Flight Safety Information September 16, 2016 - No. 183 In This Issue Plane Part Found Off Tanzania From MH370 Navy: Pilot Error Primary Cause of Fatal Blue Angels Crash Lufthansa A320 Bird Strike (Spain) Damaged Tu-204 sustained 3g landing impact Digital Copilot Designed To Improve Single-pilot Safety Flight safety recommendations unfulfilled 7 years after Hudson River accident Pointing lasers at aircraft expected to be prohibited in Japan Bomb Dogs Failed Dozens of Tests at 10 Large U.S. Airports Airlines mining consumer data to target potential passengers Inmarsat Inks Contract to Deliver Aviation Safety Services in China Cuba won't allow Cuban-Americans flight crews to stay overnight Black pilots allege racial discrimination at United Airlines FAA ADS-B Rebate Program Goes Live FAA to Partner with Ohio University for Next Generation Air Transportation Systems The Airbus Gets Even Bigger Iridium Waits For SpaceX Plane Part Found Off Tanzania From MH370 A large flap section found on the island of Pemba, off the coast of Tanzania, belongs to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said Thursday. The announcement by ATSB, which is leading the search for the Flight MH370, comes as the search for the missing plane is set to be suspended in December. ATSB released photos of the flap section and explained why they believe the debris piece was from the outboard flap of a Boeing 777, the same aircraft as Flight MH370. Over the last few months, several debris pieces have been found, with some being linked to the missing jet. However, there is still no evidence as to what happened to the place which disappeared from radar on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. "On arrival at the ATSB, several part numbers were immediately located on the debris that confirmed the preliminary identification. This was consistent with the physical appearance, dimensions and construction of the part," ATSB wrote. "All of the identification stamps had a second "OL" number, in addition to the Boeing part number, that were unique identifiers relating to part construction. The Italian part manufacturer recovered build records for the numbers located on the part and confirmed that all of the numbers related to the same serial number outboard flap that was shipped to Boeing as line number 404. Aircraft line number 404 was delivered to Malaysian Airlines and registered as 9M-MRO." The ATSB announced last month that replicas they have made of a flaperon found last year in the French-controlled Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean will be used to determine how the debris, affected by the wind and the currents, drift. Several conspiracy theories have surfaced over the plane's disappearance, with some allegations against the plane's captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah. Over the weekend, reports surfaced that a debris piece found in Madagascar hinted at a fire on board the jet. https://www.yahoo.com/news/plane-part-found-off-tanzania-102345203.html Back to Top Navy: Pilot Error Primary Cause of Fatal Blue Angels Crash This May 19, 2016, photo shows Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss at an air show in Lynchburg, Va. A report cited pilot error as the primary cause of the crash that claimed the life of Kuss while he was preparing for an air show June 2 outside Nashville. The report, released Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016, said Kuss' jet was traveling too fast and too low as he transitioned from a high-performance climb into a Split-S maneuver. A member of the Blue Angels flight demonstration team killed during practice in Tennessee lost control of his fighter jet because it was traveling too fast and then failed to recover because it was too low for the maneuver he was performing, a Navy investigation shows. A report cited pilot error as the primary cause of the crash that claimed the life of Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss while he was preparing for an air show June 2 in Smyrna, outside Nashville. The report, released Thursday, said Kuss' jet was traveling too fast and too low as he transitioned from a high-performance climb into a Split-S maneuver, a 180-degree turn that involves inverting the aircraft and then making a half-loop to go in the opposite direction at a lower altitude. The plane tumbled from the sky, crashed and burst into flames. The report cited pilot fatigue and cloudy weather as contributing factors. Kuss, a native of Durango, Colorado, had a wife and two young children. He had logged nearly 1,700 hours of flying time and had served in Afghanistan. Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of naval air forces in San Diego, said Kuss' death was "devastating and felt across the naval aviation community." The Navy report found no mechanical problems with the F/A-18C fighter jet, and Kuss did not black out before the crash, the Navy said. An F-16 fighter jet from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds crashed on the same day in Colorado. That pilot ejected and wasn't seriously injured. The report, released to The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act, indicates Kuss failed to disengage afterburners, contributing to the excessive speed, and failed to climb to the appropriate altitude, possibly because of cloud cover, giving him too little space to recover. According to the report, the maneuver required a minimum altitude of 3,500 feet (1,067 meters) before the plane goes inverted at the top of the climb, and Kuss began the maneuver at 3,196 feet (974 meters). His maximum airspeed was 184 knots, above the recommended range between 125 and 135 knots. "Airspeed higher than normal for the maneuver and the lower starting altitude limited decision-making opportunities and removed margins of error for corrections to the flight trajectory," Shoemaker wrote. Kuss was recognized by teammates as among the most meticulous and professional pilots but that day missed some routine procedures, like logging his flight before takeoff, indicating he may have been fatigued, Shoemaker said. He had no previous military mishaps or flight violations. Recommendations by the report to improve safety, such as eliminating the Split-S maneuver from the Blue Angels' show, have been implemented. Shoemaker also recommended the team's pilots, who put themselves under tremendous pressure to perform, take more breaks and speak up if they need rest. Kuss was killed while practicing for the Great Tennessee Air Show. No one on the ground was hurt. Five other F/A-18 jets that were part of the team landed safely after the crash. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/navy-pilot-error-primary-fatal-blue-angels-crash- 42125933 Back to Top Lufthansa A320 Bird Strike (Spain) Date: 15-SEP-2016 Time: 11:54 Type: Airbus A320-214 (WL) Owner/operator: Lufthansa Registration: D-AIUW C/n / msn: 7251 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI/LEPA) - Spain Phase: Approach Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: München-Franz Josef Strauss Airport (MUC/EDDM) Destination airport: Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI/LEPA) Narrative: Lufthansa flight LH1820, an Airbus A320, suffered a bird hit while descending through 5000 feet towards Palma de Mallorca Airport, Spain. The bird, identified as a Cinereous vulture, became wedged between the nose cone and the pount where the cone it attached to the fuselage. The aircraft landed safely on runway 24L at 12:00 hours local time. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=190090 Back to Top Damaged Tu-204 sustained 3g landing impact Investigators have indicated that the Tupolev Tu-204 freighter damaged in an accident at Norilsk had bounced after a rough landing before sustaining a second hard impact. The second impact amounted to more than 3.05g, according to preliminary information on the 24 August event involving the Aviastar-Tu twinjet. Preliminary assessment of the aircraft (RA-64021) after it taxied to a halt found damage to structures of the left-hand Aviadvigatel PS-90A powerplant and the main landing-gear. Structural damage was also discovered in the left wing, in the area of the rear spar, with deformation of several ribs and wing panels as well as damage to inboard flaps. The aircraft had landed on runway 01, at 11:19 local time, in poor weather, with rain and haze reducing visibility to around 1,500m. It touched down with a crosswind component from the left side. After an initial hard landing, says federal air transport service Rosaviatsia, the Tu-204 became airborne again. The aircraft's spoilers automatically deployed, which would have reduced the lift over the wing, and the jet landed hard for a second time. Rosaviatsia says this second impact exceeded 3.05g. It states that the aircraft's captain had accumulated nearly 3,200h on type. Investigators have yet to disclose any conclusions on the cause. Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee opened a formal inquiry after the event's classification as an accident was reinstated, having been downgraded to a serious incident before the extent of the damage became clear. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Digital Copilot Designed To Improve Single-pilot Safety In a simulation laboratory at Mitre's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development in McLean, Va., researchers are testing digital copilot technology designed to help single pilots flying complex aircraft in busy airspace. The team's goal is "to bring several of the safety benefits of Crew Resource Management to single-pilot operations," according to Mitre. The research is done in Mitre's Integrated Demonstration and Experimentation for Aeronautics (Idea) lab. Co-project leaders John Helleberg and Matthew Pollack are experienced general aviation pilots (Pollack is also an instrument flight instructor), and they have been working on the digital copilot for a year. Testing has been done in lab simulators and also in a Cessna 172. The idea behind the digital copilot is to create foundational technology that runs on a mobile device, which is easy to bring into any aircraft, rather than software or hardware that must be permanently installed. As a federally funded research and development nonprofit corporation, Mitre doesn't create the end product but develops the concept into something that can be demonstrated, then offers it to industry. An example of this is the Idea lab's work on mobile-device-based software to help prevent runway incursions. App developer ForeFlight used those concepts in its Runway Proximity Advisor, which warns pilots audibly and visually when they are approaching a runway while taxiing and when they enter a runway. "Our goal as a research organization working in the public interest is to do our best to improve general aviation safety and to transition these ideas out to industry where they can do the most good," said Helleberg. "ForeFlight incorporated the idea as close as it was to the version that we had been testing in our labs. They took some of the concepts that we had developed and put their own flavor on it." EASING SINGLE-PILOT WORKLOAD The digital copilot concept evolved from work done by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee's Issues Analysis Team, to identify areas of concern and interest and "issues they wanted addressed," according to Pollack. Industry research also found that accident rates for single pilots flying turbine aircraft are significantly higher than in dual-pilot aircraft. "That helped spur the direction we were headed," Helleberg said. The digital copilot research focused on the pilot's workload when flying alone, such as weather and traffic awareness and searching for information, all while maintaining control and communicating with controllers. The research began with brainstorming sessions with pilots of various levels of experience. From there, the team prioritized the ideas then built algorithms that could be tested to see how they might help single pilots with their duties. Human-in-the-loop testing was done in the Idea lab's transport category and general aviation simulators, which also incorporate ATC interaction. The pilots flew twice, first to get exposure to the digital copilot concept and provide feedback, then the second time to assess whether the digital copilot actually improved their workloads. Flight-tests were also done in a Cessna 172 using the digital copilot running on a mobile device mounted in the cockpit. Although the results so far don't indicate particular features that offer a clear safety benefit, the Mitre team hopes to quantify safety benefits with more research scheduled during the organization's 2017 fiscal year. The team is also reaching out to software developers and avionics manufacturers to share the lab's work. Some examples of the digital copilot in action can be seen on a video produced by the Mitre team. The focus is on anticipating the pilot's needs and providing information "at the right time and in the right format." The pilot can interact with the digital copilot with voice commands, telling it the flight-plan airport before takeoff. The digital copilot can read the checklist, then the pilot has to complete the required action and acknowledge before the next item is read. The digital copilot can call out runway remaining during takeoff. The pilot can tell the digital copilot to call out a reminder at a certain point, for example, 20 miles from destination or when to switch fuel tanks. Pilots can ask the digital copilot for information, such as the ATIS or tower frequency, and the idea here is to avoid the pilot having to look down at a chart. For the fuel tank reminder, there are some mobile apps that include a fuel timer, but a