Flight Safety Information August 23, 2011 - No. 174 In This Issue Safety board analyzing First Air black boxes NTSB Sessions to Examine Safety Trends Pilot of jet in 2005 Teterboro crash sentenced to 6 months United-Continental eyes paperless flight decks with iPads Israeli airlines move closer to missile defence system Libyan A320 White Tails Headed For Laos 64th Annual International Air Safety Seminar 2011 Boeing's 787 Glut Casts Pall Over FAA Approval Flier comfort: Boeing 787 myths and facts Airline passengers get new protections Boeing Is in Line for Major Delta Deal International Society of Air Safety Investigators...42nd Annual Seminar...Salt Lake City Safety board analyzing First Air black boxes Yellowknife, N.W.T. - The black boxes from the First Air Boeing 737 are now in Ottawa in the hands of investigators. The cockpit voice recorder from the crash is expected to reveal conversations between pilots and air traffic control, while the flight data recorder should have information on air speed, altitude, engines and fuel. The Director of Air Investigations with the Transportation Safety Board, Mark Clitsome, expects to know something by Tuesday. "We'll be able to analyze exactly what the aircraft was doing in the last couple of hours, and then they'll also listen to the cockpit voice recorder and listen to what the crew was saying." However, he said it will be weeks before they release any findings because investigators must consider other issues when they analyze the data, such as weather and what happened at the air traffic control tower. Clitsome has investigated several other aviation accidents, and with this one, he believes they have a lot to go on. "One good thing that we look forward to receiving are the flight recorders, so if we get some good recorders that's a big huge push on how we conduct our investigation," he said and pointed to other accidents where the black boxes were destroyed or damaged. "If you remember back in 1998, we had the terrible crash of Swiss Air 111 in Nova Scotia with 229 people dead. That was a very big one for us." He said they will interview witnesses; go through pilot records, weather information and air traffic control information, all of which is expected to take a year before the TSB releases its final report on what happened to flight 6560 in Resolute Bay. http://hqyellowknife.com/news/local/news/Local/11/08/22/Safety-board-analyzing-First- Air-black-boxes Back to Top NTSB Sessions to Examine Safety Trends By ANDY PASZTOR (WSJ) - Seeking to become more proactive in assessing aviation hazards, the National Transportation Safety Board over the next few months will delve into broad problems posed by airliner structural defects, as well as lax oversight of planes and helicopters operated on behalf of government agencies. Board officials said they have decided to hold separate public sessions on those potentially far-reaching safety problems, with the focus extending beyond traditional agency efforts to determine probable causes of specific accidents and incidents. Instead of concentrating on individual events, according to board chairman Deborah Hersman, the goal is to look at dangerous trends and important safety lapses that span various federal policies and sometimes cut across a number of jurisdictions. The NTSB is more interested than ever in "looking at ways to identify safety issues before they result in fatal accidents," Ms. Hersman said in an interview last week. The latest steps build on earlier moves to shift the board's attention beyond its core mission of probing accidents. The public forum on aircraft structural integrity, planned for mid-September, originally was prompted by the midair fuselage rupture of a Southwest Airlines Co. Boeing 737 jet in early April. Nobody was hurt and the pilots managed to land at an Arizona airport, despite a rapid decompression that ripped out a roughly five-foot section of the plane's fuselage. The incident shocked the airline industry and spooked many travelers, because it happened as the 15-year-old plane was cruising at 34,000 feet in a flight from Phoenix to Sacramento, Calif., with 122 people aboard. So far, the NTSB has issued a preliminary report suggesting that manufacturing problems and imperfections, including a pattern of misaligned rivet holes and loose bolts, likely played a major part in the accident. Some defects were discovered in a section of the plane's aluminum skin several feet from the rupture, including gaps between rivets and their holes, which didn't have the proper shape, according to the board's preliminary report Last Friday, the board released information about a separate in-flight structural failure that occurred in an American Airlines Boeing 757 jet last October. Documents and data released by the board suggest that different manufacturing issues were to blame for that fuselage rupture, which was roughly 18 inches long. The plane returned safely to Miami and nobody was hurt. Regulators and manufacturer Boeing Co. have taken action to deal with safety issues arising from both fuselage ruptures. But in the interview, Ms. Hersman said the coming session won't delve deeply into specific events. Rather, she said, the forum is intended to take a "very comprehensive look" at structural issues and "what we know about aircraft" design and maintenance "from cradle to grave." The safety board, among other things, is expected to examine current inspection methods and continuing Federal Aviation Administration programs requiring