Flight Safety Information March 25, 2016 - No. 060 In This Issue PILOTS IN DEMAND AT 42ND SUN 'n FUN April 5-10 San Jose: Private plane makes belly landing at SJC after landing-gear collapse 2 days and 4 planes later, Orlando flight arrives in GR Number of US drones will nearly triple by 2020: FAA Inside Africa's largest aviation academy Terrorism and War-Related Airplane Crashes Fast Facts The Race for the Ultra-Efficient Jet Engine of the Future CHINESE HACKER PLEADS GUILTY TO STEALING JET PLANS Ottawa allows Air Canada greater flexibility of where it maintains aircraft Wellington aircraft cabin maker defends toilet patent China Likely To Beat NASA Back To The Moon EAAP Human Factors in Flight Safety: SMS, Risk Management...and Safety Investigation - Training Hangar Rash Research Request FSI Twitter Feed ISASI Military Air Safety Workshop - 19-21APR (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Meeting/Dinner - 05MAY PILOTS IN DEMAND AT 42ND SUN 'n FUN April 5-10 By Roger Rapoport Contributing Editor Lakeland, Florida - Once known as spring break for pilots, put on by a debt ridden organization, Sun 'n Fun has become the economic engine behind one of the most successful teen pilot training programs in the country. Now solidly in the black, this April 5-10 event put on will draw over 200,000 guests from more than 80 countries, including 3,000 arriving in their own aircraft. With over 700 events and 500 exhibitors, this extravaganza is also one of the nation's hottest aviation job marketplaces. Eighteen carriers including airlines like Delta and Frontier are interviewing 500 applicants. Some carriers are considering extending their hours for last minute standby candidates. Thanks to a $7 million donor gift and more than $6 million in Sun'n Fun generated revenues this nonprofit created the Central Florida Aerospace Academy where classrooms include a parked Boeing 727. With fourteen buildings spread across a 25-acre campus, Sun 'n Fun also spends $430,000 worth of event income on scholarships for young pilots. Home of the world's largest high school flying club, Sun ' n Fun is dedicating each day to a different branch of the armed services. Among the featured events are a Coast Guard Search and Rescue Dolphin C-130 demo and the U.S. Army Golden Knights. Other air show events include a twilight midweek show on April 6 as well as an April 9 night air show illuminated by fireworks. Among the featured headliners are pilots Michael Goulian, Kirby Chambliss and Patty Wagstaff. Numerous training sessions address key air safety issues, including a special April 5 program focused on a key NTSB Most Wanted List issue: Loss of Control. This 2 p.m. event offers an introduction to Aspen's Angle of Attack Indicator. Also of interest is Mark Grady's April 6 workshop, "Emergency! Getting It Right When Things Go Wrong" and John and Martha King's April 7 talk at the FAA Safety Center on "Avoiding Unwanted Adventure." Sun 'n Fun focuses on events for aspiring pilots including a series of free youth workshops supported by local Polk State College Aerospace. Central Florida Aerospace Academy Director Keith Smith will also present an April 7 talk on how the school has become one of the nation's top flight training high schools. "We have taken a one week wonder with a failing financial portfolio and turned it into a highly successful year-around destination," says Sun 'n Fun CEO John Leenhouts. "Pilots used to come to party and after the money was collected the organization went into debt and lived on credit cards. In just four years we have all bills paid, zero debt and have established the world's leading creator of teenage pilots. "While we may not get the John Travoltas, the Harrison Fords or the Morgan Freemans, we're happy to welcome hundreds of thousands of guests from all over the world," says Leenhouts who flies to the show with his wife Nancy in his own Steerman. Schedules, camping reservations, registration for activities, and ticketing information can be found at www.sun-n-fun.org. If you're not flying in your own plane, Lakeland is convenient to the Tampa and Orlando airports. There is also daily Amtrak service. Author Roger Rapoport will appear at Sun 'n Fun April 5 at 7 p.m. in the Aerospace Pavilion for a special screening of his air safety feature film Pilot Error with veteran accident investigator Shem Malmquist. Back to Top San Jose: Private plane makes belly landing at SJC after landing-gear collapse Emergency crews work near a twin-engine small plane that had an apparent belly landing at Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif., SAN JOSE -- A twin-engine private airplane made an emergency landing at Mineta San Jose International Airport just after noon Thursday after the pilot detected a collapsed landing gear, authorities said. None of the four people on board the Piaggio P.180 were injured, SJC spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said. The nine-seater had just taken off from the airport and was bound for Seattle when the pilot noticed a warning light indicating a landing-gear issue. The pilot notified air-traffic controllers around 11:50 a.m. about a potential emergency. The plane made a belly landing, and