Flight Safety Information October 3, 2017 - No. 196 In This Issue Incident: Jetstar Pacific A320 near Gaya on Oct 2nd 2017, cargo smoke indication EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: American B738 at Dallas on Sep 29th 2017, tail strike on departure Delta flight makes emergency landing with 154 passengers at Detroit Metro Airport Report says mystery of Flight 370 is 'almost inconceivable' ATSB details MH370 captain's simulation of Indian Ocean route Aviation ministry asks DGCA instead of AAIB to probe goair's February fire incident (India) UTRS Announces WBAT Safety Division Air France A380 Engine Failure Prompts Investigation ICAO Completes Thai Air Safety Audit Why Air Accident Rates Drop Significantly In Africa - NTSB Boss Nepal civil aviation director's removal exposes mega scam Hans De Jong New Director Of Civil Aviation Curacao As November 1, 2017 Why do European airlines keep going bust? Thomas Cook, Air Transat to exchange aircraft seasonally Airlines swoop on fallen Monarch for experienced pilots Oldies but goodies: Air Force looks to retirees to help pilot shortage Fourth Bombardier Global 7000 test jet arrives in Wichita Let's Talk About The Supposed Sighting Of A Skunk Works Hypersonic Test Aircraft Incident: Jetstar Pacific A320 near Gaya on Oct 2nd 2017, cargo smoke indication A Jetstar Pacific Airbus A320-200, registration VN-A571 performing flight BL-105 from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Gaya (India) with 181 people on board, was enroute at FL310 about 75nm north of Chiang Mai (Thailand) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and decided to divert to Chiang Mai. The aircraft landed safely about 20 minutes later. Attending emergency services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke. The occurrence aircraft was able to continue the flight after about 5 hours on the ground and reached Gaya with a delay of 5:20 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4af2dbd3&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: American B738 at Dallas on Sep 29th 2017, tail strike on departure An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N901NN performing flight AA-2293 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Washington National,DC (USA), departed Dallas' runway 35L when the tail of the aircraft contacted the runway surface prompting the crew to stop the climb at 5000 feet and return to Dallas for a safe landing on runway 35C about 20 minutes after departure. The FAA reported the aircraft sustained unknown damage when it struck its tail onto the runway during departure from DFW. There were no injuries. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 14 hours, then returned to service. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL2293/history/20170930/0115Z/KDFW/KDCA http://avherald.com/h?article=4af2d251&opt=0 Back to Top Delta flight makes emergency landing with 154 passengers at Detroit Metro Airport A Delta airplane made an emergency landing Monday morning at Detroit Metro Airport after an engine problem, authorities said. The plane carrying 154 passengers from New York City's LaGuardia Airport landed without incident at about 7:35 a.m., according to spokespeople from Delta and Detroit Metro Airport. "After receiving a report about a possible engine malfunction, our fire department and operations teams responded, awaiting the plane's arrival," airport spokeswoman Erica Donerson said in an email. Delta reports the plane landed safely and "taxied to the gate where customers deplaned normally." http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2017/10/02/delta-flight-emergency- landing-detroit/722294001/ ************** Incident: Delta A320 at Detroit on Oct 2nd 2017, engine problem A Delta Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N373NW performing flight DL-964 from New York La Guardia,NY to Detroit,MI (USA) with 154 people on board, was descending towards Detroit, when the crew reported one of the engines (CFM56) was running rough, it was kept running, the crew requested a long nice descent and 10nm final. The aircraft landed safely on Detroit's runway 22L about 15 minutes later. Passengers reported there had been crackling noises from the engine several times during the flight. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 9.5 hours, then returned to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4af2d904&opt=0 Back to Top Report says mystery of Flight 370 is 'almost inconceivable' FILE - In this March 6, 2016, file photo, well wishes are written on a wall of hope during a remembrance event for the ill fated Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A report into the search for Flight 370 says the continuing mystery over the fate of the plane and the 239 people on board is "almost inconceivable." But the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's report on the search, abandoned in January, concedes that authorities are no closer to knowing the reasons for the plane's disappearance, or its exact location. (Joshua Paul, File/Associated Press) SYDNEY - A report on the almost three-year search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 said Tuesday the continuing mystery over the fate of the plane and the 239 people on board is "almost inconceivable." But the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report on the search, which was abandoned in January, concedes that authorities are no closer to knowing the reasons for the plane's disappearance, or its exact location. This is despite last year's narrowing down of its most likely resting place to a 25,000-square kilometer (9,650-square mile) patch of the southern Indian Ocean. The Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew disappeared soon into its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. A 52-day surface search covered an area of several million square kilometers (square miles) in the Indian Ocean west of Australia, before an underwater search mapped 710,000 square kilometers (274,000 square miles) of seabed at depths of up to 6,000 meters (20,000 feet). They were the largest aviation searches of their kind in history, the bureau said. Despite other methods such as studying satellite imagery