Flight Safety Information January 25, 2017 - No. 019 In This Issue Expressjet CRJ2 at Roanoke on Jan 22nd 2017, wing tip strike on landing Narrow escape for 168 as tail of Jet Airways plane hits runway on landing in Dhaka PK-661 crash: Investigation board to review pilots' flying, medical history Two Chinese helicopter pilots die in crash Helicopter Carrying Injured Skier Crashes in Italy, Killing 6 Thai airlines face grounding over financial concerns ExcelAire Receives Highest Industry Rating for Safety Professor uses technology to improve pilot performance Sky Angkor Air flight tyres pop on landing (Cambodia) Entrepreneur Dick Smith blasts CASA after it holds back on any commitment to internal review Airlines facing pilot shortage, begin to raise wages to combat trend MRJ90 design changes will necessitate additional flight test aircraft State Dept. approves $418 million aircraft sale to Kenya Bombardier wins CRJ900 jet order from Irish carrier CityJet FedEx CEO calls Trump's withdrawal from trade deal 'unfortunate' 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 Expressjet CRJ2 at Roanoke on Jan 22nd 2017, wing tip strike on landing An Expressjet Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N882AS performing flight EV- 5399/DL-5399 from Atlanta,GA to Roanoke,VA (USA) with 50 people on board, landed on Roanoke's runway 06 at 13:14L (18:14Z) but struck a wing tip onto the runway surface. The aircraft rolled out without further incident. Upon issuing taxi instructions tower queried the flight conditions, the crew reported it was a smooth ride right to the minimums. The return flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Roanoke 55 hours after landing. The airline confirmed a wing tip strike, the aircraft taxied to the apron. Maintenance assessed and repaired the aircraft. The occurrence was reported to the FAA, however, did not require a report to the NTSB. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL5399/history/20170122/1707Z/KATL/KROA http://avherald.com/h?article=4a3f5364&opt=0 Back to Top Narrow escape for 168 as tail of Jet Airways plane hits runway on landing in Dhaka The tail of the aircraft hit the runway on landing at the Dhaka International airport last week The incident, which happened on January 22, has been reported to aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation NEW DELHI: 168 people onboard a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai had a narrow escape after the tail of the aircraft hit the runway on landing at the Dhaka International airport last week, prompting the airline to remove the pilots from duty. The B737 aircraft has been grounded and a team from Boeing company is expected to visit Dhaka to assess the extent of damage to the plane while engineers from Jet Airways have already started the assessment, sources said. The incident, which happened on January 22, has been reported to aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). DGCA sources said Bangladesh's aviation authorities are expected to investigate the incident since it happened in Dhaka. According to them, if the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Bangladesh, which is the country's aviation regulatory body, decides not to probe the incident, then AAIB may take up the investigation. When contacted, Jet Airways confirmed the "tail strike" incident. The flight 9W-276 from Mumbai to Dhaka had 160 guests and eight crew members when it had a "tail strike" on landing at Dhaka airport on January 22. There were no injuries to guests or crew, all of whom deplaned safely, the airline said. In a detailed statement, Jet Airways also said the crew of the flight has been placed off roster in order to assist with the investigation as a standard practice. The aircraft, B737-800, is currently being inspected by the Jet Airways' engineering team at Dhaka before it is brought back for routine operations. Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which comes under the Civil Aviation Ministry, is the apex body for probing accidents, serious incidents involving Indian aircraft. Further, Jet Airways said it continues to offer all cooperation to support the investigation in its aircraft incident. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/narrow-escape-for-168-as-tail-of-jet-airways- plane-hits-runway-on-landing-in-dhaka/articleshow/56758654.cms Back to Top PK-661 crash: Investigation board to review pilots' flying, medical history PIA flight PK-661 crashed in a hilly area in Havelian near Abbottabad on December 7. ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - During probe of PK-661 crash, the safety investigation board has taken pilots' all records into custody to review their flying history and medical reports. The documents contain three pilots' licenses, flying history, annual medical reports and medical history. These documents will be made part of investigation report. Earlier on January 17, the authorities have decided to exhume the bodies of the crew of a plane that crashed last month killing 48 people to see if any of them were under the influence of drugs. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-661 crashed in a hilly area in Havelian near Abbottabad while en route from Chitral to Islamabad on December 7. Five crew members were among those killed in the crash. Popular pop singer-turned- Islamic preacher Junaid Jamshed, his wife and three foreigners were also among the 48 dead. The government has ordered a detailed probe into the crash. The black box report suggests both engines of the plane were perfect when it took off and one of the engines was working properly when it crashed. http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/372042-PK661-crash-Investigation-board-to-review- pilots Back to Top Two Chinese helicopter pilots die in crash A helicopter of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force's aviation wing crashed in southeast China's Fujian Province on 19 January, killing both pilots, the China Military Online website reported on 23 January. Three other people suffered minor injuries and four houses were damaged as a result of the crash, which occurred during a night-flight training mission near the village of Xiazhuwei. The military did not disclose what kind of helicopter the pilots were flying, but observers said it is likely to have been a WZ-10 attack helicopter. The cause of the crash is under investigation. http://www.janes.com/article/67150/two-chinese-helicopter-pilots-die-in-crash Back to Top Helicopter Carrying Injured Skier Crashes in Italy, Killing 6 Rescuers at the scene of a helicopter crash in central Italy that killed all six people on board on Tuesday. Credit Claudio Lattanzio/ANSA, via Associated Press ROME - A helicopter taking an injured skier to a hospital crashed against a mountain in central Italy on Tuesday, killing all six people on board, officials said. The accident was a further blow to an area struggling to emerge from many days of heavy snowfall, a series of earthquakes and an avalanche last week that killed at least 17 people, with 12 still missing. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, though television images from the site, which showed that only the rear of the helicopter remained intact, were occasionally blurred by fog. Gianluca Marrocchi, the mayor of the nearby town of Lucoli, told RAI state television that he had seen the helicopter and had wondered "why it was flying so low." The helicopter was taking the skier from Campo Felice, a ski resort in the Apennine Mountains, when it went down, according to the National Agency for Flight Safety, which has ordered an investigation. The agency sent a team to the site of the crash, noting in a statement that the area is difficult to reach because of "adverse meteorological conditions." News of the crash dealt a fresh blow to the Abruzzo region, where rescuers have been involved in countless operations over the last week after heavy snow and power cuts isolated many towns and an avalanche demolished a hotel after strong earthquakes last Wednesday. The death toll rose to 17 on Tuesday after the body of a woman was removed from the ruins of the hotel. Twelve people are still missing, while nine were rescued last week. Two of the people who died in the helicopter had searched for survivors at the hotel, a spokeswoman for the Civil Protection Agency said. After hearing of the helicopter crash, Luciano D'Alfonso, president of the Abruzzo region, used his Twitter account to express his condolences to the families of the victims. He said he was praying "for the end of the sequence of tragic events that has struck Abruzzo." Rescuers continued to work at the Hotel Rigopiano, searching for survivors. Funerals were held for two of the victims on Tuesday. A spokesman for the Italian fire service, Luca Cari, said rescue operations had been carefully planned using diagrams of the hotel and taking into account the impact of the avalanche. "We are working on a hypothesis" of finding areas where people might have survived, he said. But even though rooms free of snow have been identified, "unfortunately there were no people in them," he said. "We are continuing to search, but we are not finding people alive," he said. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/world/europe/helicopter-crash-italy- abruzzo.html?_r=0 ****************** Date: 24-JAN-2017 Time: Type: AgustaWestland AW139 Owner/operator: Inaer Aviation, opf 118 EMS Registration: EC-KJT C/n / msn: 31104 Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 1 km from Campo Felice - Italy Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The helicopter crashed during a rescue mission of a skier near Campo Felice. The aircraft fell from a altitude of 600 meters. Six occupants were on board and died. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=193053 Back to Top Thai airlines face grounding over financial concerns Thailand is ready to renew the licences of nine of its airlines - and revoke two Thailand will renew licences for nine airlines, including Thai Airways, and revoke two CREDIT: 2008 AFP/SAEED KHAN A Thai airline facing a financial crisis is on the brink of having its licence rescinded by the country's aviation authorities, while another has been told it must devise a monetary rehabilitation plan after complaints from its employees. Nine of Thailand's 23 airlines, accounting for 70 per cent of all international flights out of the south east Asian country, are poised to have their air operator certificates (AOCs) reissued this year, while 14 more are expected to receive approval next January. The certificate is required by an airline from any country to be allowed to fly commercially. AirAsia X is one of the airlines poised to have its licence re-issued CREDIT: 2007 AFP/TENGKU BAHAR However, two airlines have been told their futures are uncertain, according to the Bangkok Post. The carriers in question have not been named, but one is reportedly close to being grounded. Chula Sukmanop, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), said one of the airlines has been instructed to begin a rehabilitation plan after complaints were lodged by its employees. Thailand is one of eight countries marked with a red flag, denoting a "significant security concern", by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). In December 2015 the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), downgraded the country's aviation safety rating to Category 2 over safety concerns, banning Thai airlines from opening new routes to the US or expanding existing ones. Thai airlines were placed under "special measures" by the ICAO two years ago, causing a number to cancel a raft of flights, but the CAAT is hoping the red flag will be lifted after it finishes an audit of its carriers. Though the two airlines struggling were not named by the CAAT, the nine set to have their AOCs reissued imminently were: Thai Airways International Bangkok Airways Thai AirAsia Nok Air K-Mile Air Orient Thai Airlines Air Asia X NokScoot Thai Smile No Thai airlines are currently banned from flying within the EU, according to the EU Air Safety List, updated in December. Visit here to see the full list. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/articles/thai-airlines-face- grounding-over-financial-concerns/ Back to Top ExcelAire Receives Highest Industry Rating for Safety ExcelAire on Jan. 25, announced it has again achieved the highest level of safety designations, including ARG/US Platinum and Wyvern Wingman. In addition, ExcelAire renewed its International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Stage 2 certification and is working towards Stage 3. ExcelAire is among the four percent of aircraft operators that have earned an AR/GUS Platinum Safety Rating, a designation that ExcelAire has achieved since 2012. ARG/US Platinum status is awarded only to those private jet operators who meet the industry's highest standards and have demonstrated successful implementation of industry best safety practices for operations and maintenance. In addition to the Platinum rating by ARG/US, ExcelAire has taken the necessary steps to go above and beyond the requirements for aircraft safety and maintenance and achieve Wyvern Wingman status for the 17th consecutive year. With this designation, ExcelAire is one of a few operators who maintain transparent safety data in the online database and successfully pass a rigorous Wingman Standard Audit every two years. "At ExcelAire, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and excellence in the industry," said John Reese, director of safety, security and standards for ExcelAire. "Our customers have the added assurance of the ARG/US Platinum, Wyvern Wingman and IS-BAO independent third party audits, further validating our high levels of excellence in operations, maintenance and safety." He added, "We are also the first of 10 eligible operators in our region to become an active applicant for the FAA's Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP). Our aggressive pursuit of full safety compliance with this new FAA standard puts us at the forefront of the aviation safety community. We expected to be fully compliant with the FAA SMSVP by late 2017." http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12298288/excelaire-receives-highest- industry-rating-for-safety Back to Top Professor uses technology to improve pilot performance * WSU professor Jibo He is conducting research for a project headed by the FAA. * He is collaboring with a team from the University of Oklahoma. * The project includes testing head-mounted display and wearable devices used in simulator-based pilot training. Wichita State psychology professor Jibo He is collaborating with a team from the University of Oklahoma to conduct research and development on