Flight Safety Information September 22, 2017 - No. 190 In This Issue Incident: Flybe E195 at Cardiff on Sep 21st 2017, bird strike Incident: Skywest CRJ2 near Erie on Sep 21st 2017, indication of thrust reverser deployed in flight Incident: Cathay Pacific A333 near Adelaide on Sep 20th 2017, engine failure Incident: Libyan CRJ9 near Benghazi on Sep 20th 2017, cracked windshield Incident: India Express B738 near Mangalore on Sep 21st 2017, engine shut down in flight Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Tel Aviv on Sep 21st 2017, engine shut down in flight All 4 on board survive runway excursion accident of Cessna 650 Citation VII at Istanbul-Atatürk Airport Hong Kong investigating runway incursion incident A380 in glideslope deviation incident twice aborted approach Accident: Endeavor CRJ9 near New York on Sep 19th 2017, turbulence injures passenger NTSB News - Report on LaGuardia Airport Incident...Pilot Actions, Decision Making, "Lack of Command" Airline safety: touchscreens in cockpits to improve safety F-35 Ejection Seat Fix For Lightweight Pilots Delayed FAA BasicMed Rule Frees Pilots to Fly. Are You Ready? From Biofuels to 3-D Printing, Aviation Is Going Green Accident: Endeavor CRJ9 near New York on Sep 19th 2017, turbulence injures passenger Air Force trying to widen pilot pool with benefits, but still can't catch up Pilot Shortage May Force U.S. Air Force To Outsource Training Boeing Lands $11 Billion 787 Deal From Resurgent Turkish Air ERAU - Undergraduate Engineering Programs Again Win Superior Marks From U.S. News & World Report Call for Papers...Asian Aviation and Education Training Symposium (AAETS) 2018...7-8 March 2018 Expert discusses advances in aircraft air quality Claims challenged on toxicity of cabin air SpaceX might name its satellite broadband internet service 'Starlink' GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY. CHC Safety & Quality Summit - 2017 (September 27-29; Grapevine, TX) Incident: Flybe E195 at Cardiff on Sep 21st 2017, bird strike A Flybe Embraer ERJ-195, registration G-FBEK performing flight BE-4565 from Cardiff,WL (UK) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with 90 people on board, was climbing out of Cardiff when a bird impacted the aircraft prompting the crew to stop the climb at FL140 and return to Cardiff for a safe landing about 25 minutes after departure. Passengers reported that there was a bang sound and a jolt, then a burning odour developed in the cabin. The captain announced that they had hit a bird which caused the smell. The captain added that the engine appeared to be running fine. A replacement Dash 8-400 registration G-PRPA reached Paris with a delay of 4 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 7 hours before returning to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aeacc38&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Skywest CRJ2 near Erie on Sep 21st 2017, indication of thrust reverser deployed in flight A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N915EV performing flight OO-4906/DL-4906 from Detroit,MI to Rochester,NY (USA) with 34 passengers and 3 crew, was climbing out of Detroit when the crew stopped the climb at FL250 and decided to divert to Erie,PA (USA) reporting they had received indication that one of the thrust reversers (engine CF34) had deployed in flight. The crew advised that both engines were still running and landed safely on Erie's runway 24. Maintenance determined that the thrust reverser had not deployed, it was just a problem with a sensor. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aeaca9b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Cathay Pacific A333 near Adelaide on Sep 20th 2017, engine failure A Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300, registration B-LAG performing flight CX-173 (dep Sep 19th) from Hong Kong (China) to Adelaide,SA (Australia) with 240 people on board, was descending to 9000 feet on approach to Adelaide when the crew declared PAN reporting the failure of the left hand engine (Trent 772). The crew shut the engine down, advised they would perform a normal landing single engine. The aircraft landed safely on Adelaide's runway 05 about 13 minutes after declaring PAN. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Adelaide 48 hours after landing. The return flight was delayed, is currently showing a delay of more than 39 hours with an estimated departure at 21:30L Sep 21st, which was about 7.5 hours ago. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aeabd57&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Libyan CRJ9 near Benghazi on Sep 20th 2017, cracked windshield A Libyan Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Buraq Air, registration 5A-LAM performing flight UZ-90 from Tripoli Mitiga to Tobruk (Libya), was enroute near Benghazi (Libya) when the first officer's windshield cracked prompting the crew to divert to Banghazi for a safe landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aeab601&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: India Express B738 near Mangalore on Sep 21st 2017, engine shut down in flight An Air India Express Boeing 737-800, registration VT-AXT performing flight IX-821 from Mangalore (India) to Doha (Qatar) with 173 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL300 about 130nm west of Mangalore when the crew decided to shut the left hand engine (CFM56) down due to the failure of the engine. The aircraft drifted down to FL150 and returned to Mangalore for a safe landing about one hour after departure. Passengers reported there was a loud boom followed by severe vibrations. The crew subsequently announced they were returning to Mangalore. The flight was postponed to the next day, they were taken to hotels. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aeab101&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Tel Aviv on Sep 21st 2017, engine shut down in flight A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AISL performing flight LH-695 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 160 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Tel Aviv's runway 26 when the right hand engine (V2533) failed prompting the crew to shut the engine down, stop the climb at 3000 feet and return to Tel Aviv for a safe landing on runway 08 at a higher than normal speed (about 180 knots over ground) about 25 minutes after departure. The aircraft vacated the runway just before the displaced threshold runway 26 and stopped for an inspection by emergency services before continuing to taxi to the apron. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 8 hours after landing back. Passengers reported they heard a loud bang from the right hand side followed by unusual noises. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aea9181&opt=0 Back to Top All 4 on board survive runway excursion accident of Cessna 650 Citation VII at Istanbul-Atatürk Airport Status: Preliminary Date: Thursday 21 September 2017 Time: ca 21:16 Type: Cessna 650 Citation VII Operator: Avione Jet Registration: TC-KON C/n / msn: 650-7084 First flight: 1998 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Istanbul-Atatürk International Airport (IST) ( Turkey) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Istanbul-Atatürk International Airport (IST/LTBA), Turkey Destination airport: Ercan Airport (ECN/LCEN), Turkey Narrative: A Cessna 650 Citation VII corporate jet was destroyed in an accident and post-impact fire during an attempted on landing at Istanbul-Atatürk International Airport in Turkey. The aircraft departed Atatürk Airport about 21:05 local time, with destination Ercan. Shortly after takeoff a situation developed which forced the flight to return to the departure airport. The aircraft suffered a runway excursion while attempting to land on runway 35L. It crossed a concrete ditch and a post impact fire erupted. The two pilots, hostess and sole passenger survived the accident. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170921-0 Back to Top Hong Kong investigating runway incursion incident Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department (CAD) is investigating a runway incursion that took place at Hong Kong International airport on 22 September, involving a Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330-300 and an Air Cargo Global Boeing 747-400 freighter. The CAD says the A330, which was operating as flight HX236 to Shanghai Pudong, was preparing to takeoff from runway 07R at 08.55 hours. Shortly after commencing its takeoff roll, the takeoff had to be aborted after the flight crew spotted a 747-400 freighter crossing the runway. The freighter was operating as flight CW831. Based on a preliminary information it had obtained, the CAD found that the two aircraft were more than 1,000m away from each other. Subsequently, the A330 departed for Shanghai as planned. No one was injured, and airport operations were unaffected, adds the CAD. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top A380 in glideslope deviation incident twice aborted approach Russian investigators have indicated that the Emirates Airbus A380 involved in an altitude deviation incident in Moscow had descended to around 400ft while still 7.5nm from the runway. The information has been disclosed by French investigation authority BEA, citing counterparts in Russia. It states that the aircraft had been attempting to intercept the ILS for landing, as it carried out an approach to Moscow Domodedovo's runway 14R. The aircraft - which BEA identifies as A6-EEZ - descended to 400ft while 7.5nm inbound, and the crew received an enhance ground-proximity warning system alert. On a typical ILS glideslope an aircraft at this distance would normally be operating at around 2,400ft. The threshold elevation of runway 14R is 180m and there are various obstacles, including chimneys and masts, in the vicinity of the approach path. Having executed a go-around the crew then attempted a second approach which, BEA says, was also "unsuccessful" and was similarly aborted. "The aircraft landed safely on the third approach," it adds. United Arab Emirates investigators had previously stated that the aircraft, arriving from Dubai on 10 September, had been transporting 446 occupants. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Jet aborts Santa Fe landing after failure of airport's wind gauge There's not a whole lot the Santa Fe Municipal Airport can do to remedy situations like what happened Tuesday night when National Weather Service wind-speed sensor malfunctioned. Luis Sánchez Saturno/New Mexican file photo Passengers on a 70-seat American Eagle jet traveling from Dallas to Santa Fe late Tuesday night actually ended up making the flight twice. The pilots, before beginning their descent to the municipal airport here around 11 p.m., turned around and flew back to Dallas-Fort Worth for the night because of a problem with weather equipment on the ground. The flight, carrying 38 passengers, successfully landed in Santa Fe on Wednesday morning. It was the second time in a little over a year that a Dallas-to-Santa Fe flight has diverted back to its origin, a miserable inconvenience for passengers and an unfortunate mishap at an airport with its sights set on expansion as local business and tourism groups hope to steal traffic away from the Albuquerque International Sunport with a "Fly Santa Fe" campaign. And there's not a whole lot the Santa Fe Municipal Airport itself can do to remedy the problem, said Cameron Humphres, who manages the small airport on the city's far southwest side. In fact, the problem was outside the airport's ability to address at all, he said, because the issue was a faulty wind-speed sensor maintained by the National Weather Service. "This particular [monitoring] system isn't owned, managed, operated, maintained by the airport or city of Santa Fe," Humphres said. "It's really unfortunate for the passengers; I feel for them," he added. "But at the end of the day, safety is paramount, and it is against the regulatory requirements for pilots to land without current wind data," said Humphres, a pilot himself. It was not immediately clear what caused the National Weather Service wind sensor to fail. "Most of the time, it's a pretty well-oiled machine and it doesn't need any supplementation or intervention, but last night was the exception," Todd Shoemake, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque, said Wednesday. He said technicians were able to fix the sensor early Wednesday morning. Third-party contracted personnel in the Santa Fe air traffic control tower, funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, had already gone home for the night, their regular hours concluding at 9 p.m., Humphres said. Closing control towers before all flights have arrived is common practice at small airports, Humphres said. An FAA spokesman, Lynn Lunsford, said that if tower personnel go home, it leaves pilots reliant on the automated weather system data. But if the RVA Inc. tower workers had been there Tuesday night, Humphres said, they might have been able to supplement the wind data. Without the automated minute-by-minute weather updates that help guide late-night pilots, the flight could not safely land, said Bobbie Battista, spokeswoman for ExpressJet, which operated the American Eagle flight under an arrangement with American Airlines. Battista said the flight was not able to go to a nearer airport, such as the Sunport, because, as the turnaround was unexpected, the Albuquerque airport was "unable to handle a diversion at that hour." She said the company apologized for the inconvenience. Battista referred a question about accommodations for passengers to Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for American Airlines. Feinstein said the company does not provide overnight accommodations to passengers when flight cancellations are "outside of our control," referencing weather as one example. Jon Bevill, husband of a passenger on the diverted flight, said in an email Wednesday that his daughter had to drive down to Santa Fe from Taos twice in order to pick up his wife. "This to me is crazy bad for tourism and Santa Fe image," Bevill wrote. The sensor problem is "an extremely rare event," Humphres said. A similar weather information failure caused a diversion from Santa Fe back to Dallas-Fort Worth in August 2016. Humphres, who began managing the Santa Fe airport in March 2016, said that at his previous post, directing the Rapid City Regional Airport in South Dakota, a weather data sensor problem occurred three or four times. The diversion comes as the Santa Fe Municipal Airport master plan, a road map for two decades' worth of improvements, is set to go before the City Council next week. Humphres said the master plan does not address the federally managed weather data system or the possibility of expanded hours at the tower but rather focuses on the city property's infrastructural needs. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/jet-aborts-santa-fe-landing-after-failure-of-airport-s/article_aeca9e0f-88b6- 5e01-8e18-7c553e59b3a8.html Back to Top NTSB News - Report on LaGuardia Airport Incident Pilot Actions, Decision Making, "Lack of Command Authority" Led to New York LaGuardia Runway Excursion 9/21/2017 Several failures in close succession by a jetliner's flight crew were the probable cause of Oct. 27, 2016, runway excursion at LaGuardia Airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's final report issued Thursday. The Eastern Air Lines Boeing 737-700, a chartered flight carrying then vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence and campaign staff, overran Runway 22 during landing on the rainy evening. The airplane departed the runway and partially transited an arrester bed of crushable concrete before coming to a stop about 170 feet past the end of the runway. None of the 11 crewmembers or 37 passengers were hurt in the incident. The plane sustained minor damage. NTSB investigators document information and gather evidence the morning after the Oct. 27, 2016, runway excursion of a chartered Eastern Air Lines Boeing 737- 700 at New York LaGuardia Airport (NTSB photo by Peter Knudson) Data from the flight recorder and post-incident interviews with the flight crew indicated the 737 was on a stabilized approach to Runway 22 until the landing flare, when it "floated" for thousands of feet, finally touching down more than 4,200 feet past the threshold of the 7,001-foot runway, leaving less than 2,800 feet of runway surface for the 737 to decelerate and stop. The NTSB said when the first officer, who was at the controls, failed to get the jet's wheels on the ground within the first third of the runway, or 2,300 feet, he should have executed a go-around maneuver instead of continuing the landing attempt. During the landing roll, contrary to procedures, the captain didn't announce he was assuming control of the airplane, which resulted in each pilot attempting directional inputs that were at odds with the other. This breakdown of basic crew resource management along with the captain's failure to call for a go-around demonstrated, "a lack of command authority." This, along with pilot actions, including starting the flare at an altitude almost twice as high as Boeing recommends, delays in reducing throttles and manually deploying the speed brakes, all contributed to the excursion, the NTSB said. Eastern Air Lines management told the NTSB that it has since developed specific flight crew training to address the safety issues identified during the investigation. The 24-page final report is available at https://go.usa.gov/xRJ4v. https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/pr20170921b.aspx Back to Top Airline safety: touchscreens in cockpits to improve safety Pilots from more than 60 carriers participated in extensive simulator sessions. Photo: EPA. . ANDY PASZTOR Cockpits featuring touchscreen controls, historically considered unreliable in severe turbulence, offer some of the most promising safety enhancements for future aircraft, according to new European research. The findings, portions of which were to be made public this week at an international avionics conference in St Petersburg, Florida, are the culmination of a four-year study intended to help reduce pilot workload and devise eye-tracking technology to identify pilot mistakes. Dutch government researchers, engineers from French equipment maker Thales and other international experts also are developing cutting-edge systems able to alert pilots if they become distracted, sleepy or stray from normal procedures. Without such advances, "the crew is no longer able to manage all the information" today's jetliners spew out, Eric Parelon, a senior Thales manager, told an international safety conference in Brussels this year. To further improve safety and enhance pilot decision- making, he said, various touchscreen variants were essential because "information has to be provided in