Flight Safety Information January 6, 2017 - No. 006 In This Issue LAM B737 at Tete on Jan 5th 2017, collision with a drone UK pilots urge action over increasing drone encounters MD-90 operators told to fit angle-of-attack sensor heaters FAA REVIEWS AOPA MEDICAL COURSE JetBlue Flight Makes Emergency Landing at O'Hare Airport Mystery as engine drops out of B-52 bomber during Air Force training mission Search crews scour Lake Erie shores for debris from missing jet Spice Jet aircraft makes emergency landing Transport minister convenes aviation safety summit after arrest of Sunwing pilot (Canada) Indonesia warns airline over drunk pilot Aviation officials say crashes can provide teachable moments Rwanda: Parliament Passes New Law to Regulate Civil Aviation Authority People In Aviation: January 2017 Airplane engineering company moves to Wichita State University AMC fears its own pilot shortfall will expand Supplier Triumph suing Bombardier over Global 7000 jet The US Army plans to upgrade its massive Chinook helicopter to fly for 100 years Boeing Close to $10.1 Billion Order From India's SpiceJet NASA Chief Hopes U.S. Soon Won't Have to Pay Russia for Space Trips 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 LAM B737 at Tete on Jan 5th 2017, collision with a drone A LAM Linhas Aereas de Mocambique Boeing 737-700, registration C9-BAQ performing flight TM-136 from Maputo to Tete (Mozambique) with 80 passengers and 6 crew, was on final approach to Tete when the crew heard a loud bang, no abnormal indications followed. The crew suspecting a bird strike continued the approach for a safe landing. A post flight examination revealed a drone had impacted the right hand side of the radome. The airline confirmed the occurrence, a replacement aircraft was dispatched to Tete to perform the return flight. The occurrence aircraft is being repaired. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a319157&opt=0 Back to Top UK pilots urge action over increasing drone encounters Pilots' representatives in the UK believe the risk of a drone collision with aircraft is increasing, after claiming a doubling of reported encounters. The UK cockpit union BALPA says 69 airprox incidents involving drones were reported in UK airspace last year. BALPA points out that this is more than double the figure of 29 for 2015, and that the increasing interest in drone use - particularly following the holiday season - is likely to exacerbate the issue. "After a significant increase in near misses last year, it seems not everyone who is flying them either know or care about the rules," says BALPA flight safety specialist Steve Landells. He points out that drones should be equipped to transmit sufficient data for law enforcement personnel to trace the operator in the event of transgression. "Owing to the huge numbers of drones being sold, more technological solutions will undoubtedly be required to address this problem, and should be mandated," he says. "If the user has endangered an aircraft, we would like to see the culprit prosecuted." www.flightglobal.com Back to Top MD-90 operators told to fit angle-of-attack sensor heaters Operators of Boeing MD-90s are being instructed to fit external case heaters on angle-of- attack sensors to prevent improper activation of the stick-shaker. The order features in an airworthiness directive, effective from 2 February, newly adopted by the US FAA. It states cites incidents in which the stick-shaker activated at airspeeds above the thresholds of the stall-protection system on the type. The directive is aimed at preventing ice formation between the angle-of-attack sensor vane and its face-plate which, it states, could immobilise both vanes. "If both vanes become immobilised, the stall-protection system could become unreliable or non-functional, which could result in loss of control of the [aircraft]," it adds. Operators have been ordered to install external case heaters on the sensors. Boeing issued a service bulletin in November 2015 describing procedures for installing such heaters and carrying out functional tests. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top FAA REVIEWS AOPA MEDICAL COURSE MEDICAL REFORM RULE EXPECTED SOON The FAA has reviewed the AOPA Air Safety Institute's aeromedical online course and confirmed that it meets the third class medical reform requirements that Congress created last summer. Pilots would need to complete the course, which AOPA will offer for free, every two years in addition to seeing their personal physician every four years to operate under the law. AOPA provides medical training AOPA preps online medical course to meet requirements expected in new pilot medical certification rule. "We worked with a lot of constituents to get this course done.... We've worked with a number of doctors, general practitioners as well as AMEs," said AOPA President Mark Baker. AOPA FREE 6-MONTH MEMBERSHIP FOR STUDENT PILOTS No Risk-No Catch In reminding pilots that they will continue to have the responsibility to assess their health before every flight, Baker remarked about the course, "It's a good assessment to yourself." The course covers a variety of health subjects, including the importance of exercise and diet and their effect on your performance in the cockpit, as well as providing in-depth information on heart health and diabetes. The course concludes with a quiz. Pilots must pass in order to earn the certificate that is kept in their logbooks for reference if the FAA were ever to ask. Those not passing the first time can review the course and retake the quiz until they pass. AOPA will notify pilots when the course is available to take. The FAA is expected to publish the third class medical reform final rule soon. In December, the agency indicated that it would release the third class medical reform final rule in January. Based on the legislation that President Barack Obama signed into law July 15, 2016, the FAA must publish the final rule within 180 days of that date. The final rule is expected to include the effective date that pilots can begin operating under the new reforms. "We're looking forward to the final rule and implementation date from the FAA," said Baker. "This has been a long time coming. AOPA and our members fought hard for reforms, and we hear every day from pilots who can't wait to fly under the new rule." AOPA will notify members as soon as the final rule is published and will review it in detail to provide answers for any questions pilots might have. AOPA also is preparing a suite of online resources for pilots and physicians to help them make use of the new rule and ensure implementation goes smoothly. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/january/05/faa-reviews-aopa- medical-course Back to Top JetBlue Flight Makes Emergency Landing at O'Hare Airport A JetBlue flight was diverted to O'Hare International Airport Thursday afternoon after the crew reported a "possible cockpit indicator error," the airline said. JetBlue flight no. 213 from New York to California landed safely in Chicago just after 4:30 p.m., the airline said in a statement. Further information on the potential error was not released, but the airline said maintenance crews are inspecting aircraft. http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/JetBlue-Flight-Makes-Emergency-Landing-at- OHare-Airport-409831325.html Back to Top Mystery as engine drops out of B-52 bomber during Air Force training mission over wildlife refuge in North Dakota * The engine landed in an unpopulated area northeast of Minot Air Force Base * Air Force officials said there's no threat to public safety and an investigation is under way * No weapons were on board and no injuries have been reported * The bomber's five-member crew were able to land the plane safely An engine dropped out of a B-52 bomber during a training mission