Flight Safety Information January 10, 2017 - No. 008 In This Issue Frontier Airlines says chief operating officer steps down Lawmakers question rules allowing guns at airports 50 aircraft refused access to Irish airspace over munition concerns in 2016 Egypt Aviation Ministry Confirms Russian Air Safety Delegation Visit Next Week ICAO set to audit India's air safety in November Pilot training soaring at Sheppard AFB Zambia welcomes its first female fighter pilot Iran Accepts First Airbus Passenger Jet Learn About New FAA Regulations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Free Online Course Call for Abstracts of Technical Papers...ISASI 2017, San Diego CA ESASI SEMINAR 2017 - LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship Frontier Airlines says chief operating officer steps down Frontier Airlines says its chief operating officer has left the company, the second high- level departure in less than a month at the budget airline. A Frontier spokesman confirmed Monday that Bill Meehan stepped down last week and was replaced temporarily by Jim Nides, the company's vice president of flight operations. Meehan joined Frontier in 2014 after being CEO of aircraft-maintenance provider Pemco and holding executive jobs at Continental Airlines. He left less than two weeks after the exit of Deborah Price, Frontier's vice president of customer experience. Frontier spokesman Jim Faulkner said both departures were due to personal reasons and were unrelated to complaints about widespread cancellations and delays after a winter storm in December. He said Frontier should have canceled more flights and rebooked passengers before the storm hit, but it was caught off guard by the amount of snow. Frontier's previous CEO, Dave Siegel, resigned in May 2015 after complaints about the airline soared. Denver-based Frontier ranks 10th among the 12 biggest U.S. airlines at on-time performance, with one in every four flights arriving late in the latest 12-month figures from the Department of Transportation. Frontier, like Spirit Airlines, charges low fares but relatively more in fees than many larger airlines. The New York Times reported last week that Frontier hired bankers to prepare an initial public offering of stock that it hopes will raise about $500 million. Frontier declined to comment on the report. http://www.kansascity.com/living/travel/article125496624.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Lawmakers question rules allowing guns at airports Lawmakers are taking a new look at rules about guns on planes after Friday's airport shooting in Fort Lauderdale. Investigators say shooting suspect Esteban Santiago traveled from Alaska to Florida with the gun he used in the deadly rampage. The firearm was in his checked baggage. Part of the surprise of Friday's shooting is the fact Santiago arrived on an incoming flight - - and so did his gun. Last year the TSA reported confiscating more than 3,300 firearms from carry-on bags, but the agency allows guns in checked luggage, reports CBS News correspondent Tony Dokoupil. They have to be unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container, and owners have to declare them at the ticket counter. "We're going to have to take a hard look once and for all at the unsecured areas of our airports," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said. Wasserman Schultz said she plans to review security procedures with TSA leaders. A TSA agent died in a shooting in 2013 outside a security checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport. The rules regarding guns in airports vary by city and state. The National Council of State Legislatures has identified six states including Florida which ban people from carrying guns in all areas of airports. "The law is only protecting criminals. It's not protecting law-abiding citizens who want the right and ability to defend themselves," Republican Florida State Sen. Greg Steube said. Steube introduced a bill to allow owners with permits to openly carry guns in areas like the place where Friday's shooting occurred. He suggests the 45-second attack could have ended even sooner if other passengers were armed. "That's a ludicrous suggestion. If someone with a gun in the baggage claim area opened fire in the midst of hundreds of people, the life loss probably would have been worse," Wasserman Schultz said. Every year, police in New York City reportedly arrest dozens of people trying to check in for flights with guns in their bags. Many visitors don't realize it's illegal to possess a gun in New York City without a city permit. But gun owners in other cities routinely fly in and out without problems. Back to Top 50 aircraft refused access to Irish airspace over munition concerns in 2016 50 aircraft were refused access to Irish airspace and airports last year over concerns they were carrying indiscriminate military hardware, it has been revealed. The planes, classed as civilian and believed to be mostly US, sought permission to fly over the country, stop or refuel at Shannon but were denied on advice from government officials. The Department of Transport said a total of 889 planes carrying guns and weapons applied to use Irish airports or airspace. Some 808 permits were granted with the vast majority landing in Shannon while