Flight Safety Information July 14, 2017 - No. 141 In This Issue Incident: Flybe DH8D near Southampton on Jul 13th 2017, possibly cracking windshield Incident: Condor A321 at Bourgas on Jun 30th 2017, bird strike Incident: Austrian A319 and Austrian DH8D at Vienna on Jun 16th 2017, loss of separation Incident: Easyjet A319 at Liverpool on Jul 13th 2017, bird strike Jet was within 100 feet of hitting 2 planes in San Francisco PIA pilot allegedly 'contravenes' the safety rules FAA and Singapore Sign Aviation Safety Agreement Disruptive passenger forces flight to Moline back to DFW Chicago aviation police decertified by state American Aero FTW Becomes First FBO in Texas to Earn Stage II IS-BAH Certification It's war: American Airlines cuts ties with 2 of its biggest rivals in huge airline dispute Amedeo Air Four buys A350-900 aircraft Boeing plans flight simulator expansion as demand climbs for pilots Flying cars and no more pilots in flight revolution The Air Force Wants Permission to Shoot Down Civilian Drones MITRE September Courses Position:...Manager, Safety Management Systems ISASI 2017, San Diego CA...August 22 - 24. 2017 Cranfield Course - Accident Investigation for Aviation Management.. Humanitarian Response Experience: Notification and Family Assistance Training Cyprus DCA to work with CAAi to enhance Aviation Oversight For new space markets to grow, government needs to set stage GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST (SURVEY) Incident: Flybe DH8D near Southampton on Jul 13th 2017, possibly cracking windshield A Flybe de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration G-FLBC performing flight BE-981 from Belfast City,NI to Southampton,EN (UK) with 58 people on board, was descending towards Southampton when the crew reported a a possibly cracking windshield. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Southampton with emergency services on stand by. The airline reported a suspected cracked windshield. The crew suspected a crack had developed on one of the windshields. However, no crack was found. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about one hour after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab9424a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Condor A321 at Bourgas on Jun 30th 2017, bird strike A Condor Airbus A321-200, registration D-AIAC performing flight DE-1707 from Bourgas (Bulgaria) to Leipzig (Germany), was in the initial climb through about 1500 feet out of Bourgas' runway 22 when the left hand engine (CFM56) ingested a bird prompting the crew to declare emergency, stop the climb at 4000 feet and return to Bourgas. The crew requested delay vectors while working the checklists, requested an ILS approach to runway 22 and landed safely on runway 22 about 20 minutes after departure. The aircraft was unable to depart for the return flight. A replacement Travel Service Boeing 737-800 registration OK-TVF is about to position to Bourgas and was estimated to deliver the passengers to Leipzig with a delay of 15.5 hours, however landed in Berlin Schoenefeld with a delay of 16 hours. On Jul 13th 2017 Bulgaria's AAIU reported the aircraft departed runway 22 and was climbing through about 1500 feet MSL at 160 KIAS when the aircraft received a bird strike and the left hand engine lost significant power associated with high vibrations. The aircraft levelled off at 4000 feet and returned to Bourgas for an ILS approach to runway 22. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated by Bulgaria's AAIU. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab04bb4&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Austrian A319 and Austrian DH8D at Vienna on Jun 16th 2017, loss of separation, TCAS resolution advisory An Austrian Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration OE-LDG performing flight OS-727 from Vienna (Austria) to Podgorica (Montenegro), was climbing through about FL060 out of Vienna's runway 29 about 14nm south of Vienna Airport. An Austrian Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration OE-LGJ performing flight OS-706 from Prague (Czech Republic) to Vienna (Austria), was descending through about FL080 on approach to Vienna about 14nm south of Vienna Airport. Austria's Sicherheitsuntersuchungsstelle des Bundes (SUB, accident investigation board) reported the occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated. OE-LDG was departing from Vienna's runway 29 while OE-LGJ was on a left downwind for runway 34 when a loss of separation and TCAS resolution advisories occurred. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab92522&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Easyjet A319 at Liverpool on Jul 13th 2017, bird strike An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration G-EZDO performing flight U2-7021 from Liverpool,EN to Jersey,CI (UK), was in the initial climb out of Liverpool's runway 27 when a bird impacted the aircraft prompting the crew to stop the climb at 4000 feet and return to Liverpool for a safe landing on runway 27 about 20 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Liverpool as a precaution after receiving a bird strike. A replacement A320-200 registration G-EZPY reached Jersey with a delay of about 3.5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ab94011&opt=0 *************** easyJet A319 Birdstrike (UK) Date: 13-JUL-2017 Time: ca 15:00 LT Type: Airbus A319-111 Owner/operator: easyJet Registration: G-EZDO C/n / msn: 3634 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Liverpool-John Lennon International Airport (LPL/EGGP) - United Kingdom Phase: Initial climb Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Liverpool-John