Flight Safety Information April 26, 2019 - No. 085 In This Issue FAA to Convene Summit of Global Regulators on 737 Max Safety Incident: Iberia A333 at Johannesburg on Apr 24th 2019, could not fully retract landing gear Incident: TUIFly B738 near Paris on Apr 24th 2019, a relay feels hot Incident: KLM B744 at Seoul on Apr 25th 2019, engine failure Incident: Qeshm RJ1H at Muscat on Apr 25th 2019, burst both right main tyres on landing Bell 206 Ranger - Fatal Accident (Venezuela) Aircraft wing panel comes off while landing Just Culture Safety Efforts for ATC Don't Apply in Switzerland GAJSC Completes Draft of Work Focused on Controlled Flight Into Terrain O'Hare runway mishaps: Despite errors, city workers face little discipline Moab tour operator flunks FAA inspection Hong Kong Airlines offers all its pilots transfers to other carriers Two pilots to fly around the globe in Cabri G2s Boeing jet grounding may blow Norwegian Air recovery off course Why The Concorde Is Such a Badass Plane Position Available: Regulatory Compliance Manager - Maintenance Program Call for Nominations For 2019 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Certificate Courses in Slovenia from SCSI Position: Deputy Director of Safety FAA to Convene Summit of Global Regulators on 737 Max Safety • Meeting next month scheduled to provide agency's analysis • Boeing jetliner was grounded after two crashes in five months The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration next month will brief international aviation regulators on the agency's work evaluating when the Boeing Co. 737 Max can return to service, which some countries have signaled they intend to decide on their own. The FAA called the May 23 meeting "to provide participants the FAA's safety analysis that will inform its decision to return the 737 Max fleet to service in the U.S. when it is made," the agency said in a statement. Safety experts will be available to answer questions posed by the other regulators as they weigh whether to allow flights to resume in their countries, according to the FAA. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-25/faa-to-convene-summit-of-global-regulators-on-737-max-safety Back to Top Incident: Iberia A333 at Johannesburg on Apr 24th 2019, could not fully retract landing gear An Iberia Airbus A330-300, registration EC-LUX performing flight IB-6058 from Johannesburg (South Africa) to Madrid,SP (Spain), was climbing out of Johannesburg's runway 03L when the crew did receive a gear disagree indication after selecting the gear up, the nose gear did not reach its uplock position. The crew levelled off at FL110, returned to Johannesburg and landed safely back on Johannesburg's runway 03L about 45 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 2 hours, then was able to depart again and reached Madrid with a delay of about 3 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c726cdf&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: TUIFly B738 near Paris on Apr 24th 2019, a relay feels hot A TUIFly Boeing 737-800, registration D-ATUO performing flight X3-2258 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Las Palmas,CI (Spain), was enroute at FL350 about 70nm southwest of Paris (France) when a burning odour and smoke emanated from one of the lavatories. The crew declared emergency, turned around and diverted to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) for a safe landing on runway 27L about 21 minutesl later. A passenger reported the crew announced a relay in the toilet burned out. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration D-ABAG positioned to Paris CDG, resumed the flight and delivered the passengers to Gran Canaria with a delay of 7.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Paris for 21 hours, then resumed service. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c72676b&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: KLM B744 at Seoul on Apr 25th 2019, engine failure A KLM Boeing 747-400, registration PH-BFT performing flight KL-856 from Seoul (South Korea) to Amsterdam (Netherlands) with 270 people on board, was in the initial climb out of Seoul's runway 15R when one of the engines failed emitting sparks. The crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet, dumped fuel and returned to Seoul for a safe landing on runway 15R about 70 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Seoul about 28 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c7265af&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Qeshm RJ1H at Muscat on Apr 25th 2019, burst both right main tyres on landing A Qeshm Air Avro RJ-100, registration EP-FQT performing flight QB-2108 from Qeshm (Iran) to Muscat (Oman), landed on Muscat's runway 26R but came to a stop with both right main tyres destroyed. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Muscat about 12 hours after landing. The damaged tyres (Photo: Oman Aviation News): http://avherald.com/h?article=4c726427&opt=0 Back to Top Bell 206 Ranger - Fatal Accident (Venezuela) Date: 25-APR-2019 Time: Type: Bell 206 Ranger Owner/operator: Policia Nacional Venezuela Registration: YV0224 C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Maracaibo, Zulia - Venezuela Phase: En route Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The helicopter crashed, apparently after a technical malfunction. Two accupants died, another was seriously injured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=224345 Back to Top Aircraft wing panel comes off while landing No passenger was hurt as a plane's wing panel came off as it landed in Hai Phong Thursday. On Thursday afternoon VJ722 from the central city of Da Nang landed at Cat Bi International Airport in northern Hai Phong City, and immediately its captain asked aircraft mechanics to check the wings. On inspection, they found a panel has broken off the left wing. No one's safety came under any threat but in Vietnam an occurrence like this is ranked third only behind accidents and serious technical issues in terms of safety, and aviation authorities promptly launched an investigation. The Airbus 321, which has been in operation since November 2017, has been grounded pending the investigation. https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/aircraft-wing-panel-comes-off-while-landing-3915199.html Back to Top Just Culture Safety Efforts for ATC Don't Apply in Switzerland ATC service provider Skyguide stands behind its employees. Air Traffic Control Tower Air traffic controllers in most countries around the world, except Switzerland, are praised for admitting an honest mistake. Over the past decade or so, the global aviation industry has come to realize that pointing the finger of blame at one of our own for a mistake does nothing to identify the real problem at hand. The only exception to