Flight Safety Information March 28, 2017 - No. 063 Incident: Qantas A388 at Muscat on Mar 25th 2017, bird strike Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander Fatal Crash into mountains (Zimbabwe) Boeing 737-4Q8 tire burst on landing (Iran) Pilots of crashed 747 missed cues about off-course approach The satellite system that could avoid another MH370 Here Are Gifs Of Crash Test Dummies In An Airplane To Remind You That Things Are Terrible. Hawaiian Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Kahului Flight Safety Foundation Releases Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project Final Report NTSB CRITICIZED FOR 'SPECULATIVE' ACCIDENT CAUSE FINDINGS American Airlines buys stake in China Southern Airlines GE Aviation Acquires Leader in Digital Aircraft Records Management Japan and UK collaborate on future fighter aircraft Mobile-based aircraft engine company Continental Motors announces $60 million upgrade Air Force meeting with airlines on pilot shortage in May US Air Force considers dumping undefeated fighter jet Solar jet stream promises better flare forecasting Research Survey 'POSITION:...INTERNAL EVALUATION PROGRAM (IEP) EVALUATOR Incident: Qantas A388 at Muscat on Mar 25th 2017, bird strike A Qantas Airbus A380-800, registration VH-OQA performing flight QF-9 (dep Mar 24th) from Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), was on approach to Dubai when the crew entered a hold at FL150 due to weather conditions at Dubai airport. When the weather did not improve the crew decided to divert to Muscat (Oman). On approach to Muscat's runway 08L a bird impacted the aircraft, that continued for a safe landing. The aircraft needed repairs and was unable to continue to Dubai. The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted to Muscat due to weather conditions in Dubai. On approach to Muscat the aircraft received a bird strike. The passengers were taken to hotels. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for 34 hours, then continued to Dubai as flight QF-9D landing in Dubai with a delay of 38.5 hours. Metars Dubai: OMDB 250400Z 05011KT 020V090 8000 -RA FEW030 21/18 Q1014 RETSRA WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA FEW030CB= OMDB 250344Z 05011KT 7000 -RA FEW030 21/18 Q1014 RETSRA WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA FEW030CB= OMDB 250300Z 31017KT 270V330 9999 -TSRA SCT030CB 23/17 Q1014 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA= OMDB 250247Z 31015KT 270V330 9999 TS SCT030CB 23/17 Q1013 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA= OMDB 250200Z 10016G28KT 060V130 9999 -RA FEW030CB 23/17 Q1009 RETS WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA= OMDB 250114Z 11016G26KT 060V140 9999 FEW030CB 23/17 Q1009 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA= OMDB 250100Z 10016KT 070V130 9999 FEW030CB 23/17 Q1008 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA= OMDB 250000Z 06012KT 9999 FEW030CB 23/17 Q1010 RETS WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA= OMDB 242300Z 08012KT 050V120 9999 TS SCT030CB 23/17 Q1010 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT 4000 TSRA= OMDB 242300Z 09015G25KT 070V140 9999 FEW030CB 23/17 Q1009 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT= OMDB 242200Z 07014G29KT 050V140 9999 FEW030CB 23/17 Q1010 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT= OMDB 242115Z 07014KT 9999 FEW030CB 23/15 Q1010 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT= OMDB 242100Z 07014G24KT 9999 FEW030CB 23/15 Q1011 WS ALL RWY TEMPO VRB25G35KT= http://avherald.com/h?article=4a6c87a4&opt=0 Back to Top Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander Fatal Crash into mountains (Zimbabwe) Date: 27-MAR-2017 Time: 08:15 CET Type: Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander Owner/operator: ETA AIR Charter Registration: C9-AOV C/n / msn: 624 Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Mutare - Zimbabwe Phase: Approach Nature: International Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: FQBR Destination airport: FVMU Narrative: The aircraft was on the way from Beira to Mutare when it crashed into Machipanda Mountains. Adelino Mesquita, brother of the Minister of Transport and Communications, is among the six victims killed in the crash of the Air Transport Company - ETA plane. The aircraft, which was connecting Beira-Harare, crashed in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Adelino Mesquita was the current managing director of Cornelder in Mozambique. According to a communiqué from the Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique, besides Adelino Mesquita, the passengers were staff all from Cornelder Mozambique. Preliminary data point to the existence of a survivor, but didn't make it due to lack of timely rescue. Information from the Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique indicates that the aircraft hit the Vumba mountain in Manica due to bad weather and subsequently crashed in the Mutare area. ETA Air Charter Lda., based in Beira, had two air-planes. The plane that crashed was the best one. It is estimated that the aircraft was flying at just above 1600 meters when it fell. And it was already making the descent to approach the airport of Mutare, where landing was scheduled to happen at 8h25m a.m.. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=194428 Back to Top Boeing 737-4Q8 tire burst on landing (Iran) Date: 27-MAR-2017 Time: 05:36utc Type: Boeing 737-4Q8 Owner/operator: Taban Airlines Registration: EP-TBJ C/n / msn: 28202/3009 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 185 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Ardabil Airport (ADU/OITL) - Iran Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Mashhad International Airport (MHD/OIMM) Destination airport: Ardabil Airport (ADU/OITL) Narrative: The aircraft encountered tire burst while landing and the right hand main landing gear retracted. The engine touched the runway surface and the aircraft becane dusabled on the runway. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=194427 Back to Top Pilots of crashed 747 missed cues about off-course approach Pilots of the ill-fated Boeing 747-400F which crashed at Bishkek were given several warnings and indications that the aircraft was not following the correct approach before it overshot the airport. The MyCargo Airlines aircraft had been too high on the approach to runway 26 and failed to intercept the 3° glideslope from the ILS. Instead its autopilot followed the instruction to level off and maintain altitude at 3,400ft - putting it some 50% higher, in relation to the glideslope and the ground, than it should have been. Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee states that crew's glideslope deviation indicator was showing the "full down" position, indicating that the jet was "significantly" above the descent path. But the approach, conducted in darkness and fog, remained uncorrected. The 747 was still in level flight at 3,400ft when it passed the outer marker, about 2.1nm before the runway, which should have been overflown at 2,800ft according to the approach chart. While the cockpit-voice recording contained no aural alert when the marker was passed, the inquiry says the marker is "indicated" to both pilots on their primary flight display. Although the aircraft began to descend shortly after crossing the outer marker, this was the result of an inadvertent capture of the false 9° glideslope reflection from the ILS. The aircraft then passed over the middle marker - situated 0.6nm before the runway - and, again, this was signalled on the pilots' displays although there was no aural notification. This middle marker was supposed to be overflown at an altitude of 2,290ft - or 235ft above ground - but was instead passed at 3,300ft. The late descent meant the aircraft overflew the entire length of the 4,200m runway. Both pilots' navigation displays were set to 'map' mode, with a 10nm scale. The glideslope deviation indicator was "fluctuating" by four dots either side of neutral, says the inquiry into the 16 January crash. It adds that, after the false glideslope capture, the aircraft issued a series of cautionary alerts because it was not tracking the glideslope. "These events were continuously recorded almost until the end of the flight," says the inquiry. Some 20s before impact the enhanced ground-proximity warning system was triggered five times, issuing alerts on glideslope deviation over the space of 6s. The inquiry states that these alerts sound when the aircraft deviates below the glideslope - the volume of the warning depending on the height above ground and the size of the deviation. Although the crew attempted a missed approach, only after failing to sight the runway at the decision height, belated execution of the go-around resulted in the 747's striking the ground having already flown beyond the end of the landing runway. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pilots-of-crashed-747-missed-cues-about-off-course-a- 435574/ Back to Top The satellite system that could avoid another MH370: Radical scheme to track aircraft wherever they are to be fully operational in 2018 * Fleet of 66 satellites carrying airplane-tracking tech could operate by 2018 * The satellites are equipped with receivers, each 'about the size of a mini fridge' * It could allow flights to take more direct routes, and track in remote locations A fleet of 66 satellites carrying airplane-tracking technology could soon keep tabs on the position, speed, and altitude of aircraft all around the world. Iridium launched the first ten satellites in January, and so far, two have been switched on and begun to send back data. It comes three years after the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, and experts say the new system could ensure that flights no longer go unaccounted for. Iridium launched the first ten satellites in January, and so far, two have been switched on and begun to send back data. In just 62 hours, one of these satellites was able to track the positions of 17,000 aircraft HOW TRAVEL WOULD IMPROVE The technique could make flying much safer, providing a global picture of airplane activity for air traffic control. And, it could allow flights to take more direct routes, and even allow them to safely fly closer together, as their paths will be plotted more precisely. With space-based ADS-B, aircraft could fly just 15 nautical miles apart, down significantly from the minimum distance of 80 nautical miles they typically require today. In turn, this would cut down flight time, fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions - it could even cut the amount of fuel burned by 284 million pounds a year, according to PopSci. In just 62 hours, one of these satellites was able to track the positions of 17,000 aircraft - even those over oceans and remote locations that are impenetrable by radar, according to Popular Science. It's hoped that the entire system will be running by 2018. 'For the first time, we're getting aviation traffic from all over the world, including the oceans,' Daniel Colussey, former CEO of satellite communications company Iridium, said at a conference last weekend, Popular Science reports. 'It's the first time a plane has ever been surveilled over the poles.' The technique could make flying much safer, providing a global picture of airplane activity for air traffic control. Each satellite is equipped with Aireon's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) recievers, each of which are 'about the size of a mini refrigerator,' according to PopSci. While the global network may be a few years away, tests with air traffic managers in Iceland, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, and other locations have so far provided a glimpse at its promise. A test with Nav Canada revealed the technology could accurately observe the location of a plane flying through a remote area of the country where there's typically no surveillance. While this was only possible when the satellite passed over the plane, about once every 100 minutes, the process will be continuous when all satellites are in orbit, according to PopSci. A test with Nav Canada revealed the technology could accurately observe the location of a plane flying through a remote area of the country where there's typically no surveillance Ground stations using ADS-B have been in use for roughly 15 years, and can track a plane's position based on GPS. By putting the receivers on satellites, they won't be limited by the typical line-of-slight problems. 'You don't really have an option for surveillance in the ocean,' said Vinny Capezzuto, CTO of Aireon, according to PopSci. 'Right now, air traffic controllers project where the aircraft should be, based on the flight plan or the pilot report, rather than reality. 'Deviations in the flight plan happen all the time.' The technology could allow flights to take more direct routes, and even allow them to safely fly closer together, as their paths will be plotted more precisely. With space-based ADS-B, aircraft could fly just 15 nautical miles apart, down significantly from the minimum distance of 80 nautical miles they typically require today. The next set of satellites is due to launch in June, with hopes that all 66 will be deployed by the end of 2018 In turn, this would cut down flight time, fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions - it could even cut the amount of fuel burned by 284 million pounds a year, according to PopSci. The next set of satellites is due to launch in June, with hopes that all 66 will be deployed by the end of 2018. 'We've seen aircraft in the polar regions, where nobody sees any air traffic,' Capezzeuto said, according to PopSci. 'We've seen them in oceanic regions. We can see the tracks from Europe into North America. When we have all 66 satellites up, that'll be the picture we see every time, every second. 