Flight Safety Information April 1, 2020 - No. 066 In This Issue Incident: Aeroflot B738 at Moscow on Mar 29th 2020, engine shut down in flight Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D near Terrace on Mar 17th 2020, cargo smoke indication Incident: Batik A320 near Pekanbaru on Mar 16th 2020, smoke in cockpit Incident: Azul E190 at Sao Paulo on Mar 20th 2020, flaps problem Preliminary report: Thai Airbus A350 descended below glideslope at Frankfurt Airlines Refused to Collect Passenger Data That Could Aid Coronavirus Fight Airbus A220 Engine Failure Cause Narrowed Down By FAA FAA CAN'T WAIVE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FAA Provides Part 135 Medical Exemption for Intl Ops Goodbye floppy disks? Teledyne touts new era for aircraft data loading Virgin Australia Intends To Make All Tigerair Pilots Redundant US, Australia pioneer robot jet fighters American Airlines to retire more jets, including vintage 737s, in coronavirus downturn NASA Conducts Final Test on Mars Helicopter Before Launch Call for Nominations For 2020 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Has Moved Online! Incident: Aeroflot B738 at Moscow on Mar 29th 2020, engine shut down in flight An Aeroflot Boeing 737-800, registration VP-BRF performing flight SU-1741 from Sochi to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) with 154 passengers and 7 crew, was enroute at FL340 about 280nm southsoutheast of Moscow when an engine (CFM56) failed prompting the crew to secure the engine. The aircraft drifted down to FL240 initially, later FL200 and FL180 and continued to Sheremetyevo for a safe landing about one hour after leaving FL340. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Moscow about 46 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d53ec26&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D near Terrace on Mar 17th 2020, cargo smoke indication A Westjet Encore de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GWEN performing flight WS-3108 from Terrace,BC to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 30 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute at FL250 about 60nm southsoutheast of Terrace when the crew received an aft cargo smoke indication. The crew worked the related checklists and discharged the fire bottles, the smoke indication however remained active. The crew declared emergency and returned to Terrace for a safe landing on runway 33 about 22 minutes after leaving FL250. The Canadian TSB reported emergency services access the aft cargo hold and found no evidence of fire. Maintenance replaced the aft cargo smoke detector due to damage found on the casing and the guard of the detector. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/WEN3108/history/20200318/0230Z/CYXT/CYVR http://avherald.com/h?article=4d53f0ee&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Batik A320 near Pekanbaru on Mar 16th 2020, smoke in cockpit A Batik Air Airbus A320-200, registration PK-LAI performing flight ID-6880 from Jakarta to Kuala Namu (Indonesia), was enroute at FL360 about 30nm south of Pekanbaru (Indonesia) when white smoke appeared from the bottom of the right side of the pedestal accompanied by a burning smell. About 2 seconds later the smoke disappeared, the smell however remained. The crew decided to divert to Pekanbaru for a safe landing on runway 36 about 20 minutes after leaving FL360. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Pekanbaru for about 58 hours before returning to service. Indonesia's KNKT rated the occurrence a serious incident and opened an investigation. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d53d23b&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Azul E190 at Sao Paulo on Mar 20th 2020, flaps problem An Azul Linhas Aereas Embraer ERJ-190, registration PR-AXT performing flight AD-4055 from Belo Horizonte,MG to Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP (Brazil) with 98 passengers and 5 crew, was on final approach to Congonhas' runway 35R when the crew received a Slat/Flap Lever disagree message and aborted the approach. The crew worked the related checklists, climbed to FL100 and diverted to Sao Paulo's Guarulhos Airport for a safe landing on runway 27L about 20 minutes after aborting the approach to Congonhas Airport. Brazil's CENIPA reported the crew did not declare emergency or request priority, the landing was normal. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d53e9d9&opt=0 Back to Top Preliminary report: Thai Airbus A350 descended below glideslope at Frankfurt Date: 01-JAN-2020 Time: 19:31 LT Type: Airbus A350-941 Owner/operator: Thai Airways International Registration: HS-THF C/n / msn: 123 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Category: Serious incident Location: Frankfurt-Main Airport - Germany Phase: Approach Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Phuket International Airport (HKT/VTSP) Destination airport: Frankfurt International Airport (FRA/EDDF) Investigating agency: BFU Germany Narrative: Thai Airways International flight TG926, an Airbus A350-900, made an unstable approach to Frankfurt-Main Airport Germany, and descended below the glideslope before a go around was initiated. The captain was Pilot Monitoring (PM) on this flight. The co-pilot was the Pilot Flying (PF). During the approach two other co-pilots were in the cockpit as observers. Around 19:15 the aircraft flew with activated autopilot on the southern approach route of Frankfurt/Main Airport. They followed an aircraft flying ahead during the approach. According to his statement, the PM assumed to land on runway 07R after the aircraft in front. At 19:24:26, the radar approach controller, responsible for "pick-up", asked the crew whether it was correct that a sick passenger was on board. This was confirmed by the crew. The pilot also asked whether additional assistance was needed. The crew confirmed that they had already requested medical assistance for the passenger at the parking position. This was preceded by a message that the cockpit crew had sent to the air carrier's OPS centre via the on-board ACARS system approximately 4 hours before the planned landing in Frankfurt Main. This message contained the information to provide an ambulance for a passenger at the parking position. At 19:27:22 the radar approach controller instructed the PM to switch to the radio frequency of the Radar controller. At 