Flight Safety Information May 29, 2020 - No. 108 In This Issue Incident: Aeroflot SU95 at Moscow on May 28th 2020, engine shut down in flight Incident: Piedmont E145 near Harrisburg on May 28th 2020, smoke in cockpit Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B - Engine shutdown inflight (Russia) FAA WARNS AGAINST ILLEGAL CHARTER OPERATIONS Delta Air Lines Upgrades Health, Safety Guidelines Crashed Pakistan Plane First Tried to Land Without Landing Gear at 203 Miles Per Hour Embraer's Aircraft Are Perfect For Airlines Right Now American Airlines, British carrier easyJet to slash workers amid pandemic Congo Airways upgrades E175 order for two-class E190-E2s ForeFlight Release Lets Pilots Multitask Lufthansa board rejects EU conditions on $10 billion bailout First successful flight for world's largest all-electric plane These airlines are cutting workforce despite $25 billion bailout promise SpaceX gets FAA permission to fly its Starship spacecraft prototype Weather is less than ideal for Saturday's SpaceX launch IOSA Auditor Training is now available online Aviation Safety Survey GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Aeroflot SU95 at Moscow on May 28th 2020, engine shut down in flight An Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, registration RA-89026 performing flight SU-7663 from Moscow Zhukovsky to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia), was enroute at FL190 when the crew needed to shut the right hand engine (SaM146) down. The aircraft landed safely at Sheremetyevo Airport about 40 minutes after departure from Zhukovsky Airport. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d7f2843&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Piedmont E145 near Harrisburg on May 28th 2020, smoke in cockpit A Piedmont Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N672AE performing flight AA-4799 from Philadelpha,PA to Detroit,MI (USA) with 40 people on board, was enroute at FL240 about 20nm southwest of Harrisburg,PA (USA), when the crew decided to divert to Harrisburg reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed on Harrisburg's runway 13 about 18 minutes after the decision to divert. The aircraft stopped on the runway for assessing the situation, emergency services reported they didn't see any smoke on the outside of the aircraft, the aircraft subsequently taxied to the apron with emergency services following the aircraft. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/PDT4799/history/20200528/1455Z/KPHL/KDTW https://avherald.com/h?article=4d7eff06&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B - Engine shutdown inflight (Russia) Date: 28-MAY-2020 Time: Type: Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B Owner/operator: Aeroflot Registration: RA-89026 C/n / msn: 99051 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: NE of Moscow-Sheremetyevo Airport - Russia Phase: En route Nature: Test Departure airport: Zhukovsky International Airport (ZIA/UUBW) Destination airport: Moskva-Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO/UUEE) Narrative: Aeroflot flight SU7663, a Sukhoi Superjet, operated on a test flight out of Zhukovsky Airport. Russian media report that one engine was shut down by the crew prior to landing at Sheremetyevo Airport. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/236494 Back to Top FAA WARNS AGAINST ILLEGAL CHARTER OPERATIONS AGENCY TARGETS PILOTS, AIRCRAFT OWNERS The FAA sent a strong message to pilots May 22, warning against participating in illegal charter operations. The agency recently issued an informational letter to pilots, noting "a trend in the industry towards using computer and cell phone applications to facilitate air transportation by connecting potential passengers to aircraft owners and pilots willing to provide professional services" and warned pilots to watch out for common pitfalls that could put them in violation of the federal aviation regulations. The FAA has been cracking down on suspected illegal charter operations and, because of a provision in the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act, is preparing a report to Congress about illegal charters in the preceding 10 years, including actions the agency took against the illegal operators it identified, among other items. To bring attention to the issue, the FAA started publicizing more cases with civil monetary penalties in 2020. After publicizing three in 2018 and one in 2019, the agency has already published two cases requesting nearly $7.4 million in penalties in the first half of 2020. The FAA does not publicize every case, and more enforcement cases are underway. "Illegal charter flights are a special enforcement focus at the FAA," said AOPA General Counsel Justine Harrison. "We are aware of cases where the FAA is pursuing civil monetary penalties from both the aircraft owner and the pilot, as well as certificate actions against the pilot. We are also aware of cases involving flights alleged to be for illegal compensation or hire involving a variety of aircraft types, from piston singles up to jets." Pilots who are in a shared ownership situation or who lease an aircraft should perform a compliance review of their ownership structures and agreements, Harrison suggested, adding that pilots who have the AOPA Legal Services Plan can call for a consultation to make sure they still comply with the regulations and the latest issued guidance. In the informational letter, the FAA reminded pilots that under the regulations, "private pilots may neither act as pilot-in-command (PIC) of an aircraft for compensation or hire nor act as a PIC of an aircraft carrying persons or property for compensation or hire." The letter reiterated that a commercial and airline transport pilot