Flight Safety Information December 9, 2019 - No. 252 In This Issue FAA seeks $3.9 million fine from Boeing for defective parts on 737 NG planes Incident: Avior B734 near Tarapoto on Dec 6th 2019, loss of cabin pressure Incident: Azul E195 at Recife on Dec 3rd 2019, smell of smoke in cabin Incident: Canada B773 near London on Dec 3rd 2019, smoke in lavatory Pilot union at Horizon Air blames management for 'deteriorated' safety programs Schumer demands incoming FAA study to call for more leg room for airplane passengers SPIRIT AIRLINES AIRBUS A319 SERIOUSLY DAMAGED DURING MAINTENANCE Crooked FAA Inspector Jailed Six Years Passenger stung by scorpion on United flight from San Francisco to Atlanta Hong Kong Airlines Allowed to Keep License 3D Printing Can Keep Aging Air Force Aircraft Flying Amazon is struggling to hold on to the pilots who ship your packages U.S. vs. China Is the Next Great Space Race Advanced aircraft accident investigation course Safety Management Systems Certificate Program from SCSI Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces second Safety Dividend Book: English in Global Aviation Safety and Investigation Training in Sydney IATA Safety and Flight Ops Conference - Baku, Azerbaijan 31 March - 2 April, FAA seeks $3.9 million fine from Boeing for defective parts on 737 NG planes Aerial photos show Boeing 737 Max airplanes on the tarmac in Seattle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday it seeks to impose a $3.9 million (£3.04 million) fine on Boeing Co , alleging it failed to prevent the installation of defective parts on about 130 737 NG airplanes. The FAA alleged that Boeing "failed to adequately oversee its suppliers to ensure they complied with the company's quality assurance system ... Boeing knowingly submitted aircraft for final FAA airworthiness certification after determining that the parts could not be used due to a failed strength test." In a statement on Friday, Boeing did not admit liability but said they were aware of the FAA's concerns. "We are working closely with our customers to take the appropriate corrective actions," spokesman Charles Bickers said. The company has 30 days to respond either by paying the fine or challenging it; Boeing said it would review the penalty. The FAA disclosed in June that 300 NG and 737 MAX airplanes could contain improperly manufactured parts and said it would require these parts to be quickly replaced. The fine announced on Friday only relates to NG airplane components, the FAA said, but it is continuing to review the issue as it relates to the MAX. The parts at issue are tracks on the leading edge of the wings used to guide the movement of slats that provide additional lift during takeoff and landing, the FAA said. The issue could result in a slat striking an airplane, potentially resulting in injury to passengers or preventing a safe landing. The FAA said Boeing's oversight failure "resulted in the installation of slat tracks that were weakened by a condition known as hydrogen embrittlement that occurred during cadmium-titanium plating." Boeing reiterated on Friday it had not been informed of any in-service issues related to the batch of slat tracks in question. It added that "all affected 737 NGs have been inspected and all slat track installations determined to be required have been completed on the NGs." The NG is the third-generation 737 that the company began building in 1997. Boeing's safety record has come under criticism from some in Congress, as has the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX, which has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. Boeing said it will ensure "all inspections and any necessary part replacements are performed on all 737 MAXs before they return to service." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/faa-seeks-3-9-million-224239680.html Back to Top Incident: Avior B734 near Tarapoto on Dec 6th 2019, loss of cabin pressure An Avior Airlines Boeing 737-400, registration YV3011 performing flight 9V-1521 from Lima (Peru) to Caracas (Venezuela) with 133 people on board, was enroute near Tarapoto (Peru) when the crew initiated an emergency descent due to the loss of cabin pressure, the passenger oxygen masks were released. The aircraft diverted to Tarapoto for a safe landing. A baby was taken to a hospital for a precautionary check. The airline reported all passengers are in good health. A replacement aircraft is being chartered to take the passengers to Caracas. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d03dd27&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Azul E195 at Recife on Dec 3rd 2019, smell of smoke in cabin An Azul Linhas Aereas Embraer ERJ-195, registration PR-AYK performing flight AD-2709 from Recife,PE to Fortaleza,CE (Brazil), was climbing out of Recife when the crew stopped the climb due to a strong smell of smoke in the cabin and returned to Recife for a safe landing about 15 minutes after departure. The aircraft was towed off the runway. The runway was closed for about 25 minutes as result. A replacement ERJ-195 registration PR-AYV reached Fortaleza with a delay of about 4 hours. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Recife due to a technical problem. Passengers reported the captain announced a strong smell of smoke in the cabin as reason for the return. The airport reported the crew requested to return to Recife shortly after takeoff. After landing the aircraft was towed to be returned to the apron, where passengers disembarked normally. The runway was closed for about 25 minutes. According to information received on Dec 6th 2019, the left hand air cycle machine overheated causing the smell of smoke in the cabin. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d01abe5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Canada B773 near London on Dec 3rd 2019, smoke in lavatory An Air Canada Boeing 777-300, registration C-FIUW performing flight AC-849 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 253 people on board, had just passed the top of climb out of London when the flight crew declared PAN PAN following a report of smoke in a lavatory. Cabin crew identified a passenger's laptop as source of the smoke, the laptop was put into an according bag and cooled with water, the smoke ceased. After the source of the smoke was confirmed the flight crew cancelled PAN and continued the flight to Toronto for a safe landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA849/history/20191203/1510Z/EGLL/CYYZ https://avherald.com/h?article=4d03cee3&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Pilot union at Horizon Air blames management for 'deteriorated' safety programs, highlighting distrustful relations A Horizon Embraer E175 taxis to the gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The union representing pilots at Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, sent a note to its members Thursday alleging that the airline's management is undermining long- standing industry safety programs. The union representing pilots at Horizon Air, the regional carrier for Alaska Airlines, sent a note to its members Thursday alleging that the airline's management is undermining long-standing industry safety programs by focusing on penalizing individuals. The note includes a link to a letter the union wrote this summer to the board of directors of Alaska Air Group and CEO Brad Tilden drawing attention to "the deteriorated state of Horizon Air's safety programs." Pilot unions and airline management typically work closely together to ensure safety. Yet the union's July letter, obtained by The Seattle Times along with the Thursday note and earlier union documents, reveals a severely distrustful relationship at Horizon between management and its pilots. The union's Thursday message was in reaction to a Seattle Times story that day highlighting an internal memo to senior pilot leaders, in which John Hornibrook, Horizon Air's vice president of flight operations, expressed concern about a lax safety culture among the airline's pilots and listed a series of incidents in the couple of days before Thanksgiving that he deemed unsafe. Hornibrook wrote that "if we sit back and do nothing, we will have an accident." In response, the executive council of the Airlines Professional Association Teamsters Local 1224 that represents Horizon pilots told its members that "we are truly dismayed by the presumptive nature, negative attitude and broad-brush descriptions of our Horizon pilots." It said the incidents listed by Hornibrook "are not often the result of pilot error or unprofessionalism." The Teamsters message points to the letter the union wrote to CEO Tilden and the Alaska Air board in July with specific concerns alleging that management at Horizon was undermining a key safety program called FOQA (Flight Operations Quality Assurance, pronounced FO-KWA) that is designed to spot and remedy any dangerous trends in flight operations. Tilden responded in July with a letter saying that the union's concerns "are being taken seriously." He set up a meeting between pilot union representatives and Horizon's then- CEO Gary Beck, which took place on Oct. 4. The union said a "dialog was started" with a follow-up meeting planned before year end. Since then, Beck has moved over to a senior position at Alaska Airlines, and was replaced last month at Horizon by Joe Sprague. The union's letter to its members said that given the leadership change and the Hornibrook memo, "we may be starting again at square one." The Teamsters union did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Alaska Air Group spokeswoman Bobbie Egan flatly denied the union's allegation that it abuses the safety program designed to monitor the airline's flight activities. The FOQA program "operates in accordance with FAA guidance to increase the level of safety across the entire operation," she wrote in an email. Trust and openness The dispute over assessment of pilots between the union and management centers on the balance between encouraging an open safety culture and holding individuals accountable for mistakes. The FOQA system, implemented across the airline industry and administered by an external company, automatically gathers data from every flight and flags any unusual conditions such as excessive speed, stalls or engine problems. This data is compiled and analyzed and used to spot trends that indicate any safety or maintenance issue and to inform pilots through training or sending out alerts. At each carrier, a FOQA team of senior pilots from both union and management collaborates to analyze the data for that specific airline and to disseminate to its pilots any needed alerts and actions. Crucially, though the FOQA team may describe a specific incident, unless it is very egregious they don't identify the individual pilots involved. This is a guiding principle in U.S. aviation: The belief is that it's safer to encourage pilots to be open about errors and report them, without fear that they will be penalized for doing so - so they don't conceal mistakes or problems. Each FOQA team has union pilot "gatekeepers" who have access to the identities of the individuals involved; if an incident is outside the norm, they will talk to the pilots about what happened. If a safety incident is serious enough, pilots can be penalized or terminated. But