Flight Safety Information February 25, 2016 - No. 040 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING The World's Coolest Airport Employee is a Runway Patrol Dog Named Piper NTSB releases reports on 2 Alaska fatal airplane crashes Bombardier Marks Major Milestone with Delivery of 75th Learjet 75 Aircraft to Aurora Jet Partners Boeing: How Single Aisle Aircraft Could Be A Key To Success Turboprop aircraft crash rate in Taiwan above global average: ASC Autonomous cloud seeding aircraft successfully tested in Nevada. Egypt Concedes That Terrorists Caused Sinai Plane Crash PILOTS CLAIM THEIR DRONE IS FIRST TO CROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL Paris Forum dedicated to "Aviation and Space Weather" - 17 March 2016 SMS Industry Forum - 2016 Call for papers for ISASI 2016, Iceland, 17 to 20 October 2016 The 8th Triennial International Aircraft Fire and Cabin Safety Research Conference Research Survey Request RESEARCH SURVEY...MENTAL HEALTH & FLYING SURVEY The World's Coolest Airport Employee is a Runway Patrol Dog Named Piper Piper the Cherry Capital Airport K-9 dog Birds and other wildlife are notorious for causing problems at airports, often known to fly over runways and strike aircraft. But one Michigan airport has discovered the most adorable of solutions: a border collie named Piper who patrols runways in a ski mask and boots. In late 2014, Traverse City's Cherry Capital Airport brought Piper aboard as its new K-9 unit, designated to seek out and chase away the birds that sometimes congregate at the airport. Federal regulations require all airports to have a plan to fend away wildlife, mostly using methods like pyrotechnics, traps, and sirens. But as Mlive reported last year, Piper's owner and trainer Brian Edwards-an airport operations supervisor-saw potential in the seven-year-old border collie to contribute. He's now the only Wildlife Control K-9 on staff at an airport in Michigan, the airport claims, and one of only a handful in the United States. The Cherry Capital Airport's operations director Dan Sal told Mlive that Piper has been better than pyrotechnics at keeping wildlife away since the snowy owls he chases "seem to remember" him and stay away. "Though rare, dogs are one of the most effective methods of wildlife mitigation at airports," the airport writes on its website, noting that it's perhaps the most proactive of approaches. Piper's list of duties include responding to reports of wildlife on the airfield and chasing them off, checking the airport's perimeter fence for holes, and conducting routine patrols to keep away rodents and small animals that attract birds to the airfield. He works four 10-hour shifts a week (with "plenty of breaks" during those shifts). And now with his own Instagram account, Facebook page, and website, Piper has captured the hearts of Redditors and dog lovers around the world thanks to his amazing abilities to look cool wearing safety goggles and to stand tall amid the loud noises of the runway. Edwards explains on the K-9 team's website that he trained Piper to get used to aircraft noise-and that Piper wears earmuffs designed especially for dogs to keep his ears safe. Unfortunately, even with the proper protection, guarding an airport runway is a dangerous job. The Daily Mail reports that Piper suffered a fracture late last year while chasing a snowy owl on the taxiway and was temporarily reassigned to Chief Morale Officer while in a cast. Now, though, it looks like he might be getting back to work soon: Piper's Instagram account announced yesterday that his cast has been removed and he is starting the road to recovery. So keep Piper in both your thoughts and your Instagram feed. http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/dog-airport-bird-chaser Back to Top NTSB releases reports on 2 Alaska fatal airplane crashes This image provided Saturday Nov. 30, 2013, courtesy of Alaska State Troopers shows the wreckage of a plane that crashed Friday near St. Marys, Alaska. Authorities said the pilot and three passengers died in this crash of the single-engine turboprop Cessna 208. Few other details, including the possible cause of the crash, are known. (AP Photo/Alaska State Troopers) St. Marys plane crash ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board released reports Wednesday outlining factual information on two fatal Alaska commuter airplane crashes, including a Hageland Aviation crash that killed four people outside the village of St. Marys in 2013 and a Hageland training flight that killed two pilots near Kwethluk in 2014. The reports contain previously unreleased details of crashes that played a part in the NTSB in May 2014 taking the extraordinary step of releasing early, urgent recommendations, including a comprehensive safety audit of businesses operating under HoTH Inc., the parent company of Hageland, and an audit of the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of the company. The factual reports do not list probable causes of the crashes. The NTSB expects to release probable cause reports Friday, said Clint Johnson, head of the Alaska office. Hageland, Frontier Flying Service and Era Aviation were under the corporate umbrella of HoTH