Flight Safety Information December 27, 2016 - No. 258 In This Issue Black Box Found In Wreckage Of Russian Military Plane That Crashed In Black Sea Human Error Led To Colombia Soccer Plane Crash, Authorities Say India's Jet Airways plane skids off Goa runway, 12 hur Pillsbury: Global, Top-Ranked, Non-Stop Service Air safety directive grounds some flights in Mexico 2016 Plane crashes: Civil aviation's safety record marred by series of air disasters New overtime fees considered for rural Alaska airlines Five of the Most Creative Airline Patents from 2016 SouthWind Global Aviation propelled to succeed (Kansas) 11kg gold bars seized from Qatar aircraft Trump pressures Lockheed, says told Boeing to price out fighter aircraft New simulation software improves helicopter pilot training China plans to land probes on far side of moon, Mars by 2020 RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Black Box Found In Wreckage Of Russian Military Plane That Crashed In Black Sea A black box was found in the wreckage of a Russian military plane that crashed on Sunday. Authorities hope it will help identify the cause of the crash. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has found the first flight recorder from a military plane that crashed into the Black Sea killing all 92 on board, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, amid unconfirmed reports that authorities had grounded all aircraft of the same type. The recorder, one of several reported to be on board, contains information that could help investigators identify the cause of Sunday's crash, which killed dozens of Red Army Choir singers and dancers en route to Syria to entertain Russian troops in the run-up to the New Year. Investigators have so far said that pilot error or a technical fault, rather than terrorism, are most likely to have caused the Defence Ministry Tupolev-154 to crash into the sea. The first black box, which was found by a remote-controlled underwater vehicle at a depth of around 55ft (17 meters) and 1 mile (1,600 meters) from the resort of Sochi, will be sent to a Defence Ministry facility in Moscow for analysis. "During the night during the (search operation) ... a further five fragments of the plane were found," the ministry said in a statement. They included pieces of fuselage and engine fragments. The Interfax news agency cited an unnamed source as saying Russia had grounded all TU-154 planes until the cause of Sunday's crash became clear. There was no official confirmation of that. The Defence Ministry says the downed jet, a Soviet-era plane built in 1983, had last been serviced in September and underwent more major repairs in December 2014. Russian pilots say the TU-154 has a decent safety record, though major Russian commercial airlines have long since replaced it with Western-built planes. The last big TU-154 crash was in 2010 when a Polish jet carrying then-president Lech Kaczynski and much of Poland's political elite went down in western Russia killing everyone on board. The Interfax news agency, citing a law enforcement source, said a second flight recorder had also been found in the wreckage of Sunday's crash, but not yet raised to the surface. The Defence Ministry said that search and rescue teams have so far recovered 12 bodies and 156 body fragments. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/russian-military-plane-crash-black- box_us_58620eafe4b0d9a59458fdc3 Back to Top Human Error Led To Colombia Soccer Plane Crash, Authorities Say The crash killed 71 people last month, including most of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team. A rescue worker sits near the wreckage of a plane that crashed into the Colombian jungle with Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense onboard near Medellin, Colombia, November 29, 2016. BOGOTA, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Errors by the pilot, airline and Bolivian regulators are to blame for a plane crash in Colombia that killed 71 people last month, including most of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team, Colombia aviation authorities said on Monday. The plane, operated by Bolivia-based charter company LaMia, crashed on a wooded hillside near Medellin because the pilot failed to refuel en route and did not report engine failures caused by the lack of fuel until it was too late, officials said. "No technical factor was part of the accident, everything involved human error, added to a management factor in the company's administration and the management and organization of the flight plans by the authorities in Bolivia," Colombia's Secretary for Air Safety Colonel Freddy Bonilla told journalists. Aviation authorities in Bolivia and the airline "accepted conditions for the flight presented in the flight plan that were unacceptable," Bonilla added. Besides a lack of fuel, the plane was over its weight limit by nearly 400 kilograms (881 lbs) and was not certified to fly at the altitude at which the journey took place, Bonilla said. The preliminary conclusions of Colombia's investigation coincide with assertions by Bolivian authorities last week that LaMia and the plane's pilot were directly responsible for the accident. Pilot Miguel Quiroga was also a co-owner of the airline and was killed in the crash. Gustavo Vargas Gamboa, LaMia's chief executive, was jailed pending trial earlier this month on manslaughter and other charges, which he has denied. His son Gustavo Vargas Villegas, a former official with Bolivia's aviation authority, is also being held on charges that he misused his influence in authorizing the license of the plane that crashed. He also says he is innocent. Criminal charges have also been brought against LaMia co-owner Marco Antonio Rocha Benegas, whose whereabouts are unknown, and air traffic controller Celia Castedo, who fled Bolivia after the crash and is seeking asylum in Brazil. Bolivian authorities have said the crash was an isolated incident, but that the government will accelerate the process of implementing a new safety system. Colombian investigators have the final word on causes of the crash, Bolivian authorities have said. The aircraft had been transporting the Chapecoense team to the biggest game in its history, the final of the Copa Sudamericana. All but three of the players and staff onboard were killed. Two crew members and one reporter also survived. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chapecoense-plane-crash_us_58615d57e4b0de3a08f5ea09 Back to Top India's Jet Airways plane skids off Goa runway, 12 hurt A Jet Airways aircraft is seen after it skidded off the runway before takeoff at an airport in Goa, India December 27, 2016. Indian Navy/Indian Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS A Jet Airways Boeing 737 aircraft with 161 people on board veered off an airport runway in Goa shortly before take off just before daybreak on Tuesday, crossing a field before spinning into a ditch on the side of a service road. A dozen people suffered injuries as the 154 passengers and seven crew on the Mumbai bound flight were evacuated, Jet said in a statement. "The flight 9W 2374 from Goa-Mumbai skidded off the runway at Dabolim airport this morning due to a technical glitch while aligning for takeoff," the statement said. December is the busiest month for Dabolim airport, outside state capital Panjim, as holidaymakers flock to Goa's palm fringed beaches and exotic tourist markets during the winter season. Television images showed injured lying on stretchers in darkness on the service road, with fire engines parked near the stricken plane, which appeared to have lost its front undercarriage, and damaged a wing as it rested on its belly and engine casings. Some passengers said they saw smoke in the cabin as the aircraft began taxiing on the runway. One of the injured described how the accident unfolded. "I fractured my leg," said Dinesh Kumar, a passenger on Times Now TV channel. "The moment the plane started running on the runway, it slipped into the nearby field and there was smoke inside the flight." A Jet Airways spokeswoman said the carrier was looking into how the incident occurred. "It needs time for proper investigation to go on and we are cooperating with the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation)," she said. The airline is India's second largest passenger carrier. In a separate incident in New Delhi airport, a Spicejet airplane was preparing to take off at the same time as a flight run by Indigo had landed and was headed to the runway's taxiway, but the pilots avoided a collision and no-one was injured, the two companies said in separate statements. Indigo and Spicejet said they were working with authorities investigating the incident. Air travel is surging in India, one of the world's fastest growing economies. Passenger numbers on domestic flights jumped 21 percent in 2015 to more than 80 million. The government foresees that number growing to 300 million by 2022. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-airplane-idUSKBN14G0MJ?il=0 Back to Top Back to Top Air safety directive grounds some flights in Mexico MEXICO CITY - The Mexican airline Interjet says it's had to cancel some flights due to a mandatory safety inspection of its Russian-made Superjet 100 aircraft. Russian authorities issued the directive on Dec. 23 after cracks were found in a part on one of the Sukhoi planes. Interjet is among the largest customers for the relatively new Superjet, with more than 20 in its fleet. Mexico's consumer protection agency says at least 25 flights and more than 680 passengers have been affected. The consumer agency initially issued an erroneous communique confusing the Superjet with the Tupelov- 154 model that crashed in the Black Sea on Sunday, killing 92 people. The Tupelov is a completely different, much older design made by another company. Interjet's Sunday statement says its Superjets meet "the highest standards of security." http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/12/26/air-safety-directive-grounds-some-flights-in-mexico.html Back to Top 2016 Plane crashes: Civil aviation's safety record marred by series of air disasters Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight 9W 2374 skidded off the runway at Dabolim airport of Goa on Tuesday. The airline industry is considered as the benchmark in terms of following quality norms and the safety standards are of the very highest order. Airlines are considered as a benchmark in terms of safety norms and imbibe quality standards like Six Sigma which are imperative in the operations of civil aviation. However, there is an element of human error which does not make it absolutely full proof and can lead to major catastrophic incidents. 2016 wasn't the best possible year for global aviation industry as there were a lot of air disasters which claimed the lives of manypassengers. There could have been yet another air mishap on Tuesday when Mumbai-bound Jet Airways flight 9W 2374 skidded off the runway at Dabolim airport of Goa. Luckily all passengers are safe as reported by Jet Airways statement. "We regret to inform flight 9W 2374 from GOI - BOM, with 154 guests and 7 crew, veered off the runway while aligning for take off. All guests and crew have been safely evacuated. Few guests have sustained injuries during the evacuation process," the statement read. Here is a recap of the major air mishaps which claimed the lives of many passengers. 