Flight Safety Information January 11, 2016 - No. 007 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING FAA fails to ensure pilot skills stay sharp Flight MH370 Update: Air Safety Investigators Eliminate Rogue Pilot Theory Senegal releases report on September's aircraft crash Bangkok Airport Apologizes for Snake Found on Luggage Cart Vegas-Bound American Airlines Flight Diverted Because Of Passenger European Aviation safety Agency helps Georgia develop civil aviation Textron Aviation plans to acquire aircraft repair, overhaul firm F-35 Ejection Seat Fix Delayed to 2018; Pilot Restrictions Continue New Cirrus jet nears certification Air India to hire over 500 typerated pilots on contract basis Air Force Looks to Double Number of Drone Pilots. Upcoming Events Jobs Available FAA fails to ensure pilot skills stay sharp WASHINGTON -The government is falling short in ensuring that airline pilots keep up their flying skills and get full training on how to monitor sophisticated automated control systems in cockpits, according to the Transportation Department's internal watchdog. Most airline flying today is done through automated systems that pilots closely monitor. Pilots typically use manual flying skills only briefly during takeoffs and landings. Studies and accident investigations have raised concern that pilots' manual flying skills are becoming rusty and that pilots have a hard time staying focused on instrument screens for long periods. But the Federal Aviation Administration isn't making sure that airline training programs adequately address the ability of pilots to monitor the flight path, automated systems and actions of other crew members, the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General found. Only five of 19 airline flight simulator training plans reviewed by investigators specifically mentioned pilot monitoring. The FAA also isn't well positioned to determine how often airline pilots get a chance to manually fly planes and hasn't ensured that airline training programs adequately focus on manual flying, according to the report, obtained by The Associated Press. It has not been released publicly. In January 2013, the agency issued a safety alert to airlines encouraging them to promote opportunities for pilots to practice manual flying in day-to-day operations and during pilot training. But the FAA hasn't followed up to determine whether airlines are following the recommendation, the report said. The FAA published new rules in 2013 requiring airlines to update their training programs to enhance pilot monitoring and manual flying skills, but the agency is still working on guidance to airlines on how to do that, the report said. Airlines aren't required to comply with the rules until 2019, the report said. "Because FAA hasn't determined how carriers should implement the new requirements or evaluated whether pilots' manual flying time has increased, the agency is missing important opportunities to ensure that pilots maintain skills needed to safely fly and recover in the event of a failure with flight deck automation or an unexpected event," the report said. The rules on enhancing training were prompted in part by the 2009 crash of a regional airliner while approaching Buffalo, N.Y. The crash killed all 49 people on board and a man on the ground. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the pilots weren't closely monitoring the plane's airspeed, which began to decrease to dangerously slow levels. Thus the captain was startled when a safety system called a "stick shaker" automatically went on, violently rattling the control yoke. Instead of pointing the plane downward to pick up speed, the captain pulled back on the yoke to increase altitude. That slowed the plane even more, eventually leading to an aerodynamic stall. The plane fell from the sky and landed on a house. The board concluded that the monitoring errors by the flight crew demonstrated the need for more specific training on active monitoring skills. The U.S. and other countries are transitioning to satellite-based air traffic systems and reducing their reliance on radar. Among the advantages of satellite-based navigation is that planes can fly more direct routes, reducing flying time. But the precision of automation is needed to allow planes to safely fly closer together and to increase takeoffs and landing in order to reduce congestion and meet growing demands for air travel. http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_29367606/faa-fails-ensure-pilot-skills-stay- sharp Back to Top Flight MH370 Update: Air Safety Investigators Eliminate Rogue Pilot Theory After Malaysian Plane Debris Found French maritime authorities look at a map indicating measures being undertaken in the search for wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 while at the Saint-Marie marina in the French territory of Reunion Island in August 2015. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES Authorities involved in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have mostly dismissed the theory its pilot went rogue and crashed the plane in the Indian Ocean, the Australian newspaper reported Sunday. The flight disappeared from radar en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur in March 2014, and an international search team has been looking for evidence about what happened to it ever since. "The limited evidence available for MH370 was compared with three accident classes: an in-flight upset, an unresponsive crew/hypoxia event, and a glide event [generally characterized by a pilot-controlled glide]," according to Dan O'Malley, an Australian Transport Safety Bureau representative cited by the Australian. The leading theory held by investigators is that a dip in oxygen in the cabin caused the crew to lose both consciousness and control of the plane in a so-called hypoxia event. The first clue as to what may have happened to the Malaysia Airlines craft surfaced more than a year after its disappearance. A flaperon later confirmed as a piece of Flight 370 washed up on Reunion Island, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, evidence supporting the theory the plane crashed. Since the flaperon was found, probers have not been able to put together exactly what happened to the plane. And most authorities agree they will not fully understand what happened to it until the black box, or flight data recorder, is recovered from the cockpit, a possibility that becomes increasingly unlikely as time goes by. Friends and relatives of the missing passengers and crew members have grown desperate about finding out what occurred as nearly two years have passed since the plane disappeared from radar. "The pilot suicide theory for Flight MH370 gained traction because, throughout the last year, there's been no evidence of an outside plot," aviation writer Sylvia Spruck Wrigley told BBC News last spring. http://www.ibtimes.com/flight-mh370-update-air-safety-investigators-eliminate-rogue- pilot-theory-after-2258393 Back to Top Senegal releases report on September's aircraft crash The aircraft that disappeared off the coast of Dakar after colliding with another plane was flying too high, an investigation reported. According to preliminary reports from Senegalese investigators, the aircraft was flying at a higher altitude than its required peak. "There was a collision between the two aircrafts," said Amadou Lamine Traoré, Director of the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) from Senegal and added that "the aircraft crossed the other carrier at a level of 35,000 feet while it was only authorized to fly at a level of 34,000 feet (10,300 m)." Senegalese investigators say the two planes were to use the same route from Bamako, but at different altitudes. The aircraft has still not been found since the incident occured. The plane was carrying a French patient, 3 crew members who included 2 Algerians and 1 Congolese, as well as a doctor and two Senegalese nurses. The aircraft, a twin-engined HS 125 belonging to Senegal Air, was evacuating a French patient from Burkina Faso to Senegal when it collided with a full flight, Boeing 737-800, belonging to Ceiba liaison Dakar-Cotonou company from Equatorial Guinea. Seven people, including a French patient, were believed to have died after the air ambulance craft crashed off the coast of Dakar. http://www.africanews.com/2016/01/08/senegal-releases-report-on-september-s- aircraft-crash/ Back to Top Bangkok Airport Apologizes for Snake Found on Luggage Cart Bangkok's main international airport issued an apology after a snake was found on a luggage cart in the terminal over the weekend and startled passengers in the arrival hall. Suvarnabhumi (pronounced "Suwanapoom") International Airport, built on land previously known as "Cobra Swamp," said it would like to "apologize for the incident that frightened passengers" on Sunday. Passengers spotted the snake coiled around the base of the trolley after a female traveler had loaded bags onto it and was preparing to leave the arrival hall, Thai media reported. "After being alerted, security officers captured the snake right away and no passengers were injured," Airports of Thailand said in a statement Sunday that described the reptile as "a small baby snake" but did not identify the species. Snake expert Thanaphong Tawan at a Bangkok snake farm run by the Thai Red Cross Society said the snake appeared to be a Malayan Bridle snake, a non-venomous variety, based on a picture taken at the airport and published by Thai media. The statement sought to "reassure that clear and strict measures have been imposed to prevent all poisonous animals from slipping into the airport's buildings" and it was believed "the baby snake managed to slip into the airport because it was very small." Meanwhile, on the resort island of Phuket, a Chinese tourist was bitten on the nose by a python while leaning in to kiss it on the head while visiting a snake show over the weekend, The Bangkok Post reported Monday. A video of the incident was widely shared on social media, showing the snake striking at the woman's face as a loud scream is heard. Thai media reported that the woman received eight stitches and then flew