Flight Safety Information August 9, 2017 - No. 159 In This Issue Incident: Kish MD83 at Abadan on Aug 7th 2017, engine shut down in flight Accident: Vietnam A321 at Hanoi on Jul 22nd 2017, touchdown at 2.78G and temporary runway excursion Accident: Germania A321 at Fuerteventura on Jul 16th 2016, hard landing at +3.3G Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage IFR Accident (Germany) Iranian drone forces US jet to take evasive action American flight underscores hazards posed by turbulence Marine Corps considers temporarily grounding all aircraft after deadly crashes Bilateral Agreement Will Set Uniform Standards Between Europe and China Pilots welcome new Practical Guide by EASA to mitigate safety hazards DFW Airport landing more global destinations...Australia, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Japan, China Airplane parts makers consider mega-merger International Firm Buys $3 Million Jet As Cost-Saving Measure Patriots become first NFL team to buy their own jets to travel to games US Army bans Chinese-made drone over security concerns The Reason China Can't Find Anyone to Operate Its Alien-Hunting Telescope Hazards and Evidence Awareness for Air Accident Responders. - cranfield Course "Angle of Attack" - NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER CHC Safety 7 Quality Summit - 2017 (September 27-29; Grapevine, TX) GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY RESULTS Position:...Head, Global Aviation Data Management ISASI 2017, San Diego CA...August 22 - 24. 2017 Incident: Kish MD83 at Abadan on Aug 7th 2017, engine shut down in flight A Kish Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration EP-LCI performing flight Y9-7404 from Abadan to Tehran Mehrabad (Iran), was climbing out of Abadan when one of the engines (JT8D) failed prompting the crew to stop the climb, declare emergency and return to Abadan for a safe landing about 20 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Abadan about 41 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4acb8ae1&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Vietnam A321 at Hanoi on Jul 22nd 2017, touchdown at 2.78G and temporary runway excursion A Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VN-A351 performing flight VN-612 from Bangkok (Thailand) to Hanoi (Vietnam), landed on Hanoi's runway 11L in strong left crosswind at about 21:05L (14:05Z) but touched down hard at about 2.78G, veered right towards the runway edge contacting and damaging two runway edge lights before the crew was able to steer the aircraft back to the runway center line. According to preliminary information the captain was pilot flying. The aircraft is still on the ground in Hanoi 17 days after the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4acb524b&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Germania A321 at Fuerteventura on Jul 16th 2016, hard landing at +3.3G A Germania Airbus A321-200, registration D-ASTP performing flight ST-3700 from Dusseldorf (Germany) to Fuerteventura,CI (Spain) with 215 passengers and 7 crew, was on approach to Fuerteventura's runway 01 at 09:36L (08:36Z), went around but touched down hard causing a vertical acceleration of about +3.5G. Following a traffic circuit the aircraft landed without further incident and taxied to the apron. The aircraft performed the return flight ST-3701 to Dusseldorf on schedule becoming airborne again 90 minutes after touchdown. Only after landing in Dusseldorf substantial damage to the landing gear as well as creases in the fuselage, indicative of substantial structural damage, were found. The Aviation Herald learned of this occurrence on Aug 20th 2016 and immediately sent an inquiry to Germany's BFU, who replied on Aug 22nd 2016, that they are not aware of the occurrence, they are going to collect information and shall report back when further information becomes available. No further communication occurred. On Sep 1st 2016 The Aviation Herald learned via other Accident Investigation Authorities, that the BFU had disseminated information about the accident to them. The BFU rated the occurrence an accident (indicative of substantial structural damage to the aircraft). The airline subsequently stated to other media - there was no information sent to The Aviation Herald - that the aircraft suffered a hard landing at Fuerteventura indeed, during a go around the aircraft made brief contact with the runway. Following landing the crew performed a walk around and informed maintenance, neither examination revealed any damage. A G-load of 3.5G could not be found. Therefore the return flight was performed on schedule. Following return to Dusseldorf no structural damage was found, the airline however decided as a precaution in consultation with the gear manufacturer to replace the landing gear, which was scheduled for later the year anyway. The airline informed all relevant authorities about the occurrence without any delay. The occurrence aircraft returned to service on Sep 2nd 2016, 48 days after the occurrence. On Nov 23rd 2016 Germany's BFU released their July Bulletin stating that the aircraft touched down hard encountering a vertical acceleration of +3.3G on first approach, the crew initiated a go-around and performed another approach and landed without further incident. There were no injuries. The BFU, representing the country of operator and registration of aircraft, is assisting the investigating accident investigation body. On Nov 23rd 2016 Spain's CIAIAC lists the occurrence in their active investigations, however, did not yet release any detail. On Dec 20th 2016 the CIAIAC reported that the aircraft received substantial damage. The aircraft had been on an ILS approach to Fuerteventura's runway 01 when the crew reported they had gone around due to the approach becoming unstable on short final and abnormal contact with the runway. The aircraft then performed a visual circuit and landed on runway 01 without further incident 9 minutes