Flight Safety Information SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 - No. 195 In This Issue NTSB criticizes aircraft certification process over Boeing Boeing Assumed 737 Max Pilots Could Quickly Respond To Cockpit Warnings, NTSB Says Federal officials say Boeing underestimated pilots ability to react to simultaneous warning alerts Incident: LOT DH8D at Warsaw on Sep 25th 2019, cabin pressurization problem Incident: Jetblue A320 at West Palm Beach on Sep 24th 2019, bird strike Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk - Fatal Accident (Louisiana) Cessna 402B - Emergency Landing Accident (Paraguay) Russian jet hard lands in Siberia, 49 people seek medical aid Alaska Airlines flight diverted after threat by passenger Omni Air Flight Lands At BWI After Declaring Emergency Teaching Pilots a New Trick: Landing Quietly FAA to determine if airplane seats are too tight for quick evacuations Woman in China opens airplane emergency exit for 'fresh air' Lawmakers press FAA on slow implementation of key mandates Nordic Airlines Finnair And SAS Team Up To Develop Electric Aircraft Bessie Coleman, the Black Cherokee Female Pilot Who Made Aviation History Lockheed is about to start building wings for the F-16 fighter jet at a plant in India Russia and China Are Teaming Up to Explore the Moon GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY (1) GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY (2) MITRE - SMS Course - December 2019 Manager, Internal Evaluation Program Maintenance Safety Specialist Technical and Training Manager Human Factors in Accident Investigation from SCSI Aircraft Accident Investigation from SCSI NTSB criticizes aircraft certification process over Boeing The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is criticizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its certification process for Boeing planes, saying the tests underestimated the time pilots need to diagnose a problem. The board released a series of recommendations Thursday for the FAA to consider when evaluating Boeing plans. The report comes in the wake of the Trump administration grounding Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft earlier this year following a pair of crashes that left hundreds dead. The NTSB argues that Boeing did not test its planes thoroughly with pilots, including insufficient tests to sensor failures, which early investigations indicate caused the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, The Associated Press reported. "We are concerned that the process used to evaluate the original design needs improvement because that process is still in use to certify current and future aircraft and system designs," the board says. The NTSB is requesting the FAA look into how pilots would respond to all potential cockpit alerts and change the cockpit design and pilot training to avoid future crashes. The FAA has 90 days to respond. Chaz Bickers, the director of corporate communications for Boeing, told The Hill that the company is committed to looking into the NTSB recommendations. "We value the role of the NTSB in promoting aviation safety," he said. The FAA said in a statement that the "lessons learned" from the plane crashes will be a "springboard to an even greater level of safety." "The agency will carefully review these and all other recommendations as we continue our review of the proposed changes to the Boeing 737 MAX," it read. "The FAA is committed to a philosophy of continuous improvement." https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/aviation/463246-national-transportation-safety-board-criticizes-aircraft Back to Top Boeing Assumed 737 Max Pilots Could Quickly Respond To Cockpit Warnings, NTSB Says A grounded Boeing 737 Max sits in a parking area adjacent to Boeing Field in Seattle. Federal safety officials said on Thursday that Boeing should consider how cockpit confusion can slow the response time of pilots. Elaine Thompson/AP Federal transportation investigators say Boeing should reevaluate the way it prepares pilots to respond to emergencies and faulted the aircraft maker for making assumptions about the design of cockpit systems in the first safety analysis released since two crashes of 737 Max planes killed 346 people. The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday issued seven recommendations after probing the events that led up to crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, when aircraft design flaws took the planes into steep dives that pilots were unable to correct. NTSB investigators concluded that Boeing underestimated a pilot's response time to a plane's nose pitching down. A key assumption, the report found, was that pilots could quickly figure out what was wrong and correct for it amid multiple and cascading error messages. "Thus, the NTSB concludes that aircraft systems that can more clearly and concisely inform pilots of the highest priority actions when multiple flight deck alerts and indications are present would minimize confusion and help pilots respond most effectively," the report says. In both crashes, the "stick shaker" was activated, which rattles a cockpit's control columns, in addition to other lights flashing and alert sounds. The Max planes have been grounded since March, when a Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed, killing all 157 passengers aboard. Five months earlier, another Max 8 jet, operated by Indonesia's Lion Air, crashed after departing Jakarta, killing 189 people. In each incident, failing automated anti-stall systems miscalculated the position of the plane's nose, causing the planes to plunge from the sky. The report found that "neither Boeing's system safety assessment nor its simulator tests evaluated how the combined effect of alerts and indications might impact pilots' recognition of which procedure(s) to prioritize." NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said in a statement that the crews in the planes did not react in the ways Boeing and federal aviation officials had anticipated. The incorrect assumptions "were used in the design of the airplane and we have found a gap between the assumptions used to certify the MAX and the real-world experiences of these crews, where pilots were faced with multiple alarms and alerts at the same time," Sumwalt said. The safety board asked the Federal Aviation Administration to examine whether other aircraft were approved without taking into account how the design of alarm systems could distract pilots from quickly regaining aircraft stability. Investigators also recommended that the FAA notify international regulators about alarm system vulnerabilities highlighted in the report. https://www.npr.org/2019/09/26/764664179/boeing-assumed-737-max-pilots-could-quickly-respond-to-cockpit-warnings-ntsb-say Back to Top Federal officials say Boeing underestimated pilots ability to react to simultaneous warning alerts The National Transportation Safety Board gave several safety recommendations after investigations into two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets Federal safety officials say Boeing BA, +0.18% should consider