Flight Safety Information February 12, 2016 - No. 031 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING Indonesia Introduces Aging Aircraft Ban Alaska Airlines flight turns around after warning light comes on 8 Evaluated After Jet's Emergency Landing at LAX FAA proposes penalties against DHL for alleged hazmat violations Man arrested for damage to jet that he thought belonged to Paul Allen Pilot after Somalia emergency: Airplane security is "zero" Pilot error, heavy snow to blame for aircraft that taxied off runway at Cleveland airport Boeing plans new aircraft go-ahead decision by end-year Pilots unconvinced by drug testing plan (New Zealand) Drone pilot classes double to grow RPA community Senators: Let female WWII pilots into Arlington Cemetery Boeing set to cut jobs at commercial jet unit in Seattle Panel approves more rest time for flight attendants CLIMATE CHANGE ADDS TO FLIGHT TIME FOR TRANSATLANTIC JOURNEYS Boeing Facing Probe Over Accounting For Dreamliner, 747 Jet, Report Says China Continues with Ambitious Air Transport Growth Plans Once Pakistan's Pride, Its Embattled National Airline Fights To Survive ISASI Military Air Safety Workshop - Deadline extended for abstract submittal GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST The International Society of Air Safety Investigators...SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR THE JEROME F. LEDERER AWARD Back to Top Indonesia Introduces Aging Aircraft Ban Cardigair, a cargo operator whose fleet consists of a 30-year-old Boeing 737-300F and two 737-300Fs aged 29, is the airline most affected by Indonesia's new aging-aircraft rule. A new Indonesian Ministry of Transportation (MOT) rule banning the import of any commercial passenger aircraft more than 10 years old and freighters more than 15 years old amounts to merely a cosmetic exercise, according to a senior aviation technical executive, while a ban on any aircraft more than 30 years old appeared likely to cause serious financial hardship for operators of some commercial, general aviation and regional aircraft. Ignasius Jonan, Indonesia's Minister of Transportation, signed the new rule into law on October 16, two weeks after a 34-year-old de Havilland Canada Twin Otter 300 operated by Aviastar Mandiri crashed into Mount Latimojong during a scheduled passenger flight from Masamba to Makassar on the island of Sulawesi, killing all 10 people aboard. However according to Phil Seymour, CEO of UK-based aviation technical services and data company IBA Group, the rule's enactment would likely not improve Indonesia's poor commercial-aviation safety record. "Age restrictions are a fudge, because it's easy for authorities to impose restrictions," said Seymour. "I get very concerned with what these restrictions are trying to do. If they're meant to improve the safety record, it becomes almost irrelevant. [The Indonesian authorities] have much bigger problems they must face up to." Some of those problems include the nation's inadequate aviation-safety oversight, a high rate of commercial-aviation accidents and incidents and low pilot-training and pilot decision- making standards, according to Seymour. The FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment program currently rates Indonesia as a Category 2 nation. That means Indonesia's aviation-safety oversight-handled by the Ministry of Transport-does not comply with ICAO safety standards. The rating disallows Indonesian carriers from launching any new services to the U.S. Additionally, the EU has banned almost all Indonesian carriers from operating in its airspace because of their poor safety records. The ban includes Lion Air, which operates a large fleet of young Boeing 737-900ERs and has hundreds of new 737s and Airbus A320s on order. Indonesia's new aging-aircraft rule also bans any Indonesian carrier from operating any commercial aircraft older than 30 years of age. Carriers operating aircraft aged 30 or older at the rule's promulgation date have 36 months to stop flying them. If any carrier doesn't do so within that time, the Indonesian government will de-register the aircraft concerned and potentially also will remove the airline's Air Operator's Certificate. Two of Indonesia's three fatal accidents in 2015 have involved aircraft more than 30 years old: the Aviastar Mandiri Twin Otter and a 54-year-old Lockheed C-130B operated by the Indonesian Air Force, which crashed shortly after taking off from Medan-Soewondo Air Force Base on June 30, killing all 122 aboard the aircraft and 17 on the ground. Indonesia's third fatal accident in 2015 also involved an aging aircraft. On August 16, a 27- year-old ATR 42-300 operated by Trigana Air Service crashed on Tanggo Mountain while approaching Oksibil Airport in Papua Province, killing all 54 onboard. However, Indonesia's two most recent commercial-aircraft incidents have involved young jets. On December 21, a nine-year-old Embraer 195 operated by KalStar Aviation overran the runway at Kupang El-Tari Airport while landing during a storm. Although none of the 125 people onboard sufferes serious injury, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. On November 6, a two-year-old 737-900ER operated by Lion Air subsidiary Batik Air ran off the side of the wet runway upon landing at Yogyakarta-Adisutjipto Airport. The aircraft's nose gear collapsed but all 177 people aboard survived. Additionally, on December 28, 2014, Indonesia's worst accident in nearly 18 years involved an aircraft that was just six years, three months old. That airplane-an AirAsia Indonesia A320-crashed into the Java Sea after the pilots lost control at FL320 and stalled the aircraft. The accident killed all 162 people onboard. Seymour conceded that by restricting the importation of commercial aircraft to those aged 10 years or less (15 or less for freighters), Indonesia has made it more likely all airliners it registers in the future will contain modern navigation equipment and situational awareness aids, such as EGPWS. However, Seymour argued that even if an aircraft gets fitted with the latest navigation equipment, pilots still need training to use it properly and to make sensible decisions when operating in bad weather. Many Indonesian operators' safety records indicate they don't train pilots well. Seymour said another "probably" relevant issue is that 27 aircraft with 19 seats operate in Indonesia, according to IBA Group's JetData database. The regulations do not require aircraft with 19 seats or fewer to carry cockpit voice recorders and 21-channel flight data recorders, he said, making it harder for Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee to determine definitively the causes of accidents involving such aircraft. According to JetData, Indonesia's