Flight Safety Information June 11, 2020 - No. 117 In This Issue Incident: LATAM Brasil A321 near Sao Paulo on Jun 9th 2020, burning odour and white smoke on board Report: Iran Will Send Flight Recorders From Ukrainian Jet To Paris Boeing Hopes to Complete Key 737 Max Test Flight in June Air India suspends executive pilot for alleged abusive behaviour Alaska Airlines to make health questionnaire part of the check-in process Britain publishes COVID-19 safety guidance for airlines and airports Canada advocates for full investigation into UIA plane crash in Iran GE Aviation Launches Health Application ID for the Aviation Industry Purdue University Global launches professional flight program American Airlines Set To Reactivate 140+ Narrowbody Aircraft UAE's flydubai extends salary cuts, puts pilots on unpaid leave: sources 6 Pilots on the Future of the Once-Glamorous Job Air Force Will Pit a Drone Against a Fighter Jet in Aerial Combat Test A Booming Airline Business: Shipping Pigs to China in 747 Jumbo Jets Lufthansa says up to 26,000 employees at risk of losing jobs New SpaceX spacesuits get five-star rating from NASA astronauts RTCA's free Aviation Technology Connect Webinar series kicks off Wednesday, June 17 Ship-based Helicopter Management Aviation Safety Survey GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: LATAM Brasil A321 near Sao Paulo on Jun 9th 2020, burning odour and white smoke on board A LATAM Brasil Airbus A321-200, registration PT-XPO performing flight JJ-3366 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP to Joao Pessoa,PB (Brazil), was enroute at FL310 about 220nm northeast of Sao Paulo when the crew decided to return to Sao Paulo reporting a burning odour and white smoke in the cockpit and cabin. The crew worked the related checklists, after working the checklists and turning off pack #1 the smoke dissipated. The aircraft landed safely back at Guarulhos Airport about 75 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration PR-MHW reached Joao Pessoa with a delay of 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Sao Paulo about 25 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d881616&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Report: Iran Will Send Flight Recorders From Ukrainian Jet To Paris Iran has told the United Nations aviation agency that it will send the black boxes from a downed Ukrainian passenger jet to Paris for analysis after it secures agreements with countries involved in the investigation, Reuters reported. Iran has refused to hand over the flight recorders from the Ukraine International Airlines flight, which was shot down on January 8 near Tehran by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, killing 176 people. Nearly half of the people killed were Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, which has pressed Iran to send the black boxes to France. The other countries involved in the investigation are Ukraine and the United States. In March, Iran told the UN's aviation agency that it would send the black boxes to Ukraine. But on June 10, a representative from Iran told a virtual meeting of the agency's governing council that Tehran would now send the heavily damaged recorders to the BEA air accident investigation agency in France, according to two sources quoted by Reuters. "Iran said they will send them to Paris soon subject to agreement of the states involved in the investigation," said one of the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity. A spokeswoman for Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau declined to comment on the question of the boxes being sent to Paris, but referred to the commitment Iran made in March. "They showed an openness to transferring the black boxes but we want to see concrete action on their part to see it through," the spokeswoman said, according to Reuters. Iranian officials were not immediately available for comment, the news agency reported. Under UN rules, Iran retains control of the investigation, while the United States and Ukraine are accredited as the countries where the jet was built and operated, respectively. https://www.rferl.org/a/report-iran-will-send-flight-recorders-from-ukrainian-jet-to-paris/30664598.html Back to Top Boeing Hopes to Complete Key 737 Max Test Flight in June The flight is a key milestone in Boeing's effort to get the 737 Max back in commercial service. Boeing (NYSE:BA) is reportedly pushing to complete a recertification flight for its grounded 737 Max before the end of the month, keeping the plane on track to reenter service later this summer. The 737 Max has been grounded since March 2019 after a pair of fatal crashes, but the aerospace company has made steady progress toward fixing flaws identified as part of the post-crash investigation. Boeing restarted production work on the plane in late May in anticipation of a third quarter recertification but still lacks final Federal Aviation Administration approval to get the plane back in the skies. Boeing hopes to conduct a test flight with FAA pilots this month to certify that the plane meets safety regulations, Bloomberg reports Wednesday. The date has not yet been finalized and could be moved into July due to COVID-19 restrictions or other issues. Boeing has also notified airlines about fixes to the jet's wiring and has circulated a draft of revised pilot training procedures, according to the report. The 737 Max at launch was expected to be one of the top-selling planes of all time, but a lot has happened to the airline industry while the plane has been grounded. Airlines that just months ago were focused on expansion have since grounded planes and cut flights in response to the pandemic, softening demand for new planes. Still, the recertification of the 737 Max is a key step in Boeing's plan to rehabilitate its commercial aircraft manufacturing business. Boeing burnt through $4.7 billion in the first quarter, in part because of expenses it incurred related to planes it has built but which can't be delivered due to the grounding. https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/06/10/boeing-hopes-to-complete-key-737-max-test-flight-i.aspx Back to Top Air India suspends executive pilot for alleged abusive behaviour The pilot had in the past too acted in such a manner with outbursts of temper National carrier Air India has suspended one of its executive pilots for allegedly behaving in an abusive manner with a senior DGCA official over sanitisation issues during a simulator training session, a source said. The official involved in the incident here last week is also from Air India and on deputation at the DGCA. According to the source, the DGCA official filed an official complaint with Air India. Following the complaint, the