Flight Safety Information August 3, 2017 - No. 155 In This Issue Incident: El Al B738 at Bucharest on Aug 1st 2017, strange loud noise in cockpit Incident: Singapore A359 at Dusseldorf on Aug 1st 2017, nose wheel steering failure Incident: Lufthansa B748 near Frankfurt on Aug 1st 2017, strong odour on board EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection S-97 Raider helicopter makes a hard landing at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center Two die after plane makes emergency landing on Portugal beach Air Canada Jet Just 59 Feet Above Ground in Near Miss at San Francisco Airport DGCA starts safety audit of country's airlines (India) Planes collide on Indonesian runway, no casualties HAI requests inclusion of helicopters into FAA NextGen incentive program ERAU - Worldwide's Chancellor Speaks to Flight Safety Foundation in D.C. About Future of Aviation Education Japan's futuristic airport hotel lets you rent tiny pods for power naps Las Vegas Considers Airport Pot Ad Restrictions Uniqlo's new airport vending machines are selling the warm clothes you forgot to pack Boeing and JAXA to Flight-test Technology to Improve Safety WASP Pilot honored at Penn Yan gathering Qatar Airways ends bid to buy stake in American Airlines New generation of giant rockets gets set to blast off NASA Launched Voyager Crafts Nearly 40 Years Ago NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER EXCLUSIVELY FROM CURT LEWIS BOOKS. - "ANGLE OF ATTACK" Get Ahead With AQS ISASI 2017, San Diego CA...August 22 - 24. 2017 CHC Safety & Quality Summit - 2017, Dallas, Texas - September 27-30, 2017 Incident: El Al B738 at Bucharest on Aug 1st 2017, strange loud noise in cockpit An El Al Boeing 737-800, registration 4X-EKC performing flight LY-572 from Bucharest Otopeni (Romania) to Tel Aviv (Israel), was climbing out of Otopeni's runway 08R when the crew declared PAN PAN PAN reporting a loud noise, a loud whistling noise could be heard in the background of any aircraft transmission and stopped the climb at FL090. The crew decided to climb to FL110 when they were about to leave the control zone, subsequently decided to return to Otopeni advising apart from the noise everything was normal. On final approach to runway 08R the crew reported the noise had stopped, the transmission was without any background noise. The aircraft landed safely on runway 08R about 40 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4.5 hours later, then departed again and reached Tel Aviv with a delay of 5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ac72798&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Singapore A359 at Dusseldorf on Aug 1st 2017, nose wheel steering failure A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900, registration 9V-SMC performing flight SQ-338 (dep Jul 31st) from Singapore (Singapore) to Dusseldorf (Germany), landed safely on Dusseldorf's runway 23L and rolled to the end of the runway where the aircraft stopped. Emergency services attended to the aircraft. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron, where passengers disembarked normally. A passenger reported they noticed that the aircraft did not vacate the runway after landing, then emergency services arrived at the aircraft. About 5-6 minutes later the captain announced that he could not steer the aircraft to the terminal due to a system failure, they needed to be towed to the apron. The aircraft was towed to a remote location on the apron, the passengers disembarked via stairs. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Dusseldorf for about 6 hours, then was able to depart for the return flight SQ-337 with a delay of 35 minutes. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ac71e3d&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Lufthansa B748 near Frankfurt on Aug 1st 2017, strong odour on board A Lufthansa Boeing 747-800, registration D-ABYS performing flight LH-506 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil), was climbing out of Frankfurt when the crew stopped the climb at FL230 due to a strong and unbearable odour of fuel on board. The aircraft returned to Frankfurt for an overweight but safe landing on runway 07C about 35 minutes after departure. The flight was postponed to the next day. A replacement Boeing 747-800 registration D-ABYH departed the following morning with a delay of 12 hours and is estimated to reach Sao Paulo with a delay of 11:15 hours. A passenger reported a number of fellow passengers felt unwell as result of the odour, emergency services and medical services were awaiting the aircraft on return, a number of passengers were treated at the airport. The occurrence aircraft returned to service 23 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ac718da&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top S-97 Raider helicopter makes a hard landing at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center Date: 02-AUG-2017 Time: 07:30LT Type: Sikorsky S-97 Raider Owner/operator: Sikorsky Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Sikorsky Development Flight Center, Palm Beach County, FL - United States of America Phase: Nature: Test Departure airport: Sikorsky Development Flight Center Destination airport: Sikorsky Development Flight Center Narrative: An S-97 Raider helicopter was hovering during a test flight when the hard landing happened, according to a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin. Nobody was injured https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=197098 Back to Top Two die after plane makes emergency landing on Portugal beach (CNN)Two people were killed when a small plane made an emergency landing at a beach in Costa da Caparica in Portugal. The victims were an 8-year-old girl and a 56-year-old man, the Portuguese National Maritime Authority said on Wednesday. The two were not related. Both victims were caught by surprise on the beach and unable to avoid the impact when the aircraft made the emergency landing, officials said. The plane that struck and killed two people on a beach. A teenage girl was also slightly injured while dodging the plane, said Cmdr. Jose Isabel of the Portuguese Maritime Police. All the victims were Portuguese, Isabel said. Two men who were on board the plane, an instructor and a pilot, were unharmed. The cause of the emergency landing is unknown. None of the people involved have been identified. The pilot made an emergency landing on the beach, for reasons unknown. Isabel said the plane was a training plane and the men were conducting a "navigational