Flight Safety Information November 9, 2019 - No. 231 In This Issue Delays in Boeing Max Return Began With Near-Crash in Simulator Southwest and American pull 737 MAX until early March, nearly a year after grounding Incident: Silver SF34 at Orlando on Nov 6th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: Egypt A332 near Athens on Nov 8th 2019, smoke in cockpit Incident: Canada Rouge A320 at Los Angeles on Nov 5th 2019, fumes and smoke in cabin Incident: India A321 at Bhubaneswar on Nov 8th 2019, fire seen from engine Incident: Azman B735 at Lagos on Nov 7th 2019, fire indication An Embraer ERJ-175 suffered severe controllability issues after takeoff from Atlanta Hawaiian Air flight from NYC to Honolulu diverted over mechanical issue One thing Boeing didn't figure into its calculations...Boeing designs rely on pilots to react properly Indonesia's Lion Air finds cracks in two 737 NGs with fewer flights than FAA safety directive Cargojet to bill customers for implementing new pilot safety rules Transportation Safety Board issues new recommendations for air-taxi companies Congress Suggests FAA Officials Sided With Boeing Executives In Their Own Safety Assessments Facing Scrutiny 'From Everywhere,' FAA Looks To Adapt What FAA's New ADS-B Privacy Policy Means for Business Aviation Operators What it takes to be a space pilot CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Flight Data Solutions Applied International Aviation Meteorology" course - Nov 2019' Position: MEL Administration Manager Position Available: Audit Production Manager; Air Carrier Delays in Boeing Max Return Began With Near-Crash in Simulator Alan Levin (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. engineers were nearly done redesigning software on the grounded 737 Max in June when some pilots hopped into a simulator to test a few things. It didn't go well. A simulated computer glitch caused it to to dive aggressively in a way that resembled the problem that had caused deadly crashes off Indonesia and in Ethiopia months earlier. That led to an extensive redesign of the plane's flight computers that has dragged on for months and repeatedly pushed back the date of its return to service, according to people briefed on the work. The company -- which initially expressed confidence it could complete its application to recertify the plane with the Federal Aviation Administration within months -- now says it hopes to do that before the end of the year. Changing the architecture of the jet's twin flight computers, which drive autopilots and critical instruments, has proven far more laborious than patching the system directly involved in 737 Max crashes, said these people, who asked not to be named speaking about the issue. The redesign has also sparked tensions between aviation regulators and the company. As recently as this week, the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency asked for more documentation of the changes to the computers, said one of the people, potentially delaying the certification further. Developing and testing software on airliners is an exacting process. Manufacturers may have to demonstrate with extensive testing that a software failure leading to a crash would be as rare as one in a billion. "It's really complicated," John Hansman, an aeronautics and astronautics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who is not involved in the repair, said of revising aircraft software. "It totally makes sense why it's taking longer." Compared with the initial redesign of the software system involved in the crashes -- a feature known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System or MCAS -- the work on the flight computers will likely create an exponential increase in the safety tests required before it's approved, said Peter Lemme, a former Boeing engineer who worked on flight-control systems before leaving the company to become a consultant. "Where before you may have had 10 scenarios to test, I could see that being 100," Lemme said. And that doesn't account for the added time to design the software changes needed for the two computers, he said. The work on the plane originally focused on MCAS, which repeatedly pushed down the nose in both accidents as a result of a malfunctioning sensor. Pilots eventually lost control and the crashes killed 346 people, prompting a worldwide grounding of the jet on March 13. Within weeks of the first crash -- a Lion Air flight off the coast of Indonesia on Oct. 29, 2018 -- Boeing announced that it was redesigning MCAS to make it less aggressive and to prevent it from activating more than once. It was projected to be completed within months. While the fix became more complex and politically charged after the second accident -- the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet on March 10 -- the changes to MCAS remained self-contained and relatively simple. "I could have a bunch of graduate students and rewrite MCAS in a couple of days and be done," Hansman said. That, of course, wouldn't pass muster with FAA, he said. And it was far simpler than the extensive computer redesign that they undertook. Flight-Control Failure In the original 737 Max design review, Boeing and its overseers at FAA concluded pilots would react swiftly to flight-control failures, but that assumption has been called into question by Indonesia's final report into the crash and recommendations issued by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. FAA officials, stung by post-crash charges of laxity, had already begun a more rigorous review of systems on the plane. Part of assessing an aircraft's safety involves anticipating even the most remote potential failure. As a result, Boeing in June simulated what would happen if gamma rays from space scrambled data in the plane's flight-control computers. In one scenario, the plane aggressively dove in a way that mimicked what happened in the crashes on the grounded jetliner, the people said. While such a failure had never occurred in the 737's history, it was at least theoretically possible. Response Time Because at least one of the pilots who flew the scenario in a simulator found it difficult to respond