Flight Safety Information August 25, 2020 - No. 172 In This Issue Incident: Transavia B738 near Paris on Aug 23rd 2020, hydraulic problem Incident: Rossiya B744 near Krasnojarsk on Aug 22nd 2020, cargo smoke indication Military jet makes hard landing at Stead Airport Canada's 737 Max flight is test of global regulatory regime American Airlines' new plane disinfectant works for a full week Boeing turns to spacecraft, drone technology to boost 737 Max safety Lufthansa Group airlines tighten face mask rules Emirates and Etihad airlines ask crew to take more unpaid leave Auburn University set to 3D print commercial aircraft components with $3M FAA grant New aircraft-noise rule would do little to quiet the skies: government report Aviation Industry- From Self-Flying Flight to Autonomous Aircraft Kenya Airways to Sack Senior Pilots As Coronavirus Impacts Continues to Show Delta plans to furlough more than 1,900 pilots in October Thousands Of U.S. Pilots Face Furloughs This Fall SpaceX to attempt rare on-shore Falcon 9 rocket landing this week The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Will Offer Online and In-Person Classes This Fall Trinity College Dublin and EASA Air Ops Community Survey on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on aviation workers Swinburne University Capstone Research Projects 2020 - Airline pax preferences Study SURVEY:...GA PILOTS AND PIREPs. Graduate Research Survey (1) Incident: Transavia B738 near Paris on Aug 23rd 2020, hydraulic problem A Transavia France Boeing 737-800, registration F-HTVG performing flight TO-3438 from Paris Orly (France) to Lisbon (Portugal), was enroute at FL370 about 120nm southwest of Paris Orly when the crew decided to return to Orly reporting a problem with a hydraulic system's pressure. The aircraft descended to FL280 for the return and landed safely back on Orly's runway 26 about 65 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration F-HTVH using a maximum flight level 270 reached Lisbon with a delay of about 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Paris about 43 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dbbd3d0&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Rossiya B744 near Krasnojarsk on Aug 22nd 2020, cargo smoke indication A Rossiya Boeing 747-400 on behalf of Aeroflot, registration EI-XLM performing flight SU-6288 from Khabarovsk to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) with 421 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 400nm northwest of Krasnojarsk (Russia) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and decided to divert to Krasnojarsk. The aircraft landed in Krasnojarsk about one hour later. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration EI-GFB was dispatched to Krasnojarsk and reached Moscow with a delay of about 12.5 hours. The aircraft remained on the ground for 28.5 hours, then positioned to Sheremetyevo as flight FV-5402. The aircraft is still on the ground in Sheremetyevo 24 hours after landing in Moscow. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dbb5838&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Military jet makes hard landing at Stead Airport STEAD, Nev. (KOLO) - A military style jet made a hard landing at the Reno Stead airport Monday morning, August 24, 2020, but there were no reported injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirms that the F-5 fighter jet landed with its gear up, otherwise known as a belly landing. The FAA originally told KOLO 8, the aircraft was a military jet. However, the FAA now says the F-5 is a civil-registered aircraft. The tail number is registered to Tactical Air Support, a company that operates out of the Stead Airport. The pilot was the only person on board and they were not injured. https://www.kolotv.com/2020/08/24/military-jet-makes-hard-landing-at-stead-airport/ Back to Top Canada's 737 Max flight is test of global regulatory regime • Country's transport regulator plans to conduct safety tests of grounded Boeing plane this week Canadian regulators are planning to test fly the revamped 737 Max this week in what will be a positive milestone for its manufacturer Boeing but a potentially ominous moment for the aerospace industry, after two fatal crashes of the jet shook the global regulatory regime. The US Federal Aviation Administration began critical recertification test flights in June, but Transport Canada said its pilots were travelling to Boeing's airfield in Seattle, Washington for the agency's own regulatory flights. The Transport Canada test flights are unusual, because modern aviation has rested on mutual agreement among nations to accept others regulators' safety inspections as valid, a principle known as reciprocity. The policy saves time and money for aerospace manufacturers and governments by limiting the number of expensive test flights. "Reciprocity meant reciprocity," said Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of analysis at Teal Group. "Now it's hanging by a thread." The 737 Max has been grounded worldwide since March 2019 following two crashes five months apart that killed 346 people, with the same anti-stall system implicated in both incidents. The FAA did not ground the plane after the first crash, and was the last of the main international regulators to do so after the second. Transport Canada and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency have said since last year that they want to conduct their own tests. Boeing has tried to co-ordinate with international regulators during the grounding, but the coronavirus pandemic has hampered the efforts of the Joint Authorities Technical Review, a body comprising civil aviation authorities from nine countries, plus the FAA and the US space agency Nasa. The FAA required Boeing to fix software that erroneously triggered anti-stall procedures on the doomed flights, and is also requiring the manufacturer to amend pilot training programmes. Transport Canada said in June that it was considering whether Boeing needed to also change the Max's flight manual to include instructions on how to disable a "stick shaker" warning system when it is wrongly activated. In both Max crashes, the aeroplane's control column began to vibrate, incorrectly signalling that the plane was about to stall, and adding to commotion in the cockpit as pilots tried to regain control. "Transport Canada remains committed to ensuring that the flight restrictions in Canada are in place until fully satisfied that all safety concerns have been addressed by the manufacturer and the FAA and that enhanced flight crew procedures and training are in place," the agency said. European regulators have indicated they have further demands for the anti-stall system, including a fix to ensure that a single faulty sensor cannot automatically tip the plane's nose downward. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is yet to schedule its test flights. David Calhoun, Boeing chief executive, said last month that the Max would return to service in the fourth quarter. Though EASA has indicated it would not hold up the plane's recertification, the European agency "is probably a greater concern" than Canada as a threat to the reciprocity regime since there are already trade tensions over aircraft manufacturing between the two sides, Mr Aboulafia at Teal Group said. "It's not just things get harder for America and Boeing. Things get harder for everybody if reciprocity breaks down," he said, although he added that he was "cautiously optimistic" the principle would survive since industry players understand its importance. https://www.ft.com/content/0942566a-55c7-40d1-bd3c-77c2fecd9301 Back to Top American Airlines' new plane disinfectant works for a full week, but doesn't stop the main way COVID-19 spreads The Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency authorization for American Airlines to use a new anti-microbial product to protect against COVID-19 on aircraft surfaces. The new product is effective for up to seven days, making it the longest-lasting surface protection approved by the EPA. While 'SurfaceWise2' protects against surface transmission, the virus is thought to spread mainly through close contact directly between individuals. American Airlines just added a new weapon to its arsenal for the ongoing fight against the pandemic: a disinfectant that kills COVID-19 on surfaces for a full week after it's applied. The US Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday that it had issued an emergency authorization to the state of Texas, allowing the state to clear American Airlines (which is headquartered in Fort Worth) to use the new disinfectant. The product, known as SurfaceWise2, can kill viruses and bacteria for up to seven days after being applied, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said during a press conference on Monday. Allied BioScience, which manufactures the stuff, is pushing for its permanent approval, Wheeler said. American Airlines plans to use SurfaceWise 2 for additional protection on its planes, part of an effort to increase consumer confidence and boost demand for air travel, said David Seymour, American Airlines' chief operating officer. Seymour said that the product would be applied to planes via an electrostatic spraying process, similar to what most US airlines are currently using to disinfect planes, as aircraft cycle through the airline's Dallas-Fort Worth hub. The disinfectant's use won't replace regular cleaning. Although COVID-19 is thought to be able to spread from surface contact, Wheeler admitted that SurfaceWise 2 would not protect against the main way the virus is believed to be transmitted: respiratory droplets and aerosols. "The virus is thought to spread mainly through close contact between individuals," he said. The emergency authorization was granted only to Texas because no other states applied for it, Wheeler said. Texas-based Total Orthopedics Sports & Spine will also be cleared to use the disinfectant. "We assume with today's announcement that other states are going to start looking to see if they could apply," Wheeler said. "We can't just give a blanket exemption for another use of the product. We would have to check to see, for example, on the impact on ... different surfaces." Wheeler said that SurfaceWise 2 was the only product approved by the EPA to last as long as a week. US airlines have added new cleaning and disinfection procedures as the coronavirus pandemic has shattered demand for air travel. Airlines have previously suggested that the single applications of the disinfectant they currently use could inactivate COVID-19 virus for days, although most airlines carry out the spraying, or fogging, at least daily. Southwest Airlines, for instance, said that it applies a disinfectant followed by an anti-microbial material every 30 days, which the manufacturer says remains effective for up to three months. The airline also uses a disinfectant nightly and between flights. A spokesperson for the airline said that the technique is certified by the EPA and by Boeing. "Southwest is confident in our current approach to cleaning but will always monitor the marketplace for approved and emerging innovations that support the well-being and comfort of our Employees and Customers," Southwest said in a statement. https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-plane-disinfectant-works-204840078.html Back to Top Boeing turns to spacecraft, drone technology to boost 737 Max safety By Alan Levin Boeing is preparing to bolster the long-term safety of its troubled 737 Max with technology borrowed from space vehicles and urban drones that can provide data to help back up its sensors. The system - known as synthetic air data - takes existing information on the aircraft, runs it through a computer program and produces readings that mimic what costly additional sensors provide. Added as a result of pressure from overseas regulators, it would reduce the risk of accidents such as those on the Max. But it would also address a wide range of deadly air crashes triggered by confusing cockpit readings, according to engineers and academic research. It's already proved its value on Boeing's 787, and Airbus is adopting similar techniques in its aircraft. "The reason why myself and a bunch of others are looking at it is it does have the promise to enhance safety," said Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Minnesota who is researching such systems. At the same time, Gebre-Egziabher and others caution the technology involves knotty challenges, and it's most likely not something Boeing can slap on the Max in a few months. "The algorithms are complicated and certifying them is a bear," Gebre-Egziabher said. Boeing's best-selling plane, an updated version of the decades-old 737 family, was grounded in March 2019 after the second of two crashes in less than five left 346 dead. The chain of events leading to both