Flight Safety Information December 29, 2016 - No. 260 In This Issue Russian Plane Crash Probe Rules Out Explosion Military Helicopter Crashes Off Texas Coast, Killing 2 DELTA: UNRULY COUPLE CAUSES PLANE'S RETURN TO MINNEAPOLIS AIRPORT Navy: Temporary grounding of Super Hornets, Growlers caused by jet's canopy that exploded Alaska, Reliant on Air Transit, Faces Pilot Shortage. Are Drones an Answer? Stun guns and male crew: Korean Air to get tough on unruly passengers FAA Withdraws Proposed Changes to Glider Transponder Requirements CAAB makes headway in aviation safety.(Botswana) Gulfstream's next generation private plane is getting some fighter jet tech Mitusbishi MRJ jet program may be about to suffer another delivery delay Qatar Airways buys 10-percent stake in LATAM Airlines Veteran Airline Executive Donald J. Carty to Join Hawaiian Airlines Board of Directors Emirates adds 36 aircraft to fleet in 2016 DARPA's ALIAS aircraft automation program spreads its wings RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Russian Plane Crash Probe Rules Out Explosion MOSCOW - Flight recorders revealed no evidence of an explosion on board a Russian plane that crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 92 on board, but investigators haven't ruled out foul play, a military official said Thursday. Russian air force Lt. Gen. Sergei Bainetov, who heads the Defense Ministry commission conducting the crash probe, said that a cockpit conversation recorder contained the captain's words that indicated a "special situation" that began unfolding on board the plane. Bainetov wouldn't elaborate on what may have led to the crash, but noted that it likely had been caused by several factors. The Tu-154 of the Russian Defense Ministry crashed into the sea early Sunday, moments after taking off in good weather from the city of Sochi. It was carrying members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, widely known as the Red Army Choir, to a New Year's concert at a Russian military base in Syria. Bainetov said that the plane crashed 70 seconds after takeoff from an altitude of 250 meters (820 feet) while it was traveling at a speed of 360-370 kilometers per hour (224-230 miles per hour). "After deciphering the first flight recorder we have made a conclusion that there was no explosion on board," Bainetov said at a news conference. But asked if that means that investigators have ruled out a terror attack, Bainetov said "we aren't ruling out that version yet." "A terror attack doesn't always involve an explosion," he said. "Along with an explosion on board, there could have been some mechanical impact." He wouldn't offer any details, saying that Russian law-enforcement agencies are working on the case. Bainetov's words appeared to contradict a previous statement from Russia's top domestic security and counter-terrorism agency, the FSB, which has said it found "no indications or facts pointing at the possibility of a terror attack or an act of sabotage." It said investigators were looking into whether the crash might have been caused by bad fuel, pilot error, equipment failure or objects stuck in the engines. Bainetov noted that "according to a preliminary assessment of information from the flight parameter recorder there had been no obvious equipment failures." Investigators also have taken samples from a fuel tank used to fill the plane, which flew from Moscow's Chkalovsky military airport and stopped in Sochi for refueling. In an apparent attempt to downplay Bainetov's statement, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov emphasized that "the version of a terror attack isn't being considered as the main version." Sokolov said search teams have completed the bulk of efforts to recover bodies and debris from the crash site. He said 19 bodies and more than 230 body fragments have been recovered, adding that 13 big fragments of the plane and about 2,000 smaller fragments have been pulled from the seabed. Bainetov said that Syria-bound planes normally stop for refueling at the North Caucasus military air base in Mozdok, but the plane that crashed had been diverted to Sochi because of bad weather in Mozdok. Flights of the military's Tu-154s have been suspended during the investigation. The Tu-154 is a Soviet-built three-engine airliner designed in the late 1960s. Russian airlines decommissioned the noisy, fuel-guzzling aircraft years ago, but the military and other government agencies continue using the plane, which is still loved by crews for its maneuverability and sturdiness. "The aircraft has proven itself well," Bainetov said, but said they will likely resume after the investigation is over. The plane that crashed Sunday was built in 1983 and underwent factory checkups and maintenance in 2014, and earlier this year. Investigators have taken relevant documents from the plant that did the job. The crash wiped out most singers of the Alexandrov Ensemble, popular for its fiery performances. "It will be very difficult to replace the gifted artists who were famous around the world," Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said, adding that the military will work on reviving the choir. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/12/29/world/europe/ap-eu-russia-military-plane.html?_r=0 Back to Top Military Helicopter Crashes Off Texas Coast, Killing 2 Cause of the crash is not known. HOUSTON (Reuters) - Two people were killed on Wednesday when an Army Air National Guard helicopter crashed into waters near the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Texas, military officials said. The cause of the crash of the AH-64 Apache helicopter, some 25 miles southeast of Houston, was not known. The pilots were from a helicopter battalion at Ellington Field in Houston. The two men who were killed were pilots from a helicopter battalion at Ellington Field in Houston, a CBS affiliate reported. The names of those killed have not been released. The crash did not affect navigation in the Houston Ship Channel, which links the busiest U.S. petrochemical port to the Gulf of Mexico, the Houston Pilots Association said. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/military-helicopter-crash-texas_us_5864af3be4b0eb5864883ce7 Back to Top DELTA: UNRULY COUPLE CAUSES PLANE'S RETURN TO MINNEAPOLIS AIRPORT Social media video shows the couple being taken off the plane in handcuffs. (YouTube/Patrick Whalen) MINNEAPOLIS, MN (KTRK) -- We're getting our first look at a couple arrested on board a Delta Air Lines flight. Delta says the couple was being "disruptive" and "not obeying commands of the flight crew" on board the flight from Minneapolis to Los Angeles last night. ABC News has learned the flight crew called ahead to airport police 20 minutes after take off, and said they had to return because of the allegedly unruly passengers. When they arrived back at the airport in Minneapolis, police boarded the plane and took the couple in for questioning. Video posted to social media by Patrick Whalen shows the moment the couple was taken off the aircraft. It is still unclear what exactly the couple was doing to make the flight return to the airport. The FBI is also investigating. http://abc13.com/news/delta-unruly-couple-causes-planes-return-to-airport/1677553/ Back to Top Navy: Temporary grounding of Super Hornets, Growlers caused by jet's canopy that exploded An E/A-18G Growler from the Shadowhawks of Electronic Attack Squadron 141 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington on Aug. 1, 2015. NORFOLK A Growler's canopy exploded off the jet earlier this month, which led the Navy to temporarily ground Super Hornet and Growler squadrons, according to a Naval Safety Center summary of the incident. The Growler's pilot and electronic warfare officer were injured Dec. 16 at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington state as it prepared for a training flight. The Navy said at the time it was an "on-deck emergency" that involved the aircraft's canopy but did not elaborate. The Navy suspended flight operations for Growlers and Super Hornets throughout the fleet for several days while they conducted an initial investigation. Super Hornets were included in the stand-down because they share common aircraft systems with the Growler, the Navy said in a statement. Several Super Hornet squadrons are based at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach. The Naval Safety Center classified the incident as a "Class A" mishap, its most serious type. It means there was at least $2 million in damage to the Growler or a "permanent total disability" to a crew member. The pilot and electronic warfare officer were taken to a hospital to be treated for their injuries. The Norfolk-based Naval Safety Center described the officers' injuries as "severe." The center did not provide any more details. The Growler is a variant of the F/A-18F Super Hornet and is capable of offensive electronic jamming, electronic emissions detection and electronic suppression of enemy air defenses. The Navy said Naval Air Systems Command and Boeing engineers identified several factors that likely contributed to the incident. Naval Air Forces ordered changes to be implemented throughout the F-18 fleet because there are similarities in the component designs for the affected systems in the Growler incident, the Navy said in a statement. The measures include changes to "aircraft water-wash procedures" and updates to the Navy's procedures for ground emergencies. Flight operations resumed on Dec. 19. The Growler mishap remains under investigation. http://pilotonline.com/news/military/local/navy-temporary-grounding-of-super-hornets-growlers-caused- by-jet/article_9e36ee02-77e6-59b9-be4d-c3707a247348.html Back to Top Alaska, Reliant on Air Transit, Faces Pilot Shortage. Are Drones an Answer? Matt Gallagher, a pilot for Warbelow's Air, cleaning snow off a plane in subzero temperatures in Fairbanks. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Never climb into an airplane cockpit in winter without your best military-grade arctic boots, rated to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Green, cocky pilots fresh from the lower 48 tend to forget that rule just once. Knowing when not to climb aboard the plane at all is harder, and comes only with deeper experience. "If my gut tells me this is not good, we don't go," said Matt Anderson, 55, who has spent more than 25 years flying small planes across Alaska's wild, empty and hazardous landscapes. Generations of pilots like Mr. Anderson once came north for adventure, and to hone their skills in small planes, flying the Alaskan bush in the nation's most aviation-dependent state. Their derring-do, in turn, helped create the Alaskan mystique. But now a shortage of pilots - global in scope, fueled by the growth of aviation in Asia and a wave of baby boomer retirements - is rippling across Alaska with gale force. A state with six times as many pilots per capita as the rest of the nation, and the need for every one of them to connect its many far-flung dots on the map, is rewriting the equations of supply and demand. Competition is pushing up salaries, and luring pilots and mechanics to jobs in the lower 48 states. Airlines are grooming pilots from within, bypassing the old system that made Alaska a proving ground where a pilot could log the thousands of hours of flight time needed to qualify for a major airline job. International freight haulers have also hired away Alaskan pilots as Anchorage, which has the fourth-busiest air-freight airport in the world in annual tonnage, has become a refueling and crew-change hub for aircraft flying between Asia and North America. "The pilot shortage is affecting the whole commercial aviation industry