Flight Safety Information May 31, 2017 - No. 109 Incident: Allegiant MD83 at Las Vegas on May 29th 2017, gear skid plate separated on landing ncident: Horizon DH8D near Yakima on May 29th 2017, burning electrical odour Incident: Alaska B738 near Kansas City on May 29th 2017, electrical burning odour in lavatory Incident: Easyjet A319 at Thessaloniki on May 30th 2017, smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection JetBlue A321 - Inflight Smoke & Fire Indonesian Plane Overshoots Wet Runway, Passengers Evacuated On Camera Pilots approaching Glasgow Airport spot drone above plane China To Raise Mandatory Retirement Age for Pilots FAA Hobby Drone Pilot Registry Overturned by Court Carry-on laptop ban on flights from Europe still possible, DHS says Mustique Airways added to EU Air Safety List JetBlue will test facial-recognition system for boarding at Logan FAA proposes fine for United, accusing it of flying a plane not in 'airworthy condition' Aircraft Tracking Q&A With Blue Sky Network CEO AOPA's ASI Launches Educational Podcast Series 1940: Middle-class pilots saved England, and what that meant for British politics Parts Demand For Older Aircraft Rising Safeskies 2017 Conference Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Nominations Invited Research Survey - 1 Incident: Allegiant MD83 at Las Vegas on May 29th 2017, gear skid plate separated on landing An Allegiant McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration N872GA performing flight G4-491 from Belleville,IL to Las Vegas,NV (USA), landed on Las Vegas' runway 19L, during the landing roll the skid plate separated from the left main gear however. The FAA reported there was minor damage, the occurrence was rated an incident. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAY491/history/20170529/1835Z/KBLV/KLAS http://avherald.com/h?article=4a9acf7f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Horizon DH8D near Yakima on May 29th 2017, burning electrical odour A Horizon Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Alaska Airlines, registration N443QX performing flight QX-2399/AS-2399 from Boise,ID to Seattle,WA (USA) with 82 people on board, was enroute at FL240 about 40nm southeast of Yakima,WA (USA) when the crew reported an electrical burning smell on board and decided to divert to Yakima, where the aircraft landed safely about 15 minutes later. Emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke, however, an odour consistent with overheating wires was detected by fire fighters. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/QXE2399/history/20170529/1940Z/KBOI/KSEA http://avherald.com/h?article=4a9aa8fd&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Alaska B738 near Kansas City on May 29th 2017, electrical burning odour in lavatory An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N564AS performing flight AS-35 from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Seattle,WA (USA), was enroute at FL280 about 130nm southwest of Kansas City,MO (USA) when the crew reported an electrical burning odour in a lavatory and decided to divert to Kansas City, where the aircraft landed safely about 35 minutes later. Three flight attendants were taken to a hospital. Kansas City Fire Department reported a number of passengers and cabin crew complained about nausea and were medically evaluated. The airline reported the remainder of the flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto replacement flight AS-9430 the following day. The passengers were taken to hotels. The three flight attendants were taken to a hospital for a checkup as standard procedure following fume events. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASA35/history/20170529/2240Z/KFLL/KSEA http://avherald.com/h?article=4a9aa7a9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Easyjet A319 at Thessaloniki on May 30th 2017, smoke in cockpit An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration HB-JYK performing flight U2-1110 from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Basel/Mulhouse (Switzerland/France) with 152 people on board, was climbing out of Thessaloniki's runway 34 when the crew stopped the climb at FL100 reporting smoke in the cockpit and returned to Thessaloniki for a safe landing on runway 16 about 14 minutes after departure and taxied to the apron reporting the smoke had subsided while working the checklists. There were no injuries, emergency services did not need to intervene. A short circuit was identified as cause of the smoke in the cockpit. The airline reported a technical problem as cause of the return. A replacement aircraft is being dispatched to Thessaloniki. http://avherald.com/h?article=4a9aa5d1&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top JetBlue A321 - Inflight Smoke & Fire Date: 30-MAY-2017 Time: ca 20:00 Type: Airbus A321-231 (WL) Owner/operator: JetBlue Registration: N967JT C/n / msn: 7257 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 158 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Location: near Grand Rapids, MI - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: New York-JFK International Airport, NY (JFK) Destination airport: San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO) Narrative: JetBlue Flight 915 diverted to Grand Rapids' Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Michigan, USA after the lithium battery from a passenger's laptop caught fire. The aircraft, an Airbus A321, had departed New York-JFK International Airport at 18:25 EDT (22:25 UTC) on a service to San Francisco, California. While en route over Michigan at FL340 "smoke began emitting from a carry-on bag holding an electronic device," according to JetBlue. The flight crew diverted to Grand Rapids as a precaution. A safe landing was made at 20:13 EDT (00:13 UTC). The flight was continued after a two-hour stopover at Grand Rapids. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=195804 Back to Top Indonesian Plane Overshoots Wet Runway, Passengers Evacuated On Camera No one was hurt after the Sriwijaya Air plane overshot the wet runway. (AFP) JAKARTA: A Indonesian passenger plane carrying 146 people skidded off the runway as it landed in the eastern Papua region Wednesday, an official said, the latest mishap to hit the country's aviation sector. No one was hurt after the Boeing aircraft operated by domestic carrier Sriwijaya Air overshot the wet runway at the airport in Manokwari city, said transport ministry spokesperson J Adravida Barata. TV footage showed people being evacuated from the plane, as it rested on its belly on grass next to the runway. The airport will be closed for several hours so that the plane can be removed, Mr Barata added. It is just the latest of many accidents for Indonesia's air transport sector. In February, a Sriwijaya plane carrying 192 people from China to Bali was forced to turn back after the crew realised one of its doors was not properly closed. In the same month, a passenger plane operated by Indonesian flag carrier Garuda skidded off the runway as it landed at the airport serving the city of Yogyakarta in heavy rain. The aviation sector has been booming in recent years as a growing middle class increasingly use planes to get around the vast archipelago, but critics say safety standards have not kept pace with the expansion. http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/aircraft-with-146-passengers-overshoots-runway-in-eastern-indonesia-1706009 Back to Top Pilots approaching Glasgow Airport spot drone above plane Pilots have reported seeing a drone less than 200ft (61m) above their aircraft as they approached Glasgow Airport. The pilots, on a Thomas Cook jet, spotted the drone in the early hours of Friday morning. The Airbus 321 had flown from Dalaman in Turkey. Police described the use of the drone as dangerous and reckless. Thomas Cook said it had been reported to the relevant authorities. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-40099381 Back to Top China To Raise Mandatory Retirement Age for Pilots The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) plans to raise the mandatory retirement age for pilots from the current 60 as part of a strategy to ease the shortage faced by Chinese airlines. The agency has yet to arrive at a decision on the exact age, but it plans to implement the change in two or three years. CAAC official Liu Shen told AIN that the shortage could get more acute as airlines acquire more aircraft and that hiring foreign pilots has become more difficult over the past five years as airlines around the world face a similar situation. "Many airlines in the region have also raised the retirement age, salary and other benefits for their pilots to stay," Liu noted. Official estimates forecast a need for about 2,800 to 3,000 pilots annually over the next three years. The 12 flying schools across China can produce only between 1,250 and 1,300 a year. Local airlines increasingly send their cadet pilots to the U.S., Europe or Australia for training due to the limited capacity at local schools. Cadets must undergo a minimum 80-hour English course before they start training. Some schools require six months of coursework. Chinese carriers attract experienced foreign pilots with retention bonuses and big salary packages ranging from $240,000 to $310,000 a year for a captain, depending on his or her experience and aircraft type rating. Airlines prefer hiring pilots with a current type rating in the interest of reducing training costs. Pilots from as far afield as Australia, the U.S., Latin America, Singapore and South Korea fly under contracts that usually run for three years with provisions for extension. South Korea ranks as the biggest source for Chinese airlines due to the geographical location and cultural proximity. The trend has resulted in carriers like Korean Air and Asiana Airlines recruiting experienced pilots from other countries to fill their own slots. In the early 2000s Chinese airlines virtually never hired foreign pilots due to an onerous government approval process. Only in 