Flight Safety Information - September 28, 2021 No. 195 In This Issue : Incident: American A319 at Charlotte on Sep 26th 2021, mechanical issue : Incident: Canada A321 at San Francisco on Sep 22nd 2021, hydraulic issues : Incident: Jetblue A321 at New York on Sep 24th 2021, bird strike takes out automation : Incident: Buddha AT72 at Biratnagar on Sep 27th 2021, unsafe gear : Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX - Runway Excursion (Indonesia) : Air Force Eyes Fix for Trainer Aircraft Hypoxia Problem : Denver airplane pilot is one step closer from making his drone dodging invention a reality : Baldwin Develops Tools To Help with Safety Monitoring : House Passes Amendment Reversing FAA Instruction Policy : Man who punched Hawaiian airlines flight attendant appears in court : AUSSIE CATHAY PILOTS FACE AXE AS HONG KONG REJECTS THEIR VISAS : British Airways 777 Pilots May Be Headed To Qatar Airways This Winter : U.S. export tightening slows advance of Chinese C919 jet -sources : Qatar Airways says losses reach $4.1 billion amid pandemic : Demand for Lufthansa flights to U.S. soars on re-opening : Do space tourists really understand the risk they're taking? : Aviation Safety Community : Position Available - Director of Safety : Position Available - Tenure-Track Faculty Position with a focus on Unmanned Systems : RTCA Webinar: Innovation and Airport Infrastructure Incident: American A319 at Charlotte on Sep 26th 2021, mechanical issue An American Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration N747UW performing flight AA-771 from Charlotte,NC to Portland,ME (USA) with 134 people on board, was climbing out of Charlotte's runway 36R when the crew advised they needed to return to Charlotte. The aircraft stopped the climb at 4000 feet and positioned for an approach to runway 36C, where the aircraft landed safely about 15 minutes after departure. A replacement A319-100 registration N763US reached Portland with a delay of 5.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 24 hours after landing back. The airline reported the aircraft returned due to a "mechanical issue". http://avherald.com/h?article=4ede4a3d&opt=0 Incident: Canada A321 at San Francisco on Sep 22nd 2021, hydraulic issues An Air Canada Airbus A321-200, registration C-GJWO performing flight AC-740 from San Francisco,CA (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 122 people on board, was climbing through 18,000 feet out of San Francisco when the crew detected hydraulic issues. The crew continued the climb to FL330 and was enroute at FL330 about 200nm northeast of San Francisco when the crew declared emergency and decided to divert to Vancouver,BC (Canada) where the aircraft landed safely about 2:10 hours after departure. The Canadian TSB reported troubleshooting in Vancouver "revealed a leak from a pin hole in a tee fitting below the B System HP Manifold". The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 66 hours after landing in Vancouver. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ede46f1&opt=0 Incident: Jetblue A321 at New York on Sep 24th 2021, bird strike takes out automation A Jetblue Airbus A321-200, registration N995JL performing flight B6-1401 from New York JFK,NY to Fort Lauderdale,FL (USA), was climbing out of JFK's runway 31L when the crew requested to maintain 12,000 feet and enter a hold to work on a problem. The crew subsequently advised they did have a bird strike on departure, about 3 quarters down the runway, which apparently took a number of probes out, they still had basic instruments but a lot of their automation had been lost. The crew decided to return to JFK and landed safely on runway 31L about 90 minutes after departure. A replacement Airbus A321-200 registration N903JB reached Fort Lauderdale with a delay of 6 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 12.5 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ede0e4c&opt=0 Incident: Buddha AT72 at Biratnagar on Sep 27th 2021, unsafe gear A Buddha Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration 9N-ANI performing flight U4-701 from Kathmandu to Biratnagar (Nepal) with 73 passengers and 4 crew, was on final approach to Biratnagar's runway 09 when the crew did not receive a gear down and locked indication for the left main gear. The aircraft went around and returned to Kathmandu, where the crew entered a hold while working the related checklists and manually extending the gear. The crew subsequently advised ATC that they had now received a gear down and locked indication and a normal landing would ensure. The aircraft landed safely on Kathmandu's runway 02 about 2 hours after departure. A replacement ATR-72-212A registration 9N-AMD reached Biratnagar with a delay of about 5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4eddf31f&opt=0 Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX - Runway Excursion (Indonesia) Date: 27-SEP-2021 Time: 13:23 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX Owner/operator: Smart Aviation Registration: PK-SNP MSN: 208B5495 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Yuvai Semaring Airport, Long Bawan, Krayan - Indonesia Phase: Landing Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Juwata Airport, Tarakan Destination airport: Yuvai Semaring Airport, Long Bawan, Krayan Narrative: A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan cargo airplane suffered a runway excursion and ran into a ditch after landing at Yuvai Semaring Airport, Long Bawan, Krayan. Both pilots were not injured. The airplane was transporting diesel fuel. The nose landing gear folded and the propeller was damaged. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/268155 Air Force Eyes Fix for Trainer Aircraft Hypoxia Problem The Air Force thinks it's figured out what led to a surge of T-6A Texan II hypoxia incidents in 2018, and soon will be rolling out a new backup oxygen system to make sure pilots can breathe while developing their skills in trainer aircraft. That year, the service saw a sharp spike in incidents of pilots experiencing hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the blood, or other related conditions referred to as "unexplained physiological events" while flying aircraft, particularly the T-6. In 2014, there were only five such incidents recorded in the T-6 but, four years later, they shot up to 86. Insufficient oxygen can lead to pilots becoming dizzy, disoriented, short of breath or even passing out; at worst, it can lead to fatal crashes. The Air Force grew so alarmed that at one point it grounded the entire T-6 fleet for a month and created a team to root out the cause of the problem and put fixes in place. The first major finding: With the many flying hours its T-6s were racking up, components in its oxygen systems were beginning to wear out sooner than anticipated. So the Air Force began replacing oxygen concentrators much earlier than it had been so they don't fail in-flight -- after every 600 flight hours instead of about 4,000. Other components, such as inhalation or exhalation valves in pilots' masks, also were replaced. Those first steps yielded results. Incidents swiftly fell nearly in half to 44 in 2019, and then to 38 a year later. The service had tallied 19 incidents this year as of July -- continuing the downward trend, though Air Force physician and hypoxia expert Col. William "Doc" Nelson cautioned in a Sept. 24 interview at the Pentagon that a handful of other cases likely would be recorded in August and September. "We take every [physiological] event seriously," said Maj. Gen. Albert Miller, the Air Force's director of training and readiness who also oversees these issues. Airmen "that fly our aircraft are at the pointy end of the spear for us. So we need to make sure that we give them the systems so that they can perform the mission for the Air Force." The service is preparing to roll out an upgraded version of the T-6's onboard oxygen generating system, called SureStream, that could begin being installed on the aircraft