The Safest Year To

THEANALYSIS SAFEST YEAR TO FLY £3.50 We look at 2014’s record low fatal airliner 03 accident rate – despite loss of MH370

9 770015 371273 Our people care

#TrentXWB The story continues... Nine years ago, I wrote a document outlining a new aero engine. To see the Trent XWB take flight is my proudest moment.

I was one of the four founding members of the Trent XWB team. In 2005, as Assistant Chief Engineer, I wrote a simple 10-page specification that was the first Memorandum of Understanding with Airbus.

At the time, we felt something big was happening and we were right. Shaping those early ideas into something on an industrial scale has been an incredible challenge.

But today, we have more than 2,000 people working on the programme. The impact on the business, as well as our relationship with Airbus, has been phenomenal. We have created the Trent XWB; the most advanced and efficient aero engine in the world.

Andy Gwynne - Chief Programme Engineer Trent XWB -97 14-16 APRIL 2015

THE DESTINATION FOR THE AIRCRAFT INTERIORS INDUSTRY.

Aircraft Interiors Expo 2015 14-16 April 2015, Hamburg Messe, Germany

The global market leader for the world’s aircraft interiors industry. Aircraft Interiors Expo is the launch pad for cabin programmes showcasing tomorrow’s designs, in-ﬂ ight entertainment, connectivity and passenger services.

Co-located with: Organised by: In co-operation with: FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL

VOLUME 187 NUMBER 5471 13-19 JANUARY 2015 NEWS

SAVING MALAYSIA BOEING UP, UP, UP WARSAW PACKED IS THIS MAN SET TO Single-aisle orders lead Three bidders still in the TAKE AVIATION’S the way as Seattle defies mix as Polish multirole TOUGHEST JOB? own predictions to report helicopter contest nears THIS WEEK NEWS FOCUS P15 best-ever backlog 13 evaluation phase 17 FLIGHT 8 Fall in crash count makes 2014 safer. INTERNATIONAL Helibras delivers army’s upgrades 13-19 JANUARY 2015 9 Tail location offers QZ8501 data hope. Routine aircraft tracking closer to realisation 10 HeliVert partners plan to assemble AW189 in Russia. GAO ends Dream Chaser pursuit of NASA contract 11 CBP Predator B fleet takes heavy flak. Rapid rise predicted for commercial UAV market THEANALYSIS SAFEST YEAR TO FLY AIR TRANSPORT £3.50 We look at 2014’s record low fatal airliner 03 accident rate – despite loss of MH370 12 Boeing 9 770015 371273 FAA to mandate SMS for all airlines. PA Boeing adds 1,432 ﬁrm orders to record backlog P13 COVER IMAGE Eva Air bids farewell to its final 747-400 Combi 13 The Vietnamese air force’s Boeing boosts its backlog. COVER STORY Col Pham Minh Tuan takes First ARJ21-700 delivery awaits CAAC validation. Jet Airways ad fuels SpiceJet Q400 rumours 22 AIRLINE SAFETY Believe it or not, it’s safer part in the search over the 14 Troubled Transaero looks at deferrals. to fly Despite public perception, 2014 was an Gulf of Thailand for missing Sudan appeals to ICAO over sanctions. extraordinarily good year for aviation safety – but Malaysia Airlines MH370 Wing-box for MC-21 enters testing phase the gloom of MH370, MH17 and December’s in March 2014 P22 AirAsia disaster casts a long shadow over the DEFENCE positive figures 16 Lavi unit heads for operational debut. Iraqi pilots begin F-16 training in USA. FEATURES Russia sees the light with Il-112V 32 No second chance 17 The industry needs to make a Bids in for Polish helicopter contest. radical shift in pilot training, to get flightcrews Upgraded Russian strategic bombers back on safely in tune with modern airliner technology, but duty the authorities are dragging their feet 18 F-35 chiefs return fire on ‘baseless’ cannon 34 Missing link Slow but steady progress is being reporting. made towards the implementation of deployable Trevor Williams Trevor Hawkeye unit to take UCLASS fleet under its wing flight data recorders, although reliability is still a BEHIND THE HEADLINES BUSINESS AVIATION concern Operations and Safety Editor 19 Passport to success as GE begins engine flight David Learmount crunched REGULARS the numbers for our annual testing. airline safety review, which Gulfstream ships first all-new G650ER. 7 Comment shows 2014 was a record- Piaggio prepares first Avanti Evos for service entry 37 Straight & Level breaking year for the industry NEWS FOCUS 38 Letters (P22). He also looks at one 15 Mending a broken airline 40 Classiﬁed pilot’s theory on a possible 20 43 Jobs location for MH370 (P20) Can maths solve mystery of MH370’s resting place? 47 Working Week Crown Copyright NEXT WEEK EUROFIGHTER Test pilot Peter Collins gets to grips with the RAF’s newest Eurofighter Typhoon standard

in a BAE Systems simulator NASA Airbus Helicopters, EC725 in running for Polish helicopter requirement P17. Dream Chaser concept has NASA hopes dashed P10

ownloadDownload the thenew new Commercial Commercial Engines Engines Directory Report Dwownload withnow updated enhanced with The enhanced data Engine and data in-depth and in-depthDirectory. market market analysis analysis ﬂJightglobal.com/ComEngDirectoryÀLJKWJOREDOFRPFRPPHQJLQHVKWJOREDOFRPFRPPHQJLQHV

flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 5 CONTENTS

IMAGE OF THE WEEK The US Air Force included this shot of a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk landing during a training event in Idaho last November among a selection of its best images of 2014. Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database records the army as operating more than 2,150 of the Sikorsky-built type

View more great aviation shots online and in our weekly tablet edition:

