Flight Safety Information November 6, 2019 - No. 228 In This Issue Incident: Hawaiian A21N at Honolulu on Nov 3rd 2019, engine going in and out of failure Incident: British Airways B772 over Atlantic on Nov 4th 2019, suspected fuel leak Incident: Republic E175 at Boston on Nov 4th 2019, smoke in cockpit Incident: Kenya B788 at Johannesburg on Nov 5th 2019, maintenance engineer "stowed away" November/December 2019 FAA Safety Briefing UK introduces mandatory drone registration and pilot test Boeing adds 3 safety elements in 737 MAX aircraft, expects to resume service in March 2020 FAA considering plan to require anti-overdose drugs on airlines Tech boosts aviation safety, raises repair costs, automation concerns EU Aviation Safety Agency focuses on dangers of commercial pressure on airline safety Flying is safer, but aviation claims and risks grow FAA to limit the sharing of aircraft data UPS Flight Forward delivers CVS prescriptions by air Russia Touts Development of Its Air Transport System CAE and Directional Aviation complete strategic partnership Universal Avionics Offers New 'Fly By Sight' Navigation System for Business Aircraft Boeing says India will order 2,380 jets from planemakers over 20 years Aviation and launch industries seek common ground on airspace improvements CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Position: MEL Administration Manager Position Available: Audit Production Manager; Air Carrier Incident: Hawaiian A21N at Honolulu on Nov 3rd 2019, engine going in and out of failure A Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration N214HA performing flight HA-26 from Honolulu,HI to Portland,OR (USA) with 196 people on board, was climbing through FL260 out of Honolulu when the crew decided to turn around and return to Honolulu reporting a left hand engine (PW1133G) issue. Descending towards Honolulu the crew advised the engine was going in and out of failure to high vibrations. The aircraft landed safely on Honolulu's runway 26L about 60 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A330-200 registration N360HA reached Portland with a delay of 10 hours. The airline reported the crew received indication of a possible problem with one of the engines. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/HAL26/history/20191103/2350Z/PHNL/KPDX http://avherald.com/h?article=4cede606&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: British Airways B772 over Atlantic on Nov 4th 2019, suspected fuel leak A British Airways Boeing 777-200, registration G-YMMU performing flight BA-253 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Nassau (Bahamas) with 235 passengers and 13 crew, was enroute at FL360 over the Atlantic Ocean about 700nm south of St. John's,NL (Canada) when the crew suspected a fuel leak at the left hand engine and decided to divert to St. John's. The aircraft descended to FL250 for the diversion and landed safely on St. John's runway 29 about 100 minutes later. The crew requested emergency services to check their left hand engine for any leaks. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration G-YMMA positioned from London Heathrow to St. John's the following day, resumed the flight and is estimated to reach Nassau with a delay of 30 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in St. John's about 30 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/BAW253/history/20191104/0945Z/EGLL/MYNN http://avherald.com/h?article=4cedddf4&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Republic E175 at Boston on Nov 4th 2019, smoke in cockpit A Republic Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N240JQ performing flight DL-6092 from Boston,MA to Philadelphia,PA (USA) with 28 people on board, was climbing out of Boston's runway 22R when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and decided to return to Boston. The aircraft stopped the climb at 3000 feet and returned to Boston for a safe landing on runway 27 about 12 minutes after departure. A replacement ERJ-175 registration N214JQ reached Phildelphia with a delay of 5:40 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 8 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/RPA6092/history/20191104/1800Z/KBOS/KPHL http://avherald.com/h?article=4cede120&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Kenya B788 at Johannesburg on Nov 5th 2019, maintenance engineer "stowed away" A Kenya Airways Boeing 787-8, registration 5Y-KZC performing flight KQ-761 from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Nairobi (Kenya), was climbing out of Johannesburg when the crew was informed a maintenance engineer should have been left in Johannesburg. While levelling off at FL310 the crew turned around and returned to Johannesburg for a safe landing on runway 03R about 30 minutes later. While the aircraft vacated the runway the crew reported "He's here and conscious!", the aircraft taxied to the apron to offload the engineer. The aircraft remained on the ground for about an hour, then departed again and reached Nairobi with a delay of 105 minutes. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cedbe71&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top UK introduces mandatory drone registration and pilot test The drone registration process includes an online test. There have been calls for more regulation of drone flights in the UK, especially since drones caused chaos last Christmas at the country's second-busiest airport. Now, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority is requiring operators to register their drones. The registration system is a way to connect drones to their owners, both to return drones which get lost and to ensure that operators are flying their drones responsibly. The registration is cheap, at just £9 ($12), but operators will need to take an online education course and test as part of the process. Once registration is complete, owners will be provided with a unique code that they must add to their drone to make it identifiable. In addition to registering the drone itself, each person who controls a drone must obtain a flyer ID which requires taking a theory test. Children under 13 can still fly drones if they pass the test, but their parent or guardian must register for them. The operator of each drone must be over 18 and is responsible for ensuring that only people with a valid flyer ID pilot their drone. Registration is mandatory for the operation of drones weighing more than 250g, and it must be completed by November 30th this year. Flying an unregistered drone after this time could result in a fine of up to £1000 ($1290). In order to comply with these requirements and similar rules in the US, some drone manufacturers are deliberately ensuring their machines weigh in below the limit. DJI's Mavic Mini, for example, weighs exactly 249 grams. To register a drone, you can head to the Civil Aviation Authority's website. https://www.engadget.com/2019/11/05/uk-drone-operators-registration/ Back to Top Boeing adds 3 safety elements in 737 MAX aircraft, expects to resume service in March 2020 Boeing has added three elements of safety in the flight control system of the 737 MAX aircraft and is working to bring it back in service globally in March 2020. The plane manufacturer said it has found issues in 5% of all inspected MAX aircraft and have fixed them. "We have added three safety elements in MCAS ( Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) in flight control. We have tested over 800 flights...we at Boeing are focussed on safety," Darren Hulst, deputy vice president of commercial marketing said. "We have taken a pause in everything to focus on safe return of MAX to service," he added. The company also said that it is working with regulators for certification to help bring MAX to service in the US in Q4 and if the processes progress without pause, the MAX may return to service globally by March. While the US-based aircraft manufacturer said it is working with regulators to improve the training process for the new MAX, it did not give details of the training schedule for pilots of SpiceJet. SpiceJet has a total order-book of 205 planes, out of which 155 are firm orders and 50 are options. The 12 MAX aircraft of SpiceJet, which have already been inducted, are grounded since March. Boeing's fastest-selling model, the MAX aircraft, was grounded worldwide in March following safety concerns after a second fatal crash involving this aircraft. While the first tragic crash was a Lion Air flight in late October 2018, the second one was that of Ethiopian Airlines in March this year. In India, Boeing also lost out to Airbus for a 300-plane order by IndiGo but it has high expectations from its next single-aisle product of MAX 10. "We are taking a long view of how we can support growth in India..how we can bring the best. We are confident in what the products we can offer..we have given detailed information on the two incidents and the changes made to the aeroplane to DGCA," Boeing added. https://www.cnbctv18.com/aviation/boeing-adds-3-safety-elements-in-737-max- aircraft-expects-to-resume-service-in-march-2020-4650561.htm Back to Top FAA considering plan to require anti-overdose drugs on airlines WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it's considering a plan to require opioid overdose reversal drugs like naloxone in emergency medical kits on board passenger aircraft. The move follows pressure from Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin, who has been urging the FAA to follow congressional recommendations to require the life-saving drug on all airlines. "The opioid crisis has gripped every state, every district in the country," Langevin said. "Last August, I led a letter to the FAA administrator asking that they include and look at including naloxone." Langevin says this comes after an airline passenger died from an overdose while flying from Boston to Los Angeles in July. "I think the airlines need to be prepared for any type of emergency," he added. In a letter to lawmakers, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said the agency is currently reviewing the best way for air carriers to include opioid antagonists like naloxone as part of onboard emergency medical kits. Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths have occurred in the U.S. and experts say naloxone could be part of the solution. Dr. Zeina Saliba, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University, calls the drug an antidote to an overdose. "Naloxone is blocking or reversing the effects of opiates," she explained. "It is absolutely important because it is life-saving." Current law already allows airlines to carry naloxone but Langevin's request would make it a requirement. https://www.kron4.com/washington/washington-dc/faa-considering-plan-to-require- anti-overdose-drugs-on-airlines/ Back to Top Tech boosts aviation safety, raises repair costs, automation concerns More complex technology has improved safety across the aviation industry but is driving higher values and cost of repairs and increasing concerns about pilots' overreliance on aircraft automation systems, according to a report from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Tuesday. The crash of two Boeing 737 Max 8 jets within five months in 2018 and 2019 and other high-profile incidents highlight the challenges of interaction between pilots and technologically advanced systems, the report said. "Overall, pilot training standards have changed and improved over recent decades, but systems can still fail or be incorrectly operated, albeit rarely, and there needs to be a continued focus on pilots flying with and without automation in training," the report