Flight Safety Information March 28, 2016 - No. 061 In This Issue Transcript indicates cockpit decision may have doomed FlyDubai jet that crashed in Russia Ace pilots belly land passenger jet in Kazakhstan, all 116 passengers safe (VIDEO) Jet Blue makes emergency landing in Bahamas Southwest Jet Makes Unplanned Stop For Ill Co-Pilot American Airlines Pilot Arrested After Failing Breathalyzer Test at Detroit Airport Air India aircraft does emergency evacuation in Mumbai Lawsuit reveals how aircraft operators can bypass federal safety standards Emergency Medical Helicopter Accident (Alabama) Mi-171 Helicopter Crash (Algeria) Air Force hopes to head off the poaching of its pilots Alaska's Pavlof Volcano Spews Ash 20,000 Feet Into Air Just Because Lockheed Says They Can Build A Mach 6 Spy Plane Doesn't Mean We Need One We Can't Wait To Fly In The Airplane That The Internet Built Qatar Executive takes delivery of Gulfstream aircraft Will We Let The World's Fastest Passenger Airplane Make It Off The Ground? PILOTS IN DEMAND AT 42ND SUN 'n FUN April 5-10 EAAP Human Factors in Flight Safety: SMS, Risk Management...and Safety Investigation - Training Hangar Rash Research Request ISASI Military Air Safety Workshop - 19-21APR (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Meeting/Dinner - 05MAY Transcript indicates cockpit decision may have doomed FlyDubai jet that crashed in Russia The Rossiya-1 television channel said it had obtained a transcript of the pilot interactions a minute before the FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 nose-dived to the ground, killing all the passengers and crew members. MOSCOW - An error by a crew member committed during adverse weather may have been responsible for the crash of a passenger jet last week in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don that killed 62 people, a report broadcast by Russian state television said. The Rossiya-1 television channel said it had obtained a transcript of the pilot interactions a minute before the FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 passenger jet nose-dived to the ground, killing all the passengers and crew members. A source in the investigative commission with access to flight recorders provided the TV channel with the transcript. The channel emphasized that its interpretation of the transcript could not be considered the official version of what had happened. Flying from Dubai, the plane was not able to land on its first attempt because of heavy rain and wind, and it entered a holding pattern for two hours. On the second landing attempt, the crew decided to pull up and try again, but 40 seconds after beginning the ascent, one of the pilots switched off the autopilot, possibly in response to sudden turbulence, the report said. Seconds after the autopilot was turned off, the plane plunged to the ground. "Don't worry," one of the pilots says, according to the transcript, which was translated into Russian, seconds before saying, "Don't do that!" The last words recorded were repeated calls to "Pull up!" Only "inhuman screams" could be heard for the last six seconds. The television channel cited experts who suggested that by turning off the autopilot, the pilots were trying to pull the plane back to a horizontal position. But at that moment, a stabilizing fin at the jet's tail was switched on. With the fin activated, "the elevator is no longer working and the plane practically does not react to the pilot's control panel," the report said. The channel suggested that the pilot could have accidentally hit the button that activated the fin because of his reported "chronic fatigue." Russian investigators have opened a criminal inquiry into the crash. http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/transcript-indicates-cockpit-decision-may- have-doomed-flydubai-jet-that-crashed-in-russia/ Back to Top Ace pilots belly land passenger jet in Kazakhstan, all 116 passengers safe (VIDEO) Kazakh pilots safely landed a passenger plane without the use of its front wheels after a malfunction in the aircraft's front landing gear on Sunday. Video of the miraculous landing immediately emerged online. Pilot makes emergency landing after front landing gear malfunc... A Bek Air pilot was forced to make an emergency landing without the use of their aircraft's front wheels at Astana International Airport in Kazakhstan The incident took place when the Fokker 100 aircraft operated by Kazakh airline 'Bek Air', which had departed from Kyzylorda, was landing at Astana International Airport on Sunday morning. The pilots realized the front wheels were malfunctioning when the plane was already in descent. "So far we know that the landing gear was not coming out," airline board chairman Nurlan Zhumasultanov, told Russian news agency RIA. "The plane's commander took an expert decision to land without the front landing gear. The plane landed on girt pads and leg doors. The aircraft received minimal damage, it can be restored," Zhumasultanov added. After receiving news of the malfunction, the airport crew covered the runway with foam to minimize friction. The plane touched down some 45 minutes later than scheduled, after making several loops around the airfield. All 116 passengers and five crew members on board the Bek Air plane landed safely, with no injuries reported. A criminal investigation has been launched under a law called "Violation of safety rules and operation of air transport". The cause of the mishap will be investigated by a special commission of the Ministry of Investment and Development of Kazakhstan, which manages air traffic and safety. Commander Dmitry Rodin and co-pilot Vadim Smerechansky, who landed the Bek Air plane without casualties, will receive state