new rule immediately affects three commercial jets on the nation's registry. All are more than 30 years old and all are Boeing 737-300s. Operators will have to soon deregister another nine 737-300s, two 737-400s and five ATR 42s, all of which are at least 27 years old. Trigana Air Service has eight of the 19 Indonesian-registered large commercial aircraft aged 27 years or older. However, Cardigair, a freighter operator whose fleet consists of three 737- 300Fs, stands to feel the most severe effects. One of its airplanes is more than than 30 years old and the other two are 29, according to JetData. Ironically, Cardigair appears to have spent heavily to give its aging 737-300Fs modern avionics. According to its website, Cardigair installed satLINK (an Iridium satellite-based voice and data communications system), TCAS, EGPWS, digital flight data recorders and windshear detection systems in all three aircraft. According to JetData, the new rule will immediately affect 24 other commercial aircraft operating in Indonesia because of their advanced age of 30 years or more. They include 18 Twin Otters, two DHC Dash 7s and six Fokker F.27s. Twin Otter lessor CAAMS Leasing managed to get two aging Twin Otter 300s on to the Indonesian registry for lease to Dimonim Air just before the new rule took effect, but its attempt to register a third (MSN 524) came too late. However, CAAMS Leasing CEO Everette Mash subsequently purchased a 2012-built Viking Air Twin Otter (MSN 857) as a replacement to lease to Dimonim Air. Schedules call for delivery of the aircraft in February. Four other young Viking Air Twin Otter 400s already operate in Indonesia, according to JetData. Mash told AIN he saw a demand for the lease of another ten there within 18 months and he planned to try to meet that need. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-02-11/indonesia-introduces- aging-aircraft-ban Back to Top Alaska Airlines flight turns around after warning light comes on PORTLAND, Ore. - A nonstop flight from Hawaii to Portland made a U-turn to head back to the islands after a warning light came on in the cockpit. Alaska Airlines Flight 862 landed safely after returning to Honolulu, Hawaii at about 4:31 p.m. local time. The airline said about 90 minutes into the flight a warning light came on in the cockpit saying a backup auxiliary power unit was malfunctioning. That forced the pilots to turn around and start dumping fuel over the Pacific Ocean. Alaska Airlines said the incident didn't qualify as an emergency landing; however, it is protocol to turn the plane around when flying over water out an abundance of caution. http://katu.com/news/local/alaska-airlines-flight-turns-around-after-warning-light-comes-on Back to Top 8 Evaluated After Jet's Emergency Landing at LAX The Latest on an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport (all times local): 1:45 p.m. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman says nobody required hospitalization after an American Airlines jet that made a safe emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport. Spokesman Brian Humphrey says eight people, including a flight attendant, were evaluated after Flight 564 landed Thursday. Passengers had reported respiratory irritation. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the flight declared the emergency while flying from San Jose, California, to Phoenix and diverted to Los Angeles. An American Airlines spokesman says the pilot reported a mechanical problem, but he did not elaborate. The airline says all passengers will be rerouted to Phoenix as soon as possible. --- 11:40 a.m. Authorities say all passengers walked off the plane that landed safely after declaring an emergency and diverting to Los Angeles International Airport. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey says two passengers asked to be evaluated by paramedics in the terminal for respiratory irritation. He didn't know what may have caused the irritation. Humphrey says no passengers were transported to hospitals. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says Flight 564 declared the emergency Thursday while flying from San Jose, California, to Phoenix. An American Airlines spokesman says the pilot reported a mechanical problem, but did not elaborate. The airline says all passengers will be rerouted to Phoenix as soon as possible. --- 11:15 a.m. Authorities say an American Airlines plane has landed safely after declaring an emergency and diverting to Los Angeles International Airport. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey says the plane landed and taxied normally late Thursday morning and firefighters were not needed. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says Flight 564 declared the emergency while flying from San Jose, California, to Phoenix. Airport spokeswoman Katherine Alvarado says a mechanical problem was reported aboard the plane, which had 137 people aboard. A call and email to an airline spokesman was not immediately returned. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-passengers-exit-plane-diverted-los-angeles- 36868727 Back to Top FAA proposes penalties against DHL for alleged hazmat violations The US Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed seven civil penalties totaling $455,000 against DHL Express (USA) for allegedly violating Hazardous Materials (hazmat) regulations. In all the cases cited, the FAA is alleging that DHL accepted shipments that were not properly prepared for air transportation, and failed to ensure its employees or agents received required hazmat training. All the shipments were discovered during inspections at the DHL Express package sorting facility in Erlanger, Kentucky. The proposed civil penalties are $65,000 for each case. In an official statement issued yesterday (11 February), the FAA laid the allegations as follows: "Dec. 13, 2013: DHL accepted a box containing printing ink, a flammable liquid, for shipment on an ABX Air cargo flight from Memphis, Tenn., to LeLude, France. The shipment was not accompanied by a dangerous goods declaration, the FAA alleges. "March 24, 2014: DHL accepted a box containing a one-liter can of paint, a flammable liquid, for shipment on an Atlas Air flight from Roswell, Ga., to Victoria, Australia. The shipment was not accompanied by a dangerous goods declaration, the FAA alleges. "April 25, 2014: DHL accepted a box containing fuel control assembly, which is classified as a dangerous good in machinery or apparatus, for shipment on an ABX Air cargo flight from Pompano Beach, Fla., to Rzeszow, Poland. The box had partially obscured orientation arrows and an improper shipping name. "Aug. 13, 2014: DHL accepted a box containing a fuel/defuel cart, with a corrosive battery