Flight Safety Information - July 14, 2021 No. 140 In This Issue : Incident: Voyageur DH8A near Toronto on Jul 13th 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: S7 A321 near Moscow on Jul 13th 2021, indication of loss of cabin pressure : Incident: UPS MD11 at Louisville on Jul 10th 2021, burst tyre on landing : Incident: KLM B773 near Palma Mallorca on Jul 10th 2021, cargo smoke indication : FAA sees largest weekly surge in unruly air passengers this summer : ‘Scary’: Fuel shortage could ground firefighting aircraft : Metro Aviation continues investment in safety : ALARMING SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS NEED TO VACCINATE AVIATION WORKERS : FAA ORDERS STABILIZER INSPECTIONS OF GRUMMAN SINGLES : Former NTSB investigator spells out key elements in Transair crash investigation : Flight to LAX diverted, passenger removed after causing disturbance : Flight From Hell: Passengers Land In Stockton 17 Hours After Taking Off From Las Vegas : Skyward and FAA to test cellular-connected drones : STEM classes offered in high schools to encourage careers in aviation : Shape-memory alloys might help airplanes land without a peep : Embraer Secures 80-Aircraft Deal : Boeing cuts 787 production, suffers 737 MAX cancellation : With taxpayers' help, Delta posts $652 million profit in 2Q : NASA, ESA Partner in New Effort to Address Global Climate Change Incident: Voyageur DH8A near Toronto on Jul 13th 2021, engine shut down in flight A Voyageur Airways de Havilland Dash 8-100, registration C-GKON performing flight VC-103 from Hamilton,ON to Montreal Mirabel,QC (Canada) with 4 crew, was enroute at FL210 about 70nmeastnortheast of Toronto,ON (Canada) when the crew needed to shut the left hand engine (PW120A) down. The crew turned the aircraft around and diverted to Toronto for a safe landing on runway 05 about 35 minutes later. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VAL103/history/20210713/0550Z/CYHM/CYMX http://avherald.com/h?article=4ea3a696&opt=0 Incident: S7 A321 near Moscow on Jul 13th 2021, indication of loss of cabin pressure A S7 Sibir Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VQ-BFQ performing flight S7-2571 from Moscow Domodedovo to Novy Urengoy (Russia), had just levelled off at FL350 after climbing out of Moscow when the crew received indication of loss of cabin pressure and initiated an emergency descent to FL110. While working the checklists the crew determined the indication was false, stopped the descent at FL290 and climbed to FL330 again. The aircraft continued to Novy Urgengoy for a safe landing about 2:45 hours later. The aircraft is still on the ground in Novy Urgengoy about 7.5 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ea39d90&opt=0 Incident: UPS MD11 at Louisville on Jul 10th 2021, burst tyre on landing A UPS United Parcel Service McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, registration N263UP performing flight 5X-1171 from Harrisburg,PA to Louisville,KY (USA), landed on Louisville's runway 35R but burst a tyre causing damage to the gear door and brakes lines. The aircraft rolled out safely. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT ON LANDING BLEW A TIRE DAMAGING GEAR DOOR AND BRAKE LINE, LOUISVILLE, KY." The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 42 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ea3a03c&opt=0 Incident: KLM B773 near Palma Mallorca on Jul 10th 2021, cargo smoke indication A KLM Boeing 777-300, registration PH-BVB performing flight KL-589 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Accra (Ghana), was enroute at FL330 about 200nm south of Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication, declared emergency, turned the aircraft around and diverted to Palma Mallorca for a safe landing on runway 24 about 35 minutes later. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration PH-BVV was dispatched to Palma Mallorca, resumed the flight and delivered the passengers to Accra with a delay of about 22.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 26 hours, then returned to Amsterdam but has not yet resumed service about 42 hours after landing in Amsterdam. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ea3b5b0&opt=0 Boeing 777-31HER - Hail Damage (Italy) Date: 13-JUL-2021 Time: c. 14:30 UTC Type: Boeing 777-31HER Owner/operator: Emirates Airlines Registration: A6-ECF MSN: 35574/690 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: near Milan - Italy Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Milano-Malpensa Airport (MXP/LIMC) Destination airport: New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK) Narrative: Emirates Airlines flight EK205, a Boeing 777-31HER, flew through a hail storm after departure from Milano-Malpensa Airport (MXP), Italy. The flight entered a holding pattern for about 50 minutes and turned back for a safe landing. The aircraft sustained damage to the nose cone, outer pane of the captain's windshield, engine inlet cowling and wings. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/265404 FAA sees largest weekly surge in unruly air passengers this summer Of this year's incidents, 75% involve passengers who refuse to wear a mask. As more people return to the skies, the number of unruly passenger incidents onboard planes continues to skyrocket. Last week alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported an increase of 150 unruly passenger cases, making it the worst weekly report of the summer. The FAA said on Tuesday that it has received over 3,400 reports of unruly behavior from passengers since the beginning of the year. Of those incidents, 75% involved passengers who refused to wear face coverings. In one of the most recent cases, a woman from Florida was arrested after allegedly refusing to wear a mask on a Delta Air Lines flight. Video of the incident appears to show the woman argue with police officers on board the aircraft as they ask her to deplane. She was then restrained and escorted off. Adelaide Schrowang is facing several charges and remains in police custody on a $56,000 bond. The FAA is still enforcing its zero-tolerance policy for in-flight disruptions which could lead to fines as high as $52,500 and up to 20 years in prison. The agency has looked into more than 550 potential violations of federal law this year --- the highest number since 1995. Last month, a coalition of airline lobbying groups and unions called on the Justice Department to go a step further