crashes was prompted by the failure of sensors known as angle-of-attack vanes, and the new technology would provide redundancy for those readings without adding additional sensors, which are costly. U.S. aviation regulators earlier this month said they've tentatively accepted Boeing's sweeping redesign of the Max without the new technology, meaning the plane could be approved to fly again as soon as this fall. The fixes also meet the standards of other nations, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The new suite of virtual sensors Boeing is planning to add to the plane is a result of demands by the European Aviation Safety Agency, which has repeatedly said it wants even more protections for the Max. In a compromise, EASA has agreed not to hold up the plane's recertification, but the agency, along with the FAA, is insisting that Boeing make future improvements and spell out how the company plans to do so before final approval, said a person familiar with the deliberations who wasn't permitted to talk about them publicly. Specifically, EASA wants more backups for the angle-of-attack vanes. The Max, like other Boeing aircraft, has two angle-of-attack sensors, while Airbus planes have three. Discussions on the issues are still underway at EASA and the agency can't comment, it said in a statement. Despite the differences in sensors, Airbus and Boeing models have nearly identical accident rates, which overall are at all-time lows. But both manufacturers have suffered incidents and accidents as a result of angle-of-attack failures. Even with the fixes to the Max, a single angle-of-attack sensor failure can trigger multiple confusing alarms in the cockpit. Adding a third such sensor - a small wind vane that measures whether the jet's nose is pointed above or below the oncoming air - could help mitigate that, European regulators have said. Such an addition would be costly and time consuming, though. However, breakthroughs in recent decades have made it possible to produce accurate estimates of angle of attack without a new sensor, Gebre-Egziabher said. These systems can also replicate a plane's speed and other flight data, according to academic research and uses on existing aircraft. Improvements in motion detectors - highly sophisticated cousins of the devices in smartphones that measure how many steps you've taken - can monitor a plane's dips and turns. GPS position data helps ensure accuracy. And modern computers allow the data to be knit together using physics formulas to show speed and how the plane is behaving, including its angle of attack. Peter Lemme, a consultant who worked on aircraft control systems for earlier Boeing models, cautioned that such systems remain notoriously complex. "It's easy to talk about but it's hard to do," Lemme said. "This is not a casual undertaking. It will probably take at least two years." Not only must engineers ensure that the formulas they devise work in every scenario imaginable, but aviation software must be many times more reliable than in consumer products. Adopting such a system also comes with controversy. A Boeing engineer last year filed an ethics complaint with the company charging his efforts to add synthetic readings to the Max during its development were blocked by managers opposed to the cost and complexity, according to a letter he wrote to Senate investigators. Boeing said in a statement it doesn't comment on internal complaints from its employees. The company has also declined to comment on its work to add synthetic sensors to the Max, other than to say, "We continue to make steady progress towards safely returning the airplane to service." While creating such systems can be difficult, their value has already been demonstrated. They've been used to help guide NASA spacecraft re-entering the atmosphere, and Airbus recently patented a design for such systems. One of the most promising areas for synthetic air-data systems is in drones, Gebre-Egziabher said. These vehicles need the equivalent of additional sensors to become safe enough for routine flights over urban areas. But they're more sensitive to weight, so adding multiple physical sensors isn't viable. Boeing added a synthetic system to its 787, the long-range plane introduced in 2011. Airbus uses at least some of the technology on its A350. A 2015 incident on a Jetstar Airways 787 flying from Melbourne to Singapore illustrates its potential benefits. The jet's three external sensors used to compute speed all iced up simultaneously, according to a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Such failures have been a vexing problem in aviation because the sensors are all subject to the same problem - ice. The glitches can lead to confusion in the cockpit and in rare instances they've triggered crashes, such as when an Air France Airbus A330 went down in the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, killing all 228 aboard. In the Jetstar Airways case, however, the plane's synthetic system - which is immune from ice - recognized that the three sensors had failed and helped trigger alarms to the crew, investigators said. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/aug/24/boeing-turns-to-spacecraft-drone-technology-to-boo/ Back to Top Lufthansa Group airlines tighten face mask rules Lufthansa Group restricts exceptions from compulsory masks The airlines of the Lufthansa Group are restricting the exceptions from the obligation to wear a mask on board their flights. From 1 September 2020, an exemption from the obligation to wear a mask during the flight for medical reasons will only be possible if a medical certificate is presented on a form provided by the airline. Passengers can download the document from the airlines' websites. In addition, passengers who are unable to wear a mask during the flight must present a negative COVID-19 test, which is not older than 48 hours at the scheduled begin of the journey. This ensures maximum safety for the passengers travelling with them. As of today, passengers will be comprehensively informed about the new requirements, including on the airlines' websites and social media channels, as well as via e-mail and via SMS. This is intended to give customers the opportunity to adapt to the changed rules in good time. livestream2 The airlines in the Lufthansa Group already introduced compulsory masks on board their flights at the beginning of May, making them one of the first airlines worldwide to do so. Exceptions