Flight Safety Information October 26, 2017 - No. 213 In This Issue Accident: Volaris A321 near Veracruz on Oct 25th 2017, smoke indication EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Biman DH8D at Saidpur and Dhaka on Oct 25th 2017, dropped wheel on departure HOT AIR BALLOON GROUP'S NEW PROGRAM PUTS SAFETY FIRST Piloting aviation mental healthcare FBI seeking info on lasers striking aircraft in Kentucky Delhi airport to shut 1 runway for 3 days in Nov, airlines fear cancellations Laser pointed at Flight For Life plane costs crew member partial vision Chasse Hiatt selected as new FAA Deputy Director of Airport Safety and Standards Nigerian Federal Government Ordered Us To Take Over Arik Air To Prevent Collapse 38000 European Pilots calling for support through crowdfunding Air Canada says it may need to order more short-haul aircraft As Airlines Aim For Autonomous Flight, Near-Term Revolution Will Be Going Single Pilot SEVENBAR AVIATION PARTNERS WITH TRUTH DATA INSIGHTS FOR FLIGHT DATA ANALYSIS AND REPORTING AAAE Runway Safety Summit Covers Crucially Important Topics New HFACS workshop in Beautiful Las Vegas December 12th & 13th PHD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Accident: Volaris A321 near Veracruz on Oct 25th 2017, smoke indication A Volaris Airbus A321-200, registration XA-VLW performing flight Y4-714 from Mexico City to Cancun (Mexico), was climbing through FL280 out of Mexico City when the crew received a smoke detector indication and diverted the aircraft to Veracruz International Airport (Mexico) for a safe landing on runway 36 about 23 minutes later. A passenger suffered a nerveous breakdown as result of the anxiety and needed to be taken to a hospital, two others were treated at the airport for anxiety. The aircraft remained on the ground in Veracruz for about 4.5 hours, then continued to Cancun and arrived with a delay of 4.5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b0296dd&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Biman DH8D at Saidpur and Dhaka on Oct 25th 2017, dropped wheel on departure A Biman Bangladesh de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration S2-AGR performing flight BG-494 from Saidpur to Dhaka (Bangladesh) with 66 passengers and 5 crew, was in the initial climb out of Saidpur when the outboard right hand main wheel separated from the aircraft. The crew continued the flight to Dhaka, performed a low approach to have the gear inspected from the ground and landed safely. The wheel at Saidpur in alternate roll: http://avherald.com/h?article=4b029493&opt=0 Back to Top HOT AIR BALLOON GROUP'S NEW PROGRAM PUTS SAFETY FIRST After a fatal hot air balloon crash in 2016, the Balloon Federation of America is launching a new accreditation program to ensure that companies and pilots adhere to the highest safety standards. In July 2016, a hot air balloon flew into power lines in Lockhart, Texas, and burst into flames, killing all 16 people on board. After an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which blamed the pilot's "pattern of poor decision-making" for the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration asked the Balloon Federation of America to consider how to improve the safety of hot air balloon rides. Earlier this month, BFA announced its two-fold Envelope of Safety Program [PDF], which hopes to "make safety and professionalism a competitive advantage in the marketplace for operators of all sizes." In addition, BFA wants to educate consumers on the differences between pilots and companies that fly large balloons every day and hobbyists. To satisfy its first goal, BFA created a three-tier system that allows balloon ride companies to attain silver, gold, or platinum medals when they meet certain safety standards. For instance, to achieve silver medal status, companies must provide valid proof of insurance for each of their vehicles, have online forums where passengers can comment on and rate their experience, and not have more than two accidents or incidents within three years, among other requirements. Each tier builds on the requirements of the last, so gold-level companies can have just one accident, incident, or occurrence within three years, whereas platinum-level companies can have none. BFA is also encouraging pilots to earn PRO (Professional Ride Operator) Pilot status. Some requirements include passing a drug and alcohol background check; not having more than one accident, incident, or occurrence in one year and not more than two accidents in the last five years; and attending at least one BFA safety seminar per year. But because BFA isn't a regulatory organization, "there is nothing that says that anyone has to agree or has to participate," said Patrick Cannon, who works on BFA's government and communications committees. However, BFA hopes that its members will see the Envelope of Safety Program as a way to promote themselves as reputable companies and pilots. In addition to encouraging balloon ride companies and pilots to adhere to the new program, BFA will us an ambassador system to inform consumers about the differences among balloon pilots. "These are special people that have been appointed as balloon ambassadors under the Balloon Federation," Cannon said. "We're going to put them through some ambassador training that will tell them how to deal with the media, tell them how to deal with the local community, and how to educate the local community" on what they should be looking for when they're about to take a balloon ride. Cannon said that BFA's focus has always been safety, but this new program will allow it "to gather the flock ... gather all of the balloon operators under the roof so that they're going to meet certain minimal levels of standard." https://associationsnow.com/2017/10/hot-air-balloon-groups-new-program-puts-safety-first/ Back to Top Piloting aviation mental healthcare Air travel remains one of the safest forms of transportation, but are there things we can do to make it safer? Credit: Duke University With more than 100,000 flights taking off per day, the safety of air travel is a far-reaching issue. While air travel is by far the safest method of transportation-you are more likely to die from a car crash or even a shark attack than from an airplane crash-accidents do happen and can result in highly publicized fatalities. Auckland Hospital internist and psychiatrist Chris Kenedi, MD, MPH, is working with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to improve safety of air travel by focusing on an issue that is usually only questioned in instances of tragedy: the mental health of pilots. While screening procedures do currently exist, they are not enough for the extent of risk factors that are present in the pilot population. Being a pilot is a high-stress job. It involves long hours, separation from family, and irregular sleep schedules, all of which can contribute to or exacerbate mental conditions. Many pilots experiencing symptoms are unwilling to ask for help, because admitting mental illness can lead to a pilot's license being revoked, which would not only affect financial circumstances but also be felt as a loss of identity. Although data regarding aviation mental health is sparse, what is available suggests mental health issues are among the greatest contributing factors to suicide and homicide-suicide incidents of plane accidents. When Kenedi completed a systematic review of all data on the mental health of pilots and the current standard procedures, he found a deeply flawed system. Case studies of crashes caused by suicidal pilots showed that psychiatrists cleared them for flight even after episodes indicating a much deeper psychological imbalance. One pilot who drove his car into a barrier, attempted to steal the car of a woman trying to help him, and slit his wrists so deeply that he required two years of rehabilitation before regaining all of his mobility, was diagnosed with a general anxiety disorder and cleared to fly without proper treatment. In order to prevent further grave oversights, Kenedi suggests requiring the psychiatrist who assesses a pilot's ability to fly to be separate from the treating psychiatrist. This separation prevents the assessing psychiatrist from having his or her judgement confounded by a relationship with the patient and thus becoming an advocate rather than an impartial assessor. Kenedi said that alcohol and substance abuse treatments for pilots have been effective, however. Rather than relying on random drug and alcohol tests to disqualify impaired pilots, the system provides non-judgmental treatment and an opportunity to return to piloting. Kenedi recommends a shift to treating mental illness in pilots in a similar way, so that individuals are not afraid to step forward and ask for help. Educating mental healthcare providers is also important, so that pilots are receiving the best care possible. With proper resources and treatment, pilots with mental health concerns should be able to maintain their identity as pilots while gaining renewed resilience and support through the mental health system. This shift would hopefully help to prevent some of the small amount of air travel accidents that occur because of pilot issues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-10-aviation-mental-healthcare.html Back to Top FBI seeking info on lasers striking aircraft in Kentucky LOUISVILLE, KY. (WKYT) - The FBI is asking for the community's help to solve a series incidents involving lasers striking aircraft in central Kentucky. Agents say the majority of the strikes have happened between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the Hustonville area. Agents say lasers pointed at aircraft are dangerous because they can distract or even temporarily blind pilots. "Well the first thing that they train you to do is don't look at it well obviously if you see it happen and you try to bury yourself in your instruments in your cockpit and shield your eyes from it, but like I said if it's in a landing phase in particular or if your trying to fly instruments it can be a real hassle and real problem, danger," one pilot said. The FBI says the lasers have had the biggest impact on commercial flights. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Louisville FBI at (502) 263-6000. http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/FBI-seeking-info-on-lasers-striking-aircraft-in-Kentucky- 453076423.html Back to Top Delhi airport to shut 1 runway for 3 days in Nov, airlines fear cancellations The runway will be closed from the midnight of November 6 to 0700 IST on November 10. An official at the airport ruled out any inconvenience to passengers or airlines. Passengers flying to and from the national capital between November 7 to November 10 may be staring at the prospect of their flights being cancelled as the airport operator shuts one of the three runways at the Delhi airport for surface repair work, aviation industry sources told Moneycontrol. The runway will be closed from the midnight of November 6 to 0700 IST on November 10. An official at the airport ruled out any inconvenience to passengers or airlines. "Delhi airport keeps one runway spare. It is not used much. So the load due to repair work on one runway will