Flight Safety Information March 1, 2016 - No. 043 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING Kenya's major airports on high alert after terror threat warning Pilot diverts jet after man aboard undresses Boeing 767 Windshield Cracked Inflight Lightning hits jet: 'It just sounded like a big explosion' IATA, Nigeria partner on air safety in Africa Fifty aviation safety experts gather for helicopter infrastructure summit Aviation Exec Accused of Selling Feds Bad Parts China's Y-20 transport aircraft may enter service in 2016 Air China to buy 12 Airbus A330-300 aircraft Why you probably shouldn't be doing work on airplane Wi-Fi University of Wyoming to host drone aircraft symposium 777 Jet engine now part of South Seattle College aviation maintenance program NASA seeks to revive supersonic air travel with quiet passenger jet initiative Call for papers for ISASI 2016, Iceland, 17 to 20 October 2016 Research Survey Request RESEARCH SURVEY...MENTAL HEALTH & FLYING SURVEY Kenya's major airports on high alert after terror threat warning A memo from Kenya's Airports Authority warns airport managers about terror threats Terror group Al Shabaab will deploy suicide bombers trained in Somalia "on airborne suicide missions," it says But Kenya's Aviation Authority says the memo was released before information in it was vetted Nairobi, Kenya (CNN)Security officials at Kenya's major airports are on high alert this week after Kenya's Airports Authority issued a warning to all airport managers about possible terror threats against the facilities. The internal memo, marked as "secret," was sent to CNN and has been verified by a high- level source in the Kenyan aviation industry who received the note late last week. The memo warns airport employees that al Qaeda-linked terror group Al Shabaab would deploy suicide bombers trained in Somalia "on airborne suicide missions." However, since the memo was leaked to local media, Kenya's Aviation Authority has released a statement from its managing director, Yatich Kangugo, saying the earlier memo had been released before the information had been vetted by relevant authorities. "We therefore wish to assure our citizens that all airport users that KAA airports and airstrips are not under any imminent threat. I wish to report that normal operations are ongoing." Kangugo also said the operational threat category had been raised to high alert "in conjunction with all other national security organs who have increased vigilance to counter any potential threats." Security has been increased at both Nairobi's major airport, Jomo Kenyatta International, and Mombasa's major airport, Moi International. CNN's source at the airport has said that most of the attention from security officials has been focused on Terminal 2 at Nairobi's airport, which is the domestic terminal and where most planes bound for Somalia are flown out of and into. A fire severely damaged Nairobi's international airport in 2013, and many of the terminals have since been under reconstruction. Some, including parts of Terminal 2, consist of temporary structures. The threat warning comes less than a month after a suspected terrorist carried a bomb disguised as a laptop onto a plane in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The bomb blew a hole in the fuselage of the plane, and the suspect was sucked out of the hole and plunged to the ground. The explosion killed Abdisalam Abdullahi Borleh and injured two other passengers. The pilot of the Daallo Airlines flight was able to land the plane safely. At the time, experts warned that the bomb was "sophisticated" and that it was disguised well enough as an electronic device to fool airline security officials manning the X-ray machines at Mogadishu international Airport. Authorities in Somalia are still investigating who else was involved in the elaborate plot, but Al Shabaab has since claimed responsibility. Al Shabaab has conducted several terror attacks inside Kenya since the country sent its troops across the border to Somalia to battle the terror group in 2011. These attacks include the Westgate mall attack in September 2013 that killed more than 60 people and the Garissa University attack in 2015, where nearly 150 people died, many of them university students. The group just days ago released a propaganda video claiming to have fighters inside Kenya who are ready to attack. http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/29/africa/kenya-airports-terror-alert/ Back to Top Pilot diverts jet after man aboard undresses (NEWSER) - A handful of Brits from Southampton may be in for more than a hangover after the Ryanair flight they were on from London to Slovakia's capital was diverted to Berlin Friday night. According to the crew, half the members of a bachelor party "misbehaved so badly" that passenger safety was compromised, reports Deutsche Welle. After the group of allegedly intoxicated men was refused more alcohol and became aggressive, with one man allegedly undressing himself, the pilot landed the 170-passenger plane at Schoenefeld airport. The groom and five others, all ages 25 to 28, were ejected, reports the Guardian. The other six members of the party were permitted to stay on the plane, which eventually landed in Bratislava. Each of the men detained on misdemeanor charges could face fines as steep as $27,000 and could even be sued by the airline, reports NBC News. "We will not tolerate