Flight Safety Information [December 10, 2020] [No. 249] In This Issue : Incident: Jazz CRJ9 near Thunder Bay on Dec 5th 2020, hydraulic fault : Incident: Azul E195 at Rio de Janeiro on Dec 5th 2020, WOW : Incident: Polar AN24 at Yakutsk on Dec 9th 2020, gear problem on departure : Incident: Jota RJ85 near Lisbon on Dec 8th 2020, engine shut down in flight : Antonov An-2 crashes in Ukraine, pilot killed : Air Canada Pilots Facial Recognition Boarding in San Francisco : AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE WILL NOT OFFER IN-PERSON FIRCS IN 2021 : Europeans not impressed by Nepal's efforts to improve aviation safety yet : China flight attendants advised to wear diapers for Covid protection : The FAA approved the Boeing 737 Max to fly again after extensive investigations. Here’s why Boeing’s culture went unchecked : NTSB Releases Information Into B17 Plane Crash at Bradley : Airlines for America Announces Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly Elected as A4A Chairman of the Board, JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes Elected Vice Chairman : Boeing’s rebound ought to include a new jetliner, experts say : Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Conducts First Flight Trials on Maui : Indonesia gets US nod for F-15 and F-18 fighter jet purchases : Nigeria’s MiG-21 Fighter Jet Force Is Up For Sale : Boeing's Starliner completes its final landing parachute system test : 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Incident: Jazz CRJ9 near Thunder Bay on Dec 5th 2020, hydraulic fault A Jazz Canadair CRJ-705, registration C-FUJZ performing flight QK-7936 from Toronto,ON to Thunder Bay,ON (Canada) with 43 passengers and 4 crew, had been enroute and was descending through FL330 towards Thunder Bay when the crew received a #2 hydraulic system low pressure caution and a #2 hydraulic system low quantity indication suggesting the complete loss of hydraulic fluid. The crew worked the related checklists, consulted with company maintenance and decided to continue to Thunder Bay. The crew was subsequently able to normally extend the landing gear, requested emergency services on stand by and landed safely in Thunderbay stopping on the runway. Following inspection by emergency services the aircraft continued to the apron. The Canadian TSB reported maintenance replaced the #2 engine driven hydraulic pump and the engine quick disconnect for the pressure line. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JZA7936/history/20201205/2325Z/CYYZ/CYQT http://avherald.com/h?article=4e04b056&opt=0 Incident: Azul E195 at Rio de Janeiro on Dec 5th 2020, WOW An Azul Linhas Aereas Embraer ERJ-195, registration PR-AUJ performing flight AD-4357 from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont,RJ to Sao Paulo Viracopos,SP (Brazil) with 92 passengers and 5 crew, was in the initial climb out of Santos Dumont's runway 20L when the crew received a "LG WOW SYS FAIL" message (landing gear weight on wheel sensor system failure). The crew stopped the climb at FL100, worked the related checklists and diverted to Rio de Janeiro's Galeao Airport for a safe landing on runway 15 about 40 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 30 hours, then positioned to Viracopos Airport, remained on the ground in Viracopos for another 30 hours before returning to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e049fcd&opt=0 Incident: Polar AN24 at Yakutsk on Dec 9th 2020, gear problem on departure A Polar Airlines Antonov AN-24, flight R3-215 from Yakutsk to Sakkyryr (Russia) with 23 people on board, was climbing out of Yakutsk's International Airport when the nose gear did not retract. The crew therefore decided to divert to Yakutsk's Magan Airport for a safe landing. The airline reported the flight has been postponed until Friday (Dec 11th). http://avherald.com/h?article=4e0488cc&opt=0 Incident: Jota RJ85 near Lisbon on Dec 8th 2020, engine shut down in flight A Jota Airlines Avro RJ-85, registration G-JOTR performing flight ENZ-422 from London Farnborough,EN (UK) to Lisbon (Portugal), was enroute at FL330 over the Gulf of Biscay about 350nm northnortheast of Lisbon when the crew drifted the aircraft down to FL290. About 15 minutes later the aircraft drifted further down to FL250, the crew reported an engine (LF507) had to be shut down. The aircraft continued to Lisbon for a safe landing about 65 minutes after leaving FL330 and about 50 minutes after leaving FL290. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Lisbon about 18 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e048071&opt=0 Antonov An-2 crashes in Ukraine, pilot killed Date: Wednesday 9 December 2020 Type: Antonov An-2R Operator: private Registration: UR-33642 C/n / msn: 1G233-32 First flight: 1989 Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: near Zolota Sloboda, Kozova Raion, Ternopil Oblast ( Ukraine) Phase: Unknown (UNK) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: ? Destination airport: ? Narrative: An Antonov An-2R crashed near Zolota Sloboda, Ukraine, killing the pilot. The aircraft was found laying inverted in a field. The aircraft, UR-33642, had been cancelled from the Ukraine aircraft register in 2019. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20201209-0 Air Canada Pilots Facial Recognition Boarding in San Francisco Air Canada is testing a new boarding option using facial recognition in San Francisco and plans to expand it to additional airports in the United States and Canada, the carrier announced. The option lets passengers departing San Francisco International Airport have their photo taken at the gate, which is compared with their photo already on file with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection from their passport or visa. Once validated, which takes a matter of seconds, passengers can board. Biometric boarding is not a requirement; passengers still can board with a manual check of their identification and boarding documents if they prefer. Air Canada expects to make the option available at other U.S. airports in the "near future" and also is looking into how it can add them in Canadian airports, according to the carrier. https://www.businesstravelnews.com/Global/Air-Canada-Pilots-Facial-Recognition-Boarding-in-San-Francisco AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE WILL NOT OFFER IN-PERSON FIRCS IN 2021 INSTRUCTORS ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE EFIRC Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the AOPA Air Safety Institute