Flight Safety Information November 28, 2017 - No. 236 In This Issue Incident: Transavia B738 at Amsterdam on Nov 26th 2017, lightning strike Incident: Eurowings A320 at Brussels on Nov 26th 2017, engine failure on final approach Incident: Avianca Brasil A320 at Brasilia on Nov 26th 2017, cabin did not pressurize Accident: LATAM Brasil A320 at Florianopolis on Nov 26th 2017, tail strike on landing DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 suffered a runway excursion during takeoff (Nepal) Planes grounded at JFK after clipping wings on taxiway Are Pilots Ready for Mobile IFR Clearances? D-8 Aviation Chiefs call for high standards of safety in aviation industry DFW Airport prepares to rebuild one of its main runways in 2018 Aviation College takes delivery of Boeing 737 Simulator next year (Nigeria) Emirates Airline is the first customer of IATA DGR eFBs Plane leasing company forced to start own airline because nobody wants its A380s Facebook wants to launch airplane fleet to boost Wi-Fi in remote areas Pentagon taps Silicon Valley firm for aircraft predictive maintenance EasyJet admits 50% pay gap between women and men citing dearth of female pilots Space station cargo flight next on SpaceX's launch schedule FlyteAnalytics...by CAPACG to Provide Utah State University Flight Data Monitoring Services SASI Pakistan Seminar...on 7th December 2017. at Islamabad Club Book: Quietus - Last Flight THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK ON PILOTING AND AERONAUTICS Book: Angle of Attack The NBAA Safety Committee is conducting its...3rd annual...Business Aviation Safety Survey Risk Culture Survey NTSB Chairman to deliver Royal Aeronautical Society 14th annual Assad Kotaite Lecture at ICAO 9th ESASI Regional Seminar Incident: Transavia B738 at Amsterdam on Nov 26th 2017, lightning strike A Transavia Boeing 737-800, registration PH-HZW performing flight HV-5951 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Lisbon (Portugal), was climbing though FL160 out of Amsterdam when the crew requested to return to Amsterdam reporting they had sustained a lightning strike but did not need any further assistance. The aircraft landed safely back on Amsterdam's runway 27 about 25 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration PH-HSI reached Lisbon with a delay of 2:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 21.5 hours, then returned to service. Metars: EHAM 261755Z 28009KT 9999 FEW025CB SCT028 05/01 Q1020 TEMPO 29015G25KT 7000 SHRA= EHAM 261725Z 29014KT 250V320 9999 -SHRA FEW025CB SCT028 05/01 Q1020 TEMPO 29015G25KT 7000 SHRA= EHAM 261655Z 28010KT 9999 FEW025CB SCT028 05/01 Q1020 TEMPO 29015G25KT 7000 SHRA= EHAM 261625Z 28011KT 260V320 9999 -SHRA FEW025CB 06/02 Q1020 TEMPO 28013G23KT 7000 SHRA= EHAM 261555Z 28011KT 250V310 9999 VCSH FEW025CB SCT028 06/02 Q1020 TEMPO 28013G23KT 7000 SHRA= EHAM 261525Z 27012KT 230V300 9999 VCSH FEW025CB 06/02 Q1019 NOSIG= EHAM 261455Z 28011KT 9999 FEW025CB 07/03 Q1019 NOSIG= EHAM 261425Z 28010KT 250V310 9999 FEW023 FEW025CB 06/02 Q1019 NOSIG= EHAM 261355Z 28013KT 9999 -SHRA FEW023 FEW025CB 07/02 Q1019 TEMPO 7000= EHAM 261325Z 27010KT 9999 VCSH FEW023 FEW025CB 06/02 Q1019 NOSIG= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1a0898&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Eurowings A320 at Brussels on Nov 26th 2017, engine failure on final approach An Eurowings Airbus A320-200, registration D-AIQC performing flight EW-8100 from Berlin Tegel (Germany) to Brussels (Belgium), was on final approach to Brussels' runway 25L when an engine (CFM56) failed. The crew continued for a safe landing on the runway. The return flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Brussels about 40 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1a00de&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Avianca Brasil A320 at Brasilia on Nov 26th 2017, cabin did not pressurize An Avianca Brasil Airbus A320-200, registratrion PR-AVR performing flight O6-6065 from Brasilia,DF to Sao Paulo Congonhas,SP (Brazil), was climbing out of Brasilia's runway 11R when the crew stopped the climb at FL120 reporting cabin pressure problems. The aircraft returned to Brasilia for a safe landing on runway 11R about 30 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Brasilia due to a technical problem, the flight was cancelled. A passenger reported the captain announced after landing that there had been a problem with the cabin pressurization. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b19fff6&opt=0 Back to Top Accident: LATAM Brasil A320 at Florianopolis on Nov 26th 2017, tail strike on landing A LATAM Brasil Airbus A320-200, registration PR-MHW performing flight JJ-4753 from Rio de Janeiro Galeao,RJ to Florianopolis,SC (Brazil), landed on Florianopolis' runway 14 at 21:40L (23:40Z) but struck its tail onto the runway surface. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron maintaining routine communication. There were no injuries. A runway inspection revealed evidence of a tail strike. A subsequent examination of the aircraft revealed substantial damage, the aircraft was removed from service. Metars: SBFL 270100Z 21004KT CAVOK 22/16 Q1010= SBFL 270000Z 19006KT 9999 FEW045 22/16 Q1009= SBFL 262300Z 15008KT 9999 SCT043 21/17 Q1009= SBFL 262200Z 14008KT 9999 SCT040 21/17 Q1008= SBFL 262100Z 18010KT 9999 SCT036 23/17 Q1007= SBFL 262000Z 19012KT 9999 SCT036 25/17 Q1007= SBFL 261900Z 18010KT 9999 SCT036 25/17 Q1006= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b19fdfe&opt=0 Back to Top DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 suffered a runway excursion during takeoff (Nepal) Date: 28-NOV-2017 Time: Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Owner/operator: Tara Air Registration: 9N-ABM C/n / msn: 455 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 16 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Substantial Location: Simikot Airport, Humla - Nepal Phase: Take off Nature: Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Simikot Airport, Humla Destination airport: Surkhet Narrative: A DHC-6 Twin Otter 300, operated by Tara Air, suffered a runway excursion during takeoff from Simikot Airport in Nepal. Reportedly the aircraft suffered a tire burst on takeoff. There were no fatalities. Three crew members were injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=202269 Back to Top Planes grounded at JFK