Flight Safety Information February 21, 2018 - No. 038 In This Issue Incident: Brussels A333 at Banjul on Feb 16th 2018, bird strike Incident: THY B773 at Istanbul on Feb 19th 2018, burst tyre on landing Incident: Thai A388 near Bangkok on Feb 19th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: ANA B773 near Tokyo on Feb 19th 2018, engine shut down in flight MD-83 Runway Excursion (Nigeria) Iran teams find wreckage of plane in Zagros mountains Australia boosts Indian Ocean travel safety after MH370 Number of incidents involving commercial aircraft jumps in 2017: safety board (Canada) How volcanic ash can bring down an airplane 4G IoT network may ease aviation sector fears over drone safety Airport officials in Alaska find gunpowder in passenger's luggage DOT Reports on FAA's Latest NextGen Steps NTSB Asks FAA to Look at Carry-On Bags During Emergencies Swinburne aviation experts launch book on airline operations Canadian bank seeks to ground Gupta aircraft Airlines Are Making Tons of Money. Now Pilots Want Their Pensions Back Trainer jet market flourishes in the Middle East Bigelow Aerospace's new company will find customers for its space habitats Medallion Foundation - Providing Assurance In Your Systems Positions Available: Check Airmen Wanted SASS 2018..The Singapore Aviation Safety Seminar (SASS) BASS 2018...The Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) Position Available: General Manager / Senior Flight Data Analyst Incident: Brussels A333 at Banjul on Feb 16th 2018, bird strike A Brussels Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration OO-SFO performing flight SN-203 from Dakar (Senegal) to Banjul (Gambia), departed Dakar's runway 01 and landed on Banjul's runway 32 completing a seemingly uneventful flight. A post flight inspection revealed the aircraft had received a bird strike during the flight and was unable to continue schedule. A passengers booked onto flight SN-204 from Banjul to Brussels (Belgium) reported they were taken to hotels, the flight was postponed by 49 hours and rescheduled as flight SN-1204. A replacement Airbus A330-300 registration OO-SFY positioned from Brussels (Belgium) to Banjul on Feb 18th 2018 and performed replacemnet flight SN-1204 from Banjul via Dakar to Brussels with a delay of 49 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for 63 hours, then positioned to Brussels as flight SN-9904. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b52ba51&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: THY B773 at Istanbul on Feb 19th 2018, burst tyre on landing A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration TC-LJD performing flight TK-78 (Dep Feb 18th) from Miami,FL (USA) to Istanbul (Turkey), landed on Istanbul's runway 05 but burst one of the left main tyres. The aircraft was able to vacate the runway and taxied to a remote stand. The occurrence aircraft returned to service after 8 hours on the ground. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b52b643&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Thai A388 near Bangkok on Feb 19th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Thai Airways Airbus A380-800, registration HS-TUA performing flight TG-676 from Bangkok (Thailand) to Tokyo Narita (Japan), was climbing through FL370 out of Bangkok when the crew received indication of one of the engines (Trent 970) overheated and lost power. The crew shut the engine down and decided to return to Bangkok where the aircraft landed safely about 135 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration HS-TKQ reached Tokyo with a delay of 17 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 16 hours before returning to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b52b53d&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: ANA B773 near Tokyo on Feb 19th 2018, engine shut down in flight An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 777-300, registration JA755A performing flight NH-469 from Tokyo Haneda to Okinawa (Japan) with 524 people on board, was climbing out of Tokyo when the crew stopped the climb at FL280 due to a low oil quantity indication for the right hand engine (PW4090) and decided to return to Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The crew needed to shut the engine down and performed a safe single engine on Haneda's runway 34R about 45 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration JA757A reached Okinawa with a delay of 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Tokyo about 42 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b52b3b1&opt=256 Back to Top MD-83 Runway Excursion (Nigeria) Date: 20-FEB-2018 Time: Type: McDonnell Douglas MD-83 Owner/operator: Dana Air Registration: 5N-SRI C/n / msn: 53020/1789 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 44 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Port Harcourt Airport (PHC/DNPO) - Nigeria Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Abuja International Airport (ABV/DNAA) Destination airport: Port Harcourt Airport (PHC/DNPO) Narrative: Dana Air flight 9J363, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, suffered a runway excursion after landing at Port Harcourt Airport. Thunderstorms impacted operations at Port Harcourt Airport at the evening of the incident. METAR DNPO 201900Z 24013KT 1500 TSRA BKN006 FEW018CB 22/21 Q1006 NOSIG https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=206378 Back to Top Iran teams find wreckage of plane in Zagros mountains A rescue helicopter searches for the wreckage of Aseman Airlines flight EP3704 in Iran's Zagros mountains. (Photo: AFP/Morteza Salehi) TEHRAN: Iranian search teams found the wreckage on Tuesday (Feb 20) of a plane that went missing in the Zagros mountains two days earlier with 66 people on board, a spokesman said. Aseman Airlines flight EP3704 disappeared in the Zagros range on Sunday morning, around 45 minutes after taking off from Tehran. After two days of heavy snow and fog, the weather finally cleared on Tuesday morning, giving helicopter teams much better visibility. "The Revolutionary Guards' helicopters this morning found the wreckage of the plane on Dena mountain," spokesman Ramezan Sharif told state broadcaster IRIB. Route and information on flight EP3704 from Tehran to Yasuj, which disappeared on Sunday (Feb 18) with 66 people on board. (Photo: AFP/Kun Tian) An IRIB reporter who spoke to one of the pilots said he had seen "scattered bodies around the plane" and that it was located in Noghol village, around 4,000 metres up Dena mountain. "Since yesterday the Guards' drones started carefully identifying the geographical area where the plane had probably crashed and this morning two helicopters of the air forces were dispatched to the location," Sharif said. Snowmobiles were deployed earlier on the 4,409-metre peak, where more than 100 mountaineers have also been aiding the search. "Last night, a number of people stayed on the mountain and through coordination with local guides managed to search all crevices," Mansour Shishefuroosh, head of a regional crisis centre, told the ISNA news agency. Some 500 images taken by drones were being analysed overnight, he added. The ATR-72 twin-engine plane, in service since 1993, flew early Sunday from Mehrabad airport towards the city of Yasuj, some 500 kilometres to the south. Poor visibility meant some 60 helicopter sorties on Monday could find no trace of the plane. A team of crash investigators from French air safety agency BEA were also due to arrive in Iran on Monday, but their arrival had not yet been confirmed. AVIATION SAFETY The incident has reawakened concerns over aviation safety in Iran, which has been exacerbated by international sanctions over the years. Aseman Airlines was blacklisted by the European Commission in December 2016. It was one of only three airlines barred over safety concerns - the other 190 being blacklisted due to broader concerns over oversight in their respective countries. Iran has complained that sanctions imposed by the United States have jeopardised the safety of its airlines and made it difficult to maintain and modernise ageing fleets. Aseman was forced to ground many of its planes at the height of the sanctions due to difficulties in obtaining spares. Rescuers search for the wreckage of Aseman Airlines flight EP3704 in Iran's Zagros mountains. (Photo: AFP/Morteza Salehi) In a working paper presented to the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2013, Iran said US sanctions were blocking "the acquisition of parts, services and support essential to aviation safety". Iran has suffered multiple aviation disasters, most recently in 2014 when 39 people were killed as a Sepahan Airlines plane crashed just after take-off from Tehran, narrowly avoiding many more deaths when it plummeted near a busy market. But figures from the Flight Safety Foundation, a US-based NGO, suggest Iran is nonetheless above- average in implementing ICAO safety standards. Lifting sanctions on aviation purchases was a key clause in the nuclear deal that Iran signed with world powers in 2015. Following the deal, Aseman Airlines finalised an agreement to buy 30 Boeing 737 MAX jets for US$3 billion last June, with an option to buy 30 more. The sale could still be scuppered if US President Donald Trump chooses to reimpose sanctions in the coming months, as he has threatened to do. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/iran-teams-find-wreckage-of-plane-in-zagros- mountains-9974112 Back to Top Australia boosts Indian Ocean travel safety after MH370 In this Monday, Feb. 19, 2018, photo, Australian search and rescue coordinator Rick Allen, second from left, trains foreign rescue officials in the Australian Maritime Safety Authority control room in Canberra, Australia. Officials from Mauritius, MaThe Associated Press Australian authorities say they have helped make the Indian Ocean safer for air and sea travelers since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished in the vast expanse four years ago through search and rescue training with island nations. Search and rescue officials from Mauritius, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are visiting the Australian Maritime Safety Authority headquarters in Canberra this week as part of a regional training program that began in 2015. Rick Allen, an Australian search and rescue coordinator who is taking part in the training, said five Sri Lankan fishermen were rescued faster and more efficiently after their boat sank in 2016 thanks to the three countries having an Australian online broadcast system to alert merchant shipping to emergencies. "We're all about strengthening the response options that are available in search and rescue. We're particularly dealing in that remote northwestern part of the Indian Ocean," Allen said. "Already we're seeing benefits. So the program not only involved work-shopping, meeting together, it also involved delivering systems and delivering tool that enable our partners to work more effectively in search and rescue," he added. Australia has developed particular expertise in search and rescue operations that test the limits of the distances that search planes can stay airborne. Because of Australia's isolation, the nation of just 24 million people has search and rescue responsibility for around 10 percent of the Earth's surface. From a downtown second-floor control room in land-locked Canberra, the authority coordinated a massive multinational search by air and sea search for Flight 370. The plane is thought to have crashed in the remote, far southern Indian Ocean on March 8, 2014. The Boeing 777 with 239 passengers and crew on board was initially thought to have crashed on its flight path from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing. Subsequent information confirmed the plane had flown far off course. Aircraft based in the west coast city of Perth searched for more than a month across more than 4.6 million square kilometers (1.8 million square miles) of ocean. An aviation official from Mauritius has been attending the training sessions since they began in January 2015. A wing flap confirmed to be part of Flight 370 was found on a Mauritius beach in May 2016, brought by ocean currents from the presumed-but-still-not-found crash site. "The great thing about this program is the human-centered approach," said Mohammad Karimbocus, chief officer in the Mauritius Department of Civil Aviation. "It is also concentrating on getting people competent enough to deal with the unexpected and unlikely disaster scenario - all in the light of the MH370 tragedy," he added. While Flight 370 motivated the program, officials worked on more mundane scenarios this week in Canberra's Joint Rescue Coordination Center, where maritime and aviation incidents are managed side by side. The maritime officials handled the imaginary rescue of a merchant seaman who fell overboard from a cargo ship deck off the north Australian coast near the city of Darwin. Aviation officials dealt with a scenario of a light plane that reported smoke in the cockpit while flying toward Darwin. The training program is funded out of Australia's foreign aid budget and aims to strengthen cooperation and capability with the three countries which border Australia's search and rescue region in a vast and remote part of the world. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/australia-helps-indian-ocean-neighbors-enhance- rescue-skills-53233171 Back to Top Number of incidents involving commercial aircraft jumps in 2017: safety board (Canada) A airplane flying over Norfolk, Va., is silhouetted by the full moon on Jan. 31, 2018. A national pilots association is raising alarm bells over new accident numbers showing a year-over-year jump in incidents involving commercial airliners. The number of incidents involving commercial aircraft flew above the average last year, raising calls from an airline pilots association for the Liberals to boost spending on safety oversight. Figures released Tuesday from the Transportation Safety Board showed there were 94 incidents in 2017 involving commercial aircraft operators, a jump from the 63 recorded in 2016 and higher than the five-year average of 79 incidents. Large passenger airliners were involved in nine of those incidents last year. In 2016, the figure was one. The board also said the first known collision between a commercial aircraft and a drone was among the 921 overall aviation incidents last year. A complete statistical report on 2017 accident rates will be released this spring. The Transportation Safety Board said the increase in airline incidents overall last year is partly due to a higher number of flight training accidents. There was also the first fatal accident in six years: One passenger died after a December crash in Fond-du-Lac, Sask., the first such death involving a Canadian aircraft since 2011 when a First Air flight crashed in Resolute Bay, Nunavut. There have been other high-profile incidents in the last year, including a July incident when an Air Canada plane came within metres of crashing into four jets on arrival in San Francisco. The Canadian Federal Pilots Association argues the jump in incidents can be traced to federal government cutbacks in oversight, including fewer in-person reviews in the process to certify pilots in favour of targeted inspections. The association is renewing its calls on the Liberals to boost spending on Transport Canada inspectors, some of whom the association represents, in the name of passenger safety. Transport Canada said in a statement late Tuesday night that the oversight practices in place follow international standards. And airlines are required to have safety plans to go along with planned inspections, the agency said. Oversight is targeted where the risks appear greatest, based on available data, a spokeswoman said. "Transport Canada has a robust oversight program that allows the department to prioritize its resources to areas that provide the greatest safety benefit," Annie Joannette said. "The department continuously evaluates and modifies its oversight tools to ensure they continue to be effective." Greg McConnell, national chair of the pilots association, said the government should go back to its old system of comprehensive reviews and full-scale assessments of operators and airports. "They're down to doing process inspections, which is sort of the third level of inspection that the department can do," McConnell said. "An analogy that I like to use is if you were going to buy a car, and you brought a mechanic with you, you would want the mechanic to check the whole car. You wouldn't want the mechanic to just check the electrical system." https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/number-of-incidents-involving-commercial- aircraft-jumps-in-2017-safety-board/article38036972/ Back to Top How volcanic ash can bring down an airplane The eruption of Indonesia's Mount Sinabung prompted an aviation warning - here's why The eruption of Mount Sinabung on February 19th, 2018 on Sumatra island spewed a cloud of ash thousands of feet into the air. Photo: TIBTA PANGIN / AFP / Getty Images When Indonesia's Mount Sinabung erupted on Monday morning, the volcano spewed a roiling cloud of ash and gases more than 23,000 feet into the air. The eruption prompted a "red notice" for the aviation industry, alerting pilots to the ash cloud so they could steer clear of it. But could tiny particles of volcanic ash really bring down an airplane? Absolutely. In fact, the mixture of crushed rocks, gases, and tiny shards of glass in a volcanic ash cloud can sandblast the plane's exterior, melt onto the engine, and fry key navigational and communications systems. That's why nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers around the world keep watch for volcanic eruptions like yesterday's - one of Sinabung's biggest since the volcano woke back up in 2010, volcanologist Janine Krippner says. "Ash plumes can travel thousands of kilometers away from the volcano itself," Krippner says. "So being able to track the ash clouds in real time, to divert the planes around, is so, so important." Using a combination of satellite imagery, pilot reports, and data from volcano observatories, these Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers issue color-coded warnings: Green means a volcano is sitting quietly; yellow says the volcano is starting to get restless; orange that an eruption is looking likely; and red means a big eruption is on its way, or already here. The advisories don't tell pilots what to do - that's up to the airlines' policies - but they do provide key information about the size and location of the ash cloud and where it's likely to head next. By early Tuesday morning, local time, satellites showed that the ash cloud had blown apart, and the advisory was canceled. The sandblasted and clouded windscreen of the Boeing 747 aircraft that flew through the ash cloud of Alaska's Redoubt volcano in 1989. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers were formed by the International Civil Aviation Organization after several planes almost crashed from flying through ash clouds. In 1982, for example, two airplanes flying through ash from Indonesia's Mount Galunggung lost power to their engines and had to make emergency landings. One of them, a British Airways Boeing 747, plummeted more than 20,000 feet before the pilot could restart three of the four engines. Then, in 1989, a jumbo jet nearly crashed after it flew through volcanic ash from Alaska's Mount Redoubt, and all four of its engines cut out. Volcanic ash can damage an airplane in multiple ways. One of the most dangerous is by gumming up the engine. Volcanic ash contains tiny glass particles that can melt in a jet engine's heat. This molten glass can stick to key components, cutting the engine's power, or killing it completely, reports natural hazards expert Carina Fearnley in The Conversation. At such high speeds, ash pummeling the exterior of the plane can also break antennas, cloud windscreens, and generate static electricity that distorts navigation and communication signals. If ash flies into tubes that measure airspeed, it can also break the plane's speedometer. NASA and US Air Force employees blow ash up a C-17 aircraft's engines to simulate flying through a volcanic ash cloud. The ash was sourced from an ancient volcano in Oregon. We don't know exactly how much ash is safe to fly through, although scientists and engineers are getting closer to an answer. For a long time, the aviation industry avoided flying when any ash was in the air. But after millions of people were stranded and billions of dollars were lost during the eruption of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010, scientists began trying to figure out if there's a middle ground, Earth Magazine reports. All told, planes have had run-ins with volcanic ash about 253 times between 1953 and 2016, according to a report from the US Geological Survey. Only nine of those experienced engine failure, and none crashed. It's not completely clear why certain ash clouds can have such a devastating effect on certain engines, and why other planes can fly through relatively unharmed. One possibility is that the composition of ash can vary from volcano to volcano. There's another problem, too, Krippner says: not every volcano is monitored, so it's still possible for planes to fly through ash clouds without warning. It's something she thinks about a lot, especially on flights over volcanic regions of the Pacific. "If I'm in a plane and I start to smell sulfur, what am I going to do?" she says. "There are so many volcanoes that could produce an ash plume, at any time." https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/20/17030346/indonesia-volcano-sinabung-airplanes-volcanic- ash-clouds Back to Top 4G IoT network may ease aviation sector fears over drone safety * Vodafone is testing mobile and internet of things network technology to protect commercial aircraft from badly flown drones Mobile network operator (MNO) Vodafone has commenced trials of what it claims is the world's first air traffic control drone tracking and safety service, using a 4G mobile network and internet of things (IoT) technology to protect air passengers. IT leaders have greater choice in end-user devices than ever before. The age of PC-only users is over and we have entered the multiple device era. In this guide, you can find best practice, analysis of the latest trends, and expert advice on formulating enterprise strategy in laptops, desktop PCs and mobile devices. By submitting your personal information, you agree that TechTarget and its partners may contact you regarding relevant content, products and special offers. You also agree that your personal information may be transferred and processed in the United States, and that you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy. Since unregulated, commercially available drones are too small to be tracked by conventional radar, the risk to life should a drone collide with an airliner is a source of serious concern for civil aviation authorities. Indeed, over the past few years there has been a steady stream of high-profile incidents in which irresponsible drone hobbyists flew their toys too close to airliners taking off and landing. According to the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (Sesar) project, drones will log more than 250 million flying hours a year above Europe - over seven times the cumulative annual flying hours of conventional aircraft in the same space. In response to the problem, Vodafone has developed a radio positioning system (RPS) using a 4G modem and SIM embedded within each drone to enable real-time tracking - with up to 50m accuracy - by operators and air traffic controllers, and over-the-horizon/beyond-line-of-sight control for users. The system also incorporates protective geofencing, with drones pre-programmed to land automatically or fly back to their operators if they stray too close to exclusion zones, emergency remote control intervention to enable authorities to override a user's commands, and SIM-based identification and registration. It has also incorporated artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to allow large numbers of drones to be tracked and controlled remotely. "This groundbreaking innovation by Vodafone will help to ensure the skies stay safe as drones become ubiquitous, everywhere," said Vodafone group CTO Johan Wibergh. The use of drones for business is gaining popularity, but the technology's value will vary widely across industries as use cases expand, says Intel's Anil Nanduri. In Abu Dhabi, the authorities are using data collected by live video stream from drones to help alleviate traffic jams and other issues. Matthew Baldwin, European Commission (EC) deputy director general, added: "The Commission supports all trials aimed at realising our vision for safe commercial drone operations in the EU - there is a growing network of demonstrations and projects across the EU. We look forward to hearing the results of Vodafone's work." A preliminary trial in the autumn of 2017 saw a 