Flight Safety Information October 19, 2017 - No. 208 In This Issue Incident: TAP A321 at Rome on Oct 17th 2017, engine shut down in flight Incident: Edelweiss A333 at Zurich on Oct 18th 2017, gear problem after departure Cessna Caravan of Greenpeace Brasil, crashed near Manaus, Brazil, killing one Air Berlin pilots suspended after saying 'dignified goodbye' with fly-by stunt at Düsseldorf Airport Malaysian Government set to announce it's resuming search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 Study considers role of language in air accidents ERAU-ICAEA conference AVIATION UNITED AGAINST ATC 'PRIVATIZATION' AT NBAA Emirates to receive 100th A380, the world's biggest passenger aircraft, next month UN air safety boss Fang Liu visits Muscat's New International Airport EU air safety body urges halt to use of Kobe Steel products Apple and GE are writing software to help detect when jet engines could fail The robots that will sweep Earth's skies Kansas State Polytechnic Renews Flight Data Monitoring Program With FlyteAnalytics ERAU - Dubai Airshow Alumni Network Event European Airline Training Symposium 2017 Conference GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Air Traffic Control Investigation from SCSI POSITION AVAILABLE: General Manager & Senior Flight Data Analyst POSITION AVAILABLE: Associate Air Safety Coordinator Incident: TAP A321 at Rome on Oct 17th 2017, engine shut down in flight A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A321-200, registration CS-TJG performing flight TP-843 from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Lisbon (Portugal) with 171 passengers and 6 crew, was in the initial climb out of Rome's runway 25 when the crew needed to shut an engine (CFM56) down. The aircraft levelled off at 2000 feet and returned to Fiumicino Airport for a safe landing on runway 16L about 12 minutes after departure. Passengers reported they observed streaks of flames from an engine. The airline reported the crew observed a malfunction of the engine and followed procedures. There had been no engine fire (editorial remark: countering media reports in Italy claiming an engine fire). The passengers were taken to hotels and rebooked onto another flight the following day, an A330 has been sent to Rome. The following day's rotation TP-832/TP-839 was flown by an Airbus A330-300 registration CS-TOW and reached Lisbon with a delay of 90 minutes (seen from the perspective of passengers booked onto TP-839 of Oct 18th) respective 19 hours (from the perspective of passengers of TP-843 of Oct 17th). The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 24 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4afdd06b&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Edelweiss A333 at Zurich on Oct 18th 2017, gear problem after departure A Edelweiss Airbus A330-300, registration HB-JHQ performing flight WK-34 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) with 257 passengers and 11 crew, was climbing out of Zurich's runway 16 when the crew stopped the climb at FL070 reporting problems with the landing gear. The aircraft climbed to FL160 but needed to return to Zurich for a safe overweight landing on runway 16 about 70 minutes after departure. A replacement A330-300 registration HB-JHR is estimated to reach Punta Cana with a delay of 5 hours. The airline reported the gear could not be retracted. Another A330 was dispatched to take the passengers to Punta Cana. http://avherald.com/h?article=4afdd7c0&opt=0 Back to Top Cessna Caravan of Greenpeace Brasil, crashed near Manaus, Brazil, killing one Status: Preliminary Date: Tuesday 17 October 2017 Time: 10:50 Type: Cessna 208 Caravan I Operator: Greenpeace Brasil Registration: PR-MPE C/n / msn: 208-00510 First flight: 2009 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 5 Airplane damage: Substantial Airplane fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Rio Negro, Parque Nacional de Anavilhanas, AM ( Brazil) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Survey/research Departure airport: ? Destination airport: ? Narrative: A float-equipped Cessna 208 Caravan I, operated by Greenpeace Brazil, suffered an accident while attempting to land on the Rio Negro river in the Anavilhanas National Park near Manaus in Brazil. The aircraft came to rest inverted in the water. One of the passengers sustained fatal injuries. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20171017-0 Back to Top Air Berlin pilots suspended after saying 'dignified goodbye' with fly-by stunt at Düsseldorf Airport An airplane of the German airline 'Air Berlin' lifts off at the Tegel airport in Berlin - AP The pilots of an Air Berlin flight that performed a fly-past during the insolvent carrier's last long- haul flight to its hub in Düsseldorf have been suspended, the airline said on Wednesday. When coming into land from Miami on Monday morning, the A330 jet flew low across the runway, then pulled up and banked sharply to the left before landing on its second approach. Pilots are trained in such "go-around" procedures for aborted landings, but the manoeuvre was unusual and the German aviation authorities are investigating. "In aviation, safety always comes first. We are taking the incident very seriously," an Air Berlin spokesman said. The Air Berlin pilot had requested permission from the tower to make a left turn should a go-around be necessary. "We wanted to make a mark, a dignified and emotional goodbye," the Air Berlin pilot was quoted as saying by German broadcaster ZDF. His identity was not given. Another pilot for a different carrier told Reuters that a go-around should be performed only for operational or safety reasons. "Electing to do one if it is known not to be required adds an unnecessary risk," he said. Several videos of the incident can be viewed online. In one, control tower staff can be heard exclaiming as the plane flies past, with one person saying: "We are all in awe." The Air Berlin spokesman said the videos raised questions that had to be answered as part of the investigation. Air Berlin filed for insolvency on August 15 and Lufthansa has signed a deal to buy large parts of its operations. The airline will fly its final short-haul flights under the Air Berlin brand at the end of this month. https://www.yahoo.com/news/air-berlin-pilots-suspended-saying-234601670.html Back to Top Malaysian Government set to announce it's resuming search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 Malaysian Government set to announce it's resuming search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 The Malaysian Government says the search for missing plane MH370 could resume. Malaysia is expected to announce as