in time to maintain control of the plane, it needed to be fixed, according to two people familiar with the results. The answer was to modernize what was a relatively antiquated design on the 737. Most modern, computerized aircraft -- such as more recent Boeing models and Airbus SE's jets -- use three computer systems to monitor each other, Hansman and Lemme said. By contrast, the 737 Max had two separate computers. One operated the flight systems and another was available if the first one failed, with the roles switching on each flight. But they interacted only minimally. Boeing decided to make the two systems monitor each other so that each computer can halt an erroneous action by the other. This change is an important modernization that brings the plane more in line with the latest safety technology but raised highly complex software and hardware issues. Short Circuit Simply introducing a new wire that connects the two computers, for example, raises potential safety issues, Hansman said. If a short circuit in one computer occurs, could the wire cause it to disable the second computer? And if flight data arrives in one computer a fraction of a second before or after it reaches the second one, that could create confusion for each system, according to Lemme. As Boeing and the subcontractor that supplied the flight-control computer, the United Technologies Corp. division Collins Aerospace Systems, worked through these changes, it has at times created tension. Officials from the FAA and the European safety agency expressed frustration with Boeing at a meeting last summer when company representatives didn't supply a detailed enough explanation of the changes. Work Audit A similar issue arose in early November when an audit describing work on the changes wasn't complete and the agencies ordered Boeing and Collins to revise it, according to a person familiar with the matter. Boeing, in a statement, said it provided technical documents to regulators "in a format consistent with past submissions." "Regulators have requested that the information be conveyed in a different form, and the documentation is being revised accordingly," according to the statement. "While this happens we continue to work with the FAA and global regulators on certification of the software for safe return of the MAX to service." The result has been to extend the jet's grounding. "It's absolutely the right thing to do," said Jeffrey Guzzetti, the former chief of accident investigations at the FAA. "But that is a big change to make." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/delays-boeing-max-return-began-090000943.html Back to Top Southwest and American pull 737 MAX until early March, nearly a year after grounding CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines and American Airlines Group Inc said on Friday they are extending Boeing 737 MAX cancellations until early March, just shy of the one-year anniversary of an Ethiopian Airlines crash of the jet that led to a worldwide grounding. Southwest and American, the two largest U.S. operators of the aircraft, have had to scale back growth plans and are together canceling more than 300 flights a day, taking a hit to profits as they manage slimmer fleets without the 737 MAX. Southwest, which has bet its entire growth strategy on Boeing's newest single-aisle aircraft, had previously canceled all its 737 MAX flights until Feb. 8 and now expects a return to service on March 6, though it warned that the timeline could get pushed back again. Boeing Co is facing increasing hurdles in obtaining approval to return the plane to service before the end of this year as it has targeted. American said it planned to resume commercial flights on the 737 MAX on March 5, and expects to run test flights for American team members and invited guests before that date, once the aircraft is certified. United Airlines, the other U.S. 737 MAX operator, had thus far canceled flights into January, although it may yet have to extend that time frame. Reuters reported this week that U.S. and European regulators will need to return to a Rockwell Collins facility in Iowa to complete an audit of Boeing's software documentation after regulators found gaps and substandard documents. Boeing has confirmed it must submit revised documentation. That has thrown into question when Boeing would be able to complete a certification test flight. The Federal Aviation Administration has said it would not unground the planes until 30 days after that flight occurs. The 737 MAX, Boeing's best-selling plane, has been grounded since March after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people. Two U.S. officials told Reuters it is extremely unlikely - if not impossible - that Boeing will be able to win approval to return flights to service before the end of December. Just two days ago, American Chief Executive Doug Parker said he was hopeful that the aircraft would "get certified in the near future." RISING COST American has estimated that the 737 MAX grounding has cut 2019 earnings by $540 million, while Southwest estimated the total hit to its earnings between January and September at $435 million. That toll will only rise the longer the MAX remains parked. Boeing is discussing compensation with airlines but no agreement has been reached. Southwest had 34 MAX jets at the time of the March 13 grounding and was expecting delivery of another 41 jets this year. It said on Friday it still hopes to receive seven MAX deliveries in the current quarter, with the remaining shifting into 2020. But without clarity on the MAX timeline, Southwest said it could not update a previous forecast for first-quarter capacity to grow between 2% and 3%. https://www.yahoo.com/news/4-southwest-american-pull-737-202328854.html Back to Top Incident: Silver SF34 at Orlando on Nov 6th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Silver Airways Saab 340B, registration N362AG performing flight 3M-61 from Pensacola,FL to Orlando,FL (USA), was on approach to Orlando when the crew needed to shut an engine (CT7) down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Orlando's runway 36L. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped, the crew requested emergency services to check the aircraft for any leaks. A passenger reported an inflight engine shutdown shortly before landing in Orlando. The captain announced: "some of you may have noted the propellor has stopped. We train for this and will be landing shortly. Don't be surprised by the fire trucks." The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 41 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SIL61/history/20191106/2355Z/KPNS/KMCO http://avherald.com/h?article=4cefe80d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Egypt A332 near Athens on Nov 8th 2019, smoke in cockpit An Egypt Air Airbus A330-200 freighter, registration SU-GCJ performing flight MS-540 from Cairo (Egypt) to Cologne (Germany) with 5 crew, was enroute at FL380 about 70nm eastnortheast of Athens (Greece) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted the aircraft to Athens. The aircraft landed safely on runway 21R about 20 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Athens for 3:45 hours, then continued the flight and reached Cologne with a delay of about 2 hours (flight time from Cairo to Hahn, 1650nm distance, scheduled at 6:20 hours). http://avherald.com/h?article=4cefe05a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Canada Rouge A320 at Los Angeles on Nov 5th 2019, fumes and smoke in cabin An Air Canada Rouge Airbus A320-200 on behalf of Air Canada, registration C-GKOE performing flight AC-782 from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 139 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Los Angeles' runway 25R when fumes and smoke developed in the cabin. Cabin crew reported the observation to the flight deck after the aircraft rotated, the flight crew donned their oxygen masks, stopped the climb at 5000 feet for a return to Los Angeles. Working the related checklists the odour and smoke dissipated. The aircraft landed safely back on Los Angeles' runway 25L about 14 minutes after departure. Emergency services checked the outside of the aircraft before the aircraft taxied to the apron. The Canadia TSB reported two cabin air re-circulation filters were replaced, both engines (CFM56) received a compressor wash. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA782/history/20191105/1625Z/KLAX/CYUL http://avherald.com/h?article=4cefcfec&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: India A321 at Bhubaneswar on Nov 8th 2019, fire seen from engine An Air India Airbus A321-200, registration VT-PPT performing flight AI-670 from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai (India) with 180 people on board, was climbing through FL260 out of Bhubaneswar when a passenger alerted cabin crew of seeing fire and sparks from the left hand engine (CFM56) exhaust, the flight attendants informed the flight deck. After some checks the pilots decided to shut the engine down and return to Bhubaneswar, where the aircraft landed safely about 40 minutes after departure. The aircraft was evacuated via slides. There were no injuries. India's DGCA reported a passenger reported the engine fire to the cabin crew, who informed the flight crew. The flight crew performed checks, shut the #1 engine down and returned to Bhubaneswar. The aircraft was evacuated via slides, the aircraft was subsequently towed off the runway. The airport reported the aircraft returned suspecting a tail pipe fire on the #1 engine, the crew did not receive any engine fire indication or other abnormal parameters, however, as a precaution discharged the fire extinguisher into the engine after it was shut down. There had been an engine tail pipe fire. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cefd7f5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Azman B735 at Lagos on Nov 7th 2019, fire indication An Azman Air Boeing 737-500, registration 5N-SYS performing flight ZQ-2324 from Lagos to Abuja (Nigeria) with 90 passengers and 5 crew, was in the initial climb out of Lagos when the crew stopped the climb at about 4000 feet reporting a fire indication on board. The aircraft returned to Lagos for a safe landing on runway 18L about 10 minutes after departure. Nigeria's AIB reported the occupants disembarked normally. The fire indication was determined to have been false, an investigation into the occurrence has been opened. The aircraft was returned to service. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4 hours, then departed again and reached Abuja with a delay of 4 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cefd3d9&opt=0 Back to Top An Embraer ERJ-175 suffered severe controllability issues after takeoff from Atlanta Date: 06-NOV-2019 Time: c. 21:10 LT Type: Embraer ERJ-175LR (ERJ-170-200 LR) Owner/operator: American Eagle, opb Republic Airlines Registration: N117HQ C/n / msn: 17000184 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: near Atlanta, GA - United States of America Phase: Initial climb Nature: Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL) Destination airport: New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA/KLGA) Narrative: American Eagle flight AA4439 returned to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Georgia, USA, after suffering severe controllability issues after takeoff. The flight took off from runway 09L at 21:05 hours LT (02:05 UTC, Nov. 7). Shortly afterward the flight crew radioed an emergency and reported they were in a "stalling situation". They later stated having difficulty trying to descend. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Tower controller tried to assist the flight to return to the airport. After the flight crew regained control, the aircraft was vectored for a landing on runway 10. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230478 Back to Top Hawaiian Air flight from NYC to Honolulu diverted over mechanical issue HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Hawaiian Airlines flight from New York City to Honolulu was diverted to Los Angeles on Friday because of an apparent mechanical issue, according to a company spokesperson. Hawaiian Airlines Flight 51 took off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport just before 10:15 a.m. EST Friday morning. Flight records indicate that the plane landed at LAX just after 12:30 p.m. PST, nearly five and a half hours into the flight. Company officials say a generator fault was detected during the flight, and that the Airbus A330 aircraft landed without incident. 