar year." TSA spokesman Bruce Anderson wouldn't say how frequent the additional checks would become, but pointed to a Nov. 30 statement by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh C. Johnson saying that since April, the department has "enhanced the continuous, random screening of airport/airline personnel in secure areas and encouraged U.S. airports to reduce employee access points." "The TSA Administrator and I have recently concluded that we need to double-down on these airport security efforts and will be consulting with airports and airlines to do so," Johnson said. The American memo, for instance, reminded employees that if they work in a secure area and plan to travel after their shift is over, they must exit the sterile area and go through TSA screening, with their carry-on luggage, in order to board a flight. Thousands of U.S. airport workers are permitted to skip security lines after undergoing a background check and obtaining a Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge. The system is designed to free up staff at passenger checkpoints and to clear individuals who are considered a minimal security risk. There have been instances, however, when that system has been exploited. In December 2014, an Atlanta Delta Air Lines baggage handler was arrested, charged with using his security badge to bypass security and deliver guns to a smuggler on a number of occasions. A month later, a Federal Aviation Administration employee used his badge to bypass security for a flight from Atlanta to New York with a gun in his carry-on bag, though he was not authorized to carry a weapon. And in May 2014, five airline employees were charged with using their security clearances to smuggle more than $400,000 in cash through Boston's Logan Airport. https://www.yahoo.com/travel/tsa-tightening-security-for-airport-and-airline-204520524.html Back to Top Private Jets Tagged With Graffiti at LA Airport Vandals who broke into Van Nuys Airport on Sunday night covered three different multi-million-dollar corporate jets with graffiti -- the second such incident at the Los Angeles area airfield in the past two years. The jets were tagged on their fuselages, tail wings and wheel flaps with "URA" and a large "872." Other smaller monikers sprayed in blue and black paint on the planes included "URAF," "MarkB" and "GLOK$." The suspect or suspects who tagged three jets at the Van Nuys, California airport with graffiti earlier this week apparently entered the airport by cutting this hole in the fence. NBC News All three jets were in a large hangar in a secure area of the airport. Authorities believe the suspect or suspects cut a hole in the perimeter fence and entered the airport late Sunday night or early Monday morning. Preliminary damage estimates ranged from tens of thousands of dollars to potentially more than a million dollars, depending on the extent of the damage to the exterior paint of the planes. The aircraft belong to Fair Wind Air Charter, Private Air Inc. and Aerojet Services LLC, according to law enforcement and aviation sources. "This happened in a darkened area of the airport," said Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon said. "We are going to take a harder look at the lighting in the areas where this happened." Two years ago, a $2.3-million Learjet suffered $100,000 in damage after being spray-painted with graffiti in a secure area of the same airport. The LAPD said at the time that the crime was gang-related but no one was arrested. The Learjet, which was vandalized with black spray paint spelling out "Flame" and "R.I.P.", was parked in an overflow area of the tarmac. A Learjet was spray painted with graffiti at the Van Nuys Airport in July 2013. LAPD Van Nuys Airport is one of the nation's largest general aviation airports and airport officials have said they have discussed strategies to prevent such incidents. Airport officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the vandalism, but have previously said that security and police officers, aircraft operators, private owners and residents all have a role to play in being vigilant and reporting suspicious activity. The Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA), the union representing the officers who patrol Van Nuys and other area airports, says additional officers are needed to keep it safe. LAAPOA President Marshall McClain noted that despite a barbed-wire fence a mentally ill man had accessed a restricted area at Los Angeles International Airport on Christmas Day. He said the Van Nuys and LAX perimeter breaches support his organization's calls for increased patrols of "highly vulnerable targets." L.A. Airport Police Chief Gannon told NBC News that airport management has expressed a willingness to hire and will fill all vacancies with qualified officers. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/private-jets-tagged-graffiti-la-airport-n486941 Back to Top US, Europe spar over airplane cybersecurity The U.S. and European aviation industries are at odds over the best way to guard against the increasing threat of potential cyberattacks, The Wall Street Journal reports. At issue is the best approach to beef up security standards for onboard aircraft technology, as well as the level of testing needed to ensure the integrity of those systems. Absent a quick resolution, officials are concerned that U.S. companies could struggle to sell avionics and other flight management systems to European companies. The airline industry has faced an onslaught of digital intrusions in recent months. Hackers have infiltrated the U.S. air traffic control system, forced airlines to ground planes and potentially stolen detailed travel records on millions of people. But the U.S. industry lacks strict requirements to report these incidents or adhere to specific cybersecurity standards. Those close to the dispute told the Journal that the issue stems from a disagreement over the scope of potential regulations. The European Aviation Safety Agency wants to subject all airplanes, regardless of size, to essentially the same cybersecurity standards. Conversely, the Federal Aviation Administration believes that larger planes should be subject to stiffer requirements. The U.S. supports "different standards based on the threat and magnitude of ... potential nefarious actors," Jens Hennig, co-chairman of an FAA-created panel tasked with creating recommendations for new regulations, told the Journal. "Having differences between U.S. and European standards is never good for manufacturers," he said. The industry hopes to reach some kind of consensus before next summer, when the FAA begins considering a new set of rules. On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers are urging action on legislation that would mandate reporting of breaches in critical infrastructure, like airlines. "There should be a requirement for immediate reporting to the federal government," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the FAA, told The Hill over the summer. http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/264066-us-eu-aviation-industry-spars-over-cybersecurity Back to Top Allegiant airplane makes safe emergency landing in Fargo FARGO, N.D. (AP) - An Allegiant airplane made a safe emergency landing in Fargo after having mechanical issues. The plane with 148 people on board landed safely at Hector International Airport about 8:30 p.m. Monday. Emergency responders said the plane had a deicing problem. It was not immediately clear where the flight originated or was bound. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Allegiant-airplane-makes-safe-emergency-landing-6725303.php Back to Top Allegiant plane slides off taxiway at Eisenhower airport The jet with 161 passengers was headed to Las Vegas An Allegiant Air plane slid off the taxiway late Sunday night at Eisenhower airport. The taxiway where an Allegiant Air jet slid off late Sunday night remained closed on Monday at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport. The Allegiant MD-80 single-aisle jet came off the taxiway at around 11:40 p.m. Sunday, and its 161 passengers and six crew members were transported back to the terminal in buses. The aircraft's right wheel left the pavement, "and it ended up on the grass," said Valerie Wise, the airport's air service and business development manager. She added that the airplane was taxiing at "a very, very slow speed." Flight 405 was en route from Wichita to Las Vegas when it slid off Taxiway B, Wise said. "I'm told the cause of this is weather conditions and very strong winds," she said. No injuries were reported, Wise and Allegiant officials said. The airline said passengers on the Sunday night flight were shuttled to hotels and offered $100 vouchers for future travel. It also said passengers from that flight could change their reservations at no additional fee or cancel them and receive a full refund. Allegiant brought another aircraft to Wichita to take the passengers to Las Vegas. That flight left shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, the MD-80 sat off the taxiway, apparently undamaged. Allegiant spokeswoman Kimberly Schaefer said she didn't know when the airline would be able to move the airplane, given the icy conditions. Wise said the Taxiway B closure was not affecting other flights. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article51873140.