head-mounted display and wearable devices used in simulator-based pilot training. The Federal Aviation Administration selected research teams from the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to lead the new Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for Technical Training and Human Performance. The COE will conduct research and development on technical training for air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, engineers, pilots and technicians. The FAA is funding the research with a nearly $290,000 grant. As principal investigator, He is studying the decision-making process of air traffic controllers with the goal of improving aviation safety and human performance of pilots. "Collaboration allows us to share resources and inspire each other." - Jibo He Three graduate and two undergraduate students are working on the project in He's Human Interaction Automation Laboratory. Students are involved in proposal writing and have participated in all the processes of scientific research, including experimental design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript writing. He is also working with WSU aerospace engineering professor James Steck to develop better technologies for aviation safety. They have developed a Traffic Collision Advisory System (TCAS) using Google Glass to alert pilots of potential collisions. The COE program is a long-term, cost-sharing partnership between academia, industry and government. The FAA works with center members and affiliates to conduct research in airspace and airport planning and design, environment and aviation safety, as well as to engage in other activities to assure a safe and efficient air transportation system. The collaboration between universities, He say, is key to the success of this research. "Aviation research needs a lot of resources - access to airports, pilots, air traffic controllers and expensive flight simulators. It is rare for a single researcher or institute to own all these resources," He says. "Collaboration allows us to share resources and inspire each other." The Air Transportation Center of Excellences is one of 12 COEs established by the FAA in critical topic areas focusing on unmanned aircraft systems, alternative jet fuels and environment, general aviation safety, commercial space transportation, airliner cabin environment, aircraft noise and aviation emissions mitigation, advanced materials, general aviation research, airworthiness assurance, operations research, airport pavement and technology, and computational modeling of aircraft structures. http://www.wichita.edu/thisis/stories/story.asp?si=3537 Back to Top Sky Angkor Air flight tyres pop on landing (Cambodia) Four tyres of the main landing-gear wheels of a plane burst after skidding for 100 metres upon landing at Siem Reap International Airport at about 5:15am yesterday morning, according to airport concessionaire Cambodia Airports. The Siem Reap-bound Airbus-320, which flew from Dalian, China, was operated by local carrier Sky Angkor Airlines. Cambodia Airports communications director Khek Norinda said yesterday that runway operations had resumed by 9am and Cambodian civil aviation officers were investigating the incident. "None of the 122 passengers on board were injured," he said. Lee Moon Seap, the airline's ground operations general manager, maintained yesterday that the crew had reported that "all the passengers felt very normal during landing". Just over a week ago, a Sky Angkor flight to Hefei, China, had to return to Siem Reap due to cabin pressure problems. Sinn Chan Serey Vutha, spokesman for Cambodia's State Secretariat of Civil Aviation, speculated that yesterday's incident occurred due to faulty brakes. "It is our primary assumption that the braking system did not function properly on the runway. Our air safety team is investigating the case; the result will come out in a week," he said, adding that the plane had been checked according to standard operating procedures before take- off. "The passengers disembarked [via stairs]," he said. http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sky-angkor-air-flight-tyres-pop-landing Back to Top Entrepreneur Dick Smith blasts CASA after it holds back on any commitment to internal review THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority has been plunged into chaos, labelled as "dysfunctional" in the wake of claims it knew about concerns over Mount Isa pilot Josh Hoch as early as 2013. Lawyer Michael Spear told a court at Mr Hoch's bail appearance that CASA had known about conduct related to the 342 charges police had laid. "(The flights) have happened since 2013, CASA has known about these flights since 2013," he said. "Now if CASA had any concern about a pilot it can invoke provisions of section 30DC of the Civil Aviation Act instantly grounding a pilot if there is a serious and imminent risk to air safety. "Now CASA has not done so, despite knowing of the