enhanced structural checks of aging aircraft fleets. The second set of public sessions, slated for the end of November, will look into gaps in supervision and safety enforcement affecting a wide array of aircraft leased or operated by the government, including fire-fighting helicopters and planes that routinely transport federal employees. For some time, Ms. Hersman and other NTSB officials have been looking to broaden the board's agenda-and try to enhance its overall influence-by examining national safety trends and data that previously were the domain of regulators, airlines and certain independent safety officials. As part of that initiative, the board is still trying to gain access to summaries of certain incident data voluntarily provided to regulators by pilots and airliners. Such information historically has been considered strictly off-limits to NTSB accident investigators, but now the board is striving for ways to access the data. Previous public information-gathering sessions by the board dealt with topics ranging from hazardous air-ambulance operations to pilot professionalism. Back to Top Pilot of jet in 2005 Teterboro crash sentenced to 6 months A former pilot who operated a charter jet that crashed on takeoff from Teterboro Airport in 2005 was sentenced Monday to six months in prison after admitting that he and his cohorts flew illegal flights and falsified safety records. The pilot of this charter jet that crashed in 2005 has been sentenced to six months in prison. Francis Vieira, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh in Newark to serve six months of house arrest upon his release. The sentencing followed a hearing last year in which Vieira admitted that, more than two dozen times, he altered weight-and-balance graphs for the jet that crashed in February 2005. The calculations are critical to safety and are required of pilots before flights. Vieira faced up to six months in prison after oral arguments Monday helped Cavanaugh determine the severity of Vieira's actions. Cavanaugh issued the harshest sentence possible despite Vieira's pleas that he be spared prison time. Dressed in a black sports jacket and khakis, Vieira stood to address Cavanaugh with tears in his eyes. He said he deeply regretted his actions and implored Cavanaugh to consider the financial and emotional burden his family has endured during the two years it has taken for his case to reach a conclusion. Vieira said the experience has been worse than his recent bout with cancer. "Have mercy on me," Vieira pleaded. "Have mercy on my family." But Cavanaugh, who admitted several times that he has struggled with the case, said incarceration was appropriate. There was a need to deter other pilots from committing similar acts, he said. "Protection of the public is paramount," Cavanaugh said. Members of Vieira's family, who sat in a row behind Vieira, wept as Cavanaugh handed down his sentence. The judge said Vieira should serve time close to home and that he will have at least 60 days before reporting to prison. Scott McBride, an assistant U.S. Attorney, failed to persuade Cavanaugh to order Vieira to pay $4.4 million in restitution to passengers on flights for which Vieira had altered records. If Vieira successfully completes three years of supervised release following house arrest, he will be allowed to fly again, the judge said. At a hearing last year, Vieira pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to defraud the United States by impeding efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration to regulate commercial aviation. Vieira admitted that he and his co-conspirators flew several dozen flights for Platinum Jet, many of which were for famous athletes, musicians and other well-known people, despite not having an FAA-issued certificate permitting the company to fly commercial charter flights. He also admitted that he and others falsified flight logs to indicate that certain flights were private as opposed to charter flights with paying passengers. The falsified logs enabled the company to conceal that a captain was not qualified to fly charter flights, among other violations. Fourteen people were injured when the jet overran a runway, plowed through a fence and raced across six lanes of Route 46 on Feb. 2, 2005. The plane struck two cars before it smashed into a clothing warehouse and caught fire. Platinum's former president, Michael Brassington, was found guilty in November of endangering the safety of an aircraft in flight. Prosecutors said the company's jets were regularly overfueled at airports where fuel was cheaper, making them dangerously overweight. Brassington's younger brother Paul, a company executive, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Brassingtons are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20. A third executive, Joseph Singh, was sentenced Aug. 16 to probation and ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to a fraud charge. Singh admitted that an unqualified pilot was flying the jet. http://www.northjersey.com/ Back to Top United-Continental eyes paperless flight decks with iPads United-Continental intends to convert to paperless flight decks and deploy 11,000 Apple iPad tablet computers to all United and Continental pilots. "The electronic flight bags replace paper flight manuals, and as a first for major network carriers, provide pilots with paperless aeronautical navigational charts through an iPad app," said United-Continental in a brief statement today. The company