Flight Safety Information July 13, 2015 - No. 136 In This Issue Drone business flies high, fueled by FAA exemptions NASA's Volcanic Ash Test Aims To Study Engine Health, Improve Aviation Safety Southwest Airlines plane runs off tarmac at Richmond International Airport Edgewater man laundered scrap airplane parts, dodged taxes, authorities say In-flight airplane Wi-Fi is vulnerable to hackers: Reports Saudi aircraft damaged by catering vehicle...No one hurt in accident Arkia flight came close to landing on waiting aircraft (Israel) Major Search After Light Aircraft Goes Missing (Washington State) FAA team to test aviation standards (Thailand) PROS 2015 TRAINING Boeing patents laser-powered fusion-fission jet engine China-Pakistan cooperate on fighter jet production WWII Fighter Plane Pilot Honored on Her 99th Birthday James Bede, noted aircraft designer Embry-Riddle To Offer Free Online Course On Aviation Accident Investigation Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) Drone business flies high, fueled by FAA exemptions Dyan Gibbens of Houston's Trumbull Unmanned integrates drones into the oil and gas industry. WASHINGTON - Pressured by Congress, the Federal Aviation Administration is rapidly launching a new era in unmanned flight with hundreds of exemptions to a federal ban on commercial use of drones. Without fanfare, the FAA has issued nearly 750 exemptions - more than 60 to Texas companies and individuals - enabling small drones to take flight for a host of reasons, from real estate promotion to television filming to inspections of cell towers and croplands, records show. The FAA handed out more than 90 percent of exemptions just since April, illustrating the speed by which the nation's aviation authority is moving. In June alone, the FAA granted authorizations for commercial unmanned aircraft systems in 42 states and Puerto Rico. Several Houston-area companies and individuals have sought the exemptions. D&C Inspection Services in Seabrook intends to use the drones for safety inspections; Flying Solutions in Missouri City for flight training, film production & other services; Trumbull Unmanned in Houston for energy industry mapping and monitoring. Meanwhile, availability of Chinese-made drones for as little as $500 is spawning low-investment startups in an atmosphere likened by enthusiasts to the early days of personal computers. Steven Combs' Drone-view LLC, in Elmendorf, swiftly parlayed an exemption in April into a money-making operation. Droneview is conducting aerial photography for a construction company and Bexar County real estate clients. Last week, Combs received FAA approval to operate another new drone, and business is going so well he is opening a Drone-view branch in Minnesota. The rapid developments presage the day of drones commonly hovering above, a sight Americans might or might not be prepared for. FAA officials say they'll have a final rule governing small drones in place early next year. That regulation as drawn would require simply a vetting and a written test rather than the pilot's certificate needed for the current exemptions. As government speeds toward the once futuristic prospect of deliveries by drone, civil liberties advocates and even promoters in Congress worry that privacy protections are absent. Privacy went unmentioned in the three-year-old federal law ordering the FAA to open the national air space for commercial drones. The FAA deals only with safety. And courts have said nothing about how privacy will be defined. Yet privacy protections likely will be a factor in public acceptance of a sky abuzz with quadcopters and tiny planes. Combs recognizes as much in the warnings he is hearing. "I've had people say to me that if that thing ever comes over my place I'm going shoot it out of the sky," Combs said. He might have reason to worry. Last year, a shotgun-wielding waiter in New Jersey blasted a Chinese-made DJI Phantom drone similar to the unmanned aircraft Combs operates. Soon after, another miniature flying machine was brought down in California by shotgun. Last month in New York, firefighters trained a blast of water on a hobbyist's drone, damaging it and raising First Amendment questions about what can be filmed. FAA exemptions Texas is among the states that expressly forbid aerial surveillance. Combs' worry about perceptions is why he promises on his website not to use his quadcopter "for snooping or to spy on a business, property or persons." The exemptions flying out of the FAA come with safety-related stipulations: Operators must have a pilot's certificate, keep drones in their lines of sight and operate in daylight only. Drones can weigh no more than 55 pounds and fly no higher than 400 feet. Even with FAA restrictions, now is a pivotal time for drones. "It's busting loose," said Jacob Rachniowski, a 26-year-old entrepreneur from Austin whose Cloud9-Drones looks to be a step ahead of the competition. Besides inspecting cell towers and transmission lines, Rachniowski's company designs customized aircraft and helps companies integrate drones into their operations. His fear is that hobbyists and operators who ignore FAA standards will cloud public perceptions. "There are people out there and companies like ours who will have to compete with people who aren't following the rules," he said. Companies getting FAA authorization have declared a variety of plans. In the Houston area, Trumbull Unmanned said it intends to use drones for monitoring in the energy industry. Bechtel Equipment Operations wants images of construction sites. Arch Aerial says it will offer its eight-rotor, seven-pound OCTO drone for uses ranging from agriculture monitoring to damage assessment. In his application to the FAA, Craig Byrom of Katy said that in addition to using his drone for ranchland mapping, he intends to offer it for search-and-rescue. He noted that the body of a friend who went missing several years ago wasn't located for three weeks on a ranch near Devine. Noel Garcia, of San Antonio, might seem overqualified to operate his 2.9-pound, Chinese-made, DJI Phantom 2. As a certified air transport pilot, he flew Boeing 737s. He also was a combat pilot and helped devise the first Air Force drone-training program. Garcia plans to film real estate parcels and build a business around telling video stories of neighborhoods that might appeal to homebuyers. 