Flight Safety Information June 22, 2016 - No. 122 In This Issue FAA Joins Push to Use Wireless Signals For Aircraft-Safety Systems Military aircraft accidents costing lives, billions of dollars Ineffective oversight, organizational woes cited in ORNGE air ambulance crash Billionaires Pushing the Envelope in Launcher Reuse Rescue Flight Lands at South Pole to Evacuate Sick Worker Hong Kong airlines Cathay Pacific and Dragonair impose total ban on carriage of shark fin AirMap, Lufthansa Systems partner to enhance drone safety Wichita State aviation center debuts new immersive visualization system Brazil Lower House Lifts Foreign Ownership Cap for Airlines Viking Aviation Acquires Bombardier Amphibious Aircraft Program ARGUS Charter Operator Flash Survey PhD Research Survey (I) PhD Research Survey (II) FAA Joins Push to Use Wireless Signals For Aircraft-Safety Systems FAA sets up advisory committee to cooperate with European experts to provide guidance to the industry An RTCA-organized panel, led by officials of Airbus and Honeywell International, will seek to ensure there are common standards for safety-related uses of wireless signals on both sides of the Atlantic. By ANDY PASZTOR U.S. aviation regulators have teamed up with their European counterparts to develop common standards aimed at harnessing wireless signals for a potentially wide array of aircraft-safety systems. Nearly a year after Airbus Group SE unsuccessfully urged Federal Aviation Administration officials to join in such efforts, Peggy Gilligan, the agency's senior safety official, has set up an advisory committee to cooperate with European experts specifically to "provide general guidance to industry" on the topic. The FAA's decision became public Tuesday, during a meeting of the top policy-making committee of RTCA Inc., an industry-government group that serves as the regulatory agency's primary think tank on technical issues. The goal, according to the FAA, is "to enable improvements in safety and a reduction in weight" by eliminating some of the wiring that now connects many systems on board jetliners. Both the FAA and Boeing Co. were initially cool to the notion. But the latest move to develop joint U.S.-European standards, according to RTCA documents, is intended to eliminate "significant variability in wireless technology, application and protection for aviation products." The initiative is slated to run over roughly three years. So far, most public attention has focused on enhanced wireless technology to improve connectivity for passengers surfing the Web during flights. But the Airbus effort move is part of a broader, less well-known initiative-which includes rival Boeing and several international avionics suppliers-to research use of on board wireless signals for safety-related applications such as a backup for engine controls; monitoring the condition of landing-gear systems; detecting dangerous icing on airplane surfaces; and alerting pilots about defective airspeed sensors. Some backers estimate the result could be to eliminate some 220 pounds of wiring on the average jetliner. European authorities already are developing standards for such wireless applications outside passenger cabins. Now, an RTCA-organized panel, led by officials of Airbus and Honeywell International Inc., will seek to ensure there are common standards for safety-related uses on both sides of the Atlantic. Previously, Airbus indicated that company engineers envision a wider range of applications, potentially even as backup systems for moving critical wing and tail surfaces that control flight. Proponents envision such wireless applications will be separate from signals used by passengers for entertainment or communications. But one of the main issues the RTCA panel will study is how safety-related wireless signals could impact signals already used for radio altimeters that tell pilots the altitude of aircraft. The proposed uses also raise significant issues about future aircraft vulnerabilities to cyberattacks. As a result, U.S. and European experts have been instructed to delve into those matters. http://www.wsj.com/articles/faa-joins-push-to-use-wireless-signals-for-aircraft-safety- systems-1466591478 Back to Top Military aircraft accidents costing lives, billions of dollars * Military officials have acknowledged the growing rate of accidents * The Navy has reported accidents that total over $1 billion in damages since October 2014 Washington (CNN)A rash of recent military crashes has cost the lives of several service members as well as billions of dollars worth of damages. The wave of accidents has raised questions about the training of pilots and the maintenance of aircraft, with top brass pointing to slashed budgets and aging fleets strained by prolonged conflict. Last week, an MH-60S helicopter crashed in the James River in Virginia during a training mission. Earlier this month, two F-16C fighter jets collided in the skies over Georgia. F-16 Thunderbird crashes; pilot taken to hospital F-16 Thunderbird crashes; pilot taken to hospital 00:51 In the first incident all of the helicopter crew were rescued and in the second the two South Carolina Air National Guard