Flight Safety Information December 19, 2017 - No. 251 In This Issue Incident: Commutair E145 at Jacksonville on Dec 18th 2017, cracked windshield Incident: Emirates A388 at Dubai on Dec 16th 2017, engine shut down in flight Incident: THY A321 at Istanbul on Dec 17th 2017, bird strike Incident: S7 B738 near Blagoveschensk on Dec 18th 2017, engine shut down in flight Senior NTSB official Paul Schuda killed in Indiana plane crash U.S. Adds 7 Nuclear Sites to 'No-Drone Zone' List of Military Bases, Landmarks Collins Restores 10,000 Approach Procedures to FMSs How the aviation industry is lowering its carbon footprin AerCap to sell 21 aircraft worth $800 million to Peregrine Aviation C919 to undergo 'torture' tests for airworthiness Southwest Airlines Could Order Hundreds More Boeing 737s Bell V-280 Valor Next-Generation Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Prototype Has Just Made Its First Flight What was that 'plane' white aircraft doing at the airport? World's largest aircraft aces taxi test in eastern Kern County Deer Jet Completes First Antarctic Flight...Deer Jet G650 in Antarctica Japan's foreign minister wants US$68 million Gulfstream jet to compete with China's diplomatic clout Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship ESASI Annual Seminar - Jurmala / Riga 2018 Bow Tie Method of Safety Risk Management - Course Incident: Commutair E145 at Jacksonville on Dec 18th 2017, cracked windshield A Commutair Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N14179 performing flight UA-4833 from Jacksonville,FL to Newark,NJ (USA), was in the initial climb out of Jacksonville when the crew requested to stop the climb at 7000 feet initially advising no assistance was needed. About 5 minutes later the crew reported a pressurization issue requiring them to return to Jacksonville. The aircraft descended to 3000 feet to burn off fuel and landed safely about 75 minutes after departure. A passenger reported the crew indicated they were having a pressurization problem due to a cracked windshield. A replacement ERJ-145 registration N14186 is about to depart Jacksonville with a delay of 6.5 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL4833/history/20171218/1631Z/KJAX/KEWR http://avherald.com/h?article=4b27f4b1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Emirates A388 at Dubai on Dec 16th 2017, engine shut down in flight An Emirates Airbus A380-800, registration A6-EUJ performing flight EK-261 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil), was in the initial climb out of Dubai's runway 12R when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet, shut the #1 engine (GP7270, outboard left hand) down, dumped fuel and returned to Dubai for a safe landing on runway 12L about 110 minutes after departure. A ground observer the aircraft emitted 3-4 loud bangs during initial climb. A replacement Airbus A380-800 registration A6-EUT reached Sao Paulo with a delay of about 6 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 64 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b27f290&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: THY A321 at Istanbul on Dec 17th 2017, bird strike A THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration TC-JTA performing flight TK-1911 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Zurich (Switzerland), was in the initial climb out of Ataturk Airport's runway 17R when the aircraft was struck by a bird prompting the crew to stop the climb at about 6000 feet and return to Ataturk Airport for a safe landing on runway 23 about 17 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 6 hours, then was able to depart again and reached Zurich with a delay of 6 hours. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Istanbul due to a bird strike, the passengers were taken to the terminal, the aircraft was towed to a maintenance hangar and was repaired. The aircraft departed for Zurich following the repair. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b27ef9e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: S7 B738 near Blagoveschensk on Dec 18th 2017, engine shut down in flight An S7 Sibir Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration VP-BUL performing flight S7-3269 from Novosibirsk to Yuzhno- Sakhalinsk (Russia) with 156 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL350 about 110nm northeast of Blagoveschensk (Russia) when the crew observed a low oil pressure indication for the left hand engine (CFM56), shut the engine down and diverted to Blagoveschensk for a safe landing about 30 minutes later. Rosaviatsia opened an investigation into the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b27ed0c&opt=0 Back to Top Senior NTSB official Paul Schuda killed in Indiana plane crash Crash site and a photo of NTSB official Paul Schuda The head of the training center at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was killed Saturday when the plane he was on went down in Indiana, the Civil Air Patrol said on Monday. Two others were also killed. The accident happened on Saturday evening when the single-engine Cessna 210 aircraft went down in a heavily wooded area behind a home near the town of Oldenburg, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Cincinnati. The