December 16, 2019 - No. 098 In This Issue Duckworth, Bustos Introduce Bill To Promote Advancement In Technical Aviation Training Army's Secret Flights Over Washington Now an 'Enduring' Mission First E175-E2 Jet Completes its Maiden Flight Aerospace industry to take off in Taiwan Jetstar Airbus A320 Gets Stuck In Mud At Manila Airport Airbus Acquires Seattle-Area's MTM Robotics Bell Invictus to Offer Army 'Lower-Risk Path' to FARA Capabilities China Southern Airlines Calls upon AFI KLM E&M's Expertise for A350s Indian airlines set for $600-million loss in FY20, says CAPA report FAA: Windshield Could Fail On Certain Gulfstream Jets Air Force: Weather looks excellent for SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral. Duckworth, Bustos Introduce Bill To Promote Advancement In Technical Aviation Training Washington, DC -(Effingham Radio)- Combat Veteran, pilot and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve education and training programs at aviation maintenance technician schools. The Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act of 2019 would establish performance-based regulations to ensure aviation maintenance education institutions have the flexibility to teach core curriculum reflective of the ongoing technical advances and innovation happening across the aviation and aerospace industry. Joining Duckworth and Bustos are Senators Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Representative Don Young (R-AK). "We've seen amazing innovation and advancements in the aviation industry over the past 50 years and to keep pace, we need to make sure our workforce is prepared to meet today's technical demands," said Duckworth. "This legislation will help promote the development of performance-based curriculums needed to modernize education programs and help develop the next generation of highly-skilled aviation maintenance technicians." "We must improve the pipeline from training to the workforce - like the innovative partnership between Rock Valley College and AAR at the Chicago Rockford International Airport in my district - which plays a major role in the economic well-being of our region," said Bustos. "This legislation will allow for a smoother, more efficient transition to the workforce and ensure aviation students have an up-to-date curriculum. I hope this legislation moves forward swiftly to foster collaboration between industry and educational institutions in order to keep up with advancements in technology." Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations dictate what educational institutions teach aspiring aviation maintenance mechanics; however, these curriculum requirements have not been updated in over fifty years. The PARTT 147 Act of 2019 would direct FAA to promulgate a new part 147 that would establish the requirements for operating an aviation maintenance technician school certificated by FAA and the general operating rules for those holding that certificate. According to a survey conducted by the Aviation Technician Education Council, aviation mechanics are retiring faster than they can be replaced. "Given industry growth projections, the anticipated exodus of workforce due to retirement, and a shrinking pipeline, we are looking at a major shortage of aviation technical personnel in the coming years," said ATEC Executive Director Crystal Maguire. "This Act will help address the growing need by giving schools greater flexibility to design their programs and cater to their local communities, while ensuring students are better equipped for careers in aviation maintenance." "This important legislation will allow us to better attract and train much-needed aviation mechanics by allowing educators to use modern teaching practices while at the same time adhering to FAA mechanic testing standards for safety," said AAR President & CEO John Holmes. "We are grateful for the work of Representative Bustos (D-IL), Senator Duckworth (D-IL), and Senator Inhofe (R-OK) in support of filling the need for aviation mechanics in their states and nationwide." https://www.effinghamradio.com/2019/12/15/duckworth-bustos-introduce-bill-to-promote-advancement-in-technical-aviation-training/ Back to Top Army's Secret Flights Over Washington Now an 'Enduring' Mission The U.S. Army has made permanent a classified aviation mission over Washington and disclosed that it's aimed at responding to a terrorist attack or natural disaster. The mysterious operation -- which generated complaints from local residents for excess noise at night -- was mentioned in a Pentagon request to Congress in July asking for approval to shift fiscal 2019 funds to different purposes. The request included providing $1.55 million for aircraft maintenance, air crews and travel in support of an "emerging classified flight mission." "Without additional funding, the Army will not be able to perform this classified mission," the Defense Department said. At the time, the Army told Bloomberg News, which disclosed the operation, that the mission's duration "is undetermined." Congress approved the $1.55 million shift in late September in part to modify a specialized "Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility" at Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, just outside Washington. "The facilities are currently undergoing renovation," for what's now "an enduring mission," said Colonel Sunset Belinsky, a spokeswoman for the Army Military District of Washington, in an email statement. While the details are classified, the operation supports the military's National Capitol Region mission "to be prepared to respond to a natural or manmade disaster," Belinsky said. The money initially supported the