engaging in air transportation "must be employed (as a direct employee or agent) by the certificate holder with operational control of the flight (e.g., a Part 135 certificate holder) or must herself or himself hold a certificate issued under 14 C.F.R. Part 119." When it comes to for-hire operations, the FAA is interested in who has "operational control" of the flight as a litmus test for whether a charter flight is taking place. Pilots who fly a shared ownership aircraft or an aircraft that is leased should thoroughly review the agreement and determine who holds operational control of the flight before flying. For a primer on what to look for, Jared Allen, AOPA Legal Services Plan senior staff attorney, explains the details of operational control in his March 2020 AOPA Pilot column, "For the record: Who's in control here?" In addition, AOPA Legal Services Plan attorney Greg Reigel lists many of the questions the FAA asks when it is investigating an alleged illegal charter flight. "It's important for pilots, especially commercial pilots and ATPs who have been hired to fly an aircraft operated under a dry lease, to know that an FAA investigation into an aircraft's operation often begins with the pilot," Allen said. "Even if the pilot didn't understand how or why the operation violated air carrier certification or operating rules, he or she can still face harsh penalties. The best approach for pilots is to avoid potentially noncompliant operations, and the AOPA Legal Services Plan is here to help pilots ask the right questions about a proposed flight." Another sensitive topic with the FAA is flight sharing, or cost sharing. The agency issued new guidance this year clarifying how pilots can share flight expenses and stay on the right side of the regulations. Pilots, including private pilots, can split operating expenses (fuel and oil, rental fees, and airport expenditures) with passengers on a pro rata basis as long as "passengers share a 'bona fide common purpose' for their travel and the pilot has chosen the destination," the FAA said in its May 22 letter. Flight sharing apps create a gray area where the agency is cracking down. In 2019, the FAA investigated BlackBird Air, an online marketplace that connected commercial pilots and aircraft with passengers through an app, and said that pilots participating in that marketplace were "holding out" and engaging in common carriage. The agency also warned pilots who were participating in that service. The company was acquired by Surf Air, a travel air membership business, in early 2020. Bottom line, pilots should be extra cautious; the FAA is analyzing flights more closely. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/may/28/faa-warns-against-illegal-charter-operations Back to Top Delta Air Lines Upgrades Health, Safety Guidelines As travel restrictions are lifted, Delta Air Lines has implemented a series of health protocols to keep passengers safe as they fly again during the coronavirus outbreak and moving forward. From the time customers check-in for their flights until they collect their bags at the final destination, Delta officials claim the company's main focus has shifted to the health and safety of passengers. In the airport, travelers will notice check-in lobbies, self-service kiosks, gate counters and baggage claim are thoroughly wiped down throughout the day, while electrostatic spraying will take place in the planes and throughout terminals. In addition, Delta continues to install plexiglass shields at check-in counters, in Delta Sky Clubs and at gate counters throughout the United States. Social distance markers will also be added at all of the airports served by the airline. Hand sanitizer stations will also become easily accessible throughout the facilities. "The (travel) experience is a very comfortable, a very safe experience, we have taken actions, even above and beyond what the CDC has recommended to ensure safety," Delta Chief Customer Experience Officer Bill Lentsch said in a statement. As for the actual onboard experience, Delta is now boarding passengers back to front and limiting it to 10 customers at a time to minimize your contact with others. The carrier is also blocking middle seats, adjusting capacity numbers and requiring face coverings. Before passengers board the planes, cleaning crews complete an extensive checklist of procedures using high-grade disinfectant to wipe down personal and common areas of the cabin. Delta also temporarily streamlined food and beverage offerings to reduce touchpoints, with snack bags given out during the first pass through the cabin by flight attendants. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/delta-air-lines-upgrades-health-safety-guidelines.html Back to Top Crashed Pakistan Plane First Tried to Land Without Landing Gear at 203 Miles Per Hour By Alan Levin A deadly plane crash in Pakistan is prompting questions about how the crew could touch down without landing gear when their sophisticated jetliner was bristling with equipment to prevent pilots from doing just that. After an abrupt descent that had unnerved air-traffic controllers, the pilots of the Pakistan International Airlines Corp. jet on Friday briefly put the aircraft on the runway without the landing gear, grinding along on its two engines at a speed of more than 327 kilometers (203 miles) per hour, according to preliminary data. The pilots aborted the landing attempt, climbing back into the sky, but reported shortly afterward they'd lost power. The Airbus SE A320 apparently glided into a neighborhood as pilots were attempting to return to the same runway, killing 97 of 99 people aboard. "It is unbelievable to me that an airline crew on a jet like an Airbus, with all the warning systems, would attempt to