25 December 2016 - Russian Air Force; Tu154B-2; RA-85572; near Sochi, Russia: The aircraft was on an unscheduled international flight from Sochi, Russia to Latakia, Syria. The aircraft, which was transporting members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the official choir of the Russian Armed forces, crashed into the Black Sea shortly after takeoff. Wreckage was found about one mile (1.6 km) from the coast. All eight crew members and 84 passengers were killed. 20 December 2016 - AeroSucre 727-200; HK-4544, flight LMI2933; near Puerto Carreño, Colombia The aircraft was on a nonscheduled domestic cargo flight from Puerto Carreño to Bogotá, Colombia. Just after takeoff, the aircraft crossed a road that was about 100 meters beyond the end of the runway, apparently hitting at least one fence and dragging the rear part of the aircraft on the ground. The aircraft became airborne, but did not gain a significant amount of altitude. The aircraft was videotaped making a descending right turn just before it crashed and caught fire. The crash site was about 10 miles (16 km) from the airport. Five of the six crew members were killed. 7 December 2016 - Pakistan International Airlines ; ATR 42-500; AP-BHO; flight PK661; near Havelian, Pakistan The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Chitral to Islamabad, Pakistan. While en route, the crew reported that there was an engine problem, and that the aircraft was descending. Shortly afterwards, the crew declared an emergency. The aircraft crashed into a hillside and caught fire. All five crew members and 42 passengers were killed. 28 November 2016 - LaMia Avro RJ85; CP-2933, flight LMI2933; near La Unión, Colombia The aircraft was on a nonscheduled international flight from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia to Medellín, Colombia. On board was Brazilian Chapecoense Football Club, which was scheduled to play in the final of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana in Medellín. 28 October 2016 - FedEx Express DC-10; N370FE: Flight FX910; Fort Lauderdale, FL The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Memphis, TN to Fort Lauderdale, FL. At some point during the landing, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft came to rest near the landing runway. A fire broke out, seriously damaging the left side of the aircraft. The two crew members were not injured. 28 October 2016; American Airlines 767-300; N345AN; flight AAL383; Chicago, IL The aircraft was on a scheduled domestic flight from Chicago, IL to Miami, FL. During the takeoff, the right engine experienced an uncontained failure, and the flight crew aborted the takeoff. The aircraft caught fire in the area of the right engine, and the aircaft occupants evacuated the aircraft. There were eight minor injuries among the 161 passengers and nine crew members. 27 October 2016; Eastern Airlines 737-700; N278EA; New York, NY The aircraft was on an unscheduled domestic charter flight from Fort Dodge, IA to LaGuardia Airport in New York. After landing, the crew was unable to come to a stop on the runway. The aircraft was slowed by an arrestor bed of low-density concrete that was in place beyond the end of the runway. 3 August 2016; Emirates 777-300; A6-EMW; flight EK521; Dubai, UAE The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The crew was attempting to execute a go-around shortly after the main landing gear touched down on the runway, but the aircraft was unable to gain altitude. 30 July 2016; Kubicek BB85; SU-GCC; near Lockhart, TX The ballon was on an unscheduled flight that departed from Fentress Airpart in Fentress, TX. The ballon crashed burned after striking power lines about eight miles (12.9 km) from the launch location near Lockhart, TX. The pilot and all 15 passengers were killed. 19 May 2016; EgyptAir A320-200; SU-GCC; flight MS804; en route Paris to Cairo The aircraft was on a scheduled international flight from Paris, France to Cairo, Egypt when radar contact was lost. 13 April 2016; Sunbird Aviation; BN-2T Islander; P2-SBC; Kiunga, Papua New Guinea The aircraft was on an unscheduled domestic scheduled flight from Oksapmin to Kiunga, Papua New Guienea, and crashed near the destination airport shortly before landing, reportedly due to an engine failure. http://www.newsnation.in/article/155565-2016-plane-crashes-civil-aviation-safety-record-marred-by- series-of-air-disasters.html Back to Top New overtime fees considered for rural Alaska airlines FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - State officials are looking to start charging airlines for landing their planes at rural Alaska airports outside regular operating hours. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the Department of Transportation is working with airlines to create an overtime fee that could be implemented next year. Fairbanks International Airport and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport would not be affected by the change. DOT Deputy Commissioner John Binder said Thursday state budget cuts have brought on the need to charge airlines that land outside an airport's normal operating hours. He says the department's general fund budget has been reduced by more than 20 percent during the past two years, and overtime at rural airports was one of the many cuts. The proposed regulations are expected to be up for public comment in the first half of 2017. http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/New-overtime-fees-considered-for-rural-Alaska-airlines- 408348935.html Back to Top Five of the Most Creative Airline Patents from 2016 British Airways likely had the most unusual patent application in recent months, as it is considering using a network of sensors to track passenger desires. British Airways Who says airlines and suppliers can't innovative? Every year, they file for many unusual patents to protect their intellectual property. The problem? Most of the ideas never hit the market. - Brian Sumers Like corporations in any industry, airlines and their suppliers apply for patents constantly to protect intellectual property. And like in all industries, most of the patented ideas never make it to market. But monitoring patents can be fun, because they show how airlines might innovate if they didn't have to worry about costs, government regulations, or privacy laws. While some patents are for practical ideas, many more have pie-in-the-sky type elements. In recent years, we've seen patents for bunk-bed style seats, and seats that come with virtual reality-style headsets. Another patent filed in 2015 called for an onboard conveyor belt that would allow airlines to deliver food to each seat. Many of this year's patent applications were equally amusing. Some exciting ideas, found in patents filed by British Airways, Airbus, and Mastercard, may never reach market. But other less innovative patents, such as applications from United Airlines and Recaro, a seat-manufacturer, could be possible. Here are our favorite patent applications that were made public in 2016, ranked from least likely to fly to least likely. MASTERCARD CAN TRANSMIT YOUR HEIGHT AND WEIGHT TO AIRLINES When you buy clothing, your credit card company learns enough about your preferred sizes to take a reasonable guess at your height and weight, Mastercard noted in a recent patent application. In that application, Mastercard suggested the data might help airlines, who could use it for seating purposes. Perhaps, the application theorized, airlines could avoid seating two overweight passengers next to each other. According to the application, Mastercard can even make reasonable guesses on the height and weight of everyone in a household, not just the card-holder. But just because Mastercard can share this information does not mean it will. A company spokesman told Skift recently, "We file many patents, including those that may be ahead of our industry's times. For this particular patent, we have not focused on its application and have no further information to share." Mastercard may also have to worry about privacy issues. Its application noted that it likely would need consent from cardholders before sharing their information Verdict: Kudos for Mastercard for trying to innovate. But while we may someday see card companies sharing more data with merchants, it seems unlikely airlines would want information about the height and weight of travelers. BRITISH AIRWAYS AND THE INGESTIBLE PILL If British Airways knew more about the wants and needs of its customers - a lot more, according to a recent patent application - the airline might be able to give them a better travel experience. The carrier's recent patent covered many topics that could allow the airline to improve and personalize the in-flight experience. British Airways might solicit information about passenger needs and then use it during the journey. Or it might put sensors on the plane, tracking things like air conditioning and lighting near the customer's seat. But one aspect of the carrier's patent application got more attention than anything else. British Airways noted that it might be possible to track passenger desires by offering them a "digital pill," which they could, essentially, eat. "Digital pills or other ingestible sensors that detect internal temperature, stomach acidity and other internal properties, and wirelessly relay this information outside the passenger's body," the airline's application read. In an ideal world, British Airways would use the data it collects to create a "wellness planning module" for each passenger. According to the airline, it could "schedule in-flight events related to optimal sleeping, eating, and exercise patterns to assist with alleviating the passenger's jet lag at the destination." In its application, the airline said with the right tracking devices, it could tell whether passengers are awake, asleep, hungry, nervous, hot, cold, or uncomfortable. Verdict: For good reason, the pill got some of the media attention. But it's the other, more simple stuff in the application - like using sensors on the plane to ensure passengers are comfortable - that's more likely to actually make it to market. AIRBUS THINKS AIRLINES SHOULD TRY BENCH SEATING Could airlines pack in more passengers by installing bench seats? Perhaps, Airbus said in a patent that became public earlier this year. They key is flexibility. In most cases, the bench might fit three passengers, just as today's seats do. But the bench could also fit two people - for a roomier ride - or even a family of four. "The passenger bench seat is particularly well suited to use by families with small children since, in its third configuration, the passenger bench seat offers sufficient space for two adults and also for two small children sitting, for example, between