Flight Safety Information January 8, 2019 - No. 006 In This Issue Incident: KLM B744 at Amsterdam on Jan 7th 2019, suspected bird strike Incident: Jetstar B788 over Pacific on Jan 6th 2019, anti-ice failure Incident: ANA A321N at Tokyo on Jan 5th 2019, bird strike Incident: India A320N near Kolkata on Jan 5th 2019, fuel leak Incident: Sriwijaya B738 at Dili on Jan 7th 2019, flaps problem Incident: Austral E190 at Buenos Aires on Dec 21st 2018, collision with some foreign object in flight Incident: RafAvia SF34 at Savonlinna on Jan 7th 2019, runway excursion on landing Aerospatiale AS 350B Écureuil - Fatal Accident (France) Airprox near Cuba: Falcon 900EX climbs to within 400 ft of Boeing 737-800 Indonesia to Resume Search for Crashed Lion Air Jet's Voice Recorder Shutdown Delays FAA Runway Safety Meetings Mid-air scares: What are A320neo aircraft and what's wrong with them Lessons to take from drones shutting down Gatwick airport ANA adopts sustainable aviation fuel Incongruent Rules Threaten EASA Certification of Russian Jets Is this the year the Air Force fixes the pilot crisis? High Altitude Flying Course Position Available: Deputy Director of Safety Incident: KLM B744 at Amsterdam on Jan 7th 2019, suspected bird strike A KLM Boeing 747-400, registration PH-BFI performing flight KL-685 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Mexico City (Mexico), was climbing out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the aircraft flew through a flock of birds. The crew initially continued the flight and climbed the aircraft to FL300. Overhead London,EN (UK) the crew decided to return to Amsterdam suspecting a number of birds had hit the aircraft. The aircraft dumped fuel and landed safely back on Amsterdam's runway 18R about 110 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft received damage but did not confirm a bird strike. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c29433f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetstar B788 over Pacific on Jan 6th 2019, anti-ice failure A Jetstar Boeing 787-8, registration VH-VKL performing flight JQ-1 from Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Honolulu,HI (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 500nm northeast of Melbourne,VI and about 130nm east of Sydney,NS (Australia) when the crew decided to return to Melbourne due to the failure of an anti-ice system. The aircraft landed safely back in Melbourne about 2:45 hours after departure. The airline reported the captain decided to return to Melbourne as a precaution due to an issue with one of the aircraft's anti-ice systems. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c294010&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: ANA A321N at Tokyo on Jan 5th 2019, bird strike An ANA All Nippon Airways Airbus A321-200 Neo, registration JA132A performing flight NH-791 from Tokyo Haneda to Oida (Japan) with 85 people on board, was climbing out of Haneda's runway 05 when an engine (PW1130) ingested a bird but recovered. The crew continued the flight to Oida, where the aircraft landed safely about 100 minutes later. The aircraft was unable to depart for the return flight and remained on the ground for about 50.5 hours, then positioned to Tokyo Haneda and remained on the ground in Haneda for another 18 hours before returning to service. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the aircraft sustained a bird strike departing for Oida on Jan 5th, the spinner was found missing from the engine after arrival at Oida. A replacement aircraft performed the return flight with a delay of 4:40 hours on Jan 5th. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c293c7a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: India A320N near Kolkata on Jan 5th 2019, fuel leak An Air India Airbus A320-200 Neo, registration VT-EXV performing flight AI-335 from Bangkok (Thailand) to Delhi (India) with 150 people on board, was enroute at FL380 about 210nm southeast of Kolkata (India) when the crew detected a fuel leak on the right hand engine, declared emergency, shut the engine down and drifted down to FL220. The aircraft diverted to Kolkata for a safe landing about 35 minutes later. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Kolkata due to a technical issue. A replacement aircraft having arrived into Kolkata as flight AI-22 from Delhi took the passengers to Delhi. The occurrence aircraft ferried to Delhi. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration VT-PPF departed Kolkata as flight AI-335 about 4:45 hours after landing and reached Delhi with a delay of 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Kolkata for about 31.5 hours, then returned to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c293a26&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Sriwijaya B738 at Dili on Jan 7th 2019, flaps problem A Sriwijaya Boeing 737-800, registration PK-CLT performing flight SJ-270 from Denpasar (Indonesia) to Dili (East Timor) with 110 people on board, was on final approach to Dili's runway 26 descending through 1000 feet AGL when the crew initiated a go around due to a flaps problem. The crew decided to divert to Makassar (Indonesia), climbed to FL380 enroute and landed safely in Makassar about 90 minutes later. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration PK-CMJ reached Dili with a delay of 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Makassar for about 15 hours before returning to service. East Timor's AACTL (Civil Aviation Authority) reported that a flaps problem required a longer runway than was available at Dili prompting the diversion. Dili's runway is 1850 meters/6060 feet long, Makassar features a runway of 3500 meters/11500 feet. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2937f9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Austral E190 at Buenos Aires on Dec 21st 2018, collision with some foreign object in flight An Austral Embraer ERJ-190, registration LV-CDZ performing flight AU-2701 from Rosario,SF to Buenos Aires Aeroparque,BA (Argentina) with 75 people on board, was on approach to Aeropargue's runway 13 descending through about 3500 feet MSL about 10nm before the runway threshold when the aircraft collided with an object in the air. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Aeroparque's runway 13. Argentina's JIAAC reported during the approach the aircraft was impacted by an object, possibly a drone, on the left hand side of the fuselage. The aircraft sustained minor damage. The occurrence was rated an incident and is being investigated. The contact marks on the fuselage (Photo: Adrian): http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2909fd&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: RafAvia SF34 at Savonlinna on Jan 7th 2019, runway excursion on landing A RafAvia Saab 340B, registration YL-RAF performing positioning flight MTL-650P from Riga (Latvia) to Savonlinna (Finland), landed on Savonlinna's runway 12/30 at about 05:36L (03:36Z), the crew however lost directional control, the aircraft turned and slid sidewards off the runway coming to a stop with all gear in deep snow off the runway surface. There were no injuries, the damage to the aircraft is being assessed. The aircraft was about to perform scheduled flights out of Savonlinna for Flexflight. The morning flights of Flexflight had to be cancelled as result. Finland's Onnettomuustutkintakeskus (Accident Investigation Board AIBF) dispatched an investigation team of 5 investigators on site. Finavia, the airport operator, reported the runway had been cleared on a width of 37 meters, the runway surface was covered with dry snow of 8mm/0.3 inches, the braking action was measured to be beter than medium. Snow banks at the edges of the runway rose to about 40cm (15.7 inches). Related NOTAMs: SWEF0001 EFSA 01070552 (SNOWTAM 0001 A)EFSA B)01070552 C)12 E)37 F)4/4/4 G)8/8/8 H)2/2/2 J)40/4LR T)RWY 12 CONTAMINATION 100 PER CENT OPR SIGNIFICANT CONT F)4 G)8 H)2/2/2 TWY A F)4 H)1 ALL APN F)48 H)1) B0059/19 NOTAMN Q) EFIN/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A /000/999/6157N02857E005 A) EFSA B) 1901070400 C) 1901071200 EST E) RWY12/30 CLSD B0068/19 NOTAMR B0059/19 Q) EFIN/QMRLC/IV/NBO/A /000/999/6157N02857E005 A) EFSA B) 1901071135 C) 1901071700 EST E) RWY12/30 CLSD Metars: EFSA 070520Z AUTO 23006KT 180V270 9999 -SN OVC005 M01/M02 Q1009= EFSA 070450Z AUTO 23005KT 180V270 4300 -SN OVC006 M01/M02 Q1010= EFSA 070350Z 22005KT 170V260 2500 SN BKN005 OVC015 M02/M02 Q1010= EFSA 070320Z 21004KT 180V260 3000 -SN BKN006 OVC017 M02/M02 Q1011= EFSA 070250Z AUTO 22004KT 160V300 3400 -SN OVC006 M02/M03 Q1011= EFSA 070220Z AUTO 22004KT 140V280 1700 -SN BR OVC004 M02/M03 Q1012= EFSA 070150Z AUTO 22006KT 170V280 4200 OVC004 M02/M03 Q1012= EFSA 070120Z AUTO 21005KT 170V280 6000 OVC004 M02/M03 Q1012= EFSA 070050Z AUTO 20005KT 140V250 4900 BR OVC003 M03/M03 Q1013= EFSA 070020Z AUTO 21005KT 150V260 4800 BR OVC004 M03/M03 Q1013= The aircraft off the runway (Photos: AIBF): http://avherald.com/h?article=4c290156&opt=0 Back to Top Aerospatiale AS 350B Écureuil - Fatal Accident (France) Date: 07-JAN-2019 Time: 14:00 LT Type: Aerospatiale AS 350B Écureuil Owner/operator: Air Plus Hélicoptère / Cdc Group Registration: F-GKMQ C/n / msn: 4847 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Puylaurens, Tarn - France Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The helicopter, built in 2009, crashed while trying to install a telephone communication mast. The pilot died in the crash. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=220611 Back to Top Airprox near Cuba: Falcon 900EX climbs to within 400 ft of Boeing 737-800 Date: 28-DEC-2018 Time: 20:36 LT Type: Boeing 737-86J (WL) Owner/operator: Sunwing Airlines Registration: C-FWGH C/n / msn: 37752/3825 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: 18 nm NNE of Cayo Largo/Vilo Acuña Intl (MUCL) - Cuba Phase: En route Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Río Hato/Scarlett Martínez Intl (MPSM) Destination airport: Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ) Narrative: A Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Sunwing Airlines was conducting flight WG783 from Río Hato/Scarlett Martínez Intl (MPSM), Panamá to Toronto/Lester B. Pearson Intl (CYYZ), Canada. During cruise flight at FL360 in the vicinity of Cayo Largo/Vilo Acuña Intl (MUCL), Cuba, the flight crew received a TCAS Traffic Advisory (TA), and an aircraft was seen climbing towards them. Subsequently, a TCAS Resolution Advisory (RA) - CLIMB sounded seconds later, which was immediately complied with by the flight crew up to FL366, until clear of conflict. WG783 then continued to destination uneventfully. The conflicting traffic was observed to be as close as 400 feet below on TCAS, and had been cleared to FL350 by Havana Center; however, it continued the climb through FL350. ATC reported that the aircraft involved was a Falcon 900EX, registration YV2486. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=220624 Back to Top Back to Top Indonesia to Resume Search for Crashed Lion Air Jet's Voice Recorder FILE - Indonesian customs officers patrol at a search area for Lion Air flight JT610 in Karawang waters, Indonesia, Nov. 1, 2018. JAKARTA - Indonesia will launch a renewed search effort as early as Tuesday to find the cockpit voice recorder from a Lion Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea in October, the head of its accident investigation agency said. "If the weather is good, the ship will start to depart today," National Transportation Safety Commission (KNKT) Chief Soerjanto Tjahjono told Reuters on Tuesday. The crash, the world's first of a Boeing Co 737 MAX jet and the deadliest of 2018, killed all 189 people on board. Investigators last week said they planned to use a navy ship for a fresh search for the crashed jet's second "black box" after a 10-day effort funded by Lion Air failed to find the cockpit voice recorder (CVR). A KNKT source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters the team will have seven days using the ship KRI Spica to find the CVR, which could hold vital clues giving investigators insight into the actions of the doomed jet's pilots. Tjahjono declined to comment on whether there was a time limit on the search. Rescue team members stand during lifting-up an turbine engine of Lion Air flight JT610 at the north coast of Karawang, Indonesia, Nov. 3, 2018. Contact with flight JT610 was lost 13 minutes after it took off on Oct. 29 from the capital Jakarta heading north to the tin-mining town of Pangkal Pinang. The other black box, the flight data recorder, was recovered three days after the crash. A preliminary report by KNKT focused on airline maintenance and training and the response of a Boeing anti-stall system to a recently replaced sensor but did not give a cause for the crash. https://www.voanews.com/a/indonesia-to-resume-search-for-crashed-lion-air-jet-s- cockpit-voice-recorder/4733199.html Back to Top Shutdown Delays FAA Runway Safety Meetings To help reduce wrong surface incidents, the FAA is planning "special focus" meetings this year at various airports hosted by the agency's runway safety action team (RSAT), but the ongoing U.S. government shutdown has postponed their start. The first meeting this year is scheduled at Nashville International Airport (BNA) on January 30. A meeting previously scheduled at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on January 9 has been delayed due to the partial federal government shutdown. The purpose of these meetings will be to discuss the factors that are contributing to recent wrong surface events at airports, including attempted wrong surface arrivals and departures, and "to assess if the current mitigations are adequate," the agency said. "Wrong surface landings occur at a rate of approximately one every other day and nearly 90 percent are committed by general aviation pilots." One of the most serious incidents occurred on August 10 when a Part 135-operated Gulfstream IV, on a visual approach at night and cleared to land on PHL's Runway 35, instead lined up on an adjacent, occupied taxiway. The GIV pilots performed a go- around, overflying four airliners. Last July, the flight crew of an Air Canada Airbus A320 mistook a taxiway for a runway at San Francisco International Airport and nearly crashed into four other airliners on the ground. Throughout the year, the FAA plans to schedule future RSAT special focus meetings at other airports. Also, pilots are encouraged to view the recently released FAA video "Wrong Surface Landings," which discusses the precursors of wrong surface landings and provides several risk-mitigation measures. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-01-07/shutdown- delays-faa-runway-safety-meetings Back to Top Mid-air scares: What are A320neo aircraft and what's wrong with them In India, budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir use the Pratt & Whitney engines to power their A320neo aircraft. On January 3, an IndiGo Airbus A320neo plane suffered a mid-air engine failure with a "loud bang". (Photo: Reuters/representational) HIGHLIGHTS * Pratt & Whitney engine-powered A320neo aircraft have been riddled with mid-air snags * In India, budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir use the P&W engines to power their A320neo aircraft. * The Centre has now decided to meet various stakeholders on Tuesday to review the recurring problems With rising glitches in Pratt & Whitney engine-powered A320neo planes, the central government has decided to meet various stakeholders on Tuesday to review the recurring problems. In India, budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir use the P&W engines to power their A320neo aircraft. The Centre's decision comes after IndiGo's Kolkata-bound flight had to return to Chennai on January 3, following a mid-air engine failure. It was reported that a "loud bang" was heard followed by smoke and heavy vibrations, according to sources. IndiGo, however, said in a statement that the "crew followed the normal operating procedures and asked for a priority landing. There was no engine shutdown and no emergency landing was declared". Recurring glitches This was the third such incident in one month involving an IndiGo plane. On December 10 last year, an IndiGo flight made emergency landing in Kolkata after its cabin was filled with smoke. On December 23, IndiGo A320neo flight from Port Blair to Kolkata reportedly suffered mid-air engine failure. Last year in March, as many as 11 such planes were grounded by IndiGo and GoAir following incidents of mid-air aircraft engine failure. Although it's not known how many of IndiGo's A320neos were out of operations due to engine issues, both the aircraft-maker and the engine-maker have been monetarily compensating the two domestic carriers -- IndiGo and GoAir -- for each grounded plane. Most-advanced and fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft? A320neos is manufactured by European aircraft manufacturer Airbus and powered by American aerospace manufacturer Pratt and Whitney's (PW) turbofan engines. According to airbus.com, the A320neo (new engine option) is one of many upgrades introduced by Airbus to help maintain its A320 product line's position as the world's most advanced and fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft family. The baseline A320neo has a choice of two new-generation engines (the PurePower PW1100G-JM from Pratt and Whitney and the LEAP-1A from CFM International) and features large, fuel-saving wingtip devices known as Sharklets. Air India and Vistara have CFM engines in their A320 neo planes. The A320neo consumes between 15 per cent and 20 per cent less fuel than its predecessor, the A320ceo. The A320neo was touted as Airbus's answer to its American rival, Boeing. Tale of caution On February 9 last year, European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had issued an emergency airworthiness directive for A320neo planes having a particular serial number. The directive followed instances of the engines shut-down during flights and rejected take-offs involving the A320 neo family aircraft. Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on February 13 last year, said it was monitoring engine glitches to ensure that safety is not compromised at any time. On February 21, P&W said it has come out with a revised configuration to address the latest problem in some of its engines powering A320 neo planes. In March, the DGCA grounded 11 A320neo aircraft following engine failures during flights. Of these, eight were operated by IndiGo and three by GoAir. The DGCA order had come after an A320 neo aircraft of IndiGo suffered engine failure mid-air and made an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport. In 2017, the DGCA had ordered detailed inspection of 21 A320neo planes of IndiGo and GoAir equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines following frequent technical glitches. Between May 2016 and November 2017, IndiGo, India's largest airline, has had to replace Pratt & Whitney engines on its 32 A320neo aircraft at least 69 times. During that time, IndiGo said these issues were related to non-detection of chip, carbon seal lining or combustor chamber lining in Pratt & Whitney 1100 series engines. The airline called these engine 'glitches' and 'non-safety' issues. As per practice, the defective engines were reportedly replaced with other engines. The planes continued to operate with the replaced engines. It is believed domestic passengers had been flying unaware of the danger until the DGCA order came. Early signs of problem In all, Indigo, had ordered 530 units of A320neos with P&W engines since 2011. The first aircraft was delivered in 2016. Airbus delayed the first batch of deliveries to IndiGo by nearly four months reportedly following cooling issues with the P&W engines. Twenty six planes were finally delivered to IndiGo in March 2016. However, the engines continued to face issues. https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/mid-air-scares-what-are-a320neo-aircraft-and- what-s-wrong-with-them-1425443-2019-01-07 Back to Top Lessons to take from drones shutting down Gatwick airport Holiday travel havoc is almost expected. Canceled flights and stranded passengers are as much a part of the holidays as homemade pumpkin pie and gift returns. John Candy practically made a movie career off of it. 2017 saw the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, shut down days before Christmas. It shouldn't have come as a surprise when Christmas 2018 saw its own travel meltdown. What was surprising, however, was the cause this time around. While computers and weather are the usual culprits, this past holiday season saw a new potential menace: drones. Gatwick Airport, one of Britain's busiest airports, was shut down for two days while authorities responded to reports of drones flying near its runway. The shutdown left about 1,000 aircraft grounded or diverted and affected about 140,000 passengers. While it remains to be seen who was behind the Gatwick drone scare (or whether it was a drone at all), we can draw a few quick lessons for federal policymakers here in the United States to learn from. First, while the idea of drone collisions seems terrifying, they are rare. In fact, drones are not much of a risk to traditional aviation. My former colleagues Eli Dourado and Samuel Hammond once estimated that drone collisions serious enough to cause an injury or fatality to passengers on board an aircraft will occur once every 187 million years of operation. While there is always a risk that a plane may ingest an object into an engine, their research shows that is far more likely to be a bird than a drone. Second, increased regulation of drone use may make us feel safer, but it won't actually make us safer. Any rush to regulate in response to what happened at Gatwick would be unwise and unhelpful. The FAA already has very strict rules about flying near airports, and creating more would not stop accidental violations. Instead, we should focus on efforts to empower and educate drone operators to be responsible when flying. These will go much further than increasing the amount of (potentially complicated and obscure) rules they must adhere to. While it's still unclear if the drones were intentionally or accidentally flown in the restricted airspace around Gatwick, taking steps to increase awareness would certainly decrease the likelihood that such accidents will occur in the future. The FAA deserves some credit for its efforts on this front. The FAA's partnership with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Academy of Model Aeronautics to produce the "Know Before You Fly" campaign is a great example of the role government and private industry can play in shaping best practices in an emerging and dynamic space. These efforts, however, should remain focused on where the FAA can meaningfully contribute to the educational effort. The agency's B4UFLY app is what happens when good efforts go bad. The intent is good, but the execution is, as Dourado has called it, "laughably bad." Private companies like AirMap have managed to create much better, more accurate products. Instead of wasting time creating duplicative products that are being produced much better outside the agency, the FAA should instead make sure that guidance is clear, easily understandable, and produced in a timely manner. While the FAA has been distracted with pursuits like these, its rulemaking has continually fallen behind schedule. How