Flight Safety Information - September 29, 2021 No. 196 In This Issue : Incident: Libyan A332 at Tripoli on Sep 27th 2021, tyre problem on departure : Incident: Southwest B737 at Phoenix on Sep 27th 2021, flight control malfunction : Incident: Lufthansa A319 at Munich on Sep 28th 2021, landing gear problem : IAI 1124A Westwind II - Runway Excursion (Brazil) : Person smoking inside bathroom forces American Airlines flight to divert to Norfolk : United Airlines flight circles offshore Oahu due to mechanical issue : United Airlines ready to fire workers for defying vaccine mandate : Nearly 600 United Airlines employees losing their jobs after refusing to get vaccinated : Parking brake found in ‘set’ position in Farmington plane crash that killed Boston couple, two local pilots, NTSB report says : Australian Initiative Sees Global Reduction in Aircraft Accidents : Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Moves Toward Certification on an Autonomous Flight System : Airbus Says Single Pilot Flight Crews Are The Long Term Future : Gulfstream Hands Over 50th Large-cabin G600 Jet : With new software, the FAA moves to end long lines of aircraft waiting to take off : U.S. says Chinese government blocking Boeing airplane purchases : Air France-KLM sees decision soon on major jet order : 3 astronauts move Soyuz to new space station dock ahead of film crew arrival : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST : Aviation Safety Community : Position Available - Director of Safety : Position Available - Tenure-Track Faculty Position with a focus on Unmanned Systems Incident: Libyan A332 at Tripoli on Sep 27th 2021, tyre problem on departure A Libyan Arab Airways Airbus A330-200, registration 5A-LAR performing flight LN-192 from Tripoli (Libya) to Istanbul (Turkey), was climbing out of Tripoli's runway 28 when the crew stopped the climb at FL140 due to information one of their tyres had failed. The aircraft entered a hold at FL100 to burn off fuel and returned to Tripoli for a safe landing about 65 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 5.5 hours, then departed again and reached Istanbul with a delay of 7 hours. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Tripoli due to a sudden malfunction of one of the tyres. http://avherald.com/h?article=4edef929&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B737 at Phoenix on Sep 27th 2021, flight control malfunction A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N254WN performing flight WN-2830 from Santa Ana,CA to Phoenix,AZ (USA) with 144 people on board, was descending towards Phoenix at that time maintaining 6000 feet, when the crew declared emergency reporting a flight control malfunction. The crew advised they needed to burn off some fuel and were sent into a hold. The aircraft landed safely on Phoenix's runway 26 about 35 minutes after declaring emergency. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N8649A performed the next sector and reached Nashville,TN (USA) with a delay of about 2:15 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4edeb433&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa A319 at Munich on Sep 28th 2021, landing gear problem A Lufthansa Airbus A319-100, registration D-AILP performing flight LH-1972 from Munich to Cologne (Germany), was climbing out of Munich's runway 26L when the crew stopped the climb at FL070 reporting they had a technical problem with the landing gear and needed to return to Munich. The aircraft landed safely on runway 26L about 15 minutes after departure. A replacement A319-100 registration D-AILB reached Cologne with a delay of 2 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4edeaabf&opt=0 IAI 1124A Westwind II - Runway Excursion (Brazil) Status: Preliminary Date: Tuesday 28 September 2021 Time: ca. 12:05 Type: IAI 1124A Westwind II Operator: Brasil Vida Táxi Aéreo Registration: PR-BVB MSN: 390 First flight: 1983 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Goiânia-Santa Genoveva Airport, GO (GYN) ( Brazil) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Goiânia-Santa Genoveva Airport, GO (GYN/SBGO), Brazil Destination airport: Miami (unknown airport), FL, United States of America Narrative: The IAI 1124A Westwind II, operating on an ambulance flight to Miami, Florida, suffered a runway excursion after a failed takeoff from runway 14 at Goiânia-Santa Genoveva Airport, Brazil. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20210928-0 Person smoking inside bathroom forces American Airlines flight to divert to Norfolk NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A person smoking inside an airplane bathroom forced an American Airlines flight to divert to Norfolk. According to the Norfolk International Airport scanner Tuesday afternoon, officials relayed a message regarding a plane having smoke in the cockpit area of a plane. The ORF Deputy Executive Director later confirmed to 10 On Your Side that the plane was diverted to Norfolk. Officials say the American Airlines flight was on its way from Miami to Boston when smoke and the smell of burning paper was detected in the cockpit. The plane was able to land safely and everyone on board was confirmed safe. Preliminary investigations revealed that a person had been smoking inside the airplane bathroom before it was diverted. Authorities are currently investigating the incident. No further information has been