Flight Safety Information May 17, 2018 - No. 099 In This Issue Incident: Avianca Brasil A320 at Juazeiro do Norte on May 15th 2018, bird strike Incident: Qantas B738 at Queenstown on May 16th 2018, flaps problem Incident: Ryanair B738 at Hamburg on May 15th 2018, overran runway on landing Incident: Wind Rose E145 at Zaporozhye on Mar 3rd 2018, runway excursion on landing Eurocopter AS 350B3+ ษcureuil Accident (Switzerland) The staff of Delta flight 1827 asked if there was a doctor on board. They got the 'nation's doctor.' 'Flight Deck LIBIK - Lithium-Ion Battery Incident Kit U.S. Orders Quicker Inspection of Jet Engines Linked to Death Aerospace Industry Celebrates Manufacturing Boom, But Scrambles For Workers NBAA Announces Maintenance Scholarship Recipients Court Seeks Centre, Aviation Body's Stand On Plea Over Pilots' Duty Limitations (India) The US Marine Corps just got its most powerful helicopter ever V-280 Valor Tiltrotor Achieves First Cruise Mode Flight Aireon partner invests $69 million in space-based aircraft tracking system Pentastar Aviation Joins Air Charter Safety Foundation Despite Shortage, Air Force Likely Won't Boost Enlisted Pilot Ranks Crude oil to hit $90 a barrel as diesel, jet fuel demand soars, Morgan Stanley predicts Spacewalking Astronauts Replace Leaky Pump on Space Station The American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War against Japan POSITION: Director of Safety POSITION: Flight Data Analyst POSITION:...AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTOR POSITION AVAILABLE:...AOG MANAGER POSITION AVAILABLE: .Internal Evaluation Program Auditor I HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - New Online Course - Fall 2018 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Incident: Avianca Brasil A320 at Juazeiro do Norte on May 15th 2018, bird strike An Avianca Brasil Airbus A320-200, registration PR-OCH performing flight O6-6376 from Juazeiro do Norte,CE to Fortaleza,CE (Brazil) with 91 passengers, was in the initial climb out of Juazeiro do Norte when an engine (CFM56) ingested a bird prompting the crew to return to Juazeiro do Norte for a safe landing. The airline reported the aircraft needed to return to Juazeiro do Norte due to a bird strike. The 91 passengers were rebooked onto the next flight. Passengers reported as soon as the aircraft became airborne strong vibrations developed. The aircraft levelled off at low height, the captain announced they had received a bird strike and they were returning to Juazeiro do Norte. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 36 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8ac2ff&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Qantas B738 at Queenstown on May 16th 2018, flaps problem A Qantas Boeing 737-800, registration VH-XZI performing flight QF-121 from Sydney,NS (Australia) to Queenstown (New Zealand), was descending towards Queenstown (runway length 1890 meters/6200 feet) when the crew stopped the descent at about 5000 feet MSL due to a problem with the flaps. The crew decided to divert to Invercargill (runway length 2210 meters/7200 feet), climbed to FL150 and landed safely in Invercargill about 40 minutes later. The remainder of the flight as well as the return flight QF-122 were cancelled. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 6.5 hours, then positioned to Christchurch (New Zealand), remained on the ground in Christchurch for another 8 hours, then returned to service. The airline reported the passengers are being bussed to Queenstown. The passengers had to remain on board of the aircraft until customs officers arrived, who were brought in from Dunedin and Queenstown. The passengers were supplied with catering while waiting on the aircraft. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8abdb7&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Ryanair B738 at Hamburg on May 15th 2018, overran runway on landing A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-FIJ performing flight FR-128 from Barcelona,SP (Spain) to Hamburg (Germany), landed on Hamburg's runway 05 following a non-precision approach but overran the (displaced) end of the runway. The aircraft vacated the runway via taxiway E6 instead of last usable exit A6 and taxied to the apron. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Hamburg for 7 hours before returning to service. Related NOTAMs: A1608/18 - RWY 05 LDA 2370M. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 05 APR 09:50 2018 A1605/18 - SHORTENED DECLARED DISTANCES FOR RWY 05/23. AIP SUP IFR 09/18 REFERS. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 05 APR 09:42 2018 A2223/18 - TWY A1, A3, A4, A5 CLOSED. 02 MAY 10:26 2018 UNTIL 01 JUL 04:00 2018. CREATED: 02 MAY 10:27 2018 A2044/18 - ILS RWY 05 NOT AVBL. AIP SUP IFR 09/18 REFERS. 23 APR 09:17 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 23 APR 09:17 2018 A1725/18 - CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT IN DEP SECTOR ALL IFR DEPARTURES RWY 05. PSN WITHIN AN AREA 533810N 0095948E AND 533805N 0100023E. MAX ELEV 89 FT. NOT MARKED AND LIGHTED. SUP 09 2018, CONSTRUCTION WORK EDDH REFER. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 20:00 2018. CREATED: 09 APR 13:10 2018 A1609/18 - RWY 23 CLOSED FOR ARR. 12 APR 04:00 2018 UNTIL 23 MAY 21:00 2018. CREATED: 05 APR 09:52 2018 http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8ab020&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Wind Rose E145 at Zaporozhye on Mar 3rd 2018, runway excursion on landing A Wind Rose Aviation Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of Ukraine International Airlines, registration UR-DPB performing flight PS-87 from Kiev Borispol to Zaporozhye (Ukraine) with 37 passengers and 4 crew, landed on Zaporozhye's runway 02 at about 14:06L (12:06Z) but suffered a runway excursion. There were no injuries. Ukraine's NBAAI rated the occurrence a serious incident and opened an investigation. A similiar runway excursion had occurred in September 2017, see Incident: Wind Rose E145 at Zaporozhye on Sep 1st 2017, runway excursion on landing. On Apr 17th 2018 Ukraine's NBAAI reported the Wind Rose aircraft veered left off the runway, exited the left runway edge about 1745 meters past the runway threshold and came to a stop about 99 meters to the left of the runway center line. On May 16th 2018 the NBAAI released their final report in Ukrainian concluding the probable cause of the incident was: untimely and insufficient actions by the crew to maintain directional control while landing on a contaminated runway in crosswinds. Contributing factors were: - a crosswind of 16 knots on a contaminated runway - incorrect pre-flight data provided to the crew and insufficient preflight preparation by the crew The NBAAI reported the crew performed an ILS approach to runway 02 in instrument meteorological conditions. About 1745 meters down the runway the aircraft veered to the left and came to a stop about 99 meters to the left of the center line at a heading of 220 degrees. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the right main gear (auxiliary door, wheels) and the #4 tyre (cut, outboard right tyre). The NBAAI analysed that there was no technical issue with the aircraft. Prior to the flight dispatch provided the crew with a number of NOTAMs and SNOWTAMs including UKDE, planned alternate airfields as well as 14 other aerodromes unrelated to the flight. The flight was delayed two times, according to the delay notice to Eurocontrol due to weather conditions at the departure aerodrome, which however does not match objective information, the runway condition at the destination however were below requirements. When the last set of information was obtained, the weather at destination had sufficiently improved, so that the flight could be conducted. However, the SNOWTAM did not correspond to the journal at Zaporozhye airport. The SNOWTAM reported the runway was covered with wet snow of 93mm thickness, estimated braking action was good, the measured braking coefficient was 0.4. However, the journal stated, the runway was wet, covered with wet snow of 15cm thickness at 80% of the runway surface. The NBAAI analysed that the SNOWTAM information issued at 01:00Z of snow cover and braking action good did not raise any doubt with the flight crew about the reliability of such data showing the crew's superficial analysis of weather conditions. The Met office also made a mistake by putting the value of the snow layer's thickness 93mm into the SNOWTAM, which according to SNOWTAM encoding indicates 150mm thickness. Other later SNOWTAM messages were not provided to the crew. Snow removal at the destination was completed at about 06:00L after which the runway was covered with 5mm slush, braking coefficients were 0.35/0.35/0.35 and braking action was medium. Snow removal took place again around 10:00, after which the runway was described as contaminated 30% with slush of 5mm and spots of incinerated snow, braking action good with braking coefficients of 0.48 along the entire runway. The airport made another encoding error suggesting the runway was contaminated between 51 and 100%. Such inaccuracies may have a negative impact on flight safety, the NBAAI concluded the weather data analysis. While the aircraft was descending towards Zaporozhye ATC provided the crew with runway information indicating 30% of the runway were covered with slush 5mm deep, there were spots tucked with snow. Braking action was good, coefficients 0.48. Tower informed the crew visibility was 1900 meters, cloud base at 180 meters, winds from 110 degrees at 7m/s (approx 14 knots) maximum 8m/s (approx 16 knots) and cleared the flight to land. 3 minutes later the controller raised alarm after seeing the aircraft veer off the runway. A runway inspection was conducted including measurement of the braking action, braking coefficients of 0.4 along the entire runway were measured identifying braking action good, 30% of the runway were covered with slush 5mm and spots of rolled snow, the runway was wet. The NBAAI analysed the crew applied the "crab" methode for landing, at touchdown the aircraft showed a heading of 23 degrees, the pilot flying (the first officer) however did not reduce the crab angle, the rudder pedal positions remained near neutral for more than 2.5 seconds suggesting that neither pilot took action to prevent the aircraft turning into the wind (weather cocking), consequently the heading changed to 27 degrees, only at that point the rudder pedals were moved to correct the aircraft drift and the aircraft first went towards the right edge of the runway, then towards the left edge, drifted again to the right side and finally went off the left side of the runway. The NBAAI analysed that according to the FCOM the lateral component of reverse thrust adds to the lateral component of the wind, which may cause a tendency for aircraft to drift off runways as has happened in this case. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b5b0e33&opt=0 Back to Top Eurocopter AS 350B3+ ษcureuil Accident (Switzerland) Date: 16-MAY-2018 Time: ~10:00 LT Type: Eurocopter AS 350B3+ ษcureuil Owner/operator: Air Zermatt Registration: HB-ZKF C/n / msn: 4541 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Raron aerodrome (VS) - Switzerland Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Fire fighting Departure airport: Raron Aerodrome (LSTA) Destination airport: Raron Aerodrome (LSTA) Narrative: The accident occurred during an exercise with an underslung firefighting bucket. The aircraft clipped a power line and came to rest in a lake. The pilot, alone on board, managed to get out of the machine. Injured, he was transported to hospital in Bern. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=211093 Back to Top The staff of Delta flight 1827 asked if there was a doctor on board. They got the 'nation's doctor.' Jerome Adams waits to be sworn in as the 20th U.S. surgeon general by Vice President Pence in Washington on Sept. 5, 2017. Adams says he gave assistance to someone on a Delta Air Lines flight to Jackson, Miss., Wednesday. (Susan Walsh/AP) When the flight staff of Delta flight 1827 needed a doctor, they got one: The "nation's doctor." On Wednesday, Jerome Adams, the U.S. surgeon general, tweeted that Delta staff on his flight to Jackson, Miss., asked if there was a doctor on board to assist in a medical emergency. "Why yes - yes there was," he recounted in the tweet. "I was glad to be able to assist!" Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said in an email statement that "Prior to takeoff, Delta flight 1827 from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta returned to the gate following a customer illness. Medical assistance was provided by the U.S. Surgeon General who worked with our flight crew to aid the customer." The condition of the passenger was not immediately clear, though Adams tweeted "patient doing well." Neither the doctor nor the airline revealed what the passenger's medical issue was. The department of Health and Human services did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As The Post's Lenny Bernstein wrote: The surgeon general has little power beyond the ability to call attention to serious public health problems and offer information and policy suggestions. He or she oversees the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, more than 6,600 uniformed public health-care personnel who work in various parts of the federal government. An anesthesiologist, Adams was previously Indiana's health commissioner, and in recent years is best known for his response to an HIV outbreak that left 181 people infected in a rural Indiana county. He had also worked to tamp down panic in the United States over the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Bernstein reported. According to the Jackson, Miss., Clarion Ledger, Adams was headed to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson to discuss the opioid epidemic with a panel of experts and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R), who praised the doctor for his good deed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2018/05/16/the-flight-staff-of-delta-flight-1827-asked-if-there-was-a-doctor-on-board-they-got-the-nations-doctor/?utm_term=.0d00a3e418c0 Back to Top Back to Top U.S. Orders Quicker Inspection of Jet Engines Linked to Death By Alan Levin , Rick Clough , and Mary Schlangenstein • Older ban blades must be checked by June 30, FAA orders • Failed engine led to first U.S. passenger death in nine years Airlines need to speed the inspection of older jet engine fan blades like the one that led to a passenger death after it broke loose last month on a Southwest Airlines Co. flight, U.S. regulators said Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a new directive to operators of the CFM56-7B engine, one of the most popular makes in the world, based on findings in the investigation and a review by the manufacturer, according to a notice set to be published in the Federal Register Thursday. "The FAA is acting to ensure an extra measure of safety," the agency said in an emailed statement. A woman was partially sucked though a window on April 17 when a fan blade on a CFM56-7B engine broke loose, shredding the cover of the front of the engine and spraying metal parts into the aircraft. A buckle on the engine inlet struck and broke the window, causing the cabin to rapidly depressurize, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. A crack on the blade had gradually grown until it fractured, according to preliminary findings in the NTSB investigation. The new order, which replaces one issued earlier this month, requires airlines to inspect the the fan blades with the highest risk of failure by June 30, using guidance from engine-maker CFM International Inc. The company is a joint venture between General Electric Co. and France's Safran SA. Earlier: Failed Southwest Air Jet Engine Had Passed Seven Inspections Those blades are the ones that have made the most number of flights, also known as a cycle, according to the order. Other provisions in earlier FAA orders remain in effect. They call for blades that have made more than 20,000 flights to be inspected by the end of August. After the inspections, blades must be reinspected every 3,000 cycles. The latest order is designed to make sure the highest priority inspections occur first, according to an emailed statement from CFM. While Southwest has completed its inspections without finding any cracks like the one that triggered the accident, the airline has sent "several dozen" blades, including some with coating anomalies, to GE for additional testing. The airline doesn't expect GE's more detailed inspections to find cracks. "I don't think we'll have any findings with those, but there is one extra step we wanted to take with that," airline Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said. Southwest also is auditing its internal records to confirm that every blade has been inspected, he said. The tests on the fan blades use ultrasound or electric currents to sense cracks beneath the surface of the titanium blades. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-16/u-s-orders-speedier-inspection-of-jet-engines-linked-to-death-jh9bxobn Back to Top Aerospace Industry Celebrates Manufacturing Boom, But Scrambles For Workers Connecticut's aerospace companies are scrambling for workers who make components for the F-35 jet, pictured here, and other aerospace products and equipment. With aerospace business booming, executives at Connecticut manufacturers turned their attention Wednesday to a familiar and chronic problem: finding qualified employees to handle the rising workload. The presidents of aerospace manufacturing companies and other executives met at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks for the annual gathering of Aerospace Components Manufacturers, a regional network of companies in Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts. "We have to grow our workforce," said Max McIntyre, vice president of New England Airfoil Products in Farmington. More than 26,000 large commercial jets are on back order, a number that does not include military or regional jets, he said. "That is significant and that's why Connecticut still remains as the most viable place in the world for the majority of these components to be manufactured and put into engines," he said. The commercial airline industry is working to keep up with rising demand, partly due to a growing middle class in China and India that increasingly is turning to air travel. Pratt & Whitney, the East Hartford-based jet engine subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., has a backlog of 8,000 geared turbofan engines that promise airline customers less noise and greater fuel efficiency. And military aerospace also is booming as Congress and President Donald Trump increase defense spending. Pratt & Whitney manufactures the engine for the F-35 fighter jet. Catherine Smith, commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, told the audience of about 150 that workforce development "continues to be front and center" for financial and other forms of support from a state manufacturing fund. Nearly 900 companies have tapped the fund since it was established in 2013, she said. Citing Department of Labor statistics, she said 13,600 manufacturing jobs are available in the state. "We're seeing a huge burst of activity," Smith said. "That is very exciting, but it creates another and a new kind of problem that all of your companies are facing and that we're trying to help you with from the state perspective." To find workers and pitch manufacturing careers to young people, the industry and government are reaching out to high schools, community colleges and technical schools. "We speak any place with a platform," said Bruce Fiedorowicz, an industry veteran who is now retired. Dorothy Weber, owner of Richards Machine Tool Co. Inc., said the Newington company is introducing students who have studied finance to manufacturing work. The company employs about 20 workers and is always looking for more. "It's a good problem," she