Flight Safety Information June 5, 2020 - No. 113 In This Issue Stumo Family Urges Senate Commerce Committee to Reject Wicker Aviation Safety Bill Airline in Pakistan Crash Saw 52 Safety Incidents in Half Century NATA Requests Rulemaking to Improve Pilot Check Rides Pak govt seeks explanation from aviation body on letter about PIA pilot's conduct prior to crash FAA TO MODIFY CESSNA DOORPOST-INSPECTION AD Lightweight construction in aviation IATA has urged governments to quickly implement ICAO's global guidelines for restoring air connectivity DFW becomes the world's busiest airport during COVID-19 downturn Appareo Goes Big on New Flight Data Technology for Small Airplanes Boeing lines up new 777X and 787 orders as it sells off jets once meant for Russian cargo carrier Boeing delivers first Super Hornet Blue Angel test jet Momentus signs contract with OrbAstro for SpaceX rideshare flight Ship-based Helicopter Management Aviation Safety Survey GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Stumo Family Urges Senate Commerce Committee to Reject Wicker Aviation Safety Bill The family of Samya Rose Stumo, who died in the the crash of the Boeing 737 MAX in Ethiopia on March 10, 2019, has sent a letter to the members of the Senate Commerce Committee urging them to reject legislation, called The Aviation Safety Improvement Act of 2020, that was introduced this week by the Chairman of the Committee Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi). On June 17, 2020, the Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of its certification processes. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson will testify about issues associated with the design, development, certification, and operation of the Boeing 737 MAX following international accidents in the past two years. The Stumos said the Wicker bill should be called "The Boeing Protection Act." "It does not limit excessive delegation of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) duties to Boeing," they wrote. "It does not allow the FAA to remove nonperforming Boeing engineers doing work for FAA. It does not allow the FAA to supervise or have direct contact with Boeing engineers doing work for FAA. The bill does not fix the problem of only 27 young, inexperienced FAA technical staff in the BASOO office pretending to oversee 1500 Boeing 'authorized representatives' doing FAA work. It allows Boeing to continue hiding problems, failing to perform crucial system safety assessments of critical aircraft systems, engaging in 'jedi mind tricks' as to FAA and laughing at scenes of 'dogs watching TV' as Boeing emails revealed months ago." "The Aviation Safety Improvement Act merely mandates a safety management system - irrelevant to the reasons for the crash - and requires the FAA to do a series of internal studies. Studies are where issues go to die." "The Aviation Safety Improvement Act of 2020 is weak and it dishonors Samya's memory and we oppose it. We know that other ET302 families oppose it as well. We urge the Commerce Committee to be bold and achieve a new era of aviation safety that we can be proud of and that other countries admire." The Stumos said that "there has been a full year of horrific disclosures showing why this second crash should not have happened." "Boeing hid critical information from FAA. FAA excessively delegated and abdicated certification decisions to Boeing. System Safety Assessments were not performed on critical safety systems like MCAS. Old tech - no flight control system, no redundancy in rudder control - was put in the MAX because of the faulty amended type certificate process. Too many aircraft were pumped through the Boeing factory each month causing severe worker and supplier problems." "FAA and Boeing knew, after the first crash of Lion Air in October 2018, that the MCAS was a deadly problem. They predicted, through a Transport Aircraft Risk Assessment Methodology (TARAM), another 15 crashes without a fix. But they did not ground the plane pending a fix. The next crash killed my daughter. And 156 others." "FAA promised, repeatedly, to be transparent to crash families and to provide answers to all questions and documents supporting. We asked for documents. They said "we'll get back to you". They provided zero documents in the last year despite our requests. They don't do what they say they will do." "FAA deludes itself, in an institutional self protection instinct, into thinking its delegation system is fine. New Administrator Steve Dickson has identified no employees that made mistakes - during the certification of this Obama era plane - and has replaced or disciplined no one. He could have brought in his own team to rebuild professionalism and trust in the FAA, but he did not." "Other countries no longer trust FAA claims of airworthiness and safety. FAA refused to respond to the Joint Authorities Technical Review report - wherein those other countries reviewed FAA actions - that severely criticized its actions." "The ET302 families have told Chairman Wicker and many members of the committee that excessive delegation must be fixed so FAA does its safety job and Boeing can no longer cut corners to make a buck. That was our core demand. We asked for family members and outside experts to testify at hearings. That request was not met." https://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/news/200/stumo-family-urges-senate-commerce-committee-to-reject-wicker-aviation-safety-bill/ Back to Top Airline in Pakistan Crash Saw 52 Safety Incidents in Half Century • Pakistan Airbus crash in Karachi killed 97 people last month • PIA accumulated $3 billion of losses as of last year A deadly Pakistan International Airlines Corp. crash that killed 97 people in May has put a plan to revive the company, which has more accumulated losses than any other publicly-traded carrier in Asia, in jeopardy. The state-run airline, known as PIA, had just posted its first gross profit in eight years, was starting to fly