Flight Safety Information September 25, 2020 - No. 195 In This Issue Incident: Austrian DH8D near Salzburg on Sep 24th 2020, emergency descent Incident: PSA CRJ9 at Burlington on Sep 23rd 2020, cracked windshield Incident: Delta A319 at Salt Lake City on Sep 23rd 2020, engine failure Incident: Luxair DH8D near Copenhagen on Sep 23rd 2020, technical problem Incident: Nepal A332 at Kathmandu on Sep 23rd 2020, flaps problem on departure Thieves steal business jet in Mexico, crash in Guatemala Two Super Hornets have suffered in-flight engine fires this month Ground-breaking safety protocol has successfully allowed pilots with diabetes to work UN body advises Pakistan to stop issuing pilots' licenses: Report FAA Recommends Airlines Warn Pilots About Boeing 787 ILS Issue Sea-Tac Airport, airlines consider rapid COVID-19 testing to help get travelers back in the air Air Methods Lead Mechanic Honored by Federal Aviation Administration Japan Airlines Eyes Drone Delivery In Tokyo Thousands Of Airline Workers Facing Unemployment As Aid Package Stalls In Congress Sweden's Heart Aerospace presents all-electric regional aircraft Spirit AeroSystems' Plan to Diversify Away from Boeing Is Falling Apart NASA has narrowed the source of an elusive leak on the space station to 2 Russian modules NTSB - Essentials of Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident Course FAA IASA, ICAO USOAP, EASA Audits Graduate Research Survey Incident: Austrian DH8D near Salzburg on Sep 24th 2020, emergency descent An Austrian Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration OE-LGK performing flight OS-177 from Vienna (Austria) to Stuttgart (Germany) with 21 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute at FL240 about 30nm northeast of Salzburg (Austria) about to cross into German Airspace near Passau (Germany) when the crew initiated an emergency descent to FL140 advising of technical difficulties and turned off the airway on radar vectors on heading 310. After levelling off at FL140 the crew initially expected to continue into Bavaria (Germany) but subsequently, about 10nm west of Passau (Germany) decided to return to Vienna, descended to FL100 and performed a right hand turn for the return. The aircraft landed safely back in Vienna about 65 minutes after departure. A replacement Embraer ERJ-195 registration OE-LWI reached Stuttgart with a delay of 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 24 hours after landing back in Vienna. The airline reported the crew experienced problems with the cabin pressure about 30 minutes after departure, declared emergency, descended to FL100 and after levelling off at FL100 cancelled the emergency. The aircraft returned to Vienna. A replacement E195 reached Stuttgart with a delay of 3 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dd0d7e5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: PSA CRJ9 at Burlington on Sep 23rd 2020, cracked windshield A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N596NN performing flight AA-5513 from Charlotte,NC to Burlington,VT (USA) with 45 people on board, was descending towards Burlington about 10 minutes prior to estimated landing when the crew reported a cracked windshield. Emergency services took their standby positions for the arrival, the aircraft landed safely on runway 33, emergency services did not need to intervene. A replacement CRJ-900 registration N586NN position from Charlotte to Burlington as flight AA-9950 and performed the return flight with a delay of 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Burlington about 29 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL5513/history/20200923/1350Z/KCLT/KBTV http://avherald.com/h?article=4dd090fc&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Delta A319 at Salt Lake City on Sep 23rd 2020, engine failure A Delta Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N320NB performing flight DL-2913 from Salt Lake City,UT to Jackson,WY (USA), was departing runway 34L when just before becoming airborne the left hand engine (CFM56) failed. The crew continued takeoff, reduced the engine to idle thrust, levelled off at 9000 feet and returned to Salt Lake City for a safe landing on runway 34R about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement A319-100 registration N337NB reached Jackson with a delay of 2:20 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Salt Lake City about 21 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dd08b56&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Luxair DH8D near Copenhagen on Sep 23rd 2020, technical problem A Luxair de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration LX-LGG performing flight LG-5782 from Stockholm (Sweden) to Luxembourg (Luxembourg) with 29 passengers, was enroute at FL240 about 90nm northnortheast of Copenhagen (Denmark) when the crew decided to divert to Copenhagen for a safe landing on Copenhagen's runway 22L about 25 minutes later. A replacement Dash 8-400 registration LX-LGF positioned from Luxembourg to Copenhagen, resumed the flight and reached Luxembourg with a delay of 5:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Copenhagen about 29 hours after landing. The airline reported the captain decided to divert to Copenhagen as a precaution due to a technical problem. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dd08003&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Nepal A332 at Kathmandu on Sep 23rd 2020, flaps problem on departure A Nepal Airlines Airbus A330-200, registration 9N-ALZ performing flight RA-4271 from Kathmandu (Nepal) to Kunming (China), was climbing out of Kathmandu's runway 20 cleared to climb to FL270 when the crew requested to maintain FL170 for the time being. About 10 minutes later the crew advised they might need to return to Kathmandu due to a technical problem, subsequently explaining a problem with the flight controls and finally requested to return to Kathmandu on radar vectors. The aircraft entered a hold to burn off fuel. The crew requested runway 02 and landed safely on runway 02 at a higher than normal speed (about 183 knots over ground) about 70 minutes after departure. A replacement A330-200 registration 9N-ALY departed for the flight with a delay of about 27 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Kathmandu about 26 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dd07cee&opt=0 Back to Top Thieves steal business jet in Mexico, crash in Guatemala MEXICO CITY (AP) - Thieves stole a business jet from an airport in central Mexico, flew it to Venezuela, apparently loaded it with drugs and then flew to Guatemala where the plane crashed, authorities said Thursday. Prosecutors in Guatemala said a total of four bodies were found around the site where the BAE 125 jet crashed and burned Wednesday. The dead could not be immediately identified, but drugs and weapons were found in the burned wreckage of the craft, which authorities referred to as a Hawker 800. The bizarre round-trip illicit flight began Tuesday in the city of Cuernavaca, just south of Mexico City. The plane had arrived there on Aug. 10 and was parked at a private hangar. Mexico's Civil Aviation Agency said three people asked permission to fuel up the jet, purportedly in order to perform maintenance checks on the plane. Then, without permission, they taxied to a runway and took off, without having filled a flight plan. Authorities tracked the plane as it flew south. The Guatemalan army said the plane made a stop in Venezuela before entering Guatemala, which borders Mexico. It crashed for unknown reasons. The drugs found on the plane could theoretically have been aboard since it left Mexico, but there would be little reason to move drugs toward Venezuela, which is a major transit hub for South American cocaine. It was much more likely the drugs were loaded aboard in