Flight Safety Information December 14, 2016 - No. 248 In This Issue Malaysia Airlines MH370: Ship Departs for Likely Final Search Aviation Safety U.S. grounds Osprey aircraft in Japan after Okinawa crash SFO-bound American Airlines jet diverted to Phoenix Pillsbury: Global, Top-Ranked, Non-Stop Service Could your holiday laser lights be a hazard for pilots? Airbus Wants Airlines to Radically Rethink the Passenger Experience FAA orders a halt to evictions of aviation companies at embattled Santa Monica airport The Russian-Chinese aircraft made another step closer to reality Introducing The Hypersonic Jet That Can Take You To Far Places Like London To New York In Just 2 Hours Bad news, good news: Boeing trims back 777 jet production while raising dividend Global Aerospace Announces the 2017 SM4 Aviation Safety Program Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Graduate Research Survey Malaysia Airlines MH370: Ship Departs for Likely Final Search After more than two years, an estimated $150 million, and not a trace of wreckage found, the final ship searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 departed Tuesday for likely the last time. Four specialist vessels have been scouring the Indian Ocean for debris from the Boeing 777, which vanished in March 2014 between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing with 239 people on board. Three of the ships have since left the search, and on Tuesday the final vessel, run by Dutch company Fugro World Wide, left the Australian port of Fremantle on what's likely to be its final outing. Image: MH370 Search Vessel Fugro Equator Returns To Fremantle For Routine Resupply The Fugro Equator returns to Fremantle for resupply in August 2015. Paul Kane / Getty Images Australian Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester said in a statement Tuesday that this would depend on the weather, as the search area contains some of the world's roughest seas. The ship, the Fugro Equator, is set to complete its mission early next year. "In the absence of credible new evidence," the statement added, the voyage would be its last in the hunt for the airliner. Chester's office confirmed to The Associated Press that the ship had departed Tuesday. Exactly what happened to MH370 is still confounding experts. It vanished from radar but was confirmed to have crashed after several pieces of debris from the airliner washed up on Indian Ocean islands. This has led families of the victims to call for the search to be extended. But the detailed underwater search - which officials hoped would uncover the fuselage and black boxes - has so far returned no trace of the plane. The four ships, three from Fugro and one supplied by the Chinese government, have been searching in some of the roughest seas in the world and using sonar to scan the seafloor more than three miles under the surface. They have searched an area of some 46,000 square miles, around the size of Pennsylvania, and the total cost of the operation is estimated to be around $150 million, according to the Australian government, which is coordinating the search. http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-jet/malaysia-airlines-mh370-ship-departs-likely-final-search- n695276 Back to Top Aviation Safety Air accidents do happen, though they are very rare. As we have often repeated in this column, one is much more likely to reach the Great Beyond in a road accident. Millions of civilian and military planes take off and land every year without any incident. At any given moment, there are around 13,000 civilian, business and leisure aircraft in the air, without counting military planes. No other transport industry can boast of such a safety record. Flying remains the safest form of transport because aviation safety benefits from an incredible team effort by governments, airline and airport operators, manufacturers and service providers, maintenance staff and others who make safety their priority. Sometimes, air accidents do happen due to human (pilot) error. This can even be intentional, which is called pilot suicide. The German wings plane crash of March 24, 2015, in which all 144 passengers and crew were killed, was deliberately caused by the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz. This is a rare case, though there is speculation that MH370 could also be a similar incident. But, the latest incident in Medellin, Colombia, where 71 people, including almost the entire football team of Chapecoense from Brazil were killed in the crash of a British Airspace 146 (BAE 146/Avro RJ85), takes human or pilot error to new heights - literally. All pilots are supposed to ensure that they have enough fuel for the flight in question and then some - at least 30 minutes flying time reserve fuel. A pilot who does not follow this simple rule simply risks the lives of his passengers. There are some occasions when pilots realize mid-flight, that their fuel reserves may not be enough and land at the nearest available airport to refuel. In fact, the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo occasionally gets such requests and accommodates them at short notice. However, there is no excuse whatsoever if a pilot keeps flying on, knowing very well that the fuel on board may not last the whole journey. Refuelling This is exactly what seems to have happened during the chartered Lamia Airlines (Bolivia) BAE 146 flight from Santa Cruz in Bolivia to Medellin in Colombia. The direct distance from Santa Cruz to Medellin - 3,000 Km, almost matched the aircraft's flying range. At least one official objected