again after a two-month nationwide lockdown, was on the verge of reviving a direct route to the U.S., and had proposed revival plans to the government. But the Airbus SE A320 jet crash into a residential neighborhood in Karachi has reignited questions about its viability. "It's possible that PIA becomes the last choice for travelers," said Khurram Schehzad, chief executive officer at Karachi-based advisory Alpha Beta Core Solutions. "The public sector airline has a bad reputation with timing and service in the past, and this would impact the airlines business even more. Many people would be inclined to fly competition, for now." The malaise at the airline stems from frequent labor strife, changes in leadership -- the airline has had six chief executive officers in five years -- and red tape. That in turn has added to the woes of the carrier, which last reported a net income a decade and a half ago, and has suffered 52 safety-related incidents in the 54 years of its existence, according to data from Aviation Safety Network. "Air travel works on dependability and trust of passengers on your service. People are too safety conscious when it comes to air travel," PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said by phone. "It will take a lot of time to recover." PIA, and Pakistan's aviation sector in general, is managed by either generalist bureaucrats, or military officers, or a combination of the two, according to Mosharraf Zaidi, a senior fellow at Islamabad-based think tank, Tabadlab. That leads to a highly bureaucratic and unaccountable system in which plane crashes are only the most extreme manifestation, Zaidi said. PIA had accumulated $3 billion of losses as of last year, hurting its ability to take on rivals. Apart from middle-eastern heavyweights such as Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways PJSC, the ailing carrier also faces new local competition in Airblue Ltd., emerging carrier SereneAir and upcoming AirSial Ltd., and is losing market share in the process. "A disproportionate number of plane crashes is part of a wider malaise," said Zaidi. "Without a wider commitment to excellence, to professionalism and to an economic transformation, no one should expect any major changes or improvements." Military Links PIA's current Chief Executive Officer, Arshad Mahmood Malik, is a Vice Chief of Air Staff at the nation's air force. That's partly prompted by a tumultuous history -- long-pending plans to sell the airline have seen violent street protests by labor unions fearing layoffs, and political parties in opposition. The misery of former Deutsche Lufthansa AG executive Bernd Hildenbrand is a case in point. After Hildenbrand joined as the airline's first foreign CEO, his salary was immediately leaked to the press. Months later, he was stopped from leaving the country, citing an investigation into a plane-lease contract. Another CEO was locked into the bathroom by union members, according to the Dawn newspaper. Even Malik, the current CEO, was suspended for a few months this year by a court following a petition by a labor union leader. He was allowed to resume work only after the state lawyer said Prime Minister Imran Khan believes Malik was indeed the right man to manage the carrier "on ventilator." The attorney general also assured the court that he will not be called back to the military anytime soon, according to Dawn. Lost Glory The latest crash -- the worst for PIA since 1992 in terms of fatalities -- comes as demand has been destroyed with countries imposing travel restrictions to check the spread of the coronavirus. The industry is staring at a $314 billion loss in ticket sales this year, with 70% of global capacity idled, according to the International Air Transport Association. PIA shares, which have fallen almost 37% this year, closed 1.7% down at 4.21 Pakistani rupees on Thursday. The market value of the airline has slumped to $136 million. PIA, which owns the iconic Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, is the most likely airline in the world to go bankrupt, according to a Bloomberg News analysis. Airline officials in March presented multiple bailout options to the government, as losses and debt have become too much for the company to handle alone. The airline offered to transfer some debt to the government, conduct a debt-to-equity swap or to issue a long-term bond. PIA, which along with neighboring counterpart Air India Ltd. once stood for the emergence of two infant South Asian nations on the world stage following independence from the British in 1947, now has current liabilities of $2 billion -- more than six times the value of its assets. The airline can't survive without more taxpayer-funded bailouts. While Pakistan Air Force legend Nur Khan shepherded the airline through its heyday in the 1960s, the current regime led by a military veteran doesn't seem to have made any difference to the company's performance, according to Burzine Waghmar, a member of the Centre for the Study of Pakistan at SOAS University of London. "That their presence has not exactly led to turning such public-sector companies around profitably is acutely evident and puts paid the common assumption that the military is more efficient at managing Pakistani institutions than civilians." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/deadly-pakistan-jet-crash-puts-pia-s-toxic-culture-in-spotlight Back to Top NATA Requests Rulemaking to Improve Pilot Check Rides National Air Transportation Association (NATA) The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), on behalf of its members conducting air carrier operations under Part 135, requested rulemaking to expand the number of pilot line checks performed by operators, improving safety and decreasing demands on limited FAA resources. NATA's petition, if adopted, would allow FAA-approved company check pilots to conduct the pilot line checks required by § 135.299 throughout the certificate holder's fleet of aircraft that are of the same category and class. In addition, NATA requested the FAA provide guidance specifying the suggested content for the pilot line check. "Although NATA previously filed a petition for exemption permitting the same authority for a limited duration due to COVID-19, we subsequently determined that the safety and efficiency gains afforded by this relief were beneficial enough to warrant a permanent change through a petition for rulemaking," stated NATA President and CEO Timothy Obitts. "This amendment will result in long-term cost savings, safety improvement, and efficiency gains for operators, as well as a positive impact for the FAA and, potentially, the environment." The petition notes that "the purpose of the line check is not to evaluate piloting skill and that the carrier's check pilots are best equipped to determine that pilots are operating in accordance with company policy and procedures." NATA goes on to explain that, "the intended purpose of the line check is best fulfilled by company check pilots who have a full understanding of company procedures and culture." NATA's proposal stipulates that the carrier's check pilots must be currently qualified as a Pilot in Command in the same category and class of aircraft in which the check is administered. "Today, FAA inspectors conduct many pilot checks and are able to safely do so without being currently qualified in the aircraft. The FAA has also emphasized the importance of regulations stipulating that carriers conduct their own pilot checking rather than relying on FAA resources whenever feasible," NATA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs John McGraw explained. "The changes we propose are consistent with the regulatory mandate and, because FAA inspectors have already demonstrated these checks can be safely accomplished in the manner proposed by NATA, the safety standard is maintained," McGraw added. NATA notes additional benefits, such as lower FAA costs from decreased inspector travel for checks, increased time for inspectors to perform other oversight functions, and safety benefits from decreased operational exposures (due to fewer flights conducted specifically for checks). Further, because these changes allow a reduction in the number of flights that are conducted solely for the purpose of performing the line check, the change could prove beneficial to the environment. https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/press-release/21141008/national-air-transportation-association-nata-nata-requests-rulemaking-to-improve-pilot-check-rides Back to Top Pak govt seeks explanation from aviation body on letter about PIA pilot's conduct prior to crash Islamabad, Jun 5 (PTI) A peeved Pakistan government has sought an explanation from the country''s aviation authority about its letter suggesting that the pilot of the PIA plane which crashed last month in Karachi did not follow the instructions of the air traffic controller for landing, saying such information should be first provided to the inquiry board. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said in a letter on June 2 to the cash-strapped Pakistan International Airlines that the pilot of the crashed aircraft did not follow the instructions of the air traffic controller (ATC). The letter, which was published in Pakistani media, has irked the government which said that such information should be provided to the inquiry board already set up to probe the May 22 crash which killed 97 people, including three children, and two passengers miraculously survived, Dawn newspaper reported. Flight PK-8303 from Lahore crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir, minutes before its landing in Karachi''s Jinnah International Airport. Eleven people on the ground were injured. A 13-year-old girl died this week, taking the death toll in the accident to 98. Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan told the media in Lahore on Thursday that the government took exception to the letter, the report said. "We have sought an explanation from the CAA official (for letter). As long as the inquiry report is not finalised, the official in question should not have spoken up (publicly). Whatever the official/CAA had to say should have been told to the four-member inquiry board probing the crash," he said. The letter sent by CAA official Iftikhar Ahmed to the PIA's safety and quality assurance department, while pointing out "non-compliance of ATC instructions" by the pilot of the Airbus A-320 aircraft, had asked it to ensure that such a situation was not repeated in future. The minister said that only three bodies of the plane's 97 passengers had yet to be identified for different reasons, like DNA not being matched. The minister said the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were with the French team that visited Pakistan and data from the two recorders had successfully been downloaded. The government would make the preliminary report about the crash public on June 22. "The plane crash will also be discussed in the forthcoming session of the National Assembly and we assure everyone that the probe will be fair and transparent," he said, dismissing criticism of members of the inquiry board. The release of the preliminary probe report on the Karachi incident would be followed by release of reports on the Chitral crash, Gilgit crash-landing, and crashes of the planes of Air Blue and Bhoja Air in Islamabad, he added. Turning to the financial health of PIA, Sarwar Khan said: "The PIA planned to take its fleet from the existing 31 to 45 aircraft by 2023. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, the aviation industry has suffered a lot and the national flag carrier has been under a debt of Rs 482 billion." https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/pak-govt-seeks-explanation-from-aviation-body-on-letter-about-pia-pilots-conduct-prior-to-crash/1856724 Back to Top FAA TO MODIFY CESSNA DOORPOST-INSPECTION AD The FAA is giving the operators of numerous models of Cessna single-engine airplanes a second opportunity to weigh in on an airworthiness directive it proposed in 2018 to inspect aircraft for metal-fatigue cracking of the forward cabin doorpost bulkhead, and make needed repairs. Several provisions of the proposed AD, which affects an estimated 14,653 airplanes, have been modified based on feedback the FAA received from AOPA and others in the first round of public comments. Changes to AD provisions include increasing the expected labor time to comply, extending the intervals of proposed repetitive inspections of the lower area of the forward cabin doorposts at the strut attach fitting from 12 months or 1,000 hours time in service to 36 calendar months or 1,000 hours; granting credit for previous actions to address the problem; adding a reporting requirement; and other elements. AOPA reported in February 2018 that the FAA proposed the AD after an operator's report prompted an investigation that turned up "more than four dozen similar cracks" on Cessna 207 airplanes. The other Cessna aircraft models affected by the proposal have design components shared with the Cessna 207, the FAA said. Members who wish to submit new comments may do so until July 13 online or by mail to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Include "Docket No. FAA-2018-0049; Product Identifier 2017-CE-031-AD" at the beginning of your comments. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/june/04/faa-to-modify-cessna-doorpost-inspection-ad Back to Top Lightweight construction in aviation In just under ten months, scientists at the Fraunhofer IGCV, together with international partners, developed a lightweight wing for the electric aircraft Alice. For the all-electric passenger aircraft 'Alice', Eviation enlisted experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Foundry, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV. Together with three other partners, the Augsburg research facility developed a lightweight construction solution in just ten months. The wing is one of the most complex parts of an aircraft. It has to guarantee lift at different speeds and flight attitudes and absorb the resulting transverse forces and bending moments. The required geometries present aircraft manufacturers with major challenges in design and production. For the battery-powered passenger aircraft 'Alice', Israeli company Eviation therefore brought onboard experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Foundry, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV. Together with three other partners from Asia and Germany, the Augsburg research facility developed a functioning lightweight construction solution. It took only ten months from the idea to the prototype. "Our focus at the Fraunhofer IGCV is on application-oriented research into intelligent lightweight construction methods and automated manufacturing processes with which high-performance fibre composite structures can be produced cost-efficiently and energy-efficiently," says Steffen Geinitz, project manager at the Fraunhofer IGCV for the project and head of department in the Online Process Monitoring division. "This know-how made us an optimal partner for the clients and partners from Israel and Singapore - not only for the realisation of the prototype, but also with a view to later series production." Weighting in the wings Alice consists of a high percentage of composite materials. CFRP fabric in various grammages (weight per unit area) is used for the wings. One of the challenges in their development is that the aircraft design includes pressure propellers with an output of more than 300hp, and which are located at the wing tips and at the tail. This means that additional requirements had to be met for the structural design. For the project, the Fraunhofer IGCV team bundled expertise from various specialist areas of composite technology. The scientists incorporated their many years of experience in handling CFRP production processes into the development of the Alice wing. The team developed the infusion process and optimised it for more efficient production - all in less than six months. In addition, the Fraunhofer IGCV produced two ailerons for the mock-up and the prototype, which were used to test and validate the process. In total, the scientists needed only ten months to develop the lightweight solution for the wing. The load-bearing components of the 16.12m long wing - 30mm thick CFRP spars - were manufactured by Vacuum Assisted Process (VAP) with manual insertion. In contrast to the A350, which is produced by the tape laying process and autoclave curing, the vacuum infusion process is more suitable for the production of small batches or prototypes. In addition, the team considered success with a different infusion process to be critical. The manual process was chosen because automation would have been too time-consuming for the set time frame. Thanks to the VAP infusion process, air and gas inclusions could be removed reliably and efficiently, resulting in porosity values below 0.3% and fibre volume contents with an accuracy of up to 1%. In addition, the required quality was achieved, which would otherwise only have been possible with an expensive autoclave and tape laying process. The components were manufactured directly on site in the Fraunhofer IGCV workshops and at the project partner in Singapore. https://www.aero-mag.com/lightweight-construction-in-aviation/ Back to Top IATA has urged governments to quickly implement ICAO's global guidelines for restoring air connectivity. Already, the ICAO Council has approved Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, known as Takeoff. This is an authoritative and comprehensive framework of risk-based temporary measures for air transport operations during the COVID-19 crisis. "The Takeoff guidance document was built with the best expertise of government and