later. The aircraft departed for the return flight 83 minutes after landing. Only in Dusseldorf the aircraft was taken out of service after substantial damage to the landing gear caused by the abnormal runway contact was found. The CIAIAC is investigating the occurrence. On Aug 8th 2017 the CIAIAC released a provisional statement indicating the investigation is still on going. The CIAIAC reported that the crew had gone around after the aircraft became unstable on short final and an abnormal runway contact had occurred. The aircraft positioned for another approach and landed without further incident. A subsequent walk around by the crew did not reveal any damage, the commander contacted the airline's maintenance to assist with the assessment of the aircraft's automatic hard landing report. Due to lack of maintenance support at Fuerteventura as well as lack of any parameters suggesting gear damage the crew decided to perform the return flight. After landing in Dusseldorf the aircraft was taken out of service, a first notice of the occurrence to authorities was submitted on Aug 30th 2016, however, information about the severity of the occurrence and the damge did not arrive until the first two weeks in November 2016. The flight data recorder shows a hard landing at +3.32G resulting in substantial damage to the left main gear leg and its shock absorber. In addition the right hand gear leg's shock absorber needed to be replaced, too. The investigation is nearly completed, a final report is about to be published soon. http://avherald.com/h?article=49d65d9d&opt=0 Back to Top Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage IFR Accident (Germany) Date: 08-AUG-2017 Time: 11:52LT Type: Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage Owner/operator: Malibair AG Registration: HB-PPH C/n / msn: 46-36045 Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: near Mainau island, Konstanz Lake - Germany Phase: En route Nature: Departure airport: Zurich airport (LSZH) Destination airport: Hamburg airport (EDDH) Narrative: The aircraft disapeard from Skyguide radar during IFR flight. Some Witnesses saw the plane making unusual manoeuvring. The plane crashed in Konstanz Lake, 200 meters from Mainau island, then sank by 60 meters deep. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=197217 Back to Top Iranian drone forces US jet to take evasive action * Iranian drone flies within feet of US aircraft * The F/A-18 jet maneuvered repeatedly to avoid the drone officials said. The drone did not appear to be armed. * The officials said the drone encounter was considered "unsafe and unprofessional." (CNN)An Iranian drone came within 100 feet of a US Navy F/A-18 attempting to land on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, according to two US defense officials with knowledge of the incident. The officials said the drone forced the US aircraft to take evasive action. The "QOM-1" drone came within 100 feet below the aircraft and 200 feet to the side of the aircraft. The F/A-18 was in a landing pattern several thousand feet off the deck of the ship waiting to land. The F/A-18 maneuvered repeatedly to avoid the drone officials said and it did not appear to be armed. The officials said the drone encounter was considered "unsafe and unprofessional." The US used an emergency radio frequency in the immediate area to warn those operating the drone to back away. It did eventually move off. It said the US jet "had an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with an Iranian QOM-1 unmanned aerial vehicle," adding that "despite repeated radio calls to stay clear of active fixed-wing flight operations," the Iranian drone "executed unsafe and unprofessional altitude changes in the close vicinity of an F/A-18E." "The dangerous maneuver by the QOM-1 in the known vicinity of fixed wing flight operations and at coincident altitude with operating aircraft created a collision hazard and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws," the statement said. The Navy said this was the thirteenth such "interaction between US and Iranian maritime forces in 2017." Pentagon spokesman US Navy Capt. Jeff Davis previously told reporters that there had been 35 incidents of such behavior by Iranian vessels in 2016. This is not the first time the US Navy has accused Iranian drones of operating unprofessionally while in close proximity to US ships. In January 2016 an Iranian drone flew over the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and the USS Harry S. Truman, both of which were operating in international waters in the Gulf at the time. A Navy helicopter was launched from the Truman in response and it determined that the Iranian drone was not armed. http://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/us-jet-iranian-drone-evasive-action/index.html Back to Top American flight underscores hazards posed by turbulence DALLAS - At some point during many flights, the captain will calmly announce that there could be some bumps ahead and so passengers must be seated with their seat belts on. The plane might seem to bobble or bounce a bit, but rarely does it turn into a serious threat to safety. That, however, is just what happened to an American Airlines flight last weekend, when 10 people were injured as the plane plowed through turbulence on its way to landing in Philadelphia. A rundown of statistics, recent incidents, and what pilots and airlines do to avoid hitting potholes in the sky: THE NUMBERS About 40 people a year are seriously injured by turbulence in the U.S., according to Federal Aviation Administration figures from the last 10 years. The FAA counted 44 injuries last year, the most since more than 100 were hurt in 2009. But the official count is almost certainly too low. The National Transportation Safety Board requires airlines to report incidents that result in serious injury or death, and FAA uses those reports to tally the number of people hurt by turbulence. But airlines