Flight Safety Information - May 27, 2021 No. 106 In This Issue : Incident: CSA A320 near Metz on May 20th 2021, loss of cabin pressure : Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Phoenix on May 24th 2021, gear disagrees : TSB REPORT: Low visibility, blowing snow factors in King Air runway excursion in Canada : U.S. FAA finalizing electronic pilot records database : United Airlines, whose CEO expressed support for mandatory vaccines, instead gives pilots incentives to get the shot : Pilot Falls Asleep During Flight, Misses Destination by Nearly 70 Miles : Flight attendant's bloody assault by passenger part of disturbing trend : FAA SAYS SIGNAL RECEIVED ABOUT GPS JAMMING WORRIES : Navy Now Ready to Use New Precision Landing System on Aircraft Carriers : Merlin Labs Announces $25M Funding Round and Partnership to Bring Autonomy to 55-Aircraft Fleet : Airbus sets higher jet output targets, shares jump : Air freight market becomes a bright spot for Boeing in China : China’s first Mars rover is finally cruising : Position: Aviation Safety Staff Engineer (Design, Certification, and Operations) : Position: Aviation Security Specialist : CAAi and FlyZero announce partnership on zero-carbon emission flight Incident: CSA A320 near Metz on May 20th 2021, loss of cabin pressure A CSA Czech Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OK-HEU performing flight OK-761 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Prague (Czech Republic), was climbing through FL330 (cleared to climb to FL340) when the crew donned their oxygen masks and initiated an emergency descent to FL100 stating "Pressurization! Request to descend to FL100!" and were promptly cleared to descend to FL100. The crew stopped the descent at FL150, subsequently climbed the aircraft again to FL190 and continued the journey to Prague for a safe landing on runway 30 about 70 minutes after descending from FL330. The occurrence aircraft returned to service the following morning after about 18.5 hours on the ground in Prague. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7f8484&opt=0 Incident: Skywest CRJ7 at Phoenix on May 24th 2021, gear disagrees A Skywest Canadair CRJ-700 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N773SK performing flight AA-3097 from Phoenix,AZ to Santa Barbara,CA (USA), was climbing to FL210 out of Phoenix's runway 07L when the crew stopped the climb at 10,000 feet reporting their gear disagreed. The crew requested to return to Phoenix and landed safely back on Phoenix's runway 08 about 13 minutes after departure. A replacement CRJ-700 registration N759EV reached Santa Barbara with a delay of about 2 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7f823b&opt=0 TSB REPORT: Low visibility, blowing snow factors in King Air runway excursion in Canada In its investigation report, TSB Canada identified the recurring issue of approaches continued in low visibility environments as a contributing factor a Beech King Air runway excursion. The investigation found that the flight crew believed the landing was permitted given the absence of an approach ban, and landed even though the reported ground visibility was below the minimum aerodrome operating visibility. On 28 April 2020, a Buffalo Airways Ltd. Beechcraft King Air A100 aircraft was conducting a charter flight under instrument flight rules, from the Cambridge Bay Airport, Nunavut to Kugaaruk, Nunavut, with two flight crew members and freight on board. Immediately after touchdown at the Kugaaruk Airport, the aircraft veered to the right and departed from the runway surface. The aircraft came to rest after colliding with a snowbank on the northwest side of the runway. The crew was uninjured and egressed the aircraft via the main cabin door. There was no fire, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The investigation determined that during the later stages of the approach, a crosswind from the left, and the visual effects of blowing snow contributed to the aircraft being aligned with the right side of the runway. The aircraft touched down near the right edge of the runway and, when the right landing gear impacted the deeper snow along the runway edge, the aircraft veered to the right and departed the runway surface. Approaches to airports north of 60°N latitude are not restricted by ground visibility and, as a result, the flight crew continued the approach when the reported visibility was ¼ statute mile, which is lower than the published advisory visibility of 1¾ statute miles for this approach. The flight crew believed that the lack of an approach ban permitted a landing, and landed at Kugaaruk Airport even though the reported ground visibility was below the minimum aerodrome operating visibility of ½ statute mile. The rules that govern instrument approaches in Canada are too complex, confusing and ineffective at preventing pilots from conducting approaches that are not allowed, or banned, because they are below the minimum weather limits, TSB stated. In 2020, the TSB issued recommendations A20-01 and A20-02 calling on Transport Canada (TC) to review and simplify operating minima for approaches and landings at Canadian aerodromes and to introduce a mechanism to stop approaches and landings that are actually banned. In a response to both recommendations, TC stated that it would be forming and leading an industry working group to draft a Notice of Proposed Amendment to update approach ban regulations, as well as the supporting documentation and guidance. Until these recommendations are fully addressed, there remains a risk that flight crews will initiate, or continue, approaches in weather conditions that do not permit a safe landing. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2021/05/26/low-visibility-blowing-snow-factors-in-king-air-runway-excursion-in-canada/ U.S. FAA finalizing electronic pilot records database WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it is finalizing rules establishing a long-delayed electronic pilot records database demanded by Congress in 2010 in the wake of a fatal crash. In March, the FAA published proposed rules to establish a new database to provide potential employers with rapid access to information about pilot performance and employment records after the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in February 2009 near Buffalo killed 50 people. The FAA said operators will have until late 2024 to fully comply with the rule. In July, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited the FAA's failure to finalize the database as a contributing factor in a February 2019 fatal crash of an Atlas Air cargo plane. The new final rule, which has been submitted for formal publication by the FAA, requires air carriers to report pilots’ employment history, training, and qualifications to the database and to review electronic records when considering pilots for employment. "It has been a long journey for the families of Colgan Flight 3407, but their tireless advocacy and continued engagement with the FAA has made this database a reality. With it, employers will be able to quickly and thoroughly make informed hiring decisions to keep our skies safe,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in a statement. The FAA said the database is "intended to help ensure that no records about a pilot’s performance with previous employers that could influence a future employer’s decision go unidentified." The captain of Flight 3407 failed three tests known as “check rides” but only disclosed one to the airline. "Access to these records is critical to ensuring that airlines have as much information as possible about a pilot’s qualifications and safety records prior to making a hiring decision," New York lawmakers wrote in February. In the Atlas crash, the NTSB cited the first officer’s inappropriate response to an inadvertent activation of the airplane’s go-around mode that resulted in his spatial disorientation and led him to place the airplane in a steep dive from which it did not recover. The NTSB said the first officer had a long history of training difficulties at several employers and cited "deliberate attempts” to hide employment history deficiencies. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/1-u-faa-finalizing-electronic-154302766.html United Airlines, whose CEO expressed support for mandatory vaccines, instead gives pilots incentives to get the shot United Airlines will not require its pilots to get the COVID-19 vaccine, though it will give them an incentive to be vaccinated. The Chicago-based airline’s CEO, Scott Kirby, said earlier this year he wanted to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for United’s workforce, as long as other companies also made shots mandatory for employees. Employers can require the COVID-19 vaccine, but employees can decline because of a disability or a sincerely held religious belief. Many companies have chosen to encourage vaccines, but keep them voluntary. United pilots who provide proof they received the vaccine will get up to 13 hours’ added pay, the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents United’s pilots, said Monday. The pilots’ union focused on “encouraging maximum voluntary participation in lieu of any such mandate,” Todd Insler, chairman of the United branch of the association, wrote in a message to pilots Monday. To receive the maximum amount of additional pay, pilots must get their first dose of the vaccine by June 1 and schedule doses so they won’t need to take sick leave. Pilots will not be disciplined if they choose not to get the vaccine, but they may have their pay and schedule adjusted if being unvaccinated affects where they can fly. Delta Air Lines is requiring all new hires be vaccinated, unless they qualify for an accommodation. As of earlier this month, more than 60% of Delta’s existing employees were vaccinated. American Airlines does not require vaccines but offered employees an incentive to get the shot: an extra vacation day in 2022 and $50 in employee reward program points. Both United and American worked with the city to hold vaccination clinics for employees at O’Hare International Airport earlier this year. https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-united-airlines-pilots-covid-19-vaccines-20210525-cpmma26q4ven5i6ixsml7sfqku-story.html Pilot Falls Asleep During Flight, Misses Destination by Nearly 70 Miles A pilot in Australia was reported to have fallen asleep midflight "likely due to a combination of fatigue and mild hypoxia [lack of sufficient oxygen]," according to the latest report Wednesday by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). A new ATSB probe into the incident, which took place in July 2020, found the pilot who "was unresponsive to air traffic control calls for 40 minutes had fallen asleep due to fatigue likely exacerbated by mild hypoxia from the intermittent use of supplemental oxygen," the report said. The pilot woke up and contact was reestablished when the plane was "about 111 km [around 70 miles]" from the intended destination of Redcliffe. The plane instead landed safely at Australia's Gold Coast Airport, around 56 miles south of Brisbane, the bureau said. The pilot was operating a Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft on an afternoon ferry flight from the city of Cairns to Redcliffe (a suburb of the Brisbane metropolitan area) in the Australian state of Queensland. The aircraft was cruising at 10,000 feet when the pilot faced "unforcast icing conditions and poor visibility due to cloud." Climbing to 11,000 feet, the pilot began using the plane's supplemental oxygen system intermittently, according to the report. "Pilots are required to continuously use supplemental oxygen when flying unpressurised aircraft, such as the Caravan, when flying above 10,000 feet," the report explained. According to the latest ATSB investigation, air traffic control (ATC) was unable to make contact with the pilot when the plane was around 33 miles from the Sunshine Coast Airport, located around 56 miles north of Brisbane. After several calls, ATC called on pilots in nearby aircraft to help contact the Caravan pilot "who was seen to overfly Redcliffe and track towards Brisbane," the report said. The report says another aircraft attempted to approach the Caravan to try to trigger the traffic alert and collision system but there was still no response from the pilot. After 40 minutes without contact, the pilot woke up at 5:35 p.m. local time and ATC communications were reestablished when the plane was "about 111 km [around 69 miles] south-south-east of the intended destination," the report said. The pilot was instructed to land at Gold Coast Airport where the plane landed safely just after 6 p.m. local time. ATSB Acting Transport Safety Director, Kerri Hughes, said in the report: "The ATSB found that the pilot was likely experiencing a level of fatigue due to inadequate sleep the night before and leading up to the