2kg X-UAV drone with a 1.2m wingspan tracked along a 32km course in southern Spain, during which the drone was able to transmit a constant real-time high-definition (HD) video feed and flight data, including its speed, RPS location and GPS coordinates. Further tests of the technology will take place in Germany and Spain this year, with the intention of making it available commercially in 2019. Vodafone has additionally placed its RPS research and intellectual property in the public domain to enable other innovators to work with the technology. The operator said it saw a number of other applications for the technology besides protecting air traffic. These include preventing inadvertent or malicious drone incursions at sensitive locations, such as hospitals or prisons, or addressing the so-far hypothetical worst-case scenario in which a terrorist organisation might use a drone to deliver explosive or biological payloads to targeted locations. RPS technology could also boost functionality for other IoT devices, even replacing GPS in some scenarios, such as indoor location tracking, where GPS may not be viable. http://www.computerweekly.com/news/252435357/4G-IoT-network-may-ease-aviation-sector- fears-over-drone-safety Back to Top Airport officials in Alaska find gunpowder in passenger's luggage Security agents found two one-pound canisters of gunpowder in a passenger's belongings last week at Alaska's Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. (AP Photo/Dan Joling) Airline officials at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska found gunpowder in a passenger's checked bag last week, according to a Transportation Security Administration press release issued Tuesday. Two one-pound canisters of Hodgdon's "Lil' Gun" and "H335 Rifle Powder" labeled "DANGER EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE" were removed from an unnamed passenger's luggage, a Feb. 11 photo of the items showed. "[I]ndeed it is rare that a traveler would be attempting to fly with any amount of gun powder let alone 2 pounds of gun powder, which is highly flammable and explosive," TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said in an email to the Washington Examiner Tuesday evening. TSA officials did not share the passenger's flight number or airline, as well as charges he or she faces as a result of bringing the gunpowder into the airport. However, packing gunpowder, blasting caps, dynamite, hand grenades, or explosives in checked baggage is punishable by a $7,840 to $13,066 fine and a criminal referral. Gunpowder is prohibited "for obvious reasons," TSA wrote in a blog post. TSA officers also found the highest number of guns at airport checkpoints ever recorded in a one- week period earlier this month. A total of 104 firearms were uncovered in air travel passengers' carry-on bags Feb. 5-11. The new record is nearly a 10 percent hike from the previous record of 96 guns that was set in July 2017. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/airport-officials-in-alaska-find-gunpowder-in-passengers- luggage/article/2649562 Back to Top DOT Reports on FAA's Latest NextGen Steps New terminal radar systems are nearly ready for prime time, officials say, although lingering concerns remain. The FAA has nearly completed its 20-year effort to install final versions of a new radar system at 11 large hub airports around the United States. Close on the heels of the agency's work, the Department of Transportation's Inspector General recently audited the program at the behest of the House Appropriations Committee to better understand how close the FAA is to meeting the original goals of the upgrades. The new radar, called STARS, for standard terminal automation replacement system, represents a critical element in reducing traffic delays and increasing capacity, a major component of the NextGen ATC upgrade. The IG said the FAA has experienced challenges in transitioning to STARS, primarily because the agency underestimated the costs of the transition by some $90 million. "Despite having a detailed management plan for new STARS requirements, the FAA could not sufficiently document how new requirements were validated or prioritized," the report explained. The IG added that the FAA is missing an opportunity to more efficiently use its resources by implementing the highest-priority capabilities first. Additionally, the IG said, "the FAA's installation of STARS power systems do not comply with the agency's safety regulations and industry standards." Reports indicate the new equipment in some locations was plugged into power strips daisy-chained to each other. While STARS supports some of the new ADS-B technologies NextGen demands, it hasn't been successful in making some of the most important technologies operational like, "sequencing and spacing tools to allow controllers to use new performance-based navigation (PBN) procedures." The agency says it will create a new phase of terminal automation to address the problems. The DOT sent its initial report to the FAA in early November of last year including a number of recommendations for tweaking the STARS installation. The FAA responded to the IG audit in mid- December 2017, agreeing with most of the recommendations, but questioning some of the IG's logic. The IG wants the FAA to finalize a timeline for identifying the remaining STARS requirements, including any post-implementation enhancements and to quantify their impact on the original goals. It wants the agency to track and document when and how the systems new requirements will be validated and prioritized. The IG also wants the agency to redesign the power supply configuration of STARS to eliminate series connected power strips and either obtain configuration approval from a nationally recognized testing laboratory or assess the risks of potential power failures at any of the 11 installations. During a drilldown of the IG's audit, the FAA disagreed that the agency's requirement management process was incomplete. The IG countered, claiming the FAA reviewers had read something into the report that was not intended and claimed the FAA didn't accurately document how decisions about new requirements were validated before the work began. The FAA also seems to have misunderstood the IG's concern about the implementation of STARS by not specifically identifying when all the system's capabilities will become operational. The IG reaffirmed its worries about power failures in the national airspace system, but considers all four of its recommendations closed, only pending completion of the agency's planned actions. https://www.flyingmag.com/dot-reports-on-faas-latest-nextgen-steps Back to Top NTSB Asks FAA to Look at Carry-On Bags During Emergencies A number of passengers aboard an American Airlines flight that caught fire at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in 2016 refused to leave behind their carry-on bags. CHICAGO (AP) - A number of passengers aboard an American Airlines flight that caught fire at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in 2016 refused to leave behind their carry-on bags in one of four incidents in the past several years in which an evacuation was hampered by travelers grabbing carry-on luggage, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB recently completed its investigation into the October 2016 fire aboard the jetliner, blaming it on an engine problem - microscopic "fatigue" cracks in a turbine disk caused it to break apart at incredible velocity, piercing a fuel line and tank and igniting one side of the aircraft, the Chicago Sun-Times reported . The NTSB is asking the Federal Aviation Administration to look into the luggage issue and whether anything can be done to discourage passengers from trying to grab carry-on bags during emergencies. The fire began before the Miami-bound plane had taken off from O'Hare. Although flames were visible to many passengers and smoke was pouring in, some people insisted on retrieving their carry-on bags from overhead compartments, according to federal records showing post-incident interviews with flight attendants. One person was seriously hurt and 20 others suffered minor injuries. Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the NTSB, told the Sun-Times that it's worth exploring whether passengers who refuse to leave behind their bags should be fined. He said that's up to the FAA to decide. "I have thought about that," Sumwalt said. "People might be less inclined to worry about all their Gucci luggage." The NTSB is asking the FAA to conduct research to "measure and evaluate the effects of carry-on baggage on passenger deplaning times and safety during an emergency evacuation." It's also recommending that the FAA "identify effective countermeasures to reduce any determined risks, and implement the countermeasures." The issue also came up after during the evacuation of a United Airlines flight that had slid from an O'Hare runway in January 2016, records show. The captain and flight attendants told passengers to leave luggage, but several people argued, and didn't listen, according to records. A spokesman for the FAA declined to comment on the luggage issue, saying the NTSB's recommendations and findings will be reviewed. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said the FAA "should use existing laws to crack down on passengers endangering themselves and countless others as they put computers, cosmetics and clothing ahead of human life." The FAA has sought civil penalties against more than 150 passengers in the past five years for interfering with a flight crew, an agency official said. However, it's unclear whether any of those incidents involved baggage. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois/articles/2018-02-20/ntsb-issues-safety- recommendations-to-faa Back to Top Swinburne aviation experts launch book on airline operations The launch was attended by contributing authors and leaders within the aviation industry. Everyday airline operations are the subject of a new book edited by Swinburne aviation experts The book - Airline Operations: a practical guide - was launched by aviation industry luminary Sir Rod Eddington Airline Operations: A practical guide offers valuable knowledge to industry and academia alike and is available at the Swinburne Bookshop Everyday airline operations are the subject of a new book edited by Swinburne aviation experts, with contributions from a range of international industry practitioners. The book - Airline Operations: a practical guide - was launched by aviation industry luminary Sir Rod Eddington, AO at the Hawthorn Arts Centre on 19 February. "This book provides both a historical context and some very important pointers to the future in the core functions of an airline's operation," Sir Rod says. Published by Routledge, the bookwas edited by Swinburne aviation lecturers Dr Peter Bruce, Dr Yi Gao and Mr John King. Dr Peter Bruce is an active researcher with considerable first-hand experience in airline operations, having spent almost 17 years as an operations controller. His teaching focus is on aviation business and strategy and airline planning and operations. Dr Yi Gao is the Aviation Undergraduate Course Director at Swinburne and teaches Aviation Regulation and Operation and oversees the undergraduate capstone research project. After a 20 year career in the airline industry John King established a consultancy providing government relations services for airlines and tourism industry. He is involved in delivering postgraduate courses at Swinburne. From left: John King, Dr Peter Bruce, Sir Rod Eddington and Dr Yi Gao. Airline operations presented in four parts The first part of the book outlines the importance of the regulatory framework supporting airline operations. It explores how airlines structure themselves in terms of network and business model. It also outlines the infrastructure required at major airports. The second part looks at the operational environment and explains the air traffic system and processes instigated by operational departments within airlines, including crew, maintenance and resource planning. The third breaks down the activities that occur on an actual operating day, including baggage and air cargo processes and operational safety. It presents a pilot's, flight attendant's and passenger's perspective of operating a flight. The final part looks at what can go wrong during a typical day and how airlines try to mitigate these problems. It also provides a glimpse into the future of airline operations. A new series of specialist Aviation titles, to be published by Routledge, was also announced at the book launch. For further information about this series, please contact Dr Peter Bruce pbruce@swin.edu.au Airline Operations: A practical guide offers valuable knowledge to industry and academia alike and is available at the Swinburne Bookshop. It retails for $158.00 http://www.swinburne.edu.au/news/latest-news/2018/02/swinburne-aviation-experts-launch-book- on-airline-operations.php Back to Top Canadian bank seeks to ground Gupta aircraft Tracker disconnected: The Guptas' infamous Bombardier Global 6000 registered as ZS-OAK would be unable to fly legally anywhere in the world if an application by Export Development Canada to have it deregistered succeeds. Picture: SUPPLIED Canada's state export bank says that it went to court to ground the infamous ZS-OAK jet of the Guptas to stop the family from using it to commit crimes or flee from justice. The Guptas could use the aircraft "to flee the country or for some other illicit purpose, for example taking money out of the country unlawfully", Export Development Canada (EDC) said in an affidavit filed in the High Court in Johannesburg last week. The bank was alarmed when the public tracker of the Guptas' ZS-OAK was disconnected shortly after they were asked to confirm its whereabouts. Its last known destination was St Petersburg, Russia. "The location of the aircraft is now completely unknown to the applicants," EDC said. "The switching off of the public tracker and the aircraft's alleged movements fortify the applicant's concern that the aircraft may be flown to various destinations to avoid detection or to destinations where it will be difficult to retrieve." EDC, which lent the Guptas $41m for 80% of the purchase price of the aircraft, applied for an urgent order last week to force the Guptas to return the aircraft or face having it deregistered pending the outcome of legal proceedings in the UK. This means the Bombardier Global 6000 registered as ZS-OAK will not be able to fly legally anywhere in the world. The South African Civil Aviation Authority said it would not oppose the urgent application to be heard on March 6. "Once the court orders us to deregister the aircraft, we will comply with the court order," spokesman Kabelo Ledwaba said. He said any tracking device that "related to flight operational requirements" could not be switched off. "If they are [switched off] that would be against regulations and a concern to us that would warrant an investigation." Gupta lawyer Ahmed Gani said on Tuesday that his clients would be opposing the application but would not say on what grounds. He did not know where the aircraft was. EDC wants the Gupta jet to be delivered to Lanseria International Airport or Biggin Hill Airport in the UK within 15 days of obtaining a court order. The Financial Mail revealed in 2017 that EDC briefly grounded the aircraft in November for defaulting on payments and cancelled its loan agreement in December. Despite this the Guptas continued to use the jet to fly around the world. EDC said the Guptas had defaulted "more than a dozen" times between October 2017 and January 2018. The Guptas still owe EDC $27m. The court papers also reveal that ExecuJet cancelled its maintenance agreement with the Guptas in October, citing reputational risk, and EDC did not consent to another maintenance firm, Jet Aviation, replacing it. The bank became alarmed when the National Prosecuting Authority's Asset Forfeiture Unit obtained a preservation order against the Guptas in the Estina dairy matter "on the reasonable ground of suspicion of their secreting proceeds of crime, including through high-end corruption involving hundreds of millions of rand stolen from the South Africa fiscus". Some of this money reportedly went towards paying for the EDC-financed jet. This presented a "clear risk of criminal, civil and reputational sanctions" for the Guptas, the bank said. Letting them continue to use the jet represents "substantial reputational harm" to EDC. "Prominent multinationals" such as Bell Pottinger, KPMG, HSBC and the Bank of Baroda and Bank of India that had not timeously disassociated themselves from the Guptas "have either collapsed or suffered