are not required to report injuries unless they require a 48-hour hospital stay or involve certain specific injuries such as major broken bones, burns or organ damage. Saturday's American Airlines flight to Philadelphia likely won't meet those standards - the injured people were released from the hospital within a few hours and didn't suffer the types of injuries that trigger a report to the federal safety board. RECENT FLIGHTS The American Airlines flight from Athens hit severe turbulence over the New York coastline. Seven crew members and three passengers among the 299 people on board were taken to a hospital for treatment. American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said the seat-belt sign was on but none of the injured people were buckled in. Feinstein said the plane was inspected and suffered no damage. After the interior was cleaned up - coffee and other drinks went flying, even splashing the ceiling - the plane was put back in service Monday, he said. It was the latest in a string of scary turbulence incidents. - In June, 10 people on a United Airlines flight from Panama City to Houston were injured when their plane was shaken over the Gulf of Mexico. - In May, more than two dozen passengers suffered injuries including broken bones when they were tossed around the cabin of an Aeroflot plane headed from Moscow to Bangkok. - More than 20 people were injured in August 2016 when a JetBlue plane ran into turbulence in a line of thunderstorms over South Dakota and had to make an emergency landing. RATING TURBULENCE Turbulence is classified as light, moderate, severe or extreme. The first two might be frightening to some passengers, but it is only the latter two that are dangerous, especially for passengers and crew who aren't buckled in. Most people associate turbulence with heavy storms. The most dangerous type, however, is so-called clear-air turbulence - a wind-shear phenomenon that can occur in wispy cirrus clouds or even clear air near thunderstorms, as differences in temperature and pressure create powerful currents of fast-moving air. Planes can sail into clear-air turbulence without warning, as appeared to happen to the American Airlines flight. TECHNOLOGY, TERRAIN AND THE EYE TEST Airlines rely on meteorologists to predict the location and intensity of bad weather, and dispatchers on the ground give updates to pilots during a flight. Pilots are on notice anytime a flight goes over a mountain range or through certain kinds of weather fronts. Modern airliners are equipped with sophisticated weather-radar technology, yet often "it's as simple as looking out the window," says Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of "Ask the Pilot." Indicators such as thunder clouds with an anvil-shaped top usually mean the ride is about to get bumpy. But the most helpful tool, he says, is reports from other pilots in the area. PILOTS REACT Pilots have a few techniques for getting through turbulence safely. They can slow down to what is called turbulence-penetration speed - fast enough to avoid a stall, but not so fast that they risk damaging the plane. They can ask air traffic controllers to let them move to a lower or higher altitude or go around troublesome clouds, but those requests can't always be honoured. "If you feel the plane climbing or descending midflight, (there is a) good chance it's because of a report from fellow pilots up ahead," Smith says. http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/american-flight-underscores-hazards-posed-by- turbulence/wcm/54bff00e-e673-48d2-b8f5-a431abc9c215 Back to Top Marine Corps considers temporarily grounding all aircraft after deadly crashes PHOTO: A U.S. MV-22B Osprey aircraft takes off In the wake of two deadly aviation crashes in the last month, the Marine Corps is considering grounding all Marine fixed-wing and rotary aircraft for a day to reinforce proper procedures among pilots and air crews, according to a defense official. Lt. Gen. Steven R. Rudder, the Marine Corps' deputy commandant for aviation, is considering the move, which could be announced as early as today. The defense official said the 24-hour stand-down would affect all Marine flying squadrons worldwide and would reinforce proper flight training procedures for Marine pilots and air crews. Search called off for 3 US Marines who crashed off Australia 16 service members killed in military plane crash in Mississippi The possibility of a grounding comes days after three Marines died when an MV-22 Osprey crashed into the water off the coast of Australia as it attempted to land on the amphibious USS Green Bay. Efforts to recover the remains of the three Marines continue; 23 other Marines aboard the Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft, were rescued. On July 10, a Navy corpsman and 15 Marines were killed when a KC-130T transport aircraft crashed into a field in central Mississippi. Early indications are that the aircraft may have experienced problems at cruising altitude. As a protective measure, the Navy and Marine Corps grounded all 35 of their KC-130T aircraft until further notice while that crash is under investigation. Safety stand-downs of particular Marine aircraft are not unusual. Last August, the Marine Corps ordered a safety stand-down for all nondeployed F/A-18 fighter aircraft after a series of fatal crashes involving those planes. At the time, squadron commanders were given seven days to carry out the 24-hour stand- down, which affected only nondeployed Marine aircraft. Last September, all Marine AV-8 Harrier fighters in Japan were temporarily grounded after one of the aircraft crashed into the sea 100 miles off the coast of Japan. The pilot survived the crash. The Marine Corps in recent years has experienced a decline in readiness of its aging fleet of aircraft. That has affected available training hours and the number of aircraft able to fly at any given time. http://abcnews.go.com/US/marine-corps-considers-grounding-aircraft-deadly- crashes/story?id=49091466 