said. Pilots need to be better prepared to be able to take corrective actions in the event of a technical malfunction or adverse circumstance, the report said. The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max in the wake of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes is likely to result in one of the biggest airline manufacturers claims to date, the report said. The grounding has resulted in "a large financial loss for the aircraft's manufacturer and airlines," with Boeing reported to have set aside nearly $5 billion to compensate airlines, several of which have had to cut routes and staff in response, the report said. However, while the grounding is likely to result in "a large claim" for aircraft manufacturers' insurers, the financial impact for airlines is largely uninsured, according to the report. "Loss-of-use insurance cover has become increasingly relevant with the increased value of aircraft, and more importantly the revenue they represent to airlines," Dave Warfel, regional head of aviation, North America at AGCS, said in the report. "Yet, loss of revenues for grounding aircraft is largely uninsured by the airlines, which do not typically buy grounding cover," he said. The report's analysis of 51,867 aviation insurance claims worth more than $16.3 billion over the past five years found that collision/crash incidents accounted for more than half the value of all claims (57%), equivalent to $9.3 billion. Faulty workmanship/maintenance accounted for 27%, and machinery breakdown, including engine failure, for 6% of claims by value. Foreign object damage, engine claims, ground collisions, slips and falls, groundings, misfueling incidents and a trend toward larger liability awards are some of the areas where insurers are seeing heightened loss activity, the report said. https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20191105/NEWS06/912331507/Tech- boosts-aviation-safety-raises-repair-costs-automation-concerns Back to Top EU Aviation Safety Agency focuses on dangers of commercial pressure on airline safety HELSINKI, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The increased commercial pressure endangering safe air travel is a leading theme at a two-day conference of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) here in Helsinki. Pekka Henttu, director general of Civil Aviation of the Finnish Transport Safety Agency and chair of the EASA Management Board, said "those pressures are a fact and we have to admit they are present." Henttu said this is the first time the topic was discussed at an international airline safety conference, and a good balance must be found between safety and the business side of aviation. During the conference that concluded on Tuesday, Patrick Ky, executive director of EASA, drew attention to drones, a new type of stakeholders that will be sharing air space with traditional users, saying "We must ensure this will be done safely." Although leasing is a necessary business tool to avoid overcapacity, participants believe that increased leasing of aircraft with an accompanying crew is a security risk factor. Nearly 40 percent of commercial aircraft in Europe are currently on lease, either without crew or as an operational aircraft. Joachim Luecking, head of the unit for Aviation Safety at European Commission, told the meeting the EU wants to create a framework that is both flexible, getting rid of inefficient regulation and facilitates innovation. "EU tries to create a system based more on risk and performance," he said. He also called on the aviation industry not to underestimate the social, environmental pressures. EU is looking into the decarbonization of the industry. "We are promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuel, but also support a project on researching the electrification of aviation," said Luecking. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/06/c_138531396.htm Back to Top Flying is safer, but aviation claims and risks grow The global airline industry has experienced some of its safest years in terms of fatalities recently, despite a number of crashes, according to a new study - but long-term improvement of its risk management record is challenged by a growing number of claims and risks. The findings come from a study conducted by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) in partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the largest fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace. According to the study, the airline industry has seen heightened loss activity from more costly repairs and engine claims, damage from foreign objects such as bird strikes, ground collision incidents, slips and falls, fleet groundings, mis-fueling incidents and liability awards. "Thankfully, fatal air accidents involving the modern generation of commercial aircraft are infrequent, and the past few years have been among the safest ones in aviation history," said Tom Fadden, global head of aviation at AGCS. "However, the headline improvements in safety shouldn't lull the aviation industry into a false sense of security. The sheer volume and magnitude of aviation losses is often underestimated. At any time, Allianz alone will handle thousands of claims, and be it grounding incidents or collisions with drones, there are also many new risks on the horizon which airlines, manufacturers and airports have to prepare for." The report analyzed more than 50,000 aviation insurance claims, worth more than US$16.3 billion, made between 2013 and 2018. It revealed that collision and crash incidents accounted for 57% of the value of all claims - equivalent to US$9.3 billion - and 27% of claims by number. The report projected that more costly grounding incidents, business interruption resulting from cyber and drone events, and more incidences of turbulence will have an