Inc., now doing business as Ravn Alaska, Ravn Connect and Corvus Airlines. Messages left with listed media contacts at Ravn Alaska corporate headquarters were not immediately returned Wednesday. Johnson said last year the company has made "monumental" upgrades in its risk assessment system, including an operating control center that reviews flights for risks. A Nov. 29, 2013, crash killed pilot Terry Hansen, 68, passengers Rose Polty, 57, Richard Polty, 65, and 5-month-old Wyatt Coffee. Six passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane left Bethel for Mountain Village and began icing up when it ran into thick, cold fog. The pilot tried diverting to St. Mary's, overflew the village and crashed on a ridge. Before the flight, the assigned flight coordinator assessed an elevated risk level because of instrument meteorological conditions, night flying and "contaminated" runways. That risk level required a discussion between the flight coordinator and the pilot on ways to mitigate hazards but that conversation did not take place, the report said. "Neither of the flight coordinators working the flight had received company training on the risk assessment program," the report said. The Air Route Traffic Control Center sounds recorded sound from the flight associated with a pilot activating the airport lighting system at rural airport. However, witnesses testified the airplane flew low overhead and runway lights never came on. The airplane crashed about a minute later. "Postaccident examination of the pilot's radio showed that his audio panel was still selected to the ARTCC frequency rather than the destination airport frequency; therefore, the pilot-controlled lighting would not have activated," the report said. In a crash April 8, 2014, pilots Derrick Cedars, 42, of Bethel and Greggory McGee, 46, of Anchorage died during a training flight 22 miles southeast of Kwethluk. McGee was a newly hired commercial pilot and Cedars was training him. The flight started in Bethel. Twenty-one minutes into the flight, after the airplane had already completed a series of maneuvers, the airplane experienced a "slight fluctuation, followed by an initial upset." The airplane went into a steep descent and crashed. Johnson said it would have been routine for an instructor to put the airplane into an unusual attitude, such as a nose-high 30-degree turn, and then have the student right the airplane using instruments. http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/ntsb-releases-reports-on-alaska-fatal- airplane-crashes/article_a5bf1afe-db50-11e5-bf01-e7a7f57a5b09.html Back to Top Bombardier Marks Major Milestone with Delivery of 75th Learjet 75 Aircraft to Aurora Jet Partners - Aurora Jet to add Bombardier Learjet to its existing fractional jet fleet of light, mid-size, and large business jets - Company expects to introduce more Learjet 75 aircraft by year end WICHITA, KANSAS--(Marketwired - Feb. 24, 2016) - Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release. Bombardier Business Aircraft and Aurora Jet Partners of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada joined forces today to mark a major milestone in business aviation - the delivery of the 75th Bombardier Learjet 75 business jet. The milestone was reached slightly more than two years after the first Learjet 75 aircraft, the fastest light business jet on the market*, entered service in November 2013. Tonya Sudduth, General Manager, Learjet Programs and Wichita Site, Bombardier Business Aircraft, presented the milestone aircraft to Bill McGoey, President, Aurora Jet Partners, in an event held at the Bombardier Learjet facility in Wichita, where the aircraft was assembled. "The 75th delivery of a Learjet 75 aircraft represents yet another high point in the proud history of our iconic Learjet brand," said Sudduth. "We are very pleased that our friends at Aurora Jet Partners are celebrating this milestone with us as new members of the Learjet family," she added. "The Learjet 75 aircraft is valued worldwide for its innovative technology, superior cabin design and legendary performance," said David Coleal, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "We look forward to working alongside Aurora Jet Partners as they take their business to the next level." Established in 2007 as a separate division of Morningstar, their Canada-wide express cargo business, Aurora Jet Partners is a fast-growing business aviation company that provides its customers with a full suite of private travel services throughout Canada. Their services include fractional ownership, charter and fleet management and sales from bases in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto. While the new aircraft represents Bombardier's 75th Learjet 75 aircraft delivery, it is the first Learjet aircraft to enter service with Aurora Jet Partners and an initial step in the company's plan to renew their older light and mid- size fractional jet fleet as a standard offering. Aurora's fractional and managed fleet also includes Bombardier's super-midsize Challenger 300 aircraft, the wide-body Challenger 604 and Challenger 605 aircraft, and the long-range Global 5000 aircraft. "Aurora Jet Partners is one of the most