Flight Safety Information August 4, 2016 - No. 152 In This Issue Emirates plane catches fire in Dubai; hundreds escape, 1 firefighter killed Screams, smoke and a rush to safety in Dubai crash-landing Emirates 777 sent flight data after crash landing Emirates Airline Suffers First-Ever Hull Loss In Dubai Crash Emirates' safety record: Zero deaths in 30 years A history of airplane crashes in the UAE Wells Fargo predicts $50 million EK521 insurance payout to AerCap FAA Set To Hire 1,400 Entry-Level Air Traffic Controllers. The Catch: Only One Week To Apply FAA Inspector Raised Concerns About Hot-Air Balloons Years Before Crash Marines order 24-hour pause in flight operations for all non-deployed aircraft Universal School of Aviation emerges 2016 West Africa Most Innovative school ACSF Joins FAA Aviation Safety Data Sharing Program EAA AIRVENTURE...AirVenture Attendance, Aircraft, Exhibitors Up In 2016 Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market Worth 4.71 Billion USD by 2021 Jim Cannon Becomes Flight Department Liaison for Argus Private Company Wins U.S. Clearance To Fly To The Moon NASA Mars Mission 2030: Government Auditors Say Space Agency Is Not Ready For Human Expedition ISASI 2016, Reykjavik, Iceland...17 to 20 October, 2016 (ISASI) DFW Regional Chapter (DFRC) Summer Meeting, September 8, 2016 Graduate Research Survey Request Emirates plane catches fire in Dubai; hundreds escape, 1 firefighter killed 13 passengers suffered minor injuries, the Emirates chairman says Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (CNN)Hundreds of passengers escaped after an Emirates flight skidded on a runway and burst into flames Wednesday at Dubai International Airport. But a firefighter, identified as Jassim Essa Al-Baloushi, was killed "while saving the lives of others," the Dubai government's media office said. Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted residents were "proud of our youth and their sacrifices while performing their duties in protecting lives and saving people." Flames and thick, black smoke billowed from the stricken Boeing 777 shortly after it came to a stop on the runway. There were no fatalities among the 282 passengers and 18 crew members on board, Emirates said. "Emirates can confirm that today, 3 August 2016, flight EK521 traveling from Trivandrum International Airport in Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai has been involved in an accident at Dubai International Airport," the airline said. The majority of those on board were Indian nationals, it added. The aircraft left Trivandrum International Airport at 10:19 a.m. and was scheduled to land at 12:50 p.m. in Dubai. Once emergency response teams managed to extinguish the fire, it was clear how deadly the accident could have been: The entire top half of the aircraft's fuselage was missing, with the belly of the plane slumped on the tarmac. Gear collapse? Flames engulfed the plane after all 300 people on board escaped. While the cause of the accident is not yet clear, CNN aviation correspondent Richard Quest said images of the airliner could indicate that the front landing gear collapsed and that the plane slid. That could have sparked the fire, he said. Maktoum, the Emirates chairman, said he didn't want to "jump to conclusions" about what happened because the investigation is ongoing. But he said the fire started after the plane landed, and there were no signs of security problems. The Emirati pilot and the Australian co-pilot have more than 7,000 flying hours between them, the chairman added. Emirates, which began operations in 1985, has never had a fatal accident with any of its aircraft. 90 seconds to escape The burnt plane sits on a tarmac with part of the fuselage missing. Planes such as Emirates' Boeing 777-300 are designed so that all passengers can escape within 90 seconds, Quest said. "Airlines plan for this sort of thing," he said. "They have emergency plans in place. The idea is that you have to be able to evacuate an aircraft within 90 seconds if there is an accident on the ground. And this clearly appears to be what has happened." Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, said it was "thankful all aboard were evacuated safely." "A Boeing technical team is standing by to launch in support of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board," a Boeing statement said. Delays at busiest airport for international passengers Dark smoke billows from the Emirates plane at Dubai International Airport. Emirates said it expected an eight-hour network-wide delay in its operations. All flights departing from Dubai International Airport were delayed for several hours, and all incoming flights were being diverted to other airports, the Dubai government media office tweeted. By Wednesday evening, departure flights had resumed, the media office said. Dubai-based Emirates is the largest airline in the world by available seat kilometers, or ASK, Quest said. ASK measures an airline's passenger carrying capacity by multiplying seats available by distance flown. Dubai International Airport is the busiest airport for international passengers. http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/03/middleeast/dubai-airport-emirates-flight-emergency- landing/ Back to Top Screams, smoke and a rush to safety in Dubai crash-landing DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - All seemed normal to the 300 people aboard the Emirates airliner as it flew past the world's tallest building in hazy skies and made a slow left turn over the waters of the Persian Gulf. But as soon as the plane touched down at Dubai International Airport, everyone knew something had gone wrong. "It was a big noise," said Shadi Kochuktty, a passenger from India. "We hadn't heard any announcement but it was a big noise." From that terrifying moment on, all those on board the Boeing 777 faced the nightmare all white-knuckle fliers fear: Smoke filling the cabin. People screaming. And the rush to escape. The three-and-a-half-hour, nearly 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) flight itself began normally. It left from the Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state, where many of the United Arab Emirates' construction workers, taxi drivers and laborers come from