Flight Safety Information October 21, 2015 - No. 209 In This Issue U.S. Fighter Jet Reportedly Crashes Near Air Base In England Air rage: Three Chinese passengers thrown off aircraft in Cambodia after scuffle broke out Arik's planes collide at Lagos airport, grounded (Nigeria) 22 reports in AZ this year of drones near aircraft UN body to audit air safety scenario (India) U.S., Russia agree to safety measures for their warplanes over Syria Family of girl, 4, who died in 'homebuilt' airplane crash on Oregon Coast sues for $35 million EU Safety Body To Set Up Pilots' Medical Database Unruly passenger forces unscheduled stop for American jet Recline Rage Causes Another Emergency Landing Learjet Takeoff Accident (Argentina) Adverse Weather and its Effects on Air Safety PROS 2015 TRAINING Air Taxi: Maiden Flight Of Aircraft That Emits Water Instead Of Carbon Fumes Set For 2016 Higher Commercial Airplane Deliveries Likely Drove Boeing's Q3 Earnings Virgin America Partners With Spotify To Offer Free In-Flight Streaming SAVE THE DATE...ISASI-2016 GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST (1) Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) U.S. Fighter Jet Reportedly Crashes Near Air Base In England A fighter jet that took off from RAF Lakenheath airbase crashed in a rural area west of the base, near the town of Ely. The area is about 80 miles north-northeast of London. After reports emerged Wednesday of a crashed plane northeast of Cambridge, England, it appears that the craft may have been a U.S. fighter jet. British media are reporting that it was a single-seat F-18 Hornet; the Pentagon says it's trying to determine the particulars of the case. The plane had taken off from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk; its pilot was killed by the crash, according to a Cambridgeshire police spokesperson. According to Cambridge News, the plane had been on its way back to the U.S. after being deployed in the Middle East. This is a developing story; we'll update this post as more news comes in. The crash occurred in a rural area near the town of Ely, in a region that's dominated by farmland. The area of the crash includes two air bases that are only a few miles apart; despite their official designation as RAF air stations, both serve as hosts to U.S. Air Force units. RAF Lakenheath is home to the F-15s of the 48th Fighter Wing; RAF Mildenhall hosts the 100th Air Refueling Wing. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/21/450495199/u-s-fighter-jet- reportedly-crashes-near-air-base-in-england **************** Date: 21-OCT-2015 Time: c10:30LT Type: Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Owner/operator: US Marine Corps (USMC) Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Redmere, near Ely, Cambridgeshire - United Kingdom Phase: Initial climb Nature: Military Departure airport: RAF Lakenheath Destination airport: Narrative: Accident occurred 4 miles from RAF Mildenhall (near RAF Lakenheath). Local police confirm one fatality (the sole POB). Reported locally to be one of a group of aircraft returning to the US from the Middle East. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=180562 Back to Top Air rage: Three Chinese passengers thrown off aircraft in Cambodia after scuffle broke out over plane seat Passengers arguing on board the aircraft. Photo: Chengdu Commercial Daily Three Chinese air passengers were thrown off a flight in Cambodia after a scuffle broke out on board before the plane took off, according to a newspaper report. The argument started after a man told a woman in front of him that her seat was tipped back too far and he inadvertently touched her hair, the Chengdu Commercial Daily reported. The pair began to quarrel and their friends and relatives joined in, the report said. The two sides began to scold and jostle each other and efforts to calm them by flight attendants, their tourist guide and other passengers failed. The captain asked immigration officers to escort the pair and the man's wife off the plane, which was due to fly from Siem Reap to Chengdu in Sichuan province on Monday night. The captain said the trio, whose full names were not given in the report, were jeopardising the safety of the flight and had to leave before take-off, despite pleas from other passengers and the tourist guide. One passenger was quoted as saying that the man and wife involved in the dispute were in their 60s and it was surprising they had got so angry. The flight took off more than an hour behind schedule. The trio were due to return home on two later, separate flights. The media in China regularly reports on the bad behaviour of some Chinese tourists overseas and the country's tourism authorities compile a blacklist of travellers deemed to have acted particularly badly. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1870279/air-rage-three-chinese- passengers-thrown-aircraft-cambodia-after Back to Top Arik's planes collide at Lagos airport, grounded (Nigeria) LAGOS-Two planes belonging to Arik Air, yesterday, brushed each other while manoeuvring out of the apron at the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The two planes had their wing tips damaged and have been grounded to allow further investigation into the incident. Reacting to the incidence, spokesman of the airline, Mr. Adebanji Ola, said in a statement: "Two of our aircraft, Boeing 737-800NG were this afternoon (yesterday) involved in a wing-tip brush at the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. "One of the aircraft, 5N-MJP, was marshalled out of the ramp for a scheduled flight, when its wing brushed that of another aircraft, 5N-MJQ, parked on the ramp. "There were no incidences as the safety of passengers was not jeopardized. We have grounded the two aircraft and are looking into the incident." A similar incidence happened recently at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2, MMA2, in Lagos, when there was a ground collision of two aircraft belonging to FirstNation Airways. Another similar incident also occurred at the airport on July 6, following the collision of two aircraft belonging to Emirates and Hak Air. The incident, which happened at about mid-day, involved two Airbus 330 conveying no fewer than 250 passengers. The two aircraft had their bodies partially damaged. One of the aircraft was taxing from the runway to MMA2 to disengage passengers, while the other aircraft was preparing to take off to Port Harcourt Airport from the same terminal. It was alleged that the pilot may have been misdirected to the wrong part of the apron. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/ariks-planes-collide-at-lagos-airport-grounded/ Back to Top 22 reports in AZ this year of drones near aircraft Drone close encounters surge This public service announcement provided by the U.S. Forest Service shows a poster warning people not to fly drones near wildfires. A spate of drone sightings near firefighting aircraft fueled calls for more oversight and self-policing in the skies. (U.S. Forest Service via AP) WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration reported 23 incidents in Arizona of encounters between drones and other aircraft from November to August. Among the states, Arizona was ninth-highest for such incidents in that period. One close call involved an American Airlines flight descending toward Sky Harbor International Airport in August, FAA said. Twenty-two of the incidents in Arizona were reported between February and August 2015. Most of the FAA drone reports for Arizona involved incidents in the Phoenix area, including Mesa, Scottsdale and Glendale, with two were reported in the Yuma area. None of the drone reports in the period originated in Tucson. During the November to August period, the FAA received 764 reports nationwide of encounters between drones and other aircraft. The agency released information about the reports of close calls as the government announced Monday it will require many of the increasingly popular unmanned aircraft to be registered. The FAA and Transportation Department are setting up a task force to make recommendations on the details. http://tucson.com/business/local/reports-in-az-this-year-of-drones-near- aircraft/article_8f471534-e86b-5b40-bf34-897541791250.html Back to Top UN body to audit air safety scenario (India) Expected to begin next month, with ministry and DGCA saying they're ready and have addressed earlier suggestions; however, a few areas might still come for a rap Aviation ministry braces for ICAO audit The Union civil aviation ministry is preparing for a safety audit scheduled next month by a United Nations' body in charge of the sector. It appears the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is likely to do the audit from November 30, till December 10. Union civil aviation secretary R N Choubey had a review meeting on Wednesday in this regard with officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI) and others. Sources said the ministry had taken positive steps in addressing the issues of airport licensing, accident investigation and search & rescue operations. However, it might face a problem on the issue of air traffic management. "Many requirements related to ICAO surveillance have not been fulfilled by the directorate of air traffic management," a senior government official said. This will be the second audit of India's aviation safety oversight this year. The American watchdog, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), had done the first, restoring the country's safety rating (which it had earlier downgraded) in April. The ICAO audit will be more comprehensive than FAA's. It will look into parameters such as legislation, organisation, licensing, operation, airworthiness, accident investigation, air navigation and aerodromes. "We are confident of performing well. We have taken several steps to address the issues and are fully prepared," said another senior ministry official. The Union cabinet approved the creation of a post of Director General for the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) last Wednesday, a ministry official said. Presently headed by a senior DGCA official, it will function as an independent entity as required under the ICAO guidelines. The ministry has also been given a go-ahead to recruit 21 personnel at different levels in the AAIB. Another big issue was on search and rescue, sources said. The ministry has formed a search and rescue board, headed by the aviation secretary. DGCA would soon issue a search and rescue manual. The ministry is considering some changes to the rules such that airports owned and