Flight Safety Information July 11, 2017 - No. 138 In This Issue Incident: Thomas Cook A321 at East Midlands on Jul 9th 2017, unruly computer Incident: Swiss A321 at Zurich on Jul 9th 2017, flaps problem USMC KC-130 Inflight Fatal Accident (Mississippi Fokker - 70 Cracked Windshield Cracked windshield forces Haiti-bound Delta jet to land in Daytona European Union Revises List Of Banned Airlines An Air Travel Incident Sparks Renewed Debate About Safety Protocols Ranchi: AirAsia passenger attempts to open exit door midair, handed over to police ATSB to investigate potential drone collision with light aircraft in Adelaide (Australia) Thai cabinet OKs air force's planned procurement of aircraft from South Korea TSB recommendation stemming from 1998 airplane crash 'still active' Air Canada flight nearly lands on crowded taxiway at San Francisco International Airport Boeing Starts Strong With 381 Airplane Orders in the First Half of 2017 Meet the Night Witches, the Daring Female Pilots Who Bombed Nazis By Night House offers increase to FAA commercial space office CHC Safety & Quality Summit CHC Helicopter and Sikorsky Provide Awards for Aviation Students to Attend CHC Safety & Quality Summit GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST (SURVEY) Incident: Thomas Cook A321 at East Midlands on Jul 9th 2017, unruly computer A Thomas Cook Airbus A321-200, registration G-DHJH performing flight MT1054 from East Midlands,EN (UK) to Larnaca (Cyprus), was climbing out of East Midlands' runway 27 when the crew declared emergency and stopped the climb at 6000 feet. After about 15 minutes the aircraft entered a hold at FL100 for about 20 minutes then returned to East Midlands for a safe landing on runway 27 about one hour after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned due to a discrepancy with the onboard computer systems. A passenger reported the crew announced a computer problem. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab737da&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Swiss A321 at Zurich on Jul 9th 2017, flaps problem A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration HB-IOC performing flight LX-1838 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Athens (Greece), was climbing out of Zurich's runway 32 when the crew stopped the climb at FL100 reporting a problem with the flaps, the flaps being stuck between setting 1 and 2. The aircraft entered a hold to burn off fuel and returned to Zurich for a safe landing on runway 16 at a higher than normal speed about 90 minutes after departure. The flight, that had been scheduled to depart at 13:05L but actually departed at 23:11L past night curfew, was postponed to the next morning. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration HB-IOM reached Athens with a total delay of 23 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab73553&opt=0 Back to Top USMC KC-130 Inflight Fatal Accident (Mississippi) Date: 10-JUL-2017 Time: ca 16:30 Type: Lockheed KC-130 Hercules Owner/operator: United States Marine Corps (USMC) Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 16 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Itta Bena, MS - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Military Departure airport: Mid-South Base in Millington, Tenn. Destination airport: ? Narrative: A KC-130 impacted a soybean field and burst into flames. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196606 ************** 16 dead in military plane crash in rural Mississippi, officials say ITTA BENA, Miss. -- A U.S. military plane crashed into a field in rural Mississippi Monday, killing all 16 people on board, spreading debris for miles and creating a fiery wreckage, officials said. Leflore County Emergency Management Agency Director Frank Randle told reporters at a late briefing that 16 bodies had been recovered after the KC-130 spiraled into the ground about 85 miles north of Jackson in the Mississippi Delta. Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns said in a statement that a KC-130 "experienced a mishap" Monday evening but provided no details. The KC-130 is a military transport plane, according to the Marine Forces Reserve., which is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash. Andy Jones said he was working on his family's catfish farm just before 4 p.m. when he heard a boom and looked up to see the plane corkscrewing downward with one engine smoking. "You looked up and you saw the plane twirling around," he said. "It was spinning down." Jones said the plane hit the ground behind some trees in a soybean field, and by the time he and other reached the crash site, fires were burning too intensely to approach the wreckage. The force of the crash nearly flattened the plane, Jones said. "Beans are about waist-high, and there wasn't much sticking out above the beans," he said. Jones said a man borrowed his cellphone to report to authorities that there were bodies across U.S. Highway 82, more than a mile from the crash site. Greenwood Fire Chief Marcus Banks told the Greenwood Commonwealth that debris from the plane was scattered in a radius of about 5 miles. Jones said firefighters tried to put out the fire at the main crash site but withdrew after an explosion forced them back. The fire produced towering plumes of black smoke visible for miles across the flat region and continued to burn after dusk, more than four hours after the crash. "It was one of the worst fires you can imagine," Jones said. He said the fire was punctuated by the pops of small explosions. The Marine Forces Reserve said the flight originated from the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, N.C. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/at-least-16-dead-military-plane-crash-rural-mississippi/ Back to Top Fokker - 70 Cracked Windshield Date: 10-JUL-2017 Time: ca 12:55 Type: Fokker 70 Owner/operator: KLM Cityhopper Registration: PH-KZP C/n / msn: 11539 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: near Amsterdam - Netherlands Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM) Destination airport: Newcastle Airport (NCL) Narrative: KLM flight KL959 returned to land at Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport, Netherlands after suffering a cracked windshield. The aircraft, a Fokker 70, took off from runway 24 at Schiphol Airport at 12:48 hours local time. During climb to cruising altitude, the flight suffered a cracked windshield. The flight crew initiated a slow descent after reaching an altitude of 10,700 feet and turned back to Schiphol Airport. A safe landing was made at 13:07 hours. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196603 Back to Top Cracked windshield forces Haiti-bound Delta jet to land in Daytona No injuries reported during emergency landing DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A Delta Airlines jet on its way to Haiti was forced to make an emergency landing at Daytona Beach International Airport late Monday afternoon after the plane's windshield cracked, according to Volusia County Fire Rescue. Delta Flight 685 landed without incident at 3:59 p.m. None of the 157 people on board were injured during the landing, although one passenger fell ill for an unknown reason. The Airbus 320 departed from Atlanta at 2:44 p.m. and was on its way to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, when the windshield cracked. "The pilot actually woke me up," passenger Larry Newcomer said. Newcomer said the plane was traveling through a storm and heavy turbulence. "One almost pulled me out of my seat we dropped so far," he said. "All of a sudden we had a big jolt, like we had struck something," passenger Ken McLeod added. McLeod said it was soon after that the pilot announced hail had damaged the plane, and they were forced to land in Daytona Beach. News 6 found out many of the passengers were missionaries traveling to Port-au-Prince. Some said they were flying for the first time. "The flight crew of Delta Flight 685 from Atlanta to Port-au-Prince, Haiti elected to divert to Daytona Beach out of an abundance of caution after an issue arose with the aircraft's windshield. The Airbus A320 landed without incident and customers deplaned normally at the gate. The safety of Delta's customers and crew is always our top priority," Delta said in a statement. The airline put passengers up in hotels overnight. http://www.clickorlando.com/news/cracked-windshield-forces-haiti-bound-delta-flight-to-land-in- daytona Back to Top European Union Revises List Of Banned Airlines There are now 181 air carriers on the European Union Air Safety List-meaning they are subject to an operating ban or restrictions in European skies-since the list was recently updated to remove operators based in Benin and Mozambique and to add Med-View of Nigeria, Mustique Airways of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Aviation Co. Urga of Ukraine and Air Zimbabwe. The public list of banned and restricted air carriers was initiated by a European Commission regulation in 2006. It is periodically updated-generally twice a year-by a group of member-state representatives that make up the European Union Air Safety Committee. A centralized process is used to authorize third-country operators for commercial air transport in European airspace. The system is managed by the European Aviation Safety Agency, which ensures that all approved foreign air carriers comply with minimum international safety standards, primarily those propagated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). According to the commission, the purpose of the list is two fold: helping "to maintain high levels of safety in the EU" while also encouraging "affected countries to improve their levels of safety." http://www.mro-network.com/safety-regulatory/european-union-revises-list-banned-airlines Back to Top An Air Travel Incident Sparks Renewed Debate About Safety Protocols If an incident occurs in the air, should commercial air passengers join in to help maintain order, or not? This issue has created debate among air safety experts. Although they do not always agree about the best role for passengers, the issue received renewed discussion recently in the wake of an incident that happened on an international flight. A Commotion in the Air On Thursday evening, July 6th, a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Beijing took off without incident from Sea-Tac Airport. It carried some 210 passengers and 11 flight attendants. However, some 45 minutes into the flight, a 23-year old passenger from Florida in the first class compartment sought to access an exit without permission. Joseph Daniel Hudek IV reportedly refused to obey a flight attendant's instructions not to attempt to exit. The flight attendant notified the captain before asking several nearby passengers for assistance in stopping him. Meanwhile, the pilot changed course to return the aircraft to Seattle. When Mr. Hudek refused to return to his seat, an altercation occurred in the first class compartment. Two