and continue to suffer substantial and potentially irreversible reputational (and financial) damage". Court proceedings brought by the Helen Suzman Foundation and Magda Wierzycka implicating Westdawn and other Gupta companies in receiving corrupt payments from inflated coal contracts with Eskom also constituted a breach of the bank's loan conditions. The Guptas failed to notify EDC of these actions, which meant Oakbay's "financial position has been grossly overstated, if a substantial portion of its assets have been unlawfully acquired and are liable to be reclaimed", the affidavit by the bank's special risks manager, Brian Craig, reads. The Canadian bank brought the application to ensure it wasn't "implicated in any illicit or illegal usages". https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2018-02-21-canadian-bank-seeks-to-ground-gupta- aircraft/ Back to Top Airlines Are Making Tons of Money. Now Pilots Want Their Pensions Back Airline pilots, still resentful over pensions yanked away in a wave of industry bankruptcies, see growing company profits as a chance to reclaim some of those lost benefits. Unions at American Airlines Group Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc. are studying ways to reconstitute or replace retirement plans that were scrapped or frozen during the carriers' past financial struggles. The efforts suggest that pilots are ready to play hardball over the issue in the next round of labor talks, starting early next year at American. The three biggest U.S. carriers have reported combined adjusted profits of about $47 billion over the past five years. But reviving old retirement plans would be a big new expense for the companies just as other costs, such as fuel, are rising. "This company is flush with money," said Dan Carey, president of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents aviators at American. At the same time, "we have a high demographic of middle- age pilots and we're approaching retirement age with insufficient pension security. This is an immediate problem." Discussions are in early stages, and any changes would require buy-in both by union members and the companies. Most airlines now have defined-contribution retirement plans like a 401(k). Those are less expensive and less risky for companies than defined-benefit pension plans that guarantee certain payouts but can become underfunded if investments don't keep up with obligations. Brainstorming Talks Delta pilots have met with counterparts at FedEx Corp., where union leaders are evaluating possible remedies to a shortfall in retirement benefits for the company's senior aviators. American is seeking its own meeting. A recent memo issued by the Delta union's Atlanta chapter talks about considering a "defined benefit-like" plan. Retirement benefits are especially critical for pilots because the law requires them to retire at 65. "We don't have an option to say I'm not prepared financially now, I'll keep working until I get there," said Chuck Dyer, chairman of the FedEx chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association. FedEx's pilot union is among those exploring variable pensions, which allow employers to raise or lower benefits based on how well a fund's investments perform. Companies share risk with employees with the variable plans, which provide more flexibility in economic downturns. Variable Solution FedEx never filed for bankruptcy, but its current defined-benefit plan has limitations that have capped benefits well below pilots' final earnings level, Dyer said. The union is exploring whether they should seek to replace it with a variable plan, while also keeping an existing retirement savings plan to help balance risk. Pension plans frozen during airline bankruptcies that rocked the industry over the last decade and a half are a major hurdle to change. When a plan is frozen, it generally closes to new participants and benefits won't grow. Some of these plans are overseen by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., a quasi-governmental agency that insures U.S. defined-benefit pensions. Fresh Start Because American was created by the merger of several companies, some pilots there had pensions terminated or frozen, while others never even had a plan. The company currently has a 401(k) program, and union chief Carey wants to find a way to reclaim retirement income pilots lost as a result of American's 2011 bankruptcy filing. That's in addition to seeking access to frozen pension funds now that the world's largest carrier is churning out profits. "They are making half a million dollars an hour, every hour of the day, every day of the year, every month, all year long," Carey said. A Standard & Poor's index of the five biggest U.S. airlines was little changed at 2:38 p.m. Tuesday, leaving it down 6.1 percent this year. Frozen pension plans can be re-activated if they are in compliance with funding and other requirements, and if both the airline and union agree, according to Josh Gotbaum, a former chief executive officer of the pension oversight agency. A fund has been "unfrozen" only once, during steelmaker LTV Corp.'s bankruptcy in the late 1980s, he said. Retirement benefits at Fort Worth, Texas-based American will be high on the union's list of priorities during 2019 labor negotiations, Carey said. A spokesman for American said the company "always welcomes discussions with our pilots and looks forward to hearing from APA about their priorities" when talks begin. Hiring Consultants Delta's union leaders have taken "initial steps" to examine options and are looking to hire outside consultants who specialize in retirement plans, according to a memo sent to pilots. The carrier continues to pay into a frozen defined-benefit plan for pilots at Northwest Airlines, which it acquired. Delta pilots' pension was terminated in a 2005 bankruptcy. "Several hurdles remain in constructing retirement plan options," Bill Bartels, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association unit at Delta, said in a separate note to members. "But just saying 'We can't make changes that the group wants' isn't an acceptable answer." A union spokeswoman declined to comment on the memos. Delta, the second-biggest U.S. carrier, said it already has industry-leading retirement benefits, but wouldn't comment specifically on pensions. Retirement benefits at United Continental Holdings Inc., which is already in contract talks, have been and remain an issue for labor discussions, said Greg Everhard, a spokesman for the pilots union. But he downplayed any new emphasis. United pilots' pension was terminated in its 2002 bankruptcy and taken over by the pension oversight agency. Continental Airlines' plan was frozen before it merged with United, which continues to administer that fund, the union said. http://time.com/5167301/airlines-pilots-pensions/ Back to Top Trainer jet market flourishes in the Middle East Leonardo showcased its M-346 at the 2017 Dubai Airshow, and a number of regional countries showed interest. (Leonardo) BEIRUT - There is an increasing need for trainer jets in the Middle East as countries there work to expand their fighter fleets. The growing interest has been detected in the Gulf nations for trainers of both types: those used solely for training, and those able to perform close-air support missions. The Hawk advanced jet trainer produced by BAE Systems is operated in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It is at the center of the growing appeal for trainers in the region. "We are looking at Middle East and Gulf markets with which we have an existing relationship, particularly in the Middle East, and those accessible markets who have, or will soon replenish, their front-line fleets with fourth- and fifth-generation fighters," said Dean McCumiskey, the sales director with BAE Systems' Air division. Since the end of 2017, BAE Systems has delivered 18 Hawk AJTs to Saudi Arabia. The country initially signed for 22 trainers in 2012, but doubled the number when it ordered another 22 Hawks in 2015. The Hawk Mk165 operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force has a new data link, an alternative radio system and an updated version of the Rolls-Royce Adour Mk951 engine. For its part, Qatar completed negotiations with BAE Systems to procure Hawk trainers, Defense News reported in November 2017. "Saudi Arabia and Oman both operate