Flight Safety Information November 5, 2013 - No. 228 In This Issue Windshield of AI Dreamliner cracks, aircraft grounded at Melbourne Navy Training Jet Crashes in Pensacola, Fla Fatal Turbine Airplane Accident Stats Show Little Change Air Kiribati in child air safety probe (New Zealand) Guatemala warns pilots of ash plume from volcano Pilot ID Mandate May Complicate Licensing Alaska Airlines Renewed on IOSA Registry After Completing International Safety Audit Foreign Airline Pilots, US Flight Schools: Do They Get Enough Training Time in Cockpit? Think ARGUS PROS Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS 2014) FAA testing confirms Citation X as world's fastest civilian aircraft. Denver Airport opens 10 free electric vehicle charging stations AZAL announces a contest for vacancies in Aviation Safety Dept Windshield of AI Dreamliner cracks, aircraft grounded at Melbourne New Delhi: Are the Dreamliners jinxed for Air India? Some weeks back, a panel had fallen off the Delhi- Bangalore flight on the brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner and a detailed enquiry is still on. Now, we hear that the windshield of the Delhi-Melbourne-Sydney flight cracked, which obviously meant that the Melbourne- Sydney leg had to be cancelled for this flight and the aircraft is grounded till the windshield gets repaired. Though AI claimed it has ensured that passengers were accomodated on other flights and there was never any threat to their safety, one wonders who will the blame be pinned on this time. For the panel falling off, an aircraft maintenance engineer was suspended even as the enquiry by Boeing engineers continued. PTI An AI official had said earlier that in all probability, this engineer "forgot to screw back this panel", in the earlier incident. This official also said though the incident was regrettable, it never had "any safety implications since the panel fell off when the aircraft had already landed on the runway. Once again we are being told about there being no threat to passenger safety in the windshield crack but not much else is clear: how and why did this happen? Is it a fault with aircraft manufacturing or maintenance or both? Even Boeing is concerned about the performance of the Dreamliner and has reportedly stationed its representatives in the country to monitor the aircraft on a daily basis. This latest incident of a panel falling off the brand new Dreamliner aircraft follows a series of problems earlier. A battery fire incident had grounded the Dreamliner aircraft across the globe last year for four months. In July again, a fire broke out in an empty aircraft that was parked at Heathrow. For AI itself, there have been problems like jammed doors on these aircraft. Air India has ordered 27 Boeing 787 aircraft, of which it has received nine. The tenth aircraft is likely to arrive in India in the first week of this month. AI is already facing aircraft shortage as it has embarked on an ambitious plan to replce 19 old Airbus 320 aircraft with new ones; lease on 5 other A 319 aircraft is expiring. Air India has been unable to find new A320s and is being compelled to renew the lease of the A319s at higher lease rentals to overcome aircraft shortage. So snags in the Dreamliner could not have come at a worse time. The Dreamliners are the lifeline of the airline, helping it in opening up new medium haul international routes and mounting domestic flights. Whether the panel actuall fell off because of engineering negligence or because of some defect in the aircraft - Air India needs to handle these planes very very carefully to retain its flight schedules. http://www.firstpost.com/business/windshield-of-ai-dreamliner-cracks-aircraft-grounded-at-melbourne- 1210033.html?utm_source=ref_article Back to Top Navy Training Jet Crashes in Pensacola, Fla. NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) A spokesman says a training jet has crashed at Naval Air Station Pensacola and the flight instructor and student pilot have been taken to the hospital. Air station spokesman Harry White says the condition of the pilots wasn't immediately known Monday. He says the two-seat U.S. Navy T-45C Goshawk crashed at the end of a runway while it was landing. The Navy wasn't immediately naming the pilots. White said the cause of the crash is under investigation. Hundreds of Navy flight students earn their Naval flight wings at Naval Air Station Pensacola each year. Back to Top Fatal Turbine Airplane Accident Stats Show Little Change by GORDON GILBERT Accident stats 2013 vs 2012 Tables show "incidents" as well as "accidents" because the FAA and NTSB draw fine distinctions between the two events. The number of fatal accidents involving turbine-powered business airplanes worldwide in the first nine months of this year held steady with the tally for the same period last year, although the number of people killed in U.S.-registered business jets dropped in the most recent nine months, according to preliminary figures compiled by AIN. For N-numbered business jets, 13 people were killed in four crashes in the first nine months of this year compared with 17 killed, also in four accidents, during the same period last year. All these accidents befell Part 91 operations. The four fatal U.S. jet crashes from January through September this year involved two Raytheon Premiers (two and five fatalities, respectively), a U.S.