flight attendants and several passengers sought to subdue the unruly passenger, who reportedly attempted to pass through the exit door twice. During the brawl, he punched a flight attendant and another passenger and a flight attendant broke a bottle over his head. Passengers eventually succeeded in subduing Mr. Hudek and securing him to a seat with zip ties. They helped monitor him until the flight reached Seattle. He was escorted from the airplane and charged with assaulting a flight attendant. Safety Protocols The incident on the Delta flight prompted comments from several air travel safety experts recently. Capt. Patrick Major, the owner of a flight school, praised the passengers and flight personnel. He did note passengers should not provide assistance without a direct request from airline personnel, however. Intervening independently to stop an altercation without first receiving a flight attendant's request could aggravate a potentially dangerous situation, he cautioned. A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines stressed the airline seeks to train its personnel thoroughly in safety procedures. Flight attendants seek assistance from passengers only in the absence of any other alternatives. In the aftermath of the Thursday flight, a flight attendant and a passenger both required medical treatment for injuries stemming from the altercation. http://www.wingsjournal.com/air-travel-incident-sparks-renewed-debate-safety-protocols Back to Top Ranchi: AirAsia passenger attempts to open exit door midair, handed over to police An unruly passenger on AirAsia flight I5-546 risked the lives of all onboard when he tried to open the aircraft door just before landing in Ranchi on Tuesday. Aftab Ahmed, the man responsible for the reckless and potentially life-threatening incident has been handed over to the police, according to a Times of India report. The incident which took place at around 9.50 pm. Some passengers and the in-flight crew were injured trying to stop the man. Luckily, the unruly flyer was unable to open the Airbus A-320 emergency gate and the plane landed safely, the report added. "Aftab Ahmed, a 32-year-old resident of Ranchi, tried to open the emergency door at about 9.50pm on Monday 10 July. After landing at Ranchi Airport, he was handed over to the local police," said a CISF spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report. The incident, though strange, is not a first for civil aviation. There have been multiple such cases in the recent past that point to a lack of air-safety and disregard for regulations. In February, a passenger onboard an IndiGo caused a security breach on a Mumbai-Chandigarh flight. According to a News18 report, the passenger opened the emergency exit door of the aircraft before take off and inflated the slide. "Just after the boarding got completed, while the aircraft was stationary, a passenger seated on seat number 12C suddenly opened the emergency exit door and inflated the slide. IndiGo staff on board immediately observed this and alerted the Captain-in-Command," the airline was quoted as saying in the report. The statement added that the man got injured in the process and that the Captain took stock of the situation and immediately informed medical authorities and police officials at the airport about the incident. The man was taken into custody. Similarly, on Saturday, a 23-year-old US man onboard a Delta Airlines flight tried to open an exit door after leaving the lavatory. According to a PTI, the man used the lavatory twice one hour into the flight and lurched towards an exit door after leaving the lavatory the second time, grabbing the handle and attempting to open the door while the aircraft was above the North Pacific Ocean near Vancouver. As two attendants struggled with him, the suspect punched one of them twice in the face and hit a passenger who was trying to assist the attendant in the head with a wine bottle and then again tried to open the exit door. A passenger who tried to pull him away from the door was punched multiple times, the report added. Eventually, the man was subdued by flight attendants and passengers and later taken into police custody after the plane returned to Seattle's Tacoma International Airport. The man, if convicted, faces up to 20 years in prison and a penalty of $250,000 for his actions. http://www.firstpost.com/india/ranchi-airasia-passenger-attempts-to-open-exit-door-midair- handed-over-to-police-3799543.html Back to Top ATSB to investigate potential drone collision with light aircraft in Adelaide (Australia) Light aircraft parked on the tarmac under moonlight. PHOTO: The pilot believes he struck a drone while approaching Parafield Airport in his light aircraft. (ABC News: Isabel Dayman) A pilot who believes his light aircraft was struck by a drone ahead of landing in Adelaide's north has prompted an investigation by Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) officers. Police said they were contacted just after 7:00pm on Tuesday by a pilot who believed he may have struck a drone on approach to Parafield Airport. The ATSB said they would review the area during daylight on Wednesday to try to find remnants of a drone before confirming it was an unmanned aerial vehicle and not a bird. Civil Aviation Safety Authority rules prohibit the flying of drones above 120 metres and within 5.5 kilometres of a controlled aerodrome with an operating control tower. Drones are not allowed to be flown at night. Fines range from $900 up to $9,000 for breaching operating conditions. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-11/atsb-to-investigate-potential-aircraft-collision-with- drone/8699224 Back to Top Thai cabinet OKs air force's planned procurement of aircraft from South Korea BANGKOK, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The Thai cabinet on Tuesday acknowledged the air force's planned procurement of eight trainer aircraft from South Korea, according to air force spokesman AVM Pongsak Semachai. During a weekly cabinet meeting at Government House chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o- cha, the planned purchase of the second batch of T-50TH jet trainers was acknowledged by the cabinet. Those South Korean trainer aircraft are to be procured at a combined cost of 8.8 billion baht (about 258 million U.S. dollars), which is to be paid on three-year instalment basis, AVM Pongsak said. The Prayut government earlier had approved the air force's plan to procure a total of 16 T-50TH jet trainers, four of which were delivered in the first batch, leaving the second batch of eight aircraft of that type and the third batch of another four aircraft for future delivery, according to the air force spokesman. The South Korean jet trainers were primarily intended to replace Czech's L-39 jet trainers which the Thai air force has been using over the last two decades, he said. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-07/11/c_136435346.htm Back to Top TSB recommendation stemming from 1998 airplane crash 'still active' A 17-year-old years recommendation to improve the quality of decision-making on the part of Canadian pilots has not been advanced far enough to reduce aviation risk, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada recently suggested. On May 18, 1998, a single-engine turboprop was destroyed after it made a forced landing in a bog after an engine failed over Newfoundland. Three were seriously injured. In its report on the accident, released March 24, 2000, TSB recommended that Transport Canada "improve the quality of pilot decision making in commercial air operations through appropriate training standards for crew members." That recommendation had a rating of "satisfactory intent," as of March, 2017, meaning that Transport Canada's "planned action, when fully implemented, will substantially reduce or eliminate the safety deficiency," but that the proposed action "has not been sufficiently advanced to reduce the risks to transportation safety." The recommendation "is still active," TSB said July 6, 2017 in a tweet. TSB, a separate organization from Transport Canada, investigates incidents in pipelines, marine, rail and aviation. TSB noted in January, 2017 that Transport Canada "proposes to go beyond the scope of the recommendation" and that a Notice of Proposed Amendment for crew resource management was posted to the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council Activity Reporting System in May 2017. "The new CRM Standard will be published in May/June 2017, together with guidance material for industry in the form of an Advisory Circular being published at the same time," TSB says on its website, adding that industry stakeholders will be briefed before publication. But until new crew resource management systems are "fully implemented," the risks associated with the safety deficiency identified in 2000 will remain, TSB suggested. The accident that occurred in 1998 was on a scheduled flight of a Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine turboprop, that took off from St. John's with an intended destination of Goose Bay, Labrador. On board were the pilot, a company observer and eight passengers. The airplane displayed a "lower-than-normal oil pressure gauge reading, followed quickly by a 'low oil pressure' flashing caution light, and then a flashing warning light," TSB said in its report. "These progressive indications were designed to alert the pilot to the worsening situation" and to "trigger" the decision to land as soon as possible. But the pilot initially "believed that what he was experiencing was an indication problem and, consequently, he did not follow the direction of 'Land as soon as possible' called for," TSB suggested in the report. The engine was shut down about 49 nautical miles from St. John's at an altitude of 13,000 feet. The pilot tried to land at Clarenville Airport, about 20 nautical miles back, but ended up landing in a bog short of the runway at Clarenville. TSB noted in its report that there is "no regulatory requirement" for pilots on single-engine instrument flight rules operations to received pilot decision-making training. In a position paper released in December, 1993, Transport Canada "concluded that the proven reliability of modern turbine engines installed in modern, factory-built, turbine-powered airframes with modern avionics made SEIFR feasible and that the risks inherent in such a policy were manageable," TSB said in the report. http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/tsb-recommendation-stemming-1998-airplane- crash-still-active-1004116946/ Back to Top Air Canada flight nearly lands on crowded taxiway at San Francisco International Airport An Air Canada plane landed without incident early Saturday morning at San Francisco International Airport after the jet nearly landed on a crowded taxiway. (Los Angeles Times) An Air Canada plane touching down at San Francisco International Airport almost landed on a taxiway crowded with four other planes, a near-catastrophe that is now under federal investigation. Air Canada flight 759 en route from Toronto was cleared to land just before midnight Friday at runway 28R, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. But the pilot had lined up the Airbus A320 for a taxiway that runs parallel to the runway, where four planes had queued and were awaiting clearance for departure, the FAA said. It's unclear how close the Air Canada flight came to the ground, and the FAA is trying to ascertain that distance in an ongoing probe. Grocers need to consider the benefits of digital opportunities when forming their future business strategies. Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines captain, told the San Jose Mercury-News, which first reported the incident, that if the pilot was not told to correct course, the scene would have been "horrific." "If it is true, what happened probably came close to the greatest aviation disaster in history," Aimer told the newspaper. An Air Canada representative could not immediately be reached for comment. Audio from the airport's traffic control tower, which was archived online and reviewed by The Times, reveals more of how the incident unfolded as the plane approached: Air Canada pilot: Tower Air Canada 759 I can see lights on the runway there. Can you confirm we're clear to land? Control tower: Air Canada 759 confirmed cleared to land on 28-right. There is no one on 28-right but you. Air Canada pilot: OK, Air Canada 759 Unknown: Where is this guy going? He's on the taxiway! Control tower: Air Canada, go around. The FAA said the air traffic controller told the Air Canada jet to circle around and make another approach. Air Canada pilot: Going around. Air Canada 759. Control tower: Air Canada, it looks like you were lined up for Charlie there. Fly heading 280. Climb maintain 3,000. Air Canada pilot: Heading 2-8-0. 3,000. Air Canada 759. United pilot: United One, Air Canada flew directly over us. Control tower: Yeah, I saw that guys. The aircraft then landed at the airport without incident at 12:11 a.m. Saturday, about 50 minutes later than scheduled, according to the online flight path. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sfo-taxiway-near-landing-20170710-story.html Back to Top Boeing Starts Strong With 381 Airplane Orders in the First Half of 2017 Entering this year, investors had fairly low expectations for order activity at Boeing (NYSE: BA) in 2017. So did Boeing's management. On the company's January earnings call, CEO Dennis Muilenberg forecast that new order intake for 2017 would be similar to the 688 net orders Boeing received last year. This was a respectable number, but it fell short of the company's production for the first time since 2009. However, Boeing has surprised everyone in the first half of 2017, bringing in a raft of orders and commitments. As long as Boeing can firm up most of its outstanding commitments in the next six months, it will almost certainly surpass its order guidance this year. Boeing's orders surge -- commitments, too Through July 4, Boeing had captured 381 net firm orders in 2017, consisting of 438 gross orders and 57 changes or cancellations. A good chunk of these orders came at last month's Paris Air Show, where Boeing announced 134 new firm orders. For comparison, Boeing only received 276 net orders in the first half of 2016. Furthermore, Boeing received commitments for 437 aircraft at the Paris Air Show last month, lifted by the new 737 MAX 10 jet. These deals haven't been finalized yet, but Boeing will probably be able to seal most of them by year's end, adding hundreds more firm orders to its backlog. Boeing also has a variety of other aircraft sale commitments waiting to be finalized. Most notably, it has agreements to sell 110 airplanes to two airlines from Iran that are still progressing through the government approval process. Solid wide-body order activity On a pure numbers basis, Boeing's order totals for the first half of 2017 look good. However, in recent years, order activity has been skewed toward narrow-bodies such as the Boeing 737. While the 737 is highly profitable, it already has a massive order backlog, so winning additional orders is less urgent. Boeing has been surprisingly successful in generating wide-body orders this year. As of mid-year, it had already captured 119 net wide-body orders, consisting of 75 net orders for the 787 family, 33 for the 777 family, and 15 for the 767 family, offset by four cancellations for the 747 family. Boeing's biggest wide-body deal of the year was an order for 20 777-9s and 19 787-10s from Singapore Airlines. Additionally, aircraft leasing giant AerCap Holdings placed an order for 30 787- 9s at the Paris Air Show. Boeing has a number of wide-body commitments waiting to be firmed up as well. At the Paris Air Show, the company lined up commitments for 17 787 Dreamliners and two 777s. Boeing's pending deal with Iran Air also includes 15 777-300ERs and 15 777-9s. Time to firm up those commitments Looking ahead to the remainder of 2017, the main task for Boeing's sales team will be to finalize the hundreds of commitments received last month. Firming up the Iran deals is also important, but that depends largely on securing the necessary government approvals. If Boeing can turn just half of its outstanding commitments into firm orders by the end of 2017, it would be close to matching last year's order total, even if it fails to drum up any new business in the next six months. In a more likely scenario, it should be able to at least double its current firm order total of 381 by year's end. Boeing's strong order activity this year shows that the recent industry order downturn isn't as worrisome as some pundits have suggested. Even more importantly, it demonstrates that Boeing's product portfolio is competitive with that of its longtime rival Airbus. As a result, Boeing remains on track to meet its target of boosting production to more than 900 aircraft per year by 2020. http://www.nwitimes.com/business/investment/markets-and-stocks/boeing-starts-strong-with- airplane-orders-in-the-first-half/article_b7ae3109-db9e-54bf-ac34-6f443bb865d1.html Back to Top Meet the Night Witches, the Daring Female Pilots Who Bombed Nazis By Night They flew under the cover of darkness in bare-bones plywood biplanes. They braved bullets and frostbite in the air, while battling skepticism and sexual harassment on the ground. They were feared and hated so much by the Nazis that any German airman who downed one was automatically awarded the prestigious Iron Cross medal. All told, the pioneering all-female 588th Night Bomber Regiment dropped more than 23,000 tons of bombs on Nazi targets. And in doing so, they became a crucial Soviet asset in winning World War II. The Germans nicknamed them the Nachthexen, or "night witches," because the whooshing noise their wooden planes made resembled that of a sweeping broom. "This sound was the only warning the Germans had. The planes were too small to show up on radar... [or] on infrared locators," said Steve Prowse, author of the screenplay The Night Witches, a nonfiction account of the little-known female squadron. "They never used radios, so radio locators couldn't pick them up either. They were basically ghosts." Women pilots of the "Night Witches" receiving orders for an up-coming raid. (Credit: Sovfoto/UIG via Getty Images) Using female bombardiers wasn't a first choice. While women had been previously barred from combat, the pressure of an encroaching enemy gave Soviet leaders a reason to rethink the policy. Adolf Hitler had launched Operation Barbarossa, his massive invasion of the Soviet Union, in June 1941. By the fall the Germans were pressing on Moscow, Leningrad was under siege and the Red Army was struggling. The Soviets were desperate. The 588th's first mission, on June 28, 1942, took aim-successfully-at the headquarters of the invading Nazi forces. A Woman Leads the Charge The squadron was the brainchild of Marina Raskova, known as the "Soviet Amelia Earhart"-famous not only as the first female navigator in the Soviet Air Force but also for her many long-distance flight records. She had been receiving letters from women all across the Soviet Union wanting to join the World War II war effort. While they had been allowed to participate in support roles, there were many who wanted to be gunners and pilots, flying on their own. Many had lost brothers or sweethearts, or had seen their homes and villages ravaged. Seeing an opportunity, Raskova petitioned Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to let her form an all-female fighting squadron. Marina Raskova, Moscow, 1938. (Credit: ITAR-TASS Photo Agency/Alamy Stock Photo) On October 8, 1941, Stalin gave orders to deploy three all-female air force units. The women would not only fly missions and drop bombs, they would return fire-making the Soviet Union the first nation to officially allow women to engage in combat. Previously, women could help transfer planes and ammunition, after which the men took over. Raskova quickly started to fill out her teams. From more than 2,000 applications, she selected around 400 women for each of the three units. Most were students, ranging in age from 17 to 26. Those selected moved to Engels, a small town north of Stalingrad, to begin training at the Engels School of Aviation. They underwent a highly compressed education-expected to learn in a few months what it took most soldiers several years to grasp. Each recruit had to train and perform as pilots, navigators, maintenance and ground crew. (Credit: Nikolai Ignatiev/Alamy Stock Photo) Beyond their steep learning curve, the women faced skepticism from some of the male military personnel who believed they added no value to the combat effort. Raskova did her best to prepare her women for these attitudes, but they still faced sexual harassment, long nights and grueling conditions. "The men didn't like the 'little girls' going to the front line. It was a man's thing." Prowse told HISTORY. Making Do With Hand-Me-Downs and Relics The military, unprepared for women pilots, offered them meager resources. Flyers received hand- me-down uniforms (from male soldiers), including oversized boots. "They had to tear up their bedding and stuff them in their boots to get them to fit," said Prowse. A partisan airplane, the Polikarpov Po-2, during World War II. (Photo by: Sovfoto/UIG via Getty Images) Their equipment wasn't much better. The military provided them with outdated Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes, 1920s crop-dusters that had been used as training vehicles. These light two-seater, open- cockpit planes were never meant for combat. "It was like a coffin with wings," said Prowse. Made out of plywood with canvas pulled over, the aircraft offered virtually no protection from the elements. Flying at night, pilots endured freezing temperatures, wind and frostbite. In the harsh Soviet winters, the planes became so cold, just touching them would rip off bare skin. Due to both the planes' limited weight capacity and the military's limited funds, the pilots also lacked other "luxury" items their male counterparts enjoyed. Instead of parachutes (which were too heavy to carry), radar, guns and radios, they were forced to use more rudimentary tools such as rulers, stopwatches, flashlights, pencils, maps and compasses. There was some upside to the older aircraft. Their maximum speed was slower than the stall speed of the Nazi planes, which meant these wooden planes, ironically, could maneuver faster than the enemy, making them hard to target. They also could easily take off and land from most locations. The downside? When coming under enemy fire, pilots had to duck by sending their planes into dives (almost none of the planes carried defense ammunition). If they happened to be hit by tracer bullets, which carry a pyrotechnic charge, their wooden planes would burst into flames. Long Nights, Stealth Tactics The Polikarpovs could only carry two bombs at a time, one under each wing. In order to make meaningful dents in the German front lines, the regiment sent out up to 40 two-person crews a night. Each would execute between eight and 18 missions a night, flying back to re-arm between runs. The weight of the bombs forced them to fly at lower altitudes, making them a much easier target-hence their night-only missions. The planes, each with a pilot upfront and a navigator in back, traveled in packs: The first planes would go in as bait, attracting German spotlights, which provided much needed illumination. These planes, which rarely had ammunition to defend themselves, would release a flare to light up the intended target. The last plane would idle its engines and glide in darkness to the bombing area. It was this "stealth mode" that created their signature witch's broom sound. There were 12 commandments the Night Witches followed. The first was "be proud you are a woman." Killing Germans was their job, but in their downtime the heroic flyers still did needlework, patchwork, decorated their planes and danced. They even put the pencils they used for navigation into double duty as eyeliner. Disbanded and Overlooked Their last flight took place on May 4, 1945-when the Night Witches flew within 60 kilometers (approx. 37 miles) of Berlin. Three days later, Germany officially surrendered. According to Prowse, the Germans had two theories about why these women were so successful: They were all criminals who were masters at stealing and had been sent to the front line as punishment-or they had been given special injections that allowed them to see in the night. (Credit: Nikolai Ignatiev/Alamy Stock Photo) Altogether these daredevil heroines flew more than 30,000 missions in total, or about 800 per pilot and navigator. They lost a total of 30 pilots, and 24 of the flyers were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Raskova, the mother of the movement, died on January 4, 1943, when she was finally sent to the front line-her plane never made it. She was given the very first state funeral of World War II and her ashes were buried in the Kremlin. Despite being the most highly decorated unit in the Soviet Air Force during the war, the Night Witches regiment was disbanded six months after the end of World War II. And when it came to the big victory-day parade in Moscow, they weren't included-because, it was decided, their planes were too slow. http://www.history.com/news/meet-the-night-witches-the-daring-female-pilots-who-bombed- nazis-by-night Back to Top House offers increase to FAA commercial space office George Nield, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, said earlier this year that he expected continued growth in commercial launches that are regulated by his office. Credit: SpaceNews/Tom Kimmell WASHINGTON - A spending bill to be marked up by House appropriators July 11 would provide a significant increase to the office responsible for licensing commercial launches, counteracting a planned cut. The draft of the transportation, housing and urban development appropriations bill, released by the House Appropriations Committee July 10, would give the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) $21.587 million in fiscal year 2018. The bill will be marked up by an appropriations subcommittee July 11. The House bill offers an increase of more than $1.7 million over what AST received in the final fiscal year 2017 omnibus spending bill, which provided $19.826 million for the office. That 2017 figure was, in turn, an increase of $2 million over the office's 2016 budget. The House bill rejects the administration's request for 2018, which proposed $17.9 million for the office. That would have brought the office back down to its 2016 budget. AST officials have requested larger budgets to help the office deal with a growing level of commercial launch and regulatory activity. AST is responsible for licensing commercial launches and reentries, as well as associated safety reviews. The office also has a mandate to encourage, facilitate and promote the commercial space transportation industry in the United States. Since the current fiscal year began on Oct. 1, 2016, AST has licensed 15 commercial launches, according to statistics maintained on the office's website. That total includes 10 launches of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and three United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 launches. The office also licensed an Orbital ATK Antares launch and the first launch of Electron, a small launch vehicle developed by U.S.