pilots managed to safely eject. But a few days earlier, a Blue Angels pilot was killed when his jet crashed. An Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration squadron jet crashed the same day, but that pilot managed to successfully eject. Revelation of March ISIS battle highlights risks for U.S. troops During congressional testimony in March, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. John Paxton, acknowledged the growing rate of accidents. "We are concerned about an increasing number of aircraft mishaps and accidents," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. He blamed funding shortfalls for the increase, saying, "If you don't have the money and you don't have the parts and you don't have the maintenance, then you fly less." He continued, "If you fly less and maintain slower, there's a higher likelihood of accidents. So, we're worried." The Navy has suffered the heaviest losses of the three military branches since October 2014. From that time through April 2016, the Navy has reported accidents that total over $1 billion in damages, according to statistics provided to CNN by the Naval Safety Center. They included a Marine AV-8B Harrier jet that crashed off the East Coast during takeoff in May, costing about $62.8 million, and a Navy F/A-18A crash in Nevada in January that cost $71 million. Both pilots survived. In joint congressional testimony in April, the senior naval leadership overseeing aviation, Vice Adm. Paul Grosklags, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Jon Davis and Rear Adm. Michael Manazir, reiterated Paxton's contention that planes and funds are running short. "We continue to have lower than acceptable numbers of aircraft available to train and fight," he said. Grosklags said that the 2013 budget cuts known as sequestration had caused the Navy to lose about 10% of its maintenance crews for some of its older planes, including the F/A-18, which first entered service in 1983 and whose planned 30-year life-span has been repeatedly extended due to increased combat operations and lack of replacement jets. The issue is compounded by the fact that the Navy's replacement plane, the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, has been repeatedly delayed and is not scheduled to reach initial operating capability until 2018. The U.S. military's $400B fighter jet The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been beset by spiraling costs, failed testing and schedule delays. The F-35 program had originally promised 1,013 fighters by fiscal year 2016 but has only delivered 179 as of April. The Navy's version will be the last to reach initial operating capability. The Marines, however, suffered the deadliest military aviation tragedy in years when two CH- 53 helicopters crashed while on training flight in Hawaii in January, killing 12 Marines. The Navy estimates that the crash cost nearly $110 million. Describing the CH-53s in March, Davis said, "They are getting old and wearing out. We can only keep them going for so long." When Rep. Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, asked about the increased rate of accidents in March, the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Robert Neller, attributed the increase in "our mishap rate" to a lack of training resources. "The simple fact is that we don't have enough airplanes to meet the training requirements for the entire force," he said. The Air Force, for its part, has also experienced a significant number of accidents. Since October 2014, the Air Force has had 27 "Class A mishaps," accidents that result in a fatality, loss of an aircraft, or property damage of $2 million or more involving fixed-wing aircraft, an Air Force public affairs officer told CNN. But Air Force Public Affairs Officer Capt. Annmarie Annicelli noted that the rate of accidents has decreased in 2016 compared to fiscal year 2015, saying that at this point last year, the Air Force had 13 Class A mishaps compared to eight this year. According to an analysis of the statistics provided before the June incidents, the Air Force has lost over $526 million in damaged or destroyed aircraft since October 2014, nearly half of that from downed F-16s, another plane that is due to be replaced in part by the long-delayed F- 35A. During that period, the Air Force lost a B-52 Stratofortress after a crash in Guam in May, a C- 130J transport plane after an October accident in Afghanistan and a RC-135 crashed in April 2015. The latter two crashes resulted in $174 million in damage to both the planes and surrounding environment. Gen. David L. Goldfein, the Air Force vice chief of staff, also told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March that the average age of the Air Force's aircraft is 27 years old. The F-16s involved in Tuesday's collision first entered service in 1993. The Army has also faced issues with its aircraft, primarily helicopters such as the UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache. The Army's Combat Readiness Center told CNN that the Army had 19 Class A aviation accidents resulting in 6 fatalities from October 2014 to October 2015, including a UH-60 crash near Fort Hood, Texas, which