Flight Safety Information January 26, 2017 - No. 020 In This Issue Grumman G-73 Mallard Impact With Water (Australia) Swiss A333 near Nantes on Jan 24th 2017, engine vibrations Austrian A319 at Amsterdam on Jan 24th 2017, bird strike Travelers With Nut Allergies Clash With Airlines DGCA asks pilots to cooperate with ATC to avoid unstable landings (India) 2nd Suit Filed Over Deadly Jet Crash Into Ohio Apartments Records: Pilot killed in crash shouldn't have flown PILOTS SEE BASICMED AS 'A BIG DEAL' Qantas in the market for new ultra-long range aircraft Indigenous Hawk aircraft upgrade ready(India). Google doodle honors American pilot Bessie Coleman Boom's supersonic jet passes wind-tunnel test as tech allows for small-scale prototype Boeing shares jump on strong fourth-quarter results, 2017 forecast The U.S. Air Force Need More Than 300 Light Attack Aircraft (Now) U.S. Air Force upgrades 45th KC-135 tanker aircraft Boeing pitches China facility as Trump-friendly An asteroid is about to slip between Earth and the moon - the second near miss in 3 weeks 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 RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Grumman G-73 Mallard Impact With Water (Australia) Status: Preliminary Date: Thursday 26 January 2017 Time: 17:03 Type: Grumman G-73 Mallard Operator: private Registration: VH-CQA C/n / msn: J-35 First flight: 1948 Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: Swan River, Perth, WA ( Australia) Phase: Maneuvering (MNV) Nature: Demonstration Departure airport: Serpentine Airport (YSEN), Australia Destination airport: ? Narrative: A Grumman G-73 Mallard flying boat was destroyed when it impacted the water of Swan River in Perth, Australia. Both occupants suffered fatal injuries. The aircraft was flying a display during the Australia Day City of Perth Air Show 2017. It departed Serpentine Airport at 16:28 and proceeded along the coast towards Perth. A holding pattern was flown to the east of Garden Island at an altitude of approximately 1600 feet, waiting to fly a display. At 16:50 it continued north towards Perth, flying down Swan River. It circled over the water until the aircraft lost altitude in a turn, impacting the water nose down. The aircraft broke up on impact. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170126-0 Back to Top Swiss A333 near Nantes on Jan 24th 2017, engine vibrations A Swiss Airbus A330-300, registration HB-JHD performing flight LX-86 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Montreal,QC (Canada), was enroute at FL360 about 120nm north of Nantes (France) when the crew decided to return to Zurich due to right hand engine (Trent 772) vibrations. The aircraft drifted down to FL210 for the way back and entered a hold at FL120, FL100 and FL090 to burn off fuel. The aircraft landed safely on Zurich's runway 16 about 3 hours after turning around and taxied to the apron. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Zurich about 31 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a400a49&opt=0 Back to Top Austrian A319 at Amsterdam on Jan 24th 2017, bird strike An Austrian Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration OE-LDD performing flight OS-375 from Vienna (Austria) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was on approach to Amsterdam's runway 18C when the aircraft flew through a flock of birds at about 2000 feet and received a number of bird impacts. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on the runway. After landing the crew reported operations normal, they had received two heavy bird strikes. The aircraft was unable to depart for the return flight OS-376, which needed to be cancelled. The radome of the aircraft seen after landing: http://avherald.com/h?article=4a3ffeac&opt=0 Back to Top Travelers With Nut Allergies Clash With Airlines Dr. Rosanne Bloom, her husband, Paul Friedman, center, and their sons Jacob, left, and Max, were removed from an American Airlines flight last month because of concerns about the boys' nut allergies. Rosanne Bloom and her family had just settled into their seats on a flight from Philadelphia to Turks and Caicos Islands on Christmas morning when two airline employees ordered Dr. Bloom, her husband and two boys off the plane. Their luggage had already been removed. The problem? Dr. Bloom had informed the crew that her teenage sons had severe nut allergies. "I said, 'We have our medicine. We brought our own food, and we're comfortable staying on the plane.' I offered to sign a waiver," said Dr. Bloom, an orthodontist from Clarksville, Md. "We were off the plane in two minutes." Matt Miller, a spokesman for American Airlines, said such decisions are left to the pilot. "The pilot determined it would be best for the family not to travel based on the severity of the allergy and the need to divert the airline if anyone were eating nuts," he said. Airline carriers have a long tradition of serving peanuts on flights, and often serve little else. But the practice also presents a challenge to travelers with severe nut allergies, who can suffer a reaction simply by touching a surface that has been exposed to nuts. But tensions between passengers with food allergies and airline staff members have risen in recent years, as airlines have begun to enforce stricter rules related to preboarding passengers. In the past, parents of young children could board the plane early, giving them a chance to wipe down seats, trays and armrests to reduce exposure to allergens. But today many airlines have stopped letting families with children board before other passengers. When families request permission to preboard - or pose another request, such as asking whether nuts will be served - they risk being taken off the flight or threatened with removal, said Mary Vargas, a lawyer whose family was almost kept off a plane from London back to the United States in December because of a nut allergy. Now families with nut allergies are waging a legal challenge against such policies. Two formal complaints filed with the Department of Transportation in the last month accuse American Airlines of discrimination against passengers with allergies. The complaints cite the airline's preboarding policy, which prohibits preboarding specifically for people with allergies, and not for others. "This is about being allowed to fly like everybody else in the United States," said Ms. Vargas, the lawyer representing the families. Although nobody tracks medical emergencies on airplanes, studies show that in-flight medical emergencies are relatively uncommon and affect only a