Flight Safety Information April 8, 2016 - No. 069 In This Issue Bodies of remaining SDF jet crew members found on Kagoshima mountain (Japan) Investigation into Flydubai Russian crash points to pilot error Flydubai crash: Yoke push 'simultaneous' with stabiliser shift Air New Zealand remains grounded over Vanuatu runway concerns Air India orders probe against pilot who delayed flight El Al flights delayed - pilots skipped work? Pilots: Don't Underestimate Safety Threat Posed by Drones Family of Eastern Carolina pilot reacts after his name cleared in 2000 Osprey crash Turbulence for corp jets makes investors queasy Boeing lands four orders for 747-8 Freighter, first of the year Alcoa Signs Contract With Airbus, Will Begin Supplying 3D Printed Airplane Components by Mid-2016 USAIG Website Offers Complimentary Safety Poster Screensaver/Desktop Wallpaper NASA Test Could Pave The Way For Future Space Habitats PhD Research Request Graduate Research Request Survey Invitation Bodies of remaining SDF jet crew members found on Kagoshima mountain (Japan) Defense Ministry officials said Friday the remaining two crew members of an Air Self- Defense Force jet that disappeared from radar earlier this week have been found showing no signs of life on a mountain in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kagoshima. The four other members of the U-125 flight inspection aircraft were also found lifeless the previous day on the same mountain, Mt. Takakuma, which straddles the cities of Kanoya and Tarumizu in the prefecture. "It is extremely regrettable and sad that competent crew members with a bright future ahead suffered such an accident," Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said, adding the ministry will look into the cause. The SDF, police and firefighters had been searching for the missing aircraft and its six crew since it went missing around 2:35 p.m. Wednesday. The search team was also preparing to transport the recovered bodies to the Maritime Self-Defense Force's air base in Kanoya, where the jet took off before disappearing from the radar. The wreckage of the jet was found scattered over some 200 to 300 meters in an area some 600 meters east of the peak of Mt. Takakuma, according to the ministry. At the crash site, about 20 investigators dispatched from the ASDF's aircraft accident investigation committee are trying to recover the jet's flight recorder and voice recorder for clues as to the cause of the fatal crash. The U-125, belonging to the Flight Check Squadron at the ASDF's Iruma Air Base in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, was captained by a major in his 40s. Other members were a co-pilot, two onboard engineers and two radio operations personnel. The aircraft left Iruma base shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday and arrived at MSDF's Kanoya Air Base past noon. The latest accident follows the crash of an MSDF helicopter in February last year on a mountain in neighboring Miyazaki Prefecture after leaving the Kanoya base. Three crew members were killed in the incident. http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/bodies-of-remaining-sdf-jet-crew- members-found-on-kagoshima-mountain Back to Top Investigation into Flydubai Russian crash points to pilot error Emergencies Ministry members work at the crash site of a Boeing 737-800 Flight FZ981 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, at the airport of Rostov-On-Don, Russia, March 20, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov A Flydubai passenger plane crashed in Russia last month after being flown in a contradictory manner minutes before it smashed into the ground, a statement from investigators said on Friday, suggesting pilot error was to blame. The Boeing 737-800, operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, came down in the early hours of March 19 at Rostov-on-Don airport in southern Russia on its second attempt to land after flying from Dubai. All 62 people on board were killed. Poor weather conditions, including strong winds and rain, made landing difficult. In a statement on Friday, the Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC), which is investigating the crash, said the plane had been flown in a contradictory manner in the minutes before it crashed. It said the crew had decided to abort landing and circle round again. They had begun to gain altitude when the controls of the plane were abruptly pushed away, pushing its nose lower. That, combined with the angle of the tail fin, sent the plane into a steep dive which the pilots were unable to pull out of, the IAC said. It stopped short of saying the pilots were definitely to blame, noting they had the necessary experience and training, but said their condition and actions were being evaluated. Flydubai Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith said in a statement his company was aware of the IAC's initial findings and supported the investigators' work. He said he wanted to get conclusive findings as quickly as possible. The IAC said it now needed to complete work on deciphering the pilots' final conversations in the hours leading up to the crash before it could wrap up its investigation. Unnamed sources have told Russian newspapers that an initial read-out of the plane's flight recorders had suggested the two pilots argued about the right course of action to take in the minutes before the crash. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-crash-idUSKCN0X50W7 Back to Top Flydubai crash: Yoke push 'simultaneous' with stabiliser shift Russian investigators have disclosed that a nose-down shift in the horizontal stabiliser on the ill-fated Flydubai Boeing 737-800 occurred as a push input was recorded on the crew control yoke. The Interstate Aviation Committee confirms a previous disclosure, by the federal air transport regulator, that the stabiliser shift occurred at a height of 900m, as the aircraft climbed away from Rostov-on-Don during a night-time go-around. It states that "simultaneously" with the yoke being pushed in the direction away from the crew, the stabiliser deflected to a 5° nose-down position. The aircraft rapidly pitched down and dived with a pitch exceeding 50°. "Subsequent actions of the crew could not prevent the aircraft's collision with the ground," says the inquiry. It says the aircraft impacted at a speed of more than 320kt. The jet disintegrated with the loss of all 62 occupants. Investigators have not reached conclusions over the reasons for the findings into the 19 March crash involving flight FZ981. The jet had been climbing away with its engines at take-off setting after aborting its second approach to runway 22, at a height of 220m. Investigators have confirmed that this occurred some 4km (2.2nm) from the runway threshold. Two hours earlier the aircraft had aborted its initial approach, at 340m, after receiving a windshear warning from the on-board systems. Both approaches had been conducted manually, with the autopilot disengaged, the inquiry states. The Interstate Aviation Committee has received a number of specific components from the debris on which it will carry out further research, particularly into the longitudinal control system. Meteorological analysis indicates that the weather in the vicinity of Rostov at the time of the crash matched forecasts and that weather equipment at the airport was in working order. Investigators have confirmed that the cloud base lay at 630m, indicating that the aircraft had entered cloud before the transition to a dive, but the inquiry has not specifically stated whether the crew would have had any visual references. Transcription of the cockpit-voice recording is complete, says the Interstate Aviation Committee, but work on refining and translating the content, and identifying the speakers, is continuing. flightglobal.com Back to Top Air New Zealand remains grounded over Vanuatu runway concerns The suspension of air services to Vanuatu is another blow to the island nation a year on from Cyclone Pam. Air New Zealand says it will not resume services to Vanuatu until it can be sure the international runway at Port Vila is completely safe. In January, Air NZ, Virgin Australia and Qantas suspended flights into and out of the capital city due to ongoing safety concerns about the runway condition at Bauerfield International Airport. On Friday, Air NZ said it had written to the director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu to make clear it would only consider resuming its service between Auckland and Port Vila once a permanent solution for the runway has been fully funded, designed to a satisfactory standard and contracted to a competent contractor. Though temporary repairs are underway, Air NZ general manager of flight operations Stephen Hunt said the one-year lifespan of the work was insufficient. Last year the World Bank offered the Vanuatu government a concessional loan of US$59.5 million to fully upgrade the runway. Air NZ said if this proposed work goes ahead without further delay, it would strengthen the prospect of its services resuming this year. "The decision to suspend services was not taken lightly, however, providing a safe and secure operation is paramount and non-negotiable," Hunt said. Vanuatu has been struggling with reduced tourism numbers since Cyclone Pam devastated the island nation in March 2015. The suspension of services by major airlines is expected to further cripple the industry as the country heads into its peak tourist season in April. http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/78710176/air-new-zealand-remains- grounded-over-vanuatu-runway-concerns Back to Top Air India orders probe against pilot who delayed flight National carrier Air India has started cracking the whip on errant pilots who refuse to fly aircraft on their whims, thereby causing inconvenience to passengers, with the airline saying it had "suffered enough because of such stray and repeated cases of indiscipline", and asserting that strict action would be taken. The airline also said it had ordered a probe in one such incident. In a statement, Air India said, "On the issue of the recent incident on AI 263 from Chennai to Male via Thiruvananthapuram where the pilot refused to fly without a particular co-pilot, the airline has taken a strong view on the matter and has ordered an immediate inquiry into it. Reacting to the incident, CMD Ashwani Lohani said, 'The airline has suffered enough because of such stray and repeated cases of indiscipline. The company will neither condone nor tolerate such acts. I have directed all such cases be brought to my notice immediately and strict action to be taken'." As many as 110 passengers onboard the airline's flight from Chennai for Male via Thiruvananthapuram were made to wait for over two hours at the Chennai airport on Wednesday morning after the commander allegedly insisted for the particular woman pilot to operate the aircraft with him. In addition, Air India may also take strong action against pilots in case they refuse to fly with certain other pilots. The airline is apparently trying to ensure that cockpit crew- scheduling for flights is undertaken smoothly without having to bow to the whims and fancies of any