Flight Safety Information April 7, 2014 - No. 071 In This Issue The Latest Pings Are the 'Best Lead Yet' in the Hunt for the Missing Jet AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines Rival, Says Its Pilots Ensure Planes 'Never Get Lost' Airline Industry Warms to Costly Real-Time Tracking After Flight 370 Increase in runway 'incursions' a concern for Canadian air authorities Learjet 60 Aircraft Lands With Blown Rear Tire Texas Company Challenging FAA's Drone Restriction Order PRISM SMS FAA hands out master pilot, mechanic awards at Sun 'n Fun Local Aviation Company Capitalizing on European Air Safety Rule (Nebraska) Software tool for aviation safety reaches milestone Israeli Civil Aviation Authority among world's top 20 agencies WMU College of Aviation celebrating 75 years of aviation education in 2014 Graduate Research Survey (1) Graduate Research Survey (2) International Humanitarian Aviation Summit Upcoming Events The Latest Pings Are the 'Best Lead Yet' in the Hunt for the Missing Jet Angus Houston Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency coordinating the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, points to a map as he speaks during a news conference in Perth on April 7, 2014 Pings heard for a total of about two and half hours 1,040 miles northwest of Perth, Australia, are the "best lead yet" in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, says an Australian official. But the black-box recorder's battery could die at any moment "This is a most promising lead," former Australian defense-force chief Angus Houston, in charge of coordinating efforts, told reporters in Perth, Australia, on Monday. "It's probably the best information that we have had." Signals consistent with an aircraft's flight and voice recorder were picked up Saturday night and Sunday morning by the Australian vessel Ocean Shield, which was towing a U.S.-made pinger locator. The first signal was received for two hours and 20 minutes, and the second for 13 minutes, some 1,040 miles (1,680 km) northwest of Perth. Despite confirming that the signal "sounds to me just like an emergency-locator beacon," Houston refused to be drawn on whether it was coming from MH 370s black box. Further detection "would be the trigger to launch the underwater autonomous vehicle with the more accurate sonar and potentially a camera for mapping and looking at the ocean floor," said Peter Levy, commodore of the Royal Australian Navy. However, the Bluefin 21, the unmanned submarine on hand to scour the seabed to verify the signals, would be working at the very limit of its capacity at that depth. In addition, time is of the essence. The black-box transponder only has around 30 days of battery life, and Monday marked day 31 since the Boeing 777 disappeared an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Analysis of maintenance data transmissions indicates the plane crashed off the western coast of Australia with all 239 passengers and crew presumed killed. "We're not talking about days now, we're really talking about hours left of the battery life," Michael Daniel, an international aviation-safety consultant who spent over three decades at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, tells TIME. "So we have to be cautious-optimistic." Unfortunately, the process of triangulation is laborious. The ocean is about 2.8 miles (4.5 km) deep - the equivalent of a dozen Empire State Buildings - and the pinger locator can only detect a strip about 4 miles (6 km) wide, meaning several passes may be required. For the two vessels currently equipped with pinger locators to complete one 7-mile (11 km) route and then turn around again takes up to eight hours, owing to the huge length of cable needed to get the submerged device close to the ocean floor. On Sunday, a senior Malaysian official told CNN that the twin-engine jetliner likely skirted Indonesian airspace to avoid detection. This ties in with previous assertions that the plane was taken off course "through deliberate action." What caused the 200-ton jet to deviate from its flight path remains a mystery, although Malaysian police have ruled the 227 passengers out of any involvement. The British navy ship H.M.S. Echo is checking out a separate signal detected by the Chinese vessel Hai Xun on Friday and Saturday, which also may be consistent with the black box's beacon, but more than 500 km (345 miles) from the Ocean Shield's latest detections. http://time.com/51404/pings-detected-best-lead-yet-mh370-missing-jet/ Back to Top AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines Rival, Says Its Pilots Ensure Planes 'Never Get Lost' The logo of Malaysia's low-cost airline AirAsia Berhad is pictured on a structure as its staff undergo training at its academy in Sepang outside Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 13, 2013. Was it a simple case of editorial oversight or a grossly insensitive and untimely dig at the beleaguered competition? That's the question many are asking after Malaysia Airlines' low-cost rival, AirAsia, boasted that its pilots would never lose a plane. Under a section in AirAsia's in-flight magazine marked "Training & Preparation," the Kuala Lumpur-based carrier noted: "Pilot training in AirAsia is continuous and very thorough. Rest assured that your captain is well prepared to ensure your plane will never get lost. Have a safe flight." The controversial text appears in the latest edition of the seatback Travel 3Sixty magazine, which AirAsia pulled from its aircraft Saturday. The budget carrier said the magazine was printed long before Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 carrying 239 people. Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia executive chairman and publisher of Travel 3Sixty magazine, apologized "for any offense caused by the Pilot's Perspective article." "The section is a monthly column on aviation written by Capt. Lim Khoy Hing, a retired pilot who formally worked with AirAsia as well as Malaysia Airlines and [has] written books on aviation industry," Meranun explained in a statement issued Saturday. "As a monthly contributor, Capt. Lim prepared all of his articles months in advance before the magazine goes to print. Unintentionally and regrettably, the current issue carries an article that discusses GPS and Radar, which was printed a month before its issue date." Meranun said AirAsia had addressed the issue and improved its editorial approval process to ensure such mistakes wouldn't happen again. He said that in the future, AirAsia would ensure that all content is consistent with its brand values. "This is a truly difficult time for [Malaysia] and words cannot describe how I personally feel of this incident," Meranun added. "It truly saddens me that this article was released at such an inopportune moment." Meranun said the company was looking into disciplinary actions for the editorial team. He reiterated that AirAsia's thoughts and prayers remained with family and friends affected by the ongoing tragedy of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. AirAsia is Southeast Asia's largest budget carrier and one of the fastest-growing airlines in the world, making a $6 billion purchase from Airbus in December for 25 A330-300s to use on its long-haul AirAsia X unit. The carrier is known for its strong presence on social media, yet several of its followers cried foul after news of the untimely boast surfaced on Twitter late Friday night. AirAsia group CEO Tony Fernandes echoed the carrier's emphatic apology in a series of three notes on Twitter. "As soon as we were informed on Twitter, we withdrew. Once again, apologies. It has been a difficult time for all in the industry," he tweeted. Those waiting for any news in the month-long search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight received a glimmer of hope on Saturday when a Chinese ship searching for the plane detected two separate pulse signals, possibly from Flight MH370's black box. Dozens of ships and planes from 26 countries are racing against the clock to find the black- box recorders before their batteries run out. http://www.ibtimes.com/airasia-malaysia-airlines-rival-says-its-pilots-ensure-planes-never-get-lost-1567928 Back to Top Airline Industry Warms to Costly Real-Time Tracking After Flight 370 By ANDY PASZTOR and JON OSTROWER The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is prompting leaders of the global airline industry to warm up to a safety measure they long have resisted as too expensive: real-time satellite tracking of practically all airliners. With the multinational hunt for the Boeing 777 in its fourth week amid frustratingly little progress, the head of the industry's primary international trade group on Tuesday acknowledged widespread public disbelief about the inability to locate the plane, and said the industry needs to respond. "In a world where our every move seems to be tracked," said Tony Tyler, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, "we cannot let another aircraft simply disappear." In some cases, real-time tracking could cost up to several hundred thousand dollars per plane, just for installation of onboard equipment, industry officials say. Mr. Tyler, speaking at an industry conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, called for "urgent action and careful analysis" by regulators and carriers to develop and implement world-wide standards for transmitting the position of commercial aircraft regardless of where they fly. Investigators believe Flight 370, which was carrying 239 people, went down in the southern Indian Ocean on March 8 after flying thousands of miles off course. No wreckage has been found, and in Australia on Tuesday, the former military chief leading the search off the country's western coast, sought to tamp down expectations that any debris from the plane would be found in the coming days. "We are working from a very uncertain starting point," Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said. Search teams were scouring a poorly mapped swath of sea about the size of Ireland. Authorities say they likely have as little as a week left before the plane's black boxes stop emitting signals that could help searchers locate them deep underwater. "We don't know what altitude the aircraft was traveling at," Mr. Houston said. "We