Flight Safety Information April 17, 2020 - No. 078 In This Issue Boeing 777-367ER - Ground Collision (Hong Kong) ATSB DETAILS HOW FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTER CREW SWAM TO SAFETY AFTER CRASH NextGen Aircraft Design is Key to Aviation Sustainability Canadian innovation remedies ongoing Cessna 206 safety issue IATA salutes aviation workers with free training WINGS PROGRAM TO BE REVAMPED Lockheed Martin trained the 1,000th pilot for the F-35 program Airbus evaluates requests for delays to jet deliveries Aviation remote learning opportunities by Lufthansa Group specialist company Aircraft Accident Investigation Series in Slovenia AvMaSSI - HazCom & Infectious Disease Control Program USC Aviation Safety & Security Program...Has Moved Online Call for Nominations For 2020 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Boeing 777-367ER - Ground Collision (Hong Kong) Date: 16-APR-2020 Time: Type: Boeing 777-367ER Owner/operator: Cathay Pacific Registration: B-KPD C/n / msn: 36155/680 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok Airport (VHHH) - Hong Kong Phase: Standing Nature: - Departure airport: - Destination airport: - Narrative: A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 contacted a parked Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPD) during towing at Hong Kong Airport. No passengers were on board at the time of the incident. The A350 sustained damage to the right-hand winglet while the B777 sustained damage to the left-hand tip of the horizontal stabilizer. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/235114 Back to Top ATSB DETAILS HOW FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTER CREW SWAM TO SAFETY AFTER CRASH A firefighting crew have credited their training for enabling them to swim to safety through fuel contaminated water when their Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane crashed into a dam. An ATSB report has detailed how the team weren't able to see anything underwater, but remembered drills from their helicopter underwater escape training - waiting until the last moment to draw breath and not unbuckling their harnesses until the Skycrane's movement had ceased. One crew member sustained a knee injury but the other two were uninjured in the incident that took place on 28 January 2019 at Wood Creek Dam, Victoria. The Accident Transport Safety Bureau's director of transport safety, Stuart Macleod, emphasised the importance of thorough preparation, saying, "In the wake of a separate, sadly fatal, accident the ATSB released a Safety Advisory Notice highlighting the importance of HUET regular training. This accident demonstrates the value of that training in saving lives." The two pilots and one engineer, from Canada and the US, were tackling the Thomson Catchment Complex fires in Victoria's Yarra Ranges National Park when they returned to Wood Creek Dam to fill their tank. All three crew members were highly experienced, and twice during the day had utilised the same location to fill their tank using a pond snorkel. On the day's third visit, while descending with a nose-high attitude, the helicopter's tail struck the water, which then submerged and resulted in the tail rotor breaking off. The helicopter then spun rapidly and its main rotor blades separated as they hit the water. The right cockpit door separated from the fuselage, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side, submerging the cockpit. The crew recall that they couldn't see anything underwater, and that jet fuel contamination was present. Each recalled the rehearsed drills from their helicopter underwater escape training and identified their harnesses and nearest exit to orientate themselves. They all waited until the last moment to draw a breath and did not unbuckle or attempt to exit the helicopter until motion had stopped. All three crew successfully exited the aircraft, inflated their life jackets, and swam to shore. The aircraft was badly damaged. Macleod noted that accident highlighted another survivability consideration, as neither pilot unplugged their helmet. However, the extension cords from the aircraft to the helmet plug allowed the plug to release, preventing the helmets from snaring them. "Following an accident, it is common for air crew to overlook the need to unplug their helmet," he said. "Using a good quality extension cable that will maintain the integrity of communications and release under tension in the event of an emergency can also save lives." The ATSB investigation into the accident established that, over the course of the day's operation, the helicopter's approach path to the dam was incrementally shortened. The length of the final approach was considerably shorter than earlier approaches. The steep sides and narrow body of the dip site pictured from the west (ATSB) ATSB investigators determined that it was likely that the final tight approach path was at the upper margins of allowable speed and angle of bank. This would have required a steep flare on arrival and likely