training." The pilot and instructor will be presented at the Portuguese Public Ministry on Thursday, where a prosecutor will speak to them. They have already spoken to police, Isabel said. http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/02/world/two-killed-portugal-plane-accident/index.html **************** Date: 02-AUG-2017 Time: 16:51 LT Type: Cessna 152 Owner/operator: Aero Club de Torres Vedras (ACTV)/G Air Registration: CS-AVA C/n / msn: 15283295 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 2 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Costa da Caparica, Almada - Portugal Phase: En route Nature: Private Departure airport: Torres Vedras Destination airport: Torres Vedras Narrative: The Cessna 152 performed a forced landing on a beach of São João da Caparica. The flight was a training flight with two persons, the instructor pilot and the student pilot. The aircraft hit sunbathers on the beach, killing a man (56 years) and a girl (8 years). https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=197097 Back to Top Air Canada Jet Just 59 Feet Above Ground in Near Miss at San Francisco Airport Newly released data and photos show how shockingly low an Air Canada jet was when it pulled up to avoid crashing into planes waiting on a San Francisco International Airport taxiway last month. The Air Canada pilots mistook the taxiway for the runway next to it and flew their jet to just 59 feet above ground before pulling up to attempt another landing, according to National Transportation Safety Board information released Wednesday. Air Canada flight 759 (ACA 759) flies just above a United Airlines flight waiting on the taxiway at the San Francisco International Airport on July 7 in this image released by the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB via AP That's barely taller than the four planes that were on the taxiway when the incident occurred late at night on July 7. Pilots in a United Airlines plane alerted air traffic controllers about the off-course jet, while the crew of a Philippine Airlines jet behind it switched on their plane's landing lights in an apparent last-ditch danger signal to Air Canada. NTSB investigators said they have not determined probable cause for the incident that came within a few feet of becoming one of the worst disasters in aviation history. "It was close, much too close," said John Cox, a safety consultant and retired airline pilot. The investigators said that as the Air Canada jet approached the taxiway just before midnight after a flight from Toronto, it was so far off course that it did not appear on a radar system used to prevent runway collisions. Those systems were not designed to spot planes that are lined up to land on a taxiway - a rare occurrence, especially for airline pilots. But the Federal Aviation Administration is working on modifications so they can, agency spokesman Ian Gregor said. Jet came within 100 feet of others in near-disaster at airport Both pilots of the Air Canada Airbus A320 jet were very experienced. The captain, who was flying the plane, had more than 20,000 hours of flying time, and the co-pilot had about 10,000 hours. The pilots told investigators "that they did not recall seeing aircraft on taxiway but that something did not look right to them," the NTSB said. Investigators could not hear what the Air Canada captain and co-pilot said to each other during the aborted landing because their conversation was recorded over when the plane made other flights, starting with a San Francisco-to-Montreal trip the next morning. Recorders are required to capture only the last two hours of a plane's flying time. Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Air Canada, declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/air-canada-jet-just-59-feet-above-ground-near- miss-n789081 Back to Top DGCA starts safety audit of country's airlines (India) The number of safety violations reported in Indian skies increased by more than half in 2016 compared with the previous year. NEW DELHI: As an audit of India's aviation sector by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) nears, the local regulator has launched an evaluation of the country's airlines for their compliance with safety standards. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) audit is seen as part of the local body's preparation for the international audit, which comes in the backdrop of increased instances of safety violation in Indian skies. Adverse findings during the evaluation by ICAO, a UN watchdog, could result in foreign aviation regulators imposing sanctions on India. "The airline audit will check them (carriers) on almost all parameters," said an official in the know, who did not want to be named. Airlines confirmed the development. "These audits by DGCA cannot be surprise audits and they need to inform us and seek dates for the audit," said an executive at an airline. "Our audit is likely to happen in September." The number of safety violations reported in Indian skies increased by more than half in 2016 compared with the previous year. According to DGCA data, it took 422 enforcement actions last year, compared with 275 in 2015. And, this at a time when India has become the fastest growing aviation market, registering more than 20% growth in passenger traffic and capacity in each of the past two years. After an audit in 2012, the UN watchdog had placed India on its list of 13 worst- performing nations in terms of air safety, triggering a downgrade of Indian aviation by the US Federal Aviation Authority two years later. The ratings were finally restored in 2015. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/dgca- starts-safety-audit-of-countrys-airlines/articleshow/59889475.cms Back to Top Planes collide on Indonesian runway, no casualties Kualanamu International airport. Two passenger planes collided at an airport in the Indonesian city of Medan on Thursday, an airline spokesman said, the latest incident to hit the country's beleaguered aviation sector. A Boeing airplane operated by Lion Air was taxying along the runway after landing at Kualanamu airport on the island of Sumatra when it clipped the wing of a Wings Air craft waiting to depart for Meulaboh in Aceh province. No one was injured in the incident and authorities are investigating the cause of the collision. Pictures on social media showed damage to the left wing of the Lion Air plane and the right wing of the Wings Air craft, which are both part of the Lion Group. "All passengers are in good condition, no one was injured. Both planes are now at the apron..." Andy Saladin, a spokesman for Lion Air said. Indonesia's air travel industry is booming, with the number of domestic passengers growing significantly over the past decade, but it has a dismal air safety record and reputation for chaotic regulation. In May 2016, two planes from Lion Air collided in Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport, while in April 2016 a plane operated by Batik Air -- part of the Lion Group -- clipped a TransNusa plane. In 2013 a Lion Air jet with a rookie pilot at the controls undershot the runway and crashed into the sea in Bali, splitting the plane in two. Several people were injured in the crash, although no one was killed. Last week the Indonesian air traffic controllers association revealed that state-run air navigation company AirNav often allows 84 take-offs and landings per hour in Jakarta, increasing the chance of accidents. https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/world/2017-08-03-planes-collide-on-indonesian- runway-no-casualties/ Back to Top HAI requests inclusion of helicopters into FAA NextGen incentive program Helicopter Association International (HAI) has initiated a request to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for helicopters to be included in a little-used grant program that offers rebates to owners installing NextGen technology in certain types of aircraft. Though helicopters were excluded from the program originally, HAI is requesting that the FAA allow GA single-engine piston helicopter owners be included through the end of the program, which expires in September 2017. Pictured here, Matthew Zuccaro, president and CEO of HAI. HAI The program, announced in June 2016, offered 20,000 rebates to owners of specific, smaller, general aviation (GA) airplanes who install ADS-B equipment in their aircraft. With the program expiring in September 2017, more than 13,600 of these rebates remain available. Though helicopters were excluded from the program originally, HAI is requesting that the FAA allow GA single-engine piston helicopter owners be included through the end of the program. "We appreciate that the FAA has made these grants available to fixed-wing aircraft owners," said Matthew Zuccaro, president and CEO of HAI. "Since more than 65 percent of these grants remain available, we see no reason that the FAA should not offer the same opportunity to owners of small helicopters. Let's give everyone a fair chance at these rebates." Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is a GPS-based system of air traffic control (ATC). Often called NextGen, ADS-B transmits an aircraft's location to ATC controllers and back to the aircraft itself. ATC operators are therefore able to provide more precise control to all aircraft using the system, providing for safer, more efficient flights. "When the FAA initiated this program, we asked why GA helicopters were excluded," continued Zuccaro. "We were told that the target aircraft for this program were older, single-engine piston aircraft that typically had a value below $30,000. However, the application process for this program does not make any attempt to determine the actual value of the airplane in question." Zuccaro pointed out that there are a significant number of single-engine piston helicopters that meet the $30,000 threshold. HAI believes the FAA should give comparable GA helicopter owners the same opportunity over the last few months of the program. "I'm concerned about the message you are sending to the GA helicopter community by their continued exclusion," added Zuccaro. "You're basically telling them that the safety, well-being, and continuity of the fixed-wing community are of greater importance to the agency that the GA helicopter community. HAI and the FAA have been close partners for years, and we absolutely do not believe this was the intended message from the FAA." HAI is the trade association for the civil helicopter industry. HAI's 1,800+ organizational members and 2,200 individual members safely operate more than 5,200 helicopters, flying approximately 2.3 million flight hours each year in 73 nations. HAI is dedicated to the promotion of the helicopter as a safe, effective method of commerce and to the advancement of the international helicopter community. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/hai-requests-inclusion-helicopters-faa- nextgen-incentive-program/ Back to Top ERAU - Worldwide's Chancellor Speaks to Flight Safety Foundation in D.C. About Future of Aviation Education Dr. John Watret, PhD, FRAeS "The future of our industry lies in the hands of people who were born in the digital information age - and it is having an impact on how the Next Generation of aviation learners and professionals learn and work." That was the message that Embry-Riddle Worldwide Chancellor Dr. John R. Watret stressed to more than 185 aviation and aerospace industry and government leaders as keynote speaker at the Fifth Annual Flight Safety Foundation Networking Dinner and Silent Auction at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on July 20. The Flight Safety Foundation, the first and only not-for-profit organization devoted exclusively to aviation safety, is celebrating 70 years of working closely with and within the global aviation industry to provide numerous programs, products and impartial expert guidance in support of improving flight safety worldwide. The Foundation is routinely recognized for its work, including receiving the 2000 Pinnacle Award for safety education from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In his speech, Dr. Watret, who serves on the Foundation's Board of Governors, noted that, "It is our responsibility to prepare [the Next Generation] to assume the mantle of leadership in our airlines, our training programs, our safety management programs." Doing so, he explained, requires that education and training organizations develop and adapt teaching technology in ways that meet the expectations and emerging learning styles of younger learners. Dr. Watret outlined the progress that Embry-Riddle Worldwide has made in reaching and teaching the next generation, transitioning from traditional classroom teaching to classes that more fully integrate technology so that today 86 percent of Worldwide classes are taught online. Dr. Watret also highlighted the potential of new teaching and learning technology to assist and extend the Flight Safety Foundation's mission, to reach an even greater audience in order to develop the shared safety values that characterize and support safety practices. Partnering