Flight Safety Information March 4, 2016 - No. 046 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING Drone Brushes Past Airbus Jet Above Paris in Closest Shave Yet Boeing 737 Landing Gear Collapse (India) This new airplane seat is a connected office, living room and bedroom Who's ready for a self-cleaning airplane bathroom? NAC agrees to receive aircraft with conditions Pilots not to blame for fatal Bell-Boeing V-22 crash, Pentagon says Airbus Chasing Boeing For Largest Jet Plane -- Mulls its Own 400-Seater Families of 12 Passengers on Flight 370 File Lawsuits Africa gets its first solar-powered airport Air Force Won't Meet 2020 Deadline for New FAA Rules Is There a Market for Supersonic Airlines? NASA Thinks So The Navy Could Throw Boeing's Fighter Jet Business a Life Preserver Emergency Declared on Flight to Indiana, Plane Diverted Explorer, Physician and Leadership Expert - Dr. Joe MacInnes...to Share Lessons in Safety Leadership at CHC Summit 2016 Research Survey Request RESEARCH SURVEY...MENTAL HEALTH & FLYING SURVEY Drone Brushes Past Airbus Jet Above Paris in Closest Shave Yet * Air France A320 coming in to land as rogue craft skimmed by * BEA will begin first full probe of a drone-related incident A drone came within 5 meters (20 feet) of a potentially catastrophic collision with an Air France plane coming in to land at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, marking one of the closest encounters so far between one of the increasingly popular toys and a civil airliner. The Airbus Group SE A320, which can carry 150 people, was arriving from Barcelona at 1,600 meters when the pilot saw the drone on the plane's left side. He disconnected the autopilot and took avoiding action, the BEA, France's air-accident investigator, said of the incident, which occurred on Feb. 19. France's first full-blown probe of a drone near miss will now be initiated, according to the BEA. Such incidents have become increasingly common, with Britain recording 23 close shaves between April 11 and Oct. 4 last year. There were seven near misses in December alone, and four of those were classified as involving a serious risk of collision. As the number of so-called air-proximity incidents increases, pilots are lobbying for drones to be safely integrated into public airspace or banned, with the British Airline Pilots Association calling in January for a registration system so that rogue drone operators can be more easily traced and prosecuted. Uncontained Failure In one recent case, a drone came close to colliding with a Boeing Co. 737 climbing out of London Stansted, with other serious incidents recorded at Manchester, London City and London Heathrow, Europe's biggest air hub. Drones are not authorized to fly near airports, and neither are they allowed to fly over residential areas above an altitude of 150 meters. The BEA didn't say how many people were on the Air France plane or how big the drone was. A recent study by Aero Kinetics suggested that a drone ingested into an aircraft engine would be more likely than a bird strike to result in an uncontained failure, in which metal spewed from the turbine can compromise the aircraft's integrity. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-04/drone-brushes-past-airbus-jet- above-paris-in-closest-shave-yet Back to Top Boeing 737 Landing Gear Collapse (India) Status: Preliminary Date: Thursday 3 March 2016 Time: 21:52 Type: Boeing 737-95R Operator: Jet Airways Registration: VT-JGD * C/n / msn: 33740/1350 First flight: 2003-07-02 (12 years 8 months) Engines: 2 CFMI CFM56-7B24 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 120 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 128 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) ( India) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL/VIDP), India Destination airport: Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM/VABB), India Flightnumber: 9W354 Narrative: Jet Airways flight 9W354 was involved in a landing accident at Mumbai-Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), India. The accident happened while the aircraft landed on runway 27 following a regularly scheduled service from Delhi. Photos from the scene show the aircraft with the no.2 engine resting on the ground. The right hand main landing gear strut penetrated the wing. According to a statement by Jet Airways the aircraft came to rest on Taxiway N9, which is located 2190 m past the runway 27 threshold. A following flight, an Airbus A319 (LZ-AOA) operating SpiceJet flight SG169, performed a go around. Following the accident, runway 09/27 was closed per Notam: "RWY 09/27 NOT AVBL FOR OPS DUE RWY BLOCK." * The registration has not been officially confirmed. Footage from the scene show a Boeing 737-900, of which Jet Airways operates four. VT-JGD is the only one not active on March 4. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20160303-1 Back to Top This new airplane seat is a connected office, living room and bedroom ... all in one Imagine a world where business travel is just as cozy - and convenient - as being at home or in your office. In this world, you can spend your time up in the air getting your work done, resting, relaxing or just indulging in some straight-up entertainment, all without ever having to move from your seat. Wild, right? Well, Panasonic Avionics has made this world a reality with Waterfront, its latest inflight innovation. Waterfront is an unprecedented type of business class seat solution, which was developed in conjunction with B/E Aerospace, Teague Design Consultancy and Formation Design group, that is way more than just a seat. It serves as a reclining symbol of Panasonic's dedication to improving the inflight experience in any technological way possible. It's essentially a compact executive office suite, living room and bedroom combination... On an airplane. Think about how amazing that setup will make your next business trip. For years, Panasonic's engineers and designers have been on a mission to make business travel - and travel in general - the best it can possibly be. Panasonic collaborates with more than 300 airline customers to develop inflight entertainment, communication and connection capabilities that ramp up your air travel leisure and productivity experiences. Right now, more than 1.5 billion passengers per year reap the benefits of these developments on Panasonic-equipped aircraft - a number that's sure to grow in 2016 and beyond. Although Panasonic is the undisputed world leader in inflight entertainment and communications, it doesn't actually build or design seats. Working with B/E Aerospace, Teague and Formation Design Group, the team designed and engineered the high-tech seat and its surrounding area, to completely revolutionize the business class experience. The B/E Aerospace seat itself is, of course, extremely comfortable and adjustable for whatever your prone preference may be at any given time during the flight: lie down, sit up, sit back - whatever helps you get into the work or relaxation zone you're looking for. You can also control the temperature and lighting around your seat, and open or close your sliding door for peace and quiet and separation from other passengers. For its part, Panasonic is providing an environment around the seat itself that makes for an extremely amazing inflight experience: There's a 24-inch 4K display screen, device charging and personal mood lighting - all of which are seamlessly connected (through Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC) to your mobile device and the Internet of Things. The charging aspect of the Waterfront experience is fully integrated and includes AC power, inductive charging and access to multiple USB power ports. There's also a premium tablet controller within easy reach that enables you to view relevant flight information. It's coupled with an ultra-compact handset that's always easily accessible, even when the seat is in bed position. Among many other things, the tablet lets passengers control the ambiance of their seat environment by way of full-spectrum LED lighting that shifts in brightness and mood, depending on seat position, which sets up different moods and scenes that go well with different activities you might engage in while up in the air. Waterfront is the first and only seat of its kind that enables you to go from the office to the airplane without skipping a productive beat, and it also helps you seamlessly transition from in the work zone to full-on rest and relaxation mode. It's travel innovation (in seat form) that comes as a result of Panasonic's drive to create an enjoyable inflight experience that goes above and beyond anything you've imagined. http://mashable.com/2016/03/03/airplane-seat-brandspeak/#nk9oWAztDkqY Back to Top Who's ready for a self-cleaning airplane bathroom? Your next flight could have a self-cleaning bathroom Everyone is grossed out by airplane bathrooms -- but Boeing wants to change that. The aircraft manufacturer says it's developed a self-cleaning restroom for planes. The bathrooms are designed so that they can be bathed in an ultraviolet (UV) light for just three seconds, killing 99.99% of germs. The lights are "positioned throughout the lavatory to flood the touch surfaces like the toilet seat, sink and countertops with the UV light once a person exits the lavatory. This sanitizing even helps eliminate odors," said Jeanne Yu, Boeing's director of environmental performance. The company said in a press release that the process uses "Far UV" light, which is distinct from the UV lights that can cause skin cancer and not harmful to people. self cleaning bathroom boeing "It's for use while you're in the air, to disinfect between those deeper cleanings," company spokesperson Bret Jensen said. He added that the technology is still in the testing phases, but it can potentially be installed in lavatories on existing planes. Boeing's new bathroom design also features a toilet seat that opens and closes automatically to expose all surfaces during the cleaning cycle, as well as a hands-free faucet, soap dispenser, trash can, hand dryer, toilet lid and seat. A "hands-free door latch and a vacuum vent system for the floor are also under study, all to keep the lavatory as hygienic as possible," Boeing (BA) said. The company added that prototype testing has shown that "these innovations can minimize the growth and potential transmission of disease-causing microorganisms." The company says it has applied to patent for the concept. http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/03/technology/boeing-self-cleaning-bathroom/ Back to Top NAC agrees to receive aircraft with conditions