Flight Safety Information September 28, 2017 - No. 194 In This Issue Incident: Canada B763 near Toronto on Sep 15th 2017, electrical burning odour in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Delta B739 at Salt Lake City and Orlando on Sep 26th 2017, bird strike Incident: Etihad B772 near Kuwait on Sep 27th 2017, captain incapacitated and died Airbus A320, sustained damage to engine contacting a tow truck (Dublin) Essential hurricane tracking jet failed 3 times in last 8 days Helicopter has hard landing at Fullerton Airport, authorities say, with no one injured FAA investigating laser lights flashed at Sea-Tac pilots Etihad names ex-airports head as new chief executive CHC, Leonardo & SKYTRAC Cooperate for Global Real-Time In Flight Safety Data Transfer Healthcare Can Learn From the Aviation Industry About Safety Singapore's President Urges Local Airlines to Continue Improving Rolls-Royce manager presented with Whittle Safety Award Sinclair to help train pilots for PSA airlines with new cadet program Cirrus ramps up Vision Jet production China's COMAC says C919 jet completes second test flight Delta adds free messaging to its WiFi-enabled flights Fireside Partners Launches Tactical Emergency Response Plan - Learn more at NBAA 2017! CAAi and Kuwait DGCA Sign Aviation Oversight MoU LIÇÕES APRENDIDAS COM O AIR FRANCE 447...(LESSONS LEARNED WITH AIR FRANCE 447) ERAU-ICAEA Conference on Aviation English - May 9-11, 2018 NASA and Russia agree to work together on Moon space station GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Canada B763 near Toronto on Sep 15th 2017, electrical burning odour in cabin An Air Canada Boeing 767-300, registration C-FCAG performing flight AC-135 from Toronto,ON to Calgary,AB (Canada) with 210 passengers and 8 crew, was climbing through 10,000 feet out of Toronto when a flight attendant noticed an electrical burning odour in the cabin and informed the flight deck. The flight crew declared PAN and returned the aircraft to Toronto for a safe landing on runway 23 about 20 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 787-900 registration C-FRSA reached Calgary with a delay of 3.5 hours. The Canadian TSB reported that "that the overhead light ballast between rows 13 and 14 was showing signs of overheating. The ballast was replaced as per AMM 33-21-00 and after a check flight, no further odors were detected." http://avherald.com/h?article=4aef4dd3&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Delta B739 at Salt Lake City and Orlando on Sep 26th 2017, bird strike A Delta Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N863DN performing flight DL-507 from Salt Lake City,UT to Orlando,FL (USA), departed Salt Lake City's runway 17 and completed what appeared to be an uneventful flight with a safe landing on Orlando's runway 36L. The FAA reported about 10 minutes after landing the crew reported a possible bird strike causing damage to the left horizontal stabilizer's leading edge. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aef2bad&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Etihad B772 near Kuwait on Sep 27th 2017, captain incapacitated and died An Etihad Airways Boeing 777-200 freighter, registration A6-DDE performing freight flight EY-927 from Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 4 crew, was enroute at FL320 about 130nm southeast of Kuwait City (Kuwait) when the captain, who had increasingly felt unwell, became incapacitated prompting the first officer to declare Mayday and divert the aircraft to Kuwait, where the aircraft landed safely about 25 minutes later. Medics awaiting the aircraft could not help the captain anymore, who needed to be pronounced dead on arrival. The airline reported they are deeply saddened to report the passing of their captain. http://avherald.com/h?article=4aef1ff3&opt=0 Back to Top Airbus A320, sustained damage to engine contacting a tow truck (Dublin) Date: 27-SEP-2017 Time: 17:27 UTC Type: Airbus A320-216 (WL) Owner/operator: Iberia Express Registration: EC-LVQ C/n / msn: 5590 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW) - Ireland Phase: Taxi Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Dublin Airport (DUB/EIDW) Destination airport: Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD/LEMD) Narrative: Iberia Express flight 3791, an Airbus A320-216, sustained damage to the no.2 engine air inlet cowl after contacting a tow truck. The aircraft had just been pushed back from the gate at Dublin Airport, Ireland when the incident occurred. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=199998 Back to Top Essential hurricane tracking jet failed 3 times in last 8 days An essential hurricane tracking jet has repeatedly experienced technical issues, preventing it from completing crucial fact finding missions, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The information gathered by the gulfstream jet improves hurricane track forecasts by about 20 percent on average, NOAA said. The system failure of the jet is of special concern to researchers and lawmakers, because there is no backup airliner. The jet most recently encountered issues while flying through Hurricane Maria. "NOAA's G-IV aircraft experienced a problem with the fuel ignition system on one of its two jet engines, resulting in the cancellation of a hurricane surveillance mission set for 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, "NOAA wrote in a statement to ABC News. On Sept. 25, the seal on the cabin door failed -- a repeat of an earlier incident that occurred during a flight through Hurricane Jose, as reported by the Washington Post. "The G-IV crew detected a sound indicating a leak in the main cabin door seal, a repeat of an earlier issue thought to have been successfully repaired," the statement detailed, adding, "the crew immediately ended the mission." The sole aircraft collects data for hurricane forecasts and is a much needed resource in the thick of the most serious month for hurricanes ever recorded. In the last eight days, three flights were terminated. NOAA claims it's a common wear-and-tear issue with pressurization, but it is not clear yet why the failures occurred in such quick succession. Since Monday, the vital jet hasn't been in service. http://abcnews.go.com/US/essential-hurricane-tracking-jet-fails-times-days/story?id=50141402 Back to Top Helicopter has hard landing at Fullerton Airport, authorities say, with no one injured FULLERTON - A practice maneuver went awry Wednesday morning and led to a helicopter's hard landing at Fullerton Airport, which prompted emergency personnel to respond but no one was hurt, authorities said. Two pilots with 30-years experience crash land their helicopter near Orange County Fire Authority's headquarters at Fullerton Municipal Airport while doing an annual training exercise Wednesday in Fullerton on Wednesday. An experienced pilot, accompanied by another pilot who is a training instructor, was attempting a maneuver at 10 a.m. in which the helicopter's hydraulic system is shut off while it hovers 3-feet off of the ground, said Kathy Schaefer, a division chief for the Fullerton and Brea fire departments. The helicopter started spinning and the training pilot, who has 30 years of years of experience, took over the controls, shut the helicopter's engine off and landed on the runway. The pilot who was originally behind the control was undergoing annual training. A small amount of fuel leaked from the Long Beach-based helicopter following the hard landing. The impact sheared off the helicopter's tail. A check of the helicopter's tail number with flightaware.com shows the aircraft was owned by the U.S. Department of Justice in Fort Worth, Texas in 2006. Chaparral Air Group, based in Grapevine, Texas took ownership of the helicopter in 2011, according to the website. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident, Schaefer said. http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/27/helicopter-crash-reported-at-fullerton-airport/ Back to Top FAA investigating laser lights flashed at Sea-Tac pilots An FAA simulation of a green laser pointed at an airplane cockpit. SEATAC, Wash. - The FAA is investigating two separate incidences of lasers being flashed at Sea- Tac pilots. Two pilots reported the green lasers during arrival flights Wednesday evening. Both pilots were able to land their flights despite the flashes. And officials say nobody was injured from the flashes. The FAA is investigating the origin of the lasers. http://komonews.com/news/local/faa-investigating-lazer-lights-flashed-at-seatac-pilots Back to Top Etihad names ex-airports head as new chief executive Etihad Aviation Group has named former London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi airports head Tony Douglas as the company's new chief executive. Douglas succeeds interim postholder Ray Gammell who, in turn, had taken over temporarily from former chief James Hogan. Etihad Aviation Group - which includes operator Etihad Airways - has confirmed the appointment, stating that Douglas will join the company from the UK's ministry of defence in January next year. Douglas's career has included holding senior roles at former Heathrow operator BAA as well as engineering and construction firm Laing O'Rourke. He oversaw the development of Heathrow's Terminal 5 as project director and his aviation experience includes serving as chief of Abu Dhabi Airports Company and Abu Dhabi Ports Company. Gammell will return to his previous position as group chief people and performance officer. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top CHC, Leonardo & SKYTRAC Cooperate for Global Real-Time In Flight Safety Data Transfer September 27, 2017 - CHC Helicopter, in collaboration with Leonardo and SKYTRAC, have successfully completed testing of a real-time Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) and cockpit Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solution on an AW139 helicopter. An industry first, the technology includes inflight HUMS analysis with real-time air-to-ground exceedance alerts and automated downloads to Leonardo's HeliWise analysis software. Live weather and Marine AIS feeds to the cockpit are included for increased situational awareness to the crews, ensuring that their decision-making is based on the very latest information. The system also permits immediate and automatic download of Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) data whenever the aircraft comes into range of a company secured Wi-Fi hotspot at home base. Data can be seamlessly and securely uploaded into the system used by the FDM analysts, saving valuable time and eliminating manual transfer of this safety-critical data. "CHC's core focus is on safety and efficiency. This technology will help detect HUMS exceedances early while speeding up the analysis process. In addition, the SKYTRAC EFB application monitors live weather and marine traffic inflight. This will help pilots easily identify changes to potentially unsafe flight conditions (such as those related to thunderstorms and lightning activity) and take alternative measures in a more measured fashion," said Dave Balevic, CHC's senior vice president, engineering and operations. "Leonardo is pleased to be part of this innovative AW139 project with CHC and SKYTRAC. Today more than ever, the industry is looking for a practical and flexible solution for real-time HUMS and automated wireless post-flight downloads to satisfy the need of a timely access to HUMS data. This important achievement will help CHC to fully streamline their AW139s' HUMS data download and processing to reduce aircraft AOGs and to increase aircraft continuous airworthiness," said Leonardo Helicopters Head of PSE & Licenses, Maurizio D'Angelo. "SKYTRAC is proud to have our real-time data transfer technology successfully demonstrated by CHC and Leonardo. We understand the challenges faced by global Oil & Gas operators. We offer a lightweight and minimally intrusive product that is capable of robust onboard data analysis, true pole-to-pole communications coverage and reliable data offloading. For the cockpit component, we've designed a user-friendly EFB application that can be accessed quickly and easily with a standard tablet. It is an all-in-one solution for true real-time awareness," said SKYTRAC VP Sales Jan van der Heul. ABOUT CHC For 70 years, CHC Helicopter has provided safe, reliable, cost-effective helicopter service in some of the most remote and challenging environments around the world. With extensive experience transporting customers in the oil and gas industry, supporting search-and-rescue and EMS contracts, and providing maintenance, repair and overhaul services, our dedication to safety and reputation for quality and innovation help our customers reach beyond what they thought possible. Visit www.chcheli.com for information. ABOUT LEONARDO Leonardo is among the top ten global players in Aerospace, Defence and Security and Italy's main industrial company. As a single entity from January 2016, organised into seven business divisions (Helicopters; Aircraft; Aero-structures; Airborne & Space Systems; Land & Naval Defence Electronics; Defence Systems; Security & Information Systems), Leonardo operates in the most competitive international markets by leveraging its areas of technology and product leadership. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), at 31 December 2016 Leonardo recorded consolidated revenues of 12 billion Euros and has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the UK, the U.S. and Poland. ABOUT SKYTRAC SKYTRAC is aviation's full-service, data-driven solutions provider. Since 1986, SKYTRAC has pioneered the development, evolution and commercialization of flight following, flight data and communications technology. Today, with systems certified on over 900 airframes and an online data management portal that is the go-to tool for over 6,500 global users, SKYTRAC is truly the partner of choice for data-guided business insights. From performance trending and operations reporting to real-time asset tracking and situational awareness - SKYTRAC offers a one-stop response to meeting more of your company's needs. For more information go to www.skytrac.ca. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12370806/chc-leonardo-skytrac-cooperate-for-global- real-time-in-flight-safety-data-transfer Back to Top Healthcare Can Learn From the Aviation Industry About Safety Patient safety has always been a major issue in healthcare, and the call for more concrete solutions became louder after medical errors were cited to be the third leading cause of death (if it were to be included in the list of reasons for patient mortality). According to AHRQ's research report, Patient Safety Initiative: Building Foundations, medical error reports state that among several reasons for mistakes in care provision, failures in communication tops the list. Digging deeper down the list, you can discover other causes of errors, such as lack or disrupted flow of information, deficiencies in employee education and training, problematic work flows, and inadequate