don't really know what speed it was going at other than some information that gives us some idea of the speed. It is a very inexact science." IATA plans to convene a task force of experts, including representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations that sets global standards. The group is scheduled to report its conclusions by December- an unusually quick turnaround for such an undertaking. Full-time tracking from space has been championed for years by air-safety experts as well as by equipment suppliers and commercial-satellite operators that stand to make money providing connectivity. "The airline industry needs to step up" and "somebody needs to assert leadership in this vital area," said Alan Diehl, a former senior commercial- accident investigator and U.S. military safety official. Such broadband connectivity also could serve as the backbone for related moves to automatically transmit a range of data about aircraft performance, flight commands and cockpit automation in the event of an emergency. The initiative gained momentum after the 2009 crash of an Air France AF.FR -1.67% Airbus A330 in the Atlantic Ocean. Mr. Tyler said "some progress was made," but now "that must be accelerated" after Flight 370's disappearance. The airline association didn't have an official position on real-time tracking. Now, its members also are mulling whether to support data connectivity for emergencies, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Tyler acknowledged the complexity and expense of setting up reliable satellite tracking everywhere, warning against succumbing to "hastily prepared sales pitches or regional solutions." Still, his speech endorsed action, which was unusual because airlines and regulators typically wait until they know broadly what happened in a particular air accident before moving to act on lessons learned. Pilots, who often have resisted the close tracking of flight information because they fear airlines could use it to punish them, also are backing the need for technology upgrades. "Technology is available that can significantly enhance the ability to locate a missing aircraft, and this technology must become the standard across the industry," the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations said on Monday. Boeing Co., which manufactured the Malaysian 777-200ER, also has indicated support. A spokesman said the company "will participate in and support the effort to find effective and efficient ways to enhance global tracking." The latest generation aircraft, like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, are already set up at delivery to airlines to periodically report the position, speed and altitude as part of its satellite uplink. The Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit global safety advocacy organization, called for an international symposium of industry officials and regulators to discuss enhanced location tracking and real-time transmission of aircraft-operations data, particularly in emergency situations. "That data can help unlock mysteries, leading to timely safety improvements and more focused search and rescue missions," said David McMillan, chairman of the foundation's board of governors. Airlines for America, the trade association representing U.S. airlines, said in an email that it is "premature for us to speculate and/or discuss potential changes to safety and security procedures." Technology already exists for periodic satellite tracking. Airlines such as Air France and Deutsche Lufthansa AG transmit position, speed and altitude data every 10 minutes through an automated reporting system known as Acars, said Chris McLaughlin, senior vice president at Inmarsat PLC. Flight 370 was capable of transmitting Acars messages, but investigators believe the system was disabled or deactivated.before disappearing from civilian radar Around 10,000 aircraft, or 90% of widebody jets flying long routes, are capable of reporting position with the same technology that was fitted to the missing Malaysian 777-200ER, said Mr. McLaughlin, and 5,000 additional aircraft have the latest generation system that could potentially be used to stream data about the aircraft. New technology designed to improve air-traffic management will likely make tracking even easier, enabling world-wide coverage including remote oceans and other swaths of the globe that have no radar coverage. Next year, Aireon LLC, a joint venture between Iridium Communications Inc. and air traffic control providers from four countries, plans to launch the first of 72 satellites to enable space-based availability of the new air traffic technology, known as ADS-B, said Ashley Eames, spokeswoman for Virginia-based Aireon said. The ADS-B data streamed to orbiting satellites will provide detailed GPS, altitude and speed data. The system is expected to be fully operational in 2017, she said. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304886904579475903816035002?mg=reno64- wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304886904579475903816035002.html Back to Top Increase in runway 'incursions' a concern for Canadian air authorities "Know where to hold short": An aviation industry safety poster promoting runway safety among pilots and others working around runways. OTTAWA - The pilot of a single-engine Cessna airplane preparing to depart the Ottawa airport two years ago was instructed to taxi to runway 32 and "hold short" while two arriving aircraft landed on the same runway first. Instead, as a tower controller watched in disbelief, the Cessna inexplicably entered the active runway without authorization. The inbound planes were ordered to overshoot their approaches and make routine "go-rounds." It was one of about 25 runway "incursions" at the airport over the last three years. None resulted in anything more serious than perhaps a bad scare. But Transport Canada is concerned. It issued an advisory last week telling aircraft operators the rate of runway conflicts at Canadian airports remains stubbornly high. It wants operators, if they haven't already, to adopt "sterile" flight decks. That means reducing pilots' workloads and potential distractions while aircraft are taxiing to and from runways. Incursions are on the Transportation Safety Board's watchlist of critical safety issues, too. "Given the millions of takeoffs and landings each year, incursions are rare, but their consequences can be catastrophic," says the federal safety watchdog agency. The deadliest accident in aviation history resulted from a runway incursion in March 1977 when two Boeing 747s collided on a foggy landing strip in the Canary Islands, killing 583 passengers and crew. In Canada, there are approximately 350 incursions a year during roughly six million takeoffs and landings. For every 100,000 aircraft movements, the incursion rate dropped steadily to 4.25 in 2007 from 5.89 in 2003, according to Transport Canada. But the rate has been slowly rising since. In 2011, it stood at 6.61 and at 6.09 in 2012. No one is certain why, though some aviation experts suggest it may be a case of improved reporting due to increased use of technologies and new airport procedures. Nav Canada, the company that controls Canada's civilian airspace, has installed airport surface detection and other sophisticated anti-incursion equipment at several major airports, including in Ottawa. Additional changes and improvements by industry and government include, for example, adopting clearer phraseology for ground instructions between pilots and controllers. "The department continues to collaborate with industry stakeholders and our international partners to address the risk of aircraft collision with vehicles and other aircraft on the ground at Canadian airports," Transport Canada said in a statement Wednesday. The most common incursion scenarios involve an aircraft or vehicle crossing in front of a landing or departing aircraft; an aircraft or vehicle crossing the runway holding-position marking; an aircraft or vehicle unsure of its position and inadvertently entering an active runway; a breakdown in communications leading to failure to follow an air traffic control instruction; and an aircraft passing behind an aircraft or vehicle that has yet to leave the runway. Airport improvement projects are another potential problem, resulting in more complex runway and taxiway layouts, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization. The situation is made worse, it says, by inadequate signage, markings, lighting and other factors. Nav Canada statistics offer a more detailed picture. In the three-year period ending March 31, 2013, there were 1,099 runway incursions at airports overseen by Nav Canada. Of those, 662 or 60 per cent were blamed on mistakes by pilots. Almost 60 per cent were classified as minor and posing "little or no chance" of collision. The most revealing figure, however, shows that general aviation and private pilots - versus commercial airline and military pilots - were responsible for 68 per cent of incidents where an aircraft was at fault. The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, representing pilots who fly for personal travel and recreation, said it was unable to offer immediate comment for this story. On the commercial passenger side, "sterile" cockpits are the norm during critical takeoff and landing phases, said Dan Adamus, president of Airline Pilots Association International's Canada board. "Almost every airline I know has procedures in their operating manual that talks about sterile cockpit and it's from the time you push back (from the gate) until 10,000 feet ... and the same thing on the way down. "The majority of checklists are done beforehand," at the gate. "When it comes to taxi clearances (from controllers) if there's ever any doubt - 'are we supposed to cross (a runway) or not?' - we always get clarification," from the tower. "A runway incursion is a big deal, but there's a lot of checks and balances in place, a lot of company procedures." He knows first-hand. Around 1990, Adamus was bringing in an airliner for a landing in London, Ont., when a sudden snow squall hit and obscured his visibility. He did a go-round and was cleared to land on another runway. "I was just about to land - it's snowing pretty bad - but all of a sudden I see some lights and I