Flight Safety Information July 3, 2017 - No. 132 Incident: Europa E195 at Zurich on Jul 2nd 2017, very bad smell in cabin Incident: Lufthansa A319 at Frankfurt on Jul 1st 2017, odour in cockpit Incident: Jetblue A320 near Atlantic City on Jun 28th 2017, smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: My Indo B732 at Wamena on Jul 1st 2017, burst both tyres on landing Incident: Edelweiss A320 at Zurich on Jul 2nd 2017, engine shut down in flight Incident: Republic E175 at Toronto on Jun 20th 2017, runway incursion Canadair CL-600-2C10 Engine Fire Rescue helicopter crash kills 8 after volcano erupts in Indonesia 60s-era jet makes emergency landing in Plainview (Texas ICAO lauds Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain's air safety measures Cabin Air Safety Act introduced to combat toxic fumes on airplanes Grounding of two Malindo Air aircraft disrupts multiple flights Drone causes Gatwick Airport disruption U.S. to Allow Laptops Aboard Etihad Flights After Airline Tightens Security FAA Is Working on a Remote Identification System For Consumer Drones Honeywell, NASA Complete Predictive Sonic Boom Tests Stratasys has 3-D printing ready for takeoff in aviation industry From Oldest to Youngest: The Average Fleet Age of the 10 Major U.S. Airlines Female pilots smashed the sky-high glass ceiling, but their numbers are declining Old Dogs, New Blimps: Goodyear Pilots Need to Be Retrained Incident: Europa E195 at Zurich on Jul 2nd 2017, very bad smell in cabin An Air Europa Embraer ERJ-195, registration EC-KYO performing flight UX-1676 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Madrid,SP (Spain), was climbing out of Zurich's runway 28 when the crew stopped the climb at FL280 reporting a very bad smell in the cabin, the crew advised it was not an emergency situation however requested a smooth as possible return. The aircraft returned to Zurich for a safe landing on runway 14 about 25 minutes after departure. The crew subsequently reported normal operation and taxied to the apron. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 5 hours, then departed as flight UX-2 to Madrid maintaining a maximum FL290. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab197f4&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa A319 at Frankfurt on Jul 1st 2017, odour in cockpit A Lufthansa Airbus A319-100, registration D-AILC performing flight LH-144 from Frankfurt/Main to Nuremberg (Germany), was climbing out of Frankfurt's runway 18 when the crew stopped the climb at about FL160 reporting an unusual odour in the cockpit and returned to Frankfurt for a safe landing on runway 25C about 25 minutes after departure. A passenger reported the flight was already delayed due to an aircraft change. The captain announced that during cold start of the aircraft a computer was hung. Maintenance accessed the avionics bay to perform a system reset. A few minutes after departure the captain came on stating that it did not make sense to continue the flight, they would return to Frankfurt. The aircraft landed back with emergency services on stand by, the captain then announced that both pilots had noticed an unusual odour in the cockpit. The flight was cancelled, the passengers supplied train tickets to Nuremberg. The occurrence aircraft had already returned to Frankfurt on Jun 29th 2017 while performing flight LH-148 to Nuremberg and remained on the ground until needed as replacement aircraft for LH-144 on Jul 1st 2017. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab1a1ac&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A320 near Atlantic City on Jun 28th 2017, smoke in cockpit A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N645JB performing flight B6-1443 from Newark,NJ to West Palm Beach,FL (USA), was climbing out of Newark when the crew stopped the climb at about FL230 reporting smoke in the cockpit and decided to divert to Atlantic City,NJ for a safe landing about 15 minutes later. The FAA reported the aircraft diverted due to smoke in the cockpit. The same aircraft later continued the flight. The airline reported the aircraft diverted out of abundance of caution due to unusual odour in the cabin. The odour was identified to originate from equipment in the aft galley. The same aircraft continued to West Palm Beach. A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration N535JB continued the flight and reached West Palm Beach with a delay of 500 minutes. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 11.5 hours, then positioned to New York JFK and resumed service. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU1443/history/20170629/0100Z/KEWR/KPBI http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab04615&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: My Indo B732 at Wamena on Jul 1st 2017, burst both tyres on landing A My Indo Airlines Boeing 737-200, registration PK-MYR performing a freight flight from Jayapura to Wamena (Indonesia) with 4 crew and 12 tons of cargo consisting of fuel and food, landed on Wamena's runway 15, rolled out and turned around to backtrack the runway when the crew stopped the aircraft near the threshold runway 33 due to both nose tyres burst. The runway was closed for about 4 hours until the aircraft was moved off the runway. PK-MYR sitting on the runway (Photo: Alvin Lie): http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab19e1a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Edelweiss A320 at Zurich on Jul 2nd 2017, engine shut down in flight An Edelweiss Air Airbus A320-200, registration HB-IJU performing flight WK-176 from Zurich (Switzeland) to Antalya (Turkey) with 166 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of Zurich's runway 32 when the crew reported a technical problem and stopped the climb at FL120. THe crew subsequently declared emergency reporting an engine (CFM56) had been shut down. The aircraft return to Zurich for a safe landing on runway 16 about 25 minutes after departure. The airline reported the crew received a thrust reverser malfunction indication prompting them to shut the engine down and to return to Zurich. The aircraft was examined, the problem identified and rectified, and the aircraft was released to depart again. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 105 minutes, then departed again and reached Antalya with a delay of 2 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab1956e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Republic E175 at Toronto on Jun 20th 2017, runway incursion A Republic Airways Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of Amercian Airlines, registration N135HQ performing flight YX-4407/AA-4407 from Charlotte,NC (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 76 people on board, had landed on Toronto's runway 24L and was instructed to vacate via taxiway D4 and hold short of runway 24R. The aircraft however went past the hold short line at runway 24R. The Canadian TSB reported, at the time a business jet was departing runway 24R, was already airborne and overflew the Embraer. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab04307&opt=0 Back to Top Canadair CL-600-2C10 Engine Fire (DIA) Date: 02-JUL-2017 Time: 18:16 LT Type: Canadair CL-600-2C10 Regional Jet CRJ-701ER Owner/operator: United Express opby Skywest Airlines Registration: N796SK C/n / msn: 10300 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 63 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN) - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Aspen Airport, COL (ASE/KASE) Destination airport: Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN)| Narrative: United Express Flight UA5869, operated by a Skywest CRJ-701, suffered an engine issue after landing at Denver International Airport, Colorado, USA. The 59 passengers and 4 crew evacuated the aircraft. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196480 Back to Top Rescue helicopter crash kills 8 after volcano erupts in Indonesia, officials say KARTA, Indonesia -- A rescue helicopter crashed while heading to help evacuate residents near an active volcano on Indonesia's main island, killing all eight people on board, officials said Monday. The helicopter crashed about three minutes before arriving at Dieng Plateau, the popular tourist area where the volcanic eruption Sunday injured at least 10 people. The aircraft reportedly hit a cliff on Butak Mountain in the Temanggung district of Central Java province. All eight people on board were killed, said Maj. Gen. Heronimus Guru, deputy operations chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency. He told The Associated Press, "We are now at the Bhayangkara Hospital in Semarang," the Central Java provincial capital where the victims' bodies were taken. Brig. Gen. Ivan Tito, director of operation and training at the search agency, told TVOne station in a live interview from Temanggung, that the victims were four navy officers and four rescuers. He also said the Indonesian-made Dauphin AS365 helicopter was airworthy. The Sileri Crater at Dieng Plateau spewed cold lava, mud and ash as high as 50 meters (164 feet) into the sky when it erupted Sunday morning, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho. The sudden eruption occurred while about 17 visitors were around the crater. Ten people were injured and were treated at a hospital. Soldiers and police officers were dispatched and local residents and visitors were asked to evacuate in case of further eruptions, Nugroho said. The crater appeared to be quieter Monday morning, and all visitors to the plateau have been evacuated. Sileri is the most active and dangerous among some 10 craters at Dieng Plateau. Its most recent eruption was in 2009, when it unleashed volcanic materials up to 200 meters (656 feet) high and triggered the creation of three new craters. Dieng Plateau, located in the Central Java district of Banjarnegara, is a popular tourist attraction because of its cool climate and ninth-century Hindu temples. It sits about 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) above sea level. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rescue-helicopter-crash-indonesia-volcano-erupts-dieng- plateau/ ***************** Date: 02-JUL-2017 Time: afternoon Type: Eurocopter AS365 N3+ Dauphin Owner/operator: Basarnas Registration: HR-3602 C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Temanggung, Central Java Province - Indonesia Phase: En route Nature: Survey Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The SAR helicopter was carrying at least eight people including four crew when it hit a cliff in Temanggung, Central Java province, late Sunday afternoon, a senior official at the social affairs ministry said. The helicopter was on a mission to oversee the situation in Central Java, where a volcanic crater erupted at the Dieng Plateau that afternoon. All eight occupants died in the crash of the helicopter. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196469 Back to Top 60s-era jet makes emergency landing in Plainview (Texas) An older-model 1960s era training jet was forced to make an emergency landing at the Plainview Hale County Airport around 1:40 p.m. today. The jet, a Aero L-29 Delfin, according to The Plainview Herald, was coming into Plainview from Lancaster for a fuel stop on its way to California. However, before making the landing the pilot called in saying there was mechanical issues with the landing gear. The jet was able to land safely but skidded along the runway and the pilot was not injured. The pilot has been identified as Scott Farnsworth, a 2016 Air Race Champion and member of the Red Dragon Aero Team. As of now the Plainview Fire Department and Department of Public Safety are using air pumps and pallets to lift the jet off of the runway. http://www.kcbd.com/story/35795747/60s-era-jet-makes-emergency-landing-in- plainview *************** Date: 01-JUL-2017 Time: 13:40 Type: Aero Vodochody L-29 Delfin Owner/operator: Private Registration: N12DN C/n / msn: 8928014 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Hale County Airport (KPVW), Plainview, TX - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Destination airport: Plainville/Hale County (KPVW) Narrative: The aircraft experienced a gear-up landing during a refueling stop at Hale County Airport (KPVW) in Plainview, Texas. The airplane sustained unreported but apparent minor damage and the sole pilot onboard was not injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196456 Back to Top ICAO lauds Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain's air safety measures JEDDAH: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) held an informal session on Friday in which the Secretariat General presented updated information about safety in the skies over the Arabian Gulf. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the director of the Middle East regional office, Mohammed Rahma, said that in direct cooperation with the countries which announced severing their relations with Qatar, the office staff on June 5 activated a contingency plan set forth in Annex XI to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, 1944). The director of the air navigation bureau, Steve Kramer, said that the General Secretariat has no concerns about safety in the skies over international waters in the Gulf. He added that on July 6, the regional bureau will hold a meeting in Cairo with representatives of the countries that have cut ties with Qatar to discuss any new demands from Qatar regarding the opening of new air routes over international waters in the Gulf. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1122946/saudi-arabia Back to Top Cabin Air Safety Act introduced to combat toxic fumes on airplanes CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A U.S. senator from Connecticut introduced a bill to protect flight crews and passengers after a Channel 9 investigation exposed toxic fumes seeping onto planes. In May, Channel 9 reported that there were 11 toxic fume incidents on flights to and from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport over the past few years. The Allied Pilots Association said there have been 20,000 toxic fume incidents over the past 10 years. Those fumes can make passengers and the flight crew sick. "I'd like to thank (WSOC) for covering this. Now we have legislation before us, and heightened crew awareness," APA member Dennis Tajer said. The new bill called the Cabin Air Safety Act would require airlines to train employees to identify toxic fumes. It will require the FAA to write reports and do follow-up investigations. It also mandates planes have carbon monoxide sensors. http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/cabin-air-safety-act-introduced-to-combat-toxic- fumes-on-airplanes/544415173 Back to Top Grounding of two Malindo Air aircraft disrupts multiple flights Filepix of a Malindo Air aircraft at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. - Bernama PETALING JAYA: The grounding of two Malindo Air aircraft last week has disrupted its scheduling of flights and many of its affected passengers complaining about service. Many of the disgruntled passengers have taken to social media to complain about service and how they have been left stranded in their destinations. A spokesperson from Malindo Air told theSun that the delays in flights are due to this and flights are being rescheduled. "The delays are due to technical issues, therefore we need to reschedule the flights. A number of departures have been affected as two aircraft have been grounded. Affected passengers have been provided with food and accommodation," the spokesperson told theSun via Whatsapp today. However, some passengers have complained on twitter that the airline staff kept them in the dark and did not provide any form of relief. Malindo Air has said they are working on getting their flight schedules back to normal tomorrow. Among international flights affected by the service disruption included Hanoi, Vietnam and Bandung, Indonesia. Local flights affected are those flying out of Subang and KLIA 2 to Alor Star and Kota Kinabalu. Two Boeing 737 aircraft are grounded in Delhi and Dhaka due to technical issues. The plane in Delhi was grounded there after Malindo Air Flight OD132, en route to Kuala Lumpur from Lahore on June 25, was forced to divert to the Indian city due to engine issues. On June 27, Malindo Air Flight OD163, which was flying to Kuala Lumpur, returned to Dhaka because of a crack in its windshield. Social media has been buzzing about the delays over the weekend, with passengers taking to Twitter to air their grievances. "All flights for Malindo airlines are late and they are not even giving proper information," (sic) a passenger tweeted from Malaysia. One passenger tweeted that his flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu 7.30pm on Saturday but it only took off at 2pm on Sunday. Another said (sic), "bandung, I heard all Malindo flights are delayed for a long and unspecified time." "Reached my limit, I'm so done," one frustrated passenger tweeted. Checks on Malindo Air Facebook page shows disgruntled passengers commenting about the numerous delays they had experienced. "Yesterday, OD1603, Kuching to kl, retimed 4x and delayed. Actual flight 3.55pm became 10pm. Some pax (waiting since 2pm," (sic) Alix Fave said in his comment on the airline's page. He also said no compensation or food vouchers were given to the passengers. Many complained about long delays, anywhere from four to seven hours of delay as well as delays in collecting their baggage. Many passengers said their calls to the airlines customer service lines were not been answered. http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2017/07/03/grounding-two-malindo-air-aircraft- disrupts-multiple-flights Back to Top Drone causes Gatwick Airport disruption Five flights were diverted because of the drone flying near the runway A drone flying close to Gatwick Airport led to the closure of the runway and forced five flights to be diverted. An airport spokesman said the runway had been closed for two periods of nine minutes and five minutes on Sunday evening after the drone was sighted. Easyjet said four of its flights had been diverted, while British Airways said one aircraft had been sent to Bournemouth. Other flights had to fly holding patterns as a precaution. Sussex Police is investigating. The airport said: "Runway operations at Gatwick were suspended between 18:10 BST and 18:19, and again from 18:36 to 18:41, resulting in a small number of go-arounds and diverts. "Operations have resumed and the police continue to investigate." Channel circles Passengers have told the BBC how their flights were diverted away from Gatwick. Craig Jenkins, who was flying with Easyjet from Naples, Italy, said: "We were crossing over the Channel and it started circling. "It did four or five circles, heading further east, before the captain said we were landing at Stansted. "First, they said Gatwick was closed because of an incident. Then, shortly after, they said it was a drone." Mr Jenkins, who is from Greenwich, south-east London, said passengers were given the choice of disembarking at Stansted or waiting an hour and flying back to Gatwick. Aborted landing Niamh Slatter, from Sussex, was flying home from Valencia, Spain, when her BA flight was diverted to Bournemouth. "We were due to land 15 minutes early, but ended up circling over the