Flight Safety Information [November 12, 2020] [No. 229] In This Issue : Incident: Aeroflot SU95 near Moscow on Nov 10th 2020, electrical failure : Incident: SCAT B735 at Atyrau on Nov 10th 2020, flock of birds : Incident: Iberia Express A320 at Palma Mallorca on Nov 9th 2020, bird strike : Incident: Budapest E120 at Pori on Nov 9th 2020, flock of birds : ICAO Council Endorses New Updates to COVID-19 Global Aviation Recovery Guidelines : Pakistani airlines soon to be limited to domestic routes? : Singapore Airlines Sounds The Death Knell For Airbus A380 : China will need 8,600 new aircraft over next 20 years: Boeing : Aireon Announces Strategic Partnership with The Federal Aviation Administration for Space-Based ADS-B Data Exploration : FAA pilot examiner gains new privileges : BECOMING AN AIRLINE PILOT TODAY : SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to have a continual presence in space starting this year : Impact of COVID-19 on Aviation & Fatigue Survey (Round 1) Incident: Aeroflot SU95 near Moscow on Nov 10th 2020, electrical failure An Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, registration RA-89104 performing flight SU-1259 from Ufa to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia), was descending towards Moscow when the crew reported an electrical failure resulting in a partial loss of the electrical power supply. The aircraft entered a hold at FL100 while the crew worked the checklists and continued for a safe landing on runway 24R about 50 minutes after declaring emergency. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Moscow about 25 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4df10b09&opt=0 Incident: SCAT B735 at Atyrau on Nov 10th 2020, flock of birds A SCAT Airlines Boeing 737-500, registration UP-B3723 performing flight DV-766 from Atyrau to Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan) with 115 people on board, was climbing out of Atyrau when the aircraft flew through a flock of ducks or geese and received a number of bird strikes, one engine (CFM56) ingested a number of birds and began to emit unusual noises. The crew stopped the climb and returned to Aktyrau for a safe landing. The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto other flights or refunded. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 28 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4df108f9&opt=0 Incident: Iberia Express A320 at Palma Mallorca on Nov 9th 2020, bird strike An Iberia Express Airbus A320-200, registration EC-MUK performing flight IB-3921 from Palma Mallorca,SP to Madrid, SP (Spain), was climbing out of Mallorca's runway 24L when the crew stopped the climb at 4000 feet after an engine (CFM56) had ingested a bird. The aircraft returned to Palma Mallorca for a safe landing on runway 24L about 12 minutes after departure. The flight was cancelled, the passengers were rebooked onto flights the following morning. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 20 hours, then positioned to Madrid and is now still on the ground in Madrid about 20 hours after landing in Madrid. http://avherald.com/h?article=4df0e303&opt=0 Incident: Budapest E120 at Pori on Nov 9th 2020, flock of birds A Budapest Air Service Embraer EMB-120 on behalf of FlexFlight, registration HA-FAN performing flight W2-5690 from Pori to Helsinki (Finland), was climbing out of Pori when the crew stopped the climb at FL170 reporting the aircraft had flown through a flock of birds and had received a number of bird strikes. The aircraft returned to Pori for a safe landing about 30 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 7.5 hours, then departed as flight W2-5694 and reached Helsinki with a delay of about 8 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4df0dd48&opt=0 ICAO Council Endorses New Updates to COVID-19 Global Aviation Recovery Guidelines The high-level cover document for the new guidelines emphasizes that a combination of measures, coordinated between governments and industry, will be essential to the re-establishment of public confidence in air travel. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Montréal, Nov. 10, 2020 – The ICAO Council endorsed new updates to its Aviation Recovery Task Force’s (CART’s) ‘Take-off’ Guidelines for international air transport. The new guidelines provide recommendations for countries to consider adopting per their current local medical status, and on specific priorities including general hygiene, masks and face coverings, health screening and declarations, air passengers with reduced mobility, and the mental health and well-being of aviation workers and passengers. They also reacknowledge the sovereignty and authority of each country over its national pandemic recovery priorities, including with respect to the evaluation and use of passenger testing to help alleviate quarantine measures and reconnect destinations globally. “Countries are urged to follow this updated guidance to align their measures, while upholding each State’s prerogative to implement additional and/or alternative mitigation measures in accordance with their specific needs and circumstances,” underscored ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano. “The speed of the evolving global