Venezuela. https://wtop.com/latin-america/2020/09/thieves-steal-business-jet-in-mexico-crash-in-guatemala/ Back to Top Two Super Hornets have suffered in-flight engine fires this month A F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 11 suffered an in-engine fire on Sept. 21,, the second airborne engine fire mishap to afflict a Super Hornet in recent weeks. A Virginia-based F/A-18F Super Hornet jet suffered an in-flight engine fire during training on Monday, the second such mishap in recent weeks, officials have confirmed. The jet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, experienced "a brief in-flight engine fire" near the Virginia Capes at about noon during training, Naval Air Force Atlantic spokeswoman Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg said. The jet landed safely and there were no injuries, she said. Monday's Class A aviation mishap follows a similar airborne engine fire Sept. 10 on a Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 103 that was also flying a training mission near the Virginia Capes and assigned to NAS Oceana. Cragg declined to say whether officials have any reason to believe the mishaps shared a similar cause. A F/A-18F Super Hornet made an emergency landing earlier this month after an in-flight engine fire. Super Hornet makes emergency landing after engine fire The F/A-18F, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 103 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, was conducting routine training near the Virginia Capes at the time of the Sept. 10 mishap. Geoff Ziezulewicz "At this point, it is too early to speculate the causal factors for the in-flight engine fire with both VFA-103 and VFA-11, but an investigation will determine the contributing factors," Cragg said, adding that there has been no impact to ongoing training. Monday's mishap was the sixth involving a Super Hornet jet this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, according to Navy data. That comprises half of the 12 Fiscal 2020 manned and unmanned mishaps in the Class A category, which denotes more than $2.5 million in damages, severe injury or loss of life. https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2020/09/24/two-super-hornets-have-suffered-in-flight-engine-fires-this-month/ Back to Top Ground-breaking safety protocol has successfully allowed pilots with diabetes to work A new study presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) shows that the introduction of a new safety protocol has successfully enabled people with insulin-treated diabetes to work as commercial pilots, and could potentially allow individuals with the condition to perform other "safety-critical" jobs such as bus drivers or maritime workers. The study was conducted by Dr Gillian Garden and colleagues at the Department of Metabolism and Ageing, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, as well as researchers and industry professionals from universities and civil aviation authorities in the UK, Ireland, and Austria. Its goal was to evaluate the performance and safety impact of a new protocol that enabled certificated pilots with insulin-treated diabetes to fly commercial aircraft for the first time. Strict health requirements are imposed on pilots and air crew to ensure a very high standard of safety and minimise the risk of a commercial aircraft carrying passengers from being involved in a potentially catastrophic accident. The risk of hypoglycaemia in people with insulin-treated diabetes has for many years debarred them from working in certain 'safety-critical' jobs, including flying commercial airliners. Hypoglycaemia occurs when blood glucose becomes too low and can cause potentially very hazardous side effects including dizziness, reduced cognitive performance, memory problems, shaking, blurred vision, confusion, and in the worst cases, unconsciousness and eventually death. Further complications that can result from diabetes can reduce flying performance such as retinal damage, which can lead to sight loss, and nerve damage which can cause pain or loss of sensation, particularly in the feet. The UK, together with Ireland and Austria introduced a ground-breaking safety protocol for certificated pilots with insulin-treated diabetes, and now have the largest number of people in the world with the condition working as commercial pilots. Anyone with diabetes is subjected to strict oversight including glucose monitoring during duty periods, and frequent clinical health reviews. The team performed an observational study of 49 pilots with insulin-treated diabetes who had been granted medical certification to fly commercial (Class 1 certificate) and non-commercial (Class 2 certificate) aircraft. Clinical details, pre and in-flight (hourly and 30 minutes pre-landing) blood glucose values were compared with the protocol-specified ranges: 'Green' (5-15mmol/L), 'Amber' (low 4-4.9mmol/L, high 15.1-20mmol/L), and 'Red' (low <4.0mmol/L, high >20.0mmol/L). This "traffic light" system classifies blood glucose levels as "acceptable" (green), "caution" (amber), or "immediate action required" (red). In the case of a "red" low reading for example, the pilot is required to immediately hand over duties to the co-pilot or, if flying solo, consider landing as soon as is practical. They must also consume 10-15g of readily absorbed carbohydrate and re-test their blood sugar level after 15 minutes. Participants in the study had either type 1 (84%) or type 2 (16%) diabetes and had been issued with Class 1 (61%), or Class 2 (39%) medical certificates. Most were male (96%), with a median age of 44 years, a median diabetes duration of 10.9 years, and a median follow-up period of 4.3 years after the receipt of their medical certificate. Pilots had a mean glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C - a measure of average blood sugar over the previous 3 months) level of 55.0 mmol/mol (7.2%), and a post-certification mean of 55.1 (7.2%). A total of 38,621 blood glucose measurements were taken during 22,078 flying hours, of which 97.69% were within the 'Green' range, 1.42% within the low 'Amber range and 0.75% within the high 'Amber range. Only 0.12% of measurements fell within the low 'Red' range, and just 0.02% were within the high 'Red' range. Out of range readings declined from 5.7% in 2013 to 1.2% in 2019, while no episodes of pilot incapacitation occurred and none of the study participants showed a deterioration of their glycaemic control during the 7.5 years of the study. Use of a "traffic light" system provided a straightforward way of alerting pilots of the need to take preventive action to avoid impairment of performance or decision making that could arise from unduly high or low blood glucose levels. The authors conclude that the protocol is practical and feasible to implement and has performed well. There were no reports of pilot incapacitation during flights, and no events occurred in which safety was compromised. They point out that this study represents the most extensive data set for people with insulin-treated diabetes working in a "safety-critical" occupation. The team suggest: "These data should help to inform the debate about whether people with insulin-treated diabetes can perform some safety-critical occupations, and similar safety protocols may be devised and tested for this purpose." The researchers note: "As a group, pilots are highly trained and well-motivated, and they generally manage their diabetes with considerable care. They are accustomed to frequently monitoring instruments during flight and had no problem accommodating additional glucose monitoring. In this study they were able to successfully balance close adherence to the protocol with maintenance of excellent long-term glycaemic control." They also highlight: "Another facet of the protocol that should be noted is the ongoing surveillance for micro- and cardiovascular complications, which could adversely affect flying skills." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/d-gsp092320.php Back to Top UN body advises Pakistan to stop issuing pilots' licenses: Report Advice comes after Pakistan opened a probe into allegations that many airline pilots have been issued fake credentials. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has advised Pakistan to undertake "immediate corrective actions" and suspend the issuance of any new pilot licenses in the wake of a scandal over falsified licenses, according to an official and a document seen by the Reuters news agency. The recommendations from ICAO, a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to ensure safety in international air transport, come days after Pakistan opened a criminal probe into 50 pilots and five civil aviation officials who allegedly helped them falsify credentials to secure pilot licences. "Pakistan should improve and strengthen its licensing system to ensure that it takes into account all necessary processes and procedures and prevents inconsistencies and malpractices before new licenses are issued and privileges of suspended licenses are re-established," the ICAO said in a previously unreported letter to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) last week. A Pakistani aviation ministry official told Reuters that the country has not issued any new licenses since July, in the wake of the scandal. A spokesperson for Pakistan's aviation ministry, who is also a spokesperson for the PCAA, was not immediately available for comment on the ICAO advisory when contacted by Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera reported in July claims by Pakistani pilots that fraud and improper flight certification practices at the country's civil aviation regulator were rampant, and that air safety has routinely been compromised by airlines through faulty safety management systems, incomplete reporting and the use of regulatory waivers. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country's largest airline and only major international carrier, was at the centre of most of the air safety complaints, and has denied all of the allegations. The country's aviation minister has said that almost a third of all licensed Pakistani pilots had obtained their certifications fraudulently. A troubled record His comments came weeks after a PIA passenger jet crashed in May in the southern city of Karachi, killing 98 people. Pakistan has had a troubled aircraft safety record, with five significant commercial or charter airliner crashes in the last 10 years alone, killing 445 people. In the same period, there have been numerous other non-fatal safety incidents, including engines shutting down in mid-flight or on takeoff, landing gear failures, runway overruns and on-the-ground collisions, according to official reports and pilot testimony. In 2019, Pakistan's aviation industry registered 14.88 accidents per million departures, according to the ICAO, far above the global average of 3.02. The Montreal-based agency's recommendations come ahead of an ICAO audit to assess the country's aviation safety management systems. The ICAO audit, originally scheduled for November this year, has been moved to June, effectively giving the PCAA more time to work on reforms, the official said. An ICAO representative declined to comment to Reuters on specific details of the advice to Pakistan, but said in an email that ICAO is "helping Pakistan to recognise concerns, and if they do not take swift action on them we will actively notify other countries about them." The pilot scandal has tainted Pakistan's aviation industry and hurt PIA, which has been barred from flying into Europe and the United States. In addition to revoking the licenses of 50 pilots, Pakistan has also suspended another 32 pilots for a year. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/9/25/un-body-advises-pakistan-to-stop-issuing-pilots-licenses-report Back to Top FAA Recommends Airlines Warn Pilots About Boeing 787 ILS Issue The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin for owners and operators of Boeing's Dreamliner on Thursday. The bulletin applies to the three Dreamliner models, the 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10. In their bulletin, the FAA flags the possibility of the autopilot flight director system failing to capture the localizer on an ILS approach. The FAA says there were reports that; "...the autopilot flight director system was not providing proper guidance to capture the localizer when intercepting the localizer at large angles (40 degrees or more) from the runway and beam centerline." FAA bulletin follows problems with Dreamliner ILS approaches at Hong Kong Earlier this year, Simple Flying reported that there had been five incidents at Hong Kong Airport where Boeing 787 aircraft descended below the minimum safe altitude. It was believed the terrain around the airport was causing the false or failed localizer signal captures. At the time, Boeing told Simple Flying; "Boeing is working closely on this issue with the AAIA and CAD in Hong Kong as well as the FAA. Boeing has provided information to 787 operators, including instructions for pilots to monitor data closely on certain approaches. We are also working on a permanent resolution." FAA bulletin provides a forensic breakdown of the ILS problem The bulletin issued by the FAA yesterday provides a forensic breakdown of the problem with Dreamliner ILS. According to the FAA, guidance from the autopilot flight director system partially reduced the intercept angle. However, the aircraft continued through the localizer at a heading not aligned with the runway centerline. The primary flight display continued to display "LOC" as the active roll mode, and there was no indication of a failure to capture. However, both the localizer pointer and scale on the primary flight display did reveal the error. The affected aircraft initially turned toward the localizer heading, "but then stopped short and flew at a constant heading that intercepted the runway heading at a 20 to 30-degree angle." The FAA says localizer and glideslope modes were engaged, and the AFDS provided guidance to descend on the glideslope. This meant the aircraft continued to deviate from the runway centerline and descend on an incorrect heading. Over 1,000 Dreamliners are in service around the world. The agile plane has proved a big hit with airlines and is now flown by scores of operators. But the Dreamliner has not been without its problems. There have been continual quality control problems dating back the best part of a decade. These include problems concerning parts of the fuselage not meeting exacting engineering standards. In August, issues with improper fuselage shimming and inner skin surfacing were highlighted at Boeing's 787 factory in Charleston. There have also been quality-control problems with the Dreamliner's horizontal stabilizers. In response to the incidents and the subsequent FAA bulletin, Boeing has issued a new Flight Crew Operations Manual Bulletin. The Boeing bulletin flags the problem and provides information on the operating instructions for AFDS operation during an ILS approach. The FAA also advised yesterday that Boeing is still working on updating the software to fix the problematic localizer mode behavior during Dreamliner ILS approaches. https://simpleflying.com/boeing-787-ils-issue-warning/ Back to Top Sea-Tac Airport, airlines consider rapid COVID-19 testing to help get travelers back in the air Port of Seattle officials say recent surveys show passengers would like to see rapid COVID-19 testing available at Sea-Tac Airport. OLYMPIA, Wash. - As the holiday travel season approaches, Gov. Jay Inslee and representatives from major airlines are reassuring travelers that their health and safety are top of mind amid the coronavirus