Flight Safety Information - August 26, 2021 No. 172 In This Issue : Incident: Jetblue A320 at Boston on Aug 24th 2021, bird strike : Accident: American B738 near Omaha on Aug 24th 2021, turbulence injures 2 : Incident: Republic E175 at Sarasota on Aug 24th 2021, cracked windshield : Did that airline passenger just light up? Here’s what happened on a smoky Spirit flight : Delta Air Lines announces a $200 monthly health insurance surcharge for unvaccinated employees : Air Canada mandates COVID-19 vaccination for all employees : Indian aviation watchdog plans tough new drug abuse rules : Aviation, wireless industries clash over C-band interference : 'He is restrained now': Chilling airplane audio serves as FAA warning about unruly passengers : The U.S. Embassy Urges Americans Outside The Kabul Airport To Leave Immediately : Alitalia cancels all flights after October 15 as national airline closes for good : Three Aircraft Carriers. Dozens Of Stealth Fighters. A Powerful Allied Battle Group Has Gathered Near China. : Flight Attendants Left Scathing After Pilots at American Airlines Regional Carrier Get Bumper Pay Raise : India's SpiceJet settles with Boeing MAX aircraft lessor Avolon : Dawn Aerospace conducts five flights of its suborbital spaceplane : Astroscale successfully demos in-space capture-and-release system to clear orbital debris : The Fifteenth Safeskies Aviation Safety Conference is scheduled to be held in Canberra, Australia in September 2022 Incident: Jetblue A320 at Boston on Aug 24th 2021, bird strike A Jetblue Airbus A320-200, registration N503JB performing flight B6-1138 from Austin,TX to Boston,MA (USA), was on approach to Boston's runway 22L when a bird impacted the aircraft. The aircraft continued for a safe landing. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD ON FINAL AND LEFT A DENT IN RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE, BOSTON, MA.", rated the damage unknown and the occurrence an incident. The aircraft returned to service about 13 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU1138/history/20210824/1556Z/KAUS/KBOS http://avherald.com/h?article=4ec4179a&opt=0 Accident: American B738 near Omaha on Aug 24th 2021, turbulence injures 2 An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N946NN performing flight AA-1398 from Phoenix,AZ to Omaha,NE (USA), was descending towards Omaha when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to a flight attendant and a passenger. The aircraft continued for a safe landing in Omaha. The FAA reported the passenger was not wearing the seat belt. Both the passenger and a flight attendant received minor injuries when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1398/history/20210825/0056Z/KPHX/KOMA http://avherald.com/h?article=4ec41691&opt=0 Incident: Republic E175 at Sarasota on Aug 24th 2021, cracked windshield A Republic Airways Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N130HQ performing flight AA-4579 from Sarasota,FL to Washington National,DC (USA), was climbing out of Sarasota's runway 14 when the crew stopped the climb at 8000 feet and decided to return to Sarasota due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft burned off fuel and returned to Sarasota for a safe landing on runway 14 about one hour after departure. A replacement ERJ-170 registration N871RW reached Washington with a delay of 3.5 hours. The airport reported the aircraft returned due to a cracked windshield. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL4579/history/20210824/1552Z/KSRQ/KDCA http://avherald.com/h?article=4ec3e82f&opt=0 Did that airline passenger just light up? Here’s what happened on a smoky Spirit flight A Spirit Airlines passenger disobeyed a law that went into effect more than 30 years ago and lit up a cigarette on board. Cellphone video taken by fellow passenger early Tuesday morning shows what went down on the flight from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale once smoke started wafting into the cabin and bothering fellow travelers. Alexa Majdalawi, of Boynton Beach, told the Miami Herald the woman lit up a little after landing as the plane taxied on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. A flight attendant told him how to wear his mask. Then he struck her, Florida cops say Majdawali said she first asked the woman to stop smoking, then complained to the flight attendant because she was having a hard time breathing. The clip starts with another passenger yelling about how the smoker “messed everyone’s day up.” Please don’t duct-tape the passengers: Airline sends memo to flight crew amid meltdowns Deputies enter the aircraft and start walking to the back where the woman appears to be asleep. “I’ve had a long day,” she said after being woken up, according to Majdawali. “Oh my God, come get her!” says the other witness as people laugh and deputies try to find the alleged offender’s overhead bag. This isn’t the first incident of this nature for Spirit. In 2019, a man lit up mid-flight heading to Minneapolis. Video shot by a fellow passenger shows the man taking a drag and then appearing to fall asleep before a flight