cost the lives of four soldiers. Appearing at the same Senate Armed Services hearing with Neller, the chief of staff of the Army, Gen. Mark Milley, said the increase in Class A accidents "has our attention," citing efforts to increase training hours for helicopter pilots. "Our aircraft accidents have increased and we are very concerned about it," he said. Top military leaders have said that while they want to increase training, they have had to prioritize combat operations at the expense of other activities in an era of restricted budgets. Goldfein told Congress, "25 years of continuous combat coupled with budget instability and lower-than-planned top lines have made the Air Force one of the smallest, oldest and least ready in our history." http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/military-aviation-crash/ Back to Top Ineffective oversight, organizational woes cited in ORNGE air ambulance crash Safety watchdog urges better Transport Canada oversight and improved training after probe of fatal chopper crash. Using a model of a Sikorsky S-76A helicopter lead investigator Daryl Collins explains how the ORNGE air ambulance crashed. OTTAWA-As the crew of Lifeflight 8 boarded their ORNGE air ambulance helicopter for a night flight to pick up a sick child, the trap had already been set. Management turmoil within ORNGE meant the pilots lacked the required training and experience, that operating procedures were "inadequate" for their night flight and supervision was lax. Coupled with "ineffective" oversight by Transport Canada, the stage was set for the helicopter's devastating crash on May 31, 2013. Accident investigators were able to quickly determine how the Sikorsky S-76A helicopter crashed mere seconds after take-off from Moosonee, Ont., killing Capt. Don Filliter, First Officer Jacques Dupuy and flight paramedics Dustin Dagenais and Chris Snowball. Soon after departure, the helicopter began an inadvertent descent during a turn that went unnoticed until it was too late, according to a long-awaited report by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada released Wednesday. Yet the reasons for the crash extended beyond the cockpit, investigators found. "What went wrong that night went well beyond the actions of this crew," said Kathy Fox, chair of the safety board. "They weren't operationally ready for the conditions they faced that night, that's true. But they never should have been put in that situation," she told a Toronto news conference. "The system let them down." The safety board's extensive report lays bare problems that existed at ORNGE at the time. It had just taken over management of its helicopter fleet from a private operator and was struggling with the complexities of the task. Iran ordered to turn over North York house to U.S. victims of terror Key positions, such as managers of flight safety and flight training and standards, were vacant and the agency had eliminated pilot managers at individual bases. The workload proved too much for the remaining staff to handle, resulting in poor oversight of the helicopter operations, the safety board concluded. It meant that ORNGE's training, procedures, supervision and staffing in supervisory roles failed to ensure the crew was ready to safely conduct a flight in "difficult" conditions. Indeed, safety board officials drove home the challenges of flying at night, especially in sparsely populated areas such as Moosonee, where the lack of ground lighting can create a disorienting darkness. As the helicopter turned on course, "the crew would face total darkness, devoid of any ambient or cultural light. No town, no moon, no stars," lead investigator Daryl Collins said. Yet, the board found that both pilots had "minimal" proficiency flying at night and by reference to instruments alone, the kind of demanding flying that was required on this flight. Dupuy's most recent night flight had been 85 days earlier. "As a result, the crew were not operationally ready to safely conduct a night (visual) departure that brought the flight into an area of total darkness," the report says. Safety board officials also raised questions about Transport Canada's oversight, saying that inspectors lacked the training and guidance, meaning their surveillance of ORNGE was "inconsistent and ineffective." The report details how inspectors who uncovered serious problems within ORNGE just months before the crash sparked discussions within the department whether they should shut down the agency's helicopter operations. But Transport Canada instead opted for a collaborative approach that ultimately allowed ORNGE's unsafe practices to continue. Fox suggested Wednesday that such an approach is not always appropriate. What's needed is a regulator that knows when "enough is enough and is prepared to take strong and immediate action," she said. The report confirms many of the concerns expressed by provincial politicians, ORNGE insiders and former pilots that were highlighted by the Toronto Star in the wake of the accident. The safety board report made 14 recommendations around the equipment carried onboard aircraft, the rules that govern how pilots operate and their