to this rule were previously only possible with a medical certificate. The new rules on the compulsory wearing of masks now ensure even better protection for all passengers. The airlines in the Lufthansa Group have introduced extensive hygiene measures on board and on the ground. They are also in close contact with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and national authorities to promote the ongoing development and harmonization of health standards in air transport during the corona pandemic. In principle, the risk of contracting the on board of an aircraft is very low. The cabins are equipped with filters that clean the air of contaminants such as dust, bacteria and viruses. https://www.eturbonews.com/580463/lufthansa-group-airlines-tighten-face-mask-rules/ Back to Top Emirates and Etihad airlines ask crew to take more unpaid leave Middle East airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways have again asked cabin crew to take unpaid leave as they try to manage the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to internal memos and sources familiar with the matter. DUBAI, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Middle East airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways have again asked cabin crew to take unpaid leave as they try to manage the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to internal memos and sources familiar with the matter. Aviation has been one of the worst-hit industries during the pandemic and Emirates and Etihad of the United Arab Emirates have cut thousands of jobs, sources have said. In an internal memo, Emirates crew are told they can take unpaid leave for between one and three months from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 owing to expected staffing requirements. Emirates also laid off some crew last week, two sources said, continuing a redundancy process that began in July. Emirates, which in July asked pilots and crew to take four months of unpaid leave, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. In an Etihad internal memo, staff were told that the airline has more crew than needed and that many are not being rostered on flights, which is not sustainable for the business. Crew can take between 10 days to six months of unpaid leave from Sept. 16, the email said. Etihad, which in March asked crew to take unpaid leave, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Emirates and Etihad have been resuming passenger services gradually since June after grounding flights in March. Etihad reported a $758 million core operating loss in the first half of the year. Emirates' first half ends Sept. 30. https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/emirates-and-etihad-airlines-ask-crew-to-take-more-unpaid-leave-2020-08-25 Back to Top Auburn University set to 3D print commercial aircraft components with $3M FAA grant Funded by a $3M grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Auburn University's National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) is set to commence a two-year project to improve air travel. The NCAME engineers will use industrial 3D printers to produce metal components for commercial aircraft, delving deeper into the process and materials to fine-tune the parameters required to 3D print end-use components. Steve Taylor, co-principal investigator on the project, states: "By teaming our faculty, who are global leaders in research on additively manufactured metal components, with the top engineers and scientists at FAA, we are confident that we can develop new knowledge that will help engineers design safer, more efficient aircraft. Auburn University is honored to be collaborating with the FAA." Variability in performance A core issue in additive manufacturing is variability in performance, whereby identical parts 3D printed on different machines will have discrepancies in their mechanical properties. According to the NCAME, there is also a lack of understanding when it comes to the microstructures of 3D printed metal parts, and their subsequent effects on fatigue and fracture resistance. This makes it very difficult to define specifications and standards in the industry - especially with tightly controlled parts for sectors such as aviation. Nima Shamsaei, Director of the NCAME, explains: "This is what I call the 'Achilles heel' of additive manufacturing. Such variations make the qualification and certification of AM materials and parts challenging. By understanding the sources of variability, controlling them, or accounting for them, we can generate more reliable materials data and more reliable AM products." The project ultimately aims to improve aircraft safety by standardizing the certification process for structural applications and advanced materials. The NCAME, established in 2017, claims to be an international leader in the research area. The Center has extensive experience working on spaceflight materials and was one of the founding partners of the ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence. Auburn's additive adventures Auburn's NCAME has already been involved in a number of aerospace additive manufacturing projects since its inception. Last year, the Center was awarded a $5.2M contract from NASA to apply its expertise to help improve the performance of liquid rocket engines through 3D printing. The three-year project is currently enabling the development of "regeneratively cooled" thrust chambers using additive manufacturing, with a technique that should also result in weight savings. The NCAME has also previously initiated a project involving a $1.5M X-ray CT scanner. The system was used to non-destructively test 3D printed parts to determine their viability as "mission-critical" components for the aerospace industry. The machine was acquired with a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is being described as "a real game-changer" by Bart Prorok, Director of Auburn's Analytical Microscopy Center. https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/auburn-university-set-to-3d-print-commercial-aircraft-components-with-3m-faa-grant-174819/ Back to Top New aircraft-noise rule would do little to quiet the skies: government report A ban on aircraft that do not meet new noise standards would do little to reduce overall aircraft noise and would impose costly requirements on airlines and aerospace manufacturers. That is according to a 20 August report from the US Government Accountability