Flight Safety Information April 12, 2019 - No. 075 In This Issue Boeing CEO says 737 MAX software update working as designed FAA to Meet With Airlines and Pilots on 737 Max Safety Southwest Airlines plans for a summer without the 737 Max Incident: Hawaiian B712 near Hilo on Apr 8th 2019, loss of cabin pressure Incident: Pobeda B738 at Petrozavodsk on Apr 9th 2019, barked landing Incident: Korean B739 at Seoul on Apr 11th 2019, engine shut down in flight After the Accident: Inside the Black Box with NTSB Investigators LASER STRIKES AGAINST US AIRCRAFT DROP FOR A SECOND YEAR United Airlines Mechanic Killed In Collision With Snowplow At DIA An American Airlines pilot pleaded guilty to drinking before a flight Norway aviation firm orders 60 all-electric airplanes, drops operation costs 80%. Turkish Aerospace Industries to build world's 4th largest plant for aircraft composite parts LOCAL WOMEN LIVE LIFELONG DREAM AS MAYO CLINIC PILOTS The Cost Of Training U.S. Air Force Fighter Pilots SpaceX Falcon Heavy Sticks Triple Rocket Landing with 1st Commercial Launch GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Fly Safely | Fly With AvSax MITRE - SMS Course - June 2019 Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Boeing CEO says 737 MAX software update working as designed FILE PHOTO: Dennis Muilenburg, CEO, Boeing speaks during a roundtable discussion on defense issues with U.S. President Donald Trump at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, U.S., October 19, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo DALLAS (Reuters) - Boeing Co's chief executive said on Thursday that a software update designed to prevent disasters like two recent fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX is working, with about two-thirds of the fast-selling jetliner's customers having seen the fix in simulator sessions. In his first public speech since an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash that killed all 157 aboard on March 10, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said additional tests are expected in the coming weeks as the planemaker works to regain the confidence of its customers and the flying public. Boeing, fighting its biggest crisis in years, has been developing an upgrade to software that is under scrutiny in the Ethiopian Airlines accident and a Lion Air 737 MAX crash that killed all 189 on board on Oct. 29. The world's largest planemaker is under pressure to convince MAX operators and global regulators that the aircraft, which was grounded worldwide in March, is safe to fly again. Muilenburg said he recently joined one of 96 test flights during which Boeing crew performed different scenarios that exercised the software changes in multiple flight conditions over 159 hours of air time. "The software update functioned as designed," he said, without indicating when Boeing will deliver the fix to international regulators for their review, which is expected to last around 90 days. Boeing is working to address a glitch when separate software is integrated into the system that was uncovered during an internal review, raising questions on how long before it submits the upgrade for certification. Initial accident investigation reports show a 737 anti-stall system triggered by bad data from a key airflow sensor was "one link in a longer chain of events" in the two crashes, Muilenburg said at a leadership forum in Dallas. "We know we can break this chain link. It's our responsibility to eliminate this risk." Last week Boeing cut its monthly 737 production by nearly 20 percent, signaling it did not expect aviation authorities to allow the plane back in the air anytime soon. Chicago-based Boeing has not received any new orders for the 737 MAX since the crash in March, nor it could make deliveries of the grounded aircraft. The 737 MAX has been considered the likely narrowbody workhorse for global airlines for decades to come. There were more than 300 MAX jetliners in operation at the time of the Lion Air crash and about 4,600 more on order. Muilenburg joined Boeing in 1985, became CEO in July 2015 and chairman of the board in March 2016. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-ceo-says-two-thirds-max-customers- tested-194120715--finance.html Back to Top FAA to Meet With Airlines and Pilots on 737 Max Safety By Alan Levin and Julie Johnsson * Agency is gathering facts as Boeing prepares fixes to plane * The plane was grounded on March 13 after second fatal crash The FAA will meet with airlines, as Boeing says a software update will make the 737 MAX safer. Alan Levin reports. U.S. aviation regulators plan to meet with airlines and pilot unions on Friday to discuss safety issues on Boeing Co.'s grounded 737 Max aircraft. The meeting, which will include representatives of the three American carriers that fly the model, is part of the Federal Aviation Administration's review of the plane's safety, the agency said in a statement. The FAA is working with Boeing as it develops a software upgrade and proposes to increase the level of training that 737 Max pilots must receive. "The purpose of this meeting is for the FAA to gather facts, information, and individual views to further