to this flight plan and suggested a refuelling stop in Cobija on the Brazil-Bolivia border, but since that airport closes early, Bogota was suggested instead. Either way, the flight would have been divided into two segments and no fuel exhaustion would have occurred. However, the pilot (Miguel Alejandro Quiroga, who part-owned the plane) had decided on his own to fly direct to the final destination without refuelling. He had to be in a holding pattern for nearly 20 minutes near Medellin despite a request for an early landing, because the busy airport was already accommodating another aircraft with fuel problems. By the time he got the nod to land, the fuel had run out and it was too late to do anything. The plane crashed just 10 kilometers from the airport. Astoundingly, six people survived the horrendous but low altitude crash that stunned Brazil and the entire world. Mysteriously, the pilot had not declared an emergency to the ATC tower. Every time an air accident happens, an investigation is conducted which generally leads to safer skies. Even in this case, airlines and airports are likely to insist on correct refuelling, as that is the main reason for the crash. It is not rocket science - the pilots have to ensure that there is enough fuel to go to their intended destination and a little bit beyond. It is even better if the fuel levels of aircraft can be remotely monitored so that ground controllers can notify the pilots, of any lapse in that department. The technology should already exist. As suggested by many experts, it is also vital to psychologically assess pilots periodically. Remember, pilots are human beings too and there may be occasions when they are physically and/or mentally not able to fly a plane. (Airports and airlines generally take a very tough line on piloting under the influence of liquor, though pilots get caught every now and then). Earth-bound drivers are often told not to take the wheel if they are emotionally or physically drained and the same principle applies to pilots, who have a much bigger responsibility on their hands. An emotionally unbalanced pilot could cause an accident, wittingly or unwittingly. It is a risk that aviation authorities cannot afford to take. Standards We pen these lines as the world observed the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) - organised International Civil Aviation Day on December 7. The theme for International Civil Aviation Day through 2018 is: "Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left Behind". There is a notion that aviation safety is not a priority issue for many Third World countries which are increasingly relying on air transport - the theme reflects the fact that safety standards should be the same everywhere. The efficiency of air operations globally is being continuously improved through new cooperative approaches by all countries, such as Air Traffic Flow Management. "International civil aviation remains our most remarkable example of successful human cooperation and global partnership, and a shining example to the world of how much we can achieve when we meet our shared challenges together," said the ICAO in a statement issued to mark the occasion. This is especially pertinent to the Asia Pacific region, which is seeing the biggest growth in airline and air passenger numbers through to 2040. Both, Boeing and Airbus estimate that the region will need around 30,000 new aircraft by 2035, which makes the case for safety even more important. It is also necessary to address the safety concerns arising out of the widespread use of another flying machine - the ubiquitous drone. There have been several near-misses of drones by commercial aircraft over the last few months. As both private and commercial drones (think Amazon) take to the skies in increasing numbers, the need to regulate the drone industry becomes even more obvious. "Unmanned aircraft have great potential for the future. Many applications are already providing various services, with better quality and results. At the same time, without proper discipline, these could give rise to serious safety and security problems. Registration and identification are basic requirements. Unmanned aircraft with a take-off mass higher than 250 grammes and all certified ones should be registered", a recent European Union report said, highlighting some concerns of the aviation industry. Drones and commercial flights will have to co-exist but tougher laws and regulations must be drawn up now before another tragedy occurs. http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2016/12/11/aviation-safety Back to Top U.S. grounds Osprey aircraft in Japan after Okinawa crash The United States military on Wednesday grounded its tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey aircraft in Japan after Tokyo called for a halt to flights following a crash southwest of Okinawa island, the first accident involving the aircraft in the Asian nation. The aircraft has become a lightning rod for opposition to the U.S. military presence in Okinawa, with local groups seeking the closure of American bases saying it is prone to crash and poses a danger to residents. A U.S.