Flight Safety Information February 3, 2016 - No. 024 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING Jet lands safely after mid-air explosion tears hole in its fuselage Man arrested after laser pen shone at pilots above Kent (U.K.) Feds plead for 'certainty' in aviation funding Penn State students building human-powered airplane Solar-powered spy drones to join Britain's fleet of military aircraft Albania to Auction off Old Eastern Bloc Military Aircraft Cimber cancels flights due to pilot shortage Pakistan Air Pilots Boycott Flights as Protests Turn Deadly Boeing CEO pitches F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet to India United 232...(A Play) UK CAA to Open EASA Part-66 Exam Centre in Trinidad and Tobago. ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship PhD Research Request Back to Top Jet lands safely after mid-air explosion tears hole in its fuselage A Somalian jet has made an emergency landing at the country's Mogadishu International Airport after an explosion tore a hole in its fuselage minutes after take-off. The country's aviation officials say two people were injured in the incident but none killed - although there have been unconfirmed reports that one person fell out of the hole in the plane. The cause of the explosion is not yet known, but aviation experts and the plane's pilot have suggested it was a bomb. The jet's 74 passengers and crew were safely evacuated after landing, with video footage from inside the cabin showing a remarkably calm atmosphere following the explosion. Awale Kullane, Somalia's deputy ambassador to the UN, was on board the flight, and said in a Facebook post that was later removed that he "heard a loud noise and couldn't see anything but smoke for a few seconds." When the smoke cleared the passengers saw that "quite a chunk" of the plane - an Airbus A321 - was missing. Aviation experts have suggested that either a bomb or pressurization blowout could have caused the explosion. However, pictures of the craft appear to show soot around the ripped fuselage, which would not be created by a blowout. Reports also say that the explosion took place before the plane had reached maximum pressurization height of 30,000 feet - further evidence that a blowout was not to blame. "I think it was a bomb," said the plane's pilot, 64-year-old Vladimir Vodopivec in comments published in Belgrade daily Blic and translated by the Associated Press. "Luckily, the flight controls were not damaged so I could return and land at the airport. Something like this has never happened in my flight career. We lost pressure in the cabin. Thank god it ended well." http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/3/10903604/somali-jet-explosion-mogadishu Back to Top Man arrested after laser pen shone at pilots above Kent (U.K.) This is what the inside of a cockpit looks like when a laser is shone at it (Picture: Twitter/MPSHeathrow) A man has been arrested after a green laser pen was shone on pilots above Kent. Reports that the nuisance light was distracting several commercial flights were called into police who searched for the man. Shining a laser beam at planes or helicopters has been condemned by aviation experts for its risk to temporarily dazzle and disorientate pilots or cause long term eye damage and was made a criminal offence in 2010. Several passenger flights travelling over the Isle of Sheppey were affected by the distracting laser at around 8pm on Saturday night before the man was arrested by Kent Police. MORE: Man's body found in Wales may be linked to Allerton Bywater triple murder Police confirmed the man from Sheppey, where the incident took place, had been arrested and was released on bail until March 14. A spokesman for Kent Police said: 'At approximately 8pm on Saturday January 30 Kent Police received a call which reported a green laser pen was being shone at planes flying over the island. 'At 9.25pm a 45-year-old man from Sheppey was arrested on suspicion of endangering aircraft.' http://metro.co.uk/2016/02/03/man-arrested-after-laser-pen-shone-at-pilots-above-kent- 5659242/#ixzz3z6d0O7Vj Back to Top Feds plead for 'certainty' in aviation funding Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx pleaded Tuesday for "certainty" and "predictability" in the Federal Aviation Administration funding as lawmakers are preparing to debate a new funding measure for the agency. The House Transportation Committee is expected to unveil its bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration's funding on Wednesday. The agency's funding is set to expire on March 31, and lawmakers are bogged down in a debate about a controversial plan to separate the nation's air traffic control system from the FAA. Foxx said Tuesday that he is taking a wait and see approach to the proposal to restructure the nation's air traffic control system, but he said he is worried debate about the proposal to create a new flight navigation organization could jeopardize the FAA's funding. "There's an awful lot of pressure, given the timeframe, to figure out where to land on it and to move it through the process," he said during a briefing with reporters at the transportation department's headquarters in Washington. "We're concerned obviously because we don't know