Back to Top Bilateral Agreement Will Set Uniform Standards Between Europe and China China and EU nearing conclusion of bilateral safety agreement, in the works since 2013. The European Union and China are nearing finalization of a bilateral aviation safety agreement (BASA), according to officials at the first Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)-European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) safety conference. The move to streamline certification and oversight activities has been in the works since the two administrations signed a letter of intent in 2013. Since then, the aviation authorities have established road maps, compared regulatory systems, and created technical assessments to validate certification processes. In June, the parties completed a third-round review of draft bilateral language. Officials already have started drafting technical implementation procedures (TIP), with the understanding that the document may need revision once the BASA annexes are finalized. While a publication date has not been announced, conference speakers stated that the BASA is expected "very soon," and in the "not too distant future." At least one panelist went so far as to say final signature is expected this year. http://www.mro-network.com/safety-regulatory/bilateral-agreement-will-set-uniform- standards-between-europe-and-china Back to Top Pilots welcome new Practical Guide by EASA to mitigate safety hazards of atypical employment & New Business Models Extensive use of leasing arrangements, atypical employment, high turnover of crews, outsourcing of safety-critical tasks and operating under different AOCs are practices used in New Business Models. BRUSSELS - European pilots welcome the new Practical Guide issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on 07 Aug 2017. It has the potential to help us in better equipping European aviation to manage safety hazards and their associated risks that stem from New Business Models. The practical guide is a recognition that outsourcing safety critical tasks, subcontracting/wet-leasing, crew atypical employment, and other tools to bolster profit and productivity can negatively impact safety. Extensive use of leasing arrangements, atypical employment, high turnover of crews, outsourcing of safety-critical tasks and operating under different AOCs are practices used in New Business Models. The Practical Guide says that those practices could potentially lead to reduced safety reporting by air crews, including fatigue reporting, eroding Just Culture, deficiencies in pilot training (due to high turnover of staff), or flying while sick. What is also setting these New Business Models apart is the high focus on cost cutting which, according to EASA, puts human factors, crew resource management and safety management under intense pressure. "EASA had provided some sensible measures for mitigating risks related to new business set-ups", says ECA President Capt. Dirk Polloczek. "Our job is not done. Mitigating hazards and their associated risks is good. Eliminating hazards, when possible, is better." "This new Guide is only a first step and more will be needed from the EU institutions", says Johan Glanz, ECA Board Director and Chair of the EASA Working Group that delivered the recommendations. While the Guide provides practical recommendations on how to mitigate safety risks, it does not address the underlying factors, i.e. the use of problematic business & employment practices. This remains an outstanding task for the Agency, the European Commission and Member States. In the context of the ongoing revision process of EASA's Basic Regulation, the European Parliament has already empowered EASA to investigate and act upon "interdependencies between socio-economic factors and aviation safety". This new Practice Guide is a proof that EASA has an active role to play and will need to do so in future, based on this firm European mandate. https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/pilots-welcome-new-practical-guide-by-easa-to- mitigate-safety-hazards-of-atypical-employment-new-business-models Back to Top DFW Airport landing more global destinations Australia, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Japan, China and Qatar. Those are just some of the countries that have been added to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport's global destinations lineup as the airport has bulked up its offerings over the past several years for business and leisure travel. February 2012: Emirates airline began flights between DFW Airport and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Shown here is the Palm Jumeirah, an artificial archipelago in Dubai created using land reclamation by Nakheel, a company owned by the Dubai government. Thirty-seven international flights have been added at DFW Airport in the past five years. Six have been discontinued, leaving 31 active international flights added during the period. Five additional foreign carriers have begun flying to DFW in that span. Check out the slideshow with this story for the destinations, the airlines that fly there and the date the flights were established. Overall, DFW Airport has service to 223 destinations, including 56 international and 167 destinations within the United States. Fifteen of the 27 passenger airlines that serve DFW are foreign-flagged, and 12 are domestic. Each international flight adds an estimated $250 million annually to the DFW economy, according to a study by Waco-based economic forecasting firm The Perryman Group. Last year, DFW Airport accelerated its quest for more international destinations by offering carriers greater incentives to launch nonstop flights to overseas cities. The incentives typically include reduced landing fees and marketing costs for the new service. The goal is to incentivize airlines to fly longer distances and larger planes, said John Ackerman, executive vice president