pilot has been suspended pending investigation, the source added. "After carrying out standardisation checks of two pilots on B-777 simulator, the DGCA official was filing the report. At that time, the pilot entered the briefing room with a box of masks and a few bottles of sanitisers. "He started arguing why such a requirement is there from DGCA to sanitise the simulators. He was told categorically that all ATOs (Approved Training Organisations) are required to adhere to the guidelines of DGCA," the source said, quoting the official's complaint. At this stage, the source said the pilot became abusive. "He (pilot) was told to lower his tone of language and not be abusive and not shout. During this period, the official remains seated calmly. Then suddenly the pilot became further abusive and came to hit the official but was pulled back by the two pilots," the source said. A query sent to Air India chief spokesperson did not elicit a response, while another spokesperson said he was "not aware" of the matter. According to the source, the pilot had in the past too acted in such a manner with outbursts of temper. "Such behaviour of the pilot is not unacceptable. Moreover, using abusive language and shouting at a DGCA official while performing his duty is not tolerable," the source said. As per the source, the official has sought strict action against the pilot "who needs a psychiatric help/ evaluation and appropriate instructions are issued that such incidents are not repeated." https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/air-india-suspends-executive-pilot-for-alleged-abusive-behaviour-97310 Back to Top Alaska Airlines to make health questionnaire part of the check-in process The carrier will ask travelers if they're experiencing flu-like symptoms and whether they've been in close contact with anyone with respiratory illness. SEATAC, Wash. - Alaska Airlines will soon ask passengers a series of pre-flight health questions as part of a new set of protocols meant to ensure health and safety during the coronavirus pandemic. Starting at the end of the month, a "wellness agreement" will become part of the check-in process at airport kiosks, on Alaska's app, and on the carrier's website. The questionnaire will ask travelers if they're experiencing flu-like symptoms and whether they've been in close contact with anyone with respiratory illness. If they have, they would be subject to additional screening and could be required to book another flight, the carrier said. "We're excited for our passengers to fly again and we're giving them every bit of information possible, so they know that we've taken every possible precaution and safety measure to make them feel confident in flying," said Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines senior vice president of marketing. Alaska, like the rest of the airline and travel industry, took a big hit as the coronavirus pandemic spread globally. Passenger traffic is still nowhere near to what it normally is this time of year, but a Sea-Tac International Airport spokesperson said this coming weekend should be the busiest since the start of the pandemic in Washington, with a projected 11,000 departing passengers per day Thursday through Monday. In the passenger cabin, there are new, more robust cleaning procedures, flyers must wear masks during their journeys, and Alaska is blocking off middle seats through July. The carrier said travelers can take additional steps to stay healthy, like opening overhead air vents and leaving those open for the entire flight. Hospital-grade HEPA air filters can remove airborne contaminants like COVID-19, the airline said. Some customers who've had to cancel trips are still uncomfortable re-booking. Alaska, like other airlines, is letting them cancel without any fees and offering credits for future flights. The credits can be used through May 31st, 2022, Woerner said. Alaska said if a passenger or crew member tests positive for COVID-19 after their trip, the CDC or local health departments will use the airline's passenger list to notify others on the flight. https://www.king5.com/article/news/health-questionnaire-to-become-part-of-alaska-airlines-check-in-process/281-f5ab5a81-c345-4571-a466-c4219d07835b Back to Top Britain publishes COVID-19 safety guidance for airlines and airports LONDON (Reuters) - Britain published new guidance for airlines and airports on how to operate safely to minimize the risks from coronavirus, adding to hopes that the country will soon agree deals to allow quarantine-free travel. Passengers and staff should wear face coverings in airports and on aircraft, while passengers should check in all luggage including hand bags and remain seated for as much of the flight as possible, said the Department for Transport on Thursday. Since the outbreak of coronavirus, there has been minimal flying into and out of Britain. Airlines had been hoping for a recovery in July, but they say new UK rules requiring international arrivals to quarantine for 14-days have pushed this back. Britain has said work is continuing on "air bridges" between countries with low infection rates, something which the industry says is vital to kickstart travel demand and avoid further job losses on top of the tens of thousands already announced. The new aviation guidance shows the government is preparing for a restart. "We are taking the necessary steps to ensure a framework is in place for the aviation industry to bounce back when it is safe for restrictions on travel to be lifted," said transport minister Grant Shapps in a statement. Many airlines including easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways have already said that customers must wear face coverings onboard. The guidance to put most baggage in the hold could be problematic for some low-cost airlines such as Ryanair which formerly charged a premium for customers to keep larger bags with them in the cabin. The government also said in its guidance that there should be extensive cleaning of the aircraft, and more availability of handwashing and hand sanitizer facilities. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-aviation/britain-publishes-covid-19-safety-guidance-for-airlines-and-airports-idUSKBN23I1KD Back to Top Canada advocates for full investigation into UIA plane crash in Iran Canada continues to advocate for a full investigation into all the circumstances of a UIA plane crash in Iran, Transport Canada has reported. The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, joined the virtual meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council on June 10 to discuss progress on ICAO's work related to Flight PS752. "Canada continues to advocate for transparency, accountability, justice, compensation and a full investigation to bring closure to the families of the victims of the PS752 tragedy," reads the statement. In addition, Canada continues to call on Iran to allow the black boxes to be downloaded and analyzed in a facility with the capability to do so as soon as possible-as stipulated by Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and as Iran has committed to doing. "The Government of Canada continues to work with its international partners to improve global aviation safety and prevent tragedies like Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 from ever happening again," Transport Canada added. On January 8, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was shot down near Tehran by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, killing 176 people, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3043156-canada-advocates-for-full-investigation-into-uia-plane-crash-in-iran.html Back to Top GE Aviation Launches Health Application ID for the Aviation Industry Applying blockchain technology for safe airline travel and to restore passenger confidence AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Aviation is offering a new health credential application, Health Application ID, for the aviation industry to address COVID-19 related safety concerns. The solution focuses on three important areas: "We need to do everything we can to instill trust and confidence in the traveling public and get the world back to work and flying again" • Employee Control: screening workers to facilitate a safe return to the workplace • Passenger Control: screening passengers for responsible and safe aircraft occupancy • Object Control: clearing objects on aircraft as disinfected to improve customer trust and confidence The solution, enabled by Microsoft Azure, is available now and demonstrations are underway with airlines, airports and industry groups. "This application addresses an urgent need in our industry to help ensure airline and airport workers have been screened for COVID-19 and that their fellow passengers have been checked," said Andrew Coleman, chief commercial officer of GE Aviation's Digital Group. "We need to do everything we can to instill trust and confidence in the traveling public and get the world back to work and flying again". The solution enables airlines, airports and related transportation operation areas to set test result protocols and check the compliance to new COVID-19 medical screening for employees and passengers. Personal information and test results are protected by encryption and access is solely controlled by designated airline employees and passengers. Additionally, the offering is flexible and medical-test agnostic, which enables airlines to adapt as regulation and science evolves. By providing this application to airlines, more people can start to fly, and the industry can start to rebuild. This application uses the Microsoft Azure Blockchain Service and related technologies that create a protocol to embed passenger identity information, ticket information, and medical screening results into the boarding process in a highly secure environment. "We were able to quickly make this available with the help of great partners and our willingness to work across industries to apply best practices to this problem," said David Havera, GM of GE Aviation's blockchain solutions. "We are combining GE Aviation's data and analytics domain expertise with the scale and secure capabilities of Microsoft Azure along with TE-FOOD's blockchain technology and best practices from the food industry to create a product that brings the best scalable solution to the aviation industry. This offering gives control to the passengers by allowing them to view the cleaning history of the aircraft. Airlines gain more control by being able to record events as they occur, which enables pandemic containment and auditable records." Perhaps equally as innovative as the offering itself is how GE launched it. "Our digital group has used the concept of revenue share partners from our parent aviation company. This allows us to share the risk/reward with partners and take advantage of best practices across industries," said Scott Ridge, the global head of Partners and Alliances. "This is an outcome of a partner-enabled incubation model. Collaboration is the key to getting the world started up again. Over the coming months this model will continue to strengthen this offering by using the full power of GE and additional partners." About GE Aviation GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines, avionics, digital solutions and electrical power systems for aircraft. GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.geaviation.com/digital https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200611005441/en/GE-Aviation-Launches-Health-Application-ID-Aviation Back to Top Purdue University Global launches professional flight program INDIANAPOLIS - Purdue University Global has officially launched its professional flight program and will begin training students through its flight training affiliate, Sterling Flight Training LLC, this fall. Students may apply to enroll in the online Bachelor of Science in Professional Flight program beginning Wednesday (June 10). Those accepted into the School of Aviation program will complete their Bachelor of Science degree courses online through Purdue Global, which includes aviation and general education classes, while completing professional flight training at Sterling Flight Training in Jacksonville, Florida. The program is a collaboration between Purdue Global and Purdue University's School of Aviation and Transportation Technology - announced in June 2019 - and a partnership between Purdue Global and Sterling - announced in February 2020. "We are excited to see this program take off," said Frank Dooley, Purdue Global chancellor. "It is a wonderful association among Purdue Global, Purdue West Lafayette and Sterling, utilizing the strengths of each entity, all with students' best interests in mind and aimed at addressing an anticipated pilot shortfall in the coming years." Purdue's School of Aviation and Transportation Technology, one of six departments and schools in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, is recognized worldwide as a leader in aviation education and has provided its expertise in curriculum development, faculty hiring and accreditation by the Aviation Accreditation Board International. "This collaboration represents a significant step in the expansion of Purdue's world-class professional flight program and an exciting new opportunity as we persist in addressing challenges in the aviation industry," said Gary R. Bertoline, dean of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute and a Distinguished Professor of Computer Graphics Technology and Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University. "This has been a rewarding process," said Tom Frooninckx, interim head of the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. "Our faculty have enjoyed collaborating with Purdue Global colleagues to develop the coursework. They're ready for program launch." This program is designed to get students flying immediately, shortening the timeline to becoming a professional pilot in order to meet an anticipated industry demand. As United States airline pilots approach the federally mandated retirement age of 65, the industry faces a shortage of pilots. Reports forecast a need for more than 800,000 pilots over the next 20 years. Progressing from private pilot to certified flight instructor, graduates will have the foundation essential to serve as flight instructors and accrue additional flight experience required by airlines to get hired as an airline pilot. Upon reaching CFI status, participants enrolled in the program can begin teaching fellow students and earn compensation for their work in addition to flight hours, which can help with education costs and living expenses. Those wishing to be part of the initial class should apply quickly, as space is limited. More information is available at purdueglobal.edu. About Purdue University Global Purdue University Global is the extreme personalization online university, providing students the competitive edge to advance in their chosen careers. It offers a hyper-tailored path for students to earn an associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations - no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global serves more than 31,000 students (as of March 2020), most of whom earn their degree online. It also operates several regional locations nationwide. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University's flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates two regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest, Indiana, as well as serving close to 6,000 science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, please visit purdueglobal.edu. About Sterling Flight Training Sterling Flight Training LLC, a portfolio company of Wexford Capital LP, is Jacksonville's premiere flight school, offering programs from private pilot to professional pilot. Backed by a team of airline industry veterans with more than 100 years of combined aviation experience, the Sterling team has led the training initiatives for thousands of airline pilots across the United States. Students receive training they can trust with safety top of mind. The school is FAA and VA approved, and offers degrees through both in-house training programs and university affiliations. For more information, visit sterlingflight.com. https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2020/Q2/purdue-university-global-launches-professional-flight-program.html Back to Top American Airlines Set To Reactivate 140+ Narrowbody Aircraft In the wake of its service uptick announcement, it has been revealed today that American Airlines will be bringing back more than 140 narrowbody aircraft from storage over the next few weeks. To cope with a capacity increase that will see the restoration of 55% of its planned domestic flights, the airline will bring back 83 Airbus A320 family aircraft along with 58 Boeing 737s, which had previously been stored around the US. American's big narrowbody revival American Airlines has seen a considerable proportion of its fleet grounded as a result of the current pandemic. The carrier has been storing aircraft in a variety of US locations, including Tulsa and Pittsburg. Now, it is making plans to bring back some of these aircraft in a move that will see it returning as many as 141 narrowbody aircraft to service in the next few weeks. As announced today, AA will bring back a total of 83 Airbus A320 family aircraft along with 58 Boeing 737 jets. This is to support an increase in services during July, following a reactivation of demand that is somewhat faster than previously expected. These Are The Oldest Boeing 737 Aircraft Still Flying Vasu Raja, American's Senior Vice President of Network Strategy, commented on the announcement, saying, "We're seeing a slow but steady rise in domestic demand. After a careful review of data, we've built a July schedule to match. Our July schedule includes the smallest year-over-year capacity reduction since March. We'll continue to look for prudent opportunities to restore service so our customers can travel whenever and wherever they are ready." American is in line with Delta and United, all three of which are looking to return more services in July than previously thought. This shows that, contrary to popular opinion, many passengers are ready and willing to fly, at least in the domestic US market. By historical standard, demand remains weak. However, these figures suggest that we may be over the worst and that demand for travel could pick up in time for carriers to snag a bit of summer leisure traffic. American says that the bookings seen are primarily to beaches, mountain states, and states with major amusement parks. The restoration of services American Airlines had parked around 435 aircraft as a result of the pandemic. Along with this, it had permanently retired 105 aircraft, including its Boeing 757s and 767s, as well as older short-haul planes. However, it has pressed ahead with retrofits of new cabins on its 737-800s and its A321s in preparation for a return to service. Earlier this month, American revealed a massive systemwide capacity increase, aiming for 40% of its previously scheduled capacity to be operational in July. Domestically, 55% of its domestic flights will be restored next month, giving hope of a revival of air travel. And it's not just American that is showing signs of recovery. Delta has brought its first 737 out of storage in Victorville and has plans in place to operate twice as many domestic flights in July as it did in May, although the exact shape of recovery is yet to be seen. United Airlines has been coy on the bounce back of demand, but has already made moves to step up its international flying schedule. Destinations including the Caribbean, Latin America, and a number of routes to Asia are gradually reopening, with the airline saying it expects to be up to 75% of its 2019 capacity by July. Domestically, 140 routes in the US and Canada will resume next month. International recovery is slower While the green shoots of hope are very much appearing in the domestic US market, airlines are cautious about the return to international flying. Although eight international routes have been resumed by American