resulted in the rapid onset of vortex ring state. "When performing aerial work, it is easy to accept incremental changes that gradually reduce margins. While these changes often increase efficiency, it is worth checking how much a sequence has deviated from earlier versions and re-evaluating elements if they appear less stable," Macleod said. "Helicopters excel in confined areas, but are vulnerable when operating within them. In this case, the shape of the dam and surrounds of the site reduced the opportunity for recovery. Periodic reassessment of confined areas, and approach and departure profiles, should be done throughout the duration of an operation." You can read the full report here. https://australianaviation.com.au/2020/04/atsb-details-how-firefighting-helicopter-crew-swam-to-safety-after-crash-82339/ Back to Top NextGen Aircraft Design is Key to Aviation Sustainability For NASA's aeronautical innovators, when it comes to designing the next generation of passenger-carrying airplanes, you can think of it as being about four E's: Environment, efficiency, electrification, and economy. Like a set of Russian matryoshka nesting dolls, they fit within each other to provide a whole idea, one that especially resonates with what Earth Day is all about - working toward a cleaner environment at a time of global concern over climate change. "Conceptually, it's really quite simple," said Robert Pearce, NASA's associate administrator for aeronautics. "In order to lessen our impact on the environment we must increase aircraft efficiency in every way we can, integrate electrification to aid or replace current propulsion methods, and do it all in a way to benefit the economy," Pearce said. To be clear, we're not talking here about coming up with a future airliner that flies faster than sound, or a smaller personal air taxi or package delivery aircraft of the type that will be part of Advanced Air Mobility. NASA already has resources dedicated to that. Instead, the focus is on a future airliner that might carry 150-175 passengers, flies at subsonic speeds and could supplement or replace aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 in the 2030 timeframe. More specifically, starting with the environment - keep that vision of nesting Russian dolls handy for the next few sentences - the goal is to make aviation sustainable. To make aviation sustainable you must reduce aviation's impact on climate change. To reduce aviation's impact on climate change you must reduce greenhouse emissions. To reduce greenhouse emissions - carbon dioxide being the biggest contributor - you must reduce the amount of fuel burned. To reduce fuel burn, you must make the aircraft design more efficient. It must move through the air easier, possibly use electricity to augment or power the propulsion system, and it must be as lightweight as is safely practical. As a result, NASA is focusing on four technologies to help deal with those efficiency challenges related to aerodynamics, propulsion and weight. "These are technologies that will build from the foundation laid during previous NASA projects such as the Environmentally Responsible Aviation project and studies on future aircraft designs that we called N+3," said James Kenyon, NASA's manager for the Advanced Air Vehicle Program. 1. Electrified Aircraft Propulsion Electrification in aviation is all about how you manage to propel your airplane forward so you can reduce the amount of fuel burned but still get the desired power during every phase of flight - from taxi, to takeoff, to cruise, to landing and taxi again. "At the large aircraft level, maybe it's not fully electric. But if I can use electricity to help me out with certain parts of the flight envelope, I can design my engine differently and make it more efficient overall," Kenyon said. This can mean an all-electric airplane in which electric motors turn propellers or fan blades to generate thrust. Such a capability could enable all sorts of new ways airplanes could be designed, either by modifying current airplanes or coming up with new configurations. NASA's work on the all-electric X-57 Maxwell provides a glimpse of what might be possible. Another configuration is a hybrid set up where both conventional jet engines and electricity are used to turn the fans during flight. The jet engines also can power generators to directly supply electricity to the electric motors, or to charge batteries for the electric motors to use later. "Our plans are to test increasingly more powerful electric systems, up to one megawatt of power, first in a laboratory on the ground, and then later in flight on a testbed aircraft yet to be selected," said Fay Collier, NASA's director for flight strategy in the Integrated Aviation Systems Program. 