be easily shifted to the other two runways. There will be absolutely no flight cancellations," the official said. Airline officials Moneycontrol spoke to were not convinced. "As many as 700 flights could get cancelled or rescheduled, putting the passengers at great discomfort and forcing them to revise their travel plans," one of them said. It may be mentioned here that October/November is the start of the peak season for airlines and its lasts till February. A flight disruption during this period could collectively translate into a loss of billions of rupees in revenues. There is no real down time at Delhi airport, with peak time on a given day extending from 0600 IST to midnight, with no additional slots being available at the airport in that time. Delhi International Airport Ltd, the operator of the airport, communicated to the airlines about the repair of the runway -- 11/29 -- and its closure via an October 20 notification, the airline official said. GMR Airports, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure, owns a 64 percent stake in DIAL. The official said that according to the notification, traffic handling capacity at the airport will be reduced to 45 movements per hour. One arrival equals one movement and so does one departure separately. "On average, there are 60 to 65 movements per hour at the Delhi airport. There are bound to be several cancellations," he said. Another source said while the total movements had been restricted to 45 per hour, the notification had capped the number of arrivals at 20 per hour and departures at 30 per hour. http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/delhi-airport-to-shut-1-runway-for-3-days-in-nov- airlines-fear-cancellations-2420423.html Back to Top Laser pointed at Flight For Life plane costs crew member partial vision A man on a medical flight for sick children talks about the flight where he saved a life and lost some of his sight. CENTENNIAL, COLO. - He was returning from a mission to help save a life, and he lost part of his vision. Justin Misuraca, a respiratory therapist with Flight for Life, was sitting in the co-pilot seat on of the plane, back on Sept. 15, as it approached Centennial Airport after a flight in New Mexico. He sits there to help the pilot spot any air traffic on approach. "I went to look out the window and a laser hit me in the eye... I looked away immediately," he told Next with Kyle Clark. Misuraca says he was blinded for a few seconds. When he could see again, the cockpit of the plane was green. The pilot was able to bank the plane out of the laser's view. Misuraca was checked out after the plane landed. When he went in for an eye appointment a few days later, the doctor told him about the damage. "They said there was a burn all the way to the back of my eye, and I'm missing 30 percent of my vision in an upside-down V," he said. He considers it a close call. "It was only half a millimeter from my optic nerve, so I could have been blind in my right eye... and that might have stopped me from working," he said. The FAA told Next since the beginning of the year, pilots have reported 74 laser strikes in the Denver area, through September 16. We've reported the problem before. Earlier this year, we reported national figures on laser strikes topped 7,346 in 2015. Misuraca chose to tell his story to try to get a new warning across to anyone who might have a laser. "I would hate to see anybody else get hurt," he said. Police don't know who did this to Misuraca. People who are caught pointing lasers in the air risk five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Three people, including Misuraca, the pilot and a nurse, were on the plane that night in September. The pilot suffered temporary blindness but is now OK. This wasn't the first time Misuraca has experienced something like this. He was in a helicopter in Colorado Springs last year when the cockpit was lit up by a laser. Flight For Life says this has happened to the organization's aircraft at least a dozen times in the last couple of years. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office told Next that a few days before the flight for life incident, they got a report of a laser strike on a commercial flight flying into DIA. They were able to track down the person with the beam, confiscate his laser, and put him in touch with the FBI. http://www.9news.com/news/local/next/laser-pointed-at-flight-for-life-plane-costs-crew-member- partial-vision-/486142437 Back to Top Chasse Hiatt selected as new FAA Deputy Director of Airport Safety and Standards The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently selected Patricia Chasse Hiatt as its new Deputy Director of Airport Safety and Standards. Patricia Chasse Hiatt Prior to her new role, Hiatt served in various policy, regulatory and senior leadership positions at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) since 2002. Most recently, she worked as the federal security director for the North Florida Area of Responsibility, which oversees eight commercial service airports. Previously, she worked for the Office of Airports for 12 years as an airport certification safety inspector in the Southern Region. From there, Hiatt helped implement the Part 139 program, which established certification requirements for airports serving scheduled air carrier operations with aircraft that seat between nine and 31 passengers. Hiatt has also served in various positions with the FAA and the U.S. Navy, where she developed a diversified background in aspects of airport safety, airport security, and air