Flight Safety Information May 16, 2019 - No. 099 In This Issue Boeing 737 Max Operators to Meet as Regulators Consider Jet's Return Boeing should have disclosed automated system to pilots, FAA head says Incident: Ryanair B738 at Amsterdam on May 14th 2019, wheel well fire indication Incident: SAS A343 at Copenhagen on May 12th 2019, could not fully retract landing gear Incident: Norwegian B738 near Gothenburg on May 12th 2019, suspected fuel leak Incident: Allegiant A320 at St. Petersburg on May 13th 2019, bird strike NTSB chair addresses aircraft safety at 737 Max hearing Flight Training for the Airlines F.A.A. Chief Defends Boeing Certification Process at House Hearing Qatar Airways To Consolidate Fleet To 4 Aircraft Types Lilium unveils five-seater air taxi prototype after a successful maiden flight for its latest jet The game-changing Boeing 707 jet debuted 65 years ago Japanese space startup aims to compete with US rivals The Steps to Organizational Reliability POSITION AVAILABLE:...AVIATION ADVISOR ISASI - DFW Regional Chapter Meeting GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Boeing 737 Max Operators to Meet as Regulators Consider Jet's Return • IATA will hold gathering for carriers on May 23 in Montreal • FAA is hosting global counterparts the same day in Texas American Airlines Group Inc. Boeing Co. 737 Max planes sit parked outside of a maintenance hangar at Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma, on May 14. Airlines that use Boeing Co.'s 737 Max will meet next week to discuss the grounded plane's eventual return to service, just as global regulators gather to talk about the steps needed to allow the plane to fly again. The International Air Transport Association is organizing the airline event in Montreal on May 23, according to an email Wednesday from the trade group. That's the same day that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will host about 50 foreign counterparts in Texas to discuss plans for reviewing a software update and new pilot training for the Max. "The meeting will provide a forum for airlines to exchange information about the experiences and challenges that they face as a result of the grounding and in their preparation for the reintroduction of the aircraft into operations,'' IATA said. The simultaneous gatherings herald a new phase for Boeing's push to get its best-selling jet back in the skies after two devastating crashes in a five-month span. The U.S. planemaker is finalizing changes to software implicated in both accidents, and the FAA said it expects to receive the update as soon as next week. The Max has been grounded for two months. Of IATA's 290 member airlines, 28 have the Max in their fleet, the trade group said. Southwest Airlines Co., the largest operator of the model, said it would attend next week's meeting. The Max debuted two years ago as the newest version of Boeing's workhorse 737. The IATA event is for airlines only but will include updates from the FAA and Boeing. IATA's board of governors will receive a summary of the meeting, but no public press release is planned, the group said. IATA will hold its annual meeting in Seoul on June 1. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/boeing-737-max-operators-to-meet-as-regulators-mull-jet-s-return Back to Top Boeing should have disclosed automated system to pilots, FAA head says • Federal air safety officials are grilled by House lawmakers after two deadly crashes of Boeing 737 Max planes. • Crash investigators have pointed to erroneous data from sensors that fed an automated anti-stall system. • The FAA and Boeing are facing several investigations into how the fast-selling aircraft was certified. Employees work on Boeing 737 MAX airplanes at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington on March 27, 2019. The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration told lawmakers Wednesday that Boeing should have given pilots more information about a new anti-stall system that is suspected in two deadly crashes of the 737 Max since October. "I, as a pilot, when I first heard about this, I thought there should have been more text in the manual" about the MCAS anti-stall system Boeing added to the planes before they were delivered to customers, Daniel Elwell, the FAA's acting administrator, told a House aviation subcommittee. The fast-selling 737 Max has been grounded worldwide after the second crash, in Ethiopia in March. The first crash, in October, happened in Indonesia. The crashes killed 346 people. Investigators have pointed to erroneous sensor data that fed into the planes' new, automated anti-stall system in the crashes shortly after takeoff in both deadly flights. Some pilots complained that they weren't aware the MCAS system existed on the planes until after the crash of the Lion Air flight in Indonesia. Audio surfaced this week of a tense meeting in November in which airline pilots confronted a Boeing executive after the Lion Air crash, angry that they weren't informed about the system. Boeing vice president Mike Sinnett reportedly told the pilots "In a million miles you're going to maybe fly this airplane, maybe once you're going to see this ever," according to a report in The New York Times. The FAA is facing several investigations about its role in approving the new planes in 2017 as well as heightened scrutiny of its practice of using company employees to help certify the aircraft before the planes are delivered to airlines. Elwell also said Boeing engineers discovered a problem with displays that show if sensors on the plane were giving bad information, but the FAA didn't find out about it for more than a year. The sensors in question transmit what is known as the angle of attack - the angle of the aircraft relative to oncoming air. "I am not happy with 13-month gap" between the discovery by Boeing and when the FAA and customers found out, Elwell said. He added that the displays are not critical to flight safety and that the agency welcomes scrutiny and has room to improve. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some lawmakers criticized the FAA for its oversight and questioned its longtime practice of using manufacturers own employees to help speed aircraft certification. "The FAA needs to fix its credibility problem," Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and chairman of the subcommittee on aviation, said in prepared remarks. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said "Boeing is yet to provide a single document" to the House panel about the plane. Boeing is working on a fix for the planes that would give pilots more control over the system and use data from two, instead of one sensor, but the grounding has already pinched some airlines' revenue and is threatening to crimp sales further if the planes remain off limits during the peak summer travel season. "If the public doesn't feel safe about flying then they won't fly," Larsen said. Elwell said the FAA will allow the planes to fly again once it's "absolutely safe to do so. ... It's important we get this right." Also Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation is holding a nomination hearing for President Donald Trump's pick to run the FAA, former Delta Air Lines executive Stephen Dickson. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/14/boeing-737-max-certifcation-by-faa-faces-more-questions-in-congress.html Back to Top Incident: Ryanair B738 at Amsterdam on May 14th 2019, wheel well fire indication A Ryanair Boeing 737-800, registration EI-EPC performing flight FR-3104 from Dublin (Ireland) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 157 people on board, was on final approach to Amsterdam's runway 06 when the crew declared Mayday reporting a main wheel well fire indication. The aircraft continued for a safe landing, attending emergency services reported seeing no fire or smoke visible. The wheel well fire indication was identified false. The aircraft remained on the ground in Amsterdam for about 7 hours, then departed for the return flight FR-3105 and reached Dublin with a delay of 6:15 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c7ffb5a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: SAS A343 at Copenhagen on May 12th 2019, could not fully retract landing gear A SAS Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A340-300, registration LN-RKG performing flight SK-997 from Copenhagen (Denmark) to Shanghai Pudong (China) with 220 passengers and 12 crew, was climbing out of Copenhagen's runway 04R when the crew stopped the climb at FL200 due to a problem with the landing gear. The aircraft dumped fuel and returned to Copenhagen for a safe landing on runway 04L about 80 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c7ff9cb&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Norwegian B738 near Gothenburg on May 12th 2019, suspected fuel leak A Norwegian Air International Boeing 737-800, registration EI-FJZ performing flight D8-5053 from Stockholm (Sweden) to Malaga,SP (Spain), was enroute at FL320 about 100nm eastnortheast of Gothenburg when the crew decided to divert to Gothenburg suspecting a fuel leak. The aircraft landed safely on Gothenburg's runway 21 about 20 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Gothenburg for about 40 hours, then positioned to Stockholm and is still on the ground in Stockholm about 32 hours after landing in Stockholm. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c7ff885&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Allegiant A320 at St. Petersburg on May 13th 2019, bird strike An Allegiant Airbus A320-200, registration N228NV performing flight G4-880 from St. Petersburg,FL to Belleville,IL (USA) with 175 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of St. Petersburg's runway 18 when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet due to a bird strike and decided to return to St. Petersburg for a safe landing on runway 18 about 10 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration N231NV reached Belleville with a delay of 4 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 35 hours after landing back. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAY880/history/20190513/2220Z/KPIE/KBLV http://avherald.com/h?article=4c7fef2b&opt=0 Back to Top NTSB chair addresses aircraft safety at 737 Max hearing A top US government investigator says aircraft must be designed to be safe in the hands of pilots from different regions of the world and with varying degrees of training, a notion challenging a narrative swirling since two Boeing 737 Max crashes. "If an aircraft manufacturer is going to sell aircraft all across the globe, it's important that pilots... in all parts of the globe need to know how to operate them," US National Transportation Safety Board chair Robert Sumwalt tells lawmakers on 15 May. "The airplane needs to be trained to the lowest common denominator," Sumwalt adds. Sumwalt, a former 737 pilot, made his comments during a congressional transportation committee hearing about the Federal Aviation Administration's certification of the Boeing 737 Max. The NTSB does not regulate industries but rather investigates transportation accidents and recommends regulatory changes to agencies like the FAA. Sumwalt sat beside FAA acting administrator Dan Elwell, at which lawmaker fired most of their questions. Lawmakers asked Elwell why his agency approved a flight control system that can cause the 737 Max to enter a steep dive immediately after takeoff. Elwell, also a pilot, called attention to pilot training. He says US pilots often receive more training in hand-flying - so-called stick-and-rudder skills - than do some overseas pilots, whose training often focuses more on aircraft systems. Elwell noted that pilots of the two recently crashed 737 Max 8 did not follow all stipulated procedures to address erroneous activation of the aircraft's manoeuvring characteristics augmentation system (MCAS). As initially designed, that system can push the aircraft's nose down based on erroneous data from a single angle-of-attack sensor. Boeing has likewise insisted steadfastly that pilots can safely address unwanted MCAS activation by following the runaway stabiliser checklist, also called "runaway stab" checklist. "What concerns me about the data from the flight data recorder is the apparent lack of recognition of runaway stab trim," Elwell says of the pilots in the cockpit of the Lion Air 737 Max 8 that crashed in October 2018. Those pilots did not turn off the stabiliser trim, as the checklist calls, during the entirety of the doomed flight, he adds. Elwell also notes that pilots of the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 that crashed in March did not adhere to guidelines related to airspeed. The NTSB's Sumwalt stresses he believes aircraft should be designed to be safe when flown by pilots with the level of training expected for the airline that buys the aircraft. "To say, "the US standards are good [but] this might be a problem in other parts of the globe - that's not the answer," Sumwalt says. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/ntsb-chair-addresses-aircraft-safety-at-737-max-hear-458207/ Back to Top Flight Training for the Airlines The pilot shortage is causing the airlines to get creative about how they teach a new generation of professional aviators. Pete Daniels flies Boeing 787s for one of the world's largest airlines. He makes $380,000 a year and works an average of nine days per month. He has been flying commercially for more than 30 years. He is one of scores of airline pilots who will reach the FAA's mandatory retirement age, 65, within the next decade. Fortunately for those looking to one day find themselves in Pete's seat and income bracket, it's a buyer's market right now. Boeing predicts a global need for some 790,000 new pilots over the next two decades, with more than 200,000 of those positions needing to be filled in the United States. Airlines are so concerned about current and future cockpit vacancies that virtually all have partnered with prominent flight academies or, in the case of some, launched academies of their own. Republic Airline, which launched a school last year, operates flights as United Express, Delta Connection and American Eagle. "We started the Lift Academy because Republic needs some 700 new pilots each year," explains academy general manager Dana Donati. "We can graduate 330 students per year, so our partnerships with other schools remain important to fill that gap." The Lift business model is simple: Train students to become pilots first, then flight instructors. Hire them as certified flight instructors to train other students while they log the 1,500 hours total flight time the FAA requires for an airline transport pilot certificate, which is required to fly larger passenger aircraft. Then, hire them as copilots for Republic. In fact, this business model is fairly standard for other academies, too. Unique to Lift is that the school guarantees students jobs as CFIs, and then further guarantees positions with Republic, once students have completed their training and successfully earned ATPs. Therein lies the challenge to keep those student pipelines stocked: Today's student is tomorrow's instructor, and next year's airline pilot. During training, the student works to obtain a private-pilot certificate, an instrument rating add-on, a commercial certificate and multi-engine rating. For virtually all academy students, these primary certificates can be had within 300 hours of training and flight time. The trick is logging the extra thousand or so hours before the pilot can apply for an ATP certificate. Flight time is not cheap, so acting as a CFI enables an airline-bound pilot to log hours on the dime of another student. Also not cheap is the cost of completing one of these programs. Academy websites estimate costs between $75,000 and $100,000. On the other hand, one could spend this much or more on a university degree, with no promise of employment. One advantage to aspiring airline pilots in 2019 is that airlines are reconsidering college-degree requirements. "American no longer requires a degree; United only prefers one; Delta still requires them, but that will probably change," says Robert Luthy, director of the L3 Airline Academy, of Sanford, Florida. This is good news, with regard to reduced time and expense