Flight Safety Information February 9, 2016 - No. 030 MD 600N Helicopter Impacted Runway (Guatamala) Tecnam P2002 Sierra...fatal impact with ground (Spain) 700 grams of heroine found in PIA aircraft at Karachi airport DGCA Derosters Air India Pilot For Skipping Medical Test Trump's freeze on new regulation means that we won't get drone delivery anytime soon Trump to meet with airlines amid air traffic control debate Etihad Airways Engineering can now certify 3D printed aircraft parts under EASA 748 Air Services drives safety with Skytrac real-time FDM (Kenya) Hong Kong civil aviation regulator admits six air safety incidents following cover-up claim Stratos 714 personal jet set to appear at AirVenture and NBAA Russia's New MiG-35 Fighter Jet Could Sport Laser Guns Bombardier's Marquee Jets Get $282 Million Boost From Canada Boeing Wins $13.8 Billion Wide-Body Jet Order From Singapore Air SPACEX AWAITS FAA FALCON 9 LAUNCH LICENSE FOR 1ST PAD 39A BLASTOFF ON NASA ISS CARGO FLIGHT FATIGUE MANAGEMENT NBAA COMPENSATION SURVEY. MD 600N Helicopter Impacted Runway (Guatamala) Date: 07-FEB-2017 Time: 12:53 Type: MD Helicopters MD 600N Owner/operator: Private Registration: N245SE C/n / msn: RN021 Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport (MGGT) - Guatemala Phase: Take off Nature: Private Departure airport: La Aurora MGGT Destination airport: Mina La Cantera Verde Narrative: An MD 600N helicopter was destroyed after impacting the runway at Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=193396 Back to Top Tecnam P2002 Sierra fatal impact with ground (Spain) Date: 08-FEB-2017 Time: 03:00 p.m. Type: Tecnam P2002 Sierra Owner/operator: Private Registration: EC-FP6 C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: Orgaz, Toledo - Spain Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: Villaverde Aerodrome Destination airport: Casarrubios del Monte Aerodrome (LEMT) Narrative: The plane impacted a field and burst into flames. Both occupants have died. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=193426 Back to Top 700 grams of heroine found in PIA aircraft at Karachi airport KARACHI: Around 700 grams of heroin worth Rs7 million were found in the hidden compartments of a Pakistan International Airlines aircraft at Jinnah International Airport on Thursday, according to a customs department spokesman. The official said the plane had come from Kuala Lumpur and was bound for Peshawar. He added that the personnel of Pakistan Customs Preventive deployed at the departure section of Jinnah International Airport searched the aircraft on a tip-off. However, this was not the first time heroin was found in the plane. On January 4, Airport Security Force (ASF) on Wednesday thwarted a passenger's attempt to smuggle heroin on a Saudi Arabia-bound airplane at Islamabad airport. Security authorities recovered 1.25 kilograms of contraband hidden away in bottles of branded dietary fiber (Ispaghol), ASF sources had informed. ASF explained the heroin was seized from a passenger name Amjad Khan, a resident of Sargodha, who was set to travel to Medina via a private airline. On December 21 PIA's security vigilance team in Karachi along with the ASF, ANF and Pakistan Customs officials found 17kg of heroin hidden in the concealed compartments of a plane, during a pre-departure sweep of a Boeing 777 aircraft bound for Jeddah. https://www.geo.tv/latest/130464-Heroin-reportedly-found-in-PIA-aircraft-at-Karachi-airport Back to Top DGCA Derosters Air India Pilot For Skipping Medical Test Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has derostered a senior Air India pilot for allegedly skipping the pre-flight medical test on January 19. The pilot is also the Executive Director-Operations at Air India. The airline has also ordered an enquiry in the matter. A 4-member committee will probe the alleged violations charge against the pilot. Earlier, in a DGCA report accessed by TIMES NOW, it was revealed that there have been 422 violations in 2016 compared to 275 violations in the year 2015. There has been a 50 per cent jump in the number of air safety violations in the past one year. As per the data till October 2016, a report submitted to the Rajya Sabha in November 2016 has revealed that in 2016, there were as many as 272 suspensions of crew members, including pilots, for violating air safety norms. In 203 cases, pilots failed the mandatory alcohol test. Lately, airlines have been accused of violating safety and security norms. Bureau of Civil Aviation Security on February 5 suspended the training centres' license of Indigo airline allegedly due to inappropriate test procedures were being followed at the training centre for cabin crew. Indigo, afterwards issued a statement that it is in discussion with BCAS and will comply to the regulatory requirements. "We are in discussions with BCAS and are confident of demonstrating compliance with all regulatory requirements to the satisfaction of BCAS," read the statement. http://www.timesnow.tv/india/video/dgca-derosters-air-india-pilot-for-skipping-medical-test/55531 Back to Top Trump's freeze on new regulation means that we won't get drone delivery anytime soon The drone industry actually needs regulations in order to grow. When President Trump signed an executive order last week requiring two federal regulations to be rescinded for every new one passed, he simultaneously pulled the brakes on the future of drone delivery in the United States. While many industries see the prospect of less regulation as positive, the nascent drone industry actually needs regulations in order to grow. The reason drones need regulations is because in 2014 the National Transportation Safety Board classified drones as aircraft, which means drones need to abide by FAA regulations in order to fly. The problem is that many drone regulations don't yet exist, and the FAA will have a hard time killing existing rules to make room for new ones. "In the drone industry, it seems counterintuitive, but we actually want regulation." "If regulations for unmanned aircraft are held up or are stripped away, there's