Flight Safety Information January 15, 2020 - No. 011 In This Issue New video shows that 2 missiles struck the Ukrainian plane that crashed in Iran Incident: Delta B772 at Los Angeles on Jan 14th 2020, engine compressor stalls Incident: British Airways B744 near Shannon on Jan 14th 2020, technical issue affecting crosswind landing Boeing Called Indonesian Pilots 'Idiots' For Wanting More Training On The 737 Max Prior To Crash FAA Seeks Pilot Input on Exams Experts see holes in international flight security rules, oversight Italian Carrier Ernest Airlines Loses Air Operators Certificate UN aviation experts to join Ukraine Airlines Iran crash investigation Boeing Delivered Less Than 80 Aircraft Last Quarter Space companies raised a record $5.8 billion in private investments last year Aircraft and Helicopter Accident Investigation from SCSI DTI Training Canada Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship RESEARCH SURVEY New video shows that 2 missiles struck the Ukrainian plane that crashed in Iran • A new video shows that two Iranian missiles struck Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 before it crashed near Tehran last week. • The video, which was verified by The New York Times, was originally uploaded to YouTube by an Iranian user. • The video shows that the plane continued flying, while engulfed in flames, for a short time after the missiles hit. A new video shows that two missiles struck Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which crashed shortly after taking off from the airport in Tehran early last Wednesday. The video appears to be from a security camera on the roof of a building near where the plane was struck. The video, which was uploaded to YouTube by an Iranian user early on Tuesday, was verified as authentic by a New York Times investigative team. New video about Ukrainian airplane crash #PS752, Tehran, Iran The video shows one missile striking the plane, which appeared to result in a small explosion, followed by the second missile strike about 20 seconds later. Neither missile immediately downed the plane, which continued to fly for several minutes and attempted to return to the airport. In the new video, the plane appears to be on fire shortly after the second missile hits it. A video that emerged last week showed the impact from one of the missiles. All 176 people on the plane, a Boeing 737-800 bound for Kyiv, were killed. The Times said the new video could help explain why the plane's transponder stopped transmitting before the crash, suggesting it was disabled by the first missile. The crash happened hours after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at a military base in Iraq housing US forces. Iranian officials initially denied that it shot down the plane before reversing and confirming that it fired the missiles, blaming human error as the military was on high alert in case of retaliatory strikes. Iranian officials have said that the plane wandered too close to a military site, but an analysis of transponder data from previous flights to Kyiv and other flights on Wednesday morning found that Flight 752 did not deviate from its normal route or vary significantly from other civil flights that day. Iran's missile strike, which did not kill or injure any US troops at the Iraqi base that was targeted, was in retaliation for a US strike that killed Iran's most prominent military general, Qassem Soleimani. https://www.yahoo.com/news/video-shows-2-missiles-struck-195336998.html Back to Top Incident: Delta B772 at Los Angeles on Jan 14th 2020, engine compressor stalls, liquid rains onto school A Delta Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N860DA performing flight DL-89 from Los Angeles,CA (USA) to Shanghai Pudong (China) with 181 people on board, was climbing out of Los Angeles' runway 24L when the crew stopped the climb at 8000 feet reporting right hand engine (Trent 892) compressor stalls, they needed to return to LAX. The crew subsequently advised they had brought the engine back under control, just needed to slow and requested to land on runway 25R. The aircraft was vectored for an ILS approach to runway 25R, emergency services went into their standby position. The crew did not request fuel dump. The aircraft landed safely on runway 25R about 25 minutes after departure. The aircraft vacated the runway. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported as result of the emergency landing they needed to respond to the Park Avenue Elementary School, located about 10nm short of the runway, with more than 70 fire fighters are reported of some liquid raining down onto the school playground, where two classes were outdoors. The liquid smelled like jet fuel. The fire fighters checked 17 children and 9 adults, none needed to be taken to a hospital. The airline reported the aircraft performed an emergency fuel dump to reduce landing weight. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL89/history/20200114/1929Z/KLAX/ZSPD Fuel Dump in progress (Video: Bro vs. Sis): Delta flight dumps jet-fuel over Los Angeles http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1f4f9a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: British Airways B744 near Shannon on Jan 14th 2020, technical issue affecting crosswind landing capabilities A British Airways Boeing 747-400, registration G-CIVL performing flight BA-274 (dep Jan 13th) from Las Vegas,NV (USA) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute at FL390 about 150nm west of Shannon (Ireland) when the crew diverted the aircraft to Shannon advising a technical problem that affected their crosswind landing capabilities and disabled them to land at Heathrow, no emergency was declared or priority requested. The aircraft landed safely on Shannon's runway 24 about 30 minutes later. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration G-EUXC reached London with a delay of about 3:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 4.5 hours, then positioned to London. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Shannon due to a minor technical problem. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d1f4648&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing Called Indonesian Pilots 'Idiots' For Wanting More Training On The 737 Max Prior To Crash Illustration for article titled Boeing Called Indonesian Pilots Idiots For Wanting More Training On The 737 Max Prior To Crash The Boeing 737 MAX airliner has been grounded in America since last March, and was grounded in many other countries before that, thanks to two tragic crashes, one an Ethiopian Airlines flight, and one an Indonesian Lion Air flight that killed 189 people. That crash was blamed partially on a new flight-control system installed on the planes, and partially on poor pilot training and an unfamiliarity with the new system. Newly-released internal Boeing documents show that when Lion Air requested more training on these new systems, they were insulted by Boeing employees. The new flight control system is known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) and is designed to help combat a flying condition known as "stalling," where the plane can lose lift if its angle of attack-the angle between the wing and the surrounding airflow-is too high. "Now friggin Lion Air might need a sim to fly the MAX, and maybe because of their own stupidity." In practice, the MCAS system seems to have malfunctioned and caused the plane to pitch its nose downward when not needed, and the system was confusing to override when it failed, which relates directly to the lack of proper training for pilots. Boeing had been touting the 737 MAX as an aircraft that would require minimal to no new training for pilots, which would save airlines a lot of money. This was a major selling point of the new plane. Boeing provided the Federal Aviation Administration with over 100 pages of internal documentation relating to the 737 MAX situation, and a number of those documents show that Boeing employees were not supportive of airline requests for more training for the aircraft. Documents were released to the media with redactions, but Bloomberg was able to get unredacted documents from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and those documents called out Lion Air by name. Bloomberg's article today included quotes from internal emails from Boeing employees discussing the requests for more training on the 737 MAX's new systems, and, um, they don't really come off terribly well for Boeing. Here's an example email from 2017: "Now friggin Lion Air might need a sim to fly the MAX, and maybe because of their own stupidity. I'm scrambling trying to figure out how to unscrew this now! idiots," OK, maybe that's just one, isolated example of a high-strung Boeing employee who's maybe kind of an asshole. Then again, maybe not, as this was a response from a colleague: "WHAT THE F%$&!!!! But their sister airline is already flying it!" Do all Boeing employees freak out this quickly? If so, the walls of their cubicles must look like Jackson Pollack paintings from all the spit-taken coffee. And can't any of them actually use proper profanity? More critically, though, it's unreal that a company manufacturing a complex aircraft would express such contempt and shock that pilots would want training on the updated systems. You'd think it'd welcome that, as it would help guarantee the new systems are being properly used, and would prevent, oh, terrible crashes, which would prevent grounding aircraft, loss of sales, losing money, all that. And, oh yeah, not killing anyone. This dismissive attitude toward an airline attempting to prepare their pilots to be as safe as possible is incredibly disturbing. Also disturbing is that Boeing's pressure worked, with Lion Air eventually accepting that it wouldn't need additional training. Bloomberg was unable to get a comment from Boeing, but a message sent from Greg Smith, Boeing's interim CEO, to Boeing employees, addressed the documents: "These documents do not represent the best of Boeing. The tone and language of the messages are inappropriate, particularly when used in discussion of such important matters, and they do not reflect who we are as a company or the culture we've created." Yeah, no shit, Greg. No wonder you make the big bucks. The U.S. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee investigation is still ongoing. Chair Peter DeFazio issued a statement about the released emails, pointing out that these were not isolated issues with isolated parts or employees: "These newly-released emails are incredibly damning. They paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was apparently willing to go to in order to evade scrutiny from regulators, flight crews, and the flying public, even as its own employees were sounding alarms internally. I can only imagine how painful it must be for the families of the 346 victims to read these new documents that detail some of the earliest and most fundamental errors in the decisions that went into the fatally flawed aircraft. "For nearly 10 months, my Committee has been investigating the design, development and certification of the MAX, and in that time, our investigation has uncovered multiple, serious problems with Boeing's decision-making and the priority that was placed on production and profit over safety. But these new emails bring my concerns to an entirely new level. They show a coordinated effort