Flight Safety Information May 24, 2018 - No. 105 In This Issue Incident: Ryanair B738 near Madrid on May 20th 2018, flaps problem Incident: United B764 near Shannon on May 23rd 2018, cabin pressure problems Incident: Delta MD88 near Newark on May 22nd 2018, engine problem Northrop T-38C Talon Accident (Mississippi) Aer Lingus Jet Clips Terminal At San Francisco International Airport LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. MH370 investigators reject theory plane was deliberately crashed Improving Mongolian airspace New Zealand's transport minister will no longer oversee aviation safety because he made a phone call ICAO concludes worldwide series of Safety Management Symposiums in Kigali New FAA Regulation Requires UAV Owners to Display Drone ID on Exterior Ethiopian Airlines to take delivery of record 100th aircraft in June AIR MAURITIUS WANTS TO CREATE AFRICA/ASIA-PACIFIC HUB New Program Provides Free Pilot Training For Veterans Allegiant Air picks up its first Alabama-built Airbus jet Postal Service Honors First American Woman in Space Early Registration and Student Grant Deadline - CHC Safety & Quality Summit 2018 2018 SERC of ISASI HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - New Online Course - Fall 2018 Flight Safety Officer Course from SCSI World Class Safety Management Systems from SCSI POSITION: Aviation Operations Safety Specialist Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Ryanair B738 near Madrid on May 20th 2018, flaps problem A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-DHX performing flight FR-3021 from Madrid,SP (Spain) to Toulouse (France), was climbing out of Madrid's runway 36R when the crew stopped the climb at FL110 due to being unable to fully retract the flaps. The aircraft entered a hold while the crew was working the checklists and prepared the aircraft for a return to Madrid and a high speed landing. The aircraft burned off fuel at FL080, later FL060 and landed on Madrid's runway 32L at a higher than normal speed (about 185 knots over ground) about 65 minutes after departure, vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. A passenger reported the crew announced they had stopped the climb due to a "technical issue" and they were returning to Madrid. The aircraft braked hard after landing, the passenger did not notice any noise associated with thrust reversers and reverse thrust. While taxiing towards a mainteance area the aircraft shook heavily. Another passenger reported he noticed that the aircraft was levelling off early, the engine thrust was reduced. He looked onto the wings and noticed the flaps were still extended, the passenger estimated the position somewhere between 1 or 5 degrees, the slats were still extended. The crew indicated a "technical issue" and they were returning to Madrid. The flaps and slat position did not change anymore, the aircraft landed with that flaps position. The aircraft landed on runway 32L, the passenger estimated the landing speed as much higher than normal, immediately after touchdown the brakes came on hard. The aircraft vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration EI-FTW reached Toulouse with a delay of about 5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8f6d7e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: United B764 near Shannon on May 23rd 2018, cabin pressure problems A United Boeing 767-400, registration N69059 performing flight UA-17 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Newark,NJ (USA) with 216 people on board, was enroute at FL340 about 110nm east of Shannon (Ireland) when the crew reported problems with the cabin pressure, requested to descend and divert to Shannon. ATC cleared the flight initially to FL200, then FL170 and cleared the flight direct to Shannon. The crew decided to dump fuel on the way to Shannon and landed safely on runway 24 about 50 minutes after leaving FL340. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Shannon about 9 hours after landing. The remainder of the flight to Newark was "cancelled due to aircraft maintenance". http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8f68ed&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta MD88 near Newark on May 22nd 2018, engine problem A Delta Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration N948DL performing flight DL-575 from Newark,NJ to Atlanta,GA (USA), was climbing out of Newark when the crew stopped the climb at about FL280 due to an engine (JT8D) compressor stall. The aircraft returned to Newark for a safe landing on runway 04R about 40 minutes after departure. The aircraft vacated the runway, stopped on the taxiway for an inspection by emergency services and taxied to the gate. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Newark about 11 hours after landing back. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL575/history/20180522/1010Z/KEWR/KATL http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8ec687&opt=0 Back to Top Northrop T-38C Talon Accident (Mississippi) Date: 23-MAY-2018 Time: 08:30 LT Type: Northrop T-38C Talon Owner/operator: US Air Force (USAF) Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Columbus AFB, MS - United States of America Phase: Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The trainer crashed and both pilots ejected safely. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=211346 Back to Top Aer Lingus Jet Clips Terminal At San Francisco International Airport SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CBS SF) - A passenger jet arriving at San Francisco International Airport got too close to the terminal as it taxied to the gate Wednesday, hitting the building with its wing tip and causing minor damage. An Aer Lingus Airbus A330 is stopped on the way to the gate after the wing clipped the terminal, May 23, 2018. (Rami Dahud) An SFO spokesperson said an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin was being taxied in by a tractor into the terminal when the tractor crew misjudged the turn and the wing clipped a concrete pillar. The spokesman said there was paint damage to the Airbus A330 wing but a maintenance crew would make a full inspection of the wing. There were no injuries to anyone on board but the inspection may impact any departing flights on the airline, the SFO spokesman said. Passengers were able to de-board the plane about an hour after the incident. http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/05/23/aer-lingus-jet-clip-sfo-terminal/ Back to Top Back to Top MH370 investigators reject theory plane was deliberately crashed Crew members aboard an Australian naval ship for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the Indian Ocean on April 7, 2014. Tuesday, investigators said it's unlikely the captain of the flight deliberately crashed the Boeing 777. File Photo by David Connolly/Australian Defense Force/UPI | License Photo May 22 (UPI) -- Australian investigators told lawmakers Tuesday it's unlikely the pilot of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 was conscious and deliberately crashed the plane four years ago, as has been claimed by experts recently. A group of international experts concluded last week the pilot of the missing Boeing 777 probably made a deliberate descent into the Indian Ocean in March 2014 during a flight from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur. Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance said MH370 Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah made a intentional decision to crash the aircraft. "He was killing himself; unfortunately, he was killing everybody else on board, and he did it deliberately," Vance said. The experts added that Shah probably cut off oxygen to the passengers and used his emergency air supply to continue flying the jetliner. Greg Hood and Peter Foley of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, though, told a Senate hearing Tuesday it's likely Shah still would have been incapacitated by decompression sickness -- particularly in view of how long the plane continued to fly after dropping off radar. "Most of the people out there are speculating about a long period of depressurization after the transponder went off," Foley said. "What they fail to understand is that while you don an oxygen mask and prevent the worst of the hypoxia situation, you are flying an aircraft at 40,000 feet. ... You'll get decompression sickness too." Foley told lawmakers the plane probably crashed into the ocean because it was out of fuel. "There's no earthly reason why someone in control of an aircraft would exhaust its fuel and then attempt to glide it when they have the option of ditching," Foley added, saying the ATSB has "a lot of evidence" to support that the pilot had "no control in the end." Foley added that Shah was overweight and roughly the same age as another pilot who became incapacitated by decompression sickness in a similar 1994 plane crash. "The pilot in this particular aircraft was 51 and overweight," Foley said of the 1994 crash. "The pilot in command of MH370 was 53 and overweight. I'm not saying that happened and I hate to speculate, but that is one plausible scenario." Searchers looked for years for the missing Boeing 777 but have never found the crash site. Pieces of debris that are believed to have come from MH370 have washed up on African shores, though. All 240 passengers and crew are presumed dead. https://www.upi.com/https:/www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2018/05/22/MH370-investigators- reject-theory-plane-was-deliberately-crashed/1681526990307/ Back to Top Improving Mongolian airspace ADS-B is alleviating Mongolian air traffic ahead of the delivery of a new traffic control center. The amount of air traffic using Mongolian airspace has been growing steadily. In 2017, the number of overflights increased 11.6% compared with 2016. A new traffic control center will make a significant difference to the safety and efficiency of flights when it is commissioned in 2020. In the meantime, however, the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) to reduce separation between aircraft in non-radar airspace will bring huge benefits. ADS-B will improve flight safety and reduce the hardware-related delay in surveillance control services. The implementation of ADS-B within the non-radar airspace for providing reduced ATS surveillance control separation between aircraft is a very significant development and welcomed by the airline industry About 97% of aircraft flying through Mongolian airspace are already equipped with the appropriate equipment. By 2021, Mongolia requires all aircraft operating in its upper airspace to have ADS-B equipment. "The implementation of ADS-B within the non-radar airspace for providing reduced ATS surveillance control separation between aircraft is a very significant development and welcomed by the airline industry," said Honghai Yang, IATA's Regional Director for Safety and Flight Operations, North Asia. "Given the massive growth of air traffic in the region, especially the demand for air travel to and from China, the changes will enhance the airspace capacity to accommodate more flights, while maintaining safe aircraft operations. "We look forward to continuing to support and work with the CAA of Mongolia to implement other initiatives to increase the safety and efficiency of the