Flight Safety Information - June 4, 2021 No. 112 In This Issue : Incident: Azul B734 at Sao Paulo on May 25th 2021 doesn't accept bus : Incident: Aurora DH8C at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Jun 4th 2021, hydraulic failure : Incident: American A321 at Miami on Jun 2nd 2021, rejected takeoff due to engine problem : Incident: Canada A320 at Toronto on May 30th 2021, engine rolled back on approach : EU to ban Belarus overflights from midnight, diplomats say : California Man Sentenced for Assaulting Flight Attendants on San Diego Flight : BIDEN’S PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES INCREASE FOR FAA, AVIATION PROGRAMS : AVIATION SAFETY ASIA TO OFFER US$15,000 VACCINATION INCENTIVE : Qatar Airways Is The Largest Air Cargo Operator : Qantas staff use 'wheel whackers' to scare off rattlesnakes drawn to A380s parked in California desert : EU, ASEAN conclude landmark air transport agreement : Aspiring Drone Pilots Can Now Train Remotely at Embry-Riddle : Russia is about to detach a huge piece of the International Space Station : Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) goes international! Welcomes First Canadian/and-US based Operator. : Position Available: NTSB Aerospace Engineer (Systems) Incident: Azul B734 at Sao Paulo on May 25th 2021 doesn't accept bus An Azul Linhas Aereas Boeing 737-400 freighter, registration PR-AJY performing flight AD-2005 from Sao Paulo Viracopos,SP to Fortaleza,CE (Brazil) with 2 crew, was climbing out of Viracopos Airport when the crew stopped the climb at FL090 after receiving the message AC-Bus #1 was off. The crew worked the related checklists and returned to Viracopos for a safe landing about 25 minutes later. Brazil's CENIPA reported generator #2 (right hand engine CFM56) did not automatically connect AC Bus #1 causing the bus to be off. The aircraft returned to service about 27 hours later. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e867fd8&opt=0 Incident: Aurora DH8C at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Jun 4th 2021, hydraulic failure An Aurora de Havilland Dash 8-300, registration RA-67253 performing flight HZ-3630 from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Okha (Russia), was akready enroute when the crew decided to return to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk reporting a hydraulic failure. The aircraft landed safely back in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk about 45 minutes after the decision to return. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e867461&opt=0 Incident: American A321 at Miami on Jun 2nd 2021, rejected takeoff due to engine problem An American Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration N556UW performing flight AA-897 from Miami,FL to Phoenix,AZ (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Miami's runway 08R when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed reporting an engine indication for the right hand engine (V2533) and vacated the runway about 760 meters/2500 feet down the runway. The crew of another aircraft waiting for departure advised there had been a really big plume of black smoke from the right hand engine. The A321 returned to the apron. A replacement A321-200 registration N925UY reached Phoenix with a delay of about 3 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e86040d&opt=0 Incident: Canada A320 at Toronto on May 30th 2021, engine rolled back on approach An Air Canada Airbus A320-200, registration C-FXCD performing ferry flight AC-2329 from Orlando Melbourne International Airport,FL (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 2 crew, was on approach to Toronto's runway 05 at about 3000 feet MSL, when the crew received a "ENG 2 THRUST LEVER DISAGREE" message on the ECAM and the #2 engine (CFM56) rolled back to idle thrust. The crew worked the related checklists, aborted the approach and climbed to 4000 feet MSL. The crew declared PAN PAN, positioned for another approach to runway 05 and landed safely about 15 minutes after aborting the first approach. The Canadian TSB reported the aircraft taxied to the apron on its own power with emergency services in trail. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e85f9b4&opt=0 EU to ban Belarus overflights from midnight, diplomats say BRUSSELS, June 4 (Reuters) - European Union ambassadors on Friday adopted a plan to ban Belarus airlines from flying over EU territory or landing in EU airports, three diplomats said. The decision is part of broader economic sanctions against Belarus in response to Minsk's scrambling a warplane to force the landing of a Ryanair flight carrying an opposition journalist last month. The decision is due to take effect at midnight Central European Time (CET), barring any last-minute objections by EU states before a self-imposed deadline of 1400 CET, which are not expected, the diplomats said. The EU also strongly recommends that EU airlines avoid flying over Belarus, but that does not amount to a legally binding ban. European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has said around 400 civilian planes usually fly over Belarus every day, including 300 overflights of which about 100 are operated by EU or British carriers. Lufthansa, SAS, Air France, LOT, Finnair and airBaltic are among carriers that have already announced they would stop flying over Belarus. Belarusian national carrier Belavia runs flights linking Belarus with some 20 airports in Europe including Helsinki, Amsterdam, Milan, Warsaw, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Paris, Rome and Vienna. Enforcement of the ban on Belarus carriers will fall to national EU governments, many of whom are also members of NATO, who can scramble fighter jets to protect their airspace from unwelcome aircraft. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/1-eu-ban-belarus-overflights-091518099.html California Man Sentenced for Assaulting Flight Attendants on San Diego Flight A California man has been sentenced to six months in prison for assaulting two flight attendants while traveling from San Diego to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The office of the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico announced the sentencing Wednesday of 43-year-old Alton James Johnson of Yuba City, California. James pleaded guilty to the assault on Jan. 12. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/california/california-man-sentenced-for-assaulting-flight-attendants-on-san-diego-flight/2621365/ BIDEN’S PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES INCREASE FOR FAA, AVIATION PROGRAMS President Joe Biden sent his first budget request to Congress on May 28, totaling more than $6 trillion and marking what is considered the largest sustained spending plan since World War II. The budget request includes a 2.7-percent increase for the FAA and aviation programs. It does not include any proposal to privatize our nation’s air traffic control system or impose user fees on general aviation. The proposal includes $88 billion for the Department of Transportation to, among other things, continue the deployment of NextGen air traffic technologies, and integrate such new entrants as unmanned aircraft systems and commercial space operations. The budget request supports the development of sustainable aviation fuels and accelerating technologies to reduce emissions and fuel burn from new commercial aircraft and engines. The president’s budget for the FAA includes: FAA Operations: $11.4 billion (increase of $432 million from FY21) to oversee the safety of civil aviation, and to provide for the operation, maintenance, communications, and logistical support of the air traffic control and air navigation systems. This funding level enables the FAA to preserve the highest level of safety in the national airspace system (NAS) while investing in innovation, and address future workforce shortages. Facilities and Equipment: $3.41 billion (increase of $395 million) to maintain the capacity and safety of the current airspace system, while continuing the modernization and transformation of both the NAS and facilities infrastructure. Research, Engineering, and Development: $258.5 million (increase of $60.5 million) to enable continued research and innovation to sustain and improve mission performance across all elements of the aviation system. Many of these investments would be targeted toward climate change. The budget also includes $5 million to support the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative (PAFI), charged with finding a fleetwide replacement for leaded avgas. AOPA continues to serve a leadership role on the PAFI Steering Group. Airport Grants-in-Aid: $3.35 billion is requested to preserve and improve critical airfield infrastructure at more than 3,300 public-use airports nationwide. The request also includes $41 million for airport technology research to support the safe and efficient integration of new and innovative technologies into the airport environment (including the continued testing off unmanned aircraft systems at airports, and the development of infrastructure standards for electric vertical takeoff vehicles). The request also includes $5 million for two Aviation Workforce Development grant programs created by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The president’s budget proposal is a blueprint for the administration’s priorities. Ultimately, Congress will determine where and how much to provide to specific departments and agencies across the federal government. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/june/03/bidens-proposed-budget-includes-increase-for-faa-aviation-programs AVIATION SAFETY ASIA TO OFFER US$15,000 VACCINATION INCENTIVE Aviation Safety Offers Incentive to Boost Business Aviation Sector AVIATION SAFETY ASIA TO OFFER US$15,000 INCENTIVE TO ENCOURAGE COVID-19 VACCINATION AMONG CORPORATE (BUSINESS) AVIATION COMMUNITY To encourage the re-opening of borders, Aviation Safety Asia has announced it is offering a USD $15,000 incentive to encourage vaccination participation. HONG KONG, SAR CHINA, June 4, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 4 June 2021, Hong Kong To support the global aviation industry and encourage the re-opening of international borders, Aviation Safety Asia has announced it is offering a USD $15,000 incentive to encourage vaccination participation. The incentive is open worldwide to any business and general aviation jet operator, including and extended to special mission, aeromedical, and any other jet aviation entity that is eligible for accreditation under the ICAO International Standard for Business Aviation Operations (IS-BAO). The initiative is offered in the form of one complimentary renewal accreditation audit, which is usually conducted over two-to-three days. The audit covers the full breadth of aviation management company operations, including safety management systems (SMS), security, and aircraft maintenance. To participate, operators must evidence that their full staff is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 1 August 2021 whereby a winner will be randomly selected. Dane Williams, Director of Aviation Safety Asia, commented: "Increasing the vaccination rates of aviation staff is a key element to ensure the safety of all in our industry