Flight Safety Information [November 5, 2020] [No. 224] In This Issue : Incident: Ural A321 at Krasnojarsk and Ekaterinburg on Nov 1st 2020, dropped slide on departure : ProSafeT - SMS, Quality & Audit Management Software : Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D enroute on Nov 2nd 2020, hydraulic leak : Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Berlin on Nov 4th 2020, bird strike : BASICMED AND HOW IT RELATES TO AVIATION INSURANCE : TSB Watchlist 2020 highlights runway overruns, incursions : Entire Southwest Airlines flight forced to deplane in Nashville after passenger refuses to wear mask : Covid-19 Has Elevated Aviation Safety to New Heights, Says Industry Leader : FAA Privacy ICAO Program Gains Foothold, But Extent Limited Thus Far : Bombardier, Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Celebrate Official Registration of Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program (BAAP) : IndiGo in Talks for Big Engine Order, Defying Aviation Gloom : Thai Airways Puts 32 Widebody Aircraft Up For Sale : A day in the life of an offshore helicopter pilot : ULA scrubs Atlas 5 launch as SpaceX readies repaired rocket for GPS mission : TSI - Are you managing your aviation risk effectively? Bowtie Visualization - Online Course : Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation & Fatigue Survey (Round 1) : PIREP SURVEY Incident: Ural A321 at Krasnojarsk and Ekaterinburg on Nov 1st 2020, dropped slide on departure An Ural Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VQ-BCX performing flight U6-3918 from Krasnojarsk to Ekaterinburg (Russia) with no passengers, 12 crew and a load of cargo, departed Krasnojarsk's runway 29, climbed to FL340 and FL360 and completed a seemingly uneventful flight with a safe landing on Ekaterinburg's runway 26R about 2:50 hours after departure. Rosaviatsia reported the slide and hatch at door 3L was missing from the aircraft during a post flight inspection. Information from the airport Krasnojarsk indicated the slide had been recovered from the departure runway in Krasnojarsk. Rosaviatsia, Rostransnador as well as Ural's Transport Prosecutor opened investigations into the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dec799e&opt=0 Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D enroute on Nov 2nd 2020, hydraulic leak A Westjet Encore de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GEEN performing flight WS-3298 from Prince George,BC to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 16 passengers and 4 crew, was enroute when the crew received a hydraulic caution indication. The crew declared PAN PAN, worked the related checklists, performed an alternate gear extension while descending through 10,000 feet and landed safely in Vancouver. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance found a leaking nose gear down lock hydraulic actuator flex line. The part was replaced. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dec192e&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Berlin on Nov 4th 2020, bird strike An Easyjet Europe Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IJN performing flight U2-5915 from Berlin Brandenburg (Germany) to Tenerife Sur Reina Sofia,CI (Spain), was climbing out of the new BER Airport's runway 25L when an engine (CFM56) ingested a bird prompting the crew to stop the climb at FL070 and return to Berlin for a safe landing on runway 25L about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration OE-IVN is estimated to reach Tenerife with a delay of about 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Berlin about 26 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dec15eb&opt=0 BASICMED AND HOW IT RELATES TO AVIATION INSURANCE After decades of working on alternative medical legislation, the aviation alphabet groups were finally able to convince the FAA to reform the third-class medical system. On July 15, 2016, Congress passed the FAA Extension, Safety, Security Act of 2016 (FESSA), which included BasicMed, and FAR Part 68 – Requirements for Operating Certain Small Aircraft Without A Medical Certificate, was born. Bottom line is, BasicMed is an alternate way for pilots to fly without holding an FAA medical certificate, provided of course, that they meet the requirements. Pilot Requirements • Possess a US driver’s license • Have held a FAA medical after July 14, 2006 • Obtain physical exam with state-licensed physician using the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist • Complete a BasicMed medical education course Aircraft Requirements • Any aircraft authorized under federal law to carry not more than six occupants • Has a maximum certificated takeoff weight of not more than 6,000 pounds Operating Requirements • Carries not more than five passengers • Operates under VFR or IFR, within the United States, at less than 18,000 ft MSL, not exceeding 250 knots • Flight not operated for compensation or hire So how does all this relate to an aviation insurance policy? Generally speaking, aviation insurance policies include a requirement for the pilot operating the insured aircraft to have a FAA medical. An example of such wording is as follows: ‘The pilot must have a current and valid (1) medical certificate, (2) flight review and (3) pilot certificate with necessary ratings, each as required by the FAA for each flight.’ The following example shows how one insurance company wrote BasicMed into the policy wording. ‘When in flight the aircraft will be piloted only by the following pilots, provided each has a valid pilot's certificate including a current and valid medical certificate appropriate for the flight and aircraft insured. The term Medical Certificate is defined as any valid First-Class, Second-Class, Third-Class, or BasicMed compliance. All medical certificates must be appropriate for the intended flight and in compliance with the FAA’s Codes of Federal Regulations. Pilots operating under BasicMed must be able to provide documentation that demonstrates complete compliance.’ Policy wording varies from insurance company to insurance company. If you intend to operate under BasicMed, we encourage you to reach out to your aviation broker to discuss how BasicMed fits with your policy. Ideally that discussion happens prior to a loss rather than after a loss. As aviation insurance brokers, we have experience dealing with the finer points of the FAR’s and how they relate to insurance coverage. To learn more about the best way to protect yourself on the ground and in the air, visit ap-aerospace.com or contact our team of aerospace specialists, 800.622.2672. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/november/06/basicmed-and-how-it-relates-to-aviation-insurance TSB Watchlist 2020 highlights runway overruns, incursions The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its Watchlist 2020 on Oct. 29, which spotlights aviation safety issues that have yet to be resolved, including runway overruns, runway incursions, and fatigue. The TSB Watchlist intends to direct government and industry attention towards key transportation safety issues in Canada that are the result of hundreds of investigations. The aforementioned aviation safety issues highlighted on this year’s list remain on the list from previous years. Issues are only removed from the list once sufficient progress has been made to reduce the risks. The TSB Watchlist 2020 spotlights aviation safety issues that have yet to be resolved, including runway overruns, runway incursions, and fatigue. Eric Dumigan Photo Runway overruns still occur at Canadian airports, and can result in aircraft damage, injuries, and fatalities. The TSB says over the last 15 years, an average of 9.7 runway overruns have occurred each year in Canada — with 7.5 occurring during landings, and 2.3 during takeoffs. 