awards, Minister for Investment and Development Aset Isekeshev announced on Facebook. Morning flights at Astana International Airport were delayed due to the incident, but the airport is now operating as usual. https://www.rt.com/news/337375-pilots-emergency-landing-astana/ ******************* Date: 27-MAR-2016 Time: 10:37 Type: Fokker 100 Owner/operator: Bek Air Registration: UP-F1012 C/n / msn: 11426 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 121 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Astana International Airport (TSE/UACC) - Kazakhstan Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Kzyl-Orda Airport (KZO/UAOO) Destination airport: Astana International Airport (TSE/UACC) Narrative: Bek Air flight Z9 2041 performed a nosegear-up landing at Astana International Airport, Kazakhstan. The aircraft, a Fokker 100, operated on a domestic flight from Kzyl-Orda Airport. Approaching the Astana Airport, the nose landing gear failed to deploy. The aircraft then made a forced nosegear-up landing on runway 22 which had been foamed by airport fire services. The aircraft came to rest on the runway and all occupants evacuated through the forward doors. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=185898 Back to Top Jet Blue makes emergency landing in Bahamas NASSAU, Bahamas, (CMC) - Bahamian authorities say all 97 passengers and crew on board a Jet Blue aircraft were not injured when the aircraft made an emergency landing at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) on Friday evening, The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said that a Jet Blue 29 Embraer 190 travelling to the Bahamas from Washington Dulles Airport (KIAD) had declared an emergency due to a landing gear problem. Aviation officials said that only the right main gear was extended, and that both the left main gear and the nose gear were not. "The pilot in command made a decision to attempt a landing at LPIA, and after burning some fuel, executed a safe landing...with the use of both the left and right main gear only. The nose gear was not extended. All passengers and crew were determined to be uninjured," the CAD said in a statement It said as a result of the incident, the main runway at LPIA was temporarily closed to allow for the removal of the aircraft and that aircraft operations continue on another runway with minimal delays "The public is informed that the Accident and Investigations Unit of the Flight Standards Inspectorate will immediately conduct an investigation into this incident, with a view to determining the circumstances which led to its occurrence," the CAD said praising various stakeholders, including the pilot "for a job well done". http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/JET-BLUE ******************* Date: 25-MAR-2016 Time: 16:30 Type: Embraer ERJ-190AR (ERJ-190-100 IGW) Owner/operator: JetBlue Registration: N273JB C/n / msn: 19000073 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Nassau-Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS/MYNN) - Bahamas Phase: Landing Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Washington-Ronald Reagan National Airport, DC (DCA/KDCA) Destination airport: Nassau-Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS/MYNN) Narrative: The Embraer ERJ-190AR operated by JetBlue as Flt 29 from Washington, District of Colombia, experienced an inflight landing gear anomaly and subsequent landing with the nose gear retracted on runway 14 at Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN), Nassau. The airplane sustained unreported damage and there were no injuries reported. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=185842 Back to Top Southwest Jet Makes Unplanned Stop For Ill Co-Pilot DALLAS (AP) - A Southwest Airlines flight has made an unplanned stop in Las Vegas after the co-pilot became ill. Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said the co-pilot was fine after being checked by medics. Flight 1015 was flying Friday from San Jose, California to Dallas. Flight-tracking services showed that the plane was over southern Utah when it turned back to land at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, where it stayed on the ground for about two hours. King said the plane resumed the trip to Dallas with a replacement for the ill crew member, who may have become dehydrated. He was not identified. http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/03/25/southwest-jet-makes-unplanned-stop-for-ill-co-pilot/ Back to Top American Airlines Pilot Arrested After Failing Breathalyzer Test at Detroit Airport An American Airlines co-pilot was arrested after he failed a breathalyzer test at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport this morning, an airport police spokesman told ABC News. The flight, bound for Philadelphia, was cancelled. The co-pilot, whose identity was not released, was suspected of having a blood alcohol content over the legal limit when he arrived for his flight in Detroit this morning, Lynn Lunsford of the Federal Aviation Administration told ABC News. He failed a field breathalyzer test and was then arrested and given another test, said Michael Conway, Director of Public Affairs at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The blood alcohol content was not released, but Conway said it was over the limit for a pilot. FAA rules state that pilots cannot fly with a blood alcohol content of 0.04 percent or greater. American Airlines said in a statement: "This is a serious matter and we are assisting local law enforcement and the Federal Aviation Administration with the investigation. We will handle this matter appropriately as the safety and care of our customers and employees is our highest priority." The