and those we serve. We see increased vaccination as being fundamental to protecting against the global pandemic. We are eager to do our part to support those operators that have been negatively financially impacted at this time. We want nothing more than for the international borders to re-open safely, for economies to be rebuilt, and jobs protected.” Aviation Safety Asia continues to encourage its own colleagues to get vaccinated to protect themselves and the people around them. In addition to the two days of special leave announced for their staff (to be taken after the second dose of the vaccine), the company today confirmed that they have achieved their goal of having all staff fully vaccinated by 30 May 2021. How to Access the Complimentary US$15,000 IS-BAO Registration Safety Audit Participating operators should be registered with IS-BAO as of 1 June 2021 and evidence that all permanent staff are fully vaccinated before 01 August 2021. One operator will be randomly selected in August 2021 and the audit must be completed prior to 15 December 2021. The renewal accreditation is available for an audit of Stage One, Two, or Three of the IS-BAO program. More details, along with the official Terms & Conditions are available here: https://aviationsafety.asia/aviation-safety-asia-to-offer-us15000-incentive-to-encourage-covid-19-vaccination-among-corporate-business-aviation-community/ END About Aviation Safety Asia Aviation Safety Asia offers a full service for audits, gap analysis and review within the dynamic environment that is corporate aviation. ASA also offers aviation safety and business consulting, including third-party safety/quality management, all conducted by its highly qualified in-house industry experts. Utilising the expertise at its fingertips, the company is uniquely placed to conduct an IS-BAO assessment faster and more cost-effectively than any other organisation within the region. Visit Aviation Safety Asia’s website at www.aviationsafety.asia About IS-BAO The International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) was established by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and its member associations, as a recommended code of best practices designed to help flight departments worldwide achieve high levels of safety and professionalism. IS-BAO is an industry-standard built for operators, by operators that provides standards based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS). Both the FAA and CAA in Canada recognize IS-BAO as meeting the ICAO standard and encourage participation. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) also recognizes IS-BAO as an industry standard for business aircraft operations. https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/542911934/aviation-safety-asia-to-offer-us-15-000-vaccination-incentive Qatar Airways Is The Largest Air Cargo Operator In an exclusive interview with Simple Flying last week, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker revealed the airline is now the largest cargo operator in the world. This comes after the airline flew through the pandemic, making cargo the key focus. Let’s find out more about how Qatar Airways has leaped ahead of other dedicated cargo airline giants. Freight capacity data in this article is from IATA’s World Air Transport Statistics and Air Cargo News. Data for 2020’s cargo capacity will be available by IATA in mid-July. Number one Qatar Airways’ rise to the top of the cargo market has been a meteoric one. The airline has been growing its capacity drastically since 2014, seeing a growth of 117% in terms of scheduled FTKs (freight tonne-kilometers). From 5,997 FTKs in 2014 to 13,024 FTKs in 2019, no other airline has seen such sustained growth at this scale. However, 2020 marked another milestone for Qatar Airways: it has become the world’s largest cargo operator. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Simple Flying, CEO Akbar Al Baker confirmed that Qatar Airways is currently the world’s largest cargo operator, and by quite a margin. During the interview, Mr. Al Baker said, “Today in the industry, Qatar Airways is the largest cargo operator in the world today. Likewise, when we were also the largest airline vis a vis the ASK. Just to give you an example. We operate 40% More frequencies and 28 more destinations than our closest rival…This happens on many other destinations where our average load factor is 40%, but we tried to cover our operating costs by making sure that we have adequate cargo to carry on our airplanes.” Crucial The story of the passenger and cargo demand has been an opposing one through this pandemic. As airlines canceled due to lack of demand and travel restrictions, cargo capacity dropped substantially. This is because half of global air freight traffic is transported in the belly of passenger planes, rather than dedicated freighters. Qatar Airways seized on this gap in cargo supply during the pandemic, using its freighter and passenger fleet to transport as much as possible, even during the worst days of the pandemic. This had the dual benefit of repatriating millions of stranded travelers and taking them to their home countries (which the airline saw as a responsibility) and generating much-needed revenue to survive the crisis. Qatar Airbus A350 Even if Qatar Airways only saw a few passengers on its flights, the cargo hold was filled with freight on nearly all flights. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying While exact figures of Qatar’s freight traffic in 2020 will be available next month, the airline has undoubtedly been busy. As the airline extends its reach to 150 destinations this summer, expect to see these cargo figures hold up in the future too. For now, Qatar can add the title of busiest cargo airline in the world to its mantle. https://simpleflying.com/qatar-airways-largest-cargo-operator/ Qantas staff use 'wheel whackers' to scare off rattlesnakes drawn to A380s parked in California desert (CNN) — Since the start of the pandemic, thousands of planes from airlines around the world have been grounded, with many temporarily moved to hot, arid deserts -- ideal conditions for aircraft storage. But as plane maintenance workers have discovered, such climates often come with unwanted -- and occasionally deadly -- inhabitants. Australian airline Qantas has revealed that engineers tasked with maintaining its fleet of A380 superjumbos stored in California's Mojave Desert have had to come up with a simple but effective system to protect themselves from the area's venomous rattlesnakes. "The area is well known for its feisty 'rattlers,' who love to curl up around the warm rubber tires and in the aircraft wheels and brakes," said Qantas' Los Angeles-based engineering manager Tim Heywood in a news update published on the airline's website. "Every aircraft has its own designated 'wheel whacker' (a repurposed broom handle) as part of the engineering kit, complete with each aircraft's registration written on it." Prior to any landing gear inspections, the workers first walk around the plane stomping their feet and tapping the wheels with the whacker to scare off any slumbering snakes, said Heywood. . Qantas "We've encountered a few rattlesnakes and also some scorpions, but the wheel whacker does its job and they scuttle off," he noted. "It's a unique part of looking after these aircraft while they're in storage and it's another sign of how strange the past year has been. These A380s would rarely spend more than a day on the ground when they were in service." Qantas has reportedly parked a dozen or so of its A380s in an airfield in Victorville, about two hours outside of Los Angeles. One of them took off for the first time in 290 days this week, flying from Victorville to Los Angeles to undergo a gear swing procedure at Qantas' LAX hangar. "Aircraft like these are highly technical and you can't just land it at the storage facility, park it and walk away," said Heywood. " It's really important that even when in deep storage, the aircraft are maintained to the Qantas standard." Return to flight At the height of the pandemic, more than two thirds of the world's commercial aircraft were grounded and sent to storage facilities around the world. Once parked, the planes go through a process that involves draining fluids, covering engine intakes and exhaust areas and protecting external instruments like pitot tubes (used for monitoring the airplane's speed during flight). And now, many airlines are having to reverse the process. Qantas Though experts say it will take at least two years before traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels, international air travel is slowly picking up as countries reopen their borders to global travelers. And bringing planes out of hibernation isn't as simple as just firing up the engine and taking off. In 2020, CNN Travel spoke with several experts about the return-to-flight process. According to licensed B1 aircraft engineer Steph Smith, when planes have been grounded for some time, getting them ready to fly again means starting with simple things like removing the massive number of blanks -- engine protectors -- and tapes covering every hole, port or probe. "There is nothing worse than having systems full of bugs, water or debris because, as aircraft accident investigations have shown over the years, blocked pitot-static systems can be catastrophic," Smith told CNN. Smith estimates that it takes more than 100 man-hours to make a wide-body aircraft airworthy after storage, and around 40 man-hours for a narrow-body aircraft. The time it takes depends on both the size of the aircraft and how long it has been stored. "If you've only had it stored short-term you can get them turned around quite quickly because you've been doing the maintenance every couple of weeks to keep them airworthy," explained Smith. "Whereas aircraft in long-term storage can take you a long time, and if you're talking something like an A380, it's going to be a lot of work because it's a big aircraft." Other tasks include changing fluids in the engines if they've been inhibited and reconnecting batteries. "Then you power everything up, re-establish everything and run through all the system functional checks," said Smith. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/qantas-california-desert-a380s-rattlesnakes/index.html EU, ASEAN conclude landmark air transport agreement SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union have concluded the world's first bloc-to-bloc air transport agreement, ASEAN said, to allow their airlines to easier expand services to and within the respective regions. The agreement, once formalised, will mean airlines of the combined 37 member states can fly any number of non-stop flights between countries in both regions, ASEAN said on Friday. Additionally, airlines will be permitted to fly up to 14 weekly passenger services with one stop within the other region to pick up passengers on the return leg. There will no limits on flights with one stop to pick up cargo. The agreement "provides essential guarantees of fair competition for our European airlines and industry, while strengthening reciprocal prospects for trade and investment," said Adina Valean, the European Commissioner for Transport, according to ASEAN's statement. The