Flight Safety Information July 7, 2016 - No. 132 In This Issue Crashed EgyptAir Plane: Investigators demand more time Bell 525 Accident (Texas) Hong Kong B744 near Hong Kong on Jun 7th 2014, wing panel fractured in flight No technical failure on crashed Il-76: inquiry Stansted Airport passenger's iPhone 'gun' case sparks security alert Nepal aircraft makes emergency landing after bird hit Chennai airport's main runway closed after pvt aircraft breaks down Ryanair pilots questioned in jobs probe Non-Fatal Accidents Double For Marine Corps Aircraft Marine pilots continue to fall short of flight training time minimums Air Force plans 100 enlisted drone pilots by 2020 The Last True Lear Jet Women In Aviation Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted The July/August 2016 issue of FAA Safety Briefing NTSB Safety Alert dealing with FOD in the aviation maintenance environment Crashed EgyptAir Plane: Investigators demand more time ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT - MAY 21: Some of the passengers' belongings and parts of the wreck of EgyptAir flight MS804 are seen as more wreckage found north of Alexandria, in Egypt on May 21, 2016. EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed with 56 passengers and 10 crew on board on May 19. Experts investigating the EgyptAir plane crash say they will need more time to analyse and match information gathered before they can reach conclusions about the crash. Over the weekend, the committee said memory chips of the plane's black box voice recorder are intact and investigators should be able to access them. According to the Accident Investigation Committee experts will compare information downloaded from the flight data recorder and "establish time correlation" with the information got from the cabin voice recorder. Already, investigators say audio from the cockpit voice recorder of the flight shows that pilots attempted to put out a fire on board. Investigators say no theories - including terrorism - are being ruled out, especially since it is rare for a major fire to break out so suddenly. http://africa.tvcnews.tv/2016/07/06/crashed-egyptair-plane-investigators-demand-time/ Back to Top Bell 525 Accident (Texas) Date: 06-JUL-2016 Time: ca 11:48 LT Type: Bell 525 Relentless Owner/operator: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc Registration: N525TA C/n / msn: 62001 Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Ellis County, NW of Italy, TX - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Test Departure airport: Arlington Municipal Airport, TX (GKY) Destination airport: Arlington Municipal Airport, TX (GKY) Narrative: The Bell 525 Relentless helicopter prototype was destroyed when it impacted terrain in Ellis County, Texas near the towns of Bell Branch and Italy. Both pilots were killed. Post crash fire. Bell said in a statement its helicopter was "conducting developmental flight test operations on the Bell 525 at our Xworx facility in Arlington, Texas, that resulted in a helicopter accident." A Bell spokesperson said there was one "chase" helicopter present as well, which is standard in test flight scenarios. Flightradar24 records show the helicopter departing Arlington at 10:39 LT (15:39 UTC). It proceeded to the south were it flew pattern at altitudes between 2000 and 3000 feet. Last data point is at 1975 feet, at a speed of 199 kts at 11:47 hours. The Bell 525 is a newly developed helicopter by Bell that would be able carry 16-20 passengers. It first flew on July 1, 2015. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=188544 Back to Top Hong Kong B744 near Hong Kong on Jun 7th 2014, wing panel fractured in flight An Air Hong Kong Boeing 747-400, registration B-HUS performing freight flight LD-782 from Hong Kong to Shanghai Pudong (China), had just reached FL310 when the crew felt strong vibrations of the airframe without any related instrument readings. The crew decided to return to Hong Kong where the aircraft landed safely about 25 minutes later. A post flight inspection revealed the inboard aft panel of the left hand wing had fractured. The airline's parent company Cathay Pacific confirmed the crew felt unusual vibrations of the airframe prompting them to return to Hong Kong as a safety precaution. Another aircraft carried the cargo to Shanghai. In 2016 The Aviation Herald received information that delamination of the wing panel was identified as cause of the fracture. The issue had been known already, Boeing had issued a service bulletin in 1994 offering replacement of the panels or regular inspection. The operators of (later) B-HUS and B-HUR had decided for the inspection option. Soon after B-HUR was also found with deterioration of the wing panel like B-HUS. http://avherald.com/h?article=4766bbc8&opt=0 Back to Top No technical failure on crashed Il-76: inquiry Russian investigators have found no evidence of technical failure on the government-operated Ilyushin Il- 76 which crashed into a hillside in Siberia. The aircraft had been engaged in firefighting operations in the Kachugsky district of Irkutsk when the accident occurred. Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee, which has carried out a preliminary analysis of flight-recorder information, says the 1 July crash took place in haze and reduced-visibility conditions. It says the crew members were capable and "focused" on their task. The aircraft was being used to deploy suppressant against wildfires in the area. Investigators add that the recorded data does not contain any indication that the Il-76 - part of the emergency situations ministry fleet - suffered a system or engine failure before the crash. The inquiry is working to reconstruct and simulate the accident sequence, says the Interstate Aviation Committee. None of the 10 crew members on board the Il-76 survived the crash. http://dashboard.flightglobal.com/app/#/articles/427069?context=newsstream Back to Top Stansted Airport passenger's iPhone 'gun' case sparks security alert The handle was sticking out of the man's pocket Essex Police A passenger triggered a security alert at Stansted Airport after carrying what appeared to be a firearm in his pocket. Airport security stopped a man on Tuesday after they saw a gun-shaped object sticking out of his back pocket. But after closer inspection, the object was revealed to be an iPhone case, shaped like a weapon. Essex Police have said the suspect could be charged with a public order offence or of carrying an imitation firearm in a public space. Don't be daft: Essex Police could charge the man (Essex Police) The force tweeted pictures of the case sticking out of the man's pocket, which even has an imitation trigger. They tweeted: "You have a split second decision to make. "This is what was in the back pocket... An iPhone case. Someone decided to put themselves in a situation today." An Essex Police spokeswoman has asked all passengers travelling by plane to consider what type of items they take to an airport. http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/passengers-gun-iphone-case-sparks-security-alert-at-stansted- a3290001.html Back to Top Nepal aircraft makes emergency landing after bird hit The Airbus A320 of Nepal's flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) safely made it back to the airport's runway without any further troubles, according to airport officials. The Airbus A320 of Nepal's flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) safely made it back to the airport's runway without any further troubles, according to airport officials. A Hong Kong-bound Nepal Airlines plane with 60 people on board on Thursday made an emergency landing at Tribhuvan International Airport here after being hit by a bird minutes after take-off. The Airbus A320 of Nepal's flag carrier Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) safely made it back to the airport's runway without any further troubles, according to airport officials. http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-news/nepal-aircraft-makes-emergency-landing-after-bird- hit-2899331/ Back to Top Chennai airport's main runway closed after pvt aircraft breaks down A photo of the private aircraft that landed and it's nose touching the runway at the Chennai Airport. CHENNAI: Six people had a miraculous escape when the front wheel of a private aircraft was damaged after landing at Chennai airport amid inclement weather on Wednesday night. The main runway was closed immediately after the incident and other aircrafts were instructed to use the second runway. The flight owned by top corporate house, L&T, had four passengers and two crew members on board when it landed here from Bengaluru around 8 pm. As it was taxiing after landing, the wheel broke, as a result of which the nose of the aircraft hit the ground. The crew and passengers were taken to safety immediately. Authorities are assessing the damage caused to the runway. Sources said a few flights were delayed due to the incident. http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Chennai-airports-main-runway-closed-after-pvt-aircraft- breaks-down/2016/07/07/article3516853.ece *************** Date: 06-JUL-2016 Time: ca 16:30 UTC Type: Hawker 900XP Owner/operator: L&T Aviation Services Registration: VT-LTA C/n / msn: HA-185 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Chennai Airport (MAA/VOMM) - India Phase: Landing Nature: Departure airport: Destination airport: Chennai Airport (MAA/VOMM) Narrative: A Hawker 900XP corporate jet, was involved in a landing incident at Chennai Airport, India. Photos from the scene suggest the nose landing gear collapsed. Weather at the time of the incident was poor due to a passing thunderstorm with rain. The runway (07/25) was closed per Notam following the incident. A1484/16 NOTAMN Q) VOMF/QMRXX/IV/NBO/A/000/999/ A) VOMM B) 1607061630 C) 1607061730 EST E) RWY07/25 BLOCKED DUE DISABLED ACFT CREATED: 06 Jul 2016 16:43:00 Weather about the time of the incident (runway closed as of 16:30Z): VOMM 061630Z 08002KT 6000 -RA SCT015 FEW025CB BKN080 26/25 COR Q1006 NOSIG VOMM 061600Z 03006KT 6000 -TSRA FEW020 FEW025CB BKN080 26/25 Q1005 NOSIG VOMM 061530Z 10005KT 6000 -TSRA FEW020 FEW025CB BKN080 26/25 Q1004 NOSIG VOMM 061500Z 15008KT 6000 FEW020 FEW025CB 26/24 Q1005 TEMPO 4000 -TSRA VOMM 061430Z 16008KT 6000 FEW020 FEW025CB 31/26 Q1004 NOSIG https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=188542 Back to Top Ryanair pilots questioned in jobs probe Police and customs officials have visited Ryanair bases at six German airports to interview 'contract' pilots on hiring practices. Prosecutors say the probe relates to two British firms servicing the budget airline. Airline Ryanair German media reported Wednesday that customs and police officers had visited "contract" pilots at airline facilities as well as private quarters in recent days, asking questions as to whether they were truly self- employed? German law against illegal employment was amended in 2014 to enforce payment of tax and social welfare contributions, using a special Federal Customs Administration unit based in Cologne. A media consortium comprising two German public broadcasters, WDR and NDR, and the Süddeutscher Zeitung (SZ) newspaper said numerous pilots were asked who paid them, whether Ryanair provided facilities, and who had offered them contracts. Another key line of questioning was whether they received holiday and sick pay. `Contractor' model WDR reporters said the "contractor model" was used by Ryanair to cheaply hire a "large quantity" of its pilots. They were required to set up single-person firms in Ireland whose services were assigned to Ryanair by two British personnel firms acting as intermediaries. The online version of the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit said computers had been seized during multiple inspections on Tuesday. In the past, Ryanair has described its business model as legal and on Wednesday told the media consortium that its pilots must pay tax - whether they were self-employed or on the airline staff payroll. Why not Ryanair direct? European ECA pilots' trade union President Dirk Polloczek said it was incomprehensible that the German probe was directed against pilots but not against Ryanair itself. Flight Captain James Phillips of the German trade union Cockpit said many of the pilots interviewed by customs and police were outraged. "Some fear even that because of the investigations they could loose their flying licenses," Phillips said. Lengthy probe against Ryanair Koblenz-based public prosecutor Hans-Peter Gandner confirmed a similar report on the inspections by police and customs carried in the online version of the Die Zeit newspaper, saying underlying the visits was a years-long probe against two British personnel providers that assigned pilots to Ryanair. He told the German news agency DPA that dozens of officers had visited Berlin's second airport Schönefeld and Cologne/Bonn as well as the regional airports at Weeze in North Rhine-Westphalia state, Hahn in Rhineland-Palatinate, Bremen and Baden-Baden in southwestern Germany. WDR reporters said authorities had also seized USB data sticks and filed documents during searches of pilots' private accommodation. Clampdown on fictitious self-employment In 2014, Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government vowed in a report compiled mainly by the social welfare and interior ministries to "improve the fight against fictitious self-employment by strengthening cooperation between regional authorities and the Federal Customs Administration." Michael OLeary Ryanair Brexit prompts O'Leary to focus on EU continent "The abuse of freedom of movement [within the EU] under cover of gainful employment is to be effectively prevented. At the same time, it must be ensured that immigrants do not have to work in exploitative employment, and firm steps must be taken to counter fictitious self-employment," the report said. Ryanair reacts to Brexit In the wake of Britain's vote to leave the EU, Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary said late last month that the airline would avoid new extra links to Britain and would instead use 50 aircraft on order mainly for flights across the EU continent. He also said Ryanair was seeking a stake in Argentina's aviation sector. http://www.dw.com/en/ryanair-pilots-questioned-in-jobs-probe/a-19382403 Back to Top Non-Fatal Accidents Double For Marine Corps Aircraft Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier, one of the Marines' many aging and hard-to-maintain aircraft. CAPITOL HILL: The rate of non-fatal accidents has doubled in Marine Corps aviation since last year, and the Marines are turning to outside experts to figure out why. So-called Class C mishap rates - nonfatal incidents that cause $50,000 to $500,000 in damage or loss of work time - have occurred in 2016 at double their previous rate, the deputy commandant for aviation told Congress. Lt. Gen. Jon Davis later told reporters he is so alarmed by the increase that he has hired an outside consultant to study its root causes. "This study will focus on mainly the ground mishaps," Davis explained. "It could be a pilot taxiing an airplane (and having an accident), or it could be a towing mishap or a marine falling off of an airplane. Whatever it is, it leads to a degraded readiness position. We need to get our arms around that." Davis offered few figures, but the Summer 2016 issue of the Commandant of the Marine Corps "Safety Gram" newsletter reports that Class C mishaps "are seldom discussed in depth, and may not receive the full investigative effort of a more serious mishap. The impact to readiness, however, is still quite significant .... In the last eighteen months, the Marine Corps lost nearly eleven years of aircraft availability to Class C mishaps! The average aircraft requires fifty-five days of work before its next flight. In more extreme cases, the aircraft is unavailable for fifteen months or more. This translates to 7.2 aircraft that are unavailable every day due to Class C mishaps." Davis revealed the Class C mishap spike during a House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing examining how the combination of reduced funding and still-high operating tempos has affected aviation readiness across the services. Like Davis, Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Mangum, Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott West and Rear Adm. Michael Manazir testified that the aviation arms of their services are at relatively low readiness levels, suffering from deficits in spare parts, training, and flight hours air crews need to retain top proficiency. None, however, saw a direct link between their low readiness rates and Class A mishaps - those that cause more than $2 million in damages and/or destroy an aircraft or result in fatalities or permanent disability. "Our mishap rates are at the same rate that they have been over the past 10 years," said the Air Force's West. But he also said, echoing recent remarks by incoming chief of staff Gen. David Goldfein, that combat operations and lower budgets "have contributed to the creation of one of the smallest, oldest and least ready (air) forces in our history." The Air Force, West noted, had 134 fighter squadrons when the 1991 Gulf War was fought but now has only 55. Davis offered perhaps the most vivid illustration of budget effects on readiness. As of Wednesday, he told the subcommittee, out of 1,065 aircraft on Marine Corps flight lines, only 443 were ready to fly - a 41.5 percent readiness rate that, ideally, should be 75 percent. "We're in a deep hole and have a ways to go to climb out," he said. But Davis also said he sees a bright future ahead as the F-35B and F-35C Joint Strike Fighter replace the Corps's current fleet of increasingly geriatric F-18 Hornets, AV-8B Harriers and EA-6B Prowlers. Not only should newer aircraft break down a lot less - assuming stealth coatings have indeed gotten more durable since the early days of the B-2 - but they should perform better as well. During a Weapons and Tactics Instructor course exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Az., last spring, he said, the F-35 was pitted against both opposing aircraft and ground targets and scored a "24 to zero kill ratio. It killed all targets." Then he added: "It's like Jurassic Park, watching the velociraptor. It kills everything." http://breakingdefense.com/2016/07/non-fatal-accidents-double-for-marine-corps-aircraft/ Back to Top Marine pilots continue to fall short of flight training time minimums Flight training times are up from last year, but are still too far below the 16.5-hour-per-month minimum. This post is appearing on Autoblog Military, Autoblog's sub-site dedicated to the