land the plane without the gear extended," said John Cox, an aviation safety consultant who formerly flew the A320 as a U.S. airline pilot. In addition to checklists designed to make sure pilots don't attempt to touch down without the landing gear, the jetliner has multiple warning systems designed to alert crews if they somehow forget or the gear aren't working. "The airplane is not happy that you're this close to the ground without the gear extended," said Cox, who is president of consulting company Safety Operating Systems. It's not yet clear why the two jet engines quit after functioning well enough for about two minutes to lift them about 3,000 feet (915 meters) above the runway. Engines have become so reliable that losing two at the same time is almost always because of some common factor, such as damage from hitting a runway or a problem with the fuel supply. Regardless, the bizarre landing attempt - which was carried out without any indication from the crew that they'd had an emergency during their initial descent - either triggered the accident or was a catalyst that worsened the situation, according to Cox and others who have studied crashes. A Pakistan International spokesman declined to comment on "incomplete information." An Airbus spokesman referred queries to Pakistani authorities. Civil aviation spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar didn't respond to a call on his mobile phone. As Flight 8303 from Lahore approached Karachi's Jinnah International Airport last Friday afternoon, air-traffic controllers were concerned that it wasn't descending on the proper path, according to a report cited by Sky News. A controller cautioned the pilots that they were "high" and urged them to adjust, according to the leaked preliminary report. Turn Back "We are comfortable. We can make it," the pilot can be heard telling the controller, according to a recording of Karachi's air-traffic radio posted on the LiveATC.net website. Twice as the plane neared the runway, a controller told pilots to turn and break off their approach, according to the report. Again, the pilot declined, responding on the radio he was "comfortable" and was prepared to land on runway 25-Left. At no point did the pilots say they had a problem with their landing gear or any other type of emergency, according to the radio calls. Approaching a runway with such a rapid descent, which often leads to higher-than-recommended speeds, is a harbinger of danger, according to decades of warnings from investigative agencies such as the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the nonprofit Flight Safety Foundation. After the controllers finally cleared the plane to land - despite their earlier warnings - the pilot replied, "Roger." In the background, the sound of a cockpit warning chime can be heard. Too Much Energy The jetliner was well above the normal speed as it neared the runway, said Jeffrey Guzzetti, the former chief accident investigator for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. It was traveling at roughly 250 miles an hour at about 1,000 feet above the ground, according to the tracking website, Flightradar24. That's more than 50 miles per hour faster than is typical for jets like the A320, Guzzetti said. "They have too much energy for a normal landing," he said. It not only increases the chances of skidding off the runway, but puts additional pressure on the pilots to slow the big jet and can lead to other things going wrong. Flightradar24's data suggests that the jet was traveling at 375 kilometers (233 miles) per hour when it reached the runway and slowed to about 327 kilometers per hour as it lifted off. The data hasn't been validated by investigators. The airline said Thursday that the cockpit voice recorder, a key to piecing together the events, had been found in the debris from the wreckage. The flight data recorder was located earlier. While it's possible that in the chaos and confusion they might have have forgotten about the landing gear, it's still puzzling, according to Guzzetti and Cox. Computer System The A320's on-board computer system issues both a warning sound and illuminates a light to draw attention to a text message if the gear isn't out as the plane nears the ground. A separate safety system designed to prevent aircraft from inadvertently striking the ground also senses when the gear isn't deployed before landing. Its recorded voice repeatedly says "Too low, gear" if the problem continues. Before-landing check lists also require crews to verify that the plane's instruments show the gear is locked into place. "It's very unusual in modern transport category aircraft to have a no-gear landing, just because the checklist and the warnings that go off," Guzzetti said. At about 2:34 p.m., the plane slammed onto the runway. Its engines left a series of black smudge marks, starting at 4,500 feet from the start of the landing strip, according to video of the runway broadcast by news outlets. It shows three separate patches, as if the plane skipped into the air between impacts. "Going around," a pilot on the jet told controllers, the term for aborting a landing and taking off again. The plane climbed about 3,000 feet, but couldn't hold its altitude, according to the radio transmissions and flight data. "Sir, we have lost engines," a pilot said. Then, 30 seconds later, he said, "Mayday. Mayday. Mayday." Seconds later, the plane hit the ground. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2020/05/28/570215.htm Back to Top Embraer's Aircraft Are Perfect For Airlines Right Now Could Embraer aircraft be the solution for airlines looking to break back into the recovering market? The smaller fuel-efficient aircraft are cheaper to operate than bigger Boeing and Airbus planes, easier to fill with passengers, and more readily available. Why would smaller aircraft be better? As the aviation industry starts to make plans to resume services across the world, airlines are collectively reexamining their fleet operations. Embraer has stepped in to showcase its product offering, suggesting that its smaller aircraft would be cheaper to operate and suit the recovering market better. With less demand for air travel, airlines are finding that they have way too much fleet capacity on their hands. They have aircraft that can regularly fly up to 200 passengers (variants such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737), yet are struggling to get over 100 passengers onboard. According to new data published by Crirum, 45% of the aircraft trips in the world are being performed by jet aircraft that seat 70-150 passengers, while only 34% of other flights are performed by bigger narrowbody aircraft. Widebodies achieve the remaining 21%. Many of these trips are within the range of smaller aircraft (such as European regional flights) and don't require the range offered by bigger narrowbody, or let alone widebody, aircraft. Thus the solution might be to acquire some smaller aircraft that are better suited for these lighter operations until demand returns. Aircraft that Embraer has in abundance. What is the argument for Embraer? Embraer is one of the world's leading companies producing aircraft in the 70-150 passenger category. The manufacturer is well set up to offer aircraft to airlines until the industry recovers. "The term "right-sized" has never been more appropriate. There is still a long way to go before we can claim victory over the crises, but, as the headwinds ease, airlines with right-sized aircraft will recover faster and stronger." - Embraer in a press release Besides, Embraer aircraft are cheaper to buy and rent, coming in on average 50% less expensive than an A320 or Boeing 737 at list prices. • Embraer Ejet 190 - $50.6 million (new) • Boeing 737-800 - $106.1 million (new) • Airbus A320 - $101 million (new) Lastly, there is also a substantial second-hand market of Embraer aircraft, with over 1,500 of the type built. It seems that Austrian Airlines has taken Embraers suggestion, and is relaunching services using Embraer aircraft (as well as Dash 8s). What about other aircraft? The only other aircraft that would come close to the specifications listed above is the Airbus A220. The only issue is that it is far more expensive ($81.3 million at list price brand new), and there isn't much, if any, of a second-hand market. Airlines like airBaltic, who only operate the Airbus A220, are well set to take advantage of this lull in the market. If other airlines want to follow in its footsteps, then they will need to turn to Embraer to lead the way. https://simpleflying.com/embraer-aircraft-recovery/ Back to Top American Airlines, British carrier easyJet to slash workers amid pandemic American Airlines and European budget carrier easyJet both plan to cut large parts of their workforces as the global aviation industry struggles to cope with a near total halt to travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. American plans to cut its 17,000 management and support staff by 30%, or about 5,100 jobs. That could include layoffs in October if there aren't enough takers for a buyout offer. Executive Vice President Elise Eberwein said in a memo to employees Wednesday night that nearly 39,000 other employees have signed up for partially paid leave or early retirement, and the airline has extended a buyout offer to administrative staff. Laid-off workers will be paid through Sept. 30 to comply with a no-furloughs provision attached to $5.8 billion in federal aid that American is getting to help cover payroll costs. Easyjet said Thursday that it will cut up to a third of its 15,000 employees. It aims to resume limited service on June 15, but estimates that it may take three years for demand to get back to the levels of 2019, before the coronavirus outbreak grounded flights around the world and pushed the global economy toward a deep recession. "We do it to make sure that easyJet not only survives through this period, but also comes out of this as a strong and competitive company,'' CEO Johan Lundgren said. "This is still the worst crisis that this industry has ever been faced with. There's a huge amount of uncertainty going forward." The airline said it expects to have reduced its fleet size by around 51 aircraft to approximately 302 by the end of September. Aviation has been hard hit by the virus, as governments shut down travel to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Airlines are cutting jobs, going bankrupt and seeking bailouts, including Germany's Lufthansa, Latam Airlines and the major U.S. carriers. That is causing ripple effects throughout the industry, with planemaker Boeing and others slashing jobs as well. Unions representing workers in aviation fear that companies are using the emergency to shed employees unnecessarily. Some, like Brian Strutton, general secretary Balpa, the British pilots' union, described the scale of cuts as shocking. "Given easyJet is a British company, the U.K. is its strongest market and it has had hundreds of millions in support from the U.K. taxpayer, I can safely say that we will need a lot of convincing that easyJet needs to make such dramatic cuts," he said. "Indeed, easyJet's own projections, though on the pessimistic side, point to recovery by 2023 so this is a temporary problem that doesn't need this ill-considered knee-jerk reaction." Executives like Lundgren are also sharply critical of U.K. government plans going forward, particularly a 14-day quarantine period for international arrivals which comes into force