outside that, the FOQA data almost always remains anonymous to encourage openness and trust. A senior captain with Alaska Airlines, who contacted The Seattle Times after Thursday's story, described how it works by citing how, following a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive in 2002 on Boeing 737s, Alaska specified that its pilots shouldn't deploy the spoilers on the wings at speeds greater than 270 knots. The following month, Alaska posted FOQA data for its pilots showing 45 instances that month when this rule was breached, mostly just for a matter of seconds, though in a few cases for longer. After this alert to pilots, "the next month it went down to one incident," he said. The FOQA system is "not something punitive," the captain said. "It's about seeing trends and doing something about it." Toxic relationship The Teamsters July letter to the board alleges that after a "safety-critical event" in the summer of 2018, which is not detailed further, Horizon management "maliciously and improperly used protected (FOQA) information" against the pilots involved. As a result of this breach of protocol, the entire FOQA team, both union and company representatives, resigned, the union said The letter calls this action "unprecedented in the history of the airline." The letter alleges that in multiple communications to Horizon's pilots, Hornibrook overrode the decisions of the FOQA gatekeepers and improperly used protected FOQA data that "admonished, embarrassed and misled Horizon pilots." It cites a couple of instances when management in pilot training classes described safety incidents and identified the crew. The union called such conduct "unprofessional" and said it will "cause the undermining of trust" and is "counter-productive to the safety of Horizon Air." Alaska Air's Egan denied the union's assertions. "No protections have been removed from our FOQA program," she said. Regarding the "safety-critical event" in 2018, she said "the company had no insight into who the crew was." https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/pilot-union-at-horizon-air- blames-management-for-deteriorated-safety-programs-highlighting-distrustful- relations/ Back to Top Schumer demands incoming FAA study to call for more leg room for airplane passengers Sen. Chuck Schumer continues to seek more leg room for passengers aboard commercial flights. If Sen. Chuck Schumer is sitting behind you on an airplane, think carefully before you recline your seat - he's got a thing about airlines not providing customers enough legroom. Schumer (D-N.Y.) pressed ahead Sunday with his years-long quest to give airline passengers a bit more leg room by demanding the Federal Aviation Administration wrap up an overdue study about passenger seating space. Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, believes the FAA's study is "aimed at coming out on the airlines' side" and will likely leave passengers with less space. The study of how shrinking seat size and leg room affects passenger safety was required by a Schumer- sponsored bill that passed last year. The FAA's report was supposed to be released in October. Schumer said its delay is worrisome for the flying public. Schumer laid out his concerns in a letter to FAA administrator Steve Dickson that alleged the study does not consider passengers who have disabilities or fly with pets or children. "The FAA must do all that it humanly can to protect the flying public," Schumer wrote in the letter. "To that end, I respectfully request that the agency's testing of evacuation procedures include all demographics and real-world conditions found on commercial aircraft, and that it be completed as swiftly as possible in order to issue seat size regulations." FAA spokesman Jim Peters said the study is well underway, and that more than 700 people have participated in the agency's study at Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center's Civil Aviation Medical Institute in Oklahoma City. "By the end of this year, the FAA plans to conclude evacuation testing to determine what, if any, regulatory changes are necessary," Peters said. Schumer also said that members of Congress "ought to stand up and have the guts" to start a fight with the airline industry so passengers aren't treated like a "can of sardines." He added that passengers should have enough room to recline their seats without bothering those sitting behind them. If Schumer is sitting in front of you on a plane, don't worry that he might smash up your knees by leaning his seat back. "I can fall asleep and take a nap with the seat straight better than when it's reclined," he told the Daily News. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-schumer-legroom-faa-report- 20191208-y26d4ftdfrd6vbil73b4rhqoj4-story.html Back to Top SPIRIT AIRLINES AIRBUS A319 SERIOUSLY DAMAGED DURING MAINTENANCE A Spirit Airlines Airbus A319 has been seriously damaged during a maintenance mishap, in what appears to be a Lufthansa Technik facility in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The aircraft, registered N533NK and serial number 3393, first flew on the 28th of January 2008 under test registration D-AVWJ. Spirit ferried the aircraft to Aguadilla on the 27th of November to undergo maintenance. Whilst being held up on jacks, it appears that the aircraft slipped off, or a jack moved from its position, resulting in serious damage to the airframe. Pictures of the accident show the jacks penetrating the fuselage and wings: Little information about the accident is available at this time, however initial impressions of the photos show a significant amount of repair work will be required to get the aircraft