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Actor Russell Crowe, in a row with Virgin over Segway boards Russell Crowe has walked away from a flight after being told he would not be let on with his Segway boards. The New Zealand-born Australian tweeted at 4.40pm NZT that his children and he had been "offloaded" from a Virgin Australia flight. A spokeswoman for Virgin Australia said Mr Crowe was told at check in that he would not be allowed on the flight with the Segway boards as they were on the dangerous goods list. She added the actor decided to not board the flight. The Dangerous Minds and Romper Stomper star said: "Ridiculous @VirginAustralia. No Segway boards as luggage? "Too late to tell us at airport. Kids and I offloaded. Goodbye Virgin. Never again." A spokeswoman for Virgin Australia said: "Safety is our number one priority at Virgin Australia. "Due to safety concerns, Virgin Australia, along with all major Australian airlines and many around the world, do not permit the carriage of lithium ion battery operated small recreational vehicles, such as self-balancing boards, hoverboards or aero wheels, as checked-in or carry-on baggage." https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/30456392/actor-russell-crowe-removed-from-aircraft/ Back to Top Year of missed targets in aviation (Nigeria) It was a year full of dreams in aviation. There were cases of attempted stowaways and disembarkment from an aircraft with a ladder, reports KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR. For aviation, this year has been a year of missed targets Aviation agencies failed to complete critical projects, such as airport terminals, airport perimeter fencing and other projects which have gulped billions of naira. The agencies are still struggling to recover huge debts from epileptic domestic carriers, concessionaires, ground handling companies and other operators at airports nationwide. Also an army of unemployed young indigenous pilots struggled to meet unrealistic flight hours requirements set by airlines befor they can be employed. Meanwhile, foreign pilots and aircraft engineers dominate the cockpit of aircraft that criss cross airspace. These twists and turns , intrigues and controversies present a mixed bag for the sector's appraisal in the year under review. Safety and security The industry was in the news for the wrong reasons in 2015 because of urgly developments bordering on air safety and security, especially recurring incident of stowaways. Apart from the reported cases of attempted stowaways at the airside of the Lagos Airport, porous perimeter fencing remains sore points around airports nationwide. The ugly development has brought to the fore the need to complete the fencing of airports nationwide as their continued porosity creates loopholes for unauthorised access by unauthoried persons into restricted areas around the airports. At the Lagos airport in the last few months, three cases of stowaways were reported. Despite their increasing recurrence , the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ) insists it has adopted measures in place to improve airside patron to safeguard the airports against unlawful interference by unauthorised persons . Also in the year, domestic airlines reported rising incidence of air returns, which according to experts is enough indication that pilots are adhering to safety emergency procedures. At the domestic wing of the airport many airlines, both domestic and foreign were involved in airside incidence resulting in near on -the - ground collision. This unsafe practice has called to question the integrity of professionals saddled with the task of managing the apron and the tarmac. There were reported cases involving First Nation Airways, Hak Air and Emirates and other carriers . Experts have canvassed the need to provide more space at the apron to enable taxing and parked aircraft have more space for maneuvering. Aviation security expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu ( Rtd), has consistently called on the airport authority to urgently address security and perimeter fencing of airports nationwide. He said failure to address this would make the airports porous and vulnerable to any breach by unauthorised persons. But, not much was achieved in this area in the period under review. This appraisal will not be complete without the mention of the incident involving Aero Airlines on December 19, 2015 at Bauchi Airport when 34 passengers on a chartered Boeing 737-500 disembarked from the aircraft using an unauthorised equipment - a ladder. The 'ladder model' as some industry watchers put it could be described as the greatest affront to air safety by any airline. Though, the management of Aero has adduced pressure by passengers as the reason why it allowed the use of ladder to disembark passengers, industry watchers say the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) is not doing enough in its oversight of the industry. Meanwhile, the NCAA has sanctioned the airline and the pilot that authorised the unsafe practice. Speaking in an interview, the managing director of one of the ground handling companies, Mr Olu Owolabi, said it is time the NCAA rose to the occasion by ensuring all airports whether publicly or privately run comply with the minimum standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO). He said it is wrong for any airline or airport authority to usurp the role of ground handling or engage in self handling as doing so has its attendant effects on safety and security. The Aero incident as many industry watchers have put it, has exposed the underbelly of aviation safety and security in Nigerian airports. The incident they say, has also embarrassed Nigeria in the comity of global aviation. Infrastructure and operational equipment In the year under review, not much was achieved in the area of airport infrastructure and operational equipment. The status of airport remodeling initiated during the last administration is still a subject of intense debate and controversies. The pace of work at some of the terminals have raised more questions than answers as controversies still surround the entire costs, scope of work and identify contractors handling the projects. Some industry watchers continue to query the quality of the work done at some of the terminals, which they allege calls for serious probe. Work at the five international airport terminals being constructed with over $500 million loan from the Chinese Exim Bank is on going, but there is however serious doubt if the contractors would deliver at the agreed timeline for the projects. What is however disturbing is how the airport authority hopes to fix many sore points at terminals nationwide with the limited funds at its disposal either from budgetary sources or internally generated revenue. In particular, the epileptic power supply situation and poor air conditions system at the Lagos International Airport, have become a huge source of global embarrassment . In the year under review, FAAN could not raise the over N900 million needed for complete replacement of the air conditioning system at the Lagos Airport. The authority also needed huge sums to fix the epileptic power supply into the Lagos Airport. The slow pace of construction of the domestic terminal at the Port Harcourt Airport remains one of the sore points in appraisal of airport infrastructure in the year under review. However, a few strides were recorded in the year as government completed and commissioned the control tower of the Kano International Airport. The tower completion also offered a window to integrate it into the total radar coverage of Nigerian airspace. In the period under review, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA) completed its electronic aircraft clearance procedure which saves time for airlines and the agency. Manpower development / National Carrier In the period under review, issues of manpower development and the need to establish a national carrier were in the burner. Earlier in the year, government directed all foreign carriers operating into Nigeria to have onboard their cockpit an indigenous pilot and aircraft engineer as part of efforts to provide jobs for professionals. This singular directive received commendation from players in the sector, as a bold attempt by government to assist indigenous professionals. Investigations revealed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has been monitoring the implementation. What has however remained topical is the desire to have a national airline or carrier, which would assist Nigeria to correct the lopsidedness in the bilateral air services agreement it signed with over 73 countries in the world. Though, the committee set up to fashion modalities for the setting up of the airline has submitted its report to government, industry watchers however remain divided over the desirability of a national airline. Speaking in an interview, the managing director of Arik Air , Mr Chris Ndulue, said it is better for government to assist existing carriers rather than setting up a new national airline. A national airline, he said, may not solve the problem of the industry. But, other experts including, former spokesman of Nigeria Airways Limited, Mr Chris Aligbe, said setting up a national airline is the way to go. State of domestic airlines Domestic carriers have had their fair share of triumphs and challenges in the year. In the year, First Nation Airways joined the league of indigenous carriers to be enlisted