another 31 applications were cancelled. No information has been revealed about the reasons why the 50 military contracted planes were denied access to Ireland or what exact type of munitions were believed to have been on board. In 2015 the Department of Transport granted 584 exemptions for aircraft to land at Shannon with guns on board compared to 1,495 in 2007. There were 19 refusals. The figures were released after anti-war group ShannonWatch said it had counted at least 730 US military flights coming through Shannon Airport last year - more than two planes every day owned by or operated on behalf of the US Air Force, Marines or Navy. The figure is the highest number recorded by the group since it began daily monitoring in 2008. Ed Horgan, spokesman for the campaign and a former Irish Army officer and United Nations elections' inspector, said: "These are the numbers recorded by ShannonWatch but they may not reflect the total numbers coming through. "And the numbers surprised me." More than 400 of the flights recorded by ShannonWatch were operated directly by the US Air Force, Navy or Marines. The rest were contracted troop carriers on civilian planes, some of which would be among the 889 planes granted exemptions to carry arms such as rifles without ammunition. Among the planes recorded last year were 100 C-130s, also known as Hercules transporters, 15 four engine C17 Globemaster or C5 Galaxy transporters and 71 executive jets. Mr Horgan said Ireland's approach to the use of airspace and airports as a neutral country should be compared with the attitude of Switzerland and Austria, two countries which routinely refuse US military access. ShannonWatch last week called on Transport Minister Shane Ross to explain the presence of a plane operated on behalf of the US military that had stopped in Shannon for less than two hours before flying on to a Nato airbase in Turkey. The Department of Foreign Affairs defended granting access to Irish air space and airports to the US military. It insisted that the troops on board and the planes must be unarmed, with no cargo of arms, ammunition or explosives, not engage in intelligence gathering and not form part of military exercises or operations. "Ireland remains strictly neutral and objective in applying the same strict conditions to the use of our airport by military aircraft belonging to all UN member states," a spokesman said. https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/50-aircraft-refused-access-to-irish- airspace-over-munition-concerns-in-2016-771723.html Back to Top Egypt Aviation Ministry Confirms Russian Air Safety Delegation Visit Next Week MIDDLE EAST 14:28 09.01.2017Get short URL 0 15210 Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry confirmed to Sputnik on Monday it expects Russian aviation security experts to visit Cairo next week, although the visit's exact date has not yet been defined. Russian Experts Draft Egypt Air Safety Report After Cairo Inspections - Transport Ministry CAIRO (Sputnik) - The ministry's confirmation comes after a Cairo International Airport source told Egypt's Al-Wafd daily that the Russian delegation was expected sometime between January 18-20. "We agreed with the Russian delegation about a visit next week, but its date is not precisely defined," ministry deputy spokesman Riham Hilo said. Russian experts inspected security measures at Cairo International Airport's second terminal in a three-day visit late last month, and are drafting a security report, the Russian Transport Ministry said earlier in the day. Russia suspended flights to and from Egypt after a St. Petersburg-bound Airbus A321 crashed in the Sinai Peninsula soon after taking off from Sharm El-Sheikh on October 31, 2015, killing all 224 people aboard. https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201701091049394412-ministry-egypt-russia-visit/ Back to Top ICAO set to audit India's air safety in November The outcome of the ICAO audit will have consequences for the expansion plans of airlines such as Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara's international launch plans The United Nations' aviation watchdog, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will in November conduct a 10-day audit of India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The outcome of the audit will have consequences for the expansion plans of airlines such as Air India and Jet Airways (India) Ltd and the international launch plans of the Tata- Singapore Airlines joint venture Vistara, which will meet government norms to go international in 2018. "ICAO will be here from 6 to 16 November," said a government official who did not wish to be named. In 2012, after an audit of the DGCA, ICAO placed India in its list of 13 worst-performing nations in terms of air safety. That triggered an audit by the US aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in 2014. The FAA eventually downgraded India's ranking, citing a lack of adequate regulatory oversight. The ratings were restored in 2015. Indian airlines were not allowed to add new routes to the US or sign agreements with US airlines when the downgrade was in effect. This year, ICAO wanted to conduct the audit in March but agreed to a request from the aviation ministry that it do so later, said a person aware