Flight Safety Information June 29, 2017 - No. 130 Incident: KLM B772 and KLM B738 at Amsterdam on Jun 22nd 2017, conflicting takeoff clearances Incident: Azur Air B763 at Moscow on Jun 28th 2017, cabin did not pressurize Incident: Jazz DH8D at Edmonton on Jun 12th 2017, smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Antonov 2R biplane impacted terrain following a loss of engine power Elwell appointed FAA Deputy Administrator The US will ban laptops on 180 international airlines unless they meet mysterious new security rules Laptop ban on planes to US replaced by tighter security Report to Congress: Out of Breath - Military Aircraft Oxygen Issues 11 passengers removed from Alaska Airlines flight for 'disruptive behavior' Powerful GOP senator seeks to loosen Flight 3407 safety law France general 'took fighter jet for weekends' The Air Force seems to have persuaded Congress to pay up for the A-10 Navy introduces new Chief of Naval Air Training Small Nations Are Boldly Staking Claims In The Unfolding Space Economy Incident: KLM B772 and KLM B738 at Amsterdam on Jun 22nd 2017, conflicting takeoff clearances A KLM Boeing 737-800, registration PH-HSD performing flight KL-1385 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Kiev (Ukraine), had been cleared for takeoff from runway 18L and was accelerating for takeoff. A KLM Boeing 777-200, registration PH-BQI performing flight KL-31 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Toronto,ON (Canada), had been instructed to line up runway 24 and wait by the outgoing tower controller. A controller change took place. Another aircraft reported ready for departure from runway 18L and was instructed to line up runway 18L and wait by the incoming tower controller. Immediately after this instruction the incoming controller cleared KL-31 for takeoff, the crew of KL-1385 immediately reported they were still departing conflicting with KL-31's jet blast, the controller immediately cancelled takeoff clearance for KL-31 and instructed them to hold position, the aircraft had not yet moved. KL-31 departed about 2 minutes later, both aircraft reached their destinations without further incidents. On Jun 28th 2017 Netherland's LVNL (ATC provider) reported that the controller immediately after issuing the takeoff clearance on runway 24 and the readback by the crew cancelled the takeoff clearance. When the departing aircraft on runway 18L went past the intersection with runway 24 the Boeing 777 was still lining up from taxiway S6 and was not yet in position. After the departing Boeing 737 had passed the runway intersection the controller issued another takeoff clearance to the Boeing 777. The crew of the Boeing 737 did not call on frequency that they were in the takeoff. The LVNL rated the occurrence in the lowest possible category. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aaae3d8&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Azur Air B763 at Moscow on Jun 28th 2017, cabin did not pressurize An Azur Air Boeing 767-300, registration VP-BUX performing flight ZF-5555 from Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) to Varadero (Cuba), was climbing out of Moscow when the crew stopped the climb at FL160 due to the cabin not properly pressurizing. The aircraft dumped fuel and returned to Moscow for a safe landing about 2:15 hours after departure. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration VP-BXW is estimated to reach Varadero with a delay of about 9 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aaee96b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jazz DH8D at Edmonton on Jun 12th 2017, smoke in cockpit last updated Wednesday, Jun 28th 2017 20:28Z A Jazz de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GJZD performing flight QK-8134 from Calgary,AB to Edmonton,AB (Canada) with 45 people on board, was descending through 11,000 feet towards Edmonton when the crew donned their oxygen masks and declared emergency reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft continued for a safe landing at Edmonton, vacated the runway and stopped on the adjacent taxiway for an inspection by emergency services. The smoke had dissipated in the meantime, the crew therefore decided to taxi the aircraft to the gate, where the passengers disembarked normally. The aircraft had been involved in a similiar occurrence 4 days earlier, see Incident: Jazz DH8D at Seattle on Jun 8th 2017, smoke in cabin. The Canadian TSB reported that the problem in both occurrences was identified to have been an internal fault in the left hand engine (PW150A), the engine was replaced. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JZA8134/history/20170612/1400Z/CYYC/CYEG http://avherald.com/h?article=4aaee757&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Antonov 2R biplane impacted terrain following a loss of engine power Status: Preliminary Date: Tuesday 27 June 2017 Time: 15:00 Type: Antonov 2R Operator: Albatros Registration: UR-19717 C/n / msn: 1G165-31 First flight: 1975 Engines: 1 Shvetsov ASh-62IR Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: Kiliya District ( Ukraine) Phase: Maneuvering (MNV) Nature: Agricultural Departure airport: ? Destination airport: ? Narrative: The Antonov 2R biplane impacted terrain following a loss of engine power during an aerial application flight in the Kiliya District, Ukraine. One of the two pilots sustained minor injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170627-0 Back to Top Elwell appointed FAA Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell was sworn in this week as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Deputy Administrator. Appointed by President Donald J. Trump, Elwell is the second highest-ranking official at the agency responsible for ensuring aviation safety and air traffic control services for the nation. Elwell returns to the FAA during a historic period of safety and change as air traffic control reform is being considered to speed airspace modernisation and new entrants like unmanned aerial vehicles and commercial spacecraft are integrated into the airspace system. "Dan's insight and experience will serve the FAA and public well," said FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta. "He has a strong background as a military and civilian pilot, as well as holding key leadership positions within the aerospace industry." Elwell previously served as FAA Assistant Administrator for Policy, Planning and Environment from 2006 to 2008. Most recently, he has been serving as the Senior Advisor on Aviation to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. Before returning to public service, Elwell was President and Managing Partner of Elwell and Associates, an aviation consulting firm. Elwell also was Senior Vice President for Safety, Security and Operations at Airlines for America and Vice President at the Aerospace Industries Association. Elwell graduated from the United States Air Force Academy. https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/36569/elwell-appointed-faa-deputy-administrator/ Back to Top The US will ban laptops on 180 international airlines unless they meet mysterious new security rules a laptop on the screen of an X-ray security scanner The US announced today (June 28) it's rolling out a set of new, largely undisclosed security measures targeting some 2,000 international flights arriving at American airports every day. The new rules will apply to 180 airlines flying out of 280 airports in 105 countries, according to senior officials at the Department of Homeland Security. "We are not standing on the sidelines while fanatics hatch new plots," said secretary John Kelly, adding that terrorists see aviation as their "crown-jewel target." The new measures could potentially be good news for travelers who feared the laptop ban the US imposed on 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa in March would be extended to the other parts of the world. (The new policy also applies to those 10 airports, where airlines could start admitting laptops as soon as they comply with it.) But it could also mean bad news: If the airlines fail to enforce the new standards, the US could bar all large personal electronic devices from their planes, even the cargo hull. "If they are screened they can fly, if they are not screened they can't fly," said one of the officials during a media briefing ahead of the rollout. Non-compliant airlines could be barred altogether from landing in the US. Still, the homeland security officials on the call also tried to downplay that possibility, telling reporters that many airlines already carry out safety procedures that are very close to meeting the new rules. They expect only a sliver of them-1%-to be unable to do so. It's hard to judge that assessment, given that the department is not providing any significant details about what the extra measures will entail. The officials said that travelers can expect intensified screening at airports, in the form of sniffing dogs, or more screening equipment. They didn't give any hints about the "unseen" measures that are also part of the new procedures. Travelers were also left wondering about when the new confidential rules will be put in place. Sometime in the short and medium term, US officials said, depending on factors that also remained mystery. Kelly said the new rules are the first step in a broad effort to increase aviation security, which could eventually include expanding the number of foreign airports where travelers can go through US customs and border security before boarding their flight. "We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat," he added. https://qz.com/1017116/laptop-ban-on-flights-us-extends-restrictions-to-180-airlines-from-105-countries/ Back to Top Laptop ban on planes to US replaced by tighter security The US Homeland Security Department opts for enhanced security measures over expanding a ban on laptops