influence on the loss landscape. "Overall, aviation insurance claims are increasing in frequency and severity, driven by higher values of aircraft, increased repair costs and rising liability awards for crash victims," said Dave Warfel, regional head of aviation for North America at AGCS. "The volume of claims is also a reflection of growth in air transport, with increased passenger numbers and more congested airports, as well as growing demands on airlines, manufacturers and ground services." The fact that crashes and collisions are the top causes of aviation claims isn't driven only by major aviation disasters, AGCS said. Such claims also include incidents like hard landings, bird strikes and incidents on the ground. The average runway incident claim, for example, totals about US$1.9 million. Faulty workmanship or maintenance is the second top cause of claims, followed by machinery breakdown. Modern aircraft can also be more expensive to repair, contributing to costlier claims. Increasing complexity in aircraft design, technology and manufacturing is also leading to more costly grounding incidents, sometimes involving entire fleets, AGCS said. The redesigned Boeing 737 Max, for example, remains grounded following two fatal crashes within five months in 2018 and 2019. "Such incidents highlight the challenge in finding technical solutions to complex problems, which increases the time it takes to get grounded aircraft back into operation," Warfel said. "Civil aviation and airline safety authorities have grown increasingly cautious, and rightly so. However, this will likely result in more - and longer - groundings of aircraft in the future." Liability claims per passenger are also increasing, with many plaintiffs seeking higher awards. With potential awards per passenger reaching millions of dollars, a major crash could result in a liability loss of up to US$1 billion in the future, the report said. The report also warned of a range of emerging risk scenarios. For example, the projected demand for new pilots - about 800,000 over the next 20 years, double the current workforce - brings challenges in recruitment and training, the report said. And a number of recent accidents have raised concerns that pilots are over-reliant on aircraft automation systems. Incidents of turbulence are also predicted to increase due to climate change, with the North Atlantic flight passageway projected to see the largest increase. Extreme turbulence can cause structural damage to an aircraft, which can cost millions of dollars. The growing number of drones and cyber risks such as data breaches, system outages and hacker attacks are also predicted to have a significant impact on aviation loss. Accidents on the ground could increase as well, according to the report. In many cases, airport infrastructure hasn't kept up with the rapid growth in passenger and aircraft numbers, and it is predicted that most of the world's busiest airports will face capacity issues within a decade. Ground congestion causes delays, and also increases the risk of collisions and ramp accidents, AGCS said. On a more positive note, the report highlighted the ongoing decline in the number of fatal accidents over the past 60 years - a period when the number of passengers has skyrocketed. Between 2008 and 2017, there were 2,199 fatalities from 37 commercial passenger fleet jet events globally - less than 8% of the total number since 1959. In 2017, for the first time in at least 60 years, there were no fatalities on a passenger jet flight, and 2018 ranks as the third-safest year ever, with 2015 in second place. https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/breaking-news/flying-is-safer-but- aviation-claims-and-risks-grow-190701.aspx Back to Top FAA to limit the sharing of aircraft data 737 MAX Flight Deck Artwork K65930 The Federal Aviation Administration has developed a plan to allow a real-time flight- tracking opt-out for operators that have equipped their aircraft with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast equipment, which will be required to operate in most USA airspace from January 1, 2020. In a related move to ensure operator security and privacy, the FAA said it will establish new terms-of-service agreements with aircraft tracking service providers that will limit the sharing of aircraft data, if operators want to opt out from having their flight information broadcast over the internet. The new terms of service are expected to go into effect by the end of the year. These new privacy and security developments were announced by the FAA during the NBAA Flight Planners Summit at the association's recent Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, NV. Under Phase 1 of the Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) Program, expected to start at the beginning of 2020, the FAA will set up a web portal to accept requests from operators that wish to block real-time ADS-B position and identification information for their aircraft. These operators will be issued an alternative, temporary International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aircraft address, which will not be connected to their aircraft information in the FAA Aircraft Registry. In Phase 2, which is expected to start in mid-2020, the PIA program will be transitioned to third-party service provider(s). Only external organizations vetted by the FAA, for example, law enforcement, will be able to reverse-look-up the true identity of an aircraft. Full details about the PIA program are available here. NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen said, "We're pleased the FAA has responded positively to ADS-B privacy concerns of operators, which NBAA has raised in numerous government/industry forums, including with the NextGen Advisory Committee. Until now, the lack of a privacy solution has been