Flight Safety Information May 13, 2016 - No. 094 In This Issue Plane carrying 17 skydivers crashes in California vineyard UPDATE: FAA investigating possible plane parts found in McMinn County field "Sun Flyer" Prototype Unveiled Aviation Institute of Maintenance Launches Free Online "Human Factors" Safety Course Aviation workers picket White House over Norwegian Air Fort McMurray Fire: Suncor Pilot Broke Rules To Fly Pets To Safety Flight restrictions in place for Star Wars filming NATA Launches Free Aircraft Operator Safety Resource CASA ignores cowboy behaviour, says peak drone body Opinion: ICAO's Emissions Plan Has Loopholes Big Enough For An A380 Call for Nominations For 2016 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award PhD Research Request Plane carrying 17 skydivers crashes in California vineyard FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - A small plane carrying 17 skydivers clipped a pickup then landed upside-down in a vineyard, officials said Thursday, but the worst injuries were minor cuts and scrapes. The single-engine plane experienced trouble shortly after taking off from the Parachute Center skydiving school north of Lodi, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said in a statement. The pilot tried returning the Cessna 208 to the airport, Gregor said. The plane crashed less than a mile from the airport on the opposite side of Highway 99, a major route in California, said Lt. Dan Schmierer of the Woodbridge Rural Fire District. Nobody on the ground was hurt. Schmierer said he expected the worst when he heard about the crash. Pulling up to the scene, however, the pilot and his passengers were all standing around in a group. "I think some of them were in shock," Schmierer said. "They were all happy to be walking away from the crash." Schmierer credited the pilot, who also sustained minor injuries, for apparently flying the plane under power lines and away from a house about 75 feet from the crash scene. One skydiver praised the pilot for the way the crash landing was handled, and that everybody survived, Schmierer said. The Parachute Center's website claims to be "one of the largest and oldest drop zones in the United States," in operation since 1964. It says that experienced skydivers can jump from 13,000 feet. A person answering the phone at the Parachute Center declined to comment on the crash. Authorities are investigating what happened. http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/12/plane-carrying-17-skydivers-crashes-in-california/ Back to Top UPDATE: FAA investigating possible plane parts found in McMinn County field CALHOUN, TN (WRCB) - UPDATE: A McMinn County family thinks they found the missing part to a Delta airplane, forced to make an emergency landing in Nashville this week. The family stumbled upon the parts when taking pictures in a field at their farm, Barham Jersey Farms. The FAA is investigating whether they belong to the Delta Boeing 717 originally headed from Atlanta to Chicago. Neighbors near the Barham Jersey Farm went out earlier this week to test their new camera. When they stopped to get a snap shot of the cows -- they noticed a piece of debris; debris might solve the puzzle on what happened to Delta Flight 762. he Barham family dairy farm is usually pretty quiet but on Thursday FAA officials, the sheriff's department, and even inmates from the McMinn County Jail filled their fields. They were inspecting and looking for pieces that may belong to Delta Flight 762. "It's kinda crazy, never had this happen out here, it's pretty cool," said a family member of the farm, Tanner Barham. Barham says his cousin and their neighbors were out testing their new camera when they stumbled upon the piece of debris. He said he saw it a few days earlier and thought nothing of it. "I found a piece of metal in a cornfield, I thought it was a piece of the barn, I had no clue it was part of a plane." The family called the FAA Wednesday and on Thursday safety inspectors arrived to examine the pieces. Former NTSB chairman Jim Hall said he can't tell by looking at pictures if this is part of the Boeing 717. But it's important for all the pieces to be collected and reviewed. "I've seen where even the smallest piece might lead you to understand what happened and make important changes to aviation safer." The pieces will go to a lab where inspectors will determine if this incident was human error or a mechanical issue. "This aircraft operates in other fleets and it's important for aviation safety to try and determine what happened," said Hall. With more than 400 acres of land The Barham's said the search will not stop work on the farm. They continue to operate waiting for life to get back to normal. "It's pretty crazy, it happened out here. Nothing ever happens out here, pretty neat," said Barham. A Delta spokesman told Channel 3 the investigation continues and they are assisting the FAA with their investigation. The Barham family says 30 additional pieces were located on their farm today in a one mile span. Channel 3 is still waiting on confirmation from the FAA if the pieces are part of the