Flight Safety Information November 14, 2019 - No. 235 In This Issue Southwest pilots union says Boeing may be trying to hasten 737 MAX return FAA expands area to inspect for cracks in Boeing 737 NG planes Boeing orders sink as customers opt to swap MAX Accident: Cargo Global B744 at Tel Aviv on Nov 13th 2019, damaged tyre Incident: Transavia B737 at Rotterdam on Nov 11th 2019, lightning strike Incident: Skymark B738 at Fukuoka on Nov 13th 2019, engine shut down in flight Incident: Binter AT72 near Las Palmas on Nov 13th 2019, engine fire indication US Senate Committee Approves Nominee Michael Graham for NTSB Urgent need to improve air safety rating (Malaysia) DJI makes app to identify drones and find pilots FedEx employee who died at Memphis airport hub identified EASA To Add Human Factors to Rotor Certification FAA Chief Vows Improved Safety Reviews of New Aircrafts and Pilot Technology GAO Recommends FAA Improve UAS Oversight FAA Sees Trust Growing with Compliance Program FAA and NASA Drone Industry Workshop International Air Transport Association opens training center in Taiwan Cathay Pacific to delay delivery of four Airbus planes and speed up retirement of older jets in 2020 KLM commits to 21 E195-E2 aircraft Researchers develop thin heat shield for superfast aircraft Fort Smith aviation school launches commercial pilot program (Canada) Boeing's Humans Step In After Robots Fumble Assembly of 777 Jets China Launches 2 Rockets Within 3 Hours in Latest Space Rally CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT BlazeTech Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course - May 26-28, 2020 in Woburn MA, USA Flight Data Solutions Applied International Aviation Meteorology" course - Nov 2019' Southwest pilots union says Boeing may be trying to hasten 737 MAX return WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Southwest Airlines Co pilot union Wednesday sharply criticized Boeing Co and questioned whether the manufacturer was trying to speed up the timeline for the 737 MAX's return to service. FILE PHOTO: A number of grounded Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft are shown parked at Victorville Airport in Victorville, California, U.S., March 26, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Boeing's best-selling 737 MAX has been grounded since March, after two deadly crashes in five months killed 346 people, and it has come under harsh criticism from U.S. lawmakers. Jon Weaks, who heads the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), said in a note to pilots Wednesday, reviewed by Reuters, that "Boeing is increasingly publicizing that they may have to shut down their production line due to running out of room to store completed MAX aircraft. There is some concern that this is simply another tactic to push the (return to service) timeline up." He added doing so would "force operators to resume making payments on MAX aircraft, and transfer some costs, logistics, and responsibilities of storing and restoring the MAX to revenue service to respective operators." Boeing did not immediately comment late Wednesday. Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King said the airline is "confident in the work being done to return the MAX to service and continue to await additional guidance from Boeing and the FAA regarding timing and next steps." On Monday, Boeing spokesman Gordon Johndroe told Reuters that "we expect the Max to be certified, airworthiness directive issued, ungrounded in mid-December." He added that the company expects "pilot training requirements to be approved in January." Boeing noted that the "FAA and other regulatory authorities will ultimately determine return to service." Two federal officials told Reuters this week that Boeing's timetable is aggressive and far from certain, citing hurdles yet to be cleared. Boeing still must complete an audit of its software documentation before it can schedule a key certification test flight. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Steve Dickson on Tuesday said the agency was not "delegating" anything to Boeing in its review and offered no ungrounding timetable, saying it "will be based solely on our assessment of the sufficiency of Boeing's proposed software updates and pilot training." On Friday, Southwest and American Airlines extended Boeing 737 MAX cancellations until early March, just shy of the one-year anniversary of an Ethiopian Airlines crash that led to a worldwide grounding. Last month, SWAPA sued Boeing, saying it had "deliberately misled" the airline and pilots. The grounding wiped out more than 30,000 Southwest Airlines flights, causing over $100 million in lost wages for pilots, the union said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-airplane/southwest-pilots-union-says-boeing-may-be-trying-to-hasten-737-max-return-idUSKBN1XO0EM Back to Top FAA expands area to inspect for cracks in Boeing 737 NG planes FILE PHOTO: The Boeing logo is displayed on a screen, at the NYSE in New York WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday it was revising its order requiring checks for structural cracks in Boeing 737 NG planes to cover a larger area after the company said additional cracks had been found. The FAA first said in September it was ordering checks for cracks on what is known as the "pickle fork," a part that attaches the plane's fuselage, or body, to the wing structure. Checks were required within seven days on planes with heavy usage. Boeing said on Tuesday after completing a round of inspections for cracking on some 737 NGs with a large number of take-offs and landings, one airplane was found to have a small crack in an adjacent location. "Boeing has asked those operators to also inspect the adjacent area to ensure any potential issue is identified and repaired," the company said in a statement. "The additional inspections are already underway. We regret the impact to our customers and have a repair plan in place to address any findings." To date, less than 5% of the 1,200 airplanes that have undergone the initial inspection were found to have cracks, Boeing said. The secondary issue has been discovered on three in-service airplanes and one airplane that was undergoing maintenance. The FAA said in a notice it was now expanding the inspection to the area around eight fasteners. Southwest Airlines Co found cracks in three airplanes after the initial inspections and has taken them out of service pending repairs. Southwest said after it completed required inspections it decided to continue "inspections until every NG aircraft in our fleet has been checked." The FAA directive requires airplanes with 30,000 or more cycles be re-inspected within 60 days, Boeing said. Airplanes with 22,600 to 30,000 cycles will need inspections of the full area within 1,000 cycles. A cycle is generally one take-off and landing. Last week, Lion Air found structural cracks on two 737 NG planes with fewer flights than an FAA threshold for checks. The Lion Air jets with cracks had fewer than 22,000 cycles and are now grounded for repairs, a spokesman for the airline said. Brazil's Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA , Australia's Qantas Airways and Korean Air Lines Co Ltd <003490.KS> are among the other airlines that have grounded planes after discovering cracks. First delivered in 1997, the NG is the third generation of the 737, preceding the grounded MAX which is unaffected by cracking. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/faa-expands-area-inspect-cracks-165157929.html Back to Top Boeing orders sink as customers opt to swap MAX FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at Boeing facilities at the Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake (Reuters) - Boeing Co took 10 new plane orders last month, but saw some customers swapping the U.S. planemaker's grounded 737 MAX planes in favor of more expensive wide-body planes as doubts lingered about the MAX's return to service. Net orders so far this year came to just 45 at the end of October, down from 56 in September, further widening the gap on sales this year with the company's European rival Airbus SE which has now sold nearly 500 more planes. After an accounting adjustment representing jets ordered in previous years, but now unlikely to be delivered, Boeing's net total for orders this year sank to a negative 95 airplanes. The orders included what Boeing called a "conversion" by Air Lease Corp of 15 MAX orders into five 787 Dreamliners. Turkmenistan Airlines also removed three MAX planes from the order book. Air Lease, which had 135 outstanding orders for the 737 MAX as of October, down from 150 orders in September, has said the conversion reflected greater demand from airline customers for the 787 in future years. Though several airlines have taken the MAX out of their flying schedule till March next year, Boeing on Monday indicated it expects U.S. regulators to approve the return to commercial service of the jet in the coming weeks, allowing it to possibly begin deliveries of the grounded planes next month. Click here to view the interactive graphic https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/editorcharts/BOEING-DELIVERIES/0H001QX5N8B3/index.html Boeing's orders and deliveries have lagged Airbus this year due to the prolonged grounding of its best-selling MAX jets following two fatal crashes that have killed hundreds of people. To cope with the fallout after the grounding, Boeing has slowed production to 42 MAX jets per month from 52 earlier, causing the planemaker to take billions of dollars in charges. Boeing deliveries fell nearly 50% to 321 aircraft in the 10 months through October, compared with a nearly 11% increase in Airbus' deliveries to 648 jets, during the same period. Airbus has booked 542 net orders, including a record order for 300 aircraft from India's IndiGo announced last month. Airbus wide-body orders include 12 A330neo jets sold last month to leasing giant GECAS, the aircraft leasing unit of General Electric Co , according to people familiar with the matter. The jets are powered by engines made by Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc , a GE rival. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-orders-sink-customers-opt-161856494.html Back to Top Accident: Cargo Global B744 at Tel Aviv on Nov 13th 2019, damaged tyre An Air Cargo Global Boeing 747-400 freighter on behalf of ASL Airlines Belgium, registration OM-ACG performing flight 3V-951 from Liege (Belgium) to Tel Aviv (Israel), landed on Tel Aviv's runway 30 when the right aft tyre of the left body gear lost its tread, tyre debris impacted and penetrated the fuselage, a large piece of tread became stuck in the belly of the fuselage. The aircraft rolled out without further incident. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf3a950&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Transavia B737 at Rotterdam on Nov 11th 2019, lightning strike A Transavia Boeing 737-700, registration PH-XRX performing flight HV-6038 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Rotterdam (Netherlands), was on approach to Rotterdam at about 2000 feet MSL deviating around weather when the aircraft was struck by lightning causing a bright flash and a loud bang. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Rotterdam's runway 24 about 5 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Rotterdam for about 14 hours, minor damage to wing and stabilizer surfaces was found, the aircraft ferried to Amsterdam (Netherlands), remained on the ground for about 19 hours while repairs were being done and returned to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf3a2d2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Skymark B738 at Fukuoka on Nov 13th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Skymark Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration JA73AB performing flight BC-505 from Fukuoka to Okinawa (Japan) with 142 people on board, was climbing through about FL120 out of Fukuoka when the crew received indications of the left engine (CFM56) malfunctioning. The crew stopped the climb at about 13,000 feet, shut the engine down and returned to Fukuoka for a safe landing about 35 minutes after departure. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the left engine malfunctioned and was shut down. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf3a182&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Binter AT72 near Las Palmas on Nov 13th 2019, engine fire indication A Binter Canarias Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration EC-LFA performing flight NT-100 from Tenerife North,CI to Las Palmas,CI (Spain) with 72 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute at FL090 when the crew received an engine (PW127F) fire indication. The crew declared emergency and accelerated approach, the aircraft landed safely, the aircraft was evacuated. The airline reported an engine indication forced the commander to initiate the emergency procedures, the aircraft was evacuated. The 72 passengers and 4 crew remained uninjured. It was subsequently determined that the indication was false, engine and aircraft had been in good shape throughout the flight. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 13 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cf39fd3&opt=0 Back to Top US Senate Committee Approves Nominee Michael Graham for NTSB Robert Sumwalt NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt speaks at an industry event. (Eleanor Lamb/Transport Topics) WASHINGTON - The panel that oversees commercial transportation in the U.S. Senate easily approved the nomination of Michael Graham to join the National Transportation Safety Board through 2025. The Commerce Committee approved Graham's nomination Nov. 13, advancing it to the Senate floor. Republican leaders have yet to indicate when they will consider the nominee. Michael Graham Graham, an aviation training officer, was nominated earlier this year for a seat on the independent safety board. He was most recently a director for Textron Aviation Inc., overseeing the company's safety management system, global security, and air safety investigations, according to background archived on the White House's website. His also has served as chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, and also as a member of the General Aviation Information Analysis Team. During a hearing this summer to consider his nomination, Graham told senators: "I'm not a lobbyist nor an academic. I'm a real-world operator who has been safely managing the risk of company operations by building a robust safety culture. I lead by example." Unmanned vehicles is an area of concern for the transportation sector, Graham emphasized. In written remarks, he shared his view on the matter with the committee: "Integration of these vehicles with manned vehicles will be an issue, but so will the analysis of technical shortfalls in the unmanned vehicles. This has the potential for causing accidents." Committee ranking Democrat, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, said during the Nov. 13 hearing she was "happy to support the majority of the nominations." Graham began his career as a naval aviator before he moved on to Boeing/McDonnell Douglas. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Mexico. Besides Graham, the panel gave voice-vote approval to the nominations of Ian Paul Steff to become assistant Secretary of Commerce and director general of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service; Carl Whitney Bentzel to be a Federal Maritime Commissioner; and Theodore Rokita to be a director of the Amtrak board. NTSB investigates high-profile crashes. It publishes a "Most Wanted List" of priorities, which has included reducing fatigue-related accidents. This month, NTSB noted that federal and state actions are needed to reduce the number of crashes between cars and bicycles. "If we do not enhance bicyclist conspicuity, more bicyclists will die in preventable crashes. If we do not act to mitigate head injury for more bicyclists, additional bicyclists will die," said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. Meanwhile, senators on a different panel scheduled a hearing with Peter Gaynor, the Trump administration's nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Gaynor has served as FEMA's acting administrator since March. Jennifer Homendy Several transportation nominees approved in committee continue to await a vote on the floor of the Senate. They include Michelle Schultz for a seat on the Surface Transportation Board; John E. Kramer, to be chief financial officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation; Thelma Drake, to be Federal Transit Administrator; and Diana Furchtgott-Roth to be an assistant Secretary of Transportation. In August, the Senate confirmed Sumwalt and Jennifer Homendy to continue serving on NTSB. Sumwalt began his tenure on the board in 2006 and had been confirmed as NTSB chairman in 2017. His recent confirmation extended his chairmanship for three years. Homendy began her tenure on the board last year. Her term expires Dec. 31, 2024. After the NTSB confirmations, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi said, "Confirming these nominees supports the administration's initiatives to address critical transportation safety issues and advance technological and scientific discovery." https://www.ttnews.com/articles/us-senate-committee-approves-nominee-michael-graham-ntsb Back to Top Urgent need to improve air safety rating (Malaysia) KUALA LUMPUR:MALAYSIA needs to urgently restore its aviation safety rating, downgraded by United States authorities this week, before the consequences get worse. Industry players and analysts support the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia's (CAAM) target to return to Category 1 status within 12 months, which will require addressing all the shortcomings highlighted by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA downgrade, based on its assessment of CAAM, prevents Malaysian carriers from establishing new services to the US. Existing routes would operate as scheduled. The longer Malaysia remains in Category 2 - together with Bangladesh, Ghana, Costa Rica, Thailand and Curacao - the greater the risk of spillover impact from the diminished industry perception. 'Our reputation has been tarnished,- Maybank Investment Bank aviation analyst Mohshin Aziz said. 'There could be other consequences too, involving bank and aircraft leasing companies as well as insurance companies,- he told the New Straits Times yesterday. Mohshin said the sectors might look at the downgraded rating as indicating high risk and request additional premium embedded to air charges, for example. While details of the FAA audit report were confidential, he said CAAM should be transparent in how it was planning to resolve the shortcomings and instil confidence in global aviation authorities, airlines and the public. Malaysian carriers have limited services to the US - only AirAsia X has seven flights a week to Honolulu, Hawaii. 'I am not aware of local carriers wanting to fly to the US. Therefore, there is no real immediate impact. 'But it could impact air traffic movement and tourist arrivals to Malaysia in the future.' Mohshin expected to see the impact from the downgrade beginning February, as most travellers had booked flights for the festive season towards the end of this year and early next year. London School of Economics aviation expert Dr Alexander Grous said the downgrade could stifle future opportunities for Malaysia. 'The country cannot open new routes and must cut codesharing with existing airlines. 'This has commercial implications for current and future opportunities. 'If airlines cannot fill the codeshare business, they will need to do that themselves. So, in theory, although current routes are not impacted, some businesses might be. 'If people make a judgment call that Category 2 airlines do not suit them, then it can impact airlines even further.' He said the only way to get back to Category 1 was for CAAM to improve in areas that FAA had highlighted. 'Markets can be upgraded back to Category 1 as seen in the case of India, Indonesia and Vietnam. This rating will depend on efforts to address the shortcomings.' Analysts said among the shortcomings were legislative issues, technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping and inspection procedures. The aviation industry operates in a highly-regulated environment with strict policies and regulations imposed by governments and industry bodies. Regular audits to ensure standards are maintained as part of the process. Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) group chief executive officer (CEO) Captain Izham Ismail said safety audits would encompass elements from organisation structure, management, resource and expertise, standard operating procedures, processes, execution, oversight capability and document management. 'Airlines too are subjected to the same audit. But we also conduct internal audits. 'Airlines are subjected to even more audits by their partner airlines before embarking on codeshare programmes to ensure both airlines are safe,' he told the NST. Citing an example, he said the codeshare programme between MAB and Japan Airlines was executed after embarking on safety audits to ensure both airlines met safety standards. He said MAB was audited by other governing authorities, such as the International Air Transport Association, FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency,including airline partners. In certain cases, MAB is audited by other state regulators, such as the Station Audit by Foreign Authorities, either at arrival destination airports or at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. 'MAB conducts internal audits in the organisation. 'We subject ourselves to this intense audit to ensure we meet the industry standard.' He said FAA's rating on CAAM would not undermine MAB's safety procedures as the airline operates in a highly regulated environment. Singapore-based independent analyst and consultant Brendan Sobie of Sobie Aviation said the impact of a downgrade would not be that significant, unless other countries also imposed restrictions. 'If there are restrictions imposed by other countries (such as South Korea or Japan), there would be a bigger effect. 'The Malaysia-US market is small and mainly served by foreign carriers, particularly from North Asia and the Middle East.' Sobie said MAB no longer flies to US and while its codeshare relationship with American Airlines would be impacted, it was very limited. 'AAX could be more impacted as it will not be able to grow in the US market beyond the current service to Hawaii using its Malaysia Air Operator Certificate (AOC). 'AAX has been planning to launch its fifth freedom flights from Malaysia to the west coast of the US via Japan following delivery of high gross weight A330neos, which are slated to start next year.' Sobie said the low-cost carrier would have to wait for Category 1 status to be restored or consider adding widebody aircraft to the groups' Japanese air operator certificate. 