Flight Safety Information November 17, 2016 - No. 229 In This Issue United Airlines flight from SFO makes emergency landing in Utah Drone came within 5 metres of passenger jet at Liverpool airport Big holes in Sydney air traffic control roster threaten busy holiday travel Why isn't collision avoidance technology required in all aircraft? EAA Programs Boost Experimental Category Aviation Safety Figures in 2016 European Aviation Safety Agency Certifies H135 Helicopter Equipped With Helionix Cockpit Brazil regulator OKs Qatar Airways to buy stake in LATAM Airlines Denver International Airport adding workers for upcoming holiday travel rush Dublin Selected as Site of IASS 2017...DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Flight Safety Foundation PSA Airlines ups pay for new pilots Decision Time: Half of US F-15s Need Overhauls - Or Retirement Watch F-15 and F-16 Fighters Land on a Highway Research Survey United Airlines flight from SFO makes emergency landing in Utah A United Airlines aircraft from San Francisco International Airport made an emergency landing in Utah Wednesday morning after the pilot started to feel sick, officials said. Photo: KAREN BLEIER, AFP/Getty Images Photo: KAREN BLEIER, AFP/Getty Images A United Airlines aircraft from San Francisco International Airport made an emergency landing in Utah Wednesday morning after the pilot started to feel sick, officials said. A United Airlines flight headed to New Jersey from San Francisco International Airport made an emergency landing Wednesday morning in Salt Lake City after the pilot became ill, officials said. The Boeing 757 with 136 passengers departed San Francisco at 6:05 a.m. for Newark Liberty International Airport. About two hours into the flight, the pilot started to feel ill and the co-pilot diverted the plane safely into the Salt Lake International Airport, said Maddie King, a spokeswoman for United Airlines. The pilot "used an abundance of caution" when deciding to land the plane and was able to walk off the aircraft after the landing, King added. No injuries were reported. The passengers on the flight are expected to be reboarded on the same aircraft about 1:45 p.m. with a new arrival time of 7:40 p.m. into Newark, five hours later than their original arrival time. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/United-Airlines-flight-from-SFO-makes-emergency-10618600.php Back to Top Drone came within 5 metres of passenger jet at Liverpool airport Incident was one of four near misses in a month, with pilots and airports calling for tighter regulation of Drone technology has advanced rapidly in the past few years, particularly in terms of range and battery life. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA A passenger jet taking off at Liverpool airport narrowly avoided a collision with a drone that came within 5 metres (16ft) of the aircraft's wingtip, an investigation has found. The pilot spotted the large, black and yellow drone immediately after the Airbus A319 took off, but it was so close there was nothing he could do to avoid it, he told a UK Airprox Board review, which found that "chance had played a major part" in avoiding a collision. The drone pilot could not be found. But members of the board who wrote a report on the incident said it should have been obvious that the unmanned vehicle was endangering the passenger jet, "even if the operator was not 'aviation-minded'". It was one of four near misses in a month between drones and commercial passenger airlines recorded by the UK Airprox Board. Aircraft coming in to land at Heathrow reported three drone near misses in three days, including one where the pilot could identify the brand of drone that came within 100 metres of his aircraft "because his son had the very same model". In another incident close to the Shard in London, a drone flying at 1,500 metres came within 20 metres of an Airbus A320 on its descent into Heathrow. The pilot had no time to take any steps to avoid a collision and only luck prevented a crash, the board found. Under civil aviation rules, unmanned aircraft must be within the eyesight of the operator, which is usually held to mean an altitude of 400ft. In all the near misses, police were alerted, but the drone operator could not be traced. Several pilots complained that they had spotted the drones when they were busy preparing to land. There has been a steep rise this year in reports of drones flying near passenger jets. The UK Airprox Board received reports of 56 such incidents up to October, compared with 29 in all of 2015 and six the year before. In April, a pilot claimed his British Airways Airbus A320 had been hit by a drone as it came in to land at Heathrow, although the then transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin later told MPs the incident was unlikely to have been a collision with a drone. Drone technology has advanced rapidly in recent years, and improved battery life and range mean models that claim they can be controlled from up to 3 miles (5km) away are available for less than £1,200. Heathrow and the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) have called for stronger regulation against civilian drones. Last month, a Heathrow spokesman said: "Anyone operating an unmanned aerial vehicle has an obligation to know the rules and ensure they are capable of operating it safely. Doing so in proximity to an airfield or aircraft is illegal and clearly irresponsible. "Stronger