Flight Safety Information November 3, 2016 - No. 218 In This Issue Position Available:...Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Missing Malaysia Airlines Jet Plunged Into Sea, New Report Suggests Fighter jet accidentally drops training bombs on northern Michigan UN-chartered CRJ downed by microburst: inquiry PIA A320 at Islamabad on Aug 8th 2016, hydraulic failure results in runway excursion Textron Aviation signs three-Citation jet order at NBAA Air Charter Safety Foundation and Baldwin Aviation Team Up on ASAP Loss of Control in Flight Subject of Alaskan Aviation Safety Seminar Canada to lift foreign investment cap in airlines Air France Plans No-Frills Airline to Serve Asia, U.S. Pilot deploys parachute to land airplane British Airways reveals 'high-speed' airplane Wi-Fi for short flights New NASA tech to help aircraft land on time Spaceport America's New Drone Summit Seeks to Attract UAV Pilots Textron goes ahead with new Cessna jet, chooses engines Boeing shows new concept for next generation US Air Force Fighter CEFA Aviation & USC Aviation Safety combine to present 8 days of flight data analysis & visualization training GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Position Available: Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Utah Valley University (UVU) is seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to assist in the development of a Certificate of Proficiency in UAS, an 18 credit hour proposed university program. This is a contract UAS SME position in which part of the requirements may be performed from any location in the United States. Flight operations development will require location and development in Utah. SME develops and reviews course material along with the Instructional Designer to ensure an effective and compliant course design; SME provides UVU input to a development team to ensure courses are meeting educational specific objectives and outcomes; and prepares students for employment. Course topics requiring development include Survey of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Aeronautical Knowledge for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Systems and Technology of Unmanned Aircraft, Small Unmanned Aircraft Operations, Safety and Crew Resource Management for UAS, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ethics and Professionalism, and Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight. For information, details and application, please go to: https://www.uvu.jobs/postings/24518 Back to Top Missing Malaysia Airlines Jet Plunged Into Sea, New Report Suggests A new analysis of wing fragments recovered from the aircraft off the African coast and several small islands suggests the plane descended rapidly in its final minutes. Raymond Wae Tion/EPA /LANDOV A report out this morning from Australian investigators offers a handful of new clues about the greatest aviation mystery of the 21st century: the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Based on a fresh satellite analysis and debris found on beaches along the African coast and several small islands, Australian investigators say they now believe the aircraft plunged rapidly into the southern Indian Ocean. The scenario might help answer questions about the plane's final minutes, but does little to explain its disappearance. Flight 370 vanished in March 2014 during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It disappeared from air traffic control screens while over the South China Sea between Malaysia and Vietnam. Subsequent analysis of military radar and the aircraft's own satellite communication system suggest the plane might have turned west, then south. Ultimately, investigators believe it flew for several hours until its engines ran out of fuel over a remote stretch of ocean off the coast of Australia. There remains no clear explanation for why the aircraft deviated from its course. Many families are deeply skeptical of the official account, and numerous conspiracy theories exist about the airplane's disappearance. Computer simulations show a range of possible paths for the aircraft's final moments. ATSB While investigators have determined that the initial deviation from the flight plan was "deliberate," it's still unclear whether the aircraft was under human control for the entire time it was in the air. The new report cites two pieces of evidence suggesting that nobody was at the helm, at least in the flight's final moments. First, a new analysis of the plane's satellite communications system, which investigators believe was activated when the aircraft ran out of fuel, suggests MH370 was descending at a rapid rate of speed in its final minutes. Second are two pieces of the aircraft's wing, the right flaperon and outboard flap, which washed up on the French island of La Reunion and on the coast of Tanzania. A French analysis of the wing fragments suggests that the aircraft's flaps were retracted at the time it broke apart. If the plane was making an emergency landing, the flaps would have been down. Flaps are pieces of the wing that enable an aircraft to fly at a lower speed, such as during the landing process. They are also vital in an emergency, such as when airplanes must "ditch" in water. When an Airbus 320 made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in 2009, the National Transportation Safety Board