installed, for shipment on a cargo flight from a U.S. Army Warehouse in Poway, Calif., to Bagram, Afghanistan. The FAA alleges that the corrosive battery was not disconnected from its source and the shipment was not accompanied by a dangerous goods declaration. "Aug. 14, 2014: DHL accepted a box containing an airbag module for shipment on an ABX Air cargo flight from Tijuana, Mexico, to Midlothian, Va. The shipment was not accompanied by a dangerous goods declaration, the FAA alleges. "Sept. 15, 2014: DHL accepted a box containing two boxes of lithium ion batteries for shipment on an Atlas Air cargo flight from Hopkinton, Mass., to Hong Kong. The FAA alleges that the shipment was not properly labeled. "Sept. 18, 2014: DHL accepted a box containing an airbag module on an ABX Air cargo flight from St. James, N.Y. to Jung-Ku, Republic of Korea. The shipment was not accompanied by a dangerous goods declaration, the FAA alleges." DHL has asked to meet with the FAA to discuss the cases. http://postandparcel.info/71082/news/faa-proposes-penalties-against-dhl-for-alleged- hazmat-violations/ Back to Top Man arrested for damage to jet that he thought belonged to Paul Allen A Marysville, Wash., man was arrested for allegedly hopping a fence and breaking pieces off of an airplane that he mistakenly believed was the property of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The Herald newspaper of Everett, Wash., reports that the 30-year-old suspect was spotted at the Arlington Municipal Airport after midnight on Feb. 2. A police report said the man appeared "deranged and unpredictable" after a witness spotted him tampering with the jet. Alpha Jets like this one are serviced and used for flight training at Arlington Municipal Airport. (Via AirportJournals.com) The Herald reports that police persuaded the man to climb back over the fence and a search uncovered broken aircraft parts on the man and on the ground. The man reportedly told police he was at the Snohomish County airfield to locate what he thought was Allen's airplane and that the billionaire Seattle Seahawks owner "was in violation of federal law by possessing a military aircraft." The damaged plane was not Allen's and the Herald reports that police described it as a Dornier Alpha Jet owned by an aviation training company. Damage was estimated to be as much as $30,000. According to a previous story at AirportJournals.com, Allen does own one of the unique jets. It was sold to him by Hans von der Hofen, founder of Arlington-based Abbatare Inc., which according to the story, is the only broker of the twin-engine German strike aircraft in the United States. Airport Journals says Allen "bought the fast, high-altitude aircraft to be used as a chase plane during the successful Allen-financed SpaceShipOne flight that won Scaled Composites and Burt Rutan the $10 million Ansari X Prize." http://www.geekwire.com/2016/man-arrested-for-damage-to-jet-that-he-thought- belonged-to-paul-allen/ Back to Top Pilot after Somalia emergency: Airplane security is "zero" The Serb pilot who landed a jetliner in Somalia with a three-foot hole on its fuselage said Sunday he never doubted that it was caused by a bomb and describes the security surround the airplane at Mogadishu Airport as "zero." A suicide bomber is suspected to have set off the explosive inside the plane, Somali officials said Saturday. The blast sucked a male passenger out of the plane and forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing Tuesday in Somalia's capital, they said. The explosion happened about 15 minutes after the plane, with 74 passengers on board, took off from the airport and was at 11,000 feet ascending toward 30,000 feet. "If we were higher, the whole plane could have disintegrated after the explosion," said pilot Vlatko Vodopivec. At a higher altitude, the hole in the fuselage might have caused more severe structural damage, he said. Because the plane was at a lower altitude, he was able to land it safely, Vodopivec said. "The plane acted normally and we virtually returned normally. Engines and hydraulics worked normally. The explosion killed one passenger, Abdullahi Abdisalam Borle, according to Somali officials who did not give further details. A man's body was found in the town of Balad, 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) north of Mogadishu, according to police who said he might have been blown from the plane. Borle is suspected to have been the suicide bomber, the AP was told by a senior Somali civil aviation official, who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press. Six people have been arrested in connection with the blast after examinations of CCTV images in the airport, a senior Somali intelligence official said. The pilot blamed the incident on the lack of security around the plane at Mogadishu Airport, describing the facility as chaotic. "The security is zero. When we park there, some 20 to 30 people come to the tarmac," said Vodopivec, a veteran pilot who has made numerous flights to the airport. "No one has a badge or those yellow vests. They enter and leave the plane, and no one knows who is who ... They can put anything inside when passengers leave the aircraft." Somalia's government has said it will tighten security at the airport to prevent other threats. Somalia faces an insurgency from the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which has carried out deadly attacks in Somalia and neighboring countries. Daallo Airlines, which is based in Dubai, has temporarily suspended its operations in Somalia's capital following the incident but hopes to restart them soon, said Mohammed Ibrahim Yassin, the airline's chief executive. http://www.sltrib.com/home/3510750-155/pilot-after-somalia-emergency-airplane-security Back to Top Pilot error, heavy snow to blame for aircraft that taxied off runway at Cleveland airport The pilot, whose small private plane veered off the runway at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, couldn't see through heavy snow and turned too soon, an airport spokeswoman said Thursday. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pilot error and poor visibility were to blame for a small private plane veering off the runway Wednesday night at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, an airport spokeswoman said Thursday. The incident, which caused five aircraft to divert to other airports, occurred just before 10 p.m., when the pilot of a Castle Caravan C-208 was taxiing and turned too soon, riding off the paved surface, spokeswoman Michele Dynia said in a written statement. Pavement conditions were within "acceptable" limits, Dynia said, but heavy snow throughout the evening reduced visibility. The stranded aircraft forced the runway to shut down, leaving only one runway open. The other planes were diverted while snow removal crews worked to keep that runway clear, she said. All five aircraft later returned to Hopkins. http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2016/02/pilot_error_heavy_snow_to_blam.html Back to Top Boeing plans new aircraft go-ahead decision by end-year Despite spending months pleading for patience, Boeing executives are now telling employees a launch decision for a new airliner aimed at the "middle of the market" (MOM) could be made by the end of the year. In an all-hands meeting with employees on 10 February in Seattle, Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Ray Conner said the new project could receive a go-ahead decision as early as 2016, sources say. Since at least 2012, Boeing has identified a gap in the market between the single-aisle 737 Max 9 and the twin-aisle 787-8. A two-year series of discussions with customers revealed a consensus for an aircraft with about 20% more range and payload than a 757-200. Until now Boeing executives revealed no urgency behind a launch decision. In fact, only a day before Conner's address to employees, Boeing vice-president of marketing Randy Tinseth said his time "have a lot of time to work through it" before making a decision. But the 737 Max 9 has struggled to compete against the Airbus A321neo, which is outselling Boeing's re-engined product by more than a five to one margin. Sales of the 787-8 also have cooled off since the introduction of the stretched 787-9. But the company has a six-year backlog of major commercial projects already in development, starting with the entry into service of the 737 Max 8 next year. The 787-10 is scheduled for delivery in 2018, followed by the 777-9 in 2020 and then the 777-8. A MOM aircraft is not likely to appear before 2022, giving Boeing at least six years to complete development if a programme is advanced later this year. Several potential customers, such as Air Lease founder Steven Udvar-Hazy, have pressured Boeing to deliver a clean-sheet aircraft that combines the range and payload of a small widebody, such as the 767-200, with the operating economics of a narrowbody like the 737- 800. Two industry analysts have concluded such an aircraft would likely require a new fuselage shape - elliptical instead of circular - to reduce aerodynamic drag while still providing enough payload. Such an aircraft also may require new engines sized in a thrust-class between existing narrowbody and widebody engines, leading GE Aviation chief executive David Joyce to speculate last year that a clean-sheet engine design would be required. But other concepts are reportedly under consideration, including a larger version of the 737 Max. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boeing-plans-new-aircraft-launch-by-end-year- 421802/ Back to Top Pilots unconvinced by drug testing plan (New Zealand) The New Zealand Airline Pilots' Association says a government plan to make random drug and alcohol testing mandatory will be ineffective. The government has announced that random testing will become compulsory in commercial aviation and the maritime industry from next year. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission has welcomed the move, saying there have been eight substance-related accidents between 2004 and 2014, resulting in 41 deaths. However, the Air Line Pilots Association said all major commercial airlines already have random testing programmes in place, but there was little evidence that they made flying safer. The Association's medical officer, Herwin Bongers, told Nine to Noon random testing was only part of the picture in dealing with pilots who may have a problem with drinking or drugs. Mr Bongers said it was far more important to identify drug and drinking cases, provide support and ensure proper treatment through recovery programmes. He said aviation was one of the most observed, regulated and watched-over professions. "Every time I go flying I'm peer reviewed, every time I do a landing I'm performance reviewed... every move is recorded and analysed for perturbance. "There's not much more regulation and observation that can happen to us, so it's really up to family and friends to highlight the behaviours around substance abuse and bring that to the attention of peers and have those cases intervened with." Mr Bongers said the behaviour patterns surrounding addiction meant there were obvious signs around lifestyle and relationships that would point to a problem before a random test detected drugs or alcohol. Random testing provided comfort to the travelling public, and would give company boards a legal culpability insurance safety blanket, he said. "But when we're talking about actually making passengers safer, we really do want to emphasize that having the diagnosis-treatment process and recover process with peer support is a far more effective tool to bring into play." However, Mr Bongers said pilots were in support of the testing protocols and saw them as being an important part of conveying to the public that pilots did not think substance abuse should be associated with aviation. "If random testing is part of what companies want to include in their employment arrangements then we're not going to die on the sword about opposing it, we would far rather put the efforts into providing the effective intervention processes around drugs and alcohol recovery and treatment. Very small operators would have to introduce the new regulations when they come into effect but major airlines, such as Air New Zealand, already have them in place, he said. Mr Bongers said anyone concerned a pilot might have a problem with substance abuse or addiction should contact the Airline Pilots Association on 0800 ALPA (0800 2572). http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/296364/pilots-unconvinced-by-drug-testing-plan Back to Top Drone pilot classes double to grow RPA community The Air Force is boosting class sizes in order to get more drone pilots into virtual cockpits. The 558th Flying Training Squadron, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, began its first 24- person class on Jan. 11, doubling each undergraduate class size, the Air Force recently said in a release. By May, each class will start with 24 students; with 16 projected classes starting each fiscal year, the number of pilots trained annually will jump from 192 up to 384, the Air Force said. The ramped-up initiative comes at a time when the Air Force is trying to relieve the remotely piloted community constantly beset with difficulties such as being overworked, stressed and overextended. For example, Air Combat Command over the next six months will develop entry requirements for enlisted airmen, the first time