and investigating ocean drifts after debris from the plane washed ashore on islands in the eastern Indian Ocean and the east coast of Africa, the 1,046-day search was called off by the governments of Malaysia, China and Australia on Jan. 17. "The reasons for the loss of MH370 cannot be established with certainty until the aircraft is found," the bureau, which coordinated the search, said in the 440-page report. "It is almost inconceivable and certainly societally unacceptable in the modern aviation era with 10 million passengers boarding commercial aircraft every day, for a large commercial aircraft to be missing and for the world not to know with certainty what became of the aircraft and those on board," it said. "The ATSB expresses our deepest sympathies to the families of the passengers and crew on board MH370. We share your profound and prolonged grief, and deeply regret that we have not been able to locate the aircraft, nor those 239 souls on board that remain missing." However, the report said the understanding of where the plane may be is "better now than it has ever been," partly as a result of studying debris that washed ashore in 2015 and 2016 which showed the plane was "not configured for a ditching at the end-of-flight," meaning it had run out of fuel. The search team also looked back at satellite imagery which showed objects in the ocean that may have been MH370 debris. The report said this analysis complemented work detailed in a 2016 review and identified an area of less than 25,000 square kilometers (9,650 square miles) - roughly the size of the U.S. state of Vermont - that "has the highest likelihood of containing MH370." The bureau noted the Malaysian government is "continuing work on their investigation of the facts and circumstances surrounding the loss of MH370." The search was extremely difficult because no transmissions were received from the aircraft after its first 38 minutes of flight. Systems designed to automatically transmit the flight's position failed to work after this point, the report said. Subsequent analysis of radar and satellite communication data revealed the aircraft had continued to fly for seven hours. Its last positively known position was fixed at the northern tip of Sumatra by surveillance systems operating that night, six hours before it ended its flight in the southern Indian Ocean. The bureau said the search had at least led to some important gains in the field of locating missing aircraft on flights over deep ocean areas, with improvements made to systems for tracking aircraft. "Steps are being taken to advance other aircraft systems including emergency locator transponders and flight recorder locator beacons," the report said. ATSB Chief Commissioner Greg Hood praised the commitment of everyone involved in the search. "This was an unprecedented endeavor and there has been an extraordinary response from the global community," he said in a statement. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/report-says-mystery-of-flight-370-is-almost- inconceivable/2017/10/03/cd04ec4e-a807-11e7-9a98- 07140d2eed02_story.html?utm_term=.4f51fcb2df3e Back to Top ATSB details MH370 captain's simulation of Indian Ocean route The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has published details about data gleaned from the personal flight simulator of MH370 captain Zaharie Shah. "Six weeks before the accident flight the [pilot-in-command] had used his simulator to fly a route, initially similar to part of the route flown by MH370 up the Straits of Malacca, with a left-hand turn and track into the southern Indian Ocean. There were enough similarities to the flight path of MH370 for the ATSB to carefully consider the possible implications for the underwater search area." In the weeks after the 8 March 2014 disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER with 239 on-board, unsourced media reports emerged stated that Shah had used his home flight simulator to simulate a course resembling that taken by MH370. In was only in August 2016, over two years after the jet's disappearance, that news of Shah's simulator activity was confirmed by Malaysia's transport minister Low Tiong Lai. This was in response to widespread media reports that the US Federal Bureau of Invesitagation had recovered allegedly deleted home simulator data from one of Shah's hard drives. At that time, Liow downplayed the data, saying that the simulator had contained "thousands of simulations to many destinations." The ATSB, for its part, says it received the simulator data on 19 April 2014, five weeks after the aircraft's disappearance. "The simulator data was a partial reconstruction of a flight simulator session from 2 February 2014," says ATSB. "It comprised four complete and two partial data captures of various aircraft and simulator parameters at discrete points during the simulation. The aircraft simulated was a 777-200LR." The initial data point shows the simulated aircraft at Kuala Lumpur International airport. No useful location data was available from the second data point. The next two data points show that the aircraft had flown north up the Straits of Malacca. By the fourth data point the simulated aircraft had reached 40,000ft, was in a 20° left bank, 4° nose down, and had a southwest heading of 255°. Data points five and six were in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean, 820nm southwest of Australia's, Cape Leeuwin, with the simulated aircraft having exhausted its fuel. Data point five has the simulated 777 at 37,651ft, at an 11° right bank, and almost due south heading of 178°. The sixth, and final, data point was incomplete. "It was 2.5nm from the previous data point and the aircraft right bank had reduced to 3°.The aircraft was pitched nose down 5° and was on a heading of 193°. At this time there was also a user input of an altitude of 4,000ft." "By the last data point the aircraft had flown approximately 4,200nm," says ATSB. "This was further than was possible with the fuel loaded on board the aircraft for flight MH370. Similarly, the simulated aircraft track was not consistent with the aircraft tracks modelled using the MH370 satellite communications metadata." The simulator revelations are part of the ATSB's 440-page final report into the disaster, which claimed the lives of all on-board. The ATSB adds that until the wreckage is located, it is impossible to ascertain the cause of the MH370 disaster. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Aviation ministry asks DGCA instead of AAIB to probe goair's February fire incident (India) Airbus A320neo planes, with Pratt & Whitney engines and operated by IndiGo and GoAir in India, have been in news for troubles with the engines. NEW DELHI: The civil aviation ministry has denied permission to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to probe a suspected engine fire in an Airbus 320neo aircraft of GoAir in February, and instead asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to investigate the incident in a decision that raised eyebrows. The bureau, aviation industry experts said, is an agency created specifically to investigate serious incidents and accidents and should have been given the mandate to probe the incident that had put the lives of 193 people on board the airliner at risk. The plane, which had taken off from Delhi, returned to the airport safely after some eyewitnesses reported fire in one of its engines. Civil aviation secretary RN Choubey, however, said there was no fire and that it was an engine failure. "AAIB has ordered investigation citing engine fire. However, there was no engine fire which was confirmed by GoAir as well as (engine maker) P&W. Accordingly, MoCA (aviation ministry) took a conscious decision and the DGCA was asked to conduct the investigation," Choubey said through a text message, responding to ET's request for comments on the matter. Senior AAIB officials said they had had sought permission from the government to investigate soon after the incident. "We had written to the ministry seeking permission to investigate, as it was a serious incident where one engine of the aircraft caught fire. But the ministry viewed it differently. They have the authority to decide on the agency that will investigate into the case," said an AAIB official, who did not want to be named. The incident occurred on February 8, 2017, and the bureau wrote to the ministry two days later. "The Schedule A of Accident and Incident Investigation Rules, 2012 gives the examples of serious incidents, which states fire or smoke in the cockpit, in the passenger compartment, in cargo compartments or engine fires, even though such fires were extinguished by the use of extinguishing agents. The occurrence qualifies to be declared a serious incident," AAIB chief BS Rai wrote in the February 10 letter. The bureau, however, did not get the permission. On February 28, the ministry ordered sector regulator DGCA to probe the engine fire. "The GoAir accident, which was an Airbus A320neo aircraft, is certainly a serious incident and the government should not have allowed the DGCA to carry out the investigation," said Mohan Ranganathan, a former pilot and an aviation safety expert. "The decision to hand over such serious investigations to the DGCA raises some serious questions on the intent of the ministry and the DGCA." The aviation secretary said the failed engine from the GoAir plane was sent to the manufacturer's facility for strip examination and to pin point the cause of the failure. The US government's National Transportation Safety Board has forwarded a report and concluded that wrong fitment of the gear in the main gear box had led to a chip warning, he added. Airbus A320neo planes, with Pratt & Whitney engines and operated by IndiGo and GoAir in India, have been in news for troubles with the engines, leading to the grounding of 10 such aircraft. Multiple incidents of engine failure have prompted the safety regulator to order regular checks on these airliners. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/aviation-ministry- asks-dgca-instead-of-aaib-to-probe-goairs-february-fire-incident/articleshow/60917342.cms Back to Top UTRS Announces WBAT Safety Division UTRS, the proven leader of flight safety data management in the United States, announced today that it is bringing its flight safety division completely in house. "Our commitment to safety has been resolute throughout the past 20 years." - Albert Zalcmann, President CHERRY HILL, NJ (PRWEB) OCTOBER 02, 2017 UTRS, the proven leader of flight safety data management in the United States, announced today that it is bringing its flight safety division completely in house to better support its customers. "Our commitment to safety has been resolute throughout the past 20 plus years. We're excited to bring our products and services back in house and expand our offerings to help promote and ensure safety through our use of technology, understanding of safety processes and safety experts," said Albert Zalcmann, President. WBAT is the leading safety reporting tool for ASAP and the primary contributor to critical data sharing initiatives such as ASIAS and ASRS. Further, our system has been developed with FAA support and input to ensure it meets all regulatory requirements. WBAT has already been accepted to meet SMS rules well ahead of the mandated deadlines in March 2018. Kamron Githens, Program Manager, added, "We want the entire WBAT community to know we are continuing to support WBAT and that our relationship with the FAA has never been stronger as they have already funded the WBAT platform for the next government fiscal year. Our Team is rolling out new advances to the software, conducting ongoing training, and responding to our customer's requests daily. We are committed to moving safety forward as our new mobile app launched last month and is a good way for organizations to improve their reporting culture." To learn more about the new WBAT Safety division, visit http://www.wbatsafety.com. **** About Universal Technical Resource Services (UTRS). UTRS is at its core a technology firm that is fully committed to exceeding our clients' expectations in delivering the highest quality services on time and within budget. We provide a wide range of leading edge, engineering, information technology, scientific, management, and communications services to the public and private sectors. We support myriad programs across agencies ranging from big data analysis to rapid prototyping. We are headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. with offices throughout the country to support our wide- ranging activities. As part of our total commitment to excellence, we have adopted a culture of thinking forward for our clients to meet ongoing and future requirements by utilizing technologies to anticipate and solve problems before they arise. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/10/prweb14756953.htm Back to Top Air France A380 Engine Failure Prompts Investigation An investigation is underway after an Air FranceAirbusA380 made an unscheduled landing in Canada, after one of its four engines failed. The A380, operating as Flight AF66 and powered by Engine Alliance GP7200 engines, was en route Sept. 30 from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Los Angeles when it diverted to Goose Bay, Newfoundland, following the uncontained engine failure. Images posted on social media channels by passengers after the aircraft landed showed extensive damage to the front of the outer starboard engine, on the right wing, with part of its external cowling stripped away. Flight AF66 carried 497 passengers and 24 crew members. There have been no injuries reported. Engine Alliance, a joint venture between GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney, said in a statement that it is "working with investigative authorities to assess the situation," and referred questions to Air France. Air France said the investigation includes representatives from the French Air Accident Investigation Bureau (BEA), Airbus and Air France. "Airbus is providing full technical assistance to the authorities in charge of the investigation. An Airbus go team has arrived in Goose Bay," an airline spokesman said. Air France dispatched a leased Boeing 737 to Goose Bay, which carried passengers via Winnipeg to Los Angeles. A second aircraft, a Boeing 777-300, flew passengers to Atlanta, where SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines arranged transfers. Air France did not give details on how long it would take to repair the A380 or if other fleet measures would be necessary. Air France has 10 516-seat A380s in its fleet. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top ICAO Completes Thai Air Safety Audit The ICAO has completed an audit of Thailand's air safety oversight, although it is not ready to announce whether the country's red flag will be removed. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) confirms that the ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) has finished its work. The audit began in late September. The ICAO is expected to publish the results of its audit in mid-October. ICAO placed the red flag on Thailand's safety status following an earlier audit conducted in 2015. Thai authorities have been working to address the oversight deficiencies identified by ICAO, and sent an official request for the agency to conduct another ICVM to Thailand to reassess the safety rating. Removing the red flag would presumably encourage certain other countries to remove restrictions that were imposed on Thai carriers. The FAA, for example, downgraded Thailand's safety rating, which means Thai airlines cannot launch new services to the U.S. One of the major tasks for the CAAT is the recertification of all of its international airlines. It reissued air operator's certificates for nine carriers before an Aug. 31 deadline, and is working to complete the remainder by January. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Why Air Accident Rates Drop Significantly In Africa - NTSB Boss Mr. Dennis Jones, the Managing Director of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has given an insight into why air accident rates have dropped in Africa and other parts of the world in recent years. Jones, speaking at the headquarters of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) over the weekend at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos said that training and increased awareness on safety programmes had led to massive reduction in accident rates in the industry. He recalled that there was a high accident rates in Africa in 1990s and 2000s, but noted that the situation had changed in recent time. "I can't speak on the statistics, however, I have been coming here (Nigeria) for a few years. All over the world, accident rates have reduced very significantly from the statistics generated by international organizations including my agency. Accident rates in this part of the world have come down very significantly over the years. "Back in the 1990s and 2000s, it was high, but there have been a lot of safety efforts by several organisations including Nigeria to make things safer and to ensure that we improve safety in the system. This is unlike the past. In fact, other parts of the world now have higher rates of accidents than Africa", he said According to him, NTSB had investigated 145,000 accidents and made 14,500 safety recommendations since the agency was set up, stressing that it would continue to cooperate with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and other international bodies to improve safety in the global aviation industry. Also, Engr. Akin Olateru, the Commissioner, AIB at the occasion, disclosed that 22 investigators from the agency would in October travel to the facilities of NTSB in the United States for On-The- Job-training. He said management staff had been trained on strategy, adding that the programme was an ICAO initiative targeted at the Banjul Accord and the West Africa sub-region. He explained that about 18 of the investigators recruited since 2013 were yet to be trained on accident investigation, but noted that the on-the-job-training would make them efficient and rated. He said the essence of the workshop was not only for training but also provided an opportunity to discuss with the staff and share ideas. Olateru also said that the meeting had helped to clarify so many issues as they concern accident investigation. http://independent.ng/air-accident-rates-drop-significantly-africa-ntsb-boss/ Back to Top Nepal civil aviation director's removal exposes mega scam Since the secretary for tourism was