vehicles, aircraft, and ships of the world's armed forces. There continues to be concern among Marine Corps brass over the amount of flight time its pilots receive each month. Marine pilots should be getting 16.5 hours of seat time each month, but most are averaging only seven to 11 hours per month. That's up from the six- to nine-hour average from a year ago, but it's still low enough to have a dangerous impact on the service's capability. Part of the problem, Stars and Stripes explains, is that the Corps is spending money for training and maintenance on deployed units instead of those at home. If that story sounds familiar, it's because we reported something similar earlier this year. Back in January, we reported on the impact of the Corps' limited training and maintenance budgets on the CH-53 Sea Stallion fleet's safety and readiness. According to Lt. Gen. Jon M. Davis, this lack of flight hours could continue to contribute to so-called "Class A" incidents, like the fatal collision between two CH-53s off the coast of Hawaii earlier this year. "A pilot flying only 100 hours a year is not really deployable and not really even safe," retired Cmdr. Chris Harmer, a former Navy SH-60F Sea Hawk pilot and a current senior analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told Stars and Stripes. "If you are flying just seven to 11 hours per month you are not only completely non-proficient in combat, you are dangerously lacking in basic airmanship - takeoffs, navigation and landings. The pilots not in the deployment queue, their skills are eroding. They are a danger to themselves and their fellow Marines." http://www.autoblog.com/2016/07/06/marine-pilots-short-flight-training/ Back to Top Air Force plans 100 enlisted drone pilots by 2020 The Air Force will send its first 10 enlisted airmen to drone pilot training this October - and by 2020, there could be as many as 100 of them. In a Wednesday release, the Air Force said the first class of enlisted airmen is expected to graduate from RPA pilot training in 2017, and become the Air Force's first enlisted pilots since World War II. The enlisted RPA pilots will only fly unarmed RQ-4 Global Hawks, which conduct high-altitude reconnaissance missions at up to 60,000 feet. The Air Force will expand its cadre of enlisted RPA pilots from there - but said it will do so cautiously, and correct course along the way if necessary. The service anticipates 12 enlisted airmen will graduate from RPA pilot training in fiscal 2017, followed by 30 in fiscal 2018, 30 in fiscal 2019, and 28 in fiscal 2020. "We'll take this important step in a deliberate manner so that we can learn what works and what we'll need to adjust as we integrate our highly capable enlisted force into flying this weapons system," said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James in the release. "The intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission continues to grow in importance and our enlisted force will be central to our success." By 2020, the Air Force hopes to have a little more than half of its 198 RQ-4 pilots be enlisted airmen. And by that point, roughly 70 percent of the 121 airmen flying Global Hawk missions on a day-to-day basis - not performing other duties such as staff positions at the wing - will be enlisted airmen, the Air Force said. The training announcement represents the next step in a major transformation in how the Air Force approaches piloting aircraft. Until now, enlisted airmen have only been able to serve as sensor operators alongside officers piloting RPAs - unlike the Army, which has allowed some enlisted drone pilots. The Air Force set up a brand new Air Force specialty code for enlisted RPA pilots - 1U100 - on April 30, Senior Master Sgt. Kimberly Pollard, the Air Force's specialty manager for enlisted RPA pilots and sensor operators said in an interview Wednesday. Enlisted RPA pilots will also be eligible to receive the same flight pay their officer counterparts receive, said Col. Rob Romer, chief of the Air Force's military force policy division. Enlisted drone pilots? Decision expected early next year The first phase of RPA initial flight training will come at Beale Air Force Base in California, where the enlisted pilot trainees will learn to fly a single-engine, propeller-driven DA-20 Falcon. Pollard said it's important for RPA pilots to learn to fly a manned aircraft before moving to unmanned. "That's standard for all RPA pilots," Pollard said. "They're going through this so they can understand situational awareness, so they can understand what's going on outside the airplane, so if they turn the airplane one way or another, they can understand what it might do to their