the two adults," Airbus said in the application. The application notes that airlines are doing all they can to increase seat density. "Optimum utilization of the space available in a passenger cabin is of major economic importance," the application reads. Verdict: It's not a bad idea, but airlines tend to resist change, so it's not likely this configuration will be flying any time soon. The current seating configuration has worked for a long time. RECARO'S BUSINESS CLASS AIRBAGS Business class passengers often pay thousands of dollars more than coach passengers for the same journey. Does that mean they're entitled to better safety protections? Possibly, according to a recent patent from aircraft seat manufacturer Recaro, which wants to add airbags in some seats. Similar to those found in a car, these airbags would protect passengers from hitting their heads on the seats in front of them. Many business class seats - and some economy seats, especially in bulkhead rows - already have airbags, but they're much different than car ones. The typical airline airbag is embedded in the seat-belt, and pops out during a crash. Verdict: Adding car-style airbags in business class makes sense. But will it catch on? It's hard to say, except that it will probably depend on cost. UNITED AIRLINES SEEKS TO LIMIT GATE ANNOUNCEMENTS When passengers cannot select seats in advance, perhaps because a flight is nearly full, airlines often assign them at the last minute, at the gate. That usually requires agents to make several announcements, calling each passenger by name. But United Airlines has filed for a patent to try to make this system more efficient, and make gate areas slightly quieter. It's a process that would also allow United to call passengers for last-minute first class upgrades. It's surprisingly simple. Essentially, United would send a message - likely a text or a push notification - to the passenger's mobile phone. "The electronic communication may indicate that a seat assignment is available and may provide instructions for accepting or declining the available seat assignment," United said in its filing. The system would then transmit a new boarding pass to the passenger. Verdict: It's not the sexiest idea on this list, but it's also the most feasible. It is so simple it almost makes you wonder why it needs a patent. https://skift.com/2016/12/27/five-of-the-most-creative-airline-patents-from-2016/ Back to Top SouthWind Global Aviation propelled to succeed (Kansas) Whether it's an older model that a hobbyist is restoring on the weekends or a fleet of aircraft used by a business in Asia, SouthWind Global Aviation provides services to modify, transport and fly airplanes. Terry Landon, president of SouthWind Global Aviation, fell in love with flying when he was young. "When I was little, the Vietnam War was on TV all the time. When I saw those jets go screaming across the TV, I thought, 'I've got to do that,'" Landon recalled. "After school, I'd go to the airport there in Hutchinson and press my face up against the fence and just watch airplanes go all over the place." Scrimped and saving to take flying lessons, Landon eventually earned his private pilot's license and worked for the Hutchinson and McPherson airports. He went on to become a corporate pilot, then trained pilots at FlightSafety International. Landon met Tyson Teeter when both men went to work for Cessna as sales demonstration pilots. They were laid off the same day in 2009, but occasionally still flew airplanes together to make international deliveries for Cessna. "From doing that, we realized we could do our own business without Textron's big umbrella," Landon said. Looking to stay in Kansas, Landon and Teeter purchased SouthWind Global Aviation in Moundridge in 2012. One of the company's services is supplying Poly Fiber Aircraft Coatings, a fabric covering for older airplanes, which can be purchased to match the dimensions and colors a customer requests. "We have every color you could possibly ever want, and it's not just for the older airplanes, but we have some metal paint for new airplanes," Landon said. "We could supply refurb equipment for any airplane from about 1920 up to current day." SouthWind Global Aviation provides space to house airplanes in their hangers in Moundridge, Wichita and Salina. "As a general indication of the economy coming around, we're seeing people looking for hangar space because they're buying airplanes and they don't want their airplane sitting outside," Landon said. Custom modifications to airplanes, such as auxiliary fuel cell or air conditioning installation, engine modifications, speed enhancements, cargo pods or increased weight kits, can be done by SouthWind Global Aviation, which also has experience in adding photo or medical platforms to airplanes. "Everything that's built in Wichita, we can service," Landon said. With knowledge of many types, SouthWind Global Aviation often accepts airplanes from manufacturers for international customers, checking them over to make sure they are in good working order before flying it to the customer. "We take care of all the paperwork for all the countries we're going to fly over and land in," Landon noted. "We have three people that primarily do all of that." It can be more cost-effective for international customers to have airplanes shipped rather than flown. In those cases, the airplane is disassembled and placed into wooden crates. The crate is then shipped to the customer, who can choose to have SouthWind reassemble it or have it done by another company. "The