toward the end of 2022. It will include sensors that measure how much oxygen is being fed to the pilot at any given time, which the T-6 typically hasn't previously had. And within weeks, the Air Force expects to sign a contract to add an automatic backup oxygen system to the T-6, Miller said. T-6s now do not have such a backup system, which kicks in once the main system starts to fail or isn't producing enough oxygen, and is standard equipment in other airframes. The new system will be able to sense whether it is generating enough oxygen, Nelson said. And if not, the backup system will kick in and feed more oxygen from a separate tank into the pilot's mask until the primary system catches up. They said that adding sensors to the systems will better allow the Air Force to identify what kind of physiological issue may be happening. Other related conditions include hypocapnia, which is caused by a lack of carbon dioxide in the blood but has similar physical symptoms as hypoxia, making them hard to diagnose definitively. Those different problems have different remedies, Nelson said. And if the Air Force can better diagnose which condition pilots are experiencing in an aircraft, it can better find the right way to fix that problem. The service also is looking at adding additional sensors to the pilot's mask itself, that can measure both oxygen and carbon dioxide. This will allow the Air Force to make sure the oxygen being generated is actually making it through the hoses, catching potential problems with the mask. The timeline for installing the backup system has not been determined, Miller said. But he cautioned that it will never be possible to entirely eliminate the risk of physiological issues. As long as people get into airplanes, Miller said, "there will be physiological events. That's why you have a yellow Dixie cup [oxygen mask demonstration] that they brief you on every time you fly [in a commercial airline]. "But we're trying to get after capturing the data, so that we can explain as many of them as we can," he continued. "And by explaining, we can solve the root causes." https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/27/air-force-eyes-fix-trainer-aircraft-hypoxia-problem.html Denver airplane pilot is one step closer from making his drone dodging invention a reality Drone-strike dangers heighten for airplane pilots Hobbyists and commercial drone operations are only getting more complex when it comes to airspace. That means it's becoming more dangerous for plane pilots, especially near busy airports. Rick Zelenka, a private pilot, has spent a few years perfecting his drone radar system. DENVER — Hobbyists and commercial drone operations are only getting more complex when it comes to airspace. That means it's becoming more dangerous for plane pilots, especially near busy airports. Rick Zelenka, a private pilot, has spent a few years perfecting his drone radar system to combat that problem. "It spots a drone and it identifies it," Zelenka explained. "Then that information is shared on the ground. Then it's shared with other pilots in the sky." Zelenka won a NASA-funded contract to develop the lightweight radar system that can be installed in an aircraft. The prototype was just tested at Platte Valley Airport in Hudson, Colorado. Veteran pilot Randy Settergren was behind the controls. "It’s refreshing to be able to see that there is looming tech out there," Settergren said. "You just never know where a drone may be these days. Drone technology is just moving so quickly. It’s making these highly capable drones and putting them in the hands of people with no formal training." On Zelenka's website, there is a list of incidents where planes have struck drones. "My main goal is to increase safety and get ahead of this problem," Zelenka said. The prototype test in the skies over Hudson was a success but Zelenka said there is plenty of work to be done before his system hits the market. "We're hoping to expand the range and fix up the display a little bit," he said. Just this past April, a Drone Remote Identification Rule was finalized by the Federal Aviation Administration, and will help identify drones in flight and the location of their control stations. Zelenka said the new rules will just make his drone detecting radar work that much better. He says the "drone community" will conform and comply with the new FAA rule within a year. https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/denver-airplane-pilot-is-one-step-closer-from-making-his-drone-dodging-invention-a-reality Baldwin Develops Tools To Help with Safety Monitoring Baldwin Safety and Compliance is rolling out more features in its safety management system (SMS) portal to help users with their safety performance monitoring (SPM) and measuring efforts. To be available over the next four to six weeks, the new tools are designed to “demystify” the safety monitoring process and clarify objectives and measures in alignment with International Civil Aviation Organization, IS-BAO, and IS-BAH standards. Users can specify their objectives and add measurements to compare how they are performing. In addition to data inputs, users can add support information such as training events and safety meetings that can help achieve safety objectives. “We often hear confusion over safety performance indicators (SPIs) and safety performance targeting (SPTs) and how to monitor them effectively,” said Jason Starke, director of standards for Baldwin Safety and Compliance. “These new features help clarify the link between the two and allow for monitoring performance indicators. It is such an important part of the SMS process, and I am excited to share it with our clients.” Baldwin Safety and Compliance is including a training session for clients in the SPM tool introduction. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-09-27/baldwin-develops-tools-help-safety-monitoring House Passes Amendment Reversing FAA Instruction Policy Bipartisan legislation will now make its way to the Senate. What does it all mean? The proposed amendment reverses the FAA’s reinterpretation of flight training policy that came as a result of an emergency cease-and-desist order levied at a warbird operator in Florida in 2020. An amendment to reverse the FAA’s reinterpretation of flight instruction as an activity for compensation or hire is on its way to the Senate after being passed by the House late last week. The amendment, put forth by Reps, Kai Kahele, D-Hawaii, and Sam Graves, R-Mo., was added to the National Defense Authorization Act. It states that a flight instructor providing flight training and flight instruction shall not be deemed to be operating an aircraft carrying persons or property for compensation or hire. “Compensation or hire” per the FAR/AIM defines a flight as commercial activity. In essence, the amendment reverses the FAA’s reinterpretation of flight training policy that came as a result of an emergency cease-and-desist order levied at a warbird operator in Florida in 2020. How We Got Here According to documents published in the Federal Register, in April of 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals dismissed a petition for review of the FAA’s emergency cease-and-desist order against Warbird Adventures, a Florida-based company. The FAA ordered that it cease operating its limited category aircraft in violation of §91.315, which states that no persons may operate a limited category aircraft carrying persons or property for compensation or hire. According to its website, Warbirds offered the public opportunities to fly in Warbirds’ limited category aircraft—a Curtiss P-40A Warhawk—at airshows and allowed members of the public to book flights in exchange for substantial amounts of money. Warbirds argued it was conducting flight training for compensation in the limited category aircraft, which it claimed is not prohibited under the FAR. The FAA responded that flight training for compensation constitutes operating a limited category aircraft carrying a person