ﬂightglobal.com/ ﬂight-international US Air Force THE WEEK IN NUMBERS QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Last week, we asked: Can the industry continue to cut airline 25% accidents? You said: Flightglobal dashboard 38% 33% Amount of its capital Japan’s Skymark Airlines reportedly No, sadly, Yes, if it wants to issue as new shares to boost its cash position flying can tackles never be pilot 100% TOTAL compla- safe VOTES: cency $50 1,397 ICIS news 29% The price of a barrel of Brent crude: a level not seen since 2009. In June 2014, Brent was trading at nearly $116 Yes, inevitable long-term trend This week, we ask: Will 2014 be high-water mark for airliner orders? 1,205 ❑ Yes, bubble will burst soon Flightglobal dashboard ❑ No sign of demand slackening The number of daily slots available at New York JFK and ❑ Next few years will be up and down Newark under tighter FAA rules proposed to lift utilisation Vote at ﬂightglobal.com

Flightglobal’s premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with profiles, schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information ﬂightglobal.com/dashboard

6 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com COMMENT Bordering on chaos

A scathing report into the use of Predator B aircraft to monitor illegal immigration in the USA highlights a wider issue: unmanned systems are still way too complicated for many operators

ven after a nearly 15-year-old sustained burst of E energy from the unmanned aviation market, operating an aircraft without a pilot on board is still considerably harder than it looks. There is no denying the progress made in the field of autonomous flight. Kilogramme-for-kilogramme, the military’s most advanced unmanned air vehicles pack far more surveillance capability into a single airframe than their piloted counterparts. After revolutionising the worlds of tactical aerial surveillance and battlefield interdiction, the virtues of autonomous flight control are expanding ever-onward, also encroaching steadily

into strategic reconnaissance and cargo delivery. And if Rex Features the rumours are true, there is also a universe of oppor- Not as easy as it looks tunity awaiting in the commercial market: pending regulatory approval, of course. Despite a more hospitable working environment – at And yet, a close look into so many UAV operations least, compared to the tribal backroads of Pakistan and reveals a shambolic state of affairs. Yemen – the audit shows the CBP fleet can barely stay The latest report along these lines comes from an in the area. The 10 UAVs it owns fly only 22% of the audit of a decade-long programme by a US civilian required flight hours, with the shortfall blamed on agency – Customs and Border Protection (CBP). weather, operating restrictions and budget constraints. The latter appears to be the strongest incentive for The bottom-line mentality keeping the Predator Bs on the ground. According to the audit, the CBP’s Predator Bs cost more than $12,000 of the commercial market is per hour to fly. That means the turboprop-powered air- what the UAS sector needs craft is nearly as expensive to fly as a twinjet strike fighter like Fairchild Republic’s A-10. The CBP’s experience is not unique. As late as 2011, Since 2004, CBP’s aviation arm has amassed a the USAF recorded a 22% mission capability rate on 10-strong fleet of General Atomics Aeronautical its Northrop Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk fleet, with Systems Predator Bs – the same aircraft designated by an audit of the operational test programme citing simi- the US Air Force as the MQ-9 Reaper. By contrast to the lar challenges as recorded in the CBP audit. USAF Reaper operation, which spans continents, the Perhaps the bottom-line driven mentality of the CBP’s use is confined to two small stretches of the commercial market is exactly what the unmanned air southern border of the USA, the Gulf of Mexico and off system sector needs to thrive. ■ the coast of California. See This Week P11 On the wrong track? here is no greater irony to the aircraft tracking To suggest tracking will provide instant relief to the T debate than the fact that it has been spurred by an task of reaching and scouring the centre of the Pacific is event against which the technology would probably beyond delusion, and even if better than nothing, there have been ineffective. is a contradiction between safety and security. Ten months after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 Police officers will tell you to put locks on your door, vanished, the first proposals for comprehensive track- but firefighters will tell you to remove them. You can’t ing are being drawn up by ICAO for discussion. have it both ways, so it is down to probability analysis. Those trying to find MH370 would trade a dozen In the tracking debate, the lock is an ‘off’ switch. As pre-impact tracking points for one reliable post-crash long as crews believe the need for such a switch to neu- transmission. Tracking at 15min intervals seems to tralise a tracking circuit outweighs the risk of its misuse have the current popular vote, but that is a long time at then – whatever the potential merits – positing tracking David Learmount offers his succinct views on the cruise altitude – sufficient for an aircraft to sweep out a as a response to deliberate interference, at least, is a complexities of aviation safety circle of uncertainty half the size of the Java Sea, in the non-starter. ■ flightglobal.com/Learmount context of the recent Indonesia AirAsia search. See This Week P9, Feature P34 flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 7 THIS WEEK Enjoy more of David Learmount’s latest insights into the world of airline safety at flightglobal.com/learmount BRIEFING FallSTATISTICS DAVID in LEARMOUNT crash LONDON count QATAR FIRMS UP DEAL FOR FOUR 777 FREIGHTERS made 2014 safest COMMITMENT Qatar Airways has finalised an order for four Boeing 777 freighters. The airline first announced plans to order the aircraft at the Farnborough air show in July 2014. Qatar also has purchase Lower fatal accident rate last year made it a record-breaking rights for four additional 777Fs, which will bring the total value of the one in aviation, but major incidents pushed up casualty total order to $2.46 billion if exercised. he 2014 calendar year was the an accident. However, although ISRAEL TO BOOST AT-802 FIREFIGHTING FLEET Tbest ever for airline safety, ac- doubts exist about the status of ORDER Elbit Systems has been awarded roughly $100 million to cording to Ascend, a Flightglobal the carrier’s missing flight purchase another six Air Tractor AT-802Fs for the Israeli air force’s advisory service. MH370, that incident has been in- firefighting squadron and run an expanded fleet of 14 aircraft for Ascend’s director of air safety cluded in the fatal accident rate. eight years. Eight aircraft introduced following a forest fire that and insurance, Paul Hayes, says Flight International’s annual claimed the lives of 45 people in December 2010 have so far flown the global airline fatal accident review of global airline safety more than 4,600 sorties and helped to tackle over 500 blazes. rate in 2014 was one per every shows that there there were 19 2.38 million flights, narrowly fatal accidents in 2014 – also the BOMBARDIER SEALS LEARJET 75 CONTRACT making it the safest year ever. lowest ever figure – and a com- SALE Bombardier has secured a deal with an undisclosed customer The previous best had been bined 671 fatalities. This com- for up to nine Learjet 75 superlight business jets. The contract – for 2012, when a fatal accident rate pares with 2013, during which 26 six firm orders and three options – is valued at around $83 million, of one per every 2.37 million fatal accidents occurred and a re- the company says. The Learjet 75 entered service in 2013 as a re- flights was recorded. cord low of 281 fatalities was re- vamp of the 45XR, featuring more powerful Honeywell TFE731-40BR The latest figures exclude the corded, at a rate of one per every engines, a Garmin G5000-based Vision flightdeck and new interior. 17 July 2014 loss of Malaysia Air- 1.91 million flights. lines flight MH17, on the grounds The average fatal accident rate P&WC CASTS MAGELLAN AS SUPPLY PARTNER that the Boeing 777-200ER was for the last five years was around PRODUCTION Pratt & Whitney Canada has agreed a 10-year pact shot down by a missile and is cat- one death per every 1.75 million with Magellan Aerospace, covering the latter’s supply of magnesium egorised by Ascend as having flights. ■ and aluminium castings for current engines and its new PW1100G been a war risk loss, rather than See Feature P22 geared turbofan. The latter is an option for the Airbus A320neo, with variants to power the Bombardier CSeries and Mitsubishi MRJ. Magellan says the agreement should generate total revenues worth around C$250 million ($211 million).