plane. http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/31952719/photos-faa-looking-into-possible-plane-parts-found-in-calhoun-tn-fields Back to Top "Sun Flyer" Prototype Unveiled Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology Reserves 5 Additional Airplanes Collaborative Partnership with University of Denver's Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering & Computer Science Announced DENVER, Colorado - May 11, 2016 - Aero Electric Aircraft Corp. (AEAC), which is developing the high-tech, solar-electric "Sun Flyer" general aviation flight trainer, hosted a rollout event of its proof of concept (POC) Sun Flyer this morning at Centennial Airport. The airplane unveiled publicly for the first time is a 2-seat POC prototype version of Sun Flyer. Performance data from the POC prototype airplane will be used to help finalize the design for the FAA-certified production version. The rollout featured a static display of the aircraft. George Bye, CEO and Founder of AEAC, said the rollout of the aircraft is the first of many complex steps to finalize the design and ultimately achieve FAA certification for the production Sun Flyer. "It is an honor to have such notable individuals from the State of Colorado, surrounding communities, general aviation and aerospace industry with us today," he said. "I would like to extend a special thanks to Peter Harris and his outstanding team at Spartan. Their ongoing support continues to help the Sun Flyer program gain additional momentum." During the event, Peter Harris, CEO of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, announced Spartan is reserving five additional Sun Flyer airplanes. Spartan, a key development partner, reserved the first 20 Sun Flyer delivery positions and signed a Training Program Development Agreement to help develop a complete training system for Sun Flyer. "This is a great day," Harris said. "We are thrilled to have Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology involved as part of the Sun Flyer in an industry that needs pioneers. This is changing the nature of aviation training that will have an impact for generations to come." AEAC also announced a new strategic partnership with the University of Denver's Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering & Computer Science. Dr. Ing. Kimon Valavanis, Director of the DU Unmanned Systems Research Institute, noted how Sun Flyer's electric propulsion technology is scalable to numerous aviation platforms. "It is our desire to have much closer collaboration with AEAC and its founding partner, Bye Aerospace," he said. "The sky is not the limit for the future of aviation." Bye noted how the vision of AEAC and Bye Aerospace, aligns with the strategy of The Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering & Computer Science to create and organize education, research and outreach networks in order to recognize, understand and respond to the evolving technological needs of the world community and global economy. "We anticipate collaborative efforts on a variety of potential platforms, given our mutual interests in electric propulsion and unmanned aerial systems," he said. Charlie Johnson, President of AEAC, said the event was a significant moment in the evolution of general aviation. "Sun Flyer is going to be environmentally friendly, but there will be a lot of significant cost reductions as well," he said. Jay Lindell, Aerospace and Defense Industry Champion for the State of Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said many in the general public want to be pilots but are not able to achieve certification due to the high cost. "Today we cannot meet the demand for commercial pilots but with the Sun Flyer, general aviation will again be affordable, not a luxury." Greg Anderson, CEO of Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, said the Sun Flyer program will be a boost to training the next generation of pilots at Centennial Airport. "It is an exciting time for all of us," he said. "Young people are hungry for these kinds of experiences and flying opportunities." Jerry Gregoire of Redbird Flight said the cost of learning to fly and the costs associated with flying have had significant impact on aviation. "In looking for solutions to lower the cost of training, this is a very important piece of learning how to bring the costs of flying down." AEAC and Redbird are jointly creating a next-generation comprehensive pilot training system for Sun Flyer. ABOUT AERO ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT CORP. AEAC is developing Sun Flyer, the first FAA-certified U.S.