Flight Safety Information May 22, 2018 - No. 103 In This Issue Incident: Alrosa B738 at St. Petersburg on May 20th 2018, rejected takeoff due to engine failure Accident: Onur A332 at Jeddah on May 21st 2018, landed without nose gear Incident: India Regional AT72 at Shirdi on May 21st 2018, overran runway on landing Accident: ANA B763 at Tokyo on May 21st 2018, smoke in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle Fatal Accident (Russia) Frontier Airlines flight to San Diego makes emergency landing after report of smoke in cabin LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. Hand-Me-Down Plane That Crashed Reflects a Cuban Air Industry in Crisis Scientists Examine Why Some Pilots Thrive Under Pressure, and Some Crack Pilot-hungry airlines are raiding flight schools - creating a shortage of instructors More than 70 schools to implement AOPA aviation curriculum Flexjet Boosts Pay for Red Label Pilots Jet Airways considers removal of 777-300ER first class cabin JetBlue-backed private jet company signs up for hybrid electric planes World Class Safety Management Systems from SCSI POSITION: Director of Safety POSITION: Flight Data Analyst Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Alrosa B738 at St. Petersburg on May 20th 2018, rejected takeoff due to engine failure An Alrosa Mirny Air Enterprise Boeing 737-800, registration EI-FCH performing flight 6R-506 from Saint Petersburg to Mirny (Russia) with 156 passengers, was accelerating for takeoff from St. Petersburg's runway 28R when the crew rejected takeoff due to the failure of the left hand engine (CFM56). The aircraft slowed safely, vacated the runway via a high speed turn off about 0.75 nm down the runway and returned to the apron. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground 35 hours after the rejected takeoff. Russia's North-West Investigation Department opened an investigation into the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8e22db&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Onur A332 at Jeddah on May 21st 2018, landed without nose gear An Onur Air Airbus A330-200 on behalf and in colours of Saudi Arabian Airlines, registration TC-OCH performing flight SV-3818 from Madinah (Saudi Arabia) to Dhaka (Bangladesh), was enroute at FL370 about 200nm northeast of Madinah when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Jeddah. The aircraft went around from about 1000 feet MSL on first approach due to an unsafe gear indication, entered a hold for about one hour while working the checklists, performed a low approach to Jeddah and subsequently positioned for a full stop landing without nose gear. The aircraft landed on Jeddah's runway 34R about 4.5 hours after departure from Madinah and skidded on main gear and aircraft nose producing sparks to a halt on the runway. The aircraft was evacuated. No injuries are being reported, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The aircraft skidding on its nose: http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8e1e10&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: India Regional AT72 at Shirdi on May 21st 2018, overran runway on landing An Air India Regional Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration VT-AIX performing flight AI-9653 from Mumbai to Shirdi (India), landed on Shirdi's runway 09 at 17:20L (11:20Z) but overran the end of the runway by about 50 meters/150 feet and came to a stop with all gear on soft ground. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained minor if any damage. Data transmitted by the aircraft's transponder suggest the aircraft touched down at 145 knots over ground. Shirdi features a runway 09/27 of 2500 meters/8200 feet length. Metars: VASD 211230Z 33007KT 6000 NSC 37/20 Q1008 NOSIG= VASD 211200Z 31008KT 6000 NSC 38/20 Q1008 NOSIG= VASD 211130Z 32011KT 6000 NSC 39/20 Q1007 NOSIG= VASD 211100Z 33006KT 6000 NSC 40/20 Q1007 NOSIG= VASD 211030Z 35006KT 6000 NSC 40/19 Q1008 NOSIG= VASD 211000Z 35005KT 6000 NSC 41/19 Q1008 NOSIG= VASD 210930Z VRB03KT 6000 NSC 40/17 Q1008 NOSIG= VASD 210900Z VRB02KT 6000 NSC 40/16 Q1008 NOSIG= VASD 210830Z VRB02KT 6000 NSC 40/16 Q1009 NOSIG= The aircraft seen after landing: http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8dfcca&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: ANA B763 at Tokyo on May 21st 2018, smoke in cabin An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 767-300, registration JA625A performing flight NH-809 from Tokyo Narita (Japan) to Hong Kong (China) with 127 passengers and 10 crew, was preparing for departure from the gate, the passengers had already boarded, when white smoke developed in the cabin prompting the crew to initiate a rapid diembarkation into the terminal again. Three passengers complained about feeling ill following smoke inhalation and were treated at the airport. The airline reported that an examination of the aircraft is still underway, preliminary results suggest that an oil leak at the APU may have been the cause of the smoke. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration JA611A reached Hong Kong with a delay of 6 hours. Scene on board (Photo: jirige): http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8de774&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle Fatal Accident (Russia) Date: 21-MAY-2018 Time: 02:20 LT Type: Aérospatiale SA 342 Gazelle Owner/operator: Private Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 1 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Khabarovsk - Russia Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Amur Oblast Destination airport: Narrative: A Gazelle helicopter carried out an emergency landing near the confluence of the Shevli and Uda rivers of the Tuguro-Chumikansky district, Russia. After a hard landing, the aircraft caught fire. The occupants had time to evacuate before the helicopter caught fire. On the way to a nearby hunting lodge, one kilometer from the scene, one person allegedly had a heart attack, as a result of which he died. Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia Statement: "During a hard landing, the aircraft ignited. People had time to evacuate before the helicopter caught fire. On the way to a nearby hunting lodge, one kilometer from the scene, one person had a heart attack, as a result of which he died, it was reported. The person who died of a heart attack after a hard landing of the helicopter was Colonel-General of the Federal Security Service of Russia in 1946, after working for Sibur. I flew to the Amur Region from Moscow. Also on board was an entrepreneur from the Khabarovsk Territory, he has a serious spinal injury, "the administration said. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=211266 Back to Top Frontier Airlines flight to San Diego makes emergency landing after report of smoke in cabin SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A flight bound for San Diego was diverted late Sunday night after smoke was seen in the plane's cabin. 10News learned Frontier Airlines Flight 1839 departed Tulsa, Oklahoma, at about 9:30 p.m. local time and was at least an hour into the flight when the smoke was reported. Pilots made a flight plan change that led to an emergency landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Passenger Jessica Anzai told 10News' Scripps affiliate KJRH that oxygen masks did not drop for passengers, but she heard pilots wearing them as they made a cabin announcement. The cause of the smoke is under investigation and no injuries were immediate reported. KJRH reported the airline gave passengers a flight voucher and booked them hotels overnight. The flight arrived in San Diego just before 11 a.m. https://www.10news.com/news/frontier-airlines-flight-to-san-diego-makes-emergency-landing-after-report-of-smoke-in-cabin Back to Top Back to Top Hand-Me-Down Plane That Crashed Reflects a Cuban Air Industry in Crisis Rescuers searching through the wreckage of a Boeing 737 that crashed with more than 100 passengers on board near Havana on Friday.CreditRamon Espinosa/Associated Press MEXICO CITY - Almost 40 years old by the time it crashed on Friday just outside of Havana, killing 110 people, the aging Boeing 737 had changed ownership nearly a half-dozen times, passing from operators in the United States to Canada, from Cameroon to the Caribbean. "I actually flew that exact plane," said John Cox, the head of the consultancy Safety Operating Systems, who traced the aircraft's ownership back to 1979, when it was new and belonged to Piedmont Airlines, his former employer. Though the cause of the crash has not been determined, the plane itself is a powerful symbol of Cuba's troubled aviation industry. As tourism to the island surges, Cuba's national airline finds itself struggling to acquire enough planes to meet the demand and maintain its decrepit fleet. Cuba's economy has long been in shambles, and experts say the troubles plaguing its aviation sector stem from the same obstacles that have bedeviled the country for decades: economic mismanagement and the United States embargo of the island. Cuba's problems have gotten so bad that, a few weeks ago, the country grounded most of its domestic flights because of safety concerns over its fleet. To continue flying, officials have been forced to lease planes from foreign outfits that sometimes use decades-old planes, like the one that crashed and burned right after takeoff on Friday, killing nearly everyone on board. The old Boeing 737 had been leased to Cubana de Aviación, the state airline, by a relatively unknown Mexican company with just three aircraft in its fleet. Some aviation industry analysts were taken aback at the plane's advanced age. "That's one of the oldest passenger jets I have heard of that is still in service," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of the Teal Group, an aviation and aerospace consulting company in Fairfax, Va. Though Mexican officials said the plane had passed safety inspections as recently as November, it is one of just 100 of its model still in circulation across the globe, reflecting the limited options the Cuban government has in order to continue operating its state airline. "Whether the airline is going to survive is an open question," said George Farinas, a retired Delta pilot who works as a civil aviation inspector and is writing a book about the history of Cubana de Aviación. "They are in a major crisis right now." Mr. Farinas said that Cuban officials even decided in the past against working with the Mexican company, Damojh Aerolíneas, also known as Global Air, after the flight crew that came with the lease got lost in the air on one trip. But they eventually reversed the decision, he said, "probably