Flight Safety Information May 9, 2018 - No. 093 In This Issue Incident: Vueling A320 at Bilbao on May 6th 2018, bird strike Delta flight evacuated because of smoke in the cabin American Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Chicago after 'cockpit fills with smoke' in midair Incident: Austrian A320 near Bucharest on May 8th 2018, burning wires EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: LATAM A321 at Brasilia on May 8th 2018, burst tyre on landing Incident: Canada B773 over Atlantic on May 6th 2018, member of flight crew incapacitated NTSB reports early findings in medical helicopter crash 'Flight Deck LIBIK - Lithium-Ion Battery Incident Kit Transport Canada reinstates West Wind Aviation's AOC after suspension following accident FAA issues emergency order of suspension for Island Airlines Laser could help pilots 'see' clear air turbulence coming Air Force directs one-day operational safety review Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Aces Annual FAA Part 139 Inspection Traveling the World, One Ferry Flight at a Time The FAA will have 'zero tolerance' for anything less safe than current standards when it comes to regulating flying cars Ethiopian Airlines is unstoppable with its plans to take over Africa's skies Royal Flying Doctor Service celebrates 90 years with vintage aircraft pilgrimage (Australia) United Airlines looks at Newark for Boeing 787-10 pilot base, report says Jet Airways marks 25 years of service New Iran sanctions will kill billions in jet sales ERAU - Doctoral Graduates Make Impact in Video Game Design, Missile Systems and Aviation Industries Johnson Space Center prepares for upcoming spacewalks Northern California Business Aviation Association NorcalBAA.org...NCBAA 2018 Safety Day May 10 2018 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award 'BASS - Business Aviation Safety Summit - 2018' Don't miss the HFACS workshop in Las Vegas June 12th & 13th Incident: Vueling A320 at Bilbao on May 6th 2018, bird strike An Vueling Airbus A320-200, registration EC-KDX performing flight VY-1451 from Alicante,SP to Bilbao,SP (Spain) with 180 people on board, was on final approach to Bilbao's runway 30 about 2.1nm before touchdown, when a vulture impacted the left hand engine (CFM56) causing debris of bird remains, feathers and engine metallic parts to "rain" into a property underneath the approach path. The aircraft continued for a safe landing about a minute later. The property owners reported they were outdoors in the garden when they heard a loud bang, looked up and spotted the aircraft followed by metallic debris, flesh and feather "raining" down into their property. One larger piece nearly fell onto their heads. The airline confirmed a griffon vulture was ingested by the left hand engine, which however continued to work. Other ground observers reported about 6-7 vultures were circling the area, one of them was sucked into the engine. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 59 hours later. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b85501c&opt=0 Back to Top Delta flight evacuated because of smoke in the cabin Passengers deplane Delta flight 1854 in Denver using slides and over-wing exits after smoke is observed in the cabin. The flight originated in Detroit (CNN)Passengers on a Delta flight from Detroit to Denver deplaned via slides and over-wing exits due to an observance of smoke in the cabin, according to Delta spokesman Michael Thomas. Some passengers may have suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation, the airline said. There was no observance of fire. One passenger Tweeted that "fumes came through the vents." More pictures. We're all inside waiting for info and our bags. We all keep saying how bad our mouths taste still after breathing it. Another passenger said the cabin filled with smoke as the plane landed. "The oxygen masks never came down and people began to freak out," D.J. Semenza told CNN. "The crew tried to keep calm and eventually called for an evacuation." The smoke was detected prior to the plane reaching the gate, said Denver International Airport spokeswoman Emily Williams. Passengers were bused to the concourse. https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/09/us/delta-flight-smoke-cabin/index.html Back to Top American Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Chicago after 'cockpit fills with smoke' in midair Travellers on flight AA2587 claimed to see 'white mist' seeping from the cockpit shortly after taking off from Chicago AN American Airlines jet has made an emergency landing after it "filled with smoke" while in midair. According to a passenger, the smoke was coming from the plane's cockpit. The American Airlines aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing Travellers on flight AA 2587 reported seeing white mist shortly after taking off from Chicago O'Hare airport. Bruce Clark tweeted: "Texts from my dad enroute to Tokyo on @AmericanAir via ORD to Dallas - "smoke in cockpit, making emergency landing." A spokesperson for the company responded on Twitter: "We're returning safely back to ORD, and we plan on changing out the plane. Safety is a top priority and we'll have your dad on his way soon." The American Airlines jet was forced to return to Chicago O'Hare airport American Airlines said in a statement that flight 2587 from Chicago to Dallas Forth Worth returned to Chicago after the crew reported a "possible odor in the cabin." "The aircraft, an Airbus 321 with 175 passengers and a crew of six, landed safely and taxied to the gate," the statement read. "The aircraft will be evaluated by our maintenance team, and we apologise to our customers for the inconvenience." https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6238243/american-airlines-emergency-landing-chicago-smoke/ Back to Top Incident: Austrian A320 near Bucharest on May 8th 2018, burning wires An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration OE-LBY performing flight OS-836 from Larnaca (Cyprus) to Vienna (Austria), was enroute at FL360 about 75nm west of Bucharest (Romania) when the crew requested to divert to Bucharest due to a technical problem, they were not declaring emergency, they had some burning wires, the fire was not persistent however, there was a smell in cabin and cockpit, for safety they wanted to divert to Bucharest. The aircraft turned around and diverted to Bucharest for a safe landing on runway 26L about 25 minutes later. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Bucharest for about 5.5 hours, then continued the flight as OS-1474 for Vienna and reached the destination with a delay of about 6 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4b854af3&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: LATAM A321 at Brasilia on May 8th 2018, burst tyre on landing A LATAM Airbus A321-200, registration PT-MXM performing flight JJ-384 from Rio de Janeiro Galeao,RJ to Brasilia,DF (Brazil), landed on Brasilia's runway 11L but burst the inboard right main tyre during roll out, debris of the tyre impacted the underside of the wing, wheel well and fuselage. The aircraft rolled out without further incident, vacated the runway and stopped past the hold short line, while emergency services responded and joined the aircraft for an inspection. The passengers disembarked onto the taxiway via stairs and were bussed to the terminal. The blown tyre: http://avherald.com/h?article=4b85463a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Canada B773 over Atlantic on May 6th 2018, member of flight crew incapacitated An Air Canada Boeing 777-300, registration C-FIVX performing flight AC-890 (dep May 5th) from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy) with 450 passengers and 14 crew, was enroute at FL330 over the Atlantic Ocean about 720nm west of London Heathrow,EN (UK) when a member of the flight crew became incapacitated. In consultation with dispatch the other pilot decided to divert to London Heathrow where the aircraft landed safely on runway 09L about 1:45 hours later. The aircraft remained on the ground in London for about 4 hours, then was able to continue the flight to Rome and reached the destination with a delay of 4.5 hours. The Canadian TSB reported (erroneously stating the occurrence time as May 5th 2018 about 06:30Z instead of May 6th 2018 06:30Z): "During cruise flight approximately 720 nm West of London/Heathrow, UK (EGLL), a flight crew member became incapacitated. The other flight crew member contacted the operator's operational control centre and the decision was made to divert the flight to EGLL. A PAN PAN was declared and the flight landed without further incident." http://avherald.com/h?article=4b8542df&opt=0 Back to Top NTSB reports early findings in medical helicopter crash A medical helicopter crashes in Oneida County, killing three people. Photo: WAOW HAZELHURST, Wis. (WBAY) - Federal investigators released their preliminary report on the deadly medical helicopter crash in Oneida County. The crash near Hazelhurst last month killed the pilot and both crew members: 34-year-old Rico Caruso, pilot; 43-year-old Greg Rosenthal, flight paramedic; and 30-year-old Klint Mitchell, flight nurse. No patients were aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board reports the helicopter's GPS signal disappeared at 11 p.m. on April 26. The wreckage was found 12 miles south of the hospital a few hours later, at about 2:15 a.m., in a wooded area among broken tree trunks and branches. The engine of the Ascension Health Spirit was found separated from the fuselage. The compression blades of the turboshaft engine had nicks and gouges consistent with sucking in a foreign object, and the turbine blades, which are in the center of the engine, had silver-colored deposits. Investigators believe the engine was working up until impact. They didn't find indications of a fire. The helicopter had a recorder and its memory card was intact. The report notes weather conditions were clear during the helicopter's flight, with 10-mile visibility. The helicopter had regular 100- and 600-hour inspections the day before the crash. The preliminary report reiterates the early-known facts and observations but doesn't identify or speculate on the cause of the crash. The final report could take up to two years to complete. http://www.wbay.com/content/news/NTSB-reports-early-findings-in-medical-helicopter-crash- 482127681.html **************** Date: 26-APR-2018 Time: 22:55 LT Type: Aerospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil Owner/operator: Ascension Health/Air Methods Corp. Registration: N127LN C/n / msn: 4149 Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Hazelhurst, northern WI - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Madison Destination airport: Woodruff Narrative: The ambulance helicopter based in Woodruff, dropped off a patient in Madison and was heading back to the Northwoods then crashed in woodland 12 miles south of its destination according NTSB. The three occupants died in the crash. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=209954 Back to Top Back to Top Transport Canada reinstates West Wind Aviation's AOC after suspension following accident Transport Canada has reinstated West Wind Aviation's Air Operator Certificate (AOC) for its commuter operations after a review of the company's operations. The reinstatement is effective immediately and allows the company to provide commercial air service in Canada. West Wind Aviation has addressed Transport Canada's concerns regarding the deficiencies in its Operational Control System. Transport Canada states it will closely monitor West Wind Aviation to verify that the company remains compliant with aviation safety regulations. On December 22, 2017, Transport Canada suspended West Wind Aviation's AOC because of deficiencies in the company's Operational Control System that were discovered during an inspection following a December 13 fatal accident involving an ATR 42. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/05/09/transport-canada-reinstates-west-wind-aviations-aoc-after-suspension-following-accident/ Back to Top FAA issues emergency order of suspension for Island Airlines The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an Emergency Order of Suspension against Island Airlines, LLC, of the U.S. Virgin Islands, for not allowing the agency to inspect the company's aircraft and records. On March 14, 2017, the FAA received information alleging the St. Croix-based company was operating a Beech B200 while an inspection was overdue for one of its engines. Between March 15, 2017 and Nov. 29, 2017, the FAA tried numerous times to contact Island Airlines by email and certified letters to alert the company it was opening an investigation and to schedule an inspection of its aircraft and records. Additionally, the FAA sent inspectors to St. Croix to inspect Island Airlines' records and aircraft in April 2017 and November 2017. The company did not respond to the FAA's various communications and did not make a representative available to allow the inspectors access to its operations base, the FAA alleges. Because Island Airlines did not allow access to its operations base for inspection of its records and aircraft, the FAA cannot verify the company's qualifications to hold an Air Carrier Certificate, the agency alleges. The FAA has determined that the safety of the flying public requires the suspension of Island Airlines' certificate until it allows inspection of its records and aircraft to establish the company's qualifications. The Emergency Order of Suspension is effective immediately, and the company cannot conduct operations while the order is in effect. Island Air surrendered its certificate https://news.aviation-safety.net/2018/05/08/faa-issues-emergency-order-of-suspension-for-island- airlines/ Back to Top Laser could help pilots 'see' clear air turbulence coming Pilots can avoid some turbulence, but clean air turbulence is currently undetectable. New technology being tested by Boeing may change that. It can feel like the perfect day if you're in a jetliner above the clouds. But it's what you can't see that's the leading cause of injuries in flight. Airliners around the world can encounter serious turbulence -- in some cases, turbulence that's violent enough to send