at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. The Air Force confirmed that one of the aircraft's eight engines dropped mid-flight for an unknown reason on J Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge land, located near Upham in Bottineau County, and is buried in snow in a river bed. Air Force officials sent a helicopter to recover engine debris, which was found located in an unpopulated area about 28 miles northeast of Minot Air Force Base, an Air Force spokesperson told MyNDNow.com. One of eight engines dropped out of a B-52 bomber for an unknown reason The incident occurred during a training flight at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota (pictured) BOEING B-52 FACTS AND FIGURES First flight: 1952 Length: 159 feet, 4 inches Wingspan: 185 feet Speed: 650 mph Range: 8,800 miles without refueling Armaments: 31,500 kilograms of ordnance, which can include bombs, mines and missiles Crew: Five Inventory: 58 active, 18 reserve Cost: US$84 million Source: US Air Force The bomber's five-member crew declared an in-flight emergency when the pilot discovered that an engine had dropped, an Air Force spokesperson said. They were able to land the plane safely back at the base. There were no weapons on board the bomber, and no injuries have been reported relating to the incident, which remains under investigation, according to the Air Force. Col. Matthew Brooks, commander of the 5th Bomb Wing, established a safety investigation board to determine what caused the incident, according to Military.com. The Boeing-manufactured bomber has been in use since 1952 and is expected to remain operating until 2040, when it'll be replaced by the Northrop Grumman's B-21. There are 76 B-52's in the Air Force's inventory and are among the oldest in the fleet. The B-52 was developed to carry nuclear weapons and has been adapted over the years. It's been used in missions from Vietnam War to Afghanistan. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4093658/B-52-drops-engine-mid-flight-wildlife- refuge-North-Dakota.html#ixzz4UyipDB68 Back to Top Search crews scour Lake Erie shores for debris from missing jet CLEVELAND - Thursday night marked one week since a plane crashed into Lake Erie with six passengers on board. Search crews have been looking for the plane since, but have had no major discoveries. Winter weather has also hindered the search for the plane and its occupants, but Thursday, with some help from calmer winds, search crews were back out on the coast. Cleveland Police Department crews on foot and on horseback search beaches to the east of the airport, looking for any sign of a missing Cessna Jet. Seven days ago, John T Fleming and his family were headed home to Columbus. They weren't in the air but a minute, before air traffic control lost contact, and the plane plummeted into Lake Erie. Fleming, according to FAA documents, purchased his Cessna 525 in October, hinting, he'd only been flying it for a couple of months. Help arrived Thursday in this search from the NTSB. On board, a boat used by the U.S. Geological Survey, was a special NTSB device called the "Muskie" used to find the beacon being emitted from the plane's cockpit voice recorder, something that may give investigators the answer they've been looking for as to how this plane, carrying six people, went down so quickly. The device helped to narrow down the search site to a 125 by 325-foot search area for the recorder. Crews were set back Wednesday, boats and divers couldn't go out until the late afternoon because of high winds and choppy water on Lake Erie. If conditions are as predicted, with temperatures 13 degrees in the morning to 19 degrees in the afternoon, waves two feet or less and winds west to southwest at 10-15 miles per hour, searches will begin at daylight. The sonar device will be deployed with the dive team who will use the underwater locator along with the crews from the NTSB, Muskie, Underwater Marine Contractors, and the Cleveland Division of Fire. Officials say multiple resources are on standby to assist as needed and shoreline searches will continue tomorrow. http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/search-crews-scour-lake- erie-shores-for-debris-from-missing-jet Back to Top Spice Jet aircraft makes emergency landing Bengaluru-Delhi Spice Jet flight SG 136 made an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Friday after experiencing partial hydraulic failure. Spice Jet airlines issued a statement, saying that the Spice Jet flight SG 136, Bengaluru to Delhi, experienced partial hydraulic failure due to loss of hydraulic fluid." Crew carried out emergency procedure and landed safely in Delhi. All passengers & crew are safe. http://citytoday.news/spice-jet-aircraft-makes-emergency-landing/ Back to Top Transport minister convenes aviation safety summit after arrest of Sunwing pilot (Canada) Transportation Minister Marc Garneau is summoning airlines to a workshop to talk safety after an alleged drunk pilot passed out in a cockpit. As Reid Fiest reports, Garneau is asking companies to review how they ensure pilots are fit to fly by mid-February. The minister of transport is summoning airlines, unions and medical experts together for a spring summit to make sure the case of an allegedly drunken Sunwing pilot getting ready to take off with a planeload of passengers is not repeated. The meeting comes in the wake of Global News reports exposing the lack of random drug and alcohol testing of pilots in Canada and confusion on behalf of both the federal government and Canadian airlines about what kind of testing programs can be implemented. Questions were prompted by the arrest of a pilot who was police said was tested at three times the legal alcohol limit before he was removed from a cockpit in Calgary on Dec. 31. In a letter addressed to commercial airlines and sent to Global News on Thursday, Minister Marc Garneau wrote he was "very concerned." "The incident in Calgary reminds us all of the need to ensure that protocols are up to date and that they are being implemented with all the required resources, including measures designed to confirm pilots' fitness to fly," he wrote. "I ask that you please confirm with my department that such measures are in place by Feb. 15, 2017." He added standard protocols and "quick crew action" were successful in the Calgary ordeal (the gate crew notified the co-pilot, who notified police before the plane took off) but said there is a "collective" responsibility to make sure Canadian systems are "robust enough to prevent such incidents in the future." "As part of our shared goal of improving safety, Transport Canada officials are organizing a workshop in early spring to bring companies, unions and medical experts together to consider further steps necessary to enhance aviation safety." When Global News asked the minister's office whether "further steps" could include the potential implementation of random alcohol tests for pilots and crew, they refused to address the question. Instead, they wrote: "Transport Canada will consult with key stakeholders including operators, pilot unions, and health professionals, to: * Develop support tools to aid air operators in their employee assistance programs; * Enhance education, and; * Direct operators to use safety management systems to identify, assess and mitigate risks associated with pilot impairment." Sunwing Airlines, the company that employed the foreign pilot arrested in Calgary, said it will attend the workshop. "We... look forward to collaborating with other airlines and Transport Canada towards a common goal of further enhancing safety within the Canadian airline industry," spokesperson Jacqueline Grossman said in an email. Spokespeople from Air Canada and WestJet said they would be participating in the meeting. Watch below from Jan. 2: Sunwing Airlines says the Slovakian pilot