unruly or disruptive behavior at any time and the safety and comfort of our customers, crew, and aircraft is our number one priority," Ryanair said in a statement, adding that it is now "a matter for local police." The six men were released after a few hours, and their names aren't being released per German law; there is no word on whether they remained in enough of a party mood to reach Bratislava. http://www.wcnc.com/news/nation-now/pilot-diverts-jet-after-man-aboard- undresses/61781472 Back to Top Boeing 767 Windshield Cracked Inflight Date: 01-MAR-2016 Time: 8:38 UTC Type: Boeing 767-322ER Owner/operator: Ukraine International Airlines Registration: UR-GEA C/n / msn: 25280 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Near Nikolaev, Ukraine - Ukraine Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: KBP/UKBB Destination airport: TLV Narrative: Flight PS775 turned back to Kiev-Boryspil Airport, Ukraine, after a windshield in cockpit cracked. The Boeing 767-322ER successfully landed at Borispyl at 11:05 UTC. No one was harmed. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=185042 Back to Top Lightning hits jet: 'It just sounded like a big explosion' An Alaska Airlines jet takes off from Petersburg's airport in 2014. A Sunday night flight from Seattle to Ketchikan and Juneau was struck by lightning. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News) An Alaska Airlines flight on its way to Ketchikan and Juneau was struck by lightning Sunday night. No one was hurt, but it shook people up. Alaska Airlines flight 69 left Seattle Sunday night a little before its scheduled 6:50 departure time. It was about 15 minutes into its trip to Ketchikan and Juneau. Then, said passenger Libby Bakalar, this happened. "All of a sudden there was this, like a big boom, explosion-type sound. And everyone just kind of gasped on the plane, 'What was that?'" she said. George Reifenstein was also on the flight. "It shook the plane too when it happened. It just sounded like a big explosion," he said. "There was a brilliant flash. And some people who were aft of the engine saw some flames." Both passengers said everyone immediately went silent. "And then, maybe a minute went by before the pilot got on the intercom and he said, very calmly, 'You know, that was lightning and this happens. And we have to turn around and head back to Seattle,'" Bakalar said. The plane landed, everyone got off and was eventually loaded onto another jet for an uneventful flight north. That included a dance team, from Ketchikan, and passengers headed on to Sitka. Alaska Airline's Ann Zaninovich said heading back to SeaTac wasn't a hard decision. "Since the plane had just taken off a few minutes prior, the safest thing to do would be to turn around the plane. And out of an abundance of caution for the passengers and anybody on board, the safest thing to do was head it back to Seattle to inspect the aircraft. The lightning strike was a first for the passengers we talked to. But Zaninovich said it's not rare. "It's fairly common. But we take these things seriously," she said. According to an article in Scientific American, each airplane in the U.S. commercial fleet is struck lightly by lightning more than once each year. Passenger Bakalar, who writes the blog One Hot Mess, said she hopes it's not all that common. Once, she said, was enough. "There's the expression, 'Lightning won't strike twice in one place,' I guess. So maybe the chance of me being on another flight that gets hit by lightning is low. Let's hope," she said. No official details about damage to the Boeing 737 are available yet. But some passengers said they saw burn marks once they left the plane. http://www.kfsk.org/2016/02/29/lightning-hits-jet-it-just-sounded-like-a-big-explosion/ Back to Top IATA, Nigeria partner on air safety in Africa The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Nigeria plan new measures to enhance air safety in Africa. This is in line with decisions reached by African transport ministers in 2012 to improve safety in the continent's skies. Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General Captain Muhtar Usman and IATA's Regional Director, Safety and Flight Operations, Africa and Middle East, Tanja Grobotek, made the promise after a meeting in Abuja last weekend. Usman described the endorsement of the African Union's Abuja Declaration as one of the most significant steps taken to boost safety and development of avaiation on the continent. He said the industry would achieve much if all players contributed to sustain initiatives geared towards improving air safety. "Nigeria is committed to supporting its implementation across the sub-Saharan Africa through developing new strategies that will see the recent gains on Africa's safety record sustained and even improved," he added. Since the Abuja Declaration's adoption in 2012, Africa's safety performance, he said, had improved significantly. Besides these important and valuable gains, Africa still accounts for the highest accident rate. "African safety is moving in the right direction, thanks to the work done by a number of African nations, including Nigeria, who have worked hard to raise awareness of the importance of implementing the Abuja Declaration," Grobotek said. "In 2015, we saw safety on the continent improve compared to the five-year accident rate for both jet and turboprop hull losses. Nevertheless, the challenges of