Flight Safety Information AUGUST 29, 2019 - No. 174 In This Issue Incident: Cathay B773 at Hong Kong on Aug 28th 2019, engine overheat Incident: El Al B738 at Vienna on Aug 27th 2019, cabin did not pressurize Incident: Finnair A321 near Berlin on Aug 19th 2019, smell of fuel in cabin Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Aug 27th 2019, blew tyre on departure Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1+ - Runway Excursion (Germany) Lightning strikes Alaska Airlines jets in Southeast A passenger jet pilot swerved to avoid drone near Gatwick Airport GA SAFETY IN ALASKA: A CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT SUMWALT AND RICHARD MCSPADDEN Life Flight Network earns HAI safety accreditation New NBAA Committee To Tackle Emerging Technology Issues American Airlines adding 400 jobs in Tulsa Which Airport Has the Fastest Wi-Fi? Jet dismantler Aerocycle sees riches in used aircraft, plots expansion Minnesota State University Aviation Program could help fill anticipated pilot gap United Airlines to move its grounded 737 Max jets to Arizona NASA has officially attached a helicopter to the Mars 2020 Rover Aircraft Crash Survivability Course September 2019 International Conference on Unruly Airline Passenger Behaviour Incident: Cathay B773 at Hong Kong on Aug 28th 2019, engine overheat A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300, registration B-KPT performing flight CX-830 from Hong Kong (China) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was climbing out of Hong Kong when the crew stopped the climb at 9000 feet and requested to return to Hong Kong advising they had an engine (GE90) overheat. The aircraft dumped fuel and returned to Hong Kong for a safe landing on runway 2R about 80 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration B-KPH is estimated to reach New York with a delay of about 5.5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cc1e16a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: El Al B738 at Vienna on Aug 27th 2019, cabin did not pressurize An El Al Boeing 737-800, registration 4X-EKP performing flight LY-364 from Vienna (Austria) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was climbing out of Vienna's runway 29 when the crew stopped the climb at about FL140 due to the cabin not properly pressurizing. The crew descended the aircraft initially to FL110, then FL060 and further to 4000 feet to burn off fuel and landed safely back on Vienna's runway 16 about one hour after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground in Vienna over night for about 15.5 hours, then departed as flight LY-1364 to Tel Aviv. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cc1dbff&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Finnair A321 near Berlin on Aug 19th 2019, smell of fuel in cabin A Finnair Airbus A321-200, registration OH-LZF performing flight AY-1223 from Helsinki (Finland) to Prague (Czech Republic) with 141 people on board, was enrote at FL360 about 150nm eastnortheast of Berlin (Germany) when the crew decided to divert to Berlin Tegel reporting an odour in the aft cabin, the source of which could not be located. The aircraft landed safely on Tegel's runway 26R about 30 minutes later. The airline reported an odour of fuel was noticed in the aft cabin. As the source of the odour could not be located the crew decided to divert to Berlin as a precaution. The passengers were bussed to Prague, the return flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 18 hours, then positioned back to Helsinki and resumed service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cc1dee6&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Delta B752 at Atlanta on Aug 27th 2019, blew tyre on departure A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N547US performing flight DL-1105 from Atlanta,GA to Salt Lake City,UT (USA), departed Atlanta's runway 26L but blew a tyre on departure. The crew stopped the climb at 10,000 feet and returned to Atlanta for a safe landing on runway 27R about one hour after departure. The FAA reported the blown tyre also caused damage to the flaps and hydraulics. The damage is "unknown". A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N6711M reached Salt Lake City with a delay of 2:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 28 hours after landing back. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1105/history/20190827/1231Z/KATL/KSLC http://avherald.com/h?article=4cc1c97c&opt=0 Back to Top Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1+ - Runway Excursion (Germany) Date: 28-AUG-2019 Time: Type: Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1+ Owner/operator: Private Registration: D-ICEY C/n / msn: 525-0611 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Airport Frankfurt-Egelsbach - Germany Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel Airport (HAM/EDDH) Destination airport: Egelsbach Airfield (QEF/EDFE) Narrative: The CitationJet suffered a runway excursion after landing. The aircraft went through a chain link fence and suffered some damage. The 82-year-old pilot was unhurt. "The landing gear, a wing and a tank are damaged," Said police spokeman. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/228584 Back to Top Lightning strikes Alaska Airlines jets in Southeast At least two Alaska Airlines passenger jets were struck by lightning Sunday in Southeast Alaska. Alaska Airlines confirmed that flights 64 and 65 had lightning strikes from storms that moved through the northern Panhandle and also knocked out power in Juneau. Flight 65 was heading to Juneau from Petersburg. "We were descending into Juneau when they flew through a big cumulus cloud," said Leo Luczak, a passenger from Petersburg. "It started hailing and then we saw the flash outside the window and heard a big boom from getting hit by lightning." That flight landed in Juneau soon after. Luczak said the pilot notified passengers of the lightning strike and said the plane needed to be inspected. Passengers disembarked and waited in the Juneau airport for a flight to Anchorage later that evening. Juneau's airport also lost power during the storm. Alaska Airlines said that plane was flown to Seattle without passengers for further inspection. Meanwhile, Flight 64 was flying out of Juneau that day and also sustained a lightning strike. Instead of landing in Petersburg and continuing on to Wrangell, the plane was diverted to Ketchikan. The airline said a maintenance technician inspected the plane and cleared it to continue flying. That flight continued on to Seattle. Passengers bound for Petersburg and Wrangell finished their journeys Monday. The company said no other planes were hit Sunday. However, passengers reported another strike. Bill Menish of Petersburg said he was on two flights hit by lightning Sunday. He and his wife were first on Flight 65 that landed in Juneau. "We were probably down I don't know around 20,000 feet or less, probably less and going through some clouds and then all of sudden there's this more of a, kind of a big pop, and then just immediately on the tail of that was this bright flash," he described. "It was almost kind of like a reddish yellow flash. It kind of startled everybody. Nobody panicked too bad though that I could tell but it definitely caught everybody's attention." Menish said their connecting Flight 76 from Juneau to Seattle also was hit. "When we took off ..., the same thing only this was actually a louder pop and a brighter flash," Menish said. "So I don't know if it was something stronger but it was definitely louder and brighter." Daniel Hartsock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, said the storms moved into Juneau in the afternoon. "They intensified over the Juneau area where we definitely got quite a few lightning strikes with a fairly good sized thunderstorm that moved across the Auke Bay and the airport and into the valley and then another storm developed near downtown Juneau and kind of moved over Douglas and that area," Hartsock said. Juneau's electric utility said lightning caused the power outage throughout the capital city that day and said strikes were reported in other parts of Juneau. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/aviation/2019/08/28/lightning-strikes-reported-on-alaska-airlines-flights-in-southeast/ Back to Top A passenger jet pilot swerved to avoid drone near Gatwick Airport An aircraft comes in to land at Gatwick, after the airport was reopened following drone sightings during the Christmas period. London (CNN)A passenger jet approaching London's Gatwick Airport was forced to take evasive action after the pilot noticed a drone ahead, a near-miss report has revealed. The incident occurred in April and involved an Airbus A320, which can carry up to 186 passengers. The plane's pilot reported that he "saw a dark colored drone ahead" and "avoiding action of a 5-8° bank to the right was taken," according to a summary of the report published by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) body. The organization graded the incident as having the highest category of risk. It came months after reported drone sightings at Gatwick grounded flights over the Christmas period and disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people. No airline or flight number was released as part of the reported, but airlines including British Airways and EasyJet operate Airbus A320s from Gatwick. It is illegal to fly a drone above 400 feet or within one kilometer (0.6 miles) of an airport boundary, and UKAB reported that the drone was breaching those regulations. Its summary added that the drone "was endangering other aircraft at that location." "The Board considered that the pilot's overall account of the incident portrayed a situation where although safety had been reduced, avoiding action was able to be taken," it concluded. The incident was one of 10 reported drone sightings collated in UKAB's most recent monthly summary, five of which occurred near Heathrow, the UK's main airport. Another four objects spotted by pilots were unidentified, and four of the 14 total incidents were graded as carrying the highest level of risk. https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/28/uk/gatwick-drone-near-miss-scli-gbr-intl/index.html