Flight Safety Information January 5, 2017 - No. 005 In This Issue Malaysia Airlines rejects allegations of negligence over MH17 Search Continues over Lake Erie for Lost Business Jet Passenger plane 'was forced to drop sharply to avoid a high-speed mid-air crash with a NATO military aircraft Spirit Airlines jet diverted to Lubbock from LAX after odor reported in cabin Bomb Threat Forces Emergency Airplane Landing in Prague American Airlines Flight From DFW Diverted Due to Mechanical Issue NATA Asks FAA To Hold Off On Mx Human-factors Guidance Ideagen software to enhance aviation safety at Air Transat Part 107 drone pilots we know where you live Advanced M-345 jet trainer makes maiden flight The 737 Max is Boeing's fastest-selling jet ever 5-year agreement for maintenance of JetBlue aircraft in Rome could bring new jobs Israeli firm creates autonomous aircraft that goes where no helicopter dares Greening Aviation from the Ground Up Houston opens $72 million aviation-themed high school Call for Abstracts of Technical Papers...ISASI 2017, San Diego CA ESASI SEMINAR 2017 - LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Malaysia Airlines rejects allegations of negligence over MH17 MALAYSIA Airlines is preparing to fight multi-million dollar lawsuits by Australian families alleging the carrier's negligence in flying MH17 over a war zone led to the deaths of their loved ones. In what should be a monumental battle in the Federal Court, more than a dozen families bereaved by the 2014 tragedy are taking action on the grounds Malaysia Airlines "failed to conduct an adequate risk assessment and charted a course through a known conflict zone, posing an unreasonable risk to those on board". Compensation above the $220,000 allowed under the first tier of the Montreal Convention is being sought by the families who lost children, parents, wives and husbands in the atrocity. Of the 298 people killed when a BUK missile shot MH17 out of the sky, 40 passengers called Australia home. Remnants of MH17 found in a field in Grabovka, Ukraine Picture: Getty Images/Brendan Hoffman Although Malaysia Airlines is yet to file its defence in the Federal Court, a statement from the Post Accident Office said they "strongly objected to any allegation of wrongdoing or negligence while operating flight MH17". "MH17 was flying along an authorised flight route, approved by EuroControl on the 17 July 2014," said a statement provided by the Post Accident Office. "The Dutch Safety Board's Final Investigation Report, concluded that Malaysia Airlines had prepared and operated the flight while complying with the applicable regulations." The statement noted that "Malaysia Airlines along with almost all other airlines used the same route". "The Dutch Safety Board also concluded that on 17 July 2014, 160 flights were operating in UKDV (Dnipropetrovsk airspace) until the airspace was closed (after the crash)," read the statement. Malaysia Airlines' position sets the stage for a fierce fight with relatives and their legal representatives, when the matter returns to court in Sydney on March 28. US-based lawyer Jerry Skinner who is representing five Australian families in lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines and Russia, said there was evidence the carrier was "criminally negligent". "You're talking about a professional organisation that flies routes halfway around the world, and they know there's a war going on because there's a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) but they don't pursue it any further," Mr Skinner said. "My question is "why is that failure to pursue what they knew was happening not a criminal act in and of itself?" They had enough clues, there were enough facts out there." His views are shared by former Qantas Head of Compliance turned barrister David Chitty who wrote an article for the New South Wales Bar Association journal titled "Safety in the air begins with safety on the ground". He said the risks associated with flying over eastern Ukraine in mid-July 2014 were "real, not trivial or fanciful and were known and foreseeable to airline operators". "It should be noted that eight operators (including Qantas) had reportedly ceased to fly over the area due to uncertainty of the situation in the Crimean region, that is, the known risk," he said. http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/malaysia-airlines-rejects-allegations-of-negligence- over-mh17/news-story/304e31b69954a793558adc6373c02b13 Back to Top Search Continues over Lake Erie for Lost Business Jet After nearly a week, no confirmed wreckage of the aircraft has been located. Recovery teams are searching for debris from a Citation CJ4 that went missing over Lake Erie last week. Recovery teams are continuing the hunt for debris from a Cessna Citation CJ4 that went missing last Thursday night over Lake Erie, shortly after takeoff from Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL). Only a single piece of luggage that washed ashore on Sunday afternoon has been positively linked to the lost aircraft. The Coast Guard, using an HC-130 