Flight Safety Information - August 4, 2023 No. 150 In This Issue : Incident: Indigo A20N at Patna on Aug 4th 2023, engine failure : Incident: LOT E190 over Germany on Aug 2nd 2023, hydraulic failure : Jet taking off without permission led to near-miss at Logan in February, NTSB report finds : Southern Airways Express Is Suing Former Pilots For Training Costs : An airplane pilot went viral for scolding his passengers—Harvard expert says it’s great leadership: ‘Bravo’ : Qantas condemns sexist chat forum used by pilots to discuss female colleagues : Civil Aviation Bill, Air Safety Investigation Bill approved (Pakistan) : Man caught with loaded gun at Rochester International Airport security checkpoint : EUROCAE and RTCA join forces to host the “Aviation Summit: Future Connectivity” : Learning To Fly ‘Is Expensive,’ NTSB Chair Says :This Delta Pilot Leader Says His Union Has It Wrong On Age 65 : Aer Lingus’ Plan to Draft More Female Pilots : FAA launches Commercial Human Spaceflight Occupant Safety Rulemaking Committee Incident: Indigo A20N at Patna on Aug 4th 2023, engine failure An Indigo Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-IIG performing flight 6E-2433 from Patna to Delhi (India) with 181 passengers and 8 crew, was climbing out of Patna's runway 07 when the crew stopped the climb at about 8000 feet due to the failure of one of the engines (LEAP). The aircraft returned to Patna for a safe landing on runway 07 about 20 minutes after departure. The airport reported the aircraft returned with one engine inoperative. A replacement A320-200N registration VT-IPO reached Delhi with a delay of 3.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Patna about 7 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c9cd21&opt=0 Incident: LOT E190 over Germany on Aug 2nd 2023, hydraulic failure A LOT Polish Airlines Embraer ERJ-190, registration SP-LMD performing flight LO-273 from Vilnius (Lithuania) to London City,EN (UK), was enroute at FL380 about 30nm south of Hamburg (Germany) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Warsaw (Poland). The aircraft subsequently descended to FL370 and landed safely on Warsaw's runway 11 about 55 minutes after turning around and taxied to the apron. A passenger reported the captain announced one of their hydraulic systems had failed. The occurrence aircraft returned to service after about 14.5 hours on the ground. https://avherald.com/h?article=50c947a5&opt=0 Jet taking off without permission led to near-miss at Logan in February, NTSB report finds NTSB Federal investigators said Thursday that the pilot of a charter jet took off without permission, creating a “conflict” with a JetBlue plane that was preparing to land on an intersecting runway at Boston's Logan International Airport in February. A screen grab from video shot from the JetBlue cockpit captures the moment that the Learjet operated by charter service Hop-A-Jet crossed the runway just in front of the JetBlue plane. Pilots of the JetBlue Embraer jet estimated they were about 30 feet off the ground when they saw a plane cross in front of them — the captain said he couldn't estimate how close they were to the smaller plane, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The JetBlue pilots were able to pull up and circle around and land safely. The captain of the Hop-A-Jet said he heard air traffic controllers tell him to line up and wait before taking off — and even repeated the order back to the controller — “but in his mind, they were cleared for takeoff,” the NTSB said. The Hop-A-Jet plane was being operated by the co-pilot, who told investigators that his captain told him they were cleared to take off. The captain, Alvaro Donado, said in statement to the safety board, “I cannot understand what happened to me during the clearance, the only thing that comes to my mind is that the cold temperature in Boston affected me, I was not feeling completely well and had a stuffed nose. My apologies.” Once the Hop-A-Jet plane landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the 63-year-old captain and 23-year-old co-pilot were told by the Boston tower that they had taken off without authorization and that the JetBlue plane passed about 400 feet above them as it performed a go-around, the NTSB said in its final report. A man who answered the phone at Hop-A-Jet headquarters said the company had no comment about the incident or the report. When asked if the captain and co-pilot were still flying for the company, he said he could not provide that information, and hung up. The incident was one of several early this year that raised alarms about aviation safety in the United States despite the lack of a fatal crash involving a U.S. airline since 2009. The close calls led the Federal Aviation Administration to convene a “safety summit” in March to brainstorm ways to prevent planes from coming too close together. https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/08/04/jet-take-off-logan-learjet-jetblue-ntsb Southern Airways Express Is Suing Former Pilots For Training Costs