-operated Osprey ditched into the sea on Tuesday, injuring its crew of five after a hose connected to the aircraft broke during a refueling exercise. Images of the scene aired by Japan's public broadcaster NHK showed the aircraft broke into several pieces in waters close to the coast. "No flights in Japan are planned today," said a U.S. Marine Corps spokesman in Okinawa. The U.S. military was still investigating the cause of the crash, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described as "regrettable" on Wednesday. The Osprey, built by Boeing Co (BA.N) and Textron Inc's (TXT.N) Bell Helicopter and designed to take off like a helicopter and rotate its propellers to fly like a plane, has suffered a series of incidents in other parts of the world prior to the crash in Okinawa. The United States says it has two Osprey squadrons in Japan, although it does not disclose the precise number of aircraft. A squadron typically comprises between 12 to 24 aircraft. "We regret the accident, but we do not regret the work of our young pilots," Lieutenant General Lawrence D. Nicholson, the USMC commander on Okinawa, told a news briefing on the island broadcast by NHK. The first Osprey crash in Japan could further delay plans to relocate some U.S. forces on the island and comes amid a surge in resentment over U.S. bases after an American civilian working for the military was arrested this year over the murder of a 20-year-old Japanese woman. Okinawa, which was under U.S. occupation until 1972, hosts the bulk of the approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-osprey-crash-idUSKBN14302J?il=0 Back to Top SFO-bound American Airlines jet diverted to Phoenix This file photo shows an American Airlines jet on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport. On Monday night, American Airlines Flight 1799 was headed to SFO from Charlotte, N.C., when mechanical problems caused it to divert to Phoenix. An American Airlines flight headed to San Francisco from North Carolina Monday night was diverted to Phoenix due to mechanical problems, officials said. Flight 1799 was already about 20 minutes late taking off from Charlotte Douglas International Airport before passengers found themselves facing a lengthier delay before reaching their final destination. The Airbus 321, which seats up to 240 people, diverted to Phoenix after an indicator light went off in the cockpit signaling possible mechanical problems, said Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for American Airlines. After five and a half hours of waiting in Phoenix, the passengers were moved to a different aircraft to "save time," Feinstein added. The passengers arrived to San Francisco International Airport 2:35 a.m. Tuesday instead of the intended arrival time of 8:54 p.m. Monday. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SFO-bound-American-Airlines-jet-diverted-to-10793338.php Back to Top Back to Top Could your holiday laser lights be a hazard for pilots? WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) As laser holiday lights gain more and more popularity, national reports show they can cause problems for pilots in the air. The FAA said you should avoid pointing them straight up toward the sky because they can interfere with a pilots eyesight while they're flying. They also said lasers have enough power to light up a whole entire cockpit if they're pointed the right way. KWCH asked pilots if they think the lights could really be hazardous for pilots and their crews. "I wouldn't believe they're that strong," said Tim Bonnell, a pilot for almost 40 years. He said lasers could be a problem in general. "There has been cases particularly in airliners where laser lights have been pointed at aircraft and actually interfered with the crew members, and in some cases there have been reports where pilots have had eye damage from laser contact," said Bonnell. He said those weren't Christmas lights, and he thinks they would be too weak to affect planes. Bonnell said The FAA is probably just being extra cautious, which he believes could be a good idea. "I know in the neighborhood I live, we're right on the flight path to Wichita McConnell Airport, so I would just encourage them to be careful, not point them straight up towards where aircraft might be," said Bonnell. "Keep them on the house." Other pilots KWCH spoke with said they believed the holiday lights could be a problem, depending on how strong they were. http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Could-your-holiday-laser-lights-be-a-hazard-for-pilots- 405811825.html Back to Top Airbus Wants Airlines to Radically Rethink the Passenger Experience If Airbus can make modular cabins possible, an airline might be able to install sleeping pods on some longer flights, and remove them for shorter ones. Airbus The basic aircraft cabin has not changed in decades. Airbus wants to give airlines flexibility to innovate, and that's impressive. But let's be honest. It is unlikely carriers will ever adopt Airbus' new platform. And if they do, it's even less likely they use the new functionality to install coffee shops or onboard gyms. - Brian Sumers When it comes to innovation, the world's airlines rarely demand massive change from aircraft manufacturers. Having watched Concorde fizzle in the early 2000s, carriers generally don't want planes that can fly faster. Many don't even want aircraft that can fly farther, calculating there's no reason to buy an airplane capable of flying 18 hours if it only flies between New York and London. And for passenger amenities, most carriers don't want on-board bars or showers, either. Instead, their needs usually are basic, practical, and driven by finances. They want planes that will carry as many people and as much cargo as possible, while burning less fuel than previous-generation aircraft. Rival Boeing's 787 is a commericial success not because it's slightly more comfortable for passengers - Boeing designed it to limit jet-lag - but because it's far more fuel