policies and procedures regarding patient safety. To address medical errors alone, healthcare would need a major overhaul. Looking into how other industries handle safety issues, the healthcare sector, which is supposed to be the primary champion of safety, is trailing far behind aviation, military, and nuclear power plants. Healthcare is not even remotely close to decreasing errors as well as these industries. The aviation industry is an excellent blueprint for addressing safety concerns, and it offers invaluable lessons all healthcare organizations can draw from. The airline industry has considerably improved their safety protocols, resulting in significantly decreased passenger mortality despite flying being inherently dangerous, and the number of flights doubling worldwide. Obviously, aviation is doing something right, and we in healthcare need to be active on the learning end if we are really bent on finding solutions to curb patient safety issues. Many may argue that healthcare work flows and practitioners differ greatly from those in aviation, so research in airline safety cannot be entirely applied to healthcare. But the point is not to take the entirety of it, but to establish an excellent foundation and a starting point from which solutions can be developed. Lessons to Learn From the Aviation Industry: Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Training CRM in aviation has addressed major issues in passenger safety. Their solution largely involves communication and teamwork, as well as situational awareness, problem solving, and decision making. Ask any clinician and they would undoubtedly say these are the same things that we currently need to improve in healthcare. Zeroing in on only two aspects of CRM-communication and teamwork-we see that there is a pressing need for a more simplified but efficient collaboration platform that draws learning points from aviation. This platform must be able to bridge process and workflow gaps brought about the hypercomplexity of tasks that perplex the healthcare system. In essence, it is about closing in on perfection while operating in a hypercomplex work environment. What are the qualities of communication and teamwork strategies in aviation that made their flights so safe? They have an efficient system that enables inquiry and feedback traversing all levels of the hierarchy, transparent and closed-loop. Analyzing it further, these are the same deficient factors in communication that led to medical errors in healthcare. Other than CRM, training is an equally important aspect of safety. In the airline industry, the pilot's training is very rigorous and regimented, with many years of simulations, even in teamwork and debriefing. They undergo proficiency evaluations every six months. They train so well that at the slightest smell of trouble, the team is automatically on it full force. They also successfully benefited from breaking down training into core competencies with well-established protocols and were able to change workplace culture to get to the root of it. A combination of these strategies has significantly improved safety and customer satisfaction in aviation. Comparatively, in healthcare, failures in knowledge transfer, especially in onboarding or recruitment of temporary workers, as well as lack of provider training, contributed to medical errors. The lessons that aviation offers can address the same matters. The Bottom Line Human factors that constitute aspects of safety in healthcare need massive improvement. ManageUp understands that to practice in a culture of safety, communication, and training in teams are a must, so we designed a platform using the aviation's safety blueprint and took perspective from managers who are in oversight positions. We now present our solutions as powerful tools that health teams have been clamoring for to improve the safety culture in healthcare organizations. Our collaboration platform is further customized to meet communication needs of organizations that are unique to healthcare alone. ManageUp gives users a role-based dashboard where collaboration can take place with clarity, feedback, and transparency so that medical errors can be substantially minimized. Moreover, the dashboard has additional important features that enable users to access work flows and track other collaborative communication. When it comes to training, one module is exclusively dedicated to knowledge transfer using a set of training procedures. This training program allows users to be self-reliant in honing the core competencies of safety. Now we are taking our solutions one step further to the next level by leveraging the artificial intelligence and virtual reality technology from Psious, a provider of deep experiential continuous training, for employee training and patient education. Together, we push improvements in healthcare by focusing on collaboration and training, to prevent medical errors and to consequently improve patient