Flight Safety Information November 30, 2017 - No. 238 In This Issue Incident: Transavia B738 at Amsterdam on Nov 28th 2017, lightning strike Incident: Austrian DH8D at Basel on Nov 28th 2017, burning odour in cabin Incident: Mount Cook AT72 near Palmerston North on Nov 29th 2017, electrical odour in cabin Incident: Canadian North B732 at Kugluktuk on Nov 16th 2017, popping sound, odour in cabin EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: American E190 enroute on Nov 24th 2017, autopilot and rnav failure Airbus A320 runway excursion incident after touchdown (Malaysia) Boeing 737-800, suffered a bird strike (Russia) Slow rotation rates cited in abnormal take-off roll incidents A Flight to Singapore Became an Accidental Sauna As Passengers Sat in 95-degree Heat Spring Japan suspends 10 pilots over safety regulation breach USAF Grounds T-6 Trainers After Hypoxia-Like Events Fiji Airways: A330 Full Flight Simulator For Fiji Aviation Academy ICAO Talks Infrastructure During World Aviation Forum AMERICAN AIRLINES' COMPUTER GLITCH LEAVES IT WITHOUT PILOTS OVER CHRISTMAS US FIGHTER JETS ARE GETTING THE LASER CANNONS THEY'VE ALWAYS DESERVED Air Force Thunderbirds commander removed over loss of confidence SASI Pakistan Seminar...on 7th December 2017. at Islamabad Club Book Announcement:..."Man of Honor (Enforcement Division) (Volume 4)" 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 28th 2017, lightning strike A Transavia Boeing 737-800, registration PH-HXB performing flight HV-6845 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Boa Vista (Cape Verde), was in the initial climb out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the aircraft received a lightning strike prompting the crew to stop the climb at FL070 and return to Amsterdam for a safe landing on runway 27 about 30 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration PH-HSJ reached Cape Verde with a delay of 3:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 39 hours after landing back. Metars: EHAM 280855Z 26014KT 8000 -SHRA SCT020CB SCT025 07/04 Q1004 RERAGS TEMPO 6000 SHRAGS= COR EHAM 280825Z 27015KT 240V300 9999 -SHRA FEW020CB SCT025 05/02 Q1004 RETSRAGS TEMPO 6000 SHRAGS= COR EHAM 280755Z 28013KT 240V320 5000 SHRA FEW015 SCT020CB 05/03 Q1004 RETSRA TEMPO 9999 NSW= EHAM 280725Z 25014KT 8000 -TSRA SCT020CB SCT024 07/04 Q1003 TEMPO 28020G30KT 6000 SHRA= EHAM 280655Z 26013KT 9999 VCSH FEW020CB SCT024 06/04 Q1003 TEMPO 28020G30KT 7000 -SHRA= EHAM 280625Z 26016KT 240V300 9000 VCSH FEW020CB SCT024 06/04 Q1003 TEMPO 28020G30KT 7000 -SHRA= COR EHAM 280555Z 26016KT 9999 FEW020CB SCT038 07/03 Q1003 TEMPO 29022G33KT 5000 SHRA= EHAM 280525Z 26017KT 9999 FEW020CB SCT038 07/03 Q1003 TEMPO 28018G28KT 7000 -SHRA= EHAM 280455Z 26014KT 9999 FEW025 07/03 Q1003 NOSIG= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1b49b6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Austrian DH8D at Basel on Nov 28th 2017, burning odour in cabin An Austrian Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration OE-LGK performing flight OS-474 from Basel/Mulhouse (Switzerland/France) to Vienna (Austria), was in the initial climb out of Basel's runway 15 when the crew decided to return to Basel due to a burning odour in the cabin. ATC instructed an aircraft on final approach to runway 15 to go around due to an emergency. The Dash levelled off at 6000 feet and returned to Basel for a safe landing on runway 15 about 12 minutes after departure. A passenger reported a fellow passenger had detected an odour of burning rubber and informed the cabin crew, the aircraft returned to Basel immediately. The flight was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Basel 28 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1b47f1&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Mount Cook AT72 near Palmerston North on Nov 29th 2017, electrical odour in cabin A Mount Cook Airlines Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A on behalf of ANZ Air New Zealand, registration ZK-MVN performing flight NZ-5255 from Tauranga to Wellington (New Zealand), was enroute at FL200 about 5nm southwest of Palmerston North (New Zealand) when the flight crew decided to divert to Palmerston North reporting an electrical odour in the cabin. The aircraft landed safely on Palmerston North's runway 25 about 15 minutes later. The airline reported the aircraft diverted to Palmerston North due an electrical odour in the cabin. It turned out a passenger had forgotten to turn off his electronic cigarette as required by regulations. The passengers were offered transport to Wellington by bus. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1b3ac5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Canadian North B732 at Kugluktuk on Nov 16th 2017, popping sound, odour in cabin followed by smoke A Canadian North Boeing 737-200, registration C-GOPW performing flight 5T-446 from Kugluktuk,NU to Cambridge Bay,NU (Canada) with 27 passengers and 4 crew, was climbing through 8000 feet out of Kuglutuk when a popping noise was heard and an unusual odour started to develop in the cabin. Cabin crew informed the flight deck, the flight crew decided to continue the climb while assessing the situation. Climbing through 14000 feet cabin crew informed the flight deck that smoke had started to come out of the air conditioning vents throughout the cabin. The flight crew decided to return to Kuglutuk without declaring emergency and landed the aircraft safely back. The Canadian TSB reported the hot air supply duct had separated from the left hand mixing chamber. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1b3672&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: American E190 enroute on Nov 24th 2017, autopilot and rnav failure An American Airlines Embraer ERJ-190, registration N952UW performing flight AA-2093 from Austin,TX to Philadelphia,PA (USA), was enroute at FL370 about 80nm southsouthwest of Nashville,TN (USA) when the autopilot and the RNAV equipment failed rendering the aircraft unable to maintain reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM). The aircraft descended out of RVSM airspace to FL270, switched to conventional navigation using VOR to VOR navigation and continued to Philadelphia for a safe landing about 100 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 17 hours after landing. http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL2093/history/20171124/1900Z/KAUS/KPHL http://avherald.com/h?article=4b1b4602&opt=0 Back to Top Airbus A320 runway excursion incident after touchdown (Malaysia) Date: 30-NOV-2017 Time: 05:56 LT Type: Airbus A320-216 Owner/operator: AirAsia Registration: 9M-AHM C/n / msn: 3536 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Subang-Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB/WMSA) - Malaysia Phase: Landing Nature: Training Departure airport: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) Destination airport: Subang-Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB/WMSA) Narrative: AirAsia flight AK9700, a traing flight out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, suffered a runway excursion incident after touchdown on runway 15 at Subang-Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Malaysia. LDA for runway 15 at SZB is 3,780 m (12,402 ft). Weather reported about the time of the incident (05:56LT / 21:56Z, 29 Nov.): WMSA 292200Z 32005KT 280V010 7000 -RA FEW005 SCT140 BKN260 24/23 Q1007 WMSA 292100Z 32004KT 260V030 7000 -RA FEW005 SCT140 OVC260 24/23 Q1006 https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=202345 Back to Top Boeing 737-800, suffered a bird strike (Russia) Date: 29-NOV-2017 Time: ca 13:30 LT Type: Boeing 737-8LJ (WL) Owner/operator: Aeroflot - Russian Airlines Registration: VP-BRF C/n / msn: 41195/4590 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Minor Location: near Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI) - Russia Phase: Approach Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Moskva-Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO/UUEE) Destination airport: Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI) Narrative: Aeroflot flight SU42, a Boeing 737-800, suffered a bird strike while on approach to Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport in Russia. The bird penetrated the nose cone of the aircraft. The aircraft landed safely on runway 10R. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=202309 Back to Top Slow rotation rates cited in abnormal take-off roll incidents Crews are being cautioned over the risk posed by slow rotation rates after a serious take-off incident involving long-haul aircraft operating at limiting conditions. While the European Aviation Safety Agency has not specified the details of the incident, it states that it involved a four-engined widebody departing a "limitative" runway while near its maximum weight. The aircraft required a "very long" take-off run, says EASA, and was still below minimum required height when it passed the opposite-direction runway threshold. Analysis of preliminary information shows that slow aircraft rotation was a "main contributing factor" in the incident, it adds. Similar events had also occurred at the same airport involving another operator of four-engined widebody aircraft, says EASA, and slow rotation rates were present in a "significant" number of departures. It has drawn attention to the safety issue in a bulletin to operators and training organisations, recommending that they identify - through flight-data monitoring - whether rotation rates are a potential hazard, and take action to prevent unacceptable risks. "These controls may include the provision of ad hoc training on rotation techniques based on [aircraft manufacturers'] operational documentation," says EASA. "The unintended introduction of additional risks [such as tail-strikes] should also be considered when analysing possible mitigating measures." EASA has not identified the incidents under investigation. But Colombian authorities have been probing incidents involving abnormally-long take-off rolls by Airbus A340s at Bogota, including one by an Air France A340-300 on 11 March this year. There is no immediate confirmation that the EASA bulletin relates to the Bogota incidents. EASA says it has also identified another event which took place at a separate airport, also with a limitative runway, centred on a different four-engined widebody aircraft type. This incident has lent further urgency to the need to address slow rotation rates, says the authority, although there are no current plans to issue an operational directive on the matter. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/slow-rotation-rates-cited-in-abnormal-take-off-roll-443732/ Back to Top A Flight to Singapore Became an Accidental Sauna As Passengers Sat in 95-degree Heat Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 airplane flight Most travelers are well prepared for a chilly flight, but very few expect their plane to feel like a sauna. But an overheated plane is not only uncomfortable, it can also be a health risk for passengers. Last week, passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-605 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Singapore had to sit through an excruciatingly hot flight due to an unknown malfunction in the air system. According to Aero Inside, passengers complained as soon as they boarded, saying that the plane felt "as if it had been parked in sunshine and window shades open without air conditioning for a considerable time." After departure, the temperature rose even further, causing extreme discomfort. Naturally, passengers continued to complain as the flight crew continued with beverage service, using magazines, safety cards, and basically anything they could get their hands on to fan themselves. The air conditioning vents apparently were of no use either, since they were blowing more hot air in people's faces. The 40-minute flight still managed to land safely in Singapore, and luckily no one suffered any health problems as a result. However, one passenger used a thermometer and found that the temperature in the cabin had rose to 95.4 degrees Fahrenheit. After landing, the plane remained grounded for 92 hours for maintenance, as reported by Aero Inside. This makes you really appreciate a cold flight, even if you do have to keep your winter coat on. http://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/malaysia-airlines-air-conditioning-problem Back to Top Spring Japan suspends 10 pilots over safety regulation breach Spring Airlines Japan Co., a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Spring Airlines Co., suspended 10 pilots for breaching safety regulations in the six months through October, company officials said Thursday. The airline has sent four captains and six copilots for retraining. The figure roughly accounts for 20 percent of the total number of its pilots. Of them, seven have so far resumed flights. There has been no effect on daily operations, a company spokeswoman said. Japan's transport ministry requested the budget airline take action to prevent similar problems. Among the safety breaches that prompted the suspension was an incident in May where pilots tried to take off at Saga airport in southwestern Japan bound for Narita near Tokyo despite the plane's wing flaps being in the wrong position. In October a plane heading for Sapporo in northern Japan from Narita took off after its captain failed to notice the cruising altitude shown on its flight plan was wrong. The operation section of the company makes flight plans, but each captain is obliged to check their contents before flights. "We are sorry for the troubles. We will strive for safe operation from now on," the spokeswoman said. https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2017/11/9acc75938d78-spring-japan-suspends-10-pilots-over-safety-regulation-breach.html Back to Top USAF Grounds T-6 Trainers After Hypoxia-Like Events L3 Communications crew chief Blake Dryden monitors T-6 components as airmen prepare to taxi at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, on Aug. 28: David Poe The U.S. Air Force has grounded the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II training aircraft at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, after five pilots reported physiological episodes with hypoxia-like symptoms while flying. The Air Force's 71st Flying Training Wing enacted an "operational pause" of T-6 flying operations on Nov. 15 after four T-6 instructor pilots and one student pilot assigned to Vance reported physiological incidents since Nov. 1, spokeswoman Terri Schaefer told Aviation Week Nov. 29. In each case, the aircraft's backup oxygen system operated as designed and the pilots followed the correct procedures, landing safely, Schaefer said. The Air Force is investigating the incidents at Vance and has not yet identified a specific root cause, Schaefer said. The events were reported as "physiological events with hypoxia-like symptoms," she noted. The Air Force uses the single-engine T-6 turboprop as a basic trainer for all student pilots. From the T-6, students choose one of three advanced training tracks based on their class standing. Future fighter/bomber pilots next train in the T-38 Talon; pilots on the airlift/tanker track fly the T-1A Jayhawk; and helicopter/tilt-rotor trainees fly the TH-1H Huey. In addition to Vance, student pilots also train in the T-6 at Randolph AFB, Texas; Moody AFB, Georgia; Columbus AFB, Mississippi; Laughlin AFB, Texas; and Sheppard AFB, Texas. Since the grounding, Vance AFB has partnered with Air Education and Training Command, 19th Air Force and medical, functional and industry experts to determine the cause of the incidents. That effort has included reviewing procedures for physiological events, providing refresher physiological training, background briefs and Q&A with T-6 instructor pilots, Schaefer said. "Following the operational pause, we anticipate that flying operations at Vance Air