Among the conditions, the national flag carrier has demanded that China's AVIC International, the supplier of the problem-plagued MA60 and Y12e, guaranteecompensation for losses incurred while flying the planes in Nepal with a load penalty Mar 4, 2016- Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has finally agreed to take delivery of the four Chinese aircraft on order after putting it off due to issues with early models, but the carrier has placed five key conditions to do so. Among the conditions, the national flag carrier has demanded that AVIC International Holding Corporation, the supplier of the problem-plagued MA60 and Y12e, guarantee compensation for losses incurred while flying the planes in Nepal with a load penalty. The 56-seater MA60, which Nepal had received as a gift from China, arrived in Kathmandu on April 27, 2014, and has been operating with a load restriction on the Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Chandragadhi and Pokhara sectors. Another Chinese- gifted aircraft, the 17-seater Y12e, landed in Kathmandu on November 3, 2014. It can be used to serve remote airfields like Lukla, Jomsom, Manang, Simikot, Rara, Jumla and Dolpa with a load restriction. The Tourism Ministry submitted the proposal with NAC's conditions to the Cabinet on Wednesday for its go-ahead to continue with the aircraft procurement process. The government plans to conclude the purchase before Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's planned visit to China next fortnight. A government fact-finding committee had found that the MA60's utilization was very poor in Nepal. NAC had been operating only eight weekly flights with the plane. The Y12e has been grounded for the last two months due to a shortage of pilots. It has still not been cleared for mountain airfields due to regulatory restrictions. The second condition put forth by NAC is assurance of spare parts and maintenance support for 10 years. The government committee had earlier reported that the commercial agreement signed between NAC and AVIC did not address the long-term maintenance and training and engineering service support required for the sustainable operation of the aircraft. The committee has recommended that AVIC set up a bonded warehouse to make spare parts easily available in Nepal. NAC's third condition is that the crew training costs be reduced to the same level as that for the Twin Otter and ATR aircraft that have been operating in Nepal. Government officials said that the supplier had agreed to cut the pilot training costs. The company will train Nepali pilots for a fee of $19,000, down from the $80,000 set earlier for a combined training package. NAC's fourth condition is that insurance premiums should be the same as for other aircraft flying in Nepal as high insurance premiums for the Chinese planes have also been a matter of concern. The corporation's final condition is that English-speaking pilots and engineers should be made available and that the aircraft manual should also be produced in English. "NAC's opinion is clear. As it is a business entity and has to think about commercial viability, it is justifiable to place such demands for sustainable operation of the aircraft," said a high-level government official. The aircraft procurement process had been put on hold for the last one year after NAC reported many problems with them. On November 14, 2013, the Cabinet had given the go-ahead for the government to sign loan and grant agreements with China to procure six aircraft for the national flag carrier. Although there was no need to send the proposal to the Cabinet again, newly-appointed Tourism Secretary Prem Rai, who also chairs the NAC board, refused to be involved in the controversial deal, said the official. "The issue has been left to be resolved at the 'political level' so it has been resent to the Cabinet." http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-03-04/nac-agrees-to-receive-aircraft- with-conditions.html Back to Top Pilots not to blame for fatal Bell-Boeing V-22 crash, Pentagon says FORT WORTH, Texas - For more than a decade, the wives of Marine Corps pilots Maj. Brooks Gruber and Lt. Col. John Brow have sought to clear the names of their late husbands, who were blamed for the crash of a MV-22 Osprey in the Arizona desert in April 2000 that killed them and 17 others. According to a report by Stars and Stripes, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work wrote that after a review of all the investigations and reports on the crash, "I disagree with the characterization that the pilots' drive to accomplish the mission was 'the fatal factor' in the crash." He said that while human factors contributed to the accident, other events leading up to fatal flight made the event "probable, or perhaps inevitable." "It is clear that there were deficiencies in the V-22's development and engineering and safety programs that were corrected only after the crash - and these deficiencies likely contributed to the accident and its fatal outcome. I therefore conclude it is impossible to point to a single 'fatal factor' that caused this crash," Work wrote, according to the report. Following the tragic accident during a night combat test flight, a Marine investigation found that a "combination of human factors" - interpreted as pilot error - was the primary