2007 the government did the government relax its rules as a shortage became inevitable. Despite the looming crisis, Liu said airlines have not canceled or delayed flights due to the shortage. The Ministry of Transport of Japan raised its mandatory retirement age from 62 to 64 in 2004 and again to 67 in February 2015 to cope with a similar shortage following appeals from Japanese carriers. Malaysia Airlines raised its retirement age from 55 to 60 in 2006; Singapore Airlines' retirement age stands at 62, although it can extend the limit to 64 based on the health of the pilot and at the discretion of the management. AirAsia mandates retirement at 65. According to Boeing's 2016-2035 projection, the Asia-Pacific region will need 248,000 pilots during that time, the most of any region in the world. Among Asia-Pacific countries, China will require the most by far. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2017-05-30/china-raise-mandatory-retirement-age-pilots Back to Top FAA Hobby Drone Pilot Registry Overturned by Court Hobby and recreational drone users are now legally exempt for having to register as "drone operators" with the FAA. In 2015, the FAA officially announced that all owners of drones heavier than 250 grams (which is about as light as a cup of water) must be registered as "drone operators" in a national database. This, of course, startled some, as it seemed this regulation could mark the beginning of the end for freedom of use regarding hobby drones. Others felt it was a fair deal in the right direction, as we reported on last year. However, in a twist of turns, the District of Columbia circuit court of appeals overturned this legislation on Friday, May 19th, as its compatibility with a previous FAA ruling from 2012 is far from symbiotic. The 2012 "FAA Modernization and Reform Act" rules that the FAA has no right to "promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft", and as Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh sees it, the 2015 ruling clearly interferes with this established law. He adds, "Statutory interpretation does not get much simpler. The Registration Rule is unlawful as applied to model aircraft." Essentially, recreational drone users have been exempted from the aforementioned registry, which according to Popular Science, over 800,000 people have joined since 2015. This is something we at The Drive keep a close eye on, and an issue we regularly report on. In a public statement issued by the FAA, they are "carefully reviewing the U.S. Court of Appeals decision as it relates to drone registrations. The FAA put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats. We are in the process of considering our options and response to the decision." Groups such as the Academy of Modern Aeronautics, which aim to educate drone pilots and serve to defend the rights of recreational drone users, have reacted very positively to the overturning of the 2015 Modernization and Reform Act. According to the president of the AMA, Rich Hanson, "federal registration shouldn't apply at such a low threshold that it includes toys. It also shouldn't burden those who have operated harmoniously within our communities for decades, and who already comply with AMA's registration system." But not all hobby groups are alike in their reaction to the overturned ruling. The Drone Manufacturers Alliance, for example, considered the previous system to provide worthwhile protection and a welcome dose of responsibility on the users' part, according to PopularScience. "As we wait for word on whether the FAA will appeal this ruling, we hope all sides see the benefit of a reasonable and minimally restrictive form of basic regulation that has helped make drone operations in America overwhelmingly safe." The process of finding long-term solutions and regulations for all involved in the world of hobby and recreational drone use is still very much in-flight. As with all political discourse, there is a continuously manifested back and forth, with this latest development very much a positive for groups like the Academy of Modern Aeronautics, and a step backwards for others such as the FAA and the Drone Manufacturer's Alliance. Time will tell, which direction the battle for control and regulation regarding hobby drone use will take. As it stands right now, however, the FAA has no legal right to ask hobby drone pilots to register with their national database. http://www.thedrive.com/aerial/10897/faa-hobby-drone-pilot-registry-overturned-by-court Back to Top Carry-on laptop ban on flights from Europe still possible, DHS says WASHINGTON - Homeland Security will still consider a ban on large electronics, including laptops, in the cabins of European flights, the Trump administration said Tuesday after a report the ban wasn't expanding. Politico reported Tuesday, based on unnamed sources, that the ban wasn't expanding to Europe with the headline: "U.S. tells EU: No laptop ban." The story came after a call between U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and European Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulous. But David Lapan, a spokesman for Homeland Security, called the report "absolutely wrong." Lapan said the call covered three issues: raising the bar for aviation security, working together to secure global aviation and maintaining clear lines of communication. Homeland Security in March banned laptops and other electronics larger than cellphones in carry-on bags on flights originating from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa. The ban affected about 50 daily flights. Kelly has said he would consider expanding the order to include Europe, which would affect nearly 400 more daily flights carrying up to 65 million people a year. "The secretary made it clear that an expansion is still on the table," Lapan said. "Secretary Kelly affirmed he will implement any and all measures necessary to secure commercial aircraft flying to the United States - including prohibiting large electronic devices from the passenger cabin - if the intelligence and threat level warrant it." The European Commission said Bulc and Avramopoulos' conversation with Kelly was constructive, and the U.S. made no announcement about the ban during the call. Kelly told reporters Friday at Washington Reagan National Airport that terrorists remain committed to destroying planes bound for the U.S., and he was working with airlines and security counterparts in Europe and Asia to deal with the threat. Kelly told Fox News Sunday that he was considering expanding the electronics ban to all international flights into and out of the U.S. But he hasn't set a deadline for making a decision. The March ban stemmed from intelligence that terrorists could hide explosives within batteries to avoid detection, according to a U.S. official. But expanding such a ban to include Europe raised both safety and productivity concerns. The International Air Transport Association, which represents 265 airlines, projected a European ban could cost $1 billion per year in lost work time. Some airline pilots and safety advocates say putting more electronics into checked luggage could endanger aircraft if fires sparked by lithium- ion batteries go undetected in the cargo hold. Kelly said safety precautions would be taken into account if the ban is extended. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/05/30/laptop-ban-department-of-homeland-security-european- commission/102315388/ Back to Top Mustique Airways added to EU Air Safety List Caribbean carrier Mustique Airways has been placed on a blacklist by the European Union because of safety deficiencies. The airline, registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines, has been placed on the list, which prohibits it from flying in EU air space. The EU Air Safety List 'seeks to ensure the highest level of air safety for European citizens'. Air Zimbabwe, Urga of the Ukraine and Med-View in Nigeria were also recently added to the list of banned carriers. But all airlines certified in Benin and Mozambique have been removed. A total of 181 airlines are now banned from EU skies, following the update. http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/280141/mustique-airways-added-to-eu-air-safety-list Back to Top JetBlue will test facial-recognition system for boarding at Logan JetBlue Airways will be the first airline to test facial-recognition systems with passengers at Logan Airport in June, part of a broader rollout of the nascent technology at US airports this year. The carrier will allow passengers on its Boston-to-Aruba route to be photographed at the gate instead of checking in with boarding passes. JetBlue will check those images against the passengers' passport or visa photos on file with Customs and Border Patrol, and those with successful matches will be allowed to board without showing a ticket or a passport. Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's vice president of customer experience, said the system could be a first step in a broad reworking of air travel, substituting face checks for travel documents at every step of the process: check-in, baggage drop, security check, boarding, and customs. "The main advantage is customer ease," Geraghty said. "It's foreseeable to have a situation in the future where a customer never has to take out a boarding pass." https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/05/31/jetblue-will-test-facial-recognition-system-for-boarding-logan- airport/8zspAiYyd7Bq9c7SINozwO/story.html Back to Top FAA proposes fine for United, accusing it of flying a plane not in 'airworthy condition' United Airlines may be fined $435,000 by the FAA for not inspecting a fuel pump pressure switch after it was repaired. United Airlines said it is working closely with the FAA in its review. The FAA said the plane was flown 23 times before the inspection was completed. http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/30/faa-proposes-fine-for-united-accusing-it-of-flying-a-plane-not-in-airworthy-condition.html Back to Top Aircraft Tracking