Flight Safety Information January 31, 2020 - No. 023 In This Issue Soon-to-be released government report questions Southwest Airlines' safety and FAA ties Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Denver on Jan 28th 2020, gear problem Incident: Lufthansa Cityline E195 at Munich on Jan 29th 2020, anti-ice failure Incident: Hop! CRJ7 at Lyon on Jan 23rd 2020, runway incursion in flight Accident: Tahiti AT72 at Tubuai on Jan 29th 2020, tail strike on landing Plane Deploys Parachute Before Crash Landing Near Aspen Pilots, flight attendants demand flights to China stop as virus fear mounts worldwide Signature Select's Sun Air Jets Achieves Highest Safety Registration Level From IS-BAO AIR FORCE PROVIDING $1 MILLION FOR PLANEENGLISH PILOT SKILLS APP A350 engine shutdown incidents linked to cockpit drink spills FAA whistleblower says he was prevented from inspecting helicopter before Hawaii crash Aviation Insurance Market Heats Up SkyWest picks up 20 more Emrbaer jets for American Airlines Alaska launch facility prepares for commercial space boom Helicopter Accident Investigation from SCSI Investigation Management from SCSI MITRE - SMS Course - March 2020 ACSF Safety Symposium Soon-to-be released government report questions Southwest Airlines' safety and FAA ties A Wall Street Journal report says neither the airline nor the regulator properly handled incidents. A Texas flag themed Southwest Airlines jet cuts through the low cloud bank in downtown Dallas as it makes it's approach to Love Field An upcoming government report says Southwest Airlines flew millions of passengers on planes with unconfirmed safety records and criticizes the way the local FAA offices handled safety questions at the carrier, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Journal quotes a draft of an audit report from the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general, saying Dallas-based Southwest has been scrutinized for incidents such as a series of aborted landings during a flight in 2019 in which both wingtips also struck the runway. The report said the Federal Aviation Administration failed to respond to that and other safety questions. "It is clear that the agency is not yet effectively navigating the balance between industry collaboration and managing safety risks at the carrier," said the report, which the Journal reviewed. A spokesman for Southwest said the airline disagrees with the draft of the report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General. "We have communicated our disappointment in the draft audit report to the OIG and will continue to communicate any concerns directly with its office," Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. "Southwest maintains a culture of compliance, recognizing the safety of our operation as the most important thing we do. We are considered one of the world's most admired companies and uphold an unprecedented safety record." Southwest and its relationship with the FAA has been scrutinized for more than a year, including questions into approval for flights between California and Hawaii and investigations into Southwest's baggage loading procedures. Three FAA managers were reassigned because of the baggage investigation. The FAA proposed a $3.92 million fine on Jan. 10 for mistakes Southwest made in calculating the weight of unloaded aircraft. Based on the Journal's report, the new audit report adds more details and makes recommendations about the relationship between Southwest and safety regulators. It said FAA officials complained about how "Southwest often was slow or resistant to providing the agency with safety information." The new report also criticizes the FAA for failing to adequately investigate an incident in February 2019 at Bradley International Airport outside Hartford, Conn., according to the Journal. In that incident, pilots tried to land three times during "low-level wind shear" and high wind gusts but aborted just a few feet from touchdown. "Rather than questioning the pilots' judgment, the airline took steps to adjust crosswind landing calculations and enhance flight attendant training to alert cockpit crews of wing strikes or other in-flight emergencies, according to the report," the Journal said. The report hasn't been publicly released yet. The Office of Inspector General said it does not comment on investigations that are still open. "The FAA's top priority is safety," said a statement from the FAA. "Upon learning of concerns about how certain aircraft were added to Southwest Airlines' fleet, the agency took comprehensive action. In addition to actions aimed at ensuring the safety of the aircraft, the FAA appointed a new leadership team at the Southwest CMO. The FAA continues to closely monitor these issues." https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2020/01/30/soon-to-be-released-government-report-questions-southwest-airlines-safety-and-faa-ties/ Back to Top Incident: Skywest CRJ2 at Denver on Jan 28th 2020, gear problem A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of United, registration N912SW performing flight UA-5805 from Denver,CO to Santa Rosa,CA (USA), was climbing out of Denver's runway 25 when the crew reported a landing gear issue and stopped the climb at 10,000 feet. The aircraft returned to Denver for a safe landing on runway 35R about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement CRJ-200 registration N929EV reached Santa Rosa with a delay of 2.