crash was reported at 9:10 p.m. ET. Indiana State Police said three people were killed in the accident, as well as one of two dogs which were on board the aircraft. The second dog survived the crash and showed up at a nearby residence, after which the dog was taken to a local veterinarian to be treated for injuries. The Civil Air Patrol, which is the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, said in a statement released on Monday that Paul Schuda, the head of the NTSB's Training Center, was one of those killed. The pilot, Major Louis R. Cantilena, and his daughter were also killed in the crash. The NTSB Training Center, which is also known as the NTSB Academy, is located in Ashburn, Virginia, and provides training for NTSB investigators to improve their practice of accident investigation techniques. It also serves others from the transportation community. Schuda also studied the crash of Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 800, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off New York in July 1996, killing all 230 people on board. He gave lectures about the investigation and the plane's fuselage was located just outside his office at the training center. In addition to his work at the NTSB, Schuda was also an evaluation officer and the assistant director of operations at the National Capital Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. He previously served as the Congressional Squadron's chief of staff from 2006 until 2012 and as the deputy director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Policy and Special Projects staff. Data from flight tracking services showed that the plane had departed on early Saturday morning and flew from Frederick, Maryland, to Kansas City, Missouri. The aircraft was returning to Frederick when it began losing altitude southwest of Oldenburg at 8:52 p.m. ET. It disappeared from radar a short time later. The cause of Saturday's accident was not immediately known. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the NTSB are investigating what happened. http://bnonews.com/news/index.php/news/id6853 Back to Top U.S. Adds 7 Nuclear Sites to 'No-Drone Zone' List of Military Bases, Landmarks The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it will bar drone flights over seven major U.S. nuclear sites, including Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The move is the latest in a series of growing restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicles over U.S. sites that have national security implications. The new restrictions begin Dec. 29 and include the Hanford Site in Washington State, Idaho National Laboratory, Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina, Pantex Site in Texas and the Y-12 National Security Site and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The FAA said it is considering additional requests from other federal security agencies to bar drones. Earlier this year, the FAA banned drone flights over 133 U.S. military facilities. The Pentagon said in August that U.S. military bases could shoot down drones that endanger aviation safety or pose other threats. The FAA also banned drone flights over 10 U.S. landmarks in September, including the Statue of Liberty in New York and Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, at the request of national security and law enforcement agencies. It separately barred drone flights over the USS Constitution in Boston, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The list also includes Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona, Hoover Dam in Nevada and Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board said a September collision between a small civilian drone and a U.S. Army helicopter was caused by the drone operator's failure to see the helicopter because he was intentionally flying the drone out of visual range. The incident between a U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter and a DJI Phantom 4 drone near Staten Island, New York occurred as concerns mount over the rising number of unmanned aircraft in U.S. airspace. The helicopter landed safely but a 1 1/2-inch (3.8-cm) dent was found on the leading edge of one of its four main rotor blades and parts of the drone were found lodged in its engine oil cooler fan. The Army said previously the helicopter was not targeted and that it was struck by a drone being operated by a hobbyist. Government and private-sector officials are concerned that dangerous or even hostile drones could get too close to places like military bases, airports and sports stadiums. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2017/12/19/474714.htm Back to Top Collins Restores 10,000 Approach Procedures to FMSs Rockwell Collins has restored the approximately 10,000 approach procedures in Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 avionics systems that were removed from its FMA databases, effective with November data cycle 1712. However, certain operational restrictions remain in affect. The approaches were removed after it was discovered that manually edited or temperature- compensated "climb to" altitudes in the databases "will command the aircraft to turn in the wrong direction under certain conditions." The action affects about 35 percent of the approaches in the databases, the company said. A new FAA Safety Alert for Operators-SAFO 17013-informs users that the procedures were reinstated in the December 14 navigation database update. The SAFO also references new Rockwell Collins manual temperature compensation limitations and operational restrictions. For example, according to Collins Ops Bulletin 0166-17R4, changing "climb to" altitudes in departures and missed approaches is prohibited at all times, as is using the FMS temperature- compensation feature. The condition occurs in FMS versions 3.3 through FMS 4.2. Collins and the FAA are continuing to work together to permanently resolve this issue. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-12-18/collins-restores-10000- approach-procedures-fmss Back to Top How the aviation industry is lowering its carbon footprint Creating lighter yet powerful engines is just one way the aviation industry is trying to reduce its environmental impact. Indian low cost carrier Go Air operates a fleet of 18 A320 aircraft, which runs in single engine while taxiing in and out for most of its flights in order to save fuel and reduce carbon emissions. Image: Joe Ravi / Shutterstock.com Imagine how much cleaner the air would be if 3 million cars were taken off the roads in your city. A hint: Banning just half of Beijing's 3.3 million cars before the 2008 Olympics cleared its skyline within a few days. The world's skies may clear in an equally dramatic fashion if the aviation industry could succeed in cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through more efficient engines, sustainable fuel and use of carbon credits. In a recent interview with Eco-Business, Alan Epstein, Pratt & Whitney's vice president for Technology & Environment, calculates that yearly emissions equivalent to CO2 released by 3 million cars could be avoided if all 8,000+ of Pratt & Whitney's PurePower Geared Turbofan PW1000G engines on order were active in the skies now. Due to its innovative geared architecture, the engine is 16 percent more fuel efficient than current engines used on most jets, resulting in huge fuel savings and reduced CO2 emissions. "We are always looking to introduce new designs with lighter materials, and using manufacturing technologies that let us make lighter shapes than we could otherwise economically afford to. All these help to reduce the fuel burn," says Epstein. Pratt & Whitney's PW1000G engines are among recent developments steering the aviation industry toward a more sustainable future. Over the past decade, engineers have steadily broken new ground in engine design and sustainable fuel, helping to reduce emissions in an industry that already contributes 2 percent of manmade CO2 emissions worldwide, a figure that is set to grow given the rising demand for air travel. A boost to the aviation industry's sustainability efforts came last October, when national representatives at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) finally agreed - after years of wrangling - to a global deal to limit greenhouse gas emissions from airlines. A centerpiece of the deal is the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), aimed at stopping emission growth in its tracks after 2020. To be implemented in 2021 for a voluntary period, the scheme ensures any increase in CO2 emissions from aviation will be offset with activities that absorb CO2, such as investments in tree planting. Airlines that increase emissions from the previous year will need to buy "emission units" that can be bought and sold directly through a carbon market. So, although CORSIA does not require direct emission cuts from aviation, these measures indirectly make higher carbon emissions more costly for airlines. Lowering emissions through better engines Creating light yet powerful engines is one of the biggest ambitions of aviation engineering. At Pratt & Whitney, engineers have spent decades pushing the technological limits of engines in a bid to improve efficiency. Epstein says: "The trade-off is always between efficiency and weight. If I make a more efficient airplane engine that weighs more, it isn't optimised because its carrying extra weight." To create light and resilient engines, Pratt & Whitney has added nanoparticles to its engine materials. Nickel-based superalloys - materials made of different metals mixed together to improve strength - are used to make engine components. The result: New geared turbofan engines that are bigger, lighter and more fuel efficient at the same time, says Epstein. The engines are also capable of running at extreme temperatures for thousands of cycles /years. The trade-off is always between efficiency and weight. If I make a more efficient airplane engine that weighs more, it isn't optimised because its carrying extra weight. Alan Epstein,vice president for Technology & Environment, Pratt & Whitney Alternative engine features at KLM At KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, fleets have been renewed as part of its plans to reduce carbon emissions by 20 per cent per passenger by 2020, compared to 2011 levels. Other measures include improving operational