EU is its third largest source of foreign investment and its third largest trading partner, according to ASEAN. The ASEAN-EU Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement (AE CATA), as it will be known, will be submitted for review by lawyers and signed at a later date, the statement said. Brendan Sobie, a Singapore-based independent aviation analyst, said the deal was a positive step for the airlines but issues like securing slots could still be a challenge. "The general idea here is to make ASEAN and EU airlines more competitive compared to airlines from other regions, which have been aggressively gaining market share in the ASEAN-EU market," he said. "There may be issues that prevent these kind of routes from actually operating. Slots have always been an issue in this region which can make traffic rights irrelevant." https://www.yahoo.com/news/eu-asean-conclude-landmark-air-102339625.html Aspiring Drone Pilots Can Now Train Remotely at Embry-Riddle Michaela Jarvis Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus recently received a first-of-its-kind waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that will allow students to remotely pilot unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, through online video platforms like Zoom. “This is a big deal,” said Dr. David Thirtyacre, College of Aeronautics assistant professor and Department of Flight chair. “We've worked closely with the FAA on this project for two years and now have the ability to let students fly complex drones, that are not at their location, from anywhere in the United States. This opens up all sorts of training and opportunities for our students.” Allowing what is known as remote-split operations (RSO), the waiver gives Embry-Riddle students a jump on a valuable technology and is the first of its type to be granted to a civilian organization, Thirtyacre said. Dr. Joseph Cerreta, associate professor of Aeronautical Science who submitted the waiver request to the FAA, said RSO is especially important for Worldwide Campus students who may not be able fly drones where they live. It also allows students to fly sophisticated aircraft with complex equipment, such as multispectral sensors and thermal cameras, to which they might not otherwise have access. Currently, the Worldwide Campus is the only of Embry-Riddle’s three campuses that has been granted this permission. “RSO introduces complex operational environments for our students to experience the importance of crew resource management, effective communication, aeronautical decision-making and airmanship principles,” said Cerreta. “These are all fundamental components of knowledge, skills and abilities for an unmanned systems operator, which sets Embry-Riddle students apart.” Ian Kerr, who is in Worldwide’s master’s program in Aeronautics, recently flew a $5,000 Embry-Riddle drone located in Idaho to perform an aerial survey of a cemetery — using artificial intelligence — from his home in Seattle. Another crew member participating in the flight, Casey McGuire, was located at his home in Las Vegas. “Being able to conduct these missions with experienced pilots such as Dr. Cerreta will allow student pilots like me to become industry leaders,” said Kerr. “Embry-Riddle is paving the way.” McGuire, who is earning a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Systems Applications and a Master of Science in Unmanned Systems, called the Idaho flight “one of the most rewarding experiences I have had at Embry-Riddle.” “I think the opportunity to perform RSO is invaluable for me moving forward,” McGuire said. “The mission involves all of the objectives that many leading industry players are trying to achieve. This was incredible exposure to beyond visual line of sight operations that someday will be more widely accepted and utilized.” https://news.erau.edu/headlines/aspiring-drone-pilots-can-now-train-remotely-at-embry-riddle Russia is about to detach a huge piece of the International Space Station Russia may be planning on leaving the International Space Station in the not-so-distant future, but until the country actually stops sending its cosmonauts skyward it needs to ensure its half of the ISS is working as intended. To that end, a pair of Russian cosmonauts exited the orbiting laboratory yesterday to embark on a lengthy spacewalk that ended with the official decommissioning of the Russian Pirs module. The module will soon be released from the space station. At that point, it will drift toward the Earth and be completely destroyed. Russia maintains half of the ISS and the United States maintains the other half. The Pirs module was used as a docking port for spacecraft, but Russia no longer needs it, and would rather have the new Nauka module in its place. Nauka will be equipped with a variety of equipment that will allow for even more science to be conducted on board, but first, the Pirs module has to be completely disposed of. As NASA Spaceflight reports, the spacewalk had a number of objectives, but the primary goal was to ready the Pirs module to eventually be let loose. In addition to that, the cosmonauts addressed a failed fuel flow regulator on a separate module and discarded it, tightened a few bolts, and inspected other areas of the spacecraft. To decommission the Pirs module, the scientists had to disconnect cables and prepare other hardware for the moment when the module will be cut loose. When new modules are installed on the ISS they have to be integrated into the spacecraft’s systems, and that means a lot of connections have to be made both inside and out. Now that the Pirs module is effectively cut off from the space