in search of a better life. Flight EK521 took off at 10:19 a.m. and was scheduled to land at 12:50 p.m. local time, according to Emirates. The aircraft flew over the Arabian Sea and later Oman on a northwesterly course heading toward Dubai. By the time it reached the skies over its destination, the scorching mid-day sun had raised temperatures to a humid 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit). That's about average for this time of year. Winds of 39 kilometers an hour (24 mph) blew toward the northwest at the airfield, according to the UAE's National Center for Meteorology and Seismology. As the aircraft made its descent, there were reports of wind shear at the airport, though it was unclear if it had any effect on what happened, Emirates CEO and chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said. Wind shear is a sudden downdraft encountered by aircraft that can be dangerous, especially for planes near the ground. The control tower at the airport remained in contact with the flight as it slowed and descended toward Runway One-Two-Right, according to air traffic recordings made by aviation website LiveATC.net. The scratchy recording includes someone calling out the flight's number and saying "returning to 4,000," suggesting the pilot attempted to abort the landing and regain altitude. But at that point, passengers inside the flight had no idea something was about to go wrong until the loud noise rang through the cabin as the plane hit the ground. The plane skidded across the airport runway, turning slightly as part of the wing tore away. Smoke started coming through the cabin. "All the people were shouting, all the children, all the women," said Arun Krishna, a passenger from India. Flight attendants jumped out of their seats as the plane screeched to a stop, opening emergency doors on the craft and inflating the emergency slides. Asked what the flight attendants said then, Kochuktty offered one word: "Escape!" As horrified passengers on other planes watched, people slid down the slide and began walking to safety. Some clutched bags and suitcases, though many left behind passports and money. Some passengers, barefoot, burned their soles on the hot runway. In the control tower, a female controller ordered firefighters to respond immediately: "Do not wait to proceed! ... All fire vehicles, all fire vehicles proceed to the aircraft." Trucks quickly surrounded the burning aircraft, spraying foam on it to try to contain the flames. An explosion struck one side and in the chaos, one firefighter was killed, Sheikh Ahmed, the Emirates CEO, said. The fire burned away the top of the airplane's fuselage, singeing the Emirates name in gold. The tower controller asked: "Do we want to shut down?" Minutes later, the crash-landing had closed the world's third-busiest airport, diverting flights for long-haul carrier Emirates and others across the UAE and into other countries. Passengers and crew from EK521 made it inside a nearby terminal, with at least 10 requiring hospital care. By 4 p.m., some passengers onboard the flight began leaving, vouchers in their hands for hotels as they entered waiting taxis. Several said they needed assistance from the Indian Consulate as they had lost all their travel documents, but they remained grateful to be alive. "See, our belongings are gone that's no problem. Our family is safe," Kochuktty said. "We have saved our life. Lord had mercy on us." https://www.yahoo.com/news/screams-smoke-rush-safety-dubai-crash-landing- 190418787.html Back to Top Emirates 777 sent flight data after crash landing The crashed Emirates 777 wirelessly transmitted critical flight data within minutes of the accident to airline officials, the supplier of the data storage and transmission device says. Raul Segredo, president and chief executive of Avionica, says the device spared safety investigators a search through the wreckage for the flight data recorder to recover immediate data about the last seconds of the landing sequence. Miami-based Avionica supplies the miniQAR Mk III quick access recorder for the Emirates 777 fleet. The device receives flight information from the same databus that feeds the flight data recorder, Segredo says. The device is linked to a 3G wireless transmitter. A key feature of Avionica's design may have made the speedy data transmission possible despite the crash landing. Similar devices are programmed to begin transmitting data after the landing gear have touched the runway, Segredo says. The miniQAR MK III uses a proprietary algorithm that uses a mixture of parameters to determine when to activate the data transmission on the ground, he says. Emirates officials have confirmed to Avionica that the device worked on the crashed 777. Flight EK521 crashed shortly after confirming landing clearance on runway 12L. The 777 came to a halt on its belly. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/emirates-777-sent-flight-data-after-crash- landing-428189/ Back to Top Emirates Airline Suffers First-Ever Hull Loss In Dubai Crash Emirates Airline suffered its first-ever hull loss accident on Aug. 3 when a Boeing 777-300 crash-landed at Dubai International Airport. The aircraft, registered as A6-EMW, was operating Flight EK521 from Thiruvananthapuram, India. It took off at 10:19 a.m. local time and was scheduled to land in Dubai at 12.50 p.m. local. The flight touched down in Dubai at 12:43 p.m. on Runway 12L, according to Flightradar24.com. Emirates confirmed there were 282 passengers and 18 crew on board. "All passengers and crew are accounted for and safe," the airline said. However, the aircraft was destroyed by a large fire. Initial, unconfirmed reports claimed the aircraft touched down hard upon landing. Recordings of air traffic control communications confirm that Flight EK521 was on a normal approach and had not declared an emergency, but was told to climb to 4,000 ft. shortly before touch down for an as-yet-unknown reason. Around 20 sec. later, Flight EK565 (following Flight EK521 in the arrival pattern) was told to go around. Flightradar24 data suggests Flight EK521 re-initiated a short climb in the final moments of flight, but then descended again. The exact sequence of events remains to be determined. The weather reports for noon and 1 