realize there's snowplows on the runway," that hadn't been advised of the runway change. He pulled up and went around again. "That was one of those ones that you don't think about until you get on the ground." http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Increase+runway+incursions+concern+Canadian+authorities/9692545/story.html Back to Top Learjet 60 Aircraft Lands With Blown Rear Tire The Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service was on alert for the landing of a learjet 60 aircraft on Sunday afternoon [Apr 6] after receiving a report that the plane was experiencing landing gear issues. The aircraft landed safely without incident and it was observed by the fire crews that the outer left tire on the port side main landing gear was flat. Fire Service spokesperson Lieutenant Leonard Davis said, "At approximately 4:41 pm the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service received a call from Bermuda Tower of a Learjet with landing gear issues approximately 10 miles outside of island. "Watch Commander Paul Dill of the Airport Division stated that "as a precautionary measure the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service was asked to take up standby positions off the runway for the arriving aircraft." "The aircraft landed safely without incident and came to a stop on a nearby taxiway". It was observed by the fire crews that the outer left tire on the port side main landing gear was flat. "The aircraft was a medevac travelling from Santa Maria, Azores en-route to Bermuda for a schedule tech stop when it blew a tire during takeoff. There were 5 persons on board and there were no injuries reported." http://bernews.com/2014/04/learjet-60-aircraft-lands-with-blown-rear-tire/ Back to Top Texas Company Challenging FAA's Drone Restriction Order A Texas company that has been using drones to search for missing people is fighting a Federal Aviation Administration order to stop using the unmanned aircraft. Texas EquuSearch has been using the drones since 2006 to map out search areas and conduct searches, but in February the FAA ordered the group to stop using them, reports The Wall Street Journal. But the company isn't taking the order lightly. It responded to the FAA's demand saying that the agency has no legal authority to prohibit it from using drones, and threatened legal action against the agency if the order wasn't rescinded in 30 days. The FAA has been slow in setting rules for unmanned aircraft, but does ban commercial use of drones in the United States, sending cease-and-desist letters to companies that it suspects are violating their policy. So far, the correspondence has been sent to aerial photographers, journalism professors, and weather researchers, and the FAA says it needs to limit drones to preserve the safety of the national air space. However, the agency doesn't expect to finalize its rules for drones until at least late in 2015, and some industry officials believe it may take even longer than that. Meanwhile, the drone industry and businesses like Texas EquuSearch are challenging the FAA's authority to regulate drones. Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller, who started the company after his daughter was kidnapped in 2000, noted the unmanned aircraft can save time in mapping out search areas, and in at least a dozen cases, drones "located bodies we never would have found." Meanwhile, Texas EquuSearch plans to file a federal lawsuit against the FAA if the order isn't rescinded, said Brendan Schulman, a New York lawyer and drone enthusiast hired to represent the company. The FAA says that the Texas company should find one of the more than 500 eligible certificate holders who can fly drones, such as police departments or universities, to sponsor its searches. http://www.newsmax.com/scitech/drones-faa-texas-unmanned/2014/04/06/id/563949/ Back to Top Back to Top FAA hands out master pilot, mechanic awards at Sun 'n Fun Bernice Haydu, seen here in an AOPA file photo, was among the recipients of the FAA Master Pilot Award at Sun 'n Fun. Eleven pilots, one of whom also is a master mechanic, were honored by the FAA at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo April 4 in Lakeland, Fla., for their contributions to safe flight operations for 50 or more years. The Wright Brothers Master Pilot and Charles Taylor Master Mechanic awards are given to pilots and mechanics who have exhibited professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise. They also are the pilots and mechanics who have brought the aviation industry forward for the enjoyment and benefit of their generation as well future generations of men and women. The master pilot recipients who were in attendance at Sun 'n Fun to receive the awards were former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, Women Airforce Service Pilot Bernice Haydu, William Bauer, Jerry Farquar, Craig Harden, Sun 'n Fun founding director Billy Henderson, William McKee Jr., David Nielsen, John Murphy, Roger Shepherd, and Claude Pratt, who was also honored as a master mechanic. The FAA's website also listed Women Airforce Service Pilot Rose "Penny" Ross as receiving the master