-registered Learjet 60 in Venezuela (two killed) and a CitationJet in which four perished. All these accidents were still in the NTSB preliminary investigation stages at press time. There was a major improvement in U.S. business jet nonfatal accidents (defined for reporting purposes to include events ranging from major mishaps to less serious episodes that might incur little or no damage). Preliminary records indicate six nonfatal accidents involving N-numbered business jets in the first three quarters of this year versus 23 last year. Part 91 operators reduced nonlethal accidents to three from 19, and Part 135 mishaps dropped to two from three. The number of incidents involving jets flying under Part 135 remained the same-at three-in both periods. There were no accidents reported for jets being operated by manufacturers or public and government entities in either of the comparable periods. Fractional jet operators continued their long multi-year streak of no fatal mishaps, although fractional jets were involved in one nonfatal accident in each of the two comparable periods. The single accident this year occurred when a Learjet 60 slid off the end of a runway while landing, resulting in minor damage and no injuries. Business jets operating under Part 91K experienced three incidents from January through September this year versus just one incident in the same period last year. The U.S.-registered turboprop fleet also had fewer nonfatal accidents in the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year: 21 versus 27, but there was a significant spike in the number of fatal accidents and fatalities. This year, 35 people perished in 11 crashes compared with eight killed in three crashes last year, all but two occurring under Part 91. Fractional turboprop flights were accident and incident free in the most recent three quarters, compared with one accident and two incidents during that time last year. Part 135 turboprop operators, which had no fatalities in the nine-month period last year, experienced 11 fatalities in two crashes so far this year, including 10 who perished in the crash of a turbine Otter while on an air-taxi flight in Alaska. The other fatal air-taxi turboprop crash involved a Cessna Caravan on January 13. One person died in that accident. Incidentally, this Caravan crash and three nonfatal mishaps in turbine airplanes in the nine-month period involved the same operator. Nonfatal air-taxi turboprop accidents fell to two this year from four in the first nine months of last year. In the first accident, on July 20, a float-equipped, turboprop-converted Cessna 207 hit a fishing boat on its takeoff run, resulting in substantial damage and minor injuries. In the second, on September 12, a Pilatus PC-12 incurred substantial damage during an aborted takeoff. There were five incidents involving air-taxi turboprops in the most recent period versus four last year. Non-U.S.-registered business jets were involved in eight mishaps in January through September this year compared with six last year, including one fatal crash in each of the two periods, resulting in two deaths, respectively. The single fatal crash in the most recent period involved a Cayman Islands-registered Premier. This aircraft was the third of its type to suffer a fatal crash in the period between February 20 and March 17. The other two were the N-numbered Premiers mentioned earlier. Non-N-numbered turboprops suffered 18 accidents, including 10 in which 38 people perished in the first three quarters of this year versus 20 accidents, also including 10 that killed 33 people, last year. AIN tables show "incidents" as well as "accidents" because the FAA and NTSB draw fine distinctions between the two events, the agencies are frequently inconsistent, and the status of the occurrence may change. For example, runway overruns, retracted landing gear and gear-collapse accidents resulting in little or no damage are typically classified by the FAA as incidents and not tabulated at all by the NTSB. Other occurrences usually listed as incidents include engine shutdowns, flameouts, animal and lightning strikes, window separations, doors opening, blown tires, system malfunctions, loss of control, parts departing an airplane and severe turbulence. However, if such an occurrence causes substantial damage or serious injury, the Safety Board records it as an accident. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2013-11-02/fatal-turbine-airplane- accident-stats-show-little-change Back to Top Air Kiribati in child air safety probe (New Zealand) Kiribati authorities are investigating an incident involving an adult passenger on an Air Kiribati plane who says he was forced to share his seat with his five- year-old son. The Kiribati Independent reports the father was told by an agent on Abaiang to hold his child so others could fit in the aircraft. The parent complained that he had to hold his child tight because he had no seatbelt. But he says there were other parents on the same flight holding their children. Air Kiribati officials say they are unaware of the incident and will investigate. They say a five-year-old must have his or her own seat. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=80362 Back to Top Guatemala warns pilots of ash plume from volcano Guatemalan authorities cautioned pilots Monday that increased activity in the country's Fuego volcano had dispersed ash into the atmosphere. The column of volcanic ash has risen 4,500 meters (914,700 feet) above sea level in a southwesterly direction, Guatemala's disaster response agency said. The volcano, which is located in southwestern Guatemala, is "presenting changes in the pattern of eruptions with an increase in the number of moderate and strong explosions," it said. The Fuego volcano, one of three active volcanos in Guatemala, had a strong eruption September 13, 2012 that prompted the authorities to evacuate of 5,500 people who live on its slopes. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/131104/guatemala-warns-pilots-ash-plume-volcano Back to Top Pilot ID Mandate May Complicate Licensing A small provision in last year's Federal Aviation Administration authorization threatens to complicate government issuance of airman's certificates to commercial airline pilots. Former House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John L. Mica, R-Fla., insisted on including language in the 2012 bill (PL 112-95) that requires biometric eye and fingerprint data from recipients of airman's certificates to be gathered and stored. While the security upgrade had its share of champions, the nation's largest pilots union opposed the new requirement. The Air Line Pilots Association argued it was unnecessary because pilots were already required to verify their identities and employment status to get certified. But John Allen, the FAA's director of flight standards service, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations in June that the new law couldn't have come at a worse time for the agency. The FAA was just wrapping up rule-making mandated by 2004 anti-terrorism legislation (PL 108-458) that requires photographs to be taken as part of an airman's certification. Current rules require pilots to carry government-issued identifications in tandem with their certificates. Because the rule-making process related to the 2004 law was already in progress, regulators "did not contemplate those additional features" that were part of the 2012 FAA authorization, Allen said. He said the process could be further complicated "if pilot certificates with embedded biometrics are intended to permit airport access or increase security," because the agency would then need to improve its coordination with Homeland Security officials and the Transportation Security Administration. http://www.rollcall.com/news/pilot_id_mandate_may_complicate_licensing-228860-1.html Back to Top Alaska Airlines Renewed on IOSA Registry After Completing International Safety Audit SEATTLE, Oct. 30,2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines today announced it successfully completed the International Air Transport Association's Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and has been renewed on the IOSA Registry. The airline has been on the registry since 2006. "Ensuring the safety of our customers and employees is core to our responsibility," said Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines CEO. "Meeting this internationally recognized benchmark is one of many ways we maintain our unwavering commitment to safety." The IOSA Registry is a key element of IATA's efforts to promote global airline operational safety. To achieve IOSA registration, Alaska Airlines satisfied more than 900 standards in eight operational areas, including flight operations, operational control, flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, aircraft ground handling, cargo operations and operational security. "The IOSA audit is a comprehensive assessment that validates the safety, quality and operating standards in place at Alaska Airlines," said Tom Nunn, Alaska Airlines' vice president of safety. The IOSA program contributes to improved aviation safety worldwide by establishing a universally accepted set of safety audit standards. Preparing for and completing IOSA registration is a condition of membership in IATA, which represents more than 94 percent of international airline passenger traffic. Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves 95 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines has ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers" in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Airline Satisfaction StudySM for six consecutive years from 2008 to 2013. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom. SOURCE Alaska Airlines Back to Top Foreign Airline Pilots, US Flight Schools: Do They Get Enough Training Time in Cockpit? The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit travels to international flight schools in the Bay Area and across the country. Former instructors question whether the in- flight training is enough for these young pilots before they get into the cockpit of large, wid The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit travels to international flight schools in the Bay Area and across the country. Former instructors question whether the in- flight training is enough for these young pilots before they get into the cockpit of large, wide-body international commercial jets. Stephen Stock reports. Several former flight instructors who trained students to fly for different airlines based in Asia say there is a rush to get inexperienced pilots into cockpits of large, wide-body jets to fly long-haul transoceanic flights. These instructors say that rush could be putting the public at risk. Many of these airlines deny there is a rush or a problem with safety for these pilots. But the airlines admit that there is a growing demand for pilots as commercial airline traffic continues to grow in the Pacific region. Meanwhile, in the United States, this demand for more and more commercial pilots has created a little known foreign exchange program where young students travel from Asia to flight schools in the U.S. to learn to fly large, commercial jets. According to the FAA, 