Flight Safety Information - December 7, 2021 No. 243 In This Issue : Incident: Aeroflot A321 at Budapest or Moscow on Dec 3rd 2021, has a screw loose : Incident: Emirates A388 at Dubai on Dec 6th 2021, tyre low pressure indication : US imposes new travel restrictions to slow omicron : European regulators propose check for anti-lightning flaw on some A350 jets : 2 Mokulele planes damaged during severe weather, triggering delays : Passenger who jumped from Southwest Airlines plane at Sky Harbor faces felony charges : Safety Standdown Celebrates 25th Anniversary : American Airlines Pilots First to Use CEFA Aviation Flight Replay App in the U.S. : Hong Kong Covid: The Cathay pilots stuck in 'perpetual quarantine' : American Airlines CEO Parker to step down next March : Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces fourth consecutive Safety Dividend : PhD Research Survey Request Incident: Aeroflot A321 at Budapest or Moscow on Dec 3rd 2021, has a screw loose An Aeroflot Airbus A321-200, registration VP-BEE performing flight SU-2031 from Budapest (Hungary) to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia), departed Budapest's runway 31L and completed a seemingly uneventful flight with a landing on Sheremetyevo's runway 24L. Rosaviatsia reported a post flight inspection showed the inner flaps fairing of the inner right hand flaps was punched through. A bolt of the #4 right hand main wheel was missing. An inspection of run- and taxiways at Sheremetyevo did not find any foreign objects. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f149762&opt=0 Incident: Emirates A388 at Dubai on Dec 6th 2021, tyre low pressure indication An Emirates Airbus A380-800, registration A6-EUT performing flight EK-30 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 447 passengers and 27 crew, was on approach to Dubai when the crew reported a low tyre pressure indication, emergency services went into their stand by positions. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 12L about 10 minutes later. Emergency services checked the aircraft, which subsequently taxied to the apron. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 5 hours before departing for the next flight. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f142f39&opt=0 US imposes new travel restrictions to slow omicron As of Monday, travelers heading to the U.S. are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within one day of boarding their flight instead of three days prior. The new measure is aimed at slowing the spread of the omicron variant. (Dec. 6) https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-imposes-travel-restrictions-slow-011749888.html European regulators propose check for anti-lightning flaw on some A350 jets PARIS/CHICAGO, Dec 6 (Reuters) - European regulators have issued a preliminary warning that patches of lightning protection may have been wrongly fitted on over a dozen Airbus (AIR.PA) A350 jets, while Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) has joined a list of carriers facing "paint issues". The proposed safety warning marks the first time manufacturing has come under regulators' spotlight amid a growing commercial and industrial headache over flaws on the skin of the jets, which Airbus insists are safe to fly. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said in a proposed airworthiness directive that Expanded Copper Foil (ECF), designed to safely disperse lightning strikes, may not have been installed properly on the wing covers of 13 jets. If a cocktail of factors comes together - including an adjacent fastener also being incorrectly installed - then a heavy lightning strike in the same zone could lead to fuel vapour igniting and "consequent loss" of the jet, EASA said. The proposed directive calls for gradual inspections and where necessary repairs, enforcing a bulletin from Airbus, but does not call for any of the 13 planes to be grounded. An Airbus spokesperson said the draft directive is a "normal part of the continued airworthiness process". The call for checks comes as Airbus is locked in a dispute with the biggest A350 buyer, Qatar Airways, over what Airbus has called a "surface paint" issue and the airline describes as problems under the paint, affecting the ECF and composite shell. EASA has said it has found no evidence of any airworthiness problem, while Qatar Airways says this has yet to be proven. It has grounded 20 of its 53 A350s as skin damage appears, saying it is acting on the orders of its own regulator. read more The row widened last week when documents seen by Reuters revealed that at least five other airlines had complained about paint or ECF flaws since late 2016. Airbus has until recently suggested the issue focused only on Qatar Airways. read more DELTA TALKS Now a further airline, Delta, has found problems with at least one aircraft, industry sources said. Delta declined to comment on specific jets but said for the first time that it had seen problems on a limited scale. "We have not yet experienced any significant paint issues on our A350 aircraft," a spokesperson said, adding it was in discussions with Airbus on the issue. An Airbus spokesperson said it understands the cause of the issue and is working