bringing Africa in line with global performance remain," she explained. He continued: " IATA remains focused on its commitment to actively contribute its expertise and resources to help African nations implement the standards outlined in the Abuja Declaration. ''One such area is the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), a proven tool for raising safety. IATA has worked with a number of airlines in Africa to bring them onto the IOSA registry. Eleven have joined since the Abuja Declaration was signed, which means 31 airlines from sub-Saharan Africa now benefit from this rigorous safety audit." Another issue that was discussed at the meeting was the need for African Governments to accelerate the implementation of ICAO's safety-related standards and recommended practices (SARPS), according to the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program (USOAP). The NCAA reaffirmed its commitment to improve on the effective implementation of the SARPS by the end of the year. As at the end of January, only 21 African states had accomplished at least 60 per cent of implementation of the SARPS. http://thenationonlineng.net/iata-nigeria-partner-on-air-safety-in-africa/ Back to Top Fifty aviation safety experts gather for helicopter infrastructure summit Spearheading this first of its kind effort for the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team were Tom Judge of LifeFlight of Maine, Steven Sparks of the Federal Aviation Administration, Rex Alexander of HeliExperts International and USHST member Rachel Miller-Tester. USHST Photo More than 50 aviation safety leaders from the industry and government came together earlier this month at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research offices in Washington, D.C. to discuss the future of helicopter infrastructure within the realm of the low altitude environment of the National Airspace System. The infrastructure summit was designed as an industry and government collaborative effort comprised of groups that are involved with; impacted by; have federal, state or local regulatory oversite, jurisdiction and/or enforcement of; or provide general advisory/council on: * Aviation weather gathering, dissemination and reporting; * heliport safety, standardization, education and oversight; and * low altitude IFR infrastructure design and integration. During the two-day summit, government and industry experts participated in discussions for the purpose of advancing low level infrastructure for helicopter operations during the next 30 years. A few of the key initiatives that came out of the summit were: * Suggest additional enhancements to the Aviation Weather Center product; * support integration of the Automated Weather Observing System into the National Airspace Data Interchange Network and the Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System; * improve heliport information within the national 5010 airport master record database; * promote safer IFR helicopter operations; and * support approach and departure criteria standardization, heliport standardization, and route standardization. Spearheading this first of its kind effort for the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team were Tom Judge of LifeFlight of Maine, Steven Sparks of the Federal Aviation Administration, Rex Alexander of HeliExperts International and USHST member Rachel Miller-Tester. http://www.verticalmag.com/news/article/Fifty-aviation-safety-experts-gather-for- helicopter-infrastructure-summit Back to Top Aviation Exec Accused of Selling Feds Bad Parts BROOKLYN (CN) - The head of an aviation parts company was arrested Monday amid claims that he knowingly sold defective parts to the U.S. military that endangered the lives of service members. The charges against Paul Skiscim were announced Monday by Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Robert Capers. Skiscism, 62, is accused of selling the defective parts between 2003 and 2013 through his company, Aerospec Inc. His jig was up when feds caught on and disbarred him from doing business with the government in 2013, according to prosecutors. However, the government says the East Northport, N.Y., resident then created a shell company to pull in $2.8 million in contracts to continue selling his company's defective airplane parts to the federal government. His alleged scheme "not only violated the law but showed a callous disregard for the safety of federal employees and our military personnel," Capers said. "It is critical that federal aircraft, including military aircraft, be built with the best parts available," he said in a statement. Kenneth Siegler, resident agent-in-charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, said, "America's warfighters deserve the very best to perform their jobs in these difficult times." "It is inexcusable that individuals endeavor to enrich themselves by stealing from the U.S. taxpayer through fraud, especially by denying critical goods to our service men and women combating terrorism in a hostile overseas environment," Siegler said. Skiscim will be arraigned Monday afternoon in Central Islip. http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/02/29/aviation-exec-accused-of-selling-feds-bad- parts.htm Back to Top China's Y-20 transport aircraft may enter service in 2016 A fifth prototype of the Xian Aircraft Corporation Y-20 heavy transport with bort number 789 reportedly flew on 6 