Flight Safety Information - January 5, 2021 No. 00 In This Issue : Incident: Skywest CRJ7 near Sioux Falls on Jan 2nd 2021, cracked windshield : Incident: UTAir B735 at Surgut on Dec 29th 2020, disagreeing airspeed and disagreeing altimeters : Incident: EAT Leipzig A306 at Amsterdam on Jan 3rd 2021, bird strike : Beechcraft G58 Baron - Fatal Accident (Arkansas) : Air France receives 4-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating : IATA blasts Canada’s new testing rule for inbound air passengers : Flights delayed at Dallas airport (DFW) after controller tests positive for Covid : Man charged after gun found at security checkpoint in Austin airport : Major U.S. airlines back 'global' COVID-19 testing requirements: letter : China Airlines Investigates As Pilot Leaves Quarantine To Play Golf : Garmin Autoland honored with Top Flight Award from Aviation International News : EASA Merges General Aviation and VTOL Certification : Air New Zealand Adds Honolulu Stop On US Flights For Crew Safety : Conflict of interest concerns: Pilots object to AI Director’s continuation : Airbus beat 560-plane delivery goal for 2020 - sources : Designing an airplane that can fly on Mars! : China’s CASC targets more than 40 space launches in 2021 : Call for Papers – ISASI 2021 : 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Incident: Skywest CRJ7 near Sioux Falls on Jan 2nd 2021, cracked windshield A Skywest Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of United, registration N782SK performing flight UA-5890 from Milwaukee,WI to Denver,CO (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 80nm southwest of Sioux Falls,SD (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Sioux Falls reporting a cracked windshield. The aircraft rapidly descended to 8000 feet (reaching 8000 feet within 7 minutes after leaving FL360, average rate of descent 4000fpm, and landed safely on Sioux Falls' runway 03 about 23 minutes after leaving FL360. A replacement Embraer ERJ-175 registration N203SY reached Denver with a delay of 7 hours. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKW5890/history/20210102/1440Z/KMKE/KFSD http://avherald.com/h?article=4e15d4fa&opt=0 Incident: UTAir B735 at Surgut on Dec 29th 2020, disagreeing airspeed and disagreeing altimeters A UTAir Boeing 737-500, registration VP-BXY performing flight UT-435 from Surgut to Krasnodar (Russia), was departing Surgut's runway 07, when during rotation the crew observed the first officer's air speed indication disagreed with the other two indicators. The crew continued takeoff, climbed to 5000 feet and entered a hold to work the checklists, also identifying the first officer's altimeter disagreed with the other altimeters on board. After completing the ckecklists the crew climbed the aircraft to FL260 and diverted to Tyumen (Russia), located 352nm southwest of Surgut, and landed safely on Tyumen's runway 21 about 100 minutes after departure from Surgut. Passengers reported boarding was delayed for departure by about 20 minutes, they then waited for another hour for departure, then the aircraft was refueled. About 30 minutes after departure the crew announced they would be landing back in Surgut, subsequently the crew indicated they could not be received in Surgut and they'd divert to Tyumen. The crew never told about what sort of problem they had. A replacement Boeing 737-500 registration VP-BYM reached Krasnodar with a delay of about 6.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft resumed service about 12 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e15e288&opt=0 Incident: EAT Leipzig A306 at Amsterdam on Jan 3rd 2021, bird strike An EAT Leipzig Airbus A300-600 on behalf of DHL, registration D-AEAC performing flight QY-1239 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Leipzig (Germany), was rotating for takeoff from Amsterdam's runway 36L when the left hand engine (PW4158) emitted a bang and a streak of flames. The crew continued takeoff, during initial climb reported they had a bird strike likely into the landing gear, they were okay now. The aircraft continued to Leipzig for a safe landing about 50 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Leipzig for about 13.5 hours before returning to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e15d783&opt=0 Beechcraft G58 Baron - Fatal Accident (Arkansas) Date: 04-JAN-2021 Time: c. 10:40 Type: Beechcraft G58 Baron Owner/operator: Stratus Sales LLC Registration: N325GC C/n / msn: TH-2204 Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: NW of Weiner, Poinsett County, AR - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: Jonesboro Airport, AR (JBR/KJBR) Destination airport: Conway Municipal Airport, AR (KCXW) Investigating agency: NTSB Narrative: The aircraft was destroyed when it impacted an open field near Weiner, Poinsett County, Arkansas. The two occupants were fatally injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=246459 Air France receives 4-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating Air France is the latest airline to be Certified with the COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating, by international air transport rating agency Skytrax. It is anticipated that with some further COVID-19 safety improvements to be made in early 2021, Air France could be one of the first airlines globally to achieve a 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating. The COVID-19 Safety audit was conducted over a 2-week period in December 2020, assessing a range of long haul and short haul flights, in addition to safety standards at the home base airport of Paris Charles de Gaulle. The COVID-19 Airline Rating is based on detailed investigation and appraisal of the effectiveness and consistency of safety and hygiene measures the airline has put in place to ensure customer and staff safety during the coronavirus pandemic. The audit analysis incorporates relevant areas from the IATA Health Safety Standards Checklist, ICAO CART Take-off guidance and WHO recommendations. Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said: “Air France has made many improvements to COVID-19 safety protocols which are delivered as part of its ‘Air France Protect’ commitment. During the recent audit Air France demonstrated that the core foundations of the product and service adjustments are delivering robust and realistic health and safety standards, while maintaining a good level service quality on long-haul routes. It was noted that some elements of airport handling processes could be applied more consistently to achieve the 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Rating, in addition to a wider rollout the excellent ‘Air France Protect’ information brand at key customer touch points.” • Air France “Protect” Sanitary kit to be provided to customers from January 2021 The 4-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating recognises good airport processing standards that include some elements of contactless technology, customer handling, and social distancing protocols for check-in, boarding, and arrival. Airline lounges have good cleanliness which has been validated visually and supported with ATP testing, and there are reasonable measures in place that facilitate social distancing, and safe delivery systems for food and beverages. Air France “Protect” Onboard cleanliness and cabin presentation is at a good quality level which may use techniques for UV sanitisation, and mass disinfectant treatments which are scientifically evaluated. Most service systems for catering are adapted for COVID-19 times, with some reduced contact delivery and enhanced food safety measures for meal presentation. As part of the COVID-19 audit analysis, Skytrax used ATP testing to measure surface contamination across the high touch areas in the airport and onboard environment. The testing returned a consistent pass rate across many of high-contact areas onboard and in the airport, and this is a key determinant in the 4-Star COVID-19 Rating of Air France, offering the potential for the airline to gain a 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Rating in 2021. Contact surface areas are tested to analyse any variance in surface contamination levels. ATP systems do not detect viruses directly, however COVID-19 infected material that contains biological residues will be detected by an ATP system. About the COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating The process of certifying COVID-19 Airline Safety standards requires detailed investigation and analysis of the effectiveness and consistency of measures put in place by airlines to ensure that their COVID-19 safety and hygiene measures are meeting very high standards, to provide enhanced safety to customers and staff. Skytrax have been auditing airline standards since 1989, and provide unique, specialist knowledge and experience to conduct the COVID-19 Safe Airlines assessment. With a variety of flights having to be audited for each airline to assess standards, the roll-out of COVID-19 Airline Ratings is being carried out according to travel restrictions and border openings of countries around the world. https://skytraxratings.com/air-france-receives-4-star-covid-19-airline-safety-rating IATA blasts Canada’s new testing rule for inbound air passengers Airlines trade group IATA has blasted the government of Canada after it imposed new travel restrictions on inbound air passengers beginning later this week. The organisation on 3 January voiced its “deep frustration” at the country’s plans to introduce an additional coronavirus testing burden on arriving travellers, calling the new rules “callous and impractical”. The requirement is to take effect on 7 January, IATA also criticises the government for a stipulation making airlines responsible for ensuring passengers’ compliance with the regulation, saying “it cannot be the airline’s role to determine if a passenger tried their utmost to get tested or not”. “Canada already has one the world’s most draconian Covid-19 border-control regimes, including travel bans and quarantines,” IATA says. Adding the testing requirement is “the worst of both worlds”. “While the industry for months has been calling for systematic testing to reopen borders without quarantine measures, these pleas have fallen on deaf ears, especially in Canada,” the association adds. Canadian government officials said on 30 December that beginning in early January, all arriving passengers would be required to present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result that is less than 72h old. That’s in addition to the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all inbound passengers which has been in effect since March. Unlike in other countries, where passengers arriving with proof of a negative coronavirus test are permitted to bypass quarantines, Canada’s new rule requires passengers isolation even if they test negative. Travellers to Canada who are found disregarding the quarantine can be subject to up to six months in jail or a fine of