innovative and progressive private aviation companies in Canada that specializes in providing custom tailored, high-quality private travel solutions to a growing list of discerning clients. We intend to grow the managed and fractional ownership side of our business by adding a modern fleet of Learjet 75 aircraft, which offer tremendous value and utility to our customers and are in a legendary class of their own. We hope to have additional Learjet 75 aircraft in service by year end if 2016 goes as planned," said McGoey. "We are thrilled to be part of this important delivery milestone and congratulate Bombardier on this stellar achievement. About the Learjet 75 Aircraft The Learjet 75 jet features the pioneering Bombardier Vision flight deck with an interior designed for style and comfort. It is the only business jet in its class to feature an eight- seat double-club configuration with a flat floor throughout the cabin and plenty of legroom. The Learjet 75 aircraft is also available in a six-seat executive configuration, offering enhanced comfort and productivity features. Its modern interior features a new cabin management system with individual touchscreen monitors and full audio and video control; LED lighting throughout the entire aircraft; a generous baggage suite and a spacious galley to optimize catering. The Learjet 75 aircraft can fly four passengers and two crew members non-stop from Los Angeles to Toronto*. About Bombardier Bombardier is the world's leading manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere. Our vehicles, services and, most of all, our employees are what make us a global leader in transportation. Bombardier is headquartered in Montréal, Canada. Our shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and we are listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index. In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, we posted revenues of $18.2 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/bombardier-marks-major-milestone-with- delivery-75th-learjet-75-aircraft-aurora-jet-partners-tsx-bbd.a-2099995.htm Back to Top Boeing: How Single Aisle Aircraft Could Be A Key To Success Boeing and Airbus have decided to increase production of single aisle aircraft. This is being done primarily to accommodate for higher demand and to clear up backlog which has been mounting over the years. It is anticipated that, even with stepped up production levels, customers will have to wait years for their orders to get fulfilled. In this respect, it appears that both companies are going to be busy for a while to come. Lower Oil Prices Enable Fleet Expansion: Oil prices have been trailing at very low levels over the past few months. With a high of about $105 a barrel in July 2014, prices are well below $40 this year. Such a situation works in favor of airline companies, as fuel prices constitute a large portion of their costs. Airlines have reaped substantial benefits from such lower input costs and better profitability. It allows companies to use the cash generated to initiate fleet expansion and other restructuring plans. Furthermore, many companies have also used the freed up cash to reward investors, thereby increasing confidence. See our complete analysis of Boeing here Oil prices recovered this week slightly after recording steep losses in the last trading session. This was mostly aided by a lower rig count in the U.S., which helped stabilize prices in the current session. However, the overall glut is expected to continue for a while to come as Russia and OPEC continue to pump oil at near record levels. Additionally, there has been a sharp decline in demand (affected largely by macro economic conditions in China), especially for gasoline, which showcases a more bearish outlook. As fuel prices remain lower and airline profitability increases (expected to be a record $36 billion in 2016), airlines have far more liberty to allocate cash for expansion activities. Demand for Air Travel in Asia To Fuel Orders: Despite adverse global economic conditions, demand in Asia is not showing any signs of a slowdown; in fact, just the opposite is anticipated. According to the Airbus CEO Frabrice Bregier, the company and its competitors are seeing no downturn in orders, especially from this region. He added that his company forecasts demand for about 12,810 new airplanes in the Asia-Pacific region valued at around $2 trillion over the next two decades. This represents about 40% of the forecasted global demand for about 32,600 airplanes over the same period. Furthermore, Airbus expects the passenger numbers in Asia to grow at a rate of about 5.6% annually, with China forecasted to grow in double digits. [4] Boeing expects a requirement of about 3,750 new aircraft worth close to $550 billion within the next 20 years in South East Asia. Of these new airplanes, about 76% of the demand will be for single aisle aircraft like the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president for Asia Pacific and India sales at Boeing, said that the company attributes this growth to the rise of low cost carriers and higher demand fueled by markets like Indonesia, Myanmar and