pandemic. While domestic air travel at airports including Sea-Tac is up from the lows when COVID-19 first struck, it's still about 70% below where it was last year. But could rapid COVID-19 testing, telling airlines and their passengers that everybody on the plane is negative, help get people back in the air? The question was posed to leaders from Alaska and Delta Airlines and the Port of Seattle Thursday during a press conference with Inslee. "The recent surveys that we've conducted with our passengers, they're overwhelming saying that, rapid testing is something they would like to see us do at the airport," said Lance Lyttle, managing director for the aviation division of the Port of Seattle. "That's why we're talking to multiple vendors, multiple service providers to see how we would actually provide that type of service." United Airlines announced Thursday it would be the first U.S. based airline to offer COVID-19 tests to its passengers. Starting Oct. 15, the tests will be offered at San Francisco International Airport so passengers flying to Hawaii won't have to undergo a two week quarantine when they arrive. The cost of the test is reported at $250. Other airlines including Germany's Lufthansa, which like United, serves Sea-Tac Airport, is also reported to be ready to begin rolling out the rapid COVID-19 test for first class and business passengers, providing results in 15 minutes. "Last week, the state of Hawaii announced it would allow people to come in and vacation with a COVID test. That's a sign that things are opening up, are starting to stabilize," said Max Tidwell, vice president of Alaska Airlines. While the rapid test is not available on every airline yet, leaders from Alaska and Delta Airlines, and the Port of Seattle, joined Inslee Thursday to lay out the steps being taken on the ground and in the air to keep travelers and employees from getting sick. "COVID has fundamentally changed our travel experience but one thing remains the same is how we care and prioritize safety," said Tidwell. Airline passengers are required to wear face masks on Alaska and Delta flights. Both airlines are also reducing capacity on flights and blocking middle seats to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Delta said it will block middle seats through Jan. 6, 2021. So far, Delta has banned about 300 passengers from flights for not wearing face masks, according to Tony Gonchar, regional vice president for Delta Airlines. In addition, those passengers get placed on a no-fly list. Earlier this year, Alaska Airlines also started enforcing its no mask, no travel rule for all adults. Gonchar announced Thursday that starting Oct. 1, Delta Airlines will initiate a temperature screening pilot program for travelers leaving Sea-Tac Airport. Passengers will walk by a thermal camera to check their temperature and if they have a temperature at or above 100.4, they will be placed on a no-fly restriction for 14 days. That pilot program will operate Mon.-Thurs. from 5 a.m. to noon. Lyttle, with Port of Seattle, also spoke Thursday about the new protocols the airport has implemented to help protect passengers. Face masks are required for travelers and employees inside the airport, and there is signage encouraging social distancing, as well as barriers between passengers and employees. The Port is also working to integrate as much touchless technology as possible to limit the number of surfaces passengers have to come in contact with. Crews are also disinfecting high touch areas on a regular basis. Inslee said these baseline protocols like mandatory face masks, social distancing, and protective barriers are being implemented not just at Sea-Tac. "The steps we're taking will help protect those who need to fly," Inslee said. "This guidance isn't just about SeaTac - these requirements apply to airports across the state - Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities and Everett too." All airports in the state need to have their safety protocols in place, if they don't already, by Oct. 1. The airline leaders promises of safety come as several airlines are trying to recover from the economic losses due to the pandemic. https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/governor-jay-inslee-covid-19-air-travel-washington-state/281-7b061a81-5d98-492b-8efe-e60e3fe7e88c Back to Top Air Methods Lead Mechanic Honored by Federal Aviation Administration • Thomas "TJ" Hall receives Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award celebrating career of more than 50 years GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Sept. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thomas "TJ" Hall, Air Methods airbase lead mechanic for Atrium Health's MedCenter Air in Charlotte, N.C., has dedicated much of his life to maintaining helicopters that save lives. Hall started his career in the Vietnam War, at the age of 20, and has never looked back. His hard work and dedication earned him a special honor on Sept. 24, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presented him with the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. The award presentation took place at Atrium Health's MedCenter Air hangar at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The honor recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of senior mechanics and is named for Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight. Taylor served as the Wright brothers' mechanic and is credited with designing and building the engine for their first successful aircraft. "TJ's insight as a seasoned mechanic and a leader have made a lasting impact on Air Methods," said Michael Laeder, vice president of maintenance operations at Air Methods. "He has been incredibly generous in sharing his knowledge and experience with other mechanics on our maintenance team and he has inspired them to hone their craft. His work is a vital piece of our mission to save lives. He is incredibly worthy of this award." "TJ is well-deserving of this recognition and prestigious award," said Katie Kaney, DrPH, MBA, senior vice president and chief administrative officer of Atrium Health. "I could not be prouder of him for his service to Atrium Health, his industry and most importantly the countless teammates, providers and patients he has impacted through his commitment to safety." Hall started his career as an enlisted helicopter mechanic and crew chief in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. After 12 years and multiple overseas deployments with the Marines, he entered the civilian world of helicopter maintenance. He obtained his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license and went to work for Burnside-Ott as a contractor at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Santa Rosa County, Fla. From there, Hall was hired by ERA Helicopters and worked in Louisiana in the petroleum industry. He then transitioned to the air ambulance industry in 1992 when he joined Air Methods, and he has remained with the company since. March of 2019 marked his 50th year in helicopter maintenance. During his career with Air Methods, Hall has worked as lead mechanic at three bases. He also served as program aviation manager for MedCenter Air in Charlotte, and as Air Methods southeastern regional area maintenance manager. After nearly ten years in the management world, Hall decided to return to his passion and took on the role of traveling relief mechanic. He then returned to Charlotte to assume his current position as lead mechanic for Atrium Health's MedCenter Air. "I am honored to receive this award from the FAA and appreciate the support of my family, friends and colleagues," said Hall. "I have seen many changes during the past 50 years and have witnessed incredible advancements in the air medical industry. Maintenance safety practices have improved, and the technological evolution of the