ignoring the why behind an incident or accident is when a person is found to be criminally negligent, in other words, the person's actions were not accidental. Safety management systems (SMS), now required for most Part 121 airlines and commercial airports, have had great success at identifying potential operational risks. One key to this success has been the creation of a Just Culture designed to identify the root cause of the incident or accident. When employees make an honest mistake, they can fess up while not worrying they'll lose their job or spend time behind bars. More and more employees are sharing details of their mistakes because they know their admissions can help save lives. The world of air traffic control has been an integral part of aviation's Just Culture community since the beginning, although recently, the world was reminded that not every country subscribes to the value of the Just Culture philosophy. Last month, a Swiss air traffic controller, an employee of Skyguide, that country's air navigation service provider, was found guilty of a negligent disruption of public transport for an incident that occurred at Zurich Airport in September, 2012. In the 2012 incident, a commercial aircraft operated by Darwin Airline took off while a private sports aircraft on a training flight was on approach. No details of the distances between the aircraft involved were released. In April and October of 2018, two additional air traffic controllers were, "convicted by the Swiss Federal Penal Court and by the Cantonal Court of Zurich respectively for operational incidents. Switzerland is a signatory member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that has pushed hard for extending the Just Culture philosophy in search of data to improve aviation industry safety around the world. In a March 2011 incident, " ... two aircraft received takeoff clearance, one shortly after the other, at Zurich Airport and began their takeoffs on the airport's intersecting Runway 16 and Runway 28. The aircraft on Runway 16 departed as planned, while the aircraft on Runway 28 aborted its takeoff roll. The incident did not result in harm or damage to persons or property. The involved air traffic controller actively reported the incident and thereby contributed to clarify the circumstances of the incident. criminal proceedings were initiated against the air traffic controller on duty, who appeared at the Bülach District Court in December 2014 and April 2016 charged with disruption of public traffic, where he was acquitted," the sUAS News reported. In none of these incidents was there an reported injuries or damage to the aircraft or the ground infrastructure," according to Air Traffic Management. Here in the U.S., the incidents reported in Switzerland would have been labeled as close calls, with controllers possibly seeing some time off pending additional training in search of the cause. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union for U.S. air traffic controllers yesterday joined the International Federation of Air Traffic Controller's Association (IFATCA) and the European Cockpit Association in expressing extreme disappointment about these convictions. "Switzerland remains one of the few nations that has chosen to deviate from internationally accepted standards of safety culture when it comes to using safety reports to trigger criminal prosecution," NATCA said in a news release. "NATCA joins IFATCA and the 38,000 pilots represented by ECA in urgently calling upon Switzerland to align with international standards other states' laws incorporating just culture principles into its legal system in order to provide for a balanced approach between safety and the administration of justice. "The implementation of a safety culture that continually strives to improve safety within the air traffic control system and the larger aviation industry, with collaborative safety programs, results in a safer system. These results have been demonstrated thousands of times over during the past decade here in the United States. NATCA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have a very successful voluntary, non-punitive reporting program for controllers and supervisors to proactively improve safety by identifying safety concerns we may have otherwise not known about. This program, called the Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP), has grown into the largest and most successful voluntary reporting program of its kind with over 165,000 reports filed since being deployed nationwide in 2010, an average of 17,000 per year. NATCA and the FAA also participate in multiple safety programs and initiatives that include government and aviation industry stakeholders, which serve as conduits for the sharing of critical safety information and the identification of safety trends ... we have moved away from the blame culture and embracing the just culture and the learning culture. Our hope for Switzerland and the other nations that deviate from these principles and international standards is that they can learn from the positive examples of a safety culture in order to improve their own systems." https://www.flyingmag.com/just-culture-safety-efforts-for-atc-dont-apply-in-switzerland Back to Top GAJSC Completes Draft of Work Focused on Controlled Flight Into Terrain Team focuses on a consensus approach to developing risk reduction efforts. GAJSC is expected to release its safety recommendations later this year. Courtesy Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) Working Group recently met for the last time at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. The Working Group finished drafting safety recommendations targeted at reducing the number of CFIT general aviation accidents. The GAJSC analyzes general aviation (GA) safety data to develop intervention strategies to prevent or mitigate problems associated with accident causes, called Safety Enhancements that may include procedures, training, and equipment installations that, when implemented, may reduce the likelihood of accidents in the future. The Working Group will present its Safety Enhancements to the GAJSC for review and approval at the GAJSC's meeting in early May, with recommendations slated to be released later this year, along with a report on the Working Group's efforts. The GAJSC is a public-private partnership working to improve general aviation safety through the use of a data-driven, consensus-based approach to analyze aviation safety data and develop risk reduction efforts. The GAJSC's original goal when the group formed was to reduce the GA fatal accident rate per 100,000 flight hours by 10 percent from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2018, with no more than 1 fatal accident per 100,000 flight hours by 2018. These new recommendations will