today, some previously announced routes will not take off. American will begin service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, as well as from Miami to Antigua, Guayaquil and Quito. A service will also take place from Chicago and New York to London's Heathrow airport. However, some international routes, including transatlantic routes from Philadelphia and Charlotte, have been pushed back to August. https://simpleflying.com/american-airlines-narrowbody-reactivation/ Back to Top UAE's flydubai extends salary cuts, puts pilots on unpaid leave: sources DUBAI (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates carrier flydubai has indefinitely extended the period of reduced pay for employees and placed dozens of pilots on unpaid leave for a year, company sources said. The airline had temporarily cut salaries for three months from April, which an employee had said reduced wages of pilots and engineers by half and cabin crew pay by a quarter. It extended the pay cut and placed some pilots on unpaid leave in effort to preserve cash, two sources said. Pilots could be recalled to paid work early if needed, they said. The airline has operated few, limited passenger flights since March when it grounded services due to the global coronavirus pandemic. A flydubai spokeswoman said that staff had been offered unpaid leave and that the airline was talking to some pilots and cabin crew about their future but declined to comment further. "The decisions we have had to take have not been taken lightly and we will extend our full support," she said. Aviation is one of the industries worst hit by the virus outbreak, with airlines around the world laying off staff and seeking government bailouts. Sister carrier Emirates laid off hundreds of pilots and thousands of cabin crew this week as it tries to stave off its own cash crunch, sources have said. Further job losses at Emirates were expected on Thursday, though scheduled meetings where staff were to be told they had been made redundant were later cancelled, three company sources said. Emirates did not immediately respond to questions about cancelling the meetings. https://whtc.com/news/articles/2020/jun/11/flydubai-extends-salary-cuts-puts-pilots-on-unpaid-leave-sources/1028194/?refer-section=business Back to Top 6 Pilots on the Future of the Once-Glamorous Job AIRLINES HAVE ANNOUNCED THEY WILL SHRINK FLIGHT AND CABIN CREWS ONCE GOVERNMENT FUNDING RUNS OUT. HERE'S WHAT PILOTS ARE SAYING. It's no secret that the airlines have been struggling. Passenger traffic is down 94 percent, and last month, The New York Times reported that U.S. carriers are losing between $350 and $400 million dollars a day. While the airlines received government assistance with payroll and other expenses through the CARES Act, that funding runs out at the end of September. Executives have already said that layoffs are inevitable and pilot jobs are at risk. "Contracting coronavirus is the least of my worries," says Patrick Smith, a pilot for a major U.S. carrier. "What makes me anxious is the state of the airline industry and the future of my career." We asked Smith and a handful of other aviators to elaborate on how they're feeling headed into fall. The first officer stressed about his industry Patrick Smith, pilot for a major U.S. airline, host of AskThePilot.com, and author of Cockpit Confidential What a lot of people don't realize is that for pilots, should you find yourself laid off or your airline goes out of business, you cannot simply slide over to another [airline] and pick up where you left off. The way airline seniority systems work, there is no sideways transfer of benefits or salary. If you move to a different company, you begin again at the bottom, with probationary pay and benefits, regardless of how much experience you have. You lose everything. So any threat to our companies makes us nervous. For newer pilots at the bottom of the seniority list, disaster is about to strike. Thousands will lose their jobs. Flight attendants face the same situation, but they don't spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on training, and then years working at low-wage regional airlines before they get a chance to fly for a good-paying major. I was 36 before I got hired by the airline I work for now, and made virtually no money up to that point. My primary training, meanwhile, took at least three years and cost close to $100,000. This is the way airline crew hierarchies have always been structured. Union contracts are organized around these systems; indeed, they are responsible for developing them. Maybe in the old days they made more sense. Today there is much too much salary disparity between those at the top and the bottom, and no protections when moving from one company to another. Flying private jets is always an option-though not a very compelling one. Competition for those slots will be the fiercest it's ever been. I also worry that some of the new [pandemic] rules and protocols will turn out to be permanent. Twenty years after September 11, we're still doing liquid confiscations and taking our shoes off. Nobody can explain why. Is it crazy to think that 20 years from now we'll still be wearing masks and having our temperatures checked? Much of the fallout from 9/11 made the air travel experience more tedious and stressful. COVID could result in a new layer of inconveniences that could seriously handicap the recovery. Passengers take comfort in an airline's efforts to keep them safe. This is important. It's also important not to drive them away. The captain worried about demotions and pay cuts Laura Einsetler, pilot for a major U.S. airline, aviation blogger at CaptainLaura.com, and author of Remove Before Flight I am very concerned about what will happen October 1 when the CARES Act relief funding runs out. This is three or four times the scale of what we had to deal with post-9/11. Even though the airplanes were only grounded for five days, the ripple effects lasted over a decade. There were mass layoffs, airline bankruptcies, shutdowns. A lot of pilots never came back. I had been furloughed and when you have a family and children to care for, it can be devastating. So in a time when there are little jobs available, it makes me very concerned for my aviation industry co-workers and friends. The more senior pilots will be able to keep their jobs, but if airlines go into full shutdowns or bankruptcies, all bets are off. Many of us are already taking full step-down seniority demotions. In some cases, like mine, it is a double demotion. I will be doing the same job I did 21 years ago, with a 30 percent pay cut. If we also have to take concessions, we would be looking at 55 percent pay cuts [as well as some] layoffs. The airlines do