'Cat's out of the bag' Tony "Bravo" Straw is another San Antonio ex-combat pilot downsizing to a drone. He intends to deploy his flying machine in his real estate businesses. "The cat's out of the bag. People can go buy (drones) just about anywhere," said Straw, formerly an Air Force instructor pilot. He added: "It's not going to be something the FAA can control. Probably the best thing they could do is ensure that folks get the education and training they need." In a hearing last month, a Virginia congressman asked FAA deputy administrator Michael Whitaker about his property rights when a drone hovers 500 feet, or even three feet, above his home. Twice Whitaker used the phrase "gray area" in fumbling for an answer. Equipping model aircraft with GPS-enabled computers may turn out to be just another extension of the Internet era with unknowns similar to those of two decades ago. But the prospect of a camera-equipped drone capturing activities regarded as squarely within the realm of privacy worries civil libertarians. Concerns are heightened amid prospects of drones being outfitted with technology such as license plate scanners, facial recognition software, thermal-imaging cameras and even devices that trick cellphones into sending them data. "Drones are just a mobile platform. It may be in the future, but you can affix a wide variety of sensors to that platform," said Harley Geiger, senior counsel for the Center for Democracy and Technology, an advocacy group that champions online freedoms. How privacy protections will be factored into the arrival of drones remains unclear. In 2012, when the House Transportation Committee wrote legislation ordering the FAA to write rules for commercial drones, members concluded they had no jurisdiction over privacy matters. The FAA didn't offer to pick up the slack. "You have to understand, the FAA is a safety agency and we don't have the expertise to take the lead in any privacy effort," FAA spokesman Les Dorr said. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Drone-business-flies-high-fueled-by-FAA-6380755.php Back to Top NASA's Volcanic Ash Test Aims To Study Engine Health, Improve Aviation Safety EDWARDS (CBSLA.com) - One of the more tragic aspects of a flight crash is the circumstantial fact that, sometimes, the pilot simply does not have control over the anomaly that causes the aircraft to fail. Ice buildup on the wings, external weather variables and other environmental elements can be decreased, even avoided, by experienced pilots who know the maneuvers or adjustments necessary to reduce their effects. Too little can often be done, however, to predict or address the issue most commonly associated with in-flight disasters - engine failure. The lack of control over a situation caused by engine failure or shutdown is a dire reality indeed, and it is responsible for the majority of aviation apprehension. Researchers at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, located in the deserts of Antelope Valley, north of Los Angeles, are working to eliminate, or at least alleviate, part of the engine failure factor from the aviation equation. The VIPR (Vehicle Integrated Propulsion Research) project, the product of a partnership between NASA, the U.S. Air Force and a number of other agencies and companies, is a series of tests to evaluate health management technologies on commercial engines. "Our objective is researching engine health technologies," principal investigator John Lekki of NASA's Glenn Research Center said. "We're looking at technologies that will be able to identify aircraft engine faults at the beginning stages. We want to be able to identify those and diagnose them, and then also give an idea of how they're going to change over time." These tests began in 2011, and have focused on how engine compromise is associated with the pollution or corruption of that engine's sensors. Through implementing environmental fault scenarios in these tests, AFRC researchers are learning more about engine health through new sensors, and are able to asses advances in engine diagnostics. Two F-117 turbofan engines, provided by the Air Force, were mounted on a C-17 aircraft, on which the tests are performed as the aircraft is grounded. These tests include studying the engine through normal engine operations, seeded mechanical faults, seeded gas path faults, and finally, accelerated engine life degradation through the ingestion of volcanic ash. The subjection to volcanic ash represents the next stage of NASA's VIPR testing at AFRC. "Volcanic ash for us, initially, was a medium that we could use to fully degrade the aircraft's engine, and we're interested in degrading the engine to see how well our health management technologies pick up these faults, and how well we can determine what the trend of the engine is going to be. We chose volcanic ash because it's an interesting way to fault an engine, but it's also something that hasn't been carefully studied, and it's something that is definitely a need that we have." USGS estimates that there are about 1,500 active volcanoes on the planet. Any time there are eruptions, it can create problems for aviation. When