Flight Safety Information [December 11, 2020] [No. 250] In This Issue : Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo - Runway Excursion (Utah) : A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 pilot is dead after a fighter jet crash in Michigan : United Airlines flight attendants raise alarm on crew quarantine protocols : AOPA SURVEYING PILOTS ON CORONAVIRUS SFAR EFFECTIVENESS : DOT Issues Safety Warning on Saircorp Consoles Used in GA Aircraft : TSA officers at Philadelphia International Airport see alarming rise in coronavirus cases : U.S. airlines say vaccine cargo could help restart passenger flights : Lockheed Martin to join Japan's new fighter jet program: Nikkei : Lufthansa CEO sees bookings tripling in Summer 2021: media : Supersonic jet startup Aerion just broke ground on a new $300 million plant in Florida : Virgin Galactic Is Launching a Historic Manned Spaceflight This Weekend : 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo - Runway Excursion (Utah) Date: 10-DEC-2020 Time: 15:47 Type: Cirrus SR22 GTS Turbo Owner/operator: NetGenesis Inc Registration: N577CP C/n / msn: 3345 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Ogden Municipal Airport (OGD/KOGD), UT - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Ogden Municipal Airport, UT (OGD/KOGD) Destination airport: Ogden Municipal Airport, UT (OGD/KOGD) Narrative: The aircraft experienced a runway excursion during a landing attempt at Ogden Municipal Airport (OGD/KOGD), Utah. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot onboard received serious injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=245527 A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 pilot is dead after a fighter jet crash in Michigan A Wisconsin National Guard F-16 fighter jet crashed in Michigan during a routine training flight Tuesday night, the Guard said in a Facebook post. The Guard's 115th Fighter Wing announced Thursday afternoon that the pilot, who was initially missing after the crash, had died. A Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during a routine training flight Tuesday evening. The pilot's death was announced Thursday afternoon. The fighter jet, which went down around 8 p.m. Tuesday in Delta County, Michigan, was assigned to the 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison, Wisconsin. "The cause of the crash, as well as the status of the pilot, are unknown at this time, and the incident is under investigation," the Wisconsin National Guard said in the immediate aftermath. On Thursday, the 115th Fighter Wing announced that the pilot, who was initially missing after the crash, had died. The pilot's identity is being withheld for 24 hours, during which time next of kin will be notified. "We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss; our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time," 115th Fighter Wing commander Col. Bart Van Roo said in a statement. "Today is a day for mourning, the 115th Fighter Wing and the entire Wisconsin National Guard stands with the pilot's family as we grieve the loss of a great Airman, and patriot." "We are an extremely close knit group at the fighter wing, the loss of one of our own brings immeasurable sadness to every member of our organization," he added. The US military has seen a handful of F-16 crashes this year, some of which have been deadly. In mid-July, a US Air Force F-16C Viper crashed while landing at Holloman Air Force base in New Mexico. The pilot of the single-seat aircraft was able to eject successfully and sustained only minor injuries. In June, an Air Force F-16CM Fighting Falcon crashed during a late-night flight at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. The pilot, 1st Lt. David Schmitz, died after being taken to a local hospital. In November last year, Air Force Magazine reported that the Air Force said that it had seen no data pointing to any safety issues with the fighter aircraft, despite a string of F-16 crashes over the years. https://www.yahoo.com/news/wisconsin-air-national-guard-f-142033813.html United Airlines flight attendants raise alarm on crew quarantine protocols CHICAGO, Dec 11 (Reuters) - United Airlines is telling some flight attendants whose colleagues test positive for COVID-19 to keep flying and monitor for symptoms, three employees told Reuters, raising concerns among staff about the policy. "Most of us feel that's unsafe," said one of the employees. Reuters also viewed around a dozen comments in a private online group for United flight attendants, which expressed unease and frustration about loose quarantine and contract tracing protocols by the airline. United's major rival American Airlines, by contrast, removes all crew from service when they have worked with an infected person, a policy decision American flight attendants and the union representing them affirmed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued COVID-19 policy recommendations but there are no government mandates on the topic. That has created inconsistent safety protocols across the industry, from how an airplane is boarded and blocking middle seats to inflight service and crew quarantines, unions said. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), which represents crew at 17 airlines including United, said that it has received complaints from members about United not isolating all crew who have worked with an infected colleague. "We've received concerns about quarantine protocols from flight attendants across the industry from carriers we represent and where we're organizing," said AFA spokeswoman Taylor Garland, who added some complaints were from flight attendants at Delta Air Lines. Asked about its policy and flight attendants' concerns, United did not dispute that it tells some to self-monitor and continue working after a colleague tests positive for COVID-19, saying it follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on quarantines for "close contacts." The CDC defines close contact as being within 6 feet (1.83 m) of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over 24 hours starting from two days before the onset of illness until isolation. "If a flight attendant or pilot meets the criteria, we ask them to quarantine. If not, they are instructed to self-monitor," United spokeswoman Leslie Scott said. She declined to explain how it determines a close contact. Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said: "As we have throughout this pandemic, we follow guidelines from the CDC and other health authorities to ensure that all Delta people quarantine if they have prolonged, close contact with a Covid-19 positive individual." United and Delta both said the safety and health of their customers and employees is their top priority and noted measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, including requiring masks and deeper cleaning. Airlines say studies show that airplanes are "uniquely safe" thanks to hospital-grade air filtration systems, assuming people wear masks, and that flight crews have not contracted COVID-19 at higher rates than the rest of the U.S. population. But as cases spike across the country, they are increasing among airline workers too. AFA said it saw an average of 50 positive COVID-19 tests a week in November among roughly 25,000 active crew, up from about 10 weekly in the summer. For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread of COVID-19, open https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/ in an external browser. POTENTIAL EXPOSURE The seeming discrepancy in quarantine protocols comes amid strained staffing after mass furloughs and as some airlines resume food and beverage service. Flight attendants said they work closely even if they are assigned to different galleys and share several legs of a domestic shift and layovers. Asked for details on its quarantine criteria, United said it follows the FAA's bulletin, the Safety Alert for Operators. The Nov. 4 bulletin on quarantines says the FAA and CDC recommend that crew members with known exposure to COVID-19 not work until 14 days after the last potential exposure. It also cites CDC guidance that even if crew members show no symptoms, they should not be allowed to work since they cannot remove themselves if they develop symptoms. It notes "the challenges involved in effectively isolating a symptomatic person on board an aircraft." Last week the CDC shortened the quarantine to seven days with a negative test and 10 without a test. United's Scott said the airline was following the new guidance on the number of days close contacts should quarantine while the FAA works on updating the bulletin. The union, however, has asked the FAA to maintain or strengthen the recommendation that any flight attendant potentially exposed to the virus quarantine for 14 days. "With the pandemic worsening as winter approaches, it is unacceptable to backtrack on existing quarantine practices that are critical for limiting infections," AFA's director of air safety, Christopher Witkowski, said in a Dec. 5 letter seen by Reuters. RISING STRAIN Flight attendants are also worried about decisions by airlines including United to resume food and beverage service, which they say encourages people to remove masks. Hot drinks are of particular concern because of blowing. AFA has asked airlines to minimize onboard service and only serve cold food and drinks on shorter flights. United encourages passengers to "keep it brief and replace their mask" when they are not eating or drinking, United's Scott said, and noted that United runs its air filtration systems from boarding to deplaning. Between voluntary and involuntary departures, Chicago-based United has 60% fewer flight attendants than before the pandemic. Staffing strains were evident last month when United's senior vice president of inflight services, John Slater, mentioned an "excessive" number of late sick calls by flight attendants in a memo to staff seen by Reuters. Slater said the late sick calls caused hundreds of missed connections. The president of AFA's United chapter, Ken Diaz, hit back, saying: "The headache or aches and pains that we once came to work with are today indicators of a COVID-19 infection. And, try as we might to control when these symptoms appear, we're simply not able to do so." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/focus-united-airlines-flight-attendants-120000508.html AOPA SURVEYING PILOTS ON CORONAVIRUS SFAR EFFECTIVENESS Did the regulatory measures the FAA enacted in 2020 to ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the pilot community do the job—and what more could be done to make any new measures most effective next year? On December 10 AOPA launched a brief online survey to let pilots weigh in on those questions and give the FAA some hard data to consider before it decides whether to extend pandemic relief beyond Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) 118-2, which took effect October 1, 2020—the third pandemic-relief measure of the year. SFAR 118-2 was complex, but narrower in scope than both the original SFAR 118 that in April initiated extensions of several medical, airman testing, and currency provisions, and its first amendment (SFAR 118-1) published in June, which afforded relief to a different group of pilots. Now, as the pandemic undergoes a resurgence surpassing the FAA’s expectations of just a few months ago, AOPA believes the best way to advocate for general aviation is to present the FAA with fresh survey data estimating how many pilots made use of the SFARs, what they found helpful, what wasn’t helpful, and giving pilots a chance to suggest ways any future SFAR amendment could be improved. “The FAA needs relevant and reliable data to support its decision to grant further regulatory relief. This survey will provide that hard data,” said Christopher Cooper, AOPA senior director of regulatory affairs. Cooper asks pilots who intend to complete the survey to act promptly (before Christmas) so there is time to compile and analyze the results for inclusion in a letter that AOPA and other aviation industry groups anticipate sending to the FAA on pandemic policy recommendations. AOPA invites all pilots to take the survey. It should take about five minutes to answer the survey’s questions that seek feedback on topics including pilots’ awareness of the SFARs, the SFARs’ impact on their flight activity, and whether the responding pilot flew in support of efforts to help fight the pandemic. Several questions also seek demographic information from the responding pilot on topics such as membership in aviation organizations, level of pilot certificate held, and aircraft ownership. “If more regulatory relief is going to be sought, we want to make a request that reflects the needs and safety of the pilot community. Participation in the survey is crucial to support this request,” Cooper said. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/december/10/aopa-surveying-pilots-on-coronavirus-sfar-effectiveness (Photo Courtesy: U.S. DOT) DOT Issues Safety Warning on Saircorp Consoles Used in GA Aircraft Center consoles may not be secured within the aircraft cabin. Items like unsecured fire extinguishers could fly about the cabin in turbulence. In order to protect pilots and passengers from items that could come loose and fly around the cockpit of a variety of Textron Aviation aircraft, the DOT recently issued SAFO 20016 focused on operators that have installed a center console manufactured by Saircorp. These consoles are fitted between the front seats of Cessna aircraft models 172, 177, 182, 185, 205, 206, 210, 310, 320, 337 and 340, as well as other manufacturers’ aircraft. Of critical importance is that these consoles may not be securely fastened inside the cabin. The SAFO says, “Placing Saircorp consoles between the pilots’ seats often requires the removal of the existing fire extinguisher mounting bracket. The fire extinguisher may be relocated to an unsecured cup holder style tube in the back of the console. In this case, the fire extinguisher, if unsecured, may become a hazard. Similarly, when a portable oxygen bottle, fire extinguisher, power supply, computer display, manuals, or pilot accessories are placed in the console, they create a hazard due to the significant amount of unsecured weight.” The DOT says the Saircorp console and extra loose items in the cockpit may be contrary to FAR Part 23 because of the hazards created should the console shift in flight during turbulence, hard landing, braking, or emergency conditions. The SAFO also warns the console might obscure the floor-mounted fuel selector, interfere with the throttle, mixture and carburetor heat, as well as the trim control and cowl flaps. The SAFO suggests operators take appropriate preflight action to ensure the console does not shift during aircraft operations and does not interfere with or obscure aircraft controls. Operators should also minimize the number and weight of unsecured items placed in the console and ensure they secure heavier items like fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles to approved aircraft attaching points. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/saircorp-console-dot-safety-warning/ TSA officers at Philadelphia International Airport see alarming rise in coronavirus cases, union says As the pandemic has surged, COVID cases among Transportation Security Administration employees at Philadelphia International Airport have continued to rise, doubling from 15 in October to 36 in November, and reaching a running total of 94 this month, out of about 700 workers. Among airports nationwide, PHL has the 11th-highest coronavirus case count for TSA officers, according to agency data posted this week. PHL ranked 20th in volume of passenger boardings last year, by the Federal Aviation Administration’s count for 2019. The strain of the pandemic is being felt at home for officers with children in remote schooling, and it is being felt on the job, where officers see their coworkers falling ill. They say they often have little room to maintain social distance from colleagues or passengers, and have been instructed to clean checkpoints themselves. “We’re facing extremely low morale, because they feel leadership doesn’t care or value their life,” said Lashanda Palmer, an 18-year veteran who caught the virus in April and serves as executive vice president of Local 333 of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). “I hear officers express the fear of catching COVID.” TSA officers worked fewer shifts in the spring, during the early days of the pandemic when travel plummeted. But full staffing resumed ahead of the July 4th holiday, local union officials said. That has meant more officers commuting to work on public transportation, and sharing the confines of a security checkpoint. If a passenger in line is not wearing a mask, TSA officers lack the authority to require them to do so. Some officers have been threatened with discipline for not maintaining social distance in those tight quarters, say union officials, and others have voiced concerns that they’ll be disciplined for calling out sick. “TSA does not seem to listen to its officers,” said Joe Shuker, president of AFGE Local 333, which represents Philadelphia TSA workers. “Officers have been telling them they don’t feel safe and need a solution to child care, not a Band-Aid.” A spokesperson for TSA said “employee infections at Philadelphia and all airports have been tracking with national rates.” The agency conducts contact tracing when employees are infected so that others can quarantine, the spokesperson added. “Based on the narrative inputs from infected employees, a clear majority of TSA officers who have contracted the virus were exposed outside of work.” The head of TSA, David Pekoske, “has consistently asked for help from the workforce in driving down cases by taking precautions while on duty as well as outside of work,” the spokesperson said. At a town hall meeting with employees at Philadelphia International Airport in August, Pekoske “personally reminded the workforce about the leave categories available to those who are infected or feeling ill and stressed the importance of taking coronavirus precautions when they are not at work.” Officers are equipped with masks, face shields, and gloves, union officials said. As for contact tracing, union officials said that TSA relies greatly on reviewing security footage to determine which employees were in proximity to an infected person. But that method could miss interactions that aren’t captured on video, the union said. Union leaders stressed that having more leave options for officers while passenger traffic is still low would help. “It would profoundly reduce exposure,” said Matthew Culbertson, who’s also an official with Local 333. “They should bring in the minimum amount of people they need,” Shuker said. The TSA spokesperson acknowledged that air passenger volume remains around 40% of 2019 levels nationwide. “TSA officers on duty open additional checkpoint lanes as needed to keep wait times down to improve social distancing,” the spokesperson said. “During periods when passenger volume is slow, they use that time for online training and disinfecting touch-points within the checkpoint.” Even though TSA leadership has told officers it’s their responsibility to clean, union officials said the supplies are lacking. Officers are armed with Lysol and a spray bottle with alcohol. Federal records show that TSA hired a custodial company to provide COVID-19 cleaning services at three airports, including Philadelphia International. The $2.4 million contract began in October, according to records, and is scheduled to run through March. But the union said the contractor hasn’t started yet. The TSA spokesperson said the company, Byrd Enterprises Unlimited, will begin cleaning at PHL next week. A representative of the janitorial company, reached by phone, said he could not immediately give further details. The airport has its own pandemic-related cleaning protocols. In September, PHL custodial crews started using electrostatic sprayers with a Clorox disinfectant throughout the terminals. That system is “hitting checkpoints every couple days,” spokesperson Florence Brown said. An additional deep cleaning of TSA areas is carried out by airport staff once a month, Brown said. Union officials said that even after an employee contracts coronavirus, fellow officers — not professional cleaners — have been tasked with wiping down work areas. TSA “should be deep cleaning after positive tests of