after clipping wings on taxiway Two planes clipped wings on a JFK runway Monday night, forcing both massive jetliners back to the terminal, federal authorities said. The right wing of EgyptAir Flight 986 and left wing Virgin Atlantic Flight 4C came together slightly after 7 p.m., the FAA said. EgyptAir's Boeing 777 went back to Terminal 4 on its own power while Virgin's Airbus A333 had to be towed, officials said. No one was injured and both planes were taken out of commission. The flights had been scheduled to leave at 6:30 p.m. for Cairo and London, respectively. The FAA is investigating. https://nypost.com/2017/11/27/planes-grounded-at-jfk-after-clipping-wings-on-taxiway/ Back to Top Are Pilots Ready for Mobile IFR Clearances? Mitre's mobile IFR clearance prototype. Image courtesy of Mitre Corp. As the proliferation of mobile device usage in flight operations continues to grow across all segments of aviation, general aviation pilots could soon have the option of going mobile to obtain instrument flight rules (IFR) clearances. Engineers at Mitre have been researching and developing a new mobile IFR clearance prototype to learn more about how this concept works and its future potential in aviation. Research around the mobile IFR clearance concept began in 2014 when Mitre launched a new research project entitled "Mobile IFR Clearance Delivery at Non-Towered Airports." The project focuses on creating a mobile device-based process for allowing pilots to receive electronically generated text-based IFR clearances. Using the FAA's System Wide Information Management (SWIM) flight data publication service, the application would allow pilots to retrieve expected IFR departure clearance information in near real time on their mobile phone or tablet. According to the FAA, to operate an aircraft in controlled airspace under IFR, pilots are required to file an IFR flight plan and receive an appropriate clearance from an air traffic controller. The voice-based process can become labor intensive, especially on routes with overly complicated waypoint descriptions or confirming new unexpected information such as new routing or heading assignments. At non-towered airports without a remote communications frequency, the process can be particularly challenging as well. Paul Diffenderfer, project principal investigator at Mitre, said the prototype that's been developed for the mobile IFR concept could make the clearance delivery process more efficient for both pilots and controllers. "The vision for the near term is the pilot would be able to retrieve the clearance using a mobile app and then read it back verbally to ATC to give ATC confirmation the pilot received it accurately and would allow ATC to make corrections necessary to make sure it was delivered," said Diffenderfer. Mitre estimates there are an average of 4,000 IFR flight plans filed daily at non-towered airports, and currently 75% of the U.S. general aviation pilot population is using a portable or mobile device for flying that could work within this concept. In the longer term, Diffenderfer says the team would like to see a little more integration of the concept on the ATC side. The mobile IFR clearance research team has already allowed several pilots to use a prototype app they created to enable the capability. Among the biggest advantages they found was the ability for the pilot to obtain a text-based clearance, versus verbally receiving the information from a controller. Using the app, the pilot would still be required to verbally confirm the information with the controller, but having the clearance visually represented in text format can provide some major reduction in the time required to do so. "One of the things we're actually hoping to help with also are situations where pilots would normally depart without picking up their IFR clearance, because they can be cumbersome. They may depart in marginal VFR conditions at a non-towered airport and pick up a IFR clearance in the air, which can add to the workload they're experiencing while flying the aircraft," said Kevin Long, project co-PI at Mitre. In most cases today, when GA pilots fly out of smaller non-towered airports, they must make time consuming phone calls or radio communications to obtain oral IFR clearances from a flight service station or ATC facility servicing the region. Dissenderfer also made it clear that the app is not designed as a capability that would in any way compete with the FAA's existing data comm deployment, which currently enables departure clearances using CPDLC and will eventually enable dynamic domestic en route capabilities into the future. Data comm is a much more technologically advanced and proven concept whereas the mobile IFR concept would be a way of speeding up the distribution IFR expected clearance information. Mitre's team has received positive feedback on the concept from the FAA, as well as general aviation groups such as GAMA, AOPA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The team has been in discussions with the FAA about conducting a field demonstration at a popular GA airport within the next year. This field demonstration would use the existing prototype to evaluate the concept in a real world environment and address any safety or reliability issues. "It's something that could be transformational for ATC," said Dissenderfer. "The technology may not be the challenging part, making it operational may be the more challenging part, we want to investigate that in the real world environment." http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/11/27/pilots-ready-mobile-ifr-departure-clearances/ Back to Top D-8 Aviation Chiefs call for high standards of safety in aviation industry Forum to improve member states' position in global economy Islamabad The 11th Developing-Eight (D-8) meeting of Aviation Chiefs' and Expert Working Group began in Islamabad on Monday to discuss challenges and prospects of future cooperation in this field. The objectives of D-8 Forum are to improve member states' position in the global economy and enhance the living standard of its people by creating new opportunities in trade relationship. In his opening remarks, Adviser to Prime Minister on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan said Pakistan would extend full cooperation to international community for safe, secure, efficient and sustainable aviation systems. He said enhanced