released. https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/person-smoking-inside-bathroom-forces-american-airlines-flight-to-divert-to-norfolk/ United Airlines flight circles offshore Oahu due to mechanical issue HONOLULU (KHON2) — A United Airlines flight headed to Newark circled offshore Oahu for a couple of hours due to a mechanical issue. A Hawaii Department of Transportation spokesperson confirmed that the Boeing 767 aircraft was burning off fuel in order to get to a certain weight so that it was safe for the plane to land. It was not an emergency situation, he emphasized. Flight 362 took off at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. According to FlightAware, the plane landed in Honolulu at around 6:30pm. https://www.khon2.com/local-news/united-airlines-flight-circling-offshore-oahu-due-to-mechanical-issue/ United Airlines ready to fire workers for defying vaccine mandate CHICAGO (Reuters) -United Airlines said on Tuesday nearly 600 U.S.-based employees faced termination after failing to comply with the carrier's vaccination policy. In early August, the company became the first U.S. carrier to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all domestic employees, requiring proof of vaccination by Monday. The carrier said it would start on Tuesday the process of firing 593 employees who decided not to get vaccinated. "This was an incredibly difficult decision but keeping our team safe has always been our first priority," Chief Executive Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart told employees in a memo. The workers can save their jobs if they get vaccinated before their formal termination meetings, the company officials said. United has received requests for vaccine exemptions from employees for religious and medical reasons. Those employees account for less than 3% of the airline's 67,000 U.S. workforce, United officials said. The company had plans to put employees who received religious exemptions on temporary, unpaid personal leave from Oct. 2. Those plans, however, have been put on hold until Oct. 15 because of a lawsuit challenging the policy. Excluding those who have sought an exemption, United said more than 99% of U.S.-based employees have been vaccinated against COVID-19. A company spokesperson said the airline plans to hire about 25,000 people over the next few years, and vaccination will be a condition of employment for all new hires. United will also require students at its pilot training school to get vaccinated, the spokesperson said. The company dismissed the notion that the vaccine requirement was deterring applicants for jobs at the air carrier. United received 700 applications for about 400 job postings last month at a Denver career fair. Similarly, it has received more than 20,000 applications for about 2,000 open positions for flight attendants, the spokesperson said. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/united-airlines-says-more-99-220455754.html Nearly 600 United Airlines employees losing their jobs after refusing to get vaccinated Company says vaccination rate at 99% More than 99% of United Airlines’ U.S.-based employees who did not seek a religious or medical exemption from the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate got the shots, while 593 who refused to comply will lose their jobs. Chicago-based United shared the results of compliance with its vaccine requirement Tuesday, its deadline to provide proof of vaccination. “This is a historic achievement for our airline and our employees as well as for the customers and communities we serve,” United CEO Scott Kirby and president Brett Hart said in a memo to employees. “Our rationale for requiring the vaccine for all United’s U.S.-based employees was simple — to keep our people safe — and the truth is this: Everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated, and vaccine requirements work.” Less than 3% of the company’s 67,000 U.S. employees requested religious or medical exemptions. Earlier this month, United said employees granted exemptions would be placed on temporary leave Oct. 2, while those whose requests were denied would have five weeks to get the shots or face termination. That deadline was pushed back after six employees filed a lawsuit against the airline alleging it failed to provide reasonable accommodations for employees seeking religious and medical exemptions. Five of the employees said the company granted their request but only offered unpaid leave, while a sixth said his request was “administratively denied,” according to the lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status and was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas last week. United said it would aim to resolve requests for accommodations by Oct. 15. The airline previously said employees in customer-facing roles who sought exemptions would be placed on leave until the pandemic “meaningfully recedes,” while those in jobs requiring fewer interactions could return once United developed testing and safety protocols. People granted religious exemptions were told they would be on unpaid leave, while those granted medical exemptions would be on medical leave, which can include some form of compensation. United is moving ahead with terminating the 593 employees who did not get vaccinated or request an accommodation, though that number could shrink if they change their minds about the vaccine, United said. Company officials said they did not expect their departures to affect