Flight Safety Information SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 - No. 190 In This Issue FAA waiting for more software details before 737 MAX can return to service Australia may ban Boeing 737 Max even if US gives it all-clear Lone 737 MAX criss-crossed Canada for pilot checks during grounding Incident: Swiss BCS3 near Geneva on Sep 16th 2019, uncontained engine failure Incident: Jetblue A320 at Ft. Lauderdale on Sep 17th 2019, rejected takeoff due to brakes overheating Incident: Jetstar B788 over Australia on Sep 18th 2019, cracked windshield Incident: Biman B738 at Dhaka on Sep 19th 2019, could not fully retract gear The family of a pilot who died in this year's Amazon Air fatal crash is suing Amazon FedEx pilot is detained before boarding a flight in China Pilot Chuck Yeager, Who Broke Sound Barrier, Sues Airbus for Trademark Infringement CASA releases Draft Part 91 Plain English Guide Mitsubishi Aircraft Prepares To Open Montreal Offices Safran and Boeing Jointly Invest In Battery Specialist EPS Aviation Expo comes to Roswell Airlines look to arid Australia to store Boeing 737 Max planes PIPER LAUNCHES AIRCRAFT-ASSEMBLY APPRENTICE PROGRAM Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 chopped up and recycled into coffee tables NASA manager casts doubt on 2024 moon landing GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Aviation Cybersecurity Survey Aircraft Accident Investigation from SCSI Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident FAA waiting for more software details before 737 MAX can return to service WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) still has a series of steps to complete before the 737 MAX can return to service, including submitting a pre-production version of a software update, Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson said. FILE PHOTO: Grounded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are seen parked in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo Dickson met with Boeing executives in Renton, Washington on Thursday and tested revised software in a simulator. Next week, he will meet with around 50 aviation safety regulators in Montreal to discuss the status of the plane, which has been grounded worldwide since March in the aftermath of two fatal crashes. The FAA has been reviewing proposed software and training changes from Boeing Co (BA.N) for months and it remains uncertain when Boeing will conduct a certification test flight, a step needed before its best-selling plane can fly again. In a telephone interview with Reuters, Dickson laid out a series of steps that must happen before the certification test flight, adding it should then take about another month before the FAA could allow flights to resume absent unforeseen circumstances. "I am not going to sign off on the plane until I am personally satisfied," he said. Some government officials have told Reuters they do not believe Boeing will conduct the certification flight until at least mid-October. Asked if there are at least several weeks of work to be done before that flight can occur, Dickson said he thought that was a "fair statement," but did not want to set a specific date. Asked about reports that the FAA has at times been frustrated with a lack of information from Boeing, Dickson said he is satisfied that Boeing has been responsive to him and added the FAA had made clear what it expected. "We've had conversations about the importance of making sure that we are looking at complete documentation and not piecemeal documentation," Dickson said. "It's really better to be very methodical and very detailed rather than try to rush a partially completed product and then say, 'We'll get back to you with the rest of it.'" Boeing has repeatedly said it hopes to resume flights early in the fourth quarter. The company reiterated Thursday it remains "committed to working collaboratively" with the FAA and other regulators. FAA still needs to see Boeing's "final system description" - a "500-ish page document that has the architecture of the flight control system and the changes that they have made," Dickson said, adding that the software changes must be in a "pre-production" code and not a "beta version". "We need to see that level of refinement and there has been a good bit of back and forth and some constructive discussions," he said. "Until it is locked down, we've got to go make sure that there aren't any new fault trees that have developed that need to be mitigated." Once the system description is completed, the FAA will work with Boeing to develop the "integrated system safety analysis" - a step that will take a few days. Then the FAA will move to the next phase - the pilot workload management scenarios. Once that is done, the agency will be "much closer to a predictable timeline for when the actual certification test flight will occur." The FAA plans to get input from international regulators EASA, Canada and Brazil. "We've got U.S. and international pilots that have to be scheduled to come out and actually go through the scenarios," Dickson said, adding it must also finalize training requirements. Boeing plans to revise the 737 MAX software to take input from both angle-of-attack sensors in the anti-stall system linked to the two deadly crashes. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airplane-faa/faa-waiting-for-more-software-details-before-737-max-can-return-to-service-idUSKBN1W509E Back to Top Australia may ban Boeing 737 Max even if US gives it all-clear Civil Aviation Safety Authority says it will make its own call on the 737 Max, which was grounded after two crashes left 346 dead Grounded 737 Max planes at Boeing's facility The Boeing 737 Max has been grounded since March. Casa says it may still ban the plane even if the US Federal Aviation Administration gives it the all-clear. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/Reuters Australia's air safety regulator may refuse permission for Boeing 737 Max planes to fly even if its US counterpart revokes an order grounding the aircraft, which has crashed twice, leaving 346 people dead. A Civil Aviation Safety Authority spokesman said that the decision of the US Federal Aviation Administration would be an important factor in deciding whether to allow the Max to fly, but Casa would also take into account other information before making its decision. "As the certifying authority for the aircraft type, obviously the FAA is central to the decision as to whether the aircraft flies or not but in this case due to the nature of it there is focus on the aircraft from authorities around the world," the spokesman said. He said Casa had been sharing information with other regulators including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Canadian regulator, Transport Canada, both of which have said they will do their own assessments of the Max. "Those views will form part of our thinking when we make a decision," he said. He said there was no set timeframe in which Casa would make its call. National aviation safety bodies usually accept the decision of a manufacturer's home regulator - in this case the FAA - but the deadly Max crashes have raised concerns the US authority failed to properly oversee