in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) registry as certified carriers. With the enlisting, the airline upped its ante in safety and technical operations certification among global carriers. This is just as other carriers Medview Airlines, Air Peace and DANA Air are putting measures in place to scale through their IATA certification. In terms of operational capacity, the stakes were raised as two domestic carriers: Medview and DANA Air joined others on the Lagos - Accra route to step up competition. In the period under review, Medview Airlines also praised operations on the Lagos - London, Abuja - Kano - Jeddah route. This indeed is one of the high points for the airline in the year. Unfortunately, 2015 witnessed hard times for some domestic carriers including Discovery Air, which stopped operations due to financial and technical challenges. In the period under review, IRS Airlines failed to recommence operations after one of its aircraft has technical problems on return from overseas maintenance. Airline operators say 2015 presented the most challenging year in terms of rise in operating costs , as the oscillating price of aviation fuel, huge offshore cost of aircraft maintenance , inability to access the official window to procure foreign exchange , multiple charges and others combined to make the operating environment harsher. Foreign carriers policy on Nigerians Although few foreign carriers employ Nigerians, but the terms of their engagement remains a subject of intense debate because of the shabby way. Nigerian employees are treated by some foreign carriers. A few months ago, British carrier - Virgin Atlantic Airways sacked some Nigerian cabin crew on the Lagos - London route for reasons that border on the absurd. The airline said: "We have decided that we will no longer have crew based in Lagos. This is by no means a reflection on our locally based cabin crew, the primary purpose of our locally based cabin crew has been to provide cultural expertise, and customer feedback has shown us that this is no longer a requirement on the Lagos route. The additional complexity required to operate an international crew base where there are no foreign language requirement means it is no longer sustainable going forward." Aviation unions and interest groups have vowed to call the airline to order as what it has done is the greatest insult to Nigerian aviation in 2015. Legal fireworks are on going to resolve this issue, which according to aviation analysts is one of the downsides of the industry in 2015. Appointment of Pilot as aviation minister If nothing was achieved in aviation in 2015, industry think tank group : Aviation Roundtable say is the appointment of a pilot: Hadi Sirika as minister in charge of aviation , under the transport ministry. According to the President of the Roundtable, Mr Gbenga Olowo the appointment of a pilot, an industry professional laid to rest agitation among industry groups for the appointment of a minister with knowledge of the sector. Many industry players say the greatest achievement of 2015 is the merger of aviation with the ministry of transport. http://thenationonlineng.net/year-of-missed-targets-in-aviation/ Back to Top Shoreham air disaster: Call to review safety permits for ex-military planes (U.K.) The UK's aviation regulator should review the way it grants safety permits to ex-military aircraft following uncertainty over whether the Shoreham air disaster jet had a valid certificate, accident investigators have said. Eleven people were killed when the Hawker Hunter crashed on to the A27 in West Sussex on August 22 Press Association The UK's aviation regulator should review the way it grants safety permits to ex-military aircraft following uncertainty over whether the Shoreham air disaster jet had a valid certificate, accident investigators have said. Eleven people were killed when the Hawker Hunter crashed on to the A27 in West Sussex on August 22. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has published a special bulletin which revealed the lack of clarity over whether the jet should have been allowed to fly. Aircraft that do not qualify for a standard certificate of airworthiness - generally former military or amateur-built planes - are able to operate with a permit to fly granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). But the AAIB report revealed that initially the CAA "could not determine" if the Hawker Hunter met the requirements of its permit because of doubts over the validity of the maintenance of its Rolls-Royce engine. A CAA spokesman said that since the bulletin was written it had informed the AAIB that maintenance of the Hawker Hunter jet was valid, with the next inspection not due until January. The AAIB recommended that the CAA should "review its procedures" to ensure permits to fly are valid when they are issued. Another safety issue raised by the Shoreham investigators came as a result of the pilot and his ejector seat being thrown clear from the cockpit. The pyrotechnic cartridges fitted to the seat were still live and had been damaged in the crash, posing a "significant hazard" to emergency services. The AAIB concluded that the CAA should require all operators of ex-military aircraft fitted with ejector seats to ensure contact details of someone who can make the devices safe after an accident are easily available. It was also recommended that the regulator launches a review into the benefits and dangers of ejector seats. It is still unclear whether the Shoreham pilot - Andrew Hill, 51, from Hertfordshire - attempted to eject or if the force of the impact caused the movement of his seat. The CAA issued a statement which read: "We have received the AAIB's latest special bulletin from its ongoing investigation into the Shoreham Air Show accident and will study it in detail. "We will continue to fully co-operate with the AAIB investigation and provide expertise and advice." "The AAIB special bulletin does not contain any information regarding the cause of the Shoreham air display accident." The CAA is publishing its own review of air show safety which is due to be published early next year. In the immediate aftermath of the crash the regulator banned vintage jets from performing "high-energy aerobatics" over land at public displays. Mr Hill was questioned by Sussex Police last week under caution, but was not arrested. http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/shoreham-air-disaster-call-to-review-safety-permits-for-ex-military- planes-11364030015871 Back to Top Air Travel Lessons from 2015: Humans Still Cause Most Plane Crashes by ALASTAIR JAMIESON One plane was slammed into a mountain by an employee with a history of depression, another was found to have been brought down by pilots who didn't perform as they were trained. While 2015 is on course to be one of the safest on record in the skies, the year has offered grim reminders that technology is only as safe as the humans who use it. The Germanwings crash on March 24, in which the co-pilot of an Airbus A320 intentionally triggered a deadly descent into the French Alps, and the AirAsia crash report which revealed confusion and miscommunication in the cockpit, have sent aviation-safety experts back to the drawing board. They face questions over how an industry requiring regular medical checks missed signs that a pilot was mentally ill, and how a team with years of training managed to lose control of a modern jet. In doing so, the experts are revisiting an age-old problem of man vs. machine. "Humans still cause the majority of accidents," said Guy Hirst, a former Boeing 747 pilot who organizes conferences on safety in high-performance workplace environments such as cockpits and operating rooms. "It's not the machines that are getting it wrong. Since the jet age, planes are mechanically much safer than they ever were," he said. "Something approaching 70 percent of accidents in aviation are down to some form of human error." That does little to reassure air travelers who traditionally have viewed pilots as the calm and competent voice of authority. "When an employee of an airline apparently brings an aircraft down, it is time to think carefully about how and why they were allowed anywhere near controls of a plane," said Chris Yates, consultant and former aviation security editor at the specialist publisher, IHS Jane's. "This year has reminded us that there so many things we can't control." Image: Site of Germanwings crash Site of the Germanwings crash in the French Alps on March 31. AFP / AFP - Getty Images Earlier this month, officials announced plans for tighter rules in the wake of the Germanwings crash - including enhanced alcohol, drug and psychological testing for pilots, improved support and a new international database for pilots' aero-medical data. The proposals, drawn up by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), are already being considered by airlines and national regulators. "We need to act quickly if we want to minimize the risk of a catastrophe such as the Germanwings accident to happen again," EASA executive director Patrick Ky said. It all comes too late for the 144 passengers on Germanwings Flight 9525 who went through stringent security checks at Barcelona's airport yet whose safety was ultimately undone by collective trust in the cockpit crew. A preliminary report revealed that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, left alone on the flight deck while the captain used the