vocal reminder might be better at catching the pilot's attention. While knowing how much runway is remaining can be useful, Helleberg pointed out that the intent is not to connect the digital copilot to any aircraft systems so it could provide guidance. For example, it will not analyze the acceleration and determine that the takeoff is not proceeding quickly enough to be continued safely. "We wanted to focus on providing information for pilots without being prescriptive and telling them to abort the takeoff," he said. "This is supplemental information. We didn't want to be giving pilots any guidance that would elevate risk. It provides the information, and pilots make their own decision. "We've developed the core foundational algorithms that help the digital copilot predict what the pilot is trying to do, and use that knowledge to provide information to the pilot based on context. We developed some sample features, but we feel like we're just scratching the surface." "We think there are a lot of possibilities," said Pollack. "Our goal is to figure out how to help the general landscape of single-pilot general aviation operations. We don't have a clear answer, and there are a lot of areas left for research. The eventual implementers of the technology would have to take that on, whatever is best for them and their customer base. The pilots we did run through the simulators were overwhelmingly positive." Tyson Weihs, co-founder and CEO of ForeFlight, told AIN, "We haven't had a chance to look at the digital copilot in depth so we can't comment on that specifically at this point. It looks interesting. Mitre does do interesting research and thought work. For example, they deserve a lot of credit for helping get ADS-B off the ground. Their work is good 'fire starter' that industry then invests a lot in to refine and makes suitable for the market." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-09-14/digital-copilot- designed-improve-single-pilot-safety Back to Top Flight safety recommendations unfulfilled 7 years after Hudson River accident FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2009 file photo, passengers in an inflatable raft move away from an Airbus 320 US Airways aircraft that has gone down in the Hudson River in New York. More than seven years after an airline captain saved 155 lives by ditching his crippled airliner in the Hudson River, now the basis of a new movie, most of the safety recommendations stemming from the accident have yet to be followed. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File) By JOAN LOWY, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - More than seven years after an airline captain saved 155 lives by ditching his crippled airliner in the Hudson River, now the basis of a new movie, most of the safety recommendations stemming from the accident haven't been carried out. Of the 35 recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board in response to the incident involving US Airways Flight 1549, only six have been successfully completed, according to an Associated Press review of board records. Fourteen of the recommendations issued to the Federal Aviation Administration and its European counterpart, EASA, are marked by the NTSB as "closed-unacceptable." One has been withdrawn, and the rest remain unresolved. The movie "Sully," which opened in theaters last week, celebrates how veteran pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, played by Tom Hanks, along with his co-pilot, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, ferry boat operators and first responders did their jobs with professionalism and competence, averting a potential tragedy. The plane lost thrust in both engines after colliding with a flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York. No one died, and only five people were seriously injured. "The FAA was very upset back then that we made any recommendations at all," recalled Tom Haueter, who was the NTSB's head of major accident investigations at the time. "They thought this was a success story." But to investigators, the event turned up problems. "This could happen again and we want to make sure that if it does, there are some better safety measures in place," Haueter said. Recommendations that got an "unacceptable" response deal with pilot training, directions for pilots facing the loss of power in both engines, equipping planes with life rafts and vests and making it easier for passengers to use them, among other issues. The untold story of the "Miracle on the Hudson" was the part luck played in preventing catastrophe on that freezing afternoon in January 2009. The wind chill was 2 degrees and the water temperature was 41 degrees, raising the risk of "cold shock," a condition in which people lose the use of their arms and legs, usually drowning within 5 minutes. It was sheer chance that the plane, an Airbus A320, was equipped with rafts, life vests and seat cushions that can be used for flotation. The equipment is only required on "extended overwater" flights, and not on Flight 1549's New York to Charlotte, North Carolina, route. The NTSB recommended requiring life vests and flotation cushions on all planes, regardless of the route. But the FAA responded that it was leaving that up to the airlines. The board also recommended that all passenger safety briefings by flight attendants include life-vest demonstrations, and that vest storage be redesigned for easier retrieval. Demonstrations are still only required on extended overwater flights, although many airlines include them on all flights. The board's investigation found that only 10 passengers retrieved their life vests and not all of them put them on correctly. Despite some changes by the FAA, the board says it still takes more than a few seconds to retrieve vests, which is all the time passengers will take to get them when exiting a plane filling with water. Because Flight 1549's descent was faster than the plane is designed to handle for a ditching, the underside of the aircraft was damaged when it hit the water. The two rear slides-rafts were submerged and unusable. That left only the two forward life rafts, which are designed to hold a maximum of 110 people - well short of the 155 on board. Many of the passengers wound up standing on the wings as the plane gradually sank into the river. The NTSB recommended changing the location of rafts and slides that double as rafts to ensure capacity for all passengers, since it's unlikely the rear rafts would be available. The FAA rejected that, saying that if Sullenberger had followed Airbus' directions on descent speeds for ditching, the rear rafts would have been usable. The NTSB replied that the ability of pilots to achieve those descent speeds has never been tested and can't be relied on. Some passengers wound up using the inflated ramps as rafts even though they're not designed for that. But