p.m. at Dubai International contain wind shear warnings for all runways, blowing dust and relatively poor visibility. Wind was predicted to be from 110 deg. at 21 kt. at noon, and for only 12 kt. from 140 deg. an hour later. Footage posted on Twitter shows the aircraft coming to a halt while turning almost 180 deg., with the front and main landing gear collapsed and the No. 2 engine detached. The fire intensified after the aircraft had come to a stop, and videos published on Twitter show a fuel explosion inside a starboard wing tank. The aircraft was delivered to Emirates in 2003. According to the Aviation Week Intelligence Network fleet database, Emirates operates 12 777-300s, nine of which are on lease. The airline has a total of 156 777s in service, 118 of which are 777-300ERs. Emirates is the largest operator of the type worldwide. The airline has never had a hull-loss accident before. A serious incident involving an official investigation took place in March 2009. Then, an Airbus A340-500 took off from Melbourne, Australia at the engine wrong power setting. The aircraft was damaged but could be repaired. No one was injured. The Aug. 3 Emirates crash was the fifth 777 hull loss since the type entered commercial service in 1994. It was the fourth in the past three years, following the 2013 crash of Asiana Flight OZ214 and Malaysia Airlines flights MH270 in 2013 and MH17 in 2014. A Singapore Airlines 777-300ER caught fire June 27 after having returned to Changi Airport because of a fuel leak. The fire was extinguished, and passengers and crew were evacuated. Dubai International was closed immediately after the Aug. 3 crash. Many flights diverted to other airports were returned to their origin. Diversion airports included Dubai World Central; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Al Ain, UAE; Manama, Bahrain; and Muscat, Oman. Emirates initially stated it expected a "four-hour network-wide delay." That was later revised to an eight-hour delay. The carrier also canceled 22 flights out of Dubai and the return services, plus six additional flights at out-stations. It was not clear if and when the list would be updated. Dubai International reopened shortly after 7.30 p.m. local time. A FedEx Boeing 777F was the first aircraft to depart. Emirates Flight EK236, a Boeing 777-300ER inbound from Chicago, was the first aircraft to land following the resumption of operations. Take-offs and landings were limited to Runway 12R. Other North American arrivals, and FlyDubai narrowbody aircraft landings, followed. Airport operator Dubai Airports said priority was given to large aircraft. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Emirates' safety record: Zero deaths in 30 years The UAE carrier consistently lands at the top in various airline safety rankings Dubai: Emirates Airlines may have suffered its first major hull loss since it started its operations three decades ago, but the global safety accolades it has won over the years can't be easily beat. The UAE-based carrier, whose 777-300 aircraft caught fire at the Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, has consistently landed at the top in several airline safety rankings. For at least two consecutive years, the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC) rated Emirates as the world's second-safest airline. Just this year, AirlineRatings.com, picked Emirates as one of the top 20 safest carriers to fly in. Emirates won this year's award for having passed the stringent international Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and possessing excellent safety records. According to AirlineRatings, Emirates has not had any fatalities. Emirates confirmed in a statement that the accident has not resulted in human casualty. "We can confirm that there are no fatalities among our passengers and crew," the airline said. The Boeing 777 aircraft, carrying 300 passengers and crew flew from Thiruvanathapuram and was scheduled to land at 12:50pm at Dubai International Airport. The plane caught fire when it landed with one engine detached. According to Planecrashinfo.com, which has compiled the accident history of various airlines, Emirates has had no fatal accidents in the last 20 years. Airsafe, which tracks airline safety and security information, also listed Emirates as one of the Middle Eastern carriers that have not recorded any passenger death in 30 years. The Airline Safety Ranking by JACDEC, consistently rated Emirates as the second-safest carrier in the world, just behind Cathay Pacific Airways, for 2015 and 2016. Skytrax, which regularly ranks airlines based on customer feedback, ranked Emirates as the number one airline in the world. A few of Emirates' numerous awards: One of top 20 safest airlines in the world by AirlineRatings, 2016 World's No. 1 Airline for 2016 by Skytrax Second-safest airline in the world by JACDEC Air Transport world's Airline of the Year in 2011 http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/emergencies/emirates-safety-record-zero-deaths-in-30- years-1.1873281 Back to Top A history of airplane crashes in the UAE DUBAI // There have been nine fatal accidents involving civilian and cargo aircraft in the UAE since 1953. According to the Aviation Safety Network, the first was on August 3, 1953, when one passenger died in a crash involving an Orient Airways Douglas DC-3 near Sharjah Airport. On July 10, 1960, the same aircraft type was involved in an accident near Sharjah, killing 16. A Sterling Airways Caravelle 10B3 crashed on March 14, 1972, near Kalba, Sharjah, killing the 112 people onboard. The same number of passengers died on September 23, 1983, when a Gulf Air Boeing 737-2P6 went down at Jebel Ali port after a suspected bombing. On December 15, 1997, a Tajikistan Airlines Tupolev 154B-1 crashed near Sharjah Airport, killing 85 people. And on July 13, 1998, an Ilyushin 76MD cargo plane crashed near Ras Al Khaimah, killing all eight onboard. On February 10, 2004, Iranian Kish Air flight 7170 crashed near Sharjah Airport, killing 43 of the 46 people onboard. Six passengers were killed in a Sudan Airways-operated Boeing 707-330C cargo plane, which went down near Sharjah Airport on October 21, 2009. The most recent fatal air crash on UAE soil took place on September 3, 