how cockpit confusion can slow the response of pilots who are dealing with the kind of problem that likely caused two airliners to crash in the past year. They suggest that Boeing underestimated the time it takes - measured in precious seconds - for pilots to diagnose and react when they are being bombarded by multiple, cascading warning alerts. The National Transportation Safety Board issued several recommendations Thursday after taking part in investigations into two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets that killed 346 people. It will be up to investigators in Indonesia and Ethiopia to determine what caused the accidents in those countries. Preliminary reports have pointed to an anti-stall system that kicked in based on faulty sensor readings and pushed the noses of the planes down. Boeing officials have said the pilots didn't follow known procedures for stopping a sudden nose-down pitch or, in the case of the Ethiopian crash, followed the procedures only briefly. The safety board said Boeing assumed that pilots flying the Max would respond to an automated nose-down push by taking "immediate and appropriate" steps. Federal regulations allow manufacturers to make such assumptions, and Boeing even used test pilots in flight simulators to check its assumptions. Boeing presented highly trained test pilots only with a single alert indicating a condition known as runaway stabilizer trim, which can be triggered by the MCAS anti-stall system, safety board officials said. They said Boeing failed to consider that an underlying problem like sensor failures - which triggered MCAS in both Max crashes - would set off several alarms. In the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes , they said, the pilots' control columns would have shaken to warn of an impending stall, they would have gotten several visual and sound alerts about things like altitude and speed. "That's the actual scenario that never got evaluated in the simulator," said Dana Schulze, the board's director of aviation safety. Schulze said years of research have shown that when multiple alarms compete for the attention of pilots, it can lead to a situation in which "pilots will not respond as perhaps you might have intended." The safety board will recommend that the Federal Aviation Administration, which certified the Max to fly in 2017, evaluate the effect that all possible cockpit alerts might have on pilot response. The board also recommended that FAA require Boeing to include changes in cockpit design or pilot training to help pilots follow proper procedures when responding to the Max's automated control systems. Schulze told reporters that the board wants FAA to take those steps before it lets the Max fly again, although the board did not put a timetable in its formal recommendations. The safety board recommended that FAA examine whether other aircraft besides the Max might have been approved without considering how multiple alarms could distract pilots. They also said FAA should encourage other regulators in Canada, Europe and elsewhere to do the same thing. In a statement Thursday, the FAA said it will review the NTSB's recommendations as it continues to evaluate changes that will be made to the Max. "The FAA is committed to a philosophy of continuous improvement," the statement said. Boeing issued a short statement saying it would work with FAA in reviewing the recommendations. The Max has been grounded worldwide since March, shortly after the second crash. Boeing is nearing completion of changes that will make MCAS less powerful and tie it to a second sensor measuring the plane's pitch instead of just one sensor. Boeing expects that airlines will be able to fly the plane later this year, although many analysts think early 2020 is more likely. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/federal-officials-say-boeing-underestimated-pilots-ability-to-react-to-simultaneous-warning-alerts-2019-09-26 Back to Top Incident: LOT DH8D at Warsaw on Sep 25th 2019, cabin pressurization problem A LOT Polish Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration OY-YBZ performing flight LO-221 from Warsaw (Poland) to Vienna (Austria), was climbing out of Warsaw when the crew stopped the climb at FL200 and performed a rapid descent to FL100 due to problems with the cabin pressurization. The aircraft returned to Warsaw for a safe landing on runway 11 about 35 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled, the passengers rebooked onto other flights. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 10 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd41b26&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetblue A320 at West Palm Beach on Sep 24th 2019, bird strike A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N705JB performing flight B6-643 from Newark,NJ to West Palm Beach,FL (USA), struck a bird while on approach to West Palm Beach. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 10L. The FAA reported a post flight inspection revealed a hole in the radome as result of the bird strike. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU643/history/20190924/1305Z/KEWR/KPBI http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd3ecd9&opt=0 Back to Top Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk - Fatal Accident (Louisiana) Date: 26-SEP-2019 Time: c. 12:00 Type: Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk Owner/operator: US Army Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Fort Polk training area, LA - United States of America Phase: Unknown Nature: Military Departure airport: Fort Polk-Polk AAF, LA (POE/KPOE) Destination airport: Fort Polk-Polk AAF, LA (POE/KPOE) Narrative: A Sikorsky UH-6A Black Hawk of the 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment, crashed under unknown circumstances during a MEDEVAC mission. One crew member died, three others were injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/229366 Back to Top Cessna 402B - Emergency Landing Accident (Paraguay) Date: 26-SEP-2019 Time: 18:30 Type: Cessna 402B Owner/operator: Aerotax SA Registration: ZP-BAE C/n / msn: 402B0310 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Coronel Oviedo - Paraguay Phase: En route Nature: Passenger Departure airport: Ciudad del Este-Guarani International Airport (AGT/SGES) Destination airport: Asunción-Silvio Pettirossi International Airport (ASU/SGAS) Narrative: A Cessna 402Bcrashed in a field after the pilot had to perform an emergency landing due to a technical malfunction of the plane. The four occupants survived the crash. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/229394 Back to Top Russian jet hard lands in Siberia, 49 people seek medical aid: RIA MOSCOW (Reuters) - Forty-nine people on board a Russian passenger jet sought medical assistance after the plane hard landed in the Russian Siberian city of Barnaul on Wednesday, the RIA state news agency reporting, citing local emergency services. A 767-300 Boeing operated by Russian Azur airlines, en route from the Vietnamese city of Cam Ranh, caught fire in its landing gear unit while landing in Barnaul, the Russian news agencies RIA and TASS reported. There were no casualties, the reports said. Safety concerns have plagued Russia's airline industry since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, though standards are widely recognized to have sharply risen on international routes in particular in recent years. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-airplane-accident/russian-jet-hard-lands-in-siberia-49-people-seek-medical-aid-ria-idUSKBN1WA2S1 Back to Top Alaska Airlines flight diverted after threat by passenger (CNN)An Alaska Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles was diverted on Thursday afternoon after a passenger made a threat, the airline said. Flight 411 was diverted to Kansas City after a "combative, unruly passenger" threatened crew members and "threatened the safety of the aircraft," according to a statement. The plane landed "without incident" about 4 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Once the aircraft landed, the passenger was taken into custody by law enforcement, Alaska Airlines said, and crew members were interviewed. The flight was expected to continue to Los Angeles. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/us/alaska-airlines-flight-diverted/index.html Back to Top Omni Air Flight Lands At BWI After Declaring Emergency LINTHICUM, Md. (WJZ/AP) - The Federal Aviation Administration says an Omni Air International jet landed safely at Baltimore Washington International Airport after declaring an emergency. The FAA said in an email that Flight 328 landed at BWI at 6:19 p.m. on Thursday because of what was described as a hydraulic problem with the Boeing B777. According to the FAA, the flight departed from Baltimore, but its destination wasn't known. It's unclear how many crew members were on board. A BWI spokesperson said there were no passengers on the plane. The FAA is investigating the incident. BWI airport fire crews responded to the scene as a precaution, the airport spokesperson said. A telephone message left at Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Omni Air International was immediately returned Thursday night. https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2019/09/26/omni-air-flight-lands-at-bwi-after-declaring-emergency/ Back to Top Teaching Pilots a New Trick: Landing Quietly Researchers want to reduce the noise from planes approaching a runway. The key is a smooth descent. plane parked at zurich airport Researchers ran tests at the Zurich airport in search of a quieter trajectory for planes that are landing.PHOTOGRAPH: MICHAEL BUHOLZER/GETTY IMAGES Life in the cockpit doesn't leave much room for individuality. Airline pilots wear the same uniforms, they follow the same procedures, they even talk the same. And now, a group of German and Swiss researchers wants them to land the same, by following specific instructions for deploying their flaps and lowering their landing gear as late as possible. Not because it's safer or faster, but because it's quieter. Over five days in early September, the German Aerospace Center, or DLR, asked 25 pilots to land the center's Airbus A320 a total of about 90 times at Zurich Airport's runway 14. The A320 was modified to carry a bevy of testing equipment-including, for this study, an additional electronic display. That screen told the pilots exactly how and when to configure aircraft components to descend from cruising altitude to 1,000 feet with the least possible noise. The approach also limits how much pilots need to use their engines, so fuel consumption drops too. The researchers don't expect to silence all landings, but they do hope to eliminate particularly noisy outliers. "Many pilots already do it very well," says Jean-Marc Wunderli, who runs the acoustics lab at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, which is collaborating with the DLR on this project. In similar tests at Frankfurt in 2016, Wunderli's team recorded volume drops of up to 40 decibels. That's roughly the difference between the noise from a jackhammer and a hair dryer. Wunderli won't have results from this month's testing until the spring, but airports are likely to welcome any way to shush planes. Hearing aircraft land and take off is, of course, annoying-especially when it wakes you or the baby you just got to sleep. One study linked the stress produced by the "unwanted sound" to kids getting bad grades and the risk of heart disease among people living near airports. That's why airports like Long Beach, California, levy fines against airlines whose planes land after 10 pm-and threaten to revoke their flight slots. In 2014, Phoenix sued the FAA for setting new flight paths that it said violated the National Historic Preservation Act. London's Heathrow Airport has asked pilots to make steeper landings, so they spend less time near the ground. Amsterdam's Schiphol brought in robotic excavators to create noise-deflecting ridges that stop the avionic rumble from traveling for miles through the low, flat territory. "It's a tough thing to balance. You're trading noise, efficiency, fuel burn, and community impact." Rather than go to court or break out shovels, the DLR just wants pilots to approach landing as smoothly as possible. The trick is how to get pilots to comply without overloading them. "Coming in for landing is the highest workload, the busiest time," says Doug Moss, a commercial pilot and aviation consultant. Pilots have to consider the wind, visual conditions, the weight of the aircraft, the gate they'll be taxiing toward, and more. Their key objective is to get to the ground safely. "Pilots don't want to be worried about secondary or tertiary issues," Moss adds. "To throw one more thing in there makes our job even more difficult." The DLR team is keenly aware of that. Its testing in Zurich was less about proving that its method reduces noise, and more about seeing if pilots could handle the extra information. Testing in Zurich added the challenge of navigating the Alps: The pilots approached from the north, which requires two turns in the final few minutes of the flight. As they came in, seven microphones on the ground along the flight path (with solar panels for power and screens to ward off birds) tracked the A320. At least for the testing group, the additional cockpit screen didn't seem a problem. "The pilots' reaction was very positive," says Holger Duda, the DLR aerospace engineer running the project. Setting aside the risk of data overload, Moss says pilots would happily take the smoothest, quietest path to the ground-but they don't always make that call. To get the maximum number of planes into and out of an airport, air traffic controllers frequently make tweaks to planes' paths that don't help for noise or efficiency. Aviation, after all, involves many variables, all of them interconnected. "It's a tough thing to balance," says Kathleen Hodgdon, who studies the psychoacoustics of airplane noise at Penn State and runs a website called NoiseQuest. "You're trading noise, efficiency, fuel burn, and community impact." If the researchers running the tests in Zurich get positive results, they'll look