body, what it might do to the plane. It's understanding airspace and airspace navigation and talking to the airspace controllers. It's really to give them hands-on experience learning and knowing the plane so they can apply that to remotely piloted aircraft operation." They will then take courses on RPA instrument qualification and fundamentals, and finally take a course on Global Hawk basic qualifications training. The entire training program takes 34 weeks, not including breaks. Pollard said the first class of trainees, which will begin this October, will probably graduate around September 2017. The Air Force expects the classes will see an attrition rate of about 15 percent, roughly the same as officers' attrition during RPA training. After that, they will be rated, instrument-qualified pilots and will be FAA-certified to fly the Global Hawk in national and international airspace. They also will be mission-qualified to conduct high-altitude ISR operations. To qualify to become an enlisted Global Hawk pilot, airmen must be between the ranks of staff sergeant and senior master sergeant and be a career enlisted aviator in AFSCs beginning with either 1AXXX - which includes jobs such as flight engineers, aircraft loadmasters, and airborne cryptologic linguists - or 1U0XX sensor operators. They also must be able to serve for at least six more years after finishing undergraduate RPA training, and must not have previously declined enlisted RPA pilot training. The annual selection board for flying training will look at candidates' pilot candidate screening model scores, Romer said, which are made up of their tactical aptitude battery screening, their enlisted RPA pilot qualification exam scores or their Air Force Officer Qualifying Test scores, their performance on the job and their flying hours. Romer said that only time spent behind the stick of manned aircraft will be considered, so aspiring enlisted RPA pilots could benefit from taking flying lessons on their own. However, Romer said a lack of flying hours is not necessarily a deal-breaker. If the process of rolling enlisted pilots into the RQ-4 community works, the Air Force could - after much study - open up other unarmed RPA pilot jobs, such as flying the MQ-1 Predator or MQ-9 Reaper, to enlisted airmen, Romer said. The Air Force decided to start with RQ-4s because it is a smaller, more stable community that hasn't struggled with the same manning shortfalls as the MQ-1 and MQ-9 communities. The change could also help provide relief to the Air Force, which has struggled to satisfy the ever-growing demand for intelligence from its combatant commanders. "Looking at new ways to operate within our RPA enterprise is critical, given that ISR missions continue to be the number one requested capability by our combatant commanders," Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force's new chief of staff, said in the release. "We expect that will only continue to expand. We know our enlisted airmen are ready to take on this important mission as we determine the right operational balance of officer and enlisted in this ISR enterprise for the future." The deadline for applying for the next flying training selection board is Nov. 18. That board, which will convene from Jan. 23 to 26, 2017, will fill training seats in 2017 and 2018. The Air Force had 20 enlisted airmen apply to be the first RPA pilot trainees. The Air Force Personnel Center is likely to post information detailing the application process on the myPers site within the next few days, Romer said. And Pollard said applicants will need to have permission from their chain of command, such as their career field managers, so certain jobs aren't tapped too deeply to fill enlisted pilot slots. But the change presents a great opportunity for enlisted airmen, Pollard said, and many are eagerly anticipating their chance. "Air Force non-commissioned officers come from a culture that is technically ready to accomplish their mission," Pollard said. "It is bred into us. Our airmen are very excited to excel in this mission. Airmen want to sign up right away." http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2016/07/06/air-force-plans-100-enlisted-drone-pilots- 2020/86762216/ Back to Top The Last True Lear Jet The story behind an iconic aviation photograph. Lear Jet Courtesy Clay Lacy Aviation From left: Clay Lacy, Bill Lear and Danny Kaye in a mockup of the Lear in 1964. Fifty years ago, on Aug. 12, 1966, the Lear Jet 25 made its maiden flight in Wichita, Kansas. It was the last model to fly before Bill Lear, the inventor of ADF, the 8-track cassette and 150 other things, sold the company in the midst of a crushing recession to the