Flight Safety Information March 19, 2018 - No. 056 In This Issue Incident: Atlanta Icelandic B744 near Frankfurt on Mar 18th 2018, cracked windshield Incident: Yeti JS41 at Bhairahawa on Mar 18th 2018, wheel locked up on landing Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Frankfurt on Mar 16th 2018, a little smell of smoke in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Spicejet DH8D at Bangalore on Mar 16th 2018, temporary runway excursion on landing Etihad flight diverted due to medical emergency Incident: Azul E190 at Passo Fundo on Mar 16th 2018, runway excursion on backtrack Beechcraft C99 Runway Excursion (Nebraska) HAI to form working group to address gaps in air safety Deadly Air Crashes Shatter 2017 Aviation Safety Record Another IndiGo A320 Neo aircraft grounded due to engine snag FAA Budget Includes Aviation Safety Office Reduction Russian Hackers Attacked U.S. Aviation as Part of Breaches FAA bans open-door helicopter flights after New York City crash NTSB Reaches Out to Industry on Accident Communications MRJ flight test jets on ground for upgrades China's Burgeoning Aviation Industry GE Expects Additive Metal To Transform Aerospace New-Make And Aftermarket Airlines: A record 151 million passengers will fly this spring Will the Air Force Ever Get Their New Tanker Aircraft? Cleared for takeoff: Airbus Asia Training Centre keeps pilots sharp F-16 jet production to be exclusive (India) Court orders Guptas' jet to be grounded Airbus wants to bring down a defunct space station with a giant harpoon Put your safety assessment skills into practice ISASI -2018 - CALL FOR PAPERS RESEARCH SURVEY POSITION AVAILABLE: AVIATION OPERATIONS SAFETY SPECIALIST Incident: Atlanta Icelandic B744 near Frankfurt on Mar 18th 2018, cracked windshield An Air Atlanta Icelandic Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration TF-AMQ performing flight CC-716 from Frankfurt Hahn (Germany) to Greenville,SC (USA), was enroute at FL300 about 170nm west of Frankfurt Hahn in Belgian Airspace when the crew decided to return to Frankfurt Hahn reporting a cracked windshield. The aircraft maintained FL300, dumped fuel over the North Sea and landed safely in Hahn about 140 minutes after departure. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b63d759&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Yeti JS41 at Bhairahawa on Mar 18th 2018, wheel locked up on landing A Yeti Airlines BAe Jetstream 41, registration 9N-AJC performing flight T3-893 from Kathmandu to Bhairahawa (Nepal) with 26 people on board, landed in Bhairahawa but became disabled on the runway due to a locked wheel. The airline reported the aircraft landed safely at 17:11L but caused an inconvenience to their valued customers due to a locked wheel. The passengers disembarked onto the runway. The aircraft will remain on the runway over night until it can be moved off the runway following an examination by maintenance. Nepalese media report a nose wheel locked up. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b63d5f4&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa A321 at Frankfurt on Mar 16th 2018, a little smell of smoke in cockpit A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AIDI performing flight LH-34 from Frankfurt/Main to Hamburg (Germany), was in the climb out of Frankfurt's runway 07C when the crew stopped the climb at FL090 reporting they had "a little smell of smoke in the cockpit" and wanted to return to Frankfurt. The aircraft landed safely on runway 07C about 20 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 20 hours before returning to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b63c663&opt=256 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Spicejet DH8D at Bangalore on Mar 16th 2018, temporary runway excursion on landing A Spicejet de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration VT-SUY performing flight SG-1238 from Hyderabad to Bangalore (India), landed in Bangalore at about 22:47L (17:17Z) but damaged three runway lights. The airline reported the aircraft veered left during the landing roll and was returned onto the runway center line, then taxied normally to the apron. A number of runway edge lights were damaged in the process. The airport reported the aircraft damaged three runway lights after landing while taxiing. The runway was closed for about 40 minutes as result. Metars: VOBL 161900Z VRB01KT 4000 DZ SCT012 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1015 NOSIG= VOBL 161830Z 00000KT 4000 DZ SCT012 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1016 NOSIG= VOBL 161800Z VRB03KT 4000 DZ SCT012 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1017 NOSIG= VOBL 161730Z 33004KT 290V350 4000 DZ SCT012 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1017 BECMG 6000= VOBL 161700Z 32004KT 3000 RA SCT012 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1017 BECMG 6000= VOBL 161630Z VRB02KT 4000 BR SCT012 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1016 BECMG 6000= VOBL 161600Z VRB01KT 4000 BR SCT012 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1015 BECMG 6000= VOBL 161530Z 16004KT 090V240 3000 -TSRA SCT012 SCT018 FEW025CB BKN080 20/20 Q1014 BECMG 4000 RA/DZ= VOBL 161500Z VRB02KT 3000 -TSRA SCT012 SCT018 FEW025CB BKN080 19/19 Q1016 BECMG 4000 RA/DZ= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6309ee&opt=256 Back to Top Etihad flight diverted due to medical emergency The flight was scheduled to land in New York City at 9:15 AM local time An Etihad Airways Airbus A380 passenger aircraft en route to New York from Abu Dhabi was forced to divert after declaring an in-flight emergency, Etihad confirmed on Monday. According to an Etihad spokesperson, the flight was diverted due to a passenger suffering from a medical emergency. The flight, which took off from Abu Dhabi at 3:13 AM on Monday and was scheduled to land in New York's JFK Airport at 9:15 AM, landed at Iceland's main airport, Keflavik International Airport at 12.40pm UAE time. http://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/392270-etihad-flight-diverted-due-to-medical-emergency Back to Top Incident: Azul E190 at Passo Fundo on Mar 16th 2018, runway excursion on backtrack An Azul Linhas Aereas Embraer ERJ-190, registration PR-AZA performing flight AD-4253 from Sao Paulo Viracopos,SP to Passo Fundo,RS (Brazil), had landed on Passo Fundo's runway 08 and slowed safely. However, the aircraft went off the paved surface of the runway with its nose gear while attempting to turn around to backtrack the runway to the terminal. The passengers disembarked onto the runway via stairs and were bussed to the terminal. Passenger video (Video: Andre Rosa): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b6296ac&opt=256 Back to Top Beechcraft C99 Runway Excursion (Nebraska) Status: Preliminary Date: Friday 16 March 2018 Time: 07:49 Type: Beechcraft C99 Operator: Ameriflight Registration: N213AV C/n / msn: U-213 First flight: 1983 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Hastings Airport, NE (HSI) ( United States of America) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Omaha-Eppley Airfield, NE (OMA/KOMA), United States of America Destination airport: Hastings Airport, NE (HSI/KHSI), United States of America Flightnumber: AMF1696 Narrative: The aircraft experienced a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion upon landing on runway 04 at Hastings Municipal Airport (KHSI), Nebraska, USA. The airplane came to rest nose down, sustaining substantial damage, and the two pilots onboard were not injured. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180316-0 Back to Top HAI to form working group to address gaps in air safety Helicopter Association International (HAI) is working with industry and other interested parties to learn from the tragic results of recent helicopter accidents. We strongly believe it is in the best interests of the industry and the general public to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. To meet this objective, HAI will form a working group comprised of interested, relevant participants. Once the participants are identified, the working group will meet in the Washington, D.C., area to examine the applicability and appropriateness of existing regulations as they relate to certain mission profiles. "Our goal is, and always will be, zero accidents in the helicopter industry," says Matt Zuccaro, president and CEO of HAI. "We expect this working group to identify safety, regulatory, and best practice gaps affecting elements of our industry and then find effective solutions that are quickly achievable. We owe it to our members and the public to work together to remove impediments to operational safety." HAI will be contacting representatives from member operators to participate, but any interested party may request to join the group. For more information, interested parties should contact Dr. Steve Sparks, HAI's director of safety, at safety.assistant@rotor.org by March 30. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/hai-form-working-group-address-gaps-air-safety/ Back to Top Deadly Air Crashes Shatter 2017 Aviation Safety Record Three deadly air crashes that have killed 170 passengers in the past 4 1/2 weeks may indicate that 2017, the safest-ever year for aviation, represented a statistical blip. A total of five fare-paying customers lost their lives in just two crashes on planes of 14 seats or more in the whole of last year, and there were no passenger fatalities at all involving jet-powered aircraft. With 2018 only 2 1/2 months old, that death toll has already jumped exponentially, including the first fatal jet crash since the end of 2016. The trend highlights the relatively higher risk associated with flying on smaller aircraft, especially turboprops, in locations with challenging terrain and less developed airport infrastructure lacking the most modern navigational aids. "The airline industry probably isn't as safe as looking at 2017 in isolation would have us believe," Paul Hayes, safety director at London-based aviation consultancy Ascend FlightGlobal, said in an interview. "But three fatal accidents in a few weeks doesn't mean that safety has got worse." This week's crash involving Bangladesh-based US-Bangla Airlines, which killed 45 passengers, appears typical of deadly incidents in the past few years. It featured a turboprop model - a Bombardier Inc. Dash 8 - and an airport, Kathmandu, that's ringed by mountains and notorious among pilots. Hazardous Role Hayes, whose Airline Safety & Losses review proclaimed after 2017 that "the age of zero accidents is here, more or less," said an air traffic control transcript from the plane's final moments indicates confusion over its position and which runway it had been allocated to. A Feb. 18 crash that killed 60 passengers on a flight operated by Iran Aseman Airlines also involved a turboprop, an ATR 72 built by Airbus SE and Leonardo SpA, which hit a 13,000-foot mountain. Both 2017 incidents with passenger fatalities again featured propeller aircraft, with one person dying when an ATR 42 came down after takeoff in Saskatchewan, Canada, and five killed when a Czech-built Let L- 410 crashed short of the runway in eastern Russia. Hayes said it's not the planes themselves that are the issue, nor even the maintenance regimes at little- known operators, but the testing routes on which aircraft are deployed. "Turboprops generally operate in more hazardous environments," he said. "In places like Papua New Guinea roads don't exist and the only way is air, but the mountains and low cloud mean that it's never going to be entirely safe." Safer Jets ATR planes are designed for their versatility and are in service with more than 200 customers in 100 countries worldwide spanning very different operating conditions, spokesman David Vargas said. Bombardier's Nathalie Siphengphet said the company studies incident reports and works with airworthiness authorities and clients to improve processes, training and reliability. Hayes points to the record of Western-built jetliners as indicating a rapidly improving safety trend at major airlines. A Feb. 11 jet crash that killed 65 passengers when their aircraft came down shortly after departing Moscow involved a Russian-built Antonov An-148, and was operated by little known Saratov Airlines. Prior to that, the last customer fatalities on a jet came in November 2016 when 73 died on an BAE Systems Plc Avro RJ85, which though British-built is a smaller regional model that was operating a charter service, while an EgyptAir Airbus A320 that plunged into the Mediterranean killing 56 travelers may have been destroyed by a bomb. That leaves the loss of a FlyDubai Boeing 737 that crashed in bad weather in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, after two aborted landings as the last case of passenger fatalities on a Western jetliner not involving an external attack. The crash killed 55 passengers on March 19, 2016 - almost exactly two years ago. https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2018/03/15/283617.htm Back to Top Another IndiGo A320 Neo aircraft grounded due to engine snag Indigo has also cancelled over 120 domestic and international flights scheduled between March 16-31. Budget carrier IndiGo Airlines announced on Sunday that it A320 Neo aircraft that operated on the Bengaluru-Delhi route earlier in the day was withdrawn here for a maintenance check to attend to a reported defect. The airline, in a statement, described the exercise as a maintenance check that was conducted as part of a programme of early detection. "An A320 neo aircraft that operated Bengaluru-Delhi today morning was proactively withdrawn in Delhi for a maintenance check to attend to a pilot-reported defect. These maintenance checks are part of a comprehensive program of early detection," it said. "During the maintenance check, metal chips were observed on 1 Engine, 3 Bearing Chip detector, which is a known concern on the Neo engine." Following this, Indigo announced temporary grounding of another A320 Neo aircraft that operated on the Delhi-Srinagar route at Srinagar following detection of a hydraulic leak in an engine. The airline, in a statement, said the defect has been rectified and the aircraft is now fit to fly. "An A320 Neo aircraft that operated Delhi-Srinagar was cleared after maintenance checks upon arrival at Srinagar airport. However, during engine start, the pilot-in-command observed a hydraulic (not oil) leakage from engine 2. "The aircraft was immediately withdrawn to investigate the hydraulic leak. The issue has been rectified and the aircraft is now fit to fly," it said. The airline also announced another slew of flight cancellations due to the grounding of its airlines. Around 122 flights scheduled between March 16-31 have been cancelled. They include flights to and from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Jammu, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Amristar, Goa, Coimbatore, Indore, Kochi, Mangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi, Raipur, Visakhapatnam, among others. There are a few international flights from Muscat and to Sharjah that have been cancelled as well. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/another-indigo-a320-neo-aircraft-grounded-due-engine-snag- 78164 Back to Top FAA Budget Includes Aviation Safety Office Reduction More UAS work will test certification, oversight resources. FAA's fiscal 2019 budget request trims Aviation Safety Office (AVS) funding by 1.7%, but a reading of the agency's detailed budget documents suggests that resources will be stretched beyond the fiscal cutbacks. The $1.276 billion AVS budget request calls for 7,187 direct full-time equivalents (FTEs), compared to 7,266 in fiscal 2017, the most recent budget approved by Congress. The agency plans to use "restricted hiring to achieve savings through attrition," it explained. It also transfers $14.7 million in funding and 30 FTEs supporting "Flight Program Operations" to the Air Traffic Organization. FAA says traditional certification and oversight work will not increase much next year. But it sees a spike in unmanned aircraft system (UAS) work, as well as an increase in the level of complexity that some of these projects will bring. While FAA's staffing plan calls for adding AVS personnel "in the future," its fiscal 2019 strategy is to redirect existing resources. "The number of UAS aviation products requiring certification and approvals services is anticipated to expand within the system and products as well as operational complexity is anticipated to increase as new technologies are introduced," FAA said. "These factors are driving the need in the short-term to reprioritize some of AVS existing resources for certification services and UAS integration." FAA's internal data "indicates that the time to complete certifications for the design of new aviation products and airworthiness directives issued to correct aircraft safety deficiencies remained relatively constant," it said. FAA's $16.1 billion overall request is about 1.9% below its fiscal 2017 budget. The U.S. Congress is still working on a 2018 budget; FAA and most other agencies are working based on the approved 2017 figures. http://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/faa-budget-includes-aviation-safety-office- reduction Back to Top Russian Hackers Attacked U.S. Aviation as Part of Breaches By Alan Levin * Unspecified aviation intrusion was part of broad attack * Industry anti-hacking group says impacts were limited * Russian Hackers Attacking American Services Russian hackers attempted to penetrate the U.S. civilian aviation industry early in 2017 as part of the broad assault on the nation's sensitive infrastructure. The attack had limited impact and the industry has taken steps to prevent a repeat of the intrusion, Jeff Troy, executive director of the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center, said Friday. Troy wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the breach and declined to identify specific companies or the work that was involved. "It hit a part of our very broad membership," Troy said. The intrusion wasn't something that would directly harm airplanes or airlines, he said. "But I did see that this impacted some companies that are in the aviation sector." Troy's comments confirmed the effects on aviation of a Russian attack that was described more broadly on Thursday by U.S. government officials. The assault was aimed at the electric grid, water processing plants and other targets, the officials said, in the first formal confirmation that Russia had gained access to some U.S. computer systems. The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation identified aviation as one of the targets, but didn't provide specifics. The trade group Airlines for America declined to comment on the report. Troy's group, also known as A-ISAC, represents aircraft manufacturers, equipment suppliers, satellite builders, airports and airlines, among other elements of the broad industry. Similar groups monitoring cyber-attacks across more than a dozen sectors of the economy were formed by a presidential directive in 1998 and were bolstered several years later after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Troy said the aviation assault was detected in the early stages when hackers typically perform surveillance, test a network's defenses and devise the software weapons to use. In the energy industry attack, the hackers used smaller companies' networks to insert malware that allowed them to then gain access to power plant computers, according to the government alert Thursday. A disruption of the airline and private-aircraft systems could have enormous economic and psychological effects. In recent years, several airlines have had to halt operations and suffered millions of dollars of lost revenue when their computer reservation systems crashed, for example. Terrorists have long targeted aviation because of its out-sized impact on society. The focus on the aviation sector highlights the risks to large infrastructure systems from cyber intrusions, said Lance Hoffman, distinguished research professor at George Washington University's Department of Computer Science. Aviation companies like airlines, along with systems like the air-traffic control network, operate with increasingly connected computers that are inherently vulnerable to hacking, Hoffman said. "How do you build a system and test it and get it right?" he said. "That is a hard question." Bloomberg News reported in July that Russian hackers had breached more than a dozen power plants in seven states, an aggressive campaign that has since expanded to dozens of states, according to a person familiar with the investigation. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-16/russian-hackers-penetrated-u-s-aviation- sector-early-last-year Back to Top FAA bans open-door helicopter flights after New York City crash WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily banned open-door helicopter tours Friday because of concerns that extra restraints could hinder emergency evacuation, after the deaths of five people in a New York City crash Sunday. The FAA said operators, pilots and consumers should be aware of the hazard created with extra restraints that hold passengers inside helicopters, but could hinder an emergency evacuation. Leaving doors open is popular for photography. "The FAA will order operators and pilots to take immediate actions to control or mitigate this risk," the agency said in a statement. "Until then, the FAA will order no more "doors off" operations that involve restraints that cannot be released quickly in an emergency." A Liberty Helicopters tour crashed into the East River, killing the five passengers and injuring the pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what caused the crash. But emergency responders said they had to cut passengers out of their restraints in the helicopter, which rolled over in the water. Investigators said Thursday that they've taken apart the Airbus AS350 B2 helicopter's engine and found no abnormalities, along with no pre-crash damage to the helicopter. Investigators also have interviewed the accident pilot, who had told city officials that a passenger's bag might have hit the emergency fuel shutoff. FAA also said it will conduct a top-to-bottom review of its rules governing helicopter flights, to examine any potential policies that could create safety gaps for passengers. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/16/faa-bans-open-door-helicopter-flights-after-new- york-city-crash/433233002/ Back to Top NTSB Reaches Out to Industry on Accident Communications The NTSB is encouraging operators to reach out to the Safety Board to help with communications in the aftermath of a major accident. The Safety Board hosts annual two-day seminars, the next scheduled for October 25 and 26 at its training academy in Ashburn, Virginia, to provide guidance to industry groups on steps to take following a major accident. Peter Knudson, a public affairs officer for the organization, provided an outline to attendees of the Air Charter Safety Foundation's 2018 Safety Symposium on Tuesday, advising that the agency also is willing to visit operators to provide a one-day seminar. Knudson warned that, to be a party to an accident investigation, participants must follow strict guidelines, as to what information can and can't be revealed publicly. In particular, details of an investigation are most likely off limits, he said, but added an operation can provide some information surrounding safety steps they might be taking in the aftermath. He noted the NTSB has, in the past, removed parties from an investigation, pointing to an instance in 2014 when it revoked the party status of both the Independent Pilots Association and UPS Airlines from an UPS A300-600 crash investigation after the groups released opposing statements about an aspect of the investigation. At the same time, though, Knudson stressed that the NTSB believes it needs to be as transparent as possible with the release of as much information as possible as long as it doesn't compromise the investigation. This is important, he said, because if the agency doesn't release the information, someone else will, and that could lead to misinterpretation or a skewed presentation of the facts. "The NTSB is the sole disseminator of accident information," he said, adding this provides a presentation with "one single voice." Knudson also provided an overview of how communications have changed, where the NTSB now Tweets regularly to provide timely information. And, with an instant news reporting cycle, the Board often learns of accidents immediately through social media and news outlets-well before it is officially notified of an accident. While he did not delve into accident-investigation techniques, Knudson did say the agency is now widely using drones to survey accident scenes. On the public relations front, Knudson noted the pushback the agency received after the movie "Sully" was released. Sully was based on the Jan. 15, 2009, USAirways emergency landing in New York's Hudson River. Pointing out that the movie stemmed from an event that lasted three-and-a-half minutes, he conceded someone had to become the antagonist-and in this case it was the NTSB. Following the release, Knudson said the agency received calls from pilots around the country asking how the NTSB could treat the captain of that USAirways flight, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, in such a manner. Knudson then played a clip from an actual hearing from the NTSB investigation in which now-chairman Robert Sumwalt was praising Sullenberger's reaction during the event. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-03-15/ntsb-reaches-out-industry- accident-communications Back to Top MRJ flight test jets on ground for upgrades Mitsubishi Aircraft's four flight test MRJ regional jets at Moses Lake have been on the ground for more than a month, undergoing upgrades and executing ground tests. In response to queries from FlightGlobal, the Japanese manufacturer says the aircraft have been undergoing modifications since 13 February. "The modifications are primarily related to improvements in the aircraft wiring harnesses to bring the aircraft closer to the production configuration," says Mitsubishi. The manufacturer is also upgrading the aircraft's avionics suite, as well as the primary flight control computer software to the latest standards. "These modifications will prepare the aircraft for the next phases of testing which include natural icing, avionics and auto flight, performance and stability and control testing," it adds. While the four Pratt & Whitney PW1200G-powered aircraft will be upgraded in critical areas, they will still not be in the final type certification configuration. Two additional prototypes in the final configuration, reflecting design changes to the wiring harness and avionics bay, will join the test fleet towards the end of the year. These two jets are undergoing final assembly in Nagoya. While on the ground, the four flight test prototypes have conducted several tests. These include ACARS (aircraft communications addressing and reporting system) tests, engine runs for its air management system, under smoke penetration test, verified operation of its standby instruments, and others. Mitsubishi adds that the four aircraft will return to flight tests "very soon" and that their time on the ground poses no impact to its target of delivering the first aircraft to launch customer All Nippon Airways in mid-2020. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/mrj-flight-test-jets-on-ground-for-upgrades-446863/ Back to Top China's Burgeoning Aviation Industry The C919 roll out marked a milestone for Comac (Photo: Zhang Anchao/Comac) China's aviation industry has had a slow start and hadn't taken off until the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping opened up the country to significant economic reform. Since then, however, the industry has grown tremendously and is set to eclipse the United States' aviation industry within the next decade and a half. Comac C919 The Chinese first attempted to build a passenger jet in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but that attempted largely failed with the aircraft crashing. Since then the country has worked tirelessly to grow the industry and develop its own aircraft. In 2017, the Chinese company Comac successfully brought its C919, a Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 competitor, into mass production after a successful test flight. While the aircraft is still nearly a decade behind in technology compared to newer aircraft, it has served a proof of concept for the company. It has joined the elite few that have mastered the technical expertise required to build large jets. The company boasts over 700 orders for the jet, mainly by Chinese airlines who are often state-controlled and are highly encouraged to use the aircraft The aircraft, however, isn't completely Chinese made. The wings and tail are made in China but the majority of components are purchased from foreign suppliers such as GE, which provided the engines. Xi Jinping's Plan for China However, given Xi Jinping's, the current President of the People's Republic of China, ambitious initiative for the country laid out at the most recent Communist Party Congress, that is likely to change. With the new initiatives and his newfound power as "president for life", Mr. Xi has carefully laid out a plan to develop China into a global superpower. From the Belt and Road plan to the Made in China plan, the country has a target boost the economy and overall status of the country. Like the C919, most of this will happen with the help of foreign technology firms who will be required to transfer over core technologies in exchange for market opportunities. It has been made very clear that the country plans to become a technological power by reducing dependence on foreign supplies and U.S. technology companies. Future of Aviation Analysts estimate that the Chinese will purchase nearly $1 trillion in airplanes over the next 20 years. Boeing has built a B737 finishing factory and Airbus has a final A320 final assembly plant in China, with Airbus planning on building a wide-body jet plant in the country as well. There is no doubt that Boeing and Airbus will make off handsomely in the Chinese aviation expansion, but in the long run, it is likely that we will see a globally competitive Chinese aircraft manufacturer that will pose a serious challenge to the currently established manufacturers. https://airlinegeeks.com/2018/03/17/20567/ Back to Top GE Expects Additive Metal To Transform Aerospace New-Make And Aftermarket Engine OEM committed to new techniques, can help suppliers. Additive metal techniques will go far beyond a few specialized uses and disrupt the way aircraft engines and some other aircraft parts are made, says Udo Burggraf, business development manager for GE Additive and its subsidiary Concept Laser. In a webinar sponsored by Michigan State University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, Burggraf provided the reasoning behind his expectation that these factorswill have powerful knock-on effects on engine and aviation aftermarkets as well. Focusing on Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM), his preferred additive technology, the GE exec argues, "it will change the way engineers design, OEMs makes and shops maintain engines." Surveying GE's use of additive on its LEAP, Advanced CT7 and Advanced Turboprop engines, Burggraf says the new technology has already generated $5 billion in internal cost savings from the ability to produce bigger parts made from better materials and with more efficient systems. Moreover, he emphasizes that GE intends to share about 90% of its additive expertise with the market, retaining only 10% for its internal use. The LEAP's fuel nozzle tip is the best-publicized of additive achievements. Twenty parts were transformed into one, costs were reduced 30%, aftermarket inventories are reduced and maintenance decreases with a part that is five times as durable as the former assembly. And weight, which usually increases with better performance, went down 25%. "Complexity is free, you just put materials where needed for load," Burggraf says. GE asked its engineers what part of the old CT7 could be produced additively. They estimated about half, and the new A-CT7 reduced the 300 parts in its main frame assembly to one part. For the advanced turboprop engine, testing went down from 12 to six months, weight declined 5%, and 855 parts were replaced by 12 printed additively, all for a 20% reduction in fuel burn. Additive metal will be crucial in engines, which are almost entirely made of metal. But many other components and complex parts of airframes may also be good candidates for the technique. In all cases, fewer parts will mean a much simpler supply chain, both in manufacture and in future MRO. "Instead of many component OEMs and MROs, it will need many fewer," Burggraf says. But these fewer suppliers are likely to be larger and much more sophisticated than the firms they replace. For one hurdle to exploiting additive potential is that suppliers must be qualified at additive manufacturing to the very high safety standards required by aviation's safety-critical parts. There are two paths two qualification. The first, the point design approach, is economically impractical because it requires the destructive testing of so many parts, up to one in six produced. The preferred allowable approach to qualification requires much less destructive testing. But it means tier-x suppliers to engine and other aircraft OEMs will have to prove their capabilities in design, materials, additive processes and final production of the part itself. Each of these categories has many sub-elements that must be qualified and monitored to keep regulators and prime OEMs confident that safety standards will be maintained. GE, which qualified the first additive part for FAA approval, stands ready to help both its own and other aviation suppliers meet these rigorous standards. Additive will also mean that production of replacement parts is much more aligned with demand, rather than requiring the periodic high-volume runs and large stocks necessitated by traditional manufacturing. Part stocking, distribution, repair and asset management will change drastically for those parts that are made with the new techniques. And it is uncertain whether used parts will still play as important a role in the supply chain. In any event, Burggraf believes the gains of additive will become even more important as new airframes and engines are designed. His company now works within an 800x400x500mm DMLM cube now, but is developing the capabilities to produce larger parts. http://www.mro-network.com/technology/ge-expects-additive-metal-transform-aerospace-new-make- and-aftermarket Back to Top Airlines: A record 151 million passengers will fly this spring WASHINGTON - The sky remains the limit for spring travel, with airlines projecting Wednesday another record-setting holiday season with nearly 151 million passengers. The 4% year-over-year gain in travelers during March and April comes on top of a record number of travelers for all of 2017, according to Airlines for America, a trade group representing most of the largest carriers. The average 2.47 million daily passengers means about 94,000 more passengers will be flying each day as compared to same period a year ago, according to the airline group. Airlines are responding to the increased demand by adding more flights and bigger planes on existing routes. That, the group says, will add an average of 114,000 seats each day. "Travelers are taking to the skies this spring in record numbers, thanks to persistently low fares, unsurpassed levels of investment in the product, increasing competition, and unprecedented access for passengers of all regions, age groups, and income levels," said John Heimlich, the group's chief economist. "An expanding economy, employment gains and surging household net worth are also contributing to the growth in demand for air travel." After the economic collapse of 2008 and 2009, airline travel has grown reliably for a decade. Domestic and international airline passengers totaled nearly 768 million in 2009 and grew to nearly 932 million in 2016, according to the Transportation Department's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The number of passengers was on pace to top 960 million last year, with December figures not yet available, according to the bureau. Average domestic fares dropped from a peak of $480 in 2000 to $354 through the first half of last year, as measured in 2017 dollars, according to the bureau. Airlines invested $102 billion on planes, entertainment such as WiFi and renovated airport lounges from 2010 to 2017, according to the airline group. Airport projects worth $130 billion are completed, underway or approved at the 30 largest airports, according to the airline group. The development includes new runways at Fort Lauderdale, Washington Dulles, Seattle, and Charlotte airports; new international facilities at Atlanta and Los Angeles; and new, expanded terminals at Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, Houston, Denver, Seattle, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker argued at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Aviation Summit this month that the industry had been transformed to reliable profitability rather than just the beneficiary of lower fuel prices. "We had a business in the past that was struggling to be a real business," Parker said. But consolidation among seven airlines with hub-and-spoke systems to three carriers made the system much more efficient for customers, he said. A large point-to-point carrier and other low-cost carriers have kept the industry "intensive competitive," he said. "We're still a cyclical business," Parker said, with peaks and valleys of costs and earnings. "But I fully believe in those times it will be a profitable business, unlike it was in the past." https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2018/03/14/airlines-project-record-spring-travel-151-million- passengers-march-and-april/421543002/ Back to Top Will the Air Force Ever Get Their New Tanker Aircraft? Plagued by Delays, Cost Overruns, and Challenges A KC-46 refuels a C-17 Globemaster III. Photo: Boeing The Air Force has been trying to replace their aging KC-135 tanker aircraft...for decades. There is a replacement aircraft, the KC-46, which is nearly ready to go, but the program has been plagued by scandal and delays for many years. And now, on the eve of the new aircraft's introduction into operational service, more delays have been announced. Let's take a look at the long and sorry history of this program. First fielded in the late 1950s, the KC-135 Stratotanker has been the mainstay of the Air Force's aerial tanker fleet. Supplemented by the addition of the KC-10 tanker variant of the DC-10 airliner in the early 80s, USAF's tanker fleet has grown advanced in age and maintenance requirements to stay mission ready. A re-engining program which replaced the original Pratt and Whitney J-57 turbojets with modern CFM-56 high bypass turbofans did help to extend the life of the KC-135, but these 1950s era aircraft are entering their seventh decade of service and are in need of replacement. Enter the KC-767 Starting in 2002, the Air Force explored the replacement of the KC-135 with a tanker variant of the Boeing 767 airliner to be known as the KC-767. Other potential aircraft considered to be used as a platform for the new tanker were the 747, the MD-11, the A-310, which had already been converted into a tanker in Germany, and the C-17. An Airbus version of the A-330 airliner to be known as the KC- 330 was also evaluated with the decision eventually made to go with the Boeing KC-767 plane. After the decision awarding the contract to Boeing was announced, allegations of corruption surfaced. A resulting congressional investigation turned up evidence that the competition had been rigged in favor of Boeing. An Air Force program manager and Boeing executive were eventually convicted and served jail time for their roles in the scandal. KC-767 aircraft went on to be built by Boeing and sold to the Italian Air Force and Japanese Self Defense Force. The KC-767 acquisition program was cancelled by the Air Force in 2006 followed by a request for proposals for a new tanker replacement program to be known as the KC-X. Boeing offered a different variant of the 767 airliner after deciding against a 777 version. Airbus partnered with Northrup Grumman to propose an A-330 based tanker now known as the KC-30. This time the contract was awarded to the Airbus tanker over the Boeing entry. Alleging bidding improprieties, Boeing started a public relations campaign to have the decision reversed. After the GAO confirmed Boeing's allegations, the program was opened for a rebid with Boeing winning the award over Airbus in February of 2011, nearly 10 years after the start of the process. The KC-46 Pegasus Comes to Life (Sort of) Design work began on the new aircraft immediately with the contract calling for the first deliveries of operational aircraft in 2017. Snafus in the program followed shortly thereafter. In 2014 it was discovered that a significant amount of wiring had to be redesigned due to safety concerns. Boeing took a $425 million charge in 2014 due to the delays and extra costs essentially guaranteeing that the program would be unprofitable for the company after winning the contract on a fixed cost basis. More delays and charges were taken in 2015 due to problems identified in the fuel system. The first flight of the aircraft in its final configuration occurred on September 25th of that year, but delays nearly ensured that an already aggressive test flight program would be difficult to achieve in the allotted time. In May of 2016, another six month delay was announced due to supply chain problems. By that time Boeing had already taken nearly $1.5 billion in cost overruns against the program. By mid 2016 it became apparent that there was a growing likelihood that Boeing would not be able to deliver the first 18 KC-46 aircraft to the Air Force by the agreed upon date of August 2017. At that point discussions were started as to what sort of penalties would be levied against Boeing. Additional cost overruns by this time had raised Boeing's out of pocket costs for the program to about $1.9 billion. New technical problems with the boom refueling system and delays in the certification of the centerline drogue and wing refueling pods pushed the projected delivery of the first 18 aircraft into the first half of 2018. As the program currently stands, ongoing boom refueling control problems, lack of a supplemental FAA certification, and problems with the HF radio system which may result in arcing on the skin of the aircraft (generally bad in a refueling aircraft) are pushing initial delivery well into 2018, over a year late. In Conclusion The military procurement system has always been somewhat of slow motion train wreck resulting in weapons systems designed by committee and costing taxpayers billions of dollars over what they should, but this program should win an award for dragging a simple tanker replacement out decades. Many times the delivered systems then do not work as advertised or are so laden down with useless features so as to be worse than the systems they replace. Expensive fixes then need to be designed and installed to fix poor initial design. There has to be a better way. Add to this the overly aggressive bidding and promises made by Boeing in order to ensure that they got the contract and it seems like this decades long disaster will leave no winners on the field. https://www.avgeekery.com/will-the-air-force-ever-get-their-new-tanker-aircraft/ Back to Top Cleared for takeoff: Airbus Asia Training Centre keeps pilots sharp The flight deck on the A350 XWB simulator is identical to the real deal. For plane spotters and aviation lovers it would be the ultimate games arcade. Six full-flight simulators, each worth about $35 million. It makes PlayStation and the likes look decidedly antiquated. Of course, at that sky-high price, this is not for playing games. The Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC), on the outskirts of Singapore, is serious business - 24 hours a day, seven days a week - as pilots from more than 40 airlines train, upskill, convert and do their regular proficiency tests to maintain their licences. The 9250 sq m temperature-controlled facility, opened with an initial outlay of $125 million in April 2016, is a joint venture between Airbus (55 per cent) and Singapore Airlines (45 per cent). The A350 XWB simulator at the Airbus Asia Training Centre in Singapore. And such is the demand as global aviation keeps growing - in the Asia-Pacific region alone, the in- service fleet is expect to increase from 6100 today to about 17,000 by 2038 - that another two simulators will be added by next year. Airbus estimates that passenger traffic will grow by 5.6 per cent annually in the Asia-Pacific region over the next two decades. Such are the ultra-hi-tech facilities, it would be possible to fully train a complete (but intelligent) rookie off the street without him setting foot on a real aircraft, to the point of handing him the 'keys' to a plane. Looks real, eh? Each simulator offers life-like HD graphics. AATC markets itself as a one-stop-shop for pilot training at every level, including entry level, types rating (for example, going from an A320 to an A350), recurrent and refresher courses, commercial courses right up to instructor/examiner level. And to ensure any trainees' attention is fully focused on the art of flying, AATC looks after everything from visas, accommodation, health care, transport, meals, recreation