airspace." http://airlines.iata.org/news/improving-mongolian-airspace Back to Top New Zealand's transport minister will no longer oversee aviation safety because he made a phone call on a plane Phil Twyford called a staffer while on a plane before take-off New Zealand's transport minister will no longer oversee aviation safety after he violated rules by making a mobile phone call on a plane. Phil Twyford told reporters Thursday he called a staffer on May 17 while on a flight from Wellington to Auckland. He said the plane was not airborne, but the doors had been closed in preparation for take-off. Mobile phone calls are banned after the doors are closed. He said he apologised unreservedly to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for his mistake. She declined his offer to resign but chose to transfer his oversight of the Civil Aviation Authority to another minister, he said. Ardern said that if the authority decided to investigate Twyford it would be inappropriate for him to remain in charge. Twyford said he had informed the authority about what he had done. The incident happened on the day the government released its annual budget, which is typically one of the busiest days of the year for ministers. It came to light a week later, after an opposition lawmaker submitted a written question about it. "I made a mistake, and I clearly wasn't thinking straight at the time. And I recognise that," Twyford said. "It was unacceptable." He said the call lasted about a minute and he hadn't given it another thought until receiving the written question. Rules surrounding mobile devices have been relaxed in New Zealand over recent years. Air New Zealand now allows customers to use electronic devices during all stages of flight, so long as they are switched to flight mode. But passengers are still banned from making phone calls or sending text messages during flight. Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter will take over Twyford's role overseeing the aviation authority. http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/2147616/new-zealands-transport-minister-will-no- longer-oversee Back to Top ICAO concludes worldwide series of Safety Management Symposiums in Kigali With this latest series of safety management events, ICAO is helping African and other States globally to progress their transitions from reactive to predictive safety analysis and planning. MONTREAL and KIGALI - ICAO continued its worldwide series of Regional Safety Management Symposiums and Workshops in Kigali, Rwanda, promoting the use of risk-based aviation safety approaches by ICAO Member States in the UN agency's African Regions. "We have embarked on this Safety Management Symposium in order to help ensure that your governments are ready and able to optimize the full socio-economic benefits of forecast air traffic growth, and to continue to develop safe, secure, efficient and sustainable aviation systems," commented ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. "No African country or economy should be left behind where this potential for future prosperity is concerned." ICAO's AFI Regions comprise the 48 States accredited to its two Regional Offices in Nairobi and Dakar. Together, these countries represent a very complex and diverse aviation environment with varying levels of safety oversight performance. With this latest series of safety management events, ICAO is helping African and other States globally to progress their transitions from reactive to predictive safety analysis and planning. The Symposiums have also served to improve insight and awareness on key safety management concepts among aviation leaders, while exploring new guidance in ICAO's soon-to-be-released 4th Edition Safety Management Manual (Doc 9859, which will also feature a companion online information and sharing platform). "It is important to recall that implementing safety management is not just about having a signed document or a manual: it is about the leadership and resources required to move towards a proactive and data-driven approach to managing aviation safety," President Aliu underscored. "The responsibility for State Safety Programmes and the delivery of a strategic, national safety vision, must be vested in the highest levels of State leadership." While visiting Kigali, President Aliu had the opportunity to present Ambassador Claver Gatete, Rwanda's Minister of Infrastructure, with a Council President Certificate for the commendable recent progress the State has made in meeting the Effective Implementation requirements measured by the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). Dr. Aliu was also pleased to conduct bilateral discussions later with Ambassador Gatete, in addition to the Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Minister of Aviation of Ghana, and Mr. Ninsao Gnofam, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Togo. During the discussions with Ambassador Gatete, Dr. Aliu highlighted the importance of civil aviation connectivity as an enabler of national development, especially in landlocked States like Rwanda. He also emphasized the need to enshrine national aviation planning and investment targets in the State's national development strategy. The President encouraged Rwanda to strengthen regional and sub-regional cooperation, both in the East Africa Region and beyond, and suggested ICAO's "No Country Left Behind" initiative could be looked at to help Rwanda further improve its aviation safety and security oversight systems and address other air transport challenges being identified. Dr. Aliu also highlighted the need for appropriate infrastructure to accommodate significant forecast aviation growth