crates are custom-built for a particular model and also for the number of airplanes in the shipment. Sometimes we put just one airplane in a box, sometimes we can fit two or three," Landon said. Several hundred pictures are taken during the disassembly process as the wings, propeller and landing gear are taken off to record the airplane's status and assist in reassembly. "We have never had damage to an airplane that we've delivered," Landon said. "We believe to go beyond what's expected to make sure there's not a problem at all." If the customer chooses to have the airplane flown to them, the aircraft is tracked as it makes its way around the globe. "We're in constant communication with the crew," Landon noted. For companies looking to buy an airplane, SouthWind Global Aviation offers consulting services to advise on which model would best suit their needs. "Several times, we've helped start up a flight department for companies that were moving into their first jet airplane or first turbo-prop," Landon said. "We can show people the features, benefits and limitations of the airplane." Pilots can be screened, contracted and trained through SouthWind Global Aviation as well. "We're very blessed to see general aviation coming back. That's a great thing for this part of the country, because, obviously, as aviation grows, so does Wichita and so do the outlying communities," Landon said. "We've been very blessed in the business activity and the relationships we've made along the way." For more information about SouthWind Global Aviation, visit https://southwindglobal.com or call 620-242-1800. SouthWind Global Aviation Inc. 1120 E Cole, Moundridge, KS 67107 http://www.thekansan.com/news/20161227/southwind-global-aviation-propelled-to-succeed Back to Top 11kg gold bars seized from Qatar aircraft Smuggler could not be arrested Customs officials recover 100 gold bars weighing around 11.6 kilogrammes from a Qatar Airways flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday, December 26, 2016. STAR file photo Customs seized 100 gold bars weighing around 11.6 kilogrammes from a Qatar Airways flight at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, customs officials searched the aircraft that reached Dhaka from Doha around 11:00am and found the gold bars abandoned beneath a passenger seat, said HM Ahsanul Kabir, assistant commissioner of customs. No one was arrested in this connection. Kabir believes that the bars, wrapped in a red piece of cloth, would have taken out, if not seized, afterwards by anyone having security passes. The estimated price of the gold bars is Tk 6 crore, he said. According to customs, cleaners, food suppliers and staff of an airway have access to an aircraft after it lands. Customs officials are looking for the people involved in the smuggling of the consignment. Gold was previously smuggled into the country in most cases from Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore, a customs official said. But in recent times, several consignments came from Oman and Qatar, and were seized at airports, which means smugglers have changed their routes. http://www.thedailystar.net/backpage/11kg-gold-bars-seized-qatar-aircraft-1336063 Back to Top Trump pressures Lockheed, says told Boeing to price out fighter aircraft U.S. President-elect Donald Trump heaped pressure on Lockheed Martin Corp on Thursday, saying he viewed costs for the aerospace company's F-35 fighter as too high and had asked Boeing Co to offer a price for an older aircraft that lacks the same stealth capabilities. Trump posted his Twitter message a day after the president-elect met with the chief executives of both aerospace companies, using the bully pulpit to press them on projects he says are too expensive. In after-hours trading following Trump's tweet, Lockheed shares fell 2 percent and Boeing's rose 0.7 percent. "Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!" Trump said. Lockheed declined to comment. The F-35 program is a critical sales generator for the company, accounting for 20 percent of last year's revenue of $46.1 billion. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Boeing spokesman Todd Blecher said in an email that the company was committed to providing the capability and affordability to meet national security needs. While the F-35 program has been dogged by problems and costs have escalated to an estimated $379 billion, it is significantly newer than the F-18, which does not have the same stealth capabilities. "They're two completely different aircraft from different generations," said Phillip Carter, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank. "It's like comparing an old jeep to a Humvee." Dan Grazier of the Project on Government Oversight, a nonprofit that investigates government contractors, said the F-35's stealth capabilities drove the cost up, but its usefulness had not yet been demonstrated. He said canceling the program, however, would be "disruptive." On the campaign trail, Trump touted his negotiating skills as a businessman, and he appears to be using similar tactics as he prepares to take office on Jan. 20. It was not clear how his blunt style would translate to Pentagon procurement or international diplomacy. On Wednesday, Trump met the CEOs of Lockheed and Boeing at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told reporters there that he had guaranteed costs would not get out of control for a replacement to Air Force One, the presidential plane, another project Trump calls too expensive. Lockheed Chief Executive Marillyn Hewson