restroom, adjusted the plane's selected altitude and sent it into a French mountainside, killing all on board. Lubitz had seen seven doctors within the month before the March 24 crash, prosecutors said, including three appointments with a psychiatrist. None told his employer, because of German patient secrecy laws, but the FAA had previously questioned his fitness to fly after he admitted being treated for episodes of severe depression. It was the most shocking tragedy in what is otherwise on course to be a record-setting year for aviation safety. Seventeen fatal crashes - including Germanwings, AirAsia and the downing of a Russian passenger jet over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula - have caused 564 deaths up until Dec. 18. That is significantly below last year's 990 fatalities, and well under the 10-year average of 708, according to website Aviation Safety. Terrorism threats and fears over the health of pilots might top the list of passenger concerns, but industry alarm bells were sounded in November when the final report into the 2014 crash of an AirAsia Airbus A320 blamed the response of pilots to a computer failure. As the captain and his first officer struggled to handle an influx of electronic-warning messages, the plane rolled sharply several times, climbed too high and ultimately stalled before crashing into the Java Sea. Despite the unfolding crisis, the captain did not retake control as required by the airline's procedures. While he pushed forward on his controls to bring the nose down, the co-pilot was still pulling back, causing the plane's automated fly-by-wire system to cancel out the opposing instructions. The report described a scenario chillingly similar to the one that caused the crash of Air France Flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean in 2009. In that crash, the crew mistakenly responded to a speed-sensor failure by pulling the nose up, causing a dangerously high pitch and ultimately a deadly stall over the southern Atlantic Ocean. "The Airbus is a very clever aircraft but it seems clear that pilots are still being trained in a conventional way," Hirst said. "You've only got to read the AirAsia report to see they didn't understand what was happening." In both cases, he said, pilots seemingly became so fixated on tackling automated messages that they missed or lost sight of how to keep the plane in the air, despite years of experience and intense training. "Eight-eight percent of crews involved in accidents lose their situational awareness, their mental picture of what's happening. They were taking decision based on the wrong picture," Hirst said. He said industry training must address the issue of how the human brain responds to ever-increasing automation - a problem summarized in "The Multitasking Myth," a 2009 collection of NASA studies into human performance. "We were never designed to do the jobs we now do, we're always trying to adapt," he said. "As humans we make mistakes when we're distracted, when we're interrupted, when things happen out of their normal sequence. "THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A BIT OF A WAKE-UP CALL" "Unlike our computers, we are never going to get a firmware update, so we need to strive to understand our vulnerabilities and develop strategies to compensate for cognitive blind spots," he added. Part of the problem lies in aircraft design, Hirst believes. "Aircraft systems are typically designed and built by engineers, often with not enough input from the people actually fly it or use it," he said. "A lot of assumptions are made about how pilots will use the systems, particularly given the differences between fly-by-wire controls on the Airbus, and Boeing." Others believe the expansion of the industry may have come at the expense of effective training. "I guess that the problem might be that the growth of low-cost carriers has conspired to almost remove any concern about the adequacy of training," said Yates. "This year has been a bit of a wake-up call. We'd like to believe people are sufficiently trained to operate those aircraft but in the end there are always going to be corners that are cut. The question is whether the corners are being cut far too finely." How can the industry overcome these problems? It already has pioneered the use of checklists to reduce simple errors and oversights - a practice now widely adopted in healthcare, particularly for surgeons. "They are useful because they give you a chance to step back, take a deep breath and assess," said Hirst, but they should not be used as a safety system in their own right. "They are an aid to make you safer, that is all." One key lesson from 2015 is that changes designed to make passengers safer might put them at risk of other danger. In the Germanwings crash, the locked cockpit door could not be overridden from outside by the helpless captain - a protocol introduced in response to the 9/11 hijackings. "It is often said that the knee-jerk response to yesterday's incident can lead to tomorrow's accident," Hirst said. Medical rules and training must also address the nature and behavior of those who typically become pilots, he added. Rates of mental illness and suicide were not significantly different from other professions, he said, and pilots were often "mission-oriented" and less inclined to call in sick over stress or psychological problems. "Pilots on the whole are completers, finishers," Hirst said. "Sometimes you need somebody to pull you back, perhaps when trying to land in weather outside the limits... You need a second-in-command saying 'hey, this isn't working.'" Both the AirAsia and Air France crash reports found evidence that pilots had not challenged each other's decisions, even in a worsening emergency. In the latter case, the captain had left the cockpit for a rest despite knowing his Airbus A330 was headed for rough weather. "Good teamwork also involves effective leadership," Hirst noted. However, Hirst believes that passengers should fly with confidence despite the aviation tragedies of 2015. "Clearly there needs to be a lot more research in the aviation industry about human factors," he said. "But look at the statistics. You've done the most dangerous bit when you've got to the airport." http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2015-year-in-review/air-travel-lessons-2015-humans-still-cause-most- plane-crashes-n482511 Back to Top Japan eases flight time requirements for non-Japanese to be pilots To deal with a shortage of pilots, the government has drastically eased flight time requirements for non- Japanese to work as pilots or co-pilots for the country's airlines. With the change, made Monday, qualified non-Japanese will be eligible to work as co-pilots or pilots if they have at least 250 hours of flight experience - the same level usually needed in Japan to be hired to serve as co-pilots - compared with the previously needed 1,000 hours. As of January last year, non-Japanese pilots and co-pilots accounted for about 7 percent, or 432 people, of the total at 16 major Japanese airline companies, according to the transport ministry. A massive number of pilots in Japan are likely to reach retirement age around 2030, while many countries around the world are suffering pilot shortages. An official at the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry said easing the requirement for acquiring residential status will not affect the safety of airline operations. "Even if the flight time requirement is eased, airlines will conduct necessary training after hiring the foreigners," the official said. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/12/28/national/japan-eases-flight-time-requirements-non- japanese-pilots/#.VoJtF_krKUk Back to Top Pilots Of Plane That Hit Snowplow In Telluride Knew Runway Was Closed TELLURIDE, Colo. (CBS4) - The pilots of a plane that crashed at a closed runway at the Telluride Regional Airport say they knew the runway was closed but attempted the landing anyway. The Hawker Beechjet with seven people on board crashed into an occupied snowplow last Wednesday at the airport. "We assumed the worst and fortunately it turned out every well. It could have been a real disaster." San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said. "Considering we had seven on the aircraft and one person in the plow we could have easily had eight fatalities." A small plane crashed at the Telluride Airport on Wednesday (credit: San Miguel Sheriff) San Miguel County sheriff investigators have wrapped up their report obtained by CBS4. Now the National Transportation Safety Board is handling the case. According to statements made by the pilots after the crash they were aware the airport was closed, but as they got closer they decided conditions had improved and landed. They did not radio ground control and were not aware an airport worker was cleaning snow from the runway. "The gentleman in the plow definitely heard it, felt it ... like a big explosion. It was a surprise to him, came in behind him and hit the plow," Masters said. CBS4's Matt Kroschel talked to the worker by phone - he did not want to go on camera - but is thankful to be alive. The sheriff estimated the jet struck the snowplow from behind going at least 100 miles per hour. "It's surprising we've have had very few incidents over the years," Master said. The airport is now open and officials say they have removed all the snow that was on the runway causing those bad