Flight Safety Information January 4, 2016 - No. 002 In This Issue NTSB: 8 seriously injured in Anaktuvuk Pass plane crash UNFASTENED SEAT BELTS: AN FSI COMMENTARY PROS 2015 TRAINING Turkish jet called back from Mumbai airport runway over unclaimed phone MH17 crash: Dutch investigators to assess new study implicating Russian soldiers South Korea to probe budget carriers after Jin Air incident Aviation Safety Update 2016: After MH370, MH17 And Russian Passenger Plane, Death Toll Climbs Chinese civil aviation sees improved flight safety in 2015 Airline industry to remain stagnant this year amid safety worries (Indonesia) 2015: Significant Improvement for Amateur-built Aircraft Safety Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Vehicles Ornge chopper pilots to get night vision goggles (Canada) New Russian forward-swept wing jet trainer has made its first flight China Assembles Its Stealth Jet Fleet Airline tarmac rule leads to more passenger delays, study concludes Alaska Air Benefits from a Young and Streamlined Fleet CAN AN EMIRATES TIE-UP SAVE MALAYSIA AIRLINES? SpaceX's historic Falcon 9 rocket ready to fire again Upcoming Events Jobs Available NTSB: 8 seriously injured in Anaktuvuk Pass plane crash All eight people on board a small plane that crashed near Anaktuvuk Pass Saturday afternoon survived but were seriously injured, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB investigator Shaun Williams said Sunday the pilot and all seven passengers on board the Cessna 208 Caravan -- on a scheduled Wright Air Service flight from Fairbanks to Anaktuvuk Pass -- were hospitalized in Anchorage after the plane crashed near its destination Saturday afternoon. Officials with the air service said Saturday the plane went down about 6 miles southwest of the Brooks Range village. "It departed Fairbanks about 10:30 in the morning and the crash happened about 1 p.m.," Williams said. Alaska State Troopers spokesman Tim Despain said troopers didn't immediately have further details on the crash Sunday morning. Williams said a weather report from Anaktuvuk Pass at the time of the crash indicated calm winds and 6 miles of visibility, with a cloud ceiling at about 4,200 feet. The NTSB hadn't received any word so far from the plane's occupants about what happened. "We've been busy trying to put together all the pieces and get the details," Williams said Sunday. "Everyone has been taken to area hospitals in Anchorage, and we have not spoken with anyone yet." Investigators plan to retrieve the Cessna, Williams said, and bring it to a secure storage facility in the Mat-Su region for further examination. https://www.adn.com/article/20160103/ntsb-8-seriously-injured-anaktuvuk-pass-plane-crash **************** Status: Preliminary Date: Saturday 2 January 2016 Time: ca 13:00 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: Wright Air Service Registration: registration unknown C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: 10 km (6.3 mls) SW of Anaktuvuk Pass Airport, AK (AKP) ( United States of America) Phase: Unknown (UNK) Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Fairbanks International Airport, AK (FAI/PAFA), United States of America Destination airport: Anaktuvuk Pass Airport, AK (AKP/PAKP), United States of America Narrative: A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Wright Air Service crashed near Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska. Some passengers were injured in the accident. https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/emcf/email/edit?flow=edit&camefrom=view&agent.uid=1123364507357 Back to Top UNFASTENED SEAT BELTS: AN FSI COMMENTARY By Roger Rapoport Contributing Editor FSI's story on two dozen Air Canada passengers injured over Alaska December 30 creates an important opportunity to improve onboard safety management. It perfectly demonstrates the need for better passenger education and inflight communication. Lax to nonexistent enforcement of seat belt requirements has long been a joke on some impoverished airlines in small countries handicapped by sketchy regulation. Unfortunately there is no excuse for these turbulence related injuries on a top flight carrier where passengers were adequately warned by their captain. Why do passengers ignore the crew and put themselves at risk? How can the industry solve this seat belt compliance problem at minimal cost? One ongoing problem is the determination of some passengers to ignore seat belt laws entirely. It begins shortly after takeoff when a few passengers must get up to grab a bag, head for the bathroom or rise to pray with a bible loaded on their tablet. When the seat belt sign comes on at cruise other passengers, some of them inebriated, insist on roaming the aisles. At night it is difficult for flight attendants to determine if blanketed passengers are wearing their seat belts in a darkened cabin. Even a flashlight is inadequate because crew would be forced to wake sleeping passengers to insure they are properly belted. On approach and landing many passengers insist on jumping up to begin gathering their belongings. The taxiway, where it's critical for passengers to wear seat belts should the plane have to stop short, is another place where too many passengers insist on getting up. Even when a plane is rocking and rolling some passengers appear to be oblivious to seat belt warnings. Some problems are attributable to unrealistic family seating policies. On the Air Çanada flight one father was unable to make sure his daughter was wearing a seat belt because she was sitting in another part of the cabin. Here are some of the easy ways that the industry could voluntarily persuade passengers to comply with seatbelt requirements for the benefit of all aboard. SEAT BELT INDICATOR LIGHTS, MORE CABIN LIGHTING AT NIGHT, Adapting proven technology from the automobile industry, passengers not wearing their sea tbelts would be flagged by warning lights displayed on overhead panels next to the flight attendant call light. Flight attendants could quickly determine which passengers need to be woken up to fasten their seat belts. This would be particularly helpful with passengers who have blankets covering their seat belts. At night turning on the cabin lighting in turbulence would make it safer for flight attendants to patrol the cabin and assist passengers in need. A horn accompanying crew announcements will help inform passengers wearing headsets that serious turbulence is looming. BETTER SIGNAGE Some passengers miss the seat belt warning which is typically issued prior to hitting turbulence. Alcohol, headsets or simply being asleep contributes to lack of awareness of precautionary warnings. The seat belt sign is a small symbol that can easily be ignored. Passengers standing in a long line for the bathroom are also inclined to ignore this warning. Seat belt signs should be much bigger. BETTER PASSENGER TRAINING Some pilots have come up with laudable ways to enforce seat belt requirements. On a recent American flight to Tucson our pilot encouraged passengers to head to the bathroom early in the flight. He insisted that everyone, including the flight attendants remain seated and belted in as the flight crossed over a line of thunderstorms in eastern New Mexico. After the flight landed he conceded that he knew the turbulence wouldn't be a serious danger. "My goal," he explained, "is to educate passengers, to make them understand that the seat belt sign is unconditional. They need to understand that we are ordering them to stay seated and belted. Passengers have become to lax and they need to learn that we are determined to protect their safety. No exceptions." LIMITING ALCOHOL Cut down on alcohol service where the flight