Flight Safety Information - June 7, 2021 No. 113 In This Issue : Incident: American B38M at Saint Vincent on Jun 5th 2021, rejected takeoff due to birdstrikes : Incident: Envoy E145 near St. Louis on Jun 5th 2021, fire in cabin : Incident: Delta B763 near Buffalo on Jun 5th 2021, cockpit issue : Incident: Frontier A320 at Washington on Jun 4th 2021, runway excursion on landing : Incident: France B773 near Halifax on May 28th 2021, captain unwell : Dutch Safety Board warns return to service of aircraft from COVID-19 storage : Qantas 'disturbed' by claims of gang infiltration : Close call between jet carrying top UK official and suspected drone : Arriving passengers held 3 hours on jet at Jacksonville airport during search for device : Nepal Airlines' air safety woes continue : ‘Unruly Passenger' on Flight Apprehended by Police at O'Hare Airport : Four Reasons In-Flight Airline Incidents Are Increasing : FAA Revokes Florida Operator Certificate : Civilian-Trained Pilots May Get Leg Up in Air Force Career Through New Program : Jeff Bezos to fly to space on Blue Origin rocket : Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) goes international! Welcomes First Canadian/and-US based Operator. : Position Available: NTSB Aerospace Engineer (Systems) Incident: American B38M at Saint Vincent on Jun 5th 2021, rejected takeoff due to birdstrikes An American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration N339SU performing flight AA-1427 from Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and Grenadines) to Miami,FL (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from Saint Vincent Argyle Airport's runway 22 when a flock of birds flew up and a number of bird strikes occurred. The crew rejected takeoff at high speed and were able to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N929NN reached Miami with a delay of 28 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Saint Vincent. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e88d565&opt=0 Incident: Envoy E145 near St. Louis on Jun 5th 2021, fire in cabin An Envoy Embraer ERJ-145, registration N664MS performing flight AA-4474 from Little Rock,AR to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) with 50 passengers and 3 crew, was enroute at FL250 about 80nm southsouthwest of St. Louis,MO (USA) when the crew donned their oxygen masks, reported a fire indication and decided to divert to St. Louis requesting runway 12R. During the approach the crew advised they had used their fire bottles, however, the indication didn't stop. The aircraft positioned for an approach to runway 06 and landed safely on runway 06 about 18 minutes after leaving FL250. The crew queried tower whether any smoke was visible from their tail, the tower reported seeing no smoke from their tail whatsoever. St. Louis Tower told emergency services initially they had used their fire bottles and subsequently followed up the captain had just indicated there was an actual fire in the cabin and relocated the emergency services to the end of runway 06 advising the aircraft was coming in as fast as they could. A replacement ERJ-145 registration N696AE reached Chicago with a delay of about 4 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in St. Louis about 24 hours after landing. Later The Aviation Herald received information the #2 Air Cycle Machine had seized causing smoke in the cabin. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e884ad1&opt=0 Incident: Delta B763 near Buffalo on Jun 5th 2021, cockpit issue A Delta Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration N184DN performing flight DL-892 from New York JFK,NY to Anchorage,AK (USA) with 158 people on board, was enroute at FL340 about 30nm northeast of Buffalo,NY (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Buffalo reporting a cockpit issue. On approach the crew advised they'd be able to vacate the runway, would roll to the end and then turn left off. The aircraft landed safely on Buffalo's unway 23 and stopped at the end. The crew advised they had so hot brakes they did not want to taxi on. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 17 hours, then continued the flight to Anchorage. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e8850ee&opt=0 Incident: Frontier A320 at Washington on Jun 4th 2021, runway excursion on landing A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration N213FR performing flight F9-538 from Denver,CO to Washington National,DC (USA) with 151 passengers and 6 crew, was on a visual final approach to Ronald Reagan Airport's runway 01 with the instruction to maintain 170 KIAS or greater until 5 DME, touched down at about 22:15L (02:15Z Jun 5th) but went right off the runway coming to a stop to the right of the runway with all gear on soft ground and the nose gear just abeam the end of runway. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained minor if any damage. The passengers dismebarked via stairs onto the runway and were bussed to the terminal. The aircraft was subsequently pushed back onto the runway and towed to the apron. ADS-B data transmitted by the aircraft suggest the aircraft touched down at about 160 knots over ground crossing the runway threshold at about 50 feet AGL. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e873da6&opt=0 Incident: France B773 near Halifax on May 28th 2021, captain unwell An Air France Boeing 777-300, registration F-GSQC performing flight AF-55 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France), was enroute at FL350 about 300nm east of Halifax,NS (Canada) when the captain decided to return to Washington due to him feeling unwell, the crew reported to ATC a member of the crew was ill. The aircraft descended to FL340 for the return. On approach to Washington the captain radioed he had felt ill with a problem of the stomach, a doctor on board amongst the passengers had attended to him, he now was okay. However, he felt it was too long to continue to Paris therefore he took the decision to return to Washington. No further medical assistance was needed anymore, and no emergency procedures were needed. The aircraft landed safely back on Dulles' runway 01R about 4:50 hours after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground in Washington for 32 hours, then positioned to Paris as flight AF-4081. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e868651&opt=0 Dutch Safety Board warns return to service of aircraft from COVID-19 storage The Dutch Safety Board has issued an interim warning for Dutch airlines that put their aircraft back into service after they were temporarily taken out of service. The Board is currently investigating two incidents in which commercial aircraft experienced problems with the speed and altitude indications immediately after take-off. Both aircraft had been out of service for some time prior to the incident because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 1. On October 3, 2020 a TUIfly Boeing 737-800, returned to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport following an airspeed anomaly. 2. On April 24, 2021, a Transavia Boeing 737-700 diverted to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport when the flight crew noticed a discrepancy in the altitude and airspeed data after takeoff from Rotterdam Airport. In one of these incidents, a protective cover was not removed, in the other incident, some pipes were not correctly connected. In both cases, this led to pilots being presented with incorrect altitude and speed information. With the warning, the Dutch Safety Board wants to alert airlines to the safety risks that can arise when aircraft are put back into service after a period on the ground. The expectation is that this will happen frequently in the coming months due to the relaxation of the COVID-19 measures in the Netherlands. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2021/06/03/dutch-safety-board-warns-return-to-service-of-aircraft-from-covid-19-storage/ Qantas 'disturbed' by claims of gang infiltration Qantas said it was "disturbed" by claims that some staff may have been involved in organised crime following an Australian media report that gangs had "infiltrated" the airline. The Nine newspapers and 60 Minutes reported the allegations based on a classified intelligence operation. It said agencies believe organised crime groups had infiltrated Qantas to facilitate illegal activities. In a statement Qantas said authorities had not raised any concerns. The BBC approached Australian authorities for comment on the report. The Nine newspapers said the classified intelligence operation found up to 150 Qantas staff had been linked to criminality. It said agencies believe they included motorcycle gangs that were involved in drug importation and other activities. The report said the suspected wrongdoing was "serious and represents a very high threat to the Australian border". The Nine newspapers said official sources briefed on the findings were unable to speak publicly "due to confidentiality requirements". The allegations include that one motorcycle gang affiliate is working at Qantas' Sydney airport operations and may have recruited criminals to the airline to help import narcotics. Calls for 'urgent review' Federal Labor opposition politicians Kristina Keneally and Catherine King called for an "urgent review" of security at Australia's airports following the report. "The untold story of Covid-19 is that organised crime syndicates have not only adapted but thrived in the Covid-era, all while the Morrison Government has been asleep at the wheel on airport security," a statement from Ms Keneally and Ms King said. In a statement, Qantas said it found the claims "disturbing". "To be clear, none of Australia's law enforcement agencies have told us of the existence of a report that suggests there are potentially 150 Qantas employees who have connections to organised crime. Nor have they raised concerns with us about our vetting or background checking processes," Qantas Group Chief Security Officer Luke Bramah said in a statement. "If concerns are raised regarding any of our employees, we will actively support their investigation and take appropriate action," Mr Bramah said. The airline said it had