Flight Safety Information - March 25, 2024 No. 061 In This Issue : Incident: Southwest B738 at Fort Lauderdale on Mar 22nd 2024, engine shut down in flight : Incident: PAL DH8D St. John's on Mar 6th 2024, engine failure and fire : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London : FAA considers curbing new routes for United Airlines following mishaps : British Airways Flight From New York To London Diverts To Canada After Pilot Becomes ‘Incapacitated’ : United Airlines says its operations will ‘see more of an FAA presence’ following a ‘spike of incidents’—including an engine fire and a tire falling off : Knife found on Delta plane at Salt Lake airport, another Delta flight turns around after ‘mechanical issue’ : FAA Fines Spirit Airlines For Hazmat Violation—Recalling ValueJet Crash : A 33-Year-Old United Airlines Boeing 767 Which Everyone Thought Would Be Scrapped After Sustaining Major Damage is Returning to the Skies : 5 Supersonic Passenger Aircraft: Canceled, Completed & Planned : Turboprop Safety Under The Microscope At AAPA-Hosted Conference : How & Why Did Pan Am's Sea Captain Pilot Uniforms Became The Standard In Commercial Aviation? : NC-bound Boom Supersonic completes test flight of supersonic jet. How fast did it go? : SAA continues to search for “strategic partner” - CEO : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Southwest B738 at Fort Lauderdale on Mar 22nd 2024, engine shut down in flight A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N8578Q performing flight WN-1575 from Fort Lauderdale,FL to Houston Hobby,TX (USA) with 184 people on board, was climbing out of Fort Lauderdale's runway 10L when the crew reported a right hand engine (CFM56) failure, the crew stopped the climb at about 4000 feet and decided to return to Fort Lauderdale. The aircraft returned to Fort Lauderdale for a safe landing on runway 10L about 16 minutes after departure. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped for an inspection by emergency services before continuing to the apron. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration N8527Q reached Houston with a delay of about 5:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=516825da&opt=0 Incident: PAL DH8D St. John's on Mar 6th 2024, engine failure and fire A Provincial Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GPIX performing flight PB-3051 from St. John's,NL to Deer Lake,NL (Canada), was climbing out of St. John's when the crew received indication that the left hand engine (PW150A) had failed followed by an engine fire indication. The crew worked the failure/fire checklist, shut the engine down and returned to St. John's for a safe landing. The Canadian TSB reported the aircraft was inspected by emergency and subsequently taxied to the apron. https://avherald.com/h?article=516780be&opt=0 FAA considers curbing new routes for United Airlines following mishaps The limits under consideration would restrict United from adding new routes beyond those the airline has already sold tickets for. United Airlines said Friday, March 22, that federal regulators are increasing their oversight of the carrier following a series of recent incidents including a piece of the outer fuselage falling off one jet and another suffering an engine fire on takeoff. U.S. aviation authorities are considering drastic measures to curb growth at United Airlines, including preventing the carrier from adding new routes, following a series of safety incidents. The Federal Aviation Administration has discussed temporary actions it may take with the airline’s leadership in recent days, according to people with knowledge of the matter. In addition to route restrictions, United may be barred from flying paying customers on newly delivered aircraft, said the people, who asked not to be identified describing the closed discussions. The FAA already is suspending United’s ability to approve and promote pilots to fly different aircraft models, two of the people said. The proposed clampdown would effectively pause growth for an unspecified period at one of the largest U.S. airlines, underscoring the heightened scrutiny on commercial aviation safety following a near-catastrophe earlier this year involving a Boeing plane. Since the January incident, in which a panel blew out in midair from an Alaska Airlines jet, United has endured multiple headline-grabbing mishaps. The renewed focus reflects stresses on commercial air travel after years of rapid growth coming out of the depths of the pandemic. United declined to comment on the potential restrictions. The FAA said in a statement late Saturday that it’s increasing oversight of United to ensure it’s complying with safety regulations. “Certification activities in process may be allowed to continue, but future projects may be delayed based on findings from oversight,” the FAA said. The agency plans to increase oversight of United in the coming weeks to review processes, manuals and facilities, the carrier told employees in a memo. Sasha Johnson, United’s vice president of corporate safety, said in the message that regulators and the company agree it needs “to ensure we are doing all we can to promote and drive safety compliance.” Johnson also said the FAA planned to “pause a variety of certification activities for a period of time,” without specifying which ones. The limits under consideration would restrict United from adding new routes beyond those the airline has already sold tickets for, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. Leaders of an Orlando-area local for United pilots