flying of 10 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, largely at night, which generated complaints from local residents, including in Northern Virginia where the Pentagon is based. Democrat Representative Don Beyer of northern Virginia said earlier this year he heard from residents complaining about noise from late night helicopter flights. After Bloomberg disclosed the operation in July, Beyer met with Brigadier General Omar Jones, the commander of the Military District of Washington. "They agreed to work together to seek ways to mitigate helicopter noise for Northern Virginia," Beyer's office said in a statement. Asked if the forces taking part in the ongoing mission include specialized commando units of the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command -- such as the Army's Delta Force, the Navy's Seal Team Six or the Army's separate 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment --- Belinsky said only that forces may come from active and reserve units. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-13/army-s-secret-flights-over-washington-now-an-enduring-mission Back to Top First E175-E2 Jet Completes its Maiden Flight The Embraer E175-E2 made its inaugural flight from the company's facility in São José dos Campos. The E175-E2 is the third member of the E-Jets E2 family. The maiden flight kicks off a rigorous 24-month flight test campaign. "Today's flight of the E175-E2 marks the completion of our vision to produce a family of new-generation commercial aircraft that bring unparalleled cost savings to our customers, exceptional comfort for their passengers, and fewer emissions for the planet," said John Slattery, president & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. "The E190-E2 and the E195-E2 are already stellar performers. The E175-E2 is just as impressive. We're eager to get working on certification. My sincere thanks to every Embraer employee who helped make this day possible." The E175-E2 departed at 11:07 a.m. local time from the runway adjacent to Embraer's Faria Lima complex and flew for two hours and 18 minutes. Embraer's Captain Mozart Louzada commanded the aircraft along with first officer Wander Almodovar Golfetto, and flight engineers Gilberto Meira Cardoso and Mario Ito. The aircraft took off and landed with fly-by-wire (FBW) controls in normal mode. The crew evaluated aircraft performance, flight quality and systems behavior. Embraer will use three aircraft for the E175-E2 certification campaign. The first and second prototypes will be used for aerodynamic, performance and system tests. The third prototype will be used to validate maintenance tasks and will be outfitted with interior furnishings. The E175-E2 has one additional row of seats compared to the first-generation E175 and can be configured with 80 seats in two classes, or up to 90 in a single class. The airplane will save up to 16 percent in fuel and 25 percent in maintenance costs per seat compared to the E175. Like the E190-E2 and the E195-E2, the E175-E2 will have the longest maintenance intervals in the single-aisle jet category with 10,000 flight hours for basic checks and no calendar limit for typical E-Jet operations. This means an additional 15 days of aircraft utilization over a period of ten years compared to current generation E-Jets. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/commercial-airline/press-release/21118131/embraer-first-e175e2-jet-completes-its-maiden-flight Back to Top Aerospace industry to take off in Taiwan TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - The aerospace industry in Taiwan is expected to thrive over the next decade as the world's air transportation market shifts to the Asia Pacific. Taiwan's aerospace sector is growing at 8 percent annually, outperforming the global average of 4 percent, said Moudy Hu (胡開宏), chairman of the Taiwan Aerospace Industry Association and the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation. He said that the country should seize the opportunity to secure a place in the US$15 trillion market for the next 20 years. With the business of low-cost carriers booming across Asia, Taiwan is well-positioned to become an aircraft maintenance hub in the region. Local companies providing aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, including Air Asia Company and Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp, have profited from the surging demand from expanded fleets, brisk business at budget airlines, and aircraft replacement needs, wrote CommonWealth Magazine. According to the report, the aviation boom has also been reflected in the rising need for MRO talent. National Formosa University's Department of Aeronautical Engineering, for instance, is seeing its students offered job opportunities by industry players even before they graduate. Taiwan is also experiencing a revival of research and development in its aerospace industry three decades after the country introduced its own Indigenous Defense Fighter jets. This is propelled in part by the program the country launched in 2017 to build indigenous jet trainers, reported CommonWealth Magazine. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3838103 Back to Top Jetstar Airbus A320 Gets Stuck In Mud At Manila Airport The details Just after 02:30 local time in Manila on 14th December 2019, a Jetstar Japan Airbus A320 came into trouble after overshooting a turn on the runway. The aircraft was positioning for takeoff when the incident occurred. Upon turning, the aircraft miss the edge of the runway and the front gear sunk into soft ground after which it was unable to move. As a result, the crew was forced to evacuate the 140 passengers on flight GK40 and return them to the airport. Thankfully, no one was harmed. However, the episode did cause a fair amount of disruption. With the aircraft blocking a portion of the runway, officials were compelled to close Runway 13/31 until the issue could be solved. This stopped a number of other flights leaving Manila International in the early hours of this morning. But whilst the runway was closed for several hours, it was reopened again before the afternoon. Flights have now resumed. At the time, the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the General Manager at Manila International Airport told the Manila Bulletin: "As of this time, the aircraft is now out of the grassy area and being prepared for towing to a nearby aircraft maintenance center...Simultaneous clearing of the runway and repair of damaged runway lights are now in progress." How do you dislodge an aircraft from mud? Well, the details on exactly how the aircraft was pulled from the mud are still elusive. We contacted Jetstar for more information but it was unavailable for comment at the time of publication. However, dislodging aircraft is not all that uncommon. Just last week a Delta Air Lines CRJ-900 was also pulled from the mud after landing in Buffalo. And that's not the first instance of such an event either. There are various ways to remove an aircraft from the soft ground depending on the severity of the issue. Whilst uncommon, it is possible to use cranes but inflated airbags can also be another way to raise the aircraft and push it to safety. Whichever option was used at Manila International appears to have been swift. The incident caused nothing more than a few hours of disruption, despite the fact that around 11 flights were canceled. Where is the aircraft now? The aircraft involved in the incident is registered JA13JJ and is now under maintenance at the Lufthansa Technik Aircraft Maintenance Center. It is unclear what damage was sustained and how long it will take to fix the aircraft. According to Air Fleets, JA13JJ is a six and a half-year-old A320-200 which first came to Jetstar back in 2013. It makes up a fleet of 25 A320-200 aircraft belonging to Jetstar Japan. The airline first began operations in 2012. https://simpleflying.com/jetstar-a320-manila/ Back to Top Airbus Acquires Seattle-Area's MTM Robotics Airbus has acquired industrial automation company, MTM Robotics, for an undisclosed sum. The move deepens Airbus' commitment to expanding advanced robotics capabilities within its manufacturing processes. The MTM business will retain its current leadership and 40-person staff, as well as its facility in Mukilteo, Washington, near Seattle. "We are pleased and excited to become a part of the Airbus family and look forward to further integrating our products and approaches into the Airbus industrialization chain, "said MTM founder, Mike Woogerd. The acquisition is the latest chapter in a trusted, ten-year-plus relationship between the companies, with multiple MTM light automated robotics systems currently in use at Airbus manufacturing facilities. While MTM will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus Americas, Inc., headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, it will continue to serve other customers in the aerospace industry. Since 2003, MTM has deployed more than 40 aerospace manufacturing systems comprised of machines, tools, machine software, enterprise software and support throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The acquisition marks the latest step for Airbus in its industrialization roadmap, aimed at leveraging the time- and cost-saving benefits associated with using robotics in the manufacture and assembly of its commercial aircraft. "The competitiveness of tomorrow will be determined by both designing the best aircraft and by building the most efficient manufacturing system, in parallel," said Michael Schoellhorn, Airbus Chief Operating Officer." Automation & robotics are central to our industrial strategy. We are very happy to welcome MTM Robotics as a family member and take a step forward on this exciting endeavour together." "MTM perfectly fits Airbus' ambition for engineering and innovative manufacturing solutions while maintaining agility," explained Patrick Vigié, head of industrial technologies at Airbus. "Airbus and MTM Robotics each believe that tomorrow's automation in aircraft manufacturing can and must be lighter, more portable and less capital intensive," explained Vigié. "By joining our efforts and skills, we are well positioned to establish industrywide standards for the factory of tomorrow, "he said. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/commercial-airline/press-release/21118115/airbus-airbus-acquires-seattleareas-mtm-robotics Back to Top Bell Invictus to Offer Army 'Lower-Risk Path' to FARA Capabilities ARLINGTON, Texas - Bell's offering for the Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) contest, the 360 Invictus, is intended to offer the Army an insurance policy by presenting a lower-risk path to the capabilities it hopes to acquire as a "knife fighter" light attack helicopter to replace the retired OH-58 Kiowa Warriors. The Invictus, with its low-drag tandem cockpit design, draws from a lot of the development Bell has put into the 525 Relentless, a super-medium utility aircraft it hopes will be the first fly-by-wire rotorcraft certified for the civil market. Though Bell's FARA program is newer than some of its competitors, such Sikorsky's S-97 Raider - Bell officials said the program had just three employees at this time last year and now comprises over 200 - the company believes its reliance on systems