with customers to provide enhancements. Manufacturing problems first emerged internally in 2019 when Finnair engineers warned Airbus that the ECF protection was detaching from the wingtips of one A350 because of missing resin, according to the documents seen by Reuters. read more Airbus last week confirmed the Finnair manufacturing incident and said it was an isolated production issue that had been resolved. It also confirmed a Reuters report that it was considering changing the design of the lightning protection. It was not immediately clear whether the "production quality issues" on 13 different jets covered by EASA's draft directive were similar to those reported by Finnair previously. The 13 A350s were delivered between 2016 and 2020 and represent just 3% of the fleet, but are operated by 10 airlines or 28% of the number of carriers currently flying the long-haul jet, according to Airbus data and online database Airfleets. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/european-regulators-propose-check-anti-lightning-flaw-some-a350-jets-2021-12-06/ 2 Mokulele planes damaged during severe weather, triggering delays HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two Mokulele Airlines airplanes (Cessna-208's) are grounded after sustaining extensive damage during severe weather at Honolulu’s airport on Sunday night. The damage has triggered cancellations and delays for the carrier. Officials say about 10:30 p.m., high winds pushed a cargo container into the two Mokulele aircraft that were parked for the night. No one was hurt. “Unfortunately some of our passengers at Kona and at Hilo are going to be inconvenienced today because we can reroute them on Hawaiian or Southwest,” airline CEO Stan Little said. “We can’t do that at Molokai and Lanai. We are the only lifeline there. So we’re putting every available resource on those two islands until we’re back to normal.” If you need to reschedule your flight, Little says there is currently no wait on Mokulele’s call center. “We’ll be much closer to normal tomorrow and I anticipate we’ll be completely back to a full schedule without delays by the weekend.” Little said. https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/12/06/2-mokulele-planes-damaged-during-severe-weather-triggering-delays/ Passenger who jumped from Southwest Airlines plane at Sky Harbor faces felony charges • Police said Daniel Ramirez, 30, had opened the rear door of the plane and jumped out onto the tarmac Saturday morning. PHOENIX — "Some of our flight attendants are reporting to us that a passenger jumped out of the plane," the pilot of Southwest flight 42336 called over the radio. Police said Daniel Ramirez, 30, had opened the rear door of the plane and jumped out onto the tarmac Saturday morning. Other pilots radioed to the tower they could see a man running from the plane. "Yeah, looks like we saw somebody walking across the tarmac over there just east of that fire station," a Frontier airlines pilot called. The Southwest pilot asked the tower if he could proceed to the gate and move the plane out of the way. "We're actually going to send the city and police to meet you if you can just hold," the tower said. Ramirez allegedly ran across the Sierra taxiway, which is a bridge running between Terminal 3 and 4 at Sky Harbor, and into Fire Station 19, an airport fire station on the south side of the airport. Phoenix Fire officials said he locked himself inside the station's dorm room. Court paperwork said Ramirez opened all the lockers inside and refused to come out. Firefighters said first responders managed to talk him into opening the door and held him until the police came to arrest him. Officials with Southwest Airlines refused to answer any questions about how Ramirez got access to the door or even if the evacuation slide deployed when the door was open. But former American Airlines pilot and professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott Ron Carr said flight attendants are required to sit next to the doors for safety. “They have to do that because one person has to be available to open that door in the back," he said. Carr also said opening the door would be relatively easy, but that the door would normally have the evacuation slide armed. Ramirez was arrested on one count of criminal trespassing. He's since been released without bond. https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/passenger-who-jumped-from-southwest-airlines-plane-at-sky-harbor-faces-felony-charges/75-244ea42e-352d-4951-9867-718285d4868d Safety Standdown Celebrates 25th Anniversary The Bombardier Safety Standdown celebrated its 25th anniversary last fall in Wichita, Kansas. Over the past quarter-century, the event has become one of the most comprehensive and respected human-factors conferences in the aviation industry. The mantra of “learn, apply, share” serves as the cornerstone of the Safety Standdown, during which industry professionals come together for two days of safety training. Bombardier plays a key role in organizing and sponsoring the conference. Over the years, more than 10,000 aviation professionals from all sectors and many disciplines have attended Safety Standdown during live events; many more have experienced the