we respond in the aftermath of incidents like Gatwick is important. After all, drone use is still in its infancy and governments around the world are still trying to decide how to encourage safe drone use, let alone respond to unsafe use (or use that is perceived to be unsafe). Taking clear, proactive steps is important, but ensuring that our responses are considered and fact-based is essential. https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/424093-lessons-to-take-from-drones-shutting- down-gatwick-airport Back to Top ANA adopts sustainable aviation fuel ANA's use of sustainable aviation fuel will reduce carbon dioxide emission by approximately 150 tons. TOKYO - All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest and 5-star airline for six consecutive years, has partnered with Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. to purchase 70 thousand US Gallon (approximately 265 KL) of sustainable aviation fuel. This bio jet fuel will be mixed to the current fuel ANA is using on the San Francisco flights and lead to the reduction of roughly 150 tons of carbon dioxide. In addition to reducing the company's carbon footprint, adopting sustainable aviation fuel also dovetails with ANA's vision of a world where companies respond positively to calls for environmentally friendly leadership. ANA is focused on meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations, particularly SDG 7 to "ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" and SDG 13 to "take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts." "At ANA, we believe that the UN's Sustainable Development Goals represent a blueprint to a more prosperous and more environmentally responsible future, and we are inspired by the SDG commitment to 'build a better world for people and our planet'," said Naoto Takada, Executive Vice President of ANA. "Adopting sustainable aviation fuel is just one step in the fight against climate change, and ANA will continue looking for ways to give back to the planet that we all depend on." Receive the latest trade and transportation news in your inbox! ANA has selected sustainable aviation fuel from World Energy for use in ANA airplanes at San Francisco International Airport. Sustainable aviation fuel has previously been introduced at Los Angeles International Airport and has been regularly used by various airlines including ANA. However, this is the first direct contract ANA has in place to purchase the fuel. ANA has always aimed to challenge the norms in the airline industry. By working with Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. to use sustainable aviation fuel, ANA hopes to enhance the quality of fuel used in its aircraft while also become the leading eco-friendly airline group by contributing to the environment. https://www.ajot.com/news/ana-adopts-sustainable-aviation-fuel Back to Top Incongruent Rules Threaten EASA Certification of Russian Jets The third MC-21 prepares for rollout from the Irkut factory on December 26. (Photo: Irkut) The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has warned Moscow that a number of discrepancies in current European and Russian airworthiness legislation might result in the need for a considerably more-than-anticipated number of test flights in Europe for EASA certification of the MC-21 and modified SSJ100 jetliners. The requirement, in turn, might delay the issuance of internationally recognized airworthiness certificates for months, if not years. The discrepancies result largely from the Kremlin's 2015 decision to strip civil aircraft certification functions performed by the Commonwealth of Independent States' Air Register of International Aviation Committee (ARMAK) and hand them over to the Federal Air Transportation Agency (Rosaviatsiya), an arm of the Russian government. The Russian government-issued Order 1283, dated November 28, 2015, and other actions that followed have widened differences between the European and Russian legislation bases to such an extent that a number of interstate agreements signed before 2015 lost their value and no longer apply. As a result, new and modified Russian jetliners will need to repeat some two-thirds of the flight-test program already flown in the home country to meet EASA airworthiness requirements. A delay in EASA certification would not only affect deliveries to foreign customers because many Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, demand Western certification to ensure their airplanes meet global airworthiness standards. In fact, The promise of EASA certification for both SSJ100 and MC-21 proved a factor in Aeroflot's choice of those models over the Antonov An-148/158 and Tupelev Tu-204SM, respectively. Even though