a completely different way" than in the past. Pilots from more than 60 carriers participated in extensive simulator sessions run by the Netherlands Aerospace Centre depicting airborne emergencies, unexpected changes in runway assignments and other stressful situations. Sometimes with just one or two swipes of cockpit displays, pilots were able to respond - even setting up complex instrument approaches for entirely new destinations - while maintaining situational awareness and reducing workload, said Wilfred Rouwhorst, a senior Dutch researcher. In addition to speed and altitude during descent, the application automatically factors in runway and weather conditions. As an extra safeguard, the Dutch organisation stresses that "both pilots can also supervise each via their own screen" to ensure the autopilot is correctly engaged. Under the auspices of the EU, teams of technical experts also investigated technologies intended to track where an aviator's eyes are focused, or even analyse facial expressions, to determine if flight crews are complying with mandatory flight plans and safety rules. In extreme cases, an emergency mode can take over control from crews unable to react swiftly for some reason, including incapacitation. Detailed reports about the overall results are not yet public and innovative touchscreen designs and software aimed at enhancing routine operations are not expected to be standard on airline flight decks for at least a decade. But, said Mr Rouwhorst in an interview, the simulation sessions showed "pilots really would love to have (them) on-board today, especially the younger generation" most comfortable with touchscreens on mobile phones, other personal electronic devices and embedded in car dashboards. Hundreds of millions of airline passengers already use touchscreen commands for cabin entertainment systems. Many military pilots rely extensively on the same type of cockpit interfaces, while makers of commercial and business aircraft are steadily expanding uses. Last year, Boeing and avionics supplier Rockwell Collin said the Chicago plane-maker's next-generation 777 model would be the first passenger jet to include touchscreens on flight-control displays. Boeing said that after testing prototypes in simulators and aircraft, the user-friendly systems performed "as well as or better than current devices" for pilot interactions with displays. Typically, aircraft still use various rotary knobs, touchpads or buttons to control functions on display screens or flight-management computers. Rockwell officials have said that to prevent inadvertent commands, they designed the touchscreens to require firm pressure. There is a bezel, or lip protruding from the frame, to help pilots brace their hands during vibration or airborne turbulence, and two aviators can manipulate the screens at the same time. European research further supports the argument that by leveraging the latest ergonomic designs, pilots are now better able to steady their fingers to operate touchscreens despite rough air. Manufacturers usually provide rollerballs as a fallback. In Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft, electronic flight bags used by pilots have touchscreens. Before introducing the technology to main cockpit displays, Boeing and Rockwell also had to work on strict anti-reflectivity standards to ensure pilots can read the displays under various lighting conditions. Honeywell International, which for many years opposed touchscreen technology as risky in severe weather, now has provided them for some business jets and expects them to spread rapidly through airlines worldwide. Longer term, Thales, Honeywell and Rockwell Collins are all working on voice-recognition features to interact with cockpit systems. Mr Rouwhorst, however, acknowledged that "wear and tear and maintenance issues" stemming from touchscreens still needed to be addressed. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/airline-safety-touchscreens-in-cockpits-to-improve-safety/news- story/a76058670b9fa1dce8ce065ece45af30 Back to Top F-35 Ejection Seat Fix For Lightweight Pilots Delayed Martin-Baker The integration of F-35 ejection seat modifications that will allow lightweight pilots to safely fly the aircraft is taking longer than planned, as the government-industry team works to incorporate new data into the fighter's fleet management system. The retrofitting of more than 200 early versions of the F-35 already out in the fleet with the new configuration of the Martin-Baker ejection seat will not be completed until about summer 2019, according to F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) spokesman Joe DellaVedova. The U.S. Air Force in May lifted a weight restriction banning pilots weighing less than 136 lb. from flying the F-35, after accepting planned modifications to the escape system aimed at allowing lightweight pilots to fly the new fighter without excessive risk. At the time, Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, then chief of the Air Force's F-35 integration office, estimated the service's full fleet of more than 100 F-35As would be retrofitted with the fixes by this December or January. When the government-industry team first started doing installation work in April, they discovered the process for swapping out the seats was taking longer than planned-weeks instead of days, DellaVedova said. This was due to incomplete data packages that delayed inputting seat part numbers into the F-35's Autonomic Logistics and Information System (ALIS), the aircraft's computerized internal logistics system designed to electronically track each part of each plane. The JPO is implementing a solution to resolve the issues, and will ramp up to producing about 14 seat modifications per month starting in December, DellaVedova said. "All F-35 ejection seats meet requirements and provide safe escape envelopes for pilots," DellaVedova said, stressing that there are no pilot impacts or operational issues associated with the ejection seat modifications. "There is no mission impact to the current operational fleet-pilots can safely fly with any F-35 seat." All new F-35s coming off the production line in Lot 10 and beyond will have the latest version of the seat, complete with the lightweight modification, he said. Lockheed Martin has already delivered well more than 100 F-35As to the Air Force to date, service spokesman Capt. Mark Graff said. Four F-35s at Luke AFB, Arizona, the Air Force's main F-35 training base, already have been updated with the new configuration of the ejection seat. Graff also stressed that the delay has not yet caused any operational impact, or affected pilot training. None of the U.S. services currently have F-35 pilots who weigh less than 136 lb. "While the integration of the ejection seat modifications is taking longer than planned, we are working to improve the installation process to incorporate the new kit data into the overall ALIS system," a Lockheed spokesperson said. "The F-35 ejection seat's advanced components integrate with our ALIS fleet management system to allow maintainers to track the seat's parts and performance throughout its life cycle. This enables a data-driven sustainment capability to proactively implement scheduled component maintenance and track required repairs and time-based parts replacement." The danger for lightweight pilots was discovered in the summer of 2015, and led the U.S. military services to bar pilots under 136 lb. from flying the F-35. The issue was a complex problem with the design of the F-35's escape system that posed a significant risk of neck damage or death during ejection to pilots in the lowest weight range. An ejection is a dangerous event even in ideal circumstances, with opportunities for injury at almost every stage. Once the pilot signals the plane to eject, a set of small explosives breach the windscreen canopy so the pilot can exit the aircraft. The pilot and seat are then launched upward via a rail system in a violent jolt that can cause back and neck injuries if the pilot is not in the correct position, with his or her head directly centered on the spine. The potential for injury is exacerbated by the weight of the F- 35's heavy helmet, which forces the pilot's head down. Once the pilot and seat reach the top of the rails, a rocket under the seat is ignited to lift the pilot-and-seat package free of the plane. At this point, the seat can begin pitching back and forth, a motion much like that of a rocking chair. The pilot's physical build determines the direction and degree of the pitching motion; a tall, heavy person tends to pitch forward, while a short, light person tends to pitch back, sometimes even rotating a full 180 deg. If a pilot's position is too far back when the main recovery parachute deploys, serious and potentially fatal neck injuries can occur. Martin-Baker and industry partners last year came up with a three-part fix to protect a lightweight pilot's head and neck in the event of an ejection: a lighter helmet to help ease strain on the neck during the first phase of an ejection; a lightweight switch on the seat to delay deployment of the main parachute; and a fabric panel sewn between the parachute risers that will protect the pilot's head from moving backward during the parachute opening, called a "head support panel," or HSP. "These modifications combined allowed us to open up the pipeline across the entire planned pilot weight demographic of 102 to 245 lb.," Pleus said in May. The team is