qualifications to fly and Transport Canada's oversight of aviation in the country. If accepted, Fox said they would have a "profound" impact on the safety of aviation in Canada. None of the recommendations is aimed at ORNGE. That's because the agency had already taken steps to improve operations and address the problems that led up to the accident, Fox said. Dr. Andrew McCallum, ORNGE's president and chief executive officer, told the Star Wednesday that his agency is a changed organization from the one that existed at the time of the crash. "Aviation is a challenging enterprise and so we just have to continue to evolve and continue to look for ways to make things absolutely as safe as they can be," McCallum said in an interview. He noted that the older S-76 helicopters have been retired from the fleet, replaced by more modern AgustaWestland AW139s at bases across Ontario. The agency has also tightened procedures around night flights and plans to introduce night vision goggles to improve safety. But Unifor, the union that represents ORNGE paramedics, said that the agency has been slow to act on safety improvements. "We do not believe that safety was a priority for ORNGE at the time of the crash; we do not believe safety is a priority now," said Chuck Telky, Unifor unit chair, ORNGE paramedics. "The safety culture at ORNGE is the bare minimum, to get the job done first and foremost, and that still exists," Telky said in a statement. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/15/faulty-oversight-organizational-woes- faulted-in-ornge-air-ambulance-crash.html Back to Top Billionaires Pushing the Envelope in Launcher Reuse Blue Origin Space-launch startups Blue Origin and SpaceX continue to take advantage of their owners' deep pockets to advance the state of the art in reusable vehicles, with back-to-back test attempts over the past week to recover launchers after they had delivered payloads to suborbital space. Both companies released spectacular videos of their latest flight tests. Blue Origin's video can be found here. Click here for SpaceX's video. Their owners took to Twitter for commentary on the missions. "Looks like early liquid oxygen depletion caused engine shutdown just above the deck," SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted the day after his latest attempt to land a Falcon 9 first stage ended in a cloud of smoke above its robotic landing barge (Aerospace DAILY, June 15). "Turns out the landing was not as fast we thought, but still hard enough to destroy the primary airframe and accordion the engines." Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who owns Blue Origin, tweeted an image of the "lucky boots" he wore to the fourth flight of the company's New Shepard, and boasted "Fourth flight. Same hardware. Reusable rockets love to fly" on Twitter. The flight from the Blue Origin reservation in West Texas was accomplished with minimal refurbishment since the third flight of the vehicle in April. The cryogenic BE-3 engine remained installed between flights, and the booster flew to a smooth restart, hover and landing after following a path company officials had said would include a sharper return angle than attempted before. The unmanned capsule atop the booster separated as planned and returned to a retro-assisted touchdown after a descent under two main parachutes instead of the nominal 3. An on-screen descent-speed readout during the live webcast of the flight-a first for once-secretive Blue Origin -hovered at just more than 20 mph until the retro-rockets fired. "Look for one-chute-out test starting about 7 minutes into flight + continue pushing envelope on booster," Bezos tweeted before the launch. Although the SpaceX first-stage recovery attempt failed, the vehicle's second stage continued on to deploy two all-electric Boeing-built satellites-Eutelsat II7 West B and ABS-2A-into their geostationary transfer orbits. SpaceX is using its commercial launch missions to continue testing the first-stage recovery technology, a process Musk has estimated in tweets will produce about a 70% success rate this year. "2016 is the year of experimentation," he tweeted after the most recent landing failure. Blue Origin eventually hopes to fly space tourists in its New Shepard capsule, while using the flights to gain experience for missions in an orbital launcher using its more powerful, methane-fueled BE-4 rocket engine now in development. The company flew a pair of "pathfinder" suborbital microgravity experiments in the third flight of the vehicle, and its website described three more experiments prepared for the flight that lifted off on June 19. Those were a two-phase fluid dynamics wicking experiment designed by engineers at Purdue University; an experiment designed at Louisiana State University to monitor the interfacial tension induced convection in fluids with slightly different temperatures and compositions, and the Microgravity Experiment on Dust Environments in Astrophysics (Medea) supplied by Germany's Technische Universitat Baunschweig to study how dust stuck together in the primordial Solar System to form larger bodies. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Rescue Flight Lands at South Pole to Evacuate Sick Worker The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in 2002. The National Science Foundation, citing medical privacy, did not disclose the identity of the sick worker at the station or that person's condition. Credit David McCarthy/National Science Foundation, via Agence France-Presse - Getty Images A rescue flight has landed at the South Pole, battling temperatures of minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit and round-the-clock darkness to evacuate a sick worker from a United States-run research station, the National Science Foundation said. The aircraft, a propeller-driven Twin Otter, which used skis to land on the snow and ice on Tuesday, was to remain at the facility, the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, for about 10 hours while the flight crew rested, the National Science Foundation said on its Facebook page. The plane flew about 1,500 miles to the southernmost point on earth from the Rothera Research Station, run by Britain, off the Antarctic Peninsula. A second Twin Otter remained at Rothera to help, if needed, for search and rescue. The crew was to monitor the weather before returning to Rothera with the sick worker, the foundation said. The South Pole is in the middle of its six-month night, when a lack of sunlight drives the frigid temperatures even colder. The high over the past day at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station was minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of minus 76. Wind, which can blow at gale force across the snow and ice, was relatively calm though, with gusts up to 14 miles per hour. Because of the extreme conditions, aircraft generally do not fly to the South Pole from February to October. The two rescue planes are operated by Kenn Borek Air of Canada. They left Calgary on June 14. Kenn Borek Air, which is a regular contractor for the Antarctic program, has flown two similar rescue missions in 2001 and 2003, the National Science Foundation said in a written statement. Though images shown on a web camera are well lit, the foundation said that was the result of moonlight and the highly sensitive camera picking up the lights of the aircraft operation on the far side of the station. There are 48 people now wintering at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, which was established in 1956. The workers there conduct research and maintain equipment used for studying subjects like the earth's atmosphere and outer space. The foundation, citing medical privacy, did not disclose the identity of the sick worker or that person's condition. Though the station has medical personnel, the patient's condition required care that could not be provided there. A second person was also being evaluated for possible evacuation, the foundation said on Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/world/antarctica-south-pole-rescue.html?_r=0 Back to Top Hong Kong airlines Cathay Pacific and Dragonair impose total ban on carriage of shark fin The two airlines came under increasing pressure from conservationists after they pledged in 2012 to carry fins only from sustainable species Cathay Pacific and sister airline Dragonair have imposed a total ban on the carriage of shark fin with immediate effect, after coming under pressure from conservationists over a policy of carrying "sustainable" fins. After budget airline HK Express became the first local airline to axe shark fin shipments last month, Cathay came under renewed pressure from campaigners, with protests at the airline's check-in desks at Hong Kong International Airport to children petitioning airline executives. In a statement, Hong Kong's biggest airline said: "We understand the community's desire to promote responsible and sustainable marine sourcing practices, and this remains important to Cathay Pacific's overall sustainable development goals. "Therefore, on the issue of shark's fin, with immediate effect we are happy to agree to ban the carriage. We will continue to review this practice, as we do all our sustainable development policies." HK Express becomes first Hong Kong airline to ban shark fin cargo The airline did not impose an outright ban but instead set up a panel of experts to decide on a case-by-case basis whether each shipment was from a sustainable source. The shark fin trade has been feeling the heat in recent months. Photo: Sam Tsang The policy dates back to 2012, but since then three dozen airlines have gone one step further to implement an outright ban, leaving Cathay increasingly exposed to criticism. Campaigners argue that it is often impossible to verify whether cargoes are sustainable or not. The old policy was described by the airline as "a more challenging approach than an outright ban." Cathay said the negativity was unwarranted as it was one of the first airlines in the world to raise awareness of the unsustainability of the global shark fin trade back in 2012. Shark fin imports dealt another blow as shipping-giant OOCL joins transport ban, but will Cathay Pacific follow? According to government data, shark fin imports to Hong Kong dropped by 42 per cent between 2010 and 2015 to 5,717 tonnes. During this period there was also a 72 per cent drop in imports by air to 450 tonnes. Cathay and Dragonair join the likes of British Airways, American Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Emirates in banning shark fin. Alex Hofford, wildlife campaigner for WildAid said: "A responsible corporate like Cathay Pacific should never be seen to be a link in the supply chain for a criminal trade. That's why we are so happy that Cathay has done the right thing by no longer carrying any shark fin or shark products. Shipping sharks by air is not just an issue of sustainability, but ethics and legality." Only Hong Kong Airlines has yet to establish a position on shark fins. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1979329/hong-kong- airlines-cathay-pacific-and-dragonair Back to Top AirMap, Lufthansa Systems partner to enhance drone safety As the skies grow increasingly congested and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturers continue to advance drone technology for potential commercial uses, ensuring safety has become an increasingly difficult challenge in the industry. These conditions prompted AirMap, a provider of airspace information and services for UAVs, and international airline IT provider Lufthansa Systems to partner in an effort to provide global airspace information to drone operators. The result is AirMap's Digital Notice and Awareness System (D-NAS), which enables drone operators to integrate airspace data into their systems. D-NAS also informs airports and air traffic authorities about where drones are flying. "We are delivering the airspace and airport data relevant for commercial operations from our extensive database to increase safety around airports," said Igor Dimnik, director of products at Lufthansa Systems. Both parties said they hope that this meeting of technology know-how and aviation experience will "enhance situational awareness for drones and their operators, helping to build a safer shared airspace," said AirMap CEO Ben Marcus. While the commercial operation of UAVs remains tightly restricted in most countries around the world, this joint venture is preparing for a future in which drone use may become commonplace in the cargo sector. More than 100 airports in the United States are collaborating with the American Association of Airport Executives to pilot D-NAS, according to Lufthansa Systems. Since many recreational drone users do not currently communicate with other aviation in the area, AirMap provides drone operators of all stripes with real-time situational awareness, including low-altitude airspace regulations, advisories and temporary flight restrictions. The AirMap Software Development Kit allows drone manufacturers or application developers to include airspace information and services in their products. http://aircargoworld.com/airmap-lufthansa-systems-partner-to-enhance-drone-safety/ Back to Top Wichita State aviation center debuts new immersive visualization system Jeff Fisher, the virtual reality lab manager at the National Institute for Aviation Research, demonstrates its new immersive visualization system at Wichita State on Tuesday. Jeff Fisher, the virtual reality lab manager at the National Institute for Aviation Research, demonstrates the new immersive visualization system at Wichita State on Tuesday. The National Institute for Aviation Research unveiled their new Virtual Reality Center on Tuesday. The large "cave", can allow the user to walk through mock-ups of different types of aircraft. (Video by Travis Heying/The Wichita Eagle) theying@wichitaeagle.com Wearing sunglasses adorned with antennae-like balls and wielding a joystick, Jeff Fisher stepped through the window of a Boeing 737 to pace its hull. As he stepped close to the walls of the plane, they zoomed closer to him. Fisher, the virtual reality lab manager at Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research, was walking through a virtual projection of the popular airplane using NIAR's new large-scale visualization system. The Cave, as it's called, consists of a fixed front wall, a floor and two hinged side walls on which virtual plane mockups like the 737 can be projected. Measuring 10 feet tall, the Cave is powered by two full racks of computers positioned behind its front wall. Its infrared cameras bounce off the antennae-like nodes on Fisher's glasses, responding to his movement to adjust the visualization as though he were walking through the physical plane. The Cave - built in a partnership between NIAR, Dassault Systemes and Mechdyne Corp. - was funded by a 2015 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration and matching funds from the university. It uses 12 LED projectors to display high-resolution images on its three walls and floor. Fisher said NIAR hopes local businesses and airline manufacturers can use the Cave for engineering and simulation purposes, such as full-scale mockups of new designs. Other uses could include crash simulations or taking measurements to repurpose planes, Fisher said. Virtual reality "cave" at NIAR gives center new capabilities The Cave, which will move into the 3DExperience Center in WSU's new Experiential Engineering building when it opens this fall, will allow NIAR to test data it can't otherwise explore due to physical or economic restraints. "I can't just park one of these outside the lab," Fisher said, gesturing to the projected 737. The two flexible walls can swing 90 degrees to allow the Cave to be positioned as a flat wall display stretching nearly 40 feet, as an angled theater-shaped display or as a box-shaped immersion room. http://www.kansas.com/news/local/article85141532.