and an MH-64 Dolphin helicopter that were joined by a Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130, called off the search on Saturday night in the face of 25- to 35-foot waves and strong winds. The city of Cleveland now assumes responsibility for the recovery effort. The light business jet, carrying three adults and three children, was headed for The Ohio State University Airport (OSU) in Columbus when it disappeared just 2 miles from the airport in water estimated to be 50 feet deep. The CJ4, operated by Superior Beverage Group, was under the command of the company's CEO John Fleming, reportedly an experienced pilot. BKL weather at the time of the accident reported westerly winds gusting to 32 knots with visibility of 8 miles in light snow and a broken cloud base at 1,300 feet on the dark night. The Aviation Safety Network reported, "Flight tracking website Flight Aware registered three data points after takeoff. The last shows the aircraft in a high-speed descent from 3,100 feet at a descent rate of 3,750 fpm." http://www.flyingmag.com/search-continues-over-lake-erie-for-lost-business-jet Back to Top Passenger plane 'was forced to drop sharply to avoid a high-speed mid-air crash with a NATO military jet' claim Russians * Propeller aircraft was flying from Russia's Sakhalin peninsula to the Kuril Islands * Reports claim it was forced into sharp descent amid fears a jet was approaching * A security source has since claimed that the unknown plane was a NATO jet A passenger plane was forced to drop sharply to avoid a mid-air crash with a NATO jet, Russia has claimed. The commercial propeller aircraft was flying off Russia's east coast when it was forced into performing the emergency action, according to a security source in the country. Air traffic controllers spotted the two planes approaching one another as the Russian Aurora Airlines flight - a subsidiary of Aeroflot - was making its way from Sakhalin peninsula to the Kuril Islands, reports in Russia claim. A Russian passenger plane run by Aurora Airlines (file picture) was forced to drop sharply to avoid a mid-air crash with a NATO jet, Russia has claimed It was forced to make an emergency descent when the unknown jet entered its 'air corridor', according to the Interfax news agency. Authorities are said to have made attempts to contact the unidentified military aircraft, but did receive a response from their radio signals. But the Moscow Times reports that the jet's radar transporter was recorded and that a security source said it belonged to a NATO aircraft. The claim has not been confirmed. It comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russian president Vladimir Putin and the West. There have been few recent examples of NATO planes violating Russian airspace, but frequent reports have surfaced of Putin's jets being intercepted by Western jets. In October, a pair of Russian Blackjack bombers were intercepted by fighter jets from four European countries as they flew from the direction of Norway to northern Spain and back. Britain, France, Norway and Spain all scrambled warplanes as the TU-160 planes 'skirted' the airspace of each country. The UK deployed RAF fighter jets then intercepted Russian bombers nearing UK airspace twice in four days. The Russian military aircraft flew in an 'area of interest' off the coast of Scotland in the middle of the night on October 12 and again on October 16, the MoD revealed. Typhoon jets from RAF Lossiemouth near Elgin, Scotland, were scrambled in response, supported by Voyagers from Brize Norton. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4090634/Passenger-plane-forced-drop-sharply- avoid-high-speed-mid-air-crash-NATO-military-jet-claim-Russians.html#ixzz4Ut9awXBr Back to Top Spirit Airlines jet diverted to Lubbock from LAX after odor reported in cabin LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) - A Spirit Airlines plane headed to DFW from Los Angeles detoured to Lubbock Wednesday afternoon after a reported "a foul odor" in the cabin. The Spirit Airbus A320 (twin-jet) Flight 866 left LAX at 12:24 PST and was scheduled to land at DFW at 4:31 CST. The flight was diverted to Lubbock after an Alert 1, which means minor electrical/mechanical problems. The flight landed safely at the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport just after 4:30, and no injuries were reported. Fire and EMS were called to the airport. Spirit Airlines officials released the following statement: Spirit Airlines flight 866 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) diverted to Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB) this evening following reports of a foul odor in the cabin. The plane landed safely and no passengers reported any injuries. A spare plane is on its way to take passengers back to DFW. We apologize to our customers and we will issue future flight credits for the inconvenience. http://www.kcbd.com/story/34185400/spirit-airlines-jet-diverted-to-lubbock-from-lax- after-odor-reported-in-cabin Back to Top Bomb Threat Forces Emergency Airplane Landing in Prague A bomb