responding San Jose firefighters -- manning multiple engines and three airport-crash rigs -- put retardant foam on Runway 30L as a precaution to mitigate any spilled fuel. Fire Capt. Christopher Salcido said no fuel was lost and no fires occurred. A twin-engine plane lies on the tarmac Thursday at Mineta San Jose International Airport after a problem with its landing gear forced the pilot to make an The involved runway was closed so crews could remove the damaged plane and sweep the runway, and were expected to finish by the end of Thursday afternoon. There were no known flight impacts as air traffic was diverted to the parallel Runway 30R. FAA records indicate that the aircraft was built in 2009 and is registered to a San Jose firm that specializes in power design. http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_29681257/san-jose-private-plane-makes-emergency- landing-at Back to Top 2 days and 4 planes later, Orlando flight arrives in GR Allegiant Airlines flight from Orlando finally took off for Grand Rapids Thursday GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A direct flight from Orlando to Grand Rapids was supposed to take about three hours, but instead it took two days and four different aircraft. Passengers on Allegiant Air Flight 682 were scheduled to take off from Orlando Sanford International Airport at 3:21 p.m. Wednesday and land at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids around 6:30 p.m., but the flight was delayed after multiple different mechanical problems. "It was getting scary too. We just kind of felt like are we really going to make it back," said Nicole Doud, who was traveling with her 10-month-old baby and two-year-old son. Passengers tell 24 Hour News 8 the first plane took off then had to turn around and return to the gate around 4:21 p.m. due to a mechanical issue. The travelers then boarded another aircraft around 6 p.m., but were again sent back to the gate a half hour later due to another, unrelated mechanical issue. The third flight was scheduled to depart around 8:45 p.m., however, it returned to the gate around 9:30 p.m. because there was an issue with the cabin lighting. Allegiant Air told 24 Hour News 8 in a statement released Thursday that passengers were given hotel rooms for the night. They were also given food and drinks at the gate and $200 off vouchers for future flights. Flight 682 was rescheduled as Flight 5682 for Thursday. It left Orlando at 8:27 a.m. and landed in Grand Rapids 10:57 a.m. "He was just a good pilot. So as aggravating as the situation was, it was a good experience because [the pilot] was safe," said Princess Braue. "We are exhausted. We are just tired that it was just off and on and off and on," Gina Postelli told 24 Hour News 8 after landing in Grand Rapids on Thursday. When asked if she would fly with Allegiant Airlines again, Postelli said she would not. Passengers were offered the option to change their reservation to another Allegiant flight at no extra cost. Any passengers who chose not to fly with Allegiant will receive a full refund, according to the airline. There are advantages to cheap flights, but there is a reason they are inexpensive. It's important that you know what you are giving up to keep a few dollars. "There are less carriers which is less completion, which has meant in most cases higher prices," said travel agent John Lovell with Breton Travel. That's why some Grand Rapids flyers are turning to cheaper flights like Allegiant, which provides cheap and direct flights. At least, that's the idea - but problems pop can up. "It's part of the tradeoff when you are going to one of low-cost carriers," Lovell said. "If there is a trip delay, if there is a mechanical flight cancellation, they don't have the frequency that one of the major carriers have so they are not going to be able to put you on the very next flight. What we like to tell people if you are not on a timeline, it's a great option, but if you need to be somewhere at a certain time then you perhaps want to consider one of the other carriers." Lovell says unlike other major airlines, Allegiant doesn't have the option to put you on another airline's flight. Big airlines like Delta and United may, providing more flight options to get home if problem happens. No matter what you pay for your flight, nothing guarantees on time departures. "These things happen every now and then. It's part of the joys of traveling," Lovell said. Allegiant Air sent the following statement to 24 Hour News 8 on Thursday: "Flight 682 with scheduled service from Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) to Gerald R. Ford Airport (GRR) on March 23, 2016 took off at 3:21 p.m. local time and returned to SFB at approximately 4:21 p.m. due to a mechanical issue. Passengers deplaned normally and boarded on another aircraft at SFB. The second aircraft pushed back at 5:52 p.m. and returned to the gate at 6:23 p.m. due to an unrelated mechanical issue. The third aircraft pushed back at 8:46 p.m. and returned to the gate at approximately 9:27 p.m. due to an issue with cabin lighting. Passengers were given hotel rooms for the night. Passengers were also offered the option to change their reservation to another flight