Flight Safety Information January 17, 2019 - No. 013 In This Issue Incident: Flybe DH8D near Belfast on Jan 14th 2019, door indication Incident: PSA CRJ2 at Watertown on Jan 15th 2019, configuration problem Incident: Flair B734 near Vancouver on Dec 29th 2018, turbulence causes 14 passengers become ill Incident: Cargolux B748 at Kuala Lumpur on Jan 16th 2019, smoke and fire in cockpit EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Gol B738 at Rio de Janeiro on Jan 15th 2019, engine shut down in flight Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - Engine Failure (Japan) Beechcraft 99 - Gear Up Landing (WI) Heavy 'Sierra cement' snow causes business jet to pull stationary wheelie at Truckee airport EASA Proposal Aims to Enhance Runway Safety Canadian woman briefly detained at Beijing airport: paper Aviation repair apprenticeship offers alternative to high-priced higher education UAE Rebuffs Open Skies Talks With the EU Etihad Airways flies first flight with sustainable aviation fuel 'Culture of safety' yields award for GE Aviation Alaska Airlines Is Hiring 3,000 People - and You Can Apply Without Airline Experience New satellite network will make it impossible for a commercial airplane to vanish Iridium's 'truly global' satellite internet connects aircraft and ships EZ-FLY: Researching Easier To Fly Aircraft Airbus spends $300 million on new Alabama plant for A220 jet Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces new Standardization Board Members Air Safety Investigation Professional Education Course TU Delft University Mitre SMS Course - March 2019 LET US BE YOUR SMS MANAGER ! High Altitude Flying Course Incident: Flybe DH8D near Belfast on Jan 14th 2019, door indication A Flybe de Havilland Dash 78-400, registration G-PRPJ performing flight BE-486 from Manchester,EN to Belfast City,NI (UK), was descending through about FL160 towards Belfast when the crew reported a problem with an aft door. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 22 about 20 minutes later. The airline reported a suspected minor technical fault following an aft door indication. The aircraft remained on the ground over night as scheduled and continued service the following morning. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2f4805&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: PSA CRJ2 at Watertown on Jan 15th 2019, configuration problem A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N218PS performing flight AA-5653 from Watertown,NY to Philadelphia,PA (USA) with 29 people on board, was climbing out of Watertown when the crew stopped the climb at about 8000 feet reporting a configuration problem, they needed to return to Watertown. The aircraft landed safely back at a normal speed about 20 minutes after departure. The airport reported the crew advised of a configuration problem with respect to the flight control surfaces. Passengers reported the captain told them the aircraft had lost automatic control and they had reverted to manual control. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2f45d3&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Flair B734 near Vancouver on Dec 29th 2018, turbulence causes 14 passengers become ill A Flair Airlines Boeing 737-400, registration C-FLHJ performing flight FLE-613 from Vancouver,BC to Edmonton,AB (Canada), was climbing through out of Vancouver. The captain expected turbulence to set in at about FL310 and had illuminated the fasten seat belt signs and instructed cabin crew to remain seated. While climbing through FL310 on autopilot the aircraft pitched up sharply by 20 degrees, the IAS increased by about 40 knots and the aircraft rolled 45 degrees to the right. The autopilot applied full left aileron, the aircraft rolled 30 degrees to the left, the autopilot applied full right ailerons, the VSI indicated 6000fpm climb. The IAS reduced by about 25 knots again and the aircraft levelled off at FL350, significant buffeting continued however. The aircraft continued to Edmonton for a safe landing. The Canadian TSB reported: "There were no injuries; however, 14 passengers became ill as a result of the turbulence." The crew chose to leave the autopilot engaged throughout the event. The operator reported the autopilot performed adequately, no aircraft limitations were exceeded. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/FLE613/history/20181229/1610Z/CYVR/CYEG http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2f3ccf&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Cargolux B748 at Kuala Lumpur on Jan 16th 2019, smoke and fire in cockpit A Cargolux Boeing 747-8, registration LX-VCJ performing flight CV-7303 from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Zhengzhou (China), was climbing out of Kuala Lumpur's runway 32R when the crew donned their oxygen masks, declared emergency reporting smoke and fire in the cockpit, stopped the climb at FL150 and returned to Kuala Lumpur for a safe landing on runway 32R about 35 minutes after departure and stopped on the runway. Emergency services responded. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Kuala Lumpur shortly after takeoff after the crew had reported the presence of fire and smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely, the runway was temporarily blocked while emergency services attended to the aircraft. The crew was able to leave the aircraft unharmed. Authorities have been informed, the airline is fully cooperating with the investigation. Malaysia Airports in charge of Kuala Lumpur Airport reported Cargolux flight CV-7303 performed an emergency landing on runway 32R closing the runway temporarily. The aircraft landed safely, nobody was injured. Delays were to be expected as result of the runway closure. About 2 hours later the airport informed passengers that the runway was open again. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2f22d4&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Gol B738 at Rio de Janeiro on Jan 15th 2019, engine shut down in flight By Simon Hradecky, created Wednesday, Jan 16th 2019 16:58Z, last updated Wednesday, Jan 16th 2019 16:58Z A Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-800, registration PR-GXQ performing flight G3-1025 from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont,RJ to Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP (Brazil), was climbing out of Santos Dumont Airport when the right hand engine emitted a number of bangs and streaks of flame prompting the crew to stop the climb at 6000 feet, shut the engine down and divert to Rio de Janeiro's International Galeao Airport for a safe landing about 30 minutes after departure. The airline reported the crew identified a technical limitation on one of the engines and performed an alternate landing at Rio's international airport. The passengers were rebooked onto the next flights. Passenger video and TV report in Portugese: Passageiros Filmam Clarões Perto de Asa e Avião Que Saiu do Santos Dumont Pousa no Galeão http://avherald.com/h?article=4c2f24ff&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - Engine Failure (Japan) Date: 17-JAN-2019 Time: 07:28 LT Type: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner Owner/operator: All Nippon Airways - ANA Registration: JA825A C/n / msn: 34516/148 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Osaka International Airport/Itami (ITM/RJOO) - Japan Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT) Destination airport: Osaka-Itami Airport (ITM/RJOO) Narrative: A Boeing 787-8 of All Nippon Airways operating ANA/NH985 from Tokyo/Haneda to Osaka/Itami stuck on runway 32L while landing at Itami due to engine failure. The troubled runway was closed until the plane towed away at 08:41 LT. There were no reported injuries among crew and 109 passengers. Many delays and diversions on other scheduled flights are happening. At the initial onsite investigation, there was no oil leak from the engines. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=220880 Back to Top Beechcraft 99 - Gear Up Landing (WI) Date: 15-JAN-2019 Time: 15:18 Type: Beechcraft 99 Owner/operator: Freight Runners Express Inc Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), Milwaukee, WI - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Waukesha Airport, WI (UES/KUES) Destination airport: Milwaukee-General Mitchell Airport, WI (MKE/KMKE) Narrative: The aircraft experienced a landing gear related emergency landing at General Mitchell International Airport (KMKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The airplane sustained unreported damage and the two pilots onboard were not injured during the incident. Back to Top Heavy 'Sierra cement' snow causes business jet to pull stationary wheelie at Truckee airport More than 16 inches of dense, wet snow that fell Tuesday night on the Truckee Tahoe Airport caused a business jet to pull a bit of on-ground aerobatics Wednesday morning. The snow, regionally dubbed "Sierra cement" for its thick, heavy and sticky texture, piled on the tail and rear-mounted engines of a Cessna Citation X aircraft parked outdoors at the airport. The weight caused the nose of the jet to lift off the ground, resting on its tail in a stationary wheelie that would make Steve McQueen proud. "That aircraft (has) really massive engines in the rear, so they tend to be a little tail heavy anyway," said Mark Lamb, aviation and community services manager at the airport. Business jets like the citation are generally moved from the Truckee airport when big winter storms are forecast, but in this case the jet was down for maintenance and couldn't take off, according to Lamb. Over 16 inches of wet, dense snow at the Truckee Tahoe Airport caused a Cessna Citation X business jet to do a tail stand in its outdoor parking spot on Jan. 16, 2019. A business jet like the Citation is generally supported by a tail stand while it's on the ground, which would prevent the nose from lifting if weight (like Sierra cement snow) were to be added to the already hefty tail. Lamb could not say if the Citation at Truckee Tahoe had such a tail stand during the storm Tuesday night. After a lull in snowfall during the day on Wednesday, blizzard conditions are expected to hit the Sierra and greater Lake Tahoe region Wednesday evening through Thursday. https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2019/01/16/snow-causes-jet-pull-stationary-wheelie- truckee-airport/2594431002/ Back to Top Back to Top EASA Proposal Aims to Enhance Runway Safety A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPA) from the European Aviation Safety Agency aims to mitigate risks associated with runway safety, focusing mainly on preventing runway incursions and excursions, and on assessing and reporting runway surface conditions. The NPA also addresses