to work with an industry supplier or company like Airbus to integrate the data feed more smoothly into the cockpit-and help everyone on the ground enjoy the peace of a (nearly) silent flight. https://www.wired.com/story/teaching-pilots-new-trick-landing-quietly/ Back to Top FAA to determine if airplane seats are too tight for quick evacuations If you've flown recently, you know airplane seats are getting smaller. So what happens in an emergency? SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- If you've flown recently, you know airplane seats are getting smaller. So what happens in an emergency? The FAA is going to conduct live evacuation drills to see how fast passengers and crew can get out. The drills will involve 720 people over 12 days and include scenarios like a child sitting in their parent's lap. The drills will test worst-case scenarios. Examples include blocked exits or the cabin suddenly going dark. The FAA's goal is to decide on a minimum seat "pitch" that would allow passengers and crew to escape in 90 seconds, in order to adhere to current rules. Pitch is the distance from one seat back to another. Right now, low-cost airlines like Spirit and Frontier have a 28-inch pitch in coach. The average for most airlines is 31 inches. The emergency escape testing will take place in November. https://abc7news.com/faa-to-determine-if-airplane-seats-are-too-tight-for-quick-evacuations/5572363/ Back to Top Woman in China opens airplane emergency exit for 'fresh air' A passenger who opened an emergency exit felt that the plane was too "stuffy." Image: INQUIRER.net Stock Photo A woman in China caused a flight to be delayed after she opened an airplane emergency door for "fresh air" on Monday, Sept. 23. Passengers were on a Xiamen Airlines plane in Wuhan that was soon to take off and head to Lanzhou when the incident occurred, Chinese media via the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday, Sept. 25. A flight attendant advised passengers next to emergency doors not to touch the button to open it, but one woman decided to do so anyway. The passenger reasoned that the plane was "too stuffy" and that she wanted "a breath of fresh air." The flight was delayed for one hour and police took her for questioning. One passenger took a video of the incident and uploaded it on Weibo, where it went viral. ???????????????:???????? The woman may face detention and a fine since opening an emergency exit could be deemed as disturbing public order. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1170423/woman-in-china-opens-airplane-emergency-exit-for-fresh-air Back to Top Lawmakers press FAA on slow implementation of key mandates Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, pauses during a hearing Wednesday on Capitol Hill. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News) Lawmakers on Thursday pressed top officials at the Federal Aviation Administration about why the agency has not moved faster to implement key consumer protection and aviation safety measures approved last year as part of a five-year agreement to fund the agency. Among the measures lawmakers asked about was a mandate on rest time for flight attendants. "Although the Federal Aviation Administration has made some progress on fulfilling the law's directives, ongoing implementation delays threaten the important work needed to advance U.S. aviation and aerospace and maintain our global leadership," said Rep. Rick Larsen, (D-Wash.), chairman of the House Transportation subcommittee on aviation. The agency has missed several key deadlines to implement mandates outlined in the FAA reauthorization legislation passed last year. Deputy FAA Administrator Daniel K. Elwell acknowledged that many mandates required action within a year. But he said the sheer volume of mandates, plus other demands, forced the agency to prioritize its work. The 2018 legislation, he said, was the "most comprehensive aviation reauthorization measure enacted in over 30 years," and requires 33 separate rules. He reassured lawmakers that the FAA remained committed to completing its work as quickly as possible. Elwell said in some cases, the rulemaking process, which requires a comment period and the gathering of data from stakeholders, had slowed efforts. But he said the agency was making progress. Legislators, however, seemed skeptical. Throughout the hearing, members demanded to know why rules requiring airlines to give flight attendants a 10-hour rest period between flights and the installation of secondary cockpit barriers on new aircraft had not been implemented. The legislation had given the secretary of transportation a Nov. 4, 2018, deadline to issue a final rule that would guarantee rest time for flight attendants. Elwell was unable to say Thursday when the rule would be implemented. "When deadlines are in the law and deadlines are not adhered to, it causes great frustration," said Rep. Garret Graves (La.), the ranking Republican on the subcommittee. Lawmakers also pushed for answers on why efforts to create a registration system for unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, appeared stalled, even though the FAA started the rulemaking process last year. Elwell said such an effort is a complex undertaking. "I'm a realist," said Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, (D-Ore.) chairman of the House Transportation Committee. "I recognize it will take time for the FAA and the [Transportation Department] to work through the list." DeFazio said he would be closely monitoring the agency's progress on key elements, including rest time for flight attendants and the mandate that the FAA examine seat sizes. DeFazio and other lawmakers said that at a time when Americans are growing bigger and airplane seats are shrinking, the 2018 legislation directed the FAA to reevaluate whether smaller seats pose a safety hazard in the event that a plane must be evacuated. The measure called on the agency to reassess whether aircraft can still be safely evacuated in 90 seconds. Elwell said officials are planning a 12-day exercise in November on airplane evacuations. He emphasized that the FAA has moved forward in several key areas, including the establishment of a Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee to advise the secretary on issues related to the FAA's safety oversight and certification programs. In March, he said, the agency formally established an Organization Designation Authorization Office within its Office of Aviation Safety to ensure consistency within a program that gives companies broad authority to oversee their own safety. Both programs have come under increased scrutiny following the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max jets in less than five months, which killed 346 people. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/lawmakers-say-faas-slow-implementation-of-key-mandates-puts-flying-public-at-risk/2019/09/26/e1b68e2e-e08e-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html Back to Top Nordic Airlines Finnair And SAS Team Up To Develop Electric Aircraft Both Finnair and SAS have joined together, along with nine other partners, to accelerate the development of electric aviation. Under the umbrella of the Nordic Network for Electric Aviation, the partners plan to work together to build knowledge and cooperation in the sector. Maria Fiskerud, project manager for The Nordic Network for Electric Aviation (NEA) commented in a press release, "We will be a Nordic network that works with both infrastructure, industry issues and new business models." There are currently 11 members of the NEA, working together on four key focus areas. These include setting a standard for the infrastructure for electric aircraft, developing business models, developing technology specific to a Nordic climate and establishing cooperation on a European and regional level. The NEA network The Nordic Network for Electric Aviation has been launched to drive the development of electric aircraft. The project is funded by Nordic Innovation, a funding stream overseen by the Nordic Council of Ministers, and aims to gather together all the major players in the field of electric aviation. The NEA network plans to develop workshops and other events to help boost the understanding of electric aircraft. These events will also serve the purpose of developing relationships between the different entities who could be involved in the delivery of such innovations. Right now, the network boasts 11 members. These are Air Greenland, Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA), El-fly AS, Heart Aerospace, Avinor, RISE, Nordic Innovation Sustainable Aviation (NISA) and Iceland Air, as well as its two newest members, SAS and Finnair. SAS makes its green credentials clear Scandinavian airline SAS is in the midst of something of a transformation. With its new, more efficient A350 due to arrive at the carrier by the end of this year, the airline is clearly keen to invest in reducing is impact on the environment. Lars Andersen Resare, Sustainability Manager at SAS commented on the NEA network, saying, "The transition to a long-term sustainable flight is an existential issue for us. That is why it is important for us to share knowledge with other actors to accelerate the development of commercial electric aircraft." The airline has been involved in a number of other green initiatives, including allowing passengers to purchase biofuel for as little as €10, and cutting out duty free on board to save weight. Finnair stands by the electric revolution While Finnair has been less prolific in terms of green activities, its general standing within the European and worldwide aviation industry has been on the rise. Well-positioned to take advantage of making connections between Europe and Asia, Finnair has worked hard to become a well-regarded player in the full service market, boosting capacity and investing in new planes to take a bite out of the competition. Jaakko Schildt, Chief Operating Officer at Finnair, commented on the partnership in a media release, saying, "Technological innovations are key in solving aviation's CO2 emission challenge. In this project we are concretely creating the future of electric aviation, together, and taking an important step towards carbon-neutral flying." While the reality of an electric commercial aircraft is still a long way off (perhaps impossible, as I'm sure some of our commenters will be keen to point out), it's encouraging to see airlines and suppliers collaborating in this way to solve one of the biggest problems facing aviation today. https://simpleflying.com/finnair-sas-electric-aircraft/ Back to Top Bessie Coleman, the Black Cherokee Female Pilot Who Made Aviation History Early 20th century America didn't offer many career paths to people like Bessie Coleman. It was a time when women were discouraged from working outside domestic spheres, and opportunities for women of African American and Native American descent were even more limited. When Coleman fell in love with the idea of flying planes, she knew that realizing her dream would be impossible in the United States-but instead of giving up, she moved to France to enroll in flight school. Less than a year later, she returned home as the first African American and the first Native American female pilot in aviation history. A DETERMINED BEGINNING Bessie Coleman was born to sharecroppers in Texas on January 26, 1892. She was one of 13 siblings, and like the rest of Coleman clan, she was expected to help pick cotton on the farm as soon as she was old enough. At 6 years old, she started walking to school: a one-room wooden shack located four miles from her house. Her classroom often lacked basic supplies like paper and pencils, and, like all schools in the region, it was segregated. Despite less-than-ideal conditions, she excelled in class and continued her studies through high school. In 1901, her father, who was part black and part Cherokee, relocated to Native American territory in Oklahoma to escape discrimination in Texas, leaving Bessie and the rest of his family behind. She knew she couldn't depend on her now single-parent family to contribute money toward her education, so to save for college, she went to work as a laundress. After a year at the Colored Agricultural and Normal University-now Langston University-in Langston, Oklahoma, she dropped out when her tuition fund ran dry. Even though she was more educated than many women of the time, there were few opportunities for her in the South. At age 23, she followed her brothers to Chicago, which, though racially segregated, was slightly more welcoming to people of color than Texas had been. In Chicago, Coleman was able to mingle with influential figures in the African American community. She went to beauty school and became a manicurist in a local barbershop. Chicago was also where she decided she wanted to learn how to fly. DREAMS OF FLIGHT-AND FRANCE Around the same time Coleman moved up north, World War I erupted in Europe. The conflict quickened the pace of technological advancement, including in aviation. For the first time in history, people around the world could watch fighter planes soar through the skies in newsreels and read about them in the papers. Coleman fell in love. When her brother John returned home to Chicago after serving overseas, he gave her more material to fuel her daydreams. In addition to regaling her with war stories, he teased her about her new fantasy, claiming that French women were superior to local women because they were allowed to fly planes, something Bessie would never be able to do. He may have said the words in jest, but they held some truth: Female pilots were incredibly rare in the U.S. immediately following World War I, and black female pilots were nonexistent. Coleman quickly learned that American flight instructors were intent on keeping things that way. Every aviation school she applied to rejected her on the basis of her race and gender. Fortunately for Coleman, her brothers weren't her only source of support in Chicago. After moving to the city, she met Robert Abbott, publisher of the historic black newspaper The Chicago Defender and one of the first African American millionaires. He echoed John's idea that France