Office into the likely impact of a ban on aircraft certificated under so-called Stage 3 noise standards. The US government has not implemented such a ban, but Congress required the study as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's 2018 funding bill. The FAA requires all large commercial aircraft to meet Stage 3 noise standards, generally meaning they generate 89-106 decibels, depending on phase of flight, number of engines and aircraft weight. But new aircraft type designs proposed by manufacturers to the FAA after 2005 must meet Stage 4 standards, which are about 10 decibels quieter. And designs proposed after 2017 must be a further 7 decibels quieter - the Stage 5 designation. The GAO's report is based on fleet data collected by the FAA in 2017. At that time, about 3,800 large commercial aircraft in the USA - about 63% of the fleet - were certificated as meeting Stage 3 noise standards. The remaining 37% were certificated as Stage 4 compliant. But aircraft are assigned those designations when manufacturers propose their designs, not when aircraft roll off assembly lines. And due to technologic improvements, most aircraft certificated as Stage 3-compliant would actually meet the higher Stage 4 or Stage 5 designations, GAO says. Specifically, 96% of US large commercial aircraft - about 5,820 jets - that were flying in January are able to meet the higher standards, GOA estimates. Likewise, it says 86% of regional jets could meet the more-stringent Stages 4 and 5 requirements. "Engine and airframe technology has outpaced the implementation of noise standards," GAO says. It adds that US airlines have since retired noisier aircraft like McDonnell Douglas MD-80-family aircraft, meaning an even higher percent of the remaining fleet would be compliant. Based on those figures, GAO concludes that a rule prohibiting airlines from operating Stage 3-compliant jets would "provide limited noise reduction and limited other benefits, and could be costly and present other challenges." If the FAA did prohibit such jets, the industry would be forced to ground the aircraft or have them re-certificated to the higher standard, either of which would be costly, according to GAO. https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/new-aircraft-noise-rule-would-do-little-to-quiet-the-skies-government-report/139884.article Back to Top Aviation Industry- From Self-Flying Flight to Autonomous Aircraft Autonomous aircraft are around the corner with more software and sensor developments The aviation industry is the front-runner of autonomous vehicles. It has long beat the automotive sector in the race of autonomy. People feel comfortable with the implication of self-driving vehicles when they grow fond of the concept of autonomy. The self-flying planes are already on use with the help of flight plan created by pilots. But, they can't act beyond that. For example, if a pilot takes off the seat-belt sign, there are chances that the flight is being self-driven. With these technologies proven safe, the concept of the autonomous vehicle feels guarded and feasible for use. A report suggests that the autonomous aircraft market is projected to increase from an estimated US $ 3.6 billion in 2018 to US $ 23.7 billion by 2030 at a growth rate of 17.06%. How self-flying aircraft functions? When the aircraft is still on the ground, the pilot adds the input of the flight plan to the flight management system (FMS) in a commercial aircraft. The pilot switches to the self-driven mode a few minutes after the takeoff. The autopilot can manage flying until a few minutes before landing when the pilot switches it back to his own driving. The self-driven flights are certified for autonomous landing in low visibility. They have the ability to guide itself to a safe and smooth landing. If something goes wrong during the process like risky situations of diversion, turbulence or emergency scenarios, pilots are at the cockpit to manage. The pilot makes sure that the autopilot stays on course focused and the cockpit is constantly monitoring the circumstance and the functions. Any failure of the mechanism will lead the pilot to take over the drive. The implication of self-driven air vehicles is on use today. However, it is not the same when it comes to autonomous vehicles. The challenges to switch to autonomous vehicles are huge. The divergence between self-flying planes and autonomous aircraft Experienced and well-trained pilots are the emergency helpers in a self-flying plane. The self-driving air vehicles can only execute inputs received from the pilots or the flight director computer. It totally functions on orders like acting as instructed to perform climbs, descents and turns in the airway. There is no need to give the autopilot the freedom of movement as it is highly impossible to encounter obstacles like birds in the high altitude. However, the future that the automation industry is planning to execute is far beyond machinery taking instructions. From partially automated, the planes will go towards being fully autonomous and function without the need of a pilot. The baby step that the aviation industry has planned to take is through urban air mobility. The introduction of autonomous flying taxis can revolutionize personal travel and shipping by reducing traffic and increasing safety in metropolitan cities. These autonomous aircraft come with highly complex issues like busy environment which could pose an engineering problem. This could only be solved with the intervention of modern autopilot systems. Bringing an autonomous vehicle to the urban setting will need safety gears. Some of the important functions that should be predefined for autonomous vehicles are: * Taking off and landing without a runway. * Barring obstacles like vehicles, buildings and birds. * Substitute plan to manage unpredictable situations like wind gusts, engine failures and obstacles. To automate air vehicles to this level needs systems that could perceive risky situations, plan a safe path of motion and execute those motions. This will only be possible with the help of sensors, embedded software and Artificial Intelligence (AI). A lot of engineering developments are also in need as the systems that should differentiate between other aircraft, building and birds. The engineering developments should include software and hardware-in-the-loop testing. The path towards Autonomous vehicles As a trial exposure on autonomous vehicles, the first step