passengers weren't able to release the ramps from the plane, running the risk that the ramps would be pulled underwater along with it. The NTSB recommended requiring quick-release attachments for the ramps. The FAA rejected the advice, saying its analysis showed that the attachments were likely to be fully or partially underwater. NTSB said its investigation showed that wasn't the case. In the movie, immediately after Flight 1549's engines quit, first officer Jeff Skiles, played by Aaron Eckhart, began going through a checklist of procedures for restarting the engines. Pilots are trained to do that in an emergency when they don't know how to fix a problem, but Skiles was only able to get through a fraction of the checklist items before the plane landed in the river. The NTSB's investigation showed the procedures were designed for a dual-engine failure at a cruising altitude above 20,000 feet, high enough for pilots to complete the list while descending and still have time to regain altitude. But Flight 1549 collided with the geese at an altitude of only 2,818 feet. Among NTSB's closed-unacceptable recommendations are that the FAA require airlines to include procedures for a low-altitude, dual-engine failure in checklists and pilot training. http://www.pjstar.com/news/20160915/flight-safety-recommendations-unfulfilled-7- years-after-hudson-river-accident Back to Top Pointing lasers at aircraft expected to be prohibited in Japan The government is planning to prohibit pointing laser beams at aircraft operating in airspace around airports, with violators facing a fine of up to ¥500,000 (S$6,685). The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry plans to revise the ordinance of the Civil Aeronautics Law to implement the legal regulations, in response to a series of incidents at airports nationwide in which laser beams were directed toward aircraft, including passenger jets. The ministry aims to enforce the law by the end of this year at the earliest. Pointing laser beams at US military planes is also likely to be forbidden, as is the flying of kites around airports. The ministry said it was aware of 194 laser-pointing incidents solely targeting private jets from July 2010 to the end of June this year. Most planes were hit by laser beams when they approached for landing. Self-Defence Forces aircraft and US military planes have also been the target of similar incidents at Atsugi Air Base in Kanagawa Prefecture and the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, among others. In December, a man who directed a laser at a US military aircraft in Okinawa Prefecture was arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business. Authorities assume that such actions obstruct the operations of the pilot who is exposed to the laser beam. As the use of laser pointers targeting aircraft has not been prohibited, the ministry concluded that it has to take stronger measures by imposing legal restrictions against such acts. In the provisions of the Civil Aeronautics Law, the ministry plans to add pointing lasers to "the case of committing any act which might adversely affect the flights of an aircraft as may be specified by ordinances of the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry." The ministry will also prohibit flying a kite in airspace around airports, as there has been a spate of incidents that obstructed US military plane flights by flying a kite near US military bases in Okinawa Prefecture. Pilots' level of stress is highest during takeoff and landing, so pointing lasers at their aircraft could cause serious accidents. Many airline companies have urged the government to take prompt measures. As the ministry will apply the ordinance to US military planes as well, it also plans to revise the ordinance of a law for special cases in accordance with the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement. http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/pointing-lasers-aircraft-expected-be-prohibited-japan Back to Top Bomb Dogs Failed Dozens of Tests at 10 Large U.S. Airports Bomb-sniffing K-9 teams at 10 major U.S. airports have failed tests that check how accurately they can detect explosives, according to an NBC News investigation. New records obtained by KXAS through a Freedom of Information Act request call into question whether those dog teams are training enough to stay sharp and keep bombs out of airports and off planes by screening baggage, cargo and passengers for potential threats. K-9 teams funded by the Transportation Security Administration have failed annual certification tests at 10 large airports 52 times between Jan. 1, 2013, and June 15, 2015, the most recent detailed numbers TSA provided. Some teams failed to find explosives, while others had too many false alarms that could cause unnecessary airport evacuations. Dog teams failed 21 times at Los Angeles International, and 10 times at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., during the same time period. Teams at Chicago's O'Hare, Reagan National in D.C., JFK in New York, San Diego and Bradley International in Hartford, Connecticut, all failed from one and three times. At Love Field in Dallas, K-9 teams assigned to protect the airport failed four out of 14 tests with a failure rate of nearly 30 percent over two-and-a-half years. In 48 tests over the same time period, teams at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport failed five times, or 10 percent of the time. Massachusetts State Police officer Rob Gallant patrols with his bomb-sniffing dog Chico at Logan International Airport in Boston on July 1. Michael Dwyer / AP file The nation's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, however, had only two failures in 75 tests (3 percent) over the same two-and-a-half year time period. All K-9s managed by the Atlanta Police Department passed while two TSA managed teams failed. Overall, in the records provided by TSA for 10 major airports, dog teams passed 87 percent of their tests, or 350 out of 402. KXAS asked for more comprehensive national figures from TSA but has not yet received them. K-9 teams that fail are pulled out of service and cannot work in airports again until they can pass the test, but experts KXAS spoke with say clusters of failures at some airports raise concerns about how well those teams are being managed. "WE RELY ON K-9 TEAMS MORE NOW THAN WE EVER HAVE IN THE HISTORY OF AVIATION SECURITY." The TSA said the failures are just a normal part of upholding high standards. But the multiple failures in some cities raise questions about whether those teams have been training enough to maintain the highest level of readiness. In a statement, the TSA told KXAS, "If a team does not meet TSA's rigorous guidelines, it is decertified and restricted from working." "The team must successfully meet certification standards before returning to search duties. Dog teams