Flight Safety Information January 24, 2018 - No. 018 In This Issue Incident: Bondi B738 at Cordoba on Jan 22nd 2018, engine problem Incident: Finnair A321 near Helsinki on Jan 23rd 2018, first officer incapacitated Accident: Trans SH36 at Kapolei on Jan 20th 2018, gear up landing Incident: Iberia Express A321 at Palma Mallorca on Jan 23rd 2018, cabin pressure fault indication Finnish ATR 72-500 took off from Helsinki Airport with 3 snow removal vehicles on the runway U.S. exploration firm begins search for missing Malaysian jet using deep submersibles Hong Kong Airlines flight cleared for take-off while Cathay Pacific plane was crossing runway People still aiming lasers at MCAS Yuma military aircraft AIC RELEASES PRELIMINARY REPORT INTO FATAL AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT BETWEEN YALUMET AND SAIDOR GAP, MOROBE PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 23 DECEMBER 2017 PNG ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION COMMISSION MOVING AHEAD INTO 2018 NTSB report faults control system gaps in fatal 525 crash DGCA suspends licenses of two pilots for 'jeopardising' flight safety FAA proposes $70,000 fix for GE turboprop engines ANALYSIS: Tough 2017 for airline insurers despite few big payouts China teams up with U.S. firms to build aviation navigation database SunExpress to lease five Airbus A320 aircraft Hong Kong Airlines recruits cadet pilots, giving them the chance to reach for the skies Garuda Indonesia pilots demand management overhaul Google's $20 million race to the moon will end with no winner - and Google is OK with that GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April 2018 ACSF Symposium New HFACS workshops for 2018 Save the Date ISASI PNRC KICK-OFF EVENT FOR 2018 (Seattle) Call for Papers - ISASI 2018 Incident: Bondi B738 at Cordoba on Jan 22nd 2018, engine problem A Flybondi Boeing 737-800, registration LV-HKS performing promotional flight FO-2710 from Cordoba,CD to Cordoba,CD (Argentina), was in the initial climb out of Cordoba's runway 36 when the crew stopped the climb at about 5500 feet due to a right hand engine (CFM56) EGT overtemperature indication, reduced the engine to idle thrust and returned to Cordoba for a safe landing on runway 36 about 13 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft was on a test flight when a minor technical problem occurred prompting the crew to return to Cordoba prematurely. The aircraft attempted departure for another test flight on Jan 23rd 2018, however, needed to reject takeoff at high speed due to another engine EGT overtemperature indication. The airline is about to start regular service on Friday Jan 26th 2018. Passenger video also showing takeoff and landing (Video: emmanuelCBA): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4016a1&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Finnair A321 near Helsinki on Jan 23rd 2018, first officer incapacitated A Finnair Airbus A321-200, registration OH-LZP performing flight AY-617 from Helsinki to Ivalo (Finland) with 186 passengers, was enroute at FL370 about 130nm north of Helsinki when the first officer became ill prompting the captain to take control and return the aircraft to Helsinki, where the aircraft landed safely about one hour after departure and about 30 minutes after turning around. The first officer was taken to a hospital. The airline reported the first officer developed a medical condition, nothing serious, that was deemed prudent to return and pick up another first officer. A replacement first officer was called in from stand by. The aircraft departed again after about 80 minutes on the ground and reached Ivalo with a delay of 2:20 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4014be&opt=256 Back to Top Accident: Trans SH36 at Kapolei on Jan 20th 2018, gear up landing A Trans Air Shorts SD-360 freighter, registration N808TR performing flight MUI-2 from Honolulu,HI to Kapolei,HI (USA) with 2 crew, landed gear up on Kapolei's runway 04R. The FAA reported the aircraft N808TR landed gear up in Kapolei, but did not mention any further details. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/MUI2/history/20180120/2220Z/PHNL/PHJR http://avherald.com/h?article=4b400505&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Iberia Express A321 at Palma Mallorca on Jan 23rd 2018, cabin pressure fault indication An Iberia Express Airbus A321-200, registration EC-JLI performing flight I2-3913/IB-3913 from Palma Mallorca,SP to Madrid,SP (Spain), was in the initial climb out of Palma Mallorca's runway 24R when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet due to a fault indication for the cabin pressurization. The aircraft returned to Palma Mallorca for a safe landing on runway 24R about 25 minutes after departure. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b401927&opt=256 Back to Top Finnish ATR 72-500 took off from Helsinki Airport with 3 snow removal vehicles on the runway Date: 23-JAN-2018 Time: 09:35 LT Type: ATR 72-500 (72-212A) Owner/operator: NoRRA Nordic Regional Airlines Registration: OH-ATO C/n / msn: 977 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 64 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: None Category: Serious incident Location: Helsinki-Vantaa-Airport (HEL/EFHK) - Finland Phase: Take off Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Helsinki-Vantaa (HEL/EFHK), Finland Destination airport: Riga Airport (RIX/EVRA), Latvia Investigating agency: AIB Finland Narrative: NoRRA flight AY1071, an ATR 72-500 was involved in a serious runway incursion incident on takeoff from runway 22L at Helsinki-Vantaa-Airport, Finland. During the takeoff roll, two tractors and snow blowers were present on the runway. The flight became airborne and proceeded to the destination, Riga Airport, Latvia. Weather reported at the time of the incident: EFHK 230750Z 25004KT 9999 BKN043 M13/M15 Q1020 NOSIG EFHK 230720Z 23005KT 9999 BKN042 M14/M16 Q1019 NOSIG https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=204945 Back to Top U.S. exploration firm begins search for missing Malaysian jet using deep submersibles KUALA LUMPUR - A U.S. exploration firm has begun searching for Malaysia Airline flight MH370, which veered far off course and disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, the chief of Malaysia's aviation regulator said Tuesday. Ocean Infinity Ltd.'s 65-crew-member Seabed Constructor vessel commenced the search in the southern Indian Ocean by launching a number