Force Base will continue as usual, with added awareness and training concerning physiological events and the life-support equipment onboard the T-6 designed to protect pilot safety and ensure continued safety of flight," Schaefer said. The T-6 incidents come as a spate of hypoxia-like cockpit incidents plague the Air Force and U.S. Navy fleets. Both the Air Force and Navy grounded fleets this year: the Navy's T-45 Goshawk trainers and the Air Force's F-35As at Luke AFB, Arizona, the service's premier F-35 training base. Similar incidents are also on the rise in the Navy's F/A-18 Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Fiji Airways: A330 Full Flight Simulator For Fiji Aviation Academy Photos of the new A330 Full Flight Simulator Fiji Airways, Fiji's National Airline, has confirmed the acquisition of a second Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) full-flight simulator for the Fiji Aviation Academy. The A330 full-flight simulator will be installed at the Academy facility in Namaka, Nadi. A deal for the first simulator, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft simulator from CAE was announced in the second half of 2017. Fiji Airways managing director and chief executive officer Andre Viljoen said: "Our plans for the Fiji Aviation Academy are progressing well, and we've now accounted for two of the three simulators we will have at the facility. "We're very pleased to again select CAE, this time for an A330 simulator. This is a key part of Phase 1 of the Fiji Aviation Academy. "We have also allocated space for a third simulator bay at the Academy for any future expansion opportunities." Once complete, the state-of-the-art Fiji Aviation Academy will offer a world-class training facility for pilots with fixed training devices. In Phase 2, the Academy will offer ab-initio training for cadet pilots. Mr. Viljoen added: "Our vision is to ensure we provide our own pilots the very best in training facilities right here in Fiji. "The added benefit of selling simulator time to pilots from abroad coming here for simulator training will further boost the local economy, and position Fiji as the true aviation hub of the Pacific". CAE is a global leader in the delivery of training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Its global presence is the broadest in the industry, with 160 sites and training locations in 35 countries, including joint venture operations, and the world's largest installed base of flight simulators. https://fijisun.com.fj/2017/11/30/fiji-airways-a330-full-flight-simulator-for-fiji-aviation-academy/ Back to Top ICAO Talks Infrastructure During World Aviation Forum During the third-annual ICAO World Aviation Forum, which concluded last week in Abuja, Nigeria, infrastructure was an important topic of discussion. ICAO said its council president, Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, warned African leaders that the continent's airport and air navigation infrastructure would require significant investments to keep up with global requirements in the near future. "It is estimated that the global investment needs for airport infrastructure will be $1.8 trillion over the next 15 years," he said. "But we must also acknowledge that air transport development projects today receive barely 5% of official development assistance globally, and that this total greatly underestimates their potential socio-economic returns." Aliu continued to say that ICAO's global plans should be used to guide and align all state modernization and expansion projects, according to ICAO. He also noted how important it is for states to establish transparent, stable and predictable investment climates to attract global investors, ICAO said. Airport and air navigation system modernization needs to be accompanied by new training capacities to make the transition sustainable over the long-term, according to ICAO. Africa recently adopted a new Declaration and Framework of a Plan of Action for Development of Aviation Infrastructure in Africa, ICAO said, under the African Union's "Lomé Plan of Action 2017 - 2019". "In particular, the commitment made by African States and Regional Economic Communities to ensure the inclusion of better-defined aviation projects in the Program for Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA) has been greatly appreciated," Aliu said. "And to strongly support the implementation of the Framework for a Plan of Action, ICAO will enhance its cooperation with African States in line with the African Union's Agenda 2063, and consistent with the priorities of our No Country Left Behind initiative." ICAO said that several panel during the event in Nigeria called for a holistic and transformative approach to reach the goal of "no constraints of infrastructure capacity, technology and financial resources for aviation development." A combination of institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks, along with monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, is necessary to encourage investment and other finance transactions. "I cannot stress strongly enough how important this planning is to the benefits you expect to be generated and captured by your state, and that continued development in aviation infrastructure capacity and technological innovation is critical to our desired outcomes," ICAO Secretary General