Boeing. Global air safety authorities, including Casa, are due to meet on Monday in Montreal to discuss the Max issue at a meeting called by the FAA. No Australian airlines currently fly the Max, but Virgin has 48 on order and Qantas has also expressed interest in buying the plane. Until Casa banned the planes from flying on 13 March it was used by on flights in and out of Australia by two overseas airlines, Fiji Airways and Singapore's SilkAir. The Max, which was Boeing's fastest-selling model, was attractive to airlines because it has larger engines than the standard 737, giving it a longer range and greater capacity. But the planes were grounded in March after Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed in Kenya, killing all 157 people on board. It was the second lethal Max crash in six months. In October 2018, a Lion Air flight from Jakarta to Bangka Island plummeted into the Java Sea, killing all 189 passengers and crew. The day after the Ethiopian Airlines crash the FAA defended the airworthiness of the Max, but within two days it was forced to ground the fleet by Donald Trump. Investigations have focused on an automated system that under some circumstances can compensate for the extra lift generated by the bigger engines by pushing the nose of the plane down. The crashes have also raised concerns that engineering quality at Boeing may have suffered as the company pursued profits in competition with its European rival, Airbus. In early April, the FAA set up a joint technical review team with other aviation authorities, including Europe's Easa and Australia's Casa. A fortnight ago, the FAA said the team was "taking additional time to finish documenting its work". "We expect the group to submit its observations, findings, and recommendations in the coming weeks," it said. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/sep/20/australia-may-ban-boeing-737-max-even-if-us-gives-it-all-clear Back to Top Lone 737 MAX criss-crossed Canada for pilot checks during grounding MONTREAL/PARIS (Reuters) - While the world's Boeing (BA.N) 737 MAX fleet remains grounded after two fatal crashes, a solitary Air Canada (AC.TO) plane has been spotted in the skies, shuttling between Quebec and Ontario. Grounded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are seen parked in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, U.S. July 1, 2019. Picture taken July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson In a rare exemption, approved by Canadian aviation regulator Transport Canada, the 11 flights in August and September were partly to maintain the qualifications of senior training pilots, Air Canada told Reuters in response to a query about flight tracking data. A spokesman for Air Canada said the airline was not able to use similar 737s within its fleet "to maintain check pilot authority in alignment with (Canadian aviation regulations)". "So we are utilizing the 737 Max during planned maintenance movements to maintain qualification." Between Aug 28 and Sept 8 the Air Canada MAX plane criss-crossed between Montreal, Val d'Or, Quebec and North Bay, Ontario, data from Tracking website FlightRadar24 shows. Then last week, it was flown to Pinal Airpark in Arizona to be parked in a desert storage site. Although unusual after the grounding imposed worldwide in March amid concerns over an anti-stall system, the flights highlight growing pressures facing some airlines as they prepare for the return to service of the 400-plane Boeing fleet. The planes have been sitting idle since March following two crashes in the space of five months. For airlines like Air Canada, which did not have earlier versions of Boeing 737s in their fleets, this has made it difficult to make sure pilots can demonstrate the skills required to retain their licenses. As North America's sole MAX operator which had not flown the earlier 737NG, Air Canada cannot use that model to maintain the qualifications of its check or trainer pilots, the company said. So regulator Transport Canada authorized a select group of Air Canada's check pilots to fly the grounded jet, which was also conducting maintenance flights, the airline said. All the jets have the same control software suspected of contributing to the accidents, which Boeing is now in the process of revising to smooth its impact. However, some pilots have said existing procedures can prevent similar accidents. Boeing declined to comment. MARKET BATTLE Transport Canada said in an email that it authorized the flights "because the carrier does not operate the Boeing 737 NG aircraft, but the pilots still need to maintain currency." However, one U.S. carrier questioned by Reuters said such flights would not be possible in the United States where pilot training was not included in a list of exemptions to the ban issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. "Pilot currency isn't a listed exemption in the U.S. order," an FAA spokeswoman confirmed. North American MAX operators, including Southwest Airlines (LUV.N), American Airlines (AAL.O), United Airlines (UAL.O) and Canada's WestJet Airlines (WJA.TO), said they would only move their MAX jets for maintenance and storage purposes. Air Canada's position as a newly-converted 737 operator follows a seven-year battle between Boeing and Airbus over the introduction of airplanes offering bold new fuel savings. The introduction of the MAX, an upgrade of earlier 737 models with advanced new engines, coincided with a bitter contest for market share between Boeing and Europe's Airbus (AIR.PA), which was offering its similar A320neo. The feud saw both planemakers use the transition to a new generation of jets to try to poach each other's customers, and traders said Air Canada's 2013 decision to switch from Airbus's A320 family to Boeing's 737 MAX stood out as a major defection. Now, the decision to switch suppliers potentially weighs on some of those same airlines as they cope without a 737 fleet. Boeing has predicted that the 737 MAX will be cleared to take passengers early next quarter. The FAA, facing growing international scrutiny over its certification processes, has said it cannot give a precise date for the approval of software and training changes carried out in the wake of the two accidents, which killed 346 people. FAA chief Stephen Dickson plans to fly to Seattle this week to test modified 737 MAX software in a simulator.. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airplane-canada-jet/lone-737-max-criss-crossed-canada-for-pilot-checks-during-grounding-idUSKBN1W31BI Back to Top Incident: Swiss BCS3 near Geneva on Sep 16th 2019, uncontained engine failure A Swiss International Airlines Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration HB-JCA performing flight LX-358 from Geneva to London Heathrow,EN (UK) with 77 people on board, was climbing through FL350 when the crew decided to return to Geneva due to a problem with one of the engines (PW1524G). The aircraft landed safely back on Geneva's runway 22 about 30 minutes after stopping the climb. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Geneva due to an irregularity on one of the engines. The exact cause of the problem is being investigated by maintenance. On Sep 19th 2019 the NTSB reported the aircraft sustained a left engine (PW1524G) failure just prior to reaching the top of climb at FL350. The crew worked the related checklists, shut the engine down and returned to Geneva. A post flight inspection revealed a hole in the low pressure compressor case and a separated low pressure compressor stage 1 rotor. There were no injuries. The NTSB accepted the delegation of the investigation by the French BEA and the Swiss SUST. The occurrence is rated an incident and is being investigated by the NTSB. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cce7a9f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A320 at Ft. Lauderdale on Sep 17th 2019, rejected takeoff due to brakes overheat A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N793JB performing flight B6-914 from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Westchester,NY (USA) with 59 passengers and 5 crew, had been assigned runway 10R for departure and was holding short of the runway, when ATC switched the runway. The aircraft was instructed to taxi to the holding point runway 28L via runway 10R and the parallel taxiway. After arriving at the hold short position the aircraft was cleared to taxi into position and hold, and a minute later was cleared for takeoff. The crew rejected takeoff at low speed due to a hot brakes indication. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped, subsequently returned to the apron, where the passengers disembarked. The aircraft was repaired, the passengers boarded again, and the aircraft departed 4 hours later and reached Westchester with a delay of 3:40 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd057e0&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetstar B788 over Australia on Sep 18th 2019, cracked windshield A Jetstar Boeing 787-8, registration VH-VKE performing flight JQ-37 from Sydney,NS (Australia) to Denpasar (Indonesia), was enroute at FL400 over Australia's Northern Territory about 1120nm northnorthwest of Melbourne,VI (Australia) when the crew decided to divert to Melbourne due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft landed safely in Melbourne about 2:40 hours later. The airline reported the passengers were taken to hotels over night and were rebooked onto other flights. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd05181&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Biman B738 at Dhaka on Sep 19th 2019, could not fully retract gear A Biman Bangladesh Boeing 737-800, registration S2-AHV performing flight BG-84 from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Singapore (Singapore) with 143 people on board, was climbing out of Dhaka's runway 14 when the crew could not fully retract the landing gear, stopped the climb at 3000 feet and returned to Dhaka for a safe landing about 45 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration S2-AEQ reached Singapore with a delay of 2:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Dhaka about 16 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd04fdb&opt=0 Back to Top The family of a pilot who died in this year's Amazon Air fatal crash is suing Amazon and cargo contractors claiming poor safety standards Aerial view of the debris following Atlas Air 3591's crash into Trinity Bay, near Houston, Texas. National Transportation Safety Board On Feb. 23, Atlas Air Flight 3591 crashed in Texas, killing all three onboard. The plane was contracted to move Amazon cargo by the e-commerce giant's growing logistics arm. The family members of one of the deceased pilots, Conrad Jules Aska, are suing Amazon and its subcontractors, including Atlas Air, claiming negligence. The lawsuit, filed in a state court in Miami, alleges that Amazon and Atlas failed to ensure pilots were properly trained and that its aircraft was maintained. That "directly and proximately caused the death" of Aska. Atlas Air pilots Capt. Ricky Blakely and First Officer Conrad Jules Aska, as well as Mesa Airlines Capt. Sean Archuleta, who was riding in the jump seat, died in the crash. And, in the weeks before the accident, pilots who were contracted for Amazon Air told Business Insider that an accident was likely. The surviving family of Aska, who died at 44, claims in a new lawsuit that negligence from Atlas Air and Amazon, as well as Florida-based companies F&E Aircraft Maintenance and Flightstar Aircraft Services, "directly and proximately caused the death" of the pilot. The family is suing the four companies in a lawsuit filed on Sept. 19 in the 11th Circuit Court for the State of Florida. "Conrad was the leader of the family," Elliot Aska, who is the late pilot's brother, told Business Insider. "We looked to him. He was a strong, vibrant person." Conrad is survived by several family members including his daughter Kayla Aska, who is 19 and in college. "That's something now she has to experience in a whole different way," Elliot said. "She won't have the privilege of his guidance." What the lawsuit alleges Atlas Air, which is contracted to fly Amazon Air's planes along with air cargo company ATSG, employed Aska. The company, according to the federal suit, "owed a duty to the decedent to maintain and use the subject aircraft with the highest degree of care, including a nondelegable duty to ensure its airworthiness, and to exercise the highest degree of care to prevent injury of any kind." The airline also failed to ensure pilots were well-trained or well-rested, the suit states. The lawsuit claims that Amazon also played a role in those actions. "Amazon knew or should have known that its history of overworking pilots and forcing them to fly under fatiguing conditions and with little rest time would create an unreasonable risk of harm or death to persons, like decedent, aboard the aircraft," the suit states. An Atlas Air spokesperson said the airline does not comment on litigation. "We remain heartbroken by the loss of Flight 3591 that claimed the lives of two Atlas Air pilots, and a third pilot from another airline that was a passenger," an Atlas Air spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement. "Their families continue to be our top priority." Amazon did not respond to a Business Insider request for comment. Atlas Air Flight 3591 black box.NTSB/Flickr Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reportedly suspects that pilot error caused the fatal Feb. crash, rather than aircraft malfunctions. The NTSB said on March 5 that the Boeing 767-300 cargo jet entered some turbulence shortly before the plane's crash landing. Then, the engines increased to maximum thrust, after which the airplane pitch turned slightly up. That "startled the cockpit crew," The Journal reported, citing several sources familiar with the details. Read more: The pilots who fly your Amazon Prime packages just suffered a major loss in their 3-year quest for a new work contract The crew then tried to push the nose of the plane down. At a 49-degree angle, this caused an unusually steep descent, The Journal reported. Pilots previously told Business Insider that the actions taken during the flight were "perplexing" and not akin to typical flight maneuvers. "I can't imagine," a pilot and former aviation-safety officer in the US