of autonomous underwater vehicles, or AUVs, early Monday, Department of Civil Aviation Director General Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said in a statement. The Malaysian government signed a "no cure, no fee" deal with Ocean Infinity on Jan. 10 wherein the deep-sea exploration firm would be only paid between $20 million and $70 million if it succeeds in locating the debris field or the flight data and cockpit voice recorder within 90 days. The vessel will scour a new search area of 25,000 sq. km that was mapped by the Australian-based Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization earlier. Azharuddin said the latest mission involves 65 crew, including two personnel from the Malaysian navy. According to Ocean Infinity, the vessel carries eight AUVs equipped with side scan sonar and other high-technology gadgets and capable of operating in waters up to 6,000 meters deep. The submersibles can cover 1,200 sq. km a day and the entire 25,000 sq. km area within three to four weeks. The Boeing 777 vanished from radar less than 40 minutes after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport just after midnight on March 8, 2014, heading to Beijing with 239 people on board. Over two-thirds of the passengers were Chinese. Based on radar and satellite communications, the plane was calculated to have plunged into the southern Indian Ocean, sparking a massive hunt led by Australia. After nearly three years of combing 120,000 sq. km in one of the world's toughest maritime terrains without success, the Malaysian, Chinese and Australian governments in January last year decided to suspend the search until "credible new information" becomes available. The decision was made despite CSIRO putting forward a potential final resting place for the plane within a 25,000 square km in 2016. CSIRO had made the calculation based on the drift patterns of the flaperon, the first debris belonging to the ill-fated flight that was found in 2015 in Reunion Island, a French territory some 500 km east of Madagascar. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/24/business/u-s-exploration-firm-begins-search- missing-malaysian-jet-using-deep-submersibles/#.WmhNoq6nGUk Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines flight cleared for take-off while Cathay Pacific plane was crossing runway Report on incident shows air traffic controllers ordered passenger jet to abort take-off soon after; an investigation is under way to determine details Controllers cleared a Hong Kong Airlines flight for take-off 30 seconds after allowing another plane to cross the same runway, then ordered it to abort, a report on last month's near collision at Hong Kong International Airport stated. The preliminary findings of an ongoing investigation involving a Hong Kong Airlines passenger jet and a Cathay Pacific cargo carrier were published in the Civil Aviation Department's serious incident bulletin on Tuesday. According to the report, the Hong Kong Airlines A330 aircraft was awaiting take-off behind a departing aircraft at runway 07R at 1.05pm on December 23. About 15 seconds later, a Cathay Pacific Airways B747 cargo plane that had just landed from Alaska on the same runway told aircraft controllers that it was approaching the taxiway J11 holding point, which was located at the departure end of the runway. The controller instructed the cargo plane to hold at the taxiway as another aircraft was departing from the runway but gave it clearance to cross a minute later at 1.06pm. The instruction was read back by the Cathay pilots. Two jets collide: panicked passengers watch in horror as aircraft wing bursts into flames at Toronto airport About 30 seconds later, the controller cleared the Hong Kong Airlines flight for take-off, only to be told by Cathay's pilots that their aircraft was still crossing the runway. The controller immediately ordered the Hong Kong Airlines aircraft to abort take-off and vacate the runway, while the Cathay plane made its way across the runway and taxiway to the cargo apron. The Hong Kong Airlines flight took off and departed "uneventfully" seven minutes later. No one was injured and no aircraft were damaged, the report said. "The investigation team conducted interviews with the flight crew of both aircraft and the relevant air traffic control personnel," the report read. Aircraft flight documents, maintenance records, flight data, ATC radar and weather information were also collected for investigation purposes. Pilots forced to brake on runway at Hong Kong airport to avoid collision with cargo plane "The investigation team will continue to collect and study all relevant information in order to determine the circumstances and cause of the serious incident. More in-depth investigation and analysis have to be conducted before any conclusion can be drawn," a department spokesperson said separately. In the report, the department said it had initiated a review and issued instructions to remind all air monitoring controllers (AMC) of the enhanced runway safety procedures in place at the airport. "To raise the situation awareness of all parties on the same radio frequency, AMC shall pass crossing traffic information to departing aircraft which have lined up on the runway awaiting take- off clearance," the report read. In September, flight HX236 to Shanghai, also an A333, had to terminate take-off when its pilots noticed that Air Cargo Global flight CW831, a B744, was crossing the same runway. The two planes were 1km apart when that incident happened. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2130294/hong-kong-airlines-flight- cleared-take-while-cathay-pacific Back to Top People still aiming lasers at MCAS Yuma military aircraft * Base reminds public doing so is a crime * Lasers cause warning at MCAS Yuma YUMA, Ariz. - Marine Corps Air Station Yuma aviators have been experiencing incidents involving lasers being aimed at their aircraft during approaches to the air station. As recent as January 19, 2018, pilots conducting landings experienced incidents involving green lasers being aimed at their aircraft. This incident is the fourth reported incident experienced by MCAS Yuma pilots since the beginning of the year. Other incidents occurred on 9, 12, and 17 January, 2018. A laser, when aimed at an aircraft, can create a visual distraction or even damage to the pilot's eyes. There is potential for aircraft mishaps to occur resulting in loss of life. Pointing lasers at aircraft is illegal under both national and state laws. U.S. FDA/CDRH: 21 CFR 1040.10/11 covers laser products and three uses of lasers. U.S.C. Title 18, Chapter 2, Sec. 39A. Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, provides language stating the penalties associated with pointing lasers at aircraft. Those in violation can serve up to 5 years in prison and/or be required to pay up to a $250,000 fine. The state of Arizona has a law prohibiting aiming a laser pointer at a peace officer or an occupied aircraft; Arizona revised Statutes, Title 13 Criminal Code. Safety is of the utmost importance. It is strongly advised not to point lasers at passing aircraft and to report violations to the local authorities. http://www.kyma.com/news/people-still-aiming-lasers-at-mcas-yuma-military-aircraft/689927749 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top NTSB report faults control system gaps in fatal 525 crash A Bell Helicopter 525 test aircraft crashed, killing two flight test pilots, 18 months ago after a series of system design flaws in the fly-by-wire helicopter aggravated severe vibrations caused by the crew's unusually slow recovery from a test using a low rotor speed, the US National Transportation Safety Board says in a final investigation report released on 17 January. As the vibrations worsened, with vertical oscillations up 3g's up to six times a second, the main rotor blades slowed even more, then started flapping until one blade sliced through the tail boom and ripped the helicopter apart, the NTSB report says. Lessons from the fatal crash already prompted Bell to make several changes to the 525 Relentless helicopter's flight control systems, including the biomechanical feedback filters for the collective and the attitude and heading reference system (AHRS). The 525 test fleet returned to flight last July after a one-year hiatus. "These enhancements are being carefully tested to ensure that our corrective actions have fully addressed the unique problem encountered on July 6, 2016," Bell says in response to the NTSB report on 17 January. The aircraft crashed within 30s after the flight test crew began the last in a series of simulated one- engine inoperative tests. Each test measured how the aircraft performed at progressively higher speeds with one engine shut down and a forward centre of gravity. The final test was set up to examine the 525 at 180kt, the twin-engined helicopter's fastest speed in level fleet. The test was designed to have the crew pull up on the collective to reduce the rotation speed of the main rotor with a simulated engine failure, then quickly recover to full rotor speed. For a reason still not fully understood, the test pilot flying the aircraft returned to about 92% of the main rotor's maximum speed and remained there for several seconds. The US Federal Aviation Administration does not require a test aircraft to carry a cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, so the NTSB was unable to determine why the crew did not recover the rotor speed to 100% as planned. In any event, the extended flight operations at 92% main rotor speed caused a sequence of events that exposed unforeseen gaps in the flight control systems, the NTSB report says. First, the main rotor blade entered into a "scissors mode", with the lead and lagging blades on either side converging. That effect created a severe vibration that was felt all over the aircraft. In the cockpit, the vibration forced the pilot to inadvertently push on the collective, which, in turn, increased the severity of the vibrations in what engineers called a "biomechanical feedback loop", the NTSB report says. Bell designed the 525 with a system that dampens such a closed-loop effect on inputs into the cyclic control, the NTSB says. The test aircraft's collective, however, lacked the same software filter, so the vibration level continued to rise, prompting the pilot involuntarily to push on the collective harder, further increasing the vibration, according to the NTSB. Bell also designed the AHRS to dampen vibrations by sending commands to the swashplate. But the NTSB investigation found that Bell's flight control design had not anticipated severe oscillations up to six times each second. Instead of dampening the rotor vibrations, the AHRS sent command signals to the swashplate that worsened the vibrations, the NTSB says. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ntsb-report-faults-control-system-gaps-in-fatal-525- 444981/ Back to Top DGCA suspends licenses of two pilots for 'jeopardising' flight safety * DGCA suspends flying licence of 2 Jet Airways pilots for 5 yrs The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the flying licences of two pilots formerly employed with Jet Airways for indulging in a fight on-board a London-Mumbai flight. The civil aviation regulator's action to suspend the licences for five years comes after Jet Airways terminated their services on January 9. A male co-pilot had alleged slapped his female commander inside the cockpit of the aircraft ferrying 324 passengers, including two infants and 14 crew. The woman pilot went out of the cockpit and was not willing to re-enter despite pleas by the cabin crew. The co-pilot also left the cockpit unmanned and the aircraft on autopilot mode. India's civil aviation regulations require the cockpit to be manned at all times during the flight. Subsequently, the incident was reported to the aviation regulator and a probe was initiated. "In a flight of Jet Airways 9W-119 from London-Mumbai operated with B777 aircraft on January 1, the commander came out of cockpit about one hour before touchdown, complaining of physical harassment by the co-pilot," a senior DGCA official said on Tuesday. "Soon after the co-pilot also came out, leaving the cockpit unattended and thereby jeopardising the safety of aircraft. The DGCA investigated the occurrence. Keeping in view serious safety lapses that endangered aircraft operations, the DGCA suspended the licences of both pilots for five years." On January 4, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju informed the Lok Sabha that a probe has been initiated and said action will be taken according to regulations and that "no one will be spared". http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/dgca-suspends-licenses-of-two-pilots-for- jeopardising-flight-safety-118012301614_1.html Back to Top FAA proposes $70,000 fix for GE turboprop engines Operators of turboprop engines made by GE Aviation