threat forced a flight carrying 168 people from Las Palmas, Spain to Warsaw to make an emergency landing in Prague, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec said. Czech police took the suspect who allegedly made the threat on Friday, identified by Chovanec as a Polish citizen, into custody. All passengers on the flight, a charter from the Polish company Enter Air, were being evacuated and were doing well, Chovanec said during a live briefing on Czech television. Most of the passengers are European Union citizens. The minister wouldn't say whether authorities had found an explosive device because a search and investigation were ongoing. He said the incident wasn't a terrorist act and, according to initial information, the suspect wasn't under the influence of alcohol or other substances. Regular traffic at the Vaclav Havel Airport Prague wasn't affected, Chovanec said, adding that this is the first such incident at the airport in 10 years. The plane is expected to resume its journey on Saturday, he said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-30/bomb-threat-forces-emergency- plane-landing-in-prague-ct24-says Back to Top American Airlines Flight From DFW Diverted Due to Mechanical Issue Authorities said an American American flight from North Texas to Cincinnati was diverted to Little Rock Wednesday night due to a mechanical issue. American spokeswoman Alexis Aran Coello said American Eagle Flight 3338 safely landed in Little Rock at 10:01 p.m. after departing from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at 8:41 p.m. Details about the mechanical issue have not yet been released, but officials said there was no smoke in the cabin. There were 39 passengers and three crew members on board the plane, according to authorities. Most Dangerous Intersections Mapped Out by Texas Attorney All the passengers were provided hotel accommodations and rebooked on flights to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Thursday morning. http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/American-Airlines-Flight-From-DFW-Diverted-Due-to- Mechanical-Issue-409746805.html Back to Top NATA Asks FAA To Hold Off On Mx Human-factors Guidance NATA is asking the FAA to set aside a revised draft Advisory Circular (AC) on maintenance human factors training, saying the proposed changes are inconsistent and could be contradictory with existing policies. Draft AC 120-72A, "Maintenance Human Factors Training," is designed to provide guidance for certificate holders to develop and implement aircraft maintenance human factors training programs. The draft, NATA noted, is based on AC 120-72, which was issued in 2002 and provides guidance for maintenance resource management training programs. The AC sought to establish a maintenance resource management process that corresponded to the cockpit resource management philosophy at the time, NATA said, adding this was intended to help organizations provide training for improved communication, effectiveness and safety in maintenance organizations. However, NATA stressed that applying a maintenance resource management model to fit human factors "results in a document that does not fit the proper audience." NATA also pointed out that the AC references a regulatory requirement for human factors training, but said that such training is not required by FAA regulations. "It is a requirement of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)," the association said. "The FAA has taken advantage of the EASA requirement under the bilateral [agreement] to ensure that at least the repair stations with EASA certification have human factors training." The FAA needs to remove the reference to required human factors training to further analyze the application of such training for regulatory consistency, NATA added. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-01-04/nata-asks-faa- hold-mx-human-factors-guidance Back to Top Ideagen software to enhance aviation safety at Air Transat Canadian leisure airline, Air Transat will work with software firm Ideagen to enhance aviation safety across its operations in a six-figure five-year contract. Ideagen's cloud- based software, Ideagen Enlighten, will be rolled out across Air Transat, allowing safety investigation and senior management teams to analyse safety data in real-time, helping the airline to react quicker to potential hazards and mitigate risks. This will ultimately strengthen its safety culture and increase efficiencies for staff, particularly safety investigators. strengthening its safety culture and increasing efficiencies for staff, particularly safety investigators. Ideagen software to enhance aviation safety at Air Transat Dave Bourdages, Air Transat's senior director of safety, quality, and security, said: "Ideagen Enlighten will allow us to analyse data better, assess trends across the business and provide us with key performance indicators which we can communicate to upper management. "We're going to be able to see live, in real-time, what is happening with the airline operationally and be able to react quicker