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service after about 5:45 hours on the ground. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL5805/history/20200128/1645Z/KDEN/KSTS http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2a88c3&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa Cityline E195 at Munich on Jan 29th 2020, anti-ice failure A Lufthansa Cityline Embraer ERJ-195, registration D-AEBC performing flight LH-2444 from Munich (Germany) to Copenhagen (Denmark), was climbing out of Munich when the crew stopped the climb at FL250 due to the failure of an anti-ice system. The aircraft returned to Munich for a safe landing about 48 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft returned to service the following morning after about 13 hours on the ground. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2a8617&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Hop! CRJ7 at Lyon on Jan 23rd 2020, runway incursion in flight A Hop! Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of Air France, registration F-GRZL performing flight AF-1551 from Lille to Lyon (France), was on approach to Lyon, low visibility procedures were in effect, and was cleared for an ILS Cat III approach to runway 35R. During the final approach at about 07:50L (06:50Z) the aircraft however veered to the left, the aircraft initiated a go around and overflew the threshold of runway 35L (instead of assigned runway 35R). The aircraft positioned for another approach and landed without further incident. The French BEA rated the occurrence a serious incident and opened an investigation. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2a62da&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: Tahiti AT72 at Tubuai on Jan 29th 2020, tail strike on landing An Air Tahiti Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration F-ORVI performing flight VT-939 from Rurutu to Tubuai (French Polynesia), suffered a tail strike while landing at Tubuai. There were no injuries, the damage to the aircraft is being assessed. The airline confirmed the tail of the aircraft touched down before the main wheels resulting in a hard landing. Rain and gusts may have contributed. There were no injuries, the aircraft needs to be examined however. A replacement aircraft was dispatched to Tubuai to complete the next sector of the flight to Papeete (French Polynesia). A replacement ATR-72-212A regiatration F-ORVT reached Papeete with a delay of about 8 hours. No weather data are available for NTAT (Tubuai). http://avherald.com/h?article=4d2a5bcc&opt=0 Back to Top Plane Deploys Parachute Before Crash Landing Near Aspen PITKIN COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Experts say the parachute system on an airplane that crashed near Aspen earlier this week worked exactly as planned to keep the two people on board safe and injury-free. Tyler and Kristina Noel, from Wisconsin, had filed a flight plan to make the quick trip from Aspen to Eagle on their Cirrus SR-22 T. Quickly after takeoff they encountered an issue and couldn't make it back to the airport. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System was deployed. "The parachute system is built into that aircraft. It's a ballistic deployment so it will fire a rocket to pull the parachute out and hold the aircraft in a certain position," said Kevin Kuhlmann, the Associate Chair of the Department of Aviation and Aerospace at Metro State University of Denver. "It's nice to know that my only option isn't just to glide the aircraft and hope I have a patch of land." Kuhlmann has been flying for more than 40 years. He believes, when deployed under the right circumstances, the CAPS has never had a fatality. "To know you could pull the handle on a parachute and just float down to the surface obviously gives great comfort," Kuhlmann said. "A delay of seconds could end up costing your life when you had an option to float down gently to the earth. " The parachute was caught in a tree and the plane came to a rest on a steep, snow-covered hillside. Rescue crews took three hours to reach the plane and then just as long to get out. Because of the difficult terrain, it's unlikely investigators will get to the plane this winter. https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/01/30/pitkin-county-aspen-plane-crash-parachute/ Back to Top Pilots, flight attendants demand flights to China stop as virus fear mounts worldwide CHICAGO/PARIS (Reuters) - Pilots and flight attendants are demanding airlines stop flights to China as health officials