for compensation or hire and, therefore, is a violation of the regulation. “...what is most concerning is saying CFIs are flying for compensation or hire. That sounds a lot like charter pilot operations, and people were wondering how it will change our roles as instructors.” - David St. George, executive director of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators In July, the FAA issued a training directive requiring operators of certain categories of aircraft to obtain a letter of deviation authority (LODA) in order to conduct flight training. The directive, which reversed 60 years of policy that had flight instruction outside of commercial activities, has been a source of concern among several aviation advocacy groups, especially the National Association of Flight Instructors and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators. During AirVenture 2021, the issue was discussed at length by both groups, as they struggled to determine the impact it would have on the industry. “Obtaining a LODA can be done with an App,” said David St. George, executive director of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators, adding that hundreds of CFIs and aircraft owners have done so. “But what is most concerning is saying CFIs are flying for compensation or hire. That sounds a lot like charter pilot operations, and people were wondering how it will change our roles as instructors.” “There are approximately 106,000 CFIs on the FAA’s roles, of which perhaps 4,000 to 5,000 are actively instructing full-time,” St. George said. “The rest are ATP-rated airline pilots who do not actively utilize their CFI privileges. “When COVID hit, they were offered Golden Parachutes as the airlines got rid of pilots to reduce their payroll. Now, the airlines are having a pilot shortage, and who will teach them if CFIs decide to walk away from it because they are worried about the additional liability of flying for compensation or hire?” Karen Kalishek, chair-elect of National Association of Flight Instructors, said the organization has been fielding lots of calls from members who are worried that they will have to upgrade their medical certificates to exercise their instructor privileges. That’s because the FARs dictate that a pilot wishing to exercise commercial pilot privileges must possess at least a second-class medical certificate. “They are asking that if flight instruction falls under compensation or hire, wouldn’t that mean we all need a second-class medical certificate? We have an awful lot of CFIs out there who are instructing with basic med,” she said, stressing that the FAA has not yet released a notice of intent to change medical requirements for CFIs. In a letter to the FAA, EAA, GAMA, and AOPA have expressed concern over the confusion over the re-interpretation of existing regulations and asked the FAA to streamline the process for compliance. Pilots and instructors who wish to voice their opinion on the amendment should contact their senator. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/flight-instruction-faa/ Man who punched Hawaiian airlines flight attendant appears in court HONOLULU (KHON2) — Steven Sloan Jr. appeared in court on Monday, Sept 27 for allegedly punching a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant in the head and chest. Flight HA 152 left Honolulu around 7:30 a.m. on its way to Hilo on Thursday, Sept. 23. Get Hawaii’s latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The flight had to back track to Honolulu about 15 minutes into the flight after the incident. After attacking HA flight attendant, accused man sat back down as if nothing had happened Sloan was arrested that day. A federal judge has scheduled a detention hearing for Sloan on Thursday, Sept. 30. What’s going on around the globe. Find out in International News He will remain in custody at the federal detention center until then. https://www.khon2.com/local-news/man-who-punched-hawaiian-airlines-flight-attendant-appears-in-court/ AUSSIE CATHAY PILOTS FACE AXE AS HONG KONG REJECTS THEIR VISAS Australia-based pilots working for Cathay Pacific whose roles were marked for redundancy unless they relocated to Hong Kong have been seeing their immigration applications rejected. It comes only months after the carrier closed its pilot base in Australia, leading to 120 roles being under threat unless employees made the move. “We have been informed by the Immigration Department that the work permit applications from overseas-based pilots who have applied to relocate to Hong Kong have been rejected,” the airline told the South China Morning Post. “We are reaching out to support these officers, many of whom will have the opportunity to elect an enhanced termination benefit.” The announcement came only months after the company also shut its Canadian pilot base, which followed the closing of its regional offshoot Cathay Dragon and overseas cabin crew bases, cutting 5,900 jobs since the start of the pandemic. Immigration data noted for the first eight months of the year, there were almost 500 visa applications recorded from non-local pilots, and 73 were seeking a first-time work permit. However, all 500 applications were ultimately rejected. It is not clear how many pilots attempted to relocate from Australia, but the SCMP said these figures also included workers from Canada, Germany and New Zealand. “Sadly, this represents yet another blow to those who have staked their career on Cathay Pacific Airways,” said Alex Jackson, chairman of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association. “This decision was one made by the Hong Kong government, the options for a better resolution were limited and outside our control, especially in the current climate.” Cathay Pacific has now axed numerous pilot bases across the globe in a bid to curb costs during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery. Adding to the slew of shuttered pilot bases, earlier this month the airline confirmed its London hub would close after the majority of pilots have had no flying duties since April 2020. Cathay is also considering closing down its bases in the US, but will review the decision later this year. Despite major concerns over rejected visas, the SCMP quoted an unnamed spokesperson who claimed local pilots have been jobless for months after being promised employment. “It is good to see that immigration is recognising this, and denying new work visas as per their own policy, and we still hope that they extend this to visa renewals to expedite the re-employment of local pilots,” they said. Australian Aviation has contacted Cathay Pacific for comment but the airline is yet to respond. https://australianaviation.com.au/2021/09/aussie-cathay-pilots-face-axe-as-hong-kong-rejects-their-visas/ British Airways 777 Pilots May Be Headed To Qatar Airways This Winter There’s a unique opportunity for British Airways pilots this winter… British Airways 777 pilots wanted in Doha What exactly is going on here? Bottom line British Airways 777 pilots wanted in Doha A memo has gone out to British Airways pilots, asking if there would be interest in a secondment opportunity this winter: • Qatar Airways is looking for British Airways Boeing 777 pilots to work for the Doha-based airline for the winter 2021/2022 season • Up to 40 pilots are wanted for this opportunity, split evenly between captains and first officers • This opportunity is limited to six months, and an extension beyond that would be based on the mutual agreement of all parties • Training would commence in October and November, and pilots would start flying with Qatar Airways shortly after that Pilots who take advantage of this would be based in Doha for the duration of the agreement, and would remain employed and paid by British Airways, though they’d be paid based on the amount of flying they do (which would presumably be more at Qatar Airways than British Airways) The memo acknowledges that “there are significant complexities that would surround any opportunities” For