operations. While some employees are leaving United because of the vaccine requirement, some people applying for jobs at the airline “volunteered that they were especially interested in career opportunities at United because of the vaccine requirement,” a spokesperson said. While United is the only major U.S. carrier to require the COVID-19 vaccine, Delta Air Lines plans to begin charging unvaccinated employees on the company’s health plan a $200 surcharge each month, starting Nov. 1. Atlanta-based Delta said 82% of its employees were vaccinated as of last week, up from 75% when the fee was announced last month. Earlier this month, Delta also began requiring unvaccinated employees get weekly COVID-19 tests “while community case rates are high.” American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have not provided updates on the share of their workforce that has been vaccinated. Both carriers have encouraged vaccines but stopped short of mandates or fees. All four carriers would be required to force employees to get vaccinated or get tested for the virus regularly under a mandate President Joe Biden issued earlier this month. Mr. Biden’s order directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop a rule requiring companies with at least 100 employees to adopt vaccination mandates or weekly testing programs, with penalties of up to $14,000 per violation. In a letter to employees earlier this month, executives at American said they were waiting for more details on the order but expected it would affect the airline. “While we will review the details of the plan and determine the path forward for American, what we know is that the president’s actions underscore the importance of team members getting vaccinated against COVID-19 — and sooner rather than later,” executives said. https://www.post-gazette.com/business/career-workplace/2021/09/28/united-airlines-employees-covid-vaccine-mandate-593-workers-refused-vaccinated/stories/202109280167 Parking brake found in ‘set’ position in Farmington plane crash that killed Boston couple, two local pilots, NTSB report says A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board on a plane crash in Farmington that killed four people found the private jet’s parking brake was still in the “set” position — and that witnesses reported the plane was struggling to get off the ground and “going slower” than usual during takeoff. Information from the flight data recorder aboard the twin-engine Cessna 560XL found that the plane’s acceleration was slower than it was for two previous takeoffs, according to the NTSB report. Investigators also found skid marks on the airport runway. The Sept. 2 crash killed two veteran pilots from Connecticut and a couple who left a 1-year-old son behind. After hitting the ground and skidding, the plane slammed into the side of the Trumpf plant, seriously injuring one person on the ground. The couple, Courtney Haviland, 33, and her husband, William Shrauner, 31, were both doctors from Boston. Haviland was a Farmington native who graduated in 2006 from Farmington High School. In addition to leaving a 1-year-old son, Haviland was pregnant with a girl at the time of the crash, according to family friends. William O’Leary, 55, from Bristol, and Mark Morrow, 57, from Danbury, were the two pilots killed in the crash. Federal investigators found nothing wrong with the navigational parts of the plane, but noted that “the parking brake handle in the cockpit, and the respective valve that it controlled, were both found in the brake set position,” the report says. The plane did not sound an alarm to alert the pilots that the parking brake was on, the report says. The report, posted on the NTSB website, noted that it is preliminary, “subject to change, may contain errors” and that additional information is still being gathered as the board assembles its final report. A board spokesman offered no additional comment. Witnesses told investigators that the plane was “going slower” during takeoff than usual, and “a puff of blue-colored smoke” came from the back of the plane when it was about two-thirds down the runway at Robertson Airport in Plainville. Another witness said the nose’s landing gear was still on the ground as the plane approached the midpoint of the runway, and “he said to a friend with him that something was wrong.” A third witness noticed that the plane was level when it left the runway. “After clearing the runway, the airplane’s nose pitched up, but the airplane was not climbing,” the report says. The plane then struck a utility pole, which caused “a small explosion near the right engine followed by a shower of softball-size sparks,” it says. The engine’s noise then went from “normal sounding to a much more grinding, metallic sound.” The plane began to move back and forth before the witness lost sight of it behind some trees. The plane hit the ground outside Trumpf Inc., at 111 Hyde Road, skidded and slammed into a corner of the building and burst into flames about 9:50 a.m., the report says. One person on the ground was seriously injured, and two had minor injuries. Trumpf reported the day of the crash that two of its workers were injured; it wasn’t clear if some victims were outside the building at the time. The twin-engine, Cessna Citation 560XL was headed to the Dare County Regional Airport on the Outer Banks of North Carolina when it crashed. Morrow was a longtime pilot who graduated in the 1980s from the Florida Institute of Technology, which has advanced aviation and aeronautics programs, before spending two years working for Lufthansa Airlines in Hamburg, Germany, according to his LinkedIn resume. He was an active airline transport pilot, flight instructor and held mechanic certifications with the FAA, federal records show. O’Leary was the son of William O’Leary Sr., who operated Interstate Aviation at Robertson Airport in Plainville for about 40 years, according to Town Manager Robert Lee. He “was a fixture there for many years. He learned to fly jets for Interstate and was one of the primary people they used to do that,” Lee said. “By all accounts, he was dependable, reliable and a very good pilot.