aircraft has been amazing. I've also enjoyed working with my fellow crewmembers and passing along what I have learned during my career. I look forward to continuing this work." ### About Air Methods Air Methods (www.airmethods.com) is the leading air medical service, delivering lifesaving care to more than 70,000 people every year. With nearly 40 years of air medical experience, Air Methods is the preferred partner for hospitals and one of the largest community-based providers of air medical services. United Rotorcraft is the Company's products division specializing in the design and manufacture of aeromedical and aerospace technology. Air Methods' fleet of owned, leased or maintained aircraft features more than 450 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/09/24/2098780/0/en/Air-Methods-Lead-Mechanic-Honored-by-Federal-Aviation-Administration.html Back to Top Japan Airlines Eyes Drone Delivery In Tokyo Japan Airlines is expanding its interests in drone technologies and capabilities. Having spent the past year developing drone technology to transport emergency goods around unpopulated areas of Japan, the airline is about to start trialing drone deliveries in densely populated urban areas. Japan Airlines wants to get into the delivery business Having teamed up with the aerial delivery business, Matternet, Japan Airlines wants to start commercializing drone deliveries. Right now, they are eyeing the health sector and trying to work out the nuts and bolts of whizzing supplies between hospitals and their suppliers. Tomohiro Nishihata, Japan Airlines' Managing Executive Officer of Innovation, said in a statement yesterday, "Japan Airlines is eager to explore the future of its air logistics business with the implementation of drone delivery. "We aim to contribute to improving healthcare and solving logistics issues through our partnership with Matternet." Readers familiar with Japan will be aware of how crowded and congested its cities are. It's potentially the perfect environment for drone deliveries. But safely navigating the busy cities and all the hazards is easier said than done. Japan Airlines' interest in drones is also a sidestep away from its core business of flying people. But the airline appears keen to branch out, all while keeping their focus on the skies. "Japan Airlines aims to develop a new type of service in the air transportation industry, utilizing new UAV technology," the airline said in their statement. An exciting possibility for Japan Airlines It's an interesting scenario; Japan Airlines growing a delivery business. While their initial work with Matternet's drones will focus on the healthcare sector and moving supplies around, it has exciting implications for Japan Airlines' cargo business down the track. In the current environment, many airlines are making more revenue from cargo than passengers. In this context, Japan Airlines' foray into drone technology makes some sense. They've chosen an interesting partner to team up with. Matternet is a California-based company that claims to be the leading developer of on-demand, autonomous, urban drone logistics systems for transporting medical items around healthcare networks. They say they've operated more than 10,000 commercial revenue drone flights. In the United States, Matternet has already teamed up with UPS to make drone deliveries for WakeMed Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health, both in North Carolina. The business is looking to expand its footprint around the world. Teaming up with Japan Airlines gives it a foot in the door in Japan. Andreas Raptopoulos, CEO of Matternet, said, "We are very excited to expand our operations to Asia and partner with Japan Airlines to show the incredible impact of drone delivery to Japan's cities, starting with the Tokyo metropolitan area." A very slick operation from Matternet In Japan, the M2 Urban Drone will get used in the trials. The drone can deliver a payload of up to two kilograms over a distance of up to 20 kilometers. It seems a pretty slick operation. Matternet's platform takes the customer request, generates routes, monitors, commands, and controls the flights. Matternet sets up automated delivery and receipt points, kind of like drone parcel lockers, where people can quickly and easily load and take deliveries. It's a long way from images of drones crashing landing on your front doorstep. It's also a big leap from what Japan Airlines normally does. But in places like Japan, drones raise a whole host of fascinating possibilities. Japan Airlines might be smart by jumping on board early. https://simpleflying.com/japan-airlines-drone-delivery/ Back to Top Thousands Of Airline Workers Facing Unemployment As Aid Package Stalls In Congress The clock is ticking for tens of thousands of pilots, flight attendants, reservation agents and other airline employees, who will likely lose their jobs on Oct. 1 if Congress doesn't extend federal aid for the airlines. Among the many things that have been radically changed by the coronavirus pandemic is the airline industry. Air travel demand is down a whopping 70% from last year, according to the industry group Airlines for America, and now the clock is ticking for tens of thousands of pilots, flight attendants, reservation agents and other airline employees, who will likely lose their jobs on Oct. 1, if Congress doesn't extend federal aid for the airlines. There is bipartisan support for an extension but the airline relief is stalled by the inability of Congress and the White House to agree on a broader coronavirus aid package. The CARES act, passed and signed into law in March, provided $25 billion in direct payroll support to the airlines so they could keep paying their employees through the end of September. A provision of the law prohibited the airlines accepting the aid from laying off or involuntarily furloughing workers. But now at the end of that bridge, various airlines have notified more than 75,000 employees they could be out of a job next week. Article continues after sponsor message Among those workers is 23-year old Isaiah Gonzalez, an aircraft maintenance employee for United at New York's LaGuardia airport. "Getting that furlough letter in the mail was a complete shock to me," he says. With his mother and grandfather disabled and unable to work, Gonzalez says he's the main breadwinner in his household. "The first thing that came to mind was, how I was gonna support my family, the people that depend on me?" Gonzalez says. "How was I gonna keep the family afloat?" And Gonzalez is not alone. 'Crying for help and no one is hearing it' "Me, getting furloughed, is like, it's devastating," says Toni Valentine, 41, a reservations agent for United Airlines in Detroit. "I have six kids that depend on me," says Valentine, adding that they range in age from 2 to 22. "That's a whole houseful with a whole lotta bills." In addition, the 15-year veteran United employee says her husband suffered a serious stroke last year and needs health care and physical therapy. "And knowing that I may not have insurance, these benefits, I feel like I have failed," Valentine says, as she fights back tears. Valentine is urging Congress to provide another round of coronavirus relief to the airlines so she and thousands of other airline employees can keep their pay and benefits. "I just need them to step up," she says. "We're out here and we're crying for help and no one is hearing it." Valentine's union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, along with unions for pilots, flight attendants and other industry employees have taken the rare step of joining with airline CEOs, who are usually on the opposite side of the table, to press Congress for a six-month extension of the payroll support program. "The industry is in dire straights," says Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of the industry's