south coast for a while," she said. "Our attempted landing at Gatwick was aborted quite late as the drone had been spotted again, so we were told that the flight was being diverted to Bournemouth Airport." An Easyjet spokeswoman said three flights would continue on to Gatwick, while passengers from a fourth, diverted to London Southend Airport, would be provided with coach transfers. "While the circumstances are outside of our control, Easyjet apologises for any inconvenience caused," she added. Rules on flying drones Media captionDrones should be flown no higher than 400ft In November 2016, the UK's drone code was revised and updated to help pilots ensure they fly the gadgets safely. The revised code turned the five main safety tips into a mnemonic, spelling drone, to make it easier to remember. Don't fly near airports or airfields Remember to stay below 120m (400ft) and at least 50m (150ft) away from people Observe your drone at all times Never fly near aircraft Enjoy responsibly UK revises safe flying drone code Former senior air traffic controller Doug Maclean told BBC News aviation authorities had to "act on the safe side" in incidents involving drones. "Drones are really very small. They are not designed to be spotted on air traffic radar." But he added: "Airports like Gatwick and Heathrow are very busy places, so there are lots of people aware of what a drone looks like. "As soon as anyone sees anything like that, I am sure there is going to be a very instant report to air traffic control, who would then have to make a judgement on how dangerous the situation was." The British Airline Pilots' Association's flight safety specialist Steve Landells said the threat of drones flown near aircraft "must be addressed before we see a disaster". "We believe a collision, particularly with a helicopter, has the potential to be catastrophic," he said. The union has called for compulsory registration of drone users and said new technology should be considered, including a system where the drone transmits enough data for the police to track down the operator. The Civil Aviation Authority says drone use has increased significantly (File photo) In April, the UK Airprox Board, which monitors near-miss incidents, said there had been five such incidents in one month - bringing the total during the previous year to 62. This included one on the approach to Edinburgh Airport on 25 November 2016, in which a drone came within 75ft of an aircraft. In another incident last November, a near-miss involving a passenger jet and more than one drone was reported in the UK for the first time near Heathrow Airport. 'Severe penalties' The Civil Aviation Authority said there were serious consequences for people who broke the rules when flying drones. "Drone users have to understand that when taking to the skies they are potentially flying close to one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world. "[It is] a complex system that brings together all manner of aircraft including passenger aeroplanes, military jets, helicopters, gliders and light aircraft," a spokesman said. "It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment." http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40476264 Back to Top U.S. to Allow Laptops Aboard Etihad Flights After Airline Tightens Security An Etihad Airways plane at Kennedy International Airport in New York. The airline, which is based in the United Arab Emirates, is no longer subject to a ban on certain electronics brought onto United States-bound flights. Credit Lucas Jackson/Reuters WASHINGTON - American officials on Sunday exempted Etihad Airways from a ban on laptops and other types of electronics on some flights bound for the United States, restrictions instituted in March because of concerns that the Islamic State was developing a bomb that could be hidden in portable devices. The flights were cleared, according to Etihad and American officials, because the airline had begun conducting more rigorous passenger screening at Abu Dhabi International Airport, where it is the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates. The Department of Homeland Security said last week that the laptop ban would be lifted for airlines that fulfilled new requirements to increase security. Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said in a statement that Etihad Airways' adoption of the enhanced security measures was "a testament to the close collaboration, effective communication and shared security commitment between T.S.A., the international civil aviation authorities and industry." The Abu Dhabi airport also has a station where Etihad passengers go through United States Customs and Border Protection screening before boarding flights bound for the United States, rather than after landing there. Etihad has 45 flights every week to six American cities. In a statement, the airline said, "We welcome the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to lift the electronic devices ban on flights between Abu Dhabi and the United States, following the successful validation of security measures." In March, homeland security officials, citing security concerns, barred passengers from bringing electronics larger than cellphones aboard flights to the United States from some majority-Muslim nations. American officials said at the time that intelligence showed that the Islamic State was designing explosives hidden in laptop batteries, prompting the ban. Several of Etihad's rivals, including Emirates and Qatar Airways, were also affected by the ban because they operate in countries covered by the order. In April, Emirates cited new security restrictions in announcing it would cut 25 flights a week to American cities. As recently as late May, John F. Kelly, the secretary of homeland security, had considered banning laptops on all flights to the United States. Last week, the department announced that passengers flying to the United States from all foreign airports would face a more comprehensive examination of luggage and electronic devices. Airport officials in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates; Jordan; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Morocco; Turkey; Egypt and Kuwait are still responsible for restricting the larger devices from nonstop flights to the United States. The Department of Homeland Security ordered passengers to stow those electronics in their checked luggage or leave them behind. Ms. Dankers of the Transportation Security Administration said that the agency was eager to work with other airlines to carry out the new security procedures. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/business/etihad-laptop-ban.html Back to Top FAA Is Working on a Remote Identification System For Consumer Drones Year after year, drones are becoming more popular with the public and the industry is expected to grow for the foreseeable future. This, coupled with an antsy commercial drone industry, has created a lot of regulatory headaches for the FAA. The latest proposal on the table is to create a remote identification system in order to increase accountability for pilots. Since drones first started to become affordable for the average user, there has been a fight between hobbyists who just want to be able to play with their toys and the Federal Aviation Administration which just wants to keep people safe. New standards for legal airspace to fly a consumer drone were implemented last year. And since 2015, drones that weigh more than half-a-pound had to be registered. In May, a federal court struck down that rule but Congress is reportedly working on legislation that would reinstate the registration requirement. Still, even if a drone is registered, that doesn't mean that authorities can see the tiny registration number on the bottom of the device when it's airborne. Last week, a new rulemaking committee met to discuss a proposal for remote identification of drones. Seventy-four organizations participated in the meeting including Amazon, Qualcomm, and the NYPD. The various groups have differing reasons for why they do and don't want unfettered airspace for drones. According to a report from Recode, it looks like some sort of remote identification system is inevitable. First, a registration system would have to be put back in place but the official recommendations from the FAA are due on September 30th. Logistically, some sort of air traffic control system is going to need to be in place if the future is really going to include drone package delivery, medical drones, internet-delivery drones, and, of course, massive police surveillance. The skies are going to get too crowded and it's too easy for bad actors to use drones for nefarious purposes. Even when people have no ill intent, the remote-controlled devices can cause chaos. Earlier this week, two planes fighting wildfires in Colorado had to prematurely drop their flame- retardant payloads because of drones flying in the area-a screwup that cost the US Forest Service somewhere between $16,000 and $20,000. Regulators may be facing a two-step forward, one-step back approach at this point but with big money getting into the industry, a strict system is inevitable. Enjoy flying that bad boy with limited restrictions while you can. http://gizmodo.com/faa-is-working-on-a-remote-identification-system-for-co- 1796578439 Back to Top Honeywell, NASA Complete Predictive Sonic Boom Tests Honeywell recently wrapped up a two-year testing program with NASA to demonstrate avionics technology that can predict sonic booms in supersonic flights. The completion of the test program comes as NASA was finishing its preliminary design review of its Quiet Supersonic Transport (QUeSST), the initial design stage of the agency's planned low boom flight demonstration (LBFD) experimental airplane. Honeywell's participation involved demonstrating how predictive sonic boom software and display technology can be integrated in a Dassault Falcon 900EX, equipped with Honeywell's Primus Epic. "Since the business jet was flying subsonic, a speed and/or altitude multiplier was used with the software to show how the sonic boom carpet would be displayed under given conditions," a Honeywell spokeswoman told AIN. The technology is designed to help mitigate sonic booms over populated areas by alerting pilots where and how people may hear them on the ground. The sonic boom is a primary obstacle to supersonic flight, since many countries do not permit it over land. "With predictive technology and knowledge, pilots can change course and minimize the boom over populated areas," said Bob Witwer, Honeywell Aerospace's vice president of advanced technology. Over the past few decades NASA has been collaborating on the Cockpit Interactive Sonic Boom Display Avionics software that uses the aircraft's position and flight parameters to predict sonic boom impact over the course of the flight path. The two-year test program involved integrating the software with Honeywell's interactive navigation technology in the cockpit. "This technology could prove to be useful for NASA's future planned low-boom flight demonstration experimental airplane," added Brett Pauer, NASA's commercial supersonic technology subproject manager for overland supersonic flight. "This airplane is being designed to gather community noise response data that may help remove the regulatory speed restriction to overland commercial supersonic flight." http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-07-03/honeywell-nasa- complete-predictive-sonic-boom-tests Back to Top Stratasys has 3-D printing ready for takeoff in aviation industry Stratasys' new product could transform the aviation industry now that it has FAA's OK Boom Supersonic aircraft manufacturer is one of the companies that Stratasys is supplying 3-D printer-made parts to. Get ready Jetsons. The armrest on your next airplane ride might have be made by a 3-D printer. In June, Stratasys Ltd. introduced a new 3-D printer at the Paris Air Show that makes the Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency approval process easier for aviation parts makers, said the company with dual headquarters in Eden Prairie and Israel. Stratasys promises that its Fortus 900mc Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution can make the certification process quicker for new interior plane parts such as armrests and window panels. The 3-D printer includes updated hardware and software to make strong and lightweight aircraft parts on a repeatable process. It took four years of working with aerospace customers to achieve both repeatability and FAA certification, Stratasys officials said. "Until now, the process of achieving FAA certification for 3-D printing has been limiting the adoption of additive manufacturing in aviation," said Scott Sevcik, who heads Stratasys' Aerospace, Defense and Automotive Solutions. It took Stratasys four years to achieve repeatability and FAA certification to make plane parts, like this