Fang Liu said during her closing remarks. "This in turn requires substantial modernization investments over the long term, and an expansion of aviation capacity in all states consistent with ICAO's growth forecasts and global plans." ICAO said Liu also emphasized that the organization would re-double its efforts to enhance and develop tools, analysis and services to help governments identify aviation deficiencies and infrastructure gaps. Liu said states should align and integrate their aviation infrastructure programs, based on a balanced development approach that includes multi-modal transport and related urban planning initiatives. http://www.aviationtoday.com/2017/11/29/icao-talks-infrastructure-world-aviation-forum/ Back to Top AMERICAN AIRLINES' COMPUTER GLITCH LEAVES IT WITHOUT PILOTS OVER CHRISTMAS TRAVELING DURING THE holidays is, by definition, no fun. If you caught a flight over Thanksgiving this year, you got lucky-everything ran more or less to plan. No freak winter storms, no striking baggage handlers, no collapsing computer systems. Expecting the Christmas travel rush to go just as smoothly is a bit like expecting lightning to hit twice. Indeed, trouble has already arisen. Today, American Airlines revealed it accidentally told too many of its pilots they could take time off the week of Christmas. Now, it faces a manpower crisis that could leave an estimated 15,000 flights with nobody to sit in the cockpit. The airline blames some sort of computer glitch. It looks like the scheduling system it uses to assign pilots to flights indicated that there were plenty of captains and first officers to go around. Meanwhile, a separate system, which assigns holiday leave based on seniority, got carried away with the festive spirit and gave way too many people time off. To get their aviators back to work-and avoid mass cancellations-American is offering time-and-a-half pay to pilots who pick up certain flights. In a statement, it said it has reserve pilots to cover the uptick in flying time during December, and it's working with the pilot's union to smooth everything out. Representatives for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents nearly 60,000 pilots in the US and Canada, say the airline should have consulted them over the extra pay. But with weeks left before peak travel times, it's hard to imagine they won't find an acceptable solution. Still, the tussle highlights just how complicated the process of getting an airplane into the air is-and how easy it is for something to go wrong. Airlines operate control centers you could mistake for a NASA setup, with thousands of computers running hundreds of software systems to book and monitor everything that goes into a successful flight: planes, ground crew, meals, fuel, de-icing equipment, baggage handlers, cleaners, airport gates, and so on. It doesn't take much to derail the whole system. "These are really complicated systems, they're huge, and testing them for every potential interaction is almost impossible," says Bill Curtis, the chief scientist at CAST, which finds software flaws for large corporations. He's also the executive director of the Consortium for IT Software Quality, which works to design better software standards. Much of the time, airlines can deftly cope when bad weather grounds planes, leaving crews in the wrong location, or when someone's luggage misses a connection. But a glitch in software that affects planes, pilots, or passengers en masse is a lot harder to handle. Airline IT systems are particularly complex-and vulnerable-because the industry is so enamored of mergers and acquisitions. When American Airlines joined with US Airways in 2015, it had to integrate distinct computer programs that governed hundreds of planes and thousands of people, systems that may well have been dated and incompatible. "If they have legacy systems, it may be time to rebuild them on a more modern language," says Curtis. But in an industry that operates on profit margins tighter than an overhead bin, it can be hard to find the time and resources for a project of that magnitude. American isn't the first airline to be too generous with time off. In September, European budget operator Ryanair booked too many crew members for vacation. It had to cancel 2,100 flights, messing with some 315,000 customers trying to get to, or home from, summer vacations. And it's far from the first time a computer problem has grounded planes. In September, a check-in system failure at several European airports had world-wide ramifications. In May, British Airways had to deal with a server being unplugged, halting 75,000 passengers. In August of last year, an IT outage took down all of Delta. According to Bloomberg, American's latest problem affects flights scheduled to depart from from Dallas-Fort Worth, Boston, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and Charlotte, North Carolina. The glitch has come to light with enough notice for AA to, hopefully, fix its schedules, protect its reputation, and get ready for the next problem. https://www.wired.com/story/american-airlines-computer-glitch-leaves-it-without-pilots-over-christmas/ Back to Top US FIGHTER JETS ARE GETTING THE LASER CANNONS THEY'VE ALWAYS DESERVED IT'S BEEN JUST a few months since Lockheed Martin gave the US Army the most powerful laser weapon ever developed, a