Flight Safety Information - March 3, 2021 No. 045 In This Issue : Crash: South Sudan Supreme Let-410 at Pieri on Mar 2nd 2021, crashed on takeoff : Incident: Azul E195 at Belo Horizonte on Feb 28th 2021, smell of smoke and air conditioning failure : Accident: Algerie AT72 at Ghardaia on Mar 1st 2021, nose gear up landing or nose gear collapse : Boeing cites risks in design of newest Airbus jet : 'Angry' Cat Attacks Pilot, Forcing Plane to Make Emergency Landing : NTSB: Pilot in plane crash that killed 2 ignored ice warning : Frontier Airlines confirms deicing incident at BNA during winter storm : United Airlines to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to employees at O’Hare : U.S. budget airlines plot pandemic breakthrough : How 5G Connectivity Could Make Aircraft Composite Repairs More Efficient : Air India Cancels Pilot Leave As Passenger Demand Rises : Norwegian Air reaches agreement to end 36 aircraft leases, court hears : They’re Building a Hotel in Space Beginning in 2025 : Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC): 2Q21 Continuing Education/Safety Round Table (CE/SRT) : SCSI Slovenia in-person and virtual Air Safety Investigation courses : Position: Air Investigator : ERAU - Research Study : ISASI - 2021 ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Crash: South Sudan Supreme ??? at Pieri on Mar 2nd 2021, crashed on takeoff A South Sudan Supreme Airlines commercial aircraft, registration HK-4274 (Let L-410) performing a charter flight from Pieri to Yuai (South Sudan) with 8 passengers and 2 crew, crashed shortly after takeoff from Pieri at 17:05L (15:05Z). All on board perished in the crash. The owner of South Sudan Supreme Airlines (former South Supreme Airlines) confirmed they had an aircraft out which has not returned to the home base Juba so far. Jonglei State's Governor confirmed the aircraft with tail number HK-4274 crashed at Pieri Airstrip in Jonglei State of South Sudan at 17:05L (see letter below). A South Sudan Opposition Leader said, the aircraft with the tail number HK-4274 crashed shortly after takeoff killed all on board (editorial note: apart from the fact, that the registration would point to a Colombian Aircraft absolutely nothing can be found with the tail number). Juba Airport confirmed the aircraft registration HK-4274 had departed for Pieri earlier the day but had not returned to Juba. The aircraft belongs to South Sudan Supreme Airline and was a very new acquisition of the airline, hence had not been re-registered yet. However, no aircraft type was identified. South Sudan Supreme Airlines is known to operate Antonov AN-26s and Let L-410s. Pieri Airstrip features an unpaved runway and is capable of accomodating both AN26s and L410s. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e3d11a4&opt=0 Incident: Azul E195 at Belo Horizonte on Feb 28th 2021, smell of smoke and air conditioning failure An Azul Linhas Aereas Embraer ERJ-195, registration PR-AUF performing flight AD-4097 from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont,RJ to Belo Horizonte,MG (Brazil) with 94 passengers and 5 crew, had been enroute at FL290 and had just started the descent into Belo Horizonte, when smell of smoke was detected on board shortly following by indication that pack 2 had failed. The crew worked the related checklists, declared PAN PAN, continued the approach to Belo Horizonte and landed safely on runway 16 about 20 minutes later. Brazil's CENIPA reported the aircraft did not receive any damage, the occurrence was rated an incident. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e3d02c9&opt=0 Accident: Algerie AT72 at Ghardaia on Mar 1st 2021, nose gear up landing or nose gear collapse An Air Algerie Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72, flight AH-6200 from Algiers to Ghardaia (Algeria) with 30 passengers and 4 crew, landed in Ghardaia at 20:44L (19:44Z) but came to a stop on main gear and its nose. There were no injuries. Airport Emergency Services reported the aircraft was on approach to Ghardaia when the crew informed tower they could not extend the nose gear prompting a large response by emergency services with 5 fire trucks, 7 ambulances and overall 40 rescue personnel. The aircraft performed an emergency landing without nose gear. There were no injuries. Civil Protection Services at Ghardaia reported the aircraft suffered a real risk, the occurrence is taken very seriously. The airline issued a statement saying: "Technical incident without consequences (totally controlled) in the parking lot of Ghardaia airport following the collapse of the nose wheel of an ATR AH coming from Algiers." http://avherald.com/h?article=4e3cdcd7&opt=0 Boeing cites risks in design of newest Airbus jet PARIS (Reuters) - Boeing Co has raised concerns over the design of arch-rival Airbus' newest narrow-body jet, the A321XLR, saying a novel type of fuel tank could pose fire risks. The U.S. plane giant's intervention is not without precedent in a global system that regularly allows manufacturers to chime in whenever safety rules are being interpreted in a way that might affect the rest of the industry. But it comes at a pivotal moment as Boeing emerges from a two-year safety crisis over its competing 737 MAX, and Airbus faces its own crucial test of the tougher mood expected from regulators worldwide following the MAX's 20-month grounding. In a submission