locally and regionally, and commended Rwanda for its recent investments to augment the capacities of Rwandair and the Bugesera International Airport. He remarked that these will help support the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and air connectivity more generally on the African continent, as will Rwanda's commitment to champion the removal of visa requirements that support the African free trade area and freedom of persons more generally in Africa. The President of the ICAO Council was accompanied during his mission in Rwanda by the ICAO Council Member for Kenya, Ms Mercy Awori, Chairpersons of the Comprehensive Regional Implementation Plans for Aviation Safety and Aviation Security and Facilitation in Africa (AFI Plan and AFI SECFAL Plan), Messrs. Moussa Halidou and Kabbs Twijuke respectively, the Deputy Director of Aviation Safety in ICAO's Air Navigation Bureau, Mr. Catalin Radu, and by ICAO's Regional Directors for Africa, Messrs. Barry Kashambo and Mam Sait Jallow respectively. https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/icao-concludes-worldwide-series-of-safety-management- symposiums-in-kigali Back to Top New FAA Regulation Requires UAV Owners to Display Drone ID on Exterior The FAA is preparing for safely implemented drone traffic not only through the UAS Integration Pilot Program but with new rules for hobby users too. The drone industry is rapidly evolving. When we reported on the Commercial Drone Alliance urging the Federal Aviation Administration to regulate hobby pilots as stringently as their commercial counterparts, we didn't expect the agency to react so soon. According to Bloomberg, U.S. aviation regulators may soon require recreational drone users to place government-issued drone identification numbers on the exterior of their devices. In contrast to last month's news regarding French lawmakers eager to impose mandatory remote identification systems in local drone manufacturing, the FAA's approach is a more tactile, externally visible alternative. Acting Administrator of the FAA, Dan Elwell, stated at a Bloomberg Government conference earlier this month that the agency simply can't condone "unidentified objects" in its airspace. "We need assurances that any drone, any unmanned aircraft, operating in controlled airspace is identifiable and trackable," he said. "It's as simple as that." As it stands, those who have registered their drones with the FAA already have to place a drone identification number on their unmanned aircraft, but it can remain hidden behind the battery or anywhere else. This new regulation, which the FAA filed earlier this month, would require the ID to be visible to an outside observer. "This action would require small unmanned aircraft owners to display the unique identifier assigned by the FAA upon completion of the registration process on an external surface of the aircraft," the FAA wrote. "Small unmanned aircraft owners would no longer be permitted to enclose the unique identifier in a compartment." Although not everyone is a registered UAV user and this may do little to combat illegal drone use. In an era of dangerous near-misses, any additional identification measures seem like the appropriate next step from the agency. http://www.thedrive.com/tech/21041/new-faa-regulation-requires-uav-owners-to-display-drone-id-on- exterior Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines to take delivery of record 100th aircraft in June Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it will take delivery of its 100th aircraft in the first week of June. It will be the first time an African national carrier is reaching that feat. It stressed that with that feat, the airline will maintain: "... its pioneering aviation technology leadership role and ascertaining its leadership position in all aspects of Aviation Services in the continent." This 100 fleet milestone, which we have achieved ahead of our Vision 2025 targets, compels us to revise our plans with a view to phase in more aircraft and further expand our network so as to meet the growing travel needs of our continent and support its economic development. Ethiopian, the largest aviation group on the continent operates a mix of state-of-the-art aircraft with an average fleet age of five years. It currently has 5 more Boeing 787-900 and 16 Airbus A350 airplanes on order, among others. They became the first African Airline and second only to Japan to operate the B787 Dreamliner in 2012 and the first carrier in Africa to usher with the Airbus A350 XWB in 2016. They currently hold stakes in a number of national carriers across Africa and have repeatedly posted profits unlike other carriers that have been mired in losses and in need of state reboot. Their routes span across the world and they continue to stretch their tentacles across the globe. With over seven decades of operation under their belt, Ethiopian commands the biggest share of pan-African passenger and cargo network. Ethiopian Group CEO, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam on the latest feat: "It is an immense honor for all of us at Ethiopian to reach the milestone of 100 aircraft. This milestone is a continuation of our historical aviation leadership role in Africa and a testimony of the successful implementation of our fast, profitable and sustainable growth plan, Vision 2025. "Ethiopian was the first to avail jet service in the continent back in 1962, and operated the first African B767 in 1984, the first African B777-200LR in 2010, the first African B787-800 Dreamliner and B777-200 freighter in 2012 and the first African A350 in 2016 and the first African B787-9 aircraft in 2017. "Ethiopian now operates one of