outcomes. https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Healthcare-Blog/2017/09/Healthcare-Can-Learn-from-the- Aviation-Industry-About-Safety Back to Top Singapore's President Urges Local Airlines to Continue Improving A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 (Photo: Singapore Airlines) Singapore Airlines can trace its origins back to 1947, when Malayan Airways Limited was incorporated by a Great Britain-based transportation company, along with a pair of southeast Asian steamship companies. What would eventually became Malaysian Airways began to grow and prosper. However, in 1972, Singapore Airlines officially split from from the joint Malaysia-Singapore Airlines and began to flourish. Over the next 40 years, it came to be one of the most well-known and highly-acclaimed airlines in the world. On Tuesday, the President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob, urged the nation's airlines, among them Singapore Airlines, to continue to improve and grow in order to gain more of the global aviation market. "Even as we are improving in Singapore, other countries are also improving, so we cannot be complacent," Yacob told the Straits Times Tuesday. Yacob also expressed to the Times the importance of the industry in Singapore, one that has been growing at a very fast pace since its inception. "The aviation sector is very much part of the larger economy here, and it creates good jobs," she said. With four airlines based in Singapore - Singapore Airlines, and its cargo subsidiary, Jetstar Asia Airways, Silk Air, and Scoot - the small country's market has a lot of potential for international growth. The three latter continue to be a force in Asia, especially in the southeast, as they provide relatively cheap fares to passengers across the region. And despite heavy competition from airlines in nearby Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, among other nations, the carriers continue to thrive. Singapore Airlines, however, is in a completely different space competitively and developmentally. Along with Silk Air, it is the only of the group founded in the 1900s, and the airline currently serves destinations as far away as San Francisco. At one point the airline operated the longest flight in the world to New Jersey's Newark Airport, but that flight stopped operating when the airline retired its last Airbus A340. And with Singapore Changi's Airport Terminal 4 set to open by the end of next month, the country's aviation market is poised for growth. The terminal was built as just one element of the larger concept "Fast And Seamless Travel at Changi," which aims to provide customers with just that, whether they are originating, terminating, or connecting in Singapore. The terminal, with floor space of over 2 million square feet, is slated to be able to fit 21 aircraft - four wide-bodies and 17 narrow-bodies. Five airlines, none of which are based in Singapore, will be utilizing the terminal beginning Oct. 31. Four more will join about a week later. The shuffling around of other airlines will likely result in the freeing up of space for various other carriers, including Singapore Airlines and others. With an ever-growing fleet which currently totals 110 aircraft with 86 more on order. Additionally, as one of the few airlines in the world with an all-wide-body fleet, the airline will have the opportunity to grow its route network to destinations across the globe, with the only limiting factor being whether they can fill those larger aircraft types. Given the airline's full-year operating profit of 623 million SGD ($460 million) in 2016, its method has already proven its potential for further success. https://airlinegeeks.com/2017/09/27/singapores-president-urges-local-airlines-to-continue- improving/ Back to Top Rolls-Royce manager presented with Whittle Safety Award The International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) has honored Mike Gamlin, manager of air safety investigation at Rolls-Royce PLC, with the Sir Frank Whittle Safety Award. Two men stand with plaque at award ceremonyMike Gamlin receives the Sir Frank Whittle Safety Award. International Federation of Airworthiness Photo The award was presented Sept. 20 at the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) headquarters in Farnborough and recognizes outstanding contributions that advance the safety of aviation. At the presentation, Gamlin said: "I'm humbled to receive this prestigious award from the federation." Crispin Orr, chief inspector at the AAIB, and many of his staff, were present at the event. "I'm so pleased to present this award to Mike Gamlin at the U.K. AAIB for his long-standing contribution to aviation safety," said IFA chief executive John Vincent. "This award is granted in recognition of Mike's dedication to ensuring the effective investigation of aircraft accidents across the globe. Mike is trusted and well respected throughout the international aviation community." The IFA board unanimously agreed that with a career of over 42 years at Rolls-Royce, the majority of which has been in an accident investigation