is expected to be rough. Passengers who are impaired or even passed out due to excessive alcohol consumption before and during the flight are less likely to follow seat belt requirements. SEAT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TOGETHER Insist on seating families together to make sure that parents monitor seat belt compliance by their children. This may mean, in some cases, waiving airline premium pricing in economy. Seating families together is an important safety priority that is far more important that profiteering on seats. All families have the right to sit together in coach without paying extra. SHOULDER BELTS Intercity buses and passenger cars have shoulder belts. Airplanes worth hundreds of millions of dollars only provide this important safety item for the crew. Typically all pilots and flight attendants wear shoulder belts. This may explain why none of the Air Canada crew were among the nearly two dozen passengers injured. It makes sense for airlines to add shoulder belts for all passengers. They deserve the same level of protection as the pilots and flight attendants. A key benefit to this change is the fact that a flight attendant can easily see if sleeping passengers are wearing shoulder belts. Doubtless there are many other seat belt improvements that could be made to protect passengers. Send us your suggestions here at FSI and we'll publish the best ideas. Roger Rapoport is the producer of the feature film Pilot Error https://vimeo.com/110034584 He can be reached at rogerdrapoport@me.com Copyright Roger Rapoport All Rights Reserved Back to Top Back to Top Turkish jet called back from Mumbai airport runway over unclaimed phone The passengers on board the aircraft were evacuated and were frisked again after being allowed back into the jet. (ANI File Photo) A Turkish Airlines flight scheduled to fly to Istanbul was called back from a runway at the Mumbai airport on Monday after an unclaimed mobile phone was spotted in the aircraft before take-off. Around 250 passengers on board the aircraft were evacuated and were frisked again after being allowed back into the jet. "The flight was about to take off when it was called back due to security threat," a passenger on board the Mumbai-Istanbul flight told Hindustan Times. The mobile phone was found under the seat of a passenger. Following the standard operating procedure, the cockpit crew reported the matter to the Mumbai air traffic control tower which directed the aircraft to head towards a parking bay in a remote area. "The airline staff noticed an unclaimed mobile phone. The aircraft is being checked for any possible threat," a Central Industrial Security Force official said on condition of anonymity. The take-off of the flight was rescheduled for 11.30am after security teams cleared it. Mumbai International Airport Limited fines unattended baggage items as they result in security scares. http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/turkish-airlines-jet-called-back-from-mumbai-airport-runway-after- security-alert/story-ZNe0xhDubRRlH57bCEb2uJ.html Back to Top MH17 crash: Dutch investigators to assess new study implicating Russian soldiers British group Bellingcat claim to have identified Russian soldiers implicated in the crash of flight MH17, shot down over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 A piece of the wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in a field near the village of Grabove in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Dutch investigators are studying claims by citizen journalists that they have identified Russian soldiers implicated in the crash. Dutch prosecutors have said they will "seriously study" claims by citizen journalists to have identified Russian soldiers implicated in the crash of flight MH17, shot down over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. The claims have been made by a British-based group of "citizen investigative journalists" called Bellingcat, which specialises in trawling through data on social media and other open sources. "We received the report just after Christmas," Wim de Bruin, a spokesman for the Dutch prosecutor's office, said on Sunday. "We will seriously study it and determine whether it can be used for the criminal inquiry," de Bruin said. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed over war-torn eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014 by a BUK surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 onboard, air crash investigators said last October. Western nations and Ukraine say the missile was fired from pro-Russian separatist-held territory, but Moscow denies the claim, pointing the finger instead at the Ukrainian military. The Netherlands have launched a criminal probe into those responsible for the shooting, but many experts doubt whether it will succeed. In 2014, Bellingcat reported that a BUK mobile launcher, spotted on July 17 in an area controlled by pro-Russian rebels, came from a military convoy from Russia's 53rd anti-aircraft brigade - a unit based in Kursk but sent on manoeuvres near the Ukrainian border. The launcher was later filmed again, but at least one of its missiles was missing. In an interview with the Dutch TV channel NOS on Sunday, Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins said his organisation had now identified 20 soldiers in this brigade. This is "probably" the group that either knows who fired or has that individual among its number, Higgins said. The sources for this include photos posted on the Internet and army data about personnel deployment that was available online, NOS said. It added that a redacted version of the report should be published "shortly." De Bruin said Dutch prosecutors had " in contact" with Bellingcat in the past. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/04/mh17-dutch-investigators-to-study-citizen-journalist-claims- over-russians-involved-in-crash Back to Top South Korea to probe budget carriers after Jin Air incident South Korea will review safety at six low cost airlines after a Jin Air flight made an emergency return to the Philippines. The transport ministry said today that the safety investigation comes as the ministry is looking into the Jin Air incident. Jin Air Co said a Boeing 737-800 jet bound for Busan, South Korea, returned to Cebu, the Philippines, 40 minutes after takeoff yesterday after one of the plane's doors was found to be leaking air. The company said its initial investigation found no defect in the jet. No injuries were reported. Jin Air is an affiliate of Korean Air Lines, South Korea's largest airline. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/south-korea-to-probe-budget-carriers-after-jin-air-incident- 116010400218_1.html Back to Top Aviation Safety Update 2016: After MH370, MH17 And Russian Passenger Plane, Death Toll Climbs A man walks past a mural representing the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 in Shah Alam, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in August 2015. The leading cause of aviation deaths in 2015 was "unlawful interference," not technical failures, for the second year running, said Dutch safety consultancy firm To70, the Independent reported Sunday. With more than 900 airline deaths in the past two years, attacks have outweighed any other cause of plane accidents. "Unlawful interference on board by passengers is reasonably well-covered around the world," Adrian Young, an aviation consultant for To70, told the Independent. "My main concerns are centered on the way airport and airline staff get airside," he said, adding, "There are many airports that have weak systems to control who goes airside and with what." Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine - allegedly by pro-Russian separatists - in 2014, killing 283 people. In the same year, Malaysian Airlines flight 370 disappeared somewhere over the Indian Ocean with little evidence as to what occurred. Developments in the MH370 case continued in July after a flaperon confirmed to be from the flight was found on Ile de la Reunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean. Investigators in the case have not yet determined what exactly caused the flight to disappear from radar in March 2014, and experts said they would need to find the black box, a data recorder, from the flight to understand what exactly had happened to the crew and its passengers. The Islamic militant group known as ISIS took credit for blowing up a Russian passenger plane over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula in November, killing all 224 people on board. The group said the attack was retribution for Russian airstrikes in Syria. The second highest death toll for a plane crash in 2015 for "unlawful interference" was the Germanwings crash in the Alps in March 2015. The co-pilot of the plane allegedly purposefully crashed the plane, killing all 150 people on board. http://www.ibtimes.com/aviation-safety-update-2016-after-mh370-mh17-russian-passenger-plane-death-toll- 2247225 Back to Top Chinese civil aviation sees improved flight safety in 2015 BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's civil aviation sector saw improved safety in flights, according to a senior official in charge on Friday. Chinese civil aircraft have completed 3.62 million safe flights for a total of 8.46 million hours, up 7.4 percent and 10.8 percent year on year respectively, according to Li Jian, deputy head of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The frequency of severe aircraft incidents and incidents triggered by human activity dropped 59 percent and 17.6 percent year on year respectively, Li added. China Southern Airlines, among others, maintained the best domestic civil aviation safety record, with safe flights totaling 15.26 million hours by the end of 2015. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-01/02/c_134970574.htm Back to Top Airline industry to remain stagnant this year amid safety worries (Indonesia) Safety and security concerns will remain top challenges for Indonesian airlines in 2016 after several accidents were recorded last year despite the government's ambitious plan to improve the country's international safety category. The country recorded 14 airline-related accidents and incidents in 2015, an increase from the four accidents of the previous year, according to data compiled by airline consulting firm CSE Aviation. One of the most notable accidents was the crash involving Trigana Air in Oksibil, Papua, killing all 54 passengers on board. "Operational wise, 2015 didn't look good with so many accidents and incidents. There hasn't been much improvement in safety and security," said aviation expert Samudra Sukardi. He added that the government had failed in 2015 to upgrade the country's Category 2 status to Category 1. These categories are set by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA downgraded Indonesia's aviation safety to Category 2 seven years ago, signaling that the country lacked the regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards. Transportation Ministry director for air transportation Muzaffar Ismail previously stated his office had undertaken corrective actions from 21 findings outlined by the organization, which mainly focused on training. The FAA has given Indonesia an auditing slot for February 2016. The ministry also highlighted the fact that it had fulfilled 94.9 percent of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards in November, an increase from 45.3 percent in May 2015. It also allocated Rp 12.03 trillion (US$871.4 million) for transportation safety and security in 2015, a 139 percent increase from 2014. However, accidents and incidents kept on happening, including the Aviastar plane crash in South Sulawesi that resulted in 10 casualties in October. Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan also said the ministry had actively promoted safety by freezing route permits for airlines whose aircraft were involved in crashes, as well as issuing regulations on the maximum age limit for airplanes at 30 years. The ministry issued around 30 regulations this year to improve the safety, service and security of air transportation. "The government did issue regulations, but did the airlines comply? The companies have to be audited by inspectors and there are not enough inspectors," he said, adding that the ministry had just 100 inspectors. It is thought that around 600 inspectors are needed in order to effectively audit all the airlines operating in Indonesia at present. He said given all the problems, the safety issue would likely remain a major challenge for this year. Aviation expert Edwin Soedarmo said safety concerns would also contribute to stagnant growth in passenger numbers this year. "The accidents will make people a bit choosy. But they can't retreat from using aircraft," he said. ______________________________________ Operational wise, 2015 didn't look good with so many accidents and incidents. There hasn't been much improvement in safety and security." National flag carrier president director and Indonesian National Air Carriers Association (INACA) chief Arif Wibowo said he expected passenger growth for airlines this year to be between 8 to 9 percent, the same growth rate recorded in 2015. In 2014, the number of passengers using airlines hit 72.6 million people, a 5.6 percent increase from 2013. "It will still be single digits. But we have to be careful because this growth will have to be secured in our bottom line," he said. Arif also said that airline operators would aim to improve safety, security and service. "All of the airlines have to have their service certified by ISO [International Standard Organization]. When people audit it, we will be alerted," he said. Garuda recently secured an ISO 9001:2015 certificate for delay management from the British Standard Institute Indonesia. Arif said 2015 had been a challenging year for airlines with the steep currency drop, even though the industry had been helped by the declining price of avtur. "It will still be low next year, but it will also be off-set by the capacity growth," he said. The government, through its state-owned oil-and-gas firm, cut the avtur price by 1.5 percent for domestic flights and by 5.33 percent for international flights in contrast to the global price in a bid to cushion the airlines from the effects of the depreciating rupiah. Avtur makes up to 50 percent of an airline's operational costs, according to Jonan. Lion Air operational director Edward Sirait also voiced similar concerns, arguing that the state of the global economy had affected the airline industry. Edward also said that safety and security would remain his company's priority going forward, even though the monitoring process would need a large commitment. "I don't think any [airline] would intentionally reduce its safety," he said. Lion Air made headlines after it left hundreds of passengers stranded at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten, following a rash of flight delays. Aviation observer Gerry Soejatman said instead of just improving safety, some of the ministry's reactive policies were also adding to costs for the airlines. "Policies are often made thoughtlessly in reaction to incidents. For example, the introduction of price floors for regional routes soon after the Air Asia accident in December 2014. But these policies cause operational