efficiency, using biofuel, and carbon offsetting. KLM's newest aircraft, the Dreamliner is equipped with a slew of improvements that has reduced its weight and improved fuel efficiency. Two examples of innovations to lighten the Dreamliner's engines include removing one of the heritage systems in the engine, the bleed air system, and using titanium aluminide instead of nickel alloy as material for some of the rotary blades. If biofuels were to be broadly used, the reduction in CO2 could be as high as 80 percent. Lindin Coppell, head of sustainability, Etihad Airways Cleaner fuel Another boost in aviation sustainability came earlier in 2011, with the commercialisation of biofuels as a replacement for jet fuel. Biofuel is a relatively cleaner option than jet fuel, and produces lower CO2 emissions. One airline, Etihad Airways, has been making efforts to develop sustainable fuel with Boeing and Masdar Institute, a research university in the United Arab Emirates, a country along the Persian Gulf covered with desert. According to Etihad Airways' head of sustainability Linden Coppell, a research programme is ongoing to develop sustainable fuel feedstock on non-arable desert land with no freshwater. Coppell says: "Our 'seawater energy and agriculture system' is now operating at pilot scale, with the first harvest of biomass recently. The oil from the seeds of the saltwater tolerant plant will be converted to jet fuel by Adnoc Refining for use on an Etihad commercial flight." Sustainable biofuel is currently the best alternative to jet fuel, a KLM spokesman tells Eco-Business, given the lack of breakthroughs in the development of solar energy and batteries for aviation use. "If biofuels were to be broadly used, the reduction in CO2 could be as high as 80 percent. That means biofuel is more sustainable than the standard fossil fuel currently used in air transport," he says. The spokesman stresses that KLM only uses biofuel made from sustainable feedstock that does not have a negative impact on biodiversity or food security. To ensure this, KLM buys fuel certified by independent global organisations such as the Round Table of Sustainable Biofuels. The future The aviation industry has come a long way in terms of energy efficiency. At Pratt & Whitney, improvements in engine design and technology have reduced fuel burn and carbon emissions at a rate of 1 percent on average, annually, over the last several decades and will do so for the foreseeable future, says Epstein. "Some people stare and say, 'oh it's only 1 percent a year!'. What they don't understand is compound interest, it's growth year upon year," says Epstein, adding that these changes, over time, will lead to big jumps in efficiency for aircraft engines. On reducing emissions, Coppell says that there is a 'basket of measures' for the industry to reduce its carbon dependence, including operational measures and by supporting infrastructure improvements. The KLM spokesman hopes that more airlines and organisations will join hands to make air transport more sustainable. Airports need to add biofuel to their existing fuelling systems as well, he adds. "The development of biofuels cannot just be driven by KLM and other airlines," he says. http://www.eco-business.com/news/how-the-aviation-industry-is-lowering-its-carbon-footprint/ Back to Top AerCap to sell 21 aircraft worth $800 million to Peregrine Aviation (Reuters) - Leasing company AerCap Holdings NV said it would sell 21 aircraft worth $800 million to Peregrine Aviation Co Ltd, an investment unit of NCB Capital, the brokerage arm of National Commercial Bank SJSC. The 21-aircraft portfolio consists of a mix of wide-body and narrow-body aircraft, AerCap said in a press release. Under the agreement, AerCap will provide lease management services to Peregrine and will retain an equity interest in the entity, the company said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-aercap-hldg-nationl-comml-bk/aercap-to-sell-21-aircraft- worth-800-million-to-peregrine-aviation-idUSKBN1ED0VX Back to Top C919 to undergo 'torture' tests for airworthiness The second test plane for China's indigenous narrow-body passenger airliner program got airborne on the weekend The second test plane of the C919, code name for China's indigenous narrow-body passenger airliner program, got airborne this weekend from Shanghai Pudong Airport. It ascended to an altitude of 4,500 meters and cruised for 75 minutes before touching down at the same airport, Xinhua reported. This second plane flew higher and faster than the C919 prototype on its maiden flight in May. Once it is operating commercially, the C919 will be able to carry up to 190 passengers in an all- economy seating plan. Four more test planes will be assembled at the Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (Comac) plant in Shanghai next year, and all six planes will fly to two airbases in Shaanxi and Shandong provinces for concurrent tests in a bid to expedite the airworthiness certification by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Observers say the CAAC's swift approval is a sure thing, but the C919 will have to seek endorsement from the US and European civil-aviation authorities if it really wants to wrest