Flight Safety Information AUGUST 5, 2019 - No. 156 In This Issue Behind the MAX crisis: Lax regulator, top-down company culture Boeing may use two computers to fix 737 Max's latest flaw Incident: Easyjet A319 near Venice on Aug 3rd 2019, pilot ill Accident: BoA B733 at La Paz on Aug 3rd 2019, main wheels rotate in relation to gear strut Incident: Lufthansa A321 near Manchester on Aug 3rd 2019, loss of cabin pressure Incident: UPS A306 near Tulsa on Aug 2nd 2019, cracked windshield Incident: Delta B712 near Montgomery on Aug 2nd 2019, fuel leak Incident: PSA CRJ7 near New York on Aug 1st 2019, brakes problem Incident: American A321 near Amarillo on Aug 2nd 2019, engine shut down in flight Accident: Golden Myanmar AT72 at Yangon on Aug 2nd 2019, nose wheels separated on landing Two United Airlines pilots arrested before flight from Scotland to U.S Airplane fuel cap plummets into Florida woman's yard Hong Kong Flight Disruptions Increase: Airport Strike Update MAX And Mechanics Still Trouble American Airlines First U.S. FAA-approved 'beyond-line-of-sight' drone flight completed India to have 2,000 planes soon, says Civil Aviation Minister BOC Aviation places three A350s with Qatar Airways Singapore Airlines Adds Unlimited Free Wifi For First Class India Seeks to Create Domestic Aircraft Leasing Top US airlines want to hire women pilots. So where are the applicants? RESEARCH STUDY REQUEST Cabin Accident Investigation from SCSI Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance from SCSI ISASI - 2019 Behind the MAX crisis: Lax regulator, top-down company culture US politicians have not turned on Boeing, despite two deadly accidents tarnishing the aircraft manufacturer's reputation New York (AFP) - Even before the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes claimed 346 lives, Boeing flight tests had revealed problems similar to those encountered by pilots on the ill-fated 737 MAX flights. Company officials learned that its MCAS anti-stall system -- which is at the center of both accidents -- activated within minutes of takeoff, repeatedly pushing the nose of the aircraft down even when the plane was operating in normal conditions at lower speed. This discovery, recounted to AFP by two former Boeing engineers who spoke on the condition of anonymity, suggested that mastering the MCAS was important for safely flying the MAX. The MCAS should have been closely vetted by regulators, and procedures for operating the system should have been included in plane manuals and highlighted during pilot training. But none of that happened. Before the Lion Air disaster in October, the MCAS was not even named in the official documents given to pilots. In the earliest documents submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing said the MCAS would only activate under abnormal conditions, such as a sudden turn at great speed. Boeing later amended its documents to say MCAS could be activated at lower speeds, but maintained throughout that there were no significant safety changes compared with earlier models. FAA representatives were present during a test flight when an MCAS problem occurred, according to a regulatory source, but approved the MAX without independently studying or testing the flight system. Instead, regulators deferred on key aspects of certification to Boeing, allowed under a congressionally-mandated program begun in 2005 while the FAA faced budget pressure. In essence, Boeing chose the engineers who would inspect its planes in a process rubber-stamped by the agency. - Not grounded after 1st crash - The FAA had assessed the MAX as safe, and the plane lacked the degree of alterations from its predecessor, the NG, that would require significant additional pilot training. Yet the MCAS, short for the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, was added to the MAX, a more fuel-efficient model with a heavier engine and different aerodynamics. But following the Lion Air crash on October 28, 2018, the FAA acknowledged it lacked full understanding of the MCAS, a government source told AFP. The agency did not realize it could be difficult for a pilot to regain control of the plane once MCAS was activated. Instead of grounding the plane, the FAA on November 7 issued an "emergency" airworthiness order for MAX operators, calling for new procedures for pilots encountering the problem with MCAS. The agency also directed Boeing to correct the MCAS problem, while planes continued to fly, and that effort was still underway when the Ethiopian flight crashed five months later. "The 737 MAX certification program involved 110,000 hours of work on the part of FAA personnel, including flying or supporting 297 test flights," an agency spokesman said. But amid renewed public scrutiny, including into the relationship between the FAA and Boeing, the timeline for returning the MAX to the skies remains cloudy. Boeing has threatened to halt production of the plane, putting thousands of jobs at risk while numerous probes investigate the MAX certification. - Changes? - Boeing was under pressure when it began developing the MAX in 2011. Airbus had sprinted ahead of Boeing in the race for new single-aisle planes, a lucrative market, with its A320 Neo, while Boeing was hitting hurdles with other ventures, including the 787, which was running behind schedule. "They wanted us to control costs," said an engineer, who described tensions between technical and managerial staff. "Everything was designed