Flight Safety Information August 1, 2013 - No. 158 In This Issue NTSB Gets Complaints About Air Crash Attorneys Ormond Beach aviation school loses license, closes Airport screener misconduct is increasing: GAO San Jose: Flight lands safely at Mineta San Jose International Airport after reporting blown tire Newark flight bound for Raleigh-Durham lands after pilots smell smoke in cockpit Qantas passengers ill on Chile to Sydney flight Helicopter heading for UN use crashes near Ethiopia's capital; injuries reported Think ARGUS PROS Purdue jet to use biofuel for flight to air show What Do Entry-Level Regional Pilots And McDonald's Workers Have In Common? Fuller given EAA Chairman's Award Kestrel's single-engine turboprop delayed HondaJet Debuts Conforming Aircraft Industry Support Needed - NextGen Trajectory Negotiation (NTN) Industry Support Needed - Space Vehicle Operations (SVO) NTSB Gets Complaints About Air Crash Attorneys SAN FRANCISCO August 1, 2013 (AP) - Officials are looking into whether some attorneys may have violated a U.S. law barring uninvited solicitation of air disaster victims in the first 45 days after an accident in connection with the crash landing of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco. The National Transportation Safety Board says it has received an unspecified number of complaints about solicitations since the July 6 accident that killed three Chinese teenage girls and injured 180. NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said the complaints involved attorney websites directed at passengers of the flight and reports of attorneys approaching passengers in person to solicit business. He said the NTSB reported one firm, Chicago-based Ribbeck Law Chartered, to the Illinois agency that regulates attorneys for further investigation of its online communications and in-person meetings with passengers. "We have investigated every report of alleged attorney misconduct we have received, and if the evidence suggests a violation we forwarded it to the appropriate state ... association for further review," Holloway said, declining to elaborate on exactly why Ribbeck was referred. So far, Ribbeck is the only firm the NTSB has referred for further examination. Holloway declined to name or say how many other law firms the agency received complaints about. Ribbeck attorney Monica Kelly said the firm legally and ethically obtained all its clients related to the crash and that all initiated contact with the firm, which she said has represented victims in previous airline accidents. The firm is investigating what caused the crash on behalf of 83 passengers, according to a filing in Illinois state court. "We were invited by Chinese government officials in China and the United States, including their local diplomats, to meet their Chinese nationals to represent them," Kelly said in an email to The Associated Press. She said the firm's representative in Shanghai also was "contacted by a group of families affected by this tragedy seeking legal representation." Kelly did not respond to additional messages from the AP requesting comment specifically related to the NTSB's action. William Wang, Ribbeck's Shanghai-based lawyer, told the AP that he talked to passengers and their families in China. "I told them that USA would be the right place to sue instead of China or Korea. I told them that even the ones who had not been injured could sue as well, because there could be mental effects," Wang said in an interview. "I gave them the files which had been offered by Ribbeck Law in USA, and I did the translation." At issue is a 1996 federal law that lays out the responsibilities airline companies and the NTSB have in assisting victims and their families after an air disaster. The law was passed after victims' families complained that airline companies and the government kept them in the dark about the status of their loved ones for too long after several high- profile disasters. The law also addressed rising complaints about unseemly attorney behavior by barring uninvited solicitations for 30 days. The moratorium was extended to 45 days in 2000. Lawyers can be punished with a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation. It is legal for victims themselves to initiate a consultation, or hire lawyers, during the 45- day period. "Aviation accidents are considered especially ripe for voluminous, concerted and aggressive solicitation" because of the publicity, the availability of passenger manifests and the potential for large recoveries, said Brian Havel, who heads DePaul University's International Aviation Law Institute. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General has launched solicitation probes previously and referred cases to federal prosecutors. Two attorneys each paid $5,000 to settle a case alleging they violated the 45-day rule after Colgan Flight 3407 crashed in 2009 approaching Buffalo Airport in New York, killing all 49 people aboard. Holloway said that NTSB referred Ribbeck to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission because the "state could best address this issue." DOT inspector general spokesman Dave Wonnenberg said the office doesn't confirm or deny the existence of investigations. James Grogan, chief counsel of the Illinois agency, also said his organization neither confirms nor denies investigations. Bian Zhouzhou, vice consul at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, said he agreed to meet with some of Ribbeck's U.S. lawyers after Wang contacted him and asked for a meeting. Bian said he didn't facilitate any meetings between passengers and Ribbeck lawyers. Instead, he said he met briefly three weeks ago with a few lawyers in the lobby of a hotel near the San Francisco airport where many Chinese passengers were staying following the accident. Bian said the Ribbeck lawyers described their expertise in air disaster litigation and left him with documents describing the firm's practice areas. Bian said he put the documents in a temporary office the consulate had at the hotel. "Our consulate has the duty to forward information to our citizens who have difficulties in the United States," Bian said. He said he also has met with at least one other law firm, which he declined to name. Wang used Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter, to discuss the Asiana crash. "Entrusted by American lawyers, I request that Asiana Airlines air crash families contact me," Wang wrote in Chinese on the morning of July 11. "This air crash happened in the United States and involves complicated legal issues. I request that families act with extra caution in the claims settlement that will follow. I hope that things will go smoothly for everyone!" Wang later posted another message on Sina Weibo explaining that "lawyers in Chicago who specialize in air crashes" would be visiting Asiana passengers and their families at a hotel near the San Francisco airport. "This is a good opportunity to handle the follow-up from the air crash," Wang wrote. In an interview, Wang declined to comment on whether his blog posts may have violated the 45-day rule. However, he said that he believed the rule unfairly gives airline companies the opportunity to offer passengers settlements in amounts less than they deserve in return for the passengers relinquishing their rights to join lawsuits. He said passengers should have the right to the best possible legal advice before entering into such an agreement. "After the plane crash happened, if we were to strictly follow the 45-day rule and wait until the period is over, the rights of the victims and their families would have long been hurt by some greedy insurance companies, which could have fooled them into signing settlements," said Wang. "The 45-day rule is actually an unjust one for the victims." The NTSB's Holloway would not comment on Wang's communications. Professor Richard Zitrin, who teaches legal ethics at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, said Wang's communications may be a violation of the moratorium even though they occurred on foreign soil. On July 15, nine days after the crash, Ribbeck filed a petition for discovery in Illinois state court against Boeing. It names 30 of the passengers the firm represents but says it is on behalf of all 83 of its clients. It's not a lawsuit but a mechanism to preserve evidence in case a lawsuit is filed, and it was the first reported court action connected to Asiana Flight 214. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ntsb-complaints-air-crash-attorneys- 19834119?page=1 Back to Top Ormond Beach aviation school loses license, closes ORMOND BEACH - A flight school at the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport that specialized in training European pilots has closed after its license was revoked. The Euro American School of Aviation closed after its certificate was suspended and then revoked by the European Aviation Safety Agency, the aviation governing body in Europe similar to the Federal Aviation Administration. A memo published on the school's website from president Adrian Thompson said the school would try to complete flying programs for current customers but had ceased to accept new business and will refund any contracts not fulfilled. A phone message and email sent to Thompson were not returned. Michael Justiniano, who recently came from Norway to the U.S. to get a pilot's license, told The News-Journal it wasn't until he arrived in Ormond Beach that he was told the school lost its license to teach European classes as early as April. "We should have been told this before we applied for visas and the cost of tickets and the school," he said, adding he spent about $4,000 to get to Ormond Beach before flying back to Norway. In the note on the school's website, Thompson wrote that the European Aviation Safety Agency is "hell bent" on closing down overseas operations in an effort to drive up costs for private and commercial licenses. "You have been warned," he wrote to competing aviation schools. An email to the agency was not returned. Steve Lichliter, manager for Ormond Beach's airport, said the new European safety agency rolled out more stringent regulations, and the Ormond school was having difficulty complying with those standards. He speculated that other flight training programs throughout the state may be having similar issues. "I imagine they're all dealing with this problem," he said. Nick Mayhew, general manager for Bristow Academy in Titusville, said officials there are working to meet standards set forth by Europe's safety agency. "Some of it has been a bit demanding," he said. It appears the local school's flights are grounded for now, Lichliter