market share from dominating aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier. Attendees gather as a Chinese C919 passenger jet sits on the tarmac. The European Aviation Safety Agency has confirmed the receipt of Comac's application for C919 airworthiness certification, though processing details are yet to be finalized. Apparently the timing of foreign approvals is up in the air. For instance, the US Federal Aviation Administration is still processing Comac's application for the ARJ21 Xiangfeng, a twin-engined regional jet with a seating capacity of no more than 100 passengers. That application was filed in 2003. As for China's C919 program, more than 1,000 "torture" tests are awaiting the six test planes, covering temperature, stall and water resistance, ultimate load-bearing capacity, bird impacts, metal fatigue, minimal takeoff speed and others, all aimed at ascertaining the plane's reliability in extreme scenarios. Comac is now grappling with a talent drain, as the company has only a small team of a dozen test pilots and certified engineers, with a fast-approaching deadline for carrying passengers on fare- charging domestic flights by 2021, the centennial of the Communist Party of China, by which time the program is meant to be concluded as a key breakthrough under the party's leadership. http://www.atimes.com/article/c919-undergo-torture-tests-airworthiness/ Back to Top Southwest Airlines Could Order Hundreds More Boeing 737s A combination of compelling growth opportunities and tax benefits could push Southwest Airlines to order hundreds of Boeing 737s in the near future. After facing a sales slowdown last year, Boeing (NYSE:BA) has benefited from a rebound in order activity in 2017. As usual, the popular 737 family of narrowbody jets has led the way. Last week, Boeing lost out on a big potential order for the next-generation 737 MAX, as Delta Air Lines opted to buy 100 Airbus A321neos instead. Some pundits saw this as a major blow to Boeing. However, Boeing could be in line for hundreds of additional 737 MAX orders within the next couple of years from one of its best customers: Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV). Southwest Airlines has lots of growth potential Today, Southwest Airlines is the fourth largest airline in the U.S., with annual revenue of more than $21 billion. Nevertheless, the company has enormous growth potential. Within the U.S., Southwest Airlines has had to rein in capacity growth this year due to a temporary shortage of aircraft. However, it routinely has one of the highest profit margins in the airline industry, highlighting the strong demand for its services. Thus, Southwest has meaningful opportunities to grow and regain its "natural share" of the domestic market. LUV EBIT Margin (TTM) Chart SOUTHWEST AIRLINES OPERATING MARGIN (TTM), DATA BY YCHARTS. Meanwhile, the carrier has been expanding gradually to more international destinations. It is just scratching the surface in places like Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Most recently, Southwest Airlines announced that it will start selling tickets for Hawaii flights during 2018, confirming long-running rumors. (The first flights may not occur until 2019.) Through the end of November, Southwest Airlines had increased its capacity by 3.7% in 2017, following a 5.7% increase in 2016 and a 7.2% increase in 2015. Based on its numerous expansion opportunities, Southwest could probably sustain a 4% to 5% annual capacity growth rate for the foreseeable future. More planes needed There are lots of places where Southwest could grow profitably, but right now, its fleet plan is extremely conservative. Next year, the carrier is scheduled to add 39 new Boeing 737s to its fleet, along with four used 737s. This will make up for a decline in Southwest's fleet count this year, enabling capacity growth of about 5% in 2018. On the other hand, Southwest Airlines is currently scheduled to take delivery of just 58 planes between 2019 and 2022. That's only enough to support a 2% to 3% growth rate. Southwest then has 115 firm orders for delivery between 2023 and 2025: just slightly more than the number needed to replace planes that will reach the end of their 25-year useful lives during that period. If Southwest were to aim for a 5% annual capacity growth rate, while retiring older aircraft at the 25-year mark, it would need to increase its firm order book for the 2019-2025 period by about 150 aircraft. Meanwhile, it doesn't have any firm orders beyond 2025 yet. Even if Southwest's growth rate slows, it would need to buy at least 50 planes annually after 2025 due to the massive number of aircraft that will be reaching retirement age each year. Tax reform makes aircraft orders even more appealing Thus, Southwest Airlines will need to order lots of Boeing 737s just to meet its normal growth and replacement needs. The tax reform bill that is currently making its way through Congress would give it an incentive to buy even more aircraft in the next few years. First, the tax bill will lower the statutory corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. This will boost Southwest's after-tax profit by more than 20%, encouraging faster growth. Second, companies