context, keep in mind that Qatar Airways owns a 25% stake in IAG, which is the parent company of British Airways, so the airlines have a connection. This wouldn’t be the first time the two airlines have worked together in this way — back in 2017 when British Airways was having labor issues, Qatar Airways based eight Airbus A320s in London, so that they could be wet leased to British Airways. Clearly the desire for this latest agreement reflects that: • Qatar Airways needs more pilots, which makes sense when you consider how much the carrier’s network has grown during the pandemic, and also that the company’s workforce has been cut back significantly • British Airways will have excess pilots this winter, so this is an opportunity to keep pilots flying • Historically British Airways’ biggest Boeing 777 market has been across the Atlantic. Demand for that is generally quite a bit weaker in winter, but then again, the United States will finally be lifting travel restrictions against vaccinated travelers as of November, so that should lead to some additional demand. You don’t see opportunities like this all that often: • Something like this would only work for airlines that trust one another and have aligned interests (in this case Qatar Airways’ ownership stake in British Airways covers that) • Often demand patterns for pilots around the world are similar, so one airline doesn’t typically have excess pilots, while another doesn’t have enough • Even if a pilot is rated on a particular plane, there’s still significant training involved, and that can be costly and time consuming • That being said, it seems like this is kind of a sweet spot situation for both airlines. I’ll be curious to see if a sufficient number of British Airways pilots express interest in this. I suspect this will amount to a pay increase for the pilots who choose this opportunity. But still, packing up your life and moving thousands of miles away is no small commitment. I imagine anyone who takes advantage of this will be someone who appreciates an adventure, and someone who likes warm weather, since Doha does have better weather in winter than London (at least if you ask me). 😉 If you fly a Qatar Airways Boeing 777 this winter and you hear the captain announce “welcome about Brit… I mean, Qatar Airways,” now you know why. British Airways and Qatar Airways are working together on a unique opportunity for pilots this winter. Up to 40 British Airways Boeing 777 pilots could be headed to Doha to fly Qatar Airways Boeing 777s. This reflects that British Airways has excess pilots, while Qatar Airways clearly doesn’t have enough. It’ll be interesting to see if enough pilots express interest in this for it to make sense. https://onemileatatime.com/news/british-airways-pilots-qatar-airways/ U.S. export tightening slows advance of Chinese C919 jet -sources ZHUHAI, China, Sept 27 (Reuters) - China's C919 jetliner - a no-show at the country's biggest air show this week – has found it harder to meet certification and production targets amid tough U.S. export rules, according to three people with knowledge of the programme. The state-owned manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), has been unable to get timely help from suppliers and has run out of some spare parts, those people said. As of December 2020, the U.S. has required special licenses to export parts and technology assistance to any company with ties to the Chinese military. That has thrown a monkey wrench into the C919 programme, which has been in development for 13 years - one of the longest such periods in aviation. U.S.-linked suppliers are gradually receiving the licences, but the hiccup has slowed down Chinese certification, and months-long delays threaten to affect early production, said the people, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. COMAC has 815 provisional orders, but only China Eastern Airlines (600115.SS) placed a firm order for five jets. The state-backed airline said in August it expects to receive its first C919 by the end of the year, two in 2022 and two more in 2023. A slow production rampup would mean the C919 will not pose a near-term threat to Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N), which produce dozens of narrowbodies a month. "One of the biggest hurdles is going to be the supply chain, especially now with inflation, material availability and supplier changes," said aerospace supply chain expert Alex Krutz at U.S-based aerospace consultancy Patriot Industrial Partners. "The suppliers may not have the liquidity to make the post-certification changes or be willing as they were a few years ago to continue supporting an initial lower-rate production programme like COMAC," he added. COMAC is years behind its initial certification schedule - one reason it did not take the C919 to the China Airshow. read more "COMAC are very preoccupied with test flights. They're behind schedule and are flying as much as they can to reach the minimum hours needed for Chinese certification," an industry source told Reuters. "Despite all the issues, COMAC is very determined to get certified, as this is a paramount political task." Sources say that the C919 is likely to receive its type certificate from China's aviation regulator by the end of this year, but that there will be a long list of limits on flight operations. Even after the certification, COMAC must make upgrades, the sources said. COMAC and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) did not respond to requests to comment. CAUTIOUS REGULATOR The sources with knowledge of the C919 programme said the jet's progress seemed to mirror the certification pattern and slow production of its predecessor, the ARJ21 regional jet. The ARJ21 faced a 2.5-year gap between obtaining a "type certificate", which declares the design safe, and a "production certificate" allowing it to enter mass production. That contrasts with the West, where those certificates are typically granted around the same time. About 60 ARJ21 aircraft have been delivered to date, but the production ramp-up was also slow, rising from two planes a year in 2017 to 24 in 2020, according to COMAC data. The C919 is in a phase called "batch production", where each plane requires a sign-off by the regulator. FOREIGN PARTS The C919 is assembled in China but relies heavily on Western components, including engines and avionics. That has made it vulnerable to crackdowns on key technology transfers. The addition of two key COMAC subsidiaries to a list of companies with military ties in December 2020 created bureaucratic licensing requirements. China has been doubling down on developing its own engine for the C919; state engine maker Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) will display a model of the CJ-1000 engine at the air show, but the domestic solution for the airliner is years away. AECC is spending 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) to build an industrial complex in the southwestern city of Chengdu to manufacture engine nacelles and thrust reversers, local media reported last month. A source with knowledge of the matter said the complex related to CJ-1000 production. The nacelle capacity is expected to reach 100 per year, enough for 50 planes, the reports said, though no target date was stated. AECC did not respond immediately to a request for comment. ($1 = 6.4589 Chinese yuan renminbi) https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-export-tightening-slows-advance-chinese-c919-jet-sources-2021-09-27/ Qatar Airways says losses reach $4.1 billion amid pandemic DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar Airways announced on Monday that it suffered a more than $4 billion loss in revenues over the last fiscal year, as lockdowns triggered by the coronavirus pandemic slashed demand for long-haul travel. The major loss, which the state-owned airline largely attributed to the grounding of its Airbus A380 and A330 wide-body jets, highlights the dramatic toll of the pandemic on the