pilot award. "Our paths in aviation are widely varied, as pilots and mechanics. But we all share a passion for aviation and making sure things are safe and airworthy," said Bob Locke, the master of ceremonies, himself a master pilot and mechanic. "These awards recognize those who have been a safe pilot or mechanic for at least 50 years. We're all the descendants of the Wright brothers and mechanics are descendants of Charles Taylor." To be eligible for the awards, nominees must be U.S. citizens with 50 years of experience, a clean record, and three letters of recommendation. The awards were presented by Deputy FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker. The winners received plaques signed by the FAA administrator. They also received a copy of their FAA records and will have their name on the roll of honor at FAA's headquarters in Washington, D.C. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2014/April/04/FAA-hands-out-master-pilot-mechanic-awards-at-Sun- n-Fun.aspx Back to Top Local Aviation Company Capitalizing on European Air Safety Rule (Nebraska) A Grand Island company is hoping to capitalize on airplane safety changes in Europe just like they are in the United States. Trego/Dugan Aviation is getting certified to put new Federal Aviation Administration required safety equipment in smaller planes. They say Europe is also requiring planes flying in their skies to have that same equipment. Trego/Dugan has plans to double, and eventually triple their Grand Island workforce to keep up with the US demand. Now they say they'll be selling how they do that work to aviation companies in Europe too. "We come up with the solution to put it in any of these aircraft you see around, and aircraft in the US are the same as you see in Europe, there's different manufacturers and stuff, but we'll have the solution to put it in almost any smaller aircraft in Europe as well," says General Manager Zachary Thompson. More than 200,000 planes in the US will need to have the new equipment installed by 2020, but Europe's 100,000 general aviation aircraft will need theirs by 2017. Thompson says they're hoping their solutions will be used in about half of the European planes. He says it will increase the company's presence abroad. "We deal with aircraft in other countries, we import aircraft, we export aircraft, we sell to Australia and China, we sell parts to companies in China as well, but this will be a presence to try to be the solution, just like we are in the US, we want to be the solution for ADSB (Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast) in Europe as well," he says. Trego/Dugan employees will leave this week for an air show in Germany where they will talk with companies about their plan. They will also meet with Europe's version of the FAA called EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). http://www.nebraska.tv/story/25176917/local-aviation-company-capitalizing-on-european-air-safety-rule Back to Top Software tool for aviation safety reaches milestone Lt. Cmdr. Sean Paxton, assigned to the Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209), demonstrates the Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance, or MFOQA, software for a visitor on March 26 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. MFOQA, which will help the Navy and Marine Corps reduce its aviation mishap rate and enhance aircrew training, achieved Milestone C in its acquisition development on March 25, paving the way for limited production and installation on fleet computers. (U.S. Navy photo) A software tool that will help the Navy and Marine Corps reduce its aviation mishap rate and enhance aircrew training reached a key developmental milestone March 25, laying the groundwork for limited production and installation on fleet computers. Naval officials hailed the Milestone C achievement of the Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance, or MFOQA (pronounced em-FO-kwa), software and said plans are underway to deploy the application to about three F/A-18 squadrons per month, with phase 2 of the program providing capability to Navy and Marine Corps helicopter squadrons beginning in 2016. "MFOQA will provide detailed data in a format that is user-friendly for post-flight analysis for naval aviators, maintenance personnel and squadron leadership," said Capt. Tracy Barkhimer who leads the Air Combat Electronics Program Office (PMA-209), which is managing the software development. "It will alert fleet leadership to aircrew behaviors that, in the aggregate, could lead to unsafe situations of which they may not be aware." Initial Operational Capability is planned for late April at Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, an F/A-18 Hornet and F/A- 18E/F Super Hornet fleet replacement squadron at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. MFOQA can identify unsafe trends in aircrew technique and enable fleet leadership to initiate remedial training to correct the problem before it results in a mishap, Navy officials said. For example, an instructor conducting a basic fighter maneuvers training flight on a non-Tactical Air Combat Training System mission