to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Boeing said the architecture of a fuel tank intended to increase the A321XLR's range "presents many potential hazards." The debate surrounds the hot-selling A321XLR's main marketing point - the longest range of any single-aisle jet. In most jets, fuel is carried in wings and central tanks. To meet demand for longer routes, Airbus has already added optional extra fuel tanks inside the cargo bay of some A321s. For the A321XLR, Airbus plans to eke out more space for fuel by moulding one tank directly into the fuselage, meaning its shape would follow the contours of the jet and carry more fuel. The concept caught the attention of EASA which in January said it would impose special conditions to keep passengers safe. "An integral fuselage fuel tank exposed to an external fire, if not adequately protected, may not provide enough time for the passengers to safely evacuate the aircraft," it said. In comments to EASA first reported by Flightglobal, Boeing cited risks if a jet veers off a runway or its wheels fail. "Public consultation is part-and-parcel of an aircraft development programme," an Airbus spokesman said, adding any issues raised would be tackled together with regulators. COMMERCIAL STAKES Such technical exchanges rarely capture attention. But a battered aerospace industry is on edge after the MAX crisis, compounded by COVID-19, shook confidence in aviation. Commercial stakes are also high. One industry source familiar with the project warned any extended wrangle over certification could delay the A321XLR's service entry from "late 2023" to 2024 or beyond. Should that happen, sources say Boeing is expected to encourage airlines to wait a few years longer for a potential all-new model that insiders say would leapfrog the A321XLR. While insisting they never compete on safety, Airbus and Boeing have a record of goading each other in the past over issues like novel flight computers on the Airbus A320 or European claims that four engines were safer than the 777's two. Fuel tanks have provoked particularly sharp disagreement. In 2001, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration triggered changes to the design of fuel tanks worldwide, five years after a Boeing 747 exploded in mid-air. Investigators said TWA 800 was brought down by a fuel-tank explosion in the presence of unwanted oxygen, but Airbus officials maintained their own jets were less at risk. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-cites-risks-design-newest-230131729.html 'Angry' Cat Attacks Pilot, Forcing Plane to Make Emergency Landing Acat apparently went on a rampage in the cockpit of a plane that was headed to Qatar recently. The feline was so disruptive that the pilot actually decided to turn the plane around and abandoning the flight's scheduled route, according to a report in the Sudanese newspaper Al-Sundai. A Tarco Airlines Boeing 737 was already 30 minutes into its flight from Khartoum, Sudan, to Qatar's capital city of Doha when the cat suddenly emerged in the cockpit, according to the February 25 report. Likely alarmed by its unfamiliar surroundings and people, the cat instantly went on the offensive, attacking the pilot and resisting attempts to catch it. The whole scene led the pilot to head back to Khartoum to safely remove the feline passenger. As noted by the U.K.'s Metro, local reports characterized the cat as "aggressive and angry." The furry stowaway was said to be a feral feline and, according to Al-Sundai, airline workers believe the cat likely boarded the plane while it was parked in the hangar overnight for cleaning. It's also possible that the cat could've crept aboard the aircraft during the pre-flight engineer check. Believe it or not, this isn't the first time that a cat has made an unexpected appearance on a plane. Back in July, a cat was discovered on a military plane that arrived at Bangor International Airport in Maine. The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane originally took off at the Travis Air Force Base in California, and stopped in Colorado Springs before arriving in Bangor. It was unclear at the time how or when the cat ended up on the cargo plane, however, it seemed to have enjoyed the ride and maintained a friendly temperament when crew members discovered the gray-and-white feline hiding behind crates on the plane. "We are calling it the 'feline recovery mission,'" Aimee Thibodeau, airport marketing and business development manager, told Bangor Daily News at the time. "As far as anyone knows, this is a first for the Bangor airport." The cat was then reportedly taken to the Bangor Humane Society. Folks at the animal shelter worked to find whether or not the cat had owners looking for it, so they posted social media messages about the cat regularly. After several weeks of no responses to posts about the cat, the shelter officially put the cat up for adoption. It quickly found a home with Nanci Hamlin, who works at the Bangor International Airport, and was given an appropriate name: Cargo. "Knowing Cargo the way we do now, we can see why he was on that plane," Hamlin told Bangor Daily News in a separate report. "He has no fear and loves to get on top of or inside everything." Hamlin added: "He is a real spitfire and we call him a Tasmanian Devil. He usually really gets going around two in the morning." https://www.newsweek.com/cat-pilot-attack-plane-flight-1573256 NTSB: Pilot in