23,719 foreign pilots have received a U.S. commercial or air transport license over the last four years. The FAA gave out 4,820 licenses to foreign pilots last year alone. A large portion of those licenses go to pilots from Pacific Rim countries. Flight schools across California and the rest of the western U.S. often are contracted by foreign airlines to train newly hired pilots how to fly. The Investigative Unit discovered that, for many of these student pilots, their flight from home to the U.S. is their first time in an airplane, much less a cockpit. Some insiders and former instructors question whether that training is sufficient to fly a large, commercial plane. NBC Bay Area's Investigative Unit spoke to more than two dozen flight instructors, commercial pilots, flight school managers and students to learn about how the current system works. The Investigative Unit either visited or closely researched a half dozen different flight schools that specifically train foreign pilots to get a sense of how this system might differ from what a pilot in the U.S. system must go through. Unlike the U.S. system, where young pilots either train in the military or for years in general aviation (or both), NBC Bay Area found in internationally-focused pilot training programs the duration of hands-on experience typically lasts between 10 to 12 months. During that time, students get between 180 and 200 hours of flight time in the cockpit. A typical training regime then involves that student going back to his or her home country, where they gain an additional 40 to 60 hours flight time, becoming type trained on certain aircraft. In other words, they become certified to fly specific airplanes; for example, the 747, 777 or 737. One former flight instructor said the pressure was high to pass pilots who weren't ready to fly large, commercial jets. "Students I didn't feel were ready for check rides, we'll just send them anyways, we'll see how they do," said one former flight instructor who taught Chinese student pilots for four years. The instructor asked not to be identified because he fears it could harm his career in aviation. But the instructor, who worked for a large flight school on the West Coast where 90 percent of the students came from Asia, said he wants to expose a system where the rush to get pilots in the cockpits could potentially put passenger safety at risk. "Even though I didn't feel that I should sign them off (to fly)," the instructor said, the flight school and foreign airlines put pressure on the instructor to pass the pilot, especially if the pilot was nearing the end of the time the airline had paid to have him in the U.S. "If they [the student pilots] went over on those hours, that would fall on the flight school (to pay)," said the instructor. "So they [the school] would tell you, 'You have to get them done in those hours...You cannot go over,'" said the instructor. "So you do what you have to to get them ready." Typically that means that these pilots often become first officers of large, jumbo jets with only about 250 hours total flight time in a cockpit. Compare that to almost every pilot in a U.S.-based airline, where the pilots have 1,500 flying hours or more before they are even considered as a first officer in similarly large jets for long-haul flights. "Being a commercial pilot is a special job," 23-year-old Anthony Yan from China told NBC Bay Area. Since Yan was 10 years old and spotted a man in the sharp-looking pilot uniform in an airport, he has wanted to fly planes. However, in China, general aviation is essentially non-existent. So, to get in the cockpit of plane, he had to come to the U.S. "America is one of the best countries in aviation," Yan said. For the last 11 months, Yan has been learning to fly at IASCO flight training center in Redding. He is one of 140 students there, hired by a domestic Chinese airline as a pilot and learning to fly for the first time. The airline contracts with IASCO and pays for Yan's training. Before coming to the U.S., Yan had never flown a plane. Even though Yan studied aviation for three years at a college in China, that was all book training. His first time in the cockpit was Jan. 1, 2013. Yan has racked up over 100 hours flying time so far. "I have to make the most of the one year I have here," Yan said. The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit followed Yan for a day as he prepped for a flight and took a Cessna 172 up in the air with his instructor. "The goal of all these students is to become commercial pilots," IASCO lead instructor Matt Lazenby said Lazenby, a retired US Marine, has been teaching foreign students for nearly a decade. He says the basic training students get at IASCO is the foundation for their flight careers. "I'm always telling students, you're going to carry thousands of people in your career, thousands of people that you don't know are going to trust you to get them to their destination safely," Lazenby said. The focus of the training: manual flying. Students at IASCO take courses in three areas of flying: private, instrument and commercial. Lazenby said the training is very procedure-oriented. He said that means the students can apply their knowledge to all different types of planes. Students also take 170 hours of English courses at IASCO. "English is the international language of aviation," Lazenby said. "They can speak English for the job they are doing." When international flights go into an out of countries around the world, English is the language used that bridges communication. Lazenby