Flight Safety Information November 12, 2015 - No. 227 In This Issue PROS 2015 TRAINING FRENCH APPELATE COURT RULES NOVEMBER 17 ON AIR FRANCE 447 CONTRE- EXPERTI U.S. Baffled by Russian Jet 'Bombing' Ambiguity Shrouds Russian Plane-Crash Investigation Russian search team leaves Egypt after plane crash Suspected Egypt Plot Prompts Security Concerns at U.S. Airports 3 airplanes flying into Dallas airport hit by laser, FAA says JetBlue Flight Diverted to Reno Twice Weather a Focus in Akron, Ohio, Plane Crash That Killed Nine Akron plane pilots were very experienced Cessna 650 Citation VII Accident (Brazil) Airbus A319 - Captain's Shatter Window Pane (Russia) The UN agrees to create a global flight tracking system after disappearance of MH370 Radio Spectrum Allocated For Global Flight Tracking For Missing Aircraft Pilots Say Drones Are Threat to Medical Helicopters Japan may allow female pilots for F-15, F-4 fighters What's the future of aviation in Africa? Professionals set agenda for new aviation minister (Nigeria) Rolls Royce Plunges in London as Executive Jet Market Sags Bombardier Challenger 350 Aircraft Owned By VistaJet Sets World Speed Record Gogo Now Installed on 2500 Commercial Aircraft Flying the Hump: A pilot's story of the WWII India-to-China mission Southwest Airlines pilot union leader resigns -- merger next? Proposal to rewrite commercial space flight rules expected to pass Congress Upcoming Events JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions) FRENCH APPELATE COURT RULES NOVEMBER 17 ON AIR FRANCE 447 CONTRE- EXPERTI By Roger Rapoport PARIS - A French judge is expected to rule November 17 on an appeal challenging the work of court appointed expert witnesses alleged by Air France to be highly favorable to Airbus. The appeal unites attorneys for Air France and the Association of Families of Victims of Flight 447. The unusual courtroom alliance pairs the airline with some of the 228 families still pressing outstanding wrongful death claims against the French carrier. Others, who have settled with the airline, also continue attending court hearings on this historic accident that is now part of training at flight schools worldwide. The appellate action is the latest twist in the six and a half year manslaughter investigation that has indicted but not charged both Air France and Airbus, manufacturer of the state of the A330 that went down in the south Atlantic on the morning of June 1, 2009. The plaintiffs have asked the appellate court to reject Contre Expertise, a new accident analysis made at Airbus's request. This report challenges the original 700 page expert report filed with Investigative Magistrate Sylvia Zimmerman in the French Court of Appeals, First Chamber. In many ways that first expert witness report underscored the position of the civilian investigators at the French Bureau Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses Pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA). After more than three years of research that 2012 BEA document attributed the accident to numerous causes including incorrect flight director indications, loss of angle of attack protection and display to pilots, lack of training on how to handle abnormal air speed indication, absence of any visual information to confirm approach to stall after the loss of limit speeds, erroneous airspeed messages from the electronic centralized aircraft monitor (ECAM) and an obsolete high altitude stall recovery procedure no longer used by the world's airlines. In addition the family association, drawing on the work of their technical expert, retired Air France Airbus captain and former pilot union leader Gerard Arnoux, have asked the court to order a complementary investigation on certain specific points related to speed sensor icing. They also want to know more about the critical failure of the Air France 447's ECAM to correctly warn pilots that they were receiving erroneous airspeed messages from their flight display. The families contend that if this ECAM system had been working correctly, it is far less likely that the aircraft would have exited its flight envelope and entered a stall. Under the French criminal code, aircraft accidents are considered potential criminal matters that can result in manslaughter prosecution leading to jail time and substantial damages. After an investigation conducted by a court magistrate, a prosecutor makes a recommendation that can lead to trial. The appeal challenges a ruling made by Investigative Magistrate Sabine Kheris who took over the case last year after the retirement of Sylvia Zimmerman who presided on the investigation for more than five years. Judge Kheris's first major decision came earlier this year when she rejected a motion by attorneys for the Family Association to order the aforesaid supplementary investigations. The contre-expertise document is considered highly favorable to the Airbus position that the crash of this Rio-Paris Airbus 330 was essentially not the fault of the manufacturer. Attorneys for Air France and the family association argue that the contre-expertise technical experts, who based much of their report on interviews with the A330 manufacturer, failed to meet their obligation to also interview the airline and the civilian parties. The appellate court has the option of dismissing the claim, rejecting the Contre-Expertise originally requested by Airbus, ordering a new Contre-Expertise, or even taking over the entire case. Roger Rapoport who writes frequently for Flight Safety Information (www.fsinfo.org) is the producer of the feature film Pilot Error. https://vimeo.com/110034584 Copyright Roger Rapoport. All Rights Reserved Back to Top U.S. Baffled by Russian Jet 'Bombing' Investigators still can't figure out how Metrojet 9268 was taken down-leading some U.S. intelligence officials to believe that militants used a novel or previously unseen bomb. In the absence of any definitive evidence that an explosive device brought down Russian Metrojet 9268 last month over Egypt's Sinai, U.S. intelligence and security officials have been debating a number of competing theories about how the plane crashed, including that ISIS militants may have used a novel or previously-unseen device that has made it harder for investigators to find forensic evidence of a bomb. Among the theories U.S. officials are considering is that the bomb may have been placed near a fuel line on the doomed Airbus jet, and that it was just large enough to ignite a fire using the fuel in the aircraft's tanks, two sources familiar with internal discussions told The Daily Beast. If that was the case, it's possible that investigators might not find tell-tale explosive residue that would prove a bomb had been detonated, the sources said, requesting anonymity in order to discuss sensitive information related to the ongoing investigation of the crash. But others see evidence of a more traditional attack. A former senior U.S. official who was shown an investigation photograph of the wreckage told The Daily Beast that a portion of the underside of the plane shows small, quarter- sized holes and looked like something had blown out of the plane from the inside. This information led the former official to conclude that the jet was brought down by improvised explosive device, possibly packed with nails and other shrapnel to blow as big a hole in the side of the plane as possible. From there, the plane could have broken up in mid-air, which is about the only thing U.S. officials are sure happened, since the wreckage is spread over a vast area. The former official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss confidential information that was shared with him from the investigation. The lack of any concrete evidence has frustrated U.S. officials, who are trying to piece together a narrative from a continent away. They also still cannot rule out a major structural failure. The tail of the aircraft had been damaged during a hard landing in Cairo in 2001. The slow pace and lack of transparency in the investigation also underscored how dependent crash investigators are on evidence collected at the scene. Egyptian officials are leading the investigation, but U.S. officials expressed little confidence in how they're running the scene. "Information from the Egyptians on the investigation is coming out rather slowly," a U.S. official told The Daily Beast, attributing the paucity of sharing both to the Egyptians' lack of technical sophistication and their unwillingness to conclude that this was an attack against tourism, one of the key pillars of the national economy. The Metrojet flight originated at Egypt's Sharm el Sheikh airport, a resort area that is frequented by foreign travelers and that authorities have long said was beyond the reach of Islamic militants in Sinai. By now, investigators arguably should have had answers. It took forensic specialists eight days to be certain that Pan Am Flight 103 was brought down by a bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, after they found residues on the plane's debris that "positively identified and are consistent with the use of a high-performance plastic explosive," investigators said at the time. But 11 days have passed since the Metrojet crash with no hint that any forensic evidence has been found. By now, investigators should have had answers. It took