industry. Even so, the Doha-based airline reported an increase in earnings to $1.6 billion before taxes and other costs compared to the previous year — costs that dropped significantly as the airline saved on jet fuel, reduced salaries by 15% and cut some 13,400 employees from its workforce. The pandemic has hit international routes the hardest, dealing a heavy blow to super-connectors in the Persian Gulf that essentially lack domestic markets. In the last several months, the flagship carrier has received a boost from an end to a yearslong boycott that locked Qatar Airways out of the airspace of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The embargo had forced the airline to take longer routes and consume more jet fuel, raising expenses. For the first time since 2017, the energy-rich state's airline reopened key routes to hubs like Dubai, Cairo and Riyadh as the political dispute eased in January. The long-haul carrier praised its resilience in the face of the fast-spreading virus variants still racing around the globe, noting that its operational loss of $288 million stood at 7% less than the year before. “Whilst our competitors grounded their aircraft and closed their routes, we adapted our entire commercial operation to respond to ever-evolving travel restrictions and never stopped flying,” Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said in a statement. The airline acknowledged receiving a $3 billion lifeline from the Qatari government to keep operating as it struggled with virus restrictions. Revenue for the airline fell to over $8 billion from $14 billion the year before. The airline incurred charges that ran to $2.3 billion over the grounding of its wide-body fleet. The carrier took just 5.8 million passengers to the skies in the last fiscal year, compared to 32.3 million the year before — a staggering 82% drop. Qatar Airways, which operates some 250 aircraft out of Doha’s recently built Hamad International Airport, follows the model of other Gulf carriers by providing a link between East and West from its location on the Arabian Peninsula. The other two biggest carriers in the region that depend on lucrative long-haul routes, Dubai-based Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, also hit turbulence because of the pandemic, posting significant losses in the billions of dollars over the past year. Emirates, for instance, reported a $5.5 billion loss over the last year and received a $3.1 billion cash infusion from the Dubai government. Qatar Airways mentioned some scant signs of recovery, as vaccinations against the coronavirus accelerate across the world. From a low of 33 destinations in the peak of the pandemic, the airline now flies to over 140 and has expanded to new markets from Seattle, Washington to Brisbane, Australia. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/qatar-airways-says-losses-reach-150045242.html Demand for Lufthansa flights to U.S. soars on re-opening BERLIN (Reuters) - Demand for transatlantic flights has jumped since the United States announced plans last week to reopen to fully vaccinated travellers from countries including most of Europe, German airline Lufthansa said on Tuesday. On some days last week, bookings for transatlantic flights were up threefold from the week before, with demand on some routes nearing pre-crisis levels, it said in a statement. The United States said last week https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/us-relax-travel-restrictions-passengers-uk-eu-november-source-2021-09-20 it would reopen in November to air travellers from 33 countries including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. For the large traditional European airline players, such as British Airways-owner IAG, Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, the decision represents a chance https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/easing-restrictions-will-boost-us-airlines-business-travel-still-unclear-2021-09-20 to recover the transatlantic routes that are key to their profits. Lufthansa said bookings for December flights to the United States reached pre-crisis levels last week. Both leisure and business travellers snapped up tickets for flights from Zurich and Frankfurt to New York and to Miami. Bookings last week for Premium Economy, Business and First Class flights to the United States was up compared with the same period in 2019. Lufthansa said it was launching additional flights to the United States to meet the jump in demand, offering three flights daily to Miami from November on carriers Lufthansa and SWISS. It is also considering adding more connections to New York, in addition to up to 55 weekly connections from its European hubs that it already has scheduled, to meet demand for pre-Christmas travel. As demand for flights to the United States soars, Lufthansa is also adding more feeder flights within Germany and to its European hubs in Austria, Belgium and Switzerland. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/demand-lufthansa-flights-u-soars-092530269.html Do space tourists really understand the risk they're taking? Who makes sure space tourists get back safe? Space tourism industry representatives argue that stringent safety oversight would hamper the companies' ability to innovate. Space tourism vehicles just might be the only transportation technology out there with the potential to kill humans that doesn't need to undergo independent safety certification. For now, aspiring space travelers seem okay with that, but is the fledgling industry playing a dangerous game? The four private astronauts of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission — the first-ever all-civilian flight to orbit — seemed relaxed a day before their Sept. 15 launch as they pondered the prospect of blasting off into nothingness sealed inside a space capsule, atop a rocket filled with explosive fuel. Jared Isaacman, the tech entrepreneur who funded the mission and also served as its commander, claimed the crew was probably at a higher risk of an accident during the fighter jet flights they had taken during their training. "Over the past couple of days, we've been tearing up the sky in fighter jets, which I put at a relatively higher risk than this mission," Isaacman said. "So we are nice and comfortable as we get strapped into [the Dragon Crew capsule]." How dangerous are rocket flights? But how high exactly is the risk of dying during a space mission? Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight for NASA, told the NBC's Today show on Sept. 15 that a ride on SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule is about three times safer than a ride on NASA's space shuttle was in the final years of its operation, a time when shuttle flights were at their safest due to increases in inspections and awareness. "We were able to incorporate some additional technologies. The Dragon system has an abort capability that we didn't have," McAlister told the Today show. "That has all increased the likelihood that you will have a successful mission." But what exactly does that mean? Teri Hamlin, the technical lead of space shuttle probabilistic risk assessment at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, told National Public Radio in 2011 that, in the early days, the risk of a space shuttle flight ending in a disaster was a scary 1-in-9 flights. By the time the shuttle retired in 2011, the fleet having lost two of its vehicles in catastrophic accidents, the risk had dropped tenfold, to about 1in 90. If that number and McAlister's extrapolation are correct, the probability of a catastrophic failure on Inspiration4 were about 1-in-300. (In practice, NASA suffered two fatal accidents in 135 shuttle flights, with the 1986 Challenger accident and 2003 Columbia tragedy killing seven astronauts each.) Compare that with the 1-in-205,552 lifetime risk of an average American dying in an aircraft accident, according to data from the National Safety Council. On the other hand, the lifetime risk of