a disincentive for some operators to equip with ADS-B. No one should have to surrender their privacy and security just because they board an airplane." https://www.businessairportinternational.com/news/technology/faa-to-limit-the- sharing-of-aircraft-data.html Back to Top UPS Flight Forward delivers CVS prescriptions by air After months of transporting medical specimens on a hospital campus, Big Brown makes its first move in consumer drone delivery business. UPS took another step forward in its Flight Forward drone delivery business with a successful CVS Pharmacy prescription delivery to a North Carolina customer's home and another to a retirement community. Both flights on Friday, Nov. 1, used the M2 drone system by UPS partner and drone systems developer Matternet. This comes weeks after UPS rival FedEx teamed up with Alphabet's Wing drone delivery service for business-to-consumer drone deliveries in Virginia. Wing also partnered with CVS competitor Walgreens for the first consumer- delivery drone service in mid-October. The UPS Flight Forward deliveries last week launched from a CVS store in Cary, N.C., and flew to customers' homes. The drones flew autonomously while monitored by a remote operator who could intervene if needed. The drone hovered 20 feet over the properties as it slowly lowered the packages by cable and winch to the ground. One bag was delivered to a CVS customer with limited mobility that makes it difficult to travel to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. UPS and CVS are working together to develop new drone delivery uses, including this business-to-consumer operating model. The companies plan to fine-tune the delivery program in the coming months in hopes of marketing the speed and convenience advantages of UAVs. The Nov. 1 prescription delivery flights occurred with FAA approval to conduct a residential drone delivery and according to FAA regulations. "CVS is exploring many types of delivery options for urban, suburban and rural markets," said Kevin Hourican, president of CVS Pharmacy. "We see big potential in drone delivery in rural communities where life-saving medications are needed and consumers at times cannot conveniently access one of our stores." UPS launched its drone airline, Flight Forward, earlier this fall after a successful pilot program of transporting medical specimen at a North Carolina hospital. That pilot program began in March using similar Matternet drones. UPS says it has flown more than 1,500 revenue-generating drone deliveries - carrying nearly 8,000 medical samples - at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. UPS is expanding the drone delivery services to other hospitals, universities and corporate campuses around the U.S. while also turning its attention to consumer deliveries. Other companies, including Amazon.com's Prime Air, also are developing drone-delivery platforms. But this is the first time UPS Flight Forward has flown beyond the fixed route of operations it currently offers on hospital campuses. It was the first company approved by the FAA to operate a drone airline. UPS earned this certification - the broadest available from the FAA - in September. It allows the company to charge for drone deliveries and to fly as many drones as necessary to meet customer demand. "We now have an opportunity to offer different drone delivery solutions, tailored to meet customer needs for speed and convenience," said Scott Price, UPS chief strategy and transformation officer. "Delivering prescriptions by drone directly to homes could greatly improve the patient experience for CVS customers. We're delighted to build new services that will shatter preconceived notions of how, when and where goods can be delivered." UPS FF is building out its ground infrastructure in hopes of expanding it to several industries in the future. And while the nascent delivery service has focused on the health care industry, it has its sights set on transporting special commodities and other regulated goods in the future as it partners with other drone manufacturers to build varying cargo capacities. https://www.fleetowner.com/technology/ups-flight-forward-delivers-cvs-prescriptions- air Back to Top Russia Touts Development of Its Air Transport System Russia's deputy minister of transport Alexander Yurchik has called on the country's airlines and airports to work with the government and Rosaviatsiya, the Russian federal air transport agency, to help shape the different programs aimed at boosting the industry's growth. "Give us a hint with your advice. We have an integrated approach," he told delegates of the Wings of the Future conference in Moscow last week. Yurchik conceded that the spending mechanism might be too regulated and that investments in infrastructure did not always align with the aspirations of the airports but, he vowed, "the air [transport] system is going to be developed everywhere." The government on October 30 held negotiations with a U.S. delegation, which Yurchik said expressed keen interest in Russia's plan to develop its civil aviation structure. "They were amazed, astonished by the plan," Yurchik recounted. The plan calls for, among other elements, the reconstruction or upgrade of 66 airports, terminals, and runways across the country, the expansion of regional routes, and the creation of conditions for increasing flights bypassing Moscow. The system of incentives for regional air traffic bypassing Moscow is "working well," Yurchik said, pointing out that that the growth rate of passengers on domestic services continues to exceed the overall growth rate. Overall year-on-year passenger growth stood at 11.2 percent in the first nine months, whereas passenger numbers on domestic services rose more than 25 percent. Russia will remain by far the largest air transport market in