further enhance the GAJSC's original mission. https://www.flyingmag.com/gajsc-completes-draft-work-focused-on-controlled-flight-into-terrain Back to Top O'Hare runway mishaps: Despite errors, city workers face little discipline Even when they are involved in runway mishaps at O'Hare Airport that violate safety regulations and could pose a deadly hazard, Chicago city workers routinely escape serious disciplinary action. Early one morning last May, a city of Chicago electrician who works at O'Hare Airport was driving on the airfield and crossed Runway 22-Left. That turned out to be a problem. The runway was "live" - open for departing or landing planes. And he hadn't gotten permission from air-traffic controllers to be there, according to records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times that say the electrician "completely failed to adhere to standard required protocols." A top city official later wrote the Federal Aviation Administration to say this was the electrician's second runway "incursion" and that the Chicago Department of Aviation "is recommending his termination." But he wasn't fired. Not only did the electrician keep his job, he ended up with just a one-day suspension - and continues to draw a six-figure salary from City Hall. That's not at all unusual, a Sun-Times investigation has found. Even when they are involved in runway mishaps that violate safety regulations and in some cases could pose a deadly hazard, city workers routinely escape serious disciplinary action, despite city officials' contention that they are tough on safety violations. According to city records, none of the 13 city workers involved in serious runway foul-ups over the past few years was fired, not even after lying about the circumstances of what happened. In an incident last Nov. 5, a city truck driver drove onto Runway 27-Left as a plane was preparing to land, and the aircraft was forced "to execute a go-around" - scratch the landing and circle around until the runway was clear, records show. The truck driver was cited for "criminal or improper conduct," violating city regulations, "conduct involving job performance or substandard work performance" and "misrepresentation," according to the records, which say the employee's "written statement does not fully corroborate the supporting evidence." The punishment for all of that? A five-day unpaid suspension, which is typical for city workers who breach active runways, the Sun-Times found. None of the runway incursions involving city employees resulted in crashes or injuries, according to aviation department records. Seven employees were given five days off, four got one-day suspensions, and records don't specify what happened to two others. City officials won't say whether they escaped discipline altogether and, if so, why. One of the one-day suspensions came after negotiations between the city and the Teamsters union that represents city truck drivers at O'Hare and has been a sizable contributor to Mayor Rahm Emanuel's campaigns. On March 2, 2017, a city truck driver was "escorting an aircraft" being towed on the airfield and "failed to ask for clearance and receive clearance" to drive onto a runway, records show. He was written up for infractions including "violation of city policy or rule" and given a five-day suspension. The Teamsters challenged the punishment. In June 2018, city officials settled the union grievance by cutting the suspension to one day and paying the driver for four days of lost wages since he'd already served the penalty. Last year, he was paid about $107,000, including overtime, according to the aviation department. Most of the city workers involved in the runway troubles made more than $90,000 in 2018, with one making $137,000. Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee, an Emanuel appointee, wouldn't discuss specific cases. Rhee said in a written statement the department "employs discipline based on the severity of the situation/infraction - including up to termination," though officials couldn't point to any cases of a city worker being fired in recent years over a runway-related mistake. "Discipline is recommended by the supervisor, which normally includes 5 days suspension for incursion violations, however we will move to terminate staff when they demonstrated a pattern of behavior causing serious incidents," Rhee's statement said. "Any and all discipline applied for union-represented personnel is done pursuant to the collective-bargaining agreement." City officials say they employ "progressive discipline," with bigger penalties for repeat violators. Teamsters leaders wouldn't comment or didn't return calls. Rhee says she's working with city lawyers to "ensure standardized discipline." She also took the unusual step of referring an April 2 incursion involving one of her employees to City Hall's inspector general. That employee and all other city workers involved in runway incursions in recent years are still working for the aviation department or the Department of Streets and Sanitation, according to Lauren Huffman, Rhee's spokeswoman. The electrician given a one-day suspension for the 2018 incursion was involved in another runway incident in 2016, when he drove onto an active airstrip where planes were cleared to depart, records show. He was given verbal counseling for that incident, which happened about two weeks after he attended a training session on airfield safety that emphasized: * "Never assume a runway is closed." * And the control tower "is the only that can give you permission to go out on a runway." https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/ohare-airport-runway-incursions-mishaps-little-disciplinary-action-chicago-aviation-department/ Back to Top Moab tour operator flunks FAA inspection Redtail Air pilot says problem has been mitigated The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $161,500 civil penalty against Moab-based Redtail Air for allegedly operating an aircraft on more than 100 flights when it was not in an airworthy condition and for allegedly failing to perform maintenance on the damaged area of the aircraft. The FAA shared the information in a press release posted to its website on March 8. On March 22, Redtail Air Chief Pilot Larry Van Slyke said the problem has been mitigated. "The aircraft is now air-worthy and it's flying," Van Slyke said. On December 15, 2017, the FAA said it inspected a Redtail Cessna 207 and found dents on the horizontal stabilizer. The FAA said its inspector notified Redtail that the dents appeared to be excessive for safe flight and advised the company it should inspect the damage using the Cessna Service Manual. Redtail operated the aircraft on three more for-hire flights until January 1, 2018, when the company inspected the damage, considered it to be "negligible" and approved