for global strategy and development at the airport. The airport board approved a plan that offers $1.50 per available seat mile and a 25 percent bonus if the destination is on the airport's list of targeted cities. The airport is specifically seeking more service to Europe, where it had only four nonstop flights before the incentive program helped convince Fort Worth-based American Airlines to add service to Rome and Amsterdam in May. The flight to Rome connects DFW to its largest previously unserved international market. Direct flights to Berlin, Dublin, Helsinki and Munich in Europe also are on the airport's target list, as are Auckland, Johannesburg, Melbourne, Nagoya and Nairobi in other parts of the world The airport also sponsors trade missions out of the country to build partnerships with international airlines, expand the number of international flights for DFW and solidify traffic for existing international flights. These missions typically are led by Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue and other members of the airport board. The missions are conducted in partnership with the Dallas Regional Chamber, and they aim to raise the region's international profile in addition to luring more flights. Harnessing the high-level firepower helps when it comes to luring new airlines or adding flights, Ackerman said. "When we do these (trade missions) we get access to upper C-level executives - CEOs, CFOs and chairmen," Ackerman said. "Getting an hour with someone like that is invaluable when we're talking about the performance of an existing route or trying to sell them on establishing service." https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2017/08/08/dfw-airport-landing-more-global- destinations.html Back to Top Airplane parts makers consider mega-merger United Technologies Corp. has approached rival aerospace supplies company Rockwell Collins about a merger, according to The Wall Street Journal. Rockwell Collins currently has a market cap north of $20 billion, and a merger would result in a UTC aerospace business that generates around $40 billion in annual revenue. Why it matters: This could set up a major battle between plane manufacturers and parts suppliers, the former of which have been eating into the latter's business by trying to offer end-to-end maintenance. By merging, UTC and Rockwell Collins would have more leverage in such negotiations with carriers and other plane owners (including the U.S. military), particularly given that the two companies don't have much product overlap. Cold water from Bloomberg's Broke Sutherland: "UTC CEO Greg Hayes has shown a greater willingness to consider M&A as the company wraps up a commitment to return $22 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. But he's talked about targets in the $250 million to $1 billion range and signaled a bigger bet would be partly dependent on tax reform that gave the company access to its roughly $6 billion in overseas cash. Hayes has also been adamant about not overpaying. Going after Rockwell Collins would seem to go against this deal-making philosophy." https://www.axios.com/airplane-parts-makers-consider-mega-merger-2470602750.html Back to Top International Firm Buys $3 Million Jet As Cost-Saving Measure * These lawyers are leavin' on a jet plane... Say a prominent, Texas-based law firm is interested in expanding its global footprint by opening a new office across the country in Silicon Valley. At the same time, the firm is not at all interested in paying the outrageous rents and salaries that have come to be associated with the city it's got in mind for its new office location. What does that firm do if the partners still want the high-value tech clients that the area is known for? That firm takes the obvious course of action and buys a $3 million Gulfstream G200 jet that costs $2,500 per hour to operate so that it can ship its attorneys to and from San Jose, California. Oh, was that not the obvious thing to do? Patterson & Sheridan, an international boutique IP firm that's based in Houston has been flying its lawyers from its headquarters to Silicon Valley since about 2010, and the firm is able to offer California clients lower prices because everything is cheaper in Houston, where most of the patent work is done. The firm's jet - often referred to as "the bus" - logs about 150,000 miles per year. Here's more information on Patterson & Sheridan's flying patent prosecution machine from the Houston Chronicle: It costs roughly $1,900 per passenger, [managing partner and firm founder] Todd Patterson estimated, but each hour on the three- to four-hour flight is billable because the lawyers work the entire time. On commercial flights, their work is restricted to protect confidential information because one look from an unknown competitor sitting next to a lawyer working on a patent could undermine the value of an invention. The private flights also avoid about 36 hours in time spent arriving early for commercial flights, checking bags and going through security. Apply a $250 per hour average hourly billing rate to the flight and wait times of commercial travel, and it pretty much covers the cost of the trip, Todd Patterson said. According to law firm adviser William Cobb, managing partner Cobb Consulting in Houston, the only other firm that's done something like this to avoid the offensive price points associated with Silicon Valley has been the dearly departed Brobeck Phleger & Harrison, which operated a small San Jose outpost three days a week, staffed entirely by lawyers from its headquarters located 50 miles away. http://abovethelaw.com/2017/08/international-firm-buys-3-million-jet-as-cost-saving- measure/ Back to Top Patriots become first NFL team to buy their own jets to travel to games The Patriots are ahead of the rest of the NFL in a lot of ways, now they have one more - with their own fleet of jumbo jets. Patriots become first NFL team to buy 767 to fly to games. They