situation requires timely and targeted guidance to effectively support States in their efforts to contain the pandemic while pursuing the restart and recovery of aviation,” he emphasized. “This makes clear the critical importance of global and regional coordination on setting out mutually accepted measures.” The Chair of the Recovery Task Force, Estanislao Esono Anguesomo of Equatorial Guinea, noted that the latest task force updates focus “primarily on the evolving technological and medical advancements in the fight against COVID-19. They incorporate the continuous feedback ICAO is receiving from national authorities, international organizations including the World Health and Tourism Organizations (WHO/UNWTO), as well as regional organizations and industry.” The high-level cover document for the new guidelines emphasizes that a combination of measures, coordinated between governments and industry, will be essential to the re-establishment of public confidence in air travel. It points out this is the only sustainable solution to overcome the economic and financial situation that the sector currently faces. ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu welcomed this viewpoint, and hoped that the latest global guidance outcomes from the countries, UN agencies, industry groups and regional organizations which are contributing to the CART would help get passengers flying again. “The ICAO Secretariat is providing critical global monitoring, guidance, and coordination resources to help countries implement the CART recommendations,” she commented, “and we’ve been encouraged by recent progress on the establishment of new international travel and health corridors between specific destinations. These are realizing some important and prudent first steps toward increased traveller confidence and sectoral recovery.” New Guideline Considerations Testing and Cross Border Risk Management Measures The first edition of the CART Take-off Guidelines document noted that rapid COVID-19 tests available at the time were not recommended due to their relatively low level of efficacy. Since then, testing technology continues to improve rapidly. In addition, health authorities have gained a greater understanding of how the COVID-19 virus is transmitted and how the effective use of certain tests might contribute to reducing the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission. Furthermore, it was recognized that introducing testing could — if properly implemented in States that assess it as appropriate for their situation — reduce reliance on measures such as quarantines that restrict air travel or the movement of persons arriving in a country, and which evidence suggests is a disincentive to several important categories of travel. While testing is not universally recommended by public health authorities as a routine health screening method, it has been implemented by some States for this purpose. CART, therefore, tasked the Collaborative Arrangement for ‎the Prevention and Management ‎of Public Health Events in Civil ‎Aviation (CAPSCA) to study available testing methods and advise CART on what factors States could consider regarding testing, as well as guidance on how to implement testing as part of an overall risk management strategy should they wish to do so. CART therefore recommends that States contemplating testing should apply the approach outlined in the ICAO Manual on Testing and Cross Border Risk Management Measures (currently under final review by WHO, with expected publication date 16 November). If doing so, States are also encouraged to consider affordable testing means to minimize travel costs for passengers. The ICAO Manual provides assessment tools that States can use to evaluate and implement testing and related measures as part of their decision-making process, as well as a guideline on how to assess different mitigation strategies and on how they can contribute to public health risk management. To support States in developing a risk assessment framework that is adapted to sovereign considerations and integrates with existing national frameworks, CAPSCA also developed a generic decision-making tool which can be used to determine the inherent and residual risk level of transporting potentially infectious passengers. Each State will need to conduct its own assessment and is encouraged to use the processes outlined in the Manual as the basis for its assessment. Risk tolerance varies between States and depends on many factors. This has an influence on the amount of residual risk a State can accept. The determination of such level, as well as the policies and measures to mitigate the risk, is not universal and is within specific priorities and authority of each individual State. The Manual has been developed using the most recent information available. The urgency, rapid development, and observed consequences of the current scenario require an expedited approach to modifying the Manual. Consequently, regular updates will be required as the evidence evolves and as technology advances. Data-driven adjustments to the guidance will be made as the situation evolves. Masks and Public Hygiene Guidelines The guidance on face coverings and medical masks has been updated to allow