in the passenger cabins of planes. DHS says the new security measures include heightened screening of personal electronic devices. The US Homeland Security Department has decided not to expand a ban on laptops in the passenger cabins of planes flying to the States. Instead it's requiring tighter security measures for all aircraft and airports. The DHS made the announcement Wednesday, saying the enhanced security standards would apply to all commercial flights to the United States. The 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa affected by the current laptop ban will have that prohibition lifted if they implement the new standards. The DHS had previously indicated that the ban, which applies to laptops, tablets and other devices larger than mobile phones, might be expanded to all flights from Europe. Later, it said the ban might be applied to all international flights to and from the US. Homeland Security put the ban in place after intelligence revealed terrorists were developing an explosive that could be hidden in portable electronic devices. In a fact sheet on its website, the DHS said the new security measures would include "enhancing overall passenger screening; conducting heightened screening of personal electronic devices; increasing security protocols around aircraft and in passenger areas; and deploying advanced technology, expanding canine screening, and establishing additional preclearance locations." https://www.cnet.com/news/laptop-ban-planes-to-us-replaced-by-tighter-security/ Back to Top Report to Congress: Out of Breath - Military Aircraft Oxygen Issues The following is the June 21, 2017 CRS Insight brief to Congress, Out of Breath: Military Aircraft Oxygen Issues. The Air Force recently grounded some of its newest aircraft, F-35A strike fighters, due to incidents in which pilots became physiologically impaired with symptoms of oxygen deficiency while flying. Although the root cause of the F- 35 incidents has not yet been established, the grounding has renewed attention on hypoxia, a physical condition caused by oxygen deficiency that may result in temporary cognitive and physiological impairment and possible loss of consciousness. Hypoxia has affected pilots of F-22, F/A-18, and T-45 aircraft in recent years. Military aircraft (and jet aircraft generally) operate at altitudes where there is not enough oxygen for humans to retain consciousness without supplemental oxygen supplies. For several decades, combat aircraft relied on canisters of compressed liquid or gaseous oxygen to provide pilots sufficient oxygen. However, the finite oxygen supply limited mission duration, and its handling complicated aircraft maintenance. This led to the development of On-Board Oxygen Generation Systems, or OBOGS. Developed in the early 1980s, OBOGS was conceived as a source of limitless oxygen. The system works by purifying air drawn from the plane's engine compressor (called "bleed air") before it reaches combustion. That air is run through a series of scrubbers, or "sieve beds," that remove nitrogen. The resulting gas going to the pilot is approximately 95% oxygen and 5% argon. OBOGS systems are made by a number of contractors, including Honeywell, Cobham, Air Liquide, and others. How is this different from commercial aircraft? Most commercial aircraft also use engine bleed air to provide air for cabin climate control and pressurization. That air is not filtered to remove nitrogen, because commercial aircraft cabins are pressurized to a constant altitude, usually at or around 8,000 feet. At this pressure altitude, the cabin air climate retains sufficient oxygen for human needs. In contrast, combat aircraft pressurization varies as a function of altitude, with a fixed difference between cabin and outside pressure. Military aircraft can change altitude (and thus cabin pressure) quite rapidly, which could cause physical complications (such as "bends," or the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood) were a higher ratio of nitrogen present. F-22 incidents F-22 Raptor takes off for a training mission at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on May 16, 2014. US Air Force Photo Although hypoxia cases occur at a steady but low rate in normal operations (due to system failure, maintenance, or other issues), the condition came to prominence in 2010, after the loss of an F-22 Raptor and its pilot following a suspected oxygen loss. This highlighted physiological issues with the F-22, including 12 hypoxia-like incidents between 2008 and 2011, and led to a grounding of the F-22 force pending investigation and resolution. The matter was given additional prominence when two F-22 pilots appeared on the newsmagazine 60 Minutes to discuss their refusal to fly the F-22. In 2012, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing to evaluate the results of the Air Force's investigation. Ultimately, the Air Force found that the F-22 issues were not due to the supply of