Flight Safety Information - August 13, 2021 No. 163 In This Issue : Incident: PIA A320 at Karachi on Aug 12th 2021, disagreeing airspeeds : Incident: UPS MD11 at Phoenix on Aug 11th 2021, tail strike on go around : Incident: United B78X at Newark on Aug 11th 2021, rearranged taxiway lights upon vacating the runway : Incident: Ethiopian B789 at Manchester on Aug 12th 2021, engine fire indication : Transport Ministry optimistic about regaining Class 1 air safety rating (Malaysia) : 2 visitors arrested at Honolulu airport for falsifying coronavirus vaccination cards : Asian refiners see jet fuel as most profitable product post pandemic : India set to clear Boeing 737 MAX to fly again soon -report : Flights across America are backed up because airline crews are “refusing the mandated jab” and walking off boarded flights. - true or false : 13-year-old American Airlines passenger is duct-taped to seat after in-flight incident, video shows : United Airlines modifies flight attendant hair, makeup, tattoo rules : Changing Demographics in Aviation Maintenance : Amazon's $1.5 billion US air cargo hub is open for business : Pyka shows off its new electric passenger plane, the P3 : The Starliner Will Fly –– But the Date Is Tentative : RTCA Webinar: Airports - Critical Components in Future Transportation Infrastructure Incident: PIA A320 at Karachi on Aug 12th 2021, disagreeing airspeeds A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration AP-BLU performing flight PK-306 from Karachi to Lahore (Pakistan), was climbing out of Karachi's runway 25L when the crew stopped the climb at about 4000 feet reporting their airspeed indications disagreed. The aircraft returned to Karachi for a safe landing on runway 25L about 16 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A320-200 registration AP-BLS is estimated to reach Lahore with a delay of 2:45 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ebab5f8&opt=0 Incident: UPS MD11 at Phoenix on Aug 11th 2021, tail strike on go around A UPS United Parcel Service McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter, registration N296UP performing flight 5X-2876 from Louisville,KY to Phoenix,AZ (USA), landed on Phoenix Sky Harbor's runway 25L but rejected landing and went around at 17:45L (00:45Z), tower immediately queried whether any assistance was needed, the crew declined. The crew of another aircraft reported to tower the MD-11 just had a tail strike. A runway inspection was initiated, nothing was found on the runway and the runway was returned to service. The MD-11 positioned for another approach to runway 25R and landed without further incident about 10 minutes after the balked landing. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED A TAIL STRIKE DURING LANDING AT PHOENIX, AZ (PHX)", the damage was minor. The occurrence was rated an incident. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 15 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ebaa696&opt=0 Incident: United B78X at Newark on Aug 11th 2021, rearranged taxiway lights upon vacating the runway A United Boeing 787-10, registration N14011 performing flight UA-85 from Tel Aviv (Israel) to Newark,NJ (USA), landed on Newark's runway 22R, slowed and vacated the runway via high speed turn off B4, but collided with a number of taxiway lights while vacating the runway and doing a hard right turn onto taxiway B (taxiway parallel to the runway). The aircraft continued taxi to the apron. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK MULTIPLE TAXI LIGHTS WHILE EXITING RUNWAY 22R AT NEWARK, NJ", rated the occurrence an incident stating the damage was unknown. The aircraft is still on the ground in Newark about 18 hours after landing. Communication with ATC revealed another aircraft reported damage to the taxiway lights, ATC advised the crew of UA-85 therefore to check their right main gear, it appeared the aircraft struck the taxiway lights when they made a hard right turn from B4 onto B. https://avherald.com/h?article=4eba9b06&opt=0 Incident: Ethiopian B789 at Manchester on Aug 12th 2021, engine fire indication An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-9, registration ET-AXL performing flight ET-728 from Brussels (Belgium) to Manchester,EN (UK), was descending towards Manchester when the crew reported an engine (Genx) fire indication. Emergency services responded and went into position awaiting the aircraft. The crew worked the related checklists, the fire indication ceased. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 23R. The aircraft vacated the runway via taxiway B1 and stopped clear of the runway for an inspection by emergency services. The aircraft subsequently taxied to the apron. https://avherald.com/h?article=4eba7c93&opt=0 Transport Ministry optimistic about regaining Class 1 air safety rating (Malaysia) PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is optimistic of a good outcome and is ready for a reassessment by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over air safety. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said this was one of the main points of conversation with Ambassador Brian D McFeeters during a virtual courtesy call on Thursday (Aug 12). "Ambassador McFeeters and I touched base on many points that the Transport Ministry continues to make progress with the United States. "One of the main points of conversation was Malaysia's excellent progress on our readiness to be reassessed under the International Aviation Safety Assessment by the US FAA. "We can be optimistic of a good outcome soon, which would put us back on track to regain Category One status after this was stripped in April 2019 due to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards not being met at the time," he said in a Facebook post on Thursday (Aug 12). "We are indeed appreciative of the Ambassador's recognition of Malaysia's good progress in adhering to the FAA's rigorous standards," he added. In November 2019, the FAA downgraded Malaysia's air safety rating, restricting