Flight Safety Information April 2, 2020 - No. 067 In This Issue Incident: Wizz A320 near Sofia on Apr 1st 2020, loss of cabin pressure Incident: Aeroflot SU95 at Moscow on Mar 31st 2020, hydraulic failure Incident: Azul A20N at Recife on Mar 19th 2020, cargo smoke indication FAA Proposes Noise Standards for Supersonic Aircraft NBAA Event Addresses Flight Ops Mission Readiness China's domestic aviation recovers, but only mildly, from virus shutdowns O'Hare Airport closes 2 runways as air travel plummets over COVID-19 US carriers race to shrink fleets as nearly 400 near-term aircraft deliveries loom Online Aviation Degree Launches At K-State Polytech Navy Can't Afford to Slow Pilot Training Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Coronavirus: Air India pilots 'at risk of infection' on rescue flights American Airlines giving leave to nearly 1,500 pilots in April as it tries to trim workforce More than 12,000 apply to become an astronaut for NASA's 'Artemis Generation' Call for Nominations For 2020 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award The USC Aviation Safety & Security Program Has Moved Online! Incident: Wizz A320 near Sofia on Apr 1st 2020, loss of cabin pressure A Wizz Air Airbus A320-200, registration HA-LYR performing flight W6-4306 from London Luton,EN (UK) to Sofia (Bulgaria) with 96 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL390 about 140nm northwest of Sofia, still in Serbian Airspace, when the crew initiated an emergency descent to FL100 due to the loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft continued to Sofia, the crew advised no assistance was needed for the arrival, after levelling off at FL100 the crew advised a normal descent schedule from this point on, they would be able to hold for about 50 minutes at Sofia before they needed to divert (tower reported RVRs for runway 09 at 1500-1600 meters). The aircraft landed on Sofia's runway 09 about 25 minutes after leaving FL390. The aircraft is still on the ground in Sofia about 5 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d54c2ae&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Aeroflot SU95 at Moscow on Mar 31st 2020, hydraulic failure An Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, registration RA-89043 performing flight SU-1101 from Krasnodar to Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) with 80 people on board, was descending towards Moscow when the crew reported a hydraulic failure. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 06L. The airline is investigating whether a hydraulic failure occurred indeed or a sensor malfunctioned. The aircraft is still on the ground in Moscow about 32 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d54bec6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Azul A20N at Recife on Mar 19th 2020, cargo smoke indication An Azul Linhas Aereas Airbus A320-200N, registration PR-YRO performing flight AD-4950 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP to Recife,PE (Brazil) with 79 passengers and 6 crew, was descending towards Recife when the crew received an aft cargo smoke indication and discharged the fire suppression system. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Recife's runway 18 about 12 minutes later. Brazil's CENIPA reported the indication was determined false. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d54ba96&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top FAA Proposes Noise Standards for Supersonic Aircraft The FAA has developed a notice of proposed rulemaking that would establish subsonic landing and takeoff cycle standards for supersonic aircraft such as the Aerion AS2. In a move that brings the reintroduction to civil supersonic flight closer to reality, the U.S. FAA is proposing new noise standards for certification of supersonic aircraft. Announced on Monday, the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) would address a key stumbling block for bringing such aircraft to market: the lack of noise standards for civil supersonic aircraft other than the Concorde. Since regulations require aircraft to meet noise standards for certification, the absence of such standards effectively prevents new supersonic aircraft from receiving type approval. "There is renewed interest in the development of supersonic aircraft, and the proposed regulations would facilitate the continued development of airplanes by specifying the noise limits for the designs," the agency said in the NPRM. The proposal would establish subsonic landing and takeoff cycle standards for supersonic airplanes with a maximum takeoff weight no greater than 150,000 pounds and a maximum operating cruise speed of Mach 1.8. This category of aircraft would constitute "Supersonic Level 1," accommodating most of the current development activity, the agency said. The FAA does envision future rulemaking of designs that advance beyond that category but said more research needs to be conducted first. Based on studies performed by NASA, work at the International Civil Aviation Organization, and industry research, the proposal would establish takeoff and landing cycle limits that would exceed Stage 4, which most aircraft currently meet. However, the standards are different than those of Stage 5, the FAA said, adding, "This difference reflects the need to take into account the unique technological and design requirements for supersonic aircraft to maintain long-distance supersonic flight." Design requirements