fraction of the estimated 3.6 billion passengers who fly each year. Chest pain and cardiovascular events are the most common reason planes are diverted for a medical emergency. Allergic reactions make up fewer than 4 percent of all in-flight medical emergencies, according to a 2013 study published in the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. Notably, American Airlines, which operates one of the largest fleets of planes in the world, does not even serve peanuts. But it does have a peanut policy, in which it states: "Requests that we not serve any particular foods, including tree nuts, on our flights cannot be granted. We are not able to provide nut 'buffer zones,' nor are we able to allow passengers to pre-board to wipe down seats and tray tables." "Ultimately we cannot guarantee customers will not be exposed to peanuts or other nuts during the flight, and allowing people with nut allergies to preboard can create a false sense of security and does not eliminate risk," Mr. Miller said. Individuals who suffer from severe, life-threatening food allergies can experience swelling and difficulty breathing after even a mild exposure. They usually carry an Epi-Pen, which contains epinephrine, a medication that can reverse the symptoms. But in the case of a severe reaction, a person may still need urgent access to a medical facility. Research has shown that taking steps like creating buffer zones, in which nearby passengers are asked to refrain from eating nut products, and wiping down seats and trays may reduce the risk of an allergic reaction in flight. One of the complaints, filed on Dec. 28, is from Nicole Mackenzie, the mother of a 7-year- old with life-threatening allergies to peanuts, tree nuts and seeds. She was not allowed to preboard to clean the seat before the family's trip last fall from Portland, Ore., to Charlotte, N.C. The second complaint was filed on Jan. 10 on behalf of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), an organization that represents individuals with all kinds of food allergies. "American Airlines' action was clearly discriminatory," said FARE's chief executive officer and chief medical officer, Dr. James Baker Jr. "It has a defined policy that they put on their website, and the only people they single out from preboarding are people with food allergies." Lianne Mandelbaum, whose son has allergies, tracks the experiences of travelers with allergies on her website, the No Nut Traveler. She said that each airline makes its own rules but that the policies are inconsistently enforced, so travelers often don't know what to expect when they make travel plans. "It's like playing Russian roulette," said Michael Silverman, a psychologist in New York City whose 13-year-old daughter, Sydney, has a severe allergy, but who is reluctant to raise the subject for fear of being kicked off a plane. The Department of Transportation is investigating the complaints, officials said, adding in an email that severe allergies are considered a disability under the Air Carrier Access Act, which regulates air travel, if they impact one's ability to breathe "or substantially impact another major life activity." The nut industry has lobbied against restricting nut consumption on airplanes, and Congress has prohibited the Department of Transportation from imposing any restrictions. Some airlines are more accommodating to passengers with food allergies. Jet Blue will create a nut-free "buffer zone" around an allergic passenger. Southwest will avoid serving peanuts if flight attendants know an allergic passenger is on board. Delta's policy is also to refrain from serving peanuts if an allergic passenger is onboard. But interviews with nearly a dozen families and young adults with severe allergies suggest that many people worry about being removed from a flight if they ask whether nuts will be served. Ana Govorko, a hospital administrator from Princeton, N.J., said that in July she and her teenage daughter and adult son were ordered off a Lufthansa jet bound from New York for Munich and Trieste, Italy. She had informed the gate attendant that her daughter has severe allergies and she was carrying medication. The family waited in the airport for seven hours, trying to find another flight, while airline employees, "were joking about her allergies," Ms. Govorko said. "They were very rude. It was shocking." Ms. Govorko was able to get on another Lufthansa flight departing from Newark the next day. A Lufthansa spokeswoman, Christina Semmel, said that the Govorkos were allowed to fly after presenting a letter from her daughter's physician, but Ms. Govorko says she had presented the letter when she tried to board the first flight. Laura Ilsley, a mother of two now living in Travis, Calif., had a similar experience last April, when she and her husband, who is in the military, were flying from Incirlik, Turkey, along with their son and 4-year-old daughter, who is severely allergic to peanuts. When Ms. Ilsley informed Air France of her daughter's allergies, the airline's agents said the crew planned to serve peanuts and would not alter their plans, and said the family was "not welcome on board," Ms. Ilsley said. Eventually, an Air France manager was able to get the family on a Delta flight, where the crew made an announcement that a child with a severe allergy to peanuts was on board and that pretzels and cookies would be offered instead. "The staff was very kind and it went off without a hitch," Ms. Ilsley said. In a statement, Air France said the flight crew had "determined it was not in the best interest of the passenger to board the flight on such short notice," and that "the case was handled with concern for passenger safety as the top priority." Dr. Silverman's daughter, Sydney, said she actually had a very good experience when she flew on Delta from Palm Beach, Fla., back to New York City over the Martin Luther King weekend. A flight attendant noticed she was wiping down her seat and asked if she was allergic to peanuts. Sydney said that she was, but that it was O.K. to serve nuts. Nevertheless, the attendant "turned to the people in the row in front of me and in back of me and asked, 'is it O.K. if I don't serve you peanuts on the flight?' And they all said yes," Sydney said. "And then she went on the intercom and said they weren't going to serve peanuts because someone on the flight has an allergy, and if people brought peanuts to please not eat them. "And it made me feel thankful," she said. "No one's ever done anything like that before." https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/well/family/travelers-with-nut-allergies-clash- with-airlines.html?_r=0 Back to Top DGCA asks pilots to cooperate with ATC to avoid unstable landings (India) The DGCA chief BS Bhullar, however, said the circular was not linked to any rise in unstable landings or mix-ups between pilots and ATC.(Pic for Representation) Less than a week after India's aviation safety regulator started a probe into an alleged communication lapse between an IndiGo flight crew and air traffic control (ATC) officials at the Kolkata airport, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has put out a circular asking pilots to co-operate with the ATC. On January 18, a Dibrugarh-bound IndiGo flight from Delhi made a "precautionary stop" at the Kolkata airport after the pilots reported a snag mid-air. A "full emergency" was sounded out which means ambulances, fire tenders and safety officers were summoned to the airstrip in anticipation of a mishap post touchdown. The flight landed safely but IndiGo officials said its crew did not ask for emergency assistance. A statement issued by the airline claimed that Kolkata ATC put out the alert on its own. The DGCA's circular sent out six days later consists of a checklist for pilots to avoid unstable landings. The circular said runway overruns or skid-offs account for most air mishaps on ground. And, unstable stable approaches were one of the primary contributors for such mishaps. "Make request for operational requirements, not convenience. The earlier the ATC is informed, the easier it is to accommodate any request," reads one of the points in the checklist. The DGCA chief BS Bhullar, however, said the circular was not linked to any rise in unstable landings or mix-ups between pilots and ATC. "You keep improving regulations," he said. ATC sources said there have been instances wherein tower and radar controllers involved in a near-mishap were benched immediately but the pilots were spared. "An ego hassle between a section of pilots and ATC is known because many air traffic managers were aspiring pilots," said a senior ATC official requesting anonymity. http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/dgca-asks-pilots-to-cooperate-with-atc- to-avoid-unstable-landings/story-nj2qRHwU8iXenstCwDUXZI.html Back to Top 2nd Suit Filed Over Deadly Jet Crash Into Ohio Apartments A second lawsuit has been filed seeking damages over the deadly crash of a corporate jet into an Ohio apartment building. The Akron Beacon Journal ( http://bit.ly/2ju4hdz ) reports resident Beth Montgomery is suing plane owner ExecuFlight Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the estates of two co- pilots killed in the 2015 crash that destroyed her apartment. Montgomery is seeking $25,000 for property loss and undisclosed punitive damages. Investigators concluded pilot error caused the crash, which killed the pilots and the seven passengers on board. No one else was hurt. A message seeking comment was left Wednesday for Execuflight's office. Execuflight's owner has said he hired the pilots on recommendations from other pilots. Two other former tenants of the building are suing ExecuFlight for over $76,000 for property loss and damages. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/2nd-suit-filed-deadly-jet-crash-ohio-apartments- 45056112 Back to Top Records: Pilot killed in crash shouldn't have flown Records show the pilot killed in the December 2016 crash of a small plane in Middlebury had an expired medical certificate, meaning he shouldn't have been flying. The pilot killed in a December plane crash in Middlebury held an expired medical certificate, which should have kept him grounded, according to a review of public records and federal law. Pilots are required to have health evaluations, including vision and hearing, in order to fly. The examination for Paul D. Bessler, 42, of Crown Point, New York, expired more than two years before the small plane went down Dec. 23, according to Federal Aviation Administration records. Federal law required Bessler to renew the certification after five years, but an online FAA database shows Bessler received his most recent medical certificate in 2009. The FAA says medical certificates are necessary "to protect not only those who would exercise the privileges of a pilot certificate but also air travelers and the general public." There is no indication a medical issue or pilot error played a role in the crash of the Piper PA28 moments after takeoff from the Middlebury State Airport, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The federal agency said the engine of the four-seat, propeller-driven aircraft "sputtered" and "skipped," then the wings "wagged" before the plane went down after climbing to about 150 feet off the ground. The incident marked the first fatal plane crash in Vermont since October 2009, according to NTSB records. NTSB investigators drew no conclusion in the preliminary report about what caused the mechanical issues or the crash itself. A final report is pending. Bessler, who is survived by his wife and daughter, was the only person aboard. Medical certificates require pilots to meet minimum standards regarding vision, hearing, mental health, balance and equilibrium, cardiovascular issues, neurology (such as the absence of seizure disorders) and other health concerns, according to federal law. Most pilots must have a pilot's license and a medical certificate in order to fly - much like drivers need a driver's license and insurance in order to legally operate a car. http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2017/01/25/faa-medical-records-pilot- middlebury-crash/97051384/ Back to Top PILOTS SEE BASICMED AS 'A BIG DEAL' No topic has commanded the attention of the general aviation community like third class medical reform. Following the FAA's announcement of the new BasicMed rule that will provide many with an alternative to obtaining a medical certificate, members of the GA community shared reactions ranging from enthusiastic expressions of support to reawakened hopes of returning to the sky. On Jan. 10, the FAA released BasicMed, under which pilots who have held a valid medical certificate any time in the decade prior to July 15, 2016, may not need to take another FAA medical exam. The 10-year lookback period applies to both regular and special issuance medicals. Before flying under BasicMed, pilots must get a physical exam by a state-licensed physician, complete an associated checklist, and then take an online aeromedical course. It is important that pilots take those steps in that order because the