C$750,000 ($587,000). It is unclear if the new rule also applies to international passengers arriving in the western Canadian province of Alberta, which last week permitted an opt-out option with proof of a negative test result, reducing the quarantine time to two days rather than the federally mandated two weeks. IATA cites the economic damage which has resulted from Canada’s strict measures, which were imposed last March when the highly-contagious virus began to rapidly spread around the globe. Hundreds of thousands of jobs as well as billions of tourism dollars have been lost since then, IATA says. “Less measurable, but equally tragic is the impact that these tunnel-vision policies to close Canada off from the world are having on individuals separated from families or those struggling to cope with unemployment,” IATA says. “Public health is the top priority. The efforts to contain Covid-19 must take full account of the detrimental impacts that closing borders and discouraging travel is having on the mental well-being of Canadians.” The longest peaceful border in the world, between the United States and its northerly neighbour, has been closed to non-essential travel since 21 March. Its opening has been delayed numerous times, and is now scheduled for 21 January. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/iata-blasts-canadas-new-testing-rule-for-inbound-air-passengers/141812.article Flights delayed at Dallas airport (DFW) after controller tests positive for Covid It was the second FAA facility that had to undergo cleaning Monday after a controller or other employee tested positive. Airspace around the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, one of the nation's busiest, was closed Monday after a controller tested positive for Covid-19. The airport's Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility was cleaned after a controller tested positive, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The center handles inbound and outbound air traffic at the airport and others, and controllers there were working out of DFW's center tower, the agency said. The FAA's website had listed a ground stop around 6:30 p.m., and it was lifted about an hour and a half later, the airport said. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport warned that flights would be impacted. An FAA website had shown gate hold and taxi delays of around an hour. It's the second time in a week that Dallas-area airports were affected by cleaning at an FAA facility following Covid-19 cases. The earlier case involved the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center. Earlier Monday, flights were delayed at some Florida airports after an FAA facility near Jacksonville needed to be cleaned after an employee tested positive for Covid, an agency spokesperson said. The FAA's Jacksonville Center was back in operation at 6 p.m., but it "implemented traffic management programs" starting at 4:20 p.m. Airports in Tampa, Palm Beach and Jacksonville all tweeted warnings of delays or cancellations due to the temporary closure of the air traffic control center. The number of people flying in the U.S. increased over the holidays, although it remained far below normal years. More than 1.32 million people were screened Sunday, according to Transportation Security Administration checkpoint numbers. That number is the highest in a day since March. Health officials have warned of a possible surge in coronavirus cases after holiday travel and gatherings, and several states have reported cases of a Covid-19 variant that is believed to be more transmissible and was first detected in the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday announced a new national lockdown in England, citing the new variant. The measures are similar to the lockdown imposed last March, and include asking the public to stay at home and leave for only limited reasons. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/flights-delayed-dallas-airport-after-controller-tests-positive-covid-n1252794 Man charged after gun found at security checkpoint in Austin airport AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was charged with a third-degree felony after a loaded gun was found in a backpack at a security checkpoint at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport Saturday. Jaquan Wooley, 19, was charged with places weapons prohibited – airport after officers responded to the checkpoint. An arrest affidavit explained the airport displays signs reminding passengers which items are not allowed on board airplanes, including guns. It also has a nearby speaker which repeats the same sort of messaging. The gun, which was in a light blue backpack, was picked up by the x-ray machine, the affidavit said. Wooley said the backpack was his and said he forgot to take the gun out before heading to the airport. The gun was loaded with seven rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, the affidavit said. He didn’t have a concealed handgun license. https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/man-charged-after-gun-found-at-security-checkpoint-in-austin-airport/ Major U.S. airlines back 'global' COVID-19 testing requirements: letter WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group representing major U.S. airlines on Monday backed a proposal by public health officials to implement a global testing program requiring negative tests before most international air passengers return to the United States, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Airlines