with universities, such as Embry-Riddle, to support STEM learning through safety-focused online modules may be a way of introducing the safety culture of aviation to young learners, as well as allowing for expanded outreach to non-traditional learners and under-represented groups including women and minorities. "While technology changes very rapidly, our core values and the commitment to safety do not change." https://news.erau.edu/news-briefs/worldwides-chancellor-speaks-to-flight-safety- foundation-in-dc-about-future-of-aviation-education/ Back to Top Japan's futuristic airport hotel lets you rent tiny pods for power naps Guests at Japan's Nine Hours hotel can recharge with hourly nap rates.Nine Hours There aren't many frills at the Nine Hours hotel, but when you're only staying for a nap or a layover between flights, soft sheets and a dark space are pretty much all you need. Nine Hours is a Japanese chain of pod hotels started in 2009, with each chain designed to accommodate people for between one and nine hours depending on their needs. For $44, guests gain access to a private pod, sleepwear, and access to the bathrooms and lounge. Or for $7 you can just take a shower. http://www.businessinsider.com/japanese-pod-hotel-rent-rooms-9-hours-2017-8 Back to Top Las Vegas Considers Airport Pot Ad Restrictions Las Vegas area officials are looking at ways to limit marijuana ads at McCarran International Airport, so they don't run afoul of federal regulations. LAS VEGAS (AP) - Officials in Nevada's Clark County are grappling with how to limit advertisements for marijuana at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport. County commissioners on Tuesday discussed a proposed ordinance that would ban pot ads at the airport, a move officials have argued would keep the airport in compliance with federal law. But the ordinance's language raised some concerns as it could be applied to taxis and other vehicles with advertisements that go through the airport. "We want to do something that can be enforced," commissioner Jim Gibson said. "Something that, first off, our community can support. Then something that does not strip the operational capacity of the airport." Dozens of retailers in Nevada began selling marijuana for recreational purposes on July 1. Adults can only consume the drug at private homes as lighting up in public remains illegal. Billboards for dispensaries can be found along freeways in Las Vegas, where advertisements for liquor, strip clubs, escort services and injury attorneys abound. But the start of recreational marijuana sales has prompted airports to fine-tune existing policy to remain in compliance with the federal government, which regulates the secure areas of airports and bans possessing marijuana. Commissioners and the head of the county's aviation department on Tuesday agreed that no ads for the drug should be placed on airport property. But officials moved to hold the issue and asked the district attorney's office and the aviation department to refine the ordinance's language. Clark County aviation department director Rosemary Vassiliadis said the airport has previously allowed onto its property taxis bearing ads for medical marijuana, which went on sale in Nevada in 2015. She said the practice has not attracted scrutiny from the federal government. "We have to be realistic about this," Vassiliadis said. "We never had in mind to monitor 'this cab can come here, this cab cannot.' That's not realistic." https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/nevada/articles/2017-08-02/officials-grapple- with-limiting-pot-ads-at-las-vegas-airport Back to Top Uniqlo's new airport vending machines are selling the warm clothes you forgot to pack Uniqlo To Go As convenient as grabbing a candy bar. (Uniqlo) Heattech tops and UltraLight down jackets are two of Uniqlo's big sellers, items that represent the brand's style of simple but highly functional clothes. And now they'll be sold in one of retail's simplest and most functional of venues: vending machines. The first Uniqlo To Go machine goes live today (Aug. 2) at the Oakland International Airport in California, and Uniqlo will roll out nine more of the machines, at airports and shopping malls around the US, this month. Confirmed locations so far include Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles (Aug. 10), Houston Airport (Aug. 17), and Queens Center in New York (Aug. 22). Other locations will be announced soon, the company says. The machines will have a variety of colors and styles for women and men, changing with the seasons and local customer needs, and dispensed upon purchase in small boxes or canisters. The airport locations are especially fitting for the brand's signature thermals and jackets, which are designed to be thin but warm and easily packable. The amount Uniqlo can generate in sales from the machines won't be much compared to the $17 billion it earned last year, even if airport vending machines, much like those small kiosks in malls, can be surprisingly profitable. Best Buy's airport vending machines, which let you buy items like Beats by Dre headphones, are worth "tens of millions of dollars annually" in sales, according to a statement by Best Buy's attorney in a 2015 bankruptcy case involving ZoomSystems, the company that managed the machines. Uniqlo's vending machines, as the Wall Street Journal reported (paywall), are more of an experiment, offering a cheap, efficient way to introduce the brand and its down jackets ($69.90 in the vending machines) and Heattech tops ($14.90) to a new audience. Uniqlo To Go Packaged for the vending machine. (Uniqlo) They can also give Uniqlo insight on US consumers, which Uniqlo has been trying to reach-not always successfully-for years. In urban centers such as New York, the brand has found a firm foothold, but it has struggled to get traction in suburban malls. Still, it remains committed to growing in the US, which will be necessary if it wants to achieve its goal of becoming the world's biggest clothing retailer. Currently it's the third largest, behind H&M and Zara. https://qz.com/1044772/uniqlos-airport-vending-machines-sell-its-ultralight-down- jackets-and-heattech-tops/ Back to Top Boeing and JAXA to Flight-test Technology to Improve Safety SEATTLE, Aug. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will flight-test Long-range Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology next year. This remote-sensing technology could help commercial airplane pilots better detect and avoid weather disturbances to improve flight safety. Boeing and JAXA have been collaborating on the integration of LIDAR technology into a commercial airplane platform since 2010. The JAXA LIDAR technology offers the potential to accurately measure winds as much as 17.5 kilometers in front of airplanes and provide pilots with sufficient time to take appropriate action to avoid wind shear and clear air turbulence, which does not have any visual cues such as clouds. "Boeing is very pleased with the collaborative relationship we have had with JAXA," said Naveed Hussain, Boeing Research & Technology vice president, Aeromechanics Technology. "We look forward to demonstrating the benefits of LIDAR technology, which offers significant opportunities for aircraft safety and performance." This next phase of the JAXA-Boeing LIDAR research collaboration is possible thanks to Boeing's ecoDemonstrator flight-test research program. In 2018, Boeing and FedEx Express will work together for six weeks to flight-test more than 30 technologies including LIDAR aboard a new FedEx-owned 777 Freighter. FedEx and Boeing are committed to reducing the environmental impact of their products and advancing technology that will improve performance. "Boeing's ecoDemonstrator flight-test programs accelerate innovation that enhances the safety and efficiency of commercial flight," said Doug Christensen, ecoDemonstrator program manager. "We're eager to continue working with JAXA so that we can both learn more about LIDAR technology." The flight demonstration of LIDAR technology will involve emitting pulses of laser light, which will scatter off of small dust and other particulates. Observing the reflected light in segments from the start, the pulse provides measurement of the wind speed at increments all along the direction of the laser. "We are very pleased to take part in Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program. The onboard clear-air turbulence detection system to be tested in the program next year was established by JAXA as part of our SafeAvio R&D project on avionics safety technology to prevent turbulence-induced aircraft accidents," said Fumikazu Itoh, director general, JAXA Aeronautical Technology Directorate. "Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program provides us with valuable opportunity to evaluate our system's capability on large commercial aircraft, which will help accelerate practical implementation of our system in a real environment." Since 2012, the ecoDemonstrator program has used a series of flying testbeds to develop and test aviation technologies that enhance safety and environmental performance. The Boeing ecoDemonstrator program plays a key role in the company's environmental strategy by using flight testing to accelerate new technologies that can reduce emissions and noise, improve airlines' gate-to-gate efficiency and help meet other environmental goals. http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Boeing-and-JAXA-to-Flight-test- Technology-to-Improve-Safety-1002225773 Back to Top WASP Pilot honored at Penn Yan gathering Naomi Wadsworth, left, welcomes World War II WASP Dawn Seymour to the Penn Yan Airport for Seymour's 100th birthday this spring. John Christensen When a group of women pilots gathered here this spring, they celebrated Dawn Seymour's 100th birthday. Seymour, who died July 18, was one of a small group of women trained to fly the four-engineer B-17 bomber. The Finger Lakes, N.Y. and New Jersey Chapters of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, met at Penn Yan Airport this spring for a presentation by a female pilot who flew an original D-Day troop carrier plane back across the Atlantic to Normandy, France in 2014 to participate in the 70th anniversary of the Allied Invasion. Naomi Wadsworth, of the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, was one of the team of pilots, engineers, technicians, and enthusiasts who helped obtain and restore "Whiskey 7" a C-47 cargo plane that flew paratroopers into France on D-Day, the beginning of the Allied liberation of France from Nazi Germany in World War II. Donated by a man in Plattsburg, Whisky 7 had had a long and tiring career before coming to the National Warplane Museum. The museum made the decision to restore the plane to its original condition and make it a flying education unit. Wadsworth's stories of preparing Whisky 7 and her crew for the arduous flight back to Normandy (via Maine, Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, England, and Germany) captivated the audience by her accounts of international helpfulness and good fortune more than misadventure. One of the audience was also warmly welcomed. Dawn Seymour, of South Bristol, who in 1939 was the first female accepted into the Civilian Pilot Training Program at Cornell University, and was one of the 1,102 women who served as WASP during World War II. She was among a small number of WASP who completed training on the four-engine B-17 bomber. On top of gathering to hear Wadsworth speak, the Ninety-Nines were celebrating Seymour's 100th birthday. "There were two motivations of the WASPs," Mrs. Seymour said in a 2015 interview, "To serve our country and to help win the war. The closer I got to the action, the better I felt." The WASPs covered 60 million miles of operation flights in 78 different types of military aircraft. Throughout her lifetime, Mrs. Seymour worked to preserve and honor the legacy of the WASP. After the war she threw her energy into numerous projects, including establishing a WASP endowment fund, arranging for WASP bronze plaques and dedications, managing the generation and placement of WASP memorials, and motivating people of all ages through talks and presentations. Responding to her campaign, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Jacqueline Cochran, one of the most gifted pilots of her generation who founded the WASP and pinned on Seymour's WASP silver wings in 1943. Seymour was elected the first president of WASP World War II Inc. in 1982, later writing a booklet honoring the 38 WASP who died in service. Seymour was a central figure in national ceremonies honoring the WASP in 2010, including a wreath-laying at the Air Force Memorial to honor those 38 fallen WASPs. In that same year, Seymour received the Congressional Gold Medal - the nation's highest civilian award - for her wartime service. Recently, Seymour was among the female aviators honored during the National Warplane Museum Air Show in Geneseo July 14-16. During the air show, Seymour was once again thrilled to take to the skies in the last flight of her remarkable life. She died peacefully just two days later, July 18, at her Canandaigua Lake home. A memorial service to celebrate her life was held Monday, July 24 at Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National WASP WWII Museum, P.O. Box 456, Sweetwater, TX 79556. Condolences may be offered at www.johnsonkennedy.com. The Ninety-Nines Inc., is an international organization of licensed women pilots from 35 countries. Today, Ninety-Nines are professional pilots for airlines, industry and government; pilots who teach and pilots who fly for pleasure, who are technicians and mechanics; but first and foremost, to quote Amelia Earhart, "fly for the fun of it!" http://www.chronicle-express.com/news/20170803/wasp-pilot-honored-at-penn-yan- gathering Back to Top Qatar Airways ends bid to buy stake in American Airlines A new Qatar Airways Airbus A350 approaches the gate Jan. 15, 2015, at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo: Michael Probst, AP) Qatar Airways will drop its bid to acquire a stake in American Airlines, saying on Wednesday that its plan to buy as much as 10% in the USA's biggest airline "no longer meets our objectives." The Doha-based airline revealed its change of plans in a statement released Wednesday morning. "Qatar Airways has taken the decision not to proceed with its proposed passive financial investment in American Airlines," Qatar Airways said in a statement e-mailed to USA TODAY. "Further review of the proposed financial investment, taking into account the latest public disclosure of American Airlines, has demonstrated that the investment no longer meets our objectives. Qatar Airways will continue to investigate alternative investment opportunities in the United States of America and elsewhere that do meet our objectives," the carrier added. "We respect Qatar Airways' decision not to proceed with its proposed investment in American Airlines. This in no way changes the course for American. Our 120,000 team members remain energized and focused on taking care of those who entrust us with their travel needs. We couldn't be more excited to keep our focus on that mission." A spokeswoman for the public relations firm representing the airline in the United States said there would be no elaboration on exactly what Qatar Airways was referencing as "the latest public disclosure of American Airlines." But it comes as American CEO Doug Parker has consistently and publicly spoken out against Qatar Airways' efforts to buy a stake in his company, labeling it a "puzzling" decision. American, Delta and United also have jointly alleged that Qatar Airways -- along with fellow Persian Gulf airlines Etihad and Emirates -- receive unfair subsidies. Using that as a rallying cry, the U.S. carriers have been lobbying the U.S. government to restrict their rivals' flight rights to the United States. All three of the Gulf carriers have vigorously denied the allegations of unfair subsidies. "(We) aren't particularly excited about Qatar's outreach, and we find it puzzling given our extremely public stance on the illegal subsidies that Qatar, Emirates and Etihad have all received over the years from their governments," Parker said in June after Qatar Airways' investment intentions became known. Parker reiterated that line of thought in recent days, including during an interview with CNBC in which he said American and its U.S. counterparts would "do everything we can to stop them from being able to expand into our markets and take away American jobs." Also since Qatar Airways' announced its intention to buy a stake in American, the Dallas- based carrier also has moved to end its passenger-sharing codeshare pact with both Qatar Airways and Etihad. "Given the extremely strong public stance that American has taken on the ME3 (a reference to the three Middle East airlines) issue, we have reached the conclusion that the codesharing relationships between American and these carriers no longer make sense for us," American said in June statement revealing its plan to terminate the deals. Despite that, however, American's existing frequent-flier partnerships will remain in place with both Qatar Airways and Etihad. Qatar Airways belongs to the oneworld frequent-flier group, which counts American as a founding member. American also has a separate pact with Etihad that allows customers to earn or redeem American miles on some Etihad Airways flights. As for American, it acknowledged Qatar Airways' reversal, but said it would not alter the company's trajectory. "We respect Qatar Airways' decision not to proceed with its proposed investment in American Airlines," American spokesman Matt Miller said. "This in no way changes the course for American. Our 120,000 team members remain energized and focused on taking care of those who entrust us with their travel needs. We couldn't be more excited to keep our focus on that mission." https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/08/02/qatar-airways- ends-bid-buy-stake-american-airlines/532712001/ Back to Top New generation of giant rockets gets set to blast off A Falcon 9 Space X rocket recently completed its 10th mission - carrying a communications satellite. (Craig Bailey/AP) Years in the works and the product of hundreds of millions of dollars of investments, a new generation of huge rockets will soon take off. It's been 44 years since the mighty Saturn V last thundered skyward from a launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The towering rocket, generating enough power to lift 269,000 pounds into orbit, had been the workhorse of the Apollo moon missions. In November, SpaceX plans to launch its most powerful rocket yet from the same pad. The long-awaited Falcon Heavy is key to the California company's plans to get more defense business, send tourists around the moon and launch its first unmanned mission to Mars. But unlike the Saturn V, the Falcon Heavy will have plenty of competition. Years in the works and the product of hundreds of millions of dollars of investments, a new generation of huge rockets will soon take off. Their manufacturers range from space startups to aerospace giants to the space agencies of the United States, Russia and China. Because of advances in fuel, materials and electronics, the new rockets, while smaller than some of the Space Age beasts, may be more efficient and cost-effective. They will be able to hoist big spy satellites to a high orbit or ferry crews into space. The rush of new rockets has prompted some to question whether NASA even needs to build its own massive new space vehicle - and