Flight Safety Information June 13, 2018 - No. 119 In This Issue Incident: TAROM B737 near Bucharest on Jun 12th 2018, cracked window Incident: Flydubai B738 near Jeddah on Jun 7th 2018, loss of cabin pressure Incident: North E170 near Darwin on Jun 8th 2018, engine shut down in flight Incident: Zagros A320 at Ahwaz on Jun 8th 2018, engine shut down in flight de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Taxiway Excursion (Ecuador) SpiceJet Flight "Inadvertently" Crosses Runway , Almost Collides With Aircraft In Varanasi (India) BA Gatwick Airport double vodkas pilot jailed LIBIK Fire Suppression Kits for the Cabin and Flight Deck. EU-wide rules for safety of drones approved by European Parliament Is a Change to the 1,500-Hour Pilot Rule in the Offing? UK aerospace industry urges pre-Brexit safety pact FAA Publishes Details of Part 23 Compliance Mother reports being ordered to improperly face infant's car seat forward on DIA United Airlines Tibet plans aviation upgrades Improving metal 3D printing processes for aircraft parts Building an aircraft without molds or fasteners? Emirates seeks to recruit U.S.-based pilots due to shortage Airbus nails down Bombardier CSeries deal in boost to jet Aerion signs up supersonic business jet customers ahead of greenlighting project: executive Waco: TSTC-BU partnership aims to keep pilots in the cockpits Carrier jet with Pegasus rocket returning to California, postponing NASA satellite launch Bombardier Safety Standdown Award 2018 - Nominations are still open! Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation, Course, Oct 31-Nov 1, Woburn MA USA 2018 SERC of ISASI HIGH ALTITUDE FLYING: WHAT EVERY PILOT NEEDS TO KNOW - New Online Course - Fall 2018 NTSB - Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident (Course) Aircraft Accident Investigation from SCSI Human Factors in Accident Investigation from SCSI Flight Safety Officer Course from SCSI Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 4 Incident: TAROM B737 near Bucharest on Jun 12th 2018, cracked window A TAROM Boeing 737-700, registration YR-BGG performing flight RO-361 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), had just levelled off at FL400 after climb out of Bucharest when the crew decided to return to Bucharest due to a cracked window. The aircraft landed safely back in Bucharest about 45 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration YR-BGK reached Amsterdam with a delay of about 3 hours. The airline reported the outer pane of one of the windows cracked, the crew decided to return as a precaution. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 7 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9cf2cc&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Flydubai B738 near Jeddah on Jun 7th 2018, loss of cabin pressure A Flydubai Boeing 737-800, registration A6-FEE performing flight FZ-813 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Abha (Saudi Arabia), was enroute at FL360 about 270nm east of Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) when the crew initiated an emergency descent. The aircraft subsequently turned to divert to Jeddah where the aircraft landed safely about 75 minutes after leaving FL360. Saudi Arabia's AIB dispatched investigators on site and opened an investigation into the occurrence rated a serious incident. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Jeddah for 99 hours and is currently positioning back to Dubai. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9c09e2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: North E170 near Darwin on Jun 8th 2018, engine shut down in flight An Air North Embraer ERJ-170, registration VH-ANV performing flight TL-160 from Darwin,NT to Gove,NT (Australia) with 75 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through FL105 out of Darwin when the left hand engine (CF34) emitted a bang and failed prompting the crew to shut the engine down and return to Darwin for a safe landing about 35 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 22 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9a48d6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Zagros A320 at Ahwaz on Jun 8th 2018, engine shut down in flight A Zagros Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration EP-ZAV performing flight ZI-4112 from Ahwaz to Mashad (Iran), was in the initial climb out of Ahwaz's runway 30 when the right hand engine (CFM56) failed, ground observers reported streak of flames, prompting the crew to stop the climb, shut the engine down and return to Ahwaz for a safe landing on runway 30 about 25 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Ahwaz about 26 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=4b9a3f4d&opt=0 Back to Top de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Taxiway Excursion (Ecuador) Date: 12-JUN-2018 Time: Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Owner/operator: Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana Registration: FAE 452 C/n / msn: 560 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Guayaquil-José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport (GYE/SEGU) - Ecuador Phase: Taxi Nature: Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: A DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 operated by the Ecuador Air Force ran off the taxiway and became stuck in a ditch. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=212076 Back to Top SpiceJet Flight "Inadvertently" Crosses Runway , Almost Collides With Aircraft In Varanasi (India) Two SpiceJet pilots operating a Varanasi to Hyderabad flight this morning were grounded, confirmed a spokesperson of the airline. The matter has been referred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). (Representational) NEW DELHI: An alert by Varanasi airport Air Traffic Controller or ATC prevented two aircraft from coming on a collision course at the runway on Tuesday, following which one of the airlines grounded two of its pilots. Two SpiceJet pilots operating a Varanasi to Hyderabad flight this morning were grounded, confirmed a spokesperson of the airline. The incident occurred when an IndiGo aircraft with 178 passengers onboard was about to take off for Mumbai. The ATC had asked the SpiceJet flight to remain at the holding point till the IndiGo plane took off, airport sources said. However, according to the SpiceJet spokesperson, the aircraft while taxing to the runway "inadvertently" crossed the runway holding point. Noticing the incursion, the ATC immediately alerted the IndiGo plane, which aborted take off, the sources said. The matter has been referred to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), IndiGo said. "IndiGo aircraft VT-IHS operating 3175 (Varanasi -Mumbai) in spite of having ATC clearance had to abort the takeoff at a low speed because the aircraft of another carrier came on the runway. IndiGo cockpit crew followed standard operating procedures in compliance with the ATC instructions. IndiGo has voluntarily reported the matter to the DGCA," the airline said in a statement. SpiceJet, in a statement, said, "On 12th June 2018, SpiceJet Boeing 737 800 aircraft VT-SGH was scheduled to operate SG-705 , sector Varanasi-Hyderabad. At Varanasi while taxing to the runway the aircraft inadvertently crossed the runway holding point." "The ATC asked the pilot to hold position and later cleared it for take off," SpiceJet said. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/varanasi-airport-atc-prevents-2-aircraft-from-coming-on-collision- course-1866575 Back to Top BA Gatwick Airport double vodkas pilot jailed Monaghan (right) was seen being led to a prison van at court in Lewes after he was jailed A British Airways pilot who turned up for work after drinking three double vodkas has been jailed. Julian Monaghan boarded a plane to Mauritius at Gatwick Airport but was led away in handcuffs after colleagues smelled alcohol and called police. He had 86mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system in January - the legal limit for a pilot is 20mg. Monaghan, 49, admitted being over the prescribed limit and was jailed for eight months at Lewes Crown Court. During sentencing Judge Janet Waddicor told Monaghan, who resigned from his British Airways job, "you took a risk and it didn't pay off because you were caught". "You are in charge of a huge aircraft. The safety, if not the lives, indeed, of passengers and crew members are in the hands of the pilot. They are entitled to feel that they are safe." Monaghan insisted he obeyed the airline's eight-hour "bottle to throttle rule" On arrest, Monaghan, from South Africa, told police he drank a glass of wine on his overnight flight as a passenger from Cape Town to Heathrow. He said he consumed "a measure" of vodka with diet Pepsi in his hotel room on an empty stomach and barely slept before he was due on board the long-haul flight to Mauritius. The court heard Monaghan had since remembered drinking three miniature bottles of vodka. He insisted he obeyed the airline's eight-hour "bottle to throttle rule", which forbids pilots from drinking for that amount of time before going on duty. He had initially queried the results of tests but resigned two months after his arrest when further tests confirmed the samples were accurate. Amy Packham, prosecuting, said the reading taken at 22:30 GMT remained so high that he must have drunk a "significant amount" just before the eight-hour limit. Some 300 people were on the 12-hour flight, which had been scheduled to leave at 20:20. 'Up in smoke' But the Boeing 777 was left waiting at the gate while airline staff looked for a third pilot. It eventually took off just before 23:00. Monaghan would not have had to take up the role of pilot until three-and-a-half hours into the flight, the court heard. Emlyn Jones, defending, said Monaghan - whose childhood dream was to be a pilot - had been "extremely stupid" and bitterly regretted his actions. "Certainly he will never fly as a commercial pilot again. His career and livelihood and personal and professional reputation are all up in smoke." Det Con Stuart Macpherson, of Sussex Police, said: "Had Monaghan been required to take control of the aircraft in the event of an emergency on the flight deck in the early stages of the flight, his judgement and abilities would have been impaired." A British Airways spokeswoman said: "This behaviour is completely unacceptable and not what we expect from our highly professional fleet of pilots. "The safety and security of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-44451094 Back to Top Back to Top EU-wide rules for safety of drones approved by European Parliament * Common safety level across EU * Legal certainty to help boost market development * Modernised safety aviation rules to meet new challenges EU-wide rules for drones to provide a common level of safety and legal certainty for producers and operators MEPs backed new EU-wide rules to ensure the safe use of drones and to update aviation safety rules. On Tuesday, MEPs approved an agreement reached between Council and Parliament negotiators in November 2017 on EU-wide principles for drones and drone operators to ensure a common level of safety and give operators and manufacturers the predictability to develop products and services. Currently most drones fall under differing national rules, which can hamper market development. Under new rules, drones would need to be designed so that they can be operated without putting people at risk. Based on risk related to, for example, the weight of the drone or area of operation, the drone would need additional features, such as automated landing in case the operator loses contact with the drone or collision avoidance systems. Drone operators need to be aware of all the rules that apply to them and must be able to operate a drone safely, without putting people or other airspace users at risk. This means that some drone operators would be required to go through training before they can operate a drone. To help identify the drone operators if there is an incident, operators of drones would need to be on national registers and their drones marked for identification. This would not apply to operators of the smallest drones. Based on the key principles, the EU Commission is tasked with developing more detailed EU-wide rules, such as maximum altitude and distance limits for drone flight, and which drone operations and drones would need to be certified based on the risk they pose. The rules would also determine which operators need additional training and to be registered and which drones would need to have additional safety features. Modernising aviation safety rules In addition to laying down EU wide rules for drones, the changes update the EU safety legislation for the aviation sector to maintain the EU's high level of aviation safety, while ensuring that the rules are more fit for purpose, more proportionate and risk-based to handle the expected increase in air traffic in the coming decades. Further changes boost cooperation between the EU's aviation safety agency and national authorities when assessing risks in regard to flights over conflict zones. They also mandate the Commission to develop standards for downloading data from flight recorders in real time when an aircraft is in distress, to speed up emergency response. Next steps The provisional agreement was approved with 558 votes in favour, 71 against and 48 abstentions. The rules now need to be approved by the EU ministers. Background Currently, drones lighter than 150kg fall under the jurisdiction of national authorities and therefore manufacturers and operators are subject to different design and safety requirements. Civil drone technology could account for an estimated 10% of the EU aviation market within the next 10 years (i.e. about €15 billion per year). According to the Commission, the drone industry could create some 150,000 jobs in the EU by 2050. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20180607IPR05239/eu-wide-rules-for-safety-of- drones-approved-by-european-parliament Back to Top Is a Change to the 1,500-Hour Pilot Rule in the Offing? Exceptions to the rule already exist. Supporters of the 1,500-hour rule claim it created safer skies in the U.S. DOT Secretary Elaine Chao last week said the administration might be reconsidering one of the most controversial elements of the 2010 Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act, the provision that requires Part 121 first officers on scheduled air carriers to possess an ATP rating before setting foot in the cockpit during regular revenue service. The bill also dramatically improved pilot training, improved duty and rest provisions and added a pilot record database for airlines to understand more about potential new hires. Much of the industry has been facing a shortage of pilots in the decade since the 2010 rule became effective. Since the rule was implemented in August 2013, some airlines have cancelled flights and mothballed aircraft due to the lack of pilots to staff the cockpit. The DOT's Chao said the 1,500-hour rule is contributing to a nationwide pilot shortage. The 2010 bill was pushed in Congress by legislators supported by families of the victims of a Continental Airlines Dash 8 accident in Buffalo New York. Supporters believe first officers with an ATP certificate would significantly improve airline safety. Supporters also claimed implementing the 1,500-hour rule was responsible for the lack of a fatal accident aboard a U.S Part 121 carrier since it took effect. There is however, no research to prove that the improvement in air safety was anything more than coincidental. Oddly too, both of the pilots aboard the Dash 8 in the Continental accident already possessed more than 1,500 hours of flight time. The Flight Safety Foundation went on record in March of this year explaining that flight crewmembers should be chosen for their overall qualifications, not simply based on the number of hours in their logbook. The FSF's position did not sit well with legislators who supported the original 2010 bill. Speaking at a Washington Post forum last week, Secretary Chao was asked if she would be open to seeing the minimum number of flight hours for new pilots reduced below the 1,500-hour standard set by the 2010 law. "You know, I think there needs to be a robust discussion, because obviously we hold the memories of those who are lost in our hearts, and we don't ever want to see an accident like that again or any accident ever occur," Chao responded. "But there is this side effect, unanticipated, corollary impact of reducing the number of pilots, pilots who can very safely fly