Rosaviatiya and the local manufacturers did make efforts to address the issue, they have so far failed to persuade the lawmakers and various governmental bodies to introduce, pass, and validate the changes necessary to keep the previous agreements with EASA in place. But the EASA warnings seem to have produced an effect, and Russia's Ministry of Justice promised to approve changes proposed by the civil aviation team into the set of laws that correspond with those in use in the European Union. In turn, EASA did recognize Rosaviatsiya in a number of documents signed between the two, including the framework "Working Agreement in the Sphere of Flight Safety," dated January 29, 2018. If Russia validates in a timely manner new, EASA-harmonized aviation rules, certification of an SSJ100 modified with so-called Sabrelets and a strengthened wing could happen in the third quarter of 2019, according to official schedules. Rosaviatsiya hopes such validation happens before the planned signing in February of documents on mutual recognition of procedures related to flight testing and type certification. Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) hopes that the new winglets on the modified SSJ100 will increase lift to drag ratio by 0.5, resulting in a 4 percent fuel savings and a 270- to 380- nautical-mile increase in range. The first airframe-msn 97006-flew with the Sabrelets two years ago, but a hard landing in windy conditions in July 2018 crushed its undercarriage. SCAC has recently repaired the first airplane and completed a second for the final part of the tests. The manufacturer hopes to win national certification in the first or second quarter of 2019, and deliver the first winglet-equipped SSJ100 delivered by the year-end. Severstal has agreed to become the first operator of the aircraft, followed by Mexico's Interjet and Aeroflot. SCAC plans to deliver four Superjets with Saberlets this year. Meantime, Irkut rolled out a third flyable MC-21 on December 26. The maker hopes for a national type certificate next year, and EASA certification in 2021. Should the certification discrepancies remain, the number of MC-21 flights needed with EASA inspectors aboard could rise from 40-60 to more than 300. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-01-07/incongruent-rules- threaten-easa-certification-russian-jets Back to Top Is this the year the Air Force fixes the pilot crisis? Air Force fighter pilots assigned to the 14th Fighter Squadron walk onto the flight line during a June 2017 Red Flag-Alaska exercise at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The Air Force has been trying to cut a 2,000-pilot shortfall in recent years, and 2019 will show if its efforts are bearing fruit. (A1C Haley Phillips/Air Force) The Air Force's roughly 2,000-pilot shortfall has been one of its most vexing - and public - problems over the last two-plus years. In 2019, the Air Force will see if its efforts to resolve the crisis will start to bear fruit. The pilot shortfall has focused the attention of top leaders such as Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein, who have repeatedly warned it could "break the force" if it goes uncorrected. The Air Force has stood up a task force, drawn up a list of 69 different initiatives to fix the shortfall, and dramatically increased eligibility for the biggest aviation retention bonuses. In a June interview, Goldfein said the Air Force will never find a single "silver bullet" that solves the pilot shortfall problem. Instead, a series of efforts now under way - to recruit and train more new pilots, bring back retired pilots, convince experienced pilots to stay longer, and improve the lives of pilots so they're happier - should help close the gap, he said. The Air Force in May announced a major expansion to its Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty program, which seeks to bring back up to 1,000 recently retired pilots, combat systems officers and air battle managers for two to four years. The Air Force Personnel Center accepted applications until the end of December. They could come back to serve in both rated and flying staff positions, as well as training, testing, or even operational positions - and could even possibly fly combat missions. The effort means retired pilots could come back to serve as instructors at bases like Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, which conducts undergraduate pilot training. This could ease the pressure on operational squadrons, which sometimes have to send pilots to serve as instructors, and help the Air Force train and graduate more new pilots. Training more pilots is also a key part of the plan to fix the pilot shortfall. The Air Force is trying to get