airline said Flight 736 was cancelled and customers were being reaccommodated. "We apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans," the airline said. It's unclear where the co-pilot was at time of arrest, Conway said, but the airport police were called at 6:40 a.m. and the plane was due to take off around 7 a.m. The co-pilot's identity was not released but Conway said he was born in 1965 and is from Pennsylvania. http://abcnews.go.com/US/american-airlines-pilot-arrested-failing-breathalyzer-test- detroit/story?id=37949289 Back to Top Air India aircraft does emergency evacuation in Mumbai MUMBAI: An Air India flight did an emergency evacuation soon after landing at the Mumbai airport on Monday morning. Soon after the flight from Hyderabad touched down in Mumbai around 7.30 am, smoke was detected in the aircraft's main wheel assembly. The aircraft apparently had a tyre burst on landing. The commander opted for an emergency evacuation. About 120 passengers were evacuated through slides. The main runway of the airport has been shut down. Flight operations have been moved to the secondary runway. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Air-India-aircraft-does-emergency-evacuation- in-Mumbai/articleshow/51579349.cms Back to Top Lawsuit reveals how aircraft operators can bypass federal safety standards Jean-Pierre Forest is pictured in his home near a piece of the plane that he was in when it crashed leaving him with a brain injury in Richmond, British Columbia on March 24, 2016. Jean-Pierre Forest's 1,857th skydive ended in disaster. Mr. Forest was one of eight people on board a Beech King Air when it crashed in a cranberry field in August, 2008, about 400 metres west of Pitt Meadows airport. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada found the left engine failed as the plane climbed, and it ruled that the aircraft had been inadequately maintained. Four of the people on the plane were seriously injured. Mr. Forest alleges he suffered a brain injury, fractured vertebrae, broken ribs, a broken arm and psychological injuries. His lawsuit against the owner of the aircraft and the Attorney-General of Canada is to be heard in B.C. Supreme Court next week - and Mr. Forest's lawyer says the case reveals a way in which aircraft operators can potentially bypass federal safety standards. A former member of the Canadian military, Mr. Forest said in an interview that his life has been forever changed by the crash. He does not remember the plane going down and spent a month in an induced coma. He said he used to hold a senior position at a firm that specializes in security cameras and surveillance, but he is now working on camera assembly and packaging. "I'm hoping that eventually maybe I'll get back to another position that's closer to what I was getting paid," he said. The TSB, which released its report in 2009, found the aircraft had been registered in the United States through the Federal Aviation Administration and was operated seasonally in Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Because it was registered in the U.S., the aircraft was issued a foreign air operator certificate by Transport Canada. Joe Fiorante, one of the lawyers representing Mr. Forest, said operating under NAFTA should not mean aircraft in Canada can be held to a lower safety standard. In its report, the TSB found that the regulatory oversight in place was inadequate because an inspection carried out by the FAA did not identify any of the issues that led to the crash. One of the TSB's findings was that there could be a risk to passengers if Transport Canada did not verify that holders of foreign air operator certificates met airworthiness and operational requirements. "That was not the intent of NAFTA. It was to harmonize safety standards, but it wasn't a race to the bottom," Mr. Fiorante said in an interview. "... It wasn't intended to allow Canadians to bypass our own system of aviation regulation." The allegations in the case have not been proven. Mr. Forest's notice of civil claim says Transport Canada inspected another aircraft owned by the same skydiving company in 2000 and suspended that aircraft's operating certificate because of safety concerns. The lawsuit says that plane's engines were well beyond the number of hours they can fly before they must be overhauled. The notice of civil claim alleges the company then turned to the United States and began receiving certificates of authorization from the FAA in 2001. In a statement, Transport Canada wrote that it is limited in what it can say about the matter since it is before the courts. It noted the TSB report says Transport Canada has taken some action on foreign air operator certificates, including better notification about such operations for regional departments. Transport Canada said there are currently 33 U.S. air operators with approved foreign air operator certificates "for the conduct of specialty air services in Canada. As seasonal parachuting operations have not yet started in Canada, it is difficult to predict how many applications are likely to be received for 2016," it said. The statement of defence filed by the Attorney-General of Canada says NAFTA "allows services to be provided by one free-trade agreement partner to clients in the territory of another." A NAFTA implementation team reviewed the maintenance and inspection requirements in the U.S. and Canada, it says, and determined "with few exceptions" that the requirements "resulted in an equivalent level of safety." The skydiving flight was operated by Pacific Skydivers Ltd. The company was owned by Flanagan Enterprises Inc., which is a defendant in the lawsuit. The owner of Flanagan Enterprises could not be reached for comment. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/lawsuit-reveals-how-aircraft- operators-can-bypass-federal-safety-standards/article29400303/ Back to Top Emergency Medical Helicopter Accident (Alabama) Date: 26-MAR-2016 Time: 00:17 LT Type: Aerospatiale AS 350BAB2 Owner/operator: Haynes LifeFlight Registration: N911GF * C/n / msn: 3119 * Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Coffee County, NNE of Goodman, AL - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Troy Rgnl Medical Cntr Helipad Destination airport: Montgomery, AL Narrative: A Haynes Medical helicopter was responding to a motor vehicle accident. A pilot, nurse, medic and patient were aboard the aircraft when it was reported missing around 00:17. All four occupants died in the crash. The crash site is reported in a swamp area. James Brown, deputy director of the Coffee County Emergency Management Agency, said "the aircraft was discovered around 07:02 within an area along Coffee County Road 615 in the Goodman community." https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=185878 Back to Top Mi-171 Helicopter Crash (Algeria) Date: 27-MAR-2016 Time: 06:00 p.m. Type: Mil Mi-171 Owner/operator: Algerian Air Force Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 14 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Reggane, Adrar province - Algeria Phase: En route Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The military helicopter crashed during a training flight due to a technical failure. Twelve occupants died in the crash. Two were injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=185929 Back to Top Air Force hopes to head off the poaching of its pilots The Air Force is struggling to keep its pilots, who can often find better wages in the private sector. But the retention issue is more complex for the Air National Guard, Maj. Gen. Brian Neal told the House defense appropriations subcommittee on March 22. "The Air Force either has a pilot or it doesn't," said Neal, acting director of the Air Guard. The active-duty component "does not have an airline pilot, it has a military pilot. We have [both] military pilots and airline pilots." On the active side, the Air Force needs to re-evaluate how best to retain its pilots in the face of increasingly stiff competition for the most qualified people. That struggle has prompted the service to offer retention bonuses ranging from $75,000 to $225,000 for a five or nine-year commitment. AIR FORCE TIMES To meet anti-terror demand, Air Force offers $125K bonuses to keep drone pilots But a commercial pilot doesn't have to deal with four- or six-month deployments overseas, which can be enticing, particularly for service members with families. Major airlines such as Delta or Southwest are willing to pay handsomely for a pilot with more than 1,500 flying hours and 10 or more years of flying experience. After a few years in the commercial aviation industry, pilots can make more than $190,000 a year, plus 401(k) contributions. Knowing their pilots have two jobs, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve officials are struggling to come up with the best retention strategy, but their focus is more on the "who," rather than the 'how," Neal said. "Our biggest concern is not retaining pilots, it's retaining the full-time pilots," he said. "You can compare the pay stubs. The airlines are making billions of dollars. We don't pay enough." Neal is particularly concerned about two categories of Air National Guard pilots who might be lured away by the commercial airlines' higher salaries: technicians and guardsmen serving in an Active Guard Reserve status. Technicians are Air National Guard employees who are paid as civilian government employees. They must concurrently hold a position as a traditional guardsman in the Air National Guard. Some guardsmen can serve full time with their units in an Active Guard Reserve status. They are separate from active-duty airmen. Both categories of pilots have the potential to earn more money with the commercial airlines, creating a retention issue for the Air National Guard. Neal said the reserve components are working with the airlines to create a program that allows Air Force pilots to swap their short-term flights in the Guard for more long-term commitments. Or, they can work a smoother schedule in which the airlines get a heads up when their Guard and reserve pilots are to be be mobilized for active duty. But the Air Force must act soon. Major airlines plan to hire about 20,000 pilots over the next 10 years, according to recent reports. "I am optimistic we will be able to recruit and retain traditional, drill-status guardsmen pilots,," Neal said. http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2016/03/26/air-force-hopes-head-off- poaching-its-pilots/82127662/ Back to Top Alaska's Pavlof Volcano Spews Ash 20,000 Feet Into Air ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A volcano on Alaska's Aleutian Islands erupted Sunday afternoon and sent ash 20,000 feet into the air, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Pavlof Volcano, which is about 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, erupted at 4:18 p.m. local time. The agency says the eruption also led to tremors on the ground. The USGS raised the volcano alert level to "Warning" and the aviation warning to "Red." The agency says the volcano, which is about 4.4 miles in diameter, has had 40 known eruptions and "is one of the most consistently active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc." A previous eruption in 2013 sent ash plumes rising 27,000 feet. Other eruptions have generated ash plumes as high as 49,000 feet. The community closest to the volcano is Cold Bay, which is about 37 miles southwest of it. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alaska-s-pavlof-volcano-spews-ash-20-000- feet-air-n546406 Back to Top Just Because Lockheed Says They Can Build A Mach 6 Spy Plane Doesn't Mean We Need One Extreme speed is once again becoming a prized quality at the Pentagon after a two decade long hiatus following the retirement of the SR-71 Blackbird. Now Lockheed says it can build 3,800 MPH proof-of-concept jet in just a couple of years time, an aircraft that could lead to an fully operational "SR-72." Amazing as that sounds, does the Air Force even need such an aircraft at all? Lockheed says it sees these so-called hypersonic weapons, a term that refers to speeds above Mach 5, as a very lucrative business space to invest in when it comes to supplying the U.S. with future air combat capabilities. During Lockheed's annual media day, the defense giant's head honcho Marillyn Hewson said the following: "Lockheed Martin has a legacy of making fast aircraft. We are now producing a controllable, low-drag, aerodynamic configuration capable of stable operations from takeoff to subsonic, transonic, supersonic and hypersonic, to Mach 6." This is a strong statement. She admits not only that the company is producing technologies such as thermal protection, avionics and aerodynamic shapes for a hypersonic aircraft, but seemingly also that they're working on an actual aircraft design that would combine these technologies into a functioning hypersonic airplane. A Very Fast Mountain To Climb The big stumbling block for hypersonic flight is that it is very hard to optimize an aircraft to fly at such extremely high-speeds and be able to takeoff and land from conventional runways. Parasite-type configurations, where the hypersonic vehicle is lifted to altitude by a larger mothership and then launched on its mission, are one answer, but these concepts have big design limitations and they're extremely complex and expensive. So what do you get with an "SR-72?" You get something that can launch from California and be over North Korea in an hour and a half. Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works stepped out a few years ago, seemingly out of nowhere, and showed off its SR-72 concept for a hypersonic plane that could theoretically operate from runways without the need of a launch aircraft or booster of any type. It would achieve such a capability through a "combined cycle" engine concept. This engine system would presumably get around the traditional limitations of individual turbojets, ramjets and scramjets which can only really work over their own specific velocity ranges. Obviously, installing three types of engines in an aircraft that is supposed to be super high-performance is not an option. Lockheed's hybrid combined cycle propulsion concept aims at solving this issue by using a turbine engine at low-speeds and a scramjet at high-speeds, with both sharing a common inlet and nozzle design while keeping their airflow paths separated. Just Because Lockheed Says They Can Build A Mach 6 Spy Plane Doesn't Mean We Need One Lockheed now wants to test their combined cycle engine, and all the other crazy technologies they have developed to operate a real aircraft at sustained hypersonic speeds, in the form of a flying technology demonstrator. On that, Hewson said: "Most importantly, we're proving a hypersonic aircraft can be produced at an affordable price. We estimate it will cost less than $1 billion to develop, build and fly a demonstrator aircraft the size of an F-22." Lockheed thinks they can have this demonstrator flying by 2018, so we are not talking about a long-term development program here. In fact, the the stated timeline is so ambitious that it wouldn't be surprising if the project was already underway in classified form. Reconnaissance Has Changed Even if Lockheed can build such an aircraft, does the Pentagon actually need such a weapon system? An SR-72-like aircraft would be unmanned and would have both a reconnaissance and rapid global strike role, but there are at least partial and possibly much cheaper alternatives to building a high-flying "silver-bullet" extreme performance jet. It seems that so many have desperately wanted there to be a replacement for the SR-71 Blackbird, something even higher flying and faster than its predecessor, regardless of if there was ever even a real demand for one. The thing is, a super-high speed aircraft to replace the SR-71 has been sort of the aerospace-defense world's white whale. Some very high-profile and respected journalists were seemingly obsessed with the potential existence of such a craft throughout the 1980s and 1990s, greatly enhancing the mythology of a possible "Aurora" spy jet. It seems that so many have desperately wanted there to be a replacement for the SR-71 Blackbird, something even higher flying and faster than its predecessor, regardless of if there was ever even a real demand for one. In the end there has been no concrete evidence to support the existence of such a machine, and especially not a fleet of them in an operational form. There are plenty of good reasons that a Blackbird successor never happened. The fact that satellites could provide the SR-71's "moment in time" intelligence without risking human beings in the process was big factor. Air defenses have also come a long way as computer and sensor technology has advanced. Yet maybe the biggest reason was that persistent, penetrating reconnaissance has been all the rage over the last few decades-not ultra-fast spy planes. The SR-71 was limited to taking a snapshot in time, very similar to that of reconnaissance satellite. Its main advantage is that it could show up unannounced and be gone very quickly while satellites are much more predictable due to the confines of their orbits. Aided by stealth technology, slow but largely invisible to radar persistent reconnaissance aircraft could survey the enemy over long periods of time, without them ever knowing they were being watched. Even more important, they could do so deep in enemy airspace, not along their borders. Think of it as the difference between taking a photo of an birthday party in a park from 200 feet away with a long camera lens, and shooting hours of video of that same event while mingling among the crowd. Obviously the latter tells a much more complete story of the party. The video camera also allows the shooter to record audio of the event. Similarly, with persistent reconnaissance capable of penetrating enemy airspace you can bank all types of radio emissions and even atmospheric samples over time. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million. This reconnaissance revolution really began with Northrop's Battlefield Surveillance Aircraft Experimental (BSAX), otherwise known as Tacit Blue. or more lovingly, the Whale. Its stealth design, hard to detect sensors, and data link technologies proved that a surveillance asset could survive and spy for long periods of time even while operating deep over enemy territory. Eventually, this concept would evolve into the stunted RQ-3 Darkstar. Yet that program eventually would give birth to RQ-170 Sentinel. The RQ-170 has kept tabs on Iran's nuclear program and helped hunt down Osama Bin Laden. It has also likely spied on other nuclear programs, such as North Korea's, and friendlier ones too, such as Pakistan's. Although the bat-wing and stealthy RQ-170 looks cool, it is a downright humble machine compared to something like hypersonic spy plane. It is slow, small, doesn't break altitude records and likely doesn't even represent anything near the top end of American aerospace and weapons systems ingenuity. But it does what the Blackbird or its potential successor cannot, be the most obsessive of voyeurs, lurking and watching for hours on end in places it shouldn't be. The RQ-170 is just one program that has advanced the penetrating persistence reconnaissance concept, there are certainly others, and they are probably much more advanced than the RQ-170 ever will be. The shadowy high-altitude, long-endurance penetrator dubbed by Aviation Week as the RQ-180, a Northrop product that has been all but admitted to existing by the USAF, likely takes the persistent penetrating surveillance aircraft concept to a much higher level, both figuratively and literally. Sexy, But Not Necessary With all this in mind, and considering the threats we have faced around the globe for the last 20 years, it is easy to see why a sexy hypersonic spy plane just isn't a priority. Yet evolving enemy capabilities, shifting geopolitical realities, and the need to respond more rapidly to targets of opportunity and urgent surveillance needs are bringing very high- speed aerospace technology back into fashion. Just Because Lockheed Says They Can Build A Mach 6 Spy Plane Doesn't Mean We Need One Russia, China and the U.S. are working hard at developing hypersonic missile technology with the hopes that their blistering kinetic profiles can overwhelm potential enemy's defenses and command and control chain. Yet hypersonic aircraft have been a more elusive prospect as the costs to develop such a large and complex vehicle are prohibitive, and the technology needed to make them a reality has been murky at best (until now, maybe.) Can the increasingly cash-strapped Pentagon even afford one? Testing the technology in a demonstrator form for a billion bucks is one thing; the Pentagon blows money in far more egregious ways, and the science may be useful for other applications. But actually building a relevant-sized fleet of fully operation aircraft and putting them on quick reaction alert at a couple of bases is a whole other story. So what do you get with an "SR-72?" You get something that can launch from California and be over North Korea in an hour and a half. A Mach 5-capable aircraft will take just two minutes to traverse the entire Korea Peninsula at the mid-point along the DMZ. Once there the jet can suck up image, radar and electronic intelligence for a moment before it is long gone. If you stationed these aircraft at two bases, each halfway around the globe from the other, they could theoretically hit any target within just over an hour and a half after launch. This is an insanely impressive capability, but in order to do so you have to create a way to chuck a guided munition out of a an aircraft traveling at over mach five. Now you have a whole separate high-risk, high-cost munitions development program going on in parallel to developing the jet. Forget about slowing down to drop something-that defeats the whole purpose. Then there is the survivability issue. Good luck making this thing low-observable, or to put it more simply, stealthy. The materials science and airframe shaping alone just to get to Mach 5 will be hard enough, and considering how much heat this aircraft will be propagating against a very cool and thin atmosphere, infrared detection will be a given. So it has speed on its side, in a huge way. Yet with every measure there are countermeasures, and in an age where laser weapons are becoming a thing and missiles are capable of intercepting incoming nuclear warheads, betting so much on speed alone seems like a very risky proposition. A Different Approach The alternatives to such an aircraft really are plentiful. Arming submarines with hypersonic (or even high supersonic) capable land attack missiles would probably be far cheaper and more effective when it comes to satisfying the