19:27:38 he instructed the cockpit crew to accelerate the descent. At 19:27:59, the controller issued the ATC instruction to steer the aircraft towards 340° and to descend to an altitude of 3000 ft AMSL. With a further vector, the controller instructed the cockpit crew to fly in the direction of 040° and at the same time gave clearance for instrument approach ILS 07R Z. In addition, the crew was instructed to fly at a speed of 170 kt IAS or faster. Analysis of the flight recorder data showed that the landing flaps were set to position 1 at about 19:28:48, at a flight altitude of about 6000 ft AMSL, and to position 2 about 18 seconds later. Shortly thereafter the landing gear was extended at an altitude of about 5100 ft AMSL. During this flight phase the sink rate was about 2000 ft/min. After the aircraft turned to the approach baseline for runway 07R and reached a flight level of about 4000 ft AMSL, the sink rate increased continuously. At 19:30:42 the aural altitude announcement Two Thousand Five Hundred sounded, and at the same time the autopilot was switched off. At about 19:30:55, at a flight altitude of about 1900 ft AMSL, the Autopilot Localizer Engaged mode was recorded on the flight data recorder. About 9 seconds later the two Sink Rate warnings sounded. Another 5 seconds the altitude "One Thousand" was announced and 2 seconds later by "Glideslope". At 19:31:16 the PF gave the command to go around and the PM reported this to the tower controller shortly after. This was the first radio contact of the crew with Frankfurt Tower. At this time the aircraft was in 668 ft AGL (204 m). The distance to runway threshold 07R was 6.43 NM (11,9 km). The second approach to runway 07R was performed with the help of the instrument landing system. The height above the event location (6.43 NM) now was 2238 ft AGL (682 m). The subsequent landing on runway 07R at 19:45 was performed without further problems. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/232061 Back to Top Airlines Refused to Collect Passenger Data That Could Aid Coronavirus Fight Public health officials have been pushing airlines for years to gather more traveler data, but airlines have balked, citing cost and time. For 15 years, the U.S. government has been pressing airlines to prepare for a possible pandemic by collecting passengers' contact information so that public-health authorities could track down people exposed to a contagious virus. The airlines have repeatedly refused, even this month as the coronavirus proliferated across the United States. Now the country is paying a price. As the coronavirus spread into the United States this year, the federal government was not able to get in touch with or monitor airline passengers who might have been exposed to the disease or were carrying it into new communities. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services have spent years warning airlines that they have complete contact information for only about half of their passengers, those who book flights directly through the airlines as opposed to third-party ticketing websites like Travelocity. During the Ebola outbreak in 2014, for example, the scarcity of contact information handicapped the C.D.C. as it tried to reach Americans who might have been exposed to the virus, according to three government officials. But airline executives and lobbyists have protested that it would be expensive and time-consuming for them to start collecting basic information like email addresses and phone numbers for all passengers. The lobbying has worked. Over the past 15 years, the industry has beaten back proposed rules and legislation that would have compelled airlines to collect contact information before passengers board flights. Even last week, as Congress approved tens of billions of dollars in aid to the industry, the airlines helped derail an attempt by the Trump administration to require them to start compiling such information. While the government has access to flight manifests showing who is on board each flight, and where they sit, there is sufficient contact information for only about half of the passengers on any given flight. If a passenger later tested positive for the coronavirus, government officials said, they would struggle to get in touch with people who sat near that passenger to see if they, too, had been infected. Current and former officials at the C.D.C. said in interviews that the lack of information compromised their ability to perform contact tracing of airline passengers, a tactic that helped combat the coronavirus in countries like South Korea. "Contact tracing is really hard. You have to find people, build their trust and keep in touch with them," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, who ran the C.D.C. during the Obama administration. "This is the bread and butter of public health, and every little bit you can do to give you a lead helps." The industry's battle against collecting more information for the government dates back to 2005, when health officials were assessing their response to the SARS outbreak. At the time, officials at the C.D.C. made what they thought was a simple request of airlines: Hand over five pieces of identifying information for each passenger, according to two federal officials with knowledge of the discussions. The C.D.C. wanted people's names, phone numbers, email addresses, the addresses where they would be staying in the United States and emergency contact information. All the airlines needed to do, the government said, was ask a few more questions when passengers checked in for their flights. The airlines balked: They said it would take months, if not years, to retool their computer systems to accept such information and to share it quickly with the government. By the time of the Ebola outbreak in 2014, there still was no system in place. When the C.D.C. asked airlines for more information to help find passengers who were sick or had potentially been exposed to Ebola, the airlines complained about "the burden and the privacy concerns" of providing that data, Dr. Frieden said. "They were vehement about it," he said. In 2016, the C.D.C. wanted to mandate by law that air carriers collect and share such information. The industry again protested. Lobbyists from Airlines for America, a powerful trade association, noted that about half of all tickets were booked through sites such as Expedia and Travelocity. Those