allegations for months, these started back in October (2016) and certainly those charges from back in 2013. "CASA conducted an audit for Mr Hoch and his company and reissued his AOC (Air Operators Certificate) earlier last year. "If CASA hasn't grounded him, they don't consider him to be a serious risk to the public and I would submit that CASA would be far more cognisant of safety in aviation than the police service." Entrepreneur Dick Smith, a former Civil Aviation Authority chairman and advocate for reform, said it did not surprise him to hear the authority had known about accusations but not acted. "CASA is a totally dysfunctional organisation and because of that I would believe anything," he said. "This seems to be an ongoing problem. It tends to concentrate on the good players and the rogue ones are too hard I think. It's basically very weak. "Some of these alleged acts also seem to involve oversight at the local airports, I wonder if people have known about this bloke and done nothing." Mr Smith said CASA did not aggressively pursue rule breakers. "As chairman I introduced an administrative fines system. Instead of writing continuous letters to noncompliers they would be fined. "After the Seaview disaster we discovered the regulator knew what was going on but just kept writing letters." But the organisation has held back on any pledge to conduct an internal review, with a spokeswoman committing to read the current police investigation. "CASA personnel have been working closely with Queensland Police in Operation Oscar- Demotic since October 2016, culminating in Mr Hoch's arrest," she said. "Our role involved the provision of specialist aviation-related technical advice. "CASA is actively reviewing information arising out of the Queensland Police investigation and will take such further action as necessary." The department did not answer questions about whether CASA had received complaints about Mr Hoch in previous years or whether it would conduct its own research into how he received his licences "It would be inappropriate to comment further on those matters at this point due to ongoing investigations," she said. "It is important to note that the vast majority of commercial aircraft operators in Australia are professional, responsible pilots who put safety as their number one priority and comply with all relevant safety regulations." http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/entrepreneur-dick-smith-blasts-casa-after-it- holds-back-on-any-commitment-to-internal-review/news- story/5125623aff287fc9a5f106519d2b18e1 Back to Top Airlines facing pilot shortage, begin to raise wages to combat trend Projections published by the University of North Dakota's Aviation Department have indicated that U.S. airlines may start running out of pilots in as soon as two years. The issue is many current pilots are reaching their mandatory retirement age of 65 and fewer young people are choosing commercial aviation as a profession. That deficit is expected to reach about 15,000 by 2026, according to the study. The lack of interest partly stems from low-paying regional carriers - where many aviation professionals start their careers. "Starting pilots don't make much at all," said Virginia Kinach, a retired corporate pilot. "It's seniority based." Common figures found online say that in recent years a starting pilot might have only made about $20,000 annually. Ed Kalabus, a retired airline pilot who is now a freelance flight instructor in Prescott, said that is about right. These low wages follow what is a notoriously expensive flight-training process. "If you call a puppy mill school, they'll quote you a number like $60,000," Kalabus said. The situation was worsened when Congress passed a law in 2013 mandating most aspiring pilots fly 1,500 hours before being hired by a regional carrier, up from as few as 250 hours. "That really closed it off for a lot of people," Kalabus said. Airlines have just begun to address these issues, specifically focusing on raising starting wages and providing additional incentives such as signing bonuses. "There are ads out there right now that they'll hire you, blah, blah, and give you a premium to sign on if you're qualified," Kalabus said. "They're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, they're doing it out of necessity. They have to get competitive to get the better people." http://www.dcourier.com/news/2017/jan/24/airlines-facing-pilot-shortage-begin-raise- wages-c/ Back to Top MRJ90 design changes will necessitate additional flight test aircraft Gallery: MRJ90 takes off on first US test flight Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. will need to produce additional MRJ90 flight test aircraft to gain certification, a consequence of systems revisions that have caused a two-year program delay. Mitsubishi Aircraft announced Jan. 23 that it will push back first delivery of the MRJ90 to Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) from