'This is going to be the first time air traffic controllers can see the entire world.' https://ui.constantcontact.com/rnavmap/emcf/email/create?copyUid=1127542769490 Back to Top Here Are Gifs Of Crash Test Dummies In An Airplane To Remind You That Things Are Terrible AREN'T WE ALL CRASH TEST DUMMIES IN A SECTION OF AIRPLANE FUSELAGE? NASA So, let's imagine we're all these crash test dummies being dropped to their doom. These gifs come from footage NASA released of a crash test it performed at its Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Ten crash test dummies were seated in a section of airplane fuselage and then dropped from a height of 4.3 meters (14 feet), impacting the ground at 9.1 meters (30 feet) per second. Crash This was a joint test between NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The goal? To see how an airplane's structure would hold up in an accident. "We're working with the FAA to update the requirements for the testing of next generation airframe concepts - especially those that may include composite materials," said Martin Annett, NASA crash test engineer, in a statement. Bang Each of the dummies - six supplied by NASA and four by the FAA - was selected to represent a cross section of the population. Eight of them represented an average man's height and mass. One was in the heaviest and tallest 5 percent of the male population, and another represented the smallest and lightest 5 percent of the female population. Packed full of instruments, engineers will use the test to see how the dummies coped with the stresses of impacting the ground. There was baggage in the hold, too, to see how it interacts with the bottom of the fuselage. Wallop As you can see in the gifs, the floor didn't do too well. One of the dummies also lost its head rest, while one in the middle was almost thrown from its seat. The ones on the side though seemed to do okay, and Annett said that there would have been a "low likelihood" of severe injury. The seats also remained in place for the most part, meaning any real passengers in such a situation might emerge unscathed, able to then evacuate the plane. What a video Interestingly, the outside of the tube was painted with black and white speckles to enable cameras to track exactly how it deformed. Known as photogrammetry, cameras tracked the dots at 500 frames a second. And, you know, it looked kind of cool too. Even if it does serve as a reminder of the car crash we're rapidly heading towards in the real world. Check out the full video below. http://www.iflscience.com/technology/here-are-gifs-of-crash-test-dummies-in-an-airplane-to-remind-you- that-things-are-terrible/ Back to Top Hawaiian Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Kahului KAHULUI, MAUI (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Honolulu-bound flight from Oakland made an emergency landing in Kahului on Monday after people on board smelled smoke in the cabin. No one was injured. The Hawaiian Airlines flight had 241 passengers and 10 crew on board. It left Oakland at 9:21 a.m., and landed safely in Kahului at 11:29 a.m., Hawaiian Airlines said. Passengers on the plane were re-booked on the next available flights to Honolulu. The emergency prompted a significant response at the airport, with a number of fire trucks and police vehicles spotted in the area. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/35008520/hawaiian-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in- kahului Back to Top Flight Safety Foundation Releases Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project Final Report ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Go-around policy noncompliance is a significant problem and a potential threat to aviation safety, according to the final report of the Go-Around Decision-Making and Execution Project, released today by Flight Safety Foundation. The project and subsequent report were commissioned by the Foundation and conducted by The Presage Group to determine why the rate of pilot compliance with the stabilized approach policies in use by airlines and other aircraft operations is so poor. "Although around 96 percent of all approaches are considered stable, of the 4 percent that are unstable, only around 3 percent of those result in a go-around," said Greg Marshall, the Foundation's vice president, global programs. While many airlines have robust policies and compliance monitoring processes in place, many others do not, and managers often are unaware of the compliance rate of their pilots, the project found. The report considers several important questions from a psychological and practical perspective: Why is a policy designed to prevent the most common cause of accidents not being followed by pilots? Why is management ineffective in monitoring this? Why don't pilots conduct go-arounds when the parameters diverge from their stabilized approach criteria? The report also looks at the risks associated with the go-around procedure itself. The report concludes with findings and recommendations that are designed to assist with improving stabilized approach criteria and are provided for industry consideration. The report also looks at touchdown zone guidance and how improved awareness can lead to the mitigation of runway overrun events. The Foundation would like to receive feedback on the report and its contents from organizations currently amending their stabilized approach policies or considering amendments. Please direct comments to Greg Marshall, vice president, global programs, at marshall@flightsafety.org. Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation's mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12319667/flight-safety-foundation-releases-go-around- decision-making-and-execution-project-final-report Back to Top NTSB CRITICIZED FOR 'SPECULATIVE' ACCIDENT CAUSE FINDINGS AOPA CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE INTERNAL REVIEW TO TEST FOR BIAS AOPA is calling on the National Transportation Safety Board to conduct an internal review to examine why the independent safety agency has approved "speculative probable cause reports related to general aviation accidents" despite little evidence to support the conclusions. AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon criticized speculative practices that seem to be finding their way "into the culture of NTSB." He objected to probable cause findings of medical incapacitation that have appeared in accident investigations, "contrary to other compelling evidence," in a letter to Bella Dinh-Zarr, the NTSB's acting chairman. Dinh-Zarr assumed the NTSB's leadership post on the expiration of Christopher Hart's term as chairman March 15. AOPA is concerned that in some cases the NTSB is relying less on facts and more on speculation. Several recent probable cause findings raise concern about an