early as tomorrow that it is resuming the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. The Malaysian Government has been looking closely at search offers from private companies and an announcement is expected mid-week, according to sources linked to Kuala Lumpur. A "no-find, no-fee" offer by US company Ocean Infinity is understood to be the favoured option, although Dutch com-pany Fugro, which was involved in the original search, is believed to have countered with a low-fee proposal. Ocean Infinity will use six HUGIN autonomous under-water vehicles capable of operating at depths of up to 6000m to collect high-resolution data at what it says are "record-breaking speeds". The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released a report on the missing flight Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation was asked recently by Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai to comb through the final Australian Transport Safety Bureau report on the search for "credible evidence" on the crash site. A two-year sweep of the original 120,000sq/km search area failed to find any sign of the wreckage. The search was ended by the Malaysian, Australian and Chinese governments in January, drawing criticism from experts it was abandoned too soon. Since the decision to suspend the search, new findings from drift and satellite imagery modelling has led Australian scientists to believe they have pinpointed the probable site for the wreckage of the plane with unprecedented accuracy. It comes after drift-modelling has identified potential wreckage. The studies have significantly boosted confidence that the wreckage of the Boeing 777, which went missing in March, 2014, with 239 people aboard, is in an area of 5000sq/km just to the north and west of the original search area. That location is about 2000km west-south-west of Perth. The scientists used satellite imagery and drift modelling to identify a location at latitude 35.6°S and longitude 92.8°E, near the seventh search arc defined by satellite data, as the most likely location for the missing plane. The 440-page ATSB report examined by the Malaysians chronicled the extraordinary efforts of investigators and scientists to find the missing plane and noted that the understanding of where MH370 is located was now "better than ever". Aussie scientists used the latest technology to re-examine photos taken by a satellite The findings and Ocean Infinity's "no-find, no-fee" offer have put enormous pressure on the Malaysians to resume the search or explain why they are not attempting to resolve modern aviation's greatest mystery. Mr Liow confirmed to Malaysian media at a briefing this month that the Government was considering the new search offers. Global experts have thrown their weight behind a news search and ATSB staff are keen for it to resume. https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/malaysian-government-set-to-announce-its- resuming-search-for-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-ng-b88630290z Back to Top Study considers role of language in air accidents In January 1990, Avianca Flight 52 from Bogota, Colombia to New York ran out of fuel on approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), causing the B707 aircraft to crash in a wooded residential area in Cove Neck on the north shore of Long Island. Eight of the nine crew members and 65 of the 149 passengers on board died. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the crash occurred partly from the flight crew's failure to properly declare a fuel emergency. The investigation raised safety issues that included communication concerns between the pilot and air traffic control. Because of poor weather conditions, the aircraft was in a holding pattern and running low on fuel, but the crew did not use the word 'emergency', which resulted in air traffic control underestimating the seriousness of the situation and the need for special handling. In another accident in October 2001, a small Cessna Citation CJ2 business jet collided with a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 airliner on the runway at Linate Airport in Milan, Italy. All 114 people on both aircraft died, as well as four people on the ground. While many factors were noted, accident investigators found that the aviation terms and phrases widely used by the controllers and pilots did not conform to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommended practices. Communication also alternated between English and Italian. Those are two examples of aircraft accidents where inadequate English language proficiency was noted by investigators as playing a role in the chain of events leading up to the accident. Elizabeth Mathews, former linguistic consultant for ICAO and assistant professor at Embry-Riddle, believes language has been an accident factor more often than has been noted. As an expert in 'language as a factor in aviation safety', Mathews is part of a team at Embry- Riddle's Daytona Beach and Worldwide campuses combing through databases of aircraft accidents globally to determine the role communication deficiencies may have played. That research is part of a Language as a Human Factor in Aviation Safety (LHUFT) initiative to heighten awareness, improve aviation safety and enhance future investigations. The initiative and LHUFT Center involves partnerships with Georgia State University and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). The work includes joint research projects, developing curriculum for aviation English, advocating for best practices in aviation language training, teacher training and testing programs which are currently unregulated and becoming an industry leader for language in aviation research and expertise. "While communication is universally acknowledged to be critical to aviation safety, industry understanding of communication and language as fundamental aspects of aviation safety has not kept pace with our understanding of other human performance factors," Mathews said. Mathews noted that language issues in aviation are not investigated with the same degree of systematic and expert thoroughness with which other human and operational factors are considered. "Embry-Riddle hopes to provide an organisational focus to support 'human factors' specialists, accident investigators and safety experts to better consider communication and language factors and to build a bridge between the field of human factors in aviation and applied linguistics. The goal is to improve aviation safety by heightening industry awareness of the threats posed by language issues in aviation," Mathews