in the Allegiant system at no cost. Any passenger who chose not to fly will receive a full refund. Passengers were given food and drinks at the gate and have been issued $200 dollars off vouchers for future travel. Flight 682 was rescheduled as flight 5682 for March 24. It left SFB at 8:27 a.m. and landed in Grand Rapids at 10:57 a.m. Allegiant On-Call Media Relations" http://woodtv.com/2016/03/24/orlando-to-grand-rapids-2-days-and-4-flights/ Back to Top Number of US drones will nearly triple by 2020: FAA An estimated seven million drones will fly in US skies by 2020, nearly tripling the number expected to be in circulation by the end of the year, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday. "Unmanned aircraft systems will be the most dynamic growth sector within aviation," the agency said in a report, which forecast that some 2.5 drones million will be in use by the end of 2016. How the civilian drone market evolves, however, will depend on future security and regulatory measures put in place by the US government, the FAA said, emphasizing that "unprecedented milestones" were already set in 2015. In December of last year, the FAA released rules requiring registration of small unmanned aircraft weighing more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds) and less than 25 kilograms (55 pounds), including payloads such as on-board cameras. "This registration rule will aid in investigations and allow the FAA to gather data," the agency said in its report. The number of hobby drones is expected to climb from 1.9 million in 2016 to 4.3 million in 2020, while commercial drones are predicted to soar from 600,000 to 2.7 million. However, the FAA added that predictions for commercial drones "are more difficult to develop given the dynamic, quickly-evolving nature of the market." The FAA will publish final regulations regarding drone use within the next few months, it said. The agency worked with Teal Group, a drone industry expert, to better understand the market for unmanned aircraft systems. An estimated 90 percent of the drone fleet in 2020 will cost an average of $2,500. The most expensive models may reach $40,000. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/number-us-drones-nearly-triple-2020-faa-090557728.html Back to Top Inside Africa's largest aviation academy Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy trains pilots, flight attendants and maintenance staff Company aims to train thousands of young Africans to man company's flights (CNN)A fire rages in an airplane's overhead compartment while alarmed passengers cough from the smoke filtering through the cabin. What happens next could be a matter of life and death.Fortunately, this is just a drill. But for the hopeful flight attendants of Ethiopian Airlines it's a vital exercise in how to remain cool under extreme pressure."We must be strong in our mind to manage the emergency situations," says Gloria Lawson, trainee flight attendant at the Ethiopian Aviation Academy. "Now we are doing theoretical lessons. (But) after one month, we will begin (with the) practical." Lawson, originally from Togo in West Africa, has come to the largest aviation training school on the continent to learn her trade before taking to the skies. A training plane at the Ethiopian Aviation Academy. Focused on pilots, ground staff, maintenance technicians, cabin crew, and leadership roles, it currently trains 1,300 students, who come from all over Africa. But gaining access to this renowned institution is no cakewalk. "When I was called I was so glad," says, Estelle Ngondonbol, a flight attendant trainee from Cameroon. "I thought 'oh my god it's my dream being realized.' I was so happy." To be accepted "you've got to speak French, English, have a degree from a university and be presentable and pretty girl," Ngondonbol adds. School of flight The cost for flight attendant training is $5,000 for a three-month course. By contrast, the full pilot training program goes for $68,000. In addition to learning basic service skills, flight attendants are also expected to handle a variety of scenarios, including an emergency water landing. For Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, this thorough approach is the only approach. $80 million has been invested in expanding the training facility recently. "The Ethiopian Aviation Academy is going to play a leading role in making sure that Africans are well educated and prepared for 21st Century African aviation," Gebremariam says. "We have 23 airplanes just for pilot training. It meets all global standards. I would say it's one of the most admired centers of excellence in the world," he adds. And it's set to grow. By 2025, the academy hopes to train 4,000 students a year. According to Gebremariam, who oversees Africa's largest commercial airline fleet in his role, giving people from the continent the skills to succeed is an essential part of the company's plans. "The academy has duel objectives, the first is to make sure Ethiopian Airlines is not challenged by the shortage of skilled manpower in its vision 2025." "The second one is to train ... African youth in their skills and enable them to acquire the tools so they can get high quality