will not offer in-person flight instructor refresher courses in 2021. Instructors are encouraged to complete the tablet-friendly eFRIC instead. “Venues across the country continue to cancel events last minute because of local COVID-19 restrictions, and we don’t want to put our instructors in a difficult renewal position that could be caused by a cancellation one or two days before the FIRC,” said John Collins, AOPA Air Safety Institute Aviation Safety Programs manager. “While we will miss meeting in person with each of you in 2021, we hope you will find our eFIRC as educational and informative.” The electronic FIRC offers more flexibility than in-person FIRCs that took place during weekends prior to the pandemic. You can begin the course as early as you want—even before your four-month completion window opens. The eFIRC saves your progress so you can wait to complete the course within your renewal window and keep the same expiration month. This allows you to complete the eFIRC at your leisure from your computer or tablet. The eFIRC also lets you customize your learning with 10 elective courses, so you can focus on areas you want to strengthen for teaching your students, including specialty subjects such as seaplane safety, helicopter safety, and unmanned aircraft systems in addition to traditional topics like decision making, instrument flight, and runway safety. “We know that one of the benefits of the in-person FIRC is the interaction with the presenter and other CFIs, so we have instructors standing by to talk to you while you are taking the eFIRC,” Collins said. “Whether you want to discuss a topic or need help with something in the course, our in-house CFIs are ready to help.” The eFIRC costs $124, which includes processing your FAA paperwork and supports the institute’s safety education efforts. The eFIRC, which is composed of videos and interactive lessons, won a bronze medal from Association Media & Publishing for being an outstanding video course. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/december/09/aopa-air-safety-institute-will-not-offer-in-person-fircs-in-2021 Europeans not impressed by Nepal's efforts to improve aviation safety yet Breaking up the civil aviation authority is a prerequisite to getting the country removed from the EU Air blacklist. Europeans not impressed by Nepal's efforts to improve aviation safety yet On December 5, 2013, the European Commission imposed a blanket ban on all airlines from Nepal from flying into the European Union. Post File Photo While the European Union applauded the Nepal government’s firm commitment to improving its air safety mechanism, the lawmaking body—the European Commission—has questioned the issuance of air operator certificates to new Nepali carriers without sufficient compliance with international safety standards. The ban on airlines from Nepal from flying to Europe for their failure to adhere to safety standards has entered its eighth year. On December 7, coinciding with International Civil Aviation Day, the EU said that the Commission was aware of the efforts made by Nepal, notably with regard to a new aviation bill before Parliament. “It would be key for this legislation to be adopted by Parliament and subsequently implemented,” said the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal in a statement. “This would allow the Commission to advance with the process of eventually removing Nepal from the EU Air Safety List.” Based on this announcement, Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai was quick to say that Nepali carriers will soon be removed from the EU Air Safety List as there has been progress in splitting the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal into two entities–regulator and service provider. Nepal has yet to fulfil its commitment to breaking up the civil aviation body, a prerequisite to getting the country removed from the EU Air Safety List. On June 2, the Commission had questioned the ability of Nepal’s aviation regulatory body to enforce sufficient safety compliance. It requested the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal on April 22 to provide a list of all air operator certificate holders certified in Nepal as part of its continuous monitoring activities. On May 3, the civil aviation regulator informed the Commission that the air operator certificate of Air Kasthamandap had been revoked, and that new carriers Heli Everest and Kailash Helicopter Services had been certified. “They also reported that Muktinath Airlines had changed its name to Prabhu Helicopters,” according to the EU's official journal. “Since the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has not demonstrated a sufficient ability to implement and enforce the relevant safety standards, the issuance of air operator certificates to those new air carriers does not guarantee sufficient compliance with international safety standards,” the journal stated. “In accordance with the common criteria set out in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005, the Commission, therefore, considers that with respect to air carriers from Nepal the list of air carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the Union should be amended to include Heli Everest and Kailash Helicopter Services in Annex A to Regulation (EC) No 474/2006 and to remove Air Kasthamandap from that Annex.” At least two sources at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said they were unaware of the developments. The European Commission has continued its ban on Nepali airlines for eight consecutive years through an updated EU Air Safety List published on December 2. On December 5, 2013, the Commission had imposed a blanket ban on all airlines from Nepal from flying into the EU. Raj Kumar Chettri, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, said they were not aware of the June report, but that there had been significant progress on the safety front. “We are confident of being removed from the air safety list within a few months,” he said. The European Commission had asked that Nepal’s civil aviation body be fragmented with a clear demarcation of its powers and responsibilities because its dual functions gave rise to a conflict of interest. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Bill and the Air Service Authority of Nepal Bill, proposing to separate the aviation body, were at the final stages of being passed by the National Assembly during the budget session of the federal parliament that ended on July 2. The bills had already been okayed by the Legislation Management Committee of the Assembly. But the government’s abrupt decision to prorogue Parliament, which was largely guided by internal problems in the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), left the two bills in limbo. Officials at the civil aviation body said that the Legislation Management Committee of the upper house had already passed the bills, so it will not take much time to register them at the lower house for deliberation and approval. The two pieces of legislation will become law after they are signed by the President. The government has been working on the proposed legislation for the last 10 years, but it was plagued by bureaucracy at every step. Following pressure from a number of global aviation watchdog groups, the Cabinet had given the go-ahead to the Tourism Ministry in July last year to draft two separate bills to split up the Civil Aviation Authority. “We are hopeful that Parliament's winter session will begin this month, and that the bills will be passed by both houses,” said Chettri, the spokesperson. “We expect it will take at least 60 days for the two pieces of legislation to be approved.” https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/12/10/europeans-not-impressed-by-nepal-s-efforts-to-improve-aviation-safety-yet China flight attendants advised to wear diapers for Covid protection China's Civil Aviation Administration has issued new advice on how cabin crew can stay safe. (CNN) — As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, transportation officials around the world have been looking for ways to keep passengers and crew safe on board planes. On November 25, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) released new guidelines for the country's airline industry, which it oversees. The document, titled Technical Guidelines for Epidemic Prevention and Control for Airlines, Sixth Edition, contains advice about the best hygiene practices to carry out on aircraft and in airports. But one of those suggestions -- that personnel like flight attendants wear disposable diapers so they don't need to use the bathroom -- has raised some eyebrows. A section on PPE advises cabin crew on flights to and from high-risk countries to wear "medical masks, double-layer disposable medical gloves, goggles, disposable hats, disposable protective clothing, and disposable shoe covers." The next sentence reads: "It is recommended that cabin crew members wear disposable diapers and avoid using the lavatories barring special circumstances to avoid infection risks." While such advice may seem dramatic, it's no secret that lavatories can be the germiest place on an airplane. In August, a woman traveling from Italy to South Korea contracted coronavirus during her trip, and a visit to the bathroom -- the only place where she didn't wear an N95 mask -- was named as the possible source of her infection. Airplane bathroom design was already a hot topic before Covid-19, but the pandemic has focused efforts to come up with new solutions. Japanese airline ANA announced earlier this year that it was testing out a prototype of a new hands-free lavatory door. Meanwhile, Boeing successfully applied for a patent on a "self-cleaning lavatory" that would use UV light to clean 99.9% of bathroom germs after every use. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/china-civil-aviation-administration-coronavirus-guidance-intl-hnk/index.html The FAA approved the Boeing 737 Max to fly again after extensive investigations. Here’s why Boeing’s culture went unchecked • After 20 months of grounding following two crashes that killed 346 people, the FAA is allowing the jet to fly again. • Self-regulation was one of the biggest controversies that prolonged the crisis. After two deadly crashes that took 346 lives and a worldwide grounding that lasted almost two years, the Federal Aviation Administration and regulators across the world are giving the Boeing 737 Max jets the green light to fly again. In the U.S., Boeing has been investigated by both chambers of Congress and well as the Justice Department and the SEC into software updates, certification, pilot training and more. One of the most controversial topics in those investigations is the idea of self-regulation and certification. Boeing employees were able to certify some aspects of the Boeing 737 Max plane, but that sort of self-regulation is not uncommon in much of the federal government, especially when it comes to agencies that regulate a single industry, like the FAA and its Organization Designation Authorization. “Congress realized that you couldn’t grow an FAA to the size with monetary resources and manpower resources necessary to put people in every manufacturing facility,” said former NTSB senior investigator Greg Feith. “So they allowed these designated representatives based on qualifications and experience to represent the FAA, the administrator inside the organization they oversee.” He added: “The problem with the program over the years, of course, is that you develop a relationship, just like the FAA develops a relationship with the air carriers. You can’t just go in there and long arm of the law and beat them. You try to work with them.” After grueling hearings on Capitol Hill, the day before the final ruling from the FAA, the House unanimously passed a bill by voice vote that reforms the plane certification process. The bill, among other things, requires an expert panel to evaluate safety culture and recommend improvements and mandates aircraft manufacturers to adopt safety management systems and to complete system safety assessments for significant design changes. The bill awaits a vote in the Senate. Some consumers are still concerned that the extensive recertification process and changes to software and company culture are not enough. Airlines are allowing free flight changes to passengers worried about the Boeing 737 Max, and the company is fighting to repair its reputation. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/08/the-faa-approved-the-boeing-737-max-to-fly-again.html NTSB Releases Information Into B17 Plane Crash at Bradley The National Transportation Safety Board has released information they’ve gathered in their ongoing investigation into the B17 plane crash that happened in Windsor Locks last year. The WWII-era bomber crashed at Bradley International Airport in October of 2019. Seven people were killed and seven others were injured. The information released by the National Transportation Safety Board Wednesday does not give a cause for the crash, but it shows the scope of their investigation. In what resembles a court-docket, the NTSB docket includes summaries of interviews with survivors and witnesses, pictures of what was recovered from crash, and what parts of the plane were tested and examined afterwards. “We release the information because we want to be as transparent as possible. We’re not hiding anything any facts, but we ask that the public allow our investigators, which are experts in this field, to really analyze the accident,” said NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss. Seven people were killed and others seriously injured when a vintage B17 plane crashed a Bradley International Airport one year ago. So what’s next? Weiss says their experts will analyze the facts they’ve gathered and come up with a probable cause, the underlying reasons and conditions for the crash, in the coming months. He says the information released this week is summarized in the “group chairman’s factual reports.” The other posted information backs up those reports. To get a better understanding of this part of the process, NBC Connecticut spoke to an aviation expert who says this is par for the course in an NTSB investigation. Christine Negroni, aviation safety specialist and author of “The Crash Detectives,” says the NTSB is thorough because their goal is not to point blame, but to make sure something like this never happens again. “Accident investigations have one purpose to find out what happens, so that similar accidents can be prevented, so they’re really not about finding blame,” said Negroni. Plus, she says a lot of eyes are on this investigation, not just locally and it could impact how historic airplanes are preserved and flown in the future. “There’s a lot of emotion and a lot of affection for historic aircraft and for what they do and what they say about us as Americans, what they say about history and technology and the flying of them has to be examined,” she said. The NTSB does not have the authority to create regulations, rather they can share their findings with the FAA. The company that operated the B17 flight, The Collings Foundation, told NBC Connecticut that they are not able to comment during the ongoing NTSB investigation. The lawyer that represents the widow of Gary Mazzone, who was killed in the crash, told NBC Connecticut, “We anticipate a thorough review of this tragedy by the NTSB and releasing the facts discovered during the investigation will help ensure an open and transparent process and final report.” The plane crashed at the end of Runway 6 while attempting to land, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It had just taken off from Bradley Airport and was five minutes into the flight when it reported it had a problem and was not gaining altitude. The plane struck a maintenance shed at the airport on its attempting landing, officials said. The plane was at Bradley Airport for the "Wings of Freedom Tour," sponsored by the Collings Foundation. It was known at one point as the "Flying Fortress," or "the 909." This plane was one of 18 B-17 actively flying in the United States, Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a statement after the crash. https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/ntsb-releases-information-into-b17-plane-crash-at-bradley/2379941/ Airlines for America Announces Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly Elected as A4A Chairman of the Board, JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes Elected Vice Chairman WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, announced today that the Board of Directors has elected Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly to serve as the Chairman of the Board for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2021. Robin Hayes, CEO of JetBlue Airways, was elected to serve as the Vice Chairman of the association. "We are excited to have Gary ascending to the Chairman role at the time of such significant challenge for our industry, carriers and employees," said A4A President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. "This year has been devastating for U.S. airlines, and we are looking forward to rebuilding the industry and relaunching air travel in the new year under the leadership and vision of both Gary and Robin." Prior to the pandemic, U.S. airlines were transporting a record 2.5 million passengers and 58,000 tons of cargo per day. As travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders were implemented, demand for air travel declined sharply with passenger volumes plummeting 96 percent to a level not seen since before the dawn of the jet age. Carriers have been forced to cut flights and currently are burning $180 million in cash every day just to stay in operation. The rapid spread of COVID-19 along with government and business-imposed restrictions on air travel continue to have an unprecedented and debilitating impact on the U.S. airlines, their employees and the traveling and shipping public. Today, passenger volumes are down 65-70 percent, the pace of new bookings has slowed and carriers have reported an increase in customer cancellations. "Throughout the pandemic, U.S. airline employees have continued to provide essential services, including transporting medical personnel, equipment and supplies. Now, as our nation prepares for the approval of a coronavirus vaccine, it is more critical than ever that our employees are on the job and ready to assist with the distribution of these vaccines across the country and around the world," said Kelly. "We appreciate the support Washington extended back in March with the Payroll Support Program (PSP), and we continue to ask Congress to pass another federal relief package that will help preserve the jobs of these hardworking men and women in the U.S. airline industry. Additionally, A4A and its members look forward to meeting with members of the new administration to discuss mutual priorities to keep the national air transportation system an important contributor to our economy." The CARES Act passed in March included direct payroll assistance for U.S. airlines, providing the immediate financial relief necessary to preserve airline jobs. Unfortunately, when that funding expired on September 30, tens of thousands of employees – including flight attendants, pilots, mechanics and many others – were furloughed. U.S. airlines have said they may be able to restore these jobs if the PSP is extended, but this becomes increasingly