Back to Top GA SAFETY IN ALASKA: A CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT SUMWALT AND RICHARD MCSPADDEN Robert Sumwalt, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, is himself a pilot with extensive experience in the airline world. The Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and Alaska Airmen Association are continuing their Hangar Talk seminar series with a conversation on general aviation safety in Alaska. Taking advantage of having NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt and AOPA Air Safety Institute Executive Director Richard McSpadden in Alaska, you are invited to join us for a discussion on this topic. Moderated by the Airmen Government Affairs Liaison, Adam White, this session provides an opportunity to explore how Alaska aviation safety compares with the rest of the country, the unique challenges we face, and possible mitigations to help increase aviation safety in the state. It also provides a chance to understand how NTSB and the AOPA Air Safety Institute function and address aviation safety challenges. Bring your questions and join the conversation! Richard McSpadden, Executive Director of the AOPA Air Safety Institute, has a strong background in GA, corporate and military aviation. The session will be held on Thursday, Sept. 5, 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Alaska Airmen Association Building on Lake Hood. Refreshments will be served. The session will also be broadcast by the Airmen on Facebook Live. This event precedes the NTSB Roundtable: Alaska Part 135 Flight Operations, which takes place the following day, Sept. 6. For information on that event see the NTSB Notice. https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/2019/08/27/ga-safety-in-alaska/ Back to Top Life Flight Network earns HAI safety accreditation Helicopter Association International (HAI) is pleased to announce Life Flight Network of Aurora, Oregon, has completed HAI's Accreditation Program of Safety (HAI-APS). The HAI-APS was developed to help participating businesses fly to a higher standard of safety and professionalism, improve safety cultures, and reduce losses that result from avoidable accidents and incidents. Life Flight Network offers ICU-level care during air transport across the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, and Alaska. Leonardo PhotoLife Flight Network offers ICU-level care during air transport across the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, and Alaska. Leonardo Photo "In completing the HAI-APS accreditation, Life Flight Network demonstrates the commitment to safety that HAI hopes every company embraces," says HAI president and CEO Matt Zuccaro. "Life Flight Network has indeed demonstrated that they fly to a higher standard of safety." Life Flight Network earned helicopter mission-specific accreditation for Helicopter Air Ambulance while also elevating its International Standards for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) registration to Stage Three. Stage Three is the highest level of IS-BAO certification and "verifies that safety management activities are fully integrated into an operator's business and that a positive safety culture is being sustained." "Safety and patient care are our top priorities," said Life Flight Network CEO Michael Griffiths. "We are uncompromising in our adherence to the highest safety standards and committed to maintaining a culture of safety. Our accreditation by HAI is an illustration of this commitment." Life Flight Network is a not-for-profit air medical transport service with 25 bases throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. For more than 41 years, Life Flight Network has worked together with local police, emergency medical services, fire departments, emergency responders, and hospitals to help ensure patients receive the highest quality care. To become HAI-APS accredited, participating companies must first demonstrate their operations follow internationally accepted standards of safety and professionalism for helicopter operations. The HAI-APS is a voluntary nonprofit program offered as a service to HAI Regular Operator members. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/life-flight-network-earns-hai-safety-accreditation/ Back to Top New NBAA Committee To Tackle Emerging Technology Issues NBAA has established a new committee to focus on a spectrum of emerging aviation technologies, from unmanned aircraft systems and electric propulsion to urban air mobility, unmanned traffic management, and commercial space, among others. The association is soliciting applications for membership in the Emerging Technologies Committee, adding it is, in particular, looking for participants with experience in the development of these technologies, integration of them into the U.S. National Airspace System, support of associated infrastructure, and training. NBAA is encouraging manufacturers, software developers, operators, and other interested organizations to apply. "NBAA is excited to launch this new committee to support developing technologies that represent significant growth opportunities for its member companies," said NBAA director of air traffic services and infrastructure Heidi Williams. "The aviation professionals who make up this committee will help drive the future of aviation safety and policy." The committee will be tasked with developing insight to enable NBAA to better advocate on behalf of the industry on standards, rulemaking, and other policy initiatives. Additionally, the committee will provide educational and training sessions. "This committee is an opportunity for innovators in aviation to influence consensus standards and regulations that will allow for safe integration of new technology into the NAS," said Brad Hayden, president and CEO of Robotic Skies and chair of the new NBAA committee. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-08-27/new-nbaa-committee-tackle-emerging-technology-issues Back to Top American Airlines adding 400 jobs in Tulsa American Airlines announced Wednesday that it is adding 400 jobs to the airline's maintenance facility in Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World file Accentuating its 73-year-old footprint in Tulsa, American Airlines announced Wednesday that it is carving out an even bigger presence, adding 400 jobs to the airline's maintenance facility. Additional maintenance work - including scheduled maintenance on the Boeing 787 fleet - necessitated the new positions at Tech Ops Tulsa, which already employs 5,200. Hiring, primarily for Federal Aviation Administration-licensed mechanics, will continue over the next four months, said Erik Olund, managing director of base maintenance for American. "It's a huge day for us at the Tulsa base," he said by phone. "We're growing the organization considerably, and we haven't had a hiring announcement like this in over a decade ... This kind of paves the future for us to be here for a very long time." The bulk of the jobs, he said, are "certainly at the higher end of our pay scales. These are employees that are at the high point of their career. They are six-figure positions." The new mechanics will focus on areas that include aircraft overhaul, landing gear overhaul for the Boeing 737 and 777 aircraft and CFM56 engine maintenance and Airbus A321 interior modifications. In late 2019, the base will receive its first 787 aircraft to undergo scheduled maintenance checks. Additionally, the base will increase its 777 and 787 maintenance work and will make investments into the Landing Gear Shop, enabling greater production. American's announcement comes against the backdrop of a recent court decision involving the airline's federal lawsuit against the Transport Workers Union of America and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, whom American accused of taking part in an illegal work slowdown. A federal judge in Texas issued a permanent injunction earlier this month, ordering the unions to tell workers to take all steps to avoid interfering with American's operations. Moreover, the two sides remain in a labor fight. Since the late 2015 merger of American, which had TWU contracts, and US Airways, which had IAM contracts, joint contracts have not been negotiated. "Any kind of additional work out here is always received well," Dale Danker, president of TWU Local 514, said by phone. "It helps everybody. It's like when they say a high tide raises all boats. It will be good for this city, the county and the state." Tech Ops Tulsa, also known as Tulsa Maintenance Base, has 22 buildings on the main base, including 3.3 million square feet of hangar and shop space on 330 acres. American performs more maintenance work in-house than any other airline and employs more than 15,000 Tech Ops professionals worldwide. Referring to the airline's legacy in Tulsa, Mayor G.T. Bynum said "...this announcement not only reaffirms American's continuing commitment to Tulsa, but also the great benefit our community receives from investments like this. I'm grateful to the hard-working team at American for their partnership and am excited to see the impact of this work." Olund said the base will lean on partners such as OK2Grow, Tulsa Tech and Spartan Aeronautics to help fill the additional jobs. "The good news for us is when we turn the hiring button on, we seem to get an amazing amount of candidates who are ready to come to work for us," he said. "We're super excited. We're not nervous that we won't be able to fill these spots. We're really excited. We have a lot of interest in it already, and we're on a good path. "(Wednesday's) announcement is really about the fact that we are in Tulsa forever. We're not going anywhere. We're growing. It's important for our team and the community to know how important Tulsa is for us, regardless of any of the other stuff that we've got going on." https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/american-airlines-adding-jobs-in-tulsa/article_beaad2af-89c9-55e2-a242-85d5dfc997d0.html Back to Top Which Airport Has the Fastest Wi-Fi? When you're flying out of Honolulu, your Wi-Fi could be faster than the TSA PreCheck line. why axis chart fastest airport wifi speedtest Ideally, you arrive