actually no way for drones to access the airspace," says Gregory McNeal, co-founder of Airmap, a drone mapping company. The FAA's mandate is, after all, to protect the safety of the skies. And if the FAA were to move forward with a rulemaking, it's unclear what regulations the agency could actually rescind. "There aren't a lot for the drone industry to begin with," says Gretchen West, an advisor specializing in the drone industry with Hogan Lovells. "And I can't imagine they'd do anything from a manned aviation perspective to jeopardize the safety of the airspace." The rules are still being written Trump entered office while the FAA is in the process of creating rules for drones. The more laws there are on how to fly drones safely, the more opportunities there are for the industry to expand. Right now, for example, it's still illegal to fly drones beyond visual line of sight, a necessity for a viable drone delivery operation, since the whole point of drone delivery is that there isn't a person there for the delivery. "In the drone industry, it seems counterintuitive, but we actually want regulation. And not having regulations is putting a halt to the growth of this industry," says West. The FAA requires pilots to get a waiver to fly beyond visual line of sight, since the agency hasn't written rules for that kind of operation yet, and waivers for flying without a person watching are hard to get. Only three such waivers have been granted. And the FAA has only granted one waiver so far for drone operations over people, which was awarded to CNN last year for newsgathering. In total, the FAA has granted 322 waivers for commercial drone flights, according to data the agency shared last month. To put that in perspective, there are currently about 23,000 commercial drone pilots licensed in the U.S., meaning either the FAA isn't getting many requests for waivers at all or the waiver process just isn't sustainable. Everything's on hold or the process has to change One way to circumvent the rulemaking process would be for the agency to adopt a more flexible risk- based approach to crafting drone laws. With a risk-based approach, a baseline set of rules for flying in the most ideal conditions, like for example, during daylight hours, in visual line of sight and in low-altitude airspace, would be established, and then any operations that fall outside of that could be privy to an additional set of requirements set by the FAA to maintain an equivalent level of safety. It's similar to the waiver system now, where the pilot would have to demonstrate that the operation under the conditions proposed could be conducted safely. But it could also mean that more innovative drone operations, like delivery, might be able to happen faster if the pilot or group requesting could prove it was safe, since no one would be waiting for new rules to be written. But adopting a risk-based system would also require a more streamlined process for approving and assessing the safety of drone operations. It already can take months for a waiver to be processed, and approving each operation or set of operations, as opposed to having the ability to write new rules, could mean a huge strain on the FAA. In 2015, the European Union proposed risk-based rules for flying drones, which Amazon, perhaps the most famous company hoping to pioneer drone delivery, praised as flexible and forward thinking. Cashing in on new rules The FAA finalized its commercial drone rules at the end of August of last year, commonly called Part 107 rules, which sets standards for flying within line of sight, during the day, with a licensed pilot and not over people. Since then, many in the commercial drone industry have seen their businesses grow dramatically. "Measure's business has definitely grown since Part 107 took effect," said Dave Bowen with Measure, a drone service provider. "The number of cell tower drone inspections has at least tripled." Another company, Kespry, that specializes in drone services for construction, insurance and mining, says its revenue tripled since the introduction of the latest FAA commercial drone rules. "Since the commercial drone rules went into effect last summer, our business has skyrocketed," said Jon Hagranes of Kittyhawk, a drone management firm. "The quarter after the rules were out was three times bigger than our previous quarter." Regulatory freeze But the Part 107 rules don't account for flying at night, like for emergency search operations, nor do they allow for flying beyond visual line of sight, like for a hard to see pipeline inspection or delivery. Existing rules also don't allow for flying over densely populated areas - all of which require a waiver or new rules to be made. But with the regulatory freeze set by President Trump, the policymaking process that many were complaining was already taking too long, might be on hold indefinitely. Though yesterday three advocacy organizations filed suit against Trump on the grounds that the president exceeded his constitutional authority in signing the executive order on new regulations. "We're investing millions of dollars in this space," says Gregory McNeal of Airmap. "And every day that there is a delay is a day that we are farther from being able to really watch our business grow." http://www.recode.net/2017/2/9/14462390/trump-freeze-regulation-faa-drone-delivery Back to Top Trump to meet with airlines amid air traffic control debate Heads of several major U.S. airlines will sit down with President Trump at the White House later today to discuss the industry's role in jobs and the economy. Delta Air Lines CEO Edward Bastian and United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz are slated to attend the meeting, according to the chairmen of Delta and United's pilot groups, who spoke during a press call on Wednesday. JetBlue confirmed in an email to The Hill that the airline also will be participating. A spokesperson for American Airlines said their annual leadership conference in Texas is "unfortunately" preventing their CEO from making the meeting, but the company "looks forward to working