Flight Safety Information April 18, 2017 - No. 078 Accident: Jet2.com B752 at Alicante on Apr 10th 2017, tail strike on landing Incident: France A343 at Fort de France on Apr 16th 2017, rejected takeoff due to smoke from gear Brazilian S-92A Rig accident.....Tail Rotor Strike (April 16. 2017) NAS-Kingsville resumes jet training Southwest Airlines pilot is arrested and charged after TSA screeners find a LOADED gun The silent watchman: Weather station keeps pilots, passengers safe at airport Is your pilot drunk? Unions are making it hard for the airline to be sure Thomson flight heading to Bristol forced to make emergency landing after pilot's windscreen cracked Aviation authority prepares for US FAA safety assessment Facial recognition is coming to US airports, fast-tracked by Trump ARUBA AIRCRAFT REGISTRY SEES INCREASED ASIA INTEREST Lufthansa operates new A350-900 aircraft on Mumbai-Munich route Airbus Sued Amid Review of Consultants' Role in Aircraft Deals Incident: SAS A343 near Goose Bay on Apr 16th 2017, loss of cabin pressure Get psyched for the first-ever 360-degree rocket launch livestream Kids Reach New Heights in STEM Education Through Aviation Position Available: Manager Safety Programs 2018 ISASI Military Aviation Safety Workshop Graduate Research Survey Graduate Research Survey Request SAFE Encourages Pilot Input on GA Runway Incursions (Survey) Research Survey Accident: Jet2.com B752 at Alicante on Apr 10th 2017, tail strike on landing A Jet2.com Boeing 757-200, registration G-LSAI performing flight LS-271 from Leeds,EN (UK) to Alicante,SP (Spain), landed on Alicante's runway 10 at 12:39L (10:39Z) but bounced on landing prompting the captain to take control of the aircraft, however, the tail of the aircraft struck the runway surface on bounce recovery. The aircraft rolled out without further incident. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however. Sources tell The Aviation Herald the damage may even cause a write off of the aircraft. Spain's CIAIAC opened an investigation into the occurrence but provided no further details so far. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a7c4803&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: France A343 at Fort de France on Apr 16th 2017, rejected takeoff due to smoke from gear An Air France Airbus A340-300, registration F-GLZS performing flight AF-4001 from Fort de France (Martinique) to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) with 266 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from runway 10 when smoke was observed from the landing gear prompting the crew to reject takeoff at high speed. The aircraft slowed safely, vacated the runway via the turn off 2400 meters/7900 feet down the runway and stopped after crossing the hold short line. Emergency services responded and cooled the brakes. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron, where passengers disembarked normally. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 19 hours later. The flight status of the airline confirms the destination was Moscow Sheremetyevo. The flight is now expected to depart Fort de France with a delay of 22.5 hours for Paris Orly (France) stating the flight route has changed due to operational constraints. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a7c4013&opt=0 Back to Top Brazilian S-92A Rig accident.. Tail Rotor Strike (April 16. 2017) Back to Top NAS-Kingsville resumes jet training Naval Air Forces officials announced the operational pause for the T-45C was lifted Monday after 40 percent of its T-45 jet training commands were canceled, including the ones used for training at Naval Air Station-Kingsville. The April 5 flight cancellations affected air stations in Meridian, Mississippi; Pensacola, Florida; and Kingsville because of operation risk management concerns voiced by instructor pilots, according to an emailed statement from Lt. Leslie Hubbell, assistant public affairs officer for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. During recent operational risk management (ORM) checks, instructor pilots voiced concerns about physiological episodes. Flight operations resumed Monday using a modified mask, successfully tested by Naval Air Systems Command, that circumvents the aircraft's On Board Oxygen Generator System, according to a news release. Initially, instructor pilots conducted warm-up flights, briefed the remaining pilots and students in their squadrons on the use of the modified equipment, the release states. As the week progresses instructor pilots will complete their warm-up flights, followed by warmups and training flights for student pilots, officials said. "After briefings and discussions with our aircrew, their training wing leadership, the engineers, and aeromedical experts, we have identified a way forward to resume flight operations safely by limiting the maximum cabin altitude to below 10,000 feet in order be able to operate without using the OBOGS system," Naval Air Forces Cmdr. Mike Shoemaker stated in the news release. Related coverage: Navy training jets grounded at NAS-Kingsville "We will be able to complete 75 percent of the syllabus flights with the modified masks while we continue the important engineering testing and analysis at PAX River (Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland) to identify the root cause of the problem." "We have energized the force, are working with outside agencies, and established an Integrated Project Team (IPT) at NAVAIR, along with an aeromedical crisis action team of flight surgeons, physiologists, and toxicologists," Shoemaker stated. He said all teams are working with the same sense of urgency to solve the physiological episodes across the fleet. http://www.caller.com/story/news/local/2017/04/17/nas-kingsville-resumes-jet-training/100568384/ Back to Top Southwest Airlines pilot is arrested and charged after TSA screeners find a LOADED gun in his carry-on bag * Southwest Airlines pilot Erik Gibson was arrested in New York on Monday * Albany International Airport TSA officers found a loaded .380 caliber handgun in his carry-on bag * The gun, which was loaded with six bullets, was detected by an X-ray machine * Gibson, who's from Louisiana, told authorities he forgot he was carrying the gun * He had flown to Albany from New Orleans on Sunday but had gone through a crew line that didn't have security screening * He was charged with misdemeanor weapon possession and released on $200 bail A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested on a weapons charge in New York after airport security officers found a loaded handgun in his carry-on bag. Erik Gibson, 55, was scheduled to pilot a flight from Albany International Airport to Tampa, Florida on Monday morning when Transportation Security Administration officers found a loaded .380 caliber handgun during routine screening. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said Gibson, who's from Louisiana, told authorities he forgot he was carrying the gun. He had flown to Albany from New Orleans on Sunday but had gone through a crew line that didn't have security screening. Erik Gibson, 55, was scheduled to pilot a flight from Albany International Airport to Tampa, Florida on Monday morning when Transportation Security Administration officers found a loaded .380 caliber handgun (above) during routine screening Apple said Gibson was charged with misdemeanor weapon possession and released on $200 bail. Officials don't know if he has a lawyer, and Southwest didn't reply to an email seeking comment. It was the second gun found by Albany baggage screeners in four weeks. In March, TSA officers found a loaded .45 caliber handgun in a passenger's carry-on bag. The Southwest Airlines pilot had flown to Albany from New Orleans on Sunday but had gone through a crew line that didn't have security screening. He was arrested and released on $200 bail (file photo above) Last year, TSA officers found two guns at the same airport in carry-on bags. The TSA has said last year 3,391 firearms were discovered in carry-on bags in the U.S., as 83 per cent were loaded. "As a reminder, firearms, firearm parts and ammunition are not permitted in carry-on bags, but can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline," the TSA said Monday in its news release. "Individuals who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges from law enforcement and civil penalties from TSA of up to $12,000." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4419432/Pilot-charged-loaded-gun-baggage- screeners.html#ixzz4eat9yudw Back to Top The silent watchman: Weather station keeps pilots, passengers safe at airport Weather station keeps pilots, passengers safe at airport Fulton County Senior Planner Sean Geraghty checks out the County Airport's Automated Weather Observation Station. JOHNSTOWN - Out in the hinterlands of the Fulton County Airport property- beyond the runway, and accessible only by dirt road, stands a strange-looking contraption. But the tall, obtuse high-tech machine stands watch faithfully, on a day-to-day basis, to potentially save the lives of the pilots utilizing the aviation facility. Officials say the county's $240,000 Automated Weather Observation Station, or AWOS, is not some forgotten part of the small community airport off Route 67 and County Highway 153. "It gets used," says county Senior Planner Sean Geraghty. "The information is transferred to the National Weather Service." More importantly, Geraghty said AWOS is on the job to provide current, accurate and up-to-date weather information for pilots utilizing the airport. Pilots can call up all the current data identified by the Fulton County Airport in Zulu - or Greenwich Mean Time -measurements. Data is updated every few minutes. The AWOS system - maintained by Stanwyck Avionics of Newburgh, Orange County- measures weather data including: temperature, dewpoint, wet bulb temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind speed, wind chill, barometric pressure, sea level pressure, altimeter setting, weather conditions, elevation, visibility and sky ceiling. The system measures all types of weather conditions, except snowfall amounts. Geraghty said pilots in the air getting close to the Fulton County Airport can log in with the terminal building and receive detailed weather updates, including the important altimeter setting they need to land properly. "We've recorded 60-mile-an-hour winds," Geraghty said. The Fulton County Airport is maintained for county government on a regular basis by The 195 Factory, LLC - the facility's fixed-based operator. The firm does aviation parts manufacturing, airframe structural repair, and provides restoration services, but also is in charge of regular operations at the airport and hangar activities. Geraghty said there isn't someone manning the terminal building every day, but tracking information through AWOS is always available and recorded for posterity. Demand for a weather system at the airport was precipitated by pilot inquiries. Geraghty said that several years ago, pilots started questioning why the county airport didn't have a weather-recording system. Local pilots told county officials the weather data would be helpful for landing and taking off at the airport. He said AWOS was one of the priorities of former Planning Department civil engineer George DiMarco. "This was one of his babies," Geraghty said. The county eventually awarded a $190,420 bid to O'Connell Electric of Victor, Ontario County, for construction of the AWOS project. Fulton County, at the time, had about $600,000 in non-primary entitlement funds available from the Federal Aviation Administration for projects at the airport. Those funds paid for 90 percent of an airport project's cost. The state paid for 5 percent, and the county paid 5 percent. By October 2013, the AWOS was under construction, with it completed several weeks later. By March 2014, the Fulton County Planning Department was notified that a Federal Communications Commission license for the county's AWOS was issued. Weather data from the AWOS system is even available at the county Planning Department building on East Montgomery Street in Johnstown. Geraghty said the county also knows immediately if the system goes down, and a technician needs to be dispatched. Sometimes, he said power will go out and the computer system has to be reset. "We bought up spare parts as part of the [project] package," he said. Geraghty said the Fulton County Airport remains an important part of the county. He said the airport continues to be used by recreational pilots, as well as corporate jets and government officials when they come to visit and do business in the county. He said the airport has many new and exciting projects coming up, including one to completely replace all the facility's original runway lights with new LED lighting. He said that work is part of a long-range plan still being finalized for several more improvements at the facility. "Hopefully, the master plan will wrap up in a couple months,' he said. http://www.leaderherald.com/news/local-news/2017/04/the-silent-watchman-weather-station-keeps- pilots-passengers-safe-at-airport/ Back to Top Is your pilot drunk? Unions are making it hard for the airline to be sure Eight months. That's how long Miroslav Gronych will spend behind bars. The 37-year-old