Hawk in support of training their Eurofighter Typhoon pilots," McCumiskey added. "Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE also have Hawk as part of their training pipelines. Most recently Qatar has stated its intent to also acquire the aircraft to develop its training pipeline for Typhoon and other front-line jets." The sales director went on say the Hawk helps train pilots for "combat aircraft" such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16, F/A-18 and F-35. The Eurofighter Typhoon is in service in Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE. Those operating the F-16 Fighting Falcon include Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman and Turkey. And Bahrain and the UAE have signed deals to reserve F-16 Block 60 fighters. For its part, the F/A-18 has proven popular with Kuwait. The country signed a contract to acquire 40 F/A-18A and F/A-18F fighter jets, according to a January report in the Kuwaiti daily Al Raid. Additionally, the UAE is reportedly working toward buying 24 F-35s, and Saudi Arabia is also reportedly interested. "With several air forces expanding their front-line combat air capability, Hawk's attributes and the associated enhanced training output will enable Gulf air forces to extract greater utilization from their combat aircraft," McCumiskey said. "Production of Hawk continues in the U.K., with manufacturing operations in Brough, East Yorkshire, and Warton, and Samlesbury, Lancashire, with final assembly work also underway in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia." Emirati company Calidus manufactured the B-250, a trainer jet with light-attack capabilities. This local trainer was showcased for the first time at the 2017 Dubai Airshow. "B-250 performs diverse missions like close-air support, surveillance, basic and advanced training," Hamdan Al Shekili, a Calidus representative, said at the time. The company spokesperson pointed to the trainer as the first of its kind to be equipped with carbon fibers for flexibility and combat capabilities. Sudan-based company Safat shown off its turboprop Safat 03 trainer with an advanced avionics system at last year's Dubai Airshow. The aircraft is light and meant for basic pilot training, glider tow and proficiency flight. It is a low-wing, metal aircraft with two seats. It boasts contemporary navigation and communication equipment. Safat also designed an advanced version, the Safat 04. Jordan also has the facilities to produce trainer aircraft. According to a January 2004 report by Asharq Al-Awsat magazine, "Jordan Aerospace industries delivered SAMA 2000, a locally produced trainer jet, to the [Mideast] Aviation Academy within a contract to deliver eight total trainers." The T-50A trainer jet produced by Lockheed Martin, however, is not offered in the export market. "We are not currently offering the T-50A internationally, but are focused on meeting the needs of the U.S. Air Force customer in the current competition," said Andy Winns, the company's regional executive for the Middle East and Asia region. Winns insisted there are no plans at the moment for a close-air support version of the T-50A, "however, our partner company, Korea Aerospace Industries, has a version of the T-50 they market that is a light fighter." The Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen makes use of member countries' aircraft to perform airstrikes on targets. In these strikes, the operational costs of trainers with a close-air support role is 30 percent of the cost of operating a fighter aircraft. For instance, the Archangel light-attack aircraft is one on which the UAE depends for airstrikes in Yemen, a source said, stressing the benefit of using armed, low-operational cost aircraft. Aerospace and defense firm Leonardo is developing a fighter attack version of the M-346 to meet the growing and diversified operational requirements of air forces. "The M-346FA's characteristics make it not only an excellent advanced trainer, but also a light fighter aircraft capable of carrying out operational missions at far lower costs than those of front- line fighters," boasted Lucio Valerio Cioffi, the managing director of Leonardo's Aircraft Division. Leonardo showcased its M-346 at the 2017 Dubai Airshow, and a number of regional countries showed interest. "In Dubai, the fighter attack version of the M-346 was showcased, for which several air forces are already demonstrating their interest. It represents a further evolution of the M-346 able to answer to the different air forces' requirements. Thanks to the integration of the Grifo multimode fire- control radar, designed and manufactured by Leonardo, already chosen by several customers in the world, the M-346FA will be provided with advanced operational capabilities," Cioffi said. As Middle Eastern countries procure new fighters, naturally pilots will need to be trained. Among the most notable examples that have chosen Leonardo's training field is the UAE's national aerobatic team, Al Fursan, which uses the Aermacchi MB-339 aircraft. The Emirati pilots were trained in Italy and the UAE under the supervision of the Frecce Tricolori pilots using Italian aircraft and training systems. "The M-346 is a competitor global winner. It was selected by the UAE and ordered by Italy, Singapore, Poland and Israel. The new M-345 was already ordered by the Italian Air Force," Cioffi said. "We believe that our trainers product portfolio can respond to the Gulf countries' needs." https://www.defensenews.com/training-sim/2018/02/20/trainer-jet-market-flourishes-in-the- middle-east/ Back to Top Bigelow Aerospace's new company will find customers for its space habitats How marketable is lower Earth orbit? A rendering of Bigelow's B330 module in orbit around the Moon. Image: Bigelow Aerospace - the Las Vegas-based company manufacturing space habitats - is starting a spinoff venture aimed at managing any modules that the company deploys into space. Called Bigelow Space Operations (BSO), the new company will be responsible for selling Bigelow's habitats to customers, such as NASA, foreign countries, and other private companies. But first, BSO will try to figure out what kind of business exists exactly in lower Earth orbit, the area of space where the ISS currently resides. Bigelow makes habitats designed to expand. The densely packed modules launch on a rocket and then inflate once in space, providing more overall volume for astronauts to roam around. The company already has one of its prototype habitats in orbit right now: the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, which has been attached to the International Space Station since 2016. The BEAM has proven that Bigelow's expandable habitat technology not only works, but also holds up well against the space environment. "WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO TRY TO GET TO THAT ANSWER." Now, Bigelow is focusing on its next space station design: the B330. The habitat is so named since it will have 330 cubic meters (or nearly 12,000 cubic feet) of interior volume when expanded in space. That's about one-third the volume provided by the ISS. Bigelow hopes to launch two B330s as early as 2021, on top of the United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rockets, and the company even has plans to put a B330 around the Moon. After that, Bigelow has bigger plans to create a single station with 2.4 times the entire pressurized volume of the ISS, the company announced today. Such a huge station will need to be constructed in an entirely new manufacturing facility that Bigelow plans to build - though the company hasn't decided on a location yet. But first, Bigelow wants to understand what the global market is for commercial ventures in lower Earth orbit. BSO will spend this year having face-to-face discussions with corporations, space agencies, and foreign countries to get a sense of who could be the potential costumers for its orbiting stations. "We're going to be spending millions of dollars to try to get to that answer," Robert Bigelow, president of Bigelow Aerospace, says during a press call today. He also announced that BSO has already made a deal: it's partnering with the manager of the US national lab on the ISS, called CASIS, to send payloads to the station. The B330s offer "on orbit space for science and research at much a lower price than ISS," Blair Bigelow, the company's vice president of corporate strategy, wrote in an email to The Verge. The company has also been open about the idea of turning its habitats into hotels, making money off of space tourism. But Bigelow is also interested in "helping foreign countries to establish their human space programs," the president says, as well as expand into "larger markets that do not fall into the science baskets." Bigelow, however, did not specify what exactly those markets might be. "THAT'S A HUGE DISADVANTAGE." If Bigelow can't find customers, it could choose not to deploy its B330s, the president says. Foreign countries and other ISS partners are currently being courted by China, which plans to build its own space station in lower Earth orbit in the 2020s. That creates tough competition for commercial companies like Bigelow. "They're offering very attractive terms and conditions and features that the commercial sector is gonna have a horrible time trying to compete with," Bigelow says. "That's a huge disadvantage that exists today." NASA is also a competitor, Bigelow says. The Trump Administration wants the space agency to focus on sending astronauts back to the Moon with the help of foreign countries. But if space agencies across the globe focus on deep space programs, there might be little money left for doing business in lower Earth orbit, Bigelow says. It's also unclear what role commercial companies will play in this area of space, come 2025. That's when direct NASA funding for the International Space Station will end, if President Donald Trump has his way. NASA hopes that commercial space companies could either take over parts of the ISS or put their own smaller stations in orbit, but nothing is etched in stone yet. "I get an uneasy feeling that there is not a plan," Bigelow says. "There is not something in place to actually embrace all the partners and say, we have a future for you [in lower Earth orbit]." So Bigelow's new venture wants to find out what that future looks like. The investigation should be done by December, and then the company will announce its results, saying whether the news is terrible, mediocre, or great, Bigelow says. He adds: "Of course, we're hoping that it's going to be great news." https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/20/17030072/bigelow-space-operations-habitats-lower-earth- orbit Back to Top Check Airmen Wanted - $45,000 (Phoenix, AZ) Main Responsibility: * Conducting FAR 141 recurrent training, check out flights on new hire CFIs, spot checks on line CFIs, perform remedial training, and observation flights. Qualifications: * High School Diploma or equivalent required * Must hold at least an FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating * Must have CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates * 6 months experience as a CFI required * Demonstrated success as a CFI with commensurate pass rate SKILLS AND ABILITIES * Ability to pass a Part 141 stage check pilot proficiency check for both single and multi-engine airplanes * Proficient on Microsoft Office (word, power point, excel) * Excellent oral and written communication skills * Excellent interpersonal skills, professional demeanor * Dependable, reliable and pays extreme attention to detail Benefits AeroGuard offers a variety of benefits: Paid PTO, medical, dental, vision and 401K with company match!!! SUBMIT RESUME TO: recruiter@flyaeroguard.com OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 623-580-7913 Back to Top SASS 2018 Building on the success of previous years, the Singapore Aviation Safety Seminar (SASS) will be held March 26-29, 2018, and will feature presentations from local and international speakers. The theme for SASS 2018 is "Stepping Up Safety: Enabling Growth, Embracing New Technologies." The program focuses on topics relating to recent safety challenges, human factors issues, organizational safety issues, lessons learned from recent accidents and the latest technological improvements for safety. Registration and program agenda can be found on the SASS event website. Back to Top BASS 2018 The Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) is a forum for the industry to meet in a collaborative environment to identify safety concerns, devise approaches to reduce risk and implement initiatives to improve safety. The summit, in its 63rd year, is organized by Flight Safety Foundation in partnership with the National Business Aviation Association. Content covers safety, training, practical solutions, management, human factors and other issues for every segment of the business aviation industry. The program agenda and registration information can be found on our event website. Back to Top Job Title: General Manager / Senior Flight Data Analyst This position is open to all aviation safety professionals keen to manage a business at the forefront of safety technology. Desirable qualifications include: * flight deck experience * an aviation or business-related degree * experience in voluntary safety programs * commercial experience Job Description This position combines the freedom to run and develop a business in the US with potential to make a real impact on aviation safety. It will suit a pilot who is keen on aviation but tired of hotels. The office is based in Phoenix, Arizona and customers are based from Canada to Venezuela. You will also be supporting operators around the world as a part of the Flight Data Services group of companies. Location: The job holder must be based Monday to Friday on site at our Phoenix office. Supervision: 4 current staff members (3 in office, 1 remote) Salary: The range for this role is $50,000 to $70,000 per annum dependent on skills and experience. There is also a comprehensive benefits package. IMPORTANT NOTES: * Resume and Cover Letter must be received by midnight March 31st 2018 at hr@flightdataservices.com * Successful candidates will be required to complete testing prior to scheduling for interview. * Interviews will be scheduled April 9th thru 11th and must be attended IN PERSON at the Phoenix, Arizona office. Main Purpose of Job: As General Manager you will have overall charge of the business of Flight Data Services Inc, including: 1. Management of the Company's affairs and administration. 2. Management of the staff of FDS Inc. 3. Management of customer interfaces, including annual visits, monthly reports and ad hoc communications. 4. Promotion of the Company within the continents of North and South America. 5. Responsible for Company compliance with state and federal law. As Senior Flight Data Analyst you will promote aviation safety through: 1. Providing leadership for US analysts by: a. Providing training and guidance as needed. b. Task distribution & workload management. 2. Routine analysis of downloaded data. a. Review of abnormal operations and determine the cause. b. Report on findings to airlines. c. Compilation of monthly customer reports. d. Occasional emergency customer support and call-out on a roster basis. e. Responding to ad hoc requests for analysis or supply of data. 3. Contributing to the Safety Seminar and Training Courses a. Preparation and delivery of presentations. b. Attendance at the seminar. c. Ad hoc training of attendees. 4. Depending upon specialization, one or more of the following: a. Preparation of new Analysis Specifications. b. Amending analysis procedures to change thresholds etc. in consultation with the customer and Analysis Manager c. Customer training d. Support to Marketing 5. Liaise with IT Support on software maintenance. 6. Liaise with Software Development team on the POLARIS project. The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organization and the overall business objectives of the organization. ************** About Flight Data Services Flight Data Services is an industry-leader in flight safety innovation. Our expert knowledge of flight data, aviation safety, and information technology is delivered to aircraft operators globally. We are the largest dedicated provider of flight data analysis services and our qualified and experienced flight safety specialists include the highest ratio of analysts to aircraft in the aviation industry. Flight Data Services are proud to be a global, independent and private company. In 2015 we were accredited with the 'Investors in People' award and in 2017 we earned ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. Curt Lewis