will provide further details of its strategy during a media briefing tomorrow at Chicago O'Hare. At that time, United pilots will be available on an aircraft to demonstrate how the iPads will be used on the flight deck, said the carrier. United is the latest US operator looking to turn the highly popular iPad into an electronic flight bag (EFB). Alaska Airlines in May became the first US domestic airline to formally announce plans to issue iPads to all its pilots for use as Class 1 portable, kneeboard EFBs, following a successful trial. In conjunction with replacing paper manuals, Alaska is exploring the replacement of paper aeronautical navigation charts with electronic versions on the iPad, eliminating the need for every pilot to carry their own copy. Delta Air Lines recently started testing iPads - and will test other tablets - as part of a broad initiative aimed at transforming its communications with crew, and flight operations. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Israeli airlines move closer to missile defence system Israel's civil aviation authority is in the process of certifying the C-Music countermeasures suite produced by Elbit Systems for passenger aircraft. Adi Dar, general manager of El Op, the division of Elbit Systems which has developed C- Music (Commercial Multi-Spectral Infrared Countermeasures), said that certification will cover the system's use on Boeing 737, 747 and 777 aircraft, along with Airbus A320s. C-Music is based on similar technology developed for the military which disrupts missiles fired at aircraft and causes them to veer off course by transmitting a laser beam. Under a $76 million agreement with the Israeli ministry of transport signed in June 2009, C-Music will be installed on aircraft belonging to Israel's main commercial airlines, thought to be El Al, Israir and Arkia. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top Libyan A320 White Tails Headed For Laos How Airbus made the connection between Libya and Laos Air travelers to Laos will soon have a uniquely Libyan inflight experience, thanks to Airbus. The European aircraft maker and Lao Airlines agreed on the sale of two A320s, built for Tripoli-based Afriqiyah Airways, says Noudeng Chanthaphasouk, head of planning for the Laotian carrier. These two CFM-powered transports are configured with 126 economy- and 16 business-class seats, he says. "Libya was supposed to buy these two aircraft, but they can't buy them now, so Airbus is selling them to us." An industry executive familiar with the situation says the Libyan national carrier had three A320s that it was about to receive, but the deal was canceled owing to NATO's move on March 19 to impose a no-fly zone over the country. Airbus was left to remarket the three white tails, which have Air Afriqiyah's inflight entertainment system as well as its cabin interiors, says the executive. All the seats are battle-fatigue green, the preferred color of Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi. It is a challenge to place these A320s with other operators because whoever buys the aircraft may have to retrofit them to ensure fleet commonality, an expensive exercise, says the executive. Lao Airlines, however, will have no such problem, as the two A320s will be its first. It operates turboprops-four ATR 72s and four Chinese-built Xian Aircraft MA60s. Chanthaphasouk says his carrier aims to take delivery of the first at the end of October and the other at the beginning of November. The plan is to launch a thrice-weekly service on Nov. 1 from Laos's capital Vientiane to Singapore. Lao Airlines' decision to acquire A320s could potentially put an end to an earlier deal in which China's Comac was to deliver two 90-seat ARJ21 regional jets to Lao. The sale is important to Comac because Lao is the ARJ21's first export customer. When asked if his airline will still receive the two ARJ21s, Chanthaphasouk says it is up to the Laotian government. "The Chinese have a government-to-government deal," he says. "Comac hasn't yet received Chinese type certification . . . for the ARJ21. We can't wait," he adds. Comac's ARJ21 program has experienced numerous delays over the years, but Comac now aims to receive type certification in time to have service entry at year-end with Chengdu Airlines, a carrier partly owned by Comac. Industry executives say the Laotian carrier never wanted the ARJ21 and is taking it only because of government pressure. Lao Airlines officials are, of course, careful never to state this publicly, preferring to remain diplomatic about the merits of Chinese-made aircraft. Lao Airlines wants to have A320s so it can compete more effectively against Thai Airways International, which is the main foreign carrier serving Laos. Moreover, Lao Airlines will soon face local pressure from another Laotian carrier, Phongsavanh Airlines, which has reportedly received an air operator's certificate. Quoting from Phongsavanh officials, reports say it has purchased Boeing 737-400s and plans to begin service by year-end on some of Lao Airlines' routes, such as Vientiane-Hanoi, Vietnam, and Vientiane-Siem Reap, Cambodia. The A320 is a big step for Lao Airlines. Laos is one of Asia's poorest countries and even though it has a tourism industry, the number of visitors is small. In the 1990s, Lao Aviation-as the airline was then called-operated a 737-200, but that was only for a short period. Then in June 2003, after receiving help from Air France Consulting, it started leasing an A320 from BOC