to stop an ability to communicate concerns upward," said another engineer. "Delivering bad news was generally regarded as a very bad career move," said Richard Aboulafia, a longtime industry analyst at the Teal Group, an aerospace market analysis firm, who described former Boeing chief executive Jim McNerney as obsessed with share price. During McNerney's tenure, Boeing shares more than doubled. "We did not cut corners or push the 737 MAX out before it was ready. Safety is always the first priority," Boeing said. But Arthur Wheaton, a professor at the Worker Institute at Cornell University in New York specializing in labor relations, said, "Boeing culture is to not value the employees but to try put more (of) the power ... on the managers to get the work done for a price, as opposed to the effectiveness." The company did finally apologize -- albeit 25 days after the Ethiopian accident. "I don't even recall Boeing apologizing for an accident involving one of their planes before now; so I would say this is a change from the past," said Scott Hamilton, managing director at Leeham, a market intelligence firm. "We know we fell short in some areas, including in communication with pilots, regulators and customers. We're going to make improvements and we own that," Boeing said. The FAA, meanwhile, said it welcomes ongoing reviews of its performance and "will incorporate any changes that would improve our certification activities." https://www.yahoo.com/news/behind-max-crisis-lax-regulator-top-down-company-020851364.html Back to Top Boeing may use two computers to fix 737 Max's latest flaw The aircraft could return to service by October if the fix works. Boeing may have a solution for the 737 Max flaw discovered in June. Both the AP and the Seattle Times claim the aircraft maker is developing new software that will take input from both of the aircraft's flight control computers to improve its reliability, rather than one at a time as it does today. This would both address the newer issue (more on that shortly) and increase the trustworthiness of the MCAS system whose fatal errors prompted the jet's grounding. The scoops also indicate just what the June flaw apparently entails. Reportedly, a microprocessor in the 737 Max wasn't sufficiently protected against the consequences of random bit flips (a 0 changing to a 1, for instance). While this would be extremely unlikely -- it'd be the result of cosmic rays hitting the chip -- it supposedly took too long for pilots to recover under realistic conditions. The update would require both flight computers to fail at once for these bit flips to lead to catastrophe. Boeing wouldn't confirm or deny the reports in a statement to the AP, instead repeating the message that it's working with the FAA and other regulators to fix the June flaw. It still intends to offer the fixed software for testing in September, and hopes to return to the air as soon as October. Whether or not that happens isn't certain. Boeing was maintaining its "summer" goal mere hours before the June flaw was made public. There's no guarantee regulators will give the 737 Max a clean bill of health, and a resumption of flights will still depend on smooth real-world testing as well as regulator approval everywhere the aircraft will fly. It could take a long while before the airliner fully resumes normal flights. https://www.engadget.com/2019/08/04/boeing-737-max-fix-for-newer-flaw/ Back to Top Incident: Easyjet A319 near Venice on Aug 3rd 2019, pilot ill An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration G-EZBC performing flight U2-1825 from Manchester,EN (UK) to Bari (Italy) with 128 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 40nm west of Venice (Italy) when one of the pilots became sick prompting the crew to divert the aircraft to Venice for a safe landing on runway 04R about 20 minutes later. Emergency services assisted the pilot. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 3.5 hours, then continued the journey and reached Bari with a delay of about 3 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb2fd50&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: BoA B733 at La Paz on Aug 3rd 2019, main wheels rotate in relation to gear strut A BoA Boliviana de Aviacion Boeing 737-300, registration CP-3077 performing flight OB-604 from Cochabamba to La Paz (Bolivia) with 91 people on board, landed on La Paz's runway 10 when the aircraft suffered severe vibrations on the roll out and came to a stop on the runway, the aircraft was disabled. Emergency services responded and found the left main wheels had rotated versus the left main gear strut. Passengers reported a number of ceiling panels came down during the landing roll out. The airline reported the aircraft stopped on the runway due to probelms with the landing gear. Bolivia's DGCA reported the aircraft, a Boeing 737-300 registration CP-3077 performing flight OB-604, suffered a malfunction in the main gear and became disabled on the runway, the runway needed to be closed for about 2.5 hours. Bolivia's Accident Investigation Unit have opened an investigation and will contact the aircraft manufacturer. The aircraft seen on the runway: http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb2f8d2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa A321 near Manchester on Aug 3rd 2019, loss of cabin pressure A Lufthansa Airbus A321-200, registration D-AIRW performing flight LH-2515 from Dublin (Ireland) to