cited the decision to lower flaps as a crucial reason the plane ditched safely. The Australian report concludes: * "The right outboard flap was most likely in the retracted position at the time it separated from the wing. * "The right flaperon was probably at, or close to, the neutral position at the time it separated from the wing." * Although the report does not make conclusions about who may have been piloting the plane, its finding suggests the plane was not in a controlled descent. * Australian investigators believe the flaps and 20 other pieces of debris floated across the ocean from the crash site. While the latest report provides one new piece of evidence, a definitive conclusion on the plane's fate is unlikely unless its wreckage can be found. For more than two years, ships have scoured the ocean floor where the plane could have come down. They are expected to conclude their search early next year. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/11/02/500353320/new-report-suggests-missing- malaysia-airlines-jet-plunged-into-sea Back to Top Fighter jet accidentally drops training bombs on northern Michigan LUZERNE, Mich. - Officials say a mechanical failure is believed to have caused the release of six training bombs and a training missile from a military plane over Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. No one was injured due to the release, which WWTV and WPBN report happened Oct. 25 over Oscoda County. The training weapons were on a plane heading to Camp Grayling from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in suburban Detroit when they fell off. The Michigan National Guard says the bombs and missile were found in a remote wooded area near Luzerne. Lt. Col. Matthew Trumble, director of the Camp Grayling Air Gunnery Range, says it's a "rare" situation. The Guard says the missile was non-explosive and the six training bombs can release smoke so that pilots can see where they land. http://www.ksat.com/news/training-weapons-inadvertently-fall-from-plane-in-michigan Back to Top UN-chartered CRJ downed by microburst: inquiry International investigators believe a severe microburst during an attempted go-around pushed a Georgian Airways Bombardier CRJ100ER into a fatal dive at Kinshasa. The aircraft (4L-GAE) had been approaching runway 24 while operating a domestic service from Kisangani on behalf of the United Nations. Just one individual, a passenger, from the 33 occupants of the twinjet survived when it struck the ground - some 170m to the left of the threshold - skipping and inverting as it broke up. In an inquiry published by the Democratic Republic of Congo's ministry of transportation, the investigation team states that Kinshasa had been subject to a low cloud-base squall line and severe thunderstorm activity at the time of the 4 April 2011 crash. The crew had been cleared to conduct a straight-in localiser approach to the runway, and had discussed options for skirting around the thunderstorms indicated on the aircraft's weather radar. As the CRJ descended towards the runway it remained to the left of the localiser path. The inquiry says that, less than 10nm from the threshold, the aircraft adjusted its heading further away from the path, before the crew sighted the runway and manually aligned the jet at a distance of 2nm. The aircraft, below the minimum descent height of 472ft above ground, encountered rain as it reached short final. Its pilots had lost sight of the runway as the jet descended to 224ft and they opted to execute a go-around. "During the process of go-around, a positive rate of climb was established with appropriate airspeed," says the inquiry, which has ruled out the possible effect of somatogravic illusion in the subsequent crash. As the aircraft approached 400ft above ground, it met a "severe weather phenomenon" which the inquiry believes was "probably" a microburst, triggering a windshear alarm. The aircraft pitched from 4-5° nose-up to 7° nose-down in a "very short time", the probe states, and rapidly lost height. "Before the crew could react to the pitch down and recover from the steep descent, the aircraft impacted the terrain," it adds. It struck the ground at 180kt, at 10° nose-down pitch, and was destroyed, coming to rest inverted some 400m beyond the initial impact point. http://dashboard.flightglobal.com/app/#/articles/431108?context=newsstream Back to Top PIA A320 at Islamabad on Aug 8th 2016, hydraulic failure results in runway excursion A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BLA performing flight PK- 451 from Islamabad to Skardu (Pakistan), was climbing out of Islamabad's runway 30 when the crew stopped the climb at FL150 reporting a hydraulic failure and decided to return to Islamabad. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew worked the checklists and burned off fuel, the aircraft subsequently positioned for a landing on runway 30, touched down safely at 13:35L (08:35Z) but veered right off the runway and came to a stop with all gear on soft ground. There were no injuries, the aircraft however received foreign object damage to one of the engines (CFM56). The airline confirmed the aircraft developed hydraulic problems and therefore returned to Islamabad. On Aug 18th 2016 Pakistan's CAA reported the occurrence was rated a serious incident, an investigation has been opened. The CAA reported the aircraft was about 36nm north of Islamabad when the aircraft turned around due to hydraulic problems. After landing on runway 30 the aircraft veered right off the right hand runway edge and came to a stop about 9600 feet down the runway. On Nov 3rd 2016 the aircraft performed a test flight and returned to service afterwards. http://avherald.com/h?article=49c4dc13&opt=0 Back to Top Textron Aviation signs three-Citation jet order at NBAA Textron Aviation CEO Scott Ernest, left, and Edmund O. Schweitzer III, president and chairman of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, after Schweitzer signed paperwork Wednesday to purchase three Cessna Citation X+ business jets. Jerry Siebenmark The Wichita Eagle In an otherwise quiet National Business Aviation Association Convention, Textron Aviation Cessna closed an order for three Citation X+ business jets on Wednesday afternoon. Textron did not disclose the value of the deal. The midsize jet has a list price of $23.4 million. "It's just a fantastic opportunity to reinforce what a productivity tool these planes can be and allows their business to continue to grow and expand," Textron Aviation CEO Scott Ernest said Wednesday. "And it gives us the opportunity to continue to build and grow that relationship." Edmund O. Schweitzer III, president and chairman of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, signed the paperwork with Ernest on Wednesday at NBAA. Schweitzer Engineering has been a nearly 20-year Citation customer. Its first Citation X purchase was in 2002. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article112127747.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Air Charter Safety Foundation and Baldwin Aviation Team Up on ASAP Washington D.C.-based Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has come to an agreement in principle with Baldwin Aviation Safety & Compliance (Booth 2639) to offer a sophisticated single- point of access digital Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) to ACSF members in the near future. Currently, ACSF members who have a memorandum of understanding with FAA/ACSF to be ASAP participants use a web-based application tool available via secure login from the ACSF website. ACSF promotes and facilitates aviation risk management programs and disseminates safety information to the business aviation charter community. "The goal is to provide end users with one-stop shopping by combining Baldwin Aviation's overall safety management system with an ACSF-ASAP program that results in reduced operational risk and redundant workload often associated with multiple databases," ACSF president Bryan Burns said this week at NBAA 2016. "Both organizations believe that bringing this program to the marketplace as a single data source is a win-win for the charter and business aviation community." Baldwin Aviation president Don Baldwin agreed with Burns. "This represents a significant decrease in both time and cost for each participating charter and business aviation operator without compromising their respective data and reports," he said. It is known that rapid error reporting and the quick processing of those reports results in improved system safety within aviation. Baldwin Aviation offers business aviation operators customizable and scalable safety management systems and related business programs to the fixed-wing and rotor-wing communities, MROs, airports and FBOs. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-11-01/air-charter-safety- foundation-and-baldwin-aviation-team-asap Back to Top Loss of Control in Flight Subject of Alaskan Aviation Safety Seminar National Transportation Safety Board Member Earl Weener and the agency's chief of the Alaska regional office, Clinton Johnson, are among speakers scheduled for the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation's upcoming fall 2016 aviation safety seminar. The seminar, entitled "Loss of Control: Lessons Learned," is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2016, 8 a.m., to 4:30 p.m.(Alaska Standard Time), at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska. Case studies, training solutions, and resources for loss of control prevention are among the agenda items slated for the seminar, all with the goal of reducing the number of aviation accidents involving pilot loss of control in flight. "Safety is a cornerstone of aviation and aviation is a foundation of life in Alaska, and yet every year dozens of Alaskans and visitors are killed in aviation mishaps around the state," said Harry Kieling, Chairman of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation. "The single biggest reason is Loss of Control. We know what causes Loss of Control yet we seem unable to alert our pilots on how to avoid it. The Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and the National Transportation Safety Board are determined to educate Alaskan aviators on how to prevent loss of control." Preventing Loss of Control in flight within the general aviation community is on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. Alaska suffered an average of 100 aircraft accidents a year during the past decade and about 80 percent of those involved general aviation or non-commercial flights. About 47 percent of all fatal, fixed-wing, general aviation accidents between 2008 and 2014, throughout the