that are unable to return to TSA's high standards are subject to removal," the TSA said. The agency said teams performed better in the latter half of 2015 - with a 93-percent passing rate nationwide. But the agency would not share any detailed records for that time period or for 2016, so it's unknown if there are still some airports with clusters of failures. "We rely on K-9 teams a lot more now than we ever have in the history of aviation security," said airport security consultant Jeffrey Price. Price said the lives of passengers depend on how well the dog teams perform. "Dogs have always been considered the gold standard in explosive detection. So when you're considered the best, you better be the best," said Price. To better understand why K-9 teams failed, KXAS went to Alabama to one of the nation's top K-9 training centers at Auburn University and AMK9. AMK9 works with the university training dogs in explosive detection for agencies across the country. "You need to convince that dog that there's a reason to work," said John Pearce, who used to help oversee training for the TSA. Pearce said the main reason some dogs fail certification tests is the people in charge of those K-9 units don't always set aside enough time for constant training. He sees a direct relationship between the quality of the training and the success the dogs have on tests. "Our primary job is to find an explosive, as a dog team, but that dog believes its primary objective is to get that toy that's in the handler's pouch," said Pearce. In airports, dogs rarely find explosives, so unless they practice locating test explosives frequently, they may lose interest. In addition, handlers also need constant practice to accurately recognize the dog's cues. Pearce said handlers need to train daily. "Train, train, train and train as if you're going to work," said Pearce. KXAS wanted to know if the people in charge of the K-9s at Love Field and D/FW Airport are spending enough time training. Some of the teams are managed directly by the TSA, but many are run by D/FW Airport police and Dallas police that get their dogs, training and funding from the TSA. Dallas police declined an on-camera interview and would not answer any questions about their teams at Love Field. When asked about the teams decertified at D/FW Airport, a spokesman sent a short statement saying, "All of the canine teams maintained by the D/FW Airport Department of Public Safety are currently certified and active." In Los Angeles, airport officials say trainers made changes and all teams passed more recent tests. "The reality of it is humans are fallible - K-9's are fallible but we've got to work every day for 100 percent compliance," said Patrick Gannon, LA World Airports deputy executive director. In 2013 the investigative arm of Congress, the Government Accountability Office, found "some K-9 teams were repeatedly not in compliance with TSA's monthly training requirement." Since then, the TSA has made changes, including a new program starting Oct. 1 to hold local airport police departments more accountable for training and to enforce higher training standards. Multiple failures at some of the nation's largest airports make some experts wonder if supervision and training is needed in a business where there may not be a second chance. "Lives depend on the proficiency of the teams," said Price. "You don't get a do over in real life. If that team misses an explosive, then that's a device that can end up on a plane." http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bomb-dogs-failed-dozens-tests-10-large-u-s- airports-n648466 Back to Top Airlines mining consumer data to target potential passengers A JetBlue A320 is parked at Brookley Field after a ground breaking ceremony for an assembly line for the Airbus A320 at Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama on April 8, 2013. AFP PHOTO/ Matthew Hinton (Photo credit should read Matthew HINTON/AFP/Getty Images) Story highlights Airlines say they're mining passengers' data to figure out consumers' preferences and behaviors Airlines are pulling details from information provided when passengers sign up for loyalty programs (CNN)The flight attendant on your next flight may know a lot more about you than you realize. They certainly know your name. They may also know your birthday, favorite drink and the city you visit the most. Commercial airlines continue to bet big on consumers' big data. JetBlue and Alaska airlines' representatives spoke at Airlines for America's commercial aviation summit Tuesday, a trade organization for the airline industry. In an effort to improve passenger experience on flights, airlines say they're mining your data to figure out consumer preferences and behaviors. Joseph Sprague, a spokesman for Alaska Airlines, said the carrier's data collection on consumers "rivals the (Donald) Trump and (Hillary) Clinton campaigns." Marty St. George, who oversees JetBlue's innovation efforts, said his airline works with credit card companies to analyze things such as consumer purchases to better understand their passengers and potentially predict services those passengers would enjoy. When it comes to flyers' data, airlines are also pulling consumer details from information provided when passengers sign up for loyalty programs and social media clicks and "likes." Airlines say using that information helps them offer tailored promotions to passengers and provide more personal consumer service. Sprague said he understands some consumers' concerns about privacy. He says Alaska Airlines makes it a priority to "protect consumers' data." Alaska Airlines says it hopes to venture more into using data collected from flyers' social media clicks. Charlie Leocha, the chairman of Travelers United, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit watchdog group, said consumer privacy is always a concern but "so far, there have been no reports of abuse of consumer data on behalf of the airline industry." He said the information credit card companies share with airlines is not personally identifiable and is more general. For example, Leocha said, "If there are three flights to a particular city and 50% of passengers checked into hotels," that sort of general information allows airlines to find new corporate partners to work with. Data collected through loyalty programs is more specific and directly linked to passengers. "Although the airlines say this data collection is to benefit the consumer, it's really to benefit the airlines and their bottom line," Leocha said, calling it a marketing tactic to get more of consumers' dollars. http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/13/politics/airlines-consumer-data/ Back to Top Inmarsat Inks Contract to Deliver Aviation Safety Services in China Seated from left to right: Otto Gergye, Inmarsat Aviation's Vice President of Airline Market Development, Song