Flight Safety Information January 22, 2016 - No. 016 In This Issue PROS 2016 TRAINING Pilot feared dead after F-16 fighter jet crashes in Arizona Pilot is charged with flying Alaska Airlines plane while drunk New PSA Airlines program to target pilots in the classroom TSA finds record 2,653 guns at airport checkpoints in 2015 United buying bigger aircraft, ditching 50-seat planes easyJet Just Says No to MPL Candidates With More Than 85 Flight Hours Professional Pilot EFB Usage CALL FOR PAPERS Military Aviation Safety Workshop Graduate Research Surveys. Graduate Research Survey Pilot feared dead after F-16 fighter jet crashes in Arizona BAGDAD, Ariz. -- A student pilot from Taiwan is feared dead after an F-16 fighter jet from Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix crashed Thursday in a remote area of northwestern Arizona, authorities said. Base officials said the man with the Taiwanese Air Force was flying solo and engaged in air-to-air combat training with an instructor when his F-16 went down for still unknown reasons. Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke, said rescue crews on the ground have been unable to find the pilot, whose name wasn't released. "All indications lead me to believe that the pilot did not survive the accident," Pleus said at a late afternoon news conference. "But until we have 100 percent confirmation, we will continue search efforts." http://www.cbsnews.com/news/f-16-fighter-jet-crashes-in-arizona/ Back to Top Pilot is charged with flying Alaska Airlines plane while drunk A former Alaska Airlines pilot was arrested and charged this week with flying a plane while drunk in 2014. (Daniel Acker / Bloomberg News) A Newport Beach airline pilot has been arrested and charged with piloting an Alaska Airlines jet full of passengers while under the influence of alcohol, authorities said Thursday. David Hans Arntson, 60, was arrested Wednesday morning and appeared in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. He's scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 10. Arntson had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.134% and 0.142% in random tests conducted 15 minutes apart on June 20, 2014, according to an affidavit by an investigator with the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General. Arntson is being prosecuted under federal law, which considers commercial airline pilots intoxicated if their blood alcohol concentration is 0.10% or greater. The Federal Aviation Administration has a blood alcohol limit of 0.04%. The tests were performed by an Alaska Airlines technician at a restroom inside the terminal at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, according to the affidavit. That day, Arntson had piloted two Alaska Airlines flights: one from San Diego to Portland, and a second from Portland to John Wayne, according to the affidavit. The technician was waiting for Arntson when the plane approached the gate. His co-pilot told federal investigators that when Arntson saw the drug tester waiting at the plane's gate, he said, "I bet it's for me." Arntson, who had worked for Alaska Airlines since 1982, was removed from "safety sensitive duties" that day, according to the airline. He later retired from the airline. In an interview this fall at his Newport Beach home, Arntson told investigators that he didn't have issues with alcohol or substance abuse, and that the night before the flight, he had ordered a beer for dinner and sipped it. He tried to have his own blood test conducted after learning of the positive breathalyzer result from the airline's chief pilot. He said a blood test the following morning showed he had no alcohol in his body, according to the affidavit. If convicted, Arntson faces up to 15 years in federal prison. His attorney could not be reached for comment. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pilot-charged-drunkenly-flying-alaska-airlines-20160121- story.html Back to Top New PSA Airlines program to target pilots in the classroom PSA Airlines now has another weapon in the fierce battle to recruit pilots. The Dayton-based regional carrier of American Airlines (NYSE: AAL) on Thursday unveiled a new cadet program, making it among the first regional carriers to target promising future pilots in colleges, universities and flight schools. The idea is to find the brightest candidates and help them make a smooth transition from the classroom to the cockpit. PSA Airlines President Dion Flannery. The regional carrier is launching a new program to attract pilots before they even leave school. PSA's plans for massive growth hinge on its ability to recruit pilots - more than 1,000 during the next two years - in a highly competitive environment. The airline has been aggressively ramping up new initiatives to go after pilots it needs now, but this new cadet program will position PSA for long-term growth. So far, PSA has signed 13 colleges, universities and flight schools to participate in the new cadet program. The idea is to provide various levels of support - such as tuition reimbursement and mentoring - as the pilot's certifications, training and experience evolve. "It's a very attractive avenue for folks to join PSA on their way to American," said Dion Flannery, president of PSA Airlines. "If you're at a top notch university or training center, and you're a top performer, we've got a proposition for you." Upon hitting certain milestones, cadets can enter a new-hire class for first officers at PSA Airlines. No additional interviews will be required and those candidates are eligible to receive an additional $6,000 tuition reimbursement. "That's a great, visible, transparent career path," Flannery said. "This is just a fantastic architecture for funding future pilots at the airline." The initial partner schools on PSA's cadet program include: Cochise College; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott; Kent State University; Le Tourneau University; Marywood