declare a global emergency over the rapidly spreading coronavirus, with American Airlines' pilots filing a lawsuit seeking an immediate halt. FILE PHOTO: An American Airlines Airbus A321 plane takes off from Los Angeles International airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, U.S. March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake China has reported nearly 10,000 cases and 213 deaths, but the virus has spread to 18 countries, mostly, presumably, by airline passengers. The United States has advised its citizens not to travel to China, raising its warning to the same level as those for Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. airlines, which have been reducing flights to China this week, were reassessing flying plans as a result, according to people familiar with the matter. It is possible the White House could opt to take further action to bar flights to China in coming days, but officials stressed that no decision has been made. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines pilots, cited "serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus" in a lawsuit filed in Texas, where the airline is based. American said it was taking precautions against the virus but had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. On Wednesday, it announced flight cancellations from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai, but is continuing flights from Dallas. APA President Eric Ferguson urged pilots assigned to U.S.-China flights to decline the assignment. In a statement, the American Airlines' flight attendants union said they supported the pilots' lawsuit and called on the company and the U.S. government to "err on the side of caution and halt all flights to and from China." Pilots at United Airlines, the largest U.S. airline to China, concerned for their safety will be allowed to drop their trip without pay, according to a Wednesday memo from their union to members. United announced on Thursday another 332 U.S.-China flight cancellations between February and March 28, though it will continue operating round trip flights from San Francisco to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The American Airlines pilot lawsuit came as an increasing number of airlines stopped their flights to mainland China, including Air France KLM SA, British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. Other major carriers have kept flying to China, but protective masks and shorter layovers designed to reduce exposure have done little to reassure crews. 'COUNTDOWN' A U.S. flight attendant who recently landed from one major Chinese city said a big concern is catching the virus and spreading it to families, or getting quarantined while on a layover."I didn't understand the gravity of the situation until I went there," she said on condition of anonymity, describing general paranoia on the return flight, with every passenger wearing a mask. "Now I feel like I'm on a 14-day countdown." Thai Airways is hosing its cabins with disinfectant spray between China flights and allowing crew to wear masks and gloves. Delta Air Lines is operating fewer flights and offering food deliveries so crew can stay in their hotels. The carrier is also allowing pilots to drop China trips without pay, a memo from its union to members said. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines are sending additional crew to fly each plane straight back, avoiding overnight stays. The South Korean carrier also said it was loading protective suits for flight attendants who might need to take care of suspected coronavirus cases in the air. Airlines in Asia are seeing a big drop in bookings along with forced cancellations because of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of aircraft lessor Avolon Holdings Ltd said, adding the impact could last for some months. The outbreak poses the biggest epidemic threat to the airline industry since the 2003 SARS crisis, which led to a 45% plunge in passenger demand in Asia at its peak in April of that year, analysts said. Fitch Ratings said airlines with more moderate exposure to China and the Asia-Pacific region were likely to be able to re-deploy capacity to alternative routes to mitigate the effect on traffic, but that could increase competition on those routes and reduce airfares. Air France, which maintained China flights throughout the SARS epidemic, suspended its Beijing and Shanghai flights on Thursday after cabin crews demanded an immediate halt. "When the staff see that other airlines have stopped flying there, their reaction is 'Why are we still going?'," said Flore Arrighi, president of UNAC, one of the airline's four main flight attendants' unions. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-airlines/pilots-flight-attendants-demand-flights-to-china-stop-as-virus-fear-mounts-worldwide-idUSKBN1ZT33W Back to Top Signature Select's Sun Air Jets Achieves Highest Safety Registration Level From IS-BAO Sun Air Jets has advanced to the highest safety registration level from the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), IS-BAO Stage 3. Sun Air Jets attained this voluntary registration level for its high quality, risk-averse safety, and operational processes that permeate throughout company culture, an achievement held only by a select number of global operators and less than 10 operators in California. This exclusive designation highlights Sun Air Jets' constant dedication to aviation safety and professionalism, including employing dedicated safety personnel who ensure its private charter jet fleet adheres to the highest safety standards. "Our organization prides itself on its identity as one of the safest private jet operators in the United States, and achieving IS-BAO Stage 3 further solidifies that dedication," commented Andreas Mauritzson, VP of business strategy and director of safety for the company. As evident of the private charter jet company's exemplary standards of safety, Sun Air Jets adds the distinction to a long list of safety awards and credentials, including ARGUS Platinum, Wyvern Flight Leader, and Air Charter Safety Foundation IAS. According to Mary Cimbura, Inflight Services coordinator and assistant director of safety, "this designation is only made possible thanks to the mindset and determination of our crews and employees, who always focus on being vigilant when it comes to serving our clients in the safest and most efficient way possible." The International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations, developed by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and its member associations, is a recommended voluntary code of best practices designed to help flight operations all over the world achieve high levels of safety and professionalism in their operations. IS-BAO Stage 3 is achieved when the operator verifies that safety management activities are fully integrated into the operator's business and that a positive safety culture is being sustained. https://www.aviationpros.com/education-training/safety-training/press-release/21123515/sun-air-jets-signature-selects-sun-air-jets-achieves-highest-safety-registration-level-from-isbao Back to Top AIR FORCE PROVIDING $1 MILLION FOR PLANEENGLISH PILOT SKILLS APP APP CREATED BY PURDUE AVIATION, SCIENCE GRADUATES The U.S. Air Force is providing $1 million to three Purdue University aviation and science graduates for PlaneEnglish, an app to help develop and mature a suite of "critical communication skills" that advance pilot safety. The Small Business Innovation Research Phase II award is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force and AFWERX, the service's agile technology and innovation hub that acts as a catalyst for new ideas that lead to advanced problem-solving techniques and ultimately more efficiency. "PlaneEnglish is an app-based aviation radio simulator to help new pilots acquire radio communication proficiency by developing advanced skills in more realistic environments," the university wrote in a news release January 28. Aeronautics and astronautics graduate Muharrem Mane, aviation and transportation technology graduate Eren Hadimioglu, and computer science graduate Sam Dickson pooled their resources and talents to launch the app, which guides users through "simple and complicated interactions with air traffic control on every phase of flight"-including taxi, takeoff, airspace entrance, and approaches. Mane said he got the idea for the app after one of his first flights with an instructor. He remembered being told what to say to air traffic control, and he practiced it aloud before he pressed the mic button. However, by the time he keyed the mic, he had forgotten much of the information. He told the university during a 2018 interview that he was "either too slow or I messed something up and there was another airplane close by, and the instructor didn't have time for me to get my sentence right and clutter the airwaves." To keep the lesson on track, the instructor took over communication duties, but the experience left a mark with Mane. The app was designed with more than 50 guided lessons from the simple to the complex. Simulations include "visual clues that show altitude, distance from an airport, and direction." Users must respond properly with the correct phraseology and speech rate, along with other factors. "If you only practice a handful of times, you just don't get good at it," Mane says. The technology was rolled out first for the military and has proven so effective that it is trickling down to civilian general aviation use. Mane called the funding a "tremendous opportunity for us to play an even bigger part in helping the Air Force train pilots using a digital approach that's proven popular with users." The app-based radio simulator is designed to help new pilots acquire radio proficiency skills in a realistic environment. The design team said the simulator is already used in "dozens of airports across the United States." Mane added that the technology