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Brazil Lower House Lifts Foreign Ownership Cap for Airlines The Chamber of Deputies voted 199 to 71 on Tuesday to allow foreigners to own up to a 100 percent stake in domestic carriers, up from the current 20 percent. Lawmakers are still voting on amendments, though they aren't expected to change the main thrust of the bill. The Senate still has to hold a vote as well. Easing foreign ownership in the aviation industry is the latest example of how Acting President Michel Temer is moving to roll back 13 years of heavy intervention in the economy under the Workers' Party of President Dilma Rousseff, who was suspended last month to face an impeachment trial. The original proposal called for the limit of foreign ownership to rise to 49 percent, but Temer's allies pushed for the cap to be removed entirely. "The bill was necessary due to the economic crisis," Congressman Andre Moura, the government's leader in the lower house, told reporters in Brasilia. "The coalition has shown union during important votes." Gol, Azul The move could help troubled carrier Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA secure a capital injection. Gol shares rose 5.2 percent in early-morning trading on the Bovespa stock exchange after news broke that Chamber leaders had reached an agreement to hold the vote on Tuesday. It gained 3.4 percent in the afternoon. Gol said this week that it had sweetened an offer to restructure $780 million in debt. Delta Air Lines Inc. owns a minority stake in the company. United Continental Holdings Inc. is an investor in another Brazilian airline, Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras SA. Azul, Brazil's third-biggest carrier, said airlines would welcome the possibility of additional funding for their operations, adding that foreign ownership should be limited to 49 percent. "Brazil would be the only continental country to give up on that," Chief Executive Officer Antonoaldo Neves said in an interview on May 30. Domestic air travel dropped in May on declining demand for corporate travel, which provides the biggest chunk of airlines' revenue. It was the 10th consecutive monthly retreat, after a decade of expansion. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-21/brazil-lower-house-removes-foreign- ownership-caps-for-airlines Back to Top Viking Aviation Acquires Bombardier Amphibious Aircraft Program VICTORIA BC - AVIATION - Viking Air Limited ("Viking"), a global leader of utility aircraft, support and services and manufacturer of the world-renowned Twin Otter, today announced the acquisition of the worldwide amphibious aircraft program from Bombardier. The amphibious aircraft program includes the Bombardier CL-415 waterbomber and its variants, as well as the earlier CL-215 and CL-215T versions. The Bombardier 415 is the aviation industry's benchmark amphibious aircraft and the backbone of firefighting missions around the globe. Designed and built in Canada with a heritage that dates back almost 50 years, it is the only western aircraft purpose-built for firefighting. The transaction will see Viking acquire the Type Certificates (manufacturing rights) for all variants of Bombardier's amphibious aircraft, and assume responsibility for product support, parts and service for the fleet of some 170 waterbombers in service with 21 operations in 11 countries around the world. This follows Viking's successful model of acquiring, supporting and sustaining utility aircraft programs, including manufacturing the world-renowned Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft. Viking will support the worldwide amphibious aircraft program from a newly acquired and specially repurposed 50,000 square foot facility in Calgary. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "This acquisition expands Viking's capabilities in product support and parts into another vital niche aviation segment, and ensures that a unique and important Canadian innovation stays in Canada," said David Curtis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viking. "We are proud to add another iconic Canadian aircraft program to Viking's stable - our aim is to take the 415 to its highest potential and keep these aircraft in service for decades to come. This transaction builds on our presence in British Columbia and Alberta and expands on the existing strengths of the western Canadian aerospace industry. At the same time, we will continue to rely on an extensive supply chain in Quebec and Ontario to support both the amphibious aircraft and Twin Otter programs." Today, Viking employs approximately 88 people in Calgary and more than 330 at its headquarters and facilities