airworthy again. Until more information is released, it remains unknown as to whether the aircraft will be repaired or not. A similar accident occurred recently when an Emirates Airbus A380 collapsed during a maintenance check. Emirates stayed quiet about the incident, however a leaked photo showed some nasty damage. Perhaps what resembles this Spirit Airlines accident the most is a FedEx maintenance mishap, that happened five years ago, involving an Airbus A300. So far, it is understood that no injuries were sustained when the accident occurred. This article will be updated as more information becomes available. At this time the exact source of the Spirit Airlines images remains unclear, however multiple reports of the accident have been published on social media. https://samchui.com/2019/12/09/spirit-airlines-airbus-a319-seriously-damaged-during- maintenance/#.Xe4gxpNKiUk Back to Top Crooked FAA Inspector Jailed Six Years A former FAA inspector who claims he was "promoting aviation" has been sentenced to six years in jail for a string of corruption and theft charges that even involved his mother. The Miami Herald is reporting that Manuel Fernandez, a senior FAA safety inspector in South Florida stole expensive repair manuals and resold them, took bribes from some of the companies he audited and arranged to have his mother hired by one of the companies so the bribes could be passed through her. He also moonlighted for AVCOM Avionicss and let them know when the FAA was planning to do spot inspections of its facilities. The company owners Rolando and Patricia Suarez earlier pleaded guilty to several charges and Rolando spent two years in jail. The company is still in business under new management. At his sentencing hearing Fernandez said his actions were a net gain for the industry. "I was promoting aviation," he told U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Cooke. His lawyer Ron Gainor was even more effusive. "This man furthered aviation safety, and he did it with a passion," he said. Cooke wasn't buying it. "He wanted to play both ends against the middle," Cooke said, "and that's wrong." https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/crooked-faa-inspector-jailed-six-years/ Back to Top Passenger stung by scorpion on United flight from San Francisco to Atlanta The customer was transported to the hospital after landing in Atlanta. A passenger aboard a United Airlines flight was treated upon landing after being stung on the plane, according to the airline. The passenger was traveling on flight 1554 from San Francisco to Atlanta on Thursday, United spokeswoman Natalie Noonan said in a statement. The flight crew consulted with a MedLink physician on the ground to provide medical guidance while still in the air, and the passenger was transported to a local hospital upon landing in Atlanta, Noonan said. The woman was stung after the scorpion crawled up her pant leg, TMZ reported. It was later caught by flight attendants, according to the outlet. It is unclear how the scorpion got onto the plane, which had flown in from Washington, D.C. earlier that day, according to online flight records. The airline has been in contact with the passenger "to ensure her well-being," Noonan said. In 2017, a passenger was stung by a scorpion on a United Flight from Houston to Calgary. The sting was not life-threatening, physicians concluded. https://abcnews.go.com/US/passenger-stung-scorpion-united-flight-san-francisco- atlanta/story?id=67580260 Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines Allowed to Keep License Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A330-300 A literal last-minute infusion of capital has saved Hong Kong Airlines, allowing the carrier to keep its license to continue operating. The Air Transport Licensing Authority of Hong Kong (ATLA) said it was satisfied the carrier had met two new license conditions, which forced it to find significant new funding. "ATLA has decided not to take further action against HKA for the time being, pending the airline's submission of further details regarding condition one," the authority said in a statement on Saturday. That's a far different scenario than what played out a week ago. Last week, the ATLA gave Hong Kong Airlines until Saturday, Dec. 7, to produce new investors or more cash. If not, its license to fly would be suspended or revoked. HKA has been financially plagued for months, leading the carrier to turn off inflight entertainment and end long-haul flights. It also did not have enough cash on hand to pay 55% of its employees for November. The airline was facing a scenario where it could have been banned from flying, force more than 3,500 employees to find new work, and strand tens of thousands of travelers across the globe. While it is still concerned about Hong Kong Airlines' overall financial position, ATLA was satisfied with the temporary fix that will allow HKA to stay in the air. "We will continue to serve all our passengers over the upcoming holiday season and beyond," an airline spokeswoman said. "Moving forward, we will continue to drive consolidation and strengthen our internal structure to operate more efficiently and improve our revenue." Neither ATLA nor HKA had commented on the source of the cash or how much was raised. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/hong-kong-airlines-allowed-to-keep- license.html Back to Top 3D Printing Can Keep Aging Air Force Aircraft Flying And the military wants you-to help it make spare parts for decades-old B-52 bombers and other planes. A man walks on the wing of a plane at an air base The average Air Force aircraft is 23 years old, and that makes finding replacement parts a pain. 3D printing may offer a new way forward. PHOTOGRAPH: MASTER SGT. RUSSELL SCALF/USAF Glenn House and his colleagues spent more than four years making a new toilet for the B-1 Lancer. The challenge wasn't fitting the john into the cockpit (it went behind the front left seat), but ensuring that every part could handle life aboard a plane that can pull 5 Gs, break the sound barrier, and spend hours in wildly fluctuating temperatures. The end result didn't just have to work. It had to work without rattling, leaking, or revealing itself to enemy radar. Getting it okayed for use aboard the bomber was just as complex as making it. "Getting a part approved can take years," says House, the cofounder and president of Walpole, Massachusetts-based 2Is Inc. Until last year, 2Is was in the military parts business, furnishing replacement bits for assorted defense equipment. (Pronounced "two eyes," it sold off the parts business and now focuses on defense-related supply-chain software.) Providing spare parts for the military is a peculiar niche of the economy. Things like aircraft and submarines spend decades in service, and the companies that made them or supplied their myriad parts often disappear long before their products retire. So when something needs a new knob, seat, or potty, the military often turns to companies that specialize in making them anew. These outfits must work from dusty two-dimensional drawings or recreate long-lost molds, but exactly match the standards of the original parts. Working on very small orders-sometimes for just two or three of a given item-they don't enjoy the economies of scale that make it reasonable to spend five figures on tooling. A fussy approval process can mean waiting years to recoup an investment. And so, in many cases, they don't bid on these military contracts, preferring steadier, more reliable jobs. That's a problem for the Air Force, whose fleet dates largely from the Cold War. Its C-5, B-52, and KC-135 planes average 40, 56, and 57 years old, respectively. The average Air Force aircraft is 23 years old. Every quarter, the military branch sees 10,000 part requests go unfilled, despite its readiness to pay an exorbitant amount of money to replace bits and bobs that once cost pennies-try $10,000 for a toilet seat cover in a C- 17 Globemaster III. "We're gonna have to find better ways to keep old things flying," says Will Roper, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition technology and logistics. And he has one, represented by the toaster-sized piece of plastic he keeps in his office. It's a latrine panel for a C-5 Supergalaxy cargo plane. In the past, the Air Force has paid $8,500 to replace this part. But this one cost just $300, because it's 3D-printed. Roper says that 3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, can produce many of the parts for which the Air Force finds itself desperate, from C-5 gasket handles to F-15 longerons. "If I need two or three parts for a B-52," he says, "I can just turn that over to one of our printers." In the past few years, the Air Force has made thousands of parts this way, and it can work for just about anything made of metal or plastic. Composite and carbon fiber could work too, even circuit boards. "We're gonna have to find better ways to keep old things flying." WILL ROPER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE But a novel approach means novel problems. It's still not easy to turn a two- dimensional drawing into something a 3D printer can understand. The Air Force needs new ways to prove that these parts can handle the rigors of life in the air, that they'll be as durable and reliable as the originals. Its scientists are exploring new techniques and creating their own mixes of metals to suit their needs. But Roper's eager to move their work out of the experimentation phase. That's why he's organizing a new kind of war game: the Air Force Advanced Manufacturing Olympics. Slated for July 8-9 in Salt Lake City, the competition aims to bring in all sorts of players-additive manufacturing companies, traditional defense contractors, tech startups, universities-to compete to solve various problems. The "open box of parts floor exercise" will ask teams to replicate certain parts without being given the design specifications, while meeting the Air Force's exacting standards. "Approval sprints" will be about developing new ways to prove their work is as good as what came before. In the "supply chain marathon," teams will puzzle over how to get a fresh part to a given place, like Afghanistan. Maybe it's better to make it in the US and ship it, or to keep 3D printing machines at the front line, or something in between. Roper and his team at the newly created Rapid Sustainment Office are still working out the prizes for these events, but they'll be some mix of money and the chance to work with the Air Force or its contractors. Medals will be 3D-printed, of course. Beyond solving these individual problems, Roper hopes to rethink how the Air Force maintains its arsenal. Upkeep and logistics account for 70 percent of a platform's total cost, and every dollar saved here can go to another program (or back to taxpayers). When 2Is was founded, in 2002, House thought additive manufacturing had a lot of potential. But until a few years ago, the technology wasn't at the point where it could make parts that were precise and durable enough for military use. "We retreated to the standard manufacturing process," he says. While he thinks these techniques are a tough sell for safety critical parts like struts, engine blades, and landing gear, he says he's encouraged to see the Air Force take an aggressive