accused of being drunk before a flight from Calgary to Cancun was a foreign pilot on contract but met all Canadian regulations to fly the aircraft. Safety protocols in Canada stand in marked contrast to those in the United States, where airline pilots and flight crews are subjected to random alcohol and drug testing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates alcohol testing for U.S. airlines and pilots/crew are subject to testing throughout their employment. There's even a division dedicated to "drug abatement." "A U.S. airline must ensure that any safety-sensitive employee (which includes pilots that perform flight crewmember duties and flight attendants) is subject to random alcohol testing throughout their employment," drug abatement division program policy branch manager Vicky Dunne said in an email to Global News on Thursday. Dunne went on to highlight that: "Unlike the Canadian laws you described, the FAA requires an airline to conduct random alcohol testing whether a pilot or flight attendant participates in a monitoring/continuous support arrangement or is tested to demonstrate a substance abuse issue in the workplace." She said pilots could be tested under their own treatment program or under the FAA's follow-up protocol if there was a previous "alcohol violation" but those pilots are still part of the random program, subject to both types of testing. "Both the Department of Transportation and FAA consider random testing as an important tool to detect and deter employees from using drugs and misusing alcohol while performing safety-sensitive duties." Dunne wrote employers are required to conduct random alcohol testing at an annual rate of 10 per cent. She said random drug testing is the same; however, the annual random rate for drug testing is 25 per cent. By contrast, Transport Canada doesn't mandate or regulate random testing programs. Instead, it notes members of a flight crew are prohibited from working within eight hours of consuming alcohol or while under the influence. When it comes to random testing, Transport Canada said that is "up to the employer." But both the federal government and Canada's airlines point out a Supreme Court decision makes it very difficult to implement testing programs. "There is nothing specific in the Canada Labour Code about drug and alcohol testing," Justice Department spokesperson Ian McLeod reiterated. "However, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 30 v. Irving Pulp & Paper, Ltd. that an employer cannot unilaterally implement random alcohol or drug testing even in a highly dangerous workplace, unless there is a demonstrated workplace problem or it is 'for cause' testing of an individual employee." The Canadian Human Rights Commission's Policy on Alcohol and Drug Testing is currently being revised and expected in the "coming weeks," a CHRC spokesperson said. The Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) said Wednesday that in Canada, "mandatory random testing is not generally supported by the jurisprudence." http://globalnews.ca/news/3162707/transport-minister-convenes-aviation-safety- summit-after-arrest-of-sunwing-pilot/ Back to Top Indonesia warns airline over drunk pilot Indonesian authorities have issued a warning to airline PT Citilink Indonesia after videos circulated appearing to show an intoxicated pilot from the low-cost carrier going through security and then sounding incoherent on the aircraft's public address system. Citilink, which is a unit of national carrier PT Garuda Indonesia, said that the company had fired the pilot after a December 28 incident at Surabaya airport ahead of a flight to Jakarta and that two executives had offered to resign. The pilot was replaced before the flight proceeded, according to a company statement. Fary Djemi Francis, who heads a parliamentary commission overseeing transportation, said that the airline had been asked to investigate whether the pilot had been on drugs. "Second, we also ask Citilink's management to sanction the pilot who went on board the aircraft without going through the briefing room, missing checks on his fitness to fly," Francis said. The transportation ministry had sent a warning letter to Citilink and called for an internal investigation after finding that health checks and other procedures had not been followed according to regulations, said ministry spokesman Bambang S Ervan. Citilink did not name the pilot but said in a statement that it had fired him after he had "ignored the flight safety and security procedures which could potentially endanger the security and safety of passengers and other crew members." Chief Executive Albert Burhan and operations director, Hadinoto Soedigno, had also offered to resign over the incident, Citilink spokesman Benny Butarbutar said on Saturday. The spokesman said the resignations would require the approval of shareholders. "We would never mess around when it concerns the condition of a flight, let alone experiment with passenger safety," Butarbutar said. The widely circulated videos have caused alarm in Indonesia, which has had a patchy air safety record. One appears to be CCTV footage of an unsteady pilot going through security, and the other appears to be shot on a phone and shows a pilot remonstrating in slurred speech with other staff members in the plane's cockpit that he was able to fly. Reuters could not authenticate the videos and Citilink did not comment directly on them. Indonesia has been trying to improve safety in its airline sector after a series of accidents. For a while, some carriers were barred from flying to the European Union and some other markets over safety concerns. Citilink operates 34 aircraft, conducting 184 flights daily, the company's website said. http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/indonesia-warns-airline-over-drunk- pilot/news-story/64093ba6a3666c05192fa6fb61dfd72b Back to Top Aviation officials say crashes can provide teachable moments An SIU Aviation airplane passes in front of the moon while practicing takeoffs and landings at the Southern Illinois Airport in September in Carbondale. Some area aviation officials said after the weekend's deadly plane crash near Vienna that despite tragedy, crashes can provide teachable moments for those interested in flying. MARION - Local aviation officials stress that after tragedies like Saturday's plane crash in Johnson County, which left four dead, it is important to review the facts and learn. The details of this past weekend's crash are still under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, and the cause of the crash is not yet known. Douglas Kimmel, director of Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois in Marion, said when he hears about crashes either on the news or from industry reports, his first thought is of the pilot and those on board. "Concern for those involved takes priority," Kimmel said. He said he pays immediate attention and wants to find out who the victims were. "Is that someone we know," he said of a question he asks himself when hearing about aviation accidents. Once investigations are completed and reports are filed, it's far from the end, though. Andrew Wudtke, chief flight instructor for Flightline, operated out of the Southern Illinois Airport, said it is every aviation instructor's due diligence to read these reports and pass on the knowledge of these teachable moments. It is important not just for students, he said, but for everyone in aviation. "I think overall, as a community, we should learn from these things, not just instructor to student," Wudtke said. Kimmel said he doesn't think more regulations would make a difference in eliminating plane crashes. "What's out there as requirements for aircraft, pilots and airports are sufficient," he said adding that part of what makes flight so statistically safe is the strict