efficient than older aircraft it replaces. The 787 can turn once marginal routes into moneymakers, even accounting for the plane's high price tag. But with a new program, announced Tuesday, Airbus wants to help airlines change the calculation. Airbus seeks to introduce a new platform that could make it more practical for airlines to temporarily install coffee shops, gyms, yoga studios, children's play areas, sleeping pods or bars. These amenities have been possible before, and airlines have almost universally not wanted them. But this time could be different, Airbus says. The company is calculating its new concept might permit carriers to add features in a more cost-effective manner. Flexibility is key. Through the program, which Airbus calls "Transpose," an airline could reconfigure cabins for every flight. A carrier might add sleeping pods and an in-flight coffee bar for a long and potentially lucrative Airbus A330 flight from Los Angeles to Munich. But then the airline could replace the pods and bar with extra coach seats for the aircraft's next flight to Mumbai, which is shorter and might have fewer high-value customers. By using technology now common on all-cargo aircraft, Airbus is betting an airline could transform cabins in minutes or hours. Today, an airline that installs a bar is stuck with it on every flight until it retrofits an aircraft, a time-consuming process that can take weeks or even months. Still, passengers shouldn't get too excited. Airbus hasn't fully worked out the technology, and it will be two to four years before the company plans to show it off on a flying plane. That's assuming the project isn't killed first, because of a lack of customers, or pushback from regulators. And even if Airbus solves its technical issues and the product comes to market, there's no indication airlines would want the flashy amenities. When Airbus developed the A380 a decade ago, it promised airlines they could install casinos, gyms, beauty salons and showers. But except for two airlines that installed showers, none of that stuff ever came to market. Most carriers just prefer seats - lots of them. "It's a matter of, what can you do, versus what does it make sense to do?" said Scott Hamilton, an aviation industry consultant and blogger who follows Airbus and Boeing closely. "The early 747s had piano bars in them. And with the A380, they talked about casinos and showers. You had the flexibility to do that. But it all depends on whether you want to give up the seats." SIMPLE CONCEPT The technology Airbus proposes is simple, and similar to what cargo airlines already use. Airlines would have modular cabins they could install, and uninstall through a massive cargo door on the cabin's main deck. Carriers could move modules between flights as cargo operators shift freight pallets. Some flights might get a bar and a gym, while others could have hundreds of coach seats. Airbus is working out the details through its one-year-old innovation arm, called A3, based in Silicon Valley. The innovation center is located far from Airbus' France headquarters so it can "disrupt Airbus Group and its competitors before someone else does," according to the company. As basic as the concept is, there is one major issue that could spook airlines: Existing passenger aircraft cannot use this technology, in part because they do not have the cargo door required to accept cabin modules. But Airbus has a fix. It makes an-cargo versions of its A330, and these aircraft are designed to cargo pallets. What Airbus wants to do is meld its existing freighter and passenger jet designs to create a new variant of aircraft capable of handling modular cabins. It'll use existing freighters as it base. "We are using a modified freighter variant of a commercial aircraft as our reference point, because that's an alternative to spending decades and billions of dollars on designing an entirely new aircraft," said Martin Sieben, the project's chief architect. That means an airline that wants modular cabins will need to buy an aircraft that's different than the rest of its fleet. But Sieben said carriers should be willing to do so. "Most airlines operate fleets that are composed of a variety of different types of aircraft, so taking on Transpose-enabled aircraft wouldn't change that," Sieben said. Hamilton, the aviation industry consultant, has not been briefed on the program, and he said it was intrigued by the idea. Still, Hamilton noted that using a freighter platform for a passenger aircraft could be tricky. Freighter aircraft tend not be as efficient because they're designed to haul bulky freight. That could result in an airline being forced to fly a heavier, and less fuel efficient, passenger aircraft than it wants. "Usually, you have to take the airplane into your hangar or your maintenance, repair and overhaul vendor and do a complete reconfiguration of the aircraft," Hamilton said. "That can take the aircraft out of service for some period of time. If these can be put into modules and you don't have a premium cost to doing that, so much the better. But if you are required to order a freighter-type airplane to have that flexibility, you could be paying for freighter capability that you don't necessarily want." Airbus isn't yet saying exactly how similar the new aircraft will be to a freighter. That's partly because it's early. Sieben said the group is working through various problems, including how to manage the weight and balance of the aircraft. "We have to account for payload weights and how varying arrangements of modules will affect the aircraft's