pilot. http://www.asianage.com/india/air-india-orders-probe-against-pilot-who-delayed-flight- 681 Back to Top El Al flights delayed - pilots skipped work? Flights to Barcelona and Newark delayed, passengers say they were told pilots didn't show up to work; El Al denies, but doesn't explain. Two El Al international flights were delayed on Thursday night and Friday morning, and inconvenienced passengers report they were told the pilots simply didn't show up to work - a report that the airline quickly denied. An El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Barcelona that was scheduled for take off at 9 a.m. on Friday was delayed and has yet to be assigned a new takeoff time, reports Yedioth Aharonoth. The delay was not a lone event, as overnight another flight to Newark, New Jersey was delayed to the morning hours but has yet to take off for its destination either. Passengers have claimed that they were told at the El Al counters in the airport that the pilots did not show up to work. However, El Al denied that the delays were caused by irresponsible pilots, even while not providing an alternate explanation. "We are sorry for the delays. We are working to find a solution and send out the flights quickly," said the company in a terse statement. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/210554#.VweFDfkrKUk Back to Top Pilots: Don't Underestimate Safety Threat Posed by Drones You're landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport on the "expressway" approach-it's called that because you come in low enough to buzz the Grand Central Parkway and Mets' Citi Field before dropping down quickly on a runway that perches over the middle of a bay. As it is, it's one of the more jarring landings in the U.S. What, then, would happen if a drone suddenly appeared in the flight path? The threat in recent years of pilots blinded by high-powered lasers may soon be superseded by this potentially more fearsome prospect: drones finding their way into restricted airspace around airports. Each month, pilots and air traffic controllers report more than 100 drone "sightings" to the Federal Aviation Administration, which has begun compiling and releasing periodic reports on these encounters. The FAA says such reports have surged since 2014, with more than 1,200 incidents nationwide last year.Over the latest reporting period, from August 2015 through January, the New York metro area led the nation in drone sightings by airline pilots with 43. The Los Angeles area was next, with 25, according to an analysis of FAA data released March 25. The Dallas area was third, with 18. Pilots consider drones a safety risk that must not be underestimated. "We're not kidding when we say it has to be mitigated as a threat," said Tim Canoll, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, or ALPA, and a drone hobbyist himself. "Your imagination can run wild with the problems of hitting hard metal objects at 200 mph." Recent Incident One of the most recent incidents occurred March 18, when a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt approaching Los Angeles International Airport reported a drone flew about 200 feet above the Airbus A380. Police and sheriff's department helicopters were dispatched to search for the drone, the Los Angeles Times reported. Because of incidents like this, regulators have been working feverishly to formulate rules for how to incorporate commercial drone operations into U.S. airspace and trying to educate hobbyists about staying out of the way of airliners. "We don't want to fuel fears over drones and we don't want the flying public to be overly concerned with this issue, but we do want to say this should be a consideration going forward," says Dan Gettinger, co-director of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College. "A lot of things have to go wrong for a collision to happen." In a statement accompanying its data, the FAA said it wanted "to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal." Current Restrictions Current FAA rules restrict drone operators from flying within five miles of an airport and above 400 feet. About 92 percent of the most recent pilot sightings occurred above 400 feet; 60 percent were closer than the five-mile limit. So, apparently, a lot of people aren't listening. In all but 11 instances, these encounters required no evasive action by pilots, nor was it clear how close the aircraft and drone actually were. In two dozen cases, the drone came within 50 feet of a manned aircraft, according to a close analysis of the FAA's raw data by the drone center. "The probability of [a collision] is still pretty, pretty low-not that it couldn't happen," says Rich Hanson, director of governmental relations with the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a nonprofit group that promotes recreational model aircraft flying. The pilots union believes that enthusiast drones should be policed by geo-fencing technology, which could prevent the devices from flying near airports. Get too close and they crash to the ground. Embedded software could also restrict altitude, ALPA's Canoll said. "If we ignore this, I can promise you it will be a problem," he warned. "It will be a contributing problem to an accident." Lack of Information One of the critical problems in assessing the overall risk is a lack of information about what actually would happen should a small unmanned aerial vehicle strike a Boeing 737 or Airbus A321 airplane or be sucked into an engine. The FAA has been conducting computer simulations of drones hitting commercial aircraft and expects to release a report on its findings in September. "The FAA takes the possibility