sent a message to members saying that the FAA recently stepped in to “take substantial action” against the carrier, including restricting its abilities around pilot approval. The so-called line check process to certify and promote pilots has been paused pending further action from the FAA, according to two people familiar with the situation. There are now “regulator-imposed restrictions on our ability to operate and grow our airline,” according to the message from the Local Council 150 chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association. “We will also see an increased FAA presence in our daily operation.” ALPA’s United Master Executive Council hasn’t issued formal communications on the matter to its members and declined to comment to Bloomberg. Among the incidents at United just this month, a plane in Houston ran off the taxiway into a grassy area, while another aircraft lost a tire shortly after departing from San Francisco. And a Houston-to-Florida flight had to make an emergency landing after one of its engines began spewing flames. The FAA has announced investigations of those and other incidents. United Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby this week promised customers that the carrier would review the incidents and its employee training. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2024/03/24/faa-considers-curbing-new-routes-for-united-airlines-following-mishaps/ British Airways Flight From New York To London Diverts To Canada After Pilot Becomes ‘Incapacitated’ However, after around three hours of flying eastbound and with the aircraft cruising at 40,000ft and 440 nautical miles northeast of St. John’s, the crew declared an emergency, reporting that one of the flight crew was unable to continue in their duties. ABritish Airways Boeing 777-200ER flying from New York-JFK to London-Gatwick (LGW) was forced to divert to St John’s in Newfoundland, Canada after one of the pilots became incapacitated. According to Aerotime Hub, the flight, with flight number BA 2272, departed New York-JFK at 21:54 on March 14, 2024, for the seven-hour and 50-minute flight back to London, where it was due to land at 08:05 the following morning. However, after around three hours of flying eastbound and with the aircraft cruising at 40,000ft and 440 nautical miles northeast of St. John’s, the crew declared an emergency, reporting that one of the flight crew was unable to continue in their duties. Upon further discussion between the crew and air traffic controllers based in Canada, the flight subsequently left its designated oceanic airway and turned back towards St John’s. The aircraft eventually landed on runway 29 at St. John’s International Airport (YYT) at around 02:00 on the morning of March 15, 2024 – around 80 minutes after the emergency was declared. “At 04:42 UTC, a flight crew member contacted Gander Air Control Center to declare a medical emergency for a flight crew member who was unable to continue with flight duties,” said a Canadian Transportation Safety Board statement. “A clearance was requested to divert to St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland. Gander issued the clearance and the aircraft landed safely at St. John’s at 05:59 UTC with paramedics standing by.” The aircraft involved, one of the carrier’s 43-strong fleet of Boeing 777-200ERs registered G-VIIP remained on the ground in St. John’s for about 36 hours before continuing to Gatwick on March 16, 2024, taking four hours and 18 minutes to return to its base airport. The aircraft has since completed rotations from Gatwick to Tampa (TPA), Bridgetown (BGI), and Orlando (MCO). The passengers who were onboard the diverted flight were rescued by another of the airline’s Boeing 777s (G-YMMJ) that happened to be on the ground in New York at the time of the diversion. This aircraft routed directly from New York-JFK to St. John’s as BA9156 before continuing the transatlantic leg of the journey, eventually landing at London-Heathrow (LHR) with the affected passengers at 20:57 on March 15, 2024. https://saharareporters.com/2024/03/24/british-airways-flight-new-york-london-diverts-canada-after-pilot-becomes-incapacitated United Airlines says its operations will ‘see more of an FAA presence’ following a ‘spike of incidents’—including an engine fire and a tire falling off Federal regulators are increasing their oversight of United Airlines, the company announced Friday, following a series of recent issues including a piece of the outer fuselage falling off one jet, an engine fire and a plane losing a tire during takeoff. United’s vice president of corporate safety, Sasha Johnson, said the Federal Aviation Administration will examine “multiple areas of our operation” to ensure safety compliance. “Over the next several weeks, we will begin to see more of an FAA presence in our operation as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities,” she said in a note to employees. “We welcome their engagement and are very open to hear from them about what they find and their perspective on things we may need to change to make us even safer.” Johnson said the FAA will pause certification activities but did not provide details. The agency said it “routinely monitors all aspects of an airline’s operation” and did not describe any additional steps it is taking in United’s case. In a statement, an agency spokesperson said FAA oversight “focuses on an airline’s compliance with applicable regulations; ability to identify hazards, assess and mitigate risk; and effectively manage safety.” Earlier this week, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told NBC News, “We are going to look at each one of these incidents and see if we see a pattern. … No one likes to see this spike of incidents.” Whitaker said he spoke with United CEO Scott Kirby about the events. Separately this week, Kirby tried to reassure customers that the airline is safe, saying that the recent issues were unrelated to each other. Kirby said the airline was already planning an extra day of training for pilots starting in May and making changes in training curriculum for newly hired mechanics and that it would consider additional changes. Among the most recent issues, a chunk of outer aluminum skin was discovered to have fallen off the belly of a United Boeing 737 after it landed in Oregon. Earlier this month, a United jet suffered an engine fire during takeoff from Houston, and a tire fell off another United jet as it left San Francisco. Other problems included a hydraulic leak and a plane veering off a taxiway and getting stuck in grass. United is the nation’s second-largest airline by revenue, behind Delta Air Lines. https://fortune.com/2024/03/23/united-airlines-more-faa-presence-spike-of-incidents-aviation-safety/ Knife found on Delta plane at Salt Lake airport, another Delta flight turns around after ‘mechanical issue’ SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Multiple Delta Air Lines flights raised concerns at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Sunday evening after crews reported finding a knife on one plane and another flight was forced to return to the airport after a “mechanical issue.” Airport officials told ABC4.com that the knife was found by cleaning crews after the plane had landed at the Salt Lake airport. No information was given about the size of the knife or where the flight had come from, but officials confirmed that it was found on a Delta plane. There were also reports of a mechanical issue with a different Delta plane. This flight was reportedly on its way to Amsterdam from Salt Lake City, but had to turn around a couple hours into the flight because of a mechanical problem. A statement from Delta was provided to ABC4.com after the mechanical issue was reported and can be read below: Delta flight 56 from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam safely returned to SLC due to a reported mechanical issue. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel and are working to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.” DELTA AIR LINES SPOKESPERSON While the statement from Delta does not specify the mechanical issue, one individual from the flight told ABC4.com they believe the issue had something to do with the plane’s engine. The airline did not provide a statement regarding the knife that was found, but that incident was instead confirmed by officials with the Salt Lake airport. Both of these incidents occurred just one week after a man was removed from a different Delta flight at the Salt Lake airport for allegedly using photos of other passengers’ boarding passes to get on a flight. https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news/slc-airport-knife-mechanical-issue/ FAA Fines Spirit Airlines For Hazmat Violation—Recalling ValueJet Crash The Federal Aviation Administration announced a proposed civil penalty of $146,500 against Spirit Airlines for alleged violations of the Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations. The airline is accused of improperly handling packages containing compressed oxygen containers, which it sent to ship on FedEx. An oxygen shipment mishandling led to the tragedy of ValueJet flight 561 in 1996. The National Transportation Safety Board determined a fire in the cargo hold started by improperly packed and labeled oxygen generators caused the airline’s Douglas DC-9 to crash in the Florida Everglades ten minutes after take-off, killing everyone onboard. Spirit Allegedly Tried To Ship Improperly Packaged Oxygen Containers Five Times The FAA alleges Spirit employees offered five separate shipments containing compressed oxygen cylinders to FedEx for air transportation from Detroit to New York in August and September 2022. FedEx employees rejected one of the shipments because the packed compressed oxygen cylinder was in a damaged box that did not meet regulatory Flame Penetration Resistance Test requirements. It was also improperly marked and labeled. The Spirit employees who handled the five shipments still needed to complete the required hazardous materials training and had yet to receive their required certificates for handling dangerous goods cargo. These are well-established industry requirements. The FAA gave Spirit 30 days to respond to its enforcement letter. According to the FAA, over 261,000 tons of regulated dangerous goods are transported by air in the U.S. each year. To keep cargo and passenger aircraft safe, the Department of Transportation has rules for packaging and marking hazardous materials shipments, identifying potential hazards’ nature and level. Hazardous materials must be packed in containers tested to withstand air transport conditions and remain intact. Hazmat shipments have unique shipping paperwork requirements that help identify these dangerous goods on aircraft. The shipping documentation requirements include notices and critical emergency response information for pilots. Commercial airline pilots have a right to refuse a hazardous material shipment offered as cargo on passenger aircraft if they feel it poses a risk to their flight due to the combination of items in the hold. However, they