said it's also one challenge in training foreign pilots. "Somebody may know how to teach. But how to teach someone whose English is not their native language is another thing entirely," he said. Another challenge facing both instructors and these students is a lack of general aviation in their home countries. "General aviation is virtually nonexistent in China," Lazenby said. "Most of them have never even driven a car before so they don't have the mechanical aptitude just naturally in them when they get in the aircraft." "One thing that has to be taught to them just might come naturally to a domestic student," said the veteran flight instructor. Students aren't just traveling from Asia to get trained in the United States. They come from Africa and South America, too. Mohammad Chaabene, 27, grew up in Tunisia. Like Yan, Chaabene took three years of book study before coming to America to actually fly. Chaabene currently is working on obtaining his instrument-rated pilot's license at California Airways Flight School in Hayward. He, like Yan, yearns to be a commercial pilot, flying large jumbo jets such as a 747. "I want a big airplane," Chaabene told NBC Bay Area. "I trust the American system." Chaabene already has his private pilot's license. He's paying his own way for his continued training. He doesn't have a job lined up with a major airline yet, but coming to the U.S. was the only way to get the necessary practice flying take-offs and landings. "I like the practice here, flying here," he said. However, some critics, citing safety concerns, say it may not be enough practice. In the U.S, similarly trained pilots don't set foot in the cockpit of big commercial jets until they have at least 1,500 hours of flying time. "They definitely need more practice," said the former flight instructor who wished to remain anonymous. This instructor said he finally quit his job in frustration over safety lapses at the school. "Their decision-making ability was lacking," he said about his foreign students. "They didn't want to make decisions on their own. They always wanted someone to tell them what to do." NBC Bay Area reached out to the flight school where the instructor worked. A manager there denied that pilots were rushed to graduate and given commercial licenses before they were ready. This instructor said the pilots he trained would then go back home and within a year be flying as co-pilot of big jets such as the 737, 777 and 747. "I had students write me all the time, who, two years after they left me...were already in wide-bodied aircraft in the right seat (as first officer co-pilots)," he said. "We need to give them more training," veteran flight instructor David Baker also told NBC Bay Area. "There seems to be, I think, an almost indecent hurry to get young, cadet co-pilots, into the cockpit." Baker was a flight instructor at Cathay Pacific before retiring to fly corporate jets. Baker agrees that many foreign airlines are in a hurry to fill a rising demand for pilots. "It does worry me," Baker said when asked if this poised a safety risk. "It should worry any responsible pilot that co-pilots are getting into cockpits these days and quite simply they're unprepared. They're unprepared for the task for which they're being paid." In response, Cathay Pacific issued this statement: Cathay Pacific Airways has some of the most rigorous pilot training standards in the world. Our pilot training is stringent and ongoing and meets - and in most cases, exceeds - those of many industry governing bodies. In particular, Cathay Pacific Airways provides its pilots with dedicated manual flight training and practice that is additional to regulatory and industry standards. All the flight schools NBC Bay Area visited said they train to full FAA standards and that they don't cut corners. But every flight school and every flight instructor who spoke to NBC Bay Area admitted that they have no control over what happens after these pilots go back home. They also admit many of the pilots they train for a year or less soon end up in the cockpit of large, wide-body passenger jets within a year's time of returning to their home country. The Investigative Unit reached out to several foreign airlines for an interview, but all declined the request. As for students like Yan, they are just enjoying the time they have to fly. "My favorite part?" Yan repeats the question, "Is flying," he says with a smile. "I get to fly the planes." http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Foreign-Airline-Pilots-US-Flight-Schools-Do-They-Get-Enough- Training-Time-in-Cockpit-230581371.html Back to Top Back to Top Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS 2014) 21-22 May 2014, Bangkok, Thailand As part of our ongoing efforts to establish continuous enhancement in aviation safety in the Asia Pacific region, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) plans to hold the next Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar (APASS) on 21-22 May 2014 in Bangkok. The seminar, hosted by THAI Airways International, is organised by the AAPA Flight Operations & Safety Working Group. This seminar is designed to create a common meeting place for all airlines from the Asia Pacific region, airports, aircraft manufacturers, regolators, insurers, ground handlers, MROs, service providers and suppliers to discuss and to be updated on the latest developments in aviation safety. This seminar will provide excellent networking opportunities for all safety stakeholders to exchange ideas on the important fundamentals and applications