not want this, but they will have to shrink so they're not flying nearly empty jets around. Between 78 and 82 percent load factors are required for each flight just to pay the bills. I WILL BE DOING THE SAME JOB I DID 21 YEARS AGO, WITH A 30 PERCENT PAY CUT. I don't think airlines would ever give up the seniority system, but there has been talk in the past of an industry-wide seniority list, where we'd all be one union. As pilots get laid off, some may take any job they can get. I flipped houses after 9/11; that's back on the table again. I don't know any pilots that haven't asked themselves, "Did I make the right career decision?" But if there's a treatment center for airplane addiction, we'd all check in at this point. That's part of the issue-[the airlines] know we love jets. Nothing takes the place of flying an aircraft. Flight Crew, Brazil Some airline pilots are hopeful they can keep their jobs if passenger numbers climb. The cautiously optimistic captain Erin Jackson, pilot for a major U.S. airline When [the pandemic] first started, I saw loads drop off significantly-sometimes 10 people on a plane that seats 176. But just in the last couple of weeks, I've noticed the loads start to increase. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. All of the airlines have stopped hiring, and there are a lot of early retirements happening right now. We weren't in a recession heading into this, so that's a positive. Fuel prices have gone down, another plus. I can be hopeful, but it's impossible to know how many pilots are going to lose jobs come October 1. It depends on the traveling public and on resorts and other places opening up. There are, of course, other options out there for pilots, especially in cargo. I have friends who fly for Fedex and UPS, and they're just swamped. Even [commercial airlines] are getting more revenue from cargo, carrying military care kits, United States mail, and COVID-19 testing kits. People can also fly skydivers, do pipeline patrol or banner towing, go into missionary aviation flying, or fly single-pilot cargo. I'm only 41; I still have 24 years before mandatory retirement. Besides, there's nothing else in the world I want to do. I love my family, but I also love flying planes. I can't see myself doing anything else. The commercially trained pilot focusing on private aviation Justin Crabbe, founder of Jettly, a global network of private aircraft chartable on demand We have about 20,000 aircraft in 109 countries and territories, all bookable the same way you'd book a commercial flight on Expedia. Business aviation is about 65 percent of what we do; the rest is high net worth individuals traveling for pleasure. We've seen dramatic changes since this pandemic came about-we're getting between 2,000 and 3,000 requests per day. We're also seeing older people who've never flown private before chartering aircraft because they're fearful of exposure at commercial airports. Our typical client comes from first-class commercial, and they're fed up. People who spend $3,000 for a first-class ticket from New York to Chicago can charter a whole aircraft with six seats for about $10,000. In some cases, flying private is even cheaper than flying business-class commercial. We're also seeing people who need to travel for medical reasons. Some of them are essential workers: teams of doctors fighting the virus, for instance, who don't want the risk exposure. The biggest hurdle with commercial airlines, of course, is the seating. Low-cost airlines that pack you in like a sardine will go under first, because their economics only work when the plane is filled to capacity. I've also noticed airlines dropping a number of tertiary routes into rural America, making it very difficult for people to travel. Smaller non-international airports are all taking a beating, and looking to private aviation as a replacement. In many cases, it'll be the only option left. The bullish flight school student Ben Bashinski, pilot-in-training I was in the military for almost nine years but left active duty in 2019 to begin pilot training. The job market was on fire then; there was talk about the upcoming pilot shortage and flight schools were printing full-page ads in magazines. It seemed like the perfect pathway. Then this happened. I'm doing a two-year associate degree program, so the prospect of getting hired is still years in the future. I'm not super worried about it, but I have an instructor who met his minimum FAA requirement for hours and is almost eligible to be hired-except no one is hiring right now. Typically you spend five years flying for the regionals or a freight operation until you get enough turbine time for the majors to hire you. THE AIRLINES AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE AND THE WAY I SEE IT, THEY'LL LOOK AT THE YOUNGER GENERATION AS THE ONES WORTH INVESTING IN. I wouldn't want to be in his position, but the cause of the initial pilot shortage isn't going away. Sixty-five is rolling around for these guys whether there's a pandemic or not, so they're going to retire anyway. A lot of other pilots may take early retirement. The airlines aren't going anywhere and the way I see it, they'll look at the younger generation as the ones worth investing in. There may be financial troubles for a few years, but people still want to travel. If airlines are cutting the number of seats they're filling per flight, that means more planes will have to be in the air to move people. Which just means more pilots. So, for people like me who aren't being hired for several more years, the outlook is pretty good. The captain thinking about plan B Korry Franke, pilot for a major U.S. airline and author of 3 Feet to the Left: A New Captain's Journey from Pursuit to Perspective One significant challenge for airlines once CARES funding expires involves how captains will effectively manage the leadership dynamic on the flight deck following thousands of downgrades. Experienced captains like me will soon find ourselves in the right seat as first officers. These downgrades will require mental adjustments after years in command. How will the remaining captains channel our experience and avoid creating conflict? How can downgraded captains put our experience to work in our new supporting roles? Effective leadership is highly nuanced, whether on the flight deck or elsewhere. Will interpersonal dynamics be a factor? Absolutely. Are the professional pilots at the controls ready and able to handle them? Without a doubt. One of my favorite aviation truisms is that pilots should never let an airplane take them somewhere their minds haven't been five minutes beforehand. It's our job to think ahead, to plan for the unexpected. That keeps us safe in an aircraft and in life. So, yes, I'm