Slovak pilot had been charged with being intoxicated while operating a Sunwing airplane (thankfully other crew suspected him of being drunk and he was pulled off the plane before take-off). He was found guilty of those charges last month in Calgary. Gronych is also banned from flying for one year after his release. It is unlikely - given the severity of the charges - that the pilot, in Canada on a work visa, will ever fly in this country again. The incident has raised questions about air safety in Canada. Although regulations require that pilots do not consume any alcohol before flying and cannot be under the influence when they report to work, there is a problem. Pilots can only be tested for violating these rules if they are suspected of being drunk. This means an intoxicated crew could sit at the controls of a commercial jetliner until they get caught (or crash). Administering random sobriety tests would address this issue. At least one study has found such testing is associated with a significant drop in alcohol involvement. But pilot unions have objected to doing so, citing privacy concerns. They have come up with another strategy: misdirection. Union execs are now blaming the Sunwing incident on Gronych's "foreign" status. Canada's Federal Pilot's Association chief noted, "It is possible (Gronych) had been disciplined for similar behaviour back home" and "might even have had his licence to fly suspended." The association's solution? Have government, rather than airlines, check foreign pilot credentials. They've opposed alcohol, drug and psychological tests and even voice recorders Such thinking is flawed for two reasons. Firstly, it assumes that government is better than airlines at detecting harmful behaviour among pilots. Yet there is no evidence to back this up. Secondly, airlines have more incentive than the government does to vet pilots, regardless of where those pilots are from. Airplanes - like the one Gronych commanded - can cost upwards of $100 million. What airline would knowingly hire a pilot that compromises that investment, let alone the lives of customers? The answer is none. Union support for such a poorly formulated solution is hardly surprising. While touting their commitment to passenger safety, pilot unions have long supported contradictory positions. Drug testing and psychological testing - important safeguards in the aviation industry - have all been opposed by pilot unions. So was the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), commonly known as the black box, which records conversations in the cockpit. Investigators painstakingly go through it when looking for clues after a crash. What aviation would look like without the CVR is anyone's guess. Kevin Libin: The solution to United 's passenger abuse is the opposite of what everyone says Why oppose such measures? Because pilot unions are a business, and members caught for failing tests or acting unprofessionally are bad for business. So union bosses fight to ensure pilots can never be held accountable. The rationale, we're told, is the pilots' privacy. Yet, as Bloomberg's Adam Minter notes, "pilots, as stewards of planes that might contain several hundred passengers, have no more right to privacy in the cockpit than a school bus driver has in the driver's seat while driving down a busy highway." Following the Sunwing incident, federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he wanted to ensure "measures" were in place to confirm a pilot's fitness to fly. Here's one: Start alcohol testing the nation's pilots. Our lives depend on it. http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/is-your-airline-pilot-drunk-unions-are-making-it-hard-for- the-airline-to-be-sure Back to Top MID-AIR DRAMA Thomson flight heading to Bristol forced to make emergency landing after pilot's windscreen cracked at 30,000ft forcing it to suddenly descend Passengers reported that the damage forced the pilot to drop the plane to 10,000ft last night A THOMSON flight heading to Bristol was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot's windscreen cracked at 30,000ft. Passengers said the plane, travelling from Gran Canaria, was forced to ground in Portugal after the damage meant the pilot had to drop from 30,000ft to 10,000ft last night. Pictures show the dramatic crack through the windscreen of the aircraft @BRISTOLGIGCLUB The pilot was forced to land the plane in Portugal after the windscreen cracked Shocking pictures of the windscreen show it suffered multiple cracks across a large area. A passenger told the Bristol Post: "The cockpit windscreen was cracked so had to descend from 30,000ft to 10,000 before making an emergency landing. "We've been here about two hours now. Everyone is OK but a bit fed up as we are not really being told very much about what is going on other than being shunted from one part of the airport to the other." She said those on board were told there was a technical fault before landing, but saw the cracked windscreen as they disembarked. A tweet from Thomson to the passenger said: "We are sorry for the circumstances and hope you can continue your flight home soon." https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3352301/thomson-flight-heading-to-bristol-forced-to-make-emergency- landing-after-pilots-windscreen-cracked-at-30000ft-forcing-it-to-suddenly-descend/ Back to Top Aviation authority prepares for US FAA safety assessment National carrier Vietnam Airlines last November asked the Ministry of Transport to allow it to open a direct route to the US by the end of 2018. However, a prerequisite for the United States to consider approval is that the country's aviation authority has reached CAT 1 rating. - Photo baochinhphu.vn Viet Nam News HÀ N?I - The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAA) will co-operate with the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to conduct an assessment of CAA's capacity to oversee safety in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards in May. The move is a preparation step for the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment Programme, which is an attempt to appreciate the local aviation authority's ability to adhere to standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance. The CAA last year set up a project on strengthening supervision capacity of aviation safety with the financial aid of US$0.56 million, funded by the US Trade and Development Agency. The project, which is aimed at helping Vi?t Nam reach FAA's Category 1 rating (CAT 1), focused on perfecting the CAA's action plan on supporting vocational training on supervision and updating related regulations and legal documents. If