lobbying group Airlines for America. "At one point, passenger traffic was down 96%. It's now down 70% still," Calio said a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol building this week. "One third of our planes are parked, not flying, and we are losing $5 billion a month." The financial losses for the airlines this year are staggering. For some of the biggest airlines, revenue is down 85% from last year, which was one of the best on record. At the start of the pandemic, when air travel came to a near halt, the two biggest airlines, American and United, say they were each burning about $100 million a day. Over the past six months, airlines have slashed costs to limit their losses, but they're still losing tens of millions of dollars a day. United for example, says it has reduced it's cash burn to about $25 million a day. Delta says it is burning an estimated $27 million a day, and Southwest says it has reduced its cash burn to $17 million a day. Even with the federal payroll support for the past six months, and tens of thousands of employees taking early retirement or or other incentives to leave their jobs voluntary, the airlines have notified another 75,000 employees that they could be out of work Oct. 1, if the payroll support is not extended. While the actual number of layoffs probably won't be that big, even 20,000 to 40,000 people losing their jobs would likely send shock waves through the national economy. And that's something majorities in both parties in Congress and the president seem to recognize. "We absolutely cannot let an entire sector of the economy collapse and that's exactly what will happen if we do not get this extension done," says Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee. He and others in the GOP agree with their Democratic counterparts that the six months of payroll grants to the airlines under the CARES act succeeded in keeping airline employees working and off of the unemployment rolls. 'We're better than that' Yet another round of funding for the airlines is stalled because it is tied to broader coronavirus relief that the White House and Democrats and Republicans in Congress cannot agree upon. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker is angry about that. "I just can't believe that we may not be able to do the right thing simply because our elected officials can't come to any kind of compromise agreement," Parker said at a news conference with labor leaders and other airline CEOs Tuesday. "We're better than that." But the airlines themselves are predicting a long and slow air travel recovery, with demand not beginning to pick up significantly until there are widely available coronavirus vaccines and/or treatments. So some wonder if providing billions more in taxpayer-funded relief to the airlines doesn't just put off the inevitable, as airlines need to become smaller to match the reduced demand. "You can't run an airline that's a third the size it was and expect to keep all the same people," says Helane Becker, managing director and a senior airline analyst for the investment bank Cowen. She predicts that it may take four years for travel demand to return to pre-Covid-19 levels and for the airlines to recover. "In this country, I think we've shifted from flattening the curve to waiting for a cure or a vaccine and that just means the pain is going to be longer," Becker says. But with so much uncertainty about when and if there will be an air travel recovery, another round of federal aid may help the airlines adjust to their new normal. "It gives the industry some breathing room," Becker says. "It gives them an opportunity to continue to work with their employees to try to shrink the footprint." "It gives them a chance to reset," Becker adds. "And then, hopefully by the next March, April, May time frame, we're at a point in time where the virus has dissipated enough that people would (begin to) feel more comfortable traveling." Legislation to extend the payroll support to the airlines was introduced in the Senate this week, but with Congress and the White House still deadlocked over a broader coronavirus relief package, thousands of airline employees may find themselves out of a job as soon as next Thursday. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/25/916664046/thousands-of-airline-workers-facing-unemployment-as-aid-package-stalls-in-congre Back to Top Sweden's Heart Aerospace presents all-electric regional aircraft Swedish aviation start-up Heart Aerospace says it plans to build a 19-seat all-electric commercial aircraft that will fly by mid-2026. Heart, based in Gothenburg, on 23 September presented its regional aircraft design dubbed "ES-19", which will have a range of about 222nm (400km). The company plans to initially target the Nordic countries, but has received inquiries from operators in North America and Asia as well. In addition to reducing carbon output with its fossil-fuel-free concept, Heart aims to change the world. "We have the potential to reinvent air travel," the company's founder and chief executive Anders Forslund tells FlightGlobal. According to ICAO, the aviation industry accounts for about 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with about 40% of that coming from short-haul flights. Heart's Forslund believes that alternative-fuel technology such as electric propulsion is the solution to radically cut the environmental impact of these regional connections. The zero-emissions ES-19 will be able to land and take off on runways as short as 800m (2,640ft), enabling the aircraft to use airfields that are much closer to population centres, thereby also reducing travel time significantly. "The pendulum has been swinging to hubs, using larger aircraft and reducing the unit costs," he says. "But we now have the technology that will enable us to fly smaller aircraft economically again, [catering to] people who are tired of going to large airports and the hassle of all that just to take a short flight." "We will reduce the door-to-door time quite significantly," he adds. In addition to the environmental benefits of forgoing fossil fuels, electric propulsion is quieter and more cost-effective as electric engines are more efficient and have fewer moving parts. The aircraft will consist of a lightweight conventional aluminium airframe and wing, Forslund says. ELECTRIC VS HYDROGEN Heart's project announcement comes two days after Airbus presented its plans to move toward hydrogen-powered propulsion for future aircraft development, over concerns that battery technology will not advance quickly enough to adapt to large airliners. Airbus says that while batteries are "still interesting" for smaller vehicles, such as urban mobility applications, hydrogen has a far greater energy density than even the best batteries, closer to the levels demanded by commercial aircraft. Forslund recognises that all-electric propulsion systems will not be able to compete on range with larger commercial aircraft, but the aircraft can compete on price, convenience, community noise and climate impact. The company plans to use these to its advantage and carve out an interesting niche in the regional market "Aviation is facing one of its greatest challenges ever with the climate crisis and now the pandemic. We need to try all sorts of things to make it sustainable, and test different solutions to see what works." "And we know that electric propulsion can do regional aviation really well," he says. Heart says it has so far received "expressions of interest" to purchase 147 ES-19 aircraft worth about €1.1 billion ($1.3 billion) from at least eight airlines across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Heart Aerospace presents ist ES-19, an all-electric 19-seat regional aircraft Heart Aerospace was spun out of the Electric Air Travel in Sweden (ELISE) project, which was funded