regulation and enforcement action must be a priority for the government to ensure that the airspace around British airports remains among the safest in the world." Steve Landells, a flight safety specialist at Balpa, warned last month of the "potential for catastrophe" posed by increasingly powerful drones being flown near airports. "Pilots are pressing for better education and compulsory registration, during which the rules are made quite clear, and more high-profile prosecutions of offenders," he said. "We would like to see drones fitted with technology that would stop them being flown in the wrong places, automatically make them move out of the way if they get too close to other aircraft and, as a last resort, alert air traffic control and pilots of their presence so avoiding action can be taken to prevent a collision." https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/17/drone-came-within-5-metres-of-passenger-jet-at- liverpool-airport Back to Top Big holes in Sydney air traffic control roster threaten busy holiday travel Air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport are scrambling to fill more than 50 vacancies in their roster over the Christmas and New Year holidays, raising concerns about delays to flights during the year's busiest travel period. The holes in the roster for air traffic controllers at Australia's busiest airport come after at least five line managers - four of whom were licensed to operate as air traffic controllers - took redundancy as part of 900 nationwide job cuts at Airservices, the government-owned manager of the country's air space. The Australian Federal Police are investigating a series of hoax calls to air traffic controllers and domestic pilots. Vision courtesy ABC News Melbourne. The concerns about gaps in the roster are emerging despite Airservices' insistence for months that job cuts announced in July would not impact "operationally rostered air-traffic control". On one day next month, there are seven vacancies on the roster. If not filled, these gaps wouldpose major difficulties for handling aircraft at Sydney Airport. "You can't run an international airport with seven people short," a source said. "With reductions in staff, our ability to move aircraft around the sky and on the ground will be majorly impacted." Apart from the line-manager redundancies, staffing at Sydney air-traffic control has been hit by retirements, resignations and transfers. The holes in the roster at Sydney are for a period from late November to early January, the busiest period of the year for flying. While they performed managerial roles, the line managers who were licensed as controllers filled holes that inevitably occurred due to sickness or other unexpected absences. Air traffic controllers at Sydney Airport are feeling the pressure. Photo: Steven Siewert Civil Air, the union representing air-traffic controllers, said it was concerned about the ability to staff air traffic control at Sydney following the departure of the line managers who had "an operational component to their work", "They had dual responsibilities. In the event of short-term absences like an individual calling in sick, there is a limited ability to replace those people," Civil Air executive secretary Peter McGuane said. The gaps in the roster could impact the ability to manage planes at Sydney Airport. Photo: Bob Pearce At its extreme, Mr McGuane said the inability to replace staff at short notice could lead to the closure of air space. "The effect of that is that it may result in substantial delays [to flights]," he said. In a senate estimates hearing in October, Airservices chief executive Jason Harfield said the 900 job cuts would "not touch operationally rostered air-traffic control." A spokeswoman for Airservices said some line managers at Sydney had applied for and were offered voluntary redundancy. The federal agency "has capacity to manage the provision of air-traffic control with a more efficient management structure," the spokeswoman said. "There are, as has been suggested, a number of vacancies in the Sydney air traffic control roster for the next six to eight weeks," she said. "Behind the roster vacancies is the cumulative effect of a number of retirements, resignations and transfers. As it takes 18 months to train an air-traffic controller, replacements can sometimes lag." While operational rosters were "not developed, constructed or based on line managers undertaking active operational air traffic control duties", the spokeswoman said some "do volunteer to perform ad hoc shifts on the roster". She said staffing at Sydney air-traffic control would "not impact on Airservices delivering safe and efficient air traffic control to the hundreds of thousands of air passengers who will fly during the coming holiday season." But the union representing Virgin Australia and Tiger pilots also voiced fears that the job cuts at Airservices would affect air-traffic control and air safety. "You can't make 25 per cent of your workforce redundant without having some operational impact," Virgin Independent Pilots Association president John Lyons said. "Our concern is that reducing staffing levels must have an impact on the operation from a safety point of view." http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/big-holes-in-sydney-air-traffic-control-roster-threaten-busy-holiday-travel- 20161115-gsqaf5.html Back to Top Why isn't collision avoidance technology required in all aircraft? Federal