cause of the crash. At the time, the V-22 - manufactured by Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter and Boeing - was a program under fire. In development since 1981, at a cost approaching $15 billion, pressure was mounting for the military to move forward with operational testing of the novel tilt-rotor aircraft, which could take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane. But the aircraft was still in the experimental phase, and pilots were struggling to understand how it reacted in certain situations, such as high-speed descents. According to Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, the V-22 piloted by Brow and Gruber made a steep descent that night before rolling uncontrollably to the right and slamming into the ground upside down. In 2011, Lt. Col. James Schafer, who was piloting another V-22 in the test flight operation that night, said the accident was the result of too much pressure from the Marines and others who were trying to get the Osprey into production. "The program was pushed too hard," Schafer told the Star-Telegram. "The best Marine Corps pilots we had became overwhelmed with the push." The V-22 program survived. Bell-Boeing went on to deliver some 230 V-22s, assembled in Amarillo, to the U.S. military. It has been deployed in Afghanistan and elsewhere. http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20160303/NEWS02/160309681 Back to Top Airbus Chasing Boeing For Largest Jet Plane -- Mulls its Own 400-Seater As competition escalates with Boeing over the world's largest two-engined jets, Airbus is seeking airline support for a new 400-seat jetliner provisionally dubbed the A350-8000, airline and aviation industry sources said. After talking up the possibility of a new member of its A350 family, the European planemaker has swung into an active pre-marketing phase as it responds to a recent upgrade in the competing Boeing 777. While Boeing has scored successes in the Gulf with its biggest-ever twin-engined jet, the 406-seat 777-9, Airbus is expected to aim its design at airlines that do not always require the performance needed for extreme Gulf conditions. A view of the inflight entertainment screen on the back of economy class seats on the first of 67 new Airbus A350-900 planes delivered to Singapore Airlines at Singapore's Changi Airport "It would have similar capacity and range (as the 777-9) and substantially lower seat-mile costs," Airbus sales chief John Leahy said in an interview on the sidelines of the Istat Americas air finance conference. "We are showing it to airlines right now." The project is the latest move in a game of leapfrog played by Airbus and Boeing over the past decade in the market for big twinjets, valued at about $1.9 trillion over 20 years. It marks a shift in priorities after the oil price collapse eased pressure on Airbus to upgrade its larger four-engined A380, the output of which is declining because of slow sales. Two airlines whose stance could be decisive in whether Airbus launches the new jet are Singapore Airlines and British Airways. Singapore took delivery of its first smaller A350- 900 model this week and has long been weighing up the 777-9. Both airlines declined to comment. In Singapore, where Airbus' planemaking president, Fabrice Bregier, stopped over on Thursday after a China visit, a company spokesman declined to comment. The A350 XWB (Extra Wide Body) family was launched after a string of setbacks in 2006 to compete with Boeing's mid-sized 787 Dreamliner and the larger 777. The new, bigger A350 would use a derivative of the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB planned for the A350-1000. One person briefed on the plans said it would boost thrust to just over 100,000 pounds from the current 97,000. Airbus believes that would compete well for a large majority of the industry's needs and eclipse the heavier 777X. Boeing dismissed the proposal. "We're not surprised that Airbus is attempting to fill a hole in its product lineup after losing market share to the 777X. At the end of the day, we'll still have the better airplane," Marketing Vice-President Randy Tinseth told Reuters. Some analysts said a key to the project would be how easily Rolls-Royce could expand a full slate of projects, even without pushing performance to the limits needed by Mideast carriers. "This sounds like they are making a virtue of its lack of hot-and-high performance compared to 777-9 when maybe it's the case that Rolls can't afford, or doesn't want to, do a much bigger and substantially new engine," said Nick Cunningham of UK-based Agency Partners. One engine expert estimated the upgrade could cost half a billion dollars and require a bigger fan and new materials. Rolls-Royce was not immediately available for comment. To give the new jet enough capacity and range, Airbus would boost the maximum takeoff weight to just over 319 tonnes from 308 tonnes on the A350-1000, the person briefed on the plans said. But it would sacrifice some range compared with the 8,000-mile A350-1000. Airbus says it has not made a final decision on whether to launch a new A350 and will provide an update at the Farnborough Airshow in July. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/airbus-chasing-boeing-largest-jet- plane-mulls-its-own-400-n531686 Back to Top Families of 12 Passengers on Flight 370 File Lawsuits Families of 12 passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Friday sued the carrier and the government, ahead of a filing deadline next week on the second anniversary of the plane's disappearance. The Boeing 777 carrying 239 flew far off course after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8, 2014. An ongoing search of the southern Indian Ocean has found nothing, though a wing part washed ashore on Reunion Island last year. A global aviation agreement sets a two-year deadline for lawsuits by next-of-kin over air accidents. Lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo, who represents 10 families, said the lawsuits involve a passenger from Russia, one from China and the rest from Malaysia. The lawsuits name the airline, the government and the then-heads of the civil aviation department and the navy as defendants. Sangeet said her clients had been negotiating with the airline. "Everyone waited till the last minute to give time to the airline to settle but nothing reasonable was forthcoming. So they have no choice but to take legal action given the time limitation," Sangeet said. Lawyer Yeoh Cho Kheong, who represents the families of two Ukrainian passengers, said his clients will continue negotiations with the airline despite the lawsuit. All the lawsuits are seeking unspecified sums for negligence and breach of contract, the lawyers said. An international aviation agreement allows each next-of-kin of passengers up to $175,000 in compensation, but a lawsuit can seek more. Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai urged all families of Flight 370 passengers to file claims before March 8 to preserve their legal rights. He said in a statement he has been informed by the airline that less than 60 compensation claims have been settled and 169 families have commenced final compensation process. He didn't give details. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/families-12-passengers-flight-370-file- lawsuits-37387672 Back to Top Africa gets its first solar-powered airport (CNN) -South Africa has ramped up its green credentials by unveiling the continent's first solar-powered airport. Located halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, George Airport will meet 41% of its energy demand from a brand new 200 square meter solar power plant built on its grounds. The facility, which was officially launched last week, has 3,000 photovoltaic modules, and will gradually increase capacity to deliver 750Kw power when it reaches full production. It cost just over a million dollars to build, and is part of South Africa's commitment to introduce a mix of energy sources to all its airports. "As an airports management company running nine airports nationally, part of our strategic objective is to minimize our environmental impact," Skhumbuzo Macozoma, chairman of the Airports Company South Africa Board said in a statement. "Harnessing solar power is a viable cleaner energy source which contributes towards diversifying the energy mix. This plant will ensure that the airport is self-sustaining in terms of its power needs, and will eventually extend to the broader community within the George municipality," he added. The airport serves the Western Cape town of George which lies in the heart of the scenic Garden Route, famous for its lush vegetation and lagoons which are dotted along the landscape. It handles over 600,000 passengers a year, many of them tourists, but it's also a national distribution hub for cargo such as flowers, fish, oysters, herbs and ferns. The clean energy initiative follows in the footsteps of India's Cochin International airport - - the world's first entirely solar powered airport, and Galapagos Ecological Airport, built in 2012 to run solely on Sun and wind power. The George Airport project is the latest in the string of alternative energy investments designed to help relieve the burden of irregular electricity supply, which has long plagued parts of Africa. Around 635 million people, or 57% of the population, are estimated to live without power on the continent, with that number climbing to 68% in Sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, a UK start-up collaborated with Shell to build a solar-powered soccer pitch in the Nigerian city of Lagos, but governments are also increasingly harnessing the Sun's energy for major infrastructure projects. Last month, Morocco switched on what will be the world's largest concentrated solar plant when it's completed. It is predicted to power one million homes by 2018. In Rwanda, a $23.7 million solar plant has increased the country's generation capacity by 6% and lighting up 15,000 homes. http://www.kcci.com/national/africa-gets-its-first-solarpowered-airport/38336388 Back to Top Air Force Won't Meet 2020 Deadline for New FAA Rules WASHINGTON - The Air Force will not be able to meet a 2020 deadline to fully comply with new Federal Aviation Administration regulations, top service officials told lawmakers. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2020, aircraft must be equipped with the latest satellite-based surveillance system to fly in most controlled airspace. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) uses GPS technology to determine an aircraft's location, airspeed and other data, and broadcasts that information to a network of ground stations. Those ground stations in turn relay the data to air traffic controllers. The total bill to equip all Pentagon aircraft with the required equipment is $5.6 billion, including $4.4 billion for the Air Force alone, Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, told the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee March 1. The Air Force is working hard to outfit all of its aircraft with the required equipment, prioritizing its mobility fleet of C-130s and C-17s because those planes need to fly in the densest air space, Holmes said. But with limited resources due to sequestration cuts, the service won't be able to get through its entire fleet by 2020, he said. The Air Force will likely need some kind of waiver for certain aircraft, including the F-22 fighter jet, to operate in that airspace in future years, Holmes said. Although the fleet will still be able to complete its mission without authorization to operate in the most crowded airspace, the situation is not ideal, Holmes said. Moving aircraft around this airspace, rather than through it, will cause delays and eat up fuel, he said. "We'll be able to move the airplanes where we need to go to serve the country, but with some delay and with some higher fuel costs if we have to drive around an area to get where we need to go," Holmes said. Upgrading the Air Force's aging C-130Hs is clearly a priority for subcommittee Chairman Randy Forbes, R-Va., and ranking member Joe Courtney, D-Conn., who devoted much of their opening statements and questions to the issue. Lawmakers last year funded a two- part modernization program for the C-130Hs, first to meet the FAA mandate, and then to complete longer-term upgrades. "I'm concerned that this budget fails to provide the resources needed [for] the avionics upgrades needed to ensure that the entire fleet of tankers, airlifters and bombers are able to cooperate safely in compliance with the FAA mandated next-generation air traffic management standards by Jan. 1, 2020," Forbes said. "I'm concerned that our military aircraft could be shut out of the airspace they need for transit and training." The Air Force's plan to replace its C-130Hs with newer C-130Js took a hit in the latest budget request. The service's fiscal year 2017 blueprint cuts the eight C-130Js planned beyond the current multiyear agreement with manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Holmes said. The Air Force has proposed cutting 27 C-130s in all, Forbes said. http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/2016/03/02/air-force-wont-meet- 2020-deadline-new-faa-rules/81237156/ Back to Top Is There a Market for Supersonic Airlines? NASA Thinks So Number of big jet makers showing interest? Zero NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, center, answers questions along with David Melcher, CEO of the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA), left, and Jaiwon Shin, Associate Administrator for NASA's Aerospace Research Mission Directorate, right, during a press conference, Monday, Feb. 29, 2016 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Photographer: Joel Kowsky/NASA Since the dawn of the Jet Age, airline travel has evolved radically save one aspect: We still fly at around 500 mph. The Boeing 707, usually credited with starting it all in 1957, cruised at 600 mph with an altitude ceiling of 41,000 feet-almost identical to airplanes currently in production. NASA says technology is now primed for a leap forward-to supersonic flight-cutting cross- country travel times to two hours or less and making a trans-Atlantic trip a matter of just a few hours. The question is whether commercial jet makers, and airlines, for that matter, will follow its lead. The Achilles heel of past supersonic flights on the now decommissioned Concorde was a neighborhood-rattling sonic boom that led the U.S. and other countries to ban its flight over populated areas. Such restrictions also mean military aircraft tend to hit supersonic speeds only over the ocean and certain unpopulated areas. But now, almost 60 years after the 707's maiden flight, NASA and others believe airframe design has advanced to a point where the traditional sonic boom can be mitigated into something akin to a sonic soft thump, or "heartbeat," as a NASA news release puts it. In theory, many people on the ground might not even hear this brief rumble as the jet passes overhead, the agency says. "We've got the technology now in hand, where we can actually see supersonic built again and being flown over land," says J.D. Harrington, a NASA spokesman. The Obama administration has proposed $790 million for aeronautics research in its fiscal 2017 budget. To pursue this work, the agency has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. a $20 million contract to develop a design for a supersonic aircraft over the next 17 months. A subsequent contract will then have the wining bidder build a one-person NASA X-plane to test the design for several years, with a view toward pushing commercial aviation into a supersonic flight future. The research on Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST), will be managed through NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia. Yet NASA is hardly alone in the technical quest for a viable supersonic aircraft-making the