oxygen. Instead, a combination of factors was cited-most notably, that a valve controlling the pilot's pressure vest could allow the vest to inflate unnecessarily, which physically restricted the pilot's ability to breathe. F/A-18 incidents An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the Gladiators of Strike Fighter Squadron 106 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). The ship is underway conducting aircraft carrier qualifications during the sustainment phase of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Anderson W. Branch/Released) Navy testimony prepared for a March, 2017, House Armed Services Committee hearing indicates that the rate of physiological incidents possibly attributed to oxygen issues in F/A-18E/F Super Hornets has been rising steadily since 2010. There were a reported 297 such incidents in F/A-18s between May 2010 and October 2015. Oxygen system issues may have contributed to the deaths of four F/A-18 pilots in the Navy. A Navy report on the F/A-18 and T-45 incidents, redacted for public release, stated, "the Navy has not yet been able to pinpoint a specific root cause of the (physiological incidents) in the T-45 and the FA-18 aircraft." It also stated: The integration of the on-board oxygen generation system (OBOGS) in the T-45 and FA-18 is inadequate to consistently provide high quality breathing air. To varying degrees, neither aircraft is equipped to continuously provide clean, dry air to OBOGS-a design specification for the device. The net result is contaminants can enter aircrew breathing air provided by OBOGS and potentially induce hypoxia. A Navy Physiological Episode Team continues to investigate the F/A-18 incidents to establish a root cause. In the meantime, the Navy has implemented a number of procedures and restrictions to minimize possible effects on the force. F/A-18E/Fs were originally expected to be in service for 6,000 flight hours. The Navy now expects them to fly for 9,000 hours. The Navy is in the process of upgrading the original OBOGS sieve beds for all F/A-18s (including "legacy" F/A- 18A/D models.) T-45 incidents A T-45 Goshawk assigned to Carrier Training Wing (CTW) 1 approaches the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) on March 20, 2017. US Navy photo. In May 2017, the Navy grounded its 197 T-45 trainer jets to address concerns from instructor pilots who were refusing to fly due to an increase in oxygen-related physiological incidents. Originally scheduled to last two days, the grounding continues, which is building a backlog in flight training at the rate of 25 prospective pilots per month. The Navy report on the F/A-18 and T-45 incidents indicated that the OBOGS sieves used in some T-45 aircraft had been recycled after use in F/A-18s, indicating a possible connection among the Navy incidents. F-35 incidents A F-35 A Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed Martin Photo In June 2017, the Air Force grounded 55 F-35A Lightning II strike fighters for 11 days after five incidents resembling hypoxia. The grounding affected only aircraft of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, used for training; the five incidents all came from that base. Subsequently, the Air Force revealed 10 other F-35A physiological events dating to 2011. The OBOGS system on Luke F-35As is the same as that in other Air Force aircraft, and those flown by the Navy and Marine Corps. No similar issues have been reported with other services' F-35s. An Air Force team is investigating the incidents. Flight restrictions and other procedures have been implemented to reduce risk as the unit resumes operation. CRS will follow this issue and update its publications as events warrant. https://news.usni.org/2017/06/28/report-congress-breath-military-aircraft-oxygen-issues Back to Top 11 passengers removed from Alaska Airlines flight for 'disruptive behavior' Alaska Airlines says 11 passengers were removed from a flight headed from Juneau to Seattle on Monday night due to "disruptive behavior onboard." Company communications manager Roy Lane said Alaska Airlines Flight 78 was set to depart Juneau at 6 p.m. It was taxiing on the runway for takeoff when it returned to the gate, Lane said. "Flight attendants reported to the pilots that a group of passengers was not following safety protocol for departure," Lane said. According to the airline, the passengers refused to stop charging their cellphones during takeoff, fasten their seatbelts and put their seats upright. They also reportedly were playing music loudly and made inappropriate comments to the flight attendants. When the plane returned to the gate, 11 members of that group were asked to deplane, Lane said. Others who were part of the group stayed on the plane. "While this situation does not happen every day, it's not uncommon for us to have to remove passengers if they're behaving in a disruptive manner or not following crew member instructions," Lane said. "To us, this is a safety issue - if a customer will not comply with crew member requests on the ground, it's not safe for us to allow them to fly until they demonstrate that they're willing to follow basic safety instructions." The removed passengers boarded a flight two hours later, and those who needed to make connections did so, Lane said. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2017/06/28/eleven-passengers-removed-from-ak-airlines-flight-for-disruptive- behavior/ Back to Top Powerful GOP senator seeks to loosen Flight 3407 safety law Sen. John Thune (R) S.D. WASHINGTON - The threat that the Families of Continental Flight 3407 worried about finally started to take shape Wednesday, as a key senator said he would propose changes to the pilot experience requirements that the families fought to get enacted into law seven years ago. Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, told Politico that he and his committee colleagues are working on a proposal to alter the rule that requires both pilots and copilots to have 1,500 hours of flight experience before flying a commercial airliner. The proposed amendment to a bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration "preserves the strong safety requirements in the law but at the same time makes it a little bit easier" for regional airlines to hire copilots, Thune said. Thune didn't offer details of the proposal, only saying that it "basically allows for structured or disciplined instruction, and it sort of fits within the context of what we already allow for - academic training, military training qualifies for the 1,500 hours." But the airlines have been floating a proposal on Capitol Hill that would allow experience gained at unaccredited flight schools, and schools run by the airlines, to count toward the 1,500 hour requirement. Under the law that the families fought for, the only academic training that counts toward the 1,500 hour requirement is that which is obtained at an accredited aviation college or university or in the military. Thune's proposal will meet stiff opposition from New York's two U.S. senators. "This is an underhanded attempt by the regional airlines and their allies in Congress to chip away at pilot training requirements that are in place to protect public safety," said Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y. "This amendment is an insult to the families of Flight 3407 and to anyone who has lost a loved one in a preventable airline accident. I will use every tool at my disposal to defeat this amendment on the Senate floor." Karen Wielinski stands at the memorial to the victims of Flight 3407 and the lot where her home stood on Long Street in Clarence Center on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News) The Flight 3407 families, who are on a three-day lobbying trip to Washington this week, plan to fight Thune's proposal as well. The families group came together after Continental Connection Flight 3407, run by a now-defunct regional airline called Colgan Air, crashed into a home in Clarence in February 2009. Fifty people died in that crash, which investigators came to blame on pilot error. That finding prompted the families to work with lawmakers to craft a broad-ranging aviation safety bill that imposed tough new pilot training and rest requirements. Yet the airlines long have fought the part of the bill that requires newly hired pilots to have 1,500 hours of flying experience. Asked about Thune's proposed changes on Wednesday, Karen Eckert, one of the leading members of the families group, said: "Let the record speak for itself - eight and a half years without a fatal crash on an American airline." Eckert also noted the nation's airline pilots - including Jeff Skiles, the copilot of the US Airways plane that successfully crash-landed in the Hudson River in 2009 - strongly back the aviation safety law and stood side by side with the families at a press conference on Tuesday. Still, Thune is a formidable opponent. The third-ranking Republican in the Senate leadership, he chairs the committee that oversees legislation affecting the airlines. That committee will be marking up its FAA reauthorization legislation on Thursday, with some of the Flight 3407 families in attendance. The airlines clearly want changes to the 1,500 hour rule, saying it has contributed to a pilot shortage. "We recognize the rule has impacted the pilot supply by reducing, and postponing, the pool of hireable pilots," Russell A. Childs, the CEO of SkyWest, the nation's largest regional airline, told Congress earlier this year. Thune told Politico that his amendment would be a very narrow change in the law, and that it would require the FAA to certify that any flight instruction counted toward the 1,500 hours requirement is safe. The proposal will help alleviate the pilot shortage, he said. "At the same time, we preserve a strong safety requirement," Thune told Politico. Asked about the Flight 3407 families, Thune said they will be "opposed to any change whatsoever." Then again, any change to the aviation law will also have to pass muster with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat who was the leading congressional figure behind the aviation safety law that Thune wants to amend. And earlier this week, Schumer said he was renewing his push to maintain the current safety standards. "It is unthinkable that some in the aviation industry are pushing the FAA to water down these standards, and it is an affront to the 3407 families' efforts over the last eight years," said Schumer, who has been known to tear up with emotion at events with the Flight 3407 families. http://buffalonews.com/2017/06/28/powerful-gop-senator-seek-changes-flight-3407-safety-law/ Back to Top France general 'took fighter jet for weekends' The French air force mainly uses the Alpha Jet for training The French air force is investigating a senior officer said to have used a fighter jet to fly for weekends away. General Richard Reboul flew the Alpha Jet from a training base in Bordeaux in western France to his property in Provence, the Canard Enchaîné reported. He is also said to have taken a six-seat military transport plane along with a pilot and co-pilot, the satirical newspaper said. Gen Reboul made about 10 trips in total, the newspaper said. The Alpha Jet is a light attack and advanced training aircraft manufactured jointly by Dassault in France and Dornier in Germany. The French air force mostly uses it to train fighter pilots. How long would it take? The distance between Bordeaux and Salon-de-Provence is 470km (290 miles) as the crow flies. map Car - six hours Train - seven hours, including two changes Commercial flight - an hour to Marseille, then 30 minutes by car Alpha jet - 28 minutes at the jet's maximum speed of 1,000 km/h http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40429037 Back to Top The Air Force seems to have persuaded Congress to pay up for the A-10 An A-10 pilot exits after a flight, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, September 2, 2011. USAF / Senior Airman Corey Hook A bit of budgetary gamesmanship by the US Air Force earlier this month seems to have paid off, as the House Armed Services Committee has allotted money to keep the vaunted A-10 Thunderbolt in the air, according to Defense News. The committee chairman's draft of the fiscal year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act includes $103 million for an unfunded requirement related to the A-10 that the Air Force included in its budget request. The $103 million, plus $20 million from this fiscal year, will go toward restarting production of A-10 wings to upgrade 110 of the Air Force's 283 Thunderbolts. Defense experts told CNN earlier this month that the Air Force's inclusion of the A-10 wing money in its unfunded requirements was likely a ploy to get Congress to add money for the venerable Thunderbolt on top of the money apportioned for the service branch's budget request. Members of the House Armed Service Committee looked likely to approve money for the A-10, which is popular among both service members and elected officials like committee member Rep. Marth McSally, herself a former A-10 pilot, and Sen. John McCain. McSally noted during a hearing earlier this month that the Air Force had committed to retaining just six of its nine squadrons of A-10s and pressed Air Force officials to outline their plans for the fleet. A10 Warthog Flares Air Force decoy heat seeking missiles US Air Force The Air Force currently plans to keep the A-10 in service over the next five years at minimum, after which point the fleet will need some maintenance. US Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mike Holmes told Defense News this month that without new wings, those 110 A-10s would have to go out of service, though he did say the Air Force had some leeway with its resources. "When their current wings expire, we have some flexibility in the depot; we have some old wings that can be repaired or rejuvenated to go on," he told Defense News. "We can work through that, so there's some flex in there." The Air Force has been looking at whether and how to retire the A-10 for some time, amid pushback from elected officials and increased demand for close air support against ISIS, in which the A-10 specializes. The five-year cushion described by Holmes gives the service more time to evaluate the aircraft and whether to replace it with F-35s or another aircraft. The National Defense Authorization Act only approves a total amount of funding, Defense News notes, which means others in the House and Senate could choose to direct those funds to projects other than the A-10's refurbishment. The Air Force's priorities may change as well. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told Defense News that the service had a defense strategy review in progress, after which the service life of the A-10 - which has been in the air since 1975 - could be extended. Though, Wilson said, the Air Force has a number of platforms that need upgrades. http://www.businessinsider.com/congress-provides-money-for-a-10-thunderbolt-wings-2017-6 Back to Top Navy introduces new Chief of Naval Air Training As the U.S. Navy tackles safety issues that halted some T-45 jet training, part of their approach is making sure the chief of naval air training is a more experienced pilot. Officials at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi believe they've found their man in Rear Adm. James Bynum. Bynum was introduced to local media Wednesday evening by Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker. Bynum has logged more than 4,200 hours in tactical aircrafts and flown more than 90 combat missions with Navy and Air Force units. Bynum said he's looking forward to sharing his vision of naval air training and being an accessible chief for the students and instructor pilots. "I want to listen to them and what they have to say," Bynum said. "As we get informed by their input, we'll be able to get back on step and return to doing our mission." T-45 jet training was paused in April, after pilots began suffering from physiological episodes while in the cockpit. More: Safety issue with T-45 jet causes Navy to halt Pensacola training The Navy ordered a comprehensive review following those concerns, and released the results on June 15. Several recommendations resulted from the review. Rear Adm. James Bynum watches on as Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker talks to the media about T-45 training during a news conference on Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at the Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi. (Photo: Gabe Hernandez/Caller-Times) The review found that the aircraft needed to be redesigned to fix issues with the oxygen systems. The report also suggested integrating a life support system that can monitor the cabin's environment and pressurization systems. There was also a shortfall in physiological episode reporting, the review found, stating more needed to be done to monitor the issue, including using audio and video recordings to review any possible episodes that may have occurred in the cockpit. "We need to do a better job in understanding, reporting and adjudicating the events," Shoemaker said. Shoemaker said modifications will lead to full production by early fall, and that students may begin flying again by late July. "Both the students and instructors are champing at the bit to get flying," Shoemaker said. "But we will do this in a measured manner. Safety remains the number one priority." http://www.caller.com/story/news/local/military/2017/06/29/navy-introduces-new-chief-naval-air- training/434044001/ Back to Top Small Nations Are Boldly Staking Claims In The Unfolding Space Economy Space mining startups and satellite companies find financial incentives, stable governments, and streamlined regulations in places like the UAE and Luxembourg. The nations of the world are chomping at the bit over the unfolding space economy, from ever-more satellite launches to tourism and mining. And it's not just the major powers, like the U.S., Russia, and China-smaller countries like Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates also want their piece of the pie in the sky. Space programs run by private companies in the smaller locales are not only a source of national prestige but a way to attract skilled, multinational employers with potential global-changing futures. "We're talking about what will be the foundational business of the future of the earth economy in space-something that can literally scale to astronomical levels," says Chris Lewicki, CEO of space mining startup Planetary Resources. The company received a 25 million euro grant and investment package from the Luxembourg government and a state-owned bank last year. A major rival, Deep Space Industries, also has plans to work with the country on harnessing natural resources from space. "Both Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries have established subsidiaries in Luxembourg and will start contributing to the promotion of the local space industry by developing several key activities exclusively in Luxembourg," a spokesperson for the government writes in an email to Fast Company. The mining investments, linked to the 570,000-resident country's SpaceResources.lu initiative, follow state support dating back to the 1980s for SES, the largest communication satellite operator in the world, the spokesperson notes. For space-centric companies, the benefits to doing business in a friendly jurisdiction go beyond subsidies and investment dollars: Luxembourg has announced its intention to be the first EU member to adapt formal legal frameworks around commercially harnessing minerals and other resources in space-the United States set up rules of its own formally legalizing commercial space mining with 2015's Space Act. Even the tiny Isle of Man, home