home. http://abcnews.go.com/Weird/wireStory/bangkok-airport-apologizes-snake-found- luggage-cart-36209304 Back to Top Vegas-Bound American Airlines Flight Diverted Because Of Passenger An American Airlines flight headed to Las Vegas from North Carolina was diverted to Texas on Friday because of a disruptive passenger. Flight No. 1735 left Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 11:18 ET and arrived at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport at 1:36 p.m. CT. The plane was met by local law enforcement. According to WFAA in Dallas, the matter was handled by the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport police and the airline then cleared everything. The man was reportedly not taken into custody and no charges were filed. Passengers said the person had been disruptive for much of the flight. Passengers said it appeared flight attendants thought they could calm him down, which is why they didn't turn around shortly after takeoff. "He was abusive to every steward on that plane and even the pilot came out and tried to talk to him, there was no talking to this man he was, he had IV markings in his hand like he had been in the hospital or something, he was totally out of control," said passenger Mary Leonard. When it appeared it wasn't going to happen, passengers said the flight crew announced there was an oxygen issue and they needed to land in Dallas. Passengers said they knew the oxygen problem was a sort of code. The flight arrived in Las Vegas around 3:30 p.m., carrying 6 crew members and 189 passengers. http://www.ktnv.com/news/vegas-bound-american-airlines-flight-diverted-because-of- passenger Back to Top European Aviation safety Agency helps Georgia develop civil aviation EASA was awarded a €5,000,000-Contract by the European Commission to support the sustainable development of civil aviation in nine countries. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will help Georgia develop its civil aviation in accordance with the European standards. For this purpose, the Agency has received funding from the European Commission. The new Technical Cooperation Project will benefit the Eastern partnership and Central Asian countries. EASA was awarded a €5,000,000-Contract by the European Commission to support the sustainable development of civil aviation in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, in line with international and European standards. The deal will be implemented during a period of 4 years starting in February 2016. The project will include: * Training, peer-to-peer and on-the-spot support, as well as awareness raising; * Dedicated initiatives on safety management and civil aviation administration management; * Effectively addressing safety findings raised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO or EASA audits; * Support for the implementation of existing comprehensive aviation agreements, paving the way towards a Common Aviation Area; * Support for the harmonisation of regulations and working practices with international safety and security standards. * EASA is an agency of the European Union (EU) with regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. The responsibilities of EASA include to conduct analysis and research of safety, authorising foreign operators, giving advice for the drafting of EU legislation, implementing and monitoring safety rules (including inspections in the member states), giving type-certification of aircraft and components as well as the approval of organisations involved in the design, manufacture and maintenance of aeronautical products. http://agenda.ge/news/50072/eng Back to Top Textron Aviation plans to acquire aircraft repair, overhaul firm Company won't yet say why it's buying Arizona-based company when it has its own service centers Repair, overhaul services could provide Textron Aviation a buffer in down cycles Textron Aviation, the parent company of Cessna and Beechcraft, said Friday it has entered into an agreement to acquire an Arizona-based aircraft repair and overhaul company. The parent company of Cessna and Beechcraft said Friday it has entered into an agreement to acquire an Arizona-based aircraft repair and overhaul company. Financial terms of Textron Aviation's deal with Able Engineering and Component Services and Able Aerospace were not disclosed. Textron Aviation spokeswoman Rosa Lee Argotsinger said in an e-mail to The Eagle on Friday that more information on the deal would be provided when the transaction closes sometime in the first quarter. "Textron is working closely with Able to ensure a seamless transition with customers and stakeholders over the coming weeks," the e-mail said. Argotsinger said she couldn't provide further details when asked why an airplane manufacturer would have an interest in buying a repair and overhaul firm. Able Engineering spokeswoman Stacey Hershauer referred to Textron Aviation's statement when asked to comment on the pending acquisition. The company employs about 450 people and is located at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in the city of Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix. Textron Aviation also operates a Cessna Citation Service Center at Gateway. According to its website, Able Engineering provides repair, overhaul and parts for helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Its parts catalog comprises parts for aircraft as large as Boeing 747s and helicopter makes that include Sikorsky and Bell. Bell Helicopter is a sister company to Textron Aviation. Both are owned by Textron Inc. Able wouldn't be the first aircraft repair and overhaul company acquired by Textron Aviation. In 2012, it acquired Jet Aviation's repair and overhaul operations in Switzerland and Germany. But in that instance those operations were converted into Citation Service Centers because the company didn't have such operations in the region. Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia said the Able Engineering deal could be a way for Textron Aviation to buffer itself in a down cycle, when "as we've seen in the business aircraft industry ... you can watch business fall 40 percent or more." He said repair and overhaul can be a "counter-cyclical" business to the business jet and general aviation industries, in which owners and operators choose to upgrade their airplanes instead of buying new in a down business cycle. Maintenance, repair and overhaul companies that service a variety of aircraft, including those that are out of warranty, tend to be steadier businesses or follow different cycles than the business aircraft industry, Aboulafia said. "So having something to smooth out those cycles is not a bad thing," he said. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article53737530.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top F-35 Ejection Seat Fix Delayed to 2018; Pilot Restrictions Continue WASHINGTON - The US Air Force won't lift weight restrictions on F-35 pilots until 2018 - at the earliest - as more testing needs to be done to address safety issues with the jet's ejection seat, Defense News has learned. "The [Joint Program Office] is working to accelerate the timeline for fixes and a lot of energy will be applied to ensuring this issue is resolved in 2017," Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Karns wrote in a Jan. 9 email to Defense News. "However, getting this right is the top priority." The news of the delay is another blow to the Pentagon's Joint Strike Fighter, which is fast approaching a critical deadline this year to declare the Air Force F-35A variant operational. The pressure is also on for the fighter jet to make its expected European debut at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK this summer. In an embarrassment for a program with years of cost overruns and schedule delays already under its belt, the plane was forced to skip Farnborough in 2014 after an engine fire grounded the fleet. If 2014 was the year of the engine, 2015 was the year of the ejection seat. The issue has dogged the Pentagon since last summer, when Defense News revealed concern about increased risk of neck injury to pilots during low-speed ejections prompted the services to ground lightweight pilots. Testing of the seat, built by UK company Martin-Baker, last August showed an "elevated" risk of injury for F-35 pilots weighing under 165 pounds, and an "unacceptable" risk for those under 136 pounds, according to the Air Force. The Pentagon is working with Martin Baker and aircraft maker Lockheed Martin on three fixes to the ejection seat problem: designing a lighter helmet to reduce pressure on the pilot's neck; installing a switch for lightweight pilots that will delay deployment of the main parachute; and mounting a "head support panel" between the parachute risers that will protect the pilot's head from moving backwards during parachute opening. The JPO told Defense News in October that all three fixes would be fully implemented by summer 2017, allowing the services to look at lifting the weight restrictions. But in a Jan. 8 email, the Air Force acknowledged that the date had been pushed back, to early 2018 at the earliest. "More tests have been conducted, and initial results look promising, but we still have a significant number of tests to conduct to validate and qualify the seat with the changes," wrote Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Kelley Jeter. "The three fixes: the head support panel, the weight selector switch and the lightweight Gen III helmet are scheduled to be ready for implementation by early-2018, and will allow Air Force leadership to lift the restriction that was put in place for lighter weight pilots." Part of the delay is the increased testing required for the head support panel, and mating it with the lightweight switch, Jeter wrote in a follow-up email. Once all three fixes are implemented, the Air Force will begin to "relook" at lifting the weight restriction, she said. Although the Air Force did not give additional details about what specific tests have been done on the seat to date, JPO chief Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan told Congress during an October hearing that the team had tested the seat at low speeds using lightweight mannequins (136 pounds and under) and