question of whether U.S. taxpayers need to advance the field a relevant one. Aerion, a company backed by Texas billionaire Robert Bass, is working to build an eight-passenger supersonic business jet, the AS2, and targeting a first flight in 2019. The Nevada-based company signed a technology sharing deal with Airbus Group SE in 2014. As fast as it will be, though, Aerion's jet is more akin to the Concorde in that its speed will be subsonic over land, to avoid sonic booms. The NASA aircraft is designed to travel supersonic throughout its flight by mitigating the noise on the ground. None of the four largest commercial aircraft manufacturers, Airbus, Boeing Co., Embraer SA, and Bombardier Inc., has announced a supersonic model. In 2014, Airbus's U.S. president, Allan McArtor, told Bloomberg News that business aviation was the likeliest venue for a new supersonic jet, given that large airlines don't sell speed-they sell luxury to executives and cheap seats to leisure travelers. Through a U.S.-based spokesman, Airbus declined to comment on its views of supersonic passenger aircraft. Boeing briefly pitched customers on a faster aircraft in 2001, which it dubbed the Sonic Cruiser. The idea was to counter Airbus's massive A380 with a smaller plane that would fly roughly 20 percent faster than current models and flirt with the speed of sound but avoid the booms associated with crossing the 768 mph sound barrier. The Sonic Cruiser was shelved in 2002 and morphed into the 787 Dreamliner after airlines made clear they preferred a more fuel-efficient jet. Moreover, a quieter supersonic transport won't come cheap: Aerion lists its jet at $120 million apiece. By comparison, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.'s largest long-range business jet, the G650, sells for about $65 million. Scaled up to the 100-110 passenger jet NASA envisions, a supersonic aircraft could fly into very stiff economic headwinds. Some of the questions: How much would a ticket need to cost? Would a supersonic flight to Asia be considered fuel efficient? Does the design scale to the size of the larger jumbo jets that carriers now fly on long-haul international routes, such as the Boeing 777, 787, and Airbus A350s and A330s? On the latter issue, the answer is yes, in theory. "Sonic boom is only very loosely related to weight and size, when you have a shaped aircraft," says Michael Buonanno, the project's chief engineer at Lockheed's Skunk Works advanced research center in California. NASA began working on new designs more than a decade ago, using the power of supercomputers to model the fluid dynamics in ways earlier engineers never could, Harrington said, followed by wind tunnel tests. "And now we're at the stage where we can actually build an X-plane," he said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-03/is-there-a-market-for-supersonic- airlines-nasa-thinks-so Back to Top The Navy Could Throw Boeing's Fighter Jet Business a Life Preserver A new order for Super Hornet fighters could keep Boeing's St. Louis production line afloat. The loss of the Air Force's Long Range Strike Bomber contract to rival Northrop Grumman in October has placed Boeing's defense business in a tough spot. But a list of "unfunded priorities" submitted to Congress by the U.S. Navy could breathe $1.5 billion in new life into the aerospace giant's fighter jet business, potentially sustaining key production lines until Boeing can find new foreign customers for aircraft like the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The U.S. Navy wish list for fiscal 2017 submitted to Congress by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus includes 14 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, two Lockheed F-35Cs, and another $433 million for an additional guided missile destroyer (which would be built jointly by Huntington Ingalls and General Dynamics). While there's no guarantee Congress will move to fund the Super Hornet order, the request could create an opening for Boeing to sustain its F/A-18 production line until a stalled Kuwaiti order for 28 of the aircraft can be finalized. If the order does materialize it would mark a huge positive development for a Boeing defense unit that could use a break. With legacy fighter jets like Boeing's F-15 and F/A-18 slated for replacement by Lockheed Martin's new F-35 and no new combat jet programs up for grabs in the foreseeable future, Boeing's defense shop finds itself hard pressed to find new customers for its existing aircraft. Without new orders, both the F-15 and F/A-18 production lines will run out of work by the end of the decade, potentially forcing Boeing from the combat jet business altogether. For a time, it looked like that Kuwait's 28-aircraft order would sustain Boeing's St. Louis- based F/A-18 production line until an expected U.S. Navy order of 14 more aircraft in the fiscal 2018 budget could take up the slack. But that deal has been stuck in political limbo for more than a year awaiting U.S. arms export approvals. Meanwhile Boeing needs to place orders for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of long- lead materials in order to keep its production line prepped to fulfill that Kuwaiti order if and when the needed approvals come through. An order from the U.S. Navy would create some breathing room for Boeing and keep the