companies, which compete against airlines for customers, are loath to share passenger data with rival companies that might try to steal their business. In an October 2016 letter to the C.D.C. and Health and Human Services, Douglas Lavin, an executive at the International Air Transport Association, another airline trade group, wrote that the "C.D.C. has not adequately accounted for the industry burden and cost for collecting these new data elements." The letter was signed by five airline lobbying groups. In conversations with federal officials, the lobbyists promised that if the proposed rule was changed, airlines would come up with a voluntary solution within a year, according to a government official who participated in the discussions. Ultimately, the proposed rule was watered down. The final version, enacted in 2017, required airlines to report passenger information only "to the extent that such data are already available." The rule had almost no effect, because the airlines didn't increase the amount of data they collected from passengers, according to four people familiar with the matter. Then, in January, the coronavirus arrived by plane in Seattle. In a series of tense conference calls that began in January, C.D.C. officials told Mr. Lavin and an Airlines for America lobbyist, Sharon Pinkerton, that the agency was planning to issue an emergency rule that would compel the airlines to collect and share detailed passenger data, according to five people who were on the calls. The C.D.C. argued that such resources were crucial for them to contain the crisis. Airline officials responded that it would be impossible for them to retool their computer systems, some of which were based on technology developed in the 1970s, fast enough to aid the government's fight against the coronavirus. They presented two alternatives: Airlines could hand out paper forms for passengers to fill out and then the government could pay to have the data entered into databases. Or the airlines could quickly develop an app that the government could use to require that travelers provide accurate information in order to enter the United States. "We have said we will do this, but it's going to take 12 months," Ms. Pinkerton, the airline lobbyist, said in an interview. "But we think there are better ways to do this." The airlines found a sympathetic ear inside the Trump administration, including among senior officials at the Federal Aviation Administration. On conference calls with other government officials, Dan Elwell, the deputy F.A.A. administrator, made the case that it would be extremely difficult for airlines to redesign complex technical systems to gather the passenger information, according to two people with knowledge of the calls. Before joining the F.A.A., Mr. Elwell worked for two years as an executive at Airlines for America. On Feb. 12, the Health and Human Services Department issued a temporary rule requiring airlines to gather detailed passenger data. The rule expires once the coronavirus pandemic ends. But the airlines said it would take a year for them to change their computer and other systems to enable them to start collecting the information, and in the meantime they are fighting to undo the rule. In a March 13 letter to the C.D.C. and the Health and Human Services Department, lobbyists from Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association said the airlines and travel agents would have to spend $164 million to buy more airport check-in kiosks, installing new computers and hiring more gate agents, among other costs. "The C.D.C. is using the Covid-19 outbreak to make airlines spend hundreds of millions of dollars to create new systems or modify old systems," the lobbying groups wrote in the letter, which was also signed by the Regional Airline Association and the National Air Carrier Association. Ms. Pinkerton said on Tuesday that the Airlines for America lobbying group was close to finishing an app that the C.D.C. could use to solicit more detailed contact information from passengers. Government health officials said they didn't think an app was a viable long-term solution because in-flight internet is often unreliable and not all passengers have smartphones, according to interviews. And the paper-based system would be too cumbersome to help the government quickly trace people who might have been exposed to the virus. As Congress rushed to pass a huge stimulus bill last week, the government's top health officials tried again to permanently solve their contact-tracing problems. In discussions days before the bill was pushed through, they asked Republican Senate staff members to include language that would require airlines to digitally collect traveler data in exchange for receiving the largest government bailout in history. The C.D.C. was rebuffed. Senate aides were concerned about the privacy implications of such a requirement and didn't want to impose extra burdens on an already distressed industry. They also knew that two key senators - Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, and Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona - had questioned the idea. At a hearing in March, Ms. Sinema presented a letter written by the Airlines for America lobbying group, which suggested using paper forms or an app. In March, the two senators wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence saying that they favored a government-run app. Ms. Sinema - who along with Mr. Cruz sits on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the airline industry - received more money from the Airlines for America lobbying group than any other member of Congress in 2018, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Mr. Cruz was among the top recipients of money from Delta and American Airlines that same year. Ms. Sinema said in a statement that she had "worked across the aisle for weeks to convince the federal government to adopt an app quickly to make contact tracing at all ports of entry a reality." Lauren Aronson, a spokeswoman for Mr. Cruz, said in a statement that "while Senator Cruz understands the importance of contact tracing, thrusting an unfunded mandate that requires all the carriers to rework their entire I.T. systems, at a time when the carriers are hurting badly, was not appropriate or effective." On Friday, President Trump signed a bailout bill that awarded the airline industry more than $60 billion in taxpayer funds. It did not require airlines to collect new information about passengers. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/business/coronavirus-airlines-contact-tracing-cdc.html Back to Top Airbus A220 Engine Failure Cause Narrowed Down By FAA The FAA has issued a further airworthiness directive to operators of the A220. The US aviation safety regulator now requires operators of A220 aircraft in US airspace to remove certain full-authority digital engine control software and install new software. The directive comes after four in-flight shutdowns last year. The FAA considers this a serious safety issue This latest directive concerning the A220 follows an earlier directive issued in September 2019 after a series of engine shutdowns in the skies over Europe. According to a report in Flight Global, three of these incidents last year involved SWISS A220s and one incident involved an Air Baltic A220. The latest FAA directive concerns Pratt & Whitney PW1519G, PW1521G, PW1521G-3, PW1521GA, PW1524G, PW1524G-3, PW1525G, and PW1525G-3 model turbofan engines. The engine shutdowns occurred after the failure of the low-pressure compressor. The FAA notes that the engine failures occurred on engines that were shipped to aircraft operators as spares rather than those originally installed on the aircraft. All four failures occurred within 300 flight cycles of the new engines been installed. "The FAA considers these LPC R1 failures to be an urgent safety issue, requiring immediate action involving replacement of the EEC FADEC software." Four incidents in Europe last year A series of incidents involving A220 aircraft in Europe sparked the FAA's interest. In October 2019, a SWISS A220 en-route to Geneva from London had to divert to Paris after an engine failure. That was a mere month after another SWISS A220 diverted to Geneva after an engine failure. Once on the ground, an inspection of the engine casing found fragments torn loose from the engine. In July, another SWISS A220 was flying over Paris when an engine shutdown followed part of the turbine disintegrating. These three incidents were enough for SWISS to temporarily ground their A220 fleet. In February this year, an Air Baltic A220-300 flying from Riga to Malaga had to divert after the Captain was forced to shut down the left engine. While neither SWISS nor Air Baltic fly A220s into North America, FAA directives are highly influential and are likely to be studied closely by Europe's aviation safety watchdog, EASA. Delta Air Lines is the only US operator of A220s. It has a fleet of 30 A220-100s. Air Canada has three A220-300s. What the FAA wants A220 operators to do To comply with the FAA's latest directive, A220 operators will have to remove the electronic engine control (EEC) software if the version is earlier than the full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) software version V2.11.9.2. In its place, EEC FADEC will need to be installed; If the engine has flown less than 300 flights, this will need to be done within 15 days. For all other engines, the change will have to take place within 90 days. The directive is a blow to Pratt and Whitney and the wider A220 program. Fortunately, Airbus has delivered less than 120 A220 aircraft to operators. That makes it a smaller scale problem than engine issues plaguing other aircraft types. That said, the FAA considers the A220 engine problems serious and potentially life-threatening. Nobody wants to be a plane where the engine turbine begins to break up in-flight. https://simpleflying.com/airbus-a220-engine-failure-cause/ Back to Top FAA CAN'T WAIVE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS CHECK POLICY BEFORE FLIGHT WITH EXPIRED ANYTHING The recent FAA decision to temporarily suspend enforcement of medical certificate lapses during the coronavirus emergency may not change insurance policy requirements, industry leaders told AOPA. It should come as no surprise that satisfying regulatory requirements and satisfying aviation insurance companies are two different things. That was true before the pandemic and will remain so. AOPA was pleased to report the FAA decision on March 26 to suspend enforcement of pilot medical certificate expirations from March 31 through June 30, a move that aims to provide relief from looming deadlines and is among several similar measures that AOPA called for in light of the unprecedented disruption. The FAA recognized the value and importance of keeping general aviation pilots flying during this national emergency and able to respond as unmet logistical needs arise. AOPA has been working with our industry partners since the decision was announced to drill down on important, related details that are well beyond FAA jurisdiction, and insurance is among those. Bill Behan, CEO of AOPA's insurance partner, AssuredPartners Aerospace, explained that aviation insurance policies, unlike automobile and homeowner coverage, vary from company to company on several key points. "It is possible that flying without a current or valid medical certificate may jeopardize the validity of your aircraft insurance policy," Behan noted in a written response. His insurance brokerage responded to the FAA policy change by surveying insurers it writes policies for. Insurance companies offered "sympathetic responses to pilots' challenges in renewing their medical certificates, but none were willing to state the FAA's decision 'not to enforce pilot medical requirements' would override or alter their company's policy wording, in any way." Behan noted that the FAA policy change expires June 30, pending further action, so pilots whose medical certificates expire later will not be affected. For those with expiring medical certificates who do need to fly before June 30, but will be unable to renew their medical certificates, Behan advises careful review of individual policies. If the policy requires a current medical certificate, and many do, affected pilots may still get some relief by contacting their agent or broker and asking that they request a written statement from the underwriter confirming that they will suspend or exempt that requirement to allow continued flight, with insurance coverage in place. "If your underwriter is unable or unwilling to provide such a statement, you need to understand that flying without a current or valid medical may very well jeopardize your aviation insurance