passengers and drink carts into the ceiling. Turbulence can be both expected and unexpected. The clear air turbulence is the unexpected part. You really can't see it because it's not associated with any sort of weather. That's why airlines ask you to remain buckled in your seat when you're not up and around the cabin. Boeing is testing new technology aimed at helping pilots detect that turbulence in time to adjust altitude to avoid it. At the Montana Aviation Research Company in remote St. Marie, Montana, Boeing's test employs the ecoDemonstrator. It's a 777 freighter turned into a test plane. JAXA, Japan's space agency, has developed technology on board the airplane to detect the, until now, undetectable. It's designed to deliver a warning up to a minute in advance of impending clear-air turbulence. "So this would be integrated into a forward display ... warning the pilots they're coming up on turbulence," said Boeing Flight Test Director Ian Mahler. "And there will actually be a little pop up over here that has a countdown that says severe turbulence, moderate turbulence or wind shear, in 59, 58. It will countdown in seconds. And give you a warning of exactly when it will hit." On the left side of the plane is something called a fairing. It's also known as a blister because it looks like a bulge coming from the smooth, round exterior of the plane. On the outside of that fairing is a window which protects a liquid-cooled infrared laser called LIDAR. LIDAR is the same type of technology fired down out of the bottom of special airplanes thousands of times a second to create detailed photographic-like images of the earth. It's used to find earthquake faults on land and can be used to find what are essentially faults in the air: inconsistencies in the way air moves or turbulence. The beam goes out the side, reflects off a mirror and is focused miles ahead of the airplane. It's detecting tiny particles in the air called aerosols. But when those particles seem to slow down, speed up, or move up and down, that's the warning. Then the question becomes, where do you find clean air turbulence to test it? "We wanted to find something where the turbulence was very predictable," said Mike Carriker, Boeing's top pilot for product development. "So over Kansas, over Garden City, Kansas, we found an altitude about 24,000 to 27,000 feet where the wind was just terrible. Just shaking everywhere. But it was smooth below and smooth above, so we could get down below it and climb up and see that it was ahead of us, and then see that it was going to quit as we went out the other side." "And during our testing we validated, and it was absolutely incredible, that we saw it go five, four, three two one. And then the people started feeling the bouncing. So the technology works," said Mahler. "And the airplane's doing six miles a minute, so you'd have to find it 30 or 40 miles out in front of you. That's the technological end goal because we'd like to have enough time to put the carts away," said Carriker, explaining that while it's important for passengers to buckle up, carts could fly up and hit someone. Now, the job is to make the system smaller, while making it look out miles farther where it's hoped it will become a routine safety tool in the cockpit. https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/aerospace/laser-could-help-pilots-see-clear-air-turbulence- coming/281-549913970 Back to Top Air Force directs one-day operational safety review WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein directed all Air Force wings with flying and maintenance functions to execute a one-day operational safety review by May 21, 2018. "I am directing this operational safety review to allow our commanders to assess and discuss the safety of our operations and to gather feedback from our Airmen who are doing the mission every day," said Goldfein. After a series of recent aviation mishaps and fatalities, including a WC-130 Hercules crash May 2, the Air Force is taking swift action to ensure the safety of its force. Although safety statistics over the past decade show Air Force Class A and B aviation mishaps trended downward, the Air Force's manned aviation mishap rate increased since the beginning of fiscal year 2018. During the safety review, commander-led forums will gather feedback from Airmen who execute the Air Force's flying operations and challenge Airmen to identify issues that may cause a future mishap. "We cannot afford to lose a single Airman or weapons system due to a mishap that could have been prevented," said Goldfein. "Our men and women have volunteered to give their last full measure for America's security. My intent is to have commanders lead focused forums with their Airmen to help identify gaps and seams that exist or are developing, which could lead to future mishaps or unsafe conditions." http://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1514646/air-force-directs-one-day-operational-safety- review/ Back to Top Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Aces Annual FAA Part 139 Inspection Each year, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (Gateway Airport) partakes in an intense, week long certification and compliance inspection by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Commercial airports nationwide must complete this inspection to ensure that they are following national safety standards. For the second consecutive year, Gateway Airport passed its FAA Part 139-Certification and Operations Inspection with flying colors; an impressive accomplishment that is extremely difficult to achieve. "It is a great point of pride among the Gateway Airport team that we had no reportable conditions or items needing correction for the second year in a row," said J. Brian O'Neill, A.A.E. executive director/CEO of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority. "It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of our operations team that oversee nearly 6 miles of runway, an airport footprint of 4.7 square miles, and a commercial passenger terminal that will handle more than 1.4 million passengers this year." In a letter addressed to Gateway Airport, the FAA said "We commend your continued commitment to your Part 139 Program, and the personnel and procedures employed to maintain compliance." Included in a FAA Part 139 - Certification and Operations Inspection is a review of: Airport rescue/firefighting equipment, training, and response times Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) Operations/maintenance personnel training and performance All paved/unpaved safety areas and runway approaches All airfield markings and lighting Airport's self-inspection program All operations and maintenance records and logs This year's FAA Part 139 Inspection confirmed that Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is a safe, efficient, and well-run operation. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12411737/phoenix-mesa-gateway-airport-aces-annual-faa- part-139-inspection Back to Top Traveling the World, One Ferry Flight at a Time Since starting lessons, the longest Sarah's gone without flying was a week she spent at AirVenture. I can't really say I know Sarah Rovner, because we've never actually met. We're both airline pilots, we have a bunch of mutual friends in common, we presented at the same aviation conference (one day apart) and we've chatted online and on the telephone. But mostly I "know" Sarah because we're Facebook friends and she shows up in my News Feed on a regular basis, usually with a photo of an interesting airplane in some cool out-of-the-way place. I've followed along as Sarah built her aircraft-ferrying business from a one-woman show into a multipilot international operation, and it's been a fascinating window into a world I knew very little about. I tend to write about segments of the aviation industry in which I have personal experience, but there's a whole wide world of flight outside of instructing and freight dogging and airline flying. There are many interesting and rewarding ways to make a living in and around airplanes, and Sarah seems to have hit upon one of the more adventuresome ones. "Other than insurance, it's mostly just a lot of logistics. Getting to the aircraft is half the journey." Nothing about Sarah's career path has been typical. Born and raised in the Houston area, she joined the military straight out of high school and later became an IT network engineer after college. She stumbled onto flying almost accidentally, when she tried to charter an airplane to Austin and found it was much easier just to do a one-way discovery flight. The flying bug bit Sarah hard; since starting lessons, she says, the longest she's gone without flying was the week she spent camping at AirVenture - the biggest annual fly-in in the world, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After earning her private pilot certificate, she quickly proceeded through the advanced ratings, mainly so that she could fly more for her IT work. Sarah originally had no intention of switching careers, even after she began flight instructing part-time and moonlighting as a glider tow pilot in Piper Pawnees at the Soaring Club of Houston. Five years ago, a friend contacted Sarah with a special request. He was moving to Las Vegas, needed a capable pilot to ferry his Citabria there, and knew that she was tailwheel-current in the Pawnee. Shortly after that job, one of her students purchased an aircraft in Show Low, Arizona, and enlisted Sarah's help to go fetch it. From there, her reputation as a ferry pilot spread. In the beginning "almost all of it was word-of-mouth," she says. She ferried a friend's Super Cub from Miami to Dallas, and another from Houston to Wisconsin; from those jobs, she snagged a referral to accompany a Cessna 182 owner from Houston to Colorado. "My first really big job, my first international ferry, was moving a Cessna 188 crop-duster from Canada to Belize," Sarah recalls. When she arrived, she made friends in the local farming community, an enclave of German-speaking Mennonites, which led to several more jobs bringing crop-dusters to Belize. Around that time - 2015 - Sarah realized she was getting more business than she could handle, especially after she took a job flying CRJs for a U.S.-based regional airline. So she started a company, FullThrottle Aviation, and brought on other ferry pilots as independent contractors. Today, she has 15 pilots and is looking to hire more as FullThrottle expands in North, Central and South America - and recently, even Europe. Considering Sarah's frequent use of social media, I asked her how much of FullThrottle's business growth was thanks to her online presence. The social media exposure generates attention, she admits, but she says the vast majority of her actual business still comes the old-fashioned way: through personal referrals and recommendations from industry organizations and periodicals. One of her biggest selling points, she says, is the fact that FullThrottle has its own insurance policy that usually covers her pilots no matter what they fly. This has allowed her to ferry rare warbirds, such as the PT-22, and unusual experimental aircraft, such as a Christavia Mark I. "Other than insurance, it's mostly just a lot of logistics," Sarah says. "Getting to the aircraft is half the journey. I've done ferries from remote areas where the nearest drop-off point is 90 minutes away. Sometimes, you have to get creative, like when I did a job in the Puget Sound area and the quickest route from Seattle was taking the Washington State Ferry." Of course, once Sarah reaches the aircraft, she doesn't always know what she'll find. "A lot of the planes we ferry are recently purchased - they might have been a great deal, but they haven't necessarily flown much lately. If it's been more than six months, we require a test flight before we show up. That at least rules out dead batteries and flat tires, which are half the problems we see." A good ferry pilot, she says, is one who is willing to walk away from a job if the plane isn't safe. "Some of my pilots are aircraft owners, others are A&Ps. You at least have to be mechanically savvy." Logistical challenges are all the more daunting when there's an ocean to be crossed. "The transatlantic ferry business is really hard to get into," Sarah says. "I tried for years. Nobody would let me near the plane. I had to build a strong reputation first." Her first Atlantic crossing was in a King Air C90, and she enlisted the help of another pilot who had done it before. "On the first one, I mostly watched, handled the paperwork and made local contacts for future crossings. I felt much more comfortable after my second one." "The transatlantic ferry business is really hard to get into. I tried for years. Nobody would let me near the plane." Sarah had built her reputation largely on her stick-and-rudder skills in tailwheel airplanes, but found that ocean crossings require a much different skill set. "It's not the flying - it's the planning," she says. "Picking weather windows, picking the airports, interpreting prog charts and winds aloft and planning fuel loads, learning oceanic clearance and position-reporting procedures." Sarah has now done three transatlantic ferries (the second and third were in a Cirrus SR22 and a Piper Turbo Seneca), and as I write this, she is making her first wintertime crossing in a Cessna Turbo 210. So what's next for Sarah Rovner and FullThrottle Aviation? She nearly tripled her business in 2017 and has seen strong bookings in the first months of 2018. She recently hired one additional pilot and is looking to hire two more. "I don't have much turnover - only one of my pilots has left. I definitely encourage our pilots to stay. A big part of that is never questioning their judgment when they make tough safety calls. I stand behind them no matter what." Only one of her pilots is full time; the others are supplementing nonflying jobs while actively building hours. "Two of my pilots are college students, one is a stay-at-home mom. We have a diverse group." I asked Sarah what she looks for most in hiring a ferry pilot. "Most of all, I look for really good people ... reliable, trustworthy people." There's no minimum hour requirement; pilots must simply have a commercial license