Flight Safety Information May 8, 2018 - No. 092 In This Issue Accident: Spirit A319 near Orlando on May 3rd 2018, fumes cause three flight attendants feel unwell Incident: Gol B737 at Curitiba on May 7th 2018, rejected takeoff due to burning odour Incident: Allegiant A319 near Asheville on May 6th 2018, electrical odour on board EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Flynas A320 near Dammam on May 6th 2018, dropped part of wing root fairing panel Spain investigates Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 landing accident at Santiago de Compostela Airport Pickup truck hits Southwest jet at BWI Airport 'Flight Deck LIBIK - Lithium-Ion Battery Incident Kit Probe into dangerous error by El Al pilot who entered wrong aircraft weight FAA: New Inspections Ordered on Certain Engines Elon Musk hung up on NTSB chairman during a call regarding deadly Model X crash Uber hires NTSB veteran to advise its safety efforts Boeing tests ground collision avoidance tech Alaska Air Group Names Max Tidwell VP of Safety and Security An international airline is hiring aspiring pilots with no experience and training them for free Air Force mulls staffing problems as more fighter pilots leave Lufthansa makes $2.5 billion plane order in light of improving results, delivery delays Northern California Business Aviation Association NorcalBAA.org...NCBAA 2018 Safety Day May 10 2018 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award 'BASS - Business Aviation Safety Summit - 2018' Don't miss the HFACS workshop in Las Vegas June 12th & 13th Accident: Spirit A319 near Orlando on May 3rd 2018, fumes cause three flight attendants feel unwell A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N512NK performing flight NK-902 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Orlando,FL (USA), was descending towards Orlando when an odour of musty dirty feet began to develop in the aft cabin, a number of passengers began to complain about the odour, 3 cabin crew began to feel unwell, light headed with nausea, headache and stomach cramps. The captain instructed the cabin crew to use their oxygen bottles and performed a rapid descent to 10,000 feet and continued to Orlando for a landing without further incident. The three affected cabin crew went to the emergency room. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Orlando for 2:20 hours, then departed for flight NK-405 to Dallas Ft. Worth. The FAA reported on May 7th 2018: "the FAA is looking into the reported fume event on a Spirit Airlines flight on May 3, 2018, (DFW-MCO), involving an Airbus A319 N512NK." https://flightaware.com/live/flight/NKS902/history/20180503/2103Z/KDFW/KMCO http://avherald.com/h?article=4b84aa75&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Gol B737 at Curitiba on May 7th 2018, rejected takeoff due to burning odour A Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-700, registration PR-GEA performing flight G3-2089 from Curitiba,PR to Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont,RJ (Brazil), was accelerating for takeoff from Curitiba's runway 15 when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed due to a strong burning odour. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. Passengers reported the crew explained the stench was due to a problem with the air conditioning. The aircraft was able to depart about 3.5 hours later and reached Rio de Janeiro with a delay of about 3:15 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b849fc9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Allegiant A319 near Asheville on May 6th 2018, electrical odour on board An Allegiant Airbus A319-100, registration N325NV performing flight G4-1878 from Indianapolis,IN to Myrtle Beach,SC (USA) with 117 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL370 about 80nm northnorthwest of Asheville,NC (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Asheville due to an electrical odour that had already persisted for several minutes. The aircraft landed safely on Asheville Regional Airport's runway 34 about 25 minutes later. The airline confirmed the aircraft diverted to Asheville Regional due an electrical odour persisting for several minutes out of abundance of caution. Maintenace was unable to determine the source of the odour. The passenger were taken to Myrtle Beach by a replacement aircraft. A replacement A319-100 registration N301NV reached Myrtle Beach with a delay of 5:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service after about 16 hours on the ground. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAY1878/history/20180506/1900Z/KIND/KMYR http://avherald.com/h?article=4b849e4d&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Flynas A320 near Dammam on May 6th 2018, dropped part of wing root fairing panel A Flynas Airbus A320-200, registration VP-CXE performing flight XY-74 from Riyadh to Dammam (Saudi Arabia), was descending towards Dammam, when a loud noise was heard. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Dammam's runway 34L. A passenger reported during the descent towards Damman a "thud noise" was heard which the passenger believed to have been an overhead locker or toilet door being slammed shut, another passenger indicated he had been asleep and woke up by the noise. After the passengers disembarked they noticed part of a panel was missing from the left hand wing root fairing. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 23 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b846db5&opt=0 Back to Top Spain investigates Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 landing accident at Santiago de Compostela Airport Status: Preliminary Date: Friday 4 May 2018 Time: 20:10 Type: Cessna 525C Citation CJ4 Operator: Aluminios Cortizo Registration: EC-MOQ C/n / msn: 525C-0161 First flight: 2014 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Santiago De Compostela Airport (SCQ) ( Spain) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Zagreb-Pleso Airport (ZAG/LDZA), Croatia Destination airport: Santiago De Compostela Airport (SCQ/LEST), Spain Narrative: A Cessna 525C Citation CJ4, EC-MOQ, was damaged in a landing accident on runway 35 at Santiago De Compostela Airport, Spain. The aicraft blocked the runway for about two hours, causing diversion of several incoming flights. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20180504-0 Back to Top Pickup truck hits Southwest jet at BWI Airport, latest in recent string of incidents for airline A Southwest Airlines plane flying from Fort Lauderdale to BWI was hit by a pickup truck after landing at the airport Monday. A pickup truck crashed into a Southwest Airlines jet as it was pulling into a gate at BWI Marshall Airport just after midnight Monday - the latest in a recent string of safety incidents for the airline. Monday's incident a few minutes after midnight caused no injuries among the 172 passengers aboard Flight 6263 from Fort Lauderdale, Southwest said. But it follows an incident April 17 when a passenger was killed and seven others injured after shrapnel from a failed engine shattered a window aboard one of its planes mid-flight and another last week in which a cracked window forced an emergency landing. Southwest, the dominant carrier at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, reported that it's seeing slightly weaker ticket sales following the fatal engine failure, but experts don't expect any long-lasting impact on the Dallas-based airline or the airport. Any airplane accident usually generates news coverage - especially when several happen in quick succession - but keeping each in context is crucial, said Mike Rioux, chief operating officer at JDA Aviation Technology Solutions, a Bethesda-based aviation safety consulting firm. The April 17 accident aboard Flight 1380 from New York to Dallas caused the first passenger fatality in Southwest's nearly 60-year history, while no one was injured by the cracked window aboard Flight 957 from Chicago to New Jersey, which prompted it to land in Cleveland last week. The crash Monday by a Southwest-owned pickup truck appeared to be due to simple human error, Rioux said. The airline released only a brief statement in response to the incident and did not say what caused the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board was monitoring the situation, but had not launched a formal investigation, a spokesman said. "Even though it looks like it would be an indication people are falling asleep at the switch at Southwest, it wouldn't give me any concern of whether they're doing their jobs," Rioux said. He noted that minor incidents like the truck crash occur at airports across the globe on a regular basis, and aren't cause for concern. "I see this stuff every day," Rioux said. "Worldwide, there were probably 12 similar events." Passengers' photos showed a white pickup truck with no front bumper and a rumpled hood next to the front wheels of the plane. Responding to a tweet from one passenger, Michael Simon, the airline said it was "glad to hear everyone made it safely to BWI" but that it regretted the inconvenience. Following record passenger revenues of $4.6 billion in the first quarter of the year, Southwest said in its most recent earnings statement that it expected a 1 percent to 3 percent drop in fare revenue in the second quarter - in part "attributable to recent softness in bookings following the Flight 1380 accident." While the three recent incidents don't appear related, any airline can take a significant financial hit from even the perception of a lack of safety, said P.K. Kannan, dean's chair in marketing science at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. "All of them occurring to a particular airline in succession can have an impact," he said. "There certainly could be the perception that they are not operationally sound." In reality, however, an airline is likely to become hypersensitive to safety protocols after an incident and ramp up its maintenance and inspection programs, Kannan said. And unless problems persist, concerns about safety often take a back seat to cost and convenience, he said. After all, as customers, airline passengers have far fewer options among airlines than they do among restaurants, for example, he said. "I think initially they might have some impact," Kannan said of the recent incidents. "But over time people might forget about them, and then it's back to business as usual." BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean said the state-run airport has