2. Small Core Gas Turbine Another way to get more fuel efficiency out of an engine is to change its configuration in terms of how air flows through it and at what pressures and temperatures. For years, jet engines of the type seen on big commercial airliners have become more efficient by changing the amount of air flowing through the hot jet core of the engine vs. flowing around, or bypassing, the core through its fan blades - something called the bypass ratio. In general, the higher the bypass ratio the more efficient the engine can be at generating thrust. But there is a limit - or at least there has been a limit - as to how big you can make that bypass ratio. That's because the engine - core and fan blades - must be contained in a housing, or nacelle. This is a safety feature to contain and minimize any danger that might arise should an engine catastrophically fail in flight. The problem is the nacelle of an engine hanging off the wing of an airliner can only be so big in diameter before it starts dragging on the ground. A minimum clearance is required, and you can only make the landing gear so long before it weighs too much or takes up too much room when stowed. So, if you can't make the overall engine wider in diameter, yet you want to increase the bypass ratio so more air flows around the core, then the solution is to make the core smaller in diameter. This is one of the goals of the small gas turbine research effort. The research will take advantage of earlier work with exotic metals, ceramics, and unique internal geometries to manage the increased temperatures and pressures that are a natural result of managing combustion in tighter quarters. 3. Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Tackling the challenge of increasing the aerodynamic efficiency of an airplane moving through the air will be researched through continued studies of the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) aircraft concept. One of the designs that came out of earlier research projects into future aircraft designs, the TTBW is essentially a classic tube and wing airplane but with a wing that is extremely long and thin. So long and thin, in fact, that it needs a little help on both sides of the fuselage to hold it up. Such a wing stretched out to the proper length - known as a high-aspect ratio wing - generally creates the same amount of lift as the thicker, shorter wings you see on airliners today, but does so with much less drag. "You could get some of the benefits of the thin wing without the truss, but the truss allows us to really extend the wing out to maximize its benefits," Kenyon said. "We can even fold up the wing tips so airport gates don't need to be rearranged." Although other revolutionary aircraft designs have been studied - such as the Double Bubble and Blended Wing Body - the TTBW technology shows the most promise for being ready the soonest. "We think the TTBW design and associated technology could be ready for manufacturers and airlines to consider using within the 10-year-future timeframe we're looking at, while the others might need another five to 10 years," Kenyon said. 4. High Rate Composites Composite materials have been used in aerospace settings for decades. They can be fabricated into complex shapes, are structurally stronger and weigh much less than the same parts made from metal. They also last longer and are easier to repair when damaged. But there remain opportunities to increase use composites in aviation, especially in the construction of big airplanes. Although the industry has made progress - fifty percent of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is made of composite material - much work still needs to be done. Two challenges related to a significantly increased use of composites need to be overcome. The first has to do with reducing the time it takes go from concept, through design, fabrication, testing and then certification of materials by federal regulators charged with ensuring public safety. The second has to do with increasing the rate at which composite parts - especially larger structural components - can be manufactured. NASA's recently completed Advanced Composites Project addressed the first challenge. "The project attacked that and put into place a lot of tools. From design methods to better modeling capabilities, inspection methods, and processes for automating parts of the fabrication that allow us to reduce the time to certify," Kenyon said. To address the second challenge, NASA is planning a new technical effort focused on tackling the barriers for manufacturing composites at a high rate. "What we need to address now is coming up with ideas for how composites can be manufactured in a way that is reliable, repeatable and results in a quality product that can be routinely certified as safe," Kenyon said. Environmental and Economic Benefits As plans for conducting research related to these four technologies continues to be made and executed, some might ask why is NASA doing this? The answer is that all these efforts are part of NASA Aeronautics' Strategic Implementation Plan, which was developed through listening to the needs of other government agencies, industry, academia and other stakeholders in the future of aviation. And the incentive for doing this work goes well beyond