rely on the accuracy of the shipping documentation to make this critical decision. How Improperly Shipped Oxygen Generators Led To ValueJet Tragedy An improper hazardous materials shipment caused the ValueJet disaster. As the NTSB reported following the accident, personnel of SabreTech, which supplied maintenance to ValueJet, loaded five boxes of unexpended chemical oxygen generators and three tires into the forward cargo compartment of the DC-9 aircraft on flight 592. One of the National Transportation Safety Board’s findings as a probable cause of the accident was SabreTech’s failure “to properly prepare, package, and identify unexpended chemical oxygen generators before presenting them to ValuJet for carriage.” The declaration forms for the company materials shipped on this flight included “two main tires and wheels, a nose tire and wheel, and five boxes that were described as “Oxy Cannisters [sic]-‘Empty,’”according to the NTSB report. However, the oxygen generators still had a supply of oxygen and had not been properly secured to prevent their activation. The NTSB determined that “one or more of the oxygen generators likely were actuated at some point after the loading process began, but possibly as late as during the airplane’s takeoff roll.” These oxygen generators, which supplied oxygen to passenger masks stored in the cabin’s overhead compartment, were known to become very hot when activated. There had already been previous incidents on fires starting on aircraft due to their inadvertent activation before the ValueJet crash. These incidents had led a number of air carriers to discontinue the practice of air shipping oxygen generators as company materials for maintenance and disposal. The fire in the hold caused one of the tires packed near the oxygen generators to explode, the sound of which was the first alert pilots had that there might be trouble. The flight’s cockpit voice recorder captured the captain asking, “What was that?” However, pilots no way to know exactly what had caused the sound coming from below. Because oxygen is highly flammable, the fire quickly propagated from the DC-9’s cargo hold to the cabin. The recorder also captured sounds of passenger alarm. The fire filled the cockpit with smoke, and pilots struggled to respond appropriately, leading to the deadly crash. While Spirit Airlines is charged with hazardous materials violations involving shipments sent to FedEx, not a commercial airline cargo shipment, the DOT’s hazardous materials shipping rules are just as critical in keeping cargo aircraft crew safe and protecting individuals on the ground. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2024/03/25/faa-fines-spirit-airlines-for-hazmat-violation-recalling-valuejet-crash/?sh=376f35e57200 A 33-Year-Old United Airlines Boeing 767 Which Everyone Thought Would Be Scrapped After Sustaining Major Damage is Returning to the Skies A 33-year-old United Airlines Boeing 767, which many people thought was destined for the scrapper’s yard when it sustained major damage after a hard landing, has, in fact, spent the last seven months being repaired and will soon return to the skies carrying passengers. The aircraft in question is a Boeing 767-322, which was delivered new to United Airlines in 1991. United plans to eventually replace its fleet of ageing 767s with brand-new Airbus A321XLR aircraft, but these new planes aren’t expected to start joining United’s fleet until 2025 at the earliest. The 767 and the A321XLR that will replace it have a unique role in United’s fleet, primarily serving ‘long and thin’ routes so that might go some way to explain why United decided it was worth spending a significant amount of time and money to repair such an old aircraft. The aircraft (registration N641UA) was damaged after an otherwise routine flight from Newark to Houston Intercontinental Airport on July 29, 2023. As the aircraft landed, the nose wheel made contact with the runway with an “abnormal force”, according to an NTSB preliminary report. That force was so abnormal that the nose wheel touched down with a gravitational force equivalent to about 1.4g. A routine post-flight inspection revealed that the crown of the upper fuselage had sustained substantial damage, with wrinkles and tears clearly visible. This kind of repair isn’t impossible, but a decision has to be made as to whether the investment is worth it. Many observers believed United had written this aircraft off, but in actual fact, it has been repaired in situ at Houston Intercontinental over the last seven months. Earlier this month, the aircraft was then flown to Wilmington, where it underwent a series of test flights before being flown to Lake Charles for a new paint job. At some point in the near future, the aircraft is expected to rejoin the United fleet for commercial flights. While this type of repair job is unusual, it’s not unheard of. In 2019, a Delta Air Line Boeing 757 sustained similar damage after a hard landing in the Azores. Delta decided to have the aircraft repaired rather than scrapping it and in that case, the plane was back in service in just four months. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/03/24/a-33-year-old-united-airlines-boeing-767-which-everyone-thought-would-be-scrapped-after-sustaining-major-damage-is-returning-to-the-skies/ 5 Supersonic Passenger Aircraft: Canceled, Completed & Planned Since the 1950s engineers have planned for supersonic travel and commercial supersonic flights may return as soon as 2029. SUMMARY • The Boeing 2707 was America's answer to Concorde, featuring a capacity for 250-300 passengers and a speed of Mach 2.7. • Concorde, Britain's pride, flew transatlantic routes for 25 years but faced limited routes due to sonic booms. • The Boom Overture aims to revive supersonic travel with a cruising speed of Mach 1.7 and a capacity of 64-80 passengers. A supersonic aircraft can fly at a speed greater than sound speed (Mach 1). As of 2024, only two supersonic commercial aircraft have been put into service and both have retired (Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144 - the Soviet's flawed Concorde challenger). Safety and issues surrounding the sonic boom have made creating commercially viable supersonic airliners difficult. However, more supersonic aircraft are in development now (with Boom leading the charge). Boeing 2707 The Boeing 2707 was the greatest supersonic passenger jet never made Manufacturer: Boeing Passengers: 250 to 300 Cruising Speed: Mach 3 Fate: Canceled It may seem uncharacteristic for the United States to let the Europeans (with Concorde) and the Soviets (with the Tu-144) get ahead. However, Boeing had its own American supersonic passenger airliner project in the 1960s called the Boeing 2707. The Boeing 2707 was the American answer to Concorde and was intended to be much larger and faster than Concorde. The Boeing 2707's design allowed seating for 250 to 300 passengers. Boeing states it would have had a cruise of speed of Mach 2.7 at an altitude of over 60,000 feet. The project was plagued with rising costs and the lack of a clear market (although 26 airlines ordered 122 of the planes). Eventually, it was canceled in 1971 before any prototypes had been completed. Boeing 2707 The proposed supersonic airliner could carry nearly 300 passengers at speeds nearing Mach 3. Concorde Concorde was the world's first supersonic passenger jet to enter service & flew transatlantic routes for 25 years Manufacturer: Sud Aviation & British Aircraft Corporation Passengers: up to 100 Cruising Speed: Mach 2.04 Fate: Retired in 2003 Concorde is perhaps the most famous supersonic passenger jet and remains a household name. A joint project between the French company, Sud Aviation and the British company, British Aircraft Corporation, Concorde remains a source of pride for Ango-French aviation engineering. Concorde's origins trace back to 1954. Its first flight took place in 1969 in France. At the time, it was thought the market would require 350 aircraft, but in the end, the only customers were British Airways and Air France with only 20 Concordes built. It was hampered by the lack of air routes (only transoceanic flights) as sonic booms were not permitted over land. Still, the National Air and Space Museum notes Concorde flew 17,824 hours over a period of 25 years ferrying thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound. Tupolev Tu-144 The Tu-144 was the flawed Soviet supersonic jet that crashed as its flight show Manufacturer: Tupolev Passengers: 150 Cruising Speed: Mach 2 Fate: Retired (from passenger transport in 1978, last flight 1999) The Soviets were not to be outdone by their Western counterparts, and so they raced to build their own commercial supersonic aircraft - the Tupolev Tu-144. The Tu-144 took to the skies on its maiden flight just months before the Anglo-French Concorde. As history would have it, the Tu-144 was even less of a commercial success than Concorde. Only 16 aircraft were built, and they conducted only 102 commercial flights (of which only 55 actually carried passengers). The Tu-144 got off to a bad start when the first Tu-144S production airliner crashed at the Paris Air Show in 1973 (another crashed in 1978). It commenced commercial passenger flights in 1977, but the 1978 crash proved the final straw for the Tu-144 and it ceased to be flown as a passenger aircraft. Instead, it flew as a cargo plane until it was canceled in 1983. It found an epilogue being used for training in the Soviet Space Program and flew its final flight in 1999. Boom Overture The Overture is planned to enter service in 2029, beginning with United Airlines Designer Boom Passengers: 64-80 Cruising Speed: Mach 1.7 Fate: In development The age of supersonic travel may return with the Boom Overture's development. According to Boom, it will be a slower and smaller aircraft than previous supersonic passenger jets with a cruising speed of Mach 1.7 and a capacity of 64 to 80 passengers, depending on its configuration. Boom claims there are 600+ profitable routes, and United Airlines has announced that it will purchase 15 of the Boom Overture airliners, with an option for 35 more. This year (2024) is projected to be the year that the Overture Superfactory (the final assembly line for the Boom Overture) is expected to be completed. It is hoped that the Overture will start carrying passengers in 2029 and fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Spike Diplomat Supersonic Business Jet Spike's supersonic jet will be a 12 to 18-seat luxury business jet Designer: Spike Aerospace Passengers: 12-18 Cruising Speed: Mach 1.6 Fate: In development Spike Diplomat Supersonic Business Jet is another supersonic passenger jet in development. What sets Spike Aerospace's supersonic jet apart from the other aircraft on this list is that it is a business jet. The Spike jet is designed for long-haul flights for business and private travelers willing to pay a premium to cut flight times by more than 50%. If built, Spike's website states that it will fly at Mach 1.6 (500 mph faster than any other civilian jet) and carry 12 to 18 passengers. Its design does