connectivity and sustained growth can be achieved in D-8 countries by maintaining high standards of safety, security and efficiency. Sardar Mehtab emphasized the need for harmonizing safety regulations among member countries. The Forum of D-8 on Aviation has been holding regular meetings represented by the Directors General and Expert Working Group on Civil Aviation to identify and discuss the technical challenges and business opportunities within D-8 Countries. The meeting provides an opportunity to Aviation Industry and government authorities to participate and meet the key-decision makers from the D-8 Countries. Deputy under Secretary Transport Maritime Affairs and Communications Turkey, Orhan Birdal said D-8 countries are geographically separated but the aviation industry removes the borders and opens wider gates of cooperation in all fields. D8 Secretary General Syed Ali Muhammad Mousavi said the D8 forum aims to assist policy makers and stakeholders for making them aware with latest trends in the aviation and for the sustainable development of the industry. Welcoming the Director Generals and other participants of the member states, DG Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, Air Marshal (R) Asim Suleiman, emphasized on strengthening the cooperation through coordinated, integrated and allied collaboration amongst D-8 member states in all spheres of Civil Aviation. He added it is essential to progress and move forward globally from 'Developing' to 'Developed' Civil Aviation activities. He further highlighted joint safety and security, as the key areas where the forum must play its part. General of D-8 organization, Seyed Ali Mohammad Mousavi, in his keynote speech highlighted the increased role of D-8 countries in improving the economic position of the member states. The participants appreciated the bold initiatives taken by the present Government to ensure safety of aircraft, facilitation to the travelling passengers and ensuring their safety and security. The Meeting also highlighted CPEC under which several new economic and industrial zones are being established in various parts of Pakistan.These projects and number of domestic/ international flights would rise substantially, besides increase in passenger and cargo services which will consequently give more boosts to the Civil Aviation sector in our region. The Meeting is also being attended by Secretary Aviation, Industry Participants from D-8 Countries and CEOs of Aerospace Industry, Airlines and other major stakeholders in Aviation. The Meeting will conclude on 28th November, 2017. https://pakobserver.net/d-8-aviation-chiefs-call-high-standards-safety-aviation-industry/ Back to Top DFW Airport prepares to rebuild one of its main runways in 2018 After 43 years and millions of aircraft landings, DFW International Airport's main arrival runway is getting a facelift. Officials announced Monday that the airport is receiving $52 million in federal grants, with most of the money earmarked for the roughly $160 million runway rehabilitation that's scheduled to take place next year. The runway work kicks off a new round of infrastructure work following a multiyear, $2 billion upgrade of the terminal facilities. The new phase of investment will focus on the airport's airfield infrastructure, including its runways, taxiways, bridges and access roads, with a cost that could top $2 billion over the next decade. First up is runway 17C and its associated taxiways, which see the majority of airport arrivals. While the runway is still in good condition and safe for use, it's nearing the end of its expected life span and airport officials want to start work before any serious issues arise, CEO Sean Donohue said. "The runway is in fine shape right now," he said. "We're attacking the issue before it becomes an issue." The work on runway 17C will go beyond regular maintenance and see the center portion of the 13,400-foot-long runway, which sees the most wear during operations, replaced. The portion under construction stretches 6,000 feet long by 50 feet wide, with a depth of more than three feet, according to the airport. DFW International Airport announced Monday that improvements will be made to Runway 17-C thanks to a $52 million grant from the FAA. (Ron Baselice/Staff Photographer) The runway is made up of a foot of lime-treated sub-base, 8 inches of cement-treated base and 18 inches of concrete. After that work is completed, the entire runway will be resurfaced with a composite of concrete and high-performance asphalt, the airport said. Work is expected to begin by next summer and will close the runway for about four months. Officials do not expect the work to affect flight operations, which will be routed to one of the airport's six other runways. The airport typically sees about 1,800 flights per day. The grant money announced Monday comes from the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program. About $49.5 million of the funding will be used for the runway refurbishing, with the remaining $2.5 million being used to upgrade lighting in the terminal ramp areas. Donohue said further work on the airfield is likely to be funded through airport bonds and federal grants. The airport recently completed the bulk of its terminal modernization program, which saw terminals A, B and E undergo significant renovations. Airports Council International has estimated that U.S. airports have nearly $100 billion in infrastructure needs over the next five years. Airports have been lobbying Congress to increase the cap on the passenger facility charge, which currently stands at $4.50 per flight segment and is capped at $18 per round trip, to generate more funds for infrastructure investments. But the increase has been opposed by airlines, who don't want added costs placed on travelers, and so far has remain stalled in Congress. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, who attended Monday's announcement, said the runway work will help maintain a major economic engine for the region. "It's a magnet," she said. "We know that companies are moving here from around the country and around the world because they'll have access to easy travel ... to move people and goods." https://www.dallasnews.com/business/dfw-airport/2017/11/27/dfw-airport-prepares-rebuild-one-main-runways-2018 Back to Top Aviation College takes delivery of Boeing 737 Simulator next year (Nigeria) Boeing 737 The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, said it had concluded arrangement to take delivery of a Boeing 737 Simulator as part of plans to expand its training capacity. The Rector of the college, Mohammed Abdulsalam, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Mr. Abdulsalam said the decision to acquire B737 was because it was the commonly used aircraft type by many airlines in Nigeria as well as the presidential fleet. He said the college had made substantial payment in respect of the purchase of the simulator, adding that work had since commenced on the building that would house the aircraft at Zaria. The rector disclosed that the simulator had been built and warehoused by the manufacturer in Canada, saying it would be on its way to Nigeria by the middle of 2018. According to him, NCAT has made substantial payment of about 70 per cent and so, very soon we will have the simulator installed in Zaria to be able to offer B737 type-rating. "The management of NCAT able to identify the most commonly used aircraft in Nigeria which is the Boeing 737 and used that to purchase a 737 simulator that will be installed in Zaria," he said. "This simulator project was also affected by the foreign exchange issue because it was also a dollar denominated project so the cost has doubled. "I am glad to inform you that NCAT has made substantial payment for this project and work has commenced on the building that is going to house the simulator. "The only thing that will delay the project is the release of funds but it is our firm belief that this project will see the light of the day before the end of next year.'' Mr. Abdulsalam explained that the decision to go for B737 simulator would help the government and domestic airline operators to save cost in the recurrent training of their pilots. He said that training of pilots, which occurred every six months, had been a huge drain on the foreign exchange of the airlines and the country. According to him, commercial pilots usually go for the recurrent training every six months and as such NCAT is hoping to capture that market and start having that training done in Zaria. He said, "When the national carrier does take off eventually, we hope to partner with the national carrier and should they be operating Boeing series of aircraft, we have a ready facility that they can use to train. "We have also made provision in the building for expansion to take additional simulators and the facility is one that can house four simulators." https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/250796-aviation-college-takes-delivery-boeing-737-simulator-next-year.html Back to Top Emirates Airline is the first customer of IATA DGR eFBs The Geneva-based, International Air Transport Association (IATA) has introduced the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) for Electronic Flight Bags (eFB). A statement from IATA announces Emirates Airline as the launch customer for IATA DGR eFBs. This important innovation brings the IATA DGR into the cockpit where flight crew makes important pre- and in-flight safety decisions. "For almost 60 years IATA's DGR has been helping the industry safely transport air cargo. The DGR for eFB places the most comprehensive resource on the carriage of dangerous goods into the cockpit in a format that will assist the flight deck crew in making timely operational safety checks and decisions," said Nick Careen, IATA's senior vice president, Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security. "Safety is a number one priority at Emirates, and we are constantly exploring innovative ways to provide our flight deck crew with easy access to crucial information pertaining to flight safety. With the IATA DGR for eFB, the flight deck crew has efficient and easy access to the most up to date regulatory information," said Captain Hassan Alhammadi, Emirates senior vice president, Flight Operations Technical. The IATA DGR suite of products tracks the latest developments in evolving regulations for the safe carriage of air cargo. The industry safely carries some 50 million tonnes of cargo annually with a value of $6.4 trillion. All cargo shipments must comply with stringent global standards-from dry ice and lithium batteries to the most complex of articles or substances. The DGR is referenced across the air cargo supply chain. Working closely with governments and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), IATA ensures the DGR reflects the most up-to-date regulations. It is available in formats tailored to different areas of the supply chain. http://www.logupdateafrica.com/emirates-airline-is-the-first-customer-of-iata-dgr-efbs-aviation Back to Top Plane leasing company forced to start own airline because nobody wants its A380s Amedeo can't find any airlines interested in its A380s, so it's launched a new one An Irish aircraft leasing company is creating its own airline because it can't find anyone to borrow its A380 superjumbos. Dublin-based Amedeo counts eight A380s among its fleet, and has a further 20 on order from Airbus, but such is the lack of interest in the world's largest passenger plane that it has been unable to renew its leases, or find new customers, despite months of negotiations. So it has come up with a novel solution: launching its own A380-only airline. According to Mark Lapidus, Amedeo's chief executive, the new airline's business model will see it offer seats to existing carriers, or to potential non-traditional arrivals such as Airbnb. Passengers would buy their ticket through another company, while Amedeo would operate the flight, using its own cabin crew but tailoring the service to suit the client. "Joint ventures and codeshares are making passengers feel accustomed to buying tickets with one [airline] but flying with another," Mr Lapidus told The Financial Times. He added that Amedeo would apply for an air operator's licence next year. The growing collection of low-cost airlines offering long-haul flights, such as Norwegian, WOW Air, Level and Air Asia X, would be obvious targets for Amedeo. Mr Lapidus said it was in early discussion with a number of possible customers, including non-aviation firms like Airbnb who are looking for a simple way to enter the market. In January, Mr Lapidus said the A380 needed "disruptive" airlines to secure its future, citing Norwegian, and suggested that the model was a natural fit for budget airlines willing to squeeze in more economy class seats. While the A380 is certified to carry up to 868 people, most operators use a two- or three-class seating configuration which means it carries far fewer in practice. On some flights, Emirates, for example, carries 399 economy class passengers, 76 in business class and 14 in first class, for a total of just 489. "When the A380 is properly configured with 600 to 700 seats it beats the economics in terms of unit costs of anything flying," he said at the time. Whether the proposal can save the A380 remains to be seen. The model hasn't won a new customer in two years and at the Dubai Airshow earlier this month, Emirates, its biggest client, backtracked on an expected order for 38 of the superjumbos (it bought 40 Boeing 787-10s instead). Just days later Singapore Airlines grounded and stored one of its A380s after just 10 years of use. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/leasing-company-forced-to-start-own-airline-because-nobody-wants/ Back to Top Facebook wants to launch airplane fleet to boost Wi-Fi in remote areas Facebook is hoping to launch a fleet of airplanes into the skies that would beam high-speed Wi-Fi to some of the remotest areas of the world. The futuristic plan could also offer a solution to air passengers frustrated by the occasionally patchy internet access available on flights, and the fact that some airlines do not think it's economical to offer the service at all. Facebook's Aquila program involves unmanned solar-powered aircraft carrying "communications payloads" that would be linked to satellite and ground networks. They think the plan will take minimal infrastructure and maintenance, and have now teamed up with manufacturer Airbus for their WiFi in the sky initiative. In a post announcing the latest development, Facebook's Yael Maguire said the new high-altitude platform station would "bring affordable connectivity to more people, faster". The main idea would be to bring the internet to countries and regions where web access is limited or totally non-existent.However, the plan could also fill in some of the gaps that make web access so haphazard depending on where in the world you are flying. An early prototype of the type of plane that Facebook would be using was tested this summer. The Aquila flew for nearly two hours over the desert and landed in Arizona proving that the concept could certainly work. However, developing a fleet of unmanned planes powered by the sun, which could fly for months at a time won't necessarily be easy which is why they are partnering with Airbus. As Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg explained: "Our goal is to have a fleet of Aquilas flying together at 60,000 feet, communicating with each other with lasers and staying aloft for months at a time - something that's never been done before." Among the challenges they face are making the aircraft significantly lighter than a grand piano while developing a laser data system that can aim its beams so accurately it could hit a coin eleven miles away ... while moving. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2017/11/27/facebook-airplane-fleet-wi-fi-remote-areas/ Back to Top Pentagon taps Silicon Valley firm for aircraft predictive maintenance A Silicon Valley-based firm will deliver software to predict maintenance activity for US Air Force aircraft, starting with the Boeing E-3 Sentry and Lockheed Martin F-16. The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) selected the software firm C3 IoT for a multi-year contract aimed at leveraging the technology industry's advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning for aircraft maintenance, the company says. C3 IOT was founded by Tom Siebel, a software entrepreneur whose first company, Siebel Systems, was acquired by Oracle in 2005 for $5.8 billion. Siebel is now chief executive of C3 IoT, which describes itself as an Internet of Things platform and applications company. The company's cloud-based computing architecture gained the notice of DIUx, an acquisition arm of the Department of Defense searching for potentially disruptive technologies in Silicon Valley for the aerospace and defence industries. The first two aircraft covered under the new contract will be the E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and F-16 fleets, with delivery of the software scheduled in six months. The new software platform should allow the Pentagon to collect large amounts of data, including sensor reports and maintenance logs, into Amazon Web Services' GovCloud, which hosts sensitive but unclassified information, C3 IoT says. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be used to predict imminent failures on components and across entire systems. Smaller, more nimble concepts from Silicon Valley, such as C3's predictive software, could strike a blow to defense industrial base giants. Last spring, Boeing announced the company would embark on an ambitious plan to expand into the aerospace services market, with its new Global Services unit. With Lockheed Martin holding a firm lock on current fighter production in the US with the F-35 Lightning II, Boeing Global Services could capture some valuable after market work. Like C3 IoT, the BGS suite of analytic tools promise to help predict component or part failures before they happen. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pentagon-taps-silicon-valley-firm-for-aircraft-predi-443663/ Back to Top EasyJet admits 50% pay gap between women and men citing dearth of female pilots Overall, men account for 89.3 per cent of all employees in the highest pay quartile, while women account for 68.9 per cent of all employees in the lowest EasyJet has a target for 20 per cent of new entrant pilots to be female by 2020 Low-cost airline easyJet has become the latest corporation to publish figures on its gender pay gap, admitting that it awards its average UK-based female employee a salary that is more than 50 per cent lower than what it pays its average UK-based male employee, largely because so few pilots are women. The company said that the average salary for a UK pilot is £92,400. But while it currently has 1,407 pilots in the UK who are male, it only has 86 female pilots, skewing the whole workforce. Members of UK cabin crew are paid an average annual salary of £24,800. Women account for 2,002 