trying to fix the problem as rapidly as possibly, said Richard Johnson, a Martin-Baker spokesman, stressing that "it's not a technical issue-this is an administrative issue." www.aviationweek.com Back to Top FAA BasicMed Rule Frees Pilots to Fly. Are You Ready? Earlier this year the FAA put into effect what is known as the BasicMed rule. BasicMed is part of legislation passed by Congress to extend the FAA's funding. The regulation relieves pilots of having to hold an FAA medical certificate under certain conditions, including that they: Have a U.S. driver's license Have held an FAA medical certificate after July 14, 2006 Receive a physical exam from a state-licensed physician every 48 months using what's called the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC) Take a BasicMed medical education course every 2 years There are aircraft and operating requirements as well. They include: The aircraft must be authorized under federal law to carry a maximum of six occupants The aircraft must have a maximum certificated takeoff weight not exceeding 6,000 pounds The pilot may operate under both VFR and IFR rules Flights must be conducted within the U.S., at less than 18,000 feet MSL, and not exceeding 250 knots The flight cannot be operated for hire or compensation It's safe to say that the aviation community wholeheartedly supports this new rule, as it lets pilots who were sidelined by an issue associated with getting an aviation medical certificate get back in the air. In fact, according to General Aviation News, 1,354 pilots successfully completed the self-assessment checklist, physical examination with a state-licensed physician, and the free online Medical Self-Assessment Course on May 1, 2017, the first day pilots could fly under the new BasicMed rules! However, it's important to note that BasicMed doesn't change the medical rules for pilots and situations outside of the criteria above. Accurate Assessment of a Pilot's Fitness to Fly For pilots that meet the BasicMed requirements, gone are the days of pass/fail medical exams given by FAA aviation medical examiners who typically were not as familiar with the pilot's overall health status as their personal physician. In this scenario, if the personal physician determines that a pilot should not be cleared to fly at the present time, there is no "denial" of a medical. Instead, the physician works with the pilot to correct the problem, performs another exam at a later date, and signs off if the issue has been resolved. This prevents the negative aftermath of an FAA "denial of medical," such as losing the right to fly even Light Sport aircraft. From our perspective, BasicMed does what it should: it adheres to the spirit of FAA regulations regarding pilot health and wellness (i.e., keeping those who are medically unsafe to fly from endangering themselves, their passengers, or people on the ground) rather than focusing on guidelines that, in many cases, were arguably restrictive. To the point of pilot safety... in 2004, the FAA developed the Sport Pilot Certificate. This rule did not require a medical. In the intervening 13 years, there have been no notable "ill effects" of allowing the large numbers of pilots who took up light-sport flying to operate an aircraft. It's likely that this result paved the way for the FAA, and those pushing for change, to draft and implement BasicMed. Bringing About BasicMed Many individuals and organizations worked tirelessly to get Congress to reassess pilot safety regulations and ultimately craft the BasicMed rule. Among them are entities like the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), and countless others. Our thanks go out to these entities that have helped sidelined pilots who are passionate about flying get back in the cockpit. BasicMed Frequently Asked Questions As you would expect, this significant departure from the old rules has left pilots and others in aviation with many questions. To answer them, the FAA has published a number of documents. One that gets right to the heart of the matter is its Frequently Asked Questions guide. The 12-page document answers a wide range of questions like: Is there a grace period for meeting BasicMed? Answer: No. You must meet all BasicMed requirements before you can use BasicMed. Do I need to keep my expired paper medical certificate as proof that I held a medical since July 15, 2006? Answer: It's not a bad idea to hold onto your expired medical certificate (or documentation from the FAA of that medical certificate) but there is no requirement for that. Can I exercise BasicMed and hold a medical certificate at the same time? Answer: Yes. If you are operating under BasicMed, then you must comply with the BasicMed operating limitations (e.g. flying only within the U.S. and at or less than 250 knots). When operating under BasicMed, you are not exercising the privileges of your medical certificate. It's well worth your time to give the FAQ a thorough read. One Pilot's Story Given the love that pilots have for flying, it's no stretch to say that the enactment of BasicMed has been life changing. Many pilots who were ineligible to fly under the old rule can now get back in the air. One of them describes this newfound freedom this way: "Because of BasicMed, I was able to undergo a more comprehensive health analysis with my family physician and to learn more about aeromedical factors via the online course offering. I was able to quickly return to flying piston single-engine aircraft after a three year hiatus that was attributable to my medical certificate having expired during the course of a relocation and job and family responsibilities. I have enjoyed returning to the skies and renting aircraft frequently with the hope of eventual co-ownership of a piston single-engine aircraft." Bottom line: People tend to be quick to criticize government entities when they do something wrong. Here, Congress and the FAA really got it right! Congratulations to all the pilots who are eagerly climbing back into the cockpit and enjoying the freedom of flight. If you, the airport you fly out of, or other pilots have questions about aviation insurance, we're here to answer them. Contact us at your convenience. http://www.global-aero.com/faa-basicmed-rule-frees-pilots-to-fly-are-you-ready/ Back to Top From Biofuels to 3-D Printing, Aviation Is Going Green 3D Printing, Fuel, Green Aviation 3-D-printed bracket installed on Airbus A350 XWB pylon. Photo courtesy of Airbus The aviation industry is rapidly expanding, particularly within the Middle East and Asia Pacific. In fact, China alone is projected to overtake the U.S. as the world's leading aerospace market by 2024. In addition, the rise of low-cost airline fares and budget flyers mean that air travel will soon be accessible to much of the world's population, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicting that all air travel will double over the next 20 years. These growing markets are already set to cause issues for the industry, primarily in the form of a wide-scale maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) personnel shortage (although the inclusion of new technologies would address this). It is no surprise then that airlines, aircraft manufacturers and those within the supply chain are seeking ways to offset the environmental impact of these rapid flight increases. "Green Aviation" Defined Green aviation is an umbrella term aimed at encompassing environmental improvements to the field of aerospace. These include reductions in emissions and noise, improvements to fuel efficiency and the introduction of technologies for improved efficiency. This term includes all areas of aviation, from airlines to aircraft manufacturers to the aerospace supply chain. The pursuit of green aviation has risen as a result of increased knowledge surrounding the effects of the industry on the environment and society's understanding of global warming as a whole. Innovations in Flight Last year, the Solar Impulse 2 became the first manned solar plane to circle the earth successfully. The e-Genius, an experimental plane developed by the Institute of Aircraft Design at the University of Stuttgart, is an all-electric manned plane that can fly up to 249 miles on the engine's 56 kWh single charge. While these prototypes are several years away from commercial flight, mainstream manufacturers are also pursuing immediate improvements. Initially launched in 2011, Boeing's ecoDemonstrator was created with the purpose of improving fuel efficiency through lightweight wing and wire technology and anti-icing capabilities. The E170, the latest installment developed alongside Embraer, features icephobic paint meant to decrease dirt and bug residue and is powered using a biofuel blend comprised of 10% biokerosene and 90% fossil kerosene. Even further, Boeing has created the ecoDemonstrator to be highly recyclable upon aircraft dismantling, ensuring less of the plane ends up in waste yards. As manufacturers have begun to pursue more eco-friendly planes, airlines have begun to take their own steps toward greener flights. Airliners Are Committed In 2011, ASTM International approved biofuels comprised of natural oils for use in commercial aviation. Since then, Honeywell has introduced its own Green Jet Fuel aimed at cutting greenhouse emissions by 56 to 85% when compared to traditional jet fuels. This greener fuel alternative has been shown to improve flight mileage performance and does not require changes to aircraft for