industry," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO. "Airlines strongly support it. Now we are counting on governments to implement the recommendations quickly, because the world wants to travel again and needs airlines to play a key role in the economic recovery. And we must do this with global harmonization and mutual recognition of efforts to earn the confidence of travelers and air transport workers." Takeoff proposes a phased approach to restarting aviation and identifies a set of generally applicable risk-based measures. In line with recommendations and guidance from public health authorities, these will mitigate the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus during the travel process. These measures include: • Physical distancing to the extent feasible and implementation of "adequate risk-based measures where distancing is not feasible, for example in aircraft cabins" • Wearing of face coverings and masks by passengers and aviation workers • Routine sanitation and disinfection of all areas with potential for human contact and transmission • Health screening, which could include pre- and post-flight self-declarations, as well as temperature screening and visual observation, "conducted by health professionals" • Contact tracing for passengers and aviation employees: updated contact information should be requested as part of the health self-declaration, and interaction between passengers and governments should be made directly though government portals • Passenger health declaration forms, including self-declarations in line with the recommendations of relevant health authorities. Electronic tools should be encouraged to avoid paper • Testing: if and when real-time, rapid and reliable testing becomes available. Takeoff was one element of work of the ICAO COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART). The CART report to the ICAO Council highlighted that it is of "paramount importance to avoid a global patchwork of incompatible [aviation] health safety measures." It urges ICAO Member States to "implement globally- and regionally-harmonized, mutually accepted measures that do not create undue economic burdens or compromise the safety and security of civil aviation." "The leadership of ICAO and the commitment of our fellow CART members have combined to quickly lay the foundation for a safe restoration of air transport amid the COVID-19 crisis," said de Juniac. "We salute the unity of purpose that guided aviation's stakeholders to a solid conclusion. Moreover, we fully support CART's findings and look forward to working with governments for a well-coordinated systematic implementation that will enable flights to resume, borders to open and quarantine measures to be lifted." https://www.airlines.iata.org/news/aviation-ready-for-takeoff Back to Top DFW becomes the world's busiest airport during COVID-19 downturn Flights and passengers were down substantially at DFW in May, but not as much as other major airports. DFW International Airport was the world's busiest airport in May, leaping ahead of other major travel hubs that have downsized during the COVID-19 pandemic. DFW, still running a fraction of the flights it did a few months ago, operated 12,132 flights in May, far ahead of the No. 2 airport, Chicago O'Hare, according to aviation data company OAG. O'Hare, the biggest hub for Chicago-based United Airlines, had 8,596 flights, OAG said. "Although we have no passenger numbers, I suspect that it was also the busiest from a passenger number given the large differential," said OAG senior analyst John Grant. For DFW, it's been a matter of shrinking less than other airports have. In February, before the COVID-19 pandemic starting hitting the U.S. air industry hard, DFW Airport had about 26,000 landing and departing flights, behind both Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Chicago O'Hare. Almost all of DFW's traffic is thanks to Fort Worth-based American Airlines, which operated 11,109 flights out of DFW in May, said American spokesman Ross Feinstein. United and Atlanta-based Delta have aggressively cut flight schedules to try to match dismal demand across the country and the world as people avoid flying to stop the spread of the coronavirus. American has cut, too, but in many ways that has only made DFW more crucial. American and other airlines are running more flights through major hubs, cutting back on point-to-point flying that made sense when there were far more customers. "There's one thing which we can say without question is that coming out of this, DFW and Charlotte will remain two of the three biggest hubs on earth," American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said last week during a call for an investors conference. "Having big hubs is going to be as important as ever, no matter what might happen with demand." American also announced Thursday that it would ramp up its schedules by 74% for July compared to what it's flying now after seeing an uptick in passengers during the last few weeks. With that, American will be flying about 55% of the schedule for July that it had planned before the pandemic hit. DFW has been the world's third or fourth-largest airport for the last few years, serving more than 75 million passengers, or about 205,000 a day. But it's still quiet at the usually bustling airport. Airport director Sean Donohue said that in May, the airport saw about 25,000 passengers a day after seeing only 10,000 a day in April. Nationwide data from TSA shows that passengers are coming back to airports and getting on planes, although slowly. Nearly all of the traffic at DFW is coming from domestic traffic. International demand for travel is still down substantially and analysts expect it to rebound much slower than demand for travel within the United States. DFW has seen some uptick from other airlines. Qatar Airways has announced plans to increase the number of flights it runs in July, while American plans to restart flights to Dublin in July. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2020/06/04/dfw-becomes-the-worlds-busiest-airport-during-covid-19-downturn/ Back to Top Appareo Goes Big on New Flight Data Technology for Small Airplanes Appareo's new Conexus technology brings new data acquisition capabilities to the lighter end of the business and general aviation industry. A new set of data acquisition, flight data monitoring recording technology developed by Appareo is designed to bring some of the post-flight data transmission and analytics capabilities that airlines have been adopting in recent years to smaller general aviation aircraft. The North Dakota avionics manufacturer unveiled a lineup of new computing hardware and software updates over the last month designed to make access and analysis of flight data easier among business and general aviation fleet operators. Appareo's most recent release include their June 3 unveiling of Conexus, a new set of aircraft communications units (ACUs) designed to act as data acquisition systems for flight data monitoring. Through Ethernet, ARINC 429 or RS-422, Conexus can acquire data while in-flight so that it can be retrieved and analyzed post-flight. "The Conexus ACU-200 has an embedded cellular modem that is connected to an antenna. That antenna can either be mounted to the ACU-200 itself or to the fuselage, depending on the aircraft. The product is telematically enabled solely to provide offload of data from the ACU-200 after the aircraft has landed, it's not intended to operate the cellular function in flight," Appareo CEO David Batcheller told Avionics. Each ACU-200 consists of dual-core ARM cortex A9 processors, an LTE cellular radio that relies on 3G/2G as a fallback and a short-range 433 MHz radio. Since the technology provides access to the data after a flight is complete and features embedded cellular connectivity - there is no additional investment in any type of satcom or air to ground connectivity required to enable it. Another capability featured on Conexus is its ability to transfer information without the removal of an SD card from a flight data recorder. Appareo has also demonstrated its ability to be integrated into the cockpit voice and image recorder technology that the company also has also developed for light jets. Prior to unveiling the Conexus ACU-200, on Apr. 29, Appareo announced a new addition to its line of flight data recording modules, the Recoverable Data Module, model 300 (RDM-300). Appareo's new flight data recording module is about the size of a pen. Batcheller describes RDM-300 as being adaptable to any type of aircraft, although the company is targeting the general aviation segment with the RDM-300, which is designed to automatically accommodate an aircraft's bus speed and adjust its configuration to desired data recording preferences. "The RDM-300 is typically installed by aircraft manufacturers on either type certificate or supplemental type certificates obtained in the factory. The product connects to data sources from avionics, or other sources such data output from a FADEC and stores that data to memory, overwriting old data in a FIFO fashion. The product can also be installed by operators looking to improve the recoverability of data from incidents or accidents, finding an installation location in their aircraft where the unit can be stored and reasonably wired into data output from avionics," Batcheller said. Smaller general aviation aircraft are not required by civil aviation regulatory agencies in the U.S. or internationally to feature the type of flight data recorders mandated on larger commercial airliners. The National Transportation Safety Board, within its 2019-2020 "Most Wanted List," included a recommendation for the FAA to start requiring flight data monitoring on smaller U.S.-registered aircraft in an effort to improve safety. In March, the FAA published a response to the recommendation noting that it is not considering proposal of such regulations. "The FAA is not considering rulemaking at this time for these recommendations. The FAA will examine possible ways of polling operators through our aviation safety inspectors to identify voluntary flight data monitoring (FDM) system equipage rates," the agency said. RDM-300 is capable of recording more than 500 flight parameters per second within its solid-state memory and weighs less than two pounds. Airframe manufacturers can also configure the module to collect cockpit voice recorder or image data as well. On the software side of flight data monitoring, Appareo also introduced a major architectural upgrade to EnVision, the web-based application it provides to operators for access to past and current flight data and generation of detailed trend monitoring reports. In a May 18 press release, the company describes how the EnVision system previously only accepted flight data captured by the Apparel Vision 1000 cockpit recorder. Under the update, the application can now accept flight data from other devices provided by other companies. The technology analyzes data uploaded to Appareo servers for analysis after being transferred from an aircraft to a local computer using an SD card. That transmission can happen instantaneously or it can be scheduled for a different time of day, based on the user's preferences. "The scheduling feature was developed for our customers who have operations in remote locations with limited internet bandwidth," Batcheller said. "They appreciate the ability to schedule their data file transmission to take place during periods of low network activity." https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/06/04/appareo-goes-big-on-new-flight-data-technology-for-small-airplanes/ Back to Top Boeing lines up new 777X and 787 orders as it sells off jets once meant for Russian cargo carrier Why is Boeing playing hardball with a key customer, refusing to let it revoke an order cancellation and take its planes? Court filings reveal the reason: Boeing has new customers