The Florida-based company is trying to enforce a controversial employment clause that has gained national attention recently. A commuter airline has filed 19 lawsuits against pilots who recently quit their jobs, suing them for thousands of dollars the airline says the pilots owe for training costs. The company, Florida-based Southern Airways Express, is trying to enforce a controversial employment clause that has recently gained national attention. Known as a “training repayment agreement provision,” the clauses stipulate that workers will pay the company a particular amount of money if they resign before they’ve worked there for a set amount of time. Employers who use such agreements say they help assure that workers won’t immediately quit for higher-paying jobs right after they receive valuable training. But critics of the agreements — including the Federal Trade Commission under President Joe Biden — say they can unfairly lock workers in their jobs and keep wages down by limiting mobility in the labor market. Over the course of a week in July, Southern Airways filed 19 complaints against former pilots in small-claims and county court in Florida’s Palm Beach County, according to court records. In each case, the airline alleges the pilot signed a promissory note when accepting the job, committing to fly for at least 12 months after logging enough hours to become a “pilot in command,” or captain. The pilots could be on the hook for up to $20,000 if they voluntarily resigned, were fired “for cause” or became “unable to fulfill [their] duties and tasks” before working the allotted time, according to the lawsuits. Most of the promissory notes were for $16,000. The amount the pilots owed could be reduced based on how much they worked as captains before leaving. Southern Airways CEO Stan Little told HuffPost in an interview that the company recently decided to enforce the agreements for several pilots who had quit, leading to the slew of complaints the airline filed in court. He said there had been no mass resignation, but he believed signing bonuses and other offers from competitors had lured pilots away. “If there weren’t a pilot shortage, this wouldn’t be an issue at all.” - Stan Little, Southern Airways Express CEO “The last thing we want to do is in any way try to intimidate people that are on our team,” Little said. “We don’t want to come after anyone with a stick. We want to come to people with carrots.” Little said pilots generally come to Southern Airways without much flight time and that the company offers a fast way to rack up hours as “second-in-command” and become captain. He said the company expects pilots to stick around and teach the next crop of recruits before leaving for higher-paying jobs. According to court documents, Southern Airways paid pilots a starting wage of $12 per hour, which rose to $18 and then $21 per hour as they accrued more flight time. “This is a bargain that is made very clear on your first day,” Little said. “In exchange for getting that very valuable training and experience, they agree when they are upgraded to the pilot’s seat they will stay for a set period of time.” Rachel Dempsey, an attorney with the legal aid group Towards Justice, which has been critical of such contracts, said she was surprised to see Southern Airways file so many complaints in July. Dempsey’s group has called on federal agencies to bar the use of the training repayment agreements, arguing that they suppress wages and discourage workers from speaking up about workplace concerns. “It was really striking how many lawsuits were filed against a large number of pilots in a very short period,” Dempsey said. “Employers who provide competitive pay and working conditions don’t need to use [these agreements].” Little estimated that “90% plus” of the company’s pilots stay at least a year as captain before leaving, many going on to the larger regional airline SkyWest, which has a minority stake in Southern Airways. Southern Airways is a small operation compared to the major carriers most travelers are familiar with. Little said the company has around 300 pilots in total. In one pilot’s resignation letter, which was included in court documents, the pilot wrote that he was leaving “due to ongoing concerns regarding maintenance and safety” at the company, as well as personal circumstances. Little denied that pilots were leaving due to safety issues. Dempsey said that, generally speaking, the prospect of a training debt being enforced could make a worker think twice about raising safety concerns. “We don’t want pilots or nurses or truckers — all industries where [these contracts] are used — to be afraid to leave their jobs or speak out about unsafe practices,” she said. There is no reliable data on the prevalence of training repayment agreements in the broader economy. Some companies have come under fire for using them, including PetSmart, which, as HuffPost reported last year, sued a dog groomer for thousands of dollars in training costs after she quit her job. “It was really striking how