Zhen, MCN Vice President, and Zhu Yanbo, ADCC Vice President, are joined by colleagues to celebrate the signing of a MoU at ATC Global in China [Via Satellite 09-15-2016] Beijing Marine Communication & Navigation Company (MCN) and Aviation Data Communication Corporation (ADCC) have contracted with satellite operator Inmarsat to provide aviation safety services to Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and operators in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed this week, outlines MCN/ADCC's intention to offer cockpit communication services, including Inmarsat's Classic Aero and next generation SwiftBroadband-Safety (SBB-S) services, across the country. The companies expect to finalize the partnership later this year. Classic Aero is a voice and data safety service that offers satellite surveillance and communications - such as Future Air Navigation System (FANS) and Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) - that meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) global flight tracking requirements. SwiftBroadband-Safety uses IP-based broadband capabilities to offer connectivity for cockpit and aircraft operations. The solution is capable of delivering flight data streaming and real-time Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications such as graphical weather. http://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2016/09/15/inmarsat-inks-contract-deliver- aviation-safety-services-china/ Back to Top Cuba won't allow Cuban-Americans flight crews to stay overnight, so an airline grounded them An American Airlines flight arrives in Cuba Al Diaz Miami Herald When American Airlines launched the first of an unprecedented 12 daily commercial flights from Miami to six cities in Cuba, the company rolled out the Cuban-American brass to mark the milestone at Miami International Airport. At a pre-flight ceremony, the executives evoked their emotional connection to the business at hand - winning the bid to fly the largest number of commercial flights to Cuba. "Today is historic not only for American Airlines, but also for Miami, the heart and soul of the Cuban-American community in the United States," said Ralph Lopez, American vice president of Miami hub operations, before the Sept. 7 departure to the city of Cienfuegos on the southern coast of the island. Fernand Fernandez, American's vice president of global marketing, spoke of the "pride and excitement" he felt. "This flight is not only important to our airline, to our 12,000 employees here in Miami - many of them Cuban-American - but also... this is of huge importance for Miami-Dade County, home to so many Cuban Americans like my parents." Behind the scenes, however, another story was playing out. When doing business with Cuba, all those American Airlines employees of Cuban origin Fernandez heralded in his speech don't have the same rights as their U.S.-born counterparts, or their Latin-American counterparts, or their counterparts born anywhere else in the world for that matter. The first "historic" flight to Varadero brought home the point. A Cuban-born crew member arrived without a Cuban passport - required for anyone born there who left the country after 1970, even as babies - and a brouhaha ensued with Cuban authorities on the ground. The crew member was not allowed entry, much less the required overnight rest stop after a crew member flies 12 hours. Questions were posed by AA to authorities: What happens in the future if there's a flight with a mechanical delay and the crew that includes a Cuban American is grounded overnight? What will happen, routinely, with the two Varadero flights that require the overnight stay of the crew? The answer: Only in the most "extenuating circumstances" would Cuba allow an exception to its separate set of archaic travel requirements for Cuban Americans. No overnights for Cuban-American crew members. Period. Now the Dallas-based airline, which makes its schedules far from Cuban politics in Texas, had to identify Cuban-American employees and take them off Cuba flights that required an overnight stay. "Please remember that those who are Cuban born should be removed with pay from Cuba flights until we can verify what requirements the Cuban government has for these crewmembers," says an AA memo to managers that a source shared with me. And I have to ask: Can you imagine in your company a staffing memo that says, "Please remember that those who are Israeli born should be removed?" Or, please remember that those who are (fill in the blank any other place of origin) should be removed? The Cuban government's long arm is cherry-picking the assignments of employees of an American company. How is that for a historic development? Sounds as outrageous as when Miami-based Carnival Corp. denied bookings to Cuban Americans on its cruises to the island because of an archaic Cuban maritime law that said Cuban Americans could not arrive by sea. Now with commercial flights, an American company once again finds itself in the position of having to discriminate against a class of people - their employees of Cuban origin. "No crew member born in Cuba is allowed to enter Cuba unless they meet immigration requirements," American spokeswoman Alexis Aran Coello confirmed. "That's a Cuban government demand. That's not something we're saying. We are abiding by the laws of the Cuban government." Cuba's discriminatory rules also apply, of course, to the flight crews of JetBlue and Spirit, which also recently began commercial flights, and to the others that will soon follow them. This is the price of doing business with the still-repressive and antiquated Cuban government: Giving up American ethics for a piece of the action. Complying with the Cuban government's discriminatory policies against Cuban Americans - spelled out in the U.S. Embassy's website as a warning to travelers - is a choice. Airlines need to negotiate harder. Enough of an uproar from the traveling public convinced Cuba to change its maritime rule and allow Cuban Americans to travel there on cruise ships. On the American side, strides have been made in the last 18 months since President Barack Obama announced an end to hostilities between the two countries. But the Cuban government remains stuck in anti-exile, anti-American bellicose mode despite documented evidence that a growing number of Cuban Americans strongly support President Obama's engagement policy and the reestablishment of relations. For the first time since 1991 Florida International University began surveying Cuban Americans, a new poll shows that a majority - 54 percent - said support the lifting of the Cuban embargo. Cuba, however, has a long way to go to show it is seriously interested in being a travel destination for all Americans. Perhaps customer response, if not companies, might help move the needle: Saturday's flight on American to Cienfuegos had 53 out of 120 seats empty as of this writing. It may be the slow season, but were it not for Cuba's restrictive policies, there might not be a single seat left. As Americans know well, discrimination is bad for business. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/fabiola- santiago/article102111772.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Black pilots allege racial discrimination at United Airlines Black pilots are alleging they're flying through unfriendly skies at United Airlines (UAL). A group of 18 black pilots are calling on federal officials to investigate what they allege is a pattern of discrimination that has tarnished everything from hiring to promotions, according to a statement from the group, called The United Coalition for Diversity. The pilots claim that United has an "utter lack of diversity at the management level" and has systemically kept black employees from entering the managerial ranks. The claim may focus on alleged problems at one airline, but women and men of color have made few inroads with the profession. Ninety-seven percent of aircraft pilots are white, while compared with just 80 percent of all occupations. Only about 5 percent of commercial airline pilots are women. One researcher, looking at data from 1966 to 2003, found that desegregation hadn't progressed since 1980. "It is time for all pilots to be provided with equal opportunities, regardless of the color of their skin," Brian R. Mildenberg, the attorney for the pilots, said in a statement. "According to the coalition pilots, the executive leadership of United Airlines has failed over the years to integrate the airline and remedy the serious concerns of racial discrimination against black pilots that have plagued United for more than two decades." United said the claims are "as baseless today as they were four years ago when they were originally filed," referring to lawsuits previously filed by the pilots. "We are very proud of our diversity record and programs - as an example 5 of our 8 chief pilots at our hubs are people of color and women (including 3 African Americans)," a spokeswoman said in an email. She added, "So, this is clearly just an attempt by the plaintiffs' attorneys to try to put pressure on United to settle these meritless claims." The coalition is pointing to a 40-year old case as failing to provide meaningful change. In 1976, United entered a consent decree with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over diversity. As part of the agreement, United provided more than $1 million in back pay and agreed to hire minorities and women into upper-level jobs including pilot and management roles. While that should have helped minorities and women climb through the ranks, the coalition is alleging that the white pilots reacted to the consent decree by creating a "secret, racist organization called "the Vault," which they claim was geared to keeping black pilots from advancing at United. "White pilots have disparagingly referred to African-American pilots as 'consent decree hires' and 'equal opportunity hires'," the coalition alleges. Black pilots claim they were subjected to racist photos and messages, such as one that showed a black man lynched by white supremacists with the words "How to move up in seniority at United Airlines." United's current new pilot recruitment classes are predominately white, the group said. The coalition is asking for Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate hiring, training, and promotion at United Airlines. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/black-pilots-allege-racial-discrimination-at-united- airlines/ Back to Top FAA ADS-B Rebate Program Goes Live The FAA has begun accepting applications for $500 rebates for installation of ADS-B OUT equipment on single-engine piston airplanes. The FAA plans to issue 20,000 rebates, and they are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for one year or until all are claimed for owners of U.S.-registered aircraft, the agency stated. "By equipping now, operators will be able to enjoy ADS-B benefits such as enhanced surveillance, greater situational awareness and free in-cockpit traffic and weather immediately, as well as avoid the long installation lines expected as the mandate nears," said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. "We hope operators who have not yet equipped will now act to do so as soon as possible." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-09-15/faa-ads-b- rebate-program-goes-live Back to Top FAA to Partner with Ohio University for Next Generation Air Transportation Systems Continuing a partnership between the Federal Aviation Administration and Ohio University, $7.5 million will be allocated to the school's engineering research center. OHIO UNIVERSITY/AVIONICS ENGINEERING CENTER (TNS) -- The Russ College of Engineering and Technology's Avionics Research Center has signed a five-year, $7.5 million research agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration navigation programs to provide technical support to the analysis, testing and development of numerous navigation systems in the National Airspace System. Continuing a partnership that spans decades, the FAA will tap center faculty, staff and graduate students to investigate ground- and satellite-based navigation and landing systems, the transition to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), approach lighting systems, as well as other services, according to center Director Mike DiBenedetto. "The research we'll perform will contribute to realizing the NextGen National Airspace System, providing improved safety, security and efficiency," DiBenedetto said. "This means safer skies and more economical fares for travelers, as well as lower impact of air travel on our environment because NextGen uses more efficient routes and flight procedures." As part of the agreement, FAA Navigation Programs will issue specific research tasks to Center researchers over time. Two tasks - supporting the FAA's Visual Guidance Lighting Systems and the NextGen Distance Measuring Equipment programs - have already been determined, explained Sam Mallipudi, Instrument Landing System Program Manager for the FAA. "The Avionics Engineering Center has been recognized by the FAA and industry as a unique research organization specializing in the research, development, evaluation, implementation and sustainment of electronic navigation, surveillance and communication systems," Mallipudi said. "The Center's laboratories and test facilities are representative of actual airport operations and environments allowing detailed tests of existing and prototype equipment to be conducted under real-world conditions using the Center's specially equipped flight test aircraft or ground-based data collection systems." DiBenedetto noted the benefit to Ohio University, saying the research agreement provides significant