Flight Safety Information January 30, 2018 - No. 022 In This Issue Incident: Indigo A20N at Kolkata on Jan 29th 2018, engine issue Incident: United A320 at Chicago on Jan 26th 2018, rejected takeoff, runway excursion Incident: Andes MD83 near Cordoba on Jan 27th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Auckland on Jan 17th 2018, tail scrape on departure 29-JAN-2018 - People's Liberation Army - Air Force - PLAAF Shaanxi Y-8GX-3 CFIT accident 'Experienced Pilot' Flies Under Overpass to Make Emergency Landing on 55 Fwy in Costa Mesa Success Is Enemy of Aviation Safety Taban 737 gear-collapse probe highlights poor discipline Shortage of 787 engines prompts Virgin Atlantic to add A330s Boeing Invests In Battery Developer For Electric Propulsion Qantas 787 Dreamliner takes off fuelled by mustard seed biofuel on Los Angeles- Melbourne flight Prescott's Dami Coker Is Arizona's Flight Instructor of the Year Unlocking Africa's potential via single air transport market GoJet Airlines Introduces Enhanced Compensation for Pilots Why the Air Force will get more enlisted drone pilots GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 ISASI Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Applications Due in April Position: Assistant/Associate Professor - Tenure Track Faculty - Aviation Technology Position: Manager, Safety Programs 2018 ACSF Symposium ICAEA Conference -- Language as a Factor in Aviation Safety Call for Papers - ISASI 2018 Incident: Indigo A20N at Kolkata on Jan 29th 2018, engine issue An Indigo Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-ITO performing flight 6E-6616 from Kolkata to Delhi (India) with 174 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Kolkata when tower advised the crew of smoke coming from the left hand engine (PW1127). The crew stopped the climb at 2000 feet and returned to Kolkata for a safe landing about 15 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration VT-INS reached Delhi with a delay of 3.5 hours. The airport reported air traffic control saw smoke from the left hand engine as the aircraft climbed out and alerted the crew. The airline reported the crew observed engine vibrations for the #2 engine (right hand) and returned to Kolkata. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b44392a&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: United A320 at Chicago on Jan 26th 2018, rejected takeoff, runway excursion A United Airbus A320-200, registration N414UA performing flight UA-228 from Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada), was accelerating for takeoff from Chicago's runway 28R when the crew rejected takeoff. The aircraft veered sharply off the runway, contacted taxiway lights and came to a stop with the nose gear off the runway. The FAA reported (erroneously merging tail and flight number to flight number 4214) the aircraft rejected "departure off the runway, veered sharply and struck taxiway lights." The aircraft sustained unknown damage, the occurrence was rated an incident. A replacement A320-200 registration N494UA reached Toronto with a delay of 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft resumed service about 8 hours after the rejected takeoff. METARs: KORD 262151Z 19022G30KT 10SM BKN060 BKN110 10/01 A2998 RMK AO2 PK WND 19033/2108 SLP157 T01000011= KORD 262051Z 18020G30KT 10SM BKN095 BKN110 10/01 A3000 RMK AO2 PK WND 19031/2014 SLP163 T01000011 56035= KORD 261951Z 18020G27KT 10SM BKN120 BKN250 09/00 A3003 RMK AO2 PK WND 18028/1909 SLP172 T00940000= KORD 261851Z 19018G25KT 10SM FEW100 SCT250 10/M01 A3007 RMK AO2 PK WND 20028/1837 SLP186 T01001006= KORD 261751Z 19018G25KT 10SM FEW110 FEW250 10/M01 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP199 T01001006 10100 20039 58023= KORD 261651Z 20018G26KT 10SM FEW150 FEW250 08/M01 A3014 RMK AO2 PK WND 22026/1641 SLP212 T00831006= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b443090&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Andes MD83 near Cordoba on Jan 27th 2018, engine shut down in flight An Andes Lineas Aereas McDonnell Douglas MD-83, registration LV-BEG performing charter flight OY-641 from Florianopolis,SC (Brazil) to Cordoba,CD (Argentina), was descending towards Cordoba when the crew needed to shut the right hand engine (JT8D) down due to low oil pressure. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Cordoba. Passengers reported one engine could no longer be heard, the captain subsequently made an announcement that they had shut down one engine. The airline reported the crew shut one of the engines down due to dropping oil pressure. JIAAC Argentina reported the aircraft was about 140nm from Cordoba when the crew needed to shut the right hand engine down. There were no injuries, the damage to the engine is being assessed. The JIAAC opened an investigation. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b436fbe&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Virgin Australia B738 at Auckland on Jan 17th 2018, tail scrape on departure A Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800, registration VH-YIR performing flight DJ-91 from Auckland (New Zealand) to Rarotonga (Cook Islands), departed Auckland's runway 05R when the tail contacted the runway surface during rotation. The aircraft climbed to FL110, entered a hold while the crew was working the related checklists and returned to Auckland for a safe landing on runway 05R about 35 minutes after departure. Australia's TSB reported the aircraft sustained minor damage when it struck its tail onto the runway surface during departure in Auckland. The occurrence was rated an incident, the ATSB opened an investigation. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 12.5 hours, then resumed service. Metars: NZAA 170530Z AUTO 04025KT 9999 FEW027/// BKN049/// 22/17 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170500Z AUTO 04024G35KT 9999 FEW028/// BKN049/// BKN080/// 23/16 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170430Z AUTO 04024KT 9999 FEW028/// 23/16 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170400Z AUTO 04027G37KT 9999 BKN027/// BKN044/// 23/17 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170330Z AUTO 03025KT 9999 SCT029/// BKN048/// 23/17 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170300Z AUTO 03024KT 9999 SCT030/// OVC046/// 23/16 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170230Z AUTO 04027KT 9999 BKN030/// BKN036/// BKN045/// 24/16 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170200Z AUTO 04027KT 9999 BKN030/// BKN038/// 24/16 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170130Z AUTO 04025G35KT 9999 BKN030/// BKN035/// 24/16 Q1017 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= NZAA 170100Z AUTO 04025G38KT 9999 BKN030/// BKN040/// 24/17 Q1016 TEMPO 8000 SHRA= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b43fd1d&opt=256 Back to Top 29-JAN-2018 - People's Liberation Army - Air Force - PLAAF Shaanxi Y-8GX-3 C FIT accident: Status: Date: Monday 29 January 2018 Type: Shaanxi Y-8GX-3 ? Operator: People's Liberation Army - Air Force - PLAAF Registration: 30513 ? C/n / msn: First flight: Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: / Occupants: Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Zhengchang, Suiyang County, Guizhou Province ( China) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Military Departure airport: ? Destination airport: ? Narrative: An unidentified jet transport aircraft, operated by the Chinese Air Force, PLAAF, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Zhengchang, Guizhou Province, China. Little information was released by Chinese defense officials. While the aircraft type was not disclosed, videos surfacing on line show a Boeing 737 or similar aircraft at low altitude shortly before the accident. The PLAAF operates Boeing 737-300, -700 and -800 in various roles, ranging from VIP transport to flying military command post. Yet, video footage from the wreckage shows what seems part of a serial on a tail. This would point to Shaanxi Y-8GX-3 30513. The Y-8GX-3 is an airborne command post and ECM version of the Y-8, which in turn is a Chinese development of the Antonov An-12. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180129-0 Back to Top 'Experienced Pilot' Flies Under Overpass to Make Emergency Landing on 55 Fwy in Costa Mesa; No Injuries Reported Pilot Makes Emergency Landing on O.C. Freeway A man described as an "experienced pilot" flew under an overpass and made a safe emergency landing on the 55 Freeway in Costa Mesa on Sunday after his plane experienced engine failure. The incident was reported about 7:50 p.m. according to the Costa Mesa Fire Department. The occupants were out of the plane and no injuries were reported the fire department tweeted. The pilot, who only gave his first name, Izzy, and his friend were heading to Van Nuys from San Diego when the "engine quit" on them. Izzy said he had a choice of flying the beechcraft bonanza to John Wayne Airport or landing on the beach, but strong winds prevented from getting to the airport. "I saw an opening on the highway and I went for it right away," Izzy said. "I had to make a last minute, last second judgement on whether or not we could make it over, and we didn't have the airspeed to make it over, so I went under it." The plane landed near the northbound exit of Del Mar Avenue near the Orange County Fairgrounds. Costa Mesa Fire Capt. Chris Coatez said that the call came in as a plane crash at the fairgrounds, but first responders found the plane was intact. A firefighter inspects a plane that landed safely on the 55 Freeway in Costa Mesa on Jan. 28, 2018. (Credit: Southern Counties News) He said it was a "complete miracle" that traffic was light on the freeway when the pilot decided to land there. Coatez explained that strong winds worked for the pilot and against him, adding that they prevented him from getting all the way to the airport, but helped him land safely on the freeway. Videos from the scene showed the plane on the right side of the highway with no visible damage. Motorists recorded videos of the plane as they passed by it on the highway. Twitter user Dora Noriega tweeted "Plane landed on the 55 North we just missed it!" Several lanes of the highway were closed as California Highway Patrol officials tried to get the plane off the road, causing a back up. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, a spokesman told the Los Angeles Times. http://ktla.com/2018/01/28/small-plane-lands-on-55-freeway-in-costa-mesa-no-injuries-reported/ Back to Top Success Is Enemy of Aviation Safety by Stuart "Kipp" Lau As the new year rolled in, several headlines pointed to 2017 as the safest year in U.S. commercial aviation history. All told, according to one report, on January 1, 399 days had passed without a single fatal commercial passenger jet accident. Another report, this one focusing on U.S.-registered business jets, noted a 62.5 percent reduction in fatalities in 2017. Great news, right? As an aviation safety professional, I celebrated these accomplishments for about a millisecond. Perhaps I'm jaded or have become a bit of a "safety contrarian," but these reports add fuel to the argument that "we're already safe"-an excuse that some use for no action. The reality is that we will never be 100 percent safe. Day in and out, there is continued evidence that many threats, hazards, and other latent conditions remain prevalent in our system. Three years ago, Dr. Sydney Dekker was the keynote speaker at the CHC Safety and Quality Summit in Vancouver; his theme was "Success: The Enemy of Safety." Always brilliant in both content and delivery, Dekker made several statements that changed the way I look at safety and reporting on safety. According to Dekker, "By turning safety into a goal to achieve statistically, companies worry more about looking good than actually reducing illness and injuries." He continued, "Positive cultures are the ones that allow the boss to hear the bad news." Dekker surmised that often the organizations needing the most help are those that appear to be "successful" and don't have any apparent safety issues. Staying focused on improving safety requires an organization "to keep the discussion of risk alive, circulate fresh viewpoints, and have the capacity to say no." Goal setting, counterintuitively, is often a rearward-looking exercise. Unless you are keenly focused on the entire picture, you might overlook a risk. As an example, in the recent past, for good reason, industry had an obsession with approach stability. After years of a concerted industry campaign, most airline operators can now boast an impressive unstable approach rate below 5 percent. But what about that 5 percent; do those flights continue or go around? Studies by the Flight Safety Foundation and others suggest that 95 percent of those unstable flights continue to land. Are we really safe? Today, in just about every segment of aviation, some more than others, we continue to trash airframes and only through improved crashworthiness standards-and sometimes a little luck-don't kill more people. Case-in-point, earlier this month-412 days since the last fatal commercial passenger jet accident- there was a serious nighttime runway