WARSAW SEEKS NEW VIP TRANSPORT PAIR REQUIREMENT Poland’s defence ministry plans to buy two long- range VIP transports, each capable of carrying a maximum of 12 to 14 passengers. To be crewed by air force pilots, the new aircraft will complement a pair of Embraer 175LRs chartered from LOT Polish

Airlines since January 2014. Warsaw has been seeking a modern Christ/Helibras Felipe VIP capability since an April 2010 Tupolev Tu-154 crash which killed The modified AS550 Fennec has received a new glass cockpit 96 people, including President Lech Kaczyń ski. ROTORCRAFT DOMINIC PERRY LONDON ARIE EGOZI TEL AVIV GEAR COLLAPSES AS SAAB 340 VEERS OFF RUNWAY Helibras delivers army’s upgrades ACCIDENT UK investigators are looking into a gear-collapse incident involving a Loganair Saab 340 operating for Flybe. The 2 January irbus Helicopters’ Brazilian Separately, Elbit Systems of incident took place at Stornoway airport in the Outer Hebrides in Asubsidiary Helibras has deliv- America has been awarded a Scotland. At 08:33 the aircraft “veered off the runway”, says the air- ered the first four of 36 AS350 $106 million subcontract from port’s operator. Images from the scene show the turboprop in rough Squirrel and AS550 Fennec rotor- Marsh Aviation to upgrade four grass with its nose-gear apparently having failed. Two of the 28 peo- craft modernised for the nation’s stored Grumman C-1As for Bra- ple on board the aircraft suffered minor injuries. army at its Itajubá site. zil’s navy. Modifications to the light single- To be conducted at subsidiary HISPANO-SUIZA PLANS POLISH PRODUCTION PLANT engined types included the inte- M7 Aerospace’s San Antonio, INVESTMENT Safran’s Hispano-Suiza division is investing in a new gration of a glass cockpit with new Texas facility over a five-year pe- Polish plant to produce components for engines including the CFM communication and navigation riod, the work will replace the International Leap. The Leap will power the Boeing 737 Max and equipment, plus additional ballis- type’s engines, avionics and com- Airbus A320neo, as well as Comac’s C919. The plant will be located tic protection. Where possible, the munications equipment and add in the southeast – where local subsidiary Hispano-Suiza Polska has upgrades were developed by Heli- an air-to-air refuelling capability. a facility – and employ 100 personnel. It will have two production bras, or delivered by other Brazil- The re-designated KC-2s will be lines, building low-pressure turbine blades for CFM partner Snecma ian companies, including AEL dedicated to carrier onboard de- as well as compressor spools for Techspace Aero. Sistemas, Sagem Defesa Aeronáu- livery and tanker duties from the tica and Becker Avionics do Brasil. aircraft carrier São Paulo. ■

8 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com HeliVert partners THIS WEEK plan to assemble AW189 in Russia THIS WEEK P10 TailCRASH AARON locationCHONG & GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE offers QZ8501 data hope

Group chief Tony Fernandes defends AirAsia schedule as search teams discover A320 parts that may contain black box

nvestigators are moving closer By 8 January, search teams had Ito determining what caused the recovered 44 bodies from the air- crash of Indonesia AirAsia flight craft, which crashed into the Java QZ8501, having located the Air- Sea in bad weather on 28 Decem- bus A320’s tail section and some ber while carrying 155 passen- fuselage sections. gers and seven crew. Located by Indonesia’s nation- Jakarta’s transport ministry on al search and rescue agency Ba- 2 January suspended Indonesia sarnas, the tail section is where AirAsia’s operation of the Sura- the aircraft’s cockpit voice re- baya-Singapore route, saying the corder and flight data recorder carrier had violated operational are installed. procedures by flying without per- “If [it is the] right part of [the] tail mission on a Sunday. section, then the black box should Fernandes defended his air- be there,” AirAsia group chief line, saying it had the rights to fly

Tony Fernandes said following the the route seven days a week. “We Rex Features discovery. Search teams had until have secured slots as well as ap- Wreckage from the crashed Airbus continues to be recovered that point been unable to detect proval from both Indonesia and any pings from either recorder, and Singapore. What happened was coordination between the slot co- mend what is being implemented their location by divers at a 30m purely an administration error,” ordinator and airports. in Singapore; an integrated com- depth was being hindered by ex- he says, while welcoming the “The process has become clear puterised system so that every- tremely poor visibility. transport ministry’s evaluation of now,” he says. “I also recom- one is on the same page.” ■

SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON Routine aircraft tracking moves closer to realisation CAO is set to propose the im- lance (ADS-C) could provide a uncertainty over a possible crash expand or install and maintain a Iplementation of short-term near-term tracking path, although location. At a typical cruise speed ground-based surveillance infra- measures for routine aircraft not all air navigation providers of 470kt (870km/h), an aircraft structure,” says a presentation tracking, following recommenda- offer the service. Air France flight would travel over 100nm prepared by Canadian-led part- tions for 15min position updates AF447, lost over the South Atlan- (185km) in the interval. nership Aireon. This expects to put forward by an IATA task force tic in June 2009, had 15min Some carriers have modified have space-based ADS-B capa- last November. ADS-C capability but – owing to the ACARS addressing system to bility available from 2017, and The task force’s efforts have flight-plan format errors – was provide 10min position updates, has offered to provide aircraft been highlighted by ICAO in a unable to log-on to the oceanic air along with trigger notification of tracking data to rescue organisa- paper prepared for a high-level traffic control system operated at unplanned flight-profile devia- tions free of charge in the event safety conference to be held in Senegal’s Dakar centre. tions. Analysis of a position re- of an emergency. Montreal next month. Participants While 15min position updates port and maintenance messages However, while ICAO and will be invited to note the team’s would be regular, they would still sent using this method helped to IATA are promoting the develop- conclusions and recommend that potentially leave a large region of narrow the search area for ment of flight-tracking capabili- the organisation promote and fa- AF447, but still left a circle with a ties, the issue of deliberate de-ac- cilitate routine aircraft tracking 40nm radius. tivation – suspected in the “as a matter of priority”, the docu- Automatic position broadcast, unsolved disappearance of Ma- ment states. The proposal repre- through ADS-B, has long been laysia Airlines flight MH370 – re- sents “an important first step” to available as a tracking mecha- mains unresolved. laying a foundation for aircraft nism, but relies on ground stations “From a safety perspective, all tracking development, it adds. to receive transmissions. Space- electrical components on board ICAO will also present its con- based infrastructure will enable an aircraft must have the ability cept of operations document for a such data to be relayed from oce- to have their power source inter- Global Aeronautical Distress and anic and remote regions using 66 rupted in the event of an electri- Safety System, identifying multi- Iridium satellites, ICAO notes. cal system malfunction or fire,” ple weaknesses in current track- “Although the fee structure for IATA’s task force says. “While ing, alerting and search-and-res- the service has not been final- these types of operational and

cue capabilities. Rex Features ised, it is foreseen that it will be safety-related events are rare, the Technology such as contracted A task force has recommended provided at a signiﬁcantly lower fact remains that equipment on automatic dependent surveil- routine 15min position updates cost than would be required to board aircraft can be disabled.” ■ flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 9 THIS WEEK For more in-depth coverage of the global rotorcraft sector, go online to ﬂightglobal.com/helicopters HeliVertROTORCRAFT DOMINIC PERRY LONDON partners plan to assemble AW189 in Russia

AgustaWestland and Russian Helicopters extend their joint venture to include production of 8.3t super-medium twin

gustaWestland has broad- signed on 31 December 2014 by Aened the scope of its Mos- parent companies Finmeccanica cow-based HeliVert joint venture and Rostec, will see the ﬁrst two to include assembly of its new AW189s delivered from the AW189 super-medium twin. Tomilino facility near Moscow to The move clears the way for a Rosneft in mid-2015, Rostec says. big sales boost for the 8.3t type, Successful operation of the

with Russian oil giant Rosneft helicopters could see the oil com- AgustaWestland lined up to potentially acquire up pany order an additional eight in UK operations with Bristow Helicopters should start in April to 160 locally-built examples. the autumn of 2015, it adds, with the potential size of its commit- APPROVAL “The development of ment to rise to 160 by 2025. SAR variant gains delayed certiﬁcation offshore projects is HeliVert also will have an ex- clusive licence to sell and manu- Bristow Helicopters hopes to receive torcraft to be used on its contract a strategic objective facture the AW139 and AW189 AgustaWestland’s first UK-built with the UK government to progres- of Rosneft” for Russia and the Common- AW189 configured for search and sively take over SAR activities from IGOR SECHIN wealth of Independent States, rescue (SAR) operations later this the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. Chief executive, Rosneft and to provide after-sales support month, following certification of the Delays to certification of the 8.6t and training for the types. variant in late December. SAR variant and slow progress in “The development of offshore One Italian-completed AW189 establishing the production line at HeliVert, in which Russian projects is a strategic objective of arrived at Bristow’s Norwich facility Yeovil have prompted Bristow to Helicopters also holds a 50% Rosneft,” says chief executive Igor in Norfolk in November, but all future develop contingency plans, including stake, was set up in 2012 to as- Sechin. “The implementation of SAR-configured examples will be the acquisition of a pair of smaller semble the AW139 intermediate this task is impossible without assembled at AgustaWestland’s AW139s. The first base due to twin, manufacturing up to 20 per modern Arctic and marine engi- Yeovil factory in Somerset. Bristow operate AW189s – at Inverness in year for the local market. The neering [and] oil and gas plat- expects the first of these to be deliv- Scotland – is scheduled to go live on new “strategic partnership”, forms, and modern aircraft.” ■ ered “later this month”, with the ro- 1 April. ■

SPACEFLIGHT DAN THISDELL LONDON GAO ends Dream Chaser pursuit of NASA contract he US Government Account- the agency’s plan to replace the September 2014 choice of pro- since the 2011 retirement of its Tability Office (GAO) has put Space Shuttle’s astronaut trans- posals by Boeing and SpaceX Space Shuttle fleet, and has since an end to a Sierra Nevada (SNC) port capability with spacecraft over its Dream Chaser to receive bought rides to the ISS from Rus- dream of providing NASA with a provided by the private sector. development funding under the sia, aboard Soyuz rockets from lifting body spaceplane as part of SNC had appealed against a Commercial Crew Transporta- Baikonur in Kazakhstan. tion Capability contract. Deny- Just days after NASA’s ing its appeal on 5 January, the decision last September, SNC un- GAO supported NASA’s conclu- veiled a concept realised with air sion that the Boeing CST-100 launched systems developer Stra- and SpaceX Dragon capsules tolauncher for a smaller, three- offer better value. person version of its spaceplane. All three reusable systems have Under a 2014 agreement with the been designed to carry up to seven European Space Agency and Ger- astronauts, with crewed flights many’s DLR aerospace centre, the from US soil to the International parties also will explore ways to Space Station planned to com- exploit Dream Chaser or its vari-