University; Ohio University; The Ohio State University; Purdue University; Triad Aviation Academy; University of Cincinnati Clermont College; University of Dubuque and Westminster College. PSA recently signed a union deal for a flow-through program that provides a more streamlined process, giving its pilots a career path directly to American through a seniority-based system. The carrier also just began offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus for all new pilots hired through traditional recruiting channels. http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2016/01/21/new-psa-airlines-program-to-target-pilots-in- the.html Back to Top TSA finds record 2,653 guns at airport checkpoints in 2015 Security screeners found guns, knives, fake grenades, explosives and even a Klingon battle sword at airport checkpoints across the country in 2015. WASHINGTON - The Transportation Security Administration announced Thursday it discovered a record 2,653 guns last year at airport checkpoints. The total represented a 20% increase from the 2,212 found in 2014. The discoveries represent a steady increase from 660 guns found in 2005 through 1,123 in 2010. "The transport of firearms by commercial air in carry-on bags represents a threat to the safety and security of air travelers," TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger said. "Through increased training in detection methods, our officers are becoming more adept at intercepting these prohibited items." TSA found record guns, knife in enchilada in 2014 Travelers who bring firearms or ammunition to checkpoints are subject to civil fines from TSA and possible criminal penalties from local police. Guns can be transported in checked bags, but they must be unloaded and packed properly. A small selection of items confiscated from passengers in 2015 by the Transportation Security Administration is displayed during a news conference at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Dec. 18, 2015. (Photo: AP) More than four out of five of the guns found - 2,198 or 82.8% - were loaded. Firearms were discovered at 236 airports. Those with the most were: * Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: 153 * Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport: 144 * Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport: 100 * Denver International Airport: 90 * Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport: 73 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/21/tsa-finds-record-2653-guns-checkpoints/79111456/ Back to Top United buying bigger aircraft, ditching 50-seat planes United Airlines plans to buy 40 new Boeing 737-700 planes that will enter its fleet beginning in mid-2017. (Boeing) Flying on United Airlines could get more comfortable starting in 2017. The Chicago-based airline plans to buy 40 new Boeing 737-700 planes that will enter its fleet beginning in mid-2017. United said it expects to reduce by more than half the number of 50-seat aircraft in its fleet by 2019. "Our customers have a preference for an improved travel experience, including first-class seats, Economy Plus and Wi-Fi," Gerry Laderman, United's acting chief financial officer, said in a statement. According to United's website, Boeing 737-700 planes have nearly 120 seats. United Continental Holdings made the announcement as it reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2015. Participants in an investor call included United Chief Executive Oscar Munoz, who had a heart transplant Jan. 6. Last Friday, he said in a letter released by United that he was headed to his Chicago home from the hospital. United has said Munoz is expected to return from medical leave at the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter. In the call Thursday morning, Munoz said he might return even sooner. United also said that it will begin offering "entry-level" fares for "price sensitive" customers in the second half of 2016 to compete with budget carriers. United reported a fourth-quarter profit of $823 million, or $2.24 a share, compared with $28 million, or 7 cents a share, a year ago. Lower fuel costs helped United's bottom line. Aircraft fuel expenses fell to $1.6 billion in the quarter from $2.5 billion a year ago. Excluding one-time items, the company earned $2.54 per share, a nickel short of expectations by industry analysts, according to polls by both Zacks Investment Research and FactSet, The Associated Press reported. Revenue fell 3 percent to $9.04 billion, slightly below the $9.08 billion average forecast from the FactSet analysts, AP said. United also noted that in 2015 it recorded $107 million of severance and benefit costs mostly related to a voluntary buyout program for its flight attendants. In 2014, more than 2,500 flight attendants chose to leave the company and get severance with a maximum value of $100,000 per participant, with retirement dates through the end of 2016. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-united-new-planes-0122-biz-20160121-story.html Back to Top easyJet Just Says No to MPL Candidates With More Than 85 Flight Hours By Roger Rapoport Contributing Editor Editor's Note: This is the third story in an FSI series on ab initio training. SOUTHAMPTON, England - Does that smiling copilot greeting you at front door of your Airbus 330 remind you of the ski instructor who showed you how to handle those big moguls? Perhaps his colleague looks like the policeman who wrote a ticket when you double parked outside the hospital where your wife gave birth to your first born. Might that copilot on your return flight be the lab assistant who did your blood test before gall bladder surgery? Is it possible that the deadheading pilot sitting next to you in coach is actually the limerick spouting credit controller who used to work down the hall? If some well known airlines have their way, it could happen. In the brave new world of "zero to hero" ab initio training, experience doesn't always matter. Why bother