military told Business Insider. "It sounds so off to me - totally counter to my instincts and training. I'd kick the autopilot and auto throttles off pretty darn fast." Atlas Air had a number of operational hiccups in the past year alone It's still not known what the cause of the Feb. 23 crash was. But Atlas Air has had a number of questionable incidents in the past year. In October, a Boeing 747 cargo plane operated by Polar Air, a subsidiary of Atlas Air, veered off the airway at the Northern Kentucky Airport. It came to stop on the soft ground. No other plane on that day had a similar landing. An Atlas Air Boeing 767 cargo airline had a hard landing in July at the Portsmouth, New Hampshire airport. Creases around the fuselage and "substantial damage to the aircraft" was found after the flight inspection. A history of labor issues at Atlas Air Thirteen pilots from the airlines that Amazon Air contracts with told Business Insider that their pay and benefits are below industry standards. All but one of the pilots said that means those who work with Amazon Air tend to be less experienced. Most of these pilots have asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. "It's a ticking time bomb," Captain Robert Kirchner, Atlas pilot and executive council chairman of Teamsters Local 1224, told Business Insider weeks before the crash. Kirchner and other Atlas Air pilots said the company, which contracts to Amazon, DHL, and other carriers, tends to overwork their pilots. "They don't recognize pilot fatigue," Kirchner previously told Business Insider. "They think it's people goofing off. We have to constantly show them some of these schedules. Ninety-nine percent of the time, we're able to prove to them that this is a fatiguing schedule." Pilots who fly for Amazon Air have been locked in a three-year-long struggle with their employers to secure a new work contract. As for the late pilot Aska, his brother told Business Insider that the Antiguan native was known as an activist in his community. "He was an infectious person who touched so many people," Elliot said. https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-atlas-air-fatal-crash-pilots-sue-2019-9 Back to Top FedEx pilot is detained before boarding a flight in China FedEx pilot detained in China FedEx pilot Todd A. Hohn, pictured in 2016 while with the U.S. Air Force, reportedly was detained on Sept. 12 after pellets used in replica air guns were found in his checked bag.(U.S. Air Force) FedEx says one of its pilots was detained in China after an item was found in his luggage before he boarded a commercial flight. The company said Thursday the pilot was later released, and it is working with Chinese authorities to understand what happened at the airport in Guangzhou, in southern China. The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the incident, reported that former U.S. Air Force pilot Todd A. Hohn was detained Sept. 12 after pellets used in replica air guns were found in his checked bag. The newspaper said Chinese authorities allege that Hohn was illegally carrying ammunition, and they have started a criminal investigation. "We are working with the appropriate authorities to gain a better understanding of the facts," a FedEx spokeswoman said in a statement sent to the Associated Press. FedEx said the pilot was later released, although the company spokeswoman said she did not know where he is now. The Journal reported that Hohn was moved to a hotel and told that he can't leave mainland China until the investigation is over. FedEx declined to comment further. It would not say whether the incident has affected its schedule in Asia. The Air Line Pilots Assn., which represents FedEx pilots, has told its members not to comment on social media because of the sensitive nature of an incident in China. A Federal Aviation Administration database of pilots lists a Todd A. Hohn in Niceville, Fla. He is licensed to fly several different planes, including Boeing 757 and 767 jets used by FedEx. FedEx Corp. has been caught up in rising trade tension between the United States and China. This week, FedEx Chief Executive Fred Smith blamed slower worldwide economic growth on trade uncertainty. Shares of FedEx fell 12.9% on Wednesday - their worst day since 2008 - after the company reported disappointing quarterly profit and cut its estimate of full-year earnings. On Thursday, the stock finished up $1.54, or 1%, at $152.45. Earlier this year, Chinese technology giant Huawei complained about deliveries that FedEx had misrouted. Shortly after that, in June, FedEx sued the U.S. Commerce Department to stop enforcement of export rules that restrict shipments to Huawei and other entities. Huawei is on a list of companies barred from receiving U.S. technology without a special license from the Commerce Department. https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-09-19/fedex-pilot-detained-china Back to Top Pilot Chuck Yeager, Who Broke Sound Barrier, Sues Airbus for Trademark Infringement Chuck Yeager, the retired U.S. Air Force pilot who broke the sound barrier, has sued Airbus SE, accusing the aerospace company of using his name and likeness without permission to promote a new high-speed helicopter. In a complaint filed on Wednesday that refers to him as "one of the most, if not the most, famous pilots of all time," the 96-year-old Yeager objected to a June 2017 piece on Airbus' website about making the Airbus Racer a fast and cost-effective way to fly. The piece quoted Guillaume Faury, now Airbus' chief executive officer and at the time Airbus Helicopters' CEO, as saying: "Seventy years ago, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier," and Airbus was now "trying to break the cost barrier. It cannot be 'speed at any cost.'" Yeager accused Airbus of trademark infringement and taking away his right of publicity through "fraudulent" conduct, in which it deceived the public into believing he endorsed it. "This is not a company that sells burritos," Yeager's lawyer, Lincoln Bandlow, said in a telephone interview on Thursday. "It sells aircraft, and you can't find a man more valuable to associate with aircraft than Chuck Yeager." Airbus spokesmen said the company, which is headquartered in Toulouse, France, had no comment on pending litigation. Yeager is seeking unspecified compensatory, punitive and reputational damages, as well as restitution, in a lawsuit filed in the federal court in Santa Ana, California. He has filed similar lawsuits against other defendants in the past. Yeager became the first person to break the speed of sound, known as Mach 1, piloting his rocket engine-powered Bell X-1 over southern California on Oct. 14, 1947. He became familiar to a younger generation 36 years later when the actor Sam Shepard portrayed him in the movie, "The Right Stuff," based on the Tom Wolfe book. Yeager said the website piece was not Airbus's first use of his name and likeness without permission, saying it previously used an unauthorized video of his 2008 visit to the company. He said Airbus Helicopters had asked for permission to use his name in press releases, but rejected his demand for more than $1 million and veto power over how it was used. "There were some negotiations but they fell through, and litigation was unfortunately the next course," Bandlow said. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2019/09/20/540663.htm Back to Top CASA releases Draft Part 91 Plain English Guide The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) yesterday published a advanced draft CASR Part 91 Plain English Guide. CASR Part 91 General Operating and Flight Rules was completed in December 2018 as part of the "six-pack" suite of regulatory reform. The Plain English guide is designed to make the rules easier to understand. The final version will incorporate all of Part 91 and the Part 91 Manual of Standards (MOS), which is still being worked on. "The guide is primarily intended for general aviation pilots and flying schools," CASA has stated. "However, it is expected all pilots could find it useful as it contains the foundational rules for all flight operations." CASA has created the guide in both print and interactive forms for comment by the aviation community, but points out that the new rules don't come into force until March 2021. The Part 91 Plain English guide is CASA's first attempt to comply with the recommendation of the Aviation Safety Regulation Review (ASRR) that called for all regulations published also in plain English. CASA is currently seeking feedback on the guide with the aim to having the final product released in the first half of 2020. http://www.australianflying.com.au/latest/casa-releases-draft-part-91-plain-english-guide Back to Top Mitsubishi Aircraft Prepares To Open Montreal Offices Mitsubishi Aircraft on Thursday confirmed plans to establish a footprint in the Broisbriand suburb of Montreal, where it said it expects to create about 100 jobs associated with certification and entry into service of the SpaceJet M90 and M100 regional jets. The announcement comes some three months after parent company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries agreed to acquire the CRJ regional jet program from Bombardier for $550 million in cash and assume liabilities amounting to some $200 million. Under the deal, MHI will acquire the maintenance, support, refurbishment, marketing, and sales activities for the CRJ Series, including the related services and support network located in Montreal and Toronto, its service centers located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and Tucson, Arizona, as well as the type certificates. Mitsubishi Aircraft in June opened its first office outside Japan in Renton, Washington, where it now employs roughly 150 engineering, sales, marketing, and support staff. The company plans to open the office in Broisbriand as soon as possible, likely in the fall, said a Mitsubishi Aircraft spokesman. In the first phase of its staffing exercise, the company plans to hire 30 people with engineering and product development backgrounds. It has scheduled a job fair at the Montreal Grande Hotel for September 21. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-09-19/mitsubishi-aircraft-prepares-open-montreal-offices Back to Top Safran and Boeing Jointly Invest In Battery Specialist EPS Boeing and Safran this week announced a joint investment in energy storage specialist Electric Power Systems (EPS). The undisclosed investment during a Series A funding round will help Utah-based EPS to develop a highly automated industrial base capable of producing aviation-grade batteries at far higher rates than is possible today. It will also support work to reduce the cost of the batteries, making them more viable for electric aircraft. France-based Safran is actively involved in a number of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developments, including Bell's Nexus, for which it is providing a new turboshaft to support its hybrid-electric powerplant. It has also been involved in Zunum's ZA-10 fixed-wing program, which appears to be stalled due to a lack of funds, and reportedly with MetroSkyways' City Hawk. Boeing's HorizonX division is supporting the development of the new Personal Air Vehicle and Cargo Air Vehicle by subsidiary company Aurora Flight Sciences. The Boeing group also has a new partnership with Kitty Hawk, which is developing the Cora eVTOL design in New Zealand. EPS is already providing energy storage units for the Nexus model. It is also supporting Bye Aerospace's electrically powered eFlyer fixed-wing aircraft. Safran views the eVTOL sector as a launchpad for introducing electrical power to larger aircraft and, in its view, improving the efficiency of energy storage is a key factor in achieving this. "We think that eVTOL is a significant business opportunity that still faces a lot of uncertainty," Hervι Blanc, vice president of the group's Electrical & Power division told AIN. "The eVTOL aircraft are perfect for demonstrating the benefits of electric and hybrid power solutions and we expect them to drive other opportunities with larger aircraft. According to Safran, weight constraints for energy storage units are a far greater challenge for aviation than they are in the automotive sector. So too, are the ability to meet safety standards and to produce large numbers of batteries at an acceptable cost. Stay on the leading edge of the business jet industry with AIN's free daily newsletter. In Blanc's view, power is more of a challenge for eVTOL aircraft developers than autonomous flight controls. "Autonomy is easier with aircraft than for a car," he argued. "You take off from one fixed point and land in another, following a clear channel on the way so it's much easier to define how this is done than it is for an autonomous car in the middle of traffic." Safran believes it might well take another five years to get eVTOL aircraft certified and in commercial service, and that operations will likely start with cargo operations. "It is fairly easy to do a flight demonstration with just one prototype but getting a fleet of aircraft into service with the right level of safety and reliability will be another story and demonstrating that the industry can achieve that will require a step-by-step approach," Blanc commented. Safran also is working on algorithms to ensure that operators will know with a high degree of accuracy how much charge is left in batteries so that they can be sure of landing safely. The company is looking to support both hybrid and all-electric aircraft. It views the latter as being limited to flights of up to around 30 minutes with currently available energy storage technology, but envisions this shifting as the power-to-weight ratio of batteries improves. "Getting to 300 kW/kg will be a game-changer," said Blanc. "The question is whether that will take one to two years or five to 10 years." Safran also has invested in Oxis Energy, which is developing new lithium-sulfur batteries. In July 2019, it acquired Neelogy, a France-based specialist in electrical current sensors. Further ahead, the group believes electrical power will prove viable for regional airliners. At the Paris Air Show in June, it announced a partnership with Daher and Airbus through which they will seek to improve the aerodynamics of hybrid power solutions on larger aircraft through development work on one of Daher's TBM single-engine turboprop aircraft. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-09-18/safran-and-boeing-jointly-invest-battery-specialist-eps Back to Top Aviation Expo comes to Roswell Aviation leaders, educators and officials will meet with students in Roswell next week as the city hosts the New Mexico Aviation and Aerospace STEM Expo for the first time. "It is a great opportunity for students to learn about a career field and get insight and some advice from someone who actually works in that field," said Bill Shuert, event coordinator and a member of the New Mexico Aviation and Aerospace Association, which has organized the event for seven years. He said New Mexico has a great need for a trained workforce in aviation and aerospace, which includes more than pilots or aircraft maintenance professionals. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, National Weather Service employees, air traffic controllers and airport authority officials are just a few examples of other careers in the industries. The event has invited youth in sixth to 12th grades, as well as some college students, to talk with industry professionals and look at some of the latest technologies used. The Expo will occur Thursday at the Roswell Air Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shuert said he expects about 3,500 students, including 2,400 from the Roswell area. That includes about 32 aircraft exhibits. The Aviation Division of the New Mexico Department of Transportation also intends to be there. The participation makes the event the nation's largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) exposition focusing on aerospace and aviation, Shuert said. With a theme of "Women in Aviation and Science," the keynote speaker is scheduled to be Jill Myers, an aerospace and aviation management consultant who has spent more than 30 years in the industry, including working with Boeing, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. She has been a private pilot since she was 17. Shuert said girls and young women are encouraged to consider fields that need more women representation. More information is available on the association's website, nmaaa.net. https://www.rdrnews.com/2019/09/19/aviation-expo-comes-to-roswell/ Back to Top Airlines look to arid Australia to store Boeing 737 Max planes Former Deutsche Bank analyst starts company aimed at regional aircraft storage market The facility near Alice Springs in Australia's Northern Territory offers a low-humidity environment conducive to the preservation of aircraft © Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft in March cost the manufacturer and the airline industry billions of dollars in compensation and lost revenues but it is proving a boon for one of the world's most remote aircraft storage facilities. Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage, founded by a former distressed debt analyst at Deutsche Bank, has clinched a deal with Singapore's SilkAir to store and maintain six of its 737 Max jets at its desert facility near Alice Springs in Australia's "Red Centre". The aircraft, which were grounded in March after two deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, are due to fly to the site in coming weeks when Australian regulators sign off on a flight plan, the Financial Times has learned. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority confirmed on Friday it had received an application from SilkAir to fly up to six 737 Max aircraft from Singapore to Alice Springs and it expected to finalise its assessment next week. 250 - The number of planes Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage could eventually accommodate The aircraft were grounded due to potential problems with its new anti-stalling manoeuvring characteristics augmentation system, which have been linked to the cause of the crashes. "An important point is that this is a ferry flight only, with no passengers," said a Casa spokesman. "It would be flown under special operating procedures with the MCAS system not operational." The grounding of the 737 Max has caused chaos for Boeing, which in July estimated that compensation for airlines for schedule disruptions and delays in aircraft deliveries would total $4.9bn. It is also causing difficulties for airlines, which have to store the almost 400 aircraft already delivered to them by Boeing. Southwest Airlines has moved all 34 of its 737 Max aircraft to the ComAv aircraft storage facility about 90 miles north-east of Los Angeles in the Mojave desert. Last month United Airlines said it was moving its 14 Max planes to storage facilities at Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Arizona, owned by the city of Phoenix. Both California and Arizona have dry weather conditions suitable for storing aircraft, but the options for storing aircraft in low humidity in the Asia-Pacific region are limited opening up an opportunity for Apas, which is based close to the outback town of Alice Springs. Tom Vincent, founder and managing director of Apas, said he could not confirm the SilkAir deal due to confidentiality but he said Apas was speaking to several airlines and leasing companies about storing 737 Max aircraft until they could return to service. Mr Vincent said the desert climate near Alice Springs was a big attraction for potential customers. "The high humidity found in many Asian climates can cause problems with corrosion," he said. "We provide short-term and long-term aircraft storage programmes with engineers providing weekly maintenance," he said. Apas said it can store a maximum of 30 aircraft but had plans to expand capacity to host 70 planes on its site. The company's entire landholdings, when fully developed, could store at least 250 aircraft. https://www.ft.com/content/d3ed576a-db4c-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17 Back to Top PIPER LAUNCHES AIRCRAFT-ASSEMBLY APPRENTICE PROGRAM The first group of apprentices in a two-year training program launched by Piper Aircraft has begun attending classes and receiving hands-on training in fabrication and aircraft assembly skills. A Piper M350 cabin-class aircraft is on display during EAA AirVenture at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 23, 2018. Photo by David Tulis. The nine apprentices, who are on a track to qualify as journeymen in aircraft assembly, are taking their courses as paid Piper Aircraft employees with full employee benefits, Piper said in a news release. "The Piper apprentices are part of a high-tech version of the ancient tradition of apprentices learning a trade requiring specialized skills by working with an experienced professional. This program provides the necessary training, mentoring and support enabling apprentices to successfully pursue a long-term career with growth opportunity as a Piper employee," said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott. "As we look to the future and consider our current aircraft sales and order backlog, the apprentice program will help ensure that Piper has a strong and agile workforce for the years to come." Piper announced the apprenticeship program in October 2018, having recently booked orders to manufacture more than 200 aircraft. At the time, Caldecott noted that he considered the