investigators are blaming air traffic controllers for two midair collisions last year that killed seven people, but there are technologies that can prevent the collisions that happen in the blink of an eye. A National Transportation Safety Board animation simulates how fast a deadly midair collision can happen, including the limits of "see and avoid" -- a method of flying that teaches pilots how to avoid midair collisions. By the time the pilot of this Cessna was able to spot an F-16 fighter coming in just left of center -- and he had only seconds to respond. The planes collided over South Carolina in 2015. The two onboard the Cessena died. Weeks later, another midair collision in San Diego killed five. In both cases the NTSB believes available collision avoidance systems could have prevented the crashes, by giving warnings. These systems are not required in general aviation aircraft, but similar systems are required in commercial airliners. "Imagine this traffic: A 777 coming at you at 700 mph. I don't think human eyes can see that fast or process that reaction in the pilots mind fast enough," says Rusty Aimer, a retired airline captain. "I must have had in my career at least five or six of those warnings that saved us," Aimer says. "So if you can imagine this happening in every airline pilots life or any other pilot, it's a tremendous asset to have." Since 2011, there have been 44 midair collisions in the us, killing 46. "These are very deadly accidents," says Mark Rosenker, the former head of the NTSB. "That's why when you can use this kind of technology to prevent them from happening, it's a simple decision to go out and install it. By 2020, all general aviation aircraft will be required to have new technology that better communicates with air traffic control but stops short of collision avoidance warnings. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-isnt-collision-avoidance-technology-required-in-all-aircraft/ Back to Top EAA Programs Boost Experimental Category Aviation Safety Figures in 2016 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) programs have helped improve fatal accident figures for the second straight year, particularly in aviation safety related to experimental-category aircraft such as amateur-builts. Those figures are now among the lowest in the history of FAA record keeping. Amateur-Built, homebuilt, EAA, Experimental Aircraft Association, Oshkosh Amateur-built aircraft, such as these shown at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016, have reached unprecedented safety levels, lower than many other forms of recreational activity. The fatal accident numbers again remain lower than other types of popular recreational pursuits, such as paddle sports, horseback riding, and driving all-terrain vehicles. OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN (PRWEB) NOVEMBER 16, 2016 Fatal accidents in experimental category aircraft continued their decline in the 12-month period ending September 30, as focused programs and efforts by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and others continue to enhance safety. The totals, which include fatal accidents during the 2016 federal fiscal year (October 2015 through September 2016), showed that fatal accidents in amateur-built aircraft in the Federal Aviation Administration's experimental category fell 17 percent from the previous 12-month period. The specific totals indicate 33 fatal accidents in those aircraft during the period, compared to 40 during the prior year and 51 for the 2014 federal fiscal year. In addition, fatal accidents for the experimental category overall, including racing aircraft, those used for exhibition only, research-and-development, and some types of light-sport aircraft, also fell. Those fatal accidents fell from 61 to 49 during the 12-month measurement period. The fiscal year 2016 totals also bettered the FAA "not-to-exceed" goal of 60 for that period. It also marks one of the lowest single-year fatal accident totals since the FAA began keeping records. "This is tremendous news and this multiple-year trend is a credit to all aviators who are focusing on safety," said Sean Elliott, EAA's vice president of advocacy and safety. "The fatal accident numbers again remain lower than other types of popular recreational pursuits, such as paddle sports, horseback riding, and driving all-terrain vehicles. While it's never possible to rest in pursuit of safety, these lower numbers - even with a rising number of flight hours in recent years - show that EAA's programs, outreach and advocacy is making a difference." Over the past two years, EAA's safety focus included the inaugural Founder's Innovation Prize competition that seeks new concepts to reduce loss-of-control accidents in amateur-built aircraft, one of the leading causes of fatal accidents; the Accessible Safety Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) that brings updated, affordable safety technology to type-certified aircraft; recent FAA approval of an additional safety pilot during initial flight testing in amateur-built aircraft; a focus on transition and recurrent training; enhanced Technical Counselor and Flight Advisor programs that bring knowledgeable volunteers to those building and transitioning to amateur-built aircraft; and added focus on safety and proficiency through communications such as EAA's flagship Sport Aviation magazine. EAA has also been a major contributor and is now