-sponsored, practical, all-electric airplane serving the aviation flight training market. For more information, go to www.SunFlyer.com. Left to right: Greg Anderson, Jay Lindell, Peter Harris, Bob Stedman, George Bye, Jerry Gregoire, Charlie Johnson. Back to Top Aviation Institute of Maintenance Launches Free Online "Human Factors" Safety Course VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (May 12, 2016) - On May 2, 2016, the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) launched a free online course in aviation safety for aviation professionals, students, and enthusiasts around the globe. Understanding that 80% of all aviation-related incidents and injury occur because of human error, oversight, fatigue, and other human-related factors, AIM intends to combat such incidents by offering widespread instruction and guidance on minimizing risk. The school encourages students, professionals, and volunteers to enroll in this free continuing education course by visiting www.Aviation.edu. In addition to the free Human Factors course, AIM has also made available an advanced online professional certification course entitled, "Minimizing the Risk of Incident and Injury due to Human Factors." This certification course provides an in-depth understanding of the twelve most common human-related risk factors for aviation incidents, known as the "dirty dozen." This course draws from the material in the introductory curriculum and allows the trainee to apply their knowledge and experience to numerous scenario-based situations in order to become more aware of accidents, why they happen, and how to avoid them. The instructor-led certification process carries a cost of $49 and awards graduates a certification from Aviation Institute of Maintenance. Dr. Joel English, Vice President of Operations at AIM and author of Plugged In: Succeeding as an Online Learner, states that both the free introductory course and the full certification course are examples of innovative technologies and strong online teaching methods. "Our certification course doesn't have the anonymous feel of a 'MOOC,' where the trainee wades through streams of information with no interaction. It's situation based, there's interaction with the instructor, and the assessments draw directly from the scenarios that the video lectures discuss." The courses feature high definition video instruction, interaction with others in the course, and examples from authentic experiences that help the aviation professional think critically about safety in the workplace. English states, "AIM has always dedicated our instruction to awareness of the possibility for accidents or injury, and we found no reason to keep this innovative coursework to ourselves, when professionals around the industry could benefit." About Aviation Institute of Maintenance Aviation Institute of Maintenance is the United States' largest family of aviation maintenance schools, with headquarters in Virginia Beach, Va. Students learn the skills necessary to become successful in one of the world's fastest growing industries, aviation maintenance and the free Human Factors course and certification are examples of the school's passion and commitment to the aviation industry. AIM graduates are trained to meet the increasing global demands of commercial, cargo, corporate and private aviation employers. AIM's campuses are located in the following major metro areas: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Mo., Oakland, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Virginia Beach, Va. Learn more at:www.Aviation.edu. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12206959/aviation-institute-of-maintenance-launches-free-online-human-factors-safety-course Back to Top Aviation workers picket White House over Norwegian Air WASHINGTON - Norwegian Air International, a low-fare airline that recently won its first step toward approval for flights to the U.S., drew protests Thursday from rival workers who contend the bargain jets would skirt labor and safety laws. Hundreds of aviation workers chanting "Deny NAI" picketed in front of the White House on Thursday. Unions for pilots, flight attendants and mechanics claim Norwegian Air International, a subsidiary of the low-cost European carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle, located its headquarters in Ireland to dodge tough Norwegian labor laws that prohibit them from hiring contract pilots who may work for lower wages. The airline denies the charges. The company said it hired 400 U.S. crew members based in New York and Florida over the past two years as its application was under review by the Department of Transportation. The airline has 80 workers based in Dublin and 37 aircraft registered in Ireland. Norwegian Air Shuttle officials said its low-cost carrier would increase trans-Atlantic competition without sacrificing safety. The airline said it would hire either U.S.-based or European-based crew for all its trans-Atlantic flights. DOT gave its initial approval to NAI on April 15 and will reach a final decision after it evaluates comments from the public. The public comment period ends May 23. Rival airlines and their unions have fought the Norwegian Air application since 2013. The House of Representatives has a bill pending that would bar the department from approving NAI. There is no bill proposed in the Senate. The way Norwegian Air International operates threatens U.S. jobs and "runs contrary to U.S. policy," Capt. Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, a union with 53,000 members, told the crowd in Lafayette Park before marching across the street to picket. "This cannot stand." Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said she fears Norwegian would opt for short-term contracts that allow them to dismiss employees for unjustified reasons, such as weight or age. "This is about human rights, it's about equal rights, it's about women's rights, it's about labor rights," Nelson said. Supporters of Norwegian Air's bid to operate more flights in the U.S. say the airline will bring more competition to the industry. They accuse critics of simply trying to protect their own bottom line. "These unions have spent tens of millions of dollars on a political campaign to shut NAI out of the U.S. market, to restrict competition and effectively feather their own cozy nests in the trans-Atlantic market," said John Byerly, a former State Department official who helped negotiate international airline agreements and is now a consultant for Norwegian Air. "They've reacted with a mixture of desperation, frenzy and a bundle of just plain wrong arguments." Kevin Mitchell, founder of the Business Travel Coalition, said U.S. airlines worry that Norwegian Air's potential success could encourage other low-fare airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet to set up shop in the U.S. "They want to kill it now before it becomes a strong darling of Wall Street," Mitchell said. Phillip Brown, executive director for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, said Norwegian Air Shuttle, the parent company of NAI, brought competition, business and convenience to the Orlando area when it began flying direct to Europe. "We believe they will expand greatly with approval of the pending U.S. Department of Transportation certificate, and we welcome it," Brown said. http://www.12news.com/news/nation-now/aviation-workers-picket-white-house-over-norwegian-air/187641060 Back to Top Fort McMurray Fire: Suncor Pilot Broke Rules To Fly Pets To Safety Keith Mann is the manager of flight operations for Suncor Energy, but after recent heroic actions, it might be more accurate to call him Noah. When news broke last week that over 88,000 people would be forced to flee a massive wildfire near the northern Alberta city of Fort McMurray, Mann and Suncor jumped into action. He received a message that 300 evacuees needed to be flown out from one of the company's lodges. Mann, who was at the operational control centre, noticed the Calgary-based company still had room on a few flights with partnering airlines. He quickly arranged for a bus to pick up the evacuees and take them to the tarmac. He had no idea his air crew would soon have to fly a menagerie. "When they arrived at the airport - we didn't even think about it - but they arrived with all their pets," Mann told The Huffington Post Alberta. Normally, Suncor's private airline doesn't carry pets - it's typically used for flying employees back and forth from work sites. But, seeing close to 100 animals waiting with their owners, Mann realized an exception would have to be made. "We didn't want any people to make the decision to stay behind because they couldn't take their pets so we sort of broke, or bended our policies on the carriage of pets to let that happen." Crews welcomed the pets - including dogs, rabbits, cats, chinchillas, hedgehogs and a frog - into the planes' cabins. Mann said there was a rumour someone brought along their pet pig. "Our crews made sure the number of pets they would take inside the cabin they could carry safely, so the largest number we had was 36 in the cabin," he said. One 200-pound dog decided he wanted to sit in a seat like a passenger. "He just hopped into a seat and wouldn't get out, so we were trying to encourage him to sit on the ground." "It was a range of pets, so you can just imagine the potential of it. But once they got airborne it was just total tranquility." It's unclear who will end up paying the bill to cover the flights, but Mann said that money was the last thing on their minds. "It was 'worry about it after'. The main thing was make sure we had enough airplanes and enough time to get people out and do it safely because it was a mass effort," he said. "It's not a big airport we're talking about. It's got one tarmac and one runway. And we had to coordinate all the airplanes taking off and landing and loading. So that was the primary focus." Over the past 10 days, Suncor has flown up to 10,000 people out of the Fort McMurray area. Since the evacuation, he's also been busy shuttling people in critical roles back and forth from the crisis. The wildfire is still burning out-of-control, but Mann says he'll be prepared when evacuees are allowed to return to their homes. "We're just poised and ready and when we're told we're ready to go we'll go." http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/05/12/fort-mcmurray-pets_n_9936426.html Back to Top Flight restrictions in place for Star Wars filming What are effectively no-fly zones over film sets are being implemented by the Irish Aviation Authority over some of the country's most scenic headlands to facilitate the shooting of scenes for Star Wars Episode VIII. One of the most stringent restrictions is already in place, on the Dingle peninsula in west Kerry. A 21-day restriction bans flying under 1.5km (5,000ft) within a circle of an 8km radius. The "Air Navigation Restriction" in the vicinity of Sybil Head and Dunmore Head in Dingle has