Flight Safety Information February 20, 2017 - No. 037 Abu Dhabi Aviation safety chief knows the value of a quick response U.S. Adversaries Closing Gap With American Aircraft Capabilities CAN A PRIVATE PILOT FLY FOR COMPENSATION UNDER BASICMED? Airline safety questioned: Six out of 10 Pilots are falling asleep in Europe Mid-air scare: Jet flight intercepted by German planes Dreaming of a new 787...Boeing's newest Dreamliner aircraft, the 787-10, made its debut this week Believe It or Not, You Can Order a Flying Car Right Now...It'll only cost you $400,000 Abu Dhabi Aviation safety chief knows the value of a quick response Long working hours and stress are leading to health problems, doctors warn Abu Dhabi Aviation's chief safety trainer, Hank Jacobs, knows how vital rapid response to an emergency can be. In 1991, as an air force search and rescue officer, he helped rescue all 571 passengers of the ship Oceanos, when it capsized off the coast of South Africa in a storm. "We pulled off every soul, even the ship's dog off," recalls the 55-year-old South African. "Just like in the movies, a minute after we got everyone off, the ship sank. It taught me the importance of operational readiness - it's all about quick response time." Timing is a key aspect of the first aid training Mr Jacobs now teaches from his dedicated classroom in Abu Dhabi Aviation's safety training centre. For first aiders, the expert says that high- quality CPR and early defibrillating is now the main focus of the course "The first aid courses people used to do, where you had to know all the names of the bones and pressure points in your body, isn't really required any more. Now it's mainly about timing," says Mr Jacobs, who has been with Abu Dhabi Aviation for the past 11 years. The training centre he oversees not only caters to Abu Dhabi Aviation staff but also private companies that want to up the skills of their staff. It's quite a move for the Abu Dhabi Airport-based airline, which operates 62 helicopters and four aircraft that carry passengers and cargo to and from the UAE's oilfields. In 1976, when the company launched with two helicopters and a wooden shed, health and safety training was a rather more remote concept. Now at least 150 people pass through its dedicated terminal every day, and the subject is part of the everyday vocabulary. As well as first aid, Abu Dhabi Aviation offers eight-hour courses in fire safety, emergency oxygen and bloodborne pathogens. "We're expanding to teach health and safety, which the UAE Government is pushing to all duty holders," Mr Jacobs says. "A lot of the ideology for these programmes comes from the UK, and then the civil aviation and the department of labour put in more restrictive requirements. "Abu Dhabi Government will come into your company, look around and check you have firewall training and first aiders. These things take time to put in place, but don't be caught without them. The UAE wants to set a high benchmark." When the Government's health and safety inspectors checked on Abu Dhabi Aviation's own safety training centre recently, they were told that a dirty ceiling needed replacing and a carpet wasn't up to scratch says Mr Jacobs. "We had to put in special counters and hot and cold water in our classroom, according to the requirements of what a clinic should be. But the authorities are very accommodating. They put in a lot of guidance and they give you extensions and help, so you're not left alone." When it comes to safety, it is essential that instructions are understood, so training classes at the centre are small, with about six students. "I try to make the training more practical than theoretical, because 62 per cent of the human brain is recognising from visual communication," says Mr Jacobs, who adds that he is fortunate to have a general manager, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mazroui, who puts safety first. "I feel sorry for those companies who have tighter budgets for safety. It's essential in this industry because accidents could happen any time and any place." In a move to boost the health and safety of workers in the UAE, the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation announced last July that from this year, all companies with 500 workers or more in the construction sector must have a UAE national health and safety officer on their facilities to be granted work permits. Heat is a big health and safety issue in the UAE, and Abu Dhabi Aviation often conducts its own heat awareness programmes. Two years ago, Abu Dhabi had its highest recorded temperature of 51°C, says Mr Jacobs, adding that the temperature is sometimes 10°C higher on the asphalt. "For the engineers and refuellers who go out there in the summer the heat is a killer," he says. "We have programmes in place for their safety." He cites the death of four-year-old Nizaha Aalaa in October 2014, who died after being left on a school bus. The school supervisor, the bus driver and the owner of the transport company were all jailed and fined. "We can start seeing how different people in an organisation, not only the CEO, can be held liable for unsafe provisions," says Mr Jacobs. For company stakeholders in Abu Dhabi who want more guidance, Mr Jacobs suggests doing the research themselves. He recommends the Abu Dhabi Emirate Environment, Health and Safety Management System book or the 1200-page UAE Fire and Safety Code of Practice. Meanwhile, Mr Jacobs' team have now created their first fire warden training programme. "Each section of the workplace should now have a nominated fire warden, one for each floor, so they can evacuate their areas," says Mr Jacob. "The excuse of 'we're