operated by the defence forces follow the ICAO norms. These are seven of these. At present, only airports managed by AAI have to comply with the rules, including the marking of runways, maintenance of these through friction testing, separation between runway and taxiway, and some others. The ministry has further decided that air traffic controllers would not need to get licensed. "ICAO norms say if the state heads the air traffic controllers, no licensing is required," said a source. To address personnel issues, the ministry recruited 40-50 officials in the aerodrome department, sources said. An ICAO downgrade will not have a direct impact on Indian airlines and the aviation regulator but could raise alarm bells among other countries' authorities. For instance, an ICAO audit of DGCA in December 2012, which put India in its list of 13 worst-performing nations, had prompted FAA to conduct its own assessment of India's compliance with global standards, under its International Aviation Safety Assessments programme. After finding several deficiencies, the FAA in January 2014 downgraded India's safety oversight to category-II, implying it did not meet the minimum ICAO standards. However, this April, FAA restored India to category-I. This will be the third time, after 2006 and 2012, that ICAO will audit India's aviation safety oversight. In its 2006 audit, the UN body had highlighted 70 findings and recommendations. Among these were lack of an organisational structure in DGCA, shortage of trained personnel and effective mechanisms for resolution of safety concerns for passengers. According to sources, DGCA was supposed to work on 11 key areas of aviation safety, mainly related to air navigation services (ANS). In the ICAO 2013 Safety Report, India was still below the global average in two areas, organisation and ANS. http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/un-body-to-audit-air-safety- scenario-115101400770_1.html Back to Top U.S., Russia agree to safety measures for their warplanes over Syria Footage released by Russia's Defense Ministry on Oct. 15 shows a Sukhoi Su-24M military aircraft landing at the Hmeymim air base near Latakia, Syria. (Reuters) The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it has signed an aviation-safety agreement with the Russian military that is designed to prevent conflicts between the two countries' warplanes in the skies over Syria. The arrangement is meant to minimize the risk of a midair collision or a hostile encounter by ensuring that Russian and U.S. military aircraft keep a safe distance from each other and have the means to communicate if they get too close. In a reflection of the distrust and tension between Moscow and Washington, it took about three weeks to negotiate the basic protocols, despite the heightened risk of an international incident in Syria since Russia began its military intervention there last month. Russian fighter jets have flown within 1,500 feet of U.S. warplanes on at least two occasions over Syria and have violated the airspace of neighboring Turkey, a NATO ally. With the rival powers operating in such close proximity, U.S. military officials have stressed the importance of establishing common rules of the sky. At the same time, Obama administration officials want to avoid giving the impression that they are cooperating militarily with Moscow in Syria, sharing intelligence or coordinating targets. The alliance between Russia and Syria goes back decades. Here's a bit of historical context that explains why Russia is fighting to prop up its closest ally in the Middle East. (Ishaan Tharoor and Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) "We do not agree with the Russians on their strategy in Syria," Peter Cook, the Pentagon's press secretary, told reporters. "At a minimum, we can agree with them on the safe operations of flights over Syria between our aircrews and theirs." Cook said U.S. and Russian military officials agreed on technical measures such as what radio frequencies to use in case of a midair encounter and the establishment of a backup communications line on the ground. He declined to provide other details or a copy of the agreement, saying the Russians had asked that it be withheld from public view. The agreement will cover allies in the military coalition the United States has assembled to conduct airstrikes in Syria. But it will not apply to Iraq if Russia intervenes there, Cook said. "Our aircrews continue to fly in a professional fashion," he said. "The Russians need to abide by these flight safety protocols that they've now agreed to, because we don't want miscalculation and misunderstanding." Russian leaders have said they would like broader talks with the Obama administration about teaming to fight the Islamic State and other extremist groups in Syria. But Washington has resisted, accusing Moscow of intervening in Syria primarily to prop up the government of President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of Russia. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-and-russia-agree-to-air- safety-measures-to-prevent-conflict-in-syria/2015/10/20/1ed8525e-7754-11e5-a958- d889faf561dc_story.html Back to Top Family of girl, 4, who died in 'homebuilt' airplane crash on Oregon Coast sues for $35 million An RV-10 -- which is the same type of plane involved in the fatal May 31, 2014, crash -- along the Oregon Coast is pictured here in this 2003 file photo. Van's Aircraft manufactures the kit at its facility at the Aurora Airport, a 30-minute drive south of Portland. The family of a 4-year-old girl who died when the homebuilt airplane she was riding in crash-landed in a parking lot along the Oregon coast has filed a $35 million lawsuit against the company that sold the kit used to make the plane. The suit seeks damages from Van's Aircraft of Aurora for the death of Zoey Wahl, as well as for injuries to the girl's mother, April Gleason. Gleason suffered a broken back, sternum and rib cage in the May 31, 2014, crash. Despite those injuries, she gave CPR to her daughter until emergency responders arrived. The suit was filed last week in Marion County Circuit Court. A representative from Van's Aircraft declined comment Friday, citing the pending litigation. The suit contends that homebuilt airplanes pose a danger to the general public because they don't have to pass vigorous safety standards and that kit manufacturers -- including Van's Aircraft -- recklessly sell the kits to drive up profits. The girl was flying with her mother and step-grandfather from Newport to her home in Seattle when they crashed into the grounds of the Georgia-Pacific paper mill just a few miles from takeoff. The girl and her step-grandfather -- Douglas Nebert, 51, of Newport -- were pronounced dead at the scene. Nebert had been piloting the plane. A blockage cut off fuel to the engine, the suit says. Nebert built the RV-10, a four-seat, single-engine propeller plane, from a kit made by Van's Aircraft, according to the suit. It sells for about $45,000. The suit claims that Van's Aircraft exploited a Federal Aviation Administration loophole for "experimental" planes -- also known as "homebuilt" or "amateur-built" planes. The FAA doesn't require the same rigorous testing for homebuilt planes as it does for professionally built planes, the suit states. "Van's recklessly sells its aircraft kits to ordinary consumers by ensuring them that even though those consumers are deemed the 'builder' of the aircraft, they do not need any experience or special knowledge to safely assemble the aircraft, but can safely assemble the aircraft by following Van's detailed assembly plans and utilizing Van's support," the suit states. Van's Aircraft is one of the largest kit manufacturers in the U.S. The company is located at the Aurora State Airport, a 30-minute drive south of Portland. Ten percent of U.S. aircraft -- about 33,000 -- are homebuilt, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. They account for 21 percent of fatal accidents, the board said. Matthew Clarke, the Portland attorney representing Gleason and the girl's estate, told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday that the more lenient safety standards allow Van's Aircraft to sell its kits at a cheaper price than professionally built aircraft. That has allowed the company to gain a leg up on competitors that don't sell kits. Clarke said the loosened FAA standards for homebuilt planes were meant to foster "the spirit of invention" and innovation among individual Americans who know what they're doing. In addition to Van's Aircraft, the suit lists the FloScan Instrument Co. of Seattle as a defendant. The suit claims that FloScan sold a defective fuel flow transducer that Nebert installed shortly before the fatal flight. A representative from FloScan didn't return a call for comment Monday. Read the lawsuit. http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest- news/index.ssf/2015/10/family_of_girl_4_who_perished.html Back to Top EU Safety Body To Set Up Pilots' Medical Database The European Aviation Safety Agency aims to set up a medical database for pilots by December 2016 following the Germanwings crash earlier this year. The EASA comments were in response to recommendations from a task force, which in July called for improved psychological screening of new pilots and a European database with details of medical visits. A young pilot barricaded himself inside the cockpit and crashed a jet operated by Germanwings, part of Lufthansa, into the Alps in March, killing all 150 people on board. Prosecutors have found evidence that Andreas Lubitz, who had suffered severe depression and may have feared losing his job, had researched suicide methods and concealed an illness from his employer, sparking a debate on supervision and medical secrecy. As things stand, pilots can get specialist check-ups in any member state where the doctor has been certified by EASA. The database is intended to avoid "medical tourism", or going abroad to get a certificate for a pilot license. EASA said the database will facilitate the sharing of medical information while respecting pilots' privacy. But it conceded an obstacle would be the different national approaches to data protection, which are not within its remit. In some countries, such as Britain, doctors are already advised to report any concerns where public safety is at stake. The task force had recommended striking a balance between patient confidentiality and public safety, but EASA said it would leave data protection matters to the executive European Commission. The Commission has already launched a legal