on June 8. The rationale is unclear, he said. "While you see restrictions and the few examples of quarantine that exist around Europe today are being lifted and relaxed, the U.K. is going the other way," he said. "How do you explain to British people that we'll see Germans and other European nationalities going to holidays in Greece and parts of Spain where there's less risk of being infected than in places in the U.K.?'' https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-coronavirus-american-airlines-job-cuts-20200528-stinijv4hndhnojhg3lfabd4ia-story.html Back to Top Congo Airways upgrades E175 order for two-class E190-E2s Congo Airways, the state-owned flag carrier airline of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has converted its firm order made in December 2019 for two E175 aircraft (with purchase rights for two more), into a firm order for two E190-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further two. The revised deal has a total value of US$256 million at current list prices with all purchase rights exercised, and will be included in Embraer's second-quarter backlog. Desire Bantu, CEO of Congo Airways said, "These new jets will replace our legacy turboprops and will allow us to extend our operations within the Democratic Republic of Congo, and regionally to West, Central, and Southern Africa. Despite the current difficult circumstances, the fundamentals of our market have not changed; so we expect the momentum we've seen in the past to redevelop. I said in December that we may need to make an additional order for E2s due to the agility required to adapt to market changes - we have now reached that point. As we prepare for future success, we will have the flexibility, and the right sized, most efficient aircraft, to serve our customers as the market returns." The aircraft will be configured in a dual-class layout seating 96 passengers in total, with 12 staggered business class seats. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022. Raul Villaron, Embraer's VP of sales for Africa and the Middle East added, "It's great to welcome another airline to the E2 and the Embraer family of operators, especially in Africa where the demand for regional travel had been growing strongly before the current crisis. Africa has long been a market with low frequencies and long, thin routes. As airlines start to ramp up their operations, the E2 family of aircraft is perfectly positioned to right-size routes previously operated by narrowbodies, while keeping frequencies and adjusting capacity to new levels." https://www.aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/news/airline-news/congo-airways-upgrades-e175-order-for-two-class-e190-e2s.html Back to Top ForeFlight Release Lets Pilots Multitask The new function for iPad is one of several updates made for smoother ops. ForeFlight released its 12.4 version of the multifunctional flight planning app on May 26, 2020, with a selection of new features that bring feedback from customers into reality. Among the updates: multitasking for iPad, and global traffic (via internet) from FlightAware. New iOS multitasking allows users to run apps side by side on the display, in a splitscreen mode-but it is only supported on the iPad, not the iPhone version. To view two apps side by side, both must support multitasking-such as Safari. While running the another app, the user swipes up about an inch to open the iOS dock, which is normally seen on the home screen. By tapping and holding the ForeFlight icon, then dragging it to the side of the screen the user wishes to view it on, the user will open the app in splitscreen mode. If the app doesn't open this way, the underlying app doesn't support multitasking. Though it may seem like a small thing, the mode took a lot of effort on the team's part to get it in play-and it makes a big difference when looked at from the viewpoint of cockpit logistics. One projected use? To run the timer on the clock app side by side with ForeFlight. A demo video from ForeFlight demonstrates this and other new functionality. Other new features include the availability of Internet Traffic from FlightAware to stream live global air traffic, allowing the pilot to analyze airport activity and check on flight status. According to ForeFlight, Internet Traffic is tied to the same Traffic map layer used to display ADS-B traffic, and that layer is now accessible any time the user has an internet connection on the ground. The layer will automatically switch to showing only ADS-B traffic when it's connected to an external ADS-B In device. The team also applied a layer of simplification to a number of commonly (and infrequently) used features on the app, including the development of a compact menu that can be accessed via the More tab, and which keeps you on the page you're currently viewing. Other, less-frequently-used tabs now appear as "modals" the pilot can quickly dismiss by swiping down from the top-such as Downloads and Settings. Checklist and Logbook tabs now open into a full-screen, double-column layout to better utilize the screen real estate. The Frequencies, Services, A/FD, and More tabs have been combined into a single Info tab, and the Forecast Discussion is now nested under the TAF section. All updates noted are for both the non-European and European versions. For more information, visit ForeFlight. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/avionics/foreflight-release-lets-pilots-multitask/ Back to Top Lufthansa board rejects EU conditions on $10 billion bailout FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Lufthansa's $10 billion government bailout was thrown into doubt on Wednesday after the German airline's supervisory board refused to accept the conditions attached by Brussels. The board, which had been expected to sign off on the aid, instead refused EU requirements that Lufthansa permanently give up take-off and landing slots at Frankfurt and Munich airports, where it commands a two-thirds market share. The bailout plan nevertheless remains "the only viable alternative" to insolvency, Lufthansa said, and negotiations will continue over EU demands that would "lead to a weakening" of its airport hubs as well as its ability to repay loans. The European Commission had "no comment on the specific case", a spokesperson said. Terms discussed with Brussels included the forfeiture of 72 slots used by 12 of 300 jets based at the two airports, a source familiar with the matter said. But whereas Lufthansa wanted to reclaim the slots after repaying aid, the Commission sought permanent concessions, the person said. Airlines including Air France-KLM and the main U.S. carriers have all sought government aid to ride out the coronavirus crisis, which has brought air travel to a near-halt. The bailout deal announced on Monday would see the German government take a 20% stake in Lufthansa in return for a 6 billion euro injection of new capital, most of it non-voting, combined with 3 billion in state-backed loans. The Lufthansa group employs around 138,000 people, according to its website. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said after the board announcement he still expected Brussels to approve the package. "It's not only in Germany's interests but also in the European Union's interests to avoid a sell-off of strategic interests in the industrial sector as a result of this pandemic," Altmaier added. Some rival airlines disagree. Low-cost carrier Ryanair's Chief Executive Michael O'Leary vowed on Tuesday to challenge a bailout package he said would "massively distort competition" in the German market for the next five years. "It is deeply ironic that the German government, which lectures all other EU countries about respecting EU rules, has no difficulty breaking the State Aid rules when it comes to Lufthansa," O'Leary said in a Ryanair statement. But the German Cockpit Association, a pilots' union, also warned that giving up slots to budget rivals would threaten European jobs and labour standards. "Some airlines in the low-cost segment have large financial reserves because they have disregarded the rights of employees for years and ... passed on their business risk to their employees," the group said. "It cannot be the goal of German and European rescue policy to save companies from insolvency with billions in cash and at the same time put them at a severe disadvantage." ($1 = 0.9088 euros) https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/lufthansa-board-rejects-eu-conditions-174012832.html Back to Top First successful flight for world's largest all-electric plane Soaring through the skies over Washington state, the world's largest all-electric aircraft made its first successful flight on Thursday (May 28). The Cessna Caravan flew for around 30 minutes before landing safely back in Moses Lake, Washington, about 180 miles southeast of Seattle. The nine-seater plane is the brainchild of engine-maker magniX and aerospace firm AeroTEC. In December magniX worked with Vancouver-based Harbour Air to power the first all-electric seaplane. And now...magniX hopes to have the Cessna Caravan entering commercial service next year, making it the largest zero-emissions commercial aircraft in operation. Thursday's test flight took place with only the pilot onboard. https://www.yahoo.com/news/first-successful-flight-worlds-largest-032555612.html Back to Top These airlines are cutting workforce despite $25 billion bailout promise A month after receiving a $25 billion industry bailout, major U.S. airlines are cutting worker hours and encouraging employees to take voluntary leave or early retirement. And some Democratic lawmakers say these moves are violating the conditions for accepting billions of dollars in government bailout money. Delta (DAL) is the latest major U.S. airline to roll out voluntary buyouts and retirement package options to employees on Thursday. The airline has issued a 25% work reduction for frontline hourly workers and salaried employees including those in management positions through the end of September. In a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Democratic lawmakers accused United, Delta, and JetBlue of falling out of compliance with the letter and spirit of the $2 trillion CARES Act law. "The [worker] hour cuts imposed by [United, Delta, and JetBlue airlines] have made some workers eligible for unemployment assistance - a circumstance the legislation was explicitly designed to prevent. These carriers are very clearly out of compliance with the letter and spirit of the law," wrote Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA), Jesus Garcia (D-IL), and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) in a letter delivered on Tuesday. The lawmakers have given Mnuchin until June 5 to respond to them electronically. In accepting the massive federal rescue funds, airlines are supposed to protect payrolls and are banned from implementing layoffs through Sept. 30. However, major airlines have implemented a workaround to reduce their payroll expenses by cutting workers' hours. Delta CEO Ed Bastian wrote that more than 40,000 workers are on short-term unpaid leave in a memo he sent out on Wednesday. United (UAL) has reduced management and administrative workers' hours through Sept. 30. Employees are working four-day work weeks with the fifth day being counted as unpaid time off. It's widely expected that airline industry layoffs will occur once Congress's Sept. 30 bailout deadline expires given that passenger traffic has