of airborne collisions seriously," spokesman Les Dorr said in an email. Researchers at Virginia Tech's CRASH (Crashworthiness for Aerospace Structures and Hybrids) Lab have performed such simulations. In one scenario, engineers introduced an 8-pound quad-copter rotor into a large, 9-foot diameter engine fan typically found on long-range jet models such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380. The damage was quick-with a speed of 715 mph in less than 1/200th of a second-and catastrophic, with the drone's destruction decimating fan blades and creating an engine failure. The study aims to determine whether any drone ingestions create a scenario where the damage isn't contained within the engine's housing. That's a crucial distinction, because uncontained turbine blades pose risks to other parts of the aircraft as they're ejected. What Happens If A Drone Gets Sucked Into A Jet Engine? Results Might Surprise You! Commercial jet engines are certified for hazards such as bird strikes, blade failures, heavy rain, hail and multiple types of ice, up to certain limits. To test for bird strikes, engineers have built "chicken cannons" to fire dead birds into engines. Many aircraft have suffered a single engine failure due to bird strikes or other failures. All current models must be able to fly with just one engine. It's unclear whether future engines will need to be certified for small drone strikes as well. It's probably expensive, and airlines, pilots and the FAA would all like to see public education and airport enforcement as sufficient deterrents to drones wandering where they shouldn't. Last month, two researchers at George Mason University's Mercatus Center examined 25 years of FAA bird-strike data and concluded that an increase in unmanned drone flights poses little risk to U.S. airspace. That report drew a quick rebuke from ALPA, while other researchers echoed the union's view that soft-tissue ingestion was not comparable to the materials used for drones. There is also, of course, the issue of commercial drone use, the kind that businesses use for real estate and wedding photography, advertising, film-making, utility inspections, and numerous other applications. To date, the FAA has granted more than 4,000 exemptions for commercial firms to fly drones in their work. Many law enforcement agencies also fly drones. Any of them can stray through error or malfunction. "When we think of this issue we shouldn't just pigeonhole the problem cases as hobbyists' drones gone awry," Gettinger says. That's hardly comforting to nervous fliers who now must add drones to their menu of fears. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2016/04/07/404478.htm Back to Top Family of Eastern Carolina pilot reacts after his name cleared in 2000 Osprey crash Nearly 16 years to the day after an MV-22 Osprey crash killed all 19 marines on board, the family of one the pilots in Eastern Carolina finally has the answers they have been begging for. That crash, which happened in Tuscon, AZ on April 8, 2000, was originally attributed solely to pilot error. Major Brooks Gruber was one of the pilots on the Osprey the night of that crash. His family has been fighting to have the investigation into the cause of the crash looked at one more time, because they say they just could not believe the death of all of those Marines could sit on the pilots' shoulders. And they were right. "I really felt like he died twice," Gruber's wife, Connie Gruber says. "First in the Arizona desert and then a few months later he died again in the press." It's a battle that the Gruber family has been fighting ever since the crash. "I knew that I needed to defend his professional reputation, that his life story couldn't end that way," Connie tells WITN. Maj. Gruber piloted the Osprey with Lt. Col. John Brow near Tucson, AZ when it crashed during a landing approach killing the two pilots and all 17 Marines on board. When the investigation concluded, it cited that the pilots were the 'fatal factor' in the crash. Connie says she couldn't believe it. "After I read the report and the press release came out, it was not only that he was responsible for his own death, but he and John Brow were responsible for the deaths of 17 other Marines and I knew that was not correct." So with the help of Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC), Connie started gaining ground in having the investigation looked over again. "The living deserve our respect, but the dead deserve the truth," says the congressman. "The two dead men deserve the truth, they were not at fault." A letter from the Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work that Jones and Gruber received, shows new information that he believed was the cause of the crash. Connie says, "It was very difficult to read through all the parts about the training they had not received, how they could not have correctly responded to that situation they were in." Secretary Work said in his letter that there were many factors involved that led up to and contributed to the crash, and how it, or one like it, was almost inevitable. Now, on the 16th anniversary of her father's death, Brooks Gruber says her father can finally rest in peace. "The day will be even more special than it already was and that up in Heaven, he'll really be smiling that day because he'll know that everything that happened that night will be recognized with respect and a lot of honor." Connie says she feels at peace now that the truth about what really happened has been released and she says she is proud of his legacy as an Osprey pioneer. She believes his death has helped keep