mid-2018 to mid-2020, the latest in a series of delays that have beset the Mitsubishi Regional Jet program. In a conference call with reporters, Mitsubishi Aircraft VP and GM-sales and marketing Yugo Fukuhara said "the major issues" necessitating the new delay are the rerouting of wire harnesses and the relocation of some components in the avionics bay. Four MRJ90 flight test aircraft are already flying, and a fifth is set to join the flight test program this year. Fukuhara said the majority of MRJ90 flight testing will still be able to be conducted with those five aircraft, which will not incorporate the systems changes. "The design changes will not affect aircraft performance, so the current flight test aircraft can continue with flight testing in their current configuration," he said. But to gain certification, some flight testing will have to be done with MRJ90s that incorporate the systems revisions. "We will make [flight test] aircraft which will incorporate the design changes," Fukuhara said. Mitsubishi Aircraft has not yet determined how many additional MRJ90 flight test aircraft will be needed. Fukuhara said MRJ90 flight testing will proceed on schedule despite the program delay, with a fourth MRJ90 flight test aircraft to be transferred to the US "very shortly" to join three MRJ90s already in Moses Lake, Washington state, where US MRJ90 flight testing is based. The fifth MRJ90 flight test aircraft will remain in Japan. The majority of MRJ90 flight testing will occur in the US. Overall, 2,500 hours of MRJ90 flight testing had been planned before the design changes were announced. Fukuhara said Mitsubishi Aircraft has not yet determined how many additional flight hours will be needed because of the systems revisions. Fukuhara said Mitsubishi Aircraft parent Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will be "more involved in the MRJ business" going forward, and is willing to incur higher development costs associated with the design changes and additional flight test aircraft. He declined to disclose how much in costs will be added to the program because of the new delay. "My message is that building and certifying a new aircraft is a complicated process, but this is a long-term business," Fukuhara said. "We are committed to this business for the long term." http://atwonline.com/manufacturers/mrj90-design-changes-will-necessitate-additional- flight-test-aircraft Back to Top State Dept. approves $418 million aircraft sale to Kenya Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Kenya is on track to procure Air Tractor aircraft and the weapons for them through a possible U.S. Foreign Military Sales deal. The U.S. Defense Cooperation Agency, which manages the FMS program, said in its notification to Congress that the U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale worth $418 million. "This proposed sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a strong regional partner who is a regional security leader undertaking critical operations against al-Shabaab and troop contributor to the African Union Mission in Somalia," it said. Al-Shabab is an al-Qaida-linked militant group operating in Somalia, which borders Kenya. The proposed sales package includes 12 Air Tractor AT-802L aircraft and two AT-504 trainer aircraft, weapons, technical support and program management. The prime contractor for the FMS would be L-3 Communications, Platform Integration Division. At least five contractor representatives would need to be assigned to Kenya. The AT-802 is derived from a crop-sprayer. It is heavily armored, armed, and has a 10- hour endurance. http://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2017/01/24/State-Dept-approves-418-million- aircraft-sale-to-Kenya/1461485272542/ Back to Top Bombardier wins CRJ900 jet order from Irish carrier CityJet Bombardier and the Irish regional carrier Cityjet have signed a conditional purchase agreement for up to 10 CRJ900 aircraft from the Canadian plane maker. The order is valued at approximately US$280 million and could increase to $467m at list prices should CityJet exercise all its options Dublin-based airline has also confirmed its acquisition of the Danish carrier Cimber, a subsidiary of the Scandinavian airline SAS. The Cimber acquisition also sees CityJet seal a six-year "wet lease" contract from SAS to operate regional services from Copenhagen. CityJet will continue to operate Cimber's network on behalf of SAS using Cimber's current fleet of 11 CRJ900s. Its current wet lease contract with SAS - where the Irish carrier provides aircraft and crew - will also be extended from three to six years. The new Bombardier aircraft ordered by CityJet, whose executive chairman is founder Pat Byrne, will be used for wet lease services with SAS, and also to replace existing Cimber aircraft this year and in 2018. Last year CityJet took delivery of its first five CRJ900s. The total CRJ900 fleet - including