enlisted airmen would be able to fly RPAs, the Air Force announced in December. However, they would only fly RQ-4 Global Hawks - unarmed RPAs that fly high-altitude reconnaissance missions - but not the MQ-1 Predator or the MQ-9 Reaper. And for the first time, drone pilots who agree to serve five more years can get a critical skills retention bonus of up to $125,000. "The RPA community as a whole is experiencing manpower issues and there is a need to train more pilots to help ease the overall strain on the career field," Lt. Col. John Stallworth, 558th FTS commander, said in the release. "We have worked diligently since last April to ensure we can meet the increased demand for trained [Air Force Specialty Code] '18X' pilots." The 558th FTS, the sole unit responsible for RPA pilot training in the Air Force since January 2011, graduated 191 student pilots in fiscal 2015 and are projected to graduate 290 in fiscal 2016. Because of the increased demand in the classroom, Stallworth said the unit has hired "roughly half of the 42 new instructor billets put on the books, which will see the squadron grow from 62 instructors to 104 over the next few months." The teachers will be 50 percent military and 50 percent civilian, he said. The Air Force as a whole is also looking to expand its RPA operations outside of Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, and may look more to bases such as Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and Davis-Monthan Air Fore Base, Arizona. Reporter Phillip Swarts contributed to this story. Oriana Pawlyk covers deployments, cyber, Guard/Reserve, uniforms, physical training, crime and operations in the Middle East, Europe and Pacific for Air Force Times. She was the Early Bird Brief editor in 2015. Email her at opawlyk@airforcetimes.com. http://www.alamogordonews.com/story/news/local/holloman/2016/02/10/drone-pilot- classes-double-grow-rpa-community/80068044/ Back to Top Senators: Let female WWII pilots into Arlington Cemetery Women Airforce Service Pilots WASHINGTON - Two dozen U.S. senators want the Army to reverse a policy change barring female World War II pilots from having their ashes placed at Arlington National Cemetery. The pilots are known as Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs. They flew military aircraft in noncombat roles to free up male pilots for combat. They were considered civilians until Congress granted them veteran status in 1977. For years, the women were permitted to have their ashes placed at Arlington. But last year, the Army reversed course. Cemetery officials say WASPs never should have been let in and that space in the cemetery is limited. On Thursday, a group of senators led by Georgia Republican Johnny Isakson and Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal called on Acting Army Secretary Patrick Murphy to restore WASPs' eligibility. President Obama signs S.614_ a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Women Airforce Service Pilots_ on July 1_ 2009_ in the Oval Office. Women Airforce Service Pilots _WASP_ was established during World War II_ and from 1942 to 1943_ more than a thousand women joined_ flying 60 million miles of non-combat military missions. Of the women who received their wings as Women Airforce Service Pilots_ approximately 300 are living today. _Photo_ Pete Souza_The White House_ http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/capitol-hill/2016/02/11/senators-let-female- wwii-pilots-into-arlington-cemetery/80236592/ Back to Top Boeing could move some fighter jet manufacturing to India: roundup "Boeing Co. is in 'conversations' about producing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets in India, according to comments CEO Dennis Muilenburg reportedly made during his first visit to the country. The Hindustan Times reports that Muilenburg said discussions about manufacturing the planes in India are ongoing as part of Boeing's strategy to invest 'billions of dollars' in the country." -- Angela Mueller of the St. Louis Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2016/02/09/boeing-could-move-some-fighter- jet-manufacturing.html Back to Top Panel approves more rest time for flight attendants The House Transportation Committee approved Thursday an amendment to increase the month of rest time that is given to flight attendants between work shifts. The measure, which was attached to a Federal Aviation Administration funding bill, calls for the minimum amount of rest time between flights that is given to flight attendants to be increased from eight to 10 hours. The amendment, filed by Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.), was approved on a voice vote on Thursday. Supporters of the proposal said the measure would ensure airline crew members who are charged with ensuring the safety of passengers will be properly rested. "Proper rest is critical for Flight Attendants to do our work as aviation's first responders. We worked very hard to achieve this common sense regulation and we will continue to push until the minimum 10 hour rest becomes law," Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, said in a statement. "Science confirms Flight Attendant fatigue is real and we must all commit to combat fatigue for the continued safest transportation system in the world," she continued. "AFA commends members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for working with us on proper rest and all of our safety initiatives for this bill." Current rules require U.S. flight attendants to be given a minimum of eight hours off between trips. Flight attendant advocacy groups have said the current rest rules include time when airplanes are being offloaded, as well as travel time between airports and hotels, however. "Passenger deplaning, preflight preparation and passenger boarding is included within the rest period which means that the opportunity to actually sleep is closer to 4 or 5 hours before potentially working another 14 hour duty day," the flight attendants' union said Thursday. "Flight Attendants' rest should equal pilot rest in order to do our work as aviation's first responders," the union added in a post on its website. "Flight Attendants are entrusted with the safety, health, and security of our passengers on a daily basis." Lawmakers in the House are holding a hearing on the proposed FAA funding measure on Thursday. The agency's funding is currently set to expire on March 31. The FAA bill is one of the few must-pass pieces of legislation left on the congressional agenda this year. As such, it also represents an opportunity for lawmakers looking for a vehicle on which to attach pet issues. Most of the debate about the aviation funding bill thus far has been focused on a controversial plan from House