coverage," Behan wrote. "Your broker should discuss the various options that may be available to you, if any." AOPA has heard similar responses from others in the industry, including USAIG, one of the major GA insurance carriers, who offered similar advice about reviewing individual policies before flying with an expired medical (or any other deficiency), specifically focusing attention on the policy exclusions (if any), and the pilot warranty or approved pilot clauses, which often establish requirements for training, experience, and certifications. It's much better to confirm coverage before flying with any issues than to wait until there's a claim and then hoping to find a resolution, Behan advised. Also, there may be other aspects to investigate, particularly if you plan to fly internationally or if you are flying for an air carrier. Pilots who can demonstrate a need to fly, and a plan to mitigate risks, may be able to persuade insurers to extend coverage that would otherwise be precluded. In summary, Behan wrote: "1) As respects your aviation insurance policy, the FAA's recent decision not to enforce actions against pilots whose medical certificates may have expired, DOES NOT relieve you of meeting all the requirements of your aviation insurance policy. "2) If your current FAA medical expires after June 30, 2020 nothing has changed and you may continue to fly as normal. "3) If you are unable to renew your FAA medical certificate which expires prior to June 30, 2020 and desire to continue to fly you need to contact your aviation insurance broker to have them verify if your specific policy wording requires you to have a valid and current FAA medical. "4) If your aviation insurance policy does require a current and valid medical certificate have your aviation insurance broker contact your insurance company underwriter to ask for a written statement exempting you for some period of time due to the current COVID-19 pandemic if you are unable to obtain a medical. "5) If [your] underwriter is unable or unwilling to provide such a statement, you need to understand that flying without a current or valid medical may very well jeopardize your aviation insurance coverage. Your broker should discuss the various options that may be available to you, if any." https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/march/31/faa-cannot-waive-insurance-requirements Back to Top FAA Provides Part 135 Medical Exemption for Intl Ops This story is part of AIN's continuing coverage of the impact of the coronavirus on aviation. The FAA, working rapidly to address an array of concerns concerning meeting a number of requirements and deadlines during the Covid-19 crisis, is releasing an exemption that extends the duration of expiring medicals until June 30 for pilots who conduct Part 135 operations outside the U.S. The exemption, issued at the request of the National Air Transportation Association, comes as the agency also is releasing a broader policy statement that it will not issue enforcement for lapsed medicals of persons serving as a "required pilot flight crewmember" between now and June 30. That statement is to be published in the Federal Register on April 1. The agency also has issued a series of exemptions pertaining to Part 135 training requirements. As for the Part 135 international operations exemption, an employer must submit a letter of intent listing who will be exercising the exemption. "This list is necessary to ensure the FAA knows which individuals are exercising the relief granted in the exemption, to conduct appropriate oversight of such individuals, to foster accountability of those covered by the exemption, and to prevent nonauthorized individuals from exercising the privileges granted through the exemption," the agency said. The FAA is opting for an exemption in these cases, even though the broader policy statement has been released, because foreign states might take different approaches to regulation and the FAA's legal interpretation might not be enough for those operations. At the same time, the agency recognized, "The ability of Part 119 certificate holders operating under Part 135 to fly internationally is vital to the U.S. supply chain. There are flights that move goods within the United States that must traverse international airspace (e.g., flights to Alaska and Puerto Rico)...The stability of the U.S. transportation system is particularly critical at this time because of the increased demand for food and medical supplies prompted by the Covid-19 public health emergency." The exemption strengthens the basis for pilots traveling abroad. Some concerns have arisen about whether insurance companies will honor the expired but not enforced medicals under the policy statement issued separately from the exemption. Matt Drummelsmith, president of Aviation Specialty Insurance, said his company has already begun to see the first cases of this. "The general consensus seems to be: provided the FAA considers the medical valid, then we will agree to the same." Drummelsmith added other insurers appear to be falling in line with the FAA. "If the FAA deems it valid, so too will the carriers." However, Helicopter Association International is continuing to advise members to renew their medicals as soon as they are able to and to discuss their situations with their individual insurers. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-03-31/faa-provides-part-135-medical-exemption-intl-ops Back to Top Goodbye floppy disks? Teledyne touts new era for aircraft data loading People who don't work in aviation are often surprised to learn that the antiquated floppy disk is still used in some instances to load essential software and data to aircraft. Such labor intensive manual processes are not only inefficient, but costly to boot. But if Teledyne Controls has its way, the use of floppy disks and other physical media for data loading will become a thing of the past. The company recently launched the Loadstar Server Enterprise 3 (LSE 3) tool, a comprehensive ground-based application that allows airlines to efficiently manage the configuration, storage and electronic distribution of field loadable software and data to aircraft through a single user interface. LSE 3 connects over ethernet, cellular or Wi-Fi, to ARINC 615-3 and ARINC 615A portable data loaders, of which there are myriad types on the market, including solutions from Teledyne Controls. It