such as fuselage and wing shape, along with variations in engine characteristics, have different effects on airplane noise than that of typical subsonic aircraft, the FAA said. The standards provide for use of airplane-specific noise abatement technical equipment and procedures such as variable noise reduction systems. This is designed to provide "allow maximum flexibility for manufacturers," the agency said, adding it is striving "to allow the maximum latitude for these designs while they are still in their infancy." This proposal would provide a means to certify the aircraft for noise for subsonic operation domestically, the agency said. But it does not change the current ban on the creation of sonic booms over land, nor does it address noise associated with normal flight at cruise altitudes or supersonic speeds. "Sufficient data are not currently available that would support rulemaking to develop such standards for supersonic airplanes," the agency said. "Before any changes to the operating rules could be proposed, more research is needed on the production of noise at supersonic cruise speeds and the regulatory approaches that would be appropriate." As for aircraft that may exceed Supersonic Level 1, the FAA said the proposed standards will "serve as a launching point for adopting appropriate standards for future classes that could encompass, for example, heavier maximum takeoff weights and faster-operating cruise speeds...The FAA does not intend for today's proposal to be a one-size-fits-all approach to emerging supersonic technology," The agency said manufacturers have been indicating a need for reasonable, achievable standards for more than a decade. In addition to manufacturers' requests, the NPRM is spurred in part from a congressional directive for the FAA to take a leadership role in supersonic policy, the agency said. The NPRM marks the next step toward providing the necessary regulatory basis, following the release of a proposal last summer to enable the issuance of special flight authorizations for certification testing of supersonic aircraft. While not yet scheduled for publication in the Federal Register, the latest NPRM will be open for comment for 90 days from the date it is published. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-04-01/faa-proposes-noise-standards-supersonic-aircraft Back to Top NBAA Event Addresses Flight Ops Mission Readiness This story is part of AIN's continuing coverage of the impact of the coronavirus on aviation. Flight departments are taking advantage of downtime due to the coronavirus shutdowns to conduct training and prepare for busier times while also maintaining readiness in case emergency trips become necessary. The steps some flight departments are taking were highlighted during NBAA's News Hour webinar yesterday-"Maintaining Flight Department Readiness"-which was recorded for those who couldn't participate. "The situation is fluid and evolving," warned moderator Jo Damato, NBAA v-p of educational strategy and workforce development, and she noted that the information shared with attendees was specific to March 31. VF Corp chief pilot Brad Self explained that his flight department stopped operations on March 16, but the company is maintaining flight crews and technicians on standby. "They're doing basic functions on the airplanes," he said. "We're going to come up with a plan to stay current if this keeps going on." Otherwise, he and his team are working on internal projects and communicating remotely via the Zoom platform, including using AviationManuals for updating flight operations manuals and other flight department documents. "Prior to the outbreak, we were moving at a high operational pace," said James Stone, Aflac director of aviation services. The company operates two aircraft, but once the stay-at-home recommendations took hold, no more travel was scheduled. "Right now we're in a wait-and-see mode," he said. "We're officing from home, and maintenance and flight crews are on standby." Meanwhile, to help keep pilots current and the airplanes healthy, the Aflac pilots are flying once a week. "Today the airplanes are sitting consistently," he said, "and we're pairing the need to keep crews' heads in the game with the need to exercise the airplanes. It's not a perfect system, but it keeps us in readiness mode and the aircraft ready to go." AviationManuals CEO Mark Baier and Kevin Honan, the company's senior advisor operations manuals and emergency response plans, outlined some of the ways flight operations can use the coronavirus downtime to improve internal processes and safety procedures. "This is a good time to test the validity and robustness" of company emergency response plans and safety management systems (SMS), Baier said. While employees are working remotely, this is an opportunity to make sure the plans work in a remote-work scenario. "Incidents and hazards don't happen at opportune moments when we're all in the office," he said. "We've seen operators try to improve their processes," said Honan. "A big one is the flight planning phase on alternates. And the emergency response plan, what if someone becomes ill, like the flight crew, overseas? A lot of coordination is needed. This is a great time to examine these procedures." With regard to keeping employees safe and healthy during the crisis, Stone admitted that physical distancing makes this difficult. His department is limiting the number of contacts the employees have and assessing the