comes at a time when the FAA has "increased focus on English language proficiency for pilots, and started asking instructors to test their students on their speaking and communication abilities." https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/january/29/usaf-providing-1-million-for-planeenglish-pilot-skills-app Back to Top A350 engine shutdown incidents linked to cockpit drink spills Airbus and Rolls-Royce are investigating two incidents in which A350s experienced uncommanded in-flight engine shutdown after drinks were spilled on controls situated on the cockpit centre pedestal. FlightGlobal understands that the airframer is to discuss the matter with operators on 30 January, and will issue a transmission on recommended practices for handling beverages on the flightdeck. One of the incidents involved a Delta Air Lines A350-900 en route to Seoul on 21 January, which diverted to Fairbanks after its right-hand Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine shut down, while a similar event occurred to another carrier in November last year. A350 forward pedestal thrust levers KCCUs ecam controls Some 15min before the Delta shutdown, FlightGlobal has learned, a drink was spilled on the centre pedestal between the two pilot seats, primarily on the integrated control panel for engine-start and electronic centralised aircraft monitor functions (above). The right-hand engine shut down and the crew attempted a restart, which was unsuccessful, and the crew chose to divert, subsequently landing safely in Alaska. Flight-recorder analysis showed the electronic engine control had commanded closure of a high-pressure shut-off valve after inconsistent output from the integrated control panel. The previous incident, on 9 November 2019, occurred about 1h after tea was spilled on the centre pedestal, FlightGlobal understands. This also involved the in-flight shutdown of the right-hand Trent XWB engine, and while restart was attempted the powerplant would not remain operational for any length of time. The aircraft diverted, landing safely, and the engines could be restarted once the twinjet was on the ground. Flight-recorder analysis indicated a high-pressure shut-off valve closure command. While the identity of this carrier has not been specified, one of South Korean carrier Asiana's A350-900s, operating between Seoul and Singapore, diverted to Manila on 9 November last year. One of Delta's A350s diverted to Fairbanks after an uncommanded engine shutdown In both incidents the aircraft underwent replacement of systems including the integrated control panel and electronic engine control. Relevant components from both aircraft have undergone examination. Airbus is probing the events in co-operation with suppliers Rolls-Royce and Leonardo. A350 operators have been advised that both incidents involved "liquid spillage" on the centre pedestal but the root causes of the in-flight shutdowns are still under investigation. UK investigators probed an incident last February during which a Thomas Cook Airlines Airbus A330-200 was forced to divert to Shannon after a coffee spillage in the cockpit led to significant radio communication problems. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/a350-engine-shutdown-incidents-linked-to-cockpit-drink-spills/136434.article Back to Top FAA whistleblower says he was prevented from inspecting helicopter before Hawaii crash Los Angeles - In December, a sightseeing helicopter crashed in Kauai, Hawaii, killing all seven people on board. A Federal Aviation Administration whistleblower now says he was prevented from inspecting the aircraft prior to the crash. Joseph Monfort is a former Army helicopter pilot and FAA employee since 2009. He told Senate investigators his FAA bosses twice denied him travel authorizations to visit the helicopter company, making it next to impossible to perform adequate FAA oversight. Another chopper crash in Hawaii in April that killed three people is also getting new scrutiny. The whistleblower claims the FAA did not provide adequate oversight that could have prevented the accident. Senator Roger Wicker is demanding the whistleblower's claims be investigated. "The folks at the top need to look at what's going on. Where there's this much smoke, there's fire," said John Goglia, who served on the National Transportation Safety Board. These latest allegations come as the Transportation Department's inspector general is poised to find the FAA administered ineffective oversight of Southwest Airlines, who allegedly flew millions of passengers on jets with unconfirmed maintenance records. The FAA said it takes these new allegations very seriously and will fully cooperate. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/helicopter-crash-faa-whistleblower-inspection-hawaii-2020-01-30/ Back to Top Aviation Insurance Market Heats Up Premiums rise across the board-but owners can mitigate the changes. Owners of all aircraft types have been hit with increased insurance premiums in the past few months.Piper Aircraft Over the past few months, many aircraft owners have received unwelcome surprises in their mailboxes-virtual or otherwise-in the form of notices of increased premiums from their insurance providers. While the average rate of increase has hovered around 7 to 10 percent, owners of certain aircraft-and those pilots of a certain age-have seen two-fold or even three-fold spikes this year. David Hampson, president of Schrager Hampson Aviation Insurance Agency provided an early warning on changes in the insurance landscape last year, which Flying published in our 2019 Buyer's Guide, and we checked in with him to understand the dynamics behind those changes. Since the publication of the article in early 2019, Hampson notes that "rates have continued along an ever-upward trend while underwriting has further tightened. We've had several insurers pull out of the industry altogether or substantially reduce their underwriting capacity, and most that remain highly vested in aviation have still not reached profitable levels on their business." Hampson also calls out the claims associated with the Boeing 737 Max, which "are also going to have a ripple effect on the global aviation insurance market, which has yet to be fully realized." Hampson has witnessed the same owner groups that have been hit hardest as well. "While all sectors of the industry are being affected, those hardest hit by these market changes have been low-time pilots transitioning into high-valued aircraft, owner-flown turbine aircraft, helicopters of all types and older pilots." But they're not alone, Hampson says. "Commercial operators with any significant loss history are also seeing annual increases high above what they likely have ever experienced before. While the insurance market is always cyclical, I predict that we'll unfortunately see a further hardening of the market for at least another 1 to 2 years before rates start leveling off." So, what can a pilot do? "My best advice for aviation insurance consumers is to do anything you can to differentiate yourself as a preferred risk, which could include more frequent formal recurrent training (simulator-based if flying turbine aircraft), obtaining advanced ratings (especially an instrument rating), flying an aircraft with technologically advanced avionics (TAA) and flying more hours per year to stay proficient," says Hampson. Richard McSpadden, executive director of the Air Safety Institute at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, echoes these thoughts and offers concrete strategies for aircraft owners as they negotiate the changes. "If people can be proactive on the things they do personally to make themselves a safer pilot, and express to the insurance provider that it's not just lip service-that they truly ingest that style of flying," it should help mitigate the problem, he says. McSpadden notes a few items that pilots can act on, such as taking an annual physical exam, and simplifying your flying as you age and your needs change. Limiting your flying to daytime only, or reducing the IFR you file to that when you can have a second pilot on board are two more options. McSpadden notes that it's not just about how much your insurance may cost you-but whether you're insurable at all at a certain stage of your aviation life. McSpadden also calls out the power of recurrent training, and how type-specific training flows through all levels of aircraft, from piston singles to single-pilot jets. The Air Safety Institute launched in 2018 the Focused Flight Review program, partnering with a consortium of industry groups, including GAMA, EAA, the Recreational Aviation Foundation and the Seaplane Pilots Association. The FFR provides seven different profiles for pilots to use during a flight review that dive deeply into how they fly and address key elements for discussion and practice. "Insurance companies love it because it is so specific," says McSpadden. It's clear that, in the current market, those pilots who demonstrate a commitment to conscientious operations will weather the changes the best-a positive outcome for everyone. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/aviation-insurance-market-heats-up/ Back to Top SkyWest picks up 20 more Emrbaer jets for American Airlines American Airlines will add 20 more Embraer E175s to its regional fleet over the next year under a new deal with partner SkyWest Airlines. Deliveries of the 20 jets to Utah-based SkyWest will begin in the second half of the year, Embraer said Thursday. The E175s will seat 76 passengers, with seats for 12 in first class and 64 in economy. SkyWest plans to begin flying 10 E175s under the American Eagle banner this year, and the remaining 10 in 2021, it said Thursday. Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news! The E175s are the first E-Jets SkyWest will fly for American. The regional airline operated seven Bombardier CRJ200s and 66 Bombardier CRJ700s for American at the end of September, its latest fleet plan shows. The new jets begin flying in American's network just as the carrier retires its 20 Embraer E190s, which seat 99 passengers. The E190s are due to leave the mainline fleet by the end of summer. Earlier in January, American's vice president of PHL hub operations Jim Moses told TPG that the majority of E190 flights in Philadelphia - where the fleet is primarily based - will shift to larger Airbus A319s. The balance will move to E175s and other large regional jets, like the Bombardier CRJ900. American plans to end 2020 with 617 regional jets, 12 more than it had in December, its latest fleet plan shows. The airline's mainline fleet could grow to as many as 964 aircraft depending on when the Boeing 737 MAX - American expects 22 in 2020 - returns to service. https://thepointsguy.com/news/skywest-picks-up-20-more-emrbaer-jets-for-american-airlines/ Back to Top Alaska launch facility prepares for commercial space boom Mark Lester, president of Alaska Aerospace, at Launch Pad 1 at the Pacific Space Complex - Alaska. | Courtesy of Mark Lester Far from the Florida space coast, a remote island in Alaska is making a big play for the burgeoning commercial space launch industry. The Pacific Spaceport Complex - Alaska, located on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska, has traditionally launched one or two military and NASA payloads per year. But its manifest of a handful of commercial missions is expected to more than double this year as the market for smaller launchers takes off, according to Mark Lester, president of Alaska Aerospace, which owns and operates the spaceport. "It's only been as of late that we've gotten commercial spaceflight," said Lester, a former Air Force space officer who later spent more than a decade at Booz Allen Hamilton. "We did two test launches in 2018. We have about five or six planned for this year and I see that growing. It's really turning the spaceport into a viable enterprise, into an economic hub for the region, which was intended for the past couple of decades. We were just waiting for that market to mature." Ultimately, Lester believes the spaceport will grow to a launch cadence of 36 launches a year in about four years -- through a mix of government and commercial launches, anchored by two tenants at the facility launching once a month. But Lester does not envision private facilities like his totally eclipsing the three federally-run launch pads, even as cheaper commercial facilities become more routine alternatives. "It probably makes a lot of sense for DoD in particular and the Space Force to have dedicated space bases to launch from," he said. "But for the day in, day out maintenance of constellations where you're sending a GPS satellite up or a constellation satellite up, using commercial spaceports could probably fit that bill very well and at a lower price point." Lester also spoke about how he's working to diversify business at the spaceport and the regulatory reforms he'd like to see to help make establishing a spaceport less cumbersome. What some things that make the Alaska facility different than government launch ranges? One thing I really like about how we've structured Alaska Aerospace and Kodiak spaceport is, we follow the regulations and are licensed by the FAA. We do everything by the book. But I don't have a lot of history, like some of the federal ranges of here's how it was always done. When commercial guys come in and want to do things more efficiently and at a lower price point, we can do that. One example of that is our weather department. For a federal mission, you may have four or five meteorologists ... looking at a lot of different dimensions. They probably got a $1 billion plus satellite, a national asset on the pad or even crewed spaceflight on the pad. I get it. That's high stakes, so you have a lot of eyes on it. Having four or five meteorologists for commercial a mission is just overkill. You're dealing with a smaller satellite. There's a little higher risk tolerance. We need to still make sure the key parameters for launch are met, but I can do that with one or two people. Are you seeing increased interest from commercial customers? Historically, the Pacific Spaceport Complex - Alaska has been more focused on the government launch side. We do one to two launches a year. It's been anything from orbital launches for NASA and the Air Force to intercept tests for the Missile Defense Agency. But it's only been as of late that we've gotten commercial spaceflight. We did two test launches in 2018. We have about five or six planned for this year and I see that growing. It all aligns to where this industry is growing, especially this light lift kind of category of new launch vehicles that can launch a couple hundred pounds to orbit. We really see that as a game changer for the industry and a game changer for Kodiak. It's really turning the spaceport into a viable enterprise, into an economic hub for the region, which was intended for the past couple of decades. We