Flight Safety Information March 27, 2019 - No. 064 In This Issue U.S. to overhaul air safety oversight in response to two Boeing 737 MAX crashes China Suspends Airworthiness Certificate for Boeing 737 Max Incident: Emirates A388 at Munich on Mar 25th 2019, multiple lightning strikes Incident: Taban MD88 near Bandar Abbas on Mar 26th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: Fedex A306 at Norfolk on Mar 25th 2019, avionics smoke indication Incident: Southwest B38M at Orlando on Mar 26th 2019, engine shut down in flight Airbus A320 - Ground Fire - (Brazil) ATSB issues report on in-flight upset involving Boeing 747-400 The future of aviation? Even more automation Ethiopian Airlines is doubling down on its Africa expansion plans, despite the Boeing crisis Harbour Air to switch to battery-powered aircraft Wanna be the next Chuck Yeager? Here's the deadline for applying to test pilot school India shoots down own satellite; PM hails India's arrival as 'space power' CHC Safety and Quality summit offers grant opportunities for aviation students Certificate Courses in Slovenia from SCSI Workshops Across Canada! There's Still Room! U.S. to overhaul air safety oversight in response to two Boeing 737 MAX crashes An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington, U.S. March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) - The U.S. aviation regulator will significantly change its oversight approach to air safety by July following two fatal Boeing Co MAX 737 passenger plane crashes, according to written congressional testimony seen by Reuters. At a U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acting head Dan Elwell will say the agency's oversight approach must "evolve" after the deadly crashes, according to the testimony. While specific details on oversight changes were not clear, lawmakers are expected to question Elwell on how the regulator intends to change the process by which a manufacturer such as Boeing can to a large extent certify their own planes and flight software systems. Anti-stall software on the Boeing 737 MAX plane is among the leading areas of focus for investigations into the two crashes. Investigators have pointed to "clear similarities" between the crashes, putting pressure on Boeing and U.S. regulators to come up with an adequate fix. The aviation industry has been thrown into flux by a Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October that killed 189 people and an Ethiopian Airlines disaster on March 10 that killed 157, both involving Boeing's 737 MAX single-aisle plane. A spokesman for Ethiopia's transport ministry, which is leading an investigation in Addis Ababa, said the preliminary crash report would very likely be released this week. Boeing's fastest-selling 737 MAX jet, with orders worth more than $500 billion at list prices, has been grounded globally by the FAA, although airlines are still allowed to fly them without passengers to move planes to other airports. One such passenger-less Southwest Airlines Co Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft landed safely on Tuesday after declaring an emergency over an engine-related problem leaving Orlando, Florida, the FAA said. The issue was not related to a computer system on the 737 MAX, Southwest said. Elwell's testimony discloses that Boeing first submitted a proposed upgrade to its anti- stall software - the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, known as MCAS - to the FAA for certification on Jan. 21. Boeing confirmed that in a statement on Tuesday, saying verification and certification flights took place on Feb. 7 and March 12, which is within the typical testing time period. The documentation to show FAA compliance was expected at the end of the week, Boeing said. PILOTS WELCOME CHANGE The Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, said it welcomed steps toward increased safety. "We're also very interested in any changes to the FAA's structure and certification process that would ensure that never again would a critical system like MCAS not be transparent to pilots," the association said in a statement, highlighting some pilots' concerns that they had been unaware of the existence of MCAS on MAX aircraft they were flying. Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg visited Boeing's Seattle-area facilities on Tuesday and attended at least one all-hands meeting with engineers, two people familiar with the matter said. Boeing is this week briefing airlines on software and training updates for the MAX, with more than 200 airline pilots, technical experts and regulators from around the world due to come to the Renton, Washington, facility where the 737 is assembled. As well as FAA approval, any MAX software fixes will need a green light from governments around the world, a process that could take months. Boeing's software fix for the 737 MAX will prevent repeated operation of the anti-stall system and deactivate it altogether if two sensors disagree widely, two people familiar with pilot briefings told Reuters on Monday. Upgrading an individual 737 MAX with Boeing's new software only takes about an hour per plane, though the overall process could stretch on far longer as it is rolled out across the global fleet because of stringent testing and documentation requirements by engineers and regulators, according to a senior FAA official with knowledge of the process. Boeing shares closed down slightly on Tuesday. They have lost about 12 percent and $29 billion in market value since the crash in Ethiopia. Representative Peter DeFazio, who chairs the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to the FAA, asking it to hold an independent, third-party review of Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX before it is returned to service. The FAA's review "must be thorough, deliberative and cannot be rushed," he and Representative Rick Larsen wrote. The third party should include experts "to objectively advise" on the certification of "new and novel technology." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/ethiopian-crash-report-likely-released-week- boeing-briefs-081554425--finance.html Back to Top China Suspends Airworthiness Certificate for Boeing 737 Max * Move comes after Asian nation awards Airbus $35 billion order * U.S. planemaker has also become 'pawn' in simmering trade war China's aviation regulator has suspended its own airworthiness certificate for the Max. Emma O'Brien reports. China suspended a certificate of airworthiness for Boeing Co.'s 737 Max jet, saying it needs to review a proposed modification before determining whether the plane is safe to fly after two recent crashes. The move raises the possibility of the Max being kept out of China's skies should authorities there deem Boeing's fix for plane-control software linked to the disasters inadequate. Chinese authorities grounded the country's fleet of Max planes on March 11, a day after an Ethiopian Airlines flight plunged to the ground. The latest decision was taken in light of the uncertainty surrounding the model and an anti-stall system that's the focus of a probe into the loss of the Ethiopian Airlines plane, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. It will be reviewed once Boeing has detailed the changes, the body said. The potential blow to Boeing comes a day after China awarded a $35 billion order to Airbus SE that consisted mostly of A320-series planes, the 737's biggest global rival. The Asian nation was one of the first to ground the American narrow-body after the Ethiopian crash showed parallels to one involving a Lion Air Max in October, while Boeing has also become embroiled in a simmering trade spat. "I suspect this has everything to do with the broader China-U.S. climate," said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at Teal Group. "Boeing is on the front line in this confrontation. The Max looks like merely a pawn." Boeing Crash Isolates FAA as China Leads Push Against Max It wasn't immediately clear how long the process will take for the Max to regain its certification, but some suggested it could take a long time. "Recertification means the whole vetting process will begin all over again," said Zhang Qihuai, a partner at Lanpeng Law Firm and a former China Air Force lawyer. "For mature plane types, it will take a few days. But for a new plane type, it will take as long as needed. The 737 Max is a new jet." In addition to China, officials in Canada and the European Union have signaled that they intend to independently review changes to the Boeing planes before restoring flights. Airbus Deal Addressing the decision to buy planes from Airbus, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China and France have consistently cooperated in the aerospace industry to each other's benefit. "China's market has provided conditions facilitating the growth of the Airbus company," Geng said at a briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. "China will stay in cooperation with relevant parties concerning the aerospace industry." In the U.S., the Transportation Department is creating a commission to review aircraft certification, including an evaluation of how the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration oversees the process. While Boeing is working with airlines and regulators this week to prepare an update for the suspect software, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, it faces increased scrutiny and possible criminal action as the Justice Department begins a probe. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-26/china-suspends-airworthiness- certificate-for-boeing-737-max-jet Back to Top Incident: Emirates A388 at Munich on Mar 25th 2019, multiple lightning strikes An Emirates Airbus A380-800, registration A6-EOK performing flight EK-51 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Munich (Germany), was on approach to Munich when the aircraft received a number of lightning strikes. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 26L. The aircraft was unable to depart for the return flight and is still on the ground in Munich about 29 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c5e3fe5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Taban MD88 near Bandar Abbas on Mar 26th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Taban Air McDonnell Douglas MD-88, registration EP-TBF performing flight HH-6211 from Isfahan to Qeshm (Iran) with 152 people on board, was descending towards Qeshm when the left hand engine (JT8D) failed prompting the crew to divert to Bandar Abbas for a safe landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c5e3e25&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Fedex A306 at Norfolk on Mar 25th 2019, avionics smoke indication A Fedex Federal Express Airbus A300-600, registration N744FD performing freight flight FX-1338 from Norfolk,VA to Memphis,TN (USA), was climbing out of Norfolk when the crew stopped the climb at about FL200 reporting they had received an avionics smoke indication. The aircraft returned to Norfolk for a safe landing on runway 05 about 22 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4.5 hours, then departed again and reached Memphis with a delay of about 4.5 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/FDX1338/history/20190326/0145Z/KORF/KMEM http://avherald.com/h?article=4c5e3b3e&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Southwest B38M at Orlando on Mar 26th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration N8712L performing positioning flight WN-8701 from Orlando,FL to Victorville,CA (USA) with 2 crew on board, was in the initial climb out of Orlando's runway 36R when the crew reported they had just lost their right hand engine (LEAP), stopped the climb at 2000 feet and returned to Orlando for a safe landing on runway 36L about 11 minutes after departure. The aircraft taxied to the apron. The aircraft was scheduled to fly to Victorville for storage until the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft would be permitted to carry passengers again. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA8701/history/20190326/1630Z/KMCO/KVCV http://avherald.com/h?article=4c5e38ab&opt=0 Back to Top Airbus A320 - Ground Fire - (Brazil) Date: 26-MAR-2019 Time: 13:00 Type: Airbus A320-232 Owner/operator: LATAM Brasil Registration: PR-MBA C/n / msn: 2734 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Belo Horizonte-Tancredo Neves International Airport, MG (CNF/SBCF) - Brazil Phase: Standing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, SP (GRU/SBGR) Destination airport: Belo Horizonte-Tancredo Neves International Airport, MG (CNF/SBCF) Narrative: A belt loader caught fire while being used to offload baggage from LATAM Brasil flight LA3664 at Belo Horizonte, Brazil. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=223534 Back to Top ATSB issues report on in-flight upset involving Boeing 747-400 27 March 2019 Following an ATSB investigation into an in-flight upset involving a Boeing 747-438 near Hong Kong in 2017, Qantas has incorporated more complex stall warning recovery events in recurrent lesson plans for its Boeing 747 flight crews. The incident occurred in April 2017. While descending toward Hong Kong, air traffic control instructed the flight crew to hold at a waypoint. When entering the holding pattern, the aircraft's aerodynamic stall warning stick shaker activated a number of times and the aircraft experienced multiple oscillations of pitch angle and vertical acceleration. During the upset, some passengers and cabin crewmembers struck the cabin ceiling and furnishings, sustaining minor injuries. The ATSB found that while planning for the descent, the flight crew overwrote the flight management computer-provided hold speed. After receiving a higher than expected hold level, the flight crew did not identify the need to re-evaluate the hold speed. This was likely because they were not aware of a need to do so, nor were they aware that there was a higher hold speed requirement above flight level 200. Prior to entering the hold, the speed reduced below both the selected and minimum manoeuvring speeds. The crew did not identify the low speed as their focus was on other operational matters. The ATSB also found that due to a desire to remain within the holding pattern, and a concern regarding the pitch-up moment of a large engine power increase, the pilot flying attempted to arrest the rate of descent prior to completing the approach to stall actions. In addition, the pilot monitoring did not identify and call out the incomplete actions. This led to further stall warning stick shaker activations and pilot induced oscillations, which resulted in minor injuries to four cabin crewmembers and two passengers. The ATSB found the flight crew had limited training and guidance for stall warning recovery techniques at high altitude or with engine power above idle. Inconsistencies were also found in flight crew training of the awareness of the need to re-evaluate holding speed when there are changes in altitude, especially above flight level 200. Subsequent to the incident, Qantas provided retraining for all Boeing 747 flight crews in stall warning recovery scenarios and amended ground school lesson plans to ensure flight crews were adequately prepared to recover from stall warning activations at high altitudes or with engine power above idle. Qantas also amended flight crew training manuals relating to hold speed selection and updated ground school lesson plans and information to ensure standardised training and holding pattern training. In addition, Qantas proactively applied these measures across its Boeing 737 and 787 fleets. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2019/03/27/atsb-issues-report-on-in-flight-upset- involving-boeing-747-400/ Back to Top The future of aviation? Even more automation Most consumers don't know how much of aviation is already automated. And researchers expect fully autonomous flights to become commonplace in the next few decades. BY STEPHEN RICE AND SCOTT WINTER In the wake of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes of Boeing 737 Max planes, people are thinking about how much of their air travel is handled by software and automated systems-as opposed to the friendly pilots sitting in the cockpit. Older commercial airliners, such as the Beechcraft 1900, which are still in service mostly as small commuter aircraft, often do not have any autopilot installed. By contrast, modern commercial airliners have automated systems that can augment or even replace pilots' performance, managing engine power, controlling and navigating the aircraft, and in some cases even completing landings. Investigations are probing the possible role of automated systems in the 2018 Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia and the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash in March 2019. Regardless of those findings, the public may not know how much automation already is part of flying today-nor how much more automated