conditions. http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/12/28/pilots-of-plane-that-hit-snowplow-in-telluride-knew-runway-was- closed/ Back to Top FAA Grounds 'Uber for Planes' Sharing economies have been around long before companies like Uber and AirBnB figured out how to take the idea digital and thereby monopolize entire peer-to-peer networks. Historically, the private aviation community is one of the groups which is most familiar with the principles of a pre-Uber sharing economy, due in large part to the huge costs associated with purchasing, maintaining and operating a noncommercial aircraft. According to the FAA and a recent court ruling however, taking this well established flight-sharing network online is totally illegal. In the days before the internet, the private aviation community's robust ride-sharing tradition was largely facilitated by bulletin boards and word of mouth. In an effort to bring the private aviation community in step with the changing times, a Boston-based startup called Flytenow created an Uber-esque flight-sharing service connecting private pilots with passengers in early 2014. Soon after their launch the FAA declared their activities to at odds with aviation regulations, and the two organizations have been locked in a legal battle ever since. The battle may have finally come to an end on Friday however, with the issuance of an appeals court ruling that may shut the startup down for good. The way Flytenow works is relatively straightforward. It is essentially an online message board where private pilots post their flight plans and passengers (deemed "flight enthusiasts" by the company) can opt to hitch a ride if they are headed in the same direction. The crucial difference between this and buying a ticket on a commercial airliner is that the passenger cannot compensate the pilot for their service. Rather, the passenger is only splitting the costs associated with the flight with the pilot. According to the FAA, this puts Flytenow at odds with the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and other FAA regulations, which require pilots who are being compensated for their services to operate with a commercial license. As interpreted by the FAA, Flytenow's service turns the private pilots operating through their service into "common carriers," which would require them to obtain a commercial license. As Flytenow argued in their lengthy case against the FAA, pilots making use of their service do not thereby become common carriers. As the company detailed on its blog, common law dictates that an organization becomes a common carrier when it exists to make a profit. Since pilots operating through Flytenow are not turning a profit, but only splitting the costs of flight with their passengers, to label them as common carriers goes against the definition of the term as it is commonly understood. Moreover, Flytenow argued that expense-splitting between private pilots and passengers is a long standing tradition in the aviation community. The only difference between Flytenow and expense-splitting pre- Flytenow is the breadth of the audience that can be reached through the online service. "It's OK for pilots to post a written notice at an airport or a college campus with 10,000 students, but if they post the same message online, the FAA says no. Where do you draw the line?" Matt Voska, a private pilot and a co-founder of Flytenow, told the Los Angeles Times. "What we are doing is permissible." Unfortunately for Voska and the rest of the Flytenow founders, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit didn't agree. The appeals court sided with the FAA and decided that posting to Flytenow constituted a form of advertising and expense-splitting was a form of compensation, thus placing private pilots operating through Flytenow in league with commercial pilots and their corresponding regulations. For now, the decision means that Flytenow will no longer be allowed to facilitate ride sharing between private pilots and passengers, although Flytenow co-founder Alan Guichard said the company is still considering an appeal on the ruling. http://motherboard.vice.com/en_uk/read/faa-grounds-uber-for-planes Back to Top Barmy European Union bid to ditch co-pilots on airliners 'could put planes at risk' PILOTS have slammed a Europe Union-backed scheme to cut co-pilots on airliners, saying it could increase risk of accidents. Airliners could be working towards a single-pilot operations on commercial jets The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) have warned an increase in automation would put planes at increased risk of hackers and computer failures. The stark warming comes after it was revealed that the EU plans to improve onboard safety by reducing reliance on crew members in the flight deck. In addition, the Advanced Cockpit for Reduction of Stress and Workload (ACROSS) project also hopes to cut the cost of flying. Stephen Landels from Balpa said: "Pilots welcome the introduction of technology designed to make flights safer, but we have concerns that the Across project could lead to too heavy a reliance on automation." Co-funded by the European Commission, ACROSS is developing new technologies to help improve pilots' "situational awareness". At current 35 companies and research groups across Europe, including Boeing, Airbus and BAE Systems are working on the EU-funded project. If ACROSS is successful, airliners could be working towards a single-pilot operations on commercial jets within years. The EU plans to improve onboard safety by reducing reliance on crew members in the flight deck The ACROSS scheme is co-funded by the European Commission We have concerns that the Across project could lead to too heavy a reliance on automation Stephen Landells According to the project leaders, the research is needed to reduce the accident rate in aviation as on average there is one accident every ten days worldwide. They said the reduction "seems to have reached a plateau, stabilising at a rate of approximately two accidents for every million departures". While pilots had prevented large numbers of accidents, "issues involving the flight crew" were contributory factors in 60 per cent of fatal accidents between 1990 and 2010, its website said. Slamming the new scheme, Balpa highlighted a number of cases in which the quick thinking of pilots had prevented potentially catastrophic accidents. This display of quick thinking was demonstrated in 2008 when a pilot landed a British Airways airliner after a loss of power just short of Heathrow. Mr Landells added: "A reduction in the number of pilots in the cockpit could have serious detrimental consequences for fight safety due to lack of cross checking of safety-critical switches and operational decision-making." The ACROSS project started in January 2013 and will conclude in June. http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/629970/European-Union-ditch-co-pilots-on-airliners-planes-risk Back to Top TRAINING FROM THE GROUND UP AT JET BLUE By Roger Rapoport Contributing Editor Editor's Note: This is the second article in a FSI series on Jet Blue's new ab initio training program. Madison, Wisconsin - Jet Blue's decision to launch an ab initio training program, hiring new recruits with no previous flying experience required, mirrors international programs that have put pilots in the right seat of an airliner with only a few hundred hours. At a time when it takes 1,500 flight hours for most pilots to qualify for the same job at American carriers, this move has caught the eye of veteran Airbus training pilots like Bob Hesselbein. Bob Hesselbein While it is true that some pilots can qualify for U.S. carriers with less flight time, military pilots need only 750 and graduates of four year aviation schools must have 1,000, the new controversy is critical to the industry's future. A parallel effort to reduce the 1,500 hour rule to help carriers deal with a pilot shortage could alter the industry in major ways. Madison based Hesselbein, former head of the Airline Pilots Association's National Security Committee, is a trained military and civilian accident investigator who flew at Northwest and Delta for 28 years. He is also a veteran military accident investigator, as well as a former jet fighter and helicopter pilot. Hesselbein has just concluded his year as president of the Vietnam Pilots Association and leads an effort to emplace a memorial within Arlington National Cemetery dedicated to helicopter crews lost in that war. "This is the first time in half a century that an American carrier has hired nonpilots and sent them to flight school," he explains. "In the 60s, when there was an acute pilot shortage, Northwest flight school hired mechanics who were subsequently trained to be flight engineers during the Vietnam war era. These aviators weren't simulator babies. They were trained on real airplanes." The Multi- Crew Pilot License (MPL) in foreign countries takes a much different approach. The International Air Transport Association claims this money saving industry approach to fast tracking pilots "equips crews with ... core competencies." What this means, says Hesselbein, "is that the new hires who have not previously flown are type qualified. They can only fly one plane. After landing in Frankfurt on a big jet they can't go to a small airport and rent a little tail dragger to improve their hands on skills. It's a unique approach to filling a seat in the cockpit. They haven't paid