costs to go up," he said. The Transportation Ministry has so far revoked the air operator certificate for six airlines, including Nusantara Buana Air, Manunggal Air and Survai Udara Penas, all of which failed to fulfill minimum plane requirements in addition to having negative equity. (fsu, rbk) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/04/airline-industry-remain-stagnant-year-amid-safety- worries.html#sthash.KTWT9HR6.dpuf Back to Top 2015: Significant Improvement for Amateur-built Aircraft Safety Fatal accident totals involving amateur-built and experimental category aircraft dropped significantly during the 12-month period ending on September 30, 2015, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) continues its leadership role in programs and activities aimed at further reducing the already very-low number fatal accident total. Oshkosh, WI (PRWEB) December 30, 2015 The safety level of homebuilt aircraft continues to improve, as fatal accident totals have dropped significantly over a 12-month period covering much of 2015, according to data analyzed by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). The totals, which include fatal accidents during the 2015 federal fiscal year (October 2014 through September 2015), showed that fatal accidents in amateur-built aircraft registered in the Federal Aviation Administration's experimental category fell 20 percent from the previous 12-month period. The specific totals indicate 40 fatal accidents in those aircraft during the period, compared to 51 during the prior year. In addition, all fatal accidents for the experimental category that includes racing aircraft, those used for exhibition only, research-and-development, and some types of light-sport aircraft, also fell. Those fatal accidents fell from 68 to 61 during the 12-month measurement period. The fiscal year 2015 totals also bettered the FAA "not-to- exceed" goal of 64 for that period. "This is excellent news to see this type of reduction in fatal accident numbers, which are already smaller than other types of popular recreational pursuits, such as paddle sports, horseback riding, and driving all-terrain vehicles," said Sean Elliott, EAA's vice president of advocacy and safety. "However, when discussing small totals such as those in homebuilt aviation, even an uptick of three to five accidents per year is a major percentage increase. That's why it's so important for EAA and the entire amateur-built aviation community to continue focusing on safety and education, which is always more effective than additional regulation." Just as important as the raw numbers within the data are several factors that include an increased number of flight hours in recent years and an increasing total of amateur-built aircraft on the FAA register. EAA is continuing its aviation safety focus with such efforts as recent FAA approval of an additional safety pilot during initial flight testing; a focus on transition and recurrent training; added focus on safety and proficiency through communications such as EAA's flagship Sport Aviation magazine; and the inaugural Founder's Innovation Prize competition that seeks new concepts to reduce loss-of-control accidents in amateur-built aircraft, one of the leading causes of fatal accidents. EAA has also been a major contributor to the FAA's General Aviation Joint Steering Committee safety groups that bring new safety ideas to the flying community. About EAA EAA embodies the spirit of aviation through the world's most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA's 190,000 members and nearly 1,000 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN- EAA (800-564-6322) or go to http://www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with http://www.twitter.com/EAA. For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/15/12/p6084243/2015-significant-improvement-for-amateur-built- aircraft-safety#ixzz3wGw60KPs Back to Top Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Vehicles The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority operates several Oshkosh Global Striker ARFF units including Foam 345. Note the use of scene lighting on top of the body. The history of aircraft rescue firefighting (ARFF) vehicles can be traced back to 1937, when Chief J.K. Schmidt deomonstrated the capabilities of a high-pressure fog appliance at Elgin Air Force Base in Florida under the auspices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Chief Schmidt modified a 750-gpm Peter Pirsch pumper, by replacing the hosebed with a 250-gallon water tank and using a high-pressure fog nozzle that was used by local citrus farmers. With these changes, Schmidt introduced the first apparatus specifically designed to combat aircraft and fuel fires. ARFF history Like many changes in the fire service, the new technology was not immediately accepted. As commercial aircraft and airports were built and expanded, fire protection resources remained limited until the outbreak of World War II, when the military took the lead in providing adequate fire/rescue equipment to American assets around the world. During 1947, when the U.S. Air Force became a separate branch of the military, the emphasis on fire protection research and ARFF vehicles took center stage. Early Air Force pioneers in ARFF are credited with creating today's ARFF apparatus design. Over the years, several manufacturers have come to specialize in building ARFF vehicles, including American and Ward LaFrance, Maxim, and Walter Motor Truck, among others. Today's modern ARFF vehicles look nothing like their predecessors, partly because they've become more multifunctional. Emergency One, KME, Oshkosh, Pierce and Rosenbauer are some of the companies that have engineered specialized apparatus for both civilian and military applications. ARFF standards, design and use There are several standards that govern the basic designs and capabilities of ARFF apparatus, including Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) circulars and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 414: Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles. The chassis platforms for these units, for example, must meet stringent requirements for acceleration to meet FAA requirements for response times, with virtually all vehicles using a rear-engine design to accommodate the fire suppression systems. Developing specifications for ARFF apparatus often depends on the source of funding for apparatus at municipal airfields, while each branch of the military develops their requirements based on assessments of installation needs and the size of airframes assigned to these locations. For these reasons, there's a fair amount of standardization in the vehicles' suppression systems and components, which enables personnel to safely operate a wide range of equipment. But due to their highly versatile design, ARFF vehicles do not require multiple personnel to operate them at once, as staffing levels can vary widely from location to location. Unlike structural fire apparatus utilized in the United States, ARFF vehicles are designed for use around the globe and have more of a boxy, European appearance. In 2010, the Oshkosh Corporation introduced the Global Striker ARFF apparatus. This unit features extendable, high-reach turrets and is capable of holding up to 4,500 gallons of water. Several of these units are protecting Baltimore/Washington International, Dulles International and Regan National airports, and are equipped with 2,000-gpm pumps, 3,000 gallons of water 420 gallons of foam and 1,000 lbs. of dry chemical. These units also feature both bumper and roof monitors that are capable of producing flows up to 1,250 gpm. A unique design Municipal