Flight Safety Information October 4, 2019 - No. 201 In This Issue 737 Max Crashes Raised Questions About Boeing's Culture Dennis Muilenburg should be removed as Boeing CEO, analyst says Congressional panel wants to interview whistleblower who says Boeing blocked key safety upgrades Accident: UAA AN12 at Lviv on Oct 4th 2019, ran out of fuel Incident: Aegean A320 at Corfu on Oct 3rd 2019, engine trouble Incident: Edelweiss A320 at Zurich on Oct 3rd 2019, "BSOD" Incident: British Airways A320 near Athens on Oct 2nd 2019, smoke in cabin Embraer ERJ-145XR - Smoke in the Cockpit (Missouri) Accident: Emirates B773 near Singapore on Oct 1st 2019, turbulence injures 11 A Shady & Confusing Private Jet Crash In Belize More Central Florida pilots say they're having close calls with drones near airports FBI Seeks Assistance in Identifying Laser Threats to Aircraft at New York Airports Why Lifesaving Drugs May Be Missing on Your Next Flight Private Aviation Safety Leaders Conduct First Annual Industry Safety Symposium APS Offers UPRT Course for Aviation Inspectors, Regulators U.S. withholds U.N. aviation dues, calls for immediate whistleblower protections Federal Aviation Administration Issues Boeing 737 Airworthiness Directive Hong Kong Airlines Invites Foreign Pilots To Leave Amid Slowdown Kitty Hawk says its third electric aircraft has a 100-mile range AAI's disused airfields may be turned into pilot academies (India) United Airlines ramps up recruitment to hire 10,000 pilots over the next decade Soyuz spacecraft lands in Kazakhstan with three-man crew RESEARCH SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY MITRE - SMS Course - December 2019 Human Factors in Accident Investigation from SCSI 737 Max Crashes Raised Questions About Boeing's Culture. Soon Its CEO Will Have to Answer Them Dennis Muilenburg, chief executive officer of Boeing Co., pauses while speaking during an event at the Economic Club of New York in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Boeing test pilots have flown more than 700 flights with its new Max software, and the company is making daily, steady progress to re-certifying 737 Max, Muilenburg said. Photographer: Cate Dingley/Bloomberg via Getty Images Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is scheduled to testify in front of a House committee on October 30, his first congressional appearance since 346 people died in the crashes of two of his company's recently introduced 737 Max aircraft. Muilenburg can expect to be grilled about the airworthiness of the troubled 737 Max and the updates being made to its problematic flight software in order to avoid a repeat of the crashes of Lion Air flight 610 in October 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 in March 2019. "At this defining moment, Boeing must take an expanded leadership role with a heightened focus on safety-and reach even higher," Muilenburg said Monday in a release. But he will also have to address another troubling issue-and one that is perhaps more difficult to fix: the role that failings in Boeing's corporate culture played in the crashes. "The question is who knew what and when?" says aviation expert Chris Tarry. "It still seems that as stones are lifted up there's more underneath that they (Boeing) need to counter, or they need to address, or they need to provide answers to." The damage so far Boeing has said it would cooperate with Congress and work closely with the different regulatory authorities around the world to safely return the 737 Max to service. The company has estimated that full compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight-crew-alerting system would cost the company an estimated $10 billion. This comes on the back of the company posting a $3 billion quarterly loss on July 24-its largest-ever. To date, the 737 Max groundings are estimated to have cost Boeing around $8 billion, mainly due to remunerating airlines for a 72% fall in deliveries during the year. There are compensation costs as well. On September 25, Reuters reported that Boeing had settled the first raft of compensation claims from the families of those who died in Indonesia's Lion Air crash, with loved ones receiving "at least $1.2 million" for each victim. Boeing did not admit liability, according to Reuters, though Indonesian investigators have blamed "design and oversight lapses" for playing a key role in the October 2018 crash. A man hired to assist forensic investigators walks by a pile of twisted airplane debris at the crash site of an Ethiopian airways operated Boeing 737 Max aircraft on March 16, 2019 at Hama Quntushele village near Bishoftu in Ethiopia's Oromia region. TONY KARUMBA-AFP/GETTY IMAGES Aside from the technical issues and costs, however, it may be the culture within Boeing itself that needs the most attention. In the aftermath of the fatal 737 Max accidents, Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School, described Boeing workers as being "pushed to maintain an overly ambitious production schedule and fearful of losing their jobs if they raised concerns." Writing in the Harvard Business Review she added that it represented "a textbook case of how the absence of psychological safety-the assurance that one can speak up, offer ideas, point out problems, or deliver bad news without fear of retribution-can lead to disastrous results." In a July open letter in the Seattle Times, Stan Sorscher of the Society for Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), struck a similar tone, blaming Boeing's problems on a company-wide shift towards "cost-cutting" and the development of a corporate culture that "is the opposite of a culture built on productivity, innovation, safety or quality." Cost and speed over quality? Boeing CEO Muilenburg will likely face tough congressional questions about those cultural issues at the end of October, though insight into the inner-workings of the plane maker have already trickled out. On Wednesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asked Boeing to make engineer Curtis Ewbank, 33, available for interview following reports that he filed an internal ethics complaint about the 737 Max's safety-and had warned about the reliability of the flight control software as far back as 2014. According to the Seattle Times, Ewbank's complaint describes the plane maker as having a corporate culture based on "expediency of design-to-market and cost-cutting" and being "more concerned with cost and schedule than quality." The suggestion from Ewbank is that this urgency led to both cost- and corner-cutting- most notably in the case of a backup system known as synthetic airspeed, which uses data from weather-vane-like "angle of attack" sensors to warn pilots of a potentially dangerous aerodynamic stall. This system was not fitted on the 737 Max and, according to Ewbank, it may have been able to prevent the fatal Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. In both incidents, preliminary accident reports found that the aircraft's MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) flight software pushed the plane's nose sharply down, partly as a result of receiving erroneous angle of attack sensor readings. Ewbank-who worked on flight desk systems for the 737 Max from 2010 to 2015-also reportedly describes the aircraft's design process as being driven "via piecemeal updates" in a company-wide effort to avoid the costs of "triggering expensive certification and (pilot) training," the Seattle Times reports. What's more, he reportedly claims that Boeing hid crucial safety data from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after they flagged evidence of a fault with the 737 Max's autothrottle system. The Seattle Times reports that Ewbank then passed his own supporting evidence to a Boeing manager, only to be told to "not tell EASA" and that Boeing "would fix the issue ourselves." The engineer also states that his Boeing colleagues are frightened to flag-up safety concerns through "fear for their jobs" and, having blown the whistle on Boeing himself, that he is now fully aware that career repercussions may follow. Ewbank left the company in 2015 in part because of his concerns over Boeing's attitude to safety, reports the New York Times, but he returned to the company in November 2018 to work on systems integration testing for the Boeing 777X. Boeing 737 Max airplanes sit idle on Boeing property near Boeing Field on August 13, 2019 in Seattle as the company works on a software glitch that contributed to two fatal jetliner crashes. Ewbank isn't alone in citing Boeing's cultural shortcomings alongside analysis of the crashes. In May, former engineers Adam Dickson, Rick Ludtke and Mark Rabin all spoke out about the detrimental effects of cost-cutting within Boeing's key engineering teams. "They were targeting the highly paid, highly experienced engineers," Ludtke told Bloomberg News. "Over time that's eroded the company's ability to successfully design and manage programs. They do it strictly by cost, and they do it more so with every airplane." Rabin added that this had a particularly pernicious effect on engineers' conversations during work hours. "It was pretty intense low morale because of all the layoffs-constant, grinding layoffs, year after year," Rabin told Bloomberg. "So, you really watched your step and were careful about what you said." Boeing stringently denied these claims in the statement to The Hill. "At no time did our performance targets