exam information will need to be transmitted upon successful completion of the aeromedical course. AOPA encourages pilots to review the regulation and the advisory circular for an overview of privileges and limitations. The online course must be taken every two years, and pilots must visit their personal physician at least every four years. Eligible pilots who have completed the requirements will be able to pilot aircraft with up to six occupants, and weighing to 6,000 pounds, day or night, IFR or VFR, to 18,000 feet msl and 250 knots, not for compensation or hire, within the United States unless authorized by the country in which the flight is conducted. Across AOPA's media channels and in contacts with the AOPA Pilot Information Center, pilots weighed in on the new rule. "Good. I just may get back into flying," a pilot posted on AOPA's Facebook page. "I have been out of the left seat too long, time to go back and get my PIC status," wrote another. Emails to the AOPA Pilot Information Center largely reflected the optimism the new rule has generated among GA pilots-and revealed what some have been doing in the meantime. "Interesting. I shouldn't have any problem with a medical but this sounds more workable. I know they have been working on it. I have been flying anyway without renewal on the simulator," wrote one pilot, appending a smiling-faced emoticon to the message. "You have done a stellar job in getting this through the FAA mill. Thank you," wrote a member in a message representative of many AOPA received. Another pilot shared a poignant reaction: "I have not flown in a long time but I've never given up hope of going back into the air." Responses ranged from the exuberant-"Woohoo, I don't have to go renew next year!" and "This is great news! Fits my flying situation perfectly. Thanks @AOPA!"-to the strictly laudatory: "Congratulations to everyone involved in making this dream a reality." Tweets of gratitude were sent out for the determined advocacy that brought about reform: "Without Mark Baker and @AOPA never would have happened. Thank you." And in an echo of immortal words spoken from the moon, a Twitter user exhorted continued progress, tweeting, "FAA ruling on 3rd class med - one less hurdle for pilots. Now to make flying cheaper." Members of Congress who have long stood in GA's corner, working to bring about pilots' rights legislation, less-costly aircraft certification, and now, medical reform, expressed satisfaction that the rule measured up to their expectations. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus and a certificated flight instructor with more than 11,000 flight hours, praised the FAA's announcement. Third class medical reform was a key provision in Inhofe's legislation, the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2. "The implementation of BasicMed is a huge win for the general aviation community," he said. "The rule will cut bureaucratic red tape and will encourage pilots to disclose and treat medical conditions that may affect their ability to fly. Further, the new rule will ease the medical certification process for pilots while increasing their knowledge of risk and requiring treatment of recognized conditions. I look forward to FAA's swift approval of AOPA's online medical education course 'Fit to Fly' and look forward to working with the agency throughout its implementation process." Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), a pilot and co-chair of the House General Aviation Caucus, issued a statement calling Jan. 10 "a great day for pilots all across the country. Many of us have been fighting for third class medical reform for well over five years, hoping to streamline and simplify the medical certification requirements for pilots. To have accomplished that goal today-after half a decade of work-is truly a testament to the grassroots support for third class medical reform from our community, and to the continual advocacy of the House General Aviation Caucus and our GA industry leaders." Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, noted that "the updated FAA third class medical rule closely follows Congressional intent, with the comprehensive medical examination written exactly as we laid out in the law. This is a true win for the general aviation community. We have fought for years against these burdensome regulations, and I am pleased to see a third class medical reform rule that does away with unnecessary government red tape to keep the skies safe and accessible for all aviators." In a phone interview, Florida pilot Don Stiver, retired from a career flying military aircraft and the defense industry, said the convenience of working with his personal doctor on his continued fitness to fly would keep him in the cockpit of the Van's Aircraft RV-8 he built "a minimum once a week" from the Merritt Island Airport. Having received an FAA medical examination "literally every year for the past 50 years," Stiver appreciated the reduced cost the BasicMed rule afforded him, now that he flies strictly for recreation. Stiver said he and others were still a bit stunned that BasicMed had arrived. "Everybody's quite surprised frankly that it has come to fruition," he said. "That's a big deal for everybody." https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/january/18/pilots-see-basicmed- as-a-big-deal Back to Top Qantas in the market for new ultra-long range aircraft Construction of Boeing 787-9 aircraft QANTAS is an aircraft away from flying non-stop between Sydney and London, and Sydney-New York. Next on the Flying Kangaroo's shopping list after Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, are either Boeing 777Xs or A350s to give the airline the range needed to cover "ultra long haul" distances. Sydney-London would be an almost 20-hour flight, and Sydney-New York around 18- hours. Qantas currently operates a one-stop flight to London, that takes 23-hours - a big improvement on the first service in 1939 that took 10 days and 32 stops. A Qantas spokesman confirmed the routes were very much on the airline's radar but they would require longer-range aircraft such as the 777X or A350-900ULR, at around $400 million each. In March 2018, Qantas will launch Perth-London services on its 787-9s which will stretch the aircraft's capabilities to the limit. Boeing Regional Director of Product Marketing, Justin Hale, said the main reason the Dreamliner could cover the 14,500km distance was because Qantas was installing fewer seats. Instead of the usual 300 seats in a 787-9, Qantas would provide 236 seats to help maximise the comfort of