the country's airlines from adding flights to the United States. The FAA's safety rating is based on a country's aviation oversight regime and is an assessment of the country's civil aviation authority. As a Category Two regulator, air carriers from Malaysia cannot start new services and are restricted to current levels of existing services to the United States. The carriers would also be subject to additional inspections at US airports. In August last year, Dr Wee had announced that a Transport Ministry task force had listed 28 measures to regain the Category One rating. Dr Wee said other matters brought up during the meeting were the possibility of the two countries helping each other in the development of infrastructure for Malaysia's aviation and rail sectors. "The United States has much to offer in terms of expertise and experience in aviation and ground transport infrastructure development and services support," he said. He said the two countries had many mutual interests, on which they would need to continue working together to achieve shared goals. Dr Wee said last year, the United States was not only Malaysia's third-largest trading partner but was also Malaysia's third-largest export destination and third-largest source of imports. "Meanwhile, we are their third-largest trading partner among Asean countries after Singapore and Vietnam. "In 2020 despite the pandemic, total trade between Malaysia and the US grew by 7.8% to RM178.2bil (US$42.5bil) compared with RM165.22bil (US$39.87bil) in 2019," said Dr Wee. He said the ministry would continue to support this momentum by ensuring that the logistics and transportation sector encourage unhindered goods movement and robust contribution to economic growth. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/08/12/transport-ministry-optimistic-about-regaining-class-1-air-safety-rating 2 visitors arrested at Honolulu airport for falsifying coronavirus vaccination cards HONOLULU (KHON2) –The Attorney General’s office is not revealing much about the case against the pair, including a possible reason for the fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. What the Department of Attorney General did say is that the arrests happened after a tip came in from the community. Norbert Chung and his son Trevor Chung were both arrested on Sunday, Aug. 8, at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. “Prior to Sunday, there were many, many hours put into the investigation that culminated on Sunday and where we are even today,” said Arthur Logan, special agent of criminal investigations for the Department of Attorney General. The attorney for the Chung’s said after the pair was arrested, they flew back to California, were tested for COVID-19, tested negative and then flew back to Oahu where they are now going through the court system. “To come to Hawaii and spend thousands of dollars on a trip and hotel and airfare and the money you’re going to spend to enjoy paradise, you’re going to risk that and spend even more money, because you put yourself, your family and others in jeopardy by trying to falsify documents to come and enjoy paradise,” said Logan. Falsifying vaccination statuses comes with a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a year in prison. It is also illegal to sell or buy vaccine cards. Since the quarantine and Safe Travels rules came into play in 2020, the Attorney General’s office has created a task force to help catch those who break the law. “Part of that task force, our job is to investigate community complaints that come in about what’s going on with visitors that may or may not be cooperating,” Logan said. For investigators, however, this case is a first. “There are multiple investigations that we have and are continuing to do. This is the first one that culminated in the arrests such as we have, but that’s not to say there are more to follow,” said Logan. https://www.8newsnow.com/news/2-visitors-arrested-at-honolulu-airport-for-falsifying-coronavirus-vaccination-cards/ Asian refiners see jet fuel as most profitable product post pandemic Full oil product demand recovery likely by late Q1 2022 Asia's aviation industry near-term outlook still bleak Major Asian refiners are cautiously optimistic jet fuel sales would significantly boost their profit margins from the first quarter of 2022 as the companies broadly expect international flight routes to rapidly open up from February next year, anticipating over half of East Asia's population to be vaccinated by then. Register Now Refiners across Northeast and Southeast Asia are hoping to see a strong revival in sales of middle distillates, especially jet fuel, once the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end, refinery and trading sources said. Out of 11 major Asian refiners, including PetroChina, SK Innovation, ENEOS, Idemitsu, Petronas, S-Oil, Pertamina, PTT and Formosa and others surveyed by S&P Global Platts, seven expect Asia's oil product demand to climb back to 2019 levels by February-March 2022, while three companies see the full recovery by May-June 2022. Platts Analytics data showed combined gasoline, gasoil and jet fuel consumption in Asia's top four economies -- China, India, Japan and South Korea -- is forecast to improve to 13.82 million b/d in 2021 from 12.93 million b/d in 2020, but falling short of the 2019 level of 14.12 million b/d. Although the slew of movement restriction measures enforced across many states and countries across East Asia and the continued risk of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases will likely hamper steady production, sales and exports of middle distillate fuels for the remainder of 2021 remains supported as vaccination gathers pace in the region. This would eventually lead to full population mobility and active international travels by first quarter next year, trading and fuel marketing managers at four survey participant companies said. Lucrative product, maximum margins Asian refiners are especially looking forward to reviving