Eyjafjallajökull erupted in Iceland in 2010, the result was a shutdown of much European airspace for two weeks, which had a $2 billion impact on the industry. What damaged the aviation industry further was the subsequent scramble to figure out what airspace was safe to fly in, and what had to be avoided. This confusion stemmed from the fact that there hadn't been any studies on the effect of this volcanic ash on engine health - until now. The test works by using a "spider" spray rig, developed by General Electric, to deposit "low to moderate" concentrations of volcanic ash, collected by project partner Rolls Royce, into the C-17's running engine. Among the sensors under study is a vibration sensor, as well as a thin film sensor - a dynamic temperature sensor which picks up quick temperatures fluctuations in the engine. In the turbine section of the engine, which is a challenging space for instrumentation due to high temperatures, and which is where the "heavy lifting" of the aircraft is done, a microwave tip clearance sensor, developed through the NASA Small Business Innovation Research program, was installed. "This sensor can measure the gap between the outer wall of the turbine and the tips of the turbine blades," Lekki described. "This is a key measurement in aircraft engines, because if we can measure this, and measure precisely, not only can we tell whether or not there are problems with the turbine blades, which has been one of the really difficult areas to get health management information out of, but we can also look at adding what we call active clearance control to the engine. Active clearance control will give us the benefit of having a more fuel-efficient engine." Ash accumulation on the engine's compression blades contributes to erosion, ultimately compromising the health of the engine, and therefore, the safety of the flight. Behind the engine, emissions sensors are installed to read the combustion of the engine, giving more insight to the health of the engine. Through the volcanic ash test, researchers aim to study the effect of several hours of exposure to the ash. The tests have three primary objectives: The incorporation of smarter sensors designed to improve flight safety and reduce aviation costs. The detection of potential engine faults. The evaluation of advances in engine diagnostics. "The primary benefits of health monitoring, in the long term, are mostly economic benefits," Paul Krasa of NASA's Lanlgley Research Center said. "They let you really take a look into the health of the engine that you can work on things when there are issues. That's the primary direction that the (aviation) industry is looking at health monitoring." NASA considers itself as being in a position of responsibility, to lead the way to frontiers unknown, as well as to make safer those endeavors which we have discovered, and continue to master. The goal of making aviation safer for all of us is one NASA takes seriously, and one which the researchers at AFRC are making a reality. http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/07/11/nasas-volcanic-ash-test-aims-to-study-engine-health-improve-aviation-safety/ Back to Top Southwest Airlines plane runs off tarmac at Richmond International Airport RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) - A plane with passengers on board ran off the tarmac at Richmond International Airport early Monday morning. Southwest Flight number 4636 departed Orlando and arrived this morning here in Richmond, officials with Southwest Airlines said in a statement released to 8News. "After making a routine landing, the aircraft veered off of the taxiway and into the grass, while slowly transitioning to the gate," Southwest's statement continued. An 8News viewer sent us pictures of the plane as it sat on the taxiway. In the photos, several assistance vehicles can be seen out there trying to help. Passengers say the plane was going fast down the tarmac before eventually running off the taxiway. Southwest says that after a one-hour delay, the 131 customers and five crew member aboard were deplaned and transported to the terminal. No injuries have been reported. http://wric.com/2015/07/13/passengers-plane-ran-off-runway-at-richmond-international-airport/ Back to Top Edgewater man laundered scrap airplane parts, dodged taxes, authorities say NEWARK -An Edgewater man was indicted Friday for allegedly using his aircraft parts brokering company in a 19-year conspiracy to launder scrapped and rejected jet engine parts, authorities said. Gideon Vaisman, 75, is also accused of filing false tax returns to avoid paying taxes related to his business, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in a news release. Vaisman - who owned Integrated Technology Corp. from 1989 through 1998 and Tara Technology Corp. from 1998 onward - allegedly defrauded Federal Aviation Administration repair stations, aircraft parts brokers, aircraft parts end-users and others by using phony documents to resell jet engine parts obtained from scrap metal dealers. Vaisman bought vital jet engine parts called "blades" and "vanes" from scrap metal dealers and then ordered Tara Technology general manager Carmine Coviello to sand and file these parts in order to conceal that they had been scrapped and, on occasion, rejected for repair by an FAA repair station, authorities said. Only FAA-certified repair stations or certified airframe and power plant mechanics may perform such work on aircraft parts, according to FAA regulations. Vaisman, Coviello and others also conducted sham sales of the illegally altered "blades" and "vanes" to Tara Aviation - a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands but actually owned by Vaisman - in order to create fake a paperwork trail for the parts before