also supports the wireless transfer of software parts directly to aircraft, when used with Teledyne GroundLink Comm+ and enhanced Airborne Data Loader systems, therefore automating the distribution process even further. Importantly, LSE 3 enables airlines to manage individual aircraft or entire fleets, which Teledyne says will dramatically reduce costs while assisting the airline with regulatory compliance. Image: Teledyne Controls The floppy disk problem is very real. A flight management system requires an update every 28 days or you can't fly the airplane. "Floppies break, or the data becomes corrupted, and the process of distribution is cumbersome and ineffective," says Craig Aitken, senior director dataloading solutions at Teledyne Controls. "Airlines will be losing millions in unnecessary labor costs and aircraft stuck on the ground when they should be in the air." At present, many aircraft are parked due to the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. But as business returns, airlines will seek cost-efficient ways to streamline services. "LSE 3 not only ensures the efficient, electronic distribution of software parts, but also does so in a way that minimizes maintenance paperwork and maximizes regulatory compliance by providing automated load reporting and software part distribution. The centralized library of parts and databases simplifies configuration management for an entire fleet," says Aitken. LSE 3 supports Airbus and Boeing electronic flight bags, as well as legacy Airbus A320, A330, Boeing 737, and 747 aircraft. Full access to the system is entirely under airline control, and only encrypted communications from authenticated clients can gain access to LSE 3, says Teledyne Controls. The system also tracks the delivery and provides reports for all software parts loaded on aircraft and helps collect and return aircraft downloads from the field. Interestingly - and shockingly for some - floppy disks are also still sometimes used to load inflight entertainment content to aircraft. Asked by Runway Girl Network if LSE 3 holds applications for IFE, a Teledyne Controls spokesman said: "Yes it could, but that would not be its main purpose." https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/03/31/goodbye-floppy-disks-teledyne-touts-new-era-for-aircraft-data-loading/ Back to Top Virgin Australia Intends To Make All Tigerair Pilots Redundant Tigerair Australia's entire force of 220 pilots will be sacked by the end of this week, according to the pilots' union. Tigerair's parent company, Virgin Australia, hasn't publicly swung the ax yet, saying it is "working through various options." But the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) says they have been advised the pilots will be laid off at the end of this week. The likely end of Tigerair Australia It would also likely mark the end of Virgin Australia's ill-fated dalliance operating the notoriously unreliable low-cost carrier. Virgin Australia has long been involved with the airline. It took 100% ownership in 2015 when it infamously bought the last 40% stake in the airline of Tiger Airways Holdings for AUD$1. But Tigerair Australia has failed to gain much traction with the traveling public. It has long been constrained by the size of its fleet, lack of profitability, issues of reliability and poor public perception. Virgin Australia has never integrated it into the parent company's operations the way Qantas has successfully done with Jetstar. Tigerair Australia has long been dogged by problems and poor public perception Tigerair Australia's prospects have also never been helped by continuing speculation about its future. When there was a change of guard in the top job at Virgin Australia last year, new CEO Paul Scurrah maintained Tigerair Australia had a future. As recently as February, Mr Scurrah said Tigerair Australia was a "very important part of our future". Not a lot of faith was put into those assurances and that lack of faith appears to be confirmed as Virgin Australia makes its move on Tiger Australia this week. The move comes as Virgin Australia confirmed it had approached the Australian government seeking a USD$860 million bailout loan to ensure the ongoing viability of the airline. Pilot redundancies are being brought forward The AFAP had been told that all pilots would be made redundant by the end of April. Virgin Australia has now brought this forward to the end of this week. Calling the decision "opportunistic," AFAP Senior Industrial/Legal Officer James Lauchland said; "It is disappointing that while Virgin is trying to reassure the travelling public that it will maintain a low-cost carrier, it is laying off all of Tigerair's pilots at the same time." Tigerair Australia employs 220 pilots. Virgin Australia is temporarily standing down some 8,000 employees and permanently sacking some 1,000 employees. The Tigerair Australia pilots are part of the later cohort. A Virgin Australia spokesperson has told Simple Flying that Tigerair Australia pilots are continuing to be paid as normal while consultations with the union continue. The spokesperson says the airline remains committed to Tigerair Australia and that some 180 cabin crew continue to be employed. The AFAP believes that if the Tigerair Australia brand survives, the planes will be flown by Virgin Australia pilots. Likely to be consigned to the dustbins of aviation history But most people believe the Tigerair Australia will not survive. Even in the pre-crisis days, the airline's fleet and destinations were been trimmed. It looked like Tigerair Australia would suffer a death by a thousand cuts. While Virgin Australia is now maintaining a bare-bones domestic service, all Tigerair Australia aircraft are grounded. That's not necessarily unusual right now. What's also increasingly apparent is that airlines everywhere are using this time to re-evaluate their longer-term strategies and "suspend" unprofitable components of the business. In a post-crisis era, with everybody just happy to be moving again, airlines can quietly consign their former unprofitable business units to the dustbins of aviation history. That, despite Virgin Australia's asserting otherwise, seems to be what's happening here. https://simpleflying.com/virgin-australia-tigerair-pilots/ Back to Top US, Australia pioneer robot jet fighters USAF and RAAF are making progress with efforts to develop unmanned jets that can