sure almost every pilot out there is formulating a plan B. For me, growing my speaking and writing business has been my primary plan B. I'm already thinking about the sequel to my book. That said, aviation has a way of getting into one's blood in a way that makes it hard to give up. Even on its worst day, we get to see blue sky, or watch a magnificent sunset, or fly all night and watch a pinprick of light expand across the eastern horizon until the orange and pink rays of the sunrise blanket the awakening world beneath us. How could we give up that daily dose of inspiration and hope? https://www.cntraveler.com/story/6-pilots-on-the-future-of-the-once-glamorous-job Back to Top Air Force Will Pit a Drone Against a Fighter Jet in Aerial Combat Test The U.S. Air Force will pit a drone against a fighter jet in an aerial combat demonstration next year. It's just one example of how the service is gunning to change the character of warfare, top officials say. Last week, Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, head of the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, revealed that the Air Force Research Lab is working on an "autonomous system to go up against a human, manned system in some sort of air-to-air" test in July 2021. Speaking during a Mitchell Institute event, he said the test will be an indication of how the service's outlook is growing when it comes to the next dynamic battlefront. "The drones we're exploring fit into the broader concept of, 'It's time to not talk about X-generation aircraft, it's time to talk about next generation air power,'" Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, said Tuesday when asked about how the test fits into the service's larger drone enterprise. "The drones we're exploring are this 'next thing' that make a ton of sense to put on top of your stealth [fighter] advantage -- the ability to push something forward," he said during a video chat, also hosted by the Mitchell Institute. The futuristic drone "can be a sensor for you, it can be a jammer for you, it can be a shooter for you," Roper said. "It's detecting for you ... and all the other things your imagination could dream up, that's what we're dreaming up." That's especially true when it comes to leveraging artificial intelligence-driven drones to lead in the battlespace, he added. Roper has not been shy about using the Air Force's Skyborg project as an example of how AI can augment an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter or F-22 Raptor team sent out to conduct strikes. "No one has flown with a digital pilot," he said of Skyborg, which seeks to pair AI with a human piloting a fighter jet -- training with its pilot, acting as a sidekick, rapidly thinking through problems and taking command if necessary. Last year during the Paris Air Show, Roper said discussions were ongoing within the Air Force about the need for a proposed sixth-gen fighter concept, which could be the successor to F-22s and F-35s. But he also said the service is likely to choose something more elaborate. "I think that's going to be a hallmark of sixth generation of air superiority," he said Tuesday of the drone-fighter pairing. Skyborg could also fly with bombers and tankers "to provide extra defensive capability," Roper said. The Air Force launched an official solicitation for Skyborg last month. Roper said that, regardless of the type of unmanned aircraft headed out to do the mission, artificial intelligence will undoubtedly have a role to play in gathering and quickly disseminating information. For example, the replacement for the MQ-9 Reaper -- known as MQ-Next, aimed at having a more capable drone that can survive hostile environments -- should hone intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance gathering by adopting algorithmic technologies from the get-go. The service posted a request for information solicitation for MQ-Next last week. "The way we can really drop the cost per hour of ISR is if algorithms are doing most of the triaging of the raw video, and only sending back to remote operators objects that are of interest that are [important] to look at," Roper said, adding that it would cut down the number of airmen needed to sift through the data -- something the Air Force has attempted to do for years. Researchers will look to Skyborg for the MQ-Next program, he said. "That's what's exciting about it, is there are multiple variables at play here. "The roots of the Air Force are all about breaking boundaries and doing new things," Roper said. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/06/10/air-force-will-pit-drone-against-fighter-jet-aerial-combat-test.html Back to Top A Booming Airline Business: Shipping Pigs to China in 747 Jumbo Jets (Bloomberg) -- The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on commercial aviation, but Alexey Isaykin's cargo carrier has been fully loaded. Volga-Dnepr Group has flown more than 3,000 breeding pigs to China from France this year. The animals -- transported 6,450 miles (10,400 kilometers) in wooden crates in the hold of a Boeing 747 cargo plane -- are being used to restore local livestock levels to help mitigate shortages in the world's largest pork market after an outbreak of African swine fever decimated China's hog herds. Measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus amplified those swine shortages and accelerated attempts to boost the population of domestic herds. China imported a total 254,533 tons of pork in the first four months of the year from the U.S., which overtook Europe to become China's largest pork supplier. That's already more than the 245,000 tons China bought for the whole of 2019. The cargo is a sign of the shifting demand that Isaykin's company -- known for transporting everything from satellites to emergency bridges -- is experiencing as the pandemic reshapes his industry. The company is also shipping masks, hazmat suits, medical equipment and even street-disinfecting vehicles to countries like Russia, France and Germany as they battle to contain the virus. Volga-Dnepr's sales rose 32% to $630 million this year through April compared with the same period in 2019. "Global aviation is going through its most challenging time ever, but for cargo carriers like us it's a chance," Isaykin said in a Zoom interview from Moscow. "Previously, more than half of all aviation cargoes were carried in the luggage compartments of passenger planes. With this supply vanishing from the market, demand for cargo airlines surged and prices more than doubled." While demand for air freight dropped 28% in April compared with a year earlier, capacity fell by 42%, according to the International Air Transport Association. Isaykin's stake in closely held Volga-Dnepr is