Republicans to separate air traffic control from the FAA. The text of the amendment to require airlines to try to seat families together can be read here. http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/269133-panel-approves-more-rest-time-for-flight- attendants Back to Top CLIMATE CHANGE ADDS TO FLIGHT TIME FOR TRANSATLANTIC JOURNEYS Flight to land at Heathrow Airport British researchers learned that by accelerating the jet stream, climate change will alter transatlantic flight time within a few decades. Pretty soon, your round-trip journey from New York to London could take longer. Researchers have found that not only does air travel affect climate change, but the opposite is also true: Warming temperatures alter wind patterns, and this changes the amount of time it takes a plane to cross the Atlantic. Once the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide doubles over pre-industrial levels, as is expected to happen within a few decades, westbound passengers flying between Europe and North America will have to keep their seatbelts fastened for more time. By accelerating the jet stream-a high-altitude wind blowing from west to east across the Atlantic-climate change will speed up eastbound flights but slow down westbound flights, according to a new study led by atmospheric scientist Paul Williams at the U.K.'s University of Reading. Looking at the flight route between London and New York, the team fed synthetic atmospheric wind fields generated from climate model simulations into a routing algorithm similar to those used by flight planners. They found that stronger prevailing jet-stream winds significantly shortened eastbound flights and lengthened westbound flights, regardless of season. The effect was most dramatic in winter, when eastbound and westbound crossings became about twice as likely to take less than 5 hours, 20 minutes, and more than 7 hours, respectively. (That's from takeoff to touchdown, and it doesn't factor in the time passengers spend in the plane on the ground, which airlines count in their published flight times.) Changes to the atmosphere caused by climate change will increase westbound transatlantic flying time and decrease the time it takes to travel east, according to a study published on February 10. UNIVERSITY OF READING Williams is aware it's natural to assume that a shorter eastbound flight will compensate for the longer westbound journeys. According to the study, the boost just isn't enough to cancel out the lengthening effect atmospheric changes will have on the westbound journey. Passengers can count on a longer round-trip flight overall. "There's really no way for the airlines to get around it," says Williams. "It's really a loop, a vicious cycle. Climate change is going to lengthen the flight, which is going to cause more climate change, which is going to alter the atmosphere further, which will again lengthen the flight." According to the study, the longer westbound flights will add up to an extra 2,000 hours spent by transatlantic aircraft in the air each year, which in turn will lead to the consumption of an additional 7.2 billion gallons of jet fuel, costing an additional $22 million annually. "When you talk about global warming, you immediately think about the changes occurring at ground level where we live, but the climate is changing at all heights in the atmosphere. We don't live there, but we do fly there," says Williams. The study, published February 10 in the IOP journal Environmental Research Letters, looked at the effects of doubling the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which will occur by 2050 unless carbon emissions are drastically cut. It is the first study to look at the effect of climate change on transatlantic flights and the only so far to predict how future climate change will affect air travel. A 2015 study analyzed data on the duration of 250,000 flights between Hawaii and San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles over 20 years to find that eastbound flights were one minute shorter in duration than westbound flights. They attributed this extra minute to changes in ocean temperatures and El Niņo, the periodic climatic phenomenon. Previous research from Williams looked at how climate change will cause more turbulence in transatlantic flights. "Only in the past few years have we begun to realize that climate change has important consequences for aviation; for example, by increasing turbulence. "If other flight routes around the world are affected by winds altered by warming temperatures, this latest discovery could be the tip of the iceberg." http://www.newsweek.com/longer-flights-due-climate-change-study-shows-425283 Back to Top Boeing Facing Probe Over Accounting For Dreamliner, 747 Jet, Report Says Boeing is reportedly facing a regulatory probe over how it accounted for the costs of its 787 and 747 programs. An All Nippon Airways 787 Dreamliner takes off from Tokyo's Haneda Airport Jan. 29, 2015. PHOTO: KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/GETTY The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly investigating whether Boeing Co. properly accounted for the costs and expected sales of two of its best-known jetliners, the 787 Dreamliner and the 747 jumbo aircraft, according to anonymous sources who spoke to Bloomberg. The allegations originate from a whistleblower who provided the SEC with company documents, Bloomberg said. The SEC has a standing policy not to comment on pending or alleged investigations. Boeing spokesman Chaz Bickers also would not comment on "media inquiries of this nature." The allegations center around so-called program accounting, which allows aerospace companies to report in their regulatory filings costs by program rather than by individual contract. So Boeing is allowed to report costs relative to sales of the entire Dreamliner program over time rather than by each sale contract of the aircraft. Designing and building aircraft is one of the most expensive endeavors in modern commerce, which is why aerospace companies are permitted to spread out the upfront manufacturing expenses over years in their financial reporting. This accounting practice allows companies to estimate how many planes will be bought and produced over a period of time that can extend for years. Estimates are required to be adjusted when a program dips into unrecoverable losses. Boeing allegedly abused this accounting measure to mask unrecoverable costs for the 787 and the newest 747, which both debuted in 2011 after years of delay. Boeing has deferred $28.5 billion in costs on the 787, according to the Seattle Times. Boeing Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith said in January the company wrote off $885 million after reducing