2019 saw a total of 19 runway overruns. In March 2020, Transport Canada proposed regulations that would require a 150-metre runway end safety area (RESA) at airports with over 325,000 commercial passengers annually; and require the use of an arresting system on runways where the 150-m RESA cannot be implemented. However, the TSB stated it is concerned that these regulations “do not consider non-passenger air traffic or the terrain at the end of all runways. . . . [And] do not meet the ICAO standard, which requires a 150-m RESA for all runways 1,200 m in length and longer, and provisions for other types of runways.” The TSB made a recommendation (A07-06) that the Department of Transport require all airports with runways longer than 1,800 m have a 300-m RESA, or a means of stopping aircraft that provides an equivalent level of safety. So far, Ottawa International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport have implemented 300-m RESAs, but many other airports have not. There is also currently no regulatory requirement for runway overrun awareness and alerting systems in Canada. Runway incursions, which occur when an aircraft or vehicle mistakenly occupies an active runway, are another existing issue at Canadian airports that can lead to aircraft colliding with vehicles or other aircraft. According to the TSB, the runway incursion rate in Canada has risen from an average of 5.3 incursions per 100,000 arrivals and departures in 2010, to an average of 9.9 in 2019. Nav Canada recorded 623 runway incursions in Canada in 2019 (up from 334 in 2010). However, the TSB says there is no one solution to reducing the number of runway incursions. “Reducing the risk of runway incursions is a complex issue and requires collaboration from all sectors of the aviation industry and tailored solutions for each airport,” the Board added. Some actions have been taken in Canada to reduce runway incursion risks, including airport authorities making runway holding positions more visible to flight crews. Electronic flight bags with moving maps are becoming more prevalent with operators. But despite these efforts, “there continues to be a consistent increase in the overall rate of runway incursions at Canadian airports,” the TSB said. The Board believes the most effective solutions would be wider-reaching technological advancements such as in-cockpit situational awareness aids, as well as runway status lights. Also remaining on the list is fatigue, as well as safety management and regulatory surveillance issues. Fatigue is “one of the most pervasive issues” that has remained constant on the TSB Watchlist, according to the Board. Over the last 30 years, the TSB has identified sleep-related fatigue as a contributing factor or risk in 34 aviation occurrences. Transport Canada published new requirements for managing flight crew fatigue in December 2018. However, the regulations have a staggered implementation period. Air operators subject to Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) subpart 705 have until December 2020 to comply with the new requirements. And air operators subject to CARs subparts 703 and 704 have four years (until December 2022) to comply with the new requirements. The TSB said the issue of fatigue management in aviation will remain on the Watchlist until such air operators implement the new flight crew fatigue management regulations, and the Board has an opportunity to assess the impact of these new regulations on aviation operations. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/tsb-watchlist-2020-runway-overruns-incursions-safety/ Entire Southwest Airlines flight forced to deplane in Nashville after passenger refuses to wear mask The Las Vegas-bound flight was delayed for an hour An entire Southwest Airlines flight in Nashville was forced to deplane Tuesday morning after a passenger allegedly refused to wear a mask and would not leave the plane, the airline shared with Fox News. The female passenger boarded the 9:20 a.m. flight to Las Vegas, where she was reportedly asked to wear a mask, but she refused. The plane returned to the gate and officers were called to the scene to deal with the passenger. The passenger was eventually escorted off the plane and her ticket was refunded. The woman also would not follow instructions to leave the plane, which forced all passengers to deplaned so they could escort her off, the Tennessean reported. The woman was taken to the Southwest gate for a ticket refund and then taken to a non-secure side of the airport, the outlet shared. She was not arrested. The incident reportedly caused an hourlong delay. Southwest, like all major U.S. airlines, have implemented mandatory mask policies for passengers amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/southwest-airlines-deplane-nashville-mask Covid-19 Has Elevated Aviation Safety to New Heights, Says Industry Leader Aviation remains the safest way to travel – and, it’s safer today than it has ever been before, according to alumnus Peter Cerdá (’01), regional vice president in the Americas for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world’s airlines, which also helps build industry policy. “Since March, only 40 cases out of 1.2 billion passengers have shown (Covid-19) transmission directly from a flight,” he said. “(Flying) is safer today than any time in our history. … The big challenge is getting airplanes into the air.” Cerdá brought welcome optimism to Embry-Riddle during a recent Aviation Outlook webinar – despite the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many countries have closed their borders, leading to a 90% decline in international traffic compared to the same time last year, he acknowledged. Quarantine requirements have kept many consumers from air travel altogether, opting instead for virtual business meetings, road trips and deferred vacations. So far in 2020, 40 airlines worldwide have ceased operations amid the downturn in traffic. The next free and interactive Aviation Outlook event will feature Ted Christie, president and CEO of Spirit Airlines, who will discuss the disruptive air carrier that pioneered ultra-low budget travel. Register now to reserve a virtual seat at the event. Aviation industry leaders are stepping up to the new challenges, Cerdá noted. In addition to mask requirements, increased touchless check-in options and enhanced safety protocols at airports, Cerdá said, airlines have also come together to adopt stricter plane-cleaning measures across the industry, reduced in-flight food service and altered baggage practices. “It’s a totally different and radical change — but a change that was needed,” he said. “We will not be a vector of transmission for the virus.” In spite of those radical changes to the travel experience, Cerdá stressed that these “bio-safety” improvements mark only a first step. Next, the aviation industry will need to convince governments around the world that these measures have been effective, through data. After that, it will need to convince passengers — a task, he believes, is dependent on improved testing. “We see testing as an alternative to remove quarantine (requirements),” he said. “IATA is advocating to governments all around the world to ensure that