in our sky. So I think Congress needs to have this discussion, and we will abide by the wishes of Congress." The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has steadfastly stuck to the story that there is no shortage of pilots, only of pilots willing to work for the traditionally low wages paid by most regional airlines. An interesting result of the 1,500-hour rule, at least for the pilots able to qualify for the right seat, is the increase in starting wages seen by new Part 121 pilots over the past few years. "Not long ago, first officers at the regional airlines faced starting wages of less than $20,000 annually," according to Louis Smith. "Today, starting wages have risen to more than $50,000 including signing bonuses. Another unintended consequence facing regional carriers is that many of the pilots currently flying in the right seat do not have the flight time required to upgrade to the left seat. That means some carriers have resorted to hiring captains directly off the street." Smith is the president of Atlanta-based Future and Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA). Flying in the face of legislator's current refusal to revisit the 1,500-hour rule are a number of already existing exceptions that could support Chao's suggestion, including one that offers employment to military-trained aviators with at least 750 total hours of flight time. Another focuses on university graduates with either 1,000 or 1,250 hours of flight time and between 30 and 60 additional hours of academic classes in aviation subjects. No time frame has yet been established by Chao as to when discussions related to pilot qualifications might begin. https://www.flyingmag.com/is-change-to-1500-hour-pilot-rule-in-offing Back to Top UK aerospace industry urges pre-Brexit safety pact ADS, the trade body representing the UK aerospace industry, has urged talks to ensure aviation safety arrangements between the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are hammered out before the UK leaves the European Union, or Brexit. In a letter to the European Union's (EU) chief Brexit negotiator Michael Barnier, ADS, together with general aviation body GAMA, said they are concerned that urgent steps are required to find a solution to this problem. They have asked that EASA and the CAA begin technical and contingency planning discussions by June's European Council, separately from the ongoing political negotiations setting the parameters for Brexit. "If aviation safety arrangements have not been fully prepared to avoid any uncertainty over the legal status of UK certified aircraft designs and parts, or aircraft maintenance approvals, pilot and technician licenses, aircraft could be unable to fly," ADS said in the June 11 letter. "As we are now less than one year from the UK's exit from the EU, the concerns of our sectors are becoming more pressing. The ongoing uncertainty on aviation safety arrangements means companies being forced to make investment decisions in the coming weeks and months based on the worst-case scenario. This does not benefit the UK or the EU27 [the remaining 27 nations] and the impact as these irreversible decisions are taken will be felt in supply chains and operations across the whole of Europe and beyond." The letter makes the point that "the transfer of responsibilities to EASA from national authorities in 2003 was not a smooth process: some scenarios had not been entirely thought through and aircraft were grounded as a result as companies and regulators struggled to catch up with new arrangements. "In order to avoid a similar scenario unfolding in March 2019, our risk analysis concludes that EASA and the CAA need to urgently begin technical and contingency planning discussions by the June [meeting of] the European Council and separate to the political negotiations." Some airlines, notably Ireland-based LCC Ryanair, have warned that air services between the EU and UK could halt for a period of weeks if no solution is worked out before the UK's departure. http://atwonline.com/government-affairs/uk-aerospace-industry-urges-pre-brexit-safety-pact Back to Top FAA Publishes Details of Part 23 Compliance * Public comment period open until July 10. Alternate MOCs are expected to speed the installation process of new safety equipment. The final rule overhauling Part 23 Airworthiness Standards for GA aircraft officially took effect last summer. Recently the FAA issued 63 means of compliance (MOCs) for Part 23 intended to ease installation of innovative, safety-enhancing technologies into small airplanes while keeping costs down. The FAA participated with industry and other stakeholders in developing the standards and accepted 46 of the ASTM consensus standards as MOCs without change. The other 17 MOCs are a combination of the ASTM standards and FAA changes. The MOCs listed in the Federal Register are an acceptable means, but not the only means, to comply with the Part 23 applicable regulations, amendment 23-64, for normal category airplanes. The public comment period ends July 10. Accepting MOCs based on consensus standards to Part 23, amendment 23-64, is consistent with the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013 and the FAA's stated intent in issuing the overhauled airworthiness rules. Guidance for proposing additional means of compliance to Part 23 for FAA acceptance is provided in Advisory Circular 23.2010-1. https://www.flyingmag.com/faa-publishes-details-part-23-compliance Back to Top Mother reports being ordered to improperly face infant's car seat forward on DIA United Airlines flight United Airlines investigating incident from DIA after Facebook post United Airlines is reviewing an incident in which a mother reported that she was told to incorrectly sit her child in a car seat facing forward while boarding a flight at Denver International Airport. Cassie Hutchins-Brosas shared the incident on Facebook on Sunday, which was first reported by USA TODAY on Tuesday morning. According to Hutchins-Brosas, she was boarding a flight with her 8-month old Sunday when a gate agent gave her an ultimatum. The agent reportedly told Hutchins-Brosas that unless she turned the rear-facing car seat forward- going against the car-seat's safety design- she and her daughter would not be permitted to stay on the flight. "They told us that the plane could not leave without us moving it, so I knew we would be kicked off if we did not comply," she wrote in her Facebook post. "We're reviewing the incident on SkyWest 5526, operating as United Express. At United, our customers' safety is our top priority, so we have already been in touch with the customer and the relevant flight staff to learn more about what happened," United Airlines said in a statement to The Denver Post. An update on Facebook from Hutchins-Brosas said that United would refund both her and her daughter's plane tickets. According to the United Website, passengers can use any car seat as long as they follow "all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle standards." The Federal Aviation Administration Page on Flying with Children says that any child restraint systems on flights must be placed "in the appropriate forward- or aft-facing direction as indicated on the label for the size of the child." This United incident comes just under a year after the airline was put under public scrutiny when a passenger was dragged off an overbooked flight. It also coincides with increased discussion on airline car-seat policies that started following the death of a Southwest passenger who was almost sucked out of the plane when the engine exploded. The accident spurred debate over whether or not children under the age of two should be allowed to sit in their parents lap or should be required to use safety restraints such as a car-seat. https://www.denverpost.com/2018/06/12/united-investigation-infant-car-seat/ Back to Top Tibet plans aviation upgrades A panoramic view of Shiquanhe town, the administrative center of Gar county and Ngari prefecture, Tibet autonomous region. (Photo Provided to China Daily) Tibet will build three new airports to improve transportation and boost the economy in remote areas, according to civil aviation authorities in the region. The three airports will be in Lhunze county, Lhokha city; Dingri county, Shigatse city; and Burang county, Ngari