emerging Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) over the next 20 years; however, forecasters expect its rate of passenger growth to run lower than in some other countries in the region, such as Kazakhstan, asserted Kate Markhvida, a senior economist at the International Air Transport Association. Markhvida identified a more liberal aviation policy and simplified visa procedures as key policy initiatives for Russia to fully unlock its air travel potential. The country performs poorly on several of IATA's key parameters, including passenger facilitation, visa openness, and e-freight friendliness with scores of 2.3/10, 1/10, and 0.1/10, respectively. "Air transport is important for local economies," she said, noting that air transport and foreign tourists arriving by air supported one million jobs in the country and contributed 1.8 percent to GDP. IATA forecasts Russia's air transport market to grow by 77 percent in the next 20 years, to 182 million passengers by 2038. The association expects Kazakhstan, which adopted an open skies policy, to increase its passenger throughput by almost 150 percent- accounting for the highest growth rate of IATA's ranking of the 10 largest passenger markets in emerging Europe and the CIS-to 20 million by 2038. That rate of growth will propel the central Asian country to become the sixth-largest air passenger market in emerging Europe and the CIS, up from the tenth position in 2018. Kazakhstan will gradually overtake Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and even Hungary, the IATA forecast showed. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-11-05/russia-touts- development-its-air-transport-system Back to Top CAE and Directional Aviation complete strategic partnership A strategic partnership between flight training provider CAE and corporate aviation investment firm Directional Aviation - announced in August - is now complete after the two companies concluded the deal in early November. Under the agreement, CAE has created a joint venture with Directional affiliate Volo Sicuro and acquired, for $85 million, a 50% stake in simulator-based training company Simcom. In turn, six other Directional affiliates - manufacturer Nextant Aerospace, and operators Corporate Wings, Flexjet, Flight Options, Flairjet and Sirio - have signed a 15-year exclusive training services agreement with Simcom and CAE. Together, the operators have a fleet of 175 business jets and turboprops, and more than 80 aircraft on order. CAE chief executive Marc Parent says the agreement will "further strengthen CAE's position in the business aviation training market". This includes the company's $645 million acquisition of Bombardier's Business Aviation Training arm. The deal was completed in March, bringing 12 new Bombardier business jet full-flight simulators - located in Dallas, Texas and Montreal, Canada - into its training network. As part of the agreement with Directional, Simcom will purchase equipment from CAE, including five full-flight simulators: two Bombardier Challenger 350s, one Embraer Phenom 300, a Legacy 500 and a Gulfstream G650. Simcom already has nearly 50 simulators - spanning jets, turboprops and piston- engined aircraft - across its facilities in Orlando, Florida, Scottsdale, Arizona, and Humberside, the UK. Directional founder and principal Kenn Ricci says: "CAE's investment in Simcom, along with our new long-term partnership, will allow us to realise our vision of creating industry-leading training solutions for private aviation." He adds that Montreal-headquartered CAE's technology and training expertise will allow Directional's affiliates "to better serve both internal and external customers". https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/cae-and-directional-aviation-complete- strategic-part-462008/ Back to Top Universal Avionics Offers New 'Fly By Sight' Navigation System for Business Aircraft LAS VEGAS - Elbit Systems' Universal Avionics debuted a new "Fly By Sight" navigation system for business aircraft at the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA) annual Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (BACE) here last week. The system merges the company's ClearVision™ SkyLens™ Head Wearable Display (HWD) and the Interactive Flight Management System (i-FMS), which Universal Avionics unveiled in June at the Paris Air Show. The new system is in tune with the thoughts of avionics analysts interviewed here on future industry trends and with Dror Yahav, the CEO of Universal Avionics, who said that the "Fly By Sight" system reflects the company's vision that the "future of flying should be simplified, automated, and more intuitive." Yahav said the "integration between the FMS and a wearable HUD like the SkyLens can greatly improve the way pilots fly - reducing workload while maintaining high efficiency and heightened situational awareness." Universal Avionics "Fly By Sight" is to decrease a pilot's head-down time in high workload environments through allowing the pilot to conduct critical functions like a "direct-to, runway change or vector-to-final via head-up technologies instead of relying on head-down displays," the company said. "The system is designed specifically to make these operations more intuitive, made feasible by integrating the head-up display with key FMS functionality." Universal Avionics said the "Fly By Sight" system is the "next generation" in the company's "drive to expand Head Up operations, augmenting the real world through Head Up technologies with Line-of-Sight (head-tracking) functionality that pilots can use to accomplish highly demanding tasks during critical phases of flight." The company said it is offering "Fly By Sight" as a retrofit and an embedded solution as part of Universal Avionics' integrated Insight ClearVision cockpit solution. A flexible, software-based, open architecture