passengers on the 17-hour flight. The airline will take delivery of the first of eight new Dreamliners in October which will initially fly between Melbourne and Los Angeles, at a cost of about $995 one way. The Qantas spokesman said there was enormous interest from passengers keen to fly on the aircraft which promised a range of cabin features designed to deliver a better experience. They included larger windows that could be electronically dimmed or brightened, doing away with the need for shutters. Bigger overhead lockers would swallow up carry-on luggage more easily and "smooth ride technology" promised a less bumpy ride. Mr Hale said sales of the Dreamliners had shown the fastest growth of any of their wide- bodied models ever. Vice President and General Manager of Boeing's 787 program, Mark Jenks, said global uncertainty had not impacted the aircraft manufacturer yet. "I can't comment on President Trump and the situation there but clearly the international climate is dynamic and it always is," said Mr Jenks at Boeing's massive Seattle factory. "I don't think anyone's big enough to be immune to it, but the basic dynamics of the market haven't changed and even though there is a lot going on and there is some uncertainty, fundamentally our traffic is increasing." He said Boeing's focus would continue to be more fuel-efficient aircraft rather than faster models capable of slashing travel times. "In the near term we don't see a supersonic aeroplane as the next one out of the box," Mr Jenks said. "The 777X is going to be an extremely fuel efficient aeroplane and that's always going to be a huge concern for our customers (because) it's a huge part of their operating costs." http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/qantas-in-the-market-for-new- ultralong-range-aircraft/news-story/63f9032f63d17378cf8e6c1781c7cd62 Back to Top Indigenous Hawk aircraft upgrade ready 9India) BENGALURU: Defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), on Thursday said it has rolled out the first indigenously upgraded Hawk Mk-132 aircraft, which will also be displayed at the five-day biennial air show, Aero India 2017, beginning February 14. Named Hawk-i, HAL chairman and managing director T Suvarna Raju said this was the 100th Hawk aircraft produced at HAL. "...HAL had conceived a programme for indigenous upgradation of the Hawk Mk132 for achieving self-reliance and has successfully accomplished it. The upgrade was taken up at HAL to so as to be independent in matters such as integration of new sub-systems or modifications, obsolescence management of avionics systems and to enhance the aircraft operational and training capabilities," he said. Claiming that the roll out of its own aircraft with the upgrade features has come in a record time, a HAL press note issued here read: "In the Hawk upgradation programme, imported Mission Computer and Data Transfer Units have been substituted with HAL designed and developed systems. This indigenous Mission Computer in the dual redundant configuration has additional capabilities such as Digital Map Generator (DMG) which provides improved situational awareness." Besides, the Embedded Virtual Training System (EVTS) offers improved training capability over the existing system, while the aircraft is also equipped with a secured voice communication and data link capability achieved by integration of Softnet Radio. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indigenous-hawk-aircraft-upgrade- ready/articleshow/56795449.cms Back to Top Google doodle honors American pilot Bessie Coleman The pioneering aviator broke down racial barriers when there were few opportunities for women or blacks to become pilots. Bessie Coleman took women of color to new heights, even when many were trying to keep her down. On Thursday, on what would have been Coleman's 125th birthday, Google published an animated doodle highlighting the life of the American civil aviator who was the first female pilot of African-American descent and the first woman of Native American descent to earn a pilot's license. The 10th of 13 children born to an interracial couple who worked as sharecroppers, Coleman walked four miles each day to a segregated, one-room school. She helped out with cotton harvests while managing to excel at reading and math. But she had a loftier future in store. In 1916, when she was 23, she fell in love with the idea of being a pilot after hearing pilots' tales of flying during World War I. She worked two jobs to save up money to train to be a pilot, but no American flight school would admit either women or blacks. Coleman moved to Paris to study, and a year later she became the first female pilot of African-American and Native American descent, and the first to earn an international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. She returned to the US as a stunt pilot, performing complex maneuvers that earned her the nickname "Queen Bessie." She dreamed of establishing a school for black aviators but didn't live long enough to fulfill her goal. She died in 1926 at the age of 34 when the plane she was flying experienced an equipment failure and crashed. Her achievements inspired a generation of African-American men and women. Lt. William J. Powell dedicated his 1934 book "Black Wings" to Coleman, saying that because of Coleman, "we have overcome that which was worse than racial barriers. We have overcome the barriers within ourselves and dared to dream." https://www.cnet.com/news/google-doodle-honors-american-pilot-bessie-coleman/ Back to Top Boom's supersonic jet passes wind-tunnel test as tech allows for small-scale prototype Tech improvements let Boom use tiny planes to test flight A model simulating Boom Technology's supersonic jet preps for a wind-tunnel test at NIAR at Wichita State University. Remember the supersonic jet in development at Centennial Airport that aims to cut a New York to London flight down to 3.5 hours? Boom Technology said Tuesday that the jet has successfully passed a major milestone: a wind tunnel test. Of course, humans couldn't fit inside the plane used in the test. The aircraft looks like a 4- foot-long model airplane. But software simulation and technology advances "allow Boom to simulate the wind tunnel testing" of a larger aircraft, said Amanda Wiley, representing Boom. "Previously, this phase of testing would require the manufacturing of an actual aircraft, which significantly slows down the testing phase. Boom's wind tunnel tests measure lift, drag, stability, and ultimately demonstrate the flying characteristics of the airplane in