jobs. This could be at Ethiopian or (over) the entire continent of Africa." Squashing gender stereotypes Another area where Ethiopian Airlines has made strong progress in recent years is in pushing women to the forefront of all its services. Earlier this year, 14 pilots, three of them female, graduated from the Ethiopian Aviation Academy. In November 2015, meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines made headlines by sending an all-women flight crew from Addis Ababa to Bangkok. The women covered every role, from flight attendants, to dispatchers, to pilots. But Gebremariam recognizes that pushing the talents of women and the local population is only part of the process It takes a lot to get a home-grown aviation company off the ground, after all. "Indigenous African airlines are still small in terms of market share," he says. "(With) all African airlines put together, we only have 20% (of the market)." "80% of the intercontinental traffic is carried by non-African carriers. This is a major challenge for all of us. "(But) going forward, if we really work on educating our people, our youth, we're going to own the fate of aviation in our hands, indigenous African aviation." http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/25/aviation/ethiopian-airlines-aviation-academy/index.html Back to Top Terrorism and War-Related Airplane Crashes Fast Facts NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: Smoke pours from the twin towers of the World Trade Center after they were hit by two hijacked airliners in a terrorist attack. (CNN)Here's a selected list of commercial airplane crashes caused by military acts or by terrorism. June 14, 1940 - Soviet bombers shoot down the Kaleva, a Finnish commercial plane traveling from Estonia to Finland, killing all nine on board. One passenger was Henry W. Antheil Jr., an American diplomat who was carrying diplomatic pouches from U.S. legations in Estonia and Latvia. March 3, 1942 - The Japanese shoot down a KNILM flight on its way to Broome, Australia. The plane crash lands on the beach at Carnot Bay as the Japanese continue shooting at it. Four people die. June 1, 1943 - British actor Leslie Howard is among 17 killed when German fighters shoot down a British Overseas Airways Corporation flight over the Bay of Biscay. July 23, 1954 - A Cathay Pacific flight is shot down by a Chinese Army fighter plane off the coast of Hainan Island, killing 10 people. April 11, 1955 - Sixteen people die when a bomb explodes on an Air India flight from Hong Kong to Jakarta. The "Kashmir Princess" was flying to the Afro-Asian Bandung conference. Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai may have been the target; however, he was not on the flight. July 27, 1955 - El Al Flight 402, bound for Israel, is shot down by two Bulgarian fighter jets after the plane strays into Bulgarian territory. All 58 on board are killed. May 10, 1961 - Following an onboard explosion, Air France Flight 406 crashes near Algeria, killing all 78 people on board. October 12, 1967 - A bomb goes off on Cyprus Airways Flight 284 on its way from Athens, Greece, to Cyprus, killing all 66 on board. No one claims responsibility, and the perpetrators remain undiscovered. February 21, 1970 - A Swissair flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv crashes after a bomb explodes. All 47 people on board die. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine initially claims responsibility, but later denies involvement, according to news reports. Swiss officials, who had named suspects from Jordan, end their investigation in 2000 without having solved the case. February 21, 1973 - Israeli fighters shoot down a Libyan Arab Airlines plane after it strays into the airspace of the Sinai Peninsula, then under Israeli control. Of the 113 people on board, 108 are killed. May 18, 1973 - An Aeroflot flight explodes above Siberia on its way to Chita from Moscow after a hijacker detonates a bomb. At least 80 people are killed. September 8, 1974 - All 88 passengers on a TWA flight that originated in Tel Aviv, but had just taken off from Athens, Greece, are killed when an explosion causes the plane to crash. Terrorists linked to the Abu Nidal group are suspected. January 1, 1976 - A bomb explodes on a Middle East Airlines flight from Beirut to Dubai. At least 80 people on board are killed. No one claims responsibility. October 6, 1976 - A Cubana Airlines flight explodes near Barbados, killing all 73 people on board. Luis Posada Carriles, a Cuban exile and former CIA agent, is charged with the bombing, as is Orlando Bosch, a Posada collaborator. Incarcerated while awaiting trial, Posada spends nine years in a jail in Venezuela, until he escapes in 1985. Bosch is released in 1987. The two were never convicted. September 3, 1978 - Air Rhodesia Flight 825 is shot down by guerrillas in the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army. The plane crash-lands, killing 38 of the 56 passengers and crew members. The guerrillas kill 10 of the survivors. February 12, 1979 - All 59 people on board Air Rhodesia Flight 827 die when the plane is shot down by a missile fired by guerrilla forces during the country's civil war. August 11, 1982 - A bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 830, carrying 270 passengers from Tokyo to Hawaii. A Japanese teenager is killed and several other passengers are injured. Mohammed Rashed of the 15 May terrorist group is arrested in Greece in 1988 and serves eight years of a 15-year prison sentence there. He is arrested by the FBI in 1998 and brought back to the United States. He is convicted in 2006 on conspiracy and murder charges. He is released in 2013. August 31, 1983 - Soviet fighter jets shoot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 as it flies over Soviet air space by mistake. All 269 on board are killed. September 23, 1983 - 112 people are killed when a Gulf Air jet is brought down by a bomb in the cargo hold. The plane was flying from Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates when it went down in the United Arab Emirates. Terrorists from the Abu Nidal group are linked to the attack. June 23, 1985 - Air India Flight 182 explodes near Ireland. With 329 fatalities, it is the deadliest commercial aviation bombing to date. Both Sikh and Kashmiri terrorists are blamed for the attack. Inderjit Singh Reyat, a Sikh, is the only person convicted. He pleads guilty to a manslaughter charge. November 29, 1987 - Two North Korean agents plant a bomb on Korean Air Flight 858, flying from Baghdad, Iraq, to Seoul, South Korea. The explosion kills all on board, 104 passengers and 11 crew members. July 3, 1988 - The USS Vincennes mistakes an Iran Air Airbus for an Iranian fighter jet and shoots down the passenger plane bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, killing all 290 people aboard. December 21, 1988 - Pan Am Flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground. The United States and United Kingdom blame Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, who was once security chief for Libyan Arab Airlines, and Al Amin Khalifah Fhimah -- accusing them both of being Libyan intelligence agents. Libya eventually hands over both men to the United Nations in 1999 and later agrees to pay $2.7 billion to victims' families. Al Megrahi is convicted while Fhimah is acquitted. Al Megrahi is released for medical reasons in 2009 and dies in 2012. September 19, 1989 - UTA Flight 772 traveling to Paris is brought down over the Sahara desert by a bomb in a suitcase, and all 156 passengers and 14 crew members are killed. A French court in 1999 finds six Libyans guilty in absentia and sentences them to life in prison. November 27, 1989 - A bomb goes off on Avianca Flight 203 traveling from Bogota, Colombia. All 107 passengers are killed in the crash. Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar and the Medellin drug cartel are blamed for the explosion. Two Americans are among the victims, and a U.S. federal court in 1994 convicts Colombian Dandeny Munoz-Mosquera, an alleged assassin for the cartel, of murder. September 21, 1993 - On three consecutive days beginning on this day, three civilian planes belonging to Transair Georgia are hit by missiles, killing 136 people altogether. Two planes are hit by Abkhazian rebel missiles, with 27 people killed aboard one and 108 on the other. A third plane comes under fire as it is being boarded, and one person is killed. December 11, 1994 - A bomb goes off under a seat on a Philippines Airlines flight from Manila to Tokyo, killing one person and injuring several others. Ramzi Yousef, one of those charged with bombing the World Trade Center in 1993, is convicted in 1996 for the bombing and for plotting to blow up 12 U.S. airliners. September 11, 2001 - 19 terrorists hijack four U.S. commercial airlines. Orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as an attack on the United States, a total of 2,977 people are killed, including 2,753 who die when American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 are intentionally crashed into the World Trade Center in Manhattan. American Airlines flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, killing 184 people. Forty people die when United Airlines flight 93 crashes into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. October 4, 2001 - A Sibir Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk, Russia, is shot down and plunges into the Black Sea, killing all 78 aboard. The Ukrainian military denies responsibility at first but later admits it mistakenly shot down the plane during a training exercise. August 24, 2004 - Two female Chechen suicide bombers almost simultaneously blow up two Russian passenger planes flying out of Moscow, killing 90. July 17, 2014 - Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is shot down over Ukrainian territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. All 298 people on board are killed. http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/24/world/terrorism-and-war-related-airplane-crashes-fast-facts/index.html Back to Top The Race for the Ultra-Efficient Jet Engine of the Future The commercial aviation industry emits 705 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. While that represents only about 2 percent of global carbon emissions, there is evidence that the greenhouse gases in jet fuel have a larger effect on the atmosphere