risks when people need to work together, for example, when flying the airplanes or maintenance work where more than one technician is needed. Those pilots who are flying as a crew are paired together and won't fly with others. And no one is allowed to go to the company hangar unless they have a specific task to accomplish and no one else is there. "We're a close-knit bunch," he said, "and this is requiring a lot of thinking about how we can stay apart." He added that some training has been postponed, but the department does hold weekly check-in meetings online. "This gives us a chance to talk," he said, "and see how they're doing with their families." VF Corp's Self said every flight department employee has additional duties on top of their pilot, technician, or other job and they can work on these collateral duties during this downtime. Some of this work involves going over the flight operations manual and company policies and updating them where necessary. Self and his team are carefully monitoring pilot currency, using the PFM software that the department runs on. He expects that some limited flying will start soon, not only to keep the airplanes in good shape but also for basic pilot currency. Other considerations for flight departments during this time include the important work of being ready for an emergency flight to pick up a company employee, which will likely involve a lot of preparation. Many countries are strictly limiting aviation operations, although medevac flights are generally allowed. Honan pointed out that it would be a good idea to consult with third-party medical providers such as Medaire and look for information at the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization. Crews need to consider hygiene and physical distancing while traveling, whether there are even hotels available, if FBOs are open, and what to do if a crewmember gets sick during the trip. Crewmembers must feel free to give anonymous feedback as well, Baier explained. "It's important to go to the highest standard of safety to make everyone is comfortable in times like this," he said, "and putting policies and procedures in place and respecting their sensitivities." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-04-01/nbaa-event-addresses-flight-ops-mission-readiness Back to Top China's domestic aviation recovers, but only mildly, from virus shutdowns BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) - China's domestic flights rose by about a fifth in March from the previous month, the aviation regulator said, but that was still less than half the flights before the shutdowns due to the coronavirus, showing the sector is recovering only gradually. The number of daily flights climbed 20.5% in March to 6,533, Jin Junhao, an official at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), told a press conference on Thursday. That was still just 42% of the daily flights before the coronavirus struck. Most of the increased travel demand in March was from labour abundant regions such as southwest and northwest China to coastal areas where labour demand was tight, he said. The aviation industry is closely watching domestic capacity in China as a harbinger of demand recovery trends in other markets around the world that are still in a capacity cutting phase as the pandemic spreads. Major state-backed carriers this week warned that fares remained low, fewer seats were filled than usual and cautious travellers were waiting until the last minute to book. The rebound in China has been hampered by the slower-than-expected recovery in broader economic activity. Air China Ltd, China Southern Airlines Co Ltd and China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd said this week they were looking to defer airplane deliveries despite a gradual rebound in capacity, according to analysts who listened to post-results teleconferences. China Eastern said it had aimed to operate 40%-50% of its domestic flights in March but there was demand for only around 30% based on bookings, according to BOCOM International analyst Luya You. "On the flight arrangements, we're making real-time adjustments based on market conditions," China Eastern said, responding to a Reuters request for comment. The other airlines did not respond immediately. CAAC ordered local and foreign airlines last week to drastically reduce international flight capacity to and from China over fears of re-introducing the coronavirus. The regulator has also put restrictions on the number of domestic flights per day in the second quarter, although subdued demand means the curbs don't have an impact, analysts said. "I think a full-fledged Q2 domestic rebound is not too likely, but we could see more stabilisation. Operations will probably remain around 30%-50% of normal for time being," said You. Air China forecast a rebound in the domestic market in June, with an international market recovery taking until August at the earliest, analysts said. China Southern had 45% of its aircraft idle in March, an improvement from 52% in February, but the carrier said it was filling fewer seats at lower fares, Daiwa analyst Kelvin Lau told clients in a note. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-domestic-aviation-recovers-only-074446142.html Back to Top O'Hare Airport closes 2 runways as air travel plummets over COVID-19 CHICAGO - The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced flights so significantly at O'Hare Airport that the Federal Aviation Administration closed two of its seven runways. In a typical month, O'Hare and Midway Airports have more than 89,000 arrivals and departures, servicing 8.2 million passengers. A source told WGN Investigates that flight operations at both airports are now down roughly 50 percent. With new federal guidelines encouraging social distancing to continue for the month, and Illinois' stay-at-home order extended just as long, the airlines have slashed their schedules. The result? Parts of O'Hare have turned into a parking lot for planes. Dozens of planes are parked on unused taxiways. Many more have been flown to airfields in the desert like this one WGN visited in New Mexico last fall. "I think one of the things where Chicago is most impacted is because it's a hub for two major international carriers, a lot of the regional flights we would normally be seeing here has dried up as airlines cut to essential services, basically," said Ian Petchenik, FlightRadar24.com. One example of how few people are flying: The TSA reports the number of people who passed through security checkpoints nationwide Tuesday was down 93 percent from the same day last year. The CEO of Chicago-based United told employees last week that if the recovery is as slow as he fears, the airline and workforce will be downsized. https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/ohare-airpot-closes-2-runways-as-air-travel-plummets-over-covid-19/ Back to Top US carriers race to shrink fleets as nearly 400 near-term aircraft deliveries loom The speed at which a handful of US passenger airlines bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic will to a large degree determine how significantly the virus downturn wallops airframers Airbus and Boeing. That is because US behemoths American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines collectively hold orders for 388 Airbus and Boeing aircraft due for delivery through the end of 2021, according to Cirium fleets data. Those orders alone account for 14% of the airframers' backlog of airline orders during the period. Indeed, the figures reveal the exposure Airbus and Boeing have, not only in the US airline sector, but more specifically to four of the world's largest operators. The ability of those carriers to recover from the coronavirus downturn will play a significant role in determining if Airbus and Boeing can keep delivering aircraft at anywhere near the record levels of recent years. Delta A350 Airbus's order book includes two A350s for delivery to Delta Air Lines before the end of 2020. Financial services company Jefferies is already anticipating a major aircraft delivery slump. It predicts Boeing and Airbus will deliver only 118 widebodies this year, down more than 70% from the 426 aircraft shipped last year, according to a 31 March research report. That figure includes an estimated 45 widebodies delivered by Airbus this year, down from 173 in 2019, and 73 widebodies delivered by Boeing, down from 253. Jefferies thinks Airbus' and Boeing's widebody deliveries will gradually increase to a combined 238 aircraft annually by 2023. It expects Airbus will deliver 489 narrowbodies (including A320-family aircraft and A220s) this year, down from 690 in 2019. Boeing, Jefferies predicts, will hand over 220 737 Max in 2020, with deliveries of about 35 aircraft monthly, By comparison, Boeing delivered 580 737s (including NGs and Max), or nearly 50 aircraft monthly, in 2018 - the last full year before the 2019 grounding. As their backlogs currently stand, airlines worldwide are due to receive some 2,705 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing between now and the end of 2021. The airframers' backlogs include another 350 aircraft due to lessors that have not specified which airlines will operate the aircraft, Cirium data shows. North American airlines hold 593 of those 2,705 orders, or 22% of the total, according to Cirium data. The North American orders are split roughly even between the manufacturers, with Airbus holding 277 orders and Boeing holding 316, data shows. Southwest is due to receive 114 aircraft - all of them 737 Max - between now and the end of next year, more aircraft than any airline anywhere. Delta, meanwhile, holds orders for 98 aircraft for delivery during the period. Those include 27 A220s, 55 A321s, 14 A330s and two A350s, Cirium shows. American is due to take 90 aircraft by the end of 2021, including 36 737 Max, 33 A321s and 21 787s, and United is due to receive 86 jets, including 74 737 Max and 12 787s. Whether US airlines will actually take delivery of all those aircraft remains an open question, though analysts say the recent grounding of hundreds of aircraft will likely spur a wave of order deferrals. Since the coronavirus downturn started, for instance, Southwest has reduced its in-service fleet from 709 to 614 737s, Cirium shows. On 31 March, the airline said it slashed about 2,000 flights daily from its schedules during the 3 May to 5 June period, a 40% decline. Likewise, United has cut April flying 60% - and it still expects load factors could be less than 10%. American and Delta have likewise slashed flying and retired older jets. The US government last week passed an economic package providing some $58 billion in support of US airlines and their workers. The law also makes $17 billion in loans available to national-security-critical companies and $454 billion to "distressed" businesses - categories into which analysts say aerospace companies like