approach to advancing the new technology. And that if he was still in the parts business, he'd make the trip to Salt Lake City and go for the gold. https://www.wired.com/story/air-force-3d-printing-parts-manufacturing-olympics/ Back to Top Amazon is struggling to hold on to the pilots who ship your packages Amazon's promise of one-day shipping has led it to increasingly rely on its own air cargo division, Amazon Air. But as the number of shipments pushed through the cargo arm multiplies, the pilots who fly those packages continue to voice that they are overworked and underpaid. The pilots don't work for Amazon directly, but are employed by the contractors Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) and Atlas Air. More than 200 cargo pilots who fly for ABX Air, which is a division of ATSG, cast a vote of "no confidence" against management's ability to resolve ongoing labor disputes, reported Reuters earlier this week. In total, all but one member of the pilot's union voted "Yes" on a resolution that asked if they had "no confidence in management's willingness to negotiate or reach an agreement for the benefit of all stakeholders to include the shareholders, the customers, and the employees." The pilot union, the Airline Professionals Association, has battled with the management of ATSG for five years to negotiate new work rules for its pilots. Issues involving how pilots are scheduled for their routes, salaries, and retirement still remain unresolved. Those who fly for Atlas Air, another cargo operator used by Amazon, recently lost a three-year bid to secure a new work contract. Atlas pilots protested outside an airport in Cincinnati, Ohio for better workplace conditions in April. And in February, Atlas pilot crashed an Amazon Air flight, killing all three of its occupants, which some have suggested was linked to its staff being overworked. Pilots at both airlines have complained about low morale, low pay, and poor workplace retention. Such troubles are brewing during a global pilot shortage, and many well- trained pilots who work for Atlas and ABX have simply left for better opportunities. A union survey earlier this year found that 60% of the pilots who work for the three airlines employed by Amazon (ABX Air, Atlas Air, and another called Southern Air) are looking for work elsewhere. "We still have very experienced high quality pilots leaving for other carriers because they have better pay and better schedules," Rick Ziebarth, an ABX Air pilot and executive council chairman of Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local 1224, told Quartz. Ziebarth argued that as a result of well-trained pilots leaving, ABX is forced to hire people with far less experience who require more training. Quartz has reached out to Amazon for comment on the matter. Worker grievances appear to have cropped up in every leg of Amazon's supply chain. Amazon's warehouse workers were found to suffer injuries at twice the national average of other warehouse workers, according to an investigation from Reveal. Delivery drivers for Amazon Flex, who are considered independent contractors by Amazon, work long hours with no chance of earning overtime or benefits. ABX Air pilots won't be able to strike until released from the US National Mediation Board (NMB), the federal agency which oversees aviation industry labor relations. Ziebarth said the board is still in the middle of holding negotiations with ATSG. According to data from Flightpath Economics, a consulting firm, pilots who work for ABX Air and Atlas Air are amongst the lowest paid in the industry. Company Pilot pay per hour ATSG $152 Atlas $139 Fedex $243 UPS $288 As a whole, cargo pilots face tougher working conditions than their passenger pilot counterparts. Cargo pilots were left out of a 2014 law that required passenger pilots to get a minimum of 10 hours' rest between flights. Aviation experts also say that lax safety standards and pilot fatigue has lead to a higher number of fatal crashes on cargo flights compared to passenger flights. Meanwhile, Amazon's air shipments are only likely to continue rising. FedEx in June announced it would no longer assist Amazon in its air delivery. That same month, Amazon announced it would roll out free one-day shipping for millions of new products. These combined factors have led to the e-commerce giant to rely on its own delivery services than ever before. In July, Amazon Air flew 136 million pounds of goods across in the US, a 29% increase from the same period in 2018, and only 9 pounds less than the December 2018 holiday rush, according to data from ATSG and Atlas Air analyzed by Cargo Facts Consulting. And the growth simply won't die down this holiday season, when Amazon expects to invest $1.5 billion into one-day shipping costs alone. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has said that his company will rely less on airplanes as it builds out its local warehouses. But for now, Amazon is continuing to grow its air cargo operations: it added 15 more planes to its fleet this year, and says it expects to have 70 planes by 2021. It is working on a $1.5 billion expansion of its Amazon Air Hub in Cincinnati-essentially an Amazon cargo airport-which is expected to finish in 2021. When complete, the Air Hub will be able to handle 200 daily takeoffs and landings. It recently opened an Air Hub in Fort Worth, Texas. It seems that as long as demand is high, the future of Amazon's fast and free shipping will rely heavily on air freight. https://qz.com/1763226/amazon-air-is-struggling-to-hold-on-to-into-pilots/ Back to Top U.S. vs. China Is the Next Great Space Race "Great power" rivalries have historically driven