Flight Safety Information - July 29, 2021 No. 151 In This Issue : Incident: Sundair A320 at Dresden on Jul 27th 2021, bird strike : Incident: Allegiant A319 at McAllen on Jul 26th 2021, bird strike : Incident: Allegiant A319 at Syracuse on Jul 25th 2021, bird strike : Incident: Southwest B737 near Greenville on Jul 28th 2021, engine problem : Accident: KLM B744 near Hong Kong on Jun 4th 2017, turbulence injures 8 : Incident: Martin B744 near Amsterdam on Jan 16th 2021, lost panel in flight : Incident: Martin B744 near Lisbon on Jan 16th 2021, electrical problem : Incident: Atlas B763 near Honolulu on Jul 27th 2021, altimeter problem : ‘The Jet Man Is Back’: Another Possible Jet Pack Sighting Reported Near LAX : Teacher of the Year recipient claims she faced discrimination by American Airlines in Huntsville Airport : World’s 20 best airlines are named by air safety website : Air Accidents Investigation Branch appointed as Space Accident Investigation Authority for the United Kingdom : German airline Condor to acquire Airbus A330neo jets ; FAA seeks best practices for drone-based infrastructure inspections : Thailand builds Covid-19 hospital in Bangkok airport amid surge in cases : House Panels Limit C-130 Retirements, Tackle Ejection Seat Safety in Markups : The Lilium electric jet will use batteries manufactured by Germany’s Customcells : Court-martial of Air Force General Officer (ex-AFRL commander) scheduled at Wright-Patterson : Airbus profits take off as deliveries soar : Airbus challenges Boeing cargo dominance with A350 freighter : Boeing will once again try to fly its spaceship to the space station for NASA on Friday, after failing its first attempt : Position: Apply Now! - Manager – Quality Control : Position Available: Learjet 60 and 60XR Pilots Incident: Sundair A320 at Dresden on Jul 27th 2021, bird strike A Sundair Airbus A320-200, registration D-ANNA performing flight SR-5982 from Dresden (Germany) to Antalya (Turkey), was climbing out of Dresden's runway 22 when an engine (CFM56) apparently ingested a bird. In the absence of abnormal indications the crew continued the flight, climbed to FL350 and FL370 and landed safely on Antalya's runway 18C about 2:40 hours after departure. The aircraft however was unable to continue its schedule, the return flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Antalya about 28 hours after landing in Antalya. Ground observers reported there were unusual engine sounds from the aircraft as it climbed out. https://avherald.com/h?article=4eafcb48&opt=0 Incident: Allegiant A319 at McAllen on Jul 26th 2021, bird strike An Allegiant Airbus A319-100, registration N307NV performing flight G4-80 from McAllen,TX to Las Vegas,NV (USA), was climbing out of McAllen's runway 14 when the aircraft suffered a bird strike against the windshield. The crew stopped the climb at 15,000 feet and decided to return to McAllen for a safe landing about 25 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in McAllen about 38 hours after landing back. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT WINDSHIELD STRUCK A BIRD AND RETURNED TO AIRPORT, MCALLEN, TX." https://avherald.com/h?article=4eafbb19&opt=0 Incident: Allegiant A319 at Syracuse on Jul 25th 2021, bird strike An Allegiant Airbus A319-100, registration N315NV performing flight G4-2203 from Orlando Sanford,FL to Syracuse,NY (USA), was on approach to Syracuse's runway 33 when the aircraft received a bird strike. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. The aircraft was unable to continue its schedule and remained on the ground in Syracuse for 58 hours. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD DURING LANDING". https://avherald.com/h?article=4eafb8e8&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B737 near Greenville on Jul 28th 2021, engine problem A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7729A performing flight WN-1092 from Columbus,OH to Sarasota,FL (USA) with 61 people on board, was enroute at FL380 about 30nm south of Greenville-Spartanburg,SC (USA) reporting the left hand engine (CFM56) had been reduced to idle thrust. The aircraft diverted to Greenville Spartanburg for a safe landing on runway 22 about 20 minutes later. https://avherald.com/h?article=4eaf9d54&opt=0 Accident: KLM B744 near Hong Kong on Jun 4th 2017, turbulence injures 8 A KLM Boeing 747-400, registration PH-BFR performing flight KL-887 (dep Jun 3rd) from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Hong Kong (China) with 261 passengers and 13 crew, was enroute at 8900 meters (FL291) about 30-40 minutes prior to landing in Hong Kong when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence for a couple of seconds causing passengers to be thrown against the cabin ceiling and then the floor. About 15 minutes later, already descending towards Hong Kong, the crew advised ATC of injuries on board and requested emergency services and medical staff to meet the aircraft upon arrival. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Hong Kong's runway 25R about 30-40 minutes later. A total of 9 people were medically assessed at the airport, 8 of them were taken to a hospital. Passengers reported the turbulence lasted 3-4 seconds, everything not secured properly was thrown against the ceiling and then against the floor. The fasten seat belt signs were not illuminated at the time and did not come on. The airline reported 6 passengers and 2 crew received minor injuries, 3 passengers and 2 crew were already discharged from hospital after checks. Local Authorities reported a 7th passenger was medically assessed and declined treatment/being taken to a hospital after examination. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Hong Kong for 7 hours, then departed for the return flight with a delay of 4:20 hours. On Jul 28th 2021 the Dutch Onderzoeksraad (DSB) reported, that the aircraft encountered a rapidly developing cumulus cloud a short distance from their trajectory that they no longer could completely avoid. The fasten seat belt signs had not yet been illuminated, not all passengers were in their seats with the seat belts fastened, cabin crew was working in the cabin. The crew reduced the airspeed to dampen the shock and tried to deviate around the cloud as much as possible, however, could not avoid severe turbulence resulting in two cabin crew being injured to a point, where they could no longer continue duties, and causing injuries to six passengers. Two medicians amongst the passengers took care of the injured. The DSB concluded that this was not a case of flying into turbulence due to inadequate meteorlogical information or incorrect use of such information. In this case it was an individual cloud that was not noticed in time by the crew. The weather information available was adequate, the on board weather radar was operating