must make a nearly $70,000 modification to fix a design flaw that could cause an uncontained failure, the US Federal Aviation Administration says. A notice of proposed rulemaking entering the Federal Register on 24 January will require operators of the GE M601, H70, H75, H80 and H85 turboprop engines to modify the engine outlet system. GE Aviation's Czech turboprop engines recommended the modifications in a series of service bulletins released last June. Nine M601 engines originally manufactured by Walter Aircraft Engines have experienced over-speed events in the power turbine since 2005, according to GE, which acquired the Prague-based Walter in 2008. Three of the nine engines experienced a low-energy uncontained failure of power turbine blades, GE adds. GE introduced the H-series of turboprop engines as modernised versions of the M601, but the H- series engines share a similar design of parts that could cause an over-speed event in the power turbine, GE says. The issue involves a coupling where a quill joint is connected with the power turbine's shaft spline joint. If a new quill component is connected to an old shaft spline, or vice versa, a misalignment can lead to premature wear that causes a failure, GE says. A support cone with an uneven cooling profile also can have the same result in the engine, the company adds. So GE issued a service bulletin that advises operators to make four changes. The engines should be modified with a wider and strong containment wing, a new support cone with a better shape and cooling system, a new insulation cone with improved thermal properties and a better quill shaft split lubrication system. https://dashboard.flightglobal.com/app/#/articles/445137?context=newsstream Back to Top ANALYSIS: Tough 2017 for airline insurers despite few big payouts In 2017 there were no commercial aviation "catastrophes" for the insurance market to handle. No individual airline all-risk incident - damage or loss, whatever the cause - exceeded $50 million in cost of claims. Only five all-risk losses in 2017 are believed to have individually exceeded $25 million. Nevertheless, it was not a good year for aviation insurers. The continuing erosion in premium income may have stopped at last, but overall, rates were still falling. Known incurred claims, together with the estimated cost of so-called "attritional" losses, are believed to have accounted for the whole of the net premium income for the year. Flight Ascend Consultancy currently estimates that the cost of incurred airline hull and legal liability claims for 2017 was about $1.15 billion. This is some $400 million less than the estimated cost of claims in 2016 and $600 million less than that in 2015. The amount of premium written in an underwriting year and the cost of claims incurred in a calendar year are not directly comparable because the inception of most airline policies occurs during the last quarter of the year. Nevertheless, the cost of claims in 2017 was equal to the estimated $1.15 billion of premium written during the calendar year - significant, because that made it the fifth year running where those costs have equalled or exceeded premiums. Since 2013, insurers are believed to have paid out $1.2 billion more than they have received in premiums from airlines. The written premium in 2016 and 2017 was lower than in any year since 1999. Generally - and there are always exceptions - it is understood that during 2017, airline programmes with high limits but a largely clean record have been renewing "as before"; so, with the expected growth in exposure (hull values, number of passengers carried and so on), effectively rates have decreased. There is relatively less market capacity to insure these large airlines, so less competition means fewer opportunities to get the price down. Airline programmes with relatively low limits that have "gone clean" probably saw small reductions in premiums as a result of increased competition between insurers to write this business. These reductions were, however, believed to be 10% at most, rather than the 25% reductions seen in previous years. Programmes that had a poor loss record, meanwhile - mainly a high level of attritional, dollar swap losses, as there have not been any large losses - saw small increases in the year. A number of insurers and brokers saw a further tightening in the market during the December renewal season, with the margin between lead terms and the following market narrowing, but questioned whether this would continue into 2018. As a result, they say senior management is taking more interest in the performance of the aviation book. Flight Ascend Consultancy Increased returns in other classes of insurance may see some capital moving out of aviation, but the sector is a small class of business, so this could make little difference to the market's capacity to write airline business and boost prices. Capital providers are exposed to catastrophes in supporting aviation insurance. For instance, Lloyd's Realistic Disaster Scenario 18 - "a collision of two aircraft over a major city" - assumes a $4 billion total liability loss. In July 2017, an event where a landing aircraft nearly collided with a number of others waiting to take off at San Francisco, might, in slightly different circumstances, have resulted in a catastrophic loss. However, this exposure to catastrophe does not yet seem to have caused a real reduction in money available to the aviation insurance market. Catastrophes and other headline-grabbing accidents are fortunately now rare, but the steady rain of minor or attritional losses - slips and falls, scalds from hot coffee, lost luggage and so on - continues. In many years, globally, they are now thought to account for more than 50% of the total cost of incurred losses. For some airlines these minor losses may actually account for most, if not all, of the premium they pay insurers. RECOVERING COST There is perhaps a risk that these small liability losses are so commonplace and seem so small in comparison with the occasional major loss that an airline considers them simply as part of the cost of operations. After all, the insurance pays for them. Insurers tend, however, to consider these as "dollar swap losses" and, if possible, will seek to recover 100% of their cost from the premium going forward. Insurance is fundamentally for the occasional large loss, which would be difficult or impossible to self-insure against - a loss that might badly damage or destroy a