NASA mence in 2017. The USA has had ants beyond the original goal of The reusable spaceplane concept lost out to Boeing and SpaceX no capability to ﬂy astronauts supporting the ISS. ■

10 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com THIS WEEK FAA to mandate SMS for all airlines AIR TRANSPORT P12 CBPUNMANNED SYSTEMS Predator STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON BDC ﬂeet takes heavy ﬂak

US border agency comes under intense criticism over failings in use of unmanned aircraft to monitor illegal immigration

he US Customs and Border TProtection (CBP) agency no longer plans to acquire 14 more medium altitude unmanned air vehicles, and faces stinging new criticism about the effectiveness of its current ﬂeet of 10 such aircraft. Comprised of unarmed land and maritime surveillance ver- sions of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator B, the agency’s ﬂeet is so restrict- ed by budget, operational and weather constraints that the

aircraft have completed only Rex Features 22% of planned flight hours, a The medium-altitude surveillance aircraft were found to have completed 22% of planned flight hours report by the Office of Inspector General (IG) says. $443 million on something more The IG report also catalogues a tions, as the type cannot be oper- Moreover, an $8 million sensor useful than expanding its UAV list of details about the CBP’s ated in storms or where there is – the Northrop Grumman vehicle fleet to 24 aircraft. UAV operations along the south- cloud cover, the report says. and dismount exploitation radar “CBP has invested significant ern land and maritime borders of The CBP partly justified the ex- (VADER) – is not being used prop- funds in a programme that has the USA. Although the CBP esti- pense of standing up the Predator erly, the report says. Although not achieved the expected re- mates it costs only about $2,500 B fleet – estimated by the IG at VADER has detected thousands of sults, and it cannot demonstrate per flight hour to operate the $360 million – by promising cost suspected illegal immigrants after how much the programme has Predator B, the IG report says the savings, as the aircraft could be they have crossed the US border, improved border security,” the actual cost is nearly six times used to respond to ground motion it is not being used by the CBP for report says. higher after factoring in salaries alerts along the border instead of the strategic purpose of tracing It adds that the agency has stat- for pilots and maintainers, depre- other aircraft or patrol officers. their routes back to where they ed it no longer intends to expand ciation and the cost of maintain- However, the IG found only six entered the country. the Predator B fleet, although an ing the VADER sensor. instances where a UAV had been The IG has consequently rec- approved requirement for the ad- The agency’s Predator B fleet used to respond to a ground ommended that the CBP invest ditional aircraft still exits. also faces weather-related restric- motion alert. ■

UNMANNED SYSTEMS BETH STEVENSON LONDON Rapid rise predicted for commercial UAV market arket analysts are predict- “Both groups of SUAS makers, commercialisation, spur the de- Ming that the value of the along with other classes of solu- velopment of new SUAS and in- small unmanned air vehicle mar- tion providers, are aggressively crease the ways they can be ap- ket will surpass $8.4 billion by targeting the commercial sector plied,” the company says. 2019, with commercial use of the through acquisitions, internal de- ABI considers types with a technology to dominate business. velopment, partnerships and in- maximum take-off weight of less In a 5 January report, ABI vestment,” he says. than 11kg (25lb) to be SUAS, in- Research claims that revenues for Industry applications for the cluding ﬁxed-wing and single-/ the commercial use of small technology, along with data, multi-rotor vertical take-off and unmanned air systems (SUAS) operator and modelling services landing platforms. Designs in-

will be in excess of $5.1 billion by Rex Features will be the main driver for SUAS tended for professional and per- 2019, representing a compound Industrial use will drive sales in this market, ABI believes, and sonal use were considered in its annual growth rate of some 51% not necessarily just the un- study, but others, such as systems from 2014. The commercial sector is the manned platforms themselves. costing less than $350, plus By the end of its study period, “sweet spot” for SUAS use, says “Ongoing research advance- “functionally limited” and low- the commercial market is expect- Dan Kara, practice director at ABI ments, technological develop- tech models produced for the toy ed to be 2.3 times larger than the Research, referring to a current ments and dropping prices for in- industry were excluded. ■ military sector and five times focus on this area of the market creasingly capable enabling For more coverage of the larger than the hobbyist market, by both defence contractors and technologies have combined to unmanned air sector visit the company says. hobbyist manufacturers. remove barriers to innovation and flightglobal.com/UAV flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 11 AIR TRANSPORT For up-to-the-minute air transport news, network and fleet information sign up at: flightglobal.com/dashboard

RETIREMENT FIRDAUS HASHIM SINGAPORE Eva Air bids farewell to its final 747-400 Combi

aiwanese carrier Eva Air has The aircraft will be sold, disas- Tretired its last Boeing 747-400 sembled and harvested for parts. Combi. Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets The type’s ﬁnal service was op- database shows Eva Air took de- erated by B-16409 on the Hong livery of its ﬁrst 747-400 Combi Kong-Taipei Taoyuan route, the in May 1993, and had operated Star Alliance member says. 10 in total. All of Eva’s Combi air- Besides operating passenger craft had a lower passenger seat and cargo services, the aircraft, count than a typical 747-400, which has an extended cargo sec- with 276 seats. tion, has also performed diplo- Asiana Airlines, Kuwait Air-

AirTeamImages matic missions for the island na- ways and KLM also operate the B-16409 will be sold, disassembled and harvested for parts tion’s presidents. 747-400 Combi. ■ REGULATIONFAA JON toHEMMERDINGER mandate WASHINGTON DC SMS for all airlines