challenge against Germany over its pilot license renewal practices on the grounds that privacy is given too much weight to the detriment of safety. http://news.airwise.com/story/eu-safety-body-to-set-up-pilots-medical-database Back to Top Unruly passenger forces unscheduled stop for American jet An American Airlines flight on its way to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Tuesday was diverted to Phoenix. An airline spokesman said Flight 2232 was en route from San Jose, California when there was a disruption by an unruly passenger. That passenger was removed at the Arizona airport. The flight resumed after a delay and was scheduled to arrive at DFW Airport by 6:30 p.m. American said all of the 96 remaining passengers and crew members were unhurt. http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/local/2015/10/20/unruly-passenger-forces- unscheduled-stop-american-jet/74298936/ Back to Top Recline Rage Causes Another Emergency Landing: Woman Choked for Putting Her Airplane Seat Back A Southwest Airlines flight made an emergency landing on Sunday night after a man choked the woman seated in front of him for reclining her seat, witnesses told NBC News. Flight 2010 from Los Angeles to San Francisco had only been in the air for 13 minutes when the altercation forced the pilot to declare an emergency and turn back for LAX, according to local channel KGO. "I thought it was a terrorist so I jumped up. I didn't know what to do. A guy got into it with a lady and choked her or something," San Fransisco radio host and comedian Mark Curry told NBC Bay Area. "The lady was frantic. They wanted me to put restraints on the guy. They asked me if I would help. I said, 'At 30,000 feet, yes! I'll beat anybody down.' It was an incredible situation." In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, a passenger named Melanie wrote in German that she saw a man "strangling a woman because she tilts her seat back," appending her eyewitness account with the hashtags #dramababy and #welcometola. In a subsequent interview with NBC News, Melanie said the male passenger "started choking her. She shouted for help and the crew came to see what happened. The man stayed very calm during the whole situation." All 136 of the flight's nonviolent passengers were put on another plane and arrived in San Francisco five hours late, reports the San Fransisco Chronicle. The alleged choker was detained by authorities, but an FBI spokesperson told gathered reporters that no charges have been filed. Episodes of "recline rage" have been on the rise ever since airlines started shrinking the space between seats. Last year, one passenger on a flight out of Newark prevented the person seated in front of him from reclining via a device known as the Knee Defender, setting off an argument that ultimately forced the plane to make an unscheduled landing in Chicago. Most U.S. airlines prohibit the contraption's use. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/10/man-chokes-woman-for-reclining-her- airplane-seat.html Back to Top Learjet Takeoff Accident (Argentina) Status: Preliminary Date: Monday 19 October 2015 Time: 06:45 Type: Learjet 35A Operator: Top Air SA Registration: LV-ZSZ C/n / msn: 35A-235 First flight: 1979 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: San Fernando Airport, BA ( Argentina) Phase: Takeoff (TOF) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: San Fernando Airport, BA (SADF), Argentina Destination airport: Río Gallegos Internacional Airport, SC (RGL/SAWG), Argentina Narrative: A Learjet 35A was damaged beyond repair in a takeoff accident at San Fernando Airport, Argentina. The aircraft came to rest abeam the end of runway 05. A fire erupted, burning through the top of the fuselage. http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20151019-0 Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Air Taxi: Maiden Flight Of Aircraft That Emits Water Instead Of Carbon Fumes Set For 2016 The HY4, or the all-electric Air Taxi, will provide an alternative air transport service to passengers who want to travel short distances, as it is capable of carrying up to four passengers. HY4 A computer render of the HY4 aircraft, showing its two hulls, each capable of carrying two passengers. (Photo : Twitter/Science News) The German Aerospace Center has generated quite a buzz recently with its announcement of the HY4 jet technology at the International Trade Fair World of Energy Solutions in Stuttgart, Germany last week. It is a unique aircraft capable of flights that have zero environmental footprint. If things proceed according to plan, HY4 will have its maiden flight in the summer of 2016. HY4 is a pure electric aircraft running on proton exchange membrane fuel cells. This form of energy generation technology has been used in previous space exploration missions and uses hydrogen and oxygen, according to Popular Science. The fuel in this technology guarantees zero emissions because it merely produces water as a byproduct. The HY4 is being positioned as an "Electric Air Taxi," which would provide an alternative mode of public air transport that link European cities. It is designed to have four seats and is powered by an alectric motor, capable of 80-kilowatt output. A consortium of companies called H2FLY is behind the development of HY4. It