Munich (Germany), had been dispatched under minimum list equipment requirements with the left pack inoperative and was climbing through FL340 out of Dublin, when the right hand pack failed, too. The crew descended the aircraft to FL110 levelling off at FL110 about 15 minutes later and set course to divert to Manchester, EN (UK), subsequently changed to divert to London Heathrow,EN (UK), climbed to FL150 to London and landed safely on Heathrow's runway 09L about 85 minutes after departure from Dublin. The aircraft remained on the ground in London for about 3 hours, then departed London climbing to a maximum of FL230 but again needed to descent to FL130 and now diverted to Brussels (Belgium) for a safe landing on runway 25L about one hour after departure from Heathrow. Passengers are complaining they were left without information at Brussels and were waiting in a queue for being rebooked with just one staff member at the desk. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb243c9&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: UPS A306 near Tulsa on Aug 2nd 2019, cracked windshield A UPS Airbus A300-600, registration N126UP performing freight flight 5X-5514 from Louisville,KY to Ontario,CA (USA), was enroute at FL320 about 170nm northeast of Tulsa,OK (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Tulsa due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft landed safely on Tulsa's runway 18L about 35 minutes later. A replacement A300-600 registration N161UP departed Tulsa about 3.5 hours after N126UP landed and reached Ontario with a delay of about 4 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UPS5514/history/20190802/2016Z/KSDF/KONT http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb241f1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta B712 near Montgomery on Aug 2nd 2019, fuel leak A Delta Airlines Boeing 717-200, registration N989AT performing flight DL-2366 from Houston Hobby,TX to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 62 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 30nm southwest of Montgomery,AL (USA) when the crew suspected a fuel leak and decided to divert to Montgomery for a safe landing on runway 10 about 22 minutes after the decision to divert. Emergency services reported fluid leaking from the aircraft. The crew was able to stop the leak and subsequently taxied to the apron. The occurrence aircraft, that had departed from Houston with a delay of 3:15 hours already, remained on the ground for about 6.5 hours, then was able to continue the flight and reached Atlanta with a delay of 10 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL2366/history/20190802/1310Z/KHOU/KATL http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb23b51&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: PSA CRJ7 near New York on Aug 1st 2019, brakes problem A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N511AE performing flight AA-5513 from Washington National,DC to Hartford,CT (USA), was descending towards Hartford when the crew decided to divert to New York JFK,NY requesting the longest runway available due to a brakes/anti-skid indication, emergency services were standing by for the arrival. The aircraft landed safely on New York's runway 13R, rolled out, the crew advised they were now able to stop the aircraft and affirmed, they could taxi the aircraft. The aircraft taxied to the apron. The aircaft continued to Hartford after about 2 hours on the ground for a safe landing in Hartford. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JIA5513/history/20190801/1925Z/KDCA/KBDL http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb1bae6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American A321 near Amarillo on Aug 2nd 2019, engine shut down in flight An American Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N150NN performing flight AA-1627 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX to Seattle,WA (USA) with 182 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 30nm southeast of Amarillo when an engine (V2533) lost power and was shut down. The crew diverted the aircraft to Amarillo for a safe landing on runway 22 about 30 minutes after leaving FL340. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1627/history/20190802/1111Z/KDFW/KSEA http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb1b506&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Golden Myanmar AT72 at Yangon on Aug 2nd 2019, nose wheels separated on landing A Golden Myanmar Airlines Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration XY-AJM performing flight Y5-506 from Mandalay to Yangon (Myanmar) with 71 people on board, landed on Yangon's runway 21 at 16:37L (10:07Z) when both nose wheels separated from the strut upon touchdown. The aircraft came to a stop about 2100 meters/6900 feet down the runway resting on the nose gear strut and the main wheels. There were no injuries. Myanmar's DCA (Directorate of Civil Aviation) reported the landing gear failed while landing in Yangon at 16:37L, the runway needed to be closed for a couple of hours. A heavy downpour took place at the time of landing. The airport was able to re-open about 2 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cb1abb6&opt=0 Back to Top Two United Airlines pilots arrested before flight from Scotland to U.S. "We hold all of our employees to the highest standards and have a strict, no tolerance policy for alcohol," United Airlines said in a statement. A United Airlines passenger plane lands at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sept. 9, 2015, in Newark, N.J.Mel Evans / AP file Two United Airlines pilots were arrested in Scotland on Saturday morning for drinking before taking control of the aircraft they were supposed to fly to the United States. Scottish police confirmed to NBC News that they arrested two men, aged 61 and 45, under a British law that pertains to pilots carrying out their duties while under the influence of alcohol. United Airlines ultimately had to cancel UA162, the 9 a.m. flight traveling from Glasgow to Newark, New Jersey. The company said the safety of their passengers and crew take top priority. "We hold all of our employees to the highest standards and have a strict, no tolerance policy for alcohol," United Airlines said. "These pilots were immediately removed from service and we are fully cooperating with local authorities. At this time, we are working to get our customers back on their journey as soon as possible." The two men remain in police custody pending a court appearance on Tuesday. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-united-airlines-pilots-arrested-flight-scotland-u-s-n1039006 Back to Top Airplane fuel cap plummets into Florida woman's yard Fuel cap falls from sky, misses Winter Garden woman in backyard Aug. 2 (UPI) -- A fuel cap from an airplane fell out of the sky and sliced through a Florida woman's screen enclosure when she was sitting outside with a friend. Dara Hackett said she and her friend were on the patio of her Winter Garden home Thursday when they heard a sound that she said was louder than a gunshot. "Like a very, very, very loud bang -- a ting noise," she told WKMG-TV. "Then, you heard it hit the pool and splash." Hackett recovered a disc-shaped metal object measuring about 8 inches in diameter. A label on the object said, "fuel servicing." Some online research revealed the object was a fuel cap from a commercial plane. "That could have killed me," she said. "It could have killed my friend, and it could have killed my dog." The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident to determine where the cap came from. https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2019/08/02/Airplane-fuel-cap-plummets-into-Florida-womans-yard/9121564774632/ Back to Top Hong Kong Flight Disruptions Increase: Airport Strike Update Disruptions to flights in and out of Hong Kong worsened on Monday after protesters coordinated strikes to bring the city to a standstill. After dozens of morning cancellations, airport authorities said they would reschedule flights starting from 12 p.m. local time and reduce the volume of arrivals and departures. Pilot and flight-crew unions for Hong Kong's flag carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., took part in the stop-work action. Demonstrators also targeted key transport links and the airport's high-speed rail service was suspended because of obstructions on trains and platforms. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam condemned protesters for pushing Hong Kong to the verge of a "very dangerous situation," at a press briefing on Monday. Here's what we know so far: AirAsia Group Fourteen flights rescheduled, most of them between Hong Kong and Malaysia Airline tells passengers heading to or leaving Hong Kong to prepare for delays Air China At least 10 flights to and from Hong Kong scrapped, including Beijing and Chongqing connections Airline cites "route reason" for the cancellations Cathay Pacific More than 70 flights leaving Hong Kong, mostly to destinations across Asia, canceled One Paris flight among those scrapped More than 60 incoming services, many of them from China, also canceled Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon, which operates some Cathay Pacific flights, "strongly recommend customers postpone non-essential travel" Hong Kong Airlines Thirty flights in and out of Hong Kong canceled Scrapped services include flights to Shanghai and Beijing and some from Tokyo and Taipei HK Express Three scheduled services and one chartered flight canceled Airline temporarily closes downtown check-in counters Related Developments Hong Kong airport is expected to restrict flights to just one runway (from two), according to the South China Morning Post The airport told passengers to head to the airport only if their flights and seats have been confirmed Disruption is focused on Hong Kong-based airlines, according to the airport's arrivals and departures board; Korean Air and Singapore Airlines said flights were operating normally, for now. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-04/hundreds-of-hong-kong-flights-scrapped-as-cathay-unions-strike Back to Top MAX And Mechanics Still Trouble American Airlines The airline has re-estimated the effect of the MAX grounding, which it now expects to end November 2. With 24 Boeing MAXs in its fleet, American Airlines is behind only Southwest Airlines in dependence on the grounded jet. That has hurt the world's largest carrier at the same time as union problems vex the shop floor. American was hit in the second quarter of 2019 by both the MAX grounding and coordinated absences of its mainline mechanics, noted Derek Kerr, executive vice president and chief financial officer, in the airline's second-quarter conference call. The airline has re-estimated the effect of the MAX grounding, which it now expects to end