Flight Safety Information February 15, 2018 - No. 034 In This Issue Accident: Lufthansa B748 at Sao Paulo on Feb 11th 2018, tyre damage on landing Incident: KLM B773 at Buenos Aires on Feb 11th 2018, lightning strike Accident: Delta A332 at Lagos on Feb 13th 2018, engine fire Beechcraft B300 Super King Air 350 landed gear-up Flight experts to simulate An-148's takeoff to solve passenger plane's crash The FAA Hasn't Been Enforcing Unlicensed Drone Piloting Penalties FAA Issues Cessna Twin AD FAA To Invest $100 Million For Cleaner Airplanes USU aviation set to offer new minor in drones Can new airlines make it in America? Philippine Airlines looking at acquiring A350-1000 aircraft NetJets Aircraft Brokerage Arm Acquires Cerretani Group Civil aviation needs more than 600,000 pilots by 2036 Air Force beefing up pilot pipeline in 2019 budget to deal with shortage Airbus profit climbs on record plane deliveries What Fire Safety Measures Does The ISS Use? Graduate Survey Request Positions Available: Check Airmen Wanted SASS 2018..The Singapore Aviation Safety Seminar (SASS) BASS 2018...The Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) 2018 MU-2 Pilot's Review of Proficiency Seminar (PROP 2018) - April 19-20, 2018 MU-2 Pilot's Review of Proficiency Seminar (PROP 2018) -Keynote Speaker: Jeff Skiles Position Available: General Manager / Senior Flight Data Analyst NTSB Event - SAVE THE DATE for GA Loss of Control Roundtable (April 24, 2018) MRO Americas University European Society of Air Safety Investigators (ESASI) - 2018 - Call for Presentations Accident: Lufthansa B748 at Sao Paulo on Feb 11th 2018, tyre damage on landing A Lufthansa Boeing 747-800, registration D-ABYR performing flight LH-506 (dep Feb 10th) from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil), landed on Sao Paulo's runway 09R when the inboard aft right hand body gear tyre lost its tread, tyre debris punctured the bottom of the fuselage. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron. The aircraft remained on the ground in Sao Paulo for about 86 hours, just departed to position back to Frankfurt as flight LH- 9921. The damage to tyre and fuselage: http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4ec6df&opt=256 Back to Top Incident: KLM B773 at Buenos Aires on Feb 11th 2018, lightning strike A KLM Boeing 777-300, registration PH-BVB performing flight KL-701 (dep Feb 10th) from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza,BA (Argentina), was on approach to Buenos Aires when the aircraft received a lightning strike. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Ezeiza Airport's runway 11 at 06:41L (09:14Z). The aircraft was unable to depart for the next sector to Santiago (Chile) and to perform the return flights from Santiago to Ezeiza and back to Amsterdam. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 33 hours, then returned to service returning to Amsterdam as flight KL-704. Metars: SAEZ 111300Z 17010KT 140V200 CAVOK 20/08 Q1021= SAEZ 111200Z 17007KT CAVOK 16/08 Q1021= SAEZ 111100Z 18005KT CAVOK 16/08 Q1021= SAEZ 111000Z 17008KT 150V210 9999 OVC049 16/09 Q1020= SAEZ 110900Z 18008KT 9999 BKN046 FEW050CB 16/10 Q1018= SAEZ 110800Z 17009KT 9999 TS BKN040 FEW050CB OVC070 16/11 Q1018= SAEZ 110712Z 18005KT 9000 -TSRA BKN035 FEW050CB OVC060 16/11 Q1018= SAEZ 110700Z 17010KT 9000 -RA BKN035 BKN060 16/11 Q1017= SAEZ 110600Z 15011KT 9999 BKN032 BKN100 17/10 Q1017= SAEZ 110500Z 16011G21KT CAVOK 17/11 Q1017= http://avherald.com/h?article=4b4ebc88&opt=256 Back to Top Accident: Delta A332 at Lagos on Feb 13th 2018, engine fire Date: 13-FEB-2018 Time: ca 23:00 LT Type: Airbus A330-223 Owner/operator: Delta Air Lines Registration: N858NW C/n / msn: 0718 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS/DNMM) - Nigeria Phase: Take off Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS/DNMM) Destination airport: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL) Narrative: Delta Air Lines flight DL55 returned to land at Lagos-Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Nigeria after an issue with one of the engines. The aircraft, an Airbus A330-223, took off from runway 18R at 22:52 hours and immediately circled back for a landing on the same runway eight minutes later. An evacuation was carried out on the runway, injuring five passengers. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=206158 Back to Top Beechcraft B300 Super King Air 350 landed gear-up Date: 13-FEB-2018 Time: 22:15 utc Type: Beechcraft B300 Super King Air 350 Owner/operator: Standridge Color Corp. Registration: N350BS C/n / msn: FL-6 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Greenville-Donaldson Center Airport, SC (GDC/KGYH) - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Departure airport: Covington Municipal Airport, GA (KCVC) Destination airport: Greenville-Donaldson Center Airport, SC (GDC/KGYH) Narrative: The Beechcraft B300 Super King Air 350 landed gear-up at Greenville-Donaldson Center Airport, South Carolina, USA. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=206179 Back to Top Flight experts to simulate An-148's takeoff to solve passenger plane's crash There were 65 passengers and six crew members onboard the passenger jet An-148 plane MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Test pilots from the Gromov Flight Research Institute in the town of Zhukovsky outside Moscow will conduct an experimental flight simulating the takeoff of the ill- fated An-148 in order to find out the causes of the crash, the Institute's press office told TASS on Wednesday. "As part of the probe, measures are in store to simulate the takeoff of the An-148 plane," the press office said. The flight parameters will be identical to the readings of the crashed plane, and the pilots will test various elements with the switch-off of sensors, engines and other onboard systems, the press service said. The Gromov Flight Research Institute did not specify when the experimental flight would be conducted, saying that the experiment might shed light on the causes of the airline tragedy. Pilots who have numerously tested and flown the An-148 and other aircraft will conduct the experimental flight. Radio contact with the An-148 passenger plane belonging to Saratov Airlines (flight 703 from Moscow to Orsk, in the Orenburg Region) that took off from the Domodedovo airport at 14:24 Moscow time on Sunday dropped from radar screens four minutes after takeoff. Fragments of the plane were found near the village of Stepanovskoye in the Moscow Region's Ramensky district. There were 65 passengers and six crew members onboard the passenger jet. According to the latest data, no one survived. A criminal case on charges of violations of flight safety and aircraft operation rules resulting in the death of two or more people through negligence has been opened. http://tass.com/world/989974 Back to Top The FAA Hasn't Been Enforcing Unlicensed Drone Piloting Penalties * The federal agency requires commercial drone pilots get a license but is lax in its enforcement. When the Federal Aviation Administration established a license requirement for commercial drone pilots in 2016, it seemed as though any breach of that law would be met with swift punishment or penalty. According to federal Freedom of Information Act documents acquired by MarketWatch, however, that doesn't seem to be the case. At this point, only one drone pilot caught flying for commercial purposes has been punished thus far. Not only that, but the punishment allotted amounted to no more than a mere warning notice. Jeffrey Slentz flew a drone over Kauffman Stadium in Kansas, Missouri, in order to capture some impressive aerial footage for a hip-hop music video. When the police tracked the DJI Phantom 3 drone landing by its owner, the officer was reportedly "pretty upset." "He was looking for any way to penalize or arrest me," Slentz claimed. "He made several calls to the FBI and the FAA." One week later, Slentz received his punishment-in the mail. An official warning letter arrived at his residence, urging him to acquire a drone license. According to MarketWatch, this has been the one and only case of a commercial drone pilot, operating without a license, being caught by authorities and punished by the FAA. As you can gauge from that, there is little to no enforcement regarding unauthorized commercial drone use right now. Naturally, some commercial pilots in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles are pretty upset at the state of affairs. If there's no punishment doled out to those breaking the rules, why go through the effort of getting a license, in the first place? "It's annoying that other drone businesses are operating without a license and I have no competitive advantage," said Flo Minton, an FAA-certified drone user and photographer. "I went through all this trouble to pass the test to get my license, including paying for a study course and the test fee, and it took me weeks to study." Most concisely, perhaps, was her follow-up question to this series of events. "If you're not going to enforce it, then why enact a regulation?" The test fee costs around $150, with a $5 registration fee thrown in. The frustration on behalf of those following the law and seeing unauthorized users go unpunished is clearly warranted, as the motivation to adhere can quickly become ambiguous. In the past year, we've seen illegal drone use increase significantly, with users piloting their vehicles into prohibited airspace, interrupting sporting events, and even using the aerial tool to sell drugs. A license would at least get their names on the books so that a UAV located after it was used for criminal activity might let authorities trace it back to its owner. On the other hand, those aiming to do harm or use their UAVs illegally presumably wouldn't get a license, anyway. Stay tuned, as we'll be sure to keep an eye on this state of affairs and report on any developments. http://www.thedrive.com/news/18495/the-faa-hasnt-been-enforcing-unlicensed-drone-piloting- penalties Back to Top FAA Issues Cessna Twin AD The FAA has published an Airworthiness Directive affecting an estimated 2,147 Cessna twin-engine airplanes, requiring the owners or operators to inspect the spar caps, and if cracks are found, replace the carry-through spar. Sixteen models in the 400-series are listed in the AD, along with serial numbers for each type. If no cracks are found, the inspection must be repeated every 50 hours. If cracks are found, the airplane is grounded until the spar can be replaced. The FAA estimates the inspection will cost about $1,020, and the replacement of the spar, if needed, would cost about $73,000. The AD was prompted, the FAA said, by a report of a fully cracked lower forward carry-through spar cap. The cracks could cause the spar cap to fail in flight, resulting in a loss of control, the FAA says. The AD is effective February 28. The time allowed to do the inspection varies with the particular model and time-in-service for each airplane. Operators are required to report the results of each inspection to the FAA. The FAA said it considers this AD an "interim action." Textron Aviation is evaluating the inspection intervals, the FAA said, and also is designing a replacement carry-through spar cap from an improved material. "After the evaluations are complete and the design modification is developed, approved, and available, we may consider additional rulemaking," the FAA said. The FAA also is accepting comments on the rule. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FAA-Issues-Cessna-Twin-AD-230310-1.html Back to Top FAA To Invest $100 Million For Cleaner Airplanes The FAA said this week it plans to spend $100 million in phase II of its CLEEN (Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions, and Noise) program, working with industry partners to develop new aircraft and engine technologies that are more efficient and quieter, and advance the development of alternative jet fuels. The program aims to enhance environmental protections and also allow for sustained aviation growth. The initial phase, from 2010 to 2015, helped to produce several cleaner new jet fuels, and helped develop technology for the LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines now used by Boeing, Airbus, and Comac. The industry partners for CLEEN II are Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing, Delta TechOps/MDS Coating Technologies Corp./America's Phenix Inc., GE Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, P&W, Rohr Inc./United Technologies Corp. Aerospace Systems, and Rolls-Royce North America. The partners are expected to match the FAA's $100 million investment. Phase II launched in 2015 and will continue through 2020. The FAA said it expects that aircraft technologies developed in the CLEEN II phase will be on a path for introduction into commercial aircraft by 2026. https://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/FAA-To-Invest-100-Million-For-Cleaner-Airplanes- 230311-1.html Back to Top USU aviation set to offer new minor in drones Is that a UFO? No, it's a UAS: unmanned aerial system. Utah State University aviation is set to declare an official 12-credit minor in UAS that will go to the USU Board of Trustees March 2. The UAS minor is in the final process in a committee within the university. If the USU Board of Trustees passes the minor, it will then go to the Utah System of Higher Education Board of Regents. If both boards approve, it will become official. Students from different departments around the university are already pursuing the new minor. Aleigh Allred, a political science student with an interest in maintenance and aviation, likes that this program brings a variety of majors "into this realm." She said she sees drones as an expanding field where she can pursue her interest. "Students will be able to take the four classes and compliment whatever major they have. Even aviation technology majors are eligible for the drone minor," said Andreas Wesemann, an assistant professor of aviation technology. There are three core classes and one elective, and each class has a required lab. In the introduction class, students will become certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones below 55 pounds as a commercial pilot, Allred said. Wesemann added that the introductory course covers what is necessary to be a private drone pilot, such as understanding the weather and radio calls. The rest of the course material in the minor consists of learning how to build a drone from scratch and how to fix it when it has crashed. The elective courses are aerial photography and independent study. Currently, there are about 70 students enrolled in the classes for the UAS minor. "We anticipate that number to go up," Wesemann said. Hunter Buxton, a junior studying business, helped Wesemann develop the program. He first became interested in drones when he started using them for bridge inspection research. Buxton also works for AggieAir, part of the Utah Water Research Laboratory, as a safety pilot doing precision agriculture research. He said his involvement in the program is because of his passion for drones. He wants to own his own business that will work with drones in agriculture or search and rescue. Buxton has completed all of his courses for the minor and is taking more than is required. "You only have to take four courses. I'm taking all of them," he said. This semester, Buxton is building a mapping drone in addition to the required coursework for his drone programming course. Drones have helped Buxton in his profession with AggieAir and his side aerial photography business. "With my minor, I'm focusing on the technical, scientific side. Drone photography as my own business is so fun," Buxton said. Buxton also leads the drone club on campus in conjunction with the minor. He plans to meet twice a month - one meeting to share factual information, and another where students go out and fly. Buxton likes drones because of how much of an impact they will make later in the future. "Drones are so useful for science, research, business, agriculture, search and rescue - there's so many uses for them," Buxton said. http://usustatesman.com/usu-aviation-set-offer-new-minor-drones/ Back to Top Can new airlines make it in America? The four biggest U.S. airlines and their regional partners control about 80% of air travel in the U.S. But is there room in the skies for new competition? Over the past several years, airline mergers have left about 1,000 routes without service, most of them between smaller U.S. cities, according to an analysis by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Inspector General of the Department of Transportation in late January launched an audit to examine the impact of airline consolidation on air service to small and medium cities. "Since 2014, the airline industry has become profitable due to the economic expansion and a jet fuel price collapse in that same year. However, congressional concerns persist regarding the availability of airline service at smaller airports," said Charles A. Ward, Assistant Inspector General for Audit Operations and Special Reviews. Regional airlines carried nearly 10 million fewer passengers in 2016 than in 2010 when they flew 164.1 million people, according to the Regional Airline Association. Western Pennsylvania, for example, was among the areas hardest hit when U.S. Airways' hub closed in Pittsburgh through corporate