is composed of Hydrogenics, the DLR Institute of Technical Thermodynamics, the University of Ulm, Pipistrel and the airport of Stuttgart. "With the HY4 we want to bring electric mobility to the air, demonstrating the feasibility of this technology and identify specific fields of application in passenger transport," Prof. Josef Kallo, Electric Fly Coordinator at DLR, said in a Street Insider report. If successful, the HY4 Air Taxi will not be the first electric aircraft. This title has been claimed by a Cri-cri electric plane that flew from Dover to Calais last July as reported by Gizmag. It would, however, be the first mainstream all-electric air transport available to the public. http://www.hngn.com/articles/141981/20151020/air-taxi-maiden-flight-aircraft-emits- water-instead-carbon-fumes.htm Back to Top Higher Commercial Airplane Deliveries Likely Drove Boeing's Q3 Earnings Boeing will announce its third quarter earnings for 2015 on October 21st. The company is coming off a good performance through the first half of 2015, in which its revenues and EBITDA rose on higher commercial airplane deliveries. We expect the company to continue this trajectory in the third quarter as well. Boeing delivered 199 commercial airplanes in Q3 as compared to 186 in the prior year quarter and this will likely lift the earnings despite continued headwinds on the defense side. Separately, in a recent development, Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines, said there was a surge of wide-body models coming off lease. This sparked fears among investors about pressure on pricing for Boeing's new aircraft, which, in turn, led to a 4% decline in Boeing's stock, sharpest intraday decline in past year. We will be looking for any update on this from Boeing's management on its earnings conference call. Trefis currently has a $131 price estimate for Boeing's shares, translating into a $90 billion market cap. This is slightly below the current market price of $134. We estimate the company's 2015 gross revenues to be around $95 billion for earnings per share of $7.25, as compared to $8.05, according to Reuters. Higher Commercial Airplane Deliveries Will Surely Boost The Top Line Boeing has so far delivered 580 airplanes in 2015, of which, 101 were 787s, averaging around 11 per month. In Q3, Boeing's deliveries stood at 37 787s, 27 777s, 5 767s and 4 747s. This growth in deliveries points towards stronger cash flows, as Boeing receives a significant portion of its payment at the time of airplane delivery. Boeing is increasing its production rates to avoid long waiting periods on airplane deliveries as it could compel airlines to look at other manufacturers. These higher production rates will help Boeing sustain its global market share and drive revenue growth in the foreseeable future. Also, strong demand for new commercial airplanes should persist as airline profits are rising amid lower fuel costs and growing demand for air travel. Low oil prices have also given airlines the opportunity to invest in new equipment. Boeing itself bagged new orders for 182 aircrafts in Q3. Also see: Boeing Will Sustain Its Current Market Share In Commercial Airplane Deliveries Why It Makes Sense For Boeing To Continue Increasing Its Production Rate Defense Orders Likely To Remain Subdued Boeing continues to face pressure on defense orders and this has weighed on the segment's top line as well as bottom line. Revenues fell 7% and earnings were down over 20% during the first half of 2015. Boeing's fighter jet program continues to witness low orders and an uncertain future in the global fighter jets market due to intense competition from Lockheed Martin. We expect it to continue this trajectory in the near term. In response to the slowdown in the U.S. defense orders, Boeing has been focusing on international markets for growth. Recently, the company inked a $2.5 billion deal with India to sell Apache and Chinook helicopters. Boeing said that it expects to sell 150 new foreign Chinooks by 2022. Overall, we believe that strong profit growth from the commercial aviation segment should be sufficient to lift the company's overall earnings despite continued weakness in the defense orders. http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2015/10/20/higher-commercial-airplane- deliveries-likely-drove-boeings-q3-earnings/ Back to Top Virgin America Partners With Spotify To Offer Free In-Flight Streaming Virgin America Partners With Spotify To Offer Free In-Flight StreamingVirgin America passengers will now be able to stream Spotify's full catalog as well as listen to curated playlists by city on aircraft equipped with ViaSat's high-speed Wi-Fi. Virgin America announced a new partnership with the popular music streaming service Spotify on Tuesday that will allow them to continue to offer more in-flight entertainment for its passengers as part of its ViaSat program. The airline previously partnered with ViaSat Inc. to provide faster Wi-Fi connectivity to its A320 aircraft using the the broadband and communications company's Ka-band satellites, which they claim provide Internet speeds that are "eight to 10 times faster" than other in-flight Wi-Fi systems. Following the announcement of the high speed in-flight Internet, Virgin America revealed its partnership with Netflix to provide customers