by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova. It is also an alumnus of Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley start-up accelerator that has helped companies like Airbnb, DoorDash and Dropbox get off the ground. It is currently backed by Swedish venture capital firm EQT Ventures as well as the Nordic and European Union governments. With this funding the company is now seeking tier one airframe suppliers, Forslund says, but he declined to name them. FOSSIL-FUEL-FREE NORDICS With Sweden having committed to make all domestic flights fossil-fuel-free by 2030 and neighbour Norway targeting 2040 for all domestic flights to be 100% electric, Forslund says that the region is an ideal location to test out this type of technology, build the ground infrastructure and "develop the rules on how to deal with electric aviation". "The Scandinavian market offers an early adopter place for the rest of the world," he says. "It also has progressive governments, citizens who are very climate-aware and a geography that lends itself well to electrification." Heart is forging ahead with its project despite the potential of long-term negative effects of the coronavirus crisis on the aviation industry. Last month, US aerospace company Raytheon slowed development of its hybrid-electric airliner, dubbed Project 804, because of the global pandemic. That company had aimed to integrate a hybrid-electric propulsion system into a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 turboprop, and to conduct a first flight by 2022. It has not revealed a new timeline. https://www.flightglobal.com/airframers/swedens-heart-aerospace-presents-all-electric-regional-aircraft/140307.article Back to Top Spirit AeroSystems' Plan to Diversify Away from Boeing Is Falling Apart The company's pre-COVID hope to use M&A to move away from its former parent appears unlikely to come together as hoped. Try as it will, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings (NYSE:SPR) just can't seem to break free from former parent Boeing (NYSE:BA). Spirit has attempted a number of ill-fated efforts to diversify away from Boeing in the years since its 2005 spinoff. Its latest effort, which showed great promise heading into 2020, appears to be unraveling during what is a chaotic time for commercial aerospace. The ramifications would set Spirit's growth back for years, and could reverberate through the entire commercial aerospace supply chain. Getting out from under Boeing's wing Spirit is the one-time fuselage operation of Boeing, and the company still generates about three-quarters of its revenue from its former parent. Early in its history, the company tried to diversify its business by acquiring mostly low-margin castoffs from other suppliers, and it spent the better part of the last decade shedding those units and strengthening its core business. In 2018, the company tried again at diversification, announcing plans to buy Airbus (OTC:EADSY) supplier Asco Industries for $650 million and then last year the aerostructures business of Bombardier (OTC:BDRAF) (OTC:BDRBF) for $1.09 billion. The Bombardier assets include a significant amount of Airbus business. The push to diversify was driven in part by Boeing's 737 Max issues. Spirit makes the fuselage for the Max and has seen revenue plummet as the plane has remained grounded due to safety concerns. The COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on airline profitability and demand for new planes, has further pressured results and caused Spirit shares to lose nearly 75% of their value year to date. Although Airbus has the same pandemic-related pressures as Boeing, demand for its A320 and A200 planes have held up better than the 737. It's a difficult time to do deals Alas, it now seems unlikely those deals will close as planned. In a regulatory filing, Spirit said that as of Sept. 22 the conditions required to close the Asco deal, including approval from the European Commission, are unlikely to be met by the Oct. 1 termination date. Spirit said if the conditions are not met, "the Asco acquisition will automatically terminate." The Bombardier deal is also shrouded in uncertainty. That deal would terminate on Oct. 31 if all conditions are not met, including a "material adverse change" clause related to Bombardier's business that arguably has been triggered due to the pandemic. Spirit could try to renegotiate the deal to get a better price, or it could see that purchase fall apart as well. The terminations would be a mixed blessing for Spirit, denying the company its best chance in years to diversify but saving it nearly $1 billion in cash (the purchase prices included assumed debt and other non-cash obligations) at a time when it desperately needs to hold onto funds. Due to the pandemic and the 737 Max issues, Spirit is unlikely to turn cash flow positive until 2022 at the earliest. Spirit is in a very difficult position In the regulatory filing, Spirit also warned it expects its backlog of business to continue to decline due to the pandemic, and that it will likely take longer than expected for the company to book revenue from that backlog. Boeing has already reduced the number of 737 Max fuselages it intends to buy, and Spirit warned the 737 Max business could further deteriorate in the months to come. The good news for Spirit investors is that 15 years after their separation, Boeing still needs its former subsidiary just as much as Spirit needs Boeing, and the aerospace giant is unlikely to let Spirit fail. Some industry watchers have even suggested Boeing could move to bring the unit back in-house to make sure its supply chain isn't disrupted and as a way to offer new job opportunities to its disgruntled unions. A Boeing buyout seems like a longshot, but so too does a quick return to profitability. Spirit's best-case scenario would be to renegotiate both of its pending deals so it can dramatically lower the cash outlay but not lose the long-desired diversification. As it is, Spirit AeroSystems' best-laid plans are unraveling. Bargain hunters be advised: This is a stock best left alone for now. https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/09/24/spirit-aerosystems-plan-diversify-away-boeing/ Back to Top NASA has narrowed the source of an elusive leak on the space station to 2 Russian modules - one of which provides crucial life support • NASA is hunting for the source of a leak on the International Space Station. • The agency has tested most of the station but still hasn't found the source. • That means the leak is probably in one of the two sections crew members stayed while performing the tests. • One of those, the Zvezda Service Module, provides life support for the station's Russian side. • Engineers are looking into how they might test the remaining sections. The International Space Station has been leaking for more than a year. While the station is perpetually losing some air, officials first noticed an increase in that airflow last September. At the time, the leak wasn't major, but this summer, officials noticed an uptick in that already higher-than-usual rate. So in late August, the three crew members aboard the station - NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner - hunkered down in one module of the station and sealed off the others. After closing the hatches, they conducted leak tests on each section. But their data didn't reveal leaks in those sections. That leaves only two modules that could be leaking: the ones the crew didn't test because they were inside them while monitoring the rest of the station. One is the Zvezda Service Module, which provides life support for the station's Russian side. The other is the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2, which serves as a port for docking spaceships and a place crew members prepare for spacewalks. "With the crew living and working in these modules, it