Flight Safety Information September 22, 2016 - No. 187 In This Issue US fighter plane missing after plunging into the sea off Japanese coast Thai Airways - A350 Runway Excursion (Phuket, Thailand) Incident: Aruba A320 near Miami on Sep 19th 2016, dropped engine cowl Both Pilots Survived This Intense Apache Helicopter Crash Alaska Airlines flight cancelled due to strange odor FAA Issues Emergency Order Grounding Western Air Express Operations West Wind Aviation grounds planes (Canada) Amazon is guilty of transporting dangerous goods by air in the UK New Airliner Flight Tracking Tool Will Provide One-Minute Updates China's Sichuan Airlines to lease four A350s. Ethiopian Airlines' $100m Aviation Academy fitted with EDM training simulators SWACAA EXCHANGES BEST AVIATION SAFETY PRACTICES Airlines Tagging Bags With ID Chips Satellite-based aircraft tracking on the way for NZ Hypoxia sensor to protect US fighter pilots Will easyJet pilots strike over fatigue? This Navy electronic attack jet took flight on vegetable oil US grants Airbus, Boeing permission to sell aircraft to Iran ERAU Crisis Communication & Media China's giant space telescope starts search for alien life US fighter plane missing after plunging into the sea off Japanese coast The pilot survived after ejecting safely from the aircraft The US Marine was flying a AV8B Harrier II jet when it crashed The jet took off from Okinawa, an island off the southern coast of Japan A U.S. Marine Corps fighter jet has crashed into the ocean off the coast of southwestern Okinawa in Japan, but the pilot ejected safely from the aircraft and was rescued. The U.S. military in Camp Butler in Okinawa said the cause of Thursday's crash is still under investigation. The AV8B Harrier II jet aircraft that crashed had been assigned to Okinawa, which hosts more than half of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan under a bilateral security agreement. The military aircraft is believed to be a a AV8B Harrier II jet (file photo) Other details were not immediately available. The Japanese Coast Guard also confirmed the crash, which was about 153 kilometers (95 miles) east of the main Okinawan island. The 11th Regional Coast Guard are searching for the plane, with a helicopter and patrol boat at the crash site. The US Marine who survived the crash was stationed at Camp Butler. The US Air Force, meanwhile, are stationed at Kadena Air Base on the island. Nearly 18,000 Americans and more than 4,000 Japanese employees and contractors are based at Kadena. People in Okinawa have complained about crashes, noise from aircraft and crime by service members for years, and some say they are unfairly burdened with housing U.S. troops. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3801586/US-fighter-plane-missing-crashing-sea-Okinawa- coast.html ***************** Date: 22-SEP-2016 Time: Afternoon Type: McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Owner/operator: US Marine Corps (USMC) Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: 150km E of Cape Hedo, Okinawa - Japan Phase: En route Nature: Military Departure airport: Kadena Air Base (RODN) Destination airport: Narrative: After taking off from from Kadena AB at 1300LT, the aircraft crashed offshore. The pilot is reported to have been rescued. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=190299 Back to Top Thai Airways - A350 Runway Excursion (Phuket, Thailand) Date: 21-SEP-2016 Time: 19:45 Type: Airbus A350-941 Owner/operator: Thai Airways Registration: HS-THB C/n / msn: 044 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 152 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Phuket International Airport (HKT/VTSP) - Thailand Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK/VTBS)) Destination airport: Phuket International Airport (HKT/VTSP) Narrative: Thai Airways flight TG221, operated by an Airbus A350-941, suffered a brief partial runway excursion during rollout after landing on runway 27 at Phuket International Airport, Thailand. The brand new aircraft, delivered on August 31, 2016, was undergoing domestic familiarisation flights. None of the 138 passengers or 14 crew members were injured. Weather at the incident time (12:45 UTC / 19:45 LT): VTSP 211230Z 24012KT 1000 +RA SCT015 SCT020 BKN100 24/22 Q1013 TEMPO SHRA VTSP 211300Z 26020KT 2000 +RA SCT015 SCT020 BKN100 24/22 Q1013 NOSIG https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=190303 Back to Top Incident: Aruba A320 near Miami on Sep 19th 2016, dropped engine cowl An Aruba Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration P4-AAA performing flight AG-820 from Miami,FL (USA) to Aruba (Aruba), departed Miami's runway 08R and was climbing out when the crew stopped the climb at FL220 after the outboard fan cowl had separated from the right hand engine (V2527). The crew advised ATC it appeared an outboard panel on the right hand engine had blown away, they weren't sure whether it had really detached, it wasn't visible from the inside of the aircraft. Everything was normal for now, as a precaution they decided to return to Miami. The aircraft landed safely on Miami's runway 09 about 40 minutes after departure. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained damage to the engine, engine pylon, right main landing gear, right main landing gear door and right fuselage. http://avherald.com/h?article=49e4fb7f&opt=0 Back to Top Both Pilots Survived This Intense Apache Helicopter Crash Neither crew member was injured, but the helicopter is now part of the Aegean Sea. A Greek attack helicopter crashed into the ocean while participating in military exercises. The incident, caught on camera by nearby civilians, left both crew members unharmed. According to The Aviationist, the AH-64D Longbow Apache of the Greek Army was participating in the SARISA 2016 exercises. The pilot appears to have pulled out of a dive too late, making a collision with the water inevitable. Rescuers in inflatable boats are on the scene less than a minute later. Neither crew member was injured but both were taken to a nearby hospital as as precaution. Greece originally had twelve Apache helicopters but has lost three to crashes. The crash was similar to one that took place in 2012 in Paktika province in Afghanistan, which was investigated by the U.S. Army for alleged pilot "showboating." Source: The Aviationist http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a22971/apache-helicopter-crash/ Back to Top Alaska Airlines flight cancelled due to strange odor LIHUE, KAUAI (HawaiiNewsNow) - Over 130 Alaska Airline passengers are stuck on Kauai after their flight was grounded before takeoff on Wednesday. Flight 844 from Lihue to San Jose was cancelled when a strange odor was smelled during a pre-boarding aircraft check. All crew members were evacuated from the plane and two out of the four flight attendants were treated for throat irritation. All passengers are being put up in a hotel overnight by Alaska Airlines. A new flight on a separate aircraft is scheduled on Thursday at 2:15 p.m. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/33154652/alaska-airlines-flight-cancelled-due-to-strange-odor Back to Top FAA Issues Emergency Order Grounding Western Air Express Operations According to the FAA, an earlier inspection revealed that Western Air Express had not complied with both the aircraft engine overhaul requirements and the propeller overhaul requirements. The FAA has just issued an emergency order suspending the air carrier certificate for Texas-based charter service Western Air Express. The group operates a single twin-engine Beechcraft Queen Air model BE-70- 70 that had previously been certificated for passenger operations. The suspension comes as the result of a lack of maintenance on the aircraft's engines. More Details on the Western Air Express Suspension Order According to the FAA, an earlier inspection revealed that Western Air Express had not complied with both the aircraft engine overhaul requirements and the propeller overhaul requirements. Their inspection revealed that the Queen Air's left engine had been operating since December 1994 without the required overhauls, while the right engine had been operating since November 2006 without the required overhauls. In addition, the aircraft's propellers were due for a maintenance overhaul in February 2015, which was not done. The FAA says that by failing to stay current with the overhaul requirements that Western Air Express is in violation of the FAA's regulations, and that their operation "poses an unacceptable risk to aviation safety." The FAA adds that the carrier is being required to immediately surrender their air carrier certificate to the agency. Failure to comply could result in further legal action, including a civil penalty of up to $11,000 for each day the carrier doesn't return the certificate to the FAA. The suspension will remain in effect until Western Air Express is able to demonstrate to the FAA that they've met all the overhaul and maintenance requirements for the aircraft's engines and propellers, as specified by the manufacturer's maintenance program. Interestingly, this is not the first time that the FAA has had issues with this particular carrier. Back in 2008, the FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Civil Penalty to Western Air Express for "operating an aircraft on 66 revenue flights with an engine that was beyond its overhaul requirements." https://disciplesofflight.com/faa-western-air-express-suspension/ Back to Top West Wind Aviation grounds planes (Canada) REGINA, SK.: APRIL 2, 2009 -- A member of the ground crew personnel readies a West Wind Aviation plane at the Shell Aero Centre for a flight to Saskatoon. For a Sun Business feature. Photo taken April 2, 2009 in Regina. (Don Healy / Leader-Post) (For story by Samantha Maciag) West Wind Aviation voluntarily grounded its fleet of fixed-wing aircraft until an investigation into its training records is complete. DON HEALY / REGINA LEADER-POST A Saskatoon-based airline that flies to destinations across northern Saskatchewan is stuck on the ground after uncovering "potential administrative discrepancies." West Wind Aviation voluntarily grounded its fleet of fixed-wing aircraft until an investigation into its training records is complete, the company said in an emailed statement. Asked how long the investigation is expected to take, West Wind's vice president of business development and customer relations said the airline is "focused on results, not the timeline." "We're prepared to take as long as it takes to complete our investigation and make it right," Dennis Baranieski said. West Wind said in the statement that it plans to rely on its wholly-owned subsidiary, Transwest Air, and "industry partners" to make sure its customers' flights are not interrupted until the investigation is complete. Founded in 1983, West Wind is owned by Athabasca Basin Development, the Prince Albert Development Corporation and its employees. It operates out of bases in Saskatoon, La Ronge and Stony Rapids. This summer, the company - which offers charters and has regular flights to uranium mines and mills in northern Saskatchewan - paid an undisclosed sum to acquire Transwest Air, which is based in Prince Albert. amacpherson@postmedia.com twitter.com/macphersona http://thestarphoenix.com/business/west-wind-aviation-grounds-planes Back to Top Amazon is guilty of transporting dangerous goods by air in the UK Amazon shipped batteries and cans of pressure into the UK FRIENDLY DOORSTEP BOOKSELLER Amazon is in the doo-doo after shipping dangerous goods into and out of the UK by air. We are not talking about books here, although some of them are very bad, or third-party, sometimes Chinese-made, hardware devices, although ditto. We are talking about pressurised containers and lithium batteries, and you do not need to be Samsung to know that those power buddies are not without problems. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that Amazon UK Services is guilty of transporting lithium-ion batteries and flammable aerosols into and out of the UK by air between January 2014 and June 2015. "The safety of aviation and the public is paramount and that is why there are important international and domestic restrictions to prohibit the shipping of certain goods that pose a flight safety risk," said Kate Staples, CAA general counsel, in a statement. "These dangerous goods include lithium batteries, which are banned from being transported as mail or cargo on a passenger aircraft unless they are installed in or packed with equipment." The CAA explained that the organisation works closely with retailers and online traders to ensure that they understand the regulations and have robust processes in place so that such items can be shipped safely and legally. "Whenever issues are identified, we work with companies to make sure those issues are addressed appropriately," said Staples. "But if improvements are not made, we have to consider enforcement action and, as this case demonstrates, we are determined to protect the public by enforcing the dangerous goods regulations." The INQ asked Amazon to comment on the CAA charges but had not heard back at the time of publication. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2471561/amazon-is-guilty-of-transporting-dangerous-goods-by- air-in-the-uk Back to Top New Airliner Flight Tracking Tool Will Provide One-Minute Updates WASHINGTON-Nascent space-based surveillance company Aireon has joined forces with flight tracking specialist FlightAware to offer airlines a Web-based aircraft tracking tool, which will provide updates every 1 min. The companies said their new GlobalBeacon system will satisfy the normal mode and distress mode tracking standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The two modes will be implemented in 2018 and 2021, respectively, and are part of the organization's Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS). The ICAO developed GADSS in 2015 in response to the March 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The Boeing 777-200ER dropped from radar on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The main wreckage has yet to be found, but several components of the aircraft have been recovered from islands or countries on the western edges of the Indian Ocean, the suspected crash site. GADSS, if implemented by ICAO member countries, will require airlines to track aircraft in areas outside of radar coverage at least every 15 min. during normal operations, and every 1 min. should the aircraft experience a defined set of route, altitude or other deviations indicating a potential anomaly. The 1 min. update is designed to limit the search and rescue area to approximately 6 nm by 6 nm. With GlobalBeacon, Aireon and FlightAware will offer continuous 1 min. tracking all at times using surveillance data from Aireon's space-based ADS-B network and FlightAware's existing flight tracking feeds and assets. FlightAware CEO Daniel Baker said airline customers will use the system through a Web-based, real-time aircraft tracking dashboard. It will feature configurable alerts, providing an airline customer with immediate notification of abnormal events. The companies will offer GlobalBeacon as a standalone Web-based product, or as an additional data stream to complement FlightAware's radar and ground-based ADS-B surveillance data feeds. FlightAware receives data from approximately 50 air navigation service providers (ANSPs) globally, and has "dozens" of airlines customers, Baker said. Aireon, while not yet in operation, has signed up a number ANSPs to receive the data once the Iridium Next constellation of 66 polar-orbiting satellites is operational. They include Nav Canada and the ANSPs of Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, the U.K. and Curacao. The company's ADS-B receivers will fly as hosted payloads on the Iridium Next satellites, which are slated for first launch in November on Space X's Falcon 9 rocket. Iridium had intended to launch the first 10 satellites on a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg AFB, California, in early September, but the launch was cancelled after a Falcon 9 upper stage exploded during fueling Sept. 1 at the Cape Canaveral, Florida, launch site, destroying the booster and satellite payload. Aireon captures ADS-B position information, as well as more than 50 other data fields, from the ADS-B transponders and crown-mounted antennas airlines are installing to meet global mandates for satellite- based surveillance. The companies noted that GlobalBeacon requires no new flight or ground infrastructure. Most interest in the new product is coming from the international airline community. In many countries, airlines had not previously been required to track their aircraft. Baker said the GlobalBeacon service will cost $80-100 per aircraft per month, based on fleet size. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top China's Sichuan Airlines to lease four A350s Sichuan Airlines (3U, Chengdu) has signed agreements with two international lessors for a total of four A350-900s. In a statement, the China Southern Airlines (CZ, Guangzhou) subsidiary said it had agreed to lease three A350s from AerCap and one from Air Lease Corporation. Deliveries are scheduled to begin next year. As the type's Chinese launch operator, Sichuan Airlines says it plans to use the aircraft to develop a North American route network. The carrier has already secured US regulatory approval to start regular passenger flights to Los Angeles Int'l as well as Guam Int'l and Saipan. Currently, Sichuan Airlines' widebody fleet is an all-Airbus Industrie operation employing four A330-200s and four A330-300s. http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/49532-chinas-sichuan-airlines-to-lease-four-a350s Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines' $100m Aviation Academy fitted with EDM training simulators EDM, a leading global provider of training simulators to the civil aviation and defence sectors, announced today that Ethiopian Airlines' new aviation academy is fitted out with a range of its cabin crew training simulators. The $100m state-of-the-art Aviation Academy was officially opened at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa earlier this year by the country's Prime Minister, Hailemaraim Desalegn, in front of some of the country's leading business and aviation dignitaries. Widely regarded as Africa's finest airline training facility, the Academy will enable 4000 aviation students to be trained annually. Housed within the facility is the comprehensive range of cabin crew training simulators designed, manufactured and installed by EDM. They comprise: * B737 / B757 Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainer (CEET) on an electric motion system * B787 / B777 Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainer (CEET) * Extended B767 Door Trainer * Extended Q400 Door Trainer * A350 Door Trainer The market-leading simulators will enable cabin crew to be fully trained in cabin service as well as emergency and evacuation safety procedures. EDM was selected by Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's fastest growing airline, to supply its crew training simulators after an international tender in 2014. EDM also provided support to Ethiopian Airlines regarding the design and specification of the new Aviation Academy. Last month, the shipping of the B787 / B777 CEET to Ethiopia featured in TV documentary series, Mega Shippers, on Quest TV. The programme followed the journey of the CEET from EDM's manufacturing facility in Manchester all the way to Addis Ababa via the Port of Southampton. "Ethiopian Airlines' new Aviation Academy sets a highly impressive new standard in the provision of aviation training," said Tony Bermingham, Managing Director of EDM. "It is one of the best airline training facilities in the world and we were privileged to play a part in this fine accomplishment by Ethiopian Airlines." For more information about Ethiopian Airlines visit: http://www.ethiopianairlines.com For more information about EDM visit: http://www.edm.ltd.uk About EDM EDM is a leading global provider of training simulators to the civil aviation, defence, rail and other industries. Combining the highest engineering standards with leading-edge technologies, EDM provides airlines with Door Trainers, Cabin Service Trainers, Cabin Emergency Evacuation Trainers and Full Size Mockups and defence organsiations with Procedure Trainers, Maintenance Trainers, Ejection Seats, Simulators and Full Size Replicas. Serving organisations worldwide from its UK headquarters, EDM is committed to delivering exceptional quality and value to its clients to help them enhance safety and operational efficiency. SOURCE EDM Limited http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ethiopian-airlines-100m-aviation-academy-fitted-with-edm- training-simulators-594270361.html Back to Top SWACAA EXCHANGES BEST AVIATION SAFETY PRACTICES THE Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority (SWACAA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are hosting aviation industry representatives from 15 Africa member states to exchange ideas and best practices about aviation safety. THE Swaziland Civil Aviation Authority (SWACAA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are hosting aviation industry representatives from 15 Africa member states to exchange ideas and best practices about aviation safety. SWACAA and FAA have staged an aerodrome certification workshop which commenced yesterday and would end on Friday at the Royal Swazi Sun (Libandla Room). SWACAA Director Marketing and Corporate Affairs Sabelo Dlamini said 'aerodrome certification' incorporates the assessment and certification of all the technical facilities at the airport including runways and ramps, "It is what you look for in terms of safety on ground." The workshop participants came from countries including Nigeria, Cape Verde, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, Botswana, Togo and Cameroon. They comprised of civil aviation authority officials, airport safety managers, officers and staff, engineering managers and other directors. Dlamini said SWACAA had invited 13 local participants to the training. He said this was a training of trainers, which means the participants would then be required to go back and train others after the workshop. alluded