the aircraft for return to service without performing any repairs, the FAA alleges. On March 7, 2018, the FAA said it reassessed the damage to the horizontal stabilizer using the Cessna Service Manual and found it was badly damaged due to multiple dents that had displaced metal and were larger than two inches in circumference. The Cessna Service Manual considered damage of this size not to be "negligible" and required the skin to be replaced. The damaged skin made the aircraft unairworthy, the FAA said. "They're (the FAA) the ones that determine whether the planes are fit to fly," Van Slyke said. "... undoubtedly, a rock was thrown up by the wheel and hit the horizontal stabilizer, and that's likely where the dent came from. ... That's the likely scenario." The FAA alleges the company used the plane on approximately 137 for-hire flights between January 1, 2018, and March 8, 2018, when it was not in an airworthy condition. Van Slyke said Redtail would never intentionally do anything that would have the potential to lose its business license or permit to operate and said, "Just because the FAA levied something on us doesn't mean we agree with it." http://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_0ecf3f70-677a-11e9-a13d-07dac406eab3.html Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines offers all its pilots transfers to other carriers, with Tianjin Airlines proving most popular and Emirates set to hire fifth of applicants Struggling company offers secondments or permanent employment with Tianjin Airlines, HK Express, Hainan Airlines, Hong Kong Air Cargo or Emirates as it seeks to downsize Surplus of pilots arose after HKA failed to take delivery of at least four new aircraft A Hong Kong Airlines plane at the city's airport. Photo: K.Y. ChengA Hong Kong Airlines plane at the city's airport. Photo: K.Y. Cheng Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) has offered all of its pilots transfers to other carriers as the firm tries to downsize amid a financial crisis that threatens to put it out of business. The struggling carrier, Hong Kong's third largest, has offered secondments or permanent employment with Tianjin Airlines, HK Express, Hainan Airlines and Hong Kong Air Cargo, all subsidiaries or ultimately controlled by China's HNA Group, according to internal memos. So far 57 pilots have taken up the offer, with Emirates stepping in to hire about a fifth to fly its Airbus A380 aircraft, the documents revealed. HKA, also backed by HNA, has been experiencing tremendous upheaval in recent months stemming from concerns about its finances. Numerous key figures have departed and doubts have been raised about the company's ability to repay creditors and aircraft lessors. A surplus of pilots arose after the airline failed to take delivery of at least four new aircraft due to cash flow problems. An airline source said the company was "in excess" of 100 pilots, but Emirates earlier cited HKA as saying the surplus was 10 per cent. As of April 10, the total number of pilots employed by HKA was 626, which would make the surplus 62 if the 10 per cent figure were accurate. Hong Kong Airlines directors slapped with injunction as confusion reigns over the airline's ownership and government deadline nears The memos said 57 pilots had already applied for transfers to various airlines. Some 13 opted for Emirates and 10 for HK Express, but Tianjin Airlines proved most popular with 21 applicants. Emirates earlier reported it had a shortfall of up to 150 pilots last year. The Middle Eastern carrier has also picked up pilots from regional rival Etihad as well as struggling discount carrier Norwegian. HKA first approached Emirates in February to broker a solution to the pilot shortfall. About a month later, on March 15, the Hong Kong airline solicited offers from a host of carriers for its aircrew. The offers included a permanent move for all pilots to HK Express or Emirates, a secondment to Tianjin Airlines for A330 captains, and a yearly renewable contract or permanent employment with Hong Kong Air Cargo for A330 first officers. At the start of April, HKA Airbus A330 and A350 captains were also offered yearly renewable agreements with Hainan Airlines. HKA last week invited its pilots to recruitment sessions for sister carrier HK Express, a budget airline in the process of being sold to Cathay Pacific Airways. Interested staff were told they would be given a permanent contract with the company if they resigned from HKA. For the first time, HKA has confirmed it will delay its acceptance of new aircraft. In a response to the Post, its spokeswoman acknowledged "a small pilot surplus", saying it was a result of the delayed delivery of Airbus A350 and A330 planes. "Pilots are important assets and we have been working out deals with other airlines to benefit our crew. Our aim is to provide them with opportunities to work in different operating environments while maintaining their seniority with Hong Kong Airlines," the spokeswoman said. She added the arrangement would be for one year, which left the status unclear of pilots moving full time to the other carriers. HK Express did not say how many pilots it planned to absorb but a spokeswoman said: "Those candidates who are enthusiastic about the aviation industry and fulfil our requirements are always welcome." Emirates could not be reached for comment, nor could Hong Kong Air Cargo, Tianjin Airlines and Hainan Airlines. HKA lost HK$3 billion (US$380 million) last year and needs HK$2 billion to comply with government demands to keep its licence. The fellow HNA-backed airline has cut 100 staff and currently employs 3,798 people. It previously reduced the number of passenger planes it operated by about a quarter, from 38 to 28, but the figure has since reached 35. Its financial problems have caught the attention of the government, which has tightened scrutiny of the company by demanding numerous financial plans to ensure it can return to profitability. Since last week various HNA shareholders have been fighting to claim ownership of the struggling firm, adding renewed uncertainty to its ability to continue operating. Airlines worldwide are grappling with a global pilot shortage. As the industry expands, demand for aircrew is increasing, and pilots are being lured to rivals with bigger pay packets. Dominant HKA hometown rival Cathay Pacific has stepped up its recruitment programme. https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3007533/hong-kong-airlines-offers-all-its-pilots-transfers-other Back to Top Two pilots to fly around the globe in Cabri G2s Two pilots are aiming to become the first in the world to complete a global circumnavigation in a two-seat helicopter. The attempt will be made in a Guimbal Cabri G2, and the pilots, Corentin Larose and Samy Da-Dalt, also claim they will