been in place from 5 May and will continue until 26 May, according to the terms of the flight restriction notice issued by the Irish Aviation Authority. The IAA says the restrictions are for safety reasons. No aircraft are allowed fly in the zone without permission. State aircraft and those of the Irish Coastguard Service on search and rescue missions are exempt from the ban. The restriction specifically excludes drones. Private drones may not operate unless they have written permission "from the flight operations authority and event organisers", the notice states. Such remotely operated aircraft in the zone may be seized by gardaí "as evidence for potential prosecution and in the interest of aviation safety," it warns. Similar restrictions, for similar reasons, are being put in place for two- and three-day periods, for Brow Head in Co Cork, Malin Head in Co Donegal and Loop Head in Co Clare. In 2015 and 2014, during the filming of two previous Star Wars films in Co Kerry, an exclusion zone under the Maritime Safety Act 2005 was placed around the Unesco world heritage site of Sceilg Mhichíl and was enforced by the Irish Navy. That exclusion was for the protection of heritage and personnel, according to the Department of Transport at the time. The Sceilg's beehive monastic village has now been recreated on private land at cliff edge at the top of Ceann Sibéal, a protected area. Permits for the project were granted by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, in conjunction with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The site is under tight security. An IAA spokesman said "At the request of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the IAA issued a number of Temporary Restricted Areas (TRA) to support film activity. Full details of these TRAs, including location and duration, is available on the IAA website." http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0512/788031-star-wars-flight-restrictions/ Back to Top NATA Launches Free Aircraft Operator Safety Resource Washington, DC, May 10, 2016 - Today, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) unveiled the FBO Status Map - a web-based resource to assist aircraft operators in locating FBOs and ground handlers that are Safety 1st qualified and IS-BAH registered. NATA created the map to supplement the existing processes used by aircraft operators when selecting an FBO. "Safety is a vital consideration in the flight planning process. NATA's FBO Status Map provides operators and pilots a free, easy to use tool to locate Safety 1st qualified and IS-BAH registered FBOs throughout the world," stated NATA President and CEO Thomas L. Hendricks. "Safety 1st and IS-BAH are not competing programs, but rather complementary tools that help assure ground handlers are utilizing industry best practices and gold standard training," added NATA Managing Director of Safety and Training Michael France. "Now aircraft operators can verify the status of potential handlers from their tablets, PCs or smartphones in seconds." The map is searchable by airport ID, company name, address and allows for additional details for each FBO. To view the FBO Status Map, please visit www.fbostatus.com or www.groundhandlerstatus.com. NATA, the voice of aviation business for 75 years, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies. For more information about NATA, please visit www.nata.aero, www.twitter.com/nataaero or www.facebook.com/nataaero. Back to Top CASA ignores cowboy behaviour, says peak drone body The nation's peak industry group for certified drone operators has accused the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of failing to enforce penalties on "cowboy" drone - pilots who flout regulations and put aircraft and people's safety at risk. Association of Australian Certified UAV Operators (ACUO) secretary-treasurer Brad Mason has compiled a dossier of more than 65 incident reports tracking infringements by unlicensed drone operators. The infringements include users flying too close to airports, flying over city and suburban environments, frequently at night, and flying over large populations. The infringements list witnesses' names and phone numbers and include photo and video evidence of drone pilots breaching regulations. But while this dossier and a list of alleged infringers has been handed to CASA to follow up, there has been no indication from the organisation that investigations have taken place. "The continued soft policy approach to regulatory enforcement by CASA has led to a widespread culture of indifference to aviation and public safety, driven in large part by the lack of enforcement deterring such behaviours," Mr Mason told The Australian. "This naturally results in increased rates of non-compliance with the aviation regulations and here we are, 14 years later, still without a single effective enforcement strategy for dealing with illegal and unauthorised drone activity. That's a sad indictment on the aviation regulator." CASA spokesman Peter Gibson did not reveal if the regulator had followed up on the ACUO's leads but he defended the organisation's enforcement practices, saying its safety regulations had been effective