challenging with each passing day. "No doubt about it, our number one goal is survival and keeping our employees on the job and out of the unemployment line. We also can't take our eye off the importance of sustainability," added Hayes. "At the end of last year – prior to the pandemic – I remember saying that sustainability was probably the most critical issue facing the industry. We have to be fully committed to a more sustainable future." ABOUT A4A Airlines for America (A4A) members are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and UPS. Air Canada is an associate member. A4A advocates on behalf of the leading U.S. airlines, both passenger and cargo carriers. A4A works collaboratively with industry stakeholders, federal agencies, the Administration, Congress, labor and other groups to improve aviation for the traveling and shipping public. For more information about the airline industry, visit our website airlines.org and our blog, A Better Flight Plan, at airlines.org/blog. SOURCE Airlines for America https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/airlines-for-america-announces-southwest-airlines-chairman-and-ceo-gary-kelly-elected-as-a4a-chairman-of-the-board-301189694.html Boeing’s rebound ought to include a new jetliner, experts say The lead time is great, and the company has a history of launching new programs during hard times. EVERETT — The Boeing Co. has a history of developing new commercial airplanes during turbulent times, so why not launch one now? The 757 and the 767 programs were launched in the mid- to late-1970s — a period marked by economic instability, aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia, who is vice president of the Teal Group, told a virtual panel of experts this week. Another economic downturn in the early 1980s gave birth to the 777, he added. “You don’t think about when a plane is launched, you think about when it’s going to run,” Aboulafia said. The virtual conference brought together three industry mavens to discuss Boeing’s future and steps it should consider to regain its footing. The event was sponsored by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751. The three experts agreed: Boeing’s recovery from the withering effects of the coronavirus could take years. But a compete recovery must include solid plans for a new commercial airplane. For now, passenger volumes on domestic routes are roughly half what they were in 2019, and global traffic is down some 85%, airline industry experts say. Because of those numbers, demand for new passenger airplanes, particularly the wide-body jets produced at Boeing’s massive Everett assembly plant, has plummeted. However, a successful vaccination effort could result in a fairly quick resurgence in air travel, some analysts predict. By the time “things get going again, a new airplane could secure Boeing’s future,” Aboulafia said. Gradual recovery How the airline manufacturing industry recovers depends largely on how quickly the world’s airlines bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kevin Michaels, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory. A full recovery could take three or four years. “You can’t have healthy manufacturers without the world’s airlines,” Michaels said, adding, “Without healthy airlines, there can’t be a healthy Boeing.” The Chicago-based company is paddling upstream for now, said Michaels, but to be competitive it can’t ignore the future. “You need to be building products today that are going to be in the market 10 to 15 years from now,” Michaels said. Boeing continues to face competition from the Airbus A320neo. Orders for Airbus’ single-aisle passenger jet have outpaced demand for Boeing’s 737 Max, industry experts say. Developing a new single-aisle jet, with 210 to 270 seats, would give Boeing a plane to compete with the A320 and its variants, the panel said. Where Boeing stands on all this a question. During a third-quarter earnings conference call in October, CEO David Calhoun said the company is still in the “airplane development business” but declined to say whether Boeing plans to develop a new “clean-sheet” airplane. If Boeing is worried the investment community will view a new airplane program negatively, the company needn’t worry, Ron Epstein, senior equity analyst at Bank of America, told the panel. “About two-thirds of the investors I’ve spoken to think that Boeing has to do a new airplane to remain competitive,” Epstein said. “Investors always get kind of queasy around investment, but not when that investment is required to keep the company competitive.” Supply chain Developing a new plane could also help preserve Boeing’s vast supplier network, many of whom are small, mom-and-pop businesses, Michaels said. Washington boasts more than 1,500 suppliers, including 200 in Snohomish County, county officials estimate. “Ten to 20% of small suppliers could disappear or be consolidated or fail in the next year and a half,” Michaels said. Some of those firms make critical aerospace components that can’t easily be secured elsewhere. If they go under, it’s going to be difficult to ramp up production when the market returns, Michaels said. A new airplane program, coupled with more generous payment terms, could help them survive, Michaels said. Boeing suppliers typically wait 90 days or more to get paid, Michaels said. Reducing that to 60 days or less would help improve cash flow at those firms. Meanwhile, everything needed to produce a new plane can be found in the Pacific Northwest, Aboulafia said. “You have a big community of skilled workers and suppliers and the infrastructure associated with aircraft production,” he said. Plus, “the world’s biggest building is getting emptier,” he said of the massive Everett assembly plant. Production of the 787 passenger jet is being consolidated at Boeing’s South Carolina plant by mid-2021. The Everett factory will continue to produce the 767 freighter, the KC-46 Pegasus military aerial-refueling tanker, the 777 and 777X, and the 747 — until that program ends in 2022. But when the 787 and 747 programs exit, there will be a lot of space. The two lines occupy roughly a quarter to a third of the plant’s production space. The Everett campus also houses Boeing’s 1.2-million-square-foot Composite Wing Center, built to produce the 777X model’s carbon-fiber wing. “It’s helpful to have that wing assembly there,” Michaels said. “It’s logical that the next airplane will have a composite wing.” All three analysts agreed: Boeing already has a template for a new