set of regulations sent down from the Federal Aviation Administration. Kimmel said it is important not to over-regulate flight to keep it accessible for those interested. As it stands, there are already rigorous checks on aircraft before and after flight, and pilots have to continue their education and practice regularly to be certified to fly. There is only so much regulations can do when faced with human error. "Of course you can't control things such as weather and you can't control an individual's reactions," Kimmel explained. "Even the best-trained pilot can make a mistake." When news comes of a plane coming down, Kimmel said it should be a reminder to pilots of why they are required to fly regularly and to practice. "It's incumbent upon them to stay sharp," he said. Wudtke said, like driving a car, sometimes just following the rules to a minimum is not enough. It pays to go above and beyond what he calls "getting ahead of the airplane." As an example, he said a pilot knows that once he gets close to an airport, he will have to make a call in to get clearance. "You can wait until the last second, which is legal ... or you can maybe call them a couple miles form that airspace," Wudtke explained. He said this kind of decision-making process can help get a plan in place sooner and protect the pilot and passengers, and even those in other aircraft nearby. "It's always about teaching the student (to) think ahead," Wudtke said Kimmel said while it is shocking and tragic when news comes of plane crashes, he is encouraged that they are still so shocking. He said this implies that they are still rare occurrences. "They are not that common, which is a good thing," Kimmel said. http://thesouthern.com/news/local/aviation-officials-say-crashes-can-provide-teachable- moments/article_ad89234a-01d3-5bdb-a294-18f156fec3b9.html Back to Top Rwanda: Parliament Passes New Law to Regulate Civil Aviation Authority Legislators in the Lower House have unanimously passed the new law governing Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA), which will take away direct provision of aviation services from the agency and leave it with the mandate of being a regulator for the services. Currently, RCAA operates as a regulator, manager of national airports and provider of air navigation services. The combination of these activities means that, besides regulating the airport operations and Air Navigation Services (ANS), RCAA is also involved in commercial activities within and around airports in the country. That has to change within the next 12 months after publication of the new law in the Official Gazette. The new law enacted by the MPs yesterday stipulates a deadline by which RCAA will have to transfer its business assets and liabilities to other companies and remain with the sole role of a regulator. "It's like RCAA had two hats and it has ceded one," said MP Adolphe Bazatoha, the chairperson of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Economy and Trade, which reviewed the law. The Government introduced the changes in order to have a sound legal framework for the aviation industry and allow Rwanda to be a regional hub for the industry, officials said. Emphasising the need to separate the regulator from direct provision of services to clients, the State Minister for Transport, Dr Alexis Nzahabwanimana, told the committee last month that RCAA is currently in charge of giving people services and suing itself in case it harms their interests. With the new law enacted, the agency will now be there to ensure that those who provide aviation services do it well in line with the right regulations to protect clients. "Sometimes RCAA was both plaintiff and defendant in cases of accidents or any other disasters in the aviation area," Nzahabwanimana said. This small team of data scientists has made an algorithm that is turning a giant 19 billion dollar industry up-side-down. In line with making RCAA a regulator instead of a service provider, the Government, in October 2015, established a new company to manage the aviation industry activities as a way to simplify the industry operations and make it more vibrant and competitive. The company, Aviation, Travel and Logistics Ltd (ATL Ltd), is a holding corporation with its subsidiary companies; national carrier RwandAir, Airports Company Rwanda, Rwanda Tours and Events, Links Logistics Rwanda, and Akagera Aviation. It will provide aviation services, including travel, logistics, ground freight and cargo handling, as well as charter services. "One of the main reasons why this law was urgent is because ATL has already started operations and the RCAA needs to free up certain assets to allow their access and use," Nzahabwanimana told MPs in the plenary on Wednesday. Officials say the new law governing RCAA will come as a boost to the country's aviation legal framework in line with the government's plan to turn Rwanda into a regional aviation hub for tourism, cargo and logistics-related activities. http://allafrica.com/stories/201701060107.html Back to Top People In Aviation: January 2017 Global Jet Capital appointed Bill Boisture chairman. Boisture, an operating partner at Global Jet investor AE Industrial Partners and previous executive director of Global Jet, has 35 years of industry experience, leading Gulfstream, NetJets, SimuFlite and Beechcraft. He succeeds Shawn Vick, who took the role of CEO at Global Jet. Aloft AeroArchitects appointed Robert (Bob) Sundin president and CEO, as well as a member of the board of directors. Sundin joins Aloft from Dassault Aircraft Services, where he was president. John Martin, who has been president and CEO, moves to the role of chairman. Martin has served as president and CEO of Aloft (formerly Pats Aircraft Systems) since 2008. Seeker Aircraft named Ed Lundeen president. Lundeen previously served as executive v-p of business operations for Eclipse Aerospace and also has served as supply deputy division leader for Los Alamos National Laboratory. John Owen has joined Executive AirShare as CFO. Owen previously was v-p for the national executive search firm EFL Associates and also has served as CFO for the supply chain management company OrTran. Mente Group has reinforced its management team, bringing on board four seasoned business aviation executives. The company named Richard Emery as COO; David Coppock as managing director for the Central and Western U.S.; Jim Lewis as v-p of sales and marketing for Northern California, the Pacific Northwest and Mountain regions; and Dan Dunn as managing director. Emery has 25 years of experience managing aviation organizations and has worked with Gulfstream, Bombardier and Hawker Beechcraft. Coppock joins Mente from SmartTray, where he was COO. He has also served as v-p of sales for Hawker Beechcraft, regional sales director for Gulfstream and as a sales demonstration pilot for Bombardier. Lewis brings 40 years of aviation experience to his new role, previously serving as regional sales director at Embraer, and before that was sales director for Gulfstream. Dunn previously was v-p at Jetcraft and v-p of Key Air. John Sell joined Jet Edge International as senior v-p of flight operations. Sell has 20 years of aviation experience, previously serving as director of flight operations for Flexjet, Part 135 chief pilot for Million Air Dallas and captain for U.S. Steel. Nav Canada appointed Alexander (Sandy) Struthers executive v-p of finance and CFO, responsible for accountability of the organization's capital and operating programs. Struthers previously held the roles of CFO, COO and chief information officer for Hydro One. Amanda Applegate has become a partner at Aerlex Law Group, and Sarah Northcraft Spann has joined the firm as a transactional attorney. Applegate, who joined Aerlex in 2011, has served as an aviation attorney for two decades and previously served