Flight Safety Information March 9, 2017 - No. 050 Accident: Ameristar MD83 at Detroit on Mar 8th 2017, overran runway on takeoff Flight from San Jose circles for hours, never arrives in Hawaii ANALYSIS: Controversy over US pilot shortage heats up EU sees 'strategic advantage' of biofuels in aviation United Airlines cutting 300 management positions at Chicago HQ Hawaiian Airlines flight diverted after fight over cost of blanket Cleveland Hopkins Airport flights diverted due to 60 mph winds Colorado airplane company forms alliance to try to develop new plane Indonesian aviation warned to 'shape up' CAA, Robinson criticised watchdog over helicopter report (Australia) Female firefighting pilots leading the way All female flight crews: On the flight deck, male pilots still outnumber women 16 to one Boeing eyes twin-aisle design for new jet Position Available: Corporate Safety Manager Position Available:. Chair -..The Department of Doctoral and Graduate Studies Accident: Ameristar MD83 at Detroit on Mar 8th 2017, overran runway on takeoff An Ameristar McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration N786TW performing charter flight 7Z-9363 from Detroit Willow Run,MI to Washington Dulles,DC (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Willow Run's 23L at about 15:40L (20:40Z) when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed but overran the end of the runway, broke through the instrument landing system and approach lighting runway 05R, the airport perimeter fence, went over a road and came to a stop about 340 meters/1120 feet past the runway end with collapsed nose gear and main gear in a ditch. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft was carrying Michigan's Men Basketball Team. The Basketball team reported the aircraft attempted takeoff in high winds, the takeoff was rejected, following strong braking the aircraft went beyond the runway. There were no injuries, everyone on board is safe and sound. The team is now arranging alternative travel. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a5ecf6a&opt=0 ************* Status: Preliminary Date: Wednesday 8 March 2017 Time: ca 14:55 Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-83 Operator: Ameristar Jet Charter Registration: N786TW C/n / msn: 53123/1987 First flight: 1992 Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Detroit-Willow Run Airport, MI (YIP) ( United States of America) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Detroit-Willow Run Airport, MI (YIP/KYIP), United States of America Destination airport: Washington-Dulles International Airport, DC (IAD/KIAD), United States of America Narrative: A McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration N786TW, suffered a runway excursion following an aborted takeoff from runway 23L at Detroit-Willow Run Airport, Michigan, USA. The aircraft had been chartered by the University of Michigan Basketball team for a flight to a game in Washington, DC. The aircraft overran the end of the runway, damaged approach lights, went through the perimeter fence and crossed Tyler Road. It came to rest on grassy terrain, 345 meters past the end of the runway, with the rear fuselage across a ditch. The nose landing gear had collapsed. Runway 23L is a 7543 ft long runway. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170308-0 Back to Top Flight from San Jose circles for hours, never arrives in Hawaii Flight To Hawaii Circled For 4 Hours Before Returning Back To California Passengers on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from San Jose to Honolulu were disappointed Tuesday when their plane was in the air for hours, but never landed at its planned destination. Instead, the plane circled above the ocean for about 3.5 hours before returning to Mineta San Jose International Airport, according to KPIX. The airline says a mechanical issue was to blame. Travelers told KPIX there were signs of trouble before the flight even took off. The departure was scheduled for 9:10 a.m. but was delayed more than two hours while crews worked to repair a generator. The Boeing 767 eventually left San Jose at 11:21 a.m., according to a statement Hawaiian Airlines provided KPIX, but then about 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot announced the generator had failed once again. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Flight-from-San-Jose-circles-for-hours-never- 10987693.php Back to Top ANALYSIS: Controversy over US pilot shortage heats up A pilot shortage faced by US regional carriers has in recent weeks proven to have broader fallout, with a top US Air Force general supporting possible changes to pilot qualification rules and with two pilots unions dragging airlines into court. Now, efforts may be underway to push for modifications to the controversial 2013 pilot qualification rule, which many people credit with making an existing pilot shortfall significantly worse. On 7 March, the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) sent a letter urging lawmakers on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee "to resist special interest attempts to weaken aviation safety" as they write the next the US Federal Aviation Administration spending bill. The letter specifically called attention to the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, which is the law that required regulators to write the 2013 pilot qualification rule. The Regional Airline Association, a trade group that has long taken issue with the pilot qualification rule, did not respond to requests for comment from FlightGlobal. But considering President Donald Trump's vow to cut burdensome regulations, at least one regional aviation chief executive thinks now is the time to push for broad changes to the rule. "With the new administration... we should take a much more aggressive and different approach," Mesa Air Group chief executive Jonathan Ornstein tells FlightGlobal. The 2010 law arose out of the 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407, a Bombardier Q400 that plummeted from the skies near Buffalo, killing 49 people on the aircraft and one person on the ground. Investigators pinned the cause on pilot error, but cited training deficiencies and pilot fatigue as contributing factors. The resulting law required the FAA to make broad overhauls to pilot duty time and training and qualification standards. Among the resulting rules was the 2013 pilot qualification rule, which requires new airline pilots to have at least 1,500h of flight time and hold