-New Zealand company Rocket Lab. The office also issues experimental permits for test flights of reusable suborbital vehicles. The most recent permitted launch was the latest test flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle last October. Test flights of that vehicle are anticipated to resume later this year. In a February speech, George Nield, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at the FAA, said he predicted that between 36 and 43 launches and reentries would require licenses of permits from his office in fiscal year 2017, more than double the number in 2016. "That could double again in 2018," he added. That growth in the commercial space launch industry - long predicted but only now materializing - has led advocates of the industry to push for budget increases for AST to avoid delays in processing license and permit applications. Among the office's backers is Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), who requested the office receive $23 million when he testified before House appropriators in March. Such an increase in necessary "to make sure they are adequately funded for all the upcoming launches," said Bridenstine, an advocate for commercial and government space issues and a long-running candidate to become the next administrator of NASA. http://spacenews.com/house-offers-increase-to-faa-commercial-space-office/ Back to Top Back to Top CHC Helicopter and Sikorsky Provide Awards for Aviation Students to Attend CHC Safety & Quality Summit DALLAS, TEXAS, July 5, 2017 - Today, CHC Helicopter and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, announced two winners have been selected to receive funding to attend the 2017 CHC Safety & Quality Summit. The winning students were selected for the Peter Gardiner Grant and the Sikorsky Safety Scholarship, and will join delegates and professionals from around the world as they gather near Dallas, Texas this September to learn about how to advance safety in the aviation industry. Students studying for careers in aviation were invited to submit applications with a 500-word essay related to the Summit theme for this year: "Can we truly manage all the risk? What if the barriers aren't as robust as they seem?" The Peter Gardiner Grant is named for Dr. Peter Gardiner of the Southern California Safety Institute, who played an instrumental role in shaping the CHC Safety & Quality Summit through his contributions as both a speaker and session leader in its early years. The grant is co-sponsored by both CHC and Dr. Scott Shappell of HFACS, Inc. The winner for this years' Peter Gardiner Grant is Matt Lum, a current student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, a partner and platinum-level sponsor of this event, created the first Sikorsky Safety Scholarship to help a second deserving student attend the event. The first ever winner of the award is Nikola Randjelovic, a recent graduate of Seneca College in Ontario, Canada. The Peter Gardiner Grant and the Sikorsky Safety Scholarship will both provide for the students' transport and hotel and their full entry as delegates to the Summit to attend sessions, see speakers and participate in all opportunities available, including attending a Human Factors course with Dr. Scott Shappell. The 2017 CHC Safety and Quality Summit will take place Sept. 27-29 at the Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel & Convention Center. To learn more about the summit, including how to register, visit www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com. About CHC For 70 years, CHC Helicopter has provided safe, reliable, cost-effective helicopter service in some of the most remote and challenging environments around the world. With extensive experience transporting customers in the oil and gas industry, supporting search-and-rescue and EMS contracts, and providing maintenance, repair and overhaul services, our dedication to safety and reputation for quality and innovation help our customers reach beyond what they thought possible. Visit www.chcheli.com for information. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Contact Information MEDIA Cameron Meyer Communications Specialist +1.214.262.7391 Cameron.Meyer@chcheli.com SUMMIT Irina Sakgaev Safety & Quality Applications Specialist +1.604.232.7302 summit@chcheli.com Sikorsky Media Contact Callie Ferrari, APR +1 203.360.4819 Callie.d.ferrari@lmco.com Our Purpose: Providing unmatched helicopter services that enable our customers to reach beyond - often in remote and challenging destinations that limit others - and come home safely. We are dedicated to getting our customers where they need to be, when they need to be there, anywhere in the world - safely and reliably. SMS Element of the Month: Reporting Systems Every CHC employee has a voice in managing safety by reporting through our world-wide Safety & Quality Integrated Database, 'SQID'. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST (SURVEY) Pavement Management Research Request Hello, my name is Mary Popko and I am a student as San Diego State University currently working towards a B.S. in Statistics. I would like to request your participation in my survey regarding pavement management through the use of advanced technology. The survey is less than ten questions long. Thank you so much for your assistance. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WJ8T9M6 Mary Popko San Diego State University Department of Mathematics and Statistics Curt Lewis