'Category 1 in the other Southeast Asian countries did notimpact overall demand or tourism. 'It is a step back and Malaysia needs to address shortcomings identified by FAA. 'It is important to note that Category 2 is not about any airline, but only about the oversight ability of a country's aviation authority.' Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst for aerospace, defence and airlines George T. Ferguson said the downgrade was not that severe as it only limited Malaysian airlines from starting new services to the US. However, existing routes would remain operational. 'There were some plans for AAX to fly fifth freedom flights from Japan to the US with Malaysian flight crews,'he told NST today. 'Either way, not much exposure so not much affect on airlines from the country,' he said, adding that He said Malaysia needed to improve its focus on aviation safety in terms of training, technical skills, records and inspection procedures at CAAM. He said there was a strong emphasis on documented procedures and training as strong procedures, documentation and well-trained regulators helped minimise important items going unnoticed, which could jeopardise safety in all areas of aviation. 'Malaysia needs to improve its focus on these key pillars to convince other countries that Malaysian airliners are safe to be operated in their airspace.' Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association president Naguib Mohd Nor said the areas Malaysia could improve on its air safety rating would depend on the findings CAAM received from FAA. 'CAAM needs to be well-funded because the authority needs to keep its human capital at the highest level. 'CAAM is a critical organisation to the development of the aerospace industry. 'As such, it needs to be adequately supported and funded to ensure it develops sustainably.' Naguib said the future of the Malaysian aerospace industry could not be put at risk, citing that the sector was a leader in the region. 'In tandem with certification support requirements for maintenance and manufacturing, CAAM will play a pivotal role in establishing Malaysian's industrial leadership in emerging fields, such as drone services and air mobility.' German aviation analyst Andreas Spaeth said FAA's downgrade for Malaysia's air safety rating would be a 'psychological issue' and would likely undermine trust in Malaysian authorities. 'The US is not a major market for Malaysian carriers and I do not think it (rating) will have a huge impact.' IATA assistant director corporate communications Asia Pacific Albert Tjoeng said the association urged the Malaysian government to look at ways to use the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) to complement its safety oversight. 'This includes making IOSA a requirement for an AOC. IOSA has more than 900 internationally-recognised standards and recommended practices. 'And a number of Malaysia registered carriers - MAB, Malindo, AirAsia, AAX - are IOSA-registered.' https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/11/538428/urgent-need-improve-air-safety-rating Back to Top DJI makes app to identify drones and find pilots Drones have caused widespread disruption at airports around the world Drone maker DJI has demonstrated a way to quickly identify a nearby drone, and pinpoint the location of its pilot, via a smartphone. The technique makes use of a protocol called "Wi-Fi Aware", with which the drone essentially broadcasts information about itself. The company said it would help prevent security threats and disruption, and give members of the public peace of mind. But experts believe sophisticated criminals would still be able to circumvent detection. "It's going to be very useful against rogue drones," said Elrike Franke, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, who studies the impacts of the drone industry. "But it's not going to be enough to fight people with real bad intentions, because these are going to be the first people to hack this system." DJI told the BBC it could add the functionality to drones already on the market via a software update. The firm explained: "Using a simple app, anyone within radio range of the drone can receive that signal and learn the location, altitude, speed and direction of the drone, as well as an identification number for the drone and the location of the pilot." However, a spokesman said that will only happen once pending regulation regarding remote identification of drones has been agreed upon. He added that DJI has not yet decided whether it will force its customers to install the update. 'Right behind that building' While the majority of drone operators act properly, there have been a number of high-profile instances of pilots behaving illegally - and others where suspicion of drone activity has caused huge disruption. In December 2018, Gatwick Airport, in Sussex, England, was brought to a standstill after reports of a drone apparently flying in protected airspace. "If Gatwick staff had a smartphone enabled with this capability in their pockets," explained Adam Lisberg, from DJI, "they could have taken it out, seen a registration number for the drone, seen the flight path, and the location of the operator. DJI said drone pilots could be quickly and precisely located using the technology "They could look on the map and say: 'Right behind that building.'" Mr Lisberg said the same method could be used to help build trust. One scenario, he suggested, might be a member of the public using an app to discover a nearby drone was owned by a construction firm, and was inspecting a roof at a particular address. "That sounds like a step in the right direction," added Ms Franke. "If we are moving into a world where drones will be more ubiquitous, we do need for anyone to get a sense of whether a drone is there for a legitimate reason or not." Incoming regulation All drone manufacturers will eventually need to adopt a system of remote identification in order to comply with upcoming regulation set to be put in place in different countries. The US Federal Aviation Administration, along with the country's Department of Transport, is expected to unveil proposed rules for mandatory remote drone ID next month - though that move as been repeatedly delayed. Even once agreed upon, the measures could take more than a year to implement. The FAA has told drone makers to come up with their own solutions in the meantime. DJI said it would roll out its Remote ID capabilities once its obligations were more clear. It could apply the changes to drone models dating back "several years", it said. Widespread adoption of the technology will also be held back somewhat by so-far limited inclusion of the "Wi-Fi Aware" protocol in popular smartphones, such as Apple's iPhone, which currently does not support it. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50414108 Back to Top FedEx employee who died at Memphis airport hub identified Shipping containers are unloaded from an aircraft at FedEx's Memphis superhub on Tuesday, November 20, 2018. A FedEx employee died at the FedEx Express World Hub in Memphis on Wednesday morning in a workplace accident. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our team member at the Memphis hub," FedEx said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with our colleague's family, friends and co-workers at this difficult time. We are always focused on the health and safety of our people as a top priority, and we are fully cooperating with authorities in their investigation." Police identified Duntate Young, 23, as the man who was killed. Memphis police and fire officials said Young was transported from the hub to Regional One Medical Center at about 2:19 a.m. Wednesday and was later pronounced dead. Police Lt. Karen Rudolph said the death investigation is ongoing. FedEx did not release further details, including how the death occurred. The hub is based at the Memphis International Airport. The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) was notified about the accident, which occurred Wednesday morning at the FedEx facility at 2903 Sprankle Rd. in Memphis, said Chris Cannon, the assistant administrator of TOSHA's communications division. "TOSHA sent an inspector to the facility to begin the process of determining the circumstances which led to the employee's death," Cannon said in an email, adding that the agency doesn't release preliminary information during its investigations. In 2017, a FedEx employee died at the Memphis hub in a work-related accident, a spokesman confirmed at the time. Police said the woman was part of a team assigned to unload an aircraft and was found under a motorized mobile conveyor belt system, The Commercial Appeal reported. It was the third fatality at the hub in roughly three-and-a-half years. https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2019/11/13/fedex-employee-dies-memphis-airport-hub/4184248002/ Back to Top EASA To Add Human Factors to Rotor Certification A notice of proposed amendment (NPA) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) introduces specific provisions into small and large rotorcraft certification specifications to ensure that human factors are systematically taken into account during the design and approval processes of rotorcraft flight decks. Such provisions were introduced into the certification specifications for large airplanes a dozen years ago, EASA said. Additionally, new generations of rotorcraft are characterized by having a high level of integration of avionics, displays, controls, and automation. "It is also likely that future rotorcraft projects, embodying, for instance, fly-by-wire technology flight controls that include enhanced piloting control laws, will pose new and additional challenges from a human factors perspective," said EASA. Regarding those accidents or incidents for which human factor shortfalls in the design of rotorcraft were considered to be the root cause, EASA said it is "expected that the proposed new certification specifications will help to significantly reduce the probability of such accidents occurring." For other accidents or incidents in which human factor shortfalls in the design of rotorcraft have been identified as a contributing factor, it is "expected that there will be a significant positive impact on safety. In fact, an improved crew workstation design that is optimized for human factors will contribute to reducing the crew's workload and increasing the crew's situational awareness." EASA estimated that these benefits could reduce the number of incidents and accidents by between 10 and 20 percent. Comments on the NPA are due on January 8. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-11-13/easa-add-human-factors-rotor-certification Back to Top FAA Chief Vows Improved Safety Reviews of New Aircrafts and Pilot Technology By Alan Levin Aviation regulators around the world need to do a better job of assessing hazards in aircraft designs and understanding how pilots might be tripped up by complex technology in the wake of the two fatal crashes on Boeing Co.'s 737 Max, the chief of the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, speaking before the Aero Club of Washington, said the agency is addressing concerns raised by several reviews of the crashes that killed 346 people after a safety system on the plane went haywire. "Going forward beyond the Max, some key things are emerging regarding aircraft certification processes, not only in the U.S. but around the world," Dickson told the aviation organization. "I'm committed to addressing each of these issues." Dickson identified three areas: moving to a more "holistic rather than transactional, line-by-line item approach"; integrating so-called "human factors" issues in designs so pilots are less likely to be tripped up by complex technical systems; and ensuring a better flow of information within different arms of FAA. A final report by Indonesian investigators found that Boeing and FAA expected pilots to react to problems on the Max faster than they actually did. Parts of FAA were more aware than others of the design involved in the accidents, which hindered the ability to assess its safety, the investigation found. Those findings were echoed in documents released by Congress. Dickson offered no specifics on the potential changes in aircraft certification and the agency hasn't announced a formal process to rewrite its regulations. Boeing said Monday it hopes FAA will approve its redesign of the 737 Max by the end of this year and write new training standards for the plane in January. It will still take airlines weeks or even months longer to get their planes back in the air. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2019/11/14/548431.htm Back to Top GAO Recommends FAA Improve UAS Oversight The FAA's compliance and enforcement approach for drones could benefit from improved communication and data, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Among the issues examined for this study, the GAO met with FAA safety inspectors and law enforcement officials in 11 of the aviation agency's districts to determine how they investigate potentially unsafe small (under 55 pounds) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Although the FAA has articulated the pivotal role local law enforcement can play and has developed resources for these entities, the GAO report says the agency "has not consistently communicated this information." Consequently, most law enforcement stakeholders GAO met with stated that "officers may not know how to respond to UAS incidents or what information to share with the FAA." Without a clear approach to communicate to law enforcement agencies, the FAA "does not have reasonable assurance these agencies are armed with knowledge they need to help FAA identify and address unsafe UAS operations," the GAO said. The FAA was also faulted for allegedly not identifying how it will improve the gathering and analyzing of UAS safety data, nor does the agency have plans to determine what data could help determine whether the FAA's oversight efforts are working as intended. The report recommends that the FAA develop a better approach to communicate to local law enforcement agencies its expectations for their role in UAS investigations and identify data needed to evaluate FAA's small UAS compliance and enforcement activities. The FAA concurred with the recommendations. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-11-13/gao-recommends-faa-improve-uas-oversight Back to Top FAA Sees Trust Growing with Compliance Program As the FAA's compliance program enters its fifth year, a senior FAA official said the agency and industry are seeing evidence of growing trust, transparency, and effective use of safety management systems (SMS). Tim Miller, director of FAA's Office of Air Carrier Safety Assurance, told attendees at Bombardier's 23rd annual Safety Standdown yesterday, "I am happy to report we are making progress." The compliance program relies on voluntary reporting and corrective actions such as training and improved procedures to address deviations or safety issues. Enforcement instead is reserved for "the reckless, inappropriate risk-taking, or those that are unwilling or unable to comply," Miller said. The compliance program is simple but has many moving parts that require attention to detail both on the regulator and the industry side, he said. It moves away from the former approach to accountability that places blame and focuses on function to an accountability that accepts responsibility and results in action for change. "Compliance means a lot more than just following the rules. Far more important is proactive risk management," he said. Improvement in safety, he added, "rises from the operators' willingness and ability to proactivity address risk management to deal with the issues that cannot be addressed by federal regulations." This requires communication, cooperation, and collaboration, he noted. In evidence of this growing collaboration, he pointed to an air carrier that changed its procedures after improperly flying passengers without following the regulations. He also highlighted industry collaboration with the FAA on illegal charter, noting this is requiring information sharing. But even further evidence of this collaboration has been a jump in submissions to the various voluntary reporting programs, Miller said. In the last full fiscal year for which the FAA has data on the Aviation Safety Reporting System, submissions had grown to more than 96,000 reports. Submissions to the Aviation Safety Action Program in the last 12 months grew to 131,000 reports, a 26 percent increase over 2016. Submissions to the Voluntary Disclosure Reporting program had reached 2,200, he said, adding, "These numbers are phenomenal. That's how we're developing standards." Miller acknowledged he is preparing to retire from the agency and said while he has found his career there rewarding, "When people ask me what I am most proud of, I can point to the work the FAA and the industry have done to raise the bar of safety." Along with compliance and information sharing is the adoption of safety management systems, as well as the agency's move to realign its divisions to focus more on function rather than geography. He also praised the Safety Standdown, saying the sustained efforts of the annual seminar have made it "one of the industry's best known and most respected conferences. The longevity of this event and the diversity represented demonstrate a key point that goes along the heart of this year's theme-'Elevating Standards'-that when it comes to aviation safety, we're all a team." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-11-12/faa-sees-trust-growing-compliance-program Back to Top FAA and NASA Drone Industry Workshop The UPP's success is dependent upon the ability to work with industry, various FAA Test Sites and IPP participants. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA will hold the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) Pilot Program (UPP) Phase 2 Industry Workshop in December. Building on UPP Phase 1, UPP Phase 2 will showcase additional technologies, including Remote Identification (ID) and operations with increasing volumes and density. The UPP's success is dependent upon the ability to work with industry, various FAA Test Sites and IPP participants. What: FAA/NASA UTM Pilot Program Phase 2 December Industry Workshop When: Monday, December 9, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time Where: NASA Ames Conference Center, Mountain View, CA During this half-day workshop, the FAA and NASA will provide participants with an in-depth view of UPP Phase 2, including a walk-through of the Concept of Use, Architecture, Technical and Functional Requirements, and a detailed timeline. UPP Phase 2 partners should be able to support the following capabilities: • UAS operations in high density airspace; • Remote ID services; • USS transmission of flight information to air traffic control due to an off-nominal UTM event; • Public safety operations; and, UAS Volume Reservations (UVR) service. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to the first 150 registrants. Only two participants from the same organization may register. The registration deadlines are: Tuesday, November 12 for non-U.S. citizens without permanent residency. NASA requires special paperwork to admit all non-U.S. citizens without permanent residency to attend the workshop at Ames Research Center. Monday, November 25 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/unmanned/press-release/21114278/federal-aviation-administration-faa-faa-and-nasa-drone-industry-workshop Back to Top International Air Transport Association opens training center in Taiwan Local airlines to benefit from reduced expenditures on personnel training with the establishment of the center IATA Taipei branch opens (CNA photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - International Air Transport Association's (IATA) training center was inaugurated in Taipei on Thursday (Nov. 14), helping connect the island nation's aviation industry with the world. The trade association, founded in 1945 and boasting 290 airline members that account for 82 percent of global air traffic, supports aviation activity and helps draft industry policies. It provides training programs in terms of operational safety, work efficiency, and business expansion, tutoring over 100,000 students and professionals every year, reported CNA. The center's opening in Taiwan means less time and money to be spent by local airlines on training their staff. Otherwise they would need to go abroad to attend relevant courses. Taiwan-based China Airlines, Mandarin Airlines, EVA Air, and Uni Air are all members of IATA, said Ma Tao (馬濤), regional vice president of IATA for North Asia. The newly-founded Starlux Airlines, which is slated to begin service in 2020, is also in the process of applying for membership to the association, he added. The center is the sixth IATA branch in Asia, in addition to those in Seoul, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai. The association has 30 global branches in total, wrote Liberty Times. Ma has spent much of his career representing China at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Asked by the media about Taiwan's failure to participate in ICAO due to political interference, he appeared reluctant to comment, other than saying the association is a non-government organization with the mission to serve air carriers and improve aviation safety, wrote LTN. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3816979 Back to Top Cathay Pacific to delay delivery of four Airbus planes and speed up retirement of older jets in 2020 as it battles Hong Kong protest fallout City's flag carrier delays aircraft and will retire two more planes than planned in 2020 Cathay Pacific's announcement comes during a difficult week for the airline. Photo: AFP Cathay Pacific has deferred the delivery of four Airbus aircraft and will retire an extra two planes in 2020, the company told analysts on Thursday, as civil unrest in Hong Kong saps demand for air travel. The city's flagship carrier said Cathay Dragon would take delivery of three fewer planes, and retire one extra, with one fewer aircraft to be inducted into low-cost carrier HK Express's fleet. Cathay Pacific and its regional airline are to retire an extra aircraft each. The reshuffle took place after the airline issued a second profit warning in less than a month on Wednesday, and said profits in the second half of the year would be "significantly below" those of the first, while the short-term outlook was "challenging and uncertain". Last week, Cathay said it would halve the deliveries of its newest aircraft type, the Airbus A321neo, handing half of the 32 on order to its newly acquired HK Express, with the remaining still going to Cathay Dragon. According to a presentation of the company's latest plan, the airline is to slow down delivery of the Airbus A321neos headed to Cathay Dragon next year. It will accept six instead of nine, HK Express is to receive four, but some 17 aircraft would still be delivered across the group in total. Cathay Pacific said it would retire a Boeing 777-300ER next year as part of the accelerated retirements, with Cathay Dragon losing an extra Airbus A320. In total, 10 aircraft would be retired by 2021, including the previous eight. The changes would leave the airline group with six fewer aircraft by the end of 2020. The airline operated 236 aircraft as of last month. Following the HK$4.93 billion purchase of HK Express earlier this year, the airline said it would lead to a small post-acquisition loss. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3037708/cathay-pacific-delay-delivery-four-new-airbus Back to Top KLM commits to 21 E195-E2 aircraft Embraer and KLM executives celebrate the Dutch airline's Intention to purchase up to 35 E195 E2 jets. (Photo: Embraer) Embraer and KLM Cityhopper in early November signed a firm order for 21 E195-E2 aircraft, plus 14 purchase rights. The firm order of 21 airplanes represents KLM's commitment to six additional such aircraft relative to its original order announced earlier this year at the Paris Airshow. With all purchase rights exercised the deal would have a value of approximately US$2.5 billion. The 21 firm positions will be acquired via operating lease from Embraer lessor partners Aircastle and ICBC Aviation Leasing, providing 11 and 10 E195-E2s, respectively. Embraer states its E2 generation aircraft deliver 30 per cent lower emissions when compared to KLM's current E190s, while also providing an additional 32 seats. With deliveries set to begin in the first quarter of 2021, KLM plans to configure the E195-E2 aircraft with 132 seats. "For KLM this aircraft is a significant part of our commitment to improving our environmental impact," said Pieter Elbers, president and CEO, KLM. "Not only is the E195-E2 the most fuel efficient lowest emission aircraft in its class, it is also the quietest by a considerable margin - a huge benefit for both our communities and our passengers." Embraer's commercial aircraft operation, focusing on places with up to 150 seats, has more than 100 customers across the world. For the E-Jets program alone, with aircraft ranging in passenger size from 70 to 150 seats, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleets of 80 customers in 50 countries. https://www.wingsmagazine.com/klm-commits-to-21-e195-e2-aircraft/ Back to Top Researchers develop thin heat shield for superfast aircraft Professor Zhiyong (Richard) Liang and research faculty member Ayou Hao holding pieces of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites with a protective heat shield made of a carbon nanotube sheet that was heated to a temperature of 1,900 degrees Celsius. Credit: Florida State University The world of aerospace increasingly relies on carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites to build the structures of satellites, rockets and jet aircraft. But the life of those materials is limited by how they handle heat. A team of FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers from Florida State University's High-Performance Materials Institute is developing a design for a heat shield that better protects those extremely fast machines. Their work will be published in the November edition of Carbon . "Right now, our flight systems are becoming more and more high-speed, even going into hypersonic systems, which are five times the speed of sound," said Professor Richard Liang, director of HPMI. "When you have speeds that high, there's more heat on a surface. Therefore, we need a much better thermal protection system." The team used carbon nanotubes, which are linked hexagons of carbon atoms in the shape of a cylinder, to build the heat shields. Sheets of those nanotubes are also known as "buckypaper," a material with incredible abilities to conduct heat and electricity that has been a focus of study at HPMI. By soaking the buckypaper in a resin made of a compound called phenol, the researchers were able to create a lightweight, flexible material that is also durable enough to potentially protect the body of a rocket or jet from the intense heat it faces while flying. Existing heat shields are often very thick compared to the base they protect, said Ayou Hao, a research faculty member at HPMI. This design lets engineers build a very thin shield, like a sort of skin that protects the aircraft and helps support its structure. After building heat shields of varying thicknesses, the researchers put them to the test. One test involved applying a flame to the samples to see how they prevented heat from reaching the carbon fiber layer they were meant to protect. After that, the researchers bent the samples to see how strong they remained. They found the samples with sheets of buckypaper were better than control samples at dispersing heat and keeping it from reaching the base layer. They also stayed strong and flexible compared to control samples made without protective layers of nanotubes. That flexibility is a helpful quality. The nanotubes are less vulnerable to cracking at high temperatures compared to ceramics, a typical heat shield material. They're also lightweight, which is helpful for engineers who want to reduce the weight of anything on an aircraft that doesn't help the way it flies. https://phys.org/news/2019-11-thin-shield-superfast-aircraft.html Back to Top Fort Smith aviation school launches commercial pilot program (Canada) Starting in January, the school will launch a new two-year commercial pilot program Ashlee Steed on her first official training flight in Fort Smith, N.W.T. (Submitted by Ashlee Steed) With a nationwide pilot shortage looming, a small N.W.T. airline is launching a commercial pilot school in the North. In May, Northwestern Air Lease, based in Fort Smith, N.W.T., started a pilot training school called the Terry Harrold School of Aviation, named after the company's owner. Its goal is to train northerners and others to fly with one of the many aviation companies in the North struggling to retain pilots. Jim Heidema, Northwestern's chief operating officer, said northern airlines share a common experience when it comes to young men and women who come North to gain experience in the industry and work their way up to a pilot's seat. "You know, they start on the ramp or they start in operations and then they end up in the right seat [as co-pilot]. Then, if they stay long enough, they get in the left seat as a captain. Then they bail. They go to the big airline. That revolving door is horrendously expensive because for us to groom a pilot to be able to fly our aircraft and to move up within the organization is time and money and resources." Jim Heidema says he has had increasing difficulty holding on to pilots, who are being recruited early than ever by bigger airlines. (Submitted by Jim Heidema) The school received Transport Canada approval in the spring but beginning in January, it's launching a two-year all-inclusive aviation management diploma program. Students will live and study in Fort Smith and after the two-years, they'll walk away with their commercial pilots license and most likely a job. "We've talked to Air Tindi, Canadian North and all the rest. They're all really keen on looking at the graduates from the program. If they've got their commercial license, the door will be open with us and everybody else, without doubt," Heidema says. We want more women in the program. We want Indigenous kids in the program. -Jim Heidema The school already has five students registered for the aviation management course including one from Inuvik and another from Norman Wells. Heidema says he's hoping to get five more students before the course starts in January. "We've reached out to all of the bands [Indigenous communities]," Heidema said. "The bands are wild about it. They think it's a wonderful opportunity. We want more women in the program. We want Indigenous kids in the program ... [It's] really important to us." The course recently received approval from the territory's student financial assistance program. Heidema says the program will cover some, but not all of the approximately $75,000 program. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/fort-smith-commercial-aviation-school-announced-1.5358134 Back to Top Boeing's Humans Step In After Robots Fumble Assembly of 777 Jets • Planemaker will rely instead on people assisted by machines • Droid problems 'took years off my life" said production chief Employees perform quality checks on components for a Boeing Co. 777X commercial aircraft at the Boeing Defense, Space & Security facility in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Score one for the humans. After four years of trial and error, Boeing Co. is dumping the robots that build two main fuselage sections for its 777 jetliners and the upgraded model known as 777X. Instead, the Chicago-based planemaker will rely on skilled mechanics to manually insert fasteners into holes drilled along the circumference of the airplane by an automated system known as "flex tracks," which it developed and honed on the 787 Dreamliner. The shift to the new human-plus-machine system began during the second quarter and should be complete by year's end, Boeing spokesman Paul Bergman said in a statement. Boeing doesn't plan any change in total staffing for its 777 jetliners, which are manufactured in Everett, Washington, about an hour north of Seattle. "The flex track solution has proven more reliable, requiring less work by hand and less rework, than what the robots were capable of," he said. As tempting as automation can be -- with its promise of a mechanized workforce that never gets sick, tired or hungry -- manufacturers are finding many cases where the technology hasn't yet caught up to the dexterity and precision of human hands and eyes. Tesla Inc. famously tried to build a fully automated car factory in Fremont, California, before adding a tent outside of the facility to allow more work to be done by hand. Boeing's fully automated initiative -- known as FAUB, for fuselage automated upright build -- relied on robots working in tandem to drill holes precisely and fasten together metal panels held upright to create the outer frame of the hulking twin-engine jets. It was showcased as part of the advanced manufacturing that Boeing is pioneering on the 777X, and that it plans to expand to future jetliner programs next decade. Out of Sync But the planemaker struggled to keep the robots moving in sync on the outside and inside of the fuselage panels, creating production snarls when it first introduced the FAUB technology to the legacy 777 line. A Seattle Times report from 2016 described a swell of worker overtime and incomplete jobs that were finished after jets rolled out of the factory. "It was hard. It took years off my life," Jason Clark, a Boeing vice president overseeing 777X production, said during an interview earlier this year. The robot flub isn't a complete loss. Boeing learned some valuable lessons from its "first very deep dive into that type of technology," Clark said. "It's taught us how to design for automation." The new flex-track method creates less wear-and-tear on workers since machines handle one of the the most physically demanding tasks of the fuselage assembly: drilling holes through metal. Also, "We redesigned portions of the build to replace rivets with less difficult forms of fasteners, further improving the ergonomics," Bergman said. The combination should bring improvements in safety, quality and factory flow, he said. The 777X will be Boeing's largest-ever jetliner, but the plane isn't expected to take its first flight until next year after General Electric Co. unearthed a durability issue with its GE9X engines. The company relies heavily on robots to manufacture the plane, from wings spun from resin-infused tape to self-guided vehicles used to transport large components within the factory. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-13/boeing-s-humans-step-in-after-robots-fumble-assembly-of-777-jets Back to Top China Launches 2 Rockets Within 3 Hours in Latest Space Rally China's been busy in space. Liftoff! China Launches 5 Satellites Atop Long March-6 Rocket A Chinese Long March 6 rocket launched five satellites into orbit on the Ningxia-1 mission Wednesday (Nov. 13), just three hours after another launch in a double header that comes amid busy two months for China's space industry. China has launched a series of Long March rockets and the new Kuaizhou-1A booster have made seven launches in recent weeks, and Space.com has some cool videos showing off each one. Here's what they've launched in that time: Nov. 13 at 1:35 a.m. EST (0635 GMT): A Long March 6 launches Ningxia-1 (see the video above) - This orbital launch lofted five remote sensing satellites into orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Shanxi Province. This mission was the first time that the Long March-6 launched to a low-inclination orbit, according to NASASpaceflight.com. https://www.space.com/china-rocket-launches-rally-roundup-oct-nov-2019.html 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 Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection and Investigation Course presented by N. Albert Moussa, PhD, PE May 26 to 28, 2020 BlazeTech Corporation 29 B Montvale Ave, Woburn MA 01801 USA. Dear Colleague, While commercial air transport is very safe, the advent of new technologies poses fire safety challenges that will be treated in this course. This offering draws upon Dr. Moussa's work in this area since 1971 as well as related courses that BlazeTech has been teaching since 1998. Lectures will include an update on Li and Li-ion battery fires, flammability of carbon fiber and glass fiber composites, emerging aviation fluids, engine fires, fuel tank fire/explosion, fire extinguishment methods, protection methods, aircraft accident investigation, and fire/explosion pattern recognition. Recent requirements and accidents are continuously added to the course. For each type of fire, this course will provide a cohesive integrated presentation of fundamentals, small- and large-scale testing, computer modeling, standards and specifications, and real accident investigation - as outlined in the course brochure. This integrated approach will enable you to address safety issues related to current and new systems and circumstances, and to investigate one of a kind fire and explosion accidents. The course will benefit professionals who are responsible for commercial aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles including design, equipment selection, test, operation, maintenance, safety management system, hazard/risk assessment, and accident investigation. View Brochure for course content and registration form (also embedded below). View Testmonials of previous attendees and their Companies. View some of the technical references discussed in this course. We also offer this course at the client site as well as customized courses on fire and explosion in other areas. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Albert Moussa, Ph.D., P.E. BlazeTech Corporation 29B Montvale Ave. Woburn, MA 01801-7021 781-759-0700 x200 781-759-0703 fax www.blazetech.com firecourse@blazetech.com LinkedIn Back to Top Contact: info@scaledanalytics.com Back to Top Contact: info@wxriskmanagement.com Curt Lewis