February 2016. Source: Chinese Internet The appearance on Chinese military webpages of the fifth prototype of the Xian Aircraft Corporation (XAC) Y-20 heavy strategic transport aircraft has prompted suggests that it could enter People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) service as early as this year. Reportedly flown for the first time on 6 February 2016, the fifth prototype carries the bort number 789. It follows soon after the fourth prototype, with bort number 788, which was seen on Chinese web pages on 23 January 2016. Other known prototypes carry identification numbers 781, 783, and 785. The appearance of the latest Y-20 prototype prompted commentary by Chinese experts. In a 27 January Xinhua article former Chinese test pilot Xu Yongling reported that Chinese aviation industry officials had stated that the Y-20 "completed development" at the end of 2015. Xu, who participated in the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation J-10 fighter test programme, suggested that the Y-20 could enter service in 2016. A fourth Y-20 prototype with bort number 788 appeared in January 2016, when there were also suggestions in the Chinese media that the PLA Navy Air Force might acquire the Y-20. (Chinese Internet) In a 26 January article for People's Daily , professor at the PLAAF Command College Chen Hong noted that the payload for the Y-20 was "60 tons": greater than that of the Russian Ilyushin Il-76MD, the current production version of which is credited with a 52-tonne payload by IHS Jane's All the World's Aircraft . Chen also noted that the Y-20 could be developed into airborne early warning, electronic warfare/jamming, and tanker variants. An earlier People's Daily article from 22 January noted that the Y-20 could also eventually equip the PLA Navy Air Force (PLANAF). With the possible addition of the Y-20, the PLANAF could become the leading air service to support and defend China's growing island outposts in the South China Sea. http://www.janes.com/article/58397/china-s-y-20-transport-aircraft-may-enter-service- in-2016 Back to Top Air China to buy 12 Airbus A330-300 aircraft Air China Ltd. (0753.HK) agreed to buy 12 A330-300 aircraft from Airbus Group SE(AIR.FR) for a combined list price of US$2.93 billion. The Chinese flag carrier said in a filing that the medium-haul aircraft, which will be delivered between 2016 and 2018, are expected to increase its capacity by about 5.6%. The latest deal comes after rival China Southern Airlines Co. (1055.HK), the nation's biggest airline by fleet size, in December sealed a deal to buy 10 A330-300 aircraft from Airbus for a combined list price of US$2.27 billion. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/air-china-to-buy-12-airbus-a330-300-aircraft-2016- 03-01 Back to Top Why you probably shouldn't be doing work on airplane Wi-Fi Gogo Wireless and other in-flight services can be even worse than usual public Wi-Fi. There's a certain degree of doubt about whether it's possible to hack into an airplane's avionics from the in-flight Wi-Fi, as one security researcher claimed last year. But it's possible to do all sorts of things to fellow passengers-as USA Today columnist Steven Petrow recently found out. Following an American Airlines flight, Petrow was approached by a man who claimed to have gained access to the content of his e-mails, which showed communication with sources for a story Petrow was writing. Petrow offered a bunch of advice on how to protect privacy on mobile devices (strong passwords, password managers, and encrypted communications apps). But none of these really addresses how he got "hacked"-the in-flight Wi-Fi provided a perfect environment for an attacker to undermine the security of other passengers' communications. It's something that could easily be fixed, but in-flight Internet providers are in no hurry to do so, because it's not in their interest. When you're on any public Wi-Fi, you're bound to give up some personal information to anyone who might be watching the traffic (whether that be the company providing the service, for marketing purposes, or someone with more malicious intent). For example, in previous tests (such as the ones we conducted with NPR), we saw iPads and iPhones that identified themselves to the network by their owner's name, and Web requests to websites and mobile app traffic (some including personal data) were also visible. And as might have happened to Petrow, old-school POP/SMTP e-mail messages could be practically read off the wire. In-flight Wi-Fi services like Gogo Wireless (the service Petrow used on his flight) and Global Eagle Entertainment (the service available on Southwest Airlines and some other carriers) are in many ways just like the public Wi-Fi available at any coffee shop, mall, hotel, or other location where access is granted through a "captive portal"-that login screen that pops up in a browser window requiring either payment or acknowledgement of terms of service before you can reach the Web. Since there's no password protection on the Wi-Fi connection, there's no privacy protection for the raw traffic that is carried on the Wi-Fi network's packets, and anyone listening in can intercept all of what gets passed through the wireless access point to and from the Internet. But some in-flight networks break privacy even harder and introduce more potential ways to attack devices using them, because they either