was a much better place for aspiring female pilots, but instead of rubbing it in her face, he presented it as an opportunity. Abbott viewed France as one of the world's most racially progressive nations, and he encouraged her to move there in pursuit of her pilot's license. Coleman didn't need to be convinced. With her heart set on a new dream, she quit her job as a manicurist and accepted a better-paying role as the manager of a chili parlor to raise money for her trip abroad. At night she took French classes in the Chicago loop. Her hard work paid off, and with her savings and some financial assistance from Abbot and another black entrepreneur named Jesse Binga, she boarded a ship for France in November 1920. THE FIRST BLACK AVIATRIX Coleman was the only non-white person in her class at the Caudron Brothers' School of Aviation in Le Crotoy, France. Students were taught to fly using 27-foot-long biplanes that were known to stall in mid-air. One day, she even witnessed one of her classmates die in a crash. Describing the incident later on, she said, "It was a terrible shock to my nerves, but I never lost them." Despite the risks, she pressed on with lessons, and after seven months of training, she received her aviation license from the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. She became both the first African American woman and the first Native American woman in the world to earn a pilot's license. Coleman completed some extra flight lessons in Paris and then boarded a ship bound for the United States. American news outlets were instantly smitten with the 29-year-old pilot. The Associated Press reported on September 26, 1921 that "Today [Coleman] returned as a full-fledged aviatrix, said to be the first of her race." In the early 1920s, an aviatrix, or female aviator, was still a fairly new concept in America, and many of the most famous women flyers of the 20th century-like Laura Ingalls, Betty Skelton, and Amelia Earhart-had yet to enter the scene. Coleman's persistence helped clear the path for the next generation of female pilots. But her success in France didn't mark the end of her battle with racism. Bessie needed more training to learn the airshow tricks she now hoped to do for a living, but even with her international pilot's license and minor celebrity status since returning home, American flight schools still refused to teach her. Just a few months after landing in the U.S., Bessie went back to Europe-this time to Germany and the Netherlands as well as France to learn the barnstorming stunts that were quickly growing into one of the most popular forms of entertainment of the 1920s. Upon her second homecoming in 1922, newspapers praised her once again, reporting that European aviators had dubbed her "one of the best flyers they had seen." Finally, she would be able to show off her skills in her home country. Robert Abbott, the newspaperman who helped fund her dream, sponsored her first-ever American airshow at Curtiss Field, Long Island, on September 3, 1922. She spent the next few years touring the country, thrilling spectators by parachuting, wing-walking (moving atop the wings of her biplane mid-flight), and performing aerial figure-eights. Coleman had become a real celebrity, and she tried to use her prominence to help black people. She gave speeches on aviation to predominantly black crowds and planned to open her own flight school for African American students. She only performed for desegregated audiences-the one notable exception being a show in Waxahachie, Texas, the town where she lived for most of her childhood. Event organizers planned to segregate black and white guests and have them use separate entrances. Coleman protested and threatened to cancel the exhibition unless a single entrance was set up for everyone. Officials eventually agreed, though audience members were still forced to sit on separate sides of the stadium once they entered. Just when it seemed her career was reaching new heights, it was cut short by tragedy. On April 30, 1926, she was riding with her mechanic William Wills in Jacksonville, Florida, in preparation for a show scheduled for the next day, when a wrench left in the engine caused the plane to spin out of control. Coleman hadn't been wearing her seatbelt, and she was tossed from the passenger seat at 3000 feet above the ground. She died at age 34. Bessie Coleman never achieved the same level of name recognition as some of her peers, but the impact she left on aviation history is undeniable. Even if they've never heard her name, Chicagoans living near Lincoln Cemetery have likely heard the sounds of jets flying overhead on April 30. Every year on the anniversary of her death, black pilots honor Coleman by performing a flyover and dropping flowers on her grave. http://mentalfloss.com/article/594094/bessie-coleman-black-cherokee-woman-pilot Back to Top Lockheed is about to start building wings for the F-16 fighter jet at a plant in India Lockheed is also competing for a $15 billion contract to make 114 combat jets for India's air force and has offered to move its F-16 production line from the US to India. NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin will begin supplying wings for its F-16 combat jets from a facility in southern India from next year, a senior executive said on Thursday. Lockheed is bidding for a contract, estimated at more than $15 billion, to supply the Indian Air Force with 114 combat planes and has offered to shift its F-16 production line from the United States to India. It plans to build an upgraded version of the aircraft which it calls F-21. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is pushing a Make-in-India program under which it wants global firms, including in the defense sector, to set up manufacturing centers in India to build a domestic industrial base and create jobs. A U.S. made F16 jet fighter takes off for a training exercise during military exercises in Taitung County, eastern Taiwan Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the wings of all future F-16s that the company will sell worldwide will be produced in a joint venture with India's Tata Advanced Systems in the southern city of Hyderabad. "The first wing prototype is being built now. The expectation is we will begin supplying by next year sometime, this will be the sole facility for future F-16 wing production," Lall told Reuters. Lockheed is competing for the Indian air force contract with Boeing, which has pitched its F/A-18 Super Hornet, as well as Sweden's Saab with its Gripen fighter. France's Dassault Systemes SE's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Russian aircraft are also in the fray. The air force needs new fighter jets to replace its aging fleet of Russian MiG planes. But Indian defense procurement is a lengthy process. The government's insistence on local manufacture and reduced reliance on expensive imports has delayed decision-making further as foreign firms search for local partners and suppliers. Lall said Lockheed was already producing the empennage of its C-130J transport aircraft from the Hyderabad facility and also cabins for its Sikorsky helicopters. There were 500 people each involved in two joint ventures set up for the production of the empennage and the cabin. "We have been doing make-in-India for years now," he said. The company has said if it sets up a local production base for the F-16 it will also provide maintenance, repair and spares for the combat jet flying with air forces around the world. Lall said that with 3,000 F-16s flying around the world and more orders being negotiated with countries such as Bahrain, Lockheed estimated there was a market worth $165 billion for after-sales support. "It is a huge potential business, India will be plugging into the world's largest fighter jet ecosystem." https://www.businessinsider.com/lockheed-to-begin-supplying-f-16-wings-from-indian-plant-in-2020-2019-9 Back to Top Russia and China Are Teaming Up to Explore the Moon The Yutu 2 rover, as seen by the Chang'e 4 lander.The Yutu 2 rover, as seen by the Chang'e 4 lander.