many lawsuits were filed against a large number of pilots in a very short period.” The contracts appear to be more common in aviation, where some companies argue they need to recoup their training investments before pilots leave for competing firms. HuffPost reported in January that the cargo airline Ameriflight had sued a pilot for $20,000 when she left for another job. The Federal Trade Commission recently issued a proposed rule that would effectively ban noncompete agreements, which bar workers from taking jobs with competitors for a certain period after leaving a firm. The independent agency’s proposal would include training repayment provisions as part of the ban, arguing they function the same as noncompetes. But the FTC does not have jurisdiction over aviation firms; they fall under the Department of Transportation. Progressive groups have called on the DOT and other federal agencies to develop their own bans on the agreements where the FTC rule would not apply. Employers may be more tempted to enforce such agreements amid times of low unemployment, like now, when they have to jostle with one another for workers. Although there are signs the labor market has softened a bit lately, the rate at which workers are quitting for other positions remains above pre-pandemic levels, suggesting workers are still in a strong position to bargain for better wages and benefits. The competition has been fierce in aviation, with carriers offering juicy signing bonuses to attract pilots. “If there weren’t a pilot shortage, this wouldn’t be an issue at all,” Little said. Of the complaints the company filed against recently departed pilots, he added, “There will be more to come.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/southern-airways-express-is-suing-former-pilots-for-training-costs_n_64cbe72ee4b01796c06b6af8 An airplane pilot went viral for scolding his passengers—Harvard expert says it’s great leadership: ‘Bravo’ When a video of an American Airlines pilot scolding his passengers during a pre-flight announcement went viral, some people deemed it patronizing. Others, including a Harvard University expert, are hailing the pilot’s speech as an example of strong leadership — at a time when passengers desperately need it. “I say bravo to the American Airlines pilot. He has every right to do that. He’s the captain of the flight, and he’s in charge of what happens,” Bill George, an executive fellow at Harvard Business School and author of “True North: Emerging Leader Edition,” tells CNBC Make It. “If something goes wrong, he has the obligation to go back to the nearest airport and land ... and no passenger likes that.” In the video, which started circulating last week, the pilot set some ground rules for his passengers — including what they should expect from their flight attendants, and how they should treat each other during the journey. “Remember, the flight attendants are here for your safety. After that they’re here to make your flight more enjoyable,” the pilot said. “They’re going to take care of you guys but you will listen to what they have to say because they represent my will in the cabin, and my will is what matters.” The pilot added: “Be nice to each other. Be respectful to each other. I shouldn’t have to say that ... But I have to say it every single flight, because people don’t. And they’re selfish and rude, and we won’t have it.” He told passengers to store their bags properly, avoid leaning or falling asleep on other people, and use headphones instead of playing audio out loud on speakers. Lastly, the pilot acknowledged the plight of the people in middle seats: “Middle seaters, I know it stinks to be in the middle ... You own both armrests. That is my gift to you. Welcome on board our flight.” A great example of leadership, but not a one-size-fits-all strategy The speech — “a little bit of fatherhood,” as the pilot deemed it — serves as a counterpoint to a bevy of recent videos depicting outbursts aboard aircrafts. Airlines have seen a significant uptick in unruly passenger reports: nearly 2,500 last year and 6,000 in 2021, compared to roughly 1,200 in 2019 and less than 1,000 in years prior, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. The FAA has referred more than 250 of those cases to the Federal Bureau of Investigations since 2021, a move reserved for particularly violent incidents, the Wall Street Journal reported in April. Given that backdrop, George applauds the pilot, noting that commercial airline captains “have the right to do these things.” It’s not a one-size-fits-all leadership approach, he adds: “In the office, it’s more nuanced. You’re not dealing with a situation that might put people in physical harm, or could be potentially dangerous.” CEOs and bosses have “the right to set some standards of behavior,” but scolding lectures in that kind of setting typically only make employees feel undervalued and underappreciated, George says. That could contribute to staffers “quiet quitting” their jobs — or even actually quitting. Instead, if you’re struggling with a respect-in-the-workplace problem, talk directly with the people involved to get their perspectives and craft a more personalized, empathic solution. “Expressing genuine empathy for someone’s circumstance and being able to walk in their shoes is an essential quality of all leaders,” George said in a 2015 interview with psychologist Daniel Goleman. “It’s the key element.