Boeing might fall. Teal Group aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia says the aid might help prevent a broad collapse of the aerospace supply chain, but he suspects it might exacerbate oversupply by keeping production humming at a time of low demand. "No one is taking these planes, or no one really wants them. But they are being built because there's government money," he says. https://www.flightglobal.com/fleets/us-carriers-race-to-shrink-fleets-as-nearly-400-near-term-aircraft-deliveries-loom/137677.article Back to Top Online Aviation Degree Launches At K-State Polytech Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus is expanding its aviation offerings to include an online bachelor's degree geared for students who have previously earned aviation-related certificates, ratings, licensures or college credit. This spring, a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical technology with a professional aviation option has launched at Kansas State Polytechnic. The online program combines a business and leadership emphasis with an aviation area of concentration in which the student already has experience. It is designed to provide a pathway for students to build on their training, advance their skills and complete a bachelor's degree. "We wanted to offer a degree that would give students the opportunity to accomplish their professional goals by maximizing the value of the college credit or certifications they have already achieved," said Troy Brockway, aviation professor at Kansas State Polytechnic. "The professional aviation degree is convenient with its online option and is comprehensive by welcoming a variety of transferrable aviation specialties. It also will enhance students' employability and will assist with their upward mobility in the industry." Students can transfer in up to 60 credit hours with up to 35 of those hours being in an aviation focus, such as professional pilot, aviation maintenance, air traffic control, airport management, unmanned aircraft systems, avionics and aviation safety. The degree utilizes the students' aviation focus by connecting it with classes in management, leadership and business, including Aviation Law, Practices of Industrial and Labor Relations, Managerial and Project Economics, and Supervisory Management. Those who consider the professional aviation degree could include students who have obtained flight ratings at a different university or at an airport fixed-base operator, an A&P aircraft maintenance technician, an air traffic controller, members of the military, and an aviation-focused associate degree holder. Once students have graduated with this bachelor's degree, they can expect to seek careers in every facet of aviation including sales, management, operations, maintenance and safety. To learn more about the new professional aviation degree option, contact Kansas State Polytechnic's admissions office at 785-826-2640 or polytechnic@k-state.edu. https://www.ksal.com/online-aviation-degree-launches-at-k-state-polytech/ Back to Top Navy Can't Afford to Slow Pilot Training Amid COVID-19 Pandemic A T-45C Goshawk training aircraft Stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the Navy requires best practices not that aren't always conducive to pilot training - training the service says it can't afford to slow down. The Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) is left balancing aviator and training command personnel health with the Navy's ongoing work reducing a pilot shortage and ensuring the force's long-term readiness needs are met. CNATRA's leadership is attempting to mitigate risks to pilot health while not risking the effectiveness of aviation training, Lt. Michelle Tucker, a spokesperson for CNATRA told USNI News in an email. "CNATRA's mission remains critical to the defense of our nation and as such, we will continue operations while mitigating risk in compliance with DoD, Navy, and CDC guidance, including carrier qualification (CQ) detachments," Tucker said. "CQ detachments are a critical component of strike and E-2/C-2 aviator production. They prepare student naval aviators to execute fleet missions from and at sea." New aviation students are continuing to enter the training pipeline. Commands are encouraging social distancing practices, including using flexible work schedules and telework options. However, social distancing practices are tough to employ in aircraft cockpits, so equipment is frequently cleaned, Tucker said. Foreign military aviation students enrolled in the training pipeline are continuing to train. "All surfaces including simulator and aircraft controls, helmets, masks, and headsets, etc. are being sterilized with disinfectant before and after each use," Tucker said. The Navy doesn't have much of a margin when it comes to considering delaying aviation training. In 2019, the Navy was on track to meet its annual target of producing 1,100 aviators, after years of falling short of this goal, according to a 2019 Department of Defense report to Congressional Armed Services Committees about the Pentagon's efforts to mitigate pilot shortages. CNATRA's training has the added challenge of navigating the Department of Defense's stop movement orders, put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. Flying aircraft is an integral part of flight training and this often involves flying from training bases to other locations, including civilian airports. "Depending on the flight profile, that could