237 passengers and 12 crew members were on board the flight, a company spokesperson said. Flight tracking website FlightAware shows that the plane never began flying over the Pacific Ocean, instead making a direct approach to Los Angeles. The flight, Hawaiian Airline's second-longest non-stop route, usually takes between 10 and 12 hours. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/11/08/hawaiian-airlines-flight-nyc-honolulu-diverted-over-mechanical-issue/ Back to Top One thing Boeing didn't figure into its calculations Boeing designs rely on pilots to react properly in a crisis, a capability that may not be so common in the future. Chicago-based Boeing and French archrival Airbus both build jets that heavily rely on autopilot for normal flight. Boeing's long-standing design philosophy, which assumes a high level of pilot skill, will be tested in coming years as a pilot shortage forces airlines to fast-track less-experienced aviators into cockpits. Today the Chicago planemaker and French archrival Airbus both build jets that heavily rely on autopilot for normal flight. But when it comes to emergencies, the two companies historically have diverged. Airbus planes operate within narrower parameters in an attempt to limit pilot errors-like antilock brakes on a car. Boeing planes alert pilots to a potential problem, then rely on pilots to address it-like a driver steering out of a skid. For example, an Airbus plane won't allow a pilot to fly into a stall; a Boeing 737 will. Boeing's approach is set to collide with the aviation industry's need for between 560,000 and 790,000 new pilots over the next two decades. In the United States, veteran pilots are retiring, and airlines are scrambling to replace them. The International Air Transport Association predicts traffic will double to 8.2 billion passengers by 2037, with much of the growth in Asia, meaning Asian airlines also are hungry to hire. With that many new pilots, industry experts say it's critical to ensure they are properly trained and that aircraft systems reflect realistic assumptions about how pilots will react to extraordinary circumstances. "If we need 500,000 pilots in the future, the airline manufacturers have to adapt," says Bjorn Fehrm, an aeronautical and economic analyst at aviation consulting firm Leeham. "They have to adapt their aircraft, their interaction with the pilots, and the training, so that (of) 500,000 pilots, and the worst among them (is) having the worst day in the year, he can still be a safe pilot." Boeing is facing the worst crisis of its centurylong history following two crashes of the 737 Max that killed 346 people. A single sensor malfunctioned on both flights, erroneously activating a flight control system that pushed the nose of the plane down repeatedly. The crashes were preceded by a cacophony of warning lights and noises in the cockpit, which the pilots had four seconds to decipher and address. Boeing made a "flawed" assumption "with respect to how a pilot would react" when it designed the 737 Max, Boeing Chairman David Calhoun said in a Nov. 5 interview with CNBC. Calhoun said fixing that assumption and working "with that man-machine interface" is the central issue as the company develops "every next, new airplane." "We are going to have to, ultimately, almost, almost make these airplanes fly on their own," he said. "Make no mistake: I wouldn't want to get on an airplane without that pilot. Their judgment, their behavior at moments of critical importance-that's why I get on an airplane. . . .So we're going to do everything in our power to make their job easier, and it will likely increase the level of automation in the cockpit." RECRUITMENT PUSH The number of pilots in the United States has shrunk 23 percent since 1987 to 633,000. The industry laid off tens of thousands of workers, including pilots, after the 9/11 terror attacks, and it can no longer rely on the military to provide a steady stream of experienced pilots as drones are prioritized over manned flight. Aspiring airline pilots now have to pay $100,000 or more for training. While median pilot pay is $140,000, the bottom 10th earns around $66,000 a year working erratic schedules at regional carriers. Airlines in the United States and abroad are recruiting hard to deal with the shortage. United Airlines launched a program last month offering new pilots the chance to advance their careers "faster than ever," with two years and 2,000 hours at a regional airline. Chinese airlines are hiring foreign pilots for higher pay than they'd make in the United States. U.S. flight schools report that carriers are recruiting their instructors. A once-lengthy apprenticeship for pilots is shorter now, says aviation crash investigator John Cox, but that's "not necessarily a bad thing, because we've gotten better at training, and the airplanes have gotten smarter." Fehrm says he dislikes the macho attitude that says "Airbus is for the PlayStation generation, Boeing is for real pilots." Still, airlines and aerospace manufacturers are trying to strike a balance between relying on automation to avoid human errors in the cockpit, and not relying on it so heavily that pilots' manual flying skills erode. Cox says that where airlines emphasized maximum automation in the 1990s and aughts, they now push "appropriate" levels of automation. The dial-back came in response to crashes like Air France Flight 447, which went down in the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 after the autopilot failed and pilots couldn't recover. "There's some lack of basic flying skills," says Peter Gall, an aerospace engineering professor at West Virginia University. "When the automation goes awry, they don't know what to do." How Boeing's design and engineering decisions play out in the next two decades will be felt acutely in Asia. The company says it expects to deliver 17,390 jets in the continent