attendant tells him what he is doing is “against the law.” He was reportedly escorted off by police once the plane was on the ground. The Miami Herald reached out to Spirit Airlines for comment: “When Flight 845 from Detroit was taxiing to the gate in Fort Lauderdale, a passenger inexplicably decided to light a cigarette in violation of federal law,” said a statement. “Flight attendants noticed the odor and the other guests were quick to point out who was responsible and hand over what remained of the extinguished cigarette. Our crew summoned law enforcement officers to have them waiting at the gate to remove the passenger.” According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the smoker complied with deputies’ request to leave the plane and was not arrested. https://www.yahoo.com/news/did-airline-passenger-just-light-162735248.html Delta Air Lines announces a $200 monthly health insurance surcharge for unvaccinated employees Delta Air Lines isn't requiring its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But if they don't, they'll be facing a surcharge of $200 a month. Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced Wednesday that the airline's employees who choose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and are enrolled in the company's healthcare plan "will be subject to a $200 monthly surcharge" beginning on Nov. 1. "The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $50,000 per person," Bastian said. "This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company." Bastian added that as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads, all of the company's employees who have been hospitalized with the coronavirus in recent weeks weren't fully vaccinated. Delta employees who are unvaccinated will also have to get tested for COVID-19 every week "while community case rates are high," Bastian said. This move comes after the Food and Drug Administration officially approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, which was expected to lead more companies to announce vaccine mandates. As The Washington Post notes, United Airlines previously said it would require its U.S. employees to get vaccinated. "We know some of you will disagree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees," United CEO Scott Kirby said. "But, we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety when you're at work, and the facts are crystal clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated." https://www.yahoo.com/news/delta-air-lines-announces-200-153125541.html Air Canada mandates COVID-19 vaccination for all employees (Reuters) - Air Canada said on Wednesday it would require all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as the fast-spreading Delta variant drives an increase in infections. The move by Canada's largest carrier was in line with a government mandate that workers in the transportation sector be vaccinated by the end of October and follows similar moves by other major companies, including United Airlines. Workers who are not vaccinated by Oct. 30 will face termination or be sent on unpaid leave, Air Canada said. It has also made full vaccination a condition of employment for new employees. However, the carrier will accommodate workers who cannot be vaccinated for reasons such as medical conditions. Earlier in the day, Delta Air Lines said employees will have to pay $200 more every month for their company-sponsored healthcare plan if they choose to not vaccinate against COVID-19. https://www.yahoo.com/news/air-canada-mandates-covid-19-192521971.html Indian aviation watchdog plans tough new drug abuse rules NEW DELHI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - India's air safety watchdog plans stringent new penalties to tackle drug abuse in the aviation industry, including cancellation of licences for third-time offenders, draft guidelines published this week show. The rules for airlines, air navigation service providers, maintenance firms and flight training schools, are expected to be finalised in a little over two months, Arun Kumar, the chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, told Reuters. "While India has some of the strictest rules on alcohol abuse, this is the first attempt to fight drug abuse," said Kumar, adding that it would target several psychoactive substances, such as cannabis, cocaine and opioids. Wednesday's draft rules require random drug tests of flight crew and air traffic controllers, to ensure testing of at least 5% of the total employees of airlines and others in a year. Positive tests will lead to an employee being "immediately removed from the safety-sensitive duty till a confirmatory report is received", the draft showed. First offenders will be referred to a de-addiction centre for rehabilitation, the watchdog said. Those who test positive a second time will have licences suspended for three years, with a third offence leading to cancellation, it added. The agency has allotted 30 days for public comment on the rules before they are finalised over the next 30, Kumar added. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/indian-aviation-watchdog-plans-tough-new-drug-abuse-rules-2021-08-26/ Aviation, wireless industries clash over C-band interference A white paper released by 5G Americas says studies submitted by the aviation industry have “significant shortcomings” and are overly conservative when it comes to real-world conditions. AT&T and Verizon are gearing up to deploy the first tranche of C-band spectrum for 5G later this year, but before they do, groups in the airline and aerospace industry say the carriers need to put short-term solutions in place to avoid harmful interference – or expect major disruptions to air travel, transport, and emergency helicopter operations. However, a July white paper from industry group 5G Americas says studies submitted by the aviation industry have “significant shortcomings” and are overly conservative when it comes to real-world conditions. C-band spectrum between 3.7-3.98 GHz was auctioned by the Federal Communications Commission, with Verizon and AT&T spending over $45 billion and $23 million, respectively (plus billions more for clearing costs and payments). These mid-band frequencies are key for 5G coverage and capacity. This month, ex parte (PDF) filings (first spotted by Light Reading) show that 19 groups and companies representing the aerospace and aviation industry met with FCC officials urging the agency to grant a pending petition to reconsider part of the 2020 C-band order and put carrier-initiated steps in place by December 5, 2021, “to ensure aviation and public safety by protecting radio altimeters from harmful interference from 3.7 GHz licensed operations.” In its February 2020 Report and Order approving use of the C-band for wireless service, the FCC had concluded “well-designed [radio altimeter] equipment should not ordinarily receive any significant interference (let alone harmful interference) given these circumstances.” Radio altimeters are key safety-of-life systems used to measure the height of an aircraft above the ground, up to 2,500 feet depending on aircraft, where harmful interference could cause issues in various landings and approaches. For example, the aviation groups recently told the FCC that “such harmful interference could lead to an escalation of negative outcomes, from missed approaches, delays, diversions, and flight cancellations, to the shutting down of runways on an indefinite basis.” Concerns over interference to aviation systems, specifically to radio altimeters operating in the nearby 4.2.-4.4 GHz band, had been raised by industry groups before the auction, as well as by Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, earlier this year. Tim Farrar, president of consulting and research firm TMF Associates, told Fierce he thinks the FCC “was shocked that the aviation community objected at the last minute before the auction was to take place last December, when it had been known since 2017 that there was a high likelihood of spectrum being reallocated in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band.” He said particularly after major contention over Ligado and its L-band spectrum “the FCC is very sensitive to attempts by other parties (especially when they secure support inside the executive or legislature) to try and exercise veto rights across large swathes of spectrum.” The FCC released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) in August 2017 well before the February 2020 C-band order, the latter which 5G Americas says explicitly took into account comments from the aviation community (including leaving a 220-megahertz guard band) which had been active in the proceeding. Ahead of the December 2020 C-band auction, the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) provided an October analysis, which the aviation industry cited in recent filings and 5G Americas’ white paper refutes. Pointing to the RTCA study, the airline groups this August reiterated their stance to the FCC that the 220-megahertz guard band wasn’t enough to protect radio altimeters, which are used on several types of civil aircraft worldwide. They fear interference given the high power levels that are allowed for 5G operations in the C-band. Based on the report, “safe interference limits are exceeded by 5G fundamental emissions at up to 500 ft altitude” for commercial transport airplanes like large jet airlines, “and across the entire operational altitude range” of up to 2,500 feet for helicopters, general and business aviation, and regional transport airplanes. 