erosion of data-driven, facts-based standards that have long given NTSB accident analyses credibility, Coon wrote. The problem has persisted despite a meeting on the issue between then-NTSB Chairman Hart and AOPA President Mark Baker in 2016, he wrote. A case in point was Hart's response to a November 2016 letter from the AOPA Air Safety Institute that questioned a probable cause determination in a case in which a medical report found no evidence of recent or old infarction. Hart responded that a "hyperacute infarction" might occur over a few minutes, yet leave no evidence, if a victim died traumatically. Hart's response "clearly suggests the probable cause of the accident in question was and is purely speculative," the letter said. In two cases, accidents CEN15LA195 and CEN15FA281, death was attributed by medical examiners to blunt force injuries. However, the accidents occurred in airport traffic patterns in scenarios typically associated with loss of control-a scenario consistent, in one case, with an eyewitness account. Absent definitive evidence, "it should be acceptable to make a 'no determination of cause' finding," Coon wrote. "Personally, after having worked with the NTSB for decades, it is disheartening that the Board is now allowing someone at the staff level to approve these academic probable cause determinations. Moreover, I am dismayed that the Board's Chief Medical Examiner allows this speculative practice to continue. "We hope the Board would work towards a more data driven approach similar to that which the FAA has embraced, and more specifically the Flight Safety Standards Division. Together, we have invested significant time and effort to move to a data driven approach under the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) and the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC)," he wrote. An internal review could correct the problem of speculative probable cause determinations, he said, and ensure that "personal agendas in the medical office are not being incorporated into the Board's reports." Furthermore, AOPA is "perplexed" that the NTSB has kept GA on its 10 Most Wanted List for safety improvements despite traffic fatalities being 7,500 percent higher; boating resulting in 150 percent more deaths; and even bicycling having a death rate twice that of GA, Coon said. The NTSB's new acting chairman, Dinh-Zarr, is a public health scientist specializing in injury prevention, who had served as the NTSB's vice chairman since March 31, 2015. She has been an NTSB board member since March 23, 2015. Before her appointment, she was director of the U.S. Office of the FIA Foundation, an international philanthropy dedicated to promoting safe and sustainable transportation, and as the North American director of Make Roads Safe-The Campaign for Global Road Safety, the NTSB said. Previous positions included service with The American Automobile Association (AAA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Texas Transportation Institute. Hart, a pilot, attorney, and aerospace engineer, served as the NTSB's thirteenth chairman for two years, and as acting chairman for a year before that. An NTSB board member since 2009, Hart will continue as one of the agency's five board members, the agency said in a news release. His term on the board expires in December. The NTSB is an independent agency "charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents and promoting transportation safety, and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families." Each NTSB board member is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for five- year terms. Separate Senate confirmation is required for the board's chairmanship. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/march/27/ntsb-criticized-for-speculative-accident- cause-findings Back to Top American Airlines buys stake in China Southern Airlines American Airlines has agreed to pay $200 million for a stake in China Southern Airlines, the biggest of China's three major state-owned carriers, in a bid for a bigger share of the country's growing travel market. American and China Southern will expand commercial cooperation, possibly in sales, airport facilities and code-sharing, the Chinese airline said in an announcement Tuesday through the Hong Kong stock exchange. It said the deal represents 2.76 percent of China Southern's shares and requires regulatory approval. Foreign carriers are forging steadily closer ties with Chinese airlines to gain a bigger share of China's air travel market, which is growing strongly while travel in Europe and North America is leveling off. In exchange, Chinese carriers get access to experience and management skills. China is forecast to pass North America over the next two decades as the biggest air travel market. China's economic growth is slowing but tourism spending is rising as communist leaders encourage growth of service businesses in an effort to reduce reliance on heavy industry. Chinese spending on air travel rose 10.6 percent in 2015, compared with 1.7 percent in the United States, according to the International Air Travel Association. Two years ago, Delta Airlines paid $450 million for 3.55 percent of China Eastern Airlines. The third major U.S. carrier, United Airlines, has a partnership with Air China, the third major Chinese government-owned airline. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airlines owns 18 percent of Air China. Regulators in both China and the United States are reluctant to allow large foreign ownership stakes or management control of their airlines. China Southern, headquartered in Guangzhou, near Hong Kong, is China's biggest carrier by passenger volume but is known for sometimes haphazard service, with flights delayed or canceled with little notice. China Southern says it operates more than 2,000 flights a day to 224 destinations in 40 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, North America and Africa. It says it carried 115 million passengers in 2016. The partnership with American Airlines "is expected to provide continuous impetus for the company's long- term growth," said China Southern's announcement. American, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, says it operates 6,700 flights a day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/28/american-airlines-buys-stake-in-china-southern-airlines.html Back to Top GE Aviation Acquires Leader in Digital Aircraft Records Management AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GE Aviation announced today that it has acquired Critical Technologies, Inc., branded as AirVault®, a privately-owned supplier of cloud-based digital records management. AirVault's expertise to digitally manage mission-critical records across an industrial supply chain network strengthens GE's ability to focus on asset lifecycle management and maintenance optimization for the aviation industry. "Our focus is to help our customers and