inadvertently or purposely block some of the most basic networking security tools: secure HTTP and virtual private networks. And Gogo designed its network specifically with law enforcement needs in mind, as its executives explained in a 2012 letter to the Federal Communications Commission arguing against FCC-imposed monitoring requirements: "In designing its existing network, Gogo worked closely with law enforcement to incorporate functionalities and protections that would serve public safety and national security interests. Gogo's network is fully compliant with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act ("CALEA"). The Commission's ATG rules do not require licensees to implement capabilities to support law enforcement beyond those outlined in CALEA. Nevertheless, Gogo worked with federal agencies to reach agreement regarding a set of additional capabilities to accommodate law enforcement interests. Gogo then implemented those functionalities into its system design." Both Gogo and Global Eagle appear to block VPN traffic. Until last year, Gogo was also issuing its own certificates for some secure websites-including Google. That allowed them to perform content screening even in apparently secure Google searches. This may have been part of Gogo's effort to prevent passengers from accessing sites that are "objectionable." (A few years ago, Ars found that Gogo was blocking passengers from accessing our website.) But it would also allow the providers to give law enforcement greater insight into what passengers are doing aboard aircraft by stripping away Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption from Web browsing sessions. Global Eagle's service on Southwest also injects HTML into unencrypted Web pages: a flight tracker ticker that sits at the top of the browser window, essentially adding an advertisement to every non-SSL Web connection. The injection breaks the stylesheet for Ars' homepage. Ars reached out to Gogo and Global Eagle for comment on their network management and monitoring practices but did not receive any response. Using SSL would, in theory, still protect people from others aboard an aircraft tapping into their sessions. But it wouldn't prevent an attacker from overcoming that protection. Someone could use their laptop with two Wi-Fi adapters (one masquerading as the in- flight Wi-Fi access point using malicious access point software and the other connected to the legitimate service) and essentially do the same thing that Gogo did-perform a man-in- the-middle attack by acting as an SSL proxy, issuing a fake certificate to Web connections that gives the evil laptop the ability to read everything that passes through before re- encrypting it and passing it on to the legitimate site. These sorts of attacks would likely trigger a warning from Chrome or Firefox that the sites are insecure; alternatively, the attacker could use a tool like SSL Strip to redirect to an insecure or "lookalike" version of an HTTPS site where login credentials could be stolen. It's not like anyone would notice a slow-down. In-flight Wi-Fi depends either on satellite communications or the somewhat faster air-to-ground cellular radio communications. A man-in-the-middle attack wouldn't add much additional latency to Web sessions. There's also the possibility that in-flight networks could be used to carry direct attacks on passengers' devices. Since the networks are essentially open wireless LANs, an attacker could probe the other devices on the network for vulnerabilities. The attacker wouldn't necessarily have to pay to play on the network to do this. Both Gogo and Global Eagle provide media streaming in-flight for free, and there are a number of ways to get past the paywall for short periods of time. So how do you protect your privacy and still stay connected? If you can get a VPN connection to work, use it. Make sure you've enabled the firewall software for your computer and that you've turned off any sharing services. Check the certificate of secure websites. Chrome and Firefox will usually catch forged or proxy certificates. If you get a certificate warning, don't click through to continue-wait until you've landed and have a safer network to work from. And if all else fails, just turn off Wi-Fi and work offline or enjoy the flight the way millions before you have-by staring into space or thumbing through that in-flight magazine. http://arstechnica.co.uk/information-technology/2016/03/why-you-probably-shouldnt-be- doing-work-on-that-in-flight-wi-fi/ Back to Top University of Wyoming to host drone aircraft symposium LARAMIE - Drones are coming to the University of Wyoming for a symposium that will focus in part on how they can be put to use in the state's wide-open spaces. The university's Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center will host the symposium May 17-18. It won't just be a lot of droning on - demonstration aircraft will buzz around inside and out. "The development of this technology has really advanced significantly in the past few years," center director Jeff Hamerlink said Friday. "What we hope what we can contribute is something that's a little bit more unique to Wyoming." Possibilities include using drones to keep an eye on wildfires and ranching operations. Most attention paid drones in Wyoming to date has involved unmanned aircraft in Yellowstone National Park. In 2014, a judge ordered a Dutch man to pay $3,240 in