and better should the need to react arise. "Safety assessments, or risk assessments, can be done on the spot and should there be a need to investigate, the safety officer can devote his time to the investigation using accurate data." The forefront of safety reporting Air Transat plan to open their new reporting system to external services such as ground operations. This move will increase the quality of safety data further and allow the airline to make more informed decisions. Bourdages added: "Over time, our goal is to take all of the various reports we have - such as safety, health, and safety, injury declaration reports, captain reports, flight directory reports - and join them under one, single, database. This will give us much better visibility as to what is currently happening at the airline and during our operations. "Ideagen Enlighten will also allow us to deploy the system to sub-contractors such as ground operations at different airports. Those safety reports from ground ops - and other services as well - will feed into our system directly to increase our safety and risk knowledge. "I believe Ideagen Enlighten will take us to the forefront of safety reporting." http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/583/155844.html Back to Top Part 107 drone pilots we know where you live On the 1st of January 2017, the FAA released their list of active pilots. Three States enjoy concentrations of Part 107 remote pilots they are California (2308), Florida (1783) and Texas (1652). In total, the FAA had 20488 active Remote Pilots as of the 1st of January 2017 To become a commercial drone pilot in America candidates need to * Be at least 16 years old * Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English (exceptions may be made if the person is unable to meet one of these requirements for a medical reason, such as hearing impairment) * Be in a physical and mental condition to safely operate a small UAS There is then a very straight forward Part 107 test that costs $150 and occurs at Airman Knowledge Testing Centres located throughout America. It must be simple, all of us at sUAS News have passed it! Everything required is found on the FAA website. There are numerous other online resources including one from our own legal eagle Jonathan Rupprecht's. The Remote Pilot Certificate will allow you fly platforms weighing less than 55lbs. There are some restrictions as to where you can fly. These can be reduced with waivers. It's not a golden ticket, though, one that will guarantee success, you need to have a sensible business plan to go with it. Patrick summed it up well recently. "Sure, it has taken a long time, and no the process hasn't been perfect. However, the FAA has given us clear guidelines to work within and also set up a website to apply for Certificates of Waivers as well as authorization to fly in controlled airspace. Being King of the sceptics, I was concerned that we might be subject to fits and starts but by-in-larger and to their credit the FAA was able to pull it all off promptly and without major hiccups. At this point, the olive branch is extended, and I am offering an apology to the Administrator (and staff) for doubting his commitment to sUAS NAS integration." https://www.suasnews.com/2017/01/part-107-drone-pilots-know-live/ Back to Top Advanced M-345 jet trainer makes maiden flight Seen at the Paris Airshow in 2013, the M-345 has been enhanced with the HET-variant that is billed as being a low-cost trainer and operational platform. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen The first flight of the Alenia Aermacchi M-345 High Efficiency Trainer (HET) took place on 29 December, Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced. The milestone for the twin-seat single-engined jet trainer took place out of Venegono Superiore airfield in Varese, northern Italy, and lasted for approximately 30 minutes. Further flight trials will be conducted through 2017. First revealed in 2013, the M-345 HET is a development of the baseline M-345 jet trainer, which was a redesignation of the Aermacchi M-311 (itself an upgrading of the Aermacchi S-211 jet trainer). The aircraft has been designed to provide basic through to intermediate pilot training at reduced costs, and can be utilised in an operational capacity also. Company-released specifications give it a top speed of 420 kt at 20,000 ft; a stall speed of 88 kt; a rate-of-climb of 5,200 ft/min; a service ceiling of 40,000 ft; a sustained load factor of +4 g ; a fuel consumption (average) of 380 litre/hr; a maximum range of 760 n miles (clean) or 1,000 n miles (with external tanks); an endurance of 2.75 hours (clean) or 3.85 hours (external tanks); and a take-off run and landing roll of 520 m. Italy has committed itself to procuring the M-345 HET, and Leonardo-Finmeccanica has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chile. The company has offered the M-345 to France also. http://www.janes.com/article/66639/advanced-m-345-jet-trainer-makes-maiden-flight Back to Top The 737 Max is Boeing's fastest-selling jet ever * GE Aviation