realize two firsts they see as overdue: firstly, they are French pilots, and secondly, they will be flying around the world in French helicopters. Pilots Corentin Larose and Samy Da-Dalt are aiming to become the first in the world to complete a global circumnavigation in a two-seat helicopter. Corentin Larose and Samy Da-Dalt Photo They will take off in mid-June from Paris heliport, also known as Issy-les-Moulineaux. From there, they will hop to Le Bourget, where they plan to appear during the Paris Air Show, said Larose. Then, 80 legs are planned for a total of 300 flight hours. The trip will meet the criteria the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) has set for a journey to be considered as going around the world, Larose explained. The last landing will take place where the first takeoff was performed. The voyage will cross all meridians. At 21,000 nautical miles (39,000 kilometers), the distance flown will be greater in length than the Tropic of Cancer. They will never go backwards. As the Cabri G2 is in a lighter weight category than the four-place R44 - which has itself completed a round-the-world flight - according to the FAI classification, Larose and Da-Dalt may apply for a world record. The list of countries to be visited includes the U.K., the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the U.S., Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. The two pilots plan to visit EAA AirVenture 2019 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in late July. Language is a challenge in some areas, where air traffic controllers do not speak English below a given flight altitude. The solution is to give a heads-up to Siberian controllers, for example, about the arrival of English-speaking pilots, said Larose. The longest non-stop leg will be between Iceland and Greenland. At 350 nautical miles (650 kilometers), it will require an extra fuel tank for the Cabri G2. The helicopter's standard tank has a capacity of 170 liters (45 US gallons). Larose has designed an additional fuel tank that meets the pair's needs and fits into the baggage compartment. Manufacturer Hélicoptères Guimbal has approved the design, which can be used with a permit to fly (as opposed to a certification for a modification), said Larose. He plans to use 70 to 80 liters (18 to 21 US gallons) in the extra fuel tank, which could accommodate more. Fuel has been a major concern during planning. The Cabri G2's piston engine burns Avgas 100LL and it is more difficult to find than kerosene Jet A1. "In Northern Canada, we have found places where Avgas 100LL 205-liter (55-US gallon) barrels are available, but you have to pay for each barrel you open," said Larose. In some places in Siberia, he and Da-Dalt are arranging the delivery of suitable fuel prior to arrival. As the Cabri G2 offers limited payload, baggage weight is critical. "Every gram counts," said Larose. For the fuel, baggage and pilots, the total should not exceed 270 kg (595 lb.). A full fuel load (145 kg/320 lb. on a standard leg) and a 90-kg (200-lb.) pilot leave the possibility to carry 35 kg (77 lb.) of baggage. Most of the time, they will carry even less. Immersion suits and life rafts, for instance, will be shipped to those destinations where they are needed. The idea is to leave room for one passenger on a short flight. Beyond the numbers, Larose and Da-Dalt aim to enjoy the journey. "We are not establishing a speed record," said Larose. Time is built in for the two pilots to enjoy the countries they will overfly and they plan to visit landmark sites. They expect to fly three to four hours each day, and flying at 80 knots, the distance flown will be relatively modest. Maintenance visits have to be carefully planned, as scheduled maintenance is required every 50 hours. In some cases, Larose and Da-Dalt need to obtain an approval from the French civil authorities to have a foreign maintenance workshop performing a check. So what is the recipe for good preparation for flying around the world? "Don't discourage, do things early and orderly - first find the helicopter, then the insurer, and then the fuel," Larose answered. Both Cabri G2s will be rented from Hélicoptères Guimbal. As for funding, partnerships were found with equipment suppliers and a crowdfunding effort has been launched. Larose also flies fixed-wing aircraft, including gliders. He describes his job as creating companies in software architecture and algorithms. Da-Dalt flies ultralight fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters and spends time in mountain activities, including gliding and paragliding. He offers sightseeing flights, in addition to his job as a skiing instructor. https://www.verticalmag.com/news/two-pilots-to-fly-around-the-globe-in-cabri-g2s/ Back to Top Boeing jet grounding may blow Norwegian Air recovery off course FILE PHOTO: A satellite antenna is seen on the roof of the Norwegian Airways Boening 737-800 at Berlin Schoenefeld Airport, Germany OSLO (Reuters) - Norwegian Air said the grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft may last until the end of August and could scupper the carrier's plan to return to profitability this year. Boeing's MAX aircraft have been grounded following the crash of a Lion Air plane in Indonesia last October and an Ethiopian Airlines jet last month, which together killed 346 people. The MAX ban will likely raise Norwegian's 2019 costs by up to 500 million Norwegian crowns (£44.8 million), the company said, adding that its efforts to cut other operating expenses were moving at a faster-than-expected pace. "Due to the uncertainty related to the MAX grounding, the company sees increased risk related to the target of a positive net profit in 2019," Norwegian said. Norwegian will have to lease other aircraft to replace its 18 MAX planes as the peak summer season nears. "There is a saying that you should hope for the best and plan for the worst, so we are planning to have (the MAX aircraft) on the ground throughout August," Chief Executive Bjoern Kjos told Reuters. Norwegian also reported a bigger year-on-year first-quarter loss on Thursday and sharply cut capital expenditures plans for this year and next, allowing it to save money and give time to improve operations, Kjos said. The Oslo-listed airline has shaken up the long-haul market by offering cut-price trans-Atlantic fares, but its rapid expansion has left it with hefty losses and high debts. The carrier, which has had to raise money from shareholders in recent months, said late on Wednesday it had agreed with Boeing and Airbus to postpone more aircraft deliveries. This will cut its planned 2019 capital expenditure by $300 million (£233 million) to $1.7 billion, while it now sees 2020 capex at $1.2 billion, half of its previous estimate. Norwegian has now completed its programme