normally and was receiving sufficient returns from that cloud to detect the presence of that cloud in time. It was found plausible however, that during the approach while in instrument meteorological conditions the angle of the weather radar might influence the dimensions and activity of the cloud masking its maturity. The occurrence took place at flight stage of high work load, typical for flights to Hong Kong, paired with a low of the circadian rythm of the crew. The investigation was conducted thoroughly however suffered unacceptable delays, the DSB hence decided to release only this short note. https://avherald.com/h?article=4a9e409d&opt=0 Incident: Martin B744 near Amsterdam on Jan 16th 2021, lost panel in flight A MartinAir Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration PH-CKC performing flight MP-8561 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Nairobi (Kenya), was climbing through FL120 out of Amsterdam when the crew heard some noise. In the absence of any abnormal indications the crew decided to continue the flight to Kenya where the aircraft landed safely about 7:25 hours after departure. A post flight inspection revealed that a panel had separated from the underside of the fuselage. The Onderzoeksraad (Dutch Safety Board DSB) reported on Jul 28th 2021 in a more detailed report, that it is being suspected that the panel separated during the climb and was lost over the Netherlands. The occurrence was rated a serious incident and is being investigated. The aircraft remained on the ground in Nairobi for about 32 hours, then continued the next sector to Johannesburg (South Africa). Another occurrence involving another MartinAir Boeing 747-400 had happened the same day. https://avherald.com/h?article=4eaf9263&opt=0 Incident: Martin B744 near Lisbon on Jan 16th 2021, electrical problem A MartinAir Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration PH-CKA performing flight MP-7551 (dep Jan 15th) from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Sao Paulo Viracopos,SP (Brazil), was enroute at FL310 about 80nm north of Lisbon (Portugal) when the crew decided to turn around and return to Amsterdam. The crew descended the aircraft to FL210 for the return, advised they did have an electrical issue with a backup system that was needed for the Oceanic Crossing. The aircraft dumped fuel over the North Sea and landed safely back on Amsterdam's runway 18R about 4.5 hours after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground in Amsterdam for about 43 hours before returning to service. The airline reported the aircraft encountered technical problems while over Spain, the crew tried to reset the system without success. It was thus decided to return the aircraft to Amsterdam where all repair options are available rather than limited options at a remote airport. The occurrence came to light during a research into a report by the Dutch Safety Board (DSB) reporting that on Jan 16th 2021 it was discovered upon arrival at the destination that a Boeing 747-400 cargo aircraft had lost a panel from its underside presumably during climb after departure out of Amsterdam. The investigation was opened on Jan 16th 2021. It remains unclear whether this return and the lost panel are related. On Jul 28th 2021 another more detailed report about the missing panel made clear another Boeing 747-400 of MartinAir was involved. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e284cf8&opt=0 Incident: Atlas B763 near Honolulu on Jul 27th 2021, altimeter problem An Atlas Air Boeing 767-300 on behalf of Amazon Prime Air, registration N1327A performing flight 5Y-3813 from Kahului,HI to Ontario,CA (USA), was enroute at FL390 over the Pacific Ocean about 560nm east of Honlulu,HI (USA) when the crew descended the aircraft to FL260 due to a problem with the altimeters and decided to divert to Honolulu. The aircraft landed safely on Honolulu's runway 04R about 90 minutes after leaving FL390. The aircraft remained on the ground in Honolulu for about 14.5 hours, then departed for the flight again and reached Ontario with a delay of 18 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4eaf7901&opt=0 ‘The Jet Man Is Back’: Another Possible Jet Pack Sighting Reported Near LAX LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — There was another possible jet pack sighting reported Wednesday evening near Los Angeles International Airport. “A Boeing 747 pilot reported seeing an object that might have resembled a jet pack 15 miles east of LAX at 5,000 feet altitude,” a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, air traffic controllers alerted other pilots in the vicinity.” In recordings obtained by CBS Los Angeles, air traffic control personnel could be heard talking to a pilot about the reported sighting. ATC: Skywest 3626, use caution. The jet man is back, let me know if you see him.” ATC: Skywest 3626, did you see the UFO? Pilot: We were looking, but we did not see Iron Man. Late last year, a number of similar reports were made, prompting the Federal Bureau of Investigation to get involved. A report issued by the agency said that the reported sightings were unlikely to involve an actual person with a jet pack. https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/07/28/another-possible-jet-pack-sighting-reported-near-lax/ Teacher of the Year recipient claims she faced discrimination by American Airlines in Huntsville Airport • Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka is American Samoa’s Teacher of the Year. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — When the American Samoan Teacher of the Year came to attend Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, alongside her decorated colleagues, she was already concerned about the state’s reputation of discrimination. At Space Camp, though, inclusion was the norm. The concern slipped from her mind. When she tried to depart from Huntsville International Airport on Monday, however, she said she was treated by American Airlines not based on the content of her character, but on the color of her skin. Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka had been invited, along with all State Teachers of the Year, to attend Space Camp on the site of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Baldwin County hospitals restrict visitation as COVID-19 numbers rise Her experience at the camp was excellent, she said in an interview with CBS 42. Teachers of the Year from across the country attended Space Camp. “I loved everything about Space Camp,” she said. “The staff there were very professional. They were very inclusive. I would’ve loved more representation among the speakers there, but other than that we were always well taken care of.” At the Huntsville International Airport, her experience changed. Suluai-Mahuka said that she was denied overnight accommodations by American Airlines, which she had requested when her flight was canceled due to a weather event. “If that had been the whole story, if that would have been their policy for everyone, I would have panicked, but we would have figured it out,” she said. “That would’ve been fine.” That wasn’t the whole story, though. A few minutes after she and another Teacher of the Year, a fellow Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI), had departed the airport, they contacted a third colleague, Ohio’s State Teacher of the Year, Anthony Coy-Gonzalez, a white male, who was on his way to attempt to board what was then a canceled flight. They informed him that he would be denied accommodations and that they should all work together to figure out their next moves. What happened next, Suluai-Mahuka said, made American Airlines’ earlier actions clearly discriminatory. Coy-Gonzalez was not only provided overnight accommodations, he was given a food voucher and was offered a taxi. When he had difficulty finding a hotel, the airline provided more assistance. He then had trouble finding a taxi. American Airlines arranged to reimburse him for an Uber. “My friends and fellow teachers of the year, both AAPI, were denied the privilege I was offered 20 minutes later with the same representatives when our flight was canceled,” Coy-Gonzalez said in a social media post. “They were given nothing but dismissal when they requested help. I walked in and was offered a hotel, taxi, and meal without asking. Same flight. Same time. Same airline. American Airlines, this is not okay.” Suluai-Mahuka told CBS 42 that she was discriminated against by American Airlines. “My friend is Korean, and I am Samoan-Filipino, I am dark-skinned, I have tattoos over my body, and Anthony is the definition of a white American male,” she said. “We flew on the same airline. Why did the policy suddenly change when it came to a white male?” Other teachers have already spoken out about the incident. CBS 42 spoke to David Dai, Alabama’s Alternate Teacher of the Year and a Vietnamese-American, about the incident. He attended the Space Camp event as well. “For me, having had the opportunity to get to know Sabrina, and hearing this story, you realize that it’s one thing to have the title of State Teacher of the Year, but then there’s the reality that regardless of those titles, none of us is really immune from facing discrimination and prejudice,” Dai said. “I think the incident is a microcosm of what some of us growing up in Alabama are kind of used to,” he said. “Just being brushed off, being pushed aside. It’s something I would like to say that a lot of Alabama would not engage in, but I can’t say that confidently. From personal experiences, I wasn’t surprised to hear that this had happened, but I am saddened and heartbroken.” American Airlines responded to Suluai-Mahuka’s account of her experience on Twitter. “Discrimination has no place at American,” the tweet said. “Please send a DM our way with your flight details and contact information.” Suluai-Mahuka responded in a direct message last night but has not yet heard back from the airline. For her part, though, Suluai-Mahuka said that she’s not concerned about the money involved, but about bigger changes. “I want to see American Airlines fix this,” she said. “The money can be pushed aside; it can be replaced. They need to fix their system, because if I hadn’t known what happened with Anthony, I wouldn’t have known I was mistreated. I feel supported by my community and by other State Teachers of the Year. I can only imagine what someone else would feel if they didn’t have that support. I implore American Airlines: fix your system.” CBS 42 has reached out directly to both American Airlines and the Huntsville International Airport for comment. American Airlines has said their team is looking into the situation and that they will provide more information as soon as possible. Huntsville International Airport has not yet responded. https://www.wkrg.com/alabama-news/teacher-of-the-year-recipient-claims-she-faced-discrimination-by-american-airlines-in-huntsville-airport/ World’s 20 best airlines are named by air safety website Travelers who are on the fence about flying again may want to check out a new list of the world’s best airlines. The airline safety website AirlineRatings.com published its list of “Top Airlines in the World,” which traditionally ranks carriers by safety, in-flight service, passenger comfort and flight routes. But this year, new judging criteria are shaking up the rankings. For the first time, airlines are being judged in part by how they responded to the Covid-19 global pandemic. “Covid impacted the ratings in two ways,” said AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas. “Airlines had to be Covid-compliant to our standards to be considered, and we deleted profitability as a criterion this year.” And the winner is… Qatar Airways took the No. 1 spot this year, named “Airline of the Year” by the website. The Doha-based carrier was awarded the top prize due to its cabin innovation, in-flight service and “dedication and commitment to continue to operate throughout the Covid pandemic,” according to the site’s announcement on July 20. Launched in 1997, Doha-based Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 140 destinations. Qatar Airways also introduced industry firsts, AirlineRatings.com said, such as being the first to complete the International Air Transport Association’s safety audit and among the first to trial its Covid Safe Travel Pass. Qatar Airways also has one of the world’s youngest fleets, the announcement said. The rest of the list Here’s the full list, following by each airline’s position last year: 1. Qatar Airways (9) 2. Air New Zealand (1) 3. Singapore Airlines (2) 4. Qantas (4) 5. Emirates (6) 6. Cathay Pacific (5) 7. Virgin Atlantic (7) 8. United Airlines (N/A) 9. EVA Air (8) 10. British Airways (17) 11. Lufthansa (11) 12. ANA, or All Nippon Airways (3) 13. Finnair (12) 14. Japan Airlines (13) 15. KLM (14) 16. Hawaiian Airlines (16) 17. Alaska Airlines (18) 18. Virgin Australia (10) 19. Delta Air Lines (19) 20. Etihad Airways (20) Most carriers maintained a similar position as they did in the 2020 list. Still, Qatar Airways jumped eight places to clinch the top spot, a position typically dominated by Air New Zealand. “Air New Zealand has been our ‘Airline of the Year’ in six of the last eight years because of its outstanding innovation and cabin service,” Thomas said. British Airways jumped seven places in the rankings to No. 10, while United leaped to No. 8, after not making the 2020 list at all. Only airlines with seven safety stars are considered for the annual list. That rating is based on crash history, pilot-related incidents, government audits — and now Covid protocols, such