the local aviation authority is qualified for CAT 1, Vietnamese air carriers will be able to transport goods and passengers directly between Vi?t Nam and the United States. Vi?t Nam currently has no direct route to the United States. National carrier Vietnam Airlines last November asked the Ministry of Transport to allow it to open a direct route to the US by the end of 2018. However, a prerequisite for the United States to consider approval is that the country's aviation authority has reached CAT 1 rating. According to reports, some 689,000 passengers traveled between Vi?t Nam and the US in 2016, marking an average growth rate of 8.4 per cent per year in the 2010-16 period. - VNS http://vietnamnews.vn/bizhub/374812/aviation-authority-prepares-for-us-faa-safety- assessment.html#pPoixZxRiPJ24ROG.99 Back to Top Facial recognition is coming to US airports, fast-tracked by Trump New Biometric Exit system would track visa holders' faces as they leave the country by Russell Brandom@russellbrandom Apr 18, 2017, 8:00am EDT Soon, it may be hard for visa holders to board an international flight without submitting to a facial geometry scan. The TSA began testing facial recognition systems at Dulles Airport in 2015, then expanded the tests to New York's JFK Airport last year. Face-reading check-in kiosks will be appearing at Ottawa International Airport this spring, and British Airways is rolling out a similar system at London's Heathrow Airport, comparing faces captured at security screenings with a separate capture at the boarding gate. Now, a new project is poised to bring those same systems to every international airport in America. Called Biometric Exit, the project would use facial matching systems to identify every visa holder as they leave the country. Passengers would have their photos taken immediately before boarding, to be matched with the passport-style photos provided with the visa application. If there's no match in the system, it could be evidence that the visitor entered the country illegally. The system is currently being tested on a single flight from Atlanta to Tokyo, but after being expedited by the Trump administration, it's expected to expand to more airports this summer, eventually rolling out to every international flight and border crossing in the US. US Customs and Border Protection's Larry Panetta, who took over the airport portion of the project in February, explained the advantages of facial recognition at the Border Security Expo last week. "Facial recognition is the path forward we're working on," Panetta said at the conference. "We currently have everyone's photo, so we don't need to do any soft of enrollment. We have access to the Department of State records so we have photos of US Citizens, we have visa photos, we have photos of people when they cross into the US and their biometrics are captured into [DHS biometric database] IDENT." Some form of Biometric Exit has been discussed for decades, but it's only recently that facial recognition emerged as the method of choice. Customs and Border Protection agents currently take photographs and fingerprints from every visa holder entering the country, but there are no similar measures to verify someone has left the country before their visa expires. Homeland Security estimates that roughly half a million visitors to the US overstay their visas each year - but without a verifiable exit process, the government has no way to determine how many visitors are actually overstaying or who they are. "FACIAL RECOGNITION IS EASY BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS HOW TO TAKE A PHOTO." Biometric Exit would close that loop, giving CBP agents verifiable biometric proof that a given US visitor has left the country. The most recent proposal was set in motion by former DHS chief Jeh Johnson, who planned for a rollout by the beginning of 2018 - but President Trump has sped up that process, making the program a central part of his aggressive border security policy. The president's executive immigration order on January 27th - best known for suspending all visitors to the US from seven majority-Muslim countries - also included a clause expediting biometric exit, with three progress reports to be made over the next year. A revised order in March contained the same language, and while both orders have been stayed by federal court, the biometric exit system remains one of the new administration's top priorities for CBP. As recently as February, CBP was still weighing four different methods for Biometric Exit, including fingerprint and iris-based systems - but as the tests have wound down, facial recognition has become the clear favorite within CBP. Unlike iris prints, CBP already has visa holders' faces on file - and unlike fingerprints, faces are easy to check at the gate. "Facial recognition is easy because everyone knows how to take a photo," Panetta told the conference. "Fingerprints... sometimes you have to educate people how to submit their fingerprints to the machine." Making that system work will mean building a robust system for checking passengers' faces against outside datasets - but as that system is shared with more agencies, it may be used for far more than simply verifying departures, with serious implications for anyone setting foot in an airport. Speaking at the conference, Panetta said the same technology could be shared with land borders, as well as partners in the TSA and even private airlines. THE ACT OF FLYING COULD BE CAUSE FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT SEARCH "We're essentially building an IT backbone, which can allow TSA or potentially air carriers or any other partner to tie into our backbone," Panetta said. "So once we completely build our exit infrastructure, we could potentially offer it to TSA if they want to use our facial matching or security screening test - or maybe if an airline wanted to use facial matching for access to their lounge. So we're trying to be collaborative with our various stakeholders and our sister agencies such as TSA, and we'll make that available to them when we have it." The TSA has been playing with facial recognition systems at check-in for years, typically taking a photo of each passenger when they collect their boarding pass and using the photo to track them on less intrusive cameras as they move through the airport. A company called Vision Box has already implemented that system in Aruba, and was also involved in the TSA pilot at JFK. There are still technical challenges, and it's unclear how well the system works with existing in-airport surveillance systems - but sharing the backend with CBP could make the system much more efficient, given