not have passenger windows; instead, it will be built with cameras that offer external views. The interior is planned to be plush and luxurious with ample space for its limited number of passengers. https://simpleflying.com/supersonic-passenger-aircraft-list/ Turboprop Safety Under The Microscope At AAPA-Hosted Conference Operators in Asia and the Pacific will have the chance to come together at safety conference in June. SUMMARY • A turboprop safety conference will take place in Kuala Lumpur from June 26-27th. • The event will offer practical sessions from industry leaders. • It will focus on safety culture, flight data management, and unique operational considerations. With travel restrictions long left behind, aviation conferences have returned with a vengeance, well and truly putting paid to the idea that everyone would only meet on Zoom once business returned. Conferences worldwide are drawing large crowds, so it is heartening to see that one focused on turboprop safety is being held in Malaysia in June. The focus is on turboprop safety The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) announced this week that it is hosting the Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference on June 26th and 27th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rather than focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, this conference is looking at both regions, most likely as many turboprop aircraft operators are scattered across the Pacific and among its islands. The AAPA has worked actively with the region's turboprop operators since 2014. Turboprops are an essential form of transport in many parts of Asia and the Pacific, and they kept vital connections open during the worst of the pandemic, particularly when transporting medical personnel and supplies to remote locations. On Friday, AAPA Director General Subhas Menon said: "The industry believes wholeheartedly that safety is paramount for the industry and no airline should be left behind. The Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference underscores our commitment to promoting safety and excellence across all segments of commercial aviation." AAPA organized this initiative to support the large number of operators in Asia and the Pacific who operate crucial airline services to many cities and remote destinations. The association has for some time recognized the unique difficulties faced by turboprop operators in Pacific and Asia regions, where flights are often undertaken to aerodromes with short gravel or grass runways in hot and high areas that put aircraft and pilots to the test. Practical sessions for operators The Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference is being held over two days in Kuala Lumpur as a hub of innovation, knowledge exchange, and collaborative progress in aviation safety. The agenda includes speakers from major players in the turboprop industry, including ATR, Pratt & Whitney, CAE, Flight Safety Foundation, and L3Harris. Simulation specialist CAE is presenting a session on 'Enhancing pilot safety through advanced simulator techniques." Some other sessions include Information sharing among turboprop operators, safety culture from operator and manufacturer perspectives, flight data management, and a Pratt & Whitney presentation on Engine operations, best practices, and efficient operations. Some of the best value from conferences comes from networking with peers, and there are also roundtable discussions organized for the region's operators to get together and talk about what issues they are facing. There are also specific breakout sessions for operators focusing on various aircraft types and engine options, which will have a particular operational focus and be facilitated by the OEMs. Other facets of turboprop operations to be featured in Kuala Lumpur include emergency response, safety culture, flight data monitoring, and unique airport and operational considerations. AAPA has extended a warm invitation to all turboprop operators in the Asia and Pacific regions to participate in this landmark event. https://simpleflying.com/turboprop-safety-microscope-aapa-conference/ How & Why Did Pan Am's Sea Captain Pilot Uniforms Became The Standard In Commercial Aviation? In the 1930s, pilot uniforms switched to sleek, professional uniforms based on sea captain uniforms. SUMMARY • Pilot uniforms were initially inspired by military attire with practical elements like leather jackets and scarfs. • Pan Am introduced naval-inspired uniforms for pilots, setting a standard still used today. • Flight attendants' uniforms vary globally and evolve with fashion, unlike pilots' uniforms. A quick glance at commercial airline pilots and ship captain uniforms reveals some striking similarities. At the same time, commercial airline pilots' uniforms bear little resemblance to their military pilot uniform counterparts. In the earliest days, the opposite was true. Pilot uniforms have evolved over the years, but the largest change came in the 1930s when Pan Am introduced its transatlantic Clipper flying boats. The military uniform years In the earliest days of commercial flying, commercial pilots wore clothing derived from their military counterparts established during World War I. Military pilot clothing was designed to be practical and comfortable with leather bomber jackets, scarves to keep the pilot's necks warm, khaki trousers, and soft leather helmets. The jackets even boasted oversized front pockets, so pilots could easily access their charts (there was no GPS or computer-assisted navigation back