center of gravity - both before take-off and during flight, and as passengers move around between modules," Sieben said. REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES For Airbus to have a chance to bring its concept to market, it knows it must persuade airlines that modular cabins will be a money-maker. It will not be easy. Airlines seek to maximize revenue from each square inch, and historically they've done that by adding seats. That's true in business class, too, with many carriers installing the densest configurations possible, even when installing suites. "There are a lot of tough nuts to crack," said Jason Chua, an A3 executive working on the project. "We need to show airlines that this is something that has a viable business model for them. They need to know if they invest in an aircraft like this they will be rewarded on the revenue side." Airbus is betting airlines can be creative. Perhaps, Chua said, an airline might find a company to sponsor its bar or coffee shop on some flights. An airline also might install a revenue-producing store. On some flights, duty free sales are profitable, and it might make sense for an airline to offer a full-scale shop. But on other flights, few passengers buy items. On those flights, a carrier would remove the shop. Today, Korean Air Lines has a shop on its A380s, which is why it has fewer seats than other operators. But Korean doesn't have much flexibility. That shop stays on the plane, regardless of the route, and there's no way to remove it when the plane flies from Seoul to Hong Kong, rather than from Seoul to Los Angeles. "Today, with traditional cabin you make a choice," Chua said. "Let's say you put a bar or you put a shower in. You need to be very confident that choice is going to be viable five or 10 years from now. Because of that, there is a lot of conservatism in the industry. People don't want to take a huge risk on something that will be around for a long time." While bars, shops and yoga studios are sexier, it's possible airlines might use modular cabins to switch the types of seats they offer on each flight. Today, each airlines has a standard seating configuration on each plane, and it rarely changes. But demand for each cabin - coach, business and first - fluctuates constantly. Some routes have higher business class demand, while some require more coach seats. Demand even changes based on day of week and time of year. Airlines need lots of business class seats for a Sunday departure from New York to London, but far fewer on a Tuesday in August. For now, it's not worth it to switch the seating configurations because of short-term fluctuations in demand. The best airline can do is change the type of aircraft flying each route. But with the new Airbus product, that could change. "If they can [reconfigure seating] in just a matter of hours rather than taking the airplane out of service for several days, that would be the advantage," Hamilton said. Even if this idea never comes to market, it won't necessarily be a failure, said Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter Group and an expert on corporate innovation. Airbus, he noted, is one of many corporations that has set up a Silicon Valley outpost in hopes its California-based employees can "sort of breathe the air and drink the water to create new products." Sometimes the innovation centers do not not produce viable products, and the corporation still benefits, Solis said. "They really do believe in this mantra of failure is a good thing," Solis said. "When it comes to innovation centers, one of the metrics to success is, did you learn new expertise? Did the team gain new experiences and insight? And can those make the team strong to continue to innovate?" https://skift.com/2016/12/13/airbus-wants-airlines-to-radically-rethink-the-passenger-experience/ Back to Top FAA orders a halt to evictions of aviation companies at embattled Santa Monica airport Activists rally outside Santa Monica City Hall last year to protest extending leases for aviation tenants at the city's municipal airport. The City Council has vowed to close the controversial facility in 2018. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Dan Weikel Dan WeikelContact Reporter The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday ordered Santa Monica to halt the evictions of two aviation companies at its municipal airport until the agency can finish an investigation into the city's effort to shut down the facility. FAA officials issued an interim cease-and-desist order to stop the ouster of Atlantic Aviation and American Flyers, two major providers of aircraft services, including fuel, flight instruction, hangars and amenities for charter operators. The move to evict the companies is part of the city's strategy to force out aviation tenants, reduce aircraft flights and shut down the oldest operating airport in Los Angeles County by July 2018. If the evictions go forward, the city plans to replace Atlantic and American Flyers with its own municipal aviation company and sell bio-fuel for jets and unleaded gas for propeller planes to reduce aircraft emissions. Federal law allows governments that operate airports to provide services themselves instead of r We are pleased that the FAA has recognized our client's federally protected right to be at the airport. - R. Christopher Harshman, an attorney for American Flyer The city sent the first notices to evict in mid-September and filed lawsuits against both tenants in November to regain possession of the property. "While we are disappointed but not surprised that