U.S., involved pilots losing control of their aircraft in flight. These accidents resulted in more than 1,200 fatalities. By comparison, from 2011 through September 2016, the NTSB investigated 76 general aviation accidents in Alaska involving loss of control in flight, that resulted in 31 fatalities and 38 injuries. For more information about the seminar contact the AASF at aasfonline@gmail.com http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/pr20161024.aspx Back to Top Canada to lift foreign investment cap in airlines Canada will boost the threshold for foreign investment in Canadian airlines to 49 percent from the current 25 percent to boost competition, the National Post newspaper said on Thursday. The paper said Transport Minister Marc Garneau would announce the plan on Thursday. Garneau is also set to announce that no individual international investor, or single grouping of international investors, will be allowed to own more than 25 percent of a Canadian airline, the paper added. http://www.reuters.com/article/canada-transport-idUSL1N1D40FO Back to Top Air France Plans No-Frills Airline to Serve Asia, U.S. New airline would start flying to Asia cities from winter 2017 Air France-KLM plans a new medium-haul and long-haul budget airline that could tap the lucrative market serving cities in the U.S. and Asia to recapture lost market share. PARIS-Franco-Dutch airline operator Air France-KLM is rolling out a new medium-haul and long- haul budget airline that could service cities in the U.S. and Asia, its latest maneuver to take on low-cost rivals and Middle Eastern carriers. The new airline, set to start flying on routes to Asia in the winter 2017, would take over some of the least profitable Air France services and will operate them with staff on lower salaries, the company said on Thursday. While the new airline would focus on flights to Asia initially, it could later fly planes across the Atlantic, the carrier said. The move comes as airlines on both sides of the Atlantic search for ways to fight back against discount carriers. In Europe, the competition is especially cutthroat, with fast growing Ryanair Holdings PLC and other discount airlines pushing aggressively into the traditional turf of the continent's legacy carriers. Several big carriers, including British Airways parent International Consolidated Airlines Group SA, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Air France-KLM, have already rolled out their own short-haul budget subsidiaries to compete. Air France is now targeting typically more profitable medium- and long- haul business with a lower-cost offering of its own. If Air France eventually turns some of its transatlantic flights into discount services, it will be flying into a crowded market. Discount carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA is already operating cheap flights to North America from Europe, including from France to destinations such as New York and Los Angeles. Canada's WestJet Airlines Ltd. and Iceland's WOW air also offer discount transatlantic flights. Air France is playing catchup with Lufthansa, which has set up a discount long-haul business within its low-fare Eurowings unit, and with Air Canada's Rouge unit also has begun transatlantic service. Air France said it would transfer some of its pilots to the new unit. They would fly more hours for the same pay. The new airline would recruit new flight attendants, with fewer benefits than Air France crew currently enjoy. That is all likely to set up the airline for new tensions with labor union, exacerbating tensions that have embroiled the airline for years. Last year, protests by employees turned violent, with executives fleeing protesters who ripped the shirt off one manager. Service on the new line would be less lavish than on board Air France planes, but won't be as austere as on discount carriers, the company said. Air France-KLM has lost ground over many years to budget carriers within Europe such as Ryanair and U.K.-based easyJet PLC while it has faced rising competition from carriers such as Dubai-based Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways on long-haul routes in the relatively lucrative Asian market. The carrier, which operates the low-cost, short-haul Hop and Transavia brands within Europe, in addition to its flagship network carriers Air France and KLM, has undertaken several restructuring programs to improve efficiency and cut costs without narrowing the gap in competitiveness with its most important European rivals. Air France management is counting on the new airline to help it increase the number of passengers it flies to 100 million a year by 2020 from around 91 million today, to generate revenue of 28 billion euros ($31.14 billion), up from €26.1 billion in 2015. Earlier Thursday, Air France said net profit rose in the third quarter on lower fuel costs and cost- cutting which more than offset losses from strikes and dimished travel to France after terrorist attacks in the past year. Air France-KLM, Europe's largest airline group by traffic, said net profit rose to €544 million in the three months to end-September though revenue contracted 5.1% during the period to €6.94 billion. http://www.wsj.com/articles/air-france-plans-no-frills-airline-to-serve-asia-u-s-1478165882 Back to Top Pilot deploys parachute to land airplane BLOOMFIELD - The