said. http://www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-aerospace-presidents-20180516-story.html Back to Top NBAA Announces Maintenance Scholarship Recipients NBAA awarded its annual maintenance Technical Reward and Career Scholarships (TRACS) on May 1 at the 2018 NBAA Maintenance Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to the organization, the awards are an opportunity for business aviation maintenance technicians to improve their careers, as well as promote technical education and training within the industry. Participating companies included Abaris Training Resources, Bombardier Aerospace, Dassault Aviation, FlightSafety International, Garmin, GE Aviation, Global Jet Services, Gogo Business Aviation, Gulfstream Aerospace, Rockwell Collins, Rolls-Royce, Satcom Direct, Textron Aviation, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and Williams International. Scholarship winners include Jakub Hnizda, who will participate in one engine course for Rolls-Royce engines currently in production. Garmin offered Alexander Makrakis and Cassandra Peterson scholarships for its G3000/5000 intro course. Meanwhile, Williams International provided Ariel Gleason, Chad Lewis, and Mark Matlack scholarships for its FJ series engine line-maintenance course. Satcom Direct offered awards to Spencer Aaltonen and Chris Potempa for its Aero IT Certification Course, while Global Jet Services offered Matthew Brown a scholarship to use towards any two-week initial course from its catalog. As USC offered Jacob Carson an award for its human factors course, GE Aviation offered Karl Doering a scholarship for its H80 turboprop engine line maintenance course, and Attila Szucs and Kyle Walker for its CF34 turbofan and CFM56 jet engine line maintenance courses, respectively. FlightSafety offered awards to the following: Rodney Fleming, for the Falcon maintenance initial training program; Alexander Giglio for the G650 maintenance initial training program; Clara McGee for the PT6 turboprop engine line maintenance course; and Christopher Myrick for the principles of troubleshooting training program. Abaris Traning Resources provided scholarships to Jacob Forster, Artem Goncharov, and Ronald Hoy for different phases of its M1-R1 advanced composite structures fabrication and damage repair course. Christopher Girouard, Cody Gunther, and Jeff Swanson will participate in Rockwell Collins' Pro Line Fusion avionics courses for the Embraer Legacy 500, Gulfstream G280, and Bombardier Global 5000/6000. Meanwhile, Bombardier Aerospace offered scholarships to Immanuel Bankole for its Global XRS Electrical Troubleshooting Course, Christopher Charlier for its Challenger 605/650 Avionics Course, Dale Luther for its Challenger 300 series Maintenance Initial Course, Khaled Mahfouz for its Lear 75 Avionics Course, and Victor Rae for its Lear 45 Maintenance Initial Course. Textron Aviation provided scholarships to Sean Kennedy for its King Air initial maintenance course and Bryon Konen for its Citation 525 series initial maintenance course. Meanwhile, Dassault offered Jeramey Laborce an award for its Falcon 7X EASy maintenance initial program, and Gulfstream offered Christopher Wendt a scholarship for its Gulfstream G650/G650ER maintenance initial course. Both NBAA and Gogo Business Aviation offered Zachary Martin registration and hotel expenses for the maintenance conference, and Grant Smith a scholarship for attendance to the conference. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2018-05-01/nbaa-announces-maintenance-scholarship-recipients Back to Top Court Seeks Centre, Aviation Body's Stand On Plea Over Pilots' Duty Limitations (India) Air India and the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents private carriers Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, have sought modification of the high court's April 18 direction to DGCA to not permit variations in flight and duty time limitations Court Seeks Centre, Aviation Body's Stand On Plea Over Pilots' Duty Limitations Air India and FIA sought changes in the stipulated flight and duty time limitations (FDTL) of pilots NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today sought the stands of the Centre and aviation regulator DGCA on the pleas of Air India and Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), a body of major Indian airlines, on the issue of changes in the stipulated flight and duty time limitations (FDTL) of pilots. Air India and the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), which represents private carriers Jet Airways, IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, have sought modification of the high court's April 18 direction to DGCA to not permit variations in FDTLs. Besides the Centre and DGCA, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also issued notice to a Kerala-based lawyer on whose petition the high court had passed the April 18 order, and sought their replies by the next date of hearing on May 22. The airlines have claimed that variations in FDTL were sometimes necessary, as in the latest instance of diversion of around 70 flights from Delhi to other airports due to the dust-storm on May 13. The airlines today claimed before the bench that had they been heard, the April 18 order would not have been passed. They said that pursuant to the court's order, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a letter on May 2 withdrawing all variations it had approved earlier and had also directed the airlines to file a revised FDTL scheme in accordance with the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) of 2011. Referring to the flight deviations due to the storm, the airlines said there were delays caused by diversions and the number of landings and take-offs increased as stand-by pilots are not usually available at the airports where the airplanes are diverted. DGCA also said that variation in FDTLs are needed to address such situations, to which the bench suggested getting the law amended. The bench said the legislature took away DGCA's power to allow variations in FDTLs and not the court. Air India, in its plea, has referred to an incident of May 9 when its Delhi-Chicago flight was diverted to Milwaukee (US) due to bad weather in Chicago. The flight could not take off for seven hours as, due to withdrawal of the variations, only one landing was permitted for the crew that day. It said the flight duration from Milwaukee to Chicago was 19 minutes for which the passengers had to wait seven hours till the stand-by crew could be flown in. The bench had yesterday said,"Life is more important than airlines' profit. Let 140 flights be diverted. It is high time the country is sensitive to this. We have to ensure that lives are not endangered." The applications have been moved in the main petition filed by Kerala-based lawyer Yashwanth Shenoy raising the issue of pilot and air crew fatigue and how it can be dangerous to safety of a flight and its passengers. The court while issuing the April 18 order had disposed of the petition. The bench had passed the order ruling that the DGCA had no authority under the Aviation Act and Rules to permit the variations or deviation. The court had also asked the DGCA to amend the existing civil aviation requirements in accordance with the rules within a period of one year. The airlines in their applications have said that DGCA in a "knee-jerk reaction" had issued the May 2 letter. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/court-seeks-centre-aviation-bodys-stand-on-plea-over-pilots-duty-limitations-1852499 Back to Top The US Marine Corps just got its most powerful helicopter ever • The CH-53K King Stallion helicopter was delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps on Wednesday. • The aircraft is manufactured by Sikorsky, a unit of Lockheed Martin, and has an estimated unit cost of approximately $122 million. • The heavy-lift chopper is considered the most powerful helicopter ever fielded by the United States. The CH-53K King Stallion aircraft touched down at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina on Wednesday. The helicopter, which has been in development since 2006, will replace the Marine Corps' nearly 40-year-old CH-53E Super Stallion fleet. Wednesday's delivery is the first of an expected 200 aircraft from Sikorsky, a unit of Lockheed Martin. The CH-53K is not only considered the most powerful but also one of the most expensive with an initial estimated unit cost of approximately $122 million. The new heavy-lift chopper can carry triple the weight of its predecessor at a colossal 27,000 pounds. With that type of lift capacity, the CH-53K can transport up to four Humvees more than 100 miles. A CH-53K King Stallion lifts a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during a demonstration on January 18, 2018. U.S. Navy photo "I am very proud of the work accomplished to deliver the most powerful helicopter ever designed into the hands of our Marines," said Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, deputy commandant for aviation, in a statement. Rudder noted that the Marine Corps will continue testing the chopper and hopes to declare it ready for deployment by the end of 2019. The second CH-53K helicopter is slated for delivery to the Marine Corps early next year. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/16/the-us-marine-corps-just-got-its-most-powerful-helicopter-ever.html Back to Top V-280 Valor Tiltrotor Achieves First Cruise Mode Flight The Valor is a contender to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk. One of the contenders to replace the iconic UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter hit a major milestone late last week when it flew in cruise mode for the first time. The V-280 Valor tiltrotor flew like a fixed wing airplane, a flight mode that gives it a major speed boost over conventional helicopters. The flight took place on May 11th at the Bell facility in Amarillo, Texas. In cruise mode, the tiltrotor aircraft rotates its engine nacelles forward to zero degrees for forward flight. The V-280 Valor hit a top speed of 190 knots during testing. That's about as fast as current helicopters, including the AH-64E Apache and the UH-60M Black Hawk. As fast as that is, Bell thinks the V-280 can hit speeds of 280 knots, or up to 322 miles an hour. That's nearly twice as fast as the Apache and Black Hawk. In practical terms, that means U.S. troops that can respond faster than the enemy, supplies get to beleaguered friendly forces sooner, and whisk injured soldiers to medical attention faster. Bell is developing the V-280 to address the Army's Future Vertical Lift - Medium program, which looks to replace the Black Hawk medium transport in the early 2030s. The Army will procure more than one size airframe, and the medium airframe will likely be the basis for both Apache and Black Hawk replacements. The medium transport offering will probably be very similar to the existing Valor, while the attack version could equip a nose-mounted gun and pylons on the wings for rockets and anti-tank missiles. The Valor should improve on the UH-60M Black Hawk on several fronts. The Valor is almost twice as fast, and can carry 3,000 pounds more of cargo than the UH-60M. It has a combat range of 500 to 800 miles, roughly double the combat range of the latest Black Hawk, and at 2,100 nautical miles nearly double the self-deployment range. Finally, it can carry fourteen fully-equipped infantrymen at once, versus 12 for the UH-60M. The Army wants new propulsion technologies for the Future Vertical Lift program, and none of the prospective candidates use a conventional helicopter layout. Although a tiltrotor, the V-280 uses a different technique to switch between helicopter and conventional forward flight modes: while the older V-22 Osprey tilts its entire wing to rotate the rotors, the V-280 merely rotates the engine pylons. The V-280 Valor first flew in December 2017. Since then Bell says the Valor has flown for 27 hours, with over 90 hours "turning rotors" both in flight and ground tests. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a20718153/v-280-valor-tiltrotor-achieves-first-cruise-mode-flight/ Back to Top Aireon partner invests $69 million in space-based aircraft tracking system NATS CEO Martin Rolfe (left) shakes hands with Aireon CEO Don Thoma (right) following NATS agreement to take a 10 percent stake in Aireon for $69 million. Credit: NATS WASHINGTON - Aireon raised $69 million from a British partner, enabling the aircraft-tracking startup to begin making hosting payments to Iridium Communications. NATS, the United Kingdom's privatized air traffic management company, will take a 10 percent equity stake in McLean, Virginia-based Aireon under the deal announced here May 16. "With this investment we will begin to make hosting fees to Iridium," Aireon Chief Executive Don Thoma said at a press conference. Aireon's network of aircraft-tracking sensors is built onto the Iridium Next satellites as hosted payloads. The Harris-built sensors enable ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast flight tracking, from space, extending flight monitoring beyond the reach of land-based radar stations. Initially viewed as a means to support Iridium's funding of the $3 billion Iridium Next constellation, Aireon's business case has not closed as quickly as hoped. Iridium borrowed $360 million in March as a hedge against counting on Arieon, which owes Iridium $234 million in hosting fees. "We've ensured that our liquidity is not reliant on expected payments from Aireon," Iridium Chief Financial Officer Thomas Fitzpatrick said during an earnings call last month. Thoma said Aireon will pay down the hosting fee "over the course of the next several years as the business becomes available and capable of making those payments." In an interview with SpaceNews following the press conference, Thoma said Arieon's agreement with Iridium is built on amicable terms that prioritize Aireon's success. "They are at the top of the list of payments that we make, but they occur when the company is in a position to pay them either through investment, raising additional capital or through cash flows of the business," he said. If Aireon raises additional capital, it would go towards paying down the hosting fee, he said. New ownership structure Thoma said the NATS investment dilutes the ownership stake of Aireon's five shareholders. Prior to NATS, Aireon's ownership was: 51 percent Canada's Nav Canada 24.5 percent Iridium 12.5 percent Italy's Enav 6 percent Denmark's Naviair 6 percent the Irish Aviation Authority Thoma declined to quantify the new ownership of each company beyond saying Nav Canada will no longer be majority owner and that NATS and Enav will have roughly equal stakes. "Certainly Nav Canada will remain the largest single shareholder, but no single shareholder will have a majority stake in the company," he said. "It really talks to the partnership approach and the state of the system." Speaking at the press conference, Marc Courtois, chair of the board of directors at Aireon and Nav Canada, embraced NATS as a new partner. "NATS was the first air navigation service provider to sign a non-investor customer service agreement in 2014," he said. "They were confident even then that space-based ADS-B would provide significant operational benefits to the airline customers by optimizing flight paths, routes and tracks, offering fuel savings and increasing safety." Starting service Nav Canada and NATS will begin trials with Aireon flight tracking in 2019 for transatlantic flights between North America and Europe, a region Courtois described as "the busiest oceanic airspace in the world." "It's also at full capacity unless we fundamentally change how we operate it," added NATS Chief Executive Martin Rolfe. The near-real-time position data Aireon is poised to supply will enable planes traversing oceanic routes to use flight paths 15 nautical miles apart instead of 40 nautical miles apart and still meet safety targets from the International Civil Aviation Organization, Rolfe said. "Transformation is a word that is perhaps overused these days, but it is absolutely warranted here," he said. "The safety, capacity, emissions and fuel benefits that Aireon's solution can deliver for our airline customers are truly compelling." By NATS estimates, letting airlines take optimized flight paths at desired speeds can save $300 in fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by two tons per flight, Rolf said. Courtois said he is hopeful NATS and Nav Canada will be the first to use Aireon services when the constellation is fully operational. Aireon has 50 hosted payloads in orbit today, and five more launching on Iridium's next mission, scheduled for May 22 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The full Iridium Next constellation, and by extension the full Aireon constellation, is tracking for completion in the fall. Like Iridium Next, Aireon's network will also consist of 66 active spacecraft, nine in-orbit spares and six ground spares. Courtois said Aireon's service will start later this year. Upgrades for FAA One prospect Aireon and Iridium both expected to have long since become a customer of Aireon is the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Thoma said Aireon is under contract with its payload manufacturer Harris Corp. "to provide some updates to the Aireon system to meet some unique requirements of the FAA." The FAA is making procurement decisions now, he said. "We're very hopeful that under our agreement with Harris [the FAA] will be connecting to our network later this year," Thoma said. http://spacenews.com/aireon-partner-invests-69-million-in-space-based-aircraft-tracking-system/ Back to Top Pentastar Aviation Joins Air Charter Safety Foundation WATERFORD, MI. - Pentastar Aviation, a leader in the world of business aviation, has joined the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF). The foundation, currently 165 companies strong, is made up of renowned aviation professionals who provide expertise on issues including flight operations and safety management systems, aircraft manufacturing and maintenance, and aviation law. Their mission is to lead the advancement of the highest safety standards available. This allows the business aviation, charter and fractional ownership industry to offer the safest air transportation products in the world and provide objective information about these standards and services to the public. "Safety is at the foundation of all our services," said Pentastar Aviation Vice President & Director of Flight Operations Robert Rufli. "Our steadfast dedication to passenger safety and security is supported by a comprehensive and ongoing program of internal review and audits. Our membership reinforces our commitment to safety, and we're very pleased to have the support of the ACSF." "Pentastar Aviation has the shared attitude among their team members that safety, above and beyond what is considered regulatory, must be a core value for their company," said ACSF President Bryan Burns. "We are delighted that they will be participating in the ACSF-ASAP program as well." Pentastar Aviation is committed to delivering the highest standards of safety and service excellence to their customers. In addition to membership in the ACSF and voluntary participation in their Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), Pentastar Aviation uses a robust Safety Management System, has a well-documented Emergency Response Plan, and has earned numerous other aviation safety designations. About Pentastar Aviation Pentastar Aviation, wholly owned by Edsel B. Ford II, is a leader in the world of business aviation, providing aircraft management, advisory services, aircraft maintenance, avionics services, interior services and award-winning FBO services. Air charter transportation services are provided by Pentastar Aviation Charter, Inc., a U.S. FAR Part 135 on-demand air carrier, or by other U.S. FAR Part 135 certificated on-demand air carriers arranged by Pentastar Aviation, LLC. Their team is committed to delivering the highest standards of safety and service excellence to their customers. Pentastar Aviation has been servicing regional and global travelers for more than 50 years and is headquartered at Oakland County International Airport (PTK). For more information, please visit www.pentastaraviation.com. About Air Charter Safety Foundation The vision of the ACSF is to promote and enable the highest levels of safety in personal and business aviation. This goal will be achieved by: Promotion and facilitation of risk management programs Advocacy and support for the industry adoption of a common audit standard Dissemination of safety information Creation of additional programs that advance the goals of the Foundation http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12412836/pentastar-aviation-joins-air-charter-safety-foundation Back to Top Despite Shortage, Air Force Likely Won't Boost Enlisted Pilot Ranks Two U.S. Air Force pilots prepare to land a C-130J Super Hercules Sept. 9, 2015, at Diyarbakir Air Base, Turkey. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Cory W. Bush) Even as the U.S. Air Force faces a long-term pilot shortage, there are no plans to grow the ranks of enlisted pilots, a top official said recently. "We'll certainly see what the study says, but at this point, we have no intention to expand enlisted pilot positions beyond the Global Hawk" community, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told Military.com on May 4. Wilson was referring to a Rand Corp. study exploring the feasibility of bringing back a warrant officer corps as the service faces shortfalls in its pilot billets. "The Rand study is complete, and we are now reviewing, analyzing and consolidating the information," Capt. Kathleen Atanasoff told Military.com on Wednesday. "The intent behind any new personnel system would be to increase retention in critical specialties, and to enhance the readiness and lethality of the Air Force," she said in an email. The latest news comes after many former enlisted airmen expressed excitement that the Air Force might offer opportunities beyond drones. Enlisted airmen currently are authorized only to be remote pilots on the RQ-4 Global Hawk drone, a surveillance-only platform. But the need must be there, Wilson said. She said some people see expanding the ranks of enlisted pilots or bringing back the warrant officer program as a fix for the pilot shortage. But she disagrees. "We don't have a shortage of people who want to become pilots, so there's no shortage of recruits. The issue is retention at the 10- to 12-year point and the capacity of squadrons to absorb new pilots," she said in an interview. Retention continues to be affected by big commercial airline companies, which recruit from the military branches to create their own cadre of experienced fliers. Wilson said the commercial airline industry takes in 4,500 new pilots a year on average. Airlines often seek aviators from the services because military pilots already offer the skills and required flight hours -- 750 hours under FAA rules for ex-military, 1,500 for everyone else -- needed to fly commercially. Airmen are often tempted because airlines offer better bonuses as well as stability, she said. "We know historically that, when the airlines are hiring, our retention rates are lower. We have to expect that that's going to continue," she said. However, bonuses are not the single "magic wand" that will fix retention problems, Wilson said. The service has about 69 "recruit, train and absorb" initiatives, covering pilots and aircrew members such as loadmasters and navigators. "It's about ticking up the [retention rate] a little bit," she said. The service is looking at deployment requirements to see where it can improve conditions and, potentially, retention. In late 2017, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein directed Air Forces Central Command to review deployment requirements at the Combined Air Operations Center, including AFCENT staff positions, and determine if any jobs could be moved to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, or curtailed in length. While the review mainly pertained to mobility, logistics and communications airmen, it "revealed that 125 deployed positions at the CAOC and AFCENT at Al Udeid Air Base, [Qatar], can be eliminated or moved stateside due to greater efficiencies in mission planning and execution processes," AFCENT spokeswoman Capt. Helen Annicelli recently told Military.com. A similar review is underway for pilots who've been deployed for a staff position. "Do we really need only a pilot for that particular place?" Wilson questioned. "Can we break them into 180-day tours? Can we negotiate with that airman and say, 'Here are these positions. If you want to volunteer for these, the personnel center has the authority to negotiate with you what you want next?' " In an effort to keep airmen in in-demand career fields, top leaders are reducing or eliminating miscellaneous requirements that add no substantial value. In August, the service began removing miscellaneous responsibilities known as "additional duties" typically assigned to airmen at the unit level. Leaders cut 29 of 61 additional duties identified under Air Force Instruction 38-206, "Additional Duty Management" at the time, and various commands continue scaling back other training they see as onerous or a distraction. In line with Goldfein's revitalizing the squadrons initiative, the Air Force this month cut mandatory computer-based training and left those requirements up to commanders "as they see fit," according to a service memo. Commenting on those recent moves, Wilson said, "There are a lot of efforts on a lot of fronts" to keep airmen motivated. "This gives us more flexibility," she said, adding, "the priority for pilots is in the cockpit." https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/05/16/despite-shortage-air-force-likely-wont-boost-enlisted-pilot-ranks.html Back to Top Crude oil to hit $90 a barrel as diesel, jet fuel demand soars, Morgan Stanley predicts • Brent crude oil will average $90 a barrel in 2020 as demand for middle distillates like diesel and jet fuel grows, Morgan Stanley says. • Stockpiles of distillates are nearing five-year lows and refineries are scrambling to satisfy growing consumption, the bank notes. • New pollution rules in the shipping industry will only increase demand for distillates, Morgan Stanley warns. A worker fuels an airliner in Oakland, Calif. Demand for diesel and jet fuel will help push Brent crude oil prices to $90 a barrel in 2020, according to Morgan Stanley. The investment bank previously forecast Brent would average about $65 in each of the four quarters of 2020. Brent hit a three-and-a-half-year high at $79.47 a barrel on Tuesday. It hasn't risen above $90 a barrel since October 2014. But Morgan Stanley warns that stockpiles of middle distillates, which include diesel and jet fuel, are nearing five-year lows as demand for the fuel grows. Refineries around the world are now struggling to keep pace with consumption, it says. "Over the next few years, we expect tightness in one particular product - middle distillate - to lead to strength in one particular liquid, crude oil, and especially those crudes that look like Brent," Martijn Rats, Morgan Stanley's global oil strategist, said in a research note on Tuesday. That demand will grow by roughly another 1.5 million barrels a day due to tighter pollution rules in the shipping industry, Morgan Stanley projects. In 2020, the International Maritime Organization will enforce new emissions standards that will require ships to either install equipment to scrub pollutants from engines or use cleaner-burning low-sulfur fuel. Morgan Stanley says most shippers will opt for the latter, effectively shifting demand from other fuel types to distillates. Meanwhile, most of the growth in global oil production is coming from natural gas liquids and condensates, a type of super light oil. That's a problem because neither of those liquids are used to make middle distillates, Morgan Stanley says. According to the bank's estimates, global crude oil output would need to grow by 5.7 million barrels a day by 2020 to meet growing distillate consumption. Morgan Stanley does not think that's possible. "We see global crude production re-accelerating again, but falling well short of this level. Since 1984, crude oil production growth over a 3-year period has reached this level only once," Rats said. On Wednesday, the International Energy Agency said it expects oil from countries outside OPEC to grow by nearly 1.9 million barrels a day this year. The crude shortfall will help push gasoil prices to about $850 per ton, or 25 percent to 30 percent above today's levels, Morgan Stanley projects. That will consequently push Brent to $90 a barrel. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/16/oil-to-hit-90-in-2020-on-diesel-jet-fuel-demand-morgan-stanley.html Back to Top Spacewalking Astronauts Replace Leaky Pump on Space Station NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold works to replace a camera assembly at the International Space Station during a spacewalk with NASA astronaut Drew Feustel on May 16, 2018. Credit: NASA TV Two NASA astronauts took a 6.5-hour spacewalk outside the International Space Station today (May 16), breezing through all of their planned work and optional "get-ahead" tasks right on time. Clad in their extravehicular mobility units (EMUs), aka spacesuits, Expedition 55 flight engineers Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold emerged through the Quest airlock at 8:39 a.m. EDT (1239 GMT) before spending their day working in the vacuum of space to install some new hardware. Their primary objective was to relocate a failed pump on the station's cooling system, which uses a liquid-ammonia cooling loop to keep the station's enormous solar panels and batteries from overheating. They also installed some new communications equipment to ready the station for commercial crew vehicles like Boeing's CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon, the latter of which could make its first test flight in August. [Space Station Photos: Expedition 55 Crew in Orbit] As designated extravehicular crewmember 1 (EV1), Feustel wore the suit with red stripes, while Arnold wore a plain white suit. This helps ground controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston tell the difference between the two spacewalkers as they watch live video transmissions from the station's external cameras. The first order of business was to swap out the failed Pump Flow Control Subassembly (PFCS) unit, which NASA has nicknamed "Leaky." After it started leaking ammonia in 2013, the problematic pump was replaced with a spare and was stowed nearby on the P6 Truss segment. Today, the spacewalkers moved Leaky to an external stowage platform (ESP-1) to make room for a more reliable spare unit, dubbed "Frosty." If future spacewalkers ever need to replace the PFCS in the event of another leak, Frosty will be in a "strategically advantageous" position at the P6 Truss. After Leaky and Frosty traded places, the spacewalkers installed a new high-definition camera assembly on the Destiny Laboratory and replaced a communications receiver on one of the space-to-ground antennas at the Z1 Truss segment. For their "get-ahead" tasks, the astronauts installed some new handles outside the station and stored a thermal cover near a particle detector experiment known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Upon returning to the Quest airlock to open the hatch, Feustel knocked on the door and said, "Anyone home? Trick or treat!" Japanese astronaut Norishige Kanai and NASA astronaut Scott Tingle were waiting to greet the spacewalkers at the door, but they didn't appear to have any candy around for these off-season trick-or-treaters. The spacewalk officially ended when Feustel and Arnold switched their spacesuits off of battery power at 2:10 p.m. EDT (1810 GMT). It lasted 6 hours and 31 minutes, just 1 minute longer than NASA had planned. This was the 210th spacewalk in support of construction and maintenance of the International Space Station. It was Feustel's eighth spacewalk, and he has now accrued 54 hours and 59 minutes of spacewalking time. It was the fourth spacewalk of Arnold's career, bringing his accumulated spacewalking time to 25 hours and 15 minutes. Feustel and Arnold have now completed two spacewalks together; their first excursion was on March 29. The duo will head out for a third consecutive spacewalk together on June 14, when they'll continue prep work for commercial crew vehicles. https://www.space.com/40609-spacewalking-astronauts-replace-leaky-pump.html Back to Top The American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War against Japan (Image: Wikimedia; book cover: Penguin Random House ) The 'Flying Tigers' were critical to America's success in the early years of WWII, but the full story of their bravery has gone untold for decades. Editor's Note: The following excerpt is adapted from Mr. Kleiner's new book, The Flying Tigers: The Untold Story of the American Pilots Who Waged a Secret War Against Japan. The freezing temperatures in New York City on December 7, 1941, didn't stop more than 55 thousand football fans from packing the stands at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan. This was the highly anticipated crosstown-rivalry game between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. After the underdog Dodgers took a 7-0 lead, they kicked the ball down the field, and listeners at home heard the announcer on WOR radio call the play. "It's a long one, down to around the three-yard line," he said, and the Giants' Ward Cuff made the catch and started to run it down the field. Over the cheers of the crowd, the announcer continued: "Cuff's still going, he's up to the 25 and now he's hit, and hit hard at about the 27-yard line. Bruiser Kinard made the tack-" Suddenly, the reporting of the game was cut off as another voice broke in: "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you this important bulletin from the United Press. Flash Washington. The White House announces Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Stay tuned to WOR for further developments, which will be broadcast immediately as received." Inside the stadium, the game went on without any kind of announcement. The crowd watched as the Brooklyn Dodgers clinched an upset 21-7 victory. The sun was setting as the fans headed for the exits. Then the public-address system came on: "All navy men in the audience are ordered to report to their posts immediately. All army men are to report to their posts tomorrow morning. This is important." "There was a sudden, startled buzz in the crowd," the sportswriter for the Brooklyn Eagle reported. "What had happened? No one knew, not until he got close to the nearest radio or within hearing range of newsboys yelling in the streets." The Navy Department's censors delayed releasing photographs of the destruction in Hawaii, but on December 29 Time magazine featured them in its coverage of the "Havoc in Honolulu." One image showed large clouds of black smoke rising from the wreckage of the U.S.S. Arizona, and another, a P-40 fighter plane that had been wrecked on the field and "never fought." A hangar at the army's Hickam Field had also been destroyed. This was the carnage from "Japan's sneak attack." Time carried a dire headline in that December 29 issue: "INVASION OF THE U.S.?" It reported that anti-aircraft guns were deployed to New York City to defend "power plants, aircraft factories, docks, and shipyards," against the threat of a Luftwaffe attack. The fear was more pronounced in the West: "At forest-fire lookout towers, in little tarpaper-covered shacks scattered on the hills along the coast, spotters watched the grey skies, 24 hours a day, in three-hour shifts." San Francisco was blacked out, and reporter Ernie Pyle said that its darkened streets looked like "the dusty remnants of a city dead and uninhabited for a hundred years." But that edition of Time included another story, one that would capture the imaginations and raise the hopes of Americans in the dark days after Pearl Harbor. In China, a unit of U.S. volunteers was battling the Imperial Japanese air force, whose planes had been bombing Chinese cities and killing thousands of civilians for the past four years. They were known as the Flying Tigers, and Time reported their exploits in stirring fashion: Last week ten Japanese bombers came winging their carefree way into [China], heading directly for Kunming...the Flying Tigers swooped, let the Japanese have it. Of the ten bombers, said [Chinese] reports, four plummeted to earth in flames. The rest turned tail and fled. Tiger casualties: none. Members of the Tigers would soon become familiar figures: their leader, Colonel Claire L. Chennault, and pilots like David "Tex" Hill and "Scarsdale Jack" Newkirk. Years before American soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy or raised the flag on Iwo Jima, it was Chennault's Flying Tigers who rallied the country with victories when the Axis at times appeared unstoppable. "A hundred American volunteers had taken the measure of the enemy," Clare Boothe wrote in Life. "Who, in the face of that measure, dared doubt that America could-if it would-defeat Japan?" The Flying Tigers were indeed undertaking an important mission: They helped keep China in the war. If China fell, Japan would be able to focus its forces against an unprepared and under-armed United States. The Flying Tigers' shark-nosed P-40s - also known as Tomahawks - would go down in history as one of the iconic images from World War II. Hollywood executives knew a heroic story when they saw one, and in 1942 Republic Pictures rushed out Flying Tigers, starring John Wayne as the swashbuckling commander of the unit. Hollywood produced its own version of their adventures, but the truth was that the pilots were "doing deeds that a movie director would reject, in a script, as too fantastic," as Time described them in April 1942. Despite the hyperbole, the Flying Tigers were indeed undertaking an important mission: They helped keep China in the war. If China fell, Japan would be able to focus its forces against an unprepared and under-armed United States. COMMENTS It would take five decades for the Pentagon to acknowledge the truth about the Flying Tigers - namely, that the mission was a covert operation authorized at the highest levels of the Roosevelt White House, in violation of America's neutrality, and out of view of an isolationist Congress, months before Pearl Harbor. Its pilots and crew resigned from the U.S. military, bade their loved ones farewell, and crossed the Pacific on ocean liners, carrying passports listing false professions to disguise the truth about their mission. Over 100 pilots arrived at a makeshift camp in the jungles of Burma, to discover planes they didn't know how to fly. Determined and desperate, they drilled in new techniques to fight the Japanese air force's more agile planes, and were just about to enter into battle when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor. When President Roosevelt declared war, they were the only Americans for thousands of miles, outnumbered and with no reinforcements coming. Yet between December 20, 1941, and July 4, 1942, they shot down scores of Japanese planes in Burma and Southern China. For 75 years, the most detailed account of the Flying Tigers lay buried in pilots' diaries and letters that were hidden away in closets and at the backs of drawers after the war and in combat reports that lay moldering in the basement of an unremarkable brick building in Georgetown. Their achievements are even more remarkable and stirring than the myth created by Hollywood. https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/05/the-flying-tigers-sam-kleiner-book-excerpt/ Back to Top Helicopter Association International (HAI) is dedicated to providing its members with services that directly benefit their operations, and to advancing the international helicopter community by providing programs that enhance safety, encourage professionalism