Flight Safety Information October 5, 2019 - No. 202 In This Issue Regulators weigh 'startle factors' for Boeing 737 MAX pilot training - Transport Canada Boeing crash victims' lawyer to seek testimony from 737 MAX whistleblower Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D at Regina on Sep 23rd 2019, gear door did not close Incident: American B772 near New York on Oct 1st 2019, windshield heat situation Incident: Trans States E145 near Kansas City on Oct 3rd 2019, smoke in cockpit EASA extends conflict zone warnings for seven countries FAA complains to ICAO of weakening skills of "manual" aircraft piloting Does Alaska aviation need a 'champion,' or just the funding we deserve? UN Aviation Agency Moves Forward on Climate Action, Despite Objections from China and Russia American Airlines Leadership Change Imminent? As Thomas Cook Collapses Into Bankruptcy-Will Norwegian Be The Next Airline To Fail? GoAir plans to add one aircraft a month, says managing director Jeh Wadia Ethiopian Airlines Close to Deal to Order Airbus A220 Planes NASA is Going to Test 25 New Technologies in Upcoming Aircraft, Balloon and Sub-Orbital Rocket Flight RESEARCH SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Regulators weigh 'startle factors' for Boeing 737 MAX pilot training - Transport Canada executive MONTREAL/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Global regulators are looking at "startle factors" that can overwhelm pilots as they consider revised protocols for the Boeing 737 MAX, Nicholas Robinson, the head of civil aviation for Transport Canada, told Reuters on Friday. FILE PHOTO: A worker walks past unpainted Boeing 737 MAX aircraft seen parked in an aerial photo at Renton Municipal Airport near the Boeing Renton facility in Renton, Washington, U.S. July 1, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo Boeing Co's fastest-selling jetliner, the 737 MAX, was grounded worldwide in March after two fatal crashes that killed a total of 346 people within five months. Pilot overload appears to have played a role in both crashes, in which crews struggled to regain control of the airplane while a new flight control system repeatedly pushed the nose down amid a series of other audio and sensory alarms and alerts. "What we need to do is ensure that the aircrew in the MAX are able to handle that environment," Robinson said in an interview with Reuters. Transport Canada is among a core group of regulators that is evaluating the requirements for the 737 MAX to fly again after a seven-month grounding. It has been convening weekly by phone, video conferences or face-to-face with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and its counterparts in the European Union and Brazil, Robinson said. Their decisions could lead to sweeping changes to pilot flight operating manuals and classroom instruction and even mandates for costly simulator training, industry sources have said. However, no training decisions can be made until Boeing submits software updates to the FAA for review and approval, Robinson said. Transport Canada is closely aligned with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on return to service demands and has also raised questions over the architecture behind the 737 MAX's angle of attack system. "We continue to look for a solution proposed by the manufacturer and the FAA on that area," he said. Still, Canada's goal is for the MAX to return in countries across the globe simultaneously, or at least in close succession. "It's not a necessity, but it's a goal," Robinson said. PILOT WORKLOAD A startle or surprise in the cockpit can endanger a pilot's ability to maintain control of the aircraft and was said to play a role in earlier air crashes like Air France flight 447 in 2009. The same year, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed a US Airways flight on the Hudson River in New York after a bird strike disabled the engines. He told lawmakers in June that the 737 MAX crew could have been confused as they struggled to maintain control of the aircraft. "I can tell you firsthand that the startle factor is real and it's huge. It absolutely interferes with one's ability to quickly analyze the crisis and take corrective action," Sullenberger said. Under new simulator scenarios, 737 MAX pilots worldwide may be trained on runaway stabilizer, a loss of control that was triggered in both 737 MAX crashes, coupled with some kind of unexpected malfunction. "The only way to effectively deal with the physical and mental reactions of 'startle effect' is to have previously been exposed to it," said Captain Larry Rooney, president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations. The goal of introducing startles is to teach pilots how to respond to "fight, flight or freeze" instincts in an environment where the effects are not life threatening, said Rooney. The only way to train for startle is in a simulator or in real life. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg on Wednesday acknowledged that Boeing's flight control software, activated off faulty data from a key airflow sensor, contributed to a broader chain of events that created more workload for the pilots in 737 MAX crashes. The planemaker, which is targeting a 737 MAX return to service in the fourth quarter, has started showing pilots and regulators its proposed software update and training program at information sessions in Miami, London, Istanbul, Shanghai and Singapore scheduled to run through mid-October. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airplane-canada-exclusive/exclusive- regulators-weigh-startle-factors-for-boeing-737-max-pilot-training-transport-canada- exec-idUSKBN1WJ2IU Back to Top Boeing crash victims' lawyer to seek testimony from 737 MAX whistleblower FILE PHOTO: Candle flames burn during a commemoration ceremony for the victims at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town Bishoftu SEATTLE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An attorney representing families of passengers killed in a Boeing Co 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia said on Friday he will seek sworn evidence from a Boeing engineer who claims the company rejected a proposed safety upgrade to the 737 MAX because it was too costly. The engineer, Curtis Ewbank, said the upgrade could have reduced risks that contributed to two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that together killed 346 people, according to two people familiar with the complaint. Ewbank filed the complaint through internal Boeing channels after the March crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, the sources said. The sources described the complaint to Reuters, but Reuters has not seen a copy of the complaint. Managers rejected the proposed upgrade from Ewbank's team of engineers, called synthetic airspeed, on the basis of "cost and potential (pilot) training impact," according to the Seattle Times, which first reported the complaint on Wednesday. Robert Clifford, the lead counsel representing families of victims from the Ethiopian Airlines crash, said in an email the complaint raises fresh concerns about Boeing's culture and whether the company placed too great an emphasis on cost and schedule at the expense of safety. He said he would take steps to depose Ewbank as quickly as possible. Boeing declined to comment on the substance or existence of the whistleblower complaint. A Boeing spokesman said the company offers employees channels for raising concerns and has rigorous processes in place to ensure such complaints receive thorough consideration and to protect the confidentiality of employees who make them. Ewbank did not respond to requests for comment. Boeing is facing roughly 100 lawsuits over the Ethiopian crash on March 10 that killed 157 people on its way from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. The lawsuits claim that design flaws allowed erroneous sensor data to set off the automated system and overwhelm pilots. The planemaker has said it is sorry for the lives lost in both crashes and proposed software upgrades but has stopped short of admitting any fault in how it developed the 737 MAX or the software. The 737 MAX was grounded following the Ethiopian crash. Questions around how Boeing designed and developed the MAX are a focus in probes by the U.S. Department of Justice and a Congressional committee. In his complaint, Ewbank describes management as "more concerned with cost and schedule than safety and quality," the Seattle Times reported. Four former Boeing employees who worked on the 737 MAX told Reuters earlier this year they were repeatedly instructed by management not to add or change systems on the 737 MAX in ways that could trigger the need for extra pilot training in flight simulators, or a lengthier certification process. [nL1N21G002] A senior Boeing official with detailed knowledge of the MAX's development told Reuters in March that engineering decisions are "always a balance between complexity and availability of the function. The more complex you make something, the more likely it is to be unavailable when you need it." Peter DeFazio, chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has asked Boeing to make Ewbank available for an interview. [nL2N26O022] Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg is slated to testify at a House committee hearing on Oct. 30. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-crash-victims-lawyer-seek-234511928.html Back to Top Incident: Westjet Encore DH8D at Regina on Sep 23rd 2019, gear door did not close A Westjet Encore de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration C-GWEF performing flight WS-3227 from Regina,SK to Edmonton,AB (Canada) with 45 people on board, was climbing out of Regina when the right main gear door did not close. The crew decided to continue the flight at reduced speed. On approach to Edmonton a manual gear extension was needed. Emergency services were called on stand by and visually inspected the aircraft after safe landing. The aircraft taxied to the apron on own power. The Canadian TSB reported the solenoid sequence valve was replaced. Both main landing gear door proximity sensors were out of rig and were rigged, subsequent tests revealed no further fault. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/WEN3227/history/20190923/1235Z/CYQR/CYEG http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd9f8ca&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: American B772 near New York on Oct 1st 2019, windshield heat situation An American Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration N781AN performing flight AA-36 from Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) to Madrid,SP (Spain) with 259 people on board, was enroute at FL330 about 280nm southwest of New York when the crew decided to divert to New York's JFK Airport, NY (USA). Nearing Atlantic City,NJ (USA) in the descent towards New York the crew advised they were on a precautionary diversion but would now declare emergency due to being overweight for landing, they were diverting for a "windshield heat situation" and needed runway 13R at JFK. JFK airport activated runway lighting but got an alert for PAPI and lead in lights and thus weren't sure about whether they were on. The crew advised they had both PAPIs and lead in lights in sight and continued for a safe landing on runway 13R, where emergency vehicles were in their stand by positions. The aircraft taxied to the apron. A passenger reported they were surrounded by large deployment of police and ambulances upon touch down. They changed to a different aircraft and continued about two hours later. No explanation was given to them at all. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N765AN reached Madrid with a delay of 4 hours. The occrrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 37 hours before returning to service. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL36/history/20191001/2150Z/KDFW/LEMD http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd9eb86&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Trans States E145 near Kansas City on Oct 3rd 2019, smoke in cockpit A Trans States Airlines Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N11155 performing flight UA- 4717 from Saint Louis,MO to Denver,CO (USA) with 52 people on board, had levelled off at FL240 after departure from Saint Louis but continued at FL240 in the direction to Denver for 20 minutes. The crew subsequently decided to divert to Kansas City,MO reporting smoke in the cockpit and landed safely on runway 01L about 18 minutes later. A replacement ERJ-145 registration N842HK reached Denver with a delay of 5:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 18 hours, then continued the trip to Denver as flight AX-3339. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/LOF4717/history/20191003/2147Z/KSTL/KDEN http://avherald.com/h?article=4cd9dc00&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top EASA extends conflict zone warnings for seven countries 2 October 2019 On October 1, 2019 the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) extended the validity of the conflict zone warnings of 7 countries / FIRs to 30 March 2020: * CZIB-2017-01R6 : Airspace of Mali within Niamey Flight Information Region * CZIB-2017-02R5 : Airspace of Libya * CZIB-2017-03R5 : Airspace of Syria * CZIB-2017-04R5 : Airspace of Iraq * CZIB-2017-05R5 : Airspace of Somalia * CZIB-2017-08R4 : Airspace of Afghanistan * CZIB-2018-03R3 : Airspace of South Sudan https://news.aviation-safety.net/2019/10/02/easa-extends-conflict-zone-warnings-for- seven-countries/ Back to Top FAA complains to ICAO of weakening skills of "manual" aircraft piloting Pilots give all control to complex automated systems that are designed to prevent errors and help, but NOT to replace the crew The United States Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, demanded that International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, address the problem of weakening skills of "manual" aircraft piloting - pilots forgot how to fly aircraft in unusual, crisis conditions and are simply not ready for emergency situations. It turns out that in world aviation, figuratively speaking, there is a general problem - pilots give all control to complex automated systems that are designed to prevent errors and help, but NOT to replace the crew. Moreover, some experts note that "most airline pilots rely on autopilot from take-off to the moment of landing, minimizing manual control of the aircraft." And most importantly, the reason for this is not so much the laziness or incompetence of the pilots, but the requirement of the airlines, summed-up in "less people, less trouble." "When automation ceases to work properly, pilots who do not have sufficient manual control experience and proper training may be hesitant or not have enough skills to take control of the aircraft," the FAA report to ICAO said. Safety experts have long warned of a deterioration in manual piloting skills, and some experts have noted that most line pilots rely on autopilot from taking off the aircraft until landing, minimizing manual control of the aircraft. https://en.mercopress.com/2019/10/04/faa-complains-to-icao-of- weakening-skills-of-manual-aircraft-piloting Back to Top Does Alaska aviation need a 'champion,' or just the funding we deserve? On Sept. 6, the National Transportation Safety Board held a safety roundtable in Anchorage on air taxi and small commuter operations (a.k.a. Part 135 operators) in Alaska. The meeting, which was open to the public, was scheduled because Alaska is currently in the midst of a brutal aviation year, especially for these operators. There have been 13 Part 135-involved crashes in 2019, resulting in 12 fatalities and 11 serious injuries. Several of these accidents, including the Guardian Flight crash last January and the Taquan Air/Mountain Air Service midair collision in May, have made national news. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt hosted the roundtable with nearly three dozen participants from industry, federal agencies and other "interested parties." They discussed multiple topics, made specific recommendations about the Bethel area and declared a need for a "champion" to take the lead for Alaska aviation safety. There was only one clear conclusion, however: Alaska isn't going to get what it needs. The roundtable opened with an analysis of the common causes of crashes among the state's Part 135 operators since 2008. The top four were: controlled flight into terrain, loss of control in flight, midair, and unintended flight into instrument meteorological conditions. There was no information however on where the accidents occurred, the types of operators involved or pilot experience (or lack thereof). From studying the NTSB accident database, I have come to some conclusions that should prove useful. Of the 270 accidents involving Part 135 operators since 2008, at least 35% were with scheduled commuters. (The 270 figure includes accidents that occurred when the operators were flying under Part 91 such as for training or repositioning of aircraft.) The average flight time of the pilots was 7,730 hours. (This does not count recent crashes still under investigation, for which flight time is unavailable.) The regions most affected were the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, with 20% of the accidents, and Southcentral, with 18.5%. The highest number of fatalities occurred equally in both the Southcentral and Southeast, with 28 deaths recorded in each region. And finally, 23 total Part 135 accidents since 2008 involved members of the Ravn Air Group. In light of these statistics, and more that were available to the NTSB, some of the topic choices at the roundtable seem odd. While TEMSCO Helicopters and Wings Airways both operate in Southeast and could offer insight into that region's high fatality figures, their management personnel were given comparatively little time to speak versus Ravn Alaska President and CEO Dave Pflieger. This was particularly unfortunate, as Ravn's experience is overwhelmingly on-airport and does not include skis, floats or tour flights in high-density