to get to the airlines, but there is a risk. A college degree follows a person forever. And while pilot certificates do, too, they are of little use to those who decide aviation isn't the profession for them. Luthy cites another risk. "There is no switching to another major within a flight academy," he says. "If you're here, and you decide flying isn't for you, you have wasted considerable time and money." To avoid such situations, the schools have application processes designed to weed out those likely to wash out. Though it might seem that failure wouldn't be a concern for a for-profit academy, graduation and placement statistics can be great marketing tools. Each academy has a different screening process. Some use proprietary tests, while others outsource testing to established testing centers and protocols. Well-known professional pilot flight schools such as ATP, with locations around the country, and FlightSafety Academy, with its headquarters in Vero Beach, Florida, are attractive to students because they offer a career path that can mean landing a right-seat job with many regional carriers as soon as the magic 1,500 hours of flight time is obtained. A wave of airline pilot retirements and the requirement for new pilots to gain 1,500 hours of flight time before they can be hired is causing a pilot shortage. Courtesy Lift Academy For the schools that funnel pilots to one airline, making sure an applicant will fit in is important to identify before training even starts. "In addition to needing to know if the student has the scholastic aptitude we require of our pilots, we need to make sure there's a good cultural fit," Donati explains. "We are guaranteeing careers with our airline, so this is very important to us." Others agree. "Student attitude is our No. 1 reason for rejecting applicants," Luthy says. "In addition to making sure they are up for the challenges of airline careers, we need to make sure they are motivated - that they really want to do this." In some cases, he points out, it's clear that family pressure brought the applicant to the academy. By fine-tuning their acceptance testing, he says their graduation rate has increased from 53 percent to 74 percent. With regard to applicants, an overwhelming majority are male. L3 and Lift both claim they are making specific efforts to appeal more to young women. The schools admit, however, that only about 10 percent of their students are women. This dismally low figure is representative of the number of women in professional aviation at the moment. At FlightSafety Academy, as one positive example, the number of female students has been on the upswing. April Gafford owns JATO Aviation, a multi-location flight school in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gafford, who has an ATP certificate herself, sees the gender gap holding steady. "For whatever reason, young women still don't see themselves in commercial cockpits," she says. Though she and her CFIs have seen hundreds of women attain private-pilot certificates, she says it's far more often to find younger men who are focused on airline careers. Luthy sees a cultural problem. "Young school girls are still not encouraged to fly airplanes," he says. "Until there is a more coordinated effort to effect change at the primary-education level, I don't think we'll see many improvements there." Though financing, tuition assistance and scholarships are available to students across economic backgrounds, Luthy says a whopping 70 percent of his students pay cash for their training. Also of note is that 80 percent of his students have family members working in aviation. Republic Airways training academy Republic Airways launched the Lift Flight Training Academy last year to funnel new pilots to the right seats of its regional jets. Courtesy Lift Academy So, besides knowing that most applicants are male, one can derive from these numbers that most applicants are from affluent families and that, perhaps, careers in aviation are to credit for much of that affluence. Still, while the return on investment for flight academy training can be significant over time, becoming an airline pilot is hardly a get-rich-quick scheme. Many low-time commercial pilots report low earnings, long hours and, in some cases, jobs in locations they don't like. Republic starts pilots at $45 per hour, Donati says, increasing that by $5 per hour for year two. "Pilots are guaranteed a minimum of 75 hours per month, but most average more," she says. "Our average first-year salary is $60,000." When compared to the cost and time required for a conventional college education, and the resulting job market, these numbers don't seem too bad. Republic, after all, guarantees employment. But there's a catch. The airline subsidizes $20,000 of the pilot's training in return for a promise of five years' worth of employment. If the pilot leaves the company's employ for any reason before that commitment is fulfilled, that $20,000 becomes due in full. Keep this in mind when reviewing the academy's pricing. What appears to be a total cost of, say, $75,000, becomes $95,000, if the commitment isn't met. The concern here for Republic is that virtually all students who follow this career path plan to work for a major airline one day. So long as the pilot shortage remains critical, prosperous job opportunities at major air carriers will likely present themselves long before the end of that five-year period. "A pilot who leaves early will be liable for the $20,000," Donati says, "but some airlines offer sign-on bonuses that can reduce or eliminate this cost to the pilot." Even if a sign-on bonus isn't offered, a pilot might decide it's better to pay this fee and get in on the seniority ladder of a major airline, rather than wait until the obligation to the regional is met. Meanwhile, Republic will be refilling its pilot pipeline through the recruitment of new Lift students. L3 will be doing the same, as will virtually all other flight academies: The student becomes the pilot; the pilot becomes the instructor; the instructor becomes the copilot at a regional carrier - on and on. What does this say about the caliber of pilots who will be flying jets in the coming years? Will tomorrow's airline travel become less safe after today's experienced pilots are replaced with "assembly line" aviators? "Our CFIs - whether we hire graduating students or someone from outside the academy - are put through 41 days of additional training to make sure they can instruct well, in accordance with our policies and procedures," Luthy says. JATO Aviation takes pride in offering students a staff of flight instructors who, in many cases, have decades' worth of flight time and experience. One would assume Gafford would oppose the CFI-for-now approach her larger academy competitors take, but that's not the case. ATP Flight School ATP Flight School, one of the largest professional-pilot academies in the country, offers an accelerated program for a faster path to the airlines. Courtesy ATP "Aviation safety is largely about adherence to standard operating procedures," she explains. "The goal is to teach student pilots to follow checklists, policy and standard operating procedures. The better academies do just this. In some cases, the training students get at a local airport does not." Gafford refers to two sections of the Federal Aviation Regulations that govern pilot training. Part 141 of the regulations, which is used by most academies, was designed to govern the education of airline-bound pilots. Part 61 is the section of regulations that most often governs the training of those who learn to fly for fun. "Part 141 training not only better prepares students for careers with airlines," according to Gafford, "it can get them there in less time and, in some cases, less overall cost." Taking into account these points, consider a few assumptions about Part 61 pilot training: An airplane rents for $130 per hour. A CFI charges $85 per hour. The FAA requires 40 hours of flight time before student pilots can take the test to get the private-pilot certificate. Many sources estimate 70 hours as a more realistic national average, with that number increasing further in