armrest. It took Stratasys four years to achieve repeatability and FAA certification to make plane parts, like this armrest. "There have been limited specialized solutions and statistical data sets available to support this complex process," Sevcik said. "With the new Stratasys Fortus 900mc Aircraft Interiors Certification Solution, we are removing major obstacles and making it much easier to 3-D print airworthy parts." If successful, the effort could help Stratasys meet its longtime goal of increasing aerospace revenue. "The opportunity represented here has near term potential in the tens of millions [of dollars] and can extend to well over $100 million," Sevcik said. Stratasys' 3-D printers already are used in the $13 billion aerospace industry, but mostly to make prototypes and assembly tools for customers such as Airbus, NASA, United Launch Alliance, Siemens and Boeing. Customers can choose to buy the new printer to have in-house or contract with Stratasys to manufacture the parts, most likely lightweight pieces for the interior of the airplane. The company expects that most customers will buy their own printer. Stratasys' newest manufacturing process uses strong Ultem 9085 thermoplastic resin, which is lightweight, nontoxic and flame resistant. The resin, which comes in the form of pellets or string like filaments, is used inside Stratasys' Fortus 900mc printer. The printer melts the resin, reads the computerized digital design file and then repeatedly "prints" or deposits tiny droplets of resin in exactly the right place until a 3-D (and often hollow) structure emerges, such as an armrest or a window panel. The goal is to be able to use 3-D printing to manufacture large quantities of an interior airplane part with reliable consistency, said Stratasys spokesman Joe Hiemenz. The printer, and by extension the process, is now undergoing a first-of-its-kind qualification test by the FAA. The test is being conducted at the National Institute of Aviation Research's (NIAR) National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) at Wichita State University and will be completed by September. A final qualification report will follow. "NIAR has been commissioned to develop the framework that would include polymer additive manufacturing [also known as 3-D printing] under the NCAMP umbrella. And we have partnered with Stratasys to be the first material for this new process," said Paul Jonas, NIAR's director of technology, development and special programs. Jonas noted that FAA manufacturing requirements are extremely stringent because each 3-D printed airplane part must be exactly the same. "The first part that you make has to be equivalent to the hundredth part, to the thousandth part and to the part you make 10 years from now in order to be good enough to be certified by the FAA," Jonas said. "That is what is so powerful about the NCAMP process." If Stratasys passes the institute's test, it would be the latest accomplishment for a company that has struggled with profitability. Stratasys, which generated $672 million in revenue but recorded a $77 million loss last year, announced three other new aerospace partnerships last month. Stratasys' Fortus 900mc printer was chosen by the German Aerospace Centre to make a working robot prototype capable of exploring Mars. That prototype is now being tested and subjected to extreme conditions believed to be found on Mars. Separately, Eviation Aircraft said it will use Stratasys 3-D printers to make prototypes, tools and parts for its electric private airplanes. Stratasys also announced that its 3-D printers will be used by Boom Supersonic to make a lightweight experimental jet that will travel about 2.6 times faster than a standard commercial jet. That's 1,451 miles per hour. The prototype for that project is set to be done by 2018. If achieved, it could transform the flight industry, shortening commercial flights from New York and London to just three hours instead of seven, officials said. http://www.startribune.com/stratasys-has-3-d-printing-ready-for-takeoff-in-aviation- industry/431670893/ Back to Top From Oldest to Youngest: The Average Fleet Age of the 10 Major U.S. Airlines The most surprising fact: Newer sounds better, but it may not always be. Breathe it in. Can you smell it? That "new airplane smell"? Not all airlines have it. In fact, despite the airplane buying boom of the past few years, some airlines still run fleets so old, you can practically taste the mildew. Other airlines operate fleets so new that the paint may not even be dry yet on the exterior, nor have the downsized seats had time to pop any springs. What follows is a quick rundown of the top 10 major U.S. airlines -- who has the shiniest new jets, and who's still limping along on ancient airframes. We begin at the bottom, with ... An Allegiant airplane on the ground. Allegiant Air -- average fleet age: 19.8 years According to Airfleets.net, Allegiant Air (NASDAQ:ALGT) operates the oldest airplane fleet of any major U.S. airline. Allegiant's fleet is so old that its most numerous airplanes are McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and -90s, which ceased production 17 years ago. Allegiant also operates a pair of Boeing 757s (out of production since 2004) and about five somewhat younger dozen Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. A Delta airplane in flight. Delta Air Lines -- average fleet age: 17.0 years Allegiant's fleet even makes Delta's (NYSE:DAL) look young by comparison -- which is a neat trick, given that Delta actually flies four times as many ancient MD-80s and -90s as Allegiant does. Delta's 747s are even older, averaging 25.9 years across a magnificent seven of these old birds. Delta's youngest jets include 19 Airbus A321s, bought, on average, less than a year ago. Your best bet at boarding a newish plane, though, is by booking aboard one of Delta's 160 nine-year-old Boeing 737 Next Gens. A United airplane on the ground. United Airlines -- average fleet age: 14.3 years United Continental Holdings' (NYSE:UAL) United Airlines was the first of the big "legacy" airlines to begin deployment of Boeing's novel 787 Dreamliner. It now flies 32 of these widebodies -- the newest airplanes in its fleet, at an average age of just 2.5 years. The airline's next youngest plane model is the Boeing 737 Next Gen -- 10.4 years old on average. United flies 340 737s -- by far its most numerous plane model. A Southwest airplane taking off. Southwest Airlines -- average