areas. Further, while Pflieger was commended for improving Ravn's collective accident record, the representatives from Wings Airways and Warbelow's Air Ventures were given little opportunity to share how they have basically avoided accidents entirely. In the 23 accidents that Ravn Air Group's various members - Frontier Flying Service, Hageland Aviation, PenAir and Era Aviation - have had since 2008, 12 people died and nine were seriously injured. In that same period, Wings Airways had no accidents and Warbelow's had only one, more than 10 years ago, with no injuries. Further insight from these two companies would have been exceedingly useful. While determinedly avoiding specifics, the roundtable devoted considerable time to flight risk assessment procedures and safety management systems. (According to the FAA website, these systems are a "... top-down, organization-wide approach to managing safety risk and assuring the effectiveness of safety risk controls.") There was a suggestion from Pflieger, received favorably by Sumwalt, that in order to carry the mail operators should be required to have a safety management system. But there was no data on how risk assessment programs compare to infrastructure improvements in terms of increasing safety in Alaska. Panelists pointed out many problems found in Bethel, one of the state's busiest airports, and suggested anyone flying in that airspace should have Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology. They also discussed an overall dearth of certified weather and how this often rendered instrument approaches unusable. "You want us to fly IFR," said Dan Knesek, Grant Aviation's vice president of operations, "but you don't give us the tools to do so." Finally, the call for an Alaska "champion" was issued by the FAA's JoAnn Ford and echoed by Sumwalt. Then Richard VanAllman, manager of the FAA's Planning and Requirements Group, Western Service Center, Air Traffic Organization, asserted with grim finality that Alaskans "are not going to get everything you want." It all comes down to a calculus that everyone seemed to want to avoid: Advanced aviation infrastructure is in place for the Lower 48 because even with devastating crash statistics, Alaska's small population just does not and will not warrant that same degree of funding attention. So while the NTSB is genuinely concerned about the state's recent accidents, the money is not coming to prevent future accidents. That is why risk assessment and SMS are such popular talking points: They're cheap. Here is one number no one thought to bring up at the meeting: 1,014. That is the number of Alaskan accidents classified as Part 135 since 1982, the first year the NTSB began archiving accident reports online. Those crashes resulted in 440 deaths. By any reasonable calculus including those two figures, it would seem Alaskans have paid far more than required to reach the same infrastructure standard as the Lower 48. If our living population is not enough, then surely our dead should provide plenty of champions worth counting. If not, well, everyone can come back next year and we'll see how many more have been added to the list. https://www.adn.com/opinions/2019/10/04/does-alaska-aviation-need-a- champion-or-just-the-funding-we-deserve/ Back to Top UN Aviation Agency Moves Forward on Climate Action, Despite Objections from China and Russia Statement from Annie Petsonk, International Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund The Assembly of the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) today approved, by a solid majority, moving forward with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). It also committed itself to undertake the research needed to develop, by 2022, a roadmap for a long-term climate goal for international aviation. It took these steps despite objections by China, India and Russia to a study of options for a long-term target, and even though China reiterated its previous objection to the CORSIA goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020. "This Assembly moved CORSIA forward with the support of a broad majority of ICAO members. EDF will be watching to see that all airlines implement CORSIA with integrity, and we will press airlines and governments to put in place the declining limits on climatedamaging emissions that are needed to make flying something that is compatible with Paris climate goals. "Last Friday's half a million-strong youth climate strike in Montreal disrupted business as usual at ICAO. The strike should be a wake-up call: ICAO needs to take urgent action to slow aviation's climate impact. ICAO must heed this call. "In the end, today's plenary produced a bag of mixed results. While the General Assembly reaffirmed its previous policies to begin to address aviation's climate impacts, it will need to do much more to chart the kind of course needed to avert dangerous lock-in of climate-damaging aviation infrastructure. "Industry leaders recognize that the science behind Greta Thunberg's "flygskam" movement calls into question the entire future of international aviation, but some governments seem determined not to grapple with this. We look to ICAO to get down to business developing real options for decarbonizing international aviation by 2050, noting that the three-year work program ICAO gave itself to develop a roadmap gives the flight-shame movement three years to mature into even more of a challenge to the business-as-usual approach to aviation's future." https://www.edf.org/media/un-aviation-agency-moves-forward-climate- action-despite-objections-china-and-russia Back to Top American Airlines Leadership Change Imminent? AMERICAN There are stronger rumors than ever before that we may soon see a management shakeup at American Airlines. With American's next earnings call at the end of the month, there's talk of the possibility of a management change being announced by then. Doug Parker Seems Like A Nice & Smart Guy Let me start by saying that I actually think American's CEO, Doug Parker, seems like a nice guy. He comes across as genuinely