reward or encourage a trade-off against safety," a representative said. The powers-that-be in Capitol Hill may take a different view, however. "All of this information is critical to have as we prepare for our Committee's October 30th hearing," Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told Reuters Wednesday following news coverage of Ewing's complaint. "These reports certainly add to my concern that production pressures may have impacted safety on the 737 Max, which is exactly why it's so critical we get to the bottom of this." Winning back confidence In response to the increasing criticism, Boeing last week announced the creation of a new safety group, headed by a 34-year Boeing veteran Beth Pasztor, that will "amplify our focus on safety...and intensify our focus on learning, tools and talent development across the company," Muilenburg said in a release. The plane maker is also establishing an aerospace safety committee on its board, led by retired Admiral Edmund Giambastiani Jr., and instituting a requirement for all future board members to have some form of safety-related experience. This and the more than 500 test flights of an upgraded MCAS software package Boeing has conducted points to the company's determination to win back the trust of regulators and the flying public. "This is a defining moment for Boeing," Muilenburg said in a July statement. "We remain focused on our enduring values of safety, quality, and integrity in all that we do, as we work to safely return the 737 Max to service." The question is whether Muilenburg will be able to win back not just the confidence of flyers, but also that of Boeing's employees. Boeing did not respond to Fortune's requests for comment. https://fortune.com/2019/10/04/boeing-737-max-culture-muilenburg/ Back to Top Dennis Muilenburg should be removed as Boeing CEO, analyst says Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg The problems at Boeing are getting worse under Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg, and it's time for Boeing's board to remove him, a top aerospace analyst urged on Thursday. "The Boeing company needs to move back to the "can do" culture it once had, with safety as a given, to restore its image with airline customers and the traveling public. To accomplish that, new leadership is necessary. It is time for the Board of Directors to take appropriate action and replace Dennis Muilenburg," AirInsight President Ernest Arvai wrote in an editorial on his firm's website. Boeing has had issues with several models of its jets over the last year. The 737 Max has been grounded since March, the 787 and 777X have engine problems and the KC- 46 tanker is restricted from carrying passengers and cargo. AirInsight, an aerospace research, data and analysis firm created in 2009, says it has never before called for any aerospace industry CEO to be replaced. "We've been looking for good news about Boeing, but simply can't find any. The 737 Max will end up years from now as a Harvard Business School case study in mismanagement, and the buck stops with the CEO," Arvai wrote. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "While reducing costs and being competitive is laudable, it can, and has, gone too far at Boeing," Arvai wrote. "Safety appears to be the victim of rushing and cost reduction pressures, guided by a corporate culture that starts at the top." Muilenburg's strategy appears aimed at maximizing the Boeing Company's share price and his executives rather than investing more in new products to better rival Airbus, Arvai argued. The result is Boeing's market share is falling and the jet maker's failures have caused the company to lose its long-standing reputation for quality and safety, Arvai said. Boeing recently announced the creation of a safety organization and has pledged to pay $100 million to the families of victims from crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a combined 34 people. Arvai said Muilenburg must go because he's lost credibility, pointing to an incident this year at a business travel convention, where half the audience reportedly walked out when Muilenburg was announced as the next speaker. See details about Muilenburg's executive compensation here. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2019/10/03/boeing-ceo-dennis-muillenburg- should-be-removed-as.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo Back to Top Congressional panel wants to interview whistleblower who says Boeing blocked key safety upgrades for 737 MAX over costs With the 737 MAX grounded for the past six months, scores of undelivered jets produced at Boeing's Renton plant have been stored at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake. (Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times) A congressional panel investigating the deadly crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX jets that killed 346 people wants to interview the engineer who filed a scathing internal ethics complaint alleging that company management blocked key safety improvements during the aircraft's development due to cost concerns. U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio, in a statement Wednesday, referred to a Seattle Times report that first detailed engineer Curtis Ewbank's allegations. He added the committee has yet to find Ewbank's ethics complaint in documents Boeing so far has turned over in response to the panel's request for internal records six months ago. "These reports certainly add to my concern that production pressures may have impacted safety on the 737 MAX, which is exactly why it's so critical we get to the bottom of this," according to the statement from DeFazio, D-Ore. "On April 1st we asked Boeing for all complaints regarding the 737 MAX and though we've been poring over hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and emails from Boeing and FAA, we were not aware of Mr. Ewbank's complaint." While it's possible the committee "already has Mr. Ewbanks' complaint in a tranche received from Boeing," the panel now "wants Boeing to either supply the complaint for the first time, or point out in the documents where this complaint may be," a committee spokeswoman said in an email Thursday. The panel also asked Boeing to make Ewbank available for an interview. "All of this information is critical to have as we prepare for our Committee's October 30th hearing with Boeing's CEO, as well as Boeing's Chief Engineer of its Commercial Airplanes division, and the Chief Pilot for the 737," DeFazio's statement said. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. An attorney for Ewbank, who previously declined to comment, also did not immediately respond to messages Thursday. Ewbank's ethics complaint, a copy of which was reviewed by The Seattle Times, was submitted on April 29, four weeks after the panel's document request to Boeing. It cites specific proposals for 737 safety upgrades and generally criticizes the culture at Boeing, questioning whether the company's safety priorities were compromised by business considerations during the MAX's development. The complaint suggests that one of the proposed systems for the MAX could have potentially prevented the fatal crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 last year, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 this year. A new anti-stall flight-control system, called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, that was implicated as a factor in both MAX crashes, may not have been activated by faulty sensors had a system called synthetic airspeed been included on the jet as proposed, the complaint suggested. Three of Ewbank's former colleagues interviewed by The Seattle Times concurred. The FBI, which is conducting a criminal investigation related to the MAX crashes, has since interviewed at least two Boeing employees about the complaint. "This whistleblower complaint is serious and the Committee is taking it very seriously," Washington Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen said in a statement Thursday. Ewbank filed his complaint seven weeks after the second fatal crash. By then, the FAA had ordered the airplane grounded and various investigations were launched, including probes by House and Senate panels. Boeing is now preparing to submit software fixes to resolve the problems with MCAS, as well as address other issues to convince regulators to return the MAX to flight. The company also faces further scrutiny in the months ahead. The Department of Justice's criminal investigation remains ongoing, foreign regulators and investigators have launched their own reviews, and the Congressional panels are preparing more hearings. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg is expect to address the House transportation panel on Oct. 30. Federal lawmakers have heavily scrutinized the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) regulatory role in the 737 MAX's development, including delegation of some safety certification aspects to Boeing itself while the company pushed for approval of the airliner. Since March, the House transportation panel has held three hearings and issued nine records requests "as it continues to conduct a thorough investigation into the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX," according to Larsen, a member of the committee who also chairs its aviation subcommittee. In May, a Seattle Times investigation found that Boeing engineers who were officially authorized as FAA delegates to help certify the MAX as safe and airworthy faced heavy pressure from Boeing managers to limit safety analyses and testing so the company could meet its schedule and keep down costs. The Times also reported Thursday, based on a review of documents, that Boeing convinced the FAA to relax safety standards for the MAX related to cockpit alerts that would warn pilots if something went wrong during flight. Late last month, Boeing's board of directors recommended a series of internal reforms, including changing oversight of the controversial FAA delegation program so that authorized representatives report to a new aviation safety organization within the company, rather than to business and program managers. The Times story about Ewbank's complaint, followed by a report in The New York Times, quickly caught the attention of the House panel, prompting the request to interview the engineer, committee spokeswoman Kerry Arndt said Thursday. Should Boeing make Ewing available for the interview, committee staff likely would interview him in private - as it has with other interviews concerning the MAX probe to date, Arndt said. "A lot of work in this investigation has not been public-facing," Arndt said. "That's more so than usual because of the sensitive nature of the information. It's been pretty locked down at this point." https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/congressional-panel-wants- to-interview-whisteblower-who-says-boeing-blocked-key-safety-upgrades-for-737-max- over-costs/ Back to Top Accident: UAA AN12 at Lviv on Oct 4th 2019, ran out of fuel An UAA Ukraine Air Alliance Antonov AN-12 freighter, registration UR-CAH performing flight UKL-4050 from Vigo,SP (Spain) to Lviv (Ukraine) with 7 crew and one passenger, was on approach to Lviv about 7.4nm before the airport when the aircraft disappeared from radar. The aircraft was subsequently found on the ground about 0.8nm before runway 31 in soil and vegetation, near a soccer stadium and a cemetary, where the crew had attempted an emergency landing due to running out of fuel. Five occupants were killed, three occupants were taken to hospitals with injuries. Ukraine's State of Emergency Services (SES) reported the aircraft had disappeared from radar at 07:10L (04:10Z) about 13.7km (7.4nm) from the airport. At 07:29L one of the crew members called and reported the aircraft had attempted an emergency landing. At 07:40L the aircraft was located 1.5km (0.8nm) before the runway. By 09:00L it was determined tere were 8 people on board, 7 crew plus one cargo escort. Three bodies were found, three people were found with injuries and taken to a hospital, two people are missing. Rescue and Recovery operations are still in progress. The SES subsequently added, the two missing were found perished. Ukraine's ministry of Infrastructure reported the aircraft was operated by 3 crew, 4 people were killed in the accident. The Ministry later added, that five people were found killed, three people needed to be extricated and were taken to a hospital. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd99477&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Aegean A320 at Corfu on Oct 3rd 2019, engine trouble An Aegean Airlines Airbus A320-200 on behalf of Olympic Air, registration SX-DVU performing flight OA- 283 from Corfu to Athens (Greece), was climbing out of Corfu when the right hand engine (V2527) emitted a loud bang followed by another lesser bang. The crew reduced the thrust on the right hand engine recovering the engine, stopped the climb at FL230 and continued to Athens for a safe landing with emergency services on standby about 50 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Athens about 13 hours after landing. A passenger reported the right hand engine emitted a loud bang, the whole aircraft shuddered, a few seconds later another "much quieter sound" occurred. It was noticeable that subsequently the left hand engine was operating at higher thrust than the right hand engine. No in flight service occurred, the aircraft landed in Athens with emergency services receiving the aircraft and escorting the aircraft to the apron. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd9507c&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Edelweiss A320 at Zurich on Oct 3rd 2019, "BSOD" An Edelweiss Airbus A320-200, registration HB-JJK performing flight WK-330 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Zakinthos (Greece), was climbing out of Zurich's runway 28 when the left hand FADEC (engine CFM56) developed a CPU fault. The crew stopped the climb at FL280 and returned to Zurich for a safe landing on runway 14 about 40 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration HB-IJW reached Zakinthos with a delay of about 2.5 hours. A passenger reported the captain announced a problem with the left hand engine, probably a faulty signal, the engine continued to run. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 8 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd94e2f&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: British Airways A320 near Athens on Oct 2nd 2019, smoke in cabin A British Airways Airbus A320-200, registration G-GATL performing flight BA-2673 from Larnaca (Cyprus) to London Gatwick,EN (UK) with 152 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 120nm northeast of Athens (Greece) when the crew decided to divert to Athens reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Athens' runway 21R about 25 minutes later. The aircraft taxied to the apron, where passengers disembarked normally. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Athens for about 17 hours, then continued the flight and reached London with a delay of 17:45 hours. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Athens due to a minor technical issue. The passengers were provided with accomodation. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd94151&opt=0 Back to Top Embraer ERJ-145XR - Smoke in the Cockpit (Missouri) Date: 03-OCT-2019 Time: 17:38 Type: Embraer ERJ-145XR Owner/operator: United Airlines opf Trans States Airlines Registration: N11155 C/n / msn: 145782 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 53 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Kansas City International Airport (MCI/KMCI), Kansas City, MO - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport, MO (STL/KSTL) Destination airport: Denver International Airport, CO (DEN/KDEN) Narrative: An Embraer ERJ-145XR, performing flight LOF4717 from Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport (STL/KSTL), Missouri, to Denver International airport (DEN/KDEN), Colorado , performed an uneventful emergency landing at Kansas City International Airport, (MCI/KMCI), Missouri, due to a report of smoke in the cockpit. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/229696 Back to Top Back to Top Accident: Emirates B773 near Singapore on Oct 1st 2019, turbulence injures 11 An Emirates Boeing 777-300, registration A6-EBU performing flight EK-450 from Dubai (United Arab Emirates) to Denpasar (Indonesia) with 326 people on board, was enroute at FL350 about 40nm west of Singapore (Singapore) when the aircraft encountered clear air turbulence causing an altitude deviation of about 100 feet. 11 people sustained injuries. The aircraft continued to Denpasar for a safe landing about 2:15 hours later. Denpasar Airport confirmed the aircraft encountered clear air turbulence near Singapore resulting in 11 injuries. The aircraft remained in Denpasar for checks. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration A6-ECT continued the next sector to Auckland (New Zealand). The occurrence aircraft returned to service after about 29 hours on the ground in Denpasar. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd94404&opt=0 Back to Top A Shady & Confusing Private Jet Crash In Belize Plane crashes are usually super sad, though this one is just sort of... plain odd? An Unmarked Gulfstream Crashes In Belize As reported by ASN, this Monday a Gulfstream II crashed in Belize. The plane, which was built in 1977, was attempting to land on a dirt road near Blue Creek, Orange Walk, Belize, which is right by a river on the border with Mexico. As you can see, the plane cracked into two. Where The Story Gets Weird(er) So, where does this story get suspicious? * There was no flight plan for this flight * The plane didn't carry a formal registration, but rather just had the letters "PVO" on one of the engines * The plane is believed to be N511TL, which was taken over by an unknown owner in Mexico in November 2017 * There were no distress calls, and when the crash site was found, there were no people and no cargo, which suggests people were trying to flee the scene This leads investigators to believe that this plane was being used to transport drugs or other illegal items across the border between Belize & Mexico. It's believed that there were no casualties, though I guess it's also possible that there may have been serious injuries or casualties, and there was an attempt to cover up the identity of those people, so they could have been removed from the scene. I Have So Many Questions As someone who knows very little about international drug trafficking (other than having seen a countless number of episodes of "Locked Up Abroad"), I am so curious about so many things. Is it normal for drug traffickers to use private jets to transport drugs? Logically