Lennon International Airport (LPL/EGGP) Destination airport: Jersey-States Airport, Channel Islands (JER/EGJJ) Narrative: EasyJet flight U27021 returned to land at Liverpool-John Lennon International Airport, U.K. after sustaining a bird strike on initial climb. The aircraft, an Airbus A319, took off from runway 27 at Liverpool Airport about 14:56 hours local time. The climb was arrested at 3900 feet and the flight made a right turn back towards the airport. An emergency was declared and the flight performed two right hand turns to position for landing back on runway 27. The aircraft landed safely at 15:16 hours and taxied onto taxiway E after rollout, coming to stop on taxiway A. There it was met by ARFF services and passengers disembarked on the taxiway. Sources: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/u27021#e132230 https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196640 Back to Top Jet was within 100 feet of hitting 2 planes in San Francisco Vehicles wait outside the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport Tuesday, July 11, 2017, in San Francisco. Federal safety officials are investigating why an Air Canada jet nearly landed on a taxiway last Friday, holding four other planes instead of a runway at at the airport. An Air Canada plane with 140 people on board came within 100 feet of crashing onto two of four planes lined up to take off at San Francisco International Airport last week, according to a preliminary report Canadian air safety regulators released Thursday. The finding provided the first official accounting of how close the Air Canada plane came to causing what could have been one of the worst disasters in commercial aviation history. Instead of lining up to land on the runway, the pilot of the flight from Toronto mistakenly descended toward a parallel taxiway just to the right of where four other airliners were idling in the darkness. Taxiways are the aviation equivalent of feeder roads that planes use to roll between runways and terminals, and have different lights than runways. Canada's Transportation Safety Board released a short summary of the July 7 incident, which U.S. authorities are still investigating. The summary said Air Canada Flight 759 had already traveled one-quarter of a mile over the taxiway before aborting the landing. As the Airbus 320 pulled up sharply it flew 100 feet over the first two jets, 200 feet above the third and 300 feet over the fourth, the summary said. It then circled and landed safely. "This was very close to a catastrophic event," said John Cox, a safety consultant and retired airline pilot. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which is heading the investigation, has not released any information and spokesman Keith Holloway said he could not comment on another agency's data. Transportation Safety Board of Canada spokesman Chris Krepski said he could not confirm the source of the data in the document, which was released as part of a "daily notification log" of safety incidents that Canadian air operators are obliged to report to regulators. The most likely source was Air Canada, but company spokeswoman Angela Mah would only say in an email that the airline is "investigating the circumstances and cooperating with authorities." She said because of the investigation, she could provide no more information. Collisions on the ground are particularly dangerous because planes waiting to take off are loaded with fuel. The deadliest crash in aviation history occurred in 1977 when a KLM Boeing 747 taking off in the Canary Islands plowed into a Pan Am 747 that was waiting to take off; 583 people died in the crash and fires. There are several cases in the United States when landing planes either hit another aircraft on the ground or barely cleared one. In the instances that safety consultant Cox recalled, including several at Los Angeles International Airport, the pilots of the landing plane could not see the other airplane. "What is so unusual about this one is the airplanes could see each other and they still got this close," Cox said. "These guys really did intend to land on this taxiway." In audio posted on liveatc.net, which records flight communications, the pilot said he sees "some lights on the runway," apparently alluding to planes on the taxiway. According to the report released Thursday, the plane at that point was less than a mile from the taxiway. It would have been flying well over 100 mph. "That's awful to let it go that far," said Chris Manno, an American Airlines pilot for 32 years who regularly lands in San Francisco. "Pretty egregious." The controller assured the pilot there is no one on the runway. Seconds later, another voice - apparently one of the pilots on the taxiway - interjects, "Where's this guy going? He's on the taxiway." Only at that point did the controller order the Air Canada jet to pull up. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/jet-100-feet-hitting-planes-san-francisco-48626400 Back to Top PIA pilot allegedly 'contravenes' the safety rules A senior pilot of the Pakistan International Airlines and former Vice President of the Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (Palpa), Sadiq Rehman, has violated aviation laws by compromising air safety on Toronto-bound flight on July 4th. According to the sources, Sadiq Rehman had not taken the 24-hour mandatory rest in Lahore before taking the transatlantic flight from there. The PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar admitted that the pilot did not take the mandatory rest before operating the long duration flight on July 4th. The sources said that the PIA had scheduled Mr Rehman to arrive in Lahore on evening of July 2nd, where he was expected to rest on July 3rd and then continued (after resting for over 36 hours) to operate the flight to Canada. Mr Rehman did not follow the precise schedule and rules. He stayed in Karachi on July 2 and left for Lahore on July 3rd, along with 30kgs of luggage in two suitcases. Then he continued the Toronto- bound flight on morning of July 4th, without following the mandatory 24-hour rest. The sources have confirmed that the 24-hour mandatory rest had been prescribed by the CAA rules and Air Navigation Order (ANO) before long flights so that the crew could remain fresh during the flight, as monotonous and fatigued crew can lead to disaster. Mr Tajwar confirmed that pilot Rehman travelled from Karachi aboard PK-306, arriving in Lahore at 8.45pm on July 3rd. This makes his stay in Lahore for around 15 hours before he operated PK-789 on July 4 at 11.35am. http://nation.com.pk/national/14-Jul-2017/pia-pilot-allegedly-contravenes-the-safety-rules Back to Top FAA and Singapore Sign Aviation Safety Agreement SINGAPORE-The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) signed a milestone Maintenance Agreement Guidance (MAG) yesterday with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The agreement allows for mutual surveillance conducted on certified repair stations located abroad for each of the agreement partners. It provides guidance for the implementation of the previously agreed-upon. In cases where there are sufficient certificated facilities in both partner countries, MIPs may reduce the number of surveillance activities, free up inspector resources for the authorities, and reduce the regulatory burden on industry. There are 58 FAA-approved repair stations located in Singapore. The MAG furthers the Maintenance Implementation Procedures (MIP) agreement signed by FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and CAAS on February 16, 2016. That agreement was the first of its kind in Asia and reduces costs by allowing the reciprocal acceptance of Singapore and the United States' surveillance of maintenance work. The MIP and MAG permits reliance on each other's surveillance systems to the greatest extent possible while maintaining safety. Agreements such as the MIP allow for greater efficiency and ultimately save valuable industry and authority resources. The FAA and the CAAS have agreed to conduct surveillance on each other's behalf to ensure compliance with the respective regulatory requirements for maintenance and the applicable Special Conditions. Both agreements build on the 2004 U.S-Singapore Bilateral Safety Agreement (BASA) which has benefitted both countries by saving time and reducing costs in aircraft design and manufacturing. FAA Assistant Administrator for NextGen James Eck and Executive Director for International Affairs Carey Fagan are participating in the World Civil Aviation Chief Executives Forum this week in Singapore as part of the agency's continued collaboration with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. As part of the strong U.S.-Singapore bilateral relationship, the FAA and the CAAS also partner under Singapore's Air Traffic Management Center of Excellence to expand understanding and build Air Traffic Management capacity in the region. https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=88366 Back to Top Disruptive passenger forces flight to Moline back to DFW DALLAS, Texas (KWQC) - A flight from Dallas-Ft. Worth to Moline was forced to return to the DFW airport Thursday night because of "a disruptive passenger." American Eagle flight 5771, operated by Mesa Airlines, was originally scheduled to leave DFW at 8:45 p.m. and arrive at Quad City International Airport at 10:44 p.m. After KWQC learned of the incident from a viewer tip, the NBC affiliate in Dallas confirmed the plane was met by law enforcement after it returned to DFW. Online records show the flight was "diverted" and did not take off again until later in the evening, finally landing in the Quad Cities at 12:37 a.m. on Friday. http://www.kwqc.com/content/news/Disruptive-passenger-forces-flight-to-Moline-back-to-DFW- 434443663.html Back to Top Chicago aviation police decertified by state State regulators have "deactivated" Chicago's nearly 300-officer aviation department police force. (WLS) CHICAGO (WLS) -- The other shoe has dropped on Chicago's beleaguered Department of Aviation police force. As the I-Team first reported in April, city officials were rebranding the airport police as "security." Now state regulators have "deactivated" the nearly 300-officer aviation department police force. Long considered the law enforcement step children at O'Hare and Midway airports, a June 29 letter from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board obtained by the I-Team notifies city officials that airport officers are "not law enforcement officers" anymore at all. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, city aviation department officials made it clear a retooled "security division" would still exist at Chicago's airports but in a newfangled format with far less authority and prominence. Airport officers, who are separate from Chicago police assigned to O'Hare and Midway, have never been able to carry guns-a decades-old point of contention for them, their union and some members of the city council. Going forward they will also not be able to carry the name "police" on their sleeves or be primary respondents to security calls. On April 9 the role of the aviation dept. police came under intense review when three officers were seen on video dragging a United Airlines passenger off a flight for refusing to give up his seat to a United crew member. The images of Dr. David Dao, bloody and thrashing while in the grips of several aviation officers. Wednesday the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) issued a 12-page review of the role of airport security. According to CDA Commissioner Ginger S. Evans: "We are confident that these actions are necessary to guide our department forward, while improving clarity for the aviation security officers who play an integral role in maintaining safe and secure conditions for the traveling public at both of Chicago's airports." Evans says CDA "will introduce a new directive designating Chicago Police Officers as the lead on all disturbance calls at the airports, in addition to those on aircrafts. This rescinds the current directive guiding incident dispatch, and defines coordination on responses with the Chicago Police Department." As the I-Team first reported in April, Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union challenged the downgrade from police to security in an unfair labor practices complaint. http://abc7chicago.com/news/chicago-aviation-police-decertified-by-state/2209723/ Back to Top American Aero FTW Becomes First FBO in Texas to Earn Stage II IS-BAH Certification FORT WORTH, Texas, July 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Aero FTW, a fixed-base operator (FBO) serving Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, continues to lead the way in private aviation safety. The FBO is the first in Texas, and one of only a handful in the world, to earn the new rigorous Stage II safety and ground handling certificate of registration from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). IBAC's International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) accreditation is a global, voluntary code of best practices for business aviation ground handlers. It incorporates a safety management system (SMS) in all aspects of FBO operations and is aligned with International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) standards. American Aero FTW became the first FBO in the Western Hemisphere to earn Stage I certification in 2015. Stage II registration requires an FBO to demonstrate that it maintains and incorporates SMS standards in every facet of day-to-day operations. The FBO must show that the systems, processes, and procedures assessed at Stage I are maturing and continue to improve safety performance within ground handling activities. "It has been a significant year for American Aero FTW, with the grand opening of a new, world-class facility and its achievement in becoming one of the first FBOs in the world to earn Stage II registration," said Terry Yeomans, IS-BAH program director. "American Aero FTW continues to lead the industry sector in safety management and risk mitigation for the benefit of the customers it serves." IS-BAH accreditation involves a complete audit of an FBO's safety management systems, emergency procedures, organizational structure, administrative elements, security procedures, training protocols, and operating procedures. Certificates of registration are issued to FBOs that have successfully demonstrated conformity to the industry's best practice standards through completion of a three-stage external audit by an IBAC-accredited auditor. "The American Aero FTW team is committed to delivering the highest standards of safety and ground handling practices," said Riggs Brown, American Aero FTW general manager. "As the only Stage II registered FBO in Texas and one of the first in the world to achieve this milestone, the American Aero FTW team continues to deliver the best and safest services in the industry." Launched in July 2014, IS-BAH is a joint program between IBAC and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). It incorporates the NATA Safety 1st ground audit program and follows the long- established structure of the IS-BAO program. About American Aero FTW American Aero FTW is a private aviation terminal located at Meacham International Airport (KFTW) in Fort Worth, Texas. The fixed-base operator (FBO) is focused on the refueling, ground handling, servicing, and storing of business and private aviation aircraft and provides extensive crew and passenger amenities. In 2015, American Aero FTW became the first FBO in the Western Hemisphere to achieve the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), a rigorous safety and ground handling accreditation from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). The FBO recently moved into a new 8,400-square-foot facility as the primary tenant and only FBO in the airport's main administration building. The FBO offers 280,000 square feet of leasable hangar and office space. American Aero FTW offers AvFuel Rewards and is a Signature Select™ affiliated FBO, providing Signature TailWins® points, Signature Status® benefits, and the benefits of the Signature Flight Support network. More information can be found at www.americanaero.com About IBAC IBAC represents the interests of business aviation worldwide. IBAC is a non-profit international trade association with permanent observer status at the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Specialized Agency for aviation matters, in Montreal, Canada. www.ibac.org SOURCE American Aero FTW http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12351141/american-aero-ftw-becomes-first-fbo-in-texas-and- one-of-the-first-in-the-world-to-earn-rigorous-stage-ii-is-bah-certification Back to Top It's war: American Airlines cuts ties with 2 of its biggest rivals in huge airline dispute An American Airlines Boeing 757-200.American Airlines On Wednesday, American Airlines announced its decision to sever its code-share agreements with Etihad and Qatar Airways. According to the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline, Etihad and Qatar were both given notice on June 29 of its decision to end code-share flights after the close of business on March 24, 2018. The cancellation of the agreements, which allow the airlines to sell tickets on one another's flights as if they were their own, comes amid a tense dispute between US airlines and their Middle Eastern rivals over allegations of illegal subsidies. On Thursday, American confirmed that Qatar Airways intended to continue with its plan to acquire an unsolicited equity stake in the airline. In a statement, American Airlines wrote: "In light of our ongoing dispute over the Open Skies agreements, American Airlines notified Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways on June 29 of our decision to terminate our code-share relationships. "Given the extremely strong public stance that American has taken on the ME3 issue, we have reached the conclusion that the code-sharing relationships between American and these carriers no longer make sense for us. This decision has no material financial impact on American and is an extension of our stance against the illegal subsidies that these carriers receive from their governments. "We are committed to doing everything we can to continue to support our team members and ensure that there is fair competition between American and the Gulf carriers." Qatar Airways declined to comment on the matter. However, an Etihad spokesman called American's decision to end the code-share agreement, in place since 2009, "anticompetitive and anti-consumer" in an email to Business Insider. Qatar Airways Q Suite Qatar Airways' Qsuite business class. The Etihad spokesman said the airline's six daily flights to the US "in no way threaten American Airlines, which, together with its regional partner American Eagle, operates 6,700 flights daily to 350 destinations in 50 countries." He added that the Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-based airline was "committed to the US market and American consumers" and was "taking all possible measures to ensure that the flying public is not harmed by this decision." However, American's decision to end the code-share agreements with Etihad and Qatar doesn't mean an end to their business relationships. Vinay Bhaskara, a senior business analyst at Airways, believes the decision is mostly posturing by American in support of its employees. According to Etihad, its interline relationship with American remains intact, which means its passengers can continue to fly on American's aircraft and vice versa. Qatar Airways and American's relationship is closer and more contentious. Etihad Airbus A380 An Etihad Airbus A380.Airbus/Etihad The interline agreement between American and Qatar Airways is also firmly in place through their membership in the Oneworld airline alliance. On top of its pending equity stake in American, Qatar Airways owns 20% of IAG - one of American's closest partners. Code shares allow American to sell tickets on flights operated by another airline using an AA flight number so American's passengers can enjoy the same frequent-flier miles and perks, such as priority boarding, that they would on one of the airline's own flights. On the other hand, an interline relationship allows passengers and luggage from one airline to flow seamlessly to another. For instance, this allows Qatar Airways to sell flights fly from Doha, Qatar, to Charlotte, North Carolina, by transferring its passengers to an American Airlines flight in Philadelphia or Chicago. http://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-ends-codeshare-etihad-qatar-airways-2017-7 Back to Top Amedeo Air Four buys A350-900 aircraft Amedeo Air Four buys A350-900 aircraft - Amedeo Air Four Plus say that, as anticipated in their prospectus dated 13 June, 2017, the company, via its wholly-owned subsidiary, AA4P Lambda Limited, purchased one A350-900 aircraft bearing manufacturer's serial number 123 on 13 July, 2017. The aircraft has been placed on lease to Thai Airways International Public Company Limited for a term of 12 years. Following this purchase, Amedeo Air Four Plus now owns eight A380-800, two B777-300ER and one A350-900 aircraft, each of which have been leased to either Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways PJSC or Thai Airways, as applicable. About the Company Amedeo Air Four Plus is a Guernsey-domiciled company, with shares admitted to trading on the Specialist Fund Segment of the London Stock Exchange's Main Market (LSE: AA4). The investment objective is to obtain income returns and a capital return for its shareholders by acquiring, leasing and then selling aircraft. To pursue its investment objective, they will seek to use the net proceeds of placings and/or other equity capital raisings, together with financing facilities (or instruments), to acquire widebody or other aircraft which will be leased to one or more major airlines. The company aims to provide shareholders with an attractive total return comprising income from distributions through the period of the company's ownership of the Assets and capital upon the sale of the assets. It is anticipated that income distributions will be made to shareholders quarterly, subject to compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The company currently targets a distribution to investors of 2.0625 pence per share per quarter as detailed in the prospectus. AA4 : Amedeo Air Four buys A350-900 aircraft http://www.thelondoneconomic.com/prices-markets/amedeo-air-four-buys-a350-900-aircraft/14/07/ Back to Top Boeing plans