with joining the Air Force or spending years working your way up the aviation industry ladder from your local airport. Just 18 to 24 months after the successful applicant walks in the door here at CTC Aviation they can be sitting in the right seat of a commercial jet beginning to pay off $160,000 in various student loans. As a passenger you might want to know how much flight time your copilot has on your aircraft type. One way to answer that question is to visit CTC, one of the world's largest, most respected and successful pilot training organizations contracting with 40 airlines worldwide. Training here ranges from advanced instruction for experienced captains with thousands of hours behind them to Ab initio programs perfect for that dashing ski instructor eager to come out of the cold. In case you haven't studied Latin, Ab initio means "from the beginning." It has a long and somewhat controversial history with European airlines and has spread to carriers in other parts of the world. The growing popularity of this approach is understandable. Candidates don't need years of military training, a long history as a private, business, charter, or freight pilot to qualify for expensive training. What you do need is the ability to pass a comprehensive and often very competitive entrance exam as well as lots of money and/or loans often guaranteed by your family. This concept has now morphed into the controversial multi-crew pilot license. MPL essentially licenses a pilot to fly one commercial jet for one airline. Working with experienced companies like CTC, major carriers see MPL as a cost effective way to train and retain new pilots with or without previous experience. The first jet many of these candidates fly is owned by the airline that hires them after finishing their internationally accredited CTC and carrier training. Applicants who have never flown anything other than a simulator on their ipad now have a chance to land an airline job if they can qualify and afford it. The vast difference between the requirements to become a copilot and captain underscore the industry's faith in flight automation and its ability to rapidly turn beginners into good copilots. CTC Aviation, a major MPL training organization, works closely with carriers like easyJet. Unfortunately as some applicants have discovered, getting into this UK based budget carrier's ab initio program is harder than you might expect. This week I spoke to one potential applicant, a European university student who has already, spent €10,000 on more than 200 hours of single engine flight training. "It turns out that after earning my private pilot license being admitted to an aviation university all my training disqualified me from the Easy Jet MPL program. "Unfortunately I didn't meet a key requirement. Applicants are not allowed to have more than 85 hours of powered flight experience." CTC is quick to point out that requirements like this one are "carrier dependent." "It's just crazy that experience counts against you at easyJet," says the European student with 200 flight hours. "There is no logic to this." I asked easyJet why 86 or more hours disqualified candidates from their MPL program. What's wrong with hundreds of hours of previous flight experience? Easyjet wrote back suggesting that I take the matter up with CTC. Certainly easyJet is not the only big airline that welcomes beginners for copilot experience. Last fall Virgin Atlantic began recruiting candidates with "little or no previous flying experience." Over 8,000 candidates applied for just 12 spaces at this CTC Wings Airbus 330 program. "The successful trainees come from an eclectic mix of backgrounds including a lab admin assistant, a ski instructor, a policeman and a credit controller," says CTC which is renewing the program with Virgin Atlantic for 2016. This 18 to 24 month course at CTC's Southampton headquarters also includes customary MPL flight training on small aircraft at airports in Arizona or New Zealand. After receiving their MPL they complete their first officer training on Virgin Atlantic long distance aircraft. A key issue in the MPL debate (the program is not in effect in the United States) is the fact that 80 week MPL programs like easyJet's focus on ground school, simulator training and flying little single engine piston planes. Although they are type certified on big jets, the actual flight experience of these trainees is often hundreds or even thousands of hours less than that of a military pilot or a candidate who has spent years at a charter operator or freight airline. How much jet flying does an easyJet MPL graduate get before flying passenger flights. According to a CTC spokesperson the typical MPL student will not "touch a jet until they pass their type rating training. Once they finish with us they are at the mercy of an airline." At easyJet this type rating training begins on "an empty Airbus A320," says a CTC expert. "They do approximately six takeoffs and landings, with a captain trainer, a safety pilot and the rest of their classmates. Then you do your line flying with passengers. You are checked off after twenty weeks. From the minute they walk in the door to the time they are flying passenger on an easyJet MPL they've trained for 18 to 24 months." CTC points out that "an MPL does not permit you to work as a professional pilot on smaller aircraft that only require a single pilot without undertaking further single-pilot training." That means that after landing an easyJet A320 at a big airport like Gatwick, graduates of this program are not licensed to fly any other aircraft, even small single engine piston aircraft. In other words if an easyJet MPL grad wants to fly to Bristol in a Cessna to have a hamburger she'll have to hire another pilot to fly her there. "I find it's unfair," says the European candidate who can't apply to Easyjet because she has too much flying experience. "I have done more hours than the normal candidate my age. At 200 hours