commercial flight will become in the years ahead. Our research has examined consumers' willingness to interact with automated systems on all types of vehicles, including aircraft. Most recently, we have begun looking into people's interest in what is being called "urban air mobility." This concept involves a system of small two- to four-passenger fully autonomous air taxis that could carry passengers on short trips throughout cities without a human pilot on board. SIDE EFFECTS OF HIGHLY AUTOMATED SYSTEMS One problem that arises in planes that have highly automated systems is that the pilots can lose track of what's actually happening. This is presumably what happened in 2009 when Air France Flight 447 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Airspeed sensors failed, causing the autopilot to turn itself off, but the pilots weren't able to figure out what was happening or how to recover. Some experts also believe that a pilot's lack of awareness was a factor in the 2009 crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 outside Buffalo, New York. While approaching the landing, pilots may have missed the fact that the plane was slowing down too much, and again didn't realize what was happening until it was too late. Pilots who spend a lot of time in the cockpits of planes with highly automated systems may also lose some sharpness at flying planes on their own. The average pilot of a Boeing or Airbus commercial plane manually flies the plane for between three and six minutes of the whole flight-mostly around takeoff, the initial climb to about 1,500 feet, and then landing. INDUSTRY SUPPORTS AUTOMATION Airlines and manufacturers say they would save money and alleviate the current shortage of qualified pilots if they could reduce-or even eliminate-the number of pilots in the cockpit. Redesigning the front of the aircraft to be more aerodynamic could save even more money, if it didn't need room for pilots, or could move them to another part of the aircraft. Several companies are developing fully autonomous aircraft, including Amazon and UPS, which want to use them for deliveries. Boeing and Airbus are designing self-flying air taxis, which would be used for flights of about 30 minutes and carry between two and four passengers, and have tested prototypes. A company called Volocopter has been testing autonomous air taxis in Germany since 2016 and plans to conduct test flights in downtown Singapore this year. Ridesharing giant Uber, helicopter maker Bell, and many other companies are also expressing interest in similar vehicles. CONSUMER WILLINGNESS TO FLY IN AUTONOMOUS AIRCRAFT No matter how far industry progress goes, the key to autonomous flight will be its customers. We have been among the scholars who have studied how willing people are to fly in self-piloting aircraft. Most of the results suggest that consumers don't know how much of aviation is already automated. Survey participants tend to think pilots fly manually much more than they actually do. In a study we conducted in 2014, people were much more willing to fly in planes with a human pilot in the cockpit-and quite unwilling to fly with either a human flying the plane remotely or aboard a fully autonomous plane. Of course, some consumers are willing to fly in fully autonomous aircraft. In a larger study in 2018, just under 30% of U.S. consumers indicated they would be willing to fly on an autonomous airliner. These are the early adopters, who tend to be people who are familiar with automation and view flying on an autonomous airliner as a fun activity. People who are happy about the prospect of increased automation also tend to be more willing to fly on smaller autonomous air taxis. However, most people are not ready to take fully autonomous commercial flights. Approximately 60% of passengers in our study said they were unwilling to fly on an autonomous commercial airliner. We believe that lack of knowledge about automation is one of the critical factors here, and that the public would feel better about automated flying if they knew more about the benefits of automation-such as extremely reliable automated warning systems to prevent mid-air collisions and crashes. WHAT THE FUTURE ENTAILS Automation is not going away. In fact, by all accounts, it is becoming more prevalent in the cockpit. We fully expect autonomous flights to become commonplace in the next few decades. Despite the notable crashes involving autopilots, the industry as a whole appears to believe that the automation of the future will be safe, or at least safer, for the flying public. Human error remains the most common cause of aircraft accidents, and people are prone to make the same mistakes again. They also may have trouble taking over from automation if the computers run into problems. Automated systems, however, can be reprogrammed not to make the same errors a second time. Large commercial airplanes will likely go pilotless later than smaller private aircraft, because of the amount of time and money required to produce them. But smaller air taxis simply are not economically viable if they require a human pilot on board. As aviation automation engineering and technology continues to advance toward full automation, companies and customers alike will need to evaluate the risks and benefits, financially, in terms of safety-and emotionally. Stephen Rice is associate professor of human factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Scott Winter is assistant professor of graduate studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. https://www.fastcompany.com/90324699/the-future-of-aviation-even-more-automation Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines is doubling down on its Africa expansion plans, despite the Boeing crisis Despite facing its biggest crisis in years, Ethiopian Airlines' chief executive says the company remains committed to its pan-African expansion plans including striking more partnerships across the continent. Tewolde GebreMariam said the airline remained bullish about forging into new markets and opening up to private investment. He said the carrier is in the process of acquiring airlines in Togo, Ghana, and Guinea, alongside already existing partner airlines in Chad, Malawi, and Mozambique. He spoke about the plans for privatization both to Quartz Africa and on a panel at the Africa CEO Forum in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. Ethiopian Airlines is being supported strongly by other African countries and businesses. The airline was given the "African Champion of the Year" award at the CEO Forum, which is attended by captains of African industry as well as political leaders and government officials. The judges gave the award based on Ethiopian's vision of better linking the continent, often seen as a challenging issue for trade and business by many African policymakers. "We promise to keep up the good work for the good of the African continent," Tewolde said in his acceptance speech. The state airline hopes to operationalize an airline in Zambia by July, Tewolde said, and will consider buying a stake in Eritrean Airlines "when it is ready." After 20 years, Africa's largest airline resumed flights to the Eritrean capital Asmara just last year, following a thaw in relations between the two countries. It also began flights to Somalia in October after a four-decade hiatus, following the outbreak of hostilities between the two nations in the 1970s. Just days after the crash, Ethiopian said it is finalizing preparations to launch a direct flight to Istanbul by early April. Tewolde also commented on plans to open up the state carrier for domestic and international investment. The move is part of reforms by prime minister Abiy Ahmed to loosen state monopoly on several economic sectors, including telecoms, aviation, and energy. The process was still in its early stages, Tewolde argued, but "When we open the airline for shares and privatization, it will be given priority to African countries." As Ethiopian has grown to be Africa's top airline in passenger numbers and destinations, Tewolde has previously argued the airline should be co-owned by African governments. At the panel on Monday (Mar. 25) in Kigali, he said African nations shouldn't all establish airlines but rather engage in partnerships and create centralized hubs like London's Heathrow or the Brussels airports to facilitate faster and easier travel. The African Union-led Single African Air Transport Market initiative could help facilitate this, he added, leading to a more integrated continent. "We need to get our house in order. We need collaboration to create companies that compete at a global scale," Tewolde noted. In many ways, Ethiopian Airlines isn't waiting for this dream to materialize; it's actively taking part in creating it. Besides helping ease visa processing to Ethiopia, it currently has code-sharing with 27 airlines worldwide, tripled the size of its hub in Addis Ababa, runs Africa's largest aviation academy, provides technical maintenance to carriers in Africa and the Middle East, and flies to more than 61 destinations in Africa alone. The comments from Tewolde come as the airline grapples with the deadliest incident in its history following the crash of a Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Boeing 737 Max 8 plane on Mar. 10 which killed all 157 people on board. The crash has put a strain on the airline's long-standing connection with Boeing, especially after similarities were noted with the October Lion Air crash in Indonesia. https://qz.com/africa/1580802/despite-boeing-737-crash-ethiopian-airlines-to-expand- in-africa/ Back to Top Harbour Air to switch to battery-powered aircraft Harbour Air Seaplanes has announced plans to transform into the world's first all- electric airline. The B.C.-based company announced a partnership with magniX that will make it the first seaplane airline to start making the conversion to all-electric planes. Dubbed the Harbour Air ePlane, a DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver will be the first to be converted. The aircraft will be powered by the magni500, a 750-horsepower all-electric motor. This engine would make the ePlane more powerful than the gas-powered de Havilland Beaver by 70 horsepower. The planes would be virtually silent except for propeller noise. "The reality is transportation is going electric, just because its practical. And it's becoming more practical all the time just based on the advancement of battery technology," Harbour Air CEO Greg McDougall said. "Short stage lengths and single-engine aircraft, which don't require as much energy to fly, so that puts us in a unique position that we can actually take advantage of the technology." The announcement is just the start of the process to converting the fleet. "Step one is to have a prototype flying, which will prove the technology and then go through the regulatory process of proving of the safety standard" McDougall said. Aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia of the U.S.