did not speak to reporters but said in a statement that the meeting was "productive." Trump told reporters he wanted to cut the F-35 program's costs. If he scrapped the F-35, such a move by a new administration would have some precedent. Then- President Jimmy Carter canceled the B-1 bomber program in June 1977, although it was resurrected by his White House successor, Ronald Reagan. Trump's jockeying for leverage via his Twitter account is likely to be a hurdle for all U.S. defense contractors in the next administration, Roman Schweizer, aerospace and defense analyst at financial services firm Cowen & Co, wrote in a note to clients on Thursday. "We have no idea how this plays out but believe 'Twitter risk' for defense companies could be a significant issue over the next four years," Schweizer wrote. "This is Lockheed Martin's time in the barrel." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-defense-idUSKBN14B2GW Back to Top New simulation software improves helicopter pilot training Realistic training for extreme flight conditions Simulation of a helicopter-landing on a ship. Credit: Chair of Helicopter Technology / TUM Missions at sea, in mountainous regions or close to skyscrapers are extremely risky for helicopter pilots. The turbulent air flows near oil rigs, ships, cliffs and tall buildings can throw a helicopter off balance and cause a crash. To provide pilots with optimal preparation for these challenging conditions, engineers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are developing new simulation software. Providing helicopter pilots with the best possible preparation for extreme situations: That is the goal of the new simulation software being developed by researchers working at TUM's Chair of Helicopter Technology. For the first time, real-time computational analysis will be implemented for both fluid mechanics and flight dynamics. "Until now, flight simulators have not adequately reflected the reality of flying in close proximity to large objects," says Dr. Juergen Rauleder. "The problem is that, when it comes to wind conditions and the response of the helicopter, existing programs follow a rigid pattern. That means that local variations and changing conditions are not taken into account - unless the entire flow environment is known in advance." But it is the unforeseen air flows that can be the most treacherous: For example, a moving ship causes air turbulence and sudden local shifts in wind speed known by specialists as "ship airwake flow". It changes continually through wave action and fluctuating inflow conditions. In addition, turbulence occurs near the deck, the bridge and other ship structures. As a helicopter approaches the ship, there is interference between these air currents and the flow produced by the rotors. Conditions near a mountain slope or next to high buildings are similarly complicated. In all of these cases, the helicopter's flight characteristics are influenced by complex and overlapping aerodynamic effects. Stress for pilots and machines Dealing with those situations takes a lot of skill and practice, both of which can currently be acquired only through on-the-job training. To become adept at landing on a ship in heavy seas, for example, a student pilot has to repeat this tricky situation dozens of times with an experienced flight instructor. That's the only way to gain the necessary experience to compensate for the complex interplay of air flows through perfectly timed adjustments to the pitch of the rotor blades. "Conventional training is expensive, risky and very stressful for student pilots. It also imposes heavy demands on the aircraft: Because the first attempts usually result in rather hard landings, the dampers and landing gear take quite a beating," explains Rauleder. Flow fields and flight dynamics all in one His team has now developed a simulation program that combines flow mechanics and flight dynamics in real time: "The numerical model is extremely flexible and does not depend on stored flow data. We only have to enter the external conditions such as topography, global wind speeds and the helicopter type. During the simulation, our algorithms use that data to continuously compute the interacting flow field at the virtual helicopter's current location," the engineer explains. The new program also lets pilots instantly "feel" the impact of the local air flows on the helicopter. This allows them to try out the effects of their control movements in a stress-free situation: perfect preparation for a soft landing that is easy on the aircraft. The potential of this method has attracted international interest, including from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, which is contributing funding under the auspices of its basic research program. The ultimate test for flight simulators: reality The TUM researchers have successfully validated the new real-time simulation with established reference models. All that is left to do is the biggest test of all: the reality check. To find out whether the virtual models actually reflect conditions at sea, the engineers are cooperating with researchers at the U.S. Naval Academy, the George Washington University and the University of Maryland. The specialists in Washington have measured air flows on a ship using hundreds of sensors. To check the flight dynamics, the TUM team will also be using in-flight data collected by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). "The validation of the models and testing of our simulation environment by experienced pilots in our research