lined up to take the jets - and an agreement with one that could add new orders for 777Xs and 787 Dreamliners by the end of this month. In a year when Boeing's order backlog has fallen by more than 500 airplanes, as airlines cancel hundreds of 737 MAX orders and new orders during the massive coronavirus downturn are thin, a deal for 777Xs and 787s would be an uplifting surprise for the jetmaker. Boeing has already slashed production plans as airlines shrink their operations in response to the air travel collapse. Its large order backlog is expected to be cut dramatically, and the outlook for the new 777X looks especially vulnerable. The 777X is a giant plane entering the market when airlines will have trouble filling it. Key customers including British Airways, Emirates of Dubai, and Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong are reeling from the pandemic's financial hit. So a new 777X order would be a tremendous boost for Boeing. The conflict between Boeing and Russian cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr surfaced in U.S. District Court in Seattle last week, when Volga filed suit alleging that it has a contract to take one 747-8 jumbo jet freighter and three 777 cargo jets - in total worth more than $600 million after standard industry discounts - but that Boeing refuses to deliver the jets. Volga, blaming the global pandemic, told Boeing early in the year it couldn't secure financing for the planes. However, months later, it managed to obtain the funding and declared itself ready to take delivery. When Boeing responded that it was already finalizing a resale of the aircraft to other customers, Volga sued. Boeing told the court that Volga had explicitly told the jetmaker to go ahead and resell the planes. On Tuesday, Chief Judge Ricardo Martinez denied the restraining order sought by Volga, giving Boeing an initial victory and noting that Volga "has not demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of its breach of contract claim." The detail on how Boeing resold the Volga airplanes is contained in a written declaration to the court by Maria Akiyama, a Boeing Commercial Airplanes director who was Volga's principal contact on the contracts. On May 4, Boeing "finalized the resale of the 747-8F airplane Volga refused and has scheduled delivery of the plane to Customer A," Akiyama states. Customer A is likely UPS, which is the only remaining airline with 747-8s on order, and would likely be willing to take Volga's remaining order for three more 747-8s if the Russians walk away. The court filings also include an April 2 purchase agreement with another unnamed airline, Customer B, to purchase two of the three 777Fs originally meant for Volga. The agreement outlines a series of "credit memos" for the two 777Fs, with all financial details redacted, that likely stipulate the discounts Boeing is providing. And an additional memo makes clear the deal is conditional on an agreement to purchase multiple Boeing models. "In recognition of Customer's partnership with Boeing as a 777 and 787 customer in [REDACTED], Boeing will issue to Customer a multi-model aircraft credit memorandum in the amount of [REDACTED], contingent on Customer executing definitive agreements to purchase (i) Model 777-9 aircraft and (ii) additional Model 787 aircraft no later than June 30, 2020." The 777-9 is the first version of the new 777X, which began flight tests in January. There are a limited number of potential airline customers that fit the above details. The latest issue of Cargo Facts, an air freight trade publication, speculates that Customer B is most likely either All Nippon Airways (ANA) of Japan, EVA Air of Taiwan, or one of the large Chinese state airlines. Boeing declined to comment on sales discussions with customers. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/boeing-lines-up-new-777x-and-787-orders-as-it-sells-off-jets-once-meant-for-russian-cargo-carrier/ Back to Top Boeing delivers first Super Hornet Blue Angel test jet JACKSONVILLE, Fla (WKRG) - The first Super Hornet test aircraft for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels has been delivered by Boeing. The unpainted aircraft will now undergo a flight test and an evaluation phase at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. Boeing says they expect to deliver a total of 11 aircraft for the squadron in 2020. "The Super Hornet is an iconic representation of excellence in naval aviation," said ret. Admiral Pat Walsh, vice president of U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Services for Boeing. Walsh flew with the Blue Angels from 1985 to 1987 as the Left Wingman (#3) and Slot Pilot (#4). "As Boeing continues to support the operational fleet of Navy Super Hornets, we are excited to see this platform enter a critical phase of its journey to joining the team." According to Boeing, the Blue Angels have flown Boeing or Boeing-heritage aircraft for more than 50 years, starting with the F-4J Phantom II in 1969, and then moving to the A-4F Skyhawk. The team currently operates the F/A-18A-D Hornet. Boeing converts F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets into Blue Angels at the company's Cecil Field facility in Jacksonville, Florida. Major modifications include the addition of an oil tank for the smoke-generation system, fuel systems that enable the aircraft to fly inverted for extended periods of time, civilian-compatible navigation equipment, cameras and adjustments for the aircraft's center of gravity. https://www.wkrg.com/national/boeing-delivers-first-super-hornet-blue-angel-test-jet/ Back to Top Momentus signs contract with OrbAstro for SpaceX rideshare flight SAN FRANCISCO - Silicon Valley startup Momentus announced a contract June 4 with OrbAstro, a small United Kingdom company developing hardware and software to enable satellites to operate in flocks or constellations. Under the contract, Momentus, a firm developing in-space transportation services, will