written to multiple agencies - including the Australian Federal Police and the country's Criminal Intelligence Commission - seeking details of the report. It also said Qantas is the only commercial airline that holds a "Trusted Trader accreditation" with Australian Border Force, which means all employees involved in international air freight must pass a fit and proper test. "We've not been advised by Border Force of any of our employees failing this test," Mr Bramah said. Still, the newspaper said that official sources briefed on the report said Australian intelligence agencies had found some Qantas staff were creating "vulnerabilities in the security of supply chains and critical infrastructure" that risks on harming public confidence in the airline and border security. The allegations come in a difficult period for Australia's national carrier. It has been hit hard by the pandemic and last month said it would report an annual loss before tax of more than $1.5bn (A$2bn, £1.1bn). Like many others, the airline has cut thousands of jobs in a bid to navigate the crisis that has devastated travel. https://www.yahoo.com/news/qantas-disturbed-claims-gang-infiltration-031607007.html Close call between jet carrying top UK official and suspected drone A British jet carrying a UK delegation returning from Brussels had what pilots described as an “extremely close” call with a craft they believe was a drone, according to an official report on the incident. Suspected drone at 4,000 feet The UK Airprox Board, which investigates near misses between airborne craft, said the Royal Air Force jet came within 100 feet of colliding with the object pilots described as a three-foot-wide drone. The plane was flying at 175 mph north of London at the time, reportedly carrying a team of officials headed by a top civil servant, Sir Tim Barrow. The BAE-146 jet is routinely used by government officials and royal family members, and its dangerous encounter with a suspected drone sent a frisson throughout the UK’s VIP set. Certain questions in the matter remain hazy, however, in addition to the speculative identification of the craft as a drone. For starters, the second craft was spotted at an altitude of 4,000 feet, which is about 10 times above the legal limit for drone flights in the UK. It’s difficult to imagine what a presumed private craft would be doing up that high. Meantime, the pilots said they’d faced at least a “medium risk” of a crash in passing the drone, which “appeared to be within 50 to 100ft above (their) altitude and passed just to the starboard side of the aircraft.” The Airprox Board classified the incident as Category C, or no collision risk. Senior UK official reportedly aboard near-miss jet The incident took place on March 26, as UK officials shuttled back and forth to Brussels for talks with European Union leaders about the UK’s anti-COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Barrow had led those negotiations, which were initiated after the EU said it would block doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine it had ordered from being exported to the UK. Air safety experts have voiced increasing concerns about the risks of collisions with planes and drones amid the spreading use of private and enterprise unmanned aerial vehicles ¬– particularly in the heavier traffic of urban areas. https://dronedj.com/2021/06/07/close-call-between-jet-carrying-top-uk-official-and-suspected-drone/ Arriving passengers held 3 hours on jet at Jacksonville airport during search for device Delta flight from Atlanta to JAX landed at 12:30 a.m; passengers released at 4:45 a.m. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Delta flight from Atlanta to Jacksonville early Saturday was held on the tarmac for security reasons as authorities spent three hours searching the passengers and their bags after a report of a possible device on board. Michael Stewart, Jacksonville International Airport’s director of external affairs, said the Federal Aviation Administration alerted the airport to the report of the device around 12:20 a.m. and Delta Flight 1223 landed at 12:30 a.m. on a tarmac isolated from the airport, according to protocol, given the security conditions. “I looked out the window and could tell we were not on the regular runway. We were on the furthermost runway the airport has,” said David Smith, a passenger on the flight. “I think it was something that had to be taken seriously.” It’s unclear where the device might have been reported but after an hours-long search, nothing was found. The FBI is continuing to investigate, but the agency has not responded to questions about the incident. The plane took off from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 11:24 p.m. Bottles of water were distributed to passengers as 30 law enforcement officers boarded the plane to conduct the search. According to passengers and concerned family members, the FBI took control of the situation. Angela Milton, a mother of one of the passengers, said the pilot first told the passengers it was a maintenance issue. Later they were told that wasn’t the case. “They