forward is enabling single-pilot operations. The aviation sector is already starting to welcome single-pilot operations for freight and short-range flights. To take the initiative further, the urban aviation industry that has planned for autonomous air taxis will also require a single pilot or fully autonomous functioning system. This could make the autonomous aircraft better equipped than humans to handle urban skies that are filled with obstacles. The urban air taxis are considered small in size. A short-range flight between local airports could accommodate 10 to 14 people whereas an urban autonomous vehicle is capable of carrying only four people. They have the feature to make vertical takeoffs and landing (VTOL). Urban aircraft is quite different from modern aircraft in certain ways, * Keeps the urban emission down through electric propulsion. * Lightweight frames to meet manoeuvrability and efficiency requirements. * Characteristics for a quiet mechanism to keep the urban noise down. Steps to make autonomous vehicles a reality soon A lot of development needs to be done in the path towards automation. Starting from sensors to installing computer vision, the aviation sector is in a place to make changes. We can't install a camera in the aircraft and expect it to do autonomous jobs in the urban environment. Ordinary cameras are equal to human eyes which get glared by certain conditions. Engineers will need to develop radar, lidar, cameras, sound and infrared sensors to manage the autonomous vehicle in the urban environment. The action further needs a combination of information from the devices, using sensor fusion methodologies, to get an accurate picture of the environment for every flight and weather condition. The perceived information needs to be communicated to the aircraft's embedded software and AI system so they can plan a safe journey. The engineers need to assure that the autonomous features have the capability to ensure functional safety by taking the safest decision in every conceivable situation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are building a bridge linking the manual switching self-flying vehicles to the fully-featured autonomous aircraft. Therefore, the world is ready to accept a change of a pilotless cockpit. https://www.analyticsinsight.net/aviation-industry-from-self-flying-flight-to-autonomous-aircraft/ Back to Top Kenya Airways to Sack Senior Pilots As Coronavirus Impacts Continues to Show Kenya Airways, Kenya's flag carrier, is moving to slash half of its pilot workforce. The move is in line with cost saving measures deemed necessary due to the toll the COVID-19 crisis that has taken, Business Daily reports. Kenya Airways is looking to cut up to 207 of its 414 pilot jobs, which account for almost half of the carrier's payroll costs over the next three years with the job cuts based on 'revenue projections'. "Based on our three-year projection, we will require 50 percent to 60 percent of pilots to efficiently support the reduced operations. Our target is to reduce the company's overall total fixed costs, not just staff costs, by about 50 percent in response to our revenue projections," said the Kenya Airways Group CEO Allan Kilavuka. "We are reducing our network, our assets, and our people. The reduction will not be like for like, meaning that the shrinkage will not be uniform across the three areas," Kilavuka added. Kenya Airways has already laid off some 650 employees, mostly trainee pilots and cabin crew, technicians and other newly-hired staff on probation. The most recent move has caused tensions with the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA), which opposes the airline's plan to shed jobs. But Kenya Airways says this is the right move to preserve its viability "We need to make the right decisions today for the sustainability of the business tomorrow, hence the decision to shrink now in order to grow in future and emerge on the other side of the crisis a leaner, more efficient airline," Kilavuka said. Coronavirus' Effect Across Africa International Air Transport Association (IATA), in its latest estimates on the Impacts of COVID-19 crisis in the African region, forecasted Africa will see 3.5 million aviation-related job losses, an increase from earlier estimates. "The economic consequences resulting from a disconnected continent are severe. Millions of jobs and livelihoods are at risk in family-run enterprises and large corporations along the entire travel and tourism value chain," said Muhammad Al Bakri, IATA's Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East. The aviation industry's governing body has long been advocating for more government intervention in the region to ensure a safer restart of aviation, a move they argue will minimize job losses and improve economies across the continent. "We urge African governments and the development institutions who have committed funding to provide it urgently in a structure that does not weaken already stressed airline balance sheets, before it is too late," said Albakri. Kenya Airways restarted international travel on Aug. 1 and currently serves 4 domestic routes and 51 international destinations in 42 countries. The airline announced earlier it will resume its Guangzhou route via Bangkok starting Oct. 25 in a 'normal daily service' using its Boeing 787-8. https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/08/25/kenya-airways-to-sack-senior-pilots-as-coronavirus-impacts-continues-to-show/ Back to Top Delta plans to furlough more than 1,900 pilots in October Delta says it's preparing to furlough 1,941 pilots in October. The airline said it could reduce or avoid furloughs if it can reach cost-cutting agreements with the union. Close to 2,000 Delta pilots applied for early retirements, but the airline said it wasn't enough to offset the lower staffing needs. Delta Air Lines will furlough 1,941 of its pilots in October unless it can reach a cost-cutting agreement with the employees' labor union, the airline said Monday. U.S. airlines that accepted $25 billion in federal aid are prohibited from cutting jobs through Sept. 30. "We are six months into this pandemic and only 25% of our revenues have been recovered," said John Laughter, Delta's senior vice president of flight operations in a memo to pilots, which was seen by CNBC. Laughter said the airline doesn't expect a quick turnaround in demand. This summer, Delta warned 2,558 of its pilots about potential furloughs. The