must re-create all the details of the engagements from memory and notes taken during the flight. MFOQA provides a visual replay of the flight with extensive detail of the flight parameters, which significantly enhances the training experience. The tool also allows for a post-flight analysis of flight data, which will facilitate improved maintenance and operational procedures. FOQA, the civilian aviation version of the software has already proven usefulness in the commercial airline industry, said Susan Whitley, MFOQA's integrated product team lead, responsible for the program's overall design, development and execution. "The intent is to identify predictive indicators and trends by analyzing existing flight data on a regular basis, not just after the mishap or incident," Whitley said. "MFOQA provides timely, tangible information on aircrew and aircraft system performance following every flight and puts that information into the hands of the people who can most directly make a difference - squadron aircrew, maintainers, and leadership. We want to 'break the link' before an aircraft mishap or maintenance failure occurs." MFOQA will support the following platforms: F/A-18C/D/E/F, EA-18G, MH-60R/S, CH-53E, MH-53E, CH-53K, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, T-45C, MV-22B, F-35B/C, P-8A, E-6B, KC-130J, E-2C/D and C-2A. The MFOQA program was launched in 2005 as a result of a Secretary of Defense memorandum, directing the services to "implement the multi-faceted MFOQA process." PMA-209 provides the Navy and Marine Corps with products and support in the areas of communication and airborne networking, navigation and flight operations and mission systems and sensors. http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/36318 Back to Top Israeli Civil Aviation Authority among world's top 20 agencies Israeli authority receives score of 90% compliance with aviation safety protocols in International Civil Aviation Organization review * Israel is "among the top-tier countries when it comes to aviation safety," says Transportation Ministry. The International Civil Aviation Organization has named the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority among the world's top 20 best aviation authorities. Four ICAO officials arrived in Israel last week to review the Israeli authority's aviation safety protocols and procedures, and gauged its compliance at 90 percent. South Korea, whose civil aviation authority is considered the best in the world, received 100%. The score represented a considerable improvement from Israel's 2007 review, in which it scored 60% compliance, 1% lower than the global average, and was ranked 105 out of 190 nations inspected. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration downgraded Israel's status to Category 2 in 2008. The authority applied for another ICAO review in 2013, after the FAA reinstated Israel's Category 1 status for aviation safety. Israel's ICAO score is still pending the approval of the Canada-based organization's headquarters. The ICAO is expected to ratify the findings within a few weeks. The review "placed Israel among the top-tier countries when it comes to aviation safety," a statement by the Transportation and Road Safety Ministry said. Transportation and Road Safety Minister Yisrael Katz said the review proved that "Israel has been able to erase the poor safety perception that has plagued our civil aviation industry for years. One can safely say that we are now at the cutting edge of global aviation." Civil Aviation Authority Director Giora Romm said, "The International Civil Aviation Organization's recognition that the CAA is one of the top 20 civil aviation authorities worldwide with respect to aviation safety completes five years of hard work meant to rectify serious safety failures which were detected in 2007 and 2008 by the Lapidot report, the FAA and the ICAO." Romm thanked Katz for "the faith, support and encouragement the CAA has been given through the years." http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=16701 Back to Top WMU College of Aviation celebrating 75 years of aviation education in 2014 E.C. (Buck) Weaver's Aircraft Engine class in the lower basement of the Oakland Gym, 1939. (Photo courtesy of WMU Archives and Regional History Collections) BATTLE CREEK, MI - Western Michigan University aviation flight science student Josh Blain leveled the wings of his Cirrus SR20 and extended the flaps as he commenced his approach to W.K. Kellogg Airport. "Western 44, you're cleared for a touch and go on runway one-three," the air traffic controller said. A few seconds later, after feeling the main landing gear kiss the runway, Blain applied full power and nudged the Cirrus off the ground and began climbing to set up for another touch and go landing. Touch and go landings, such as the one that Blain performed, are just one of many aviation maneuvers taught to students at WMU's College of Aviation, which in 2014 is celebrating 75 years of aviation education. Major Aviation Events at WMU * 1939 - Department of Vocational Aviation is formed. * 1946 - SkyBroncos flying club is formed. * 1955 - Flight training begins at