and administration. Student pilots, and those switching to another Airbus aircraft, normally start with Airbus Cockpit Experience (ACE), a non-motion, pre-simulator module, which was pioneered by AATC. Essential but less exciting, it involves stationary flight deck mock-ups and 3D simulation on computers and tablets. Day becomes night at the flick of a switch. The next step is procedural training in the Airline Pilot Transition, which morphs into many hours on the simulators, on which every possible weather, airport and in-flight scenario can be created. That $35 million buys a full-flight, full-motion simulator on hydraulic legs, life-like HD graphics, and software and hardware to create anything from a clear-weather, smooth flight to the most dramatic turbulence, vicious crosswinds and emergencies like instrument failure and bird strike. It will be of great comfort to all passengers to read that these sessions are not fun and games. Each session is treated like a real flight, from wearing seatbelts to being formally dispatched and having interaction with air traffic control. If it happens on a real aircraft, it happens on the simulator. No ifs, no buts. Captain BK Chin, head of training at the Airbus Asia Training Centre in Singapore. Currently, pilots have to do two recurrent and two proficiency sessions a year, during which any scenario can be thrown their way. Pass, and they're sent back to work; fail, and retraining and retesting are mandatory. Pilots will openly say that these tests bring on a serious case of the jitters, as flying futures are at stake, but it's massively reassuring to know that your 'cabbie' at 39,000 will be well drilled in saving the day when something does go wrong. Captain BK Chin, head of training at AATC and a veteran pilot, has comforting words for those scared of what might go wrong. "Apart from highly trained and skilled pilots, modern aircraft have six computer systems to back each other up. The airport view from the simulator flight deck. "And in the unprecedented case of all six failing, there's still a manual back-up." His worst fear? Fire on board. "With our extensive training and uncompromising standards, pilots will know what to do in virtually every scenario imaginable. But fire on board in an unknown, in many ways, so passengers should always obey the rules on what they can pack and what not." With smoking long banned on flights, the chance of fire on board is minimal. And for all other eventualities, you're in good hands with the men and women at the very front of the plane. A flight deck mock-up for entry-level training. BY THE NUMBERS 6 - Simulators for the A380, A320, A330 (2) and A350 XWB (2). 2 - Simulators to be added by 2019, for the A320 and A350 XWB 26 - instructors at AATC 35 - other staff at AATC 10,000 - current capacity for number of trainees 10,000+ - minimum flying hours required to be an instructor 44 - airlines using the facilities $35m - price of a simulator (plus a few million for IT backup, space, temperature control and maintenance) WHO TRAINS AT AATC? Aircalin, Air Caraibes, Air Macau, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific Air, China Airlines, Citilink, Ethiopian Airlines, Eva Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flyadeal, Himalaya Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Japan Airlines, JC International Airlines, Jetstar, Kuwait Airways, Lanmei Airlines, Lion Air, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, PAL Express, Peach, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Scoot, Sichuan Airlines, Silkair, Singapore Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, SunExpress Deutschland, Thai Airways International, Thai Smile, Tigerair Taiwan, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Virgin Australia and WOW Air. https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/100782801/cleared-for-takeoff-airbus-asia-training-centre-keeps- pilots-sharp Back to Top F-16 jet production to be exclusive, cost advantageous and will bolster 'Make in India' initiative: Lockheed "We plan to introduce two new words into the lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: 'India' and 'exclusive'," said Lockheed Martin. The F-16 remains the backbone of the US Air Force, the world's most capable air force, said Vivek Lall from Lockheed Martin The plan to set up an F-16 jet production unit in India will be an "exclusive" proposition that will help the country in achieving its operational needs as well as the 'Make in India' initiative, according to American aerospace and defence major Lockheed Martin. As India continues to shop around to add new fighter jets into its air force, Lockheed Martin has offered to relocate its entire production line to India. The company said it intends to create far more than an "assembly line" in India. "We plan to introduce two new words into the lexicon of international fighter aircraft manufacturing: 'India' and 'exclusive'. F-16 production in India will be exclusive, something that has never before been presented by any other fighter aircraft manufacturer, past or present," Vivek Lall, vice president, strategy and business development, Lockheed Martin told PTI in an interview. "The F-16 gives the Indian industry a unique opportunity to be at the centre of the world's largest fighter aircraft ecosystem," said Lall, who played a key role in some of the big ticket American military sales to India, including the General Atomics-built guardian predator drones announced by the US last year. Lall claimed the offer from Lockheed is cost advantageous for India. "The F-16 is the only aircraft programme in this competition with the proven performance and industrial scale to meet India's operational needs and Make in India priorities," he said, claiming that no competing aircraft comes close to matching the F-16's operational effectiveness and industrial success.The F-16 remains the backbone of the US Air Force, the world's most capable air force, he said. Structural and avionic upgrades to the US F-16 fleet will extend service life to 2045, while the F-16 becomes even more capable as technology enhancements from the F-22 and F-35 are continuously integrated across all three platforms, he added. Lall, however, refused to reply to questions on F-35. "Any discussions regarding potential new F-35 customers begin at the government-to-government level. It is not our place to speak on behalf of the US government or the government of India," he said. Notably, US Pacific Command Commander Admiral Harry Harris during his two recent Congressional testimonies has supported selling F-35 fighter jets to India. "At the moment, India is considering a number of US systems for purchase, all of which USPACOM fully supports: the F-16 for India's large single-engine, multi-role fighter acquisition programme," Harris told the Congressional committees last week. https://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/f-16-jet-production-in-india-to-be-exclusive-will- bolster-make-in-india-initiative-lockheed-martin/story-36XezulNakTWTCWQLBt58L.html Back to Top Court orders Guptas' jet to be grounded The Gupta family's Bombardier Global Express 6000. (Supplied to Netwerk24) Johannesburg - The South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg ruled on Monday that a Bombadier Global 6000 aircraft, which the Gupta family was leasing, must be handed over to the applicants and stored at Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg. The court also interdicted the family and its companies from using the aircraft. Export Development Canada (EDC), which operates as an export credit agency, and Stoneriver brought the application