ground collisions, runway confusion, foreign object damage and related occurrences as well as runway pavement maintenance. In particular, the proposed rule changes the framework for the operation and conformance of vehicles and their drivers in aircraft movement areas. Linked to this is a new requirement on communications and a proposal for controlling pedestrians at airports. New requirements would also be introduced for assessing and reporting runway surface conditions, snow control plans, airport maintenance, aircraft towing, and performance standards for runway surface-friction measurement devices. This latter requirement also provides for alignment with ICAO recommendations as regards runway surface condition assessment and reporting which will be applicable worldwide by November 2020. Comments on the NPA are due March 18, 2019. At the same time, this NPA was published, EASA released a related NPA, also with a comment deadline of March 18. This proposal revises rules to improve firefighting and rescue operations at airports. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-01-16/easa- proposal-aims-enhance-runway-safety Back to Top Canadian woman briefly detained at Beijing airport: paper SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A Canadian woman whose father is a dissident jailed in China was briefly detained and "bullied" by security agents while transiting through Beijing's main airport on Wednesday, the Toronto-based Globe and Mail newspaper said. Ties between the two countries have been strained since the December arrest in Vancouver of a senior Chinese executive on a U.S. arrest warrant, which was followed by China's detention of two Canadians, on suspicion of endangering state security. In the most recent incident, the woman, Ti-Anna Wang, was pulled off a plane by six police officers, separated from her husband and detained with her daughter for almost two hours while connecting in Beijing en route to Toronto from Seoul, the paper said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-canada/canadian-woman-briefly-detained-at- beijing-airport-paper-idUSKCN1PB05S Back to Top Aviation repair apprenticeship offers alternative to high-priced higher education Fleet Readiness Center Southeast relaunches program, seeks applicants JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Americans currently owe more than $1.5 trillion in student loan debt, and by 2023, 40 percent may default on those loans. The cost of a higher education has many looking at alternatives. One option is the apprenticeship program at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, which offers college credit and a paycheck. The program, in partnership with St. Johns River State College, is being offered again for the first time in several years. There are nearly 100 openings for people looking to make some money while receiving training for a lifelong career in aviation maintenance and repair. "What makes it great is, instead of graduating college with $80,000 in debt, people graduate with no debt and a job that pays well," said Clifford Davis, public affairs specialist at FRCS. Those jobs are similar to the aircraft mechanics who work in hangars at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. "These guys that work up and down this line, they know they are providing America's war fighters with the aircraft and the tools they need," Davis said. The apprenticeship program lasts between three and four years, depending on the job specialty. After that, students are guaranteed a job at the fleet maintenance facility for at least two years. "We employ a lot of retired military, but even though that means they have a lot of experience that also means many of them are getting up in age, so in order to counteract that, we need to hire some younger folks to come in and learn from these experienced artisans -- some of them have 40 years of experience in this trade -- to be able to replace those guys when they decide to retire," Davis said. The apprenticeship pays around $15.60 an hour, and the deadline to apply is Feb. 1. To apply, visit USAjobs.gov. https://www.news4jax.com/education/aviation-repair-apprenticeship-offers-alternative- to-high-priced-higher-education Back to Top UAE Rebuffs Open Skies Talks With the EU The United Arab Emirates has made a last-minute U-turn on its intent to enter into talks with Brussels on concluding an EU-level comprehensive air transport agreement (CATA), claiming the European Commission's draft text proposal lacked ambition and failed to offer more market access than what currently exits through the bilateral air transport agreements between the UAE and EU member countries. In a letter to transport commissioner Violate Bulc, UAE minister of economy and chairman of the country's General Civil Aviation Authority Sultan Bin Saaed Al Mansoori said the potential EU-UAE open skies would need to "provide for full and immediate liberalization going beyond what already exists-specifically including full and immediate liberalization of third-, fourth-, and fifth-freedom traffic rights." However, based on the draft text proposal it "now seems clear that our respective levels of ambition are very different and focus on very different elements" and the differences could not be overcome during negotiations, he said. "We therefore see no benefit in entering into comprehensive agreement negotiations." The