Flight Safety Information August 16, 2016 - No. 160 In This Issue IATA Calls For Clampdown On Rogue Lithium Battery Shippers Pilatus PC-12 Nose Gear Collapse on landing Smoke in Cockpit Forces United Flight to Divert to Santa Barbara American Airlines flight has tire blowout before takeoff from OIA 2 Navy pilots eject before jet crashes in Texas Engine Gone, Israir Pilot Safely Lands Disabled Jet at Ben Gurion Airport A pilot's personal camera is to blame for an airplane's 4,400 foot plummet European agency proposes tougher medical checks for pilots Flying getting riskier in India as safety incidents increase Inmarsat awaits regulatory standards for flight-data streaming Gogo To Offer Connectivity In China Air Force drone pilots offered $175k to stick around for five more years Existing navigation data can help pilots avoid turbulence Another record-breaking week for firearms at U.S. airports NMSU to offer unmanned aircraft systems workshop in September INTERESTING AVIATION PHOTO Astronauts, You Are Now Welcome to Board Boeing's New Starliner Spacecraft Watch..."The Crash Detectives Book Trailer"...on YouTube ISASI 2016, Reykjavik, Iceland...17 to 20 October, 2016 (ISASI) DFW Regional Chapter (DFRC) Summer Meeting, September 8, 2016 IATA Calls For Clampdown On Rogue Lithium Battery Shippers Alongside key players in the lithium battery supply chain, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on governments to enforce stricter international regulations regarding the transportation of lithium batteries. While lithium batteries are considered to be "very safe" by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) they can be dangerous and have caused a number of fires on board aircraft and during ground handling. Due to their high energy levels and the fire risk they pose if damaged, such batteries must be stored properly during flights. On its website, the CAA explains that poor quality or counterfeit batteries are known to be in circulation and pose an additional safety risk. Following IATA's statement, released yesterday (July 15), it's clear that the industry is keen to combat the issue of poor counterfeit batteries and "rogue producers and exporters" of lithium batteries. Thus, in an open letter to Ministers of Trade, Industry and Transport, and Directors of Civil Aviation, IATA, PRBA, the US Rechargeable Battery Association, RECHARGE, the European Advanced Rechargeable and Lithium Battery Association, the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) and the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), have called for lithium battery safety regulations to be enforced at the point of origin including the initial shipper and the battery manufacturer. Additionally, the aforementioned companies have called for a cooperative enforcement initiative between jurisdictions to address situations in which said batteries manufactured in one state are driven over a border to be flown from other state. The IATA statement also said that it had "called for significant fines and custodial sentences to be imposed on those who circumvent the regulations". Tony Tyler IATA's Director General and CEO said: "Safety is aviation's top priority. Airlines, shippers and manufacturers have worked hard to establish rules that ensure lithium batteries can be carried safely. But the rules are only effective if they are enforced and backed-up by significant penalties. Government authorities must step up and take responsibility for regulating rogue producers and exporters. And flagrant abuses of dangerous goods shipping regulations, which place aircraft and passenger safety at risk, must be criminalised". While George Kerchner, executive director of PRBA - a company that represents most of the world's largest manufacturers of lithium ion and lithium metal batteries and manufacturers of products powered by these batteries - said it's a "matter of deep concern" when the actions of a minority "threaten to undermine confidence in legitimate battery and product manufacturers". But yesterday's statement isn't the first time IATA and the PRBA have asked governments to address this issue and prevent "rogue" manufacturers and shippers breaking international regulations. IATA says: "Lack of enforcement is increasing pressure on airlines and regulators to unilaterally ban all forms of lithium battery shipments from aircraft. This would add to the cost of global supply chains and consumer goods, and encourage those who flout the law to increase mislabelling of batteries, further increasing safety and security risks". Kerchner concluded yesterday's statement explaining that "A ban on the shipment of lithium ion batteries aboard aircraft would put lives at risk by slowing delivery of life-critical and life-enhancing medical equipment and jeopardize the security of many countries because a large number of military applications are powered by lithium batteries". http://mro-network.com/opinion/2016/08/iata-calls-clampdown-rogue-lithium-battery- shippers/14111?dm_i=2H5E,V4RW,638VYF,2BA73,1 Back to Top Pilatus PC-12 Nose Gear Collapse on landing Date: 15-AUG-2016 Time: 19:02LT Type: Pilatus PC-12 Owner/operator: Boutique Air Inc Registration: N512NG C/n / msn: 512 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Salt Lake City, UT - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Denver (DIA) Destination airport: Salt Lake City (SLC) Narrative: While operated as BTQ905 this aircraft was damaged after a nose undercarriage collapse on landing. There are no injuries reported to the two POB. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=189302 Back to Top Smoke in Cockpit Forces United Flight to Divert to Santa Barbara Plane makes emergency landing en route from LAX to San Francisco; no injuries reported United Airlines Flight 640 from LAX to San Francisco made an emergency landing at the Santa Barbara Airport Monday night after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit. No injuries were reported. A United Airlines flight en route from Los Angeles to San Francisco made an emergency landing at the Santa Barbara Airport Monday night after the crew detected smoke in the cockpit. United Flight 640, an Airbus 320 with 174 people aboard, left LAX at 6:37 p.m., according to the FlightAware web site. "The crew reported a problem with smoke in the cockpit, and made the decision to divert to the nearest airport that could handle an aircraft of that size," said Battalion Chief Robert Mercado of the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. The plane reversed course over San Luis Obispo County, and landed without incident at the Santa Barbara Airport at about 7:20 p.m. Once on the ground, the plane taxied over to the terminal area, and the passengers and crew were taken off without incident, Mercado said. No injuries were reported. Firefighters from both the city and Santa Barbara County responded to the incident, Mercado said. After the plane was cleared of people, crews used thermal-imaging equipment to check for heat and smoke throughout the aircraft, Mercado said, but none was found. Another aircraft reportedly was being brought in so that the passengers could complete their trip to San Francisco. https://www.noozhawk.com/article/smoke_in_cockpit_forces_united_flight_to_divert_to_santa_barbara Back to Top American Airlines flight has tire blowout before takeoff from OIA, authorities say Two tires blew out on Americans Airlines flight 178 as it was about to take off from Orlando International Airport on Monday, airport authorities said. The plane, which never made it off the ground, was scheduled to go to Los Angeles International Airport. OIA officials said the 158 passengers and six crew members on board were safely taken off the plane and bused to the terminal. No one was injured. http://www.wftv.com/news/local/tires-blow-out-on-american-airlines-flight-about-to-leave- oia/423784830 Back to Top 2 Navy pilots eject before jet crashes in Texas PREMONT, Texas - A Navy instructor and a student pilot ejected themselves from a T-45 Goshawk before it crashed in a South Texas field during a training flight from Naval Air Station Kingsville. Investigators are trying to determine what caused the T-45 to crash Sunday night in a rural area near Premont, about 17 miles southwest of Kingsville. Naval Air Station Corpus Christi spokeswoman Lt. J.G. Liz Feaster says one pilot suffered minor injuries and was still being treated Monday, while the other pilot was not injured. Feaster didn't immediately release names of the pilots. http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/08/15/2-navy-pilots-eject-before-jet-crashes- texas/88763850/ Back to Top Engine Gone, Israir Pilot Safely Lands Disabled Jet at Ben Gurion Airport Drama on the tarmac: fire and rescue personnel, medics and others waited as an Israeli passenger plane struggled to return to Tel Aviv with one engine down. Waiting for disabled plane to attempt emergency landing at Ben Gurion International Airport. While most Israelis were fast asleep late Monday night, dozens of first responders, medics and fire and rescue personnel were wide awake and watching tensely as they waited for a disabled plane to appear in the skies above Ben Gurion International Airport. Ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles and other equipment were immediately deployed to the tarmac after the air traffic controller received word that an Israeli passenger plane was in trouble, and would try to return home. The pilot was able to land the aircraft, an Israir A320 passenger jet, safely with 118 passengers aboard in the wee hours of Tuesday morning after reporting that one of the plane's engines had quit. He managed to bring the aircraft home under its own power to the airport and carry out a successful emergency landing, despite the dicey conditions. Upon its arrival, passengers and crew found numerous fire and rescue personnel, ambulances, medics and other first responders waiting to assist. No injuries were reported. Its not yet