dying in a car accident in the U.S. is 1 in 107, according to the same source. Yet many experts warn that something unprecedented is going on in the space tourism industry that might increase the odds of aspiring space tourists dying in a crash. Accountable to no one "The problem is that the current space tourism industry neither has government [safety] regulation nor their own regulation," Tommaso Sgobba, executive director at the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety (IAASS) and former head of flight safety at the European Space Agency (ESA), told Space.com. "Neither do they have any historical record to prove that their technology is safe." No modern appliance or device — from hair dryers and microwaves to cars, aircraft and rollercoasters — can enter the market without first receiving a certification from an independent body that its design meets independently set safety standards. These certifications are there to ensure that effort has been made to minimize the risk that these technologies will injure their users and that someone independent from the company thinks they are safe. But a U.S. Congress moratorium on safety regulations established in 2004 means that space tourism companies are less accountable than you might think. "The moratorium was put in place to let the industry learn and progress following some very successful lobbying from the industry," Josef Koller, systems director at the center for space policy and strategy at The Aerospace Corporation, told Space.com. "The law specifies that emphasis should be placed on developing best practices and voluntary standards that could eventually lead to the implementation of regulation. But so far there is not much to go around really." Currently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires commercial space companies to demonstrate that their operations present no risk to the public on the ground (or in the air space). The agency, however, has no oversight over the safety of the flight participants, nor does it certify the launch and entry vehicles as safe for humans, an FAA spokesperson told Space.com in an email. "Under federal law, the FAA’s commercial space transportation oversight responsibilities are designed to protect the safety of the public on the ground and other members of the public using the national airspace system — not the individuals in the space vehicle," Steve Kulm, FAA public affairs specialist, said in the email. "In fact, Congress has prohibited the FAA from regulating the safety of the crew or spaceflight participants. Further, Congress has not authorized the FAA to certify the launch or reentry vehicle as safe for carrying humans." Companies, however, have to prove that their technology worked safely during a test flight to gain FAA license approval to carry humans, Kulm added. Stifling innovation Karina Drees, the president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which represents space tourism companies, told Space.com that early regulation could stifle innovation in the fledgling sector and prevent the best technologies from being developed. "That's the concern I think a lot of folks have," she said. "If we see regulation a little too soon, then there's a real potential for the best technologies to not come forward. The vehicles that have been designed today are quite different from each other. And so if regulation had been written on any one style, then that would have really prevented some of these designs from coming to the market." Today's space tourists therefore sign informed consent in which they accept whatever might happen during the mission. "That's one of the things that makes this country [the U.S.] great: the ability to make your own choices," Drees said. "Americans can choose whether to go scuba diving, which isn't heavily regulated, they can choose to go skydiving, they can choose to have elective surgeries. All of these things are under the same type of informed-consent requirements." Early aviation's 'tombstone technology' Danielle Bernstein, principal director for federal programs at The Aerospace Corporation, told Space.com that the situation in the commercial human spaceflight sector is similar to that of the early decades of aviation. "When the Wright brothers finally figured out flying and into the 1910s and 1920s, we didn't have much commercial flight," Bernstein said. "It was more military and exploratory. But then you move later into the century and there was more of it. But still, there wasn't a lot of regulations. And so there were accidents." The approach taken by the early aviation pioneers is sometimes described as fly-fix-fly or, as Sgobba says, "tombstone technology." "They would build the machine, fly it, wait for an accident to happen, investigate it, and if they found a problem with the technology, they would learn from it and fix it," said Sgobba. He added that, unlike the early aviators, space tourism companies are not building a technology from scratch. Government-funded agencies such as NASA or Russia's space agency Roscosmos have accumulated decades of experience managing the risk associated with flying things (and people) to space. The questions "The approach that has been in place in the space industry for the last maybe 40 years is focused on performance requirements and fault tolerance," Sgobba said. "For example, your design should never allow a single human error to cause a disaster. But if you look at the 2014 Virgin Galactic crash, that's exactly what happened." On Oct. 31, 2014, Virgin Galactic suffered a fatal test flight crash when its first SpaceShipTwo vehicle, called Enterprise, broke apart during a rocket-powered test flight. One pilot was killed and another seriously injured. In a subsequent investigation, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found that the Virgin Galactic crash was caused by the early release of SpaceShipTwo's feathering tail, which is designed to slow down and stabilize the craft during its descent through Earth's atmosphere. During Virgin Galactic's triumphant first fully crewed spaceflight this past July, which carried billionaire owner Richard Branson on board, the company's VSS Unity space plane deviated from its approved trajectory into the surrounding air space, where it could potentially have jeopardized civilians flying on commercial aircraft. The incident led the FAA to essentially ground Virgin Galactic until an investigation is completed. The company therefore had to suspend its planned second fully crewed flight, which was supposed to take place in late September or early October. The company is now selling tickets for its flights to suborbital space for $450,000 per seat. Sgobba questions whether the excitement of a space trip would be enough for enthusiasts (and a lot of bored rich people) if some of these "ordinary citizens" were to perish during their adventure. "I think that once civilians start dying, the market for space tourism will evaporate," Sgobba said. "Just like it evaporated for Concorde. Concorde was a luxurious version for going from Paris to New York. But once it had an accident, people lost interest. The companies fixed the problem, but the interest was no longer there." Independent reviews Virgin Galactic's space plane is, according to Sgobba, inherently more dangerous than a capsule such as Blue Origin's New Shepard or SpaceX's Crew Dragon. The reliance on the human factor is higher, and it is impossible to perform tests without human pilots inside. "Virgin Galactic is more problematic, because there is always a problem when there are safety-critical mechanisms in place," Sgobba said. "It could be a helicopter or another aircraft concept; there is always a higher risk when there are large moving parts that you rely on to accomplish your mission to be safe. That doesn't mean that you cannot operate something like the Virgin Galactic feathering tail safely, but there definitely needs to be extra effort to make this safe." Blue Origin shares information about its approach