with this administration to ensure all Americans have access to safe and efficient air travel." Other air carriers did not return a request for comment. Thursday's meeting is just the latest in a series of "listening sessions" between the new administration and various business leaders. Trump held a similar event with the top U.S. automakers last month. The aviation sit-down comes as lawmakers are about to begin work on reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as current legal authority for the agency expires in September. In addition to job creation and economic growth, industry sources expect the airline executives to especially broach the subject of modernizing the nation's air traffic control system. A recent inspector general report shows that the FAA has struggled to implement its NextGen modernization program, which aims to establish a precise satellite-based surveillance system. House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), along with some of the nation's major airlines, has advocated for a proposal to separate ATC from the federal government. Shuster told The Hill last month that he has talked to the president-elect "a couple of times" about the idea of overhauling air traffic control, adding that Trump's "response has been positive." But Trump, who has long talked about the need to modernize the country's "third-world airports," has not yet taken a stance on ATC reform. The issue is also divisive. Not only does Delta oppose the spin-off plan, but so do some Republican members in Congress, who worry about removing the operations from the control of appropriators and tax-writers. A new poll being released later on Thursday - and shared with The Hill - reveals deep skepticism among the public for handing ATC over to a non-profit organization. The telephone survey, conducted by Global Strategy Group on behalf of the Alliance for Aviation Across America, shows that 88 percent of respondents rated the FAA's current ATC operations as positive. The poll also found that while 43 percent of people support the general idea of privatizing government functions, just 26 percent of people supported doing so for air traffic control. Proponents of the proposal, however, have emphasized that the FAA still would maintain oversight of ATC. Another hot-button issue that is likely to come up during the White House confab on Thursday is the Obama administration's controversial decision to allow European-based Norwegian Air Shuttle to expand to the U.S. through an Irish-based subsidiary called Norwegian Air International. Pilot unions, which are suing the Obama administration over the permit approval, are pressing Trump to overturn the decision, which they say undercuts U.S. competition and violates the international Open Skies agreement. But earlier this week, White House press secretary Sean Spicer seemed to throw cold water on the idea of reversing the decision. "There's a huge economic interest that America has in that deal right now," Spicer said during a press briefing with reporters. "I don't want to get ahead of the president on that, but... we are talking about U.S jobs, both in terms of the people who are serving those planes and the person who's building those planes." http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/318641-trump-to-meet-with-airlines-amid-air-traffic-control- debate Back to Top Etihad Airways Engineering can now certify 3D printed aircraft parts under EASA Etihad Airways, the UAE's second largest airline, has been taking its 3D printing game up a notch this year. Not only did the company recently announce a collaboration with Siemens and Strata to manufacture the first 3D printed aircraft interior parts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region; it has also secured the approval of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to design and certify 3D printed aircraft interior parts. According to Etihad Airways, the approval makes it the first airline MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) service working under EASA to "hold certification approvals for 3D printed parts flying on Etihad Airways aircraft." The UAE airline, which transported 18.5 million people on its aircrafts in 2016, is aiming to become a leading aircraft OEM (original equipment manufacturer) with its certified 3D printed components, joining the ranks of Airbus, Boeing, and the like. Excitingly, the airline has already put its certification power into action, officially certifying the first 3D printed aircraft interior parts in the Middle Eastern nation. The parts, of course, underwent extensive testing at all levels, and were subject to material qualifications such as strength, environmental, and flammability testing. The latter was completed at Etihad Airways' new Engineering Flammability Lab, located at the Etihad Airways Engineering facility in Abu Dhabi. For aerospace companies and aircraft manufacturers, 3D printing offers a revolutionary manufacturing process that opens the doors for parts with complex internal structures, optimized for certain applications. Additionally, additive manufacturing has allowed for faster prototyping lead times (going from design to prototype), which has in turn helped companies to cut back on overall product development costs. "We believe in offering innovative and industry leading aircraft maintenance and engineering solutions to our customers around the world," said Jeff Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways Engineering. "It is part of Abu Dhabi's vision to be a global aerospace hub and we support this by being a centre and excellence not just in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), but also in design, engineering, and innovation." The largest commercial aircraft MRO services provider in the Middle East, Etihad Airways Engineering is the first MRO in the region to obtain an extended Part 21J Design Organization Approval (DOA) by EASA-the certification required for 3D printed aircraft cabin parts. With EASA's recent approval, there is little doubt that Etihad Airways Engineering will be