Vietnam. http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2016/02/24/boeing-how-single-aisle- aircraft-could-be-a-key-to-success/#4751b81f1b45 Back to Top Turboprop aircraft crash rate in Taiwan above global average: ASC Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) The crash rate of turboprop aircraft in Taiwan over the past decade has risen above the world's average since the crash of two such planes in less than a year, the Aviation Safety Council (ASC) said Thursday. Taiwan now has a record of 3.43 hull loss accidents per million departures in the category of turboprop aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 5,700 kilograms, while the global average is 2.2, the ASC said. It was a sharp rise from zero such accidents per million departures between 2005 and 2014, the council said. The increase was a result of the fatal crash of two TransAsia Airways' ATR planes on July 23, 2014 and Feb. 4 last year, respectively, the ASC said. Flight GE222 crashed on the outlying island county of Penghu, killing 48 of the 58 people onboard, while 43 of the 58 people onboard Flight GE235 died when it crashed in Taipei shortly after takeoff. http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201602250011.aspx Back to Top Autonomous cloud seeding aircraft successfully tested in Nevada Drone America's DAx8 multi-rotor aircraft deploys two cloud seeding flares during a recent flight test in Reno. Credit: Kevin Clifford/Drone America A team of Nevada scientists and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) engineers have successfully flight tested the first-ever autonomous cloud seeding aircraft platform. Cloud seeding flare tests were deployed from Drone America's DAx8 UAS aircraft flown in Reno in early February. As the first phase in a new industry-academic research partnership between the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Drone America, and AviSight, the test flight of a DAx8 multi- rotor aircraft with attached cloud seeding cargo validates the potential for UAS to significantly enhance airborne seeding operations, explained Adam Watts, Ph.D, the project's lead and an assistant research professor at DRI. "This is a major milestone," said Watts. "Utilizing our state's FAA test site designation, we were able to fly this advanced aircraft right here in Northern Nevada and verify that UAS are fully capable of carrying active cloud seeding payloads." The DAx8 is a robust multi-rotor aircraft for commercial and industrial applications. The unique eight-rotor design allows for the DAx8 to carry large payloads, while the advanced software and GPS guidance provide the aircraft with self-stabilizing capability and multi- waypoint navigation. "We are extremely excited to have completed yet another step in reaching our goal of autonomous cloud seeding application," said Mike Richards, President and CEO of Drone America."Our joint research program with DRI is well on its way to revolutionizing the cloud seeding industry by providing safe airborne seeding with significant potential of providing relief to people in drought-stricken areas." The next phase of the project will be to conduct flight planning and test airborne flare deployment with Drone America's Savant fixed-wing aircraft, said Watts. http://phys.org/news/2016-02-autonomous-cloud-seeding-aircraft-successfully.html#jCp Back to Top Egypt Concedes That Terrorists Caused Sinai Plane Crash Debris of a Russian airplane is seen at the site a day after the passenger jet bound for St. Petersburg, Russia, crashed in Hassana, Egypt. The Metrojet crash killed all 224 people onboard Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi acknowledged Wednesday that terrorists were indeed responsible for the crash of a Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula in October, which killed all 224 people onboard. Metrojet Flight 7K9268 - an Airbus A321-200 en route to St. Petersburg - disintegrated in midair less than a half an hour after leaving the airport in the resort town of Sharm el- Sheikh on Oct. 31. Within hours, members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria's (ISIS) affiliate group in Egypt publicly took responsibility for the attack, saying it had concealed a bomb in a soda can, the New York Times reported. In the months afterward, Egyptian authorities were reluctant to blame terrorism for the crash, even as Russia and Western authorities concluded that a bomb had downed the plane. On Wednesday, however, Sisi delivered a national address on Egypt's development prospects, in which he made a pointed reference to "those who downed the flight." http://time.com/4236884/egypt-metrojet-crash-sisi-bomb/ Back to Top PILOTS CLAIM THEIR DRONE IS FIRST TO CROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL CHANNEL DRONE Team Ocuair Drone Above The English Channel The English Channel is a barrier. Ever since William the Bastard crossed the narrow band of sea in 1066 and earned the title William the Conqueror, the channel has stood as an impenetrable barrier to invaders. This has also made it the site of a bit of aerial sport. Despite the channel being just over 20 miles across at its narrowest point, aviators since the dawn of aviation have clamored to be the first to fly across the channel with