at the airport with just enough time to get through security, pick up something to read, grab a small bite to eat, and then board your on-time flight. This is rarely how it plays out, though. Travelers are often left to languish and occupy their time with smartphones-which can run painfully slow on airport Wi-Fi. The Why Axis BugSpeedtest (which is owned by PCMag's parent company J2 Global) set out to find some bright spots by looking for the fastest Wi-Fi at 51 airports in the United States and Canada. The winner is indeed a bright spot, because it's Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, which had a download speed of 145.12Mbps. Chicago Midway International Airport came in second with a download speed of 105.51Mbps. The two displaced the formerly list-topping Sea-Tac Airport, which fell 4.4 percent to come in third with a download speed of 98.66 Mbps. Upload speed generally followed the pattern of download speeds with one exception: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport had a download speed of just 54.57 Mbps but boasted the fastest upload speed at 203.50Mbps. No Canadian airports placed in the top 10, but the closest was Calgary International Airport, which came in 17th with a download speed of 69.22Mbps. Sometimes you get what you pay for. All of the above Wi-Fi speeds are for free airport Wi-Fi. Those with the advantage of access to lounges could get higher speeds. At George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the difference between standard airport Wi-Fi and United Club Wi-Fi, respectively, is an uptick of 1,117.8 percent in speed. Still, at 26 of the airports tested, the free option was also the fastest. https://www.pcmag.com/news/370409/which-airport-has-the-fastest-wi-fi Back to Top Jet dismantler Aerocycle sees riches in used aircraft, plots expansion An expected wave of aircraft retirements has Quebec's Aerocycle planning to win new customers and hire additional staff as the country's only internationally certified dismantler. Aerocycle Inc.'s latest work in progress doesn't look like much. The 27-year-old Airbus A310 that's sitting on the tarmac at Mirabel International Airport is missing both engines, the Air Transat logo has been almost entirely scrubbed off, and one of the cockpit windows is gone. That's just how Ron Haber likes it. "Isn't this cool?," Aerocycle's CEO says as he prepares to board the now-retired Air Transat jet for a quick tour of the interior. "We've been working on this aircraft for several months. It's not a race, and we have to be very cautious as to how we remove parts. This is a very labour-intensive business." Haber, who founded St-Jean-sur-Richelieu-based Aerocycle in 2013 to dismantle and recycle planes for Air Transat as part of a pilot project, has reasons to be happy. He has two more planes coming in November and another two set for demolition next spring. Last month, Aerocycle's disassembly and demolition operations secured official accreditation from the Washington, D.C.-based Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association - a key seal of approval that allows the company to bid on plane-demolition contracts globally. Its aircraft-parts management operation received a similar nod from the Aviation Suppliers Association, ensuring Aerocycle can store, sell, ship and scrap parts under a strict process. An Airbus A310 currently being dismantled at Mirabel Airport by Aerocycle, a Quebec company that specializes in dismantling and demolishing used aircraft. DAVE SIDAWAY / JPG More than 15,000 aircraft globally will be need to be decommissioned - and dismantled - during the next 15 years because they've reached the end of their useful lives, Amsterdam-based SGI Aviation Services said in a May 2018 report prepared for the International Air Transport Association. While most of the world's industrialized countries have certified companies that disassemble planes under so-called best practices, Canada had none until last month. "(Certification) allows us to talk to the big boys," Haber says. "Right now, we're the only company in Canada that has this kind of accreditation." The big boys, in this case, include a quasi-neighbour: Montreal-based Air Canada, which Aerocycle is keen to sign up as a customer. "Now that we are accredited and certified, it opens up a lot of doors for us," Haber says. "We're in discussions with Air Canada for the first time. We're right in their backyard. I'm anxious to see how this goes." This fall, Haber says he plans to travel to Atlanta to meet executives of Delta Air Lines, the second-largest North American carrier by passengers. "We deal in Canadian dollars, which means a 30-per-cent cost advantage vis-à-vis the U.S., even if you add the fuel and the crew for the ferry flight to Mirabel," Haber says. "Thankfully, we have a lot of room to expand at Mirabel. This airport is huge. It would be impossible for us to do this in Dorval." Ron Haber, CEO of Aerocycle, inside an Airbus A310 currently being dismantled at Mirabel Airport. DAVE SIDAWAY / JPG How does one dismantle an aircraft? In a word, slowly. Haber estimates it takes six to nine