an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate. In the past, new pilots needed a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating - equating to 250h of flight time. In its 7 March letter, ALPA credits the 2010 law and resulting regulatory changes with improved air safety. "This law significantly improved training and qualification requirements for first officers - and improved the safety of our skies. It is a measure that was written in blood, and should not be weakened in any way, shape or form," says ALPA's letter. Regional airlines, however, have long argued that the law exacerbated a pilot shortage that has primarily affected regional carriers, and has done so without improving the quality of the nation's pilots. "The rule is ill-conceived... It is well known throughout the industry that it does nothing to enhance safety," says Mesa's Ornstein. "The ultimate result is that it will reduce or eliminate service to smaller, rural communities. Or it will cost more." "My concern is the quality of the pilots," Silver Airways chief executive Sami Teittinen tells FlightGlobal. "We saw weakness from new-generation commercial pilots." More than in the past, today's new hires tend to be more removed from systematic training, Teittinen says. Many are unaccustomed with airline operations and may not have the same "cockpit discipline" as previous recruits. "1,500h doesn't provide any higher quality candidates than what we saw before. I think it's the opposite," Teittinen says. The RAA agrees. "As pilots spend time building hours needed for eligibility, many lose recency of training, which is critical for pilot proficiency," says a March presentation released by the group. "High-time pilots did not perform as well in initial training as their lower-time classmates." AIR FORCE SUPPORT In early February the US Air Force chief of staff thrust himself into the 1,500h controversy. "My personal sense is that it may not be required," general David Goldfein said of the 1,500h requirement, according to a report from military publication Stars and Stripes. He suggested the 1,500h rule could be amended to help alleviate a pilot shortage that also affects the military. Many pilots join the Air Force as a means to accumulate hours, then leave the service for the commercial sector after reaching the 1,500h mark, Goldfein said. The Air Force has already discussed with major airlines ways to alleviate the pilot shortage, and more discussions are scheduled for May, according to reports. Alan Stolzer, dean of the college of aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, agrees that flight hours are not the best measure of pilot proficiency. "We were initially skeptical of the rule because we are not big fans of defining quality by number of hours," Stolzer tells FlightGlobal. He adds, however, that Embry-Riddle's enrolment is actually up slightly since the rule took effect. Also, the rule has ensured more pilots stick around after graduation to work as flight instructors. "It gave us a very predictable instructor pool," Stolzer says. "We think the rule... to some degree saved the flight training industry. Otherwise, the airlines would have... denuded the pool of instructors." The National Transportation Safety Board had said in 2012 about the then-proposed rule: "Total flight hours or an airline transport pilot certificate does not necessarily equate to the level of knowledge, skills and professionalism required for consistently safe flight operations." The 2013 rule came just as the US airline industry was rising from the most-recent economic recession into a period of low fuel prices, substantial expansion and record profits. Meanwhile, many regional airlines struggled financially, and have pointed to the pilot qualification rule and the resulting pilot shortage as a contributing factor. Republic Airways Holdings chief executive Bryan Bedford, for instance, cited the pilot shortage as among factors that led to Republic's February 2016 bankruptcy filing. According to the RAA, the pilot shortage, exacerbated by the 2013 rule, is among factors that caused a reduction in air service at hundreds of US airports in the last three years. Since 2013, about 50 airports have lost all passenger air service, the RAA says. The group cites FAA figures showing that some 207,000 pilots held either ATP certificates or commercial pilot certificates in 2016, down about 3% since 2013 and 10% since 2009. The group also cites a 2016 University of North Dakota study showing that the US aviation industry will require 18,700 new pilots by 2020 - about the same number currently employed by US regional airlines - and nearly 50,000 new pilots by 2026. The shortage, if it continues, would require US airlines to park some 300 aircraft by 2020 and 1,400 aircraft by 2026, RAA says, adding that its members currently operate about 2,100 aircraft. EASING THE STRAIN In the last year, regional carriers have sought to head off the crisis by raising wages and paying increasingly more attractive signing bonuses to new pilots. Some airlines started at $5,000 bonuses, but bonuses at some carriers now exceed $20,000. Also, in 2016, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines and Envoy Air - all of which are subsidiaries of American Airlines - announced that new pilots could now earn about $60,000 in their first year. Regional airlines have also upped tuition reimbursements, partnered with flight schools and launched programmes aimed at helping military pilots transition into the private sector. Phoenix-based Mesa now pays new pilots up to $42,100 in bonus incentives, including up to $22,000 after completing aircraft training, $5,000 after the second and third years of employment and $10,000 after the fourth year, according to Mesa's website. Though carriers say they need bonuses to combat a pilot shortage, the payments have recently landed two carriers in court, facing lawsuits from pilots' unions. In January, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and its Airline Professionals Association unit sued regional carrier Horizon Air, in an effort to force Horizon to end recently-implemented bonus programmes. Under the programmes, Horizon, a division of Alaska Air Group, paid new-hire pilots up to $10,000 in bonuses and $10,000 in tuition expenses, according to the lawsuit. The union says the payments violate the pilots' employment contract and the Railway Labor Act, which governs airline labour relations. Then on 2 March news broke that ALPA filed a similar