areas of complex airspace. Assuming 70 hours, that's $9,100 in aircraft rental. Assume approximately the same number of hours for the instructor, whether in the cockpit or ground instruction, for another $5,950. This puts student pilots at just over $15,000, without the cost of books, various other training aids and exam fees. Add another $500 for those. At $15,500, student pilots now hold private-pilot certificates and only 70 hours of flying time. Next comes the instrument rating add-on. The FAA requires pilots to have at least 50 hours of cross-country flight time logged (more than 50 miles from the home airport), a total of 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time (reduced visibility flight conditions) and at least 15 hours of instrument flight training from a CFI. Lift Academy Flight School Diamond Training Aircraft Lift Academy operates a fleet of new glass-cockpit-equipped Diamond single- and twin-engine training aircraft. Courtesy Lift Academy While some of that required cross-country flight time might have come during primary training, assume an additional 30 hours is needed. In this case, an instructor is not required, so pilots pay only for the aircraft rental: $3,900. The instrument flight time will require an instructor, though some of this can be done in a simulator, which is cheaper to rent than an airplane. Let's assume 30 hours of simulator time at $50, plus 10 hours of airplane time, which equals $2,800. Add the CFI to the mix for another 20 hours, and it totals $4,500. Add another few hundred for the exams, and the instrument rating adds up to $8,600. With the primary certificate and instrument add-on, the student is at $24,100. Next comes the commercial certificate, which requires 250 hours of logged flight experience, and training in a more expensive airplane at perhaps $200 per hour. After that, the multi-engine rating will require an aircraft that rents for about $300 per hour. When students have completed all of that, they will still need to log additional time and get more training to reach the 1,500 hours the FAA requires before they can apply for the airline-transport-pilot certificate. Like their Part 141 counterparts, most Part 61 student pilots build flight time through jobs as flight instructors. However, must find those jobs on their own. It's not easy to calculate exact costs of Part 61 primary-to-ATP pilot training because students differ. Suffice to say, Part 61 training isn't always a shortcut to the airlines in terms of money or time. Unlike Lift, L3 and FlightSafety Academy, ATP Flight School, one of the country's largest academies, is a Part 61 school, and the majority of JATO Aviation's training is Part 61 as well, although Gafford recommends what's best for each student. "If someone comes to us with the goal of an airline career, I'm going to make sure that student knows that Part 61 may not be the best choice," she says. ATP Flight School, meanwhile, tailors its approach so that Part 61 works perfectly well for career-minded aviators. It's not a must to attend a big academy or a university with an aviation program, but it can help. "In some cases, our students get jobs with airlines before their time here is complete," Luthy says. "Envoy [Airlines] has hired former students who are serving here as flight instructors, even before they have the required hours to get their ATPs. They get their seniority established, and it saves them from hunting for jobs." Airline recruiters visit the L3 campus monthly, he says. Unlike Lift, which is tied to Republic, L3 partners with 14 different air carriers - including Republic. So, while L3 students aren't guaranteed jobs, as Lift promises its students, they have access to a number of different options. And, one would presume, when the airlines are hungry, there are jobs enough for everyone who qualifies. Gafford, Luthy and Donati all agree there are ways in which prospective student pilots can prepare for careers with the airlines - good grades in school, reasonable health and avoidance of drug or DUI charges and entanglements with the law. The airlines might be reevaluating requirements with regard to college degrees, but they remain pretty insistent that their pilots are law-abiding and reliable, in addition to being skilled aviators. "When we consider applications, we're considering the intangibles, too," Donati says. "Does this person have what it takes to be a pilot?" Gafford concludes, "We try to increase the diversity of backgrounds of those who come into aviation, but I think the essence of what makes a good pilot a successful one will remain consistent. It's not always something you can test for, or measure; it's confidence and decency of character." https://www.flyingmag.com/flight-training-for-airlines Back to Top F.A.A. Chief Defends Boeing Certification Process at House Hearing The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration defended the agency's certification procedures involving the now-grounded Boeing 737 Max airplane, telling the House Transportation Committee on Wednesday that the process by which company-paid employees inspected their own aircraft was "a good system." The F.A.A. executive, Daniel Elwell, said his agency was reviewing a decades-old practice that allowed F.A.A.-certified employees at 79 aircraft manufacturers to assist in the certification of airplanes. But he said he supported the idea of delegating "certain tasks and certain decisions" in the certification process to private employees, despite criticism that the practice has led to lax oversight. Mr. Elwell, a former pilot and industry lobbyist, faced two hours of questions from skeptical members of the committee, the first of several hearings the committee plans to hold about the regulator's role in the wake of two fatal crashes involving the troubled airliner. "How can we have a single point of failure on a modern aircraft?" asked Representative Peter A. DeFazio, Democrat of Oregon and the committee's chairman, who questioned whether the inspection system may have led to the problems with the airliner. "How was that certified? We shouldn't have to be here today." Representative Rick Larsen, a Democrat from Washington who heads the Transportation Committee's Subcommittee on Aviation, pressed Mr. Elwell on the agency's designee authorization process, and the F.A.A.'s role in the development of pilot training procedures for the 737 Max. Pilots were not told about an anti-stall system known as the MCAS that was new to the plane and that played a role in both crashes. "The committee's investigation is just getting started, and it will take some time to get answers, but one thing is clear right now: The F.A.A. has a credibility problem," Mr. Larsen said. The 737 Max was grounded in March after an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. Less than five months earlier, a Lion Air 737 Max flight went down in Indonesia, killing 189 people. "I thought the MCAS should have been more adequately explained" to pilots around the world, Mr. Elwell said. He faced a number of questions about whether pilots were given proper training on changes to the plane's navigation and stabilization systems. A work truck passes by a Boeing 737 Max airplane at the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington. "The committee's investigation is just getting started," said Representative Rick Larsen, a Democrat on the House Transportation Committee. Credit The agency, Mr. Elwell said, delegates to the employees of manufacturers only those aspects of aircraft inspection that do not pertain directly to an aircraft's core safety functions. But Mr. Elwell did acknowledge that the problems with the MCAS were, indeed, considered a critical safety issue - raising new questions about whether Boeing employees should have been allowed to inspect it. Mr. Elwell also said he was "not happy" with the 13-month lag between reports of a "software anomaly" involving a warning light that notifies pilots of a disagreement in sensors that measure which direction the plane is pointed, and Boeing's actions to address the problem. Boeing discovered in 2017 that the warning light worked only on planes with an optional indicator