Capital orders 75 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets * Boeing deal with Fiji Airways includes Pacific training hub * Boeing 737 order deferrals raise red flags about global downturn Another major order was unveiled Wednesday for Boeing's 737 Max passenger jet, which has become the fastest selling Boeing commercial aircraft in the company's history. The single-aisle Boeing (NYSE: BA) jet has accumulated 3,419 firm orders since it was unveiled in 2011, Boeing Commercial Airplanes says. Boeing's 737 Max aircraft offer quieter engines and more fuel efficient features than older variants of the 737 family. Boeing's 737 Max aircraft offer quieter engines and more fuel efficient features than... more GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, ordered 75 Boeing 737 Max 8 airplanes before the close of 2016 in a deal worth $8.25 billion at list prices. GE has now ordered 170 of the airplanes, more than any other aircraft leasing company. What makes the Boeing 737 Max aircraft so special that it is being snapped up by airlines and jet lessors around the world? Boeing contends it offers lower operating costs than rival planes from Airbus, better fuel efficiency due to its advanced winglets (14 percent less fuel consumption than current 737s), and an unmatched dispatch reliability of 99.7 percent. The aircraft manufacturer also sells buyers on the fact the 737 Max is quieter than most of today's single-aisle airplanes and has as a 40 percent smaller noise footprint. It comes in three sizes, with passenger seating for between 126 to 220 people. All that for a jet which has not yet started flying commercially. They are made exclusively at Chicago-based Boeing's Renton manufacturing plant. The inaugural customer delivery will be in the first half of 2017, a quarter ahead of schedule, Boeing spokesman Paul Bergman said. The launch customer for the new jet is Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), which unveiled an order for 150 jets and 150 options in December 2011. Southwest has now 200 of the jets on order. The 737 Max started final assembly in 2015 and flew its first test flights in 2016. You can see who is buying the jet by checking our photo gallery and also checking Boeing's orders and deliveries page. http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/01/04/boeing-737-max-fastest-selling-jet-photos.html Back to Top 5-year agreement for maintenance of JetBlue aircraft in Rome could bring new jobs by CNYCentral JetBlue Embraer 190 arrives at Premier Aviation's Rome, NY facility. (Photo: Business Wire) ROME, N.Y. -- Premier Aviation and JetBlue have announced a five-year agreement for heavy maintenance and painting of Embraer 190 aircraft at the Griffiss International Airport. The agreement means maintenance for two lines of E-190 aircraft will begin in Rome Wednesday, and eventually grow to support the painting of two lines of aircraft. Painting will initially be supported at Premier's facility in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, according to a release. Officials say the agreement is expected to bring with it more skilled jobs for the Rome area, and recruitment for the facility is underway. Premier Aviation maintains, repairs, overhauls and paints aircraft. The Canadian-owned company operates four facilities in North America; the Rome facility is the only one located in the United States. In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer called the announcement "game-changing." It's game-changing news that JetBlue will land with a plane full of new jobs at Griffiss and expand maintenance operations at Premier Aviation. That's exactly why I called the JetBlue CEO directly and urged the company to bring this new business to New York and continue their great track record of creating jobs here in New York and investing in our state's economy. For more than 15 years I have worked with JetBlue to bring their service to Upstate New York, from Buffalo, to Syracuse, Rochester, and Albany - each time with great success. Now, Rome will service these planes. Simply put, today's agreement will allow Premier to create new, good-paying jobs, and allow for the economic benefits to reverberate throughout Oneida County and Central New York. http://cnycentral.com/news/local/jetblue-reaches-5-year-agreement-for-maintenance-of- aircraft-at-rome-facility Back to Top Israeli firm creates autonomous aircraft that goes where no helicopter dares An autonomous aircraft the size of a car could revolutionize aviation by flying in areas currently inaccessible to aircraft, according to its Israeli developers. After 15 years of development, an Israeli tech firm are optimistic of finally get their one- and-a-half tonne people-carrying drone off the ground and into the market. The Cormorant aircraft, billed as a flying car capable of transporting 500kg of weight and traveling at 115 mph, completed its first automated solo flight in November, taking off, flying and landing by itself. Developers Urban Aeronautics believe the vehicle, which uses internal rotors to fly rather than