whether there will be enough launch business to go around. After years of a monopoly, the lucrative business of launching sensitive national- security satellites is now competitive. But at the same time, the launch demand for large satellites is not expected to change. And in the case of SpaceX, the workhorse Falcon 9 rocket - which recently completed its 10th mission of the year - has been upgraded to the point where it can handle heavier loads than originally expected. Whereas SpaceX first thought that it would fly the same numbers of Falcon 9s as Falcon Heavys, it is turning out that Falcon 9s will have two to three times as many commercial missions. The company's May launch of the Inmarsat-5 F4 satellite on a Falcon 9 was originally slated for a Falcon Heavy. "There is a part of the commercial market that requires Falcon Heavy," said Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX. "It's there, and it's going to be consistent, but it's much smaller than we thought." SpaceX says the price of a Falcon Heavy launch will be at least $90 million, versus $62 million for its Falcon 9. That hasn't deterred rocket makers. Last year, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos announced a plan for a heavy-lift rocket called New Glenn to be built by his Kent-based space firm, Blue Origin. The rocket, which will have two-stage and three-stage versions, was designed to launch commercial satellites and to take humans into space. United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, has proposed a new rocket called the Vulcan, which would eventually replace its current intermediate- and heavy-lift vehicles. Orbital ATK, a commercial aerospace firm in Dulles, Va., intends to expand its lineup with its first intermediate and heavy-lift rockets, known for now as the Next Generation Launcher (NGL). Europe's Arianespace already can use its Ariane 5 heavy launcher to take two large satellites into space. The U.S. government and its contractors have a long history of developing large rockets. That includes the Saturn V, the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown successfully, and ULA's Delta IV Heavy, the most powerful rocket currently used by the Air Force to carry national-security satellites to orbit. The heavy-lift launchers of tomorrow would take advantage of key developments in composite materials, electronics and other technologies. The first-stage booster of ULA's proposed Vulcan rocket, for example, could be powered by BE-4 engines under development by Blue Origin that run on oxygen-rich staged combustion of liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen. Those engines will also be used in Blue Origin's New Glenn heavy-lift rocket. Not all the technology is cutting edge. The core stage of NASA's Space Launch System vehicle will use four RS-25 engines - relics from the space-shuttle program that are being retrofitted with new controllers that are smarter and lighter than past computers. NASA already had 14 engines that had flown on the space shuttle and enough material to make two new engines, said Jim Paulsen, vice president of NASA programs at Aerojet Rocketdyne, which makes the engines. The company will perform tests on the engines to make sure that everything is running properly before being tested as a core stage. Reusing parts after launch has changed the conversation about rocket economics, and it could be a factor in knocking down prices of the big rockets too, if there is enough demand. Both Blue Origin and SpaceX designed their first-stage boosters to be able to land after launch. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said the Falcon Heavy will attempt to land its two side boosters - which on its demonstration flight will be reused first stages from previous missions - as well as its center core booster in a kind of "synchronized aerial ballet." Shotwell, the SpaceX president, said the company is working to see if it can bring the side boosters back to land, which would require overhauling its landing zone at Cape Canaveral. SpaceX may also need to build more drone ships if the company chooses to land the side boosters at sea, she said. SpaceX's success two years ago in challenging ULA's monopoly on military launches may have emboldened new challengers to try to compete for the limited number of military and other national-security launches. Orbital ATK plans to compete with its proposed NGL intermediate- and heavy-lift rockets in future Air Force launches. So far, the company has passed design reviews and is working toward a static fire of its four-segment heavy-lift booster in about 2022. The company expects that rocket to be operational in 2024. Orbital ATK sees NGL as a natural progression from its smaller rockets, such as Pegasus and Antares. Antares delivers supplies for NASA to the International Space Station. Orbital ATK and the Air Force together are investing more than $200 million to develop the launch system. SpaceX also plans to seek certification from the Air Force for its Falcon Heavy for national security launches. After a demonstration flight later this year, the Falcon Heavy's first customer launch will be for the Air Force. NASA has embarked on a likely decades-long, multibillion-dollar program to develop the SLS rocket, the Orion crew capsule and its associated launch facilities. The smallest version of the rocket is set to make its first, unmanned flight in 2019 when it journeys to a distant retrograde orbit around the moon. The larger, 365-foot version of the rocket is expected to make its first flight in 2028 or 2029. http://www.seattletimes.com/business/new-generation-of-giant-rockets-gets-set-to- blast-off/ Back to Top NASA Launched Voyager Crafts Nearly 40 Years Ago, They're Still Transmitting Data NASA's Voyager spacecraft 1 and 2 are billions of miles away from Earth and getting further away by the second -- all the while returning information back to us. They're the longest-lived spacecraft NASA has and are coming up on their 40-year anniversaries of operation. Not only have the crafts broken the record for longest missions but they've also set space exploration milestones. The Voyager 1 was the first craft to enter interstellar space, which it reached in 2012, 35 years after its initial launch. And the Voyager 2 is the only craft to have flown by the outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, according to NASA. One of the Voyagers can be seen in this photo from April, 1977, just a few months before it launched to space. Photo: NASA The spacecraft are equipped with decades old technology but that doesn't stop them from making observations. They're so far out in space that they're pushing the limits of the sun's sphere of influence. Something a craft has never done before. The two are in search of the heliopause boundary in addition to the outer limits of the sun's magnetic field and the outward flow of solar wind, according to NASA. Once the craft achieve this the two will be able to measure the interstellar fields, particles and waves without the solar wind playing a part. The Voyager 1 craft already found that the cosmic rays in interstellar space are four times more abundant there than they are closer to Earth meaning the heliosphere helps shield everything within it like the planets of the solar system, from radiation. It's traveled almost 13 billion miles from Earth since its Aug 20, 1977, launch. Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 and this is an image taken by it. Photo: Quora Voyager 2 has yet to reach interstellar space as it's only about 10.5 billion miles away from Earth, but once it does reach interstellar space it will be in a different part of that space than its counterpart. This will allow researchers to compare what each craft finds and determine the variations in interstellar space. Anyone can track the two craft and watch the miles tick away as they travel further and further from Earth. They've been able to travel so far because they each have three radioisotope thermoelectric generators on board. These essentially use heat emitted by decaying plutonium-238 for energy. Even though the crafts were built in the 1970s they were built to last with systems that can adjust when necessary. The Voyager 1 launched on top of the Titan/Centaur-6 from Kennedy Space Center in 1977. Photo: NASA But the longer the crafts are in space the more the power decreases to run all of the instruments on board that measure the charge of particles, magnetic fields, radio waves and solar wind plasma. To best guide the craft and run them as efficiently as possible current engineers work with those who helped build the craft back in the 70s. The craft are estimated to go silent, or be turned off, before 2030 after a long career relaying information on deep space to researchers. https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-launched-voyager-crafts-nearly-172458407.html Back to Top NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER EXCLUSIVELY FROM CURT LEWIS AVIATION BOOKS Finally, the definitive book on the Titanic of aviation accidents, a state-of-the-art jet that couldn't stall until it did and took the lives of 228 Air France passengers and crew. Based on exclusive interviews with the aircraft's manufacturer, the airline, flight crews, families of the pilots, accident investigators and the Woods Hole led team that recovered the missing jet from the bottom of the South Atlantic, Angle of Attack reveals why airlines and regulators everywhere must respond now to critical lessons from this legendary event. Autographed first edition copies available from Curt Lewis Aviation Books at http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/angle-of-attack Buy the book and the movie it inspired, Pilot Error, and save $6 http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/book-and-dvd Meet co-author Shem Malmquist at the Beyond Risk Management booth during the ISASI annual seminar in San Diego August 22-24. A 777 Captain and veteran accident investigator, he presents with John Thomas on August 24 at 11:30 a.m. Malmquist will also be at Quinn's Ale House at the convention venue, the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina from 5:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. on August 23. For more details contact the author at spmalmquist@outlook.com or phone 901 302- 0779. Co-author Roger Rapoport is a Flight Safety Information contributing editor who conducted over 300 interviews around the world for this book. He is the author of Citizen Moore and has written for Harper's, the Atlantic, Esquire, the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and the London Independent. WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANGLE OF ATTACK "We owe Rapoport and Malmquist a great debt of gratitude. Read every word." -Dr. Gary Helmer, Embry Riddle University "A great resource for aeronautical professionals ... exposes the failed defenses that can reside at each layer of the aviation system. A must-read for anyone with an interest in aviation accident investigation and aviation safety." -Dr. Chris Johnson, Director of Aviation Education and Research, Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison "A must-read for professional pilots, aircraft designers, government regulators and political decision makers." -Gregory Fox, Director of Safety, Florida Institute of Technology, ATPL pilot, safety manager since 1971, 35 years safety regulator, and 20 years check inspector on A320 and A340. "Angle of Attack sheds light for the novice and expert alike. Their subject matter expertise is admirable. They have used the Air France 447 crash and other crashes of automated airplanes as examples of accidents that might have been prevented if the crews had access to realistic training to prepare them for those rare events and if their aircraft had been equipped with angle of attack indicators." -Captain Elaine M. Parker, Beyond Risk Management "For the very first time the full story of Air France 447, one of the most significant events in aviation history, is revealed thanks to eight years of painstaking research." -John Darbo, Argus Inernational, former American Airlines manager of internal evaluation and event investigation "You don't have to be a pilot to find this book moving and absorbing." - Adam Hochschild, Author of Spain in Our Hearts and King Leopold's Ghost "This book proves conclusively that education by meteorologists is the key to fundamental understanding of the impact weather has on the elements of the aviation arena." - Debbie Schaum Embry-Riddle University "A masterful work that was hard to put down." -Captain Shawn Pruchnicki Ohio State University for Aviation Studies 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?" All up to date information including the link for registration and hotel reservations can be found at www.isasi.org. Dates to Remember Early Registration rate cut off is midnight July 5, 2017 PDT Seminar rate at the hotel will end on July 27. After that date there will be no guarantee that rooms will be available. We look forward to seeing many of you in San Diego Curt Lewis