said. The company is still a tenant at the airport and is providing fuel and other services in the meantime. Thompson wrote that the school would be appealing the "unlawful and arbitrary action" by the European Aviation Safety Agency. http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20130731/NEWS/130739945?Title=Ormond- Beach-aviation-school-loses-license-closes Back to Top Airport screener misconduct is increasing: GAO A new report from the Government Accountability Office has found that misconduct is up among Transportation Security Administration workers. People wait in line for a security check at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City A new report from the Government Accountability Office has found that misconduct is up among Transportation Security Administration workers. Incidents of misconduct - which range from being late to failing to screen bags properly and leaving weird notes in travelers' luggage - increased 26 percent between 2010 and 2012 to 3,408 incidents, the GAO said. The biggest problem appears to be lateness or absenteeism, which accounted for about a third of the reported misconduct. But 25 percent of incidents were categorized as screening failures - including napping on the job - and 10 percent of incidents involved making inappropriate comments or behaving abusively. Some 56 employees were caught stealing. In a statement, TSA officials denied the agency was in disarray. They said they had the "highest ethical standards" and "zero tolerance for misconduct in the workplace." And a TSA union lawyer told Reuters that the report was "much ado about nothing." The agency has 56,000 employees, David Borer said. "With about 3,000 misconduct allegations a year, that's 600 that involve security or .01 percent involved in security incidents." But in a hearing Wednesday, John Halinski, TSA's deputy administrator, told members of the House Committee on Homeland Security that TSA would follow the GAO's recommendations to improve their process of tracking and reviewing staff misconduct. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united- states/130731/airport-screener-misconduct-increasing-gao-report Back to Top San Jose: Flight lands safely at Mineta San Jose International Airport after reporting blown tire SAN JOSE -- An incoming jetliner made a nerve-rattling landing Wednesday at Mineta San Jose International Airport with crash rigs at the ready after the flight crew reported blowing a tire during its takeoff in Denver, airport and fire officials said. The Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 landed safely about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday as the crash team and a two-alarm engine response from the San Jose Fire Department stood by on Runway 30L. Fire crews were dispatched as a precaution, airport spokeswoman Vicki Day said. The emergency detail was summoned about 30 minutes before the aircraft touched down in San Jose, which was its scheduled destination. After the plane landed, it was able to taxi to the gate under its own power. Day said the aircraft has redundant tires to compensate for these situations. Still, anticipation of the landing was more harrowing than usual in light of the July 6 crash of Asiana Airlines flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport, which resulted in three deaths, including one person who was accidentally run over by a fire engine. Day said Wednesday's ordeal in San Jose was an example of authorities taking all the precautions possible. "We were on the ready," she said. "Thank heavens we didn't have to use them." http://www.mercurynews.com/traffic/ci_23769515/san-jose-flight-lands-safely-at- mineta-san Back to Top Newark flight bound for Raleigh-Durham lands after pilots smell smoke in cockpit A flight out of Newark took off but quickly landed again at the airport around noon today, according to an airline spokesman. NEWARK - A flight out of Newark took off but quickly landed again at the airport around noon today, according to an airline spokesman. Republic Airlines Flight 4872 took off for Raleigh-Durham at 11:44 a.m. but quickly landed after the pilots smelled smoke in the cockpit, said Peter Kowalchuk, a Republic spokesman. All 22 passengers and four crew members landed safely, he added. The passengers switched planes to continue on their way to North Carolina. The Q400 aircraft, which was being operated at a United Express flight, is still being inspected by maintenance crews for a cause of the smoke, Kowalchuk added. A Port Authority spokesman deferred all comment on the flight to United, who deferred questions to Republic. http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2013/07/newark_flight_bound_for_raleigh- durham_lands_after_pilots_smell_smoke_in_cockpit.html Back to Top Qantas passengers ill on Chile to Sydney flight 26 passengers fall ill on Qantas flight to Sydney; airline suspects they were sick beforehand SYDNEY (AP) -- More than 20 passengers who became ill during a Qantas flight from Chile to Australia were treated by paramedics and placed in quarantine Thursday on arrival at Sydney airport, the airline said. The sick passengers were part of the same tour group and were suspected to have contracted their gastro intestinal illness before they boarded the 14-hour flight in Santiago, Qantas said. The Boeing 747 was met by