Aviation, then called Singapore Aircraft Leasing. But Lao later returned the aircraft because it was unable to make money from it; the carrier lacked the overseas marketing and brand presence to boost passenger numbers. The question now is whether the Laotian economy and tourism industry have grown sufficiently to support two A320s. http://www.aviationweek.com Back to Top 64th Annual International Air Safety Seminar 2011 - Early Bird Registration Ends September 2 Presented by Flight Safety Foundation Hosted by Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore November 1-3, 2011 Mandarin Orchard Singapore The world comes to IASS. Aviation safety information and ideas go from IASS to the world. Network and exchange knowledge with industry leaders from airlines, corporate flight departments, manufacturers, civil aviation authorities, educational institutions and others. Last year more than 300 decision makers from 59 countries attended IASS. If you were there, you know the seminar's importance. If not, find out this year. Sessions, each with several speakers and panel discussions, will be devoted to a global aviation safety update; stall recovery; pilot training; fatigue risk management; runway excursions; and functional check flights. Aviation safety takes off from IASS. You're cleared to register. View Preliminary Agenda Additional Information Online Registration Form Online Hotel Reservations Form (Corporate/Promotion Code FSFIASS. Group rate available until October 14, 2011. Subject to Availability.) Contacts: For Sponsorship Opportunities: Kelcey Mitchell,mitchell@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 105 For Exhibitor Opportunities: Namratha Apparao,apparao@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 101. For Registration Information: Namratha Apparao,apparao@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 101. For Hotel Information: Kelcey Mitchell,mitchell@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 105 For Flight Safety Foundation Membership Information: Susan Lausch, lausch@flightsafety.org, +1 703.739.6700, ext. 112 Boeing's 787 Glut Casts Pall Over FAA Approval (Bloomberg) - Even with FAA approval expected Aug. 26 and first delivery due next month, most of the planes will sit for weeks and months more -- boosting production costs because each needs different fixes and eating into returns on the capital invested. . Boeing Co. (BA), set to get government approval of its new 787 Dreamliner this week and deliver the first jet next month, expects to spend most of 2012 unwinding the record inventory built during three years of delays to the world's first composite-plastic airliner. Boeing amassed $16.2 billion worth of inventory related to the 787 through June 30, with so many almost-finished jets the company ran out of room to park them. There are 35 scattered outside the Everett, Washington, plant, in leased space across an adjacent airfield and in a facility in Texas. Many lack seats and lavatories and have black plastic over the windows and concrete blocks hanging from the wings to keep them from tipping over before engines are installed. "This is like dinner in the anaconda right now," said Bill Batcheller, chief investment officer for Tower Wealth Management, which has $140 million under management and has been considering buying Boeing shares after selling them in early 2010. "It's a big bulge in the middle of the balance sheet, and it's got to work its way through." Even with U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval expected Aug. 26 and first delivery due next month, most of the planes will sit for weeks and months more -- boosting production costs because each needs different fixes and eating into returns on the capital invested. Boeing had to build a temporary factory inside a leased hangar in Everett to handle the extra load. 'Boat Anchor' The mothballed jets represent almost $6 a share in inventory growth since 2009. Counting four planes in the factory and six test jets, Boeing has more 787s on hand than Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways has planes in service. Working capital as a percentage of revenue is approaching 50 percent, from less than 25 percent in 2009, showing that Boeing has more money tied up in its production flow. "It's like they're dragging a boat anchor equivalent to 25 percent of their sales, which is at the expense of the profitability of their enterprise," said Wolfgang Demisch, a partner at Demisch Associates LLC, an aerospace financial consultant in New York. "It's bloated with inventory, and somebody has to pay for that, and it's the shareholder." Boeing tumbled 42 percent from the first 787 delay in October 2007 through yesterday, worse than the 6.1 percent decline by Airbus SAS parent European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. and the 31 percent drop on the Standard & Poor's 500 Aerospace & Defense Index. Credit-Default Swaps Credit-default swaps tied to Boeing bonds, which rise as investor confidence falls, closed yesterday at the highest since Dec. 7, 2009, gaining 1.3 basis points to 84.5 basis points, according to data compiled by CMA. A basis point is $1,000 a year on a contract protecting $10 million of debt. "The production delays have created a huge glut of inventory, bloating the balance sheet," said Joel Levington, a managing director of corporate credit at Brookfield Investment Management Inc. in New York, which doesn't own Boeing bonds. "It has been a large concern to us." Boeing