their jet fuel production and sales when the pandemic comes to an end as aviation fuel tends to yield stronger profit margins than other fuel products. The proportion of jet fuel production in the overall oil product output before the pandemic was roughly around 13%-17% for refiners in South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, but the ratio has plunged to below 8% this year, according to information provided by the companies. "Jet fuel is a high value product that often yields decent margins, so it's one item that any refiner would want to produce more and sell more," said a middle distillate distribution and marketing manager at Petronas. In 2019, when Asian and global air passenger traffic flows flourished, the FOB Singapore jet fuel/kerosene crack spread against second-month Dubai swap averaged $15.8/b, while the FOB Singapore 92 RON gasoline crack averaged $5.5/b, Platts data showed. "The rate of rebound in aviation fuel production and sales will significantly outperform all other fuel grades when the pandemic comes to an end, as this would lead Asian air traffic volumes to spike drastically," the marketing manager added. Asia's major jet fuel supplier South Korea, for one, produced on average 14.23 million barrels/month of jet fuel in 2019, but the output has tumbled to 9.4 million barrels/month in 2020 and 7.5 million barrels/month to date in 2021, latest data from state-run Korea National Oil Corp. showed. Once the Asian aviation sector comes back to life, the country is poised to ramp up the middle distillate fuel's production to at least 13 million barrels/month before grinding it back up to over the pre-pandemic level of 14 million barrels/month, according to information collected from three major South Korean refiners by Platts. Aviation industry still in doldrums The near-term outlook for Asia's aviation sector and jet fuel sales remains bleak. Global aviation data company Cirium said in an Aug. 9 report that the global aviation sector is recovering, but at a "snail's pace," as the capacity for 2021 is still expected to be 40% below 2019 levels, with a full recovery expected to materialize only by 2024. The bearish sentiment was echoed by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, which in its latest report on July 29 said that international passenger demand remained suppressed across the Asia- Pacific region, and airlines in the region carried only 1.4 million international passengers in June, a mere 4.4% of the 32 million carried in the corresponding month in 2019. Airline industry statistics confirmed that 2020 was the worst year on record, the International Air Transport Association said in a publication released Aug. 3. "At the depth of the crisis in April 2020, 66% of the world's commercial air transport fleet was grounded as governments closed borders or imposed strict quarantines. A million jobs disappeared. And industry losses for the year totaled $126 billion," Willie Walsh, IATA's director general, said. Still, rapid actions by airlines, government support and the industry's commitment saw it navigate through the most difficult year in its history, he added. https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/081221-asian-refiners-see-jet-fuel-as-most-profitable-product-post-pandemic India set to clear Boeing 737 MAX to fly again soon -report (Reuters) -India is set to allow Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets to resume flights in the country within days, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter. The country has been satisfied with the plane's performance since it was un-grounded in the United States, Europe and a number of other markets, and Boeing has met India's own requirements, which included setting up a MAX simulator, according to the report https://bloom.bg/3fYInyy. Boeing said in a statement it continues to work with global regulators to safely return the 737-8 MAX and 737-9 MAX to service worldwide, and deferred the timeline to India's air safety regulator. If the U.S. plane manufacturer gets the go-ahead in India it would end a nearly two-and-a-half-year regulatory grounding of the model in a key travel market. India's SpiceJet Ltd has more than 100 737 MAX planes on firm order. India's second-largest airline by market share, SpiceJet currently has 13 737 MAX planes grounded and is in talks with Boeing for compensation towards costs and losses it has suffered. SpiceJet and India's civil aviation ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Shares in the budget carrier ended the day 5% higher. About 30 airlines and 175 countries have allowed the 737 MAX to return to service following a nearly two-year safety ban. The ban followed two crashes five months apart which killed 346 people, plunging Boeing into a financial crisis since compounded by the pandemic. India and China, where Boeing conducted a test flight of the 737 MAX plane on Thursday, are the only two major markets where regulators are yet to give the MAX the go-ahead. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/india-set-clear-boeing-737-090635471.html Flights across America are backed up because airline crews are “refusing the mandated jab” and walking off boarded flights. - true or false NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION FACEBOOK FACT-CHECKS FACEBOOK POSTS No evidence airline crews walking off flights to protest vaccine mandate Major flight cancellations from Spirit and American airlines have stemmed from myriad issues, including severe weather, staff shortages and system outages — but not protests of vaccine mandates. United, Frontier and Hawaiian Airlines have announced vaccine requirements and policies for their employees in recent days. None of them have reported protests from their employees. A Facebook post cheered on airline crews for walking off of their flights to protest their employers’ vaccine mandates — but there’s no evidence such protests are happening. The Aug. 8 post claims that "flights across America (are) all backed up