chairing the FAA's General Aviation Joint Steering Committee that brings new safety ideas forward through government and industry collaboration. About EAA EAA embodies the spirit of aviation through the world's most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA's 200,000 members and 900 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800- JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to http://www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with http://www.twitter.com/EAA. http://www.prweb.com/releases/aviation_safety_improves/FAA_figures/prweb13859298.htm Back to Top European Aviation Safety Agency Certifies H135 Helicopter Equipped With Helionix Cockpit Airbus Helicopters has secured European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for its H135 light twin equipped with Helionix Cockpit. The avionics system, designed by Airbus Helicopters, offers operators increased mission flexibility and safety, the company announced today. Helionix is a family concept with standardised features and is already available on the H175 and H145. The certification of the H135 with Helionix marks another milestone in the permanent evolution of this helicopter. "The Helionix cockpit system with 4-axis autopilot significantly reduces the workload of the pilot and brings the H135 to an unrivalled level of safety due to the additional functions and mission features it adds to the H135's capability." Axel Humpert, Head of H135 Programme said. Besides the 4-axis autopilot, Helionix offers an innovative cockpit layout which helps to increase situational awareness. Designed with three large electronic displays, the cockpit is Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible and includes a First Limit Indicator which highlights the appropriate engine instrument data for the pilot in one indicator. Thanks to two touchscreen GPS/Nav/Comm GTN-750, Helionix ensures an all-in-one GPS navigation and communication system. The Traffic Advisory System TAS620A, a system which improves flight safety by assisting pilots in detecting and avoiding aircraft intersecting their flight path, is another key feature delivered by the Helionix avionics suite. Initial deliveries of the H135 with Helionix cockpit will occur in 2017. Among the first commercial operators will be NorskLuftambulanse AS, a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operator. http://www.defenseworld.net/ Back to Top Brazil regulator OKs Qatar Airways to buy stake in LATAM Airlines LATAM Airlines said on Wednesday that Brazil's competition regulator Cade has given the green light for Qatar Airways to purchase up to a 10 percent stake in the Chile-headquartered regional carrier. LATAM said it will move forward with a planned $613 million capital increase so Qatar Airways can purchase the stake. http://www.reuters.com/article/latam-airlines-qatar-airways-idUSC0N19Q00L Back to Top Denver International Airport adding workers for upcoming holiday travel rush Travelers have to do their part, too, including knowing that the carry-on pecan pie might require extra screening Denver International Airport planes. Denver Post file A Delta Airlines flight coming home after landing at the Denver International Airport on Feb. 20, 2015 in Denver. Denver International Airport will bring in extra workers during the upcoming holiday season in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the long, looping security lines seen nationwide earlier this year. The airport plans to provide contract workers around both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays to help the Transportation Security Administration with some non-security tasks at the checkpoints, airport spokesman Heath Montgomery said Wednesday. "We learned over the summer that when we as an airport facility contribute some non-security task workers to the checkpoints, it frees up the TSA workers to do their primary job, which is security," he said. "What we're going to do is mirror what we did over the summer." The airport expects to welcome 1.1 million travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday, calculated as the Tuesday before through the Monday after Thanksgiving. That's 8 to 10 percent busier than a year ago, Montgomery said. Nationwide, TSA has increased staffing and deployed additional canine teams for the holiday travel season and will be "monitoring operations in near-real time," the agency said. "DEN will be fully staffed and ready to accommodate the additional passengers we see this time of the year," TSA spokeswoman Carrie Harmon said in an e-mail. Nationwide, AAA is predicting the biggest Thanksgiving travel rush since 2007, with 48.7 million Americans forecast to hit the road (and sky) between Nov. 23 and Nov. 27. Of that number, about 43.5 million Americans will take car trips, up 1.9 percent from a year ago. Another 3.7 million will travel by air, a 1.6 percent increase. Closer to home, 791,000 Coloradans are expected to travel at least 50 miles during the Thanksgiving holiday, up 1.5 percent over last year, AAA said. For those driving, Wednesday will be the busiest day on the roads, Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Bob Wilson said. "Historically, the big traffic rush tends to be on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and then it tends to be fairly scattered for the rest of the weekend," he said. At the airport, the Sunday after Thanksgiving "will be one of the busiest days we've ever