ambulance paramedics who treated the sick passengers in quarantine, Qantas spokesman Luke Enright said. The New South Wales state Health Ministry said in a statement that the 26 passengers developed vomiting and diarrhea consistent with norovirus infection, a common cause of outbreaks of gastroenteritis in Australia and elsewhere. Paramedics were assessing the sick passengers, all Australian residents. Passengers well enough to leave were to be escorted through the airport with minimal exposure to other passengers, the ministry said. Enright could not say when the flight crew became aware of the sickness on board. It was not an emergency that could have resulted in the flight being diverted, he said. "They've known for some time in the air that sickness was aboard so they were able to call through and organize for the appropriate authorities to greet the aircraft at the arrival, and those passengers were quarantined," Enright said. The ill passengers were moved to seats at the rear of the plane near where four toilets were located, Australian Associated Press reported. Enright confirmed that the passengers were seated near the rear, but could not say whether they had been moved there by the cabin crew. Qantas said other passengers were advised to keep a close eye on their health over the next two days and to seek medical advice if they feel ill. Enright declined to say how many passengers were on the flight. AAP reported that more than 300 passengers were aboard, without citing a source. Back to Top Helicopter heading for UN use crashes near Ethiopia's capital; injuries reported ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - A helicopter en route to South Sudan for use by the U.N. World Food Program crashed in Ethiopia on Wednesday, injuring several people on board, officials said. The helicopter crashed in the town of Debre Zeit, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside Addis Ababa, said Dina Mufti, the spokesman for Ethiopia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dina said there were multiple injuries but he had no further details. Ethiopian officials said U.N. personnel were on board, but U.N. officials said it wasn't clear whether any U.N. staffers were on the helicopter. U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said the helicopter was en route to South Sudan for use by WFP in Jonglei, which has been the scene of recent fighting. Haq said the helicopter was owned by Russian company PANH Helicopters. Ethiopia's state-run news agency, citing the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, reported that two Russian-made helicopters were traveling from Djibouti to Addis Ababa on their way to South Sudan. It said one helicopter crashed with four people on board, including two pilots. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/helicopter-heading-for-un-use-crashes- near-ethiopias-capital-injuries-reported/2013/07/31/ed5bd576-fa4f-11e2-89f7- 8599e3f77a67_story.html Back to Top Back to Top Purdue jet to use biofuel for flight to air show WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - A Purdue University jet will be powered in part by a biofuel when it flies to Wisconsin for an air show. The university says one of the Embraer Phenom 100 jet's Pratt & Whitney engines will be filled with conventional jet aviation fuel for the journey Friday while the other will contain a biofuel blend prepared by the Air Force. Purdue Air Transport Institute for Environmental Sustainability co-director David Stanley says the flight represents an important milestone toward the long-term vision of operating a green training fleet at Purdue. The demonstration flight to the AirVenture in Oshkosh is intended to try to accelerate interest in biofuel use in the Midwest. Back to Top What Do Entry-Level Regional Pilots And McDonald's Workers Have In Common? By: John Goglia Yes, the entry-level pilot at the controls of your flight may well be making close to the average pay of a McDonald's or other fast food worker. The truth about regional pilot pay broke open with the crash of the Colgan Flight 3407, operating as Continental Connection, outside Buffalo, New York. Many frequent flyers were shocked to learn that the co-pilot on that flight was earning approximately $16,200 a year and commuting from her home in Seattle, Washington to her base in Newark, NJ to make ends meet. The night before her fateful flight, she slept in aircraft jump seats or crew lounges, hardly conducive to the proper rest needed to fly a jet aircraft. Sure enough, the NTSB found the probable cause of the crash to be pilot errors and further determined that both pilots' performance was likely impaired because of fatigue. Thereafter, PBS did an outstanding documentary on the growth of regional airlines and the safety concerns with operators like Colgan (which stopped flying in September 2012 as part of the restructuring plan of Pinnacle Airlines, an airline it had earlier merged with.) That documentary, Flying Cheap, underscored many of the problems faced by new pilots at regional airlines, especially the low pay which forced them to commute long distances from low cost areas of the country when flying out of major airports in high- cost cities. The Colgan crash occurred in February of 2009. Starting pay for regional pilots remains shockingly low, especially considering the responsibilities these pilots shoulder for safety of flight. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, citing data from the Airline Pilots Association, International, starting pay for most airline pilots is approximately $20,000. Certainly fast food workers deserve living wages. But when we talk about living wages, remember, too, the airline you are likely to be flying is a regional airline - and the pilot may well be an entry level one. Regional pilots are unlikely to have a union and unlikely to be walking out on their jobs to join a picket line, especially if they ever dream of making it to Captain or get hired at one of the major airlines. But once we're talking about how much more a hamburger would cost to give workers a living wage, we should consider how much more would an airline ticket cost if we paid regional pilots a living wage. http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoglia/2013/07/31/what-do-entry-level-regional- pilots-and-mcdonalds-workers-have-in-common/ Back to Top Fuller given EAA Chairman's Award EAA Chairman Jack Pelton presented AOPA President Craig Fuller with the EAA Chairman's Award during the Stronger Together forum. AOPA President Craig Fuller was presented with the EAA Chairman's Award July 30 for his significant contributions to general aviation. Experimental Aircraft Association Chairman Jack Pelton presented Fuller with the award at the conclusion of the Stronger Together forum at EAA AirVenture; the forum brings together the top executives of seven GA organizations to discuss significant issues and initiatives that affect them all. Fuller has worked closely with other association leaders during his tenure as president on issues including user fees, improving the image of GA, and the AOPA/EAA medical exemption request that would allow many pilots to fly recreationally with a driver's license in lieu of a third class medical. Nearing the end of a five-year commitment he made when he was appointed president, Fuller announced in February that he will step down from the position he has held since 2009. Fuller is only the fourth president of AOPA since the association's founding; he remains active in his current role until a successor is ready to assume the position. In accepting the award, he reinforced the theme of the forum and a principle that has been characteristic of his administration: "By working together, we can accomplish almost anything." The forum included Fuller and Pelton as well as National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen, Helicopter Association International President Matt Zuccaro, National Air Transportation Association President Tom Hendricks, General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Pete Bunce, and National Association of State Aviation Officials President Henry Ogrodzinski. EAA's Mac McClellan asked the leaders about the future of general aviation, and answers focused on drawing more people into aviation and educating the public about the value of GA. Fuller recounted a recent experience introducing Boy Scouts to flying using simulators at the Boy Scout Jamboree. Millions of people are interested in the opportunity to fly, according to Fuller; the industry's challenge is to "identify those people early and nurture that interest." http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2013/July/31/Fuller-given-EAA- Chairman-Award.aspx Back to Top Kestrel's single-engine turboprop delayed Fundraising the issue Kestrel plans to offer integrated Garmin G3000 avionics with its new single-engine turboprop, but first needs to raise funds to complete the project. Photo courtesy Kestrel Aircraft Kestrel Aircraft CEO Alan Klapmeier gave a good news/bad news update on the company's single-engine turboprop now under development. Good news: Detailed engineering work is moving rapidly, many production processes are in place, progress towards FAA certification is substantial, and Garmin's G3000 integrated avionics suite will be a customer option. Bad news: Raising capital has been frustratingly slow, and uncertainty over future financing has put development behind schedule. "The project is behind schedule," Klapmeier said. "We haven't raised the rest of the money we need to." Kestrel is using a combination of government grants and tax incentives, strategic partnerships, and investors to raise the $175 million Klapmeier estimates it will cost to certify the 300-knot turboprop, put it into production, and establish a positive cash flow. Meeting the company's original goal of delivering the first customer aircraft in 2015 is still possible but "incredibly unlikely," Klapmeier said. The company's next major milestone is producing a conforming prototype, and Klapmeier's goal is to have that aircraft fly to EAA AirVenture in 2014. Kestrel isn't taking customer deposits, and Klapmeier said the company won't do that until its conforming prototype is finished or long-term financing is in place. Klapmeier said he has no doubt that customer demand for the aircraft is real both domestically and internationally. "The market, we think, is going to be very robust," he said. "There's demand for an aircraft that carries a large load over a long distance at reasonably high speed, can use short runways, and is easy to operate. We will grow the market." Kestrel has spent about $50 million