and instrument rating, though Sarah says a tailwheel endorsement or seaplane rating is helpful. Sarah says her pilots average about 1,000 hours of flight time, but vary from a bit more than 250 to more than 15,000 hours. "I'm willing to train people," Sarah says. "But first, they need to have really good decision-making skills. I'll take a 250-hour pilot who makes good decisions over a 1,700-hour pilot who thinks they have seen everything." FullThrottle formerly offered an internship program that allowed low-time pilots to come along and observe on ferries, but logistically it proved too difficult. Instead, now it offers a scholarship program to help newer pilots get additional training to boost their careers. "We've awarded three scholarships in the past year," Sarah notes with pride. She recently upgraded to captain at her regional airline with a bit more than 4,000 hours of flight time; she clearly has a bright career ahead of her. Much more impressive, to my mind: She's now flown more than 115 aircraft types in 15 countries. In the process of blazing her own career path, she's made a lot of great memories in a lot of cool airplanes. Sarah, like all my favorite pilot friends, considers the journey to be just as important as the destination. That's worth celebrating - and Facebook-following too! https://www.flyingmag.com/traveling-world-one-ferry-flight-at-time Back to Top The FAA will have 'zero tolerance' for anything less safe than current standards when it comes to regulating flying cars And there were zero fatalities in commercial airline crashes in 2017. A concept design for a flying car Uber Uber gathered industry experts, from regulators to private companies, to discuss the future of aviation as the ride-hail company sees it. Specifically, flying cars. Through its second-annual flying car summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Uber wanted to set the stage for what it hopes will be a network of electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or unmanned vehicles that use propulsion and rotors to push off and land on the ground vertically. The company has said it hopes to begin testing a commercial service in Los Angeles and Dallas Fort Worth by 2020, but there are a lot of obstacles Uber has to get over to get to that point. Prime among them is regulation. In a conversation with Uber Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden, the acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration Dan Elwell said that while he is confident the industry will eventually get the technology right, the agency does not expect to compromise on safety in the meantime. "What I will tell you unequivocally [is] there will be no degradation in safety as we know it today," he said. In 2017, there were zero recorded fatalities in crashes of commercial jets on U.S. soil in 2017, for the fourth year in a row. "You guys are discovering that the public demands a level of safety in aviation that is unlike any other mode," Elwell added. "There is absolutely zero tolerance for degradations of safety. [The industry has] to come in at a level that's 100 years in the making. ... I'm confident that this industry is going to come to the table not only with the innovative ideas that have been obvious in the past decade but the safety solutions that make it that much easier to put the regulatory umbrella over it." Autonomous aerial vehicles are a substantially different mode of transportation to regulate than autonomous cars, Elwell contended, an arena where Uber has faced backlash after a recent fatality. "It's completely different than the discussion of autonomous vehicles on the surface," he said. "It's pretty much broad acceptance that autonomous vehicles will bring an immediate improvement of safety by the elimination of things that people bring. ... We don't have that assumption with drones yet." Elwell has not personally engaged with the company about regulating flying cars, he told Recode, though the agency's certification and standards experts are in constant dialogue with the industry. At multiple points, the conversation became a discussion about some of the approaches to managing and perhaps regulating flying cars that Uber is currently contemplating as part of its internal efforts - not all of which Elwell was enthusiastic about. At one point, Holden suggested creating corridors of airspace that is not managed by the FAA but is instead delegated to another entity that only operates flying cars. "This is a much longer discussion," he responded. "What you just described is what we don't want. You just described segregated airspace," he continued. "At the scale you're talking about - especially in complex dense airspace - my hope is we don't have to do that. Even if you're going to do EVTOL from airports into the city, my hope is you're going to be able to do it in an integrated way." While Uber does not want to build these new autonomous aviation vehicles itself, it does hope to give its manufacturing and other research partners the tools to create this new technology in order to accelerate the path to having a commercial network of flying cars. Holden asked at one point: "We're building air traffic software - we're doing that optimistically - basically we're betting that this technology will be used. ... What do you think the best way to engage with the FAA is to make sure we're aligned?" Elwell responded that the administration is open to collaborating with the industry but will need time to regulate the technology at the current pace of development. "You're bringing to the table things that ... its not new to us, but the pace of development is challenging," he said. "So we need to come together with a creative, innovative mindset but collaborative. ... The industry is going to bring to us the solutions. The best way [is to] not only bring to us the technology and the explanation of how it works but how it works safely." The company announced today that it wanted to have a commercial flying car service up and running by 2023 in some places. Elwell said that timeline might not be too ambitious. "But I'm certainly not going to make any commitments," he said. At one point, Holden interjected with a suggestion for one metric with which the government might measure safety in unmanned aerial vehicles, saying, "It's probably something like fatalities per passenger mile or something like that." "I don't want to belabor it [but] we have a very sacred public trust that we've all worked hard for," Elwell responded. "When we introduce something as dramatically new as automated flying vehicles, that is a challenge that has to meet the bar. We're not going to go backwards, we're not going to say let's see how it works ... we're not going to have a certain acceptable accident rate." Still, the acting administrator, who served in the FAA under the Bush administration as well, said he would ride in an unmanned aerial vehicle himself and that he was confident the technology would be safely developed in the coming years. https://www.recode.net/2018/5/8/17333742/uber-flying-cars-vtol-dan-elwell Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines is unstoppable with its plans to take over Africa's skies FILE - In this Friday, Aug.17, 2012 file photo, an Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner Boeing 787 lands at Bole International airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A senior Ethiopian Airlines official said Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 that a merger proposal made recently by the chief executive of Kenya Airways is not practical. Ethiopian Airlines is proving to be unstoppable in its plans to take over Africa's skies. This month, the company announced new aircraft purchases valued at around $332 million to help solidify its domestic and regional reach. The order of the Q400 turboprops will expand its Bombardier fleet to 39 and will help reach underserved markets in Africa, especially those with low traffic density routes and small or challenging airfields. The state-owned carrier currently operates 96 passenger aircraft and freighters and has more than 60 fleets on order. That essentially makes it Africa's largest airline, flying to over 20 in-country locations, 58 destinations in Africa, and more than 100 cities in five continents globally. The recent aircraft deals also show the carrier had surpassed its own Vision 2025 plans, which stipulated that it operate 100 planes by 2025-forcing it to revise its objectives to "150 or more" planes in the next seven years, according to CEO Tewolde Gebremariam. As intra-African travel improves and becomes more affordable, Ethiopian aims to become the pan-African passenger and cargo network that connects the continent. It has done so partly through strategic investments and partnerships and reviving defunct or struggling airlines like Zambia Airways. The company also manages hubs in countries including Malawi and Togo to spread its footprint and is currently looking to establish more central locations in Mozambique, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea. Ethiopian is also expanding and improving the services of its major international airport in Addis Ababa, and its aviation academy was also recently ranked among the world's top training centers. The carrier is aggressively expanding its global network, introducing 10 new destinations in just six months in 2018. These include flights to Kisangani in DR Congo, Nosy Be in Madagascar, and Geneva, Switzerland. In March, it dispatched an all-female crew on its maiden flight to the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. These efforts have put Ethiopian Airlines ahead of other competitors like Kenya Airways and South African Airways, who have both struggled financially and have been bedeviled by strikes and unpaid worker salaries. https://qz.com/1272368/ethiopian-airlines-to-buy-more-aircraft-and-set-up-more-africa-hubs/ Back to Top Royal Flying Doctor Service celebrates 90 years with vintage aircraft pilgrimage (Australia) Vintage aircraft and modern aircraft tail on runway The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has helped thousands of people in regional and rural areas over the past 90 years, and now it is celebrating those years of service with The Great Pilgrimage. This morning a squadron of 25 vintage aircraft set off from Dubbo in western NSW to fly to Mount Isa in Queensland. PHOTO: RFDS doctor Any Caldin says being able to help families is an honour. (ABC Western Plains: Billy Cooper) The restored planes from the Antique Aeroplane Association of Australia (AAAA) will take nine days to fly from Dubbo to Mount Isa via Moree, Roma, Charleville, Longreach, Winton, Cloncurry and Julia Creek. The event will also include a re-enactment of the RFDS's inaugural flight from Cloncurry to Julia Creek on May 17, 1928 to attend to two patients at a bush hospital. West Wyalong farmer Michelle Dowsett knows the benefits of the service. In 2009 she was pregnant with her daughter when she was involved in a farm accident that tore off her scalp. Ms Dowsett said without the RFDS, she and her daughter Emma may not be here today. "We are thankful that she's here and it's thanks to the Royal Flying Doctor for that. It could have been a lot worse," she said. Ms Dowsett and her three children were among supporters, flight doctors, nurses and other dignitaries at a ceremony at the RFDS base in Dubbo today to farewell the vintage aircraft. There in hour of need RFDS doctor Andy Caldin said the service was an Australian icon. "To be there for people in their hour of need and be there for people's families, it's a real honour for me personally," Dr Caldin said. "If you're in the middle of nowhere, hours and hours from care, to have a team arrive, put a hand on your shoulder and say 'Don't worry, it's okay, we are here to look after you', that's just fantastic." RFDS South Eastern Division chief executive Greg Sam said The Great Pilgrimage symbolised the work of the service. "The distance that people are required to traverse to be able to access care hasn't changed in 90 years," he said. "Our ability to reach people and access people is improving through technology and through the skills of our workforce." The RFDS has also received an early birthday present, with the Federal Government announcing more than $80 million in yesterday's budget to continue the service's work, as well as deliver primary health initiatives such as dental care programs. "It gives us four years of certainty at least and we are, and remain, very well supported by the community," Mr Sam said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-09/rfds-celebrates-90-years-with-vintage-aircraft- pilgrimage/9742558 Back to Top United Airlines looks at Newark for Boeing 787-10 pilot base, report says A United Airlines Boeing 787 takes off for Chicago from Houston Intercontinental Airport on Nov. 4, 2012, with more than 200 customers on board. This was the inaugural commercial flight for the United Airlines aircraft. Eric Kayne, Houston Chronicle, via AP Wondering where United's new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners will fly once the carrier begins taking delivery of them this year? The airline's Newark hub may be a good place to look. That's according to FlightGlobal reporter Edward Russell, who writes United is considering a Boeing 787 pilot base at Newark (airport code EWR), "potentially to serve the 787-10s that begin arriving later this year." United has already begun discussions with the Air Line Pilots Association that represents its pilots about such a move, according to FlightGlobal, which cited an employee newsletter sent by United earlier this month. "I am unable to provide specific EWR B787 mission details; but for now, note that the B787-10 is well- suited for European destinations," Paul Carlson, managing director for crew resources at United, wrote in the newsletter, according to FlightGlobal. Carlson said a Newark Dreamliner pilot base could come online around April 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2018/05/07/united-airlines-boeing-787-10- pilots-may-get-base-newark-hub/586091002/ Back to Top Jet Airways marks 25 years of service India's Jet Airways is celebrating the milestone of 25 years of service. The airline's first