time-sensitive strike requirement. Said missiles could also be surface, land or air launched as well. By positioning these missiles near hotspots around the globe, they could be over a bad guy at least as fast, if not much faster than a super complex SR-72 and at a fraction of the cost. A similar missile system could be built that lugs sensors instead of a warhead. After streaking over enemy territory it could data-link its information before self destructing. Smaller, much shorter ranged air-launched supersonic unmanned reconnaissance aircraft are also a more economic possibility. When it comes to a time sensitive strike, you could also just use ballistic missiles. Of course, there is some controversy over possibly triggering World War III by mistake, but the fact is in a near-peer state conflict conventional ballistic missiles will be a heavily used weapon against the U.S. and its allies. Case in point: China is investing very heavily in this exact space. Then there is the question of how many spy satellites could we put in orbit for the cost of a SR-72 program. Considering just the tech demonstrator will cost a billion bucks (and that is in "Lockheed dollars!"), a small fleet of full-up operational hypersonic vehicles will likely run into the tens of billions. That means we could buy dozens of new spy satellites for the cost of an SR-72 program. Finally, there is the question of having to fill every potential need with a 100 percent solution. Couldn't we just forward-deploy stealthy subsonic drones to areas where intelligence gathering may be urgent, and launch them when needed or even keep a couple always in the sky for re-tasking? Sure, they may not get there as quickly, but you can buy hundreds of drones for the cost of SR-72 program. In the end, the SR-72 idea is very exciting and very cool. Lockheed knows how to pull at any tech or aviation buff's heartstrings with killer renderings of the jet and promises of obscene speed. But just because we can do something does not mean we should do something, and sadly, a new Mach 6-capable bomb-chucking unmanned spy plane fits into that category. http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/just-because-lockheed-says-they-can-build-a-mach-6- jet-1765367071 Back to Top We Can't Wait To Fly In The Airplane That The Internet Built We all know what a nightmare flying can be. But now, Airbus has revealed plans for a new plane that's customer-approved. According to Mashable, Airbus revealed its new cabin design, called Airspace, in London last week. And the aircraft manufacturer credited the internet for inspiring their designers and vocalizing what changes they wanted to see in a plane cabin. "[Customers], through social media, are...comparing one airline versus another, they're comparing one seat versus another," said Dr. Kiran Rao, executive vice president of strategy and marketing at Airbus, told Mashable. "They're comparing the experience they have from one airline to another. That is what has driven the change from what we've done in the past." That's right, all that tweeting, sharing, and snapchatting got through to the people at Airbus and they used the feedback for their new design. Airbus's new A330neo aircraft is set to launch in 2017. It offers more space, including wider seats as standard and no under-seat control boxes for the in-flight entertainment system - which means more legroom! The layout and design of the cabin has been made more modular, so each airline can customize the layout of their planes, which should mean wider aisles that aren't taken over by lavatories and trollies. The planes will offer improved built-in broadband connectivity, so passengers can use their phones and tablets, and even make calls and send text messages. There's also more room for luggage overhead and the Airspace also has mood lighting and environmental settings, so passengers will be less disoriented after flights. Every airline that purchases an Airspace can customize it, so planes may not look exactly like the concept images here, but very well could. Check out Airbus's video promo for Airspace, below. Keep sharing your thoughts on how plane travel could be better, it's obviously making a difference! http://www.refinery29.com/2016/03/106952/airbus-airspace-plane-cabin Back to Top Qatar Executive takes delivery of Gulfstream aircraft Qatar Executive, the private jet charter division of Qatar Airways, has taken delivery of its second brand-new Gulfstream G650ER. In time for the upcoming busy spring and summer season, Qatar Executive now has two Gulfstream G650ER aircraft ready for charter to meet the requirements of its affluent clientele, according to a statement. "Qatar Executive's G650ER aircraft can easily fly non-stop from the Middle East to North America or from destinations in Asia to Africa - further, faster than any other jet of its kind - and is perfectly suited for those whose travel needs include flights halfway around the globe," the statement notes. Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker said, "We are delighted to welcome a second Gulfstream G650ER to our expanding private jet fleet and be able to provide our clients with more flexibility and an enhanced product portfolio. "The G650ER allows our customers to reach the main business centres around the world in the shortest possible time, travel in superior comfort and take more luggage along than on other jets in this category." Qatar Executive received its first G650ER in December 2015 following an order for up to 30 new market-leading business jets, including Gulfstream's all-new G500 and G600, for which Qatar Executive is the global launch customer. Qatar Executive's second Gulfstream G650ER features an identical cabin interior as the first G650ER. The aircraft has a two-cabin configuration and seats up to 13 passengers. Seats convert into fully-flat beds so that seven guests can easily sleep on board and the aircraft also provides a three-seater divan in the aft cabin. "The G650ER's cabin interior is kept in a classic-contemporary style, combining understated luxury and timeless elegance through a natural colour palette ranging from earthy tones of the walnut brown wooden veneers to the china-white leather seating and finest woollen Loro Piana fabrics with soft brown fishbone patterns," the statement notes. The G650ER's cabin features advanced technology such as satellite communications, high- speed Internet, wireless local area network and Gulfstream's Cabin Management System, which allows passengers to use their personal electronic devices to control audio, video, lighting, temperature, window shades and other cabin functions. Further features of the Gulfstream G650 are the fact that it has the lowest equivalent cabin altitude of any business jet and the cabin air is replenished 100% every two minutes, the statement adds. The G650ER can travel 7,500 nm/13,890 km at Mach 0.85 and 6,400 nm/11,853 km at Mach 0.90 - so customers can travel at 90% of the speed of sound. http://www.gulf-times.com/story/486186/Qatar-Executive-takes-delivery-of-Gulfstream- aircr Back to Top Will We Let The World's Fastest Passenger Airplane Make It Off The Ground? Alex Epstein CONTRIBUTOR Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Because of governmental barriers to new development and industry, we have become used to living in a society where most of the exciting advancements are in microtechnology-computer chips, smart phones, etc.-rather than in macrotechnology-new forms of nuclear power, mass-desalination of water, and of course the ever-elusive flying car. But what about the flying plane? A year and a half ago, my friend Blake Scholl, an entrepreneur and pilot, pointed out to me that airplanes are actually getting slower-despite the fact that the technology needed to make them faster, quieter and more affordable than ever existed. Take a look at this graph of passenger airplane speeds. The story this tells is one of a society that used to aggressively, successfully pursue faster travel-and then gave up. The early story of speed is inspiring. In 1869, the revolutionary technology of the transcontinental railroad made a trip from New York to California in 83 hours-52 times faster than the covered wagon did. In 1933, just 30 years after the Wright brothers' first flight, a trip from New York to California took 20 hours. In 1959, that trip took five hours with the transcontinental passenger jet. Pause on that: A trip from New York to California takes the same amount of time today that it did in 1959. In what other field do we accept 50s-level performance? In the 50s and 60s, they didn't accept it. In 1976, the supersonic Concorde, flying at twice the speed of sound, could fly almost anywhere in the world in under eight hours, making it possible to go from New York to Paris in under 3.5 hours. Unfortunately, that was not the beginning of the supersonic revolution but a lone attempt at greatness before decades of airline mediocrity. Since I fly on some 100 planes a year, this is particularly upsetting-but not surprising. Given today's regulatory gauntlet for new macrotechnology, who would want to try to build a fundamentally superior plane? Well, as it turns out, Blake Scholl. On Monday, his company, Boom, announced that it is building the fastest passenger airplane ever. It promises to match today's business class prices at more than twice the speed. I've been following the project behind the scenes for the last year, as not only a friend and, full disclosure, an angel investor, but most importantly as an enthusiast for progress. It is exciting and inspiring to see a company take on an epic engineering and business challenge that would save me thousands of hours over my career-a challenge that no one is taking on. But while we should admire those who do take on such challenges, we should also be 100% clear on why so many people don't try to create radical innovation in transportation. It is because we have a politically powerful movement, the environmentalist movement, that does everything it can to obstruct new development and new technology in the name of minimizing our footprint on nature. That movement virtually destroyed nuclear power-it makes it hard to build anything, from a road to a building-and it will surely find dozens of reasons to oppose a faster plane. Indeed, one of the movement's heroes, Bill McKibben, has condemned all air travel because airplane fuel emits CO2: "Jet travel can't be our salvation...so the kind of trip you can take with the click of a mouse will have to substitute." I want the opposite kind of world-the world where I can find amazing places with the click of a mouse, hop on a supersonic plane and enjoy the heck out of them. That's why I am not an environmentalist. I don't want to minimize my footprint on nature. I'm a humanist. I want to maximize my well-being, which includes a lot of improving nature. If we want the world of the future, we're going to need a lot more humanists. Alex Epstein is founder of the Center for Industrial Progress and author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels. Click here to contact him. http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexepstein/2016/03/23/will-we-let-the-worlds-fastest- passenger-airplane-make-it-off-the-ground/#4f54fb0f2ff1 Back to Top 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 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 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