plunged 94% and major airlines are losing $350 million to $400 million a day. Major airlines including Delta, American, and United lost more than $3 billion in the first quarter. While some workers may choose to retire early or accept a buyout, American Airlines (AAL) employees, for instance, have been warned that if enough workers don't voluntarily depart the company, involuntary layoffs will be next. Despite having close to 39,000 employees on partially paid leave or early retirement, American Airlines is still aiming for a 30% reduction in management and support staff going forward. "If there are not enough early volunteers, we will have to take the difficult step of involuntary separations. Those decisions will be communicated in July, though impacted team members will remain on payroll through Sept. 30, 2020," wrote American Airlines Executive Vice President Elise Eberwein in a letter to management and support staff. United has told employees it will be cutting its workforce by at least 30% and is attempting to convince employees to leave their jobs. "Affected employees will be notified in mid to late July for an October 1 effective date," wrote United Airlines Executive Vice President Kate Gebo. "Given the upcoming reductions, I have to ask each of you to seriously consider if choosing a voluntary separation with a robust benefits package might be right for you." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/these-airlines-are-cutting-workforce-despite-25-billion-bailout-promise-205805187.html Back to Top SpaceX gets FAA permission to fly its Starship spacecraft prototype SpaceX has received authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly suborbital missions with its Starship prototype spacecraft, paving the way for test flights at its Boca Chica, Texas site. SpaceX has been hard at work readying its latest Starship prototype for low-altitude, short-duration, controlled flight tests, and conducted another static engine fire test of the fourth iteration of its in-development spacecraft earlier today. Officially, the FAA has granted SpaceX permission to conduct what it terms "reusable launch vehicle" missions, which essentially means that the Starship prototype is now cleared to take off from and land back at the launch site SpaceX operates in Boca Chica. The Elon Musk-led space company has already conducted similar tests, but previously used its "Starhopper" early prototype, which was smaller than the planned production Starship, and much more rudimentary in design. It was basically used to prove out the capabilities of the Raptor engine that SpaceX will use to propel Starship, and only for a short hop test using one of those engines. Since that flight last year, SpaceX has developed multiple iterations of a full-scale prototype of Starship, but thus far they haven't gotten back to the point where they're actively flying any of those. In fact, multiple iterations of the Starship prototype have succumbed during pressure testing - though SN4, the version currently being prepared for a test flight, has passed not only pressure tests, but also static test fires of its lone Raptor engine. The plan now is to fly this one for a short "hop" flight similar to the one conducted by Starhopper, with a maximum altitude of around 500 feet. Should that prove successful, the next version will be loaded with more Raptor engines, and attempt a high-altitude test launch. SpaceX is quickly building a newer version of Starship in succession even as it proceeds with testing the completed prototypes, in order to hopefully shorten the total time span of its development. There's something of a clock that SpaceX is working against: It was one of three companies that received a contract award from NASA to develop and build a human lander for the agency's Artemis program to return to the Moon. NASA aims to make that return trip happen by 2024, and while the contract doesn't necessarily require that each provider have a lander ready in that time frame, it's definitely a goal, if only for bragging rights among the three contract awardees. https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/28/spacex-gets-faa-permission-to-fly-its-starship-spacecraft-prototype/ Back to Top Weather is less than ideal for Saturday's SpaceX launch (CNN)Weather again threatens the launch window for a SpaceX rocket to carry NASA astronauts on the first crewed spaceflight to take off from US soil in nearly a decade. "Saturday and Sunday could turn out to have very similar weather as Wednesday did," CNN meteorologist Haley Brink said, referring to this week's scrubbed launch. "We may be waiting on a game-time decision again this weekend." The next launch opportunity is Saturday at 3:22 p.m. ET, with a backup window of 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. But the 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron says the odds do not look favorable. Right now, it forecasts only a 40% chance of favorable conditions for Saturday's attempt. "The primary concerns are flight through precipitation, as well as the anvil and cumulus cloud rules associated with the afternoon convection," according to the official weather squadron forecast Thursday morning. There had been a 50/50 chance Wednesday that the weather would clear, and 10 extra minutes might have given the launch team the green light. But the timing had to be just right for a proper rendezvous with the International Space Station. "Weather is the one thing that we actually cannot control on our missions so unfortunately, it did cause us to scrub today," tweeted NASA. During this time of the year, it is not uncommon for a sea-breeze along the east coast of Florida to cause pop-up afternoon thunderstorms. It isn't always easy to forecast