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/plane-parking-brake-set-time-174100166.html Australian Initiative Sees Global Reduction in Aircraft Accidents • BARS Program Director David Anderson says the downward trend demonstrates the impact of organizations implementing a consistent global standard. The onshore resource sector is trending towards its first fatality-free year, continuing a steady reduction in fatal aircraft incidents since the inception of Flight Safety Foundation’s Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program. Since 2012, BARS has been collecting accident data from its member organizations (BMOs) to identify safety risks (non-conformities) and develop solutions to advance the safety of the industry. The dataset includes all known accidents associated with the mining sector and covers all aviation activities, including passenger operations, aerial mustering, helicopter sling loads, powerline construction and cargo. BARS Program Director David Anderson said the downward trend demonstrates the impact of organizations implementing a consistent global standard. “Implementing a single standard reduces the audit burden on the operator, provides consistency and standardization, and saves both the mining sector and the aviation suppliers a significant amount of money and time,” Anderson said. "A key element of the BARS Program’s design was gathering and analyzing the number of non-conformities and their respective close-out rates (CoR). “We know that 99.8 percent of findings raised are addressed within the nominated time frame, which is a huge increase from the 60 percent CoR when we first started,” he said. The data indicates 82 fatal accidents for a total of 263 deaths for 2010 to 2020. A single fatality event was recorded in 2020, despite an increase in contracted aviation operations as a result of reduced commercial services, the lowest event count since record keeping commenced. Newcrest Mining Senior Aviation Coordinator Mark Wheatley said BARS provides a holistic approach to mitigating risk. “Implementing the BAR Standard into our organization has created a better understanding about the principles of aviation risk management and the benefits of doing the process properly amongst our personnel,” Wheatley said. “BARS also provides training programs that support the delivery of the audit program and provides personnel with greater safety assurance.” Anderson said he looked forward to the downward trend being replicated across other industry sectors. “The Flight Safety Foundation, through the BARS Program, is proud to be a part of this ongoing investment in improving aviation safety within the mining industry and the aircraft operators supporting this sector,” he said. “The BARS Program has proven to be adaptive, resilient, results driven and now key to maintaining the downward trend in contract aviation accidents.” https://www.aviationpros.com/education-training/trade-associations-events/press-release/21240145/flight-safety-foundation-australian-initiative-sees-global-reduction-in-aircraft-accidents Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Moves Toward Certification on an Autonomous Flight System • Merlin Labs received a certification basis for its autonomous flight system. The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand has awarded its first certification basis for an autonomous flight system to Merlin Labs marking a key step on the road to certifying autonomous systems, the company announced on Sept. 16. Merlin Labs has developed a “takeoff to touchdown” autonomy system for aircraft that will perform all the duties of a human pilot. The system uses a “sense, think, act” control loop to complete these tasks, Matthew George, Founder and CEO of Merlin Labs, told Aviation Today. The avionics system uses GPS/INS, air data, and attitude and heading reference system (ADHRS) to update the system with a three-dimensional position of the aircraft and its attitude at all times. VIDEO The system uses a flight computer to do the thinking part of the autonomy which can be adjusted for a specific aircraft type. “The thinking is done by our flight Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) computer which has knowledge of the desired flight path and information about airport approach and departure routes,” George said. “The flight plan has to be executed while taking into account regulatory flight rules, as well as aircraft performance limits. In fact, a significant part of our development process is focused on tuning our control system to the detailed flight dynamics of the specific aircraft type to be able to plan and fly trajectories like a pilot would.” The system then performs actions using actuators connected to