Q&A With Blue Sky Network CEO As the International Civil Aviation Org.'s (ICAO) Global Aeronautical Distress Safety System (GADSS) concept of operations moves closer to becoming a reality for operators, aviation industry companies are working to ensure airframes have the right mix of technologies needed to improve aircraft tracking in remote airspace. Avionics caught up with Kambiz Aghili, newly appointed CEO of fleet management and tracking company Blue Sky Network, to learn about what the company is doing to support improved aircraft tracking and other aircraft technological concepts for the future. Aghili was appointed CEO of Blue Sky in March, the same month in which Blue Sky moved to a larger office to accommodate its move to hire new sales, marketing and technical staff. He brings a strong engineering background to the company with a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara on big data, pattern recognition and analytics. He also holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Bilkent University. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Blue Sky describes itself as a supplier of satellite-based communication technologies designed to help aviation, marine and mobile operators track and manage their assets in real time. The company also has existing technologies that meet some of the aspects of ICAO's GADSS recommendations for operators, which ICAO formalized in March 2016. At a recent avionics standards development conference, engineering experts from Airbus and Boeing expressed support for new industry standards to support GADSS. Blue Sky Network published a white paper on ICAO's initiative to improve global aircraft flight tracking, a move toward building the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) concept of operations, how will Blue Sky help the aviation industry realize GADSS? There are four different components of the GADSS initiative: aircraft tracking during normal operations; aircraft tracking during abnormal operations; autonomous distress tracking (ADT); and automated flight data recovery (AFDR). Some of these requirements have been well defined; some of them are still being evolved. I can say that via our proprietary hardware and software as a service offerings, we are well positioned to accommodate and meet most of the needs as they are presently defined, especially for the normal tracking requirements. Integrating our satellite-based tracking technologies with different data buses onboard the aircraft is a tremendous initiative that we're working on today in conjunction with a few different partnerships. Different aircraft types have varying requirements; their bus and ARINC standards are different. As a result, we're working on integrating our solutions into those data buses that will allow us to accomplish normal tracking, abnormal tracking and autonomous distress tracking while at the same time being able to report on exceedances and other onboard anomalies. We're seeking to offer a wide range of capabilities that go way beyond anything ICAO is furthering with GADSS. We stand with our offerings today not only to meet the ICAO recommendations, but also to detect anomalies and report exceedances on critical data inputs from the cockpit to improve safety and operational efficiency of our clients globally. A select set of such intelligence is detecting patterns on oil pressures, fuel flows, fuel pressures, various component temperatures, sudden accelerations and hard landings. What type of aircraft operators have you seen the most demand for your aircraft tracking technologies recently? We have seen demand from nearly every operator category including corporate and private jet operators, Part 121, Part 135, Part 137/wildland firefighting operators, as well as airborne first responders. Many operators don't have to meet GADSS requirements due to their specific mission scope; some will just be seeking to use our technology to improve other aspects of their operations. What types of operational improvements do these different operators look for when they equip their aircraft with your tracking, communications and fleet management tools? Our clients are looking for specific products that are going to help improve their safety and operational efficiency. Forecasting fleet problems with predictive analytics, being able to look into asset use across all fleets and predict maintenance issues before they occur and optimizing asset utilization directly passes the savings to our clients, while improving safety. For example, with monitoring the health of the engine and its parameters, clients should be able to stream those parameters down to the ground, and identify exceedances (as well as detect performance anomalies before they happen). That's a strategy core to our product roadmap. Being able to share with a client the specific data points, such as having raised their operational safety by 15.2% in the last month, we are able to provide our clients with the ammunition to benefit substantial savings on the