for America, which represents American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other major carriers, also urged the Trump administration in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence “to move ahead with recommendations to rescind current entry restrictions on travelers from Europe, the United Kingdom and Brazil as soon as possible ... concurrently with the testing program.” In November, Reuters reported that the White House was considering rescinding restrictions that ban most non U.S. citizens from traveling to the United States from the 26 members of the Schengen area that allow travel across open borders in Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Brazil. “We believe a well-planned program focused on increasing testing of travelers to the United States will further these objectives in a much more effective way than the blanket travel restrictions currently in place,” the airlines’ letter said. Airlines support a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposal to implement “a global program to require testing for travelers to the United States,” the letter added. A senior administration official said the CDC proposal to expand international testing requirements faces significant opposition at top levels of the administration, including in Pence’s office. The White House coronavirus task force is expected to meet Tuesday and the issue is scheduled to be discussed, officials said. The CDC on Dec. 28 began requiring all airline passengers arriving from Britain - including U.S. citizens - to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of departure. A CDC spokeswoman declined to comment Monday but the agency said last week that “efforts are currently ongoing in the U.S. to assess the risk reduction associated with testing and other recommended preventative measures... and gain some level of agreement on standards for a harmonized approach to testing for international air travel.” Airlines are seeking at least 14 days before new requirements take effect and “consideration of inadequate testing and results availability in specific countries rather than a blanket worldwide requirement is also needed,” the letter said. Starting Thursday, Canada will require that air travelers five and older test negative for COVID-19 before arrival. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-airlines-testing-idUSKBN29929H China Airlines Investigates As Pilot Leaves Quarantine To Play Golf Today, China Airlines announced that it would take strong action against a co-pilot who violated the company COVID-19 rules by going out to play a round of golf. The airline says that the pilot is currently under investigation. If the investigation proves that he did break the quarantine rules, he could be suspended or even possibly terminated. The so-far unnamed pilot flew a China Airlines cargo plane from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) on November 13. According to China Airlines rules, he was required to self-isolate for three days, but two days into the quarantine, he decided to play golf. China Airlines has stringent rules In a statement seen by The China Post, China Airlines says that it fully cooperates with the Central Epidemic Command Center’s coronavirus regulations. This includes flight personnel using individual passageways after landing and ferrying them to quarantine hotels with assigned cars. Each flight crew member is given their own room where they must remain until the three-day quarantine period is up. While isolating, temperatures are taken each day to help confirm that they were not infected while abroad. China Airlines also says that it monitors CCTV cameras and hotel access keys to track employee movements. According to reports, the co-pilot in question has admitted breaking the self-isolation rules. A panel is now being assembled to discuss what further action to take. The same co-pilot is also accused of visiting a busy shopping mall three days after the quarantine period ended following a cargo flight to Taiwan from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) in Alaska. Following the three-day quarantine period, flight crew are allowed to leave their homes but are discouraged from visiting locations where there might be many people. Flight crew must also wear a mask at all times when out mixing with the general public. China Airlines’ main Taiwanese competitor EVA Air recently fired a pilot from New Zealand after lying about having the coronavirus. It turned out that the EVA Air pilot was responsible for the county’s first domestic COVID-19 transmission in eight months. Despite having a population of nearly 24 million, the number of deaths in Taiwan related to the coronavirus can be counted on two hands. The island nation’s success is mainly because it has cut itself off from the rest of the world; a similar way to how Australia and New Zealand used their geographic insularity as a defense against the pandemic. However, the harsh rules have a massive economic impact, yet they are unlikely to waiver until the entire population has been vaccinated. The co-pilot broke the rules Regarding the co-pilot, he was fully aware of the rules, and yet like so many people in today’s society, he decided that they did not apply to him. A bit like Boris Johnsons’ former Chief Adviser Dominic Cummings driving 30 miles to Barnard Castle to test his vision during a nationwide UK lockdown. As for the co-pilot, playing golf, he probably wasn’t putting other people in