what's on the other side of March," Foxx continued. "Regardless of what happens, we always prefer certainty and predictability." Republicans on the House Transportation Committee have argued that creating a new nongovernmental organization that would take over air traffic control from the FAA would modernize the nation's aviation system. "After examining various models, I believe we need to establish a federally chartered, fully independent not-for-profit corporation to operate and modernize our [air traffic control] services," House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said during a speech last year at the Aero Club of Washington. The plan to separate air traffic control from the FAA has drawn opposition from budget writers and several aviation groups in Washington. They argue the proposal would amount to a privatization of the nation's flight navigation system. "When both sides of the aisle and both the Senate and House agree, it's important," Americans Against Air Traffic Privatization spokesperson Julia Alschuler said in a statement, citing opposition to the proposal from lawmakers on Appropriations Committee in the House and Senate. "The House Appropriations Committee's bipartisan opposition, like that of the Senate Appropriations Committee before them, is grounded in the belief that it's the responsibility of the government to protect the safety and security of this vital public good, and that turning such a responsibility over to an unaccountable organization would leave the American people vulnerable to corporate interests," Alschuler continued. "Instead, it's time to restore long term stable funding to the FAA and continue the work already taking place to modernize our air traffic system." Foxx said Tuesday that he has looked at independent air traffic control systems in places like Canada that have been cited by backers of the proposal to remove the FAA from the domestic flight navigation process to see if any paralllels to the U.S. system can be drawn. But he also said the U.S. aviation system is more "complicated" than other's nation's that have pursued independent flight navigation systems. Still, Foxx said Tuesday that he is not willing to rule out the proposal to restructure the FAA until he sees a specific proposal from lawmakers. "I have to see what's being proposed," Foxx said. "If I were a reflexive non on this, I would say so." The debate about separating air traffic control from the FAA comes as lawmakers are debating the air traffic control privatization proposal as Congress tries to beat a rapidly approaching deadline for renewing the agency's funding in the middle of a presidential campaign that is heating up. Most of the nation's major airlines are supporting the plan to create a new air traffic control organization that would be separate the FAA. The group that lobbies in Washington for most major carriers has rejected the idea that separating air traffic control from the FAA would amount to a privatization of the nation's flight navigation system. "Proponents of reform advocate for a not-for-profit organization that will be overseen by the FAA and governed by a board inclusive of all stakeholders, including employee unions, general aviation and private fliers, and passengers," Airlines for America said in a recent statement. "That's the way air traffic services are run in most of the rest of the world," the group added in a recent statement. "We want to see more air traffic controllers hired. We want to make the system even more safe. And most importantly, we want to make flying better for the traveling public. Members of Congress should want the same thing." Critics say changes to the nation's air traffic control system should be made within the existing structure of the FAA, however. "We do not believe that creating a separate air traffic entity, removed from congressional oversight, will advance efforts to modernize air traffic control," Reps. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and David Price (D-N.C.) said in a letter that was circulated on Tuesday by aviation groups that are opposed to the independent air traffic control plan. "The Committee on Appropriations has a proven record of providing robust funding to advance air traffic technologies in the national interest," they continued. "While the FAA can and should improve and accelerate the development of modernized air traffic systems, we do not believe the solution is less oversight and less accountability." http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/267956-feds-plead-for-certainty-in-aviation-funding Back to Top Penn State students building human-powered airplane Students works on the airfoil of a human powered airplane as part of AERSP 204H and 404H in the third floor of Engineering Unit C on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. John Byrd trains for triathlons but not for the reasons one might expect. As his last name suggests, he prefers to use his talents elsewhere, as he essentially pedals a flying bike with wings. The airplane was built over the past four years through a collaboration of the largely student-run club called Sailplane and students of two aerospace classes. It has one propeller and is human-powered by Byrd (graduate-aerospace