This was also alluded to by the Interim Southern African Development Community Aviation Safety Organisation (ISASO) Executive Director Suzzette Niewoudt and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Certification Safety Inspector Kelly Slusarski. "After the training, go back to your respective organisations and implement the things you have learnt. Share the knowledge with others so we can all achieve the same standards," said Niewoudt. In his address during the official opening of the event, SWACAA Director General Solomon Dube said the training would result in an industry that truly places safety as its core function. "SWACAA takes advantage of every training opportunity offered," he said. He was encouraged that the training has realised the need to have both the airport operator personnel and the regulator. He said this would make 'the operator not to treat the regulator as a policeman who has to be appeased only at the road block.' The training would cover a diverse array of safety topics. The participants will also have an opportunity to tour the King Mswati III International Airport before the end of the training. http://www.observer.org.sz/business/83150-swacaa-exchanges-best-aviation-safety-practices.html Back to Top Airlines Tagging Bags With ID Chips OKLAHOMA CITY - Last year, roughly two million pieces of luggage were reported mishandled on domestic flights. Delta, American, and Alaska Airlines are going high tech by tagging bags with a small radio frequency ID chip instead of the usual barcode tags. Delta says the chips let you track your bag from the time it leaves your hand at the check-in counter until it arrives at your destination. Delta says they will roll out the new luggage system at 84 airports over the next few months, including Will Rogers World Airport. http://www.news9.com/story/33156013/airlines-tagging-bags-with-id-chips Back to Top Satellite-based aircraft tracking on the way for NZ A new satellite-supported system designed to replace radar as New Zealand's main aircraft tracking technology is a step closer. Airways New Zealand has secured a supplier of ground infrastructure for its Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) network. "The network will provide a more detailed picture of our airspace than is currently possible with radar.It will enhance the way aircraft are monitored in domestic airspace and will play a crucial role in supporting the growth of air travel in New Zealand," Airways' Chief Operating Officer Pauline Lamb says. ADS-B uses satellite GPS systems, aircraft transmitters and a network of ground station receivers to follow aircraft with a more precise level of accuracy. With a network of ground receivers installed even in remote locations, the system will detect aircraft in places where there is limited radar coverage, like behind mountain ranges and at low altitudes in regions such as the Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and much of the South Island's west coast. ADS-B is the global standard for airspace surveillance and its introduction here is a key part of the New Southern Sky programme, the Government's 10-year plan to modernise New Zealand's aviation system. An intense period of air traffic growth is forecast for the Asia Pacific region. Visitor numbers to New Zealand are set to hit 4.5 million annually by 2022 and with 99% of them arriving by air, ADS-B will help to provide the airspace capacity to handle increased numbers, Ms Lamb says. "The precise tracking ability and increased surveillance coverage ADS-B provides allows us to reduce the separation between aircraft to have them safely fly closer together and on the most direct route, improving the flow of traffic and reducing environmental impacts," Ms Lamb says. "In an emergency or search and rescue situation, this level of detail would mean we would be able to provide help to an aircraft in distress much more quickly." Airways has awarded a contract to French multinational Thales to provide ground equipment for the $12 million network. Installation work will begin in early 2017 and the first phase of the network will be operational by the end of December 2018 when a Civil Aviation rule is planned to be implemented requiring all aircraft flying in controlled airspace above 24,500 feet in New Zealand to be using ADS-B. The requirement will be extended to all controlled airspace by the end of 2021 when the current radar system will be de-commissioned. The relatively low cost of ADS-B ground equipment compared to traditional radar makes it the most cost- effective option for expanding New Zealand's surveillance capability. A smaller radar network will remain in place in New Zealand as a back-up. *************** How ADS-B works With Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast, the aircraft position is no longer calculated by ground-based radar. Instead, the aircraft's systems will determine its position using GPS and the ADS-B transponder will transmit this and other information to a national network of ground receivers, which will then update the air traffic management system. The ADS-B network updates the aircraft's location every second, while existing radar calculates the position approximately every five seconds. ADS-B extends the capability of Multilateration radar systems currently in place at Queenstown Airport and Auckland Airport. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1609/S00723/satellite-based-aircraft-tracking-on-the-way-for-nz.htm Back to Top Hypoxia sensor to protect US fighter pilots Sensors are being developed to help address the problem of hypoxia experienced by fighter pilots Hypoxia - or lack of oxygen - is regarded as the biggest safety concern of the US fixed-wing air fleets. In the past two decades it has resulted in the death of 15 US Navy fighter pilots, with over 110 incidents reported by the Navy and Marines in 2015. In an effort to address this problem, the US Air Force has awarded a contract to UK-based company Cobham to develop a system to monitor pilot breathing and collect in-flight data on hypoxia incidents. Hypoxia has been an intractable problem for the US military's F-22, F/A-18 Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, and T-45C Goshawk trainers, and other aircraft using the On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS), which supplies oxygen to the flight crew. A failure by the OBOGS can lead to a lack of oxygen that can creep up gradually, resulting in hypoxia episodes that can cause a pilot to black out for several minutes and not remember it. Cobham's AMPSS 2.6 is a breathing sensor suite that measures the level and purity of oxygen... According to the Navy, the failures can be caused by pilot error, maintenance problems, contamination, equipment failure, or a combination of all four. Because of the complex nature of a fighter plane's oxygen system, running down the causes is very difficult - especially if the plane isn't equipped with proper monitoring equipment. Cobham's Aircrew Mounted Physiologic Sensing System (AMPSS 2.6) is a breathing sensor suite that measures the level and purity of oxygen that the pilot inhales and exhales. It senses if the life support system malfunctions and records the data needed to identify and correct the problem. Integrated into the OBOGS, it has an inhalation module installed in the end of the pilot's mask breathing hose, and an exhalation module in the mask exhalation port. Readings from these are relayed to the system's onboard data storage and can help to pinpoint hypoxia episodes and their causes, as well as predicting and protecting fighter pilots from hypoxia while in flight by sending low-oxygen alerts. Cobham is using its own funds to develop the inhalation module, while the Air Force is funding the exhalation unit and hardware for eight pre-production of eight units. Source: Cobham http://newatlas.com/cobham-hypoxia-sensor/45554/ Back to Top Will easyJet pilots strike over fatigue? Pilots at one of Europe's biggest airlines are so tired they may be about to go on strike about it. EasyJet (ESYJY) pilots voted Wednesday by a huge majority to take industrial action, according to their union, the British Airline Pilots' Association. The association said 88% of its members at easyJet took part in the ballot, with 96% voting in favor of some form of industrial action. Under U.K. law, workers engaged in a dispute must be asked whether they support strike action, or action short of a strike, or both. The pilots' association did not say what was on the ballot, nor did it provide details of the result. But in a letter to pilots leaked to the Daily Telegraph earlier this month, the association called for strike action. Pilots are worried about working longer hours since new EU laws on flight time limits came into force in February. EasyJet has made a last minute offer to the pilots to resolve the dispute, the union said. The pilots will consider it on Thursday, and no strikes or other disruption have yet been planned. easyjet plane Easyjet (ESYJY) is Britain's biggest airline and a major player in the European market. The low-cost airline carries 55 million passengers per year, operating on 600 routes across 30 countries in Europe. The pilots' association says fatigue has long been a concern for pilots, who now view it as the biggest single threat to flight safety. It says crews are being made to work longer and harder since the new laws took effect. It's also reporting more cases of long term sickness related to fatigue and burnout, as well as an increased demand for part time work. http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/21/news/easyjet-strike-pilots-fatigue/ Back to Top This Navy electronic attack jet took flight on vegetable oil Earlier this year, the Navy deployed ships for the first time that ran on a biofuel blend of processed beef fat. Now, biofuels are taking flight on vegetable oils. The "Green Growler" -- an EA-18G electronic attack jet running on biofuel JP-5 -- made its first flight in September on an advanced biofuel that did not contain petroleum JP-5, according to a Navy release, as part of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus' initiative to get the service running on 50 percent renewable energy by 2020. "From takeoff to landing, you couldn't tell any difference," said Lt. Cmdr. Bradley Fairfax, project officer and test pilot with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23, after the first test flight Sept. 1. "The information presented to us in the airplane is pretty simplified but, as far as I could tell, the aircraft flew completely the same as [petroleum-based] JP-5 for the whole flight." Down on the ground, a flight test engineer used telemetry to verify whether the Growler performed up to snuff on the new fuel. "What we have seen is that the 100-percent bio-JP-5 appears to be basically transparent,' engineer Mary Picard said in the release. "It looks just like petroleum JP-5 in the airplane. So far, everything looks good and we haven't noticed a difference." The fuel is designed to be filled directly into aircraft tanks without any modifications to the planes. This is the fifth blend that Naval Air Systems Command's fuels team has