US scheduled carriers obliged to develop company-wide programmes by 2018, in order to identify and mitigate risks

new Federal Aviation airlines establish safety-focused A Administration rule will re- cultures and assist carriers and quire US scheduled airlines to de- regulators with identifying poten- velop organisation-wide safety tially dangerous trends. management systems (SMS) pro- The rule follows a review by grammes by 2018. the FAA of 100 airline accidents The rule, announced by the ad- between 2001 and 2010, Huerta ministration on 7 January, is an says. “We determined that if SMS effort by the FAA to ensure air- had been in place, they may have lines can identify and mitigate prevented many of these acci- potential risks. dents,” he adds. SMS are detailed, company- The rule requires airline SMS wide programmes that deﬁne to include four components: a processes for examining opera- safety policy that deﬁnes safety tional data, isolating dangerous objectives, risk management pro-

trends and mitigating risks. cesses that help carriers analyse Rex Features The rule will take effect in safety and identify hazards, an as- Many domestic carriers have been running pilot SMS for years early March. US-based carriers surance plan to monitor safety will then have six months to sub- performance and a safety promo- mit an SMS implementation plan tion component aimed at helping STRATEGY MAVIS TOH SINGAPORE to the FAA. The carriers will carriers train employees and China to invest in navigation technology need to develop and implement communicate safety information. their final SMS by 2018. Carriers must also designate an The Civil Aviation Administration of craft flying near airports, improving “SMS enable airlines to detect executive responsible for over- China (CAAC) has pledged to in- the accuracy and integrity of location patterns in their data, which are seeing SMS. crease its investment in new tech- co-ordinates. basically the early warning signs The FAA estimates that the nologies to further improve The administration has also of an accident,” says Anthony rule will cost airlines $224 mil- aerospace navigation and enhance pledged to design and implement Foxx, secretary of the Department lion over 10 years. The financial flight safety. performance-based navigation at all of Transportation. “We must be benefits are calculated to be CAAC says that by end of the year, transport airports across the coun- smarter about how airlines ana- $205-472 million. 10% of all Chinese airlines’ fleets try by the end of 2016. lyse and benefit from the data US airlines have been piloting will have head-up displays installed. By 2017 it will also roll out the they collect every day.” SMS for several years, says Nick Shanghai’s Pudong International country’s first automatic depend- Foxx adds that SMS should Calio, chief executive of trade airport will also test out a ground- ence surveillance – broadcast help the industry reach the DoT’s group Airlines for America. Calio based augmentation landing system ground stations. goal of cutting aviation’s fatality adds that all his group’s airline in the first quarter, and subsequently China says it will have 230 air- risk by 50% by 2025. members have voluntary SMS- put it into operation. ports for passenger and cargo trans- FAA administrator Michael type programmes, or have helped A ground-based augmentation port at the end of 2015, up from Huerta says the rule will help develop SMS standards. ■ system boosts GPS signals for air- 182 in 2011. ■

12 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com AIR TRANSPORT Troubled Transaero looks at deferrals AIR TRANSPORT P14

ORDERS AND DELIVERIES STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC FLEET AARON CHONG SINGAPORE Boeing boosts its backlog Jet Airways ad Airframer notches up double the number of net orders in 2014 it had predicted in January fuels SpiceJet

oeing closed the books on Q400 rumours B2014 with a total of 1,432 ndian airline Jet Airways has new firm orders added to a record Icreated something of a stir in backlog – about twice what exec- the industry by posting a recruit- utives had forecast last January. ment ad seeking pilots for the “In the face of fierce competi- Bombardier Q400, an aircraft tion, we had a strong year,” says type it does not operate and for Ray Conner, president and chief which it has no orders. executive of Boeing Commercial Local media have speculated Airplanes. Last January, Boeing that Jet could acquire the Q400 executives forecast a book-to-bill fleet of beleaguered rival ratio of about 1:1, with orders to SpiceJet; the only carrier in the roughly match deliveries of 723 country now using the type. aircraft in 2014. Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets Airbus plans to release 2014 database shows that SpiceJet has order totals this week, but 15 of the type, all leased. reported 1,031 net orders from When contacted by

January to November. Sources Boeing Flightglobal, a Jet spokeswoman close to the airframer indicated The company increased the rate of its 737 production line did not say outright that the last week that Airbus secured airline will obtain Q400s, but more orders than its rival in 2014. duced the net order tally to 41. combined deliveries of Boeing- her reply was tantalising: “At Jet The vast majority of Boeing’s The backlog at the end of 2014 and Douglas-built aircraft. The Airways we continually look at bookings came from the single- stood at 843 aircraft. two aircraft companies, which enhancing our talent pool for all aisle market. The current models The 767 programme added merged in the 1990s, delivered categories of employment, and the future, re-engined 737 four new orders in 2014, raising 680 aircraft that year. including cockpit crew as per Max variant combined to amass the backlog to 47. Boeing doubled monthly 787 the company’s requirement,” she 1,104 net orders in 2014. Boeing also set a new commer- output to 10 per month last Janu- said. “This also includes [the] On the other side, the 747-8 cial aircraft delivery record in ary and increased the rate on the Q400 category.” programme ended 2014 with no 2014 by shipping 723 aircraft 737 line by about 10% to 42 last Ascend shows that Jet Air- new firm orders added and a overall, including 114 787s. April. The final delivery total fell ways operates 18 leased ATR backlog of 36 aircraft. Although The year-end total beat the near the high end of Boeing’s 72s. Seven examples have lease Boeing added two orders in 2014, company’s modern era record set guidance of between 715 and 725 terms expiring soon. ■ customers cancelled deals for in 2013 of 648 aircraft deliveries, aircraft deliveries in 2014. two 747-8s as well. including 65 787s. It is likely to The production record was set The current and re-engined heavily beat Airbus’s output in with help from a push on the 777 programmes, meanwhile, 2014, as the European manufac- 787 in the fourth quarter. Boeing added 283 new orders with no turer has forecast a similar num- delivered 35 of the twin-aisle cancellations, raising the backlog ber of deliveries in 2014 as the aircraft in the last three months to 564 aircraft. On the 787 pro- previous year’s total of 626. of 2014, or five more than the

gramme, the company added 65 It also easily exceeds the monthly production rate would Bombardier gross orders, but cancellations re- previous record set in 1968 for suggest. ■ All 15 of the type are leased

PROGRAMME MAVIS TOH SINGAPORE First ARJ21-700 delivery awaits CAAC validation hinese airframer Comac has Only after these validations CAAC issued type certifica- Cyet to firm a date for the deliv- can the first ARJ21 be delivered tion for the indigenous regional ery of its first ARJ21-700 to launch sometime in 2015, says Comac. jet on 30 December 2014, customer Chengdu Airlines. It adds that aircraft 105 to 109 marking a major milestone for Comac says the Civil Aviation are scheduled for Chengdu China in its foray into the Administration of China (CAAC) Airlines. Aircraft 105 and 106 commercial aircraft manufactur- is conducting an airworthiness in- have taken their first flights, ing sector. The certification came spection on the regional jet. It is while aircraft 107 is undergoing more than 12 years after the also reviewing Comac’s operation- final assembly. Parts assembly is programme was launched.