busy so we can't' doesn't stand." http://www.thenational.ae/business/the-life/abu-dhabi-aviation-safety-chief-knows-the-value-of-a-quick-response Back to Top U.S. Adversaries Closing Gap With American Aircraft Capabilities Pentagon official: F-35 fighter jet program still vulnerable to cyber threats A F-35 Fighter performs at the 2016 Chicago Air and Water Show in ChicagoA F-35 Fighter performs at the 2016 Chicago Air and Water Show in Chicago / AP U.S. adversaries are rapidly catching up to America's fifth generation fighter aircraft capabilities-a risk that has exacerbated given ongoing cyber vulnerabilities in the F-35 fighter jet program, according to an Air Force major general. Maj. Gen. Jerry Harris Jr., the vice commander of Air Combat Command at the Langley, Va., base, said Thursday that while the United States maintains an advantage in the stealth and weapons capacities inherent in fifth generation fighter aircraft models, adversaries are "quickly closing the gap." "We are trying to maximize our ability to procure fifth generation airplanes and go from a 100 percent fourth generation fleet to a significant mix of fifth generation [planes] so that we have the opportunity to operate in these hostile environments against these threats that are catching us faster than we thought they would," Harris testified before the House Armed Services Committee. America's aircraft advantage is evident in Syria, where Russia has deployed its sophisticated S-400 air defense system that was designed to track stealth aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35. Harris said Russia's S-400 has the capability to eliminate all fourth generation fighter aircraft in Syria, but because the United States is flying fifth generation fighter aircraft in the war-torn country the threat is eliminated. "It's the fifth [generation] that brings our ability to operate within that environment, hold those threats at risk, so that we're able to come to the table as a lead, not a near peer and continue to have American domination where we need to across the globe," he testified. Harris said the Follow-On Modernization program incorporated in the F-35's system development and demonstration phase, or SDD, is imperative for U.S. forces to retain an edge over adversaries and to ensure the jet's software is fully operational. The F-35 was initially set to be operational by late summer 2017, but that deadline has since been pushed back a year. The Defense Department warned in August that several capabilities in the F-35's critical Block 3F software package were still under development. The Block 3F software controls the F-35's most crucial features, including the ability to process enemy radar signals, track moving targets, and operate the plane's weapons system. The aircraft is also susceptible to cyber breaches. Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, the Pentagon's head of the F-35 program, testified Thursday that the aircraft still contains cyber weaknesses despite numerous reassessments of its software. "There are vulnerabilities in the system today that we know about that we are trying to fix," Bogdan told the House committee. "The bigger problem that we see is on our off-board systems that are connected to various networks. When the system was originally designed, the maintenance system and the mission planning system on this airplane, we didn't know what we didn't know about the threats." Bogdan said the program is susceptible to playing "catch up" in identifying vulnerabilities given the evolving nature of cyber threats. The issue has already cropped up among U.S. defense contractors, including the F-35's contractor Lockheed Martin. A Chinese businessman hacked into the computer networks of the Pentagon and contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. in January 2015 and stole top-secret data and blueprints related to the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets. The information was passed onto the Chinese government. Harris said cyber vulnerabilities begin at the weakest link, which in the Air Force typically means servicemen and women who are working on the F-35 aircraft. He said the military has employed extensive training for troops working on the fighter jets to ensure the risk is fully understood. http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-adversaries-closing-gap-american-aircraft-capabilities/ Back to Top CAN A PRIVATE PILOT FLY FOR COMPENSATION UNDER BASICMED? ONLY WITH SOME FAMILIAR EXCEPTIONS Since the FAA announced the BasicMed rule, pilots who see it as a good fit have been focused on making sure they will be able to continue doing the kind of flying they love under the BasicMed program. Since the FAA announced the BasicMed rule, pilots who see it as a good fit have been focused on making sure they will be able to continue doing the kind of flying they love under the BasicMed program. Since the FAA announced the BasicMed rule, pilots who see it as a good fit have been focused on making sure they will be able to continue doing the kind of flying they love under the BasicMed program. For example, private pilots cannot fly as pilot in command "for compensation or hire" except for some well-known exceptions including charitable flying, sharing costs of flights with passengers, and flying related to a business only if the flight is incidental to that business and does not carry any passengers or property for hire. Will those exceptions be available to private pilots who participate in BasicMed? The short answer is yes. This is addressed in the BasicMed final rule in footnote 10: "The FAA notes that § 61.113 provides that certain activities conducted