the ability to stream the entire Netflix catalog of movies and series while en route to their destination. Now, customers who board Virgin America's planes that are equipped with ViaSat in- flight Wi-Fi will also be able to access Spotify's entire catalog. "Spotify users can now pump your favorite tunes for free, at 35,000 feet through March 2, 2016 with ViaSat," the company said in its announcement. "Our newest flights sporting ViaSat in-flight Internet now have enhanced, high quality music streaming onboard, so you'll never miss a beat." Passengers can explore and discover all the music the music platform offers, as well as stream the new "city-mood" playlists to help them get pumped for their flight. Virgin America worked with the streaming service to curate 60 playlists that are unique to specific cities, including "The City of Angels," which includes music from NWA and L.L. Cool J for Los Angeles and "Cold Beer on a Friday Night," which features music by Zac Brown Band and Willie Nelson for Austin and Dallas. Those who are not preexisting Spotify users can also take advantage of the in-flight entertainment by signing up for free on the platform, or using the complimentary Premium 30-day trial that the airline is offering. Of course, this deal is only for users who haven't already tried Premium. Along with the ability to stream Netflix and Spotify with in-flight, passengers who fly with Virgin America will also get partial access to the New York Times, which includes its Travel, Technology and Business sections, along with the most popular stories of the day. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/97624/20151020/virgin-america-partners-spotify- offer-free-flight-streaming.htm Back to Top SAVE THE DATE ISASI is pleased to announce that our 2016 seminar will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland from October 17 - 20, 2016 The theme for the seminar is "Every Link is Important" Details for the hotel, technical program, including the Call for Papers, companion program, and social events will be available on the ISASI web site in the near future We look forward to seeing you all next October Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST I am a Senior First Officer with British Airways (BA), based at London, Heathrow flying the B777. I have been with BA for 15 years and have been flying the 777 for 6 years. Before that I was flying the 747-400. Prior to BA I flew the 747-400 with Virgin Atlantic, B757s and B767s with UK charter airline 'Airtours' (now part of Thomas Cook) and my professional flying career started as a manufacturer's pilot - flying Jetstream turboprops for British Aerospace. Before flying commercially, I worked with British Aerospace within the Technical Sales discipline and was, in my leisure time, involved with general aviation as an flying instructor. I am completing a Master's degree (MSc) in Air Transport Management with City University London and the final piece of that jigsaw is a project/dissertation and I have chosen the subject of 'Ice Crystal Icing'. Rather than the complex aero/thermodynamic concepts involved, I am exploring the operational and training challenges that airline flight crews face with this phenomenon. This qualification is not being sponsored by my employer; I have undertaken to finance it myself - the rationale being that as I intend to retire from airline flying in 5 years from now that new aviation challenges may become available to me based on this contemporary qualification and my aviation background (that is the plan any way!) the survey link follows https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ice-crystal-icing Sincere thanks, Mike Skelhorn Back to Top Upcoming Events: Fundamentals of IS-BAO November 2, 2015 Hong Kong, China https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1724162 IS-BAO Auditing November 3, 2015 Hong Kong, China https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1724176 BARS Auditor Training Washington DC? Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training Aviation Safety Program Management Training Course (ERAU) Oct. 26-30, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Aircraft Accident Investigation Training Course (ERAU) Nov. 2-6, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/cmas Air Cargo Safety and Security Symposium ALPA Washington, DC November 5, 2015 http://aircargoconference.alpa.org Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) Seminar (ERAU) Nov. 17-19, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/sms Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Seminar (ERAU) Dec. 8-10, 2015 Daytona Beach, FL www.erau.edu/uas New HFACS workshop Las Vegas December 15 & 16 www.hfacs.com 2016 DTI SMS/QA Symposium January 3, 4, & 5 2016 Disney World, FL 1-866-870-5490 www.dtiatlanta.com Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Aerospace Tenure-Track Faculty Middle Tennessee State University http://mtsujobs.mtsu.edu/postings/2124 Aerospace (UAS), Tenure-Track Faculty Middle Tennessee State University http://mtsujobs.mtsu.edu/postings/2125 *IOSA FLT Auditors *Experienced Trainers in the area of Safety Management Systems *Quality Control Specialist *Manager Quality Assurance and Quality Control Aviation Quality Services GmbH www.aviation-quality-services.com Curt Lewis