with heavyweight dummies above 245 pounds. But at the time the program office had not tested the seat using a middleweight mannequin, representing most pilots, between 136 and 245 pounds. The JPO was planning tests in that weight envelope down the road, Bogdan said. http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2016/01/08/f-35-ejection-seat-fix-delayed- 2018-pilot-restrictions-continue/78519892/ Back to Top New Cirrus jet nears certification DULUTH, Minn. -- Cirrus Aircraft's new SF-50 Vision jet is still a few months away from receiving Federal Aviation Administration certification. But production of the groundbreaking small personal jet has been underway for some time. Components for the light jet started being made a year ago at the company's Grand Forks, N.D., plant, then trucked to the Cirrus headquarters at the Duluth International Airport. There, assembly work began last April. Today, one end of the 275,000-square-foot production building is dedicated to Vision jet assembly and testing. One large area is dotted with raw fuselages for testing and design. One fuselage stands out, getting the most attention. It's farther along with production assembly workers starting to install its mechanical systems. Labeled "P1," it will be the first Vision jet to come down the production line - probably this spring. Its gleaming white wing rests on a stand nearby. In a separate area, crews work on the fuselages of the Vision jets to follow. Large ovens are used to bond the plane'sall-carbon-fiber components together to create a lighter, stronger plane. Cirrus had aimed for FAA certification and first customer delivery of the jet in late 2015. But the expected certification process is complicated for such a new category of plane, explained Bill King, Cirrus' vice president of business administration. Cirrus has three conforming planes that have been undergoing rigorous flight, systems, icing and other testing since 2014. "Certifying this kind of plane is a lot of work," King said. "It's a clean-sheet aircraft." With certification pushed back a few months, a production ramp up also is pushed back. Despite 600 orders for the $1.96 million jet, that delay isn't necessarily a bad thing. More jet production space is needed at Cirrus' main plant in Duluth, where its SR-20 and SR-22 series of single-engine piston planes also are assembled. It'll be cramped quarters until Cirrus' new 68,000-square-foot center for painting and other finishing work on the jets is completed in September on nearby city-owned land at the airport. The $12.6 million project will be built with a $4 million state grant and $8.15 million in city-issued general obligation bonds. Cirrus created space for jet work at the main plant a year ago when it moved machining, subassembly production and some research and development to a 40,000-square-foot space at an off-airport building on Miller Trunk Highway. A new $15 million delivery and customer service center under construction in Knoxville, Tenn., also will open up space. Groundbreaking jet Cirrus' Vision jet will fill the gap between high-performance propeller planes and light business jets, creating a new category in general aviation. The single-engine jet, which seats five adults and two children, sports a distinctive V- shaped tail. It is designed for regional travel and personal business use andfeatures advanced technology, avionics and luxury features similar to Cirrus' piston-powered planes. The jet will reach speeds of more than 300 knots or 345 mph and will be able to fly 1,200 miles before refueling. The inside of the cabin is twice as big as Cirrus' four-seat piston planes. Like Cirrus' propeller planes, the jet will have a specially designed airframe parachute system. Cirrus officials say it will be the only jet in the world equipped with such a system. The Vision jet will be the first small personal jet brought to market. That, experts say, will give Cirrus a huge advantage in the marketplace. Other airplane manufacturers have tried to develop one, but those jet development programs have either ended or been stalled. Cirrus' first customer delivery of the Vision jet is expected to come with fanfare and trigger a groundswell of attention worldwide. "The fact that you have a jet is an absolute game changer," King said. It's already happening. "We're a few short months from certification, and the interest has skyrocketed," said Ben Kowalski, Cirrus' vice president of marketing. "As we get closer and closer, we're already getting attention from customers and media. Every time we take it to a different airport, the air traffic controllers say that's a cool aircraft." Boosting revenue While Cirrus started developing its light jet about 10 years ago, the jet program slowed during the economic recession, which hit the industry hard. The program was not only back on track but ramped up in 2012 when new owner China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. invested the needed $100 million to get the jet to certification and into production. Hundreds of engineers, technicians, production and other staff have since been hired, most