flight 9W321 took off on May 5, 1993 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, marking its journey of "Connecting India to the World." Jet Airways began with a fleet of four aircraft serving six destinations in early 1993. Its present day fleet of a 119 aircraft serves over 450 destinations globally along with its partner airlines. Jet Airways has played a modest role in contributing to the growth of the Indian economy by enabling and facilitating passenger and freight businesses pan-India as well as internationally, and fostering the growth of trade and tourism across India and the world. Naresh Goyal, chairman of Jet Airways, said: "This day represents an unforgettable milestone and is a mix of emotion and elation for us all. We are both humbled and honored by the overwhelming trust, support and appreciation received from our guests over the years, as we fondly recall the first steps we took on what has been a truly exciting journey in bringing the joy of flying to millions of our guests." He added: "Our partners also deserve a special mention for their consistent support that has surpassed our expectations. I also acknowledge the unwavering support of the government toward opening up and promoting Indian aviation, facilitating greater access for travelers everywhere. Finally, I express my deep gratitude to each and every member of the Jet Airways family, without whose untiring efforts, this milestone and our success would not have been possible." In its silver jubilee year, Jet Airways will be celebrating across its global network to thank the airline's family of over 16,000 employees and to convey appreciation to its guests for their continued support and trust. http://www.arabnews.com/node/1299066/corporate-news Back to Top New Iran sanctions will kill billions in jet sales. Boeing is ready Boeing stands to lose billions of dollars in sales due to the sanctions on Iran President Trump just announced. But it can stand to take the hit. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday told reporters that licenses for Boeing and Airbus to export commercial planes and related parts to Iran will be revoked after a 90-day period. The company is not trying to beat that deadline. Sales and profits at the aircraft maker are very strong, and it has a backlog of orders for nearly 6,000 commercial jets, worth about $486 billion. That doesn't even include the 110 jets Iran ordered. In fact, Boeing had been preparing to put the brakes on the Iran sales even before Tuesday's announcement. Trump said that the United States is pulling out of deal meant to curb Iran's nuclear weapons program and reinstating economic sanctions on Iran. CEO Dennis Muilenburg told investors last month that Boeing had already pushed back the delivery plans for the first Boeing 777 jets it had originally planned to deliver to Iran later this year. "We continue to follow the U.S. government's lead here," he said. And he said it won't be a problem if those Iranian orders are canceled permanently, since its current production plans no longer rely on those sales. If US - Iran relations improve and the sales are reinstated, it will be a bonus for Boeing, he said. Boeing has deals to sell 80 aircraft to Iran Air and an additional 30 jets to Iran Aseman Airlines. The company valued the two sales at $19 billion, although Iranian officials had said the actual sales price was closer to $10 billion. One of the biggest incentives Iran had to reach a deal with the U.S. and Europe to end sanctions was getting access to modern commercial aircraft and replacement parts for existing aircraft. The aircraft being used by Iran Air and other airlines there are among the oldest in the air. Iranian officials have said they'd like to buy about 500 passenger jets in coming years, and to resume direct flights to the United States. President Trump has long been a critic of the Iranian nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on Iran. So investors have had plenty of reason to doubt that Boeing's Iran sales would go through. Even so, Boeing's stock has been on fire in recent years. It was the best performer on the Dow last year, nearly doubling in value. And Boeing (BA) shares are among the best performers on the blue chip index, rising 15% so far in 2017. Boeing and European rival Airbus (EADSF) are virtually duopoly in terms of selling commercial jets worldwide; they control almost the entire market for commercial passenger jets between them. Airbus also has deals to sell more than 100 jets to Iran. But even if European countries do not impose sanctions on Iran, those Airbus sales to Iran could be blocked by US sanctions anyway, since Airbus has a US plant and its jets use US-made parts. "We're carefully analyzing the announcement," Airbus said in a statement after Trump's announcement, "and will be evaluating next steps consistent with our internal policies and in full compliance with sanctions and export control regulations." http://money.cnn.com/2018/05/08/news/companies/boeing-airbus-iran-sanctions/index.html Back to Top ERAU - Doctoral Graduates Make Impact in Video Game Design, Missile Systems and Aviation Industries Determining what brings people enjoyment may seem like a simple task, but it's a topic that has intrigued educators and philosophers as far back as the third century BC. It's also a concept that the video game industry would like to understand further in order to better design their products and increase usage. But other industries are also in search of the magical key to enjoyment to ensure a more productive workforce. An Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Ph.D. Human Factors graduate from the Daytona Beach Campus decided to take on the challenge of quantifying enjoyment as part of his dissertation. Through extensive research, expert input, data analysis and thousands of surveys, Shayn Savage Davidson has developed a new multi-dimensional measure of enjoyment called the ENJOY Scale. The scale or survey consists of five areas with a total of 25 questions assessing how the person filling out the survey feels about, or enjoys, a particular activity. Davidson, who will be working in market research in the video game industry, is one of three Embry- Riddle students who received doctorate degrees on Monday. Derek Hoffman received a Ph.D. in Engineering Physics and Robert L. Thomas, assistant professor in Embry-Riddle's Aeronautical Science Department, received a Ph.D. in Aviation. In Davidson's dissertation, A Multi-Dimensional Model of Enjoyment: Development and Validation of an Enjoyment Scale, he outlines how he determined enjoyment is largely based on five factors: pleasurable feelings and sensations (Pleasure), feeling connected to other people (Relatedness), feeling capable (Competence), being challenged and feeling like you are improving (Challenge/Improvement) and being pulled into the activity (Engagement). Davidson said the enjoyment survey can be used across any industry, whether evaluating aviation controls, video games, a new medical device or a particular job. "Enjoyment is positively related to energy and negatively related to stress. If I enjoy my work, I'm