because they are released at high altitude. Efforts to introduce biofuels to power jet engines have so far fallen short of their targets, and many in the industry believe the pathway to cleaner jets is through advances in engine technology rather than cleaner fuels. That's the idea behind the fierce competition to supply tomorrow's aircraft with engines that are much lighter, quieter, and more energy-efficient than the conventional turbofan engines used on airliners today. Pratt & Whitney says its new engines-which use an internal gearbox to slow down the speed of the fan- could save 20 percent on fuel consumption compared to an airliner with a conventional engine. Competitor CFM International, meanwhile, has introduced its own advanced engine, called the Leap, which could achieve similar improvements without such a radical break from existing technology. Both new engines have been deployed on different versions of Airbus's new jet, the A320neo. Although early flights have not been trouble-free, the new turbofan engines promise more efficiency and lower carbon emissions. Turbofan engines use a large-diameter fan to pass air through the engine and have dominated commercial aircraft since the 1960s. Pratt & Whitney spent more than 20 years and $1 billion developing its new geared turbofan engines, which use larger fans (up to 81 inches in diameter on the A320neo) and a gearbox to make the fans rotate more slowly than the internal turbine that drives them, making them more efficient than traditional engines. Adding the gearbox, however, makes the engines heavier and increases aerodynamic drag. CFM International, meanwhile, says it can achieve many of the same benefits using a conventional turbofan architecture, without the added weight and drag of a gearbox. The Leap engine uses lightweight composite materials, such as carbon fiber fan blades, to achieve energy efficiency gains that the company says are comparable to those of the Pratt & Whitney engine. The Leap represents "the ultimate refinement of the traditional turbofan engine," says aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at the Teal Group. The two directions for the world's leading makers of jet engines contrast sharply: "Typically new engine designs are different flavors of vanilla," Aboulafai says. "This is the biggest diversion in propulsion philosophy that we've ever seen with two competing engines." So far Airbus's engine orders for the A320neo have been split between CFM and Pratt & Whitney models. More than 7,000 pre-orders have been placed for Pratt's new engines-a remarkable number, particularly in a period of low fuel costs. Last month, however, Qatar Airways, a large early customer of the A320neo, rejected delivery of the planes, citing concerns with cooling the new geared turbofan engines from Pratt. Airbus said the issues will be resolved by midyear and deliveries to Qatar will resume. Regardless of who wins the race for the next generation of airliners, experimental designs for jets that will reach the market in midcentury promise huge advances in reducing carbon emissions and noise from commercial aircraft. Late last month, NASA administrator Charles Bolden announced a new program to develop advanced aviation technologies that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from jet aircraft by more than half. The space agency will support R&D on a number of experimental aircraft, including the D8, a novel jumbo-jet design being developed by a partnership that includes Pratt & Whitney, MIT, and Aurora Flight Sciences. Those involved say the D8 could burn 70 percent less fuel than today's aircraft. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601008/the-race-for-the-ultra-efficient-jet-engine-of-the-future/ Back to Top CHINESE HACKER PLEADS GUILTY TO STEALING JET PLANS HACK TARGETED THE F-22, F-35, AND THE...C-17? Boeing's C-17 Globemaster III isn't a particularly sexy airplane. The long-haul cargo jet can fly over 6,000 miles without refueling, taking tanks, troops, and cargo from America to airfields far away. It's a big, powerful truck of a plane, whose role in fighting wars is a lot more important than some other, flashier designs, but it's not a design anyone puts at the top of their list for what to steal. Until they do. Yesterday, the U.S. Justice Department said Su Bin, a Chinese national in arrested in Canada in 2014, plead guilty to "conspiring to hack and steal" plans for the C017 Globemaster, as well as other sensitive American military jets. Besides the Globemaster, Su was apparently also seeking information on America's top-of-the-line F-22 stealth fighter, and its stealthy expensive simmering multi-role dumpster fire, the F-35. The hacks took place in 2009, and fit into a long-running pattern of Chinese attempts to use hackers to steal the details of American technology. The Justice Department detailed how the theft worked. Su would e-mail the co-conspirators with guidance regarding what persons, companies and technologies to target during their computer intrusions.... Su and his co-conspirators each wrote, revised and emailed reports about the information and technology they had acquired by their hacking activities, including its value, to the