-based Teal Group has doubts about the feasibility of completely battery-powered aircraft. "It's an aggressive timeframe, it's starting to be feasible for very small planes. When it comes to electric power sources it's really all about the range and the size of the plane," Aboulafia said. "Maybe you have a central turbine that charges (batteries) up and also distributes power directly to propellers or fans or whatever else, that is probably in the 2030s or 2040s but absolute battery-powered flight that's really a very long ways off if ever - aside from very small planes of course." Founded in 1982, Harbour Air began as a service for the forest industry with with two small seaplanes. The airline now has more than 40 aircraft that make up to 300 flights a day to 12 destinations. https://globalnews.ca/news/5099279/harbour-air-to-switch-to-battery-powered- aircraft/ Back to Top Wanna be the next Chuck Yeager? Here's the deadline for applying to test pilot school Brig. Gen. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, retired, prepares to board an F-15D Eagle from the 65th Aggressor Squadron Oct. 14, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The Air Force is accepting applications to attend Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California and follow in Yeager's footsteps for the next two months. (Master Sgt. Jason Edwards/Air Force) In Air Force lore, test pilots are in a class of their own. Aviators such as Chuck Yeager and Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper became legends as they pushed the boundaries of what was possible in the air. Both served as Air Force test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in the 1950s - at no small risk to themselves. Airmen who want to follow in their footsteps now have about two months to apply. The Air Force Personnel Center said in a Monday release that airmen and civilians who want to apply for the 2019 Test Pilot School selection board must submit their application packages by May 29. That board will convene at AFPC, which is located at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph in Texas, from July 29 to Aug. 2. The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School patch. (Air Force) The board will consider total force officers to become test pilots, test combat systems officers, or to test remotely piloted aircraft, as well as flight test engineers. Current Air Force civilians can also apply to be flight test engineers. Applicants must have strong academic and technical expertise. Test pilot school, which is located at Edwards, trains pilots, combat systems officers and flight engineers to develop, test and evaluate cutting-edge aircraft and weapons systems, the release said. Graduates from the school will earn a master of science in flight test engineering through Air University. The course is broken into four branches: performance, flying qualities, systems and test management. The Air Force has expanded the list of eligible Air Force specialty codes to enter the experimental flight test engineer course, to add 17D cyberspace operations officer and 13S space operations officer career fields, as part of its effort to support multi-domain operations. Officers from those AFSCs are "highly encouraged" to apply for test pilot school, the release said. "Test pilot school ensures Air Force mission dominance by training officers and civilians to lead and conduct full-spectrum testing and evaluation of aerospace weapons systems," Maj. James McDonald, assignments officer for AFPC, said in the release. The application process for civilians who want to become flight test engineers is similar to how the military handles applications for test pilot positions. The civilians compete directly for flight engineer slots, and the selection board "racks and stacks" them similarly to military applications. An Air Force civilian who is selected for TPS must sign a mobility agreement, or agree to move where the Air Force assigns the civilian, and a five-year continued service agreement. The Air Force said applicants should fill out forms on the official TPS webpage, which can be found here, here, and here. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/03/25/wanna-be-the-next- chuck-yeager-heres-the-deadline-for-applying-to-test-pilot-school/ Back to Top India shoots down own satellite; PM hails India's arrival as 'space power' NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti- satellite missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing the country's first test of such technology as a major breakthrough that establishes it as a space power. India would only be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, Modi said in a television address to the nation. Such capabilities have raised fears of the weaponization of space and setting off a race between rivals. China's foreign ministry said it hoped all countries "can earnestly protect lasting peace and tranquility in space". The United States and Russia both declined to make any immediate comment. No comment was immediately available from old rival Pakistan. Anti satellite weapon allows for attacks on enemy satellites - blinding them or disrupting communications - as well as providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles. "Our scientists, shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space, in low-earth orbit," Modi said in his address. "India has made an unprecedented achievement today," he said, speaking in Hindi. "India registered its name as a space power." Modi faces a general election next month. He went on Twitter earlier to announce his plan for a national broadcast, saying he had an important announcement to make. India has had a space program for years, making earth imaging satellites and launch capabilities as a cheaper alternative to Western programs. It successfully sent a low-cost probe to Mars in 2014 and plans its first manned space mission by 2022. The latest test, conducted from an island off India's east coast, was aimed at