the agency's enormous database of passport and visa photos. Those systems also raise serious civil rights questions that agencies still haven't answered. Under the FBI, facial recognition has become a powerful and controversial tool for tracking criminals. If that tool extends to face photos taken at airports, it could mean a subtle but profound change in law enforcement's powers at the airport. "Right now, other than the no-fly list, you do not have law enforcement that checks on who can fly," says Alvaro Bedoya, who studies facial recognition at Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology. "But once you take that high-quality photograph, why not run it against the FBI database? Why not run it against state databases of people with outstanding warrants? Suddenly you're moving from this world in which you're just verifying identity to another world where the act of flying is cause for a law enforcement search." "DHS NEEDS TO THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT BIAS IN THESE SYSTEMS." So far, CBP hasn't said anything about integrating the FBI into the new face-scanning system - but if the TSA and airlines are able to make queries, it may be difficult to keep the FBI out. Current CBP systems retain any images flagged for inspection, building a significant database of faces for anyone who wants to scan them. At the same time, the FBI already has access to passport and visa photos through the State Department, and has conducted more than 50,000 scans over those photos since 2011. Reached by The Verge, a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson emphasized that the project would benefit travelers while fulfilling the Congressional mandate for Biometric Exit, which dates back to 1996. "CBP is committed to deploying a system that provides biometric exit data on non-U.S. Citizens in a way that doesn't disrupt air, sea, or land port operations," the spokesperson said. "CBP remains committed to protecting the privacy of all travelers." Facial recognition critics have also raised concerns over racial bias. American recognition systems are typically trained on datasets of mostly white subjects, which leads to higher error rates when scanning other races. An FBI study in 2012 found the three most popular US algorithms were five to ten percent less accurate scanning African-American faces, with similar declines for women and younger subjects. If that bias isn't corrected, it could present a serious civil rights problem - particularly since visa holders tend to be younger and less white than the US population at large. Questions like these are particularly urgent as the program grows, racing to meet President Trump's mandated 100-day check-in periods. Currently only in place for a single flight in Atlanta, the biometric exit system is expected to expand other airports in a matter of months. "DHS needs to think long and hard about bias in these systems before it starts deploying them on a massive scale," says Bedoya. http://www.theverge.com/2017/4/18/15332742/us-border-biometric-exit-facial-recognition-scanning- homeland-security Back to Top ARUBA AIRCRAFT REGISTRY SEES INCREASED ASIA INTEREST The Aircraft Registry of Aruba has recently seen increasing interest from Asian operators. According to Alexandria Colindres, the registry's director of business development, the public/private partnership is anticipating the awarding of its first air operator certificate (AOC) to an Asian operator this summer. Established in 1995, the Aruba registry currently has more than 150 commercial and private aircraft under its registration, including an Airbus ACJ319 from Business Aviation Asia, and a Sino Jet BBJ. Arriving soon will be a Falcon 900B from a private operator. "In the last year and a half we've been getting a lot of influx from the Asian market," said Colindres. The registry employs a staff of industry-seasoned inspectors and former regulators to conduct airworthiness and operational checks. "Even though our regulations are up to International Civil Aviation Oganization (ICAO) standards and we always ensure the safety of the operation, we can be very accommodating and flexible if they have specific needs that they need to work with us on," Colindres noted. "We've done some very customized operations and these inspectors have really helped us get to that problem solving." While many aircraft on the registry might never actually touch their wheels down on a runway in Aruba, the registry does adhere to ICAO mandate that all AOC clients must have their principle place of business in the location-Aruba in this case. https://www.bjtonline.com/business-jet-news/aruba-aircraft-registry-sees-increased-asia-interest Back to Top Lufthansa operates new A350-900 aircraft on Mumbai-Munich route MUMBAI: Lufthansa German Airlines flew its brand new A350-900 aircraft into Mumbai on Sunday. The long-haul aircraft will operate direct flight between Mumbai and Munich. With this, Mumbai became the first Indian airport to handle two daily A350-900 aircraft operations. "In addition to the increased capacity, the innovative new aircraft raises the benchmark on efficiency and travel comfort. Mumbai has become the third destination worldwide to receive Lufthansa's A350-900 and the second Indian destination after New Delhi," said a statement issued by Lufthansa. "The A350-900 is the world's most modern and environmental friendly long-haul aircraft. In comparison with similar types of aircraft, it consumes 25 percent less fuel and produces 25 percent fewer emissions. The noise footprint is up to 50 percent smaller than comparable aircraft types," the release added. The Lufthansa A350-900 is configured to seat 293 passengers: 48 in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy and 224 in Economy Class. Wolfgang Will, Senior Director South Asia, Lufthansa Group Airlines said: "Maharashtra is amongst our most important markets and our relationship with the city of Mumbai has grown consistently over the years. Therefore, it is only natural that Mumbai becomes the third destination worldwide to receive the most modern and environmental friendly aircraft, the Lufthansa Airbus A350-900." To mark the first flight, passengers on the new aircraft on board LH764 and LH765 from Munich and Mumbai were given a special commemorative certificate and an iPad cover, specially handcrafted by economically disadvantaged women of Purkal Stree Shakti Samiti. Additionally, an 'insta photo booth' was created at the departure terminal that allowed passengers to capture moments of their journey with Lufthansa's A350-900. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/lufthansa-operates-new-a350-900-aircraft-on- mumbai-munich-route/articleshow/58225220.cms Back to Top Airbus Sued Amid Review of Consultants' Role in Aircraft Deals The fuselage of an Airbus A320 sits inside an Airbus A300-600 Beluga super transporter aircraft as it arrives at the Airbus Group NV factory in Toulouse, France. Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg Airbus SE is being sued by some former consultants after the earlier discovery of questionable practices related to aircraft sales led the European planemaker to overhaul its business-partner relationships. The review and related legal matters may have a material impact on future financial statements, Airbus said this month in its annual report. It is "too early to determine the likelihood or extent of any liability," the Toulouse, France-based company said. The planemaker previously disclosed that it discovered "misstatements and omissions" in some applications for export credit financing related to the use of third-party consultants. The U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office and France's Parquet National Financier subsequently launched investigations into the manufacturer over allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption in its civil aviation business. Credit agencies, including U.K. Export Finance and state institutions in France, Germany and Spain, suspended some of the backstop financing that Airbus uses to help sell commercial aircraft. Airbus is working with relevant agencies to re-establish financing, the company said in the annual report. The company previously said it dropped the questionable middlemen. In the report, Airbus said it has "engaged legal, investigative and forensic accounting expertise" to review consultant relationships and is "conducting enhanced due diligence" related to middlemen agreements. Besides the U.K. and French probes, which are being conducted in coordination with each other, Airbus detailed criminal allegations raised in February by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence over the 2003 sale of Eurofighter aircraft, and separate investigations in Germany, France and Greece. Airbus didn't specify which consultants have sued the company, how many cases have been filed or the exact nature of the claims. A spokesman declined to comment. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-17/airbus-sued-amid-review-of-consultants-role-in- aircraft-deals Back to Top Back to Top Get psyched for the first-ever 360-degree rocket launch livestream A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from launch complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Sept. 8, 2016. On Tuesday morning, NASA will broadcast its first-ever rocket launch livestream in 360-degree video, providing an unprecedented vantage point that will make viewers feel as if they are standing on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral. The launch of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket-aimed at transporting supplies to the International Space Station-is scheduled for a 30-minute window beginning at 11:11 a.m. ET. The 360-degree livestream will be accessible on the NASA Television YouTube channel starting 10 minutes prior to liftoff. While the minimum safe viewing distance is typically miles away from the launch pad, this livestream promises viewers a much closer look at a powerful rocket launch, or what NASA is calling a "pads-eye view." The rocket will be carrying a Cygnus spacecraft made by Orbital ATK, with more than 7,600 pounds of scientific research, crew supplies, and other materials destined for the orbiting laboratory. Make sure your virtual reality headset is handy; people who have them will be able to "look around and experience the view as if they were actually standing on the launch pad," NASA said in a press release. http://mashable.com/2017/04/17/first-livestream-360-degree-video-rocket-launch/?utm_cid=mash-com- social-huffpo-partner#fFD36y4j5kqs Back to Top Kids Reach New Heights in STEM Education Through Aviation Giving Kids Wings Academy shows students how they can apply what they learn in school to real-life situations. Emma Hall became the first solo female glider at the Giving Kids Wings Flight Academy in the summer of 2016 - not only breaking the glass ceiling but flying way above it. Hall discovered her love for aviation through a seminar offered in her Hawthorne, California, high school by the flight school where she learned about aerospace, test-fly simulators and eventually fly a glider. "Getting off the plane, I just could not stop smiling. It was the best experience of my life. It gave me a taste of what I could do and I was hooked!" says Hall, 16, a sophomore at Da Vinci Science High School. Jillian Morrow flies above the Pacific Ocean and Palos Verdes, Calif., during her first flight. Dan Mikkelsen founded Giving Kids Wings Flight Academy, a nonprofit organization based in Torrance, California, in December 2008, and has since taken more than 300 kids on their first aviation expeditions. Mikkelsen, a former social studies teacher, initiated this program because he wanted to teach his students in a more hands-on way and decided to combine his love for teaching and his experience as a flight instructor. "I didn't feel like there was enough tangible, hands on-learning going on within the schools. There is a lot math and science being taught without real firm context and I believe aviation could be a fantastic hands- on real world application for everything from algebra to earth science. It's one of the most diverse and inclusive scientific professions," Mikkelsen says. He teaches science, technology, engineering and math subjects through aviation, taking what students are already learning in other classes and making it more understandable and relevant to their everyday lives. Algebra, geometry, physics, chemistry and earth science are among the subjects he incorporates in his teaching. He gave U.S. News & World Report examples of questions that he gives students to show how he incorporates those subjects into his coursework. Algebra: You have 50 gallons of fuel on board, and only 48 of that is usable. You're burning 8.5 gallons/hour. Will you be able to make your destination with a half hour reserve of fuel? Geometry: You are trying to intercept the 135 degree radial from a navigational aid. What would your intercept heading need to be if you want to intercept that radial at an angle of 30 degrees? Chemistry: Where do storms get their energy and why are they so violent? Students use computer-based flight training devices to learn the basics of aircraft control, navigation and aeronautical decision-making as part of their classroom training. "It's an interesting and engaging class; you don't have to explain to students how you'll use it in the real world," says Steve Wallis, principal of Da Vinci Science High School. "The way it's taught really supports the curriculum they're using in their other classes." At Wallis' school, currently the only one affiliated with the program, students are taught to fly aircrafts on stimulators during the weekdays, alternating with their theoretical work in the classroom. Students fly in the air on weekends. Mikkelsen also brings in professionals from the field to talk to the students. Over the past three years, Giving Kids Wings has partnered with Santa Barbara Soaring, a gliding school in California, for kids as young as 14 to get flight training over the summer. These gliders are engine-less aircrafts that enable kids to get a feeling of what flying is like at a lower cost than what they would pay for a powered aircraft. At Santa Barbara, students take part in an immersive weeklong glider course that includes ground school and practice flights. At the end of the course, students receive their glider's license. After earning his private pilot glider license, Asa Cusick celebrated by taking his first passenger: his mother, Marie Cusick. "The kids will go from absolutely no flying experience at all to be able to fly a glider aircraft by themselves," says Bill Vrastil, owner of Santa Barbara Soaring. "Kids now have a lot more motor skills for flying than kids in the past, and that primarily has to do with games they have on their phones or laptops." Giving Kids Wings provides flight training to high school students, with a specific focus on increasing the role of minorities and women in aviation, according to its website. According to Mikkelsen, only 5 percent of working pilots are female and only 6 percent are minorities. His program is free to the students in his seminar at Da Vinci Science, and he also helps the kids fundraise for additional flying lessons. With this program, the first flying lesson is free but students are responsible for the costs of subsequent lessons. Giving Kids Wings also tries to provide student scholarships ranging from 10 to 50 percent of the total costs. If not for these scholarships and seminars, it would cost an average of $5,000 for the Santa Barbara Soaring course and $10,000 for the powered aircraft license, Mikkelsen says. "I really wanted to give kids an opportunity they wouldn't normally have. Here's how it works: [It's] a class you can take for free and scholarships that will help you down the road if you want to pursue this. This is a skilled asset that you can use to break the cycle of poverty," Mikkelsen says. Not all students of this program go on to become pilots but they do learn how to apply basic STEM subjects in their everyday lives. "It seemed like a great opportunity to give the kids some real-world experience that would translate to good jobs," Wallis says on why he's continued the program in his school for almost six years. As for Emma Hall, she is taking an advanced class with Mikkelsen at Da Vinci Science and says she's learning to fly cross-country flights through simulators this semester and sees flying as a possible career choice for her future. "Giving Kids Wings has given me the opportunity to pursue a subject area that I wouldn't necessarily have an interest in if I hadn't been given the opportunity. I learned a lot about the physics of flying, [an] atmosphere that I didn't know before," Hall says. https://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2017-04-14/aviation-helps-bring-out-real-world- applications-of-stem-subjects Back to Top Compass Airlines, LLC 7500 Airline Drive, Suite 130 Minneapolis, MN 55450 compassairline.com 612-713-6880 Manager of Safety Programs Compass Airlines is seeking a Manager of Safety Programs to join our team at our Minneapolis, Minnesota - Headquarters location. We are looking for an innovative and technical individual, with exceptional business judgment, as well as the initiative and competence to make a significant contribution to the Compass organization. Job Purpose: The Manager of Safety Programs reports to and assists the Director of Safety (DOS) in managing daily operations of the Compass Airlines Safety Department to ensure the highest level of safety and regulatory compliance at Compass. The position represents senior management in the accident investigation process and supports the Director of Safety in the performance of critical safety, emergency, instructional and analytical functions required by FAA, NTSB, DOD, OSHA, EPA, and corporate policies. Job Qualifications: Required: Bachelor's degree (BA or BS) or equivalent in Aviation Safety, Engineering, Management or in a similar program whose major emphasis is safety and systems analysis applicable to the major aviation technical areas; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Airline experience is required, reflecting extensive operational experience in aviation and a broad knowledge of Federal Aviation Regulations. Normally this experience will be gained through a combination of formal education and experience gained through service in either an operational position requiring FAA certification, i.e. as a flight deck crewmember, aviation mechanic, dispatcher, safety investigator, or an airline position(s) providing equivalent exposure and experience. The ability to lead large and small groups with assurance and clarity. The ability to take the initiative in sometimes intellectually and emotionally trying situations. The ability to speak for the Company and in professional and public forums relating to aviation safety and regulatory activities. Advanced mathematical and analysis competency. Experience with advanced database, root cause analysis, and aviation control, scheduling and tracking software systems. Experience with business software including: MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and Powerpoint. Preferred: Experience with Safety Management Systems and 14CFR Part 5 Computer programming experience. Experience with aviation safety programs such as Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA), Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), Internal Evaluation Program (IEP). Experience with investigations of accidents and incidents to include root cause analysis. Experience conducting risk assessments. Physical Demands: The position involves prolonged periods during which individuals are either working with their computer while seated at a desk or standing in front of a group of people teaching and/or leading discussions. The position involves occasional travel to conduct investigation and audit duties in airline terminals, aircraft hangars, airport ramps, and incident/accident sites that may require stamina and dexterity for their successful accomplishment. Job Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: Overall Knowledge of Aviation Safety : Flight Operations Safety Ground Operations Safety Maintenance Operations Safety OSHA Regulations and Safety Recommendations FAA Regulations with regard to Aviation Safety and Safety Management Systems Fatigue and Fatigue Risk Mitigation Familiarity with the NTSB investigative process and ICAO Annex 13 on Accident Investigations Communication Skills Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills are required. Organizational and Leadership Skills Must have effective interpersonal and organizational skills. Must display advanced leadership skills appropriate to all organization levels, inside and outside the company. Must have above average skills in the planning and organization of analyses and investigations and similar level skills regarding attention to timetable and detail in the performance of such activities. Problem Solving/Analytical/Reasoning Ability Must have ability to apply knowledge and common sense in understanding and dealing with employees and customers. Must deal with all situations diplomatically and professionally. Must possess above average analytical and organizational skills. APPLY HERE Back To Top Graduate Research Survey Dear colleagues, The flight crew of an airliner is expected to exhibit very high levels of decision making, all the time. Disasters are often attributed to poor decision making skills that are rigorously scrutinised after the event but a good decision never faces similar depth of review. I am doing a research on this very topic and need your help with a short anonymous survey. The primary objectives of this survey are to evaluate: 1. How pilots make decisions in a time and safety critical situation. 2. Whether there are any comparisons with other professionals facing similar time and safety pressures. The survey can be completed here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7TKJ66K Can you spare a few moments to take my survey? www.surveymonkey.co.uk Please take the survey titled "Anonymous Survey- Decision making in a time and safety critical environment.City University of London naveed.kapadia@city.ac.uk". Your feedback is important! Thank you for your help and support with this research. Naveed MSc student at City University of London Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Request My name is Mohamed Sheryenna. I'm a student at the University of South wales (UK), MSc. Aircraft Maintenance System. I'm conducting this research about Importance of Implementation SMS to Aircraft Maintenance: For reducing accidents. This study would look to understand the approaches and benefits of implementation SMS in Aircraft maintenance organization to reduce risk of accidents or at least mitigate it by identify and manage risks in predictive phase. Moreover, the study sought to determine the influence of the organizational culture and its effective on maintenance. In addition, to assess some tools used by SMS to support maintenance and engineering to obtain optimal aircraft maintenance. Ultimately, the effectiveness of an SMS implementation means the organization can manage the complexity of these mechanisms to defend against risk incubation. All the information will be treated confidentially and reported in the aggregate. The resultant data will be analyzed as part of my master degree's thesis. I will strictly respect the confidentiality of all participants' input. If you are a participant, and if you desire, I will provide you with a copy of the outcomes of my study. Please return the survey with your business card or contact information to indicate your interest in receiving a copy of the results. I would greatly appreciate your input to my survey. I realize that you are very busy; and completion of the survey should require not more than 10 minutes of your time. These questionnaires are intended to explore SMS in Aircraft maintenance and are purely for academic purpose. Your participation in this research will be highly appreciated. please click the link below to go through the survey http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/8YYUA/ Thank you very much for your cooperation. Sincerely yours, Mohamed Sheryenna 15050033@students.southwales.ac.uk Tel. 00447459876975 Back to Top SAFE Encourages Pilot Input on GA Runway Incursions (Survey) Active general aviation (GA) pilots are being asked to help an ongoing study of GA runway incursions by completing a new online questionnaire. The FAA has said that runway incursions - a vehicle or aircraft on the ground endangering aircraft landing or taking off - average three per day and are a "serious safety concern." GA pilots are involved in about 80 percent of runway incursions. "The question is, what are GA pilots doing, or not doing, that results in so many runway incursions?" said Professor Donna F. Wilt of the Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics. "By analyzing such occurrences we can help mitigate those dangerous situations." The study is being conducted by the FIT College of Aeronautics, Hampton University Department of Aviation and Purdue University Department of Aviation Technology. It is funded through the Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility and Sustainability (PEGASAS), and the FAA Center of Excellence for GA. SAFE is a partner of PEGASAS. The questionnaire will be available from April 1 through April 30, 2017. To take the new questionnaire, click here or click on or copy and past the URL below. The questionnaire is also available on the SAFE web site at www.SAFEPilots.org and will be available at the SAFE booth at Sun 'n Fun. SAFE is encouraging its members to participate in the project. Direct Link URL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiJFFh52kh_afnEN7qoBRoliQvqLSUhksMQAGDGbO- EcDweg/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, contact the project's Principal Investigator, Dr. Scott Winter. SAFE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting aviation education at all levels of learning. SAFE is a recognized leader in pilot training reform, safety education, and the mentoring of aviation educators. For information on free resource materials and membership, go to www.safepilots.org. Scott Winter Assistant Professor of Aviation Science College of Aeronautics, Florida Institute of Technology 321-674-7639 (Office) 218-269-9376 (Cell) 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/ Curt Lewis