the overall industry to be more efficient," said Jim Daily, vice president and chief digital officer for GE Aviation. "The acquisition of AirVault combines some of the best people and records management capability with GE's domain expertise in flight analytics and engine diagnostics to bring disparate data together to drive operational efficiencies." The combination of AirVault and GE will further enable web-based fleet maintenance records management across the aviation ecosystem with GE's Configuration Data Exchange. The ability to connect records and data across aviation companies and the IT systems they use to manage their fleets will drive productivity and data availability. Coupled with GE's Predix industrial cloud platform, this further strengthens the team in developing meaningful insights and optimizing operations over a wide range of aviation applications. "This is great news for our employees and our customers," said AirVault CEO John Oldham. "Customers will continue to benefit from the same expertise and service for which we are known, while the strength of GE provides a platform for future innovation and growth. The addition of the Enterprise Content Management service with Predix delivers document management, business process, and data analytics to organizations requiring high levels of performance and compliance." AirVault, with data center operations in Dallas and Oklahoma City, is a leading provider of ECM applications for global enterprises that require mission-critical performance, exacting security and regulatory compliance standards, specifically designed for the high-volume applications with millions of transactions per day. The Company delivers packaged document management, business process, and related analytical data applications exclusively as Software as Service (SaaS) via a patented multi-tenant service platform. More than 40 major airlines and MROs trust AirVault with their aircraft maintenance records, including the largest airlines in the world. Today, AirVault manages the maintenance records for more than 50% of the North American commercial aircraft fleet for 4,400 aircraft tail numbers and 20% globally. AirVault manages more than seven billion records in a private, secure cloud hosted at the company's fully redundant data centers for access by 40,000 users worldwide. FOCUS Investment Banking LLC advised Critical Technologies in this transaction. GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines, and avionics, digital solutions and electrical power systems for aircraft. GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," where each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.geaviation.com/digital http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ge-aviation-acquires-leader-digital-170000012.html Back to Top Japan and UK collaborate on future fighter aircraft Japan and the United Kingdom have agreed to undertake a joint study that could lead to the co- development of next-generation fighter aircraft, according to the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in Tokyo. The MoD said in a recent statement that the agreement, which was finalised in mid-March, outlines an exchange of information and opinions on fighter aircraft technologies, which could result in the two countries pursuing a "future collaborative project". The MoD gave no details about the collaborative project, but said that in addition to co-operating with the UK it would continue to exchange views with other countries about the "joint development of future fighter aircraft". http://www.janes.com/article/69077/japan-and-uk-collaborate-on-future-fighter-aircraft Back to Top Mobile-based aircraft engine company Continental Motors announces $60 million upgrade Continental Motors President and CEO Rhett Ross said the company's Blue Marlin Project aims to create "a different business addressing a changing market." (Courtesy of Continental Motors) Aerospace company Continental Motors has doubled down on Mobile, announcing Monday afternoon that it will spend more than $60 million dollars on a new facility at the Brookley Aeroplex. Company officials said they don't expect the plan to mean a significant increase or decrease in the size of Continental's Mobile-area workforce, which currently consists of a little more than 400 employees in Mobile and around 30 at a separate facility in Fairhope. What it will mean, according to president and CEO Rhett Ross and others, is that a company that has done business out of Mobile for 50 years will stay in the Port City as it undergoes a major transformation intended to keep it competitive in the challenging global market for general aviation. Ross said the company's "Blue Marlin Project" will be executed on an aggressive three-year timetable. Officials hope to break ground this summer on a 225,000-square foot facility at the intersection of Broad Street and Michigan Avenue. They'll finalize the building's design by fall, install new manufacturing equipment in 2018 and be fully operational by the end of 2019, Ross said. "We will come out at the top of our industry," Ross said. Mike Skolnik, Continental's executive vice president for global opportunities, said the company was going to work with the Mobile Airport Authority and local developers on the project. Skolnik said Continental and parent company AVIC International Holding Corp. will spend $20 million to $30 million developing the new site, most of which likely will go to local construction firms. They will then spend about $40 milllion on new manufacturing equipment for the building, which also will house their global business headquarters. Michael Gifford, Continental's director of global strategy implementation, said Continental currently occupies eleven different buildings scattered over a 44-acre campus. Under Blue Marlin, he said, it'll keep one of the old buildings, which serves as an experimental test facility, and consolidate all its Mobile manufacturing and office facilities in the new building. The old property will revert to the Mobile Airport Authority, from which Continental leases it. "We're grateful for what you've done," said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, referring to the fact that Continental has occupied space at the former air base since the 1960s. "You were here first," Stimpson said. "The commitment that Continental is making right now ... you could be the last as well." "This is a great, great deal for our city," the mayor said. Mobile County Commissioner Merceria Ludgood praised the company for providing quality jobs and described Monday's announcement as "another milestone in our five-decade relationship." Ross and Gifford said that Continental had looked at a number of possible sites scattered around the country before deciding to remain in Mobile. Ross and Gifford said that the general aviation market - which means the part of the aircraft market not related to military