lawsuit against Mesa. Speaking to FlightGlobal, ALPA representative Paul Ryder calls the bonuses a "short-term solution to a long-term problem" and says they mask the underlying issue of low pilot wages. "The reason they are paying these bonuses is [because] the previous wages were not competitive," Ryder says. "The regional airlines have struggled to make an argument why someone would pursue a career as a pilot." Ryder says airlines should properly address pilot hiring problems by instituting "pay raises across the board". "What we feel is a sustainable approach is to take the compensation being offered on a short-term basis [and] putting it into wages," he says. "If [airlines] are really concerned about their supply of applicants, they need to make changes that withstand the test of time." EASING THE STRAIN The airline industry, however, still sees the 1,500h rule as the prime roadblock to a more robust pipeline of new pilots, and some efforts have been underway to advocate a regulatory change. One opening lies in provisions within the rule that act as a "pathway" through which some categories of pilots with fewer than 1,500h are able to work at airlines. Specifically, the FAA has authority to issue "restricted" ATPs to military pilots with 750h of time and graduates from aviation programmes with 1,000-1,250h of time. Last year the RAA told FlightGlobal it was advocating the creation of another pathway called the "air carrier enhanced" ATP. Under that proposed category, pilots with less than 1,500h would be eligible for an ATP if they complete a structured airline training programme. The RAA did not respond to requests from FlightGlobal for additional comment, and it remains unclear how rule changes might be viewed by the Trump administration. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-controversy-over-us-pilot-shortage- heats-u-434908/ Back to Top EU sees 'strategic advantage' of biofuels in aviation In sectors like aviation where decarbonisation options are limited, there is a strategic advantage in encouraging the use of biofuels, a European Commission official has said. The aviation sector is dependent on liquid fuels and has few options other than biofuels when it comes to using renewable energies. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has set a target of ramping up biofuels use to 10% of all consumption by 2017, saying they have the potential to reduce the industry's carbon footprint by up to 80%. The big issue now for the industry is whether they can be deployed on a sufficiently large scale to make a difference to the airline sector's carbon emissions - without wrecking the environment. EU risks missing climate goals without 'sustainable' biofuels, experts warn The European Commission's proposal to gradually phase out "sustainable" first generation biofuels will prevent the EU from meeting its 2030 climate goals, experts claim. "By far the biggest problem is the price gap-biofuels are two or three times as expensive as fossil fuels -and this needs to be compensated somehow," said Henrik Erämetsä, head of aviation regulation at Finnish oil company Neste, who was speaking at a EURACTIV event last week. "We know that in the on-road sector it has been compensated by mandating the use of biofuels, so basically it's part of the fuel price," he explained, suggesting a similar measure could be taken for aviation. "But aviation is a global, international sector, where a mandate within the European Union, for instance, would distort the global business. So we need to find some other kind of solution," Erämetsä pointed out. Not all biofuels are the same Richard Clarkson, a policy officer at the European Commission's Aviation Policy Unit, agreed that biofuels have a potentially very important role to play in decarbonising aviation. But any kind of public support needs to ensure that biofuels "provide genuine greenhouse gas savings and will generally support our sustainability goals", he insisted. "We know from 15 years or so the experience of biofuels policy in the EU that not all biofuels are the same," Clarkson said, admitting that some of them actually result in higher greenhouse gas emissions than their fossil fuel equivalents. Biodiesel worse for the environment than fossil fuels, warn green campaigners Instead of reducing emissions, using biodiesel in transport will increase polluting emissions by 4%, the same as putting an extra 12 million cars on the road in 2020, green campaigners have said. "We also need to bear in mind that the use of biofuels can have unintended consequences, both adverse and positive. We need to be very mindful in order to avoid some of those adverse consequences. For example, where the use of crops perhaps dries out food prices in areas where there is food insecurity," the EU official explained. Referring to biofuels used in aviation, Clarkson pointed out that significant progress has been made over the last 10 years. "Several pathways have now been certificated, and about 2,500 commercial flights have now taken place using some amount of biofuels," the EU official said, highlighting that biofuels still represent a small portion of fuels that are used in air transport. According to Clarkson, the Commission's proposed revision of the renewable energy directive provides a greater incentive for the use of biofuels in aviation than previously, by weighting them 20% higher than fuels used in other modes. "The Commission sees that there is a strategic advantage in trying to encourage the use of biofuels in sectors like aviation where there are a fewer number of alternative decarbonisation options," he said. "Now, that 20% weighting applies not just to aviation but also to maritime," he noted. Combination of factors For Gesine Meissner, a German MEP from the liberal ALDE group in the European Parliament, biofuels are only one among many ways of cutting aviation emissions. She highlighted the Single European Sky initiative, launched in 1999 to improve air traffic management, which has stalled due to disagreement between EU member states - and a high-profile dispute between Spain and the UK over Gibraltar. "This is something that I'm really fighting for because if aircraft zigzag, of course, it does need a lot more kerosene and it's not good for the environment at all," she said. Another alternative is the use of lighter materials in planes, which results in less kerosene burning, and using electricity for taxiing while aircraft are on the ground. Regarding biofuels, she said they might be