forensic specialists eight days to be certain that Pan Am Flight 103 was brought down by a bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland. 11 days have passed since the Metrojet crash. On Tuesday, the Egyptian foreign minister told CNN that the government had approved applications by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates all aviation accidents involving American planes, to come to Egypt and examine the wreckage. But an NTSB spokesman told The Daily Beast on Wednesday that, according to the board's head of aviation safety, the Egyptians have still not reached out and said that the investigators can come. The FBI has personnel serving in Cairo, but they are not at the crash site, nor have they been invited. "The FBI has offered forensic assistance and other services to our partners in Egypt and Russia, and stands ready to assist," Joshua Campbell, a bureau spokesperson, said in a statement. A senior Defense Department official told The Daily Beast that without access to the crash site, investigators have been forced to rely largely on satellite intelligence and speculation. The official said suspicion that the plane was probably brought down by a bomb is based largely on thermal imagery detected from a satellite that suggests a massive explosion, likely the result of jet fuel igniting. That might argue in favor of the fuel-line theory. But if that was the case, it's also not clear why the wings of the doomed jet appear to be largely intact, based on crash scene photos. The wings are badly charred and inverted, which suggests that the plane landed on its back. But they were not blown away. A senior U.S. intelligence official did said that if a bomb did bring down the plane, it was almost certainly not placed there by a passenger. Instead, attention has focused on ground crew at the airport with access to the airplane when it was preparing for its flight to St. Petersburg. The Associated Press reported this week that "security checks were often lax at a gate into the facility used to bring in food and fuel," citing security officials at the airport. "Sharm el Sheikh is a tourist airport geared towards tourism. Many times secondary airports do not have the level of security found at the larger international airports," security consultant John Halinski, the former deputy administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, told The Daily Beast. Helsinki also ran TSA's overseas airport inspections earlier in his career. "I have always been concerned with the insider threat in this region, especially with a group like ISIS that radicalizes over the Internet," Helsinki added. "Generally screening and vetting of employees in this region occur only once every few years." http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/12/u-s-baffled-by-russian-jet- bombing.html Back to Top Ambiguity Shrouds Russian Plane-Crash Investigation Most aircraft debris is still scattered in an Egyptian desert even though it may contain clues to the cause Debris from the crashed Russian jet lies strewn across the sand at the site of the crash in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31. By MARGARET COKER, TAMER EL-GHOBASHY and ANDY PASZTOR SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt-The Egyptian-led probe into what caused the crash of a Russian passenger plane is bogged down in secrecy and squabbling, causing concern among safety experts that key evidence is being compromised. Nearly two weeks after the Airbus A321 broke apart in midair on Oct. 31, most of the debris remains scattered over miles of desert in the Sinai Peninsula even though it could contain critical clues. The bodies of many Russian victims have been repatriated. But the Moscow government hasn't said whether autopsies were performed-something else that could be a potential source of rich information about what brought the plane down and killed all 224 people on board. And there is still deep confusion about who will make up the investigative commission that will analyze the wreckage and search for answers. Egyptian officials leading the probe have started preliminary discussions with U.S. government crash experts on the plane's engines, but Cairo so far has stopped short of inviting those experts to become full-fledged participants in the investigation, according to Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. "We are answering some questions and trying to be helpful," Mr. Weiss said. "That's the level of activity at this point." It is normal practice after any major commercial jetliner crash for investigators and industry experts from the countries where the engines were manufactured to participate in the crash probe by offering technical support, even when engine troubles aren't suspected of contributing to the crash. Preliminary indications from the wreckage and black box recorders downloaded by investigators don't suggest possible engine malfunctions were to blame for the Russian airliner crash. The local affiliate of extremist group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for downing the plane. The U.S., U.K. and Russia have all held out the possibility, or likelihood, that the crash was a result of a terrorist act-an outcome that if true would be deeply embarrassing for Egypt's security services. Developments in the investigation have national-security implications and could adversely affect the global travel industry. Nevertheless, confusing and contradictory information continues to mar the probe. The opaque nature of the investigation has also strained relations between Egypt and Western governments. In his first major public-relations move since the crash, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi made an unannounced visit to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport on Wednesday. He said he wanted to reassure investors that the resort is safe. The plane, which was en route to St. Petersburg, Russia, crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport in Sharm El Sheikh. A smiling Mr. Sisi posed for pictures with tourists and airport staff. But the president expressed disappointment at the speculation over the cause of the crash. The president "would have hoped that the ongoing investigation hadn't been pre-empted before its results reveal the circumstances that led to the Russian plane crash," said a statement from Mr. Sisi's office. "He noted that the investigation is being carried out with transparency, and that Egypt welcomes cooperation with all relevant parties." Egyptian authorities have declined to publicly discuss plans for collecting the evidence. But an aviation official said Wednesday that authorities had started moving pieces of the wreckage from the remote crash site to Cairo. The official said investigators have so far been unable to locate several pieces of the plane, but offered no further details on what had been transported. Safety experts consider the collection and examination of plane debris crucial to determining whether explosives brought down the aircraft. Regarding another key source of evidence, Russian and Egyptian authorities have been tight-lipped about whether autopsies on the victims have been conducted. The Egyptian Health Ministry, which conducts autopsies for suspicious deaths, declined to comment about whether autopsies were carried out before bodies were flown back to Russia. It cited a gag order on releasing information about the investigation issued by Egypt's chief prosecutor. And Russian officials, likewise, have not said whether they have conducted autopsies on the bodies that have been repatriated. Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said bodies were being positively identified by DNA evidence collected at the Moscow Forensics Center, according to Russian news service RIA Novosti. The type of injuries suffered by passengers can point toward an explosion. Matching injury patterns with locations of passengers in the cabin could point investigators toward the site and possibly the composition of a potential explosive device. The black-box recorders and engines for the Metrojet flight were supplied by American companies. A spokeswoman for United Technologies Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney unit, the engine manufacturer that would assist any NTSB team, said the company continues "working with authorities to assess the situation," and referred further questions to the safety board. Another reason investigative teams strive for rapid disclosure in a plane crash: To reassure other airlines that fly the same model they haven't uncovered any immediate hazardous mechanical or design problems. So far, Cairo has refused to approve a statement from Airbus Group SE, which manufactured the plane, designed to reassure other operators of the Airbus A321 that early data from the Egyptian disaster doesn't suggest a need for emergency fixes to the widely used model, according to people familiar with the matter. Typically, in the wake of major U.S. jetliner crashes, one of the first items investigators discuss in general terms are the initial readouts of the cockpit voice recorder, and whether the conversations shed light on system malfunctions. For now, the Egyptian-led probe has disclosed that information was successfully downloaded from the cockpit recorder but didn't divulge any details. The Egyptian