the FAA has decided to issue this interim order on the pending evictions of Atlantic and American Flyer, we remain committed to replacing private fixed-based operations with public services," Mayor Tony Vasquez said. The cease-and-desist order states that Santa Monica's "unremitting effort" to remove critical aeronautical services and its "hostility" to the sale of leaded fuel still needed by many aircraft is "a clear contravention of law." The order notes that general aviation aircraft, business jets and turboprop aircraft cannot operate using the fuels approved by the City Council. It further states that the city has no desire to provide all the services offered by the companies, such as flight training. Under agreements with the federal government, the city must make the airport available for public use and benefit. It cannot discriminate against aircraft types or uses and must make space available for aviation tenants on reasonable terms based on good faith negotiations. . . . We remain committed to replacing private fixed-based operations with public services. - Santa Monica Mayor, Tony Vasquez "The city has failed to grant any aeronautical leases since 2015 and is alleged to have negotiated in bad faith while seeking onerous and unreasonable terms," according to the cease-and-desist order, which later states that the leasing policy for the airport fails to include aviation. "We are pleased that the FAA has recognized our client's federally protected right to be at the airport," said R. Christopher Harshman, an attorney for American Flyers. In a separate action, Atlantic Aviation and American Flyers have asked a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to halt the evictions. A hearing is set for Jan. 3. Santa Monica officials say they are working in "good faith" to provide the services and fuel required by federal regulations. They have 30 days to respond to the FAA's cease-and-desist order. In late September, the FAA opened a wide-ranging investigation to determine whether the city's so-called starvation strategy for the airport violates its federal obligations that date back to the late 1940s. The 227-acre airport has about 270 aircraft and averages 452 takeoffs and landings per day. Supporters say it is an economic benefit for the region, provides a base of operations for major emergencies and helps relieve crowded airspace at Los Angeles International Airport. Opponents contend the airport should be closed because of noise pollution, potentially harmful emissions from aircraft engines and the risk of a serious crash in surrounding neighborhoods. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-airport-evictions-20161213-story.html Back to Top The Russian-Chinese aircraft made another step closer to reality The mock-up of the Russian-Chinese aircraft was for the first time demonstrated at Airshow China 2016 (Photo by transport-photo.com) The board of directors of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation approved establishment of a joint venture with Chinese planemaker COMAC, the company's representative said. The new venture will be in charge of the joint program for development of the future widebody long-haul aircraft. Apart from design and production, it will be responsible for both sales and after-sale services. The parties initially planned to create the joint enterprise by the end of 2016, however, the decision was put off till Q1 2017. The headquarters will be located in Shanghai and, according to the plan, China will do the assembly of the aircraft whereas engineering and designing works will be conducted in Russia. The cooperation agreement between Russia and China on the development and production of a 280-seat wide-body jet dubbed as C929 was signed in June 2016. A scaled mock-up of the future airliner was for the first time displayed at Airshow China in Zhuhai, in November. Currently the parties are in hunt for engine suppliers for the new aircraft. The C929 deliveries are scheduled to commence in 2025-2027. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/the-russian-chinese-aircraft-project-is-one-step-closer-to-reality/ Back to Top Introducing The Hypersonic Jet That Can Take You To Far Places Like London To New York In Just 2 Hours With the ongoing space missions, how essential is the discovery of the Paradoxal aircraft which experts say would include a brief suborbital space flight on each trip? Can it really pave the way in making space exploration much faster? Taking a trip around the world has never been this fast until the discovery of a new aircraft design which has the ability of transporting passengers from Los Angeles to Sydney in less than three hours. On its flight, the Paradoxal aircraft, which is a commercial hypersonic passenger aircraft, published on the Canadian-based website Imaginactive, known to be a non-profit organization (NPO) claims to be able to enable its passengers to gaze down at the Earth and stars. According to certain reports, the designers of the vehicle claims that although the Paradoxal's primary use would be super-fast travel, the passenger jet could also be developed for various other users by government agencies. In one of his statements reported by Daily Mail, Juan Garcia Mansilla, an industrial designer based in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the designer behind the jet has claimed that there's more usage to the jet other thank just being the typical and plain aircraft or spacecraft. He said that it can also be perceived as an aircraft that mixes space tourism with business travel. Furthermore, Mirror