pilot of a single-engine plane that came down near Bloomfield this morning escaped with no injuries after deploying the plane's parachute and landing in an open field. Robert Hart III, 53, of Pagosa Springs, Colo., was flying a Cirrus Model SR22 aircraft north from Albuquerque to Pagosa Springs when the plane's engine started to malfunction, according to New Mexico State Police press release. Hart was flying about 5 miles east of Bloomfield around 10 a.m. when he activated the plane's parachute and used it to land the plane and him safely in an open field, the press release states. The plane crashed along the San Juan River, just north of County Road 4990, according to San Juan County Sheriff's Office detective Lt. Kyle Lincoln. No property damaged resulted from the crash, according to state police. The plane was found on the south side of the San Juan River just north of 664 County Road 4990, according to coordinates provided by Lincoln. The San Juan County Communications Authority received multiple calls about the incident, Lincoln said. One caller hiked down to make contact with Hart and reported that he had no injuries. Sheriff's office deputies responded to the scene, along with the San Juan County Fire Department, paramedics from the San Juan Regional Medical Center and state police officers. According to state police, the plane was registered to Coastal King Aviation LLC, based out of Corpus Christi, Texas. The investigation is being handled by state police, and the National Transportation Safety Board has been contacted about the incident. http://www.daily-times.com/story/news/local/bloomfield/2016/10/28/police-search-plane-crashed- along-river/92887808/ Back to Top British Airways reveals 'high-speed' airplane Wi-Fi for short flights British Airways has announced that it is finally bringing in-flight WI-Fi to short-haul flights. The new "high speed" in-flight internet will roll out on British Airways flights next summer, along with flights from Aer Lingus, Iberia, and Vueling later in 2017. And by 2019, over 90% of British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) flights will be fitted with the Wi-Fi on board. It's all made possible thanks to satellite technology from Inmarsat, which will provide customers with internet access to use on mobile devices. According to Inmarsat, the speeds will be good enough to allow passengers to "use email, check social media and stream videos". The pledge is that passengers will have sufficient bandwidth capacity to use multiple devices at the same time, and that "connection speeds will be similar to what they have at home." "The European Aviation Network is a game changer for the millions of airline passengers that have been cut-off from fast, reliable and consistent broadband access during flights in Europe," said Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation. "It will provide IAG airlines with unprecedented high- speed capacity by combining the strengths of Inmarsat's satellite connectivity with a powerful ground network operated by our partner Deutsche Telekom." Up to 341 short-haul aircraft are going to be kitted out with the high-speed internet, 132 of which belong to British Airways. The first aircraft to fly with the connectivity on board will be a BA A321 craft. Speaking at the announcement, Willie Walsh, CEO of IAG, said: "We are giving our customers the fastest connectivity you can get on any aircraft. Having announced Wi-Fi for long-haul flights earlier this year, we are now equipping our airlines' short- haul fleets with in-flight broadband access. Connectivity is essential because it's what our customers demand and IAG will be the first European airline group to offer high-quality air to ground Wi-Fi on short-haul flights." http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/british-airways-reveals-high-speed-airplane-wi-fi-for-short- flights Back to Top New NASA tech to help aircraft land on time WASHINGTON: NASA has said it is working with its partners on a new air traffic control (ATC) technology that promises to safely increase the number of airplanes that can land on the same runway at busy airports by more precisely managing the time, or interval, between each aircraft's arrival. The technology, called Flight Deck Interval Management, or FIM, will also increase chances of your flights -- connecting or otherwise -- arriving on time, the US space agency said in a statement on Monday. "FIM allows controllers to deliver the aircraft more precisely and more predictably, which is a huge advantage that helps the airlines and airport operators more efficiently manage air traffic to minimize delays," said William Johnson from NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia. FIM is part of NASA's Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration-1- or ATD-1 - a coordinated effort involving NASA, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and industry to develop and evaluate new technologies and procedures related to aircraft scheduling and airport arrivals. A complex field demonstration of FIM involving NASA, the FAA and industry will be conducted in early 2017 over Washington State, the statement added. Today, current air traffic control technology and procedures can predict arrival times to within a minute or so. But FIM is expected to enable controllers and the airport to count on aircraft arriving within five to ten seconds of a predicted time. The cockpit-based prototype FIM system combines NASA-developed software with commercially available off-the-shelf hardware and connects the system to the aircraft's onboard information and navigation systems. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/New-NASA-tech-to-help-aircraft-land-on- time/articleshow/55180809.cms Back to Top Spaceport America's New Drone Summit Seeks to Attract UAV Pilots The state Spaceport Authority is hoping to draw between 500 and 1,000 participants, exhibitors and spectators at the inaugural event, which features drone racing, a drone filmmaking contest, workshops and demo flights of small-scale, historical-replica planes. (TNS) -- LAS CRUCES - Better technology and lower prices are helping drones to make their way into the hands of the American public. And Spaceport America officials are hoping to tap into that burgeoning interest by hosting the facility's first drone summit, slated for Nov. 11-13 at the southeastern Sierra County spaceport. The state Spaceport Authority is hoping to draw between 500 and 1,000 participants, exhibitors and spectators at the inaugural event, which features drone racing, a drone filmmaking contest, workshops and demo flights of small-scale, historical-replica planes. REACHING THE 'MASSES' Albuquerque resident Shaun Taylor - the world's top drone-racing pilot - is slated to host a workshop and will likely compete. Interest in the sport and in drones is "exploding," he said. RELATED Ambulance Drones May Save Lives CIOs Must Prepare for Drones How are police drones catching drones conducting illegal activity in Japan? "It's starting to come to the masses now, instead of just hobbyists," Taylor said in an interview last Thursday, just days after winning the Drone Worlds championship in Hawaii. The Spaceport America Drone Summit is a way to diversify spaceport activities and engage the public, said Rosa Banuelos, spaceport business development manager. "It's a way to open our doors to those who wouldn't normally interact with a live commercial spaceport," she said. "We've put a really great program together." Taylor, 36, an Albuquerque native, was introduced to drone racing in December 2014, near the time of the sport's inception. A friend kickstarted his interest. "He was excited and bought one," he said. "I bought one. I kind of got hooked." During races, about eight pilots at a time remotely fly their aircraft through a designated course. Speed, navigating obstacles and avoiding collisions are crucial to winning. Taylor said each race typically takes less than two minutes. Taylor won his first competition about a year ago. Subsequent wins, including in France and Australia, led to his participation last weekend in the world championship. He retired from a job as a firefighter to pursue drone-racing as a career. He said he doesn't feel he has a natural gift for the sport. "I put in a lot of time and hard work is what it comes down to for me," he said. The Federal Aviation Administration estimates some 1.9 million small UAVs will be sold for hobbyist use in 2016 across the country. An additional 600,000 are forecast to be sold for professional use, for a total of 2.5 million devices. In five years, total sales are predicted to nearly triple with 7 million drones being sold in 2020. A DRONE FOR EVERYTHING Also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or Unmanned Aerial Systems, drones are being used worldwide for everything from wildlife conservation - delivering vaccine to prairie dogs, for instance - to military uses to humanitarian aid to the real estate industry. Criminals are inventing ways to smuggle drugs and contraband with drones. In Las Cruces, ARCA Space Corp. is manufacturing a drone designed primarily for surveillance and reconnaissance. It is outfitted with an $11,000 camera capable of photo, video and thermal imaging. New Mexico State University has a role in drone testing and development with its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Test Center, which has a 15,000 square-foot hangar at the Las Cruces International Airport. Las Crucen Robert Paquette bought his drone about a year and a half ago and has used it to take his photography hobby to a new level, literally. He captures scenic shots of sunsets and the Mesilla Valley from a bird's eye view. "There are over 800 drone owners in Doña Ana County, but most people aren't using them," he said. "A lot of people are afraid to fly them. They're easy to fly, but they're easy to crash." While drones and related equipment can range in price from less than $100 to $10,000 or more, Paquette said a good device for someone looking to get into drone piloting, "if you're not looking to go overboard," will cost about $1,200. Taylor, too, cited an expense in the same range - about $1,000 for the drone and associated gear - for someone wanting to start drone racing. The expense grows significantly, however, if a person plans to travel to competitions. He said he's fortunate enough to have sponsors covering those costs. NEW RULES IN PLACE Bonnie Haggerty is CFO of the International Drone Racing Association, which hosts drone-racing events around the world and will co-host the race at Spaceport America. She said the drone industry, including racing, is on the cusp of sharp