a new craft. In 1909, Louis Blériot became the first person to do so, but records have been claimed as recently as last year, when the first two entirely electric airplanes crossed the channel, each claiming to be the first plane like that to do so (it's still disputed which one was first). This week, we might be able to add a new craft to historic channel crossers: an unmanned quadcopter piloted by Richard Gill of Team Ocuair as he sat from inside a little boat. The flight took place on February 16th, with the custom-built quadcopter flying almost 22 miles in 72 minutes. The pilot at all times was within 1600 feet of the drone, to comply with local laws, but "with GPS guidance and automated flight it is perfectly feasible that the drone could have made this flight independently," Gill and his team write in their summary of the video on YouTube. The point of crossing the channel is, like that of all who flew over it before them: to prove that the flying machine can fly that far, and to do it over water so there's risk if it can't. Watch a short telling of the flight below: http://www.popsci.com/pilots-claim-their-drone-is-first-to-cross-english-channel Back to Top Paris Forum dedicated to "Aviation and Space Weather" - 17 March 2016 Si ce message ne s'affiche pas correctement, cliquez ici SMS Industry Forum - 2016 Greetings everyone! With the release and implementation of 14 CFR Part 5, American Airlines Corporate SMS team will be hosting the Safety Management System (SMS) Industry Forum. This event will include speakers from the FAA and industry partners and provide interactive SMS learning workshops, tips and tools. The SMS Industry Forum is scheduled for May 10-11, 2016, (travel days May 9 and May 12), in Fort Worth, Texas. The meeting will begin on Tuesday, May 10th at 8:00 a.m. Meeting location and lodging information is listed below. There is no official room block for this event. Attached is a registration form. If you plan to attend, please fill out the form and return it to safety.assurance@aa.com at your earliest convenience. If you have additional folks coming, please have them fill out the registration form as well. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in May! Thank you, Shelley Corzo Corporate SMS, American Airlines 817-967-1010 **************** Back to Top Call for papers for ISASI 2016, Iceland, 17 to 20 October 2016 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 47th annual seminar at the Grand Hotel Reykjavik, Iceland, from the 17 to 20 October 2016. The seminar theme is: "Every link is important" Papers are invited to address this theme in conjunction with other contemporary matters on aviation safety investigation, including recent case studies, new investigation methods and aviation safety trends or developments. For those interested in presenting a paper, submissions of abstracts are due by 15 April 2016. Abstracts should include a title and up to 300-word summary of the main points of the proposed paper. Please also include your name(s), affiliation, position, and a brief resume. Submissions, or any inquiries regarding submissions, are to be sent to: papers-ISASI2016@ESASI.EU. The panel reviewing the submitted abstracts will consider criteria such as the quality of the paper and the relevance to the seminar theme and air safety investigation. The panel will also endeavour to ensure that a broad range of topics are covered during the seminar. Decisions on the selected abstracts will be made by the 1 June 2016 and details on the required format of the papers and presentations will be issued at that time. Presenters will be required to submit their papers by 1 August 2016. Further information on ISASI16 is available at www.esasi.eu/isasi-2016. Back to Top The 8th Triennial International Aircraft Fire and Cabin Safety Research Conference will be held at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, October 24-27, 2016. The conference aims to inform the international aviation community about recent, ongoing, and planned research in transport category airplane fire and cabin safety. The conference is jointly sponsored by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The Cabin Safety Evacuation and Operational Issues sessions of the conference will comprise studies related to in-flight safety, and crash/post-crash survivability. Traditionally, research topics have included exit and escape slide performance, aircraft interior arrangements, water survival equipment standards, cabin crew procedures, passenger education, and evacuation computer modelling, presented by researchers from around the world. The crash dynamics sessions will include studies focusing on aircraft-level crash impact performance, as well as studies that address new and emerging occupant injury criteria. These sessions will also include studies regarding the use of analytical modeling in various aspects of occupant protection, particularly where gathering statistically meaningful empirical data is difficult. Previous conference sessions have addressed ditching behavior, energy absorption characteristics of nonmetallic materials, and human tolerance to high levels of lateral loading, among many others. The fire safety sessions will include presentations on research in lithium battery fire hazards and mitigation, engine/powerplant fire protection, cabin/cockpit fires, magnesium use in aircraft cabins, fire test method development (interior materials), cargo fire protection, and advanced fire research. Previous conference sessions have addressed battery fires, development of new test methods for Appendix F, fire research projects in Europe, full scale lithium battery testing, fire research materials and characterization. 