number was lowered by more than 1,800 pilots who took early retirement packages, but Laughter warned it is not enough to avoid the furloughs altogether. "With approximately 11,200 active pilots still on the roster following the September 1 [voluntary early retirement] departures, we are simply overstaffed, and we are faced with an incredibly difficult decision," he wrote. Laughter said letters would be going out this week to pilots hired on or after July 17, 2017. Delta last month said remaining pilots could avoid furloughs altogether with a 15% cut to minimum pay. The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents Delta's pilots, urged the company to come up with a solution. It previously proposed offering pilots voluntary time off with partial pay, but Delta and the union have so far failed to reach an agreement. "While we should be talking about real solutions to save jobs, Delta's most junior pilots are facing unnecessary career uncertainty when ALPA has offered countless voluntary options to management to prevent furloughs from occurring," said union spokesman and Delta first officer Chris Riggins, in a statement. "It's not too late for management to complete discussions at the bargaining table and help mitigate the need to furlough. Laughter said the company will need about 9,450 pilots for summer 2021, "which we expect will be the peak flying for the next 12-18 months." Separately, Delta said its COO Gil West plans to retire at the end of September after 12 years at the Atlanta-based airline. West started shortly before Delta's 2008 merger with Northwest and was named Delta's COO in 2014. West also led several ancillary businesses at Delta, including its aircraft maintenance unit, which the airline has expanded in recent years, Delta said in a news release on Monday. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/24/delta-plans-to-furlough-more-than-1900-pilots-in-october.html Back to Top Thousands Of U.S. Pilots Face Furloughs This Fall Earlier this month, a CBS News report warned that 80,000 airline workers across the United States are facing furloughs as the coronavirus pandemic devastates the industry. Delta is the latest carrier to announce mass cuts to its roster with close to 2,000 active pilots facing furloughs at the beginning of October when the CARES Act expires. U.S. airlines have been burning millions of dollars a day throughout the pandemic and the federal bailout provided them with $25 billion in payroll assistance in March in exchange for a ban on laying off employees, involuntary furloughs or cuts to pay. Delta said it hopes to "avoid or reduce" furloughs if cost-reducing agreements are made with their union and if the CARES Act gets extended. The airline already reported a record adjusted quarterly loss of $2.8 billion last month. By early August, 17,000 employees, 20% of Delta's workforce, had left the company through buyout packages or early retirement according to the CBS News report. Delta has stated that it won't be enough to avoid furloughs in October, however. It isn't the only U.S. airline taking such action with United warning half of its staff that they could experience a similar fate in the fall. That's 36,000 people including 15,000 flight attendants, 11,000 customer service representatives/gate agents, 5,550 maintenance specialists and 2,250 pilots. Elsewhere, PSA Airlines said 730 of its pilots are at risk while Frontier Airlines may furlough 559 pilots and 925 flight attendants. Hawaiian Airlines has warned 2,135 of its workers that they are also likely to face furloughs in October, including 226 of its pilots. Some airlines have managed to avoid taking that step, however, with Spirit and American Airlines notable examples. Spirit had expected to furlough 600 of its pilots upon the expiration of the CARES Act but it has reduced that figure to zero after successful negotiations took place regarding pilots taking voluntary leave. American Airlines had expected 25,000 of its staff to be furloughed on October 01 but it recently reached a deal with its pilot union to offer more leave and early retirement packages to avoid layoffs. https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2020/08/25/thousands-of-us-pilots-face-furloughs-this-fall-infographic/#48e79f432ed3 Back to Top SpaceX to attempt rare on-shore Falcon 9 rocket landing this week It's become routine to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blast off from Cape Canveral in Florida and then watch the first-stage booster come back for a soft landing aboard an autonomous droneship far off shore in the Atlantic Ocean. But the company's next mission features the rare return of a Falcon 9 directly to dry land. Elon Musk's rocket company will launch the Argentinean Earth-observing satellite Saocom 1B from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Thursday evening. Two smaller spacecraft, a commercial radar satellite called Sequoia and a weather data satellite dubbed Gnomes-1, will also be along for the ride. CNET Science SpaceX has only made one other ground pad landing in the past 12 months, as part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station on March 7. Multiple factors factor into whether SpaceX lands ashore or on a droneship, a critical one being the trajectory of the flight and how far the rocket is from the coast once it's separated from the second-stage rocket. As NASASpaceflight.com reported last year, Saocom 1B will take off and fly on a polar trajectory toward the South Pole. After launch, the Falcon 9 will skirt the coast of Florida, making it possible to attempt the ground pad landing. This will mark the first orbital launch from Florida to use this southern polar corridor since 1960. The SpaceX launch of the companion satellite Saocom 1A in 2018 also featured a ground pad landing, but at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. This Thursday's launch was also initially set to take place from the West Coast, but eventually was moved to Florida and delayed thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. Liftoff is currently set for 4:19 p.m. PT Thursday and we should see the first-stage rocket return to Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) , which is only about 7 miles from the launch pad, a little less than 10 minutes after blast-off. As usual, once a livestream feed becomes available we'll embed it here, where you can return and tune in about 15 minutes before launch. https://www.cnet.com/news/spacex-to-attempt-rare-on-shore-falcon-9-rocket-landing-this-week/ Back to Top The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Will Offer Online Classes This Fall The following upcoming courses, including NEW Safety Performance Indicators course, will take place in our virtual Webex classrooms. 