2010, when two people died on a UPS Boeing 747-44AF that crashed near Dubai International Airport. For more details visit aviation-safety.net. nhanif@thenational.ae http://www.thenational.ae/uae/transport/a-history-of-airplane-crashes-in-the-uae Back to Top Wells Fargo predicts $50 million EK521 insurance payout to AerCap AerCap may recover up to $50 million through insurance from the Emirates Boeing 777 accident on 3 August, a Wells Fargo analyst note suggests. "Assuming the aircraft is deemed a 'total loss' (which seems probable based on descriptions of the incident), we would expect an insurance gain to be accrued in Q3 or Q4," says the note. "Recall that lessors typically insure aircraft for an amount that is greater than carrying value." Flight Fleets Analyzer puts the value of the aircraft (MSN 32700) at around $30 million, and gives an indicative lease rate of roughly $370,000. AerCap inherited the jet when it acquired ILFC in 2014. The lessor declined to comment. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top FAA Set To Hire 1,400 Entry-Level Air Traffic Controllers. The Catch: Only One Week To Apply. John Goglia CONTRIBUTOR An air traffic controller specialist works at the Frederick Municipal Airport control tower in Frederick, Maryland, U.S., on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg The FAA announced on Tuesday that it is planning to hire 1,400 new controllers to help meet its future workforce demands. The catch for applicants: you can only apply during the seven-day job opening period, August 8-15. According to the FAA's announcement, the job posting will be listed under Air Traffic Control Specialist - Trainee and will be available only on the U.S. government's official jobs website. Although you can't apply until August 8, the FAA says you can establish an online account today. Competition will be stiff: The FAA expects more than 25,000 people to apply for these 1,400 positions. The announcement should come as good news to graduates of college controller training programs, known as Collegiate Training Initiative or CTI programs, many of whom were unable to secure positions with the FAA in recent years because of a controversial hiring experiment by the FAA which put a candidate's biographical background ahead of his or her aviation credentials. Congress put significant limits on that initiative this year, prohibiting the FAA in its reauthorization act (known as the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016) from using biographical data when hiring experienced controllers, graduates of CTI programs or eligible veterans. The FAA can still use biographical information when hiring from the general public. The FAA is encouraging CTI and eligible veterans to act quickly to secure the information necessary to apply for these positions. For CTI graduates, you must "submit proof of graduation and an appropriate recommendation from the CTI institution." Eligible veterans who wish to be considered are required to "provide a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty within 120 days of the announcement closing." Air traffic controllers are a key safety component of the U.S. air transportation system. Successful candidates receive free training from the FAA but you should note that the first several months will require intensive training at the FAA's training academy in Oklahoma City, Okla. Minimum requirements include: - U.S. citizenship - under age 31 on August 15 (there are exceptions) - pass a medical exam - pass a security screening - speak English clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment. Information on air traffic controller pay and benefits is available on the FAA's Aviation Careers website. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoglia/2016/08/03/faa-set-to-hire-1400-entry-level-air- traffic-controllers-the-catch-only-one-week-to-apply/#6c52f9b458d3 Back to Top FAA Inspector Raised Concerns About Hot-Air Balloons Years Before Crash Internal report submitted in 2012 or 2013 urged improved training, tighter certification requirements, closer oversight A crew on Monday hoisting onto a truck a bag holding the remains of the hot-air balloon that crashed Saturday. By ANDY PASZTOR A year or more before independent crash experts publicly urged more-stringent safety rules for sightseeing balloons in 2014, a report by a Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector raised similar red flags and called for identical changes. But high-ranking FAA officials ultimately failed to take action on either set of warnings, which has put the agency on the defensive since a hot-air balloon crash Saturday claimed 16 lives in a Central Texas pasture. The deadliest such crash in U.S. history, it has shone a spotlight on FAA oversight. Accident investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, the independent agency that issued strongly worded recommendations in 2014, have determined the pilot was likely attempting to land when part of his balloon dragged along an electrical power line. This likely severed the gondola-the basket under the balloon carrying passengers- which plummeted to the ground and burst into intense flames, NTSB member Robert Sumwalt told reporters Monday. Everyone on board perished, and investigators are now delving into the pilot's training, weather conditions and other potential factors. The FAA has said officials intend to assess the findings to decide what actions are appropriate. It isn't clear whether stepped-up FAA oversight would have made a difference in last weekend's tragedy. But the internal report, prepared by Wayne Phillips, a safety inspector who still works in the agency's Detroit district office overseeing flight standards, said there was a dramatic need for improved training, more-demanding certification requirements and focused, hands-on oversight by agency inspectors. His undated 18-page report, submitted to high-ranking FAA officials in 2012 or 2013 according to a person familiar with the report, argued that an entire industry segment- potentially including several hundred operators offering scenic hot-air balloon tours nationwide-"has been overlooked but is deserving of FAA attention and oversight." "It is exceptionally easy to obtain a commercial pilot certificate" to