incident." Most people tend to "underestimate their level of fatigue and tend to overestimate their abilities," Hughes noted in the report. "This incident emphasises the importance of pilots monitoring their own health and wellbeing, to ensure that they are well-rested and adequately nourished, especially when conducting single pilot operations." The director said the investigation "carefully considered the role of hypoxia" in the latest case. She explained: "Although a common symptom of hypoxia is loss of consciousness, it is not typical for someone experiencing hypoxia to regain consciousness, while still operating at the same altitude and without additional oxygen. "Therefore, from the information obtained by a medical specialist engaged by the ATSB and from studies conducted on mild hypoxia at moderate altitudes, the ATSB determined that it was unlikely that the pilot had lost consciousness solely due to mild hypoxia. "Rather, the pilot had fallen asleep likely due to a combination of fatigue and mild hypoxia, possibly exacerbated by dehydration and diet," Hughes said. According to an article on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) website, hypoxia is defined as "the lack of sufficient oxygen in the blood, tissues, and/or cells to maintain normal physiological function." The most common causes of hypoxia in aviation include "flying, non-pressurized aircraft above 10,000 ft without supplemental oxygen, rapid decompression during flight, pressurization system malfunction, or oxygen system malfunction," the article notes. "One factor that makes hypoxia dangerous is its insidious onset; your signs and symptoms may develop so gradually that they are well established before you recognize them. Hypoxia is painless, and the signs and symptoms vary from person to person," the FAA website explains. https://www.newsweek.com/pilot-falls-asleep-australia-flight-brisbane-gold-coast-fatigue-hypoxia-1594951 Flight attendant's bloody assault by passenger part of disturbing trend A Southwest Airlines flight attendant who lost two teeth after she was physically assaulted by a passenger on Sunday is among the more egregious examples of an unsettling increase in unruly and dangerous behavior on the part of air travelers. There were 477 passenger misconduct incidents on Southwest flights between April 8 and May 15, including one Sunday morning on a flight landing at San Diego International Airport, according to the carrier's flight attendant union. "This past weekend, one of our flight attendants was seriously assaulted, resulting in injuries to the face and a loss of two teeth," TWU Local 556 President Lyn Montgomery wrote in a letter to Southwest CEO Gary Kelly. "This unprecedented number of incidents has reached an intolerable level, with passenger non-compliance events also becoming more aggressive in nature," Montgomery said. "We are asking our carrier, the government and the flying public's help in ending this epidemic of aggression and assault. Flight attendants are first responders in the sky who are focused on safety. As people return to the skies, we are asking for everyone's help in complying with flight attendant requests to help ensure a safe and fun atmosphere for all," she said in an emailed statement to CBS MoneyWatch. "Verbally and physically abusive" Southwest confirmed the recent incident in an emailed statement. "Our reports indicate that a passenger physically assaulted a flight attendant upon landing on Flight #700 from Sacramento to San Diego Sunday morning," the spokesperson stated. "The passenger repeatedly ignored standard inflight instructions and became verbally and physically abusive upon landing. Law enforcement officials were requested to meet the flight upon arrival, and the passenger was taken into custody." A woman who shared a video of police officers escorting a woman from the aircraft said the flight attendant told a passenger to keep her seat belt fastened while the plane was still moving, with the passenger responding by punching her in the head. So a typical short uneventful flight from Sacramento to San Diego, early Sunday morning, on Southwest Airlines, turns violent. As we are pulling up to the gate, a woman in the back row took off her seat belt and stood up. The flight attendant told her to keep her seat belt fastened while we were still moving. What I saw was the flight attendant in the front suddenly start screaming “No, No, No! Stop!”, and running toward the back. I thought maybe someone was trying to open the back doors at first, but the woman in the back was attacking the flight attendant, punching her in the head. While the flight attendant was staggering back with a bloody face, we were all told to stay in our seats while they brought in police to remove the unruly passenger. Good grief people. Lady, welcome to the “no fly list”. Posted by Susan Marie Stidham on Sunday, May 23, 2021 "While the flight attendant was staggering back with a bloody face, we were all told to stay in our seats while they brought in police to remove the unruly passenger," she relayed in a post on Facebook. "We do not condone or tolerate verbal or physical abuse of our flight crews, who are responsible for the safety of our passengers," the Southwest spokesperson said. The incident came a day before the Federal Aviation Administration fined a passenger $52,500 for trying to open the cockpit door and hit a flight attendant in the face twice on a Delta Air Lines flight in late December. The FAA also said it was seeking fines against three other passengers for behavior including refusing to wear a mask and for threatening others. They include: • A woman facing a $9,000 fine for continually refusing to wear a mask properly and cursing at flight attendants on a February 15 Allegiant Air flight from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Knoxville, Tennessee. • A passenger on a February 5 flight facing a fine of $18,500 for bringing his own alcohol on board a JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale to Las Vegas and refusing to stop drinking it when asked by flight attendants. The FAA said he also kept removing his face mask and wearing it improperly despite the directions of flight attendants. • The agency is also seeking a $27,000 fine against a passenger who allegedly threatened to kill someone and claimed to have access to a bomb on a January 1, 2020, flight Southwest flight from Phoenix to Chicago. The flight was diverted to Oklahoma City where