dating back to the earliest days of the 737 MAX program to conceal critical information from regulators and the public. While it is also clear from these emails that the problems did not merely stem from a lone Boeing employee who uses colorful language in his communications, I have reiterated my request for an interview with former Boeing 737 MAX Chief Technical Pilot Mark Forkner to his attorneys, and I expect to hear from them at the earliest possible date." We have reached out to Boeing for comment, and here's what it provided: Boeing statement on documents provided today to Congress: In December, Boeing proactively brought these communications to the FAA's attention in furtherance of the company's commitment to transparency with our regulator and strong safety oversight of our industry. We also provided copies to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Technology and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in recognition of their oversight functions. These documents have been released publicly at the encouragement of Chairman DeFazio and Chairman Wicker. Some of these communications relate to the development and qualification of Boeing's MAX simulators in 2017 and 2018. These communications contain provocative language, and, in certain instances, raise questions about Boeing's interactions with the FAA in connection with the simulator qualification process. Having carefully reviewed the issue, we are confident that all of Boeing's MAX simulators are functioning effectively. The qualification activities referenced in these communications occurred early in the service life of these simulators. Since that time, both internal and external subject matter experts have repeatedly tested and qualified the simulators at issue. Indeed, more than twenty regulatory qualifications of MAX simulators, performed by the FAA and multiple international regulators, have been conducted since early 2017. The specific Miami simulator that was used for the early qualification tests has been re-evaluated six times during this time period. The simulator software has been constantly improving during this time, through repeated cycles of testing, qualification, and revision of the software code. These communications do not reflect the company we are and need to be, and they are completely unacceptable. That said, we remain confident in the regulatory process for qualifying these simulators. In the context of providing these communications to the FAA, and having carefully considered the FAA's perspective on these matters, we also decided to provide additional documents that were identified in the course of legal reviews of the 737 MAX program. We provided these documents to the FAA and Congress as a reflection of our commitment to transparency and cooperation with the authorities responsible for regulating and overseeing our industry. We welcome, and will fully support, any additional review the FAA believes is appropriate in connection with any of these matters, as well as the continued involvement of the relevant congressional committees with these issues. We regret the content of these communications, and apologize to the FAA, Congress, our airline customers, and to the flying public for them. We have made significant changes as a company to enhance our safety processes, organizations, and culture. The language used in these communications, and some of the sentiments they express, are inconsistent with Boeing values, and the company is taking appropriate action in response. This will ultimately include disciplinary or other personnel action, once the necessary reviews are completed. https://jalopnik.com/boeing-called-indonesian-pilots-idiots-for-wanting-more-1840999747 Back to Top FAA Seeks Pilot Input on Exams A webinar also delivers info on new testing process. The webinar offers a guide to using the new ACTS for pilots, prospective pilots, instructors, and examiners.FAA The FAA seeks pilot input on its testing and exam process, while a new webinar delivers info on those new processes that went into effect on January 13, 2020. The Airman Certificate Testing Service recently implemented by the FAA seeks to provide a "comprehensive, best-practices approach to enhance the overall quality of the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing" programs. Several changes have gone into effect as of the January 13th date, including the requirement for a knowledge test applicant to register using an FAA Tracking Number. The FTN will be used for the prospective pilot's practical exam application as well, using the online 8710 form through the FAA's IACRA system. As part of this new approach to incorporate regular feedback and improvement into the testing system, the online contractor, PSI Services, that conducts airman knowledge testing on behalf of the FAA, has released a survey for pilots who have recently taken the private, instrument, commercial and airline transport pilot knowledge and practical tests. The survey should take about 25 minutes to complete. Participants are asked to complete the survey by January 30, 2020. To learn more about the FAA's ACTS, visit the site. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/training/faa-exams-pilot-input/ Back to Top Experts see holes in international flight security rules, oversight An Air Canada plane flies underneath dark clouds illuminated by some sun rays above Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, March 2, 2017. Some experts say the Iran plane crash points to a glaring gap in rules around flight security, with states lacking incentives to close their own airspace and global agencies lacking the authority to preempt future tragedies. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Frank Rumpenhorst/dpa via AP MONTREAL - Questions about how and when planes are permitted to fly have been raised in the aftermath of the deadly crash of a Ukrainian airliner near Tehran last week that killed all 176 people on board. Experts say the crash, which happened after the plane was hit by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, points to a glaring gap in rules around flight security, with countries sometimes failing to close their own airspace amid a lack of authority by global agencies. Transport Canada said last week that Canadian carriers were complying with U.S.-led restrictions on commercial flights in Iraqi, Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran affecting the region. But not all countries' aviation agencies instructed their carriers to steer clear, and Iran failed to ban civilian travel even as its military was on high alert. Countries often hesitate to shut down their airspace due to the economic and political turbulence it can create, says Michael Bociurkiw, who was an observer for Ukraine's investigation into the downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight in 2014. "Closing your airspace is quite extreme. It scares people away. It scares away business investment, especially tourism," Bociurkiw said. "Sometimes these things can be politically sensitive and they draw too much attention." Other problems can result from leaving security alerts in state hands. During unrest in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the country raised its minimum safe altitude to 32,000 feet as a precautionary measure. Three days later, a missile shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, killing all 298 people on board. States' civil aviation bodies are responsible for shutting down their airspace and instructing domestic airlines to avoid foreign skies in the event of danger, such as military conflict or natural disasters. However, the passenger planes that took off from Tehran's airport shortly after an Iranian missile strike against two military bases in Iraq where U.S. forces are stationed had received no security warnings from Iran. Aerospace consultant Ross Aimer is calling for a more active role by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a Montreal-based United Nations agency, which he deems "slow to respond" and lacking in teeth. "We're doing a terrible job of protecting our passengers and crews worldwide," Aimer said. ICAO says it issues advisories only in disputes over airspace control or military conflicts where "the command-and-control structure has been impaired" and the state is unable to send one out. "ICAO, which just about every country and airline is a signatory to, should take over and do a better job of warning people any time there's hostilities," Aimer said. "When there's hostilities, immediately close the airspace to everybody." The agency rejected the idea that UN member states would support stricter rules or an encroachment on their sovereignty, citing protocols in its founding document. "It's the sovereign nation-states...who are very realistically and logically, I think, expected to monitor and assess and publish any risks that they're aware of that may be occurring in their territories relevant to civil aviation operations," ICAO chief spokesman Anthony Philbin said. States are ultimately responsible for notifying other countries and airlines about conflict zones and other flight hazards, with no heads-up to ICAO required, he said. Elaine Parker, vice-president of the Canadian Society of Air Safety Investigators, sympathizes with state reluctance to wall off airspace. "You're shutting down blood flow, basically, into your country," she said. Parker supports the hard limits on ICAO's authority, saying that "it can't be ... an enforcement agency" but acknowledging there may be room for a broader mandate. "They do have that capability of basically issuing some kind of warning. They normally don't do that," she added, "but there's nothing wrong with ICAO issuing some sort of an advisory that is worldwide." Canadian air-crash investigators are being given access to the wreckage of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 and have been tapped to help unlock the contents of the data recorders from the plane. The Canadian Press has independently confirmed at least 86 victims with ties to Canada, many of them students and professors returning after spending the December break visiting relatives in Iran. Iran announced several arrests in the in the wake of the fatal crash. At least four large passenger jets have been shot down over the past 32 years, resulting the deaths of more than 1,000 passengers and crew. https://www.tricitynews.com/experts-see-holes-in-international-flight-security-rules-oversight-1.24052390 Back to Top Italian Carrier Ernest Airlines Loses Air Operators Certificate Italian carrier Ernest Airlines has had its license temporarily suspended by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC). According to the ENAC, the airline failed to submit some documents to meet European Union regulations and therefore the suspension is only temporary until the documents are provided. Ernest Airlines plane Ernest Airlines have had their license suspended. Photo: Riik@mctr via Flickr The Italian budget carrier was initially issued a warning by the ENAC in December of last year. Clearly, the suspension of its license at midnight last night shows that the airline has failed to meet the standards set by the European Union's Regulations. However, in a statement, Ernest Airlines said, "We have activated all the actions aimed at obtaining the revocation of the same provision, and we need time to provide