company from having to pay for those materials out of its own pocket while awaiting a State Department approval for the Kuwaiti deal that may or may not come through. These "unfunded priorities" are exactly that: unfunded. It's a wish list. But for the military branches, creating such wish lists is not an idle exercise. In many cases they create an opportunity for Congress to apportion additional funds to spending priorities that didn't make it into the formal budget requests, or to move money around within budgets to cover new or unforeseen priorities. The Navy, as it turns out, has good reason for requesting more Super Hornets. The increased aerial fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria has taxed the Navy's existing F/A-18 fleet, and because those planes are older, their maintenance requirements are greater. The fact that Lockheed's troubled F-35 program is years behind schedule has also created a strong argument for the Navy, both for ordering more Super Hornets and for helping Boeing keep the F/A-18 production line alive-just in case. The first Navy F-35Cs aren't expected to enter active service until 2018 or 2019, and that's if the F-35 program doesn't experience any more major delays. That could create all the incentive Congress needs to buy insurance in the form of new Super Hornets-and to throw Boeing's fighter jet business a much-needed lifeline. http://fortune.com/2016/03/03/boeing-navy-super-hornet/ Back to Top Aurora Flight Sciences wins $89 million contract for X-plane Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded a contract for more than $89 million for the vertical take off and landing X-plane, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The contract is for the second and third phase of the X-plane research portfolio, the Department of Defense said in its daily digest of major contract awards. Aurora Flight beat out Sikorsky, now with Lockheed Martin Corp, Boeing Co and Karem Aircraft. In a statement, the company said the unmanned aircraft, called LightningStrike, aimed to increase speed by 50 percent compared to current vertical take off and landing aircraft. "If successful, VTOL X-Plane's radically improved flight capabilities could lead to revolutionary advancement of the U.S. military's future mission capabilities," CEO Dr. John Langford said. The work is expected to be completed by September 2018. http://in.reuters.com/article/us-usa-aerospace-aurora-idINKCN0W52QP Back to Top Explorer, Physician and Leadership Expert - Dr. Joe MacInnes to Share Lessons in Safety Leadership at 2016 CHC Safety & Quality Summit March 2, 2016-Vancouver, British Columbia - Dr. Joe MacInnes, a medical doctor, undersea explorer, author and leadership expert, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the gala dinner at the 12th-annual CHC Safety & Quality Summit. The Tuesday, April 5, dinner at the Westin Bayshore hotel is expected to attract up to 600 people - most of whom will also be attending what is recognized as the world's premier safety conference for rotary-wing aviation. Dr. MacInnes' medical research is focused on human factors in the use of complex technologies in the deep sea. Between 1964 and 1994 Dr. MacInnes led 30 research expeditions, logging 5,000 hours, in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, Pacific and Artic Oceans. He built the world's first undersea polar station, was among the first to dive the Titanic and was journalist-physician on the James Cameron National-Geographic project that made the first-ever 11 kilometre solo dive into the Mariana Trench. Since 1994, Dr. MacInnes has studied leadership in lethal environments, looking to improve the relationship between humans and the natural world. Throughout his career Dr. MacInnes has worked on projects with the U.S. Navy, the government of Canada and the Russian Academy of Sciences. With hisextensive experience in, and researching, extreme situations, Dr. MacInnes has developed a unique approach to leadership that is expected create insightful discussion at the April event. Past speakers at the CHC Safety & Quality Summit's gala dinner have included astronaut and physician Dr. Dave Williams, commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield, leadership author Simon Sinek, commercial airline Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, U.S. Navy Commander Fred Baldwin, safety experts Dr. Scott Shappell and Dr. Jerry Cockrell, and aviation leader Sergei Sikorsky. Details about the dinner, including how to purchase tickets, are available at www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com About CHC CHC Helicopter is a leader in enabling customers to go further, do more and come home safely, including oil and gas companies, government search-and-rescue agencies and organizations requiring helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services through the Heli-One segment. The company has a fleet of more than 220 aircraft and operates on six continents. Contact Information: SUMMIT Irina Sakgaev Safety & Quality Applications Specialist CHC Helicopter +1.604.232.7302 summit@chc.ca MEDIA Liam Fitzgerald Communications Advisor +1.778.999.2923 Liam.Fitzgerald@chc.ca INVESTORS Laura Campbell Director, Investor Relations +1.604.232.7316 Laura.Campbell@chc.ca 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