Flight Safety Information January 29, 2016 - No. 021 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING Pilots Blamed for TransAsia Airways Crash on Taiwan Island Fighter jet makes emergency landing at Lambert airport, nobody hurt Chinese sonar vessel to join search for missing Malaysian jet Airline Pilots on Their Most Bone-Chilling Near Misses Exclusive : EgyptAir mechanic suspected in Russian plane crash Israeli passenger confuses airplane emergency exit for bathroom in-flight MD-80 Runway Excursion Accident (Iran) United Airlines to Start Only U.S.-Singapore Non-Stop Flight Pilot Shortage Threatens To Slow U.S. Airline Growth Boarding pass: Showtime in airliner Sinclair 1st U.S. community college named FAA Center of Excellence ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship PhD Research Request Professional Pilot EFB Usage GRADUATE THESIS SURVEY RESEARCH SURVEY Pilots Blamed for TransAsia Airways Crash on Taiwan Island Taiwan's aviation authorities have concluded that a plane crash that killed 48 people on a domestic flight was due to pilot error and a failure within the airline to follow safety procedures. The TransAsia Airways plane crashed on July 23, 2014, in stormy weather trailing a typhoon, killing 44 passengers and four crew members. Ten passengers survived. Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council said in a report Friday that the crew on Flight GE222 did not realize they were too close to the ground while landing on the island of Penghu and repeatedly failed to follow standard operating procedures during the flight. It said the captain flew the aircraft too low without first making visual contact with the runway, likely because he was overconfident of his flying skills, and the first officer did not correct his mistake. Other contributing factors included bad weather that reduced visibility and poor communication of weather information to the flight crew, the council said. The twin propeller ATR-72 crashed in a residential area about a kilometer (half a mile) from the runway and caught fire. Five people on the ground were injured. Seven months later, TransAsia Airways had another fatal crash, this time in Taipei shortly after takeoff, killing 43. A preliminary investigation indicated that the pilot mistakenly shut off the remaining working engine after the other one went idle. Friday's report criticized a "prevalent tolerance for non-compliance with procedures within the airline's ATR fleet." TransAsia said in a statement that it respected the investigation results, and that it would promote a flight safety culture, including by setting up a safety committee and promoting people with good safety records. The TransAsia crash was Taiwan's first deadly civil aviation accident since 2002, when a China Airlines plane went down shortly after takeoff, killing 225. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pilots-blamed-transasia-airways-crash-taiwan-island-36590058 Back to Top Fighter jet makes emergency landing at Lambert airport, nobody hurt F-15 Eagles of the Missouri Air National Guard at its base at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in 2003. A nationwide realignment of military forces moved the jets to other bases, and the last of them flew out in 2009. The F- 15s were built across the runways at McDonnell Douglas Corp., which became part of Boeing Co. Photo by Huy Mach, hmach@post-dispatch.com A runway at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport was briefly closed Thursday evening as a Boeing F-18 fighter jet made an emergency landing, airport spokesman Jeff Lea said. The incident happened around 6 p.m. The plane was having mechanical issues and arresting gear had to be deployed on the runway to help stop the plane, he said. The gear is a wire system that sits below the runway and rises above the runway when activated. Nobody was hurt in the incident, Lea said. He didn't know if the plane was being used by Boeing or somebody with the military. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/fighter-jet-makes-emergency-landing-at-lambert-airport- nobody-hurt/article_11652a3c-4ba2-5a06-b94d-7479d9510bdd.html Back to Top Chinese sonar vessel to join search for missing Malaysian jet Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss speaks during a media conference next to a map displaying the search area for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, December 3, 2015. China is set to join the underwater search for a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet missing for almost two years by providing a sonar-equipped vessel by the end of February, Australia's deputy prime minister Warren Truss said on Friday. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014, sparking one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history. The Chinese vessel Dong Hai Jiu 101 was offered to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in November and will be deployed to join search operations in the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have gone down in March 2014. At the time, China valued its contribution to the search at A$20 million ($14.2 million). The Australian-led underwater search is one of the most expensive ever conducted. An initial hunt along a rugged 60,000-sq km (23,000 sq miles) patch of sea floor off the coast of Perth cost A$120 million but yielded no sign of the plane. The presence of Dong Hai Jiu will take to four the number of vessels scouring a search area that has been expanded to 120,000 square km (46,330 square miles) of ocean floor. The vessel is expected to leave Singapore for Australia on January 31 and commence operations towards the