narrow-body airplane in its toolbox — the 757. Widely viewed as a versatile workhouse, the single-aisle, mid-sized jet was built from 1982 to 2005. ”They just need to build a modern 757,” Epstein said. Put on a composite wing, add new technologies and new engines, and you’ve got a new plane, the panelists said. A new set of digital tools that Boeing now uses to design military aircraft could be used to design a commercial airplane, saving time and development costs, Aboulafia said. It’s time, said Aboulafia, for the company to harness those capabilities. “We need a big commercial program to realize this,” he said. https://www.heraldnet.com/business/boeings-rebound-ought-to-include-a-new-jetliner-experts-say/ Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Conducts First Flight Trials on Maui VIDEO Ampaire, a global leader in electric aviation, is the first to complete a demonstration flight of a hybrid-electric aircraft along an actual airline route. The company flew its Electric EEL aircraft on Nov. 22 on a 20-minute flight from Maui’s Kahului Airport across the island to Hāna and back on a single charge. Ampaire is now flying the route regularly in a one-month demonstration program with Hawaiʻi-based Mokulele Airlines, one of 15 airlines to have signed a Letter of Interest with the company. It is the first use of a hybrid-electric aircraft under the FAA’s Experimental-Market Survey category, allowing Ampaire to fly with their crew and essential personnel for crew training and other exploratory market activity. The flight trials are supported by Elemental Excelerator, a global climate-tech accelerator. “We’re following the successful path of hybrid-electric automobiles in transforming ground transportation by taking that model to the sky, ” said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker. “By upgrading current aircraft with hybrid-electric propulsion we can enter the market quickly and take advantage of existing infrastructure for fixed-wing aviation.” The trials serve two purposes, according to Noertker: demonstrating electric aviation’s potential to reduce harmful emissions and evaluating the robustness of Ampaire technology. “We can take lessons from this series of flights and apply them to subsequent, larger aircraft designs already in the works.” The Electric EEL technology demonstrator used in the Mokulele trials is an upgrade of the popular six-seat Cessna 337 twin-engine piston aircraft. The aircraft has a 300-horsepower piston engine in the rear and 160 kW-capable electric power unit in front, plus a battery pack carried in an under-fuselage aero-optimized shell. Due to the contribution of the electric power unit, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced approximately 40-50 percent. For the flight trials, the only change to ground equipment was the requirement to wire a Mokulele hangar with a 208-volt 3-phase outlet. Ampaire has been working with the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and the Hawaiian Electric Company to explore longer-term infrastructure solutions to support a fleet of hybrid- or fully-electric aircraft. “The future for regional airlines is electric,” said Stan Little, CEO of Southern Airways which operates one of the largest commuter airlines in the US and owns Mokulele Airlines. “We expect to put hybrid- and all-electric designs into service as soon as possible, and we know other regionals are watching us with great interest.” “We’re excited to partner with Ampaire to pave a path to electric aviation that unlocks more accessibility to rural and island communities and increases green jobs while invigorating the aviation industry,” says Danielle J. Harris, director of mobility innovation at Elemental Excelerator. “Building a climate-positive aviation industry is about much more than just a plane. It requires rethinking everything from airport infrastructure to pilot behavior, and that’s what this project is really proving.” “The market for electric aircraft will expand as airlines perceive that electric aviation is not only environmentally desirable, but economically advantageous,” said Noertker. “Electricity cost is an order of magnitude less expensive in comparison to fuel, which is the largest cost item for airlines.” “Ampaire is focused on the regional market where we can provide viable range for typical routes,” he said. “The average regional airline route in the US is less than 500 miles. Upgrading today’s aircraft for electric power is a relatively low-cost, low-risk path to aircraft certification. Then we expect to move on to increasingly efficient and capable clean-sheet designs.” UBS, the Swiss investment bank, forecasts a $178 billion market for hybrid-electric aircraft. https://mauinow.com/2020/12/09/hybrid-electric-aircraft-conducts-first-flight-trials-on-maui/ Indonesia gets US nod for F-15 and F-18 fighter jet purchases Verbal agreement was made at meeting this week, defense official says JAKARTA -- The U.S. has indicated it will sell F-15 and F-18 fighter jets to Indonesia following months of meetings between top defense officials from the two countries, according to a defense official in Jakarta. U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller was in Jakarta on Monday and Tuesday to meet with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto. During those meetings, Miller agreed to sell the two models of fighter jets to Indonesia, which has long wanted to upgrade from its aging F-16 fleet. Top of Miller's agenda was the South China Sea, a body of water where many territorial claims overlap and where China has built military bases. His visit follows Washington's lifting in October of a two-decade entry ban on Subianto over past allegations of human rights violations, allowing him to hold high-level talks with Pentagon officials. But warming relations between the two countries has put Beijing on edge, according to Rodon Pedrason, director-general of defense strategy at Indonesia's Defense Ministry. "They asked, 'Why did you accept them?' To which we responded diplomatically. We don't want either China or the U.S. to feel neglected," Pedrason said in a webinar on Tuesday. Miller also met with Indonesian Military Commander Hadi Tjahjanto and discussed plans to step up training between the two forces. "The secretary emphasized the importance the [U.S] department of defense places on the bilateral partnership and in securing a free and open South China Sea and Indo-Pacific region," the U.S. embassy said in a press release. Pedrason said there