their dues. "The problem is they haven't had the enriched training experience that comes from flying a wide variety of aircraft before working for an airline. It's one thing to 'fly' an excellent simulator working in a sterile safe environment. However that is far different than operating in saturated air space with difficult weather conditions and air traffic controllers that are hard to understand. These newcomers have not had an opportunity to become comfortable with the myriad of things that can't be done in a simulator. "Carriers taking the MPL/ab initio approach are focused on trying to save money and time. Training in the air in different machines teaches aerodynamics, which is just as important as learning how to be a system manager on a simulator. When the system stops working you must know how to fly the aircraft. "The airlines are making an economic decision to turn the corner on supply and demand. With the FAA requiring 750 to 1,500 hours of experience depending on your military and flight school training, it's hard for airlines to attract low paid pilots. There is also a shrinking pool of military pilots, in part because many new hires make less than they can in the Air Force." "The cost of training to be an airline pilot is outrageous compared to 30 years ago. Right now the pay at regional carriers owned by or operating for the airlines hardly covers the interest on the college debt. A salary of $18,000 to $20,000 a year doesn't make much of a dent when you have $150,000 worth of college debt. "There is a large pool of regional airline pilots who would love to move up to the major carriers. In the past this was a good career path. Today that approach threatens the industry's self serving economic model. The regional carriers don't want to give up their lower paid pilots. Of course some big airlines believe it is less expensive to train and hire beginners who can start at lower salaries. "The airlines are thinking dollars, putting economics ahead of safety. They say, 'Hey, no one has gotten killed yet. Until someone gets killed and the regulations change, we can get away with it. We are not breaking any laws.' "Abroad the MPL license means they are financing lower priced tickets by putting less experienced, lower paid pilots in the right seat. Look at the copilot who crashed the German Wings plane into a French mountain earlier this year. He didn't have enough hours to qualify for flying at any U.S. based airline. If this pilot staffing approach comes to the United States we'll be cheating passengers out of their expectation of traveling with experienced pilots. This could undermine our system that works well with well-trained pilots. "Keep in mind this ab initio approach gives the airlines a huge advantage. When a pilot has minimal training and is only certified to fly a single aircraft he can't say 'screw you' to his carrier and jump to another airline. He is only qualified by that airline to fly a single aircraft. It's very unlikely that another company would pay more or move him up to the left seat." "They are not hiring people to be captains. They are hiring untrained people to be system operators on the basis of simulator time." "Historically riverboat owners understood that knowing how to steer didn't make you a 'pilot.' The pilots were experts who understood weather, charts, currents and everything else that mattered to safe operation. It's the same thing in the air. A real pilot is an aviator. He's not just hauling freight that doesn't scream, cry or throw up when you accidentally fly into turbulence. It's a much higher standard. The captain's job is much harder than the first officer's. If the copilot lacks hands-on experience he doesn't share a common frame of reference with the captain. In all my flying I never flew with a first officer that could not be trusted alone if I had to step out to go to the bathroom. "It would be scary to fly with a copilot who never flew anything other than a simulator. Sometimes you are out flying and you come into a situation and you say, 'this reminds me of the time....' Guys who only train in a simulator can't do that. All they know is what was programmed into their box They might get academic meteorology but wouldn't be able to look at clouds and spot dangerous turbulence. "The MPL approach is a little like hiring a brain surgeon who says, 'I've never actually done human brain surgery before but I've been to a lot of classes and did a good one on a dog. "Passengers often say, 'We like pilots with gray hair. Since they are still alive we feel safer.' They are not going to hire people with gray hair for the ab initio programs. They will hire someone much younger. "We have high standards in the United States. We have more opportunity for typical young people to fly planes. We have more runways and more airports than any other country in the world. Companies like Jet Blue are trying to do an economic shortcut. It's a way for them to cheaply train pilots to fly an Airbus. It doesn't necessarily give them the air sense they need based on long military flying experience. working at commuter carriers and in general aviation. "Ab initio is going to be a struggle. The future depends on who gets the FAA's ear and is more convincing. Jet Blue can do whatever they want but they can't certify these new candidates to pass an FAA check ride and operate an FAA certified aircraft. "Some people think this is an industry plot to bump down the 1,500 hour rule that has given us almost seven years without a single airline passenger fatality. I am not cynical at this point because it is early in the game. Jet Blue is going to have to do far more vetting to convince anyone ab initio is going to work here. Roger Rapoport is the producer of the feature film Pilot Error. https://vimeo.com/110034584 He is the author of a forthcoming book on Air France 447. Copyright 2015 Roger Rapoport All Rights Reserved Back to Top IS THE FAA'S DRONE REGISTRATION PROGRAM LEGAL? Jan Stumpf of Ascending Technologies controls an Intel AscTec Firefly drone during a flight demonstration at the House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington. On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took a monumental step in reining in the rapidly growing drone market with a website for owners to register their drones. The FAA only took two months to launch the program since its plan for drone registration to set up the online portal, a miraculous feat for any federal agency. But is all this legal? Since its initial announcement in October, the FAA's ambitious plan was pockmarked with unanswered questions about enforcement and practicality. Now some aviation attorneys are arguing that the entire registration process stands on faulty legal grounds, highlighting the larger quandary government agencies face when trying to keep pace with new technology. "The FAA is short-circuiting the entire regulatory process," Florida-based drone attorney Jonathan Rupprecht tells Newsweek. While Rupprecht believes the registration idea is "great," especially for generating revenue for the FAA through the $5 registration fee, he believes FAA's recklessness in pushing it through may land the entire registration program in a legal battle and put the entire registration policy on hold. Rupprecht believes the FAA has circumvented two important clauses in the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act. Under the APA, all federal agencies creating new regulation needs to run through a "notice and comment" phase. In a normal notice and comment, agencies publish its regulation in the Federal Register, the public is then given an opportunity to comment on it and the FAA publishes a final rule with the feedback, which can take several months and even years. But the FAA bypassed all this using a "Good Cause" exemption, arguing the registration regulation was important and urgent enough to be implemented as quickly as possible. "The public interest served by the notice and comment process is outweighed by the significant increase in risk that the public will face with the immediate proliferation of new small unmanned aircraft that will be introduced into the NAS in the weeks ahead," writes the FAA in its interim final rules report. To highlight that risk, FAA says that there were over 1,100 reports on "unauthorized and potentially unsafe UAS (unmanned aircraft system) operations" in 2015, along with seven specific incidents of drones behaving badly. But Rupprecht argues that these incidents aren't good enough justifications to invoke an emergency; law enforcements were able to find the owner-despite all these drones being unregistered-in all but one of the seven cases. "There's a lot of puffery to make it sound like it's much worse than it is," says Rupprecht. Another legal problem Rupprecht raises-which may be a bigger deal than the Good Cause exemption but also drags the entire conversation into nitpicking legalese-is the direct violation of Section 336 of the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which prohibits the FAA from creating any new rules and regulations regarding model aircrafts. The FAA argued in the report that the registration program is allowed as a complement to existing regulations on model aircrafts, which Rupprecht believes is the FAA bending words to fit with its agenda. "While section 336 bars the FAA from promulgating new rules or regulations that apply only to model aircraft, the prohibition against future