the sincere desire to help the planet's environment. "We can invest in the things that are for the greater good, but we don't build, produce, or operate commercial airplanes. We just develop technologies so that industry can competitively bring these to market as desired," Kenyon said. The good news is that the same set of technologies that can reduce carbon emissions are those that reduce fuel burn, which in turn reduce operating costs for the airlines. And if these new airplanes are attractive to the airlines, then manufacturers will want to build them, improving their bottom line as well. "This all lines up our incentives so we can all work together in terms of something that is good for the climate, for sustainability, is something good for the market, and helps the U.S. maintain its role as a world leader in aviation," Kenyon said. https://www.nasa.gov/aero/nextgen-aircraft-design-is-key-to-aviation-sustainability Back to Top Canadian innovation remedies ongoing Cessna 206 safety issue Two Canadian companies have pioneered a solution to an ongoing safety issue that involves emergency egress from the rear seats of Cessna 206 family aircraft. When flaps are lowered, they block the opening of the Cessna 206's forward cargo door. Tackling a design problem that has stumped others for decades, Dale Floyd of Coast Dog Aviation and Ron Strobl of Airworthiness Resources Corporation have combined their expertise to engineer a kit-based solution that does not involve structural modifications to the aircraft. Most importantly, it has the potential to save lives. Back in the summer of 2018, a float-equipped Cessna 206G Stationair carrying one pilot and four passengers was landing on a northern lake when control was lost and the aircraft overturned upon hitting the water. The pilot and one passenger managed to escape the submerged fuselage, but upon diving the pilot was unable to open the rear cargo doors, which were locked from the inside and blocked by the extended flaps. The other three passengers drowned. Initial Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) investigations (Advisory A18W0129-D1-A1) revealed that the crash impact was survivable by all on board. The locked rear cargo doors were undamaged and all required door placards were in place. In order to open both cargo doors in a Cessna 206, the front one must be opened first. The rear door can then be unlocked by pulling down a red handle in the front edge of the door and releasing a catch on the floor. However, with the flaps being in a partial land configuration (20 degrees of their possible 40 degrees of travel), the front cargo door is inhibited from opening more than eight centimetres by the flap itself, which in turn prevents the operation of the rear door handle. This is not a new issue with the 206, Cessna's very popular single-engine, six-passenger aircraft. First introduced in 1964, approximately 9,000 models have been built. There have been numerous configurations until the final H model version was introduced in 1998, following a dormant period between 1986 and 1996. The H model is still in production. Designed to carry six people (including the pilot) or as a cargo hauler, the 206 is a very useful utility aircraft with a range of up to 703 nautical miles. It is an ideal floatplane with a large cargo door opening, a flat floor, spacious freight area and the flexibility to fly mixed configurations of seats and cargo. The TSB said that prior to the 2018 accident, according to data collected since 1989, there have been five Cessna 206 accidents in the United States and Canada in which extended flaps blocked the rear double door. Those earlier accidents resulted in eight fatalities. In 1991, Cessna produced Service Bulletin (SB) SEB91-4 to simplify the opening of the rear cargo door past the impeded forward door. In 1991, Transport Canada (TC) issued a Service Difficulty Alert (AL-97-04) which is a non-mandatory recommendation to install the FAA SB. The SB improves the operation of the rear door but does not address the issue of the forward door being impeded by the flaps. By 1998, when the first 206H model was imported to Canada, TC policy had changed and the regulator no longer accepted the FAA's type certificates. The H model was subject to the TC certification process, where it was determined the rear doors could not be certified as an emergency exit as they were not easily accessible and the opening process was not simple nor obvious. This TSB image shows the rear cargo door and latches. The red handle in the edge of the aft door will not clear the partially opened front door. TSB Photo To solve the issue, TC certified (Type Cert A-212-10) the Cessna 206H as a five-passenger aircraft with one of the second row of seats being removed to ensure easy egress towards the front doors by the two passengers in the furthest aft seats. Not only did this reduce the payload by one passenger (17 per cent) but added an unintended consequence with the C of G limitations. With two passengers in the rear seat row and