understand their views as FAA decides what needs to be done before returning the aircraft to service," the agency said in a statement. The 737 Max was grounded March 13 after the second fatal crash in less than five months. The plane had a safety device that was automatically commanding a dive in both accidents as a result of a malfunction. The crashes off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia killed a total of 346 people. The FAA and Boeing face challenges as they attempt to restore confidence in the company's best-selling aircraft with both the public and aviation regulators around the world, which were quicker to ground the plane. "As part of the FAA's overseeing the continuous operational safety of our nation's aviation safety system, the agency continues to gather all available information and data in considering the return of the 737 Max to service," the agency said. Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain and spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association union, said he expects they'll go over the history of the crashes, anticipated software changes and pilot training. The FAA will likely seek input and feedback on pilot training after the Max software changes are made, he said. "We're very pleased as an independent voice in this and stakeholders to be at the table versus pounding on the door," Tajer said. "Consultation is the key word." He said the union will also ask about training for pilots at airlines based outside the U.S. even though FAA has no jurisdiction there. "Our advocacy for passenger safety does not stop at borders," he said. Representatives from United Airlines and Southwest Airlines Co., which also fly 737 Max aircraft, will also attend. Boeing has been holding briefings of its own with 737 Max operators and regulators around the world, even as it works on a software upgrade for the Max and deals with the repercussions, Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said Thursday in an address at the George W. Bush presidential center in Dallas. "All of us feel the immense gravity of these event across our company, and these last few weeks have been the most heart-wrenching of my career," said Muilenburg, who has spent his entire professional life at the Chicago-based planemaker. Over the past two weeks, Boeing has conducted sessions in the United Kingdom, Singapore and China to brief them on the software update intended to safeguard against an anti-stall system linked to two fatal crashes doesn't activating in flight. Pilots and leaders from 67 percent of Max operators have tried out the patch in flight simulators, Muilenburg said. Meanwhile, its pilots have conducted 96 flights totaling 159 hours and 53 minutes in the air as the company works to convince regulators to certify the fix. Boeing intends to conduct additional test and production flights in the coming weeks, Muilenburg said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-11/u-s-faa-to-meet-with-airlines- and-pilots-on-737-max-safety Back to Top Southwest Airlines plans for a summer without the 737 Max New York (CNN Business)Southwest Airlines is prepping for a summer travel season without its Boeing 737 Max planes. The airline said Thursday that it was extending changes to its flight schedule to account for the grounded aircraft's absence. Southwest (LUV) last month modified its timetable up to June 7, but will now further tweak it through August 5. The move aims to "reduce the amount of last-minute flight changes" and bolster schedule reliability, Tom Nealon, the airline's president, said in a statement. "While the timing for the return to service of the MAX remains unclear, what is very clear is our commitment to operate a reliable schedule," he added. The 737 Max was grounded in March after one of the planes flown by Ethiopian Airlines crashed, killing everyone on board. It was the second accident involving the jet model in less than six months, after another flown by Indonesia's Lion Air crashed last October. Investigators are still probing both crashes, which killed 346 people in total. The focus of the crash investigations is the plane's automatic safety system, for which Boeing says it is testing a software fix. Boeing has halted deliveries of the 737 Max and announced plans to scale back production. Airlines have started holding off on ordering 737 Max planes amid doubts around its safety. Southwest currently operates 34 of the jets. Nealon said the airline is informing customers affected by its schedule changes so that it can "reaccommodate their flight plans well in advance of their travel date." "While the vast majority of our customers' itineraries have remained unaffected, flight schedule changes have inconvenienced some of our valued customers, and, for that, I offer my sincerest apologies," he said. https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/12/business/southwest-schedule-boeing-737- max/index.html Back to Top Incident: Hawaiian B712 near Hilo on Apr 8th 2019, loss of cabin pressure A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717-200, registration N476HA performing flight HA-552 from Honolulu,HI to Hilo,HI (USA) with 46 passengers and 5 crew, was enroute at FL250 when the passenger oxygen masks were released, the crew initiated an emergency descent. The flight continued to Hilo for a safe landing about 30 minutes after departure from Honolulu. The airline reported a component affecting cabin pressure malfunctioning causing the passenger oxygen masks to deploy. The crew followed standard operating procedures and performed a controlled descent to a lower altitude declaring emergency to facilitate priority handling. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/HAL552/history/20190409/0546Z/PHNL/PHTO http://avherald.com/h?article=4c69012e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Pobeda B738 at Petrozavodsk on Apr 9th 2019, barked landing A Pobeda Boeing 737-800, registration VP-BPS performing flight DP-281 from Moscow Vnukovo to Petrozavodsk (Russia), was on final approach to Petrozavodsk's runway 19 when a dog "occupied" the runway prompting the crew to initiate a go around. The aircraft positioned for another approach and landed safely on runway 19 about 12 minutes later after the dog had been removed from the aerodrome. The Ministry of Transport of Karelia, responsible for the airport operations, opened an investigation into the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c68ffc2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Korean B739 at Seoul on Apr 11th 2019, engine shut down in flight A Korean Airlines Boeing 737-900, registration HL7705 performing flight KE-1203 from Seoul Gimpo to Jeju (South Korea), was in the initial climb out of Gimpo's runway 32R when the left hand engine emitted a number of bangs associated with streaks of flame prompting the crew to stop the climb at about 4000 feet, shut the engine down and return to Gimpo for a safe landing on runway 32R about 35 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-900 registration HL7725 reached Jeju with a delay of about 2 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Seoul Gimpo about 22 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c68fdf9&opt=0 Back to Top After the Accident: Inside the Black Box with NTSB Investigators The listening room at NTSB headquarters, showing audio from the US Airways Flight 1549 crash into the Hudson River. (Nick Zazulia) You've read about the black box. In the wake of a crash, authorities scramble to find the black box, the key to the investigation. It contains an aircraft's flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which are, as soon as possible, sent off to a lab for analysis, or in a case like the recent Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, sent to another country better equipped to handle the job - Ethiopian investigators sent the flight's recorders to the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA). Germany demurred and Ethiopia elected not to send the recorders to American authorities. Major accidents with international interests are particularly sticky, according to Ben Hsu, supervisor of the recorder division at the U.S.'s National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The state of occurrence leads the investigation, but Annex 13 of ICAO regulations guarantees a spot on the investigation committee for certain stakeholders, including both countries and companies involved in design, manufacture and registry of both the aircraft and its engine. Additionally, any countries that had a significant number of citizens on board get to send representatives to participate in the investigation. In the case of ET 302, that means the NTSB headed up an American contingent involving the FAA, planemaker Boeing and engine-maker GE to join the Ethiopian-led investigation which, due to the diversity of passengers on board, included at least five fatalities each from Kenya, Canada, China, Italy, France, Germany, the U.K and Egypt. Such major investigations can get unwieldy due to their size, Hsu said, but it's important that all those interests are represented. In a U.S.-led investigation, once the recorders are received at NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., which Avionics International visited, they're taken to the multi-room lab at the recorder division for data extraction. It is nominally a 12-member division, though they're short-staffed at "eight or nine" and looking to hire right now, Hsu said. How long it takes to extract the data depends on several factors - the current workload, whether the recorders are damaged and the priority of the investigation - but the initial data is usually ready within a day or two of the recorders' arrival. "Those major investigations get kicked right to the top of the priority list," Hsu said. "Action happens very quickly. They'll be worked on that night if they're received at a reasonable hour or the very next morning." The NTSB always has a "go team" on standby, a rotating group of on-duty people who will get called into action in the event of an accident, including representatives from each of the necessary departments in the agency. The recorder division is a bit of an exception, because specialties play a big role there. "Part of my job is, I have to know who is in town and their specialties," Hsu said. "Usually, we