on-the-job training initiative a major accomplishment to bolster the company's workforce growth in Vero Beach, Florida. Piper said it expected to double the number of apprentices with a new class in 2020. The application period for the 2020 class will open in January. The application is available on the Piper website under the Careers tab. Questions may be emailed to Piper Aircraft. AOPA reported in an August 2019 Flight Training magazine article on trends in delivering the hands-on education needed to prepare a skilled workforce in the aviation trades, highlighting the program of Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, where students at the main Pittsburgh campus earn an associate degree in 21 months. Non-degree-seeking students can earn a certificate in 16 months at PIA's campuses in Youngstown, Ohio; Hagerstown, Maryland, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2019/september/18/piper-launches-aircraft-assembly-apprentice-program Back to Top Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 chopped up and recycled into coffee tables Retired aircraft: German airline Lufthansa has launched a product collection made from a decommissioned Airbus A340-600 D-AIHO. Courtesy Lufthansa (CNN) - The afterlife of a decommissioned airplane can take many forms nowadays. Some are dismantled and used as parts, others simply end up in aircraft graveyards, while a select few are reinvented as modern restaurants or hotels. However, Lufthansa has gone for a rather different approach with a retired Airbus A340-600. The German airline is giving the aircraft, identified by the registration code D-AIHO -- a fresh start as a brand new product collection. Created as part of a collaboration between Lufthansa, traveler loyalty program Miles & More GmbH and Lufthansa Technik, the Lufthansa Upcycling Collection is made from parts of the plane, which was withdrawn after 10 years of service. The plane's slats and side panels have been transformed into coffee tables, while a separate table has been made from two of its windows and a sheet of safety glass. Four of its other windows were converted into two trendy wall bars, and a further 20 have been made into wall clocks. Many are one-off items and this is clearly reflected in the prices. The tables range from $1,550 to $3,300, while the wall bars cost between $1,327 and $1,660. A keyring made from the plane's aluminum cladding will set you back $27. "The special thing about the Lufthansa Upcycling Collection is that something of the aircraft's spirit can be preserved," says Sebastian Riedle, spokesperson and managing director of Miles & More GmbH. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/airbus-a340-600-coffee-tables/index.html Back to Top NASA manager casts doubt on 2024 moon landing The core stage for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket at the agency's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A top NASA manager cast doubt Wednesday on the space agency's ability to land astronauts on the moon by 2024. Kenneth Bowersox, acting associate administrator for human exploration and operations, told a Congressional subcommittee that NASA is doing its best to meet the White House-imposed deadline. But he noted: "I wouldn't bet my oldest child's upcoming birthday present or anything like that." Bowersox - a former space shuttle and space station commander - said it's good for NASA to have "that aggressive goal." Many things need to come together, like funding and technical challenges, he said, for 2024 to stand a chance. "What's important is that we launch when we're ready, that we have a successful mission when it launches, and I'm not going to sit here and tell you that just arbitrarily we're going to make it," he said in response to questioning by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-FLorida. "There's a lot of risk in making the date, but we want to try to do it." The Trump administration urged NASA in March to accelerate its latest moon-landing plans by four years to 2024. The request came a few months ahead of the 50th anniversary of the first lunar footsteps by Apollo 11s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. NASA has named the program Artemis after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology and promises the first moonwalking team will include a woman. The pair would land on the lunar south pole, where vast reserves of frozen water could be tapped for future explorers. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine - who's pushing Artemis every chance he gets - stresses the goal is sustainability this time around, with the moon serving as a critical training ground for Mars expeditions, perhaps in the 2030s. NASA's replacement for the Apollo-era Saturn V rocket - the Space Launch System or SLS - is still in development. Its launch debut has slipped repeatedly and, according to Bowersox, will now occur no earlier than the end of next year. This initial test flight will send an Orion capsule around the moon with no one on board. The space agency still needs to come up with new lunar landers, rovers and spacesuits. U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Florida, asked during the space subcommittee hearing why it's taking so long and costing so much for NASA "to get back to where we were" during Apollo. The last Apollo mission to the moon was in 1972. Doug Cooke, a former NASA exploration manager now running his own consulting business, said engineers often want to include new technologies and ideas, and therefore the program gets "trapped in that to some degree." He favors a simpler Apollo-like approach for getting astronauts back to the moon, requiring fewer launches and critical maneuvers than envisioned under the Artemis program. NASA's proposed mini outpost around the moon known as Gateway, from which astronauts would descend to the lunar surface, should be delayed until later missions, according to Cooke. Cooke pointed out the obvious anxiety in Mission Control during the Apollo moon landings. "It's hard enough as it is," he said. As for whether private companies like SpaceX might beat NASA to the moon, Bowersox said, "I'd still bet on us - but they might be part of our program." https://nypost.com/2019/09/18/nasa-manager-casts-doubt-on-2024-moon-landing/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Fellow Aviators, I kindly invite you to take part in a short online survey concerning the Psychological Assessment of Pilots in Commercial Airline Operations. This is part of my dissertation towards the award of a master's degree in Air Safety Management from the City University of London, U.K. I am currently an Instructor and Training Captain for a leading international airline, flying the Boeing 777 and 787. The survey is specifically meant for Commercial Airline or Business/ Corporate pilots. The survey is an important element of the project as it ascertains Airline Pilot views and opinions about Mental Health. It has been four years since the Germanwings crash and there has been very little done in terms of testing and support of mental health issues of aviators. The survey is available at the following link and will take less than 20 minutes to complete. All