final beneficiaries of their hacking activities. This plea comes amidst a flurry of activity from the Justice Department, who today also linked 7 Iranian hackers to an attempted attack on an American dam. Fortunately, the dam the hackers picked was small, and its controls so out of date that the hackers were unable to take control of them. http://www.popsci.com/chinese-hacker-pleads-guilty-to-hacking-military-contractors Back to Top Ottawa allows Air Canada greater flexibility of where it maintains aircraft NDP accusing Liberals of allowing Air Canada to forgo obligations The opposition New Democrats are furious over legislation introduced in Ottawa today to allow Air Canada greater flexibility in where it maintains its aircraft. Air Canada to help create 150 maintenance jobs in Manitoba The opposition New Democrats are furious over legislation introduced in Ottawa today to allow Air Canada greater flexibility in where it maintains its aircraft. Air Canada to help create 150 maintenance jobs in Manitoba The 1988 Air Canada Public Participation Act, as it stands, dictates where in Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario the airline has to maintain its planes. The amendments introduced by Transport Minister Marc Garneau will ease those restrictions, retroactively, giving Air Canada more flexibility over where the work is done. Quebec had launched a lawsuit against Air Canada for not doing enough maintenance in the province. But the case was dropped last month after the airline agreed to buy jets from Montreal-based Bombardier and service them in Quebec for 20 years. Manitoba had also taken Air Canada to court, but the airline has reached a settlement with that province as well. Garneau says the original act was outdated and allows Air Canada to compete in a global market. But NDP Leader Tom Mulcair says it's outrageous in a modern democracy that a big corporation can convince a government to allow it to forego its obligations. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ottawa-allows-air-canada-greater-flexibility-of-where-it- maintains-aircraft-1.3506388 Back to Top Wellington aircraft cabin maker defends toilet patent BE Aerospace wins appeal over aircraft toilet patent Aircraft cabin maker B/E Aerospace has successfully defended its aircraft toilet patent, the Wellington- based aircraft cabin maker said Thursday. The multibillion-dollar company has been in a dispute with MAG Aerospace Industries, a Zodiac Aerospace company, of Carson, Calif., over parts in the patented Ecosystems Agile aircraft vacuum toilet found on commercial aircraft. Amin J. Khoury, B/E Aerospace's executive chairman, said the company believes the latest court decisions "resolve any uncertainty" regarding marketability of BE Aerospace's aircraft vacuum toilets. He said the lightweight toilet has been selected for the new Boeing 777Z aircraft and for retrofit programs on other Boeing aircraft. Khoury said the lightweight toilets have advantages in "reliability, weight savings and maintainability," allowing components to be replaced in a matter of minutes, instead of hours, as in existing systems. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-be-aerospace-toilet-patent-20160324-story.html Back to Top China Likely To Beat NASA Back To The Moon Chinese taikonauts will likely beat NASA astronauts back to the lunar surface in as little as five to ten years, longtime lunar scientist and geologist Paul Spudis now tells me. If so, that will happen primarily by default, as the lunar surface continues to drop off NASA's crewed destination radar. Of course, that doesn't preclude Russia, the European Space Agency (ESA), or numerous commercial space ventures - who have all expressed a desire to return astronauts to the lunar surface - from getting there sooner. But for now, Spudis thinks the Chinese are most likely to next make it happen. Spudis, author of the forthcoming, "The Value of the Moon: How to Explore, Live, and Prosper in Space Using the Moon's Resources," emphasizes that he does not object to a "Chinese presence" on the lunar surface. Rather, he objects to the U.S.' long absence from the lunar surface and what he sees as "our abdication" of responsibility in creating a permanent American presence in cislunar space - the space between the Earth and the Moon. Such a presence, he argues, would guarantee unhindered access to both space commerce and resources available beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO). A few into cislunar space. Earth and the Moon are nicely framed in this image taken from the aft windows of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998. Credit: NASA Mars , cislunar space, even near-Earth asteroids have all been bandied about as new targets for NASA astronauts. But Spudis argues that it's our nearest celestial neighbor that is most valuable in unlocking the rest of the solar system to crewed exploration, as noted in "The Value of the Moon." As for the likelihood that NASA will first return crews to the lunar surface before sending astronauts to Mars? Spudis says based on current plans, he sees either possibility as extremely unlikely in the "foreseeable