months for Aerocycle and its full-time staff of about 15 to take apart a widebody jet such as the Airbus employees are working on now. Up to 93 per cent of the contents of a jet can be recycled, he says - either reused, refurbished or, in the case of metal parts, melted. The engines are the first to go, usually within the first 10 days, in part because they often belong to a leasing company that wants them back. "Engines are worth a lot of money," Haber says. "So that's the first thing that's removed, along with the auxiliary power unit at the back. After the engines are gone, we remove the fuel." Seats, bins, wires, electronics - everything will be removed until the stripped-down plane is ready to be demolished. At that point, it can be broken up into pieces: first the wings, then the fuselage. "Every job is unique," Haber says. "We're not going to remove the same parts from every aircraft. Maybe one of the engines is not worth sending back because it can't be reused." Anything of value is salvaged from the cockpit of an Airbus A310. DAVE SIDAWAY / JPG The upcoming wave of aircraft retirements has got Haber dreaming of expansion. Aerocycle's medium-term goal is to process at least 15 to 20 aircraft a year, up from a handful now, according to the CEO. "We figure we will have 60 to 70 employees at that point," Haber says. "We'll need to hire like crazy." As an aviation fan, Haber also has a more personal objective in mind: serving the Queen of the Skies. "One of my goals is to get a Boeing 747 in here," he says. "I've been wanting one for a while. We're currently in discussions for a couple of 747s, which would be fantastic." https://montrealgazette.com/business/local-business/aerospace/jet-dismantler-aerocycle-sees-riches-in-used-aircraft-plots-expansion Back to Top Minnesota State University Aviation Program could help fill anticipated pilot gap MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - With more and more pilots aging out, the employment field is wide open. Minnesota State University, Mankato's Department of Aviation welcomed brand new students today eager to join that workforce. With school back in session, the hangar was open for aviation students to get a glimpse at their future career. "The industry right now is booming, they need pilots so bad and all the airlines are here to recruit us where it used to be 10 years ago, you could barely get a job after training and so now we're trying to recruit students to come to our flight school and move on to the airlines because they need us really badly and also it's just the enjoyment of flying it's not just a job, it's more of a passion," North Star Aviation Flight Instructor Sophia Poinar said. "Some industry groups have estimated in 2020 the need for over 4,000 pilots within the United States that U.S. airlines will be hiring. By 2023 that number will exceed 4,500. That will be over 375 pilots a month that the airlines are going to need to hire to fill their gaps. Our primary objective is to make a contribution to fill the those ranks," Minnesota State University, Mankato Assistant Professor of Aviation and Aviation Department Chair Mike Ferrero added. "Many of the students that come out of here move on to be very successful airline pilots, corporate pilots, there's other aviation jobs out there besides just being an airline pilot but that's just the hot commodity right now," Poinar said. "Our program has expanded significantly and we are keeping up with that expansion it's really an exciting time to be in aviation, not only for us but for these students the airlines see it and what's important to us is, we put out a good product that way when they get to the airline they do their part as a quality crew member and MSU is well represented," Ferrero added. "It's more exciting to know that if you work hard and get your instructor ratings then there could be a job potentially waiting for you if you're qualified," Poinar said. MSU'S Aviation program is the only four-year accredited aviation program in Minnesota. https://www.keyc.com/2019/08/29/msu-aviation-program-could-help-fill-anticipated-pilot-gap/ Back to Top United Airlines to move its grounded 737 Max jets to Arizona • The airline, which has 14 of the planes, stores the jets in Houston and Los Angeles. • The Boeing plane has been grounded since mid-March after two fatal crashes. • "United is fully committed to the safe movement of all our MAX aircraft and we have clearance from the FAA to conduct these ferry flights," a United spokesperson says. A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft lands at San Francisco International Airport on March 13, 2019 in Burlingame, California. United Airlines announced Wednesday that it's moving its grounded fleet of 737 Max jets to Arizona for storage. The airline, which has 14 of the planes, currently stores the jets in Houston and Los Angeles. United said it is moving the planes because of weather issues in Houston and construction and space issues in Los Angeles. The Boeing plane has been grounded since mid-March following two fatal crashes. The plane must be recertified by the Federal Aviation Administration