all the necessary evidence as per Regulation (EC) n.1008 of 2008 to demonstrate our financial sustainability necessary for the resumption of our operations." The Truth Behind Hi Fly's Airbus A380 Although the airline is attempting to cooperate with the aviation authority, regaining its license may not be enough to keep the airline in the sky. Three out of four of the airline's planes have been sent to storage and competitor airlines have already scooped up the routes which Ernest Airlines have been forced to give up. Competition Ernest Airlines mainly flies to Eastern European destinations such as Albania and Ukraine. The Airline previously carried 42% of passengers flying between Italy and Albania. Yesterday, January 13th, 2020, Hungarian based airline Wizz Air announced new routes between Tirana in Albania to Bologna, Milan, Pisa, Verona and Venice. All Ernest Airlines destinations. Wizz Air new routes Wizz Air has opened new routes previously operated by Ernest Airlines. Photo: Eric Salard via Flickr The demand for routes between Albania and Italy is based on the large diaspora residing in Italy. Approximately 441,000 Albanians and 239,000 Ukrainians now live in Italy. The demand for a low-cost carrier is niche but profitable. However, there may not be space for both Wizz Air and Ernest Airlines if Ernest does get its operating license back. Ernest Airlines Ernest Airlines was founded in 2015 but didn't receive its operating license until 2017. Established by a group of Italian and Swedish investors, the airline was specifically set up to cater for the Albanian and Ukrainian market in Italy. It now also offers some domestic flights. The airline operates a small fleet of four Airbus aircraft. Three A320s have been placed in storage while the remaining A319 is grounded due to the license suspension. All four aircraft are leased and the lessors are not happy to wait for the airline to solve its problem. The lessors have taken measures into their own hands by removing the planes from the airline's possession. The A319, although not in storage, has been returned to the lessor. Ernest Airlines new aircraft Ernest Airlines had plans to expand in the coming year to increase its fleet size to 8 aircraft. Photo: Julia Novitska via Wikimedia The airline mainly operates out of bases in Milan Bergamo, Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino and Tirana in Albania. However, the airline has expansion plans for a base to open in Kyiv in the coming year. The airline's plans for growth also include adding more Airbus A320s to its fleet. Plans which are now almost certainly on hold. Ernest Airlines is cooperating with the ENAC's demands for paperwork but failed to act in time to keep its license, despite a warning last December. Now, even if it does clear its name, it may be too late. With competitors closing in on the airline's routes, getting back in the air may be impossible. What do you think of Ernest Airlines' future? Is this the end of another budget carrier? Let us know what you think in the comments. https://simpleflying.com/ernest-airlines-lost-aoc/ Back to Top UN aviation experts to join Ukraine Airlines Iran crash investigation The Iranian Red Crescent team, and other relief organizations, participate in an operation to transfer dead bodies after a Ukrainian plane crashed in Tehran, Iran.Iranian Red Crescent Society Experts from the UN aviation watchdog, ICAO, will support the investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian Passenger plane in Iran on January 8, following an invitation from the Iranian authorities, which was accepted on Tuesday. In a statement, the ICAO said that it has appointed senior and expert technical staff, who will now serve as advisors and observers. Few details of Iran's investigation have been released by the authorities, but Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, said in a televised address that it will be overseen by several experts, and that the judiciary will create a special court. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the country's judiciary reportedly said, in a press conference, that the investigation will look into the causes and direct impact of the incident. Iran has admitted that Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS752 was shot down by its armed forces and announced on Tuesday that several people have been detained over the incident which, it says, was accidental. All 176 people on board were killed in the crash. The incident took place several hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile strike from home soil on US forces stationed in Iraq, in response to the US drone killing of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Initially, Iran denied responsibility for the crash, reportedly blaming it on a technical failure but eventually admitted that the operator of a missile defence system had mistaken the plane for a missile and shot it down. https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/01/1055312 Back to Top Boeing Delivered Less Than 80 Aircraft Last Quarter Boeing delivered only 79 aircraft in the last quarter of 2019, with the Boeing 737 MAX singularly to blame for the low numbers. Boeing factory Boeing has only delivered 79 aircraft in the last three months. Photo: Getty Images What are the details? Boeing recently reported its fourth-quarter aircraft deliveries in a recent press release. What is notable is how few aircraft the manufacturer actually managed to send out to patient customers. Whilst the numbers are sound for aircraft such as the Boeing 787 (and pretty fantastic considering how large they are), the lack of strong Boeing 737 deliveries is concerning. Here is the full list of aircraft