reports that in mid-flight, passengers could see earth's curvature and the plane's multiple on-board cameras and watch a live video feed of the view. Authorities have also revealed that passengers would be able to sit in one large, theatre-like cabin meaning that galleys, heads and baggage stowage compartments will be no more. On the other hand, it was found that recently last week, a Canadian designer Charles Bombardier claims his concept plane, called the Antipode, could be ten times faster than Concorde. The aircraft designer has claimed that the next-generation jet could take passengers from London to New York in just 20 minutes. However, experts said that while the idea of a hypersonic jet remains hypothetical, it's not beyond the realms of possibility. http://www.itechpost.com/articles/64866/20161213/introducing-hypersonic-jet-take-far-places-london- new-york-two.htm Back to Top Bad news, good news: Boeing trims back 777 jet production while raising dividend A Boeing 777 jet is assembled at the company's plant in Everett. (Boeing Photo) The Boeing Co.'s decision to trim back production of its wide-body 777 jet is likely to bring bad news for employment at its plant in Everett, Wash., while a boost in the company's quarterly dividend should come as good news for investors. The bad-news, good-news situation was laid out on Monday, sparking ups and downs in Boeing's share price. By the end of today's trading, the price was slightly down. The planned cutback in 777 production from the current 8.3 jets per month to five per month next August points to a dramatic softening in the market for twin-aisle, wide-body jets. Production of Boeing's 747 jumbo jets has been reduced as well. "The twin-aisle market is glutted," Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia told Reuters. The Seattle Times reported that the Boeing vice president responsible for the 777 program, Elizabeth Lund, told employees in a message to expect job reductions next year. "The exact number of affected positions has not yet been determined," Lund was quoted as saying. "We will do our best to lessen the impact." Boeing Commercial Airplanes' employment figures have already fallen by more than 5,000 jobs since the start of the year. The 777 production rate is slated to drop further in 2018, to 3.5 planes a month, to accommodate the transition to 777X production. The continuing softness in the market means that Boeing's sale of 30 wide-body jets to Iran Air is more important than ever. This year the GOP-led House passed legislation aimed at blocking airplane sales to Iran - but the bill was stymied in the Senate, and it's not clear whether the effort will be renewed next year. Meanwhile, Boeing is moving ahead with plans to ramp up production of single-aisle 737 jets at its Renton plant. Iran Air wants 50 of the 737 MAX 8 variant. In a news release announcing the increased dividend, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg touted the company's "large and diverse" order backlog and improved efficiency. "Boeing is well positioned to generate increasing cash flows and meet our commitment to provide competitive returns to our shareholders," he said. Boeing's board of directors decided to boost the quarterly dividend by 30 percent, to $1.42 per share. The board also authorized spending $14 billion to buy back shares over the next 24 to 30 months. This year, Boeing repurchased $7 billion in shares to boost their value. http://www.geekwire.com/2016/boeing-trims-back-777-jet-dividend/ Back to Top December 13, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Suzanne Keneally AVP, Group Head of Communications skeneally@global-aero.com 973-490-8588 Global Aerospace Announces the 2017 SM4 Aviation Safety Program New Partners and Refreshed Safety Services to Meet Evolving Industry Needs Parsippany, New Jersey - Global Aerospace, a leading provider of aerospace insurance, is pleased to announce the 2017 SM4 Aviation Safety Program which includes new partners and a refreshed line-up of direct services. Now entering its 8th year, SM4 continues to expand by providing targeted subject matter experts and financial support to the aerospace sector. Since 2010, the company has committed over $3.5 million to support SM4 and help its clients pursue higher levels of safety. In March 2016, SM4 launched the Community of Excellence which was part of a two-year continuous improvement plan to make the benefits of the program easier to access. Marilena Sharpell, Senior Vice President, Underwriting & Operations Executive, commented, "The 2017 SM4 Program has been expanded to include safety services that provide risk mitigation tools to our clients in areas such as cyber threat and slow onset hypoxia. By including these new initiatives, the SM4 program will provide a wider array of products and services to our clients." The 2017 SM4 Community of Excellence partners and subject matter experts include the following highly regarded aviation safety professionals: Aviation & Marine Safety Solutions International, LLC: Safety, security and regulatory compliance for commercial operators Baldwin Aviation: Aviation safety management support Convergent Performance: Human factors and performance improvement Gray Stone Advisors: Operational assessments and business aviation consulting Fireside Partners Inc.: Emergency response and family assistance support MedAire, Inc.: Comprehensive medical, security and travel assistance * Prevailance Aerospace: Upset recovery training * Pulsar Informatics: Fatigue risk management solutions * Satcom Direct: Cyber security audit