I would have assumed they'd use much smaller planes, which could more easily land places, and also more easily fly under the radar. Flying under the radar for years with an unmarked Gulfstream just seems like a lot. Or are these traffickers actually carrying literally a ton or more of illegal substances? Or are they flying really long distances, which is where the Gulfstream would come in handy? And how many airports are there with proper runways that can accommodate a Gulfstream that still let you fly under the radar? And can you really fly an unmarked Gulfstream for a couple thousand miles without a flight plan without causing problems (assuming that's the reason for using a plane like that)? Were they actually trying to land a Gulfstream on a dirt strip, or was that an attempted emergency landing? I imagine a lot of people are being paid off in operations like this, but still... wow! https://onemileatatime.com/private-jet-crash-belize/ Back to Top More Central Florida pilots say they're having close calls with drones near airports Reports of drones flying near airplanes and helicopters at airports across the country, including in Central Florida, are on the rise. Some pilots believe that people flying the drones in unauthorized spaces are doing so for fun, although the act is illegal. The Federal Aviation Administration reported 750 unauthorized sightings in a nine- month span. Out of those sightings, 70 were reported in Florida and 19 were spotted by pilots in Central Florida -- some during takeoff and some during landing. Content Continues Below "It can pose a serious danger to an airliner," said retired pilot Richard Owen. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University spotted 190 drones in two weeks around Daytona Beach. Ninety-seven percent of the drones were flying to close too close to airspace. "The sheer number of people flying on unmanned aircraft out there was vastly beyond what we expected," said Ryan Wallace of Embry-Riddle. In June, the FAA said a pilot flying near Space Coast Regional Airport reported that he had to turn right to avoid the aircraft, calling it a near miss. The FAA said it will work closely with law enforcement to investigate reports of unauthorized drone flights. https://www.wftv.com/news/local/more-central-florida-pilots-say-they-re-having-close- calls-with-drones-near-airports/993380700 Back to Top FBI Seeks Assistance in Identifying Laser Threats to Aircraft at New York Airports The FBI's New York Field Office is requesting the public's assistance in identifying the individual, or individuals, responsible for pointing lasers at inbound aircraft to John F. Kennedy International Airport. A blue laser appears to be emanating from the area of Roslyn, New York. Pilots have reported eye injuries as a result of the laser. Overall, the FBI has seen a recent increase in laser incidents across all New York City- area airports. Pointing a laser at an aircraft presents danger to pilots, passengers, and those on the ground. This crime is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, or both. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI's New York Field Office at 1-800-CALL- FBI or dial 911. Tipsters may remain anonymous. This investigation is being led by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of more than fifty local, state, and federal agencies. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/newyork/news/press-releases/fbi-seeks- assistance-in-identifying-laser-threats-to-aircraft-at-new-york-airports Back to Top Why Lifesaving Drugs May Be Missing on Your Next Flight Citing chronic shortages, airlines have received exemptions from regulations requiring that flights carry five drugs on board. The Federal Aviation Administration has granted airlines exemptions that permit passenger planes to fly without a complete emergency medical kit if the airlines say they cannot replenish the drugs. The flight was cruising over the Atlantic, bound for Tel Aviv, when Dr. Mikhail Varshavski heard the question over the intercom: "Is there a medical professional on board?" A young man seated a few rows behind the doctor was suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction. Dr. Varshavski located a vial of epinephrine in the plane's emergency medical kit, adjusted the dose, and then injected the passenger in the thigh. "He screamed from the pain of the injection, but his throat right away started opening up," Dr. Varshavski recalled. Epinephrine, or adrenaline, is one of a handful of lifesaving drugs that are supposed to be "no-go" items for commercial passenger planes. According to federal regulations, flights are not supposed to take off without these medicines. Citing chronic drug shortages, however, the Federal Aviation Administration has granted airlines exemptions that permit passenger planes to fly without a complete medical kit if the airlines say they cannot replenish the drugs. The exemptions apply to international as well as domestic flights. Earlier exemptions were issued by the agency on an annual basis, and only for one or two of the drugs in the kit. But in January 2016, more than 50 airlines were granted four-year exemptions from the requirement to carry all five drugs in the medical kit. The medicines include two doses of epinephrine, one to treat severe allergic reactions and one to treat cardiac arrest; atropine, which is used to treat a slow heart rate; dextrose, to raise dangerously low blood sugar in people with diabetes; and lidocaine, to treat irregular heart rhythms but rarely used these days. There are no data on how many airplanes may be flying at a given time without the drugs. Representatives of airlines said they usually carry complete medical kits and rely on the exemption only during periods of temporary shortages. "U.S. carriers adhere to all F.A.A. regulations, including carrying emergency medical kits on board the aircraft and providing flight crews with training for handling medical emergencies," said Katherine Estep, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, an industry group that secured exemptions for all of its members, including American Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines. Last year, the F.A.A. threatened to fine Frontier Airlines $474,000 for allegedly flying 11 planes without epinephrine, atropine or both on nearly 800 trips in July 2017. Frontier subsequently sought and was granted an exemption. The airline declined to comment. Senator Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, whose office discovered the medical kit exemptions, called on the F.A.A. to reconsider the policy. "No traveler should ever fear that an allergic reaction on a flight might go untreated because the airline was quietly granted an exemption from carrying lifesaving medications," Ms. Duckworth said in a statement. "We expect our planes to have safety equipment like seatbelts when we travel, and there's no reason consumers shouldn't have the same expectation for lifesaving drugs." Planes are required to have two doses of epinephrine, one to treat severe allergic reactions and one to treat cardiac arrest. It is the exemption for epinephrine that is most troubling to physicians. Food allergies are increasingly common. They affect adults as well as children, but are most severe in children. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 6.4 percent of children under 18 have food allergies, an increase of more than 50 percent since 2007. "To think you could fly without epinephrine is crazy," said Dr. Sherif Badawy, a pediatrician at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago who has published several studies on mid-flight medical emergencies. For children, the most common in-flight medical emergencies involve allergic reactions or respiratory problems. "You need epinephrine for both of them," Dr. Badawy said. Some experts argue that in-flight medical emergencies requiring such drugs are rare, though others criticize the data as incomplete. One study calculated that one in-flight emergency occurs every 604 flights, and that there are 260 to 1,420 in-flight medical events daily worldwide. The most common medical problems reported on planes are fainting and near-fainting, and gastrointestinal problems, which generally do not require any medication, the study found. Still, with the exception of lidocaine, "those four drugs sound really important to me," said Dr. Sandra Schneider, associate executive director for clinical affairs at the American College of Emergency Physicians. Epinephrine is a "really critical" medication, Dr. Schneider said, since some people may experience their first allergic reaction on board an airplane. (Some experts believe epinephrine auto-injectors should be required on airplanes, too, so lay people can use them when no medical professional is on board during an emergency.) Dr. Todd A. Mahr, president of American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said that even when a drug like epinephrine is in short supply, "you can usually scour around and find it." "Anaphylaxis kills people," he added. "People have anaphylactic reactions on airplanes - they're not always prepared for it." The demand for these exemptions results from a chronic problem plaguing the health care system: persistent shortages of basic drugs. The shortages persist despite widespread publicity, public hearings and attempts by government task forces to address the problem. F.A.A. officials said passengers ought to be aware of the exemptions, since the request process is public and all decisions are posted on the Federal Docket Management System. Had the F.A.A. not granted the exemptions, suppliers of medical kits "would be exacerbating the nationwide shortage by procuring drugs that are not likely to be used, which diverts usable lifesaving drugs" from ambulances, emergency medical workers and hospitals, an agency statement said. A spokesman for JetBlue said the airline carries an F.A.A.