plane crash that killed 2 ignored ice warning GALT, Mo. — A pilot of a single-engine plane that went down in northern Missouri last month ignored warnings about bad weather before the crash, killing him and his passenger, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The plane went down [apnews.com] Feb. 8 near Galt in Grundy County, killing Philip Joseph LeFevre III, 82, of Glendale, and 47-year-old Philip Joseph LeFevre IV, of Sunset Hills. The report said the plane took off from St. Louis. Its windscreen was obscured by ice and the plane was covered with ice when it landed in Moberly, the NTSB said. The pilot, who was not named in the report, asked for help de-icing the plane. He ignored suggestions that they stay in Moberly until the weather improved, the NTSB said. Instead, he said he would fly north because he believed the weather was better. Witnesses said the men planned to spend the night in Nebraska before flying to Colorado. The wreckage was found in a wooded area near Galt the next day. The report said the initial impact occurred just 30 feet above the ground and the plane's engine didn't show any signs of losing power. https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/ntsb-pilot-in-plane-crash-that-killed-2-ignored-ice-warning Frontier Airlines confirms deicing incident at BNA during winter storm NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – Two weeks ago, a major snowstorm hit the Midstate including the airport. During that week, Frontier Airlines confirmed a deicing issue happened with one of their planes. Deicing is when you remove snow and ice from a plane. News4 got some perspective from a former NTSB investigator on why that can be dangerous. "Contamination of the wing due to snow and ice is extremely dangerous. On a scale of 1-10, this is a 10,” Tom Haueter, Former NTSB Investigator said. Haueter retired from the office of aviation safety with the NTSB. Haueter calls deicing a critical safety function during the winter for takeoff. If done incorrectly, he said the plane will stall and crash near the end of the runway. "Personnel should've ensured when that airplane left the deicing station, it was clean and ready to go,” Haueter said. Frontier Airlines issued a statement to News4 on Tuesday: “We can confirm this incident did occur. Safety is our foremost priority and we are very proud of our flight crew for identifying the issue and ensuring the matter was addressed before takeoff. We are no longer using the deicing company in question.” "This event was very close to being a catastrophe,” Haueter said. News4 is working to get more details on when this exactly happened and where the flight was heading. Until we get that information, the FAA said they can’t confirm if they’re investigating the incident. As for the deicing company, News4 is choosing not to name them until we get a response from them. https://www.wsmv.com/news/frontier-airlines-confirms-deicing-incident-at-bna-during-winter-storm/article_a433dec4-7bd5-11eb-91b5-774812dbdd39.html United Airlines to begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to employees at O’Hare United Airlines will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible employees at O’Hare International Airport on Thursday. Vaccines will be available by appointment at the airline’s health clinic in Terminal 2, according to a letter to employees from Omar Idris, vice president of Chicago-based United’s O’Hare hub. Employees who live or work in Chicago and are at least 65 years old or are members of the flight crew are eligible and were expected to receive information on how to register as early as Tuesday evening, according to the letter. United, which is working with the city of Chicago and Chicago Department of Public Health, will administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the health clinic it runs for employees with Premise Health. The city is supplying the vaccines on a weekly basis, so it isn’t clear how many doses the airline will receive in total. While United CEO Scott Kirby has said he supports making the vaccine mandatory for employees if it can work out the logistics of making it available to all workers and if other companies follow suit, the airline said vaccinations remain voluntary. “This is the most critical part of the recovery for our industry,” Idris said in the letter to employees. “Widespread vaccination — along with wearing a mask, social distancing, and hand washing — will help stop the spread of COVID-19 as we welcome more customers back in the coming months.” https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-united-airlines-covid-19-vaccines-employees-20210303-spq2ixyexbgx7gkfivs2mnhpfe-story.html U.S. budget airlines plot pandemic breakthrough PALM COAST, Fla. (Reuters) - The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the global travel landscape and U.S. no-frills carriers are pouncing. As legacy airlines shrink to contain costs, budget carriers Spirit Airlines, Allegiant Travel and privately-owned Frontier Airlines are resuming pilot hiring and expanding networks to seize turf dominated by larger rivals. The three airlines' combined U.S. market share, which barely topped 10% before the pandemic, could grow by 10 percentage points this year alone, said René Armas Maes of UK-based consultancy MIDAS Aviation. "Ultra low-cost carriers want to attack head-to-head; they believe they're in a better position