November 2. The grounding will probably cost AA about $400 million in pre-tax income during 2019, up from a $350-million earlier estimate, Kerr said. But the revenue losses are slowly declining quarter-by-quarter as schedule disruptions decrease. American President Robert Isom said the airline has initiated litigation to stop the mechanics' absences which "have significantly complicated operations, causing delays and cancellations." A court is considering a permanent injunction against the unions leading the slowdown. American wants to "get back to the negotiating table," Isom said. Airline and unions have been arguing about wages, benefits and outsourcing limits since the old contracts expired in September 2018. The disagreement is unfortunate. Union problems have hurt operations at American's mainline network at the same time as the carrier has been working on a major effort to improve its operations. Isom said this improvement effort is paying off at American's regional operations, which are not affected by mainline union problem. For example, at American's regional hubs, on-time departures have improved 1.5% year-over-year, aircraft turnaround times have improved 3.2% and the controllable completion rate is up 1.2%, again year-over-year. Isom believes these kinds of improvement can spread to mainline operations once union problems are resolved. In the meantime, unit revenue and load factors are fortunately rising. The airline's pre-tax income and net income, excluding special items, rose more than 5% to $1.1 billion and $810 million, respectively, in the second quarter. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/max-and-mechanics-still-trouble-american-airlines Back to Top First U.S. FAA-approved 'beyond-line-of-sight' drone flight completed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it had approved the first drone flight beyond the operator's sight line, a major advance for retailers like Amazon.com Inc seeking to speed up deliveries by drone. Drone flights are currently required to remain in the operating team's sight to spot and avoid aircraft and other obstacles. The flight this week by the University of Alaska Fairbanks over an oil pipeline was part of a joint program with the FAA to test "beyond-visual-line-of-sight," or BVLOS, flights in which drones automatically perform tasks that would otherwise be done manually. Such flights can travel farther than the less than two miles for in-sight flights, depending on visibility and drone size. Amazon, which has been using drones for UK deliveries since 2016, said in June that it expected to start doing so in the United States "in months." While the drone this week did not fly over people, drone flights used for delivery would require permission to fly over people. Cathy Cahill, director of the university's drone program, said BVLOS flights are especially important for Alaska because the lack of roads in remote areas makes it difficult to complete many vital missions. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is focused on testing drone use for medical supply delivery and pipeline surveillance, Cahill said. The joint program advances the industry toward the reliable integration of drones into the airspace, FAA acting Administrator Dan Elwell said in a statement. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-faa-drones/first-u-s-faa-approved-beyond-line-of-sight-drone-flight-completed-idUSKCN1US2LR Back to Top India to have 2,000 planes soon, says Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri The Indian aviation sector is witnessing phenomenal growth and there could be 2,000 planes in a short time, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday. Hardeep Singh Puri told the Lok Sabha that the country's aviation sector is the third-largest in the world and there is an annual growth of 17 percent. In 2008, the number of passengers stood at 117 million and now it is around 440 million. It is expected to touch 1 billion, Hardeep Singh Puri said. With the kind of orders for aircraft, the number could be 2,000 in a short time, Hardeep Singh Puri noted. The country currently has over 600 aircraft. Hardeep Singh Puri was responding to a debate on a bill to amend the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) Act. Hardeep Singh Puri said that he would ask Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to delink Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) from petrol and diesel. ATF accounts for a significant chunk of the operational costs of an airline. The cost of aviation is high as there are institutional constraints, Hardeep Singh Puri said. Hardeep Singh Puri said that the debt of Air India is completely unsustainable and privatization of the airline would be pushed through soon. The national carrier has a debt burden of more than Rs 50,000 crore. https://www.indiatoday.in/business/story/india-to-have-2-000-planes-soon-says-civil-aviation-minister-hardeep-singh-puri-1576670-2019-08-03 Back to Top BOC Aviation places three A350s with Qatar Airways BOC Aviation has inked a purchase-and-leaseback deal with Qatar Airways, for three Airbus A350s that are expected to be delivered this quarter. These are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. "Our relationship with Qatar Airways dates back 20 years to 1999, and we are very pleased to partner with our largest customer once again to support their fleet and network expansion plans," says Robert Martin, BOC Aviation managing director and chief executive. "This addition to our portfolio of popular, in-demand aircraft on long-term leases to strong airline customers is in line with our strategy of growing our fleet through disciplined investment. We look forward to building on our long-standing relationship with Qatar Airways." Cirium's Fleets Analyzer shows the carrier operates 36 A350-900s and nine A350-1000s, with one and 33 aircraft on order, respectively. One A350-900 (MSN 249) and one A350-1000 (MSN 241) were delivered in June. Another pair of A350s, an -900 (MSN 257) and a -1000 (MSN 266) are expected to be delivered in August. Among the 118 Airbus and 105 Boeing aircraft in Qatar's operated fleet, BOC Aviation owns and manages six A350s and three 777s. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/boc-aviation-places-three-a350s-with-qatar-airways-460080/ Back to Top Singapore Airlines Adds Unlimited Free Wifi For First Class While there are many areas in which Singapore Airlines offers an industry leading experience, their inflight wifi historically hasn't been one of them. Singapore Airlines' historical wifi situation Singapore Airlines has offered inflight wifi for years, though it used to be offered exclusively by OnAir, with outrageously high prices and insanely low speeds. Fortunately they've come a long way, including on their A350s, 787s, 777-300s, and newly delivered A380s (their 777-200s and A330s don't have wifi). The airline has much faster wifi, and while it's still expensive, it's less expensive than before. Early last year Singapore Airlines announced an awesome update to their wifi offering. They introduced free wifi for those traveling in Suites, first class, and business class, as well as for PPS Club members. The catch is that there were restrictions: Suites and first class customers could enjoy 100MB of free wifi Business class and PPS Club members (traveling in premium economy or economy) could enjoy 30MB of free wifi Singapore Airlines ups free wifi allowance As of August 1, 2019, Singapore Airlines has greatly increased the data limit for free wifi: Suites & first class passengers now get unlimited free wifi Business class & PPS Club members now get 100MB of free wifi As before, this applies regardless of how your ticket is booked (so upgrade and award tickets qualify as well). To take advantage of this, just log-in to the wifi page onboard and enter your last name and seat number on the "Complimentary Access" section of the wifi portal. Singapore Airlines' A380 business class Bottom line This is a fantastic development. Seeing unlimited wifi in Suites & first is awesome, especially when you consider how fast their new A380 wifi is. In business class, an allowance of 100MB is much more generous and usable than an allowance of just 30MB. Well done, Singapore Airlines! https://onemileatatime.com/singapore-airlines-unlimited-wifi-first-class/ Back to Top India Seeks to Create Domestic Aircraft Leasing Air India flight 104 departs for Delhi from Washington Dulles (Photo: James Dingell) India is undoubtedly a large and growing aviation market. A liberalized approach to aviation and the country's strengthened economic position in the world has helped it become one of the fastest-growing markets, doubling in the past seven years. This fast-paced growth is expected to continue as more and more of the country takes to the skies. Annual growth is expected to be close to 17 percent. Growing Number of Passengers and Planes In 2008, the number of air passengers was around 117 million, and today it is around 440 million. This has led the Indian government to consider changes to aviation laws that may actually be beneficial for the industry, such as removing a high tax on aviation fuel. In addition, foreign direct investment rules may be revisited, though exact details are scant at the moment. Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Parliament that this high growth could eventually see the number of aircraft flying for Indian airlines reach 2,000, a significant increase over the 600 aircraft currently in Indian airline fleets. The Need for Domestic Financing This has pushed the government to focus on domestic aviation financing to help the industry grow. Currently, around 80 percent of aircraft operated by Indian carriers are leased compared to the global average of 40 percent. This asset-light model of operation by Indian airlines has worked well so far for most. Easy credit along with low-interest rates have made for a flourishing market for aircraft leasing. Though the market is getting a bit tougher, the recent demise of Jet Airways has sent shudders down the spines of aircraft lessors. This also comes at a time of global uncertainty, Brexit, trade wars and general slowdowns in economies across the globe. This all has impacts on leasing costs and with fluctuating foreign exchange rates, it's becoming more expensive for Indian airlines to finance aircraft with foreign lessors. Changes in foreign exchange rates would result in airlines paying more for aircraft since the leases are usually denominated in a foreign currency. This is of particular importance in the Indian aviation industry where profit margins if they exist, are generally razor thin. Increased costs can eat away at the smallest of profits and push an airline into the red. To manage the huge growth expected in the industry, the Indian government is looking to establish domestic aviation financing. The