conference through webcasts. In 2021, nearly 200 people visited Wichita to participate in the conference, while another 1,100 from more than 20 countries joined the event via a webcast. The event typically draws 400 or more attendees but Covid restrictions limited last year's in-person registrations. Former Safety Standdown Award winner and long-time safety advocate Mike Ott called the Bombardier Safety Standdown "the ultimate act of corporate citizenship.” Ott is a high-time Learjet and Gulfstream pilot flying worldwide missions for Phoenix Air Group, where he acts as the director of government contracting. In addition, Ott is a member of the Safety Standdown Advisory Council, IS-BAO Standards Board, and NBAA Safety Committee. Bombardier started the Safety Standdown in 1996 as a safety training event for its Learjet flight demonstration team in Wichita. After three years of success and growth, Bombardier opened the event to all corporate pilots and flight crews, not just to Bombardier customers. There has never been a fee charged to attend, and the list of attendees is diverse; the roles vary from flight crew to maintenance to other supporting employees such as flight dispatchers and schedulers. The goal of each Standdown is to promote knowledge-based pilot safety training along with personal discipline and responsibility as essential elements of aviation safety and professionalism. This is accomplished each year by recruiting industry thought leaders to facilitate general session presentations as well as workshops. Last year's two-day event included six presentations in the general session and more than 12 workshops. In 2021, Bombardier passed leadership of the event to Chris Milligan, Bombardier VP certified pre-owned aircraft services, flight operations. Milligan succeeds Andy Nureddin, a long-time Bombardier executive and past steward of the program. Nureddin has led the event for 25 years and said, “Safety Standdown is one of the most comprehensive human factors safety conferences in the industry...We at Bombardier are exceptionally proud to be sharing critical strategies to improve safety awareness, processes, procedures, and structures in all aspects of our operations.” Nureddin is currently the Global 7500 program lead and plans to retire in late 2022. “It is an honor to be taking over as the leader of this invaluable industry event," Milligan said, "one my colleague Andy Nureddin has been so effectively leading for many years. Bombardier champions this important event because it enables us to take on current threats to aviation safety, as well as develop opportunities to create a culture of safety and leadership. This event also presents an outstanding opportunity for industry leaders to share tools and solutions to address the challenges we all face.” The Safety Standdown is more than an annual conference. The complete program consists of an Advisory Council, several subcommittees, an internal Bombardier ambassador program, a safety award program, and a website that has resources in its knowledge center. The Safety Standdown Advisory Council consists of a diverse group of 12 professionals from aviation and other industries. Council members provide advice and recommendations for the content and direction of the Safety Standdown programs. Beginning this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's digital transformation advisor, Dr. Amy Grubb, takes over as the Safety Standdown advisory chair. Grubb is the first non-aviation-based chair and the first woman to hold this position. She has been a member of the Advisory Council since 2018 and is an industrial-organizational psychologist who provides insight regarding leadership, organizational culture, and change management, all areas that are relevant to aviation safety. "I'm excited for the future of Bombardier Safety Standdown," Grubb said. "The past few years have set the stage for the future: to be more than a single event that happens once a year." It is, she said, a community "with top-notch resources and year-round offerings to keep safety at the forefront of aviation operations. Bringing in additional perspectives from cabin crews and flight operations and maintenance—and even other industries and disciplines—has really enhanced how to be safe in aviation, and I look forward to that trend continuing.” Grubb follows Ed Coleman into the role of Safety Standdown Advisory Council chair. Coleman has been a Council member since 2015 and was instrumental in navigating the event through a global pandemic. In 2020, the Safety Standdown was held virtually through a series of webcasts and the launch of the “Safety Talk” series of videos; and that concept is planned to continue. Coleman, a former Safety Award winner, is the manager of aviation at Midwest Transplant Network and flies a Cessna Citation CJ3. He has great memories of the Safety Standdown and said, “In the 25 years that Safety Standdown has been meeting, the audience has grown from a few dozen pilots at Learjet and now includes attendees from the entire aviation community. In the past few years, we have had award winners that represent pilots, government, support organizations, and maintenance. The Advisory Council has grown as well and now