ultimately selling them to airlines and other brokers of jet engine parts, authorities said. Vaisman also allegedly failed to pay taxes on $14.2 million in net income generated by Tara Aviation. Vaisman is facing one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, nine counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit fraud involving aircraft parts and eight counts of filing false tax returns. Each mail and wire fraud charge carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years. Vaisman was previously arrested and charged in May 2013 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Coviello previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in relation to the scheme. He's scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10. http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2015/07/edgewater_man_laundered_scrap_airplane_parts_dodge.html Back to Top In-flight airplane Wi-Fi is vulnerable to hackers: Reports Wi-Fi in the sky isn't a vague thought any more. As in-flight airplane Wi-Fi becomes more of a commonplace, the risk of cyber-criminals targeting unsuspecting travellers is even more. With so many passengers crammed up into one system, it is no less than a hackers paradise. Routehappy, a service known to rank flight amenities revealed earlier this year that passengers on US airlines now have a 2/3 chance of getting in-flight Wi-Fi on all the miles they fly. The report adds that domestic in-flight Wi-Fi has grown 1,600-fold since July 2013, and the expansion is obviously driven by consumer demand. While travellers look to satiate their Internet needs even while travelling, some malicious minds are working to hack into their accounts. "If you pay bills, write work emails, or shop online, a hacker with only modest skills has a chance of getting your data," points out VentureBeat. According to the report, one of the common mistakes by people is terming the Wi-Fi network as 'Home' when they are asked if it is a Home, Work or Public connection. Users choosing Home tell their computer that the files can be shared with everyone on the Wi-Fi network. This doesn't mean those choosing Public option is safe. "Commercially available hacking devices, like the WiFi Pineapple, are particularly dangerous on flights. The Pineapple pretends to be a home Wi-Fi gateway as it connects unsuspecting users to airline Wi-Fi. This allows the Pineapple hacker to snoop on browsing activity and access files on the computer. The Pineapple could operate in overhead storage, unbeknownst to passengers," the report further adds. There are monitoring options to detect malicious behaviour using Silver Tail, FireEye or other such products, but that would mean making in-flight Wi-Fi more expensive. The report does mention some preventive measures such as need to configure in-flight routers to block peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic, use of VPN connection and file-based encryption for work emails, and so on. http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/in-flight-airplane-wi-fi-is-vulnerable-to-hackers-reports-273884.html Back to Top Saudi aircraft damaged by catering vehicle No one hurt in accident 'Sabq' newspaper said the aircraft was about to begin loading passengers when it was hit. An aircraft owned by the Saudi-based carrier Flynas was damaged after it was hit by a vehicle belonging to a catering firm in the Gulf Kingdom. The Airbus A320 was on the tarmac without passengers at King Khalid Airport in the capital Riyadh when it was hit by the van owned by the Saudi Ground Services Company. 'Sabq' Arabic language newspaper said the aircraft was about to begin loading passengers when it was hit, adding that it was due to fly to the Southern town of Abha. "Flynas decided to take the aircraft out of service for maintenance while the Civil Aviation Authority was informed about the accident," the paper said. Flynas spokesman Kahlid Al Dugaishir, quoted by 'Ajel'' newspaper, said the van was also damaged and its driver suffered from light injury. "The aircraft suffered from damage in its right wing. It was due to take passengers to Abha but there were no passengers on board at the time of the accident." http://www.emirates247.com/news/saudi-aircraft-damaged-by-catering-vehicle-2015-07-12-1.596546 Back to Top Arkia flight came close to landing on waiting aircraft (Israel) Tel Aviv-bound flight conducts nighttime visual approach on the wrong runway, nearly landing on another aircraft waiting to take off; investigation report labels incident 'severe.' Ben Gurion International Airport was the site of a near-miss last month, when an aircraft almost landed on top of a plane waiting to take off. On June 18, an Arkia Airlines ATR-72 turboprop took off from Eilat's airport en route to Ben Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv. The aircraft had four crew members and 11 passengers on board. Before landing, the pilot aimed the aircraft's instruments at Ben Gurion's Runway 12, but thanks to the fair weather and visibility conditions at the time, a decision was made to conduct a visual landing approach. At a distance of about two miles out, the pilot began to lower the flaps in preparation for landing. After aligning himself with the runway, the first officer - sitting in the right seat of the cockpit, radioed that he had established visual contact with the runway, and was coming in for landing. The captain, who was sitting in the left seat, began going over the pre-landing checklist, then raised his head and saw aircraft lights at the end of the planned landing runway. "The captain began to understand that something was wrong and immediately recognized that they were not aligned with the correct runway, number 12," the investigation report stated. "At