fines and restitution for crashing a drone into Grand Prismatic Spring. It was one of at least three errant drones in the park that year. Drones offer many advantages over traditional, manned aircraft and satellites to gather data about natural resources. They are less expensive and can provide data more quickly, Hamerlink said. Drones promise a big step forward in some ways from the federal government's more than 40-year-old Landsat program, which revolutionized data-gathering for agriculture, natural resource sciences and mapping through satellite images. The problem with Landsat is turnaround time. "You don't get a return on those satellites less than every 16 or 17 days - a little bit difficult if you're getting close to harvest time or monitoring the changes in a wildfire," Hamerlink said. The symposium will cover technological developments as well some of the ongoing legal and privacy implications of drone use, he said. http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/university-of-wyoming-to-host-drone-aircraft- symposium/article_3b7e650c-fef0-5df9-a978-c8316dc39e10.html Back to Top 777 Jet engine now part of South Seattle College aviation maintenance program South Seattle College introduced the public on Monday to a remarkable piece of equipment that Boeing has donated to the Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program. It's a a Pratt & Whitney 777 engine, that was damaged in transport and not able to be used on an aircraft. It's value, as part of an educational program, makes the aircraft maintenance program at SSC among the elite in the nation. Every year the program graduates between 60 to 80 students. "As the only school in the state with a 777 engine, we are able to provide on the job training in our classroom," Aviation Dean Kim Alexander explained. "We wouldn't be able to prepare our students for the real world without such strong support from partners like Boeing." This is first new engine that Boeing has ever donated to a college. In total, South's AMT program has 13 aircrafts and 70 engines to provide students with a hands-on learning experience in the classroom. The 777 engine is the largest in the fleet. "Boeing is proud to help inspire tomorrow's aviation professionals through the donation of this engine," said Rob Thayer, director of manufacturing and quality in the Propulsion Systems division at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We hope our support for educational programs and other initiatives encourages people to explore technical careers that are rewarding for them and contribute to innovation that improves life for everyone." http://www.westseattleherald.com/2016/02/26/news/777-jet-engine-now-part-south- seattle-college-avi Back to Top NASA seeks to revive supersonic air travel with quiet passenger jet initiative Supersonic commercial flights may become a reality again as NASA has tasked Lockheed Martin with developing a preliminary design of a "low boom" aircraft that will not produce the notorious noise pollution at a cruise velocity exceeding the speed of sound. Lockheed Martin will receive about $20 million over 17 months to come up with a viable option for Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) aimed at introducing commercial aircraft that can reach supersonic speeds with a soft thump rather than disruptive noisy boom unavoidable with the modern technology. "NASA is working hard to make flight greener, safer and quieter - all while developing aircraft that travel faster, and building an aviation system that operates more efficiently," said NASA 's administrator Charles Bolden, adding that the US is seeking to create a "quieter supersonic jet with an aim toward passenger flight." The contract awarded to the aerospace company is the first in a series of "X-planes" New Aviation Horizons initiative which seeks to reduce noise levels to acceptable levels when the aircraft is traveling at a supersonic cruise velocity. At an altitude of 35,000 feet (10,668 km) the speed of sound is about 660 miles per hour (1,063 km/h). The world's only passenger aircraft that flew at supersonic speeds were the Soviet Tu-144 and the Anglo-French Concorde which reached velocity of more than twice the speed of sound. The Concorde flew people between London and New York in less than 3 1/2 hours, while the Tu-144 was briefly deployed on a commercial route between Moscow and Alma- ata. Both models saw less than two dozen aircraft produced and were retired at the turn of the century. Now NASA is seeking to improve on the old and inefficient technology and has allocated a hefty sum towards the Commercial Supersonic Technology Project as part of its Fiscal Year 2017 budget. The main issue the US engineers are trying to overcome is a sonic boom - a loud noise like thunder a person on the ground hears when an aircraft flies overhead at supersonic speeds. However besides reducing the noise, NASA is also seeking to reduce fuel usage and emissions through a slick new design of the new plane, that will depart from the "conventional tube-and-wing aircraft shape." The New Aviation Horizons, according to NASA, is envisioned to last at least a decade with first aircraft flight test planned to be conducted around 2020, depending on funding. https://www.rt.com/usa/334052-nasa-supersonic-passenger-jet/ 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 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