a good alternative for kerosene in the future but weren't available in sufficient quantities for now. "We need the soil to create or produce crops and food, but actually we have a lot of crop waste, so to say, or parts of forests that we can really use to produce biofuel," she pointed out. "Get out and see what's happening in the world" Darrin Morgan, director of sustainable biofuel strategy at Boeing, said biofuels were thought to be the green solution about a decade ago but then became the "worst thing in the world" that would destroy the planet. "And of course neither of those things was true. And the answer is, well, it depends completely on how you do it and the scale and the technology and the sustainability," Morgan said. Despite the political backlash against biofuels, Boeing has persevered in trying to find sustainable alternatives, Morgan said. It is currently negotiating an agreement with China over the air pollution produced by the burning of crop residue. "The government in China has figured out that they need to do something with a lot of these crop residues besides burning. What they want to do is, among other things, sustainable fuels," he stated. "While I know in Brussels biofuels are not sexy anymore, biofuels and the backlash against them... For those of you in Brussels, get out there and see what's happening in the world," Morgan said. The role of certification Discussion at the EURACTIV event focused mainly on the role of sustainability certification schemes. "The potential for certification at scale is unlimited," said Barbara Bramble from the National Wildlife Federation in South Africa. "There is no actual break on it that I can think of. I suppose as one is scaling up the training for the auditors," she explained. Certification schemes such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RBS) can audit an individual project and assess the social and labour angle too, she said. According to Bramble, ramping up production hinges mainly on soil management, including land use, social issues, and conservation. "You can't just say that biofuels are good or bad by category-it all depends. So this isn't a fight against food versus fuel-that's way too simplistic. This is really about how we use our land. All types of land uses are in competition with all other types of land uses," she added. Aviation biofuels: A pie in the sky? Airlines have committed to ramping up their use of biofuels in the belief that they can contribute to achieving the sector's pledges on carbon-neutral growth. For 2050, the EU foresees 40% use of "sustainable low carbon fuels" in aviation. Tobacco potential Companies across the world have already taken several innovation-driven initiatives to make aviation greener. One of them is biotech company SunChem, which has developed a novel tobacco crop called "Solaris" that makes energy out of tobacco. The Solaris crop is cultivated by smallholder farmers and is considered an opportunity to grow sustainable bioenergy resources while simultaneously boosting socio-economic growth in rural areas. The project has been certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) and currently operates in South Africa and Italy. Sergio Tommasini, SunChem CEO, said that Solaris was coming from tobacco but is nicotine and GMO-free. "You can use it for the production of a source of protein out of the biomass, so animal feed, and fuel for bioaviation, biofuel in general [...] it could be biodiesel or a fraction of jet fuel", he noted. In Italy, for instance, Tommasini said that the project helped save 5,000 tobacco growers and there are a number of actors involved throughout the chain, from Boeing Italy to Alitalia and universities. "If we put all the actors in the chain, the fuel can come out as sustainable," he emphasised. BACKGROUND In November, the European Commission presented its draft proposal to review the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) for the post-2020 period as part of a Clean Energy Package. The executive proposed reducing the contribution of conventional biofuels in transport from a maximum of 7% in 2021 to 3.8% in 2030. It also set an obligation to raise the share of other 'low emissions fuels' such as renewable electricity and advanced biofuels in transport to 6.8%. The Commission's change of heart on conventional or first generation biofuels has sparked heated discussions in Brussels. http://www.euractiv.com/section/biofuels/news/thursday-eu-sees-strategic-advantage-of- biofuels-in-aviation/ Back to Top United Airlines cutting 300 management positions at Chicago HQ United Airlines notches historic February for two performance metrics United CEO pens love letter to workers with big bucks attached United Airlines is in the midst of pruning some 300 management positions at the Chicago- based airline's headquarters in the Willis Tower. The staff reductions are expected to be completed by late spring of this year. United employs more than 87,000 people worldwide. United Airlines is trimming several hundred management employees from its Chicago headquarters. The reductions are tied to a long-term strategy - outlined by CEO Oscar Munoz last fall - to improve network connectivity and revenue management, while continuing to maintain disciplined cost control. Munoz said at the time that his new strategy is expected to generate $4.8 billion in earnings improvement by 2020. At an investors meeting last fall Munoz said "we are talking about what's next for United," adding "we now have the strategy and organization in place to be the best airline in the world." A spokeswoman said the cuts were being made after management had examined every department and determined what the airline's optimal employment needs were. The layoffs across multiple departments are not expected to affect front-line operations. The move to trim management ranks comes as United is preparing for the peak summer travel season by adding new seasonal international routes, including service from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Dublin and Shannon in Ireland; Edinburgh Scotland, and Rome, Italy. United president Scott Kirby has been overseeing efforts to optimize the carrier's network potential. Last fall Kirby said that he is aiming to "ensure we are offering our customers the right flights to the right destinations at the right time." United also is preparing to roll out its newest aircraft, the widebody Boeing 777-300ER on multiple international routes this year, with Hong Kong the first foreign