to rebuild travel demand," he said. Las Vegas-based Allegiant has told prospective pilots whose hiring was halted as the pandemic unfolded: "We have recalled all of our furloughed pilots and are now planning for exciting growth opportunities." Spirit and Frontier have posted pilot job ads and are taking delivery of Airbus A320neo jets that could open longer routes, including coast-to-coast flying traditionally controlled by legacy, or full-service, carriers. By contrast, American Airlines has gone from hiring 100 pilots a month before the pandemic to threatening 1,850 furloughs without fresh government assistance on labor costs. Allegiant also stands to benefit if Congress approves a third round of COVID-19 payroll relief for U.S. airlines, but "would be just fine without it," Chief Financial Officer Greg Anderson told Reuters. "The leading indicators suggest that there is a nice growth trajectory for Allegiant," said Anderson, citing Google searches, indices that track changes in city populations and infection and vaccination trends from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. He said customer surveys also show an increased preference for smaller airports and non-stop flights, cornerstones of budget carriers' business models. TRIAL AND ERROR Ultra low-cost carriers, or ULCCs, offer a no-frills experience at rock-bottom fares and charge heavily for extras like bags. They wage fare wars and are pervasive in Europe's fragmented market but have lagged in the United States. ULCCs are a tier below carriers like Southwest Airlines, which pioneered the low-cost concept in the 1970s and has grown to become the leading domestic airline. It provides free beverages and checked bags but keeps costs low in part by flying a single fleet-type of Boeing 737s. U.S. mainline legacy carriers American, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have diverse fleets that include expensive wide-body jets geared for the kind of business and international travel that has suffered most in the pandemic. American's unit costs excluding fuel, a key metric of efficiency, were $0.18 per available mile in 2020, more than double that of budget rivals like Allegiant, according to data compiled by financial services firm Raymond James. This means Allegiant, which primarily uses second-hand planes and only flies on peak travel days like weekends, can more easily profit on discount fares. And whereas legacy carriers use a hub-and-spoke network that shuttles people through costly big-city airports, the ULCC business model is based on point-to-point travel to smaller airports where they outsource much of their infrastructure. Allegiant's fixed costs account for just around a quarter of its total. That flexibility helps budget carriers open new routes on a trial-and-error basis. During the pandemic, for example, they have pivoted toward beach and mountain destinations. "Then if the route is not performing, they won't hesitate to shut it down," said George Dimitroff of consultants Ascend by Cirium. But there are risks. American, United and Delta have also shifted flights during the pandemic to pick up leisure demand and their market power and geographical reach remain formidable. Competing with them can lure upstart airlines into relaxing cost discipline - a move described as a "path to hell" by budget airlines entrepreneur Bill Franke, who championed the ULCC model. Together the three large airlines control around 60% of domestic travel and could chase away rivals on smaller routes if they choose, industry critics said. But they are more burdened by debt than the ULCCs and continue to burn through millions of dollars every day, hampering their ability to grow, the critics said. BUDGET SHIFT Budget airlines with low debt are also using the crisis to snap up bargains on used planes hitting the market from bankruptcies abroad, traders said, allowing them to extend their cost advantage. Allegiant, with an average fleet age of 14 years, is eyeing deals on aircraft between eight and 12 years-old, Anderson said, noting: "Prices are well-discounted off pre-COVID." Beyond low fares, experts said the pandemic has given budget carriers a fresh argument for previously wary customers. Traditional airline perks like catering services have lost their luster in an era of masks, and budget airplanes feature the same hospital-grade aircraft filtration systems as others. And they could benefit from more cost-conscious small and medium sized businesses changing travel policies to favor lower-cost airlines, albeit constrained by their more limited flying through large hubs. "More price-sensitive travel will be the new normal for the next couple of years at least," Armas Maes said. Even so, today's outsiders will face a competitive cycle. After the last downturn, low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways grabbed market share from American on the U.S. east coast. Now it is grappling with competition from ULCCs and is teaming up with its old rival. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-budget-airlines-plot-pandemic-144012264.html How 5G Connectivity Could Make Aircraft Composite Repairs More Efficient Composite repair specialist GMI Aero has been tapped by a European innovation project to test the use of 5G technology for improving efficiencies within aircraft repair processes. Through the EVOLVED-5G project, GMI Aero will perform research and development by connecting its hot bonder equipment to what it calls the “Industry 4.0 ecosystem” through 5G infrastructures, enabling digitalization of the composite repair process. According to George Kanterakis, research and innovation director at GMI Aero, sharing of data for quality assurance between airlines, MROs, OEMs and regulatory authorities is necessary to ensure that a composite repair has accurately followed parameters for curing temperature and time to achieve the correct mechanical properties. Currently, says Kanterakis, the process is fairly inefficient. “Today you do your curing, you send your data to a printer and then you submit at the various levels,” he says. “This takes time, this does not give any room for any intervention online and if the repair is bad you just need to restart.” In addition to speeding up the process, Kanterakis says the project could help certify composite repairs occurring anywhere in the world—and with different environmental parameters—through the creation of a digital or physical twin. “Suppose you have an aircraft from a major U.S. airline that landed in Mexico City with damage at the critical part. You need to do a repair, but you have a lot of challenges,” he says, noting that it would be difficult for a composite repair specialist to achieve a good vacuum due to Mexico City’s high altitude and potential humidity. Using 5G technology, the airline could work virtually with an OEM elsewhere in the world to create a physical or digital twin with exactly the same parameters to certify the degree of curing achieved through the composite repair. The technology will work by connecting GMI Aero’s Anita hot bonders to an application through either 5G or Wi-Fi to provide engineering departments with a real-time picture of equipment and repair processes. Kanterakis says an MRO performing multiple hot bonder repairs at once could keep track of all the relevant parameters and intervene as necessary. “You could have better reporting to prove what you have done by including photos, videos, design data, non-destructive testing data—all that in one report that will go to the quality assurance,” he adds. Kanterakis also notes that connectivity will enable equipment such as hot bonders to become portable, enabling composite repairs to take place on the apron, which he says has previously been a challenge due to environmental conditions. GMI Aero eventually foresees the connected hot bonder as one piece in an ecosystem of similarly connected equipment to comprise a “factory of the future.” The EVOLVED-5G project is scheduled to finish by 2023 and Kanterakis says GMI Aero is running several projects in parallel to take advantage of new technology capabilities. One project, called AdaptHEAT, is developing a solution using zonal control to create several independent heating zones tailored to the thermal signature of a part to create a homogenous field, even in complex repairs. Kanterakis says the technology is applicable for components such as Boeing 777 nacelles or Airbus A380 trans-cowls. GMI Aero also plans to have a new version of its Anita hot bonder product available by the end of 2021 that will incorporate new features in light of the EVOLVED-5G research. https://aviationweek.com/mro/emerging-technologies/how-5g-connectivity-could-make-aircraft-composite-repairs-more-efficient Air India Cancels Pilot Leave As Passenger Demand Rises Air India has canceled leave for all its pilots as flight demand rises. According to an internal memo, the carrier has called in all its pilots except those absent for urgent reasons. The recalling of pilots could signal an expansion in domestic and international flights soon. Back to work The sudden revocation of all pilot leave comes after Air India sent out an internal memo on Monday. According to The Times Of India, the memo said, “all leave for cockpit crew stands withdrawn with immediate effect. However, leave may be granted in extreme cases depending on the urgency on a case to case basis.” The decision to bring back pilots comes at an interesting time for the airline. Domestic passenger numbers are quickly reaching pre-pandemic levels, but airline capacity remains limited to 80% for now. However, with over 300,000 passengers flying within India daily, the caps could be removed soon. The airline’s move could signal that domestic capacity limits will be lifted soon, with senior Air India officials saying the number of AI flights will go up soon. Another possibility is that India plans to open up international flights further, prompting Air India to bring back more pilots. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests! Summer schedule The increase in pilots available also coincides with the timing of the release of the summer schedule for airlines. Coming into effect from the end of March, the government has long signaled that it wants to see airlines make a 100% domestic recovery in the early months of 2020. The winter season (November-March) saw airlines only operate 13,000 flights in total, although this figure was later raised thanks to an easing of limits (from 60% of 2019 capacity to 80%). However, considering passenger numbers have now doubled since November, the limits are quickly making less sense for the market. India Aviation IndiGo Airlines are hoping for a strong summer season after a difficult year. Photo: Getty Images The government has been hesitant to remove