passengers to travel that cannot tolerate a face covering or medical mask, such as young children or individuals with physical disabilities, respiratory or other medical conditions. It also includes a new section on general hygiene to be followed at airports and on-board aircraft. Public Health Corridors (PHCs) When considering the guidance contained in the updated Take-off Guideline document and the ICAO Manual on Testing and Cross Border Risk Management Measures, States are strongly encouraged to collaborate with each other regarding the PHC implementation. A PHC is formed when two or more States agree to recognize the public health mitigation measures each has implemented on one or more routes between their States. To enable such mutual recognition, States are strongly encouraged to actively share information with other States and enter into bilateral or multilateral discussions with each other to implement PHCs in a harmonized manner. To facilitate implementation of PHCs, the ICAO Implementation Package on Establishing a PHC will be available to States on 16 November 2020. Aviation Safety-Related Measures As States work to restart air travel, a large proportion of the global fleet, air crew, airport operations staff, and air traffic controllers that have been inactive for prolonged periods will need to be reactivated and retrained, where appropriate. To ensure a safe restart, States should take the necessary steps to mitigate the safety risks associated with such reactivation. States that have filed differences for temporary departures from ICAO Standards under the COVID-19 Contingency Related Differences (CCRD), or that have granted other COVID-19-related regulatory alleviation, are reminded that these differences and alleviations were intended to be temporary in nature. Prolonged differences and alleviations, such as those related to personnel certification and licensing, could result in an elevated operational safety risk. States should, therefore, put in place the necessary measures to manage those risks and should not extend alleviations (both core and extended CCRDs) beyond 31 March 2021. States are encouraged to facilitate access to medical and training facilities, including flight simulation training devices used for flight crew to maintain their recency of experience and proficiency. States also are strongly encouraged to refer their operators to the ICAO Operational Safety Measures website, where links to guidance documents developed by ICAO, ACI, IATA, the ICCAIA, and others, are available. https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/press-release/21162339/international-civil-aviation-organization-icao-icao-council-endorses-new-updates-to-covid19-global-aviation-recovery-guidelines Pakistani airlines soon to be limited to domestic routes? After failing to meet Pilot licensing standards, Pakistan’s airlines are likely to be banned from flying to 188 countries in the world. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in its 12th meeting of its 179th session approved a mechanism for addressing Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs) from its member states. The ICAO issued a warning to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) over the safety concerns. In a letter dated November 3, 2020, the ICAO stated that the PCAA failed to meet the international standards of pilot licensing. The ICAO gave the PCAA 90 days notice, after which Pakistan will be on the red flag and its registered aircraft and pilots will be banned from flying in 188 countries. The ban would be a hard hit to the country's airlines, still recovering from the financial losses of 2020. It would also leave the airlines with domestic-only routes. “This will have serious consequences and could be a total disaster for Pakistan’s aviation industry”, commented a Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association’s (PALPA) spokesperson. He added that the association “had been raising this issue since June 2020 but unfortunately it was neglected by the authorities concerned”. PALPA has requested Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene in the matter urgently. The troubled Pakistan International Airlines has a lot of ground to cover in terms of its recovery, including a very damaged reputation in the backdrop of the current crisis. On July 1, 2020, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) suspended Pakistan Airlines (PIA) and Vision Air International from operating flights for a period of 6 months. On July 20, 2020, PIA was also prohibited by the FAA from conducting flights to the US after concerns about aviation safety were identified. PIA had briefly been authorized to carry out twelve repatriation flights a month between the United States in Pakistan in April 2020. However, since 2017, the airline had not flown any direct flights to the country over safety concerns. The suspensions came after the crash of PIA flight PK8303, when the airline’s crew was found guilty for the accident. It was revealed that as many as 262 pilots out of 860 active pilots had questionable credentials to operate aircraft. 141 pilots from PIA, 9 from Air Blue and 10 from Serene Airline were suspected of having fake licenses. Following an internal probe, PIA laid off 60 pilots, of which 28 were sacked for holding fake licenses. 