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/03/harvard-expert-airplane-pilot-in-viral-video-shows-great-leadership.html Qantas condemns sexist chat forum used by pilots to discuss female colleagues Qantas has described comments written about female colleagues in a chat forum by pilots as “offensive” and “completely unacceptable”. Posts shared in the chat forum were leaked by the Herald Sun on Tuesday, August 3, 2023. In one message, it claimed there was “a rapid influx of female pilots of a certain age group spawning offspring and then wanting flexible work arrangements”. airBaltic In Article August 2023 It has been reported that two of the Qantas pilots in the forum no longer work for the airline, while the third is currently under investigation and prevented from flying aircraft. The Herald Sun has claimed that the moderator of the group was a captain, with some of the messages dating back to 2018. Another post shared in the group said that “women pilots have a huge advantage” over their male colleagues. Aerviva In Article Banner May 2023 “They can go off, run their breeding program or get a cushy job in the office at twice the pay of the other full time office staff while chest feeding,” another forum member wrote. Qantas’ new CEO Vanessa Hudson was also mentioned, after introducing a pilot scholarship program for 50 female students and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in May 2023. One person posted: ‘Interesting the day we get a female CEO announced is the day we get advised of this overt discrimination.’ Qantas chief pilot Dick Tobiano said in a statement: “These comments are completely unacceptable. They’re offensive, don’t reflect our values and have no place here or in any other workplace. We have many talented female pilots at Qantas, and we want to encourage a lot more of them.” He added: “Aviation hasn’t been good at that historically and clearly some outdated thinking still exists in some pockets. Criticism of these programs doesn’t change our view.” https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/qantas-pilots-sexist-forum-leaked Civil Aviation Bill, Air Safety Investigation Bill approved (Pakistan) ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Aviation approved The Pakistan Civil Aviation Bill, 2023, and Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Bill, 2023, after some amendments. The committee’s meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah in which the proposed Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Bill 2023 was reviewed in detail. ‘The Pakistan Civil Aviation Bill 2023’ presented by the Federal Minister for Aviation in the Senate meeting held on July 30, 2023 was examined in detail in the committee’s meeting, too. Federal Minister of Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique thanked the members of the committee and said the members of the committee had proposed those amendments with hard work and it was commendable. The approval of that bill would significantly improve the performance of the institution, he added. After examining the bill in detail, the bill was approved with amendments. The Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Bill 2023 was also reviewed in detail in the Standing Committee meeting. The standing committee approved the bill after reviewing the bill in detail. Committee Chairman Senator Hidayatullah thanked the members of the committee and the Federal Minister for Aviation and all relevant officials of Aviation and congratulated them and said that the bill was of great importance. There was a dire need for amendments to make the important institution of Pakistan profitable and in the interest of the country. He said the closed flights of the PIA would be restored. “We are almost done with preparations for the UK, hopefully, flights will resume in September.” He said that due to the statement of a former minister for aviation, the country lost billions of rupees. In response to the question of Senator Mohsin Aziz, who was participating in the Standing Committee through video link, it was said that all the outsourcing procedures of Islamabad Airport were in accordance with the law. A consultant has been hired from IFC which is a reputed international company. Regarding outsourcing, the advertisement will come in the month of August itself, in which any company of the world can participate. He said that 21 companies from 12 countries had expressed interest in it. Saad Rafique said that Islamabad International Airport would now be outsourced for 15 years. “After that, the airports of Lahore and Karachi will also be outsourced. Many countries, including India, Saudi Arabia, and