designing, developing, and unveiling new and innovative 3D printed aircraft interior parts. http://www.3ders.org/articles/20170209-etihad-airways-engineering-can-now-certify-3d-printed-aircraft- parts-under-easa.html Back to Top 748 Air Services drives safety with Skytrac real-time FDM (Kenya) Nairobi-based air charter service provider 748 Air Services Ltd. has selected Skytrac full-service flight data monitoring (FDM) for its Q400 aircraft. As specialists in real-time data management, Skytrac has designed a program that will deliver timely and accurate FDM reports for use in the operator's safety management systems, training and maintenance programs. Skytrac PhotoAs specialists in real-time data management, Skytrac has designed a program that will deliver timely and accurate FDM reports for use in the operator's safety management systems, training and maintenance programs. Skytrac Photo 748 Air Services turned to Skytrac with a need for fast, reliable and easy access to critical aircraft maintenance and safety data. As specialists in real-time data management, Skytrac has designed a program that will deliver timely and accurate FDM reports for use in the operator's safety management systems (SMS), training and maintenance programs. The Skytrac FDM solution will analyze onboard systems data through all phases of operations, sending real-time email notifications to key ground crew as soon as a critical incident occurs. On landing, full-flight logs will be automatically downloaded and sent to Skytrac's online data management portal for further trending and analysis. 748 Air Services staff will have immediate access to a suite of FDM reports through a simple, secure, cloud-based dashboard. The system is fully integrated with Skytrac's real-time flight following services which 748 Air Services will continue to use to support humanitarian and natural resource sector missions throughout Africa. "Skytrac FDM programs are designed to drive success for each unique client. 748 Air Services required a solution that was both EASA [European Aviation Safety Agency]-compliant and easy-to-use for a small, dynamic team," said Skytrac vice-president of sales Jan van der Heul. "We are delivering a turnkey system with a custom event-set, seamless systems integration, and reliable, timely reporting access." "We are also aware that many operators are taxed for resources when it comes to setting up a new FDM program," said Van der Heul. "To ensure they get up and running smoothly, we're also here to support 748 with STC [supplemental type certificate] implementation, documentation and training. This one-stop shop approach to FDM is a key differentiator for Skytrac." "748 Air Services has a mission to be leaders in safety and quality management. Skytrac's solution will provide us with accurate information to feed our safety management systems, and their full-service model will help us achieve our goals quickly and cost-effectively," said 748 Air Services director of safety and training Jeff Dusang. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/748-air-services-drives-safety-skytrac-real-time- fdm/#sthash.Bjco7V3K.dpuf Back to Top Hong Kong civil aviation regulator admits six air safety incidents following cover-up claim Troubled traffic control system in spotlight again as Civil Aviation Department plays down seriousness of incidents The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) has been accused of a safety cover-up concerning its controversial air traffic management system (ATMS). In a late-night statement on Wednesday, the aviation regulator confirmed that the much-criticised system was involved in six separate safety incidents last month which were not previously disclosed to the public, following a report by news agency FactWire. Civic Party lawmaker Jeremy Tam Man-ho, who is also a pilot, hit out at the department for not being honest with the public. Tam previously helped whistle-blowers reveal a number of problems stemming from the HK$1.56 billion system. The incidents, known as "loss of separation" - a minimum distance for aircraft to reduce the risk of mid-air collisions - were reported to have occurred between January 13 and 30. The department classified them as "minor incidents" and "minor technical incidents". Hong Kong's new air traffic control system overcomes teething pains to handle Lunar New Year surge The days spanned the Lunar New Year holiday, one of the busiest travel periods. Earlier, the department had praised the reliability of the system over the holiday, during which record flight activity was recorded and air traffic services were maintained in a "safe and efficient manner". Since the commissioning of the ATMS in November, it has developed a series of glitches including aircraft disappearing from radar, aircraft that did not exist appearing on radar, and the duplication of flight symbols on screens confusing controllers. Further serious problems have overwhelmed the radar system and caused departing flights to be delayed. A CAD spokeswoman said following an investigation there was "no evidence" to suggest that the six incidents were related to the new air traffic management system. She said other factors to consider included inclement weather and human factors. On Tuesday, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, the secretary for transport and housing, toured the new air traffic control centre. Hong Kong aviation chief defends new air traffic system as airport resumes full flight schedule Cheung, whose bureau oversees the department, said the ATMS was able to provide "safe and smooth" operations during the Lunar New Year. It is not known whether the department disclosed the six reported incidents to Cheung on his visit or previously, if at all. As members of the public were kept in the dark, the Transport and Housing Bureau said in a Wednesday night statement that the CAD would inform the bureau about safety-related incidents including those involving loss of separation, and therefore would have knowledge of what had occurred. Lawmaker Tam said: "First they [the department] issued