helicopter propellers, will be sold to militaries to work in hostile environments from 2020 and cost $14 million. "Just imagine a dirty bomb in a city and a chemical substance or something else and this vehicle can come in robotically, remotely piloted, come in to the street and decontaminate an area," Urban Aeronautics founder and CEO Rafi Yoeli told Reuters. Yoeli set up the company, based in a large hanger in Yavne, central Israel, in 2001 to create the vehicle, which he says is safer than a helicopter as it can fly in between buildings and below power lines without the risk of blade strikes. However, there is still plenty of work required before the 2020 launch to market. The vehicle is yet to meet all Federal Aviation Administration standards and November's test also saw small issues with conflicting data sent by sensors but Yoeli said he was pleased the automation worked as required. Janina Frankel-Yoeli, vice president marketing at Urban Aeronautics, said the Cormorant, named after an aquatic bird, marked a new phase in aviation. "I think it's a revolution in the field of aviation because it's a new class of aircraft, it's like you had fixed wing aircraft and you could fly long distances forward, you developed helicopters and you suddenly could move vertically - and up until now there's a whole area of airspace that even helicopters couldn't go because of this enormous rotor and the hazards of it and suddenly you have a family of aircraft based on this technology that can fly in places that nothing has ever been able to fly," she said. http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/Tech/Israeli-firm-creates-autonomous- aircraft-that-goes-where-no-helicopter-dares-477334 Back to Top Greening Aviation from the Ground Up With the busy holiday travel season, my thoughts turned to the large numbers of people who took to the skies to visit friends and family these past weeks. Advancements in green aviation technologies and new international agreements like the ICAO measure to curb carbon dioxide emissions have brought us a long way in making air travel more sustainable. Most of us think about how the planes and engines are becoming more efficient (and they are!), but advancements in ground-based operations can make aviation even more sustainable. Commercial air travel shows no sign of slowing down - in fact, the number of airplanes in service is expected to nearly double by 2030. With less than 20 percent of the world's population ever stepping onto an airplane, it's not surprising that aviation growth is upon us. These trends are covered in a white paper I co-authored earlier this year. Let's keep in mind: * Every day, 9.8 million passengers take 104,000 flights carrying $18.6 billion worth of goods. * The global air transport industry supports almost 63 million jobs worldwide and contributes $2.7 trillion or 3.5 percent of global GDP. * Civil aerospace spends $15 billion per year on sustainability and efficiency-related R&D. Going green on the ground This week, I released a new white paper with my colleague, Sara Kerr, addressing the efforts being made "on the ground" to meet the aviation industry's aggressive long-term sustainability goals. Three focus areas come to mind: Aerospace production and technology evolution initiatives from additive manufacturing, which can reduce a part's "buy-to-fly" ratio by 90 percent, to nanomaterials that allow for weight reduction and better performance, are helping the industry create a more sustainable future. Green airports are an essential component of long-term success. A focus on becoming "carbon neutral" has ripple effects in greening transport systems and buildings, and improving the quality of life in nearby communities. Creating greener ways to service aircraft and move passengers efficiently are vital to improved sustainability. At San Diego International Airport's Terminal 2, for example, performance enhancements include high- performance glazing, on-site solar power, low-flow fixtures for water conservation, and the diversion of more than 90 percent of construction waste from landfills. The terminal is the world's first to be certified LEED Platinum. Green aerospace factories - which focus on more efficient operations, new production technologies and green supply chains - will also make a substantial contribution to the industry's long-term sustainability. In my own company, we've reduced greenhouse gasses 34 percent and water use 57 percent all while we tripled revenues over the last twenty years. Others in the industry have made great gains too. Aerospace manufacturing and supply chain is where green aviation begins! Where the ground and sky meet Commercial air travel accounts for about 2 percent of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions - a figure that, without action, could rise to 3 percent by 2050. This presents the industry with an opportunity to make a significant contribution to both economic growth and environmental sustainability. Technologies like the Geared Turbofan jet engine will play a big role by reducing fuel burn by 16 