rulemaking is not a complete bar on rulemaking and does not exempt model aircraft from complying with existing statutory and regulatory requirements," the FAA argues. "This action simply provides a burden-relieving alternative that [drone] owners may use for aircraft registration." All these legal gray areas may be brought up in court if-and Rupprecht believes it's more a matter of when-a person or organization decides to take the FAA to court after being caught flying an unregistered drone. The FAA has set the maximum punishment for flying an unregistered drone to be three years in jail or $250,000 in fines. But considering local enforcement will be the boots on the ground to identify unregistered drones and arrest its owners, the severity of punishment may differ wildly from state to state, county by county. "When the FAA lays the new punishments on the first guy, it will be coming up in the courts," believes Rupprecht. "We really need to think about local authorities on this issue because they are carrying all the slack." Other drone attorneys were slightly more sympathetic to the FAA and believed Congress needed to deal with this with more urgency. "The FAA regulations right now just aren't ready for drones," says Orlando-based attorney Moses DeWitt. "I think we'll see federal regulations similar to cars. The government for now is trying to keep everything at bay until regulations do roll around." The Senate currently has a bill called the Consumer Drone Safety Act in the works but it will not be dealt with until next March when Congress reauthorizes the FAA. Rupprecht also hopes Congress will take action, especially in clarifying Section 336 so that the FAA is not in any violation. But he fears the circumventions have already delegitimized the FAA in the eyes of drone enthusiasts and manufacturers. "The FAA is telling them 'do as I say, not as I do,'" Rupprecht says. "It is going to look like they are rogue operators." http://www.newsweek.com/faas-drone-registration-program-legal-408701 Back to Top FAA and OSHA Enter into Agreement to Strengthen Enforcement of AIR21 Whistleblower Protection Law The FAA and OSHA have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate coordination and cooperation concerning enforcement of the AIR21 whistleblower protection law. The DOL and FAA both play a critical role in enforcing the whistleblower protection provision of AIR21. FAA has responsibility to investigate complaints related to air carrier safety and has authority under the FAA's statute to enforce air safety regulations and issue sanctions to airmen and air carriers for noncompliance with these regulations. FAA enforcement action may include air carrier and/or airman certificate suspension and/or revocation and/or the imposition of civil penalties. Additionally, FAA may issue civil penalties for violations of 49 U.S.C. § 42121. OSHA has the responsibility to investigate employee complaints of discrimination and may order a violator to take affirmative action to abate the violation, reinstate the complainant to his or her former position with back pay, and award compensatory damages, including attorney fees. Under the MOU, OSHA will promptly notify FAA of any AIR21 whistleblower retaliation complaints and will provide the FAA with all investigative findings and preliminary orders, investigation reports, and orders associated with any hearing or administrative appeal related to the complaint. And when a whistleblower notifies the FAA of retaliation involving air carrier safety, the FAA will promptly provide OSHA with a copy of the complaint and will advise the whistleblower that an AIR21 complaint must be filed with OSHA within 90 days of the retaliation. And the FAA will provide OSHA with the general results of any investigation conducted, to include whether or not FAA concluded there was a violation of a federal regulation, order, or standard relating to air carrier safety. http://www.natlawreview.com/article/faa-and-osha-enter-agreement-to-strengthen-enforcement-air21- whistleblower#sthash.bXn9ttai.dpuf Back to Top Honda begins deliveries of HondaJet, its first light jet The HondaJet executive light aircraft Honda is officially shipping jets for the first time. The ceremonial first delivery of the HondaJet executive light jet was recently made at the world headquarters of Honda Aircraft Company in Greensboro, North Carolina. The milestone came on December 23, two weeks after HondaJet received type certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration for a craft that Honda claims is the fastest (at 420 knots or 483 mph) and most efficient in its class. It also comes a little less than a year and half since we covered the jet's first test flight. The company credits the HondaJet's performance and efficiency to its configuration, with engines mounted over "natural-laminar flow" wings and fuselage made from lightweight composite materials rather than aluminum. It says a "combination of co-cured integral structure and honeycomb sandwich structures [...] results in increased cabin space, better performance, and greater fuel efficiency." Honda teamed with GE to make the HondaJet engines, which are each capable of 2,050 pound-feet of thrust uninstalled. The jet itself measures 42.62 ft (12.99 m) long with a wingspan of 39.76 ft (12.12 m) and a height of 14.90 ft (4.54 m). Inside, it can be configured to seat up to five or six passengers with 17.80 x 5 ft (5.43 x 1.52 m) of interior space and 4.83 ft (1.47 m) of head room, making it taller and roomier than many competitors in the same class. HondaJet is being manufactured in North Carolina, and Honda plans to target the lower end of the light jet market at first, offering the craft for sale to North America, South America and Europe through a dealer network, with pilot training already underway at its headquarters. http://www.gizmag.com/hondajet-deliveries-begin/41068/ Back to Top China appears ready to begin mass production of first stealth fighter jet, state media suggest Xinhua publishes photos of a J-20 jet that carries number indicating the final stage has been reached A photo that appears to show China's J-20 stealth fighter, still coated in yellowish paint typically used before radar absoprbing materials are applied. Photo: Xinhua China "may" have started mass production of its first stealth fighter, the J-20, a state media report suggests. The clue came in slightly blurry photos that Xinhua published on Sunday. They show a plane parked on a runway at an unidentified military airfield, coated in a yellowish paint typically used before the application of radar absorption material. The jet was identical to ones believed to be J-20 prototypes seen in public in previous years. But the key difference was the number painted below the cockpit - "2101". Earlier versions were numbered 2012 or 2017 or some variation of the final two digits. The appearance of 2101 "may indicate the J-20 has moved from the test flight period to initial mass production", Xinhua reported, adding the arrival of the final stage would not be surprising. The "2017" version, seen earlier this year, carried only minor changes from its predecessors, such as a reshaped cockpit canopy to provide better visibility for the pilot. The absence of big design changes in the new model indicates the recent prototypes were very close to production configuration. An undated picture of a J-20 that circulated on the internet in February 2013. Photo: SCMP Pictures It was previously estimated a small number of J-20s would go into production next year but the new photos suggest the manufacturing pace could be faster, according to Xinhua. Rolling out the fighter jet would put China a step ahead of Russia, which has been struggling to introduce its own stealth fighter jet, the T-50, whose development has been hampered by the country's financial difficulties. But the J-20 is not expected to match the United States' F-22 in performance any time soon. The Chinese stealth fighter is believed to be powered by a relatively weak and dated engine imported from Russia. China is developing a more powerful jet engine for the J-20 at home, but it's not expected to be ready for flight until 2019, according to some estimates. Beijing has been pushing ahead with modernising its air force. In November, Russian media cited an unidentified Russian official as saying Beijing had agreed to pay US$2 billion for 24 Sukhoi-35 fighter jets, the most advanced combat plane the country exports, following nearly half a decade of negotiations. The deal would make China the first foreign buyer of the Su-35. Beijing did not immediately confirm the news. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1895905/china-appears-ready-begin-mass- production-first-stealth Back to Top Alaska to phase out combination aircraft Alaska Airlines Combi Since 2007 five combination 737-400s have been moving passengers and cargo for Alaska Airlines. These combination aircraft have space for 72 passengers in the back half of the aircraft, while carrying 6,000 pounds of cargo, often seafood, in the front. The aircraft fly in the vast state of Alaska, and to Seattle in the lower-48 states. Now, the Alaska Dispatch News reports that the five combination aircraft, which replaced several 737- 200s, will be phased out, to be replaced with three 737-700s, which will be converted from all-passenger planes to freighters. This is part of a plan to phase out all 26 of the 737-400s in Alaska's fleet in order to move into more fuel-efficient aircraft. The work to convert the three 700s to freighters will begin in February 2016. According to our sister publication Cargo Facts, the conversion will be done by Bedek Aviation Group, the MRO and conversion arm of Israel Aerospace Industries. This is IAI's launch customer for the 737-700BDSF program. When completed, the freighter will offer eight full-size pallet positions plus two smaller positions. Halley Knigge, a spokeswoman for Alaska Airlines said the change is intended to better serve the cargo needs of rural communities in Alaska. Alaska's senior vice president of communications, Joe Sprague said that the move is "an opportunity to step up our game from a cargo standpoint." Knigge said the plan is to phase out the combination aircraft by 2017. The combination flights currently operate among Anchorage, Ketchikan, Kotzebue, Bethel, Juneau, Sitka, Nome and Seattle. http://aircargoworld.com/alaska-to-phase-out-combination-aircraft/ Back to Top Russia's Irkut aircraft builder fully implements its liabilities under 2015 contracts More than 60 multi-purpose fighters of the Su-30 family and Yak-130 combat-capable trainer aircraft were supplied to the Russian defense ministry and foreign clients in 2015 Su-30 SM twin-engine fighter MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. Russia's Corporation Irkut (incorporated into the United Aircraft Corporation, or UAC) has completely fulfilled its liabilities under the 2015 state defense order and export contracts, Irkut's press service said on Monday. According to the press service, more than 60 multi-purpose fighters of the Su-30 family and Yak-130 combat-capable trainer aircraft were supplied to the Russian defense ministry and foreign clients in 2015. "In 2015, the corporation expanded the geography of sales of its military aircraft. New Su-30SM fighter jets were supplied to Kazakhstan. Yak-130 combat-capable trainer planes were supplied to the armed forces of Belarus and Bangladesh," the press service said. http://tass.ru/en/defense/847520 Back to Top Component Improvements Drive Aircraft Efficiency Gains by Matt Thurber GE Aviation entered the GA turboprop segment with a series of engine announced in late 2015. GE Aviation entered the GA turboprop segment with a series of engine announced in late 2015. Breakthroughs in aircraft design are few and far between; what we are seeing now are incremental improvements that nevertheless aim for ever greater efficiency and performance. Many of these improvements are under the skin of modern aircraft, such as new avionics, improved systems and, most important, the engines that make flying possible. While there have been major breakthroughs in electric motor design, it's unlikely that electric-powered aircraft will be carrying significant loads-more than a handful of passengers-anytime soon. Battery technology, while gaining ground, just isn't up to the task and might never match the energy density of carbon-based fuels. That said, we do expect to see widespread adoption of lithium-ion for main-ship battery applications. Manufacturers such as True Blue Power know how to make these batteries with safe lithium-ion technology and, compared with nicad versions, these batteries are far more reliable, last longer, deliver more power for low-temperature starts and operate much longer in a battery-only electrical emergency. Turbine engine designers have steadily improved efficiency by an average of about one percent per year during recent decades, and this points to reliably improving performance. Unfortunately, turbine engine performance comes at a high cost, and although there are some promising small engines in the works, there is little opportunity to dramatically lower the cost of turbine engines and spark a resurgence in general aviation powered by turbines replacing pistons. Nevertheless, GE Aviation's entry into the 850- to 1,650-shp market offers some long-awaited competition, and this will surely stimulate new turboprop designs powered by both GE's new engine and Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6. The first to emerge will be Textron Aviation's GE-powered single-engine turboprop, but given the popularity of this segment-driven by Daher's TBM series and Pilatus's PC-12-we expect to see further developments. The slow but steady pace of engine improvements doesn't mean there aren't technological changes that could speed up engine development. Ceramic matrix composites are headed toward production engine programs. And engine manufacturers are pouring many millions of dollars into 3-D printing of complex components, which should ultimately lower costs and accelerate prototype development. FLY-BY-WIRE TECHNOLOGY The trend on the business jet side is toward increasing complexity that makes pilots' jobs easier. Most clean-sheet new business jet designs have fly-by-wire flight control systems, witness Embraer's Legacy 450/500, Gulfstream's G500/G600 and Bombardier's Global 7000/8000. For those who say that fly-by-wire is suited only to larger aircraft, the Bell 525, although a relatively heavy helicopter, shows that modern flight controls make sense in smaller packages. Thales, which is developing the fly-by-wire rudder control system for Textron Aviation's Longitude, doesn't see any reason why fly-by-wire won't be beneficial for smaller business jets, too. While the weight savings aren't as significant as for larger aircraft, they are a factor. But more important are the safety benefits of fly-by-wire. Flight envelope protections built into fly-by-wire systems can help get pilots out of trouble and could eventually eliminate the need for some upset recovery training, although pilots will always need training in the fundamentals of flying, especially how to recover a fly-by-wire aircraft in a mode where protections have been removed. Recent crashes involving fly-by-wire airliners show that further training is an urgent necessity. As more OEMs gain experience in fly-by-wire and as initial development costs are covered by new aircraft, they will gradually see the benefits of moving the technology into smaller aircraft. Another benefit of fly-by-wire is that it enables designers to extract even more performance from future airframes. One way to do this is by eliminating traditional flight control surfaces and replacing them with flexible portions of wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Winglet manufacturer Aviation Partners has teamed with FlexSys in a joint venture to market the FlexFoil variable-geometry flight control surface technology. FlexSys has been testing it on a GIII, in which the flaps were replaced with FlexFoil seamless continuous surface units that can morph from -9 degrees to 40 degrees. The surfaces could eventually be used for mission-adaptive profiling, where operators can adapt the control surfaces for the shape best suited to the phase of flight. For the near future, the pinnacle of aerodynamic design will likely be a supersonic business jet, and the Aerion-Airbus team has steadily built engineering and financial capabilities that could lead to the first Aerion AS2 entering service in 2023. Fractional-share operator Flexjet is slated to become one of the first operators to place the AS2 into service, having signed a firm order for 20 of the SSBJs. One development that seems fully established is flat-floor cabins for midsize and larger business jets. And while ultra-long-range jets have commanded significant market share, Textron Aviation's recently announced Citation Hemisphere is going to test the market with relatively long range (4,500 nm) and a 102-inch-wide cabin (the same width as the Falcon 5X, but less range than the 5X's 5,200 nm). Time will tell how this new market niche develops https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/blogs/ain-blog-component-improvements-drive-aircraft- efficiency-gains Back to Top Hawaiian Airlines Appoints New COO Jon Snook. Photo courtesy Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines has selected Jon Snook as its chief operations officer. Snook, who has served as Hawaiian's interim COO since October, oversees all flight operations, in-flight services, customer service, maintenance and engineering, and operations analytics. "In the short time Jon has been at the helm of our operations division, he has already contributed to a number of important improvements and has built a wonderful rapport with his staff and colleagues," said Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO at Hawaiian Airlines. "I am extremely delighted to have him join our ?ohana on a permanent basis." Snook has 29 years of broad commercial and operational experience, leading business units in airline, cargo, trucking, tour operating and ground handling industries. Prior to joining Hawaiian, Snook successfully rose through the ranks of American Airlines, starting on the front line as a ticket agent and most recently serving as senior vice president of customer service, where he led over 40,000 employees and directed the delivery of the airline's end-to-end customer experience. He is also a member of the Episcale Corp advisory board. Snook completed the management executive program at Kellogg Northwestern University in Chicago. He speaks English and Swedish and holds dual British and US citizenship. http://bigislandnow.com/2015/12/28/hawaiian-airlines-appoints-new-coo/ 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 Curt Lewis