investment in space exploration. And a new one is afoot. According to the executive summary of the 2019 Report to Congress of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, released just last month, China aims: to establish a leading position in the economic and military use of outer space ... In pursuit of this goal, China has dedicated high-level attention and ample funding to catch up to and eventually surpass other spacefaring countries in terms of space-related industry, technology, diplomacy, and military power. If plans hold to launch its first long-term space station module in 2020, it will have matched the United States' nearly 40-year progression from first human spaceflight to first space station module in less than 20 years. Far from lauding China's progress, however, the report was meant to raise an alarm. As the commission warns, Beijing "plans not merely to explore space, but to industrially dominate the space within the moon's orbit of Earth." China "uses its space program to advance its terrestrial geopolitical objectives" and is deploying "aggressive state-backed financing" to establish "a commanding position in the commercial launch and satellite sectors." Long-term, China has a "military-civil fusion strategy" to turn space into "a critical U.S. military and economic vulnerability." Danger and opportunity In fact, it might not be too strong a statement to say the U.S. government now views this situation as a crisis -- but as the old trope goes, in China the word "crisis" comprises two other words: "danger" and "opportunity." And it may offer a particular opportunity to space investors. You see, after laying out the case for why China's space ambitions pose a threat to the United States, the commission proceeds to urge that Congress respond to the threat. Specifically, that Congress "develop a strategy to ensure the United States remains the preeminent space power" -- not just militarily, but economically as well. In particular, the commission urges that the U.S. government establish a long-term strategy in three areas: * "extraction of space-based precious minerals" -- space mining. * "onsite exploitation of space-based natural resources" -- space construction. * "and space-based solar power" -- solar panels and solar mirrors in space. What it means to investors So why is it important for investors to know this? While it's not yet certain that Congress will develop the recommended strategies -- or pass laws to implement those strategies, or fund efforts to implement those laws -- the fact that a Congress- sponsored organization is talking about sponsoring efforts to mine asteroids and other planets, about building things in space, and about developing a solar power infrastructure in space, is pretty astounding. Politico reports that this is literally "the first time [such a] true grand strategy for space" and its economic development has been proposed. And this could become the first step that leads to action. The reason they're talking about this is also encouraging. In his 2018 book Accessory to War, astrophysicist and educator Neil deGrasse Tyson reviewed the history of how nation-states have used science to further their objectives in the past. When it comes to space, he found that great power rivalries such as that between the United States and the Soviet Union have been the primary driver of U.S. investment. We went to the moon in the 1960s, for example, not to search for mining concessions, to seek out little green men, or even just to plant a flag, but because the Soviets were going there and we wanted to get there first. The fact is, according to Tyson, President Kennedy was on record saying: "I'm not that interested in space." But Kennedy was willing to undertake "fantastic expenditures which wreck our budget" -- his very words -- if necessary to match what the Russians were spending. His goal: To be able to say "we beat them ... by God, we passed them" and landed on the moon first. And I think the analogies to today are pretty compelling. Like the Soviets back then, China today is devoting "ample funding" to "dominate" space. If it comes down to spending money necessary to prevent that from happening, or not spending the money and allowing China to forge ahead and build space stations, mine the moon, and develop other cutting-edge space technology while we sit on our wallets, Congress is probably going to find the money -- whether or not legislators are "interested in space" per se. https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/12/08/us-vs-china-is-the-next-great-space- race.aspx Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top posted on December 5, 2019 12:00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces second Safety Dividend One of the initial long-term goals of BASC becomes a mainstay! BASC was designed to be a highly desired partner with world-class business flight departments that strive for excellence in Safety Management and Compliance. Coincidentally, BASC was also conceptualized to be of high value and provide for ease of budgeting. The Safety Dividend provision was implemented at the founding of BASC to return a portion of the members' annual investment when organizational performance provided that opportunity. Although a "for profit" entity, no reason could be found not to share and reward excellence, loyalty, achievement, continuous improvement and safety culture. Any current BASC full-service member, that has been with the organization for six months or greater, will receive a Safety Dividend in December 2019. Founder and President, Rick Malczynski, shared, "This is a great achievement for the BASC membership. We knew from