low- speed situations like takeoff and landing," she said. A model simulating the supersonic jet by Boom Technology gets the wind tunnel test.Boom TechnologyA model simulating a lifesize supersonic jet under development by Boom Technology in Centennial. The model aircraft went through the wind-tunnel test at the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University. Tests were conducted at the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University. This moves Boom to the next stage: construction of large-scale hardware to begin testing with human pilots. "The team is proceeding with the development of full-scale hardware now for flight by the end of 2017," she said. "The team is on schedule." In November, Boom showed off a prototype of a supersonic passenger plane it wants to build that is expected to travel at Mach 2.2, or 2.2 times faster than the speed of sound. That's 1,451 mph. Boom hopes to be successful where the supersonic Concorde jet of the 1970s and 1980s was not. Boom co-founder and CEO Blake Scholl said success will come from technological improvements in fuel efficiency, aerodynamics and carbon-fiber materials. But tweaking was necessary. The Boom jet, for example, will carry fewer passengers than the Concorde - 45, compared to 100 or more. The company predicts a New York to London flight will take 3 hours and 15 minutes and cost $5,000 round trip. Boom has reservations for the first batch of planes. If all goes well, Boom's passenger supersonic jet could fly its first paying customers in the 2020s. http://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/24/boom-supersonic-jet-wind-tunnel-prototype/ Back to Top Boeing shares jump on strong fourth-quarter results, 2017 forecast More work for Boeing workers Boeing Co posted quarterly profit and operating cash that beat analysts' estimates, and promised an even better performance in 2017, thanks to "relentless" cost cutting, rising productivity and U.S. President Donald Trump's pro-business agenda. Boeing (BA.N) stock jumped nearly 5 percent to $168.50 on Wednesday after the company said it expects to generate a record $10.75 billion in operating cash this year. The sum is up from a record $10.5 billion in 2016 and well above the $10.4 billion that analysts had forecast for 2017, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The Chicago-based aerospace and defense company forecast 2017 core earnings of $9.10 to $9.30 a share, which exclude some pension and other costs, up from $7.24 in 2016. Cost-cutting and productivity gains fueled Boeing's strong performance and forecast, and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said he sees no signs of a slowdown on that front. "This will be a relentless effort going forward," he said on a conference call, referring to Boeing's efficiency drive. "While we've made some strong strides over the last couple of years, and you see it reflected in the performance, we have much more ahead of us than what's behind us." Orders for new jetliners have slowed sharply after peaking in 2014. Boeing and rival Airbus (AIR.PA) have focused on streamlining factories to lower costs and drive profits. Boeing has also benefited from lower costs for parts for its 787 as the plane reaches key production milestones. It delivered its 500th 787 in December. Boeing expects to deliver between 760 and 765 commercial aircraft in 2017, topping 748 deliveries in 2016, likely enough to keep the title of world's biggest plane maker. Boeing said its outlook showed confidence in its ability to continue smooth operating performance and cost-cutting while raising plane output. Some analysts questioned whether the cash performance will last into 2018, after Boeing cuts production of its 777 by 40 percent this year, begins assembly of the successor 777X model and goes into full production of the KC-46A aerial refueling tanker. Boeing said it took an aftertax tanker-related charge of $201 million in the fourth quarter due to initial production problems. "And that's not assuming any change in end-market demand, where trends have arguably been weakening," Robert Stallard, an analyst at Vertical Research Partners, wrote in a note to clients. Boeing said deliveries of its smaller 737 and 737 MAX models will make up for the decline in 777 production. And it suggested the upward trend in performance won't falter. "Over the remainder of the decade, we continue to expect to see revenue, earnings, and cash flow growth," Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith said on the call. The forecast includes a planned increase in the 787 production rate, which has been in question as sales have slowed. Muilenburg said recent meetings with President Donald Trump's show a pro-business attitude that should help Boeing. "I give a lot of credit here," he said. "President Trump has had business leaders at the table. He's listening, he's engaging and is making decisions that will help us grow the economy and ultimately grow U.S. manufacturing jobs." http://mobile.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSKBN1591FV Back to Top The U.S. Air Force Need More Than 300 Light Attack Aircraft (Now) Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein agrees that Sen. John McCain's recommendation for "300 low-cost, light-attack fighters" is a "great idea." Analysts have noted several merits including stemming the decline in platform numbers, improving dwell times over target areas, lower flight hour costs, and more stick time for USAF pilots. These are good things. But the real issue is the substantial ongoing attrition of 4th- generation airframes that will only partially be mitigated by the light-attack fighters after they've arrived in inventory. That's why we need them now. The light-attack-fighter idea is indeed great, but it is still just a suggestion. It is also just a possible Air Force plan, which will thus not fully unburden Navy and Marine Corps tactical avaiation. Each service has its specialties, particularly in the missions and phasing for the early days of a new operation. However, history shows that once a war (usually a "small war") matures to stasis over a number of years, each service is both expected and wants to participate, regardless of its "big war" roles, specialties, and tacit raison d'être. So, if the USAF of the future brings its low-cost, light attack fighters to the long war, we can expect that 4th-generation and probably 5th-generation Navy and Marine strike aircraft will be there too. Following from the conventional wisdom that we are in a long war-as General Goldfein