excursion in Turkey. In this event, a Pegasus Airlines 737- 800 carrying 162 passengers departed the left side of the runway and was left dangling off a cliff pointed at the sea below. Sure, there were zero fatalities, but what remained was a substantially damaged aircraft and an untapped horrific outcome. Overall, credit has to be given to an industry that has collectively made aviation extremely safe. However, there are no "silver bullets" and none of this happened overnight. Improvements in aviation safety have involved all stakeholders. Thousands of dedicated professionals have worked for decades to build better defenses to decrease the vulnerabilities associated with air travel. Borrowing from James Reason's "lining up the holes" accident causation model, today's Swiss cheese is much more resilient with thicker slices and smaller holes, but yet there are still holes. Looking forward to the rest of this year, there is one looming question: will this trend of zero fatal accidents continue? Unfortunately, science and statistics can be unforgiving. Aviation is inherently dangerous-there's a fine line between routine and catastrophic. Statistically, there is the phenomenon called "regression to mean," where if one variable is an extreme measurement-for example, a year with very few fatalities-the next measurement will return closer to the average. Focusing a lot of energy on past successes does not provide any guarantee of future results. There's still much work to be done. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/blogs/ainsight-success-enemy-aviation-safety Back to Top Taban 737 gear-collapse probe highlights poor discipline Iranian investigators have attributed to a failed shimmy damper the main landing-gear collapse involving a Taban Airlines Boeing 737-400 at Ardabil, in northern Iran, last year. But the inquiry into the 27 March 2017 accident has also highlighted a number of operational issues during the approach to the airport's runway 33. The Iranian Civil Aviation Organisation says the cockpit-voice recording indicates the pilots did not read through the checklist properly and did not prepare for the speed limitations of the arrival. It says the aeronautical information publication for Ardabil states that for the chosen approach gives a maximum speed of 185kt at the initial approach fix. But the 737 was travelling at 216kt at this point. Flight-data recorder information shows that the aircraft, just before landing, was descending at 1,600ft/min rather than the maximum of 1,000ft/min, and a sink-rate warning sounded in the cockpit. The inquiry says the approach shows evidence of a "lack" of discipline and crew resource management in the cockpit. Ardabil has two runways - designated 15/33 and 07/25 - of which the former is the longer. The aircraft was cleared to land on runway 33 although the inquiry notes that this meant dealing with a crosswind from the south-west, and points out that the airport had another runway option. At the point of touchdown the aircraft was crabbing and its heading was some 8° left of the centreline. It landed at a calibrated airspeed of 142kt and sustained an impact of 2.06g. The right-hand main landing-gear suffered shimmy and the structure failed as the aircraft rolled out. Boeing has previously warned of several shimmy events and associated torsion-link fractures on older 737s. It states that pilots should aim to land with normal sink rates, and ensure that the speedbrakes are armed and deploy promptly upon touchdown. Soft landings at higher speeds - particularly during approaches to high-elevation airports, such as Ardabil - can leave the landing-gear more vulnerable to shimmy. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Shortage of 787 engines prompts Virgin Atlantic to add A330s Virgin Atlantic has disclosed plans to take delivery of four Airbus A330-200s this summer, citing shortages of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines that power its fleet of Boeing 787-9s. The UK carrier says one of the A330s (registered G-VMNK) has arrived at London Gatwick for "finishing touches" before service entry in March. Another two (G-VWND and G-VMIK) will join the fleet "over the next few weeks", and the fourth (G-VLNM) in spring. Initially, the jets be used for flights from Manchester to New York, Boston, San Francisco and Barbados. They are configured with 287 seats: 19 fully flat beds in "Upper Class", 46 economy seats with extra legroom, and 222 standard economy seats. Premium economy cabins are to be fitted to the A330s "towards the end of 2018", says Virgin Atlantic. It confirms that the aircraft are being leased, without specifying from where they have been sourced. Flight Fleets Analyzer lists BBAM as the manager of G-VMNK (MSN 403) and Deucalion Aviation Funds as the manager of G-VWND and G-VMIK (MSNs 432 and 476). Virgin Atlantic's executive vice-president for operations Phil Maher states that the A330s will add "resilience" to its fleet "in light of an industry-wide shortage of Trent 1000 engines used on our Boeing 787 aircraft". Flight Fleets Analyzer indicates that Virgin Atlantic has 13 787-9s in service and two in storage, with another two on order. In recent days, Boeing has confirmed it is working with Rolls-Royce on pervasive durability problems with a large subset of the Trent 1000 fleet that have grounded multiple 787-9s for long periods. "All of the Rolls-Royce operators across the fleet have seen some of the wear-out issues in the Rolls-Royce engine," said Bob Whittington, Boeing's chief engineer for the 787 programme. Rolls- Royce, as engine manufacturer, has taken responsibility for the blade cracking problems, but the airframer remains involved. The engine maker is designing a new intermediate pressure compressor (IPC) blade for Trent 1000 engines in the Package C configuration. The IPC blades came under scrutiny some 15 months ago after an engine failure on board a Scoot 787-9. Singapore's Transport Safety investigation Bureau found that two other shutdowns on Scoot 787-9s were linked to IPC failures probably caused by material fatigue. Rolls-Royce has also, since 2016, been replacing the blades in the intermediate pressure turbine (IPT) module of the Trent 1000 after All Nippon Airways reported a series of engine failures. The engine maker traced the cause of that problem back to sulphidation corrosion cracking. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Boeing Invests In Battery Developer For Electric Propulsion With a growing interest in electric propulsion through its acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences, investment in Zunum Aero and its own research efforts, Boeing is taking a next step and investing in advanced battery startup Cuberg through its HorizonX Ventures unit. Electric propulsion's major technical challenge is the low-energy density of batteries compared with aviation fuel. The latest lithium-ion batteries are making small electric aircraft feasible, but larger regional airliners and electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) air taxis need higher energy densities, which likely means new chemistries. Cuberg is working on one such alternative. Founded in 2015, Berkeley, California-based Cuberg is developing a lithium-metal battery. This replaces the graphite anode used in a lithium-ion battery with a pure lithium anode, packing the same amount of energy into a much smaller and lighter form factor. "On a cell level, this potentially leads to a 50% reduction in the weight of the cell, while maintaining the same energy level," Cuberg CEO and co-founder Richard Wang said. The new battery cell can be dropped into existing lithium-ion production process to scale up quickly. "Cuberg's battery technology has some of the highest energy density we've seen in the marketplace, and its unique chemistries could prove to be a safe, stable solution for future electric air transportation," said Steve Nordlund, vice president of Boeing HorizonX. Lithium-ion batteries use a flammable organic solvent as the liquid electrolyte. "This not only potentially compromises safety when the batteries are abused, but leads to incompatibility with next-generation electrode materials," limiting further increases in energy density, said Wang. Rechargeable lithium-metal batteries were developed in the 1960s, but proved dangerous. Lithium dendrites grew as the battery was cycled, penetrating the electrolyte and short-circuiting the electrodes, causing intense fires. Lithium metal is also too reactive and unstable to be combined with the flammable electrolyte used in lithium-ion batteries. "We are working on a next-generation liquid electrolyte that is inorganic, nonflammable and chemically stable," Wang said. "This allows us to incorporate next-gen materials, such as lithium metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes, without compromising safety." HorizonX led the second round of seed funding for Cuberg, currently part of the Cyclotron Road incubator at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley. Boeing has not revealed the size of its investment, but Cuberg has raised $3.3 million so far, said Sebastien Lounis, Cyclotron Road's co-founder and managing director. Wang said the funding will be used to expand the team, and its research and development facilities, to help customers integrate the batteries into products. "Within 18 months, it plans to scale up automated production lines for early full-system testing with aerospace customers," Lounis added. "We have been producing commercial-format prototypes for the past several months, and we anticipate they will be ready for customer testing by the summer of 2018," Wang said. "We project getting to scaled-up production for early full-system tests-for example, in aerospace-by early 2019." www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Qantas 787 Dreamliner takes off fuelled by mustard seed biofuel on Los Angeles- Melbourne flight The world's first US-Australia biofuel flight took off on Monday, with a Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner filled with 24,000 kilograms of mustard seed-based, blended fuel. The historic Qantas flight, QF96 from Los Angeles to Melbourne, is using biofuel extracted from a mustard seed Brassica carinata. The process has been developed by Canadian agricultural- technology company Agrisoma Biosciences. Speaking at Los Angeles International Airport ahead of the flight, Qantas International CEO Alison Webster said it's fitting the Dreamliner is showcasing the future of sustainable aviation since the aircraft heralds a new era of innovation and travel. The Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be the first plane to fly between the US and Australia powered by biofuel. Across its life cycle, carinata-derived fuel offers more than 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with traditional jet fuel. The blend used in the Dreamliner between LA and Melbourne on Monday will see a 7 per cent drop in emissions along the route - with 10 per cent of its tank filled with the mustard seed-derived biofuel. How does the biofuel work? The carinata makes high-quality oil considered ideal for aviation biofuel, with one hectare of seeds yielding 400 litres of biofuel and 1400 litres of renewable diesel. The seed is sown in fallow areas where other food crops have failed or in between regular crop cycles and provides an added economic boon for farmers. Agrisoma CEO Steve Fabijanski said he's looking forward to working with Australian farmers and Qantas to further develop a clean energy source for the aviation industry. Why mustard seed? Mr Fabijanski said mustard seeds are not only easily converted to jet fuel, there are other advantages including producing animal meal after the oil extraction. "It's a tough crop. It grows where other crops won't grow. It doesn't need much water and it's well understood by farmers," he said. "They can grow it and do well with it." Qantas aims to have flights running regularly on biofuel by 2020. Carinata seed. One hectare of seeds yields 400 litres of biofuel and 1400 litres of renewable diesel. Ms Webster said that despite the unusual fuel, Monday's flight would be routine. "The biofuel goes through exactly the same certification and tests as standard aviation." That includes engineering, safety and performance checks. Trials in Queensland and South Australia have indicated that the water-efficient crops should fare well in the Australian climate. Qantas' historic flight comes after the airline was named earlier this month as the least efficient carrier in the region. A report by the International Council on Clean Transportation found Qantas was the least fuel efficient and burnt the most carbon of major airlines that fly across the Pacific. Qantas burns an average of one litre of aviation fuel to fly a passenger 22 kilometres, 64 per cent more than the 36 kilometres achieved by the region's two most efficient carriers - China's Hainan Airlines and Japan's All Nippon Airways - according to a study by the researcher that exposed Volkswagen AG's emissions cheating. The ICCT looked at 20 airlines that operate flights from mainland US to East Asia and Oceania in 2016. Qantas said the study was flawed. "The