traffic. https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/6243-chasse-hiatt-selected-new-faa-deputy-director- airport-safety-standards/ Back to Top Nigerian Federal Government Ordered Us To Take Over Arik Air To Prevent Collapse - AMCON The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has revealed that the Federal Government ordered it to take over the troubled Nigerian carrier Arik Air to save it from total collapse. AMCON said that as at the time it was taking over the airline in February this year, the carrier was already enmeshed with a major crisis that would have led to a loss of thousands of jobs. The spokesman of AMCON, Mr. Jude Nwauzor stated today that the airline like Aero Contractors, which it took over about five years ago experienced huge challenges arising from all manners of business irregularities and series of operational encumbrances bordering on flights delays, cancellations, bad corporate governance, accumulating staff salaries, among other ills. He, however, said that eight months after the takeover of the airline, its operations had changed for good. He said: "Interestingly, Arik Air flights now depart on schedule without delay. For instance, flights scheduled for say 10:00 a.m calls for boarding at 9:27 or 9.28 and completed boarding at about 9:50. The flights will then take off at about 10:05 a.m., which is quite remarkable, judging by the behavior of the airline before the arrival of AMCON. "Aside from that AMCON has also done excellently well with its involvement in Aero Contractors and one can only comment the management of AMCON for all these achievements." "It means that there is hope for aviation in the country. I think other operators should understudy whatever model AMCON used to revive the two very important airlines because without them these two critical airlines would have become history like many others before them." It would be recalled that following an alleged huge debt profile of Arik to AMCON and other creditors around the globe, the corporation took over the management of the airline in February, a development in the aviation industry that saved the collapse of yet another airline as well as thousands of jobs in the country. According to Nwauzor, a good number of passengers of the two airlines have been commending the operations of the carriers, stressing that delays and flight cancellations, which Arik was known for before AMCON came on board had been regularised. Nwauzor added that with the efficient management of Aero Contractors, the operations of the airline had received a boost in recent time with the approval of Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities for the airline by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which can now certify Boeing 737 classics aircraft. He added: "Aero recently extended its maintenance hangar so that it could effectively take in a Boeing 737 aircraft and it is partnering with AJ Walters of United Kingdom for tooling and spares, the South Africa Airways Technical and other international maintenance organisations to ensure that its aircraft maintenance facility is in line with global standards." For years the airline has been conducting maintenance on helicopters and Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft up to D and C check respectively. "The airline also hopes to secure European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification before the middle of next year. The implication of this is that other airlines in Nigeria would save a lot of money by making use of Aero facilities for their C- checks instead of doing so abroad." http://saharareporters.com/2017/10/25/nigerian-federal-government-ordered-us-take-over-arik- air-prevent-collapse-%E2%80%93-amcon Back to Top 38000 European Pilots calling for support through crowdfunding Empowering and supporting pilots in their efforts to collectively negotiate is the aim of a new crowdfunding campaign that has just been launched. The #PilotUnity campaign on GoFundMe is expected to attract wide attention and donations from pilots, aviation professionals and keen European fliers. The crowdfund comes in the aftermath of the recent flight cancellation crisis in Europe. It is now clear that there is a new generation of pilots who will not be silenced, denied their fundamental right to Freedom of Association, or discouraged from organising collective negotiations. These groups of pilots want to choose their own representatives, to stand up and speak on their behalf, without fear of punishment or even worse - losing their job. The fund is administered by the European Cockpit Association on behalf of the entire pilot community. The main purpose is to provide financial security to pilot leaders, having distinguished themselves as representatives in the struggle for collective representation. "We've got your back. This is all we want to say with this fund to the pilots who may be stifled by fear of reprisals and worry that their actions to organise the pilot community will get them fired", says Capt. Dirk Polloczek, ECA President. "They need to know that the pilot community in Europe and beyond is united and determined to go in one direction. Through this crowdfund, the professional body of European pilots will provide the necessary support to allow the pilot leaders to focus on their core tasks of organising and negotiating." This crowdfund campaign comes at a moment when large pilot organisations from across the Atlantic have also offered help to their European pilot colleagues, including financial support. "The need for this fund is a big warning sign that things are going seriously wrong in European aviation - because not every