to delay orders, Kjos said. "We have come to a very good conclusion, or settlement, with the factories and that gives us headroom to actually concentrate on running an efficient operation over the next two years." Norwegian's shares were up 4.4 percent at 0930 GMT. The budget carrier posted a quarterly net loss of 1.49 billion Norwegian crowns, versus a 46.2 million crowns loss a year earlier, while analysts in a Reuters poll on average had expected a loss of 1.65 billion crowns. "Today's results were good enough for this company to continue flying in the near-term, but do not fully solve underlying structural issues," Bernstein said in a note. Kjos declined to say whether Norwegian had come to an agreement with Boeing regarding compensation for the aircraft groundings. "We try to manoeuvre through these difficult things for both Boeing and us in the best way possible," Kjos said. "The only thing I can say is that ... Boeing has a full understanding of the problems these groundings are causing us." In February, Norwegian said it would prioritise earnings over growth, cutting a 2019 target for capacity increases to just 9 percent from 15-20 percent. On Thursday it predicted capacity growth of 5-10 percent. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/norwegian-air-says-2019-profit-052919841.html Back to Top Why The Concorde Is Such a Badass Plane The long, strange, luxurious saga of flying faster than the speed of sound. The pointy-nosed plane barreled down the French tarmac and into the air. The crowd of 200,000 spectators that gathered near the runway at Le Bourget Airport for the 1973 Paris Air Show watched the star of the day, the Concorde, climb toward the horizon. Its rival would not be so fortunate. The Soviet-built TU-144, like its British/French competitor, sought to usher in a new era of supersonic passenger travel. But the Soviet plane swerved suddenly during ascent and dropped like a stone onto the nearby village of Goussainville, where it killed six in the plane and eight on the ground. Though marred by tragedy, the air show of '73 signaled that the supersonic era had arrived-and that the Concorde would be its vanguard. From 1976 to 2003, the Concorde shrank the Atlantic Ocean in half, ferrying passengers from New York to London or Paris in a just three and a half hours. The plane cruised higher than 50,000 feet, revealing the curvature of the Earth at a casual glance out the window. Tickets were outrageously expensive. But living in the future, even for just a few hours, has never been cheap. Today, that future has come and gone. Because of difficult economics and the physical realities of air travel beyond the speed of sound, the Concorde retired more than 15 years ago. No supersonic airliner has risen to take is place-yet. A half-century after its first flight, the legacy of the Concorde's engineering genius lives on, especially in the new breed of aviation startups and companies seeking to bring back supersonic travel. The Birth of the Concorde On October 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager broke through. Cruising in an experimental Bell X-1 aircraft at an altitude in excess of 40,000 feet, the test pilot made history by crashing through the sound barrier and becoming the fastest man in a plane to date. Nobody knew it at the time, since the U.S. government's top-secret project stayed under wraps until 1948. Soon, though, the nations of the world knew supersonic air travel was possible. Just as the 1950s gave rise to a space race, so too did it spur a competition in the stratosphere to build an airliner that could carry passengers faster than the speed of sound, effectively shrinking the globe. The United Kingdom mostly watched the space race from the sidelines as the USSR put satellites in orbit and the United States rushed to catch up. The supersonic race, however, represented a theatre in which postwar Europe could reclaim some pride. Various groups were in on the directive, such as Britain's Supersonic Transport Aircraft Committee, which was tasked in 1956 with developing a Supersonic Transport (SST) fit for commercial use. Nationalism fueled the ambition. "The reason it was built was largely politics," says Bob Van Der Linden, Chairman of the Aeronautics Department of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. The Concorde was a way for Europe to leapfrog the U.S., which had already tried and failed to build its own smaller SSTs in the 1950s, but still dominated the market for commercial planes. However, Britain's aviation experts soon discovered the cost of building such a plane would be huge. So Britain sought help. "The British government wanted to split the costs with another country," says Jonathan Glancey, author of Concorde: The Rise and Fall of The Supersonic Airliner. After unsuccessfully seeking American assistance, Britain found an ally in France. In 1962, the two nations signed the Anglo-French Concorde agreement, ensuring cooperation on a new plane, one they hoped would finally level the aeronautical playing field in Europe's favor. "[Great Britain and France] let politics and reasons of national pride get in the way," Van Der Linden says. "This was a way of showing we are as good if not better than the United States than it was building an airplane for the market..."They were the pride of Great Britain and France and they wanted to show it off and had every reason to show it off." Befitting its two-nation heritage, the Concorde's name translates to "harmony" or "union" in French. The two aviation giants charged with building it, Aérospatiale (which later became Airbus) and the UK's British Aircraft Corporation, faced an onerous challenge. "They almost had to reinvent the airplane to make it work, and they did," Van Der Linden tells Popular Mechanics. The speed itself wasn't the problem. By the early 1960, flying faster than the sound barrier in a military jet had gone from milestone to routine. Going that fast in airliner crammed with 100 paying passengers, however, entailed a different kind of thinking. The Concorde was equipped with four Rolls-Royce afterburner engines, the same kind used on fighter jets, each of which generated 38,000 pounds of thrust. The bird used a slanted droop-nose that lowered upon takeoff and landing, enabling pilots to see the runway. Revamped brake systems allowed the plane to touch down on a tarmac unscathed even if it landed at far higher speeds than its subsonic counterparts. Because the plane's nose temperature could climb to 278 degrees while it flew, it was coated in a highly-reflective white paint that radiated heat. Perhaps the most impressive engineering improvements was the plane's triangular delta wings, which allowed it to navigate different angles of attack while soaring at breakneck speeds. "None of these lesser technical