from the beginning to the end, the small to the large, and I think Alaska is going to get hit hard," said Bill Thompson, 47, who left the state in 2015 for a job with a regional airline in Minneapolis. From 2011 to 2015, Alaska lost about 12 percent of its commercial-pilot work force, which was in fact slightly less severe than the 16 percent falloff rate for the nation as a whole, according to federal figures. But flying is the lifeblood of commerce, government and society in a state that is twice the size of Texas and has hundreds of communities beyond the road system. Gov. Bill Walker jokes that he has three offices: in Juneau, the capital; in Anchorage, the biggest city; and on a plane getting back and forth. Loretta Fogg and her husband, Matt Anderson, both pilots, with their son Aidan. "If my gut tells me this is not good, we don't go," Mr. Anderson said of the challenges of flying in Alaska. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times Or consider, for example, the small passenger and freight airline called Warbelow's Air, based here in Fairbanks in east-central Alaska. The company needs about nine full-time pilots to meet its weekly schedule, serving tiny towns north of the Arctic Circle and beyond. But nine pilots these days have become hard to come by. So this year the company began recruiting Air National Guard pilots to work part time on their days off, with six part-timers now adding up to one full-time pilot. "One pilot out of six, that's how we fix that problem," said Greg Probst, Warbelow's chief pilot. Matt Gallagher, a Warbelow's pilot since 2014, is leaving next spring for a job in Colorado to be closer to his family, and to seize the chance to move on to bigger and faster aircraft. "I want to fly jets that go 40,000 feet in the air for two hours at a time," Mr. Gallagher said. "There are great opportunities for guys like me." That flying small planes in Alaska is a very dangerous line of work is part of the shifting dynamic. From 1990 to 2009, more than a third of all commuter and air taxi crashes in the nation, and about a fifth of the fatal crashes, occurred in Alaska, according to federal figures. With only about 730,000 people, Alaska has less than a quarter of 1 percent of the nation's population. The state's plane crashes and flat-out disappearances are the stuff of legend. In 2012, a military transport plane missing since 1952 was found on a melting glacier. A plane that left Anchorage for Juneau in 1972 carrying two members of Congress, Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana - the House majority leader at the time - and Representative Nick Begich of Alaska, has yet to be found. Just this year there have been 91 aircraft accidents or incidents in the state, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, 13 with one or more fatalities. Alaska also has most of the nation's active volcanoes, which can spew corrosive ash into flight paths and engines; Bogoslof, in the Aleutian Islands, erupted just this month. Those hazards, on top of a worsening pilot shortage, are making some researchers and entrepreneurs see opportunity for pilotless drone aircraft to fill the gap, especially for work that pilots refer to as "the three d's": flying jobs that are dirty, dull or dangerous. The University of Alaska's Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, one of six federal drone research centers, is testing aircraft in arctic conditions, and flying unmanned craft hundreds of miles out over Arctic waters. Oil companies are starting to deploy drones to patrol pipelines for leaks or other damage. Mr. Gallagher, center, with colleagues at Warbelow's Air. He plans to leave for a job in Colorado. "There are great opportunities for guys like me," he said. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times Researchers and pilots say they see a time - sooner or later, depending on when federal safety regulation might allow it - when mail, medicine or groceries might be delivered to remote villages by drone. "Is it technologically feasible to do it right now? The answer is yes," said Nickolas D. Macchiarella, a professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. "And one of the first places it could occur is Alaska." Ben Kellie, 30, founded a drone company in Anchorage last year, K2 Dronotics with Nick, 27, his brother. Their father, Mike Kellie, was a swashbuckling bush pilot of the old school, they said, who arrived in Alaska with a duffel bag and $500 to his name, wanting only to fly. Drones, said Ben Kellie, the company's chief executive and chief engineer, are the future, and are less likely to produce injuries or harm if they crash. "In Alaska, you can fly for hundreds of miles, and if you have issues you're going to hit tundra, or a spruce tree," he said. Carl France once considered the pilot's life, but decided that the future was pilotless. "I decided I'd get bored, flying back and forth from the same place," said Mr. France, 30, the chief executive of a drone start-up called Aquilo, which is based in Fairbanks and was founded by engineers from the University of Alaska. Aquilo and K2 Dronotics are both focused, at least for now, on commercial data collection - Aquilo in scientific and industrial applications, K2 Dronotics in remote-area mapping. Mr. Anderson and his wife, Loretta Fogg, 55, who is also a commercial pilot, said the idiosyncrasies of Alaska - the weather, the terrain, the difficulty in getting help if trouble arises - bred a mentality of improvisation and intuition about how to keep passengers and oneself safe. In flying small planes, often with fewer than nine passengers - likely as not to be repeat customers traveling to and from villages - the pilots get to know people and their lives. With pilots increasingly being drawn to greener - and warmer - pastures, some of that old hands-on intimacy and