police took the man into custody. • The FAA has received about 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior and 1,900 reports of passengers refusing to wear masks in defiance of a federal mandate. While fewer people have been flying since the coronavirus took hold in the U.S. in March 2020, Transportation Security Administration data show an increase in recent weeks of passengers being screened at airports. More than 1.6 million people were screened Sunday, the most on any single day since last year. The number of passengers was down 61% in 2020. At the same time, more passengers are getting banned by airlines for unruly behavior. The lists maintained by the airlines — different from the federal no-fly list — had swelled to more than 3,000 as of February, data compiled by CBS News showed. Montgomery, the Transport Workers Union official, is concerned matters will only get worse when Southwest brings back alcoholic beverages this summer after largely going without during much of the pandemic. She's calling on Southwest to take stronger action to curtail passenger misconduct, including adding more to the carrier's restricted travelers list. "The flying public needs to understand that egregious behavior will result in being banned from flying with Southwest," Montgomery wrote. "No passenger should be removed from one flight only to be permitted to board the very next Southwest Airlines flight after a non-compliance incident." The union also urged the airline demand the government add federal air marshals to aircraft to help ensure safe travel. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/flight-attendant-southwest-assault-passenger-teeth/ FAA SAYS SIGNAL RECEIVED ABOUT GPS JAMMING WORRIES Yes, we got your letter. That, in essence, was the FAA’s message to general aviation on a topic of growing concern: How to reduce the impact of intentional GPS dial-downs on a NextGen air traffic control system ever more dependent on GPS navigation. For years, AOPA and other aviation organizations have expressed reservations about the increase in intentional government jamming of GPS reception for “deprived environment” military exercises while sometimes doubting that officials shared the sense of urgency. Now GA advocates have received new assurances that their signals of concern have been received. The FAA gave an update during a recent virtual airspace briefing on what it is doing to make the planned GPS outages conducted by the Department of Defense less of a risk to GA. Officials summarized several actions implemented and other steps being planned to mitigate the possibility of a sudden loss of GPS navigation for GA aircraft, said Jim McClay, AOPA director of airspace, air traffic, and security. The briefing itself amounted to a long-promised response to the letter AOPA and the National Business Aviation Association sent to the two government agencies in February, noting that GA had received no acknowledgement of recommended fixes offered three years ago. Since then, McClay said, GPS jamming events have increased both in number and in areas affected by the staging of military training exercises that are based on depriving the participating forces of some GPS functions. According to an NBAA news release issued after the briefing, in the past 10 years GPS interference events nearly quadrupled. In the last two or three years, locations where the events took place have doubled, it said. For pilots seeking awareness of GPS-deprived airspace, rusty preflight planning skills won’t make life easier. Although the FAA said it has increased its advance notice for issuing advisories about specific GPS jamming activities to 120 hours, the notams may not appear in a standard briefing, McClay said. An additional complication is that the relevant notam could be buried in a long list of other notams. AOPA and NBAA representatives also emphasized to officials that including graphics could help pilots interpret GPS notams. McClay believes officials received the message. “They emphasized a desire to continue working with industry on this,” he said, adding that the FAA assured the stakeholders that it was not ignoring the 25 mitigations the industry proposed in a 2018 report from the Tactical Operations Committee of the aviation technical advisory organization RTCA. As discussions continue, one measure that could reduce the impact of GPS jamming is an effort by the Pentagon to coordinate its event scheduling with the FAA’s air route traffic control centers to avoid jamming signals during the ARTCCs’ busiest periods of traffic volume, he said. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/may/26/faa-says-signal-received-about-gps-jamming--worries Navy Now Ready to Use New Precision Landing System on Aircraft Carriers The U.S. Navy has declared the initial operational capability of a Raytheon Technologies-made system designed to guide aircraft landing on naval carriers and amphibious assault ships. The Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) achieved IOC on May 4 and is now ready to facilitate aircraft landings on naval ships, Naval Air Systems Command said May 18th. “JPALS has reached a historic milestone, which supports our requirement to deliver, operate and maintain a Navy with a focus on our core roles of sea control and power projection,” said Cmdr. Jeff Dugard, who leads the Naval Airspace and Air Traffic Control Standards and Evaluation Agency. The system's IOC declaration results from a long series of developmental work that commenced in 2008 and comes almost a year earlier than scheduled. JPALS can now help F-35C units land on nuclear aircraft carriers in any weather condition. The system has been used on amphibious assault ships since 2016 under an early operational capability. https://www.executivegov.com/2021/05/navy-now-ready-to-use-new-precision-landing-system-on-aircraft-carriers/ Merlin Labs Announces $25M Funding Round and Partnership to Bring Autonomy to 55-Aircraft Fleet Boston-based company comes out of stealth after signing deal with Dynamic Aviation, owner of world's largest private fleet of King Airs. BOSTON, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Merlin Labs, the leading developer of autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, is disclosing that it has raised $25 million in funding from GV (formerly Google Ventures) and First Round Capital. The company, which until today had been in stealth mode, is also announcing a 55-aircraft partnership