which it already has at a high technology readiness level due to work on the 525 will provide the Army with a compelling aircraft inside of its cost and timeline objectives. "It's still a very advanced aircraft. But by using technologies that we already had high TRLs in, or high manufacturing readiness levels in, we are ahead on that timeline piece," Frank Lazzara, director of advanced vertical lift systems, told Avionics International during a press visit to the company's Flight Research Center here. The Invictus design meets or exceeds Army requirements in every area, according to Lazzara, due in part to the clean-sheet engineering that went into the Bell 525, including in the main and tail rotor systems. That aircraft has flown in excess of 200 knots without issue, despite being designed for 160 knots cruise speed. Bell intends the Invictus to cruise efficiently at 180 knots. "We flew [the 525] until we said we're done, but that rotor wasn't done," said Josh O'Neill, senior manager for technology and evaluation on the Bell 525 program. "So we went not just 201 knots. It was a good bit more than that." The 525 Relentless was the first aircraft Bell designed "totally in the 3D space," O'Neill said, and the Invictus is similarly using a digital thread, enabling things like virtual reality maintaining exercises to provide design feedback without a physical product. "You have a digital thread, the same part that's used when you design your aircraft is used in the maintenance training, used throughout the product," said O'Neill. "You design the aircraft in 3D, lay out all the systems and you're able to go in there with an actual maintainer. So we pulled [a line maintainer] and had him put the gloves on and go maintain the aircraft. And you can see in the 3D space, I need to reach around this piece, I need to turn my hand in a way that the human hand doesn't like to be turned. So we need to move that item." As a fly-by-wire aircraft designed with a modular open systems architecture (MOSA) approach, Bell believes Invictus will provide the Army with an path to autonomy - or enable a single person in the aircraft to focus on mission functionality - similar to Bell's approach with the V-280 Valor, its offering for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) competition. Bell officials said they are currently introducing autonomous flight software and performing software regression tests for that aircraft and intend to begin autonomous flight tests within the next few months. In March 2020, when the Army narrows the FARA competition from five companies to two, Bell's team will be nine months into design. After that, two of the five designs - selected from Sikorsky, Bell, Karem Aircraft, AVX/L3Harris, and Boeing - will be selected to participate in a fly-off slated for the second half of 2022. The Army hopes to field the first FARA aircraft in 2028. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/12/15/bell-invictus-offer-army-lower-risk-path-fara-capabilities/ Back to Top China Southern Airlines Calls upon AFI KLM E&M's Expertise for A350s China Southern has signed a long-term contract for the provision of component support for its twenty newly acquired aircraft. With the A350 model having just made its debut within the fleet, the airline has opted for a pooling solution to secure its operational capacities. The maintenance program includes maintenance, repair and logistic services. In addition to AFI KLM E&M's global pool located at Paris, Singapore and Detroit, they will gain access to the central China pool of Shanghai as well as dedicated Main Base Kits (MBK) in Guangzhou and Beijing. Local support bolstered by a global network China Southern and Air France KLM have a long history of partnership. With the Group MRO arm AFI KLM E&M, the Chinese has signed off on multiple support service contracts for engines, components, and APUs. Once again, AFI KLM E&M has been able to persuade China Southern Airlines that it was the right partner for the job. "The service package offered by AFI KLM E&M is perfectly adapted to our needs in terms of budgetary and operational requirements", declared Li Tongbin, Executive Vice President of China Southern. We benefit from both the economies of scale generated by AFI KLM E&M's global A350 pooling, as well as localized services via their Shanghai-based pool." Thanks to the presence of this regional pool, AFI KLM E&M can immediately accommodate China Southern Airlines' fleet of A350s for any stopover in China, thereby eliminating the risks of operational delays caused by long customs processes or transport timeframes when a part needs to be dispatched from foreign countries. "The AOG support provided by AFI KLM E&M all over the world is a marker of reassurance for our operations, especially in Europe and the USA," added Li Tongbin. Indeed, it is this truly global network that enables AFI KLM E&M to provide effective support services anywhere in the world the airline might need them. AFI KLM E&M consolidates its position on the A350 Dominik Wiener-Silva, Vice President Sales of AFI KLM E&M for Asia Pacific, is delighted with the new contract landed in China: "China Southern is the latest Chinese operator to have integrated the A350 into its fleet, and it's an honour to be chosen to provide component pooling support for one of the largest airline operators in the world. We're proud to have earned the trust of many airlines in China and boosted our reputation in this growing region." This new contract firmly bolsters AFI KLM E&M's position vis-a-vis A350 component pooling in China, Asia and the global market as a whole. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/maintenance-providers/mro/press-release/21118132/afi-klm-em-china-southern-airlines-calls-upon-afi-klm-ems-expertise-for-a350s Back to Top Indian airlines set for $600-million loss in FY20, says CAPA report Indian airlines will post a combined loss of $600 million and induct fewer aircraft in the current financial year, aviation consultancy CAPA said in its latest report. CAPA has revised its earnings estimate for Indian carriers from its June forecast of $500-700 million in profit, following weak results by market leader IndiGo and SpiceJet. The two carriers posted losses of Rs 1,062 crore and Rs 462 crore, respectively, in the September quarter. Aggressive expansion, coupled with price wars, and an increase in maintenance costs, has also hit cash flows. "Most carriers except IndiGo continue to be precariously placed, with cash balances available, in some cases, to cover only a few days or weeks of expenses," said CAPA. CAPA expects IndiGo to post an annual profit of $70-90 million - far lower than the $400-500 million guided for in June - given the changes in accounting norms and increased provisioning on aircraft maintenance. SpiceJet could be headed for a second year of loss after posting its weakest quarterly results since 2015, it added. AirAsia India, Vistara, and Air India are also on course to posting losses for the year, though GoAir is expected to register a $25-30 million profit. CAPA estimates Air India to post a loss of $500 million this year, due to the grounding of over 20 aircraft and its inability to capitalise on Jet Airways' closure. "Potential benefits of consolidation and capacity rationalisation in the wake of Jet's demise, as well as relatively benign fuel prices, have largely been squandered. Carriers pursued very aggressive expansion in an effort to capture slots released by Jet, resulting in downward pressure on yields," CAPA said. Domestic air traffic grew 11 per cent in November - the first double-digit growth month in CY20 - on lower fares and recovery of lost capacity, following Jet's closure. Domestic carriers operated a total of 628 aircraft in November, up from 614 in January. Fresh capacity addition, however, has been muted because of the challenges surrounding Airbus A320neo engines, and the regulatory ban on Boeing 737 aircraft. While CAPA had, in June, estimated the combined fleet size of airlines by the end of the year at 709-726, it has now pegged the fleet count at 710-717. GoAir, AirAsia India, and SpiceJet will induct fewer planes than estimated, it said. https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/indian-airlines-set-for-600-million-loss-in-fy20-says-capa-report-119121400029_1.html Back to Top FAA: Windshield Could Fail On Certain Gulfstream Jets The FAA has issued a special airworthiness bulletin about windshield failures that have occurred on Gulfstream III, IV/IV-SP/G450, V/G550, and G650/650ER twinjets over the past six years. According to the bulletin, the FAA said it and Gulfstream are aware of at least 20 windshield failures since 2013 that resulted in arcing, cracking, smoke, and/or small fires. A new windshield with an improved heater terminal block has been designed and is now manufactured by Gulfstream, which in most cases can be used as a replacement because the same windshields are common to multiple models of Gulfstreams, according to the bulletin. Pilots are advised to assume a structural windshield ply is affected in the event of a windshield cracking event. Further, it recommends that in such an event, pilots follow the appropriate airplane flight manual emergency procedure or abnormal procedure, which includes pulling the associated windshield heat circuit breaker. Maintenance crews also are advised when replacing the windshield of affected aircraft under normal conditions to replace it with the improved windshield, which has upgraded/redesigned terminal block part numbers. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-12-13/faa-windshield-could-fail-certain-gulfstream-jets Back to Top Air Force: Weather looks excellent for SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral Forecasters are expecting excellent weather conditions for SpaceX's planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket and commercial communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Monday. Launch weather officers with the 45th Weather Squadron are anticipating 90% "go" conditions for the liftoff window at Launch Complex 40, which runs from 7:10 p.m. to 8:38 p.m. In the event of a delay or scrub, however, conditions the following day don't look so favorable: only 50% "go" due to increased chances of showers, storms and thick cumulus clouds. On board will be JCSAT-18 / Kacific-1, a Boeing-built commercial communications satellite that will provide coverage primarily for Asia and the Pacific. Due to the weight of the spacecraft and other factors, the mission will include a drone ship landing about eight minutes after liftoff. Monday's Falcon 9 launch kicks off a busy week for the Eastern Range, which is also gearing up to host a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner capsule for a 6:36 a.m. liftoff on Friday. The uncrewed test flight will take the capsule to the International Space Station, where it will stay for eight days before its departure and landing in White Sands, New Mexico. If all goes according to plan, Starliner will eventually host astronauts for trips to the ISS alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which was also selected by NASA for the task. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2019/12/15/air-force-weather-excellent-spacex-launch-cape-canaveral/2640497001/ Curt Lewis