end of February. The sonar system onboard Dong Hai Jiu 101 will be operated by Phoenix International Holdings and Hydrospheric Solutions. Both companies have previous experience in the search for MH370. Earlier this week, Australian authorities said they had lost a deep-water sonar detector that was being used in the search. A piece of the plane washed up on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean in July 2015 but no further trace has been found. On Saturday, a piece of suspected plane wreckage was found off the east coast of southern Thailand but aviation experts and Thai officials said it was unlikely to belong to MH370. ($1 = 1.4090 Australian dollars) http://www.reuters.com/article/malaysia-airline-crash-search-china-idUSKCN0V70A3 Back to Top Airline Pilots on Their Most Bone-Chilling Near Misses Whoever said that "flying is exponentially safer than driving" apparently never read CALLBACK, the official newsletter of the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The ASRS is a division of NASA that collects and tracks the thousands of "Holy crap, you will never believe that really happened" aviation safety reports candidly filed by pilots, crew, and air traffic controllers each year. Near misses, cabin fires, weird smells, mechanical failures - it all gets submitted anonymously (to encourage full disclosure without fear of repercussions) in an effort to identify mistakes and improve air safety. And the editors of the newsletter compile the best of the bunch into fun little excerpts that they post online, so we can all read about how close we almost came to dying the last time we flew home for the holidays. Most of the reports are written in pilot jargon, but if you don't mind that, they can be a fascinating (albeit, troubling) read. That's why we decided to sift through a decade's worth of CALLBACK newsletters to find the 15 scariest, funniest, or just flat-out ridiculous reports they've published. Note: Because of the aforementioned jargon, these entries have been (sometimes heavily) edited for clarity. Yep, that's a snow plow coming at us The field conditions were snow depths of ½ to 1 inch. I saw a snowplow on Taxiway A, but I did not hear any ground vehicles using the CTAF [Traffic Advisory Frequency]. Visually checking the final approach path and the runway - and neither seeing nor hearing any traffic on CTAF - I commenced the takeoff. During the takeoff roll, a snowplow entered Runway 30 from the crossing runway. The snowplow turned right, making a 90-degree turn towards me. When I saw the snowplow pull in front of me, I was at rotation speed and continued the takeoff. I would estimate that I crossed over the snowplow by 100 feet vertically and less than 50 feet horizontally. The wing's just some missing bolts. NBD. On completion of the flight, a passenger seated on the left side of the aircraft asked to speak with us on the jet bridge. The passenger presented us with a drawing of the left wing and stated he saw missing or detached rivets and a loose wing panel just forward of the flight spoilers. We presented the diagram to maintenance. Aircraft mechanics confirmed rivets were missing/pulled through and a wing panel was loose. While on the ground it looked normal. Only in flight did it lift away from the wing structure. You never know when a passenger might fall into the electrical room Needing to do some electrical work, I told the flight attendant, "It is not OK to board. Please hold boarding." And I heard her relay that message to the gate agent. I also informed the flight crew and the flight attendants that I had to go down into the E&E [electrical and electronic] compartment to do a test... and for them not to let anyone near this area. At that point I proceed to go into the E&E compartment through the floor entrance [near the main entrance door]. Shortly upon entering the E&E compartment, I heard a noise. I looked to my right and that's when I realized that someone had fallen into the E&E compartment. I asked the passenger if he was OK, and he confirmed that he was. After a minute or two, the passenger stood up, and I watched him as he climbed out of the E&E compartment. I don't know who allowed passengers to start boarding. NASA CALLBACK: http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/publications/callback.html https://www.yahoo.com/travel/airline-pilots-on-their-most-1352503970218038.html Back to Top Exclusive : EgyptAir mechanic suspected in Russian plane crash - sources A child's shoe is seen in front of debris from a Russian airliner which crashed at the Hassana area in Arish city, north Egypt, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany An EgyptAir mechanic whose cousin joined Islamic State in Syria is suspected of planting a bomb on a Russian passenger plane that was blown out of Egypt's skies in late October, according to sources familiar with the matter. So far Egypt has publicly said it has found no evidence that the MetroJet flight, which crashed in the Sinai Peninsula after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh airport, killing all 224 people on board, was brought down by terrorism. A senior security official at the airline denied that any of its employees had been arrested or were under suspicion, and an Interior Ministry official also said there had been no arrests. But the sources, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, said the mechanic had been detained, along with two airport policemen and a baggage handler suspected of helping him put the bomb on board. "After learning that one of its members had a relative that worked at the airport, Islamic State delivered a bomb in a handbag to that