Oliver Santa al support system and will have to meanwhile ongoing for aircraft Chengdu Airlines has 30 Chengdu has 30 jets on order grant it a production licence. 108 and 109. ARJ21s on order. ■ flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 13 AIR TRANSPORT For up-to-the-minute air transport news, network and fleet information sign up at: ﬂightglobal.com/dashboard TroubledORDERS DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW Transaero & MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON looks at deferrals

Moscow-based airline to re-examine its fleet plan and capacity as its Irish MRO subsidiary enters bankruptcy protection

ussian carrier Transaero is after the MRO specialist made a Rlooking at a possible deferral request for protection on 5 Janu- of planned aircraft deliveries as ary. It continues to trade normally. part of a series of measures to Moscow-based Transaero balance capacity. Airlines cannot “pay TEI moneys The airline states it is “consid- due for services rendered [or] sup- ering the issue of postponing port TEI on an ongoing basis”, the some of the delivery terms” of MRO provider says. jets due to arrive in 2015. It has The airline is beset by what not indicated which specific TEI terms “serious financial diffi- types are being examined, but it culties” arising from US and EU had been intending to take air- trade sanctions against Russia, as craft including its first Airbus well as declines in the rouble’s

A380s, as well as A321s and Rex Features value and the price of oil. “Ini- Sukhoi Superjets, this year. The airline has received assistance from the Russian government tial” contact has been made with They are part of a broad fleet- a potential financier to “put the renewal programme which also The airline, which was pre- Engineering Ireland (TEI) has en- company onto a solid footing”, includes acquisitions of Boeing dicting passenger numbers to rise tered bankruptcy protection as a the subsidiary says. 747-8s and A320neos. by nearly 5% to 13.1 million for result of its Russian parent carri- TEI employs a staff of around Transaero says it will undertake the full year 2014, has also se- er’s financial difficulties. 230 people and specialises in air- measures to “optimise” its pas- cured financial assistance from Ireland’s High Court has ap- frame maintenance for 737s, 757s senger capacity over the first three the Russian government. pointed Michael McAteer of Grant and 767s. Formerly named Air months of 2015, which it says is Meanwhile, Irish-based Thornton as “interim examiner” Atlanta Aero Engineering, it was “excessive” for the low season. maintenance provider Transaero to develop a restructuring plan, acquired by Transaero in 2012. ■

DEVELOPMENT SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON Wing-box for Sudan appeals to ICAO over sanctions MC-21 enters udanese officials are to de- Resolutions passed under the newly-independent state. Clash- Sclare a formal objection to ICAO umbrella, it says, have “not es between government and rebel testing phase political sanctions at an upcom- borne positive results” and the forces are posing a risk to flight ing ICAO safety conference, risk to international aircraft oper- operations, notably from rocket- ussian researchers have claiming that they have a detri- ations “remains uninhibited”. propelled grenades and shoulder- R commenced testing on the mental effect on aviation safety. Manufacture of aircraft and air launched missiles, says EASA. initial wing-box for Irkut’s The country has been subject traffic control systems is a multi- In a safety bulletin it is recom- MC-21-300 twinjet. to US government sanctions national process, it says, and the mending that all aircraft opera- The work is being carried out since 1997, which have impacted Sudanese delegation is to recom- tors “exercise extreme caution” if by Moscow’s Central Aerohydro- flag-carrier Sudan Airways. mend that the ICAO Council planning to fly into, or over, the dynamics Institute. Sudan is also covered by a pursues measures to “convince” region. It says that the tests will blanket airline blacklisting by the countries imposing sanctions to Its advisory is one of several comprise three phases. The first European Commission. make necessary exceptions. recently issued to highlight the will examine the operational In a presentation prepared for Meanwhile, European authori- potential risk of overflying re- strength of the structure by the ICAO high-level safety confer- ties have issued warnings about gions of conflict, also including simulating real flight conditions. ence in February, the Sudanese security in South Sudan airspace Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, the The structure will then be delegation argues that imposing as a result of armed conflict in the Sinai Peninsula and Syria. ■ transferred to a facility in sanctions on aviation-related Turayevo which will carry out equipment constitutes a “signifi- simulations to assess the effect of cant risk” to air navigation opera- bird strikes. tions – a sector which, it says, is It will be returned to the insti- “not the primary target”. tute for the third phase, involving “The negative impact of sanc- testing of residual strength. tions to the safety and well-being Irkut expects to begin test of aviation activities throughout flights of the MC-21 – set to be the world outweighs whatever

redesignated as the Yak-242 – in objectives the sanctions are ex- AirTeamImages the ﬁrst half of 2016. ■ pected to achieve,” it adds. US and European supply restrictions have affected Sudan Airways

14 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com NEWS FOCUS Lavi unit heads for operational debut DEFENCE P16 MendingAPPOINTMENT GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE a broken airline

With a damaged image, weak finances and structural problems, MAS is in deep trouble. Can Christoph Mueller save it?