countless others flying safely in that aircraft. Rep. Work has concluded that the crash was due to several factors including human error, not just with the pilot,s but the command staff. He also says in his report that a lack of training and safety parameters not being fully in place were also part of the reason the crash happened. http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Pilots-names-cleared-in--374982111.html Back to Top Turbulence for corp jets makes investors queasy Turbulence in the business-jet market is rattling some investors, and even status jets like the Gulfstream G650 are showing signs of the stress as more go up for sale. While the large-cabin business segment appears to be the weakest, the small and midsize business jets appear to be holding up better. Analysts say demand in Europe remains flat and emerging markets such as Brazil and China are still in a major slowdown, although deliveries in the U.S. are starting to grow again. "There's clearly more weakness at the upper end, which would be for the most part Gulfstream and Bombardier," said Cai von Rumohr, an analyst at Cowen & Co. As a result, he said, if things worsen there's a possibility Gulfstream parent General Dynamics "might be looking at flattish profits next year." Gulfstream G550 and G650 jets Analysts say lower oil prices also are to blame for the business-jet malaise because some countries that would benefit from higher oil prices or energy-related corporations are cutting back on business-jet purchases. On the other hand, lower oil prices are helping the commercial aircraft space. Overall, the number of used business jets on the secondary market as a percent of the active fleet in February reached levels not seen in roughly two years, Goldman Sachs reported last week. It also highlighted how "new business aircraft to market on a trailing 12-month basis are the highest they have been since 2009 - setting up supply/demand challenges." Shares of two major U.S.-based business jet manufacturers - Gulfstream's General Dynamics and Cessna's Textron - are lagging the broad market this year. In the same period, Embraer SA also is underperforming, while Canada's Bombardier and France's Dassault Aviation are holding up better. For Textron, the company earlier this year forecast 2016 earnings would fall short of Street estimates due in part to weakness in its aviation and Bell commercial helicopter segments. Textron's Cessna Aircraft business makes Citation jets, such as Latitude, a roughly $16 million mid-size business jet, and it has the newer Longitude business jet that has a longer range and is priced at around $25 million Brazil's Embraer is facing tougher price competition in the regional jet business. Embraer is looking for margins to be down this year and they are competing with Bombardier, which itself is struggling. Bombardier's U.S.-listed stock price has lost nearly 50 percent in the last 12 months and has looked to Canada's government for financial help for the company's delayed C Series jets. Meantime, Gulfstream is seeing more of its G650 going to the secondary market, meaning customers can essentially get the aircraft quicker and potentially pay a lower price, too. Gulfstream's strategy has been to slightly increase the production of the G650 while at the same time delivering fewer G450s and G550s, which are older planes with generally softer prices. "Used G650 pricing has dropped back to in line with new after being well above," UBS analyst David Strauss said in a research note to clients on Monday. "We believe the used business jet market serves as a leading indicator of the new business jet market." Gulfstream delivered its first G650 in 2012, and the product quickly earned a reputation as a new status symbol for corporate chieftains. Through mid-March, Gulfstream had reportedly handed over 158 of the aircraft. The long-range jet lists for between $65 million to $70 million. More than half of the orders for G650s last year were from North America. Ascent Flightglobal Consultancy's senior analyst Daniel Hall estimates around 15 to 20 of the G650s are currently for sale in the secondary market - possibly more. Just six months ago, about 10 aircraft were available and about five a year ago, he said. Deutsche Bank analyst Myles Walton highlighted the inventory and price risk for Gulfstream/General Dynamics in a March 24 research note entitled "13 percent of G650s available for sale (and rising)." He then downgraded the aerospace and defense company's stock rating from a buy to a hold, leading to a nearly 4 percent decline in the stock that day. The stock has retraced some of the losses but still is in the red for the year-to-date period through Monday. In his downgrade comments, Walton said: "The continued downward asking price will start to impede on new G650 orders - if not cancellation activity." "We haven't seen much cancellation activity and perhaps won't given sizable customer deposits; however, the inventory climb implies OEM production may be 20-30% above actual demand over the medium-term," he added. General Dynamics declined requests for an interview but the Gulfstream division issued a statement: "With respect to the G650 and G650ER, we have a strong, diverse and firm order book for these airplanes, and we continue to see demand for the aircraft and a growing backlog that extends into 2018. The G650 pre-owned market is one of the strongest in the industry." Gulfstream also indicated that the G650 that sold below its original purchase price was a test airplane, insisting that the "majority of the pre-owned G650 aircraft are selling at a premium above the