by a private pilot acting as PIC are excepted from the general prohibition on operations conducted for compensation or hire. These activities are listed in § 61.113(b)-(h). Although the FAA considers these activities to be operations involving compensation or hire, the compensation or hire exceptions for these operations permit these operations to be conducted under this rule." Furthermore, the FAA's published guidance on BasicMed (Advisory Circular AC 68-1, Alternative Pilot Physical Examination and Education Requirements) explains that operations from which a pilot may receive some form of compensation, including "operations such as flying in furtherance of a business, sharing flight expenses with passengers, demonstrating an airplane for sale, and conducting search and location operations," are exceptions that will "apply to people operating under BasicMed just as they would apply to a person exercising private pilot privileges under a part 67 medical certificate" (AC 68- 1, 5.2.4.1). Charitable, nonprofit, or community event flights also are listed in the advisory circular in 4.1.1 as permissible operations for private pilots exercising their certificate privileges under BasicMed under the limitations of 14 CFR 61.113(d), which references 14 CFR 91.146. For more information on complying with the charitable flight rules of 14 CFR 91.146, read this article by AOPA Legal Services Plan attorney Jared Allen. Pilots will still have to comply with BasicMed's other provisions on those flights. AOPA encourages pilots to review 14 CFR 61.113(i), which adds BasicMed's required pilot qualifications and eligible aircraft to the regulation governing private pilot privileges and limitations to act as pilot in command. As noted, pilots can conduct any operation that they would otherwise be able to conduct using their pilot certificate and a third class medical certificate, except that under BasicMed you may fly with no more than five passengers; fly an aircraft under 6,000 pounds maximum certificated takeoff weight that is authorized to carry no more than six occupants; conduct flights within the United States; fly at an indicated airspeed of 250 knots or less; fly at an altitude at or below 18,000 feet mean sea level; and not fly for compensation or hire (except as discussed in the advisory circular). The BasicMed advisory circular answers many questions about the rule. AOPA recommends that pilots review it carefully as they prepare to take advantage of new opportunities to fly provided by this long- awaited and hard-won medical certification reform. Between now and May 1, the date BasicMed becomes effective, the FAA is working to finalize the checklist for the physical exam that a BasicMed participant must undergo every four years with a state-licensed physician. The FAA also is reviewing AOPA's online aeromedical course that BasicMed participants will be required to take every two years. Both the checklist and the course must receive Office of Management and Budget approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. AOPA supports charitable flying as a great way for pilots to support their communities while doing something they love. The value of those flights, and other kinds of flying, can extend well beyond the direct purpose of the flight by cultivating strong relationships with local communities and, perhaps, inspiring the next generation of pilots and aircraft owners. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/february/16/can-a-private-pilot-fly-for- compensation-under-basicmed Back to Top Airline safety questioned: Six out of 10 Pilots are falling asleep in Europe Pilots are responsible for hundreds of passengers. Their life depends on the man in a cockpit of an aircraft when flying. The 18th February 2017 marks exactly one year of European airlines flying under the new EU Flight Time Limitations (FTL) rules - which were introduced to prevent pilot fatigue from endangering flight safety. However, widely differing interpretations of the rules, lack of official guidance on correct implementation, immature Fatigue Risk Management (FRM) systems in the airlines, and persistent fatigue problems in Europe's cockpits are the current state-of-play. Aviation stakeholders are therefore called upon to jointly address these shortcomings. This 1st anniversary confirms that the complexity of the new EU FTL rules results in them being widely (mis)interpreted and incorrectly implemented. Many airlines and National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) are struggling how to interpret the rules and how to integrate essential points of the regulation into flight operations. As a result, some are opting for interpretations that simply fit their operations, schedule and productivity targets, irrespective of the fatigue impact on their crews. "Particularly at risk are night flight duties of 10 hrs or more, extended flights of 14 hours, and standby- flight combinations with pilots being awake for more than 18 hours - but being expected to land their aircraft and passengers safely after such duties," says ECA President Capt. Dirk Polloczek. "Although we have new rules, the old problem persists: many fatigued pilots in Europe's cockpits." "Half of airline pilots report fatigue which could jeopardise passenger safety" warned just 2 months ago the London School of Economics (LSE) - a key finding of a new Safety Culture study, carried out jointly with EUROCONTROL. It highlights that fatigue strikes 6 out of 10 European pilots - but that only 2 out of 10 pilots think that fatigue is taken seriously by their airline. This confirms previous surveys among pilots, which showed that fatigue is a reality