the beginning that having a "killer" program was key, but what we also learned over the years was that treating our end users with respect, honesty, and transparency was the foundation of our previous successes. As a BASC member, we often get labelled as an "industry disrupter," and it is actually one of the highest compliments we receive. It is a pretty cool concept, when you just do your best, work with the smartest professionals in the industry, and treat everyone the way you wish to be treated...everyone grows together...and has a great time doing it! I could not be more enthused and proud regarding BASC and what the members have accomplished." Malczynski further commented, "2019 was an awesome year for us! Given current industry conditions and trends, the sustained growth was a given. However, I have to admit, the acceptance into the USAIG Performance Vector PLUS Program (which entitles flight departments to a 5% insurance premium return) was a huge accomplishment for the membership. USAIG thoroughly vetted us and approved us for this partnership. It could not have come at a more crucial time when claims and insurance costs are climbing. Additionally, the ongoing exploration of a Corporate Line Operations Safety Assessment/Audit (C-LOSA) program by actual BASC operators, is an excellent example of the forward leaning mentality and innovation the BASC program encourages, and provides a successful forum and organization in which to incubate creativity in SMS and excellence. We realized years ago that the frontline team members in corporate aviation are the most knowledgeable regarding SMS in the aviation industry. It was logical to quit beating professionals up with dated and sometimes arbitrary requirements when they had obviously mastered the concepts, processes, and execution. It is very exciting to experience first-hand progress that this new found creativity continually achieves! I guarantee 2020 will be a banner year!" ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com Curt Lewisss that this new found creativity continually achieves! I guarantee 2020 will be a banner year!" ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com Back to Top English in Global Aviation Context, Research, and Pedagogy Eric Friginal, Elizabeth Mathews & Jennifer Roberts Taking readers step-by-step through the major issues surrounding the use of English in the aviation industry, this book provides students with a model and a case study for turning research into practice in the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The authors explore the critical role of English in aviation across a variety of contexts, using a range of corpus-based findings and case studies to help contextualize the requirements and challenges of developing English language policy, as well as providing insights into how to teach, develop, and assess aviation English language courses. Transcriptions, radiotelephony, and a clear breakdown of the common vocabulary of aviation discourse are also included in this unique introductory guide. Preview the book More info / pre-order your exam copy https://www.bloomsbury.com/english-in-global-aviation-9781350059313/ Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top TODAY'S PHOTO Li-2 Tarsus (Romanian-Soviet air transport) Back to Top ADVERTISE WITH FLIGHT SAFETY INFORMATION & AVIATION MAINTENANCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE Flight Safety Information (FSI) Newsletter has been publishing timely aviation safety news for over 25 years. FSI has over 100,000 aviation readers on a globally basis. Banner Ads and Push-Ads are Available. For advertising information and reasonable rates, please contact: Advertising@curt-lewis.com or Call: (817)845-3983 Back to Top Contact Information "Flight Safety Information" is a free service of: Curt Lewis, PhD, CSP, FRAeS, FISASI Publisher CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC (Targeting Aviation Safety & Risk Management) curt@curt-lewis.com www.curt-lewis.com www.fsinfo.org PH: 817-845-3983 Fax: 682-292-0835 Twitter: curtllewis01 Skype: curt.lewis2 (Follow FSI on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.com, http://curt-lewis.com/category/newsletter/ or http://www.acsf.aero/news/flight-safety-news/) Free Subscription: sign up for Flight Safety Information at www.fsinfo.org ADVERTISE WITH FLIGHT SAFETY INFORMATION and AVIATION MAINTENANCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE Flight Safety Information (FSI) Newsletter has been publishing timely aviation safety news for over 25 years. FSI has over 100,000 readers and 65,000 aviation subscribers on a globally basis. For advertising information, please contact: Advertising@curt-lewis.com Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC is an international, multi-discipline technical, scientific and research consulting firm specializing in aviation and industrial safety. Our specialties are aviation litigation support (Expert Witness), aviation/airport safety programs, accident investigation and reconstruction, safety & quality assessments/audits (ISO- 9001/AS-9100), system safety, human factors, Safety Management Systems (SMS) assessment/implementation & training, safety/quality training & risk management, aviation manual development, IS-BAO Auditing, technical writing & editing, airfield/heliport lighting products, patent infringement/invalidity expert testimony and Technical Support. Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC, PO Box 976, Burnet, TX 78611 SafeUnsubscribe™ fgae@club-internet.fr Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by curt@curt-lewis.com in collaboration with Try email marke ting for free today!