28 were dismissed for holding fake credentials, and a number of them were fired for unjustified absence or general incompetence. https://www.aerotime.aero/elzbietavisnevskyte/26378-pakistani-airlines-soon-to-be-limited-to-domestic-routes The FAA Needs to Address Competency and Training Gaps in Workforce, GAO Says The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Aviation Safety (AVS) identify organization-wide competency gaps and assess training curricula on a recurring basis within its inspector and engineer workforces, according to a Nov. 9 report. The recommendations come after the agency found an increasing lack of institutional knowledge and assessments of training curricula. According to GAO, between 52 to 62 percent of FAA inspectors and engineers will be retirement eligible by fiscal year 2025. It also found that the FAA has changed how it conducts safety oversight work requiring highly technical skills in aerospace technology like risk management and data analysis and that inspectors and engineers do not get adequate training on new technologies, like unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). “As more inspectors and engineers in FAA’s Office of Aviation Safety retire and the aviation industry implements new technologies, the office must ensure its inspectors and engineers have the competencies necessary to respond to these changes,” the report states. “The Office of Aviation Safety has taken positive steps to identify the critical competencies that its inspector and engineer workforces need to address safety oversight activities. However, without conducting recurring, organization-wide assessments of any gaps that exist in these competencies for the inspector and engineer workforces, the Office of Aviation Safety is limited in its ability to efficiently target workforce strategies such as hiring and training.” While the AVS has begun addressing critical competencies, it has done this at an office level, not an organization level which has prevented the FAA from implementing strategies for addressing organization-wide gaps. “For example, without knowing the extent to which its inspector and engineer workforces have gaps in advanced data analytics, the Office of Aviation Safety may not know the extent to which it should hire or train employees with this skill set. Furthermore, Flight Standards and Aircraft Certification may not be able to effectively leverage the existing competencies that its inspector and engineer workforces have to conduct the office’s safety oversight mission," the report states. The report notes that employees receive introductory, recurrent, and on-the-job training, however, the AVS does not regularly assess its training curricula. The latest set of recommendations on hiring practices outlined by GAO comes as the agency has already been discussing plans to hire more software and systems engineers, as well as other technological subject matter experts to improve the way it certifies increasingly complex avionics and other systems in the future, according to a June Senate hearing featuring FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson. FAA's 2021 budget request includes $10 million assigned to adding 50 new technical employees, the first phase of an increased hiring effort for such positions. “Without assessing the curriculum as a whole on a recurring basis, the Office of Aviation Safety does not have complete information on whether critical competencies are being sufficiently emphasized,” the report states. “For example, without recurring curricula assessments, the Office of Aviation Safety may not know whether training courses across training specialties similarly address oversight activities related to new technologies.” As the FAA hires more employees, the training process will become even more important to make sure critical competencies within the agency are aligned, according to the report. By assessing the training curricula regularly, the agency can make sure it will achieve its mission and goals. The Department of Transportation (DOT) agreed with GAO’s assessment and will respond to recommendations 180 days after the report’s issuance, Keith Washington, deputy assistant secretary for administration at the DOT, said in an Oct. 20 letter attached to the report. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/11/10/faa-needs-address-competency-training-gaps-workforce-gao-says/ Singapore Airlines Sounds The Death Knell For Airbus A380 Singapore Airlines was the launch customer for the Airbus A380, making its first commercial flight with the giant planes in October 2007. Now, by retiring seven of its remaining A380 jets, (leaving it with 12) Singapore Airlines is signalling that the short-lived reign of the “queen of the skies” is over. In fact, the plane has become such a white elephant during the pandemic that Singapore Air is now operating one as a grounded restaurant. The retirements are part of a major downsizing of the Singapore Airlines fleet, due to the continuing impact of the still-resilient COVID-19 virus. According to Simple Flying, the excessed aircraft include four Boeing 777-200/200ERs, four