of the matter, declining to be named. The ministry claimed Parliament would be in session then, this person added. The UN watchdog has asked the ministry to consider a permanent chief for DGCA, preferably someone with technical knowledge of aviation, the person said. Indian airlines are scheduled to induct 60-65 narrow-body aircraft and 10-12 smaller aircraft for regional routes in 2017-18, the highest in recent years, aviation consulting firm CAPA said in its 2017 outlook in December. It added that safety was an area of concern. "Rapid growth is straining the system, increasing safety and security risks which may become visible in 2017-18 as traffic reaches higher levels," CAPA warned. "The institutional and regulatory framework at the DGCA and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is particularly weak and under-resourced. And these issues do not appear to be receiving the urgent attention that they require," it said. Vistara is set to have a 20-aircraft fleet in early 2018; that's the number an airline needs to have to fly abroad. Air India has said it wants to start non-stop flights to Washington and enter into more code-sharing agreements. Jet Airways is adding long-haul planes that can fly to the US to its fleet. The outcome of the audit will define the international expansion plans for these airlines in the winter of 2017 and into 2018. http://www.livemint.com/Politics/caywvFVaeGIwIJbgNQlfAJ/ICAO-set-to-audit-Indias-air- safety-in-November.html Back to Top Pilot training soaring at Sheppard AFB Air Force combat pilots are accustomed to taking to the skies and fending off foes who threaten not only them, but the United States. But there are new foes, so to speak, that challenge the most talented of combat jet fighter pilots.The Air Force isn't necessarily powerless against them, but find it a challenge to keep the ranks of their wartime aviators strapped into fourth- and fifth-generation jets. It's a confrontation the Air Force is taking on head first to make sure the dedicated aerial fighting force continues to place soar to regions at a moment's notice to protect the United States, its allies and its interests. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said time and again in August the service is facing a fighter pilot crisis. Goldfein and Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James said in a joint opinion piece: "The Air Force has faced fighter pilot shortages before - often related to cyclical hiring peaks in the private sector - but this one has the potential to be more damaging. After 25 years of continuous combat, the Air Force is as busy as we have ever been, but we are also smaller than we have ever been. Consequently, we have less margin for error when it comes to filling our cockpits and addressing personnel shortages. Unlike many private- sector companies, which can fill vacancies by simply tapping an experienced and flexible labor pool, the military has to grow its own set of skilled specialists, and that can take years." Growing that talent begins at places like Sheppard Air Force Base, which in and of itself has its own set of unique circumstances. As with the technical training side of the base's house, the 80th Flying Training Wing, too, has seen a reduction in the number of airmen coming through for pilot training. But the participation of NATO partners in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training program - the only internationally manned and operated training unit of its kind - presents challenges that other pilot training programs at Vance, Laughlin and Columbus Air Force bases don't face. "As opposed to other based that train for the full spectrum of our air support that we give to the Air Force and all the other forces, we are focused on trying to provide fighter pilots," said 80th Operations Group Deputy Commander Col. Gregory "Doc" Miller. "That is where our focus lies and that's what our training is focused on - trying to create fighter pilots." Col. Gregory Miller, Deputy Group Commander for the Col. Gregory Miller, Deputy Group Commander for the 80th Flying Training Wing, talks about the efforts to increase the number of pilots training at Sheppard Air Force Base to help address a pilot shortage Air Force-wide. (Photo: Torin Halsey/Times Record News, AP) Miller said the Air Force is about 700 fighter pilots short of what it needs to adequately perform its missions, and that figure could rise to 1,000. The two primary reasons for the shortage are opportunities in the civilian sector for the highly-trained aviators, and morale issues that stem from the service being at war since the early 1990s and the First Gulf War. The Air Force has had a presence in the region since that time as fighters patrolled no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq. Miller said there is nothing the Air Force can do about an airline industry that also faces a pilot shortage as many senior pilots near the mandatory age of retirement, but the service has increased the numbers of pilots it will train as well as its annual flying bonus from $25,000 to $35,000. That has affected the number of pilots going through Sheppard's training program. According to figures provided by Sheppard, 218 students graduated from the program in FY 2016. More than 300 will