clear what caused the engine to malfunction. An investigation has been launched. http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/one-engine-gone-israir-pilot-safely-lands-disabled- plane-at-ben-gurion-airport/2016/08/16/ Back to Top A pilot's personal camera is to blame for an airplane's 4,400 foot plummet An AirTanker Airbus Voyager aircraft prepares to land at a British base at Akrotiri, near the city of Limassol, in Cyprus August 29 2013. A plane like this was dropping 263 feet per second. (Reuters/Yiannis Nisiotis) It turns out the very presence of a pilot's personal camera in the cockpit of a plane can be disastrous. In February 2014, a UK military plane plummeted 4,400ft (1.35 km) after its pilot's Nikon camera became lodged into the controls. The Times of London reports that UK military personnel and a civil servant onboard are now suing the UK government (paywall) over the incident. The UK Ministry of Defense wouldn't comment on the incident citing an upcoming court marshal scheduled for February 2017 but a the final report of the incident investigation was published in March 2015. That report said that the camera slid into a position that put pressure on the steering control of the airplane, and then forced that control forward as the pilot adjusted his seat forward. The movement eventually pitched the aircraft down 17 degrees, causing it to drop at a maximum of 260 feet (80 meters) per second. Some passengers and crew were thrown to the ceiling. One-hundred ninety-eight people were on board and 32 were identified to have minor physical injuries upon landing. No major injuries were identified. Globally, there is a patchwork of rules governing the use of personal electronic devices in the cockpits of airplanes. In the US and much of Europe, aviation authorities prohibit pilots from using devices that can transmit information wirelessly to be used in a non-business capacity while on duty. Despite this, a Quartz investigation in 2014 revealed that the flouting of these rules by pilots was widespread, with pilots posting their in-flight pictures-selfies included-to Instagram. The UK government's report found that the pilot took 77 pictures during the flight. The last came 95 seconds before the unintended descent began. The UK does not have the same prohibitions on electronic devices, and military regulations are typically more lax than civilian rules. There is a long history of military aviators recording their operations through photographs and video. Typically military rules governing the use of personal electronic devices in the cockpit are issued on a operation by operation basis. In February 2011, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (which has little jurisdiction over military operations) warned crew members (pdf pg. 7) of this very possibility. It advised crew members to stow personal items while flying after "pilot's unsecured mobile phone migrat[ed] forward to a position where it jammed the rudder pedal controls under the cockpit floor area." A spokeswoman for the UK's ministry of defense told Quartz that the Military Aviation Authority directs that any items taken into the cockpit be securely stowed. Of course, any object of similar size likely could have gotten lodged in the controls. There is nothing inherently dangerous about the physical presence of cameras or wireless signals in cockpits. Rather, regulations around their use are intended to keep pilots alert and undistracted while on duty. http://qz.com/758385/a-pilots-personal-camera-is-to-blame-for-an-airplanes-4400-foot-plummet/ Back to Top European agency proposes tougher medical checks for pilots The European Aviation Safety Agency is proposing tougher medical examinations for pilots, including better mental health assessments, in response to last year's Germanwings crash BERLIN (AP) - The European Aviation Safety Agency is proposing tougher medical examinations for pilots, including better mental health assessments, in response to last year's Germanwings crash. Pilot Andreas Lubitz locked his captain out of the cockpit and slammed a plane into a mountainside in March 2015. All 150 people on board were killed. Lubitz previously had suffered from depression, but authorities and his airline later deemed him fit to fly. They didn't know his mental health troubles had returned. The aviation agency recommended Tuesday strengthening pilots' initial and subsequent medical examinations "by including drugs and alcohol screening, comprehensive mental health assessment, as well as improved follow-up in case of medical history of psychiatric conditions." The plan now goes to the European Union's executive Commission, which is to draw up proposed rules later this year. http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-08-16/european-agency-proposes-tougher-medical- checks-for-pilots Back to Top Flying getting riskier in India as safety incidents increase It's getting increasingly unsafe to fly in the world's fastest growing aviation market. Air safety