evaluated since Mabus launched his Great Green Fleet initiative in 2009, but this is the first that didn't have to be mixed with all-petroleum JP-5 to work properly. "We shot for this 100-percent drop-in fuel from the beginning," team lead Rick Kamin said. "We wanted to know if a fully synthetic JP-5 from a non-petroleum source could work in our systems and we proved that it could!" Unlike the 90-percent petroleum biofuel blend running carrier escort ships, the new jet fuel is made of soy and canola oils that is converted to a synthetic blend that doesn't need to be mixed with petroleum. https://www.navytimes.com/articles/this-navy-electronic-attack-jet-took-flight-on-vegetable-oil Back to Top US grants Airbus, Boeing permission to sell aircraft to Iran FILE -- In this March 2, 2008 file photo, two passenger planes of Iran's national air carrier, Iran Air, are parked at the Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran. Airbus announced Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, that the U.S. government has granted it a license allowing it to sell the first 17 planes involved in a landmark deal with Iran. Most Iranian planes were purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamists to power. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Aviation giants Airbus and Boeing Co. have received permission from the U.S. government to sell aircraft to Iran, part of landmark deals potentially worth some $50 billion in total following last year's nuclear accord. The announcements Wednesday came as Iranian and U.S. leaders are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and show that the outgoing administration of President Barack Obama is honoring the economic terms of the nuclear pact. The next administration, however, may change that equation for Airbus and Boeing, whose possible deal with Iran would be the biggest for an American company since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover. European airplane manufacturer Airbus announced the license from the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control early Wednesday. Boeing followed with its own announcement later in the day. Though based abroad, Airbus needed the approval of the U.S. Treasury for the deal because at least 10 percent of the manufacturer's components are of American origin. Airbus applied for two licenses to cover its deal with Iran to ensure the fast delivery of some of the aircraft, Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon told The Associated Press. The license announced Wednesday covers the first 17 planes involved in the deal, which will be A320s and A330s, he said. Dubon said Airbus hoped to receive a second license allowing it to sell the remaining planes to Iran soon. In January, national carrier Iran Air signed agreements to buy 118 planes from Airbus, estimated to be worth some 22.8 billion euros ($25 billion). On Sunday, state TV reported that Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, a deputy transportation minister, said Iran would cut the number of Airbus planes to 112. Base model A320s are listed at an average of $98 million, while A330s start at $231.5 million. That puts the value of the approved 17 aircraft in the first license around at least $1.8 billion and possibly much higher based on list prices, though buyers typically negotiate sizable discounts for bulk orders. Under Boeing's deal, Iran Air will buy 80 aircraft with a total list price of $17.6 billion, with deliveries beginning in 2017 and running until 2025. Iran Air also will lease 29 new Boeing 737s in a deal that Iranian officials have suggested would be worth some $25 billion in total. In a statement, Boeing spokesman Marc Sklar said, "We have received that license and remain in talks with Iran Air" based on the memorandum of agreement reached in June. U.S. Treasury spokeswoman Dawn Selak acknowledged her agency granted the first licenses to Airbus and Boeing. "These licenses contain strict conditions to ensure that the planes will be used exclusively for commercial passenger use and cannot be resold or transferred to a designated entity," Selak said in a statement. Iran's U.N. mission did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. State television referred to an AP report on the licenses. Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, which limits its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of some international sanctions, specifically allowed for the purchase of aircraft and parts. The license approval clears the way for the two plane manufacturers to begin accessing one of the last untapped aviation markets in the world, home to 80 million people. However, Western analysts are skeptical that there is demand for so many jets or available financing for two separate $25 billion deals. Most Iranian planes were purchased before the Islamic Revolution that ousted Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought Islamists to power. Out of Iran's 250 commercial planes, 162 were flying in June, while the rest were grounded due to lack of spare parts. Iran Air, whose website lists 43 airplanes in its fleet, says it has direct flights to over 30 international destinations, including London. The aircraft deal also has become a political issue in an election year in the U.S. Some American lawmakers have criticized the Boeing deal to Iran over the Islamic Republic's "pernicious behavior," including launching ballistic missiles, firing rockets near U.S. warships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and briefly detaining American sailors who strayed into its territorial waters. The U.S. presidential election could also have an effect on the sales. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has threatened to tear up the nuclear deal if elected this November. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/09/22/us-grants-airbus-boeing-permission-to-sell-aircraft-to- iran.html Back to Top China's giant space telescope starts search for alien life China's giant telescope * The telescope's dish is the size of 30 football fields * More than 9,000 people have been uprooted to make way for huge project Hong Kong (CNN)The search for alien life just got bigger. A lot bigger. The world's largest telescope will be completed this week in China and it has scientists very, very excited. With a whopping 1,640 feet (500 meter) wide dish the size of 30 football fields, the telescope will able to detect radio signals -- and potentially signs of life -- from distant planets. "China's latest telescope will be able to look faster and further than past searches for extraterrestrial intelligence," says Douglas Vakoch, president of METI International, an organization dedicated to detecting alien intelligence. Cradled in a karst hollow in the mountainous landscape of southwest China, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or FAST, starts operation September 25. It's a process known by astronomers as "first light" -- when a telescope opens its eyes and takes its first pictures of the universe. And FAST is wide eyed: its field of vision is almost twice as big as the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico that has been the world's biggest single aperture telescope for the past 53 years. Russia's RATAN-600 telescope is larger than FAST by diameter with panels arranged in a 576 meter wide ring -- but it's not one single dish and its collection area is much smaller than FAST and Arecibo. Decade to find right location Construction of the $185 million mega project began in 2011, with the last of the 4,450 triangular panels that form the dish painstakingly lowered into place in July this year. While the structure itself is too big to move, each of the panels can be adjusted. "You can control the surface to point at certain points in the sky. A mesh of steel ropes allows a hydraulic push and pull mechanism," says Andreas Wicenec, professor of Data Intensive Research at the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research in Australia. Its remote location in China's Guizhou province was one of 400 places scientists surveyed over 10 years. The egg-cup shaped valley is perfectly sized and the surrounding mountains provide a shield against radio frequency interference. It was once home to "Green Water Village" a remote settlement of 12 families that had no electricity. The 65 villagers are among 9,110 that authorities uprooted in order to help improve the telescope's listening capabilities. "I never thought the first time I would move would be to make way for a telescope," former villager Yang Chaolan, 62 told Xinhua, China's official news agency. Her son plans to open a restaurant in the town they have been relocated to in the hope the feat of engineering will bring tourists to the poor region. FAST is almost twice as the Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico. Little green men? The telescope is expected to shed light on the origins of the universe by mapping the distribution of hydrogen, the most abundant element in our galaxy and beyond. "Because of FAST's incredible sensitivity, it will be able to chart the hydrogen distribution even in far flung galaxies," says Vakoch. FAST will also enable scientists to detect many more pulsars -- dense, rotating stars that act as cosmic clocks. This could provide scientists with the capability to detect gravitational waves -- ripples in space- time -- that shed light on how galaxies evolved. An aerial shot of the telescope under construction. But for many people, the most exciting goal is the search for extraterrestrial life. The recent discovery of three life-friendly planets outside our solar system has rekindled discussion of whether intelligent life is unique to Earth. FAST's sensitivity will be capable of detecting exoplanets like these in ways that other telescopes cannot. "FAST's potential to discover an alien civilization will be five to 10 (times) that of current equipment, as it can see farther and darker planets," Peng Bo, director of the NAO Radio Astronomy Technology Laboratory, told Xinhua. World's largest radio telescope FAST in SW China's #Guizho to operate from Sept. 25 pic.twitter.com/13LV2Froi2 Longer term goals include putting a man on the moon and sending a robotic probe to Mars. The telescope could help track some of these missions, says Wicenec. However, there are limitations on what the telescope can do. It's unable to project the trajectories of comets or asteroids for example. "FAST may help explain the origin of the universe and the structure of the cosmos, but it won't provide warning of Earth-bound asteroids that could destroy human civilization," says Vakoch. China has long been secretive about its military-linked space program, but the scientists CNN spoke to for this piece expected Beijing to be open to international cooperation. Chinese astronomers are expected to receive priority on the telescope for the two to three years and then it will be opened to scientists worldwide. "It's a prestige project but astronomy is very international. China is no exception," says Wicenec. http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/21/health/china-fast-telescope-search-for-aliens/index.html Curt Lewis