that displayed the sensor readings. That indicator was sold as an add-on, and only 20 percent of 737 Max customers purchased it. Neither the Lion Air not the Ethiopian Airlines plane had it. Still, Mr. Elwell said he did not believe that problem contributed to either crash. Boeing is expected to soon submit a software fix that would keep the automated system from activating based on erroneous data, a factor in both crashes, according to agency investigators. An early version of the new software is being tested in simulators, F.A.A. officials said. Mr. Elwell gave no timetable for when the plane might be cleared to fly again. He said the agency would clear the planes only on the recommendation of a multiagency technical advisory board made up of experts from the F.A.A., the Air Force, NASA and the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center who were not involved in the initial certification of the 737 Max. F.A.A. officials convened a meeting with aviation officials from other countries this month to address their concerns about the plane, he said, an effort to bolster confidence in the "un-grounding" of the plane when it is finally approved. Mr. Elwell was also pressed about why the F.A.A. did not ground the plane until China, much of Europe and Canada already had. "Why did it take so long?" asked Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat and the District of Columbia's nonvoting delegate to the House. "The public perception," added Representative Dina Titus, a Democrat from Nevada, is that the F.A.A. "is in bed" with Boeing. Mr. Elwell said the decision to ground the jets was based on consultations with Canadian authorities who provided radar tracking information that linked the two crashes to the MCAS. He defended the F.A.A. as a "data-driven" organization and said that of the 24 reports of handling issues with the plane, "none" were related to the MCAS. Boeing introduced the 737 Max as a reliable fuel- and cost-efficient solution to air travel in the 21st century. After two fatal Max crashes, all of the Max aircraft in the world are believed to have been grounded.CreditCreditChang W. Lee/The New York Times He also suggested throughout the hearing that the inexperience and actions by the flight crews in both accidents might have contributed to the crashes. "They never controlled the airspeeds," he said. Earl Lawrence, the agency's executive director of aircraft certification, said the F.A.A. was in the process of establishing a new office to oversee the public-private inspection process. He added that the 737 Max was approved only after five years and 10,000 "man hours" of work. "We take advantage of the expertise of the people who are designing and building the aircraft to assist us," Mr. Lawrence said. "I'm proud of my team," he added of the federal employees who oversaw Boeing's work. Also on Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee questioned Stephen Dickson, the former Delta Air Lines executive whom President Trump has tapped to permanently lead the F.A.A., about the plane. He kept his responses relatively vague, saying regulators "must never rest" in their quest for a perfect safety record. Over the past two months, Mr. DeFazio has requested a trove of documents from the F.A.A. and Boeing regarding the inspection process and the review undertaken to determine the safety of the MCAS. He is especially focused on why Boeing did not require pilots to undergo further training with the anti-stall system. Mr. DeFazio has received none of the requested documents yet, although the F.A.A. is expected to begin releasing documents to the committee soon. It is not clear when Boeing intends to reply, and Mr. DeFazio warned the manufacturer that it needed to supply the documents "voluntarily" or he would seek other means to the obtain them. Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts and a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, also sent a request to Boeing for answers on its procedures. He has received a two-page letter that referred to Mr. Elwell's previous public statements but provided little new information. At times, members of the committee seemed impatient with Mr. Elwell's reluctance to provide detailed answers about what internal improvements the agency was planning to undertake. Mr. Elwell expressed concern that the criticism of the F.A.A.'s actions was having a negative impact on the agency. "I'm a little bit worried about morale right now across the F.A.A.," Mr. Elwell said. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/us/politics/boeing-faa-congress.html Back to Top Qatar Airways To Consolidate Fleet To 4 Aircraft Types Earlier this week Qatar Airways announced that the A320 and A330 will be next to leave their fleet. Now it seems as though Qatar Airways could be looking to emulate the Emirates model of using just a few aircraft types. Qatar Airways Fleet Qatar Airways will cut its fleet down to just four types. Photo: Boeing Typically, low-cost carriers stick to one aircraft type in order to keep costs down. This is a practice which Ryanair manages extremely well, for example. However, it seems as though full-service carriers are starting to follow suit, something which has many benefits. Qatar Airways fleet strategy According to data from Airfleets.net, Qatar Airways currently has eight passenger aircraft types in its fleet. This is set to halve within the next five years. In fact, Qatar Airways' Akbar Al Baker gave the following comment in an interview with the Gulf Times: "From 2024, our fleet will consist of Boeing 777s and 787s and Airbus A350s and A321s. At that time, there will not be any more Airbus A320s and A319s in our fleet" This will be achieved by retiring several aircraft types. We already knew that Qatar was looking to retire the Airbus A380, however, now Qatar Airways will also retire their A330 and A320 aircraft. These aircraft will be accompanied by the carrier's remaining A319s. Qatar Airways A320 Qatar's two A319s will be cut from the airline's fleet. Photo: Curimedia via Wikimedia Benefits of fewer types Having fewer aircraft types in a fleet can come with a number of benefits. These can mostly be financially based, something that is especially important with rising jet fuel costs. Firstly, cutting the number of aircraft types can make maintenance easier. It's important to keep an inventory of items that need replacing regularly, such as tires, so they can be quickly replaced. However, operating more types means that more spare parts are required to be held in inventory. This means that a larger amount of the airline's money is tied up. Secondly, it is easier to crew aircraft when you have fewer types. Each pilot is assigned one type of aircraft which they regularly fly. If a pilot falls ill at short notice, it can be difficult to replace them. Now, looking at the maths, it would be much easier if one-quarter of the pilots are flying one type, than one-eighth. Qatar Airways A350 The A350 will play a key role in Qatar's future fleet plan. Photo: Qatar Airways Opposite direction to Emirates Qatar Airways is moving in the opposite direction to Emirates in terms of its fleet plan. Emirates has been known as a two aircraft carrier for a long time, exclusively flying the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777. However, the airline is set to diversify, with orders for Airbus A350s and A330s. Additionally, Emirates is in discussions with Boeing regarding 787-10 aircraft. While Emirates is looking to diversify its fleet to four or five types, Qatar will be culling its fleet to include just four types. https://simpleflying.com/qatar-airways-consolidation/ Back to Top Lilium unveils five-seater air taxi prototype after a successful maiden flight for its latest jet Lilium, the Munich-based startup developing an on-demand "air taxi" service, has unveiled a new five-seater prototype and is announcing to the world that a maiden flight for the new device was successfully completed earlier this month. It's not the first time a Lilium Jet - the company's all-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) device - has taken to the sky but it is the first time the new five seater