prefecture, said Pedron, head of the Tibet Civil Aviation Administration, at a meeting in Lhasa on Friday. Construction of the airports - all at altitudes above 3,900 meters - will begin next year, with completion planned by 2022, he said. "When completed, the three new airports will boost the local economy and provide a convenient way for residents to travel," he said. Meanwhile, Lhasa Gonggar International Airport will be expanded to add a second runway, which is expected to be completed by 2020. The four projects are part of the five key projects supported by the civil aviation authority during the 2016-20 period. The five projects represent a total investment of about 16.7 billion yuan ($2.6 billion), he said. Currently, Tibet has five airports, with nine airlines operating 86 air routes linking Tibet with other cities. Of those, there is one international air route connecting with Kathmandu, Pedron said. "Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, central government departments ... have placed high priority on civil aviation development in Tibet," said Wu Yingjie, the region's Party chief. Wu said the development of civil aviation in Tibet has accelerated communication and exchanges between Tibet and other places. http://www.ecns.cn/news/society/2018-06-12/detail-ifyuyvzv3229179.shtml Back to Top Improving metal 3D printing processes for aircraft parts Dr. Ing. Paola Caracciolo from Airbus Commercial discusses the effect of defects in Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes for aircraft parts. The application of additive manufacturing for the production of aerospace components has a long and well-documented history. In fact, 3D printed components are already flying on Airbus planes. Titanium brackets built using additive-layer manufacturing are in use on Airbus's series production commercial aircraft, the A350 XWB. 3D printed parts installed in aircraft also include cabin brackets and bleed pipes which have already flown on Airbus A320neo and A350 XWB test aeroplanes. aircraft parts - 3D printed parts are flown on aircraft including the A350 XWB This installation is the product of advanced manufacturing and the result of a partnership representing the first 3D printed component to be implemented on an Airbus commercial aircraft. It comes after a series of installations of similar parts on test aircraft. When applied to aircraft, the additive layer manufacturing technique has resulted in a 30 percent reduction of the weight, compared with conventional manufactured parts with the same function. An Airbus A320 nacelle hinge bracket has also been optimised through AM technology, incorporating a new topology method and metal powder manufacturing improvement process. As a result, the part has met all functional and strength requirements, whilst reducing costs and increasing production - a significant step for the economic viability of 3D printing of parts. Process control and identification of parameters in AM Advanced research using AM technology can improve surface quality, microstructure variability, powder control process and process parameters. To safely increase 3D printed parts for additional uses in the Airbus fleet, we - together with our partner - continue to develop new advanced technology processes. Analysing the defects both inside and outside the powder bed process is key to this research to assess requirements within the limit of the defect´s threshold and a bionic design optimisation. A 3D printed Titanium bracket The objective of this test campaign is to validate a new manufacturing technique that can increase the rapid application of AM in the aircraft industry. AM could reduce the mass of individual assemblies by up to 50 percent and result in weight savings in aircraft construction. Identifying and characterising key failure modes and defects can, ultimately, help to reduce production costs, waste, toxicity and energy use. In general, the shape of 3D printing parts can reduce the raw material waste produced during milling by 90 percent, dramatically reducing the energy demand for production. Controlling the process chain and the anomalies produced during the AM process also helps to establish Process Control, enabling repeatable and predictable part quality. Currently, the only way to produce aerospace quality parts using the AM powder bed process requires a long process chain with a lot of steps in the post processing. The intention of the test campaign of 3D titanium powder component is to shorten this chain and to analyse fatigue life cycles impacted by defects. These properties are influenced by a high number of factors including the technical build process parameters. A first step in the research was to investigate the laser beam melting process chain for ways to avoid the Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) process, which can help to optimise the process and cost of AM part production. To ensure the safety is not in any way compromised, parts created without the HIP process need to be analysed to ensure that they are fully robust despite the technical changes in the build process. Successively the fatigue and crack propagation analysis are compared with its existing flight- worthy counterpart. Probabilistic model used to investigate defect´s effects of fatigue on AM The analysis, based on a probabilistic approach of crack propagation behaviour, is implemented in a tool containing comprehensive information and detailed analysis of critical defects that occur in the AM parts, such as porosity and surface roughness. If the test results yield defects that fall below the threshold for failure (or a lack of defects altogether), the test parts will then undergo fatigue testing to ensure they are robust enough to meet the industry's rigorous safety standards. For example, void and inclusion defects are only acceptable when they do not affect safety requirements and functionality at any time during their lifetimes. The use of the probabilistic technique with the correlated defect and stress tests also help to identify the most critical defects. High severity detection of defects impacts the limitation of the AM. By characterising the defects and their consequences, we can work to safely extend the use of AM to a wider range of aircraft applications. By combining expertise in metal additive manufacturing and metallurgy with Airbus's know-how in final aircraft part design and qualification, we are paving the way for future applications of metals-based additive technologies for creating aircraft bionic components. Results of these tests will help no only to reduce costs and weight, but also the environmental impact of future aircraft. Dr Paola Caracciolo - Airframe Research & Technology, Airbus Commercial Germany If you'd like to learn more about defects testing for 3D printed parts in the aerospace industry, come hear Paola speak and share the results of her latest research at this year's Additive International (formerly the International Conference on Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing) in Nottingham from 10-12th July. Register at: https://www.additiveinternational.com/ https://www.theengineer.co.uk/metal-printing-processes-aircraft-parts/ Back to Top Building an aircraft without molds or fasteners? It was exactly one year ago that I wrote a blog about a new way to build an aircraft fuselage. MTorres (Torres de Elorz, Navarra, Spain) had just fabricated a demonstrator fuselage (nose to tail cone) for the 2017 Paris Air Show, and unveiled the concept to the Spanish press. Now CW has the details, which will appear in the June 2018 issue of CW. Elemental rings are fitted to create a mandrel for the fuselage skin in this MTorres demonstrator fuselage. It was exactly one year ago that I wrote a blog about a new way to build an aircraft fuselage, and I actually used the word "flabbergasted" in that story. MTorres (Torres de Elorz, Navarra, Spain) had just fabricated a demonstrator fuselage (nose to tail cone) for the 2017 Paris Air Show, and unveiled the concept to the Spanish press. Well, I didn't forget about the company's efforts, and at this year's JEC World composites event in Paris, there was the demonstrator at the MTorres stand. I had booked an appointment, and on the last day of the show, I had the chance to sit down with Luis Enrique de la Iglesia y