testing is reliable, but also fast. It needs to be fast. It needs to be accurate. … It needs to be affordable … and it has to be scalable.” That sort of advanced testing technology would remove the threat of in-flight Covid-19 transmission almost entirely, Cerdá added — and just as important for carriers and consumers alike, it would remove the need for a passenger to quarantine after arriving at his or her destination. “Without a safety environment, without a safe industry, you have no industry,” he said. “But with the right confidence, people are going to want to travel.” Sponsored by the deans of Embry-Riddle’s College of Aviation, the free and interactive Aviation Outlook webinar series hosted Cerdá as its 11th guest. The ongoing series features leaders throughout the industry who offer insights on their careers, as well as on the future of aviation. That future, it’s important to remember, Cerdá said, is not only built on passenger travel. The movement of goods also plays a key role. “Last year, the industry crossed an important threshold: We connected over 22,000 city pairs across the world,” he said. “Never before in the history of aviation have we been better connected.” This year, however, that number decreased to 16,000 city points. “That means that about 6,000 cities, at this point, do not have connection,” he said. That decrease impacts commerce, but it will also affect how Covid-19 vaccines are eventually transported and distributed — a task Cerdá called “one of the most important missions that aviation has ever had.” Still, he remains optimistic about the future. Aviation’s resiliency is well documented throughout history, he said, and a rebound is not a matter of if, but when. “Aviation is part of the backbone of many parts of our economies across the world, and our well-being around the world,” he said. “People depend on aviation. … It is an industry that continues to evolve … and the pandemic has forced us to evolve quicker.” Additionally, orchestrating complex logistics remains a hallmark of those drawn to work in the field. People depend on aviation. … It is an industry that continues to evolve … and the pandemic has forced us to evolve quicker. Peter Cerda (’01), regional vice president in the Americas for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) “We have had to overcome so many different other challenges and crises in the past. We’ve had to reinvent ourselves and re-innovate ourselves as an industry, and I have no doubt we will be able to do that again,” Cerdá said. “It just might take awhile.” Dr. Alan Stolzer, dean of the College of Aviation on Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus, agreed. The 2020 Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook projects that 763,000 new civil aviation pilots and 739,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed to fly and maintain the global fleet of aircraft over the next 20 years, assuming that air traffic recovers to 2019 levels within the next few years, he noted. “The demand for highly qualified aviation professionals, based on where it was pre-pandemic, will still be there once the health and economic crisis is over,” Stolzer said. “The demand for pilots and aviation maintenance professionals may even be heightened, given early retirements and openings that resulted when furloughed personnel moved into government, business and general aviation amid the pandemic.” Stolzer added that the general business aviation sector is doing well, and even when aircraft are in storage, they still must be maintained by skilled aviation maintenance professionals. Dr. Kenneth Witcher, dean of the College of Aeronautics for Embry-Riddle Worldwide, said further that “even now, some original equipment manufacturers for the Department of Defense (DoD), such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, have not seen a reduction in need for talent. In fact, Northrop Grumman has hired over 1,300 technicians since the beginning of the 2020 and still has a strong need for qualified candidates — specifically, professionals who have DoD secret clearances.” To learn more about the efforts the aviation industry has made to prioritize health and safety, Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide Campus will host a free “Safe to Fly” Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), later this month. A registration link will soon be available. The Oct. 21 webinar featuring Peter Cerdá is available for playback online. For recaps on prior guests, visit the Aviation Outlook website. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/covid-19-has-elevated-aviation-safety-to-new-heights-says-industry-leader FAA Privacy ICAO Program Gains Foothold, But Extent Limited Thus Far A look at the use of the FAA's Privacy ICAO address option for business and general aviation operators. Last November, New Hampshire-based Private Jet Services (PGS) Group warned that aviation hobbyists, crowdsourced websites, and hackers were intercepting flight data using private Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receivers—available for as little as $199 from Amazon—and broadcasting the information online. The aviation consultancy said that such receivers, along with a “deeper level of positional data and a tail number,” could allow real-time flight tracking of corporate executives and other VIPs. The Washington Post, through some sleuthing, was able to chronicle the 150,000 miles that the Gulfstream G650 belonging to SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk traveled on in 2018, as well as the miles logged by a Gulfstream belonging to Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post and founder of Amazon and Blue Origin. To allow aircraft owners to limit the availability of real-time ADS-B position and identification information, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began a Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) program last December for U.S. registered aircraft equipped with 1090 MHz ADS-B and using a third-party call sign in domestic U.S. airspace. The program allows such owners to request an alternate, temporary ICAO address, which is not assigned to the owner in the Civil Aviation Registry (CAR). Despite its promise, PIA has not seen widespread adoption so far. “Since the Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) program launched on December 19, 2019, 74 users have enrolled,” the FAA said. “In addition to the Limiting Aircraft Data Displayed program, the PIA program provides a layer of privacy for aircraft operators who seek to anonymize their ADS-B equipped aircraft while flying in U.S. sovereign airspace.” Of the 74 PIA users, one operator has registered three aircraft, while three operators have registered two aircraft each, and 67 operators have a single aircraft registered, the FAA said. The agency declined to release a list of the 74 users, as PIA’s objective is “improving the privacy of aircraft operators in today's ADS-B environment by limiting the extent to which the aircraft can quickly and easily be identified by non-U.S. government entities while ensuring there is no adverse effect on ATC [air traffic control] services,” the FAA said. As of Sept. 1, more than 132,500 U.S. aircraft were equipped with ADS-B, including 110,030 general aviation aircraft—fixed-wing, rotorcraft, light sport and experimental aircraft. “We have equipped 100 percent of the six jets in our fleet with ADS-B (Out) and understand the benefits of safety and accuracy of tracking