incidents that prompted regulatory action reached 280 this year, beating the 275 all of last year, data from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation showed. At this pace, the number may rise to more than 400 by the end of 2016, making it the worst in three years for aviation safety, according to New Delhi-based DGCA. A man makes chapatis as an Air India passenger jet flies over the Jari Mari slum before landing at Mumbai Airport. The DGCA is cracking down on safety violations by airlines in recent months, including a slew of offences such as aircraft getting too close to each other, overworked staff and inebriated pilots and crew. In the latest incident, the DGCA ordered Jet Airways India and state-owned Air India to file police complaints against pilots who were found drunk, seeking legal action for the first time ever in such cases. The Indian aviation market, which saw air traffic grow 20 per cent last year -- double the pace of China's, according to International Air Transport Association -- is struggling to find enough officials to ensure safety of flights. That was one of the reasons why the US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded India's aviation safety rating in 2014, before restoring it a year later following some corrective measures. This month, two commandeers from Jet Airways and Air India were found drunk minutes after they both piloted international flights, although without any incident. The regulator also asked Air India to initiate police action against a crew member for the same offence. If found guilty by a court, all three of them face a year in jail, or a fine of 500,000 rupees ($9,745), or both. Their licenses remain suspended for four years. Air India spokesman G.P. Rao and Jet Airways spokesman Manish Kalghatgi didn't respond to requests for comments. Incidents at Jet Airways jumped to 55 in the first half of this year, compared with 78 in 2015, while Air India saw incidents fall to 26 from 62 last year, the data showed. Market leader Indigo had 25 incidents, compared with 51. Indonesia, an aviation market with one of the world's worst safety records, said Monday it had its air- safety rating upgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration following an assessment in March. In 2007, the FAA had cut the country's rating to Category 2, citing serious concerns about the local civil- aviation regulator's safety oversight and operational control systems. http://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/flying-getting-riskier-in-india-as-safety-incidents-increase- 20160815-gqt8ng.html Back to Top Inmarsat awaits regulatory standards for flight-data streaming Inmarsat is awaiting regulatory details on the scope of flight-data streaming but believes its new broadband service will easily be able to support such applications. The satellite communications company has been validating the SwiftBroadband-Safety service in trials undertaken by Hawaiian Airlines on Boeing 767-300s, using the capability for ACARS transmissions and updating electronic flightbag information. Hawaiian primarily operates oceanic services, given the location of its hub, which means satcom is a more effective option for data communications. The testing has involved controller-pilot datalink and satellite-based navigation applications. SwiftBroadband provides an IP-based connection with a far higher data rate - up to 432kb/s - than previous communications channels. Inmarsat says this "big pipe", carried through a constellation of three I-4 satellites, enables airlines to consider a range of applications for which data-transfer limitations proved prohibitive. "For a long time both suppliers and airlines were content with meeting the minimum for transoceanic flight," says Inmarsat aviation strategy vice-president Frederik van Essen, speaking to FlightGlobal at the company's London headquarters. "Now they're more interested in what else they can do with connectivity." Van Essen says that freight specialist FedEx has also been involved in a similar trial, which has involved cargo video. Inmarsat believes the data capability is sufficient to provide streaming of flight-operations data, as a back-up to that stored on the aircraft's flight recorders. Van Essen says there is a "good case to be made" for such streaming, with cost of data transmission falling and the shift towards relying on streaming for other routine services. But he adds that there would not be a need to deluge channels with huge amounts of redundant data. "Even though the perception is that everything should be streamed in granular detail, it doesn't need to be that way," he says. "You don't need it at maximum granularity." Inmarsat is advocating a triggered, cloud-based concept which streams data only in circumstances where an aircraft deviates from its normal flight profile. This would make the process "much more affordable", says van Essen, stressing that its IP-based system is not single-purpose, and flight-data streaming could run