because pilots/crew are walking off boarded flights." "They are refusing the mandated jab," the caption reads. There have been flight cancellations, but they were for other reasons. Airlines and unions representing flight crews confirmed that this Facebook post is false. During the first week of August, Spirit Airlines canceled hundreds of flights due to a cascading effect of weather delays, system outages and staff shortages. Thousands of passengers were left stranded by the cancellations. But the staff shortages didn’t have anything to do with vaccines. CEO Ted Christie told CNBC that because of the continuing delays, Spirit flight crews had reached the maximum hours they could legally work each day and timed out. "The rumor about crews walking off because of vaccine rules is completely untrue," a Spirit spokesperson told PolitiFact. American Airlines experienced the same problem, caused by severe weather at its Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport hub. The Allied Pilots Association, which represents pilots for American Airlines, said the claim was false. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents 50,000 flight attendants across 17 airlines, also rejected the claim. Sarah Jantz, spokesperson for American Airlines, said the company hasn’t announced a vaccine mandate, but it does offer incentives including an extra day off in 2022 and a $50 bonus. United Airlines announced on Aug. 6 that all U.S.-based employees will be required in the fall to get vaccinated and upload their vaccination records to the airline’s internal system. The mandate is expected to take effect five weeks after the Food and Drug Administration announces full approval of a COVID-19 vaccine — the vaccines are currently authorized for emergency use — or five weeks after Sept. 20, whichever comes first. Have any United Airline crew members walked off of flights in protest? No, says airline spokesperson Leslie Scott. Even before the mandate, 90% of flight attendants and 80% of pilots had already been vaccinated and uploaded their vaccination cards as proof. Other airlines are following suit and updating their vaccine policies, including Hawaiian Airlines, which announced on Aug. 9 that all of its U.S.-based employees must receive their final shot by Nov. 1. The only exemptions will be for medical or religious reasons. In the two days after the announcement, communications manager Tara Shimooka said, the company was not seeing any walk offs. Frontier Airlines announced a policy urging all of its direct employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 1. But it’s not a mandate –– employees who can’t be vaccinated or choose not to will be asked to regularly provide a negative COVID-19 test. Since May 17, Delta has required all of its new hires to get vaccinated. Our ruling A Facebook post claimed that flights have been backed up because airline crews across the country were walking off of boarded flights to protest a vaccine mandate. Spirit and American Airlines have both had numerous flight cancellations due to issues including bad weather, staff shortages and system outages. But both airlines said no crew members have walked off flights to protest vaccine requirements. United, Frontier, Delta and Hawaiian Airlines have each implemented vaccine mandates or policies for their employees, but representatives for each of the companies rejected the claim that crew members have protested them.. We rate this claim False. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/aug/12/facebook-posts/no-evidence-airline-crews-walking-flights-protest-/ 13-year-old American Airlines passenger is duct-taped to seat after in-flight incident, video shows • Tuesday’s in-flight incident marks the latest in a string of passengers needing to be restrained for disruptive and threatening behavior.. (NEXSTAR) – A teenager flying with American Airlines reportedly needed to be restrained with duct tape after becoming belligerent on a Tuesday flight. The incident took place on a flight from Maui to Los Angeles, American Airlines confirmed. Witnesses who spoke with KCAL said the boy had attempted to kick out a window before passengers and crew attempted to restrain him to his seat. He also became physical with his mother, according to the outlet. In footage obtained by KCAL, two men can be seen trying to contain the young passenger while a crew member attempts to wrap him with the tape. The flight was ultimately diverted to Honolulu, where the teen was taken into custody. Dad accused of murdering children in Mexico said he was ‘enlightened’ by conspiracy theories, criminal complaint alleges “Flight 212 from Kahului Airport Maui (OGG) to LAX diverted to Daniel K Inouye International Airport, Honolulu (HNL) due to an incident with a passenger on board,” a representative for American Airlines wrote of the After landing at HNL at 3:47 p.m. (local time), customers were re-accommodated on other flights and provided hotel accommodations. Safety and security is our top priority and we apologize to our customer for any inconvenience this caused.” Tuesday’s in-flight incident marks the latest in a string of passengers needing to be restrained for disruptive and threatening behavior. In July, American Airlines crew members taped a woman to her seat after she allegedly tried opening a boarding door and bit one of the flight attendants. And earlier this month, a 22-year-old Ohio man flying with Frontier Airlines was duct-taped into his seat after allegedly groping a flight attendant, touching another inappropriately and punching a third. Nurse in Germany may have injected thousands with fake COVID vaccine The incidents also come months after the FAA and the Association of Flight Attendants noted an uptick in disruptive behavior on commercial flights, concerns that prompted the former to extend its “zero-tolerance” policy for unruly passengers. https://www.news10.com/news/13-year-old-american-airlines-passenger-is-duct-taped-to-seat-after-in-flight-incident-video-shows/ United Airlines modifies flight attendant hair, makeup, tattoo rules United Airlines' relaxed policies come with stipulations United Airlines is relaxing its hair, makeup and tattoo rules for flight attendants starting in September. On Tuesday, the Chicago-based airline shared its "modernized appearance guidelines" with employees in hopes of instilling more confidence in its team. "We’ve updated our appearance standards to empower our employees to represent themselves in the way they feel most confident," United Airlines said in a statement. Effective Sept. 15, any customer-facing uniformed employee will be allowed to have visible tattoos and wear their hair down. Employees will also be allowed to wear nail polish and "natural-looking makeup." The overall goal is to "promote a supportive, encouraging, and positive environment for our employees and customers alike," according to United. The airline is also hoping the new changes will help employees better connect with flyers on a more personal level. However, the changes come with some stipulations. For instance, an employee's hair can be worn down, but must be shoulder length or shorter and tattoos can only be visible as long as they are smaller than the size of their work badge. Still, it's a major step in an industry known for having strict dress codes. In fact, the American Civil Liberties Union urged Alaska Airlines in June to stop enforcing its uniform policy, which the nonprofit claimed reflected a "rigid set of male and female dress and grooming standards." https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/united-airlines-cabin-crew-modifies-appearence-policies Changing Demographics in Aviation Maintenance The face of aviation maintenance is changing as more and more women move into the field. Reflecting that change, and with the aim of helping further diversify the talent pipeline in a high-demand and high-paying industry, the Embry-Riddle Department of Aviation Maintenance Science (AMS) recently added five new female instructors to its faculty. “Those faculty members bring an incredible wealth of knowledge to the department and our students,” said R. Eric Jones, associate professor and AMS chair. “Aviation maintenance science is different today than it was in past generations, and that is a good thing. We want our department to reflect the wide range of talent currently working in the field. We want all of our students to ‘see it so they can be it.’” Newly hired Lashonda Clarke, an assistant professor, said she thinks three factors can improve the diversity of the population of students who choose fields like aviation maintenance. “No. 1 is exposure — women, for example may not know that there are aviation maintenance jobs available to them,” Clarke said. “No. 2 is finances,” she said, adding that she relied on scholarships throughout her academic career. The Boeing Company offers scholarships to Embry-Riddle students in aviation science and aircraft maintenance majors, awarding two women majoring in Aviation Maintenance in 2021 with between $5,000 to $7,500 annually for two years. “And No. 3 is mentoring. Some students actually need a little push and motivation.” Originally from the Bahamas, Clarke earned her associate’s degree at St. Petersburg College and then transferred to Lewis University. She says her grandfather, a boat and auto mechanic, was one of her biggest influences as she was growing up. “I was the little girl handing him the tools,” Clarke said. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Lewis, she took a job at Amazon, working on drones and their support technology. She pointed out that Amazon’s drones, intended for package delivery, are among a huge range of new aviation equipment currently being developed and representing new maintenance demand. “With urban air mobility on the rise, a whole new spectrum of aircraft will be coming out, and all of it will require maintenance,” Clarke said. Other new areas for aviation maintenance technicians include commercial space operations, Cybersecurity and Aviation Safety management systems, Jones said, adding that Embry-Riddle students with AMS skills are being hired right out of school. The university's AMS graduates also have preferred hiring status with airlines such as Spirit and Frontier. Assistant professor Derren Kuhn, another recent hire at Embry-Riddle’s Department of Aviation Maintenance Science and an Embry-Riddle alumna, is certified as both a pilot and an aviation maintenance technician. She flew corporate aircraft and also worked as a flight instructor. “Being a pilot has helped me be a better technician, and being a technician has helped me be a better pilot,” Kuhn said. AMS sophomore Margaret Washington, who has a concentration in maintenance management and a minor in project management and took five courses this summer, said women are very much needed in aviation maintenance. “Diversity is such an incredible asset in maintenance because this field relies heavily on teamwork and collaborative troubleshooting. Part of finding productive solutions is having a range of voices and experiences contributing to the troubleshooting process,” Washington said. “To any women considering AMS, I would say don’t be hesitant to explore your options. Celebrate the variety you bring to the table.” Washington, who joined the Air Force when she turned 17 so she could afford college and work on the F-35, said that although she sometimes encountered gender discrimination as she made her way into aviation, she more often felt welcomed. “I do receive the occasional jest that has something to do with me being a woman,” she said. “But these comments are dwarfed in comparison to the overwhelming encouragement, respect and sense of community that I have been lucky enough to experience in this field.” Veterans Florida has partnered with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to place separating and retiring active-duty service members in the university’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program — an authorized SkillBridge program, under the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Separating or retiring service members interested in the aviation maintenance SkillBridge or have questions about the program can visit veteransflorida.org/register or contact VETS Program Director Jeremy Sinnemaki at sinnemaki@veteransflorida.org. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/changing-demographics-in-aviation-maintenance Amazon's $1.5 billion US air cargo hub is open for business Amazon's $1.5 billion air cargo hub in Northern Kentucky opened Wednesday, the latest effort by the e-commerce giant to connect a network of 40 sites and control all aspects of delivery as demand for speed and convenience accelerates. The Amazon Air Hub operations, located at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, will be the center of its U.S. cargo network. The hub opened after more than four years of planning and construction. Amazon said the U.S. hub will eventually operate a dozen flights per day and process millions of packages every week. The hub is comprised of an 800,000-square-foot sortation building located on a 600-acre campus that includes seven buildings, a new ramp for aircraft parking and a multistory vehicle parking structure. Amazon said that eventually more than 2,000 people will be employed there. The air hub will also rely on robotics technology, specifically robotic arms to move and sort packages and mobile drive units to transport packages across the building. Amazon Air launched in 2016 and has grown into a network of more than 40 locations. Last year, Amazon Air launched its European air hub at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, a 215,000-square-foot facility that hosts two Amazon-branded Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Amazon Air also has regional air hubs at airports in Texas, Puerto Rico and Florida in the U.S., and plans to expand to San Bernardino International Airport in California in 2021. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/amazons-1-5-billion-u-150006753.html A Spirit pilot and flight attendant describe flying empty planes around the country and being stranded for days last week amid the airline's meltdown: 'It was like being lost in space' One pilot said Spirit's cancellations came down to the airline's inadequate infrastructure. Flight attendants were left stranded away from base for multiple days, one Spirit worker said. Some workers reportedly drove food to airports and let stranded employees stay in their homes. See more stories on Insider's business page. Spirit Airlines canceled over 2,000 flights last week due to a poorly timed combination of bad weather, system outages, and staffing issues. The epic meltdown caused some pilots to fly empty planes across the country while flight attendants were left stranded for days, according to two Spirit staffers. "If you can't track and see in the IT system where your crew members are, then how are you going to schedule to move them anywhere?" one flight attendant, who was stranded in a major Northeastern city for four days, told Insider. "It was like being lost in space," she said. One pilot said Spirit's operational issues came down to the airline's lack of investment in infrastructure, which he said is evidenced by staffing shortages, antiquated phone lines, and crashing computer systems. "They're trying to run an airline of 167 airplanes on an infrastructure that was designed for 50," he said. Both employees requested anonymity to speak freely about the situation, though their identities and employment were verified by Insider. According to the pilot, some Spirit crew members flew more than the flight time maximum outlined within their employment contracts. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates that pilots must have at least 8 hours of rest within a 24-hour period. However, most airlines have stricter policies due to union negotiations. He said that during Spirit's irregular operations, some pilots had the option to waive those contractual limitations in order to prevent additional flight cancellations and delays. "Most pilots I've talked to have been waiving as much as they can in order to keep flight from canceling and airplanes moving," he told Insider. A spokesperson for the pilots' union said they can't substantiate the claim that crew members had flown beyond their contractual time maximums since they don't have access to the airline's scheduling software. Spirit did not respond to Insider's request for comment for this article. When crew member's flights did become canceled, many staffers became stranded in airport hotels. This was in part due to a technical crash that impacted Spirit's crew scheduling system. The flight attendant told Insider that approximately 30 Spirit employees including herself were stranded outside of base for multiple days. One employee drove over an hour to deliver the crew food while local flight attendants opened up their homes for workers to stay the night, she said. The pilot told Insider that when he was assigned to fly a plane to Boston, two flight attendants were missing, causing the flight to be canceled. A few minutes later, he walked by six flight attendants eating dinner in an airport restaurant who told him they were stranded with nowhere to go. They had been contacting the company all day and received little guidance on what to do next. Then, the pilot flew the empty plane to Boston. "From my standpoint as a human being, I walked through that gate area and I saw people there with their kids, they're leaving their beach vacation - they have sunburns and their little kids and their luggage and their strollers and their snacks," the pilot said. "It's 10 o'clock at night and we're canceling a flight because we're missing two flight attendants. Not because the engine fell off the airplane, not because somebody got sick, but because Spirit mismanaged their staff for that flight." Last week, Spirit CEO Ted Christie apologized