deliveries by type, and with a running count for the year. Flying For The Holidays? Do It In Comfort With These Pro Tips Aircraft 4th Quarter Year To Date 2019 Boeing 737 9 127 Boeing 747 2 7 Boeing 767 11 43 Boeing 777 12 45 Boeing 787 45 158 Total 79 380 This list is not 100% confirmed (that will be during the next Boeing earnings call). The Boeing 737s that were delivered in 2019 were either Boeing 737 MAXs before the grounding or the final Boeing 737-800 aircraft (type not grounded. You can read about the differences between the two here. Getty 737 MAX A lack of Boeing 737 deliveries is very conspicuous Photo: Getty This is a far cry from what Boeing reported this time last year. Back then, Boeing reported 806 delivered aircraft (more than 50% of 2019s number), with 580 Boeing 737 aircraft making up the bulk of the orders. "We are honored that customers around the world continued to vote for the unmatched capabilities of Boeing's airplane and services portfolio. In addition to the ongoing demand for the 737 MAX, we saw strong sales for every one of our twin-aisle airplanes in a ringing endorsement of their market-leading performance and efficiency," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company back in 2019. Why are Boeing 737 MAX deliveries so low? Whilst Boeing still does have a seven-year waiting period for the new Boeing 737 aircraft, it is clear that events in the last year have massively affected Boeing's delivery schedule. With the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Boeing is unable to deliver completed 737 MAX aircraft to its clients. A better question to ask might be 'how many aircraft has Boeing built'. If we include the completed 737 MAXs that are currently piled up in car parks around the Boeing factory, the firm is at around 800 aircraft. Boeing 737 MAX Boeing 737 MAXs are parked all over Boeing facilities. Photo: Getty This is why despite having low delivery numbers for the year, Boeing has not made a loss of these missed MAX deliveries. Unless the entire aircraft line gets scrapped (very unlikely), Boeing still technically has the aircraft 'orders' in the bag. How does this compare to Airbus? Perhaps a better benchmark to make sense of these numbers is Boeing's rival Airbus. In 2019, Airbus delivered 8% more aircraft. This is a rumored total number of 863 aircraft, well over the 800 or so they delivered back in 2018. Thus this is around the same number that Boeing would have delivered this year. Overall we can see that the Boeing 737 MAX is the single reason to blame for the lack of aircraft deliveries. When the MAX flies again, Boeing will flurry out these orders and will likely count the deliveries in this year's figures, somewhat unfairly claiming a record year over their rival. https://simpleflying.com/boeing-2019-q4-deliveries/ Back to Top Space companies raised a record $5.8 billion in private investments last year • Space companies received $5.8 billion across 198 investment rounds last year, according to a report Tuesday by NYC-based Space Angels. • "These companies are graduating and going from concept to scale," Space Angels CEO Chad Anderson told CNBC. • Anderson expects 2020 will see public stock offerings from several of the pure-play space companies created in the past decade. Private funds are pouring money into space companies, with 2019 marking a record year of investment in extraterrestrial ventures. Space companies received $5.8 billion across 198 investment rounds last year, topping $5.1 billion of investment in 2017, according to a report Tuesday by New York investment firm Space Angels. The firm itself has stakes in nearly two dozen space companies and publishes comprehensive quarterly updates on private investment in the industry. Space Angels highlighted the steadily increasing maturity of space companies in this past year, with 75% more later-stage deals from the previous year. From the investor side, the report said three sources - corporate capital, venture capital and individual or angel capital - each contributed a third of the total investment in space companies in 2019. The firm noted funding rounds such as Relativity Space's raise of $140 million, key to taking the company from start-up to its first launch. It's a reflection of a decade-long shift in the industry, Space Angels CEO Chad Anderson told CNBC, with younger companies taking on more responsibility and driving innovation in a market long dominated by government contractors. "These companies are graduating and going from concept to scale," Anderson said. "All the companies that are in space in the last 10 years are new. They've all entered a different point over that timeline and you need to see them graduate as, in venture capital investing, graduation rates are really important." Space companies have received nearly $26 billion in investments since 2009, according to the firm. SpaceX brought down barriers to entry in space industry: Space Angels CEO The largest private companies - such as SpaceX, Blue Origin and OneWeb - made up the lion's share of last year's investments, receiving billions in new funds. But early-stage deals remained strong as well, making up 72% of the total investment rounds last year. Anderson explained that steady growth at both the top and bottom of the funding "funnel" is key for healthy growth in the space economy. "If [big deals were] all that was happening here, it would be worrying," Anderson said. "But that's why we monitor so closely what's happening on the front end of the funnel as well." Investment is also picking up outside the United States: Anderson's firm said non-U.S. funding doubled in the past year. China continues to lead in that respect, making up 34% of