person," said one of the sources, adding the suspect's cousin joined Islamic State in Syria a year and a half ago. "He was told to not ask any questions and get the bomb on the plane." Another source said of the other suspects: "Two policemen are suspected of playing a role by turning a blind eye to the operation at a security checkpoint. But there is a possibility that they were just not doing their jobs properly." None of the four have been prosecuted so far, the sources told Reuters. The crash has called into question Egypt's drive to eradicate Islamist militancy and hurt its tourism industry, a cornerstone of the economy. Islamic State's Egypt affiliate is waging an insurgency in parts of the Sinai, although mostly far from the tourist resorts along its Red Sea coast. Russia and Western countries have long said that they believe the flight was brought down by a bomb smuggled on board. Egypt however has so far publicly said it has not found any evidence of foul play. Any formal charges or official Egyptian confirmation that a bomb brought down the Airbus A321 could potentially expose Egypt to compensation payments to the families of the victims. The EgyptAir senior security official said state security police had investigated all workers at Sharm el-Sheikh airport without finding any evidence implicating any of them. The official said state security traced the family connections of all the employees and they were cleared. "Any employee who shows sympathy to militants is prevented from going to work in any airport," he told Reuters. An Interior Ministry source also said no one had been arrested in connection with the crash. "We are awaiting results of the investigation." Islamic State's online magazine carried a photo of a Schweppes soft drink can it said was used to make an improvised bomb that brought down the Russian airliner. The photo showed a can of Schweppes Gold soft drink and what appeared to be a detonator and switch on a blue background, three simple components that if genuine are likely to cause concern for airline safety officials worldwide. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-crash-suspects-idUSKCN0V712V Back to Top Israeli passenger confuses airplane emergency exit for bathroom in-flight "I heard a scream and turned my head where I saw one of the passengers on board attempting to open an emergency exit door," according to a passenger on the flight. Interior of a passenger airplane A passenger aboard a flight from Eilat to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on Friday attempted to open the door of the aircraft while it was in the air, Israel's Channel 2 reported. According to the flight crew, the passenger believed the door was the entrance to the bathroom. "I heard a scream and turned my head where I saw one of the passengers on board attempting to open an emergency exit door," according to a passenger on the flight. "He was in a panic as other passengers began yelling 'what are you doing'?" "That's when the the flight crew pull him aside and began to interrogate him," the passenger added. The plane landed immediately after the event without further incident. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-passenger-confuses-airplane-emergency-exit-for-bathroom-in-flight- 443232 Back to Top MD-80 Runway Excursion Accident (Iran) Status: Preliminary Date: Thursday 28 January 2016 Time: ca 16:30 Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-83 Operator: Zagros Air Registration: EP-ZAB C/n / msn: 49930/1720 First flight: 1990 Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Mashhad Airport (MHD) ( Iran) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Isfahan-Shahid Beheshti Airport (IFN/OIFM), Iran Destination airport: Mashhad Airport (MHD/OIMM), Iran Flightnumber: ZV4010 Narrative: The MD-83 aircraft sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident upon landing on runway 31R at Mashhad Airport (MHD), Iran. The aircraft came to rest on the left side of runway 31R, 2200 m from the threshold. http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160128-1 Back to Top United Airlines to Start Only U.S.-Singapore Non-Stop Flight A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner. United Airlines will start flying non-stop daily between San Francisco and Singapore this year in the longest direct service by a U.S. carrier as falling fuel costs allow more airlines to offer longer flights. United will fly Boeing Co.'s 787-9 aircraft for the route which starts June 1, the airline said in a statement Thursday. The flight will take about 16 hours 20 minutes to Singapore, saving about four hours of travel time compared with the airline's current services via Japan's Narita airport. The U.S. carrier joins Emirates and Qantas Airways Ltd. among airlines offering non-stop flights as new aircraft technology introduced by Airbus Group SE and Boeing, as well as lower fuel costs, make it possible to offer longer direct services. Singapore Airlines Ltd. plans to revive the world's longest flight to New York in 2018 using the A350 ultra-long range plane. The 252-seat flight, the only non-stop service to the U.S. from Singapore, will include 48 United "BusinessFirst" and 88 economy plus seats, with economy making up the rest, United said. Singapore Airlines discontinued the world's longest non-stop service, from Singapore to New York, in 2013 and also stopped flying direct to Los Angeles that year. Emirates will overtake Qantas in February in offering the world's longest direct flight, to Panama City from Dubai, using a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The Australian carrier's Sydney-Dallas route is currently the world's longest. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-29/united-airlines-to-start-only-u-s-singapore-non-stop-flight Back to Top Pilot Shortage Threatens To Slow U.S. Airline Growth Oliver Wyman on Transportation & Logistics We explore transformative ideas and data trends on transport and travel Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Elizabeth Souder, CONTRIBUTOR By Brian Prentice, Partner, and Philippe Gouel, Principal U.S. airlines are in the early stages of a pilot shortage that could boost labor costs and even constrain growth. Unless airlines find ways to work with partners to cultivate a pilot pipeline, they could face difficult, even volatile, competition for experienced pilots because the current regulatory and industry situation can only yield about two- thirds of the pilots the U.S. will need in the next 20 years. That could mean constrained airline revenue, higher fares, or both. Kids, get your pilots licenses, because this could be the career of the 2020s and 30s. Pilots sit in the cockpit of a VietJet Air aircraft, operated by VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co., at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday, June 1, 2014. VietJet, Vietnam's only privately owned airline, may seek to raise $400 million to $500 million in an initial public offering next year as it takes delivery of as many as 100 additional planes. Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg The pilot profession is highly regulated to drive a high level of safety, with laws dictating the level of experience and proficiency a pilot must acquire before flying a commercial aircraft, as well as when and how a professional pilot may work. This constrained environment has always made it difficult for the industry to meet the ebbs and flows of demand. New regulations further constrain the availability of new pilots. Now, as demand for air travel grows rapidly (global commercial airline capacity rose more than 6 percent last year, according to Oliver Wyman's Airline Economic Analysis) many aviation insiders see the number of pilots in training and the future demand for commercial pilots diverging. Leading airline executives are considering a new approach to the problem by forming partnerships with operators, training providers, and even regulators to shape the pipeline of pilots in training. Some major carriers and large regional airlines are well positioned to exploit these opportunities. The demand for pilots by U.S. airlines is likely to outstrip supply. Pilot Pipeline Becoming a commercial airline pilot is a time-intensive process that requires academic instruction, flight experience, numerous certifications and, typically, a progression of different flight-related jobs to gain the right experience. In the past, commercial pilots needed at least 250 flight hours, which takes at least six months and can cost up to $100,000. U.S. pilots have traditionally absorbed these costs themselves, sometimes by combining the training with college degree programs. Prior to August 2013, pilots who had completed this stage of training were eligible to become U.S. commercial airline co-pilots. Outside of the U.S., many international airlines sponsor student pilots and either pay for this training or offer loans with favorable terms associated with future employment at the sponsoring airline. New regulations introduced in 2013, designed to increase pilot proficiency, mandate that co-pilots working for commercial airlines hold airline transport pilot (ATP) certificates. This typically requires 1,500 flight hours and other experience gained by working at lower-paying pilot jobs. These new regulations make commercial airlines dependent on a set of aviation segments that provide the necessary experience but that are not elastic to growth in demand by the airlines and other career-employment companies. Even a perfectly efficient system could only provide the experience required for two-thirds of the pilots needed in the U.S. The effect of the new regulations is further compounded by the fact that, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the military, traditionally the largest source of airline pilots, now accounts for only 30 percent of new airline pilots. Further, the supply of military pilots will likely continue to shrink as military branches roll out programs to incentivize pilots to stay longer. Pilot Demand As the pilot career pipeline becomes constrained, the commercial airline industry's demand for pilots is rising. Oliver Wyman's 2016-2026 Global Fleet & MRO Market Forecast expects the number of commercial aircraft in service in the U.S. to rise 7.7 percent during the next 20 years to 8,067. The forecast expects the number of commercial aircraft in the global fleet to rise 40 percent to 34,437 aircraft. Airlines are adding more airplanes just as a wave of pilots nears retirement and regulations on pilot duty times have tightened. The industry's appetite for new ATP-rated pilots is at an all-time high, and Boeing BA +1.69% Co. estimates U.S. airlines will demand about 95,000 pilots in the next 20 years. Of course, U.S. pilots also fly for international airlines and corporate fractional flight operations, further boosting demand. Europe is expected to need 95,000 pilots, and Asiawill likely need 226,000. Juicing the Pipeline Airline operators can follow several philosophies on managing the pilot pipeline. Some airlines may buy their way out and offer higher salaries, incentives, and benefits to pilots. For others this will be too costly and could upend their business. Such carriers must consider strategies to recruit pilots in a more competitive and constrained