need either an FDR or CVR [specialist] and then someone else depending on the type of damage." Indonesian Navy divers recovered the cockpit voice recorder of Lion Air's crashed Boeing 737 MAX 8. (Indonesia Navy Information Service) Basically, different skill sets are required if the aircraft - and black box - was downed in the water, went up in flames or sustained impact damage. While one engineer in the recorders division might excel at safely cleaning and drying the hardware, another is more adept at soldering connectors back onto a memory chip without doing unnecessary damage. It's crucial to the investigation that that data can be accessed at least one more time, so having the best person for the job there is a necessity - and, if it turns out that someone different would be a better fit as more is learned, Hsu will sub out members of his team. One engineer in the division, Chris Babcock, said he has developed a few areas of expertise in his decade-plus at the NTSB, but his background is working with acoustics and voice recorders. That comes in handy if the CVR is found but not the FDR. By analyzing the background noise in the cockpit for certain engine or propeller sounds and pitches, Babcock can often tell certain things about their performance that would otherwise be learned from the FDR. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/04/11/accident-inside-black-box-ntsb- investigators/ Back to Top LASER STRIKES AGAINST US AIRCRAFT DROP FOR A SECOND YEAR The FAA has been running its "Lose the Laser" campaign. Image: FAA. Laser strikes at US aircraft are becoming less frequent as the public becomes more aware of the safety risks but still number in the thousands. The US Federal Aviation Administration revealed this week that the number of reported incidents in 2018 had dropped to 5,663 from 6754 in 2017. Both figures were down from the 7,398 strikes in 2016, a trend the FAA attributed to heightened public awareness of the grave safety risk involved in pointing a high- powered laser at an aircraft. "However, the substantial number of reported incidents clearly show that laser strikes on aircraft remain a serious threat to aviation safety,'' the FAA said. Aiming a laser at an aircraft poses a serious risk because it can blind or distract pilots and in some cases has caused eye injuries that required medical treatment. It is particularly dangerous in critical phases of flight such as landing, putting hundreds of lives at risk. It is also a federal crime punishable by a fine of up to $US250,000 and five years' jail. The FAA and law enforcement agencies have been working to spread the word about the dangers of lasers through videos on social media. It takes action against those who violate the law by shining lasers at aircraft and says civil penalties of up to $US30,800 have been imposed by the FAA against individuals for multiple laser incidents. Violators who are pilots or mechanics can face losing their certificate in addition to civil penalties. The number of incidents jumped markedly each year until 2015 before leveling off and now falling for two consecutive years. The FAA said the big increase in incidents from 2008 was due partly to greater awareness by pilots to report laser incidents as well as the availability of inexpensive and stronger laser devices. The arrival of green lasers, which are more visible to the human eye than red lasers, has also been a factor. Regulators around the world have strongly encouraged people to report laser incidents. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/laser-strikes-us-aircraft-drop-second-year/ Back to Top United Airlines Mechanic Killed In Collision With Snowplow At DIA DENVER (CBS4) - A United Airlines mechanic was killed in a crash with a snowplow on Denver International Airport property during the blizzard. James Raff was killed about 9 p.m. Wednesday. Raff, 65, of Aurora, was driving a Nissan Frontier truck southbound on Queensburg Street when he lost control of his vehicle and crossed into the northbound lanes where he struck a snowplow head-on. Raff was pronounced dead at the scene. Queensburg Street is an access road at DIA northeast of the north-south runsways. It is unclear whether Raff was traveling to or from work at the time of the crash. The driver of the snowplow was not injured. The blizzard was ongoing at the time of the crash on Wednesday night with snow and blowing snow caused by strong winds in the area. https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/04/11/james-raff-united-airlines-denver- international-airport-snowplow-crash/ Back to Top An American Airlines pilot pleaded guilty to drinking before a flight * American Airlines pilot David Copeland pleaded guilty on Wednesday to performing an aviation task while intoxicated, the Manchester Magistrates' Court confirmed to Business Insider. * Copeland was scheduled to work a flight from Britain to Philadelphia in February, but was arrested at Britain's Manchester Airport after being suspected of excessive alcohol consumption. * Copeland's sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5. American Airlines pilot David Copeland pleaded guilty on Wednesday to performing an aviation task while intoxicated, the Manchester Magistrates' Court confirmed to Business Insider. Copeland's sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5. American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copeland was scheduled to work a flight from Britain to Philadelphia in February, but was arrested at Britain's Manchester Airport after being suspected of excessive alcohol consumption. According to the Daily Mail, a security guard at the airport smelled alcohol on Copeland's breath during an examination of Copeland's baggage. Copeland was reportedly instructed to leave the plane's cockpit while it was on the runway before failing a breathalyzer test. He was found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 0.027, according to the Daily Mail report, and said he had consumed alcohol 12 hours earlier. https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-pilot-pleads-guilty-to-drinking- before-flight-2019-4 Back to Top Norway aviation firm orders 60 all-electric airplanes, drops operation costs 80% Norway's OSM Aviation, a firm that specializes in recruitment and training for the aviation industry, has ordered 60 all-electric planes from Colorado-based electric aircraft manufacturer Bye Aerospace. OSM Aviation announced the order on its website. The order, which CEO Espen Høiby claims is the largest order for commercial electric planes to date, will be for Bye Aerospace's eFlyer 2. Høiby said, "It's important that the airline industry steps up to the challenge of developing more environment-friendly transport. At OSM Aviation, we're committed to pursuing a socially responsible and sustainable business." The airplanes will be used for training at OSM Aviation Academy's flight training centers. Pilots flying the planes will earn the same licenses they would have earned from flying traditional planes. Using the all-electric planes will also cut flight costs, Høiby told Reuters. The eFlyer 2, formerly known as the Sun Flyer, uses a Siemens propulsion system: a 57 lb. SP70D motor with a 90kW peak rating (120 HP), and a continuous power setting of up to 70kW (94 HP). The eFlyer 2 successfully completed its first official flight test on February 8. Each two-seater aircraft will cost $350,000 per plane, but while it costs $110/hr. to operate a conventional training plane, the all-electric planes will only cost $20 per hour, Høiby said. OSM currently uses about 20 planes for pilot training. Most of them are Cessna 172s, which will be phased out, Reuters said. It's another step forward for electric flight. Pacific Northwest seaplane operator Harbour Air announced last month that it would be converting all of its seaplanes to electric, to make it the first all-electric airline. In 2018, easyJet announced it would be testing a 9-seater electric plane this year. https://electrek.co/2019/04/11/norway-60-electric-airplanes/ Back to Top Turkish Aerospace Industries to build world's 4th largest plant for aircraft composite parts Turkey's leading aerospace engine designer and manufacturer will build the country's first and the world's fourth-largest composite plant under a single roof for the high technology production of structural aircraft parts. The $181 million facility will be built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) as 'a smart digital factory' on a 95,000 square meter area within the company's compound in capital Ankara's Kahramankazan district. Preparing its infrastructure for Industry 4.0, TAI will also develop products for global aviation giants such as Airbus and Boeing, as well as its own aircraft. The facility will produce structural parts of aerial vehicles, like airplanes and helicopters, and meet 2 percent of the world's air constructions composite needs. Besides high-level technological production, the facility will design and develop new products, while autonomous tools will be used in all operations to ensure high accuracy and efficiency. Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR) will also aid in the production process. According to the type of composite, specialized robotic and autonomous equipment will allow precise and error-free production. Autonomous vehicles, robots and machines at the facility will be in constant communication with each other. The entire production process will be controlled continuously with thousands of sensors and communication systems. For example, paint shops will be operated autonomously by artificial intelligence, with no human contact whatsoever. Turkish Aerospace Industries to build world's 4th largest plant for aircraft composite parts The parts produced will be subjected to strenuous quality control processes with non- destructive testing methods such as ultrasonic and x-ray systems, and will later be mounted onto the aircraft. Composite materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, and fiber-reinforced matrix systems are widely used in the aircraft making industry. Composite materials and constituent materials together create a hybrid that has greatly improved the structural properties of aircraft. With this investment, TAI will greatly increase its production capacity and contribute to the national economy