include touch-and-go landings or actual landings at civilian airports," Tucker said. "Our members are minimizing contact with staff at those civilian facilities in order to decrease the spread of any virus." The training also involves learning how to perform catapult launches and arrested landings on aircraft carriers, after students complete intermediate jet training and advanced phase training. The advanced phase includes manual air-to-ground bombing, tactical formation, air combat maneuvering and operational navigation at low altitude. Before heading out to land on an aircraft carrier, students first complete field carrier landing practice. This occurs on land, on runways designed to mimic a carrier's flight deck, but doesn't replace the carrier qualification. "There is no substitute for an aircraft carrier's pitch and roll and the challenges it presents during landing," Tucker said. "CQ detachments will include the minimum number of personnel to execute safe and efficient operations in order to reduce the number of travelers and potential spread of any virus." https://news.usni.org/2020/03/31/navy-cant-afford-to-slow-pilot-training-amid-covid-19-pandemic Back to Top Coronavirus: Air India pilots 'at risk of infection' on rescue flights Air India has flown a number of rescue missions India's national carrier Air India has been praised for flying a number of flights to rescue Indians stranded in coronavirus-affected countries. Now, a group of pilots have alleged their safety was compromised - a charge the airline denies. Air India's fleet has long been used by the government to help Indians in crisis. This has included everything from delivering relief materials during natural calamities to airlifting citizens from Middle Eastern countries during the 2011 Arab Spring. But this time, as Covid-19 sweeps across the world, crew members have made several allegations about serious shortcomings with regards to ensuring the safety of crew and passengers on recent rescue flights. In a letter seen by the BBC, the Executive Pilots Association, a body that represents senior long-haul pilots of the airline, says they have been given "flimsy" pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that "tear and disintegrate easily on rescue flights". The letter, which has been sent to the airline and the aviation ministry, adds that "disinfection processes [for aircraft] are short of international industry best practices". Air India is India's largest airline "These inadequacies compound the chances of viral exposure and equipment contamination and may even lead to community transmissions of Covid-19 within crew members, passengers and the public at large," the letter states. The Indian Pilots' Guild, which also represents Air India's long-haul pilots, has written to the ministry citing similar concerns. The BBC has seen this letter as well. A senior pilot, who did not wish to be identified, told the BBC it is not that the crew "doesn't want to work in these testing times for the country". "All we are asking is that proper safety procedures should be followed. If we don't have the right PPE and disinfection processes, we are risking the safety of everybody on the plane, our family, and residents of the buildings where we live," he said. "We are being compared to soldiers and that is very humbling. But you have to give the right gear to your soldiers." An Air India spokesperson acknowledged the letters and said: "Air India is proud of its crew." "Our crew has shown tremendous strength, integrity and dedication. All possible measures have been taken towards their health and safety. Best available PPE are procured for our crew," he told the BBC. 'Quarantine violations' The pilot also added that in some cases the norm of following 14-day quarantine period for everybody returning from abroad was not applied to crew members. The BBC is aware of at least one case where a pilot who returned from a Covid-19-affected country was asked to fly again within seven days. The spokesperson denied these allegations, saying that "all crew having done international flights have been home quarantined". "They have been advised to self-isolate should they develop any symptoms and report immediately. We are following all government quarantine guidelines," he added. Air India is due to take stranded Europeans from India to Germany The two letters add that the crew do not have any specific Covid-19-related insurance policies and don't have medical teams to examine them when they return from international flights. "Medical teams all over India are now being covered under a government scheme, although surprisingly air crew are not," the letters say. The pilot added that "we are not comparing ourselves to medical staff - they really are the frontline soldiers". "But we are also risking our lives, and an insurance will just give us some peace of mind," he said. The association has also highlighted the issue of unpaid allowances to the crew. "Our flying-related allowances, comprising 70% of our total emoluments, remain unpaid since January 2020. This is grossly unfair," the letter says. The pilot added that this went against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's request to employers not to withhold or cut wages in this time of crisis. "I will repeat again that we do not mind serving the nation, but we need our pay to be protected. We need to be able to look after our families," he said. The airline spokesperson said that "all salaries