Flight Safety Information July 30, 2020 - No. 153 In This Issue Incident: Volotea B712 at Pantelleria on Jul 26th 2020, rejected takeoff due to bird strike Incident: Fedex MD11 near Albuquerque on Jul 29th 2020, engine shut down in flight Boeing 777-3F2ER - Ground Collision (Nigeria) Quest Kodiak 100 - Landing Accident (Washington) Australian pilot detained in PNG over mystery plane crash allegedly linked to drugs Pilot decision-making in poor weather contributed to fatal CFIT accident in Canada How pilots deal with radiation and flights over the North Pole How Aircraft Engines Are Tested Before Production Pilots report multiple laser strikes on aircraft over Vancouver Island JetBlue Tests Honeywell UV Cabin Disinfection System Canada urges to disclose analysis of UIA plane recorders FAA CONCERNED ABOUT CONVERTED CONTINENTAL ENGINE CRANKSHAFTS Badly Damaged Firefighting Plane Removed From Remote Site to Aid NTSB Investigation Man removed from Delta flight after mask dispute GE90 engine surpasses 100 million flight hours Frontier Airlines Takes Delivery Of Its 100th Airbus A320 Allegiant Will Furlough Up To 275 Pilots Amid $93m Loss Kenya Airways Pilots Urge President to Save National Carrier Wizz Air to Speed Up Jet Deliveries After Talks With Airbus United gives employees longer to decide on voluntary furloughs Spirit Airlines Prepping to Furlough Up to 30% of Its Workforce SpaceX crew prepares for splashdown SCSI Slovenia Fall Course Series The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Will Offer Online and In-Person Classes This Fall Urban Air Mobility and Single-Pilot/Autonomous Airline Operations Research Project Graduate Research Survey AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Volotea B712 at Pantelleria on Jul 26th 2020, rejected takeoff due to bird strike A Volotea Boeing 717-200, registration EI-FCU performing flight V7-1721 from Pantelleria to Milan Bergamo (Italy) with 95 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Pantelleria's runway 26 when the crew rejected takeoff due to a bird strike. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. Following repairs the aircraft was able to depart with a delay of 10 hours. Pantelleria Emergency services reported it appeared a large bird had been ingested by one of the engines (BR715), the crew immediately thereafter applied braking and safely stopped the aircraft. http://avherald.com/h?article=4da95e60&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Fedex MD11 near Albuquerque on Jul 29th 2020, engine shut down in flight A Fedex Federal Express McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, registration N631FE performing freight flight FX-1508 from Memphis,TN to Los Angeles,CA (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 25nm south of Albuquerque,NM (USA) when the crew needed to shut the left hand engine (PW4460) down and decided to divert to Albuquerque. The crew requested a long final for an ILS runway 08. The aircraft landed safely on runway 08 about 20 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Albuquerque about 8 hours after landing. A replacement MD-11 registration N618FE departed Albuquerque about 8 hours after the occurrence aircraft had landed. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/FDX1508/history/20200729/0845Z/KMEM/KLAX http://avherald.com/h?article=4da958b8&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing 777-3F2ER - Ground Collision (Nigeria) Date: 29-JUL-2020 Time: Type: Boeing 777-3F2ER Owner/operator: Turkish Airlines Registration: TC-LJC C/n / msn: 44123/1337 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Lagos Murtala Mohammed International Airport - Nigeria Phase: Standing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: A Middle East Airlines Airbus A330-243 (OD-MEA) struck the APU of a Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER (TC-LJC) at Lagos Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Nigeria. The Boeing 777 had arrived at Lagos at 14:22 UTC as flight TK6108 from Istanbul, Turkey. The A330 landed at 14:59 as flight ME571 from Beirut. The B777 was parked the gate as the A330 was taxiing past. The left-hand winglet cut through the underside of the APU section of the B777. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/238817 Back to Top Quest Kodiak 100 - Landing Accident (Washington) Date: 28-JUL-2020 Time: c. 08:00 Type: Quest Kodiak 100 Owner/operator: CLY Aviation LLC Registration: N856TC C/n / msn: 100-0041 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Lake Washington near Carillon Point, WA - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Unknown Departure airport: Seattle-Boeing Field International Airport, WA (BFI/KBFI) Destination airport: Lake Washington, WA Narrative: A landing incident involving an aircraft has been reported on Lake Washington near Point Carillon, Washington. The floatplane came to rest inverted, sustaining unspecified damage, and the sole pilot onboard was not injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/238767 Back to Top Australian pilot detained in PNG over mystery plane crash allegedly linked to drugs • The plane was not cleared to enter PNG and flight tracking shows it set out from Mareeba in Far North Queensland. An Australian man has been detained in Papua New Guinea amid an ongoing investigation into a plane crash, which police suggest may be linked to drug trafficking. Key points: • DFAT said it was providing consular assistance to a man detained in PNG • The pilot has reportedly been charged with illegal entry into the country • Records show the plane was registered to a PNG company headed by a dead businessman • The Cessna 402C was found empty with its pilot missing near what appeared to be a makeshift runway at Papa Lea Lea, about 30 kilometres north-west of Port Moresby, on Monday. The plane was not cleared to enter PNG and flight tracking shows it set out from Mareeba in Far North Queensland on Sunday morning. The ABC is in the process of verifying the identity of the Australian pilot with PNG police. Local media is reporting the Australian pilot handed himself in to the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby yesterday and has since been charged with illegal entry. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to a man detained in PNG but would not comment further. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said its officers were working with PNG police to investigate the circumstances around the plane's arrival. In a statement, the AFP said it was alleged the pilot attempted to "collect drugs" between 1:00pm and 2:30pm local time on July 26. The plane is believed to have crashed while attempting to take off. "We believe the PNG members of this criminal group assisted the pilot and retrieved the drugs from the plane," AFP Commissioner David Manning said, urging those with information to come forward. The AFP said: "Police are in possession of information related to the suspected PNG members of the group who have been involved in this criminal activity, including descriptions, unique features and tattoos." The unusual circumstances surrounding the plane's arrival has also attracted plenty of interest and speculation in PNG. PNG Prime Minister James Marape called on PNG and Australian police to work together to prosecute all those involved. "We are not a banana republic where anyone can pick up a plane and just come into PNG unannounced," he told local media yesterday. He said information from the police commissioner suggested the plane may have been involved in drug trafficking and foreshadowed tougher penalties for traffickers. "We will have no place for those who think they could peddle drugs in this country," Mr Marape said. Mystery plane owned by a dead man Questions also surround the plane's ownership with records showing it was registered to a PNG company headed by a dead businessman. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority's (CASA) aircraft register shows Ravenpol No. 69 Limited became the Cessna's registration holder in January this year. Company records show Geoffrey Paul Bull is Ravenpol's sole director and shareholder, but he died in violent circumstances in August last year. A death certificate obtained by the ABC shows the 56-year-old died from multiple stab wounds to his chest. The certificate states his occupation as "businessman" as well as president of a political party, the Peoples' Democratic Movement Party. The mystery plane's listed operator also said it had never flown the plane. CASA's register lists Alice Springs-based aviation company Avlease Pty Ltd as the Cessna's registered operator. But Avlease's director Ian Scheyer said his company had never operated the plane and he could not explain why it was listed on the register. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-30/aussie-pilot-detained-in-png-over-mystery-plane-crash/12508584 Back to Top Pilot decision-making in poor weather contributed to fatal CFIT accident in Canada TSB Canada found that pilot decision-making was a factor in a fatal controlled flight into terrain accident involving a Cessna 208B in 2019 near Mayo, Yukon. On 6 August 2019, a Cessna 208B Supervan 900 operated by Alkan Air was on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Rau Airstrip to Mayo Airport, Canada, with one pilot and one passenger on board. While enroute, the aircraft entered an area of low visibility and low cloud ceilings. The aircraft departed from the intended route, turned into a box canyon and struck rising terrain, fatally injuring the pilot and passenger. The aircraft was destroyed and there was a brief post-impact fire. The investigation found that the pilot's decision to continue a low altitude flight into poor weather conditions in mountainous terrain was influenced by several factors. The pilot had recently completed a flight along the same route, in similar weather conditions. The pilot's decision-making would have been affected by his familiarity with the route and, consequently, he likely did not consider an alternate route to avoid the poor weather conditions. The high speed at low altitude and low visibility reduced the opportunities for the pilot to take alternative action to avoid terrain. Within the box canyon, the canyon floor elevation increased abruptly within less than one nautical mile and the low visibility prevented the pilot from detecting this and taking sufficient actions to prevent a collision. Additionally, the aircraft's terrain awareness and warning system aural alerts were ineffective in warning the pilot of the rising terrain because he had already heard multiple similar alerts in the preceding minutes of flight, or had silenced these alerts. Following the occurrence, Alkan Air made changes to its Caravan operations, including requiring a second flight crew member for Cessna 208B Grand Caravan captains with less than 2000 hours. Before becoming a captain on the Caravan, candidates must perform as a second crew member on the Caravan for 1 season. The company has also made modifications to its emergency response plan. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2020/07/29/pilot-decision-making-in-poor-weather-contributed-to-fatal-cfit-accident-in-canada/ Back to Top How pilots deal with radiation and flights over the North Pole Racing around the world at 43,000 feet, you may think that the biggest threat is hitting the ground below you. However, have you ever thought of what's hitting the aircraft from above? Cosmic radiation is all around us, but its effects are seen more at altitude, and particularly at the Poles, than on the ground. However, some of the most time and fuel-efficient flight routes take aircraft well into the Arctic Circle and close to the North Pole. So how does this radiation affect us and how do pilots fly these remote routes? Radiation exposure Every time you get out of bed (and when you're in it for that matter) your body is exposed to radiation. It's all around us and is, for the most part, unavoidable. Some of this radiation is useful and other types are not so useful. The effects of non-ionizing radiation, such as ultraviolet light, radio waves and microwaves, very much depend on the intensity of the radiation received. It can damage the skin and eyes (hence why we wear sunglasses and sunscreen) and if it penetrates the body, can cause damage to organs by heating them. For the most part, this is the type of radiation we put up with day to day, utilizing the benefits to rapidly heat food in our microwaves and give our skin a much sought-after sun-kissed glow. Ionizing radiation, such as cosmic rays, X-rays and that from radioactive material is the kind which tends to get peoples' attention. The greatest worry about ionizing radiation is the increased risk of malignant diseases and genetic malfunctions. Once again, the risks of ionizing radiation very much depend on the amount of exposure. Cosmic radiation and the earth's magnetic field Cosmic radiation originates from two sources. Most of it originates from outer space, but some of it comes from the sun, which produces a constant stream of particles that billow out into space at almost one million mph. This is known as the solar wind and consists primarily of protons and electrons. Meanwhile, back on earth, currents of electricity which flow deep in the molten core create a magnetic field. These currents are hundreds of miles wide and flow at thousands of miles an hour as the earth rotates. The magnetic field extends out thousands of miles into space where it acts as a shield against incoming radiation. As the charged incoming particles hit the magnetic field, they are deflected away and are prevented from coming into contact with the atmosphere. However, there is a weakness in the magnetic field. Due to the shape of the geomagnetic field, the intensity of the charged cosmic radiation is higher at the poles than it is in equatorial regions - (Image - nasa.gov) Due to the shape of the geomagnetic field, the intensity of the charged cosmic radiation is higher at the poles than it is in equatorial regions. (Image courtesy of Nasa) If you look at the image above, you'll see that the magnetic field is thickest at the equator and virtually nonexistent at the poles. Added to this, parts of the magnetic field deflect the incoming particles to the areas around the poles. As a result of this gap in the shield, a greater amount of radiation gets into the earth's atmosphere at the poles than at the equator. The earth's atmosphere does a good job of stopping most of the radiation from reaching the ground and it's this interaction which causes the Aurora Borealis. However, the amount of radiation in the upper atmosphere remains higher than on the ground. Great circle routing This is all very interesting but what relevance does it have to commercial aviation? Why would aircraft need to be flying by the North Pole anyway? The answer lies in the curvature of the earth (sorry, flat earthers) and the shortest distance between two points on the surface. This is known as a Great Circle. Everyone knows that the U.S. is west of the U.K. In fact, most of it is southwest. However, if you've ever flown from London to the west coast of the U.S. and watched the moving map, you will have noticed that the flight initially routes north toward Scotland. This isn't because the pilots are lost, its because it is actually the most direct route. When planning the route of a flight, airlines will naturally try and take the shortest route possible, the Great Circle track. However, sometimes its beneficial to deviate off this route to take advantage of (or to avoid) strong winds. Even though the distance may be longer, the flight time (and subsequently the cost) will be reduced. So with flights routing over the North Pole, what risk is there to the passengers and crew from cosmic radiation? Radiation study A December 2019 study looked to see whether the length of the flight or the routing of the flight had the greatest effect on the amount of radiation an aircraft was exposed to. It sampled 15 of the longest commercial flights in operation, including four of which flew over the Arctic. These included flights to Los Angeles from Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The image above shows the routes taken to Los Angeles by flights from the three Middle Eastern hubs and also the route from London for comparison. Contrary to what the scientists were expecting, the study found that it wasn't the duration of the flight but the route which has the greatest effect on cosmic radiation exposure. Aircraft that flew closer to the North Pole experienced greater radiation than those flying more southerly routes, even if they were airborne for longer. Do I need to be worried? A study by NASA found that polar flights during the solar storm of 2003 we exposed to 12% of the annual radiation limit recommended by the International Committee on Radiological Protection. Whilst this isn't a problem for individual flights, it could start to pose problems for those who fly these routes frequently. Such as pilots and flight attendants. Airline crew are categorized as "radiation workers" by the U.S. federal government, a classification that includes X-ray technicians and nuclear power plant workers. According to NASA, the average airline pilot receives more radiation a year than does a fuel-cycle worker in a nuclear power plant. A survey of flight attendants in Europe and North America also found higher rates of skin, breast and prostate cancer, as well as acute myeloid leukemia than the average person. For the average passenger, there is little to worry about. Even for the frequent flyer, the doses of radiation experienced on normal flights are not considered to be excessive. However, if you find yourself regularly flying between the Middle East and North America, you may want to give this some thought. Flying across the Poles So how do we fly polar routes and do we do anything different to avoid the cosmic radiation? Simply put, not really. As the radiation depends more on the route than the altitude, there is little we as pilots can do to reduce the exposure when flying these routes. However, any flight across the Poles requires a bit more thought before departure. By definition, the routes are particularly isolated and careful consideration has to be given to diversion airfields. Cold air masses may affect fuel temperatures, potentially taking them below the minimum allowed temperature. Polar