not lost faith in its largest carrier, which has a hub at the airport and is responsible for about 70 percent of its flights. "Aviation remains an extraordinarily safe mode of transportation," he said. "We remain confident in Southwest Airlines and its commitment to safety." http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-md-ap-southwest-truck-bwi-20180507-story.html Back to Top Back to Top Probe into dangerous error by El Al pilot who entered wrong aircraft weight Company insists there was 'no danger to passengers' after jet's computer told plane 40 tons lighter than it actually was An El Al Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv on August 23, 2017 (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90) An El Al 787 pilot recently may have endangered the safety of his plane and its passengers when he accidentally input the wrong data into the jet's computers, Channel 10 news reported Monday. Ahead of a flight from Israel's Ben Gurion Airport to New York, the pilot entered weight figures which were 40 tons lighter than the aircraft's actual load for that flight. The pilots noticed the error only after take-off and corrected it. Authorities have launched an investigation. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories FREE SIGN UP The plane's computers use weight data in various calculations relating to take-off. Gal Peleg, CEO of plane seller Jetsetter, told Channel 10 that a discrepancy of tens of tons could have been disastrous. For example, the aircraft may have incorrectly determined the speed required for take- off. "When a plane reaches the end of a runway and doesn't have enough speed to lift off, it's beyond braking speed, loaded with fuel, heavy and unable to fly - that's a very dire, dangerous situation." El Al in a statement insisted that "at no stage was there any danger to the passengers or the plane." It said it had "investigated and handled in incident immediately" and was awaiting a report by the Transportation Ministry before it takes further action. https://www.timesofisrael.com/probe-into-dangerous-error-by-el-al-pilot-who-entered-wrong-aircraft- weight/ Back to Top FAA: New Inspections Ordered on Certain Engines The Federal Aviation Administration is calling for repeated inspections on the types of fan blades that came apart in the engine that failed on a Southwest Airlines plane, killing a mother of two. It is the newest development since that emergency landing of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 on April 17, 2018. A previous Airworthiness Directive called for ultrasonic inspections on certain engines following a certain amount of cycles - that is basically the time between takeoff and landing and shutting off the engine. The most recent AD, effective May 14, 2018, says in part: "We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all CFM International S.A. (CFM) Model CFM56- 7B engines. This AD requires initial and repetitive inspections of the concave and convex sides of the fan blade dovetail to detect cracking and replacement of any blades found cracked. This AD was prompted by a recent engine failure due to a fractured fan blade, that resulted in the engine inlet cowl disintegrating and debris penetrating the fuselage, causing a loss of pressurization, and prompting an emergency descent. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products." " ... This condition, if not addressed, could result in fan blade failure due to cracking, which could lead to in an engine in-flight shutdown (IFSD) uncontained release of debris, damage to the airplane, and possible airplane decompression ...", the FAA noted. The AD says, " ... we evaluated all the relevant information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design ...". The National Transportation Safety Board has also released an update on the investigation. The update explains a fan blade suffered metal fatigue, separated from its root, and caused significant damage, including blowing out a window. Flight attendants onboard the flight heard a loud sound and experienced vibrations, and oxygen masks deployed automatically, according to the NTSB update. The captain took over controls from the co-pilot and when learning about the injuries on board, she expedited the plane's landing, the update says. One passenger, Jennifer Riordan, 43, was pulled out of the plane's busted window and later died. NTSB investigators looked at Southwest maintenance records and found the fan blades in the engine were last overhauled in November 2012 by sight or using a florescent dye to look for surface defects. The Boeing 737 engines are made by CFM International, jointly owned by General Electric Co. and the French company, Safran SA. CFM first recommended more inspections using ultrasound and electrical currents after an engine broke apart on another Southwest plane in 2016. No one was injured in that incident. Following the recent FAA airworthiness directive published on May 2, 2018, CFM says in a statement: "The Airworthiness Directive that the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority published today is a follow-on Airworthiness Directive from the emergency AD the FAA published on April 20. Today's FAA AD fully adopts the inspections recommended in CFM's