officers and it’s not happening,” Shuker said. When Palmer became sick with COVID-19 in April, “it hit like a ton of bricks,” she said. “It took everything out of me.” She’d take 10 steps and feel out of breath. She experienced terrible pain, and was scared to go to the hospital, because she didn’t want that to be the last place her kids saw her if she didn’t make it. Palmer still doesn’t feel like her health is back to normal. And she’s used up all her paid leave for the year, as she’s been caring for a son with epilepsy. Her family, like many others, has had to adjust to a virtual learning environment during the pandemic. She’s stressed, and so are her colleagues. “We took an oath to protect and serve the traveling public,” Palmer said. “But we also have families.” https://www.inquirer.com/business/philadelphia-international-airport-tsa-security-officers-coronavirus-20201211.html U.S. airlines say vaccine cargo could help restart passenger flights • International flyers may soon need to get virus vaccinations CHICAGO — Major U.S. airlines are preparing for a massive airlift of COVID-19 vaccines that will not only boost their cargo business, but help bring back passenger flights that shut down during the pandemic, executives told Reuters. Travel demand is hovering around 40% of 2019 levels and will not return to normal until vaccines are widely distributed. In the meantime, the vaccine transportation itself could help airlines bring back parked jets and start reopening routes. “I think we’re going to reach a point fairly soon as multiple vaccines are approved that most of the planes that are operating are going to be carrying vaccines,” said Roger Samways, vice president of Cargo Sales at American Airlines. “We’re really looking at what could end up being the largest single airlift in commercial aviation history,” he said. The size and range of airline fleets and networks are key, as well as the ability to manage vaccines that require ultra-cold storage and the ability to quickly load them onto aircraft and unload them onto trucks for final delivery. Commercial planes normally carry around half the world’s air cargo in their bellies, with the remainder hauled in dedicated freighter planes. But a drastic reduction in passenger routes during the pandemic has slashed overall air capacity in the market. Airlines began operating cargo-only charter flights with essential goods early in the pandemic that have become the main driver of an international business that has otherwise collapsed. As American Airlines prepares to fly vaccines to some 150 locations across 46 countries where it already ships pharmaceuticals, it is hoping to put passengers on some of those flights too, Samways said. American already turned cargo charters to places like Sao Paolo, Santiago and London into revenue passenger flights earlier this year. United Airlines said cargo flights also helped expand its passenger network over the summer after meetings between cargo and network planning teams to pinpoint demand. “We continue to have those meetings on a weekly basis,” cargo chief Christopher Busch said. To shorten the run time for vaccines, United is now parking planes behind its cargo facility in Chicago, rather than at passenger gates, Busch said, and has added refrigerated rooms to meet some of the vaccine requirements. American said vaccines will be the last to load and the first to come off its planes, and the vaccines will not sit at an airport for more than two hours on either end. The airline has a 25,000-square-foot cargo facility with three temperature zones in Philadelphia, near 14 of the largest 20 pharmaceutical companies. Delta Air Lines Inc has a 40,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled facility in Atlanta, where it is running a cargo control tower day and night to prepare for vaccine distribution support. Traditionally, cargo contracts are a triangular arrangement in which manufacturers like Pfizer Inc. pay forward freighters like FedEx Corp. or United Parcel Service, which in turn pay airlines for any distribution they cannot handle. For the vaccine rollout, airlines said they expect some direct shipper arrangements with the manufacturers themselves, and enough business for any airline with the infrastructure to handle it. “There’s more than enough business to go around,” said Delta’s cargo chief, Robert Walpole. Research firm Cowen is estimating $400 million in vaccine cargo revenue in 2021. It will be a welcome boost, though not enough to put it in the black alone.