a statement to say they are proud they handled 2,000 flights in a day and that they have broken a record. "But what they did not say was that they broke the record for the number of incidents. So you are hiding and covering up. It seems he [Cheung] was not aware of any incidents. It seems the department covered it up not only to the public, but also to the minister." The six reported flight errors involved aircraft coming within five nautical miles of nearby aircraft and under 1,000ft. The CAD did not name the airlines involved but referred to the dates of the incidents cited by FactWire. Events recorded on January 13, 24 and 26 involved aircraft not meeting the minimum spacing for safe distances and were classed as "minor incidents". On January 13, a HK Express plane from Tokyo and a Shenzhen Airlines flight from Quanzhou were only 3.8 nautical miles and 800ft apart some 75 nautical miles east of Hong Kong International Airport. In another incident on January 24, a Cathay Pacific cargo plane from Anchorage, Alaska, and a UPS freighter from Shenzhen to Clark in the Philippines were 3.8 nautical miles and 800ft apart only 30 nautical miles southwest of the airport. Similarly, a business jet caught up with a Cathay Pacific aircraft from Beijing, meeting four nautical miles apart at 19,000 feet, around 40 nautical miles southwest of the airport. The CAD said these incidents posed "no risk" to flight safety. Other incidents on January 19, 27 and 30 involved loss of separation within a margin of tolerance which instead was classified as "minor technical incidents". The CAD said even if air traffic controllers did not take remedial action, these would not result in collisions since the incidents were momentary. This included two Cathay flights on January 27 from Osaka and Hokkaido that were 4.7 nautical miles and 500 feet apart. On January 30, a Cathay flight from Taipei and a Mandarin Airlines plane from Taichung had 4.4 nautical miles of separation at a distance of 800ft. A similar separation breach occurred on January 19 involving Xiamen Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines flights. HK Express said it had conducted a thorough investigation which showed "no safety concerns" and stressed that "safety for guests and crew is of top priority" for the airline. The Post has also contacted Cathay Pacific for comment, pending a reply. All other airlines mentioned in the report could not be reached for comment. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2069220/cover-claims-over-reported-hong-kong-air- safety-incidents Back to Top Stratos 714 personal jet set to appear at AirVenture and NBAA US start-up Stratos Aircraft says it will debut its 714 very-light personal jet at two leading US business and general aviation trade shows this year, in an attempt to attract investment in the high-performance type. "We are planning to display the proof-of-concept aircraft at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh in July and at the NBAA business aviation convention in October," says chief technology officer Carsten Sundin. "This will maximise the aircraft's exposure and help bring new partners to the table." The 714 made its first flight on 21 November 2016, after a five-year development effort. It has since chalked up a further five sorties, each lasting around 30min. "We would have flown more if the weather conditions were favourable," Sundin says, in reference to sub-zero temperatures at the company's Redmond, Oregon base. "We will step up flight testing when the weather improves, and will start to expand the flight envelope." The aircraft has a projected top speed of Mach 0.7 with one engine and four passengers, with its 714 designation denoting these characteristics. The design goal also includes a range of 1,500nm (2,770km). "There is nothing else like it on the market today," Sundin says. The 714's only competitor in the personal jet space is the in-production Cirrus SF50 Vision, which he says is about 100kt slower and has shorter range, at 1,200nm. "Our aircraft has the performance characteristics of a much larger business jet," he says. Privately owned Stratos hopes that November's flight debut, coupled with the 714's unique appeal, will attract additional investors and allow it to accelerate development. Stratos will not open the order book for the model until it is able to commit to a certification date. "We don't want to make promises we cannot keep," Sundin says. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/stratos-714-personal-jet-set-to-appear-at-airventure-433960/ Back to Top Russia's New MiG-35 Fighter Jet Could Sport Laser Guns How do you say "pew pew" in Russian? Russia could arm its latest multi-role fighter jet with laser weaponry, reports The National Interest. In a conference call with Russian President Vladmir Putin, Yuri Slusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, extolled the MiG-35's virtues and stated the new fighter jet could support this weapons technology. The MiG-35 is an upgrade of the 1980s-era MiG-29 "Fulcrum" multi-role fighter. According to Slusar, the MiG-35 was designed for "high-intensity conflict and dense air defenfe conditions." Slusar says the fighter has an all-new defense system, and its radar signature has been reduced several times over. It now has eight hardpoints for weapons, sensors, and fuel tanks, and its overall range has been doubled. Its radar can track up to 30 targets at once. As a revamp of an older design, one not designed from the ground up for stealth, the MiG-35 is described as a "4++ generation fighter" and not a 5th generation fighter like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Russia plans to procure 170 of the new jets, starting in 2018, while Egypt has 50 on order. Laser is an acronym that stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation." In the case of war, lasers can be used to blind optical sensors-including the human eye-or to destroy objects by heating them up to burning (or exploding) temperatures. Russia is the latest country to consider placing weaponized lasers on fighter