production of the 747 to six planes a year, and that there was a risk of an overall loss on the program. The company reduced overall jet deliveries for 2016 to between 740 and 745 planes, down from 762 delivered last year. http://www.ibtimes.com/boeing-facing-probe-over-accounting-dreamliner-747-jet-report- says-2304234 Back to Top China Continues with Ambitious Air Transport Growth Plans Headquartered in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines launched in 1988. Compared to the U.S., China could be seen like a late bloomer when it comes to the development of its aviation industry. For the last several years, the country has been playing catch-up, especially since committing to a series of reforms in 2013 to bring greater liberalization to the sector. It was during this time that President Xi Jinping unveiled the "One Belt and One Road" initiative-an ambitious plan to unlock massive trade potential and extend China's influence with central, west and south Asia as well as Africa and Europe through a series of projects ranging from oil and gas pipelines to roads, air routes and railways. Since then, new airlines have cropped up, visa requirements have been relaxed, infrastructure has expanded and countries across the world have rolled out the red carpet for Chinese officials, welcoming hefty investments and new bilateral air service agreements. These efforts are now coming with a tremendous pay-off. According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the industry turned in a record-high profit of $8.5 billion in the first 11 months of 2015, representing an increase of 76.2 percent from the same period a year before. In terms of passenger growth, the CAAC announced that traffic had grown by an average of 10.4 percent annually for the past five years, with the industry's accumulated total profit for the five years reaching $27.3 billion. According to the CAAC, this is more than triple the amount than in the previous five-year period. Meanwhile, China's commercial fleet has more than doubled from 1,047 airplanes to 2,645 in the past five years, while the number of airlines has increased from 45 to 54. Looking ahead to 2016, the CAAC is targeting a 10.7 percent growth in passengers to 485 million. To help achieve this, several start-ups formed in 2015 are expected to start flying this year including Colorful Guizhou Airlines and Yunnan Hongtu Air. In late December, Colorful Guizhou took delivery of two E190 aircraft from Brazilian jet maker Embraer as part of a larger order inked at the Paris Air Show last June. The deal includes seven firm orders and 10 options for the E190 in a transaction valued at $834 million. The airline's long-term fleet plans call for 30 aircraft by 2020 and 120 to 140 in the ensuing years. Chinese start-up Hongtu Air also took delivery of its first aircraft in December, an Airbus A321. The airline has three A320s on order and will compete against five other carriers from its base at Kunming Changshui International Airport. Overall, the end of 2015 marked an auspicious time for jet makers. On December 17th, China Southern Airlines, Asia's largest carrier by passenger volume, signed a $10 billion deal with Boeing to buy 110 aircraft, including thirty 737 Next Generation jets and 50 upgraded 737 Max aircraft. Its subsidiary Xiamen Airlines will receive 30 Max models that were previously logged as unidentified orders. According to a statement filed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, the airline will take delivery of the current model 737s between 2017 and 2018, and the Max jets from 2017 to 2021. Xiamen will take delivery of its aircraft between 2018 and 2021. Less than a week later, China Southern signed another deal, this time with Airbus for 10 A330-300s, valued at $2.3 billion at list prices. According to a company statement, the widebodies are set to be delivered between 2017 and 2019. December also saw China's largest low-cost carrier, Spring Airlines, announce plans to buy 60 aircraft from Airbus worth $6.3 billion at list prices. The order includes 45 A320s and 15 A321s, which will be delivered from 2019 to 2030. Beyond fleet expansions, China's airlines are looking to add at least 200 international routes this year, with the intention of strengthening air links among countries that fall under the Belt and Road initiative. In line with this strategy is China's Thirteen Five-Year Plan-a series of economic, political and social development goals for 2016-2020. While details of the plan won't be released until March, industry officials have already drawn up a blueprint to accelerate aviation infrastructure development and new medium- and long- haul routes linking core Chinese cities such as Urumqi, Kunming and Guangzhou for the purpose of connecting to the Middle East along with central, east and west Asia. By 2020, China aims to have 260 airports and more than 20 aviation hubs that will serve 91 percent of the national population who fall within a radius of 62 miles of each airport. Other issues on China's agenda for 2016 include tackling flight delays, enhancing safety and security measures, addressing environmental concerns and building an open and transparent market for full-service and low-cost carriers. Industry officials are also vying to obtain an airworthiness certificate for China's first large passenger aircraft, the C919, which made its worldwide debut last November. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-02-12/china-continues- ambitious-air-transport-growth-plans Back to Top Once Pakistan's Pride, Its Embattled National Airline Fights To Survive Pakistani police stand guard as a Pakistan International Airline plane taxis on a runway in Islamabad on Feb. 8. The national carrier has struggled in recent years with a $3 billion debt. But others mean a lot more than that to the people they serve. Pakistan's national carrier was long a source of patriotic pride, a symbol of unity in a divided country. Now that airline is in big trouble. In 1962, Jacqueline Kennedy visited Pakistan. Traveling without her husband, she did things a first lady could never do today. She rode in an open-topped limousine and visited the Khyber Pass. When she left the country, it was as a passenger on the state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The world was different then. Pakistan, founded in 1947, was a young nation boasting a surprisingly trendy airline. PIA's flight attendants wore uniforms designed by Pierre Cardin in the 1960s - and later, by Queen Elizabeth's own dressmaker. "I think PIA was perceived as being very glamorous," says Karachi-based political commentator Quatrina Hosain. "It was an icon, and everyone in Pakistan was very proud of it in Pakistan, because it was listed