insurance of their fleet and a very holistic view on their overall fleet and hence understanding about which of their assets are being underutilized. These are the types of operational intelligence that clients should expect from every service provider, those with a strong commitment to clients as is Blue Sky Network. "Operational Insights" refer to those insights that are directly actionable, almost in real time. For example, if we let a wildland firefighting operator know how much water is in each of their aircraft before they dispatch 10 to 20 of them from around the state, we can optimize their firefighting efforts. Depending on the location of fleet on the map, depending on how much water is in each aircraft, and then deciding what is the most optimal way to group the top four or five of those aircraft, what route of flight is going to best get them to the fire, and how low they can fly safely are the exact level of detail and advanced operational planning that we seek to provide to our customers. Blue Sky Network was one of the first aviation hardware suppliers to leverage Iridium's satellite network capabilities. How are you leveraging your latest offerings to align with Iridium NEXT? Through Iridium Certus 350 we'll be able to reach streaming and background bandwidth of up to 256 kbps and 352 kbps, respectively. That will open up a whole range of new applications that we're working on today. In the commercial corporate and government space, simply being able to communicate those operational insights/data back to the operations center and allowing the software to extrapolate insights out of that data is what will help to create a very intelligent cockpit and operational setup for our clients. Over the next five to 10 years, where do you see some of the biggest growth opportunities for Blue Sky across all segments of aviation? I think the concept of the intelligent cockpit is in the earliest stages of development. The sky is the limit in this market; it's a market that's going to see 20 to 30% growth year-over-year for the next decade. We've looked at and sized the market across all the type operators. From our perspective, it's a really under-tapped market. Eventually, we believe that such infrastructures will become standard equipment on all aircraft. We also see tremendous growth potential in enabling the transmission of more and more information such as CVR/FDR data and HUMS data for FOQA/MOQA applications. The focus is not on transmitting all this data in real time and then leaving it up to the operator to make something out of it, but really being an intelligent cockpit and discerning when we need to send something and only sending data when it is absolutely necessary, while providing the services around data transmission through very advanced analytics versus a home-grown excel sheet export. The real value is inherent in creating such opportunities for clients where at the click of a button they can create graphs and charts on the fly, visualize such anomalies with the ability to take action immediately; these are called "Operational Insights." That's not happening today, and it's needed. I believe there is huge growth potential in providing advanced flight operational analytics. Intelligent cockpits, and intelligent operations on the ground help bring safety, fuel savings, and operational efficiency. We work with very sophisticated clients that seek insights such as: how to best utilize assets in a way that will save fuel dollars, that will save on take-off-and-landing times, that will save on incidents, which will reduce insurance costs as well increase risk mitigation; and how to operate as a data-oriented operation benefiting from these services. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/05/30/aircraft-tracking-qa-blue-sky-network-ceo/ Back to Top AOPA's ASI Launches Educational Podcast Series Patty Wagstaff kicks off podcast discussion with a harrowing flight scenario in Alaska. Patty Wagstaff kicks off AOPA's Air Safety Institute monthly "There I Was..." podcast discussion with a harrowing flight scenario in Alaska. AOPA's Air Safety Institute has introduced a monthly podcast series named "There I Was..." The podcasts are aimed at educating pilots through discussions with a variety of pilots talking about unexpected scenarios and how they survived them. "There I Was..." is hosted by ASI's executive director Richard McSpadden, a former commander/flight leader of the USAF Thunderbirds, and co-host Kristen Bodnar, ASI's lead project manager and private pilot. Each 30-minute podcast segment will feature a pilot, known or unknown, some with a wealth of experience and others not so experienced, who will share a story of a challenging flight scenario and what skills they used to get out of that scenario. The presentation is very informal, much like discussions we all have with friends at the airport. The first segment features aerobatic champion and air show performer Patty Wagstaff who recalls a flight in Alaska many years ago in which she encountered