and economic viability while promoting the unique contributions vertical flight offers society. HAI has more than 3,800 member organizations and annually produces HAI HELI-EXPOฎ, the world's largest trade show and exposition dedicated to helicopters. Position: Director of Safety Overview: The Director of Safety is responsible for managing the association's existing aviation safety programs, and developing new safety initiatives to benefit HAI's membership and the international helicopter community. Essential Functions of the Position Include, but Are Not Limited To: • Serving as the HAI safety representative on various industry, government, and international boards, task forces, and meetings • Developing responses to proposed safety-related regulations and legislative initiatives • Collecting, researching, and analyzing helicopter safety and accident data for subsequent statistical reporting • Developing and implementing new HAI industry safety initiatives • Routinely interacting with the full spectrum of aviation related agencies and organizations in support of the rotorcraft industry • Managing all aspects of HAI's voluntary accreditation program that assists helicopter operators to reduce accident rates and improve safety cultures • Providing safety supervision for all flight activities at the association's annual trade show and exposition, HAI HELI-EXPOฎ • Managing and mentoring the deputy director of safety • Serving as staff liaison for assigned HAI committees • Contributing content for use in HAI's printed and electronic publications • Other duties as assigned The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Desired Qualifications for the Position Include: • College or advanced degree related to aviation safety and/or management • Seven or more years of related helicopter safety background, training, and experience • Certificated helicopter pilot and/or maintenance technician • Previous experience with helicopter or other aviation-related organization(s) • Familiarization with auditing protocols and accreditation programs • A passionate commitment to the promotion of helicopter safety • Previous association or not-for-profit experience • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with significant experience in creating and delivering written proposals and public presentations • Advanced computer skills and proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite • Team player, with proven ability to manage, mentor, and motivate staff • Detail oriented, self-starter, with strong organizational and time management skills • Ability to travel The above qualifications are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. APPLY HERE Back to Top FLIGHT DATA ANALYST We are looking for someone who is passionate about aviation and excited about improving safety. As part of our team, you will help improve the safety of our customers' operations by analyzing their flight data and providing them with flight safety support and advice. If you know a TCAS from a GPWS, a B737 from an A320, and have good analytical skills, we would like to hear from you! Important Notes: Please send your Resume with Cover Letter to jobs@flightdataservices.com * Deadline for resume submission is June 1st 2018 * Pre-interview testing will be required. * Interviews will be held in our offices in Phoenix, Arizona, May 31st thru June 8th 2018 * This position requires the candidate to work in our offices in Phoenix, Arizona. Please be advised that we are only able to accept applications from candidates possessing US work authorization. Salary: Starting annual salary range is $30,000 - $40,000, negotiable depending on experience, and includes a generous benefits package. Primary Duties and Responsibilities: * Routine analysis of flight data. * Investigate abnormal operations and report on findings to airlines. * Compile statistical reports. * Manage ad hoc requests for analysis or supply of data. * Investigate and produce reports for customers on specific safety issues. * Occasional out of hours emergency support (organized on a roster basis). * Act as first point of contact and maintain regular communications with various assigned customer accounts. * Provide flight safety support and guidance to your customers. * Provide website training and advice to your customers, in particular those who are new to the service or when new website features and tools are released. * Compile monthly safety reports for your customers. * Customer visits, which may require international travel. * Write case study documents based on FDM findings. * Liaise with the Software Development Team and Customers on the continuous improvement and development of our web-based analysis platform Flight Data Connect. * Consult with customers to ensure that the most appropriate safety events and thresholds are in place. * Consult with software developers to improve safety event algorithms. * Participate in Flight Data Services training courses, safety seminars, and workshops. * Attend industry conferences, events, and exhibitions, as required. Experience: Experience in any of the following areas is considered beneficial to the applicant, although full training will be provided where necessary. * Flight deck experience * Commercial pilot license * Aviation qualification * Working with data analysis and formulation of professional reports Preferred Computer Skills: * MS Excel: sorting, basic formula use, importing data files, file format conversion, basic text cut/paste/format. * MS Word: professional communication for preparation of customer reports (spelling/grammar/punctuation), headers/footers, updating fields, importing graphs/photos/data fields. * Internet: general information searches, use of wiki, email. Personal Attributes: The successful candidate will have the ability to work as a team member and on their own initiative, prioritize workload, and meet deadlines under pressure. This position requires a competent communicator to present confidently to colleagues and multi-national audiences. Back to Top POSITION: AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTOR What does an Aircraft Maintenance Instructor do for Allegiant? The Maintenance Training Instructor is qualified through training and experience on the equipment, systems, policies and procedures taught. They are responsible to the Manager of Maintenance Training for instructing Maintenance Department personnel in maintenance policies and procedures to properly maintain Allegiant Air's aircraft. What are some of the daily duties of an Aircraft Maintenance Instructor? • Develop and provide classes of instruction on aircraft systems • Develop syllabi and provide instruction on Allegiant Air's maintenance policies and procedures to company and contract maintenance personnel • Help maintain training records for company maintenance and contract maintenance personnel • Develop classes on trouble shooting systems identified by CASP as needing better trouble shooting techniques • Develop and provide recurrent training classes for Maintenance and Quality personnel • Develop and provide structured OJT programs for Maintenance and Quality • Provide technical assistance to other departments as directed by the Manager of Maintenance Training • In his absence, the Maintenance Training Instructor's duties will be assumed by the Manager of Maintenance Training or his Designee • Perform other duties as assigned by the Manager of Maintenance Training • Effective communication skills, both verbal and written • Other duties as assigned What are the minimum requirements to be an Aircraft Maintenance Instructor? • Must pass a five (5) year background check and pre-employment drug screen • Must have authorization to work in the U.S. as defined in the Immigrations Act of 1986 • FAA Airframe & Powerplant Certificate (A&P) What other skills, knowledge, and qualifications are needed to be an Aircraft Maintenance Instructor? • ISD (Instructional Systems Design). ATA 104, Training Material Formatting, Training Material Development Software, i.e., Microsoft Suite - PowerPoint/Word/Excel/Access/Visio/Project/Adobe eLearning Suite - Acrobat Pro/Photoshop/Captivate/Soundbooth/Flash/Dreamweaver • Ten (10) Years Airline, Aircraft Maintenance Technician and five (5) years Aircraft Maintenance Technical Training Instructor and 5 years Aircraft Maintenance Technical Training Material Developer Work Environment for an Aircraft Maintenance Instructor • Must be able to lift 50 lbs. Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (High Visibility clothing, Ear protection, safety glasses) when required • Office Environment with up to 50% travel Physical Demands: • Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (High Visibility clothing, Ear protection, safety glasses) when required • Ability to work 12 hour shifts with rotating regular days off and with the understanding that shift work can be changed from days to nights and vice versa with reasonable advance notice APPLY HERE Allegiant is an equal opportunity employer and will not unlawfully discriminate against qualified applicants or Team Members with respect to any terms or conditions of employment based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, marital status, military service status, union/non-union activity, citizenship status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. This includes compliance with all federal, state and local laws providing for nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all aspects of the employment process and the requirement to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with those laws. Back to Top POSITION AVAILABLE: AOG MANAGER What does an AOG Manager do for Allegiant? This position will oversee the schedule of the AOG Buyers and be responsible for maintaining 24/7/365 coverage on the AOG Desk. The incumbent will provide leadership and expertise to AOG Buyers with respect to operationally critical material requirements. They will assist AOG Buyers to the greatest extent possible in fulfilling part requests in the manner that best supports the