graduate by the end of the current fiscal year. Part of that is because of the number of students beginning and ending their training at Sheppard, but the other part is students from Vance, Laughlin and Columbus transferring to Sheppard before their advanced training in the T-38C Talon to complete their training here. Sheppard Air Force Base 2nd Lt. George Antoniou, in Sheppard Air Force Base 2nd Lt. George Antoniou, in cockpit, and 2nd Lt. Traverse Garvin, practice in a T-38 flight simulator Friday morning. SAFB is hiring simulator instructors as the Air Force addresses a shortage of pilots. (Photo: Torin Halsey/Times Record News, AP) Pilots attending the 80th's Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals course has increased 45 percent this year. "We are running hard," Miller said. "That's why I say we have approached and probably met our maximum that we can train right now." An ever-moving variable in the equation, the colonel said, is the number of students NATO partners send over. He said the committee that oversees the training program works throughout the year to ensure ENJJPT and each partner country is getting the most out of the program, but the numbers can fluctuate. Flight simulator instructor Patrick White works with Flight simulator instructor Patrick White works with a pilot in a training simulator at Sheppard Air Force Base. The U. S. Air Force is dealing with a shortage in the number of pilots and future increases in personnel will have a positive effect on flying training and aircraft maintenance at SAFB. (Photo: Torin Halsey/Times Record News, AP) Miller said although the training tempo might have increased within the past year, safety will always remain the priority over timelines and graduation dates. "I don't want them worrying about timelines," he said. "I want them worrying about creating the pilots that we need for the Air Force in the safest manner that we can." http://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2017/01/08/pilot-training-soaring- sheppard-afb/96316502/ Back to Top Zambia welcomes its first female fighter pilot 24-year-old Second Lieutenant Thokozile Muwamba has made history in Zambia as the country's first female fighter pilot to be accepted into the male dominated area of the military. After joining the military in 2012, Muwamba was fortunate to be part of the Zambian Air Forces programme to train female pilots who will bridge the gender gap in the field. "Men are not a competition but counterparts that one should work with, and hence women should begin to participate and realise their abilities. Because of this understanding, I am ready to undertake this task ahead of me," she told local media Times of Zambia last week. "I look at the fact that when I am in the aeroplane, the aircraft knows no sex as it depends on my input even if I am a woman. I can also give it the right steering for it to respond correctly," Muwamba added. Impossibilities can be made possible as long as one was determined to attain one's goal. The Zambian Air Force commander Lieutenant General Eric Mwaba Chimese announced in 2015 their decision to introduce female pilots to boost the fight for gender equality in Zambia. According to Brigadier-General Kapungwe, who is the commander of the ZAF base in Mumbwa, having Second Lieutenant Muwamba as the first female fighter pilot is a clear illustration that women were progressing. "We want to see more women in the country to become fighter pilots in future," the paper quotes him. Second Lieutenant Thokozile Muwamba quit as a first-year student at the Copperbelt University (CBU) to join the military and pursue her dream career of being a pilot. She owed her success to hardwork, determination and inspiration from her family and instructors. "Impossibilities can be made possible as long as one was determined to attain one's goal," she advised other women. Africa has only a few female pilots especially in the Air Force. Nigeria decorated its first female pilot, Flying Officer Blessing Liman, in 2012. Liman was apparently the first female military-pilot in West Africa at the time. http://www.africanews.com/2017/01/09/zambia-welcomes-its-first-female-fighter-pilot/ Back to Top Iran Accepts First Airbus Passenger Jet Iran has ordered some 200 commercial airliners, including 80 from U.S. producer Boeing, since the sanctions were eased in exchange for restrictions on Iran's controversial nuclear program. Iran has accepted its first new Airbus passenger jet, and the A321 aircraft is expected to be delivered within a few days. A spokesman for the European aviation firm said on January 8 that the "technical acceptance" has been completed, marking a key moment in Iran's opening up following the lifting of most international sanctions. Iran has ordered some 200 commercial airliners, including 80 from U.S. producer Boeing, since the sanctions were eased in exchange for restrictions on Iran's controversial nuclear program. The 189-seat Airbus was assembled in Hamburg, Germany, and will be formally handed over in a January 11 ceremony at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France. Iranian officials said there will be another ceremony when the jet arrives in Iran later in the week. http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-acceps-first-airbus-airliner/28220058.html Back to Top Learn About New FAA Regulations for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems with Free Online Course from Embry-Riddle Register for Massive Open Online Course for sUAS Operators, which begins Feb. 6 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - If you received a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), or drone, as a gift this holiday season, or if you want to stay updated on the latest FAA regulations for these aircraft, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is providing a free, two-week online course-Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) - Key Concepts for New Users. Registration for the course is now open. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) runs Feb. 6 to 19 and introduces novice sUAS users and seasoned aeronauts to numerous aspects of unmanned systems, as well as current and future applications. The MOOC also offers guidance on responsibly piloting aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS). This course is taught by a team of UAS experts, led by Dr. Scott Burgess, Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Worldwide's College of Aeronautics. Dr. Burgess has over 30 years of aviation expertise in both military and civilian aircraft, including helicopters and unmanned aircraft systems. "This post-FAA Part 107 course will focus participants toward regulations, safety of flight and flight planning considerations," said Burgess. "We have an outstanding team of faculty with private, commercial and government sector experts teaching on topics such as UAS integration, regulation, international operations, safety and systems. We will also harness the power of social media so participants can interface directly with each other and faculty." Students will learn the basic elements of safety, and airspace definitions and regulations so those individuals using the NAS understand and use best practices for reducing the risk of collisions between aircraft when operating a sUAS. This popular course, previously offered in 2016, has been updated to include the FAA's new 2016 regulations (FAA Part 107) for sUAS operators. For more information and to register go to Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) - Key Concepts for New Users. You may also download Embry-Riddle's free sUAS Consumer Guide, designed to assists a wide variety of users, especially novices, to evaluate options for purchase, appropriate to their skill and experience levels, while introducing key metrics for future consumer sUAS comparison. For additional information on this and other specialized industry training online courses, please contact Gary Burke, Worldwide Director of the Office of Professional Education, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114.Email: training@erau.edu; Phone (386) 226-7232. About UAS at Embry-Riddle Embry-Riddle was one of the first schools in the nation to offer a degree in UAS and today has the nation's largest UAS degree program. The University offers: a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science at the Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona Campuses; a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Systems Applications through the Worldwide Campus; a Master of Science in Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Engineering at the Daytona Beach Campus; and a fully online Master of Science in Unmanned Systems through its Worldwide Campus. Embry-Riddle is also a co-founder of the ASSURE Coalition (Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence), a Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence in Unmanned Aircraft Systems. MEDIA CONTACT: James Roddey, Director of Communications, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.; (386) 226-6198; james.roddey@erau.edu. ABOUT EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 80 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 125 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv. Back to Top Back to Top Call for Abstracts of Technical Papers ISASI 2017, San Diego CA August 22 - 24. 2017 The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) will hold their 48th annual seminar at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina from August 22 - 24, 2017. This year's theme is: "Investigations - Do They Really Make a Difference?" Abstracts of Technical papers are invited to address the theme in conjunction with other contemporary matters on aviation safety investigation, including recent case studies, new investigation methods and aviation safety trends or developments. For those interested in presenting a paper, submissions of abstracts are due by March 15, 2017. Abstracts should include a title and up to 300-word summary of the main points of the proposed paper. Please also include your name(s), affiliation, position, and a brief resume. Submissions, or any inquiries regarding submissions, are to be sent to: isasi2017abstracts@gmail.com The panel reviewing the submitted abstracts will consider criteria such as the quality of the paper for relevance to the seminar theme and air safety investigation. They will also endeavour to ensure that a broad range of topics are covered during the seminar. Decisions on the selected abstracts