market to be serviced by the airline's newest model aircraft. United is a unit of United Continental Holdings (NYSE: UAL). http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2017/03/08/united-airlines-cutting-300- management-positions.html Back to Top Hawaiian Airlines flight diverted after fight over cost of blanket March 8 (UPI) -- A Hawaiian Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Honolulu was diverted to Los Angeles on Wednesday when a passenger became irate after being told he had to pay $12 for a blanket. The incident happened not long into the plane took off when the 66-year-old man told a flight attendant he was cold and asked for a blanket. The employee informed the man there was a $12 fee for a blanket and he became angry. The man demanded to speak to a company official on the ground and the flight crew allowed him to use an onboard telephone to call its corporate headquarters. During that call police said the man said he wanted to "take someone behind the woodshed" over the ordeal. Airline officials then ordered the flight diverted to Los Angeles International Airport for an "unruly passenger." According to the Los Angeles Airport Police Department, the man was removed from the plane without incident. Officers interviewed the man and determined he had not made a threat against the aircraft, and thus had not violated any laws. He was allowed to book another flight to his destination. http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2017/03/08/Hawaiian-Airlines-flight-diverted-after-fight- over-cost-of-blanket/8331489031693/ Back to Top Cleveland Hopkins Airport flights diverted due to 60 mph winds Cleveland-Hopkins Airport diverting flights due to high winds. (Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Strong winds up to 60 mph are battering Northeast Ohio, downing power lines and trees. Now the winds are affecting air travel. Airlines are diverting flights from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to other airports, including Pittsburgh, because wind gusts that fast create dangerous landing conditions. According to a spokeswoman, whether or not a specific flight will be diverted is up to the airline, and the pilot -- but you can check any flight status here. So far Akron-Canton Airport is reporting all arriving flights are scheduled on time, even though winds are currently gusting up to 45 mph. Latest sustained wind speed analysis. http://www.cleveland.com/weather/blog/index.ssf/2017/03/cleveland- hopkns_airport_diver.html Back to Top Colorado airplane company forms alliance to try to develop new plane A Denver-area airplane company said it's formed an alliance with another Colorado company to try and develop a new airplane. XTI Aircraft Company, based at Centennial Airport, said it will work with Bye Aerospace Inc., also based at the airport, to develop a new hybrid/electric prototype of XTI's TriFan vertical takeoff airplane. XTI is trying to raise money to build a six-seat airplane that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter. "We're continuing with our plan but we've made two important changes. First, with the engineering expertise of the team at Bye Aerospace, this first prototype will be powered by a state-of-the-art hybrid-electric propulsion system. Second, because we're now able to significantly reduce the weight and cost of producing the TriFan, our first prototype will be a full-size TriFan 600 instead of the 65 percent subscale version," said Robert LaBelle, XTI CEO, in a statement. LaBelle was named CEO last month to replace a former CEO, Jeff Pino, who was killed in a plane crash in Arizona. He took over his new role on Feb. 1. XTI is trying to raise money to build a six-seat airplane that can take off and land vertically like a helicopter. http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/03/06/colorado-airplane-company-forms- alliance-to-try-to.html Back to Top Indonesian aviation warned to 'shape up' An expert says Indonesia's aviation industry needs to 'shape up' 10 years after a crash that killed 5 people Ten years after the Garuda crash that killed five Australians, an aviation expert warns Indonesia's industry needs to shape up or there will be more tragedies. Twenty-one people died on March 7, 2007, when a Garuda Boeing 737 careered off the runway at Yogyakarta airport, and burst into flames. Five Australians were killed in the crash: DFAT's Elizabeth O'Neill, AusAID official Allison Sudradjat, Australian Federal Police officers Brice Steele and Mark Scott, and Australian Financial Review journalist Morgan Mellish. Geoffrey Thomas, editor in chief of the website airlineratings.com, said the accident was a turning point for Indonesia's national carrier. 'Yogyakarta was a terrible accident in terms of loss of life... There was an epiphany that everything had to change and everything did change,' he told AAP. Since then Garuda has modernised its fleet, improved operations and US and European authorities have lifted their bans on the airline. While Mr Thomas describes Garuda as a 'model' of what Indonesian aviation can achieve, the rest of the country's aviation industry is of great concern. Earlier this year two top executives from Garuda's low-cost subsidiary Citilink resigned after a video emerged of an allegedly drunk pilot going through security and boarding a flight. It wasn't until a number of passengers raised concerns after hearing the pilot slurring in onboard announcements that he was replaced. The chief of Indonesia's national narcotics agency also suggested drugs were behind many of the country's airline accidents. According to the safety audit of the UN agency International Civil Aviation Organisation, Indonesia is below the the international average in every category, including airworthiness, operations and accident investigations. These issues are further exacerbated, Mr Thomas added, by the rapid growth of the aviation industry in Indonesia. 'Where you try and grow an airline too fast without proper regulatory oversight and you have this undercurrent of suggestions about drugs and pilots getting licenses they shouldn't get - that is a really serious issue.' Only three airlines - Garuda, Lion and Batik Air - are currently registered under the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). Mr Thomas said Indonesia shoul make it compulsory for such audits, as well as rigorously enforce international standards and staff the relevant authorities with good people who are well paid. 