Gotarredona, MTorres' Integrated Assembly group's key account manager for the technology, to discuss the robotic fabrication concept in more detail. I was aided by two detailed and lengthy concept videos that show all of the automated fabrication steps (see the links to those videos at the conclusion of this blog). MTorres has a concept (TRL 6) with which aircraft will be built with minimal hand labor, without typical molds, without metallic fasteners (with the exception of interior fittings, wiring, etc.), and without typical stringers as they are used today. Two basic elements - "rings" and floor panels - are made first. These "elementals" become the molds over which the fuselage skin is wound. The rings are grooved; these grooves are robotically filled with foam shapes to form a flush surface, over which the final skin is wound. What this does is essentially form hat-shaped stringers, automatically and without the need for separately-made stringers and ribs to support the fuselage skin. In existing composite aircraft, MTorres has calculated that stringers account for 30% of the material but 70% of the overall cost. Read all about this new technology in our upcoming July 2018 issue of CW magazine, being finalized now, in the "Inside Manufacturing" story. In the meantime, the videos are available on YouTube, at these links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZBtUZg2uwQ, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4bkRRreWHI . Be sure to watch the first link first, as it covers the elemental fabrication. The second video link (ending in WHI) covers final assembly of the elementals and overwinding of the skin. I expect you'll be flabbergasted too. https://www.compositesworld.com/blog/post/building-an-aircraft-without-molds-or-fasteners Back to Top Emirates seeks to recruit U.S.-based pilots due to shortage Emirates Airlines, one of the world's largest cargo carriers, is responding to the ongoing shortage of qualified pilots with a new strategy - last week, releasing a tour schedule through the United States, calling it the "Emirates Pilot Roadshow" in hopes of recruiting pilots in person to be based out of the airline's hub in Dubai. Emirates will be visiting major U.S. cities, including Houston, Fort Lauderdale, Boston and Seattle to host information sessions and network with qualified pilots. With demand for airfreight capacity still soaring after the fruitful, e-commerce-driven 2017, this year the continuing need for air transportation has made the pilot shortage more acute for airlines that intend to capitalize on that demand and increase flight frequencies. This news rings a similar bell to that of FedEx's Purple Runway program announced in April - the expeditor's own initiative to address the shortage by bringing on underqualified aviation students in need for flight hours. Emirates' program makes no such promise, instead making a simple attempt to appeal to pilots already qualified with a list of benefits, including paid housing and "pick up and drop off" to and from the airport. While the industry at large agrees that there is a shortage of qualified airline pilots, employable pilots are around but are able to be pickier about which airline they choose to work for. In a report from Air Transport Services Group Inc (ATSG), the company says Air Transport International (ATI), a U.S.-based combination carrier, has actually been able to grow its pilot count - attracting pilots by enabling them to quickly progress from First Officer to Captain, "which is the biggest jump in pay and benefits a pilot will see," the report said. The Emirates Pilot Roadshow schedule is as follows: Houston o First session: Monday, June 18th - 10:00 AM o Second session: Monday, June 18th - 4:00 PM o Location: Hilton Americas-Houston, 1600 Lamar Street I Houston, TX 77010 Fort Lauderdale o First session: Wednesday, June 20th - 10:00 AM o Second session: Wednesday, June 20th - 4:00 PM o Location: The Diplomat Beach Resort, South Ocean Drive Hollywood, FL 33019 Boston o First session: Thursday, June 21st - 4:00 PM o Second session: Friday, June 22nd - 10:00 AM Location: The Westin Boston Waterfront 425 Summer Street, Boston, MA, 02210 Seattle o Details to be announced To learn more about Emirates' program, visit their website. https://aircargoworld.com/allposts/emirates-seeks-to-recruit-u-s-based-pilots-due-to-shortage/ Back to Top Airbus nails down Bombardier CSeries deal in boost to jet (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus SE (AIR.PA) has finalized a rescue deal for Bombardier Inc's (BBDb.TO) CSeries jet and is expected to flex its cost-cutting and marketing muscle to revive the money- losing Canadian venture. FILE PHOTO: A Bombardier CSeries aircraft is pictured during a news conference to announce a partnership between Airbus and Bombardier on the C Series aircraft programme, in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo Bombardier agreed in October to sell Airbus a 50.01 percent stake in its flagship commercial jet for a token fee of one Canadian dollar, after sluggish sales and low production rates pushed the program well over budget. Airbus will be able to offer airlines deals by packaging the CSeries with its own jets in a challenge to rival Boeing Co (BA.N) and is expected to use its industrial power to slash the price of parts and improve efficiencies internally. The deal's completion finalizes a historic shift in the aircraft industry, with 75-year-old Bombardier abandoning its standalone bid to enter the main jet market dominated by Airbus and Boeing, in exchange for a stake in a stronger project. Boeing is now holding its own tie-up talks with Bombardier's Brazilian rival Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA). Bombardier will retain 31 percent in the CSeries while Investissement Quebec, run by the province of Quebec, will hold 19 percent. The deal is also expected to mark the end of the CSeries branding chosen when Bombardier launched the jet a decade ago, though Airbus said it had not yet decided what to call it. Canadian Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said in a statement on Friday that Airbus had committed to maintaining Montreal as the main CSeries industrial site, where more than 2,000 Quebec workers rely on the jet. David Chartrand, Quebec coordinator of a union representing around 1,200 CSeries workers, expressed concerns about possible job losses among office support staff as Airbus cuts costs, as opposed to workers on the shop floor. "The synergies are not going to bring workers from France to work on the plane," Chartrand said in a phone interview. Airbus also plans to expand its Mobile, Alabama, assembly plant to handle four CSeries aircraft per month for the U.S. market as well as Airbus jets. It said work would begin next year. The priority this year is to boost production, with 2018 CSeries deliveries expected be around double the 17 aircraft delivered last year, the companies said in a release. Bombardier has previously forecast 40 CSeries deliveries in 2018, but faced delays earlier in the year. Philippe Balducchi, head of the new CSeries partnership, told reporters on a conference call that "we will be very focused on having a robust ramp-up," in reference to increasing aircraft production. Bombardier will continue for the time being to fund the investments needed to support the production increase up to certain agreed financial levels, beyond which any cash shortfalls will be shared by the main partners. "Looking forward, I'm very confident that CSeries is going to contribute positively to the cash generation of Airbus in the future," Airbus Finance Director Harald Wilhelm said on the same conference call. BOMBARDIER UPDATES GUIDANCE Closing the deal allows Bombardier to shed CSeries losses, while Airbus is betting that its ability to negotiate cuts in the cost of parts will help put the program in the black. Bombardier had previously said it expected to break even on the CSeries in 2020. The company's aerospace division has long trailed its higher-performing rail and business jet units. Bombardier raised its guidance for 2018 consolidated earnings before interest and tax by $100 million to a range of between $900 million and $1 billion, to reflect the separation of the loss-making CSeries. [nGNE1pBbkl Bombardier also said it was cutting its revenue target by $500 million to $16.5 billion-$17 billion. The CSeries will no longer be consolidated in its results from July 1. Bombardier shares were down 1 percent at C$4.87 on Friday afternoon in Toronto, while Airbus shares gained 1.25 percent to close at 100.90 euros in Paris. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bombardier-airbus-cseries/airbus-nails-down-bombardier-cseries- deal-in-boost-to-jet-idUSKCN1J40QM Back to Top Aerion signs up supersonic business jet customers ahead of greenlighting project: executive FILE PHOTO: A visitor looks at the AS2 supersonic business jet replica on the Aerion Corporation booth during the European Business Aviation SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Aerion Supersonic, the developer of a $120 million supersonic business jet, has signed provisional purchase contracts with wealthy customers as it looks to greenlight the project over the next 18-24 months, a senior executive said. U.S.-based Aerion, which is working with Lockheed Martin Corp and GE on development of the jet, is aiming for first deliveries to customers in late 2025 or early 2026, chief commercial officer Ernie Edwards said on Wednesday. "Today we are taking letters of intent which is just essentially buying a slot in the queue," he told Reuters of customer contracts, declining to say how many had been signed to date. "It is the ultra-high net worth individuals that we are going after." The United States, Europe and the Middle East have proven the most promising markets to date, with Asia lagging in demand because it has a less mature business jet market, Edwards, who was attending a corporate jet conference in Singapore, said. Firm sales contracts, including non-refundable deposits will be signed after development hurdles are met over the next 18-24 months, he said. Aerion, chaired by billionaire Robert Bass, is one of a new breed of developers pursuing supersonic jet projects 15 years after the retirement of the Concorde. Its project is more advanced than those of rivals Spike Aerospace Inc and Boom Technology Inc which have yet to select engines. Aerion plans to use a modified version of a GE engine core used in Boeing Co 737 jets to help cut down on costs and is aiming for a top speed of Mach 1.4, above the Mach 0.9 speed of rival subsonic business jets. That would cut the flying time from New York to London by nearly two hours. At $120 million, the 8- to 11-seat Aerion AS2 jet is costlier than similarly sized subsonic rivals like the $72 million Bombardier Inc Global 7500 and the $70 million General Dynamics Corp Gulfstream G650ER. The AS2 will also have a lower maximum range at 4,200 nautical miles at Mach 1.4 and 5,300 nautical miles (7,778 kilometres) at Mach 0.95, compared to at least 7,500 nautical miles for the Global 7500 and the G650ER. Market studies have shown demand for 600 supersonic business jets over 20 years, and Aerion has so far not received pushback from customers despite the higher price because private jets are highly discretionary luxury purchases, Edwards said. "The analogy I draw is some of the fast cars that are out there - some of them cost twice as much or three times as much or five times as much as another," he said. "The customer buys what he wants to buy." http://kfgo.com/news/articles/2018/jun/13/aerion-signs-up-supersonic-business-jet-customers-ahead- of-greenlighting-project-executive/ Back to Top Waco: TSTC-BU partnership aims to keep pilots in the cockpits Baylor University junior Natalie Verhoog. (Photo by Clint Webb) WACO, Texas (KWTX) Baylor University junior Natalie Verhoog is taking advantage of a partnership between Baylor and Texas State Technical College aimed at meeting a growing demand for commercial pilots. She started as a pre-med student, but after her freshman year, her focus changed. "I took one flight lesson over this summer and absolutely fell in love with it. I immediately knew that this is what I wanted to do." A few days before the start of her sophomore year she found out about that Texas State Technical College's Aircraft Pilot Training Technology program and the Baylor University's Aviation Sciences department have a partnership to help train pilots for planes and helicopters. Baylor students who take part in the program earn dual credit. They can take ground classes on either campus, but actual flight hours mainly come from TSTC. She earned an associate degree from TSTC in two years and continues to work on her Bachelor of Science degree at Baylor. In the meantime, TSTC has hired her as a flight instructor. As a state employee with full benefits she will earn between $22 and $30 an hour. She's also getting more experience and hours in the air to meet the requirements to become a commercial pilot. Carson Pearce, Aerospace Division director at TSTC said students like Verhoog are almost guaranteed a job once they complete their studies. "A lot of the airline companies that are on our flight boards are telling us that they're laying off aircraft because they don't have enough pilots to fly it." Pearce said a pilot shortage is what's driving airlines to grab trained pilots where they can find them. Globally, commercial airlines expect to need 600,000 pilots. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 114,000 will be needed by 2026. To fill those spots airlines offer tens of thousands of dollars in signing bonuses. Pearce said even the government is willing to pay veteran pilots to stay. "The U.S. Air Force just announced that in critical fighter jet areas like in the F-15 and the F-35, you sign up with them again for another tour of duty, it's a $455,000 cash signing bonus. That's to keep them from hemorrhaging that talent out to the airlines because they need it so great." Experts said the shortage is driven by a number of factors including action by Congress to raise the minimum flight training hours from 250 to 1,500 for first officers on commercial flights, the retirement of veteran pilots, and the growth of the airline industry. If those spots don't get filled, experts said that leads to canceled flights at some airports and canceled service at others. The money is attractive, but Verghoog says that's not her primary motivation. "With flying I would do it for free quite honestly. I love it so much so it's pretty great that they're going to pay me and pay me well to do it. It's definitely encouraging and exciting to hear that there are jobs opening that after I get my four-year degree I won't be jobless." According to TSTC, the program takes an average of 140 students. It currently has 142 enrolled and there is a waiting list. The college also said, 93 per cent of its graduates go on to get jobs in the industry. "When they graduate from this, they now no longer are just getting a great paying job for themselves, they're meeting a critical infrastructure need for the American economy and commerce," Pearce said. http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Waco--TSTC-BU-partnership-aims-to-keep-pilots-in-the-cockpits- 485311511.html Back to Top Carrier jet with Pegasus rocket returning to California, postponing NASA satellite launch The L-1011 carrier aircraft with Northrop Grumman's air-dropped Pegasus launcher departed Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on Wednesday on a planned two-day ferry flight to Kwajalein Atoll. The aircraft and Pegasus rocket will return to Vandenberg after teams encountered a technical concern en route to Kwajalein. Credit: USAF 30th Space Wing/Dan Herrera NASA and Northrop Grumman officials decided Friday to return a Pegasus rocket and its carrier aircraft from Hawaii to California, aborting a trip to Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean for next week's scheduled launch of a NASA research satellite to conduct additional testing. The return trip to California will postpone the launch of NASA's Ionospheric Connection Explorer, known as ICON, indefinitely. Launch was scheduled for next Thursday, June 14, U.S. time. "Northrop Grumman, working with NASA, has made the decision to postpone the June 14 launch of the Pegasus XL rocket, carrying the ICON spacecraft," the company said in a statement. "The company will return Pegasus to Vandenberg Air Force Base to conduct testing of the rocket after off-nominal data was seen during the ferry flight. "Upon further review of the data, the