Flight Safety Information January 23, 2017 - No. 017 In This Issue Chicago drone photographer pays FAA $200,000 over alleged airspace violations Saudi Aviation authorities to block Pakistan airline over outstanding fees Smoke Detected in Cabin Forces American Airlines Flight Bound for San Francisco to Return to LAX Passenger discovers missing screws on wing of Frontier airplane ATR chief says in no hurry to develop larger aircraft Southwest Airlines Plane Bumps Into Another Aircraft At LaGuardia Airport Shortage of Air Force fighter pilots grows Mitsubishi forced to delay jet deliveries to middle of 2020 University Research Study Learn About New FAA Regulations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Free Online Course Call for Abstracts of Technical Papers...ISASI 2017, San Diego CA ESASI SEMINAR 2017 - LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA GRADUATE RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Chicago drone photographer pays FAA $200,000 over alleged airspace violations SkyPan International Photographer Mark Segal shows a picture of one of his remote control helicopters carrying a stuffed animal at his SkyPan International office studio Jan. 18, 2017, in Chicago. SkyPan has agreed to pay the Federal Aviation Administration $200,000 to settle charges it violated airspace regulations with its drones. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) A pioneering Chicago aerial photography company has agreed to pay the Federal Aviation Administration $200,000 to settle charges it violated airspace regulations with its drones. SkyPan International, which has been using drones for 20 years to shoot aerial views for proposed high-rise developments, had been facing a $1.9 million penalty for what the FAA said were 65 unauthorized drone flights in New York City and Chicago between 2012 and 2014. Mark Segal, who launched SkyPan in 1988, agreed to the settlement Tuesday, ending a yearlong legal battle with the FAA that may have implications for the booming commercial drone industry. "We've suffered enough and I just wanted to get it off our back at this point," Segal, 60, said Wednesday. In October 2015, the FAA proposed the record $1.9 million fine against Segal and SkyPan for allegedly violating regulations in the congested airspace over New York City and Chicago. The flights occurred before the specific regulations governing commercial drone operations were adopted by the FAA in June 2016. "There really wasn't any law when we were shooting," Segal said. SkyPan also agreed to pay an additional $150,000 if it violates FAA regulations in the next year, and is subject to an additional $150,000 fine if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement. Under the current FAA regulations, commercial operators must register each drone, and adhere to restrictions such as the speed, altitude, time of day and flight path. There are 47,329 individual commercial drones registered with the FAA, and the industry is taking off, according to FAA spokesman Les Dorr. Beyond aerial photography, he said commercial applications include everything from insurance claims to using drones to inspect bridges. Last month, Amazon tested commercial drone package delivery in England. "It's almost like somebody comes up with a new use for the technology almost every week," Dorr said Wednesday. The FAA also oversees recreational drones under separate model aircraft regulations, and has required recreational owners to register since December 2015. There are 649,554 owners registered with the FAA, which translates to about 1.6 million recreational drones across the U.S., Dorr said. Segal has a fleet of three 5-foot miniature helicopters, which weigh up to 19 pounds each. He shoots two to five projects per month and works with a long list of major real estate developers looking to get their high-rise projects off the ground. The 360-degree aerial shots provide "real views" that help developers plan their buildings, Segal said. SkyPan's annual billing is between $1 million and $2 million, Segal said, but business has been hurt by the FAA allegations. "It encouraged our competitors to try to swoop in and take ... our clients away," Segal said. "There's no doubt it affected our business." SkyPan recently completed aerial photography for a new transit-oriented apartment building being developed by Vequity at 1920 N. Milwaukee Ave. in the Bucktown/Logan Square area. Segal's first client was Sam Zell, the billionaire real estate developer, who hired the photographer to get aerial shots of several Chicago developments. Segal originally used full-size manned helicopters to take the aerial shots, but began using drones in 1996, and switched to them exclusively in 2002. One of Segal's more prominent clients is the Trump Organization, which hired SkyPan in 2003 to shoot aerial views for the Trump Tower development in Chicago. SkyPan went on to do work for Trump in Las Vegas and New York City. "They were very happy with what we did in Chicago," Segal said. "It really