system, i-FMS is compatible with a number of hardware platforms and "enables new concepts in Human-Machine Interface (HMI) such as augmenting head- down displays with ClearVision Head-Up Displays (HUD) and Head-Wearable Displays (HWD), allowing pilots to 'fly-by-sight,'" according to Universal Avionics. A clean-sheet design, i-FMS "tackles one of the main challenges pilots face today with FMS operations; the need to propose changes to the FMS during critical phases of flight such as takeoff and landing," the company said. "Typically, during this time pilots are required to shift their attention from outside the cockpit window to the FMS display unit - to reprogram the FMS and validate that changes are correct - requiring last-minute updates and significant head-down operations. The i-FMS allows pilots to project waypoints and information from the FMS onto the real-world, superimposed on UA's HUD or SkyLens™ HWD." https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/11/05/universal-avionics-offers-new-fly-sight- navigation-system-business-aircraft/ Back to Top Boeing says India will order 2,380 jets from planemakers over 20 years Boeing Co forecast Indian airlines will order up to 2,380 planes from global planemakers over the next 20 years, 80 more than it predicted last year. NEW DELHI, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Boeing Co BA.N forecast Indian airlines will order up to 2,380 planes from global planemakers over the next 20 years, 80 more than it predicted last year. Darren Hulst, a senior marketing executive at Boeing, also confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that it was working with regulators on returning the 737 MAX to service and that the company expected the model to return to commission in the fourth quarter in the United States. India's passenger traffic had risen at around 20% in recent years, making it one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets, but growth has stumbled this year following the collapse of Jet Airways Ltd JET.NS in April and softer economic conditions. At present, Airbus SE AIR.PA has the dominant market share in the country, where the largest airline, Interglobe Aviation Ltd's INGL.NS IndiGo, operates an all-A320 family fleet and last month ordered another 300 of the planes. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/boeing-says-india-will-order-2380-jets-from- planemakers-over-20-years-2019-11-06 Back to Top Aviation and launch industries seek common ground on airspace improvements The inaugural launch of the Falcon Heavy in early 2018 affected hundreds of flights, but launches in general are responsible for far less than 1% of all flight disruptions, according to the FAA. Credit: SpaceX WASHINGTON - The commercial space and aviation industries are working closer together to address issues about access to airspace, a relationship that has improved over the last year. At an Oct. 31 workshop organized by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), representatives of both industries called for efforts to modernize the national airspace system to better integrate commercial launches into it. "I really, truly believe that we've set a path now for collaboration," said Capt. Joe DePete, president of ALPA, at the event, which coincided with the release of an ALPA white paper on the issue. That hasn't always been the case. The effects of commercial launches on the national airspace system attracted the attention, and criticism, of the aviation industry after the February 2018 inaugural launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. "For us in our industry, this was a groundbreaking moment," said Eric Stallmer, president of CSF, of that launch. "We thought it was the greatest thing that could possibly happen. For others, this was a breaking point." That launch was a breaking point because it cordoned off a large area of airspace in the Atlantic for several hours, disrupting flights. That launch remains a sore point today for the aviation industry. DePete, in his opening remarks, read off the statistics from that launch: 563 delayed flights and 4,600 cumulative minutes of delays. "It doesn't have to be that way." However, that Falcon Heavy launch is something of an outlier. Wayne Monteith, associate administrator for commercial space transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration, said he looked at data from the first nine months of 2018 on all flights that were disrupted by space launch activities. "It came out to 0.05%," he said. Disruptions, he added, can go both ways. "A single GA [general aviation aircraft] can stop a launch," he said, by straying into restricted airspace. "We've had that happen." He argued that improvements to the national airspace system shouldn't be based on delays. "I'm not sure that's the way to articulate to Congress and other places to fix this problem. It's a safety problem." Those fixes, as discussed at the workshop, are focused on ways to more dynamically allocate airspace, closing smaller sections of airspace for shorter periods of time depending on whether, and when, a launch takes place. Current limitations, primarily in communicating data about launches, mean that airspace restrictions are static, regardless of when in a launch window the launch takes place. The FAA has been working on one system, called the Space Data Integrator (SDI), to provide more information about launches, but air traffic controllers say that is not enough. "SDI is certainly nice, and better than what we've had in the past, which is next to nothing, but it's still just an awareness tool," said Jim Ullmann, director of safety and technology at the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. "What we need is a decision support tool, something that goes on the controllers' scopes." Such a tool, he said, would provide