its annual pilot production up from about 1,100 per year to 1,200 annually, researchers at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies wrote in a paper this past summer. Brig. Gen. Mike Koscheski, the head of the pilot shortfall task force, also told researchers he hoped to get that up to nearly 1,400 in fiscal 2019, before growing to 1,600 annually beginning in fiscal 2020. The Air Force also is likely to continue offering massive retention bonuses under the Aviation Bonus Program to try to hold on to pilots and dissuade them from leaving to take lucrative jobs flying for commercial airlines. Previously, only fighter pilots were eligible to receive the highest bonuses for the longest service commitments. But earlier this year, the Air Force broadened the eligibility for the maximum 12-year, $420,000 bonus to include some bomber, fixed-wing combat search-and-rescue, special operations, mobility and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots. The percentage of eligible pilots accepting retention bonuses - known as the take rate - ticked up slightly to 45 percent in fiscal 2018, after at least two years of declines. Fighter pilot and bomber take rates increased significantly in 2018. But other categories of pilots - particularly mobility pilots - saw alarming declines. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/01/07/new-in-2019-is-this- the-year-the-air-force-fixes-the-pilot-crisis/ Back to Top Click here to sign up for the next session with Captain Shem Malmquist beginning in late January. Or call us at 231 720-0930 (EST). High Altitude Flying Overview Back to Top Helicopter Association International (HAI) is dedicated to providing its members with services that directly benefit their operations, and to advancing the international helicopter community by providing programs that enhance safety, encourage professionalism and economic viability while promoting the unique contributions vertical flight offers society. HAI has more than 3,800 member organizations and annually produces HAI HELI-EXPO®, the world's largest trade show and exposition dedicated to helicopters. Position: Deputy Director of Safety Overview: The Deputy Director of Safety is responsible for supporting the association's existing aviation safety programs and developing new safety initiatives to benefit HAI's membership. Essential Functions of the Position Include, but Are Not Limited To: * Providing auxiliary support to the Director of Safety * Serving as the HAI safety representative on various industry, government, and international boards, task forces, and meetings * Providing feedback for the association's response to proposed safety-related regulations and legislative initiatives * Collecting, researching, and analyzing safety and accident data for subsequent statistical reporting * Developing and implementing new HAI industry safety initiatives * Routinely interacting with aviation related agencies and organizations in support of the rotorcraft industry * Supporting all aspects of HAI's accreditation programs (IS-BAO & HAI APS) that assist helicopter operators in reducing incidents and accidents, while improving industry safety culture * Providing safety supervision for flight activities at the association's annual trade show and exposition, HAI HELI-EXPO® * Responding to requests for rotorcraft safety assistance from HAI members and the general public * Serving as staff liaison for assigned HAI committees * Contributing content for use in HAI's printed and electronic publications * Making safety presentations on behalf of HAI as necessary * Other duties as assigned The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Desired Qualifications for the Position Include: * College or advanced degree related to aviation safety and/or management * Five or more years of related helicopter safety background, training, and experience * Certificated helicopter pilot and/or maintenance technician * Previous experience with helicopter or other aviation-related organization * Prior international experience preferred * Experience with auditing protocols and accreditation programs * A passionate commitment to the promotion of helicopter safety * Highly motivated, able to work independently and in a team environment * Excellent written and verbal communication skills with prior experience in creating and delivering written proposals and public presentations * Research, data analysis, and report writing experience * Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite * Detail oriented, self-starter, with strong organizational and time management skills * Ability to travel The above qualifications are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. Curt Lewis