helped them with the planning and layout of the building by examining the views in advance." http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-drone-faa-settlement-0119-biz-20170118- story.html Back to Top Saudi Aviation authorities to block Pakistan airline over outstanding fees A Pakistani man looks on as a Pakistan International Airline (PIA) plane taxis on the runway on the way to Saudi Arabia during the PIA employees strike in Islamabad on February 8, 2016. (AFP) The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has threatened to stop all of the Pakistan International Airlines flight operations in the kingdom in a dispute over unpaid fees according to Pakistan Today news website. The Ministry of Finance has advised the authorities to draft a clear payment plan, also with a request to PIA authorities to pay Rs2.20 billion ($586.6 mln) to the Saudi CAA. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/business/economy/2017/01/23/Saudi-Aviation- authorities-to-halt-Pakistan-airline-over-outstanding-fees-.html Back to Top Smoke Detected in Cabin Forces American Airlines Flight Bound for San Francisco to Return to LAX No injuries were reported, and the cargo hold of the American Airlines jet was to be inspected by firefighters after its touchdown at LAX. LOS ANGELES, CA -- A plane with 80 people heading to San Francisco circled back and landed safely at Los Angeles on Sunday, because smoke was detected in the cabin shortly after the American Airlines flight took off. No injuries were reported, and the cargo hold of the American Airlines jet was to be inspected by firefighters following its touchdown at LAX, at about 12:25 p.m. American flight 6078 was met by firefighters on the northern-most runway, 7 Left, according to Los Angeles International Airport spokesman Frederick Badlissi. Planes were approaching LAX from over the ocean due to easterly winds Sunday. http://patch.com/california/manhattanbeach/smoke-detected-cabin-forces-american- airlines-flight-bound-san-francisco Back to Top Passenger discovers missing screws on wing of Frontier airplane DENVER - Frontier Airlines is investigating why a plane flew with about 20 screws missing from an area near the front of the wing, Denver7 Investigates confirmed with officials Friday. A passenger noticed the missing screws on a Frontier Airlines Airbus 319 from Trenton, N.J., to Punta Gorda, Fla., on January 5 and notified the captain. The aircraft was grounded by the company until the fasteners were received and installed, FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer told Denver7 Investigates. Frontier spokesman Jim Faulkner said the issue was not severe and the plane returned to service that same day. "The panel remained sealed and secured at all times, and at no time was safety compromised," Faulkner said. "Frontier voluntarily disclosed this information to the FAA upon learning of the missing fasteners and has been coordinating with the FAA to determine what happened." The screws were missing from a section where the front slats meet the fixed part of the wing. Slats, like flaps, can be extended to create lift. Slats are often extended during landing to assist the plane in staying airborne when the speed of the plane is reduced. Denver aviation expert Kevin Kuhlmann said the missing screws on this specific section of the plane are unlikely to cause problems in flight, but he says it would be important for an airline to uncover how this occurred. Kuhlmann is the associate chair of Aviation and Aerospace at Metropolitan State University of Denver. "The concern is what safety measures were missed thus allowing this oversight and what unseen issues may occur in the future," Kuhlmann said Friday. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/investigations/passenger-discovers-missing- screws-on-wing-of-frontier-airplane Back to Top ATR chief says in no hurry to develop larger aircraft Jan 23 Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR is likely to develop a larger version of its aircraft family in the future, but is in no hurry to act, its chief executive said. ATR is jointly owned by aerospace groups Airbus and Leonardo, which are seen as split over whether to focus on the existing family of two models seating 42 to 78 people, or build a new model with 100 seats to keep up with demand for more capacity. "My personal view is that a larger ATR is a question of when rather than if," CEO Christian Scherer told Reuters, adding that any decision would be a matter for joint shareholders. "If you want to take a more conservative stance, and I can imagine myself in the shoes of both shareholders, there is nothing wrong with ATR today. It is a very nice franchise and profitable contribution and we don't see any chess moves that should fundamentally modify the game. So we can go on; there is no urgency," he said. "Do I as ATR have the ambition to continue to introduce new features, new airplanes, new products to grow? Absolutely. I am happy to see that we have one shareholder