has taken off and landed, following extensive ground testing. Lilium published a video of a two-seater version's inaugural flight just over two year's ago. The new five-seater is a full-scale, full-weight prototype that is powered by 36 all-electric jet engines to allow it to take-off and land vertically, while achieving "remarkably efficient horizontal or cruise flight," says Lilium In a call, Lilium co-founder and CEO Daniel Wiegand described the test flight, which was a little behind schedule, as a huge step towards making urban air mobility a reality. The new jet performed in the sky as the company's models and ground testing had predicted, providing much needed validation for the Lilium team. The significance of getting to five seats shouldn't be underestimated, either, as Lilium isn't in the aircraft design and manufacturing business, but sees itself as a fully vertical mobility-as-a-service company, akin to an Uber of the skies, if you will. The technology, as groundbreaking as it needs to be, is an engineering means to an end: intercity travel that is less expensive, quicker and kinder on the environment. That's the hugely ambitious aim, anyway. With a top speed of 300 km/h and a range of 300km, Lilium claims its jet is capable of completing much longer journeys than the majority of its competitors. This is, in part, thanks to the fixed wing design of the aircraft. This will see it rely on the lift generated by the fixed wing to remain in the air, meaning it will require less than ten per cent of its maximum 2000 horsepower during cruise flight. "This efficiency, which is comparable to the energy usage of an electric car over the same distance, means the aircraft would not just be capable of connecting suburbs to city centres and airports to main train stations, but would also deliver affordable high-speed connections across entire regions," says Lilium. For the record, the latest Lilium Jet first took to the air at 08.03 local time in Munich, Germany on 4th May 2019. The prototype aircraft was controlled remotely from the ground and Wiegand says it will now undergo a more rigorous flight test campaign to lay the foundations for certification of the aircraft against commercial aircraft safety standards. The next big milestone will be achieving transition flight where the aircraft moves from vertical takeoff to horizontal flight. Wiegand also told me Lilium still expects to be fully-operational in various cities around the world by 2025. However, trial services will start earlier in several yet-to-be-revealed locations. The company is backed by Tencent; LGT, the international private banking and asset management group; Atomico, Lilium's Series A backer founded by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström; and Obvious Ventures, the early-stage VC fund co-founded by Twitter's Ev Williams. https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/15/lilium-5-seater/ Back to Top The game-changing Boeing 707 jet debuted 65 years ago The prototype for Boeing's 707 airliner and KC-135 air tanker, known as the "Dash 80," rolled out at Renton on May 14, 1954. (MOHAI) As Boeing works to fix the grounded 737 MAX after two deadly crashes, the jet manufacturer quietly marked an important milestone of its role as a manufacturer of both civilian and military aircraft. It was 65 years ago this week when the company staged the rollout of its original game-changing jetliner, and cemented its decades-long role as the dominant economic and even cultural force in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. On Friday, May 14, 1954, just after 4 p.m., the "Model 707" prototype - also known as the "Dash 80" - debuted at the Boeing factory in Renton on the shores of Lake Washington. The 707's design, with swept-wings and four pod-mounted jet engines, was revolutionary. Author and former New York Times journalist Sam Howe Verhovek wrote a book a decade ago about the development and ultimate success of the Boeing 707 called "Jet Age." "The significance of the Dash 80 was Boeing leaped into the future and really ahead of either of the other big airplane manufacturers, Douglas or Lockheed," Verhovek said. "Boeing decided to bet the company on building a jet airliner before anybody else did." The Boeing 707 The cool thing about the "Model 707" was that it was a prototype aimed to serve two very different markets. One was as a civilian jetliner for sale to airlines, which was revolutionary in those years of trains and prop planes, and which made the $15 million dollars (or about $143 million in 2019) that Boeing invested in its development a risky bet. The other market was for military use, as an airborne refueling tanker to gas up those jet-powered, high-flying Boeing B-52 bombers that had been flying since 1952. This potential market made the Boeing 707 bet seem not so crazy after all. Boeing CEO William M. "Bill" Allen spoke at the rollout in Renton. He pointed out how exactly 10 years to the day earlier, the 5000th iconic B-17 bomber had rolled off a wartime Boeing assembly line. Allen also explained the potential benefits of the company's dual-market thinking in those early years of the Cold War and the dawn of the Jet Age. "If we are right in our analysis, this airplane will mean much to us as employees of Boeing," Allen said. "It will also give our Pacific Northwest community the prestige of leadership in a new field and the potential of new business. Most significantly, it can add to the security of our nation and the ties of communication, which are a part of its growth." Incredibly enough, it seems that Boeing was simultaneously building a flying sword and a flying plowshare. The rollout in Renton The rollout was a pretty brief event. Organizers timed it for 4 p.m. on a Friday, so the day shift and the swing shift workers could all be there. The Renton High School marching band performed, and an estimated 8,000 people were watching and listening. Those 8,000 people witnessed the most poignant moment in the program, when William Allen described the vision and courage necessary to start an airplane company in the dark aviation ages of 1916. Then, Allen introduced the man responsible for it all: the company's aging founder. "Thirty-eight years ago, Mr. W.E. Boeing had that vision and that courage, and from it has grown the Boeing Airplane Company of today," Allen said. "It is with the greatest pleasure that I present to you the founder of our company, W.E. Boeing." Applause erupted for Bill Boeing, and then quickly subsided. Boeing acknowledged the introduction, but he never spoke at the 707 rollout. He'd left the company in the 1930s in bitterness, some say, after the government broke up Boeing into separate and independent airplane manufacturing, engine building and airline companies. He was also ailing; he'd eventually pass away a little more than two years later, just shy of his 75th birthday. But Boeing's wife Bertha was also there in Renton 65 years ago, and just as she'd done for one of the company's first planes back in the 1920s, she did the honors for the Model 707 with a bottle of champagne. "Mrs. Boeing," William Allen asked her, "will you please christen the airplane?" "Today, I'm really christening twins," Bertha Boeing said. "This airplane has several possible uses, whether that use be military for our security or commercial for our welfare, I know that you will all join me in wishing her a glorious future." And then, just before the microphone picked up the unmistakable sound of a bottle of bubbly breaking on a Boeing 707, Bertha intoned, "I christen thee the Airplane of Tomorrow, the Boeing Jet Stratotanker, Stratoliner." With that, the new jet was towed from inside a hangar and out onto the tarmac not far from the waters of Lake Washington. The Model 707 prototype was supposed to fly for the first time later that month, but the left landing gear collapsed during a taxiing test at Renton on May 21, and the maiden flight was delayed until July 15, 1954. That flight and dozens more that followed were, fortunately, more successful than the taxiing test. Famed test pilot Tex Johnston's famous barrel roll of the plane came a year later during Seafair festivities of 