America, have outsourced their airports. Private sector participation is essential.” He said that nothing is being sold or mortgaged, adding, “No strategic assets are being handed over to anyone. The PIA will be able to develop only if private sector investment comes.” https://www.brecorder.com/news/40255770/civil-aviation-bill-air-safety-investigation-bill-approved Man caught with loaded gun at Rochester International Airport security checkpoint Man claimed he forgot he had a loaded gun with him ROCHESTER, N.Y. – An Ontario County, N.Y., man was stopped by security officers at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport today when they detected a handgun in the man’s carry-on bag at the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) security checkpoint. The .380 caliber gun was loaded with six bullets. The gun was caught as the man entered the security checkpoint. An alert security officer was operating the X-ray unit at the checkpoint when they detected what appeared to be a firearm. A Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy was notified and responded. Upon arrival, they opened the bag for a closer inspection and a loaded firearm was discovered. The traveler, a resident of Canandaigua, N.Y., told officials that he forgot that he had his loaded gun with him. The traveler had a valid New York State pistol permit and the weapon was confiscated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. Guns are not permitted through the security checkpoint and now the man faces a stiff financial civil penalty from TSA. The penalty for carrying weapons can reach a maximum of $15,000. “This summer travel season is busy,” said Bart R. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “Our officers are staying vigilant to keep all travelers safe and secure. Airports are congested and this is no time – nor anytime - to be carrying loaded handgun in your carry-on bag. Gun owners have a responsibility to know where their firearms are at all times and know that they should not be in a carry-on bag,” he added. “Today’s gun catch is the second one of the year at Rochester,” Johnson said. “This traveler claimed that he forgot that he had his gun with him. Responsible gun owners know where their firearm is at all times. Forgetting you have a loaded gun with you is inexcusable. Travelers need to come to the airport prepared to go through the security screening process and that means knowing the contents of their carry-on bags and knowing that there are no prohibited items inside,” Johnson said. Passengers are only permitted to travel with firearms in checked baggage. Firearms must be unloaded then packed in a hard-sided locked case. The locked case should be taken to the airline check-in counter to be declared. TSA has details on how to properly travel with a firearm posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and gun owners have a duty to ensure they are not violating any local firearm laws. Additionally, contacting the respective airline could reveal any additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition. Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint. Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to travelers with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. The complete list of civil penalties is posted online. Additionally, if a traveler with a gun is a member of TSA PreCheck®, that individual will lose their TSA PreCheck privileges. Last year, 6,542 firearms were caught at 262 out of 430 airport security checkpoints nationwide. Eighty-eight percent of those guns were loaded. Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872). https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2023/08/03/man-caught-loaded-gun-rochester-international-airport-security EUROCAE and RTCA join forces to host the “Aviation Summit: Future Connectivity” The “Aviation Summit: Future Connectivity” will serve as a strategic platform for industry players to address the challenges, advancements, and opportunities presented by datalink technology in modern aviation. PARIS / WASHINGTON – EUROCAE and RTCA announce their collaboration in organising the groundbreaking “Aviation Summit: Future Connectivity”. This virtual summit is set to take place on 25 October, bringing together leading experts and stakeholders from the aviation industry to address the pivotal topic of datalink communication in aviation. As the aviation industry continues to evolve, the significance of efficient and secure communication through data becomes increasingly apparent. The “Aviation Summit: Future Connectivity” will serve as a strategic platform for industry players to address the challenges, advancements, and opportunities presented by datalink technology in modern aviation. “We are thrilled to partner with EUROCAE to host this landmark summit”, said Terry McVenes, President and CEO of RTCA. “The convergence of our expertise and the collective participation of aviation leaders will undoubtedly lead to impactful outcomes in leveraging data communication for