2013 conference proceedings are available at http://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/2013Conference/proceedings.asp. Conference registration is free and is open to anyone with an interest in aircraft fire and cabin safety research. Past attendees have included aviation safety professionals in the areas of engineering, design, operations, maintenance, and research. Attendance at this year's conference is expected to reach 600-700. Conference registration and hotel reservation details are available at http://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/2016Conference/conference.asp. Conference presenter bios and presentation abstracts will be available on this website a few months prior to the conference date. Please contact April Horner, CMP, Conference Manager, with any questions at april.ctr.horner@faa.gov. Back to Top Research Survey Request For my Research on future cockpit layouts, I kindly request 10 minutes of your time to answer the attached survey. The topic Gamification might surprise some, but it is a growing discussion for modern workplaces and its often fatiguing conditions. http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/PilotInteractionInModernCockpits/ Thank you, Capt. Tilmann Gabriel MBA FRAeS ISO/IEC 17024 Certified Global Aviation Expert Assistant Professor Programme Director MSc Air Transport/Aircraft Maintenance Management City University of London Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY MENTAL HEALTH & FLYING SURVEY Hi, my name is Daniel Danczyk. I am soliciting participation in my survey on mental health and flying. If you are involved in seeing pilots with mental health or substance abuse issues, or are involved in their cases, please complete my anonymous survey (link below). On average, completion takes no more than 5-7 minutes. You do not need to be a clinician to participate; I am looking for anyone that is involved in the medical treatment or certification of pilots, whether they are doctors, airline employees assisting with monitoring, private consultants, HIMS participants, government, or other experts. Below the survey link is a more detailed description of my study including consent and contact information. Thank you so much for your time! Daniel Danczyk, MD Fellow in Aerospace Medicine AME/Flight Surgeon/Pilot/Psychiatrist Mental Health and Flying Survey https://src.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0xLGAkp4CAtv36d STUDY/CONSENT INFORMATION IRB #: 15-008911 Mayo Clinic: Office for Human Research Protection Protocol Title: Airline transport pilots and mental health: A Comparison of the medical certification process between the U.S. and various European countries. Principal Investigator: Lawrence Steinkraus, MD You are being asked to participate in a research study about pilots and their mental health. The purpose of this research is to study how mental health medical certification is processed for pilots in their respective country. You are being invited to participate because you are involved in some aspect of their aeromedical-mental health certification. If you agree to participate you will be asked to complete an online anonymous survey questionnaire. This will take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time. No information will be recorded about you other than your country of origin. Confidentiality will be maintained by NOT being able to trace back your responses to you. In other words, your survey response will be assigned a random number for tracking/statistical purposes but cannot be traced back to you. You will receive no payment for your participation. There are no known risks to you from taking part in this research study. You may refuse to answer any question(s) that you do not wish to answer. The benefits which may reasonably be expected to result from this research study are to improve the process for mental health medical certification of pilots in your country. Please understand your participation is voluntary and you have the right to withdraw your consent or discontinue participation at any time without penalty. Your submission of the survey questionnaire signifies your consent to participate. Moreover, your current or future medical care at the Mayo Clinic will not be jeopardized if you choose not to participate. If you have any questions about this research study you can contact my co-investigator, Dr. Daniel Danczyk, at danczyk.daniel@mayo.edu. If you have any concerns, complaints, or general questions about research or your rights as a participant, please contact the Mayo Institutional Review Board (IRB) to speak to someone independent of the research team at 507-266-4000 or toll free at 866-273-4681. Curt Lewis