original purchase price." Despite headwinds from the Gulfstream business jet segment, Cowen analyst von Rumohr recommends General Dynamics stock and currently has it rated a buy. "While there are clearly risks, the discount that the stock is selling at - around 25 percent discount to other defense big caps - is more than it should be given the risk that you're looking. They've also been pretty aggressive in buying their shares back so far in the first quarter." Also, late Tuesday Guggenheim Securities initiated coverage of several defense primes with a buy rating, including General Dynamics. In a note, Guggenheim analyst Roman Schweizer said: "We view GD as having excellent positioning in segments with growth (shipbuilding and ground combat), but it may have a bumpy flight plan in the commercial business jet market and more competition in defense communications, electronics and services. This counter-cyclical balancing act has us cautious as the transition in Gulfstream production occurs and key Army and Navy programs gear up." http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/06/turbulence-for-corp-jets-makes-investors-queasy.html Back to Top Boeing lands four orders for 747-8 Freighter, first of the year NEW YORK, April 7 (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Thursday that it had booked four orders for its 747-8 freighter, the first sales of the year for the plane. Boeing did not identify the customer for the orders, which come after the plane maker booked two net orders in 2015 and none the year before. Boeing is due to cut annual 747 production to six from 12 this year, reflecting declining demand for the jumbo jet, which first flew in 1969. Boeing has 23 current orders for the plane, including 11 freighters and 12 passenger models. The U.S. Air Force also has made a provisional order for an unspecified number to renew its fleet of Air Force One planes. Randy Tinseth, Boeing's marketing vice president, recently said the company expects global trade to pick up this year, which could increase air cargo demand by 3 percent to 4 percent. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-lands-four-orders-747-211450370.html Back to Top Alcoa Signs Contract With Airbus, Will Begin Supplying 3D Printed Airplane Components by Mid-2016 Alcoa Lightweight metals manufacturer Alcoa is relatively new to 3D printing, but once they decided to pursue the technology, they pursued it aggressively. The multinational corporation announced their intention to adopt 3D printing at the end of 2014, and less than a year later they had invested nearly $100 million in expansions to accelerate their development of the technology. It seems to have paid off, because today Alcoa announced that they've signed an agreement to manufacture 3D printed parts for one of aerospace's most enthusiastic adopters of 3D printing: Airbus. Airbus has seemingly made it a goal to 3D print everything that can be 3D printed. Their Airbus A350 XWB aircraft was designed with over 1,000 3D printed parts, and they've partnered with major 3D printing leaders such as Stratasys and Materialise to keep those components coming. Today Alcoa joins the ranks as a supplier of additively manufactured parts for the airliner, and though not many details of the agreement have been released, Alcoa will be providing 3D printed titanium fuselage and engine pylon components to Airbus. Airbus_logo_3D_Blue"We are proud to partner with Airbus to help pave the way to the future of aerospace development and manufacturing," said Alcoa Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Klaus Kleinfeld. "The unique combination of our multi-material alloy development expertise, powder production capabilities, aerospace manufacturing strength and product qualification know-how position us to lead in this exciting, emerging space." This partnership is just the latest development in what has been an incredibly active period of change for Alcoa. In addition to their multimillion-dollar, 3D printing-related expansions at their Pittsburgh and Whitehall, Michigan facilities, the company also recently acquired RTI International Metals, now known as Alcoa Titanium & Engineered Products (ATEP). With a facility in Austin, Texas, ATEP has further increased Alcoa's additive manufacturing capabilities, particularly in titanium and specialty metals - likely a major draw for Airbus. Furthermore, in September of last year Alcoa announced that they would be separating into two companies, with a new value-add company to be named Arconic expected to launch in the second half of 2016. Aerospace will be a major focus for Arconic, which Alcoa describes as a "premier innovator of high performance multi-material products and solutions in attractive growth markets" - undoubtedly with significant help from the corporation's increasing additive manufacturing capabilities. The contract between Alcoa and Airbus isn't the first for the two companies; the two have been working together for years. As Alcoa ramps up their 3D printing production, it's safe to say that they'll likely be working together for many more. Discuss this new partnership in the Alcoa & Airbus 3D Printing forum over at 3DPB.com. https://3dprint.com/128573/alcoa-airbus-partnership/ Back to Top Back to Top NASA Test Could Pave The Way For Future Space Habitats The BEAM module will be the first expandable structure deployed on the International Space Station. NASA is preparing to launch an expandable capsule into space that could one day serve as a model for future extraterrestrial habitats. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, will travel to the International Space Station early next month aboard a SpaceX Dragon rocket during a resupply mission. It'll be the first expandable habitat deployed on the ISS and will remain attached to the structure for two years. Astronauts will only make four trips into BEAM, the longest being about three hours, Gizmodo reports. Its prime purpose will be to gather thermal, structural and durability readings to show if expandable capsules are well-suited for human habitation. BEAM's svelte profile could prove optimal during future long-term, distant interplanetary missions where space will be at a premium. Once the structure is installed on the ISS, it'll slowly be filled with air and double in size to around 13-feet-long and 10.5 feet in diameter. This image, taken from a rendering of BEAM attached to the ISS, shows a cross-section of the structure once inflated. NASA could expand the two-year test up to five years, but once the mission is complete, BEAM will be detached to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. The space agency notes that before any potential mission to Mars, "several rockets filled with cargo and supplies" would precede any human departure. Once in place, the inflatable structures provide protection from cosmic radiation and space debris. "Expandable modules, which are lower-mass and lower-volume systems than metal habitats, can increase the efficiency of cargo shipments, possibly reducing the number of launches needed and overall mission costs," the agency says in a description of the BEAM project. The mission is the latest in a series of recent NASA moves to prepare for a proposed manned journey to Mars. Last year, the agency opened up applications for the "next class" of astronaut candidates who could very well be part of an excursion to the red planet. More than 18,000 people applied. The upcoming resupply launch is currently scheduled for 4:43 p.m. Eastern Time on April 8. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/beam-module-international-space-station- iss_us_56fb4f02e4b083f5c60607c4 Back to Top PhD Research Request Fellow Helicopter Crewmember, This is a request for you to participate in a research study for my doctoral degree. The purpose is to study the relationship between safety management systems, incidents and accidents, and company performance for small helicopter companies with less than 5 aircraft and in the last 10 years. The survey asks several questions to determine if you can continue. There are series of questions on safety management systems, incidents and accidents, and company performance. To participate, you must be between age 21 to 60, had aircrew experience in a small civil helicopter organization with less than 5 aircraft and in the United States in last 10 years. You may currently be a helicopter student pilot. Please follow the link below and fill out pre-survey questions to confirm your eligibility. The survey does not include any identifiable data about the crewmember or places of employment. It will take about 12 minutes to complete. The survey will remain active through the end of April 2016. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5VPCZZ5 Thank you very much for your participation! Principal Investigator Scott Burgess Doctoral student at Northcentral University S.Burgess4793@email.ncu.edu Back to Top Graduate Research Request Research Survey Invitation Are you or have you been a pilot, UAS-pilot or air traffic controller? Do you have an interest in how UAS are integrated into the National Airspace? If so, please consider taking my survey which forms part of a masters research project to see if there are differences in the attitudes of pilots, UAS-pilots, and air traffic controllers when it comes to the integration of UAS into national airspace. The survey will take around 20 minutes to complete and can be saved at any stage. Responses are anonymous. SURVEY LINK: https://coventry.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/unmanned-air-systems-integration Back to Top Survey Invitation Hello: You are invited to participate in a research study that is designed to examine the relationship between pilot attitudes and the execution of flight safety checklists. Your participation is of great value because of your unique perspective as a pilot that will help in understanding why pilots choose to execute flight safety checklists or not. The survey will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. A status bar is provided at the top that tracks your progress as you complete the survey. Please note this survey is part of a doctoral dissertation study being conducted at Northcentral University. Before clicking on the link below, it is important for you to know the following: 1. Your responses will be confidential and will be accessible only to my professor and me. 2. Your responses will remain completely anonymous and no identifying information will be collected. 3. No reference will be made in oral or written reports that could connect you in any way to this study. 4. Your participation is completely voluntarily and you are not required to participate in the study. 5. If you begin completing the survey and opt not to continue, you may simply close your browser's window to close your session. This action will eliminate you as a participant. 6. By clicking on the link below you are indicating that you are a licensed pilot and are at least 18 years old and have agreed to voluntarily participate in this study. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Barry Hyde at B.Hyde0394@email.ncu.edu. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/bhyde_ncuresearchstudy Curt Lewis