out of desperation." Adel Yzquierdo Rodríguez, Cuba's transportation minister, said Saturday that Cubana had been renting the plane for less than a month from Damojh, and that under the rental arrangement, the Mexican owner was responsible for the aircraft's maintenance. Analysts sometimes disagree about which is more to blame for Cuba's troubled aviation industry: the American embargo of the island or the country's own history of economic mismanagement. Some experts say the sanctions have crippled the nation's ability to gain access to the vendors and financing needed to get new aircraft. The Cubans themselves have made the case numerous times, blaming the decades-old sanctions for their aging planes, which include Russian-made aircraft that are difficult to find parts for. "If it were not for the embargo, they would be able to access a robust capital market for financing Western aircraft," said Samuel Engel, the senior vice president at ICF Consulting and an expert in the international airline industry. But many analysts say that, while a process is involved, Cuba can indeed get access to such markets, as well as planes. "The embargo does play a role in inhibiting business with Cuba, but there are policies to promote the sale of aircraft," said Dallas Woodrum, an associate at Akin Gump in the firm's Washington office. "Whether businesses decide to take advantage of that is a different question, and a matter of their risk tolerance and what type of reward they see." Cuba also suffers from a cash flow problem that further hinders the purchase of international goods - a product of the sanctions but also, critics say, its poor stewardship of the economy. "The challenge is that they don't manage the industry well," said Emilio Morales, president of the Miami-based Havana Consulting Group, which focuses on the Cuban economy. "The business requires capital; it requires financing to maintain the planes." Founded in 1929, Cubana de Aviación was once the pride of the Caribbean, replete with modern planes and top-flight maintenance. But as with so many elements of Cuba's infrastructure and transportation, that progress began to slowly, and then suddenly halt, following the revolution, economic sanctions and, later, the fall of the Soviet Union, which had helped keep the nation afloat financially. Cars hailing from the 1960s roll down pockmarked streets, past unpainted buildings and under worn bridges. And while the government has maintained its commitment to social services, whether free health care or education, money has grown scarce. That reality has set in for the airline industry, leaving the state airline with limited options to upgrade old planes or get new ones. Cubana has struggled with a spotty safety record in the past - including several crashes in the late 1990s that left scores dead. The tragedies include crashes in Ecuador, Guatemala, Venezuela and off the island's southeast coast. Friday's crash occurred just after noon, following the plane's departure from Havana for the eastern city of Holguín. Emergency workers and nearby residents raced to the scene, where the battered remnants of the plane kicked up plumes of thick smoke, trying to rescue survivors. Ramiro Santana Martínez, 46, a construction worker who lives about 50 yards from the crash site, said he was near his house when he heard an explosion, quickly followed by a second one. He joined neighbors and strangers who converged on the smoldering husk of the plane, looking for survivors. Mr. Santana said charred bodies, some dismembered, were scattered across the site; some had been thrown clear of the wreckage. A volunteer rescuer spotted movement under some fallen branches: a woman's hand. Mr. Santana and others rushed to help pull the crying woman out and get her to an ambulance. She was burned and bloodied but conscious. Mr. Santana said he also helped pull out two other people, both men, who were breathing at the time but inert. Cuban officials said three women ended up surviving the crash, though they were in listed in "extreme critical" condition on Saturday. Mr. Yzquierdo, the transportation minister, said that among the 110 dead were 99 Cuban passengers, two Argentine passengers and two passengers from a disputed area of the Western Sahara. Speaking at a news conference, Mr. Yzquierdo, said that 15 victims had been identified so far, including 10 adults and five children. The Cuban Council of Churches said that the victims also included a group of 18 people who had traveled to a seminary in Havana. Those on board the plane included five crew members, all Mexican. As part of its contract, Cubana hired them to operate the aircraft, an agreement known as a wet lease. There was no specific mention of their condition as of Saturday afternoon, but the three survivors identified by the Cuban government did not include the crew members. Leticia Nuñez, the sister of the flight's captain, Jorge Luis Nuñez Santos, said that her family had only heard the information reported in the media, and had not received any further details from Mexican authorities. Ms. Nuñez said she assumed the worst, but was still waiting for official confirmation. "Sometimes crew members change, someone gets in late - we don't lose hope, we can't," she said in an interview over Facebook. Abigail Hernández, another Mexican crew member, posted a picture on her Facebook page last February in which she is seen standing and smiling in front of a red telephone box, with the comment: "Happy to get to know the world." The transportation minister explained that it was "normal" for the Cuban government to rent airplanes. "Why?" he asked rhetorically. "Because it's convenient and also because of the problem of the embargo we face, which means we sometimes can't buy planes, the planes we need, and we have to rent them." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/19/world/americas/cuba-plane-crash.html Back to Top Scientists Examine Why Some Pilots Thrive Under Pressure, and Some Crack A peek into the brain could help us train the pilots of the future. Every commercial pilot would prefer nothing but uneventful flights, but sometimes the things go wrong and pilots have to both handle drastically shifting circumstances while maintaining the mental calm to process new information as it comes in. It's a lot to ask of anyone, which is why scientists at Drexel University have begun measuring the brain activity of pilots in real-time. Using technology called functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS, the scientists are able to monitor pilot activity while they move about the cockpit and make decisions. An fNIRS system keeps track of blood oxygenation changes in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain where problem solving, memory, judgement and impulse control are located. When a person is learning a new skill, the prefrontal cortex is highly active. But as a task becomes a more learned trait, the brain is able to spread its resources out across other areas. This gives the prefrontal cortex space to breathe, so to speak, in the case of a split-second decision needed to be made. "Unfortunately, many human-machine interfaces expose users to workload extremes, diminishing the operator's attention and potentially leading to catastrophic consequences," says Hasan Ayaz, PhD, an associate research professor at Drexel, in a press release. Ayaz and co-author Frédéric Dehais, of ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse, France have published their work in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. Researchers split 28 pilots into two teams. One team flew in actual planes and the other that stayed in flight simulators. With fNIRS systems monitoring their brain activity, the pilots began a series of memorization tests given to them by pre-recorded air traffic control instructions for flight parameters. These varied in difficulty and in how they were distributed to the pilots. A pilot wearing the fNIRs headband. His brain activity is being monitored on the ground by researchers. A clear trend emerged. Pilots in the real flight conditions had more errors and their brains had higher prefrontal cortex activation than the pilots in the simulator. It's a testament to how the pressure of real-time flight differs from even the most advanced simulations. But going forward, Ayaz and his co-authors on this paper hope that this fNIRS measuring system could be a first step towards understanding why some pilots are strive and others crack under pressure. Pilots like Sully Sullenberger, Tammie Jo Shults and Liu Chuanjian are rightfully lauded for their quick thinking under drastic circumstances. But not every pilot can make the right call, and tragedies like the one-in-a-million Germanwings Flight 9525 show how keeping track of a pilot's brain function could help save lives. Someday perhaps the plane itself could monitor a pilot's activity and adjust itself to help the flight out. "We believe that this type of approach will open a whole new direction of research for studying parameters in an aviation setting and eventually designing better machines," says Dehais. Source: EurkeAl https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a20775405/scientists-examine-why-some-pilots-thrive-under-pressure-and-some-crack/ Back to Top Pilot-hungry airlines are raiding flight schools - creating a shortage of instructors to train the next generation Cade Glass, 13, poses by a Cirrus SR20 airplane during a lesson at Chesterfield County Airport near Richmond, in March. Glass has wanted to be a pilot since at least 7. (Scott Glass) Airlines' insatiable demand for pilots threatens to sabotage flight schools' ability to train new ones. Carriers are raising wages and hoarding every available pilot - including the instructors schools rely on to teach incoming students. The very pilot pipeline that is supposed to meet decades of projected labor shortfalls is being squeezed. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), some schools have been forced to scale back operations or turn down qualified students because they do not have enough instructors. Michael Farley has been teaching at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts for 18 years. Applications for his program are up, but the aviation department chair is so short on instructors that he has had to cap the number of students in his program. "In my tenure, this is unprecedented," Farley said, reflecting on the speed with which airlines were hiring recent graduates. How the flight-school model used to work The problem is rooted in how collegiate aviation is structured. Classroom courses such as meteorology and aviation law are taught by academic faculty, but flight instructors are usually experienced students or graduates looking to gain flight hours before heading off to the commercial big leagues. Details vary between vocational, two-year and four-year schools, but an aspiring pilot at a typical accredited institution needs about 250 to 300 hours to become a certified instructor. Those 250 hours used to be all you needed to join an airline as a co-pilot. In some countries, it still is. Since 2013, most students have had to fly between 1,000 and 1,500 hours to qualify for work at a passenger airline. Even before that, the GAO report found, airlines expected as much as 2,000 hours of experience from entry-level employees, depending on the job market. So, where do young pilots get the other 1,000 hours or so? Some do aerial photography or fly banners, but the overwhelming majority work at their aviation college or an affiliated institution as a flight instructor. It is built into their career path. In an ideal world, a pilot works first as an instructor at her flight school, then as a co-pilot and pilot at a regional airline (such as Cape Air or SkyWest Airlines) and finally as a co-pilot and pilot at a major airline (such as Southwest Airlines or United Airlines). When the model snaps Demand for pilots swings hard. In 2009, as American families and businesses slashed their air-travel budgets amid the Great Recession and furloughs swept the industry, major airlines hired just 30 pilots, according to pilot-advisory service FAPA.aero. That number soared to 5,000 in 2017. In 2018, it will be even higher. When the market was slow, students stuck around, and instructors were cheap and abundant. But when hiring took off, they vanished into jobs flying passenger or cargo jets. When employees complain about worker shortages, the obvious reply is employees would not be so hard to find if businesses just offered more money. The aviation job market is complicated by strict federal regulations and what FAPA's president, Louis Smith, called the "poach chain." Flight-school instructors are almost all flight-school students, which means they came into aviation because they wanted to sit in the cockpit of a mammoth Boeing or Airbus with "Delta" or "American" stamped on the side, not babysit their peers in a single-engine Cessna. From Day 1, they are focused on getting to a major airline and building seniority, the all-important number that rules everything from route assignments and pay scales to standby tickets. Those major airlines poach from the regional airlines, and regional airlines poach from flight schools. Life is hard at the bottom of the poach chain, where flight schools compete for instructors. U.S. Aviation Academy, a large training outfit that partners with Tarrant County College in Texas, offers new instructors a $2,500 bonus and between $27 and $35 an hour - a wage it has been forced to raise about 15 percent in recent months. "We think we're solving the problem," said Scott Sykes, who handles business development for the academy. "We've got a full-time recruiting staff that are out there nationwide beating the streets." Their pay is competitive with regional airlines, where new pilots earn an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 a year. But when a 21-year-old instructor gets poached, the schools are not competing with the regional carrier. They are competing with the promise of a 44-year career in a high-profile, lionized position that can pay north of $200,000 a year and offers excellent benefits. Aspiring pilot Cade Glass, of Midlothian, Va., plans on becoming an instructor to help pay for flight school and said he has considered a career in aviation education, but the 13-year-old already understands the cold calculus involved. "If airlines are paying like they are today, with nearly $20,000 signing bonuses? I'm going to go there every time," Glass said. Competition causes collateral damage As flight schools pay instructors more, they are raising their prices to compensate. It is a fraught decision in an industry that worried it is charging too much to attract the quantity and diversity of students that airlines need. Federal student aid, while available at many aviation schools, typically does not stretch to cover flight-school costs, which are boosted by investments in aircraft, fuel and facilities - not to mention the instructors. The GAO found that most pilot programs charge more than $50,000 for flight training alone. Not all students have access to the wealth or credit needed to fill the gap between student aid and the flight-school bill, even if they can be reasonably sure - in this job market, at least - they will earn it back. Schools told the GAO that, after instructor attrition, their biggest obstacle to training enough pilots was their own high price tag. Glass's first choice of flight school - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he went to aviation camp and learned the ropes from student instructors - costs $48,000 a year. That does not include the cumulative $40,000 to $60,000 the school expects students to spend on flight training while they are there. "If you don't have the financial backing, it's difficult," Glass said. Putting the model back together The quickest solution to the instructor shortage would be another downturn in the cyclical industry, which