teams will work to determine a new launch date," the statement said. "As always, Northrop Grumman works with NASA to base its launch decisions on assuring mission success for our customer." The U.S. Army's Reagan Test Site, which manages the launch range at Kwajalein, has limited windows available for civilian launchers like the Pegasus. The Pegasus rocket's return to California is expected to cause the mission to miss its narrow launch opportunity in June, prompting a delay that could be measured in months. The air-launched Pegasus XL rocket, nestled under the belly of an L-1011 carrier jet, departed Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on Wednesday, heading for an overnight stop at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, en route to Kwajalein Atoll, home to a U.S. military launch range in the mid-Pacific Ocean. But teams reversed course after detecting a technical problem on the first leg of the journey. The nature of the "off-nominal data" found during the ferry flight was not announced as of Friday afternoon, and a NASA spokesperson did not provide further information when asked. The L-1011 aircraft, along with a team of controllers, technicians and engineers making the trip on a charter airplane, did not take off for Kwajalein as planned Thursday, and officials decided Friday to bring the rocket back to Vandenberg Air Force Base, where Pegasus launchers are assembled and readied for missions. The online flight tracking website FlightAware.com showed the charter plane with members of the ICON team took off from Honolulu on Friday bound for Vandenberg. A flight plan for the L-1011 aircraft, carrying the Pegasus rocket, showed it was scheduled to leave Hawaii later Friday. The ICON satellite is fastened to the forward end of the 55-foot-long (17-meter) Pegasus rocket. ICON will probe the link between Earth's atmosphere and space weather. ICON is about the size of a refrigerator and weighs a little more than 600 pounds for launch. The $252 million project is NASA's first mission dedicated to studying the influence of Earth's weather on the ionosphere, an ever-changing layer in the upper atmosphere that affects long-distance communications and navigation. The mission was set to be the first satellite launch conducted by Northrop Grumman after the aerospace contractor's purchase of Orbital ATK, which developed the Pegasus rocket. Orbital ATK has conducted 43 satellite launches with Pegasus rockets since 1990, and a record which includes 29 successful orbital- class missions in a row since 1997. The fully-assembled Pegasus XL rocket, with the ICON spacecraft in its nose cone, before departure from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Wednesday. Credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin ICON will be the fifth Pegasus mission staged from Kwajalein, a site which NASA and Northrop Grumman officials - then part of Orbital ATK - selected based on ICON's target orbit and the rocket's lift capability, which gets an extra boost from the island's equatorial location. The Pegasus team had pre-staged key equipment, including launch control consoles and spares for the Pegasus rocket and the L-1011 carrier aircraft, at Kwajalein months before the mission's scheduled takeoff. Located in the Marshall Islands, Kwajalein is around 2,400 miles (3,900 kilometers) southwest of Honolulu, just west of the International Date Line. ICON's launch has been delayed a year by a pair of concerns with its Pegasus launcher. Engineers wanted more time to inspect the Pegasus rocket motors after they were mishandled during shipment to Vandenberg, officials said. That pushed the launch back from June to December 2017, the next availability in the military-run range at Kwajalein. Then managers decided to ground the mission to assess the reliability of bolt-cutters used to jettison the Pegasus rocket's payload fairing and separate the satellite in orbit. Workers installed smaller bolts in the fairing and satellite separation mechanisms, a measure officials said will ensure the cutters do their jobs. https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/06/08/airplane-with-pegasus-rocket-returning-to-california-postponing- nasa-satellite-launch/ Back to Top Bombardier Safety Standdown Award 2018 - Nominations are still open! The Safety Standdown award is given annually to an aviation professional who has demonstrated exemplary dedication to improving aviation safety through the application of the Safety Standdown principle: LEARN - APPLY - SHARE. By learning new skills and applying them, they demonstrate their dedication to personal improvement. By sharing their knowledge, they become distinguished role models. We all know or have worked with exceptional aviation professionals. These are the people who go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the safety of their operation. They are the mentors we look up to and who teach us so much. They are the dedicated people who demonstrate professionalism and courage in the toughest of circumstances. They are the people who had an impact on us and fostered the love we have for this industry. As you read these few lines, someone probably popped into your mind. Here's a way to recognize them: go to our website and nominate them for the Safety Standdown Award. The criteria for the award can also be found on the site and nomination form only takes a few minutes to complete. Submissions are evaluated by the Advisory council and a recipient is selected from the criteria. The award is presented during Safety Standdown USA 2018 seminar. Nominate now: http://www.safetystanddown.com/aviation-safety-award/ Safety Standdown Team Bombardier Business Aircraft Direct: +1 316 946 7876 Email: info@safetystanddown.com Website: www.safetystanddown.com Back to Top Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course presented by N. Albert Moussa, PhD, PE October 30-November 1, 2018 BlazeTech Corporation 29 B Montvale Ave, Woburn MA 01801 USA. Dear Colleague, While commercial air transport is very safe, the advent of new technologies poses fire safety challenges that will be treated in this course. This offering draws upon Dr. Moussa's work in this area since 1971 as well as related courses that BlazeTech has been teaching since 1998. Lectures will include Li and Li-ion battery fires, flammability of carbon fiber and glass fiber composites, emerging aviation fluids, engine fires, fuel tank fire/explosion, fire extinguishment methods, protection methods, aircraft accident investigation, and fire/explosion pattern recognition. Recent accidents are continuously added to the course. For each type of fire, this course will provide a cohesive integrated presentation of fundamentals, small- and large-scale testing, computer modeling, standards and specifications, and real accident investigation - as outlined in the course brochure. This integrated approach will enable you to address safety issues related to current and new systems and circumstances, and to investigate one of a kind fire and explosion accidents. The course will benefit professionals who are responsible for commercial aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles including design, equipment selection, test, operation, maintenance, safety management system, hazard/risk assessment, and accident investigation. View Brochure for course content and registration form (also embedded below). View Testmonials of previous attendees and their Companies. View some of the technical references discussed in this course. We also offer this course at the client site as well as customized courses on fire and explosion in other areas. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Albert Moussa, Ph.D., P.E. Sign Up For Our Course Announcement BlazeTech Corporation 29B Montvale Ave. Woburn, MA 01801-7021 781-759-0700 x200 781-759-0703 fax www.blazetech.com firecourse@blazetech.com LinkedIn Back to Top Back to Top This course was created in collaboration with Curt Lewis's Flight Safety Information. Learn more from Beyond Risk Management Producer, Captain Elaine Parker, at https://vimeo.com/273989821 Back to Top Title Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident (Course) Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. ID Code PA302 Dates and Tuition October 25-26, 2018 $1034 early registration, by September 25, 2018 $1134 late registration, between September 25 and October 20, 2018 $100 processing fee will be added to tuitions for all offline applications. A tuition invoice can be ordered for a $25 processing fee. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times Day 1: 8:30am - 5pm Day 2: 9am - 3pm Location NTSB Training Center * 45065 Riverside Parkway * Ashburn, Virginia 20147 Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend SIGN UP FOR THIS COURSE HERE CEUs 1.3 Overview * How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community * Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation * How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media * Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident * Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others Comments from course participants See the 235 organizations from more than 30 countries that have sent staff to attend this course Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: * Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport * Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested * Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation * Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why * Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend * Investigators from the NTSB and other accident investigation authorities/commissions worldwide * Potential participants in an NTSB investigation: Investigative and safety personnel employed by airframe, engine or component manufacturers, airlines, civilian and military agencies, and related labor unions * Members of the academic community attending for research purposes (on a space-available basis) Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email StudentServices@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3900 https://www.ntsb.gov/Training_Center/Pages/2018/PA302.aspx Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2018 CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The award will be presented during the 71st Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov. 12-15 in Seattle, Wash. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 70 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets in June of each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the- award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 14, 2018. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1 Dear Airline Pilots, My name is David Carroll. I am a doctoral candidate in the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University PhD in Aviation program, and I am working on my dissertation under the guidance of Dr. David Esser. We would like to find out a bit about how airline pilots learn in order to enhance the effectiveness of training. You can help out by participating in this survey. My dissertation topic entails investigating ways that FOQA data might be used to identify pilots at increased risk for Unstable Approaches. By capturing trend information regarding poor energy management practices that may lead to unstable approaches, the FOQA system may be ale to assign interventional training modules. These is research that indicates that these training events would be more effective if presented in a manner that is preferred by the learner. This survey supports the study by helping to determine if the population of airline pilots has a preferred learning modality. The survey also contains a set of energy management questions to examine pilot perceptions on energy management and stabilized approaches in several scenarios and situations. Participants are asked to select responses that are closest to how they would understand the situation if experienced in their current primary aircraft. Finally, the survey collects demographic information that will provide an understanding of how the body of respondents represents the study population. Respondents must be 18 years of age to participate, and we would like to limit the respondents to those currently employed in scheduled air carrier operations (Part 121, 135, or similar). Thank you in advance for your participation. Your inputs will be invaluable in helping to increase the level of safety in air carrier operations. Providing immediate interventional training for pilots who are demonstrating a need, while maintaining the anonymity of the FOQA concept, should provide such a benefit. If you have any questions regarding the study in general, or the survey in particular, please contact the researcher, David Carroll, at david.carroll@erau.edu or the dissertation committee chair, Dr. David Esser, at esserd@erau.edu. Please find the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V532B9J David A. Carroll, Doctoral Candidate ERAU PhD in Aviation Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2 Dear Aviation Colleague, My name is Nicoletta Fala, and I am a Ph.D. candidate working with Prof. Karen Marais at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. We are seeking your input on post-flight debrief feedback in this survey. The motivation behind this research is the unacceptably high number of general aviation accidents. Our overall goal is to use flight data of various sources to help improve general aviation safety. We are trying to understand how different kinds of safety feedback affect risk perception among general aviation pilots. During the survey, you will be asked to review flight data from four flights and answer specific questions on the safety of each flight. We will then ask you a few demographic questions. The survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. During the survey, you will not be able to go back to the previous flight safety questions. You will, however, have the opportunity to review and change the demographic questions as you wish. You may choose to not answer some questions and you may stop the survey at any time without any repercussion to you. If you do not wish to complete the survey in one sitting, you may save your progress and return where you left off if you use the same computer to re-access the link. No personally identifiable information is being asked, analyzed or reported. All responses will be anonymous and in aggregate at the end of the study. Your participation in this survey is voluntary. You must be at least 18 years old to participate in this research. Thank you for your time and your cooperation. Your responses are greatly appreciated and will hopefully enable the general aviation community to improve their safety record. If you have any questions regarding the survey or the information contained within, please feel free to contact the researchers directly either at nfala@purdue.edu or kmarais@purdue.edu. Survey Link: www.nicolettafala.com/survey Nicoletta Fala Purdue Pilots, Inc. President Ph.D. Candidate School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Purdue University || College of Engineering http://nicolettafala.com/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 3 Dear pilots, My name is Koen Scheers, First Officer and postgraduate student 'Air Transport Management' at City, University of London. Currently, I am working on my research project, which is the final part of my studies at City to gain a Master of Science (MSc) degree. My research project, entitled 'A sustainable model for pilot retention', aims to establish a model of organisational practices to keep pilots in the airline they are working for. To support my research project with data I have created a web survey for pilots, and via this way, I kindly ask your help by participating in the survey. The survey is not affiliated with any airline, training organisation, or any other. Participation in the survey is voluntary and anonymous. The survey will take about 10 minutes of your time to complete and is open for participation until 15 July 2018. Also, I would be very grateful if you could forward this message to other pilots in your contact list or spread the word in the airline you are working for. Please click the link below to enter the survey: SURVEY WEB LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/pilotretention Your participation is highly appreciated, kind regards, Koen Scheers +32 486 85 07 91 Koen.scheers@city.ac.uk Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 4 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 Curt Lewis