as social distancing, aircraft cleaning and masked cabin crew. Fewer than 150 of the 350-some airlines evaluated by AirlineRatings.com have seven stars. Eight airlines have just one star, according to the website. The company said rankings, which are judged by the website’s editors, also consider airline service, staff engagement and passenger feedback. Excellence Awards Individual carriers are also singled out for “Airline Excellence Awards” for superior service and products. This year’s awards went to: Best first class: Singapore Airlines Best business class: Qatar Airways Best premium economy class: Air New Zealand Best economy class: Air New Zealand Best low-cost airline in Asia-Pacific: Jetstar Best low-cost airline in Europe: EasyJet Best low-cost airline in the Americas: Southwest Best ultra-low-cost airline: Vietjet Air Best regional airline: Qantas Best cabin crew: Virgin Australia Best lounges: Qantas In-flight catering award: Qatar In-flight entertainment award: Emirates Separately, AirlineRatings.com issues an annual “Top Twenty Safest Airlines” list that analyzes crash records and safety compliance. Next year, it too will factor in Covid compliance measures by the airlines, said Thomas. That list is expected in January 2022. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/27/air-safety-site-lists-20-best-airlines-in-the-world.html Air Accidents Investigation Branch appointed as Space Accident Investigation Authority for the United Kingdom Regulations which today have come into force see the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) nominated by the Secretary of State for Transport to act as the Space Accident Investigation Authority (SAIA) for the UK. The Spaceflight Activities (Investigation of Spaceflight Accidents) Regulations 2021 set out that the AAIB, acting as the SAIA, now has the authority to conduct safety investigations when there are spaceflight accidents in or over the UK. Spaceflight launches from the UK are anticipated to commence in 2022. As is the case with aviation, the AAIB will operate independently of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the UK Space Agency. The purpose of having an independent authority is to avoid any conflicts of interest or external influence in the conduct of an accident investigation. Like the aviation investigations conducted by the AAIB, spaceflight accident investigations will seek to improve spaceflight safety by promoting action to prevent recurrence. They will not apportion blame or liability. Crispin Orr, Chief Inspector of Spaceflight Accidents: “This is a significant moment in the AAIB’s history. We are extremely proud that the Branch’s positive impact on aviation safety over many years has been recognised and we are being entrusted with this important new area of responsibility. Spaceflight activities launched from the UK offer great potential. We look forward to supporting the development of the industry by conducting independent investigation of spaceflight accidents, when required, to enhance safety. Our inspectors will conduct spaceflight investigations with the same rigour, expertise and professionalism that we are renowned for in aviation.” The Regulations set out the powers and duties of the AAIB, its designated inspectors and the investigator-in-charge. They stipulate what actions should be taken in the immediate aftermath of a spaceflight accident to preserve evidence and how any investigation will be carried out. The Regulations also include the duty to produce and publish a safety investigation report making recommendations where appropriate to enhance safety. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/air-accidents-investigation-branch-appointed-as-space-accident-investigation-authority-for-the-united-kingdom German airline Condor to acquire Airbus A330neo jets PARIS, July 28 (Reuters) - German leisure airline Condor said on Wednesday it would order 16 Airbus (AIR.PA) A330neo jets to replace a wide-bodied fleet of Boeing (BA.N) 767 aircraft. "The first aircraft is expected in autumn 2022, whilst the replacement of the entire long-haul fleet is scheduled to be completed by mid-2024," Condor said on its website. It did not say how it would acquire the planes but market sources said it was expected to buy an unspecified number from Airbus with the rest to be rented from leasing companies. The deal comes a day after EU regulators approved 525.3-million euros ($619.3 million) in German aid for Condor that will help the airline restructure after an earlier decision was annulled by a European court. . It follows a competition between Airbus and Boeing to provide the A330neo or Boeing 787 to Condor, the sources said. Condor has a mixed fleet of planes from both planemakers, but relies solely on its ageing 767s for long-haul needs. The A330neo is an upgraded version of the A330 passenger plane with recent Rolls-Royce (RR.L) engines. It competes with the newer but more expensive Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The sources said the deal will provide homes for undelivered A330neo jets originally earmarked for Indonesia's Garuda (GIAA.JK) or AirAsia X of Malaysia - debt-strapped carriers whose finances have worsened during the pandemic, raising doubts over A330neo deliveries. read more Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that Airbus was also in talks to replace Boeing jets at another European leisure carrier, British airline and holiday group Jet2 (JET2.L). If confirmed, the deal could involve the purchase of around 50 Airbus jets, worth some $5 billion before industry discounts of at least 50%. But while Airbus is seen as front-runner, talks between Jet2 and suppliers are said to be ongoing https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/german-airline-condor-acquire-airbus-a330neo-jets-2021-07-28/ FAA seeks best practices for drone-based infrastructure inspections The Federal Aviation Administration wants gather best practices for using small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for facility and infrastructure maintenance and restoration. In places where it is dangerous, expensive or physically demanding for an engineer to evaluate structural integrity of a bridge or tower, public- and private-sector organizations often use drones for preventative maintenance inspections. States have been using sUAS to conduct bridge inspections since 2016, for example. In a July 7 request for information, the FAA said it is considering the use of sUAS for inspection of its own infrastructure, which includes buildings, radars, communication towers and other equipment. To better understand how it might use drones for these inspections, it is surveying sUAS manufacturers and industry users for information on the ideal weight, battery life and controls and if specific models meet those