for the jet program. Cirrus currently has 1,000 employees, with 750 in Duluth and more jobs coming, Kowalski said. The jet's production also means more business for local Cirrus suppliers, including Northstar Aerospace, which provides airplane seats for Cirrus' piston planes and also will produce the seats for the jets. "Cirrus' business is a huge deal, not only for Northstar but really for the whole aviation community located in Duluth," said Perry Flemmen, Northstar's board chairman. Northstar's work for Cirrus amounts to half of its business. It's a big reason why the company increased its staff from 39 employees two years ago to 50 today. And when Cirrus' jet production ramps up, Northstar probably will hire more people, Flemmen said. Ramping up production of the jet after FAA certification will begin slowly and carefully, with improvements to the process made along the way, King said. "First planes take forever," he explained. "It's hiring people, training and becoming efficient." He noted that with Cirrus' first plane, the SR-20, the company delivered only nine planes the first year, 97 the second and 197 the third. So filling the current 600 orders for the Vision jet will take several years. But in the end, the jet's sales will boost Cirrus' revenue by a total of $1.2 billion, King said. http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/region/3921443-new-cirrus-jet-nears- certification Back to Top Air India to hire over 500 typerated pilots on contract basis NEW DELHI: In one of the largestever pilot recruitment drives, staterun Air India will hire over 500 typerated pilots on contract basis for the carrier's narrowbody fleet, which is expected to grow to about 80 aircraft by March 2018. The present strength of the narrowbody fleet is 66. The fresh hiring of 534 Airbus A320 pilots is in line with Air India's aircraft induction plans and aimed at overcoming the shortage which has many times led to cancellation of its flights at the last minute, according to a source. At present Air India has 1,441 pilots, with 670 of them flying 66 A320 family aircraft. Besides, another 70 pilots are under training. Air India's pilots strength will cross 2,000 by May this year when the recruitment exercise gets completed, the source said. "We will be inducting 29 more A320s including 14 A320neos between April this year and March 2018. In line with this induction programme, we are recruiting 534 typerated pilots as well on a contract basis," an Air India source told PTI. Type rating is a regulating agencies certification given to a pilot to fly a certain aircraft type that requires additional training, which involves huge cost, beyond the scope of the initial license and aircraft class training. The national carrier has added 66 A320 family aircraft in its fleet besides Boeing planes. It has already tied up with a Kuwaiti aircraft lessor to lease 14 A320neos, which are to be delivered by March 2017. In addition to this, Air India would soon float tenders for leasing of 15 A320s to augment capacity. "At the same time, we will also be phasing out some old classic A320s from the fleet. We expect our overall narrow body (A320 family) fleet to stand at around 7580 aircraft by the end of March 2018," the source said. Air India has tweaked hiring norms after a number of pilots quit the carrier and moved to private airlines after acquiring high highcost typerated training at its expenses, the source said. "The new pilots joining Air India will have to sign a bond and submit bank guarantee totalling Rs one crore, which will be encashed if a pilot decides to quit the airline before the expiry of his contract," the source said. As many as 173 Air India pilots have resigned from the national carrier since 2012, with the maximum being those operating the narrow body Airbus A320 family aircraft, Government had said in Parliament recently. Of these, 72 pilots operating the narrowbody Airbus A320 family fleet have resigned, while 38 pilots each of Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 777, eight of Boeing 747 and 17 of Boeing 737 fleet have quit between 2012 and October this year, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju had said during the Winter session of Parliament. At present, the cost of training a pilot for an Airbus family of planes stands at Rs 4.01 lakh per pilot while the type rating cost per pilot comes to nearly Rs 23 lakh. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/air-india- to-hire-over-500-type-rated-pilots-on-contract-basis/articleshow/50519761.cm Back to Top Air Force Looks to Double Number of Drone Pilots US Air Force officials announced last month that enlisted personnel will be allowed to operate drones for the first time, such as this RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone being secured for towing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (US Air Force/Miranda Moorer)US Air Force officials announced last month that enlisted personnel will be allowed to operate drones for the first time, such as this RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone being secured for towing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. (US Air Force/Miranda Moorer) The US Air Force wants to double the number of units flying drones and recruit more pilots to decrease the burden on current crews as demand for the missions soars. The Air Force also recently allowed enlisted airmen to become drone pilots for the first time as the military increasingly uses unmanned aircraft for surveillance, protecting US soldiers on the ground and attacking targets. The only drone pilots in Ohio are based at the Springfield Air National Guard Base. The 178th Operations Group flies the MQ-1 Predator overseas from Springfield. The Air Force has struggled to recruit and retain enough officers to serve on drone units, leading to concerns that crews face more stress, tougher working conditions and longer hours. The service's Air Combat Command recently made several recommendations to ensure the long-term success of drone missions, based on information gathered from more than 2,500 airmen in the remotely piloted aircraft community. "Our RPA enterprise was born in combat and recently surpassed 20 years of service, many of which were executed at surge levels," said Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the ACC's commander in a statement. "We owe it to our airmen to remove the daily stressors that are responsible for the challenging environment they are operating in." The demand has spiked largely because the military sees a need for the missions worldwide in an ongoing war against terrorism, said Michael O'Hanlon, a defense analyst for the Brookings Institution. Between 2008 and 2013, the number of pilots flying drones in the Air Force spiked from about 400 to about 1,350, according to a US Government Accountability Office report. "The short answer is that special forces and air power, especially drones, are important now from the Horn of Africa to Yemen to Syria/Iraq to Afghanistan," O'Hanlon said. "The number of active battlefields is very high, and targeted and limited uses of force are the coin of the realm." Demand increasing It's long been a challenge for the Air Force to recruit, train and retain pilots who often work long hours and under difficult conditions. The nature of a drone mission is also different for pilots, who often return home to their families at the end of each day after a potentially stressful combat mission, unlike during a deployment. The new recommendations are one way the Air Force is seeking ways to improve the quality of life and retain those crews, said said Col. Bryan Davis, commander of the Springfield Air National Guard Base. Along with roughly doubling the number of drone squadrons, the Air Combat Command's recommendations also include: --Assigning units to new locations across the US and potentially overseas. --Creating a new wing to improve organization for the missions. --Study promotion and military education selection rates for drone officers. --Better define career tracks for officers and enlisted drone operators and maintenance crews. --Increasing the number of airmen, including maintenance and support personnel, by between 2,500 and 3,500 airmen. Currently 700 officers serve as pilots and 700 enlisted personnel as sensor operators, according to the ACC. From January to October 2014 alone, drone crews in the Air Force flew more than 2.4 million hours for various missions, said 1st Lt. Carrie Volpe, a spokeswoman for the Air Combat Command. "This need for (intelligence and surveillance) is the No. 1 request we get from combat commanders," Volpe said. "It's a 24/7 requirement, so the need is just always there and we've had a hard time meeting that. " It's too early to say how Guard members in Springfield might be affected by the Air Force's plan to increase drone pilots and units, Davis said. For the past three years, the 178th has remotely operated two Combat Air Patrols per day, flying a total of two Predators daily around the clock, 365 days per year. The local guard base has the capacity to add missions, Davis said. But the Air Force doesn't have direct control over the funding and other resources needed to boost the mission and it's still early in that process. That makes it difficult to know how the local Guard unit might be affected. "Resourcing these changes is not within the ACC's direct control," Carlisle said in his statement. "We we will have to work within the Department of Defense, the White House and Congress on the resources to get this done." The 178th has the ability to fly as many as five Combat Air Patrols each day, Davis said, although there are only enough airmen to fly three right now. It's possible a boost in recruiting could lead to more work in Springfield but there have been no indications if that will occur. "We could handle it, but I don't think they've solidified the plans to that level," Davis said. The Springfield unit doesn't face the same challenges in retaining airmen, he said, largely because Guard members are volunteers. That means those in charge need to pay close attention to make sure local airmen don't get burnt out and have the resources they need to do their jobs. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is also located nearby, which provides additional resources to Guard members. It's possible active-duty airmen could fly drones from Springfield but be stationed at Wright-Patterson, which offers typical amenities like base housing and a commissary, for example, Davis said. Many of the missions now operate from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, a remote location that requires pilots and other drone operators to take a roughly hour-long bus ride to and from work each day, along with a lengthy shift. "We work within a constraint that's slightly different from active duty," Davis said. "My constraint is if I can't give them at least a normal lifestyle, they're going to go back to their normal jobs. The active duty doesn't have that option." Freeing more resources The Air Force also loosened other restrictions to provide more resources to drone missions. Air Force officials announced last month that enlisted personnel will be allowed to serve as drone pilots for the first time. The enlisted staff will be allowed to operate the RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone initially and it's possible they may eventually be allowed to operate the Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. Both the Predator and Reaper have the capability to attack targets. Other branches of the military already allow enlisted personnel to operate drones, but the Air Force previously only allowed officers to pilot the aircraft. In Springfield, Davis has previously said Guard members have the capability to fire on targets under the right circumstances. But he estimated as much as 95 to 98 percent of its mission is to collect intelligence and perform reconnaissance. The drones flown from Springfield engage in 60 missions each day, down from 65 earlier in 2015. The Air Force also uses civilian contractors in a limited amount of surveillance missions. But the goal is to eventually end that practice as recruitment increases, Volpe said. The federal government also recently made it easier to offer drone pilots the same bonuses and other benefits traditional pilots can receive. The 178th doesn't use contractors as part of its mission, Davis said. One challenge for the Air Force that makes it difficult to retain airmen is their skills are in demand. Private firms often can pay more to lure pilots and sensor operators into the business world. "What we're really focusing on right now is making the Air Force a great place for them to be and that was part of this process also, was not just to improve the manning and this crazy (operations) tempo we're putting on them but also to make the facilities better at Creech because we're aware of what they're going through," Volpe said. The Air Force cares about the pilots and their families, their living conditions and quality of life, she said. "We just kind of focus on those other efforts to make them want to stay in the Air Force," Volpe said. There is currently no timeline in place to hire additional pilots, said Ben Newell, an ACC spokesman. The Air Force is taking the steps it can to improve the quality of life in the short term, he said, but ramping up the training and new staffing will take time, as well as assistance from Congress and the Department of Defense. "When they introduce all of these new people into the program it's not going to be all at once," Volpe said. "One of the problems we've run into with training is in order to train and teach you have to pull people from operators. That's why it's going to be a slow opening of the value to add a few new people into the current training pipeline we have now." http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/01/10/air-force-looks-to-double-number-of- drone-pilots.html Back to Top Upcoming Events: Embry-Riddle A³IRCON January 14-17, 2016 Phoenix, AZ http://commons.erau.edu/aircon/2016/ Fundamentals of IS-BAO February 10, 2016 Phoenix, AZ USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1730209 IS-BAO Auditing February 11, 2016 Phoenix, AZ USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1730222 6th European Business Aviation Safety Conference 2016 February 23-24, 2016 Frankfurt, Germany www.ebascon.eu Fundamentals of IS-BAO March 2, 2016 Long Beach, CA USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1740682 IS-BAO Auditing March 3, 2016 Long Beach, CA USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1740683 Fundamentals of IS-BAO March 3, 2016 HAI HeliExpo - Louisville, KY USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1770508 IS-BAO Auditing March 4, 2016 HAI HeliExpo - Louisville, KY USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1770509 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/ 50th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium March 31 - April 1, Dallas, TX http://smulawreview.law.smu.edu/Symposia/Air-Law.aspx 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 3rd International Accident Investigation Forum 19-21 April 2016, Singapore Aviation Academy http://www.saa.com.sg/iaif2016/ 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