growth. There's not only potential in commerce but also in education. She said IDRA is involved with efforts to encourage drones as a way to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics - or STEM - careers among students. "There's so many avenues that job-perspective-wise can come out of STEM," she said. "The younger people get it but have to understand what goes into the responsibility of having a drone." Paquette advised anyone wanting to fly drones to become familiar with the regulations. There are two categories - hobbyist and professional - and the FAA released new rules in August pertaining to drones. The hobbyist category, to which he belongs, must adhere to some regulations, such as avoiding flying within a certain distance of airports and in national parks. But rules for drone pilots in the professional category are more extensive, he said. In addition, Paquette recommended studying other drone owners' failures. A number of YouTube videos show people having crashed their drones and explaining what went wrong. "There's so much to learn," he said. The FAA has launched a "Know Before You Fly" campaign to educate the public about both recreational and business drone rules, according to http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. There's also an app, B4UFLY. COST OF ATTENDING At the Spaceport America Drone Summit, workshop presenters will review the standards for drone use, establishing a drone-based business and what's in store for the industry's future, according to the schedule. There's a range of registration fees, depending on whether a person wants to attend only segments of the summit or wants access to it entirely, spaceport officials said. People wanting to attend the workshops or watch the racing can register online before Nov. 11 or at the door, though there is an extra charge in that case, Banuelos said. The deadline to register for the drone-racing competition is Nov. 9. The registration website is http://spaceportamericadronesummit.com/. Asked whether the spaceport authority will make money hosting the event, Banuelos said that's the plan. But given that this is the first summit, she said "we just want to make it a successful event and grow every year." Paquette, who's planning to attend the Spaceport America Drone Summit, said his drone gives him a unique look at the world around him. "It's a whole different view, a whole different perspective," he said. http://www.govtech.com/fs/Spaceport-Americas-New-Drone-Summit-Seeks-to-Attract-UAV- Pilots.html Back to Top Textron goes ahead with new Cessna jet, chooses engines The Logo of a Safran propulsion systems maker is pictured in Paris, France, August 8, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo Cessna Aircraft Co said on Monday it is going ahead with a new large-cabin business jet, the Hemisphere, and will use an engine made by Safran of France that has suffered delays. Cessna, a subsidiary of Textron Inc (TXT.N), said it chose Safran's Silvercrest engine to power the Hemisphere even though Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA) delayed first flight of its Falcon 5X jet, originally set for the summer of 2015, because of delays in getting Silvercrest engines. "We're confident" the engine will meet specifications and be delivered on time, Textron Aviation Chief Executive Officer Scott Ernest said in a briefing at the National Business Aviation Association conference here. Safran is expected to certify the engine for the Hemisphere in the spring of 2018, and Cessna plans first flight of the Hemisphere in early 2019, providing a buffer if the engine is delayed, Textron executives said at the briefing. The Hemisphere will use avionics made by Honeywell International (HON.N). The Hemisphere carries a $35 million price tag and is due to enter service in late 2019 or early 2020, the executives said. Dassault expects the Falcon 5X to be certified in 2020. Cessna has brought two other business jets to market in recent years. The Latitude, with a range of 2,500 nautical miles, entered service in 2015. The Longitude, with a 3,500-nautical-mile range, is due to be certified next year. Both use Honeywell engines. The Hemisphere can travel 4,500 nautical miles without stopping. Plane deliveries by Wichita, Kansas-based Textron are expected to be flat this year, compared with 2015, but sales are "up year-on-year in a slow market," said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president of interior design and engineering. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-textron-jets-idUSKBN12W2NA Back to Top Boeing shows new concept for next generation US Air Force Fighter Boeing is out with new concept art for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation fighter jet, a sleek, tail- less design featuring conformal engine inlets and what looks like a manned cockpit. The tail-less airframe, thin swept wings and conformal shaping suggest a stealthy, penetrating aircraft that may be able to fly supersonic. The silhouette of a pilot inside the cockpit indicates Boeing is banking on the Air Force sticking with at least an optionally manned platform for the future capability. Boeing's new vision comes as the Air Force begins to solidify a plan for the next generation of air superiority, alternatively called "sixth-generation fighter," "next-generation air dominance," F-X," and