Boeing 777-300s, nine Airbus A320s and two Airbus A319s (both narrow-bodies) and the seven Airbus A380s. This is resulting in a write-down of $1.3 billion this quarter. Singapore has actually been fairly successful at containing the virus.With aggressive COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, Singapore has managed one of the lowest death rates from coronavirus in the world. At 0.05%, Singapore's death rate is far below the global average of around 3%, according to Reuters data. Singapore also maintains a blanket quarantine policy, as all persons arriving into Singapore, regardless of nationality, are subject to mandatory stay at home notices, or SHNS. Generally, SHNs last for 14 days and take place in dedicated facilities. According to the US State Department, the cost of accommodation and COVID-19 testing must be borne by all travelers with limited exceptions for those permitted to serve the SHN at their own accommodations. Such regulations are part of a triple whammy that has cut the number of Singapore Airlines passenger by more than 98%. These include the long quarantine, the general downturn in world travel, and Singapore’s lack of a domestic market, which has kept US airlines like Southwest, Alaska and Spirit flying. Under such conditions, operating a four-engine superjumbo aircraft like the A380 made little sense for Singapore. For the star-crossed A380, Singapore Air has been a bellwether indicating the beginning—and now, perhaps, the end—of the great plane. The airline was not only the first to fly a commercial flight with the aircraft, it is also the first operator to retire it. The first A380s to go to the junkyard (literally) were aircraft whose lease expired in 2017. When the ten-year lease was up, Singapore Air returned them to the lessor, which could find few buyers for the used aircraft. In fact, an ex-Singapore Airline A380 comprised pretty much the entire used market for the aircraft. The plane, acquired by the leasing company HiFly, did bail out airlines like Norwegian during summer peak travel a couple of years ago, but apparently posed the same set of problems as the A380 in general. The plane was too big, too expensive to operate (in addition to fuel, it required a crew of three in the cockpit and 21 in the cabin) and above all, too hard to fill with 500 paying passengers. HiFly, which had been operating the A380 as an improvised freighter by removing the economy seats, will send it to its fate by year’s end. As Sam Chui Aviation & Travel put it, “The decision to not extend the initial agreed lease period came as a consequence of a lack of demand for such large aircraft.” Singapore Airlines currently has so little demand for the enormous aircraft that it converted one into a pop-up restaurant, Restaurant A380@Changi. As Singapore’s equivalent of the “flights to nowhere” for restless non-travelers during the COVID era, the pop-up featured a choice of international cuisine and Singaporean specialties from chef Sherman Lee. The A380 maintained it luxury cachet to the end. Meals on Singapore Air’s plane-turned-restaurant reportedly ranged up to $400, depending on which cabin class you paid to sit in. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2020/11/11/singapore-airlines-sounds-the-death-knell-for-airbus-a380/?sh=34cd7b7970aa China will need 8,600 new aircraft over next 20 years: Boeing BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese airlines will need 8,600 new airplanes worth $1.4 trillion over the next 20 years, Boeing Co said on Thursday. Boeing's latest estimate for the period to 2039 is 6.3 percent higher than the U.S. planemaker's previous prediction of 8,090 planes last year, despite the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. China will also need $1.7 trillion worth of commercial services for its aircraft fleet, Boeing said. https://wtvbam.com/2020/11/11/china-will-need-8600-new-aircraft-over-next-20-years-boeing/ Aireon Announces Strategic Partnership with The Federal Aviation Administration for Space-Based ADS-B Data Exploration MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aireon LLC (Aireon) announces a new partnership today with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to explore innovative uses of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) across the entire air traffic management spectrum using a global dataset. Under the agreement, in which L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor, the FAA will have broad, intra-agency access to Aireon's high fidelity, real-time air traffic surveillance data to support the FAA evaluation of a variety of applications, including validation and integration into air traffic control automation platforms, airspace safety analysis, accident investigation data analysis, airport surface applications, search and rescue, air traffic management support, remote situational awareness and commercial space. Seventeen percent of the world's airspace is controlled by the FAA, and much of that airspace is oceanic, remote, or over mountainous terrain. The use of Aireon's data is the FAA's latest effort to ensure the safest and most efficient airspace through the modernization of infrastructure and the evaluation of advanced