actually bought two The Pats bought not one, but two Boeing 767s so the team can always travel together in style without needing to worry about chartering a jet. The Patriots changed the configuration of the plane so every seat is a first class seat, many of which recline entirely for players to rest. ESPN estimates the planes cost the Patriots $10 million each, which isn't that bad in the scheme of things. The team also ensured everyone knows their legacy with the five Vince Lombardi trophies on the tail. This move is smart. Rising charter costs flights means that teams can spend up to $4 million a year on flights. This is a smart investment that could give the Pats another edge on game day if they can rest a little more than the majority of the league. One plane will be used in 2017 with the other as a reserve. The Patriots have plans to rent out the planes when they're not in use by the team -- so if you've even wanted to sit in Tom Brady's seat then you might want to do a little research and cash in that jar of coins in the garage. https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2017/8/8/16114700/patriots-first-nfl-team-to-buy-own- jets Back to Top US Army bans Chinese-made drone over security concerns The U.S. Army reportedly will no longer use drones made by Chinese manufacturer DJI over security concerns. Troops were ordered to "cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries/storage media from devices, and secure equipment for follow on direction," according to an Aug. 2 memo obtained by Defense One. The memo, which the publication said was confirmed by two Army officials, cited "increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities associated with DJI products." DJI is the leading drone manufacturer in the world, responsible for around 70 percent of the commercial drone market. U.S. special operators in Syria have been using DJI products in Syria, according to the report, while DJI Phantom drones have also been used by the Army Corps of Engineers. The company's unmanned aircraft "are the most widely used non-program of record commercial off-the-shelf UAS employed by the Army," the memo says. As drone use has exploded, however, there has been growing concern about hackers being able to break into the device and manipulate its GPS software, which could allow a drone to enter no-fly zones that are normally blocked by geo-fencing. Adam Lisberg, a DJI spokesman, said in a statement to CNBNC that the decision to ban DJI drones was surprising and disappointing. "We are surprised and disappointed to read reports of the U.S. Army's unprompted restriction on DJI drones as we were not consulted during their decision. We are happy to work directly with any organization, including the U.S. Army, that has concerns about our management of cyber issues," he said. "We'll be reaching out to the U.S. Army to confirm the memo and to understand what is specifically meant by 'cyber vulnerabilities.' Until then, we ask everyone to refrain from undue speculation." http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/345748-us-army-bans-chinese-made-drone-over- security-concerns Back to Top The Reason China Can't Find Anyone to Operate Its Alien-Hunting Telescope China continues to up its game in space sciences, including one particularly ambitious project, the world's largest radio telescope. There's just one problem: they can't find anyone to operate it. The country's government is looking to hire a foreigner as chief scientist to oversee the telescope's daily operation, reports the South China Morning News, and it's even offering free housing and a $1.2 million salary to boot. But no one has been hired, presumably because of challenges associated with the job and the high level of requirements needed to even apply. The "Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope", or FAST, is a $180 million, 1,600 foot-long radio telescope that's capable of receiving radio signals from as far as 1,000 light years away; making it a leading instrument in the search for alien life. To give you an idea of its scale, FAST is roughly the size of 30 soccer fields. In 2016, Breakthrough Initiatives - an organization founded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner to investigate extraterrestrials - partnered with China to get the telescope online, but despite such high-profile backing, nobody has come forward to fill this managerial role. There are probably a couple of reasons why: It's a really, really big telescope. Although FAST was completed last year, the chief operator would be contending with some significant technical variables. Important components, such as the signal receiver and over 4,500 moveable reflection panels on the telescope's dish require extensive testing and calibration, according to South China Morning News. A chief operator would likely have no time for their own research, working long and irregular hours, managing the telescope in its infant years. The project's location may also seem less than ideal to some, as its nestled in the mountains of Guizhou, a very remote and undeveloped part of southwest China. It's become even more remote, in fact, because in February of 2016, the Chinese government evicted about 9,110 residents within a 3.1 mile radius of the telescope, claiming they could potentially mess with the electromagnetic wave environment, and offering a measly $1,822 in compensation. It was an unlikely occurrence, considering most (or possibly all) of the rural villagers wouldn't have sophisticated technology at their disposal to actually do that. But anyway... The candidate requirements are intense, too. The winning applicant must have 20 years of experience and must have held a leading role on a large-scale radio telescope project - because there are so many of those. The job also requires the successful applicant to have held a professorship or equally senior role at a highly respected research institute or university. Wang