said. http://impactpub.com.au/micebtn/85-news/btn-news/21029-study-considers-role-of- language-in-air-accidents Back to Top AVIATION UNITED AGAINST ATC 'PRIVATIZATION' AT NBAA With supporters of the so-called privatization of air traffic control pushing legislation (H.R. 2997) in the House of Representatives, attendees, companies, and speakers at the National Business Aviation Association's annual convention in Las Vegas were overwhelmingly opposed to the bill. The halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center Oct. 10 through 12 were lined with a number of banners featuring well-known pilots voicing their opposition against the legislation, while the convention opened with a press conference and panel discussion featuring AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker and the heads of the Experimental Aircraft Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Helicopter Association International, National Air Transportation Association, and NBAA. Baker said that even though recent attempts for a House floor vote on the legislation have failed, the fight will continue. "This is a long game, and this issue isn't going to go away until we have a change in leadership," he said. At the opening general session, Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) spoke out against the bill, saying that while it may sound like a good idea to some, "the devil is in the details." Titus also added, "It's unfortunate Chairman Shuster has been insistent" on removing ATC from the FAA, and the attempts have delayed the passage of long-term FAA reauthorization and held back progress. Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, who has spoken out against attempts to "privatize" ATC in the past, also addressed the general session. Lovell, along with "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and other acknowledged pilots, was also featured on a new video opposing the legislation. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen said, "They have attack ads, we have leaders and legends." The airlines have been attacking general aviation in advertisements and on social networks through a front group called Citizens for On-Time Flights. One NBAA attendee and aviation industry veteran, Robert Duncan, the chairman emeritus of Duncan Aviation, a national, family owned maintenance, repair, and overhaul company founded in 1956, said, "It's such a good system, we should stick with it." Duncan, who has been a pilot for almost 60 years, said convention attendees are largely against the controversial change. "You're preaching to the choir here." Just ahead of the conference, a number of major aviation, consumer, and passenger rights organizations joined forces to launch an advertisement opposing ATC "privatization." The ad, which highlights the airlines' questionable records on technology and customer service, says the change would be a giveaway to the airlines and "puts profits before passengers." On Oct. 3, Garmin President and CEO Cliff Pemble wrote an op-ed in The Hill saying, "Congress should be running away from H.R. 2997." AOPA is encouraging members to contact their representatives in the House and consider contributing to the AOPA advocacy fund. One hundred percent of donations will be used for fighting so-called ATC privatization. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/october/16/aviation-united- against-atc-privatization-at-nbaa Back to Top Emirates to receive 100th A380, the world's biggest passenger aircraft, next month Emirates operates the world's longest A380 flight - a non-stop Dubai-Auckland service that was introduced in March 2016. (Courtesy Emirates) DUBAI: Emirates is scheduled to receive its 100th Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, by November 3, the Dubai carrier said on Wednesday. Emirates has flown over 80 million passengers with its A380 fleet to over 45 destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, Europe, Middle and the Americas since the aircraft's inaugural flight in 2008. Included in Emirates' A380 network is the world's longest A380 flight - a non-stop Dubai-Auckland service that was introduced in March 2016. "The A380 has been, and continues to be hugely popular among our customers, many of whom deliberately plan their travel so that they can fly on it," Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said in a statement. Despite the A380 milestone for Emirate, which is the biggest customer, the aircraft faces an uncertain future after Airbus said it was cutting down production on the double-decker super jumbo. Airbus in July said that it was "considering the current order booking situation" as demand for the aircraft has waned as airline operators lean toward more efficient two-engine airplanes. Production for the A380 would go down to just 12 a year by 2018, from 27 the year before, and then to eight in 2019, the European plane maker said. Emirate's Clark earlier said that the Dubai carrier was looking into other aircraft options including the A380, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 777x which will enter the market in the early part of 2020. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1179611/business-economy Back to Top UN air safety boss Fang Liu visits Muscat's New International Airport International Civil Aviation Organisation Secretary General Fang Liu visits the New Muscat Airport with Public Authority for Civil Aviation Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Nasser Al Azaabi. - Muscat: Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) visited the new Muscat International Airport, said the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA). Fang Liu, visited the New Muscat Airport with the Chief Executive Officer of PACA, Mohammed Nasser Al Azaabi. The Secretary General came to the Sultanate to attend the fourth meeting of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in the Middle East Region, which began on October 17. "The aim of the meeting is to promote civil aviation development and regional cooperation," PACA said. ICAO is a United Nations specialised agency, established in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. ICAO works with the Convention's 191 member states and industry groups to reach a consensus on International Civil Aviation Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and policies in support of a safe, secure, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible civil aviation sector. These SARPs and policies are used by the ICAO member states to ensure that their local civil aviation operations and regulations conform to global norms. http://timesofoman.com/article/119820/Oman/Transport/UN-air-safety-boss-Fang- Liu-visits-Muscats-New-International-Airport