precisely where one of these storms will pop up. Still, forecasters can look at the overall pattern to see if conditions present themselves for thunderstorm development. This overall pattern is why the weather squadron is giving a 60% chance of unfavorable conditions on Saturday. Within 24 hours of the launch, the forecast models will be detailed enough to give a bit better idea of where the storms will build. Sunday has rain chances in the forecast as well, albeit a slightly lower chance than on Saturday, Brink said Thursday. The weather squadron also has 40% chance of favorable conditions on Sunday. Rocket-triggered lightning is a launch hazard A whole team of meteorologists is on hand from the 45th Space Wing and SpaceX to determine whether the weather will scrub the launch. As on Wednesday, the decision can be made right up to liftoff. During the NASA broadcast on Wednesday, disappointment was evident as the weather team called it a no-go for launch. Launch weather officers must be "clear and convinced" that no NASA "criteria are violated in order to give the weather GO call for launch," the 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron states. For example, lightning in the area will cancel a flight, as will a cloud with a large enough electrical field to produce rocket-triggered lightning. This happens when a giant spark of electricity occurs when a large rocket flies through a strong enough atmospheric electric field. The electric field needed to induce rocket-triggered lightning is much lower than for natural lightning. "Either type of lightning could cause serious damage to the rocket and endanger public safety," the weather squadron states. Forecasters also have to monitor the winds. If there is a sustained wind of 30 mph or more at 162 feet above the launch pad, the mission will be canceled. The weather squadron also has to monitor the weather downrange because if the Crew Dragon capsule encounters a problem, it needs to have a safe splashdown location. Earlier this month, NASA had to delay its launch of the Atlas V rocket, US Space Force mission due to Tropical Storm Arthur. It launched the following day after the storm cleared out. https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/weather/florida-weather-spacex-launch-forecast/index.html TO ALL PROFESSIONAL PILOTS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, members of their Management, Regulators and related organizations (airplane, helicopter, civil or military) WE REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR A JOINT AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY (JASS) ON: "AERONAUTICAL DECISION-MAKING, INCL. MONITORING & INTERVENTION IN PRACTICE" Dear aviation colleague, you are invited to participate in a research project conducted by the department of Psychology at City, University of London, which aims to elicit your views and thoughts on Aeronautical Decision-Making, including Monitoring and Intervention in normal operation,by which we mean routine line flights without any incidents or technical malfunctions. The questions deal with teamwork and decision-making issues in various Pilot-roles, e.g. the role of the Pilot Monitoring (PM), Pilot Flying (PF), Pilot in Command (PIC) and Co-Pilot, and respectively in the Air Traffic Controller (ATCO)-roles of the coordinating and radioing/radar ATCO as well as pilot's and controller's training and occupational picture. This survey is completely anonymous - no identifying information will be requested or collected - and all responses will be treated as strictly confidential. The survey is approved by City's research and ethics committee (Approval Code: ETH 1920-1414). The introductory section of the survey will provide you with further information and the informed consent. Please click here to access the survey or copy the survey-link below into your browser. https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6n7cxeunMyfy0fz By completing the questionnaire, you can - in addition to supporting aviation safety research - even do more good as we will donate a minimum of €2 for the first 1000 fully completed responses to the UNICEF COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund which helps to care for vulnerable children and communities all over the world. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email: aviationsafety@city.ac.uk or tom.becker.1@city.ac.uk or via phone: +49 172 7178780. We thank you very much in advance. Your support is truly appreciated. Best regards, Capt. Tom Becker Prof. Peter Ayton Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions and attitudes about stress and mental health. This research started almost two years ago. The purpose of this study is to examine mental health issues in aviation, specifically Part 121 airline pilots. During this study, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about your opinions on various life circumstances, stress, and mental health topics. This study is expected to take approximately 15 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must possess an FAA issued Airline Transport Certificate (ATP) and you must also be currently working as a pilot for a Part 121 air carrier that is headquartered within the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary and data will be collected anonymously, stored confidentially, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study, as it is another small but important step towards increasing safety in aviation. Please click on the link below to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZG6M6L For more information, please contact: Tanya Gatlin - Student Researcher Gatlint1@my.erau.edu 281-924-1336 Dr. Scott Winter - Faculty Advisor winte25e@erau.edu 386-226-6491 Curt Lewis