1955. The jet age The aircraft program went on to great success for Boeing in the late 1960s, both as the 707 civilian jetliner and military KC-135 tanker. And, it could be argued, all jetliners today still look like, and actually essentially are, variations on the now more than 65-year old Boeing 707. Boeing launched several successful jetliners in the 1960s, including the 727, 737, and 747; as well as stumbled with the cancellation by the federal government of the program to develop a "Supersonic Transport" or SST. When the Apollo astronauts covered serious miles on the surface of the moon, they did it in Boeing-built lunar rovers. In 2001, after absorbing former chief competitor McDonnell Douglas, Boeing moved its headquarters to Chicago. Then, nearly a decade later and after long delays, the 787 Dreamliner debuted, and Boeing opened a second production line for that model - its first ever outside of Washington for jetliners - in South Carolina. Boeing is also poised to be a big part of NASA's next phase of space exploration. Sam Howe Verhovek says that these are very different times than 65 years ago. "[Boeing CEO] Bill Allen was fully committed to the Northwest and . . . Boeing certainly thought of itself as a Seattle- and Northwest-based company in the 1950s," Verhovek said. "In today's world, I think corporate loyalties to place tend to be more fickle." And what do changes for Boeing - and those fickle corporate loyalties - mean for Seattle and the Northwest? "I've thought a lot about this question," Verhovek said. "And I don't want to paint the 1950s Boeing in an overly rosy way, because there certainly were labor disputes and threatened strikes from time to time. But, basically, when you look at that era, there was such a feeling of pride in what people were doing, and everybody was really focused on turning out this great airplane and were very proud of it." And how has Seattle and the people who work for Boeing weathered the tough times? "It's been hard for Seattle as the home of this great company, it's been hard to see the company get divided in this way," Verhovek said. "They still turn out great airplanes and I think that this problem with the 737 MAX will be overcome, will be fixed, but nothing that anybody does is going to bring back the 500 or so people that died in these crashes." Until that problem is overcome, 737 MAX jets are still being assembled at the Boeing plant in Renton. And many of those grounded jets are parked on what this the one-time "hometown" jetliner company - and the Northwest economy it helped build along with all those jets - might still be able to think of as hallowed ground. It's the same spot where Bill Boeing and 8,000 Boeing workers watched Bertha Boeing christen the Model 707 exactly 65 years ago. https://mynorthwest.com/1384248/boeing-737-max-jet-debut-1954/ Back to Top Japanese space startup aims to compete with US rivals Japanese entrepreneurs and Founder of Interstellar Technologies Inc. Takafumi Horie speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Horie said a low-cost rocket business in Japan is well-positioned to accommodate scientific and commercial needs in Asia. While Japan's government-led space programs have demonstrated top-level technology, he said the country has fallen behind commercially due to high costs. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) TOKYO (AP) - A Japanese startup that launched a rocket into space earlier this month plans to provide low-cost rocket services and compete with American rivals such as SpaceX, its founder said Wednesday. Interstellar Technology Inc. founder Takafumi Horie said a low-cost rocket business in Japan is well-positioned to accommodate scientific and commercial needs in Asia. While Japan's government-led space programs have demonstrated top-level technology, he said the country has fallen behind commercially due to high costs. "In Japan, space programs have been largely government-funded and they solely focused on developing rockets using the best and newest technologies, which means they are expensive," Horie told reporters in Tokyo. "As a private company, we can focus on the minimum level of technology needed to go to space, which is our advantage. We can transport more goods and people to space by slashing costs." Horie said his company's low-cost MOMO-3 rocket is the way to create a competitive space business in Japan. During its May 4 flight, the unmanned MOMO-3 rocket reached 113.4 kilometers (70 miles) in altitude before falling into the Pacific Ocean. The cost to launch the MOMO-3 was about one-tenth of the launch cost of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the country's space agency, according to Interstellar CEO Takahiro Inagawa. Horie said his company plans to launch its first orbital rocket - the ZERO - within the next few years and then it would technologically be on par with competitors such as Elon Musk's SpaceX, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and New Zealand engineer Peter Beck's Rocket Lab. The two-stage ZERO would be twice as long and much heavier than the compact MOMO-3, which is about 10 meters (32 feet) long and 50 centimeters (1.5 feet) in diameter and weighs about 1 ton. It would be able to send satellites into orbit or carry payloads for scientific purposes. Development of a low-cost commercial rocket is part of a growing international trend in the space business led by the U.S. and aggressively followed by China and others. At home, Horie could face competition from space subsidiaries of major companies such as Canon and IHI, which have expertise from working with the government's space agency. https://www.apnews.com/5b1bbedce625479a921d94c68334aa7c Back to Top The Steps to Organizational Reliability Reliable Organizational Performance Does regulatory oversight & compliance alone make an organization reliable? The answer is No. Organizations can be reliable today, and for variety of reasons, be less reliable tomorrow. While regulatory compliance programs satisfy an important function, high reliability requires sustained high performance - at the system, individual, and organizational levels. And this goes well beyond regulatory compliance. Simply put, reliability equals performance over time. There's a pattern to how bad things happen, and a science to preventing them. SG Collaborative Solutions shows you how to become sustainably reliable as an organization. The Steps to Organizational Reliability Whether your organization is an airline, manufacturer, Part 135, MRO, ATO, regulator, or other aviation company, there are five steps to organizational reliability, each one a crucial component of success. There are no shortcuts. The steps are: 1. Prepare - Schedule an introductory session and learn the Hidden Science 2. Commit - Engage leadership and train Transformation Advisors 3. Develop - Select and train a Reliability Management Team 4. Sustain - Build and refine a Reliability Management System 5. Qualify - Achieve ongoing Enterprise Leadership Qualification Click here To learn more about the steps. Once you've reviewed the information and are interested to learn more, click on the SCHEDULE AN INTRODUCTORY SESSION button under the first step to contact us for details. What Is the Sequence of Reliability™? The Sequence of Reliability is our proven approach to sustainable high performance: 1. First see and understand risk 2. Manage reliability in this order: a. System performance b. Human performance c. Organizational performance Why is this sequence important? Because successful results depend on it. There's a pattern to how bad things happen, and a science to preventing them. Our approach is guided by that science, and how it can help you get better results for your organization and in your everyday life. It's the hidden science of reliability. And it's been hiding in plain view. Why? Because it evolved in a crooked line, coming from diverse areas of expertise, segregated by specialties. The hidden science synthesizes engineering, behavioral psychology, neuroscience, ethics and the legal system. Harmonizing these specialties solves a fundamental problem: how to achieve sustainable reliability in a complex