fly lighter-than-air vehicles, including "eleven-story-tall behemoths" that are notoriously difficult to control and can carry more than a dozen passengers, Mr. Phillips wrote. He noted that federal training rules didn't distinguish between such balloons and smaller versions, and added that commercial balloon operations potentially serving hundreds of customers daily were subject to less FAA oversight than banner-towing airplanes that typically have only a single pilot. Another section of the report highlighted that commercial tour operators, whose balloons were presumably flown by professional aviators, accounted for more than half of all U.S. ballooning accidents over a roughly two-year period ending in the summer of 2012. "This data provides ample justification for enhanced FAA oversight," the report asserted. Mr. Phillips declined to comment Monday evening through an agency spokesman. The document, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, also urged tightening safety standards for hot-air balloons to make them comparable to those for helicopters or small planes providing sightseeing tours. Since early 2007, the FAA has used what are called letters of authorization to specify and monitor operating and safety requirements for individual scenic-tour operators. But commercial balloons are exempt. In April 2014, the safety board, which has no regulatory authority, initially called on the FAA to take basically the same steps advocated previously by the Phillips report. In a letter to the FAA, the NTSB warned that without significant changes, "the potential for a high number of fatalities in a single air tour balloon accident is of particular concern." FAA Chief Michael Huerta declined to follow those NTSB recommendations, replying in a late 2015 letter to the board that since the number of balloon flights nationwide "is so low," the agency "believes the risk posed to all pilots and participants is also low." The agency's case was backed in part by a cost-benefit analysis of competing priorities, according to one person familiar with the deliberations. In his final on-scene briefing to reporters, the NTSB's Mr. Sumwalt also said investigators hadn't uncovered any mechanical problems with the balloon that crashed in Texas. As part of the probe, the safety board will look into the pilot's history of alcohol and drug- related offenses. Mr. Sumwalt hasn't said those criminal violations had any bearing on the accident. Nevertheless, he has called the FAA's current regulations for balloon pilots unacceptable, because they don't require the formal medical certificates that nearly all other pilots must have. http://www.wsj.com/articles/faa-report-called-balloon-safety-overlooked-1470116178 Back to Top Marines order 24-hour pause in flight operations for all non-deployed aircraft The head of Marine Aviation has ordered all non-deployed aircraft to stand down for 24 hours following three recent crashes of F/A-18s, two of which were fatal. Lt. Gen. Jon Davis told wing commanders on Wednesday that non-deployed squadrons must take "an operational pause" within the next seven business days, said Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns. The move is different than grounding aircraft, she said. Commanders can decide which day to take the pause, during which aircraft are typically inspected, Burns said on Wednesday. Burns could not say what exactly prompted Davis' decision, which was approved by Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller. Three Marine Corps F/A-18s have crashed since June 2, when Blue Angels pilot Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss' Hornet crashed shortly after takeoff in Smyrna, Tennessee. On July 28, Marine Maj. Richard Norton, a graduate of the Navy's TOPGUN school, was killed when his F/A-18C crashed near Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. Then on Tuesday, a Navy pilot safely ejected from an F/A-18C that was on loan from the Marine Corps. The Hornet went down near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. Marine aviation is suffering from a perfect storm that has caused the number of flyable aircraft to plunge in the last five years. Budget cuts have postponed maintenance for aircraft that have been flown hard during 15 years of combat and led to a shortage of spare parts, especially for CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters. The service is in the process of transitioning to the F-35 joint strike fighter, but delays in the program have forced the Marine Corps to fly their Hornets, AV-8B Harrier II jump jets and their EA-6B Prowlers longer than anticipated. Last summer, only 378 of the Marine Corps' required flightline inventory of 1,065 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft could fly, Davis said at an Aug. 1 event at a think tank in Washington. Since then, roughly 80 more aircraft have become flightworthy, he said. With fewer aircraft flying, Marine pilots are not getting the flight hours they need, but the service is slowly improving, Davis said. The Marine Corps is trying to get pilots the appropriate number of flight hours by 2020. At the Aug. 1 event, Davis was asked if Marine pilots' lives were in danger as a result of the drop in flight hours. "I do not think we're unsafe, but we're not as proficient as we should be," Davis said. "We don't let units fly that are unsafe." He added that he tracks how many flight hours all units get per week, and Norton's unit was "doing OK." On Jan. 14, two CH-53E helicopters from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 crashed off Hawaii, killing 12 Marines. The crash came months after Marine aviation deaths hit a five-year high. Davis has said the CH-53E helicopter crews had enough training for the mission they were doing, but they probably needed more training before they could fly in combat. "We don't know what happened out there - I won't know until that investigation that comes out," he told reporters on July 6. "I grieve for every one of the families. That's the hardest part for me. I'm the deputy commandant for aviation and I lost 12 great Marines. That's what I think about every day." http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2016/08/03/marines-order-24-hour- pause-flight-operations-all-non-deployed-aircraft/88047246/ Back to Top Universal School of Aviation emerges 2016 West Africa Most Innovative school The Universal School of Aviation, Lagos has emerged West Africa's most innovative aviation school of year 2016. The winner which was announced during the award/dinner which took place at the Banquet Hall of Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Lagos had in attendance key players in West Africa education sector. Also present at the dinner were rectors, Directors of studies and school owners across the region. Speaking at the occasion, the Director of Studies, Universal School of Aviation, Lagos, Mr. Onifade Adekunle Eedris said that the award is an encouragement for the school to do more for the teaming youth who wish to start up a career in the air transport industry. He vowed to ensure that the school does not relent on his effort of providing job placement for its graduates after the programme. He said: "The innovation will reduce the rate of unemployment in Nigeria." According to him, The international award will create new passage of opportunities for students at the Universal School of Aviation who wish to use their certificate to further their studies or work outside the country. "The award is a reflection of great work being done in the school and the performance of our students in the industry," he added. Meanwhile, the guest speaker of the event, Prof. Stanley Ohenhen said that the essence of quality education delivery in the country cannot be overemphasised, urging school administrators to work toward achieving targeted goal in the education sector. A golden plaque award and a certificate were presented to outstanding institutions in the West African region which saw Universal School of Aviation as "West Africa`s Most Innovative Aviation School of the Year". Other categories of awards included but not limited to Best University, Polytechnic, Business School, Secondary School among other. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/universal-school-aviation-emerges-2016-west- africa-innovative-school/ Back to Top ACSF Joins FAA Aviation Safety Data Sharing Program The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has signed an agreement to participate in the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing Program (ASIAS), the group announced today. Administered by Mitre Corp., ASIAS is an FAA-funded, joint government-industry collaborative aviation safety information sharing program. ASIAS provides a resource to discover common, systemic safety problems that span multiple operators, fleets and airspace regions.This data is then used across the aviation industry to drive improvements and support safety management systems. "We are pleased to offer ACSF members the opportunity to join the ASIAS program at no cost through the ACSF aviation safety action program [ASAP]," said ACSF president Bryan Burns. "Charter operators and corporate flight departments can now participate in this industry-wide collaborative effort by contributing safety data anonymously and viewing the collective de-identified information that ASIAS produces." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-08-03/acsf-joins-faa- aviation-safety-data-sharing-program Back to Top EAA AIRVENTURE AirVenture Attendance, Aircraft, Exhibitors Up In 2016 The Experimental Aircraft Association's 2016 edition of AirVenture drew nearly 563,000 people and featured 2,855 showplanes at Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) in Oshkosh, Wis. The weeklong event, which concluded on July 31, marked a 1-percent increase in attendance over 2015. "Our attendance was particularly outstanding, since we had some weather challenges mid-week compared to seven perfect days in 2015," noted EAA chairman Jack Pelton. Showplanes were up by 7 percent, including an 11-percent increase in homebuilt aircraft (1,124), 7-percent increase in vintage airplanes (1,035) and 6-percent increase in warbirds (371). Also on display were ultralights, light-sport aircraft, seaplanes, rotorcraft, aerobatic aircraft and other "non-categorized" aircraft. In all, more than 10,000 aircraft arrived at OSH and surrounding airports. "Our grounds crew and our volunteers, who number more than 5,000, did a superb job keeping the site ready for visitors and campers who arrived by ground or by air," Pelton said. Alongside the show aircraft, the number of commercial exhibitors increased 10 percent, to 891. In addition, the event featured 1,050 forums and workshops. "It was a magical week at Oshkosh this year," Pelton said, noting EAA premiered its Founders Innovation prize and celebrated the flight of the 2 millionth Young Eagle. "From the aviation anniversaries we celebrated, to the magnificent performances by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, to the airplanes and aviators who were here, there was an energy that reinvigorated everyone involved in aviation." Work is already under way for the 2017 event, scheduled for July 24 to 30, with an eye on celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Piper Cub and the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Air Force, among other early plans. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2016-08-03/airventure- attendance-aircraft-exhibitors-2016 Back to Top Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market Worth 4.71 Billion USD by 2021 PUNE, India, August 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Aircraft Health Monitoring System Market by IVHM Technology (Prognostic, Diagnostic, CBM & Adaptive Control), Sub-System (Aero-Propulsion, Aircraft Structure, Avionics And Ancillary System), Fit, Type & Region - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global market is projected to reach USD 4.71 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 6.53% from 2016 to 2021. Browse 95 market data Tables and 95 Figures spread through 167 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Aircraft Health Monitoring System Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aircraft-health-monitoring-systems- market-954.