regarding ADS-B,” Adam Vidoni, the chief pilot of Virginia-based Chantilly Air, wrote in an email. “We discussed the option of incorporating the Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) and opted not to implement. The frustration comes with PIA currently being the only real ‘free’ option to maintain aircraft registered information from being fully public. However, the technical aspect of changing the aircraft’s registered tail or call sign to accommodate PIA requires physical removal of the equipment (box) to be reprogrammed each time the aircraft flew internationally, which doesn’t hold true for its domestic operations requirements.” “This in itself requires time and maintenance which is an indirect cost and inconvenience to an on-demand operation,” Vidoni wrote. “So, we weighed the benefit to cost and opted out of participating—feeling that there are many other ways someone could attempt to gain access of information to our clients’ movements other than flight tracking.” Chantilly Air is looking forward to other privacy options that may prove more time and cost-effective than PIA. The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has been discussing with the FAA a possible expansion of PIA to international airspace between the continental United States and Hawaii, Mexico, and Canada. “Initial conversations between the FAA and NavCanada have been favorable,” the FAA said. “The FAA plans to jointly submit a working paper to the ICAO Aeronautical Surveillance Working Group. If the paper is accepted, we will begin drafting regional supplementary procedures, followed by a proposal for amendment to ICAO Doc 7030.” Doug Carr, the vice president of regulatory and international affairs at NBAA, said that the association has been encouraging its members to adopt PIA as one tool to ensure privacy. “I think, expectedly, the take-up rate [for PIA] has been a little slow because there is a little bit of work that’s needed to take advantage of what PIA does, and, in its initial rollout, it is limited in scope in terms of where it can be applied,” he said. “It really is a consideration for each and every aircraft make and model, as there are a variety of considerations for the operator to review in determining how this program would work for their specific aircraft, and, secondly, FAA’s initial rollout has limited the applicability only to airspace over the continental United States.” Some considerations for business jet operators in deciding whether to implement PIA are the need to secure a third party call sign from one of a half dozen companies for PIA; the process to install a new ICAO or Mode S transponder code through proprietary cabling and software, a software upload for the aircraft, or manual work on the switches of an aircraft electronic box; and the current geographic limits on PIA. Given such considerations, it is likely that PIA and other privacy tools may take some time to see adoption by business aviation operators. Greg Raiff, the CEO of PJS Group, wrote in an email that customer privacy is “of the utmost concern” to business aircraft operators in the PJS network. “PJS has expected all [Part] 135 and 121 operators in its network to move toward compliance with the Privacy ICAO Address program,” he wrote. “Initially, PJS expected all preferred vendors to be PIA compliant by the third quarter of 2020. However, due to the COVID pandemic, vendors have been given until April of 2021 to be compliant as a PJS-preferred vendor. To date, approximately 40 percent of preferred vendors are compliant.” PJS is “strongly supporting” the expansion of PIA internationally, yet “we understand that there is no single standard for PIA and realize it may be some time before implementation into international markets occurs,” Raiff wrote. Ryan Foss, the director of flight support for Massachusetts-based Magellan Jets, said that all operators in the Magellan Jets’ network are using PIAs “or are interested in implementing immediately.” “Having access to any specific information regarding our guests' business travel, for example, can be reverse-engineered by competitors and it is our duty to protect them,” he wrote in an email. Private jet companies offering fractional aircraft ownership may have a leg up in ensuring the privacy of clients. “NetJets does not need to utilize the PIA program domestically or internationally,” Patrick Gallagher, the president of sales and marketing at NetJets, Inc—a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary that has more than 750 aircraft, all equipped with ADS-B, said. “NetJets’ tail numbers are never associated with a specific traveler, and passenger travel data is maintained under strict confidentiality,” Gallagher wrote in an email. “Traveling with NetJets is anonymous by design, so our owners’ privacy—and safety—remains completely intact.” https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/11/04/faa-privacy-icao-program-gains-foothold-extent-limited-thus-far/ Bombardier, Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Celebrate Official Registration of Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program (BAAP) • BAAP officially registered with U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), gains national standing and accreditation • DOL accreditation enables Bombardier to attract talented individuals to apprenticeship program from the U.S. and grow dedicated talent pool • BAAP supports growth of Global 7500 advanced metal wing manufacturing in Red Oak, Texas, and increases local grassroots aerospace pipeline RED OAK, Texas, Nov. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier today announced that its apprenticeship training program in association with Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Red Oak, Texas, has received official registration by the U.S. Department of Labor. With this important designation, Bombardier can expand its search for talented individuals from across the U.S. to maximize its talent pool and drive regional aerospace growth for the manufacture of the advanced metallic wing for the Global 7500 aircraft at its Red Oak facility. The two-year Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program (BAAP), launched in December 2019, offers students the opportunity to enter the high-tech aerospace sector with no formal qualifications. It challenges them to present a winning attitude and develop mechanical dexterity and sound logic skills to pass an entry-level aptitude test. In turn, Bombardier and TSTC offer expert training in conjunction with TSTC’s excellent facilities, allowing students to benefit at no cost from industry-tailored modules, experienced instructors, tools and equipment and financial support. Since its inception, some 55 individuals are currently being trained in the program. Bombardier and the TSTC plan to recruit more than 100 individuals to the program over the next two years. “Achieving official accreditation from the U.S. Department of Labor is crucial as it enables us to increase our scope and search for the best talent available to grow the program – and in turn continue to ramp up Bombardier’s Global 7500 program,” said Paul Sislian, Executive Vice President, Operations and Operational Excellence, Bombardier Aviation. “With more than 50 talented individuals currently being trained in the program, it underscores the importance of fueling the aerospace pipeline in the Red Oak region, bringing world-class training opportunities and cementing Bombardier Aviation into the community. This certificate