over that period, compared to 9,130 in North America. U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., himself a pilot, said last month that Boeing needs to think about the "lowest common denominator" pilot when it exports its planes. But Cox says in an interview that it's not fair to stereotype overseas airlines as offering less training than U.S. ones. "Are there airlines that undertrain their pilots?" he says. "Yes. But that can be said in a number of places beyond the developing countries." https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/one-thing-boeing-didnt-figure-its-calculations Back to Top Indonesia's Lion Air finds cracks in two 737 NGs with fewer flights than FAA safety directive FILE PHOTO: Boeing employees work on the tail of a Boeing 737 NG at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington JAKARTA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lion Air has found structural cracks in two Boeing Co 737 NG planes with fewer flights than a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) threshold for checks, Indonesia's aviation safety regulator said on Friday. The discovery could make it more likely the FAA will require airline operators to inspect 737 NGs with fewer than 22,600 cycles, which had not been mandated previously. Each cycle typically represents one flight, with a takeoff and a landing. The cracks are on what is known as the "pickle fork," a part that attaches the plane's fuselage, or body, to the wing structure. An FAA spokesman said the agency had asked operators to report any cracks so it could assess whether it needed to change its inspection orders. The Lion Air jets with cracks had fewer than 22,000 cycles and are now grounded for repairs, a spokesman for the airline said. Lion Air performed the checks even though they were not yet required to "ensure security and safety of the flights," he said. One of the airline's newer 737 MAX jets last year crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board and leading to heightened scrutiny on the carrier's maintenance operations by Indonesia's safety regulator. Indonesia's Director General of Civil Aviation Polana Pramesti said on Friday there were no plans for the country's aviation regulator to expand the inspections beyond the FAA directive. The FAA requires immediate checks of aircraft with more than 33,000 cycles and inspections within the next 1,000 cycles for those with more than 22,600 cycles. Boeing did not respond to an immediate request for comment. The manufacturer last week said that just over 1,000 planes globally had met the threshold for inspections to date, and of those fewer than 5% had issues. Southwest Airlines Co , Brazil's Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA , Australia's Qantas Airways and Korean Air Lines Co Ltd <003490.KS> are among the airlines that have grounded planes after discovering cracks. https://www.yahoo.com/news/indonesias-lion-air-finds-cracks-040237122.html Back to Top Cargojet to bill customers for implementing new pilot safety rules Canadian hours-of-service limits force airlines to increase hiring Canadian carrier Cargojet [TSX: CGJTF] says it will add a customer surcharge in the fourth quarter to minimize higher labor costs as it works to comply with new government rules aimed at addressing pilot fatigue. The hours-of-service rules from Transport Canada, which go into effect in December 2020 and apply to all commercial carriers in Canada, lower the number of hours pilots can spend flying and on duty, bringing Canada's standards in line with most other countries, including the U.S. The new work rules cap annual flying time at 1,000 hours compared to 1,200 today and also extend rest periods from eight hours to up to 12 hours. In its third quarter financial statement this week, Cargojet said a new collective bargaining agreement and other incentives for pilots puts it in a strong competitive position, but that the new fatigue rules will increase costs and exacerbate an ongoing pilot shortage. "Cargojet has become a very attractive place. We are leading in terms of compensation and working conditions," CEO Ajay Virmani said during a November 4 earnings call with analysts. "Because of the steps we took we're in a place to attract more pilots that want to come back to Canada, that are expats flying for various foreign carriers. Getting direct entry [as a] captain or first officer jobs on widebody aircraft is something that neither Air Canada or Westjet can offer." Virmani said the airfreight provider has all the pilots it needs at the moment. Cargojet operates a domestic overnight network for Amazon.com and express delivery companies, with its airplanes also carrying interline traffic from international airlines. It also offers aircraft leasing and international charter service. It has 26 widebody aircraft in its fleet. The company said it intends to pass on to customers the additional cost of recruiting, training and retaining new pilots, noting that its contracts include provisions allowing cost recovery incurred as a result of government action. It takes several months, it noted, to recruit and train new pilots With the anti-fatigue rules in mind, the all-cargo carrier in July extended its contract with pilots, represented by UNIFOR, until mid-2026 and introduced a retention bonus. The three-year extension followed the completion of a five-year contract in 2018 that includes language barring either side from a strike or lockout. While providing Cargojet stability, the new contract increased pilot costs by about 20%, the carrier said. The cost of the incentive program alone will add C$20 million ($15.2 million) in expenses over seven years. "The current pilot shortage in the industry is expected to dramatically increase pilot attrition rates. As other larger Canadian airlines accelerate their pilot hiring campaigns, the shortage of pilots will become more acute," Cargojet said in its third quarter report. The Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace has estimated that Canada will need to hire 7,300 pilots by 2025 to keep pace with growth and retirements, with half the shortage due to the new flight duty rules. In a report last year, it said many Canadian pilots are drawn to outside airlines who pay more than regional operators and flight schools, which decreases the pipeline of candidates moving up to big carriers. Transport Canada is giving airlines flexibility to use fatigue management systems to go above the prescribed limits if they can demonstrate that pilot alertness and safety are not affected. Passenger airline WestJet "already has a comprehensive fatigue management system that is evolving to meet the new regulated requirements" and a work plan for implementing the new rules, which includes hiring additional crews, spokeswoman Morgan Bell said in an email. Air Canada did not respond to a request for comment. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cargojet-to-bill-customers-for-implementing-new-pilot-safety-rules Back to Top Transportation Safety Board issues new recommendations for air-taxi companies Transportation Safety Board official are very concerned about accidents like this air-taxi plane crash in Snow Lake, Man., on Nov. 19, 2012. The TSB has issued four new recommendations to try cut down the number of accidents. (Transportation Safety Board) Canada's Transportation Safety Board has issued a new report that includes four new recommendations that it hopes will snap small aircraft operators out of what the board fears is a sense of complacency that is putting air-taxi pilots and passengers at too much risk. "In the 18-year period from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2017, there were 789 accidents in the air-taxi sector, resulting in 240 fatalities - representing 55 per cent of all accidents in commercial air services in Canada and 62 per cent of the fatalities in this period," the TSB says in the report. An air-taxi stand in Vancouver in 2017. (iStock) TSB senior investigator Glen Whitney says air-taxi operators don't flagrantly break regulations as a general rule, but he says safe operations of the aircraft are being compromised to save money. The risks include flying overweight, or flying into marginal weather or flying with minimal fuel reserves. The four recommendations are eliminating the acceptance of unsafe operational practices; promoting proactive safety management processes and a positive safety culture; closing identified safety gaps in existing aviation regulations; and improving the collection of data to help regulators evaluate the impact of safety-related recommendations. Transport Canada now has 90 days to respond to how it will implement the new recommendations. https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2019/11/08/transportation-safety-board-issues-new-recommendations-for-air-taxi-companies/ Back to Top Congress Suggests FAA Officials Sided With Boeing Executives In Their Own Safety Assessments Representatives from the House transportation committee are demanding to know why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) overruled "potentially catastrophic safety concerns" technical specialists raised over Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft. A letter from two committee members sent on Thursday suggests that senior managers at the FAA "sidelined" their own employees' assessment in favor of petitions from Boeing executives. "The FAA's safety and technical experts are being circumvented or sidelined while the interests of Boeing are being elevated by FAA senior management," Representatives Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon and Rick Larsen of Washington wrote in the letter. The first concern was about a rudder system that protected the 737 MAX aircraft from engine failure or a snapped cable. In 2014, FAA investigators issued a memo that Boeing's rudder cable protection was not adequate on the 737 MAX. The manufacturer objected, arguing that the changes would be impractical and expensive. The issue went back and forth for a few years but Boeing never changed the design. In 2017, the aircraft was FAA certified. The letter also notes another instance wherein the FAA allowed Boeing to remove lightning protection from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, despite FAA employees' assessments that recommended otherwise. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March, when it was involved in two fatal crashes over the course of five months that killed over 300 passengers. Neither of the issues raised in the letter are believed to have contributed to either crash. The FAA has been given a deadline of November 21 to respond. Just this week, senior executives from major U.S. airlines, including American, United and Southwest, said they would fly aboard safety demonstration flights when the 737 MAX ban is lifted to prove they're safe for passengers. https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/congress-questions-faa-boeing-737-max-safety-concerns Back to Top Facing Scrutiny 'From Everywhere,' FAA Looks To Adapt The FAA, which has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the Boeing Max crashes, has been taking a close review of its procedures to find ways to improve its approach, a key agency official said. Speaking this week at the 2019 NATA Aviation Leadership Conference, Timothy Shaver, director of FAA's Office of Safety Standards, said, "This is probably one of the most challenging periods we've faced in a while. There's a lot of scrutiny from everywhere. It's really made us retrospective in our views." The agency is "truly looking back" at its policies and procedures, and how it does business, Shaver added. "We are finding areas where we can improve with the changes in technologies and other advancements...we're excited to be able to bring in some of those changes and address some of those challenges." From the Flight Standards perspective, this includes the continuation of its multi-year reorganization effort that is redistributing staff to be better functionally focused and more fully implement policies. This may have a technical person and policy person side by side so they have a more complete view of policies throughout their lifecycles. "We're looking at the way we group our folks." But Shaver also acknowledged that