aviation official said the investigative committee is still conducting specialized analysis of the cockpit voice recorder to make a definitive assessment of a noise heard in the final second of the recording. "With the rampant and irresponsible speculation on whether that sound is a bomb exploding, we want to be certain that our conclusion doesn't leave any more room for theories but something closer to a fact," the official said. People familiar with the issue have said the crew didn't talk about any onboard problems before the plane's midair breakup. "Investigators certainly should have publicly said no unusual discussions were captured," according to Alan Diehl, a former U.S. military and commercial crash investigator. "That's a factual matter, not a conclusion." Joining the probe could give U.S. officials their first opportunity to assess the physical evidence. But detecting traces of a possible explosive device, according to crash experts, may be challenging because such residue can be compromised by the kind of intense, post-impact fire that consumed most of the jet. Based on prior investigations, Mr. Diehl said such residue sometimes also can be found on metal pieces that pierce passengers-but only if the fragments are removed and then handled properly during autopsies. Egypt has shown particular sensitivity to plane crashes in the past. The 1999 crash of an Egypt Air jetliner off the coast of Nantucket Island led to a much-publicized rift between Egyptian and U.S. air-safety investigators. Less attention has focused on the 2004 crash of an Egyptian Flash Air Boeing 737 charter flight after takeoff from Sharm El Sheikh. Once the cockpit voice recorder was recovered from that wreckage, Egyptian investigators barred their U.S. counterparts from participating in the initial download of information, according to people familiar with the details. In the probe now under way, the NTSB tried unsuccessfully for days to join the investigative team. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also has said Cairo rebuffed the agency's separate offer for assistance. The uncertainty surrounding the investigation is taking a toll on friends and family members of the victims. "I don't think that only the government of our country is to blame," said Vitaly Strekalov, a Russian friend of Lilia Movchanova, a passenger on Flight 9268. "One should ask the side where it happened how an explosive device ended up on board the aircraft, since there are so many devices at the airport that should prevent banned items and substances from getting on board a plane." http://www.wsj.com/articles/ambiguity-shrouds-russian-plane-crash-investigation- 1447255114 Back to Top Russian search team leaves Egypt after plane crash CAIRO -- Members of a Russian search and rescue team that was brought to Egypt after the Oct. 31 Russian plane crash in the Sinai Peninsula have left the country to return to Moscow. The team of 48 left on Wednesday. It had been recovering bodies at the crash site in Sinai's Hassana area, some 44 miles south of the peninsula's city of el-Arish. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh en route to St. Petersburg. All 224 people aboard the plane were killed. Other Russians remain in Egypt as part of the investigation committee seeking to determine the cause of the crash. U.S. and British officials have cited intelligence reports as indicating the passenger plane was likely downed by a bomb on board. CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey reported the focus of the investigation into the crash has turned to airport staff and others who may have had access to the plane. Egyptian security officers have reportedly questioned hotel workers in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, paying particular attention to those involved in catering. Even in the capital city Cairo, international teams were inspecting baggage and cargo handling, and passenger screening operations at the main airport Tuesday, the Egyptian government said. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-search-rescue-team-leaves-egypt-metrojet- plane-crash-sinai/ Back to Top Suspected Egypt Plot Prompts Security Concerns at U.S. Airports By: Alan Levin Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, right, looks at the remains of a crashed Russian passenger jet in Hassana, Egypt, on Oct. 31, 2015. The suspected bombing of a Russian airliner over Egypt is raising concerns about security loopholes in the U.S., where the vast majority of the almost 1 million employees at airports aren't subject to searches like those that travelers receive. Intelligence reports that an airport worker may have been responsible for planting an explosive device on a Metrojet Airbus A321, which broke apart and crashed on Oct. 31, are a sobering reminder that terrorist groups might try to do the same thing here, said Representative John Katko, a New York Republican who is chairman of the House's transportation security subcommittee. "I do think that the Metrojet incident has really pointed up the seriousness of looking at the insider threat at airports, both domestically and internationally," Katko said. "It's become a much more urgent matter since the Metrojet bombing." In most cases, baggage handlers, ramp workers and others simply show their badges to enter areas where they can access baggage and aircraft. After a series of gun- and drug- smuggling cases at U.S. airports, the House last month passed legislation co-sponsored by Katko that would study whether it's feasible to search all employees and also require tighter background checks. The legislation hasn't been acted on by the Senate. Security Measures U.S. officials have increased security measures this year for airport workers, but the Transportation Security Administration and an advisory panel made up of aviation industry groups and worker unions have rejected full screening. Searching every employee wouldn't be a "silver bullet" improvement to security and would be more costly than other methods, a TSA advisory panel concluded this year. That is a mistake, particularly as a result of intelligence reports suggesting sympathizers of ISIS, an acronym for the Islamic State that is fighting against governments in Iraq and Syria, were behind the Metrojet crash, according to John Halinski, the former deputy administration of TSA. "Unfortunately, the bad guys don't play by the rules," Halinski said. "We have to evolve to meet the next threat, not the last one. This would be the next threat." Security Enhanced A spokesman for the agency asked this week about airport security, referred to statements U.S. officials made in recent months expressing confidence in the layers of protection at the nation's airports. Security has also been enhanced for flights heading to the U.S. from overseas airports in response to the Egyptian crash. There have been at least eight cases brought in the past year by prosecutors charging airport workers in the U.S. with using their employee status to smuggle drugs, weapons or other contraband into secure areas so that they could then be brought aboard aircraft. Last July, 46 people were indicted on federal charges they were part of a ring that conspired to smuggle heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. Four members of the group were airport workers who used their employee identification badges to skirt security, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office indictment. One suspect in the Texas case told an informant it was a good thing that terrorists didn't know about the security loophole because it would allow explosives to be smuggled onto a plane, according to court testimony by a U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agent supplied by Katko's office. Four Cases Melinda Haag, who served as U.S. Attorney for northern California until Sept. 1, brought four such cases this year against airport workers in San Francisco and Oakland, California. Another case was brought by her former office on Nov. 7. "It is troubling to learn that there's a whole category of people who don't go through the same stringent level of screening, who have equal or better access to airport facilities and the aircraft," Haag said. "The airports are only as secure as the least secure person who works there." New York Flights Brooklyn, New York, District Attorney Kenneth Thompson on Dec. 30 brought charges against a group that allegedly smuggled 129 weapons aboard airliners from Atlanta to New York. Some of the weapons, which included assault rifles, were loaded, Thompson said. He called the case "deeply troubling" because it showed the potential for a terrorist to gain access to a plane. "They could have easily put a bomb on one of those planes," he said in a press conference last year. As a result of the investigation, a TSA advisory panel studied how to improve security and rejected the need for full airport worker screening. The Aviation Security Advisory Committee, which issued a report on its findings, is made up of airport, airline and union officials. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, following the panel's recommendations, announced security changes on April 20, including increasing random searches of airport workers and reducing the number of access doors to sensitive areas. "I am confident that the potential insider-threat posed by aviation industry employees will be significantly mitigated as a result of these recommendations," Johnson said. Screening Everyone Katko's bill calls for an additional study to estimate how much it would cost to begin fully searching all airport employees. The lawmaker said he expects the projections will be for tens of billions of dollars. It's currently impractical to screen everyone at many airports because the facilities were designed to give employees easy access to secure areas to improve efficiency, he said. Some employees frequently move in and out of secure areas as part of their work, making repeated screening time-consuming. In spite of those hurdles, the government needs to do more, from additional searches to keeping a closer eye on whether employees have violated the law, he said. He called the results of his research in the past year "pretty scary." "The more questions we asked, the more we became convinced that these holes needed to be plugged," he said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-11/suspected-egypt-plot-prompts- security-concerns-at-u-s-airports Back to Top 3 airplanes flying into Dallas airport hit by laser, FAA says Three airplanes were hit by a laser coming from the same direction as they were inbound to a Dallas airport, the FAA said on Wednesday. Lynn Lunsford, an FAA spokeswoman, said an SWA 732, a Virgin America A319 and a private plane were all struck between 7:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. as they were flying between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. All of the planes were about to land at Love Field. The FAA and Dallas police are investigating the incident. KXAS-TV said a police helicopter was searching for the source of the laser, but it wasn't immediately discovered. It's a federal crime to interfere with the operation of a jet and the offense is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000. The FBI has previously said it will pay up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest of someone who aimed a laser at a plane. The Dallas Morning News reports Austin Lawrence Siferd, 23, was jailed in July after he pointed a green laser at seven different jets. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/11/12/3-airplanes-hit-by-laser-heading-toward- dallas-airport-faa-says/ Back to Top JetBlue Flight Diverted to Reno Twice Officials at Reno-Tahoe International Airport say a plane was diverted there twice in less than 24 hours for mechanical problems. RENO, Nev. (AP) - Officials at Reno-Tahoe International Airport say a plane was diverted there twice in less than 24 hours for mechanical problems. Airport spokeswoman Heidi Jared said a JetBlue flight from Boston to San Francisco landed in Reno on Tuesday night after experiencing mechanical issues. Jared said another plane was brought in, and passengers were flown to San Francisco early Wednesday. She said pilots were trying to fly the original Airbus A320 out of the airport on Wednesday when mechanical problems again forced the plane to land in Reno. It wasn't immediately known how many passengers were affected or whether the plane had repairs between Tuesday and Wednesday. JetBlue officials didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/-JetBlue-Flight-346425962.html Back to Top Weather a Focus in Akron, Ohio, Plane Crash That Killed Nine Federal investigators said Wednesday they have recovered the voice recorder from a small jet that crashed Tuesday in Akron, Ohio, killing all nine people aboard, and will be taking a particular look at weather conditions. The plane, a twin-engine Hawker 125-7A operated by ExecuFlight Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, crashed into a four-unit apartment building Tuesday afternoon. Seven employees of Pebb Enterprises, a Boca Raton, Florida, real estate developer, died along with two crew members. Related: Small Plane Crash Kills 9, Including Pebb Enterprises Staffers Jim Silliman, the investigator in charge of the incident for the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters Wednesday that it appeared the pilot made no distress call before the jet veered left on its first approach to Akron Fulton International Airport, clipped power lines and plunged into the apartments. The airport doesn't have towers to communicate with, but the pilot of a plane that landed just before the Hawker was on the same radio frequency and told investigators no indication of distress was transmitted, Silliman said. Silliman and NTSB Vice Chairwoman Bella Dinh-Zarr were unable to provide much detail Wednesday, saying the investigative team's first full day on scene would be Thursday. But Silliman specified that weather would be a focus. Conditions in the Akron area Tuesday afternoon area were gray and drizzly, with low visibility and fog. Quincy Vagell, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel, said that "outside of a controlled runway landing, getting a plane down safely in an emergency would have been a very tough task." http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/weather-focus-akron-ohio-plane-crash-killed- nine-n461691 Back to Top Akron plane pilots were very experienced AKRON, Ohio (WKRC) -- A special team is working to recover the bodies of the nine people killed in the Akron plane crash. It was a chartered flight that was carrying two pilots and seven real estate executives from Florida. Their business jet took off from Lunken Airport Tuesday, Nov. 10, and made a stop in Dayton before heading to Akron. The seven passengers worked for Pebb Enterprises out of Boca Raton. The company issued a statement saying it was a time of unimaginable loss and mourning and is providing support to the families of those who died. Pebb Enterprises has business interests in the Midwest, including one in Eastgate. "32 East" is a brand new redevelopment that sits across from Jungle Jim's and is anchored by a Michael's and Gordman's. Union Township administrator Ken Geis told Local 12 News that all of those on board the plane were nice people and great businessmen. He said they were very hands-on with the $20 million project but he's not sure if they visited the site during their stop Tuesday. The owner of the jet, Execuflight, said both pilots were very experienced and liked to fly together. The Hawker H-25 twin engine jet clipped utility wires and crashed in flames into a four-unit apartment building. No one was at home at the time and no one on the ground was injured. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Bella Dinh-Zarr of NTSB said, "We have also reviewed a security camera video that shows the aircraft seconds before it crashed. The video shows that the aircraft was flying at a low altitude and banking to the left. We have also examined the accident scene. The left wing hit the ground first and left a witness mark. Then the aircraft hit half of an apartment building destroying it before running up an embankment behind the building and coming to rest." A total of three buildings were affected by smoke and fire. The Red Cross is helping the 12 families who lost their homes. http://www.local12.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Akron-plane-pilots-were- very-experienced--230647.shtml Back to Top Cessna 650 Citation VII Accident (Brazil) Status: Preliminary Date: Tuesday 10 November 2015 Time: 19:05 Type: Cessna 650 Citation VII Operator: Banco Bradesco Registration: PT-WQH C/n / msn: 650-7083 First flight: 1998 Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Passengers: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 Total: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 Airplane damage: Destroyed Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: near Guarda-Mor, MG ( Brazil) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Executive Departure airport: Brasília-Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport, DF (BSB/SBBR), Brazil Destination airport: São Paulo-Congonhas Airport, SP (CGH/SBSP), Brazil Narrative: A Cessna 650 Citation VII was destroyed when it impacted a farm field near Guarda-Mor, Brazil. All four aboard were killed. The aircraft originated at Brasília at 18:39 hours local time and was bound for São Paulo- Congonhas Airport. http://www.aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20151110-2 Back to Top Airbus A319 - Captain's Shatter Window Pane (Russia) Date: 11-NOV-2015 Time: Type: Airbus A319-111 Owner/operator: Aurora Airlines Registration: VP-BWL C/n / msn: 2243 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 129 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: NE of Khabarovsk - Russia Phase: En route Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Khabarovsk-Novy Airport (KHV/UHHH) Destination airport: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport (PKC/UHPP) Narrative: Aurora Airlines flight 5684 returned to land at Khabarovsk-Novy Airport, Russia, after the captain's rear side window pane shattered. The Airbus A319 took off from Khabarovsk at 10:31 hours local time, bound for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport. Some 19 minutes into the flight the left hand rear side window pane on the flight deck shattered. The airplane was climbing through 36575 feet at the time. The flight immediately descended to 6000 feet, while turning back to Khabarovsk. To the northeast of the airport the flight flew six circuits in a holding pattern to burn fuel. The aircraft then landed safely on runway 23L at 11:55 hours. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=181222 Back to Top The UN agrees to create a global flight tracking system after disappearance of MH370 Aircraft would send transmissions to satelites and space stations for the first time The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 with 239 people onboard last year spurred a worldwide effort to create a better system to track civilian flights. On Wednesday, some of that effort bore fruit. A UN committee agreed to allocate a portion of the radio spectrum for global flight tracking to prevent future disappearances. The agreement was reached at the World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva. The UN International Telecommunication Union, which sets global standards for communication technology, agreed to dedicate the frequency band 1087.7-1092.3 MHz for satellites and space stations to receive Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast emissions from aircraft transmitters. Currently aircraft only send these transmissions to other aircraft and air traffic control stations, which limits their effectiveness when aircraft are traveling in remote areas or over oceans. ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said in a statement that his organization has "responded in record time to the expectations of the global community on the major issue concerning global flight tracking. ITU will continue to make every effort to improve flight tracking for civil aviation." But some would disagree. After the disappearance of MH370, regulators and airlines were criticized for responding too slowly to French tracking recommendations after the crash of an Air France jet in 2009. Last September, the European Union said it would pursue plans to impose mandatory flight tracking in response to the MH370 tragedy. The UN's aviation arm, the International Civil Aviation Organization, has set a deadline for November 2016 for airlines to install tracking technology. Those will include aircraft sending their position at least every 15 minutes, or more in case of emergency. French investigators recently confirmed a piece of debris that washed ashore on Réunion Island is from MH370. http://www.theverge.com/2015/11/11/9716416/un-malaysian-airlines-mh370-global- flight-tracking Back to Top Radio Spectrum Allocated For Global Flight Tracking For Missing Aircraft An agreement has been reached at the United Nations World Radiocommunication Conference on the allocation of radiofrequency spectrum to allow the use of satellites for real-time global flight tracking in civil aviation. The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in March 2014 while on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board spurred worldwide discussions on global flight tracking and the need for coordinated action by relevant organizations. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced Wednesday that frequency band 1087.7-1092.3 MHz has been allocated to the aeronautical mobile-satellite service, known as "Earth-to-space," for reception by space stations of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) emissions from aircraft transmitters. The frequency band 1087.7-1092.3 MHz is currently being utilized for the transmission of ADS-B signals from aircraft to terrestrial stations within line-of-sight. The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) has now allocated this frequency band in the Earth-to-space direction to enable transmissions from aircraft to satellites. This means ADS-B signals will be extending beyond line-of-sight to facilitate reporting the position of aircraft equipped with the signal anywhere in the world, including oceanic, polar and other remote areas. "In reaching this agreement at [the conference], ITU has responded in record time to the expectations of the global community on the major issue concerning global flight tracking," said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao in a statement. "ITU will continue to make every effort to improve flight tracking for civil aviation," he added. The World Radiocommunication Conference, being held in Geneva, also recognized that as the standards and recommended practices for systems enabling position determination and tracking of aircraft are developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the performance criteria for satellite reception of ADS-B signals will also need to be addressed. "The allocation of frequencies for reception of ADS-B signals from aircraft by space stations will enable real-time tracking of aircraft anywhere in the world," said François Rancy, Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau. http://www.rttnews.com/2579749/radio-spectrum-allocated-for-global-flight-tracking- for-missing-aircraft.aspx Back to Top Pilots Say Drones Are Threat to Medical Helicopters Medical helicopter pilots are concerned that drones could cause problems for emergency calls. Gary Colecchi is a helicopter pilot for Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. Just like many pilots, he has a lot of concerns about drones flying near his helicopter. "We fly with a single pilot," said Colecchi. "If a drone takes me out, it's pretty much going to be catastrophic." Last July that could have happened. A medical helicopter pilot spotted a drone flying around the helipad at Cook Children's Medical Center. The helicopter was grounded for about 45 minutes until the airspace was clear. "If I'm going to a location and there is a patient and there's a drone in the area, I will abort the landing and probably return to base," said Colecchi. Colecchi has never had to make that call. But it's only a matter of time with the growing trend of people using drones. "The stress is always there no matter what we're doing," said Colecchi. "Drones are an increasing problem that we're seeing every day now." Reported drone encounters have tripled over the last year. So far in 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration reports there were more than 700 manned aircraft and drone encounters nationwide. In 2014, there were only 238. The FAA is planning to require owners to register their drone. The administration expects about 700,000 drones to be sold between now and the end of the holiday season. "Drones are here and they're here to stay," said Colecchi. "We have to adapt, we have to learn to share the air space, rules and regulations, and everybody can have fun. I can fly my patient safely and they can have fun." http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Pilots-Say-Drones-Are-Threat-to-Medical- Helicopters-346271392.html Back to Top Japan may allow female pilots for F-15, F-4 fighters Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-15J Eagles fly in formation June 11, 2012, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Japan's Defense Ministry will soon allow female Self-Defense Force members to pilot fighter jets. Jim Araos/U.S. Air Force YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan - Japan's Defense Ministry may soon allow female Self- Defense Force members to pilot fighter jets and reconnaissance planes. The decision - in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy to create better working environments and opportunities for women - is expected to be announced soon, the ministry said Thursday. The first female fighter pilots are expected to fly F-15 and F-4 fighter jets after about three years of training, and there are already women within the Japan Air Self-Defense Force who plan to apply, sources told Kyodo News. Previously, female Self-Defense Forces pilots were allowed to fly only transport and patrol aircraft. The United States dropped restrictions on women flying combat missions in 1993. http://www.stripes.com/news/japan-may-allow-female-pilots-for-f-15-f-4-fighters- 1.378451 Back to Top What's the future of aviation in Africa? * Ethiopian Airlines is Africa's largest domestic carrier * Developing the aviation industry could help Africa overcome its infrastructure challenges (CNN)Africa is "the next and last frontier in globalization," according to Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, who says that developing the aviation industry will be vital if the continent wants to overcome its weak infrastructure. "I want to see African aviation growing very fast in line with the economic development of the continent," Gebremariam says. "The continent is a huge land mass with more than a billion young population and of late it is attracting huge flow of foreign direct investment. Putting all things together, Africa is going to be the next and last frontier in globalization, so it's going to grow very fast in the 21st century." Can aviation keep pace? However, Gebremariam is concerned that the aviation industry is not going to keep pace with this rapid growth, which could be slowed by the continent's notoriously poor infrastructure. "Road transport is underdeveloped, railway transport is underdeveloped, the terrain of the continent is a challenge, so air transport is a key essential public transport service. And it has to be seen as such," he says. State-owned Ethiopian Airlines is now the largest domestic African carrier by fleet and by the number of international destinations that it serves. Through its hub in Addis Ababa, the airline connects major cities across the continent with Europe and the U.S., as well as with new investment partners in Asia and the Middle East. Dreamliner prestige Ethiopian was the second carrier to receive a 787 Dreamliner, in 2012. . The airline was only the second carrier in the world to take delivery of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and has continued to expand its fleet for both passenger and cargo use. The company has been trying to capture a large piece of the market for exported flowers from East Africa to Europe, as part of a wider government initiative to grow the industry. "That has paid very good dividends for both of us, for the airline and for the country," Gebremariam says. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/11/africa/ethiopian-airways/ Back to Top Professionals set agenda for new aviation minister (Nigeria) Sen-Hadi-Sirika---(Katsina)-Minister-of-State,-AviationThe Nigeria Aviation Professionals Association (NAPA) has advised the incoming minister of aviation to ensure review of the law establishing all agencies in the sector to boost productivity. Speaking in an interview in Lagos, the general secretary of the association, Abdulrasaq Saidu, said some of the parastatals have more than 50 general managers and bloated work force which is giving way for redundancy. He blamed politicians for the situation. According to Saidu, the ills in the aviation industry can only be corrected by reversing the Act establishing some agencies which gives room for only four parastatals as against eight and above as obtained currently in some agencies. While emphasising the need to stick to approved conditions of employment, Saidu advised that government should avoid bloated workforce, maintaining that the ugly trend began in the early 2000. He noted that services of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have diminished, and that none of the country's airports has been certified. He urged the minster to, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of inefficiency to save the aviation industry. Saidu asked the incoming minister of aviation to look into the infrastructure at the airports to ensure that those structures not in line with ICAO standards are jettisoned in order not to lose the category one status of the country. The NAPA secretary called for immediate payment of accumulated debts by airlines and other concessionaires to enable agencies meet their responsibilities. Saidu decried the level of lawlessness in the system, claiming that withholding of money collected by a concessionaire was criminal. His words: "Aviation can never be stable without asking where Nigeria Airways is. It is the edifice of the nation, Nigeria Airways did not owe what they claimed the airline owed. They must publish how much the properties of the airline were sold and those that bought them, if the change must start in aviation." http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/11/professionals-set-agenda-for-new-aviation- minister/ Back to Top Rolls Royce Plunges in London as Executive Jet Market Sags Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc said 2016 earnings will take a 650 million-pound ($990 million) hit from lower demand for aircraft engines and overhaul work, extending a sequence of profit warnings that's battered the company for two years and sending the stock down the most since 2000. Pretax profit for 2015 will also be at the "lower end" of a forecast range of 1.3 billion pounds to 1.47 billion pounds, and the London-based company plans to review its policy on shareholder payments, it said in a statement Thursday. Rolls-Royce shares tumbled as much as 22 percent. Chief Executive Officer Warren East, who has been reviewing Rolls's businesses since taking over in July, said he'll introduce a restructuring program aimed at delivering savings as high as 200 million pounds a year from 2017. Details of plans to simplify its organization and management will be announced Nov. 24. "The outlook for 2016 is very challenging," East said on a conference call. "The speed and magnitude of change in some of our markets, which have historically performed well, has been significant and shows how sensitive parts of our business are to market conditions in the short-term." Inflexible Rolls-Royce, which investors had been counting on to deliver an upswing in earnings from a record backlog for its Trent engine range, fell 147 pence to 520 pence, the biggest drop since Aug. 24, 2000, before trading 18 percent lower at 547.50 pence as of 9 a.m. in London. East, who previously ran world-leading semiconductor designer ARM Holdings Plc, said his review suggests Rolls's biggest problem lies not so much in a portfolio that includes power equipment and ship engines as an inflexibility that make its unable to respond quickly enough to changing market demands. "The fixed costs in this business are simply too high, so that small, relatively modest changes in the top line driven by market conditions just make too big an impact on our profit," he said. "It's up to us to be more able to deal with these situations." The earnings "headwind" for 2016 predicted today compares with a figure of 385 million pounds estimated on July 6, days after East took over. 'Capacity Management' Earnings next year will be hurt by "sharply lower" sales of corporate jets powered by Rolls engines, together with a more sluggish maintenance market both for those aircraft and bigger regional jets, accounting for 100 million pounds of the increase. Reduced utilization of older wide-body engines will wipe out 150 million pounds beyond prior projections. "This is essentially capacity management by some of our customers," East said, adding that even with a lower oil price that's made the retention of older jets viable by cutting fuel expenses, "If you happen to have already bought an aircraft with more-efficient engines, then you're going to use it." Rolls-Royce is also being impacted by a further deterioration in the market for engines that power marine vessels used by the oil industry, which will weaken profit by an extra 100 million pounds. Shares of Rolls-Royce have slumped 36 percent this year following a decline of 32 percent in 2014, reducing the company's market value to 10 billion pounds. Credit-default swaps insuring the company's bonds against losses jumped to the highest since April 2013, a sign that perceptions of credit quality have deteriorated. The contracts rose 6 basis points to 81 basis points in the biggest jump since January, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-12/rolls-royce-says-2016-profit-to- be-hit-by-990-million-headwind Back to Top Bombardier Challenger 350 Aircraft Owned By VistaJet Sets World Speed Record - Flight from Napa Valley to the Cayman Islands was completed in five hours and five minutes MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - Nov. 11, 2015) - A Bombardier Challenger 350 aircraft, owned by VistaJet, a global leader in premium long-range private jet travel, set a world speed record in its class, flying from Napa Valley to the Cayman Islands - a distance of 2,774 miles (4,463 km) - in five hours and five minutes*. The US-registered Challenger 350 aircraft, managed and operated by Priester Aviation**, departed Napa County Airport in California at 8:22 a.m. PDT on October 28, 2015 with three crew and two passengers on board. The maximum cruising speed was M 0.83 at a cruise level of 41,000 feet (12,497 m). The pilots touched down at Owen Robert International Airport in Grand Cayman at 1:27 p.m. PDT with more than sufficient fuel reserves. "The Challenger 350 aircraft handled beautifully throughout the flight," said Priester Aviation's Captain Andy Wegman. "Thanks to its unmatched climb characteristics, we took it straight to 41,000 feet (12,497 m) in under 20 minutes, where we cruised comfortably at ground speeds up to 545 kts to set the record." "This achievement is another example of the impressive speed, climb and range capabilities of the super midsize Challenger 350 aircraft," said David Coleal, President, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "We are pleased to share this honour with our valued customer VistaJet and congratulate the entire VistaJet and Priester Aviation team on achieving this new world record." "We've taken delivery of 13 Challenger 350 jets over the past year, and to date, our experience with this aircraft has been very positive," said Nick Van Der Meer, Chief Operating Officer, VistaJet International. "We provide our customers with the best aircraft options for their intercontinental and transcontinental travel needs, and the capability showcased by the Challenger 350 jet on this new world speed record serves to reinforce this commitment." About the Challenger 350 Aircraft The Challenger 350 jet boasts class-defining performance, a true seats full, tanks full, 3,200 NM (5,926 km) range that connects New York City with London***. The Challenger 350 jet builds upon the legendary segment defining clean-sheet Challenger 300 jet. Not only does it feature the very latest in avionics functionality, but it also offers the segment's most advanced cabin that maximizes natural light and redefines interior comfort and design sophistication, all the while maintaining the performance attributes that have become synonymous with the Challenger family. http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/bombardier-challenger-350-aircraft-owned- by-vistajet-sets-world-speed-record-tsx-bbd.a-2072822.htm Back to Top Gogo Now Installed on 2500 Commercial Aircraft CHICAGO, Nov. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Gogo GOGO, -0.68% the global leader in providing broadband connectivity solutions and wireless entertainment to the aviation industry, hit a significant milestone this month as the company now has 2500 commercial aircraft flying with its connectivity solutions. Out of the 2500 aircraft, more than 860 have been outfitted with the company's higher capacity air-to-ground solution - ATG-4 - and more than 150 aircraft are installed with its Ku-band satellite system. The company expects nearly 1,000 aircraft to be flying with ATG-4 by the end of this year, which represents close to 40 percent of all Gogo equipped aircraft. "Increasing bandwidth to the aircraft is a big priority for us. What's notable about this milestone is the fact that we are not only increasing the number of aircraft with Gogo connectivity services, we are increasingly installing higher bandwidth solutions," added Michael Small, Gogo's president and CEO. "This milestone comes right before we get ready to launch our latest and greatest 2Ku technology to the world, which will further increase bandwidth to the aircraft." Today, Gogo has more than 700 commercial aircraft in its backlog. A majority of those aircraft are set to receive Gogo's new 2Ku technology, which will significantly increase the amount of bandwidth to an aircraft. "We've been extremely pleased with the performance of 2Ku in flight tests and believe it will be the best performing solution on the market," added Small. "As part of our testing, we've simultaneously streamed videos on more than 40 devices while providing a great browsing experience on numerous other devices." You can find more information about this technology and track its progress towards commercial launch at gogo.to/2Ku. About Gogo Gogo is a leading global aero-communications service provider that offers in-flight Internet, entertainment, connected aircraft services for airline operations and a host of other communications-related services to the commercial and business aviation markets. Gogo has partnerships with 11 major commercial airlines and is now installed on more than 2,500 commercial aircraft. More than 6,800 business aircraft are also flying with its solutions, including the world's largest fractional ownership fleets. Gogo also is a factory option at every major business aircraft manufacturer. Gogo has more than 1,000 employees and is headquartered in Chicago, IL, with additional facilities in Broomfield, CO, and various locations overseas. Connect with us at www.gogoair.com and business.gogoair.com http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gogo-now-installed-on-2500-commercial-aircraft- 2015-11-11 Back to Top Flying the Hump: A pilot's story of the WWII India-to-China mission Army Air Corps pilot William R. Landis in 1943. Paul Landis explains how his father, William R. Landis, used a "short snorter" to hold currency from countries that they visited during his service in World War II. A World War II silk map that air crews used to in case they were shot down. PRESCOTT - Paul Landis' father, William, was a good-humored adventurer and pilot with a penchant for the bagpipes, the theater, photography, and all things outdoors. Still it is his early military aviation career that was the "defining moment of his life," said Landis, 60. Landis and his older brothers' shared memories of their father is that he was "intensely proud of his role as a World War II aviator who managed to successfully pilot 106 air transport flights across what historian Theodore White described as the world's 'skyway to hell.'" In 1944, an unexpected turn of events led to the eager, young U.S. Army Air Forces pilot from Niagara Falls, N.Y. joining an "extraordinary" fraternity, his son said. The elder Landis, who died of lung cancer in 1983 at age 63, was one of a select group of World War II pilots assigned to conquer "The Hump," the name given to what war history and museum experts describe as the most treacherous air cargo transport mission in military history. Historians have said it was the precursor to the later, more widely known, Berlin Airlift. In honor of Veterans Day, the youngest of Landis' four sons, who earned his aeronautical science and aviation business degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University just months before his father's death, reflected on his father's contribution to this historic war mission. All told, the elder Landis would spend 20 years as a pilot and civil engineer with both the Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force. Paul Landis, with his wife, Kay, retired to Prescott a year ago after spending 50 years of his life in Alaska. His father retired from the Fairbanks, Alaska, Air Force Base in 1968. He then continued working in the 49th state as a construction project engineer until his retirement to Pensacola, Florida, with frequent vacation trips back to visit family in Alaska. A born storyteller, Landis' father had lots of fond memories of his years in the military, but no stories matched those of his year flying through the Himalayas, "extraordinarily risky business," his son recalled. So how did William Landis come to be part of such a perilous, yet significant, war mission? His son said it was a mix of patriotism and random fortune. A "product of his time," Landis said his father "couldn't wait to go into the military and specifically to become a pilot." "The intensely patriotic" 24-year-old was primed to become a fighter pilot an not traveling across a desolate nowhere for what seemed to him to be less than a high- profile mission. Initially, his son said, the non-combat assignment "broke his heart." Little did the young Landis know how significant "The Hump" would prove to an Allied victory; nor could he envision the perils: the landscape, the weather and Japanese "Zeros" hunting for them. As often happens in the military, Landis' son said his father swallowed his disappointment and followed orders. He and his fellow "Hump" pilots, though likely pushed beyond their maturity, even readiness, were deemed by their superior officers to be imbued with stamina, aeronautical skill, and no small degree of courage, according to a page from Landis' 1981 Hump Pilots Association yearbook. With just 85 hours of flying time on his training record, William Landis was selected as the pilot to carry a load of Army passengers from Nashville, Tennessee to Karachi, India. "Probably more frightened than passengers but they didn't know it!" the senior Landis wrote for his yearbook page. To "Fly the Hump" was to maneuver a bulky, twin-engine Curtiss C-46 transport plane with no radar or modern meteorological tools to guide them through the treacherous terrain of the eastern Himalayas at altitudes as high as 20,000 feet in take-no-prisoners weather. These pilots ferried some 650,000 tons of weapons, ammunition, and other essential weapons, ammunition and rations to the Chinese - elephants were often used to load the planes - an around-the-clock schedule from April 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. The airlift was the sole means of support to the region after Japan blocked the Burma Road. The India-to-China mission was a life-risking assignment that pushed many flying warriors to their mental brink; even the most seasoned pilots were at the mercy of relentless storms or crashed due to lack of fuel in the unforgiving mountainside where rescue was far from a sure thing, according to historians. Landis remembers his father explaining to him the term "Hump Happy," a light-hearted term for the serious plight of pilots succumbing to physical and mental weariness, even terror, over the arduous conditions they confronted on a daily basis. On the back of a large leather jacket patch designed just for those pilots, Landis' father displayed his brand of wry humor: he autographed it, "Hump Happy Willy." Landis said his father tended to make light of situations rather than "focus on the darkness," Paul Landis said. "If he could make a joke out if it, he would." "Your Dad was always good with a punch line," agreed Landis' wife. Despite his jovial nature, however, Landis said his father never lost his reverence for the human toll of that airlift. The more than 1,000 mile round-trip, India-Burma-China ferry route that encompassed millions of uninhabited square miles claimed the lives of 1,314 crew members, 345 still listed as missing in action. Another 1,171 managed to escape after their aircrafts crash landed, according to the Hump Pilots Association. "The Hump" claimed more than 600 aircraft. Paul Landis' saved his father's "Hump" hat, explaining his father became superstitious about his good fortune along the "aluminum trail," a reference to all the planes lost in the Himalayas over the course of the three-and-a-half year mission. In tribute to his fallen comrades, Landis ended up wearing that hat on every subsequent military flight of his career, his son recalled. In the brim is