Tinggui, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Science and Technology of China told South China Morning News that it's a tall order. "These requirements are very high. It puts most astronomers out of the race. I may be able to count those qualified with my fingers." he said "It is not a job for a scientist. It's for a superhero." https://www.yahoo.com/news/reason-china-t-anyone-operate-161100345.html Back to Top Hazards and Evidence Awareness for Air Accident Responders Course dates: 28 Sep 2017 (refresher)/17 - 18 Apr 2018 Air accidents present a formidable range of challenges to organisations charged with providing a response. Such accidents can be hugely variable in scale and nature, occurring in any environment at any time of day. Course overview Air accidents can require a level of response from local responders up to a full-scale, major international emergency response. The range of tasks in response to an aircraft accident are designed to rescue survivors, identify victims, protect the public and conduct appropriate investigations into the accident causes. This two-day course aims to provide an overview of what air accident responders may expect to encounter at an accident site and how to effectively identify and manage the risk that hazards at an accident site may pose. It will also provide awareness training and knowledge in the identification and preservation of evidence critical to the subsequent accident investigation. The course includes taught theory and the opportunity to consolidate learning via group workshops and a practical field exercise. A one-day refresher course is also available for those who have already completed the two- day initial course. Who should attend? The course is designed for both civil and military individuals who may attend, or be responsible for those attending, aircraft accident sites, including airport rescue and firefighting personnel, airport response personnel, aircraft operators and maintainers, aircraft recovery personnel, first responders, safety regulators, insurers and professional accident investigators. The course is a key element for those who may be required to attend an accident site where evidence of bloodborne pathogens (BBP) awareness training is mandatory for admission to the accident site. For more information, visit: http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/transportsystems/hea or call an advisor on: T: +44 (0)1234 754189 Back to Top NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER EXCLUSIVELY FROM CURT LEWIS AVIATION BOOKS Starting with the Air France 447 accident, the authors present a fascinating and heartbreaking human interest story about one of the most important events in aviation history. They have also written the defining work on Angle of Attack technology and what it means to every pilot and passenger. Their analysis of worldwide aviation accident history shows how the use of AOA equipment instrument may have prevented aviation tragedies. Autographed first edition copies available from Curt Lewis Aviation Books at http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/angle-of-attack Buy the book and Pilot Error, the acclaimed tie-in feature film the Milwaukee Journal calls a "first class ticket" and save $3. http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/book-and-dvd Meet co-author Shem Malmquist at the Beyond Risk Management booth during the ISASI annual seminar in San Diego August 22-24. A 777 Captain and veteran accident investigator, he presents with John Thomas on August 24 at 11:30 a.m. Malmquist will also be at Quinn's Ale House at the convention venue, the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina from 5:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. on August 23. For more details contact the author at spmalmquist@outlook.com or phone 901 302-0779. Co-author Roger Rapoport is a Flight Safety Information contributing editor who conducted over 300 interviews around the world for this book. He is the author of Citizen Moore and has written for Harper's, the Atlantic, Esquire, the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and the London Independent. WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANGLE OF ATTACK "We owe Rapoport and Malmquist a great debt of gratitude. Read every word." -Dr. Gary Helmer, Embry Riddle University "A great resource for aeronautical professionals ... exposes the failed defenses that can reside at each layer of the aviation system. A must-read for anyone with an interest in aviation accident investigation and aviation safety." -Dr. Chris Johnson, Director of Aviation Education and Research, Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison "A must-read for professional pilots, aircraft designers, government regulators and political decision makers." -Gregory Fox, Director of Safety, Florida Institute of Technology, ATPL pilot, safety manager since 1971, 35 years safety regulator, and 20 years check inspector on A320 and A340. "Angle of Attack sheds light for the novice and expert alike. Their subject matter expertise is admirable. They have used the Air France 447 crash and other crashes of automated airplanes as examples of accidents that might have been prevented if the crews had access to realistic training to prepare them for those rare events and if their aircraft had been equipped with angle of attack indicators." -Captain Elaine M. Parker, Beyond Risk Management "For the very first time the full story of Air France 447, one of the most significant events in aviation history, is revealed thanks to eight years of painstaking research." -John Darbo, Argus Inernational, former American Airlines manager of internal evaluation and event investigation "You don't have to be a pilot to find this book moving and absorbing." - Adam Hochschild, Author of Spain in Our Hearts and King Leopold's Ghost "This book proves conclusively that education by meteorologists is the key to fundamental understanding of the impact weather has on the elements of the aviation arena." - Debbie Schaum Embry-Riddle University "A masterful work that was hard to put down." -Captain Shawn Pruchnicki Ohio State University for Aviation Studies Back to Top Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY RESULTS Project completed: "Manual Flying Skills - Airline Procedures and their Effect on Pilot Proficiency" Dear fellow aviators, last year many of you took part in the Manual Flying Skills Online Survey, a core element of my MSc Air Safety Management thesis at City University of London. Now that the project is completed, I would like to say THANK YOU for your participation - based on your valuable contributions, I was able to use a broad data basis for my research. I have prepared a short presentation summarizing the key results of my research: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316738796_Presentation_Manual_Flying_Skills_- _Airline_Procedures_and_their_Effect_on_Pilot_Proficiency The complete paper can be found here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316734587_Manual_Flying_Skills_- _Airline_Procedures_and_their_Effect_on_Pilot_Proficiency Feel free to share the links or to contact me via moritz.hanusch.1@city.ac.uk - I am looking forward to discussing my project's results with you and other interested flight safety professionals! Best regards, Moritz Hanusch Back to Top Position: Head, Global Aviation Data Management Overview Job ID: 7727 Position Category: Operational and/or Administrative Contract Duration: Permanent Location: Canada, Montreal Employment Type: Full Time - Permanent Travel Required: Yes Description Reporting to the Director, Safety, the incumbent will lead the Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) program. Responsibilities * Leading the management of the GADM portfolio of data analysis programs: - * Flight Data Connect, IATA's commercial flight data analysis product for airlines. * Flight Data Exchange, IATA's collection of global flight data and associated analysis in support of advocacy and safety enhancement. * Safety Trend Evaluation Analysis and Data Exchange System (STEADES), global aviation safety incident database and trend analysis to set safety performance targets and support risk reduction. * Ground Damage DataBase (GDDB), a key initiative supporting the IATA ground operations initiatives. * Data collection, collation, integrity and security program. * Develop GADM strategy according to the needs of the industry as approved through the IATA governance structure; * Assess and enhance program technical capabilities to meet industry needs and develop and implement the enhanced IT infrastructure; * Ensure the data programs remain sustainable through a combination of promoting commercial products such as Flight Data Connect and cost sharing initiatives of added value aggregate data analysis and presentation with industry stakeholders. * Lead the GADM team to ensure timely production of analysis and reports; * Manage the associated budgets for GADM (operational and project related); * Coordinate the analysis priorities with all other departments and the regions; * Deliver a strategy of communication and promotion of GADM with IATA members and across the industry; * Ensure effective implementation of quality principles to maintain ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certification; * Represent IATA at relevant industry meetings and conferences; Qualifications and Skills * A comprehensive understanding of the value of data analysis to the enhancement of safety in the airline industry; * Ability to manage many complex technical aviation projects simultaneously * Airline safety management including data analysis experience; * Airline flight operations and/or management experience is desirable; * Understanding of quality system requirements; * Understanding of the challenges of performance/risk based management; * Advanced understanding of IT systems an asset; * Experience in global data management and sharing initiatives, with emphasis on aviation operational data management, would be an asset; * Demonstrate awareness of IATA's vision and mission, ensuring the broad perspective of the GADM is maintained; * Proven ability to present simple and/or complex issues clearly, credibly and effectively by using a communication style appropriate to the situation and at the highest executive levels; * Demonstrated organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills; understanding of aviation statistical analysis a plus; * Work collaboratively with a range of stake holders to achieve the goal of global industry benefit; * Demonstrate problem solving and creativity which lead to significant business improvement; * Extensive leadership experience in a culturally diverse environment and proficiency to motivate and encourage people in a positive manner to keep the team moving toward successful completion; * Candidates must possess and exhibit the following core IATA values: Be people and team oriented, focused on results, embrace innovation and change, and demonstrate leadership and personal integrity. * At the heart of IATA are our Values and Behaviors. We all have different personalities, styles and areas of expertise, but you'll recognize us by the consistent way we act and behave in line with our Values and Behaviors. We are looking for people who bring them to life in everything they do - they are: * Act with integrity and uphold our standards * Think strategically in support of the global big picture * Partner and manage to create high performing teams * Putting people first by acting with a simple human touch APPLY HERE Here at IATA we are proud of being a Diverse & Inclusive Organization - we have people from all over the world working in our offices, and we extend this to our recruiting practices. We are a meritocratic organization and an equal opportunity employer. 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 Curt Lewis