to safety in a video on its website. The company stresses a multiply redundant approach that should ensure that no critical system can break down without a backup being available, Blue Origin representatives said. SpaceX benefited during the development of its crewed system from cooperation with NASA. The company has a contract to fly NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station, so it has to meet the space agency's rigorous safety standards. Still, Sgobba questions some of SpaceX's practices. "For the Inspiration4 mission, they replaced a docking port on the Dragon crew capsule with this beautiful cupola," Sgobba said. "But my question is, who, independent from the project, reviewed this change to make sure it's safe?" Before NASA, ESA or the other space agencies launch anything into space, they conduct flight readiness reviews, Sgobba explained. The independence of the panel conducting the review is a key requirement to making its findings valid. During such a review, every part is scrutinized to minimize the chance that problems will occur. "But who was in charge of reviewing the changes they made for the Inspiration4 mission?" said Sgobba. "Was it just Elon Musk giving his approval? That would be the first case in the history of technologically advanced industries when a single person, the owner, has the final word on an activity like this." Again, in the current regulatory environment, there is no one to ask questions about such procedures. The 2004 U.S. Congress moratorium on the safety regulation of space tourism is set to expire in 2023. But what exactly will happen next is still unclear. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation has been cooperating with standards organization ASTM International on guidelines and has already published recommendations on fault tolerance, data exchange to support the integration of space operations into air traffic management and classification of safety events, said Drees. When asked whether the industry would be ready for more stringent regulations after 2023, she said she doesn't think so. It's still the early days, and regulation would impede innovation, she said. For the foreseeable future, aspiring space tourists, or spaceflight participants, will have to trust the companies that they want to fly with. To help the customers make the decision whether to sign the informed consent waiver, the companies are obliged to disclose their safety record, and Drees believes everybody is ready to do so. "It's really in the company's best interest to make sure they're disclosing in pretty clear terms the track record of the vehicle, because they want their companies to be ongoing for years to come," Drees said. "There's really no incentive for the companies to not disclose any of that information. And there's no incentive for the companies to take shortcuts to not practice safely." Some might question how justified such trust in those companies really is. Bank of America, which covers Virgin Galactic's publicly traded stock, last week criticized the company's failure to disclose that VSS Unity veered off course during the July flight, the incident that led to the grounding by the FAA. Sgobba, in the meantime, calls for a more "mature" approach and, together with other industry veterans like Koller and Bernstein, proposes the creation of a new independent body overseeing the safety of commercial spaceflight operations, the Space Safety Institute. "The Space Safety Institute would serve as an independent reviewer," Sgobba said. "It would also focus on education and research in critical areas of space systems' safety." Koller added: "The Space Safety Institute would provide a platform where people and entities could come together and discuss ways of accomplishing their goals. If a company has a new idea, it's important to provide support and technical analysis on whether the system can actually achieve that goal and be safe." Drees said the commercial spaceflight industry might be supportive of such an idea, as long as it doesn't inhibit its ability to innovate. "That's going to be really critical to the future of the industry— that we don't write standards and regulations before we have that opportunity to innovate and design new vehicles," she said. "So, as long as we still have that opportunity to design and build and fly the vehicles without being subject to stringent regulations right from the start, then I think industry is generally supportive of that idea." https://www.space.com/space-tourism-risk-safety-regulations Director of Safety – Bloomington, MN Who Are We: Life Link III is a nationally recognized leader in air medical transport. Our top priority is to put cutting edge technology and education in the hands of our flight medical crew, pilots, mechanics, operational control specialists and communication specialists so we can provide uncompromising care to the communities we live and work in. We do this work while living out our core values of safety, customer focus, excellence, integrity, innovation, and collaboration. Position Summary: Life Link III’s Director of Safety emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and safety in their approach to realizing Life Link III’s mission and values. The Director of Safety reports to the Chief Executive Officer or designee. The primary focus of the Director of Safety is the prevention of harm to people, property, and the environment. The Director of Safety will be expected to lead in areas of Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion. To accomplish this, the Director of Safety will provide technical assistance in identifying, evaluating, and controlling hazards in a variety of contexts throughout the organization. The Director of Safety is responsible for the continuous development & implementation of the Life Link III Safety Management System (SMS) and administration of Life Link III Safety Management Programs (SMPs). A qualified candidate will embody the Mission and Values of Life Link III. Position Highlights: • Under the direction outlined by the SMS – assist in implementation, management, modification, and additions to SMP. • SMP implementation, oversight, management, and training, including day-to-day management of the following components: • Hazard Recognition - identify conditions or actions that may cause injury, illness, or property damage. • Inspections/Audits - assess safety and health risks associated with equipment, materials, processes, facilities, or abilities. • Fire Protection - reduce fire hazards by inspection, layout of facilities and processes, and design of fire detection and suppression systems. • Regulatory Compliance - ensure that mandatory safety and health standards are satisfied. • Maintain knowledge and awareness of all safety components of the FAA, OSHA (MN, WI, and Federal), EPA, airport authority, CAMTS, EMSRB, WI DHS, and others as applicable. • Serves as the safety liaison for regulatory and accreditation site surveys. • Health Hazard Control - control hazards such as noise, chemical exposures, radiation, or biological hazards that can create harm. • Ergonomics - improve the workplace based on an understanding of human physiological and psychological characteristics, abilities, and limitations. • Hazardous Materials Management - ensure that dangerous chemicals and other products are procured, stored, and disposed of in ways that prevent fires, exposure to or harm from these substances. • Environment - control hazards that can lead to undesirable releases of harmful materials into the air, water, or soil. • Accident and Incident Investigations - determine the facts related to an accident or incident based on witness interviews, site inspections and collection of other evidence. Record keeping - maintain safety and health information to meet government requirements, as well as to provide data for problem solving and decision making. • Review incident reports of a safety nature. • Track, trend, and analyze data to identify concerns. • Appropriately