unexpected weather while flying with a non-pilot friend in a Cessna 185. Wagstaff explains the situation in which she was unexpectedly forced into IMC and how quick thinking, good planning and a bit of luck helped her out what could have been a bad situation. Wagstaff, Bodnar and McSpadden then analyzed the factors that contributed to the successful outcome of the scenario, which could just as well have been fatal if it were not for the decisions Wagstaff made before and during the flight. You can listen to the discussion by clicking this link. http://www.flyingmag.com/aopas-asi-launches-educational-podcast-series Back to Top 1940: Middle-class pilots saved England, and what that meant for British politics Tom note: This is an excerpt from my new book, Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom. This section discusses the meaning for England of the pilots of the Royal Air Force, overwhelmingly from middle class backgrounds, staving off a German invasion in 1940. It was not the gentlemanly army, nor the powerful navy, but the Royal Air Force that played the most significant role in 1940. The air force was a distinctly middle-class organization, carrying with it a whiff of gasoline and engine lubricants. Both George Orwell and Winston Churchill noticed and commented on the middle-class nature of the RAF. Orwell observed that it was "hardly at all ... within the ruling-class orbit." Indeed, one historian has noted that there were jibes at the time that its members were "motor mechanics in uniforms," not unlike the nameless men who chauffeured the rich. Evelyn Waugh, always alert to class differences, has a character in one of his novels set during World War II bemoan the fact that a senior Royal Air Force officer has been allowed to join an elite dining club. This gaffe occurred, the character explains, because it came during the Battle of Britain, "when the Air Force was for a moment almost respectable. ... My dear fellow, it's a nightmare for everyone." In fact, some aspects of the class system did manage to persist in the RAF. Members of some "auxiliary" units formed by the wealthy and titled of London amused themselves, recalled one pilot, Hugh Dundas, by referring to the regular RAF as "the coloured troops." Class differences also reached into the cockpit - RAF officers generally enjoyed the helpful privilege of flying the same aircraft every day, while sergeant pilots were assigned whatever machine was available. Nonetheless, Orwell was struck by the class implications of the RAF's role in staving off a German invasion. "Because of, among other things, the need to raise a huge air force a serious breach has been made in the class system," he wrote. With the Battle of Britain just ended, he wrote in the conclusion of The Lion and the Unicorn that "the heirs of Nelson and of Cromwell are not in the House of Lords. They are in the fields and the streets, in the factories and the armed forces, in the four-ale bar and the suburban back garden and at present they still are kept under by a generation of ghosts." Looking at the same question from a different perspective, Churchill came to a similar conclusion. He noted to subordinates with some concern that the aristocracy had played a small role in the Battle of Britain. There had been, he observed, an "almost entire failure" of Eton, Harrow, and Winchester, where the nation's elite schooled its sons, to contribute pilots to the Royal Air Force. Of the three thousand pilots who flew fighters in the Battle of Britain, only about two hundred had attended Eton, Harrow, or other elite schools. That was a tiny figure compared with World War I, when Eton alone had contributed 5,768 men to the military, of whom 1,160 were killed and 1,467 were wounded. Churchill concluded, "They left it to the lower middle class" - that is, the offspring of hardworking teachers, bank clerks, Methodist shopkeepers, and low-ranking bureaucrats. Of those "excellent sons" of the lower middle class, Churchill concluded, "They have saved this country; they have the right to rule it." In this sense, Margaret Thatcher, the daughter of a small-town grocer who had left school at the age of thirteen, clearly appears as Churchill's rightful political heir. As a rising young politician, she wore a silver lapel pin showing Churchill's profile. First elected to Parliament in 1959, she overlapped there with the decrepit Churchill for some five years, until he stepped down in 1964. Excerpted from Churchill and Orwell: The Fight for Freedom (Penguin Press, 2017) http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/30/1940-middle-class-pilots-saved-england-and-what-that-meant-for-british-politics/ Back to Top Parts Demand For Older Aircraft Rising Factors could be aligning for significant widebody-parts demand increase. OEM-alternative parts specialist Heico Corp. is seeing an uptick in demand on parts for older aircraft, but is stopping short of betting on wholesale life-extensions. "We've seen some increase in spending on some of the older