airline respects the principles of social dialogue. Instead they have their crews spread across Europe on a variety of atypical and precarious contracts, denying them effective access to genuine representation and genuine negotiations with management", explains ECA Secretary General Philip von Schöppenthau. "We have seen examples of pilot representatives who dared to speak up were singled out, disciplined or fired. Whatever comes through the fund will serve as a safety net for pilot representatives that may end up in a similar situation." "We count on the support of our professional community, of the community of aviation employees, and of the community of citizens who fly as passengers in Europe", says Dirk Polloczek. "These people hold the power to say that no-one should be intimidated, pressured or silenced. No aviation employee should be afraid to speak up, be a whistle blower or stick his or her neck out." ECA is the representative body of over 38,000 pilots from across Europe, striving for the highest levels of aviation safety and fostering social rights and quality employment for pilots in Europe. The crowdfund is available on https://www.gofundme.com/pilotunity201 https://eturbonews.com/168725/38000-european-pilots-calling-support-crowdfunding Back to Top Air Canada says it may need to order more short-haul aircraft An Air Canada Airbus A321-211 is seen taking off from Pearson International Airport on Friday, July 28, 2017. Air Canada (TSX:AC) shares jumped almost 10 per cent Tuesday as the airline reported record second-quarter earnings and a well-received outlook. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov MONTREAL -- Growth in the number of passengers Air Canada carries could prompt it to order more narrow-body aircraft from Boeing and Bombardier, the airline said. The country's largest carrier has placed firm orders for 61 Boeing 737 Max and 45 Bombardier C Series jets, but the number of aircraft was based on its requirements in 2013. Air Canada also has options and rights to purchase 48 more Boeing planes and an additional 30 CS300 aircraft to give it more flexibility to meet increased demand. "So obviously there is some pretty great opportunities there to expand that and exercise more, but obviously it won't affect 2018 in any fashion," CEO Calin Rovinescu said Wednesday as the airline posted record quarterly revenue and profits. The first two Boeing 737 Max planes will arrive this year and 16 more by next June. The remaining aircraft are scheduled to be delivered through 2021. Delivery of the first C Series jets are slated to be added for late 2019, through 2022. The comments came as Air Canada (TSX:AC) reported a third-quarter profit of $1.79 billion or $6.44 per diluted share, boosted by a one-time $793-million tax recovery. That compared with a profit of $768 million or $2.74 per diluted share in the same quarter last year. On an adjusted basis, Air Canada earned $950 million or $3.43 per diluted share in the quarter, up from $821 million or $2.93 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2016. Meanwhile, revenue in the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled $4.88 billion, up from $4.45 billion on a large growth in business cabin revenues and the carrying of a record 14 million passengers. Passenger traffic was up 8.8 per cent compared with the same quarter last year, while passenger revenue per available seat mile increased 0.4 per cent. Rovinescu said that expressions of interest from bank and non-bank financial institutions wanting to become a credit card partner for its new loyalty program will be submitted by year-end with a request for proposals coming in early 2018. "There has been a tremendous amount of interest from the financial community," he said. The airline served notice in May that it does not plan to renew its partnership with Aeroplan parent Aimia (TSX:AIM) when the current contract ends. Aeroplan used to be a division of Air Canada before it was spun off as part of its restructuring. Air Canada has invited key financial institutions to participate in bids to join the launch of the program on July 1, 2020. Rovinescu added that Air Canada has also been approached by several technology companies interested in a separate request for proposal, or RFP, that will also be issued early next year. http://www.cp24.com/news/air-canada-says-it-may-need-to-order-more-short-haul-aircraft- 1.3648502 Back to Top As Airlines Aim For Autonomous Flight, Near-Term Revolution Will Be Going Single Pilot Oliver Wyman on Transportation & Logistics Exploring transport & travel's transformative ideas & technologies Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. POST WRITTEN BY Jerome Bouchard and Nicolas Baggioni Jerome Bouchard is a Paris-based partner in Oliver Wyman's transportation practice. Nicolas Baggioni is a Paris-based consultant. A pilot gestures as he sits inside the cockpit. Sometime soon, many, if not most, will be flying solo. Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg When it comes to transportation, the word for this decade and the next is autonomous. But while we are likely to see autonomous cars in mass production by 2030 and almost certain to see self- driving trucks within five years, we will probably not see any autonomous passenger jets for one simple reason - passengers don't trust them. The technology exists - all kinds of aircraft that don't involve passengers are using it, mostly in the military - but many consumers have said they would refuse to fly in one. Aviation is no doubt disappointed because of the hundreds of billions that could be cut from operational expenses. But tens of billions can still be saved by implementing the step before complete autonomy - single-pilot operations. Passengers may start seeing planes with a single pilot in the cockpit within the next three to five years - an inevitability driven more by the airlines' continual quest to lower costs than by the arrival of new technology. Even now, pilots spend a bulk of their flight time monitoring machines rather than actually flying. In fact, with many of the newest jets, most pilots are only manually flying during takeoffs and the final minutes of landing - and not even then if there's low visibility. Active flying time for pilots sometimes amounts to a little as three to five minutes. Emptying the cockpit The move toward fewer personnel in the cockpit began decades ago as technology made it unnecessary for humans to perform certain jobs. In the 1960s, there were still five crew members - a pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, navigator, and radio operator. By the 1980s, that number was down to two - the pilot and co-pilot - with the incorporation of more automated or hands-free systems. The next logical step in the road to total autonomy for commercial aviation is single-pilot operations - which could save airlines as much as $60 billion annually in operational costs, by our calculations. While the technology exists for this to happen, questions about safety, regulation, and public acceptance must be answered first. From the passenger's perspective, pilots are viewed as a fail-safe. Almost all airline passengers know the tale of Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger, who performed a dramatic controlled landing on the icy Hudson River after his A320 was struck by birds as it took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport in January 2009. Only this past week, pilots of a JetBlue flight out of Boston made an emergency landing at JFK airport in New York after a similar bird strike. People love stories of airline pilots who save hundreds of lives with such heroics - Hollywood even made a movie about Sullenberger. But the reality is that humans can also be responsible for aircraft accidents. As it has been and will be for passenger cars, introduction of ever-more autonomous features in aircraft will only make transport safer. The problem is convincing passengers. In several surveys - the most recent one this summer - consumers balked at getting on a plane with no pilot. This is not surprising as a majority of people have also said they don't like the idea of autonomous cars either, with more than half telling a recent Automobile Association of America (AAA) survey that they would still watch the road in an autonomous vehicle as if they were driving. About 38 percent believe - contrary to expert conclusions - that autonomous vehicles would lead to more highway crashes rather than fewer. Ground Control Single-pilot operations may be more easily accepted than fully autonomous flight, as it still guarantees human intervention, if necessary. It also is likely to involve a second on-the-ground pilot, with airlines expected to follow a NASA-developed approach that calls for a ground back-up system. The ground-based pilot would act as the first officer using remote-control technologies to monitor operations and support the pilot in the cockpit. Each ground-based pilot would likely be monitoring as many as five flights simultaneously. In emergencies, there would be a dedicated ground pilot focusing only on the plane in trouble and ready to step in using the remote control technologies. Beside passenger reluctance - and anticipated pilot opposition - regulators will also put high bars for manufacturers and airlines to get over before either single-pilot operations or autonomous flight will be possible. For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said it will not change any regulations to accommodate autonomous flight until it is proven that pilotless planes have detect-and-avoid capabilities equal to, or better than, humans. Saving $110 billion And for airlines, the ultimate goal is autonomous flight - the next evolution in civil aerospace and a game-changer for airline cost structures. Having already cut 15 percent in fuel consumption, thanks to the lighter structural components and a new generation of jet engines in aircraft being delivered today, airlines now want to attack their second biggest cost - labor. With savings as high as $110 billion annually, autonomous flight would essentially change the airline business model, according to our estimates. Beyond the reduction in personnel, automation of flights would cut other expenses, including up to an additional six percent drop in fuel consumption because of the optimization of speed, altitude, and trajectory possible when technology is the pilot. Cockpits could be shrunk with single-pilot operations and maybe even eliminated with autonomous flight, potentially cutting the price tag of aircraft. In addition, airlines would enjoy a new flexibility in scheduling as they no longer would need to adhere to regulations limiting the number of hours human pilots can fly; computers don't need sleep or get tired. They are also cheaper to produce than human pilots. Finally, the increased safety with automated systems would cut millions in insurance costs and accident settlements. Pilot shortage Finally, single-pilot operations and autonomous flight address the developing pilot shortage that faces aviation over the next decade. Such a shortfall could end up pushing up wages and stifling the expansion of routes. Over the short run, one place we are