simulator is enormously important for our developments," says Rauleder. "That's the only way we can ensure that the simulator training provides student pilots with optimal preparation for tough missions." Explore further: Augmented reality enables helicopter flight in degraded visual environments More information: J. Bludau, J. Rauleder, L. Friedmann, M. Hajek: Real-Time Simulation of Rotor Inflow using a Coupled Flight Dynamics and Fluid Dynamics Simulation, Deutscher Luft- und Raumfahrtkongress 2016, Braunschweig, www.dglr.de/publikationen/2016/420304.pdf http://phys.org/news/2016-12-simulation-software-helicopter.html Back to Top China plans to land probes on far side of moon, Mars by 2020 In this photo taken Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, the supermoon rises over a logo for AVIC, or Aviation Industry Corp, a state owned enterprise involved in China's manned space mission in Beijing. China vowed Tuesday, Dec 27, 2016 to speed up the development of its space industry as it set out its plans to become the first country to soft land a probe on the far side of the moon, around 2018, and launch its first Mars probe by 2020. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) BEIJING - China vowed Tuesday to speed up the development of its space industry as it set out its plans to become the first country to soft land a probe on the far side of the moon, by around 2018, and launch its first Mars probe by 2020. "To explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry and build China into a space power is a dream we pursue unremittingly," read a white paper setting out the country's space strategy for the next five years. It says China aims to use space for peaceful purposes and to guarantee national security, and to carry out cutting-edge scientific research. The white paper, released by the information office of China's Cabinet, points to the growing ambitions of China's already rapidly advancing space program. China places great emphasis on the development of its space industry, seen as a symbol of national prestige that will raise the country's standing in the world. Although the white paper doesn't mention it, China's eventual goal is to land an astronaut on the moon. While Russia and the United States have more experience in manned space travel, China's military-backed program has made steady progress in a comparatively short time. Since China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, it has staged a spacewalk and landed a rover on the moon in 2013 - the first time humans had soft landed anything on the moon since the 1970s. Last month, two astronauts returned from a month-long stay aboard China's Tiangong 2 experimental space station, the country's sixth and longest crewed mission. A fully functioning, permanently crewed space station is on course to begin operations six years from now and is slated to run for at least a decade. The white paper reiterated China's plans to launch its first Mars probe by 2020, saying it would explore and bring back samples from the red planet, explore the Jupiter system and "conduct research into major scientific questions such as the origin and evolution of the solar system, and search for extraterrestrial life." The paper says the Chang'e-4 lunar probe will help shed light on the formation and evolution of the moon. He Qisong, a space security expert at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said that achieving mankind's first soft landing on the far side of the moon is a newly stated goal. It indicates that China has mastered the underlying technology needed to land on a specific area of the lunar surface, he added. "China never talks big and says something it's unable to achieve," he said. http://www.whio.com/news/world/china-plans-land-probes-far-side-moon-mars- 2020/XIkp4aiVxcPtOMu8KRbM0O/ Back to Top RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Hello, I'm Dr. Tim Holt and I'm currently the Program Chair for Aeronautics and an Associate Professor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. In this position I'm responsible for faculty, curriculum, course updates, course alignment, etc... Furthermore, I teach undergraduate courses in aeronautics, safety, unmanned systems, and airport management for the Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics program. To this day, there are no reported statistics of general aviation pilots that have survived hypoxia during normal flight operations. More often than not there are tales of pilots getting themselves into a hypoxic situation and not surviving; rarely do people hear of those that survive. This leaves the aviation community unsure of the common circumstances that these pilots find themselves that create a hypoxic state, as well as whether or not that reported the occurrence to the proper establishments. The data collected from this survey issued to general aviation pilots, will hopefully give insight as to how best to prevent these occurrences from happening, as well as promote a healthy safety culture to report these events. It is with this in mind that we decided to embark on this research study. This survey is completely anonymous and individual responses will not be recorded. It should only take 5- 10 minutes to complete. The link to the survey will provide you the Informed Consent and contact information of the researchers involved in the study. Thank you in advance, it's truly appreciated. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GAHYPOXIA 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 Curt Lewis