station, it will be free to float away once the day comes. Pirs is the first ISS module to be completely decommissioned, and it will obviously also be the first to be discarded in space. The module, which also allowed for egress during spacewalks in addition to serving as a docking location, should be completely destroyed when it is released and falls into Earth’s atmosphere. The intense friction should totally obliterate the module and prevent any sizeable debris from making it to the surface far below. At present, the module is scheduled to be discarded sometime after July 17th, though we don’t know the exact date. The new science module, Nauka, will be sent flying around the same time, so the switchover between the two modules will likely happen over a very short timeframe. The International Space Station isn’t getting any younger, and it’s no secret that some parts of the spacecraft aren’t in great shape. Russia has had to deal with a number of air leaks in recent years, and other pesky annoyances have popped up with regularity. That said, the ISS is still a fully functional laboratory and it also happens to be orbiting Earth, making it the only place where certain types of research can be conducted. The longer it remains up and running, the better. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/russia-detach-huge-piece-international-021838716.html Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) goes international! Welcomes First Canadian/and-US based Operator. Milestone achievement for rapidly growing SMS and Operational Compliance/Excellence partner. The Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) welcomed the addition of Sobeys, Inc, based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport (CYHZ), to the long list of high achieving corporate flight departments that are BASC Full-Service Members. The Sobeys team participants in other safety programs, however, saw the opportunities for increased safety awareness and growth within the progressive and collaborative foundations of BASC. Peter Bing, the Director of Aviation, commented early on that their participation in BASC would enable his team to continue to strive to reach its full potential as an extremely safe, professional business aviation department. The Founder and President of BASC, Rick Malczynski, commented that although the addition of Sobeys came about somewhat unexpectedly, he knew international growth was just around the corner. “We are very pleased and excited to have Sobeys as part of our team. This is a huge milestone for us. We have succeeded in strictly following Annex 6 Part II and Annex 19 in order to be an effective partner wherever a flight department may be based. We have received calls from Civil Aviation Authorities that have expressed interest in our program. A significant draw to BASC is that some of the other current auditing programs have left their followers in the cold regarding Amendments 37-39 of ICAO Annex 6 Part II. We avoid issues like that by partnering with leaders in the business, such as Quality Resources and Advanced Aircrew Academy. BASC members were initially informed of the upcoming Annex 6 amendments almost a year ago and had possible means of compliance shared with them. The other aspect of BASC that has become very attractive is the hyper-networking opportunities with the best flight departments in the world. We regularly connect departments seeking solutions, counsel, and encouragement, and often share those subjects as part of our quarterly international Safety Round Table. The mentors and mentored equally benefit, becoming better and safer, both individually and industry-wide.” The BASC Nation collectively welcomes Sobeys to their membership, encourages them to be active and to take part in all that is available, and offers them a heartfelt ‘Welcome Home.’ ### 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 Available: NTSB Aerospace Engineer (Systems) Participate and direct technical analyses of general aviation and air carrier accident and incidents in the specialty area of flight controls, avionics, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems. Serve as Group Chairman, documenting and analyzing airworthiness issues potentially involved in accidents and develops accident prevention strategies. Coordinate efforts with other Group Chairman, the IIC, and the Team Lead to assure thoroughness of all investigations and that necessary documentation is accomplished as a result of the investigative activity. Prepare factual and analytical reports covering specialty area on each accident. Correlate these findings with those of other Group Chairmen to assist in identifying the causes(s) of the accident. Act as an advisor to the US Accredited Representative on foreign investigations. May be required to act as the US Accredited Representative to foreign investigations. Prepare presentations and responds to Member's questions at Board meetings following the conclusion of major investigations or projects. VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT #: AS-11108828-21-AE POSITION TITLE: Aerospace Engineer (Systems) POSITION SERIES & GRADE: GS-0861-14 OPEN DATE: May 19, 2021 CLOSE DATE: June 18, 2021 Area of Consideration: Status Candidates - Government-wide LINK: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/601999300 VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT #: AS-11115748-21-AE POSITION TITLE: Aerospace Engineer (Systems) POSITION SERIES & GRADE: GS-0861-14 OPEN DATE: May 19, 2021 CLOSE DATE: June 18, 2021 Area of Consideration: U. S. Citizens LINK: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/602004600 Curt Lewis