operation. They develop and manage metrics relating to AOG Buyer performance and AOS events. Additionally, they perform other activities in support of Materials Services Department objectives, as required. What are some of the daily duties of an AOG Manager? • Oversee the procurement of parts, materials, and tooling for specific aircraft and stations made by the AOG Buyers • Act as an internal resource providing technical expertise to all the Materials functions for aircraft parts-related issues o Lend technical expertise to The AOG Team o Help as necessary with sourcing AOG parts, including identification of appropriate part numbers, effectivity and alternates, determination of service bulletin requirements and status • This position will be the first line of contact for AOG Buyers that need assistance • Be in rotation for weekend duty shifts for Materials • Provide approval for purchases over AOG Buyer spending limit • Ensure AOG Buyers procure the parts, materials, and tooling as needed in the optimal and expeditious manner o Monitor short term expiring Deferred Maintenance Items with no parts ordered, request MX follow up as necessary o Utilize and make available financial analysis that justifies purchase decisions o Oversee and negotiates reciprocal loan agreements with other airlines o Cover shifts on the AOG desk, or arrange for coverage, as needed for AOG Buyer vacation and sick leave • Coordinate with Repairs and Purchasing Managers to support their groups as needed • Track loans/borrowed/exchange items to ensure they are returned to the appropriate provider in a timely manner to minimize cost. • Supervise AOG Buyers to ensure they properly follow up on open action items • Follow up on time sensitive action items for AOG Buyers when they off duty • Ensure that AOG Buyers procure parts/materials/tooling for AOG or critical aircraft at or below fair market value • Work with Material Planning to identify parts/material/tooling to stock to reduce AOS downtime • Work with Maintenance to keep communication lines open and clear regarding AOG and critical part requests • Analyze and reports of AOS event timelines • Provide regular training and development opportunities to AOG Buyers • Work with accounting to ensure prompt payment of AOG related invoices • Provide regular reporting and status updates to senior management. • Work with Systems Analyst and IT to provide new tools and improve existing tools for AOG Buyers • Analyze sourcing tools on the open market • Identify, develop, and implement process improvements • Ensure sufficient workload distribution between AOG Buyers when possible • Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by Director of Material Services What are the minimum requirements to be an AOG Manager? • Strong verbal communication skills and attention to detail • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required. Master's degree in related field preferred. Familiarity with finance, accounting and statistics desirable. • Minimum of 5 years related experience as a Buyer, Purchasing Agent, Commodity Manager, Repair Analyst, etc., required. Applicable experience repairing off wing components and understanding of commercial requirements will also be considered. • Minimum of 2 years in a leadership role or demonstrated leadership skills required. • Must pass background and pre-employment drug screen. • Must have authorization to work in the U.S. as defined in the immigration Act of 1986. What other skills, knowledge, and qualifications are needed to be an AOG Manager? Two years' experience with aviation purchasing/materials management and/or previous inventory or administrative experience. What are the physical requirements of an AOG Manager? • Must be able to work in a fast paced, high-pressure environment. • Must have sufficient vision and ability to safely perform the essential functions of the position. APPLY HERE ! Allegiant Travel Company is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, military service status, protected veterans, union/non-union activity, citizenship status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. EEO/AA/Minority/Female/Veteran/Disability Allegiant supports a healthy, non-smoking work environment. Back to Top Title: Internal Evaluation Program Auditor I Job Code: 6921 Department: Safety Reports To: Manager of Internal Evaluations What does an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor do for Allegiant? Perform evaluations in accordance with department schedule and special evaluations as directed by the Mgr. of Internal Evaluations. What are some of the daily duties of an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? • Performs scheduled and special evaluations, including identifying and defining issues, reviewing and analyzing evidence, and documenting findings and concerns • Collect objective evidence necessary to substantiate findings or concerns • Prepares evaluation reports • Recommends solutions to findings or concerns • Monitors the development and implementation of corrective action plans • Maintains and updates internal evaluation files • Verifies the implementation of solutions and corrective action plans What are the minimum requirements to be an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? • A & P certificate preferred • Pilot certificate, A & P certificate, or Dispatch certificate or • 1 year of auditing experience • Work experience in 14 CFR Part 121 air carrier operations: stations, training, quality control, maintenance, operations, safety or a combination thereof preferred • Working knowledge of SMS, DOD principles and the FAA SAS DCTs required • Previous experience maintaining and enhancing corporate safety standards and safe operation practices preferred • Proficient verbal, written, and presentation communication skills • Bachelor's degree in related field preferred • Certified Quality Auditor preferred What other skills, knowledge, and qualifications are needed to be an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? • Proficient verbal, written, and presentation communication skills • Must pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen • Must have authorization to work in the U.S. as defined in the Immigrations Act of 1986 What are the physical requirements of an Internal Evaluation Program Auditor? • Office environment APPLY HERE Allegiant Travel Company is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital status, military service status, protected veterans, union/non-union activity, citizenship status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. EEO/AA/Minority/Female/Veteran/Disability Allegiant supports a healthy, non-smoking work environment. Back to Top 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. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Dear fellow professional pilots, As part of my Masters Degree in Aviation Management, I am conducting a survey on 'Operator Conversion Courses' (A Course taken by pilots in a new airline when moving from one airline to another but remaining on the same aircraft type) May I ask that commercial pilots amongst you take just 5 minutes to answer this short survey; it is only 10 questions. I would also ask that you pass on the link to as many of your professional pilot colleagues around the world who might also be able to provide valuable data to the survey. The survey is open until the 15th June 2016 and all data is de-identied and shall only be used for the purposes of this paper. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJFHRSK If you have any questions, please feel free to email me on guy.farnfield.1@city.ac.uk Thank you Guy Farnfield Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 My name is Warren Appleton and have been involved in aviation maintenance for thirty years in various roles. Currently I am working on a research project as part of a Masters Degree in Air Safety Management with City University of London. Part of my project is a survey on the topic of "Understanding risks during performance of maintenance and continued airworthiness activities" which aims to collect practical feedback from maintenance and engineering personnel based on your own individual experiences. Everyone's experience is unique and provides valuable insight. By receiving your feedback I hope to improve understanding on this important subject. This survey is strictly anonymous and confidential. It is addressed to all line maintenance, base maintenance, workshop and continuing airworthiness personnel. Active or retired, your experience matters. In order to answer this survey simply follow link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZC3GQ7F For any questions or comments on this survey please use the following email account. warren.appleton.1@city.ac.uk Thank you Warren Appleton Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Colleagues: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Oklahoma, and Wichita State University, under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Center of Excellence for Technical Training and Human Performance (COE TTHP), are requesting responses to a brief survey of experts in all areas of aviation. Our goal is to identify and understand shortcomings in current training and delivery mechanisms. Your input is very much appreciated. Please click on the link below to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CFA_22 Mark A. Friend, Ed.D., CSP Professor in the College of Aviation School of Graduate Studies Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Dear pilot/controller, please complete the attached survey about the use of standard phraseology and English language since the introduction of ICAO language proficiency requirements. I would like to find out if there have been any improvements in aeronautical communications since 2008, The results of the survey will be presented at the international conference of Aviation English experts this year. Thank you for your help! Karmen Stumberger, CAA Slovenia Aviation English Examiner-Instructor Link to the survey: https://www.1ka.si/a/158333 Curt Lewis