serve as "loyal wingmen" The unmanned Boeing aircraft is called the airpower teaming system, or ATS, which is about 38 feet long and can fly over 2,000 nautical miles. When billionaire Elon Musk told a crowd of US Air Force brass at a Florida symposium that the era of the manned fighter jet "was over," there was much consternation and a few smiles in the audience. The fact is, change is literally in the air, as the USAF and the Royal Australian Air Force are indeed making progress with efforts to develop unmanned jets that can serve as "loyal wingmen" for their manned counterparts. Under the concept, robotic systems can accompany fighters as decoys, weapons carriers or sensor platforms, according to a report from Connie Lee at National Defense. The USAF's effort is dubbed the XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator, which is an unmanned, long-range, "high subsonic" aircraft, according to the service. The 30-foot-long platform is being developed by Kratos Defense and Security Solutions and falls under the Air Force Research Laboratory's low-cost attritable aircraft technology portfolio, the report said. The XQ-58A has a cruise speed of more than .7 Mach and a maximum range of about 3,000 nautical miles. "We've been flying very regularly since March of 2019 as we demonstrate the system and evaluate different mission capabilities, and effectively perform different mission scenarios in these flights," said Steve Fendley, president of Kratos' unmanned systems division. The system's first flight lasted for over an hour at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, the Air Force said in a news release. The service will hold multiple flight tests over two phases to test the system's functionality, aerodynamic performance and launch and recovery systems, the report said. The company was awarded a US $40.8 million cost-share contract from the Air Force Research Lab in 2016 to develop the design, intended to be a low-cost, affordable solution for tactical unmanned aerial systems operations, the report said. In October, the company found an anomaly, which was fixed in time for the January flight. The problem occurred with the aircraft's parachute recovery system and caused damage to the aircraft during its landing phase. Kratos was awarded a $40.8 million cost-share contract from the Air Force Research Lab to develop the XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstrator. Boeing Australia is also working on an R&D effort with the Royal Australian Air Force through the loyal wingman advanced development program, the report said. The company's aircraft is called the airpower teaming system, or ATS, which is about 38 feet long and can fly over 2,000 nautical miles, according to the company. Jerad Hayes, director of autonomous aviation and technology at Boeing defense, space and security sector, said the aircraft will be able to support a broad range of missions. Plans include building three prototypes, which will be used to demonstrate operational concepts. First flight is scheduled for this year in Australia, the report said. Boeing declined to provide specific information on the platform's sensors and payloads, but Hayes noted that they can be swapped out quickly to meet different needs, the report said. "In general, the airpower teaming system 'baseline' aircraft is one that each customer can tailor via the ATS' modular design, where sensors/payloads can be swapped out quickly for varying mission needs," he said. To demonstrate the platform's mission flexibility, the company created a "digital" twin of the aircraft that has been flown under various scenarios to test missions systems. Boeing is also incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities into the aircraft. These are critical because autonomous platforms need to be able to fly independently and safely while working alongside manned counterparts, the report said. "The artificial intelligence algorithms and behaviors not only have to be created but also extensively tested in the lab and in the field," Hayes said. "In Australia, that work is well advanced." https://asiatimes.com/2020/03/us-australia-pioneer-robot-jet-fighters/ Back to Top American Airlines to retire more jets, including vintage 737s, in coronavirus downturn CHICAGO (Reuters) - American Airlines Group Inc is set to sharply increase the number of jets it is planning to retire beyond its announced plans as it accelerates a fleet transformation to respond to the coronavirus crisis, people familiar with the matter said. Some 4,700 jets have been parked globally as airlines slash operations due to travel restrictions, according to Ascend by Cirium fleet data, and American's decision confirms industry speculation that many of those older jets will not fly again. In addition to the retirement of 34 Boeing Co 757s and 17 Boeing 767s announced just two weeks ago, American now plans to also sunset a batch of 76 Boeing 737s it acquired between 1999 and 2001, nine Airbus SE A330-300s and 20 Embraer E190s, the people said. The plans were announced by President Robert Isom in a video Q&A with employees on Sunday, where he said the arrival of new Boeing 737 MAX jets, expected later this year after a prolonged global grounding, could help facilitate the retirement of older jets that would be in need of heavy maintenance. American is also considering retiring some of its 50-seat regional jets, he said. American said on March 12 it was accelerating the retirement of its remaining Boeing 757s and 767s as it looks at removing older, less fuel-efficient aircraft from its fleet. "Decisions beyond the 757 and 767 have yet to be finalized, and we continue to make refinements to our overall fleet plan," American spokesman Ross Feinstein said, adding that decisions would be based on demand. Airlines around the world have slashed capacity and even the planes flying are nearly empty. Data firm OAG said the aviation industry was less than half the size it was in mid-January, just before countries started confirming coronavirus cases outside China. Aside from heavy maintenance needs on the A330-300s and some of the 737s, American was also facing retrofitting costs on some of the 737s. It said on Monday it would be seeking up to $12 billion from a government aid package meant to help airlines manage costs during the downturn, particularly for employee payroll. The pace of aircraft retirements influences