safer and more efficient skies”. Anna von Groote, Director General of EUROCAE, added, “This summit presents an invaluable opportunity to delve into the intricacies of datalink communication, fostering a deeper understanding of its potential and the challenges it brings. Together, we can forge a path forward that harnesses the full power of data to drive advancements in aviation”. List of the sessions: Opening Session: Future Connectivity for Aviation: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, Airbus and Boeing have launched a joint cooperation initiative to rethink aviation connectivity, defining a blueprint for the modernisation and harmonisation of the aviation data communication landscape by 2035. Their white paper offers a jointly proposed vision for the future aviation connectivity landscape which is based on the combination of aviation specific solutions. Panel One: From Standardization to Implementation: What is the next step after the completion of a consensus industry standard? What validation and verification efforts do regulators undertake before a datalink standard goes into effect? What are the roadblocks for using the industry consensus standards? How can we remove these roadblocks? Panel Two: Protecting Communication in an Unsecure World: Datalink connectivity provides opportunities for innovation, and maintaining safety, but a reliance on connectivity may impact security assurance. A system is as secure as its weakest link, so collaboration across the industry is essential. What are the main risks and issues to be addressed? How do aeronautical industry and aviation stakeholders intend to assess, identify and mitigate these risks and issues? Panel Three: Enabling Green Operations Through Datalink Standards: The potential benefit of Datalink is twofold: on the one hand it establishes the aircraft as a source of data which can be downlinked to the ground or cross-linked to other aircraft. This may lead to improved flight efficiency and safety by raising situational awareness on the flight deck of other aircraft. On the other hand, Datalink is used for the delivery of clearances to aircraft using CPDLC. This improves the spectrum use and increases the efficiency of ATC procedures, thereby potentially increasing airspace capacity and resulting in more efficient flight profiles. EUROCAE and RTCA will evaluate the results of the discussions to help shape and improve the existing standard and future standardisation work programme to support future connectivity needs. https://www.traveldailynews.com/meetings-events/eurocae-and-rtca-join-forces-to-host-the-quot-aviation-summit-future-connectivity-quot/ Learning To Fly ‘Is Expensive,’ NTSB Chair Says OSHKOSH—Learning to fly is expensive, attests NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, who is working toward a private pilot’s license. “I’ve been really focused on trying to get kids and women in aviation—it’s expensive,” Homendy said, speaking July 25 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. “I pay $397 every time I take a flight lesson. That’s the plane, that’s the equipment and the instructor. At first someone said, ‘you should really fly a couple of times of week.’ I need to be rich because I’m on a federal salary and that’s not going to happen.” An NTSB board member since 2018, Homendy was nominated by President Joe Biden and sworn in as its chairperson in August 2021, succeeding Robert Sumwalt. During a wide-ranging conversation with Richard McSpadden, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute senior vice president, she described the aviation safety recommendations she feels most strongly about and the NTSB’s efforts to reduce the amount of time it takes to complete accident investigations. Prompted by McSpadden, Homendy said she is committed to the safety board’s mission and is not desirous of being considered for the position of FAA administrator, now held by U.S. Transportation Department Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg in an acting capacity. Homendy initially came to the NTSB with a background in rail and pipeline safety, among the modes the safety board investigates. She started training to fly in 2020 but was delayed early on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Her flight instructor is former NTSB senior air safety investigator Bill English, who is now chief pilot with Aviation Adventures at Leesburg Executive Airport, Virginia, outside of Washington. “For ethics reasons, I cannot take lessons from current employees, but there are a lot of former employees,” Homendy related. “When I approached Bill [English] I said I really need to do it slow. It can be prohibitively expensive. I understand the charges, of course.” McSpadden said the AOPA has lobbied for speedier and more standardized safety reporting by the NTSB and has seen the pace of its accident investigations, which typically take 18-24 months, accelerate in the past couple of years. Homendy attributed this to process improvements that Sumwalt and board member Bruce