have been paid and efforts are on to clear some pending dues", but pilots say the withheld allowances are around 70% of their total earnings. Air India has been saddled with massive debts and several efforts to sell it have failed. However despite this, the airline is in the midst of planning a massive operation to evacuate foreigners in India at great cost. The passengers will be collected from several major Indian cities and flown to Frankfurt, but Air India will not be bringing back any Indian citizens who may still be stuck in Europe. The pilot said "it's commendable that Air India is helping those in need" but asked why Indians could not be on the return flights as the planes would be flying home empty. "I want to stress that we will not stop flying rescue and supply missions at any cost. We just want to be heard," another pilot told the BBC. "Otherwise it feels like we are alone in this battle when the need is for all of us to work together and look after each other." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52119032 Back to Top American Airlines giving leave to nearly 1,500 pilots in April as it tries to trim workforce Company originally said it would give voluntary, partially paid leave to more 737 and A320 pilots, but reduced that after a 'miscalculation.' American Airlines is offering partial paid leave in April to nearly 1,500 pilots who volunteered to help the carrier pare down its payrolls following an unprecedented drop in passenger traffic. Most of the pilots fly the airline's wide-body or smaller aircraft. But the total also includes about 600 pilots of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft - about half the number American originally told pilots it needed. American blamed that reduction on a "miscalculation or miscommunication." American originally told pilots it would offer short-term leave in April with partial pay to 1,200 Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 pilots. But Wednesday morning, the company said its staffing group "did not believe we would be able to accommodate any A320 or B737 leaves for the month of April." Eventually, it was able to offer the short-term leave to about 600 737 and A320 pilots starting April 1 and April 6, the company said. In a letter from American Airlines executive Kimball Stone, he apologized for leading pilots to believe that they would be able to take leave with partial pay during April. "The crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has brought uncertainty, for both our personal well-being and the financial health of the airline," said the letter from Stone, American's senior vice president for flight operations and integrated operations center. "Over the past few days, we have added to the stress and uncertainty in finalizing the voluntary leave of absence awards. I apologize for that and offer no excuses. We should have done better." Fort Worth-based American has been offering voluntary leave with partial pay to a growing number of union workers, hoping to pare costs while preparing for months of reduced flying until the COVID-19 pandemic is over and passengers are willing to get back on airplanes. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, said many of the pilots were anticipating taking leave not only to help the company deal with financial pressure but to also avoid health risks and take care of family members such as elderly parents and children out of school. "We appreciate the honest disclosure," Tajer said. "But some of our pilots were counting on this to take care of families." Tajer said more than 1,200 of the 737 and A320 pilots had hoped to take leave in April. American's offer to pilots was more generous than the one for other employees, giving them about two-thirds of the pay usually given to a pilot flying minimum flight hours in a month. The offer was better because pilots have a stronger contract with higher requirements for minimum hours. American is giving pilots the option to take one, three or six months off with partial pay or take early retirement. Airline analysts expect the downturn in flying to last well into the summer and that traffic won't fully recover at any point in 2020. American's 737 and A320 fleet has become more important as the company has parked more than half of its fleet. The company cut flying by 60% in April and up to 80% in May. Much of those cuts come on long-haul flying as international demand has essentially disappeared and many countries have closed borders to visitors to hold off the spread of COVID-19. Giving temporary leave to pilots puts American in a unique position because it was aggressively hiring through the end of 2019. American has not yet announced how many employees in other work groups will be granted a short-term leave of absence because the window to apply has not closed yet. "Thank you to all [who] stepped forward and dramatically altered your lives in this time of crisis," said a letter sent to employees by Chip Long, American's managing director of flight line operations. "We will get through this together." https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2020/04/01/american-airlines-giving-leave-to-more-than-1500-pilots-in-april-as-it-tries-to-trim-workforce/ Back to Top More than 12,000 apply to become an astronaut for NASA's 'Artemis Generation' The results are in and, no surprise, a lot of people want to be a NASA astronaut. More than 12,000 people have applied to join what NASA is calling the "Artemis