in Victoria. With this new program Viking expects to add up to 40 people to its workforce in Victoria and Calgary. Viking's new facility located near Calgary International Airport (CYYC) is in addition to the company's existing 70,000 square foot facility at CYYC. Viking's existing facilities in Calgary will be repurposed to accommodate existing Twin Otter activities, as well as the addition of the amphibious aircraft program. Western Canada is today home to a number of Canadian aerospace companies and Viking is proud to support and participate in the growth of the industry in the region. Viking sells its products and services internationally, making an important contribution to Canadian exports and contributing Canadian innovation to the world. The Bombardier 415 Amphibious Waterbomber The world-renowned Bombardier 415 waterbomber is a key part of Canada's rich aerospace heritage. The amphibious waterbomber was originally developed by Canadair in the 1960s, and has its origins in flying boats used in World War II. The original version, the CL-215, had its maiden flight in 1967 and went into production in 1969. The aircraft was later advanced by Bombardier into the 415 which was introduced in 1994. Recognized as the best aerial firefighting aircraft in the world, the Bombardier 415 - also known as the SuperScooper - needs only 12 seconds to scoop its 6,137-litre load while skimming at high speed over water. The aircraft is a key strategic asset for government and community firefighting efforts in Canada and around the world. While primarily a firefighting aircraft, these have multi-mission capabilities, including for uses like maritime patrol, and search and rescue. The Bombardier 415 is a dependable aircraft, capable of remaining in service for decades with proper maintenance and support. As with Viking's successful business supporting, servicing, and manufacturing the Twin Otter and other utility aircraft, there is a long-term opportunity to manufacture parts and provide ongoing support to the in-service fleet. Viking is part of the portfolio of a prominent Canadian family office investment firm which maintains a long-term investment horizon and is one of the leading investors in the Canadian aviation industry. Additional Background Viking's acquisition of the amphibious aircraft program from Bombardier builds on a long history between the two companies. Viking's collaborative relationship with Bombardier began with spare parts manufacturing for the Beaver and Otter aircraft, growing until Viking became a key supplier of structural sheet metal parts and assemblies for the Twin Otter as well. Bombardier's Customer Service Centre for out-of-production de Havilland aircraft was transferred to Viking in 2005, allowing Viking to work directly with operators for supply of new parts and technical support, and in 2006 Viking acquired the Type Certificates (manufacturing rights) from Bombardier for the Twin Otter and all out-of-production de Havilland aircraft. In 2007, Viking brought the Twin Otter Series 400 into production. Viking has booked sales of more than 150 new aircraft, and its 100th aircraft is scheduled for delivery in July 2016. The acquisition of the amphibious aircraft program is subject to customary regulatory approval by Transport Canada and the Competition Bureau. http://www.vikingair.com/viking-news/media-centre/viking-air-limited-acquires-worldwide-cl- 415-waterbomber-program-bombardier#sthash.lGG5uVLW.dpuf Back to Top ARGUS Charter Operator Flash Survey Dear Air Charter Operators, We are asking for your help in collecting some quick metrics to assess revenue vs. non- revenue flight activity within the charter industry. This is a very short one-question survey that will take less than a minute of your time! Survey Link: http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07ecqh07moiomz0q4d/start Back to Top PhD Research Survey (I) Cranfield University Research: Do you or have you worked in aerospace design, manufacturing, or test engineering? My name is Steve Daniels, PhD researcher at Cranfield University, and ground crew for Lightning T-5 XS458. As part of my PhD, I am investigating how many aircraft design professionals have had some form of flying experience, and what effect this may have. If you currently work, or have previously worked in aerospace design, manufacturing, or test engineering (e.g: Conceptual Design, Aerospace Engineering Consultancy, Structural Engineering, Systems/Sub-Assembly Engineering, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Tooling Design, Flight Testing) I'd be grateful if you could spare some time to complete the survey by following the link below. If you know of anyone working in these areas who might also be interested, please share the link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_82LinCFK4OdpEJn This research has been approved by the University's ethics committee, and will not record sensitive personal or commercial data. If you have any queries or comments, I welcome any contact at - s.daniels@cranfield.ac.uk Back to Top PhD Research Survey (II) Survey Link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_d4IlfWhuMW3RgRn Curt Lewis