to date. Mr Gibson said CASA received about 30 reports a month about drones potentially breaching safety regulations. In the past 18 months CASA has issued 15 - infringement notices for breaches. "Where CASA has evidence of a potential breach, an investigation can be tasked, and if a breach is proven, action can be taken. CASA will continue to take action against people who breach the regulations when it is appropriate to do so," Mr Gibson said. "Like any regulatory agency, CASA needs evidence of breaches before action can be taken. Many reports are based on videos and photos online, which often do not show who was operating the aircraft at the time." But Mr Mason said CASA's inability to enforce drone rules was being exacerbated by the organisation's recent moves to deregulate the operation of drones weighing less than 2kg. "We are absolutely seeing an increase in drones and cowboy pilots breaking the rules. It's been about a twofold increase over what we had last year, which is worrying," he said. Under recently relaxed rules, from September 29, commercial operators flying drones under 2kg will no longer need approvals. The amendments still will require operators to obey standard flight rules, which are not to fly within 5.5km of an airport, not above 400 feet, not within 30m of buildings, railways or vehicles, and to always have visual line of sight of the drone. But the amended regulations mean drone operators can fly into controlled airspace as long as they are 5.5km away from airports. "The sub 2kg sector of unmanned aviation is the most problematic sector of aviation globally, yet our regulator sees no increased risk to aviation and public safety by allowing this sector even more freedom to breach the regulations," Mr Mason said. He said CASA needed to be more proactive in educating training pilots of their obligations. "Voluntary compliance with the aviation regulations will only work safely if there is effective education and training to encourage compliance, and equal part - effective deterrent to any lingering bad behaviour and poor attitudes to aviation and public safety," he said. Mr Gibson said there would be a "comprehensive information campaign" to inform people about the changes and the safety responsibilities of operating very small remotely piloted aircraft. "This follows the successful information campaign CASA has been running over recent years to educate the public about the safety rules covering recreational drones, which has been targeted at the people most likely to fly drones," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of people have been reached by this campaign through point of sale safety information and traditional and social media communications." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/casa-ignores-cowboy-behaviour-says-peak-drone-body/news-story/5f2ea58aa91d7132076649c850786b99 Back to Top Opinion: ICAO's Emissions Plan Has Loopholes Big Enough For An A380 In September 2013, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) declared that it would vote on a global market-based mechanism (MBM) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation in 2016 and implement it by 2020. This March, two years after it began considering an extraordinarily complicated strawman proposal, ICAO published the draft Assembly Resolution text. This draft is an admirably simplified MBM. Getting close to an agreement on controls for CO2 from international aviation is unequivocally a good thing. Unfortunately, the new proposal contains a loophole large enough to fly an Airbus A380 through. It could exempt a much larger proportion of emissions from international aviation than its architects likely intended. On top of that, the absence of corresponding efforts to curb emissions from domestic aviation, particularly in the U.S., could tilt the playing field to favor some airlines over others. Depending on how they are interpreted, the proposed rules would exempt a significant chunk of global revenue ton kilometers (RTK), and by extension, a significant proportion of CO2 emissions. (In this context, an RTK is either a metric ton of cargo or 10 passengers and their luggage.) My analysis suggests the MBM would cover only about two-thirds of the total emissions from international aviation in the scheme's first five years (2021-25). The rules are more stringent for the rest of the scheme's duration (2026-35), but still, just 85% of international aviation's emissions would be covered. The new proposal carves out exemptions for, among others, states that make small contributions to international traffic. Judging by its Global Aviation Dialogues documents, ICAO does not define a nation's contribution on the basis of all the traffic that flows in and out of it. It is defined, instead, on the basis of the traffic carried by airlines that have been issued air operator certificates (AOC) by the country. In conjunction with the (laudable) rule that the "same requirements and rules shall apply to all aircraft operators on the same routes between states," this greatly expands the scope of the exemptions. Take the case of South Africa. My analysis estimates that South African airlines will account for just over 0.5% of global international traffic in 2018. On this basis, the mechanism would exempt, until 2026, all traffic-on any airline-in and out of South Africa. However, such traffic in and out of South Africa will account for 2% of the total-four times as much as the traffic carried by airlines with South African certificates. As a consequence, the total size of the exemption in 2021-25 due to South Africa will be 2% and not 0.5%. Basing exemptions on the traffic carried by the airlines with operator certificates issued by that country perverts the scheme's intentions and guarantees that it will come nowhere close to its goal of capping net emissions at 2020 levels. The leak could be plugged by basing exemptions for small countries on the total traffic in and out of a country. This would ensure that a much higher proportion of international traffic is covered-88% in 2021-25, rising to 95% in 2026-35. More countries will be included in the mechanism, reducing the scope for market distortions. For example, while Nigeria would be permanently exempt under the operating-certificate-based approach, it would be included in the scheme from 2026 onward if exemptions were granted based on total traffic. South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia would be brought into the scheme sooner than they otherwise would be. There are other ways in which the scheme could be gamed. Large airlines could allocate new, efficient aircraft to the routes that fall under the MBM and older, less efficient aircraft to the exempted routes. In effect, they could transfer some of their emissions out of the scheme, rather like a corporation might move its income from a high-tax to a low-tax jurisdiction. Airlines with large domestic operations would be able to shift their least efficient aircraft to domestic routes and lobby to prevent their home governments from implementing policies that require them to fly efficient aircraft. For example, around 65% of the people and cargo carried by U.S. airlines are in the domestic market. The comparable number for U.K. airlines is 3%. It is zero for airlines from the United Arab Emirates or Singapore. To keep the playing field level, it is crucial that international regulation be matched by domestic efforts to cut emissions. Even in poor countries, it is the well-off who fly internationally and are likely to benefit from exemptions. Recognizing this, and in light of the distortions they can introduce, perhaps the designers of the MBM should do away with exemptions altogether. As the first mechanism that will address CO2 emissions from an entire sector of the global economy, ICAO's MBM may serve as a template for other sectors, for example, ocean shipping. It is important to get it right. http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/opinion-icao-s-emissions-plan-has-loopholes-big-enough-a380?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20160512_AW- 05_110&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_4&utm_rid=CPEN1000001748382&utm_campaign=5884&utm_medium=email&elq2=5923cd0583304e638319fc68a0ea249b Back to Top Call for Nominations For 2016 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) are now accepting nominations for the 2016 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in aviation safety. The award will be presented during the 69th Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov. 14-16 in Dubai, UAE. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 70 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets in June of each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/ or the Flight Safety Foundation website at http://flightsafety.org/aviation-awards/laura- taber-barbour-air-safety-award. Nominations will be accepted until June 1, 2016. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.com. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. Back to Top PhD Research Request Helicopter Pilots, This is a request for you to participate in a research study for my doctoral degree. The purpose is to study the relationship between safety management systems, incidents and accidents, and company performance for small helicopter companies with less than 5 aircraft and in the last 10 years. This research is in conjunction with safety efforts by the US Helicopter Safety Team and the Helicopter Association International. There are series of questions regarding safety management systems, incidents and accidents, and company performance. To participate, you must be between age 21 to 60, had some aircrew experience with any type of small civil helicopter organization (5 aircraft and under) and in the United States in last 10 years. Current helicopter student pilots can participate. Please follow the link below and fill but if you start, please finish the survey. It will only take about 12 minutes to complete. The survey does not include any identifiable data about the crewmember, places of employment, or OEM. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5VPCZZ5 Thank you very much for your participation! Principal Investigator Scott Burgess Doctoral student at Northcentral University S.Burgess4793@email.ncu.edu Curt Lewis