of all UK cabin crew, while 898 are male. Overall, that means that men account for 89.3 per cent off all employees in the highest pay quartile at the airline in the UK, while women account for 68.9 per cent of all employees in the lowest. The mean gender pay gap calculated by hourly rate of pay is 51.7 per cent while the median is 45.5 per cent. For bonus pay, the gaps are 43.8 per cent and 32.2 per cent respectively. The airline has addressed the problem of the pay divide repeatedly and has acknowledged that it is an industry problem. While this is the first time that it has reported on the gap under the Government's new guidelines, it voluntarily published its gender pay gap in 2015 and 2016. On Monday it reiterated its commitment to encouraging more women to become pilots through a programme called the Amy Johnson Initiative. It has a target for 20 per cent of new entrant pilots being female by 2020 and recently named an Airbus A320 jet after the pioneering female aviator. EasyJet is also one of only a handful of companies in the FTSE 100 index of the UK's biggest publicly listed companies that has a female chief executive. Dame Carolyn McCall is, however, due to step down from that role later this week. Few major UK companies have published their gender pay gap ahead of next April's Government deadline to do so and critics have said that even though the requirement is a move in the right direction, it might not facilitate real change because the data that has to be shared may not be granular enough. Last week the Bank of England revealed a gender pay gap of over 24 per cent between the average wage of its male and female staff, also citing a lack of women in top positions. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/easyjet-gender-pay-gap-half-50-per-cent-women-men-female-pilots-a8078416.html Back to Top Space station cargo flight next on SpaceX's launch schedule File photo of a Dragon cargo capsule being readied for launch. Credit: SpaceX In a reshuffling of SpaceX's launch schedule, a Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff no earlier than Dec. 8 on a mission to deliver several tons of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station and return to service a Cape Canaveral launch pad damaged in a catastrophic rocket explosion last year. SpaceX will defer the deployment of a mysterious U.S. government payload named Zuma later in the company's jam-packed manifest after managers postponed the launch from Nov. 15 to resolve concerns raised during testing of a payload shroud for another mission. Assuming the upcoming cargo launch remains set for Dec. 8, liftoff would occur at approximately 1:20 p.m. EST (1820 GMT), roughly the moment the space station's orbital path is positioned over Cape Canaveral. The Dragon capsule will reach the space station two days later. The launch was scheduled for Dec. 4, but two sources confirmed Monday that the start of the mission has been pushed back at least four days for undisclosed reasons. The cargo capsule will ferry food, clothes, provisions and experiments to the space station's six-person crew inside its pressurized cabin. Two NASA-sponsored instruments stowed inside Dragon's rear external cargo bay will be attached to fixtures outside the space station to study the amount of space junk in low Earth orbit and measure how much solar energy is driving Earth's changing climate. The resupply flight will use a previously-flown Dragon spacecraft that carried supplies to the space station on SpaceX's sixth commercial cargo mission in April 2015, then returned to Earth with a parachute-assisted splashdown a month later. The upcoming cargo mission - SpaceX's 13th operational resupply launch - is expected to fly on a Falcon 9 rocket powered by a reused first stage, but a NASA spokesperson Monday said he could not confirm whether a final decision has been made. The mission will take off from launch pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a facility knocked offline in September 2016 when a Falcon 9 rocket exploded during a pre-launch countdown rehearsal. The failure destroyed an Israeli-owned communications satellite awaiting launch, and significantly damaged SpaceX's launch infrastructure at pad 40. File photo of a Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral's launch pad 40. Credit: SpaceX All of SpaceX's launches from Florida since then have lifted off from pad 39A at neighboring Kennedy Space Center, while crews at pad 40 cleaned up debris and rebuilt the seaside complex. SpaceX's hangar at pad 40 survived unscathed, but construction workers fabricated a new strongback erector and umbilical structure to replace the one mangled in last year's mishap, among other repair tasks. But activity at pad 39A is now turning toward preparations for the inaugural launch of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, a massive new launcher made of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages connected together to generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff with 27 Merlin main engines. SpaceX planned to launch the Zuma mission from pad 39A earlier this month, but the company said it grounded the rocket while engineers examined results from a recent payload fairing test for another customer. The payload fairing is an aerodynamic shroud that fits around satellites mounted on top of the Falcon 9, and it is designed to split open in a clamshell-like fashion several minutes after liftoff, once the rocket climbs into the rarefied layers of the upper atmosphere. Technicians at pad 39A have removed the Falcon 9 rocket that was set to loft the U.S. government's Zuma payload from its transporter. Passersby spotted pad 39A's rocket transporter - used to move rockets from SpaceX's hangar to the launch mount - at the historic launch facility last week without a launcher on-board. A new launch date for the Zuma mission has not been announced. The resupply launch planned from pad 40 next month can go forward because it does not use a payload fairing. All three first stage cores slated to launch on the Falcon Heavy's debut mission are inside the hangar at pad 39A, and SpaceX officials say the huge new vehicle - which will become the world's most powerful present-day rocket - could take off on its first test flight before the end of December. That assumes pre-launch testing, including a first-of-its-kind 27-engine