and prosecute unruly passengers "to the fullest extent of the law." "The federal government should send a strong and consistent message through criminal enforcement that compliance with federal law and upholding aviation safety are of paramount importance," the letter said. Flight attendants are often the first responders during these in-flight confrontations, and they have seen them become more volatile. An unruly passenger allegedly punched a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in the face last month, knocking her two front teeth out. "It tops the chart of the most egregious things I've ever heard of," Lyn Montgomery, a spokesperson for the union that represents Southwest flight attendants, told ABC News. "It's unbelievable and really hard to understand the level of aggression that has been exhibited towards our flight crews. It just seems that when people get on board an aircraft they're feeling more angry than they used to feel." The spike in unruly passenger reports prompted the TSA to resume crew member self-defense training this month. The voluntary training program, which was put on hold due to the pandemic, provides flight crew members with techniques "for responding against an attacker in a commercial passenger or cargo aircraft," including self-defense measures and ways to identify and deter potential threats. "It should be a recurring training so that we can create that muscle memory that you need to be able to respond at a moment's notice," Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants, told ABC News. "But even taking the course one time changed my attitude, gave me a better understanding about how to stand, how to hold myself, how to protect myself if someone is coming at me." https://abcnews.go.com/US/faa-sees-largest-weekly-surge-unruly-air-passengers/story?id=78825491 ‘Scary’: Fuel shortage could ground firefighting aircraft BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Airport officials facing jet fuel shortages are concerned they’ll have to wave off planes and helicopters that drop fire retardants during what could be a ferocious wildfire season, potentially endangering surrounding communities. Sporadic shortages at some tanker bases in Oregon and Utah have already been reported. The worry is that multiple bases go dry simultaneously during what is shaping up to be a very busy wildfire season in the U.S. West. Tanker bases in Arizona, where many large fires are burning, have also had jet fuel supply issues in the last month. “We haven’t run into that before,” said Jessica Gardetto, a National Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman in Boise, Idaho, and a former wildland firefighter. “It’s a scary thought, with all the shortages going on right now.” It’s not clear if jet fuel supplies and delivery systems can be bolstered in time for this wildfire season to avoid potential problems keeping firefighting aircraft aloft if multiple large fires break out around the West. Airport officials, aviation supply companies and jet fuel transport companies said jet fuel demand declined sharply and supply chains atrophied during the coronavirus pandemic. They have yet to bounce back in the Western U.S. even as the economy zooms ahead and more passengers flock to airports for long-delayed trips. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, jet fuel supplied in the U.S. in 2020 fell 38% compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. Jet fuel demand has increased about 26% since the start of this year, though it hasn’t reached 2019 levels. The administration’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report for July 2 shows demand at 78% of 2019 levels. That’s up from 44% of 2019 levels for the same time period in 2020 when the pandemic had taken hold. Overall, the administration said, jet fuel inventories in the U.S. are at or above the five-year average, except in the Rocky Mountains, where they are 1% below. That appears to point to the supply chain as the potential problem, various industry officials said. “COVID, it lulled everybody to sleep,” said Mark Haynes, vice president of sales for Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Avfuel Corporation, which supplies jet fuel across the U.S., including to about half of the nation’s 44 air tanker bases operated by the U.S. Forest Service or U.S. Bureau of Land Management in western states. Some states also maintain tanker bases. “Our business went to about zero,” Haynes said. “A lot of trucking companies had to lay off (jet fuel) drivers. What happened with the opening up of the U.S., demand for leisure travel has boomed.” Chris Kunkle is vice president of operations for the Central Coast Jet Center in Santa Maria, California. It’s a private airport known as a fixed based operator that provides services for private jets, such as refueling. It also serves as a Forest Service air tanker base, and is large enough for DC-10 air tankers. “In the blink of an eye, we can have a fire here within our response area that can bring in one to three DC-10s and a bunch of variable-sized air tankers,” he said. “We can go from a couple thousand gallons (3,800 liters) a day to 50,000 (190,000 liters) to 60,000 gallons (227,000 liters)” He said he likes to keep 60,000 gallons (227,000 liters) at the airport, but is having trouble with limited deliveries. He fears running out if a large fire breaks out in the area. Decisions on where the fuel goes can be difficult. Commercial jet travel can be a huge economic driver in many communities. Air ambulances also need fuel. Industry officials said problems at large commercial carriers this year appear to have more to do with worker and pilot shortages than lack of jet fuel. Jeff Cyphers of Stockton, California-based Humboldt Pacific LCC, said he’s expanding the company’s fleet of 20 jet fuel tanker trucks to transport fuel to West Coast states and, during the wildfire season, Idaho, Montana and Utah. He said there’s currently both a shortage of drivers as well as jet fuel to deliver. “The supply chain right now is probably the most fragile I’ve ever seen in my years of experience,” said Cyphers, who has been in the industry since 1986. Most larger airports such as those in Denver, Seattle and Boise are supplied by pipeline. But many smaller, outlying airports such as those in Aspen, Colorado, and Jackson, Wyoming, and Hailey, Idaho, near the resort town of Sun Valley, rely on jet fuel delivery by truck. So do many of the