the youngest and most modern 100 aircraft, with an average age of less than 5 years. Fleet modernization and expansion is one of the four critical pillars of our Vision 2025 strategic roadmap, in support of our fast expanding network, which has now reached over 110 international destinations covering 5 continents. "Our new and cutting-edge fleet composed of B787s and A350s offer unparalleled on-board comfort to our customers and offer the best possible connections when traveling within Africa and between the continent and the rest of the world. "This 100 fleet milestone, which we have achieved ahead of our Vision 2025 targets, compels us to revise our plans with a view to phase in more aircraft and further expand our network so as to meet the growing travel needs of our continent and support its economic development and integration by facilitating the flow of investment, trade and tourism. "We will continue to connect more and more Africans with their fellow citizens of the continent and with their brothers and sisters in the rest of the world to make life better every single day" http://www.africanews.com/2018/05/24/ethiopian-airlines-to-take-delivery-of-record-100th-aircraft-in- june/ Back to Top AIR MAURITIUS WANTS TO CREATE AFRICA/ASIA-PACIFIC HUB Nobody beats Somas Appavou in praising the qualities of the Airbus A350, something that's not surprising given his previous job was as an Airbus salesman based in Dubai. In 2017 he returned to his home island and former employer to become CEO of Air Mauritius. And, of course, he is immensely satisfied with the two A350s currently in his fleet. "It has a very high dispatch reliability and the fuel burn is as low as promised, 15 percent less than the A340," he says while talking to airlineratings in Mauritius. When the first aircraft arrived in October, 2017, the event was televised live and the Prime Minister gave a speech. That's how important this event was for the whole island nation. The two A350-900s are flying currently on daily routes from Mauritius to Johannesburg, as well as to Paris-CDG. Air Mauritius is getting four more A350s but has pushed out deliveries until 2023. In the meantime, the island airline will receive two A330-900neos from Toulouse in autumn of 2018, being among the first operators worldwide. "We bought the A330-900neos for routes that don't need the range of the A350, the A330s will go to Asian cities as well as Perth and Geneva," reveals Appavou. Perth, served four times a week, already gets a healthy feed of connecting traffic from destinations such as Nairobi and South Africa. "More and more Australians are discovering Mauritius rather than going elsewhere where safety is a topic Appavou says., "Also, we see more and more South Africans meeting family living in Australia for a holiday together, meeting half way - in Mauritius." When the new A330neos arrive, four A340-300s will be phased out. The airline currently operates six and two A340s it owns will get a new cabin upgraded to A350 standards by the end of 2018. These two enduring A340s will then be replaced by the last two remaining A350s by 2023. "For long haul, we then have the number of aircraft to do the job, we will not order beyond six A350s," the airline executive notes. "Our focus is now to expand Mauritius as a regional hub." Mauritius in the southern Indian Ocean is booming as a tourist destination. The island, home to 1.26 million inhabitants, received 1.34 million visitors in 2017 and this year 1.41 million tourists are expected. But the high seasonality of the tourism trade is s problem for Air Mauritius, as most sun-seekers arrive during the European winter. "We need stability in our schedule and to be less dependent on seasonal travel, as is very common in tourism with many of the charter companies doing cherry-picking," says Appavou. And competition gets particularly heated in winter when carriers such as Alitalia, Austrian, Edelweiss, KLM and Lufthansa appear during peak season. The two biggest players, behind the national carrier, are Emirates (operating two A380s in the 615-seat version daily) plus Turkish Airlines, with daily flights. Emirates has a code sharing agreement with Air Mauritius and the airline gets cheap allocated seats that it can sell itself, a lucrative deal. Turkish Airlines to the contrary is seen as a problem by Appavou. "We are pressured by external powers to do Open Skies, but his is not the way it can be done," he complains. "Turkey doesn't even have a bilateral agreement with Mauritius. Turkish Airlines flies here under an interim agreement they pushed through. Eighty percent of their passengers are from Europe, not only taking traffic from us but also from other European carriers." That situation is especially threatening for the island carrier with a naturally limited home market dominated by tourism. While there are upwards of a million passengers arriving in Mauritius from abroad every year, only about 250,000 Mauritians begin their journey from here. "We don't have the economies of scale to compete with Emirates or Turkish, and we can even less compete on price," the CEO adds. AIr Mauritius Africa Asia-Pacific hub After many years the idea is ripe to turn Mauritius into a global gateway to tap into traffic streams beyond the pure tourist market. "Our only chance to remain on the market is to position ourselves as a bridge or hub between Africa and Asia, we have to tap into another segment, connecting traffic." Currently, only 7-10 percent of the carrier's passengers are using Mauritius just to change planes. Turning the idea of a global gateway into reality seems a bit far-fetched, according to the analysts at the Centre for Aviation (CAPA). "A much bigger Air Mauritius is required if the country is to succeed at becoming a bridge between Africa and Asia, it will need a significantly larger fleet," states CAPA. Currently, the island airline is the fourth largest Sub-Saharan African carrier and Bigger than market leader Ethiopian by the number of Asian destinations. Air Mauritius serves four Chinese cities plus Hong Kong, besides Kuala Lumpur and its new strategic Asia hub in Singapore, where it cooperates directly with Changi airport to create connectivity. But one problem is the low frequencies: there are only 20 weekly flights to twelve Asia/Pacific destinations (including India and Perth), while Ethiopian serves its seven Asian destinations daily. The other obstacle on the way to becoming a bridge between Africa and Asia is the currently tiny route network on the African continent. Air Mauritius serves three cities in South Africa, but only Johannesburg with daily flights, as well as Nairobi, Maputo and Dar es Salaam. There are too few destinations and frequencies to create meaningful transfer connections. And the airline also lacks suitable aircraft. "We see our catchment area in a radius of about six flight hours around Mauritius, and to build up such a network we need single aisle aircraft," says Appavou. "Today we serve routes of up to seven hours like to Mumbai or Cape Town with the A319, but in the same radius are Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangalore, Chennai or some other points in Africa like Luanda, these are all possible points for our expansion." In any case, there is enough traffic within this zone that the airline can tap into. While Air Mauritius currently only operates two elderly A319s besides its Airbus wide-body fleet, it has started proceedings to order more smaller aircraft. "We are at the beginning of the evaluation process to order four to six new single aisle aircraft, a firm decision can be expected by fall of 2019 at the latest. We are looking at the A320neo, 737 MAX, Embraer E2 and the CSeries", reveals Appavou. And he knows his immediate task: "We have to increase our passenger volumes in order to maintain our stability, while yields are always decreasing and costs going up by 3-4 percentevery year." This seems to work at least for 2018 as the airline expects to carry 1.7m passengers versus 1.5m the previous year. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/air-mauritius-wants-create-africaasia-pacific-hub/ Back to Top New Program Provides Free Pilot Training For Veterans Are you a veteran who wants to be a pilot? The Department of Transportation has a new program just for you. The Forces to Flyers program is a three-year research initiative led by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and its Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. This program is designed to help ease the critical shortage of commercial pilots. HOW IS THIS PROGRAM DIFFERENT FROM THE GI BILL? If you want to use the GI Bill to get commercial flight certification you must already have a private pilot's license. You aren't eligible to participate in this program if you already have your private pilot's license. However, you can enter the program and get your private pilot's license then use your GI Bill for the remainder of the program. To participate in this program you must have: A first-class medical certificate, A student pilot certificate, and A letter of reference from a previous or current commanding officer, teacher/instructor/professor, or supervisor/manager. HOW MUCH DOES THE PROGRAM COST? Under the Forces to Flyers program flight schools must deduct $13,526 from the cost of training. This amount represents the 100% annual benefit level for the Post-9/11 GI Bill for vocational flight school training. So, if you are eligible for the GI Bill you could possibly get certified for free. If you don't have GI Bill eligibility you will have to come up with the $13,526 yourself. WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS TRAINING ENTAIL? This is an accelerated training program, some people have reported completing it in 4 months. According to the DOT, flight schools offering this training will provide the training necessary for up to 40 students to earn the following certificates and ratings: Private Pilot Certificate Instrument Rating Commercial Pilot Certificate Multi-Engine Rating Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Certificate CFI-Instrument (CFI-I) Certificate After receiving a CFI-I Certificate, participants will be able to seek employment as flight instructors while obtaining the flight hours necessary to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATP) and become an airline pilot. WHAT SCHOOLS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM? Currently, this is a test program to determine the interest in a training program for veterans to become pilots. As such, there are only four schools nationwide participating: Western Pacific/Northwest/Mountain/Alaskan Region: Leading Edge Aviation, Inc. - Bend, Oregon Central/Great Lakes Region: CTI Professional Flight Training, LLC - Millington, Tennessee Southwest Region: U.S. Aviation Group, LLC - Denton, Texas Eastern/Southern Region: CTI Professional Flight Training, LLC - Fort Lauderdale, Florida HOW DO I ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM? Since this is a test program, vacancies are extremely limited, so don't delay in applying if you are interested. Check out the Dept. of Transportation Forces To Flyers website for details. https://www.military.com/paycheck-chronicles/2018/05/23/new-program-provides-free-pilot-training- veterans.html Back to Top Allegiant Air picks up its first Alabama-built Airbus jet Executives from Airbus and Allegiant Air, a team of Allegiant employees and representatives of the more than 380 Airbus employees at the Airbus production facility in Mobile gathered to celebrate the delivery of the first U.S.