environment. This could entail developing programs with vocational or collegiate flight schools, developing more formalized feeder programs with regional partners, or financing the next generation of qualified pilots. However, these options are also costly. In the long term, the industry could work to influence regulations, but this could take years and might not yield a superior paradigm. Carriers will still need to consider what they can offer pilots both in terms of compensation and work rules. Regional carriers, which traditionally offer lower pat rates, may see high attrition as demand from majors grows. Regionals will need to explore alternatives including productivity improvements, enhanced pilot compensation and collaboration with mainline partners in order secure their supply of qualified pilots. Major airlines will need to contemplate strategies to protect their pipelines from poaching by competing carriers. Similarly, even with industry standard rates of pay, low-cost carriers may see attrition from the bottom of their seniority lists as pilots pursue more compelling opportunities with majors or international carriers. The pilot pipeline will adapt to the new marketplace and passivity will not be rewarded. The smart airlines are exploring stronger, scalable relationships within the pipeline, namely with pilot training organizations. These types of relationships could be the key differentiator for airline success. Brian Prentice is a partner in Oliver Wyman's aviation practice, and he is based in Dallas. Philippe Gouel is a principal with the practice, and he is based in Chicago. Back to Top Boarding pass: Showtime in airliner Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium unveils 'Flight Theater' inside jet exhibit Tulsa Air and Space Museum unveils Flight Theater in jet MD-80 Flight Theater Guests cut a ribbon outside an MD-80 passenger jet to open Flight Theater at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium on Thursday. The theater inside the display aircraft will allow TASM visitors to take a 24-minute virtual journey centering on aviation. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World About TASM Since 1994, the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium has chronicled the aerospace heritage of Tulsa, including the city's aviators, the rise of Tulsa Municipal Airport and work done at legacy Tulsa aviation icons such as American Airlines, North American, Rockwell, McDonnell Douglas and Boeing. TASM's mission is to preserve Oklahoma's aerospace heritage and inspire science-based learning through discovery. TASM plays host to more than 80,000 visitors per year. For hours and admission prices, go to www.tulsaairandspacemuseum.org The 150-foot-long jet sitting outside the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium is as noticeable as it is huge. "... If nothing else, it has curb appeal," said U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, who, as a former Navy aviator, appreciates a good set of wings. "If you drive by ... you can't miss it." On Thursday, members of the TASM launched a can't-miss component inside the American Airlines MD-80: Flight Theater. "There are a lot of aircraft all over the world and in museums on display, but not one of them that has a flight theater like this," said Jeff Sevart, Flight Theater project manager. "It's a one-of-a-kind venue," he said. "It will be great for Tulsans and other folks in our area." Nestled in the first-class section of the McDonnell Douglas aircraft, Flight Theater is designed to transport museum guests on a virtual journey using the latest projection technology and theater-quality sound. A total of 15 video projectors are blended to create a 60-foot-long image in the cabin, whose 26-seat capacity includes two spots for disabled viewers. Aerial photography for the 24-minute show was captured by a lightweight experimental aircraft, helicopter and jet. "Since we got the plane in 2011, it's just been an evolving process," TASM Board Chairman Lee Hubby said. "The flight theater experience came up because we thought, 'Wouldn't thought be cool to immerse people in that?' As far as we know, there's nothing like it anywhere in the world." American Airlines donated the MD-80 to TASM as part of an education program linked to the decommissioning of the aircraft, which served as AA's domestic fleet nworkhouse for a quarter century. After workers removed the plane's overhead bins and most of its seats, added a new restroom, wet bar and other amenities, the exhibit opened as a "Discovery Center" in the spring of 2014. It now serves as an educational facility for tours, as well as a rentable space for meetings, parties and weddings. "The goal that we have for the MD-80 is to let it perform multiple functions," Hubby said. "We want to be able to have people entertain, cocktail parties, board meetings, weddings. And of course, the mission of the museum is to educate the kids. How can we entertain, educate and engage kids. "As with anything you do at the museum, you're constantly evolving. You can't just remain static." http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/tulsa-air-and-space-museum-and-planetarium-unveils-flight- theater/article_8032a315-a1b6-545b-8f58-fe57b939a26d.html Back to Top Sinclair 1st U.S. community college named FAA Center of Excellence DAYTON - The Federal Aviation Administration has selected Sinclair Community College as the only community college in nation to join the FAA's Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence. Sinclair will be part of the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence, officials said. The FAA selected