includes representatives from business aircraft operators, maintenance operations, airport managers, and dispatchers. “I was pleasantly surprised when I asked how many were attending for the first time and nearly a third of the room raised their hands," Coleman continued. "We have reached operators from every corner of the world and our recordings are used in a multitude of settings, from universities to flight schools to small department meetings...The 'Learn, Apply, Share' motto is something I've experienced multiple times. Standdown really is one of the best-kept secrets in aviation safety, and the fact that it costs nothing to attend is a testament to Bombardier and the sponsors who help us put it on every year.” Each year, the Safety Standdown Advisory Council culls through nominations for its annual Safety Award. The award goes to aviation professionals who demonstrate a commitment to the promotion of safety. The award winners live the principles of the Safety Standdown by following the "learn, apply, share" model in their flight departments and beyond. The 2021 Safety Award was presented to Williams Company director of aviation and travel Nick Verdea, a longtime supporter and advocate of the Safety Standdown. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Verdea is a Certified Aviation Manager and Global Leadership Professional. In addition to managing a team of 13 professionals, he has accumulated more than 13,000 accident-free hours. The future looks bright for the Safety Standdown. New leadership plans to build on the event's past successes while adding a few new elements such as experts from outside of aviation to bring fresh perspectives. Plans are underway for the 26th Safety Standdown in the fall of 2022. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-12-06/safety-standdown-celebrates-25th-anniversary American Airlines Pilots First to Use CEFA Aviation Flight Replay App in the U.S. • CEFA AMS (Aviation Mobile Services) is the first self-improvement tool allowing individual pilots to access and review the specifics of their flight after landing. COLMAR, France & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, is the first carrier in the U.S. to adopt CEFA AMS, an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) application allowing pilots to virtually review flight data on their tablet after landing. By choosing CEFA AMS, we are now able to advance the Safety-II approach in a practical way in our operations. This progressive new debriefing capability will reinforce American’s safety-first mentality into each and every flight. #FlightSafety CEFA AMS (Aviation Mobile Services) is the first self-improvement tool allowing individual pilots to access and review the specifics of their flight after landing. Captain Neil Raaz, Operations Safety Director at American Airlines, says that CEFA AMS is the next step in American’s data-driven approach to relentlessly advance safety. “By choosing CEFA AMS, we are now able to advance the Safety-II approach in a practical way in our operations. This progressive new debriefing capability will help promote a culture of continuous self-improvement and reinforce American’s safety-first mentality into each and every flight.” “We are delighted to partner with American Airlines, who sets the standard when it comes to flight safety,” says Dominique Mineo, CEO of CEFA Aviation, a France-based software company specialized in flight safety and pilot training. “Being able to deploy our innovation in the U.S. was one of our main ambitions. Today we have the opportunity to work with an airline committed to the highest safety standards and, beyond the conventional safety approach, aiming for Safety-II implementation.” Mineo added. The implementation of CEFA Aviation’s EFB flight replay capability is a milestone for American. It demonstrates its will for innovation as well as a strong desire to lead the shift in pilot empowerment through increased access to and awareness of operational flight data. This new partnership between CEFA and American Airlines will create an entirely new and revolutionary approach to proactive safety in airline operations and clearly demonstrates both organization’s commitment to being industry leaders in aviation safety. About CEFA Aviation CEFA Aviation, a privately held French company, enhances pilot training and flight safety, developing world-leading 3D animation software and services for the past 20 years. The innovative solutions developed by its experts recreate flights with high details and accuracy based on data from aircraft flight recorders. More than 100 major and regional airlines, cargo operators, and investigative authorities on five continents are using the company’s core software, CEFA FAS (Flight Animation System), for pilot training and safety analysis. Translating flight data into precise visualization requires an in-depth understanding of the complexity of aircraft systems and software engineering. CEFA Aviation has been a pioneer in easy-to-use flight data animation since Dominique Mineo founded the company in 2000. Its long-lasting success is attributable to a passion for aviation and innovation, listening to its clients, and delivering gold-standard support. CEFA Aviation