fare and capacity caps in the last two months despite relatively strong traffic. Expect more details about the summer schedule in the coming weeks. Fears of a second wave While airlines might be ramping up operations, there are fears that India is heading into a second wave of cases. After months of consistently falling cases, infections have started ticking upwards in major cities like Pune and Mumbai. If these trends hold, airline recovery could quickly start sliding back. However, a second wave is unlikely to hurt passenger numbers in the way seen in Europe. Instead, expect a lower but marked decline in daily passengers as cases rise. For now, both airlines and the government is hoping early action can stave off any impact on the economy. https://simpleflying.com/air-india-cancels-pilot-leave/ Norwegian Air reaches agreement to end 36 aircraft leases, court hears DUBLIN (Reuters) - Norwegian Air has withdrawn requests to repudiate a total of 36 aircraft leases after reaching agreement with the lessors in question as part of a restructuring process, Ireland's High Court heard on Tuesday. The budget airline was late last year given protection from bankruptcy in both Norway and Ireland, where most of its assets are registered, and is aiming to emerge from the process with fewer aircraft and less debt. The airline, which aims to cut its fleet to 53 aircraft from 140 and withdraw from the long-haul market, last week said both the Irish and Norwegian processes were going as planned and were expected to end during the second quarter. As part of the Irish process, which is due to conclude by April 16, the Irish High Court will rule on Friday on whether to allow the airline to repudiate liabilities, including three aircraft subleases and 25 guarantees tied to aircraft leases. A lawyer for Norwegian on Tuesday confirmed to the court that agreement had been secured on the last of 36 aircraft leases it had been seeking to repudiate. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/norwegian-air-reaches-agreement-end-171426122.html They’re Building a Hotel in Space Beginning in 2025 VIDEO Once the COVID-19 crisis is properly behind us, the travel industry will no doubt witness a boom. Folks with the means for airfare will surely reconnect with their paused passion for jet-setting. And if you find yourself stricken with wanderlust, you may already be considering your first post-pandemic destination. Paris! London! Westview, New Jersey! Maybe even someplace that wasn’t inspired by the past year of television! Or maybe you’ll go the extra mile (or extra 250 miles, directly upward) and visit the first ever space hotel. Per a recent report on Space.com (the leading authority on all matters relating to hotels), the Gateway Foundation and Orbital Assembly Corporation are working on the first ever commercial space station. Dubbed the Voyager Station, the extraterrestrial cruise liner will take the form of a giant rotating circle. (The rotation should maintain artificial gravity, the degree of which we might experience on the Moon.) OAS has a team of NASA vets assigned to the project; plans at present state that construction could begin as early as 2025. The Voyager promises enough hotel rooms to cater to 400 guests, as well as a slew of other accommodations. The Daily Mail lists restaurants, bars, spas, gyms, and movie theaters among the projected features. (We have to imagine they won’t be showing Gravity… or Alien… or 2001: A Space Odyssey… or The Andromeda Strain. Honestly, it really might be best if they just stick to strictly Earth-set films. For the sake of guests’ peace of mind.) While the main structure will devote its real estate principally to luxury living, exterior compartments will host other functions. Some will house basic necessities for site maintenance, like crew members and supplies; others may allocate space for NASA and the European Space Agency for research purposes; further still could rent out to private users, corporations, or governments. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/building-hotel-space-beginning-2025-151104338.html posted on March 2, 2021 08:00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC): 2Q21 Continuing Education/Safety Round Table (CE/SRT) Approved For NBAA Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Points on May 11, 2021, 1000 CDT. Milestone achievement for Industry leading Continuing Education program. On February 17, 2021, the BASC 2Q21 Continuing Education/Safety Round Table (CE/SRT) was approved by the NBAA CAM Governing Board for CAM Points. BASC Full-Service Members, following a verification process, will be awarded ¼ point for the one-hour session on May 11, 2021. Points are applicable to aspiring CAMs accumulating points for an application, as well as, current CAMs accumulating points for recertification. The NBAA Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) Program identifies qualified professionals to lead departments and organizations that use business aircraft. The CAM credential acknowledges professionals committed to continuous development and higher standards of practice. The CAM program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and was the first organization in the aviation industry to receive this credential. The Founder and President of BASC, Rick Malczynski (a CAM himself), was thrilled upon notification of the approval. “The CAM program is very