came back an hour later and stated ‘OK, it’s a credible threat that’s on the plane’ and they are not allowing any of the passengers to get off of the plane,” Milton said. Multiple units arrived including JSO’s bomb squad and a K-9 unit from Jacksonville Aviation. They did a sweep of the plane and checked bags. Passengers were screened. They didn’t begin deplaning until 3:30 a.m. They were then taken from the airplane to the U.S. Customs area of the airport for another hour of searching and questioning. “We are evacuating the plane now onto the tarmac. Guns and FBI greeting us as we deplane,” one passenger told News4Jax overnight. Around 4:45 a.m. -- over four hours after the plane landed -- passengers were released with their bags. They eventually boarded buses that took them to the DoubleTree Hotel on airport property. JAX tweeted passengers could be picked up from the hotel. No one was hurt during the incident, Stewart said, and airport operations returned to normal at 5 a.m. “There was a situation. We addressed it, handled it and it turned out successful,” Stewart said. A roadblock at the terminal was released, and Saturday flights returned to normal. According to Stewart, passengers were not in danger. He also said this incident is most likely not connected to Friday’s incident where a belligerent passenger was arrested at JAX. In a separate incident, a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Nashville was forced to land in Albuquerque Friday afternoon after a passenger tried to breach the cockpit. The FBI sent News4Jax this statement saying it “investigates violations of federal law, which includes any potential criminal act that occurs in the air. As a result, Special Agents were called to respond alongside our partners to this incident. Our investigation is ongoing, and no additional details are available for release at this time.” https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/06/05/airplane-held-at-jacksonville-airport-for-more-than-three-hours/ Nepal Airlines' air safety woes continue The air safety woes at Nepal Airlines Corporation are showing no signs of abatement, despite having a new boss at the helm for over a year now. The air safety woes at Nepal Airlines Corporation are showing no signs of abatement, despite having a new boss at the helm for over a year now. KATHMANDU, JUNE 6The air safety woes at Nepal Airlines Corporation are showing no signs of abatement, despite having a new boss at the helm for over a year now. The crown jewels of the NAC fleet -- the A330 wide-bodies -- are now beginning to bear the brunt of the incompetence of its flight crew, despite some of the top technical management positions being occupied by experienced expatriates. While the first instance was the heavy landing that has led to one of the aircraft being grounded for over three months, the second, worryingly, relates to other aircraft still flying. On April 25, flight RA 2052 from Delhi aborted its landing at Kathmandu in its first attempt, despite being cleared by the air traffic controllers for RNP-AR approach -- a satellite-based approach, implemented by Airbus for enhancing flight safety at Kathmandu. This approach, allowing for a curved flight profile for avoiding terrain, allows aircraft to maintain a constant slope and speed flight profile, thereby intending to reduce crew workload, However, Captain Vijay Lama, the senior NAC commander on the event flight and a celebrity, on the contrary, along with co-pilot Arpit Shrestha, chose to increase the cockpit workload by his unprofessional behaviour bordering on recklessness, THT has learnt. According to sources, the approach to Kathmandu, over treacherous terrain, requires the flight crew to maintain situational awareness at all times, but on the incident flight the crew lost their situational awareness during the critical phase leaving the aircraft at a significantly higher altitude - unprepared for executing the RNP-AR approach. Worse still, the crew were clueless about the issue for several minutes, unable to interpret the cues presented by the instrumentation of the highly automated aircraft. Even when the missed approach procedure was finally executed after numerous bunglings by the crew, the aircraft's flight profile didn't match that of the profile required by the CAAN's aeronautical publication. The standard missed approach procedure is a flight profile published by the airport authority to provide guidance to a flight for discontinuing the landing manoeuvre, if the crew, citing technical malfunction or unavailability of vacant runway, intend to go around and attempt another approach. This incident not only lays bare the reckless conduct of a senior A330 commander under a non-existent safety culture at the flag carrier, but also the dubious quality of training being imparted to the flight crew before being issued authorisation to command flights by the regulator -- the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. Despite top honchos of the NAC and the CAAN claiming that safety has indeed improved since the EU's operating ban was issued in 2013, the regulator's