consolidation in the 2000s wasn't bouncing back after its merger with American Airlines. It was a scene that unfolded in cities like Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Columbus and Nashville. But for the last two years, Pittsburgh has been an incubator for a new type of airline startup that was impossible a decade ago. onejet hawker beechjet pittsburgh airplane A OneJet Airlines Hawker Beechjet taxis around Pittsburgh International Airport in July 2017. The airline, OneJet, was operating just two flights daily to and from Pittsburgh in 2016. That will become more than 300 a week by next month. The carrier was born directly from that MIT analysis. Rather than squeezing its way into busy hubs dominated by the giant U.S. airlines like Delta Air Lines (DAL), American Airlines (AAL) and United Airlines (UAL), OneJet caters to business travelers who want non-stop service to medium-sized cities across the Midwest and Northeast. Restoring service between mid-sized cities is "fundamentally not something [big airlines] can serve the way those businesses are scaled," OneJet chief executive Matt McGuire said. "We can go and grow to a very meaningful size and still not be on the radar of any of the major carriers, there's just that much market open right now," he said. And airlines like OneJet are the start of a new trend in flying. New operations are popping up all over the country, trying to fill in the gaps left by the biggest airlines. In California, JetSuite - whose founders started JetBlue - has been operating private charters since 2008. It's now been expanding to connect LA and the Bay Area from lesser used airports with refurbished inexpensive 30-seat ERJ135 regional jets that major carriers have been shedding. On the other end of the spectrum, FlyOtto wants to connect charter operators with small, general aviation aircraft so people can reach airports that don't have commercial service at all. And the U.S. may soon get its own low-cost long-haul airline. The founder of now-defunct Eastern Airlines, Ed Wegel, wants to resurrect World Airways. The carrier wants to use Boeing 787s to take on the big U.S. carriers on international flights. "There are a lot of under-served cities in America that would kill to have more service," says Henry Harteveldt, founder of the Atmosphere Research Group. He also believes there's ample room for newcomers. "But that new airline will look less and less like the airlines that are already operating," he said. onejet plus erj135 airplane OneJet is expanding service with inexpensive larger refurbished regional jets that are being abandoned by the major U.S. airlines. The road to success for a new airline, let alone sustainability, isn't easy. Bankruptcies and mergers have wiped out nearly every newcomer in the last twenty years. The last all-new large airline in the U.S. not swallowed up by consolidation was JetBlue Airways, which started flying in 2000. "It's harder than I ever imagined it would be," said McGuire, OneJet's CEO. A spokeswoman for OneJet said the carrier is profitable, but doesn't disclose its financial results because it is privately held. Instead of using traditional passenger planes, the airline has turned eight-seat Hawker Beechjet private aircraft into tiny regional jets. The recession left a huge fleet that no one wanted. Each used Beechjet was available for 80% off their sticker price when they were new, according to McGuire. OneJet doesn't operate weekend flights. All trips are out in the morning and back in the evening. That's a quality of life boon for its pilots, who are in short supply. The airline is reopening links from Pittsburgh partially with the help of travel contracts with the city's biggest businesses like PNC Bank and FedEx. And OneJet is graduating beyond the tiny business jets and expanding with the same regional jets JetSuite is using, refurbished with more legroom and free wi-fi. On Tuesday it started using those planes to expand its model to Buffalo, reopening an air link to Albany. Flights between the two cities were cut in 2010. It's biggest competition is the five hour drive. OneJet is counting on a perfect storm for its survival. The airline couldn't exist if airline consolidation or the global financial crisis hadn't happened. "We're in a very significant restructuring period for the national air transportation system," said McGuire. "I don't think this would've worked ten years ago." http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/14/news/onejet-new-airlines/index.html Back to Top Philippine Airlines looking at acquiring A350-1000 aircraft MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine Airlines is looking at adding the largest version of Airbus's A350 series to its fleet, the flag carrier's president said on Thursday. The Southeast Asian nation's first airline is undergoing a $2 billion expansion program to make its fleet one of the youngest in Asia. "It is one airplane we can consider. It is a bigger version of the A350-900," Jaime Bautista, president of the airline's operator, PAL Holdings Inc, told reporters before an A350-1000 test flight in the capital Manila. There is commonality in spare parts between the A350-900 and the A350-1000 and Philippine Airlines' pilots can fly both aircraft, Bautista added. In 2016, Philippine Airlines ordered six wide-body A350-900 jets worth about $1.8 billion at list prices to help the company expand its lucrative international network. The flag carrier expects to take delivery of 15 planes this year, including four Airbus A350s. The A350-1000 is the largest version of the A350 series, and was launched to compete against Boeing's 777s in the up to 400-seat market. Airbus will deliver this month the first A350-1000 jet to an airline, Qatar Airways. Philippine Airlines expects to carry about 16.5 million passengers this year, up from last year's total of almost 15 million. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pal-hldgs-airplane/philippine-airlines-looking-at-acquiring- a350-1000-aircraft-idUSKCN1FZ0ER Back to Top NetJets Aircraft Brokerage Arm Acquires Cerretani Group QS Partners, the whole-aircraft brokerage arm of NetJets, has acquired Boulder, Colorado-based Cerretani Aviation Group, more than doubling its business aircraft sales and acquisition services. Cerretani has served as a primary broker partner for NetJets since 2013, before QS Partners was launched in 2016 to cover aircraft sales and purchases in-house, including pre-buy oversight of specific aircraft, legal and financial advice, and technical services. Cerratani founder Nick Cerretani is now a partner at QS Partners, which has retained all seven of his employees. "We sought expansion through acquisition to quickly increase aircraft sales channels and grow the aircraft transition services business," said QS Partners president Brian Hirsh, who added that Cerretani is a "perfect culture fit" given their shared values of high integrity and "doing what is right" for customers. "The team has more than 100 years of combined aviation experience" and has conducted "hundreds of seamless and successful aircraft transitions." QS Partners, which now has offices in Columbus, Ohio; Boulder; and London, is also the exclusive reseller of NetJets certified preowned aircraft. "These are aircraft owned by NetJets and maintained to its high standards," Nick Cerretani told AIN. "NetJets aircraft are prepared for sale to new-OEM standards, and because NetJets will take care of anything arising out of pre-buy, there are really no worries for buyers." He also said buyers should not be put off by the number of flight hours and cycles on NetJets aircraft up for sale. "Higher-time aircraft sold by NetJets have proved to be as reliable as other aircraft with lower times," Cerratani said, adding that their resultant lower prices make for a better bargain for buyers. According to Hirsh, QS Partners is not expressly intended as a vehicle to steer business to NetJet's fractional services or, through sister company Executive Jet Management, charter and aircraft management services. "We are a global, full-service aircraft sales broker for all business aircraft," he said. "But one that can offer other services and products through our affiliated companies when needed by customers." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-02-14/netjets-aircraft- brokerage-arm-acquires-cerretani-group Back to Top Civil aviation needs more than 600,000 pilots by 2036 The Secretary General for the OACI says that civil aviation worldwide must act quickly to recruit and retain the best talent in all roles. The growth of air transport will necessitate the recruitment of more than 600,000 airline pilots in the world by 2036. On Tuesday, the Organization for International Civil Aviation ("OACI"), observed that the ageing global population poses a challenge in this regard. The General Secretary of the OACI, Fang Liu, stated before the Montreal Council for International Relations (also known as "CORIM"), the number of commercial flights and passengers doubles every 15 years, but the available workforce in this sector "is itself contracting." She identified, "the inevitable ageing population, the decreased birth rate and other factors", such as "the attraction of other high-technology sectors for future potential talent." Ms Liu warned that civil aviation should therefore "do more to both attract and retain qualified workers, which it will need during the decades to come." A point which is all the more relevant since the OACI, a United Nations agency, considers that by 2036 we will need "at least 620,000 pilots" to run the commercial aeroplanes by then in circulation in the world, from 100 or more locations. She stressed, "Moreover 80% of these future aviators will be new pilots, who are themselves not yet flying." The Secretary General for the OACI mentioned, "Moreover it is the same story for the air traffic controllers, maintenance staff and other technicians of the future." She said that the growth in air transport, may in particular be explained by the rapid expansion of tourism, but also online trade, for which 90% of deliveries are now carried out by aeroplane, compared to only 16% in 2010. She indicated that some 4.1 billion individuals travel by aeroplane each year, and one-third of goods are traded worldwide by air. Besides the workforce challenges, civil aviation must swiftly tackle the problem of airport congestion. Fang Liu stated, "At least 24 international airports will be saturated, and incapable of supporting an increase in traffic, within barely two years." http://www.brusselstimes.com/world/10332/civil-aviation-needs-more-than-600-000-pilots-by- 2036 Back to Top Air Force beefing up pilot pipeline in 2019 budget to deal with shortage The Air Force is using the 2019 budget to grow its force in problem areas and train airmen in critically needed positions. The service has had issues in the past with retaining pilots, cyber experts and maintainers as the Air Force competes with private industry for talent. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said the 2019 budget will increase recruitment in those areas and continue incentive programs. Most notably, the Air Force is increasing the number of pilots it trains a year from 1,200 to 1,400. Insight by Booz Allen Hamilton: Technology experts explore cyber engineering in government in this free webinar. Last year, Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, the Air Education and Training Command director said the Air Force needs to put out 1,600 a year to stay on track. He said he wanted to hit 1,400 in the next few years. "We've added hours to be able to fly more to beef up our replacement training units," Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson said during a Feb. 14 press availability at the Pentagon. Heather Wilson said the force is currently about 2,000 pilots short. That number has grown over the past couple years. The Air Force is also getting creative with its pilot recruitment. "We do have a couple of experiments to see if we can go faster. We are partnering with some local universities to see if we can take some of their students who have gone through one of their aviation programs. They already have their commercial multi-engine ratings and then can we pipeline them and not do the whole training, but just do the T-1 training and cut the pilot training in half, as well as experiment to see if we can use technology, some virtual reality and augmented reality to determine 'Can I shorten that timeline?" Stephen Wilson said. Last fall, the Air Force announced its second assignment in place program to keep pilots in their jobs. "We've listened to our pilots and our aircrew and they said they want stability. It's one of the big things they want for a lot of reasons - family, schools, spouses working - and so we take that limited career field of instructor pilots that's at a base, and when they come up on their three year assignment, we are offering them a second assignment in place so we can give them six years at the same location and we retain that critical instructor pilot expertise that we are targeting. There seems to be a lot of interest in the field," Brig. Gen. Michael Koscheski, director of the Air Force Aircrew Crisis Task Force, told Federal News Radio. Both Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson had separate summits with private airlines in the past months. "The chief's big push is this is a national crisis. The airline industry is looking to double globally over the next 20 years, so this is a long-term growth in terms of the civilian market. They are short on pilots. It's sort of a pipeline or cascading effect because the major airlines need more pilots, they are taking pilots from the regionals quickly and then the regionals are getting them from your civilian flying schools and they are struggling to keep up. We need to build a sustainable long-term model, where we have a larger pool of pilots nationally to pull from," Koscheski said. Maintainers One shortage gap the Air Force is shoring up is with airmen who service aircraft. At one point the Air Force was in need of 4,000 maintainers. "I think we are only short about 200 maintainers now," Heather Wilson said. "The challenge with maintainers, we now have enough people, is getting them experience. You go through basic training, you go through your tech school, you arrive at your base and you're really an apprentice and you've got to spend some time getting your skills up and then years more becoming a master at your craft. It's really a question of training and seasoning our maintainers. We are now close enough to having enough maintainers. We just don't have enough of those craftsmen who are supervising the apprentices." https://federalnewsradio.com/air-force/2018/02/air-force-beefing-up-pilot-pipeline-in-2019- budget-to-deal-with-shortage/ Back to Top Airbus profit climbs on record plane deliveries TOULOUSE--European plane maker Airbus SE Thursday signaled it was starting to reap the benefits of higher plane production, reporting guidance-beating free cash flow on the back of record plane deliveries and joining rival Boeing Co. in promising to build even more airliners. Airbus shipped 718 planes in 2017 helping it generate EUR2.95 billion ($3.68 billion) in free cash flow before mergers, acquisitions and customer financing against a target of about EUR1.4 billion, on par with the year-earlier period. The rise signals Airbus is starting to turn higher plane deliveries into stronger cash flow at a time output is rising further. Airbus said it was raising output to around 800 airliners this year. Airbus already announced plans to boost single-aisle plane production to 60 aircraft a month next year, from around 50 in 2017, and is considering further increases because of strong demand. Airbus and larger rival Boeing have benefited from a surge in demand for commercial planes. Global economic growth has lifted passenger numbers, filling aircraft, and driving airline appetite for expansion. The world's two biggest plane makers have built a backlog of orders stretching ahead for seven years or more on some of their most popular models. Boeing last month said it planned to lift production to 810 to 815 planes this year from 763. Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders Thursday said the company's 2017 earnings "endorse our earnings and cash growth story for the future." Airbus's operating earnings, which strip out some one-time items--such as the charge on the A400M program--were EUR4.25 billion, compared with EUR3.96 billion a year earlier. Net profit rose sharply to EUR2.87 billion. Its year-earlier figure was impacted by a noncash accounting adjustment on currency hedges. Profit was dented, though, by continued problems on the beleaguered A400M military transport plane where Airbus has been running behind. The company took a EUR1.3 billion charge on A400M against full-year earnings, raising to more than EUR8 billion the combined earnings hits Airbus has suffered on the unprofitable program. Mr. Enders said a recent agreement with governments to adjust delivery timelines and technical content on the plane "significantly reduce the remaining program risks." The Toulouse-based company reported EUR66.8 billion in sales, little changed from a year earlier, with stronger commercial airliner revenue offset by weaker helicopter and defense and space activities. Boosting plane production