through exports. Founded in 1973, TAI is a joint venture of the Undersecretariat of Defense Industries and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation. TAI produces and conducts modernization projects on F-16 fighter jets, both for the Turkish Air Force and its allies, along with training aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and spacecraft electronic systems manufacturing. TAI also takes part in various military and civilian aircraft projects. https://www.dailysabah.com/defense/2019/04/10/turkish-aerospace-industries-to- build-worlds-4th-largest-plant-for-aircraft-composite-parts Back to Top LOCAL WOMEN LIVE LIFELONG DREAM AS MAYO CLINIC PILOTS It's not your typical day at the office for two southeastern Minnesota pilots. Instead of flying people to and from vacation the duo transports some of Mayo Clinic's most important cargo: it's patients and medical teams. ROCHESTER, Minn - It's not your typical day at the office for two southeastern Minnesota pilots. Instead of flying people to and from vacation the duo transports some of Mayo Clinic's most important cargo: it's patients and medical teams. I was lucky enough to have the crew take me up for a quick flight and get a birds-eye view of their career high in the sky. While it's common to think of a helicopter or ambulance when you hear about being transported to a hospital sometimes ground transport takes too long and bad weather means helicopters can't fly. Mayo Clinic has a leg up when it comes to patient care as they have a fixed-wing plane. In fact, two local women fly the plane. "I never thought I'd be flying a King Air 350 for Mayo Clinic, but I do love it," explained Pilot Stacia Valentine-Harkins. The women became interested in aviation at a young age. "It was an intro flight that my dad received from Christmas and my brother and I were able to tag along and get in the back of a 172 and go fly. It was only 30 minutes, but it caught my interest in aviation and went from there," said Pilot Kelly Caspers. "I was always interested in airplanes flying over my head and hot air balloons," said Valentine-Harkins. After high school graduation Caspers and Valentine-Harkins got their wings and flew commercially before landing in Rochester. "I kind of see this as my dream job. I get the best of both worlds I get to fly an airplane, be home and at the same time I get to do something good and rewarding by bringing people here to Mayo Clinic," said Caspers. Mayo Clinic has a hanger at Rochester International Airport housing the plane and a full staff of pilots and paramedics. From the time the crew gets a call and is wings up it's about 30-minutes. From Rochester International Airport to North Dakota, Florida, even neighboring communities like Fairmont, Minnesota. The flight crew can go anywhere in the United States, and even into Canada. From knee operations and minor surgeries to neo-nat flights every medical call varies. As to what keeps the pilots soaring daily to new heights? "With aviation everyday is a new day. You don't know what the weather is going to bring, you don't know what type of patient you're going to have," said Caspers. "Knowing that I'm doing good for somebody and their family - and the flying. I love to fly," exclaimed Valentine-Harkins. https://www.kimt.com/content/news/Local-women-live-lifelong-dream-as-Mayo-Clinic- Pilots-508472771.html Back to Top The Cost Of Training U.S. Air Force Fighter Pilots The RAND Corporation recently released an interesting report examining the cost of training pilots on various U.S. Air Force platforms. The methodology focused on several criteria such as operating and support costs, fixed and variable costs as well as costs per flying hour across the whole pilot syllabus. The resulting estimates were very high across all of the platforms analyzed. The cost of training a basic qualified fighter pilot adds up to an estimated $5.6 million for an F-16 pilot, $10.17 million for an F-35A pilot and $10.9 million for an F-22 pilot. A security man stands near the runway as a F-15 fighter jet of US Air Force takes off during India -US joint air force drills at Air Force Station Kalaikunda, India, Monday, Dec. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) Training costs are also steep for pilots aiming to fly ground attack aircraft and bombers. While training an A-10 pilot comes to an estimated $5.96 million, total costs for becoming qualified on the $2.1 billion B-2 Spirit stealth bomber come to an estimated $9.89 million. By comparison, the cost of training pilots on the Air Force's transport aircraft are lower with the C-130J estimated at $2.47 million per pilot and the C-17 estimated at $1.1 million per pilot. The analysis comes at a time when the Air Force is worried about a shortfall in pilot numbers. The service uses an Aviation Bonus and Aviational Incentive Pay to influence pilot retention and sustain the size of the pilot force. Questions have been raised about whether these payments are high enough amid a hiring drive in the commercial airline industry. They have also become discretionary programs under Department of Defense Instruction 7730.67 which means the Air Force has to annually justify its budgets for both payments. RAND concluded that from a personnel cost perspective, it is more cost- effective to increase incentive pay than to expand the training pipeline to sustain the pilot inventory. https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/04/09/the-cost-of-training-u-s-air- force-fighter-pilots-infographic/#763a24137973 Back to Top SpaceX Falcon Heavy Sticks Triple Rocket Landing with 1st Commercial Launch Falcon Heavy is officially in business. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX's Falcon Heavy successfully launched its first operational mission today (April 11), sticking a triple-rocket landing more than a year after its demo mission catapulted a cherry-red Tesla and a dummy nicknamed Starman into space. The megarocket, dubbed the most powerful launcher in operation, blasted off at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 GMT). It lifted off here from the same site that once hosted NASA's Apollo moon missions and its fleet of space shuttles: historic Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. About 34 minutes later, the rocket deployed Arabsat-6A, an advanced communications satellite that will provide internet and communications services to residents of the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe. Falcon Heavy's second flight went off without a hitch at the beginning of a 2-hour window after high upper level winds thwarted SpaceX's second launch attempt. A day earlier, Falcon Heavy faced a 24-hour delay due to poor weather at the launch pad. A dismal weather forecast for Tuesday (April 9) convinced launch officials to issue a delay rather than face just a 30% chance of favorable weather. The twin Falcon Heavy side boosters make a simultaneous landings at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida after launching the Arabsat-6A satellite into orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 11, 2019. The center core of SpaceX's second Falcon Heavy rocket sits atop the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. The rocket landed successfully, completing a triple landing for SpaceX during the Arabsat 6A satellite launch on April 11, 2019. The communications satellite Arabsat 6A separates from the second stage of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket during its April 11, 2019 launch, ending a successful liftoff and trip to orbit. Today's flight was the first of a Falcon Heavy launch featuring souped-up Block 5 versions of its component rockets. (A Falcon Heavy rocket is built of three Falcon 9 first stages, which are combined to form the 27-engine megarocket.) As the rocket's first- stage engines roared to life, they fired in unison and spewed smoke and fire around the launch pad. SpaceX made the transition to Block 5 for its Falcon 9 flights in May, after the demo flight of Falcon Heavy in February 2018. Today's Falcon Heavy boasted more than 5 million lbs. of thrust, a 10% increase over its predecessor. In addition to the added thrust, the Block 5 Falcon 9 now features a plethora of upgrades, all of which are designed to facilitate reusability. Previous versions of the Falcon 9 were meant to fly only two to three times; however, Musk says the Block 5 is capable of flying as many as 10 times with virtually no refurbishment between flights. People watch as the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 2019 in Titusville, Florida. The rocket is carrying a communications satellite built by Lockheed Martin into orbit. To achieve that goal, engineers developed a suite of upgrades for the company's flagship rocket. The design changes - including improved engines, a more durable interstage (the piece that connects the rocket's two stages), titanium grid fins and a new thermal protection system - were developed to help the rocket better handle the stresses of launch. These technological advances have enabled the company to establish a growing fleet of flight-proven rockets. Falcon Heavy now has two spaceflights under its belt. Its first mission launched on Feb. 6, 2018, ferrying Elon Musk's cherry-red Tesla Roadster - with a spacesuit-wearing test dummy named Starman sitting in the driver's seat - into orbit. The nearly flawless first launch, which included successful landings by two of the Falcon Heavy's three first-stage boosters, earned SpaceX major accolades. The enthusiasm carried over into today's flight, as thousands of onlookers gathered in the area to watch the Falcon Heavy fly. Sonic booms echoed through the sky as the rocket's two side boosters touched down in unison at SpaceX's nearby landing sites. The third landed on SpaceX's drone ship landing pad "Of Course I Still Love You," stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. (That represents an improvement over the rocket's first flight, when the core stage missed the drone ship and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean after two of three engines did not fire during the descent.) Two of the boosters are seen as they land at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after the launch of SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 2019 in Titusville, Florida. The rocket is carrying a