most recently "Penetrating Counterair" (PCA). The service just kicked off an Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (AFSAB) study that will begin identifying key capabilities needed to fight in the battlefield of 2030 ahead of a formal analysis of alternatives (AoA) for PCA. The Air Force's "Air Superiority 2030" initiative identified a hybrid PCA capability as key to ensuring air superiority in future denied battlespaces characterized by sophisticated air defense systems and counterair technologies. But so far, the Air Force has only described PCA in relatively broad terms. The AFSAB study, announced Oct. 27, will begin to define the key operational characteristics of a PCA capability. The pre-AoA (pre-analysis of alternatives) effort will examine likely adversaries, identify and assess relevant technologies, and determine the timelines and investments needed to mature them. The study aims to provide a technology roadmap to support developing and fielding of an initial PCA capability in 2030. SOURCES - Aviation Week, US Air Force http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/11/boeing-shows-new-concept-for-next.html Back to Top If you cannot see this page correctly, please click here. CEFA Aviation and USC Aviation Safety combine to present eight days of flight data analysis and visualization training We are pleased to announce that CEFA Aviation and University of Southern California will be offering a joint training session at USC this December. CEFA's 3 days' session will focus on how to utilize flight data and CEFA's leading technology to create training/safety materials to help pilots brief on new and challenging airports, debrief on unusual flights and SOP deviations, help management gather more insight about the operational risk areas and will assist the safety professionals to better investigate the root cause of operational incidents/events. The course combines instruction, real-life examples and hands-on exercises so that students walk away with the knowledge they need to get the most out of their CEFA's visualization solutions. This course will run 7-9 December, 2016. The USC's 'Data for Safety Management' course will provide first-hand experience in the collection and analysis of safety critical flight data. To create an understanding of the basics of Flight Data Analysis, how Flight Data Analysis contributes to a SMS, and how Flight Data Analysis can result in positive improvements in aviation safety performance. This five day course will present the basics of flight data analysis based upon real-time flight information. It will present opportunities to analyze collective flight data as would be utilized by a commercial aircraft operator. The course will present CEFA's latest animation technology to depict flight profiles and examine other sources of data including video and air traffic control data that may be used in creating a data-based safety case. This course will run 12-16 December, 2016. Course Outline * Flight Data Recorders, types, capabilities and history * Evolution of Flight Data Analysis * Relationship to Aircraft Accident Investigation * Cases Studies * International Regulatory Standards * Relationship to SMS * FOQA, ASAP, ASRS * Cockpit Voice Recorders * Video Data * Technical Standards and Performance * Recovery of CV's and FDR's * Air Traffic Control Data * Components with Non Volatile Memory * Commercial Safety Data Services * Animation of Flight Data * ADS-B Practical Exercise CEFA Session: CEFA FAS Visualization Technology and Application Dates: December 7th - December 9th Location: USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California, United States Fees and registration: Click here USC Session: Data for Safety Management Dates: December 12th - December 16th Location: USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California, United States Fees: Please contact scalese@usc.edu Class sizes are limited, providing a highly interactive educational experience, so don't wait and register now for this training session! GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY SURVEY FOR UNIVERSITY PROJECT My name is Eleonora Orlandi, I spent the past 12 years in the sky initially as an airline pilot and then as a corporate pilot. At the moment I am working on the final project for completing a Msc in Aviation Safety Management with City University of London. The provisional title for my project is "RISK MITIGATION MANAGEMENT IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY AND THE ANIMAL KINGDOM". As we all know Risk management is a substantial factor in aviation safety and various variants of risk management models exist. The risk model proposed by the university during the course of my study has been developedwithout using observations from animal behavior related torisk and risk mitigation. Can this model be complemented byunderstanding how certain animals manage risk? And if yeshow and to what extend? As part of the research I have developed a very short survey (it takes max 2 minutes). I would love to hear opinions of professional pilots from everywhere in world. If you have been flying as an airline, corporate or cargo pilot for more than one year, can you please spare two minutes of your time and complete the following survey https://it.surveymonkey.com/r/YZY375S Thank you for your help! Curt Lewis