not only going to have more energy, but I'm going to perform better and will be less stressed," Davidson said. As part of Davidson's study, he not only developed a scale and survey of questions that companies could use, but identified activities that bring people the most enjoyment. Hobbies, events and entertainment scored the highest on the enjoyment scale, with jobs and travel at the bottom. He's hoping companies will find his survey useful in improving their products. Ph.D. Engineering Physics Derek Hoffman, Ph.D., will leave Embry-Riddle to work for Raytheon Missile Systems in Arizona, a subsidiary of Raytheon Company, a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. Hoffman will join Raytheon as a senior controls engineer involved with guidance system development. "My passion for controls engineering stems from an earnest desire to innovate aerospace industries, attempting to solve challenges that are still present today," Hoffman said. As a graduate student, he worked as a research and teaching assistant in the Department of Physical Sciences and worked in the Control Design Lab in the College of Arts and Sciences. In his dissertation, Nonlinear Control of Underactuated and Constrained Systems, he examines modeling and control of unmanned aerial vehicles, space robots and spacecraft. His works seeks to improve simulation accuracy and thus efficiency of control design and use. "The main advantage that industry could use from this research is a reduced computational burden for simulations," Hoffman said. Ph.D. in Aviation Assistant Professor Bob Thomas, Ph.D., focused his doctoral research on the Effect of Active Learning on Instrument Rated Pilots' Knowledge and Self-Efficacy. The study validated the potential of using at-home personal computer scenario-based simulation for instrument currency. Sixty-two non-current instrument rated pilots participated in the at-home training, which included reading FAA material and using a PC- based flight simulation program to fly a series of instrument approaches and to make in-flight decisions. Thomas found that using active learning through personal computer-based flight scenarios is an effective method of refresher training for instrument rated pilots who are not instrument current. Thomas, who received a master's degree in Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle, has an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and Flight Instructor Certificate. He has been at the Daytona Beach Campus since 2007, where he started as an instructor pilot in the Flight Department. Thomas is currently supervising 25 tutors in the department's Aviation Learning Center and he is occasionally still a check and flight instructor. "Having a Ph.D. in Aviation will help me as an assistant professor in the Aeronautical Science Department by giving me a solid research background to conduct and assist in research studies that will benefit aviation and pilot training," Thomas said. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/doctoral-graduates-make-impact-in-video-game-design-missile- systems-and-aviation-industries/ Back to Top Johnson Space Center prepares for upcoming spacewalks HOUSTON - Later this month, NASA astronauts will mount new high-definition cameras on the outside of the International Space Station. The cameras will help new commercial crew vehicles from Boeing and SpaceX line up with the station. "It has been a long time since we've had a vehicle launching off American soil bringing crews to the space station. So, we're being very smart about it," NASA Station Operations Integration Manager Kenneth Todd said. Workers at the Johnson Space Center are getting astronauts Drew Feustel and Ricky Arnold ready for two sets of spacewalks. When your home improvement project is more than 200 miles from Earth, you carefully plan everything. "It's designed kinda after your twist ties that you put on your bread wrapper. I think that's where the idea came from," NASA Spacewalk Officer Keith Johnson said. Astronauts will also upgrade the cooling system hardware and install new communications systems for future dockings of commercial crew spacecraft, plus install the cameras that give them a clear view of approaching spaceships. "With an HD cam you can zoom in and say, 'Oh! There's a multilayer insulation in the way. I need to worry about that. And here's how I can get around it,'" NASA Spacewalk Flight Director Anthony Vareha said. The first spacewalk will start at 7:10 a.m. May 16. https://www.click2houston.com/news/johnson-space-center-prepares-for-upcoming-spacewalks Back to Top Northern California Business Aviation Association NorcalBAA.org NCBAA 2018 Safety Day May 10 2018 Northern California Business Aviation Association will hold its annual Safety Day on May 10, 2018 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Foster City CA. The theme for the 2018 Safety Day is "Leadership in Safety". Leadership is critical to the adoption of a safety culture and instrumental in everybody 'living' safety. The May 10 event will be a great experience. We have great speakers and a great line-up of presentations. Topics in this year's event include: * 14 CFR Part 5 and its implications * Unintended Risk, Unintended Consequences * What happens after? * The Safe Contract Crewmember * Food safety, Handling * Safety Leadership - Good for business * Global Safety Overview Speakers include: * Jeff Lee, FlightSafety International * Steve Cash, Talus Group * John Goglia, NTSB * Dan Ramirez, XOJet * Charles Lewis, Air Culinaire * Michella Mykol, Jet Professionals * Heidi Snow, Access * Sean Tucker, Bob Hoover Academy, Named One of the 25 Living Legends of Flight by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Space is limited so book early Register today Back to Top FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2018 CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Call for Nominations For 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The award will be presented during the 71st Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov. 12-15 in Seattle, Wash. Presented since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners of the Award can be submitted one additional time for consideration. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 70 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In the years following, her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets in June of each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the- award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 14, 2018. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. ABOUT THE LAURA TABER BARBOUR AIR SAFETY AWARD: The Award was established in 1956 through early association with the Flight Safety Foundation and from its founding has enjoyed a rich history of Award Board members, nominees and Award recipients. In 2013, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed from members of the Award Board, the aviation community and the Barbour family. As the foundation plans to broaden the scope of its intent, with great purpose, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. Curt Lewis