holidaying abroad, a joint secretary carried out the minister's order and recalled Gautam to the ministry on short notice in contravention of the electoral code of conduct. Sanjaya Gautam, Nepal Civil Aviation Director,Directorate General of the Civil Aviation, Nepal Civil Aviation, Ministry of Tourism Nepal, Jitendra Narayan Dev, Nepal civil aviation scam, Nepal News, World news, indian express news As Gautam took a rigid stance against any review of the decision to terminate the agreement, the company is believed to have threatened the government that it would take up the issue in an international court, something the DGCA believes is a mere 'bargaining chip.' (Source: Google Maps) The Ministry of Tourism, in apparent hurry, removed Civil Aviation Director General Sanjaya Gautam from his post. Since the secretary for tourism was holidaying abroad, a joint secretary carried out the minister's order and recalled Gautam to the ministry on short notice in contravention of the electoral code of conduct. The Election Commission has asked the tourism ministry to clarify its decision - the latter is yet to respond. Gautam was the biggest obstacle in a suspected deal involving huge kickbacks between the top brass in the Ministry of Tourism led by Minister Jitendra Narayan Dev and a Spanish company that had bagged a Rs 7 billion contract for expansion of the Tribhuvan International Airport that turned out to be a defaulter. Government authorities said a couple of commercial banks which had stood guarantor for the Spanish company Constructora Sanjose have already paid a substantial amount to the government after the Directorate General of the Civil Aviation concluded that the work progress was well below the agreed mark and decided that the contract should be terminated. The DGCA, as well as the representatives of the government, had rejected the company's claim of non-availability of soil to carry on construction and refilling work and that the massive earthquake in April 2015 along with series of aftershocks hampered their works on an unanticipated scale. The contractor had undertaken that it would expand the existing runway, refill certain areas, build terminal buildings in the country's only international airport by 2017. As Gautam took a rigid stance against any review of the decision to terminate the agreement, the company is believed to have threatened the government that it would take up the issue in an international court, something the DGCA believes is a mere 'bargaining chip.' It was at this stage that the Forum Loktantrik Party which controls the Ministry of Tourism in the coalition government, agreed to have Gautam removed so that the Spanish company can be paid a huge amount for 'default because of a situation beyond its control.' Nepal goes to poll for provincial and federal parliament polls in two phases on November 26 and December 7 - and electoral code of conduct prohibiting the government from taking any major decisions ortransferring officials has already come into force. http://indianexpress.com/article/world/nepal-civil-aviation-director-sanjaya-gautams-removal- exposes-mega-scam-4872383/ Back to Top Hans De Jong New Director Of Civil Aviation Curacao As November 1, 2017 Hans de JonghWILLEMSTAD - Curaçao Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA) gets a new Director General. Hans de Jong made this announcement himself on his Linkedin account, a social connection media network for professionals. In his announcement to his group of friends, De Jong said that as of September 30 he is going to end his aviation consultancy IASAS as he has accepted the position of Director General of the CCAA. This, of course, will need his full attention for more than two years. "I am honored and very happy to be given the opportunity at this stage of my life. From November 1, I will, therefore, be living in Curaçao, so if you are passing through please let me know so we can catch up," said de Jongh. Hans is an experienced Aviation Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration industry. He is skilled in negotiation, customer service, government, strategic planning, and airports. He has a strong community and social service with a Masters focused on transport economics from the University of Amsterdam. Up to now, he has been active as Aviation Policy consultant at IASAS and publisher at Upinthesky, University of Amsterdam. As a columnist for Upinthesky, Hans is an independent aviation consultant en has helped Indonesia with the improving of their aviation safety. He is also president of the Foundation Vrienden van AviAssist. In his career, he has made several bi-lateral aviation agreements. http://curacaochronicle.com/main/hans-de-jong-new-director-of-civil-aviation-curacao-as- november-1-2017/ Back to Top Why do European airlines keep going bust? * Monarch collapses, leaving passengers stranded and angry * Three European airlines have gone belly up since August. * Air Berlin and struggling Italian national carrier Alitalia were the first two dominoes to fall. The third -- Britain's Monarch -- halted operations on Monday, leaving 110,000 passengers stranded abroad. Three high profile failures in just 50 days has raised questions about the strength of Europe's aviation industry, which has been buffeted by fierce competition and shifting business models. Analysts say that more losers could emerge in the coming months as smaller, weaker players come under pressure. "It's primarily an issue of scale and competition," said Rob Byde, a transport analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald. "It's likely you're going to see more consolidation and more failures in the European market." Budget airlines led by Ryanair (RYAAY) and EasyJet (ESYJY) have captured huge amounts of the European market by offering flights for as little as £10 ($13.30), a model that keeps their seats full and leaves competitors scrambling. "When the industry sees that supply of seats is increasing faster than demand, they all cut prices," said independent industry analyst Louise Cooper. She said that's when the "bloodbath" of red ink begins. Smaller competitors can't keep up with the top budget carriers because they lack the required scale to negotiate