continuity could fade. "I know families, and I know their kids," Ms. Anderson said. "Where else are you going to get that?" http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/us/alaska-pilot-shortage.html Back to Top Stun guns and male crew: Korean Air to get tough on unruly passengers Cabin crews attend a training session on how to manage in-flight disturbances in Seoul, South Korea, December 27, 2016. Oh Dae-il/News1 via REUTERS Korean Air Lines said it will allow crew members to "readily use stun guns" to manage violent passengers, and hire more male flight attendants, after coming in for criticism from U.S. singer Richard Marx over its handling of a recent incident. The new crew guidelines, announced on Tuesday following the Dec. 20 incident, will also include more staff training, use of the latest device to tie up a violent passenger, and the banning of passengers with a history of unruly behavior. Men account for about one-tenth of Korean Air flight attendants, and the carrier said it will try to have at least one male on duty in the cabin for each flight. "While U.S. carriers have taken stern action on violent on-board behavior following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 (2001), Asian carriers including us have not imposed tough standards because of Asian culture," Korean Air President Chi Chang-hoon told a news conference. "We will use the latest incident to put safety foremost and strengthen our safety standards," he said. In South Korea, the number of unlawful acts committed aboard airplanes has more than tripled over the past five years, according to government data. South Korean police on Tuesday sought an arrest warrant for the passenger involved in the latest incident, identified by his surname Lim, on charges including inflicting injury to the crew and a passenger on the Vietnam to South Korea flight. An airline spokesman said the man had consumed two and a half shots of whiskey during the flight. The incident came to light when Marx said on Facebook and Twitter that he helped subdue "a psycho passenger attacking crew members and other passengers," accusing crew members of being "ill-trained" and "ill-equipped" to handle the "chaotic and dangerous event". Marx's wife Daisy Fuentes, a TV host and model who was with the singer during the flight from Hanoi to Incheon near Seoul, said on Instagram that crew members "didn't know how to use the taser & they didn't know how to secure the rope around him (he got loose from their rope restraints 3 times)." Video of the incident posted on YouTube showed a young man in a business class seat spitting and swearing at crew members trying to restrain him with a rope. Lim, in his early 30s, appeared on Monday for questioning by police, wearing a mask, thick-rimmed glasses and a hat. He apologized for his behavior but said he could not remember what had happened, according to video shown by broadcaster SBS. Korean Air said it sent a thank-you letter to Marx's management agency for helping control Lim. Korean Air was involved in a high-profile case of bad passenger behavior in late 2014 when the daughter of its chairman, who was an executive with the carrier, forced a flight crew chief off the plane at New York's JFK Airport because she was unhappy about the way she was served macadamia nuts. The "nut rage" incident provoked widespread ridicule and resulted in the executive, Heather Cho, serving nearly five months in jail. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-kal-safety-idUSKBN14G02M?il=0 Back to Top FAA Withdraws Proposed Changes to Glider Transponder Requirements In discussing the cost, the agency estimated that the cost of requiring gliders to be equipped with transponders would be "about $5,000 per glider and more than $7 million for the glider fleet." The FAA says that the safety risk data does not support removal of the current exception in the glider transponder requirements. In a document published to the Federal Register on December 23, 2016, the FAA has withdrawn proposed changes to glider transponder requirements. Previously, on June 16, 2015, they had posted an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) that sought public comments and feedback for rulemaking that would "require gliders operating in the National Airspace System (NAS) to be equipped with transponders." This resulted in 231 comments from both aviation related groups and individuals, and after reviewing the comments, "The FAA is withdrawing that action because the limited safety benefit gained does not justify the high cost of equipage." Reasons Behind the ANPRM on Glider Transponder Requirements According to the FAA, the ANPRM came about after an August 28, 2006, non-fatal midair collision between a Hawker 800XP aircraft and a Schleicher ASW27-18 glider. The collision happened roughly 42 nautical miles south-southeast of Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) at an altitude of about 16,000 feet. According to the FAA, the collision was also in an area "where gliders are excepted from the transponder equipment requirements in Title 14, section 91.215(b), of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR)." Interestingly, though the glider was equipped with a transponder, the glider pilot had turned it off to conserve power. On March 31, 2008, after conducting their investigation of the accident, the NTSB provided safety recommendations to the FAA, including removing the glider exceptions that related to transponder equipment and use requirements, stating that "transponders are critical to alerting pilots and controllers to the presence of nearby traffic so that collisions can be avoided." On March 13, 2012, Nevada Senator Harry Reid wrote to the FAA expressing concerns about the safety of gliders and other aircraft using the same airspace around RNO. On April 27, 2012, Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei also wrote them with similar concerns. Both politicians requested that the FAA remove the glider exemptions regarding the use of transponders, with Reid requesting that they use their emergency rulemaking procedure to do so. In response, on May 18, 2012, the FAA Administrator said that while the agency had considered emergency rulemaking, they had decided that an ANPRM would be the right move, allowing them to gather input and commentary from the glider community before making a change. And, after gathering data and analyzing reports, the FAA published the ANPRM on June 16, 2015. More Details on the Comments Received on the ANPRM According to the FAA, "approximately 18 organizations and 213 individual or anonymous commenters responded" to the ANPRM. Breaking down the comments further, they say that 161 were unfavorable or adverse to the proposed change, 52 comments were favorable, and 18 were neutral. Of the 18 organizations that commented, they said that 14 responded unfavorably, 2 responded favorably, and 2 were neutral. Among the organizations commenting were the Soaring Society of America (SSA), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Vintage Sailplane Association (VSA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Civil Air Patrol (CAP), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), American Association for Justice (AAJ), and 11 local groups. Among the individuals commenting, the FAA noted that while glider and general aviation pilots were the majority, there were comments from pilots of all types, including airline and military pilots, with many pilots holding multiple ratings. In AOPA's 2015 comments to the ANPRM, they said that they saw no benefit to the removal of the current glider transponder exception, saying that "History has shown that gliders are safe and that this exemption works in the favor of aviation being accessible. There would likely be a high financial cost to these aircraft owners should the exemption be discontinued, with little return in benefits as they operate in the national airspace system." AOPA added that they believed that the removal of this exception would not substantially increase safety. In the withdrawal notice, the FAA agreed with AOPA's assessment, saying that after analyzing the near mid-air collision (NMAC) reports over a 10 year period, removing the glider exception "has the potential to reduce the NMAC occurrences by about 0.70 occurrences per year, or about 2 NMACs every 3 years (0.38% of all reported NMACs per year over that period)." They added that based on the nationwide rate of occurrence, "safety risk data does not support a rule requiring glider operators to install a transponder device at this time." The agency also noted that the number of gliders that were voluntarily being equipped with collision avoidance systems was steadily increasing, from 14% in 2006 to 24.3% in 2014. The cost of equipping gliders with the necessary equipment was also on the commenter's minds, with 138 of the comments discussing this topic. Of those comments discussing cost, the FAA said that "there were just 20 comments that could be characterized as in favor of requiring gliders to equip with transponders to some degree." In discussing the cost, the agency estimated that the cost of requiring gliders to be equipped with transponders would be "about $5,000 per glider and more than $7 million for the glider fleet." They further break down the costs in the withdrawal notice, saying that about $3,979 would be in non-recurring hardware and installation costs, with an additional $1,009 in recurring inspection and battery replacement costs over a 10-year period. In the notice, the FAA also addresses the use of other options, such as ADS-B, TABS, and FLARM equipment. And while the agency says that they don't view FLARM "as the most effective system to support collision avoidance with powered aircraft," they do say in the conclusion that they "recommend that all glider aircraft owners equip their gliders with a transponder meeting the requirements of § 91.215(a), a rule-compliant ADS-B Out system, or a TABS device." The FAA also says that though they won't be taking a regulatory course of action regarding the glider transponder requirements at this time, this doesn't "preclude the FAA from issuing another notice on the subject matter in the future or committing the agency to any future course of action." For those interested, you can read the full text of the withdrawal notice here. https://disciplesofflight.com/faa-rulemaking-glider-transponder-requirements/ Back to Top CAAB makes headway in aviation safety (Botswana) The Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) has been recognised for progressing well in resolving safety oversight deficiencies and continued improvement of the effective implementation of applicable International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. Chief executive officer (CEO), Geoffrey Moshabesha explained that the ICAO award which they got ranks Botswana well above the world average noting that it would benefit the country in many ways. "The implication of the EU ranking and its benefit to the country is that in accordance with the common criteria set out in the Annex to Regulation No 2111/2005, in which air carriers from Botswana will remain excluded from the list of carriers subject to an operation ban within the EU," he said. The CEO also noted that the subsequent ICAO award has been viewed as a major landmark in the growth of the aviation sector in Botswana. In addition, Moshabela noted that great progress has similarly been made from an infrastructure perspective as all the airports are currently at varying stages of development. He said once all projects have been completed, the CAAB expects that the airports will provide a conducive environment for the growth of