equipment," said Eric Mendelson, CEO of Heico's Flight Support Group (FSG), without getting into specifics. The dip in production rates on several widebody programs, including the Boeing 747-8 and 777 a well as the Airbus A330 and A380, combined with steady fuel prices and strong passenger demand bodes well for adding life to older twin-aisle aircraft. But so far, life-extension programs have not risen to the trend level. "Clearly, with widebody build rates being down and fuel being down, that should bode well for extending some of the time on some of the older equipment," Mendelson said. "But we don't have that factored into our numbers right now, because we don't know what the future is going to bring." It's too early to say that work on older aircraft is jump-starting commercial aftermarket demand, but that could soon change. While traffic growth as measured by revenue passenger kilometers has risen 6% or more in recent quarters, International Air Transport Association figures show, the increase in the number of aircraft five years and older has been lower-around 3%, Canaccord Genuity said. This year, it should be higher, which bodes particularly well for the widebody aftermarket. "We should start to see an acceleration in [aftermarket] demand for widebody aircraft, where production levels over the next 2-3 years will step down on the 777 and A380, remain flat on the 787, and see some increase on the A350," Canaccord said in a recent research note. "However, demand for parts on the 737 and A320 could see increased pressure as both Boeing and Airbus push to production rates in the high-50s/month on these aircraft." Canaccord is projecting the number of aircraft older than five years will grow about 4.5% this year. Meanwhile, Heico's FSG segment saw net sales climb 5% in the company's fiscal second quarter, which wrapped up April 30. The six-month sales figure is up 7%. Organic growth for the periods was 5% and 6%, respectively. Heico is projecting a full-year increase in the mid- to high-single digits at FSG, Mendelson said. The projections include contributions from electric interconnect parts distribution specialist Air Cost Control (ACC), which Heico purchased during the quarter. Mendelson noted that ACC, which distributes connectors, wire, cable, fastening systems, and electromechanical parts, is largely complementary to Heico's existing businesses with strong distribution channels, such as Seal Dynamics. "We are immediately finding opportunities for our distribution companies to work together," he said. "There really is no product overlap. I [have] some significant expectations for great opportunities down the road." http://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/parts-demand-older-aircraft-rising Back to Top Safeskies 2017 Conference The thirteenth biennial Safeskies aviation safety conference, Safeskies 2017, will be held from October 3 to 5, at the National Convention Centre, Canberra, Australia. Visit www.SafeskiesAustralia.org for details of program and registration. Back to Top Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Nominations Invited The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) are accepting nominations for the 2017 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award. Presented since 1956, the honor recognizes notable achievement in method, design, invention, study or other improvement in aviation safety. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." www.ltbaward.com Nominations, which should include a one- to two-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website. Nominations will be accepted through June 14. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-05-11/laura-taber-barbour-air-safety-award-nominations- invited Back to Top Research Survey - 1 Dear Participants, You are being requested to participate in a research study of your opinions on the implementation of controlled rest in position to combat fatigue. This study is expected to take approximately 8 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and currently employed as a professional pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJLP5j2hu6WNBxMnrsWEFvJwc2Aqp1EHZXduM1dPwS5IezXQ/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, please contact: Dr. Scott R. Winter scott.winter@mac.com We appreciate your interest and participation! Back to Top Research Survey - 2 Dear Participants, You are being requested to participate in a research study on risk. This study is expected to take approximately 5 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and a pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out before study completion, your data will be destroyed immediately. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYQv1wQ7ti8p8uE6rjWsAsoTvRe23hvVCR4LSvJheUNMt72Q/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, please contact: Dr. Stephen Rice Stephen.rice2@erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Dr. Stephen Rice, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Curt Lewis