missions. Likewise, it seeks recommendations on which technologies are best for what kind of inspections, such as in whether LIDAR would be better for a particular task than a conventional camera. The FAA also calls for details on the minimum acceptable performance parameters for sensors and cameras and best practices on flight patterns, the speed at which the inspection can be conducted, and drones’ ideal distance from the structure. Because the sUAS cameras would need to detect anomalies and defects in the physical infrastructure, knowing and understanding the current capabilities of drone sensor technologies would determine which anomalies drones could and could not detect and plan accordingly, the FAA said. Distinguishing which tasks can be performed via an automated flight versus a manual one are important too as the FAA would like to know what factors justify a manually piloted flight. When it comes to the data the drones collect, the FAA wants to understand what type of data is collected and archived during the flight, whether it can be analyzed in real time as opposed to after the inspection and the specifics of encryption. The agency is also interested in how best to facilitate comparisons to historical inspection data to help engineers identify recurring structural issues. Because security procedures during the collection and download phases are critical, the FAA wants to know which third-parties would have access to that information for the purposes of data analytics or machine learning. https://gcn.com/articles/2021/07/16/faa-drone-facilities-inspections.aspx Thailand builds Covid-19 hospital in Bangkok airport amid surge in cases Some 1,800 cardboard beds are prepared at a Covid-19 coronavirus field hospital inside a warehouse at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok on July 27, 2021 Thai volunteers on Wednesday turned a cargo warehouse at Bangkok's Don Muang Airport into a 1,800-bed field hospital for Covid-19 patients with less severe symptoms, as the country deals with its biggest outbreak to date. The Southeast Asian nation reported a daily record of 16,533 new cases, plus 133 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total accumulated cases to 543,361 and 4,397 deaths. Workers drilled walls for toilet installations and set up beds and blankets. "This is a level 1+ field hospital where it can receive a large number of patients, who have less severe symptoms," Rienthong Nanna, director of Mongkutwattana Hospital, told Reuters. "But if patients' conditions deteriorate, they will be moved to our other field hospital called Pitak Rachan (Protect the King) Field Hospital," he added. Workers prepare mattresses and blankets for the cardboard beds at the Covid-19 field hospital inside a warehouse at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok on July 27, 2021. Rienthong, a retired major-general and an ultra-royalist leader, said the field hospital was not up and running yet as more preparations were needed. The number of infections will continue to climb and more field hospitals will be needed, he added. Rienthong and volunteers held a small ceremony on the occasion of King Maha Vajiralongkorn's 69th birthday to unofficially inaugurate their third field hospital named "Tai Rom Prabaramee", which means "under the glory of His Majesty". The spike in Covid-19 cases in the capital has put pressure on the city's health system and the government has faced public criticism over a slow rollout of vaccines. Thailand aims to inoculate 50 million people by the end of the year, but so far only 5.6% of its more than 66 million population are fully vaccinated, while 19.2% have received at least one dose. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/asia/thailand-covid-19-hospital-bangkok-airport-intl-hnk/index.html House Panels Limit C-130 Retirements, Tackle Ejection Seat Safety in Markups A pair of House Armed Services subcommittees, in markups of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, pushed back on some Air Force efforts to divest of legacy platforms while also pressing the service to examine the issue of ejection seat safety. On July 27, the seapower and projection forces subcommittee released its markup, which includes a provision requiring the Air Force to retain a minimum of 287 C-130 aircraft. In its 2022 budget request, USAF had said it planned to gradually reduce the fleet from just over 300 to 255 airframes while it looked to the future of tactical airlift. It’s not the first time this budget cycle that the Air Force’s plans to reduce the size of legacy fleets has encountered resistance. The Senate Armed Services Committee included a provision in its markup blocking the service from retiring any A-10s, despite its request to mothball 42 of the older close air support planes. On July 28, the HASC tactical air and land forces subcommittee released its markup, which would require leaders of geographic combatant commands to each submit a report on “the operational risk to that command posed by the restructuring and inventory divestments projected in the Modernization Plan for Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance for the Department of the Air Force.” Similar to its plan to retire legacy aircraft, the Air Force’s plans for ISR in the 2022 budget have previously encountered resistance in Congress. USAF and Defense Department leaders have pushed to cut a number of combat lines for MQ-9 drones while not actually decreasing the number of tails in the fleet. Doing so, they have argued, will free up funds to modernize some drones and invest in future platforms and sensors. However, lawmakers have pointed to high demand for MQ-9s from combatant commands as proof that divesting now would be a bad idea. The July 28 subcommittee markup would require six combatant commanders to submit their reports on the risks of divesting by March 30, 2022. One modernization effort the tactical air and land panel did endorse was the Air Force’s push for digital engineering of weapons systems. In particular, the subcommittee’s markup includes language praising the use of digital engineering on the T-7A trainer, which allowed the service to “nearly [eliminate] manufacturing rework and touch-labor hours to assemble the first aircraft.” As a result, the subcommittee included a provision directing the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the committee by Feb. 15, 2022, on how the Air Force can expand its digital engineering efforts to other systems. The subcommittee also inserted a number of provisions requiring reports or briefings. In particular, the markup would require the Air Force and Navy secretaries “to provide a report to the congressional defense committees on a semiannual basis that would describe the total quantity of ejection seats currently in operational use that are