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization On this report. Increased need for short mission cycle time, reduced unscheduled maintenance, and increasing asset utilization along with cost effective maintenance and increasing volume of data generated to analyze the aviation aircraft are expected to drive the aircraft health monitoring systems market. The diagnostics segment led the aircraft health monitoring system market in 2015 In terms of IVHM technology, the global aircraft health monitoring systems market has been segmented into diagnostics, prognostics, and condition-based maintenance & adaptive control. The diagnostics segment led the overall market, and is estimated to exhibit a similar trend during the next five years, due to the increase in maintenance, repair and operations for an aircraft. The avionics segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The global Aircraft Health Monitoring Systems Market, by sub-system, has been segmented into aero-propulsion, aircraft structures, avionics, and ancillary systems. The avionics segment of the aircraft health monitoring systems market is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, among all sub-systems. The growth is attributed to the increasing demand for advanced avionics from the airline industries. The aircraft health monitoring system market Europe region to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The aircraft health monitoring system market in the Europe region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021. Factors such as passenger traffic growth and increasing aircraft deliveries are fueling the aircraft health monitoring systems market growth in this region. Inquiry Before Buying : http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=954 Airbus Group (Netherlands): One of the key players in the aircraft health monitoring systems market The other major players in the aircraft health monitoring systems market are the Boeing Company (U.S.), United Technologies Corporation (U.S.), Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.), and General Electric Company (U.S.). Browse Related Reports Aviation Analytics Market by End-User, Business Function (Finance, Operations, Maintenance & Repair, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain) Application (Fuel, Flight Risk, Inventory & Revenue Management, Customer Analytics, Navigation) - Global Forecast to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/aviation-analytics-market- 26274177.html Commercial Avionics Systems Market by Sub-System (FMS, FCS, CNS, HMS, and Electrical & Emergency Systems), Platform (Fixed Wing and Rotary Wing), Fit (Forward and Retro) and Geography - Global Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/commercial-avionic-system-market- 138098845.html Know More About our Knowledge Store @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical info graphics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan Markets and Markets UNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZ Magarpatta city, Hadapsar Pune, Maharashtra 411013, India Tel: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog@ http://mnmblog.org/market-research/aerospace-defence Back to Top Jim Cannon Becomes Flight Department Liaison for Argus Business aviation veteran Jim Cannon is joining Argus to serve as the corporate flight department liaison. Cannon brings 40 years of industry experience to his new role, having held positions that included director of flight operations for Home Depot, chief pilot for several business aviation flight operations and president of Jet Professionals. He has served as the IS-BAO program director for the International Business Aviation Council. He holds type ratings in seven business aircraft, has amassed more than 14,000 flight hours and is an accredited Argus, IS-BAO, IS-BAH and BARS auditor. "Jim brings a very broad range of experience to our organization that will continue to enrich our understanding of the unique challenges of corporate flight departments around the globe," said Argus president Joe Moeggenberg. "Jim will aid Argus with fine-tuning our product offerings to the flight department side of the marketplace and facilitating meetings with flight department managers to ensure that the suite of Argus safety, data and technology products provides cost-effective and appropriate value today and well into the future." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-08-03/jim-cannon- becomes-flight-department-liaison-argus Back to Top Private Company Wins U.S. Clearance To Fly To The Moon Moon Express plans to fly a suitcase-sized lander to the moon for a two-week mission in 2017. A Florida-based company won U.S. government permission on Wednesday to send a robotic lander to the moon next year, the firm's founder said, marking the first time the United States has cleared a private space mission to fly beyond Earth's orbit. The Federal Aviation Administration's unprecedented go-ahead for the Moon Express mission also sets a legal and regulatory framework for a host of other commercial expeditions to the moon, asteroids and Mars. As approved by the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, the privately held Moon Express, headquartered in Cape Canaveral, plans to fly a suitcase-sized lander to the moon for a two-week mission in 2017, said the company founder and chief executive Bob Richards. The spacecraft will carry a number of science experiments and some commercial cargo on its one-way trip to the lunar surface, including cremated human remains, and will beam back pictures and video to Earth, the company said. Before now, no government agency was recognized as having authority to oversee private missions beyond Earth's orbit, though a 1967 international treaty holds the United States responsible for any flights into space by its non-government entities. So far, only government agencies have flown spacecraft beyond the orbit of the Earth. To address the conundrum, the FAA, which already exercises jurisdiction over commercial rocket launches in the United States, led an interagency review of the Moon Express proposal, which included steps the company would take to ensure compliance with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. "It's been a very steep mountain," Richards said in a telephone interview. "We had to lay the track at the same time that we wanted to do the mission." Other companies are expected