hold-down firing, all goes according to plan. Next month's resupply flight to the International Space Station will reuse the Dragon capsule that flew to the orbiting research complex in April 2015. Credit: NASA SpaceX teams at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California are readying another Falcon 9 rocket for launch Dec. 22 with the next batch of 10 voice and data relay satellites for Iridium's modernized communications network. Iridium announced in October it will fly with a reused Falcon 9 first stage. The SES 16/GovSat 1 communications satellite for LuxGovSat, a joint venture between SES and the government of Luxembourg, is scheduled to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in mid-January. The SES 16/GovSat 1 satellite will provide secure military X-band and Ka-band communications links, helping support Luxembourg's NATO obligations. Where Zuma will fall in the launch manifest remains unclear. Officials from Iridium and SES told Spaceflight Now in the last few days that their launches remain on schedule, and said they had no knowledge of the payload fairing worry that SpaceX said halted Zuma's launch campaign. https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/11/27/space-station-cargo-flight-next-on-spacexa-launch-schedule/ Back to Top FlyteAnalytics™ by CAPACG to Provide Utah State University Flight Data Monitoring Services LOGAN, Utah, Nov. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FlyteAnalytics™ was chosen by Utah State University as its Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) solution for its Diamond Da-40 aircraft, enabling the university to enhance and support its Safety Management System. "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." "FlyteAnalytics™ has allowed USU to expand our safety program and further define areas we can continually improve. FlyteAnalytics™ reports are reviewed twice a month by our student and instructor Lead Safety Committee. This committee uses the reports and information to produce training material to be published in our monthly newsletter. Because we now have a better way to view our flight data and provide feedback to our students we will continue to provide one of the best aviation opportunities in the country to our students," said Matt Bunnell Assistant Flight Chief and Safety Officer for Utah State University. About Utah State University Utah State University, then known as Utah State Agricultural College (USAC), began training pilots in 1939, as part of a Civilian Pilot Training program established by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. In 1942, the second Navy Training Station was established at USAC and on March 23 of that year, Navy and Marine recruits began flight training at the Logan/Cache airport. By 1946, training was offered to prepare civilian students for commercial certifications and both two-year and four-year degrees were offered in what was then called aeronautics. USU continues to meet the demand of the aviation industry while meeting the needs of their students. 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: 186538@email4pr.com SOURCE FlyteAnalytics Related Links http://www.capacg.com https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flyteanalytics-by-capacg-to-provide-utah-state-university-flight-data-monitoring-services-300561584.html Back to Top SASI Pakistan Seminar on 7th December 2017. at Islamabad Club Back to Top Book: Quietus: Last Flight Quietus details sixteen crashes between February 1943 and February 1944, in Alaska, British Columbia, Ontario, the Maritimes, and Newfoundland; the thesis: 'Accident Proneness.' The book is a collaboration involving WWII RCAF veterans, RCAF post-war pilots, members of the Directorate of Flight Safety, and historical aviation enthusiasts, as well as the pilots', crews' and passengers' families along with many others interested in aviation safety and the RCAF during the Second World War, offering a unique insight into war (and accident investigation) on the Canadian Home Front. If you would like further information about Quietus, please visit my website or the Bomber Command Museum of Canada's website. The books are available through me ($35 + $15 postage) or through the museum for $55, which also includes postage. All are listed in Canadian funds. http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/store/?wpsc-product=quietus Anne Gafiuk Calgary, Alberta, Canada www.whatsinastory.ca Author of Wings Over High River and She Made Them Family Back to Top THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK ON PILOTING AND AERONAUTICS "For the first time, in one comprehensive volume, complete coverage of the airplane and piloting for normal and hazardous flight conditions." NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER FROM THE PUBLISHER THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK ON PILOTING AND AERONAUTICS by Arthur Torosian This book is invaluable for pilots, aspiring pilots, accident investigators, college engineering students and those in positions where understanding the technology and operation of airplanes is important. It is a unique, single-source tool, complete with in-depth coverage on all facets of the airplane and its operation in all situations. In depth chapters cover every aspect of flying from take-off and landing, through essential trigonometry, weather situations, accident analysis, plane design and testing, angle-of-attack, load, stability, control, flutter, written by a lifetime expert in the field of aviation and pilot training and engineering. The breadth of knowledge is now available to students, pilots and enthusiasts to share in and understand. The book investigates 100s of near-misses, runway incidents, all major accidents and offers analysis and explanation of what went wrong and why. Over 600 photographs, detailed diagrams and equations illustrate the text to make it the one volume you need on your shelves, with a comprehensive index and chapter contents, you can easily find what you are looking for. SAVE 15% OFF THE LIST PRICE We are offering Curt Lewis FSI readers 15% off the list price for two weeks only. Add the code CURTLEWIS at checkout. ORDER HERE Arthur Torosian has spent a lifetime connected to all aspects of aviation. As well as flying 90% of the aircraft illustrated in the book, he worked at McDonnell Douglas as Director of Performance and