world. Engineers know system design but don't always understand human behavior because they don't think like typical humans. Psychologists and neuroscientists understand how people think and act, but don't always know how systems work because they don't think like engineers. And lawyers think differently than all of us. SG Collaborative Solutions combines all of these disciplines into a cohesive, connect-the-dots strategy for success. Contact Us to Learn More SG Collaborative Solutions, LLC Email: info@sg-collaborative.com Office Phone: 682-237-2340 Fax: 888-223-5405 Website: https://sgcpartners.com -------------------------------- CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient and may contain information that is confidential, protected and/or privileged under state and Federal privacy laws. If you received this e-mail in error, be aware that any unauthorized use; disclosure, copying, or distribution is prohibited. Please contact the sender immediately and destroy all copies of this message. -------------------------------- Back to Top POSITION AVAILABLE: AVIATION ADVISOR Job Description A unique opportunity to bring your aviation expertise and management skills to help Shell drive its operational excellence. Join a team of subject matter experts, applying your aviation expertise, to jointly develop, implement and audit the best safety standards in close collaboration with our worldwide Shell business units. Where you fit in The Shell Aircraft Air Safety and Advisory Group gives advice to 35 Shell Business Units in 30 countries and audits up to 100 aircraft operators on their behalf. This results in substantial financial savings and major improvements in safety and quality. Shell exposure to flying, at 85,000 flying hours per year, equates to the activity of a moderate size airline. The Air Safety & Advisory Group is staffed by a team of Aviation Advisers and is part of Shell Aircraft International which also includes the Corporate Fleet department. At Shell our commitment is to satisfy the world's need for energy with economically, socially and environmentally responsible solutions. We seek a high standard of performance and understand that great ideas can change the world. If you want to work with a group of safety conscious, ambitious and committed professionals then you should consider Shell. We will provide you with the resources to put your ideas into action, possible worldwide opportunities to advance your career, and outstanding benefits and rewards. Join us and let's make a difference together. What's the role? As Aviation Advisor, you're going to be playing a vital role in maintaining and improving our operational excellence. Providing expert advice on the safe and efficient use of aircraft and air transport services in support of the Shell Business Unit aviation strategy. In practice that means you'll be running operational and technical audits of contractors and logistics teams; producing reports in accordance with Shell Aircraft processes and procedures; and making sure any audit recommendations are actioned by aviation management. You can also expect to be involved with air safety accident and incident investigations. Naturally, you'll need to have a strong safety drive for achieving excellence, as well as being skilled at juggling a challenging workload, often with competing business targets. Along with advising on general aviation safety, you'll also lead on specific areas of expertise, which means keeping your technical knowledge up-to-date and relevant. Company Description Shell Nederland BV is a platform for international collaboration, with Shell offering direct employment to around ten thousand people in the Netherlands alone, including roughly 2,800 non-Dutch employees from around 80 countries. Diversity is key at Shell Nederland, and our employees reflect the innovation that stems from a diverse workforce. By joining Shell Nederland, you will benefit from an unrivalled industry-leading development programme that will see you tap into a pool of expert knowledge that will help propel your career. Shell Nederland is the holding company of most Shell companies operating in the Netherlands. Shell Nederland also has an advisory and coordinating role in numerous areas. Requirements You are holder of a valid professional Pilot fixed or rotary wing license (ATPL or equivalent). You have a strong track record in all aspects (incl. management) of aircraft operations and support, as well as an understanding of the commercial and legislative aspects of aviation. The relevant experience in the aviation industry may be gained within an aircraft operating company or equivalent military organization. Extensive knowledge of aviation quality & safety management systems, aviation legislation and their application is required. The ability to write and brief all levels of management succinctly on complex aviation issues is also essential. Shell's aviation professionals are required to travel extensively in support of our work and as such, must be able to travel anywhere in the world. This position is based in The Netherlands on local terms, therefore the applicant must be able to work and live in The Netherlands. Our values Shell is a company with shared values. Honesty, integrity, and respect aren't simply a strapline: they are a part of everything we do. What's more, Shell is an equal opportunities company, and we place the highest possible value on the diversity of our people and our inclusive approach. Join us and you'll belong to a world where you can feel pride in your achievements and propel your career with global opportunities Women's perspective We care deeply about fostering a truly diverse workplace. We believe in doing everything we can to make Shell as flexible, appealing and supportive a place for women to work as possible. We help with things like our formal (and informal) flexible working. Like our global and transparent pay policies, backed by a leadership team fully supportive of our diversity ambitions. And we'll foster your career through our Women's Career Development programme. People with an impairment At Shell, we're all about top talent. End of story. We encourage anyone who may face an impairment to see Shell as a place where you'll be fully supported to grow and develop your career. It's as simple as that. If you'd like to apply, just let us know about your circumstances. We can support you throughout the process: from application, to interview, to your first day of a rewarding career with us. Interested? Please apply via the 'Apply' button. APPLY Back to Top Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Aviation Professionals, My name is Marta Delbecchi. I am an MSc student in Organisational Psychiatry and Psychology from King's College London, andas part of my degree requirements I am conducting a research study entitled: The wellbeing of air, marine and rail accident investigators. I am carrying out this research study with the support of Cranfield University's Safety and Accident Investigation Centre. I am looking for current or retired civil air accident investigator to complete an online survey. The purpose of the survey is to learn more about the health and wellbeing of personnel who investigate the causes of accidents and serious incidents in the air, marine, and rail transportation modes. Your participation would be a very important contribution to the current paucity of scientific literature and understanding concerning the psychological and emotional wellbeing of accident investigators. Completing the survey should take no more than 35 minutes of your time and participation in this research study is entirely voluntary and anonymous. All your responses will be treated in the strictest confidence, and you will be able to withdraw from the survey at any time. If you are able to assist by completing the online survey then please email me directly at marta.delbecchi@kcl.ac.uk and I will forward you an information sheet and a link to the survey. Thank you for your kind consideration, Marta Delbecchi Department of Psychosis Studies, PO63 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London De Crespigny Park London SE5 8AF Curt Lewis