a "moving hazard area" for controllers to route planes around when a launch takes place, predicting where that hazard area will be minutes into the future. "The ability to look at that and dynamically make decisions about rerouting aircraft based on that is an absolute must-have, I think," he said. Better sharing of upcoming launch information can also help. "The airlines have a very, very brittle system," said Jim Muncy, a senior advisor to the CSF. "There isn't a lot of slack in the system." Telling airlines about upcoming launches, he argued, can allow them to make decisions about schedules and staffing to better accommodate any delays a launch might cause. The event made clear that the relationship between the aviation and space industries, which was more adversarial last year, has become more cooperative as the two seek both short- and long-term improvements to the airspace system to accommodate increase aircraft traffic and space launches. ALPA and CSF issued a joint statement at the end of the workshop vowing continued cooperation on the issue. "Success comes in small steps," said Stallmer. "We're not going to do this huge leap forward, but instead you take these small steps. From our industry perspective, we are having that success." https://spacenews.com/aviation-and-launch-industries-seek-common-ground-on- airspace-improvements/ Back to Top CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Fatigue is a pervasive issue that affects all airline cabin crew. Fatigue may impede cabin crews' ability to consistently and effectively manage passengers from safety, security and service perspectives. As part of our undergraduate research project at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia), we are conducting a survey of international cabin crew primarily engaged in long-haul (LH) and ultra long-haul (ULH) flight operations. This survey asks cabin crew for their views on various issues associated with work- related fatigue and stress. We also seek your views on the availability and effectiveness of various fatigue countermeasures. If you are working as LH or ULH cabin crew, you are invited to participate in this study. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire, which also includes a consent form. The study takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. To access the study, please go to the following website: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8qBLCKgmpWlraxT Participants who complete the study will be eligible to enter a draw to win the latest iPad (6th Generation). This research project is being supervised by Peter Renshaw at the Department of Aviation, Swinburne University of Technology. If you have any questions, please contact Peter at prenshaw@swin.edu.au Back to Top MEL Administration Manager POSITION PURPOSE Serves as the subject matter expert (SME) of the Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and manages the development, content, administration, compliance and control of Republic Airways MEL, Configuration Deviation Lists (CDL), Non-essential Equipment and Furnishings (NEF), and policy letters. ESSENTIAL DUTIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. * Manages the current MEL, CDL, and NEF items and procedures consistent with the FAA MMEL, MMEL Policy Letters and Manufactures Dispatch Deviation Procedures Manual. * Analyze and assess processes of MEL, CDL and NEF items to improve administration, productivity and efficiency during operations. * Coordinates with FAA Flight Operations Evaluation Board (FOEB) and aircraft manufacturer for MMEL proposals. * Attends FOEB meetings and industry workshops; establish networks with other MEL Administrators and benchmarking best practices. * Coordinates with FOEB and engineering to incorporate relief for items installed under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). * Collaborates with lead airline and FOEB for MMEL industry solutions. * Serves as the MEL subject matter expert and provides MEL, CDL, and NEF user support. * Revises MEL, CDL and NEF program to reflect current company changes (e.g. Engineering, Operations, Inflight, and Dispatch). * Provides supporting documentation for all MEL, CDL, and NEF Program changes and coordinates with Republic Airways Technical Publications department to produce temporary and regular revisions. * Schedules and facilitates meetings with the FAA concerning every aspect of the MEL, CDL, and NEF Program temporary and regular revisions. * Oversees all updates of SABRE with MEL, CDL and NEF item information during revision periods. * Coordinates with Flight Operations and Dispatch for all MEL, CDL and NEF related changes. * Perform other duties as assigned. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE * High school diploma or general education degree (GED). * FAA Mechanic Certificate with Rating of Airframe and Powerplant. * 5 years related experience. * Previous experience with MEL/CDL/NEF. * Previous experience in aircraft maintenance. * Experience on E170/175 series aircraft or completion of E170/175 Aircraft Systems Maintenance Course. * Microsoft Office skills are required. * Understands and is able to apply Company policies and procedures. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization. REASONING/PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. DECISION MAKING Makes limited decisions and determines best methods to solve problems by referring to established precedents and policies. Impact of decisions is moderately low. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Able to move about the work environment. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically not exposed to extreme environmental conditions. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Ability to travel up to 10% of the time, including overnight and weekend travel. Curt Lewis