had," Montgomery said. And while the extra workers should help alleviate the longest of lines, travelers also need to do their part to ensure a smooth process, he said. That includes knowing ahead of time TSA's stance on that pecan pie you were hoping to carry through the checkpoint. (For the record, TSA says "cakes and pies are permitted as carry-on items, but could require additional screening." For other items, TSA has a handy "Can I bring my..." tool online.) "It's not going to be perfect. People need to help us by being prepared for the screening checkpoint," Montgomery said. "We do ask people to show up a little early." TSA recommends that passengers are inside the airport two hours in advance of their flights to ensure enough time to check in with their airline, go through security and reach their gate, Harmon said. Back to Top Dublin Selected as Site of IASS 2017 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Flight Safety Foundation announced that the 70th annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS) will be held in Dublin, Ireland, Oct. 23-25, 2017, and will be hosted by Aer Lingus. The announcement was made Wednesday on the final day of IASS 2016 in Dubai. "We are looking forward to bringing IASS back to Europe," said Foundation President and CEO Jon Beatty. "Dublin is a wonderful city and it is fitting that the industry's premier annual safety event will be hosted by Aer Lingus, one of the industry's premier carriers," he said. "I am delighted and honored that the Flight Safety Foundation has chosen Dublin as the venue and Aer Lingus as the host airline for the 2017 International Air Safety Summit," Aer Lingus Chief Executive Stephen Kavanagh said. "Aer Lingus has been a member of the Flight Safety Foundation since 1999 and over the past 17 years has played a very active role in the foundation's important work. I and my Aer Lingus colleagues look forward to welcoming the delegates next year to our home town of Dublin, the gateway to the North Atlantic." Capt. Conor Nolan, the airline's corporate safety and resilience manager, is a member of FSF's Board of Governors. He also serves as the chairman of the Board's Audit and Finance Committee. IASS was last held in Europe in 2010 in Milan, Italy. The Foundation's European Advisory Committee, along with its International Advisory Committee, will take an active role in planning IASS 2017. Aer Lingus is a unit of IAG (International Airlines Group), which also is the parent company of British Airways, Iberia and Vueling. IAG is one of the world's largest airline groups with 525 aircraft flying to 255 destinations and carrying almost 95 million passengers each year. It is the third largest group in Europe and the sixth largest in the world, based on revenue. The Foundation's new website can be viewed at flightsafety.org. Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12279693/dublin-selected-as-site-of-iass-2017 Back to Top PSA Airlines ups pay for new pilots The only airline based in Ohio, PSA Airlines, is offering what it calls top pay for new pilots. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, Dayton-based PSA is expanding its compensation program for new-hire pilots, offering up to $60,000 for pilots with a rating on CRJ-type planes. "PSA is committed to remaining competitive in the dynamic regional marketplace by offering the highest compensation package which attracts and retains the best and brightest pilots in the regional business," the company said in a statement Wednesday. Qualifying pilots starting with the company can receive more than $21,000 immediately, and can benefit further by an additional $3,000 with a commuter hotel allowance program implemented earlier this year, the airline said. A pilot starting a commercial aviation career with PSA can expect to reach the rank of captain and earn between $165,000 and $175,000 in compensation for their first three years of service with the company, PSA also said. Since 2014, PSA said it has doubled its size and now operates 115 aircraft and will continue to grow to operate 150 regional jets. http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/business/psa-airlines-ups-pay-for-new-pilots/ns8wr/ Back to Top Decision Time: Half of US F-15s Need Overhauls - Or Retirement A U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft from the 104th Fighter Wing, Massachusetts Air National Guard, departs Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, for Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., on Aug. 12, 2011. In a backseat ride over New Hampshire, the Eagle shows why it's still lethal, yet increasingly expensive. WESTFIELD, Massachusetts - The F-15C Eagle weighs about 16 tons, but with nearly 47,000 pounds of thrust pushing it down the runway it feels more like 16 ounces. In a just seconds, the plane passes 100 miles per hour, then twice that. It hops off the ground but the pilot, Maj. Jay "Fat" Talbert keeps it level, fifty feet up, and pours on more speed. "Here come the G's," Talbert warns his passenger in the back seat. Then he pulls back the stick. Twin afterburners glow and a thunderous roar covers the peaceful New England landscape as the jet goes vertical. The altimeter spins like a stopwatch - and freezes at 6,000 as Talbert rolls the plane onto its left side and levels out. Then he turns right, heading toward the training area where he will show how this plane, built in 1985 to a 1970s design, can still best foreign-made