“We’re still a long, long way away from reaching a financial situation as an industry that we’ll be comfortable with,” Samways said. https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/u-s-airlines-say-vaccine-cargo-could-help-restart-passenger-flights/article_72b9494f-d7e1-5161-8d5f-a6a595b4b04c.html Lockheed Martin to join Japan's new fighter jet program: Nikkei (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp, the maker of the F-35 stealth jet, will join a project led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to build a new fighter plane that Japan’s air force is expected to field by the mid 2030s, The Nikkei newspaper reported. Lockheed’s participation as a junior partner in development, had been expected after it earlier proposed a hybrid design based on its F-35 and F-22 jets. Japan’s Ministry of Defence awarded MHI the primary role in October. The new fighter, which is known as the F-3 or F-X and is expected to cost around $40 billion, will replace Japan’s F-2, which was jointly developed by MHI and Lockheed more than two decades ago. Japan has said it will announce the names of foreign companies invited to join the project before the end of the year. Firms that have expressed interest in participating include F-18 Super Hornet builder Boeing Co and Northrop Grumman Corp from the United States, as well as Britain’s BAE Systems Plc and Rolls Royce Holdings Plc. https://www.reuters.com/article/japan-defence-jetfighter/lockheed-martin-to-join-japans-new-fighter-jet-program-nikkei-idUSKBN28L18N Lufthansa CEO sees bookings tripling in Summer 2021: media BERLIN (Reuters) - Bookings at Lufthansa have tripled for next Summer boosted by the imminent approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told a German magazine, adding he expects business on average to reach half of 2019 levels next year. Spohr told Wirtschaftswoche that the concrete prospect of an effective vaccine against the coronavirus had boosted confidence among passengers. "The fact that people have also already reserved flights for the Easter period shows how confident they are," he was quoted as saying on Friday. "I expect that next year we will be able to achieve half the level of 2019 again on average, and for the summer and autumn we calculate up to 70%." Lufthansa expects to stop bleeding cash next year and hopes to be profitable from 2022, he said. Spohr hopes the German government, which gave the airline 9 billion euros ($10.94 billion) in state aid in May in return for a 20% stake, will be able to reduce its holding in Lufthansa from 2023. He said Lufthansa has drawn down only 3 billion euros of the bailout and only spent a small part thanks to strict cost management. Still, Spohr said the airline will have to lay off 1,000 pilots in the second quarter if it cannot seal a wage agreement with unions on cutting salaries and reducing working hours. "In the absence of an agreement, it will probably be the first time in the history of our company that 500 captains and 500 first officers will have to leave us in the second quarter of 2021," Spohr said. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/lufthansa-lay-off-1-000-061907465.html Supersonic jet startup Aerion just broke ground on a new $300 million plant in Florida with plans to fly its first aircraft in 5 years VIDEO Aerion has broken ground on a new campus in Melbourne, Florida that will house the production facilities for its AS2 supersonic business jet. The $300 million campus will be known as Aerion Park and span 110.6 acres at Melbourne International Airport on Florida's Space Coast. Aerion expects to begin building the first AS2 in 2023 once the production and engineering facilities are complete. Florida's Space Coast is about to become the Supersonic Coast with a startup that's working to usher in the new era of supersonic travel that has just broken ground on a new campus in Melbourne, Florida. Aerion is investing $300 million into Aerion Park, a 110.6-acre campus on the grounds of Melbourne International Airport in central Florida where the startup's flagship craft, the AS2, will be built come 2023. Aerion Park will house the production plants capable of building 48 AS2 aircraft per year once at full strength and will be where customers come to design and then take delivery of their jets. The AS2 was first announced in 2014 as the world's first supersonic business jet that will be able to fly between eight and 10 passengers at supersonic speeds of up to Mach 1.4, significantly cutting down travel times. It will be among the first in a new wave of aircraft that will once again take flyers beyond the sound barrier, a feat that hasn't been regularly accomplished since the iconic Concorde airliner retired from commercial service in 2003. Aerion Park will be built in phases starting with the engineering, manufacturing, and production facilities first on the list, CEO Tom Vice told Business Insider in an interview, as production for the AS2 is slated to begin in 2023. Five AS2 test aircraft will be built from 2023 to 2025 and then the sixth aircraft produced at Aerion Park will go to the first customer. All assembly, testing, and completion will occur at Aerion Park with the manufacturing center the size of around 14 football fields, Vice said. Customers will visit Aerion Park to design their aircraft in the customer experience center and then return to take delivery of the aircraft once complete. Sustainability will also be a key tenet of the facility, just as it is for the AS2, with a focus on green technologies such as solar to power the plant's operations and 100% water recycling, including reusing rainwater. And for employees, Aerion Park will feature children's daycare, laundry services, and vehicle charging stations. Melbourne, Florida