the aircraft which are directed by the flight computer. “The flight computer commands a number of actuators that are mechanically connected to the aircraft,” George said. “Thus, the system can 'act,' by causing the physical surfaces of the aircraft to move, just as a pilot would do with the yoke, pedals or throttle levers. In this way, the flight computer can direct the aircraft through its entire flight path. The unique thing about our system is that our computer is sophisticated enough and our actuators are strong enough to fly an aircraft not just up and away (like typical autopilots), but also through all phases of takeoff and landing, stop to stop.” Merlin Labs has completed 380 flight tests of its autonomous system. (Merlin Labs) The system is still flying with an onboard safety pilot to function as the legal pilot in command. Merlin Labs has been testing its system for the last two years achieving 53,000 km of autonomous flight. “The Merlin system has flown on four experimental test aircraft for a total of 380 sorties over the last two years, with over 53,000 km of autonomous flying,” George said. “This testing includes up and away patterns, waypoints, loiters as well as autonomous takeoff and landing on the 10 different runways in our FAA-designated test area.” The certification project is a joint project with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to be able to gain certification for the system in New Zealand and the U.S. concurrently, George said. “Now that we have an issued certification basis, we’ll continue to work with the regulator to validate our approach, culminating in entrance to commercial service,” George said. “There are various engagement points along the way that are agreed to in our certification plan and we will be following those. In parallel, we are continuing our work to advance the next steps toward full autonomy.” https://www.aviationtoday.com/2021/09/16/civil-aviation-authority-new-zealand-moves-toward-certification-autonomous-flight-system/ Airbus Says Single Pilot Flight Crews Are The Long Term Future Despite last week’s Airbus Summit in Toulouse primarily covering sustainability goals, the aviation powerhouse also touched on other significant potential changes to its industry. Airbus has high hopes for single-pilot cockpits on long-haul routes. Plans in the works This summer, it was revealed that Airbus has been collaborating with Cathay Pacific to bring smaller crews on long-haul flights. This move would place only one pilot in the cockpit for most of the time. Altogether, rather than having the capacity for three to four pilots on long distances, Project Connect would leave two pilots on board and have them rotate the flight deck so that each one can get some rest. Savings to be had Overall, the benefits of a reduced crew revolve around costs. Around 25% of aircraft expenses are related to the cost of personnel, with crew accounting for around 13%. Therefore, airlines are keen to utilize technology to help smaller-sized crews handle long trips. Every penny counts when it comes to flight operations, so any sort of saving could go a long way. “We need to mature technology to enable any further cockpit member reduction in crews. So, we have a set of technology readiness level reviews, which at some point in time, can restart. It has an economic impact. Then from the technology standpoint, we could automate a little bit of it for a cockpit that will be more modern. So, this is in the technology space,” Airbus’ leadership shared in Toulouse last week. “At some point in time, whenever we are ready for sure, this is the kind of discussion that would require some wider discussion with the airlines, with the unions, and with the public.” Safety measures Airbus highlights that safety is the priority of its operations, and it won’t compromise this with the program. For this reason, the company will take its time with the project to make sure that the technology continues to mature and that the firm can continue to do reviews so that services can transform safely and effectively. The manufacturer states that automation is an incredible way to maintain safe operations. It has mulled over several details, and it is seeing notable results on the improvement of safety with automation. Therefore, Airbus wants to continue down this path as it sees opportunities to reduce human intervention on board. Airbus concludes that “the long term aspiration of a single pilot operation is a good one.” It feels that automation is attractive and that while the industry may be a while from this shift, the momentum will continue to bring the right dynamics in the market. https://simpleflying.com/airbus-single-pilot-flight-crews/ Gulfstream Hands Over 50th Large-cabin G600 Jet Just two years after entering service, Gulfstream Aerospace has handed over the 50th large-cabin G600, with the milestone aircraft going to an undisclosed North American customer. The twinjet can fly up to 6,600 nm. Gulfstream Aerospace has delivered the 50th G600, with the milestone aircraft going to an undisclosed North American customer. The large-cabin twinjet, which is a longer-range sibling of the G500, entered service in August 2019. “With every new customer delivery, operators around the world are experiencing the benefits of the G600,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “The G600 dominates the sweet spot of range, speed, cabin comfort, and fuel efficiency, and market