Service Bulletin issued on April 20, which EASA formerly adopted through issuance of its emergency AD on that same day. Today's FAA AD mandates the ultrasonic inspection and eddy current inspection of all CFM56-7B fan blades that have accumulated more than 20,000 cycles, as outlined in the CFM Service Bulletin. These inspections are to be completed by August 31, 2018. The AD also mandates that airlines continue to perform these inspections every 3,000 cycles (1.5 to 2 years of operation). In addition, airlines are required to perform the inspections on fan blades as they reach the 20,000 cycle threshold, with the continued repetitive 3,000 cycle inspections." The FAA estimates some 3,716 engines installed on planes of various airlines are affected by this new airworthiness directive. If a fan blade fails an inspection it must be replaced. A Southwest spokeswoman said the company is on track to complete an inspection of all CFM56-7B fan blades by mid-May, well ahead of the FAA deadline. "We already have a program in place that satisfies the repetitive inspection requirements. We have not found any cracked fan blades," she said. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/FAA-New-Inspections-Ordered-on-Certain-Engines- 481986641.html Back to Top Elon Musk hung up on NTSB chairman during a call regarding deadly Model X crash A few weeks prior to his famously frustrated investor call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hung up on the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board during a call regarding an investigation into a fatal crash involving a Model X, Bloomberg reports. NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt called Musk to warn him that the company's blog posts placing blame on the car's driver for the fatal accident had crossed a line. Tesla had previously been warned against making statements regarding the crash while it was under investigation. During a speech given to the International Society of Air Safety Investigators' Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter, Sumwalt said that "best I remember, he hung up on us." Sumwalt had been discussing the NTSB's policy of bringing on industry experts to help with its investigation. The NTSB was originally looking into why the Model X's battery caught fire after the car crashed into a highway barrier. Tesla later said that the car had been in Autopilot mode when the accident occurred. This prompted the NTSB to expand the scope of its investigation to include the Autopilot feature. Musk's decision to hang up on Sumwalt may have prompted the board to kick Tesla's representatives off the investigation. Tesla had previously released a statement saying that it had decided to "withdraw" from the NTSB's investigation. On April 12, however, the NTSB released a statement saying that it had chosen to remove Tesla's represtentatives. While Tesla has not responded to Sumwalt's comments regarding the phone call, it has spoken out about the board's decision to remove Tesla from the ongoing investigation. A Tesla spokesperson even told TechCrunch that the NTSB is "more concerned with press headlines than actually promoting safety." Tesla maintained that it had a right to warn customers to maintain control of their vehicles while Autopilot was being used. In addition to the Mountain View investigation, the NTSB is also investigating a Tesla crash in Los Angeles. As of right now, the NTSB has not released any findings regarding the Mountain View crash, though Tesla has cast blame on the car's driver. Sumwalt isn't the only person to annoy Musk during a phone call. During a recent earning's call, the Tesla CEO lashed out at Wall Street for focusing too much on quarterly earnings. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/musk-ntsb-phone-call/ Back to Top Uber hires NTSB veteran to advise its safety efforts Chris Hart will guide safety for self-driving cars and beyond. Uber is ready to rethink its safety approach in the wake of its fatal self-driving car crash. The ridesharing firm told Reuters it has hired former NTSB Chairman Chris Hart as an advisor on its broader safety efforts alongside a "top-to-bottom" review of safety in its autonomous vehicle program. Hart is no stranger to self-driving technology: he oversaw the NTSB while it investigated a Tesla crash where Autopilot was involved, and has seen autonomy as just a matter of time. The review will cover everything from the self-driving system itself to training for the operators. Uber isn't saying more at the moment, but promised additional info soon. There's a certain amount of public relations maneuvering involved: Uber wants to show that the crash was an isolated incident, and hiring a national safety leader will do that. At the same time, Hart's advice and the review demonstrate that Uber isn't taking the incident lightly. It knows it has to prevent another incident if self-driving cars are going to take off, even if that means taking drastic steps. https://www.engadget.com/2018/05/08/uber-hires-ntsb-veteran-to-advise-safety-efforts/ Back to Top Boeing tests ground collision avoidance tech As the world's airports get busier, a Boeing program is helping find new technologies to keep pilots from running into things on the ground. Flying is incredibly safe, but that safety record is under siege because airports are getting a lot busier. Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program is providing a testing platform. It's where new technologies to improve aviation safety are attempted as the skies become more crowded and airports get busier. Boeing estimates the world's fleet will double by 23,000 airplanes over the next 20 years, far out-pacing airport real estate. That means more canceled flights, expensive repairs, and risk to passengers. When you see an airport tarmac, you see planes big and small. But there are also fuel trucks, food and maintenance trucks, baggage tugs and workers -- all potential collisions. KING 5 was on board for a test of a new radar and camera system meant to help pilots detect dangers on the ground that may be out of their point of view, particularly at night or in severe weather conditions. It's called the Surface Operations Collision Avoidance System (SOCAS). '"We're trying to simulate situations at an airport, where one aircraft might get really close to another one," said Boeing engineer Amelia Wilson. "So if you think of the backup system on your car, it beeps at you when you get too close to something. We're trying to do the same thing, but for airplanes." The testing is performed at a former Air Force Base that Boeing now owns near remote Glasgow, Montana. It involves a 777 freighter leased back from FedEx. It's to see if a new radar mounted on the tip of the left wing senses a large, inflatable pylon with a sheet of aluminum taped to it. The pylon is on the back of a Boeing fire truck. To make sure the radar can see everything, the test is repeated with the truck parked in different spots and at different angles. Even while moving off the taxiway, not unlike one plane follow another. When a potential collision is detected, a beep goes off in the cockpit. "We can see all types of radar cross sections reflecting back to our radar, from the snow, from the pavement and what we do is filter out the highest ones that will be reflected off the pylon and the fire truck," said Boeing Electrical Engineer Michelle Warren. "This is research. This is the first time trying something on this big of a platform, so it's an exciting thing." There is promise here but will take years before this system becomes a finished product. The final version could be just an audible warning or could include a camera image, potentially a map in the cockpit. https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/aerospace/boeing-tests-ground-collision-avoidance- tech/281-549590859 Back to Top Alaska Air Group Names Max Tidwell VP of Safety and Security Max Tidwell, Alaska Air Group PHOTO: Max Tidwell, Alaska Air Group (photo courtesy Alaska Air Group) WHY IT RATES: Tidwell has decades of experience in aviation safety, and his appointment underscores Alaska Airlines' commitment to maintaining customer safety and implementing industry-leading safety initiatives. -Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Senior Writer Alaska Air Group's board of directors named Max Tidwell vice president of safety and security for Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines. Tidwell will oversee all safety functions, develop and execute long-term safety and security strategies and continue to advance Alaska Airlines' world class safety culture. "The safety of our guests and our people is our number one priority and Max is extremely well suited to continue to deepen our safety culture," said Brad Tilden, chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group. "He has three decades of aviation experience, including leading key functions within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He also continues to serve our country as a member of the Air National Guard." Tidwell was most recently the FAA division manager for Air Carrier Safety Assurance, with offices in Atlanta and Miami. He has held multiple roles at the FAA over his 22-year career, including as manager for Seattle, where he worked with Alaska Airlines. He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor's in aviation management. He is a 30-year veteran of the Air Force and currently serves as command chief for the Washington Air National Guard, providing mission-ready personnel and equipment for a wide array of Department of Defense (DoD) missions. Tidwell succeeds Tom Nunn who will continue to serve as Alaska Airlines vice president of safety until his retirement in June 2018, capping a 10-year career with the airline. Under Nunn's lead, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air achieved FAA acceptance of their Safety Management System (SMS), a significant milestone that integrates and embeds safety throughout the culture and business processes of each airline. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/people/alaska-air-group-names-max-tidwell-vp-of-safety-and- security.html Back to Top An international airline is hiring aspiring pilots with no experience and training them for free * Now is the time for hopeful pilots to make their move. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images * The Irish airline Aer Lingus is offering free training to hopeful pilots. The program lasts 14 months and trainees will receive an allowance from the airline. * The estimated salary for an Aer Lingus pilot is $86,541 a year. * Applicants must apply by 5 p.m. GMT on May 1. Wanted: Commercial jet airline pilots. No experience necessary. But you have only 12 days to apply. That's literally the pitch right now for aspiring pilots who'd like to work for Ireland's Aer Lingus, flying as an entry-level first officer aboard Airbus A320 and A321 LR NEO aircraft. It's an unusual program, one that could offer a pathway to a well-compensated career, where the cost of training can otherwise be prohibitive. Sign up, get accepted, train for 14 months - and then take the controls. Here's the history of the program and the details - and, if you're interested in becoming a pilot for a famous airline or know someone who might be - the link for the initial application. (If you do know someone who might be interested, keep in mind, the deadline to apply this year is May 13.) History Aer Lingus has been doing similar kinds of "we'll train you" recruitment drives and mentorship programs for decades, but this year's announcement comes in the midst of a worldwide pilot shortage that actually forced a small, regional US airline to shut down recently. And it's coming right after a Southwest Airlines captain landed a crippled Boeing 737 in Philadelphia last month. People credited her cool under pressure to her prior experience as one of the first female fighter pilots in the US Navy. Of course, most of today's airline pilots don't come from the military. Fortunately, it's unlikely you'll ever have to get into a dogfight with a Russian MiG while behind the controls of an Airbus or a Boeing 737. As some nonmilitary veteran pilots who contacted me after the Southwest story pointed out, you can learn everything you need to know about flying a commercial airliner from - no surprise - actually learning on a commercial airliner. Training Obviously, they're not just going to put you in the cockpit and send you off to transport passengers. It all starts with a 14-month training program at an independent flight training school, selected and paid for by the airline. Complete that, and you get a Multi Pilot's Commercial License, followed by 12 more weeks of training in Dublin on the A320. After that, you take the controls in the right-hand seat of an Aer Lingus airplane, as a pilot and first officer. Although there may be some fine print that isn't obvious on the application site, it appears if you make it through the qualifications, you're pretty much assured a job. Compensation They don't say exactly what the job pays, except that it's "expected to be extremely high for a limited number of positions." Elsewhere, Aer Lingus says they pay pilots who've been trained to fly their Airbus aircraft elsewhere an annual starting salary of 72,000 euros, or $86,541. On top of that, the value of the training itself is significant. For example, JetBlue advertises a similar program to train aspiring pilots and place them as first officers with their airline - but the program charges aspiring students $125,000 to cover the training. Here, the training is free - although, if you don't wind up working for Aer Lingus afterward for some reason, you'll have to repay the cost of the course. Also, "Aer Lingus will provide a small allowance during the course." That sounds like it's not exactly full-time first officer pay, but it is something. Qualifications The soft qualifications are a little vague. They say they want people who are "technically-minded, mature, responsible, and committed to succeed." You also have to be over 18, fluent in English, and have the right to live and work in the European Union. That last point might be a sticking point for Americans, so this is the time to figure out if one of your grandparents was born in Ireland, Italy, Poland, or Spain - or even if one of your great-grandparents was born in Hungary. Currently, Aer Lingus flies throughout Europe and to the United States and Canada. I can imagine that with no seniority you'd start your career doing the overnight back and forth between Dublin and Düsseldorf. But hey, North Rhine-Westphalia is beautiful this time of year. Deadline The "fully sponsored and mentored Future Pilot Training Programme" starts this fall, but initial applications must be received by May 13 at 17.00 GMT, according to the program's website, which is also where you'll find the application. That's 5 p.m. to you and me. Better get used to those European timetables. http://www.businessinsider.com/airline-is-hiring-inexperienced-pilots-and-training-them-for-free-2018-5 Back to Top Air Force mulls staffing problems as more fighter pilots leave An fighter jet taking off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during exercises in 2015. (Photo by Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media) The Air Force has a multi-billion dollar problem with one of its most expensive assets: pilots. Across all of its branches, filling the ranks of the American military is proving difficult. For the Air Force, retaining pilots after they've gone through years of costly training is the main issue. Those staffing problems likely are to worsen in the years ahead. The 90th Fighter Squadron has a heritage room - a