fleet age: 11.8 years Unlike the airlines discussed so far, Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) flies exclusively Boeing airplanes. In fact, Southwest flies just one model of Boeing airplane -- the 737. These planes come in either "classic" vintage (737-300s, -400s, and -500s, aged 22 years on average) or "next generation" models (737-600s, -700s, -800s, and -900s). Flying just one type of plane built by one single manufacturer helps to keep Southwest's pilot and mechanic training costs low and cuts down on maintenance costs. This is one reason Southwest Airlines boasts one of the best gross profit margins in the air business -- 37.4%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence -- despite operating a fleet that's really only middle of the pack, in terms of age. American airplane American Airlines -- average fleet age: 10.8 years Perhaps surprisingly for a "legacy" carrier, American Airlines Group's (NASDAQ:AAL) average airplane age is a full year younger than Southwest's. Helping American bring its average plane age down have been the airline's post-bankruptcy purchases of new Boeing 787 airliners (25 of them) and Airbus A321s (which now number 208 -- among the most numerous planes in American's fleet). A more dubious honor that American "boasts" is that it ties Delta for operating the most varied fleet of aircraft -- 11 models in all. This gives American great flexibility in matching the "right" size airplane to the right route, but it probably doesn't do American's maintenance costs any favors. A Hawaiian airplane, flying above the clouds. Hawaiian Airlines -- average fleet age: 10.8 years With only 51 planes in its fleet, Hawaiian Airlines (NASDAQ:HA) is the smallest of the "major" U.S. airlines on this list. Its fleet splits almost evenly between older Boeing 717s and 767s (15 years-plus), and newer Airbus A330s (aged 4.2 years on average). A JetBlue airplane on the ground. JetBlue Airways -- average fleet age: 9.2 years Founded by a former Southwest exec, JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU) famously imitated Southwest's low-cost airline business model -- but not 100%. Whereas Southwest flies an all-Boeing fleet, and all of one model, JetBlue is primarily an Airbus A320 shop. It also flies a fleet of 41 newer Airbus A321s (aged 1.8 years), and five dozen smaller Embraer 190 and 195 aircraft as well. An Alaska airplane on the runway. Alaska Airlines -- average fleet age: 8.9 years Alaska Airlines (NYSE:ALK) -- like Southwest an all-Boeing 737 shop -- is a really interesting story. In terms of age, Alaska's 8.9-year-old fleet is among the newest in the industry, and it's getting even younger as time goes by. Last year, Alaska bid $4 billion to acquire rival Virgin America. And Virgin America's fleet, consisting entirely of Airbus A320-family aircraft, is even younger than Alaska's -- 7.4 years. Once it's fully absorbed into Alaska Air in 2019, the average age of Alaska's fleet will drop even further. If calculated today, the two fleets' ages would average out to 8.5 years per plane. A Frontier airplane on the ground. Frontier Airlines -- average fleet age: 7.3 years Alaska Airlines still wouldn't be as youthful as Frontier Airlines, however. Like Virgin America, Frontier flies an all-Airbus fleet. Like Virgin America, it's a young one at just 7.3 years per plane on average. Unlike every other airline on this list, Frontier is not a publicly traded company, but privately held. Spirit Airlines -- average fleet age: 6.6 years Last and least (in terms of age) comes Spirit Airlines (NASDAQ:SAVE). Like Frontier's, all Spirit Airlines airplanes are Airbuses -- A319s, A320s, and A321s. And as of today, Spirit Airlines holds the honor of operating the youngest airplanes in the country. But before you go buying tickets on Spirit (or Frontier) based solely on the newness of their planes, here's a fun fact for you: As of the most recent Airline Quality Rating report, Spirit Airlines no longer ranks dead last for quality of service in America. That "honor" has fallen to Frontier Airlines, owner of the industry's second newest fleet -- which just goes to show you that newer isn't always better. https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/03/average-fleet-age-of-the-10-major-us- airlines.aspx Back to Top Female pilots smashed the sky-high glass ceiling, but their numbers are declining A team of explorers strongly believe they have solved a nearly 80-year-old mystery. They think they can prove what happened to Amelia Earhart, her navigator and her plane. USA TODAY Even 80 years after her disappearance, Amelia Earhart's story has inspired a generation of new female pilots who are breaking the sky-high glass ceiling. People are still fascinated by the mystery of Earhart's disappearance and scientists are still searching for her remains. Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, disappeared on July 2, 1937, and since then women have become fighter pilots and broken the sound barrier, among other feats. A number of female pilots are becoming popular on Instagram by sharing photos from the cockpit and of their world travels in hopes of inspiring other women to pursue aviation as a career. Eser Aksan Erdogan, a pilot for the Turkish budget airline Pegasus Airlines, has gained over 73 thousand followers on the app where she documents her life as a pilot. She admitted that working in such a male-dominated industry has its challenges. On one occasion, a few passengers tried to disembark when they found out a woman would be flying. "People have these ideas about women, like 'women can't drive,' and if they fly planes it's even more frightening." she said. In 6 years of flying, Erdogan said she's only been able to fly with an all female crew twice. "Best flight ever!" she said. "Flying with other girls, you understand each other, what you've been through, and how you think." Erdogan, whose husband is also a pilot, said many other female pilots follow her Instagram and provide a network of support for one another. On International Women's Day, all female crews took off on several airlines, including Egyptair and Emirates. Indian Air, the first carrier to operate a domestic flight with an all female crew, set a world record by flying an all-female crew around the world. The first-ever all-female flight crew on Royal Brunei Airlines landed in Saudi Arabia last year - a country where women aren't allowed to drive. Two black women, Dawn Cook and Stephanie Johnson, made history as the first all- female African American cockpit crew in Delta Airlines history earlier this year. Even with female flight crews setting records across the world, the numbers for female pilots still lag far behind men. The number of female pilots jumped dramatically from 4,218 in 1960 to 26,896 in 1980, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. In the past two decades, all that progress has stalled and declined. The number of female pilots fell to 23,216 in 2016, a mere 5% of all pilots in the U.S. So why aren't there more female pilots? Harvard economist Claudia Godlin points out that women are at a disadvantage because many commercial airline pilots learned to fly as fighter pilots, an option which was only opened to women in 1993. This helps some pilots save on expensive flight lessons and certifications. Mireille Goyer, president of Institute for Women of Aviation Worldwide, cited these ever-rising costs as another deterrent for women in a blog-post. Goyer also pointed to the culture surrounding aviation as potentially uninclusive towards women. Flying is still being peddled as a career for men, leaving women few role models or mentors and making qualified women less likely to pursue flying than their male peers, according to Goyer. The flight training environment is dominated by mechanically-inclined men, which presents additional hurdles to women. Goyer has started initiatives like "Fly it Forward" to support young women with an interest in aviation, and Instagram celebrities like Erdogan are making sure future female pilots have role models to look up to. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2017/07/01/80-years-after-earhart- female-pilots-smash-sky-high-glass-ceiling/443877001/ Back to Top Old Dogs, New Blimps: Goodyear Pilots Need to Be Retrained The Goodyear Tire company is training pilots of its iconic blimps to fly new airships in northeast Ohio. In this Monday, May 15, 2017, photo, a Goodyear blimp hovers over a grassy field in Akron, Ohio. The Goodyear Tire company is training pilots of its iconic blimps to fly new airships in northeast Ohio after the company retired the last of its old blimp fleet in March. (AP Photo/Dake Kang) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AKRON, Ohio (AP) - When William Bayliss is in the air, he wants to make sure he's the one flying the machine, not the machine flying him. That's why blimps are more his speed than planes. Bayliss, one of about only 40 airship pilots in the world, flies for the Akron-based Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. It's one of the most difficult jobs in aviation, a position so rare and out of fashion that there are more astronauts in the world. In this realm, there is no autopilot like on traditional planes. "They fly all by themselves," said Bayliss, a cherub-cheeked, sandy-haired 31-year-old. "As a pilot, you want to fly. You don't want to watch a computer fly." Goodyear decommissioned the last of its 45-year-old blimps in March and replaced them with new models that require fresh training. Each pilot must fly 100 hours before he or she is ready to go solo. Six have finished, but seven others, including Bayliss, are in the middle of training. The shape of the old blimps was maintained by gas pressure. The new models are technically zeppelins, not blimps, because they have a frame structure that maintains the ship's shape. That makes them easier to maneuver, Goodyear says, acknowledging the company will still call them blimps. On a sunny Monday morning at a grassy field near the Goodyear hangar, Bayliss clambered into the cockpit for a flight with Michael Dougherty, chief pilot in charge of training. As they geared up for liftoff, Bayliss pulled out a checklist and peered up and down the controls, left and right around the interior. Though the Hindenburg disaster helped end the airship era 80 years ago, Goodyear kept its fleet to advertise its tires over baseball games and golf championships. The ships drift lazily over sporting events, allowing on-board cameras to stream aerial footage live to TV networks. Airships are tricky to fly because they're light, yet bulky, making them susceptible to battering by wind and rain. Water collects on the nearly 30,000 square feet of fabric making up the ship's envelope, foisting it with extra weight. "It's really like flying a boat," Dougherty said. "It's a learning curve." Even the temperature makes a big difference. Hot days mean the helium will expand, giving a ship more lift; cold days make it contract, bogging it down. Because weather changes all the time, it's impossible to create blimp flight simulators, making the extra training hours necessary. "No two takeoffs and two landings are ever the same," Dougherty said. "There so many variables; you're at the mercy of the environment around you." But it's the difficulty of piloting an airship that draws people in the first place. They are the last chance for pilots to take to the skies the old-school way: no autopilot, no computer algorithms crunching data, only a human at the throttle. That's what led Bayliss to apply for a job at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Bayliss was set on being an airline pilot until the day he first tried a simulator in flight school, when an uncomfortable revelation sank in: Most of the time, it wouldn't be his hands on the throttle. "I thought to myself, 'Ah, I bet they don't have autopilot on airships,'" Bayliss said. "That's how it all started." Flying airplanes these days is a strict routine. Every takeoff and landing has to be done at the same speeds, at the same angles, with the same engine power, all controlled by autopilot. Pilots call it "flying by numbers" and bemoan it for turning them into passive dial monitors. Bayliss found a refuge in the cockpit of Goodyear's blimps. When he heard they would be replaced with the new models, he worried flying them wouldn't be the same. The old blimps had rubber pedals, elevator wheels and steam gauges. They felt tactile in a way the new airships, with GPS, joysticks and glass cockpit screens, don't, Bayliss said. But gripping the throttle of Goodyear's new airship, he said he felt the same thrill he'd looked for his whole life. "You can't just fly numbers, you feel it," Bayliss said. "Pilots, we call it 'seat of the pants' flying." https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2017-07-03/old-dogs-new-blimps- goodyear-pilots-need-to-be-retrained Curt Lewis