enthusiasm is exceeding even our own high expectations.” According to Gulfstream, the G600’s Pratt & Whitney PW816GA engines and aerodynamics have resulted in improved environmental credentials, with nitrogen oxide emissions 27 percent lower than ICAO requirements. Emissions for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and smoke are also more than 75 lower than international requirements. In addition, the G600 is significantly quieter than the latest Stage 5 noise limits, Gulfstream said. The G600, which can fly 6,600 nm at Mach 0.85 and 5,600 nm at Mach 0.90, has to date set more than 20 city-pair speed records around the world. Besides FAA and EASA approvals, the G600 has earned certifications from aviation authorities in the UK, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Mexico, San Marino, and Turkey. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-09-28/gulfstream-hands-over-50th-large-cabin-g600-jet With new software, the FAA moves to end long lines of aircraft waiting to take off The Federal Aviation Administration will implement a software program at 27 domestic airports that is designed to minimize airport taxi delays and all but eliminate the long lines of aircraft that can build up ahead of takeoff, the agency announced jointly with NASA on Tuesday. Driving the news: The software calculates gate pushback times at busy airports ranging from Washington National Airport to Phoenix, and is designed to make airports more efficient while also minimizing delays. Rollout will begin in early 2022 and take several years, the FAA said. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free A four-year test phase of the software conducted at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which was conducted jointly with NASA, saved more than 275,000 gallons of fuel annually, or the equivalent to the typical fuel burn of a Boeing 737 flying 185 flights between New York and Chicago. It also cut delays by 916 hours, equivalent to shaving 15 minutes of waiting time on a taxiway for more than 3,600 departing flights. The new program will be part of the FAA’s Terminal Flight Data Manager flight merging system that seeks to allow aircraft to both climb and descend at more constant rates, rather than the current stair-climb system used in many parts of the country. What they're saying: “The future of flight must be more sustainable and environmentally friendly,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in a press release. “If you do the math, the numbers get very big, very fast, and in a good way across these 27 airports, we estimate a savings of more than 7 million gallons of fuel, and the elimination of more than 75,000 tons of co2 emissions,” Dickson told reporters on a press call Tuesday. Yes, but: The program won’t be implemented overnight, however, as it will be gradually rolled out to airports that also include: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Seattle, Washington Dulles and New York JFK, among others. The big picture: The FAA is also taking other steps to make airports more efficient, including through the increased use of electric vehicles. https://www.yahoo.com/news/software-faa-moves-end-long-112050744.html U.S. says Chinese government blocking Boeing airplane purchases WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Tuesday the Chinese government was preventing its domestic airlines from buying "tens of billions of dollars" of U.S.-manufactured Boeing Co airplanes. Raimondo said that China was not abiding by commitments to buy U.S. goods it made in 2020 as part of a trade deal with the previous administration. "I don't know if Boeing is here. ... There's tens of billions of dollars of planes that Chinese airlines want to buy but the Chinese government is standing in the way," she said in a question-and-answer session after a speech in Washington. Boeing shares fell 2.6% on Tuesday to $218.41. In a separate interview with National Public Radio broadcast on Tuesday, Raimondo confirmed she was specifically referencing China's blocking of Boeing airplane purchases. "The Chinese need to play by the rules. We need to hold their feet to the fire and hold them accountable," she said. Boeing declined to comment. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment. Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun in March urged the United States to keep human rights and other disputes separate from trade relations with Beijing. "I am hoping we can sort of separate intellectual property, human rights and other things from trade and continue to encourage a free trade environment between these two economic juggernauts," Calhoun said at the time. "We cannot afford to be locked out of that market." Boeing last week raised its forecast slightly for China's aircraft demand for the next 20 years, betting on the country's quick rebound from COVID-19 and future growth in its budget airline sector and e-commerce. Boeing estimated that Chinese airlines will need 8,700 new airplanes through 2040, 1.2% higher than its previous prediction of 8,600 planes made last year. Those would be worth $1.47 trillion based on list prices, Boeing said. China's aviation authority, the first regulator to ground the Boeing 737 MAX following two deadly crashes, has yet to approve the return of service for the aircraft in the country. China accounts for a quarter of Boeing's orders of all aircraft. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-says-chinese-government-blocking-175454093.html Air France-KLM sees decision soon on major jet order PARIS (Reuters) -Air France-KLM aims to decide in the coming months on an order of at least 80 medium-haul jets for its Dutch network and Transavia budget subsidiaries in what would be its biggest fleet transaction ever, its chief executive said. The Franco-Dutch airline launched a tender earlier this year to renew and expand the medium-haul Boeing 737 fleets at KLM and the French and Dutch operations of Transavia. Chief Executive Ben Smith said the deal could involve a firm purchase of 80 aircraft with options for another 60 to 80. Analysts have said the competition is Boeing's to lose after a long association with KLM, but Smith stressed the group was in talks with both the U.S. planemaker and European rival Airbus. He said it was in parallel talks with engine makers CFM and Pratt & Whitney. Smith was speaking at a ceremony to mark the arrival of the first Airbus A220 regional jet as part of a multi-stage effort to simplify fleets and reduce unit costs at the group. Next up will be separate competitions around 2023 to replace the A320/A321 medium-haul jets and the A330 long-haul model operating on the Air France network, Smith said. For the A320 replacement, Air France would be interested in a possible longer version of the Canadian-designed A220, if Airbus decided to launch one, he said. The first of 60 Airbus A220 jets with 148 seats will enter Air France-KLM's French network from Oct. 31, starting with flights to cities such as Berlin and Madrid. Air France is beginning to see some recovery in business travel on domestic routes but premium travel remains far below pre-crisis levels, the unit's Chief Executive Anne Rigail said. "We are seeing some signs in particular on domestic routes, with some conferences taking place especially in the south of France, but we are still very far from 2019 levels at this stage," Rigail told reporters when asked about business traffic. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/air-france-sees-slight-rebound-071854746.html 3 astronauts move Soyuz to new space station dock ahead of film crew arrival Three astronauts relocated a Russian Soyuz crew capsule to a new port on the space station on Tuesday (Sept. 28) to make room for the arrival of another Soyuz vehicle next week carrying a Russian film crew. Soyuz Cmdr. Oleg Novitsky, a cosmonaut with Russia's space agency Roscosmos, piloted the spacecraft during the short 40-minute ride, assisted by fellow cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. The procedure went smoothly. "A perfect approach and a flawless docking," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said during the agency's broadcast of the maneuver. Related: This International Space Station VR experience lets you explore the ISS… and it's as amazing as it sounds The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft during a relocation maneuver on Sept. 28, 2021. The spacecraft undocked from the Earth-facing Rassvet module of the International Space Station at 8:21 a.m. EDT (1221 GMT) and retreated first to a distance of 150 feet (45 meters) away from the Russian segment of the station. At this distance, it rolled sideways before moving further away, to a distance of 393 feet (120 m) and making a short detour toward the U.S segment. The purpose of this detour was to capture new photographs and video of the entire orbital outpost. Novitsky then navigated the spaceship back to the Russian segment, where it attached to the active docking port of the recently-arrived Nauka multipurpose laboratory module at 9:04 a.m. EDT (1304 GMT). "Today's relocation is complete, the stage now set for next Tuesday's arrival of the Soyuz MS-19," Navias said. "A lot of activity coming up at the International Space Station over the course of the next few days." The docking is the first at the troubled Russian science module, which limped to the space station in July with a malfunctioning propulsion system and telemetry problems. The module, previously plagued with delays during development, caused an emergency situation shortly after its docking when its thrusters fired unexpectedly due to a computer glitch, causing the entire station to rotate around its axis one and a half times. But all seems well with Nauka now as the space station prepares to welcome its first two non-astronauts since 2009. Russian actress Yulia Peresild and film director Klim Shipenko are scheduled to arrive on Oct. 5 with cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov. The two artists will film a movie called "The Challenge" during their stay, the first film ever shot in space. They will return to Earth on Oct. 17 on Soyuz MS-18 together with Novitsky. Vande Hei and Dubrov are scheduled to remain aboard the station until March 2022. When he returns, Vande Hei will have set the record for the longest single spaceflight for an American. Before the new visitors arrive, the space station will see a departure of the SpaceX Cargo Dragon resupply ship packed with science gear and cargo for return to Earth. Cargo Dragon is scheduled to undock from the Harmony module's forward international docking adapter on Thursday (Sept. 30) at 9:05 a.m. EDT (1305 GMT). https://www.space.com/space-station-soyuz-relocated-to-nauka GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST 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. Curt Lewis