of aviation safety best practices, in-service experience and lessons-learned with like-minded aviation safety experts from within and outside the region. As in past seminars, topic-specific workshops will be organised to create a more focused environment for participants to exchange views and debate on the practical approaches in managing some of the leading safety issues facing the region. Registration will be opening very soon so mark this key regional event on your calendar! APASS 2014 will focus on solutions to safety challenges that will have a positive impact on aviation operations. Interested parties can submit their papers via the call for papers form below. Abstracts selected will be for individual presentation or for participation in panel discussions. Papers are encouraged to have regional applicability and address current industry and regulatory issues. On behalf of THAI Airways International, the AAPA would like to offer sponsorship opportunities to interested organisations enabling sponsors to present their corporate messages and showcase their company brands to some of the leading airlines in the world based in Asia Pacific. To submit a paper or for sponsorship opportunities, please visit http://www.aapairlines.org For further enquiries, kindly contact CV Thian at cvthian@aapa.org.my or tel: +603 2162 1888 Back to Top FAA testing confirms Citation X as world's fastest civilian aircraft In the wake of the Gulfstream G650 claiming a new around-the-world speed record for a certified civilian aircraft, Cessna is signaling that the record will be short lived. On its way to certification, Cessna's Citation X recently wound up all high-speed certification flights with the FAA, which confirmed the aircraft as the fastest civilian aircraft in the world. The Citation X has flown over 1,300 hours as part of its test program that included the high-speed testing regimen conducted in recent weeks involving a collaboration between FAA pilots and Cessna's Engineering Flight Team. This focused on the aircraft's handling qualities, stability and control and maneuverability conditions at high speeds. The Citation X boasts a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.935 "The high-speed testing of the new Citation X was a success," says Michael Thacker, Cessna senior vice president of Engineering. "All responses from the high-speed certification testing were well within the expected performance envelope. While these are the results our engineers fully anticipated, this final round of testing went so smoothly the conditions were completed in fewer flights and hours than planned." The testing validated the aircraft's maximum operating speed of Mach 0.935, which shades the Gulfstream G650's Mach 0.925 top speed. However, the G650 does boast a significantly greater range of 7,000 nautical miles to the Citation X's 3,242 nm. Expect Cessna to be looking to steal a few world records from the G650 when its Citation X receives FAA certification, which is expected in early 2014. Source: Textron http://www.gizmag.com/citation-x-faa-testing-fastest-civilian-aircraft/29660/ Back to Top Denver Airport opens 10 free electric vehicle charging stations The Denver Post's reporters and editors offer news, analysis and commentary on the latest business, real estate, tourism, gambling and technology news in Colorado. Ten free electric vehicle charging stations are now open to the public at Denver International Airport's east and west parking garages. The stations, which opened Monday and use standard outlets, will fit with most electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, such as the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf and the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius. DIA officials solicited competitive bids for the charging units, and Illinois-based Telefonix Inc. won with a hard-to-beat offer: free stations that cost less to operate. Most commercial charging stations are classified as Level 2, which take more electricity to operate, but Telefonix provided DIA with Level 1 stations, which conserve more energy. Level 1 needs only a 12-volt line, compared with the next tier, Level 2, and its 240-volt requirements. It has been referred to as a "trickle charge." The trade-off, though, is the longer charge time. But airport officials say that it takes about eight hours on average to fully charge a car while the average DIA customer parks for nearly a day and a half, providing enough time to fill up. There are five stations in both garages on level 1 between rows E and F. They are available on a first-come- first-served basis. http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24452679/denver-airport-opens-10-free-electric-vehicle- charging Back to Top AZAL announces a contest for vacancies in Aviation Safety Dept Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijan's airline CJSC Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has announced a contest for vacancies in the Aviation Safety Department. AZAL reports that it hires for these positions of supervision, guard, dog breeders and pass control the girls and boys aged 20 to 30 years. Girls should be taller than 165 cm and boys taller than 175 cm. Applicants should have perfect knowledge of Azerbaijani, Russian and another foreign language. Documents for participation in the casting will be accepted from 8 November to 1 December at 3 - 6 pm at the AZAL Aviation Safety Dept. Contact telephone numbers: (012) 497-26-00 (49-37) and (012) 437 49 37. http://abc.az/eng/news/main/77182.html Curt Lewis