is getting help in carrying the cost. It created a production system for the 787 using suppliers around the world to build most of the plane. They usually don't get paid until Boeing does. Airlines generally pay about 60 percent of the price of a plane in installments leading up to its delivery. Eating Dirt Boeing expects inventory growth to moderate as deliveries progress, said Chaz Bickers, a spokesman at the company's Chicago headquarters. The planemaker's "strong core operating performance and cash management" provide a foundation to support the 787 and 747-8 development programs, he said. Boeing can "eat some of the dirt of the inventory cost" by spreading it out over the initial block of 787s, using so- called program accounting, said Demisch, the consultant. The company plans to reveal the size of that accounting block with its third-quarter earnings in October. It's unlikely that the program will show a positive gross margin over an initial block that will probably be 1,000 planes, said Douglas Harned, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York. Profitability for the 787 is "the most important outstanding issue regarding the investment case for Boeing," Harned said in an Aug. 16 note. He rates the shares as "market perform." The Dreamliner is Boeing's fastest-selling jet, racking up more than 800 orders before it even flew. The planes have an average catalog price of about $202 million, and Boeing plans to assemble 10 a month by 2013 -- a record for wide-body jets. First 1,000 Jets The program has the potential to be the company's most lucrative ever, say Barclays Plc analysts Joe Campbell and Carter Copeland. The problem is that Boeing has probably spent $300 million to build each 787 and will realize revenue of as little as $50 million apiece for the early models, the analysts estimate. The 45th plane to be built -- in the factory now -- will probably cost Boeing at least $184 million, Harned estimated after analyzing inventory figures. That would make the average cost over the first 1,000 jets, including a learning curve, at least $116 million per plane, he projects. FAA approval this week after a flight-test program that began in December 2009 would set the stage for delivery of the first 787 to All Nippon Airways Co. next month. About half the 787s in Boeing's inventory were already built last year, before the company had to push back targets again because of a fire during a test flight. Testing took 20 months instead of the eight originally planned. Rain and Fire Each plane is in a different state of readiness, since Boeing kept improving processes after the jets began rolling out of the factory in 2009. They have undergone waves of repairs based on testing discoveries, and numerous jobs remain on "various and sundry components" before they're ready for delivery, said Scott Fancher, Boeing's 787 chief. One of those jobs has been to install new condensation- collection systems to handle "rain in the plane" found in flight tests, a byproduct of the extra moisture in the air allowed by the composite fuselages. Workers also have had to replace electrical power distribution panels with redesigned parts after the fire grounded the test fleet at the end of 2010. Delivery Plans The modifications have forced Boeing to pare its delivery plans for this year by several planes, to fewer than 14. Not only does Boeing have to hurry to fix the jets at the front end of the factory so they can be delivered, it also needs to cure its manufacturing woes at the back end so that shipments can get on track once the 787 is certified for use. Production has been stalled at a rate of two a month for more than a year and Boeing has routinely frozen the final- assembly line in Everett for catch-up sessions, the most recent of which was a four-week pause last month. "We want to see a little more clarity on when we can start anticipating a steady flow of deliveries and a sense that we've really got the factory floor straightened out" before buying the stock again, Batcheller said. "At that point it becomes attractive." Most airlines' contracts have clauses providing penalties for delays, so Boeing needs to make up for the lost time. Some of the changes generated by tests are already in the production pipeline and won't have to be made retroactively. "Anytime you're building an airplane out of sequence, the amount of work that's required probably goes up by a factor of 10, because they have to unbuild all the things you built on top of whatever you have to change, and then build it all back," said Demisch, the consultant. "It's better than starting the airplanes from scratch, but it's cost that will be added to production and make the likelihood of a profit on this program over the next half-dozen years very, very low." Back to Top Flier comfort: Boeing 787 myths and facts Airlines decide how to configure seats, so passengers probably won't see much extra space The new airplane has larger windows that have dimmers instead of shades The cabin will be pressurized at a lower altitude, so passengers are likely to feel better (CNN) -- The long-delayed and much-awaited Boeing 787 aircraft has finished testing and will see its first customer delivery next month to All Nippon Airways. Soon, you'll be able to hop on board this bird yourself, but would you even know it if you did? Aircraft manufacturers like to promote the greatness of their new airplanes when it comes to passenger comfort, but many of those promises require the airline to