letter, sent to Bulc on January 13, took DG Move, the Commission's transport and mobility directorate-general, by surprise in regards to timing, content, and form, an official close to the talks told AIN. Al Mansoori had confirmed his government's readiness to negotiate in May last year and a delegation of DG Move representatives and EU stakeholders was scheduled to travel to the Gulf state for a first round of negotiations on January 23-24. Bulc confirmed that the EU side was ready to come to Abu Dhabi on these dates in a letter to Al Mansouri-who had offered to host the first round of talks-on December 4. EU member states authorized the European Commission to open talks for a CATA with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) states, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE in June 2016. A mandate for open-skies talks with Armenia followed in December 2017 and a mandate for EU-level talks with Oman was granted in May 2018. The proposed open skies with ASEAN is close to finalization. Also, talks with Qatar are progressing well, and negotiators are meeting for a fifth set of talks in Doha January 17- 18. The UAE was slow to accept the EU invitation, reflecting the difference in approach of the country's two main airlines, Emirates and Etihad. While the latter supported entering into EU-wide CATA talks, Emirates was more reluctant and argued that an EU- wide deal should go further than what exists today. The UAE has open-skies agreements with some 20 EU member countries. Some include fifth-freedom rights beyond Europe. Emirates, for instance, operates daily flights from Dubai to New York JFK with a stop in Milan Malpensa and to Newark with a stop in Athens. The UAE government has followed the position of Emirates, the Gulf state's largest airline, in its dealings with Europe, yet the request for immediate and unlimited fifth- freedom traffic rights beyond a 28-member state bloc seems contradictory to the agreement reached between the UAE and the U.S. in May last year. In a confidential side letter to the record of discussions, the UAE pledged there were no immediate plans to expand fifth-freedom routes by its airlines even though they have the right under the U.S.-UAE open skies to operate more fifth-freedom flights. U.S. majors, keen to protect the lucrative transatlantic market, and labor are irritated by Emirates's flights to the U.S. from Dubai via Milan Malpensa and Athens. The UAE's refusal to engage in EU-wide open skies talks marks a clear win for France and Germany. The countries, following on lobbying of their flag carriers Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, supported the Commission's requested CATA mandate only after obtaining guarantees that Brussels would move forward with new and stricter legislation against unfair competition of non-EU third countries or their entities. While there will be no open skies on EU level, thus keeping an air services agreement under national control of member states, the new fair competition rules-better known as the revised 868-will come into force soon. It will give the European Commission more powers to act on complaints of member countries, airlines, and associations of alleged unfair practices by non-EU airlines. Lufthansa and Air France-KLM have always maintained that the three Gulf superconnectors-Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways-are heavily subsidized by their respective governments, charges that all three carriers deny. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-01-16/uae-rebuffs-open- skies-talks-eu Back to Top Etihad Airways flies first flight with sustainable aviation fuel Approximately 160,000 passenger flights have flown on a blend of sustainable and traditional jet fuel since the first biofuels were certified for commercial use in 2011. (Supplied) Etihad Airways has completed the world's first commercial flight using locally produced sustainable fuel that is derived from plants grown in saltwater. Khalifa University, Etihad Airways, Boeing, Adnoc, Safran, GE, and Bauer Resources worked together to develop a comprehensive sustainable aviation fuel value chain. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam, on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 powered by GE's GEnx-1B engines, marked a major milestone in the development of a clean, alternative aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions. The initiative also addresses food security in the UAE through the farming of seafood as a core element in the process. Sustainable fuel for the flight was derived from oil in Salicornia plants, which were grown on the two-hectare Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) farm in Masdar City. The SEAS is the world's first desert ecosystem designed to produce fuel and food in saltwater. Fish and shrimp raised at the facility provide nutrients for the plants as well as contribute to the UAE's food production. Using sustainable feedstock to produce the fuel significantly reduces life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions compared to fossil fuel. The biofuel is blended directly with jet fuel and does not require any modifications to aircraft, engines or airport fuelling delivery systems. The unique initiative also bolsters the oil and gas industry by using existing refining infrastructure, with the potential to become an important new option for sustainable aviation fuel in the future. "The UAE's visionary leadership is strongly committed to positioning the country as a global hub for innovation and sustainability. In this context, productive cross- disciplinary public-private partnerships are crucial to fuelling research and development efforts and creating game-changing innovations that enable a more sustainable future," said Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment. "Deep decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries has a ripple effect on food security and climate action. Clean, alternative aviation fuels are an innovative and sustainable solution to significantly reducing harmful carbon emissions. The UAE is proud to be a pioneer in this domain," he said. Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer at Etihad Aviation Group, said: "This is a significant milestone for the UAE and its key industries. Etihad is fully committed to this project which demonstrates a successful proof of concept that is local, viable, cost- effective and sustainable. Decarbonisation is important across the aviation industry and, together with our partners, Etihad is proud to be at the forefront of this pioneering new research." Approximately 160,000 passenger flights have flown on a blend of sustainable and traditional jet fuel since the first biofuels were certified for commercial use in 2011. Sustainable aviation fuel represents a significant opportunity to help aviation meet its goals to cap the growth of carbon emissions by 2020 and cut levels to half of what they were in 2005 by 2050. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/etihad-airways-flies-first-flight-with-sustainable- aviation-fuel Back to Top 'Culture of safety' yields award for GE Aviation VICTORVILLE - GE Aviation's Flight Test Operation facility was on full display Wednesday as the state recognized the Southern California Logistics Airport-based company for its safety and health programs. GE Aviation was presented with the Cal/OSHA California Voluntary Protection Program STAR Award during a luncheon, making it the eighth recertification for the company that moved to SCLA in Victorville in 1993. Victorville Mayor Gloria Garcia and Adelanto Mayor Gabriel Reyes attended the event, along with community leaders and representatives from the offices of Congressman Paul Cook, State Sen. Scott Wilk and San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Robert Lovingood. "I owe our success here at GE to a culture of safety," said GE Support Operations Manager Trent Tanner, who accepted a certificate of recognition from Garcia. During the event, GE Aviation officials led visitors on a tour of the FTO's Propulsion Test Platform aircraft and facility, where they explained the elements behind testing and certifying aircraft engines, and how they are equipped with the latest technology. With the world's largest commercial engine, the GE9X, attached to the specially modified Boeing 747 test aircraft, GE officials showed off the interior of the $200 million plane filled mostly with computers that monitor every aspect of the engine and aircraft's operation. GE Site Leader Mike Huber told the group the company has collected many hours of inflight data over the years as they tested a variety of engines for various campaigns. Huber said two out of every three commercial aircraft departures are powered by GE engines, with GE having worked on over 36,000 commercial and countless military engines. "Five-hundred thousand people depend on our engines," said Huber. VPP Manager Iraj Pourmehraba and Consultant David Matsumoto shared VPP highlights including GE's 22 consecutive years as a VPP STAR recipient, the longest running VPP partnership in the state. "This award means GE has achieved world-class certification," said Pourmehraba, about the company that experienced 59 percent fewer injuries than similar facilities since GE moved to Victorville. "Maintaining the award takes a team effort so it's a never-ending journey." The STAR certification is valid for the next three years, said Pourmehraba Some important benefits of the Star program include: Improved employee morale and motivation. Improved labor-management relations. A reduction in overall injuries and illnesses, Higher product quality and work productivity Lower workers compensation and insurance Comprehensive evaluations conducted by teams Establishment of a a government-industry relationship Community recognition and esteemed public image Exemption from routine compliance programmed insurance "As a neighboring city, I think it's amazing to say that GE Aviation picked the Victor Valley for its testing facility," Reyes told the Daily Press. "They do tremendous work and we're honored to support them, whether it be our labor pool or just our residents in general." https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20190116/culture-of-safety-yields-award-for-ge- aviation Back to Top Alaska Airlines Is Hiring 3,000 People - and You Can Apply Without Airline Experience Now's your time to take to the skies. Alaska Airlines will hire 3,000 people this year, the Seattle-based airline said in a blog post on Monday. Approximately three-quarters of the new jobs will be based in Washington state. Shortly after hiring its 10,000th employee in Washington, Alaska plans to rapidly expand its frontline positions. For those looking to