reason Qantas ranks low in this study is chiefly because we use larger aircraft, fly very long distances and have premium cabins that naturally have fewer people on board," Alan Milne, Qantas head of fuel and environment, said. http://www.traveller.com.au/qantas-787-dreamliner-takes-off-fuelled-by-mustard-seed-biofuel-on- los-angelesmelbourne-flight-h0py1r#ixzz55ewJZ4Iy Back to Top Prescott's Dami Coker Is Arizona's Flight Instructor of the Year Embry-Riddle flight instructor Oluwadamilola (Dami) Coker has been recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as Flight Instructor of the Year for the state of Arizona. Coker received the award at the 44th annual Arizona Safety Awards Banquet on Jan. 20, presented by the Aviation Safety Advisory Group (ASAG) and Scottsdale Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). The Awards Program, a cooperative effort between more than a dozen sponsoring organizations from the aviation industry and the FAA, has recognized aviation professionals in the fields of flight instruction, aviation maintenance, avionics, and flight safety for their important contributions to the general aviation community for nearly 50 years. "This honor left me short of words," said Coker. "It means a lot to me knowing that my effort is setting an example for many and motivating a lot of potential pilots to never give up." Originally from Nigeria, Coker has always wanted to be a pilot. The pursuit of his dream led him to Embry-Riddle where he completed his undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Science, as well as a graduate degree in Safety Science. Coker has been flight instructing with Embry-Riddle since 2012 and has a total of 3,600 flight hours in both single- and multi-engine airplanes, including the Super Decathlon aerobatic airplane for upset recovery. He also serves as a Check Instructor and is the Assistant Safety Program Manager for the Embry-Riddle Flight Department. "There is a uniqueness to Dami in his light-hearted approach to working with students and peers that does not compromise the standard of training," said Josh Donaldson, Assistant Chief Instructor. "His students and peers appreciate this. They enjoy working with him as a flight instructor, while also respecting his example and guidance." This award is also a testament to the role that Embry-Riddle staff provides in promoting aviation safety, education, and professionalism. "What I enjoy most about flight instructing is seeing my students grow from little or no experience to demonstrating great mastery of an airplane," Coker said. "It's a feeling of immeasurable accomplishment for me having the opportunity to impact them and being a part of their dream in becoming professional pilots -- and even more fulfilling to see them excelling in various aviation sectors." In being recognized as the state award recipient, Coker will now be eligible for subsequent regional and national recognition. For more information about Arizona ASAG, go to http://www.asagaz.org/home.html https://news.erau.edu/headlines/prescotts-dami-coker-is-az-flight-instructor-of-the-year/ Back to Top Unlocking Africa's potential via single air transport market The wait is finally over as Nigeria, alongside others, ratify Africa's Open Skies pact. Difficult air connectivity Flying from London to Athens is not generally considered a massive undertaking. It's a given that the journey will be direct, take three-and-a-half hours, and Europeans will not require a visa. The biggest decision is likely to be which meal to select in-flight. Now imagine if the same journey was routed via Moscow - ridiculous! Yet that is the situation when travelling across Africa, where convoluted flight itineraries are unfortunately the norm. Let's take the example of a trip from Algeria to Cameroon, as the crow flies, a journey the same length as London- Athens. There is no direct flight. The fastest route, via Istanbul, takes 24 hours and involves three separate take-offs and landings. The less time-economical route can take up to 30 hours - half the time it took the Virgin Atlantic Global flyer to circumnavigate the globe. Adding insult to injury, the flight from Algeria to Cameroon costs 80% more than London-Athens. This is truly a disturbing paradox. Sadly, the problems caused by an unconnected Africa are not limited to inconvenient travel schedules. Far bigger are the opportunity costs to the economies of the continent's 54 nations and the region as a whole. Trade and tourism is hindered and investment opportunities lost. And it's not just about economics. Aviation connects people. Africa would be a less fragmented continent with greater air connectivity. Africa is home to 12 per cent of the world's people, but it accounts for less than 1 per cent of the global air service market. Part of the reason for Africa's under-served status, according to a just- published World Bank study, Open Skies for Africa - Implementing the Yamoussoukro Decision, is that many African countries restrict their air services markets to protect the share held by stateowned air carriers. This practice originated in the early 1960s when many newly-independent African states created national airlines, in part, to assert their status as nations. Now, however, most have recognised that the strict regulatory protection that sustained such carriers, has detrimental effects of air safety records, while also inflating air fares and dampening air traffic growth. Indeed, African ministers responsible for civil aviation themselves acknowledged this in 1999, when they adopted the Yamoussoukro Decision, named for the Ivorian city in which it was agreed. It commits its 44 signatory countries to deregulate air services, and promote regional air markets open to transnational competition. The benefits of connectivity are clear. Europe's air liberalization was not only a coup for the industry but also passengers. In the short space of eight years (1992-2005), the 100 year-old industry witnessed a surge in activity. Passengers enjoyed 88 per cent more flight options and double the number of seats. Suddenly travelling by air became accessible to all, with a 15 per cent drop in ticket prices. Eliminating physical barriers The benefits of a connected continent are clear. So why do nonphysical barriers remain? While open skies pledges - 1988 Yamoussoukro Declaration and 1999 Yamoussoukro Decision - are being signed by most African countries, implementation has been unhurried and restricted. Protectionist policies favouring national airlines remain abundant. This is unhelpful. The continent cannot take off economically while its