airports with tanker bases, some of them hundreds of miles away from jet fuel refineries or pipelines. Cyphers said his company has even been trucking jet fuel to airports supplied by pipeline because they hadn’t received their full allocation of jet fuel. Hundreds of aircraft are used to fight wildfires each year. Most of the nation’s large retardant bombers are jets. Turboprop retardant bombers also use jet fuel. They lay down strips of red fire retardant ahead of approaching flames in support of ground crews who are more likely to hold a fire line after a retardant bomber has made a drop. Most firefighting helicopters also use the jet fuel that authorities worry could be in short supply for aerial wildfire operations going forward. “I could be wrong, but I don’t foresee them being able to bridge that gap,” predicted Cyphers, from the trucking company. https://apnews.com/article/business-health-government-and-politics-fires-environment-and-nature-29b3eb2572c64109ecce45258a93f78c Metro Aviation continues investment in safety Metro Aviation is constantly looking for new opportunities to maximize safety efforts and recently added an extra layer of safety for pilots flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Metro added more than 300 proprietary Point-In-Space geo-referenced hospital-based approaches and departures to its Electronic Flight Bags (EFB). Single-Pilot IFR in a helicopter requires high levels of skill, training, and professional aptitude. Metro worked with Foreflight to increase each pilot’s situational awareness by providing a map overlay of IFR approaches. Capitalizing on ForeFlight’s “Bring Your Own Plate” option, the company added more than 300 proprietary Point-In-Space geo-referenced hospital-based approaches and departures to its Electronic Flight Bags (EFB). “This upgrade enhances our IFR operations from two perspectives; first, it allows us to have our proprietary approaches and departures quickly accessible and at our fingertips. This feature is extremely beneficial from an efficiency perspective in the IFR environment,” said Metro pilot Matt Johnson. “Second, and more importantly, this upgrade provides us with enhanced situational awareness by helping us visualize exactly where we are during the various segments of an instrument approach or departure from a hospital.” “Our pilots are now able to quickly pull up these approach and departure procedures just like a normal approach plate” said Brian Bihler, Metro’s director of operation. Bihler added, “We are constantly looking for ways to not only enhance safety in our operations but also provide our pilots with the best tools available for situational awareness and efficiency.” “This forward-thinking enhancement made by our senior leadership shows Metro’s commitment to the safest operations for their pilots and customers,” said Johnson. Metro Aviation is the largest traditional air medical operator in the country, providing pilots and technicians for more than 150 aircraft across the United States. https://verticalmag.com/press-releases/metro-aviation-continues-investment-in-safety/ ALARMING SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS NEED TO VACCINATE AVIATION WORKERS Australian governments are under pressure to prioritize vaccinations for aviation workers after a union survey found as many as half are not vaccinated. The national survey of almost 800 cabin crew, pilots and cleaners, baggage handlers and ground crew found only about a third of workers had received two vaccine shots while another 22 percent had received one. The results are alarming given the involvement of aviation workers and passengers in recent COVID outbreaks, including the current lockdown affecting Greater Sydney. The survey, conducted by the Transport Workers Union and the Virgin Independent Pilots Association, found widespread concern among workers about the risk of contracting COVID-19. Almost three quarters of cabin crew said they did not feel safe flying to COVID hotspots and 54 percent of cleaners and ground crew had safety concerns about servicing aircraft from hotspots. Almost four in five cabin crew and pilots also supported rapid pre-flight tests for passengers and crew. An issue for many workers was getting time off and employer assistance with rosters to allow them to get vaccinated. “I’m a casual and only get a roster a few days in advance,’’ one ground worker said. “ It’s impossible to book a time to be vaccinated without risking losing a day’s pay.” The unions have called on Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to add aviation workers to vaccine priority lists but say they have had not had a response. “This survey should ring alarm bells that there is a gaping hole in our fight to reduce the risk of COVID spread because only half of the people working in our airports, one of the most at-risk locations, have been vaccinated,’’ TWU national secretary Michael Kaine said. “It has left it entirely up to workers to get themselves vaccinated, with many reporting difficulty in setting up appointments. Workers are also concerned about setting a date for vaccination and then work becoming available, forcing them to forgo pay. “This is the economic reality for aviation workers: after a year of being stood down on little money, with mounting bills it is difficult to take time out for vaccination and its possible side effects.” VIPA president John Lyons said the poor vaccination rate among aviation workers meant the entire community was at risk. “Workers are telling us they want more information, time off work to get vaccinated so that it won’t conflict with roster changes, and assurances that they will be paid their usual wage if they get ill or are forced to self-isolate,’’ he said. “The Federal Government needs to step up to fix the mess it has created for aviation workers.” Qantas has only had one instance of transmission between passengers on a March 2020 flight carrying passengers from the Ruby Princess and experts agree that the risk of catching COVID on an aircraft is low. Nonetheless, the airline supports the push to get all aviation workers vaccinated, although it noted the union poll did not reflect higher vaccination rates among Qantas and Jetstar crew. “We’d like to see all aviation workers across the country be vaccinated and we’ve been strongly encouraging our employees to get vaccinated as soon as they can,” a spokesman said. “We wrote to the Federal Government back in April asking for domestic crews to be prioritised to get the vaccine and are in ongoing discussions with governments. “New South Wales has made vaccines mandatory for workers with anything to do with international flights and other states are likely to follow.” Virgin Australia pointed to its own survey in late June which found that 65 percent of its flying crew and customer-facing airport workers had received one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or were registered to be vaccinated. It also launched plans to incentivize all Australians, including staff, to get vaccinated through a national compteition. It said it was making it easy for team members to attend vaccination appointments by providing flexible working arrangements, where possible, for employees to receive both injections. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/alarming-survey-highlights-need-vaccinate-aviation-workers/ FAA ORDERS STABILIZER INSPECTIONS OF GRUMMAN SINGLES The FAA has issued an airworthiness directive requiring horizontal stabilizer inspections of Grumman American AA–1, AA–1A, AA–1B, AA–1C, and AA–5 single-engine airplanes following a loss-of-elevator-control accident in January. According to the AD, the accident aircraft exhibited bond line corrosion and delamination of the horizontal surfaces, making it necessary to inspect horizontal stabilizers and bond lines of the airplanes covered by the AD for “cracks, buckles, corrosion, delamination, rust, and previous repair,” and the repair or replacement of parts and application of corrosion inhibitor as described in service bulletin information cited in the document. The AD takes effect July 27. The Grumman American line of aircraft is now held by True Flight Aerospace. The January 19 accident occurred after AA–5’s “outboard elevator attach bracket on the horizontal stabilizer detached causing loss of elevator control and significant damage to the airplane,” the AD said. “An investigation identified corrosion and delamination of the airplane skin bondlines around the area of the horizontal stabilizer where the elevator attach bracket was attached.” Additional instances of corrosion and delamination turned up in multiple field reports. “Field reports indicate that bondline inspections are not being adequately performed during routine inspections. The FAA has determined that a more thorough inspection is necessary to reliably identify corrosion and delamination of bondlines in these critical areas, including the horizontal stabilizer,” the FAA said. Approximately 1,113 airplanes are covered by the AD, with the inspections estimated to carry labor costs of $255 per aircraft. The AOPA Sweepstakes Grumman Tiger, an AA–5B, is not affected by the AD. AOPA reported in May that the FAA had published a notice of its intent to issue an AD for immediate adoption but would consider changing the final AD if “substantive comments” were received. Public comments will be accepted on the AD until August 26 online or by mail to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Please include Docket No. FAA-2021-0541 and Project Identifier AD-2021-00453-A at the beginning of your comments. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2021/july/13/faa-orders-stabilizer-inspections-of-grumman-singles Photo courtesy: NTSB Former NTSB investigator spells out key elements in Transair crash investigation HONOLULU (KHON2) — Engine maintenance, fuel contamination, and air traffic control communications. Those are key elements investigators will be focusing on to determine how the Transair cargo plane crashed into the ocean on July 2. We hear from a former NTSB senior air safety investigator who was with the agency for 21 years. Recovering the two black boxes will also be critical, but former NTSB investigator Greg Feith points out that the plane is over 40 years old, so those black boxes could be damaged. Feith says there is likely a common denominator that caused the first engine to fail and the second to overheat, as reported in the air traffic communications. Investigators will look more deeply into possible fuel contamination, as well as problems with the fuel flow and the fuel tanks. They’ll also examine the plane’s maintenance history. “Is this a recurring problem?” asked Feith. “Did they have engine problems in the past? Did they have a fuel problem in the past? So you’re gonna have to look and see if there’s a systemic problem.” Investigators will raise questions not just with Transair but also with the FAA. “Was this airline operating as they should? Are they maintaining the airplane? Did they train the flight crew? Was this airplane in any condition for safe operation?” said Feith. In addition to talking to the pilots, investigators will want answers from Air Traffic Control. Feith points out that the flight crew reported initial engine trouble when they were at 400 feet altitude and less than a mile from the runway. “Why didn’t they immediately turn around as soon as they lost that first engine after takeoff? They were only at 400 feet, which means they weren’t that far from the airport,” said Feith. He adds that there was some confusion with Air Traffic Control which was also communicating with other flights in the same frequency. That’s because there were no mayday calls usually done by the flight crew. “Which then would’ve given them priority handling, which would’ve given them one on one communications in between the air traffic controller and that crew,” said Feith. A lot of questions will be answered if the two black boxes are recovered, which are now about 400 feet deep on the ocean floor. They should be intact because they’re encased in titanium. But older black boxes also need to be maintained. “If there is some sort of electronic failure, we may not get the data,” said Feith. “If it’s an old box that hasn’t been maintained, we may not get the data.” Bringing the wreckage up can also provide answers right away. Investigators will examine the cockpit and see if the controls and switches are in the appropriate positions. They will also examine the engines and see if any blades are missing. “If you lose a blade all of a sudden, the engines will not function as it is designed,” said Feith. “So they’re gonna be looking to see if all the components, parts or one, within tolerance, and two, are all still there?” https://www.khon2.com/top-stories/former-ntsb-investigator-spells-out-key-elements-in-transair-crash-investigation/ Flight to LAX diverted, passenger removed after causing disturbance A passenger disturbance on a commercial flight forced a United Airlines plane that was heading to Los Angeles to be diverted to Denver. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Another disturbance on a commercial flight forced a United Airlines plane that was heading to Los Angeles to be diverted to Denver. United Flight 2649 was enroute from Chicago to Los Angeles International Airport Monday night when there was a report of a passenger disturbance on board. Law enforcement officials in Denver removed the passenger and the flight continued to LAX. Meantime, the Federal Aviation Administration says it has received more than 3,400 reports of unruly behavior by passengers since the beginning of the year. About three-quarters of the cases involve passengers refusing to wear face masks. https://abc7.com/passenger-disturbance-flight-diverted-throws-fit-face-masks-on-airplanes/10885848/ Flight From Hell: Passengers Land In Stockton 17 Hours After Taking Off From Las Vegas STOCKTON (CBS13) – For passengers on Allegiant Airlines flight 161, an hour-long flight turned into a 17-hour journey. “It was absolutely horrible,” said Jade Watts, who was flying from Vegas to Stockton. The flight was scheduled to arrive at Stockton Metropolitan Airport on Monday night at 9:30 p.m. They got in on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Here’s what happened. “The pilot comes on and says the control tower is closed,” said Watts. The pilot couldn’t get ahold of anybody on the ground in Stockton. “And they can’t land without a weather report,” she said. So, the flight headed back to Las Vegas. “He comes back on again and says there’s a thunderstorm in Vegas and zero visibility,” said Watts. And what’s worse? “They were concerned about gas so we have to go to the closest airport. Where are we going to freaking land?” she said. Roughly 175 passengers were dropped off at LAX, eventually allowed to get off the plane. “We had to go into a holding room,” said Watts. To make matters worse, the passengers weren’t holding room. And to make matters worse, “there’s no restroom in this holding room,” she said. Finally, their flight was rescheduled for Tuesday, and passengers were given $250 ticket vouchers and left to fend for themselves. “We had to find transportation and our own hotel rooms. There were people sleeping in the airport,” she said. According to Allegiant Airlines, a visibility sensor that is a part of the airport’s weather reporting system and OKs planes to land went out and the Stockton control tower was closed, forcing the pilot to keep the plane in the air. “You never hear of a control tower being closed. I just didn’t understand why the area is not manned by an actual person,” said Watts. https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2021/07/13/las-vegas-stockton-flight-allegiant/ Skyward and FAA to test cellular-connected drones Skyward, A Verizon company, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to test cellular-connected drones. Cellular-connected drones could unlock complex operations like beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), universal traffic management (UTM) and one-to-many operations. Titled “Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) — Cellular Technologies to Support UAS Activities,” the MOA enables Skyward and the FAA to mutually research the capabilities of cellular communication networks for command and control (C2) within the National Airspace System. Partially focused on safety-critical C2 data, the three-year MOA also allows the two groups to propose standards for operations, including BVLOS and over commercial wireless spectrum. Skyward and Verizon will also be using the data and information collected in the course of the MOA to inform its discussions on C2 and BVLOS operations in the FAA’s BVLOS Advisory and Rulemaking Committee. Today, most commercial drones use unlicensed spectrum, which is restricted in range and subject to interference, limiting its use for complex operations. Verizon’s 4G LTE nationwide coverage, provided over spectrum protected from interference, presents an enormous opportunity for drone operations. The MOA will inform regulations regarding spectrum used in the C2 link between the drone operator and drone. The MOA will also facilitate information sharing between the FAA and Skyward as the parties continue to explore how wireless networks can support drone operations. The MOA is inspired by the previous industry collaborations with the FAA, but is intended to address complex UAS operations through joint data collection and analysis. The agreement also follows Skyward’s announced emergency waiver to inspect critical communications infrastructure near the Big Hollow wildfire in Washington in September 2020. The industry’s first known fully remote BVLOS operation with no pilot or visual observer on site demonstrated low-risk operation as well as a need for analyzing and sharing fully remote data with standard bodies and the FAA. “Cellular-connected drones play a critical role in enabling tomorrow’s safe, reliable and secure drone operations,” said Matt Fanelli, Director of Strategy and Operations at Skyward. “We are thrilled to be laying this foundation with the FAA and are confident that our efforts will help inform technical standards from which industry regulations authorizing low-risk BVLOS and one-to-many operations will flow.” https://www.gpsworld.com/skyward-and-faa-to-test-cellular-connected-drones/ STEM classes offered in high schools to encourage careers in aviation OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – Boeing Aircraft is projecting as many as 700,000 pilots will be needed to meet the air travel demands of the next 20-years. Meantime, many East Oakland students who live near the flight path of Oakland Airport are struggling to find a career. Seems like a logical question: can these two needs be met at the same time? Now that air travel is back and booming, the need for workers in the aviation industry is growing and that need exists in one of the Bay Area’s long-suffering neighborhoods. “Oakland Airport is right there. Very, very, very close to a lot of our kids that live in that neighborhood. Uh, you know, maybe just right across the freeway, but they maybe have never thought, well, I could work there. I could get a job working, you know, for one of the airlines, or I could be a mechanic, or it could be someone in a tower or, or anything else or a pilot,” John Sasaki, Oakland Unified School District spokesman, said. It’s estimated that 85 percent of commercial airline pilots are white, just two percent Black and only about 9 percent are female. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is trying to change that. It offers STEM classes to high schools across the country to encourage young people, including females and minorities, to get ready for all kinds of careers in aviation. “So I could see where, um, perhaps we start off with a pilot program where we can reach out and bring in some students, um, that, that had this interest. And, and again, we could start with a focus and maybe a couple of the careers within, within, um, aviation, whether it’s, um, the FAA or whether it’s aviation maintenance and start working with that group because, um, I agree, we need to expose our students to these opportunities,” Emiliano Sanchez, OUSD director of technical trades and apprenticeships, said. The AOPA Program is called “You Can Fly” and is now in use at 450 schools across the country, including more than a dozen in California. But there are no schools in the Bay Area participating, even though it’s served by three major commercial airports and dozens of general aviation fields. “I always say let’s start small and then we can build something out. And I think what we do is reach out to a couple of the schools, particularly to the ones that are in closer proximity so that we don’t have any geographical barriers,” Sanchez said. The biggest challenge is letting the students and especially the schools know that these careers exist in their own backyard. “Our students say I’m going to be a doctor. I’m going to be a lawyer. I’m going to play basketball. You’re going to be this. And very few say I would be air traffic controller. Right. And so just exposing the students to that field and, you know, I don’t know what the security issue is, but, you know, just having them have access to that and see that is just like, wow. I mean, you’re now you’re opening doors to things that they didn’t even know,” Sanchez said. https://www.kron4.com/news/national/stem-classes-offered-in-high-schools-to-encourage-careers-in-aviation/ Shape-memory alloys might help airplanes land without a peep S-shaped, shape-memory alloy filler in wings can reduce aircraft noise Having a home near a busy airport certainly has its perks. It is close to many establishments and alleviates the problem of wading through endless traffic to catch flights. But it does come at a cost -- tolerating the jarring sounds of commercial airplanes during landing and takeoff. Researchers at Texas A&M University have conducted a computational study that validates using a shape-memory alloy to reduce the unpleasant plane noise produced during landing. They noted that these materials could be inserted as passive, seamless fillers within airplane wings that automatically deploy themselves into the perfect position during descent. "When landing, aircraft engines are throttled way back, and so they are very quiet. Any other source of noise, like that from the wings, becomes quite noticeable to the people on the ground," said Dr. Darren Hartl, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. "We want to create structures that will not change anything about the flight characteristics of the plane and yet dramatically reduce the noise problem." The researchers have described their findings in the Journal of Aircraft. Aircraft noise has been an ongoing public health issue. Airplanes can generate up to 75-80 decibels during landing, which can be damaging to hearing over the long term. For example, studies have shown that people exposed to sustained aircraft noise can experience disturbed sleep and an increased risk of stroke and heart disease compared to those who do not live near airports. The source of aircraft noise is different during ascent and descent. During takeoff, the engines are the primary source of noise. On the other hand, when airplanes slow down to land, the engines do not need to generate power and are mostly idling. At this time, the wings begin to reconfigure themselves to slow down the airplane and prepare for touchdown. Similar to the opening of Venetian blinds, the front edge of the wing separates from the main body. This change causes air to rush into the space created, circle around quite violently and produce noise. "The idea is similar to how a sound is generated in a flute," said Hartl. "When a flute is played, air blown over a hole begins to swirl around the hole, and the size, the length and how I cover the holes, produces a resonant sound of a certain frequency. Similarly, the circulating air in the cove created between the front edge of the wing and the main wing resonates and creates a sharp, unpleasant noise." Earlier work from Hartl's collaborators at NASA showed that fillers used as a membrane in the shape of an elongated "S" within this cove could circumvent the noise-causing air circulation and thereby lessen the jarring sound. However, a systematic analysis of candidate materials that can assume the desired S-shaped geometry during descent and then recess back into the front edge of the wing after landing was lacking. To address this gap, the researchers performed comprehensive simulations to investigate if a membrane made of a shape-memory alloy could go back and forth, changing shape for every landing. Their analysis considered the geometry, the elastic properties of the shape-memory alloy and the aerodynamic flow of air around the material during descent. As a comparison, the researchers also modeled the motion of a membrane made of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composite under the same airflow conditions. Hartl said these types of simulations are computationally expensive since the flow of air around the conformal material has to be modeled while analyzing the air-induced motion of the material. "Every time the air applies some pressure to the material, the material moves. And every time the material moves, the air moves differently around it," he said. "So, the behavior of the airflow changes the structure, and the motion of the structural changes the airflow." Consequently, the team had to perform calculations hundreds to thousands of times before the motion of the materials was correctly simulated. When they analyzed the outcomes of their simulations, they found that both the shape-memory alloy