5G Americas’ report asserts technical issues with the RTCA study, such as restrictive inputs and conditions, and concluded that “when evaluating real-world conditions, conclusions of the study would be different…” It also points to 5G deployments in Japan, South Korea and Europe. “Several countries have been deploying 5G in spectrum near the radio altimeter band with no reports of interference. In the United States, the federal government has operated radar and communications systems in spectrum near the radio altimeter band for decades,” 5G Americas’ report states. In presentations to FCC officials, airlines rejected comments by wireless industry group CTIA, which in April also said (PDF) there were significant flaws in the RTCA report. CTIA said the FCC was correct in determining that 5G services in C-band can operate without interference and the agency “should dismiss the aviation industry’s unsupported claims.” Spurious emissions and short-term steps With commercial C-band deployments just around the corner, why are concerns once again raised? “The altimeters are separated by hundreds of megahertz from the flexible use C-band deployment so it is presumed that most of the burden should fall on the aviation community to filter their devices appropriately,” Farrar told Fierce via email. “However, the issue has now been widened to a question of spurious emissions into the 4.2-4.4GHz band and that may need more careful examination.” A major aspect of the August presentation by aviation stakeholders centered on the need for carriers deploying the first tranche of C-band to implement short-term steps – with the FCC and FAA stepping in to facilitate. Some of those steps include lowering base station and user equipment maximum spurious emission limits across the 4.2-4.4 GHz band to protect fixed-wing airplanes (non-commercial air transport) and helicopters, and protection areas with no base stations in line with runways for commercial airplanes. They cited a variety of reasons efforts by the airline and aerospace entities aren’t doable near-term and need to be complemented by 3.7 GHz licensee solutions. According to ex parte filings, including one on August 10, the groups that presented to the FCC explained why efforts on the part of airlines and aerospace companies alone won’t be able to close what they call “a mitigation gap” – meaning between the time carriers start deploying C-band in the first 46 partial economic areas in December and until longer-term measures can be put in place by the aviation community. For example, the option to add band pass filters to certified aircraft before 3.7 GHz deployments start in major markets “is a practical impossibility,” the group said, “and fails to offer a comprehensive solution to mitigate the risks of interference to radio altimeters.” Retrofitting with out-of-band filter installations also" will do nothing to address the risk of interference from potential flexible use spurious emissions" into the 4.2-4.4 GHz band, the groups said, which could potentially impact aircraft like business aviation, regional transport airplanes and helicopters. Measures, such as new aviation standards and related certified equipment that is then installed on aircraft “will take a number of years,” the groups said. Representatives including the Airborne Public Safety Association, Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and others, expressed that “the aviation and aerospace industry has determined in good faith that closing the mitigation gap is not possible without the flexible use licensees being required to take their part. Consequently, without appropriate mitigation measures taken by 3.7 GHz flexible use licensees to reduce sufficiently the potential for harmful interference to radio altimeters, the result is likely to be substantial disruption to the use of the National Airspace System. This will adversely impact the flying public, the economy, and critical aviation services.” As one example, the representatives pointed to air ambulances arriving at a heliport in a large medical center. “Analysis shows that flexible use base stations, that implement no mitigations to protect radio altimeters from harmful interference, have the potential to wreak havoc on the use of heliports at hospitals and in medical centers, as well as at the countless random offsite locations where helicopters frequently land in first responder situations,” the ex parte states. https://www.fiercewireless.com/regulatory/aviation-wireless-industries-clash-over-c-band-interference 'He is restrained now': Chilling airplane audio serves as FAA warning about unruly passengers Federal authorities released a chilling video on Tuesday warning passengers on commercial flights that unruly behavior not only poses a danger to fellow passengers but to pilots as well. The Federal Aviation Administration's recent public service announcement is part of its efforts to stop unruly passenger behavior onboard flights. The video, which the FAA says includes real audio from pilots to air traffic control members, features instances of pilots discussing passenger behaviors, with additional audio of recorded altercations mixed in. The video ends with the FAA's warning: "Unruly behavior doesn't fly." Excerpts of the pilots' discussions featured in the PSA include, "An unruly passenger we need to get off the airplane," "Declared emergency. We'd like to divert," "He is restrained now" and a pilot requesting authorities on the ground. The video comes less than a week after the FAA announced they have assessed $531,545 in civil penalties against unruly passengers since the start of the year. Proposed fines included $7,500 against a passenger who allegedly threatened to kill someone seated near him to $45,000 against a passenger who allegedly