with NetJets. Northcraft Spann also served with NetJets and its affiliate company Executive Jet Management, handling both fractional and whole-aircraft transactions. Nomad Aviation appointed Andreas Pfisterer senior v-p for aircraft management and accountable manager. Pfisterer previously was director of operations for ExecuJet Europe and also has served as a pilot and manager with Swissair and a flight inspector with the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation. The Aerospace Industries Association elected Boeing chairman, president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg as chairman of the AIA Board of Governors for 2017. In that role, Muilenburg succeeds Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO Marillyn Hewson. Raytheon chairman and CEO Thomas Kennedy will become vice chair. TAG Aviation Europe restructured its maintenance service operations with several new appointments. Cyrille Pillet was appointed v-p of maintenance operations. He formerly spent 10 years with the French MRO Revima Group and also has served with British Airways and British Mediterranean Airways. John-Paul Williams is commercial manager for TAG Farnborough M aintenance Services. He was previously senior manager for line maintenance at Qatar Airways and has also served with Monarch Aircraft Engineering. Greg Hoggett, formerly TAG's accountable manager of TAG Farnborough Maintenance Services, was named COO of TAG Aviation UK. Tony Ciaravino has joined Journey Aviation as v-p of marketing and client services. Ciaravino previously spent three years holding sales roles with Wyvern and has also served as a charter sales account representative for Solairus Aviation. Jet Aviation appointed Edgar Guerreiro manager of its FBO in Geneva. Guerreiro, who has 20 years of experience in hospitality and aviation, joined the company's MRO and FBO facility in Geneva as purchasing manager in March. He succeeds Joao Martins, who has taken the role of general manager of the company's Zurich operation. Martins has held management roles with VistaJet and NetJets Europe. Vickie Mahoney joined ExcelAire as v-p of business development, based in Teterboro, N.J. Mahoney, who has 25 years of sales and marketing experience, was most recently v-p of sales for First Flight. Falcon Aviation named Pauline Smith FBO manager. Smith has 25 years of industry experience, most recently as head of commercial services and terminal manager for Marshall Aerospace. Hawthorne Global Aviation Services named Coleman Jamison to the advisory board of its recently acquired FBO at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in Alabama. Jamison, who was raised in Tuscaloosa and is a graduate of the University of Alabama, formed the aircraft trading and leasing company Texas Aviation Group. Western Aircraft promoted Jay Reeder to turboprop regional sales manager. Reeder, who joined Western Aircraft in May 2015, previously served as the material operations coordinator for EuroTec Vertical Flight Solutions and as v-p Reeder Flying Service. Pentastar Aviation appointed Scott Brooks to the newly created position of avionics director. Brooks has 30 years of business aviation experience and previously served as principal regional sales manager for Rockwell Collins. Baines Simmons, the aviation safety consultancy division of Air Partner, appointed John Nicholas as a principal consultant. Nicholas previously spent 18 years with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, where he held roles including head of technical services, head of shared services, head of applications and approvals and head of licensing policy and standards. Allan Mann was appointed senior director of safety at Wheels Up. Mann, who currently sits as the chairman of NBAA's Domestic Operations Committee, has 30 years of aviation industry experience, including serving as v-p of operations and director of operations at Reynolds Jet Management, manager of two general aviation airports, and head of two FBOs. Elliott Aviation named Bill Reeves director of maintenance services. Reeves, who originally served as an A&P mechanic at Elliott Aviation from 1986 through 1989, is rejoining the company from Cessna/Textron Aviation in Milwaukee, where he was manager of aircraft maintenance. Air Partner appointed Joe Halanen as emergency planning division manager, based at Air Partner's UK headquarters at Gatwick. Halanen brings 11 years of emergency management and airline experience to his new role, including holding positions with British Airways and the government in London. Cutter Aviation named Michelle Hoover HondaJet regional sales manager for Southern California, Southern Nevada (Clark County) and Hawaii. Previously Hoover was a regional sales associate for Textron Aviation and also has a sales background in the wine industry. Columbia Helicopters hired Mark Johnson as v-p of human resources. He has held a series of HR positions with Wacom, Standard Insurance, Tektronix, SRSM, Serena Software and WebTrends. Otto Wright has joined Axis Jet as director of business development. Most recently general manager of KaiserAir in Oakland, Calif., Wright has held a number of senior roles with Jetex Flight Support, Far East Russia Aircraft Services, Nextel Communications and Sun Microsystems. Kenneth Parzygnat has joined JetLease Capital as director of aircraft finance. Parzygnat has 20 years of finance experience focusing on private equity, hedge funds and family offices. Professional Aircraft Accessories hired Jack Turnbill as senior v-p of business development. Turnbill has a 20-year background in aviation, most recently as a consultant to Lockheed Martin Commercial Engine Solutions and before that in various positions with Delta Air Lines. Pentastar Aviation named Barry Tilson director of maintenance. Previously Tilson was an MRO maintenance sales representative and service manager at TechnicAir and Landmark Aviation in Grand Rapids, Mich., and also served as director of maintenance at Northern Air in Grand Rapids. Raluca-Ana Anghelache was appointed manager of safety, learning and development for the European Business Aviation Association. Anghelache has previously held roles within the Air Safety Unit of European Commission DG Move, at Eurocontrol, as well as at the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and innovation in Europe. AWARDS AND HONORS National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Natca) president Paul Rinaldi was named the recipient of the Air Traffic Control Association's (ATCA) Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award. Considered ATCA's highest honor, the Gilbert Award recognizes the lifelong achievements of an individual in the field of aviation. Rinaldi, the first person to be elected president of Natca for three terms, is being honored for his "exemplary career-long commitment to the betterment of the national airspace system," ATCA said, adding that he has helped establish an unprecedented path of collaboration between Natca and the federal agencies and organizations with which the union works." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-01-05/people-aviation- january-2017 Back to Top Airplane engineering company moves to Wichita State University WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A European plane maker that established a U.S. engineering outpost in Wichita 14 years ago has moved to a new building at Wichita State University. The Wichita Eagle reports that Airbus Americas Engineering's final group of Wichita employees began working at the two-story, 90,000-square-foot building this week. Brandi Chandler, who coordinated the multi-stage move for Airbus, says it began the first week of December and involved 300 employees. Vice president of Airbus Americas Engineering John O'Leary says the transition "went extremely smooth." O'Leary says the move not only was a means to consolidate its work from two buildings to one, but was also a way to be closer to at university's new Innovation Campus, where there's a pipeline for the company's future workforce. https://www.hayspost.com/2017/01/05/plane-engineering-company-moves-to-wichita- state-university/ Back to Top AMC fears its own pilot shortfall will expand The Air Force isn't just running short on fighter pilots. Air Mobility Command is concerned that a shortfall of mobility pilots is likely to grow over the next few years, further stressing the force. The timing is particularly bad, as AMC is already running hard worldwide. Nearly every three minutes, one of its planes takes off somewhere around the world to refuel aircraft, move personnel or supplies, conduct medical evacuations or other missions. And nine out of 10 refueling tanker missions flown as part of the war against the Islamic State involves AMC aircraft - more than 33,000 sorties in 2016. AMC Commander Gen. Carlton Everhart said Thursday that he sees warning signs on the horizon, and the Air Force is looking for new ideas to reverse the trend. The command is now short 315 pilots, out of 7,940 total force pilots - active duty, guard and reserve. That's roughly a 4 percent shortfall overall. But the deficit is especially acute among the ranks of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard pilots. AMC has 2,012 reserve pilots, which represents a 7 percent shortfall from where the command wants to be. And on the guard side, AMC has 2,094 pilots, about 13 percent short. Over the next four years, up to 1,600 pilots will become eligible to separate, Everhart said. AMC typically hopes to retain 60 percent of those airmen, but lately it's been holding on to less than half of them. So, by 2020, another 800 crucial pilots could be gone. "This is just the start of a waterfall that's going to cascade down," Everhart said. "We're watching the forecast, and it's going to start dropping precipitously, starting at the end of this year. It will be as bad as we're seeing it in other weapons systems." This is a problem the entire Air Force is facing, especially as commercial airlines have boosted their efforts to recruit from the ranks of military pilots to replace a generation of retiring Vietnam-era pilots. To help stem the losses, the Air Force has upped the maximum annual retention bonus from $25,000 per year to $35,000. It has also tried to eliminate or reassign additional duties that pilots hated. Everhart said Air Force leaders such as Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein are trying to think of more creative ways to hold on to their valuable pilots. One method under consideration, he said, is to allow pilots to essentially moonlight as airline pilots for a period, and then return to active duty. The Air Force is talking to airline CEOs to "work hand-in-hand" and try to figure out ways to do this, Everhart said. "Are there alternative ways that we can do [pilot] hiring?" Everhart said. "Are there alternative ways that we can keep people to stay in longer? Are there alternative ways that we can hire people on active duty, and then they can go out to the airline job, come back to active duty, or vice versa?" Everhart said he will meet with Goldfein in May to discuss whether the Air Force wants to pursue this plan, and if so, how it might move forward In a September interview, Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso, the Air Force's personnel chief, said the air forces of several allied countries, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, already share their pilots with airlines as part of a successful retention strategy. Grosso said the Air Force was starting to look at whether the United States could emulate it. "Bonuses help, but we can't compete. We just can't," Everhart said. "We got a limited defense budget, and so what we're trying to do is incentivize people to stay in more, with various opportunities that are provided to them, that they have a choice to make. Not just when to get out." https://www.airforcetimes.com/articles/amc-gen-everhart-pilot-shortfall Back to Top Supplier Triumph suing Bombardier over Global 7000 jet Bombardier's Global 7000 business jet taxis to the company's flight test center at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport on Nov. 21. Aircraft supplier Triumph Group disclosed Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against Bombardier, alleging it wasn't paid what it is owed for work on the Global 7000 business jet. They are allegations that the Montreal-based planemaker denies. Triumph Group said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that Bombardier failed to pay its Triumph Aerostructures unit "certain non-recurring expenses" during the development phase of the Global 7000. Triumph is seeking $340 million "resulting from Bombardier directed changes to the original wing requirements for the Global 7000 program, as well as Bombardier's, delays, disruptions, acceleration and interference in connection with its contract with Triumph Aerostructures," Triumph said in the filing. The lawsuit was filed in the Quebec Superior Court, District of Montreal, Triumph said in the filing. Triumph, which operates facilities at 3258 S. Hoover and in Wellington, said it continues to support the Global 7000 program. But Bombardier said in an e-mail Thursday to The Eagle that Triumph's claim is "without merit" and that Bombardier may seek its own claims against Triumph for Global 7000 delays. "Bombardier intends to firmly defend its position," Bombardier Business Aircraft spokesman Mark Masluch said in the e-mail. "At the appropriate time, Bombardier will assert its major claims against Triumph for losses sustained due to the Program schedule revision announced in July 2015. Bombardier's delay claims will exceed the value of the claim filed by Triumph." The jet is Bombardier's largest and longest-range business jet to date. The company announced in July 2015 it would push back by two years the entry-into-service date of the Global 7000, which made its first flight in November 2016 and is now in its flight test program at the Bombardier Flight Test Center in Wichita. Masluch said in the e-mail that the first Global 7000 has completed 18 flights and the company remains focused on the aircraft meeting entry into service in 2018. "And this dispute does not impact our ability to do so," he said. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article124690559.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top The US Army plans to upgrade its massive Chinook helicopter to fly for 100 years A CH-47F Chinook helicopter with 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, lands on the flight line after a maintenance test flight at Camp Marmal, in Mazar-e Sharif province, Afghanistan in this February 9, 2012 file photo by the U.S. Army. REUTERS/Felix Acevedo/U.S. Army/Handout via Reuters The Army plans to fly its Vietnam-era workhorse CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter for 100 years by continuously upgrading the platform through a series of ongoing technological adjustments designed to improve lift, weight, avionics and cargo handling, among other things. The Army goal is to allow the helicopter, which was first produced in the early 1960s, to serve all the way into the 2060s - allowing the aircraft service life to span an entire century. "Our primary goal is maintaining the CH-47F's relevance to the warfighter," Lt. Col. Ricard Bratt said in a special statement to Scout Warrior. The latest model, called the Chinook F helicopter, represents the latest iteration of technological advancement in what is a long and distinguished history for the workhorse cargo aircraft, often tasked with delivering food, troops and supplies at high altitudes in mountainous Afghan terrain. Able