was impossible to achieve the proper environmental conditions necessary for this test," NASA spokesman Daniel Huot told Business Insider. NASA and Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, are working to identify a "window of opportunity" to test those remaining modules for leaks, he added - either by finding a way for crew members to safely isolate the untested modules, or by using specialized detectors that wouldn't require sealing the sections off. In the meantime, Huot said, "the crew is in no danger and the space station has ample consumables onboard to manage and maintain the nominal environment." Consumables, in this case, refers to breathable air. Zvezda isn't the only life-support module on the station NASA didn't consider the leak it detected a year ago to be major. Plus, other priorities, like spacewalks and crew exchanges, kept the agency and ISS crew too busy to collect enough data about the problem. But once the leak rate increased, the agency decided it was time to do something about it, since if the leak were to quickly grow even bigger, the pressurized air-supply tanks that NASA sends up to the ISS on resupply missions might not be enough. The Zvezda module, which launched in July 2000, was the first livable part of the space station in orbit. It provides the Russian half of the station with oxygen and drinkable water, and it's equipped with a machine that scrubs carbon dioxide from the air. The module also contains the section's sleeping quarters, dining room, refrigerator-freezer, and bathroom. Zvezda isn't the only section of the orbiting laboratory that provides life support, however. The US side of the station has its own separate, fully functioning life-support system, including oxygen generators, a kitchen, and drinkable-water systems. So theoretically, crew members could stay on the US side while conducting further tests. The problem, though, is that Zvezda connects directly to the Soyuz spacecraft that's currently sitting attached to the ISS. That's the ship the astronauts and cosmonauts need to use to get back to Earth. Closing the module's hatches and testing it for leaks would therefore make it tough for Ivanishin, Cassidy, and Vagner to access the Soyuz quickly in case of an emergency, should they have to make a quick getaway. However, there's a slim chance that earlier leak tests missed something. So on Thursday, crew members used an ultra-sonic leak detector to examine several windows, valves, and seals within previously tested modules, just in case. The tool measures noise caused by "turbulent airflow" - in this case, an air leak that's too quiet for humans to hear. The crew tested windows in the Kibo section on the US side, as well as several other windows on the Russian side. Engineers on Earth will then analyze the data in the coming days. Not the first leak on the International Space Station This isn't the first leak found on the space station's Russian side, nor the most frightening. In August 2018, crew members discovered a 2-millimeter drill hole in part of a Russian Soyuz MS-09 spaceship that was docked to the station at the time. That hole seemed to indicate a manufacturing defect - it appeared someone on Earth had attempted to plug the hole with paint, but that paint broke off after the Soyuz reached the space station. So in December 2018, two cosmonauts donned spacesuits and floated to the outside of the Soyuz ship to study the hole in detail. They spent nearly eight hours hacking away at the insulation with a knife to find and document it. After that, the crew successfully patched up the hole with an epoxy sealant. Roscosmos has stayed fairly quiet about that incident ever since. "We know exactly what happened, but we will not tell you anything," Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said at a youth science conference in September 2019, according to the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-narrowed-source-elusive-leak-214700944.html Back to Top NTSB - Essentials of Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident Course Title Essentials of Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident Co-sponsor Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) Description The course will teach participants what to expect in the days immediately following an aviation accident or incident and how they can prepare for their role with the media. It is a condensed virtual version of Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident course (PA302). ID Code MR304 Dates and Tuition October 22-23, 2020 $750 early registration, by September 21, 2020 $850 late registration, between September 22 and October 17, 2020 We are no longer accepting offline payments. Note: payment must be made at time of registration. Times Day 1: 12:00pm - 4:00pm ET Day 2: 12:00pm - 3:30pm ET Location Virtual Status OPEN. Applications are now being accepted. Apply to Attend Click here to register CEUs 1.3 Overview • How the National Transportation Safety Board organizes an accident site and what can be expected in the days after an aviation disaster from the NTSB, FAA, other federal agencies, airline, airport, media and local community • Strategies for airline and airport staff to proactively manage the communication process throughout the on-scene phase of the investigation • How the NTSB media relations specialists coordinate press conferences and release of accident information and what information the spokespersons from the airport and airline will be responsible to provide to the media • Making provisions for and communicating with family members of those involved in the accident • Questions and requests likely encountered from the airlines, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials and others Performance Results Upon completion of this course the participant will be able to: • Be better prepared to respond to a major aviation disaster involving a flight departing from or destined for participant's airport • Demonstrate greater confidence in fielding on-scene questions about the many aspects of the investigation and its participants, including what types of specific information may be requested • Identify the appropriate communications roles for the various organizations involved in an accident investigation • Be more productive in the first few hours after an aviation disaster by understanding which tasks are most important and why • Perform job responsibilities more professionally and with greater confidence given the knowledge and tools to manage the airport communications aspect of a major aviation disaster Who May Attend This course is targeted to who, in the event of an aviation disaster, will need to provide a steady flow of accurate information to media outlets and/or other airport, federal or local authorities. • Communications professionals representing airports, airlines, business aviation operators and others in the aviation community • Potential participants in an NTSB investigation: Investigative and safety personnel employed by airframe, engine or component manufacturers, airlines, civilian and military agencies, and related labor unions • Investigators from the NTSB and other accident investigation authorities/commissions worldwide • Members of the academic community attending for research purposes (on a space-available basis) Accommodations Area hotels and restaurants Airports Washington Dulles International (IAD): 10 miles Washington Ronald Reagan National (DCA): 30 miles Baltimore/Washington International (BWI): 60 miles More Information Email StudentServices@ntsb.gov or call (571) 223-3939 Back to Top International Aviation Call Us: +1(516) 859-1404 Safety Solutions Visit our Website When You Need Help Now! International Aviation Safety Solutions Contact Us www.iassllc.com jastre@IASSLLC.com Graduate Research Survey 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