communications satellite built by Lockheed Martin into orbit. With its first operational Heavy flight in the books, SpaceX is ready to forge ahead with a steady schedule of launches. The next Falcon Heavy flight, due to launch this year, will carry the Space Test Program 2 mission for the U.S. Air Force and a solar-sail mission for The Planetary Society. Falcon Heavy fetches a base price of $90 million per launch. Last June, SpaceX snagged a highly coveted military mission for the rocket - a $130 million deal to launch an Air Force Space Command satellite sometime in 2020. SpaceX first announced plans for the Falcon Heavy in April 2011, predicting that its first flight could occur two years later. But that deadline came and went, and it was ultimately seven years before Falcon Heavy got off the ground. Before last year's launch, Musk estimated that SpaceX invested about $500 million to develop the rocket. The Falcon Heavy is part of a growing list of SpaceX launch services and ongoing projects, which could include launching astronauts to the space station later this year during Crew Dragon's first crewed test flight. But Falcon Heavy won't be the most powerful rocket in SpaceX's arsenal for long. SpaceX is in the early stages of developing a launch system even larger than the Falcon Heavy. Just days before today's launch, on April 5, the company hit the end of its tether on Starhopper, a test prototype for that massive rocket. That's an initial stage of the company's Starship program to design a fully reusable deep-space launcher for missions to the moon, Mars and beyond. The program already has its first passenger: SpaceX announced last September that Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa has booked a trip around the moon that's slated to fly no earlier than 2023. SpaceX's next launch from the Cape is currently scheduled for April 26, when a Falcon 9 rocket will ferry a Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station. SpaceX Launches Falcon Heavy Rocket On First Commercial Flight https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-triple-rocket-landing-success.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Aviation Colleague, My name is Catherine Troyer, and I am a graduate student in aviation management working with graduate student Alyssa Harvey and Professor Brian Dillman at the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University. We are seeking your input on reference usage for studying flight maneuvers in this survey. Loss of control in flight is one of the main causes of aviation accidents. This survey is part of a research project which explores the connection between the flight training process and preventing loss of control accidents. We expect that the results obtained from this study will be used to advise the FAA of possible changes to the Commercial Airmen Certification Standards and other training resources and improve the safety of general aviation for future generations. The first part of the survey asks demographic questions, most of which are optional. The second part of the survey asks questions pertaining to the use of references when learning or teaching flight maneuvers. Please consider taking this survey if you are working towards or have already obtained your FAA Commercial Pilot's Certificate, are a Certified Flight Instructor of commercial students under the Federal Aviation Administration, develop training resources for a flight school, or help write government publications. The survey should take under 15 minutes to complete and consists of 12 to 15 questions. Once you begin the survey, you can stop at any point and continue where you left off later. We will report results in aggregate. This survey is part of a Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility, and Sustainability (PEGASAS) Center of Excellence research project evaluating resources for flight certification preparation. You are under no obligation to participate in this survey. If you do participate you may stop at any time and for any reason. Your answers on the survey are anonymous and cannot be used in any way for identification. Any results we report will be in aggregate. You must be at least 18 years old to participate in this survey. Thank you for your time and cooperation. Your responses are greatly appreciated and will help contribute to general aviation safety. If you have any questions regarding the survey, feel free to contact the researchers troyer5@purdue.edu, amharvey@purdue.edu, or dillman@purdue.edu. Survey Link: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a3qMKc22QbSnWHH Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Back to Top Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award will be presented during the 72nd Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Nov 4-6 in Taipei, Taiwan. 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 74 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 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 May 10, 2019. 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 non-profit 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. CONTACT: Philip Barbour, 205-939-1700, 205-617-9007 Curt Lewis