alongside other applications. Although costs would need to be covered, the business model is still to be finalised, not least because specific regulatory standards are yet to be defined. But Inmarsat says its experience in supporting the global maritime distress and safety system can be transferred to the proposed equivalent for aviation. "Pieces of infrastructure are largely in place," says van Essen. "But parameters need to be defined. It's not something you want to implement on a regional basis, nobody benefits from that in the end." High-profile accidents - including the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the search for which has depended on Inmarsat data - might result in a "faster" push to tracking and flight-data streaming, he suggests. Airbus has recently reinforced Inmarsat's efforts towards increased data use by selecting the SwiftBroadband-Safety concept for its A320 and A330 lines. Implementation on the A320 family is particularly notable because the costs and weight of equipment and data services have typically been prohibitive for short-haul operations. Under the Airbus agreement the airframer will fit the necessary equipment - supplied by Cobham - to aircraft from 2018. Inmarsat has been working towards a similar agreement with Boeing. Provision of such capabilities on a large proportion of the air transport fleet would underpin a shift towards introducing flight-data streaming, the company believes, and reduce the problems associated with locating and retrieving recorders lost in hostile environments. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Gogo To Offer Connectivity In China BOSTON-With regulatory approvals in place, Gogo is now readying to provide connectivity services on international flights entering or leaving China. The Chicago-based connectivity provider is partnering with China Telecom Satellite in the region, Gogo said in an Aug. 15 announcement. It plans to start offering the service in October. This is the first time Gogo's service will be available in China, spokeswoman Morgan Painter said. "For passengers, this means on Gogo equipped flights currently flying into China, they will be able to enjoy seamless service once they reach Chinese airspace," she said. Gogo said that one of its international partners operates China services today. Gogo moved toward connecting a Chinese airline for the first time in March, when it announced the signing of a "term sheet" with Shareco Technologies. The Beijing-based company works with carriers including Hainan Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines. At the time, Gogo said that Shareco would install 2Ku, its latest satellite-based offering, on 50 aircraft within two years "following execution of a definitive agreement." Gogo also expects Shareco to install wireless inflight entertainment on those aircraft as well. In an Aug. 4 investor call, Gogo CEO Michael Small was upbeat about the partnership. "We are making great progress with Shareco, as we would expect with any new relationship, so I have no concerns there, and we should have service going with Shareco next year," he told an analyst. In addition, Small told an analyst that Gogo expected to have "flyover rights" in China before the end of the year. He noted that these "will be extremely helpful for the Delta international fleet, in particular." www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Air Force drone pilots offered $175k to stick around for five more years It's 2016, and you no longer need to climb into a cockpit to fly for the U.S. Air Force. Drone pilots are in high demand - so high that the Air Force is offering extra $35,000 bonuses. Up until now, a drone pilot could earn a bonus of $25,000 for each year of a five-year term that they completed. Now, the Air Force is boosting that amount by an additional $10,000 per year. It's being reported that the extra cash is aimed at increasing numbers - demand for drone pilots is climbing steadily right now thanks to the unprecedented pace of operations. Defense One reports that another reason for the shortfall is "a surge in hiring by airline companies." There's something darker going on, too. It's not just the increased demand and hiring competition that's making it tough for the Air Force to fill seats. Combat stress for so-called 18Xs is off the charts, and the Air Force has seen pilots quitting at a rate faster than new ones can be trained. According to an article from Salon last year, for every 180 trainees that graduated in a 12-month period 240 18Xs quit. PTSD is just as much a possibility for drone pilots as it is for their counterparts in the air. "They could be playing with their children shortly after witnessing up close and in graphic detail the effects of a 500- pound bomb," wrote Sen. Claire McCaskill in a letter to the Air Force last year. The money might be good, but it has to be when the psychological risks are so sky high. http://www.geek.com/news/air-force-drone-pilots-offered-175k-to-stick-around-for-five-more-years- 