jets in air-to-air combat. The question now is whether Air Force leaders want to spend tens of billions of dollars to refurbish the C- and D-model F-15s and upgrade their electronics, or to put the money toward newer aircraft. "This mission is not going away," Col. Pete Green, vice commander of the Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing, said in an interview here. "There is an ongoing need for air dominance fighters." Officially, the Air Force plans to keep the F-15C/D around for another quarter-century. (Its newer cousin, the ground-pounding F-15E Strike Eagle, is slated to serve even longer.) But in recent years, military leaders have retired more warplanes than planned to save maintenance money and buy newer jets. Several Air Force officials have said the service's top generals are reviewing how the air-to-air-only F-15s fit into that mix. Among the options: upgrade the fourth-generation F-15, accelerate the purchase of the fifth-generation F- 35 Lightning II, or pour the money into the warplane of the future, called Penetrating Counterair. "We are planning to keep the jet around and viable until 2042 until told otherwise," said John "Heed" McLaughlin, Air Combat Command's F-15 program element manager at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia and a former Eagle pilot who oversees the upgrades and improvements to the plane. The plan is to team the Eagle with the F-22 Raptor, marrying two generations of air superiority fighters. "We see the F-15 going out for quite some time, working closely with the F-22. We believe that's going to be the backbone of both the U.S. Air Force as well as the Air National Guard," said Steve Parker, vice president of F-15 programs at Boeing, the company that built the jet and is now overseeing many of its upgrades. "That's going to be the backbone of the air superiority capability right into the 2040s." http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2016/11/decision-time-half-americas-f-15s-need-overhauls-or- retirement/133206/ Back to Top Watch F-15 and F-16 Fighters Land on a Highway Singapore trains its air force for a worst-case scenario. The Republic of Singapore Air Force wants to demonstrate that the tiny, heavily armed nation could defend itself even after its military bases were smashed. And so it recently held Exercise Torrent, which involved turning a strip of Singaporean asphalt road into a makeshift airstrip for F-15s and F-16s. Engineers went to work on 1.55-mile a stretch of Lim Chu Kang Road, clearing potential obstacles including 153 lamp posts, 58 road signs, and 12 bus stops. Next, a mobile air traffic control tower, solar powered airfield lights, distance-to-go markers, and path indicators were laid out to make it as much like a regular runway as possible. A mobile arrestor gear system, similar to the wire and tailhook landing system on aircraft carriers, was set up to cut the distance a jet needs to land. Finally, trucks designed to suck up tiny bits of garbage and junk that could be lethal to turbofan engines came over from Tengah Airbase, a quarter-mile away, and gave the new airstrip a good vacuuming. Forty- eight hours later, F-15SG Eagles and F-16 Block 52 fighters made the first flights from the road. Here's another look: Singapore conducts exercises such as these to prove it can withstand enemy attack. The U.S. military, on the other hand, rarely trains specifically to operate from converted highways. An exception was last June, when, in a show of force designed to counter Russian intimidation in the Baltics, four A-10 Warthogs operated from the Jägala highway in Estonia. Generally the deal for American allies is that the U.S. can provide airpower but the host country must provide a secure airfield. If America's allies want help to arrive on Day 2 of their war, it's up to them to follow Singapore's lead and make sure the Americans have somewhere to land. Who knows? U.S. fighters too may someday be operating from the Lim Chu Kang Road. http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23907/singapore-fighter-jets-land-highway/ Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Sherry Saehlenou and I have been in the field of aviation for over 38 years as a flight attendant, purser and cabin safety trainer and recently have started my own training/consulting company. I have been working, for a while now, to raise awareness in the aviation community about the need for training in recognizing and reporting instances of human trafficking around the globe. My focus started with training flight attendants but as I talk to my colleagues it became clear that all employee groups need to develop an awareness and a plan (pilots, ground agents, airport security personnel, ticket counter employees and airport officials, etc.). I have been asked to write an article for a prominent security magazine about what our industry is, or is not, doing to deal with the problem of human trafficking - as airlines are frequently the transport vehicle and airports are distribution hubs. To that end, I need data and input from the aviation community around the globe.This is an anonymous survey; however, you may leave your contact info at the end if you are interested in the results and/or would like more information on Human Trafficking. Please share this survey with your colleagues. I appreciate your help and thank you for your time! Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/htrafficking Curt Lewis