Landsberg, a former long-time AOPA executive, started and she continued. The board also worked to fill vacancies—there were 56 when Homendy became chairperson—and hired retirees to reduce its investigations backlog. Regrettably, that caseload increased after Homendy spoke at EAA AirVenture. Four people were killed July 29 in two separate accidents involving aircraft attending the annual fly-in convention. One of the accidents, the midair collision of a Rotorway 162F kit helicopter and an ELA Eclipse 10 gyroplane, took place on-site at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. Homendy said she feels strongly about recommendations the safety board has made for stricter FAA oversight of commercial passenger-carrying flights conducted under Part 91 general aviation rules. In March 2021, the NTSB made six recommendations after considering an aviation investigation report on Part 91 revenue passenger-carrying operations such as air tours, parachute jumps, aerobatic or historic aircraft experience flights and sightseeing balloon trips. Among those recommendations, it called on the FAA to require that operators implement safety management systems (SMS). “I think if you’re a paying passenger, you should be guaranteed the same level of safety you would get in every passenger operation,” Homendy said. “I’m not saying the same regulation should apply from Part 121 [airlines] to Part 91. But you should be guaranteed the same level of safety—we’re talking about pilot training, maintenance, company policies, SMS. There are a lot of recommendations we issued as part of that report that I’m pretty passionate about.” https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/safety-ops-regulation/learning-fly-expensive-ntsb-chair-says This Delta Pilot Leader Says His Union Has It Wrong On Age 65 A leader of the Delta Air Lines chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association is opposing his powerful union and backing an increase in the pilot retirement age to 67. The age is currently 65, but an effort to raise it is one of dozens of struggles over various measures that are part of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that is making its way through Congress. ALPA is the world’s largest pilots’ union, with 74,000 members at 42 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. Delta and United are its biggest members. Dave Forbes is the Minneapolis captain representative on Delta’s master executive council. “It’s ageism to say that at age 65 I will become one of the most dangerous people in the sky,” said Forbes, a 62-year-old Airbus A330 captain. “Doctors don’t say that. The sad thing is that in our union, we’re not representing everybody. We have taken a political stance based on the demographics,” where younger pilots outnumber older pilots. “I’m frustrated with ALPA, frustrated with the national leadership at ALPA,” Forbes said. “They think we’re all supposed to tow the line like good little soldiers. But if I were president of ALPA, I would make sure there was science behind an age-based mandatory retirement. And since there isn’t, I would limit my remarks.” ALPA said in an email that it “is a democratic organization, and our pilots elect those who make policy for the union. The retirement age policy was developed by ALPA’s locally-elected representatives and approved unanimously by our board of directors, working on behalf of their pilots.” Forbes began his career at Hawaiian Airlines in 1986. He moved to Northwest in 1989: Northwest merged with Delta in 2008. In 2019 Forbes decided to run for captain rep because, “I wanted to give back at the end of my career. I’ve found it incredibly rewarding, at the local level, to be helping pilots, which is what the union is supposed to do.” Forbes estimates that about a third of the 1,300 MSP pilots back his position on age 65. He acknowledged he is opposed by most younger members. ALPA called a higher retirement age “a solution in search of a problem.” While pilots appear to be in short supply, ALPA says the number of pilots is sufficient, but pilot training presents a bottleneck that is very slowly being overcome. The union said an increase to age 67 “has not been studied or vetted by aviation safety experts—those upon whom we all rely on to keep flying safe,” including the FAA and the Department of Transportation. It noted the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency that sets some international standards, took five years to study the issue before raising the age to 65. “Raising the retirement age here while it remains at 65 internationally would put the U.S. in conflict with worldwide standards and disrupt U.S. airline global operations,” ALPA said. “Pilots 65 and above would be disqualified from every flight that operates outside U.S. airspace. This conflict will cause US airlines to run a two-tiered system.” Forbes, however, said it is likely ICAO would quickly change it standards if the U.S. switched. Already, the retirement age for pilots in Japan is 68. He noted that pilots regularly get