runway is incomplete. Governments in Africa need to treat aviation as a strategic asset and not as an instrument of foreign policy. Africa's past has long been defined by national insularity; its future lies in liberalization. Where better to begin than its skies? How it was established As a result of the enormous benefits liberalisation would bring to the continent, in 2015, the Assembly of Head of States and Government adopted the Declaration (Doc. Assembly/ AU/Decl.1 (XXIV)) on the Establishment of a Single African Air Transport Market and also issued a commitment (Assembly / AUC/Commitment/XXIV), to the immediate implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decisions towards the establishment of a single African air transport market by 2017. Eleven African Member States championed the Declaration by signing the Solemn Commitment to actualise the Decision creating the single market. These Member States were constituted as a working group at Ministerial level (Ministerial Working Group) with responsibility to follow-up the implementation of the single market and spearhead the advocacy campaign to urge more Member States to join the single market. The African Union Commission was entrusted with the functions of coordination and facilitation of the process of operationalization of the Single African Air Transport Market. The 11 champion states that signed the initial commitment are namely: Benin, Capo Verde, Repub-lic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The solemn commitment is open for other states to join. Market size The current size of the Single African Air Transport market is comparable to the COMESAEAC-SADC Tripartite free trade area with 26 countries, a population of 527 million persons, a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $624 billion and per capita income of US$1,184. Joining the Single African Air Transport Market is based on a variable geometry principle in accordance with Member State's commitment to implementing the decisions/declarations of the Assembly. Secretary-General of African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Ms. Iyabo Sosina, at the sensitization workshop on the commencement of SAATM in Lagos last week enumerated the benefits of the scheme. Sosina disclosed that the 23 countries that have declared for single air transport market have a combined population of roughly 670 million, more than half of the population (57%) of the continent in 2015, stressing that their combined GDP amounted to $150billion in 2015. She noted that this could double to $300billion because of the enormous benefits it would bring to the continent. The AFCAC scribe stated in 2015, 63.5 million international tourists were recorded in the continent and the 23 countries accounted for over 54 per cent of international visitors, hinting that the number of countries that have signed the solemn commitment offer significant single air transport market space in terms of traffic volumes and airport infrastructure. In 2015, Africa was reported to have handled 180 million passengers with over 56 per cent passing through airports within the current single market area, whilst airlines within the 23 countries accounts for more than 80 per cent of the intra- African traffic. She listed the 23 countries that have signed the solemn commitment that has increased from 11 as Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cape Verde, Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon and Ghana. Others are Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo and Zimbabwe. Nigerian carriers kick As laudable as the policy is, airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) said they were not ready for SAATM implementation. Chairman AON, Capt. Nogie Meggison, who spoke on behalf of airline owners and investors, objected to implementation of the treaty. He questioned the win-win claims of open skies, saying the treaty is rather a subtle ploy to ensure Nigeria, with about 65 per cent of West African population, loosen up to the benefit of other smaller countries. He argued that the move cannot be in the best interest of Nigeria where there is no uniform platform for fair competition or adequate consultation with carriers. His counterpart representing the Aircraft Operators of Nigeria (AON), Capt. Mohammed Joji, added that Nigeria cannot be talking about sky liberalisation where local policies have not favoured local carriers to face their African counterparts. Joji reiterated perennial problems of foreign exchange, Value Added Tax (VAT), multiple taxation and high cost of aviation fuel, policy flip-flop among others that have collectively killed over 50 airlines in the last 18 years. Last line Not a few noted that there is potential for aviation growth in the region with the emergence of a middle class market that needed to be tapped for the growth of aviation in the region. https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/01/unlocking-africas-potential-via-single-air-transport- market/ Back to Top GoJet Airlines Introduces Enhanced Compensation for Pilots * New bonus program takes year one total compensation up to $100,000 for some pilots ST. LOUIS, Jan. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- GoJet Airlines has announced a new bonus package to attract the best and brightest pilots to its team. Now with a $26,000 bonus for First Officers and a $15,000 bonus for Direct Entry Captains, newly hired pilots have the opportunity to earn an enhanced salary of up to $100,000 over the course of one year. "GoJet pilots are some of the most qualified professionals in the industry," GoJet Chief Operating Officer Terry Basham said. "Our fast upgrades and air carrier experience match, paired with our competitive pay and fun atmosphere, make GoJet the best choice for top pilot candidates." In addition to the new hire bonuses, GoJet is offering an additional $5,000 Air Carrier Experience Match for current and qualified pilots from any scheduled US or international air carrier. Pilots eligible for this program may carry over longevity from their previous carrier at a rate of 1 to 1, and are also eligible for up to six months of early seniority. First Officers eligible for this program will receive a total of $31,000 in new hire bonuses, taking potential first year compensation up to more than $75,000. Direct Entry Captains will receive a total of $20,000 in new hire bonuses, raising total year one compensation up to $100,000. Concurrently, helicopter pilots in GoJet's Rotor Transition Program will also receive up to $26,000 in fixed-wing training. GoJet prides itself on offering a number