-compliant emergency medical kit onboard every aircraft, but added: "While we work to include all medications in every kit, sometimes they are not available to us and so we always recommend our customers bring any medication they may need with them onboard." Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for American Airlines, said in an email, "We are in compliance with F.A.A. regulations, but have exemptions when we are unable to obtain these drugs due to market availability." A spokesman for Southwest, Brian Parrish, said the airline "does not currently utilize any exemption for our emergency medical kits." The airline's kits contain the full complement of materials required by the F.A.A., he said. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/health/drugs-airplanes-faa.html Back to Top Private Aviation Safety Leaders Conduct First Annual Industry Safety Symposium Part 135 Operators Meet to Share and Discuss Real-World Best Practices to Improve Safety OMAHA, Neb., Oct. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jet Linx, the preeminent private jet management and Jet Card membership company in the United States, hosted private aviation industry leaders for a first annual Safety Symposium on September 26, 2019. Held in conjunction with the opening of Jet Linx's new private terminal at Teterboro Airport, the event's objective was to share, educate and advance safety efforts in Part 135 operations. Topics discussed during the event included the enhancement of an effective Safety Management System (SMS), the minimization of safety risk components and the avoidance of pilot fatigue. The Safety Symposium was co-led by Sheryl Clarke, Director of Safety & Security for Jet Linx. Appointed in March, she is responsible for continuing to enhance the company's safety and security programs and initiatives to represent the highest standards in private aviation. Ms. Clarke previously worked with United Airlines where she led safety, SMS and regulatory compliance in airport operations for the company's network. A United States Air Force Academy graduate, she has received several advanced certifications from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Department of Transportation, Safety Management Systems and Human Factors Analysis. "Jet Linx wanted to create a forum for meaningful conversation where we could further develop safety practices, stimulate enthusiasm around industry collaboration and provide an open forum for questions, education and ideas in an intimate group setting," said Ms. Clarke. "Creating a rapport between private aviation organizations is powerful. We can learn a great deal from each other, leveraging our own programs and contributing to industry standards through combined resources and expertise." The symposium was dedicated to discussing the significance of a strong SMS within Part 135 operations and how a poor safety culture can manifest in corporate operations and, most importantly, the flight deck. Jet Linx welcomed over two dozen private aviation organizations, including Convergent, Flight Safety International, FireSide Partners and the National Air Transportation Association, among others, to collaboratively discuss industry issues, present significant data and gather key findings to share with their respective organizations. During the event, industry experts explained the philosophy behind SMS and how managing change effectively and safely can ensure best practices and the highest safety standards for employees, clients and assets. Tony Kern, Chief Learning Officer and established author from Convergent Performance, and Don Chupp, President and CEO of FireSide Partners and former NTSB investigator, shared their insights using industry events as metaphors for key learnings. "We were very happy with all that was accomplished at the first annual Safety Symposium and we look forward to the next meeting. There was a synergy created that was enlightening and inspiring," said Jamie Walker, President and CEO of Jet Linx. "As leaders in the industry, we compete in business, yet collaborate to further the highest safety standards. It is our responsibility to hold our industry accountable for the safety of our clients, pilots and team. Together, we can make the industry safer." While safety management has often been viewed as an administrative activity or a topic that purely relates to flight-specific skillsets, the Safety Symposium demonstrated a strong desire and commitment from industry leaders to continue collaborative efforts. The session concluded with several key insights regarding the enhancement of specific SMS-related ideas, the optimization of data from pilot simulator training and the minimization of pilot fatigue in maintenance operations. Jet Linx further establishes its unwavering pledge to safety and security by hosting an annual Safety Summit each June. Unlike any other industry event, Jet Linx voluntarily grounds its fleet of 115-plus aircraft nationwide to bring together all of its 500-plus employees and focus on the organization's rigorous safety standards. This year marked the third consecutive year for the Safety Summit and Jet Linx remains the only air carrier in the United States to implement such a standard. About Jet Linx Aviation Jet Linx Aviation is a locally-focused private jet company founded in Omaha, NE in 1999 as a more personalized approach to national private jet companies. Jet Linx offers two different ways to experience private aviation - a guaranteed Jet Card and a Jet Management program - providing its clients with an all-encompassing, local solution to all of their private jet travel needs. Jet Linx is an IS-BAO Stage 3, ARGUS Platinum and Wyvern Wingman safety rated operator, an accomplishment earned by less than one percent of all aircraft operators in the world. It is headquartered in Omaha, Neb. and has bases in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Ft. Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Nashville, New York, Omaha, San Antonio, Scottsdale, St Louis, Tulsa and Washington D.C. For additional information, please visit the Jet Linx website (www.jetlinx.com). https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/private-aviation-safety-leaders-conduct- first-annual-industry-safety-symposium-300930767.html Back to Top APS Offers UPRT Course for Aviation Inspectors, Regulators Aviation Performance Solutions (APS), which has been providing pilots with upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) since 1996, has added a training course designed specifically for aviation safety inspectors and regulatory authorities. The company cited growing demand from regulatory authorities needing to understand the proper implementation of a safe and effective on-aircraft and simulator-based UPRT to overcome aviation's number one cause of fatal accidents: loss of control in-flight (LOC- I). Since UPRT is now being mandated for airline pilots worldwide, regulators and inspectors must gain a thorough understanding of proven UPRT solutions to effectively evaluate and offer corrective guidance to airlines and flight schools beginning to implement UPRT. According to APS, "The APS NAA UPRT course immerses participants in a fully developed, proven-effective, and comprehensive UPRT program that spans the spectrum of career-long UPRT implementation while adhering to all regulatory standards and requirements, as well as proven best practices for safe and successful upset training." Regulatory authorities are offered hands-on training allowing them to directly observe and experience the critical factors of an integrated regulatory-compliant UPRT course. One of the most important aspects of this new training program is that it allows NAA inspectors and auditors to gain a comprehensive perspective of the key safety concerns inherent in providing and administering UPRT programs. Participants in the APS Aviation Inspector/Regulator UPRT program experience firsthand the operational controls and processes necessary to ensure that a UPRT is delivered safely, but also mitigates the dangers of negative training. The new course complements existing APS initial, recurrent and instructor training programs. To date, APS has trained more than 85,000 students touching almost every segment of aviation including business aviation, airlines, government/military, flight schools, and the owner-flown markets. Based in Mesa, Arizona, with additional satellite locations in the U.S. and Europe, APS training programs are fully compliant with industry and government UPRT standards. APS offers integrated training solutions that combine academics and hands-on flight training in full flight simulators, Extra 300 aerobatic aircraft, and/or SIAI-Marchetti S.211 jet trainers. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-10-03/aps-offers- uprt-course-aviation-inspectors-regulators Back to Top U.S. withholds U.N. aviation dues, calls for immediate whistleblower protections MONTREAL (Reuters) - The United States is withholding its dues to the U.N.'s aviation agency, arguing the body needs to move quickly with reforms like expanding public access to documents and giving greater protections to whistleblowers, U.S. government and aviation sources told Reuters this week. FILE PHOTO: A pedestrian walks past the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) headquarters building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada June 16, 2017. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi/File Photo The United States has been advocating for greater transparency and protection for whistleblowers at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), after an insider's account of a 2016 cyberattack at the agency generated fallout when it was reported in the media this year. U.S. officials have accused ICAO of downplaying the severity of the breach and have called on the organization to be more open. "We expect a lot from ICAO. We expect ethical and efficient management," a U.S. State Department official told Reuters. "We expect transparent and trustworthy governance. And we expect accountability for performance and conduct." It is the latest instance of Washington clashing with a United Nations body under the Trump administration, which has questioned the value of multilateralism and management practices at the international organization. The United States has quit the U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO, and cut funding last year to the U.N. agency that helps Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), calling its fiscal practices "irredeemably flawed." The United States provides almost a quarter of Montreal-based ICAO's annual budget of around C$100 million ($76 million), but Washington told the agency's triennial assembly this week it would not pay "until further notice," one of the sources said. Washington is embroiled in a separate controversy involving a whistleblower who alleged U.S. President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his Democratic rival Joe Biden. In that dispute, however, the Trump administration is questioning the legitimacy of the whistleblower who provided information on Trump's July 25 call to the president of Ukraine. ICAO said on Tuesday by email that it had already begun "without delay" to "formalize" a new whistleblower policy endorsed by the United States and other countries. But the United States wanted the policy to be implemented in June 2019 when it was approved by the agency's governing council following concerns over ICAO's resilience against cyberattacks, said the two sources who spoke about the private talks under condition of anonymity. In a working paper presented to ICAO's assembly which is currently under way, the United States said the agency should expand access to "meeting documents, resolutions, decisions, minutes, reports, documents, and publications." ICAO spokesman Anthony Philbin said by email on Tuesday that other countries have recently commended the agency for its progress in taking steps to become as "transparent, accountable and efficient as possible." Philbin questioned the agency's ability to carry out the safety and security initiatives raised recently in Montreal by U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, given "this subsequent move by the representative of the United States threatening to defund ICAO." The United States has not indicated it will outright quit the agency, which sets global civil aviation standards that are approved by its 193 member countries. The United States, backed by other countries, called for improved management and oversight at the organization following a February 2019 report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp over fallout from the 2016 cyberattack on the agency. ICAO has said it has made significant improvements to its cybersecurity defenses since the incident. In a May speech, U.S. ambassador to ICAO Tom Carter said the agency's council expressed a significant lack of confidence in the existing IT system's security, and questioned "the lack of resolve on the part of the secretariat to deal with the issue in a transparent way." Carter said in the speech that ICAO's 36-member council would need to do more to protect employees who come forward with information about wrongdoing. "It's become clear that we need to strengthen the whistleblower protection program at ICAO and the council has also made that a priority." https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-aviation-us/u-s-withholds-u-n-aviation-dues- calls-for-immediate-whistleblower-protections-idUSKBN1WH2C1 Back to Top Federal Aviation Administration Issues Boeing 737 Airworthiness Directive The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an airworthiness directive for Boeing 737 NG types. Cracking issues have been recognised on a number of Boeing 737s which the FAA says "could adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane" if not resolved. A Boeing 737-700 All Boeing 737 NG types have been included under the airworthiness directive. Photo: Bill Abbott via Flickr The Aviation Herald reported yesterday on a new FAA airworthiness directive issued for Boeing 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900 and -900ER aircraft. The new airworthiness directive aims specifically to address structural issues found in the "pickle forks", structural components in the fuselage which attach the wings to the main body of the aircraft. The issue was first discovered during a passenger-to-freight conversion carried out on a number of Boeing 737-800s in September. The aircraft in question were found to have serious cracking in the frame fittings and the failsafe straps of the pickle forks. The pickle fork components are designed to remain in operation for a lifetime of 90,000 flight cycles. But the components inspected in the aircraft in question had only completed between 35,578 and 37,329 flight cycles. This means they are showing signs of severe stress and potential failure not much over a third of their intended lifetime. The airworthiness directive issued by the FAA specifically references the potentially severe implications of a failure of the pickle forks in-flight: "If not addressed, could result in failure of a Principal Structural Element (PSE) to sustain limit load. This condition could adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane and result in loss of control of the airplane." Boeing 737 NG pickle forks The "pickle forks" as shown in Boeing Patent US9399508B2. Photo: Boeing Implications of the airworthiness directive for airlines The airworthiness directive will require airlines to inspect and repair any pickle fork components which show signs of cracking in accordance with the findings of the initial inspections. Inspecting and repairing a number of different Boeing 737 NG types will cost a significant amount of time and money. The Boeing 737 NG is a very popular airframe, with American Airlines and United Airlines both operating more than 300 each. The FAA estimates that the new airworthiness directive will affect 1,911 aircraft registered in the US. Assuming a cost of $85 for a 1-hour inspection and $85 for a subsequent 1-hour report, assessment of all US registered Boeing 737 NGs would cost airlines $324,870. However, this does not take into account the cost of subsequent replacement of components which are found to be defective, which would be much higher. Bad timing for Boeing As everyone is aware, Boeing has another big issue on its hands at the moment - the fall out from the worldwide Boeing 737 MAX grounding which was imposed back in March. The manufacturer posted a record quarterly loss of $3.4 billion in Q2 of this year. The majority of this loss is attributed to the $5.6 billion which has been set aside for various payments to airlines and families of passengers who died in Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. A Boeing 737-700 The airworthiness directive could end up being very expensive for airlines. Photo: Aero Icarus via Flickr Many airlines have announced their plans to seek extensive compensation from Boeing for the losses amassed as a result of the 737 MAX groundings. The pickle fork inspections could unearth more problems for the manufacturer, depending on the severity of the issues uncovered. https://simpleflying.com/faa-boeing-737-airworthiness-directive/ Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines Invites Foreign Pilots To Leave Amid Slowdown Hong Kong Airlines has taken the drastic step of offering surplus foreign pilots voluntary leave without obligation to repay salary advances and training costs. The carrier has experienced a slowdown following a wave of protests in the region, and now feels the need to trim its operating costs. Hong Kong Airlines has experienced capacity problems recently. Scrapping routes With the carrier having already been forced to drop routes to Cairns, Gold Coast, Auckland, and Fuzhou, China, Hong Kong Airlines' operation has been scaled back significantly. And the carrier has now been forced to offer foreign pilots the opportunity to leave, according to Aviation International News. Most of the pilots that have been offered this voluntary leave option hail from Europe, although there are also a small number that are native to Southeast Asia. Officials from the airline have also announced that the company will scrap its daily Airbus A350-900 San