company's balance sheet. Insurance is not meant for everyday costs. It might well be in an airline's best interest to seek ways to reduce the number of events that give rise to attritional losses, not only from the point of view of maintaining good customer relations, but also by potentially reducing its cost of insurance. If an airline can markedly reduce the aggregate cost of its small attritional losses and sustain this over an extended period, this might well be reflected in its insurance premium. One underwriter has pointed out that airlines can do a lot to help reduce attritional losses through training and increased awareness of risk, but if the airline's insurance manager reports only to the financial director and there is no interaction with other senior management and/or the "safety team", this advantage will not be realised. In summary, 2017 saw the bottoming out of premiums. However, because of growth in exposure, rates have generally continued to fall. Premiums could not continue to fall indefinitely but, unless there is a change in external conditions or some other shock that causes a withdrawal of capacity from aviation as an insurance class, the current situation might increasingly be considered the new normal. https://dashboard.flightglobal.com/app/#/articles/444683?context=newsstream Back to Top China teams up with U.S. firms to build aviation navigation database BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's top aviation regulator partnered with U.S. companies Wednesday to develop the country's aviation navigation database. The air traffic management bureau with the Civil Aviation Administration of China inked a cooperation agreement with U.S. aviation solutions provider Jeppesen and industrial giant Honeywell to make a sound database for aviation navigation. China is home to 235 civil airports, but only 66 of them can have their data coded into the aviation navigation database, posing risks to flight safety, according to Che Jinjun, head of the air traffic management bureau. Navigation for aircrafts is more demanding than other transport vehicles in terms of data precision and timeliness. China has been addressing an incomplete aviation navigation database for several years and the partnership will help offer new solutions, according to Che. Over 5.1 million flight were made last year, up 9.48 percent year-on-year, while flight punctuality rate fell by 5.09 percent year-on-year to 71.67 percent in 2017, official data showed. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/24/c_136921113.htm Back to Top SunExpress to lease five Airbus A320 aircraft SunExpress has said it has signed a wet-lease agreement with Lithuanian Airline Company Avion Express for five Airbus A320 aircraft. In a statement on Jan. 23, the company said the leased aircraft would be deployed to SunExpress Antalya. According to the ACMI agreement (providing the aircraft, complete crew, maintenance and insurance), five Airbus A320 aircraft will be flying for SunExpress from Antalya in the summer of 2018. SunExpress, carrying the largest number of tourists to Mediterranean and Aegean regions with scheduled flights, has one of Europe's youngest and modern fleets with its 61 Boeing 737-800 and seven Airbus A330 (Eurowings) aircraft, according to data from the statement. SunExpress was founded in Antalya in 1989 as a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/sunexpress-to-lease-five-airbus-a320-aircraft-126172 Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines recruits cadet pilots, giving them the chance to reach for the skies For those seeking a career in the skies, there is now a great opportunity for them to pursue their dreams. Hong Kong Airlines started its second recruitment drive, which will last until February 15, to recruit a new batch of highly motivated locals to join the Cadet Pilot Programme. The recruitment is driven partly in response to the airline's high growth rate. Hong Kong Airlines served a record seven million passengers in 2017, which represents a 10 per cent rise year on year, exceeding the industry average of 7.5 per cent. As such, the airline has been investing heavily in new products, services and infrastructure to help cater for growing demand. "Hong Kong Airlines is currently undergoing a period of unprecedented growth and we are constantly seeking new talents," says Tang King-shing, vice-chairman of Hong Kong Airlines. "Our recruitment for new pilots has seen a double-digit jump over the past two years and we are committed in our pursuit to help spur growth in the industry." Last year, the company invested HK$16 million into rolling out its first ever Cadet Pilot Programme, targeting young people with Hong Kong permanent residency status in its pursuit to develop home- grown talent. Hong Kong Airlines' Cadet Pilot Programme attracted over 4,000 applications for its 10 cadets and they started their training last November. As part of the programme, cadets undergo 70 weeks of flight training, including ground school training and multi-crew co-operation training using a medium jet stimulator. Upon completion, the cadets return to Hong Kong for another three months of training, and the successful cadets will then receive an official appointment as Second Officers in Hong Kong Airlines. "This is such a rare opportunity in Hong Kong, because the chance of getting onto any pilot training programme here in the city is small," says Wong Kai Hung, who was chosen to join the cadet programme last year. The 25-year-old, who was working in banking industry, decided to apply because he had always dreamed of becoming a pilot. "I thought that the cadet programme would only take people with aviation background knowledge, but that wasn't so. The most important thing is having passion and a genuine interest," he says. Applicants must be Hong Kong permanent residents, at least 18 years old, and have completed a secondary education with good passes in maths and sciences or a diploma or degree in any discipline. They should also have obtained the IELTS 5.5 or above, or equivalent and be physically fit for the HKCAD class-one medical certificate. Candidates come from all walks of life, and last year's intake had applicants with background in banking, construction, and from within the aviation industry itself. Yuen Yan Chi had been a flight stewardess for six years and felt ready to further her career in aviation. The 28-year-old applied for the programme because of her love and passion