to just 85,000, has a space-friendly government. Mann, as it is also known, is a semi-autonomous British crown dependency in the middle of the Irish Sea that long cultivated satellite operators looking to secure international rights to the broadcast spectrum they need to operate over. A company called ManSat has since 1998 shepherded spectrum applications through the International Telecommunications Union, the international organization that handles such matters, under an exclusive license from the island's telecom regulator. "It's the most powerful international organization that (Da Vinci Code author) Dan Brown hasn't written about yet," quips ManSat CEO Christopher Stott of the ITU. And while technically satellite companies can apply through dozens of different jurisdictions around the world, working with one that handles many such applications-and fewer other telecom filings compared to large regulators like the U.S. Federal Communications Commission-can help make the process smoother and faster, says Stott. "The spectrum is the same-it's how you get to the spectrum," he says. "Do you go through Grand Central station and push and shove to get on a really crowded train, or do you take the equivalent of a private jet to get somewhere a little bit faster?" Mann also offers a 0% tax rate on satellite and other businesses, and financial assistance for high tech concerns just setting up shop. It also gives space businesses of all stripes the advantage of the rule of law and stable government. "Our parliament this year is at 1,038 years of uninterrupted parliamentary rule," Stott says-an attractive feature for companies whose satellites or other spacecraft can easily cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars, take years to build, and deliver decades of operation. "When you're putting $500 million or more into a satellite project, you want it in a very safe place," says Stott. The United Arab Emirates, too, is seeking to build a space sector as part of a push for economic diversification. The country of 9 million "has already financed activities and projects to the tune of some five billion dollars," writes UAE Space Agency Director General Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi in an email to Fast Company. It's part of a wave of diversification in the oil-rich country that's also seen Dubai, one of seven emirates that make up the UAE, promoted as an international business and tourism destination. Experiencing rapid growth is the country's aviation sector, with the rise of the Emirates airline, and aerospace manufacturing operations that Al Ahbabi says produce parts for Airbus and Boeing. "They see the end of the oil coming," says P.J. Blount, an adjunct professor of the University of Mississippi's air and space law program and a staff editor of the Journal of Space Law. "They know they can only ride that wave so long." The UAE Space Agency was founded in 2014 and plans to launch an unmanned mission to Mars in 2020, aiming to arrive at the planet in 2021, in time for the 50th anniversary of the country's founding. The agency also announced plans earlier this year to build a human settlement on Mars by 2117. "While this seems like a very distant goal, in fact it involves a range of short- and mid-term projects that will develop specific skillsets, expertise and technologies in the UAE, including plans for the first Emirati astronauts," writes Al Ahbabi. The UAE is also in the midst of putting together its own Space Law to govern the use of space resources, he writes. Still, while businesses seeking favorable laws may flock to jurisdictions offering the right legal incentives, those with ties to larger countries like the United States will likely still face some regulation at home. That's because countries face potentially unlimited liability for damage caused by their activities in space under the 50-year-old Outer Space Treaty, and nations are naturally afraid of ceding jurisdiction if there's a chance that responsibility still remains. Foreign "states are a bit more aggressive in asserting jurisdiction over their own actors and won't retract that jurisdiction until another state has really picked it up and said, we're going to be responsible from that launch," says Blount. And, in practice, space businesses often need to operate in multiple countries: While they might incorporate and acquire spectrum rights in one country, they may have manufacturing elsewhere. And launch capabilities might be in another country close to the equator, where spacecraft can grab a speed boost from the Earth's rotation; and communications facilities in a third that's particularly suited to connecting with the device in orbit. "Now in this phase of globalization we're finding it's not one jurisdiction versus another, it's how you pair them together-like fine wines," says Stott. https://www.fastcompany.com/40419407/small-nations-are-boldly-staking-claims-in-the-unfolding-space-economy Curt Lewis