apply, the new openings will include positions as maintenance technicians, airport operations, customer service representatives, cargo specialists, flight attendants and pilots. Future employees will be hired by both Alaska and Horizon airlines. The positions will be listed online and, for many, no previous airline experience is necessary. "An airline needs great planes, but also great people. We're thankful for the community here in our home state that is producing diverse talent and strong local partnerships," Andy Schneider, Alaska Airlines vice president of people, said in the blog post. "Together, we're building long-term, sustainable growth across Washington and, most importantly, giving the next generation a chance to succeed." The airline now contributes more than $7 billion to the economy of Washington state. Over the past four years, the airline says its employment at the Seattle Tacoma airport grew 35 percent, or about six percent per year. Much of the airline's rapid growth can be attributed to its merger with Virgin America last year. Last year, the airline had a nationwide employment of about 21,300 people. https://www.travelandleisure.com/jobs/alaska-airlines-hiring Back to Top New satellite network will make it impossible for a commercial airplane to vanish For the first time, a new network of satellites will soon be able to track all commercial airplanes in real time, anywhere on the planet. Currently, planes are largely tracked by radar on the ground, which doesn't work over much of the world's oceans. The final 10 satellites were launched Friday to wrap up the $3 billion effort to replace 66 aging communication satellites, reports CBS News' Kris Van Cleave, who got an early look at the new technology. On any given day, 43,000 planes are in the sky in America alone. When these planes take off, they are tracked by radar and are equipped with a GPS transponder. All commercial flights operating in the U.S. and Europe have to have them by 2020. It's that transponder that talks to these new satellites, making it possible to know exactly where more than 10,000 flights currently flying are. Tucked inside the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that was blasted into space on Friday are 10 advanced Iridium Communications satellites, each the size of a Mini Cooper. Once active, they'll power satellite phone communications, space-based broadband and carry a device which will solve an issue that's plagued aviation for decades. "Seventy percent of the world's airspace has no surveillance. Aircraft fly over the oceans and report back their positions to air traffic control every 10 to 15 minutes at best and in between those periods, no one knows where they are," said Aireon CEO Don Thoma. Aireon, based in McLean, Virginia, was developing the technology to change that even before Mayalasia Airlines flight MH370 vanished over the Indian Ocean in March 2014. But a Boeing 777 with 239 aboard disappearing was a wake-up call, prompting years of safety experts demanding change. "I can find my kids by pinging their iPhone. We shouldn't have aircraft that disappear anywhere in the world today," former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Debbie Herman said back in 2016. To make that happen, the Aireon technology is hitching a ride to space as part of the largest technology swap the universe has ever seen. Iridium is replacing its existing constellation of 66 satellites and 9 spares orbiting the earth built and launched in the mid-90s. Walt Everetts help designed the first generation of Iridium satellites, naming two of them after his sons Nicholas and Andrew. He'll be in the company's command center outside Washington, D.C. as his team maneuvers the new satellites into place, simultaneously powering on the new and devastating old. The legacy satellites will then be moved out of orbit where they'll burn up in the earth's atmosphere. "It's kind of like changing a tire on a bus going 17,000 miles per hour," said Walt Everetts, vice president of satellite operations for Iridium. "With these new satellites that we're putting up, we have more capacity, more processing capability, more memory ... so we are taking an old flip phone and upgrading it into a smartphone." While not fully complete, the updated network circling the globe 485 miles overhead is already tracking planes. Aireon was able to instantly confirm the last known location of Lion Air Flight 610, the Boeing 737 Max that crashed in the Java Sea last October. "With the Iridium-Aireon system, every airplane is in reach of an air traffic controller ... so no matter what happened to that airplane we would know within seconds of where that airplane was," Iridium CEO Matt Desch said. The technology may also make it possible for air traffic controllers to allow more flights to be in the air at the same time on busy routes over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It could also allow for more direct flight paths, which means more flights, the potential for fewer delays, and shorter flights to places like Europe. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iridium-satellite-network-will-make-it-impossible-for- an-airplane-to-go-missing/ Back to Top Iridium's 'truly global' satellite internet connects aircraft and ships Certus could ensure people are always online, though it's not very fast. Wondering what Iridium would be doing with those Next satellites that SpaceX just finished launching? You now have an idea. Iridium has formally debuted Certus, a "truly global" satellite broadband service that promises to keep aircraft, ships and other vehicles (including self-driving vehicles) connected even in the remotest places. It's far from fast at 352Kbps for both downloads and uploads, but that's enough to keep crews online and provide reasonably high-quality voice services. The initial focus is on land and sea services, with aviation coming later in 2019 after Iridium receives the certification it needs to go ahead. Partners like Gogo and Thales are already waiting in the wings. Speeds, meanwhile, won't be quite so pokey in the future. Iridium plans to bump up users to 352Kbps/704Kbps service through a firmware update when it's available. You aren't going to subscribe to Certus yourself, as it's meant more for companies and governments. However, Iridium said it's the "first new capability" from the Iridium Next program. As it is, you could still notice the difference. This might provide basic in-cabin internet access in situations where it was never an option, and could enable autonomous ships or other transportation that doesn't strictly need a crew. There are even plans for smaller receivers that could provide always-on data to drones and tracking systems on endangered animals. https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/16/iridium-launches-certus-satellite-broadband/ Back to Top EZ-FLY: Researching Easier To Fly Aircraft In the airline and military realm, fly-by-wire control has become old hat but because of expense and certification complexity, the technology hasn't trickled down to light aircraft general aviation. Some in the industry, however, believe that digital control architecture and the enhanced stability it can offer might make airplanes easier to fly and would thus kick the door open to higher aircraft demand. A company called Flight Level Engineering is just completing a project for the FAA that could lay the foundation for certification of such systems, for which there may be no significant manufacturing barriers. The project, called EZ-FLY, was briefed late last year at a conference on the General Aviation Manufacturers Association Simplified Vehicle Operations initiative. It was held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. The research project used a specially modified Navion equipped with hydraulic and electric servos that was originally built as a variable-stability platform to train test pilots. Researcher Borja Martos says that it made a perfect vehicle for exploring both how such systems might be certified but, more important, how human pilots might interact with them. Martos and fellow researcher Noel Duerkson said the SVO concept hasn't been precisely defined by either the industry or the FAA, but it's clear that with new urban mobility concepts materializing every week, cutting-edge aircraft design is moving toward stabilized or highly augmented autoflight. Although Flight Level's research used digital architecture to overlay the Navion's mechanical control circuitry, a larger goal of the project was to learn how untrained human pilots would react to a simplified control system that would, theoretically, allow a pilot to fly with a fraction of the training now required. The overarching goal is to increase access to general aviation, with a side benefit of reducing loss- of-control accidents. Martos said the company's research on how humans interact with such a machine was eye opening. "We found it was a much more integrated problem than we thought," he said. The idea was to put a zero-time test subject in the cockpit, provide minimum familiarization and record the results. Various displays and control inputs were tried. "Figuring out what works for the display was completely backward from what we thought it would be," Martos said. Curiously, the concept isn't entirely new and dates from NASA's Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiment (AGATE) program two decades ago, which Duerkson worked on. The EZ-FLY concept existed then and required a baggage compartment full of processing horsepower to function. Now, says Duerkson, the same thing can be done in a box the size of a typical GA autopilot, making such a system both realistic to certify and manufacture. Projects like EZ-FLY will lay the foundation for paths to certification. While the Navion provided a practical aircraft for testing, the overall concept is platform agnostic and could be applied to multi-rotor aircraft as well. Duerkson says the EZ-FLY project is one step on the road to certifiable autonomous flight. "We think we have to do this in steps. The FAA expects that and we think the general public expects it," Duerkson says. The impact on aircraft cost could be significant, eventually. Theoretically, aircraft that are easier to fly would attract more buyers and volume manufacturing would drive down prices. AGATE's research, says Duerkson, suggested that a tenfold volume increase would reduce costs by half. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/EZ-FLY-Researching-Easier-to-Fly-Aircraft- 232129-1.html Back to Top Airbus spends $300 million on new Alabama plant for A220 jet FILE PHOTO: Airbus members celebrate the landing of an Airbus A220-300 aircraft during its presentation in Colomiers near ToulouseView photos MOBILE, Ala. (Reuters) - Airbus SE expanded its industrial presence in the United States on Wednesday, starting construction on a new assembly plant for the Canadian developed A220 jetliner, 18 months after agreeing to buy the plane in the midst of a U.S.