for all things to do with aeroplanes. She was thrilled when she was one of 10 cadets chosen for the programme. "I am so excited to be going from the back of the plane to the cockpit," she says. Yuen was one of the oldest cadets on the programme, but she says it worked to her advantage as she was a bit more mature and knew what she wanted to get out of a career in aviation. Tang says the airline is especially keen to provide this opportunity to locals as the proportion of local pilots is small compared to those from overseas. "With the third runway expected to be completed in the coming years, we will be growing from thirty-odd planes to a fleet of more than fifty in the next two years. Of the 550 pilots that we have, only 45 of them are locals, that is only about 8 per cent, so we hope we can provide an opportunity for locals to build a career in aviation," he says. Join us in an exciting career as a cadet pilot! Requirements * Hong Kong Permanent Resident * At Least 18 years old * Have completed secondary education with good passes in maths and science; or a degree/diploma in any discipline * Obtained the IELTS 5.5 or above, or equivalent * Physically fit and quality for HKCAD class one medical certificate How to Apply: Interested candidates can apply through: http://www.hongkongairlines.com/en_HK/CadetPilotProgramme cadet.pilot@hkairlines.com Application deadline:15 February 2018 http://www.scmp.com/presented/news/hong-kong/topics/hong-kong-airlines-recruits-cadet- pilots/article/2130217/hong-kong Back to Top Garuda Indonesia pilots demand management overhaul * Flag carrier reveals new profit target in effort to shrug off labor issues * Garuda Indonesia is cutting back on premium offerings that have defined its image in recent years. JAKARTA -- Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia on Tuesday said it was targeting $8.7 million in net income this year, in an attempt to shrug off concerns over internal problems after pilots called for an overhaul of its management. The state-owned airline has yet to report its full-year 2017 results, but booked a $222 million net loss for the January-September period. According to internal sources, questionable management decisions have helped deepen the losses. In one account, several flights were delayed during the peak year-end holiday season due to a system upgrade. Aggressive cost-cutting measures have also been largely unpopular within the company. The pilots' union issued a statement on Tuesday demanding a reduction in the number of directors, from nine to six, as well as the appointment of directors that are "professional" and "come from within Garuda Indonesia". Its current President Pahala Mansury, formerly a finance and treasury director at state lender Bank Mandiri, was among a string of executives who were appointed last year from outside the industry. In Indonesia, state-owned companies are controlled by the ministry of state-owned enterprises. Even though some, including Garuda, are publicly-listed, the ministry has the exclusive right to appoint board members and approve strategic decisions such as acquisitions. The union said that an efficiency program carried out by the new management "tends to be very sporadic," resulting in cost-cutting measures that are "disturbing operational activities" and leading to flight delays and cancellations. Garuda attempted to curb the damage by holding a press briefing shortly after the union's statement was issued. "In 2018 we predict that there will be significant improvement in the company's performance," said Helmi Imam Satriyono, Garuda's director of finance and risk management. The airline has claimed that most of the losses in the first nine months of last year can be attributed to a penalty payment related to the government's tax amnesty program. Garuda said it was targeting $4.98 billion in revenue for 2018, and a 9-10% year-on-year increase in passenger volume. Satriyono added that Garuda "will open new flight routes and increase business in the cargo sector." The airline recently said it planned to open new routes from Denpasar in Bali to China's Zhengzhou and Xi'an. But with rising oil prices and recent volcanic eruptions in Bali, Indonesia's top tourist destination, Garuda's recovery is anything but certain. Steeper restructuring measures like layoffs will likely cause more turmoil. Garuda is one of the smallest airlines in Asia by market capitalization, which stands at just 8.3 trillion rupiah ($664 million). Its stock price gained 1.3% on Tuesday, closing at 318 rupiah. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Garuda-Indonesia-pilots-demand-management- overhaul Back to Top Google's $20 million race to the moon will end with no winner - and Google is OK with that * Google does not plan to extend the $20 million Lunar Xprize beyond its March deadline. * The four teams racing to win the prize are either short of money or unable to launch this year, sources familiar with the situation tell CNBC. * But a market for lunar exploration and mining unthinkable a decade ago now exists. A rendering of Moon Express' Lunar Scout landing on the moon More than ten years after it was announced - and extended over and over - the Google-sponsored race to win $20 million by landing on the moon will end with no winners. The four teams racing to win the Google Lunar Xprize, which requires a company to land a spacecraft on the moon by March 31, are either short of money or unable to launch this year, three people familiar with the matter told CNBC. Meanwhile, Google - which extended the deadline from 2014 to 2015 and then eventually to 2018 - is not willing to push out the date further. "Google does not have plans at this time to extend the deadline again, however we are so thrilled with the progress made by these teams over the last ten years," a Google spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. The Xprize Foundation, the independent organization overseeing the contest, declined CNBC's requests for comment. The commercial space industry has written off the Lunar Xprize as improbable, and not worth pursuing, according to sources. While the competition's era may be coming to a close, the "New Space" industry is only just beginning. A market exists in a way that it did not 10 years ago, and predictions of it ballooning into a multi-trillion dollar economy are increasing. Lunar Xprize spurred the creation of numerous companies, which made steps that were thought impossible before. The