improvements approached the revolutionary status of the thin delta wing design that made sustained supersonic flight possible," says to Samme Chittum, author of the Last Days of Concorde. That pride and the work paid off. Four months before men walked on the moon, the Concorde made its maiden flight. In 1973, it bested the Soviet supersonic effort in Paris. And soon thereafter it finally appeared on the runway, bearing the liveries of British Airways and Air France. Flying High The Concorde could dart through the clouds at speeds greater than Mach 2 (1,350 mph). Despite the jarring kah-boom that resonated as it breached the sound barrier, inside the cabin, all was serene and luxurious, even as the plane seemed to violate the rules of time and common sense. Judging by the official time, the London to New York flight would land before it departed. The Irish journalist Terry Wogon gleefully remembered the Concorde allowing him to eat "breakfast at Heathrow, and breakfast again on arrival in New York." The plane spurred the kind of hype and fanfare not seen since the debut of Boeing's brawny 747. It became the vessel of choice for showbiz stars like English late night host David Frost, who, according to legend, would commute between London and New York to record segments, and then zip back across the Atlantic to retire for the evening. For others, flying on the Concorde turned air travel into a bucket list item, as Samme Chittum tells Popular Mechanics: It's hard to overestimate both the hype and romance surrounding Concorde and travel. As much [hype] as there was, that was equal if not surpassed by what passengers actually experienced.When they took a flight on this supersonic plane, they knew what they were doing was a first in a lifetime experience for them. What it was like at that height seeing the curve of the Earth and knowing that moment watching it on a display in a cabin when you were traveling at supersonic speed, there was a tremendous thrill involved. You have to be quite a dull person not to appreciate that. The Concorde engines guzzled 6770 gallons of fuel per hour, necessitating ticket prices that climbed into quadruple digits. To account for the price, the service was top-notch and the settings upscale. "I felt more strongly that I had entered a private club," Tom Ford, a worker on a maintenance crew tasked with updating the Concorde's interior for British Airways, told CNN this year. "It was a brief glimpse into a life I had not known, polite, considerate, and beautifully detailed. It was impossible to not feel spoiled, and valued." Concorde Take Off; Sonic Boom Passengers could expect to clink champagne glasses at altitude and eat Beluga caviar. Even though the Concorde cabins were slender and barebones, with the ceiling measuring a cramped six-feet tall, few could complain about the experience. "Partly because of the premium prices charged for Concorde flights, the aircraft attracted the kind of clientele - mostly senior business execs - who didn't need entertainment," says Jonathan Glancey. "Passengers would, of course, chat and mingle to an extent, but many worked." Beneath the glamor, sex appeal, and the thrill of flying at Mach 2, however, lurked some serious problems. While 16 airlines initially placed orders for the Concorde, the plane launched right into the oil crisis of 1973 that thinned out the demand for a thirsty supersonic plan. In total, only 20 Concordes were built, and six of them remained prototypes. In With a Boom, Out With a Whimper The Concorde could outrun any airliner. It could never withstand the economic and engineering woes that were always in close pursuit. For one thing, the cost of burning fuel at such an unprecedented rate meant ticket prices even the plane's well-heeled clientele struggled to afford. "The airplane usually flew with lots of empty seats, just because it was too expensive," Van Der Linden says. The environmental movement came into full bloom in the 1970s, and protesters who resented the Concorde's fuel-guzzling routinely greeted the plane's arrival at airports with ire-laden protests. Countries banned the jet from flying over their airspace because of the cacophonous sonic boom, which limited routes to those over the ocean. (The United States still has laws on the books barring SSTs from traversing the country, for fear of noise pollution and windows shattering below.) The Anti-Concorde Project sprung into action almost as soon as the Concorde was ready to roll out on the runway, validating academic studies that noted the plane's deleterious effect on the environment. And then came the crash. In July 2000, Air France Flight 4590 crashed during takeoff, the result of a punctured tire that spewed shrapnel into a fuel tank. All 109 people onboard died in a cataclysmic fire, one that damaged the public perception of supersonic passenger jets. "The Concorde crash was entirely preventable," Chittum says. "The inadequate tires were not replaced with more resilient tires, even after it became obvious that they should have been following a string of documented tire blowouts during take off." Air France 4590 was by no means solely responsible for the Concorde's demise. Shortly afterward, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks fostered an understandable sense of public paranoia that also cratered Wall St.'s faith in the airline industry. But the crash signaled the beginning of the end. Concorde maintenance costs had been climbing for years while the number of customers willing to pay exorbitant ticket prices waned. By 2003, Concorde manufacturer Airbus cited a litany of growing concerns, revealing it would cost British Airways alone £40m over the next several years to maintain its beleaguered fleet. Cockpit of British Airways Concorde Alpha Delta G-BOAD. Intrepid Air Sea Space Museum, New York City.BARRY WINIKERGETTY IMAGES Lastly, many travelers had simply realized that the time saved on a Concorde flight wasn't worth the expense. "For some people, saving them four hours was vital, but for most people it wasn't that important. And not enough to justify the price tag," says Van Der Linden. Within five months of each other, Air France and British Airways would throw in the towel on flying the Concorde. A Supersonic Return? The Concorde is just a museum piece now, but the dream of flying faster than sound hasn't died. A number of players, ranging from NASA and Lockheed Martin to upstarts like Boom Supersonic, are vying to revive SSTs and make them viable again. Artist's depiction of Boom Overture. BOOM AEROSPACE Although the technology is clearly proven, the challenges pervading the return of a commercial SST remain. It's been illegal for commercial SSTs to fly over land in the United States since the Concorde's heyday, but lawmakers are cozying to the idea of their return