Control, Director of Product Design, Chief Pilot Customer support and engineering test pilot. He has an Airline Transport Rating, is type rated in the DC-8, DC-9, MD-80 and DC-10. He is a graduate of the USAF Experimental Test Pilot School, USAF Research Pilot Course, and the California Institute of Technology, MS Aeronautics. Back to Top Angle of Attack NOW AVAILABLE FOR ORDER EXCLUSIVELY FROM CURT LEWIS AVIATION BOOKS Second Printing Rushed to Press Finally, the definitive book on the Titanic of aviation accidents, a state-of-the-art jet that couldn't stall until it did and took the lives of 228 Air France passengers and crew. Based on exclusive interviews with the aircraft's manufacturer, the airline, flight crews, families of the pilots, accident investigators and the Woods Hole led team that recovered the missing jet from the bottom of the South Atlantic, Angle of Attack reveals why airlines and regulators everywhere must respond now to critical lessons from this legendary event. AUTOGRAPHED COPIES NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM CURT LEWIS AVIATION BOOKS at http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/angle-of-attack BUY THE BOOK AND THE HIT MOVIE IT INSPIRED, PILOT ERROR BY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 AND SAVE $6. http://www.pilot-errormovie.com/book/book-and-dvd TAMPA, FLORIDA EVENT THIS WEEK: Meet co-author, 777 Captain Shem Malmquist, at the Pilot Error screening Sunday December 3 at 3 p.m., Riverview 14 GDX , 9390 Theater Drive, Gibsonton. (813) 295-6468. He will lead a discussion following the film and autograph Angle of Attack. Order tickets here. WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANGLE OF ATTACK "We owe Rapoport and Malmquist a great debt of gratitude. Read every word." -Dr. Gary Helmer, Embry Riddle University "A great resource for aeronautical professionals ... exposes the failed defenses that can reside at each layer of the aviation system. A must read for anyone with an interest in aviation accident investigation and aviation safety." -Dr. Chris Johnson, Director of Aviation Education and Research, Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison "A must read for professional pilots, aircraft designers, government regulators and political decision makers." -Gregory Fox, Director of Safety, Florida Institute of Technology, ATPL pilot, safety manager since 1971, 35 years safety regulator, and 20 years check inspector on A320 and A340. "Angle of Attack sheds light for the novice and expert alike. Their subject matter expertise is admirable. They have used the Air France 447 crash and other crashes of automated airplanes as examples of accidents that might have been prevented if the crews had access to realistic training to prepare them for those rare events and if their aircraft had been equipped with angle of attack indicators." -Captain Elaine M. Parker, Beyond Risk Management "You don't have to be a [pilot to find this book moving and absorbing." - Adam Hochschild, Author of Spain in Our Hearts and King Leopold's Ghost "This book proves conclusively that education by meteorologists is the key to fundamental understanding of the impact weather has on the elements of the aviation arena." - Debbie Schaum Embry-Riddle University Back to Top The NBAA Safety Committee is conducting its 3rd annual Business Aviation Safety Survey and needs your feedback. By providing input on the safety culture within business aviation, you will help guide the committee's work in the coming year and have a direct impact on our ability to continue improving the level of safety within our industry. Survey responses are sought from the entire spectrum of aircraft operations, personnel, and responsibilities. Whether you are a pilot, technician, scheduler/dispatcher, flight attendant or someone in a non-aviation role who frequently interacts with business aircraft, your feedback is invaluable to our efforts. Questions on the 2017 survey relate to important topics such as: • Risk management activities • Data sharing • Distractions in safety-critical moments • Participation in formal aviation training and third-party audit programs • Threats and risks you feel are most likely to impact your operation This completely anonymous survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, and your response is needed by Dec. 8, 2017. Thank you in advance for your participation, and for helping us work toward minimizing the risks you face in your daily operations. TAKE THE SURVEY NOW LEARN MORE You can also review the analysis and results of last year's survey, and we will make this year's survey results available in the coming months after the analysis is complete. National Business Aviation Association 1200 G Street NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005 * Tel: (202) 783-9000 * info@nbaa.org Back to Top Risk Culture Survey The results of the 1st Survey and the link to participate in the 2nd Survey can be found @ www.riskculture.org Back to Top NTSB Chairman to deliver Royal Aeronautical Society 14th annual Assad Kotaite Lecture at ICAO Back to Top 9th ESASI Regional Seminar We are pleased to announce that the 9th ESASI Regional Seminar will take place at the Baltic Beach Hotel in Jurmala / Riga, Latvia on 23-24 May 2018. In addition, the meeting of the military investigator group is scheduled to take place on the afternoon of 22 May 2018. The aim of the seminar is to keep the European air safety investigation community abreast of current developments and evolving best practice in aircraft safety investigation. As in previous years, the seminar will include presentations on case studies, the European environment, challenges of modern air safety investigations and human factors in aircraft accidents and incidents. ESASI welcomes proposals for presentations to be given during the 2018 seminar, which should last a maximum of 20 minutes with a further 5 minutes for questions. Presentations should address issues relating to air safety investigations; particular areas of interest are: * challenges faced by air safety investigators; * the environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in; * practical experience of applying investigation techniques; * new techniques to aid the investigation; * topical case studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to - presentations@esasi.eu. https://www.esasi.eu/ Curt Lewis