designation represents an ideal way for Bombardier to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week in the U.S.” The Bombardier Aviation Apprenticeship Program continues to offer a unique blend of practical and on-the-job training with theoretical, in-class learning. Educational topics covered include the introduction of health, safety and quality best practices, as well as aircraft drawing and specification comprehension, manufacturing appreciation of standard and regulatory compliances of aircraft assembly and more. The Global 7500 jet is the flagship of the Bombardier business aircraft fleet, and it has won numerous awards for its innovative design. The Global 7500 aircraft’s advanced wing design features sophisticated slats and flap system that maximizes aerodynamic efficiency and performance for improved safety and an exceptionally smooth ride. About Texas State Technical College TSTC was established 50 years ago to help create a strong Texas. It is efficiently and effectively helping Texas meet the high-tech challenges of today’s global economy, in partnership with business and industry, government agencies and other educational institutions. TSTC graduates are highly valued by business and industry for their work ethic, knowledge and workplace skills. About Bombardier With over 52,000 employees across two business segments, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in over 25 countries across the segments of Aviation and Transportation. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Bombardier posted revenues of $15.8 billion. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. Notes to Editors Visit the Bombardier Business Aircraft website for more information on our industry-leading products and services. Follow @Bombardierjets on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Business Aircraft. To receive our press releases, please visit the RSS Feed section. Bombardier, Global and Global 7500 are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. For information Matthew Nicholls Bombardier Aviation +1 514-243-8214 Matthew.Nicholls@aero.bombardier.com https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/04/2120361/0/en/Bombardier-Texas-State-Technical-College-TSTC-Celebrate-Official-Registration-of-Bombardier-Aviation-Apprenticeship-Program-BAAP.html IndiGo in Talks for Big Engine Order, Defying Aviation Gloom • India’s largest airline negotiating with Pratt & Whitney, CFM • IndiGo is Airbus’s biggest customer for A320neo family of jets IndiGo, India’s biggest airline, is in talks with Pratt & Whitney and CFM International Inc. for its next batch of jet engine orders, according to people familiar with the matter, a rare sign of dealmaking in a sector that’s been paralyzed by the virus pandemic. The discussions with the rival manufacturers relate to engines that would power about 150 new Airbus SE A320neo jets, the people said, asking not to be identified because the negotiations are private. Talks are preliminary and there’s no timeline on when any agreement may be reached, the people said. Based on the size of IndiGo’s last engine order -- a $20 billion transaction with CFM that covered 280 planes and was the largest engine order in history -- the new agreement could be worth around $10.7 billion, including service, repair, and maintenance. The pandemic presents a unique opportunity, however, for IndiGo to potentially bargain with the engine makers, both of which it now counts as suppliers. “This is the perfect time to engage given the overall market conditions and state of competitors -- both of which will enable Indigo to get very lucrative deals,” said Satyendra Pandey, a partner at New Delhi-based advisory AT-TV and a former head of strategy for Go Airlines India. “As this selection is for the remaining aircraft, it involves the long-term performance and cost forecasts.” A representative for IndiGo declined to comment. Spokespeople for Pratt & Whitney and CFM didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Operated by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., IndiGo is the world’s biggest customer for jets in the A320neo family, with as many as 730 on order. The airline has yet to decide the engine type for the 300 that would be outstanding. Cash Rich That any airline is negotiating over future aircraft and related parts is a surprise considering how thoroughly the global aviation industry has been demoralized by the pandemic. India had the world’s fastest-growing aviation market for several years before demand started to falter and Covid-19 shut borders and diminished international travel. IndiGo, while impacted by border closures and a dearth of international travel like other airlines, is relatively rich, with about $2.4 billion of cash and equivalents as of Sept. 30. Total debt as of that date was $3.5 billion. Although Pratt, which is owned by Raytheon Technologies Corp, has spent $10 billion to develop a new engine for narrowbody jets, it’s faced delivery delays and multiple issues leading to midair shutdowns. IndiGo decided last year to switch away from its engines, placing a $20 billion order instead with rival CFM, a venture between General Electric Co. and France’s Safran SA. Airlines around the world have deferred or canceled hundreds of plane orders as demand plummets. Any meaningful recovery is seen as years away and a viable vaccine remains elusive. That has forced both Airbus and U.S. rival Boeing Co. to cut production and thousands of jobs, putting pressure in turn on hundreds of suppliers. IndiGo plans to trim its fleet size over the next two years, taking new deliveries and returning older jets at an even faster clip, before starting to grow again by 2023, Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta told analysts during a post-earnings conference call last week. Unlike other carriers, IndiGo hasn’t engaged in any “major renegotiation” with Airbus on new deliveries, Dutta said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-05/indigo-in-talks-over-big-engine-order-defying-aviation-gloom Thai Airways Puts 32 Widebody Aircraft Up For Sale As part of its restructuring, Thai Airways has put a bunch of its aircraft up for sale. On the market are a total of 34 aircraft, 32 of which are widebodies. Included in the sale is its entire remaining fleet of Boeing 747s, as well 12 of its older 777s. THAI is selling its old aircraft It’s no secret that Thai Airways has been having a tough time of late. With Thailand’s borders largely still closed, the airline has been forced to suspend normal operations for a prolonged period of time. In the first half of the year, the airline lost $900m and has been undergoing a bankruptcy reorganization since May. Now, the shape of that restructuring is beginning to become clear. The Thai carrier is planning to sell a total of 34 aircraft, including its fleet of Boeing 747s. Joining the Queens on the secondhand market will be Boeing 777s and Airbus A340s, as well as a couple of 737-400s and a lone A300. Not many are in the market for additional, second-hand aircraft right now, but if you happen to be, the bidding process appears to be pretty open. According to the sales website, the airline says, “Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (“THAI”) would like to cordially to invite you to participate in the Bidding Process for the sale of THAI’s Used Aircraft with the registrations and the information below … All Aircraft are offered for sale on an “As-Is, Where-Is” condition.” They