danger, but it was a breach of the rules. Because of this, he will probably get fired to be an example to other China Airlines employees. https://simpleflying.com/china-airlines-quarantine-golf-pilot/ Garmin Autoland honored with Top Flight Award from Aviation International News Garmin ® International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced that its revolutionary Garmin Autoland system was honored with the inaugural Top Flight Award presented by Aviation International News (AIN) in the Contribution to Safety category. Part of the Garmin Autonomi ™ family of autonomous safety-enhancing technologies for aircraft, Autoland is the world’s first certified system of its kind with the ability to activate during an emergency situation to autonomously control and land an aircraft without human intervention 1. Garmin Autoland is the world’s first certified system of its kind with the ability to activate during an emergency situation to autonomously control and land an aircraft without human intervention. (Photo: Business Wire) AIN’s Top Flight Awards recognize creativity and innovation in design and technology, as well as quality and passion in business aviation services and people. Nominees and award winners were selected by the AIN editorial team in ten categories: New Jet; New Turboprop; New Helicopter; Technology; New FBO Facility; Training; Charter/Fractional/Jet Card Innovation; Innovator, Designer, or Charitable Hero of the Year; Sustainability; and Contribution to Safety. “We are extremely proud and grateful to be recognized by AIN with their Top Flight Award for the innovation of Autoland,” said Phil Straub, Garmin executive vice president and managing director, aviation. “This honor recognizes and is a testament to the entire Garmin team, who are driven by the mission to increase aviation safety and save lives through the development of advanced technologies like Autoland.” In the event of an emergency such as pilot incapacitation, the pilot or even a passenger on board can activate Autoland to land the aircraft with a simple press of a dedicated button. Autoland can also activate automatically if the system determines it’s necessary. Once activated, the system calculates a flight plan to the most suitable airport and runway, and while avoiding terrain and adverse weather, initiates an approach to the chosen runway and automatically lands the aircraft. " AIN is proud to celebrate the most innovative and creative aviation companies with the 2020 Top Flight Awards,” said an editor from AIN. “Garmin's Autoland technology is a groundbreaking development that will not only further the safe operation of aircraft flown by one pilot but could prevent accidents in any type of airplane, for example, after a rapid decompression." The first Autoland system for general aviation aircraft, Garmin Autoland has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in the Piper M600, the Daher TBM 940, and the Cirrus Vision Jet as part of the G3000 ® integrated flight deck. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval was also granted to the TBM 940. For additional information about Autoland and the Garmin Autonomi ™ family of automated flight technologies, visit www.garmin.com/Autonomi. Garmin’s aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. Garmin’s portfolio includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance, an expansive suite of ADS-B solutions and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and value. About Garmin International, Inc. Garmin International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin and G3000 are registered trademarks and Autonomi is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. https://www.tullahomanews.com/news/business/garmin-autoland-honored-with-top-flight-award-from-aviation-international-news/article_4af755e6-76fe-5b37-82cb-6ada488148d8.html EASA Merges General Aviation and VTOL Certification EASA has reorganized its certification directorate, merging the departments handling general aviation fixed-wing and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, including drones. The new department opened on January 1 and is being led by David Solar, who reports to EASA certification director Rachel Daeschler. Solar previously was in charge of the VTOL department, which includes helicopters. “This will deal with all general aviation products [including business jets] and all VTOL, as well as the certification of eVTOL [aircraft] and of drones,” explained a spokesman. However, the directorate does not cover the regulation of operations and flight crew licensing for these categories of aircraft. The European aviation safety agency said it now expects to publish the final version of its means of compliance for its new Special Condition VTOL type certification rules in early 2021. The spokesman confirmed to AIN that it deferred planned publication in December because it needed more time to take account of the large volume of industry comments it received to draft proposals published on May 25, 2020. EASA also said that the final version of the means of compliance for a special condition for certifying hybrid and electric propulsion systems will be published in the early part of this year. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-01-04/easa-merges-general-aviation-and-vtol-certification Air New Zealand Adds Honolulu Stop On US Flights For Crew Safety Air New Zealand’s flight from Auckland to the US will make stops in Honolulu. Not to let off passengers, or to refuel, or to pick up or drop off cargo, but rather to change crews. Air New Zealand’s limited US flights New Zealand has been among the strictest countries when it comes to border restrictions, as the country has been aiming to be free of coronavirus. While a majority of Air New Zealand’s long haul fleet is grounded, the airline is operating a skeleton fleet of Boeing 787-9s. As it stands, the carrier’s US services are as follows: • Air New Zealand operates two weekly passenger flights between Auckland and Los Angeles • Air New Zealand operates several weekly cargo flights between Auckland and both Los Angeles and San Francisco • While passenger demand is understandably way down, we’ve seen all kinds of airlines operate flights largely to transport cargo, which has become big business. Then there are the limited number of passengers who are eligible to fly to & from New Zealand. This typically includes Kiwis, either leaving the country or returning home (upon return to New Zealand they have to quarantine in a government facility for 14 days). Air New Zealand’s US flights will stop in Hawaii Starting in the coming weeks, Air New Zealand’s flights from Auckland to both Los Angeles and San Francisco will stop in Honolulu in both directions. As it’s described, this decision is intended to reduce the risk of crew members contracting COVID-19. Let’s use the two weekly passenger flights between Auckland and Los Angeles as an example. The way this is going to work, Air New Zealand crews will have their layovers in Honolulu rather than Los Angeles. That means this trip will be rostered as follows: • A crew will operate the flight from Auckland to Honolulu • Then after a layover of around three days, the crew will operate the flights from Honolulu to Los Angeles to Honolulu in a single day • Then after a layover of around three days, the crew will operate the final sector from Honolulu to Auckland In other words, with the twice weekly service, the trip would have previously taken about half a week for a crew, while it will now take an entire week. With case numbers being as high as they are in Los Angeles, the airline thinks it’s safer for crews to instead overnight in Honolulu. Despite laying over in a “safer” place, crews still have to quarantine in their hotel rooms during their layovers, and aren’t allowed to leave. While crews aren’t subjected to the full 14-day quarantine upon their return home, they do have to quarantine for two days and then get tested, before being allowed to go out. For context on what this means for the Auckland to Los Angeles routing: • The nonstop flight would cover a distance of 6,504 miles, while the flight with a stop will cover a distance of 6,945 miles, so this adds about ~7% to the distance flown • The Auckland to Honolulu flight covers a distance of ~4,400 miles, and the Honolulu to Los Angeles flight covers a distance of ~2,500 miles Bottom line Air New Zealand’s US services will route via Honolulu until further notice, so that crews can have layovers there rather than on the mainland. This is intended to keep crews safe, and the decision was made in spite of the fact that crews can’t even leave their hotel rooms during layovers. https://onemileatatime.com/air-new-zealand-honolulu-stop/ Conflict of interest concerns: Pilots object to AI Director’s continuation Air India’s pilot unions IPG and ICPA on Monday urged the airline to replace its Director (Commercial) Meenakshi Mallik, alleging that her continuation at the post amounts to ‘conflict of interest’, as she has submitted a bid for the company as head of the employee consortium. Replying to the allegation, Mallik told PTI she has already recused herself from the board meet on disinvestment, and is involved only in the day-to-day functioning of the airline. “On November 30, I wrote to the Chairman and the board that I am participating in the bids, I will recuse myself from the board whenever any discussion pertaining to the disinvestment comes up,” Mallik said. Stating that she is involved only in the day-to-day functioning of the airline, she added: “I have no idea about the letter. As far as putting bids is concerned, the Government of India has given me the rights to bid and I am only following that.” On December 14, which was the deadline for submitting bids, the government said it had received multiple expressions of interest for the strategic disinvestment of Air India. But it did not disclose the participants’ names. However, sources had said that Tata Sons, a group of Air India employees headed by Mallik and a US-based firm Interups Inc had put in bids. Unions’ complaint In a joint letter to Air India CMD Rajiv Bansal on Monday, the two pilot unions said: "This is with reference to the office order... dated December 16 through which it has been acknowledged that a consortium of management employees has submitted a bid for strategic disinvestment of Air India." They added that the office order, issued with the CMD's approval, directs all participating employees to inform the headquarters and expressly forbids them from handling any policy or strategic matter with a direct or indirect bearing to the disinvestment of Air India. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/conflict-of-interest-concerns-pilots-object-to-ai-directors-continuation/article33495979.ece Airbus beat 560-plane delivery goal for 2020 - sources By Tim Hepher PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus delivered more than 560 aircraft in 2020, according to tracking data and airline industry sources, putting it on course to beat arch-rival Boeing to be the world's largest planemaker for a second consecutive year. The European aerospace group reached an informal target of 560 handovers, based on numbers that remain subject to auditing, the sources added. Airbus, which is expected to announce 2020 orders and deliveries in the coming days, declined to comment ahead of their formal publication. Total Airbus deliveries are expected to have fallen by about a third this year, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel and airlines. But the European manufacturer has an insurmountable lead over Boeing, which had delivered 118 planes between the start of 2020 and the end of November, with the 737 MAX grounded during the period. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airbus-beat-560-plane-delivery-090607900.html Designing an airplane that can fly on Mars! First we put a rover on Mars, then a helicopter (Ingenuity). But what about airplanes? This study describes the design of special wings that will help airplanes fly in the thin Martian atmosphere Until recently, no attempt has been made to fly an aircraft in the Martian atmosphere. On Mars, in fact, the air is much thinner than on Earth. This means that the air pressure is less than 1% of Earth’s. So, the main source of hesitation for engineers was whether there could be sufficient lift. Now we have the answer. A study published in June 2020 by Oliviu Şugar-Gabor and Andreea Koreanschi from the University of Salford in the UK analyzed a possible shape for the cross section of a wing (technically called airfoil) that would be suitable for flight at speeds close to the speed of sound (high subsonic) in the Martian atmosphere. On July 30, 2020, NASA’s Perseverance mission launched to Mars carrying a small helicopter, Ingenuity, the first aircraft that will attempt controlled flight in the Martian atmosphere using a pair of rotors mounted one above the other and sharing the same axis of rotation. Perseverence and Ingenuity On Ingenuity, the rotor blades are much larger and spin much faster than what would be required on Earth, in order to compensate for the low-density, low-temperature, CO2-based atmosphere of Mars. The larger blades will generate enough lift to get the helicopter to take off and remain in flight. However, achieving fixed-wing (airplane-like) flight in this environment is a challenging problem. These conditions require very high speeds in order to achieve sufficient lift on the wings. The team used the SU2 flow solver – a state-of-the-art software that solves aerodynamics equations in order to study the behavior of a fluid around a certain shape – to determine the most suitable airfoil shapes for a low-altitude flight near the equator of Mars. They considered a fixed value for the lift coefficient – a number that represents the lifting force on the wings – and they chose it high enough to be sure that flight is possible. They also considered a range of Mach numbers that represent the speeds that the aircraft would need to reach. These numbers were 0.66, 0.68 and 0.70 Mach) in order to fly. (For reference, a Mach value of 1 is the speed of sound and is approximately 767 miles per hour.) As it results, the optimal airfoil shape for 0.66 and 0.68 Mach is one with a flat lower surface, a continuously curving upper surface and a maximum thickness in the middle. For 0.70 Mach, the maximum camber location (the point where it is more curved) is shifted backwards. This design is adequate to make so that air particles follow smooth paths on the upper surface of the airfoil, and at a high speed, in order to avoid the formation of a chaotic flow. These results were obtained with a computational method, but a further experimental work will be necessary to see if it works in real life. For example, something similar to a Mars flight can be achieved at a very high altitude on Earth, at least 30,000 meters (about 98,000 feet) above the ground, by using a model smaller than the Martian aircraft being considered. At this altitude, in fact, the atmospheric conditions are very similar to those on Mars. Developing a piloted Mars aircraft is a long-term goal for a future human settlement on the Red Planet. In fact, smaller aircraft models could be helpful to provide measurements and observations over large areas, such as those that can be hard to reach by foot or by rover. Scientists have sent rovers to Mars throughout the history of space exploration, and it is now time to soar higher. https://sciworthy.com/designing-an-airplane-that-can-fly-on-mars/ China’s CASC targets more than 40 space launches in 2021 HELSINKI — China’s main space contractor aims to conduct more than 40 orbital launches in 2021, including launching a space station module and human spaceflight missions. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced the target at a meeting Jan. 4, in a work report outlining major tasks for 2021. China launched 39 times last year, continuing the accelerated launch rate of the past few years. A terse summary of the report in a CASC press release (Chinese) stated that missions related to the Chinese Space Station complex would be among the planned 40-plus launches. Recent reports state that the space station core module will be launched in the coming months, followed by the Tianzhou-2 cargo vessel and Shenzhou-12 crewed missions. The missions will require Long March 5B and Long March 7 launches from Wenchang and a Long March 2F launch from Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert. Other major highlighted activities include the Tianwen-1 Mars spacecraft, which is due to enter Mars orbit around Feb. 10 with a rover landing attempt to follow in May. Development work will focus on the two experiment modules for the Chinese Space Station and, notably, crewed lunar exploration. No further details on the latter were provided but earlier indications are available. The report also states CASC will also focus on accelerating the application of major national scientific and technological projects such as the Beidou satellite navigation system in civil aviation and other fields. No detailed launch manifest was included in the release. The timing and nature of the vast majority of missions will remain concealed until close to or after launch. Civilian missions are expected to include Fengyun weather satellites, a New Generation Recoverable Satellite and Gaofen Earth observation satellites. Classified launches of Yaogan remote sensing satellites for reconnaissance and other designations of national defense satellites are likely. Other launches could include Hainan-1 and Satellogic commercial remote sensing satellites. Past and future CASC activities In 2020 China conducted 39 launches with CASC responsible for 34 of these, making it the most active launch provider globally, ahead of SpaceX with 25. These included launches of the Long March 5B, as a test for space station launches and a prototype new generation crew spacecraft, the Long March 8 medium-lift launcher, Tianwen-1 Mars mission as China’s first independent interplanetary mission, and the Chang’e-5 lunar sample return. China is entering a new, 14th Five Year Plan period with further details of space plans for 2021-2025 likely to follow during annual parliamentary sessions in March. A space white paper, outlining policy positions, future goals and highlighting recent achievements, is expected late in the year. CASC chairman Wu Yansheng emphasized that the group will “closely unite around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core,” in a typical reiteration of adherence to the tenets and leadership of the ruling Communist Party of China. CASC also stated it had over the past five years had focused on “guaranteed success with high quality, completing tasks efficiently, and promoting the construction of aerospace power and national defense with high efficiency.” Additional commercial launch activities The CASC target of more than 40 launches does not include new Chinese space actors. Expace, a commercial spin-off from CASIC, another state-owned defense conglomerate, is expected to launch multiple Kuaizhou solid rockets. Landspace, a Beijing startup, aims to hold a test flight of its Zhuque-2 methane-liquid oxygen launch vehicle, while fellow privately-funded outfits iSpace and Galactic Energy are expected to follow up launches of successful orbital missions using their respective solid light-lift launchers. Beijing-based iSpace will also carry out hop tests of its own methalox launcher, while Deep Blue Aerospace and CAS Space (Beijing Zhongke Aerospace), a Chinese Academy of Sciences spin-off, could also carry out hop tests and orbital launch attempts respectively. https://spacenews.com/chinas-casc-targets-more-than-40-space-launches-in-2021/ Call for Papers – ISASI 2021 Aug 30 – Sept 2, 2021 With “Staying Safe: Moving Forward” as our theme, we are excited to announce that ISASI 2021 will be a VIRTUAL EVENT. This will be a fully interactive platform so attendees can engage in a Q&A session and provide feedback. If you have no experience with this type of presentation do not be concerned, we will be providing assistance on the technical and delivery aspects once papers are selected. While many of the papers chosen for ISASI 2020 are expected to be on the program, the 2021 Committee is inviting interested individuals to submit abstracts for papers that address NEW investigations or technology. Presentation topics that support the theme may include, but are not limited to: • Recent accident/incident investigations of interest. • Novel investigation techniques for aircraft, helicopter, and drone accidents. • Data investigation methods, techniques and future developments. • Airport investigation methods and techniques. • Future investigator selection criteria and training needs. • Future of aircraft data capture and retrieval and protection of safety information. • Future developments in underwater wreckage recovery. • Future evolution of Family Assistance. Abstracts should include the author’s current CV [1 page only please] and be sent to isasi2021papers@shaw.ca Important dates: March 20th, 2021 – Last date for receipt of abstracts. May 8th, 2021 – Presenters informed of acceptance and provided with additional instructions. May 22nd, 2021 – Draft program for the 2021 Seminar Technical Program will be published. July 10th, 2021 – Last date for receipt of completed paper and PowerPoint presentation. Any papers not received by this date will be removed from the program and replaced by another speaker. If you have questions related to the paper topics or any other inquiries about the program, please contact the ISASI 2020 Program Chair at avsafe@shaw.ca 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Registration Now Open ** With over 500 registrants in just 10 days - the sponsors have extended the free registration to the first 1000 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 1000 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