routes For aircraft to be able to take advantage of routes across the North Pole, very much like across the North Atlantic, a Polar Track structure has been created. However, unlike the North Atlantic tracks which move in location depending on the winds, the polar tracks are fixed. To ensure that there is no conflict between the two sets of tracks, the polar tracks are well north of the airspace used by the North Atlantic tracks. The use of the polar tracks is similar to those crossing the Atlantic. Before reaching the start of the track, pilots must receive an ATC clearance. This includes the flight level, speed and track which the crew must adhere to. However, as the polar tracks are less busy than the North Atlantic ones, pilots can normally plan on flying the track at the altitude and speed of their choice, normally those optimum for the flight. Low fuel temperatures While you're seated enjoying a glass of wine in a pleasant 70 degree Fahrenheit cabin, outside your window it's bitterly cold, normally around minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit in temperate regions. In Arctic areas, it can get even colder, minus 97 degrees Fahrenheit over Siberia is my personal record. When temperatures get this low, a conventional fuel would freeze. The Jet A-1 powering the engines has a freezing point of minus 52 degrees Fahrenheit, so why doesn't the fuel freeze when it's minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit outside? Take an average spring day out of London where it's 59 degrees Fahrenheit. For this example, let's say the fuel is also 59 degrees Fahrenheit. As the aircraft climbs, the outside air temperature decreases. Nominally by 35 degrees Fahrenheit every 1,000 feet. This means that by the time it reaches 35,000 feet, the outside temperature will be minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit. This is called the static air temperature, or SAT. This is the temperature you'd feel if you were stood on a passing cloud. If the aircraft was just sitting on that cloud with you, the surfaces would chill to minus 67 degrees Fahrenheit, as would fuel in the wings. However, the aircraft isn't stationary. It's flying through this cold air mass at hundreds of miles per hour. The speed of air over the wings creates friction, which actually heats the surfaces. By knowing the airspeed, you can work out what this heating effect will be. Adding this value to your SAT gives you your total air temperature or TAT. It is this TAT value that is chilling the wings and thus affecting the fuel temperature. If I was to tell you that a typical TAT value at 38,000 feet is just minus 6 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll now be able to understand why the fuel doesn't freeze. The wing material also has an effect on this chilling. The composite structure of the 787 Dreamliner wing means that it cools far slower than a conventional aluminum wing resulting in much warmer fuel temperatures. What happens if the fuel temperature gets close to minus 52 degrees Fahrenheit? It is possible that, if flying for prolonged periods in extremely cold air masses, the fuel temperature could drop toward the freezing point. However, pilots are alert to this possibility and will take proactive steps to ensure that this doesn't happen. Each aircraft type has a threshold at which the crew are alerted to low fuel temperature. On the 787, that threshold is around minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit. If this happens, the crew have two options. Either fly faster to increase the heating effect of the air or descend into warmer air. Since aircraft tend to fly as fast as they are designed, normally the only viable option is to descend. Communications Communications can also be problematic. Most areas of the world are well served by SATCOM. Pilots simply pick up the Sat phone, dial a number and can be connected to any telephone in the world in an instant. Unfortunately, when flying above 82 degrees north, SATCOM is unavailable. In order to maintain communication with the ground, pilots must ensure that they establish high frequency (HF) communications with the relevant ATC unit. Fortunately, they do not need to listen to the painful static for the whole flight. • SATCOM doesn't work above 82 degrees north. A system called SELCAL enables the crew to turn the volume off when they are not communicating with ATC. A SELCAL notification activates in the flight deck, very much like a phone ringing, to let the crew know that ATC needs to speak with them. True versus magnetic As the aircraft gets closer to the Pole, the magnetic compass becomes less reliable as the position of the aircraft relative to the Pole is changing so quickly. It gets to the point where pilots consider it totally useless. Instead of using magnetic headings and tracks, we use true headings and tracks. Unlike the magnetic North Pole, the true North Pole doesn't move. It is in effect the "top" of the earth. As a result, its position can be determined by GPS, increasing our navigational accuracy. Bottom line Whilst cosmic radiation should not be of concern to most passengers, it's an occupational hazard of the job for the crew. There is greater exposure to radiation when flying routes over the Poles than those closer to the equator. This is down to the lack of protection from the earth's magnetic field at the poles. That said, the threat of radiation over the poles does not alter how pilots fly their aircraft. The cold temperatures and lack of communications do provide more of a challenge than on other routes but flight safety is never compromised. No matter what route your flight takes, your pilots will ensure that you arrive safely at your destination - leaving you blissfully unaware of the challenges such flying poses. https://thepointsguy.com/news/radiation-flights-over-north-pole/ Back to Top How Aircraft Engines Are Tested Before Production Most of us don't give aircraft engines much thought. Sometimes, when you're in the sky, you see the engines hanging under the wing and maybe ponder the sheer improbability of physics and everything holding together at 37,000 feet. Then you go back to your wine and iPad, comfortable that despite everything, it will all work. We take aircraft engines for granted, assuming they will work flawlessly. The manufacturer's records and reputations assure us. But there is a lot of work put into getting us so comfortable and reassured. There are several engine manufacturers around the world. Most of them are big names - General Electric, Rolls Royce, and Pratt & Whitney. They've been supplying engines to the aircraft manufacturers for years. While there have been hiccups along the way and some aircraft types have been plagued with engine issues, they are usually relatively minor. One thing that characterizes modern jet engines, regardless of manufacturer, is their reliability. Aircraft engines are meticulously engineered and manufactured. But once built, the engines are put through a relentless testing process. Here, we look at how aircraft engines are tested before production. Water and ice fired into the test engines Engines can take in large amounts of water, so water ingestion tests are standard. At Boeing, planes taxi through specially made water troughs. Manufacturers also force a stream of water into running engines. When General Electric tests its GEnx engines, it fires 800 gallons of water per minute into the engine. That water should pass through the engine and be shot out the back without reducing thrust. It means aircraft engines can handle the fiercest rainstorms and running through pools of water. "These tests assess the correct functioning of engines and thrust reversers, as well as braking systems when submitted to water thrown up by the wheels in cases of standing water on the runway," says Boeing told the BBC's Katia Moskvitch. Stepping it up a notch, testers will also shoot ice into running engines. These are not dainty little icicles either. Rather, they are big balls of hard compacted ice. It mimics the effects of flying through a hailstorm. How chickens help deal with a bird strike We report a lot on bird strikes here at Simple Flying. A bird strike can occur when a feathered friend hits the cockpit window or other aircraft part. Birds can also get ingested into engines. Because engines are now so well engineered and built, bird strikes rarely cause fatalities (except to the bird). These days, there is one human fatality attributed to bird strikes per one billion flying hours. But bird strikes do damage aircraft, resulting in $1.2 billion worth of repairs annually. And, as the US Airways controlled landing in the Hudson River in 2009 demonstrated, bird strikes can still down a plane. Engine manufacturers have a low tech but effective way to test an engine's ability to withstand a bird strike. In the 1950s, de Havilland invented the chicken gun. It's a large-diameter, compressed-air cannon that fired chickens carcasses at the plane, including into its engines. The desired outcome is for blades to hold their form after the collision. Since the 1950s, fresh chicken carcasses have been swapped out for frozen carcasses. Adam Tischler, of Boeing's Flight Test Communications Division, told the BBC; "We have used fowl to test aircraft structures. This is not a common test. However, it can be an effective way to evaluate the results of a bird strike on an aircraft." Exploding blades and containing debris One of the toughest tests of engine reliability is simulating what happens when a blade in the engine fan comes loose. That shouldn't happen, but it has been known to occur. It's a possible issue if the engine ingests debris. A jet engine shaft can spin at 3,000 revolutions per minute. If a blade comes off, for whatever reason, it can cause enormous damage to the rest of the engine, and debris can impact the fuselage. What engine manufacturers try to do is contain the blade within the engine and allow the casing to diffuse the energy. During the testing process, a small explosive will get attached to the base of the blade. They run the engine, detonate the explosive, and ensure that the blade stays within the engine chamber. Testbeds and testing engines in the sky These types of tests occur while aircraft remain safely on the ground. But the real test of a jet engine's reliability is when it flies. Engines need to get certified as safe and fit for purpose. Part of that certification process is taking the engines into the air. For that, the engine manufacturers use modified aircraft known as testbeds. Retired 747 aircraft sometimes find a second life as testbed aircraft. General Electric has two converted Boeing 747s packed with computers, electronics, and other gear. Rolls Royce also uses two old Boeing 747s as testbed aircraft. Rolls Royce picked up their latest testbed aircraft in 2019 from Qantas. In a statement at the time, Rolls Royce said; "As a flying testbed, it will get fitted with the latest testing capabilities and, for the first time, will test engines which power both commercial and business aircraft. New systems will obtain better data faster than ever before, and technologies will get tested at higher altitudes and faster speeds." With an awkwardly positioned engine, testbed aircraft might look odd, but they are integral to testing engines and no small investment on the engine manufacturer's part. Rolls Royce spent US$70 million on buying and modifying that Qantas 747 last year. Rolls Royce will soon take another retired 747 aircraft off Qantas' hands. There are rumors General Electric is also looking at buying one or more. Why does Qantas offload so many 747s? The old planes may be aging, but they are obsessively maintained, and the engines remain in tip-top condition. Going above and beyond Once manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing are ready to roll out a new plane, they put the engines and the aircraft through their own tests. When getting the A350 XWB ready for final certification, Airbus flew the plane tens of thousands of miles over hundreds of hours. These final flights test all aspects of the aircraft's performance, not just the engines. But, you know, the engines are kind of important. The engine manufacturers, the aircraft manufacturers, the airlines, and passengers want reliability. While nothing is perfect, they want to get as close to it as possible. As Airbus says, it is a matter of going above and beyond what is required. https://simpleflying.com/how-aircraft-engines-are-tested-before-production/ Back to Top Pilots report multiple laser strikes on aircraft over Vancouver Island VICTORIA -- Aircraft flying over Vancouver Island are being targeted with powerful and potentially dangerous handheld lasers, with four incidents reported to authorities in the past three days. The most recent laser strikes were reported Tuesday night. In one case, a Cessna was flying south toward Victoria at approximately 5,500 feet when the pilot noticed the underside of the wings suddenly lip up bright green. "The pilot turned a few degrees left and right to ensure the light did not come from conflicting traffic or potentially aviation-related pyrotechnic signals," according to a Transport Canada incident report published Wednesday. The strike lasted approximately 30 seconds, with the pilot tracing the source of the beam to a residential area in Saltair, north of Chemainus. "The laser emitted a constant green beam that was moved around rapidly while aiming at the aircraft," according to the report. "The movement resembled the way a person would hold a handheld laser while pointing it at an object in the distance." The pilot tried to avoid looking directly at the potentially blinding beam and immediately reported the strike to air traffic controllers in Victoria, the report noted. Moments later, another laser strike was reported, this time from a helicopter pilot who placed the origin of the beam somewhere north of Chemainus. Minutes later, the pilot of a third aircraft reported a laser strike originating near the Trans-Canada Highway, north of Saltair. The same aircraft - a Cessna from the Pacific Flying Club - was apparently targeted with a laser on Sunday night while flying northbound to Nanaimo at approximately 3,000 feet. Intentionally shining a laser at an aircraft is a crime under Canada's Aeronautics Act. Anyone convicted of such an offence can face fines up to $100,000 and up to five years in prison. Transport Canada says there were 1,965 laser attacks on aircraft in Canada between January 2015 and December 2019. In April, a B.C. air ambulance helicopter was targeted with a "deliberate and ongoing laser strike" while on a medical flight from the Nanaimo Harbour to Victoria General Hospital. In February, an air ambulance pilot and a paramedic in Toronto both sustained eye injuries when their helicopter was struck by a green laser being pointed up from the city's downtown. https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/pilots-report-multiple-laser-strikes-on-aircraft-over-vancouver-island-1.5043974 Back to Top JetBlue Tests Honeywell UV Cabin Disinfection System JetBlue Airways is the first U.S. airline to place into service a new Honeywell ultraviolet (UV) cabin disinfection system through a pilot evaluation. Honeywell announced July 29 that it has delivered eight of its UV Cabin Systems to JetBlue, which is evaluating them over 90 days at JFK International Airport in New York and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. The carrier is using the systems while continuing other cleaning methods. In May, JetBlue announced a "Safety from the Ground Up" program to instill confidence in travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The carrier has implemented steps including blocking middle seats to maintain distancing between passengers, electrostatic fogging of cabins, temperature monitoring and requiring the use of face masks. "With the safety of our crew members and customers our first priority, JetBlue's Safety from the Ground Up initiative is maintaining a layered approach to safety by ensuring healthy crew members, providing flexibility, adding space, reducing touchpoints and keeping surfaces clean and sanitized," JetBlue president and COO Joanna Geraghty said. "As we look to add additional layers of protection by utilizing cutting-edge technology, we have identified the Honeywell UV Cabin System as a potential game changer when it comes to efficiently assisting in our efforts to sanitize surfaces onboard," Geraghty added. About the size of a beverage cart, the UV Cabin System traverses the length of an airliner cabin in 10 min. Arms extending from the device over the top of the seating emit UV-C-band radiation to treat cabin surfaces. When properly applied, Honeywell said, UV-C light can deliver doses of radiation that in clinical studies have been found to be effective in reducing various viruses and bacteria, including the coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). There are now multiple studies underway to understand the effect of UV-C light on SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. "Preliminary results from studies performed by Boston University and a consortium of Italian medical and academic professionals report that UV-C light can inactivate the virus at prescribed dosages in the lab. Additional studies are underway for other environments," Honeywell said. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airlines-lessors/jetblue-tests-honeywell-uv-cabin-disinfection-system Back to Top Canada urges to disclose analysis of UIA plane recorders Canada urges experts to disclose information obtained after analyzing the flight recorders of the UIA plane shot down by Iran. "Canada thanks BEA [Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authority] for completing the download and analysis of Flight PS752's black boxes. That analysis now needs to be shared promptly with the international community to ensure a complete, credible and transparent flight safety investigation," Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs François-Philippe Champagne posted on Twitter. In accordance with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Iran can use the information obtained as a result of black boxes' analysis of UIA plane at its own discretion. Canadian and other foreign experts were present in Paris at the download and analysis of flight recorders but could not share the information with the public without permission. The Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) plane (flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after it took off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport at about 06:00 Tehran time (04:30 Kyiv time) on January 8. There were 176 people on board - nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). All passengers and crew were killed in the crash. On July 18, France's BEA received Flight PS752's recorders from Iran. On July 24, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yevhenii Yenin informed that the transcript from Flight PS752's recorders had confirmed illegal interference with the plane. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3071974-canada-urges-to-disclose-analysis-of-uia-plane-recorders.html Back to Top FAA CONCERNED ABOUT CONVERTED CONTINENTAL ENGINE CRANKSHAFTS The FAA is requesting information from operators of aircraft with some modified Continental O-470 engines after receiving a report of a power loss and forced landing incident traced to a fractured crankshaft in a converted engine. An airworthiness concern sheet issued July 8 applies to Continental Aerospace Technologies O-470-K, -L, -M, -R, -S, and -U engines of all serial numbers that were converted to O-470-50 engines by supplemental type certificate SE4985NM. The manufacturer "was made aware of an engine that lost power, while in flight, with the pilot smelling smoke in the cockpit, resulting in the pilot conducting a forced landing with no injuries. The investigation found that the modified Continental O-470 engine's crankshaft was fractured between the #5 and #6 cylinders," the ACS says. The engine had been converted under "STC SE4985NM, to increase the engine displacement, and STC SE10233SC, to install a supercharger." The Airmelt crankshaft, which was ground down and inspected for reuse, was of a type "not designed to be used on the bigger bore engines," raising concern that Airmelt crankshafts "are being improperly used in these converted O-470 engine models," and prompting the FAA to act "to better understand the overall impact on the flying public," the ACS says. The ACS asks operators of the listed engines to email the FAA with answers to the following questions: • "1) Have you installed STC SE4985NM to convert your O-470-K, -L, -M, -R, -S & -U engine into an O-470-50 by increasing the engine displacement? • 2) If the answer to question one was 'Yes,' have you also installed STC SE10233SC to install a Belt-Driven Vortech V-1S supercharger assembly on the same Continental engine (either before or after STC SE4985NM was installed)? Or any other engine-related STC's in addition to STC SE4985NM? • 3) If you have an engine with either STC SE4985NM, SE10233SC or both installed, please confirm whether your crankshaft was manufactured using the Airmelt process or the Vacuum Arc Remelt (VAR) forging process (please refer to CSB96-8 for guidance on how to identify your type of crankshaft). If you do not know which process was used for your crankshaft and are unable to determine it, please respond to this question with 'Unknown.'" AOPA believes the ACS process is an effective way for the FAA to interact with the general aviation community on matters of flight safety before taking potentially unnecessary regulatory action, and we encourage operators to provide the information sought. The resolution of airworthiness concerns addressed by evaluating data collected through this process could range from no further action being taken to the issuance of an airworthiness directive. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/july/29/faa-concerned-about-converted-continental-engine-crankshafts Back to Top Badly Damaged Firefighting Plane Removed From Remote Site to Aid NTSB Investigation A heavy-lift helicopter moved a badly damaged firefighting airplane over the weekend from a remote site near Circle to an airstrip in Central. From there, the airframe and engine will be taken to the Lower 48, where federal investigators will study them to determine what caused the water-scooping aircraft to go down on July 14th. The chief of Alaska's National Transportation Safety Board office says a crew contracted by the insurer of the Minnesota-based company that owns the wrecked aircraft moved it to Central so it can be transported by truck to a facility where the NTSB can take a closer look at it. "The airplane is going to be relocated to Texas," Clint Johnson said, "and that's where we'll basically do our wreckage layout and see if we can figure out exactly what happened here." Johnson says the water-scooping plane leased by the Alaska Fire Service was heavily damaged in what the NTSB has classified as an aircraft accident. The single-engine Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss went down into a stand of trees after the pilot was trying to scoop up some water to drop onto the Birch Creek Fire burning near Circle, about 120 miles northeast of Fairbanks. Johnson says the plane had to be partially dismantled before it could be moved, because of its heavy weight. "This was an accident - it was a non-injury accident, thankfully," he said in an interview Tuesday. "The airplane did sustain substantial damage, which puts it into the accident category." The pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft when the accident occurred. He was examined at the scene, then medivacked to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released. Johnson says NTSB planned to talk with him as part of their investigation. He says the agency officials aren't ready to talk about possible causes of the accident. But he says they hope to release more information soon. "The preliminary report will probably be out early next week - mid next week, at the latest," Johnson said. A final report on the investigation likely won't be released for several months. Johnson says the owners of the aircraft, Dauntless Air Inc., of Appleton, Minn., plan to repair the Fire Boss while it's at the facility in Texas. https://fm.kuac.org/post/badly-damaged-firefighting-plane-removed-remote-site-aid-ntsb-investigation Back to Top Man removed from Delta flight after mask dispute • Man threatened crew, passengers, witness says DETROIT - Todd Benson and his family witnessed turbulence before their flight could even take off from Aruba to Atlanta. "It was shameful behavior. He was yelling, I have it on I have it on, and he was talking about his mask. The Delta flight attendant was requesting that he put it on properly," said Benson. Apparently this man was kicked off the plane following a meltdown -- all over being asked to correct his mask. "Moments later, he's threatening her. 'I'm gonna beat you up' or something along that lines. And I thought that was completely inappropriate. He was saying he was gonna somehow get her fired," Benson added. After trying to talk to the pilot and returning to his seat, Benson says the outrageous behavior continued -- this time towards other passengers. "As he was leaving the most graphic language that you could possibly imagine just came spewing out of his mouth and I wish we all could have just covered our ears," Benson Recalled. As he's escorted out, other passengers rejoice. https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/07/29/man-removed-from-delta-flight-after-mask-dispute/ Back to Top GE90 engine surpasses 100 million flight hours In November, the aircraft engine will mark 25 years in service. Under the wings of the Boeing 777 family, the GE90 engine reached the 100-million-hour mark averaging more than four million hours a year. "The GE90 engine has proven to be extremely reliable for our customers, and we are very excited to celebrate the 100-million-hour achievement," said Mike Kauffman, GE Aviation's GE90 program general manager. "This is a testament to all those involved in this milestone, including our dedicated product support team that will continue to maintain the GE90 for many years to come." Since entering service in 1995, GE has delivered more than 2,800 GE90 -94B and upgraded -115B engines to 70 operators around the world. The GE90 engine family powers all Boeing 777 models and is the exclusive powerplant on the 777-300, -200, and 777F. Together, the engine powers more than 1,200 aircraft. It's architecture and mechanical design have influenced every GE and CFM turbofan over the last 20 years, from the GEnx and CFM LEAP engine to the Passport for corporate jets and the next generation GE9X engine for the Boeing 777X. https://www.aerospacetestinginternational.com/news/technology/ge90-engine-surpasses-100-million-flight-hours.html Back to Top Frontier Airlines Takes Delivery Of Its 100th Airbus A320 Frontier has celebrated a new milestone that few airlines reach, accepting delivery of its 100th aircraft. Yesterday the airline received its new Airbus A320neo, painted with a very distinct 'Chinook the Gray Wolf' livery. Reaching 100 aircraft Few airlines grow to reach a hundred airframes, let alone one hundred of the same family aircraft (which in Frontier's case is the Airbus A320 family). "Taking delivery of the 100th Airbus aircraft in our fleet marks a tremendous milestone for our company," said Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines in a press statement. "We have significantly expanded our fleet in recent years as Frontier has continued to grow both domestically and internationally," Frontiers' order book with Airbus is staggering, with another 88 Airbus A320s, 30 A321neos, and 18 A321XLRs set to be delivered over the next half a decade. "Airbus is pleased to reach this significant 100th aircraft milestone with Frontier Airlines, and to be a part of the airline's continuing growth and success," said C. Jeffrey Knittel, Chairman, and CEO, Airbus Americas, Inc. "With 160 more aircraft on order, we look forward to many more of these milestones." Looking at these numbers, while getting to a hundred aircraft was a long journey in the making, the next hundred will pass by very soon. It is more likely the carrier will run out of animals to paint on its tails than aircraft. This 100th aircraft has a livery of a famous wolf called Chinook. Chinook was a wolf-dog hybrid set to be put down in 1993 for fear of her wolf genes, but she was saved at the last minute. Rescuing this animal had far-reaching consequences, such as dismantling the dangerous label of wolf-dogs and creating the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center, hence why she deserves her spot on the tail. Why has Frontier been so successful? Many ask why Frontier has been able to reach 100 aircraft in a market with peers like United, Delta, American, and Southwest (all of whom have over 100 short-haul planes). This is because of its unique business model - ultra-low-cost flights. Onboard a Frontier aircraft, everything is for sale, and nothing is provided with your airfare. While its typical for you to pay for luggage or seat selection onboard United or American Airlines, onboard Frontier, you need to pay for cabin bags, and a table tray isn't always included. Thus, while the fares may at first be cheap, when you add in luggage and other fees (like paying with a credit card), the cost can skyrocket. But since customers are already committed to the 'cheap fare', they push onwards and book. This business model has rewarded the airline and today it wizzes across the country and to select international destinations. With new aircraft on the way with extreme range (like the Airbus A321XLR), Frontier might turn its hungry eyes to the lucrative transatlantic trade and offer destinations to Europe. A win for passengers indeed. https://simpleflying.com/frontier-airlines-100th-airbus-a320/ Back to Top Allegiant Will Furlough Up To 275 Pilots Amid $93m Loss Allegiant Air has posted a $93 million loss for the second quarter as it prepares to furlough up to 275 pilots. Moving forward, Allegiant is working on making sure it is flexible and can survive the crisis. However, the airline and its pilots are at an impasse, leading Allegiant to announce the furloughs. A $93 million loss Allegiant lost $93 million in the second quarter of 2020 compared to $33 million in the first quarter of 2020. The airline recorded total operating revenue of $133 million- just about 73% lower than the same quarter in 2019. In the second quarter, capacity and departures were down about 50% from the same period last year. However, this didn't stop the carrier from seeing some incredible passenger numbers. During the second quarter, the airline's share of passengers was about 5% of all TSA passengers screened- higher than the airline's traditional market share. While June was an excellent month for the airline, it was not enough to get beyond the low points the carrier experienced back in April. Furloughs and job losses are coming Allegiant Air is preparing to furlough up to 275 pilots. CEO Maurice Gallagher stated the following: "Unfortunately, our pilots leadership is unwilling to work with us on this approach. And, as a result, we have notified the IBT management that we intend to furlough up to as many of 275 of our crewmembers, pilots that is. While we regret having to do this, these numbers will allow us to optimize both the peaks and valleys in the coming months and into 2021." IBT, or the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, represent Allegiant Air's pilots. The two entities have worked together in the past. But, now, it appears that management and pilots are on two different pages. Alongside the furloughs, Allegiant will be letting go of 87 of its employees on October 1st. A total of 220 positions, including those 87 employees, will be eliminated. Most of those positions are vacant, including people who have already left Allegiant or else are empty roles that Allegiant has not hired for yet. The airline's executives stated these were in corporate and administrative positions. What are the peaks and valleys? Allegiant Air is a leisure airline. The carrier does not rely on business travelers to tide itself over during the low times- instead, it reduces its schedules to a sustainable amount and gears up for the next peak. During the valleys, Allegiant Air does not need as many employees as during the peaks. In normal years, Allegiant does not have to engage in mass furloughs or layoffs because the airline has the cash to tide itself over. However, 2020 is not a typical year. With losses piling up, Allegiant needs to ensure that it is not bleeding cash during the low season- which will start in the next few weeks. The next big peak for Allegiant will start in November with the US Thanksgiving holiday. Then, in December, the Christmas and New Year's holidays will be a big boon for the airline. This year's winter peak, however, will not be as bountiful as previous winter holiday seasons, so Allegiant does not need as many employees at its winter peak as it previously anticipated, leading to the layoffs, furloughs, and eliminated open positions. Flexibility with fleet As proof of this, Allegiant has laid plans to retire seven Airbus A320 aircraft. Five of these will be by the end of the year. One will be retired in 2021, and the final of these seven will be retired in 2023. Also, if demand continues to remain low and recovery prolonged, Allegiant's team has identified 22 additional aircraft that could be candidates for retirement or storage. On the other hand, if demand improves, Allegiant's team has outlined several used aircraft that could enter the airline's fleet. Used aircraft are cheaper for the airline to acquire. Acquiring used aircraft is nothing new for Allegiant. The team has taken on several second-hand planes in the past. https://simpleflying.com/allegiant-loss-pilot-furloughs/ Back to Top Kenya Airways Pilots Urge President to Save National Carrier Kenya Airways Plc's decision to freeze expansion plans will hurt the East African nation's economy and its relevance as a regional aviation hub, according to a pilot's lobby. A plan to fire staff will affect more than 4,000 families who depend on the national carrier directly and about 620,000 others who rely on the aviation industry, the Kenya Airline Pilots Association said in a letter addressed to President Uhuru Kenyatta. The carrier should instead continue expanding and fill a gap created after rivals Air Mauritius Ltd. and South African Airways were placed under administration, according to the letter published in the Daily Nation newspaper. "Expanding Kenya Airways will give our country the opportunity to capitalize on the maturity of her hospitality industry and fully utilize her substantive investment in airport infrastructure," the group said. Kenya Airways this week began firing contract workers hired at the start of 2020 to support its prior expansion plans. Earlier in July the pilots offered to go on unpaid leave if that would help secure jobs and cushion the airline from effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The pilots also want more aviation experts on the board and management of Kenya Airways, and for the company to improve its services to an under-served cargo market, according to the letter. Shares of Kenya Airways, which was loss-making even before the pandemic struck, have not been trading since July 3 ahead of the airline's planned restructuring and nationalization. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/kenya-airways-pilots-urge-president-to-save-national-carrier/ar-BB17mpYH Back to Top Wizz Air to Speed Up Jet Deliveries After Talks With Airbus (Bloomberg) -- Wizz Air Holdings Plc will accelerate the rate of new-plane deliveries from Airbus SE, taking advantage of deferrals from other customers to feed its own expansion. The Hungarian low-cost airline will receive about 30 A321neo jets in 2021, five more than previously planned, Chief Executive Officer Jozsef Varadi said in an interview Wednesday. Talks with Airbus included commercial arrangements, he said, an indication the airline may be getting sweetened terms. Wizz has sought to steal a march on rivals by adding back flights faster as coronavirus lockdowns ease, operating 77% of its usual capacity last week compared with a European average of 40%. For Airbus, the confidence of a customer with more than 200 narrow-body jets on order is a relief. Airlines across the globe have almost universally pulled back on deliveries to save cash during the historic drought in flying caused by the pandemic. "We have not been deferring or canceling orders," Varadi said by telephone. "In fact, we are doing quite the reverse." Airbus may be prepared to offer better terms to airlines that take up so-called distressed delivery slots vacated by other carriers, according to a person familiar with the situation. A spokesman for the planemaker said it is always in contact with customers regarding fleet requirements. Lower Production Wizz, which is expanding westward from its Eastern Europe heartland, also expects to get 12 A321neos still due this year as other customers change their order plans, Varadi said. The carrier had anticipated that the planes would be delayed after Airbus temporarily shut production earlier this year. Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has slashed jetliner build rates, saying output will be 40% lower for two years. The European firm reports earnings Thursday, with investors watching for further adjustments after the International Air Transport Association said air travel won't fully recover until 2024. U.S. rival Boeing Co. unveiled new measures to cope with the slump on Wednesday, including further production cuts, potentially more job losses, a delay to the 777X wide-body program and the possible shutdown of one of two plants that make the 787 Dreamliner. Wizz posted a loss of 57 million euros ($67 million) for the quarter through June. It has added 200 new routes and redeployed 22 planes to new markets as other airlines are slower to resume flights. The carrier's low cost base will make it a "structural winner" from the crisis, Varadi said. Planes are operating between 55% and 70% full depending on the route, Varadi said in the interview. While that's below the break-even point for most airlines, it's generating positive cash flow, he said. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/wizz-air-to-speed-up-jet-deliveries-after-talks-with-airbus/ar-BB17jQLN Back to Top United gives employees longer to decide on voluntary furloughs (Reuters) - United Airlines on Wednesday extended a deadline for most employees to decide whether to take voluntary furlough deals to Aug. 10, as it waits to see if the U.S. Congress extends an airline bailout in the first week of August. United announced the extension in a memo to employees seen by Reuters, adding that it was working with unions, which are lobbying U.S. lawmakers for an extension of the bailout that would prevent voluntary furloughs and delay impact on employees until early 2021. United confirmed the memo and declined to comment further. Most employees had previously faced a Thursday deadline to decide whether to apply to leave. "While nothing is certain, our union partners have built a strong campaign to advocate for an extension" of the payroll assistance program, the memo said. "We have worked closely with them to support those efforts." But the letter added that United is "not counting on Congress passing an extension." Chicago-based United said last week more than 6,000 employees had opted for exit packages. But after sending 36,000 notices of potential furloughs this month, that relatively low take-up suggests United might have to furlough a significant number of workers. On Monday, a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter calling for a six-month extension of the $32 billion aviation industry payroll aid program, arguing it is crucial to keeping hundreds of thousands of aviation workers employed. The payroll program is set to expire Sept. 30. Congress awarded $25 billion in payroll assistance to U.S. passenger airlines in March, along with $4 billion for cargo carriers and $3 billion for airport contractors. Most bailout funds do not have to be paid back. Between American Airlines and United, more than 60,000 frontline workers have received warnings that their jobs are on the line on Oct. 1. Separately, American has extended a deadline for frontline workers to accept voluntary exit packages to Aug. 5 from July 31, according to a memo seen by Reuters. https://www.yahoo.com/news/united-gives-employees-longer-decide-010200188.html Back to Top Spirit Airlines Prepping to Furlough Up to 30% of Its Workforce Spirit Airlines is prepping to furlough as much as 30% of its workforce due to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact on the airline industry. Spirit Airlines (SAVE) - Get Report is prepping to furlough as much as 30% of its workforce in October, making it the first low-cost U.S. carrier to implement job cuts due to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact on the airline industry. According to an internal memo seen by Reuters, the Miramar, Fla.-based carrier will be informing unions of its plans as early as this Friday. "It's now clear that the demand increase we saw in June was an outlier, and the downward trend will continue," CEO Ted Christie said in the memo, adding that the airline's expected daily cash burn of more than $100 million per month in the coming months "is not sustainable." "The health crisis, loss of demand, and corresponding economic impact caused by Covid-19 is unprecedented," Christie said. Spirit was among the U.S. airlines that received government bailout funds to keep workers employed through September amid the sharp downturn in air travel demand due to virus-related lockdowns and travel bans. Coronavirus Market Update: Sign up for TheStreet's Coronavirus Market Update newsletter and get the latest market headlines delivered to your inbox daily. However, the dramatic drop-off in flight demand amid travel restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19 has left all airlines including Spirit operating at still-limited capacity. With the stimulus package set to expire in September, several carriers including Spirit are now warning of furloughs, given that demand still has not recovered. Indeed, American Airlines (AAL) - Get Report and United Airlines (UAL) - Get Report have warned that more than 60,000 jobs are potentially at risk, though others airlines including Southwest Airlines (LUV) - Get Report and JetBlue Airways (JBLU) - Get Report have so far said they can avoid furloughs. https://www.thestreet.com/investing/spirit-airlines-save-stock-furlough-workforce?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO Back to Top SpaceX crew prepares for splashdown Keeping tabs on a potential tropical storm, NASA is pressing ahead with plans to bring two astronauts and their SpaceX ferry ship back to Earth Sunday with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. It will be the first piloted re-entry of a Crew Dragon spacecraft and NASA's first ocean landing in 45 years. "The return flight readiness review is complete and the NASA team and the SpaceX team, everybody remains 'go' for return," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters Wednesday. "We cannot wait to get Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley back to Earth. "But of course, we have some weather pending. Just like when we launched, we had some challenges with weather, we may have that again. But the first opportunity remains August 2, and we look forward to seeing if that's going to be within the realm of what is possible." The Crew Dragon spacecraft that carried astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken to the International Space Station earlier this summer can be see extending to the right in this view of the lab complex, taken by Behnken during a spacewalk. The astronauts plan to undock and return to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, weather permitting. A potential tropical cyclone heading toward Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico is expected to pass through the area over the weekend. The Crew Dragon capsule used for this first piloted test flight is not allowed to land in winds higher than about 10 mph, in high waves or with rain and lightning in the area. For a splashdown Sunday, Hurley and Behnken would undock from the space station's forward port around 7:30 p.m. EDT, setting up a splashdown near Panama City, Florida, around 2:42 p.m. the next day to wrap up a 64-day mission. A SpaceX recovery ship, support crew and flight surgeons will be standing by to pull the capsule on board and help the astronauts get out as they begin readjusting to gravity. After initial medical checks, Hurley and Behnken will be ferried ashore by helicopter for a flight back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston aboard a NASA jet. Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said mission managers will evaluate the weather day by day and make a final decision on whether to proceed shortly before the planned undocking Saturday night. Or earlier depending on the forecast. "We'll have to evaluate the weather each day and just see how things unfold," Stich said. "This is a test flight, and we're going to take our time. We have plenty of opportunities here in August, and we're in no hurry to come home. We've completed all the objectives, really, for the mission." Hurley and Behnken were launched to the International Space Station atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on May 30. It was the first piloted orbital launch by NASA astronauts from U.S. soil since the final flight of the space shuttle in 2011. Stich said the capsule, designed, built and owned by SpaceX, has performed flawlessly during its two months in space and engineers are eager to get it back on Earth for a detailed post-flight inspection. In the meantime, SpaceX is putting the finishing touches on a second Crew Dragon spacecraft at its Hawthorne, California, factory in preparation for the company's first operational flight, known as Crew 1, carrying four astronauts to the space station this fall. The Crew Dragon that carried Hurley and Behnken into space will be refurbished, modified to handle rougher splashdown weather and launched on SpaceX's second operational crew rotation mission - Crew 2 - early next year. "The importance of getting the vehicle back, getting Bob and Doug safely back, is to then go assess the data on this flight, that sets us up for the Crew 1 mission as early as the end of September," Stich said. "And we'll go through the data methodically for that flight and make sure we're ready to start the operational flights." https://www.yahoo.com/news/spacex-crew-prepares-splashdown-225802290.html TheUSC Aviation Safety & Security ProgramWill Offer Online Classes This Fall The following upcoming courses, including NEW Safety Performance Indicators course, will take place in our virtual Webex classrooms. Software Safety Philosophies and methods of developing software, analyzing software, and managing a software safety program. Online Course August 17-20, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems Managing and implementing aviation security measures at medium to small size aircraft operators, all airports, and Indirect Air Carriers, with emphasis on risk assessment and cyber security. Online Course August 17-21, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Accident/Incident Response Preparedness This course is designed for individuals who are involved in either preparing emergency response plans or responding to incidents and accidents as a representative of their organization. This updated course has been extended to four full days to integrate communications in the digital age. Online Course August 24-27, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 Human Factors in Aviation Safety This course presents human factors in a manner that can be readily understood and applied by aviation practitioners in all phases of aviation operations. Emphasis is placed on identifying the causes of human error, predicting how human error can affect performance, and applying countermeasures to reduce or eliminate its effects. Online Course August 24-28, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Aviation Law & Aviation Dispute Resolution This course provides information on the legal risks inherent in aviation operations and an overview of the legal system as it relates to aviation safety. The course also provides an understanding of the various legal processes relating to aviation and discusses ways to engage aviation authorities in a responsible and successful manner. The judicial process, current litigation trends, legal definitions, and procedures are also covered. Online Course August 31-September 3, 2020 4 Days Tuition: $2250 Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance This course provides supervisors with aviation safety principles and practices needed to manage the problems associated with aircraft maintenance operations. In addition, it prepares attendees to assume safety responsibilities in their areas of operation. Online Course August 31-September 4, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2650 Threat and Error Managment This course provides students with sufficient knowledge to develop a TEM program and a LOSA program within their organizations. Online Course September 9-11, 2020 2.5 Days Tuition: $1375 Aviation Safety Management Systems Providing the skills and practical methods to plan, manage, and maintain an effective Aviation Safety Management System. Special emphasis for safety managers, training, flight department and maintenance managers and supervisors, pilots, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, and schedulers. Online Course September 14-25, 2020 9.5 Days Tuition: $3750 Hazard Effects and Control Strategies This course focuses on underlying physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and effects, and hazard control strategies. The following hazards are specifically addressed: electrical hazards, electrostatic discharge, toxicity, kinetic hazards, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, thermal hazards, noise, fire and explosion, high pressure, etc. Online Course September 14-15, 2020 2 Days Tuition: $1200 Damage Assessment for System Safety Sophisticated mathematical models and methods have been developed to estimate the level of impact of a hazardous condition. This course provides an overall understanding of these methods to help managers and system safety analysis reviewers understand the analysis conducted and results obtained by the experts in the field. Specifically, methods for modeling the impact of fire and explosion, debris distribution from an explosion, and toxic gas dispersion are discussed. Online Course September 16-18, 2020 3 Days Tuition: $1625 Safety Management Systems for Ground Operation Safety This course provides airport, air carrier and ground service company supervisors and managers with practices that will reduce ground operation mishaps to personnel and equipment. It provides an understanding of how ground operations safety management is an essential part or an airport's or air carrier's SMS. Online Course September 21-23, 2020 2.5 Days Tuition: $1375 Safety Performance Indicators This course teaches how SPI's are developed, monitored, analyzed and modified in order for an organization to correctly know its safety performance. The course utilizes guidance provided in ICAO Annex 19 and the ICAO Safety Management Manual Doc. 9859. Online Course September 24-25, 2020 2 Days Tuition: $1200 Earn Credit for FlightSafety International Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn elective credits towards FlightSafety International's Master Technician-Management Program • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Gas Turbine Accident Investigation • Helicopter Accident Investigation • Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance • Safety Management for Ground Operations Safety • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness Earn Credit for National Business Aviation Association Certified Aviation Manager Exam Students taking the following USC courses will earn two points toward completing the application for the National Business Aviation Association Certified Aviation Manager Exam. • Aviation Safety Management Systems • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Aircraft Accident Investigation • SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Photo Credit: PFC Brendan King, USMC As part of our Swinburne Bachelor of Aviation undergraduate research project, we have constructed a survey for members of the aviation industry and those who have not worked in aviation to provide feedback on their attitudes and opinions about Urban Air Mobility and single-pilot and/or autonomous airline operations. If you are an active participant in the aviation industry as a passenger or through employment, we invite you to take part in this survey to help give the industry a better understanding of the general sentiment towards these emerging technologies and operational concepts. To participate please follow the link below to our online survey: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zRhPPbCfnsHH3T It should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Participants who complete the survey will be eligible to enter the draw to WIN AN iPad. Thank you very much for your time. This research project is being supervised by Peter Renshaw at the Department of Aviation, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. If you have any questions, please contact Peter at prenshaw@swin.edu.au Back to Top Graduate Research Survey Critical Evaluation of the Gaps in SMS Debriefing Tools and Development of Potential Solutions I am inviting you to take part in a study of Feedback within Aviation Safety Management Systems. An airline/organisation Safety Management System (SMS) relies on pilot safety reports (ASAP or ASR) or data (FOQA, FDM) to discover hazards and threats in the operation. In return, the pilots depend on up to date information from the airline's safety department to make sound decisions regarding safety. The safety department can accomplish that by debriefing or giving feedback on the safety reports or data. A literature review of safety report feedback/debrief within Safety Management Systems showed that safety reports are not fully debriefed. This survey aims to gather data regarding pilots' perspective of safety report/safety data debriefing. In addition, the survey also aims to find out the opinions of a potential solution. This study is undertaken as part of a thesis for an Air Safety Management Master of Science degree at City, University of London. https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8eadW14UUZYaurj Bengt Jansson Back to Top 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