threw objects – including his carry-on luggage – at other passengers and put his head up a flight attendant’s skirt. When the agency announced the fines on Thursday, there were 3,889 reports of unruly passengers in 2021. In less than a week, there have been an additional 99 instances. Of the total reports, nearly 3,000 of them had to do with the federal mask mandate for planes, and 132 of the cases have resulted in penalties. Nearly one in five flight attendants say they have witnessed physical incidents involving passengers this year, according to the Associated Press. Videos of unruly passengers have also circulated on social media. Instances include a woman being restrained to her seat after allegedly trying to open the plane’s door and attacking a flight attendant and a man being taped to his seat after allegedly punching and groping crew members and cursed at fellow passengers. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2021/08/25/faa-video-warns-unruly-behavior-doesnt-fly/5588155001/ The U.S. Embassy Urges Americans Outside The Kabul Airport To Leave Immediately The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan is urging Americans outside the gates of the Kabul airport to leave immediately, citing security threats. Officials also cautioned U.S. citizens against travel to the airport. "Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we are advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U.S. government representative to do so," the embassy said in the Wednesday evening security alert. "This is a dynamic and volatile security situation on the ground," a State Department spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "We take seriously the priority we attach to the safety and security of American citizens. The Embassy in Kabul issued a security alert instructing U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate to leave immediately." The sudden warning came just hours after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. would remain "on track" to complete the evacuation mission by the Aug. 31 deadline as long as the Taliban continued to cooperate. Speaking at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Blinken underscored the complexity of the operation and its dangers. "We're operating in a hostile environment in a city and country now controlled by the Taliban, with the very real possibility of an ISIS-K attack," Blinken said, calling the coordinated effort "very high-risk." Blinken estimated as many as 1,500 U.S. citizens remain in the Taliban-controlled country, though he suggested the number could be much lower. As of Wednesday, he said, government officials were in touch with approximately 500 people and that officials were providing them with instructions on how to reach the Kabul airport safely. "For the remaining roughly 1,000 contacts that we had who may be Americans seeking to leave Afghanistan, we're aggressively reaching out to them multiple times a day through multiple channels of communication to determine if they still want to leave," he said, noting that some may turn out not to be American citizens. Over the last ten days, he said, the State Department has evacuated roughly 4,500 U.S. citizens. President Biden has called for contingency plans from the Pentagon and State Departments in the event the evacuation mission is not completed in time. "But let me be crystal-clear about this," Blinken said. "There is no deadline on our work to help any remaining American citizens who decide they want to leave to do so, along with the many Afghans who have stood by us over these many years and want to leave and have been unable to do so. That effort will continue every day past August 31st." Additionally, Blinken said efforts are "underway on the part of regional countries" to try and keep the airport open past Aug. 31, when U.S. troops are expected to finish their mission. https://www.npr.org/2021/08/25/1031088877/as-many-as-1-500-americans-in-afghanistan Alitalia cancels all flights after October 15 as national airline closes for good Italian airline Alitalia has announced that all flights from October 15 will be cancelled. The airline is officially closing so passengers with flights booked after October 15 should read on for what to do next. Why is Alitalia closing? Italy has struggled to find investors to save the bankrupt airline after it was put into state administration in 2017. The situation has been made worse by the pandemic which saw flights grounded around the world for months and Alitalia will now cease operations entirely later this year. In 2019, before the COVID-19 hit, the airline carried 21.3 million passengers to 81 different destinations with 3,600 flights every week. Until recently it employed more than 10,000 staff but it is unclear what will happen to them when Alitalia closes. What if I have already booked tickets with Alitalia? The options for passengers are a little complicated, but it does seem that you will be able to fly, or get a refund. It’s important to note that you’ll have the most options available if you bought your Alitalia flights before August 24 2021, with a ticket number that starts with “055”. This is the first thing to check. The good news is that the airline is getting government support- and this will be passed on to passengers. The Italian government has created a €100 million fund to reimburse customers of the airline. It comes after the country agreed a bailout deal with the EU to create a new debt-free company that would take over its assets. Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera estimates that there are around 250,000 people who are due to fly with Alitalia after October 15. The company says that these customers will have two options: replace their flights with an equivalent Alitalia flight before that date, or receive a full refund. If replacing their ticket, passengers can either rebook or reroute their original journey. Rebooking involves changing your flight to one before October 15th but arriving at the same destination. This option is free. It is also possible to change the destination to travel before this date or reroute your flight. But this might incur additional costs if the price of the flights is different. If the new flight is cheaper then there will be no reimbursement of the price difference and international flights cannot be changed for national ones or vice versa. Alitalia announced on social media that it would send a “direct communication” to all customers with instructions. More information here. What is Alitalia being replaced with? Alitalia is being replaced by state-owned ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo) which will start selling tickets from August 26th. The new airline will begin flying on October 15th after Italy’s civil authorities gave it the green light last week. ITA will buy 52 of Alitalia’s aircraft alongside its airport slots and other assets. It plans to operate flights to destinations including New York, Boston, Miami, Tokyo and numerous European cities from airports in Rome and Milan. There are plans for the airline to slowly grow its fleet to 105 planes by 2025. Bookings from Alitalia will not be valid for ITA and to fly with the new airline passengers will be required to book through the company’s new website (not yet operational), travel agencies or airport offices. https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021/08/25/alitalia-cancels-all-flights-after-october-15-as-national-airline-closes-for-good Three Aircraft Carriers. Dozens Of Stealth Fighters. A Powerful Allied Battle Group Has Gathered Near China. Three aircraft carriers embarking two different models of F-35 stealth fighter have assembled in the waters around Okinawa. The three-carrier group, with two American flattops and one British one, is among the most powerful naval formations to appear anywhere in many years. And it’s not hard to understand the timing and location. The Chinese navy in recent weeks has been rehearsing an invasion of Taiwan. The three carriers are a warning—that an attack on the island democracy could have profound consequences. The three flattops converged from separate directions. HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s new conventionally-fueled carrier, along with her British, American and Dutch escorts for several weeks now has been crisscrossing the Western Pacific. The 919-foot carrier with two squadrons of F-35B jump jets aboard—one from the Royal Air Force and another from the U.S. Marine Corps—departed the United Kingdom for her maiden cruise back in May, sailed through the Mediterranean and across the Indian Ocean to reach the Pacific via the Singapore Strait. USS America was the first American flattop to join up with Queen Elizabeth. America, an 844-foot amphibious assault ship with a conventional powerplant, functions as a light carrier when she embarks a squadron or two of F-35Bs. She sails from Japan, usually in the company of destroyers and other amphibious ships from the U.S. 7th Fleet. America and Queen Elizabeth spent last week refueling each other’s F-35s in a so-called “cross-decking” exercise. “This interaction showcased how quickly and seamlessly the U.S. and U.K. can fold together our combined air power and execute highly intricate and sustained flight operations to devastatingly lethal effect,” said Capt. Ken Ward, America’s skipper. The San Diego-based, nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, carrying a squadron of catapult-launched F-35Cs, approached America and Queen Elizabeth from the east on Wednesday. Twitter-user @duandang tracked the 1,092-foot Vinson, not by looking for the carrier herself, but by noting the radio transponder belonging to one of the flattop’s CMV-22B supply tiltrotors. Together, the three carriers and their escorts possess more firepower than the entire fleets of most countries. The Chinese navy at present deploys just two flattops—both similar to Queen Elizabeth in size and capability. Queen Elizabeth has 16 F-35Bs aboard. The Japan-based F-35B squadron that embarks on America has 10 jets. It’s not clear how many are aboard America right now. Vinson is the first of the U.S. Navy’s 10 supercarriers to sail with an F-35C squadron, 10 jets strong. The flattop