would reduce demand for new pilots and flood the market with laid-off and furloughed workers, but nobody's advocating that. It also seems unlikely given the industry's bullish projections that predict the pilot shortfall will extend for decades. In the short term, schools have partnered with regional airlines and struck deals that allow pilots to earn seniority while they are instructing. They have also offered what Tom Hiltner, FAPA's vice president of operations, called "indentured servitude packages," in which students promise to stick around longer in exchange for advanced flight training. The GAO found at least one school is attempting to negotiate non-poaching agreements with regional airlines. Hiltner said some schools have also intensified recruitment of nontraditional instructors including retired pilots, pilots who might not meet medical restrictions for airline certification, and pilots who care less about globe-trotting and more about working regular hours and sleeping in their own bed each night. It is still a challenge. Farley of Bridgewater State University said that he had not been able to hire nontraditional instructors, and was not sure they would be a long-term solution to his instructor shortage. People join aviation because they want to work for airlines, and aviation schools just cannot compete in terms of pay or prestige. The shortages are growing more acute as airlines hire away the people who would otherwise be training more people for them to hire - and Farley does not see a solution coming until (and if) the bottleneck works all the way up the poach chain. "When it affects the major airlines, we might see some changes," Farley said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/05/21/pilot-hungry-airlines-are-raiding-flight-schools-creating-a-shortage-of-instructors-to-train-the-next-generation/?utm_term=.89049c90f0af Back to Top More than 70 schools to implement AOPA aviation curriculum More than 70 schools will implement the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) high school aviation science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in the 2018-2019 school year. AOPA's aviation STEM curriculum offers students four-year aviation study options aligned with rigorous math and science standards used in many states nationwide. The program aims to provide students the skills they need to learn about aviation-related career and educational opportunities, according to AOPA officials. AOPA is developing these courses as part of three career and technical education (CTE) pathways: Pilot, unmanned aircraft systems (drones), and aerospace engineering. Students build a wing to test in the Kalamazoo Air Zoo's wind tunnel. Each year, AOPA will release subsequent courses until all four high school grade levels of the curriculum are complete. In addition to implementing the ninth-grade curriculum in the 2018-2019 school year, 25 schools will also be testing the tenth-grade curriculum. The curriculum is provided to schools at no cost. Donors to the AOPA Foundation pay for the development and distribution of the curriculum, as well as other initiatives of the You Can Fly program. A 2017 Boeing study reports a growing demand for aviation industry jobs, and it's not slowing down. According to Boeing, 637,000 commercial aircraft pilots, 648,000 technicians, and 839,000 cabin crew members are needed globally within the next 20 years. "With an unprecedented demand for careers in aviation, we are thrilled that so many high schools are utilizing our STEM curriculum to inspire students and give them the skills to pursue future careers in aerospace," said AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker. "Planting the seeds for the future workforce of our industry is part of AOPA's mission to keep aviation vibrant. We are grateful to the AOPA Foundation donors who make such programs possible. Their generosity is helping us make a difference in the lives of thousands of youth and to spur interest in aviation." Over the past 12 months, AOPA tested the ninth-grade curriculum in nearly 30 schools with more than 700 students, before unveiling the program. The courses are aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and includes all the resources teachers will need, AOPA officials note. Before implementing the curriculum, teachers are required to participate in a three-day professional development workshop at AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, to gain a deeper understanding of the materials, learn about available resources, and network with other aviation educators. To learn more about AOPA's high school aviation STEM curriculum, contact the High School Aviation Initiative team at hs@aopa.org. You can also visit AOPA's You Can Fly page. By the Numbers More than 70 schools will use the ninth grade AOPA Aviation STEM Curriculum in the 2018-2019 school year 25 schools will test the 10th grade AOPA Aviation STEM Curriculum in the 2018-2019 school year There is no cost for schools to utilize the AOPA Aviation STEM Curriculum 22 percent of students currently testing the 9th grade AOPA Aviation STEM Curriculum are female 45 percent of students currently testing the 9th grade AOPA Aviation STEM Curriculum are in underrepresented groups 2.1 million pilots, technicians, and cabin crew are needed by 2036, according to