club house decorated with memorabilia, beer steins and a large, well-worn popcorn machine - at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. "In every single fighter squadron across the Air Force you will find a popcorn machine that produces jalapeno popcorn," said Lt. Col. Dave Skalicky, who commands the squadron. Skalicky is tall, clean cut and talks in excitable bursts tinged with faint remnants of his Minnesotan roots. At Air Force bases around the world, elite flyers have a ritualistic affinity for the snack. Junior officers are tasked with frying the jalapenos, sprinkling salt and popping the corn, as well as brewing coffee, ahead of early morning mission briefs. In addition to his command responsibilities, Skalicky still flies an F-22 Raptor several times a week. The planes are one of the most agile, powerful jet fighters in the world. Alaska is a choice assignment for getting to fly them. F-22s are regularly scrambled to intercept Russian long-range bombers that approach the U.S. The wide open training ranges mean pilots have free reign to push the cutting-edge machines to their limits. https://www.ktoo.org/2018/05/07/why-are-so-many-fighter-pilots-leaving-the-air-force/ Back to Top Lufthansa makes $2.5 billion plane order in light of improving results, delivery delays FILE PHOTO: Lufthansa presents its new logo during a press event in a maintenance hangar of the airline at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, Germany February 7, 2018. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski BERLIN/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) ordered up to 16 new planes worth 2.1 billion euros (1.84 billion pounds), including up to six Airbus (AIR.PA) A320ceos to make up for delivery shortfalls in a newer version of the jet and four long-haul Boeing (BA.N) 777s. Lufthansa is among airlines hit by delivery delays to the Airbus A320neo, a version of the best-selling plane with new engines, and has partly curtailed growth plans as a result. It therefore plans to order up to six of the older version of the jet, the A320ceo, depending on availability. Lufthansa needs the planes because it is expanding capacity fast this year, mainly through its Eurowings budget brand, as it seeks to fill the gap left by the collapse of local rival Air Berlin. "The plan is to deploy them at Lufthansa this year already, in order to offset delivery delays for Airbus A320neo aircraft," Lufthansa said in a statement. It also said it would convert six options for A320neos to firm orders. In total, the orders for up to 16 planes have a combined list price of around 2.1 billion euros, although buyers usually negotiate discounts, and were approved by the group's supervisory board on Monday. Along with the A320s, the orders include two Boeing 777-300ER long-haul jets for its SWISS subsidiary that are expected to enter service at the beginning of 2020, and two further Boeing 777F for Lufthansa Cargo, which will replace older MD-11 planes. Both SWISS and Lufthansa Cargo reported improved first quarter results last month and Lufthansa said the order reflected their economic success. The 777 orders will also be a boost for Boeing, which last month moved to ease concerns over output of the jetliner. The aircraft are expected to be delivered through 2022 and the orders should have no impact on Lufthansa's 2019 investment plans, the company said in a statement. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/lufthansa-order-16-planes-worth-164704780.html Back to Top Northern California Business Aviation Association NorcalBAA.org NCBAA 2018 Safety Day May 10 2018 Northern California Business Aviation Association will hold its annual Safety Day on May 10, 2018 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Foster City CA. The theme for the 2018 Safety Day is "Leadership in Safety". Leadership is critical to the adoption of a safety culture and instrumental in everybody 'living' safety. The May 10 event will be a great experience. We have great speakers and a great line-up of presentations. Topics in this year's event include: * 14 CFR Part 5 and its implications * Unintended Risk, Unintended Consequences * What happens after? * The Safe Contract Crewmember * Food safety, Handling * Safety Leadership - Good for business * Global Safety Overview Speakers include: * Jeff Lee, FlightSafety International * Steve Cash, Talus Group * John Goglia, NTSB * Dan Ramirez, XOJet * Charles Lewis, Air Culinaire * Michella Mykol, Jet Professionals * Heidi Snow, Access * Sean Tucker, Bob Hoover Academy, Named One of the 25 Living Legends of Flight by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Space is limited so book early Register today Back to Top FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2018 CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The award will be presented during the 71st Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov. 12-15 in Seattle, Wash. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 70 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets in June of each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the- award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 14, 2018. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. Curt Lewis