flight simulator expansion as demand climbs for pilots Boeing's U.K. affiliate is launching a major expansion of its flight training center operations near London's Gatwick Airport, it said Thursday. The Chicago-based jet maker added a 737 Max 8 simulator at the Boeing Flight Services Center in Crawley (south of London) and unveiled plans to build an annex with four full flight simulators, which are life-size cockpit replicas that pitch and yaw in response to a pilot's inputs. Boeing Flight Services Center in the United Kingdom is adding four simulators like this Dreamliner one and building a new annex to house them at its facility in Crawley, near London's Gatwick Airport. Boeing U.K. will expand the facility, originally created in 2004, to make it Boeing's largest training facility outside the U.S. Boeing (NYSE: BA) moved flight simulators from their longtime home in Renton in 2013 and consolidated them in Miami . A senior Boeing European executive said the investment aims to tap a growing demand for pilot and technician training in the region. "Demand for Boeing's leading products and services is strong from our customers in Europe and on into the Middle East and Africa," Sir Michael Arthur, the president of Boeing Europe and managing director of Boeing U.K. and Ireland, said in a news release."It is crucial for our customers that we are able to meet this demand locally and we are delighted to grow further our pilot and technician training offering in Crawley as part of our new services business unit." The Crawley site also has four 787 Dreamliner full flight simulators (three 787-8 and one 787-9) as well as full flight simulators for the 777 and 737 Next Generation jet. The centre also has fixed training devices for the 787-8, 757, 767, Next Generation 737 and the 737 Max 8. Boeing 717 and 757-200 full flight simulators are at the nearby Burgess Hill facility. Boeing U.K.'s latest investment comes nine months after it announced plans to build a multimillion- dollar maintenance hangar at London Gatwick to serve European airlines, creating another 100 jobs at Boeing U.K. and its suppliers. Boeing said its U.K. employment has doubled since 2011 to 2,200 to support local airline, military and security customers. Boeing has laid off thousands of workers over the past two years, particularly in the Puget Sound region, but has pledged to protect U.S. jobs since President Donald Trump took office. Boeing has made major investments in Washington state, including a $16.7 million training center at its Auburn complex last fall, the first new at that site in nearly 25 years. Boeing Flight Services is an affiliate of Boeing's Dallas-based Boeing Global Services business unit, which was formally launched earlier this month. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2017/07/13/boeing-flight-simulator-uk-expansion-pilot- demand.html Back to Top Flying cars and no more pilots in flight revolution: Airbus Pilotless aircraft, flying electric vehicles and bespoke air cabins are the future of flight, Airbus said Thursday. Paul Eremenko, the European plane-maker's chief technological officer, painted a picture of skies buzzing with new flight forms at the RISE tech conference held in Hong Kong. Airbus is already testing out what it calls a "module" cabin concept-passenger planes being tailored to different demands. "You can imagine on a flight to Vegas, you might have a casino module," said Eremenko. "Or in a more general sense, you may have a sleeping module and you go and pay 50 bucks an hour to have the ability to sleep in a sound-proof, climate-controlled area," he added. Eremenko said Airbus had been working on the project for a year already, including user trials. Airbus has also been working on a self-piloted flying car, the Vahana, with testing on a full-size prototype to be done by the end of the year. "Our goal really is to open up the third dimension in cities and we believe that the time is right," said Eremenko, describing the growth of mega-cities, increasing congestion and technological developments as factors fuelling the development of electric short-hop flight travel. Pilotless flight was also on the cards, he said, playing down safety fears. "We believe the first autonomy will come in the domain of urban air mobility where the vehicles are smaller and there are fewer occupants," he said, adding it was easier to fly autonomously than to drive autonomously. "That, I have fairly high confidence that we will get to in single-digit years," he said, adding the problem was not a technical one but of social acceptance. Artificial intelligence was the main focus of the sprawling RISE conference, which Wednesday included a debate between two lifelike disembodied robot torsos on the future of humanity. https://phys.org/news/2017-07-cars-flight-revolution-airbus.html#jCp Back to Top The Air Force Wants Permission to Shoot Down Civilian Drones When they're flying over bases and nearly colliding with $250 million fighters. The head of the U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command wants permission to deal with civilian drones-including shooting them down-that threaten to interfere with flight operations. Two recent incidents, one involving an F-22 Raptor, have shown the military to be relatively defenseless against this potentially expensive nuisance. General James Holmes, the head of Air Combat Command, was quoted by Aviation Week describing two recent incidents. In one, an F-22 Raptor coming in for a landing nearly collided with a small, commercial unmanned aerial drone. The same week, Air Force security personnel watched as a civilian drone flew over the base perimeter and along the flight