and consultation * Southern AeroMedical Institute: Scenario based hypoxia training * Unmanned Safety Institute: Safety and training for unmanned aircraft systems * New Level II and Level III partners for 2017 Prevailance Aerospace was founded to address the #1 cause of fatalities in aviation today - Loss of Control In flight (LOC-I). Its training program focuses on the leading causes of LOC-I, how best to address and manage the 'startle' factor and teaches repeatable skills and techniques required to recover from an upset situation. Global clients will receive both academic and airborne training to enhance airmanship skills and recognize and recover from unusual attitudes and aircraft upsets. Pulsar Informatics an IS-BAO I3SA certified company specializing in systems that help organizations reduce fatigue-related risk and achieve peak performance. Its Fatigue MeterTM product will help flight departments identify ways to reduce fatigue impact on a team, and help maintain a safe, efficient operation. Satcom Direct's SD Data Center brings enterprise-level security audits to data transmissions on the ground and in the air. SD's compliance experts use a consultative approach to provide aircraft cyber security audits focusing on both the cabin and the ground network. The audit addresses cyber security issues, best practices in network design, and policies and procedures, all to ensure passenger data is classified and properly protected. Southern AeroMedical Institute is a unique facility that provides pilots with advanced High Altitude Chamber Training. Global clients will receive advanced altitude chamber training to educate them about the insidious nature of slow onset hypoxia. The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), while not new to the SM4 program, has created a new safety benefit for all of the company's unmanned aircraft clients. USI has developed a Part 107 Compliant Small UAS Ground SchoolTM which consists of 8 training modules. Global clients will have access to the first 4 training modules via a dedicated online portal at no charge. Ms. Sharpell added, "While 2017 marks the second year of the two-year continuous improvement plan, SM4 will continue to identify risk and provide resources and expertise to our industry well into the future." For full program information and a complete listing of the direct services available to Global Aerospace general aviation customers in the United States, please refer to the Community of Excellence page on the SM4 website. SM4 resources can be accessed through the website resource library, aviation safety e- newsletter and various safety initiatives provided by the program partners. ### About Global Aerospace Global Aerospace is a leading provider of aerospace insurance with a worldwide portfolio of clients who are engaged in every aspect of the aviation and space industries. Headquartered in London, we have offices in Canada, Cologne, Paris, Zurich and throughout the United States. Across the world we employ over 300 people. With experience dating back to the 1920s, the company's underwriting is backed by a pool of high quality insurance companies representing some of the most respected names in the business. For additional information about Global Aerospace, please visit www.global-aero.com. To learn more about the company's SM4 safety program, please visit sm4.global-aero.com. Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of aviation researchers, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/halabyfellowship.pdf). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2017 or early 2018) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at improving the integration of weather into decision support tools for enhanced mitigation of weather sensitivities (e.g., weather impact avoidance) and management of air traffic. The Fellowship will provide: * a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses * round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO * travel to a conference to present results * page charges for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation- relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: * Curriculum vitae * Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) * Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2017 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Back to Top Graduate Research Survey HI! My name is Amber L. Hulsey, A.B.D. and I am currently working on my dissertation for my Ph.D. entitled, "Human Trafficking: Flying Under the Radar." My dissertation examines the extent to which human trafficking occurs by air as a mode of transportation compared to land and sea. Additionally, the study examines the actions that can be taken to combat human trafficking into and within the United States. The theoretical lens to which this study uses is Human Security Theory. This survey is completely anonymous, has undergone Institutional Review Board and has been approved. If you have any questions or would like to contact me for any reason, please email me at amber.hulsey@usm.edu. The survey will be open from December 7- December 21st. Please share this on all social media accounts, with your friends, family, and with your colleagues. Upon completion of this study, I will share the findings with various government and NGO's to aid in eradicating human trafficking. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HTinUSA Thank you so much for taking the time to complete this survey and more importantly, for helping aid in the research to combat human trafficking by air. Curt Lewis