in Europe's cockpits. "These findings are serious enough to serve as a wake-up call for European and national aviation authorities," continues Polloczek. "But the problem is that many national authorities have insufficient resources and knowhow to properly oversee the new rules and their correct application. This is why EASA - the European Aviation Safety Agency - has a central role to play: one of guiding the work on a harmonised interpretation and implementation. We therefore call upon EASA to be more active and to provide clear interpretation guidelines to authorities, airlines and aircrew alike." This 1st anniversary also shows that proactive Fatigue Risk Management (FRM) systems need to play a more prominent role in airlines' efforts to reduce crew fatigue. FRM is, in its essence, complementary to the prescriptive FTL rules, allowing airlines to 'customise' some aspects of the regulation. Those two components taken together were supposed to reconcile adequate fatigue protection and flexibility for airlines to operate efficiently. "In reality, however, Fatigue Risk Management remains either misunderstood, poorly handled, inadequately overseen or simply used as a smokescreen to cover ongoing malpractice," says Philip von Schöppenthau, ECA Secretary General. "Our own benchmarking among almost 30 airlines shows that too few operators have actually implemented a functional and effective system to manage their crews' fatigue risk. It is therefore crucial that EASA and the NAAs invest more in training and auditing of the operators. Otherwise, FRM risks remaining a paper-tiger exercise with no real effect on fatigue." This 1st anniversary is also the start of a new scientific review of Europe's FTL rules. Next month, a consortium of research institutes will kick-off their work, which is expected to result in a final report in Feb. 2019. "This is review is crucial," says von Schöppenthau, "because already several years ago leading scientific fatigue experts had warned that the new FTL rules would be insufficient to counter the safety risks associated with pilot fatigue. We therefore welcome this study and hope it will help EU regulators to finally close the safety lacunae of today's rules." http://www.eturbonews.com/77447/airline-safety-questioned-six-out-10-pilots-are-falling-asleep-e Back to Top Mid-air scare: Jet flight intercepted by German planes A military jet intercepts a civilian aircraft when it flies into their airspace without a filed flight plan According to reports, the contact between air traffic control and Jet pilots failed as they had erroneously keyed in wrong radio frequency decimals Jet Airways said a probe has been ordered MUMBAI In a major scare, a Jet Airways aircraft from Mumbai to London with 330 passengers on board was intercepted en route by two German fighter jets near Cologne after the airline pilots failed to respond to all the calls made by the local air traffic control to establish contact. A military jet intercepts a civilian aircraft when it flies into their airspace without a filed flight plan (unidentified aircraft) or when it deviates from its planned route without permission from the air traffic control or, as was the case with Jet Airways, when the pilots go incommunicado. Post 9/11, military pilots of several countries are trained to follow extreme and horrifying rules of engagement when sent to intercept a rogue aircraft. The incident, which involved flight 9W-118, occurred last Thursday when the Jet Boeing 777-300 aircraft was cruising at 36,000 feet. According to media reports, radio contact (used for communication between pilots and the ATC) was lost when the Jet aircraft was about to enter the Czech Republic from Slovakia. The aircraft didn't deviate from its flight path, but since the pilots didn't respond to the air traffic controller, the international standard procedure was followed and two fighter jets were despatched to intercept the Jet aircraft. Soon after the fighter jets were airborne, the Jet Airways pilots established contact with the air traffic control on emergency distress frequency 121.5 MHz. The Jet pilots were informed about the intercept and so were the pilots of other aircraft in the vicinity. When the Jet aircraft was at about 37km north of Cologne, it was intercepted by a German fighter to its left, only to be joined minutes later by a second jet. The Boeing 777 was escorted by two jets for about ten minutes. According to reports, the contact between air traffic control and Jet pilots failed as they had erroneously keyed in wrong radio frequency decimals when moving from one air traffic control to another. The Jet pilots later used the emergency frequency to establish contact with the air traffic control. A Jet Airways spokesperson confirmed the incident. "Contact between Jet Airways flight 9W 118... and the local ATC, was briefly lost while flying over German airspace. Communication was safely restored within a few minutes. As a precaution, the German Air Force deployed its aircraft to ensure the safety of the flight and its guests.'' The spokesperson added that the airline had duly reported the matter to the concerned authorities including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. "As part of the standard process, the flight crew of 9W 118 has been de-rostered pending investigation," the airline official added. The International Civil Aviation Organisation has laid down a set of standard procedures for the intercepting aircraft and the intercepted aircraft. The interception manoeuvres are split into different phases and begins with the military aircraft intercepting the suspicious aircraft on its left flying from behind at a higher altitude. In this case, the Jet pilots re-established communication with the air traffic controller even before the interception exercise began. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mid-air-scare-jet-flight-intercepted-by-german- planes/articleshow/57241007.cms Back to Top Dreaming of a new 787 Boeing's newest Dreamliner aircraft, the 787-10, made its debut this week at the company's factory in South Carolina. Boeing There ain't no party like a new-airplane party, which is just what happened Friday when Boeing introduced its newest commercial aircraft, the 787-10. The rollout, as these events are called, occurred at Boeing's factory in Charleston, South Carolina, which opened just over three years ago. President Donald Trump and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster attended as thousands of the plant's employees greeted the aircraft. The 787-10 is the third version of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, which first started flying passengers in 2011. Like its siblings, the aircraft is made of composite materials and characterized by high fuel efficiency, a blunter nose and sharply swept wings. But at 18-feet (5.5 meters) longer than the 787-9, it can carry 40 additional passengers in a typical configuration and 15 percent more cargo. In a statement Boeing said the 787-10 will make its first flight in the coming weeks, with deliveries starting next year. Nine airlines, including United Airlines, British Airways and launch customer Singapore Airlines, have placed orders for 149 aircraft. Though suppliers around world build the airliner's various parts, final assembly of the 787-10 will take place exclusively in Charleston. It will be the first of the company's commercial aircraft to be produced outside Boeing's historic home base of Seattle. https://www.cnet.com/news/boeing-787-10-dreamliner-rollout/#ftag=YHF65cbda0?yptr=yahoo Back to Top Believe It or Not, You Can Order a Flying Car Right Now It'll only cost you $400,000. The flying car is here! Woo! Dutch company PAL-V is on track to begin delivery of its Liberty flying car late next year, with the business officially opening up its order books to customers interested in owning the nearly half-million-dollar vehicle. Equipped with a pair of engines-one each for ground and air travel-the two-seat Liberty is claimed to weigh a mere 1413 pounds. We assume this figure marks the Liberty's dry weight, as the vehicle's 26.4- gallon fuel tank is good for about 160 pounds of weight in gasoline alone. While PAL-V is keeping its lips sealed when it comes to the Liberty's powertrain specifics, here's what we do know: Both engines are supplied by the Austrian aircraft-engine manufacturer Rotax, and when left to its own devices on tarmac, the Liberty is said to produce 100 horsepower, achieve fuel economy of 31 mpg, and accelerate to 62 mph in less than nine seconds on its way to a 100-mph top speed. PAL-V claims that the switch to flying mode takes between five and 10 minutes, with the company noting that most of the conversion process is done via the vehicle's Semi-Automatic Conversion System, leaving the driver/pilot the task of manually unfolding the Liberty's rotor blade, propeller, and tail. Entering flying mode transforms the Liberty from a 13.1-foot-long and 5.4-foot-tall car into a 20.1-foot-long and 10.5- foot-tall flying machine. In the sky, the Liberty's secondary engine makes 200 horsepower and can speed the craft through the air at speeds as high as 112 mph while reaching a maximum operating altitude of 11,480 feet. Those seeking efficiency, though, will want to cruise at a more economical flying speed of 87 mph, which gives the gyrocopter a maximum range of 310 miles. Add a passenger in the Liberty's second seat, though, and that range drops to 248 miles. Of course, the PAL-V can't be flown by just anyone. The company notes that the Liberty's operator must have both a driver's and pilot's license to use the vehicle in its two forms. Likewise, a 10-to-15-minute pre-flight inspection is required before entering any airspace. Since this is the 21st century, PAL-V has developed an app that allows Liberty owners to calculate the time they're saving overall by flying as opposed to driving, letting customers know that the time spent during the pre-flight inspection really is worth it. The app also lets the operator know how many stops are needed to fly to a given destination, among other features. Although the PAL-V Liberty starts at $399,000 for the Sport model, interested customers can choose to drop an additional $200,000 on one of the company's 90-unit run of Pioneer Edition models. While both the Sport and Pioneer Edition include a course to familiarize the Liberty's new owner with the vehicle's unique nature, as well as introductory training, only the Pioneer Edition comes standard with items such as dual controls, an electronic flight-instrument system, power heating, and carbon-fiber detailing. For what it's worth, PAL-V notes that each of those features can be added to the Sport as well. Those interested in purchasing a Liberty will need to write a nonrefundable deposit check for $25,000 for the Pioneer Edition or $10,000 for the Sport. Alternatively, consumers can drop $2500 ($2000 of which is refundable) to lock in a spot on the Liberty's waiting list. While we're as enthralled by the idea of a series- production flying car as the next person, we'd personally take our hundreds of thousands of dollars and invest it in something that's liquid today. http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/news/a32628/believe-it-or-not-you-can-order-a-flying-car-right- now/ Curt Lewis