percent, particulate emissions by 50 percent and noise footprints by 75 percent. The advancement of lower-carbon alternative fuels - many bio-based - will also make a big difference with the long-term potential to reduce fuel carbon emissions by 80 percent. The timing is right for the efforts on the ground and in the sky to come together to advance the sustainable future of aviation. http://www.triplepundit.com/special/sustainable-innovation-united- technologies/greening-aviation-ground/ Back to Top Houston opens $72 million aviation-themed high school The new Sterling Aviation High School replaces a building constructed in 1965. A new Sterling Aviation High School building has opened in the Houston district. Houston ISD The Houston school district has opened a new $72 million Sterling Aviation High School. The district says the 237,000-square-foot campus will replace the original structure built in 1965. The school features contemporary furniture, broad windows, and spacious classrooms and hallways adorned in bright, bold colors. The building was designed to enhance the school's aviation sciences program and support 21st-century learning. The new building is one of the major projects in the district's 2012 Bond Program, which calls for the renovation or rebuilding of 40 schools, including 29 high schools. Sterling is the first comprehensive high school to be built in the district in almost 16 years. Built to accommodate 1,600 to 1,800 students, the campus has a massive airplane hangar that serves as the centerpiece of both the school and its focus on aviation science. Lined with large viewing windows and surrounded by career and technology education classrooms, the hangar provides a flexible learning space where students can work on airplanes and engines - both individually and in large and small groups. The campus also includes science labs, flexible classroom spaces, and several learning commons areas, each of which serves as a sort of modern, high-tech library. Another highlight is the school's learning stairs. They provide a flexible learning space for small groups or impromptu lectures. The new school was built just south of the original location. Once students and staff are moved into the new location, crews will begin demolishing the original school to make way for new athletic fields and parking. The second phase is expected to be completed later this year. http://asumag.com/new-construction/houston-opens-72-million-aviation-themed-high- school Back to Top Call for Abstracts of Technical Papers ISASI 2017, San Diego CA August 22 - 24. 2017 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 48th annual seminar at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina from August 22 - 24, 2017. This year's theme is: "Investigations - Do They Really Make a Difference?" Abstracts of Technical papers are invited to address the theme in conjunction with other contemporary matters on aviation safety investigation, including recent case studies, new investigation methods and aviation safety trends or developments. For those interested in presenting a paper, submissions of abstracts are due by March 15, 2017. Abstracts should include a title and up to 300-word summary of the main points of the proposed paper. Please also include your name(s), affiliation, position, and a brief resume. Submissions, or any inquiries regarding submissions, are to be sent to: isasi2017abstracts@gmail.com The panel reviewing the submitted abstracts will consider criteria such as the quality of the paper for relevance to the seminar theme and air safety investigation. They will also endeavour to ensure that a broad range of topics are covered during the seminar. Decisions on the selected abstracts will be made by the April 15, 2017 and details on the required format of the final presentations will be issued at that time. Presenters will be required to submit their papers by July 15, 2017. Up to date information on ISASI 2017 can be found at www.isasi.org Back to Top ESASI SEMINAR 2017 - LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA The European Society of Air Safety Investigators (ESASI) will hold their annual seminar in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on the 19 and 20 April 2017. Further details, and previous seminar programmes, can be found at www.esasi.eu . ESASI would welcome proposals for presentations to be given during the 2017 seminar, which should last a maximum of 25 minutes with a further 5 minutes for questions. Presentations should address issues relating to air safety investigations; particular areas of interest are: * challenges faced by air safety investigators, * the environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in, * practical experience of applying investigation techniques, * new techniques to aid the investigation, * topical case studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to Brian McDermid, by 31 January 2017, at presentations@esasi.eu. The ESASI committee will select the presentations in early February 2017. 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