fly a three-unit OrbAstro cubesat on a SpaceX Falcon 9 dedicated rideshare mission scheduled for launch in 2021. Momentus plans to enclose the OrbAstro cubesat in its Vigoride orbit transfer vehicle for the Falcon 9 launch. At the conclusion of the Falcon 9 flight, Vigoride will transport the OrbAstro cubesat to a higher altitude. Through the mission, OrbAstro plans to demonstrate a variety of technologies including an UltraScale+ high-performance computer coupled with a constellation management system based on an artificial neural network, a novel electrical power system, a compact attitude determination and control system, and a new thermal management system. After the in-orbit demonstration, OrbAstro plans to launch its own cluster of formation flying nanosatellites to test remaining technologies the firm is developing, before focusing on the needs of larger constellations, Ash Dove-Jay, OrbAstro founder and CEO, said in a statement. Momentus, based in Santa Clara, California, plans to conduct the first test flight this year of its Vigoride orbit transfer vehicle. "We are excited to see OrbAstro working on developing key technologies that could really enable flocks of satellites to be in close proximity of each other," Momentus CEO Mikhail Kokorich said in a statement. "In the future, this [technology] may enable Momentus to do rendezvous and proximity operations for refueling, satellite servicing, repositioning and more." https://spacenews.com/momentus-orbastro-contract/ New Insomnia Treatment Developed for Pilots Set To Shake Up The Billion Dollar Sleep Industry Blenheim, New Zealand-May 25th, 2020 For Immediate Release Today, Allan Baker, well known aviation psychologist, has announced the release of his new book, "BLIS™ For Insomniacs", which provides details on the new treatment he has developed which helps insomniacs and others with sleep problems to actively bring on sleep when they need it, rather than waiting passively for sleep to 'happen to them'. This is a breakthrough How-To-Get-To-Sleep technique and guide for anyone who doesn't get enough sleep. Working with long haul airline pilots over the past 15 years, Allan has had to help them cope with the effects of too little sleep due to the nature of their work-changing time zones, flying at night, frequent layovers in new cities and hotels. Finding that existing insomnia treatments simply did not provide adequate results, and knowing that pilots could not resort to using sleeping pills and other medications which would impair their performance, he set about trying to find a better solution. "The problem is," he says, "most sleep therapies are simply rehashes of things that sleep professionals have been expounding for years, with limited success-until now there's been no significant breakthrough technique that addresses all the body's prerequisite conditions for sleep to occur, as a whole." Extensive research through the relevant scientific literature, particularly that around the effective treatment of PTSD, and an ability to think outside the box, has meant that Allan has been able to join-the-dots and make a discovery that appears to have eluded other sleep researchers. Simply put, the two main existing treatment paradigms, 'sleep hygiene' and cognitive behavioural treatment, as just two legs of the sleep stool, deal only with some of the conditions that must be met for sleep to occur. Allan's new technique, coined BLIS - for bilateral induced sleep - completes what he refers to as the third leg of the Sleep Stool, by providing an easy to learn and use method which helps the brain make the shift from emitting the high frequency Alpha waves of wakefulness, to the lower frequency Delta waves seen when we sleep. "I've discovered from knowledge of other areas of therapy, that it's possible to easily train your brain to shift from emitting alpha waves to delta waves, and when the brain emits delta waves, it basically brings on sleep." Allan notes that the sleep industry worldwide is worth tens of billions of dollars, primarily because so many people struggle to get the sleep they need. "The downstream effects of disturbed sleep on health are massive," he says. "If you're getting a couple of hours less sleep a night than you should, on average you're shortening your life by seven and a half years. Sleep is very important in keeping your immune system working well." "The breakthrough came from treating getting to sleep as a skill that can be trained. My new technique has been very effective with many of the pilots I've worked with, and I'm hoping that by releasing this book, I'll now be in a position to help many other sleep deprived people get the rest that they need and crave." BLIS™ For Insomniacs (ISBN: 978-0-473-52117-2) is available as a downloadable PDF eBook for US$14.99 from the mySleepSwitch website at: www.mysleepswitch.com. A sample chapter of the book is available for free download. About Allan Baker Trained as a military pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and is a registered psychologist. Allan has had a psychology career spanning over 45 years, and for the past fifteen years has worked exclusively in the field of Aviation Psychology. This has led to his deep understanding and interest in the area of sleep, which is so critical for commercial pilots and air crew. He is the current holder of the Jim Collins Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Aviation Safety. Allan was presented with this award in 2017 for his significant contribution to the development of the New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association (NZALPA) Peer Assistance Program, and in particular his furthering of a better industry understanding in the specialist area of pilots' mental health. Press Contact: Golden Micro Solutions Ltd, Box 590, Blenheim, New Zealand, publisher of the book. For more information: E: admin@mysleepswitch.com T: +64 21 900 461 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