fire departments, such as the Truckee Fire Protection District (TFPD) in California, often maintain responsibility for airfield fire protection. Personnel at the TFPD worked with Rosenbauer to design a unique vehicle capable of both structural and airfield fire protection. Assigned to the Truckee/Tahoe Airport, TFPD Engine 96 features a 2015 International 7500 chassis equipped with a Rosenbauer rear-mounted, 1,250-gpm pump and a foam system with a 750-gallon water tank. The apparatus is further outfitted with remote-control monitors on the front bumper and left rear body corner, with a full complement of hydraulic rescue tools. The apparatus was specifically designed for off-road use with increased angle of approach and departure. The U.S. Navy ARFF fleet The U.S. Navy operates a large fleet of ARFF vehicles in locations with a wide range of climatic conditions. But, like many departments, the availability of fire station bay space can dictate the size of apparatus that can be housed inside the station. For this reason, the U.S. Navy has developed a specification for a low-profile, 1,500- gallon ARFF vehicle with an overall height of 148 inches. The unit is powered by a 700-hp Caterpillar C-18 engine and features a composite body with integral water and foam tanks, roll-up shutter doors, a 500-lb. dry-chemical system, 200 gallons of foam and both roof and low-reach bumper turrets. Several of these KME Force ARFF units are currently serving at naval installations throughout the country. ARFF equipment and remote operation Equipment carried on ARFF vehicles is largely dependent upon whether the units are responsible solely for airfield protection or are equipped with a structural fire package that includes attack lines and a pump panel. Due to the off-road capabilities of these vehicles, equipment mounting and placement are critical to enable personnel to safely and effectively operate with their appliances. Off-road capabilities are one key feature of ARFF vehicles that are meant to operate in remote locations. These apparatus must be self-reliant when it comes to providing a combination of firefighting resources. The U.S. Navy has placed into service several twin-agent vehicles built by Pierce Manufacturing. These units are built on an International 7400, four-wheel-drive chassis with a 189-inch wheelbase and an an overall length of 310 inches. The extended cab features two slide-out trays with tool boards to accommodate protective gear, SCBAs and forcible-entry tools. The apparatus is outfitted with two fire pumps: a hydraulically driven, 500-gpm main pump and a 20-gpm, ultra- high-pressure pump, along with a 500-gallon water tank and a 50-gallon foam cell. A 200-lb. dry-chemical system supplies a rear-mounted, 150-foot hose reel, along with a bumper turret for pump-and-roll applications. These units are further equipped with several attack lines, an assortment of portable fire extinguishers, battery- powered hydraulic rescue tools and ground ladders. An asset for today and tomorrow While an old bromide, "Necessity is the mother of invention" still applies today. ARFF apparatus design and use have come a long way over the years. Today's units are multifunctional, state-of-the-art vehicles that are an indispensable asset to airports all over the world. Today's ARFF manufacturers continue to push for further innovations, partnering with departments responsible for airfield fire protection to enhance vehicle safety and performance. The next generation of ARFF vehicles promises to further the fire service's capabilities in ways we've yet to imagine. TOM SHAND, a Firehouse® contributing editor, is a 36-year veteran of the fire service. He works with Michael Wilbur at Emergency Vehicle Response, consulting on a variety of fire apparatus and fire department master- planning issues. MICHAEL WILBUR, a Firehouse® contributing editor, recently retired as a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department, where he was last assigned to Ladder Company 27 in the Bronx. He has served on the FDNY Apparatus Purchasing Committee and consults on a variety of apparatus-related issues around the country. For futher information, access his website at emergencyvehicleresponse.com. http://www.firehouse.com/article/12142292/apparatus-architect-aircraft-rescue-fire-fighting-vehicles Back to Top Ornge chopper pilots to get night vision goggles (Canada) Ornge is poised to begin testing the use of night vision goggles by its pilots as a way to make flights after dark safer for crews and patients. Pilots who fly Ornge air ambulance helicopters will begin testing night vision goggles to make flights after dark safer for crews and patients. OTTAWA-The pilots who fly Ornge's air ambulance helicopters may soon have a new skill to guide them through the skies-the ability to see in the dark. The province's medical transport agency, which suffered the fatal crash of a helicopter during a night flight in 2013, is poised to begin testing the use of night vision goggles by its pilots as a way to make flights after dark safer for crews and patients. Dr. Andrew McCallum, the president and CEO of Ornge, said the technology could be a "game-changer." Ornge is now training its 11 helicopter pilots at its Sudbury base on how to use the advanced equipment and it has retrofitted an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. Once the training is complete in the coming weeks, the agency will begin a two- to three-month trial using night vision goggles, meant to aid flight crews during their nighttime flights, McCallum said. Helicopter pilots have told the Star that the high-tech gear could help prevent nighttime accidents by helping flight crews keep their "situational awareness" and avoid becoming disoriented when visual cues are lost. The agency is hoping the goggles mitigate the risks of flying in and out of so-called black-hole sites. These are landing sites, often in rural areas, where the lack of nearby urban lights leaves the pilots with few visual cues. Ornge relies on solar lighting to illuminate these sites at night, but the surrounding blackness can be disorienting to pilots during landings and takeoffs. Indeed, Sudbury was chosen as the site for the trial because it has many of these landing sites. The agency already has restrictions in place on night flights to these helipads, including weather limits and a requirement that pilots have recent experience operating at the site so they are aware of the topography and potential obstacles. "We obviously don't want to risk a crew," McCallum said. "We're very careful about that so the night vision goggles, we think, will be a game-changer in some of those places that are now subject to the black-hole illusion," he said. Concerns about night operations were raised by the midnight crash of an Ornge Sikorsky helicopter in Moosonee in 2013. It crashed soon after takeoff, killing two pilots and two paramedics. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has yet to issue a report on the accident. However, a separate probe by Transport Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada issued a damning indictment of Ornge's operations. Among its conclusions was that Ornge had failed to ensure that pilots who operate by night visual rules in northern areas of operation are "provided with a means to ensure visual reference is maintained throughout the flight." http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/01/03/ornge-chopper-pilots-to-get-night-vision-goggles.html Back to Top New Russian forward-swept wing jet trainer has made its first flight. And here's the video. Developed by a private Russian design bureau, the SR-10 (CP-10) is a single engine, all-composite jet trainer with a (moderate) forward-swept wing. The footage below shows the first flight of SR-10, a Russian subsonic, single engine, all-composite dual-pilot jet trainer aircraft developed by KB SAT. Developed by a private Russian design bureau called KB SAT, the aircraft features a rather unusual moderate forward-swept wing (FSW) scheme: although widely tested since 1936, the FSW has never found applications in fast jets, mainly because of the instability and structural problems induced by the design. In fact, in spite of a better maneuverability at high AOA (Angle Of Attack), the FSW is characterized by a significant directional instability about the yaw axis, is subject to aeroelasticity issues at the wing tip, and is pretty unstable in stall conditions. In the 1980s, Grumman built two FSW technology demonstrator, designated X-29, that first flew in 1984 and showed controllability up to 67° AOA. More recently, in 1997, Sukhoi developed the Su-47 Berkut, a supersonic demonstrator that never entered production but only conducted flight testing and performed at several air shows. X-29 NASA In a 2009 powerpoint presentation by KB-SAT, the SR-10 was slated to enter production as a trainer in 2011 with an export potential during the period until 2020 assessed in the volume up to 1,000 aircraft in several nations under the Russian influence across all the continents. According to the same "Engineer note," the base variant of the aircraft provides for the equipping with the dual- flow turbojet engine AI-25TLSh, K-93 ejection seats with 0-0 capability (and safe escape up to 950 km/h), a "training efficiency" 10% higher on the average than the efficiency of its next analog - the L-39, and an operating cost much lower than the Yak-130: 2,500 USD vs 8,000 USD/fh. Not sure if those figures are still valid today. http://theaviationist.com/2016/01/02/new-russian-fsw-trainer-makes-first-flight/ Back to Top China Assembles Its Stealth Jet Fleet Beijing's newest supersonic warplane could mark the end of the American monopoly on stealth fighter jets. China has apparently begun mass production of its new J-20 stealth fighter, making it only the second country in the world to produce radar-evading warplanes on a large scale. But as with all military developments in China, it's hard to separate fact from Communist Party-sponsored fiction- and equally difficult to predict just how heavily even large numbers of working J-20s could weigh on the military balance of power in the Pacific region. The Chinese air force debuted the first prototype of the bulky, twin-engine, twin-tail J-20 in December 2010 at an airfield in southeast China belonging to the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, a state-owned airplane-maker. Beijing's test pilots got to work putting the new supersonic warplane-at 67 feet long, one of the biggest fighters in the world-through its paces, testing out its systems, flight characteristics and engines. (They're either Russian- made AL-31s or Chinese WS-10s.) Over the next five years another seven copies of the J-20 joined the first example, each sporting small improvements over its predecessor. All J-20s feature the distinctive sharp angles of a plane designed to minimize its detectibility by enemy sensors. The first eight J-20s were developmental, meant to support the gradual refinement of the new plane's final design. But the ninth J-20, which government-run news outlet Xinhua revealed in a Dec. 29 story, is different. Signs point to this J-20 being the definitive version of the stealth fighter-and the first in what could be a long production run potentially numbering in the scores or even hundreds of planes. To be clear, Xinhua was careful to imply, but not say outright, that the J-20 has entered full production. "The outside world would interpret it as the first mass-produced aircraft of the type J -20," the news site stated. And for good reason. For starters, the ninth J-20 sports all the small improvements of previous copies as well as a different numbering scheme than copies one through eight. The apparent prototypes bear four-digit numbers on their noses beginning with "20." J-20 number-nine's nose code begins with "21"-specifically, "2101." J-20 2101 also made its photographic debut in yellow primer paint, a kind of undercoat, instead of the black or silverish paint that the eight prototypes wear. Whereas Chengdu apparently picked the color scheme for the developmental planes, painting of the first production model-which could eventually join a frontline air force unit- "would need to be determined by the military," Xinhua explained. If indeed the ninth J-20 is the first production model, the next step for the Chinese stealth fighter is pretty clear. Plane number 2101 will join one of the Chinese air force's regular fighter squadrons so that pilots and maintenance personnel can begin training on the type. More J-20s will roll out of the factory at Chengdu and join 2101 until there are enough production-model J-20s for a full squadron of a dozen planes. When the squadron has enough planes and trained pilots and maintainers, the air force can declare the first J-20 unit "combat-ready"-a milestone most analysts expect sometime in 2017. At that time, China will join an exclusive club-as only the second country to field a fleet of frontline radar-evading jets. The American F-117, the world's first stealth warplane, entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1983. The U.S. B-2 stealth bomber followed in 1997, the supersonic F-22 stealth fighter in 2005 and the F-22's smaller cousin the F-35 in July 2015. By the 2030s, the Pentagon could possess as many as 1,700 F-35s plus 180 or so F-22s and 20 B-2s. No other country has war-ready stealth warplanes, although Russia is working on one-and eight U.S. allies have ordered the F-35, with several more planning on also buying the plane in the near future. But while it's pretty certain China will soon deploy J-20s, it's not clear why - or how effectively-it will do so. Beijing has never explained exactly what the J-20 is for. Is it a ground-attack plane like the F-117? A high- and fast-flying dogfighter like the F-22 or a multi-role attack plane and dogfighter like the F-35? And how does the J- 20 fit into the Chinese government's strategy for steadily exanding its sphere of influence into the East and South China Seas and the Indian Ocean? Eying the J-20's large size and sleek lines, some analysts have claimed that the J-20 is a kind of aerial assassin. Perhaps it's meant to fly fast over long distances through U.S. and allied air defenses to fire missiles at airborne tankers, radar early warning aircraft, and spy planes. Maybe it will lob bombs and rockets at air bases and aircraft carriers. And Carlo Kopp, an analyst with the Air Power Australia think tank, wrote that he anticipates the J-20 "growing into the air combat role as more powerful engines become available." In other words, becoming a close-in air-to- air dogfighter on par with the F-22. Kopp's qualifier is important. The production-model J-20 will apparently enter service with the same engines that power the prototypes. But the AL-31 or WS-10-it's not clear which powerplant the J-20 uses-is clearly Beijing's second choice for the new plane. Chinese engineers are working on the more powerful WS-15, which could give the J-20 more speed and maneuverability... if and when the new motor is ever ready. Even if the ninth J-20 isn't the first production copy, it at least represents another big step toward the production standard-and another impressive feat for the rapidly-improving Chinese air force. But the most important milestone for China's evolving stealth air force still lies somewhere