only one in the next row, the aircraft C of G was too far aft so only four could be carried. That reduced the useful payload to only four with a loss of 33 per cent of payload. And still the door issue was unresolved. Between 1999 and 2003, the FAA and TC struggled to arrive at a solution that would mitigate the door issue and achieve a design change that could be applied to the large fleet of Cessna 206 aircraft. No acceptable solution was found. The H model stayed at five seats and the older models at six. In 2005, TC tried to restrict all older 206 floatplanes to five seats but that was finally put on hold; in 2008, it was abandoned as no other options had been found. After the most recent 2018 crash, TC is once again examining the issue and may limit the seating in all 206s. The current Canadian fleet of Cessna 206 aircraft consists of 190 U206, 50 TU206, and 11 206H models. Worldwide, possibly more than 8,000 are still flying. Great minds think alike It turns out that two Canadian companies were working on an identical, viable solution at the very same time. Dale Floyd, president and owner of Coast Dog Aviation in Pitt Meadows, B.C., is both a pilot and an AME. He has been expanding his AMO capabilities since starting Coast Dog 10 years ago. The company provides a wide variety of maintenance and consulting services for aircraft up to the size of a Twin Otter for customers at its new Pitt Meadows facility and as far away as the Northwest Territories. Floyd is also a high-time floatplane pilot who has been aware of the C206 issue for years. Ron Strobl is the managing director of Airworthiness Resources Corporation in Spruce Grove, Alta. He is an AME and a Transport Canada Minister's Delegate (MD-M) authorized to perform certification duties. Typically, this delegation allows Strobl to issue Certificates of Airworthiness, Special Certificates of Airworthiness, and Export and Import Airworthiness Certificates. His company also designs, manufactures and certifies several aeronautical components. "I was approached by North-Wright Air of Norman Wells, N.W.T., regarding the upcoming AD [airworthiness directive]," said Strobl. "[They asked me] to look at a better way to comply with the AD without losing valuable payload and solving the flap/door issue." After trying several unsatisfactory methods involving the rear-door windows, he came up with a novel idea. Meanwhile, over in Pitt Meadows, Floyd had been talking with one of his customers regarding the same issue and had come up with the same idea! Aviation is a small world, particularly on the maintenance side. Floyd and Strobl had known each other for years and their paths had crossed many times. They soon realized they had reached the same solution. Strobl was several steps ahead of Floyd, having already involved TC, and he was well underway with the first prototype. "I decided to drop my plans," said Floyd. "Ron was well underway with the design and certification, so I was supporting that by adding my expertise in other ways." The joint project involves a modification to the forward cargo door to allow the top portion to fold if it contacts the flaps. With their combined knowledge of mechanical design, Strobl's manufacturing, design and certification expertise, and Floyd's worldwide contacts and manufacturing capability, the project has rapidly progressed towards an Alternate Means of Compliance (AMOC) certification with TC. "I have talked to TC's headquarters and they are on board with what we have designed," said Strobl. "We are in the process of developing the STC for Canadian aircraft and will then work with the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in Europe." The intent is to design a kit that can be installed on doors by either Coast Dog or Airworthiness Resources, or by the end-user if they have the capabilities. "I put a small feeler out a few weeks ago on the Internet and I have had calls from all over North America and Norway," said Floyd. "A customer of mine in Alaska wants them as soon as possible." Currently, Floyd has the necessary manpower in Pitt Meadows to install the first completed kit and would hire more staff as required. He has a door ready to be modified as soon as the pre-production kit arrives. "The first components for the pre-production kits have been designed and are being laser-cut," continued Strobl. "We already have a North-Wright door in our shop here to modify. "The beauty of our design is that no work is required on the aircraft itself, even the door placards remain the same," he concluded. "Not only do I enjoy being a problem solver, but this project has the bonus of saving lives." The first kits for all Cessna 206 models should be available by mid-May, just in time for float season. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/canadian-innovation-remedies-ongoing-cessna-206-safety-issue/ Back to Top IATA salutes aviation workers with free training Courses will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis for 5,000 online training opportunities. Applications must be received before 27 April 2020. GENEVA - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is offering free access to online training courses for up to 5,000 aviation workers as part of its efforts to help the industry through the COVID-19 crisis. Current employees - or those who wish to become a part of the aviation or related industries - can select one from eight of IATA's most popular e-learning courses to strengthen their industry knowledge and skills: • Aviation Competition Law • Destination Geography • Travel Agency Fees: A Professional Approach • Accounting and Financial Management for Travel Agencies • Geography in Travel Planning • Distribution and Airline Retailing • Diversity and Inclusion • Aviation Law - Fundamentals "Aviation will make it through the COVID-19 crisis. That's because, as with past crises, the many great people of this industry will pull together to face the challenges head-on. In a salute to the women and men of this industry, IATA is making a small contribution to support the sector's recovery with free training. These are tough times but we wanted to see the opportunity of the future, and what better way than through learning," said Stéphanie Siouffi, IATA's Director of Training. Courses will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis for 5,000 online training opportunities. Applications must be received before 27 April 2020. IATA is proud to offer this as part of an ongoing campaign, #WeAreAviation, to support the men and women in the aviation community during these challenging times as well as to showcase the passion and people behind the business of freedom. https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/iata-salutes-aviation-workers-with-free-training Back to Top WINGS PROGRAM TO BE REVAMPED The AOPA Air Safety Institute is among several general aviation groups working with the FAA to improve the Wings Pilot Proficiency Program, and you can help. The Wings program has been around for years, delivering pilot education and training focused on common accident causes. Participants enjoy enhanced safety and accumulate credits that can satisfy the ground portion of the required flight review. The Air Safety Institute, along with other key aviation associations including the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators, the National Association of Flight Instructors, and the Experimental Aircraft Association, is participating in a working group to help the FAA focus resources to enhance the program's features and website. You are invited to participate in a survey about your experience with the Wings program and website-tell us about both the good and the bad. Beyond increasing pilot proficiency, completion of Wings-approved material can lead to lower insurance rates, CFI certificate renewal, and completion of the ground portion of a flight review. Your comments will help guide the shape of the Wings program for years to come. All responses are anonymous and confidential, and the survey should take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your time and willingness to help improve aviation safety! https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/april/16/wings-program-to-be-revamped Back to Top Lockheed Martin trained the 1,000th pilot for the F-35 program Lockheed Martin has reported that it trained the 1,000th pilot and 9,000th maintainer for the F-35 Lightning II program. "These milestones are a testament to the maturity and capability of the F-35 global training enterprise," said Chauncey McIntosh, Lockheed Martin, vice president of F-35 Training and Logistics. "Our mission is to produce world class pilots and maintainers around the world." The F-35 presents new ways to tactically employ and requires pilots to master new competencies. Pilots train for a broad range of air-to-air, air-to-ground and electronic warfare missions in the simulator. The fidelity of the Full Mission Simulators currently allows about half of initial training flights to be accomplished virtually. The syllabus includes technology-driven academics, flights in the Full Mission Simulator and live flights in the aircraft. Lockheed Martin is providing F-35 pilots the training they need to fly safely and confidently to conduct their missions - the first time and every time. Behind every pilot's mission are the maintainers who make it possible. These men and women repair, inspect and modify the aircraft to ensure safe and effective functioning during flight operations. They are trusted advisors and analysts who gather flight data to make informed decisions letting F-35 pilots know their aircraft is fit for flight. Because of the aircraft's computing power, F-35 maintainers must bring a high level of technical expertise to their jobs. Maintainers rotate from the classroom to training devices to develop an in-depth understanding of the F-35 weapon system. The mix of simulation and flight line training varies per maintenance specialty. Currently across all disciplines, 70 percent of training occurs during computer-based courses and hands-on exercises with simulators. Aircraft readiness also benefits with simulation-based training as some training tasks are intrusive, like removing and replacing components, and can render an aircraft non-mission capable until the training is complete. In this sense, the virtual training preserves aircraft readiness and produces a warfighter that is ready to support the unit's mission sooner. More than 9,000 maintainers and 1,000 pilots have graduated from the F-35 Training System to date. Thirteen Military Services and 10 nations are currently training - the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, the U.K. Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, Australia, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and South Korea. "This program will continue to grow as more Foreign Military Sales customers around the globe procure the F-35," said F-35 Training Operations Manager David "Sly" Fox. "The key to success for our training systems is to continue to look at technological advances that will enable us to efficiently update our training capability to mirror the increased capabilities of the F-35 Air Vehicle." Lockheed Martin is now working to connect F-35 Full Mission Simulators to a number of military training networks at the USAF weapons school this year, enabling F-35 pilots to train across locations and with other platforms. This Distributed Mission Training (DMT) capability for the F-35 creates interoperability across military platforms for continuation training and large force exercises, all while presenting a train-as-you-fight environment. https://defence-blog.com/news/lockheed-martin-trained-the-1000th-pilot-for-the-f-35-program.html Back to Top Airbus evaluates requests for delays to jet deliveries PARIS (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) is examining multiple customer requests to defer deliveries after travel demand collapsed because of the coronavirus epidemic, it said on Thursday. In a video message for the company's annual shareholder meeting, which was staged remotely because of lockdowns across Europe, Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said the planemaker was wrestling with "the gravest crisis in the history of the aviation industry". Airbus is talking to customers about their requests to delay deliveries and is seeking solutions case by case and aircraft by aircraft, Faury said. The company has suspended its 2020 forecast for aircraft deliveries as airlines contend with the coronavirus-related economic and logistical challenges of taking delivery of aircraft. The planemaker this month said it would also cut production of its best-selling narrow-body aircraft by a third, to 40 a month, and issued targets implying a 37-43% cut in wide-body output. Faury said the targets involved a "reasonable" level of production as Airbus also works to manage a backlog containing several years of unfilled orders. Industry sources say production has slowed to a trickle for the time being as the company stabilises its supply chain and factory practices to preserve social-distancing measures, meaning it must speed up in order to reach the new goals. France's Force Ouvriere union on Thursday said that operations were also being hampered by a shortage of personal protection equipment in the aerospace supply chain and called on Airbus to ensure those workers are protected. With Thursday's meeting being held remotely, only a handful of investors were expected to attend in Amsterdam, where lawyers of the Dutch-registered company were on hand to field questions before the formal adoption of a new chairman. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-airbus-shareholders/airbus-evaluates-requests-for-delays-to-jet-deliveries-idUSKCN21Y1SQ The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Has Moved Online! The following upcoming courses will take place in our virtual WebEx classrooms. Gas Turbine Accident Investigation Skills and knowledge to examine the involvement of turbine engines in fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft accidents. May 4-8, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2575 Software Safety Philosophies and methods of developing software, analyzing software, and managing a software safety program. May 11-14, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2125 SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems Managing and implementing aviation security measures at medium to small size aircraft operators, all airports, and Indirect Air Carriers, with emphasis on risk assessment and cyber security. May 11-15, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2575 Safety Management Systems for Managers Providing Managers and Supervisors an understanding of the principles of an SMS and a clear vision of the role of the manager May 27-28, 2020 1.5 Days Tuition: $1025 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 Photo Credit: PFC Brendan King, USMC 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 Curt Lewis