will be able to fully deduct the cost of capital expenditures for the next five years, rather than depreciating them over a longer period of time. (This "full expensing" provision will sunset over the following five-year period.) A Southwest Airlines plane about to land, with mountains in the background SOUTHWEST AIRLINES MAY ACCELERATE ITS AIRCRAFT ORDERS TO REDUCE ITS TAX BILL. IMAGE SOURCE: SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. The result is that airlines have a big incentive to ramp up capital spending in the short run. CEO Gary Kelly has stated that Southwest will consider both faster fleet growth and accelerating the retirement of older planes. Southwest could plausibly put an additional 200-250 planes to work in its fleet between 2019 and 2025. If it speeds up the retirement of its Boeing 737-700s, that would create a need for an additional 150-200 orders. Right now, Southwest Airlines has fewer than 200 firm orders for the 2019-2025 period. As a result, Southwest may want to order another 200-250 Boeing 737 MAX planes for delivery by 2025, plus hundreds more for the rest of the 2020s. In this context, losing the Delta order to Airbus is no big deal for Boeing. https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/12/18/southwest-airlines-order-hundreds-more-boeing- 737.aspx Back to Top Bell V-280 Valor Next-Generation Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Prototype Has Just Made Its First Flight The Bell V-280 Valor prototype has successfully achieved first flight at the Bell Helicopter assembly facility in Amarillo, TX. On Dec. 18, the first prototype of the V-280 Valor, registration N280BH, performed its first flight at Bell Helicopter Amarillo Assembly Center. Interestingly, both the images and the footage released by Bell Helicopter have been doctored to hide some details of the Valor's T64-GE-419 tilting gearbox design: unlike the V-22's engines that rotate along with the gearboxes, in the V-280, the gearbox is the only thing that rotates. Anyway, the gearbox is clearly visible in the images we have published on Aug. 30. The V-280 Valor is Bell's submission for the U.S. Army's Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) phase, the technology demonstration precursor to Future Vertical Lift (FVL), a replacement for the service's Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters. The V-280 will have a crew of 4 (including two pilots) and be capable of transporting up to 14 troops. Its cruising speed will be 280 knots (hence the designation V-280) and its top speed will be 300 kts. It's designed for a range of 2,100 nautical miles and an effective combat range of 500 to 800 nmi although the Army's requirements for the demonstrator call for hot and high hover performance (at 6,000 feet and 95 F), and the ability to self-deploy 2,100 nautical miles at a speed of at least 230 knots. https://theaviationist.com/2017/12/18/bell-v-280-valor-next-generation-tilt-rotor-aircraft- prototype-has-just-made-its-first-flight/#kVc1lCXLe7L3tHBr.99 Back to Top What was that 'plane' white aircraft doing at the airport? Aircraft bearing 00-9001 tail and no other distinct markings seen at the Tallinn Airport in Estonia. (Anna Zvereva, Wikimedia Commons) JACKSON HOLE, WYO - A mysterious-looking plane parked in the private jet tarmac section of the Jackson Hole Airport over the weekend raised suspicion from a few studious and/or conspiracy theorist types. The plane was a repurposed Being 757 in plain white wrapper design with no markings other than a tail number marked "00-9001." Internet research indicates the plane is likely one of only a handful (some sources claim the only) that is owned and operated by the US government. Similar aircraft, painted in an all-white color scheme with little to no markings (some have also a US flag emblem) have been sighted at various airports around the globe. They bear consistent tail numbers that are never tracked by public software like FlightAware. Most reports indicate these aircraft are often referred to as converted 757-23A, or a version of Boing's C-32B, usually wearing what may or may not be US Air Force tail numbers or serial numbers. The non-descript design is intentionally low profile so as not to stand out when the plane travels to various countries with less-than-favorable attitudes toward the USA. The aircraft is has been attributed to the 486th Flight Test Squadron, known to be associated with Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. It is thought to be operated by Special Ops groups within the State Department, Central Intelligence Agency, or Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). The aircraft has been used to fly officials of various government agencies around the globe, providing worldwide dedicated rapid response airlift for the Department of Defense. It is reportedly on call 24 hours a day for emergency response. It was last spotted, photographed, and documented on the Internet at Tallinn Airport in Estonia on September 1, 2017. Airport director Jim Elwood said the aircraft spotted in Jackson Hole was here conducting high altitude training. https://buckrail.com/plane-white-aircraft-airport/ Back to Top World's largest aircraft aces taxi test in eastern Kern County The Stratolaunch aircraft, the largest airplane on Earth, taxied for the first time Saturday on a runway at Mojave Air and Space Port in eastern Kern County. During Saturday's taxi test, the Stratolaunch aircraft moved down the runway under its own power for the first time. This early test was intended to demonstrate the fundamental ability to control the aircraft speed and direction on the runway. Mojave-based Scaled Composites has been working with Stratolaunch for the past five years designing, building and testing the giant aircraft. Microsoft co-founder and founder of Stratolaunch Paul Allen financed the endeavor. Funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the Stratolaunch aircraft is 238 feet from nose to tail, and stands 50 feet tall from the ground to the top of the vertical tail. The Stratolaunch aircraft, the world's largest airplane, successfully completed a low speed taxi test at Mojave Air and Space Port in eastern Kern County on Saturday. Stratolaunch has not yet flown, but this artist's rendering shows how the world's largest airplane should look once it's airborne. Eastern Kern County-based Scaled Composites has successfully executed a low speed taxi test of the Stratolaunch aircraft, the company said Monday in a news release. For the first time, the aircraft traveled down the runway under its own power, utilizing all six Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines. The world's largest airplane was designed and built at Mojave Air and Space Port to develop an air launch platform to make access to space more convenient, reliable, and routine. Saturday's initial taxi test was intended to demonstrate the fundamental ability to control the aircraft speed and direction on the runway. Joe Sweat, project pilot, talked about what it's like to move the world's largest aircraft. "It was a lot less intimidating once we had it out there, in terms of how much runway we take up. From a visual standpoint, we had a lot more room than I was anticipating," he said. "Getting the airplane moving under its own power was really interesting - just seeing and feeling how the nose wheel steering reacts and how the brakes respond to the inputs." Scaled has been working with Stratolaunch for the past five years designing, building, and testing the giant aircraft. Microsoft co-founder and founder of Stratolaunch Paul Allen financed the endeavor. Scaled Composites is a specialty aerospace and composites development company offering design, build, and test capabilities. Founded by Burt Rutan in 1982 and located in Mojave, Scaled has averaged one first flight of a unique, new airplane per year. The taxi test was just one of many to come before the massive twin-fuselage bird takes flight. "Later taxi testing will include faster speeds and more challenging steering and braking tasks, all in preparation for first flight," Test Conductor Brandon Wood said in the release. "It was exciting to see this magnificent machine on the runway for the first time." The primary purpose of this activity was to test the aircraft's ability to steer and stop. The ground team monitored a number of systems, including steering, braking, anti-skid and telemetry. The company reported that all systems operated as anticipated. "This was another exciting milestone for our team and the program," said George Bugg, aircraft program manager for Stratolaunch Systems Corp. "Our crew was able to demonstrate ground directional control with nose gear steering, and our brake systems were exercised successfully on the runway. Our first low speed taxi test is a very important step toward first flight. We are all proud and excited." Since the first engine runs in September, the team has performed a series of engine tests from the newly established Stratolaunch Mission Control Center, located at its facility at the space port, Stratolaunch CEO Jean Floyd said in a separate release. Mission Control serves as the hub for testing communications and will eventually be the center of the company's aircraft and launch operations. Once they have safely completed low-speed taxi tests, they will begin the next phase of taxi testing which will include increased speeds. http://www.bakersfield.com/news/world-s-largest-aircraft-aces-taxi-test-in-eastern- kern/article_830fa9ea-e424-11e7-881b-1f28dc3df4df.html Back to Top Deer Jet Completes First Antarctic Flight Deer Jet G650 in Antarctica Following its first successful test flight to Antarctica, China's Deer Jet, will inaugurate its charter service to the frozen continent. With more private jet operators beginning to offer flights to Antarctica for the well heeled, adventurous types, Deer Jet announced it will become the first Chinese company to do so, capping off more than a year of planning with a successful demonstration flight by a Gulfstream G650 on December 16. The flight landed on the blue ice runway at Wolf's Fang Airport, the primary runway for the U.S. Antarctic Program during the summer Antarctic season due to its proximity to McMurdo Station. The missioninvolved the evaluating hundreds of risk tests, flight routes and flight support and emergency plans, according to the company. Following this first milestone direct flight, Deer Jet said it will offer charter service from China to Antarctica. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-12-18/deer-jet-completes-first- antarctic-flight Back to Top Japan's foreign minister wants US$68 million Gulfstream jet to compete with China's diplomatic clout Foreign minister and his staff travel on commercial flights, while the prime minister and members of the imperial family use government aircraft for overseas trips Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Tuesday he needs a better way to travel overseas to compete with China's diplomatic clout, including potentially the purchase of a dedicated jet. At present, the foreign minister and his staff travel on commercial flights, while the prime minister and members of the imperial family use government aircraft for overseas trips. Kono said that since early 2013, he and his predecessor Fumio Kishida have made only about a third of the number of overseas trips that Chinese counterpart Wang Yi has made during the same period. While noting that Wang is free from the parliamentary obligations demanded of a Japanese foreign minister, Kono said the government "needs to think carefully about how to close that gap". "Having to use commercial flights ... is quite a big handicap when thinking of Japan's national interest," Kono said. "We could buy a dedicated plane, rent or lease one, or borrow private-sector business jets when not in use; there are various different options to consider," he said. On Monday, Kono had told a meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Foreign Affairs Division that costs for an aircraft could be included in the budget for fiscal 2019. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe uses government aircraft for overseas trips. Photo: AFP He said he would not mind a small or used aircraft, and suggested Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.'s G650ER due to its long range without needing to refuel despite its small passenger capacity. The jet's price tag is about US$68 million, according to Aviation Week. Kono returned to Japan on Sunday from a trip to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, France, Britain and the United States. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Pasay city, Metro Manila, Philippines. Photo: Reuters He has more broadly been pushing for more funding for the ministry, telling reporters Monday that he has nearly fully negotiated with Finance Minister Taro Aso a bigger allowance for diplomats' activities in the next financial year's budget. He said diplomats posted overseas are currently stretched too thinly to cover all areas of their work, adding that he has asked for their funding to be increased even at the expense of Japan's official development help budget. http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/2124908/japans-foreign-minister-wants-own- gulfstream-private-jet Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of aviation researchers, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (https://ral.ucar.edu/opportunity/halaby-fellowship). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2018 or early 2019) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at improving the integration of weather into decision support tools for enhanced mitigation of weather sensitivities (e.g., weather impact avoidance) and management of air traffic. The Fellowship will provide: * a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses * round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO * travel to a conference to present results * page charges for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: * Curriculum vitae * Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) * Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2018 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Back to Top The European Society of Air Safety Investigators (ESASI) is pleased to announce that REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the next ESASI seminar which will be held in Riga, Latvia on the 23rd and 24th May 2018. Further details regarding the 2018 seminar and previous seminars, can be found at - www.ESASI.eu ESASI still welcomes proposals for presentations to be given during the 2018 seminar. The presentations should last a maximum of 20 minutes with a further 5 minutes for questions. Presentations should address issues relating to air safety investigations; particular areas of interest are: * challenges faced by air safety investigators; * the environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in; * practical experience of applying investigation techniques; * new techniques to aid the investigation, and * topical case studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to Brian McDermid, by the 6th February 2018, at presentations@esasi.eu. The ESASI committee will select the presentations in late February 2018. Steve - ESASI Secretary Steve Hull IEng FRAeS FISASI Aviation Director & Head of Training Annapolis, MD USA || San Francisco, CA USA || London, UK || Panama City, Panama RTI 34 Lime Street London EC3M 7AT Tel: +44 (0) 20 7481 2150 Mobile: +44 (0) 07800 608933 Steve.hull@rtiforensics.com www.rtiforensics.com Curt Lewis