nice, earnest, and likable, which I can't say about some other airline CEOs. He's also incredibly knowledgable about the airline, and isn't just a figurehead (which, again, I can't say about some other airline CEOs). Parker has no doubt had an outstanding career in the airline industry, and has done amazing things. He was appointed CEO of America West in 2001 (days before the 9/11 attacks), and he has been at the helm through two huge mergers, and now runs the world's biggest airline. Seriously, my hats off to him - he's one of the greatest success stories in the airline industry, and I think he did a very good job through all the major transitions his airlines went through (ranging from dealing with the reality of the post-9/11 airline industry, to merging America West and US Airways, to merging US Airways and American). American Airlines Needs A Leadership Change All that being said, Parker's time has clearly come, and American Airlines needs a leadership change. This isn't me trying to hate on American, but I think this is a sentiment that a vast majority of people with various stakes in the airline would agree with. Some people may think American's current management team is only slightly dysfunctional, while others think they're doing an abysmal job. I'd be curious to hear from you guys on this - does anyone think that Parker does an outstanding job as CEO of American Airlines? American's leadership is letting down employees, customers, and shareholders. I feel like all three of those points are pretty self explanatory, but: * As far as employees go, American has failed to give employees a mission statement, as the company can't seem to decide on an identity; a vast majority of employees don't feel understood by management, and American is having major labor issues with their mechanics (and negotiations are about to start with pilots and flight attendants) * As far as customers go, well, if you've flown the airline you probably know what I'm talking about * As far as shareholders go, American stock is near a five year low, and the company has underperformed in just about every way compared to what Parker has promised It's not just that things aren't good now, but management hasn't done anything to indicate that things will change anytime soon. Scott Kirby Denies Rumors Of Returning To American For the record I think the last thing American Airlines needs is the return of Scott Kirby, and more America West thinking. That being said, Kirby had some interesting comments this week about his role at United and his career at American. For those of you not familiar, Kirby was President of American until 2016, when he became President of United. There has been some talk about the possibility of him returning to American as CEO, to which he said: "I made a commitment to Oscar. Oscar was big enough to take a chance on me to bring me to United, and Oscar and United Airlines is the place where I'm going to end my career." This is an interesting statement given that Kirby is only 51. This certainly suggests that he's in line to be the next CEO of United, which I think is what we were all expecting anyway. Then again, he was also in line to be the next CEO at American, and we saw how that worked out... Kirby also talked a bit about how his actual departure from American happened, which he describes as the biggest surprise of his career: * In late spring 2016 American CEO Doug Parker said he was planning to retire and that he wanted Kirby to take his place * Three months later, Parker walked into his office and read off a piece of paper that Kirby needed to transition out of American Ouch. Who Should American Airlines' Next CEO Be? American can't legally hire a foreign CEO, so someone like Rupert Hogg is out of the question (though Hogg might not be a great choice either way if American wants to continue flying to China). If Parker were to finally leave the airline, there are a few directions I could see this going: * We could see someone who is part of the existing American management team be given the role; this could be American President Robert Isom or American EVP of People and Communications Elise Eberwein * We could see a successful former CEO of another airline be given the role; Richard Anderson retired at Delta in 2017 and now runs Amtrak, but maybe he is tired of all of those subsidies and wants a new challenge in the airline industry? * We could see the return of a former American executive who was well regarded but let go; for example, Virasb Vahidi is American's former Chief Commercial Officer, but he was let go in 2013 (interestingly he's now working in some capacity at Nigeria's Green Africa Airways * We could see American try to poach a well regarded executive at another airline; one that comes to mind is Delta President Glen Hauenstein, but then again, Delta CEO Ed Bastian is 62, and I imagine he's in line for the CEO position within a few years I heard former United CEO Jeff Smisek is looking for a job and has some ideas that he thinks we'll like... okay, just kidding Bottom Line Parker was allegedly going to retire back in 2016, but didn't. Since then he has made tens of millions of dollars, so maybe this would be a good time for him to step down and have someone else try their hand at running the airline. Pretty please? Ideally this would be someone who can come up with a vision for the airline that doesn't just involve copying the negative things Delta does without trying to replicate any of the things that make Delta special. Obviously this is all speculation at this point, but I'd be shocked if Parker is still in his current role by the end of the year. I think Delta swooping in and buying a stake in LATAM may have just been the nail in the coffin here... https://onemileatatime.com/american-airlines-leadership-change/ Back to Top As Thomas Cook Collapses Into Bankruptcy-Will Norwegian Be The Next Airline To Fail? The collapse of Thomas Cook after a staggering 178 years of operations have sent shockwaves around the travel sector. The world's oldest travel company had been facing financial