since the firm was founded in 1998, and Klapmeier is focused on raising additional capital while a team of about 110 employees concentrates on the technical aspects. "In the short term," he said, "we've got to raise some money http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2013/July/31/kestrel-delayed.aspx Back to Top HondaJet Debuts Conforming Aircraft Two of four production conforming Honda Aircraft Company HA420 HondaJets made their public debut July 29 at EAA AirVenture 2013, showing progress in the program that is headed to certification next year. "This is another milestone in the program," says Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. In celebration, the two aircraft are scheduled to fly in formation 4:30 p.m. today at the air show, the first time serial number 3 and 5 have flown together in public. Serial number 3 first flew in November 2011. It has full flight test instrumentation and is being used primarily for systems, flight control and nose wheel steering system development. The aircraft is capable of transmitting 12,000 channels of data in real time to Honda Aircraft's flight test center. Serial number 5 first flew in May 2013, and it has a production conforming interior, including cabin entertainment system and functioning aft lavatory. It will be used for cabin systems and options testing, plus functional and reliability testing just prior to certification. Production HondaJets are 6 in. longer and several pounds heavier than initially planned partly because of copper mesh high intensity radiated fields and lightning protection embedded in the carbon fiber fuselage. They will full take advantage of the General Electric/Honda HF120 engine's higher 2,095 lb. thrust rating. Engine certification now is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2013; aircraft certification is expected by the end of 2014. http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_07_29_2013_p0- 602012.xml Back to Top Industry Support Needed - NextGen Trajectory Negotiation (NTN) The NextGen Institute, along with the FAA NextGen Advanced Concepts and Technology Development Group (ANG-C42), is requesting support for the NextGen Trajectory Negotiation (NTN) project. NTN will provide the concept for performing real-time (tactical) trajectory negotiation for trial planning, coordinating, issuing, and accepting or rejecting trajectory changes (reroutes). As a result, trajectory negotiation tools and procedures will be modified or developed as appropriate, utilizing defined research activities, to implement the NTN concept. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for this project will assist in identifying and mapping the tasks, roles, and responsibilities of various NAS actors during aircraft trajectory operations and/or negotiations, in the NextGen mid-term and beyond. This will support the development of the NTN concept of operations, which will describe the operational and functional characteristics of NTN. An initial meeting will take place on September 11, 2013, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. eastern time. Participants are needed from commercial airlines and should have Flight Operations Centers (FOC), dispatch, or flight deck operations experience. Additionally, it is preferable that an air carrier provide one individual from each of these areas to serve as representatives. If you are interested in participating in this activity, please contact Natalie Johnston at natalie.ctr.johnston@faa.gov or 202-220-3339. Back to Top Industry Support Needed - Space Vehicle Operations (SVO) The NextGen Institute and the FAA NextGen Advanced Concepts and Technology Development Group (ANG-C42) are seeking industry expertise to support the Space Vehicle Operations (SVO) project. SVO research includes identifying, integrating, and managing space vehicle operations utilizing current and future communication, surveillance, and navigation technologies. As a result, SVO will improve traditional NAS procedures during space operations, optimizing and integrating key activities such as: Strategic Traffic Management Airspace Allocation Hazard Area Definitions Separation Management Collaborative Decision Making Commercial airline Flight Operations Center (FOC) subject matter expertise is requested to assist in identifying and mapping the tasks, roles, and responsibilities of various NAS actors during space vehicle operations. This activity will involve interaction with subject matter experts in the areas of air traffic control, space vehicle operations, and flight operations. This includes eliciting subject matter expert knowledge on launch patterns, trajectory characteristics, safety data, locations, expected launch frequencies, and impacts to airborne and ground aircraft. This will support the development of the SVO concept of operations, which will describe the operational and functional characteristics of SVO in the NextGen mid-term and beyond. An initial meeting will take place September 26, 2013, 8:00am-5:00pm eastern time. We would like participants to be experienced FOC staff and dispatchers with specific experience in managing flight operations and NAS constraints during space operations. If you are interested in participating in this activity, please contact Natalie Johnston at natalie.ctr.johnston@faa.gov or 202-220-3339. Curt Lewis