line before disappearing. Flying drones over air bases in the United States is already illegal, but actually taking action against them, including disabling or shooting them down, is a federal matter and currently only federal civilian agencies can jam drones. DJI quadcopter drone. In both cases, Holmes pointed out, the Air Force had no legal authority to actually do anything about the drones, particularly to shoot them down. While the espionage aspect is a given, one possibility is a terrorist or state-sponsored drone swarm attack crippling an air base. In an event on Capitol Hill, the general is quoted as saying, ""Imagine a world where somebody flies a couple hundred of those, and flies one down the intake of one of my F-22s with just a small weapon. I need the authorities to deal with that." Devices that can down drones, including forcing them to land, are currently in the field in Iraq to counter ISIS drone bombers. Islamic State DIY engineers have become proficient in jury rigging commercially available hobbyist drones to drop hand grenades, mortar bombs, and other improvised devices. If General Holmes has his way, Air Force security police may soon be carrying weapons such as the Battle Labs DroneDefender. Source: AviationWeek http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a27291/air-force-down-drones-over-bases/ Back to Top Back to Top Position: Manager, Safety Management Systems Job no: 495841 Work type: Full time Location: Hong Kong Department: Quality, Safety & Security Role and Responsibilities: * Develop and maintain the Safety Management System; * Member to and provide secretarial support to the Safety Action Group; * Review and maintain the Safety Management System Manual; * Review safety relevant industrial and regulatory advisories and recommend actions required to DQSS; * Review and maintain the training program on Safety Management System; * Participate the internal management system audit; * Manage the Flight Operations Quality Assurance programme (FOQA); * Participate in the IOSA programme for Organization discipline; * Produce periodical report on safety and flight data program performance; * Maintain and review services provider contracts for Safety Systems; * Produce periodic safety articles to promote safety and security awareness amongst employees / services providers; * Prepare and manage the budget for safety; * Manage the development of MFOQA, SSMSD, SFS, ESS, SFDP and OSS; * Validate alerts generated by the decoded flight data; * Produce analytical reports aimed at pre-emptive measures; * Produce communication in the forms described in COMM to improve the understanding of the Flight Data Program and flight safety; * Co-ordinate regular meeting with the operations manager to review the information and recommendations from Flight Data Program; * Maintain and review the services provider contract; * Validate the contingency measures with respect to business continuity; * Conduct interviews when authorised by DQSS; * Prepare periodic report to DQSS on the performance of Flight Data Program; * Liaise with authorities and external parties in relations to Flight Data Program matters; * Liaise with Maintenance & Engineering Department on the standard of the DFDR / QAR program; * Coordinator and member of the Safety Action Group (SAG) held within the QSSAG; * Investigator of safety events to include accident and incidents. Qualifications / Requirements: * At least 10 years relevant aviation work experience, including two years of appropriate managerial experience or equivalent; * Holder of an Air Transport Pilot License or equivalent (current or frozen); * Formally investigator trained and/or certified aviation accident investigator; * Comprehensive knowledge and familiarity with Flight Data Analysis Programme, safety management system and business continuity; * Good command of both spoken and written English; * Good computer literacy; * Team player and a team leader across an international environment. APPLY NOW Back to Top ISASI 2017, San Diego CA August 22 - 24. 2017 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 48th annual seminar at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina from August 22 - 24, 2017. This year's theme is: "Investigations - Do They Really Make a Difference?" All up to date information including the link for registration and hotel reservations can be found at www.isasi.org. Dates to Remember Early Registration rate cut off is midnight July 5, 2017 PDT Seminar rate at the hotel will end on July 27. After that date there will be no guarantee that rooms will be available. We look forward to seeing many of you in San Diego Back to Top Accident Investigation for Aviation Management Course dates: 06 - 17 Nov 2017 The Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Centre (CSAIC) is proud to offer its world-renowned two-week Accident Investigation for Aviation Management course. Course overview The course brings together the considerable expertise of investigators, operators and researchers, to deliver a course that is tailored to those working at management level in civil and military aviation. It includes an on-site accident tutorial and a three-day aircraft incident investigation simulation using Cranfield Airport. You will learn the fundamentals behind both incident and accident investigation and the roles that will be played by operators, regulators, manufacturers, legal and government accident investigation agencies. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to conduct incident investigations within your organisation's safety management system and also co-operate with major accident investigations. Who should attend? The course is designed for professionally qualified civil or military flight crew, flight safety officers, managers, union representatives, regulatory authority, air traffic services management and others concerned with the operational aspects of flight safety. In particular, the course is aimed at those who may be required to carry out investigations into occurrences, or to act as advisors or technical representatives to official aircraft accident investigations. Please note that this is a popular course, which is often oversubscribed. Secure your place now, to avoid disappointment. For more information, visit: www.cranfield.ac.uk/transportsystems/aivm or call an advisor on: T: +44 (0)1234 754189 Back to Top Back to Top Cyprus DCA to work with CAAi to enhance Aviation Oversight The Cyprus Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has appointed CAA International (CAAi), the state- to-state advisory arm of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) to provide the DCA with technical safety oversight and certification support. CAAi's assistance will be focused on flight operations and airworthiness. As one of Europe's top tourist destinations and a large majority of visitors arriving to the island nation by air, continually enhancing civil aviation standards is a top priority for Cyprus' government. CAAi will act as an Advisor to Cyprus DCA and the support will include flight operation inspections and airworthiness surveillance of aircraft registered in Cyprus, Air Operator Certificate holders and approved maintenance organisations. Matthew Margesson, Head of International Development of CAAi, said: "We are delighted to be working with the Department of Civil Aviation in Cyprus once again. With just under 9 million passengers flying through Cyprus each year*, while over 2.5 million fly from and to Cyprus through UK airports**, it is important to us that not only UK travellers but passengers from across the world can enjoy the high standard of safety aviation oversight when travelling to and from Cyprus''. The project is expected to run for a period of one year. For more information, please contact: stuart.coates@caainternational.com Back to Top For new space markets to grow, government needs to set stage, industry says Lori Garver, former NASA deputy administrator and current general manager of the Air Line Pilots Association The best thing the government can do for the space market is simple: continue funding foundational science while leaving room for commercial industry to grow, according to aerospace industry experts. At the 6th annual Future Space 2017 event on Capitol Hill Thursday morning, industry leaders shared their thoughts on what's next for developing commercial markets off-earth for the public and private sectors. "The government's role for commercial space is not only to open new markets but to drive technological advancement," said Lori Garver, former NASA deputy administrator and current general manager of the Air Line Pilots Association. "What better way to advance space than to open new markets?" Jeff Bezos' private-sector aerospace company, Blue Origin, wants to have people live and work in space. In order to incorporate space markets as part of life on earth, the government needs to "be a partner rather than a barrier," said Erica Wagner, business development manager, Blue Origin. "When you start to look at who is launching into space, who is using space as an environment for research and development, for education, for manufacturing, a lot of that has been anchored by the government," Wagner said. "How do you start to increase the size of that pie? If we continue to slice up the government pie smaller and smaller, we don't have an economy. What we need to do is bring new pies to the table." Former astronaut Michael López-Alegría agreed that the government's role should be more about creating the foundations for future space markets. America needs to "democratize access to space," he said, especially since NASA currently decides which companies can use the International Space Station. López-Alegría emphasized the need for a commercial space station, citing space tourism, research, testing deep space systems, education, outreach and advertising as possible revenue streams for the proposed station. When asked about future commercial successes of the ISS, he said: "retire it." "There's a lot of technology that needs to be developed, and that will happen," López-Alegría said. "The thing that we can influence in this city is the government. From a regulatory standpoint to get out of the way ... [and] build a structure that removes risk from a business standpoint." Brad Cheetham, president and CEO of Advanced Space and one of the event's organizers, added that the commercial space market should work with the energy industry, given that globally close to $2 trillion is spent on energy development. In addition to accessing other earth-based markets, the space market needs to further develop in- space manufacturing and utilizing space-based resources. "That gives us a foundation for developing a long-term commercial market where ... we're not fighting over the crumbs of the existing government market," Cheetham said. From a policy perspective, Cheetham also said he wants the government to set the industry up for commercial success. "I'd love to see a concerted policy effort," Cheetham said. "[To] create that environment that fosters opportunities that the government can buy, but also that other[s] can invest in." http://www.marketwatch.com/story/for-new-space-markets-to-grow-government-needs-to-set- stage-industry-says-2017-07-13 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