then). The adoption of military-style pilot uniforms was facilitated by many of the civil aviation sector pilots being ex-military pilots. During this time, cabins were unpressurized and flying was a cold and drafty experience. The first commercial airliner to have a pressurized fuselage was the Boeing 307 (first flown in late 1938). Pressurized cabins didn't become standard practice until years later. Enter Pan Am No airline has left as large an impact and legacy on commercial aviation as Pan Am. In 1931, Pan Am introduced its South American routes using the Sikorsky S-38 and S-40 flying boats. These were the famous Interwar Pan Am clippers - the American Clipper, the Southern Clipper, and the CaribbeanClipper. In the run-up to World War Two, Pan Am introduced transatlantic flights to Ireland, Great Britain, and France with Boeing 314 flying boats. The clippers are not called floating planes but rather flying boats. As they were flying boats, it was deemed that pilots were as much sea skippers as air pilots. After all, these clippers competed with iconic transatlantic ocean liners like the Queen Mary and Pam Am Chief Juan Trippe called the B-314s 'clippers' to compare the airline with the maritime heritage. Pan Am's Clippers dominated its international airline service during the 1920s and the 1930s. Flying boats had the advantage of being able to service any city with a sheltered harbor. This was when developed airports and runways were still in short supply and few cities had runways capable of landing large land planes. The Boeing B-314 Clippers, while noisy and unpressurized, were luxuriously decked out and were the high-water mark for the age of flying boats. But commercial flights were still in their infancy and were a dangerous alternative to taking traditional ocean liners. Formally presenting professional seafaring pilots in the pilot seat was thought to help assuage passengers' nervousness. Pan Am made the decision to clothe its pilots in uniforms resembling those of naval officer uniforms. Since then, air pilots' uniforms have changed very little. Pilot's uniforms are designed to look professional and symbolize the pilot's authority, much the same way as a sea captain's uniform does. Pan Am became the world's number-one leader in commercial aviation, taking its place as the world's best-known and largest airline. The airline operated globally from the 1930s until going bankrupt in 1991. In its day, Pan Am was the industry-setter for many things taken for granted today and other airlines looked on to emulate its success. Eventually, all other commercial airlines adopted their own versions of the naval-inspired uniforms used by Pan Am. While Pan Am lost its leading edge during the 1970s and 1980s before collapsing in the early 1990s, the airline's impact on the development of aviation has proven lasting and profound. The pilot's naval uniforms are just one visual legacy of Pan Am. Aircrew uniforms today Since then, pilots' uniforms have sported black trousers and black double-breasted blazers. The stripes on the pilot uniforms indicate rank - a trainee pilot has one stripe while a captain has four stripes. The stripes are placed on the pilot's jacket cuffs and the epaulets of their shirts. Captains' uniforms also have wings with a star on a laurel wreath as the qualification badge. Pilots wear an officer-style combination cap with the airline name or logo in gold or silver insignia. While there is significant variation in flight attendant's uniforms on airlines around the world, there is little variation in pilot's uniforms. The story of the development of the flight attendant's uniforms took a different path. The first stewards were men and Ellen Church became the first female stewardess in 1930. As a trained nurse, she convinced Boeing Air Transport (now United Airlines) that having nurses onboard would increase air safety and convince people that flying was safe. Soon, attractive young stewardesses were used to market airlines. These uniforms have evolved over time and with fashions, e.g., according to the SFO Museum, United Air Lines introduced a stewardess' youthful A-line dress uniform. Flight attendant uniforms also vary around the world, often reflecting the local cultural dress and traditions of the airline's home country (Royal Brunei Airlines being an example). Flight attendant uniforms continue to evolve and change significantly with the times, but pilots' uniforms are proving steadfastly resilient. https://simpleflying.com/pan-am-uniform-history/ NC-bound Boom Supersonic completes test flight of supersonic jet. How fast did it go? A video released by Boom Supersonic on March 22, 2024, shows the first test flight of it's XB-1 supersonic jet at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. The startup is building an assembly plant at the Greensboro, NC airport. Boom Supersonic took a step toward its passenger jet ambitions Friday by completing the first flight of its demonstrator plane, called XB-1, at the Mojave Air & Space Port in California. The company said the needle-nosed XB-1 “met all its test objectives” including reaching 7,120 feet and 273 mph. This is well short of the speed, 1,300 mph, at which Boom promises to eventually shuttle passengers around the world. In an email to The News & Observer, Boom spokesperson Aubrey Scanlan said the company expects to perform 10 to 20 additional test flights before going supersonic, which depending on factors like temperature and altitude begins at around 760 mph. “This includes in-flight checks of all systems, as well as