against the Guptas over a lease agreement relating to the Bombadier jet valued at $41m. The Guptas have a lease agreement with EDC for the aircraft, registered as ZS-OAK, but are currently engaged in a court dispute in the UK over the agreement. EDC had asked the court in South Africa to ground the plane, until a final order was made, and to prevent its movement while the tracking system was switched off. https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/court-orders-guptas-jet-to-be-grounded-20180319 Back to Top Airbus wants to bring down a defunct space station with a giant harpoon Junk in orbit around the Earth is becoming a bigger problem every year. Space agencies are tracking some 7,000 tons of debris, adding up to more than 20,000 pieces larger than 10 centimeters. European space agencies and private companies, in a joint effort called RemoveDebris, plan to test a variety of different possible solutions next month with a satellite launched aboard a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station. "The problem with so much junk up there now is it is actually starting to prove a real issue, and the chance of collisions is increasing all the time," Jason Forshaw of RemoveDebris told The Guardian. One of the most intriguing efforts is spearheaded by Airbus, and its target is the biggest hunk of junk in orbit - Envisat, the largest Earth observation satellite ever launched, weighing more than eight tons. The company wants to corral the floating behemoth with a giant space harpoon, and then drag it down into the atmosphere, where it will burn up on reentry. According to the BBC, the harpoon is currently being developed in England, and a small prototype will be tested during next month's RemoveDebris mission. "If we can design a harpoon that can cope with Envisat, then it should be able to cope with all other types of spacecraft including the many rocket upper-stages that remain in orbit," said project engineer Alastair Wayman. Envisat, launched in 2002, was a state-of-the-art observation platform bristling with instrumentation including imaging radar, spectrometers, and atmospheric sensors. The European Space Agency (ESA) unexpectedly lost contact with the satellite in 2012. Despite numerous attempts to resurrect it, the mission was declared officially dead shortly thereafter. The relative simplicity of the harpoon is what appeals to engineers. "Many of these targets will be tumbling and if you were to use a robotic arm, say, that involves a lot of quite complex motions to follow your target," Wayman explained. "Whereas, with the harpoon, all you have to do is sit a distance away, wait for the target to rotate underneath you, and at the right moment fire your harpoon." Envisat is the long-term goal of the space harpoon project - its great white whale, as it were - but test missions in the next few years will focus on smaller targets. April's RemoveDebris demo mission will release a small target from the satellite and then attempt to retrieve it using the harpoon. The harpoon that Airbus plans to use for Envisat is about three feet long, and it's fired with a burst of compressed air. Barbs will pop out and lock it into place after penetrating the skin of the rogue spacecraft, which is a little more than an inch thick. "The harpoon goes through these panels like a hot knife through butter," said Wayman. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/airbus-space-harpoon/ Back to Top Back to Top Put your safety assessment skills into practice http://saiblog.cranfield.ac.uk/ Are you looking to acquire practical experience in conducting a system safety assessment (SSA) on an aircraft? Our upcoming continuing professional development (CPD) programme will provide you with the relevant skills and knowledge: Applied Safety Assessment Workshop: 06 - 10 Aug 2018 This course brings together the considerable expertise of RGW Cherry and Associates and Cranfield University, to deliver a level of training that is world-class. The course combines theoretical teaching with hands-on, practical sessions. You will carry out safety analyses on a system installed on an aircraft using drawings, schematics and the actual aircraft as appropriate. These analyses will form an integral part of the workshop objective of producing a comprehensive SSA. Read the Safety and Accident Investigation blog Key topics include: * Functional hazard assessment (FHA) * Particular risks * Enhanced fault tree analysis (EFTA) * Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) * Zonal safety analysis The Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Centre (CSAIC) offers an extensive range of CPD programmes, which provide insight and knowledge to support accident investigators. We also provide safety and accident investigation consultancy services and would love to speak to you about your organisation's particular requirements. Contact an advisor: shortcourse@cranfield.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1234 754189 Back to Top Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions of criminalization in aviation accidents. This study is expected to take approximately 10 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and a certified pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be immediately destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJKwrq6VG_2gRwoXEs7PLRIBBVQ48- d9k75CDD_Yyh6wlk0g/viewform?usp=sf_link For more information, please contact: Dr. Scott R. Winter winte25e@erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Back to Top Position Reporting to the Executive Director, this individual works with air carriers to guide them through designing and implementing aviation safety management programs in accordance with Medallion standards under the Shield ProgramŽ. This specialist should have a broad working knowledge of part 121 and part 135 aviation practices and the general principles of aviation safety management system, a working knowledge of the FARs and good customer relation skills. The position is based in Alaska and requires some travel. The ideal candidate will also serve as the ASAP Facilitator. We manage all of the administrative aspects of the ASAP MOU with over 15 carriers. Applicants with previous part 119 credentials or recent FAA ASI background are strongly encouraged to apply Duties Guide development of documentation to support Medallion Shield programs Perform on-site visits to ensure basic compliance with an aviation operator's Medallion safety programs Interface with Medallion staff and Auditors on progress of programs and deficiencies Work with Medallion Auditors and operators to develop corrective action plans Develop and conduct classroom training in support of the Shield program Keep Medallion database up to date with customer information Other duties as assigned to support other Medallion programs and initiatives Job can be tailored to Part-time or Full-time Qualifications 10 Year Aviation preferred 5 years' experience in aviation safety Understand and apply general principles of aviation safety management systems Must have excellent communication skills and be able to interact with a wide variety of people Have basic computer skills Must have no travel restrictions Able to work with minimal supervision Must be able to lead people and accept responsibility Knowledge and understanding of the Federal Aviation Regulations Experience working with certificated aviation businesses Familiarity with Medallion Shield Program a plus Working knowledge of Safety Management System concepts Class Room Training as an Instructor Medallion is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Contact - info@medallionfoundation.org Curt Lewis