the industry as well as playing a catalytic role in the development of other sectors of the economy such as tourism and trade. The CEO further said they recently successfully launched African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) conference, which hosted aviation experts from the 54-member states taking into account that AFCAC is a specialised agency of the African Union in the field of civil aviation. During the conference, African Airlines Association (AFRAA) secretary general Dr Elijah Chingosho said one of the factors that contributes to the poor performance of the national carrier amongst others is the high jet fuel price. "The jet fuel price in Botswana is one of the highest in Africa, which severely negatively affects the competitive capacity of the national carrier," he said. The relatively high price of jet fuel in Botswana has been blamed on logistics as well as economies of scale. Unlike other countries in the region that use rail and pipeline to import fuel the commodity is brought into Botswana by road pushing up the cost. According to IATA, African airlines made a loss of $700 million in 2015, a record loss that is expected to be followed by another significant $500 million one in 2016. http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=65487&dir=2016/december/16 Back to Top Gulfstream's next generation private plane is getting some fighter jet tech The G500 represents the first of Gulfstream's next generation private jets. Even though, the plane won't enter service until sometime in 2017, Business Insider got a sneak peak at some new technology found never before see on a private jet. It's larger G600 sibling will debut in 2018. Like most large, modern civilian jets, the G500 will use fly-by-wire technology. This means that the pilot's control input is relayed to the wings and the tail of the aircraft through a series of computers, relays, and servos as opposed to a set of mechanical pulleys and cables. In addition to fly-by-wire, Gulfstream has replaced the tradition control yoke with a side stick. Side stick technology isn't exactly new. Civilian manufacturers such as Airbus, Bombardier, and Embraer have been using the input system in some way, shape, or from since the late 1980s. Military aircraft began deploying the tech even before that. Proponents of side stick technology say that removing the cumbersome control yoke from in front of the pilot affords the flight a crew a better view of the instruments while creating a better work environment with more room to operate. However, it is what Gulfstream has added to the traditional side stick that makes the G500 special. http://www.businessinsider.com/gulfstream-g500-jet-active-sidestick-bae-2016-12 Back to Top Mitusbishi MRJ jet program may be about to suffer another delivery delay Mitsubishi is reviewing the commercial delivery schedule for its new MRJ Regional Jet amid speculation that a fifth program delay will be announced sometime in January. Shunichi Miyanaga, president of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, recently told Japanese media outlets, including The Nikkei, that the company "is carefully reviewing the delivery time" for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet under development by its Mitsubishi Aircraft affiliate. Three Mitsubishi MRJ test aircraft now sit on the tarmac at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake at dusk after the arrival of the third aircraft on Dec. 19. A fourth flight test jet is expected join them in January. PORT OF MOSES LAKE/GRANT COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT "I'll be able to talk about the results of the review in January," Miyanaga told The Nikei. The Nikkei reported Miyangi's remarks "effectively confirmed yet another delay." Jeff Dronen, a spokesman for Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. of America, dismissed that suggestion. The Japanese company and its America affiliate are currently scheduled to begin the first commercial MRJ deliveries in mid-2018 after conducting extensive flight tests in Moses Lake. However, The Nikei and Kyodo News Service have reported deliveries to MRJ launch customer All Nippon Airways could be pushed back to 2019 or later, something Mitsubishi has not confirmed. Thousands of hours of flight tests are required to secure an operating certificate from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Mitsubishi Aircraft has set up a new engineering center in Seattle. A third MRJ flight test jet landed in Moses Lake on Dec. 19 for the flight-testing program, according to Mitsubishi Aircraft and the Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, which have both posted photos of the three aircraft on its snowy tarmac. A fourth test aircraft is expected at Moses Lake some time in January. In a recent PSBJ interview, Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation of America CEO Masao Yamagami said the MRJ flight tests were going well and he praised the Moses Lake airport facility. "We're committed to creating the best regional jet on the market, and our employees know that any decision we make is for the good of the program, the MRJ, and ultimately our customers and passengers," he said in the interview. "Our employees also understand the big picture. Not only are we creating a new, clean-sheet design regional jet, but we're also establishing the foundation for commercial aviation to be the next major industry in Japan." The MRJ is Japan's first-ever passenger jet after the country produced a turboprop in the 1960s. The 90- seat aircraft is intended to compete with offerings by rivals Bombardier of Canada and Embraer of Brazil. http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/12/28/mitusbishi-mrj-jet-program-moses-lake- bombardier.html Back to Top Qatar Airways buys 10-percent stake in LATAM Airlines DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Qatar Airways says it has purchased a 10-percent stake in Chile's LATAM Airlines Group for $608 million. The Doha-based state airline announced the stock purchase late Wednesday. LATAM was created when Chile's LAN took over Brazil's TAM in 2012. The airline flies to some 140 destinations in 25 countries. LATAM stock closed at $8.42 a share Wednesday, up 1.6 percent. Qatar Airways operates a fleet of 192 aircraft out of its hub in the vast new Hamad International Airport in Doha, which is preparing to host soccer's World Cup in 2022. It is one of the Middle East's biggest carriers, along with Dubai-based Emirates Airline and the Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways. The three airlines increasingly have challenged Western airlines in long-haul flights. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/12/29/qatar-airways-buys-10-percent-stake-in-latam-airlines.html Back to Top Veteran Airline Executive Donald J. Carty to Join Hawaiian Airlines Board of Directors HONOLULU - Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, Inc., today announced the return of Donald J. Carty to both companies' boards of directors effective Friday, December 23, 2016. Carty, a seasoned airline executive, has served on the Hawaiian Holdings board twice before, from July 2004 to February 2007 and again from April 2008 to May 2011. "Don Carty possesses deep experience with and understanding of both the airline industry and publicly traded companies and we are delighted to welcome him back to the boardroom," said Lawrence Hershfield, chairman of the board of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. Carty most recently served as chairman of the board of Virgin America, Inc., a position he held from 2006- 2016 until the acquisition of Virgin America by Alaska Airlines was consummated. Carty has held numerous executive leadership roles during his career, serving as chairman and chief executive officer for AMR Corporation and American Airlines, president and chief executive officer of Canadian Pacific Air Lines and vice-chairman and chief financial officer of Dell. He is also a director of Canadian National Railway Company. Carty joins board members Lawrence S. Hershfield, chairman; Mark B. Dunkerley; Randall L. Jenson; Crystal K. Rose; William S. Swelbar; Richard N. Zwern; Joseph Guerrieri, Jr.; Duane E. Woerth; and Earl E. Fry. https://www.ajot.com/news/veteran-airline-executive-donald-j.-carty-to-join-hawaiian-airlines-board-o Back to Top Emirates adds 36 aircraft to fleet in 2016 Emirates, the world's largest international airline, rounded off another year of growth in 2016, underlined by fleet and network expansion, as well as customer focused product investments. Commenting on 2016, Sir Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline said: "Consumer appetite for travel has remained resilient, despite socio-economic and political headwinds around the globe, and that is reflected in our operational growth. "Emirates will continue on our strategy of organic growth, leveraging on the geo-centricity of the UAE, and Dubai's dynamic developments in tourism and commerce. We will also continue to invest in our product and services so as to offer our customers an outstanding experience and value proposition while they discover the world," he said. An all Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet Emirates scaled up its fleet in 2016 with the addition of 36 new aircraft, consisting of 20 A380s, 16 Boeing 777-300ERs, while retiring 29 older aircraft. The airline concluded the year with 255 aircraft in service, with an average age of 5.0 years, significantly below the industry average of over 11 years, it said. Keeping its fleet young not only minimises Emirates' overall carbon footprint, but it also enables the airline to put the latest products and services onboard its aircraft, the airline said. In April, Emirates placed an order for two additional A380 aircraft, taking its total A380 order book to 142, cementing its position as the world's largest operator of the popular double-decker aircraft. In November Emirates became the only airline to operate an all Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet, further elevating the passenger experience onboard through a modern, state-of-the-art wide-body fleet. Emirates also began taking delivery of its newest generation Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The new Airbus A380 has several notable new features including an enhanced seat configuration in Economy Class, and a higher ceiling in the Business Class Cabin for a more spacious feel. Emirates' new Boeing 777-300ERs delivered from November also feature the airline's new Business Class seat. Expanded network footprint Emirates unlocked seven new passenger points and one cargo destination in 2016, rounding off the year with 154 destinations in its global network. The airline's new passenger services in 2016 were: Cebu and Clark in the Philippines, Yinchuan and Zhengzhou in China, Yangon in Myanmar, Hanoi in Vietnam, Fort Lauderdale in the US and cargo-only destination Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Emirates also expanded its A380 network to 44 destinations with the addition of eight new points. Today it operates the longest A380 service in the world from Dubai to Auckland, and also the world's shortest A380 service to Doha. During the year, Emirates also led one-off A380 services to two destinations - Chicago in the US, and Amman in Jordan. Customer experience investments Emirates was named World's Best Airline 2016 at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, and in the past year, the airline continued to work hard to deliver memorable experiences for its customers, the airline said. It invested in a series of product developments and service enhancements, both in the air and