as one of the best airliners in the world, the crews were good-looking." Hosain is a lifelong PIA customer, but also one of its critics. The airline's image began to tarnish long ago, she says. "PIA has been seen as a place for political cronyism and political appointees for the last 20 or 30 years," she says. "The airline has been used in ways that are absolutely incomprehensible." The airline is now in debt and in crisis. It faces competition from private airlines. Staff unions are fighting government plans to sell off at least part of it. On Feb. 2, two PIA employees were shot dead in Karachi during a demonstration against privatization. It's not clear who did it. The police used unusual force that day, including water cannons and teargas. In a tent not far from the airport, a group of men mourns one of the two victims, a 57-year- old flight engineer named Saleem Akbar. "When I received a call, I was really shocked and I don't understand what should I do," says his son, Fahad. "I never expected such things from the authorities. It was just a peaceful demonstration." PIA workers nationwide responded to the killings by walking out en masse. For almost a week, PIA's fleet was grounded. The strike was yet another reminder to Pakistanis of how far their airline's star has fallen. They used to boast about how PIA was the first Asian airline to operate jets and how it provided the planes that helped launch Emirates airline. Ask Pakistanis what's gone wrong and they often reel off a list. In part, says Khurram Husain of Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, it's "the inability of the government to manage what are essentially commercial enterprises. In part, political interference. In part, resistance to change from within due to excessive union activities and excessive bureaucratization." Husain has been tracking the airline for years. He says at the heart of PIA's problems, there's a number. "That number is the accumulated losses that the airline has managed to rack up by now," he says. "That number now stands at just under $3 billion, about half the national defense budget." That huge $3 billion debt is paralyzing the airline, says Husain. "Just about the only thing that senior PIA management has been busy with is arranging for funds with which to make the next debt-service obligation," he says. Pressure to overhaul PIA is coming from the International Monetary Fund, which has provided a big loan to Pakistan. The country's economy is blighted by many problems, from chronic power shortages to massive tax avoidance. The IMF thinks it's time to tackle loss- making state-run enterprises, like PIA. Political commentator Hosain believes it's inevitable that the government will have to sell a big chunk of the airline. "PIA is hemorrhaging dollars," she says. "There's no way around it." Many of PIA's staff hope that's wrong. "The basic thing is the security of job. There is no security of job in privatization," says PIA accounts official Adnan Malik. The Pakistani public may have fallen out of love with their airline, but Malik hasn't. "When you serve in airline, you feel love with them," he says. "You feel love for PIA. Yes. I love my country, I love PIA!" http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/02/11/466280744/once-pakistans-pride-its- embattled-national-carrier-fights-to-survive Back to Top Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST I am originally from South Africa where I worked as a Multimedia Designer and Lecturer for over a decade. I moved to Dubai, UAE in 2013 and am currently pursuing a career in Aviation Safety. My father is in aviation, my wife is in aviation along with all our friends. I finally got the hint. I will be completing a MSc. in Aviation Safety with this final research project. The scope of the research is: 'Evaluating the perception of stress among air traffic controllers in the United Arab Emirates as a safety risk to operational performance'. I am interested in the views of ATC operators from around the world to help establish a baseline for the research and gain further insight into the ramifications of stress in this sector on a global scale. The link to the survey is as follows: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/InternationalATCStress I look forward to the feedback. Kind Regards, Gary Peck MSc Aviation Safety Emirates Aviation University Back to Top The International Society of Air Safety Investigators SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR THE JEROME F. LEDERER AWARD CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS. No nominations for the award were received this past year. Usually we get one to three nominations per year. Surely there are some deserving investigators among us. Therefore, I urge ISASI members to nominate a person or persons who you believe deserves consideration for this award. The ISASI Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the 2016 Jerome F. Lederer Award. To be considered this year, your nomination letter must be received by May 31, 2016 The purpose of the Jerome F. Lederer Award is to recognize outstanding contributions to technical excellence in accident investigation. The Award is presented each year during our annual seminar to a recipient who is recognized for positive advancements in the art and science of air safety investigation. The nomination process is quite simple. Any member of ISASI may submit a nomination. The nominee may be an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. The nominee is not required to be an ISASI member. The nomination may be for a single event, a series of events or a lifetime of achievement. The ISASI Awards Committee considers such traits as duration and persistence, standing among peers, manner and techniques of operating, and of course achievements. Once nominated, a nominee is considered for the next three years and then dropped. After an intervening year, the candidate may be nominated for another three-year period. The nomination letter for the Lederer Award should be limited to a single page. This award is one of the most significant honors an accident investigator can receive; therefore, considerable care is given in determining the recipient. Each ISASI member should thoughtfully review his or her association with fellow investigators, and submit a nomination when they identify someone who has been outstanding in increasing the technical quality of accident investigation. Additional information regarding the award can be found on the ISASI website. Nominations should be mailed, or e-mailed to the ISASI office or directly to the Awards Committee Chairman, Gale Braden, 13805 Edmond Gardens Drive Edmond, OK 73013 USA, email address, galebraden@cox.net www.isasi.org Curt Lewis