is headquartered in the Alsace region of France. At the Dubai Airshow 2017, CEFA Aviation unveiled a new breakthrough visualization tool to enhance further and personalize pilot training: CEFA AMS. Additional information can be found at www.cefa-aviation.com https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211207005055/en/American-Airlines-Pilots-First-to-Use-CEFA-Aviation-Flight-Replay-App-in-the-U.S. Hong Kong Covid: The Cathay pilots stuck in 'perpetual quarantine' Hong Kong is one of the world's biggest aviation hubs but also has some of the strictest coronavirus regulations in the world. Two pilots tell the BBC how these rules are affecting their mental health and putting a strain on their personal lives. "You're just in a perpetual state of quarantine." Pierre*, a pilot with the city's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific, has spent almost 150 days in isolation in this year alone, he says. Though Hong Kong has recorded barely any local coronavirus cases in recent months, the city has imposed an extensive testing and quarantine regime, in line with mainland China's zero Covid policy. Pilots are not exempted from these rules - which means they spend an exceptionally large portion of their time either working or in quarantine. These tough measures start at the airport. All international inbound travellers have to take Covid-19 tests on arrival at Hong Kong airport and quarantine even if they test negative. They need to wait for their test results - which are made available on the same day - before they can proceed with immigration procedures. "[Aircrew] have been on an aeroplane for upwards of 25 hours, sometimes closer to 30 hours if there are any delays," says Clark*, another Cathay Pacific pilot. "They have to sit on a plastic chair and can't sleep, waiting for the tests. The whole process takes about four hours from the time you've landed to the time you get home." If they test negative, they get to go home - but they're still not free. In the first three days after arriving in Hong Kong, aircrew must remain at home. They can only leave for a maximum of two hours a day, and only to get tested for Covid or for essential activities. Crew members then have to "avoid unnecessary social contact" for a further 18 days and continue daily testing. "I don't think this is in any way fair or justified," said Clark. "Totally unacceptable." When the pilots test positive, or in Pierre's case, are marked as a close contact of a positive case, they will be sent to hospital or a quarantine facility - like the controversial Penny's Bay centre that has been criticised for its living conditions. Pierre said being in Penny's Bay was like being in "solitary confinement" in a cramped room that "got zero sun". "I couldn't even see any plants, not a single blade of grass," he said. The families of positive cases and close contacts have also been forced to stay at the facility, and they have included children and pregnant women. Foreign aircrew flying into Hong Kong are also subject to these rules. Following reports that more British Airways crew were being quarantined at Penny's Bay, the airline recently suspended flights to Hong Kong saying they were "reviewing operational requirements for this route". But the restrictions don't end even when the Cathay pilots are overseas. Aircrew have to stick to the airline's strict isolation rules while on layovers in other countries. "You go directly from your room to the aeroplane. Fly, and then go directly back to your room and you're locked up in your room until you leave again," said Pierre. Once at the hotel they must stay in their room for the duration of the layover, including meal times. "Food gets delivered to your room, you open your door, get the food, eat it in the room by yourself," he said. "There's a security guard outside your door. So you, literally, can't step into the hallway. We are in quarantine from when we show up at work until we get back to Hong Kong." Resignation and retirement In response to a request for comment on the pilots' grievances, Cathay Pacific reiterated its support for the Hong Kong government's quarantine measures, saying: "The safety and wellbeing of our customers, employees and the community remain our absolute priority. "We regularly remind our aircrew of the critical importance of complying with anti-pandemic measures both in Hong Kong and overseas." On the conditions at Penny's Bay quarantine centre, Cathay Pacific said it was doing its best to "help everyone affected", reiterating that Penny's Bay is a "designated government facility". "We have scaled up our support, drawing on resources from across the group to get everything from electrical appliances, amenities and additional food supplies to those in the facility to help make their stay as comfortable as possible." Cathay Pacific said that it acknowledges the "burden" that had been placed on their aircrew. "A pilot who feels unfit to fly in any way can express that to the management team without jeopardy and is legally protected in their right to declare themselves unfit for duty," the company said. The airline also said that in recent weeks it had seen an impact on "current sentiment" in how aircrew felt about their