programs and major commercial carriers - has taken a beating since 2008. Continental's new facility will operate more efficiently, they said, which means personnel will be freed up to focus on customer service and innovation. That, in turn, will mean Continental will be better able to maintain its place in the market, or even make gains thanks to growth in China and elsewhere. Continental's forte is engine manufacturing: It makes a variety of piston and turbine engines for light aircraft, in addition to other products and services. Ross said that while its conventional products will continue to be a big part of its business, he expects powertrains to change just as they have in the automotive and marine industries. "We could see a much more electrified aircraft" in a decade, he said. http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2017/03/mobile-based_aircraft_engine_c.html Back to Top Air Force meeting with airlines on pilot shortage in May The Air Force is preparing to meet with commercial flight companies in hopes it can find a way to stop the bleeding of experienced pilots leaving the force. This comes as the House Armed Services Committee is getting ready to hear testimony from the top aviation and personnel experts in the military services on the pilot shortage issue. "Our senior leaders are going to start collaborating with the airlines in May to see if we can get a public private partnership and what that might look like, so I think that's where you'll see we are going," Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso told Federal News Radio. Online Chat: Beth Killoran, deputy assistant secretary for Information Technology and chief information officer at HHS, on March 28. Grosso said the partnership would look for a "win-win" situation for both the airlines and the Air Force. "How can we get stability for defending and protecting the United States and how can [the airlines] get stability in having a pipeline for their aviators? We think there are some possibilities there, especially when we look to our allies," Grosso said. "Our allies have national airlines, so it makes it a little easier, but there are definitely some models out there that we are hoping that we can take advantage of." The Air Force alone is dealing with a shortage of more than 600 pilots. The service is having trouble competing with airlines that can pay pilots more. The trouble comes when pilots are up for reenlistment. Military pilots have training and hours required to qualify to fly for the major airlines without having to work for smaller regional airlines first. "Because major airlines work on a seniority system, the best opportunity for salary growth in the major airlines occurs for military pilots leaving after their initial service obligation," a July, 2016 RAND report stated. Another factor that is appealing to military pilots is the Federal Aviation Administration increased the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65 in 2007, giving pilots longer to cash in on their talents. The military services tried using reenlistment bonuses to keep pilots in the force, but their appeal is dropping. The Navy saw a 3.7 percent drop in new retention bonus contracts in 2015, dropping from almost 59 percent to 55 percent, stated a 2016 report to Congress. The Air Force is seeing even bigger declines. In 2013, 68 percent of eligible pilots signed on for incentive pay contracts with the Air Force. That number dropped to 59 percent in 2014 and further to 55 percent in 2015. Only 410 out of 745 pilots eligible for bonuses actually took them in 2015. Only 42 percent of pilots offered early bonus contracts took the bait. That's especially troubling when the Air Force estimates that the cost to train one F-22 fighter pilot, for example, is $12.5 million. One reason the report states for the pilots' lack of interest in bonuses is the size of the incentive pay. Pilots are allowed a maximum $25,000 bonus per year, a number that has not changed since 1999. That incentive pay may have worked five or 10 years ago when commercial airlines weren't paying as well, but the RAND study states commercial airline pay has rebounded to mid-1990s peak salaries of $200,000. "We have no trouble recruiting pilots. We have more people who want to be pilots than we have spaces to train them. For us the issue is ... we are not retaining enough," Grosso said. Grosso added that as pilots reach their 11th year in the service the Air Force needs to keep around 65 percent. Over the years, that number has slowly declined. "We have gaps in the force and we are very, very concerned about this and our chief has called this a crisis," Grosso said. Part of the Air Force's attempt to become more appealing to pilots involves bettering their quality of life. "What we found in the past - and we've been through this before because airlines have hired before - is quality of service is as important as quality of life. And quality of service is making sure that you're given the opportunity to be the best you can be in your design, in your chosen occupation. Pilots who don't fly, maintainers who's don't maintain, controllers who don't control, will walk. And there's not enough money in the Treasury to keep them in if we don't need to give them the resources to be the best they can be. In my mind, readiness and morale are inexplicably linked. Where we have high readiness, we tend to have high moral because they're given the opportunities to compete. Where we have low readiness, we have our lowest morale," Air Force Chief of Staff David Goldfein told the Senate Armed Services Committee last September. To make up for that the Air Force reduced additional training and extra duties for airmen, so they can have more free time. The service is currently looking for additional areas to cut in order to better quality of life. http://federalnewsradio.com/air-force/2017/03/air-force-meeting-airlines-pilot-shortage-may/ Back to Top US Air Force considers dumping undefeated fighter jet A 1980s-era combat jet that has long been hailed as the most successful dog-fighting aircraft in US history may have finally met its match. It is not an enemy plane that is threatening to end the F-15 Eagle's 40-year reign as king of the skies, but rather the US Air Force's latest cost-cutting efforts. Air Force generals floated the idea of retiring hundreds of F-15s during a hearing before the House Armed Services subcommittee last week, pitching a plan that included replacing the current fleet of battle-tested fighters with an upgraded version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The plan would include replacing 236 F-15C and D models by dipping into the Air Force's inventory of nearly 1,200 F-16s. The future of the F-15E Strike Eagle, which is primarily used in ground attack missions, was not discussed specifically during the hearing. While the Boeing-made F-15 is designed with specific capabilities to out-duel opposing planes in air-to-air combat, Lockheed Martin's F-16 is a multi-role aircraft, built to carry out a variety of missions. If the F-15 is retired, Air Force top brass told lawmakers that they would outfit the F-16 with new radar systems, prepping it to "serve the same function as the F-15." "There are capabilities we can add and provide on the F-16 that will [fill] a gap as we go into the future. Overall, our readiness and our protection of the US will change, but I think overall, we will be OK," said Lt. Gen. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard. But several subcommittee members expressed concerns around whether the F-16 can adequately fill the shoes of a tactically specialized jet that boasts more than 100 aerial victories. "If we're talking about fourth generation assets, you've got the F-15C, which prior to the F-22 was the best at air-to-air ... the F-16 is an incredible, versatile, multi-role, little bit less expensive sort of decathlete," said Arizona Republican Rep. Martha McSally, pressing Air Force leaders on the proposal. "Comparing the capabilities side by side ... {an F-16} doesn't bring the same expertise as the F-15 in air- to-air," she added. Both Rice and Air Force Director of Current Operations Maj. Gen. Scott West confirmed that the proposal was under consideration but also stressed that nothing was final, calling the option "pre-decisional." The idea also caught some of the subcommittee members off-guard, as McSally said she hadn't heard about plans to retire the F-15 until told during last week's hearing. Despite its long history of service, the F-15 continues to see deployments to some of the most tense regions of the world. Last year, the Air Force sent squadrons of F-15s to Iceland, the Netherlands and Finland to reassure NATO allies after Russian military intervention in Ukraine. And 50 Eagles are stationed at Kadena Air Base in Japan as a key part of the US power-projection strategy in the Pacific. The Air Force has turned its attention toward planning its budget for the 2019 fiscal year, but Rice told lawmakers that he did not expect a decision to be made regarding the fate of the F-15 until 2020. The major selling point of dumping the F-15 in favor of the F-16 hinges on cost. Parring down the number of different aircraft models in the fleet would increase combat and maintenance efficiency while providing added budget flexibility, West said. That flexibility could be used to invest in more modern weapons systems as the US technology advantage over potential adversaries continues to shrink. "I think sooner is better given the investments being made by China and Russia are, in particular, pretty significant," he said. It remains unclear how a plan to retire the F-15 would impact the Air Force's on-going initiative to invest $12 billion in revamping the F-15 fleet with upgraded radar technology, infrared search and track, and electronic warfare capabilities. These upgrades are expected to extend the life of the F-15 through 2040. The Air Force initially planned to replace the entire F-15 fleet with the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor, but production of the stealthy aircraft was halted in 2009 and only 188 of the 749 F-22s planned by the Pentagon were ever produced. Recent pilot shortages, budget cuts and delays to new platforms, such as the the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, have prompted Air Force brass to call the current force the "smallest, oldest and least ready" in history. http://gantdaily.com/2017/03/28/us-air-force-considers-dumping-undefeated-fighter-jet/ Back to Top Solar jet stream promises better flare forecasting The earth's jet stream has a major influence on weather. Now, it seems like the sun has one, too. Richard A. Lovett reports. This NASA Solar and Heliospheric Administration (SOHO) image shows a solar flare erupting from a giant sunspot. Scientists studying 360-degree images of the sun have discovered that deep in its atmosphere, its magnetic field makes looping meanders intriguingly analogous to the earth's jet stream. Technically known as Rossby waves, these meanders were traced by observing their effect on coronal brightpoints - small bright features that dot the sun. Their movements can be used to track motions deeper in the solar atmosphere. They are not particularly fast, especially when measured against the huge scale of the sun itself. "We get speeds of three metres per second," says Scott McIntosh, a solar physicist from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, USA. "Slow, but measurable." Tracking the movements is difficult from earth, however, because we can only see one side of the sun at a time. That's a problem because it rotates approximately once every 24 days, meaning that each portion of its surface is out of sight for 12. However, for three years, from 2011 to 2014, solar scientists had a unique opportunity, because there were three deep-space satellites observing the sun all at once, spaced so their divergent angles allowed the entire surface to be seen simultaneously. Two were a pair known as the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), specifically designed for the purpose. The third was NASA's Deep Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which sits directly between the earth and the sun. Collectively, the trio was able to monitor the whole shebang until 2014, when something went wrong with one of the STEREO spacecraft and it lost contact with its controllers. But three years of data were more than enough for McIntosh's team to track the slow movements of the brightpoints and realise what that revealed about the existence of Rossby waves in the underlying magnetic field. Rossby waves are important, because on earth changes in the jet stream are major factors in influencing local weather patterns. And now that we know similar features exist in the sun's magnetic field, McIntosh says, we may be able to learn how they relate to the formation of sunspots, active regions, and solar flares. If so, it opens the door to forecasting solar storms long before they might hit us. "This is exciting work," says Daniel Baker, director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who was not part of the study team. "Those of us interested in the 'space weather' effects of solar activity can really applaud." Predicting space weather is important, because solar storms can hurl dangerous radiation at astronauts, damage satellites, interfere with communications and navigation systems, potentially take out electrical generators and wreak havoc on electronics. "Estimates put the cost of space weather hazards at $10 billion per year," says Ilia Roussev, program director in the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences. Historically there have occasionally been truly giant solar storms that if replicated today would have a devastating effect on modern technological