in the future-its first time in combat. The U.S. Air Force has deployed radar-evading warplanes in all its major conflicts since the United States' 1989 invasion of Panama. By contrast, China hasn't fought a full-scale war since its abortive attack on Vietnam in 1979. Warplane development in a vacuum is one thing. But as Beijing's own news service noted, "war is another matter." http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/04/china-assembles-its-stealth-jet-fleet.html Back to Top Airline tarmac rule leads to more passenger delays, study concludes One of the nation's toughest passenger rights laws - a rule that fines airlines for stranding fliers on an airport tarmac - may actually increase passenger delays instead of reducing them. That is the conclusion of a new study by professors from Dartmouth College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The good news, according to the study, is that the 2010 law can be modified to reduce passenger delays. The focus of the study is the so-called tarmac delay rule, which gives the U.S. Department of Transportation the authority to fine airlines up to $27,500 for each passenger on a domestic flight who is stranded on an airport tarmac for more than three hours. The time limit is increased to four hours for international flights. The rule was adopted after blizzards on the East Coast in 2006 and 2007 left passengers stranded on planes for up to 11 hours. But the new peer-reviewed study, which used algorithms to analyze airline flight data, concludes that airlines are now more likely to cancel flights that are delayed to avoid being fined by the Department of Transportation, thus creating more passenger delays. For every minute the rule saves passengers from being stuck on a tarmac, passengers are delayed three minutes on average because they have to book new flights to get to their final destinations after their original flights are canceled, according to the study. "There is no surprise that sometimes when you try to do something good you have these negative effects," said Vikrant Vaze, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering. Previous studies have concluded that flight cancellations are more likely because of the tarmac rule but the Dartmouth-MIT study says it is the first study to analyze the actual impact on passengers. The study concluded that passenger delays can be reduced if the tarmac rule is modified to increase the tarmac time limit to three-and-a-half hours and if the law applies only to flights scheduled to depart before 5 p.m., when passengers have more options to rebook. Kate Hanni, a passenger-rights advocate who helped push for adoption of the tarmac rule, rejects the findings of the Dartmouth-MIT study, saying she believes the universities are biased and accept funding from airlines. She blame the passenger delays on airlines that schedule more flights per day than can be accommodated by the airports. Vaze said the study was funded by a research branch of Federal Aviation Administration and "was not funded in any part by any airline, major or otherwise." http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-airline-tarmac-rule-20151231-story.html Back to Top Alaska Air Benefits from a Young and Streamlined Fleet All Bets on Delta: Comparative Analysis of US Legacy Carriers Delta owns the oldest fleet Delta Air Lines (DAL) has a vast and varied fleet of about 817 planes in current use and 23 in line with an average age of 17.1 years. A majority of Delta's fleet comes from Boeing, with 143 Boeing 757s, 128 Boeing 737s and 78 Boeing 717s to top the list, followed by Airbus and a few McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and MD-90s. The airline follows the strategy of acquiring a mix of used and new jets. While the strategy works wonders for the company and gives it higher aircraft-procurement savings and a reliable fleet, it could backfire if we see a steep rise in oil prices in future. This would make running an older fleet more expensive and a liability for the company. United sticks to a smaller fleet United Continental (UAL) has a relatively young fleet at 13.5 years. UAL uses a smaller variety of aircraft for its operations. The airline only operates Boeing and Airbus aircraft, with the latest Boeing 737 forming almost half of its total fleet. The company plans to receive 11 jets starting in 2016 and has options for 14 additional aircraft. American Airlines operates the largest fleet American Airlines (AAL) operates the largest fleet among the major carriers in the United States. The airline has a fleet of 968 aircraft with an average fleet age of 13 years. It tends to buy the latest aircraft and arguably had the largest order book for the year. A majority of its aircraft came from two major manufacturers, namely Airbus and Boeing, with some coming from McDonnell Douglas, Bombardier, and Embraer. The Boeing 737-800 forms about 40% of the airline's domestic fleet that continues to grow. The airline is in the midst of a major fleet restructuring. This could work well for the company as it could boost its fuel efficiency and protect it from any bounces in the price of oil in the future. Alaska Air Group benefits from a streamlined fleet Alaska Air Group (ALK) benefits from having a very streamlined fleet that helps it save on maintenance and training costs and provides greater efficiency. The airline has an operational fleet of 144 Boeing 737 aircraft, with an average age of 9.3 years. The company expects to take this count up to 153 by the end of 2017. On the other hand, Horizon Air maintains an operational fleet of 52 Bombardier Q400 aircraft with an average age of 8.3 years. It plans to bring its fleet to 54 by 2017. http://news.yahoo.com/alaska-air-benefits-young-streamlined-060528981.html?nf=1 Back to Top CAN AN EMIRATES TIE-UP SAVE MALAYSIA AIRLINES? Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has signed a mega codeshare deal with Emirates Airline. The commercial partnership will allow the former access to more than 90 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle-East and Africa via Emirates Airline's Dubai hub. MAB will terminate its own direct flights to Paris and Amsterdam along with codeshare agreements with existing partners, leaving London Heathrow as its sole European destination. In exchange, Emirates passengers can connect MAB flights within the Southeast Asia region. Sounds familiar? Indeed, this looks as if the new man Christoph Mueller at the helm of the loss-making Malaysian flag carrier doing what Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce did in 2013 when a mega alliance with Emirates allows Qantas passengers similar extensive access to a host of destinations out of Dubai. Hired to makeover and turn MAB around, Mueller said of the Emirates tie-up: "Our network architecture is largely complete with this move. It's a very, very big and important piece in our puzzle." But can the tie-up replicate the success of Qantas and contribute immensely to saving MAB? While it should be noted that though the move is similar, the circumstances are not exactly the same. Mueller's task is focused largely on cutting costs for a tighter ship, and he has since becoming chief executive in March this year cut thousands of jobs. Another measure involves cutting back on unprofitable routes, and the carrier has so far trimmed capacity by 30%. Mueller was set to shift the focus from operating long-haul routes to beefing up regional routes, literally downsizing the carrier; routes that had been dropped include flights to Istanbul and Frankfurt, a precursor of its withdrawal from Continental Europe with the exception to London, as in the case of Qantas. This creates a gap in its network which Mueller hopes will be compensated by its tie-up with Emirates, moving away from what he referred to as the traditional 'Kangaroo Route-centric approach". The codeshare makes sense since MAB is not making money on its long-haul flights. Cost aside, in truth, MAB is just not able to measure up to the competition of regional rivals that ply the same routes, most notably its closest rival Singapore Airlines (SIA). Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) where MAB is based and Singapore Changi Airport are less than an hour apart, but Changi outperforms KLIA in attracting hub traffic. In fact, SIA's full-service subsidiary SilkAir stands to benefit the most should it deepen its network penetration into Malaysia beyond its existing destinations of Penang, Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu, in addition to Ipoh being served by Tigerair Singapore. In doing so, many Malaysian passengers, especially those of price-inelastic business travellers, will enjoy many one-stop European destinations such as the upcoming Dusseldorf in SIA's network, against the two-stop Emirates/MAB offerings. This will provide a further boost to SilkAir's prosperity, whose FY2015/16 first-half operating profit skyrocketed more than five times from S$5 million in the year-earlier period to S$26 million, at the expense of MAB which is facing a 10% annual growth in capacity and an expected 3.6% further dilution in yields in the next 3 years to 2018. Here lies the difference between Qantas and MAB. The Australian flag carrier's move involves a critical shift of its Kangaroo Route hub from Changi to Dubai, advantaging the latter in the hub competition. Unlike Qantas, MAB does not enjoy a similar base market out of KLIA. Qantas's shift is also an attempt to lure more traffic away from its rival SIA to connect through Dubai. It is unlikely that MAB will be able to lure hub traffic away from Changi to fly out of KLIA and connect onward from Dubai. MAB's tie-up with Emirates is best seen as a necessary cost- cutting measure. Quite clearly Mueller who is often credited as the man who turned around Aer Lingus before joining MAB understands the criticality of the beleaguered carrier recovering strength before competing. He is building a strong regional network which can at the same time feed the longer routes. But the competition in this arena is just as tough. Besides legacy airline competitors such as SIA and Cathay Pacific, there is also an array of budget carriers that are becoming a real threat to full-service airlines. On home turf, MAB faces challenges from AirAsia, which is one of Asia's largest budget carriers. The competition will intensify as Asean moves towards a more liberal open skies policy ("The elusive Asean open skies dream", Dec 10th, 15). When Qantas and Emirates inked their agreement, some sceptics cast doubt about its benefits to the former and in fact believed that the latter would gain more by it. But it was Qantas that needed it more as it introduced a transformation programme to turn round its bleeding international arm, which Joyce had said in subsequent reports of the airline's financial performance that the arrangement has boosted the flying kangaroo's bottom line. If the Emirates tie-up was a lifeline thrown to Qantas, surely it is all the more so to MAB. In exchange for allowing MAB access to 38 destinations in Europe, 15 in the United States and 38 in the Gulf region, Africa and Indian Ocean, Emirates will gain access to some 300 daily MAB flights in its Asian network. The question is: Does Emirates really need it? Perhaps selectively, to tap into the growing markets in countries such as China and Vietnam. In the bigger picture, Emirates has been forging codeshare agreements around the world. In Asia, besides MAB it already has arrangements with Bangkok Airways, Japan Airlines (JAL), Jet Airways, Jetstar Asia, Korean Air and Thai Airways International. Outside that region, it has entered into codeshare agreements with Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Alaska Airlines, pending government approval, Flybe, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Oman Air, Qantas, South African Airways and TAP Portugal. Although there appears to be a low count of codesharing with European carriers, Emirates being strong in the competition provides good connections to the region. While the withdrawal of airlines of Qantas and MAB from Europe may be welcome news as seeming reduced competition for European carriers and other international carriers as well, the feed from those partner airlines into Emirates will actually further strengthen Emirates' position. As far as Malaysia Airlines is concerned, riding on the back of another strong carrier may yet be its best bet for recovery. http://www.aspireaviation.com/2016/01/04/emirates-malaysia-partnership/ Back to Top SpaceX's historic Falcon 9 rocket ready to fire again Elon Musk definitely knows how to end the year with anticipation for the next one. Right on New Year's Day, the illustrious CEO of SpaceX and Tesla posted on social media that the Falcon 9 rocket that made history by landing safe and sound on the ground after an orbital launch shows no sign of damage and is ready to fire again. That is, if it does fire again, since Musk also earlier hinted that the rocket might, instead, spend the remainder of its life in a museum. Musk is, understandably, in a dilemma. On the one hand, it isn't known when SpaceX will be able to make another safe landing, making this Falcon 9 still one of a kind and a valuable piece of history that probably deserves a cozy pedestal. On the other hand, landing a rocket back to earth in one piece is really only half the promise, the other half being able to reuse it. If the Falcon 9 rocket isn't able to successfully launch again and safely land again, then SpaceX's entire spiel would be moot. The promise of reusable rockets is a big one for the space travel industry. For example, something like the Falcon 9 takes around $16 billion to make. The costs of making such a rocket every time there is a launch would itself reach high heavens in no time. Being able to safely land that part of the rocket back to earth to be reused over and over again isn't just a luxury, it is a necessity for a sustainable future for space exploration and tourism. That is exactly what SpaceX is promising to bring, a promise that finally got half fulfilled last month. While the Blue Origin, backed by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, made headlines by beating Musk to the punch, its New Shepherd rocket only reached suborbital heights, that is, barely touching the edge of outer space. Falcon 9's mission, however, took it an orbital launch just like any regular commercial mission. It is still unknown which two paths Musk will proceed with regards to this Falcon 9's future. It could very well just preserve this first successful rocket in a museum while creating a new one that would be launched, landed safely, and launched again. That, however, will take more time and definitely more money and it isn't know how much of either SpaceX has left to spare. http://www.slashgear.com/spacexs-historic-falcon-9-rocket-ready-to-fire-again-04420899/ Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 IATA OPS Conference April 18-20, 2016 Copenhagen, Denmark http://www.iata.org/events/Pages/ops-conference.aspx ICAEA Workshop: Aviation English Training for Operational Personnel April 29-30, 2016 Santa Maria Island, The Azores, Portugal www.icaea.aero Back to Top Jobs Available: Deputy Director of Flight Operations & Technical Services Helicopter Association International https://www.rotor.org/AboutHAI/Employment.aspx Curt Lewis