limited staffing in a face of growing workload has presented challenges. He noted programs, incentives, hiring policies and other efforts to "bring in folks to the workforce." At the same time, the FAA is considering several options to better balance its workload including "looking at designee programs, what we can delegate, and how we delegate it. All of those things are being considered." He stressed that it still requires oversight. "We are approaching it gingerly but we do realize there are things we have to do" to enable industry to continue to progress. The agency also has continued to progress on its consistency efforts, including the standing up of the Regulatory Consistency Communication Board (RCCB), which provides a means for industry to raise policy issues. "We are very happy with the results," he said. Some of the issues take time to sort through he said, but the "nice thing is it focuses our effort." In addition, Shaver added the FAA is "getting real close" on completing a consolidated regulatory library that provides a resource on regulations and policies. Further along those lines, the FAA is looking at its inspector handbook guidance to enable that the industry and FAA are working from the same documents. Shaver also noted requirements for all policies to be sent through the DOT for review. This extends the time it takes to release them, but it is ensuring, particularly with guidance, that every stipulation is tied to a regulatory requirement and not imposing a new one. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-11-08/facing-scrutiny-everywhere-faa-looks-adapt Back to Top What FAA's New ADS-B Privacy Policy Means for Business Aviation Operators The FAA has established a new ADS-B privacy policy for business and general aviation operators. Photo: FreeFlight Systems. Starting Jan. 1, 2020, business and general aviation operators will be able to apply for a new Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) on 1090 MHz automatic dependent surveillance broadcast Out operations in U.S. domestic airspace. The new policy is the latest in a series of ADS-B policy updates enacted by the FAA as their equipage mandate approaches, following another initiative specifically developed for law enforcement and U.S. military aircraft operators. Under the new policy, a two phase integration of the new ADS-B PIA program will begin, including an initial period where operators will apply for the program directly through the FAA. In the second phase, the agency will transition the management of the service to a "third party service provider." Upon establishing the new policy on Oct. 17, 2019, the FAA also referenced the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) as a driving force behind developing PIA. "The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and members of the General Aviation (GA) community have cited the lack of privacy as a barrier to ADS-B Out equipage. In order to mitigate these concerns, the FAA has initiated the Privacy ICAO Address program with the objective of improving the privacy of aircraft operators in today's ADS-B environment by limiting the extent to which the aircraft can be quickly and easily identified by non-U.S. government entities, while ensuring there is no adverse effect on ATC services," the FAA said. A key detail in the new policy is the requirement for operators to use a third-party call sign when applying for the PIA option, as this is what allows operators to keep their ability to be tracked by controllers in place while randomizing the information about their aircraft's flight identification information accessible by non-ATC users of ADS-B equipment and web or mobile-application-based ADS-B flight tracking applications. Most operators use their aircraft's N number as their call sign, however, under the PIA program, operators will be required to obtain a third party call sign from a commercial call sign service provider that has a security agreement in place already with FAA. Operators will be responsible for inputting their PIA and designated third party flight ID into their navigation system exactly as it is filed in their ICAO flight plan. The FAA is working on transitioning the management of the PIA program to approved third party service providers. According to the agency, ADS-B transponders can be purchased with or without a pilot changeable call sign feature. Operators using the PIA program will be required to have their reprogrammed ADS-B transponder's PIA emissions reviewed and confirmed as functioning correctly by the FAA prior to operating with a randomized ICAO address, which the agency says it will confirm via email. The latest ADS-B equipage data available on business and general aviation aircraft in the US. Photo: FAA FAA's decision to establish the new PIA ADS-B program follows several years of the issue being raised by NBAA and discussions on how to address the privacy challenge during the agency's Equip 2020 industry-government meetings. The issue was first raised by NBAA during several meetings with FAA officials between 2013 and 2014, at which time the joint-industry ADS-B Implementation Working Group (JAIWG) was briefed on tracking ADS-B-equipped aircraft using low-cost ground stations and bypassing the protections established in the Blocked Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program for display of aircraft on situational displays. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen described the FAA's new PIA program as a "positive" response to the privacy concerns of operators. "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," Bolen said in a Nov. 4 statement. Security concerns associated with ADS-B Out are not solely caused by the abilities of the ADS-B transponders, but instead by the proliferation and wide availability of new inexpensive ADS-B ground receivers and applications than can track ADS-B equipped flights for 100 to 300 miles. In comparison to older Mode S transponders, ADS-B provides more detailed information including aircraft registration number, longitude, latitude, dimensions and velocity. The latest available ADS-B equipage data from the FAA shows that as of Oct. 1, 2019, about 71,852 general aviation fixed wing aircraft are equipped with rule-compliant ADS-B avionics. As shown by interviews with avionics installation shops such as Duncan Aviation and StandardAero in the October 2019 issue of Avionics International, there are about 5,500 business aircraft registered to operate in the U.S. that still do not feature ADS-B Out and are likely to miss the Jan. 1, 2020 deadline. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/11/08/faas-new-ads-b-privacy-policy-means-business-aviation-operators/ Back to Top What it takes to be a space pilot With the expansion of commercial space exploration, more pilots will be needed. Here's how they get the job. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo. The craft is flown by human pilots to space. Steve Mann/Shutterstock Taking control of a 3,000-pound rocket motor launching into an inhospitable environment at speeds exceeding 2,000 miles per hour sounds terrifying to some. But others will spend their whole careers in pursuit of those ephemeral, weightless moments. With the expansion of commercial space exploration, more pilots will be needed to guide spacecraft beyond the bounds of Earth. These pilots come from a wide variety of backgrounds but they all have one thing in common - lots of flying experience. Here's a look at what it takes to become a space pilot. Lifting Off Flying into space is a coveted job. That demand means companies are able to choose the most qualified pilots. And top of that list for qualifications: hours in flight. "The more experience you have, the more likely you are to have encountered situations that are more challenging," says David Mackay, Chief Pilot for Virgin Galactic. Being able to handle those unexpected situations could mean the difference between life or death if something goes wrong with the spacecraft. Most commercial space pilots start out as test pilots - airplane pilots specially trained to test out new and experimental aircraft. Mackay himself spent nearly a decade as a test pilot for the Royal Air Force before joining Virgin Atlantic in 1995. Similarly, Mike Melvill spent decades as a test pilot before launching into space. OVERVIEW | Episode 4: Meet The Virgin Galactic Spaceship Pilots In fact, Melvill started out building planes before he learned to fly them. Only later did he graduate to work as a test pilot after catching the eye of Burt Rutan, founder of spaceflight company Scaled Composites. "It only happened because... I met Burt, and he saw that I built a plane accurately and it flew very well," Melvill recalls. "He flew it himself and he then trained me himself to be a test pilot of his aircraft." Melvill would go on to pilot Virgin's SpaceShipOne, making the first commercial flight into space in 2004. But Melvill's story is unique. "I don't know anyone else who went the path I went. No recollection of anybody who was lucky enough to get to do what I did," Melvill says. Typically, test pilots receive their training through military branches, as Mackay did. On top of that, they spend countless days in flight simulators to prepare future commercial space pilots for all conceivable situations. "As we approach the flight day itself [the pilots] will be in the in the simulator every day, sometimes twice a day doing repeated profiles," Mackay says. In the airline industry, "typically you're in the simulator every six months and we're in it on a daily basis." Getting Your Wings There's no driver's license equivalent for commercial space pilots but there is some limited government oversight. In 1984, as the commercial space industry started taking off, the government formed the Office of Commercial Space Transportation.Today the Office's main job is reviewing and approving commercial rocket launches. It also requires "informed consent" of anyone flying into space. "It's somewhat akin to going to a doctor's office. The doctor informs you of all the known risks associated with the particular procedure or operation and once the patient has been informed of that, some documentation is signed and then the procedure proceeds," says Kelvin Coleman, the Federal Aviation Administration's Deputy Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation. "We ensure that consultation is made, and that documentation is in place before those space flight participants and crew members can fly." For commercial space pilots who have successfully completed an authorized flight into space - defined in the U.S. as 50 miles above Earth's surface where effects like weightlessness become apparent - the Office of Commercial Space Transportation recognizes their achievements with Astronaut Wings. To date, seven commercial astronauts have received Astronaut Wings. Those flying under government programs, like NASA, are not eligible for Astronaut Wings. Job Safety While Virgin Galactic plans to continue having pilots aboard their spacecraft, some companies, like SpaceX and Blue Origin, are opting to forgo humans for automated systems. But for those who will continue with live pilots behind the controls, test pilots will likely continue to fill their ranks. "We're in a test program and, you know, it makes complete sense to have test pilots working on an aircraft that is still in the test program," Mackay says. "Maybe one day we don't need test pilots and on the other hand there are an awful lot of [pilots] who are really interested in doing this. And you know, why not get the most experienced and best-qualified pilots you possibly can?" Aside from flight experience and the ability to communicate clearly with a large team, a commercial space pilot also needs another crucial attribute: a passion for their job. "One of the most important things, of course, is that we want somebody who is highly motivated and really keen to see the project succeed. And a good team player, it takes a big team of people to make this work," Mackay says. http://www.astronomy.com/news/2019/11/what-it-takes-to-be-a-space-pilot 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 Contact: info@scaledanalytics.com Back to Top Contact: info@wxriskmanagement.com 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