technologies. Aireon's space-based ADS-B data will build on L3Harris' efforts to improve and enhance operations and safety in U.S. airspace by providing contiguous, enterprise wide air traffic surveillance services. "As the prime contractor for the FAA's terrestrial ADS-B air traffic surveillance program, we are excited to explore how Aireon's space-based ADS-B will give the FAA an opportunity to investigate new ways of delivering safer skies through an integrated space-based and terrestrial system," says Jay Kreider, General Manager, Surveillance & Automation Solutions at L3Harris. "Evaluation of space-based ADS-B marks an exciting step towards modernizing the U.S. airspace." The deployment of Aireon's space-based ADS-B data will enable the FAA to develop use cases that ensure value and return on any future investments. "We think this is a huge milestone in the FAA's efforts to create transformative change in the management and operations of U.S. airspace," says Don Thoma, CEO, Aireon. "Aireon's mission is to enhance the safety and efficiency of air navigation through the use of space-based ADS-B, and we're excited to discover how this partnership can advance modernization throughout one of the world's most important airspaces with the addition of global, real-time data." About Aireon LLC Aireon operates the first ever, space-based air traffic surveillance system for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipped aircraft throughout the entire globe. Aireon harnesses next-generation aviation surveillance technologies that were formerly ground-based and extends their reach throughout the world to significantly improve efficiency, enhance safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings benefits to all stakeholders. Aireon's high-fidelity, low-latency surveillance data is available for various applications, allowing aerospace industry partners access to revolutionary data capabilities that enhance asset tracking, aircraft situational awareness and decision support analytical tools. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, like NAV CANADA, Enav, NATS, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon provides global, real-time, space-based aircraft data for enhanced air traffic surveillance, innovation and analytics. For more information, please visit www.aireon.com. Press Contact: Jessie Hillenbrand Aireon +1 571-401-1407 Jessie.Hillenbrand@Aireon.com https://www.insidenova.com/news/state/aireon-announces-strategic-partnership-with-the-federal-aviation-administration-for-space-based-ads-b-data/article_9a65e1b2-987a-5266-9aeb-0f6c1892c7fb.html FAA pilot examiner gains new privileges LOCK HAVEN — Prof. H. Paul Shuch, the local Designated Pilot Examiner, has just been granted additional privileges by the Federal Aviation Administration. His FAA Designation now authorizes him to examine and certify prospective Sport Pilot Flight Instructors. “The FAA Sport Pilot rating, introduced in 2004, is probably the best kept secret in aviation,” explains Shuch. “It allows one to become a pilot in half the time, and at half the cost, of the traditional Private Pilot rating. It serves as both an ideal portal of entry for aspiring aviators, and a perfect stepping-stone to higher ratings. Unfortunately, it has not yet caught on the extent many of us had hoped.” Shuch attributes this underwhelming response to a shortage of flight instructors qualified to train Sport Pilots, as well as the dearth of flight schools interested in expanding their course offerings. Over a decade ago, he established AvSport of Lock Haven on the Piper Memorial Airport as one of the country’s leading Sport Pilot flight schools, specifically to fill this gap. But, he notes, “it’s hard to attract new flight instructors when there is also a shortage of FAA Pilot Examiners authorized to test and certify them.” So, over a year ago, he applied to the FAA for the privilege of examining new Sport Pilot Flight Instructors. The gears of government normally grind slowly, notes Shuch, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought them to an abrupt halt, significantly delaying what should have been a simple administrative process. “I already had a qualified instructor applicant in queue. He waited for several months for me to be authorized to give him a checkride,” Shuch reports. “That individual finally gave up in despair, and traveled all the way to Florida to be tested for his instructor rating. Now, he’s back in Central PA, and actually training one of my flight school’s students.” Sport Pilots fly solely for pleasure, in fair weather, during daylight hours, in simple, low performance Light Sport aircraft. Piper Memorial Airport is the ancestral home to the legendary Piper Cub, arguably the world’s first sport plane. Modern Light Sport aircraft allow pilots to recapture the bygone fly-for-fun Cub era, with increased reliability and improved safety. Anyone interested in learning more about sport flying is invited to browse the school’s extensive website at http://AvSport.org, where a wealth of free training materials awaits. https://www.lockhaven.com/news/community/2020/11/faa-pilot-examiner-gains-new-privileges/ BECOMING AN AIRLINE PILOT TODAY ATP has placed graduates at