of unique programs for airline professionals. GoJet's Direct Entry Captain Program allows qualified pilots to start as Captains, rather than First Officers, and is the only program of its kind in the industry. Additionally, GoJet is the only regional airline to offer a direct pathway to Spirit Airlines. This program offers selected pilots a position at Spirit in as little as two years, providing a defined career path and exceptional earning potential. GoJet also offers an array of programs specifically tailored towards military pilots, helicopter pilots, student pilots, and flight instructors. Once on property, GoJet pilots may also earn a $10,000 bonus for each successful pilot candidate they refer to the company. "We are so pleased with all of our enhanced bonus and training programs," Basham said. "With our unique partnerships, pilots who launch their careers with us could land their dream jobs in record time." The aforementioned programs are effective immediately. About GoJet Airlines GoJet Airlines is a premier regional carrier operating as United Express and Delta Connection. GoJet proudly flies the Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900, two of the youngest and most technologically advanced regional jets in the industry. GoJet serves over 4.5 million passengers annually, with more than 240 daily flights providing service to over 60 destinations. GoJet is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and has crew bases in Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Raleigh-Durham and St. Louis. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gojet-airlines-introduces-enhanced-compensation-for- pilots-300589598.html Back to Top Why the Air Force will get more enlisted drone pilots The second annual enlisted remotely piloted aircraft pilot selection board met last week to decide on the next enlisted airmen who will attend training and soon fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The Air Force Personnel Center will decide on 40 new airmen - an increase from last year's pool - out of 134 applicants by February, officials said. "The board was held to select 40 Airmen total, including 30 primaries (same as last year) and 10 alternates (an increase of 5 from last year)," personnel center spokesman Mike Dickerson told Military.com. RQ-4 Global Hawk An RQ-4 Global Hawk landed at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. May 24. The arrival of the unmanned aerial vehicle marks the first time an aircraft of this type has flown to an Air Force Air Logistics Complex. (U.S. Air Force photo by Roland Leach) "We increased the number of alternates to provide greater flexibility for covering any future contingencies," Dickerson said in a statement. Whether or not this leads to a gradual, annual expansion of airmen selected for RPA training isn't definite right now, Dickerson said. Last year, the board picked two senior master sergeants, five master sergeants, nine technical sergeants, 14 staff sergeants and five alternates from about 200 active-duty applicants from various job assignments. "The Air Force plans for the number of enlisted RPA pilots to grow to 100 within four years," according to a service release at the time. There first 30 airmen and five alternates selected are currently scattered throughout the training pipeline, Capt. Beau Downey, spokesman for Air Education and Training Command, told Military.com. "AETC currently has 15 RPA pilots in training. Eight are in RPA Instrument Qualification and seven are in RPA Fundamentals Course, both a part of the 558th Flying Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas," Downey said in an email. Meanwhile, there are 15 enlisted pilots who have attended or are in the process of completing the RQ-4 Formal Training Unit, or FTU, at Beale Air Force Base, California. Downey said the program at Beale, under Air Combat Command, is broken into two phases: The first is Basic Qualification Training (BQT) and the second is Mission Qualification Training (MQT). Both phases culminate in a Form 8, or how one performs in his or her check ride. Also Read: Enlisted pilots could fly in combat for the first time since WWII "Students remaining at Beale for their operational assignment will complete both BQT and MQT at the Beale FTU," he said. There is also a segment at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota. "Those students who will be assigned to Grand Forks [will] complete BQT at Beale and then move to the Grand Forks...for MQT," Downey said. ACC has graduated four enlisted pilots from the full program at the Beale unit. Another four completed Basic Qualification Training at the Beale FTU and have moved to the Grand Forks unit. There are three currently in MQT at the Beale training unit and four in BQT. Of those four, two will remain at Beale and two will move to Grand Forks. Another four enlisted airmen are scheduled to arrive at Beale at the beginning of February, Downey said. The Air Force has expanded its RPA reach since it began training enlisted airmen on the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The service announced in 2015 it would begin training enlisted airmen to operate the unarmed high-altitude reconnaissance drone. http://www.wearethemighty.com/news/why-the-air-force-will-get-more-enlisted-drone-pilots 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 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 Assistant/Associate Professor - Tenure Track Faculty - Aviation Technology Job Duties: Indiana State University's Aviation Technology Department is seeking applications for a Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor Faculty position. Duties include supporting the Unmanned Systems Program and teaching undergraduate courses in the Aviation Department degree programs. This is a nine-month position with the possibility of summer teaching assignments. Qualifications: Required Education: Master's degree in Aviation, Education, Electronics, Engineering, Engineering Technology, Robotics or an Unmanned Systems related field and demonstrated experience in UVS in academia. Must have a minimum of 18 graduate hours in aviation or unmanned systems related courses. Completion of an appropriate doctorate degree will be required within 5 years. Must have extensive knowledge in unmanned systems procedures, components, and applications. Must have extensive knowledge and demonstrated experience in unmanned systems operations to include land, marine, and aerial types. Must have demonstrated experience in operating unmanned systems in manual, semi- autonomous, and autonomous modes. Must have extensive