triage risk of concerns identified and proposes actionable plans for correction. • Assist in development and regularly review site emergency plans for all Life Link III locations, including, but not limited to hangars, crew quarters, administrative offices, supply rooms. • Emergency Response-Manage, administer, and facilitate the exercise of Life Link III’s Emergency Response plan. • Collaborates and engages across all departments and with external stakeholders for plan accuracy and plan updates. • Facilitates across departments for drill planning, drill execution, and evaluation. • Manage, administer, and provide training for the emergency notification software platform. • Security - identify and implement design features and procedures to protect facilities and businesses from threats that introduce hazards. • Identify opportunities, gap analysis, and facilitate cross departmental collaboration about SMP. • Training - provide employees and managers with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize hazards and perform their jobs safely and effectively. • Provide content for annual safety training for all Life Link III locations including, but not limited to, hangars, crew quarters, administrative offices, supply rooms. Document and provide senior leaders updates about annual training. • Attend new employee orientations and provide an overview and expectations of safety at Life Link III. • Participate in safety education to external stakeholders such as hospitals, law enforcement, and EMS agencies. • Collaborate with Marketing and Outreach to coordinate consistent messaging of a safety nature to external stakeholders. • Coordinate with Clinical Services, Operations, Human Resources, or others as needed to assure that action plans are carried out when appropriate. • Create, maintain, and updates policies as appropriate. • Outline and update procedures appropriately to reflect current practices. • Coordinate and lead safety sub-committee meetings. • Coordinate the enterprise safety meeting. • Ensure accountability and consistency of area and base representatives and/or designees. • Lead the selection of base safety representatives, provide work direction and feedback. • Maintain good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. • Provide safety related education and/or materials as requested or needed. • Promote a culture of safety through collaboration and partnerships that maximize the success of the program. • Serve as a liaison on a wide range of safety related issues, and partner with content experts to ensure quality in the guidance given. What We Are Looking For: • Bachelor's degree in safety, industrial engineering, quality or emergency management, aeronautics, registered nursing or similar. • 7+ years of experience in coordinating safety and loss prevention activities in a setting translatable to the services provided by Life Link III. • Professional or equivalent safety certification (i.e. ASP or CSP) • Proven success collaborating across an organization to implement change • Experience leading collaborative teams, committees, or other working groups with internal and external stakeholders. • 5+ years demonstrated leadership progression in enterprise-wide safety role(s) • Ability to adjust tasks quickly as circumstances dictate • Ability to communicate clearly and effectively • Ability to travel on short notice within the Life Link III system • Ability to respond to emergency events with limited notice Preferred Qualifications: • Master’s Degree preferred • Experience with rotor and/or fixed wing operations • Emergency Medical Services experience • Certification(s) in CPPS and ARM What We Offer: • We are committed to developing your talents through engaging work and access to an annual Professional Development Fund. • Opportunity to grow • Competitive salary • Competitive Health Benefits • Employer Matching HSA on qualified plans • Employer Matching Retirement Plan with no vesting schedule • Competitive Paid Time Off to foster a work/life balance To Apply Please Go to https://www.lifelinkiii.com/careers/job-openings/ Covid-19 Vaccination Requirements: To maintain the health and well-being of our fellow co-workers and the patients we serve; all Life Link III employees are required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 prior to their first day of employment. Compliance/HIPAA: Must perform work in the manner prescribed by documented work process in order to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations, accreditation standards and laws that apply. Tenure-Track Faculty Position with a focus on Unmanned Systems in the School of Graduate Studies, College of Aviation, Daytona Beach The School of Graduate Studies in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) invites applications for a nine-month tenure-track, open rank position, with strong preference in background and expertise in Unmanned Systems and related areas. The department offers a primarily online Ph.D. in Aviation with specializations in Aviation Safety, Aviation Human Factors, Aviation Operations, and Interdisciplinary. It also offers an MS in Aviation, MS in Occupational Safety Management, and MS in Unmanned Systems in a traditional on-campus format. The candidate will be expected to teach courses in the Ph.D. and/or master’s degree programs and act as the chair and/or member of Ph.D. dissertation or thesis committees. Typical teaching load is 3 courses per semester. In addition to teaching responsibilities, the candidate is required to meet continuing scholarly growth requirements that include publishing scholarly work, actively pursuing and obtaining externally funded research, and presenting work at professional conferences. The candidate will be expected to fulfill service responsibilities to the university and the profession. Faculty for this position will be located on the Daytona Beach campus. The candidate is required to provide instruction through traditional classroom format. Required Qualifications: The position requires a doctorate with relevant experience in aviation, safety, operations, or unmanned systems. Those candidates currently pursuing a doctorate may be considered. Preferred Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include a Ph.D. in a closely related field, FAA Part 107 certificate, FAA pilot certificates, FAA flight instructor certificates, industry safety experience, and/or industry unmanned systems experience. Candidate materials should be submitted online by applying at https://embryriddle.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External/job/Daytona-Beach-FL/Tenure-Track-Faculty-Position-of-School-of-Graduate-Studies--College-of- Aviation--Daytona-Beach-Campus-_R300653. Candidates must submit the following for consideration: · Current CV. · A letter of application, with emphasis on ability to teach courses on unmanned systems. · Copy of Ph.D. transcript. · Teaching philosophy (one page). · Research plan (one page), including research interests, strategies, and research plan. Consideration of applications will begin on September 15, 2021, and will continue until the position is filled. RTCA Webinar: Innovation and Airport Infrastructure Airports are increasingly reliant on technical and related innovations to meet the needs of the communities they serve and those of their airline and other commercial partners. Join RTCA and airport leaders for a discussion about embracing new technologies and utilizing them in concert with physical infrastructure to enhance customer experiences, enhance safety and security, and improve sustainability and operational efficiency. Panelists from major airports debate whether the vision for a more efficient, accessible and greener transportation ecosystem demands a different approach to planning and funding. The session, moderated by Carol Huegel of Gate 2 Gate Solutions is part 2 in a 2-part series and includes panelists from LAWA, MCI, Greater Toronto Airport Authority and others. REGISTER Curt Lewis