and the composite could change their shape to reduce air circulation and thereby reduce noise. However, the researchers also found that the composite had a very narrow window of designs that would enable noise canceling. As a next step, Hartl and his team plan to validate the results of their simulations with experiments. In these tests, the researchers will place scaled-down models of aircraft wings with the shape-memory alloy fillers into wind tunnels. The goal is to check if the fillers can deploy into the correct shape and reduce noise in near real-world situations. "We would also like to do better," said Hartl. "We might be able to create smaller structures that can reduce noise and do not require the S-shape, which are actually quite large and potentially heavy." https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-07/tau-sam071221.php Embraer Secures 80-Aircraft Deal Toronto-based Porter Airlines has placed a firm order for 30 Embraer E195-E2 passenger jets with options for an additional 50 aircraft. Porter, the North American launch customer for the E195-E2, is expected to begin taking deliveries in the second half of 2022. The deal is worth an estimated $5.82 billion. “With this order for up to 80 of our largest aircraft, the E2 is making a stunning North American debut,” said Embraer Commercial Aviation CEO Arjan Meijer. “As the quietest and most fuel-efficient aircraft in the segment, the E195-E2 also delivers excellent economic performance that shines through.” As previously reported by AVweb, the E195-E2 received type certificates from Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC), the FAA and EASA in April 2019. The first E195-E2 was delivered to aircraft leasing company AerCap and Brazilian airline Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras the following September. Embraer says the E2, which seats between 120 and 146 passengers, offers a 20 percent reduction in maintenance costs and burns 25.4 percent less fuel per seat than the previous generation E195. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/embraer-secures-80-aircraft-deal/ Boeing cuts 787 production, suffers 737 MAX cancellation SEATTLE (Reuters) -Boeing Co said on Tuesday it will cut 787 production after finding another production-related structural defect, and a major customer partially canceled a 737 MAX order, in a double hit to the U.S. planemaker's COVID-19 pandemic recovery. Chicago-based Boeing now forecasts delivering fewer than half of the lingering 100 or so 787 Dreamliners in its inventory this year - instead of the "vast majority" it had expected - as it continues forensic inspections and costly repairs to address quality flaws in the aircraft. Boeing did not disclose a new production rate for the 787 program, but said it would shift temporarily below the already-slow current rate of five jets per month. "To us this is more significant than the cut to the delivery forecast, as it ripples down through the supply chain," Vertical Research Partners analyst Robert Stallard said in a client note. "The supply chain cannot just be turned on and off like a switch," Stallard added. Separately, United Arab Emirates airline flydubai said on Tuesday it has agreed with Boeing to cut the number of 737 MAX aircraft it will take delivery of by 65. The airline has already taken delivery of 16 MAX jets out of its total order of 251, according to Boeing's website. Boeing shares were down 3.3% in afternoon trading against a fractionally lower Dow Jones Industrial Average. For the year so far, the company has delivered 156 jets of all types, compared with 157 for all of 2020, Boeing said. The latest production-related flaw, first reported by Reuters on Monday, involved unacceptable gaps around the forward pressure bulkhead, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said. The FAA said late on Monday that Boeing, which spotted the problem, would fix it before the planes are delivered. The U.S. planemaker's 737 MAX and 787 have been afflicted by electrical defects and other issues since late last year. Boeing halted deliveries of the jet in May, the second pause after it initially stopped handing over the jet in late 2020. "We will continue to take the necessary time to ensure Boeing airplanes meet the highest quality prior to delivery," Boeing said, adding that the new issue poses no immediate threat to flight safety. The FAA said it will review data to "determine whether similar modifications should be made on 787s already in commercial service." In June, Boeing booked 146 jet orders. That net figure takes into account instances in which the buyer converted an order to another model or canceled it entirely, including 71 737 MAX jets, the company said. Its backlog increased from 4,121 to 4,166 aircraft, Boeing said. Boeing handed over 45 planes to customers in June, its highest monthly total since March 2019, when the second of two fatal 737 MAX crashes occurred. Its June delivery tally includes 10 widebody aircraft, one of which was a 787-9 for Turkish Airlines, Boeing said. It also delivered 35 737s, including 33 737 MAXs and two P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to the U.S. Navy. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-cuts-787-production-structural-110803562.html With taxpayers' help, Delta posts $652 million profit in 2Q Delta Air Lines is reporting a $652 million profit in the second quarter, helped by hordes of vacation travelers in the U.S. and money from taxpayers, positioning the airline for stronger results once business and international flying recover from the pandemic. However, Wednesday's financial report from Delta — the first U.S. carrier to post quarterly numbers — shows that airlines still face turbulence as they try to rebound from their worst year ever. Without $1.5 billion in federal pandemic relief and other one-time events, the Atlanta airline would have posted an adjusted loss of $678 million. Crowds at the nation's airports are approaching 2019 levels, but Delta's revenue remains halved compared with quarters before the pandemic, after excluding sales from its fuel refinery. The company expects costs to rise as it rebuilds its operation, including hiring and training employees to handle the growing number of passengers. “We still have a long ways to go,” CEO Ed Bastian said in an interview, “but the business is in a much, much better place than it was 90 days ago. We posted a solid profit in the month of June, and it