estimated to be worth around $700 million, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Russian company's revenue may increase by a third this year to $2 billion, Isaykin predicts. Expanding Geography The overall rise in sales has come even as some revenue streams shrink. Shipments for the aerospace industry have fallen by about a third compared with last year, Isaykin said. Medical goods now account for more than half of global air freight, with e-commerce cargo for firms like Amazon.com Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. another growing category. Volga-Dnepr's footprint is also shifting, Isaykin said. "The geography of our shipments is expanding, following the spread of coronavirus," Isaykin said. "We just started shipping Chinese medical goods to Africa and are getting first inquiries from Latin America. I think India will be next." Some of this demand may prove to be short-lived. Freight rates have started to decline, and the market for shipping health-related cargo may drop in the second half of the year, Isaykin said. Still, he expects volumes and prices to stay above the "pre-virus" level with fewer passenger planes expected to be flying. Some new business may herald lasting changes to the world economy. While his carrier is shipping pigs to China, it's also ferrying assets the other way. The company recently transported a production line for making masks to Russia's Tatarstan region from China. "An interesting trend is gaining traction now -- we call it the medieval period of the 21st century -- when strategically important production facilities are being relocated to reduce dependence on China," Isaykin said. "I am expecting this trend to accelerate toward year-end." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/aviation-tycoon-gets-boost-pandemic-040001603.html Back to Top Lufthansa says up to 26,000 employees at risk of losing jobs BERLIN (Reuters) - Lufthansa admitted on Wednesday that the positions of up to 26,000 employees are surplus to requirements, suggesting many more jobs will be cut at the German carrier than a figure of more than 10,000 flagged a few weeks ago. Speaking after a meeting with trade unions, a Lufthansa spokeswoman said the airline estimates that it has a surplus of 22,000 full-time equivalent positions or 26,000 employees. Lufthansa last week pledged a wide-ranging restructuring, from thousands of job cuts to asset sales, as it seeks to repay a 9 billion euro ($10.26 billion) state bailout and navigate deepening losses in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. It said then that job cuts would be "significantly more" than the 10,000 figure it had previously estimated. The company is trying to reach agreement with labour unions to make employees work part-time and other ways to cut personnel costs before it holds an extraordinary general meeting on June 25, when shareholders will vote on the bailout. Flight attendants union UFO demanded that Lufthansa commits to avoiding forced redundancies, but said it was working hard to reach a deal by the time of the meeting. Meanwhile, the union representing pilots said its members had offered to take a cut in pay of up to 45%, in total amounting to about 350 million euros, but in return it wants the company to try to secure as many jobs as possible. https://www.yahoo.com/news/lufthansa-says-26-000-employees-203255217.html Back to Top New SpaceX spacesuits get five-star rating from NASA astronauts The movie-star look to SpaceX's new spacesuits is just one of the innovative features the Crew Dragon astronauts enjoyed during the Demo-2 test flight to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were the first humans to wear the suits in space during their mission, which began May 30 with a flawless launch from Florida - the first human spaceflight from the region since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. How things have changed since then. Instead of the old-school "pumpkin suit" launch suits Behnken and Hurley wore multiple times for space shuttle missions, this time the veteran astronauts were decked in all-white SpaceX suits for their rocket ride to orbit. "I bet you we've donned and offed those suits a couple hundred times," Hurley said during a press conference June 1 from on board the space station. The SpaceX spacesuits were custom-made for the astronauts and thus used extensively during training for the Demo-2 mission. Because the spacesuits were fitted to the astronauts' individual body types, Hurley added, "they were actually much easier to get in and out of in zero G," or weightlessness, compared to the pumpkin suits, which were also called the Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES). ACES and the SpaceX spacesuits are not designed for spacewalks - just for backup during launches and landings. "We'd have to get the suits a five-star rating," Behnken added during the discussion about the SpaceX suits. He pointed to some of the primary functions of the spacesuit, which is to protect the astronauts in case of fire or depressurization aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft. "These suits didn't have to do that job for us, which was nice. But it was clear that they were ready," he said. Both astronauts thanked the ground crews for their work in developing the spacesuits, which was done to very closely tune the spacesuits to the functionality of Crew Dragon. The gloves were designed to work with the spacecraft touchscreens, and the spacesuits were made to plug into seat umbilicals carrying oxygen and cool air from the spacecraft. "One of the things that was important in the development of the suit was to make it easy to use, something that the crew just literally has to plug in when they sit down, and the suit takes care of things from there," said Chris Trigg, SpaceX's spacesuits and crew equipment manager, in a May 27 video SpaceX posted to Twitter. The spacesuit has been tested in space before, just to make sure it was ready for humans. A version flew on the Tesla-driving dummy SpaceX launched towards Mars orbit in 2018, and another spacesuit decked thee dummy Ripley that flew aboard the uncrewed SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-1 test flight to the space station in 2019. https://www.space.com/spacex-spacesuits-five-star-astronaut-review.html Back to Top RTCA's free Aviation Technology Connect Webinar series kicks off Wednesday, June 17. Featured speakers include: Wayne Monteith, FAA's Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation and Gregg Leone, The MITRE Corporation's VP Director Center for Advanced Aviation System Development. More details: https://www.rtca.org/content/agenda Back to Top Back to Top 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