ground vehicle-mounted system that can burn through tanks and knock mortars out of the sky. Now the US Air Force wants its own toy, so Lockheed's engineers are back in the lab, crafting the kind of weapon Poe Dameron could get down with. They're making a laser blaster for a fighter jet to swat down incoming missiles. Decades after science fiction writers and directors imagined worlds of killer beams flying back and forth, reality is catching up. This spring defense contractor Raytheon became the first to destroy a target with a laser fired from a helicopter. At White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Apache AH-64 shot a truck from more than a mile away, while on the move and from a variety of altitudes. Raytheon is also building a laser-firing, drone-killing dune buggy. Boeing has its own anti-drone laser cannon. "This technology has been described as 'coming' for so long-with it never actually arriving-that people took to believing that it would never happen," says military analyst Peter Singer. "Well, now it's happening. After so many false starts, we're seeing real breakthroughs that are starting to make the idea viable." The key enabler has been the development of solid-state lasers, which run on electricity. The previous frontrunner tech was the chemical laser, which requires large amounts of chemicals to generate the reaction that produces its powerful beam. In 2012 the US Missile Defense Agency shelved its Airborne Laser Test Bed, a Boeing 747-based chemical laser designed to shoot down ICBMs, because it was too costly and unwieldy. In the past decade, solid-state lasers have grown in power and efficiency, to the point that they now represent a viable alternative, one with its own advantages. "We're now able to generate a focused, powerful beam and are able to hold it on the target long enough to disable it," Raytheon CEO Tom Kennedy says. "It represents a limitless magazine, as long as you have electricity." Now it's up to Lockheed to bring the pew to the air. The new assignment falls under the Air Force Research Lab's Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator program, which, in the ever flexible world of military acronyms, is also known as Shield. The defense contractor is aiming to have a system it can test on a fighter jet by 2021. Lockheed will be adapting the system it developed for the Army to address the challenge presented by this new $26 million contract, with a goal of self-protection against ground-to-air and air-to-air missiles. The program's work will be divided among three subsystems, each with its own strained acronym. The Shield Turret Research in Aero Effects (Strafe) includes the beam control system. The Laser Pod Research and Development (LPRD) will power and cool the laser on the fighter jet. Then there's the laser itself, known as the Laser Advancements for Next-Generation Compact Environments (Lance). The core technology will be a fiber laser, which uses fiber optics to enhance the power of the beam, with multiple individual lasers bundled together to create a scalable system. Together, they would work to heat up an incoming missile's fuel tank, causing it to explode, or target control surfaces like fins in order to simply disable it.1 Despite recent advances, making a laser weapon work on the highest-speed military vehicle poses a significant challenge. "We're putting a weapon traveling at the speed of light onto an aircraft capable of traveling the speed of sound, while targeting threats likely also traveling at supersonic speeds," says Rob Afzal, Lockheed's senior fellow for laser weapon systems. And it has to work on the move, no matter the turbulence or weather conditions. "Ruggedization is critical." Then there's the question of reducing the laser's size, weight, and power consumption to the point where it can work on a small jet. Lockheed developed the aforementioned Airborne Laser Test Bed for the Missile Defense Agency, but that system took up most of the 747's fuselage. Using a solid-state system should help there. "Not only have we reduced size, weight, and power enough to move from a large plane to a tactical fighter jet, we've also reduced the laser to be part of a pod," Afzal says. "This is a technology maturity level that just five years ago we would have said may take a long time to develop." If Lockheed can deliver, the Air Force gets a weapon that's not just lighter and (likely) cheaper than equivalent missile and machine gun systems, but one that could change how it deploys its fighters. If you're packing a missile-killing laser, you can go places and do things that now demand the sort of extremely expensive stealth tech of the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning. "The ability of a helicopter or bomber or fighter jet to shoot down or sufficiently damage or distract an incoming missile could allow them to operate in places they haven't been able to operate recently," says Singer, the military analyst. "This will allow non-stealthy planes that previously couldn't defend themselves new potential lives in future combat scenarios." Even if that doesn't eliminate the need for stealth aircraft-since those systems are largely undetectable and offer the element of surprise-Singer argues that they can work as force multipliers. Better yet, they can provide insurance against the quantum