Francisco flight on October 5, while also reducing flights to Los Angeles. These plans will leave a significant number of Hong Kong Airlines pilots idle. San Francisco has proved to be a particularly challenging market for the Hong Kong- based carrier, with a wealth of competition meaning that attracting passengers has proved problematical. Cathay Pacific, United Airlines, and Singapore Airlines are all flying to San Francisco regularly, and officials from Hong Kong Airlines have indicated that this force of competition is impacting on the airline's operations. Protests in Hong Kong have had a big impact on the region's airline industry. Hong Kong protests This is particularly true amid the backdrop of ongoing protests in Hong Kong, which has weakened market demand for air travel. The seriousness of the situation forced Hong Kong Airlines to contemplate what it describes as a 'formal voluntary separation scheme', with flight attendants and other staff also to be made offers over the next couple of months. As the challenges of the existing climate in Hong Kong hits home, Hong Kong Airlines has already announced plans to reduce its current fleet of aircraft by nearly one-third. Its fleet currently consists of six Airbus A350-900s, 10 A330-300s,11 A330-200s, and 12 A320s, but this will be reduced by 11 aircraft by the end of Q1 in 2020. Officials from the carrier have acknowledged that the future outlook for the company shows no signs of brightening. "It would not be a surprise should HKA be reduced to a regional carrier due to the highly competitive market," an official told Aviation International News. Troubling year 2019 has certainly been a troubling year for Hong Kong Airlines, with the carrier forced to announce just last month that it will be cutting capacity throughout the remainder of 2019. Flights will be reduced by 7%, and the number of tickets going on sale will be reduced by 9%, amid the continuing protests in Hong Kong. Airlines operating within Hong Kong approached the government for assistance, as a wide variety of businesses and industries struggle to cope with the impact of these protests. The Board of Airline Representatives of Hong Kong requested that the government implements measures such as the waiving of fees, in order to assist the beleaguered airline industry. https://simpleflying.com/hong-kong-airlines-foreign-pilots/ Back to Top Kitty Hawk says its third electric aircraft has a 100-mile range Heaviside is the Larry Page-backed startup's newest model Kitty Hawk, the electric flight startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, unveiled its third aircraft on Thursday. Heaviside, which is abbreviated to HVSD, is roughly 100 times quieter than a helicopter, and it can travel the 55 miles from San Jose to San Francisco in about 15 minutes, the company says. TechCrunch, which got an early look, describes the aircraft as about one-third of the size of a Cessna airplane. It has a range of "about 100 miles," the publication states, though Kitty Hawk is mum on technical specs around the aircraft's battery and powertrain. All we really know is that the orange-and-black vehicle has eight rotors to help power its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) abilities. The lack of noise while in flight is another thing Kitty Hawk is highlighting about its new aircraft. In a video posted on its site, Kitty Hawk notes that a helicopter hovering at 1,500 feet emits about 80 dBA, while Heaviside only puts out 38 dBA. The idea is that rather than power your urban air taxi service with noisy helicopters (which Uber is attempting to do with its recently launched Manhattan-to-JFK Airport service), why not use Kitty Hawk's whisper-quiet electric planes instead? Project Heaviside by Kitty Hawk It's not really a fair question because Kitty Hawk hasn't said anything about its production plans. The company recently announced that it's partnering with Boeing to develop its semi-autonomous flying taxis. Last year, it unveiled its first two aircraft, the single-seater Flyer and the two-seater Cora. It also said it would be teaming up with Air New Zealand to eventually launch a flying taxi service in that country. If true, a 100-mile range would be an incredible breakthrough for electric flight. Flying requires a ton of energy, and, presently, the weight of batteries presents complications for liftoff. The technology that allows Tesla to squeeze 300 miles of range out of a Model 3 or for Chevy to get 200 miles out of the Bolt isn't enough to power more than a two- seater aircraft with a flight range limited to only a few miles. Kitty Hawk's response to this challenge is to make its aircraft very small. The Flyer can carry one person; Cora can carry two. The Heaviside can only fit one pilot, which raises questions about the entire lineup's viability as passenger aircraft. Kitty Hawk has some high-profile competitors in the nascent flying taxi space. Most notably, Uber plans to start test flights of its own Uber Air service in 2020, with a commercial launch planned for 2023. The ride-sharing company announced that it's working with five aerospace companies to build aircraft for the service, including one company that was purchased by Boeing back in 2017. A separate startup, Lilium, completed a test flight of its own five-seater aircraft earlier this year. https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/3/20897336/kitty-hawk-electric-aircraft-heaviside- mile-range-flight-time-google-larry-page Back to Top AAI's disused airfields may be turned into pilot academies (India) * India has 32 training institutes that produce about 300 pilots against the requirement of 800 a year. * India's pilot shortage, especially of commanders, is increasing as airlines expand aggressively. NEW DELHI: The government has started work on a plan to turn airfields belonging to the staterun Airports Authority of India (AAI), including non-operational ones, into pilot academies to help meet burgeoning demand in India and overseas. India's pilot shortage means that the country's fastexpanding carriers have to hire foreign pilots or even cancel flights at times. "The aviation ministry's view is that the country has human capital and the plan is to produce enough pilots so that we are able to meet not just India's demand but also become a pilot supplier to the world," said a top government official who sought anonymity. India's current capacity is not enough to meet the country's needs, he said. It has 32 training institutes that produce about 300 pilots against the requirement of 800 a year. Jet Airways pilots, for instance, found jobs quickly with other carriers after the airline stopped flying recently. The official said the plan is to activate as many airports - either non-operational or used only sparingly - as possible. AAI, which manages 126 airports, has about 50 such fields. "There could be various other airports or airstrips that could be used for pilot training," said another official. The AAI board has approved the proposal and formed a three-member panel headed by former Indian Air Force chief Fali H Major to decide on the number of airports that can be offered to pilot schools. Air Force chief Fali H Major is an independent member of the AAI board. The others on the committee, which is to submit its report in three months, are Vineet Gulati, AAI's member (air navigation services), and Anil Gill, deputy director, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The idea came from director general of civil aviation Arun Kumar, also a member of AAI's board, said persons with knowledge of the matter. Experts said the initiative will need to be augmented by other measures. "There are things like weather, visibility and Air Traffic Control factors that should be taken into account while deciding on the airports that will be shortlisted for flying institutes," said Shakti Lumba, a former pilot who used to head operations at Air India and IndiGo. Lumba added that the government will also have to provide incentives. "Flying training in India is more expensive than many other countries, and one of the reasons is taxation on fuel for trainer aircraft," he said. "The government will also have to look at the option of providing subsidies to make this scheme a success." India's pilot shortage, especially of commanders, is increasing as airlines expand aggressively. According to industry estimates, the country now has about 8,000 pilots and its airlines will require an additional 17,000 in the next 10 years. There is also global demand for pilots, especially from carriers in China and the Middle East. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/aais- disused-airfields-may-be-turned-into-pilot-academies/articleshow/71434360.cms Back to Top United Airlines ramps up recruitment to hire 10,000 pilots over the next decade * United is unveiling initiatives to increase pilot hiring as it faces a wave of retirements. * The airline said it expects to need 10,000 new pilots over the next decade. A United Airlines airplane takes off at San Francisco International Airport. United Airlines is trying to recruit pilots early in their training as the second-biggest U.S. carrier faces an impending shortage as half of its aviators approach retirement. The airline on Thursday said it would offer conditional job offers to candidates who apply to a special program as they build experience during their training and early-career experience at small airlines. Close to half of United's roughly 12,500 pilots will retire over the next 10 years, the airline estimates, and it expects to need to hire 10,000 over that period to keep pace with growth. Boeing has estimates that airlines will need 645,000 pilots from 2019 through 2038, with 212,000 in North America alone. Airlines around the world are fretting about who will fly their planes in the future and are ramping up recruiting efforts. Delta Air Lines last year launched a program that invited its non-pilot employees to take unpaid leave to go to flight school and conditional job offers for college students as ranks of pilots thin due to the federally- mandated retirement age of 65. Cost is a major hurdle to becoming a pilot and training costs can top $80,000. Strict laws in the United States require that pilots have 1,500 hours of flight time to work at a commercial airline, but there are exceptions for some students and military. United is considering other initiatives such as loan forgiveness or guarantees, said Bryan Quigley, United's senior vice president of flight operations. "One of the big barriers to get into the profession is the cost of getting their certification," he said. Regional carriers that serve airlines' shorter routes have had to increase bonuses to new pilots to entice applicants. Quigley said he has noticed a "very minor impact" about staffing issues preventing some regional airlines from being able to fly as much as they could, adding that they're boosting the program so the problem doesn't worsen. Pilots could move over to United's mainline operation after a minimum of 24 months and 2,000 hours at a regional, United said. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/03/united-airlines-ramps-up-recruitment-to-hire- 10000-pilots-over-next-decade.html Back to Top Soyuz spacecraft lands in Kazakhstan with three-man crew The Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft's landing capsule descends under an orange and white main parachute moments for touchdown Thursday in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls Leaving six crewmates behind in orbit, a Russian commander, his NASA co-pilot and a first-time flier from the United Arab Emirates undocked from the International Space Station early Thursday, executed a fiery plunge back to Earth and landed safely on the steppe of Kazakhstan. Helped out of the cramped Soyuz descent module by waiting recovery crews, all three appeared healthy and in good spirits as they rested in recliners near their spacecraft, undergoing initial medical checks and chatting with friends and family by satellite telephone as they began re-adjusting to the unfamiliar tug of gravity. It was a picture-perfect ending for a trip that began at 3:37 a.m. EDT when the Soyuz MS-12/58S spacecraft undocked from the space station's Russian Rassvet module. Strapped into the Soyuz's central crew compartment were vehicle commander Alexey Ovchinin, NASA flight engineer Nick Hague and "spaceflight participant" Hazzaa Ali Almansoori. Ovchinin and Hague, launched to the station on March 14, were closing out a 203-day mission while Almansoori, a guest cosmonaut who arrived at the outpost Sept. 25, was wrapping up a relatively short eight-day visit. After moving the Soyuz a safe distance away from the station, Ovchinin and Hague monitored a four-minute 42-second rocket firing starting at 6:06 a.m. The braking burn was designed to slow the ship by about 286 mph, just enough to drop the far side of the orbit deep into the atmosphere for a landing in Kazakhstan. The rocket firing went off without a hitch and a half hour later, just before atmospheric entry, the three modules making up the Soyuz MS-12/58S spacecraft separated as planned. The crew module, the only one equipped with a protective heat shield, then plunged back to a parachute and rocket-assisted landing near the town of Dzhezkazgan, touching down at 6:59 a.m. (4:59 p.m. local time). Russian recovery teams, NASA personnel and UAE officials stationed nearby welcomed the crew back to Earth with fresh fruit and water. After more detailed medical checks, Ovchinin and Almansoori planned to head back to Star City near Moscow while Hague boarded a NASA jet in Karaganda for the long flight back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Emirati astronaut Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Nick Hague after exiting their Soyuz spacecraft Thursday. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls Left behind in orbit aboard the space station was the six-member Expedition 61 crew, made up of Italian commander Luca Parmitano, cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Drew Morgan and Jessica Meir. They face one of the busiest schedules in recent memory with up to a dozen spacewalks planned by the end of the year - five to install fresh batteries in the station's solar power system, five and possibly six to repair a $2 billion particle physics experiment and one to carry out maintenance on the Russian segment of the lab complex. The first battery swap-out spacewalk, with Koch and Morgan, is planned for Sunday. The station crew may also welcome a U.S. commercial crew ship to the station at some point during their stay. Boeing and SpaceX are in the final stages of readying ferry craft for launch that NASA is counting on to end the agency's sole reliance on the Russian Soyuz to carry astronauts to and from the station. But both company's have had major problems and it's not clear when either will be ready for operational flights. As it now stands, the final NASA-booked seat aboard a Soyuz will be used on the next Russian crew fight to the station in April. NASA managers are reportedly considering the purchase of additional seats - at more than $80 million each - to ensure an uninterrupted U.S. presence aboard the station. For Hague and Ovchinin, Thursday's return to Earth closed out an extraordinary year that began with an initial attempt to reach the space station last October. Two minutes after launch, their normally reliable Soyuz booster malfunctioned and broke apart, triggering a dramatic - but safe - emergency abort. Russian engineers quickly found and corrected the problem and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, resumed Soyuz flights two months later. Hague and Ovchinin then were reassigned to the Soyuz MS-12/58S spacecraft and, joined by Koch, they finally made it into orbit on March 14. Recovery teams arrive at the Soyuz landing site Thursday. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls "This year has definitely been a crazy year," Hague told CBS News in a space-to-ground interview Wednesday. "Finally making it up here in March was just ... a mix of emotions - the relief of finally accomplishing it, knowing the sacrifice that had been put in up to that point, not just by me, but my family. "It's something uncommon to ask a family to sit there and witness a rocket disintegrate with someone they love strapped to the top of it and then to turn around and ask them to do that again five months later. That's quite something for them to go through. It's really brought home just how important it is what we're doing up here, and why it's all worth it." He said his time in orbit was a more moving experience than he expected. "I didn't fully appreciate just how significant that change is, to be able to look down and see the Earth for what it is, this one giant organism that is alive and it's constantly changing and we're part of that," he reflected. "And to just understand that we're part of this precious place." Describing Earth as "this precious island in this abyss of darkness around us," Hague said the experience made him realize "I'm part of something larger than myself, I'm part of planet Earth." "It also brings home a sense of stewardship in terms of this is our planet, and we need to do everything we can to make sure we preserve that for future generations. The change in perspective up here is profound, and you can definitely feel it." Asked if he was looking forward to the trip back to Houston, he said "I'm sure definitely ready to give my wife and kids a huge hug." https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/10/03/soyuz-spacecraft-lands-in-kazakhstan-with- three-man-crew/ Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Part 141 Flight School Senior Staff, The Ohio State University's Center of Aviation is conducting a comparative analysis of Part 141 program models through its student capstone course. The goal of the study is to better improve factors such as instructor retention, aircraft utilization, and general program attraction. All Part 141 flight schools are encouraged to participate! This survey is meant for Part 141 aviation program staff who have knowledge of current pay rates, CFI benefits, and fleet utilization data. The data received from this survey will be shared with collaborators, upon request. Although any feedback received will aid us in our analysis, all questions are considered optional. We understand that not all data requested may be available to you. We estimate this survey will take 20 minutes or less to complete. For more information or assistance with this survey, please contact Noel Benford at Benford.15@osu.edu. Survey https://qtrial2019q3az1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aVR6Y5B50Lu23qd Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY 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! Curt Lewis