likely to see the adoption of single-pilot operations and maybe even autonomous flight is in the movement of cargo. Here, the economics will dictate, and the safety issues will be less important, given the absence of passengers and presumably crew in the case of autonomous flight. When it comes to single-pilot operations for commercial flight, there is a certain inevitability involved. That is less the case for autonomous flight, where some experts predict it could literally take decades and perhaps the introduction of autonomous cars and trains - before it will be embraced. As one Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor was recently quoted as saying, "The issue has never been 'Could you automate an airplane and fly it autonomously?' The issue is 'Could you put paying customers in the back of that airplane?'" https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwyman/2017/10/25/single-pilot-commercial-flights-are-not-far- off-even-if-fully-autonomous-flight-is/3/#19a4f1b163ea Back to Top Back to Top Improve the Safety of Your Airport's Runway The robust agenda of the AAAE Runway Safety Summit includes topics that will improve the safety of your airport's runway, including: * Advances in Runway Safety Technology * The Latest on Runway Incursions: Data Trends and Case Studies FAA Runway Safety Initiatives Roundtable * Runway Safety Town Hall Meeting: An Open Discussion on Issues and Best Practices Your attendance can be a matter of life and death. Don't miss this important opportunity and register to attend, November 6-8, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. REGISTER NOW AGENDA Contact Information Program Information: Justin Towles, AAAE 703.797.2538 Sponsorship and Exhibit Information: Janet Bennett, AAAE 703.797.2533 Registration and Hotel Information: Jonna Thoma, AAAE 703.797.2578 New HFACS workshop Las Vegas, NV December 12th & 13th, 2017 HFACS, Inc. offers professional development training on our innovative HFACS/HFIX methodologies. Our intensive, two-day workshops teach updated cutting-edge techniques to help your organization identify the causes of errors and develop preventative measures to lower your risk and improve performance. You have been included in our new email database as we begin using this important tool for communication on upcoming workshops as well as being the first to hear about any special offers. Please forward this to any interested co-workers so they may also stay How to register: To register visit hfacs.com or call 800-320-0833 or email dnlmccnn@gmail.com or info@hfacs.com Attendees of the workshop will learn how to: * Integrate human factors and system safety concepts into the root cause analysis (RCA) process * Utilize the Human Factors Analysis & Classification System (HFACS®) to identify systemic causes of human error during accidents, incidents, and/or near misses. * Integrate HFACS into traditional RCA tools like the fishbone diagram, fault trees, and link analysis using HFACS * Implement the Human Factors Intervention matriX (HFIX®) to develop innovative corrective action programs Develop a human error database and tracking system for monitoring and evaluating performance improvement efforts All attendees of the workshop will receive: * HFACS-RCA Handbook (including HFACS Interview Guide & HFACS/HFIX Checklists) * Complimentary Associate HFACS Professional (AHP) Certification * Opportunity to join the largest Listserv catering to human factors accident investigation and error management Already attended a 2-day workshop? Don't miss out on our special offers! * Our workshops have been updated to feature the newest information * If you have already attended our 2-day HFACS course, don't miss out on the opportunity to attend another workshop as a "refresher" for a discounted rate of $200 * Or bring a full-paying customer with you and receive free refresher course registration * For any additional questions and information, contact info@hfacs.com or call 800-320-0833 PHD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST International airline pilot and 38-year veteran of flying, Karlene Petitt, has instructed pilots on Boeing aircraft for over 21 years, and holds type ratings on A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, and B727. She is working on her PHD in Aviation with a focus on safety at Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University. Petitt is researching the impact of training, aircraft understanding, safety culture, aviation passion, and manual flight tendencies, to better understand the impact on performance. If the pilot is always blamed for errors, the underlying factors may never be identified. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes and is anonymous. If you fly for a commercial operation, with a two (or more) person crew (corporate, charter, or airline) please visit http://petittaviationresearch.com to learn more and access the link to the survey that can be found at the bottom of the page. Thank you!!! Karlene Petitt MBA. MHS. Doctoral Candidate Aviation ERAU Typed: A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727 http://karlenepetitt.blogspot.com Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST I am a student of Air Transport Management at City University of London. I am in the final stage of writing my dissertation on Human Machine Interaction. However, I am looking for some data in order to have a better understanding of the real issues among pilots. I would like to kindly ask, if you could complete my survey attached: https://it.surveymonkey.com/r/JBZG6FJ Thank you. Kind Regards, Yari Franciosa Curt Lewis