for the cancellations on CNBC and said that he promises to fix the airline's staffing and scheduling issues. On Wednesday, only 1% of Spirit's flights were canceled, down from last week's high of 60%. "There's definitely some angry people," Christie told CNBC last Thursday. "Right now, all I can say is we're very sorry for what happened." https://www.yahoo.com/news/spirit-pilot-flight-attendant-describe-131536897.html Pyka shows off its new electric passenger plane, the P3 VIDEO Pyka appeared out of nowhere in 2019 with an unusual take on electric aircraft: a pilotless crop duster. The success of this first plane led the company to begin developing its next one, the P3: a nine-passenger craft with a totally unique propeller setup aimed at making regional flights cheaper and simpler. It could be flying as soon as next year. The company also has a new president in Dan Grossman, formerly of Zipcar, Ford and Maven. The transportation sector DNA he brings could help Pyka create the networks and partnerships it needs to get off the ground in local air travel. The P3 is intended to fly up to 200 nautical miles (about 230 of our lubber miles) at 155 knots, in other words doing the kind of hour-ish hops people opt for instead of a long drive. Currently these routes are served by larger, more expensive aircraft that often fly half-full, making the economics a bit squirrelly. But by Pyka's estimate its smaller, much less expensive to operate aircraft will allow for more full flights per day between regional hubs. "It's mostly places where driving 150 miles is unfeasible," said founder and CEO Michael Norcia. "The amount of money people spend driving these regional routes, it's a staggering amount — billions of dollars, and they're not happy about it." Existing small craft flights are prohibitively expensive, but Norcia thinks the P3 will be able to match bulk airfare rates while offering many more flights per day and more destinations. The aircraft itself looks quite conventional, until you look closely... are those propellers on the fronts and backs of the wings? "It hasn't been done before," said Norcia. And it bears a brief explanation why. Small planes like this need to change the pitch of their propellers from one configuration during takeoff and climbing to another during cruising, since a different angle is needed for each task. That means the propeller blades have to tilt, which isn't simple. "In a normal aircraft, it makes sense to have this quite complex and heavy mechanism on your propeller in order to operate optimally over the whole range," said Norcia. "Electric propulsion provides some opportunities to just massively simplify the aircraft. So all four of the propellers are fixed-pitch: the ones in front are pitched for takeoff and climb out, and the rear ones are for cruising." With a heavy, complex, expensive traditional engine, it would be silly to double the number just so you don't have to use variable pitch propellers for takeoff. But with light, simple, inexpensive electric engines, it makes perfect sense to do so, even if it looks unusual. The front and rear propellers are only both active during take-off and climbing, with the front ones folding away afterwards as then the rear ones take over completely for cruise. It mechanically simplifies things — no heavy duty hinges and hydraulics — and in fact putting the prop back there seems to improve efficiency by about 10%, said Norcia. "It's pretty cool," he added. (And they've applied for a patent.) The general size and shape of the P3 are familiar, however, and that's not an accident. "We're starting clean sheet," Norcia said, as the unconventional prop setup attests, "but the approach to this aircraft was talking to customers and regulators and finding out what they want. The answer was resoundingly a nine-passenger plane." This is partly because of regulatory requirements: planes with certain burdens and passenger counts fall under a simpler, more permissive regulatory regime, as do airlines that fly with nine or fewer seats. Therefore, the simplest path forward seems to be a nine-passenger plane that makes big progress on efficiency and affordability while not reinventing the wheel. Further expediting its transition from twinkle in the eye to actual flying machine is starting the P3 out as an unmanned cargo vehicle, essentially a drone for medium-size payloads. There's a limited market for this (unmanned small aircraft can't fly ordinary overland cargo routes), but it's a way to put the P3 in the air legally and get the ball rolling with regulators before aiming for the more important passenger plane certification. The goal is to have P3 in the air by the end of 2022, which is an extremely aggressive timeline for a brand new aircraft. But Pyka has already shipped two aircraft, the prototype Egret crop dusting craft and the production Pelican version. "We started the company because we think electric aviation will fundamentally change the way we move for the better," said Norcia. "It's unprecedented times for electric aircraft, but most are taking pre-orders for aircraft that may get certified some time in the next decade. We just shipped two Pelicans in the last three months." Grossman said that was a major factor in his choice to join the company and help it scale: "They're shipping right now, and planning on shipping one plane a month next year. They've been incredibly efficient with the money they've made." Of course, launching a new aircraft is an expensive endeavor, and Norcia said that they are in the middle of raising a big round to fund production scaling and to fly a full-sized P3. If all goes well the passenger version could be in the air as soon as 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/pyka-shows-off-electric-passenger-143017636.html The Starliner Will Fly –– But the Date Is Tentative After discovering a slew of issues with Starliner’s propulsion system valves, Boeing has postponed the upcoming Orbital Flight Test-2 mission until the end of August. Boeing was scheduled to launch its long-awaited second flight test—a week-long mission to the International Space Station (ISS)—of the company’s Starliner vehicle on July 30. The first attempt to send the uncrewed capsule failed in 2019 after a software issue kept it from reaching the proper orbit. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has faced one set back after another. After engineers discovered a series of issues with more than a dozen valves in the vehicle’s propulsion system during a prelaunch systems check last week, Boeing says the much-delayed flight of its Starliner vehicle may not take place until the end of the month. The company said in a statement on August 9 that it has not yet discovered the cause of the problem, which prevented 13 valves in the vehicle’s propulsion system to open when prompted. (A statement before that suggested a series of electrical storms that passed over the launchpad may be to blame.) After a weekend of inspections, tinkering and testing, Boeing says its teams were able to regain control of seven of the faulty valves. The aerospace company was set to kick off its second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on August 4. Instead, the spacecraft and launch vehicle were rolled back into the hulking, nearby Vertical Integration Facility for inspection. Boeing and NASA initially scheduled the long-awaited OFT-2 mission for Friday, July 30, but pushed the launch after thrusters on Russia’s new Nauka space station module fired unexpectedly, causing the ISS to tilt erratically. During its week-long mission (whenever that may be), the capsule will dock with the ISS, delivering more than 400 pounds’ worth of supplies to eager astronauts and provide valuable data about how the vehicle operates before eventually returning back to Earth. A mannequin dubbed “Rosie the Rocketeer” will also gather data about the flight and its potential impact on future passengers. If all goes according to plan, the capsule should touch down in the New Mexico desert a week after it launches. Boeing and SpaceX developed their respective Starliner and Crew Dragon vehicles as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which was designed to ferry astronauts to the ISS on a U.S.-built spacecraft. In May 2020, SpaceX reached this goal first, launching a crew of two astronauts to the space station. Since that first demonstration, SpaceX Crew Dragon capsules have delivered 10 astronauts to the ISS. The first attempt to send Starliner to the space station failed in 2019 after a software problem prevented the capsule from reaching the proper orbit. While the capsule survived the mission, and crews on the ground managed to gather a significant amount of data, the flub set the company’s timeline back significantly. If successful, a second demonstration will pave the way for the Starliner’s first crewed flight, dubbed “Crew Flight Test.” NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and Nicole Mann are set to conduct the test flight, a months-long journey to the ISS, later this year or early next. But the clock is ticking. Later this month, NASA plans to send a supply mission to the ISS using SpaceX’s CRS-23 Cargo Dragon capsule. Because of the limited number of available docking ports on the ISS, Boeing, NASA and United Launch Alliance (ULA) will have to work doubly hard to ensure Starliner launches in time to conduct its mission before CRS-23 arrives. What’s more, NASA’s LUCY mission, which is scheduled to launch later this fall also atop an Atlas V rocket, could pose a scheduling problem for ULA if OFT-2 doesn't get off the ground in August. If Boeing isn’t able to fix the issues with Starliner soon, the flight could be delayed indefinitely. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/starliner-fly-144300685.html Babcock Welding Company, Inc. Certified Heliarc and Mig Welding Services for the Aerospace Community ac7004 and NADCAP approved. Babcock Welding Company, Inc. performs welding services for a range of Clients including Boeing, Goodrich, Pratt & Whitney, Adel Wiggins Group, and Parker Aerospace. Additionally, An Approved Supplier for Space X, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bell helicopters, Parker Hannifin, Parker Bertea, Raytheon. Our welders are highly trained, with over 100 years of combined experience. With a reputation for on-time delivery, Babcock Co. can provide your company with reputable quality work. We have been in business since 1967. Contact: Babcock Welding Company, Inc. Established 1967. 2325 Merced avenue South El Monte California 91733 Ph 626-443-2356 Fax 626-575-1544 Rosie@babcockweldingco.com Info@babcockweldingco.com www.babcockweldingco.com RTCA Webinar: Airports - Critical Components in Future Transportation Infrastructure Wed, Aug 18, 2021 1pm-2:15pm EDT Join RTCA for a discussion with aviation experts on what the $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure deal means to existing and emerging airport infrastructure needs and priorities. From the White House: “The [infrastructure] bill invests $25 billion in airports to address repair and maintenance backlogs, reduce congestion and emissions near ports and airports, and drive electrification and other low-carbon technologies." Panelists discuss complex issues including interoperability challenges presented in a multi-modal transportation ecosystem, the journey toward integration of emerging technologies with existing traditional modes of transportation, the need for new standards, and how we design improvements that anticipate the many changes in operations that will be needed for new entrants to create a safe, accessible, easy to use system that meets the evolving needs of the traveling public. Moderated by Carol Huegel of Gate 2 Gate Solutions, panelists include Chris Oswald of ACI-NA, Justin Barkowski of AAAE, Greg Pecoraro of NASAO, Chris Collings of L3 Harris and Scott Remillard of Saab. Register Free: https://bit.ly/3lKT8YX When: Wed, Aug 18, 2021 1pm-2:15pm EDT Curt Lewis