estimated, "we're 15 years into a long campaign in the Middle East"-we can plausibly estimate that tomorrow, next year, and perhaps ten years from now will be similar to today. What has been our recent level of effort? The Department of Defense (DoD) has shown a relatively open kimono regarding its activities, at least at a high-level, in Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the campaign against ISIS. The DoD has been a little less transparent regarding ongoing operations in Afghanistan, and apparently only episodic operations in Libya. US fighters, bombers, and armed drones have operated in each of these theaters. Recently, Defense One estimated the number of U.S. airstrikes conducted in 2016 at over 26,000. Back in 2015, Senator John McCain asserted that only about 25 percent of our sorties resulted in airstrikes, a claim which at least one fact-checking source corroborated. By the military's working definition, "a strike" means at least one aircraft employing one munition, but possible several aircraft employing several munitions, "in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect for that location." To get to OIR targets in Syria and Iraq, we know that American aircraft often have fairly lengthy enroute flights to get from operating airbases in, for example, the Persian Gulf States or from aircraft carriers when the US Navy has one stationed in the Gulf. US combat aircraft also fly from Turkey. Without knowing the proportion of operations out of the various operating airfield, we can estimate that the round trip flight times to target areas in northern Iraq and Syria are about five to seven hours from the Gulf and two to four hours from Turkey. Though this is all ambiguous, we can make some sense from the information above, and make a few reasonable assumptions: -Our tomorrow in the long war, through the year 2022 for example, will be much like today. -Most of the aircraft performing strikes are 4th-generation tactical aircraft: A-10s, AV- 8Bs, F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s. Let's assume that 75 percent of the strikes are from tactical aviation and the rest are from armed drones, gunships, F-22s, and bombers. - 25 percent of the US strikes are sourced from Turkish airfields and 75 percent from the Gulf, for a very approximate average sortie duration of 4 hours. -Only about 25 percent of overall sorties result in an airstrike. Many of the military's 4th- generation fighters and attack aircraft have or are undergoing service life extensions to enable them to serve through 10,000 or more flight hours. We can then undertake some rough calculations to provide a ball-park figure for 4th- generation fighter hours: 26,000 total sorties x 75% in tactical aviation x 4 flight hours/sortie x 4 sorties/strike = 312,000 annual flight hours of tactical aviation. That number represents the service lives of about 31 fighters. Unless all these campaigns wrap up soon, expect that the US will have about 150 fewer 4th-generation fighters in inventory by end of 2022. These are very rough calculations, so if you don't like them, please run your own. The services certainly have, and they will continue to focus on aircraft service lives and numbers. McCain's plan brings 200 light-attack-fighters into the Air Force's inventory by 2022 to supplement the 228 F-35As it will receive by then. But as we've just estimated, the services could lose about 150 4th-generation fighters by then. The majority of these will be USAF jets, simply given the proportion in service with each service. McCain's report notes that "the Air Force has divested over 400 combat fighters in the last five years" and can currently muster fewer "combat-coded fighters" than called for in the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance. Further, the McCain report calls the USAF's intention to buy 1,763 F- 35As "unrealistic," an issue that I've commented on previously. McCain recommendation for the not-new, low-end, light-attack-fighter idea is welcome, and Air Force chief's endorsement is encouraging. Addressing the long war with lower operating-cost solutions and keeping precision guided munitions inventories up (given our substantial expenditures) are sound measures. But it has been a good while since we went "to war with the Army we have." Though this is water under the bridge, we have since used up a significant amount of tactical aviation flight hours in the past fifteen years. McCain's recommendation and their endorsement by the Air Force and defense analysts are probably too little too late. If buying 1,763 aircraft is indeed "unrealistic," the USAF may want more than 300 low-end, light-attack-fighters for the long war, and it should want to get them sooner and at a greater rate than 40 annually thru 2022. Similar problems remain unaddressed for the Navy and the Marine Corps. Congress and the services should be more aggressive sooner to stanch their attrition of tactical aircraft by shifting the comparatively low-threat, long war air campaigns from the wasting jet fighter fleets to more appropriate airframes. Otherwise, what will our tactical air arms look like in 2030 at the going rate? Dave Foster is an engineer for Naval Air Systems Command at China Lake, California. The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. This first appeared in the Defense Industrialist here. http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-us-air-force-need-more-300-light-attack- aircraft-now-19188?page=1 Back to Top U.S. Air Force upgrades 45th KC-135 tanker aircraft Under the U.S. Air Force's KC-135 Block 45 upgrade program, the tankers received new liquid crystal displays, autopilot, and other technological upgrades aimed at reducing pilot workload. U.S. Air Force photo by Greg L. Davis Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force's KC-135 Block 45 upgrade program reached a milestone after the branch modified its 45th tanker. Under the program, the tanker aircraft received new liquid crystal displays, autopilot, computer module updates, radio altimeters, and digital flight directors. Air Force officials say the program aims to keep the legacy aircraft in service. "This is the capstone modification that takes your 1950s/1960s-era tanker and makes it a 21st century asset that's as modern as any flight deck we have in the Air Force," Legacy Tanker Division commander Col. Mark Mocio said in a press release. "It enables us to meet all the global rules we have on air traffic navigation now and for a long time to come." The $910 million upgrade program began nearly seven years ago to extend the service life for 135 of the tankers. Boeing delivered the last batch of the aircraft to the Air Force in 1961. KC-135 Stratotankers are powered by four turbofans, and are capable of carrying up to 83,000 pounds of cargo. The tankers transfer fuel to partner aircraft through a flying boom. In addition to refueling missions, the aircraft can also be used to transport litter and support medical evacuations. http://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2017/01/24/US-Air-Force-upgrades-45th-KC-135- tanker-aircraft/8751485282485/ Back to Top Boeing pitches China facility as Trump-friendly A faster way to make an airplane Boeing's chief executive has reiterated the company's plan to open a facility in China to install the interiors on single-aisle 737 jetliners. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said the plan, first announced in 2015, is an important tool to fill the fleets of China's fast growing airlines with Boeing-made jets. "Every airplane that goes to that finishing center is being built here in the U.S.," Muilenburg said Wednesday. He called it a "targeted investment in China." "We're able to add volume and increase sales in China, because as we increase sales to China we increase building airplanes here in the U.S., and that's U.S. manufacturing jobs," he said. Critics of the plan say it shifts work done today by U.S.-based workers and gives the Chinese industry valuable insight into the minute details of preparing a jetliner. But Muilenburg framed the Chinese production facility as being in line with President Trump's policy aims of increasing manufacturing jobs for Americans. Boeing anticipates delivering between 760 and 765 airliners in 2017, roughly matching its 2015 record of 762 planes. That year around one-quarter of Boeing's nearly 500 737s went to Chinese airlines, a pace that is expected to continue as China rapidly builds its airline industry. Boeing leaders are concerned a significant shift in trade policy toward China could have catastrophic effects on the company's plans to sustain and increase production of its lucrative 737 planes. Boeing builds 42 single-aisle 737s jets each month at its factory in Renton, Washington, and has plans to increase to 57 monthly by 2019. Currently, each 737 has its seats and other cabin equipment installed by Boeing workers before delivery. Under Muilenburg's plan, the airplanes that would eventually go to Chinese airlines would be flown to China and outfitted and delivered at the new finishing center. Boeing hasn't announced a date for the facility's opening, but last year said it would be located near Shanghai. Airbus has a facility in Tianjin where it assembles A320 airliners. It also plans a finishing center for bigger long-range twin-aisle A330s. U.S. trade policy towards China has been upended with the arrival of the Trump administration, and Boeing jetliner deliveries are widely viewed as vulnerable if China retaliates. Boeing, in particular, has been buffeted by Trump and his use of Twitter. Trump has warned the company against cost overruns on the replacement 747s for Air Force One. The aerospace and defense giant has also been pulled into a ongoing public negotiation over the price the latest batch of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Trump has tweeted he may do a deal with Boeing for older-generation F/A-18 Super Hornets if the F- 35 price tag doesn't fall. Muilenburg and Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson have met with Trump several times to discuss the aircraft purchases, among other issues. "I'm encouraged by his engagement," Muilenburg said. He said Trump's efforts to grow U.S. manufacturing jobs "are all very positive. We've got a voice at the table" on key policy issues ranging from trade posture to defense spending. http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/25/news/companies/boeing-backs-china-plans-as-trump- friendly/index.html Back to Top An asteroid is about to slip between Earth and the moon - the second near miss in 3 weeks Less than 3 weeks ago, while America was getting the kids to school and arriving at work, an asteroid the size of a building slipped past Earth from a distance about halfway to the moon. Now a similar space rock is about to zoom by our helpless planet. The new near-Earth object (NEO), dubbed asteroid 2017 BX, was only discovered a few days ago, on Friday, January 20. It's slated to swing by Tuesday night at 11:54 p.m. ET at a distance of about 162,000 miles (261,000 kilometers) - roughly two-thirds the way to the moon. We first heard about it via an email from Slooh, a company that airs live views of space, and they're hosting a broadcast about 2017 BX - which they've nicknamed "Rerun" - starting at 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Asteroid 2017 BX, according to Slooh and data from NASA JPL, is similar to asteroid 2017 AG13, which flew by Earth on Monday, January 9. But this new asteroid is much smaller, at roughly 13 to 46 feet (4 to 14 meters) across - between the size of a car and a bus - and is moving at half the speed, approximately 16,600 miles (26,700 kilometers) per hour. This is too small and too slow-moving of a rogue space rock to pose any real harm to Earth. If its path had targeted our planet, and if it had been a loose pile of rocks (as most asteroids are) and not a metallic asteroid, it would break apart and burn up thousands of feet in the air, according to an asteroid-impact simulator called "Impact Earth!" by Purdue University. (An illustration showing the not-to-scale flyby distance of asteroid 2017 BX.Slooh) However, the last-minute detection of 2017 BX is just another example of how blind we are to the millions of NEOs that could smack into our planet and release many atomic bombs' worth of energy. NASA recently had the opportunity to fund a space telescope called NEOCam that'd help find 90% of NEOs of a size that's hard to detect yet could pose serious threats to human civilization. However, it balked for reasons that have yet to be made public, choosing two other missions (and ones to asteroids, no less). Depending on where you live, pause for a moment tonight - Tuesday, January 24 at 11:54 p.m. ET - and imagine a rock the size of a truck flying overhead at 4.6 miles (7.4 kilometers) per second. Then imagine 300,000 much-larger rocks out there that are big enough and moving fast enough to wipe out a major city. Sleep tight. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/asteroid-slip-between-earth-moon- 194700234.html 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