who is of the same opinion. The other one is exercising a perfectly rational business judgment and saying ATR is doing very well, keep on going." Scherer, a former Airbus commercial strategy and defence executive, was appointed to run ATR in November. His predecessor, Patrick de Castelbajac, told Flightglobal last July that Airbus wanted to revamp the existing ATR 42/72 series with new engines, while Italy's Leonardo was keen on expanding the family with an all-new 100-seat model. Both projects could happen at different times, he said. Airbus and Leonardo each owns half of ATR. Leonardo has indicated it would like to take greater control of ATR, while Airbus is said to be interested in Leonardo's stake in MBDA, the European missile maker in which Airbus already has a share. Officials on both sides say they have held informal talks but that discussions are not advanced. Analysts say 35-year-old ATR is profitable, partly because the cost of developing its main models was absorbed long ago. But figures published on Monday show that while deliveries have trebled in the past decade, the number of years of production in its backlog has fallen from over five years to fewer than three, spurring a debate about how it should secure its growth. http://www.reuters.com/article/atr-aircraft-idUSL5N1FC13L Back to Top Southwest Airlines Plane Bumps Into Another Aircraft At LaGuardia Airport Sources tell CBS2 a Southwest Airlines plane bumped into an American Eagle aircraft at LaGuardia Airport Saturday. (credit: CBS2) NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - There has been yet another mishap at LaGuardia Airport. For the third time in less than a week, a plane got into a minor accident at the Queens transportation hub. Southwest Airlines Flight 480 was being towed around 10:00 p.m. Saturday when it struck the right side of a parked American Eagle aircraft operated by Republic Airlines near gate C4. Photos show damage on the right-side horizontal stabilizer of the American Eagle plane. The right-side winglet of the Southwest Airlines aircraft can also be seen. A member of the ground crew on the co-pilot side of the Southwest aircraft attempted to signal the operator to avoid the fender bender, according to sources. Thursday morning, emergency vehicles swarmed LaGuardia's Terminal 8 when a United Airlines plane clipped a fuel truck backing away from the gate, damaging its right winglet. Two days prior to that, an American Airlines plane hit another aircraft as it pushed back from a Terminal B gate at LaGuardia. Both cases linked back to miscommunication among ground crews. American Airlines tells CBS2 there were no passengers or crew aboard the parked American Eagle plane. No American Eagle flights were cancelled as a result of the collision. The Southwest aircraft is out of service for repairs and inspections, according to the airline. No injuries were reported in Saturday's incident. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/01/22/sources-southwest-airlines-plane-bumps-into- another-aircraft-at-laguardia-airport/ Back to Top Shortage of Air Force fighter pilots grows The U.S. Air Force faces a growing shortage of combat pilots. U.S. Air Force photo by Lausanne Morgan Jan. 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force says it is short on fighter pilots and the deficit is growing. At the end of fiscal year 2016, the Air Force was short 750 fighter pilots, up from 511 at the end of the previous year. The Air Force's Air Combat Command said while there is a pilot shortage for all its platforms, fighter aircraft have been hit the hardest by the shortage. "The health of the fighter pilot community is bad," said Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements (AF/A3). "We focus on fighter pilots, but it's not just (them). We have a national pilot crisis. Essentially the Air Force, when it comes to pilot production, is going to have to change." Gen. Nowland made his remarks earlier this month at the annual Weapons and Tactics Conference held at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. "Recruiting and getting people on to fly is not a problem," said Nowland. "If you look across the Air Force, the quality of the individuals coming into the Air Force are some of the highest we ever had. That goes for the enlisted and officer force. "Our problem is capacity. It's how do we get the throughput up to produce the number of pilots we want. It's a supply and demand problem. Air Education and Training Command is working hard on this problem, but it's not something that can change overnight. There is a lot of infrastructure associated with it and the problem becomes complicated as you consider how to man to the increased capacity that we want to build," he said. The Air Force said it is tackling the problem and has started several initiatives to fix problem areas now and in the long term. Its threefold approach is reducing the number of fighter pilot requirements, increasing retention of pilots and increasing the production of new