research experience to faculty, staff and especially students. "I started my career at the Avionics Research Center supporting FAA navigation programs 32 years ago," DiBenedetto said. "This longstanding collaborative partnership is part of a legacy passed to me by center founder Richard H. McFarland. My mission as director has been to sustain the 'McFarland legacy' of excellence in aviation, and this new agreement provides me the opportunity to pass the legacy forward to the next generation of Center researchers." http://www.govtech.com/education/FAA-to-Partner-with-Ohio-University-for-Next- Generation-Air-Transportation-Systems.html Back to Top The Airbus Gets Even Bigger Make way in the air for a new member of Airbus' family. Measuring almost 243 feet from nose to tail, the first A350-1000 test aircraft will take its first flight later this year, according to Airbus. "Take a look inside Airbus' Toulouse, France paint shop as the first A350-1000 version receives its 'colours,''' Airbus said about a video of its crew painting the new aircraft. "The A350-1000 is the longest-fuselage member of the highly efficient A350 XWB widebody product line." The A350-1000 is a little larger than the A350-900, can sit 366 passengers, has 18-inch wide economy class seats and features the most powerful engine ever developed for an Airbus craft. The A350-900 is flown by carriers including Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Qatar Airways will be the first airline to commercially debut the Airbus A350-1000 in 2017. Amenities for the A350-1000 include a "super business class," with sliding doors for privacy and double beds available. According to the company's website, there are 195 orders of the A350-1000 as of August. https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/08/the-airbus-gets-even-bigger.html Back to Top Iridium Waits For SpaceX Next-generation satellites are ready, but SpaceX is not Thales Alenia Space In 1998, Iridium switched on the world's first global telephone service, utilizing a constellation of 66 interconnected satellites operating in six low-Earth-orbit planes. Less than a year later, the company went bankrupt and took its place in history as one of the worst business blunders of the 1990s. But Iridium's satellites have proven more resilient than its original business plan. Designed by Motorola to last five years, most of the spacecraft are still operating or have been replaced by on-orbit spares, providing highly profitable communications and tracking services to 823,000 subscribers. And now the reconstituted company is poised to replace its aging system with an equal-size constellation of much more capable satellites. The new L-band spacecraft-built by France's Thales Alenia Space and assembled at an Orbital ATK factory in Gilbert, Arizona-look a lot like their predecessors: 10 ft. long, 4 ft. wide and 2.6 ft. tall. But each will have far more memory and processing speed, expanding the Iridium system's capacity more than fivefold. Designed to last 12.5 years, they also will carry a secondary payload that provides satellite-based air navigation connections and tracking of aircraft and ships anywhere on the globe. Iridium's new satellites, pictured being mated to a launch dispenser, carry a payload that will be able to track airliners flying over oceans and remote areas. Credit: Thales Alenia Space While McLean, Virginia-based Iridium has been able to raise the $3 billion needed to build and orbit the new system, which includes spares for backup, getting back to space has been a challenge. SpaceX is under contract for seven missions with its Falcon 9 launcher, each carrying 10 Iridium satellites. The first batch of 10 satellites was in place for launch at Vandenberg AFB, California, on Aug. 25. But a mysterious explosion on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral seven days later destroyed a Falcon 9 and its payload and has grounded SpaceX until at least November, raising doubts about Iridium's plan to have the new system fully operational by the end of next year. "We're encouraged by SpaceX's November target for a return to flight, but all is based on a successful root-cause determination" of the Sept. 1 explosion, says an Iridium spokeswoman. "We're ready to launch when our rocket is ready." Iridium insists it will "continue operating as we are today" until the new system is in place, but the clock is ticking on its 18-year-old satellites. The interconnected network has developed two minor gaps in its global footprint that could, in the worst case, delay signals for 6 min. The longer it takes to get replacements in place, the higher the chance that more of the original satellites could fail. IRIDIUM REBORN SpaceX accident holds up launch of next-generation satellites Harris-built payload to provide global tracking of airliners Original satellites operating 13 years past their design life When Iridium signed on with SpaceX in 2010, entrepreneur Elon Musk's launch company was a fledgling startup dismissed by skeptics. "We took a chance on them," says Iridium CEO Matthew J. Desch. With that chance came a good deal: Desch says SpaceX's price of $450 million for seven launches is less than half what other launch providers would have charged. Iridium's initial business model failed because it was based primarily on a pricey telephone service that attracted only a tiny fraction of anticipated subscribers. Its backers also underestimated the rapid emergence of terrestrial cell phone networks in the late 1990s. The new Iridium, which went public in 2009, relies on telephony for only about half its revenues. The other half comes from data, tracking and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications sold to the U.S. Defense Department and a long list of customers in aviation, maritime and other industries. An on-orbit software upgrade in 2003 added the M2M capabilities, long before machine-to-machine communications were referred to as the "Internet of Things." The new formula seems to be working: Iridium reported profit margins of 57% in the quarter ended June 30. The new Iridium satellites also will carry a secondary payload, manufactured by Harris Corp., that will relay Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals from airliners anywhere on the globe to ground controllers, allowing for reduced horizontal separation between aircraft over oceans and providing real-time, satellite-based tracking of aircraft flying over oceans and remote areas. The system will be operated by a spinoff- venture, Aireon, whose investors include Iridium, Nav Canada and the air navigation service providers in Italy, Denmark and Ireland (AW&ST Feb. 29-March 12, p. 56). "We will be able to see every commercial aircraft in the world that is broadcasting ADS-B," says Desch. "We think we are going to be the predominant player in the cockpit." www.aviationweek.com Curt Lewis