before it can rejoin airline fleets. "United is fully committed to the safe movement of all our MAX aircraft and we have clearance from the FAA to conduct these ferry flights," a United spokesperson said. Houston is less than 60 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern U.S. is in the midst of peak hurricane season. That's one of the reasons why the airline is moving the jets, the spokesperson said. The timeline to reintroduce the planes has been pushed back, leading airlines to take the jet off their schedules. United has canceled 737 Max flights until November. The company said the move to Arizona does not change those plans. Southwest has said it won't fly the plane until 2020 and has delayed hiring new pilots because of the uncertainty around the Max. The grounding is also causing storage issues for Boeing, which has continued to produce new planes. The company is hiring temporary workers to maintain its undelivered fleet. The cancellations have also weighed on airline earnings. American Airlines reported a $175 million hit to its pretax income in the second quarter due to the grounding. United did not disclose the financial impact of the grounding in its last earnings report but did say it was buying used 737s to help meet growing demand. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/28/united-to-move-its-grounded-737-max-jets-to-arizona.html Back to Top NASA has officially attached a helicopter to the Mars 2020 Rover The chopper aims to be the first aircraft to take flight on another planet. The Mars Helicopter. How well can a vehicle fly in the Mars atmosphere? NASA just got a step closer to finding out, announcing Wednesday that its Mars Helicopter has been attached to the Mars Rover it intends to send to the Red Planet next year. The 2020 Mars Rover should arrive on the planet in February 2021, and if all goes to plan, the helicopter will then become the first aircraft to fly on a planet other than Earth. The Mars Helicopter will serve a double duty. NASA will use it to see how the conditions on mars affect aviation, and to prove that we can fly helicopters, drones and other aircraft on Mars. Once in the air, the camera-equipped copter will then showcase the viability of surveying Mars by sky. "Our job is to prove that autonomous, controlled flight can be executed in the extremely thin Martian atmosphere," said MiMi Aung, manager of the Mars Helicopter project. "If we prove powered flight on Mars can work, we look forward to the day when Mars helicopters can play an important role in future explorations of the Red Planet." Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=oOMQOqKRWjU The thin Martial atmosphere Aung mentions means the Mars Helicopter has to be both lightweight and powerful. It'll use solar cells to charge its batteries, and operate a built-in heater to combat frigid nighttime temperatures. The chopper will be autonomous: The nearest humans will be light years away, so any kind of manual control isn't yet an option. NASA first announced its plan to attach a chopper to its 2020 Mars Rover last year, but it's been developing the technology since 2013. https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-has-officially-attached-a-freakin-helicopter-to-the-mars-2020-rover/ Back to Top Back to Top DISPAX World 2019 18 - 19 September 2019, The Riverside Venue, London, UK The 3rd International Conference on Unruly Airline Passenger Behaviour With only a few weeks to go, DISPAX World 2019 is fast approaching! We are delighted to be able to offer all subscribers to Curt Lewis a 20% discount on the delegate rate. To redeem this offer use the promotional code: CURT20 when registering on the conference website: www.unrulypax.com/registration/ Disruptive passenger incidents are a daily occurrence on board commercial flights around the world. Seemingly trivial issues can quickly escalate into explosive situations that endanger the safety of passengers and crew. The much anticipated 3rd edition of DISPAX World returns to London to explore the broad range of causes of such behaviour, the responses available and the legal implications for carriers and states. Looked at from diverse perspectives, including those of aircrew, passengers, regulatory authorities, industry associations, and law enforcement, DISPAX World 2019 will provide a comprehensive and authoritative programme over two days in one of the busiest airline hubs in the world: London. Speakers will include industry leaders, aircrew, airport operators, academics and law enforcement agencies. DISPAX World 2019 is a must-attend conference for: Flight attendant instructors Unions & staff associations Pilots Law enforcement agencies Airline Security Personnel Airport operators Government transportation regulators Security companies Aviation health professionals & psychologists Consumer bodies Academics & researchers International law firms For more information and to view the programme, please visit: www.unrulypax.com or contact the Event Manager, Lucy Rawlings, at lrawlings@avsec.com and don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @DispaxWorld Curt Lewis