discounts on pricey items like jet fuel. National carriers, meanwhile, are saddled with legacy costs and expectations that prevent them from adopting the tactics of cheaper upstarts. Gerald Khoo, a transportation specialist at investment bank Liberum, said the weakest players are now getting tossed to the side. "The common theme is that these are airlines that have been in financial difficulty for many years, under pressure from more efficient competitors," said Khoo. There are other issues dogging the industry, including a pilot shortage and deadly terror attacks that forced airlines like Monarch to avoid popular holiday destinations like Tunisia and Egypt. Byde said terror fears forced Monarch to shift some flights to crowded routes where it failed to gain an edge. For airlines with deeper pockets, the upheaval presents new opportunities. Qatar Airways announced last week that it was taking a minority stake in Italian carrier Meridiana, a move that will help expand its network in Europe. Deirdre Hutton, chair of the U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said that she's not concerned about other British airlines folding. "I'm actually not worried. I think this was a set of issues that was very specific to Monarch," she told CNNMoney. Meanwhile, Hutton's CAA is responsible for bringing back Monarch's stranded customers to the U.K. over the next two weeks. Hutton promised these 110,000 customers that their return flights home would be scheduled only a few hours apart from their original bookings in an effort to avoid disrupting vacations. The biggest airline collapse in U.K. history also affects 750,000 people who had booked future flights and packaged tours. http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/02/news/europe-airlines-monarch-competition/index.html Back to Top Thomas Cook, Air Transat to exchange aircraft seasonally Leisure carriers Air Transat and Thomas Cook Airlines signed a seven-year agreement for the exchange of aircraft on a seasonal basis, which will enable the two carriers to manage their fleets more efficiently. The deal calls for UK-based Thomas Cook to make available a number of narrowbody Airbus A321s every winter to Montreal-based Air Transat, which will receive at least one widebody A330-200 in return. The agreement takes advantage of the different seasonality of the two companies: Air Transat uses a greater number of smaller aircraft in winter to serve its destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida, and larger aircraft in summer to serve the transatlantic market. In contrast, Thomas Cook uses smaller aircraft in summertime to fly to destinations around the Mediterranean Sea and larger widebody aircraft in the winter to fly to the long-haul destinations like Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Transat president and CEO Jean-Marc Eustache said the deal "allows us to improve our flexible-fleet model, making it even more efficient. Our fleet will eventually consist solely of Airbus A330 and aircraft from the A320 family, such as the A321, which will mean a more harmonized travel experience for our customers as well as lower operating costs." Thomas Cook Group chief airline officer Christoph Debus said the new partnership provides additional growth opportunities for the carrier. "By taking advantage of the complementary seasonal demand in North America and Europe, we will be able to operate additional long-haul flights during winter and better balance the seasonal demand for our short- and medium-haul aircraft, resulting in more cost efficiency and choice for our customers," he said. http://atwonline.com/airframes/thomas-cook-air-transat-exchange-aircraft-seasonally Back to Top Airlines swoop on fallen Monarch for experienced pilots LONDON (Reuters) - The sudden collapse of Britain's Monarch Airlines [MONA.UL] on Monday has sparked a rush among airlines to hire pilots from the stricken carrier, as rivals seek to add more experienced staff. Britain's Monarch Airlines collapsed on Monday, causing the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of holidays, after falling victim to intense competition for flights and a weaker pound. "There is growth in many UK airlines, and we'll be working with them to see if we can ensure the skill and experience of Monarch isn't lost," Brian Strutton, General Secretary at the British Airline Pilots Association, saying the union had been approached by Thomson (TUIT.L), Wizz Air (WIZZ.L), BA CityFlyer (ICAG.L), Virgin Atlantic [VA.UL], Aer Lingus and Flybe (FLYB.L). Transport Minister Chris Grayling said he had spoken to airlines who were looking to hire some of Monarch's "first rate team of people". Monarch's collapse happened at a time when the availability of experienced pilots has been in focus, especially at low cost carriers, after Ryanair cancel led hundreds of thousands of flights due to issues with the rostering of pilots. A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said the airline had launched a fast-track application scheme with around 80 vacancies, about half of which it hoped to offer to Monarch first officers. "We're looking for pilots to join our Airbus and 747 fleets, with a minimum experience of 2,500 hours total flying time and 500 hours on an Airbus or Boeing type," she said. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-monarch-airlines-licence-pilots/airlines-swoop-on-fallen- monarch-for-experienced-pilots-idUSKCN1C723I?il=0 Back to Top Oldies but goodies: Air Force looks to retirees to help pilot shortage Feeling bored in your retirement? The Air Force might have an answer for you. In an attempt to shore up its pilot shortage, the service is looking to retired pilots for an answer. The Air Force is beginning its Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty program to bring former pilots back to fill needed roles in the aviation realm. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson approved the program in July. The service is only looking for 25 retired pilots to join up at this point and the tour length will last no longer than a year. The former retirees won't necessarily be flying, though they have the option to get in the planes and take off. There are a number of non-flying staff positions that need a pilot's expertise. The Air Force hopes to fill those positions with retirees so pilots can stay in the air. "We will match VRRAD participants primarily to stateside rated staffs that don't require requalification in a weapon system, with emphasis on larger organizations like major command staffs," VRRAD Rated Liaison Maj. Elizabeth Jarding of the Air Force's Personnel Center said. "They'll fill critical billets that would otherwise remain vacant due to the shortage of active-duty officers available to move out of operational flying assignments." That doesn't mean they won't deploy or get in a plane. The retirees will only deploy if they volunteer and will not be eligible for an aviation bonus. Retirees must be under 60 to apply for the program and must have retired in the last five years. The Air Force has been struggling with a pilot shortage. The most recent estimates clock the shortage at about 1,500 pilots and growing. Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, the Air Education and Training Command director said last month 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. Find out why federal CIOs and senior IT managers are cheering FITARA. Download our annual CIO Survey. To deal with the problem the Air Force has been meeting with private airlines to come up with a common solution. "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," Brig. Gen. Michael Koscheski, director of the Air Force Aircrew Crisis Task Force said. The Air Force is considering options like a national pilot training academy funded by airlines and the 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/2017/10/oldies-but-goodies-air-force-looks-to-retirees-to- help-pilot-shortage/ Back to Top Fourth Bombardier Global 7000 test jet arrives in Wichita Bombardier's fourth Global 7000 business jet arrived at the company's Wichita flight test center over the weekend. Flight test vehicle, or FTV, 4 arrived at 12:37 p.m. on Saturday at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport after a three-hour-and 17-minute flight. It was a 1,574-mile-long flight, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The newest Global 7000 test jet is known internally as "the Architect," according to Bombardier. The aircraft is the first in the test fleet to feature a paint job and a finished interior. It will be used to test the aircraft's interior furnishings and fittings as well as other systems, such as Internet connectivity. It joins three other Global 7000s in the test fleet at the Bombardier Flight Test Center on the west side of Eisenhower Airport. The $72.8 million jet is Bombardier's biggest business aircraft yet, with maximum seating for 19 passengers and a range of 7,400 nautical miles. It is one of two key airplane programs for the Canadian company, which employs 1,600 people in Wichita. The other is its C Series passenger jet, a program currently under scrutiny by trade officials in the U.S. and at the World Trade Organization over allegations the airplane is being sold to customers at less than fair value. Bombardier is expected to provide an update on the Global 7000 flight test program on Monday at the National Business Aviation Association Convention in Las Vegas. Bombardier hopes to achieve regulatory certification of the Global 7000 in the second half of 2018. The plane's engines are assembled at GE Aviation's Arkansas City plant. http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/air-capital-insider/article176530676.html Back to Top Let's Talk About The Supposed Sighting Of A Skunk Works Hypersonic Test Aircraft The report on the advanced state of the hypersonic aircraft program seems credible, but the part about the sighting at Plant 42 is far less so. Last June I wrote an article about just this topic, titled What's The Deal With Lockheed's Gabbing About The Secretive Hypersonic SR-72? In it I concluded that the string of strange statements and outright hype about the supposedly top secret program that had trickled out from Lockheed to a lone source at Aviation Week seemed peculiar enough to conclude that the so called SR-72 was likely much farther along in its development than what was being insinuated: "All things considered, we are, and have been hearing a tremendous amount of information about what is clearly a highly classified program, coming from the contractor directly no less. This is highly peculiar. And parts of this technology have been in the works for decades. The "combined cycle" propulsion system capable of taking an aircraft from sitting on the runway well through mach five has been in development since at least the mid 2000s by Lockheed and its partner on the project Aerojet Rocketdyne. Additionally, past hypersonic vehicle tests by the USAF have also garnered valuable insights into this extreme flight environment, and there are likely many other major breakthroughs gained over the years from programs we know nothing about. So why are we getting bread crumb trails dropped to Aviation Week periodically as to the maturity of the technology and the program? Doing so seems like a very strange move considering we don't even hear a peep about far less exotic technological developments-like the existence of advanced unmanned combat air vehicles for instance. I would posit that it is very possible the Skunk Works and its USAF partners are actually farther along in the SR-72's development than they let on. Possibly even past the point of a small demonstrator, and already fielding a full-size prototype, or even an operational capability. In other words, what we may be hearing about are post-dated echoes of the program's past. The only other reason as to why Lockheed would be so willing to blabber about their hypersonic flying unicorn is that they need money from Uncle Sam to fund it. But that seems unlikely as it is highly doubtful the company has funded the concept's development for over a decade on its own, beyond a relatively small amount of money granted by NASA to explore the technology. In fact, Weiss says that Lockheed is not alone on the project in any way in his latest statement, noting that "DARPA and the services" are directly involved." ...Considering how competent Lockheed and their