use. United Airlines has since committed to powering flights from San Francisco to Los Angeles with the improved fuel. LanzaTech has been working with Boeing to test the use of ethanol-based aircraft fuel in future planes. Virgin Atlantic pledged to switch 10% of its aircraft to the fuel by 2020. And last year, Alaska Airlines flew a test flight using a 20% renewable biofuel comprised of leftover tree limbs and branches from logging activities in the Pacific Northwest. However, airlines are not the only sector that will need to alternate from traditional methods of transport. Green Solutions for the Supply Chain An often-overlooked polluter, global shipping networks can be big, negative contributors to the environment. The need to ship goods internationally across waterways and via air contributes to greenhouse emissions, disruptions in marine life, water pollution and more. A very simple solution to this would be globally located warehouse locations. Aircraft parts distributor Kapco Global has helped implement this strategy through worldwide partnerships with established facilities. Not only does this mean faster receiving times for customers (a crucial factor in the aviation industry), but also it means that supplies travel a shorter distance. In addition to physical locations, supply chains must also embrace modern technology to offset environmental effects, with one of the biggest technologies to emerge being the use of 3-D printing for aircraft parts. The Impact of 3-D Printing 3-D printing (or additive manufacturing for larger scale use) has already begun to infiltrate the aerospace supply chain. Last year, Boeing partnered with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to print the largest single part, a 777x wing trim tool, earning them a Guinness World Record. A month before that, Airbus flew the A350-1000, which included a Rolls-Royce aircraft engine containing an engine structure manufactured using 3-D printing. While not yet available for large-scale parts manufacturing, additive manufacturing has big implications for the future environmental impact of aerospace. Rather than physically shipping parts to global locations, aircraft parts distributors can instead simply email schematics for printing to original equipment manufacturer (OEMs) and MROs in need. Not only does this eliminate carbon emissions and other shipping-related pollutants, but also this method of manufacturing virtually eliminates waste, making it a green aviation pursuit that positively affects nearly all realms of the aerospace industry. Technology never backpedals. The power of flight is no different. As airlines throughout the globe continue to improve and as more and more citizens once thought out of reach of air travel begin to fly, the demand for flight will only grow. Luckily, the industry has already recognized the importance of improving its environmental footprint and has begun to take steps toward a future of greener aviation. Tim Gill is the vice president of manufacturing at Kapco Global, an independent global aerospace parts distributor and manufacturer. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/09/21/biofuels-3d-printing-aviation-going-green/ Back to Top New Orleans startup airline GLO goes out of business A federal bankruptcy judge ordered GLO Airlines, launched in New Orleans in 2015, to begin the process of selling off its assets and liquidating Sept. 1, 2017. (Photo courtesy FlyGLO) New Orleans startup airline GLO Airlines will fly no longer. A federal bankruptcy judge has ordered the company to start the process of selling off everything it owns in order to pay its bills. FlyGLO LLC, the airline's parent company, filed for bankruptcy protection in April, but executives assured flights would continue as it restructured and worked through a dispute with the firm that manages and operates its flights. The dispute boiled over the summer, with each side accusing the other of failing to uphold its side of their operation agreement. Court records show GLO told federal regulators on July 15 it was grounding all flights and ceasing operations. In August, the court appointed trustee overseeing the bankruptcy asked a judge to order the airline to start the process of selling its assets and distributing the proceeds to creditors, noting it had racked up more than $421,500 in unpaid bills in fewer than three months. Bankruptcy Judge Jerry Brown ordered the liquidation Sept. 1. As of Wednesday, GLO's website was still up, but its booking function was disabled. FlyGLO CEO Trey Fayard did not return requests for comment. GLO Airlines was founded in 2015 by Fayard, a New Orleans lawyer. Fayard saw a need for more nonstop connections between Louis Armstrong International Airport and regional hubs on the Gulf Coast and in the Mid-South. GLO flew Saab 340B turbo props from New Orleans to Shreveport; Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. At one point, the airline had considered adding a route to Destin, Florida to serve local beach vacationers. The airline's problems started surfacing this spring. GLO blamed Corporate Flight Management, the company that operated its flights, for providing poor service, cost overruns and inflated billing. CFM claimed GLO was not paying its bills. In the Aug. 1 filing, the bankruptcy trustee cited the airline's "faulty record keeping and unchecked spending." The trustee asked a judge to intervene in light of GLO's "failure to comply with the fiduciary duties owed to its creditors." The filing noted GLO disobeyed court rules and continued to pay Fayard a salary of $7,500 a month during the bankruptcy proceedings, neglecting routine expenses including the Transportation Security Administration security fees all airlines are required to pay. GLO was ordered to hand over all of its financial statements by Sept. 15, including a list of everything it owns. A trustee will be appointed to oversee the sale of assets and how the proceeds will be distributed to creditors. http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2017/09/glo_airline_bankrupt_new_orlea.html Back to Top Air Force trying to widen pilot pool with benefits, but still can't catch up It's no secret that the Air Force is hurting for pilots and as the service begins to assess what it needs for the next year, giving incentives to pilots to stay in public service is a high priority. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Radio, Director of the Air Force Aircrew Crisis Task Force Brig. Gen. Michael Koscheski said the Air Force's shortage still clocks in at about 1,500. The Air Force most recently announced its second assignment in place program to try to keep the pilots it has in their jobs. "We've listened to our pilots and our aircrew and they said they want stability. It's one of the big things they want for a lot of reasons - family, schools, spouses working - and so we take that limited career field of instructor pilots that's at a base and when they come up on their three year assignment we are offering them a second assignment in place so we can give them six years at the same location and we retain that critical instructor pilot expertise that we are targeting. There seems to be a lot of interest in the field," Koscheski said. The Air Force wants to recruit about 100 pilots for the program. While that effort is getting underway, the leaders of the Air Force have been meeting with major airlines to find ways to deal with the worldwide pilot shortage. Both Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson had separate summits with private airlines in the past months. "The chief's big push is this is a national crisis. The airline industry is looking to double globally over the next 20 years so this is a long term growth in terms of the civilian market. They are short on pilots. It's sort of a pipeline or cascading effect because the major airlines need more pilots, they are taking pilots from the regionals quickly and then the regionals are getting them from your civilian flying schools and they are struggling to keep up. We need to build a sustainable long term model where we have a larger pool of pilots nationally to pull from," Koscheski said. The Air Force has a roll in that by building up and training its pilot force. But Air Education and Training Command director Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson said this week that the Air Force can't produce the number of pilots it needs. Roberson said the Air Force needs to put out 1,600 a year to stay on track. Right now it is producing 1,100 and wants to hit 1,400 in the next few years. "We're maximizing the use of our air frames to the fullest extent that we can right now," Roberson said. "We can only produce so many flying training sorties per day, and that's going to be exceeded." That's not being helped by repeating continuing resolutions that cut the Air Force fiscal year, leaving them unable to start new training programs. The Air Force is considering options like a national pilot training academy funded by airlines and military to work on the shortage problem. "Some of the near term things are looking at when we have Guard and Reserve pilots. A lot of them work for the airlines and work part time for us. We want to look at ways to create win-win situations for both the airline industry and get maximum use of those pilots for what we need in the military. That's a near term thing we can do quickly," Koscheski said. "In more of the longer term piece would be looking at a national