operating with an approved waiver due to deferred maintenance actions or because required parts or components are not available to replace expired parts or components.” The panel cited two recent incidents involving ejection seat malfunctions due to deferred maintenance or lack of parts, one of which resulted in the pilot’s death—1st Lt. David Schmitz, an F-16 pilot, died at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., in June 2020 when he attempted to land with damaged landing gear and his ejection seat failed to work. According to a report from Military.com, the seat had a part that was considered “expired” in February 2019, but the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center approved three extensions allowing it to remain in operation. It was scheduled to finally receive maintenance between July 8 and Aug. 21, 2020. Elsewhere in the July 28 markup, the tactical air and land subcommittee directed the Secretary of Defense to compile a report on the number of “spinal-fracture and lumbar compression injuries that have occurred during ejections from Department of Defense aircraft between 1985 and present day.” Currently, data on the number of such injuries is complicated by departments’ different data-sharing policies and reporting methods, the markup states. Elsewhere in its markup, the subcommittee included a provision requiring the Defense Secretary to “investigate, assess, and implement” any needed changes to the F-35 breathing system after NASA released a report in May detailing the breathing issues faced by pilots. The subcommittee also directed the comptroller general to submit a report on the current capabilities and requirements and projected shortfalls for the Air Force’s, Navy’s, and Marine Corps’s tactical aircraft fleets. In particular, the report would focus on how each service’s acquisition and modernization efforts, including the Next-Generation Air Dominance project, would address those shortfalls. The seapower and projection forces subcommittee adopted its markup July 28 by unanimous consent, while the tactical air and land subcommittee is scheduled to meet and approve its markup July 29. The full committee is scheduled to meet for its markup Sept. 1. https://www.airforcemag.com/hasc-panels-air-force-c-130-retirement-ejection-seat-safety/ The Lilium electric jet will use batteries manufactured by Germany’s Customcells Electric air taxi startup Lilium has tapped German manufacturer Customcells to supply batteries for its flagship seven-seater Lilium Jet. The battery IP is the result of “multiple players,” a Lilium spokesperson told TechCrunch, but the manufacturing will be the sole job of Customcells. While Lilium declined to specify the number of battery systems as part of the agreement, it confirmed that Customcells will be manufacturing guaranteed capacity until 2026. Customcells specializes in high-performance lithium-ion batteries for the aerospace, automotive and maritime industries. The manufacturer recently announced a new joint venture with luxury sports car maker Porsche AG, dubbed Cellforce Group, for the low-volume production of batteries for racing cars and performance vehicles. This is just the latest partnership Lilium has announced in recent months as it prepares to shift into component and vehicle testing. The Munich-based eVTOL company has developed an international network of partnerships with suppliers like Japanese company Toray Industries for carbon fiber composite; Spanish aerospace supplier Aciturri for the jet’s airframe; and Palantir Technologies, one of its investors, for software services. In June, Lilium added aerospace manufacturing giant Honeywell to its roster for the jet’s flight control and avionics system. Lilium’s decision to outsource major components to established manufacturers is a departure from many of the other leading eVTOL developers, like Joby Aviation, which have chosen to keep much of the engineering and production in-house. The strategy has a few advantages. For one, Lilium doesn’t have to spend millions – possibly hundreds of millions over time – in manufacturing facilities, or production and testing equipment. But the key advantage, Lilium executives suggest, may lie with the certification process. Like other eVTOL manufacturers, the Lilium Jet must receive regulatory approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration in order to operate commercially in the EU and U.S., respectively. Lilium, in line with other major would-be players in the industry, has set an ambitious target of 2024 for commencing commercial operations. Established aerospace suppliers may use components that have already achieved a minimum performance standard recognized by regulators, which could save time in the certification process. “Collaborating with experts, aerospace partners, is a deliberate choice for us,” Lilium’s chief program officer, Yves Yemsi, told TechCrunch earlier this year. “It will help us to reduce our time to market and still be safe.” https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/28/the-lilium-electric-jet-will-use-batteries-manufactured-by-germanys-customcells/ Court-martial of Air Force General Officer (ex-AFRL commander) scheduled at Wright-Patterson Jul. 28—The first court-martial of a general officer in the history of the Air Force has been scheduled for Jan. 10 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, according to the Air Force docket. Ex-Air Force Research Lab commander Maj. Gen. William Cooley is charged under Article 120, which concerns sexual assault. A court-martial is analogous to a civilian trial. Cooley is charged with kissing and touching a woman without her consent in Albuquerque, N.M. in August 2018, according to the Air Force charge. A military attorney for Cooley has told the Dayton Daily News there was no unwanted touching and the case should not go to trial. Cooley was the commander of the Air Force Research Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before he was relieved of his duties in January 2020. Cooley is currently a special assistant to the AFMC commander at WPAFB with duties primarily focused on advancing the command's digital campaign, according to the base. Col. Mark Milam will serve as judge in the case, according to the docket. The trial is scheduled for 12 days. "An Air Force general has never been court-martialed," Don Christensen, a former chief prosecutor for the Air Force and the president of the group Protect Our Defenders, told the Dayton Daily News. "It's a big deal that they're doing this." Christensen said the culture of the military may be changing after the "me too" movement and after Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén, a Fort Hood soldier who disappeared in April 2020, was found dead in late June 2020. Another soldier fatally shot himself before