to travel at speeds up to 170 knots, the Chinook has a range of 400 nautical miles and can reach altitudes greater than 18,000-feet. Its high-altitude performance capability has been a substantial enabling factor in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan. The aircraft is 52-feet long, 18-feet high and able to take off with 50,000 pounds. The helicopter can fly with a loaded weight of 26,000 pounds. In addition, the aircraft can mount at least three machine guns; one from each window and another from the back cargo opening. The Chinook F is in the process of receiving a number of enhancements to its digital cockpit called the Common Avionics Architecture System, or CAAS, such improved avionics, digital displays, Line Replacement Units, navigational technology, multi-mode radios, software and emerging systems referred to as pilot-vehicle interface. A U.S. Army Soldier from D Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment stands outside a CH-47F Chinook helicopter at the Kahiltna Glacier base camp on Mount McKinley, Alaska. US Army/John Pennell Pilot-vehicle interface involves improved computing technology where faster processor and new software are able to better organize and display information to the crew, allowing them to make informed decisions faster. By 2018, the Army plans to have a pure fleet of 473 F-model Chinooks. By 2021, the Army plans to field a new "Block 2" upgraded Chinook F which will increase the aircraft's ability to function in what's called "high-hot" conditions of 6,000 feet/95-degrees Fahrenheit where lower air pressure makes it more difficult to operate and maneuver a helicopter. The Block 2 Chinook will also be engineered to accommodate a larger take-off maximum weight of 54,000 pounds, allowing it to sling-load the Army's new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle underneath. This provides the Army with what it calls a "mounted maneuver" capability wherein it can reposition vehicles and other key combat-relevant assets around the battlefield in a tactically-significant manner without need to drive on roads. This will be particularly helpful in places such as Afghanistan where mountainous terrain and lacking infrastructure can make combat necessary movements much more challenged. The Chinook F is also in the process of getting new rotorblades engineered with composites and other materials designed to give the helicopter an additional 1,500 pounds of lift capability, Army officials explained. Another key upgrade to the helicopter is a technology called Cargo-On/Off-Loading- System, or COOLS, which places rollers on the floor of the airframe designed to quickly on and off-load pallets of equipment and supplies. This technology also has the added benefit of increasing ballistic protection on the helicopter by better protecting it from small arms fire. "The COOLS system has been added to the current production configuration and continues to be retrofitted to the existing F fleet. We have completed approximately 50-percent of the retrofit efforts. Since its fielding we made very minor design changes to improve maintainability. The helicopter will also get improved gun-mounts and crew chief seating, along with a new vibration control system. "We are finalizing design efforts on an improved vibration control system that, in testing, has produced significant reduction in vibration levels in the cockpit area," Bratt said. The F-model includes an automated flight system enabling the aircraft to fly and avoid obstacles in the event that a pilot is injured. Additional adjustments include the use of a more monolithic airframe engineered to replace many of the rivets build into the aircraft, Army officials said. "The program is looking at some significant airframe improvements like incorporating the nose and aft sections of the MH-47G (Special Operations Variant) on to the CH-47F. In addition, the program office has conducted an in depth structural analysis with the intent of setting the stage for increased growth capacity of the airframe for future upgrades," Bratt said. The CH-47 F program is also planning to add Conditioned-Based Maintenance to the aircraft - small, portable diagnostic devices, which enable aircraft engineers to better predict maintenance needs and potential mechanical failures, service officials said. Protecting Helicopters The CIRCM system is an improved, lighter-weight version of Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures, called ATIRCM, -- a high-tech laser jammer that is able to thwart guided-missile attacks on helicopters by using an infrared sensor designed to track an approaching missile. The system fires a multiband heat laser to intercept the missile and throw it off course, ATIRCM has been fielded now on helicopters over Iraq and Afghanistan. CIRCM, its replacement, lowers the weight of the system and therefore brings with it the opportunity to deploy this kind of laser counter-measure across a wider portion of the fleet. Chinooks are also equipped with a combat-proven protective technology called Common Missile Warning System, or CMWS; this uses an ultraviolet sensor to locate approaching enemy fire before sending out a flare to divert the incoming fire from its course. Finally, over the years there have been several efforts to engineer a small-arms detection system designed to locate the source of incoming enemy small-arms fire to better protect the aircraft and crew. http://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-chinook-helicopter-upgrade-2017-1 Back to Top Boeing Close to $10.1 Billion Order From India's SpiceJet U.S. planemaker scores a victory in market dominated by Airbus Deal for 92 jets may grow based on outcome of negotiations SpiceJet Said Close to Order $10B Worth of Boeing 737s Indian budget airline SpiceJet Ltd. is poised to order at least 92 Boeing Co. 737 jetliners as the carrier plots rapid expansion in the world's fastest growing aerospace market. The transaction, which would more than double SpiceJet's 49-plane fleet, may be closed within weeks after lengthy talks that pitted Boeing against rival Airbus Group SE, people with direct knowledge of the decision said. The deal includes firm orders for at least 50 of Boeing's 737 Max, and renegotiated terms for 42 of the single-aisle jets that SpiceJet originally ordered in 2014, said the people, who asked not be identified because the discussions are private. The 92 Max jets would be valued at about $10.1 billion at current list prices, before the discounts that are customary for large purchases. The order would be a record for SpiceJet, which was forced to shut down operations for a day two years ago after it ran out of money, prompting co-founder Ajay Singh to bail out the low-cost carrier. The airline may boost the total if final talks yield bigger discounts and favorable maintenance contracts, one of the people said. Boeing would gain a stronger toehold in India, where Airbus dominates narrow-body fleets after a string of order victories. IndiGo, Go Airlines India Pvt. and the local unit of AirAsia Bhd. all fly variants of the Airbus A320. "We expect to complete these negotiations and place the order this financial year," the airline said in an e-mailed statement. A Boeing spokesman declined to comment. Crucial Market The order would help SpiceJet, India's second-biggest budget carrier, compete with market leader IndiGo, which has ordered hundreds of Airbus jets to tap surging air-travel demand from a fast-growing middle class. While IndiGo controls about 42 percent of a market that has seen local carriers almost double to 11 in the past four years, SpiceJet's share is about 13 percent. SpiceJet shares closed up 0.63 percent at 63.55 rupees in Mumbai on Friday, after jumping to their the highest intraday level since Nov. 30. Boeing shares were little changed at $158.71 in New