an airline's cost structure since new aircraft are costly to buy but cheaper to run. It also gives a clue to potential future demand for new aircraft. Some analysts are predicting a surplus of aircraft as a wounded airline industry emerges from the coronavirus lockdown into what many economists expect to be a broad recession. But decisions by airlines to retire planes in 2020 and 2021 could trim that surplus, Ascend by Cirium consultancy head Rob Morris told an Airline Economics webinar on Friday. The last two years saw a total of 1,130 retirements, he said. Aircraft demand is influenced by a combination of new production and the rate at which airlines retire older planes. Airlines' fleet plans had been structured around expectations that global travel demand would continue to grow this year and beyond, but now analysts do not expect passenger traffic to recover 2019 levels for some time. As jets head to parking lots or graveyards, an American 767 landed in Miami from Lima, Peru late Monday in what could have been the final flight for its 767 fleet. So far American has temporarily parked 135 out of 150 widebodies -- including 787 Dreamliners -- and more than 300 single-aisle jets, and may continue to park more of its smaller aircraft as the crisis continues, Isom told employees. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/exclusive-american-airlines-retire-more-142848873.html Back to Top NASA Conducts Final Test on Mars Helicopter Before Launch NASA's Mars 2020 mission is finally taking shape. The rover finally has a name - Perseverance, and engineers have wrapped up testing on the rover's flying companion. The Mars Helicopter just spun its blades on Earth for the last time. When next it spins up, it'll be on the red planet. NASA did not design the Mars 2020 mission or Perseverance rover around the Mars Helicopter, but it's making the trip nonetheless. The helicopter is a technology demonstration, not an integral part of the mission. However, it could pave the way for future flying endeavors on Mars. The team has already confirmed that the helicopter should be able to fly in the thin Martian atmosphere thanks to its ultra-light design and the planet's lower gravity. The last flight test took place about a year ago (see below), and the helicopter still hasn't lifted off again - it's tuned for the Martian atmosphere, so any flights on Earth require extensive preparation to avoid damaging the machinery. However, the team did conduct one more vital test of the rotors last week in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Engineers ran the Mars Helicopter rotors at 50 RPM on a static test stand, which is much slower than they'll rotate on Mars. The planet's thin atmosphere means even a light craft like the four-pound helicopter needs a very high rate of rotation to generate lift. The design allows for up to 2,800 revolutions per minute, but it should be able to lift off at around 1,900 RPM. The JPL test confirms the motor is working as intended, and the helicopter is ready to be mounted on the underside of the Perseverance rover. NASA Chopper Ready for a Spin on Mars Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, NASA has worked to keep the Mars 2020 mission on-schedule. Work has stopped on the James Webb Space Telescope for now, but the clock is ticking for the rover. If it doesn't launch as planned this summer, NASA will have to wait another two years for Earth and Mars to be aligned again. If all goes as planned, Perseverance will touch down on Mars in February 2021. It will deploy the helicopter, which has its own solar power system and camera. It will communicate with Perseverance wirelessly via the ZigBee radio protocol. Image data from the helicopter might help Perseverance navigate the challenging terrain of Mars, but future flying drones could be much more integral to exploring Mars. https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/308542-nasa-conducts-final-test-on-mars-helicopter-before-launch Back to Top Call for Nominations For 2020 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award is scheduled to be presented during the 73nd Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Oct. 19-21 in Paris, France. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 75 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Rev. Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until May 10, 2020. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Mrs. Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956, her husband, Rev. Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and their son, Cliff, established the Award in her honor. For nearly 65 years, this long distinguished award has recognized those responsible for crowning achievements in aviation safety worldwide. The Award was established through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the non-profit Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. For more information on the foundation, the award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org Back to Top TheUSC Aviation Safety & Security ProgramHas Moved Online! The following upcoming courses will take place in our virtual WebEx classrooms. Incident Investigation/Analysis For managers and supervisors who may be required to investigate, implement, or review safety findings and recommendations resulting from aviation incidents. April 6-10, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2575 More classes will move online soon. If you want to take a specific class online, or have any questions, please contact us. Earn Credit for FlightSafety Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn elective credits towards FlightSafety International's Master Technician-Management Program • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Gas Turbine Accident Investigation • Helicopter Accident Investigation • Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance • Safety Management for Ground Operations Safety • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness Earn Credit for FlightSafety Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn two points toward completing the application for the National Business Aviation Certified Aviation Manager Exam. • Aviation Safety Management Systems • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Aircraft Accident Investigation • SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Curt Lewis