Generation," a new class of astronauts to help the agency return humans to the moon and reach outward to Mars. It's the second highest number of applications the agency's astronaut corps has ever received, NASA officials said. "We've entered a bold new era of space exploration with the Artemis program, and we are thrilled to see so many incredible Americans apply to join us," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement today (April 1). "The next class of Artemis Generation astronauts will help us explore more of the moon than ever before and lead us to the Red Planet." When NASA put out the call for a new astronaut class in February, anticipation was already high. After decades flying in low Earth orbit, NASA is again shooting for the moon with its Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024. The agency hopes to continue on to Mars in the 2030s. NASA began taking applications on March 2 and stopped on Tuesday (March 31). The space agency received applications from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories. The sheer number of applications is second only to the record 18,300 applications NASA received in 2016 for its most recent astronaut class (which graduated in January). "For this round of applications, NASA increased the education requirement for applicants from a bachelor's degree to a master's degree in a science, technology, math, or engineering field," NASA officials said in the statement. "In addition, the application period was shortened from two months to one." Now comes the hard part: winnowing down the massive applicant pool to just a handful of candidates with the "Right Stuff" to fly in space. "We're able to build such a strong astronaut corps at NASA because we have such a strong pool of applicants to choose from," said Anne Roemer, NASA's manager of the Astronaut Selection Board and director of human resources at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It's always amazing to see the diversity of education, experience and skills that are represented in our applicants." NASA is expected to announce its final selections for the new astronaut class in mid-2021. Once selected, the astronaut candidates will spend the next 2.5 years training for spaceflight and will then have to wait to be selected for a space crew. That timeline would likely mean they may not fly until after 2024, NASA's current target for a moon return. But the new astronauts are sure to train to fly on NASA's new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System megarocket (the centerpiece for NASA's Artemis missions), as well as for missions to the International Space Station on private spacecraft like SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's Starliner capsule. NASA currently has 48 active astronauts and has trained 350 astronauts since the agency began training space travelers in the 1960s. https://www.space.com/nasa-receives-over-12000-astronaut-applications-for-artemis-generation.html Back to Top Call for Nominations For 2020 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award is scheduled to be presented during the 73nd Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place Oct. 19-21 in Paris, France. 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 75 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, Rev. 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, 2020. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Mrs. 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 1956, her husband, Rev. Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and their son, Cliff, established the Award in her honor. For nearly 65 years, this long distinguished award has recognized those responsible for crowning achievements in aviation safety worldwide. The Award was established 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. For more information on the foundation, the award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org Back to Top TheUSC Aviation Safety & Security ProgramHas Moved Online! The following upcoming courses will take place in our virtual WebEx classrooms. Incident Investigation/Analysis For managers and supervisors who may be required to investigate, implement, or review safety findings and recommendations resulting from aviation incidents. April 6-10, 2020 4.5 Days Tuition: $2575 More classes will move online soon. If you want to take a specific class online, or have any questions, please contact us. Earn Credit for FlightSafety Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn elective credits towards FlightSafety International's Master Technician-Management Program • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Gas Turbine Accident Investigation • Helicopter Accident Investigation • Safety Management for Aviation Maintenance • Safety Management for Ground Operations Safety • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness Earn Credit for FlightSafety Master Technician-Management Program Students taking the following USC courses will earn two points toward completing the application for the National Business Aviation Certified Aviation Manager Exam. • Aviation Safety Management Systems • Accident/Incident Response Preparedness • Human Factors in Aviation Safety • Aircraft Accident Investigation • SeMS Aviation Security Management Systems For further details, please visit our website or use the contact information below. Email: aviation@usc.edu Telephone: +1 (310) 342-1345 Curt Lewis