a federal complaint against him in the case was made public. The Dayton Daily News does not publish the name of complainants or accusers in sexual assault cases. https://www.yahoo.com/news/just-court-martial-ex-afrl-183800210.html Airbus profits take off as deliveries soar • Airbus is moving forward with plans to make a cargo version of its widebody A350 aircraft Airbus said Thursday it had bounced back strongly into profit in the first half of the year as aircraft deliveries rose, leading the company to revise its performance forecasts upwards. Airbus posted a net profit of 2.2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) for the first six months, compared to a loss of 1.9 billion last year as the airline industry was walloped by the Covid-19 pandemic. Airbus said it delivered 297 aircraft between January and June against 196 last year. As clients pay most of the cost of the aircraft upon delivery, revenues jumped 30 percent to 24.6 billion euros. The European plane manufacturer now expects to deliver 600 planes this year, instead of the previously estimated 566, the number delivered in 2020. It now forecasts an adjusted operating profit of 4 billion euros for the year, double its previous target. "These half-year results reflect the commercial aircraft deliveries, our focus on cost containment and competitiveness, and the good performance in Helicopters and Defence and Space," CEO Guillaume Faury said in a statement. "Although the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the numerous actions taken by the teams have delivered a strong H1 performance. This enables us to raise our 2021 guidance although we continue to face an unpredictable environment." However, in a sign that the airline sector is still in crisis, the manufacturer recorded only net orders of 38 aircraft in the first half of the year receiving 127 cancellations. Its order book stood at 6,925 aircraft as of June 30, including 5,666 of the A320 family, its top-selling, single-aisle plane. Global air traffic remains severely limited by traffic restrictions and only freight is improving from its pre-Covid level. In this area, Airbus is in a weak position compared to its competitor Boeing. The board of directors therefore approved the launch of a cargo version of the widebody A350, intended to compete with the B767 and B777 cargo plane of the American aircraft manufacturer. https://www.yahoo.com/news/airbus-profits-off-deliveries-soar-044404509.html Airbus challenges Boeing cargo dominance with A350 freighter By Tim Hepher PARIS (Reuters) -Europe's Airbus took aim at one of Boeing's most profitable strongholds on Thursday with plans for a freighter version of its A350 passenger jet, gambling that a pandemic boom in Internet shopping will outlast the global health crisis. Boeing has for years dominated the market for air freighters even as its European rival grabbed its crown as the world's largest maker of passenger jets. Airbus said its board had backed an A350 freighter to enter service in 2025 but did not immediately announce customers. "We believe we have a very promising aircraft," Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said after unveiling better-than- expected half-year results. Plans to challenge Boeing's control of the freight market, maintained for decades through its 767, 777 and 747 cargo jets, were first reported by Reuters in March. The move is seen certain to trigger a response after Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun on Wednesday listed developments including "I hope in the relatively near term" a freighter version of the 777X. The 777X is set to be the world's largest twin-engined passenger jet but its development has been delayed by tightening safety certification standards and weak passenger demand. The head of Qatar Airways told Reuters last month Boeing was already showing designs for a 777X freighter. Airbus has for months been informally canvassing support for an A350 freighter in addition to the smaller A330 freighter, whose sales failed to keep pace with the 767 cargo workhorse. FREIGHTER PREMIUM Airbus hopes the arrival of the world's first lightweight carbon-fibre freighter will tip the market in its favour as tougher emission standards, which are expected to limit deliveries of existing Boeing freighters, enter force in 2028. Boeing is expected to argue that its larger 777X freighter will be more integrated with existing infrastructure. Thursday's announcement formally begins a race to sign up influential buyers ranging from express firms like FedEx and UPS to freight-conscious Asian airlines or dedicated cargo carriers led by Luxembourg's Cargolux. "We are closer every day, but we are not at the point where we can announce commercial transactions," Faury said. At stake is Boeing's dominance of a lucrative but volatile corner of the jet market in which freighters can fetch higher prices than passenger equivalents, according to market sources. New freighters could support depressed output of wide-bodied jets pending a pick-up in international passenger travel. About half of global cargo by value travels by air, and in turn half of that usually goes in the belly of passenger planes. During the pandemic, many airlines have been forced to park unused passenger jets, driving up demand for cargo space on dedicated freighters at a time when e-commerce has been a lifeline for many during COVID lockdowns. Economists warn the trends could start to unravel as the pandemic eases, but Faury said he was not worried about missing a wave of anticipated cargo replacements later this decade. Boeing last year predicted demand for 2,430 freighters over 20 years, including 930 purpose-built cargo planes and 1,500 converted from passenger airplanes. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airbus-launches-a350-freighter-043902251.html Boeing will once again try to fly its spaceship to the space station for NASA on Friday, after failing its first attempt Boeing is launching its Starliner spaceship to the International Space Station for NASA on Friday. Starliner is designed to fly astronauts, but first it needs to complete an uncrewed test flight successfully. Boeing tried this flight in 2019, but a software issue prevented Starliner from reaching the ISS. On Friday, Boeing's Starliner spaceship will attempt to redeem itself after botching its last major test flight. The company's eventual goal is to fly astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA, the way SpaceX already does. Both companies developed their launch systems through NASA's Commercial Crew Program, a competition that awarded funding to private companies in order to develop new astronaut-ready spacecraft. But before carrying people, the Starliner has to complete an uncrewed test flight to and from the ISS as part of NASA's certification