1666177/ Back to Top Existing navigation data can help pilots avoid turbulence Scientists from the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, have demonstrated that turbulence can be detected in a much faster and more precise way, using data already routinely broadcast by the aircraft operated by commercial airlines. Credit: FUW, jch Detecting turbulence is the Achilles' heel of modern-day aviation. The reports submitted by pilots, subjective and often very inaccurate, are the least expensive and the most frequently used method for trying to predict where it will occur. Scientists from the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, have demonstrated that turbulence can be detected in a much faster and more precise way, using data already routinely broadcast by the aircraft operated by commercial airlines. Anyone who has experienced turbulence on an airplane certainly knows that it's no fun ride. Despite advancements in technology, methods used to detect these dangerous atmospheric phenomena are still far from perfect. However, there is every indication that data allowing pilots to avoid turbulence and even to forecast such occurrences are already being routinely recorded. Jacek Kopec, a doctoral student at the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, and a member of the staff of the University's Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematical and Computational Modelling (ICM), has managed to extract this valuable information from the flight parameters routinely broadcast by the transponders installed in most modern commercial aircraft. This new method for detecting turbulence is so original and potentially easy to implement on a large scale that the report describing it has been featured as a highlight article in the journal Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. "Today's commercial aircraft fly at altitudes of 10 to 15 km, where the temperatures fall to -60 °C. Conditions for measuring atmospheric parameters are very difficult, which explains why such measurements are not taken systematically or extensively. A lack of sufficiently accurate and up-to- date information not only exposes aircraft and their passengers to danger, it also restricts the development of theories and tools for forecasting turbulence," Jacek Kopec says. At present, pilot reports (PIREPs), relayed by radio and provided to pilots of other aircraft by air traffic controllers, are a basic source of turbulence data. Since these reports are based on the subjective opinions of pilots, the data collected in this way are often marred by substantial inaccuracies in both the area of turbulence and its intensity. More accurate readings are provided by aircraft involved in the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) program. This method is nonetheless costly, so data collected at cruising altitudes are transmitted relatively rarely. In practice, this prevents such reports from being used to detect and forecast turbulence. Passenger aircraft are fitted with sensors that record a variety of flight parameters. Unfortunately, most of the data are not made publicly available. Publicly available reports include only the most basic parameters such as the position of the aircraft (ADS-B transmissions, which are also used by the popular website FlightRadar24) or its speed relative to the ground and the air (Mode-S data). Meanwhile, detecting turbulence requires knowledge of the vertical acceleration of aircraft. "Vertical accelerations are especially strongly felt both by the passengers and by the aircraft," Jacek Kopec explains. "Unfortunately, there is no access to materials regarding vertical accelerations. That was why we decided to check if we could extract such data from other flight parameters, accessible in Mode-S and ADS-B transmissions. The research aircraft in a project in which I participated was fitted with a suitable transponder, so we took advantage of that fact. By coincidence, our coauthor, Siebren de Haan from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, recorded the transmissions received from the transponder," he adds. Scientists from the Faculty of Physics tested three algorithms of turbulence detection. The first relied on information about the position of aircraft (ADS-B transmissions). However, preliminary tests and their comparison against the parameters registered in the same area by the research aircraft failed to produce satisfactory results. The remaining two algorithms used the parameters received approximately every four seconds through Mode-S transmissions. In the second approach, the parameters were analyzed using the standard theory of turbulence. In the third approach, the scientists adapted a method for determining turbulence intensity previously used to measure turbulence on a very small scale in the understory of forests. It turned out that once wind velocity in the vicinity of the aircraft was determined and its changes were analyzed in successive