those in service with Cimber - will increase to 23 this summer. The entire CRJ900 fleet owned by the CityJet group is operated exclusively on behalf of SAS, with all aircraft in SAS livery and crewed by CityJet staff. "This new SAS contract and the growth delivered by the acquisition of Cimber advances CityJet's stated strategy of building its role as a provider of regional jet capacity to airlines across Europe and follows our successful inauguration of services on behalf of SAS in March 2016," Mr Byrne told the Irish Independent newspaper. Bombardier is now negotiating a $1 billion injection from Canada's federal government, after ballooning costs from two aircraft developments forced it to consider bankruptcy in 2015. The lifeline for Bombardier's CSeries jet could indirectly lead to unfair pricing in the battle for smaller turboprops, the rival turboprop maker ATR said this week, where ATR mainly competes with Bombardier's Q400 propeller plane. Bombardier denied it was involved in any unfair pricing. ATR, which is half-owned by the European plane maker Airbus and half by Italy's Leonardo, earlier said its orders dropped by more than half in 2016, while deliveries fell 9 per cent. http://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/bombardier-wins-crj900-jet-order-from- irish-carrier-cityjet Back to Top FedEx CEO calls Trump's withdrawal from trade deal 'unfortunate' U.S. President Donald Trump should reconsider his positions on international trade and work to embrace China and its vast market, FedEx Corp's (FDX.N) chief executive officer said on Tuesday, one day after Trump made good on a campaign promise to pull out of a major trade deal with Asian allies. CEO Fred Smith, in separate media appearances on Tuesday, questioned Trump's decision to formally withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The package and business services company employs thousands of people whose jobs depend on international trade. "The United States being cut off from trade would be like trying to breathe without oxygen," Smith said in an interview with Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo. Trump's protectionist tone boosted his popularity with white, working class voters during the election, who helped him win some traditionally Democratic areas even as his words put him at odds with Republican orthodoxy on free trade. Smith on Tuesday argued that some 40 million Americans have jobs as a result of trade, whose benefits are more "diffuse" and harder to see than the "pain" in areas like manufacturing. "It's an essential part of our economy. I think the decision to pull out of TPP is unfortunate because the real beneficiary of that is China. And China has been very mercantilist, very protectionist," Smith said. "We need to try to stop those things and get the Chinese to open up their 1.3 billion person market, not cut them off. We have the opportunity to sell huge amounts of goods into China." Smith's criticisms risk placing him in the president's crosshairs as Trump has shown a willingness to rip into companies or individuals who displease him. "I wouldn't be surprised if Trump pushes back," said Republican strategist David Carney. "Trump's a new sheriff in town. The niceties of diplomacy and international trade... it's just not the Trump way." Trump also risks friction with members of his own party who support free trade, said Republican strategist Tom Doherty. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order to formally withdraw from the TPP as China's influence in the region grows. The Republican president has been critical of China, which was not a party to the TPP. Trump also said he would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement at an "appropriate time," following another campaign pledge to redo the NAFTA trade pact with Canada and Mexico. Smith, who met with Trump in New York following his November election victory, urged the new president to reconsider his position toward the Asian powerhouse despite China's historic protectionism during an earlier interview on CBS' "This Morning." "To some degree, the administration's positions are a little bit out of date with reality of China today. They want to open their markets today," Smith told CBS. Since well before November's election, Smith, 72, criticized the positions of both Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, saying he hoped cooler heads would prevail after the election. In June 2016, he told analysts on an earnings conference call, that anti-trade rhetoric and anti-business positions expressed on the campaign trail were "very worrisome." FedEx, with revenues topping $50 billion last year, employs more than 400,000 people globally, according to its website. Smith founded the global freight, package and business service company in 1971. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-trade-fedex-idUSKBN1581RN 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