future." http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2016/03/24/china-likely-to-beat-nasa-back-to-the- moon/#2b4c1377604c Back to Top EAAP Human Factors in Flight Safety: SMS, Risk Management and Safety Investigation - Initial Training Course, Barcelona, 23-27 May 2016 Special Note: An Early Bird discount of 200 EUR will apply to all registrations received by 15 April 2016. The course will be kindly hosted by the Barcelona-based airline Vueling, at their modern airline headquarters and ?ight training facility close to Barcelona El Prat Airport, just 12 kilometres from the centre of Barcelona. Full details of the course, including the Registration Form, are contained in the 2016 Course Information Brochure, which is available from the EAAP website: http://www.eaap.net/read/2981/initial-human- factors-in-flight-safety.html Please note that completion of this training course is recognised by EAAP (the European Association for Aviation Psychology) as contributing towards certification requirements for those wishing to become an EAAP-certified Aviation Psychologist or Human Factors Specialist. The experienced team of Dr Rob Lee, Kristina Pollack and Brent Hayward will conduct the course on behalf of EAAP. The first of these courses was conducted by the same team at Ispra, Italy in 1999, and since then the course has been held regularly in locations including Luxembourg, Stockholm, Madrid, Lisbon, Interlaken, Dublin, Dubai and Barcelona, with more than 400 participants attending to date. Each year the course is updated to reflect the latest thinking and developments in human factors and safety management in civil and military aviation. As detailed in the Course Registration Brochure, EAAP members are offered reduced registration fees for the course, and there is also a significant additional "Early Bird" discount for those who register by 15 April 2016. Course participant numbers are limited, so those wishing to attend are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Those with any questions about the course, please email Brent Hayward: bhayward@dedale.net Back to Top Hangar Rash Research Request Hello, my name is Mary Popko and I am a student as San Diego State University currently working towards a B.S. in Statistics. I would like to request your participation in my survey regarding 'hangar rash', a term commonly used to describe the unecessary damage that many aircraft sustain on the ground, while being maneuvered in the airport environment. The survey takes less than thirty seconds to complete. I hope to shed some light on this subject and would be happy to share my paper with anyone who is interested. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TLW5KZ6 Back to Top FSI Twitter Feed - Flight Safety Information can be found on a daily Twitter feed at: curtllewis01 https://twitter.com/curtllewis01 Back to Top Back to Top The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Cordially invites you to attendour spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Location: Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel Herndon, Virginia, 20170. Date/Time: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 - 9:30 pm Guest Speaker Honorable T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, Vice Chair, National Transportation Safety Board To: ISASI Members, Associates, and Guests: Please plan to attend this important annual event. We anticipate a large turnout for this event because our distinguished guest speaker. Please make your reservations early; as space will be limited and I must confirm the dinner numbers with the hotel by Thursday, April 21st. Don't forget that companions and other guests are most welcome. From: Ron Schleede President, MARC; Vice President, ISASI (H) 1-703-455-3766; (Cell) 571-212-4255; Email: RonSchleede@aol.com Date: Thursday, May 5, 2016 Times: 6:00 pm-Reception with cash bar 7:00 to 8:00 pm-Full buffet dinner ********************************************************** RESERVATION FORM The International Society of Air Safety Investigators Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 pm Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel There will be a "networking" cash bar beginning at 6:00 pm, followed by a full buffet dinner beginning at 7:00 pm. The program will begin about 8:00 pm. Adjournment anticipated about 9:30 pm. Yes, I will be attending: Name__________________________ Telephone___________________ Email Yes, I will be bringing a guest (s): Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Payment Method: Check, or Credit Card. Badge Name Company Name______________________________________ If paying by check, please make checks payable to ISASI-MARC, in the amount of $50.00 per person, if paid before April 21, 2016. The cost after April 21, 2016, will be $55.00, if space is available. This includes dinner, taxes, gratuity, and routine function expenses. Please mail checks to: Ms. Ann Schull, ISASI International Office, 107 E. Holly Avenue, Suite 11, Sterling, VA, 20164. (Telephone: 703-430-9668; FAX: 703-430-4970) If paying by credit card, please provide your reservation information, along with the following credit card information directly to Ms. Ann Schull by telephone, FAX, email, or regular mail. Curt Lewis