society. "I always tell people we live in the atmosphere of our star," McIntosh says, referring to the solar wind. "What we have [in terms of technology], it could easily take away any time, in the blink of an eye. But because 99.99% of the time it rises in the morning and sets in the evening without doing any damage, we take it for granted." What's now needed, he adds, is to restore our ability to view the whole 360-degree surface of the sun, all at once, perhaps by such methods as placing a constellation of spacecraft in orbit around it. "These are things I'd like to see in my lifetime," he says. https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/solar-jet-stream-promises-better-flare-forecasting Back to Top Research Survey Dear Aviation Colleague, my name is Arjun Rao. I am research associate at the Center for Aviation Studies at the Ohio State University. My colleagues and I would greatly appreciate your response to a short survey to better understand pilots's use of weather information products during flight. Participation in this survey is voluntary. All answers reported in the analysis will not bear any connection to you or any response that you might provide. Thank you very much in advance for your participation on this survey. Your responses are greatly appreciated and will help our efforts to improve GA safety. The link to the survey is : https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3yJ3oNLMYh4lO17 Please let me know if you have any questions/would like me to provide additional information. Once again, we appreciate your help. Regards, Arjun ************************************************** Arjun H. Rao, Ph.D. Research Specialist The Ohio State University Center for Aviation Studies Room 125, 140 West 19th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 614-688-2634 rao.119@osu.edu https://aviation.osu.edu/ Back to Top POSITION: INTERNAL EVALUATION PROGRAM (IEP) EVALUATOR OVERVIEW The Internal Evaluation Program (IEP) Evaluator - Flight Operations conducts comprehensive, quality assessments of Endeavor Air's management systems to ensure they produce functional operations that are safe, compliant and meet the company's business needs. This position focuses primarily on Flight Operations and the Operations Control Center (OCC). RESPONSIBILITIES * Support regulatory compliance of the Flight Operations, OCC, and other departments as needed by identifying and assessing potential exposure to noncompliance findings by government agencies. * Perform in-depth evaluations, audits, and inspections as a part of an ongoing Internal Evaluation Program to continually assess the adequacy of managerial controls and processes in operations department systems and other functional areas of the company. * Conduct extensive research into existing company systems to assess where gaps may exist that may lead to safety, quality or regulatory deficiencies. The FAA quality attributes of System Safety will be used as a standard, as well as IATA's Standards and Recommended Practices (ISARPs). * Evaluations will include interviews with individuals at all levels of the organization (front line employees to company officers) in order to determine how well the current managerial systems are working. This will include in-briefing and out-briefing sessions to top department leaders when conducting full-scale evaluations. * Identify and issue findings, concerns and observations via the company's quality management software (Q-Pulse), with substantiating evidence, to help auditees determine the causes of deficiencies and to gain visibility to improvement opportunities in operational and safety systems. * Perform review of submitted Corrective Action/Preventative Action (CA/PA) responses to determine if the root cause analysis and corrective actions proposed by the audited manager are likely to be effective in correcting the discrepancy identified by the Evaluator in the CA/PA. * Perform follow-up evaluations of previously identified issues to assure corrective actions were completed and are effectively successful in preventing recurrence. * Verify the implementation of solutions and risk controls within a specific time. * Initiate, recommend, or provide resource assistance to those developing solutions to findings or concerns through process design, accountability elements or other best-practice components. * Document findings and concerns identified in reports and records. * Present IEP reports that present details regarding specific systemic problems and the assessed effectiveness of implemented controls, especially safety risk controls, or broader solutions. * Ensure Endeavor Air operational policies and procedures are in compliance with FAA regulations, company standards, partner carrier expectations and industry best practices. * Identify deficiencies and safety hazards in Endeavor Air operations programs and assist department managers, when appropriate, in developing action plans to correct those deficiencies. * Train others on the IEP team in specific areas of personal expertise to allow an exchange of investigative knowledge and process understanding. * Prepare monthly internal evaluation reports as specified by Safety Department management. * Provide oversight and assessment of SMS performance within functional areas being evaluated. * May involve long periods of sitting; computer work, in a typical office environment. * Other duties as assigned. JOB QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor's degree or a combination of education and related experience * 2 years of management experience in airline flight operations or multiple years of management responsibilities in other industries * Airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate with turbojet rating preferred * Knowledge of 14 CFR Part 121 and Part 5 regulations and guidance, as applied to flight operations * Experience working as a quality assurance auditor or evaluator for an air carrier or within another industry preferred * Reliable and self-motivated * Analytical, interpretive and organizational skills * Ability to multi task efficiently and effectively to meet deadlines * Interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills and able to work with all levels of an organization * PC proficient in Microsoft Office software, specifically Word, Excel, and Outlook * Ability to work additional hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed * Some physical exertion such as pulling, pushing, reaching, bending, standing, walking and light lifting of boxes, bags, files, etc. not in excess of 30 lbs. * Up to 10% travel as needed HOW TO APPLY Please complete the online application at www.endeavorair.com/careers. Endeavor Air offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, sick and much more. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Endeavor also offers free and reduced rate pass travel privileges on Delta Air Lines. Curt Lewis