the private funding doled out to space companies in the fourth quarter, the report said. What's in store for space investing in 2020 Investors are steadily becoming more interested in the space economy, especially as some of these private space companies edge closer to the public markets. "The meat of this has all happened in the last five years, as in 2015 things just started to really take off," Anderson said. While there already are opportunities to invest in space, Anderson expects 2020 will see IPOs from several pure-play space companies created in the past decade. He warned that those that leap into the public sphere will have to keep in mind the lessons learned by several technology IPOs last year. "The key theme for IPOs in 2019 was that top-line growth is not going to do it. Public markets want to see that you're profitable, not just that you can grow the top line," Anderson said. Behind SpaceX and Amazon plans launch thousands of satellites While he declined to identify which companies he thinks will go public, Anderson did identify two key themes that he thinks investors should watch: cybersecurity and the rise of megaconstellations from SpaceX, OneWeb and Amazon. The former theme is less frequently discussed in the space industry, which typically focuses on rockets and satellites. But Anderson believes the rapidly increasing number of countries with operations and assets in space will see heightened focus on cybersecurity and a ripple effect on the space industry. The human spaceflight catalyst Anderson, much like Morgan Stanley, sees human spaceflight as a catalyst for more investment. While it's difficult to quantify a dollar impact from flying people, 2020 is likely to see four space companies do so: SpaceX, Boeing, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin. "We're expecting all four of them to make it space this year," Anderson said. "A lot of the reason why we say that is because they were pushing to get there by the end of 2019 and got very close." Virgin Galactic is "the leading indicator" for both the demand and impact of human spaceflight. "There's so much interest and very few people have even gone yet," Anderson said. Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides on future of space tourism The space tourism venture's CEO George Whitesides told CNBC last week that Virgin Galactic has seen steadily increasing demand from prospective space tourists. So far, Virgin Galactic has flown five people to space on two successful test flights. Virgin Galactic's nearest competitor is Blue Origin, the space venture owned and funded by Jeff Bezos. The company expects to fly people to space in 2020, with at least one test flight of its New Shepard rocket remaining. SpaceX and Boeing, despite both suffering setbacks in the past year, are expected to launch NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in 2020. But even as Boeing seeks to keep up with SpaceX in the realm of human spaceflight, Anderson wondered if the industry's large aerospace and defense companies will stay on top in the space industry in the next decade. "Can the incumbents keep up with the pace of innovation? Because it shows no signs of slowing," Anderson said. "SpaceX has continued to push the envelope over those eight years and has accomplished more than any other aerospace company in the same time." https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/14/space-companies-including-spacex-raised-5point8-billion-in-2019.html Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of aviation researchers, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (https://ral.ucar.edu/opportunity/halaby-fellowship). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2020 or early 2021) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at mitigation of weather sensitivities (e.g., weather impact avoidance) on aviation. We particularly encourage applicants interested in weather impacts on emerging modes of transportation, like unmanned aerial system operations and urban air mobility. The Fellowship will provide: • a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses • round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO • travel to a conference to present results • page charges (if necessary) for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: • Curriculum vitae • Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) • Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2020 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY SMS for small operators: does it make sense? As part of an independent research project at Lund University, we'd like to hear from small business/private aviation operators about their experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS). Does your organisation have an SMS, and a workforce of 20 or less? Does the SMS generate value? Do you think there might be a disconnect between the SMS requirements and t he capabilities of your organisation? Considering the current lack of scientific research and peer-reviewed literature for this particular sector of aviation, this is a rather unique opportunity to share feedback in complete anonymity and to help identify any issue requiring focused attention. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey now, but also to share the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RYDPYYT Any assistance to advance the industry's understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the SMS framework will be greatly appreciated! For any question or comment, please do not hesitate to contact st1830de-s@student.lu.se. Many thanks, and best wishes for 2020! Stéphane De Wolf MSc student, Human Factors & System Safety Lund University Curt Lewis