physicals, simulator training and flights with check airmen in the jump seat. “ALPA’s position on this is ageist,” said Taylor Hulse, spokesman for Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), sponsor of an amendment raising the age to 67. “To say that once you turn 65, you’re magically incapable of flying and become a risk is insane. Raising the pilot age will provide temporary relief for the massive pilot shortage that our country is facing.” A Washington lobbyist involved in aviation, who asked not to be named, said the reauthorization act is at a standstill with pilot training as a key unresolved issue. One issue is an FAA regulation that requires 1,500 hours of training for pilots. Currently, that can include 100 hours on a simulator, but one proposed amendment would push the number to 250 hours. Strong opposition is coming from families of victims of the 2009 Colgan Air crash. “Everything is landlocked, due to the Colgan families,” the lobbyist said. ALPA opposes changes in pilot training requirements. ALPA’s board, including Forbes, approved its safety standards, including age 65 retirement, last year. Forbes acknowledged that he voted with the rest of the board. “No excuse,” he said. However, voting came during a busy week at the board meeting in Las Vegas and “the opposition to age 67 was a sub-paragraph of the safety section of the strategic plan, voted on by voice vote, with almost zero discussion,” Forbes said. “I voted to support the overall plan and didn’t realize that 67 opposition was going to end up being a cornerstone.” If Forbes were to keep flying past 65, it would likely be as a lower-paid, narrowbody domestic captain. That’s fine, he said. It’s not typically veteran widebody captains like him who are being hurt by having to retire at 65, he said, but rather longtime regional jet pilots who moved recently to Delta narrowbodies and who have not accumulated large retirement savings. He wants to represent them. Forbes’ term as captain rep ends in March 2024. He said he plans to seek re-election. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2023/08/03/this-delta-pilot-leader-says-his-union-has-it-wrong-on-age-65/?sh=7cc7d7c2493b Aer Lingus’ Plan to Draft More Female Pilots Aer Lingus has announced the reopening of its pilot recruitment program for the first time since 2019, with the recruitment drive set to remain open for the next five years. The first round of the pilot training program, which is fully sponsored by the airline, will recruit 18 candidates and is open for applications from now until 16th August 2023. For this latest recruitment round, Aer Lingus has stated that it is looking to enhance and embrace diversity in its selection process, by ‘actively striving to increase the number of female applicants to the program’. In the last recruitment round, only 7% of applicants were female, a statistic it is determined to significantly improve upon. Successful candidates will undergo a 24-month pilot training program beginning in early 2024, which will combine theory and practical studies, and will be conducted in collaboration with the Spanish flight training school FTE Jerez. “The Aer Lingus Future Pilot Programme opens a world of opportunity for the next generation of pilots who will join our airline. We have a rich history at Aer Lingus of training pilots and our new Future Pilot Programme continues in that wonderful tradition, for which we are well known and respected. We encourage everyone interested to consider our fully funded future pilot programme and we particularly encourage females to apply as we continue our efforts to close the gender gap in aviation,” said Lynne Embleton, chief executive at Aer Lingus. You can find out more information on the program here. https://skift.com/blog/ideas-aer-lingus-reopens-pilot-recruitment-programme/ FAA launches Commercial Human Spaceflight Occupant Safety Rulemaking Committee On Thursday, July 27, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched a rulemaking committee to examine the development and cost of possible future regulations for commercial human spaceflight occupant safety. The agency is taking this action due to the increase in commercial space activities and the impending end of the Congressional prohibition on commercial human spaceflight regulations in October 2023. The committee is expected to gather recommendations from industry and other stakeholders to help the FAA plan, conceive, and implement—when the time is right—a well-informed, thoughtful, regulatory regime for commercial human spaceflight occupant safety. Recommendations will be submitted to the FAA next summer. The committee is co-chaired by Dr. Minh Nguyen, Executive Director of the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation and Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar, Chief Government and External Relations Officer of Axiom Space. https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2023/08/03/faa-launches-commercial-human-spaceflight-occupant-safety-rulemaking-committee/ Curt Lewis