Sinclair because of its expertise in training a workforce for the unmanned systems industry, said Stephen Luxion, ASSURE associate director. The community college has more flexibility and speed than a university does to test curriculum changes, which could serve as an educational model nationally and grow in importance as the FAA drafts operating rules for the burgeoning industry, the retired Air Force colonel added. "We can actually test a new curriculum here that we can't do at any other university," Luxion said Thursday. "As we develop rules and standards, particularly in human factors, we will need to train to that." Sinclair opened UAS training center last year Sinclair opened the $5 million National UAS Training and Certification Center last year. FAA and college officials announced Sinclair's admission into the Center of Excellence at a press conference Thursday inside the recently opened UAS indoor flying pavilion on the college's downtown campus. "Joining this organization will provide Sinclair with the opportunity to share our expertise and collaborate with some of the leaders in the UAS field who are doing some truly groundbreaking work to advance the industry," Deborah Norris, vice president of workforce development and corporate services, said in a statement. ASSURE is a consortium of 22 universities and colleges across the nation, including Ohio State which has a UAS research partnership with Sinclair, and more than 100 industry-related organizations and government agencies. The collaboration has focused on research and training to integrate drones into civilian air space as its chief purpose. Research spans developing sense and avoid technology to avoid collisions between aircraft and drones, and ways to reduce UAV noise, among other targeted issues. "...Being a member allows us access to best practices (and) to partners who are working on parts of this industry that we are not working on so we can marry our strengths together," Sinclair President and CEO Steven L. Johnson told this newspaper. Drones gaining in popularity Drones have gained in popularity with hobbyists and businesses, selling at least a projected 700,000 alone during the holiday shopping season last year by one industry estimate. A trade group study estimated the industry could reach reach $94 billion and a workforce of more than 100,000 in the United States within a decade. As more pilots reported seeing drones in flight near aircraft, the FAA mandated last month owners of small drones must register with the federal agency. The FAA told this newspaper Thursday nearly 300,000 owners have registered. Congress had set a September 2015 deadline for the FAA to integrate drones into civilian air space, but that date was missed. The FAA expects to finalize rules on operating small drones "later this spring," agency spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said in an email Thursday. The rules will regulate drones less than 55 pounds. "What Congress wanted was a very complex question," Luxion said in an interview Thursday. "Much more complex than they ever realize and the FAA probably even realized since we started peeling back the onion." He said it will take years to fully integrate a wide range of drones of all sizes and capabilities into the national air space system. "Think in terms of early aviation and how that progressed," he said. http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/breaking-news/sinclair-1st-us-community-college-an-faa-center- of/nqDw4/#sthash.hfjRfs8x.dpuf Back to Top ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April Applications for the 2016 ISASI Rudolph Kapustin Memorial Scholarship must be submitted on or before April 15, 2016, says ISASI Secretary Chad Balentine, who serves as Scholarship Committee Chairman. Balentine noted that this worthy program is designed to encourage and assist college-level students interested in the field of aviation safety and aircraft occurrence investigation. ISASI funds the Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship through donations and will provide an annual allocation of funds for the scholarship if funds are available. Applicants must be enrolled as full time students in an ISASI recognized education program, which includes courses in aircraft engineering and/or operations, aviation psychology, aviation safety and/or aircraft occurrence investigation, etc. Applicants must have major or minor subjects that focus on aviation safety/investigation. A student who has received the annual ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship will not be eligible to apply for it again. Students who wish to apply should go to http://www.isasi.org/Documents/Forms/ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Form.pdf for guidelines and the application form. Please Note: The 2016 Scholarship Application Form provides updated candidate requirements. Forty students received the ISASI scholarship since its inception in 2002. Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of researchers in aviation weather, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/halabyfellowship.pdf). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2016 or early 2017) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at improving the integration of weather into decision support tools for improved weather avoidance and air traffic management. The Fellowship will provide: * a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses * round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO * travel to a conference to present results * page charges for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: * Curriculum vitae * Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) * Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2016 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Back to Top PhD Research Request Dear Fractional Jet Pilot, Fractional jet pilots have achieved an amazing safety record over the last 25 years. Research shows that your pilot group has achieved significantly better safety results when compared with similar jet pilot groups. This research investigates why are fractional jet pilots better than these other pilot groups? Is it due to training/skills, safety culture, union or company leadership? Safety culture has been studied for over a decade at the commercial airline level, and has consistently demonstrated a predictive capability. In recent years, safety culture has been concluded to predict safety performance. Safety culture is an important factor to investigate. My name is Kevin O'Leary and I am a Ph.D. candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I am completing my dissertation by researching the safety culture of fractional jet pilots. This research has the potential to begin the understanding of why fractional pilots have a superior safety record. Due to the nature of this research, the survey respondents have been required to be pre-qualified to participate in this survey. Please follow the link below and fill out the pre-qualification form so that your pilot status can be verified. After verification, an untraceable survey link will be emailed to your email address. This link will be completely separate and remain separate from your pilot verification data. Your identity will never be disclosed and is not connected with the survey answers you provide. The research survey you will receive after completing the pre-qualification form will not include any identifiable data about the pilot, pilot's place of employment or the aircraft primarily flown. The research survey will take about 11 minutes. Please note that these responses will generate a donation to the Corporate Angel Network and potentially improve general aviation safety. https://www.research.net/r/Curt-Lewis-PreQual Thank you very much for your help! Principal Researcher Kevin O'Leary Ph.D. Candidate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 617-600-6868 Olearyk1@my.erau.edu Back to Top Professional Pilot EFB Usage Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TYWYKKJ Attention colleagues, my name is Tyler Babb and I am an assistant professor with the Middle Tennessee State University Aerospace Department. I am conducting research on the use of EFBs in the United States professional pilot industry. Active commercial pilots in the United States (except for flight instructors) are encouraged to participate, even if they do not currently use EFBs. Apologies to current MTSU students, this data is intended to be gathered by alumni. The survey is fairly short and should not take more than 15 minutes to complete. Your name will not be collected, but your company name (operator) will be collected. The company name will in no way be linked to any other data on the survey. Collection of the names of the operators is necessary to ensure a sufficient data sample from the industry. Electronic Flight Bags have become a common tool for pilots. These devices provide charts, weather data, performance data, and other pertinent flight-related information. As collegeiate aviation educators, our faculty and students could benefit from surveying the current usage of EFBs in the industry. This survey aims to collect data on the following: * the prevalence of EFBs in the professional pilot industry * trends in EFB usage * common devices and software * potential drawbacks and/or limitations With this data, aviation students around the country could see the current status of EFB usage. This research could better prepare them to enter the industry. Thank you for your participation in this survey. This information will empower students and educators alike to better prepare our future pilots for a flying career. Back to Top GRADUATE THESIS SURVEY My name is Mark Roth and I'm presently doing my Master Thesis with a Risk Management study on multi-national aircrew. A quantitative analysis will be used for a primary data collection. This is undertaken with a survey and I hope to be able to collect a minimum of 100 data sets/responds. Working alongside such international arrangements as a Training Captain on the A380, this study is intended to highlight challenges and opportunities for operators and regulators. I would be grateful, if you would kindly publish the link of this survey on your platform. I have attached my approved project proposal for your reference. A group of subject matter expert has validated it, therefore the questions stated in the proposal have been altered. Here is the link to my survey: Survey, PG Student Mark Roth THIS SURVEY IS INTENDED FOR ACTIVE AIRLINE CABIN AND COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS ONLY. Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Tabitha Black. I am a student at Eastern Washington University conducting research on the current state of Crew Resource Management (CRM). The focus of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of the mandated curriculum outlined in FARs and pilots' opinions of the training. Obtaining data from commercial pilots is particularly difficult considering the population of pilots is limited. I invite you to participate in this completely anonymous research project. Your help is greatly appreciated. SURVEY: https://qtrial2015q4az1.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9zrGMmfd6x27rSt&Q_CHL=email&Preview=Survey Curt Lewis