Boeing. https://generalaviationnews.com/2018/05/21/more-than-70-schools-to-implement-aopa-aviation-curriculum/ Back to Top Flexjet Boosts Pay for Red Label Pilots Fractional provider Flexjet on Friday announced "substantial salary increases" for Red Label pilots, making them what it claims are the highest paid in the industry. Pilots flying for Red Label, Flexjet's premium offering, are assigned to a specific aircraft tail number and are managed in a small-team environment. Under the new pay scale, Flexjet said, first-year pilots using the preferential bid schedule could make $80,000 per year; a fifth-year Challenger 350 pilot could earn as much as $176,000; and a third-year Red Label chief aircraft commander flying a Gulfstream G650 could earn $205,000 annually. Red Label pilots also receive quarterly bonus incentives based on performance. In response to "unprecedented business growth and flight demand," the company intends to expand its fleet by 14 percent, which will require growth in pilot ranks by 25 percent this year. Flexjet believes that its pay and benefits will allow it to fill these open positions despite the looming pilot shortage. Meanwhile, Flexjet's pilots, along with those at sister group Flight Options, are currently voting on whether or not to remain unionized. The NMB-overseen voting period began May 2 and ends May 30. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-05-21/flexjet-boosts-pay-red-label-pilots Back to Top Jet Airways considers removal of 777-300ER first class cabin Jet Airways could remove the first class cabin on its 10 Boeing 777-300ERs in favour of more business and economy seats. Jet tells FlightGlobal the refurbishment "forms part of a comprehensive cabin upgrade programme being evaluated by the airline to improve its guest experience", and that the process will take up to two years. "The move is highly likely to go ahead," says the airline. The reconfiguration would see the seating capacity of the widebodies grow to 400. Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that each of the 777-300ERs is configured with eight seats in first class, 30 in business and 308 in economy - a total of 346 seats. The carrier, however, did not disclose if it has selected the service provider for the refurbishment works. Meanwhile, local media reports quote Jet's chief executive Vinay Dube as saying that the removal of first class cabins was due to the seats "not giving [them] the return we are looking for.... [and to] increase the cost efficiency (of the airline)". Jet's first class seats are manufactured by B/E Aerospace, while the business and economy class seats are manufactured by Contour Premium and Recaro respectively. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/jet-airways-considers-removal-of-777-300er-first-cla-448753/ Back to Top JetBlue-backed private jet company signs up for hybrid electric planes • Zunum is backed by venture arms of Boeing and JetBlue. • JetSuite offers private charters and scheduled semi-private service. • Zunum aims to test electric hybrid flights next year. A rendering of a hybrid electric plane design of Zunum Aero. JetSuite wants to be a launch customer. Source: Zunum Aero A JetBlue-backed private jet company is making a bet on electric planes. JetSuite, which offers private charter flights, and semi-private scheduled service on its JetSuiteX planes, said Monday it will become the launch customer for up to 100 hybrid-to-electric planes from start-up Zunum Aero. Zunum, which is backed by venture arms of both JetBlue and Boeing and Washington state's Clean Energy Fund, said the first batch of planes will seat 12 passengers and would be available in 2022. The company is planning ground tests this year and flight tests in 2019. JetSuite and Zunum share an investor in JetBlue, which is rethinking short-distance flights through its investments. Bonny Simi, president of JetBlue Technology Ventures, said the aim is to improve the experience of flights under 1,000 miles, with shorter trips through the airport and cheaper-to-operate flights. That's "the part of the travel industry that's broken," Simi said. "People don't want to go to the airport only to fly a one-hour flight." Irvine, California-based JetSuite last month received additional investment from Qatar Airways and JetBlue, which has strengthened its tie to the private jet company. The airline recently announced it would sell seats on JetSuiteX, the scheduled, semi-private flights the company offers, on JetBlue's website in a code-sharing agreement. JetSuite is relocating to the Dallas area in the coming months and expanding its service. JetSuiteX, which offers scheduled semi-private service, will eventually replace retired Embraer 135 planes with the Zunum planes, JetSuite's CEO, Alex Wilcox, said, touting potential fuel savings from the hybrid planes. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/21/jetblue-backed-private-jet-company-signs-up-for-hybrid-electric-planes.html Back to Top 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-EXPO®, 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-EXPO® • 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 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 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 RESEARCH SURVEY 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 Curt Lewis