with Dynamic Aviation, the owner of the world's largest private King Air fleet. With offices in Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, and Auckland, New Zealand as well as a dedicated flight facility at the Mojave Air & Space Port, Merlin is building a certifiable autonomy system for complex fixed-wing aircraft. The company has demonstrated hundreds of autonomous missions on multiple aircraft types, including complex twin turboprop aircraft. Its autonomy platform is aircraft-agnostic, focuses on on-board autonomy rather than remote piloting and is being integrated into a wide variety of public- and private-sector aircraft. Today, Merlin is announcing the first public implementation of its technology with a partnership with Dynamic Aviation to automate 55 high-performance King Air platforms that will support a wide range of public- and private-sector missions. The first aircraft from the partnership is currently in flight trials in Mojave. "We're proud to partner with Dynamic to begin the process of moving autonomy from the lab and to the market," said Matthew George, Merlin co-founder and CEO. "This deal represents a major commercial milestone as well as Merlin's commitment to support larger and more complex aircraft." "We are honored to partner with Merlin by leveraging this leading-edge technology in an operational platform," said Michael Stoltzfus, Dynamic Aviation CEO. "We look forward to serving alongside Merlin to create extraordinary value for customers around the world." About Merlin Labs Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Boston, with additional offices in Los Angeles, Denver, and Mojave, Merlin Labs is building the definitive autonomy system for all things that fly. To learn more, visit www.merlinlabs.com or follow us on Twitter @merlinaero. About Dynamic Aviation Dynamic Aviation provides innovative aviation solutions for government and commercial customers worldwide. By combining creative ingenuity with dependable aircraft and state-of-the-art infrastructure, they develop and deliver agile aviation solutions that help customers achieve new levels of performance and productivity. To learn more, visit www.dynamicaviation.com. SOURCE Merlin Labs https://www.merlinlabs.co/ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/merlin-labs-announces-25m-funding-round-and-partnership-to-bring-autonomy-to-55-aircraft-fleet-301300079.html Airbus sets higher jet output targets, shares jump By Tim Hepher PARIS (Reuters) -Europe's Airbus set out sweeping goals on Thursday to expand production of jetliners, pushing shares up more than 6%, as the aviation industry charts a recovery from the coronavirus crisis. The world's largest planemaker is exploring an almost two-fold increase in output of best-selling single-aisle jets by the middle of the decade from current crisis-depressed levels, and has finalised its output plans for the rest of this year. "The aviation sector is beginning to recover from the COVID-19 crisis," Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said in a statement. Airbus confirmed plans to increase single-aisle A320neo production by more than 10% from a current rate of 40 airplanes a month to 45 a month by the end of this year. It gave suppliers a firm new target of 64 a month by the second quarter of 2023. The new production targets come after Reuters reported that Airbus had ordered suppliers to demonstrate as soon as possible that they are factory fit for increased single-aisle jet output, while warning of industrial quality problems. Shares in Airbus rose as much as 6.8%, soaring back above 100 euros to within a whisker of their 52-week high of 104.54. Demand for single-aisle jets is recovering as domestic travel rebounds, especially in the United States and China. In anticipation of a continued recovery in that market, Airbus is asking its suppliers to "enable a scenario" where it can produce 70 single-aisle jets a month by the first quarter of 2024. "Longer term, Airbus is investigating opportunities for rates as high as 75 (a month) by 2025," it said. Analysts at Jefferies described the move by Boeing's main rival as "punchy production plans". Airbus also gave a firm target of increasing production of the small A220 from five a month to six a month in early 2022 and said it was envisaging monthly output of 14 for the same model by the middle of the decade. The planemaker said production of the wide-bodied A350 was expected to rise from an average of five a month now to six by the autumn of 2022. Long-haul travel on jets like these is expected to be slowest to recover. Only the wide-bodied A330 family is excluded from the higher production ambitions and will stay at two a month, Airbus said. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airbus-sets-higher-jet-output-062617016.html Air freight market becomes a bright spot for Boeing in China BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Boeing Co, struggling in China with sales of passenger planes due to trade tensions and the grounding of its 737 MAX, is upbeat about the outlook for freighter plane sales there as e-commerce demand booms. A three-year deadlock on Boeing plane orders was broken last May when China Cargo Airlines, owned by China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd, placed an order for two 777 widebody freighters. Boeing's website shows 24 of the type have been delivered to China. "We've seen this really explosive demand for dedicated freighter airplanes in the last year," said Richard Wynne, managing director of China marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Though political friction between China and the United States has meant no Chinese orders for new Boeing passenger planes since 2017, Boeing's dominance of the freighter market makes it harder to bypass. Around 90% of the world's freighters are Boeing planes. Sources have said, however, that rival Airbus SE is canvassing interest in a freighter version of its A350 passenger jet. Boeing's products include new-build freighters like the 747, 777 and 767 as well as conversions of older 737 and 767 passenger planes. It forecasts China, including Hong Kong, will need 750 more freighters over the next 20 years, including 350 widebodies. Much of the current demand is being driven by a pandemic-induced expansion of online shopping. Alibaba Group Holding and major e-commerce rivals JD.Com and Pinduoduo have all reported forecast-beating revenue growth recently. YTO Cargo