'If they don't pick up their game more of these tragedies will happen, there is nothing more certain than that.' In 2015, IATA said that Indonesia was expected to be the sixth largest market for air travel by by 2034, with some 270 million passengers expected to fly to, from and within the country. In a win for Indonesia's aviation industry, the US Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced late last year it was upgrading the country's air safety rating, paving the way for carriers to fly to America. Speaking ahead of his visit to Jakarta on Tuesday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull paid tribute on the 10th anniversary of the Gaurda crash. 'We remember them, and the other victims of the crash, and offer our continued condolences to their families and friends.' AAP http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/asiapacific/2017/03/07/indonesian-aviation- warned-to--shape-up-.html#sthash.RYq6wDYD.dpuf Back to Top CAA, Robinson criticised watchdog over helicopter report (Australia) Emails released under the Official Information Act show our main transport watchdog, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), has been criticised over its reports into crashes involving the Robinson helicopter. The criticism came from the helicopter company itself and surprisingly, our other air safety agency, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), appeared to agree. In the emails TAIC is accused of "not being fair" and having "outbursts" in safety reports. The emails in question refer to a particular kind of event known as 'mast-bumping', when the rotor blade crashes through the cockpit TAIC says that's killed 18 people in the past 20 years. It's been trying to improve the aircraft's safety but most of its recommendations haven't been implemented by the CAA. Duncan Didsbury's brother Mark was killed when his R66 Robinson broke up mid-air. Four years on, he still has major concerns the recommendations of TAIC haven't been implemented. "Given the disproportionate amount of accidents that are happening in Robinsons and the same type of circumstances being exhibited time and time again ... more work needs to be done," Mr Didsbury says. TAIC wants special training for R66 pilots and a renewed investigation into the design of the Robinson's main rotor - but so far neither the CAA nor the US regulator has acted. Fourteen fatal crashes in the past two decades have been put down to mast bumping and the outcome is usually catastrophic. "As in Mark's case he was flying within the manufacturer's guidelines and something catastrophic happened. I just don't know how that can be okay," Mr Didsbury says. David Yeomans, an independent aviation expert and pilot, agrees. "In my opinion, this aircraft has a rather unique propensity to destroy itself inflight." But he also has concerns about the email chain obtained by Newshub - where TAIC's safety reports are described as an "outburst". "It's an inference that they've overreacted and anything published by an agency is not an overreaction - it is a reaction to considered effort and information and they have formed an opinion," Mr Yeomans says. He says it's inappropriate. "It has no place in a professional relationship." The reason he's concerned is because the emails are between our Civil Aviation Authority, the agency that makes rules around aircraft, and the maker of the helicopter in question, Robinson. In August last year, an instructor for the Robinson Helicopter Company told the CAA's Andrew McKay: "We are preparing a response to TAIC's recent outburst". Mr McKay replied: "What outburst are you referring too (sic).. the last I am aware was the draft report for (REDACTED) accident. Have you got another?" The Robinson representative responds: "It was a TAIC watchlist. It is certainly not a fair assessment." In a written statement, the CAA told Newshub the emails were just "banter" and do not reflect in anyway what CAA thinks of TAIC as an organisation. It says it respects TAIC's role as an independent investigator. But not everyone's convinced their relationship is functioning well. Mr Yeomans has spent eight years in New Zealand and 15 years in Australia working on aviation safety. "If language like that is being used in emails, it is certainly an indicator that not all is well," he said. As for Mr Didsbury, he's satisfied TAIC made the right call putting the Robinson on its watchlist. He says what's needed now is action. http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/03/caa-robinson-criticised-watchdog- over-helicopter-report.html Back to Top Female firefighting pilots leading the way When it comes to taking to the skies to combat fires, women are still few and far between. However, Capt Natalie Jones and pilot Alba Castellanos are paving the way for a younger generation to get in on the action. Alba Castellanos, left, and Capt Natalie Jones with an Erickson Aircrane at Serpentine Airfield. Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services Photo From the United States and Spain respectively, they travel the world from Greece to Turkey, the United States and Australia, fighting fires in one of the world's largest firefighting helicopters, the twin-engine Sikorsky S-64E Aircrane. As the only female Aircrane pilots currently working for Erickson Aviation, the first opportunity they had to work together was in Western Australia on the Aircrane Georgia Peach, which is contracted to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). The two were on shift together from first to last light at Serpentine Airfield south of Perth and Alba said it was great to be able to work with Natalie and share some of their experiences. Alba, 43, a former professional musician, fell in love with flying after tagging along with a friend who was crop dusting near the Spanish coast. "That sensation of flying was awesome and especially feeling the hover which is different from fixed wing. It just touched me in such a way that it became a love story for me," Alba said. After completing flight school in Madrid she worked in South America, flying passengers in and out of the jungle for oil-and-gas companies. This is Alba's first time in Western Australia; however she has been with Erickson for two and a half years and has worked extensively in Greece fighting wildfires. "There is a lot of sea exposure and winds in Greece. Sometimes you are picking up water from the sea and then climbing up because it is quite steep and you are on full power, full of water just going up and down [cliffs] all day." Natalie, 38, said she has worked in Australia before during the 2016 Waroona bushfires. "That was a pretty extensive fire season and we were down there with all the other aircraft trying to be effective," Natalie said. Natalie said she had dreamed of learning to fly since high school but it was not until after university, when she was working a desk job, that she took the plunge. "I found a little one man operation that was doing flight instruction and during the introductory flight he let me take the controls. From that point on I was hooked," she said. "It is one of those things you absolutely fall in love with once you do it." After 10 years in the industry and four and a half with Erickson, Natalie said she still gets a thrill flying the Aircrane during a bushfire. "Heading towards a fire you see the smoke plume and where the wind direction is coming from," she said. "You start setting up how you are going to make your approaches into your drop patterns, looking to see is anyone down there because this beast can carry a lot of water." Both Alba and Natalie said it was still rare for women to fly large helicopters, but knowing someone else has made it in the industry can be a great encouragement. "I have had a lot of other female helicopter pilots who have reached out to me to and asked how did you get to where you are because I want to do that too," Natalie said. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/female-firefighting-pilots-leading-the- way/#sthash.5i7ikmo5.dpuf Back to Top All female flight crews: On the flight deck, male pilots still outnumber women 16 to one The Man Who Pays His Way: Are all-female flight crews anything more than symbolic? easyJet's all female crew for International Women's Day easyJet Passengers aboard easyJet flight 8275 from Gatwick to Madrid on Wednesday encountered two surprises. The first: they were kept waiting on the ground for nearly two hours because of a strike by French air-traffic controllers. The second: all six crew members on the Airbus A320 were women. The arithmetic shows this to be a rare event. While many cabin crew are female, men outnumber women by around 16 to one on the flight deck. When I checked on the flight-deck gender split three months ago with all the leading airlines serving UK passengers, a remarkably consistent pattern emerged: at British Airways, easyJet, Monarch and Ryanair, just 6 per cent of crew are female. Flybe performs slightly better than the norm; 7.5 per cent of the airline's pilots are female, while just 3 per cent of Thomson's pilots are women. Male pilots outnumber females by 16 to 1 All other things being equal, only one flight in about 300 to and from the UK is flown by two women; 17 have have one male and one female pilot; and the remaining 282 are two-man operations. But not all other things are equal, because the proportion of captains who are female is even smaller than that 6 per cent. At Thomas Cook Airlines, for example, 8 per cent of first officers - junior pilots - are female, but among captains, the proportion of women falls to below 2 per cent. Worldwide, the figures are even worse, with only 3 per cent of pilots worldwide female - raising the odds of a two-woman flight crew to a shocking one in 1,000 Pilots were warned about the French strike by a NOTAM - a NOtice To AirMen, which most of the time is well aimed. Royal Brunei's all-female flight deck made headlines last year (Royal Brunei Airlines) As the captain of that easyJet flight said, "It is hard to think of another high profile profession where women are so under-represented." She is Kate McWilliams, at 27 years old also the world's youngest female commercial captain. The flight on International Women's Day was more than just a gesture: easyJet has set an ambitious target of increasing the proportion of its female pilots aiming for 20 per cent of new-intake pilots by 2020. The airline has named an Airbus A320 jet after the pioneering female aviator, Amy Johnson, and that was the aircraft used for the pioneering Gatwick- Madrid flight. It wasn't the first time an airline has highlighted the high-altitude gender gap; a year ago, Royal Brunei Airlines operated its first all-female-pilot service, with a twist of irony to Saudi Arabia - where conservative clerics ban women from driving. Given the hostile attitude to homosexuality in the Sultanate, I fear we may be waiting rather longer for the Bruneian carrier to dispatch a flight with openly gay pilots. Across at easyJet's giant rival, Ryanair, one female pilot has become an online celebrity as well as a role model: Maria Pettersson, from Gothenburg, combines her work as a first office with a travel and lifestyle blog. Talking of lifestyle: could one reason for the gender imbalance be the uncertain and disruptive schedule that pilots have to handle? I don't believe so, because there are plenty of female cabin crew who cope with equally onerous rosters. Civil Aviation Authority flight-deck rules that apply only to women pilots don't help. Pregnant women can fly as a passenger on easyJet up to the 35th week of gestation, but under CAA regulations the limit is 26 weeks. "After this point, the certificate shall be suspended," instructs the authority, adding a provision that makes having a baby sound like an affliction: "The suspension shall be lifted after full recovery following the end of the pregnancy." To see how the rails compare with the skies, I asked Eurostar how many of its train drivers are female. Just two out of 62, which means that men outnumber women by 30 to one. Gender stereotyping in transport seems deeply ingrained - as do the attitudes of some men. When I first wrote about the easyJet initiative to recruit more female pilots, one reader added this unhelpful comment: "I wonder if they'd give my mother-in-law a job. Can't be much difference between flying a broomstick and flying a plane." http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/all-female-flight-crew-royal- brunei-easyjet-airlines-outnumber-women-16-to-one-gender-flybe-monarch- a7619841.html Back to Top Boeing eyes twin-aisle design for new jet Update would enter service in 2024-2025 if plane maker presses ahead U.S. carriers including United and Delta are looking for a replacement for the now- discontinued single-aisle Boeing 757 still used on transcontinental routes and some flights across the Atlantic. SAN DIEGO-Boeing Co. favors a twin-aisle design for a proposed all-new commercial jet that likely wouldn't enter service before 2024, a senior U.S. airline executive said Tuesday. The plane maker BA, -0.15% hasn't previously disclosed design details of what industry executives are already calling the 797, with a seating capacity of more than 200 that would sit between its workhorse 737 jets and the 787 Dreamliner. New jetliners can cost more than $10 billion to develop, and the decision whether to proceed with the plane will be a test for Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg as previous models launched during his tenure have been derivatives of existing aircraft. Boeing has been marketing its concept of a new jet to airlines and leasing companies, and many had expected it to be a single-aisle plane that allows carriers to move passengers on and off more quickly than a twin-aisle. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/boeing-eyes-twin-aisle-design-for-new-jet-2017-03- 08 Back to Top Jet Aviation Business Jets (Hong Kong) Ltd Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. Close to 4,500 employees cater to client needs from more than 20 facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America. The company provides maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, fixed base operations, along with aircraft management, charter services, aircraft sales and personnel services. Jet Aviation's European and U.S. aircraft management and charter divisions jointly operate a fleet of more than 250 aircraft. Corporate Safety Manager Job Ref.JBJHCSM Duties and responsibilities not limited to: - Develop and monitor the Safety Management System in accordance with relevant regulatory requirements (e.g. Overseas Territories Air Regulations (OTAR) Part 125.A.25, Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (HKCAD) 712) and the guidance laid out in ICAO Doc 9859 to ensure on-going compliance and make recommendations where applicable - Monitor and track all safety reports, MOR's, IOR,s, safety risk profiles, discretion reports, confidential reports and ensure corrective action is taken - Manage the Company's electronic safety reporting system - Develop, implement and maintain the company's internal safety audit plan - Liaise with external third party auditors on required safety audits (e.g. IS-BAO) - Implement and manage the company's risk assessment and change management process - Update and monitor the Company's Safety Risk Profile and distribute amongst relevant parties - Coordinate with the relevant regulatory authorities regarding compliance issues including operational approvals - Work closely with all departments to ensure the culture of safety management is enhanced by all parties - Manage relationships with other safety professionals in Jet Aviation Group - Develop, monitor and exercise the Emergency Response Plan - Assist in the development of new manuals where applicable - Plan, organize and deliver safety training to employees - Assist in safety investigations and produce relevant safety reports where applicable - Liaise with maintenance provider (Part 145 MOR) and monitor their safety aspects as required to ensure compliance and compatibility to our own systems - Assist to monitor the Occupational Healthy and Safety requirements in accordance to HK Labor laws - Assist and support the Director Operations for any other safety related matters as required Qualifications - Bachelor Degrees in Aviation or Safety discipline strongly desired - 5 or more years of experience in aviation safety - Previous experience with SMS management and oversight - SMS Training Certificate desired - Strong knowledge in business aviation Should you be interested in this position please send your CV in PDF format indicating your expected salary, availability and contact details to jobs.jbjh@jetaviation.com.hk quoting 'JBJHCSM'. Due to the large number of applications that we receive and the time constraints, we cannot personally contact every applicant. Only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted. Personal information submitted by job applicants will be used for recruitment purpose only. Job Ref No. JBJHCSM (CT3108041-01#0010) Salary N/A Benefits 5-day week 13-month pay Dental plan Discretionary bonus Insurance plan Transportation allowance Location Hong Kong Employment Term Full-time, Experience 5 years - 10 years or above Career Level Middle management level Education Degree Require to Travel Travel occasionally Back to Top Position Available: Department Chair - The Department of Doctoral and Graduate Studies in the College of Aviation The Department of Doctoral and Graduate Studies in the College of Aviation at Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University invites applications for the position of Department Chair. The department offers a primarily online Ph.D. in Aviation with specializations in Aviation Safety and Human Factors, Operations, and Intradisciplinary. It also offers an MS in Aeronautics in a traditional on-campus format. The Chair will be expected to: * Provide academic leadership of the department * Promote the academic quality of the department and curricula * Facilitate and administer the curricula of the department * Oversee departmental curricula * Hire, mentor, and evaluate faculty * Manage departmental budgets * Manage the departmental assessment process * Oversee student recruitment, admission, and advising The candidate will be expected to teach courses in the Ph.D. and/or master's degree programs and act as the chair and/or member of Ph.D. dissertation committees. In addition to teaching responsibilities, the candidate is required to meet continuing scholarly growth requirements that include publishing scholarly work, actively pursuing and obtaining externally funded research, and presenting work at professional conferences. The candidate will be expected to fulfill service responsibilities to the university and the profession. The successful candidate will be required to provide instruction through online distance education and annual on-campus residencies. This position requires a doctorate in aviation, safety, statistics, operations, or a closely related degree. All candidates are expected to have excellent research and statistics skills, and experience supervising master's theses and doctoral dissertations. To learn more and apply, please visit our website at https://embryriddle.taleo.net/careersection/002/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en Review of applications will begin on February 24, 2017 and will continue until the position is filled. Curt Lewis