Plainwell Airport. * 1959 -Flight training moves to Kalamazoo Airport. * 1972 - Students are able to earn multi-engine rating. * 1995 - School of Aviation Sciences is formed. * 1997 - School of Aviation moves to Battle Creek. * 1999 - School of Aviation becomes College of Aviation. * 2002 - Flight team wins fifth national championship. * 2005 - Delivery of Cirrus training aircraft begins. Beginning in 1939 with a maintenance program, WMU's involvement with aviation education has expanded to offer degrees in aviation flight science, aviation management and aviation maintenance technology. In 1999, the existing WMU School of Aviation became the WMU College of Aviation, making it the university's seventh college. Currently with a fleet of advanced training aircraft, modern facilities in Battle Creek and more than 700 undergraduate students in the program, celebrating 75 years of aviation education is an historic event, college officials said. "1903 is when fixed wing aircraft with the Wright brothers started," College of Aviation recruitment and outreach officer Scott Warner said. "We have 75 years of history with them so we have the majority of aviation's life under our belt. 75 years is a huge milestone." Showing students, members of the community and those thinking of attending the college how aviation at WMU has unfolded is something that College of Aviation business manager Dace Copeland says is vital during this celebration. "We need to know what our history is so that we can move forward too and I think that that's really important," Copeland said. "We get a lot of visitors that come through here and we always want to show them what we're doing and what we have." WMU's College of Aviation will hold events throughout the next few months, culminating in a 75th Anniversary Celebration Gala on Oct. 24. For the full list of events, visit wmich.edu/aviation. http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/04/wmu_college_of_aviation_celebr.html Back to Top Graduate Research Survey (1) Hello, Our names are Lauren Sperlak, Lukas Rudari, Gilbert Jones, and Robert Geske. We are graduate students at Purdue University currently conducting research on Title 14 C.F.R. Part 117 which addresses fatigue risk for Title 14 C.F.R. Part 121 pilots. The new regulation recognizes fatigue related risks to safety, such as changes to natural circadian rhythm and "jetlag." We are seeking your assistance in completing an anonymous online survey. Your responses are greatly appreciated by the researchers, and the feedback provided by your survey responses will provide valuable information that will be used to help process the findings of this study. In order to complete the survey, you must be at least 18 years of age, and you may not complete the survey more than once. It is anticipated that the survey will take 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey link can be accessed via: https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0TUBgrhMpM1vO8B We thank you in advance for your participation. Sincerely, Lauren, Lukas, Gilbert, and Rob Back to Top Graduate Research Survey (2) Good day, My name is Hannatu Dogo, and I am a Master of Science student in Applied Aviation Safety at Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne Campus. I am writing to ask if you would be willing to send out the link to the survey instrument for my final Graduate Research Project. The survey is designed for Pilots with at least a Private Pilot License.The purpose of it is to determine approximately how many pilots have experienced an in-flight encounter with weather that led to accidents, incidents or close calls. In addition, pilots' perceptions based on what factors led to the weather encounter will help determine courses of action to improve pilots' ability to maintain aircraft control in instrument flying conditions. The survey is very brief and will only take about 15 minutes to complete. Results will remain completely anonymous. Here is a link for the survey Web site: http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/cgr/hannatu-s-survey/ The Institutional Review Board has approved this survey (IRB #14-031). Should you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at hdogo2008@my.fit.edu. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Hannatu Dogo Back to Top Back to Top Upcoming Events: Middle East Air Cargo and Logistics Exhibition & Conference 2014 April 9-10, 2014 Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) http://cargomiddleeast.com Flight Safety Foundation Business Aviation Safety Summit 2014 April 16-17, 2014 San Diego, CA http://flightsafety.org/files/doc/2014FSF_Prospectus.pdf Airport Show Dubai May 11-13, 2014 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) www.theairportshow.com/portal/home.aspx International Humanitarian Aviation Summit 12-14MAY Toledo, Spain wfp.org National Safety Council Aviation Safety Committee Annual Conference Savanah, GA - May 14-15, 2014 Contact: tammy.washington@nsc.org http://cwp.marriott.com/savdt/artexmeeting/ Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar 21-22 May 2014, Bangkok, Thailand http://bit.ly/APASS2014 Curt Lewis