(Image: © CNSA) The first country to land a spacecraft on the moon and the only country to do so since the 1970s are teaming up for a lunar return. In 1966, the Soviet Union made the first soft lunar landing during the Luna 9 mission, which sent the first images from the surface of the moon back to Earth. The country spent a decade exploring the lunar surface but hasn't been back since 1976. Now, Russia is partnering with modern lunar powerhouse China, the only country to successfully land softly on the moon within the past decade or four. In January, as part of China's current moon mission, the country's Chang'e 4 lander and Yutu 2 rover became the first robots to operate on the far side of the moon. China has sketched out an ambitious lunar plan, with four future missions under discussion. Chang'e 5 will launch in the next year and is designed to be China's first sample-return mission. Chang'e 6 will fetch a sample from the lunar south pole in 2023, and Chang'e 7 will explore that region in detail. Another mission will begin progress on China's long-term goal of establishing a science base on the moon. Russia's lunar plans are running on a different schedule to account for the country's long hiatus in moon visits. The head of the Roscosmos space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, recently walked through those plans, citing a 2024 orbiter, a 2028 sample-return mission, and human flights in 2029 or 2030. And on Sept. 17, Rogozin and his Chinese counterpart, Zhang Kejian, agreed to work together on lunar projects, according to a statement from Roscosmos. They plan to build a shared data center, with one outpost in each country, for lunar and deep-space research. Luna 9 - the first successful lunar lander, which the Soviet Union launched in 1966 - snapped this image of the lunar surface. They also agreed that China's Chang'e 7 lander and a Russian orbiter called Luna 26 should work together, with Luna 26 helping Chang'e 7 find a safe landing site. Each spacecraft may also carry scientific instruments from the other country, assuming scientific analysis proves that would be beneficial. So far, China has a flawless record at the moon, beginning with its 2007 mission, Chang'e 1. Russia, on the other hand, has struggled recently with hiccups in its human spaceflight program, the only way astronauts can currently reach the International Space Station. Last fall, a small-but-much-publicized hole in a docked Soyuz capsule prompted continuing speculation, and a rocket anomaly during a crew launch sent two astronauts plummeting back to Earth. Last month, the first-ever uncrewed Soyuz capsule struggled to dock autonomously at the station. https://www.space.com/russia-china-moon-exploration-partnership.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY (1) Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study to assess a pilot's trust in air traffic controllers. This study is expected to take approximately 5 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be a resident of the United States, at least 18 years old, and a certified pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be immediately destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://forms.gle/JmvoYiUBb3BfJbgY9 For more information, please contact: Brad Baugh, Ph.D. in Aviation Candidate baughfd0@my.erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY (2) 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 Back to Top Manager, Internal Evaluation Program Internal Evaluation is an essential component of Safety Management Systems (SMS). This role will partner with the SMS Director to help department heads implement best practices and measure their success against established metrics. Responsible for developing and executing the internal audit process to evaluate NetJets Aviation's operational policies and procedures. Design audit standards that will objectively examine internal processes for conformity to accepted best practices and compliance with regulatory standards. Report findings to the responsible department heads and assist in developing corrective action plans. The position will also coordinate third-party audits performed on NetJets Aviation and may serve as a Point of Contact for audit vendors. 30%: Develop and maintain internal audit processes, procedures, and documentation to analyze NetJets Aviation flight operations, training, and maintenance policies. 30%: Conduct internal audits on a schedule to be adjusted annually; report findings and observations to affected managers. 20%: Conduct all federal and other relevant regulatory compliance analysis related to flight and maintenance operations as assigned. 10%: Coordinate audits performed on NetJets by third-party vendors and prepare departments for external audits. 10%: Support SMS change-management initiatives as a subject matter expert or team leader as required. Education Level: Bachelor's Degree Course of Study/Major: Aviation / Business or related field, or equivalent combination of training and experience. Type of Credentials/Licenses: FAA Commercial Pilot, Aircraft Dispatcher, or Maintenance Technician Related Work Experience: 6-8 years • 2+ years in an aviation management position (dispatch, maintenance, scheduling, in-flight), or as a line pilot, with a certified air carrier (91K, 135, or 121). • In-depth knowledge of SMS concepts and the carrier's regulatory environment. • Working knowledge of auditing principles, standards, and practices. • Experience with root-cause analysis and process development. • Excellent written and oral communication skills. • Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to manage multiple projects and/or working groups. • Outstanding analytical and problem-solving abilities. To apply, please visit www.netjets.com/careers Back to Top Maintenance Safety Specialist The Maintenance Safety Specialist position assists the Director, Maintenance Safety in the execution of the comprehensive NetJets Safety Program. This includes reviewing, evaluating and processing safety reports, analyzing data, assessing risks and making recommendations on how to minimize the risks involved in NetJets flight and maintenance operations. Assist the Director, Maintenance Safety in development and execution of the NJA safety programs through: 50%: Evaluate, analyze and process safety reports submitted to any of the NJA administered Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP) including but not limited to: • Investigating the issues raised in each safety report • Make recommendations to management regarding changes to policy, procedures and practices to enhance safety • Collection and analysis of policy, maintenance records, and fatigue assessments to determine if safety enhancements are available or warranted. • Provide opinion and interpretation of collected materials to the ASAP ERC. • Act and speak on behalf of NJA as the ASAP Event Review Committee (ERC) representative on a rotating basis. • Administer corrective actions in response to ASAP ERC findings. 