on the ground. This year, Emirates unveiled its enhanced Business Class seat on its Boeing 777 aircraft, taking comfort and design to new heights. Amongst the most recognisable features of the new seat is the pitch of 72 inches that can be moved into a fully flat 180 degree sleeping position, a personal mini-bar, as well as one of the industry's largest personal TV screens at 23 inches with the ability to stream personal mobile content. Emirates continued to strengthen its in-flight entertainment (IFE) offering. With the airline now operating an all-Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet, this means customers on all Emirates flights can access on- demand entertainment with up to 2,600 channels of movies, music, TV shows, games and more, to choose from. In October, Emirates signed an agreement with Thales to equip its Boeing 777X fleet with the Thales AVANT in-flight entertainment system, debuting in mid-2020. Reflecting the increasingly connected digital lifestyle, over 8.8 million Emirates passengers connected to Wi-Fi on board in 2016. In addition, more than 400,000 phone calls were made in-flight, and 1.7 million sms messages were transmitted by passengers. For its premium passengers, Emirates rolled out a range of enhancements onboard with luxury in mind. New additions in First Class included the world's first moisturising lounge wear designed for an airline, keeping skin hydrated during the flight. New blankets were introduced including plush faux sheep-skin blankets for First Class and soft duvets for Business Class passengers. On the ground, investments continued in upgrading the lounge experience. Emirates this year completed a $11 million refurbishment of its Business Class lounge at Concourse B in Dubai, which now includes a barista experience, a health hub with Voss water, and an exclusive Moët & Chandon champagne lounge. The airline also extended its dedicated lounge network with the opening of its lounge in Cape Town. Emirates also began offering customers greater flexibility to check in for their flights by extending check-in in times from 24 hours to 48 hours. Building on the strength of its loyalty programmes, the airline's frequent flyer programme Emirates Skywards marked a milestone of 16 million members by launching Cash+Miles. The innovative flight redemption programme allowed members to redeem a combination of cash and Skywards Miles on any Emirates flight, reducing the cost of tickets and making any seat available for members. The airline also revamped its corporate loyalty programme, Emirates Business Rewards, delivering a more competitive and easier redemption process for flights as well as upgrades at any time for businesses. Brand appeal Emirates topped The Brand Finance Global 500 report as the world's most valuable airline brand in 2016, with the airline's brand value growing more than 17 per cent to $7.7 billion. Throughout 2016, Emirates continued to use sports, musical and cultural events as a platform to engage with its customers and fans. - TradeArabia News Service http://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_318623.html Back to Top DARPA's ALIAS aircraft automation program spreads its wings A Sikorsky S-76 helicopter being flown using ALIAS The age of widespread autonomous flight came another step closer as DARPA announced its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) has completed Phase 2 of its development program. The drop-in, removable kit designed to convert conventional aircraft into advanced automated vehicles requiring fewer crew was installed in two different Cessna 208 Caravan fixed-wing aircraft, a Diamond DA-42 fixed-wing aircraft, and a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter. According to DARPA, the ALIAS-equipped aircraft successfully completed flight demonstrations as well as responding to simulated flight emergencies while on the ground that included systems failures that could cause pilots to deviate from normal procedures. In both cases, the agency says that ALIAS worked without adversely affecting airworthiness. ALIAS is intended as a way of automating various military aircraft without making bespoke modifications to each individual plane design. The idea is to develop a kit that can be installed in the cabin of an aircraft, where it can take control and fly missions from takeoff to landing as well as handling emergencies based on existing vehicle information, procedures, and flight mechanics. The current version fits within the airframes of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters under the cabin floor, where it's connected to existing mechanical, electrical, and diagnostic systems. Once installed, pilots can communicate with ALIAS using gestures on a tablet computer "In Phase 2, we exceeded our original program objectives with two performers, Sikorsky and Aurora Flight Sciences, each of which conducted flight tests on two different aircraft," says Scott Wierzbanowski, DARPA program manager. "In Phase 3, we plan to further enhance ALIAS' ability to respond to contingencies, decrease pilot workload, and adapt to different missions and aircraft types. We're particularly interested in exploring intuitive human-machine interface approaches - including using handheld devices - that would allow users to interact with and control the ALIAS system more easily. Ultimately, we want to design for and demonstrate the improved ALIAS system across as many as seven previously untested fixed- and rotary-wing platforms." In June, Phase 1 was completed using a Sikorsky S-76 commercial helicopter, which flew from Stanford to Plainville, Connecticut, while the pilot monitored proceedings from a tablet. DARPA has announced Sikorsky has been chosen to work on Phase 3. Source: DARPA http://newatlas.com/darpa-alias-phase-two/47140/ 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