was chosen by Aerion after a two-year selection process with the central Florida city standing out in part due to the available talent in the region and the activities at nearby Cape Canaveral. "There's a lot of excitement in the Space Coast and the Melbourne, central Florida area, Vice said, "not only with aerospace but obviously commercialization of space." Melbourne International Airport offers near-direct access to the Atlantic Ocean, over which the AS2 can perform its supersonic test flights outside of any populated areas. And Aerion will be in good company as it will be located on the same airport as Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer and miles from where NASA and SpaceX are launching the next-generation of rockets into space. Not just another Concorde The Concorde proved supersonic passenger travel viable and its disappearance from the skies was a step back for aviation that new startups are attempting to remedy with the next-generation of aircraft. The Aerion AS2 will boast a subsonic range of 5,400 nautical miles, comparable to a Gulfstream G500, and a supersonic range of 4,200 nautical miles. Flying from New York to London will only take four hours while flying to Sydney will take less than 14, though the latter will still require a fuel stop. Melbourne residents also won't have to worry about their local airport turning into the next John F. Kennedy International, Charles de Gaulle, or Heathrow Airport, the three airports most frequented by the Concorde toward the end of its life. The AS2 will use what's known as "boomless cruise" where the jet can fly above the speed of sound but the dreaded supersonic boom won't reach the ground. When flying subsonic, the jet's top speed will be Mach .95, faster than the Cessna Citation X that tops out at Mach .935. After fielding a newly-announced order from China, Aerion now has 54 AS2 aircraft on order for a total order book valued at $6.5 billion. A single AS2 aircraft costs $120 million, around 30% more than the cost of the largest and fastest subsonic business aircraft currently in development or production with Gulfstream, Bombardier, or Dassault. Aerion is projecting an entry into service date for the AS2 in 2027 after two years of test flying and certification beginning in 2025. But the AS2 is just the beginning as Aerion has greater plans for a jet that can fly at speeds four times the speed of the sound that Vice says will "disrupt all of aviation" when it debuts. "We're building a future when humanity can travel between any two points on our planet within three hours," Vice said in a speech during the facility's groundbreaking event. https://www.yahoo.com/news/supersonic-jet-startup-aerion-just-140000796.html Virgin Galactic Is Launching a Historic Manned Spaceflight This Weekend VIDEO While everyone loves Saturday and Sunday, no one is looking more forward to this weekend than Virgin Galactic. That’s because Richard Branson’s space tourism outfit hopes to use the two-day span to launch a historic space flight. Starting tomorrow, the window will open for Virgin Galactic to carry out the first human space flight from Spaceport America in New Mexico. If everything goes to plan, it will be the company’s third crewed test flight and the first in more than a year, following previous flights from California’s Mojave Air & Space Port in late 2018 and early 2019. Unlike competitor Space X’s test flights, Virgin Galactic’s start on the runway rather than the launch pad. The company’s SpaceShipTwo will begin the flight attached to a carrier plane that will drop it upon reaching 50,000 feet. At that point, its rocket engine will engage and the space craft will head into sub-orbital space. Piloted by Dave Mackay and C.J. Sturckow, this particular flight be used as an opportunity to test out the ship’s cabin, stabilizers and controls, as well as carry payloads into space as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities Program. The upcoming flight was originally scheduled for November 16 but had to be postponed after New Mexico enacted a stay-at-home order because of rising Covid-19 cases within the state. That order has now been changed to a “Red to Green Framework,” which allows non-essential businesses to operate, but at reduced capacity. In order to meet these guidelines, no guests or media will be allowed onsite for the launch. “With safety as our core priority, we remain committed to completing our first powered flight in New Mexico,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said earlier this month. “In accordance with local government guidelines and safety protocols, we have minimized the number of people onsite to the greatest degree possible.” While the test flight is a vital step on the way to the official launch of the $250,000-per-seat space tourism service, it will also be a milestone for New Mexico. Once the flight is complete, the state will become just the third to host a crewed space flight, after Florida and California. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/virgin-galactic-launching-historic-manned-230000026.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