training academy or public private partnership with pilot schools and then once we create a sustainable pipeline of civilian pilots then look to have military pilots potentially co-trained with civilian pilots so we have an overall larger pool of pilots for a lower cost for everyone." Pilots aren't the only place the Air Force is hurting. Maintainers are in an even bigger deficit for the Air Force. The service has been forced to bring on private contractors to fix and maintain planes and other craft. The Air Force is struggling to keep its pilots in the service too. The trouble comes when pilots are up for reenlistment. Military pilots have training and hours required to qualify to fly for the major airlines without having to work for smaller regional airlines first. "Because major airlines work on a seniority system, the best opportunity for salary growth in the major airlines occurs for military pilots leaving after their initial service obligation," a July 2016 RAND report stated. Another factor that is appealing to military pilots is the Federal Aviation Administration increased the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65 in 2007, giving pilots longer to cash in on their talents. The RAND study states commercial airline pay has rebounded to mid-1990s peak salaries of $200,000. Meanwhile, the Air Force can only offer a comparatively meager reenlistment bonus. The Air Force convinced Congress to increase the bonus to $35,000 this year. The Air Force also changed its reenlistment structure so pilots can reenlist for up to 13 years with the bonus pay guaranteed. https://federalnewsradio.com/air-force/2017/09/air-force-trying-to-widen-pilot-pool-with-benefits-but-still-cant-catch-up/ Back to Top Pilot Shortage May Force U.S. Air Force To Outsource Training Facing shortage, U.S. Air Force weighs contracting out training Faced with a critical shortfall, particularly in the fighter community, the U.S. Air Force may be forced to take drastic steps to produce new pilots. The service is short 1,500 pilots, including 1,000 fighter pilots, says Brig. Gen. Michael Koscheski, director of the new Aircrew Crisis Task Force established to tackle the problem. That gap will continue to grow with an increased demand for experienced combat aviators in regions such as the Middle East and Asia. "In Desert Storm, we had 134 combat-coded fighter squadrons. Today, we have 55," Koscheski said on Sept. 18 at the Air Force Association's annual air, space and cyber conference. "We have gotten smaller, and the mission has at least stayed the same, if not grown." U.S. Air Force's Pilot Supply Problem The need for more pilots is not really a recruitment issue Outside help may be needed to fix a complex problem Air Force considering outsourcing some training to universities and commercial companies Service ramping production to max capacity and trying to stand up new training squadrons Although the Air Force is stepping up recruitment efforts to combat the shortage, recruitment is not the core issue. In fact, there are more men and women who want to fly than the service has capacity to train, says Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, commander of Air Education and Training Command. The real challenge is pilot production, absorption and retention, officials say. In simple terms, due to a combination of snowballing factors-budget cuts, longer deployments and a recent spike in commercial airline hiring, to name a few-the Air Force is challenged both to train enough new aviators to keep up with demand from the field and to keep experienced pilots from leaving. The U.S. Air Force is faced with a growing pilot shortage even as demand from the field rises. Credit: Master Sgt. Benjamin Wilson /U.S. Air Force The U.S. Air Force is faced with a growing pilot shortage even as demand from the field rises. Credit: Master Sgt. Benjamin Wilson /U.S. Air Force The shortage feeds on itself in complex ways, creating a problem that is almost impossible to fix without outside help. The most critical shortfall is at the intermediate level, particularly instructors needed to move new airmen through the pipeline. The gap cannot be plugged overnight, but the Air Force is doing its best to begin climbing out of the hole. "The first step in recovery is admitting we have a problem," Koscheski says. "We've got to call it a crisis." In the long term, the Air Force is weighing some drastic steps to tackle the crisis. One such measure would be outsourcing some training to universities or commercial companies, such as Flight Safety International. Such companies primarily train pilots to fly business-class aircraft and do not train military aviators, but "we need to look at that," Roberson says. The Air Force would pay private companies to conduct initial pilot training, conserving government resources such as aircraft, runways and simulators for intermediate and high-level training, Roberson explains. The service would then take graduates and "modify" them to fly military aircraft. This approach likely would not work for the fighter community but could be used to produce pilots for business jet or commercial- derivatives such as the C-21 or mobility aircraft such as the C-130 or C-17. "They then come into the military for a truncated, shortened pipeline, so now that allows us to get more military pilots with higher throughput," says Koscheski. "That is probably more a mobility-pilot focus, but that would take a little bit of the burden off the resources that we have assisting currently to help produce combat Air Force pilots." Within the Air Force, officials have already maxed out pilot production. Last year the service produced 1,100 pilots, including 235 to fly fighters; this year the output will be close to 1,200, including 285 fighter pilots, Roberson says. Now the service is ramping up to 1,400 a year-a number Roberson says is "the top of the capacity we can produce." This approach runs the risk of overstretching the force and reducing flexibility, which could lead to accidents. "Fourteen hundred maximizes all the assets that we have, the number of instructors and the hours in the daylight, the number of runways that we have, the airspace, all those variables that go into our production capacity [are] maxed out," says Roberson. "In the flying business, it is not good to be maxed out." Even this will not be enough to meet future requirements, projected to grow to 1,600 pilots produced a year, Roberson says. Internally, the Air Force is looking to stand up additional training squadrons to help produce new pilots, particularly for fighters. The service is looking to reactivate the 7th and 8th Fighter Sqdns. at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, as fighter-training squadrons to train new F-16 airmen, says Brig. Gen. Brook Leonard, commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona. But the Air Force does not have enough instructors to man the new squadrons, Leonard says. It is also proving a challenge to hire contractors to maintain the aircraft, because F-16 maintenance is such a specialized skill. Still, the Air Force hopes to be able to place instructors and begin producing pilots next summer, he adds. The Air Force's ultimate goal is to produce 335 fighter pilots a year, Roberson says. However, budget uncertainty could derail the service's efforts to open the aviator pipeline, he warns. If Congress extends the short-term continuing resolution currently funding the government at prior-year levels, or if sequester-level budget cuts return, the Air Force may not be able to stand up the 7th and 8th Fighter Sqdns., he says. Koscheski's task force is in the middle of consolidating recommendations and will present them to senior leadership later this year. Roberson hopes to see decisions on future initiatives in the November time frame. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Boeing Lands $11 Billion 787 Deal From Resurgent Turkish Air * Pact buoys Dreamliner even as sales taper for larger planes * Carrier had studied Airbus A380, A350 jets for expansion foray A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg Turkish Airlines said it intends to purchase 40 of Boeing Co.'s 787-9 Dreamliners, a long-awaited deal that signals the carrier's rebound following a terrorist attack on its Istanbul hub last year. When finalized, the order would be valued at almost $11 billion before the customary discounts for large aircraft purchases. The pact, unveiled during a brief signing ceremony in New York on Thursday, came after years of market studies and negotiations for wide-body planes as the airline plotted its expansion. Boeing's carbon-composite Dreamliners will help upgrade Turkish's fleet of long-range aircraft as it competes with other Middle Eastern airlines amid slowing growth in the region. The carrier's expansion would hasten President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's goal of making Istanbul one of the world's premier air travel hubs. The airline already has 75 Boeing 737 Max jets on order, according to the planemaker's website. Turkish plans to shift operations from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport to a new hub, which is due to open at the end of the year. "It's very exciting for them and it'll open so many new gateways," said Marty Bentrott, Boeing vice president of sales for the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia. "These airplanes are part of that growth plan." The deal underscores continued