role, Gamlin has provided a level of technical leadership and is recognized and appreciated around the world. He is responsible for leading, directing and coordinating the support of state-led safety related investigations of events, incidents and accidents involving Rolls-Royce civil and military products and systems. IFA member Cranfield University, in their nomination, highlighted Gamlin's integrity, focused on transparent, evidence-based and unbiased investigation techniques delivering continuous improvement to Rolls-Royce products. Gamlin and his team have built an extensive network of relationships with key international safety investigation agencies, aircraft and engine manufacturers. They are said to be trusted and respected by their peers at all levels across the global accident investigation community. This contributes to the effectiveness of the accident investigation process and thus the safety of the traveling public. The award citation reads: "In recognition of his contribution to aviation safety over more than four decades. In particular, the extensive work ensuring the effectiveness of accident investigation across the globe. He is trusted and well respected across the global aviation community." https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/rolls-royce-manager-presented-whittle-safety-award/ Back to Top Sinclair to help train pilots for PSA airlines with new cadet program A national pilots shortage has created keen competition for new pilots. Dayton-based regional air carrier PSA Airlines offers what it calls the "highest first-year pay for qualified pilots." THOMAS GNAU/STAFF Sinclair Community College is working with a Dayton-based airline to create a new pilot training program. The college and Aviation Sales Inc. on Wednesday signed an agreement to create a pilot cadet program with American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines. "It's about aviation being a part of our DNA here in this region and so I'm sure that the Wright Brothers are smiling upon us," Sinclair president Steve Johnson said during an announcement in PSA's hangar at Dayton International Airport against the backdrop of a commercial jet. The pilot cadet program will make graduates of Sinclair's aviation program eligible to be hired as certified flight instructors through ASI to teach at Sinclair and obtain the 1,500 total flight hours required by the Federal Aviation Administration to become a commercial pilot, according to the college. While a cadet in the program, PSA will provide the certified flight instructors tuition reimbursement of $500 at designated intervals of completed flight hours up to $5,000. Upon completion of flight hours, PSA will offer cadets conditional employment as a first officer, according to Sinclair. "This is right in line with our mission and given the fact that aviation is a priority in our college this is absolutely perfect," Johnson said. PSA Airlines already has a similar agreement in place with Purdue University in Indiana. When the agreement with Purdue was reached in May, PSA Airlines said it was among the first regional carriers to launch a cadet program to help move students from the classroom to flight schools to the cockpit. The agreement with Sinclair and Aviation Sales Inc., "will significantly benefit the students, the airline and the college" said PSA president Dion Flannery. "We are excited to be able to strengthen this relationship with Sinclair and ASI to grow a local workforce for an industry that needs more qualified professional pilots," Flannery said. "This program offers a solid pathway to a stable and growing career that starts with PSA and ends with a predictable path to the largest airline in the world." The new agreement with Sinclair comes as the nation faces a shortage of qualified pilots to fly commercially. PSA Airlines has for months been offering increasingly aggressive hiring bonuses to recruit pilots. Flannery has acknowledged the shortage himself and has said "it is fair to say that the bonuses are proving helpful in getting more interest and driving more applications to our airline." http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/sinclair-help-train-pilots-for-psa-airlines-with-new-cadet- program/CWHMUdbSEvN4tjsGfnjRSI/ Back to Top Cirrus ramps up Vision Jet production Cirrus Aircraft has ramped-up production of the SF50 Vision Jet to 1.5 aircraft a week, as it seeks to clear the 600-strong order backlog it has for the single-engined personal jet. Since the six-seat aircraft entered service in December 2016, the airframer has been producing units at a low rate while seeking to iron out any snags in the manufacturing process, says Matt Bergwall, director of the Vision Jet production line. The company is also taking feedback from current owners to help improve the "operational experience", says Bergwall. "Cirrus has built its success on producing quality products, so every aircraft that rolls off our production line must be in perfect condition," he says. Composite parts for the Vision Jet are