York on Thursday. India is crucial for Boeing and Airbus, and both offered aggressive discounts to SpiceJet, Bloomberg News reported in July. Boeing, whose jets dominate the current SpiceJet fleet, has the advantage of close financial ties. As the carrier's financial condition worsened, Boeing provided assistance with payments to help it cope with the situation. That earlier deal, which is still on the manufacturer's books, will now become a part of the new order, the people said. SpiceJet operates a fleet of 32 Boeing 737 jets and 17 Bombardier Q400 turboprops, according to the company. IndiGo, operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., in 2015 ordered 250 Airbus A320neo jets. That order followed a 2006 deal for 100 A320 planes, and 180 A320neos ordered in 2011. IndiGo has 126 jets in its fleet. The South Asian country has been among some of the toughest markets for airlines, with some carriers failing due to fuel taxes, tariffs and low fares. As many as 17 airlines in India have shut down in the past two decades, according to consulting company KPMG and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India. Indian airlines posted a combined profit of $122 million in the year through March 31, 2016, the first time in a decade, according to CAPA Centre for Aviation. However, the industry is set to post losses for two more years hurt by excess capacity and low fares, CAPA said in a report in December. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-05/boeing-said-close-to-10-1-billion- order-from-india-s-spicejet Back to Top NASA Chief Hopes U.S. Soon Won't Have to Pay Russia for Space Trips In this one-second exposure photograph provided by NASA, a Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft launches for the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Nov. 18, 2016. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP) WASHINGTON - Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden, Jr. (USMC-Ret.), the head of NASA, told PJM that the U.S. government pays Russia roughly $70 million per seat for astronauts' trips to the International Space Station because of insufficient funding from Congress starting in 2010. Bolden said the U.S. would have been "free" of relying on the Russians for space travel in 2015 with the proper funding for NASA's Commercial Crew Development program. NASA's current $490 million contract with Russia runs through 2019. "It will change - the new administration doesn't have anything to do with it. It will change if the new administration continues on the path that the Obama administration has had us and this, to be quite honest, as a member of the Obama administration, I credit the Bush administration with saying, 'OK, we're going to phase out the Columbia, we're going to phase out the shuttle and we're going to let American industry provide transportation for our crews to and from space.' That was directed in 2004. It's a combination of Congress not appropriating the funds in a timely manner," Bolden said during an interview Dec. 14 at a screening of the movie "Hidden Figures." "We should have been free of the Russians in 2015, but it took us all that time to finally get Congress on board with funding the commercial crew program. We now have it. We're two years behind and we'll get there," he added. "Hidden Figures" tells the story of the African-American women who did calculations for the Mercury Seven flights and Apollo 11. They worked on the missions at West Area Computers, a segregated division of the Langley Research Center. Bolden said the U.S. does not yet have the capability to rely on the private sector for travel to the International Space Station. "You know, the good thing about what we're doing is we're allowing industry an opportunity to learn how to do this - to do tests and everything and to build vehicles that are going to be reliable. It would be great if we could just say, 'OK, we're not going to pay the Russians another dime.' Then that would mean we're going to sit on the ground until we have commercial spacecraft available here," he said. "If Congress had fully appropriated the funds back in 2010 when the president requested them, we would not have been flying with Russians now. We would have been flying with Boeing and SpaceX - that didn't happen." Bolden explained that it took until 2014 to "start getting real serious funds" for commercial crews. "So we are a little bit behind, but we'll get there. I have no less faith in our industry. Boeing and SpaceX are really good. We've got another company called Sierra Nevada that has a vehicle that is a future candidate for carrying crews to space and it's a winged vehicle, so it represents a different type of vehicle for getting people back from low Earth orbit for types of contingencies that you actually wouldn't want to have to rely on a capsule," he said. "The American public has to be patient; you know, they didn't get interested enough to push Congress to fund it when the president asked for it so now, you know, we've got to suffer the consequences of delaying and funding," he added. Bolden made a prediction about the future of launching American astronauts into space. "My prediction, and I'm not in the prediction business, is that in late next year, early 2018, you'll see both SpaceX and Boeing fly their un-crewed test missions on their crewed vehicles, and sometime in 2018 we'll launch American astronauts from the Kennedy Space Center, Space Coast, and we'll be launching from there from here on out," he said. "We'll still be launching with our partners from Russia, but our primary means of getting people to space will be from the Kennedy Space Center." Following the interview, PJM asked Bolden's spokeswoman, Stephanie Schierholz, what Bolden would like to see NASA accomplish under the Trump administration. "NASA will continue to send astronauts to conduct important research on the space station; launch several important science missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope to study the universe and the InSight and Mars 2020 missions to the Red Planet; see commercial partners SpaceX and Boeing begin operating commercial crew spacecraft; and conduct the first flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft on an uncrewed test mission," she said in a statement. "The NASA community is patriotic and service oriented. Our employees, contractors, and partners alike take very seriously our role as the public's servants. We are committed to doing whatever we can to assist in making the Executive Branch transition a smooth transition. NASA's culture is apolitical as are the issues we tackle. Even during a contentious election year, we saw bipartisan support for our work on priorities, such as Commercial Space," she added. Schierholz wrote that NASA anticipates that leaders in and out of government will remain enthusiastic about the agency's work. "There is a consensus that has been emerging in the scientific and policy communities around NASA's Journey to Mars; specifically around our plan, timetable and strategy for sending human beings to Mars in the 2030s. There is widespread recognition that NASA's plan is clear, affordable, sustainable and attainable," she said. "This consensus is stretching not only across the aisle, but across the public, private, academic and nonprofit sectors. Our international partners have expressed enthusiasm for the Journey to Mars. In an email to NASA employees Nov. 9, Administrator Bolden cited progress on Earth Science, Aeronautics, exploration of our Solar System & Beyond, the International Space Station, Technology, and the Journey to Mars as examples," she added. https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/2017/01/05/nasa-chief-hopes-u-s-soon-wont- have-to-pay-russia-for-space-trips//?singlepage=true 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