readings, it was possible to use the latter two theoretical approaches to locate turbulence areas with an error of only 20 km. Passenger aircraft need around 100 seconds to travel this distance, so this level of accuracy would allow pilots to maneuver their aircraft to effectively avoid turbulence. By harnessing existing data, this system of turbulence detection developed at the Institute of Geophysics (Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw) therefore requires no significant investments in aviation infrastructure. In order to be operational, the system needs adequate software and a computer connected in a simple way to the devices that receive Mode-S transmissions from the transponders on board aircraft. Such devices are standard equipment in air traffic control institutions in Europe. In this system, passenger aircraft act as sensors by creating a dense network of measurement points above Europe. "In the coming months, we will be working to improve the software. Nevertheless, we have already achieved our most important goal: we have proved that the method for detecting turbulence we have proposed really works and can provide pilots with information enabling them to avoid dangerous areas in the atmosphere. Turbulence detection will also help improve aviation forecasting methods," stresses Prof. Szymon Malinowski from the Faculty of Physics, Jacek Kopec's doctoral dissertation advisor and one of the authors of the publication. The turbulence detection system has been developed under a grant from Poland's National Science Center (NCN). Data for the research was collected in a flight test campaign financed from the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Union. http://phys.org/news/2016-08-turbulence.html Back to Top Another record-breaking week for firearms at U.S. airports Some of the guns found at airport checkpoints Aug. 5-11, 2016. (Photo: TSA) Despite the Transportation Security Administration's repeated reminders that "firearms, ammunition, firearm parts, and realistic replicas of firearms are prohibited from carry-on baggage," last week travelers were found with a record-breaking number of guns at airport checkpoints. From Aug. 5 to 11, TSA officers found 78 firearms in carry-on bags at U.S. airports. That breaks a previous record set in May 2016, when 74 firearms were discovered at airport checkpoints, and one set a month earlier, in April 2016, when 73 firearms were found. Of the 78 firearms found in carry-on bags last week, 68 were loaded and 21 had a round chambered. Five firearms were found at checkpoints at both Tampa and San Antonio International Airports, while four passengers were found with firearms at checkpoints at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. "In many cases, people simply forgot they had these items," the TSA notes on its blog, adding that "... each time we find a dangerous item, the line is slowed down and a passenger that likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested." Clearly, not all the firearms and other prohibited items the TSA finds in travelers' carry-on bags are there by mistake. TSA officers found live ammunition inside a gun made with parts created on a 3D printer. (Photo: TSA) Last week TSA officers found a knife tucked inside a pill bottle at San Francisco International Airport and, the week before that, TSA officers at Reno Tahoe International Airport found live ammunition loaded inside a gun made out of parts created on a 3D printer. TSA has the authority to impose civil penalties of more than $12,000 per violation on travelers found with loaded or unloaded guns and realistic replicas. http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/08/15/tsa-airport-security- guns/88754270/ Back to Top NMSU to offer unmanned aircraft systems workshop in September Las Cruces, NM (NMSU) - With the increasing popularity of unmanned aircraft systems or drones, New Mexico State University's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Test Center will offer a three-day workshop to teach government, civil and business officials about the new technology and regulations. The workshop will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13-15, at the Physical Science Laboratory at Anderson Hall. The cost is $300 per person with a working lunch included. Registration is available online at http://psl.nmsu.edu. The workshop will focus on helping officials understand the technology, determine the right sensor and UAS for a particular application, prepare for the changes in this fast-moving field, become aware of the administrative and FAA regulations, and learn how to develop a plan and achieve each organization's goals. NMSU's UAS experts will guide participants through the requirements process addressing the many nuances to optimize budgets and perform the mission. "The workshop was developed and is being offered in answer to the many phone calls and questions we receive from state, county and city employees and even businesses. UAS is a new tool and