built at Cirrus' facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota and then shipped to its headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota, for final assembly. "We will deliver our 13th aircraft in the first week of October and hope to have 30 jets in customer hands by the end of the year," says Bergwall. Production will ramp-up again in the third quarter of 2018 to two aircraft a week. "We hope to be fully up-and-running once we have reached the 100th unit," says Bergwall. "Then we should be producing between 2.5 and three units a week." https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/cirrus-ramps-up-vision-jet-production-441571/ Back to Top China's COMAC says C919 jet completes second test flight China's domestically developed C919 passenger jet is seen during its second test flight near Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, China September 28, 2017. China Daily via REUTERS SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's domestically developed C919 passenger jet completed its second test flight on Thursday, the jet's maker said, but there were questions about its duration and on the near five-month gap between the two test flights. The narrow-body aircraft, which will compete with Boeing's 737 and the Airbus A320, is a symbol of China's ambitions to muscle into a global jet market estimated to be worth $2 trillion over the next 20 years. It first flew on May 5 after numerous delays. "The plane has made a smooth return," a spokesman for its manufacturer, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) [CMAFC.UL], told Reuters. COMAC said the plane flew up to 10,000 feet after taking off from Shanghai's Pudong Airport at 07:22 a.m. (2322GMT). It landed at 10:08 a.m. COMAC said, a flight time of 166 minutes. In comparison, its maiden flight was 80-minutes long. "The interval between the C919's first two flights is extraordinary," said Bradley Perrett, a veteran China watcher and reporter at Aviation Week in an article on Wednesday. "The conclusion must be that COMAC was not really ready for flight testing in May... A common view is that the C919 was put into the air so early for strictly political reasons, although there is no suggestion that doing so was unsafe," he said. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet, Japan's first passenger aircraft, took its second flight eight days after it first flew in 2015 while the gap between the first and second flight for the Airbus A350 was five days, Perrett said. A report published earlier on Thursday by state-backed news website ThePaper.cn said that the C919 was expected to fly between 07:20 a.m. and return at about 11 a.m. COMAC did not immediately reply to questions on whether the flight was shorter than expected. Strongly backed by Beijing, the C919 has so far announced orders for 730 planes from 27 customers, many of which are Chinese leasing companies. Last week, Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) Financial Leasing Co Ltd became the first customer to make a second order for the C919 jet. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-aviation-comac/chinas-comac-says-c919-jet-completes- second-test-flight-idUSKCN1C30H3 Back to Top Delta adds free messaging to its WiFi-enabled flights Delta announced today that starting October 1st, it will offer free WhatsApp messaging on all of its Gogo-enabled flights, making it the first airline to offer free access to the messaging service. Facebook Messenger and iMessage will also be supported and all three messaging services will be accessible in flight through the airline's WiFi portal page. Delta has been testing out a number of other services aimed at streamlining the flight experience and reducing hassle. These include kiosks that let you video chat with an airline rep, replacing boarding passes with fingerprints and using face scans to check baggage. Delta also began rolling out RFID tags for luggage tracking and a map that allows customers to see exactly where their baggage is and where it has been. While some of those programs -- like the biometric identification -- might not be everyone's cup of tea, pretty much anyone can get behind free in-flight messaging. There is a caveat, customers will only be able to send texts, not video or photos. Delta's chief marketing officer, Tim Mapes, said in a statement, "Even the most seasoned travellers can find themselves mid-air and caught out by a last-minute cancellation or arrangement. Rather than having to count down the hours until landing, Delta customers can continue socialising or working with the tap of a smartphone and enjoy peace of mind at every stage of the flight." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/delta-adds-free-messaging-wifi-171800109.html Back to Top During a crisis, you need to activate your Emergency Response Plan and respond anywhere, at anytime. You need real-time automated access through your mobile device, tablet or PC. Your Tactical ERP helps you respond faster with a "first things first" methodology. This interactive tool allows you to know at any time where you are in your response without any cyber security vulnerabilities. The Tactical ERP has undergone significant industry review and operators just like you are using it with great success. Bring speed and clarity to your response with this adaptable and efficient emergency response tool. "The Tactical ERP adds a layer of confidence to whomever is making decisions following an event. It is important that, in a stressful situation, anyone can open the ERP, work through the plan, complete the checklist and communicate effectively." - Amber Finchum, Part 91 Flight Department; Licensed Dispatcher and ERP Coordinator Schedule Your Demo Meeting at NBAA BACE Today! Email Sign-up Sign-up to stay informed about the latest Fireside Partners news! Back to Top CAAi and Kuwait DGCA Sign Aviation Oversight MoU Kuwait City, Kuwait. Wednesday 27th September 2017 - CAA International (CAAi) the State-to- State technical cooperation arm of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kuwait Directorate General of Civil Aviation (KDGCA). Witnessed by the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, this signing supports future collaboration between CAAi and the DGCA, to help strengthen Kuwait's aviation oversight capability through training and the provision of regulatory tools, to become a leading aviation regulator in the Middle East. Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling said: "This new agreement is fantastic news for the UK and Kuwait and demonstrates our shared commitment to promoting higher standards of aviation safety. We remain committed to supporting Kuwait become a leading aviation regulator in the Middle East and boost safety levels in accordance with international standards." This MoU builds on the success of previous collaborations between CAAi and the Kuwait DGCA. In 2013, CAAi were appointed to review Kuwait's aviation regulations and provide recommendations to update Kuwait's regulatory framework in accordance with the international standards of ICAO and harmonised with EASA. Ben Alcott, International Director for the CAA International Group said, "We are delighted to be in a position to continue working with the Kuwait DGCA. With the Kuwait air transport market expected to see some of the highest growth rates in the Middle East over the next few years, the UK CAA remains fully committed to supporting the Kuwait DGCA, promoting the highest standards in aviation oversight and regulation." For more information, please contact Liam Byrne; liam.byrne@caa.co.uk Back to Top LIÇÕES APRENDIDAS COM O AIR FRANCE 447 (LESSONS LEARNED WITH AIR FRANCE 447) Back to Top ERAU-ICAEA Conference on Aviation English - May 9-11, 2018 Back to Top NASA and Russia agree to work together on Moon space station At this year's International Astronautical Congress, NASA and Russia's space agency Roscosmos signed a joint statement expressing their intent to work collaboratively towards the development of a space station further out from Earth, orbiting the Moon, as a staging point for both lunar surface exploration and deeper space science. This is part of NASA's expressed desire to explore and develop its so-called "deep space gateway" concept, which it intends to be a strategic base from which to expand the range and capabilities of human space exploration. NASA wants to get humans out into space beyond the Moon, in other words, and the gateway concept would establish an orbital space station in the vicinity of the Moon to help make this a more practical possibility. "While the deep space gateway is still in concept formulation, NASA is pleased to see growing international interest in moving into cislunar space as the next step for advancing human space exploration," said Robert Lightfoot, NASA's acting administrator at NASA Headquarters in Washington said in a NASA press release announcing the news. "Statements such as this one signed with Roscosmos show the gateway concept as an enabler to the kind of exploration architecture that is affordable and sustainable." This is still very early stages in terms of potential collaboration between Roscosmos and NASA - you might say it's an agreement to possibly agree to work together in the future. But it's a good sign for open dialogue about the plan to put a science and exploration facility in orbit around the moon in future. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/nasa-russia-agree-together-moon-221904359.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being requested to participate in a research study of your information on factors contributing to the decision to quit flying from Part 121 commercial aviation. This study is expected to take approximately 8 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and currently employed as a Part 121 pilot in the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8FNJBHZ For more information, please contact: Gajapriya Tamilselvan gtamilselvan2014@my.fit.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Curt Lewis