Back to Top EU air safety body urges halt to use of Kobe Steel products The European Aviation Safety Agency has recommended that companies suspend use of Kobe Steel products when possible. The recommendation on the agency's website follows the company's admission that it has faked inspections data on products sold to hundreds of companies. The agency said companies should thoroughly review their supply chains to identify "suspected unapproved parts" from Kobe Steel that they may have used. "Where alternative suppliers are available, it is recommended to suspend use of Kobe Steel products until the legitimacy of the affected parts can be determined," the notice says. It says the directive did not indicate an "unsafe condition" requiring further immediate action such as an airworthiness warning. But the agency said it had contacted Japanese authorities for more information. Kobe Steel had no immediate comment on the announcement. The 112-year-old company is a major supplier of many metal products used in aircraft, trains, vehicles and other equipment. Company officials say the company is still trying to determine the full extent of the problem. The metals and equipment maker said late Tuesday that it would "sincerely cooperate" with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Japan's Mainichi newspaper and other local media, citing former Kobe Steel workers, have reported the problems began more than 30 years ago. The company has reported it discovered bogus inspections or faked data for steel powder, aluminum flat-rolled products and castings, copper strips and tubes and forgings, among many other products. It has acknowledged the fudging of inspections data might have begun up to a decade ago and affected more than 500 customers. Japanese government officials and the company itself say it is unclear if the improper reporting poses a safety hazard. In some cases, company officials say, the products might actually exceed customers' specifications, depending on the situation. But the problems are the latest in a slew of product quality, accounting and corruption scandals that have dented Japan's image of superior manufacturing prowess. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/10/18/business/corporate-business/eu-air- safety-body-urges-halt-use-kobe-steel-products/#.Wehf9FtSyUk Back to Top Apple and GE are writing software to help detect when jet engines could fail * The Predix software connects sensor-laden industrial machines like wind turbines, jet engines and elevators to data centers. * GE plans to make iPhones and iPads the standard mobile devices for its 330,000 employees and will also offer Mac desktop computers as a choice for them. * Over the past several years, Apple has courted business software firms such as Accenture PLC, International Business Machines Corp, Cisco Systems Inc, Deloitte and SAP SE. Workers on the assembly line for gas turbines at the General Electric energy plant in Greenville, South Carolina. Apple and General Electric say they are working together to make it easier to write software that can track power plants and jet engines on Apple's iPhones and iPads. The companies have come up with a tool for app developers to connect Apple's iOS operating system more easily to Predix, the cloud-based software at the heart of GE's effort to turn itself into a "digital industrial" company. The Predix software connects sensor-laden industrial machines like wind turbines, jet engines and elevators to data centers, so that streams of information from the machines can be analyzed to help predict failures and make the machines run more cost effectively. GE expects the software to help generate $12 billion in digital revenue by 2020, though it took a two-month "time-out" earlier this year to iron out technical problems. Now with the help of the new software built with Apple, which GE plans to release on Oct. 26, more information from Predix will be available to the on-the-ground managers of factories and power plants who work most closely with GE's equipment, said Kevin Ichhpurani, executive vice president of global ecosystem and channels at GE Digital. For example, Ichhpurani said, a power plant manager might be debating the best time to take a generator offline for scheduled maintenance. With the Predix software, the manager can see data on the machine and could share notes and photographs from an iPad at the site of the generator and even start a video call. "These decisions can be made at the power plant or on the factory floor, as opposed to being made at corporate," Ichhpurani told Reuters in an interview. As part of arrangements between the two companies, GE plans to make iPhones and iPads the standard mobile devices for its 330,000 employees and will also offer Mac desktop computers as a choice for them. In return, Apple will help promote GE's Predix software to Apple's enterprise customers. Apple's salespeople will be trained on Predix's capabilities and will promote the software in sales situations alongside iOS devices, Susan Prescott, vice president of product market at Apple, told Reuters. Over the past several years, Apple has courted business software firms such as Accenture PLC, International Business Machines Corp, Cisco Systems Inc, Deloitte and SAP SE in an effort to move business applications over to iOS devices and make them easier to use in corporate settings. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/18/apple-ge-partnership-will-make-it-easier-to-track- jet-engines.html Back to Top The robots that will sweep Earth's skies After six years in space, China's first orbital station, the Tiangong-1 (aka the "Heavenly Palace") has finally outlived its operational limits and begun its descent back to Earth. It's expected to re- enter the atmosphere in a few months, whereupon a majority of the 9.3-ton station should burn up before reaching the surface. This is how defunct satellites are supposed to be disposed of. Unfortunately, until very recently, that hasn't often been the case. For the past 50 years, we've been filling Low Earth Orbit with defunct satellites, launch vehicle upper stages, and various bits of broken spacecraft (including frozen water, coolant and paint flecks). Most of this comes from failed launches or spent experiments. In 1963, for example, the US military unloaded 480 million needle-sized antennas into orbit to see if they'd act as a crude radio reflector array. The idea was that radio signals from Earth would bounce up into the atmosphere and bounce back down off of them, enabling longer distance radio service. Though satellite communications have since made this technology obsolete, those antennas are still up there, just floating around waiting to go full-on Gravity with a passing satellite. By the start of the 21st century, LEO had become increasingly crowded with satellites -- more than 7,000 have been launched since Sputnik first circled the globe -- though only 1,500 of them remain active. That number is expected to swell to more than 18,000 man-made objects in orbit in the coming decades as private industry begins sending up communications and observation satellites in addition to national governments. In fact, of the 98 launches that took place worldwide in 2016, nearly half carried private communications satellites. Today, there are an estimated 20,000 pieces of debris bigger than a softball in Low Earth Orbit and another 50,000 the size of a marble. We're not sure how much junk smaller than that is in orbit -- it could be on the magnitude of tens of millions -- because we lack the technology to track them from the ground. This trend is sure to cause havoc if we don't start cleaning up after ourselves. In some ways it already has. In 2007, China destroyed its Fengyun-1C weather satellite with a ballistic missile as a show of force to the international community. Doing so spread more than 3,000 pieces of debris throughout LEO. America's response a few months later, blew a defunct spy satellite to smithereens, though a majority of that debris field reportedly re-entered the atmosphere. Two years later, in 2009, a defunct Russian satellite crashed into an American Iridium satellite, spreading another 2,000 bits of space junk. "It's a serious, serious challenge," Launchspace founder, Marshall Kaplan, told Space.com in 2013. "This is not a U.S. problem... it's everybody's problem. And most of the people that produced the debris, the serious offenders, like Russia, China, and the United States, are not going to spend that kind of money. It's just not a good investment." "We've reached the point of no return," he continued. "The debris will continue to get worse in terms of collision threats... even if not another satellite were launched, the problem will continue to get worse." This cascade of collisions is known as the Kessler Syndrome, named for former head of NASA's space debris program, Donald Kessler. He mathematically proved in the 1970s that there is a saturation point of how much stuff we can place into LEO. Once we reach that critical mass, the items in that orbit are sure to set off a massive collision cascade, even if we don't place any additional objects in that orbit. "If we're not at the critical mass, we're pretty close to it," Kessler told The Atlantic in 1998. But it's not just our satellite communications that are in danger of being destroyed, all that space trash poses serious threats to manned missions as well. In 1983, a fleck of paint travelling at around 17,000 MPH, struck the windshield of the Challenger space shuttle and left a pea-sized pit. This happened with such startling regularity (read: literally during every mission) that NASA took to orbiting the shuttle upsidedown and backwards (relative to its direction of travel) so that the rockets would take the brunt of the impacts rather than the crew cabin. The ISS isn't much better off. That 2009 collision between the Russian and American satellites forced the ISS crew to scramble for safety aboard the Soyuz spacecraft should a piece of debris blast through the station's hull. Despite the dangers, there's plenty we can do to mitigate the damage that this debris does. The first step is to know what, and how much of it, we're dealing with. The Department of Defense has established the Space Surveillance Network to do just that. The SSN is able to track objects as small as 2 inches across at LEO and as small as 3 feet in geosynchronous orbit -- around 21,000 of them in total. The system doesn't track each item continuously but rather uses a predictive method that calculates their orbital momentum so ground-based observers can "check in" with individual objects by pointing their telescopes to where and when the item should be overhead. All together, the DoD's array of sensors and telescopes, which are spread from Hawaii to Greenland to the Indian Ocean, observe around 80,000 satellites (and pieces thereof) every day. Of course, simply knowing where these debris fields are doesn't alleviate the threat that they pose. We've got to come up with a means of inciting that space junk to fall back to the surface. And while nobody has managed to successfully deploy an orbital debris reclamation system yet, a number of space agencies are working on everything from magnetized wire lanyards and gigantic nets to "space brooms" and kamikaze robo-grapplers. In 2012, NASA granted North Carolina-based Star Technology and Research $1.9 million to develop the ElectroDynamic Debris Eliminator (EDDE). This device, upon reaching orbit, would unfurl a 6- mile long tether which generates an attractive field as it moves through the Earth's magnetic field. When the EDDE encounters a piece of space junk it captures it in a large net and drops the ensnared garbage into a lower orbit where the thicker atmosphere pulls it out of orbit. This is essentially the same process that JAXA's Kounotori 6 spacecraft was attempting when a technical glitch caused that mission to fail earlier this year. The European Space Agency has floated a similar idea except that in addition to, or even perhaps instead of, their orbital garbage truck would hunt its quarry using a tethered harpoon. It's part of the ESA's e.Deorbit mission which is scheduled to launch in 2021. The harpoon, which is being developed by Airbus Defense and Space, is just one of the proposed capture methods that will be tried during that mission. Accurately piercing the hull of a defunct satellite using a space harpoon in microgravity is as technically challenging as it sounds. So rather than try to spear and reel in derelict objects, the startup Swiss Space Systems (S3), has devised a robotic grappler that clamps onto debris and drags it into the atmosphere. Dubbed the Clean Space One project, this 66-pound janitor satellite would be about the size of a breadbox. After being launched from the European Suborbital Reusable Shuttle in 2018, the CSO is tasked with tracking and capturing a non-operational Swisscube satellite, then dragging it back to Earth. The mission is expected to cost around $16 million. One problem persistent debris capturing satellites like the ESA's e.Deorbit face is maintaining a steady supply of propellent. You don't want your janitor satellite to become another piece of debris simply because it ran out of power. Texas A&M University is working on a clever solution to that issue with the Space Sweeper with Sling-Sat (4S). This satellite would first capture a piece of debris then whip around, slinging the trash into the atmosphere while pushing itself into the path of its next target. By repeating this process, the 4S should be able to hop from one bit of trash to the next without having to expend an expensive and limited supply of fuel. (University of Michigan) But what if we didn't need to send new robots into orbit to capture the olds ones? In 2011, Raytheon BBN Technologies and the University of Michigan teamed up to devise the Space Debris Elimination (SPaDE) system. Rather than rely on satellites, SPaDE would puff concentrated bursts of atmospheric gas into the paths of LEO debris. The added friction from these gasses should be sufficient to slow the debris down enough that it falls back to Earth. Unfortunately, the SPaDE project never got beyond the drawing board. Then again, why even expend the effort to drag dead satellites into the atmosphere when you can simply repurpose their functional (albeit unpowered) pieces? That's what DARPA hopes to do with its Phoenix project. This system would rely on a new class of microsatellites, dubbed "satlets", which would seek out and affix themselves to dead satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Each satlet would restore an essential satellite function (ie power, movement control or sensors) and share data, power and thermal management capabilities among themselves. By connecting these devices in different combinations, deactivated satellites could be resurrected and their operational lifespans drastically increased. DARPA expects to launch a demonstrator mission around 2020 and commercialize the technology shortly thereafter. This mission could prove valuable for both the military and the commercial space industry, DARPA program Manager Gordon Roesler told Via Satellite in 2015, wherein a civilian firm would own and operate the satellites themselves and the military "could just pay a commercial operator for the service." Despite the myriad capture options that these various systems offer, they all share one aspect in common: not one of them is ready to be put into service. It's not economically viable at this point to send up robots like the d.Deorbit to dispose of a single piece of space junk and likely won't be for years to come. What's more, the government may soon face a legal minefield in its cleanup efforts as more and more privately-owned satellites come to occupy and operate in LEO. "Removal from orbit, collision avoidance, satellite servicing and repair, satellite recycling in orbit, debris storage locations, change to using a 'stable plane' at higher altitudes especially in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO)... are all possibilities," Donald Kessler told Space.com in 2013. "Some are mutually exclusive and may not be appropriate at all altitudes, while others could combine to be more effective." "I believe it is time that the international community takes a serious look at the future of space operations," he concluded. "There's need to begin a process to answer these questions and determine which path will most effectively provide a sustainable environment for spacecraft in Earth orbit." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/robots-sweep-earth-apos-skies-181200390.html Back to Top Kansas State Polytechnic Renews Flight Data Monitoring Program With FlyteAnalytics™ By CAPACG Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has once again selected FlyteAnalytics™ as its Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) solution for its Cessna 172 Skyhawk and Beechcraft G36 aircraft, enabling the university to continue its internal flight operational quality assurance program. SALINA, KAN. (PRWEB) OCTOBER 19, 2017 Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has once again selected FlyteAnalytics™ as its Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) solution for its Cessna 172 Skyhawk and Beechcraft G36 aircraft, enabling the university to continue its internal flight operational quality assurance program. "A solid flight data management program is a crucial part of a safety management system providing risk management and safety assurance," said Larry McCarroll, CEO of CAPACG, the company that created the flight data analysis program. "FlyteAnalytics™ compliments a safety management system and the state-of-the-art analysis tool has the ability to process large quantities of flight data from current and future technically advanced aircraft types without the need for adding costly hardware." "Working with FlyteAnalytics™ has allowed us to improve the quality of our training through our Flight Operations Quality Assurance Program. Because of this, we're able to provide students with top-of-the-line education and training, furthering the experience matters mission of K-State Polytechnic," said John Dahl, teaching assistant professor at Kansas State Polytechnic. About Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus Located in Salina, Kansas, Kansas State University's Polytechnic Campus provides a small, personalized atmosphere where the experience matters and learning isn't just confined to a textbook and classroom. Kansas State Polytechnic's elite aviation program is adjacent to a 12,000- foot runway, boasts more Master Certified Flight Instructors than any other college or university in the country and has a modern fleet of nearly 35 learning aircraft. K-State Polytechnic offers affordable bachelor's degrees in professional pilot in both fixed wing and rotary aircraft, aircraft maintenance, airport management and unmanned aircraft systems, as well as technology management, engineering technology, social work, and human development and family sciences. More information on K-State aviation programs is available at flyk-state.com. About CAPACG dba FlyteAnalytics™ Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, CAPACG is a Flight Data analysis team focusing on capturing an operator's "Drifts from SOPs" and giving the operator information and knowledge to correct the drifts before becoming hazards. Utilizing FlyteAnalytics™ "in the cloud" software, affordable Flight Data Analysis is available to General Aviation aircraft by harvesting Data from Technically Advanced Aircraft utilizing Garmin G1000© or similar avionics. No added hardware required. CAPACG is an expert in developing, implementing and operating FDM programs. Additional information can be found at http://www.capacg.com or contact Larry McCarroll at 386-795-0507. Email; lmccarroll(at)capacg(dot)com http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/10/prweb14814106.htm Back to Top Meet fellow Eagles in the area and who are traveling to the air show. View this email in a web page Dubai Airshow Alumni Network Event The Dubai Airshow brings in countless Eagles from all around the world. This event is a great opportunity for local alumni to meet with fellow Eagles who are coming to Dubai for this incredible aerospace event. Alumni, students, faculty, staff and your invited guests are welcome to attend. Register today. We look forward to seeing you there. To receive updates about future events in your area, be sure to update your contact information. When Thursday, Nov. 16 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Where Siddharta Lounge by Buddha Bar Grosvenor House Al Emreef Street Dubai Marina Map & directions Cost Free. Appetizers will be provided. Questions Syed Hammad Mumtaz ('12, DB) Alumni Network Leader Email Register Today Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 600 S Clyde Morris Boulevard Daytona Beach, FL 32114 USA (386) 226-6919, ERalumni@erau.edu If you wish to be removed from this group's mailing list, click here Back to top Adapting Training to a Rapidly Changing European Airline Industry The 16th European Airline Training Symposium (EATS), supported by EASA, will focus on the changes that technology, demographics, regulatory environments and our increasing knowledge of human performance have on pilot and cabin crew training. The event will share the latest techniques and best practice in improving operational safety and efficiency, while also demonstrating the latest innovative solutions from airlines, ATOs, manufacturers, regulators and the training industry. EATS offers two dedicated conferences for Cabin Crew Training and Pilot Training. Presentations will be delivered by international subject matter experts. REGISTER HERE Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST I am a student of Air Transport Management at City University of London. I am in the final stage of writing my dissertation on Human Machine Interaction. However, I am looking for some data in order to have a better understanding of the real issues among pilots. I would like to kindly ask, if you could complete my survey attached: https://it.surveymonkey.com/r/JBZG6FJ Thank you. Kind Regards, Yari Franciosa Back to Top World class aviation safety training from SCSI Southern California Safety Institute Excellence in Aviation Safety Training for over 30 Years Air Traffic Control Investigation Counts as credit toward the SCSI AAI Certificate Air Traffic Control Investigation 30 October-3 November 2017 Long Beach, California A course for anyone involved in aircraft accident or incident investigation who desires a more comprehensive understanding of information available from Air Traffic Services/Air Traffic Control. This course provides a comprehensive look at ATS/ATC and provides investigators the knowledge necessary to retrieve accident or incident data to aid in an investigation. Equipment, operational limitations, enroute, terminal and flight service and advisory facilities and airborne equipment will be presented. Terminal, enroute, hybrid, and military systems will be discussed. Case studies and practical exercises reinforce and illustrate the subjects covered in the course. Course Topics * Basics of Air Traffic Control * Historical Perspective * Air Traffic Services Types and Functions * Equipment and Automation and ATC Automation Systems * Procedures * Human Factors * Conducting ATS Investigations * Initial Activities * Facility Orientation * Information Gathering * Requesting ATS Data * ATS Maintenance Issues and Maintenance Consequences * Personnel Interviews * Follow up Activities and Information Gathering * Case Studies and Practical Exercises For more information, please visit the course information page at www.scsi-inc.com. Location: the Marriott Hotel in Long Beach, California These courses will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Long Beach, California next to the Long Beach Airport (LGB). Or contact our registrar Denise Davalloo for the SCSI hotel discount rate and receive great savings on your stay! Registration Telephone: 800-545-3766 or 310-517-8844 ext. 104 Email: denise.davalloo@scsi-inc.com Web: http://www.scsi-inc.com/registration.php POSITION AVAILABLE: General Manager & Senior Flight Data Analyst Job Description Job Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA Supervision: 4 current staff members (3 in office, 1 remote) Salary: Competitive base wage with outstanding benefits Job Title: General Manager & Senior Flight Data Analyst This position combines the freedom to run and develop a business in the US with potential to make a real impact on aviation safety. It will suit a pilot who is keen on aviation but tired of hotels. Based in Phoenix, customers are based from Canada to Venezuela and you will be supporting operators around the world as a part of the Flight Data Services group of companies. This position is open to all aviation safety professionals keen to manage a business at the forefront of safety technology. Desirable qualifications include: * flight deck experience * an aviation or business-related degree * experience of voluntary safety programs * commercial experience * competence in business software (MS Word, Excel, internet use, email, etc.) Main Purpose of Job: As General Manager you will have overall charge of the business of FDS Inc, including: 1. Management of the Company's affairs and administration. 2. Management of the staff of FDS Inc. 3. Management of customer interfaces, including annual visits, monthly reports and ad hoc communications. 4. Promotion of the Company within the continents of North and South America. 5. Responsible for Company compliance with state and federal law. As Senior Flight Data Analyst your tasks are: 1. Provide leadership for US analysts by: a. Providing training and guidance as needed. b. Task distribution & workload management. 2. Routine analysis of downloaded data. a. Review of abnormal operations and determine the cause. b. Report on findings to airlines. c. Compilation of monthly customer reports. d. Occasional emergency customer support and call-out on a roster basis. e. Responding to ad hoc requests for analysis or supply of data. 3. Contributing to the Safety Seminar a. Preparation and delivery of presentations. b. Attendance at the seminar. c. Ad hoc training of attendees. 4. Depending upon specialization, one or more of the following: a. Preparation of new Analysis Specifications. b. Amending analysis procedures to change thresholds etc. in consultation with the customer and Analysis Manager c. Customer training d. Support to Marketing 5. Liaise with IT Support on software maintenance. 6. Liaise with Software Development team on the POLARIS project. The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organization and the overall business objectives of the organization. IMPORTANT NOTES: Please send your Resume with cover letter to jobs@flightdataservices.com * All resumes must be received by midnight November 5th. * Successful candidates will be required to complete testing prior to scheduling for interview. * Interviews will be scheduled November 13th & 14th and must be attended IN PERSON at the Phoenix, Arizona office. ************** About Flight Data Services Flight Data Services is an industry-leader in flight safety innovation. Our expert knowledge of flight data, aviation safety, and information technology is delivered to aircraft operators globally. We are the largest dedicated provider of flight data analysis services and our qualified and experienced flight safety specialists include the highest ratio of analysts to aircraft in the aviation industry. Flight Data Services are proud to be a global, independent and private company. In 2015 we were accredited with the 'Investors in People' award and in 2017 we earned ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. Associate Air Safety Coordinator The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the largest airline pilot union in the world and the largest non-governmental aviation safety organization in the world seeks an Associate Air Safety Coordinatorfor our Herndon, Virginia, office. ALPA represents over 57,000 pilots at 33 U.S. and Canadian airlines. The Associate Air Safety Coordinatorworks on different aspects of safety, security, and pilot health, particularly in regard to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transport Canada (TC) on matters related to proactive safety/security programs and Safety Management Systems (SMS). S/he provides staff coordination and acts as a liaison to government, industry, and professional groups on behalf of the Air Safety Organization (ASO), other Association committees and MECs, and the Engineering & Air Safety department, as assigned by the department Director or Manager. S/he provides coordination and support for a wide variety of areas across proactive initiatives such as the safe introduction of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, air traffic control modernization, and proactive safety programs such as Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAP), Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs, and Safety Management Systems. S/he must be able to learn, understand, and communicate the benefits and concerns that emerge from changes in safety data programs; effectively represent the Association by interacting with government and industry safety officials on a continual basis and build and maintain a network of contacts; and, in coordination with pilots, department management, and other staff, develop and coordinate written communications to membership, government, and industry groups outlining ALPA positions on a wide variety of air traffic-related and other issues. Local, national, and international travel: 5 - 10 %. Minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Minimum Requirements: * Bachelor's degree in relevant area, e.g., unmanned aircraft systems, air traffic control, airline management, aviation safety, aviation science, or other related discipline, from an accredited college or university; or, the equivalent combination of education and practical experience. Additional airline-related experience may be substituted for the academic requirement. * Minimum three (3) years of related experience in the aviation industry, five (5) years preferred. * Knowledge of aviation and flight terminology as well as airline operations environment strongly preferred. * Basic understanding of the SMS concept and ASAP and FOQA programs preferred. * Former employment at airlines and/or the FAA in a relevant capacity a plus. * Special expertise in U.S. and Canadian Aviation Regulations (FARs and CARs) and knowledge of ICAO and/or international safety data systems a plus. * Understanding of aviation safety concepts; air traffic control; the airline industry, domestic and international; airline pilots; and, the laws that affect aviation safety and the airline industry desired. * Knowledge of FAA/TC regulations and guidance helpful. * Understanding of how safety initiatives and data analysis processes are used for advancing safety is beneficial. * Ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing demands required. * Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, oral and written, for effective interaction with staff, pilot members, and external contacts. * A pilot's license and/or air traffic control certification is preferred. * Software: Microsoft Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. Physical Demands: Note: The physical demands described herein are characteristic of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential physical activities of this position described below. Constantly operates a computer/smartphone/tablet. Regularly required to maintain a stationary position, move about the office and the local metropolitan area, determine what others have said or written, and converse with others and exchange accurate information. Regularly required to sit, stand, bend, reach, and move about the office and travel (locally, nationally, and sometimes internationally). Also includes occasional bending, stooping, squatting, and/or pushing and pulling or moving, e.g., to pack, unpack, and/or move cases. Occasionally required to move, raise, reach, and/or retrieve binders, books, boxes, and files up to ten (10) pounds (lbs.). While on travel, could be responsible to move, raise, reach, and/or retrieve binders, boxes, cases, and/or files weighing as much as 50 lbs. (Assistance may not always be available.) Please apply online at https://jobs-alpa.icims.com/jobs/1266/associate--air-safety- coordinator/job ALPA offers competitive salaries with excellent benefits, including: * 26 days paid vacation and holidays per year; * Generous sick and bereavement leave; * Generous health care benefits - PPO, two HMO's (where available) and a High Deductible Health Plan which includes coverage for medical, dental, and vision benefits for employee, spouse, and/or dependent children; * Company-paid premiums for disability and life insurance; * $2 for $1 matching 401(k) retirement savings plan; Roth 401k; * Flexible Spending and Health Savings accounts; and * Retiree health plan. The Air Line Pilots Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Relocation Not Provided Curt Lewis