Airlines, owned by Alibaba-backed YTO Express, is introducing converted 767 planes to its fleet. Boeing has eight 737 passenger-to-freighter production lines in China that allow for one conversion at a time. China's air freight market is less than half of the size of the United States by tonnage but growing at a faster rate, said Wynne. Chinese airlines also fly relatively less of the air freight that goes in and out of the country than carriers in other parts of Asia, leaving room for market share growth, he added. Air freight rates have skyrocketed as demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels while overall capacity is much reduced due to the drop-off in passenger flights that carry cargo in the planes' bellies. Wynne said rates were forecast to stay strong for the foreseeable future while international travel remained weak. "You would imagine a more gradual trend down (for freight rates) as more widebody planes come back online, but they should stay robust for quite some time," he said. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/air-freight-market-becomes-bright-035057645.html China’s first Mars rover is finally cruising On the list of big surprises in space science over the past decade, the fact that China has rapidly become one of the major players in space exploration has to be near the top. The country, which watched for decades as the United States, Russia (and formerly, the Soviet Union), and European countries launched ever more advanced orbiters, landers, and rovers, has caught up to and in some cases surpassed its peers by completing some very difficult missions. The latest happens to be on Mars, where the China National Space Administration sent a trio of high-tech machines last year. The orbiter, lander, and rover all arrived at Mars in February, right around the same time that NASA’s Perseverance rover showed up, but China’s hardware spent some time in orbit before the lander and rover were sent to the surface. Now that the lander has been sitting on the rust-colored dirt for nearly two weeks, the rover’s handlers back on Earth finally had a chance to set it loose, and the rover is now officially roving. In new images released by CNSA, we can see the lander left behind as the rover finally makes its way onto the Martian surface. The rover only spent a short while on the lander’s platform after it touched down, rolling off of it on May 21st, according to the Chinese space agency. The image was shot shortly after the rover received and carried out commands to depart the lander platform. If you remember the photos released by China a week ago, we got to see the rover’s few of the surface from on top of the landing platform, with the ramps deployed to allow for the rover to make the short trip down. Now that the rover is safely on the surface it can begin its scientific mission in earnest. The rover isn’t as large or well-equipped as NASA’s Perseverance, but for the country’s first Mars rover it’s suitably outfitted with instruments that could lead to some interesting findings. The rover is built to last roughly three months, though it’s entirely possible that it could live significantly longer than that. NASA’s rovers are famous for outliving their expected lifespans many times over, and the same could be true of China’s new robot. First, it’ll have to survive long enough to complete its mission, which will include exploring the region where the lander touched down, sampling rocks and soil, and investigating other features of the surface that look interesting but aren’t too far away. China has famously said that it wants to send humans to both the Moon and Mars and plans to do so sooner rather than later. This rover is a nice step in that direction, but it remains to be seen how much effort the country will put into a new Mars program now that this milestone has been reached. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/china-first-mars-rover-finally-030615216.html Position: Aviation Safety Staff Engineer (Design, Certification, and Operations) The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the largest airline pilot union in the world and the largest non-governmental aviation safety organization in the world (representing over 59,000 pilots at 35 U.S. and Canadian airlines) seeks an experienced Staff Engineer for our Tysons (McLean), Virginia office. The Staff Engineer provides staff coordination and liaison with government, industry, and professional stakeholders on behalf of the Air Safety Organization and other Association committees, MECs, and National Officers, as assigned by the department Director or Manager. They provide coordination and technical support to the Air Safety Organization, accident and incident investigations, FAA/TC pilot certificate enforcement action cases, and other safety investigations in the areas of aircraft design, manufacturing, and maintenance. Their specific focus is in the areas of aircraft design, certification, operations specifications, and maintenance. Additionally, there is an emerging focus on new aircraft types including supersonic aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, spacecraft, and the like. The Staff Engineer effectively represents the Association and the department, interacting with government and industry safety officials on a routine basis. They are also routinely tasked to use their engineering training and experience to analyze internal and external airworthiness and certification related data, to identify trends and develop potential safety risk mitigation strategies. In coordination with relevant committees and staff members, they develop and coordinate written communications to membership, government, and industry groups outlining ALPA positions on a wide variety of operational safety issues. Local, national, and international travel: 20 - 40%. Minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Minimum Requirements: • Bachelor's degree in relevant area, e.g., Aerospace Engineering, Aviation Science, or other related discipline, from an accredited college or university required; or, the equivalent combination of education and practical aviation experience. Additional applicable aviation experience may be substituted for the academic requirement. • Three (3) years of related experience in the aviation industry, five (5) or more strongly preferred. • Special expertise in U.S. and Canadian Aviation Regulations (FARs and CARs), national and international aviation