knowledge of FAA airspace and regulatory issues. Department: The Aviation Technology Department in a part of the College of Technology and currently offers the following BS degrees: Professional Aviation Flight Technology, Aviation Management, and Unmanned Systems. Application Process: For full-consideration, please submit your application by March 1, 2018. To view the full description and to apply, please visit: http://jobs.indstate.edu/postings/20462. If you have questions please contact Dr. Richard Baker, Chair, Faculty Search Committee, Department of Aviation, Indiana State University, Terre Haute IN 47809. richard.baker@indstate.edu; (812) 237-2641 About the Institution: Established in 1865, Indiana State University is a four-year public university that integrates teaching, research, and creative activity in an engaging, challenging, and supportive learning environment to prepare productive citizens of the world. Indiana State is dedicated to teaching and the creation of knowledge while maintaining its longstanding commitment to inclusiveness. Located in Southwest Indiana, Indiana State University is conveniently located 10 minutes from I- 70 making trips to Indianapolis, St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati easily accessible. Indiana State University sits in the central part of downtown Terre Haute making the commute to shopping, food, housing, arts, sports and entertainment within 15 minutes to campus. Indiana State University has been listed by both Forbes and the Princeton Review as one of the top schools in the Midwest for the 5th and 13th year, respectively. U.S. News Best Colleges rankings describe Indiana State University as pedestrian friendly and beautifully landscaped, and has been recognized by Princeton Review as one the most environmentally responsible colleges. Indiana State University's commitment to community engagement and public service sets it apart. Students are motivated to apply both knowledge and creativity with local surrounding communities and counties. As a medium size public university, Indiana State University is known to have one of the most diverse student populations in the State of Indiana. With approximately 12,000 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students, our minority student population is nearly 25%. Indiana State University continues to grow in enrollment and is committed to student development, leadership, and success. Indiana State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All are encouraged to apply including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. Back to Top OVERVIEW The Manager, Safety Programs is primarily responsible for the oversight and management of Endeavor Air's Voluntary Safety Programs, including the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA), Fatigue Risk Management, and Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA). Based in Minneapolis, MN; the Manager, Safety Programs plays a key role in identifying hazards that affect safety of flight, analyzing the hazards using a combination of traditional investigative methods and advanced data analysis techniques, and ensuring appropriate mitigation strategies are developed and implemented. RESPONSIBILITIES * Responsible for developing and executing a proactive and predictive data analysis plan to create industry leading safety programs * Directs and facilitates the identification and management of safety hazards in support of Endeavor's Safety Management System (SMS) * Oversees the collection, review, analysis, and mitigations of all reported safety events, as appropriate * Maintains the department safety reporting systems (Q-Pulse and WBAT) to ensure accurate and up-to-date incident tracking * Develops recommendations to enhance safety and compliance based on information derived from safety investigations * Utilizes industry data sources to calibrate Endeavor's safety programs against other airlines * Manages the monthly and quarterly safety newsletters to frontline employees * Produces FAA quarterly reports for the ASAP and FOQA programs * Ensures the proper functioning of GDRAS (Ground Data Replay and Analysis System) software, hardware, and associated programs * Oversees the data collection process from the aircraft in conjunction with Maintenance and Engineering * Works closely with employee unions to ensure proper staffing for participation in ASAP, FOQA, LOSA, and Fatigue programs * Maintains the FOQA system's organization, security, data storage, report retrieval, trending and event databases * Serves as the primary company contact for NTSB and FAA investigations * Participates as an active member of Endeavor Air's Accident Investigation team during NTSB investigations * Presents safety data to stakeholders inside and outside of the organization to include meetings with senior management, employee training events, and industry conferences * Identifies safety issues for review by management, including the CASS and Flight Standards Review Boards, communicating data trends, reports, and risk analyses * Ensure ongoing compliance with applicable rules, regulations, and corrective measures * Computer work, in a typical office environment for the majority of the day * Ability to work in a warehouse, industrial, airline hanger, or outdoor environment as required * This position is "on call" 24 hours per day * Must be willing, able and prepared to participate in extremely stressful work situations, such as aircraft accidents and incidents * Other duties as assigned JOB QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor's degree in an aviation related field * 5 years of experience working in a safety management role * Previous experience providing work direction in a leadership role, motivating and mentoring employees * Experience working with federal or state regulatory agencies * Competency in FAA and NTSB regulations, FAA voluntary safety programs (ASAP, FOQA, LOSA), reporting requirements, and internal policy * Competency in the understanding of Safety Management Systems * Exceptional investigative, analytical, organizational and communications (written and verbal) skills are essential and required * Excellent organizational and analytical skills * Strong interpersonal skills with focus on communication and problem resolution * Strong work ethic, reliable, self-motivated with a positive attitude * Repetitive motion such as typing on the computer and phone work * Occasional physical exertion such as: pulling, pushing, reaching, bending, standing, walking, and light lifting of boxes, bags files, and electronic equipment not in excess of 30 lbs. Curt Lewis