the same moment, the tower controllers at Ben Gurion began understanding that the aircraft was lined up with Runway 8 instead of Runway 12," the report continued. At a distance of 1.5 miles out, the first officer turned the aircraft and began his approach on the correct runway, and landed the plane safely. The tower controllers then reported the incident to the Chief Accident Investigator's office within the Transportation Ministry; the pilots were questioned, the controllers' witness statements were taken, and radio communications recordings were collected. The investigation's report labeled the incident "severe", as a result of the first officer's mistake, as well as a faulty crew briefing within the cockpit: "The offer to land visually at night led to the approach on the wrong runway," the investigator wrote. "The visual approach to a lit runway, in a lit urban setting, is a challenge to flight crews, and has led to safety incidents in the past. The chances of mixing up between runway 12 and runway 8 when conducting a southern approach to runway 12 are significant. Increasing awareness of the issue, with both pilots and controllers, will help prevent repeating similar incidents in the future." Arkia offered in response that; "The flight crew immediately noticed the directional error, remaining in constant contact with tower controllers, who also noticed the error, and continued to safely land the aircraft on the correct runway. At no point was any danger or damage present." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4678591,00.html Back to Top Major Search After Light Aircraft Goes Missing (Washington State) Officials track the aircraft, carrying 16-year-old Autumn Veatch and her step-grandparents, before it disappeared in bad weather. A major search operation has been launched after a 16-year-old girl and her step-grandparents failed to arrive at a Washington airfield after taking off in a light aircraft. Autumn Veatch took off from Calisto, Montana, at around 4pm local time on Saturday, and was due to arrive in Lynden at around 7pm with Leland and Sharon Bowman. They were travelling in a white and red Beech 35 aircraft, but officials lost radar contact with the plane in an area near Omak, Washington. Plane missing in Washington Autumn Veatch, 16, was in the Beech 35 aircraft Officials said the aircraft was tracked further through mobile phone pings, but the final one was detected at around 11pm. Volunteers from the Civil Air Patrol and Washington Air Search and Rescue have been carrying out the search, which is centred around Mount Maker. The operation was halted on Sunday night as darkness fell. David Veatch, Autumn's father, received a phone call from his ex-wife to say the teenager had not arrived in Lynden. He told KIRO TV: "I just, I had a bad feeling about it when they told me what was going on, I was like - 'what?' you know? "I really don't like those smaller planes, I've been on them before. They're scary, they don't feel safe. "She's my only kid. So we're pretty close. I knew she was coming on a plane but I thought she was coming on a regular airliner." http://news.sky.com/story/1517998/major-search-after-light-aircraft-goes-missing Back to Top FAA team to test aviation standards (Thailand) OFFICIALS FROM the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will arrive in Bangkok today to review Thailand's air safety progress and compliance with international standards. The FAA's air safety experts under an International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) programme are scheduled to meet with officials from the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and major airlines, including Thai Airways International. It will be the FAA's first visit to Thailand since the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) visited in January to hold extensive tests before declaring in February that Thailand did not meet with the ICAO's Significant Safety Concern (SSC) safety standards. Parichat Kotcharat, director-general of DCA, and her team will meet with the FAA experts, said Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong. The Thai officials will provide the latest information and progress of aviation procurement to FAA and IASA officials. The US team is expected to oversee and examine a revised aviation manual and overall action plans being prepared. "FAA will be in the country until Friday. The DCA and its team have already met twice to prepare for the arrival of the FAA and IASA," said Prajin. Prajin confessed that certifying airline's licenses was one of the major issues that led the country having safety problems and the problems would be solved in time. According to a source at DCA, the visit of the FAA officials will help enhance the entire aviation industry, particularly safety standards. It will also help airlines registered in Thailand have a chance to learn oversights and mistakes. "Without the arrival of the ICAO and FAA team, our aviation problem would take longer time to ease although we have set a dateline by final quarter this year," the same source said. Charamporn Jotikasthira, president of Thai Airways International, said he would meet with FAA and IASA on Thursday. However, no audit of the national airline is scheduled. "THAI has no problem with safety standards and we are able to operate anywhere," said Charamporn. He added the airline would continue its cost-cutting measures along with initiating new strategies to return to profit. Under the IASA program, the FAA determines the fitness of air carriers in countries that that operate, or seek to operate, in the US, or code share with a US air carrier, and make sure they comply with safety standards established by ICAO. The IASA programme is administered by the FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety (AVS), Flight Standards Service (AFS), International Programs and Policy Division (AFS-50). According to the ICAO, the IASA programme focuses on a country's ability, not the ability of individual air carriers, to adhere to international aviation safety standards and recommended practices contained in Annex 1 (Personnel Licensing), Annex 6 (Operation of Aircraft), and Annex 8 (Airworthiness of Aircraft) to the International Convention on Civil Aviation "Chicago Convention". IASA assessments determine compliance with these international standards by focusing on the eight critical elements of an effective aviation safety oversight authority specified in ICAO Document 9734, Safety Oversight Manual. Those eight critical elements are primary aviation legislation; specific operating regulations; state civil aviation system and safety oversight functions; technical personnel qualification and training; technical guidance, tools and the provision of safety critical information; licensing, certification, authorisation and approval obligations; surveillance obligations; and resolution of safety concerns. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/FAA-team-to-test-aviation-standards-30264307.html Back to Top Back to Top Boeing patents laser-powered fusion-fission jet engine (that's truly impossible) Lasers fuse hydrogen, causing uranium to fission, which generates electricity. Zzzap! The pellet/hohlraum is imploded by lasers, causing the hydrogen isotopes to fuse. Assume the brace position: Boeing has received a patent for, I kid you not, a laser-powered fusion-fission jet propulsion system. Boeing envisions that this system could replace both rocket and turbofan engines, powering everything from spacecraft to missiles to airplanes. The patent, US 9,068,562, combines inertial confinement fusion, fission, and a turbine that generates electricity. It sounds completely crazy because it is. Currently, this kind of engine is completely unrealistic given our mastery of fusion, or rather our lack thereof. Perhaps in the future (the distant, distant future that is), this could be a rather ingenious solution. For now, it's yet another patent head-scratcher. To begin with, imagine the silhouette of a big turbofan engine, like you'd see on a commercial jetliner. Somewhere in the middle of the engine there is a fusion chamber, with a number of very strong lasers focused on a single point. A hohlraum (pellet) containing a mix of deuterium and tritium (hydrogen isotopes) is placed at this focal point. The lasers are all turned on at the same instant, creating massive pressure on the pellet, which implodes and causes the hydrogen atoms to fuse. (This is called inertial confinement fusion, as opposed to the magnetic confinement fusion that is carried out in a tokamak.) According to the patent, the hot gases produced by the fusion are pushed out of a nozzle at the back of the engine, creating thrust-but that's not all! One of the by- products of hydrogen fusion is lots of fast neutrons. In Boeing's patented design, there is a shield around the fusion chamber that's coated with a fissionable material (uranium-238 is one example given). The neutrons hit the fissionable material, causing a fission reaction that generates lots of heat. Finally, there's some kind of heat exchanger system that takes the heat from the fission reaction and uses that heat (via a heated liquid or gas) to drive a turbine. This turbine generates the electricity that powers the lasers. Voilà: a fusion-fission rocket engine thing. Let's talk a little bit about why this is such an outlandish idea. To begin with, this patented design involves placing a lump of material that's made radioactive in an airplane engine-and these vehicles are known to sometimes crash. Today, the only way we know of efficiently harvesting radioactive decay is a giant power plant, and we cannot get inertial fusion to fire more than once in a reasonable amount of time (much less on the short timescales needed to maintain thrust). This process requires building-sized lasers, like those found at the National Ignition Facility in California. Currently, the technique only works poorly. Those two traits are not conducive to air travel. But this is the USA we're talking about, where patents can be issued on firewalls ("being wielded in one of most outrageous trolling campaigns we have ever seen," according to the EFF) and universities can claim such rights on "agent-based collaborative recognition-primed decision-making" (EFF: "The patent reads a little like what might result if you ate a dictionary filled with buzzwords and drank a bottle of tequila"). As far as patented products go, it is pretty hard to imagine this one actually being built in the real world. Putting aside the difficulties of inertial confinement fusion (we're nowhere near hitting the break-even point), it's also a bit far-fetched to shoehorn all of these disparate and rather difficult-to-work-with technologies into a small chassis that hangs from the wing of a commercial airplane. Still, I suppose it's nice to see that Boeing is at least looking into novel propulsion methods. Turbofan and rocket engines have done a good job of getting us around the Earth and into space so far, but if we want hypersonic on-Earth travel or if we want to send humans to far-flung reaches of the Solar System, we'll need new and advanced propulsion technologies. Eventually. http://arstechnica.com/cars/2015/07/boeing-patents-laser-powered-fusion-fission-jet-engine-for-airplanes-spacecraft/ Back to Top China-Pakistan cooperate on fighter jet production For more than a decade now, China and Pakistan have worked together to develop and manufacture a new kind of fighter jet. The