also embarks around three dozen F/A-18E/F fighters and six EA-18G electronic-attack jets. Add it up. That’s up to 36 F-35s plus another 40 or so F-18s. A three-deck carrier group with nearly 80 fast jets, half of them stealthy. The flattops’ dozen or so escorts and several attached submarines add hundreds of long-range missiles, including potentially scores of land-attack cruise missiles, to the mix. The F-35 is the most obvious symbol of the group’s destructive potential. “Nothing even comes close!” said Capt. Richard LeBron, commodore of America’s Amphibious Squadron 11. “There is no better aviation platform to support 7th Fleet’s mission to ensure the United States can freely operate wherever and whenever it must, in alignment with international norms, standards, rules and laws.” Taiwan’s independence is the norm at stake. The Chinese navy this summer has escalated its preparations for a possible assault across the Taiwan Strait. Most alarmingly, the navy has mobilized some of the civilian transport vessels the Chinese military would depend on to carry potentially hundreds of thousands of invading troops. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2021/08/25/three-aircraft-carriers-dozens-of-stealth-fighters-a-powerful-allied-battle-group-has-gathered-near-china/?sh=228a0b5757c9 Flight Attendants Left Scathing After Pilots at American Airlines Regional Carrier Get Bumper Pay Raise Flight attendants at an American Airline regional carrier are furious after the airline announced a bumper pay rise for pilots with some expected rake in as much as $180,000 in bonuses alone. Meanwhile, some flight attendants at Piedmont Airlines say they are barely surviving on wages that fall way short of colleagues wearing the same uniform at mainline AA. Piedmont, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines and which operates flights under the American Eagle brand, said it had struck a landmark deal with the ALPA pilots union that will see all serving Captain’s take home a ‘retention bonus’ worth $30,000 in November. Meanwhile, First officer’s could take home $30,000 once they successfully get promoted to the rank of Captain. Pilots who progress from Piedmont onto American’s mainline business are also set to make $70,000. A further $50,000 is up for grabs for pilots who meet working hours targets over the course of the next two years, along with increased pay rates to improve Piedmont’s “competitive position”. “Our ability to out-perform all other American Airlines regionals, take on flying when necessary and deliver a safe product to our customers is what led to this significant investment,” commented Piedmont’s vice president of flight operations Steve Keefer in an internal memo on Wednesday. “Any pilot who flies for Piedmont now, or chooses Piedmont in the future, will have a solid future with our company and eventually an opportunity with American Airlines if they wish to flow,” the memo continued. Flight attendants at the carrier, however, are said to be less than impressed with the massive investment in Piedmont’s pilot workforce while talks on a new flight attendant contract are stalled. Some flight attendants claim their wages haven’t kept up with rising living costs and Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) says some flight attendants are struggling to even get to work because taveling costs are too prohibitive. Unlike mainline flight attendants, Piedmont’s flight attendants didn’t even have any pandemic-related pay protections until earlier this year when the union went public about the situation. “While other airlines negotiated paid or non-punitive pandemic leave, Piedmont management penalized Flight Attendants,” the Association of Flight Attendants complained in April. “Management forced us to use our own sick leave when we tested positive for COVID, likely at work, or when required to quarantine due to a known COVID exposure.” https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2021/08/26/flight-attendants-left-scathing-after-pilots-at-american-airlines-regional-carrier-get-bumper-pay-raise/ India's SpiceJet settles with Boeing MAX aircraft lessor Avolon BENGALURU (Reuters) -India's SpiceJet Ltd said on Thursday it has agreed to a settlement with Boeing Co's MAX aircraft lessor Avolon, paving the way for the 737 MAX jets to return to service. The airline said https://bit.ly/3DkjiYD it expects to start operations of MAX aircraft around the end of September, subject to regulatory approvals. India's air safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. SpiceJet did not provide any further details on the settlement. "As India emerges from COVID-19 and air traffic picks up again, the MAX aircraft will play a major role in our future expansion," Ajay Singh, SpiceJet's chairman and managing director said. 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. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/indias-spicejet-settles-boeing-max-062945529.html Dawn Aerospace conducts five flights of its suborbital spaceplane While the rocket launch sector is quickly becoming crowded, the same can’t be said for companies developing suborbital spaceplanes. This means there’s plenty of room to grow for startups like Dawn Aerospace, which has now completed five test flights of its Mk-II Aurora spaceplane that is designed to fly up to 60 miles above the Earth’s surface. The flights, which took place at the Glentanner Aerodrome in New Zealand’s South Island in July, were to assess the vehicle’s airframe and avionics. While the vehicle only reached altitudes of 3,400 feet, the flights allowed Dawn’s team to capture “extensive data enabling further R&D on the capability of Mk-II,” CEO Stefan Powell said in a statement. Dawn’s approach is to build a vehicle that can take off and land from conventional airports and potentially perform multiple flights to and from space per day. The obvious benefit of this approach is that it’s significantly less capital-intensive than vertical launches. Mk-II is also barely the size of a compact car, less than 16 feet long and weighing only 165 pounds empty, which further lowers costs. As the name suggests, the Mk-II is the second iteration of the vehicle, but Dawn doesn’t plan on stopping there. The company has plans to build a two-stage-to-orbit Mk-III spaceplane that can also be used to conduct scientific research, or even capture atmospheric data for weather observations and climate modeling. While Mk-II has a payload of 3U, or less than 8.8 pounds, Mk-III will be capable of carrying up to 551 pounds to orbit. The Mk-II will ultimately be fitted with a rocket engine to enable supersonic performance and high-altitude testing. The company hit a major milestone last December when it received an Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority to fly Mk-II from airports. It also received a grant from by the province of Zuid-Holland in the Netherlands, along with Radar Based Avionics and MetaSensing, to test a low-power sense and detect radar system. That demonstration, which is scheduled to take place next year, will happen once Mk-II undergoes some minor modifications, Powell told TechCrunch. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/dawn-aerospace-conducts-five-flights-223339359.html Astroscale successfully demos in-space capture-and-release system to clear orbital debris Astroscale hit a major milestone Wednesday, when its space junk removal demo satellite that’s currently in orbit successfully captured and released a client spacecraft using a magnetic system. The End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission was launched in March, with the goal of validating the company’s orbital debris removal tech. The demonstrator package, which was sent up on a Soyuz rocket that launched from Kazakhstan, included two separate spacecraft: a “servicer” designed to remove space junk, and a “client” that poses as said space junk. Astroscale launches its ELSA-d orbital debris removal satellite “A major challenge of debris removal, and on-orbit servicing in general, is docking with or capturing a client object; this test demonstration served as a successful validation of ELSA-d’s ability to dock with a client, such as a defunct satellite,” the company explained. The demonstration today showed that the servicer -- a model of Astroscale’s future product -- can successfully magnetically capture and release other spacecraft. But that’s not the end for the ELSA-d demonstration mission; the servicer and client still must hit three more capture-and-release milestones before Astroscale can call it a complete success. Next up, the servicer must safely release the client and re-capture it from a greater distance away. After that, Astroscale will attempt the same release-and-capture process, but this time with the client satellite simulating an uncontrolled, tumbling space object. The final capture demonstration the company is calling “diagnosis and client search,” in which the servicer will inspect the client from a close distance, move away, then approach and re-capture. Astroscale is one of a suite of companies working on the problem of orbital debris, but it’s the first to send up a debris removal demonstration mission. According to NASA, over 27,000 pieces of orbital debris are tracked by the Department of Defense’s global Space Surveillance Network sensors. The amount of junk in space is only anticipated to grow as the cost of launching a spacecraft, and other expenses, continue to decline. You can watch a video of the mission operations team explain the test demonstration here: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po1BobDOjG8] https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/astroscale-successfully-demos-space-capture-192011808.html The Fifteenth Safeskies Aviation Safety Conference is scheduled to be held in Canberra, Australia in September 2022 Safeskies 2022, 15th aviation safety conference. Canberra, Australia. September 20 to 22, 2022 Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture and Dinner, Federal Parliament House, Great Hall. Evening of 20 September. Conference sessions. 21 and 22 September, Hyatt Hotel Canberra. Details on the website as they become available. www.SafeskiesAustralia.org Curt Lewis