actually configure planes the way the manufacturer suggests. That usually doesn't happen, despite grandiose ideas. With the 787's entry into service approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at some of the promises of the 787 to see which will actually hold up. You'll have a lot more space: False This is a favorite myth of any new airplane. When the 747 first came out, it had lounges with pianos. Then the airlines realized that they needed a lot more seats to make more money on each flight, and the lounges disappeared. This time, there was a lot of talk about more personal space, but that's really at the whim of each airline. Boeing rolls out 787 Dreamliner after years of delay Debut of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner Boeing originally pitched the 787 with eight seats across in each row in coach, but many airlines have already opted for nine seats across. Legroom will only be as generous as the airline wants; it's not determined by the manufacturer. So I wouldn't look for anything radically different in this area. You'll be able to get a better view: True One thing that airlines can't reconfigure is the size of the window. The 787 has windows that are 19 inches high, and overall 65% larger than what you'll usually find on an airplane. There haven't been windows this big since the DC-8, an airplane that hasn't seen widespread passenger use in more than 20 years. That means you'll have a better view when you fly. Road warriors' best tips for smooth travel Window shades are no more: True Another interesting piece of news around the windows: Window shades will not be offered. No, this isn't a Ryanair-style money-saving tactic but rather a technological advance. Instead of window shades, there will be dimmers on the windows. If you're like me, you've been annoyed when others want the shades closed and you just want to watch out the window. Now you can put the dimmer on and get the best of both worlds. You'll feel better when you fly: True Everybody knows that general "bleh" feeling that you have when you walk off an airplane after a long flight. That's because the cabin is pressurized to a fairly high altitude -- around 8,000 feet. The 787, however, will be pressurized to 6,000 feet, and that means your body won't have as much trouble adapting. No bag? Then airlines should refund fee Turbulence will be a thing of the past: False While it's true that you'll still feel turbulence on the 787, Boeing has been working hard on new systems to help minimize the impact. There are systems that work to counter vertical and horizontal movement in turbulent air, and every new aircraft sees improved systems in that regard. So yes, you will still feel turbulence but the impact should be lessened on this airplane when compared to previous generations. Beyond this, we will see things like larger overhead bins and mood-lighting, improvements that have rolled out on other current Boeing models. Though the first delivery is to ANA in Japan, United will start taking delivery of the first of 50 new 787s early next year. Look for this airplane to begin flying long haul routes with lower demand (like United's Houston to Auckland flight) in the near future. Will this airplane offer a better passenger experience? Yes. But it may not be the revolution you'd like. Back to Top Airline passengers get new protections (CNN) -- Flying may get just a little less frustrating and a bit more transparent starting Tuesday, when new federal airline passenger protection rules go into effect. "It's huge," said Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org, who has fought for the changes for years. "If you're flying on (Tuesday), you're 400% better off than you were before." The Association of Passenger Rights also applauded the rules, calling them long overdue. "If you talk to most air travelers ... traveling on the airlines is about as popular as the U.S. Congress right now," said Brandon Macsata, a spokesman for the group. Here is what you need to know about the Department of Transportation's new protections: Bumping compensation gets a boost Passengers involuntarily bumped from oversold flights are now eligible for more money. Under the new rule, bumped passengers can get up to $650 if the airline can get them to their destination within a short period of time (within one to two hours of their originally scheduled arrival time for domestic flights), or up to $1,300 if they are delayed for a long time. Before Tuesday, the amounts were capped at $400 and $800 respectively. Inflation adjustments will be made to the compensation limits every two years. Always take cash rather than flight vouchers, Hanni advised. "Vouchers come with a lot of caveats. Anytime the airline offers you a voucher, it's to their benefit, not yours," Hanni said. "If they give you a $1,300 voucher, it's worth about a quarter of that to the airline as opposed to having to give you cash." International flights get tarmac delay limit International flights stuck on U.S. airport tarmacs more than four hours must now allow passengers to get off the plane or face huge fines, with exceptions allowed for safety, security or air traffic control-related reasons. Macsata called it a step forward, but said he would have preferred for this protection to be consistent with the three-hour rule that already exists for domestic flights. The domestic provision has significantly reduced the number of lengthy tarmac delays since it was implemented last year. Fourteen flights were stuck