airlines every year since 1984, helping pilots navigate industry challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Today, that experience is being put to work to define a clear path for the next generation of pilots, with new hiring partnerships and competitive advantages. While focusing on job placement for graduates ATP continues to invest in current students with new aircraft deliveries scheduled through the end of the year. ATP Flight School offers the most efficient path to becoming an airline pilot. As the largest flight school, ATP has placed graduates at airlines every year since 1984, helping pilots navigate industry challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Today, that experience is being put to work through developing new partnerships and delivering competitive advantages to place graduates in pilot jobs. Amid fluctuations in airline passenger demand, other sectors of the industry are seeing opportunity. Cargo airlines and private jet operators are more isolated from airline passenger demand changes, and some operators are even expanding their fleet. To take advantage of today's hiring, ATP has formed hiring partnerships with these operators, all focused on one goal – career advancement through pilot job placement. Strategic partnerships with Freight Runners Express, Martinair, West Coast Aviation Services, and STA Jets are benefiting ATP-trained pilots today by creating pathways that allow them to be hired into turbine and jet category aircraft with as low as 750 hours of total flight time. The advanced training capabilities of ATP are integral in making these innovative partnerships possible. Depending on the cargo or corporate operator's need, pilots participating in the hiring pathway programs attend a 25-hour turbine pilot standardization course through ATP JETS. Custom-tailored jet and avionics training ensure a well-qualified pilot, ready for their initial type rating. As the leading supplier of pilots to the nation's airlines, ATP continues to evolve and adapt the Airline Career Pilot Program to meet students' needs today. For no additional cost, ATP began including the Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP CTP) to give students the edge in a competitive job market. This FAA-approved program provides students with ground instruction on air carrier operations and six hours of full-motion Airbus or Boeing simulator experience. The benefits of having done the ATP CTP are two-fold: Airline recruiters will look to hire the most qualified pilots, and students who already have the required program complete will stand out as a more competitive, airline-ready pilot. Graduates can also take advantage of today's pilot hiring, having access to more job opportunities where completion of the ATP CTP is required. Student pilots starting training today will face a different job market by the time they are ready for employment. While new hiring partnerships and increased program benefits are placing pilots in jobs today, it is also allowing aspiring pilots to pursue their career now and not lose valuable airline seniority. With over 35 years of experience and commitment to career advancement, ATP Flight School is defining a clear path for the next generation of pilots, so they can train confidently, knowing they'll be competitive and ready for retirement-driven demand. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/november/13/becoming-an-airline-pilot-today SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to have a continual presence in space starting this year Days after NASA confirmed that SpaceX is on track for a Crew Dragon launch on November 14th and the first Cargo Dragon 2 launch on December 2nd, a company executive says that that back-to-back launch is a sign of things to come. The first semi-functional Dragon spacecraft flew more than a decade ago in December 2010, followed some 18 months later by vehicle’s second orbital mission, during which SpaceX became the first private company in history to launch and berth a spacecraft with the International Space Station (ISS). Four months after that, Cargo Dragon successfully berthed with the ISS for the second time as part of SpaceX’s first NASA Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-1), beginning what would come to be an extraordinarily successful series of 19 operational space station resupply runs, delivering a bit less than 45 metric tons (~100,000 lb) total. SpaceX fulfilled the entirety of its NASA CRS1 contract in April 2020, effectively retiring the first-generation Dragon spacecraft. Less than two months later, Crew Dragon – an upgraded ‘Dragon 2’ spacecraft – lifted off on its second orbital mission and astronaut launch debut, the flawless completion of which has made SpaceX the first private company in history certified to fly astronauts by a national space agency. Now, perhaps little more than two weeks apart, SpaceX is on track to attempt its first operational astronaut launch and the first launch of an upgraded Cargo Dragon spacecraft under a new NASA CRS2 cargo contract. https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-dragon-spacecraft-continuous-space-presence/ 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 Curt Lewis