-produced Allegiant aircraft. (Paul Dovie/Airbus) This week the Airbus Final Assembly Line delivered its 69th jet, which became the first U.S.-built A320 in Allegiant Air's fleet. Based in Las Vegas, Allegiant is a low-fare carrier whose routes connect cities all over the country, including New Orleans, Jacksonville, Savannah, San Diego, Orlando, New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Austin. The company described its newest jet as "the 11th of 13 new A320 aircraft scheduled for purchase directly from Airbus, to be inducted into Allegiant's fleet this year." Previously, Allegiant's new jets had been built in Toulouse, France, and Hamburg, Germany. Allegiant has 99 Airbus jets in service or on order and plans to be flying an all-Airbus fleet by the end of the year. "Today's delivery is an exciting milestone for Allegiant and our ongoing commitment to providing access to affordable, safe and reliable air travel for many people who wouldn't otherwise be able to fly," said Maury Gallagher, CEO and chairman of Allegiant. "This delivery is also an important step in our transition to an all-Airbus fleet, increasing efficiencies across our entire operation, and bringing economic advantages in fuel savings, higher seat capacity and more." Bob Lekites, Executive Vice President of Customers for Airbus Americas, said the relationship between the two companies "has allowed Allegiant to expand their ultra-low cost consumer flight options. We are proud to deliver Allegiant their first Airbus aircraft manufactured in Mobile, and we look forward to providing them more aircraft that exceed customer expectations." https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/allegiant_air_picks_up_its_fir.html Back to Top Postal Service Honors First American Woman in Space New postage stamp features space shuttle astronaut Sally Ride, a role model for girls, women, and diversity in science. It puts "a stamp" on Ride's accomplishments, her widow told Eos. Sally Ride stamp by USPS The Sally Ride stamp being issued today by the U.S. Postal Service. Credit: ©2018 USPS Nearly 35 years after space shuttle Challenger mission STS-7 launched on 18 June 1983 with astronaut Sally Ride as a mission specialist, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is honoring her, America's first woman in space, with a Forever stamp that is being launched today. The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony for the stamp will take place this afternoon at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where Ride served as a physics professor after retiring from NASA. Ride was "a natural" for a stamp. "She is one of our national assets."The stamp, featuring a beaming portrait of Ride next to a portrayal of the liftoff of Challenger, would have "put a big smile on her face," said Tam O'Shaughnessy, Ride's widow and the executive director of Sally Ride Science at UCSD. O'Shaughnessy and several other colleagues cofounded the organization with Ride to motivate students, particularly girls and minorities, to stick with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Ride, who would have turned 67 on Saturday, just a few days after the stamp's release, died of pancreatic cancer in 2012. "Because she loved stamps and collected them, I just think that would be fun for her," being featured on a stamp, O'Shaughnessy told Eos. She said that Ride began collecting stamps at age nine and particularly liked collecting sports and space stamps. "But at a deeper level, I just think she would be very proud of how she's lived her life and what she's accomplished. And I think the stamp would kind of put a stamp on that." Selecting Who Gets Featured on Stamps Bill Gicker, manager and creative director of stamp development at USPS, said the postal service receives about 40,000 suggestions for stamps every year. "What we're looking to do is represent the best of the United States," he told Eos. He said that Ride was "a natural" for a stamp. "She is one of our national assets." Astronaut Sally Ride aboard the Challenger space shuttle Sally Ride floats in the space shuttle Challenger flight deck during the shuttle's STS-7 mission in 1983. Credit: NASA Gicker said that space topics "always are very popular" stamps with the American public. "But to be able to be doing the first female astronaut, that was pretty exciting." Criteria for determining the eligibility of subjects on U.S. stamps state that "the Postal Service will honor extraordinary and enduring contributions to American society, history, culture or environment." Ride contributed to all four areas, said O'Shaughnessy. "Certainly history. Certainly our culture and showing that girls and women can do anything they want to do; and society, because they're kind of related," she said. Regarding the environment, O'Shaughnessy said that many of the books that Ride and she coauthored "are focused on Earth and protecting the Earth and taking climate change seriously, as 99.9% of scientists around the world do." Sally Ride's Legacy "I am thrilled to be part of the Sally Ride Forever stamp dedication, continuing her legacy of inspiring people across the country, and indeed around the world."Another big fan of Ride is Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space and newly named vice-chair of the U.S. National Science Board, who retires this week as director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. "I admired Sally for