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 Swinburne University Capstone Research Projects 2020 - Airline pax preferences Study Airline Passenger Carrier Preference Research Project 2020 The Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) business model has disrupted the aviation industry. It has generated new passenger demand, provided passengers with more choice and created many competitive challenges for the traditional Full-Service Carriers (FSC). As the global airline market continues to change and adapt to new challenges, airline passenger preferences and intent to travel may also change. As part of our undergraduate research project at Swinburne University of Technology we are conducting a survey on passenger preferences regarding the decision to fly between LCC and FSC airlines. This survey asks for your views on various issues associated with airline choice and seeks to better understand passenger risk perceptions and the perceived value offered by each airline model. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire, which also includes an explanatory statement. The study takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. To access the survey, please go to the following link: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wwfJDvc7chU3Cl Participants who complete the study will be eligible to enter a draw to win an iPad. 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 *** Image from: Uphues, J. (2019). Full service carrier vs. low cost carrier - What's future-proof? Retrieved from https://www.inform-software.com/blog/post/full-service-carrier-vs-low-cost-carrier-whats-future-proof Back to Top Swinburne University Capstone Research Projects 2020 - Airline pax preferences Study Airline Passenger Carrier Preference Research Project 2020 The Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) business model has disrupted the aviation industry. It has generated new passenger demand, provided passengers with more choice and created many competitive challenges for the traditional Full-Service Carriers (FSC). As the global airline market continues to change and adapt to new challenges, airline passenger preferences and intent to travel may also change. As part of our undergraduate research project at Swinburne University of Technology we are conducting a survey on passenger preferences regarding the decision to fly between LCC and FSC airlines. This survey asks for your views on various issues associated with airline choice and seeks to better understand passenger risk perceptions and the perceived value offered by each airline model. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire, which also includes an explanatory statement. The study takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. To access the survey, please go to the following link: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wwfJDvc7chU3Cl Participants who complete the study will be eligible to enter a draw to win an iPad. 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 *** Image from: Uphues, J. (2019). Full service carrier vs. low cost carrier - What's future-proof? Retrieved from https://www.inform-software.com/blog/post/full-service-carrier-vs-low-cost-carrier-whats-future-proof Back to Top SURVEY: GA PILOTS AND PIREPs "Dear GA pilot, Researchers at Purdue University are seeking general aviation (GA) pilots to participate in an online study, partially funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) NextGen Weather Technology in the Cockpit (WTIC) program. The goal of this study is to evaluate opportunities for speech-based or other "hands-free" technologies that GA pilots might use to submit PIREPs. If you are able and willing to participate, you will be asked to review a set of 6 weather-related flight scenarios and record PIREPs as if you are flying. The study will last approximately 20 minutes and can be completed using a laptop or desktop computer. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You can withdraw your participation at any time during the study for any reason. If you agree to participate, you will be asked to acknowledge your voluntary participation. Then there are 4 questions about your flight history, 6 weather scenarios, and 4 questions about PIREPs. Responses to the survey will be completely anonymous. We ask that you complete the study in a quiet location free from background noise. You must be at least 18 years of age or older to participate. When you are ready to begin, please click here: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lZhv409DcoV8KF and follow the instructions in Qualtrics. Please feel free to share this link with other pilots you know. Email any questions or concerns to Mayur Deo and Dr. Brandon Pitts at nhance@purdue.edu." Back to Top Graduate Research Survey (1) Stress and Wellbeing for Global Aviation Professionals Dear colleagues, I am inviting you to participate in a research project on wellbeing in the aviation industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation has affected aviation professionals around the world, and this research seeks to identify wellbeing strategies that work across professions, employers, families, and nations. All responses to this survey are anonymous. The findings of this research will inform future work by the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program and the Flight Safety Foundation to improve wellbeing for aviation professionals during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please click or copy the link below to access the survey, and please share it with any interested colleagues. https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cC2nlWEAazl22TX This research will support a treatise towards a Master of Science in Applied Psychology degree at the University of Southern California's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. The researcher is also on the staff of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program. Thank you, and please contact us with any questions, Daniel Scalese - Researcher scalese@usc.edu Michael Nguyen - Faculty Advisor nguyenmv@usc.edu Curt Lewis