stitched triangles for each of his successful "Hump" trips. With all of the obstacles flying "The Hump" posed, Landis' most harrowing landing occurred in May 1958 in Malta on a cargo flight between Libya and England. In an Air Force United Kingdom newspaper "Eagle," Landis is quoted as saying he was most scared when he spotted the sign on the field where they landed that read "Land Mine Storage Area." "Those 'Hump' pilots were definitely masters in difficult circumstances," Paul Landis said. Another piece of memorabilia Paul Landis inherited from his father's "Hump" collection is a silk cloth map that every pilot likely carried in a shirt pocket. On one side of the map is the eastern portion of their route; the backside is the western portion. The maps were not meant for flight, but rather to guide pilots to local villages or military installations if they managed to survive their crash. On each side, printed in seven different languages, was a message to whoever might come to their aid. "I am an American airman. My plane is destroyed. I cannot speak your language. I am an enemy of the Japanese. Please give me food and take me to the nearest Allied military post. You will be rewarded." "It's a great story," said Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Professor William Crisler who teaches aircraft design with an expertise in aviation history. "It's not D-Day, Pearl Harbor or the Battle of Midway, or even Berlin, but it's a great story because of the challenge that was overcome by these pilots ... The China Theater was an unsung campaign." For Paul Landis, "The Hump" remains a connection to a man who inspired him with his gusto for life, for music, for people, for family, for country. "It's a nice story to breathe life back into," Landis said. "The raw material for those stories was just awesome." http://dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=151869 Back to Top Southwest Airlines pilot union leader resigns -- merger next? Just four days after insisting to this reporter that Dallas-based Southwest Airlines management is "not getting the job done," Paul Jackson, the head of the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA), submitted his resignation, effective Dec. 31,2015, to the union's Board of Directors on Tuesday. Jackson's exit comes as rumors continue to swirl that Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) CEO Gary Kelly is eager to orchestrate another airline merger, possibly with JetBlue (Nasdaq: BLU) or Frontier Airlines. But first, sources say, Kelly must get new contracts with key labor groups - including pilots, flight attendants and ramp agents. It's a goal that has eluded Kelly for years, with failed attempts to get new contracts with flight attendants and pilots coming just in the past several months. In his resignation letter Jackson said an "institutional change in direction" was necessary at SWAPA, which represents more than 8,000 Southwest pilots, including more than 1,100 domiciled in Chicago, where Southwest has its largest hub at Midway Airport. Jackson's comments to this reporter last Friday came after the union rank and file rejected a tentative contract that had been negotiated under Jackson's tenure as union president. In his letter, Jackson also said the entire negotiating team that helped craft the tentative contract have resigned their roles, a SWAPA spokesman said. SWAPA vice-president Mike Panebianco will serve in Jackson's place until election of a new union president is completed by January of 2016, the SWAPA spokesman said. The Board and Panebianco will likely have a hand in appointing a new negotiating team. The SWAPA spokesman confirmed that Jackson supported the tentative contract presented to rank and file union pilots, a majority of whom ultimately rejected it. Events at SWAPA surrounding their contract vote surprisingly mirror - with one notable difference - those at Southwest's flight attendant union, Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represents some 13,500 unionized Southwest flight attendants, including more than 1,800 domiciled in Chicago. Local 556 rank and file members resoundingly rejected a tentative contract in July, and then pushed for the resignation of Local 556 president Audrey Stone, who was strongly in favor of the proposed contract that irked many flight attendants. But sources said today Stone has resisted efforts by upset Local 556 members to have her removed. Stone reportedly remains in her union leadership role, even as it is unclear when Local 556 might get another tentative deal. "We have received no communication regarding the state of things (from our union)," said one Southwest flight attendant source today. http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2015/11/11/southwest-airlines-pilot-union- leader-resigns.html Back to Top Proposal to rewrite commercial space flight rules expected to pass Congress WASHINGTON - Private companies gearing up to send humans into space would get several more years to develop their projects without having to meet stringent safety standards, under a bill the House is expected to pass as early as next week. The measure would significantly overhaul rules governing the still-maturing commercial space industry for the first time in more than a decade. It also would extend the life of the International Space Station to 2024 and establish legal ownership rights for U.S. citizens who mine asteroids. Senate lawmakers approved the legislation unanimously on Tuesday. House passage would send it to President Obama, who is expected to sign it. Supporters say the legislation, months in the works, would provide the kind of long-term security critical to the growth of a host of applications, including space tourism and research.It comes at a time when NASA is paying Russia more than $70 million per seat to ferry astronauts to the space station while the space agency helps private aerospace firms develop a replacement for the space shuttle that would launch from U.S. soil. "This will help bolster an already-thriving U.S. commercial space industry," said Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, a co-sponsor of the bill. NASA launched astronauts to the moon from Florida more than four decades ago and now sends private rockets to resupply the space station. The bill merges several efforts designed to assist aerospace companies on risky ventures, while asserting the nation's prominent presence in low-Earth orbit and beyond. The provision to extend the life of the space station isn't controversial. It would provide long-term certainty for scientific and commercial clients who use the orbiting lab. Other provisions in the bill would: * Provide U.S. citizens who collect materials from asteroids the right to keep those samples. * Retain indemnity protection for commercial spaceflights through 2025. Having the government-backed insurance means U.S. companies can compete with foreign firms who already enjoy the same benefit from their countries. The protection for U.S. companies is set to expire at the end of 2016. * Extend through Sept. 30, 2023, the "regulatory learning period" for the commercial space industry, now set to expire March 31. By pushing back the deadline to meet certain safety standards for human spaceflight, it gives companies valuable time to develop their technology and work through issues without potentially costly and burdensome rules. The last two provisions are especially important to an industry that's suffered setbacks over the past year or so. An unmanned Orbital Sciences rocket carrying supplies for NASA to the space station exploded seconds after liftoff in Virginia Oct. 28, 2014. Three days later, a Virgin Galactic spaceship crashed during a test flight in California. Then in June, an unmanned SpaceX rocket carrying cargo to the space station exploded over Florida shortly after liftoff. "This new legislation sets the stage for the continued growth and expansion of the space transportation industry, while enabling rapid advances in safety for spaceflight participants," according to a statement from the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a trade group. "It also promotes investments in new commercial space applications, promising future spaceflight capabilities that will benefit all Americans." http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/11/proposal-rewrite-commercial- space-flight-rules-expected-pass-congress/75600312/ Back to Top Upcoming Events: 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 Gulf Flight Safety Council(GFSC) - Safety Summit December 9-10, 2016 Dubai, UAE www.gfsc.aero 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 6th European Business Aviation Safety Conference 2016 February 23-24, 2016 Frankfurt, Germany www.ebascon.eu 2016 Air Charter Safety Symposium | Safety: A Small Investment for a Rich Future March 8-9, 2016 | NTSB Training Center | Ashburn, VA http://www.acsf.aero/events/acsf-symposium/ CHC Safety & Quality Summit Press Releases and Save the Date April 4-6, 2016 Vancouver, BC www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com BARS Auditor Training Washington DC? Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training Back to Top JOBS AVAILABLE: Flight Data Analyst Air New Zealand https://careers.airnz.co.nz/jobdetails/ajid/Q3W3g/Flight-Data-Analyst,111690 Curt Lewis