I have reached a certain level of experience and knowledge that I may not have had when I was at 85 hours. Why should I be disqualified for being more skillful. "I know that some of my friends have been asking the same question. The airline doesn't want to have pilots that have already been formatted in any way that could be contradictory to the way they run things. "A pilot with more hours on his personal time for pleasure is way more skillful than someone with only a few hours. I feel it is discriminatory. If someone has a private pilot license and flies for fun it's clear that he is passionate about flying. British Airways has told me all my flying experience will be a big plus on their MPL application. They see that they have someone who is more skillful than other applicants who have fewer hours behind them." Roger Rapoport is the producer of the feature film Pilot Error https://vimeo.com/110034584 He can be reached at rogerdrapoport@me.com Copyright Roger Rapoport 2016. All Rights Reserved Back to Top Professional Pilot EFB Usage Survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TYWYKKJ Attention colleagues, my name is Tyler Babb and I am an assistant professor with the Middle Tennessee State University Aerospace Department. I am conducting research on the use of EFBs in the United States professional pilot industry. Active commercial pilots in the United States (except for flight instructors) are encouraged to participate, even if they do not currently use EFBs. Apologies to current MTSU students, this data is intended to be gathered by alumni. The survey is fairly short and should not take more than 15 minutes to complete. Your name will not be collected, but your company name (operator) will be collected. The company name will in no way be linked to any other data on the survey. Collection of the names of the operators is necessary to ensure a sufficient data sample from the industry. Electronic Flight Bags have become a common tool for pilots. These devices provide charts, weather data, performance data, and other pertinent flight-related information. As collegeiate aviation educators, our faculty and students could benefit from surveying the current usage of EFBs in the industry. This survey aims to collect data on the following: * the prevalence of EFBs in the professional pilot industry * trends in EFB usage * common devices and software * potential drawbacks and/or limitations With this data, aviation students around the country could see the current status of EFB usage. This research could better prepare them to enter the industry. Thank you for your participation in this survey. This information will empower students and educators alike to better prepare our future pilots for a flying career. Back to Top CALL FOR PAPERS Military Aviation Safety Workshop "Sharing Safety Lessons to Preserve Military Readiness" April 19 - 21, 2016 Albuquerque, New Mexico USA Hosted by the Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) Representatives of military forces, associated contractors, educators, and researchers of all nationalities are invited to participate in a three-day ISASI Military Aviation Safety Workshop. The workshop will include presentations of selected technical papers on military aviation safety topics along with tutorials targeting unique military aspects of aviation safety such as ejection system investigations and Unmanned Aerial System investigations. Presentations are solicited related to safety management, human factors, proactive detection of hazards, accident prevention, and safety culture, in addition to more traditional accident investigation case studies. The 2016 MASW is open to all interested participants and will be particularly valuable for military air safety investigators, manufacturers of military aircraft and equipment, support contractors engaged in military operations, safety program managers and safety educators. If you are interested in presenting a paper at the 2016 Military Air Safety Workshop, please submit a summary abstract (150 - 300 words) to MilitaryAirSafety@gmail.com before February 8, 2016. Back to Top Graduate Research Surveys Barbara Schaffner is - since 11 years - a ground-facilities inspector at the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, Switzerland. As an expert in Ground Handling she is taking part in the ISAGO GOC. She co-chaired the ECAST Ground Safety Work Group and participated in the development and promotion of the RRM Syllabus (Ramp Resource Management). She is currently writing her Msc Thesis in Aviation Safety Management at City University, London. For her thesis "An Effective and Efficient Oversight of the Non-Commercial Complex Domain" - she would greatly appreciate your support by taking part in this Survey. Please note that "Survey 1 - NCC_NAA" (see below) is for National Aviation Authorities experts and "Survey 2 - NCC_Operation" (see below) is for all operational-specialists in the NCC domain (aircraft owners, flight crews, management-companies of NCC Aircraft). Thank you for your support! Survey 1 - NCC_NAA https://de.surveymonkey.com/r/Survey_NCC_NAA Survey 2 - NCC_Operation https://de.surveymonkey.com/r/Survey_NCC_Operation Back to Top Graduate Research Survey I am currently pursuing a career in Aviation Safety. I will be completing a MSc. in Aviation Safety with this final research project. The scope of the research is: 'Evaluating the perception of stress among air traffic controllers in the United Arab Emirates as a safety risk to operational performance'. I am interested in the views of ATC operators from around the world to help establish a baseline for the research and gain further insight into the ramifications of stress in this sector on a global scale. The link to the survey is as follows: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/InternationalATCStress I look forward to the feedback. Kind Regards, Gary Peck MSc Aviation Safety Emirates Aviation University Curt Lewis