radar systems reportedly being developed by the Chinese, which can spot even the stealthiest aircraft. Being invisible isn't so crucial when you've got a laser that lets you waltz into enemy territory, do your job while zapping missiles out of the sky, and cruise home. At least, that is, until the enemy develops lasers of its own. Then, it's on to whatever sci-fi weapon comes next. Death Star, anyone? https://www.wired.com/story/lockheed-martin-fighter-jets-lasers/ Back to Top Air Force Thunderbirds commander removed over loss of confidence U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Heard, commander/leader of the Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron. WASHINGTON - The Air Force has removed the commander of the high-profile Thunderbirds demonstration team due to a loss of confidence in his abilities to lead the touring squadron of F-16 fighter jets, the service announced Wednesday in a statement. Lt. Col. Jason Heard was dismissed Nov. 20 as commander of the Thunderbirds - officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron - and pilot of the team's No. 1 jet. Brig. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, commander of the service's 57th Wing, dismissed Heard, citing a loss of confidence in his "leadership and risk management style." "This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one that is ultimately in the best interests of the Thunderbird team," she said in the statement. "I am personally grateful for Jason's dedication to the 2017 season." On Nov. 4, the Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, completed their 2017 season, which included more than 70 air shows. The team pulled out of a scheduled air show in June following the crash of one of the unit's jets during training prior to a two-day performance at the Dayton Air Show in Ohio. An Air Force investigation determined the June 23 crash was avoidable. The F-16 was traveling too fast and had insufficient stopping distance as it landed on a rain-soaked runway before it overturned, destroying the $29 million aircraft, according to the Air Force Accident Investigation Board's report released earlier this month. The board found the pilot failed to follow proper braking procedures and his vision was impaired by rainwater on the cockpit's canopy. The pilot suffered minor injuries. A Thunderbird jet overturned in Dayton, Ohio on Friday, June 23, 2017, after landing during a practice ahead of an airshow. However, Tech. Sgt. Christopher Boitz, a spokesman for the Thunderbirds, said the crash was not the reason Leavitt dismissed Heard. He said Leavitt had concerns that Heard's leadership style was resulting in unnecessary risk within the Thunderbirds' demonstrations, "which eroded the team dynamic." "We are on the road together more than 200 days per year, executing flying operations with absolutely no margin for error," Boitz said. "As a result, absolute trust and teamwork in both our professional and personal dynamics are foundational to our mission." Leavitt determined the team was better off with new leadership as it begins preparing for its 2018 schedule, according to the Air Force. Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh, who has served as the Thunderbird's operations officer since 2016, was temporarily named commander of the unit until the Air Force selects a new permanent leader. https://www.stripes.com/news/air-force-thunderbirds-commander-removed-over-loss-of-confidence-1.500053 Back to Top SASI Pakistan Seminar on 7th December 2017. at Islamabad Club Back to Top Book Announcement: "Man of Honor (Enforcement Division) (Volume 4)" There is a unit buried within the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Unit 61398-the cyber warfare unit. Li Yong prepared his entire life for command of Unit 61398. Li Yong believed this was the ultimate honor and service to the State. Then America's airliners started plunging from the sky. There is no honor in being the world's worst mass murderer. How do you right the most terrible wrong? How do you prevent the State from slaughtering your entire family if you succeed? How do you balance a moral imperative against a lifetime of homeland allegiance? How does Li Yong stop the unstoppable? 1. Amazon's website for the book: http://tinyurl.com/ManofHonorPreOrder 2. Book's video trailer: https://youtu.be/vNTeB8u7Uvw 3. Book's website: https://www.enforcementdivision.com/man-of-honor • ISBN-10: 1978415621 • ISBN-13: 978-1978415621 About the Author Chris Malburg is a widely published author, with over 4 million words published in 22 popular business books and four novels. Simon & Schuster, Putnam, Wiley and McGraw Hill all publish Chris' work which is consumed in most western countries. After classes at Stanford Writers School, Chris began the fun side of his career. He has crossed the chasm into fiction with the fourth installment in his Enforcement Division series. Chris is known for his meticulous research of the material presented in his books. Man of Honor is an example. While preparing this book Chris took the same aircraft accident investigation courses as the industry's professionals at USC's Viterbi School of Engineering. Chris developed a healthy respect for the NTSB, FAA, and those who teach the skills of aircraft accident investigation. 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