multiple test points demonstrating safe margin to flutter (vibration) boundaries,” she said. While based in Colorado, Boom’s future is intertwined with the North Carolina Piedmont. In January 2022, the startup jetmaker entered an agreement with the state to build a $500 million “flagship” at Greensboro’s Piedmont Triad International Airport. A $121.5 million incentive package between the state and Guilford County helped North Carolina edge out Florida for the company. Boom pledged to employ up to 1,761 workers at the facility, and construction got underway early last year. The company intends to use the Greensboro campus to assembly, test, and deliver its prospective supersonic airliner, called Overture, which it hopes to have certified for commercial travel in 2029. The company expects to complete construction by the middle of this year, Scanlan said. The XB-1 program, Boom said in a statement, “provides the foundation for the design and development” for this future jet, which could carry 64 to 80 passengers at Mach 1.7, or roughly twice the speed of today’s traditional commercial airliners. On Friday, North Carolina’s top leaders offered statements celebrating Boom’s inaugural test flight. “We’re excited about this historic flight and Boom’s progress toward great paying North Carolina jobs and sustainable aviation,” Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said. Republican Senate leader Phil Berger called the XB-1 flight “a tremendous turning point in Boom’s quest to bring supersonic flight to the https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article287005900.html#storylink=cpy SAA continues to search for “strategic partner” - CEO South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) continues to search for a new “strategic or equity partner” to inject capital into the troubled state-owned carrier after a previous deal with the Takatso Aviation Consortium fell through, according to interim CEO John Lamola. In an interview with South Africa's Financial Times, he said that after finding such a partner SAA would like to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, but the government would retain a so-called "golden share" to ensure the country’s interests are protected. While no formal talks have yet taken place with a potential partner, Lamola is optimistic there will be "a concrete and solid plan" by mid-2025 for new investors, possibly including other airlines. Pretoria reached an agreement in 2021 to sell 51% to Takatso, comprising majority partner Harth General Partners (a Black Economic Empowerment firm), ACMI-specialist Global Aviation Operations (GE, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), and marketing consultancy Syranix, but the deal unravelled last week over disagreements on price; the status of Global/Syranix, which own competitor Lift Airlines (GE, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo); and political opposition to privatisation from within the governing African National Congress (ANC). One of the stumbling blocks in the Takatso deal appears to have been the government's new valuation of SAA, which has risen from ZAR2.4 billion rand (USD142 million) in 2021 to ZAR6.5 billion (USD342.2 million) now, thanks to post-Covid economic and market realities. Despite receiving ZAR50.7 billion (USD2.7 billion) in state bailouts over the last 16 years, Lamola revealed that unpublished accounts for the year to March 2023, now being audited, will show that SAA turned its first profit in more than a decade. "Some will say this is a modest profit but, given where SAA is coming from, I wouldn’t say this is a modest achievement at all,” he said. However, uncertainties remain regarding the airline's financial transparency, with concerns raised over its accounting practices and capitalisation. A recent report by the South African Auditor General highlights significant financial mismanagement and deficiencies at the airline. The report shows that the government has injected ZAR38.1 billion (USD2 billion) into SAA since April 1, 2018, with ZAR27.6 billion (USD1.4 billion) deposited post-business rescue. The Auditor General also issued disclaimers on all four sets of SAA's accounts due to inadequate record-keeping, misstatements, and lack of essential skills within SAA's finance department. Concerns were raised on alleged non-compliance in procurement, contracts, expenditure, and revenue management, resulting in substantial wasteful expenditure. Meanwhile, South Africa's Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises has unanimously called for an independent investigation by the country's Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the collapsed Takatso deal. This follows allegations made by the former director-general of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Kgathatso Tlhakudi, claiming irregularities in the deal orchestrated by outgoing Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. The committee itself lacks the capacity to investigate these claims, leading to the call for an external inquiry. While the committee acknowledged questionable processes, it found no direct evidence implicating Gordhan, who has denied the allegations. Tlhakudi was dismissed in 2023 following an inquiry into a separate complaint. https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/138423-saa-continues-to-search-for-strategic-partner-ceo CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 2024 ACSF Safety Symposium – Air Charter Safety Foundation - April 1-3, 2024 • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis