Flight Safety Information November 10, 2017 - No. 224 In This Issue Incident: Swiss A320 at Zurich on Nov 3rd 2017, stuck flaps Incident: Alaska B739 near Las Vegas on Nov 9th 2017, smoke in cabin Incident: American B738 near Dallas on Nov 8th 2017, smoke in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Drunken woman with lighter causes disturbance on Sea-Tac flight, airline says Congress Poised to Restore Drone Registration Tossed by Court Unmanned Safety Institute Launches Elite Certification Program for Professional Remote Pilots Homeland Security bulletin warns of weaponized drones and threat to aviation Yet Another Dead Airline Brand Is Being Revived Boeing 757 Testing Shows Airplanes Vulnerable to Hacking, DHS Says Hong Kong Express banned from adding new aircraft, flights or destinations GE Patent Filings Hint at Blockchain Role in Aircraft Management Middle East a Key Area for Space-Based ADS-B Coverage Airline Pilots, Train Engineers to Get Random Tests for Opioids Job fair in Honolulu features 10 airlines looking for pilots A Plan for Keeping the U.S. Air Force's Best Pilots in Service China's C919 jet completes first long-distance flight Superjumbo Saga, Last Hurrahs Set to Dominate Desert Air Show Venue update: Dubai Airshow ERAU Alumni Reception, Nov. 16 The Dubai Airshow (12 - 16 NOVEMBER 2017) POSITION AVAILABLE: MAINTENANCE BASE MANAGER 2017 FORAS Workshop - November 29-30, 2017, Taoyuan, Taiwan PHD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST Incident: Swiss A320 at Zurich on Nov 3rd 2017, stuck flaps A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration HB-IJR performing flight LX-1732 from Zurich (Switzerland) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy), was climbing out of Zurich's runway 28 when the crew stopped the climb at FL120 reporting stuck flaps advising, they needed to return to Zurich, they were able to extend the slats but the flaps were stuck and they would return at a higher than normal landing speed, they were concerned about possibly hot brakes after landing. Emergency services responded and took their stand by positions while the crew entered a holding pattern and attempted trouble shooting. The aircraft landed safely on runway 16 at a higher than normal speed (about 170 knots over ground) about 45 minutes after departure. The aircraft vacated the runway and taxied to the apron, but stopped on the apron before reaching the stand. Emergency services reported everything looked normal, the crew continued taxi and reached the stand. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for 42 hours before returning to service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b0d0eaf&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Alaska B739 near Las Vegas on Nov 9th 2017, smoke in cabin An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration N323AS performing flight AS-634 from Seattle,WA to Las Vegas,NV (USA), was descending towards Las Vegas when the crew reported white smoke in the cabin and some loud noise. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Las Vegas' runway 25R. After landing the crew advised the smoke had dissipated, however, still requested emergency services to check the aircraft. The aircraft vacated the runway on the adjacent taxiway, emergency services checked the aircraft, that subsequently taxied to the apron. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Las Vegas 4 hours after landing. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/ASA634/history/20171109/1710Z/KSEA/KLAS http://avherald.com/h?article=4b0d0921&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American B738 near Dallas on Nov 8th 2017, smoke in cabin An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N819NN performing flight AA-1060 from Tulsa,OK to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 158 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL220 when the crew reported smoke in the cabin and descended the aircraft to 10,000 feet early. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Dallas Ft. Worth's runway 31R about 30 minutes after leaving FL220. Passengers reported they saw smoke and smelled fumes. The airline reported mechanical issues. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1060/history/20171108/1245Z/KTUL/KDFW http://avherald.com/h?article=4b0d03d9&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Drunken woman with lighter causes disturbance on Sea-Tac flight, airline says SEATAC, Wash. - A woman with a lighter caused a disturbance on a flight from Anchorage as it was approaching Sea-Tac Airport Thursday morning, according to Alaska Airlines. Passengers and the airline said a woman kept trying to flick a lighter on to use it as a light source even when flight attendants asked her to stop. While lighters are allowed on flights, passengers are not allowed to light them. Port of Seattle spokesman Perry Cooper said the woman never actually got her lighter to light -- it just sparked. An Alaska Airlines spokesperson said the woman, who is believed to have brought her own alcohol onboard the plane, was heading to Orlando but was not able to take the final flight to the city because she was intoxicated. The incident caused a commotion, but no one was hurt. The flight landed safely at Sea-Tac. The woman was escorted off the plane by officers. She was questioned and then released. The airline said she won't face charges. Cooper called what the woman did poor judgment and not a crime. http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/passengers-say-woman-with-lighter-caused-disturbance-on- seatac-flight/644274233 Back to Top Congress Poised to Restore Drone Registration Tossed by Court By Alan Levin and Daniel Flatley * FAA's registry of drone owners was vacated by court in May * House and Senate negotiators include measure in defense bill The government's registration system for owners of civilian drones would be restored in a defense policy bill agreed to by House and Senate negotiators. The measure boosting aviation regulators' ability to regulate the burgeoning world of small unmanned vehicles was contained in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2018, a bipartisan compromise that is likely to be passed by both chambers. The registration was imposed at the close of 2015 as the number of safety incidents involving drones soared and officials sought a way to ensure owners of the devices understood aviation regulations. However, many operators objected to what they saw as an intrusion into their right to fly and seized on language in a 2012 law that said drone hobbyists were exempt from regulation by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington overturned the FAA drone registration system in May, finding that earlier legislation passed in 2012 didn't give the agency legal authority for it. A one- paragraph addition to the defense bill said that the registration system "shall be restored" as soon as the legislation becomes law. The FAA had registered 838,620 people as owners of at least one drone and estimates that 2.3 million of the devices will be sold for recreational use in the U.S. this year. As of Nov. 3, only 609 people had taken the FAA up on its offer to refund their $5 fee for the registration, according to the agency. "The FAA doesn't comment on pending legislation," it said in a statement. "However, the agency originally put registration and operational regulations in place to ensure that drones are operated in a way that is safe and does not pose security and privacy threats." Read more: U.S. FAA to Charge $5 Drone Registry Fee Starting Dec. 21 The registration had covered devices weighing more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds). In addition to registering, owners also were required to attach an identification number on each drone so they could be located if a drone crashed or flew away. Two associations representing drone users signaled Thursday that they support at least the concept of a registry. "We are glad Congress has embraced this policy," Brian Wynne, president and chief executive officer of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, said in an email. A drone registration system "promotes responsibility by all users of the national airspace." Academy of Model Aeronautics spokesman Chad Budreau issued a statement saying: "We have long held that federal registration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) makes sense at an appropriate threshold of weight, capability and other safety-related characteristics." The AMA, which operates clubs for people flying models and drones around the country, believes its own members shouldn't have to register with FAA because they already do so with the organization, Budreau said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-09/congress-poised-to-restore-drone- registration-tossed-by-court Back to Top Unmanned Safety Institute Launches Elite Certification Program for Professional Remote Pilots DENVER, Nov. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- SkySkopes' Team Become First to Earn Elite Recognition with USI's Professional Remote Operator (PRO) Certification The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), the world-leader in remote pilot training and certification to individuals, organizations, and enterprises around the world, announced today the launch of a new industry Professional Remote Operator™ (PRO™) certification. The PRO™ certification program was designed to offer an industry-leading credential to elite remote pilots who would like to differentiate themselves from other remote pilots who simply hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate. The PRO™ program differentiates individuals by certifying that remote pilots possess not only the knowledge to safely operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) but also the skills and abilities to safely and proficiently operate UAS. PRO™ certificate holders are recognized by USI and the UAS community as elite professionals who have clearly demonstrated their knowledge and skills and have been independently verified by USI as an authoritative body. The specific prerequisites for a remote pilot to earn a PRO™ certification include: Learn - Meet all educational requirements that match the level of rating. Earn - Achieve the appropriate airmen certification from the FAA or equivalent civil aviation authority. Practice - Hone remote pilot skills by building flight hours and experience. Promote - Be an active member of the safety community, taking on higher levels of responsibility and continuing to learn through professional development. In addition to demonstrating proficiency through documented flight hours, all PRO™ applicants must complete at least 150 hours of educational units in aeronautical knowledge areas that include Crew Resource Management (CRM) and other essential subjects relating to flight safety. USI offers the opportunity for the Learn requirements to be met online through their award-winning Small UAS Safety Certification™ or in-person through USI's partnerships with many local colleges and universities. PRO™ Certificate holders must also earn four Continuing Education Units (CEUs) on an annual basis, to ensure they are up-to-date on changes in the industry. CEUs may be obtained through various workshops, education programs, industry tradeshows, and much more. In conjunction with today's announcement, USI is also pleased to announce that SkySkopes, a professional UAS flight operator with a large team of elite UAS pilots headquartered in Grand Forks, ND, is the first company to have all of its remote pilots achieve a PRO™ certification. "Certifications such as PRO™ from the Unmanned Safety Institute set SkySkopes apart." Said Matt Dunlevy, President and CEO of SkySkopes, "With the ever-changing state of the UAS industry, complex new use-cases for UAS presenting themselves every day, and BVLOS looming, continuing education and certifications are a necessary framework for top-tier UAS flight operators. Being the launch partner for USI's PRO™ initiative is extremely important to SkySkopes and our University of North Dakota educated pilots as we continue to prove to end users that ours is a world class UAS flight operator. I applaud USI for further promoting UAS safety and training throughout the industry with the advent of their PRO™ program." To learn more about SkySkopes, please visit www.skyskopes.com. USI offers four levels of PRO™ ratings dependent upon the number of hours a remote pilot has flown a UAS, ranging from 50 to 1,000, as well as the number of years in which the applicant was performing flight duties: PRO™ Basic Certification: Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and holds at least 50 flight hours on a specific UAS, may qualify for the USI PRO™ Basic Certification. PRO™ Level 1 (Silver): Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and holds at least 250 flight hours on a specific or combination of UAS may qualify for the USI PRO™ Level 1 (Silver) Certification. PRO™ Level 2 (Bronze): Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and holds at least 500 flight hours on a specific or combination of UAS may qualify for the USI PRO™ Level 2 (Bronze) Certification. PRO™ Level 3 (Gold): Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and holds at least 1,000 flight hours on a specific or combination of UAS may qualify for the USI PRO™ Level 3 (Gold) Certification. Remote pilots interested in earning a PRO™ certification from USI and becoming leaders in their field, can apply online at www.unmannedsafetyinstitute.org/PRO. If you would like to request more information, please e-mail rel="nofollow">info@unmannedsafetyinstitute.org or call 1-877-535- SAFE. About Unmanned Safety Institute The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) is the industry's most widely recognized leader in flight safety solutions for individuals, enterprises, and organizations focused on integrating and operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for civil or commercial purposes. The Unmanned Safety Institute, widely recognized as "best-in-class" provides UAS flight safety training and certification to operational standards based on the adoption and modification of time-honored aviation safety practices. With over 100 instructors and over 3,000 customers around the world, including several Fortune 500 enterprises, USI widely recognized as the global leader in UAS training and certification delivering the most highly-regarded training program of its kind. USI is the only training and certification organization that is accepted by the FAA, endorsed by major aviation insurance providers, and whose training programs have been evaluated and recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education. Discover more at www.UnmannedSafetyInstitute.org. Media Contact:Alexis Creedy, Unmanned Safety Institute, 802-733-5463, rel="nofollow">alexis.creedy@unmannedsafetyinstitute.org News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com SOURCE The Unmanned Safety Institute http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/Unmanned-Safety-Institute-Launches-Elite- Certification-Program-for-Professional-Remote-Pilots-1007295087 Back to Top Homeland Security bulletin warns of weaponized drones and threat to aviation The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an updated terror bulletin on Thursday highlighting the threat of weaponized drones, chemical attacks and the continued targeting of commercial aircraft. "We continue to face one of the most challenging threat environments since 9/11, as foreign terrorist organizations exploit the internet to inspire, enable or direct individuals already here in the homeland to commit terrorist acts," reads the bulletin. The National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin, which replaced the old color-coded system, is used to give the public and local law enforcement a summary about ongoing and potentially new terror threats. "The current bulletin introduces unmanned aircraft systems as potential threats and highlights sustained concern regarding threats against commercial aviation and air cargo," said DHS acting press secretary Tyler Houlton in a statement. There's been an "uptick in terrorist interest" in using unmanned aerial systems as weapons in the United States and other western countries, according to a senior DHS official. These tactics have been used by terrorists on the battlefield, and the department wants to "guard against those tactics being exported to the west," said the official. The official said that DHS wants to be "forward leaning" about seeing what terrorists are doing overseas and tactics they might adopt in the future. Since the last bulletin, concerns about terrorist targeting aviation sector have grown, said the official. "[T]errorists continue to target commercial aviation and air cargo, including with concealed explosives," reads the updated bulletin. DHS has been implementing wide-ranging security measures for all airports and airlines that fly directly to the U.S. In June, the administration announced "enhanced screening" of passengers and their electronic devices, as well as "seen and unseen" security around the aircraft and inside the airport. Terrorists still see "aviation as the crown jewel target," said former DHS Secretary John Kelly, now the president's cheif of staff, at the time of the announcement. The measures, which are being rolled out in phases, are aimed at detecting concealed explosives, insider threats and identifying suspicious passengers. Current acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke has been urging countries to adopt these measures on all flights, not just those that are direct to the U.S., according to a DHS official. The new bulletin also warns of the use of "poisons or toxins," which the DHS official says there has been increased chatter about in the terror realm. The "big picture" is that the homeland security fight is shifting, said the senior DHS official. The department's response to the terror threat is adapting as ISIS is close to defeat in safe havens, but continues to have branches and affiliates around the world, according to DHS. DHS is focused on the next phase of the fight, according to the senior DHS official. http://abcnews.go.com/US/homeland-security-bulletin-warns-weaponized-drones-threat- aviation/story?id=51050621 Back to Top Yet Another Dead Airline Brand Is Being Revived A reborn World Airways wants to use 787s for discount flights to Asia and Latin America. But old names on new carriers have a bad track record. A World Airlines MD-11 jet Source: Ric Feld/AP Photo Nostalgia runs deep in the U.S. airline business-witness attempted resurrections over the years of Braniff, Pan American, Eastern, and People Express. The newest effort in the everything-that's-old-is-new-again business is a low-cost venture that aims to fly Boeing Co. 787s to Asia and South America, replicating the type of long-haul operation that Norwegian Air has sought to pioneer with the 787 in Europe. An investment firm, 777 Partners, said Wednesday it acquired rights to fly as World Airways, a carrier that took to the skies after World War II as the armed forces' dominant troop transport service. World, which was based in suburban Atlanta, shut down in 2014 after the U.S. Air Force canceled a key contract and creditors withdrew funding. Now it's coming back. "World has a rich and storied history dating back to 1947," Chief Executive Officer Ed Wegel said in a statement. "It was once the world's largest independent charter airline, and served the U.S. military and other clients with great distinction." His investment group says it's in discussions with Boeing to buy 10 787s. Wegel has had a long career in the airline business and some history in the brand resuscitation game. Most recently, he co-founded a charter carrier using the old Eastern moniker with a focus on flights to Cuba-in 2014, he placed orders for 10 Boeing 737-800s, plus options on 10 737 Max jets. Wegel was also involved with a 1990s relaunch of the People Express brand. A decade before, that carrier had managed to combine low fares with quality service and for many became a valued carrier before things went south; People was sold to the parent of Continental Airlines in 1986. This newest endeavor aims to offer "a transformative flying experience rooted in safety, technology and service to the large segment of the traveling public historically priced out of international travel," said Josh Wander, a managing partner at Miami-based 777. Whether there is goodwill associated with an old brand is up for debate, especially since so many other revival attempts failed. Miami-based Eastern struggled with the restoration of commercial air service to Cuba last year, especially in the largest Cuban travel market of Florida. In June, Phoenix- based charter airline Swift Air LLC acquired Eastern's name, assets, a few Boeing 737s, and some customer accounts, including flights for the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers. People Express attempted another reboot as a low-cost carrier in the summer of 2014, basing flights in Newark, N.J., the original airline's home. That People Express was led by Jeffrey Erickson, who founded Reno Air in 1990 and later served as chief executive of TWA. The carrier suspended service in less than three months. And finally, the iconic Pan Am brand-created in the 1920s and perhaps the most famous airline name in the history of commercial flight-has been employed for multiple revival efforts. They all failed, too. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-09/yet-another-dead-airline-brand-is-being- revived Back to Top Boeing 757 Testing Shows Airplanes Vulnerable to Hacking, DHS Says U.S. Department of Homeland Security headquarters. Photo courtesy of DHS A team of government, industry and academic officials successfully demonstrated that a commercial aircraft could be remotely hacked in a non-laboratory setting last year, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said Wednesday at the 2017 CyberSat Summit in Tysons Corner, Virginia. "We got the airplane on Sept. 19, 2016. Two days later, I was successful in accomplishing a remote, non-cooperative, penetration," said Robert Hickey, aviation program manager within the Cyber Security Division of the DHS Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate. "[Which] means I didn't have anybody touching the airplane, I didn't have an insider threat. I stood off using typical stuff that could get through security and we were able to establish a presence on the systems of the aircraft." Hickey said the details of the hack and the work his team are doing are classified, but said they accessed the aircraft's systems through radio frequency communications, adding that, based on the RF configuration of most aircraft, "you can come to grips pretty quickly where we went" on the aircraft. The aircraft that DHS is using for its tests is a legacy Boeing 757 commercial plane purchased by the S&T branch. After his speech at the CyberSat Summit, Hickey told Avionics sister publication Defense Daily that the testing is with the aircraft on the ground at the airport in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The initial response from experts was, "'We've known that for years,'" and, "It's not a big deal," Hickey said. But in March 2017, at a technical exchange meeting, he said seven airline pilot captains from American Airlines and Delta Air Lines in the room had no clue. "All seven of them broke their jaw hitting the table when they said, 'You guys have known about this for years and haven't bothered to let us know because we depend on this stuff to be absolutely the bible,'" Hickey said. Hickey, who is a staff officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on assignment to DHS S&T, said that while aviation is a subsector of the transportation component of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, the focus is squarely on traditional terrestrial-based systems. The reservation and scheduling systems of airline aren't part of Hickey's research, he said. "I want to suggest to you that there's a different type of critical infrastructure, and that's critical infrastructure that's in motion, of which aviation is one of the third of that," Hickey said. The others are surface and maritime transportation, he said. "And I look at all of those and say, 'If we're not looking at those from a different perspective, we're going to miss the boat,' no pun intended," Hickey said. He said he doesn't know the answers yet for aircraft cyber infrastructure, adding that it's not a policy issue yet because more research needs to be done on these systems to understand what the issues are. Patching avionics subsystem on every aircraft when a vulnerability is discovered is cost prohibitive, Hickey said. The cost to change one line of code on a piece of avionics equipment is $1 million, and it takes a year to implement. For Southwest Airlines, whose fleet is based on Boeing's 737, it would "bankrupt" them if a cyber vulnerability was specific to systems on board 737s, he said, adding that other airlines that fly 737s would also see their earnings hurt. Hickey said newer models of 737s and other aircraft, like Boeing's 787 and the Airbus Group A350, have been designed with security in mind, but that legacy aircraft, which make up more than 90% of the commercial planes in the sky, don't have these protections. Aircraft also represent different challenges for cybersecurity and traditional land-based networks, Hickey said. He said that whether it's the U.S. Air Force or the commercial sector, there are no maintenance crews that can deal with ferreting out cyber threats aboard an aircraft. "They don't exist in the maintenance world," Hickey said, noting that when he was in the Air Force, he commanded a logistics group. Hickey was also an airline pilot for more than 20 years. The chief information officers of airlines "don't know how to chase a cyber spark through an airplane either," Hickey said. "Why? Because they have been dealing with, and they're programmed to, and they do a great job of, protecting the terrestrial-based networks. Airplanes are absolutely different - crazy different." Trying to deal with airplane cybersecurity the same way it is approached for land-based networks "is going to leave us short of the mark," Hickey said. Hickey's team for his work includes Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Energy Department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of California San Diego, Sierra Nevada, SRI International and QED Secure Solutions. QED is led by Johnathan Butts, a former Air Force officer who has done cyber vulnerability assessments of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and B-52 bombers, Hickey said. Two years ago, a security researcher claimed to have hacked into a passenger aircraft through its in-flight entertainment system while he was traveling aboard the plane. However, there is no evidence he accessed flight control systems. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/11/08/boeing-757-testing-shows-airplanes-vulnerable- hacking-dhs-says/ Back to Top Hong Kong Express banned from adding new aircraft, flights or destinations Penalty handed down over October holiday cancellations is harshest meted out by aviation authority in 20 years Hong Kong Express has come under fire from officials and the industry for its flight cancellations. Photo: Dickson Lee Budget airline Hong Kong Express is banned from taking delivery of new aircraft and cannot add flights or destinations to its network, the city's aviation authority announced on Thursday. The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) approved the punishment, its harshest in 20 years, after the airline cancelled dozens of flights just days before a major Chinese holiday week in October, leaving some 2,000 travellers high and dry. A report by the airline which was reviewed by the city's aviation regulator concluded there had been lapses in the firm's internal management and corporate governance, which included poor human resources planning, a lack of effective internal communication and an underestimation of the impact of the incident. A CAD spokeswoman said the penalty was the harshest possible, short of revoking an air operating certificate - the licence required to fly. The sanctions would only be lifted once authorities were satisfied steps had been taken to prevent a repeat incident, she said. Some 20 years ago a helicopter operator's certificate was suspended for around three months in light of serious safety shortcomings. What is the fallout from the Hong Kong Express 'golden week' cancellations debacle? "Further business expansion can only be considered when the management problems are tackled at the root," said the regulator, which provides oversight of airlines and manages aviation safety. "Hong Kong Express will only be allowed to operate new destinations and flights when the CAD is satisfied it has implemented various rectifying measures effectively." The airline is part owned by mainland Chinese conglomerate HNA Group. The CAD said the company would need to overhaul its risk management practices, hire more cabin crew and safety trainers to ensure such incidents would not happen again, and improve communication with the public. On September 24 the airline abruptly cancelled 18 flights between Hong Kong and Seoul in South Korea and the Japanese cities of Osaka and Nagoya between October 1 and 8. The two dates marked the start and finish of the busy Chinese National Day holiday period known as "golden week". Travel plans were ruined for some 2,000 holidaymakers. During the period the company lost critical safety personnel crucial to operating flights, which had a knock-on effect on cabin crew and left the company unable to operate legally. The regulator ordered a probe after the fiasco and then CEO Andrew Cowen and other senior executives left the firm soon afterwards. Hong Kong Express cabin crew seek to join trade union in wake of cancellation controversy In a statement on Thursday night the airline said it "will do its utmost to make improvements across the company" over the next six months. Hong Kong Express had expressed "profound regret" over the disruption, the CAD noted. Along with the restrictions came a renewal of the airline's operating certificate for another five years, but with specific conditions tied to the licence stating that the company must make improvements. Existing flights and bookings were unaffected by the announcement of Thursday's sanctions, however, it is unclear whether a new service to Kumamoto in Japan, due to fly from November 16, twice a week, will be allowed to get off the ground. Hong Kong Express operates a fleet of 20 Airbus single-aisle planes flying to 28 destinations mainly in Asia including in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2119185/hong-kong-express-banned- adding-new-aircraft-flights-or Back to Top GE Patent Filings Hint at Blockchain Role in Aircraft Management New patent filings from General Electric suggest that the U.S. conglomerate may be looking at blockchain as part of a wider aircraft monitoring and maintenance system. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published five applications from GE today, each of which focus on a concept for a "dynamic optimization" system that would touch multiple aspects of managing and operating aircraft, including maintenance services. One component of that system, the applications indicate, would be a mechanism for parties involved in the aircraft oversight process. While noting that these entities would typically be paid through traditional finance channels, they suggest that cryptocurrencies - or some application of blockchain thereof - could facilitate such payouts instead. "The delivery of the cash flows amongst stakeholders is certainly enabled with traditional debits and credits into financial accounts and may be implemented with crypto-currency mechanisms whose core logic is informed by precise allocation of cashflows," the applications note - though they don't include any other mention of the technology. That GE would potentially investigate this area is perhaps unsurprising, given past developments from notable airline carriers. Earlier this year, Air France revealed that it was looking at blockchain as a way to track maintenance flows for its airplanes, with the idea being that the technology could underpin a shared database of update information. https://www.coindesk.com/ge-patent-filings-hint-at-blockchain-role-in-aircraft-management/ Back to Top Middle East a Key Area for Space-Based ADS-B Coverage From the perspectives of aviation safety and airspace and airport design, the Middle East will be one of the key areas of the world where Aireon's forthcoming space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data feeds to air navigation service providers (ANSPs) will be able to offer a major contribution, according to the company. Interviewed by AIN recently, Vincent Capezutto, Aireon's chief technology officer and v-p of engineering, said that because the Middle East is "one of the fastest-growing areas from the perspectives of air traffic and aircraft count, you want to be proactive and predictive in terms of designing [its] airspace." In that context, the signing of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Aireon in the past few months by ANSPs Saudi Air Navigation Services (SANS) and Turkey's The General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) to explore concepts of operations for the implementation of space- based ADS-B in their airspace is particularly encouraging, according to Capezutto. DHMI's airspace borders the dense Eurocontrol airspace and DHMI provided terminal and passenger service to more than 35 million domestic and international passengers using 55 airports in Turkey in the first three months of 2017. Operating in a primary airspace region for intercontinental connecting travel and overflight, DHMI regulates and controls the airspace over the high seas within the Ankara and ?stanbul Flight Information Regions. DHMI intends to use ADS-B to augment its current air traffic management (ATM) surveillance capabilities and also as a contingency layer should its other ATM-surveillance systems suffer outages. More ambitiously, SANS plans to use Aireon's service to extend real-time air traffic surveillance throughout its entire ATM region. The Saudi Arabian ANSP particularly intends to use ADS-B to optimize its air traffic flow and reduce current separation minimums, thus providing significant benefits to airlines, according to Abdullah Alsuweilmy, chairman of SANS' board. Providing optimized air traffic flow management to the Middle East's major airports as their aircraft movements continue to grow rapidly will be a key attribute of ADS-B in the region, said Capezutto. "In the past, surveillance was not contiguous. It was good where available, but [because of gaps in ATM coverage] there was noise in the system, error in what you're looking at. But [ADS-B] gives you information that is highly predictable, tracking you uniquely and never dropping out." SANS' plans to use the new ATM technology to optimize traffic flows from positional fixes outside its airspace to Saudi Arabia's own airports-and others in nations adjacent to its airspace, such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi-to obtain the right sequencing will be particularly important as Middle East air traffic continues to grow, according to Capezutto. Importantly, the sequencing capabilities SANS expects to obtain by using ADS-B surveillance will include optimal wake vortex separation between large widebodies and narrowbodies-vital in a region which sees far more Airbus A380 and Boeing 777- 300ER movements than any other region and will also see more 777X operations than anywhere else. "In growing air traffic and keeping safety up-front, you've got to do something different to accommodate that growth," said Capezutto. "Our technology will provide that contiguous surveillance" required to accommodate optimized traffic-flow management and reduce separations between aircraft as Middle Eastern traffic continues to grow. "I think [ADS-B] is one of those opportunities for those states to work collaboratively. Building that coalition of these nations will benefit from them all having the same technology." SYSTEM CALIBRATION With 13 operational ADS-B payloads available to Aireon by September from the first two launches of SpaceX Falcon 9 boosters, each carrying 10 Iridium NEXT low-earth-orbit satellites bearing Aireon's payloads (the payloads on seven satellites being drifted intentionally to different orbits weren't yet available), "We're at a great place in the validation of the system," said Capezutto. By September Aireon, together with several ANSP customers at which Aireon had already installed the server-and-terminal equipment required for them to receive its data feed, had received and validated more than 7 billion 1090MHz ADS-B positional signals received by the 13 available orbiting ADS-B payloads and re-transmitted to Aireon's ground station on the far-north island of Svalbard. In addition to demonstrating a validated position-update rate of five seconds (well within the eight- second update rate mandated by ICAO for ATM surveillance), having 13 operational payloads available allowed Aireon, with launch customer and shareholder Nav Canada, the FAA and private operator Polaris Aviation Solutions, to perform various test flights to calibrate Aireon's system. A key finding from these flights and from the huge amount of data-validation work that Aireon and its ANSP customers have performed since it first obtained operational control of its first orbiting payloads in February are that the payloads easily receive signals for ADS-B transponders broadcasting at 125 watts, the minimum power rating. Capezutto said an even more important finding to Aireon was that each orbiting payload has an effective range of 3,700 km (1,998 nautical miles) for picking up transmissions from ADS-B-almost twice the 2,250 km (1,215 nm) coverage range that payload manufacturer Harris specified. This increases the size of each payload's "footprint" for picking up ADS-B signals from aircraft so much that in most parts of the world it will allow three-satellite overlapping coverage of any signal. Not only will this reduce the average positional-update time offered by the full constellation of 66 operational NEXT satellites (plus nine orbiting spares) once all are launcheed, but Capezzuto noted that having three-satellite coverage for most ADS-B messages also will allow Aireon to provide a multilateration-like, time difference of arrival method of determining any aircraft's position. This GPS-independent, highly accurate method of determining an aircraft's position also will make Aireon able to determine whenever and wherever GPS signals are being jammed or otherwise "spoofed," he said. Assisted by customers Nav Canada, Enav, Naviair, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and South Africa's Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), all of which now have Aireon's server-and- terminal equipment installed (as does the UK's NATS), Aireon's ADS-B data-collection and data- validation capabilities will go up by an order of magnitude in November. During the month, after completing its initial evaluation of the performance of 10 more NEXT satellites lifted to orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster on October 9, Iridium will hand over control to Aireon of the company's space-based ADS-B payloads on those satellites, increasing to 23 the number of operational orbiting payloads collecting and re-transmitting data. A further five Falcon 9 launches-putting into orbit 45 more NEXT satellites to complete the constellation of operational satellites plus spares-are planned at intervals of approximately two months from October 9. Assuming Iridium and SpaceX achieve this schedule, Aireon should have full operational control of all of its orbiting payloads by September 2018, allowing it and major customers such as Nav Canada to begin trialing ADS-B for live, everyday ATM surveillance by the beginning of 2019, Capezutto estimated. However, he said Aireon plans to make its free ALERT emergency-tracking service available earlier, in 2018-through shareholder IAA at IAA's Ballygireen North Atlantic Communications Centre-to relevant organizations which have registered for the service. Capezutto said that the Global Beacon aircraft-tracking service that Aireon is offering commercially in partnership with FlightAware will be available by November 2018, to meet ICAO's GADSS normal-operations flight-tracking mandate which becomes effective that month. To date Aireon has signed 10 firm customers for its future ADS-B ATM-surveillance service, many of them ANSPS which control vast areas of oceanic airspace, such as NATS, Nav Canada, ATNS and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. It also has in place an operational-validation agreement with Airways New Zealand and MOUs with more than 30 other ANSPs and functional airspace blocks covering development of concepts of operations for ADS-B coverage in their areas of airspace. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2017-11-10/middle-east-key-area-space- based-ads-b-coverage Back to Top Airline Pilots, Train Engineers to Get Random Tests for Opioids By Alan Levin How America's Opioid Crisis Spiraled Out of Control Airline pilots, train engineers and truck drivers subject to federally mandated drug screening will soon be tested for a range of opioids under a new rule issued Thursday. While transportation workers have long been subject to random screenings for various drugs, the list didn't include the synthetic opioid pain killers that have helped lead to a dramatic spike in addiction and overdose deaths in the U.S. Following through on a proposal released on Jan. 23, the Department of Transportation published a final rule adding the drugs hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone and oxycodone to a list that already included marijuana, cocaine and heroin. The new testing rules take effect on Jan. 1. President Donald Trump declared opioid addiction a public health emergency on Oct. 26 and that class of drugs has begun to show up in post-accident drug testing, such as a 2016 Amtrak rail collision that killed two workers, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Drug testing required after an accident typically screens for more substances than the random tests that transportation workers get. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-09/airline-pilots-train-engineers-to-get- random-tests-for-opioids Back to Top Job fair in Honolulu features 10 airlines looking for pilots Representatives from 10 regional airlines will be in Honolulu this weekend to recruit pilots. The Future and Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA) job fair is taking place Saturday, Nov. 11, at Dole Cannery's Pomaikai Ballrooms in Iwilei from 9 a.m. to noon. The recruiting airlines are Piedmont Airlines, Envoy Air, Compass Airlines, ExpressJet, Gama Aviation, GoJet Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa Airlines, Empire Airlines, and SkyWest Airlines. Job seeking, qualified pilots should register and can learn more about the fair here. There will also be a pilot forum for those interested in getting into the industry. That will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. School counselors are encouraged to attend to learn how to talk to students about professional pilot careers. California Aeronautical University will also be in attendance to speak with future pilots. The event will also include a complimentary showing of the inspirational National Geographic documentary "Living in the Age of Airplanes." FAPA, Piedmont Airlines, Envoy Air, and others will host roundtable discussions, and there will be presentations and prize drawings starting at 1 p.m. http://khon2.com/2017/11/09/job-fair-in-honolulu-features-10-airlines-looking-for-pilots/ Back to Top A Plan for Keeping the U.S. Air Force's Best Pilots in Service U.S. Air Force attack aircraft A-10 "Thunderbolt" pilot reacts as he takes part in a landing exercise on a motorway near Jagala, Estonia, August 10, 2017. * The U.S. Air Force needs to make pilot service more competitive and rewarding. President Trump's recent executive order authorizing the secretary of defense to recall up to a thousand retired Air Force pilots to fill that service's ever-growing shortfall is certainly welcome. It may indeed help temporarily quell the current fighter-pilot manning crisis. But it's a Band-Aid, not a cure. The long-term repercussions of implementation are unlikely to thwart the downward spiral of pilot retention, or the readiness of the Air Force. The fighter-pilot shortage has grown increasingly worrisome over the last several years. The Heritage Foundation's 2018 Index of U.S. Military Strength rated the Air Force as "weak," based in part on its current and forecast shortfall of fighter pilots. By year's end, the service is projected to have fewer than 2,643 of the 3,643 active-duty fighter pilots it needs to execute its mission. That problem is exacerbated by how long it takes to train competent pilots to replace those exiting the service. It takes two years for a pilot candidate to complete basic flight school and the fighter- training pipeline. But even then, those graduates aren't ready for combat. Mission-qualification training at their gaining unit consumes another two to three months before new pilots are ready to follow someone else into combat as a wingman. From there, it takes two years to become a flight lead, two more before they can upgrade to instructor and a total of seven years before an individual maximizes his potential as a fighter pilot. Yes, bringing previously qualified fighter pilots back on active duty will help the Air Force recover all of that experience over the course of months, rather than years. The training required to requalify them would be minimal, as would be the cost, and enticing some of these "graybeards" to return will be relatively easy. However, this solution introduces new problems that will exacerbate the current pilot-retention dilemma. In fact, it will help to mask several very real reasons pilots will continue leaving the service in the years ahead. Many pilots who elect to separate or retire from the service do so to pursue more lucrative careers or a better quality of life. The average pilot flying with a major commercial airline earns more than $150,000 a year, but other even higher-paying professions are hungry for leaders with the experience and drive associated with the fighter community. Financial gain and quality of life are reasons readily acknowledged by Air Force senior leaders. Rarely mentioned, however, are other factors that contribute to the decision to leave the service, such as falling performance standards, lack of flying time, and a lack of respect from the service for airmen's values and beliefs. Flight School graduation rates have skyrocketed from below 80 percent in the 1980s to the point where almost everyone entering flight school now graduates (even fighter candidates). Similarly, promotion rates to major have also inextricably grown from around 90 percent in 1997, to a recently announced rate of 100 percent for the next three to four years. Yet all this has occurred with no discernible improvement in the quality of candidates or instructors, or with the automation within the aircraft they fly. Graduation or promotion rates of 100 percent either mean that no one performs so poorly that they fail to meet a service's high standard, or that standards have been lowered to the point where even the poorest performers qualify for advancement. Either way, combining the two statistics means the Air Force now has a system with no discernible level of screening during the first sixteen years of a pilot's career. Lowering the flight training standards will likely only show itself in a near-peer combat environment. The drain on talent it can cause is easily masked by other issues, but the effects are no less real. Highly competitive people thrive in teams with other high performers, where their performance is recognized and differentiated from that of less talented individuals. They tend to move away from organizations in which retention is the primary goal regardless of performance. Pilots join the Air Force because they want to fly. Unfortunately, fighter pilots have been starved for flight time for at least the last five years. With few exceptions, fighter pilots believe their skills diminish when they fly two or fewer sorties a week. They sustain their skills if they fly three times a week, and they get better when they fly four or more times a week. Fighter pilots have been averaging fewer than two sorties a week for the last five years, which can't help but sap both their competency and the drive that brought them to a fighter cockpit. The leadership of the Air Force will counter that simulator time fills both gaps, but here they have lost sight of the big picture: that it fills neither. Pay, standards for performance and time in the air are big issues that can easily mask the effect of social engineering on service members. These injects are not experiments, but moral mandates. Those who don't accept the new coding must either hide their own beliefs or find themselves facing one of the few real disqualifiers for promotion. Those willing to give up their trajectories in the civilian sector to (re)embrace those issues will have predictable qualities and dispositions. While many will be positive, it only takes one or two caustic personalities to cause someone on the cusp of staying to make the decision to leave. But that's not the only potential downside of this move. Bringing back these graybeards will also affect the quality of life for those pilots still on active duty. Retirees lured to return to the active Air Force will likely only fly in stable, nondeploying roles such as basic flight school or fighter training units-assignments that fighter pilots once avoided due to their nonoperational mission. Unfortunately, those assignments are the only place where midgrade officers can find relief from the relentless operations tempo of today's Air Force. Removing those assignment opportunities from those currently serving will mean more time away from home for fighter pilots whose families already bear the brunt of their service's demands. This will likely make retaining those pilots that much more challenging. In 1991, the Air Force executed the unpopular policy known as "stop loss" to prevent the exodus of fighter pilots during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and later offered generous bonuses for that era in an attempt to entice those eligible to exit the service not to do so. While successful in the 1990s, the same scheme of retaining pilots with even bigger bonuses will leave the service a thousand active-duty fighter pilots short by year's end. The chief of staff of the Air Force has stated that he is not considering stop loss to stem the current crisis. But the service has to do something to fill the 28 percent fighter-pilot manning shortfall. Even with its adverse long-term effects, this novel move to recall retirees, coupled with more generous bonus payments, may temporarily shore up the numbers. But its timing is late, and the Air Force's overall strategy once again lacks reason. Legend has it that early twentieth-century insane asylums tested inmates' ability to reason by placing them a room with water gushing from a faucet onto a concrete floor. They gave the patient a mop and a bucket and told him to mop. If he went for the faucet before attacking the floor with the mop, they paroled him. If not, they knew he was still crazy. The Air Force has addressed every pilot manning shortfall in recent history by going right for the mop. While the depth of this fighter-pilot shortage certainly demands that the leadership address the crisis on the floor, it also needs to address the spigot and every inch of space between it and the flat surface below. The service has initiated a second move to target at least part of that flow: the influx of pilots. Air Education and Training Command has announced plans to increase pilot production from one thousand to 1,200 pilots per year. While this 20 percent increase is a step in the right direction, actualizing this initiative will likely take several years, and require another pilot-training base, due to capacity limitations within the current training structure. However, tweaks in student scheduling can accelerate the pace that classes move through flight school and reduce pilot training from a year-long endeavor to one approaching nine months-and that move can be made quickly and at virtually no cost. That said, a 20 percent increase is nowhere near enough. If the Air Force holds to a 100 percent graduation rate, a 20 percent increase will deliver an additional two hundred pilots a year, but the quality of those graduates will always be questioned. And the mindsets that come with no screening at any level will do little to make the best want to stay. The Air Force should incrementally increase pilot production to 1,400 pilots a year-a level that will allow screening at all levels. Screening won't just bring a sense of pride back to the fighter force, it will deliver pilots more prone to quickly absorb, master and execute new tactics; pilots that can successfully fulfill tasks in dynamic and challenging environments, like flying in the low-altitude structure. There is virtually no training currently accomplished at low altitude, and tasks easily accomplished at medium altitude can overwhelm pilots flying in the weeds. If-when-the need arises to re-enter that structure in a combat environment, there won't be time for slow learning curves or multiple do-over sorties that are now the norm throughout the flight training pipeline. The competence and confidence that comes with screening will renew an elite mindset in the fighter force that will enable mission success, further unit cohesion and foster an individual's desire to stay. The last of the measures the service must address is the space in between the faucet-their graduation from flight school-and a pilot's first opportunity to leave the service. If the Air Force is going to avoid the mop-grabbing mode in the future, it needs to begin their retention efforts the moment a pilot leaves flight school. People are smart; they know when they are valued, and when an organization feigns interest up until a crisis. The current bonus system begins only when pilots are approaching their option to leave. The Air Force should increase flight pay to a point where pilots feel valued from the moment they leave flight school until they are eligible for the bonus-and the service should sustain those pay and bonus levels throughout their flying careers. While the moves suggested above may seem costly, the alternatives are staggering. It cost $6 million a year to train an Air Force fighter pilot in 2013. Pilots receive a ten-year service commitment on graduation from flight school. If it cost the service several million to retain a $60 million talent for another ten years, it would more than pay for itself on paper, while elevating the competency, cohesion and combat capability of our fighter force. http://nationalinterest.org/feature/plan-keeping-the-us-air-forces-best-pilots-service- 23131?page=show Back to Top China's C919 jet completes first long-distance flight SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's self-developed C919 passenger jet completed its first long-distance flight on Friday, in a milestone that its manufacturer said marks the plane's move into an airworthiness certification phase. FILE PHOTO: 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 The Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd (COMAC) said in a statement the C919 flew for 2 hours and 23 minutes from Shanghai to the central Chinese city of Xi'an, traveling more than 1,300 km (800 miles) and reaching an altitude of 7,800 meters (25,590 feet). The jet, which China wants to compete with Boeing Co's 737 and the Airbus SE A320, is a symbol of China's civil aerospace ambitions. It will remain in Xi'an to undergo further testing, the planemaker said. "This ferry flight indicates that the C919 possess the ability to fly inter-city routes," COMAC said in the statement. "(It) marks the move into research and development flight-testing and airworthiness certification work." The latest flight is the plane's sixth test since it flew for the first time on May 5. Analysts had questioned the long time gaps between previous test flights. COMAC is aiming to obtain certification for the plane from Chinese regulators as well as Europe's aviation safety regulator, which in April agreed to start the certification process. COMAC said it planned to eventually test six C919 planes and will carry out the first flight for its second jet by the end of this year. The plane currently has 27 customers who have placed orders and commitments for 730 jets, it added. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-aviation-comac/chinas-c919-jet-completes-first-long- distance-flight-idUSKBN1DA0N4?il=0 Back to Top Superjumbo Saga, Last Hurrahs Set to Dominate Desert Air Show * Airbus could finally snare Emirates A380 order at Dubai expo * Pazazz may be damped as Gulf tensions mount and icons bow out Emirates Airlines's Airbus A380. Photographer: Jason Alden/Bloomberg As aviation executives descend on Dubai for the sheikdom's biennial air show, the biggest question is whether the expo will lose its sparkle amid tough times for the Persian Gulf's leading airlines. While smaller in scale than trade fairs held in Paris and Farnborough, England, the event has acquired a unique allure since it began in 1986, hosting a series of industry-shaking jet orders as Mideast carriers piled on planes at their desert mega-hubs. Here's a summary of the likely talking points at this year's event, which begins Sunday: A380's Last Chance: Can Emirates Save Superjumbo? Airbus SE's double-decker jet may be popular with the traveling public but it has fallen out of favor with fleet planners at the world's major airlines. All except one, that is. Emirates, the world's biggest long-haul carrier, has built its business around the A380 and is mulling a follow-on deal for at least 20 planes. Top Airbus managers met with Emirates last week for the handover of its 100th example and will have been delighted to hear positive comments about the likelihood of a deal in Dubai, where it is based. Anything short of an order announcement would come as a major shock and could hasten the superjumbo's demise; a major purchase would give the program a shot in the arm and restore some of the Dubai razzmatazz. Gulf Loses Aviation Sparkle Amid Etihad, Qatar Woes Away from the A380, major orders may be thin on the ground. Emirates itself is emerging from the toughest period in a three-decade history, having posted the first earnings decline for at least five years in the 12 months through June after the U.S. imposed a series of travel restrictions amid terror concerns and the low oil price roiled Gulf economies. A jump in first-half profit announced Thursday will go some way to restoring the carrier's old swagger, but may have come too late for it to place an order for Airbus A350 or Boeing Co. 787 planes that's been in gestation for years. By comparison, the Mideast's two other top operators are in a bind. Qatar Airways said this week that it's headed for an annual loss, wiping out a $525 million year-ago profit, amid a Saudi-led blockade of its home nation that's also expected to stop executives attending the show. And Etihad Airways has been left reeling following a $1.87 billion loss in 2016 and bankruptcy filings at its Air Berlin Plc and Alitalia SpA offshoots. Will Asian Discounters Rescue Dubai Order Tally? Four years back, carriers announced a record $179 billion of orders in Dubai. Since then, things have cooled. Only $4 billion of new contracts was unveiled at the 2015 show, and with Gulf operators licking their wounds, Asia may hold the brightest sales prospects. Discount giants such as AirAsia Bhd. and Lion Mentari Airlines PT are buying hundreds of jets as they target a growing middle class, joined more recently by the likes of India's IndiGo, and despite infrastructure constraints and fare wars there may be scope for further deals. More-traditional operators such as Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. have also been topping up their backlogs. Asian carriers have traditionally favored high-profile events for order announcements, and Dubai would fit the bill. Airbus-Bombardier Deal Warms Up Boeing Rivalry The hottest thing at the show may be the rivalry between Airbus and Boeing, four weeks after the European company revealed that it planned to take a majority stake in Bombardier Inc.'s C Series program. The tie-up will put Airbus's global sales clout behind the stuttering project and allow planes to be built in Alabama, circumventing tariffs imposed by the U.S. after Boeing argued that the single-aisle jet had benefited from illegal Canadian aid. The rivalry between the leading manufacturers is always a feature of the industry's leading expos, with Boeing scoring an order victory in Airbus's own backyard at this summer's Paris event as it launched a new variant of its 737. The U.S. company may be anticipating a low-profile show -- but watch the sparks fly if Bombardier firms up its first major C Series deal in 18 months. A Bombardier CS300 C Series aircraft.Photographer: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg $36 Billion Hub Hosts Expo But Precious Few Flights Already home to the world's busiest hub for international traffic, Dubai is spending $36 billion on a brand new facility at the heart of a 50-square-mile logistics and transport zone to the south of the city. While Al Maktoum airport opened in 2013 and was due to accommodate 26 million passengers by 2017 out of a planned capacity of 160 million, the ramp up has fallen a year behind schedule. Emirates has meanwhile delayed its move there from 2015 until as late as 2030. While next week's show will take place at a purpose-built venue located at the new site, the bulk of people travelling there will arrive at the old hub the best part of 40 miles away. On the Defensive: Arab Tensions Stoke Military Intent Regional rivalries have intensified amid conflicts in Syria and Yemen, with the latter regarded as a proxy for Saudi Arabia's confrontation with Iran. The world's biggest oil-producing nation is also the No. 1 importer of weaponry including Eurofighter's Typhoon warplane, with the partnership of BAE Systems Plc, Airbus and Italy's Leonardo SpA seeking to pin down a follow-on order. On the other side of the divide, Qatar in September signed an outline accord for 24 Typhoons, following deals for the same number of Rafale jets from France's Dassault Aviation SA and 36 Boeing F-15s. At the same time, the lower oil price has weighed on spending and triggered economic and social reforms including an anti-corruption crackdown on Saudi royalty, billionaires and officials. Last Hurrah for Industry Titans at Scene of Past Triumphs The Dubai show could be the last for two giants of aviation. Emirates President Tim Clark has said that his years at the helm may be drawing to a close, while Airbus sales supremo John Leahy has already announced his retirement. Both men are aged 67 (Clark turns 68 this month) and both are likely to want to go out with a splash, something the mooted A380 purchase would most certainly deliver. With Emirates earnings headed in the right direction Clark may be the more relaxed of the two; Leahy, who has drummed up $1.7 trillion in orders including huge deals in Dubai, has already had to delay his departure after his chosen successor dropped out of the running as the planemaker's management focuses on a corruption probe. Airbus says he'll still be gone by February. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-10/superjumbo-saga-last-hurrahs-set-to- dominate-desert-air-show Back to Top Meet fellow Eagles in the area and who are traveling to the air show. Dubai Airshow Alumni Network Event The Dubai Airshow brings in countless Eagles from all around the world. This social event is a great opportunity for local alumni to meet with fellow Eagles who are coming to Dubai for this incredible event. The dress code is business casual. Appetizers will be provided and cash bar will be available. Please note: Our venue has changed. We'll meet at The Elevate Lounge at the Five Palm Jumeira hotel. 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 The Elevate Lounge Five Palm Jumeirah Dubai No. 1, Palm Jumeirah Dubai, UAE 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 12 - 16 NOVEMBER 2017 http://www.dubaiairshow.aero/ Back to Top JOB TITLE: MAINTENANCE BASE MANAGER REPORTS TO: Director of Maintenance HOURS: Full-Time, Year-Round LOCATION: Cape Air Corporate Headquarters (Hyannis, MA) SUMMARY: The Maintenance Base Manager performs all duties of maintenance technician and supervisor. In addition, the person in this position directs daily activities of Base Maintenance operations and facilities to ensure activities are accomplished in accordance with company and federal requirements. This includes administering work load, personnel issues, tooling, parts and facility management, amongst other things. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: * Responsible to direct daily activities of Base Maintenance operations and facilities to ensure activities are accomplished in accordance with company and federal requirements * Manage Mechanics and Aircraft Cleaners * Coordinate all resources as necessary to accomplish the existing or anticipated work load during all days and hours of operations * Develop and maintain manpower and vacation schedules/requests * Setup, review and approve employee payroll; handle check requests (and petty cash if applicable) * Assist in interviews of potential employees and coordinate new hire process and orientation with HR * Coordinate SIDA badge process for all maintenance employees * Coordinate training with the Manager of Maintenance Training * Coordinate uniform requests for base * Coordinate any relocation/TDY assignments * Conduct daily and/or monthly meetings as necessary with maintenance crew * Conduct disciplinary meetings with employees as required or as necessary * Communicate with facility landlord, if applicable * Responsible for hangar and ground equipment maintenance including the upkeep of all maintenance department vehicles * Responsible for ordering shop and office supplies and maintaining proper inventories of these items * Communicate with SOC/MOC for aircraft status reports * Participate in daily PIREP and maintenance base meetings * Audit manual system for correct revisions. * Monitor workmanship, materials and associated documentation * Manage Jeppesen/Garmin Ops update cycles for fleet * Work with Materials Manager to ensure proper inventory control for base * Coordinate core engine returns with stores * Coordinate and comply with EPA, OSHA, and Health Department * Additional duties as assigned QUALIFICATIONS: * Must hold a valid A&P certificate * Must have at least 5 years of experience in aircraft maintenance * Must have at least 2 years of professional management or supervisory work experience * Experience in cold weather ops * Knowledgeable of FARs and budget processes preferred o Must have a flexible schedule and be willing to work any and all shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays * Valid passport required * Must be willing to travel * Must exhibit knowledge of Cape Air and embody the Cape Air MOCHA HAGoTDI spirit * Please note this is a safety sensitive position which requires CHRC clearance and DATP enrollment in accordance with the FAA Code of Federal Regulations APPLY HERE Back to Top 2017 FORAS Workshop - November 29-30, 2017, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Organized by Flight Safety Foundation and EVA AIR. The Workshop will introduce Flight Operations Risk Assessment System / FORAS, which is a proactive and predictive tool on hazard identification and risk management on flight operations. FORAS is an essential tool for SMS implementation. The FORAS functionalities and set up requirements and other details will be briefed at this two days workshop. FORAS Workshop will be held on November 29-30 at EVA AIR Training Center in Taoyuan, Taiwan. There is no registration fee for the workshop, details can be accessed from the FORAS website, including links for the workshop, agenda, registration, hotel and other relevant information. http://foras.com.tw/foras-workshop/ Back to Top PHD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY REQUEST International airline pilot and 38-year veteran of flying, Karlene Petitt, has instructed pilots on Boeing aircraft for over 21 years, and holds type ratings on A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, and B727. She is working on her PHD in Aviation with a focus on safety at Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University. Petitt is researching the impact of training, aircraft understanding, safety culture, aviation passion, and manual flight tendencies, to better understand the impact on performance. If the pilot is always blamed for errors, the underlying factors may never be identified. The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes and is anonymous. If you fly for a commercial operation, with a two (or more) person crew (corporate, charter, or airline) please visit http://petittaviationresearch.com to learn more and access the link to the survey that can be found at the bottom of the page. Thank you!!! Karlene Petitt MBA. MHS. Doctoral Candidate Aviation ERAU Typed: A330, B747-400, B747-200, B767, B757, B737, B727 http://karlenepetitt.blogspot.com Curt Lewis