robust. It is no walk in the park. The CAM test itself is quite an experience. During the test, your life kind of flashes before your eyes. You truly find yourself recalling your past practical experiences and hours of preparation! The program and test cover an incredible scope and definitely say something about the 600 CAMs in the industry. There are some great mentors out there, but we need to continue making great training available, and accumulate CAM points, whether they be for recertification or a new applicant.” Regarding BASC’s involvement, Malczynski added, “We have been providing quality education for our members for four years now. It made sense to reach for the stars, as well as, provide that added value for our team members. It was great working with the Program Administrator, Tyler Austin, and the CAM Governing Board. The process for approval was very straight forward, and I see us applying for CAM Point approval much more often for future CE/SRTs!” ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com. Position: Air Investigator · Continue your air safety career · Apply your flying expertise · Central Wellington location The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) investigates significant aviation, rail, and marine accidents and incidents with a view to avoiding similar occurrences in the future. The Commission has set a visionary goal of "No Repeat Accidents - Ever!". Highly skilled accident investigators are pivotal to the Commission's successful performance. To complement the team, we're seeking an experienced commercial pilot to join them as an Air Investigator. It's likely you'll have around ten years of commercial flying experience, and importantly, demonstrable experience or interest in air safety. Ideally, you'll have investigation reporting and evidence analysis experience. In addition, you will be able to bring to the role: · excellent communication skills - and be able to write to a high standard · strong problem solving skills · analytical capability, with very strong attention to detail and accuracy · an innate ability to think logically, anticipate risk, and identify solutions · proven project management skills · outstanding relationship management skills · energy and vigour, balanced with diplomacy and tact. Given the nature of this work, you must be medically and physically fit, and have the emotional and psychological maturity to handle stressful and emotionally difficult circumstances. Accident investigation is a highly specialised and time critical task involving expertise in a wide range of disciplines, and the successful candidate will undergo extensive and highly regarded long term training to become a skilled accident investigator. In return, you can further your accident investigation career in a supportive and development focused environment, within an internationally regarded organisation clearly focused on the avoidance of repeat accidents. Applications close at 5pm on Monday, 15 March 2021. If you are interested in the position please visit our website www.peopleandco.nz and search on the keyword 19631 under the Jobs tab. All applications will be acknowledged electronically. For further information contact Jacaleen Williams on 0064 4 931 9450 quoting job number 19631. To be eligible to apply you must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand and meet any entry requirements if you're outside the country. For advice on obtaining a New Zealand work or residence visa and our entry requirements visit www.immigration.govt.nz ERAU - Research Study Dear Pilot, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions on urban air mobility. This study is expected to take approximately 10 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old, a resident of the U.S., a certified pilot, and have piloted with the last 5 year. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be immediately destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://forms.gle/PMY7C4fh9LL3VWUa9 For more information, please contact: Dr. Scott R. Winter scott.winter@erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! ISASI - 2021 ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship Are you a full-time student in a collegiate aviation program? Do you know a full-time student in the aeronautical/aerospace engineering, aviation operations, aviation psychology, aviation safety and/or aircraft occurrence investigation fields? Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 ISASI Rudolf Kapustin Memorial Scholarship! This award includes funded attendance at the ISASI Annual Seminar. An award of $2,000 will be made to the student(s) who meets the eligibility criteria and is chosen by the Scholarship Fund Committee based on the contents of the application package including an essay submission. The 2021 annual scholarship award will function a bit differently than past awards. This year the award includes funded attendance at the ISASI Virtual Annual Seminar. Additionally, all remaining funds from the scholarship award will be used to cover costs for the seminar registration fees, travel, and accommodation expenses for either the 2022 or 2023 in-person seminar. Please see eligibility requirements and an application attached. We look forward to receiving your applications and reviewing your essays! Thank you, ISASI Scholarship Fund Committee Application Form: https://tinyurl.com/11hf7onq Curt Lewis