were just waiting for that market to mature. We're seeing both domestic and international interest in coming to launch from Kodiak. We have a great azimuth launch angle that.... gives a lot of flexibility for sun synchronous and other polar-oriented orbits, as well as for testing new vehicles. There's a lot of open space that's uninhabited there in the North Pacific. The only air traffic that we need to make sure we're coordinating internationally is transpacific flights and we work really closely with the FAA to do that. So it's a really great place to do a lot of things that it's really tough to do in the lower 48. Can you give a preview of your 2019 annual report? Our annual report is going to go out probably in the next few weeks. ... What you're going to see in there is ... this transition to blend in more commercial space. I think we'll continue to do government launches. I don't know why we wouldn't. Having a business, we're always wanted to diversify our portfolio. But commercial is where it's going to start having the uptick. In addition to launching from Kodiak, we're diversifying by helping support other customers launch at their sites. So we supported Rocket Labs launches down in the Mahia Peninsula [in New Zealand] with range safety and telemetry support. We've been doing that since they started launching in 2017, and that's been a great relationship. Is there anything you'd like to see from Washington in terms of regulations? There's definitely room for improvement on the regulations. ... I think the challenge is that the market's moving quickly, and it's moving in many different directions. So keeping in front of it is challenging. At least historically, I have always gotten great support out of FAA. We're in the process right now of going from nine launches a year to then asking ... to go to 36 launches. That's a process that I wish I could go faster, but it hasn't been onerous. There's a couple of things that I've noticed that will help this whole process. One is the new Office of Spaceports [within the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation.] It's a tremendous asset for the industry and the ability to look at a network of spaceports across the country. There's only four places you can go into orbit right now. Cape Canaveral and Wallops go low-inclination equatorial, then Vandenberg and us go into polar orbits. Obviously, some of that dynamic changes when you get some horizontal capability, but right now there are very few places that have assured access to space and we need more. tWhen we start to license launch vehicles [without tying them to a specific site,] then I think that will help that dynamic as well. That's how we give certificates for airplanes. We don't say the airplane can only go to Anchorage airport. It's just an indication that the industry is maturing. The FAA is very focused on keeping up public safety. They do a tremendous job of that. The industry needs to continue to support them doing that and then help them along with the regulations. It's not going to be perfect, but they're genuinely interested in making it more streamlined. When do you expect to be doing 36 launches a year? Sooner rather than later, I hope. Realistically, that's probably about four years away. I kind of hesitate in giving you a timeline because it really depends upon how quickly this new venture class light lift launch vehicles start to be mature. We've seen Rocket Labs turn the corner on this. We have one anchor tenant at Kodiak that has not yet been named. I'm having a serious discussion with a second anchor tenant. That's one of our near term goals, is to have two anchor commercial tenants launching once a month. So that's 24 launches there. We add in a half a dozen government launches each year. Now we're pushing 30 and then you have some maybe new entrants coming in. There could be three or four enduring commercial customers at Kodiak pretty easily over the next three to four years and. Do you foresee spaceports playing a greater role in the future of government launches? It probably makes a lot of sense for DoD in particular and the Space Force to have dedicated space bases to launch from, just like Air Force needs dedicated runways to have aircraft on alert. I could see a similar parallel there. But for the day in, day out maintenance of constellations where you're sending a GPS satellite up or a constellation satellite up, using commercial spaceports could probably fit that bill very well and at a lower price point. So the question is, how do you then kind of blend these two models together? My take is ... for the DoD and NASA to continue to leverage more of this network of commercial spaceports and then when it's a critical need, a national need or maybe you just need to have satellites waiting to go for a certain event, then that has to be more aligned to having it on a dedicated federal range. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/31/alaska-launch-facility-space-boom-109537 Curt Lewis