to soon follow the same framework. Elon Musk, founder and chief executive of Space Exploration Technologies, plans to fly a spacecraft to Mars in 2018, a mission that raises a host of issues dealing with protecting potential indigenous life on the planet from contamination by Earth microbes. Among other private space ventures in the works are missions to mine asteroids, operate science labs and repair and service satellites. Planetary protection is less of a concern on the moon, but Moon Express did have to contend with concerns about disturbing Apollo and other historic lunar landing sites, among other issues. "We proposed a scenario that built on the existing FAA mission-approval framework," Richards said. NASA and other agencies, including the Defense, State and Commerce departments, ultimately agreed that no new law was necessary, Richards said. As part of the agreement, NASA will advise, but not regulate, Moon Express activities on the lunar surface. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/private-company-wins-us-clearance-to-fly-to-the- moon_us_57a1eac1e4b0e2e15eb7e715?section=& Back to Top NASA Mars Mission 2030: Government Auditors Say Space Agency Is Not Ready For Human Expedition The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a very ambitious project slated for the 2030s: to send man to Mars. The U.S. government space agency first outlined the plan in 2010, after nearly four decades of robotic exploration on the Red Planet, and has since taken many steps to make NASA's Orion crew capsule and Space Launch System a plausible reality. But according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the likeliness of the mission to take off is questionable. The two reasons cited by the GAO, which has conducted two government-requested audits, are lack of funding and internal management problems. "The main problem is that we do not have a clear long-term goal for the national human spaceflight program," said Mike Gruntman, a professor of astronautics at the University of Southern California, to The Christian Science Monitor. "Being rudderless does not help in bringing public excitement and support." Earlier this year, a House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology highlighted the deficit of a plan in NASA's Mars mission. "We do not have a planned strategy or architecture with sufficient detail," said Tom Young, the former director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, reported The Verge at the time. NASA's working timeline for the Journey to Mars initiative includes testing an SLS launch in 2018 where an empty Orion vessel will orbit the moon, sending four astronauts to redirect an asteroid in the next ten years and finally sending a crew to Mars in the 2030s. "Mars is a rich destination for scientific discovery and robotic and human exploration as we expand our presence into the solar system," said NASA. "Its formation and evolution are comparable to Earth, helping us learn more about our own planet's history and future. Mars had conditions suitable for life in its past. Future exploration could uncover evidence of life, answering one of the fundamental mysteries of the cosmos: Does life exist beyond Earth?" The shifting timelines, coupled with exorbitant funding requires to launch, make the mission difficult to execute according to some. Adding to the growing skepticism of the mission is the upcoming election, which will see a new administration in power. "Ideally, if these programs go forward, NASA would be taking actions to reduce the risks we see now, which are being caused by management issues," said Cristina Chaplain, who led the GOA audit, to the Christian Science Monitor. "They're going to face the technical issues no matter what. But they're exacerbating them with management concerns, like not having accurate cost estimates." To its credit, NASA continues moving towards its goal of sending a crew to Mars and is optimistic of its chances. "We think we're on the right trajectory to get humans to Mars in the 2030's," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told CNBC's "On the Money" in April. http://www.ibtimes.com/nasa-mars-mission-2030-government-auditors-say-space- agency-not-ready-human-2397322 Back to Top ISASI 2016, Reykjavik, Iceland 17 to 20 October, 2016 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 47th annual seminar at the Grand Hotel Reykjavik, Iceland, from the 17 to 20 October 2016. The seminar theme is: "Every link is important" Papers will address this theme in conjunction with other contemporary matters on aviation safety investigation, including recent case studies, new investigation methods and aviation safety trends or developments. Registration and details of the main seminar, tutorial and companion programmes are available at www.esasi.eu/isasi-2016. We look forward to seeing you in Iceland Back to Top RSVP by contacting Erin Carroll, DFRC President by September 1 Email: erin.carroll@wnco.com or Telephone: (214) 792-5089 Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Request I am Mohsen Berajeh, MSc student within an aircraft maintenance at the university of South Wales. I am conducting a research about outsourcing strategy in aircraft maintenance as a technique to improve safety, cost control and increase aircraft availability. However, part of my study contains a short survey questionnaire, this survey is just 10 questions and will not take more than 10 min. My study would look at the role of outsourcing in aircraft maintenance industry, where the maintenance market is heavily influencing the operating costs Therefore, the airlines implement the outsourcing as a successful approach for continuous improvement to face the world growing competition. Moreover, optimizing aircraft maintenance as a manner of strengthening their market share and confronting challenges in terms of a survival strategy. All operators, maintenance organisations, manufacturers, and owners are most welcome to participate in this questionnaire. Please click the link below to go to the survey. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CRNQGDZ Your participation in a questionnaire will be highly appreciated. Thank you for your time. Mohsen Berajeh 15002519@students.southwales.ac.uk Curt Lewis