Air Force colleagues are at keeping secrets, the SR-72's strange "gray world" existence makes little sense. And hey, something has to live in that huge new remote hangar at Area 51 right? Maybe that facility's tenant is the aircraft being described still as a "paper concept" here today. In the end, I would suggest being open to taking SR-72 related news as more of an indication of what is, instead of what could be." Months later, Aviation Week seems to be pushing a similar narrative outright, and not only that, they even published the description of a supposed sighting of a hypersonic demonstrator with remarkably few caveats, with the latest Aviation Week article stating: "Lockheed Martin is ramping up development of hypersonic system technology as observers report the first sightings of a demonstrator vehicle believed to be linked to the Skunk Works' planned SR- 72 high-speed aircraft project... ...According to information provided to Aviation Week, one such technology demonstrator, believed to be an unmanned subscale aircraft, was observed flying into the U.S. Air Force's Plant 42 at Palmdale, where Skunk Works is headquartered. The vehicle, which was noted landing in the early hours at an unspecified date in late July, was seen with two T-38 escorts. Lockheed Martin declined to comment directly on the sighting." We have no clue where, or more accurately who Aviation Week got this report from but it has spread through the aviation and defense communities like wildfire. The problem with publishing something like this without the author providing further context is that it is taken by many as fact, which it is not. The sighting itself, as described, has its own issues. First off, we have no index regarding the quality of the source. Second, if they did indeed see a clandestine aircraft, how would they even know what they were looking at and be able to decipher the aircraft's specific mission or affiliated program? We don't know the exact design configuration of a hypersonic demonstrator even if it exists. All we have been told by Lockheed is that it would be approximately the size of an F-22. But even that could have changed. Additionally, as noted by the article, this sighting didn't occur during daylight hours, so how did the viewer even make out enough details on the aircraft to be able to make a guess as to its origins one way or another? LOCKHEED/DARPA Then there is the question of who the aircraft even belonged to if the sighting of something previously undisclosed did indeed occur. Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed all have massive compounds at Plant 42. The airfield is huge. Even seeing where an aircraft taxis to from an approach end of one of its runways is questionable, especially for a clandestine test article flying in low light conditions. Even the T-38 element of the story seems a little odd. Chase is usually provided by F-16s these days, although Boeing owns T-38 chase aircraft as does NASA-both of which have a large presence at Plant 42. Edwards AFB to the north of Palmdale also has T-38s assigned, although once again, they aren't used for chase duties of high performance aircraft like the F-16s are. Once again, the quality of the source is key here. If it was a bystander/layman the whole thing is highly speculative as normal people misidentify familiar aircraft in broad daylight, let alone in the dark. Although it would be a much more reliable source, it is doubtful that is was someone from inside Plant 42's fence line, as blabbering about this kind of thing is not conducive to employment for most jobs there. That doesn't mean it's impossible, just not probable. If the sighting is true, and some exotic test aircraft did fly back to Plant 42 instead of being shipped there as is known to be common, it could have belonged to Boeing or Northrop Grumman, not just Lockheed Martin. And above all else, how is it certain that what the person saw was indeed a high- speed demonstrator instead of one of a whole slew of rumored black programs or ones that otherwise remain totally unknown? Also, it is worth noting, that there have been no other major sightings of such an aircraft in recent months, at least any that are rumored to have occurred and discussed within the communities of people who have high-interest in this type of thing-something we here at The War Zone monitor very closely. So this sighting appears to be unique if it is truly accurate. In 2016, DARPA released a concept of a vehicle that would use the SR-72's propulsion system. Keep your eyes out for this, Antelope Valley. None of this is to say that a hypersonic technology demonstrator isn't flying, or hasn't been for some time. Once again, we surmised as such months ago. It's just this sighting account was conveyed with such little detail that its validity is highly questionable. As we have discussed in the past, by most indications there are a whole slew clandestine flight test programs underway at any given time, and if the account is to be believed, any one of these could have been the aircraft in question. We don't even have a description of the aircraft spotted. But there can be no doubt that the Pentagon is becoming highly concerned with America's "hypersonic gap" as its peer state competitors forge ahead quickly with the game-changing technology. So far it seems that America's potential foes have concentrated on the development of hypersonic cruise missile technology. With the USAF feeling behind the curve, a hypersonic platform, a reusable aircraft capable of launching its own weapons and carrying reconfigurable sensors, is likely a prime developmental target that can close that gap and reach a position of superiority in the hypersonic realm in one fell swoop. So as we said months ago, could there be a hypersonic demonstrator aircraft our there? Yes. In fact it seems more probable than possible, and this aircraft could have existed in the past, not the present. But is the supposed sighting at Plant 42 as reported by Aviation Week further evidence of its existence? Without more details, no it is not. http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/14803/lets-talk-about-the-supposed-sighting-of-a-skunk- works-hypersonic-test-aircraft Curt Lewis