on the tarmac for three hours or more in June, compared to 268 flights in June 2009, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. But Hanni said the extra hour allowed for international flights is still an improvement. "Four hours is a heck of a lot better than 12 and we've had a lot of complaints from people who sat for 12 hours on international flights prior to takeoff or after landing," Hanni said. "So we're making headway, that's a huge deal." International airlines operating to and from the United States must now post contingency plans for lengthy delays, customer service plans and contracts of carriage on their websites. Bag fee refunds If you pay extra to check a piece of luggage and the airline loses your bag, it must now refund the bag fee. (Airlines already must compensate passengers for lost or damaged baggage.) "That's just common sense," Macsata said. Hanni also wanted the airlines to be required to refund the fee if your bag is delayed, but wasn't successful in having that provision included. Where refunds are due, airlines must now provide prompt refunds of fares and optional fees. More to come This isn't the end of new rules for fliers. The federal government postponed a handful of other consumer protections that were scheduled to go info effect Tuesday after airlines and travel agents said they needed more time to implement the changes. Those rules, now set to begin on January 24, 2012, will require airlines to prominently disclose all potential fees on their websites and will ban carriers from raising prices after a ticket purchase. Back to Top Boeing Is in Line for Major Delta Deal Expected $8 Billion Purchase of Extended-Range Planes Is a Setback for Airbus. (WSJ) Delta Air Lines Inc., in a move to replace some of its older single-aisle planes, is expected to place an order for 100 of Boeing Co.'s extended-range 737-900 aircraft valued at about $8 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The Atlanta-based carrier, the nation's second-largest by traffic after United Continental Holdings Inc., has been talking to both Boeing and Airbus about replacement aircraft. Both manufacturers made separate sales presentations to Delta last week, said people with knowledge of the contest. Delta has identified Boeing as the potential winner, and an announcement about an order-roughly $8.6 billion at list price-could come as early as this week, said one person familiar with the matter. The news was reported earlier Monday by Bloomberg News. Airlines placing big orders rarely pay full price, but negotiate steep discounts. Delta is expected this week to order 100 of the new, longer-range 737-900 model. Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive, has been talking for some time about ordering a number of new single-aisle planes. In July, during Delta's second-quarter conference call, Mr. Anderson said the company aimed to order "a modest" number of planes later this year and planned to buy them rather than lease them. The carrier is seeking to lower its costs by flying more fuel-efficient planes that require less maintenance. Delta is a long-time Boeing customer with an extensive fleet of 737s, 757s, 767s and 777s. When it acquired Northwest Airlines in 2008, Delta inherited Northwest's 747s but also a fleet of 126 Airbus A-320 family of aircraft and 32 long-haul A-330s. Northwest was an early Airbus customer, and Mr. Anderson was a chief executive at Northwest before taking the post at Delta. Delta's main fleet consists of 722 aircraft, and it has a raft of Boeing models on order, including 60 smaller 737-800s and 18 of Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The contest for the latest order pitted Boeing's largest, longest-range, new-generation 737, which can carry about 180 passengers in two classes and fly coast to coast domestically or to Central America, with Airbus's A-321, the largest plane in the A-320 family. Airbus is a unit of European Aeronautics Defense & Space Co., or EADS. The A- 321 is of comparable size and range as the 737-900 and comes with two engine choices instead of the single option on the 737-900. Both manufacturers aim to equip the models with new-generation engines in the coming years to reduce fuel consumption. Airbus had hoped to retain its hold at Delta, or to win even more of the carrier's business. The European manufacturer was emboldened by its recent success with AMR Corp.'s American Airlines. American last month ordered 260 planes in the A-320 family, its first Airbus order in decades. American also announced plans to buy an additional 200 Boeing 737s. Airbus representatives declined to comment. International Society of Air Safety Investigators 42nd Annual Seminar Salt Lake City Utah Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown September 12 - 15, 2011 Welcome... To the World's Leading Aviation Safety Investigation and Accident Prevention Seminar For all up to date information just go to www.isasi.org and click on ISASI 2011. Hotel Reservations Please note that our hotel has extended the reservation cut off date to midnight August 26th MDT Be sure to make your arrangements well in advance to avoid any disappointments Sponsorship and Exhibitor opportunities are still available. Please contact Ron Schleede at ronschleede@cox.net or Barbara Dunn at avsafe@shaw.ca * A special presentations will be made at the seminar about Air France 447 and Super Absorbed Polymer (SAP) in engine applications. Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC