Flight Safety Information June 1, 2016 - No. 107 In This Issue Egypt says signals picked up from doomed plane's black boxes French vessel detects signals likely from EgyptAir jet black box Egyptair flight 804: future black boxes should eject in crash, says Airbus IATA: Adapting safety focus as operating environment changes Government watchdog: TSA falling short in oversight of airport perimeter security Mitsubishi MRJ Number 2 Takes Flight Aerion To Submit Supersonic Bizjet Type Application By 2017 New small airplane service takes off in Chiang Mai EU happy with Zambia safety aviation standards Ryanair welcomes over 30 new aircraft in first four months of 2016 Boeing 737 NG Aircraft Fitted With AerSafe Airbus Unveils Thor, Their Fully 3D Printed Unmanned Test Aircraft Donation of WSI Fusion Software from The Weather Company, an IBM Business, Equips MTSU's Aerospace Students Northeast State to offer new A.A.S. degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology (Tennessee) PhD Research Request Egypt says signals picked up from doomed plane's black boxes CAIRO -- Egypt said Wednesday that a French ship has picked up signals from deep under the Mediterranean Sea, presumed to be from black boxes of EgyptAir Flight 804 that crashed last month, killing all 66 passengers and crew on board. The Civil Aviation Ministry cited a statement from the committee investigating the crash as saying the vessel Laplace was the one that received the signals. It did not say when the signals were detected but the French Navy confirmed the Laplace arrived on Tuesday in the search area. CBS News presses Egypt aviation chief for answers on EgyptAir flight 804 Laplace's equipment picked up the "signals from the seabed of the wreckage search area, assumed to be from one of the data recorders," the statement read. It added that a second ship, John Lethbridge affiliated with the Deep Ocean Search firm, will join the search team later this week. Locator pings emitted by flight data and cockpit voice recorders, known as the black boxes, can be picked up from deep underwater. The Airbus A320 had been cruising normally in clear skies on a nighttime flight to from Paris to Cairo early on May 19 when it suddenly lurched left, then right, spinning all the way around and plummeting 38,000 feet into the sea. A distress signal was never issued, EgyptAir has said. Since the crash, small pieces of the wreckage and human remains have been recovered while the bulk of the plane and the bodies of the passengers are believed to be deep under the sea. A Cairo forensic team has received the human remains and is carrying DNA tests to identify the victims. The search has narrowed down to a 3-mile area in the Mediterranean. Conflicting reports in EgyptAir crash The black boxes could finally explain what went wrong when it mysteriously crashed in the Mediterranean Sea, CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reported. David Learmount, a consulting editor at the aviation news website Flightglobal, said the black boxes' batteries can transmit signals up to 30 days after the crash. But even if the batteries expire, locating the boxes remains a possibility. "It's terribly important to find the black boxes, because if they don't find them, they will know nothing about the aircraft," he said, citing a 2009 incident when black boxes were found two years after a crash in the Atlantic Ocean. Nearly two weeks after the crash off Egypt's northern coast, the cause of the tragedy still has not been determined. Egyptian officials have told CBS News they believe it was more likely a terror attack that brought the plane down than a technical failure. But no hard evidence has emerged on the cause, and no militant group has claimed to have downed the jet. Earlier, leaked flight data indicated a sensor had detected smoke in a lavatory and a fault in two of the plane's cockpit windows in the final moments of the flight. In France, the country's air accident investigation agency or the BEA could not immediately comment on the developments since they have not yet received any "official communication" from Egyptian authorities. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/egyptair-flight-804-signals-picked-up-from-doomed-planes-black-boxes- egypt-says/ Back to Top French vessel detects signals likely from EgyptAir jet black box A French naval search vessel has picked up signals believed to originate from one of the black boxes of EgyptAir flight MS804 which crashed into the Mediterranean last month, the Egyptian investigation committee said on Wednesday. It said in a statement the search for the black boxes was intensifying ahead of the expected arrival within a week of another vessel, the John Lethbridge, from Mauritius-based company Deep Ocean Search to help retrieve the devices. "Search equipment aboard French naval vessel Laplace... has detected signals from the seabed of the search area, which likely belong to one of the data boxes," the committee said. Investigators are searching in some of the deepest waters of the Mediterranean for flight recorders from the Airbus A320 which crashed on May 19, killing 66 people. The jet's flight recorders or "black boxes" are designed to emit acoustic signals for 30 days after a crash, giving search teams fewer than three weeks to spot them in waters up to 9,840-feet (3,000-meters) deep, which is on the edge of their range. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egyptair-airplane-blackboxes-idUSKCN0YN4A0 Back to Top Egyptair flight 804: future black boxes should eject in crash, says Airbus Engineering chief says 'deployable' flight recorders that launch from an airliner and float rather than sinking with wreckage would speed up search and recovery Flight recorders should eject in a crash so they can be more easily recovered, the head of engineering at Airbus has said. The crash of an EgyptAir jet has strengthened the case for ejectable "black boxes" that are launched out of an aircraft in an accident, making them easier to find, the most senior engineer at Airbus has said. Investigators are searching in some of the deepest waters of the Mediterranean for flight recorders from an EgyptAir Airbus A320, which crashed on 19 May, killing 66 people. Distress signal from EgyptAir flight 804 confirmed by authorities in Cairo and US The jet's flight recorders or "black boxes" are designed to emit acoustic signals for 30 days after a crash, giving search teams less than five weeks to pinpoint the sound in waters up to 3,000 metres deep. Rules that would extend the duration and range of acoustic pingers do not take effect until 2018. "If we have a deployable recorder it will be much easier to find," said Charles Champion, the Airbus executive vice-president for engineering. "We have been working on that and this only reinforces our overall approach." Ejectable or "deployable" recorders would separate from the tail during a crash and float in the water while emitting a distress signal. Recommended by investigators after an Air France A330 jet crashed in 2009, the idea was again discussed after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 in March 2014. The United Nations' aviation agency, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, has called for key data to be recoverable in a "timely manner" from aeroplanes delivered after 2021. It will be left to airlines and manufacturers to decide how to meet the goal - whether through deployable recorders or other technology such as new homing methods or data streaming. Deployable recorders have long been used in the military. But some in the industry have expressed doubts about their safe use on civil airliners, saying they could be ejected accidentally and introduce new risks. Airbus has said in the past it was talking to regulators about adding deployable devices to its two largest models of jets. Boeing has been more sceptical, citing instances where they have failed on warplanes. A series of accidents over water including the EgyptAir disaster and wider safety issues are likely to be discussed at a meeting of global airlines in Dublin this week. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/01/egyptair-flight-804-future-black-boxes-should-eject-in- crash-says-airbus Back to Top IATA: Adapting safety focus as operating environment changes IATA has always taken safety and security seriously, but the emphasis has to alter subtly from time to time to take account of changes in the global operating environment. A quick glance at recent airline safety performance shows accidents are down, but disasters have still occurred and the terrorist threat to airports and carriers is as high as it has ever been. With the recent shock of deliberately caused disasters such as the Germanwings crash and the MetroJet sabotage - despite figures proving that technical and operational safety has never been better - the industry has had to do some serious thinking about whether its systems need to be modified. And in the run-up to the IATA AGM which begins in Dublin tomorrow, the industry was still trying to understand the circumstances that led to an EgyptAir A320 loss while en route from Paris to Cairo. IATA director general Tony Tyler sums up the current situation: "2015 was another year of contrasts when it comes to aviation's safety performance. In terms of the number of fatal accidents, it was an extraordinarily safe year, and the long-term trend data shows us that flying is getting even safer." But he adds: "We were all shocked and horrified by two deliberate acts - the destruction of Germanwings 9525 [French Alps, 24 March 2015] and MetroJet 9268 [above the northern Sinai on 31 October 2015]. While there are no easy solutions to the mental health and security issues that were exposed in these tragedies, aviation continues to work to minimise the risk that such events will happen again." As Tyler points out, the 2015 global jet accident rate (hull losses per 1 million flights) was 0.32, or one major accident for every 3.1 million flights. Note this is hull losses, not fatal accidents. There were no fatal accidents to jets in 2015, only to turboprops. IATA's figures show this hull loss rate was not as good as the 0.27 achieved in 2014 but a 30% improvement compared with the previous five-year rate (2010-2014) of 0.46 hull loss accidents per million jet flights. And, as usual, IATA member airlines showed an even better rate of 0.22, or one accident for every 4.5 million flights. This outperformed the global rate by 31% and was in line with the five-year rate (2010-2014) of 0.21 per million flights, but not quite as good as the best-ever 0.12 hull loss rate achieved in 2014. Meanwhile, IATA has recently appointed new safety and security departmental heads: Gilberto Lopez Meyer as senior vice-president safety and flight operations; and Nick Careen, SVP, airport, passenger, cargo and security. Meyer started out as a pilot with Mexicana, and more recently was director general of the Mexican Civil Aviation Authority. He also has extensive airport experience, having been director general of Mexico City International Airport and of the Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares. Careen's recent career has been with Air Canada and its subsidiary Jazz, where his last role was as vice- president for airports, call centres and customer relations. He was also chosen for his extensive experience in flight and airport operations, human resource management and government relations. Referring to events that have marked recent years as being highly unusual, Meyer says: "There is no question that in both 2014 and 2015 the industry's safety performance was affected primarily by events that - previously - would have been considered almost unthinkable. The challenge is to try to reduce the likelihood of such extraordinary events in the future." Meyer cites ICAO initiatives such as the agreed satellite-based aircraft tracking standard and the conflict zone information repository as executive reactions to events such as the Malaysia Airlines MH370 loss (8 March 2014) in the Indian Ocean and the shooting down of MH17 over eastern Ukraine (17 July 2014), but adds: "Steps need to be taken to enhance the exchange of information between intelligence agencies and state aviation authorities to allow for proper risk assessment. We need to maintain focus on the data- driven approach to safety that has delivered great success in reducing the accident rate." Fatal accidents, especially ones involving major airlines and big jets, are now extremely rare. IATA's figures show there were four accidents resulting in passenger fatalities in 2015, all of which involved turboprops, with a total of 136 fatalities. This compares with an annual average of 17.6 fatal accidents and 504 fatalities per year in the previous five-year period (2010-2014). SAFETY MANAGEMENT But Meyer says there is still work to do: "We know, for example, that while rare, accidents involving loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) have the highest number of fatalities, so this has to be a major focus area. Underlying this approach is a recognition of the distinction between the definitions of safety and of an accident. Safety management is really trying to focus on accident prevention." Careen addresses the wider security issues: "Air travel is safe and secure, yet recent tragic events reinforce the difficult truth that the aviation industry remains on the front line - terrorists persist in trying to strike. The recent MetroJet, Daallo and Brussels Airport tragedies highlight the different ways terrorists attempt to defeat our security system - through the checkpoint, through luggage, or through the lobby." He sees the answer as being a more determined and united co-operation between airlines, governments and intelligence agencies: "In an environment where we know we are at risk, but don't know the 'what, where, or when', strong, proactive relationships between operators and regulators, law enforcement, and intelligence communities are imperative." On the MetroJet sabotage, Careen says: "Immediately following the incident ICAO set up a panel of security experts to review better ways to protect global airports from terrorism. The result of this was a call for closer and more effective partnerships between governments and airlines. Co-ordination and co- operation is the key." He lists the most important measures as being: intelligence and watch-list checking; public area protection; checkpoint screening; and document checking upon arrival, and points out that all of these rely completely on effective government-industry partnership. "Terrorism is a long-term industry challenge and everybody needs to be on the same side" says Careen, adding: "Yet, today there are different rules across the globe that overlap in some places and maybe don't always connect in others." Governments across the world have to become more willing to share intelligence to beat the threat of terrorism against global commercial air transport, but there seems to be an inbuilt reticence about doing so, except among the governments of close allies. Working together, we will let go of outdated practices and effectively apply security resources to best address new threats." www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Government watchdog: TSA falling short in oversight of airport perimeter security Washington (CNN)A government watchdog agency says the Transportation Safety Administration is deficient in its oversight of airport perimeter security -- and it could create dangerous vulnerability for the entire U.S. commercial aviation system. According to a report issued Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office, TSA has failed to update its recommendations to reflect new potential threats. While airports have the day-to-day responsibility of securing their perimeters -- as well as all airport access points -- TSA is responsible for setting minimum standards for airports to follow. "TSA has not updated this assessment to reflect changes in the airport security risk environment, such as TSA's subsequent determination of risk from the insider threat -- the potential of rogue aviation workers exploiting their credentials, access and knowledge of security procedures throughout the airport for personal gain or to inflict damage," the report said. TSA data shows from 2009-2015 there was on average 2,500 security breaches every year involving the airport perimeter and airport access points -- and it appears the number of security breaches is trending upward. TSA is collecting the data on what's happening across the country, but it's failing to analyze the data in an effective way, according to the GAO. A GAO official told CNN that means the agency could be missing security trends and an opportunity to change or enhance requirements for airport perimeter security. A TSA spokesman, who declined to be named, said the agency is working with stakeholders to "mitigate risks" and the agency is planning on implementing all GAO recommendations. "Within the past year, TSA has taken a number of concrete steps to enhance airport security in light of evolving threats, including most recently issuing updated guidelines in February 2015 to further enhance the screening of aviation workers in the secure area of airports," the spokesman told CNN. TSA analyzed security breaches at large major airports but overall only did that type of analysis at 19% of the nations 440 airports from fiscal year 2009-2015. Often left out were the small- and medium-sized airports, but GAO found since 2009, more than 1,670 security breaches happened at those same airports the TSA failed to analyze. The GAO report says the agency must do a better job of looking at the vulnerabilities of airport security nationwide. If not, it could create a vulnerability that threatens the entire U.S. aviation system. For example, if a security breach allows an explosive to be smuggled onto an aircraft at a smaller airport and that aircraft flies to a larger airport, the entire system is at risk. The audit reminds the agency airport security is "a system of interdependent airport hubs and spokes in which the security of all is affected by the security of the weakest one." TSA has said it does not have enough resources to assess security breaches at all U.S. airports, but the GAO report said the agency should do better at finding ways to improve security nonetheless. "Other approaches, such as providing all commercial airports with a self-vulnerability assessment tool, may allow TSA to assess vulnerability at airports system-wide," it said. The audit said the lack of a more thorough analysis means TSA doesn't truly understand the day-to-day threats at airports nationwide and in turn does not know what steps it needs to take to improve security. Both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have identified the insider threat as the most concerning and pressing threat facing aviation. Members of Congress requested the investigation after several recent incidents where individuals gained access to secure parts of commercial airports and stowing away onboard commercial aircraft. There have also been incidents of airport workers using their credentials to smuggle weapons and drugs into restricted areas of the airport and onto passenger planes. In April 2014, a 15-year-old boy allegedly climbed a perimeter fence at San Jose's Mineta International Airport in California and stowed away in the wheel well of a plane flying to Hawaii. In December 2014, a baggage handler at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Georgia allegedly used his airport- issued credentials to repeatedly smuggle loaded and unloaded firearms into the passenger boarding area for hand-off to an accomplice, who carried the firearms onto an airplane bound for New York. As the investigation into what brought down EgyptAir flight 804 continues, the possibility of an insider threat remains on the table. Members of Congress who requested the audit said the deficiencies highlighted regarding TSA oversight becomes a much bigger issue. "The intense scrutiny placed at checkpoints in airports, but not on the perimeter, is the equivalent of locking your home's doors while leaving your windows wide open," said Rep. William Keating, D- Massachusetts. "The GAO found that in many instances, the windows are open at our airports." http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/31/politics/tsa-airport-security-deficient/index.html Back to Top Mitsubishi MRJ Number 2 Takes Flight The second MRJ90 takes off from Nagoya Airport in Japan on May 31. (Photo: Mitsubishi Aircraft) The second Mitsubishi MRJ90 (FTA-2) took to the air for its first flight Tuesday from Nagoya Airport in Japan, launching the latest phase in a flight-test program expected to cover 2,500 hours of flying by five prototypes. In a statement issued just after the conclusion of the flight, Mitsubishi Aircraft and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) reported that FTA-2 confirmed its basic characteristics and functionality in airspace off the Pacific Coast. The companies plan to use FTA-2 primarily to confirm the model's performance specifications, they added. "As with the first flight conducted with MRJ's FTA-1 in November of last year, we had a quiet, smooth first flight with FTA-2," said Mitsubishi Aircraft president Hiromichi Morimoto. "After this, we will move ahead smoothly with development of the subsequent flight-test aircraft, and make our utmost efforts towards type certificate acquisition and the first delivery." Mitsubishi Aircraft and MHI hope to advance the start of flight testing of the first MRJ90 at Grant County International Airport at Moses Lake in Washington State from the fourth quarter of this year to some time in the summer, raising the possibility that it could gain certification as much as two months earlier than the official delivery target of mid-2018. Speaking with AIN during May's Regional Airline Association Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mitsubishi Aircraft head of strategic marketing Hideyuki Kamiya reported that since MRJ FTA-1 resumed flight testing in Japan in February, results have proved encouraging enough to consider ferrying the airplane to the U.S. ahead of schedule. "To expedite to the summer, if we continue to see flight testing go smoothly, and if we get approval [from the U.S. FAA and Japan's JCAB], it's not such a difficult target I think," said Kamiya. Mitsubishi flew the first flight-test aircraft three times last November before withdrawing the machine from operation to incorporate planned structural and systems changes. In late January, Mitsubishi revealed details of the strengthening modifications, deemed necessary after static test results begun in May 2015 indicated a weakness in the airframe and wing attachment. As a result, it installed additional "plates" to reinforce original parts on the center wing box. Mitsubishi then changed the design for the production airplanes to account for more robust parts. All told, Mitsubishi plans to ferry four of the five flight-test articles to the U.S., while the fifth-painted in the livery of launch customer ANA-performs autopilot testing in Japan. As FTV 1 and 2 perform functional and performance testing, plans call for FTA-3 to test flight characteristics and avionics and for FTA-4 to perform interior, noise and anti-icing trials. The company plans to use FTA-5 for autopilot tests. Processing of flight-test data will take place at Mitsubishi's engineering center in Seattle, established last August in collaboration with locally based AeroTec specifically to administer MRJ testing in the U.S. Kamiya said early fuel burn tests validated claimed consumption rates, and that the test pilots reported that handling characteristics have proved "better" than what they experienced in the simulator. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-05-31/mitsubishi-mrj-number-2-takes-flight Back to Top Aerion To Submit Supersonic Bizjet Type Application By 2017 Aerion Corp. Concept Aerion Corp. is proceeding under a self-imposed, noise-inspired deadline to submit by the end of 2017 its initial application for FAA type certification of its still-embryonic supersonic business jet. The timing coincides with the imposition that year of new FAA Stage 5 (International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 16, Chapter 14) noise restrictions for aircraft weighing more than 121,254 lb. (55,000 kg). While the Aerion AS2 is targeted to weigh less than that, Mike Hinderberger, senior vice president for aircraft development, says it is best to submit the application early because of the tendency for aircraft to gain pounds during development. Doing so, however, sets a five-year deadline by which Aerion would have to present an actual aircraft for final approval. Stage 4 restrictions continue to apply to all new aircraft weighing less than 120,254 lb. through the end of 2020. Aerion's AS2 supersonic business jet is drawing interest for transoceanic travel. Credit: Aerion Corp. Concept With the closer deadline looming, program officials are expected to select an engine for the trijet AS2 by this summer or fall. Two as yet unidentified engines are likely candidates, but both represent a compromise. Ideally, Aerion would be powered by a jet engine with a 1:1 or 2:1 bypass ratio, but to comply with the noise regulations, the candidate engines will likely deliver 4:1 or more. And program officials say the aircraft's balanced field length and range will suffer-range by as much as 10%. The inhibiting technology will be the installation of a fan to help quiet the powerplants, each of which is expected to generate 15,000 lb. thrust. This story is a selection from the May 30, 2016 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology. New content posted daily online. The performance "objectives" of the $120 million AS2 include a maximum operating speed of Mach 1.5, long-range cruise of Mach 1.4, "boomless cruise" of Mach 1.2 and long-range subsonic cruise of Mach 0.95. Maximum range at Mach 1.4 is to be 4,750 nm and 5,300 nm at Mach 0.95. Supersonic flight is prohibited by regulation over the U.S. and other parts of the world, so the Aerion incorporates a supersonic natural laminar flow wing to provide equal efficiency at both supersonic and subsonic speeds. Airbus is providing engineering assistance to the Reno, Nevada-based company in developing the aircraft's systems and structures. At the National Business Aviation Association convention last November, Flexjet placed an order for 20 AS2s. The fractional aircraft operator said it polled its owners and determined there was considerable interest in using the 12-passenger aircraft for transoceanic travel. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top New small airplane service takes off in Chiang Mai SMALL airplane operator Budget Lines took off in Chiang Mai earlier this month, offering private air taxi and charter services for tourists and businesses in the region. Flights last approximately 30 minutes and are primarily targeted at Chinese and domestic visitors. "The twin-engine airplanes has eight passenger seats and two pilot seats. It will be used for four tours a day - two in the morning and two in the afternoon - and costs 8,800 baht (US$246) per person," explained Noppadol Jornpak, executive director, Budget Lines. "The plane can also be hired as charter flights, such as from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai for 45,000 baht one-way or 170,000 baht round-trip." Anchalee Vittayanuntapornkul, owner of CM Paradise Tour, thinks that the service will add more variety to the already popular city of Chiang Mai. "Chinese tourists can afford the tour. They have money to spend here and the new service will add excitement to the town," she said. Director of sales and marketing at Standard Tour, Vorapong Muchaotai, who was on one of the flights, agreed that this service has a lot of potential as he is already seeing a lot of interest from China and Taiwan. Still, Standard Tour has yet to include Budget Lines' offerings into its packages. "We are waiting for them to come up with our recommended route. They need to feature the city's most iconic spots in order to draw more people to book," said Vorapong. http://www.ttgasia.com/article.php?article_id=27310 Back to Top EU happy with Zambia safety aviation standards KABANDA CHULU, Lusaka - THE European Union (EU) is impressed with steps being taken by the local Civil Aviation Authority to satisfy international aviation safety standards that will allow Zambian registered airlines to enter European airspace. In 2009, Zambia was among other 20 states and a total of 294 airlines that were banned from EU skies, citing safety concerns due to alleged poor maintenance and regulatory oversight standards. But EU head of co-operation to Zambia Aad Biesebroek said the ban is formally in place although the EU is providing support focusing on compliance with international standards. "We are impressed with the steps being taken by the Civil Aviation Authority, which has replaced the department of civil aviation. They are making progress and they have submitted plans on how they are building capacity". The EU International Civil Aviation Authority Organisation (ICAO) blacklisted Zambian registered planes from entering the European airspace following an audit conducted under the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, which observed significant safety concerns. https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=65801 Back to Top Ryanair welcomes over 30 new aircraft in first four months of 2016; Airbus and Boeing deliver 106 units in April Seen departing Memmingen recently is Ryanair's 737-800 registered EI-FRC, otherwise known as the #400 brand new 737 to be delivered to the Irish ULCC. Commenting on the arrival of the unit into the airline's fleet, Ryanair's COO Michael Hickey said: "The Boeing 737-800, with its industry leading technical reliability and seating capacity, has been the foundation upon which our successful and safe growth has been built upon, since we took our first delivery in March 1999. We are delighted to be now taking delivery of our 400th example, which includes the new Boeing Sky Interior and slimline seats, offering extra leg room and an enhanced customer experience." Total deliveries during the fourth month of 2016 from Airbus and Boeing totalled 106 aircraft, 22 units less than the amount which was delivered during the third month of this year by both companies. During April, Boeing distributed 54 aircraft, with the European manufacturer supplying a total of 52. The result means that so far in 2016 Boeing has delivered 53 more aircraft than Airbus, increasing its lead by two units when compared to March's variance between the manufacturers. Boeing's April delivery total is 12 units lower than the number it delivered in the same month of 2015, while Airbus delivered 10 aircraft less when compared to April last year. Overall 72% of deliveries in April were narrow-body aircraft, with the remaining 18% being wide-body. Looking at the wide-body market for April, Boeing produced 63% of aircraft (down from 71% in March), while Airbus produced the remaining 37%. Airbus: 52 deliveries in April (41 narrow-body, 11 wide-body) Airbus Deliveries April 2016 Source: Airbus. Airbus ended April with a total of 52 unit deliveries, which is five less than the sum the company delivered in March, and 10 less than the number which was distributed by Airbus during the corresponding month of last year. In April, single-aisle deliveries were led by the A320 (25 units - four less than March), while the A321 followed in second place (16 units), with a grand total of 41 single-aisle aircraft being provided to carriers around the world. It should be noted that no A318s or A319s were delivered. This means that Airbus produced six more narrow-body aircraft than Boeing in April. A total of 16 airlines received A320s (down four from the total of March), with easyJet and Vueling being the largest recipients of the variant, with both picking up three each. In relation to A321 deliveries, 12 carriers picked up the type (two less than March), with Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, LATAM Airlines and Spirit Airlines being the biggest customers by each collecting two units. Beijing Capital Airlines, which last week started its eighth route to Japan, and China Eastern Airlines were the only carriers to pick up an A320 and A321 in April. Turkish Airlines welcomed one A321, A330-200 and -300 in April. Looking at wide-body deliveries, Airbus handed over 19 airframes in April, nine more than in March. Following on from the delivery of two A380s in the third month of this year, the European producer handed over three in April, with two aircraft going to the world's leading A380 operator Emirates, while the other was handed over to fellow UAE carrier Etihad Airways. The best performing wide-body in April however was the A330-300, with a total of four being delivered, the same as in March. China Southern Airlines, Delta Air Lines, SAS and Turkish Airlines each collected two of the type from Airbus. Following on from three A350 deliveries in March, two were delivered in April, one to Finnair and Singapore Airlines respectively. On 21 April, the first American Airlines A321 built in the US took to the skies for its maiden test flight from Mobile in Alabama. Last month the oneworld member welcomed one of the type into its fleet. Boeing: 54 deliveries in April (35 single-aisle, 19 wide-body) Boeing Deliveries April 2016 Source: Boeing. Boeing closed April with a total of 54 unit deliveries, 17 less than in March, and 12 less than in the corresponding month of 2015. Airlines received a total of 35 single-aisle units from Boeing in April, 11 less than March. A total of 31 737-800s were delivered, while only four 737-900s were dispatched to customers. Ryanair was the largest recipient of the 737-800 in April, as it was in February and March, with it picking up eight of the variant into its fleet. This means that for 2016 Ryanair has welcomed 32 737- 800s. It also marks the carrier welcoming over 400 737s from Boeing. Ryanair's COO Michael Hickey said of the milestone: "The Boeing 737-800, with its industry leading technical reliability and seating capacity, has been the foundation upon which our successful and safe growth has been built upon, since we took our first delivery in March 1999. We are delighted to be now taking delivery of our 400th example, which includes the new Boeing Sky Interior and slimline seats, offering extra leg room and an enhanced customer experience." In total, 15 airlines were delivered single-aisle units from the American manufacturer during April, one less than in March. Nonetheless it should be noted that seven 737-800s were delivered to leasing companies. An analysis of wide-body deliveries reveals that Boeing handed over a total of 19 units to airlines in April, six less than in March. Boeing handed over 10 787s in April, three less than the month previous. Air Canada was the largest recipient of the 787-9 in April, the same as in March, with the Star Alliance member picking up two of the type, while British Airways, Etihad Airways, KLM, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Vietnam Airlines were all joint second largest customers of the -9, each picking up one. Of April's 787 deliveries, only two were -8 variants, with Qatar Airways and Scoot each picking up one of the type. No 747-8s were handed over in April, the same as in February and March. http://www.anna.aero/2016/05/31/ryanair-welcomes-over-30-new-aircraft-in-first-four-months-of-2016/ Back to Top Boeing 737 NG Aircraft Fitted With AerSafe™ Exempted From Pending Airworthiness Directive CORAL GABLES, Fla., May 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AerSale®, a global supplier of aircraft, engine, and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) used serviceable material, reports that Boeing 737 NG series aircraft equipped with its product AerSafe™ are exempted from compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) No. FAA-2016-6139, released on May 3, 2016, requiring modification of the fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS). "If the proposed amendment to the Airworthiness Directive (AD) 14 CFR part 39.13 is approved later this year, it will mandate all operators of Boeing 737-600, -700, 700C, -800, -900 and -900ER worldwide to find a viable solution to the FTFR rule," said Nicolas Finazzo, Chief Executive Officer of AerSale. "Currently we have a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approving AerSafe for the Boeing 737 NG series, and are working on the 737 Classic and 767 with expected approvals by mid-June. We are studying other Boeing and Airbus models and by the time this AD becomes effective, we expect to have an AerSafe solution for virtually all of the commercial models affected by the AD." AerSafe is one of the few FAA-approved flammability reduction means that complies with the Fuel Tank Flammability Reduction (FTFR) rule. Tested and developed to exact tolerances to fill the cavity of the center fuel tank, AerSafe limits the amount of available oxygen that can ignite fuel vapors and prevents sparks from igniting an explosion. The proposed AD does not apply to aircraft with the AerSafe system installed. At approximately one quarter of the cost of the nitrogen inerting system over the course of 10 years, AerSafe provides air carriers an economical solution. In addition, AerSafe has a lead time of less than six (6) weeks, and comes as a complete prefabricated kit that can be installed at any hangar around the world. After initial installation, the system requires no maintenance or expensive spare parts. The FAA enacted the FTFR rule after the crash of TWA flight 800 off the coast of New York. Federal investigations revealed that the accident was the result of an explosion caused by a spark igniting fumes in the center fuel tank of the Boeing 747. The FTFR rule requires fuel tank ignition sources and flammability exposure to be reduced in aircraft most at risk. The FAA gave two options: a flammability reduction means such as nitrogen inerting or an ignition mitigation means such as AerSafe. These systems must be installed by December 26, 2017, on all passenger aircraft that have high flammability fuel tanks and fly within or into the United States. A global aviation leader, AerSale supplies aftermarket commercial aircraft, engines, and OEM used serviceable material to passenger and cargo airlines, leasing organizations, government entities, multinational OEMs, and independent MROs. AerSale also offers asset management services to owners of end-of-life aircraft and engine portfolios. Headquartered in Coral Gables, Florida, AerSale maintains offices and operations in the United States, Europe, and Asia. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boeing-737-ng-aircraft-fitted-with-aersafe-exempted-from- pending-airworthiness-directive-300277116.html Back to Top Airbus Unveils Thor, Their Fully 3D Printed Unmanned Test Aircraft 3dp_Airbus_logoWhen it comes to nurturing and promoting advancements in 3D printing technology, very few companies have taken the initiative that the European airline manufacturer Airbus has. The aerospace manufacturer started fully immersing itself into the world of additive manufacturing back around 2014, when they equipped their A350 airliner with a titanium 3D printed cabin bracket, and also utilized the first 3D printed spare part on an aircraft being used by Air Transnat. Since then, 3D printing developments and innovations have come rapidly apace from Airbus. Their A350 XWB aircraft is now comprised of over 1,000 3D printed parts, while German RepRap printers have helped to develop more effective camera mounts and windshield wiper systems for their helicopters. Just about a week ago, Airbus filed a patent for a 3D printing process that would be capable of 3D printing an entire sturdy and functional airplane, hinting at a future where airliners will lift off straight from the print bed. Although the idea behind this recently filed patent will likely take a fair amount of time to fully develop, it seems that Airbus is already on its way to flying fully 3D printed aircraft. At their manufacturing plant in Hamburg, Germany, Peter Sander, the head of emerging technologies & concepts at Airbus, shared with the press at Innovation Days 2016 that Airbus had designed, built, and tested an entirely 3D printed unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV). Peter Sander with 3D printed parts for Thor The 3D printed UAV is named Thor, which is an acronym for Test of High-tech Objectives in Reality. According to Sander, the aircraft will serve as a test platform for high risk and aerodynamic investigations, which will be used to further prove the viability of this 3D printed concept UAV. Thor is comprised of around 50 3D printed parts, two electric motors, and a remote control, essentially making the aircraft fully 3D printed. As Airbus continues to test and refine their 3D printed UAV, they are able to reprint and replace parts in a matter of days and weeks as opposed to a conventional manufacturing process, which would take months. "You can [3D] print this kind of aircraft in four weeks," Sander reportedly stated in his presentation to the media. "It has low lead times for fast track developments." Members of Airbus team with the Thor UAV The unmanned aircraft was first tested back in November, taking flight for 40 km from Hamburg to their plant in Stade, Germany. Coming off of the successful testing, Airbus has scheduled 18 test missions for their 3D printed UAV throughout 2016. The entire unmanned aircraft is reported to weigh around 25kg, and has a length and a wingspan that measures out to about four meters each. The initiative is being worked on across the different Airbus company sectors, such as Airbus Defense & Space and Airbus Helicopters. The production cost of Thor is estimated at about 20,000 euros, which is quite the bargain for this type of flying testbed. The 3D print UAV will be exhibited at the ILA Berlin Air Show, which is taking place from June 1-4 at the Berlin ExpoCenter Airport. Thor was named after the most renowned of the Norse gods, one who is generally identified with thunder; it's a name that fits the innovative and ground-breaking nature of their UAV project. As Airbus continues to test Thor among their other 3D printing-based developments, they're brewing the perfect storm for the additive manufacturing takeover, which could soon lead to UAVs being manufactured at the speed of lightning. Discuss further in the Airbus 3D Printed UAV forum over at 3DPB.com. https://3dprint.com/136570/airbus-thor-uav/ Back to Top Donation of WSI Fusion Software from The Weather Company, an IBM Business, Equips MTSU's Aerospace Students with Unique Advantage Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) recently announced that beginning this fall, their aerospace students will have the distinct opportunity to utilize The Weather Company's industry leading aviation operations management solution, WSI Fusion, in their simulation lab. MTSU is the first ab initio training program to have access to this product and students will graduate with a competitive advantage not offered at other aviation schools. Southwest Airlines is a sponsor of MTSU's NASA Flight Operations Center-Unified Simulation Lab (FOCUS), which trains students in real-life scenarios and provides a unique opportunity for seniors to learn how to work as a team to safely and efficiently run a virtual airline. Weather plays a critical role in aviation, and the WSI Fusion software (also used by Southwest Airlines) will prepare and equip MTSU students for their future careers in aviation. WSI Fusion is a proactive flight monitoring application that fuses public and proprietary weather information with real-time flight and airspace data into one common view, and facilitates timely communication directly with aircrafts. This allows users to leverage big-data to feel more confident about operational decision-making. For more information on WSI Fusion, visit business.weather.com/products/fusion. For Middle Tennessee State University's full release, visit mtsunews.com/2016-aerospace-weather- software. http://www.theweathercompany.com/newsroom/2016/05/12/donation-wsi-fusion-software-weather- company-ibm-business-equips-mtsu-s Back to Top Northeast State to offer new A.A.S. degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology (Tennessee) Northeast State's Advanced Technologies Division announced the addition of a new associate of applied science degree program in Aviation Maintenance Technology. The two-year degree was approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents this spring. "With the continual growth of air travel in airlines and corporate aircraft the need for mechanics and pilots will follow," Richard Blevins, the director of the College's Aviation Technology department said. The Aviation Technology program, which was created through a partnership with the Bell Helicopter aeronautics company, seeks to fill the demand for aeronautic mechanics in the regional and national workforce. The two-year degree program requires students to complete 63 credit hours of core curriculum courses and aviation-specific courses. The College began offering a 29-credit-hour technical certificate program in Aviation Technology in fall 2015. Students entering the program will learn skills associated with the repair and installation of aviation electronics, aircraft structures, and aircraft mechanical systems. Students also develop core skills in fuselage and sheet metal repair, electrical systems, hydraulics, and aircraft repair. Blevins said students could get an edge by adding a second degree in Industrial Technology to broaden their skills in the disciplines of mechanics, metal fabrication, or engineering design. "Students should pair the Aviation Technology degree with a dual degree in Industrial Technology program," he said. "Those skill sets parallel, and students who do well in Industrial Technology would succeed in the Aviation Technology program." Students interested in admission to the Aviation Technology degree program may contact Blevins at 423- 354-5350 or rablevins@NortheastState.edu or the Office of Admissions and Records at 800.836.7822 or e- mail admissions@NortheastState.edu. http://www.heraldcourier.com/workittricities/learn/northeast-state-to-offer-new-a-a-s-degree- in/article_96f6ca78-2793-11e6-b5db-6f918dff031c.html Back to Top PhD Research Request Fellow Helicopter Crewmember, This is a request for you to participate in a research study for my doctoral degree, the purpose of which 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. To participate, you must be between age 21 to 60 (federal/university requirement), had some type of aircrew experience with a small civil helicopter organization (less than 5 aircraft) 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 for your participation! Principal Investigator Scott Burgess Doctoral student at Northcentral University S.Burgess4793@email.ncu.edu Curt Lewis