engineering), who pedals to keep the bike-like structure 20 to 30 feet above the ground. This is a fast and lightweight aircraft, which the students aspire to take to London to compete for the Kremer sport prize, a competition that judges the aircraft on its completion of the triangle-shaped course. Beginning in their freshman year, students can take Aerospace 204H and be a part of this project, and upperclassmen can take Aerospace 404H. The lectures are devoted to what the students want to talk about that day. They are largely based on aircraft design. The students in Sailplane then take this information and apply it to their lab, Angelina Conti, a student involved in the project, said. Underclassmen students take lab for three hours a week while upperclassmen do four hours, she said. The class is divided up into sections each with their own leader. These sections are wing, tail, propulsion and data analysis, Conti (senior-aerospace engineering) said. The goal of the class is to build the airplane and eventually fly it around a course in the shape of a triangle. To complete the competition they have to successfully fly the course and then fly it again the other direction. "The tricky part is that we have a crosswind that we have to fly into around one of the corners," Conti said. The plane, which is entirely built by students, has a 74-foot wingspan and, with the pilot in the aircraft, weighs around 200 pounds. Because of the light weight, the plane can reach speeds between 10 and 15 meters per second, Parth Patel said. A year and a half ago, Sailplane tested its aircraft with a human-sized battery inside of it. The airplane crashed when attempting to turn, but the team expects to be able to test it again by the end of this semester. "I love flying ... it's an amazing class because you get to build something with your own hands and then you get to see it fly," Patel (sophomore-aerospace engineering) said. http://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/article_9984d762-ca37-11e5-8ece-b71904158c1f.html Back to Top Solar-powered spy drones to join Britain's fleet of military aircraft The Zephyr is a high-altitude endurance drone built by Airbus Defence and Space A British-designed solar-powered drone operating at the edge of space will soon join Britain's fleet of military aircraft, allowing special forces to observe or eavesdrop on adversaries for weeks on end. Michael Fallon, defence secretary, was set to announce on Tuesday night the imminent signature of a £10.6m contract to acquire at least two Zephyr 8 "pseudo satellites" - high-altitude endurance drones - from Airbus Defence and Space. Mr Fallon will highlight the deal as a significant step in the government's "commitment to provide next- generation battlefield intelligence capabilities to the UK armed forces". It also underlines the potential cost savings to be had in defence procurement from using more unmanned aerial vehicles. At £10.6m for two aircraft, the cost is substantially lower than the price tag on any modern manned aircraft. The MoD said the Zephyr would be "a persistent presence over the battlefield and provide intelligence at much greater level of detail than was previously possible". Airbus claims the unmanned aircraft is the only vehicle to have demonstrated sustainable, unmanned and solar-powered flights to date. The aircraft is designed to fly at 65,000ft, roughly twice as high as a commercial passenger jet, and can stay in the air for up to three months. Cloaked in solar panels, it uses sunlight to fly and recharge its batteries. The Zephyr 8 weighs about 30kg without its batteries and can carry up to five times its own weight. With its development partially funded by the MoD, the design of the latest generation of Zephyr is so secret that even the blueprints for the propeller tips is top secret. An MoD official said the aircraft would be able to do anything that a satellite could do, from communications to surveillance. "This is state of the art," he said. The acquisition follows months of speculation after David Cameron signalled in November's strategic defence and security review (SDSR) plans to invest in advanced high-altitude surveillance aircraft. He said the government would double investment in equipment for the special forces "to enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and global strike capability". The MoD will take two Zephyrs for operational trials, which will continue through to next year. It will then decide on its requirement for the special forces, an official said. "This contract allows the UK to understand whether a high-altitude pseudo satellite can fulfil a requirement for persistent surveillance capability as announced in the SDSR," the MoD said in a statement. "Alongside this, the programme will also explore wider requirements across all front line commands to understand further capability benefits to defence and other government departments." An Airbus executive said recently that the group had been discussing the sale of up to three unmanned aircraft. The MoD will be the first customer, but both Germany and Singapore are understood to have expressed an interest. Airbus says Zephyr has clocked up more than 900 hours of flight time to prove its technology. The craft holds three world records, including the endurance record of 14 days, which Airbus claims is four times longer than any other unmanned aerial vehicle. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/652d5ebc-c9d8-11e5-a8ef-ea66e967dd44.html#axzz3z6i8iHjh Back to Top Albania to Auction off Old Eastern Bloc Military Aircraft Albania is auctioning off dozens of obsolete Eastern Bloc military aircraft to raise cash for its armed forces, and officials say museums and collectors from several countries have expressed interest. The Defense Ministry says the 40 Soviet or Chinese planes and helicopters for sale include six propeller-driven Yak-18s, Mig-15, -17, -19 and -21 jets and four Mil Mi-4 transport helicopters. They date mostly to the 1950s, and haven't been used for years. A ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday that potential buyers in the U.S., France and Italy have expressed interest in the Feb. 22 auction in Tirana. Starting bids range from 1.1-1.9 million leks ($8,572- 14,800). The former Communist country joined NATO in 2009, and is modernizing its weaponry. Founded in 1951, Albania's air force currently consists of helicopters. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/albania-auction-off-eastern-bloc-military-aircraft- 36682803 Back to Top Cimber cancels flights due to pilot shortage Cimber Bombardier CRJ900 SAS Scandinavian Airline's Danish subsidiary Cimber will cancel 760 services through mid-May as it fights to overcome a shortage of pilots. SAS acquired Cimber in December 2014 to handle regional and short-haul flights on thinner European routes, using a fleet of 12 Bombardier CRJ900s. The Scandinavian mainline carrier transferred some pilots over to the new subsidiary, but expansion at the parent company means many are returning, leaving gaps in Cimber's aircrew workforce. "Some of those pilots had already been with SAS and had it in their contracts the right to come back if expansion occurred," SAS head of media Knut Morten Johansen said. Instead of trying to plug gaps in schedules as they occurred, he said, a decision was made to cancel the services through May to give some more certainty to services and passengers. No routes will be abandoned, Johansen said, but frequencies would be thinned out. Most of the routes affected are intra-Danish, or in and out of Denmark. The number of canceled flights should be put in context of the total of 130,000 that would be flown by SAS over the three-month period, he said. The SAS group as a whole was recruiting 220 pilots to cope with its expansion and had received more than 1,750 applications for the posts; the problem was the time required to train pilots on the CRJ900s. "We're not satisfied with [the situation], but we are dealing OK with it," he said. SAS believes it will resolve the situation by summer, he added. http://atwonline.com/labor/cimber-cancels-flights-due-pilot-shortage Back to Top Pakistan Air Pilots Boycott Flights as Protests Turn Deadly * Protests against airline privatization; at least two killed * Airline says protests caused 750 million rupees in losses Protests against the privatization of Pakistan's national carrier turned deadly in the financial hub Karachi on Tuesday, leading to the pilots indefinitely boycotting all international and domestic flights. Two men died and several were injured as police and paramilitary forces faced off against hundreds of protesters outside the office of Pakistan International Airlines Corp. near the city's main Jinnah terminal. Pakistan Airline Pilots' Association, at a meeting of its executive body, decided on the boycott action until the situation improves. "We have asked all members to boycott" flights, Sadiq Rehman, vice president of the pilots' association, said by phone. "The environment is such we cannot continue with flights. The decision is indefinite for as long as this issue continues." The sale of a 26 percent stake in PIA is key for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to fulfill conditions under an International Monetary Fund loan. Its shares rose the most in 10 months and protests intensified after lawmakers in January passed a bill converting the airline into a public limited company, seen as the first step toward privatization. 'Stringent Action' As many as 18,000 employees have demanded officials call off the sale over the past month, Obaid Ullah, a spokesman for the workers, said by phone. He identified the dead as Inayat Raza, an assistant manager in PIA's communications department, and Saleem, an engineer who goes by one name. The police didn't fire any shots, Kamran Fazal, deputy inspector general, told reporters at the site of the clashes. The paramilitary didn't shoot, Abb Takk television channel reported, citing the force's spokesman. Nine injured people were brought to Jinnah Hospital, spokeswoman Seemi Jamali said. PIA has lost 750 million rupees ($7.2 million) over the past week since the protests resumed, Danyal Gilani, spokesman for the airline, said by phone on Monday. "These losses will continue to increase if the strike continues," Gilani wrote in a statement on Monday. "If the planes don't fly then paying the employees will become difficult for the company." Sharif's administration on Jan. 29 vowed to retain all employees of the airline and postpone the stake sale to help address their concerns. It also pledged "stringent action" if operations were disrupted. The government on Monday enforced the Essential Services Act for six months, a law that bans strikes and allows companies to fire employees not showing up for work. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-02/pilots-threaten-strike-as-pakistan-airline-protests- turn-deadly Back to Top Boeing CEO pitches F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet to India Dennis Muilenburg can be seen in this file photo taken in Washington September 11, 2014. U.S. aircraft maker Boeing Co is in a "conversation" on manufacturing its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet in India, Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg was quoted on Wednesday as saying on his first visit to the country. "We see the Super Hornet as an opportunity ... to tie directly into the 'Make in India' strategy," Muilenburg told the Hindustan Times in an interview whose authenticity was confirmed by the company. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' drive is designed to expand India's industrial base. Boeing was willing to back the project with billions of dollars in investment to India meet its operational needs, according to Muilenburg's comments in the interview. India is locked in talks with France's Dassault Aviation SA to buy 36 French-built Rafale combat jets at a price said to be close to $200 million apiece. But an earlier tender to buy 126 Rafales collapsed. Plane makers are queuing up to fill the shortfall with revised offers, stressing their readiness to locate production in India, with Saab AB of Sweden also pushing its single-engine Gripen aircraft. The twin-engine Super Hornet was eliminated in India's original tender for Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), however, and the future of its production facility in St Louis is uncertain. "I would not say there is an official order. This is a conversation we are having right now," Muilenburg was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying. Muilenburg also flagged the F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation fighter jointly developed with Lockheed Martin Corp, as a future sales prospect for India, calling it "an area of future investment for which we are interested". http://www.reuters.com/article/india-boeing-superhornet-idUSKCN0VC0IB Back to Top United 232 (A Play) Adapted and Directed by Vanessa Stalling from the book Flight 232 by Laurence Gonzales A Haunting True Story of Compassion and Grace RUN DATES: March 11 - May 1, 2016 PRICES: $15 for Previews, $30 and $35 for Regular Run TIMES: Performances are Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 7:00pm AGES: United Flight 232 is recommended for adults and teens "I love you, hurry home. I love you." On July 19, 1989, a DC-10 headed for O'Hare with 296 aboard is paralyzed mid-air. For 44 minutes, the aircraft descended towards an emergency landing and crashed at Sioux City Gateway airport. To the astonishment of all who witnessed the event, 184 of 296 passengers and crew survived. Drawing on the interviews and research conducted by Evanston author Laurence Gonzales for his critically acclaimed book, Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival, this brand new play, United Flight 232, is a reflection on how to comprehend tragedy and celebrate human ingenuity in the face of overwhelming challenges. Drawing on the interviews and research conducted by Evanston author Laurence Gonzales for his critically acclaimed book,Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival, this brand new play is a reflection of our inherent sense of responsibility and compassion towards one another. Read more about this project from Adaptor and Director, Vanessa Stalling, on the Open House page. To learn more about Laurence Gonzales' book, please visit his website at laurencegonzales.com/232.html United Flight 232 was commissioned and developed by The House Theatre of Chicago and the Chicago Performance Lab through the Theatre and Performance Studies Program at the University of Chicago. Show Dates: Mar 11 2016 to May 1 2016 Location: The Chopin Theatre, upstairs 1543 W Division St, Chicago http://thehousetheatre.com/playsandevents/unitedflight232 Back to Top UK CAA to Open EASA Part-66 Exam Centre in Trinidad and Tobago On behalf of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), CAA International (CAAi) is set to open a brand new EASA Part-66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence (AML) electronic examination centre in Piarco, near Port of Spain. The new e-Exam centre will open on April 7th 2016 and will provide candidates in the Caribbean, Central and South America with better access to EASA Part-66 AML examinations. Working in partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA), the exam centre will allow aircraft maintenance engineers in the region to test their theoretical knowledge against EASA Part-66 AML requirements. For more information or to book an exam, please visit: http://www.caainternational.com/aviationexaminations/easa-part-66/trinidad-and-tobago-exams 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 Curt Lewis