her intellect that she applied as a scientist, her focus and passion for STEM education, and her astounding competence in so many areas, including her critical contributions to NASA and the nation," Ochoa told Eos. She will participate with O'Shaughnessy and others in the first-day-of-issue stamp dedication ceremony at UCSD and at a women in leadership event at the university this evening. "As much in demand as she was, she always made time to meet with young women who dreamed of becoming astronauts," Ochoa said. "I am thrilled to be part of the Sally Ride Forever stamp dedication, continuing her legacy of inspiring people across the country, and indeed around the world." Drama in the Stamp Paul Salmon, an award-winning illustrator who painted the images of Ride and the space shuttle that appear on the stamp, was a NASA artist in the 1980s and observed the landing of one of the shuttles on which Ride flew. The landing "was very exciting, and I remember feeling an extremely patriotic feeling. It almost brought me to tears," Salmon recollected to Eos. "I was trying to get drama into it. I was trying to get light and shade," he said of the stamp. "I wanted the drama of the liftoff and just the idea of this brave woman putting her life on the line."Salmon, working with USPS stamp designer Ethel Kessler, started the stamp project by making a series of small black and white charcoal sketches that he drew from a NASA photo of Ride with the entire STS-7 shuttle mission crew. Those sketches then progressed into a comprehensive color design before being digitized and further refined. "I was trying to get drama into it. I was trying to get light and shade," he said of the stamp. "I wanted the drama of the liftoff and just the idea of this brave woman putting her life on the line." Squeezing Art into a Postage Stamp All of that drama needed to squeeze into the size of a postage stamp, Gicker noted. "It's a very small space, and we have a lot to convey. That's why in this instance it was important to us to both have the image of Sally and the shuttle flight so that people immediately make the connection between the two and it starts to tell the story." "Of course, we can't tell long, involved stories on stamps," he added. "But we hope that it's sort of the tip of the spear [and] that people will wonder about it and look up the information and find out more." https://eos.org/articles/postal-service-honors-first-american-woman-in-space Back to Top The 14th CHC Safety & Quality Summit is just over four months away, so there is still plenty of time to register for this industry-leading safety event. However, the window for registering at the special early bird rate is quickly closing. The deadline for the discounted early bird registration rate of $1085 is May 31! To take advantage of the early bird rate, visit the Summit website (www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com) and click "Register" before May 31. We have also extended the deadline to May 30 for students to apply to be considered for one of two grant opportunities to attend the Summit! Each of these grants will provide full entry, transportation and accommodation for the selected winning students. Applicants must be engaged in a course of study related to aviation. Interested students can submit an application here. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Summit organizing team at summit@chcheli.com Thank you, CHC Summit Team Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Position Reporting to the Executive Director, this individual works with air carriers to guide them through designing and implementing aviation safety management programs in accordance with Medallion standards under the Shield Program®. This specialist should have a broad working knowledge of part 121 and part 135 aviation practices and the general principles of aviation safety management system, a working knowledge of the FARs and good customer relation skills. The position is based in Alaska and requires some travel. The ideal candidate will also serve as the ASAP Facilitator. We manage all of the administrative aspects of the ASAP MOU with over 15 carriers. Applicants with previous part 119 credentials or recent FAA ASI background are strongly encouraged to apply Duties Guide development of documentation to support Medallion Shield programs Perform on-site visits to ensure basic compliance with an aviation operator's Medallion safety programs Interface with Medallion staff and Auditors on progress of programs and deficiencies Work with Medallion Auditors and operators to develop corrective action plans Develop and conduct classroom training in support of the Shield program Keep Medallion database up to date with customer information Other duties as assigned to support other Medallion programs and initiatives Job can be tailored to Part-time or Full-time Qualifications 10 Year Aviation preferred 5 years' experience in aviation safety Understand and apply general principles of aviation safety management systems Must have excellent communication skills and be able to interact with a wide variety of people Have basic computer skills Must have no travel restrictions Able to work with minimal supervision Must be able to lead people and accept responsibility Knowledge and understanding of the Federal Aviation Regulations Experience working with certificated aviation businesses Familiarity with Medallion Shield Program a plus Working knowledge of Safety Management System concepts Class Room Training as an Instructor Medallion is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Contact - info@medallionfoundation.org 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