protecting Indian assets in space against foreign attacks, the government said. "The capability achieved through the anti-satellite missile test provides credible deterrence against threats to our growing space-based assets from long range missiles, and proliferation in the types and numbers of missiles," the foreign ministry said in the statement. The test lasted three minutes and was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure there was no debris in space and that whatever was left would "decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks", the ministry said. Brahma Chellaney, a security expert at New Delhi's Centre of Policy Research, said the United States, Russia and China were pursuing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. "Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful 'kill' with an ASAT weapon is significant." China destroyed a satellite in 2007, creating the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with more than 3,000 objects, according to the Secure World Foundation. Ajay Lele, a senior fellow at the government-funded Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, said India was spurred to develop its anti-satellite capability by China's test. Indian defense scientists had sought political approval for live tests but successive governments had baulked, fearing international condemnation, an Indian defense official said. A spokeswoman for the U.S. mission in Geneva, which handles disarmament issues, had no immediate comment. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, redirecting questions to the Defence Ministry. US AN EARLY PIONEER The United States performed the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new. Bold Orion, a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile repurposed to attack satellites, was launched from a bomber and passed close enough to the Explorer 6 satellite that it would have been destroyed if the nuclear warhead had been live. The Soviet Union performed similar tests. In the 1960s and early 1970s, it tested a weapon that would be launched into orbit, approach enemy satellites and destroy them with an explosive charge, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. In 1985, the United States tested the ASM-135, launched from an F-15 fighter, destroying an American satellite called Solwind P78-1. There were no tests for more than 20 years, until 2007, when China entered the anti- satellite arena. The next year, the United States carried out Operation Burnt Frost, using a ship- launched SM-3 missile to destroy a defunct spy satellite. But Modi, who heads a Hindu nationalist-led government, has taken a strong position on national security, launching air strikes last month on a suspected militant camp in Pakistan that led to retaliatory raids by Pakistan in a dramatic ratcheting up of tension between the nuclear-armed rivals. Modi faces criticism for failing to deliver on high economic growth and create jobs, but a hawkish position on security should help him at the ballot box. The leader of the main opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, congratulated the defense scientists for the program but took a dig at Modi for making a big show of the announcement on a day that celebrates theatrics. "I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day," Gandhi said. The leader of another opposition group said it would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against Modi for trying to reap political capital from the space program. India's staggered general election starts on April 11. A concern for India is that China could help its old ally Pakistan neutralize any advantage that India gains. "I don't think Pakistan has acquired that level of accomplishment yet by itself, but Pakistan is no longer seen alone," said Uday Bhaskar, director of Society for Policy Studies, another Delhi think-tank. "Pakistan and China have a very deep strategic kind of partnership. So some kind of sharing of capabilities can't be ignored." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-satellite/modi-says-india-tests-anti-satellite- weapon-in-major-breakthrough-idUSKCN1R80IA Back to Top CHC Safety and Quality summit offers grant opportunities for aviation students CHC Helicopter and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, announced the opportunity for aviation students to apply for two grants to attend the 2019 CHC Safety and Quality summit in Dallas this October. This partnership will support full-time students with fully funded travel and entrance to both the renowned industry safety event and one of the leading Human Factors training courses in aviation. The Peter Gardiner grant, named after the late Dr. Peter Gardiner - a major figure in establishing and shaping the Summit in its early days - is provided by CHC in collaboration with Dr. Scott Shappell and Dr. Doug Wiegmann, co-developers of the human factors analysis and classification system (HFACS). Sikorsky, a key sponsor and long-time supporter of the Safety and Quality summit, will award the Sikorsky Safety Scholarship to a deserving aviation student. This will be the third year Sikorsky has awarded the student grant on behalf of the summit. Students interested in being considered for either of these grant opportunities must currently be engaged in an aviation-related educational program and will need to submit an application, along with a 500 word essay related to this year's theme for the summit: "Shining a Light on Safety: Are We Looking in the Right Places?" https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/chc-safety-and-quality-summit-offers- grant-opportunities-for-aviation-students/ Curt Lewis