it is easy to go the wrong direction when you purchase one because of lack of education. The problem is, the cost for the wrong decision can be substantial and can set your timeline back months or even years," said Dennis Zaklan, deputy director of the NMSU UAS Flight Test Center and UAS Flight Operations Team. http://www.elpasoproud.com/news/nmsu-to-offer-unmanned-aircraft-systems-workshop-in-september Back to Top INTERESTING AVIATION PHOTO The massive main deck of the Boeing 747- 8F. The main deck can accommodate up to 34 pallets. If you have an interesting aviation photo you would like to share with our FSI subscribers, send to curt@curt-lewis.com and I will publish with your photo credit. Back to Top Astronauts, You Are Now Welcome to Board Boeing's New Starliner Spacecraft Illustration of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner (Image: Boeing) Cape Canaveral, FL-On Monday morning, representatives from NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance gathered for a landmark installation of the access arm that will allow a crew of four history- making astronauts to enter their new space-bound chariot-the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. The humans that will fly this Apollo-inspired capsule spacecraft will be among the first commercial crew passengers in history-marking a handover of human spaceflight facilitation to the private space industry. These astronauts, currently in extensive flight training, will also take on the awesome responsibility of being the pioneers that help return crewed launches to American soil. "We are very proud that this will lead to human spaceflight returning to American soil again," said ULA Commercial Crew Manager Barb Egan to the Observer. The installation of these major components at Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 41-where the Starliner will be launched on ULA's Atlas V rocket-marks the final stage of construction on the first Crew Access Tower built since the Apollo missions. The tower will stand parallel to the rocket and the newly- installed arm will extend to be the literal path that astronauts will walk to climb into the Starliner spacecraft and into exploration history. Also installed on Monday was the Crew Access Tower White Room-the final stop before the crew takes flight towards to International Space Station. This is where astronauts make final adjustments to their spacesuits, adjust helmets, and say their 'see ya laters' to Earth. "After the Crew Access Arm is installed we will put in control systems and counterweights. We'll hook up all the electrical systems," said Barb Egan. "We'll run some check-outs on the arm and make sure everything is functioning properly." Currently, the Russians are taxiing our astronauts to low-Earth orbit at a hefty price of $70 million a seat and have been doing so since the final flight of the beloved Space Shuttle in 2011. Well now, America's former space-race rivals will soon have a gaping hole in their earnings because NASA's commercial crew program is in full swing with the first mission being planned for late 2018. The federal space agency has awarded not only Boeing and their Starliner spacecraft for missions to the International Space Station, but also SpaceX and a crew variant of their workhorse Dragon vehicle. SpaceX is expected to launch first with Boeing close behind. Boeing was given almost $4.2 billion as part of NASA's awarded contract to develop the CST-100 Starliner and it is expected to depart for its maiden voyage in early 2019, following two unmanned flight tests. The vehicle could carry up to 7 astronauts and even operate autonomously with the option to take over manual controls in case of an emergency. With two competing commercial space companies flying crewed missions for NASA, it's very possible that we'll one day see both the Boeing Starliner and the SpaceX Dragon docked at the International Space Station simultaneously. This is the spirit of the Commercial Crew Program, to hand over operations in low-Earth orbit to the private, competitive industry-where innovation could grow. This would allow NASA so focus on exploring Jupiter's moon, Europa and finally launching their manned mission to Mars. http://observer.com/2016/08/astronauts-you-are-now-welcome-to-board-boeings-new-starliner- spacecraft/ Back to Top Watch "The Crash Detectives Book Trailer" on YouTube http://christinenegroni.com/books/the-crash-detectives/ Back to Top The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 47th annual seminar at the Grand Hotel Reykjavik, Iceland, from October 17- 20, 2016 Up to date program details, links to the registration program and the hotel can be found at www.esasi.eu/isasi-2016 or www.isasi.org Dates to Remember Cut off date for the seminar rate at the hotel is September 10, 2016. Reservations made after that date will not be guaranteed the seminar rate. Cut off date for the early registration fee is September 25, 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 Curt Lewis