jobs. But this is cold comfort for some employees. The Cathay pilots told the BBC that they have applied or plan to apply for stress leave due to the impact their jobs have have had on them psychologically and the strain put on their personal lives. "It's almost a certainty that I'll be resigning in the spring... I'm leaving without an actual job and just resigning," said Clark. "I would say, probably, 80% of those that I fly with are actively looking for work elsewhere... It's all we talk about." https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59370672 American Airlines CEO Parker to step down next March DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines CEO Doug Parker will retire on March 31 and be replaced by the airline’s current president, Robert Isom. Parker has led Texas-based American since late 2013, when he engineered a merger with smaller US Airways. He will remain as chairman, American said. Isom had been Parker's heir apparent since becoming president in 2016 after Scott Kirby was forced out and left to join United Airlines, where he now serves as the CEO. Isom has overseen American's operations, including sales and pricing, and its alliances with other airlines. Isom was previously American's chief operating officer and held the same job under Parker at US Airways, where he was responsible for improving the airline's on-time performance. In a prepared statement Tuesday, Parker said American is “well-positioned to take full advantage of our industry’s recovery” from the collapse in travel caused by the pandemic, “and now is the right time for a handoff we have planned and prepared for.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-ceo-parker-step-121639429.html The NASA-China space race is about to go nuclear Recently, NASA and the United States Department of Energy put out a call for industry to propose designs for a nuclear power plant that could be deployed on the moon within the decade, according to Science Alert. In the meantime, Interesting Engineering reports that China has completed a design for its own lunar-based nuclear reactor. The two news items suggests that both sides of the current space race are very serious about returning to the moon and developing Earth's nearest neighbor in a big way. The Chinese lunar nuclear reactor is described as being capable of generating a full megawatt of electricity. According to Live Science, NASA requires that the lunar nuclear power plant generate just 40 kilowatts of power for 10 years, fit inside a 12-foot long by 18-foot-wide rocket, and weigh no more than 13,200 pounds. Presumably, if the moon base requires more than 40 kilowatts of power, more power plants can be launched and deployed ready for use. By going nuclear, both NASA and the Chinese recognize that an immense amount of power is required to operate in space in a big way. The systems that keep astronauts alive and keep their experiments running require power; the more astronauts; the more power. If one adds systems that support commercial activities, such as lunar mining, then the proper conclusion is that solar alone is not the answer. Nuclear power is the key to opening space to a wide variety of human activity, for both scientific exploration and commercial development. Nuclear power also has the advantage over solar power, whether space based, or Earth bound, in that it runs 24/7. Solar power systems need battery backups when sunlight is blocked. NASA is also studying nuclear power for spacecraft, especially those that would voyage to Mars and points beyond. The space agency has considered nuclear rockets since the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications (NERVA) program in the 1960s. NERVA ended when it became clear that NASA would not send humans to Mars any time soon. Now that Mars is back on the agenda, nuclear rockets, which would use a nuclear reactor to superheat exhaust from the back of a spacecraft, are also back. A nuclear thermal rocket could send humans and their supplies to Mars much more quickly than a spacecraft with conventional rocket engines. Thus, astronauts voyaging to Mars will spend less time exposed to the radiation-drenched environment of deep space. Just as nuclear power is experiencing a renaissance for space operations, the technology is being given a second look on Earth. Nuclear power has gotten bad press after high-profile accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima. More enlightened environmentalists have concluded that nuclear power should be part of a solution that transitions human civilization away from dependence on fossil fuels. Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of Microsoft, is partly financing a nuclear power plant that uses new technology to be built in Wyoming by 2028. The nuclear power plant will use liquid sodium instead of water to cool the reactor. The technology reduces the risk of an explosion or a meltdown. It also produces less nuclear waste. Modern civilization, whether on Earth or in space, requires an immense amount of energy to operate. As technology advances, civilization will require even more power. Nuclear technology is available in the near term to provide that power, whether to run air conditioners in homes on Earth or to keep environmental systems operating on a lunar base or a spacecraft voyaging to Mars. Will environmentalist opposition arise against nuclear systems in space as it has on Earth, inhibiting their development? Antinuclear activists have protested rocket launches that included fissile material, as they did in 1997 when the Cassini space probe launched with 72 pounds of plutonium 238 that provided power for its mission to Saturn. No doubt similar protests can be expected when a nuclear reactor and its fuel are launched to the moon. However, as the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists pointed out, once nuclear power plants are deployed in space, either at a moon base or on a spacecraft voyaging to Mars, they would present no danger to humans on Earth. The debate over nuclear power in space will occur, just as it has on Earth and will have to be engaged. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-china-space-race-nuclear-150008539.html posted on December 6, 2021 08:00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces fourth consecutive Safety Dividend One of the initial long-term goals of BASC continues to reward high achieving business flight departments! BASC was designed to be a highly desired partner with world-class business flight departments that strive for excellence in Safety Management and Compliance. Coincidentally, BASC was also conceptualized to be of high value and provide for ease of budgeting. The Safety Dividend provision was implemented at the founding of BASC to return a portion of the members’ annual investment when organizational performance provided that opportunity. Although a “for profit” entity, no reason could be found not to share and reward excellence, loyalty, achievement, continuous improvement and safety culture. Any current BASC Full-Service member, that has been with the organization for six months or greater, will be awarded a Safety Dividend in December 2021. This is a significant achievement as this award to clients was achieved despite significant infrastructure investments including a new FAA 14 CFR Part 5 Compliance Checklist, BASC Slack Chanel, and RampInspectionPrograms.com website. Founder and President, Rick Malczynski, shared, “This is a great achievement for the BASC membership. We knew from the beginning that having a “killer” program was key, but what we also learned over the years was that treating our end users with respect, honesty, and transparency was the foundation of our previous successes. BASC Nation members, often get labelled as an “industry disrupter,” and it is actually one of the highest compliments we receive. It is a pretty cool concept, when you just do your best, work with the savviest professionals in the industry, and treat everyone the way you wish to be treated…everyone grows together…and has a great time doing it! I could not be more enthused and proud regarding BASC and what the members have accomplished.” Malczynski further commented, “2021 was an awesome year for us! Given current industry conditions and trends, the sustained growth was a given. We realized years ago that the frontline team members in corporate aviation are the most knowledgeable regarding actual SMS application in the aviation industry…so we listened to them! Our partnerships with amazing innovators like Quality Resources and Advanced Aircrew Academy, have helped insure that BASC members anticipate, adapt, and meet or exceed changing requirements in a fast-paced and dynamic operating environment. Personally, working with teams of professionals that have mastered the concepts, processes, and execution of SMS, is extremely fulfilling. Observing team after team transitioning from ‘checking boxes’ to continuous improvement and operational excellence is amazing! I guarantee 2022 will be a banner year!” ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com PhD Research Survey Request This survey aims to understand whether a gap exists between the regulatory authorities' expectation of Crew Resource Management training curriculum (FAA outlines this in AC 120-51E) and the current training offerings across all facets of the industry. If a gap does exist, the study aims to understand which topics are under or inaccurately trained, measure the baseline level of understanding of these topics, and the perception of relevance-to-safety by industry pilots. To make it easy, I’ve created a posting that you’re welcome to modify and personalize or completely ignore and make your own. :) ----------------- Calling all pilots: A pilot and Ph.D. student is conducting cognitive science research on Crew Resource Management. Would you please help them by taking this survey? https://forms.gle/pkXH3cH1BYbvSoGz5 It’s 34-questions of mostly multiple-choice and shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Your input is anonymous and very much appreciated! Participation in this survey aids in the ongoing research on aviation human performance, human factors, and safety culture. -------------- Thank you, in advance, for your support. Kimberly Perkins Captain I Researcher I Writer Ph.D. Student University of Washington Doctoral Research: The Impact of Cognitive Biases on Aviation Safety Curt Lewis