interest from the airline industry in mid-sized twin-aisle aircraft even as sales taper for planes that seat more than 400 travelers. Boeing has landed 82 firm orders for the 787 so far this year. The total could swell if the Chicago- based manufacturer formalizes additional commitments such as the one for eight 787 Dreamliners announced by Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak during a White House visit this month. Production Increase Citing the sales pick-up, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg recently announced plans to speed production of its Dreamliner by 17 percent in 2019. The 14-jet monthly pace would be a record for complex twin-aisle aircraft like the 787, which is Boeing's most advanced. It would also give Boeing a competitive advantage over rival Airbus SE by opening more delivery slots for the sold-out jet. The European planemaker has been gradually stepping up output of its A350 after early deliveries were disrupted by late cabin equipment. Turkish, officially known as Turk Hava Yollari AO, has sought to take advantage of Istanbul's historic role as a global crossroads linking east and west. Persian Gulf carriers such as Dubai's Emirates Airline and Doha-based Qatar Airways have pointed the way with international networks built on connections through their home hubs. The Istanbul-based carrier for a time mulled ordering Airbus SE's A380, the superjumbo favored by Emirates, or Boeing's humpbacked 747-8 jumbo. Those four-engine planes have fallen out of favor as airlines bypass large hubs to connect smaller cities directly. With the Dreamliner agreement, Boeing also pledged to work with the Turkish government to accelerate the growth of the country's aerospace industry. The initiative outlines a strategic framework aimed at bolstering research, engineering and skills development for Turkish carriers, service companies and suppliers. https://www.bloomberg.com//news/articles/2017-09-21/boeing-lands-11-billion-787-deal-from-resurgent-turkish-air Back to Top Undergraduate Engineering Programs Again Win Superior Marks From U.S. News & World Report Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's undergraduate engineering programs at the school's residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., have once again received superior marks in U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges guidebook, an annual listing of nearly 1,800 accredited four-year schools in the United States. This year's rankings highlight a special achievement by the Prescott Campus. In the category of Best Undergraduate Aerospace / Aeronautical / Astronautical Engineering Programs at schools where a doctorate is not offered, Prescott is the No. 1 ranked school in the country. Only two other schools obtained enough votes to make the list this year - the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs and California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Read more about Prescott's achievement here. In the category of Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at schools where a doctorate is not offered, the Prescott Campus tied at No. 14 out of 200 eligible schools and excelled as the highest-rated Arizona school in the category. This year's ranking is also Prescott's 12th appearance in the top 20 nationwide. "We're proud to be recognized as the top undergraduate aerospace engineering program in the country," said Ron Madler, dean of the College of Engineering at the Prescott Campus. "Embry-Riddle has a long history of preparing graduates to 'hit the ground running' early in their careers. Our students are well prepared because they're fully engaged in a hands-on curriculum with state- of-the-art labs and facilities and are mentored by faculty with significant industry experience." At the Daytona Beach Campus, in Best Undergraduate Aerospace / Aeronautical / Astronautical Engineering Programs at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, the campus tied at No. 13 out of only 16 schools that received enough votes to be ranked this year, making it the top-ranked Florida school in this category and advancing from last year's rank when it was tied at No. 16. In previous years, when the campus was ranked among non-doctorate schools, it was No. 1 in this category for 16 consecutive years. For the ranking of Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, the Daytona Campus moved up in the ranking and once again is ranked as one of the best programs in the state of Florida, second only to the University of Florida. In previous years, when the campus was ranked among non-doctorate schools, it was in the top 12 in this category for 14 consecutive years. "Our engineering programs are based on experiential learning, incorporating discovery into the teaching process, promoting innovation and the entrepreneurial mindset, and instilling the values of ethics, professionalism and service. I'm delighted to see that our ranking reflects the quality of our programs," said Maj Mirmirani, dean of the College of Engineering at the Daytona Beach Campus. The university's engineering degree programs encompass the fields of aerospace, civil, computer, cybersecurity, electrical, mechanical, software, systems, and unmanned and autonomous systems, in addition to other engineering-related programs. Embry-Riddle's aerospace engineering program, which offers bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degrees, is the largest in the nation. In additional rankings, the 2018 Best Colleges guidebook once again lists Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus among the Best Regional Universities (South), tied at No. 12. This is the 13th year in a row that Embry-Riddle has placed in the top 13 in that category. Within the Southern regional category of 149 schools, Embry-Riddle also attained the following rankings: - Most Innovative Schools: No. 6 and one of only seven schools in the south to make the list. - Best for Veterans: Tied at No. 7 and among the top eight for the fifth year in a row. - Best Value Schools in the South: No. 40 among only 64 schools to make the list. The guidebook also noted the high level of international students, campus ethnic diversity, student internship offerings, and freshman retention rate at the Daytona Beach Campus. Highlights of U.S. News & World Report's 2018 Best Colleges guidebook are posted at www.usnews.com/colleges, where the e- book is available for purchase. The print guidebook will appear in stores Oct. 10. http://alumni.erau.edu/s/867/landing.aspx?sid=867&gid=1&pgid=4618&cid=7112&ecid=7112&crid=0&calpgid=2296&calcid=3951 Back to Top Call for Papers Asian Aviation and Education Training Symposium (AAETS) 2018 7-8 March 2018 Seoul, Republic of Korea Submission Deadline - 30th September 2017 Following on from the success of the first AAETS, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MoLIT) of the Republic of Korea has declared an official event, the Asian Aviation Education and Training Symposium 2018, to be held in Seoul, 7-8th March 2018. The theme of the event is to Share, Discuss, and Seek Partnerships to further boost excellence in Aviation Training and Education, particularly in Korea, but with a reach to regional and global players. Of particular interest will be the presentations on the most recent developments now being offered by the advanced technology of world-leading Korean IT industry. Both virtual/augmented reality and the transfer of gaming technology to the aviation training world will feature strongly. The conference sessions will address: Session 1 - Current and Future Advanced technology Developed in Korea * Requirements and developments What are the latest developments in Korean Hi Tech which could be adopted by the Aviation Training Industry? Session 2 - MPL * The selection, syllabus and results What is the best method of the (mandatory) Student selection for MPL? What are the recent changes to the MPL syllabus. We know that MPL has had mixed success, but which system really works? Session 3 - Pilot Training * Developments in EBT, UPRT, and jet training in Korea There is constant evolution in EBT and Competency Based Training - what is the most recent best practice? Solutions to UPRT to meet the regulations are out there - what are they? Jet Training - Plugging the gap between the basic CPL/IR and live airline operations. Session 4 - Further Education Projects * ICAO NGAP, ATC training, airport security, and initiatives in STEM Training in support of aviation covers many bases - what are the recent developments? How to we expose schools and their students to the value of STEM subjects? Session 5 - Cabin Crew Training * Selection, training for non-standard emergencies, build up of LCC training The start point for competent Cabin Crew is the right selection - what is the most effective method? Incidents show that not every scenario follows a predicted pattern - how to we train resilience? A rapid build up in Cabin Crew numbers is a challenge - how do we meet it? Session 6 - Maintenance Training * Training for MRO technicians, partnerships, adoption of VR/AR The increasing demand for MRO technicians is on us - how do we upgrade maintenance teams? How effective is the use of VR/AR - and what does the future hold? Session 7 - Ideal Crew Behaviours * Monitoring mental health, ideal personal characteristics, training crew behaviours All the teams around the aircraft are under time and performance stress. How do we check that they are OK? What