responses are completely anonymous and no data including IP addresses are collected. https://forms.gle/jWBYaV5AGArhEVtC7 More information on the survey is included in the Introduction section. Thank you in advance for your invaluable time and insights. I can be contacted on sanjay.rao@city.ac.uk for any further clarifications. Blue skies and safe flights, Capt. Sanjay Sakaram Rao Back to Top Aviation Cybersecurity Survey Like many industries, the aviation industry is going through a technology transformation that stretches from satellites to aircraft to airports and supply chain and more. But with this transformation and increased digitisation and connectivity and across the aviation industry, the resilience and security of such systems becomes critically important. Adversaries have always seen the aviation sector as a key target; as it increasingly digitizes, understanding what this means for managing cybersecurity risk is of key importance. As a result, there is a great deal of work focusing on aviation cybersecurity globally, from the proposed ICAO Aviation Cybersecurity Strategy to regional and industry initiatives. But with such a complex and varied sector, it can be challenging to really hear and understand the different perspectives and concerns on the topic of aviation cyber security; ultimately, the more we understand the nature of the aviation cybersecurity challenge, the better we can develop strategies at all levels to protect ourselves and move forwards. To help understand the different perspectives on aviation cybersecurity, to help the entire sector understand the nature of the challenge; the first ever survey on aviation cyber security is being conducted by myself and the Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative**, with funding by Thales. It is fully anonymous, focusses on learning about different viewpoints and will help us understand the 'now' of aviation cybersecurity; (it does not ask any questions on breaches, etc...!). The aviation industry and the roles and organisations that support it are diverse. For the purposes of this survey, we are defining Aviation Cybersecurity as being cybersecurity that relates to aircraft operations. This includes everything that involves safely and securely getting aircraft and passengers from A-to-B, along with the supply chain of products and services that enables this. We would love everybody in the aviation industry that has an operational role, cybersecurity role, support it with products and services or cybersecurity research to contribute to the survey. With the topic being a broad one, we are keen to get not just the perspectives of those working at the cross-over of aviation and cybersecurity but also anyone contributing to the aviation sector. The survey should take less than 15 minutes and the results of the survey will be free and published openly in mid-November 2019. If you would like, you are also able to request a copy of the final report and details of the launch. If you have any questions you can get in touch via cyber@atlanticcouncil.org The link to the survey is below. Please contribute, support and distribute the survey to your own colleagues, organisations and relevant contacts, the more that contribute to the survey, the better results and understanding we will get. Website; http://aviationcyber.atlanticcouncil.org/the-global-survey-on-aviation-cybersecurity/ Direct Link; https://www.research.net/r/Aviationcybersecurity If you have any questions, then please either get in touch with myself, or the contact details contained on the survey. Pete Cooper *Pete Cooper, MSc, FRAeS is a cyber strategy adviser across multiple sectors but with a focus on aviation. He has advised IATA and ICAO on cybersecurity strategy as well as nation states, and multi-national organisations. He is the author of 'Finding Lift, Minimising drag' which explored the cybersecurity challenges of the aviation sector and is the lead for the Aviation Village at DEF CON where he works to build bridges between the research community and the aviation sector in partnership with US DHS and the USAF. He is also the founder and Director of the Cyber 9/12 UK Strategy Challenge, which finds and develops the next generation of cyber security leaders. Before entering the commercial sector, Pete was a fast jet pilot and instructor in the Royal Air Force and then moved into cyber security where he held the role of strategic cyber operations adviser. He holds a post Grad from Cranfield University and is CEO of Pavisade. **The Atlantic Council Cyber Statecraft Initiative focus is to: 1) examine the nexus of geopolitics and national security with cyberspace; 2) continue to build out the new field of cyber safety in the Internet of Things; and 3) help build the next generation of cybersecurity and cyberspace policy professionals. Throughout all of its work, the Initiative focuses relentlessly on providing practical, innovative, and relevant solutions to the challenges in cyberspace. The Initiative brings together a diverse network of respected experts, bridging the gap between the technical and policy communities. Back to Top Back to Top Title Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. ID Code PA302 Dates and Tuition October 24-25, 2019 $1034 early registration, by September 24, 2019 $1134 late registration, between September 25 and October 20, 2019 We are no longer accepting offline payments. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times Day 1: 8:30am - 5pm Day 2: 8:30am - 12:15 pm (Optional accident scenario workshop from 1:00 - 3:00 pm) Location NTSB Training Center * 45065 Bles Park Drive * Ashburn, Virginia 20147 Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend SIGN UP FOR THIS COURSE HERE CEUs 1.3 Overview • How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community • Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation • How the NTSB public affairs officers coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media • Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident • Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others Comments from course participants See the 235 organizations from more than 30 countries that have sent staff to attend this course Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: • Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport • Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested • Identify the appropriate Public Affairs roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation • Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why • Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend • Investigators from the NTSB and other accident investigation authorities/commissions worldwide • Potential participants in an NTSB investigation: Investigative and safety personnel employed by airframe, engine or component manufacturers, airlines, civilian and military agencies, and related labor unions • Members of the academic community attending for research purposes (on a space-available basis) Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email StudentServices@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3939 https://www.ntsb.gov/Training_Center/Pages/2019/PA302.aspx Curt Lewis