are all available for delivery in the first half of 2021, but some of these planes will need serious overhauls if they plan to fly them to their new owner. For example, the A300 has been stored in Bangkok since 2013, while the two 737-400s have been stored since 2017 and 2018. None of the A340s have flown since at least 2015. Queens for sale The Boeing 747s are likely to struggle to find a new home, at least with a passenger airline. The majority of airlines are phasing out the old quadjets in favor of newer, more efficient twins. There’s a possibility a cargo airline could be interested in taking them up, although the cost of reconfiguration and conversion might put them off. If a passenger airline does take some or all of the Queens, they’ll be getting an aircraft with a pretty neat fit-out. All THAI’s 747s come with a premium heavy configuration, with either nine or 10 first class seats up front. While a bit dated by today’s standards, the nine-seat cabin, in particular, gets some good reviews from passengers. Of course, if a twinjet is what you’re after, the airline has plenty of 777s for sale too. It is offering a total of six 777-300 for sale, manufactured from between 1998 and 2000, as well as six further 777-200, dated from 1996 to 1998. These don’t have first but could be a bargain for an airline looking to get started in the widebody market. What will THAI’s fleet look like now? According to Planespotters.net, although THAI’s fleet still, in theory, numbers 75, only eight aircraft are currently in use. These include three 777s, three A350-900, and two A330-300. No narrowbody aircraft remain in the fleet. Coming out of this sale, it seems THAI will be relying on its young fleet of 12 A350s for its long-haul operations. These will be complemented by its 14 younger 777-300s, all under 10 years of age, as well as its eight Dreamliners and 15 A330s. That puts the total fleet size at 49, a far cry from the 80 it went into the crisis with. But there’s one aircraft type whose fate still hangs in the balance – the Airbus A380s. THAI operates six A380s, all of which are stored right now. None of them are older than 8.7 years, with the youngest just 7.5 years old. Although the trend is to phase out quads in favor of more efficient alternatives, it’s going to be painful for the airline to contemplate getting rid of these young superjumbos. However, there’s still a long way to go before it’s out of the crisis, so we could see a decision on that in the coming months. https://simpleflying.com/thai-airways-widebody-aircraft-sale/ A day in the life of an offshore helicopter pilot Former offshore pilot Brad Dean tells us what it’s really like to be a field pilot flying in the Gulf of Mexico for the oil-and-gas industry. Before I ever considered taking a job in the Gulf of Mexico, I tried to find out as much as I could about what it might entail. My online searches for information all resulted in the same basic answer: there’s no typical day in the Gulf. However, since leaving that particular line of work, I’ve met a lot of pilots that seem to have had the same general experience as I did. So, while there may be no “typical day,” there does seem to be a “typical experience,” and mine is from the point of view of a visual flight rules (VFR) captain. Most of the pilots don’t live in the same region as the helicopter companies that service the Gulf of Mexico. We commute, and from all over the country; there are even a few that do so internationally. There are two choices: drive or fly. Those that fly usually have a vehicle they leave either at the airport that they fly into, or have arrangements to leave it at the hotel they stay in on the last night of their hitch. I have friends that stayed at the same hotel on their last night for years. The pilots pretty much took over the hotel bar every other Wednesday night after getting off hitch, before flying to wherever they lived the next morning. Then, two weeks later, they flew back to work. I lived close enough to drive. My drive time and route depended on which company base I worked at. Living in the panhandle of Florida, my longest drive to work was the nine hours it took me to get to Cameron, Louisiana; while the shortest was five hours to Houma, Louisiana. I liked driving because I could travel on my schedule and take as much stuff as I wanted with me. I always liked to get into town early and get settled into the company trailer, apartment, or house in decent time. Because come the next morning, it was get-up-early time for the next 14 days. I learned to fly almost 10 years before actually flying for a living. I learned on my own, while still on active duty in the U.S. Navy. Flying is my second career, and I was fortunate enough to have built just enough flight hours and experience to be able to get a job offshore right after I retired from the Navy. How I built time and got that experience is a whole story in itself, so I’ll stick to the Gulf of Mexico for now. My first job I went to work for RLC, known back then as Rotorcraft Leasing, flying a Bell 206 B3 out of their base in Galliano, Louisiana. At first, I lived in a trailer with a few other pilots, but I soon got moved into a house with one other pilot. In both, I had my own room, while we shared a common bathroom, a kitchen and a living room with satellite TV. The training at RLC was outstanding. It was the first exposure to turbine aircraft for a lot of new guys, so it incorporated the part 135 training and turbine training, and prepared you to go offshore. The training lasted about two weeks, with about 20 hours of flying. This included autorotations to the water in a 206 with fixed floats. Of course, weight and balance is important, but you learn that one of the most important things is to know where fuel is! What you don’t carry in people/cargo, you’ll carry in fuel. Unless I was solo, I rarely took off at less than max gross weight. The contract I flew required that I stay offshore on one of the platforms. I would stay offshore for three nights, and on the fourth afternoon return to base for maintenance. I flew what they called the “Loop Bird.” For the most part, I flew one or two operators to different platforms every day so they could perform maintenance. The guys I flew were responsible for 17 unmanned oil/gas production platforms that flowed into larger production facilities. Sometimes I would stay with the operators, and sometimes I would just drop them and go move other people around the field, or make a run to the “beach” to pick up parts or people. Crew change day was a whole different story. That’s the day that everybody offshore comes in, and everybody on the beach goes out. This could lead to pressure to fly from the oil companies, even in less-than-ideal weather. Most helicopter operators require ceilings of 500 feet and visibility of three miles. Things have changed now, as the companies have much more operational control than they used to. This takes a lot of pressure off the pilots. Weather in the Gulf If the weather never got bad, it would be one easy job. But that isn’t how it worked. The weather in the Gulf can go from great to bad, to really bad, really quickly. Of course, it gets hot in the summer. Not only does this affect the helicopter’s performance, but it also creates thunderstorms, waterspouts, and hurricanes. I even flew a hurricane evacuation in my first year there. Thunderstorms are easy — steer clear, let your dispatch know you deviated for WX, and go around if you can. Sometimes you can’t, so