consistent inability to get ahead of the carriers under its oversight when it comes to investigating safety occurrences continues to be perplexing, aviation experts said. This has certainly to do with the atmosphere of bonhomie and camaraderie between the two parties rather the two than being somewhat adversarial in the interest of public safety. CAAN inspectors and top bosses clicking glasses with flight crew at parties thrown by the flag carrier in Nepal and abroad speaks volumes about the existing state of professionalism at the two entities, more so at the regulator. Aviation experts say it remains to be seen how CAAN probes this incident. Already, it has come to the fore a month late, akin to the previous heavy-landing incident, when the aircraft continued to make flights for over a month, until the issue was flagged by the company providing flight data analysis for NAC on a monthly contractual basis. CAAN Spokesperson Raj Kumar Chhetri said NAC had been asked to submit details of the incident at the earliest. "CAAN will take further action once it receives NAC report," he added. NAC sources claimed that an internal probe team would furnish details to CAAN in a day or two. https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nepal-airlines-air-safety-woes-continue ‘Unruly Passenger' on Flight Apprehended by Police at O'Hare Airport A 26-year-old man "created a disturbance while in flight" and was detained onboard the aircraft until the plane landed, according to police An "unruly passenger" onboard an American Airlines flight from Portland, Maine, was taken into custody by Chicago police officers Sunday afternoon upon the plane's landing at O'Hare International Airport, an airline spokesperson confirmed. American Airlines Flight 3927, which was operated by the regional subsidiary Envoy Air as an American Eagle flight, landed at O'Hare at approximately 2 p.m. A 26-year-old man "created a disturbance while in flight" and was detained onboard the aircraft until the plane landed, according to the Chicago Police Department. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/unruly-passenger-on-flight-apprehended-by-police-at-ohare-airport/2526525/ Four Reasons In-Flight Airline Incidents Are Increasing Passengers behaving badly onboard used to mostly be about smoking in the restroom, talking back to a flight attendant, or a scuffle among passengers over mixed up seats. But this year, airlines have seen a dramatic increase in in-flight passenger incidents and these have gotten increasingly violent and dangerous. Through May 2021, about 2,500 such incidents have been recorded, and those categorized as “unruly” reached 394, compared with well under 200 for each full year of 2019 and 2020. A Southwest Airlines LUV +0.5% flight attendant lost two teeth in one battle. Some airlines are postponing a return to selling alcohol onboard in order to reduce a potential accelerant to such behavior. It would be appealing to some to chalk this up to the pandemic or a post-Donald Trump reaction, but there are more reasons for this increase and airlines are having to adjust to this kind of behavior, train for it, and help their in-flight crews and behaving passengers stay safe. Here are four reasons why this is happening, and as a result this problem will not go away quickly: Fewer Frequent Travelers Onboard Businesses have largely avoided travel since the pandemic began, opting instead for video conferencing. This has created a population onboard airplanes that are less used to the “rules of the road” and in some cases haven’t flown in a long time. The TSA has seen an increase in guns being carried through check-points, and they attribute this to people not understanding the rules about carrying guns onboard. On the Airlines Confidential podcast that I co-host, an increasing number of listener questions are related to why they are charged for water onboard, or baggage fees, or things that have been common in the industry for at least 10 years. With more low-experienced travelers choosing to fly today, this means more likelihood for misunderstanding of what is required, or normal. Airlines that have traditionally have carried a lot of frequent-traveling business customers may be least prepared for this since they are not used to so many price-sensitive customers onboard. Inconsistent And Changing Mask Rules Airlines, beginning with JetBlue, pro-actively made masks required onboard early in the pandemic. Later, this became a Federal mandate and this mandate was recently extended through mid-September. Yet, in May, the CDC stated that vaccinated people do not need masks except in crowded places. Many travelers, especially if they haven’t flown in a while, don’t realize or comprehend that while they don’t need a mask in the grocery store, they do in the airport and in the airplane. Of the 2,500 incidents so far this year, a large majority have been related to masks. Of the over 3,000 people banned from flying by airlines, many are because they refused to wear their mask onboard. Airlines have done a good job explaining the relative safety of the onboard air environment, but this safety also presumes that people are wearing their mask. The Federal mandate protects in-flight crews who can confidently be backed by the law, not only their company’s policy. But this does not change the fact that people who don't want to wear a mask are increasingly pushing their views in places they don’t have a legal right to do so. While it would be nice to have a simpler “vaccinated, no masks” policy, we are not there yet and shouldn't expect to be soon. Combined with point one above, this has contributed greatly to the increasingly violent in-flight behavior. People Have Pandemic Fatigue The concept of “pandemic fatigue” is not unique to airlines, but has been documented and discussed as a reaction to over a year of significant restrictions on movement and ability to live what most consider a “normal” life. This fatigue extends to businesses who must deal with customers that don’t follow basic rules meant to protect everyone. In airports and on airplanes, this effect results in rising tensions as both the airline employees and other passengers will turn on customers not behaving properly. In some cases, this has been because a young child will not wear a mask, or someone claims they were eating or drinking for the entire flight, or other complicating factors. This may be the single largest reason that airlines are seeing more in-flight bad behavior. One of the realities of air travel is that customers have very little control about what is happening to them, and many people get nervous or react negatively to this loss of control. Frequent travelers understand this and deal with it all the time. But others see their “freedom assaulted” or what they see as “rights” violated, and they push the point without understanding the consequences. The pandemic is not over yet, but we are moving in that direction and some think we’re already there. Violence More Common Everywhere The biggest societal reason for violence on airplanes may be because we see more violence everywhere, with seemingly no consequences. Daily news headline scenes of people looting stores, burning down buildings, and rioting when they want to make their point. Entertainment in movies and games is often brutal and uses violence to get others to accept their point of view. As violence is normalized in these ways, it is not surprising that this would be transferred into an aircraft cabin. Blame guns, poor schools, poor family structure, inequitable wealth, or anything else, but violence is increasing and airlines are part of society and part of this trend. As mask requirements eventually end, I expect that air rage incidents will drop since so many relate to mask wearing. But the bigger issues of violence normalization and personal entitlement will continue to keep some people on edge and cause problems when things don't go their way onboard a flight. Airlines are learning now how to handle this, and banning customers is a good start but not the only needed response. The entire country needs to take a breath! https://www.forbes.com/sites/benbaldanza/2021/06/07/four-reasons-in-flight-airline-incidents-are-increasing/?sh=59e3278810d6 FAA Revokes Florida Operator Certificate The FAA issued an emergency order revoking Universal Flight Services' (UFS) certificate to conduct passenger flights, alleging that the Sarasota, Florida-based company conducted illegal charter operations over a span of nearly five years, the agency announced today. UFS received its certificate for passenger operations in March 2019, but the FAA alleged it had operated 26 such flights between October 2015 and February 2019 at airports including Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, Key West International Airport, Florida Keys/Marathon International Airport, and Witham Field. After obtaining certification, the company conducted flights between September 2019 and September 2020 using unauthorized pilots and/or aircraft, the agency additionally alleged. On two of those flights, the pilot did not have the requisite medical certificate, did not pass a flight check for flight in instrument conditions, and was not current in instrument conditions, according to the FAA. On two other flights, the company used aircraft that had not undergone the requisite inspection. On all of the UFS flights conducted from October 2015 to September 2020, the agency further alleged, “the pilots had not passed required written and oral tests, competency checks, and flight checks in the type of aircraft they operated during this time.” UFS surrendered its certificate as called for in the emergency order but is appealing the order to the NTSB. The company told AIN it is not commenting at this time. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-06-04/faa-revokes-florida-operator-certificate Civilian-Trained Pilots May Get Leg Up in Air Force Career Through New Program Thirty-three aspiring Air Force pilots with previous flight experience they got as civilians have joined a new program that may allow them to jump ahead in training. The service's Civil Path to Wings program has approved pilot candidates from active-duty, Air National Guard and Reserve units; graduates from the Reserve Officer Training Corps; and civilian applicants aspiring to earn their Air Force wings, according to Air Education and Training Command, or AETC. In an effort to become military aviators, the candidates will be put "through a training program tailor-made to their needs," said Aryn Lockhart, a spokeswoman for the 19th Air Force, which is part of AETC. While she said the program is set to begin later this year, Lockhart did not specify a start date for the training. The program applies only to fixed-wing and heavy aircraft, such as C-17 Globemaster III mobility aircraft. Those who wish to fly fighter jets still must attend traditional undergraduate pilot training, or UPT. Read Next: Airman Gets Award for Saving 28 Lives During Arizona Mall Shooting "It is not a 'waiver' program," Lockhart said in an email. "Candidates who volunteer for the program have their flying skills validated by the 19th Air Force and are then placed in training programs applicable to their skillsets." The hope is to accelerate their training in the aviation pipeline since it builds off their prior flight background, she explained. Applicants are screened on a set of demonstrated piloting skills, along with written and oral exams. "Once screened, the best candidates will receive training appropriate to their skill level in an Air Force approved course," Lockhart said. Those determined by leadership to be "exceptionally well qualified" will bypass a portion of UPT and take part in an Air Force fundamentals course designed to teach more advanced flight skills and techniques. The merely "well-qualified" will take part in the Accelerated Path to Wings program, which is also shorter than traditional training, Lockhart said. Students learn general aviation abilities in the classroom and then head straight into the T-1 Jayhawk -- finishing in roughly seven months instead of the traditional 12 months. The first Accelerated Path to Wings class graduated seven airmen on March 12. All other candidates will attend UPT, Lockhart said. AETC expects to recruit up to 20 officers a year for the program beginning in fiscal 2022. "It is important to note that we are not simply hiring pilots," Lockhart said. "We are recruiting those who wish to serve their country as an officer and a pilot. All candidates will first be screened to ensure they meet the standards required to become an Air Force officer." In March, Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, 19th Air Force commander, said the service wants to usher in a more diverse group of pilots on a shorter timeline. "The most important thing on that program is you still have to be willing to fight and kill and potentially die for your country to serve as an Air Force officer," he told reporters during a roundtable. "That's a pretty big lift." While the Air Force is developing more personalized programs directed at streamlining training for incoming pilots through virtual reality and simulation, it's also looking to outsource some training to private industry in an attempt to churn out 1,500 new pilots a year. The Air Force fell short of that goal -- first set in 2018 -- in fiscal 2020, producing only 1,263 pilots. In fiscal 2020, the Air Force came up 1,925 pilots short of the roughly 21,000 it needs overall, spokeswoman Lt. Col. Malinda Singleton told Military.com in March. The service could not provide specifics about which aviation communities faced the most pressing gaps. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/06/04/civilian-trained-pilots-may-get-leg-air-force-career-through-new-program.html Jeff Bezos to fly to space on Blue Origin rocket (Reuters) -Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos will fly to space next month on the first space flight from his rocket company Blue Origin, the billionaire said on Monday. "Ever since I was five years old, I've dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother," Bezos said in an Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/p/CP0MSOqnYEo/?utm_medium=copy_link. Blue Origin closed the first round of the auction last month and said it had received more than 5,200 bidders from 136 countries, without disclosing the highest bid from the round. The current highest bid stood at $2.8 million in the ongoing second round of auction, according to Blue Origin's website. (www.blueorigin.com) The process will last until June 10 and conclude in a final phase on June 12, with a live online auction. The company is targeting July 20 for its first suborbital sightseeing trip on its spacecraft, a landmark moment in a competition to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel. Reuters reported in 2018 that Blue Origin was planning to charge passengers at least $200,000 for the ride, based on an appraisal of rival plans from billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc and other considerations, though its thinking may have changed. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/jeff-bezos-join-winner-seat-111830432.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