20%: Participate in, or conduct research into irregular events occurring during NJA maintenance flight operations 10%: Research and analyze trend data in the NetJets Safety Program and other industry data. 10%: Track ASAP related safety recommendations and corrective actions to ensure that follow-up actions have been taken that are effective. Determine if the actions have been effective and if not, make recommendations for additional changes or corrective action. 5%: Contribute to the production of the NetJets Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) quarterly newsletters. 5%: Acts as an information conduit to bring safety of flight issues to the attention of management and to deliver safety information to NJA employees. Education Level: High School Graduate Type of Credentials/Licenses: Maintenance Technician Certificate, A&P License Related Work Experience: 2 years or equivalent experience Required: • Must be able to work independently and use independent discretion and judgment. • Exposure to responding to irregular events as well as identifying, evaluating and writing risk assessments for said events. • Familiarity with safety analysis, trending and risk assessment. • Ability to use sound judgment in analyzing reports, assessing risks and making recommendations. • Must possess a demonstrated high degree of personal and professional integrity with the ability to maintain confidentiality. • Detail oriented characteristics with an ability to prioritize multiple objectives in a dynamic environment with constantly shifting priorities. • Strong verbal and written communication with the ability to write effective reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals. • Technical computer expertise and proficient knowledge in commercial off-the-shelf applications, such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). • Must be effective working both individually as well as in a team environment with the ability to interact in a tactful manner. • Able to read and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures and governmental regulations with a working knowledge of applicable Federal Aviation Regulations. • Demonstrated ability to interact with people at varying levels of authority. Desired: • Operational Experience within Aviation Safety, Flight Operations, Maintenance, or equivalent transportation industry. • Professional training and/or education in safety or investigation fundamentals. • Experience or training in Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). • Professional experience and/or education in aviation safety investigations with particular experience or training in Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). • Professional experience and/or education in aviation safety. • Demonstrated public speaking and presentation skills with the ability to effectively present on both the individual level and to large audiences, including NetJets employees, industry professionals and federal agencies. To apply, please visit www.netjets.com/careers Back to Top Technical and Training Manager Flight Safety Foundation l BARS Melbourne, Australia An exciting role for a high-performing aviation expert as Technical and Training Manager with Flight Safety Foundation. Flight Safety Foundation is a non-profit organization staffed and managed by a small group of specialists in aviation safety and aviation communications. Operations are overseen by a board of governors, with primary guidance by a foundation governance council. The board is composed of executives from all segments of the global aviation industry to provide as broad a view of issues as possible. In addition, several standing advisory committees and ad hoc study groups provide focused, detailed direction and assistance in identifying and addressing opportunities for the continual improvement of aviation safety worldwide. Founded in 1947, today, membership includes more than 1,000 organizations and individuals in 150 countries. The Foundation is based in Alexandria, Virginia, USA and has a regional office in Melbourne, Australia. The predominant purpose of the Melbourne office of FSF is to run the BARS Program. The BARS Program is made up of a suite of risk-based aviation industry Standards with supporting Implementation Guidelines. There are dedicated Standards for Contracted Aviation Operations, Offshore Helicopter Operations, Aerial Mustering and Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems. The role of Technical and Training Manager has been created to support the Managing Director in the delivery of the BARS Program objectives and support the Technical team in the function of the Audit Program delivery and quality control. We are seeking to appoint a candidate with the following credentials: - Relevant tertiary qualifications in Business and/or Engineering, • Extensive experience (10-15+ years) in either flight operations (pilot or flight engineer) roles or a maintenance & engineering role. • Aviation background and knowledge-based leadership (through aviation technical expertise) is critical to the success of the role • The ability to lead and coach the Technical team by developing and educating them in areas of aviation safety. • Deep understanding of Safety Management Systems (SMS) (ICAO Annex 19 and Doc 9859) and Quality principles (ISO 9001:2016 or ISO 9000). • Experience in delivering training in a classroom environment. • Excellent written skills to undertake data analysis and prepare reports. • Excellent communications skills and the ability to confidently present at Public Speaking events • Strong analytical skills to interpret complex data • Strong organisational and project management skills • Competent with Microsoft Office - Word, Excel PowerPoint and Outlook • Tableau or Power BI would be an advantage • Prepared to travel domestically and internationally regularly (unrestricted passport) • Pilots - Accident free record This role will be based in Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia For a confidential discussion about this role or to receive a copy of a detailed Position Description, please contact Jennifer Galvin-Rowley on +61 410 477 235 or email jen@galvinrowley.com.au Applications should be made online by visiting www.galvinrowley.com.au Curt Lewis