aircraft itself exemplifies the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. China named this beauty "FC-1 Xiaolong" - which stands for " Fighter China, Fierce Dragon", and in Pakistan it's called "JF-17", short for "Joint Fighter". One of the aircraft's engineers, Yan Zheng, is working on upgrading and improving the jet's ergonomics to make it more efficient and comfortable for pilots. The FC-1 is a lightweight single-engine multi-role combat aircraft. It can be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground attack and aircraft interception. Yan says the jet has high-performance but is low cost in comparison with similar models. "The aircraft has one advanced feature called the 'Bump Inlet', a component which is also used in other foreign-made generation 4 fighter jets. It has a very simple structure and is lightweight. Therefore, with many advanced features, this aircraft has raised its performance and has competitive power among its competitors," Yan said. Yan says the FC-1 can carry various munitions, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. It has an aerodynamic layout which is made for its superior maneuverability, an advanced cockpit, and a Hands On Throttle-And-Stick system, which allows pilots to access vital cockpit functions and fly the aircraft without having to remove their hands from the throttle and flight controls. At present, a full Xiaolong production line has been moved to Pakistan, but the basic parts are still being made in the Chengdu factory. The chief of the Pakistan research team said the cooperation on the jet holds significant meaning for Pakistan. "we have been flying the Chinese system since very long, obviously, there are differences in between the western system and Chinese system, but I think nowadays, they have smaller gap, and they are equally compatible to the western weapon system." "This project is a backbone for Pakistan, much has been said the relationship between the two countries is deeper than the sea, and higher than the mountains, (for the two countries) we are not friends, we are brothers," said Sohail Saeed Naik, Air Commodore of Pakistan Airforce Team Leader in Chengdu Office. China and Pakistan have jointly worked on the project since the 1990s. The FC-1 Xiaolong is a fourth-generation jet, developed by the Aviation Industry Corp of China and Pakistan's Aeronautical Complex. In April this year, Pakistan dispatched eight FC-1 fighter jets to escort Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane in Pakistani air space, when he made a state visit. Since the FC-1 Xiaolong fighter jet was first exhibited 5 years ago at England's Farnborough International Airshow, it has drawn much world attention. Some experts say it offers an air defense option for developing countries that can't afford more advanced aircrafts. And it could be used as an export by China to take up a larger share of the international military aircraft market and boost its aviation industry. Ji Xiaoguang, the head of the AVIC Chengdu aircraft design and research institute says the cooperation on producing a fighter jet means big business. The success of the FC-1 fighter jet development will also be used as a platform to widen the market for other types of aircraft that are designed here. "The research and production of the Xiaolong fighter jet have followed a very international pattern. China's aviation industry has undertaken joint investment, research and development, and shared the risks and benefits with Pakistan." "From getting the user's requirements, to the design. We have formed a complete production and assembly line. The Chinese side provides the parts, and the Pakistani side can produce the aircraft, and even export to a third party." Ji said. Experts expect many potential buyers for the FC-1 combat jet could come from the Middle-east, Africa, Asia, and South America. In the meantime, the AVIC has also started to develop a two-seater version, and plans to introduce it to the international market in three to four years. http://english.cntv.cn/2015/07/12/VIDE1436677932185648.shtml Back to Top WWII Fighter Plane Pilot Honored on Her 99th Birthday WWII Airwoman, 99, Honored With Birthday Flyover A World War II fighter pilot received an extra special present when vintage aircraft flew over Boeing Field, about five miles south of downtown Seattle, honoring Dorothy Olsen's 99th birthday, NBC Station KING reports. She was one of about 1,000 female pilots during the war and flew 22 different types of fighter planes from factories to U.S. Army Air Force bases from 1943 to 1945. After Olsen delivered the plane, male pilots would fly them overseas to combat destinations. Dorothy Olsen, left, watches the sky as vintage aircraft fly over Boeing Field, honoring her 99th birthday. "I've been lucky," Olsen said, admitting to KING that she loved buzzing the planes fast and low to the ground. "Who pays attention to the rules when you're a fighter pilot?" The aircraft are in Seattle for a military re-enactment of the route planes took from Montana to Russia during World War II. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wwii-fighter-plane-pilot-honored-her-99th-birthday-n390831 Back to Top James Bede, noted aircraft designer James R. Bede, a prolific aircraft designer whose many concepts included a micro jet that flew for a James Bond movie and a single-engine airplane that evolved into the popular Grumman Yankee, died July 9 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was 82. Bede "chose to focus his attention on making flying affordable for almost anyone" during a high-profile career in which he introduced the aviation community to 18 designs including the BD-1, which became the popular low-wing American Aviation AA-1 trainer and sport plane, and the high-winged homebuilt BD-4. The BD-4 homebuilt design "literally jump-started the homebuilt airplane industry," according to a biography of Bede on the website of Bedecorp, the Medina, Ohio company that is run by his son, Jim Bede Jr. In November 2012, AOPA reported on how Bede's 465-pound-empty-weight, single-seat BD-5J jet-famous from a scene in the 1983 movie Octopussy and later as a popular airshow attraction-had found a new mission, and new depth for its design's legacy, in the research and development of air defense capabilities. Born in Cleveland in April 1933, Bede graduated from Wichita State University in Kansas with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He joined North American Aviation, leaving the company in 1961 to found his own aircraft design firm. The BD-1 was unveiled the next year. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/July/10/James-Bede-noted-aircraft-designer Back to Top Embry-Riddle To Offer Free Online Course On Aviation Accident Investigation Daytona Beach, Fla., July 7, 2015 - Aviation accident investigation plays a vital role in ensuring aircraft are designed, maintained and operated in a safe manner. Faculty from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide will share their accident investigation expertise this fall during a free massive open online course (MOOC). Registration for Aircraft Accident Investigation is limited and will open July 20. The course runs from Aug. 17 to Sept. 13. Participants will learn various aspects of the aircraft accident investigation process, from initial field investigation to publication of the final accident report. Particular emphasis will be placed on the study of human factors and survival investigative techniques and the application of accident investigation findings in industry and research. A critical analysis of selected aircraft accidents and an evaluation of causal factors will be addressed. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to practice data collection skills in Worldwide's Virtual Crash Laboratory. Embry-Riddle Virtual Crash lab MOOCs give students the flexibility of viewing lectures and working on assignments based on their own schedules. The online learning platform encourages a learning experience that focuses on student interaction using discussion boards and social media platforms such as Twitter. To learn more about the MOOC at Embry-Riddle Worldwide, visit http://worldwide.erau.edu/degrees-programs/free-online-courses/index.html. About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 75 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry- Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz.; online; and through the Worldwide Campus' network of education facilities in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.worldwide.erau.edu, follow us on Twitter (@ERAUworldwide) and www.facebook.com/EmbryRiddleWorldwide, and find expert videos at http://www.YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12090233/embry-riddle-aeronautical-university-worldwide-to-offer-free-massive-open-online-course-on-aviation-accident- investigation Back to Top Upcoming Events: EAA AirVenture Schedule July 19-26, 2015 Oshkosh, WI http://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-airventure-schedule-of-events Infrastructure and Safety Summit Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service July 20-24, 2015 McAllen, Texas http://TEEX.org/itsi Fundamentals of IS-BAO July 21, 2015 Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659145 IS-BAO Auditing July 22, 2015 Orlando, FL USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659149 Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 19, 2015 Madrid, Spain https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659089 IS-BAO Auditing August 20, 2015 Madrid, Spain https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1659096 Safety Management Systems Training & Workshop Course offered by ATC Vantage Inc. Tampa, FL August 6-7, 2015 www.atcvantage.com/training Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 25, 2015 Denver, CO USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1737105 IS-BAO Auditing August 26, 2015 Denver, CO USA https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1737126 Fundamentals of IS-BAO August 30, 2015 Casablanca, Morocco https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1725994 IS-BAO Auditing August 31, 2015 Casablanca, Morocco https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1725997 Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection & Investigation Course 9-11 Sept. 2015 Hotel Ibis Nanterre La Defense (near Paris) France http://blazetech.com/resources/pro_services/FireCourse-France_2015.pdf Regulatory Affairs Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/services/regulatory-affairs.php Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUPS) Training Course September 15 & 16 Fort Worth, TX http://jdasolutions.aero/ Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Auditor Quality Assurance JetBlue https://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_jetblue/external_general/gateway.do?functionName=viewFromLink&jobPostId=5760&localeCode=en-us Deputy Director of Flight Operations and Technical Services Helicopter Association International https://www.rotor.org/AboutHAI/Employment.aspx Manager Safety Risk Management in Seattle Washington United States Alaska Airlines https://tam.alaskaair.com/psc/asjobs/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&JobOpeningId=25776&SiteId=10&PostingSeq=1 ? Engineering & Operations Manager Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), https://jobs-alpa.icims.com/jobs/1192/manager%2c-engineering-%26-operations/job Curt Lewis