Gates Rubber Co. Many Learjet models would follow through the years, including the iconic Lear 35 and 55, as the Learjet brand became a household name in the 1970s and 1980s - but the Lear 25 was the last of the original lineage. Much of the credit for the success of Lear Jet belongs directly to the gentlemen in this iconic photo, playfully trying out the Lear mockup in 1964. Bill Lear, of course, is in the middle. On the left is Clay Lacy, the legendary Southern California pilot and businessman; on the right is Hollywood actor Danny Kaye, a pilot and early Lear Jet owner who threw his star power behind the brand and even served as the company's vice president of marketing. As the founder of Motorola, Bill Lear had amassed a fortune in the consumer electronics industry in the first half of his life. With the dawn of the jet age, what he longed to do was create a personal jet. When the Lear Jet 23, born from a Swiss military trainer jet, first flew on October 7, 1963, nothing on the civilian market could come close to its performance. The Lear 24 and 25 models that followed offered even better performance and more room inside, though all were tiny. With Clay Lacy and Danny Kaye showing off those early Lear Jets to Hollywood's elite - and famously, members of the Rat Pack, including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin - the popularity of the diminutive private jets exploded. Clay Lacy Lear Jet Courtesy Clay Lacy Aviation Clay Lacy standing beside his Lear Jet 25, the last one ever owned by company founder Bill Lear. Today Learjet is owned by Canada's Bombardier and still produces the Model 70 and 75. Clay Lacy, meanwhile, now in his mid-80s and with well over 50,000 hours of flight time to his credit, still regularly flies Learjets. He even commissioned a painting of that iconic photo of himself in the Lear mockup with Bill Lear and Danny Kaye - inside his personal Lear Jet, which he keeps in his hangar at Clay Lacy Aviation in Van Nuys, California. http://www.flyingmag.com/last-true-lear-jet Back to Top Women In Aviation Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted There are Women in Aviation scholarships for just about any aviation-related interest, including academic scholarships, flight training scholarships, aviation maintenance related scholarships and more. Women in Aviation International has announced that they are now accepting applications for 2017 scholarships. Currently, the organization is offering 98 scholarships which are valued at just under $500,000. According to WAI officials, there is a Women in Aviation scholarship for just about any aviation- related interest, including academic scholarships, flight training scholarships (both for advanced flight training and type ratings), aviation maintenance related scholarships and more. Additional scholarships are expected to be added in the coming months, and according to officials, the total value of the scholarships generally exceeds more than $600,000. Most of these scholarships will be awarded to students next year, March 2-4, at the 28th annual International Women in Aviation Conference. The conference will be held at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian had this to say, "Scholarship awards are a major benefit of membership in Women in Aviation International. Since the inception of our scholarship program 20 years ago, WAI has awarded more than $10 million to its members to help them reach their goals and advance into the aviation and aerospace careers they have always dreamed about. Thanks to our generous sponsors, there is truly something for every profession, age group, and interest." Details on Applying For a Women in Aviation Scholarship For those interested in applying for a scholarship, you can find a listing of the available scholarships on the WAI website. For the first time, you can also apply for those scholarships online, though you can still print out and mail in applications as well. To apply for any Women in Aviation scholarship, you must be a member of Women in Aviation by November 1st. Individuals can apply for no more than two scholarships a year, and individual scholarships may have additional requirements for applying. The deadline for applying is November 14th, and any applications that are mailed must be postmarked by this date. https://disciplesofflight.com/women-in-aviation-scholarship-applications/ Back to Top The July/August 2016 issue of FAA Safety Briefing http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/ Back to Top NTSB Safety Alert dealing with FOD in the aviation maintenance environment. http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-alerts/Documents/SA_054.pdf Curt Lewis,