difficulties for a number of years due to changing travel habits and a consumer move away from package holiday bookings. With the recent bankruptcy of several other airlines around the world, from Jet Airways and Air Berlin to Iceland's low- cost operator, WOW Air, the financial spotlight had been on the Thomas Cook Aviation business for a while. So what will be the next major airline to fail? Almost anything that could potentially go wrong for an airline, often does go wrong. From strikes to bad weather, maintenance issues, delays and stiff competition-airlines face a plethora of potential issues. Norwegian Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landing at Rome Fiumicino... AIRPORT FIUMICINO, ROME, ITALY - 2018/09/02: Norwegian Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landing at Rome Fiumicino airport. (Photo by Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES Bad Luck Norwegian Air could potentially have been on the receiving end of the worst luck, as almost everything has gone wrong for them recently, but as a passenger, you wouldn't know it (yet). If you searched for air fares between Europe and the U.S., chances are you will have seen some great Norwegian prices pop up. The low-cost airline dared to go where few airlines have ventured before, despite many flirting with the idea-long- haul low cost flights. Norwegian's popularity has grown exponentially in the last few years, offering transatlantic flights for as little as $99 one way to 12 American cities. What the airline have contributed towards trans-Atlantic price competition has been fantastically positive for consumers. However, Norwegian's low-cost aggressive expansion has come at a cost, which is now beginning to come to fruition. To allow the airline to price tickets incredibly low, Norwegian maintained a very slender fleet consisting of just two of the most fuel-efficient aircraft types in the sky. Here began Norwegians problems-an incredibly bad luck. Firstly, they operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which faced multiple groundings over the last few years due to Rolls Royce engine troubles. Secondly, Norwegian have had to ground their entire fleet of 737-MAX aircraft after two fatal crashes earlier this year on Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines. As if this wasn't bad enough luck, the airline had a 737-Max divert to Iran due to an emergency at the end of 2018, only to have the plane stuck on the ground for several months because the spare part couldn't be flown to Iran due to US sanctions. As a result, if an airline has an aircraft grounded, it is losing money. High debt and cutbacks With the peak summer season now over, Norwegian is starting to look strapped for cash during the difficult winter trading period, and it wouldn't be the first time. The airline has just tapped up their bondholders for a two-year extension in paying pack $380 million of debt-this sounds very similar to the final few weeks of Thomas Cook. In Norwegian's instance, bondholders didn't seem to have much of a choice. Norwegian simply doesn't have the cash to repay the imminently due bonds that equate to two- thirds of their entire market valuation. However, with earnings deteriorating, and the aggressive expansion now having to be scaled back, which has been the main growth source of the airlines low-cost popularity, it seems as though delaying repayment of Norwegian's bonds is just delaying the inevitable. With signs of the global economy slowing down, and earnings at the airline taking another hit, there are serious concerns about the airline's survival. With a valuation of just $540 million after Norwegian's share price took an 80% hit since 2015, compared to an insurmountable $7.1 billion of net debt and lease liabilities after a huge aircraft order for expansion in 2012, Norwegian has almost no more margin for error. The carrier could well be entering its last months of independent operations, especially considering that the airline's aggressive expansion now seems to have been placed on hold. A further recent announcement that Norwegian is ending transatlantic flights between Ireland and North America is further proof of the cutbacks that the once rambunctiously expanding airline is making. To make matters worse (or possibly better depending on investor perspective), Bjorn Kjos, the co-founder and CEO who was responsible for Norwegian's aggressive expansion has recently resigned. What Next? Last year when Norwegian's difficulties resurfaced, British Airways' owner, IAG, threw the low-cost airline a lifeline. Arguably, the model that Norwegian operated had hurt the bread and butter IAG transatlantic routes, and acquiring Norwegian made good business sense. IAG even went so far as to acquiring a minority stake in Norwegian, such was their aggressive expansion and positive market disruption. But that was then, and now, after turning down two separate bids from IAG's boss Willie Walsh, the deal is off the table. For good this time, according to IAG at least. IAG announced in February that it had even sold its shares in Norwegian and seemingly, the only option that bondholders and shareholders have now, is a takeover approach from another airline. The outspoken Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has even outwardly said this week that he expects Norwegian to be the next airline to fail. A Norwegian spokesman told me that the company's extensive cost reduction program, Focus2019, continues with full effect, and claimed that the airline is delivering on their strategy to move from growth to profitability. Long gone are the days of 2018 when British Airways and Lufthansa were getting to grips with a potential bidding war to acquire the much prized asset of Norwegian, and unless Lufthansa or another financially healthy carrier comes back to the table, we may see the low cost long haul disruptor slip towards the same fate as Thomas Cook. Could there be another twist though, where actually IAG do swoop in to buy Norwegian after playing down any further attempts? The world of acquisitions can be like a game of poker at times, but one thing seems certain, and that is that Norwegian will need external help to continue the low-cost, long haul transatlantic party. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesasquith/2019/10/04/as-thomas-cook- collapses-into-bankruptcywill-norwegian-be-the-next-airline-to-fail/?ss=cio- network#3c78f2c2734c Back to Top GoAir plans to add one aircraft a month, says managing director Jeh Wadia GoAir MD Jeh Wadia said the new planes will help it launch flight services to Singapore and Aizwal besides catering to the seasonal demand. Budget carrier GoAir said on Friday it will induct one aircraft every month as part of its aggressive fleet and network expansion plans. Announcing the induction of two new A320neos, GoAir managing director Jeh Wadia, in a release, said the new planes will help it launch flight services to Singapore and Aizwal besides catering to the seasonal demand. The delivery of the two aircraft, one from the European aviation major Airbus' Hamburg facility and other from its Toulouse plant, was taken in one single day, which is a record of sorts for any airline, he said. "The induction of twin aircraft in the GoAir fleet is in sync with our strategy of aggressive growth and expansion of our network. Our plan is to add at least one aircraft on average every month," Wadia said. The airline plans to start operation to its eighth international and 25th domestic destination--Singapore and Aizwal, subject to regulatory approvals, he said. Industrialist Nusli Wadia-promoted no-frills GoAir have placed an order with Airbus for 144 narrow-body planes, in two tranches. In June 2011, the airline placed an order for 72 new A320neo aircraft valued at about Rs 32,400 crore on the list price. Then in January 2017, the airline firmed an order for another 72 A320neos worth Rs 52,000 crore. GoAir is looking to fly 100 million passengers in the next two years, Wadia said adding the airline has doubled its fleet to 53 at present from 27 two years ago. The number of daily flights has also grown by 41 per cent to over 325 as compared to 230 daily services in the same period last year, he said. https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/goair-plans-to-add- one-aircraft-a-month-says-managing-director-jeh-wadia- 119100401222_1.html Back to Top Ethiopian Airlines Close to Deal to Order Airbus A220 Planes (Bloomberg) -- Ethiopian Airlines Group is close to agreeing a deal with Airbus SE for as many as 20 narrow-body A220 planes worth more than $1.6 billion, reviving an earlier plan after a spell using larger Boeing Co. 737s. Africa's biggest and most consistently profitable carrier is in late-stage talks about the purchase of the 100-seater aircraft, which should be completed by the end of the year, Chief Executive Officer Tewolde GebreMariam said in an interview at the state-owned airline's head office in Addis Ababa. The move would be a reversal of a decision last year to try flying larger planes to cities including Windhoek in Namibia and the Botswana capital Gaborone. To fill those jets, Ethiopian had to stop off at a second destination such as Victoria Falls on the way, the CEO said. Using A220s will make direct flights viable. "It's a good airplane -- we have been studying it long enough," Tewolde said on Thursday. With a range of five hours the jet is particularly suited to smaller markets that are relatively distant, he said. The A220 was formerly known as the Bombardier Inc. C Series before being taken over by Airbus. Ethiopian could buy between 10 and 20 planes, the CEO said. The A220-100 model costs $81 million each, according to 2018 list prices. Crash Aftermath The order would be Ethiopian's first since the crash in March of a Boeing 737 Max outside Addis Ababa, which killed 157 people. Tewolde reiterated that the carrier would be the last to resume flights of the currently grounded model, which is nearing a vital test with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Ethiopian has 28 Max aircraft on order, alongside other Airbus, Boeing and turboprop models, according to the company's website. "It's only natural for us to be the last one to decide on the Max," the CEO said. "If we're convinced the problems are fully addressed, and that the re-certification is done in a collaborative manner with all regulators, then we will take the time, effort and energy to convince our pilots, crew and passengers that the aircraft is safe to get back in the air." Another major issue is the difficulty of getting cash out of various African countries where foreign-exchange is in short supply. Ethiopian has almost $100 million stuck in Angola, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Eritrea, Tewolde said. Still, Ethiopian would not consider giving up on those markets, as it wants to maintain it's role as a pan-African carrier serving the whole continent. "Other airlines will have stopped, but we want to be there for a long time," Tewolde said. "We have to find ways and means of continuing the operation." Ethiopian is a rare success story among African carriers, with its two main rivals -- Kenya Airways and South African Airways -- struggling with losses and relying on government support. The company had net income of $189 million in the year through June, the CEO said. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ethiopian-airlines-close-deal-order-113855479.html Back to Top NASA is Going to Test 25 New Technologies in Upcoming Aircraft, Balloon and Sub-Orbital Rocket Flights NASA's Flight Opportunities program has selected 25 space technologies for further testing. They're testing the technologies on aircraft, balloons, and sub-orbital rocket flights. NASA hopes to learn a lot about each of the technologies with this rigorous testing, without the expense of sending them all into orbital space. This testing will subject each of the technologies-which includes everything from navigation technologies to astronaut health-monitoring-to the demands and rigor of space travel, without actually sending them into space. It's an important step in the the development of these technologies before they're included in any actual missions. In January 2018, a Blue Origin New Shepard sub-orbital rocket carried nine Flight Opportunities technologies into sub-orbital space for testing. Image Credit: Blue Origin "With vibrant and growing interest in exploration and commercial space across the country, our goal with these selections is to support innovators from industry and academia who are using rapid and affordable commercial opportunities to test their technologies in space," said Christopher Baker, program executive for Flight Opportunities at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "These suborbital flights enable researchers to quickly and iteratively test technologies with the opportunity to make adjustments between flights. The ultimate goal is to change the pace of technology development and drastically shorten the time it takes to bring an idea from the lab to orbit or to the Moon." NASA call this program a bridge between laboratory testing and testing in Earth orbit and beyond. The technologies being tested fall under two fairly broad categorizations: Topic 1: Supporting Sustainable Lunar Exploration and the Expansion of Economic Activity into Cislunar Space Topic 2: Fostering the Commercialization of Low Earth Orbit and Utilization of Suborbital Space The short name for this program is "Tech Flights." NASA invited interested companies/organizations to apply to the Tech Flights program, and awardees were given a total of $10 million this year. Awardees will either receive the money as a grant, or as a part of a cost-sharing arrangement with NASA. From there, the awardees can select a flight-provider that meets the testing needs of their technology. In 2011, one of the technologies in the Tech Flights program was an Autonomous Robotic Capture system. It was developing technology for the autonomous capture and servicing of satellites in geosynchronous and low Earth orbit, and potentially the capture/disposal of large orbital debris. Image Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center The Tech Flights program is part of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, and has been operating since 2010. So far, over 200 technologies have been awarded funds for testing. There's an astounding variety of technologies among those 200. Everything from a vacuum-based sample collector that works in the vacuum of space, to robotic grippers based on geckos. From parts-per-billion trace gas detectors that can help find life on other planets and can be used in medical breath diagnosis, to radiation-tolerant computing technology for satellites. This artist's concept image shows how an inspection robot could stick to the outside of the ISS using a geckoinspired gripping system. Credit: NASA The 25 chosen in this year's program also feature a wide variety of space technologies. From large-scale solar arrays that fold up like origami during transport, to a system that can synthesize pharmaceuticals for astronauts on long-duration space missions. The Moon will see a lot of visitors and activity in the near future. NASA's Artemis Program aims to have astronauts there by 2024. They're also planning on building the Lunar Gateway, which is not only a base for expanding the exploration of the Moon and its resources, but also for a future mission to Mars. In 2017, the MOJO Micro-robot was one of the chosen technologies in the Tech Flights program. It was designed to traverse 3D structures like space habitats built in space. The MOJO Micro-robot was developed by MIT for construction and inspection of structures. Image Credit: MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms With all of that activity comes a need for better technology. There are a vast number of problems to be solved and technologies to be developed before human presence can be expanded beyond Earth orbit. In operation since 2010, and with over 200 technologies tested, the Flight Opportunities Program is playing an important role in space exploration. The complete list of the 25 technologies chosen for Tech Flights is here. https://www.universetoday.com/143644/nasa-is-going-to-test-25-new-technologies-in- upcoming-aircraft-balloon-and-sub-orbital-rocket-flights/ Back to Top RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Part 141 Flight School Senior Staff, The Ohio State University's Center of Aviation is conducting a comparative analysis of Part 141 program models through its student capstone course. The goal of the study is to better improve factors such as instructor retention, aircraft utilization, and general program attraction. All Part 141 flight schools are encouraged to participate! This survey is meant for Part 141 aviation program staff who have knowledge of current pay rates, CFI benefits, and fleet utilization data. The data received from this survey will be shared with collaborators, upon request. Although any feedback received will aid us in our analysis, all questions are considered optional. We understand that not all data requested may be available to you. We estimate this survey will take 20 minutes or less to complete. For more information or assistance with this survey, please contact Noel Benford at Benford.15@osu.edu. Survey https://qtrial2019q3az1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aVR6Y5B50Lu23qd Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study to assess a pilot's trust in air traffic controllers. This study is expected to take approximately 5 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be a resident of the United States, at least 18 years old, and a certified pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If you choose to opt out, your data will be immediately destroyed. We appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study. Please click on or copy and paste the URL below: https://forms.gle/JmvoYiUBb3BfJbgY9 For more information, please contact: Brad Baugh, Ph.D. in Aviation Candidate baughfd0@my.erau.edu We appreciate your interest and participation! Curt Lewis