-Ottawa trade dispute. The European planemaker said it would invest $300 million and create 400 jobs in the plant, to be built in the port of Mobile alongside an existing assembly line for its best- selling A320 passenger jet, which already employs 700 people. Alabama and the city of Mobile would provide a total of some $26 million in state and municipal incentives to support the development, officials said. Speaking to an audience of Alabama politicians and aerospace workers, Chief Executive Tom Enders hailed a "day of pride" for Airbus at a ceremony peppered with patriotic U.S. references and highlighting other investments in helicopters and satellites. There has been an increase in aerospace investment in the southeastern United States, where U.S. rival Boeing Co has a plant assembling long-haul 787 Dreamliners in South Carolina. Airbus plans to use the Mobile site to assemble the 110-130-seat A220 for U.S. airlines, which have ordered 250 of the planes including 135 since Airbus took control last July. The decision to produce some A220's in the United States was initially seen as a trade boost for Canada after Boeing accused its developer Bombardier Inc of dumping the foreign-made jet at low-ball prices to win a deal with Delta Air Lines Inc. Although Boeing ultimately lost its trade case, Airbus said it still made sense to serve U.S. demand from the Alabama site. "The United States is one of the largest markets for us and this is our largest industrial base in the U.S. We have the skills and employees and it is the logical thing to do," Airbus Americas CEO Jeff Knittel said. Airbus plans to build 4 A220s a month in Alabama with the first jet to be delivered in 2020. The Montreal base for the aircraft is running at some 2.75 A220 jets a month with plans to raise capacity to 10 a month by the mid-2020s. The Alabama production line for the larger A320, which opened in 2015, produces 4.5 aircraft a month and this could rise to five a month by the end of the year, Knittel said. Airbus first studied using the Mobile site for a proposed tanker for the U.S. Air Force, sweetening the bid with an offer to build commercial freighters. Airbus lost out to Boeing in 2011 after a long and politically charged contest. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/airbus-spends-300-million-alabama-plant-a220-jet- 161445368.html Back to Top posted on January 16, 2019 08:00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces new Standardization Board Members Five industry leading professionals accept leadership roles in fast growing organization! Greg Burris, Masco Corporation Flight Operations, Inc., Mark Chaffinch, Norfolk Southern Corporation, and Aaron Hempel, Koch Industries, Inc. were named to the BASC Standardization Board. Sean Cannon, Richardson Aviation, and Mary Poirier, Jackson National Life Insurance Company, were named as Supernumeraries. The additions of two board member positions to the previous five were needed due to the explosive growth of BASC. Additionally, the role previously held by Robin Bray of SJ Management needed to be filled. Robin initiated and incubated the BASC ID Badge program, that has ultimately been accepted worldwide. This program is one of the many noteworthy accomplishments of the organization. Rick Malczynski, Founder and President of BASC, stated, "We are thankful for Robin's service and excited for the new additions to the Standardization Team. We have all heard the saying, "if you need to get something done, find a busy person." Each Standardization Board Member fits that definition. Each one is an established professional in the industry that is currently operating at the pointy tip of the spear. Our policy of a Standardization Board that is comprised of operators, vice appointed vendors, consultants, and dignitaries, has been a home run. Our Stan Board is out there doing it day and night, they know what works and what doesn't, can articulate why, and most importantly, recommend and take action. Amazing team, amazing accomplishments, amazing future! ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com Back to Top Air Safety Investigation Professional Education Course TU Delft University Are you interested in understanding the process behind an air safety investigation? Join TU Delft's professional education course and learn more about the challenges faced during an investigation. With a focus on the legal framework behind air safety investigations world-wide and the generic procedures followed during aviation occurrence, this course is intended for both technical and non-technical professionals. With the Air Safety Investigation course, you will have the opportunity to experience the accident investigation process and throughout a variety of learning activities you will be able to enhance your observation skills, fact-finding skills and analytical skills. This 6- week online course will start on February 11th, register now and join us! For a quick look inside the course, you can watch our course sample video or visit our website for more information. Back to Top Back to Top 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 Curt Lewis