you wait it out tied down on top of an unmanned platform, or you drop in on a platform that may not even belong to the company you’re flying for, but you’re tied down and safe. I was never made to feel unwelcome when that happened; they’ll usually point you to the phone, coffee pot, bathroom, and TV room to wait it out. Oh, always carry a bag with a couple of days’ clothes and a toothbrush! The summer also brings haze. There are windless days where the slick water surface reflects the haze and creates flat light conditions almost to the point of being instrument flight rules (IFR), so you learn to keep platforms in sight and use instruments well. The winter is an entirely different animal. High winds or crappy visibility — pick one — or sometimes both at the same time. Then there’s the fog. The most I ever sat without flying due to fog was seven days. At least I was on the beach and not stuck on a platform offshore. The sea fog can imbed itself in the already crappy visibility and make VFR flying sketchy at most. The best thing to do is to wait it out. Unfortunately, there are only so many places to land offshore — and some are few and far between. Getting into low visibility situations was by far the scariest thing I ever encountered. Hydraulic failures or chip lights didn’t come close in the pucker factor. Fortunately, the weather reporting offshore has improved dramatically. Career progression I spent a total of 13 months at RLC, flew all versions of the Bell 206, and accumulated just over 1,000 flight hours in that time. I learned a ton and enjoyed working there, to the extent that I still keep in touch with some of the pilots and passengers I flew. I did about a two-and-a-half-year stint flying emergency medical services, and then went back to the Gulf to work for Era Helicopters, flying the Airbus AS350 AStar. At first, I wasn’t really keen on the AStar, but I soon found out how capable an aircraft it really is. The first contract I flew was for an oil-and-gas operator that is notorious for flying all day, every day. Again, I stayed offshore and brought the helicopter back every fourth night for maintenance. Just like before, I stayed on a platform with only five or six guys on it full-time, and I had my own room. They treated me great and always had dinner waiting for me when we arrived late during the summer’s long days. And the food is great — plus all the ice cream you can stand! There were 45 platforms in the field that I serviced along with four other VFR helicopters, as well as one IFR Sikorsky S-76. It wasn’t unusual for me to make more than 60 landings in a day, and reach up to eight hours of flight time. The days went by fast for sure. After that contract ran its course, I took a check ride with the Office of Aviation Services in order to fly Bureau of Safety and Environment Enforcement (BSEE) personnel — the government inspectors that keep tabs on everything going on offshore. At first, I really didn’t want to do it, but soon figured out that this was the best-kept secret in the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike the oilfield workers, the government employees are only allowed to work so many hours per day. So, they don’t leave at the crack of dawn and they don’t stay out late. A standard day with them was to pick them up at the Lafayette FBO; take them to whatever drill rig, ship or platform they needed to go to that day; watch TV and eat lunch while they did their inspections; then fly back to the beach. They also relied on your judgment for the weather, and they never pushed it. They would rather not go than get stuck offshore overnight. Most of the BSEE pilots work a five/two schedule and get paid accordingly for working more days. I was the token 14/14 pilot at our base, and did any flying or maintenance run-ups required on the weekends (which was rare). It was a great gig. I flew that contract for two-and-a-half years, until I was selected to transition into the Sikorsky S-92. I made a lot of friends at Era, and truly enjoyed working there. Not only is flying in the Gulf a great job for a newer pilot, but it can also turn into a great career. The pay is good, the rotations are good, and if you stick it out, transitions into bigger aircraft are usually in the cards. My biggest takeaways from my time flying in the Gulf of Mexico were understanding weather and knowing when to say no. Then there was always knowing where fuel is; knowing when to say no; managing the constant balancing act of flight planning, changing weather, and changing plans; and knowing when to say no. In my opinion, there is no better experience for a new pilot. https://verticalmag.com/features/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-offshore-helicopter-pilot/ ULA scrubs Atlas 5 launch as SpaceX readies repaired rocket for GPS mission United Launch Alliance called off the planned launch of an Atlas 5 rocket Wednesday at Cape Canaveral to resolve a problem with valves at the launch pad, while a SpaceX team a mile-and-a-half to the south readied a Falcon 9 rocket for liftoff Thursday evening with a GPS navigation satellite for the U.S. military. ULA’s launch team scrubbed the Atlas 5 launch attempt Wednesday shortly before 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) after unsuccessful attempts to fix the valve issue, first remotely and then with a team of technicians dispatched to the Atlas 5’s seaside launch pad. The Atlas 5 rocket will carry a classified payload into orbit for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. The launch is designated NROL-101, and the NRO has not disclosed any specifics about the payload’s mission, other than it will help the agency in its mission to collect and disseminate information for the government’s intelligence agencies. ULA started the Atlas 5’s countdown late Wednesday morning, powered up the rocket, and proceeded with guidance system testing and other checkouts before loading cryogenic propellants into the launcher ahead of a planned liftoff at 5:54 p.m. EST (2254 GMT). But the launch team stopped the countdown clock after an “unexpected system response from remotely commanded ground system liquid oxygen valves,” ULA said in a statement. “The team continues to analyze the system and will protect for our next launch attempt no earlier than Nov. 6,” ULA said. The next opportunity to launch the Atlas 5 rocket will be Friday, ULA said. An exact time for Friday’s launch attempt was not immediately announced, but the mission’s launch time has moved about four minutes earlier per day. That would put Friday’s launch time at around 5:46 p.m. EST (2246 GMT). The Atlas 5’s launch was previously scheduled for Tuesday, but ULA returned the rocket to its vertical hangar near the launch pad to replace an environmental control system duct feeding conditioned air to the top secret NRO payload on top of the 206-foot-tall (63-meter) vehicle. Ground crews returned the Atlas 5 to its launch pad late Tuesday in preparation for the launch attempt Wednesday. Before the next Atlas 5 launch opportunity, SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from nearby pad 40 during a 15-minute window opening at 6:24 p.m. EST (2324 GMT) Thursday. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 rocket was standing on pad 40 Wednesday in preparation for launch Thursday evening. Pad 40 is located about a mile-and-a-half (2.5 kilometers) south of the Atlas 5 launch pad at Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9 rocket is poised to loft the GPS 3 SV04 navigation satellite for the U.S. Space Force, replenishing the fleet of positioning and timing stations used by billions of military and civilian users around the world. SpaceX tried to launch the GPS satellite Oct. 2, but an engine problem forced an automatic abort just two seconds prior to liftoff. Engineers investigating the Oct. 2 abort found that two of the nine first stage engines on the rocket had a tendency to ignite a split-second earlier than expected. Inspections showed a blocked relief valve in the gas generators of the two engines caused pressures to rise sooner than designed at startup, and sensors on the engines detected the problem and halted the countdown. SpaceX engineers identified a masking treatment inadvertently left behind in two Merlin engines as the cause of the aborted countdown last month. “When we looked at the data, we saw that two of the engines attempted to start early, and the auto abort prevented that,” said Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability. “And by doing that, it prevented a possible hard start that could have been damaging to the engine hardware.” The Merlin engines power up with help from an igniter fluid known as TEA-TEB — or triethylaluminium-triethylborane — that gives off a bright green flash at the start pf the ignition sequence. “And then we have liquid oxygen, and we have kerosene, or RP-1 as its called,” Koenigsmann said last week in a conference call with reporters. “And you need to introduce these liquids in the right order. If you do this in the wrong order, if you happen to throw in the liquid oxygen and the RP-1 and the igniter fluid, then what would happen is we call it a hard start.” A hard start would “rattle” the engine in most cases, but could cause damage, Koenigsmann said. “So in general, you do not want that. You want a good startup.” SpaceX shipped the Merlin engines back to a test site in Central Texas, where inspections revealed a substance blocking a line leading to a pressure relief valve in the gas generator on two of the engines. Koenigsmann said the vent port, which means just one-sixteenth of an inch wide, was obstructed by a hardened masking lacquer. He said liquid lacquer — similar to red nail polish — is used by a third-party vendor that anodizes aluminum engine components for SpaceX. The lacquer protects certain parts during the anodizing treatment process, but the vendor — which officials did not identify — is supposed remove the material before shipping the components to SpaceX for engine manufacturing. The gas generator on each Merlin engine drives a turbopump feeding kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants into the main combustion chamber. Engineers at SpaceX’s McGregor test site demonstrated that the engines performed normally after removing the blockage from the vent valve. Koenigsmann said the issue was “very subtle, but can have obviously some negative impact on the engine operation.” “The GPS 3-4 mission will still use the same booster as for the first launch attempt” said Walt Lauderdale, GPS 3-4 mission director from the Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center. “The two engines which gave rise to the launch abort were replaced with ones confirmed through inspection and pedigree review to not have any residual masking lacquer.” SpaceX and Space Force officials verified all nine Merlin engines on the Falcon 9 rocket were ready for flight after a test-firing on pad 40 Saturday. Besides the rocket for the GPS mission, the engine issue has also affected vehicles for a pair of upcoming NASA launches. So far, the problem has only impacted missions slated to use new Falcon 9 boosters. The first operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship is set for liftoff Nov. 14 from the Kennedy Space Center with three NASA astronauts and a Japanese mission specialist to kick off a half-year expedition on the International Space Station. SpaceX is replacing two Merlin engines on the Falcon 9 rocket for the Crew Dragon mission that engineers found suffered from the same early startup tendency exhibited by the engines on the rocket for the GPS mission. The problem delayed the Crew Dragon launch from Oct. 31 to Nov. 14. Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said last week that the agency’s engineers want to analyze engine data from the GPS launch before clearing the Crew Dragon for liftoff later this month. The engine problem has also delayed the launch of the U.S.-European Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich oceanography satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. That mission was originally supposed to blast off Nov. 10, but is now scheduled for launch Nov. 21. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/11/04/ula-scrubs-atlas-5-launch-as-spacex-readies-repaired-rocket-for-gps-mission/ Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation & Fatigue Survey (Round 1) As a longitudinal survey, we will send you links to shorter follow-up surveys each month as the industry adapts to changes in regulations and public demand. For more information about the survey, please contact Dr. Cassie Hilditch at cassie.j.hilditch@nasa.gov or see below for FAQs. We thank you for your time and support of this survey addressing the effects of this unprecedented time in aviation history. All the best, Cassie Hilditch FAQs Overall purpose of the survey To assess the impact of operational changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic on fatigue in US commercial pilots. Any additional background on the study Discussions with airline representatives and pilots have highlighted several unique changes to operations as the industry attempts to adapt to reduced demand and travel restrictions. Many of these changes are unprecedented, therefore, understanding how they impact crew fatigue is important in order to manage the impact of such changes and potentially recommend safeguards to their implementation. Who will have access to the raw data? Only staff from NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Research Laboratory approved by the Institutional Research Board will have access to the raw data. All data will be stored anonymously, with a unique ID code assigned to each participant to track responses over time. Who will make the final conclusions? NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Research Laboratory staff will summarize and analyze the survey responses. Where will the information be published? We hope to publish the results as a NASA Technical Memorandum, and also in safety-focused peer-reviewed journals and industry newsletters to reach a wide range of audiences to maximize the learning opportunities from this survey. We also aim to present the results at relevant scientific and industry conferences where possible. Cassie J. Hilditch, PhD Senior Research Associate Fatigue Countermeasures Lab SJSU Research Foundation NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035 PIREP SURVEY Greetings, Please consider participating in our online survey on PIREPs available at this link, https://fit.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6y8tcXQXgr1Q6lT. The survey will take approximately 10-minutes. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Florida Institute of Technology & Purdue University Dr. Debbie S. Carstens, PMP Graduate Program Chair & Professor, Aviation Human Factors College of Aeronautics|321.674.8820 Faculty Profile: https://www.fit.edu/faculty-profiles/2/debbie-carstens/ Curt Lewis