process. Boeing first attempted this flight in December 2019, but it turned out that one of the spaceship's clocks was set 11 hours ahead of schedule. That prompted the spaceship to fire its engines too vigorously, too early - a move meant to come at a later stage of the mission. That caused the spaceship to burn through 25% of its fuel, forcing Boeing to skip docking with the space station in order to save the Starliner from total failure. Now, the company is confident that it has fixed the problems with its spaceship, so it's time for the do-over. "Now's the right time. This team is ready to go, this vehicle is ready to go," Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA's human-spaceflight directorate, said in a press briefing on Thursday. Boeing must show NASA its spaceship can reach the space station Starliner is set to blast off atop an Atlas V rocket at 2:53 p.m. ET on Friday - assuming thunderstorms don't force a delay. The mission, called Orbital Flight Test 2, or OFT-2, will send the rocket and capsule roaring into the skies above NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. If all goes according to plan, the Atlas V booster should fall away after about four minutes. That would leave the rocket's upper stage to give Starliner one final push into Earth's orbit before it, too, separates from the capsule. Starliner should orbit Earth alone overnight, slowly lining itself up to meet the ISS the next day. "That's the part of this flight that, to me, is so critical: docking with station and then also, on the back end as well, going through that whole undock sequence," Steve Stich, who manages NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in a briefing on Tuesday. If the spaceship successfully latches onto a port on the ISS, astronauts on the station will then open its hatch and unload its cargo - science equipment and supplies. After that, the Starliner is scheduled to stay docked to the ISS to test out its systems and its endurance in space, until it returns to Earth on August 5. Boeing's investigation into the failed flight revealed further problems During Boeing's test flight in 2019, the early engine fire prompted the company's engineers to quickly review the spacecraft's software while Starliner was orbiting Earth. In doing so, they discovered and patched another issue - not the clock error - that could have been catastrophic. As Starliner prepares to fall back to Earth, it's supposed to shed its service module - a cylinder containing the spaceship's main engines. That part is supposed to fall away from the crew module, which holds the astronauts. But this second software error could have caused the service module to bounce back and crash into the crew module. That could have sent the astronauts' capsule tumbling or significantly damaged its protective heat shield, making it unsafe to plow through the atmosphere. The discovery of this issue prompted a NASA investigation into Boeing's coding and overall safety culture. NASA administrators at the time said the software issue was likely a symptom of larger problems at the company. But now, Stich said, "Boeing has an excellent safety culture." As a result of NASA's investigations, Boeing fixed both issues and changed some of the spaceship's communications software. "There's always a little bit of that trepidation in you," Stich said. "This is spaceflight. The Atlas is a great vehicle. Starliner is a great vehicle. But we know how hard it is, and it's a test flight as well. And I fully expect we'll learn something on this test flight." Why NASA needs Boeing Assuming Starliner can make it to the ISS and back without major issues, its next step will be to do it again with astronauts onboard - a crewed test flight. If everything goes smoothly, that flight could launch by the end of this year, Stich said. NASA is relying on both Boeing and SpaceX to replace the government-developed Space Shuttle, which stopped flying in 2011. After the Space Shuttles were retired, NASA relied solely on Russian Soyuz rockets to ferry its astronauts to and from the ISS. Then SpaceX's Crew Dragon passed the agency's tests, flying its first astronauts to the ISS last year. SpaceX has flown two full crews since then. NASA hopes to add Starliner to its fleet soon so that the agency is no longer reliant on just one launch system. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-once-again-try-fly-111900476.html Apply Now! - Manager – Quality Control mba is seeking an experienced mid-career individual to manage its Quality Control function with respect to IOSA* (IATA Operational Safety Audit). The candidate must meet the following requirements, be a self-starter and a leader within the organization. • Must have aviation/airline quality control, operational and/or safety experience and be familiar with the IOSA Program. • Be familiar with Quality Control processes and methodology. • Manage and lead a team of experienced individuals in the performance of aviation safety focused audits. Duties and Responsibilities: Become familiar with IOSA Standards and Recommended Best Practices by discipline Interface with IOSA Auditors, as necessary, through the Quality Control process Together with Director of Audit Programs, responsible for IOSA Audit Report (IAR) production and Program Quality requirements, including: . • Structuring the QC process for IOSA reports; • Ensuring that a complete QC review of all IOSA Audit Reports is carried out in accordance with the IOM Quality Control procedures; and • Ensuring that published deadlines for report delivery and QC processes Maintain QC procedures and documentation support structures for auditors Monitor and administer the QC and continual improvement processes Review outputs from all phases of audit and administrative processes, measuring results, and suggesting improved processes, when appropriate Monitoring of AO and Auditor quality performance and provide feedback to Auditors by means of: • Performing analysis of the gaps in the internal QC process and Auditor QC performance; • Performing analysis of IATA AO monthly performance report biannual AO QC performance summary (Statistical analysis and performance results); • Identifying weaknesses in internal processes, repetitive errors, and auditor behavior or techniques; and • Identifying and recommend any training needs, provision of internal QC training, or any other action necessary to ensure IAR quality to VP of Technical and Quality APPLY NOW! *IOSA is a registered trademark of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Position Available: Learjet 60 and 60XR Pilots Need qualified Learjet 60 and 60XR aircraft pilots, Captains & Co-Pilots for operations in Europe and the Middle East. Send Resume/CV to: Hr@asm.aero Nasrin.qurashi@asm.aero Aviation Services Management (ASM) www.asm.aero Curt Lewis