teams competing to the end Four teams around the world have been racing to complete spacecrafts capable of landing on and exploring the moon's surface. However, none are close enough to launch for Google to justify extending the deadline. Team SpaceIL is short on funding and the other three - Moon Express, TeamIndus and Synergy Moon - will not be ready to launch this year. SpaceIL. "We'll be ready to launch somewhere in 2018," SpaceIL CEO Eran Privman told CNBC. "But we would definitely like it to move back. No one will be able to launch by the end of March." The Israeli nonprofit needed to raise $7.5 million by the end of 2017 to pay for its launch contract, building and testing of its lunar craft, as well as payments for its engineers and partners. SpaceIL said that if it did not raise the funding, it will forfeit the launch contract it currently has, causing the team to drop out of the competition. "Give us another few months - until the end of 2018," Privman said of the Lunar Xprize deadline. SpaceIL did not respond to multiple CNBC requests for comment after the fundraising deadline passed. TeamIndus. The next closest competitor to SpaceIL is TeamIndus, according to two people familiar with the matter. TeamIndus entered into an agreement in December 2016 with Japanese Team Hakuto to launch both team's rovers aboard an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) rocket. However, on January 11, Team Hakuto announced that TeamIndus had not been able to agree with ISRO on a launch date to send the rovers to the moon. "It is now deemed difficult to launch [the rovers] before the race deadline of March 31," Hakuto said in a statement. Team Hakuto was originally a separate effort from Japanese start-up ispace. A Hakuto spokesperson confirmed to CNBC the team's rover arrived at the TeamIndus facility on Dec. 19, for pre-launch inspections. TeamIndus declined CNBC's request for comment. Moon Express is "still hoping to launch the lander next year," but has said that the competition is not the company's main priority. The company has won more than $600,000 under NASA's Innovative Lunar Demonstration Data Program, and $1.25 million as a part of previous milestones of the Lunar Xprize. The company has an existing five-launch contract with Rocket Lab, which completed the second test of its Electron vehicle on Saturday. The rocket reached orbit for the first time, deploying a payload of micro-satellites. However, a person familiar with the Electron rocket said the Moon Express lander is too heavy for the Electron rocket, making it physically impossible to put the spacecraft into an orbit capable of reaching the moon. Moon Express declined CNBC's request for comment, instead pointing to a recent Space News op-ed by CEO Bob Richards titled "applauding the Google Lunar Xprize." Synergy Moon has a launch agreement with Interorbital Systems to use a Neptune 8 rocket, which the latter company has not yet built or tested. The Interorbital rocket currently undergoing testing is a sounding rocket - meaning it cannot even reach Earth orbit, much less making it to the moon. Synergy Moon did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Success without a winner While the $20 million grand prize will go unclaimed, those familiar with the Lunar Xprize and the teams involved were still positive about what was accomplished. Over $6 million in milestone prizes were awarded to teams over the past few years, as competitors demonstrated various concepts and capabilities. Teams demonstrated hardware and software capable of landing, moving around and capturing images on the moon. These showed what is possible with next generation technology, developed at a fraction of the cost of previous government missions. Google has struggled to figure out what to do with the Lunar Xprize, said a source with knowledge of the company's relationship with Xprize. The relationship started with noble intentions. Back in 2007, when Xprize founder Dr. Peter Diamandis was looking for other backers, he overheard a conversation by Google co-founder Sergey Brin about space. Diamandis then convinced several Google executives to back the prize. Google came on board, but Brin never undertook it as a personal project and the technology giant largely stayed out of the competition's operations. The program essentially fell between departments and, on a Google scale, it was a small venture to fund. When it was clear no team would be ready for the original 2014 deadline, the Foundation convinced Google to extend it to 2015. According to the Foundation, the Lunar Xprize was then extended two more times: to the end of 2017 and finally to March 2018. Additionally, a few years after the prize's announcement, water was discovered in mass amounts on the moon's surface. Mining in space is a moonshot which may quickly become both doable and profitable, and commercial companies are now building spacecraft to recover water for use as fuel. They have tens of millions in backing to do so. Success, for the ventures in the competition, was reaching the moon's surface - winning the prize would have been just a bonus. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/22/google-will-not-extend-lunar-xprize-deadline.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Ph.D. Research Survey Request - Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card Research Title: General Aviation Pilot Acceptance and Adoption of Electronic Flight Bag Technology Researcher: Troy Techau If you are you a pilot and have flown in general aviation (14 CFR § 91) in the past year, you can fill out a survey and get a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card. I'm Troy Techau, a Ph.D. Candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the title of my research is General Aviation Pilot Acceptance and Adoption of Electronic Flight Bag Technology. Why do some general aviation pilots choose to use electronic flight bags (EFBs), and others choose not to use EFBs during their flight operations? I'm interested in the opinions of pilots that use EFBs as well as those pilots that do not use EFBs. As an incentive for completing the survey, you'll have the option of entering a drawing to win a $100 Amazon gift card. The survey is anonymous, and should take at most 15-20 minutes. Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/efb4 to get started! Questions? Contact me at techaut@my.erau.edu, or Dr. Steven Hampton at hamptons@erau.edu. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Attention pilots, I am currently a human factors graduate student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University conducting a study into the effects of voice gender on pilot perceptual processes as part of my thesis research. The study is aimed at further investigating how speaker voice gender can affect an individual's perception while task saturated, specifically how different air traffic controller voice genders can affect the time it takes a pilot to perceive their instructions. All potential participants should hold no more than a private pilot certificate, be non-professional pilots, have no prior military flight experience, and be at least 18 years of age. This study requires a 30-minute in-person data collection trial to be conducted at the San Carlos Airport (SQL) in San Carlos, CA, located in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.bit.ly/2FKfORA, or email Tucker Lambert at lambert5@my.erau.edu Thank you, again. Your help is greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Tucker Lambert (650) 200-8426 Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 I am a student with City University in London doing my MSc in Air Transport Management and conducting a survey for academic research on the Importance of Pilot Mental Health and Peer Support Group and would be grateful if you could complete the survey below: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/B3HGHVV Thank you in advance! Bilal Farid Back to Top ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April Applications for the 2018 ISASI Rudolph Kapustin Memorial Scholarship must be submitted on or before April 15, 2018, says ISASI Secretary Chad Balentine, who serves as Scholarship Committee Chairman. Balentine noted that this worthy program is designed to encourage and assist college-level students interested in the field of aviation safety and aircraft occurrence investigation. ISASI funds the Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship through donations and will provide an annual allocation of funds for the scholarship if funds are available. Applicants must be enrolled as full time students in an ISASI recognized education program, which includes courses in aircraft engineering and/or operations, aviation psychology, aviation safety and/or aircraft occurrence investigation, etc. Applicants must have major or minor subjects that focus on aviation safety/investigation. A student who has received the annual ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship will not be eligible to apply for it again. Students who wish to apply should go to http://isasi.org/Documents/Forms/ISASI%20Rudolf%20Kapustin%20Memorial%20Scholarship%20Form%20Jan%2010%202018%200923.pdf for guidelines and the application form. Chad Balentine ISASI International Secretary Kapustin Scholarship Selection Committee Chairman email: chad.balentine@isasi.org Phone: 703.689.4225 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top ISASI PNRC KICK-OFF EVENT FOR 2018 (Seattle) To All PNRC Members: First, allow me to introduce myself, John Purvis, as the newly acting President of PNRC. I was asked to take over the reins as President, when Anna Bernhardt took a position with IATA in Montreal. The other Officers remain in place. Invitation to Attend Museum of Flight Event Following are details of an excellent opportunity to be a part of what should be an interesting panel discussion, "Safety by Design", at the Museum of Flight on Saturday, 10 February at 1:00 p.m. This event will coincide with the opening of the new J. Kenneth Higgins Aviation Safety Exhibit at the Museum. PNRC members who plan to attend will gather in the Museum's Wings Cafe at 11:30 a.m. on February 10th for lunch, social time and discussing possible PNRC program plans for 2018. Your PNRC Officers are looking for your feedback on what you might like to see by way of future efforts to expand our programs and membership. If you're able to attend Some of you may be members of the Museum of Flight - but for those who are not, the normal Museum admission fee for the February 10th event directly supports the valuable work of that great organization. The fee will allow attendance at the panel discussion, along with the other interesting events that day. But the most important event is, of course, the opening of the Museum's newest exhibit, the J. Kenneth Higgins Aviation Safety Exhibit, highlighting aviation safety and the "Safety by Design" panel discussion featuring some of the world's experts in the field. Note the panelists listed below. Following the panel, attendees will be offered small group tours of the safety kiosk and associated exhibits by a team of Museum docents. Remember . . . . Your admission allows you to visit the entire Museum that day. The Museum's new Aviation Pavilion is now open to showcase the collection's larger airplanes, such as Concorde, B-29, B-17, Boeing 247, the #3 787, the #1 727, 737 and 747, etc. Details from the Museum's website: The Museum will kick off the opening of its newest exhibit highlighting aviation safety with a panel discussion featuring some of the world's experts in the field. The new J. Kenneth Higgins Aviation Safety Exhibit is unique, laying out the many complex issues that have made commercial aviation by far the safest mode of transportation in the world. And it explains the many components of aviation safety by associating them with aircraft already on exhibit within the Museum. The panelists: * Accident investigation: John Purvis, Boeing Chief Investigator (ret) and Museum Trustee * Airspace and Operations: Captain Steve Fulton, airspace expert and Museum Trustee * Regulatory functions: Captain Thomas Imrich, FAA & Boeing test pilot (ret) * Flight Deck: Peter Morton, Boeing Flight Deck designer (ret) and Museum Trustee * Exhibit design: Cody Othoudt, Museum Exhibits principal for the Safety Exhibit o Moderator: Captain Steve Taylor, President Boeing Business Jets (ret) and Museum Trustee Following the panel, attendees will be offered small group tours of the safety kiosk and associated exhibits by a team of Museum docents. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 10th! Don't forget . . . lunch at the Wings Cafe at 11:30 a.m., with the "Safety By Design" panel discussion at 1:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please let us know. John Purvis President - ISASI Pacific Northwest Regional Chapter 206-244-5958 jwpurvis@earthlink.net Curt Lewis