personality types stand up best to that? What training and support do we need to give them? To propose a presentation for the AAETS 2018 conference that meets the conference objective of sharing expertise and offering experience best practice in aviation training, please send a maximum 300 word abstract before 30th September 2017. Abstracts are required to be accompanied by a short biography of the speaker, which should include contact information, title, position and employer, and any conference presentation experience. Please title your email "AAETS 2018 ABSTRACT" and submit to Chris Long, Conference Chair, at chrislong@halldale.com . Copy should also be sent to Fiona Greenyer at fiona@halldale.com . AAETS 2018 is an "Applied" conference and while full academic papers are not appropriate, we will consider summaries of appropriate aviation training and education research projects. Preference will be given to air carriers and training organisations with real world training insights, "Lessons Learned" and training "solutions and outcomes" information. In no case will sales presentations be accepted. We sincerely thank all those who propose presentations and will endeavour to respond to all submissions. For more information about AAETS 2018, please visit www.aaets2018.com Back to Top Expert discusses advances in aircraft air quality Professor Peter Childs from the Dyson School of Design Engineering discusses air quality in aircraft cabins in his Q&A. The recent announcement by the airline company EasyJet that they will be fitting filters to stop toxic fumes entering its passenger cabins and cockpits to prevent so-called "aerotoxic syndrome" has shone the spotlight on cabin air quality. Professor Childs will be speaking at the Aircraft Cabin Air Conference 2017, held today at Imperial College London, to discuss how improvements in technology can help airlines improve their air quality and avoid the dangers of "aerotoxic syndrome". Just before his speech to delegates including pilots, air cabin crew, medics, scientists and aviation specialists, Colin Smith caught up with Professor Childs to learn more. What is aerotoxic syndrome? There is actually much debate in the industry about whether there is a condition called aerotoxic syndrome, but there have been incidences when toxic fumes may have leaked into aircraft cabins, which has been associated with cabin crews feeling "spaced out", light headed and experiencing symptoms like vomiting. What we do know is that inadequacies in the air system could lead to complications for crew and passengers. How can this happen? A key issue is the quality of air that is delivered into the cabin and then recirculated. For example, if the air supply is contaminated or if the air is circulated in a compressor, and it is not treated or filtered, then its' quality is at risk. People within any confined space, whether it is a building or an aircraft cabin, need fresh air. We have learned a lot about air quality in aircraft as an unintended consequence of improvements in the way that we manage air circulation in buildings. How long has this problem been around for? The issue of providing cabin air has been with us for as long as we have been flying at high altitudes. As flight ranges and passengers numbers have increased the challenge has grown because we need to provide larger quantities of pressurised clean air and provide adequate and regular exchanges of air. How is cabin air supplied to the crew and passengers? Air can be supplied to an aircraft cabin in lots of different ways. Conventional technologies use pipes, called bleeds, which come from compressors in the jet engine, which has been used to transport air into the cabin. More recently engineers have introduced compressors driven directly by an electric motor, which makes the process more effective and efficient. How can Imperial help with this problem? We have significant expertise across the College in healthcare and in developing relevant engineering technologies such as seals and filters, as well being leaders in the field in the designs of systems for aircraft. This is important because what we need now is on-going innovation to make sure the air we breathe, moment-by-moment, is of the highest quality. We have a real opportunity to transform the quality of the flying experience by managing air supplies. What does the future hold? The aviation industry is seeing the emergence of new forms of aircraft such as solar powered variants. So, interestingly at the time when we are learning how to solve this problem, it could be that issues associated with fuels and oils could become a thing of the past. https://phys.org/news/2017-09-expert-discusses-advances-aircraft-air.html#jCp Back to Top Claims challenged on toxicity of cabin air Five international organisations (the Aerospace Medical Association, European Society of Aerospace Medicine, International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine, Civil Aviation Medical Association, and Royal Aeronautical Society) have challenged an article by Michaelis et al in "Public Health Panorama" published in June 2017 claiming to identify "aerotoxic syndrome" as a new occupational disease. The letter from the five organisation states that it is not possible to evaluate or exclude selection bias or interviewer bias in the study and therefore any conclusions must be extremely guarded; they do not believe that the study, or any published research, has indicated a link between cabin air and the symptoms described. Part of the Michaelis study was a survey in which responses could be obtained from only 14% of the target group of pilots. In the second part of the study, a series of potential cabin air quality incidents were analysed and a variety of medical findings were reported. Concerns were raised about the selection and analysis of the incidents, and the analysis; it was stated that bias could not be excluded, concluding "our review of the available literature leads us to suggest that significant symptoms being suffered by a group of individuals, here labelled as aerotoxic syndrome, are not explained by toxins in cabin air." The letter, and the study authors' response, are available on line at http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/public-health- panorama/correspondence/aerotoxic-syndrome-a-new-occupational-disease Another article on the topic by in "Aircraft Interiors International" covered this topic recently (http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/5a058129#/5a058129/42 ; it quoted two recent studies from the European Aviation Safety Authority which failed to detect toxins in cabin air, in keeping with many previous studies. Referring to the Michaelis study it quoted the Airlines Medical Directors Association which said "we have serious concerns about the science behind the studies reported....the data presented, in our assessment, does not in any way establish such a link. With kind regards Professor Michael Bagshaw King's College London; Cranfield University Airlines Medical Directors Association (AMDA) Back to Top SpaceX might name its satellite broadband internet service 'Starlink' SpaceX has previously discussed its plans to put a satellite-based broadband Internet network into operation, as a way of supplementing its revenue picture with a brand new revenue stream. Now, we know what SpaceX might call its new broadband product: Starlink. The name comes from documents filed by SpaceX to obtain the trademark rights to "Starlink," as reported by GeekWire. The satellite project was first revealed by SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk back in 2015, with the aim of offering low-cost broadband in areas where it's typically not been available. SpaceX's plans to blanket the world in affordable connectivity is going to be an expensive feat in the initial offing (Musk estimates around $10 billion in launch costs over five years), but over time, it's meant to become a significant revenue generator for the company. SpaceX wants to use the recurring revenue the network will enable to help fund its planned Mars missions and eventual colonization. SpaceX isn't alone in chasing this carrot - in fact, a $200 million satellite built by Facebook for the purpose of providing Internet access to sub-Saharan Africa was destroyed when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded during launch preparations last September. SpaceX could have some advantages, however, including being its own launch provider, which would allow it to theoretically maintain a much more robust and frequently repaired and upgraded satellite constellation. There's no exact timeline on when the plan will come together, but filing for a trademark suggests it's progressing, as do job openings for SpaceX's offices near Redmond, where it's working on this project. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/spacex-might-name-satellite-broadband-185812110.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being requested to participate in a research study of your information on factors contributing to the decision to quit flying from Part 121 commercial aviation. This study is expected to take approximately 8 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and currently employed as a Part 121 pilot in the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8FNJBHZ For more information, please contact: Gajapriya Tamilselvan gtamilselvan2014@my.fit.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Curt Lewis