hasn't been without its challenges for Airbus. The company has been struggling with the supply of engines on its popular A320neo plane and that has slowed deliveries. Last week, Airbus said problems with one of the engines, made by United Technologies Corp., were delaying some planes and put a hold on deliveries. Airbus said it was still assessing the impact of the problem on deliveries. Rival engine supplier CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric Co. and France's Safran SA, also has been behind schedule on delivering its equipment. Airbus also is wrestling with other issues. The company faces regulatory probes in multiple jurisdictions, including the U.S., about the improper use of middlemen to win military contracts. Airbus Thursday said U.S. authorities have asked for information on French and British probes about the use of unauthorized sales agents to win commercial plane deals, widening the scope of the U.S. investigation. Airbus has warned any financial impact could be "material," though it was too early to judge what the consequences of the investigations could be. The investigations caused Airbus, almost two years ago, to lose access to export credit financing support, which can be critical to support deliveries to financially weaker customers. Chief Financial Officer Harald Wilhelm Thursday said that under an agreement with European governments limited customer financing backing would resume this year. Even so, Airbus forecasts that adjusted earnings this year should increase 20%. Cash generation should be similar this year to 2017, the company said. Airbus said it planned to increase its dividend 11%. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/airbus-reaps-benefits-of-rising-plane-production-2018-02-15 Back to Top What Fire Safety Measures Does The ISS Use? How safely and quickly can the ISS fight a fire, and how would it be done? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Robert Frost, Instructor and Flight Controller at NASA, on Quora: Fire Safety on the ISS utilizes a concept called the "Fire Triangle" - three things are needed for a fire: heat, oxygen, and fuel. Preventing, detecting, and suppressing fires is done by attending to the sides of that triangle. First, we do our best to design the spacecraft to not have a lot of fuel. That means avoiding the use of materials that easily burn. Then we include ways to remove heat and oxygen. Each module, and some of the racks, has one or more smoke detectors. In microgravity, there is no natural air convection. In order to detect smoke, the smoke detectors are mounted inside ventilation pathways. Air is forced through these ventilation pathways by fans. If a fire is ignited, that fire will produce particulates (smoke) that will be carried by the ventilation to the nearest smoke detector. Should a smoke detector detect such particulates, it will announce a fire. The central computer will detect that annunciation and trigger alarms and also initiate automatic responses such as removing power from the rack (taking away a source of heat) and cutting off ventilation in that area to prevent the flow of oxygen to the fire. For most small fires, this should immediately extinguish the fire. The crew, upon hearing the fire alarm, will go to the source of the fire and insert a fire extinguisher nozzle into the closest fireport and fill the volume with fire suppressant chemicals. This should quickly extinguish any fires not extinguished by the automatic isolation response. Should a fire be too large for these methods to extinguish, the crew can seal off the entire module and air can be removed to starve the fire. To avoid excessive exposure to toxic byproducts of a fire, the crew can don masks that can either filter air or provide a dedicated source of oxygen. If procedures are followed, the crew should not be exposed to excessive risk when dealing with a fire. However, fire in space is certainly something that has to be respected and can be deadly. In February, 1997, a fire broke out on the Space Station Mir. That fire was particularly dangerous because it involved a lithium perchlorate canister. The job of that canister was to produce oxygen, making it very difficult to extinguish. Once it began to burn, the oxygen in the canister allowed the canister to get so hot that it began melting metal. The crew were unable to extinguish that fire, so they had to use the fire extinguishers to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby materials and structure until the canister eventually consumed all of its oxygen and the fire could be suppressed. There were a lot of lessons learned because of that incident and those lessons learned greatly reduce the chance of something similar happening on ISS. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/02/14/what-fire-safety-measures-does-the-iss- use/#76a77b4c175c Back to Top Graduate Survey Request My name is Carlos Enriquez and i am working on a thesis for my Masters in Aviation Science from Everglades University. My research is centered on the use of autopilot in helicopter operations. More specifically, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services accident rates due to flights into inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their Safety Recommendation dated September 24, 2009 included the use of a second pilot or an autopilot. I created a survey with specific questions for helicopter pilots. Please find below, link to the survey. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6C3N9CL Thank you, Carlos Enriquez Back to Top Check Airmen Wanted - $45,000 (Phoenix, AZ) Main Responsibility: * Conducting FAR 141 recurrent training, check out flights on new hire CFIs, spot checks on line CFIs, perform remedial training, and observation flights. Qualifications: * High School Diploma or equivalent required * Must hold at least an FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument Rating * Must have CFI, CFII, and MEI certificates * 6 months experience as a CFI required * Demonstrated success as a CFI with commensurate pass rate SKILLS AND ABILITIES * Ability to pass a Part 141 stage check pilot proficiency check for both single and multi-engine airplanes * Proficient on Microsoft Office (word, power point, excel) * Excellent oral and written communication skills * Excellent interpersonal skills, professional demeanor * Dependable, reliable and pays extreme attention to detail Benefits AeroGuard offers a variety of benefits: Paid PTO, medical, dental, vision and 401K with company match!!! SUBMIT RESUME TO: recruiter@flyaeroguard.com OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 623-580-7913 Back to Top SASS 2018 Building on the success of previous years, the Singapore Aviation Safety Seminar (SASS) will be held March 26-29, 2018, and will feature presentations from local and international speakers. The theme for SASS 2018 is "Stepping Up Safety: Enabling Growth, Embracing New Technologies." The program focuses on topics relating to recent safety challenges, human factors issues, organizational safety issues, lessons learned from recent accidents and the latest technological improvements for safety. Registration and program agenda can be found on the SASS event website. Back to Top BASS 2018 The Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) is a forum for the industry to meet in a collaborative environment to identify safety concerns, devise approaches to reduce risk and implement initiatives to improve safety. The summit, in its 63rd year, is organized by Flight Safety Foundation in partnership with the National Business Aviation Association. Content covers safety, training, practical solutions, management, human factors and other issues for every segment of the business aviation industry. The program agenda and registration information can be found on our event website. Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Job Title: General Manager / Senior Flight Data Analyst This position is open to all aviation safety professionals keen to manage a business at the forefront of safety technology. Desirable qualifications include: * flight deck experience * an aviation or business-related degree * experience in voluntary safety programs * commercial experience Job Description This position combines the freedom to run and develop a business in the US with potential to make a real impact on aviation safety. It will suit a pilot who is keen on aviation but tired of hotels. The office is based in Phoenix, Arizona and customers are based from Canada to Venezuela. You will also be supporting operators around the world as a part of the Flight Data Services group of companies. Location: The job holder must be based Monday to Friday on site at our Phoenix office. Supervision: 4 current staff members (3 in office, 1 remote) Salary: The range for this role is $50,000 to $70,000 per annum dependent on skills and experience. There is also a comprehensive benefits package. IMPORTANT NOTES: * Resume and Cover Letter must be received by midnight March 31st 2018 at hr@flightdataservices.com * Successful candidates will be required to complete testing prior to scheduling for interview. * Interviews will be scheduled April 9th thru 11th and must be attended IN PERSON at the Phoenix, Arizona office. Main Purpose of Job: As General Manager you will have overall charge of the business of Flight Data Services Inc, including: 1. Management of the Company's affairs and administration. 2. Management of the staff of FDS Inc. 3. Management of customer interfaces, including annual visits, monthly reports and ad hoc communications. 4. Promotion of the Company within the continents of North and South America. 5. Responsible for Company compliance with state and federal law. As Senior Flight Data Analyst you will promote aviation safety through: 1. Providing leadership for US analysts by: a. Providing training and guidance as needed. b. Task distribution & workload management. 2. Routine analysis of downloaded data. a. Review of abnormal operations and determine the cause. b. Report on findings to airlines. c. Compilation of monthly customer reports. d. Occasional emergency customer support and call-out on a roster basis. e. Responding to ad hoc requests for analysis or supply of data. 3. Contributing to the Safety Seminar and Training Courses a. Preparation and delivery of presentations. b. Attendance at the seminar. c. Ad hoc training of attendees. 4. Depending upon specialization, one or more of the following: a. Preparation of new Analysis Specifications. b. Amending analysis procedures to change thresholds etc. in consultation with the customer and Analysis Manager c. Customer training d. Support to Marketing 5. Liaise with IT Support on software maintenance. 6. Liaise with Software Development team on the POLARIS project. The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your changing role within the organization and the overall business objectives of the organization. ************** About Flight Data Services Flight Data Services is an industry-leader in flight safety innovation. Our expert knowledge of flight data, aviation safety, and information technology is delivered to aircraft operators globally. We are the largest dedicated provider of flight data analysis services and our qualified and experienced flight safety specialists include the highest ratio of analysts to aircraft in the aviation industry. Flight Data Services are proud to be a global, independent and private company. In 2015 we were accredited with the 'Investors in People' award and in 2017 we earned ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. Curt Lewis