will be made by the April 15, 2017 and details on the required format of the final presentations will be issued at that time. Presenters will be required to submit their papers by July 15, 2017. Up to date information on ISASI 2017 can be found at www.isasi.org Back to Top ESASI SEMINAR 2017 - LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA The European Society of Air Safety Investigators (ESASI) will hold their annual seminar in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on the 19 and 20 April 2017. Further details, and previous seminar programmes, can be found at www.esasi.eu . ESASI would welcome proposals for presentations to be given during the 2017 seminar, which should last a maximum of 25 minutes with a further 5 minutes for questions. Presentations should address issues relating to air safety investigations; particular areas of interest are: * challenges faced by air safety investigators, * the environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in, * practical experience of applying investigation techniques, * new techniques to aid the investigation, * topical case studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to Brian McDermid, by 31 January 2017, at presentations@esasi.eu. The ESASI committee will select the presentations in early February 2017. Back to Top RESEARCH STUDY SURVEY Hello, I'm Dr. Tim Holt and I'm currently the Program Chair for Aeronautics and an Associate Professor with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, AZ. In this position I'm responsible for faculty, curriculum, course updates, course alignment, etc... Furthermore, I teach undergraduate courses in aeronautics, safety, unmanned systems, and airport management for the Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics program. To this day, there are no reported statistics of general aviation pilots that have survived hypoxia during normal flight operations. More often than not there are tales of pilots getting themselves into a hypoxic situation and not surviving; rarely do people hear of those that survive. This leaves the aviation community unsure of the common circumstances that these pilots find themselves that create a hypoxic state, as well as whether or not that reported the occurrence to the proper establishments. The data collected from this survey issued to general aviation pilots, will hopefully give insight as to how best to prevent these occurrences from happening, as well as promote a healthy safety culture to report these events. It is with this in mind that we decided to embark on this research study. This survey is completely anonymous and individual responses will not be recorded. It should only take 5-10 minutes to complete. The link to the survey will provide you the Informed Consent and contact information of the researchers involved in the study. Thank you in advance, it's truly appreciated. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GAHYPOXIA Back to Top Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship The Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship was established by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to shape the next generation of aviation researchers, honoring the late Najeeb Elias Halaby, an eminent aviator and administrator, for his vision and more than five decades of extraordinary contributions to aviation (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/halabyfellowship.pdf). The Fellowship The recipient of a Najeeb E. Halaby Graduate Student Fellowship will spend three months (in 2017 or early 2018) in residence with NCAR's Aviation Weather Research Program, which Mr. Halaby was instrumental in establishing in the 1980s. As the nation's leader in addressing aviation weather research, NCAR plays a unique role in meeting user needs by transferring research results to operations through its Research Application Laboratory (http://www.ral.ucar.edu/). The Fellow will conduct research broadly aimed at improving the integration of weather into decision support tools for enhanced mitigation of weather sensitivities (e.g., weather impact avoidance) and management of air traffic. The Fellowship will provide: * a monthly stipend for three months, including temporary living expenses * round-trip travel expenses to and from Boulder, CO * travel to a conference to present results * page charges for one publication of key results Eligibility and Application The Halaby Fellowship targets graduate students (late Masters or early PhD level) enrolled in an aviation-relevant department or program of a domestic or international university. Interested candidates should have advanced research skills, far-reaching vision, and dedication to get things accomplished. Consideration for this Fellowship will be given to candidates based on the following submitted material: * Curriculum vitae * Proposal (maximum five pages) presenting the research to be conducted at NCAR, the anticipated outcome of that, and how the proposed effort ties into the candidate's ongoing graduate research project(s) * Contact information for three references (one of which should be the student's primary advisor) NCAR will accept applications for the Halaby Fellowship each year. Email Applications by February 28, 2017 to halabyfellowship@ucar.edu Curt Lewis