if scientists can minimize the sonic boom. NASA and Lockheed Martin's X-59 prototype, for example, plans to reduce the tumult to little more than than a faint thud.Still, the plethora of hurdles remains. Samme Chittum sees SSTs returning, albeit in a different, more limited capacity: I wouldn't bet my savings on it. It seems very likely, that business people with a lot of money could be flying supersonic private jets. It seems unlikely that supersonic flights will become commercially available to everyone. With that in mind, it seems the Concorde, or anything like it really, might just remain absent from the skies forever. https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/airlines/a27206102/concorde-badass-plane/ Back to Top Regulatory Compliance Manager - Maintenance Program POSITION PURPOSE: Continuously reviews Republic Airways policies and procedures for regulatory compliance and system safety, working with local FAA to satisfy compliance questions and issues. ESSENTIAL DUTIES : To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 1. Collaborates with appropriate management to ensure compliance or implement global improvement correction action when instances of non-compliance or identification of needed improvement areas. 2. Develops and maintains database for tracking compliance with regulations. 3. Analyzes airline industry regulations in anticipation of changes that may affect policies and procedures. 4. Uses independent judgment to evaluate revisions to policies and procedures for regulatory compliance and system safety prior to submittal to the FAA for acceptance/approval. 5. Researches Code of Federal Regulations for the Company to ensure that any new operations are FAA compliant. 6. Works closely with the FAA and participate in teamed inspections. 7. Assists and conducts internal audits as needed. 8. Travels to all maintenance bases and contract vendor facilities to conduct audits as needed. 9. Provides administrative assistance maintaining legal filings by assisting regulatory agencies. 10. Provides assistance during inspections conducted by outside agencies (IOSA, DoD, etc.) 11. Acts as liaison with the FAA to investigate, correct and finalize regulatory issues. 12. Participates in Maintenance ASAP ERC meetings as needed. 13. Fosters the Company's core values and culture throughout the work environment. 14. Performs various other duties as required. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE. • Bachelor's degree or equivalent with at least 3 years of previous Internal Evaluation or Quality Assurance experience. • A&P Certificate • Knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations and FAA Advisory circulars. • Strong experience in Microsoft Office applications is a must. PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE • Bachelor's degree in Aviation or related field with at least 5 years of previous experience. Previous supervisory experience. • Dispatcher License and/or Pilot Certificate. • Auditor Certification and Training; CQA, ISO, CASE and IOSA Auditor. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. REASONING/PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. DECISION MAKING Makes decisions daily use of resources, performance and budgets. Decisions could require additional expenditure of resources if not sound decisions. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Able to move about the work environment. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Outdoor weather conditions up to 35% of the time. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, including overnight and weekend travel APPLY HERE 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 Back to Top Back to Top Helicopter Association International (HAI) is dedicated to providing its members with services that directly benefit their operations, and to advancing the international helicopter community by providing programs that enhance safety, encourage professionalism and economic viability while promoting the unique contributions vertical flight offers society. HAI has more than 3,800 member organizations and annually produces HAI HELI-EXPO®, the world's largest trade show and exposition dedicated to helicopters. Position: Deputy Director of Safety Overview: The Deputy Director of Safety is responsible for supporting the association's existing aviation safety programs and developing new safety initiatives to benefit HAI's membership. Essential Functions of the Position Include, but Are Not Limited To: • Providing auxiliary support to the Director of Safety • Serving as the HAI safety representative on various industry, government, and international boards, task forces, and meetings • Providing feedback for the association's response to proposed safety-related regulations and legislative initiatives • Collecting, researching, and analyzing safety and accident data for subsequent statistical reporting • Developing and implementing new HAI industry safety initiatives • Routinely interacting with aviation related agencies and organizations in support of the rotorcraft industry • Supporting all aspects of HAI's accreditation programs (IS-BAO & HAI APS) that assist helicopter operators in reducing incidents and accidents, while improving industry safety culture • Providing safety supervision for flight activities at the association's annual trade show and exposition, HAI HELI-EXPO® • Responding to requests for rotorcraft safety assistance from HAI members and the general public • Serving as staff liaison for assigned HAI committees • Contributing content for use in HAI's printed and electronic publications • Making safety presentations on behalf of HAI as necessary • Other duties as assigned The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Desired Qualifications for the Position Include: • College or advanced degree related to aviation safety and/or management • Five or more years of related helicopter safety background, training, and experience • Certificated helicopter pilot and/or maintenance technician • Previous experience with helicopter or other aviation-related organization • Prior international experience preferred • Experience with auditing protocols and accreditation programs • A passionate commitment to the promotion of helicopter safety • Highly motivated, able to work independently and in a team environment • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with prior experience in creating and delivering written proposals and public presentations • Research, data analysis, and report writing experience • Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite • Detail oriented, self-starter, with strong organizational and time management skills • Ability to travel The above qualifications are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. APPLY HERE Curt Lewis