standards, and aircraft design standards required. • Familiarization with and participation in Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC), the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC), and Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) processes is required. • A pilot’s license with an instrument rating and/or special knowledge or applicable expertise in the aviation industry strongly preferred. Experience in aircraft design and operations may be substituted for the pilot’s license. • FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification (A&P license) and/or equivalent experience with maintenance and/or large aircraft manufacturing preferred. • Experience with NTSB and/or TSB accident investigation processes preferred. • Strong technical writing and public speaking skills required. • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, oral and written, for effective interaction with all levels of contacts, internal and external. • Must be a self-starter with professional maturity and sound judgment, capable of independent decision-making and to be proactive in identifying and responding to issues and problems. • Must possess exceptional time management skills; be able to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment; and, transition easily between projects. • Software: Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. Physical Demands: Note: The physical demands described herein are characteristic of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential physical activities of this position described below. Constantly operates a computer/smartphone/tablet. Regularly required to maintain a stationary position, move about the office and the local metropolitan area, determine what others have said or written, and converse with others and exchange accurate information. Regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach, and move about the office and travel (locally, nationally, and internationally). Also includes occasional bending, stooping, squatting, and/or pushing and pulling or moving, e.g., to pack, unpack, and/or move cases. Occasionally required to move, raise, reach, and/or retrieve binders, books, boxes, and files up to ten (10) pounds (lbs.). While on travel, could be responsible to move luggage weighing as much as 50 lbs. (Assistance may not always be available.) Please apply online at https://jobs-alpa.icims.com/jobs/1353/staff-engineer/job ALPA offers competitive salaries with excellent benefits, including: • 26 days paid vacation and holidays per year; • Generous sick and bereavement leave; • Generous health care benefits – PPO, two HMO’s (where available) and a High Deductible Health Plan which includes coverage for medical, dental, and vision benefits for employee, spouse, and/or dependent children; • Company-paid premiums for disability and life insurance; • $3 for $1 matching 401(k) retirement savings plan; Roth 401k; • Flexible Spending and Health Savings accounts; and • Retiree health plan. The Air Line Pilots Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Relocation not provided. Sponsorship not available for this position. Position: Aviation Security Specialist The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the largest airline pilot union in the world and the largest non-governmental aviation safety organization in the world (representing over 59,000 pilots at 35 U.S. and Canadian airlines) seeks an experienced Aviation Security Specialist for our Tysons (McLean), Virginia office. The Aviation Security Specialist provides project coordination and subject matter expertise and analysis in support of the activities, programs, and security initiatives of the Association, including cybersecurity and counter-UAS initiatives. They coordinate with and act as liaison between ALPA and appropriate government agencies, law enforcement entities, and the aviation industry; assist in the development and support of training programs to train ALPA representatives performing security work on behalf of the Association; create and expand their network of government and industry contacts; and, develop communications to membership, government, and industry groups on a wide variety of security-related and other issues, as needed, in coordination with relevant Association leadership, Master Executive Council (MEC) representatives, committee representatives, and National Officers. They represent ALPA to government agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration; Department of Homeland Security; Federal Aviation Administration; Department of Justice; Transport Canada; Canadian Air Transport Security Authority; state and local law enforcement agencies; and, with airline security directors, airport security directors, and others. They work with the ALPA Aviation Security Chair, Director of Security-Canada, and members of the Air Safety Organization (ASO) security structure, plus other components of the ASO, as needed, to plan and implement the Association’s security policy and goals; assist MEC Security Coordinators with issues pertinent to their respective companies and specific situations; work as needed with ALPA’s National Officers, staff, leadership, and members to implement Association positions and policies; and, exercise independent judgment and initiative to recommend meetings, programs, and efforts that further the Association’s security-related goals. Local, national, and international travel: 10 - 25%. Minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Minimum Requirements: • Bachelor's degree in relevant area, e.g., criminal justice, law enforcement, aviation, cybersecurity, counter-UAS or other related discipline, from an accredited college or university; or, the equivalent combination of education and technical experience. • Minimum three (3) years of relevant aviation industry experience in areas related to security analysis, law enforcement, airline corporate security, cybersecurity, counter-UAS and/or airport security required, five (5) or more years strongly preferred. • Security Clearance is a plus. • In depth knowledge and understanding of the TSA’s Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC), its membership, and the working process would be extremely valuable. • Experience and familiarization with other advisory committees, including Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC), the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council (CARAC), and Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) strongly preferred. • Experience working with aviation industry security representatives and knowledge of their roles within the aviation industry a plus. • Must be a self-starter with professional maturity and sound judgment, capable of independent decision-making and to be proactive in identifying and responding to issues and problems. • Must possess exceptional time management skills; be able to work in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment; and, transition easily between projects. • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, oral and written, for effective interaction with internal staff, external contacts, and pilots. • Exhibits ability to work effectively and independently without close supervision, alone or on a team. • Pilot’s license is a plus. • Legislative affairs experience a plus. • Software: Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required. Physical Demands: Note: The physical demands described herein are characteristic of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential physical activities of this position described below. Constantly operates a computer/smartphone/tablet. Regularly required to maintain a stationary position; move about the office and the local metropolitan area; determine what others have said or written; and, converse with others and exchange accurate information. Regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach, and move about the office and travel (locally and/or nationally). May also include occasional bending, stooping, squatting, and/or pushing and pulling or moving, e.g., to pack, unpack, and/or move cases. Occasionally required to move, raise, reach, and/or retrieve binders, books, boxes, and files up to ten (10) pounds (lbs.). While on travel, could be responsible to move, raise, reach, and/or retrieve luggage weighing as much as 50 lbs. (Assistance may not always be available.) Please apply online at https://jobs-alpa.icims.com/jobs/1363/aviation-security-specialist/job ALPA offers competitive salaries with excellent benefits, including: • 26 days paid vacation and holidays per year; • Generous sick and bereavement leave; • Generous health care benefits – PPO, two HMO’s (where available) and a High Deductible Health Plan which includes coverage for medical, dental, and vision benefits for employee, spouse, and/or dependent children; • Company-paid premiums for disability and life insurance; • $3 for $1 matching 401(k) retirement savings plan; Roth 401k; • Flexible Spending and Health Savings accounts; and • Retiree health plan. The Air Line Pilots Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Relocation not provided. Sponsorship not available for this position For Immediate Release: CAAi and FlyZero announce partnership on zero-carbon emission flight London, United Kingdom. Tuesday 25 May 2021 – CAA International (CAAi), the technical cooperation arm of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), and the Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATI) FlyZero Project have announced a partnership to help shape the future of zero-carbon emission commercial air travel. Led by the ATI and backed by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, FlyZero is a one-of-a-kind research project aiming to realise zero-carbon emission commercial aviation by the end of the decade. FlyZero is bringing experts together from across the UK to conduct a detailed and holistic study of the design challenges, manufacturing demands, operational requirements and market opportunity of potential zero-carbon emission aircraft concepts. Over the next eight months, CAAi and FlyZero will work together on a range of regulatory questions and investigate the regulatory landscape needed for the next generation of zero-carbon emission aircraft technologies and their safe operation, and how the UK can play a leading role. CAAi’s assistance will cover several areas, including zero-carbon emission aircraft concepts, zero-carbon emission energy sources, aircraft certification, propulsion systems, non-CO2 aircraft emissions and airport operations. Maria Rueda, Managing Director at CAAi, said: “We are delighted to be working with FlyZero – a climate action initiative fundamental to the future of commercial air transport. We look forward to collaborating with the FlyZero team and stand committed to helping FlyZero identify a suitable pathway to greener, more sustainable aviation.” Chris Gear, Project Director for FlyZero, added: “Understanding the regulatory framework required for the safe operation of zero-carbon emission aircraft technologies is key to the success of FlyZero. Working with CAAi will support our mission to shape the future of sustainable aviation as we explore the regulations, certification and aviation inputs needed to realise zero-carbon emission commercial flight by 2030.” CAAi’s support to FlyZero began in April 2021 and is expected to conclude in December. For more information about FlyZero, please visit: https://www.ati.org.uk/events-media/events/flyzero-project-overview/ Notes to Editor CAA International (CAAi) is the technical cooperation arm of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. CAAi provides regulatory advice, training, capacity building programmes and examination services to aviation regulators and industry organisations across the globe. Drawing on the expertise from within the UK regulator, CAAi helps organisations design and implement regulatory best practice to comply with international standards. Media Contact: Stuart Coates Senior Manager International Marketing and Communications stuart.coates@caa.co.uk T. +44 (0)330 138 2226 Twitter: @CAAi_UK LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caa-international Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAAiUK/ Web: https://caainternational.com FlyZero is a new ground-breaking strategic research project led by the ATI with participation of UK industry and academia. The project is intended to help UK aerospace develop a zero-carbon emission aircraft by 2030. Backed by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the FlyZero programme pulls together expertise from across the UK. Media Contact: Nathan Harrison Communications Manager Nathan.harrison@flyzero.ati.org.uk T. +44 208 142 9814 Twitter: @UKAeroInstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aerospace-technology-institute/ Web: https://www.ati.org.uk/ Curt Lewis