had been some concerns that U.S. policy might change under Joe Biden, who will be sworn into office as president next month, although he reckoned that Washington would not renege on signed deals. "It is just a matter of how ready we are to provide the budget," he said. For now, no agreement has been signed. Indonesia has been pushing the U.S. to sell it F-15, F-18 and F-35 fighter jets, but finally agreed on only two models as the third could take up to 10 years to deliver, Pedrason said. The F-15s and F-18s are manufactured by U.S. aerospace companies McDonnell Douglas and Boeing. Major powers such as France, Britain, Germany and NATO have also approached Indonesia lately to discuss the South China Sea. Pedrason said Subianto is slated to visit Britain early next year, after having made more than 20 visits over the past year in search for good armament deals, including in France, Russia, Turkey and China. Manila will be Miller's next stop, after which he will head to Hawaii, from where he will attend a virtual meeting of defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the bloc's partners. Pedrason said the defense ministry under Subianto has a grand plan of procuring more than 100 superior fighter jets, to add to Indonesia's current fleet of less than 60. "We'll have around 170 fighter jets at the end of it. Extraordinary," Pedrason said. He did not say when the ministry hopes to achieve that target, but added Indonesia hopes to make available between $9 billion and $11 billion for new weaponry and military equipment over the next 20 years. He said Indonesia was also planning to take soft-loan offers from countries like France, Turkey, China and Russia. As the deal for the new fighter jets could take years to come to fruition, Indonesia is planning to buy used aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, which can be delivered much sooner. Previous reports said Subianto was interested in purchasing 15 such aircraft from Austria. But Pedrason said the plan was only a stopgap. "It is most urgent for us now to have weaponry that can balance [the power] against red dot countries near us," he added, citing not just the South China Sea but also Indonesia's older border disputes with neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. Pedrason said the defense ministry is also planning to buy new models of military transport aircraft Hercules, C130J and C130H, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, as well as more submarines and patrol vessels. He added the ministry was planning to train up to 300 fighter jet pilots and around 100 pilots for Hercules over the next two years. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Aerospace-Defense/Indonesia-gets-US-nod-for-F-15-and-F-18-fighter-jet-purchases Nigeria’s MiG-21 Fighter Jet Force Is Up For Sale Nigeria’s Cold War-era Fishbed jets are up for grabs after many years of being grounded. Twenty Soviet-made MiG-21 Fishbed jet fighters are being advertised for sale online. The jets, which apparently comprise the Nigerian Air Force’s entire remaining Fishbed fleet, are described as being in a “used” condition and are offered together with 15 “new” engines, as well as spares. The offer, posted on the trade-a-plane.com website, is being made by the Inter Avia Group, which is based in Nevada. No prices are listed for the jets, the vendor instead requesting that any interested customers contact them directly for more information. Up for grabs are 11 MiG-21bis single-seat fighters, five of the earlier-model MiG-21MF single-seat fighters, and four MiG-21UM Mongol two-seat trainers. While no claims are made about the airworthiness of these antique jets, they have now been grounded for many years. The various jets have apparently seen relatively little use, with the MiG-21bis having between 34 and 169 flying hours on each airframe, while the MiG-21MFs have between 250 and 469, according to the listing. Finally, the two-seat models have accumulated between 199 and 547 hours each. The performance specifications, as provided by the vendor, are, it must be said, a mixed bag. While the stated 1,385 miles per hour maximum speed of the MiG is undoubtedly pretty spectacular, the combat radius figure of 310 miles is less than impressive. Nigeria ordered its Fishbeds from the then-Soviet Union back in the mid-1970s, to replace its aging MiG-17 Fresco fighter jets. The Soviets delivered 24 MiG-21MFs and six MiG-21UMs in 1975. However, peacetime attrition was apparently heavy, leaving only 12 MiG-21MFs and five MiG-21UMs operational by October 1984, according to figures published in African MiGs — MiGs and Sukhois in Service in Sub-Saharan Africa. At that time, Nigeria ordered another 13 of the more advanced MiG-21bis, plus two more MiG-21UM jets to make up for these losses. The MiG-21’s operational service with the NAF included participation in a deployment to the northeast of the country in the early 1980s, to support an Organization of African Unity (OAU) peacekeeping mission in neighboring Chad. Flying from Maiduguri, the MiG-21s apparently flew several reconnaissance sorties over Chad, and reportedly, on occasion, even landed on various dirt strips in that country. After a dispute about fishing rights on Lake Chad in April 1983, Nigerian MiG-21s are said to have attacked several lakeside villages, leaving as many as 90 dead and many more wounded, according to an account in Vic Fintham’s Air Wars and Aircraft. Eventually, most of the Nigerian MiGs were withdrawn from service and put into storage during the early 1990s. Since then, they have been left in the open at Makurdi, in eastern Nigeria. At least one single-seat example has been preserved, now serving as the gate guard at Abuja Air Base, as seen below: In mid-2004, reports emerged that a Russian-Israeli consortium had offered to overhaul and return to service “all 23 remaining NAF MiG-21s.” Instead, however, it appears that Nigeria selected a rival offer for similar work from the Romanian company Aerostar working together with Israel’s Elbit. A similar upgrade has also been undertaken on Mozambique’s MiG-21 fleet and the same two companies collaborated in the LanceR upgrade for the Romanian Air Force MiG-21 fleet. The Nigerian deal was shelved after the government apparently failed to secure the required funds. Ultimately, Nigeria turned to China to fulfill its fighter jet requirements, introducing in 2010 the Chengdu F-7, which is a much-modernized Chinese development of the MiG-21. More recently, the NAF has ordered three JF-17 Thunder aircraft that are scheduled to be delivered in 2021. As for the 20 MiG-21s, their limited flying hours means they could theoretically still offer many more years of service. However, their storage in the open for upward of 30 years suggests that bringing them back to airworthiness could be a significant undertaking — provided it’s even possible. With MiG-21s still active with multiple operators around the world, there may well be interest in acquiring these jets as a spare parts source, especially as they are being offered with 15 apparently unused engines. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, seven nations still fly or have recently flown, MiG-21s, and some of those aircraft have been upgraded to extend their service life further. There is a remote possibility that the MiG-21s might interest a civilian contractor, for potential adversary services or other military support work. However, although the basic Fishbed still offers supersonic performance, its lack of any modern avionics and sensors means that it provides very limited capabilities for Red Air aggressor work. The level of safety the type offers may also be an issue. Indeed, while Draken International has a fleet of 25 MiG-21bis and MiG-21UM aircraft, these have apparently not seen any meaningful use, despite the company’s offers to equip them with electronic warfare pods and modern radar. Still, should there be any customers eager to acquire a ready-made, but currently non-functional air force, then the Inter Avia Group is also offering for sale three former Nigerian Air Force C-130H Hercules transport aircraft, with the proviso that these “have been stored for many years and have many parts removed.” All three of the airlifters are for sale at $2.5 million, but their transfer would require approval under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the U.S. guidelines controlling the manufacture, sale, and distribution of defense equipment and services. While it remains unclear what future awaits the little-used Cold War-era MiG-21s, if a buyer does emerge, we will watch with keen interest to see where they end up next. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38059/nigerias-mig-21-fighter-jet-force-is-up-for-sale Boeing's Starliner completes its final landing parachute system test Having fallen from a height of 35,000 feet and landed safely in the New Mexico desert, Boeing’s Starliner space capsule successfully completed its parachute balloon drop test on Monday, clearing the way for crewed test flights. Unlike SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which uses parachutes to slow it for water landings, the Starliner employs a multi-stage system of parachutes and airbags to cushion its landings on solid ground. According to Boing, the Starliner is actually the first American-made lander designed to land on land. VIDEO “Our philosophy has always been testing the system hardware together to see how all the elements interact,” Starliner landing system lead, Mike McCarley, said in a statement Monday. “Our vehicle can’t fit in an airplane, so the only way we can lift a test article high enough to simulate an entire landing system sequence is with very a large balloon.” To ensure that the parachute system is robust enough to deliver astronauts from the ISS even in the event of a mishap, Starliner engineers threw a few wrinkles into this final drop test. First they prevented one of the heat shield parachutes from deploying, then stopped one of the two drogue parachutes from opening as well. Regardless of these issues, the capsule’s three main parachutes deployed without incident and gently guided the Starliner down to the ground. Even though the test was a success, Boeing engineers are already planning further improvements to the parachutes. “By increasing the strength of their material and attachment points, we are improving system reliability with only minor adjustments,” Dan Niedermaier, Starliner’s flight test manager, said in a statement. “As our landing system continues to execute successfully, Boeing is committed to developing the safest orbital crew capsule possible and this supplemental testing is helping us achieve that goal.” Up next the Starliner is scheduled conduct its Orbital Flight Test 2 in early 2021. This is a redo of OFT-1, which which successfully launched and returned to Earth in December 2019 but failed to reach the ISS. A four-month review of the failed test flight uncovered 80 issues that must be rectified before OFT-2 can take off. Boeing plans to eat the $410 million cost for OFT-2 rather than charge taxpayers to retry a test it bungled the first time around. Should OFT-2 successfully reach the ISS and safely return to Earth, the Starliner will be allowed to test crewed flight. Should those prove successful as well, Boeing should eventually achieve its space flight certification from NASA, enabling it to participate in the Commercial Crew Program where it will shuttle as many as seven astronauts at a time up to the space station. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeings-starliner-nears-crewed-flights-with-successful-parachute-test-175507909.html 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Registration Now Open ** Free for the first 500 registrants ** 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference 15 to 18 March 2021 1500 to 2000 GMT daily via Zoom (0700 to 1200 PST) Four online days of powerful talks given by industry and subject matter experts. Registration is open and FREE for the first 500 registrants. https://www.aircraftcabinair.com/ Following on from the success of the 2017 and 2019 Aircraft Cabin Air Conferences, the 2021 conference will be an essential four-day free modular online event via Zoom. Providing an in-depth overview or update for all those seeking to understand the subject of contaminated air, the flight safety implications, the latest scientific and medical evidence investigating the contaminated air debate and the emerging solutions available to airlines and aircraft operators. The 2021 conference will be the biggest conference ever held on the issue. Who should participate? Airline Management - Aircraft Manufacturers - Safety equipment providers - Health & Safety Regulators - Maintenance Companies - Airline Safety Departments - Air Accident Investigators- Crew & Unions - Policy Makers- Press & Media - Aircraft Insurers - Leasing Companies - Scientists - Occupational Health Professionals - Academics & Researchers - Engineers Register Curt Lewis