significant risks and downsides of heavily leased aircraft fleets aside, the country is trying to create a self-reliant aviation industry that will be able to fund purchases and lease aircraft locally. This will work to insulate Indian airlines from significant foreign exchange fluctuations and other factors. This in theory if coupled with the sale and leaseback model, a transaction in which an airline purchases an aircraft then sells it to the lessor and then leases it back, should help Indian airlines grow and maintain a relatively young fleet but it will come at the cost of a highly leveraged asset-light operation which could result in the airline over time paying more for an asset than outright purchase. In addition, if an airline is facing financial difficulties aircraft can quickly be repossessed as was seen with Jet Airways which had its aircraft repossessed and flying for SpiceJet and Vistara a few weeks after repossession. https://airlinegeeks.com/2019/08/04/india-seeks-to-create-domestic-aircraft-leasing/ Back to Top Top US airlines want to hire women pilots. So where are the applicants? Jamie Patterson-Simes, SkyTrek Alaska Flight Training owner Anchorage, AK. The world needs pilots: Where are the women? "See the world!" "Make good money in a career where gender has no impact on salary!" "Ladies, become a commercial airline pilot!" Boeing estimates the global aviation industry will need 800,000 pilots over the next 20 years. A quarter of those new pilots will be needed for the U.S. market. Major airlines are hiring, and they've created special programs to recruit women in particular, showing marked progress. Even so, at American Airlines, 4.8% of the pilot staff is female. At Delta, it's 5%. It's 7% at United. By comparison, at least 10% of pilots at the eight major airlines in India are female, according to a report by the BBC (12% in Australia and South Africa.) Where are the women? "We talk about that all the time, and I think for the most part, women are just still not aware that this is a job opportunity," Beverley Bass, the first woman to become a captain at American Airlines, tells CNBC Make It. Bass joined American in 1976 at the age of 24. She started her career a few years earlier in Ft. Worth flying bodies for a mortician, making $5 an hour. "A lot of the guys didn't want the job," she says. "I thought it was a great job, because for the first time, somebody was actually paying me to fly an airplane." Bass is perhaps best known for landing a flight from Paris to Dallas in Gander, Newfoundland, on 9/11, when all incoming U.S. flights were diverted. It's a saga made famous in the award-winning musical, "Come From Away." But when she joined American, a woman pilot was such a rarity that a female passenger seeing her one day sitting in the cockpit remarked, "I didn't know the captain had a secretary." She co-founded the International Society of Women Airline Pilots 40 years ago, a group that has handed out $1.4 million in scholarships to help women finance flight school. But the overall number of female pilots remains small. "Those of us who have been around for 40 or more years are just so surprised at that, because we've been embedded in the business for decades now," she says. One woman trying to close that gap is Jamie Patterson-Simes, owner of SkyTrek Alaska Flight Training in Anchorage, Alaska. She opened her flight school in 2014 after failing to convince a former boss that some students needed a different approach to learn successfully. Patterson-Simes earned her MBA and got a small business loan from the SBA. "I sold my car for $8,000" to start the school, she says, "and I had people knocking on my door from day one." Patterson-Simes thinks flight training in Alaska helps boost a student's resume, because the weather is always changing. It's also fun - and wild. One time she flew through a storm with a very drunk passenger who put his hands on her. "I ended up punching him, and I'm not supposed to punch the passengers." These days she owns three aircraft and has an eight-to-10 month waiting list for her flight school. Annual revenues are about $250,000. In 2015, Patterson-Simes was named a Gold Seal Flight Instructor by the FAA, and in 2017, SkyTrek was named the top flight school in the nation by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. She estimates about 70% of her students are men. One is Jesse Hefely, who currently works as an aircraft dispatcher. He heard about SkyTrek through "friend of a friend," and clicked with Jamie the minute they met. The fact that he has a female flight instructor is a non-issue. "My family is filled with strong women," he says. "I've been raised by strong women." "It's like I'm the brain surgeon," says Patterson-Simes. "Do you want to be the person who is their first patient, or do you want the brain surgeon who has done 500 surgeries? It's the same thing. I've been a flight instructor since 1993, the experience level is what people are looking for." She is seeing more women take lessons, including 19-year-old Madisen Minich. Minich is paying for the $10,000 training with a college fund her parents created. "I didn't want to work in an office job," she says. "I've always loved flying." And the major airlines are working hard to attract women in particular. American Airlines has a full-tuition scholarship program to cover the cost of its Cadet Academy for one woman. Currently a third of cadets in the academy are women, including some current American flight attendants who have been granted special leave to learn to fly. United holds an annual global Girls in Aviation Day, and the airline also provides scholarships for training through Women in Aviation. United's chief pilot is a woman. Delta has a program to help finance training, and every year it flies girls on a plane completely crewed by women to encourage them to seek STEM careers. Even so, among the public, there may still be a bias against women pilots. A series of studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University found passengers less willing to fly with a woman pilot (and especially two women pilots). The results were similar regardless of whether the passengers were men or women. Is there a difference between the way men and women fly? Beverley Bass never considered it. "I have heard that women have a tendency to process an abnormal situation differently." She says women are used to multi-tasking. "I mean, I know that I could cook dinner, feed a baby and talk on the telephone all at the same time, and I know my husband could only do one of those at the same time," she jokes. "But I would never sit here and say that women are better pilots or they're not as good, because at the end of the day, we're all trained the same, and I think we have the same abilities." Bass retired from American and now flies for a high net worth individual -a woman. The other pilot she works with is also a retired American captain. "Many times, after we take off and get up and cruise, and the weather is just beautiful, clear skies, we'll look at each other and say, 'Can you believe that we still get to do this?'" And Madisen Minich, the 19-year-old training in Alaska, earned her pilot's license in May and is now working on her instrument rating. Then she's planning to apply to the airlines. Her favorite part of flying? "Probably when the wheels lift off. You first rotate the plane and you just kind of hover for a second," she says. "That is the coolest feeling ever." https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/02/top-us-airlines-want-to-hire-women-pilotswhere-are-the-applicants.html Back to Top RESEARCH STUDY REQUEST Participants Needed for Pilot Simulator Experiment Iowa State University is conducting a study to examine pilot performance while using an enhanced flight vision system for approach and landing phases. The study is being led by Dr. Michael Dorneich and is funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. We are looking for pilots to participate in the study. As a participant of this study, you'll be asked to use flight simulator to complete tasks, and to answer questions. To participate this study, you must be over 18 years old, have at least 10- hour flight experience. You will be compensated $50 for about 2 hours of your time. The study is being conducted in Ames, IA. If you are interested, please contact Ramanathan Annamalai at P24experiment@iastate.edu . ISASI 2019 Future Safety: has the past become irrelevant? The Hague Marriott Hotel & World Forum The Hague September 3 - 5, 2019 *** Early Bird registration ending soon *** ISASI 2019 is pleased to announce that the Preliminary Program is now available. The Seminar's agenda includes a wide range of topics including accident case studies, airport and airline operations, human factors and commercial space accident investigations. Presentations will be given by industry experts, accident investigators, manufacturers and academics. To find out more about the program and how to register, please visit the seminar website at - www.ISASI2019.org Questions about registration can be sent to Barb Dunn at avsafe@shaw.ca As a reminder - Early Bird registration ends at midnight on July 28, 2019 MST (GMT-7). In order to receive the seminar rate at the hotel, reservations must be made by July 28. On Monday 2nd September, the day before the start of the ISASI Seminar, there is also a choice of three Tutorials: Monday (Tutorial) program: Tutorial 1 - Hosted by the Dutch Safety Board A. Aviation Safety versus Medical Confidentiality (morning) B. Communications with Victims and Relatives (afternoon) Tutorial 2 - Military accident investigation. Hosted by the Military Air Safety Investigators (MASI) - a subset of ISASI - this tutorial is the forum for International Military Accident Investigators to share knowledge on their respective capabilities, experiences, processes and procedures with a view to the development of future relationships and common practices. ****************** Fellow ISASI members: The dnata Haarlemmermeer Run will be held on Sunday September 1 in the community of Hooffddorp near Amsterdam and Schiphol. Three distances are offered; five and 10 kilometers and half marathon. Entry fee is between 11 and 17 Euros. Race shirts are available as well. This is a timed run. The race starts and ends at the Hoofddorp Pioneers Baseball Stadium. Attendees of ISASI and their companions who want to arrive early in order to participate in the race can contact me at christine.negroni@gmail.com and I will coordinate a group entry. Registration closes on August 19th. Christine Negroni author of The Crash Detectives Investigating the World's Most Mysterious Air Disasters Published by Penguin Books ================================================ 203 637-8441 landline 203 952-8441 mobile christine.negroni - skype @cnegroni - Twitter christinenegroni - Instagram Curt Lewis