augers well for where we're going this summer." Bastian predicted that the airline — which lost more than $12 billion last year — will be profitable in both the third and fourth quarters, with third-quarter revenue down a more manageable 30% to 35% compared with 2019. Delta was the most profitable U.S. airline going into the pandemic, and it is likely to emerge from virus outbreak at or near the front of the pack. Other carriers are looking healthier, too. Delta said that domestic leisure travel has fully recovered from the pandemic. More than 2 million people a day on average are streaming through U.S. airports, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration. Business and international travelers are still mostly absent, however, and both are crucial for Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines. Corporate travel is showing signs of life. Delta estimates it was 40% of normal in the second quarter, up from 20% in the first quarter, and Bastian expects it will hit 60% in September. International travel is still deeply depressed. Bastian cited COVID-19 variants as the biggest threat to the budding travel recovery. Fear around the variants is delaying the reopening of international borders but is having no effect on U.S. bookings even as they spread across the country, Bastian said. Delta's adjusted loss works out to $1.07 per share, which was better than Wall Street expected. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were looking for a loss of $1.38 per share. Revenue plunged to $7.13 billion from $12.57 billion two years ago — 2020 was such a lost cause that airlines aren't even comparing this year's results to last year. With a smaller workforce, Delta cut its labor and profit sharing costs by 36%, or more than $1 billion. It spent 31% less on fuel, or or $804 million, than it did in 2019. The airline is also buying more planes. On Tuesday, Delta said it would buy or lease 36 used Boeing and Airbus planes, apparently taking advantage of lower prices on the used-plane market. https://www.yahoo.com/news/taxpayers-help-delta-posts-652-112626634.html NASA, ESA Partner in New Effort to Address Global Climate Change NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have formed a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership to observe Earth and its changing environment. The global climate is rapidly changing and the demand for accurate, timely, and actionable knowledge is more pressing than ever. Recognizing that climate change is an urgent global challenge, the timing is right for NASA and ESA, as partners in space, to join forces to lead and support a global response to climate change. The partnership is an effort to help address and mitigate climate change through monitoring Earth with combined efforts of both agencies in Earth science observations, research, and applications. “Climate change is an all-hands-on deck, global challenge that requires action – now,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “NASA and ESA are leading the way in space, building an unprecedented strategic partnership in Earth science. This agreement will set the standard for future international collaboration, providing the information that is so essential for tackling the challenges posed by climate change and helping to answer and address the most pressing questions in Earth science for the benefit of the United States, Europe, and the world.” The partnership was formalized through a joint statement of intent, signed Tuesday, which outlines how the agencies will collaborate to ensure continuity of Earth observations; advance understanding of the Earth System, climate change and application of that knowledge; and collaborate on an open data policy that promotes open sharing of data, information, and knowledge within the scientific community and the wider public. “Together, NASA and ESA provide most of the world’s Earth science coverage through our Earth-observing satellites,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science. “This transformative agreement will build on that capability, forging a critical international climate science partnership to tackle the most challenging climate questions in an integrated and strategic way. Not only will NASA and ESA work together to deliver unparalleled Earth science observations, research, and applications, but all of our findings will also be free and open for the benefit of the entire world as we work together to combat and mitigate climate change.” NASA and ESA have a long and successful history working together to understand climate change. In 2020, NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and European partners, including ESA, launched the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite, which is collecting the most accurate data yet on global sea level and how oceans are rising in response to climate change. The mission also is collecting data of atmospheric temperature and humidity that will help improve climate models and weather forecasts. “Without doubt, space is the best vantage point to measure and monitor climate change, but joining forces is also key to tackling this global issue,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA director general. “This is why today’s agreement between our organizations is so crucial. Timing is also important, particularly as we look to the COP26 climate conference later this year, where we have the chance to further make space an integral part of the solution when it comes to climate-change mitigation.” In May, NASA announced its Earth System Observatory, which will design a new set of Earth-focused missions to provide key information to guide efforts related to climate change, disaster mitigation, fighting forest fires, and improving real-time agricultural processes. The joint statement of intent complements activities underway for the Earth System Observatory. Climate adaptation and mitigation efforts cannot succeed without robust climate observations and research. NASA has more than two dozen satellites and instruments observing how the planet is changing and measuring key climate indicators, such as the height of oceans and inland waters, clouds and precipitation, and carbon dioxide. For more information about NASA’s Earth science programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/earth https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-esa-partner-in-new-effort-to-address-global-climate-change Curt Lewis