fighter pilots. "They [Air Force leadership] care deeply and are taking this very seriously," said Col. Jason Cockrum, AF/A3 director of staff. "They know and appreciate the high operations tempo that our fighter forces have been operating at for the past 25 years, and recognize the new and emerging threats in the Pacific, Europe and the ongoing operations in the Middle East. They understand those demands and the requirements for a strong sustainable fighter force in the future." http://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2017/01/20/Shortage-of-Air-Force-fighter-pilots- grows/8451484926244/ Back to Top Mitsubishi forced to delay jet deliveries to middle of 2020 Aircraft seven years behind schedule as worries rise over group's return to aviation Mitsubishi has been forced to delay deliveries of its regional jet by another two years, highlighting the difficulties in making a commercial aircraft. A fifth delay means the jet is now seven years behind schedule, raising doubts about whether it can ever be a commercial success. Customers will not get their hands on the MRJ90 until mid-2020, according to the latest schedule, marking a serious setback for Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and the broader Japanese aerospace industry. The MRJ90 is a high-profile national project, aimed at returning the legendary Mitsubishi name to an aviation market Japan was forced to abandon after the second world war, by taking on Embraer and Bombardier in the market for small passenger jets. "We should have studied harder before development on collecting information and analysing the risks," said Shunichi Miyanaga, chief executive of parent company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, acknowledging the formidable challenge of integrating a million components into a safe and competitive passenger jet. Mitsubishi said the delay was due to "revisions of certain systems and electrical configurations on the aircraft". According to company officials, it became clear during a review last autumn that the MRJ would not win approval from safety regulators in its current form. Although the aircraft took its first flight in 2015 and was dispatched to the US for certification testing, it emerged that it was unlikely to meet regulatory demands, such as the resilience of its electrical systems to an on-board explosion. Mr Miyanaga said that MHI will take direct control of the project from its aircraft subsidiary. It will bring in foreign experts with experience of putting a regional aircraft through certification, implicitly acknowledging that MHI's own staff were naive about the difficulty of the process. The 88-seat MRJ90 is the first of a family intended for shorter routes, mainly in the US, with the first delivery scheduled for 2017. Mitsubishi had several hundred firm orders for the jet but its airline customers may now seek other options. It is a prestige project for the national aerospace industry, receiving hundreds of billions of yen in investment from MHI, as well as Toyota, Sumitomo, Mitsui and other Mitsubishi group companies. MHI insisted that the delay will not have a significant effect on its business, which sprawls from nuclear reactors to space rockets. The company is considering its future in the cruise ship business after a recent contract resulted in cost overruns and a $1.8bn write-off. "Although the payback period will be prolonged, the impact on profit for each fiscal year will be minimal," said MHI. "These design changes will not affect aircraft performance, fuel consumption, or functionality of systems." https://www.ft.com/content/aef3a7cc-e147-11e6-8405-9e5580d6e5fb Back to Top RESEARCH STUDY Dear Participants, You are being requested to participate in a research study on the use of controlled rest in position. This study is expected to take approximately 5 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least a student pilot and at least 18 years old. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. The study is looking for consumers, student pilots, and airline pilots complete this short questionnaire. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc2n9UeQunUJMvYPuTegn- t9mjxmxLMGLAX0qblfZmi2apQ8w/viewform For more information, please contact: Dr. Scott Winter swinter@fit.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Dr. Scott R. Winter, Assistant Professor, Florida Institute of Technology Dr. Stephen Rice, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Back to Top Learn About New FAA Regulations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Free Online Course from Embry-Riddle Register for Massive Open Online Course for sUAS Operators, which begins Feb. 6 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - If you received a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), or drone, as a gift this holiday season, or if you want to stay updated on the latest FAA regulations for these aircraft, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is providing a free, two-week online course-Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) - Key Concepts for New Users. Registration for the course is now open. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) runs Feb. 6 to 19 and introduces novice sUAS users and seasoned aeronauts to numerous aspects of unmanned systems, as well as current and future applications. The MOOC also offers guidance on responsibly piloting aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). This course is taught by a team of UAS experts, led by Dr. Scott Burgess, Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Worldwide's College of Aeronautics. Dr. Burgess has over 30 years of aviation expertise in both military and civilian aircraft, including helicopters and unmanned aircraft systems. "This post-FAA Part 107 course will focus participants toward regulations, safety of flight and flight planning considerations," said Burgess. "We have an outstanding team of faculty with private, commercial and government sector experts teaching on topics such as UAS integration, regulation, international operations, safety and systems. We will also harness the power of social media so participants can interface directly with each other and faculty." Students will learn the basic elements of safety, and airspace definitions and regulations so those individuals using the NAS understand and use best practices for reducing the risk of collisions between aircraft when operating a sUAS. This popular course, previously offered in 2016, has been updated to include the FAA's new 2016 regulations (FAA Part 107) for sUAS operators. For more information and to register go to Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) - Key Concepts for New Users. You may also download Embry-Riddle's free sUAS Consumer Guide, designed to assists a wide variety of users, especially novices, to evaluate options for purchase, appropriate to their skill and experience levels, while introducing key metrics for future consumer sUAS comparison. For additional information on this and other specialized industry training online courses, please contact Gary Burke, Worldwide Director of the Office of Professional Education, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114.Email: training@erau.edu; Phone (386) 226-7232. About UAS at Embry-Riddle Embry-Riddle was one of the first schools in the nation to offer a degree in UAS and today has the nation's largest UAS degree program. The University offers: a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science at the Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona Campuses; a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Systems Applications through the Worldwide Campus; a Master of Science in Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Engineering at the Daytona Beach Campus; and a fully online Master of Science in Unmanned Systems through its Worldwide Campus. Embry-Riddle is also a co-founder of the ASSURE Coalition (Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence), a Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. MEDIA CONTACT: James Roddey, Director of Communications, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.; (386) 226-6198; james.roddey@erau.edu. ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 80 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. 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 GRADUATE RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY My name is Ian Fyfe-Green and I am undertaking a Doctorate of Business Administration with the University of Portsmouth Business School. The aim of my research is to assess the impact of regulatory change on aviation risk management, with a specific objective to understand how best to manage this change without inducing error. As part of this research I have developed a survey that will help to answer my research questions, and I hope that around 1000 people across the aviation industry will complete these questions about their experiences. The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete, and consists of a number of questions on aviation, with a final question about the individual for context. Participation in this study is completely voluntary, and I neither need a name or any identifying details; all reasonable steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality. At no point will anyone be able to identify an individual from the responses to the multiple choice questions. If there are any questions about the survey, please contact me at my university email address of ian.fyfe-green@myport.ac.uk Thank you in advance for your valuable insights, I am extremely grateful for any assistance you can provide in facilitating the widest distribution, and in answering the questions themselves. The survey is hosted by QuestionPro, an independent research firm, to field your confidential survey responses. Please click on this link to complete the survey: Start Survey Best Regards Ian Fyfe-Green 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