planes, an increasingly viable trend as lasers become smaller and more lightweight. The nation has had a long interest in laser weapons dating back to the days of the Soviet Union. In the late 2000s, Russia was developing the Sokol Eshelon, a laser mounted on a heavy lift aircraft designed to blind satellites in orbit. Recent gains in solid state lasers have dramatically shrunk the size of lasers to the point where the U.S. Air Force is pushing to add them to the flying arsenal of AC-130 gunships, and defense contractor Lockheed Martin is weighing the idea of putting them on the F-35. http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a25072/mig-35-laser-guns/ Back to Top Bombardier's Marquee Jets Get $282 Million Boost From Canada Funding is for C Series and Global 7000 planes, Bellemare Says Interest-free funds to be provided over four years, Bains says Canada's government will provide C$372.5 million ($282 million) in support for Bombardier Inc. to help fund two jet programs, including the C Series, the single-aisle plane that competes with Boeing Co. and Airbus Group SE products. About a third of the so-called "repayable program contributions" will go to the C Series while the rest will bolster the Global 7000 business jet, Chief Executive Officer Alain Bellemare said Tuesday at a news conference in Dorval, Quebec. The interest-free funds will help secure thousands of jobs in Canada, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said. "I believe Bombardier is indeed back," Bains said. "Our investment today is a vote of confidence in the talents of the skilled Canadians who work in this sector, who work in this company." The federal assistance gives Bombardier an additional cushion while falling far short of the $1 billion in aid the company sought more than a year ago, as it struggled with production delays and cost overruns in its marquee C Series program. After landmark sales of the jetliner to Air Canada and Delta Air Lines Inc. in 2016, the company is now seeking new orders while also targeting the first delivery of the Global 7000, its largest business aircraft. "This is one more step to reduce risk," said Chris Murray, an analyst at AltaCorp Capital in Toronto. "The question is how big a difference this will make: C$372 million over years for a company that has more than $1 billion in capital expenditures annually isn't a whole lot." Bombardier's Class B stock climbed 4.5 percent to C$2.67 at 9:42 a.m. in Toronto Wednesday. Through Tuesday, the shares had jumped 34 percent since Dec. 14, the day before the company said sales and pretax profit would rebound in 2017. The S&P/TSX Composite Index advanced 2 percent during the same period. Weathering Challenges The Canadian money, provided free of interest, will be disbursed over four years, according to a statement by the government. The funding may resolve the long-simmering discussion on aid before it can become a thorn in any new talks with the U.S. government on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which President Donald Trump has vowed to renegotiate. Bellemare said the Canadian assistance would enable Bombardier to "weather near-term market challenges" and develop new jets. He declined to specify what kinds of new planes the company might study after the Global 7000. A potential larger variant of the C Series, dubbed the CS500, isn't on the table at the present time, Bellemare said. The Montreal-based maker of planes and trains didn't factor any government aid into its five-year plan, Bellemare said. The company has a combined $1.45 billion in debt due in 2019 and 2020. Business Jets The Global 7000 will be Bombardier's biggest business jet, a product category that has traditionally been the company's most profitable. The plane took its first flight last year and is due to enter service in the second half of 2018. The C Series was two-and-a-half years late and more than $2 billion over budget when it made its commercial debut at Deutsche Lufthansa AG's Swiss International unit in July. Since then, the jet has been performing better than expected, the airline said as recently as December. The two aircraft programs will support approximately 5,000 jobs, according to the government. Bains said job guarantees are are "part of the commitment." Trade Challenges Canadian Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, speaking at the same news conference as Bains and Bellemare, said the government would defend any trade challenge to its support for Bombardier. "I am very much prepared to defend what we are doing tonight," Champagne said. Brazil requested to consult with Canada regarding the C Series at the World Trade Organization, a move supported by Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA. Subsidies from Canada to Bombardier "have not only been fundamental in the development and survival of the C Series program, but have also allowed Bombardier to offer its aircraft at artificially low prices," Paulo Cesar Silva, Embraer's CEO, said in a statement. Bombardier initially sought $1 billion in aid, a level of investment already committed by the province of Quebec. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's team wanted governance changes in return, including to the dual- class share structure that allows the company's founding Bombardier and Beaudoin families to control the firm without holding a majority stake. Bombardier rejected the federal government's initial pitch. The company has since said talks were "taking a different path," and Trudeau said he hoped to make an announcement before unveiling Canada's next federal budget. A date for the budget hasn't been announced, though it is expected as soon as this month. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-07/canada-said-to-announce-funding-for-bombardier- tuesday-night Back to Top Boeing Wins $13.8 Billion Wide-Body Jet Order From Singapore Air Deal to give boost to two twin-aisle models in tough marketSingapore Air upgrading fleet with more fuel- efficient planes Boeing Co. won orders for 39 wide-body aircraft from Singapore Airlines Ltd. as Southeast Asia's biggest long-distance carrier upgrades its fleet over the next decade with more fuel-efficient models in an effort to cut costs. The airline agreed to buy 20 777-9s, which are set to debut at the decade's end, and 19 787-10s, the longest Dreamliner model, for $13.8 billion at list prices that don't reflect customary discounts, Singapore Air said in a statement on Thursday. Boeing was nearing an order for at least 35 wide-body aircraft from Singapore Air, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday. Deliveries of the jets will start as early as in the financial year ending March 2021, the carrier said, adding it also has options to buy six more of each of the two models. The new deal would provide a critical boost to two high-profile Boeing products amid a tough market for twin-aisle jets. The Chicago-based company has been working hard to land sales of its upgraded 777X family after twice announcing it would cut output of current models. The new aircraft will replace some of Singapore Air's aging Boeing planes such as the 777-300ER, while giving the carrier's low-cost units rights to jets not yet on the market. "Singapore is a deeply respected long-haul carrier, both in terms of brand quality and technical proficiency," said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with Fairfax, Virginia-based Teal Group. "It would be a fantastic endorsement." Shares of the airline rose 1.4 percent to S$9.94 on Thursday in Singapore trading before the announcement. Singapore Air has ordered 67 of the A350-900 jets, including an ultra-long range version, as it courts business travelers with non-stop service to markets such as New York and Los Angeles. The Asian carrier's current fleet includes 10 A350s, which Airbus says consume 25 percent less fuel than Boeing's 777 aircraft, with 57 more on order. The airline already has 30 787-10s on order, according to Boeing's website. Singapore Air has also reviewed a proposed, longer version of the twin-engine 777 that would carry as many as 450 passengers, a load previously handled only by four-engine jumbo jets, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday. Buffeted by marquee Middle Eastern peers such as Emirates and regional budget operators, the only Asian carrier to have flown the Concorde has said it will maintain vigilance over its costs. Singapore Air, following two consecutive quarters of decline in profits, said Tuesday that 2017 will be another challenging year amid "tepid global economic conditions and geopolitical concerns." The carrier is the launch customer for the 787-10, the first Boeing jetliner to be manufactured solely at its new North Charleston, South Carolina, campus. Deliveries are slated to begin next year. Singapore Air's unit Scoot currently flies the carbon-composite 787-800 and 787-900 variants of the Dreamliners. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-08/boeing-said-front-runner-for-13-8-billion- singapore-air-order Back to Top SPACEX AWAITS FAA FALCON 9 LAUNCH LICENSE FOR 1ST PAD 39A BLASTOFF ON NASA ISS CARGO FLIGHT SpaceX crews are renovating Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center for launches of commercial and human rated Falcon 9 rockets as well as the Falcon Heavy, as seen here during Dec 2016 with construction of a dedicated new transporter/erector. New rocket processing hangar sits at left. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - With liftoff tentatively penciled in for mid-February, SpaceX still awaits FAA approval of a launch license for what will be the firms first Falcon 9 rocket to launch from historic pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center - on a critical NASA mission to resupply the space station - the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed today to Universe Today. "The FAA is working closely with SpaceX to ensure the activity described in the application meets all applicable regulations for a launch license," FAA spokesman Hank Price confirmed to Universe Today. As of today, Feb. 7, SpaceX has not yet received "a license determination" from the FAA - as launch vehicle, launch pad and payload preparations continue moving forward for blastoff of the NASA contracted flight to carry science experiments and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX cargo Dragon atop an upgraded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A on the Florida Space Coast. "The FAA will continue to work with SpaceX to provide a license determination in a timely manner," Price told me. SpaceX currently has license applications pending with the FAA for both the NASA cargo launch and pad 39A. No commercial launch can take place without FAA approval. Blastoff of SpaceX Falcon 9 on Dragon CRS-9 resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) at 12:45 a.m. EDT on July 18, 2016. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com The goal of the 22-story tall SpaceX Falcon 9 is to carry an unmanned Dragon cargo freighter for the NASA customer on the CRS-10 resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Dragon will be loaded with more than two tons of equipment, gear, food, supplies and NASA's Stratospheric Aerosol Gas Experiment III (SAGE III) ozone mapping science payload. The historic NASA launch pad was formerly used to launch both America's space shuttles and astronauts on Apollo/Saturn V moon landing missions. SpaceX, founded by billionaire CEO Elon Musk, leased Launch Complex 39A from NASA back in April 2014 and is modifying and modernizing the pad for unmanned and manned launches of the Falcon 9 as well as the Falcon Heavy. The role of the FAA is to license commercial launches and protect the public. "The FAA licenses commercial rocket launches and reentries to ensure the protection of public health and safety," Price elaborated. This FAA license situation is similar to that for last month's Falcon 9 'Return to Flight' launch from California, where the SpaceX approval was granted only days before liftoff of the Iridium-1 mission. Last week SpaceX announced a shuffled launch schedule, whereby the NASA cargo flight on the CRS-10 resupply mission was placed first in line for liftoff from pad 39A - ahead of a commercial EchoStar communications satellite. The aerospace company said the payload switch would allow additional time was to complete all the extensive ground support work and pad testing required for repurposing seaside Launch Complex 39A from launching the NASA Space Shuttle to the SpaceX Falcon 9. The inaugural Falcon 9 blastoff from pad 39A has slipped repeatedly from January into February 2017. The unofficial most recently targeted 'No Earlier Than' NET date for CRS-10 has apparently slipped from NET Feb 14 to Feb 17. CRS-10 counts as SpaceX's tenth cargo flight to the ISS since 2012 under contract to NASA. Further launch postponements are quite possible at any time and NASA is officially stating a goal of "NET mid-February" - but with no actual target date specified. Crews have been working long hours to transform and refurbish pad 39A and get it ready for Falcon 9 launches. Furthermore, a newly built transporter erector launcher was seen raised at the pad multiple times in recent weeks. The transporter will move the rocket horizontally up the incline at the pad, and then erect it vertically for launch. SpaceX was previously employing pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for Falcon 9 launches to the ISS as well as commercial launches. But pad 40 suffered severe damage following the unexpected launch pad explosion on Sept 1, 2016 that completely destroyed a Falcon 9 and the $200 million Amos-6 commercial payload during a prelaunch fueling test. Furthermore it is not known when pad 40 will be ready to resume launches. Thus SpaceX has had to switch launch pads for near term future flights and press pad 39A into service much more urgently, and the refurbishing and repurposing work is not yet complete. Pad 39A has lain dormant for launches for nearly six years since Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on the final shuttle mission STS 135 in July 2011. To date SpaceX has not rolled a Falcon 9 rocket to pad 39A, not raised it to launch position, not conducted a fueling exercise and not conducted a static fire test. All the fit checks with a real rocket remain to be run. Once the pad is ready, SpaceX plans an aggressive launch schedule in 2017. "The launch vehicles, Dragon, and the EchoStar satellite are all healthy and prepared for launch," SpaceX stated. The history making first use of a recycled Falcon 9 carrying the SES-10 communications satellite could follow as soon as March or April, if all goes well - as outlined here. http://www.universetoday.com/133276/spacex-awaits-faa-launch-license-for-1st-pad-39a-blastoff-on- nasa-iss-cargo-flight/ Back to Top FATIGUE MANAGEMENT Fatigue Management Workshop by A. Fletcher in San Diego, March 19th, 2017 http://fatigueconference2017.com/workshop.html 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue in San Diego, March 20-23rd, 2017 http://fatigueconference2017.com/index.html FRMS Forum Regional Meeting in San Diego, March 24th, 2017 https://www.frmsforum.org/regional-conference-san-diego-march-24th-2017/ Back to Top NBAA COMPENSATION SURVEY 2017 NBAA Compensation Survey Now Open, Members Encouraged to Participate Feb. 3, 2017 Making informed decisions regarding the hiring and retention of flight department personnel requires a clear understanding of the highly competitive job market. By participating in NBAA's annual Compensation Survey, it's easy for members to acquire this critical salary and benefit data. "The NBAA Compensation Survey is a key resource for any U.S.-based flight department that wants to remain competitive in this changing labor market," said Peter Korns, NBAA's manager of operations. "Department budgeting and employee retention are growing challenges for many business aircraft operators, so the need for a trusted and respected benchmark resource is high." Participating in this industry survey by sharing salary and benefit information is the first step in getting the valuable data necessary to run an efficient department. For instance, the NBAA Compensation Survey has shown over the last five years that salaries across all surveyed flight department positions have increased 11.5 percent. The 2017 survey is now open, and NBAA is collecting this vital data by inviting operating member companies to submit salary and essential benefit information for 16 aviation job descriptions: * Aviation Department Manager (does not fly) * Aviation Department Manager (flies) * Chief Pilot * Senior Captain * Captain * Copilot * Director of Maintenance * Manager of Maintenance * Maintenance Foreman * A&P Maintenance Technician * Maintenance Technician Helper * Avionics Technician * Scheduler * Licensed Dispatcher * Flight Attendant * Line Service Personnel Data for these positions will be collected and compiled over the next few weeks, after which NBAA will follow a newly adopted internal audit, where submitted information will be validated to ensure quality and accuracy. Final survey results will be published early this summer, and will be available free of charge to companies that participate in the survey. The results will cost $250 for non-participating NBAA members. NBAA member companies that fly at least one business aircraft and have full-time employees are encouraged to participate by providing salary and benefit information via a secure online form. The deadline to complete the 2017 survey is Friday, Feb. 24. Beginning in the late 1960s, NBAA has conducted annual salary surveys to give aviation managers benchmarks for employee compensation. Each year, the association and its committee leaders evaluate the survey questionnaire and develop new methods to streamline the submission process for participating companies while focusing on essential compensation information. The 2017 survey includes questions related to deferred contribution plans, such as 401Ks, in an effort to consider the totality of what goes into current compensation packages for business aviation professionals. View the NBAA Compensation Survey. Curt Lewis