hristoph Mueller will John Strickland of JLS C assume the toughest job in Consulting is cautiously opti- the airline business when he mistic. “It’s a difﬁcult job, but takes over as chief executive of not impossible,” he says. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) later He notes: “Mueller has a good this year. Taking the reins of a track record. He took Aer Lingus troubled carrier is familiar territo- from having a primarily low-cost ry for the German, who engi- focus to having a business travel- neered the turnaround of Ireland’s ler emphasis, at a time when Eu- Aer Lingus. In a 2011 Airline rope was suffering the effects of an Business interview, he said that economic crisis with a strong low- when he took charge of the ﬂag cost rival in the form of Ryanair.” carrier in 2009, it resembled a patient in an emergency room, OBSOLESCENCE haemorrhaging cash. He may well Mueller also has to contend with feel a sense of déjà vu when he for- several structural issues. Fore- mally steps into the MAS role. most among these are long-haul Mueller will not have to routes where the carrier has contend with public shareholders boosted load factors at the and analysts following MAS’s de- expense of yields. More urgently, listing on the last day of 2014, but he must address obsolescence is- this is arguably the only problem sues with the carrier’s 13 Boeing

not on his plate. Even before his BillyPix 777-200ERs, which are on aver- appointment in December, his Mueller said Aer Lingus was like a patient in an emergency room age 20 years old. MAS’s six Air- mission was clear, after sovereign bus A380s are the flagships of the wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Both rivals have better cost “The key to making these fleet, but many observers feel the outlined its 12-point restructuring structures, and no qualms about changes happen, and turning superjumbos are simply too large plan for MAS in August 2014. competing on price. MAS around, is getting stake- for such a carrier to fill profitably. On the international front holders on-side and getting real Joanna Lu, head of advisory at DISAPPEARANCE MAS is pitted against fast-grow- political backing,” says one ob- Ascend Flightglobal consultancy Salient elements of the plan in- ing, long-haul, low-cost player server familiar with the carrier. in Asia, feels Mueller’s key clude cutting the workforce by AirAsia X, which benefits from “It’s all-too-easy for a politician c hallenge will be overhauling 30% from 20,000 staff in August tight connectivity with AirAsia. It to say ‘downsize the airline’.” the MAS management culture. (a process already underway), also must contend with the three He says the environment fac- “Mueller’s challenge is chang- moving the company’s headquar- ‘super connector’ Gulf carriers, ing MAS today is far more coming the overall work culture in ters, and focusing more on re- and regional players Singapore petitive than when former chief this airline, helping it know gional routes. Profitability is to be Airlines and Thai Airways. executive Idris Jala turned the more about the market and their achieved within three years – no The expert consensus is that carrier around a decade ago, be- competitors, and making the small feat given that MAS’s third Mueller is the best man for the cause at that time AirAsia hardly MAS team more disciplined,” quarter results, released on 28 job, but some question whether existed. Southeast Asia’s other she says. “He has to re-brand the November, revealed net losses even his acumen and leadership big turnaround in recent years, company and convince the had widened to some 576 million skills will be up to the task. Garuda Indonesia, occurred world this is a totally new and ringgit ($163 million). MAS has long had an ex- when Lion Air was still a cub. professional airline.” ■ MAS’s 2014 results were tremely close relationship with weighed down by the disappear- the Malaysian government and ance of MH370 in March and political interests. Throughout shooting down of MH17 over its history, it has been regarded Ukraine in July, resulting in the as an important player in pro- loss of 537 lives. moting Malaysia, both at home All of the changes need to and aboard. Like other legacy happen in a cut-throat market. carriers, it has struggled for prof- On domestic and regional routes, itability, if not outright rele- MAS faces its traditional neme- vance, in an era characterised by

sis AirAsia and (to a lesser de- deregulated markets and nimble, Airbus gree) Lion Air’s Malindo unit. aggressive low-cost rivals. Some feel that the six A380s MAS operates are too large to be proﬁtable flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 15 DEFENCE To get more defence sector coverage, subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter: ﬂightglobal.com/defencenewsletter LaviFLEETS ARIE EGOZI unit HAZERIM AIR BASE heads for operational debut

Israeli air force lauds Alenia Aermacchi type as offering revolution in capability, as instructors get ready for first cadets

n Israeli air force squadron new pilot reaching a fighting Aequipped with Alenia squadron after flying the Skyhawk Aermacchi M-346 “Lavi” ad- had to begin operational training vanced jet trainers is close to almost from scratch. “The squad- being declared operational, hav- ron hated that, as they consider it ing already received nine aircraft a waste of time and resources,” from an eventual 30-strong fleet. the instructor says. “This is com- Israel’s first M-346 landed at pletely changed now.” Hazerim air base last July, and Maj E says the most significant deliveries are continuing on advantage of the Lavi is its use of schedule. A replacement for aged an embedded virtual simulation

Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, the Lavi Arie Egozi system, which was developed by represents a “revolution” in train- The M-346 makes use of embedded virtual simulation technology Elbit and integrated by Alenia ing, says an air force Lockheed Aermacchi. “This turns the Lavi Martin F-16I pilot – identified nia Aermacchi, CAE and Selex, “Until now we demanded the into a combat aircraft laden with only as “Maj E” – who is part of the ground-based training system cadets to perform 120 air mis- systems it actually does not carry, the initial team of instructors. (GBTS) facility houses two full sions as part of the training. From like radar, missiles and electronic Testing of the M-346 by pilots mission simulators and two op- now on, they will be required to warfare systems,” he says. from the air force’s flight test unit erational flight simulators, all of do only 100. The rest will be He also praises its safety fea- is continuing at Hazerim, in an which can be linked together. done in this very advanced tures, including an upset recov- effort to prepare the type for use Pilots and WSOs will receive facility,” says Maj E. ery button. “When the pilot feels with the first student pilots and training ranging from basic air- The air force selected this the first sign of vertigo he pushes weapon system officers (WSO). craft familiarisation to the highest method so that its new flight that button and the aircraft is kept Meanwhile, a new simulator level of combat flight compe- crews will be qualified to pro- straight and level until the pilot centre bustles with activity, with tence. A high percentage of the gress directly to types like the has recovered,” he notes. ■ instructors preparing lessons for syllabus will be practised using F-16, Boeing F-15 and Lockheed Visit Arie Egozi’s blog for more the first cadets. Developed by the GBTS, which trainees will F-35 Lightning II after completing about Israeli defence topics: Elbit Systems, together with Ale- visit on a daily basis. their instruction. By contrast, a flightglobal.com/ariel-view

DEVELOPMENT Russia sees the light with Il-112V ussia’s Ilyushin design bureau Ris to proceed with development work on the Il-112V light transport for the nation’s military. Ilyushin’s parent company United Aircraft says it has signed a

contract with the defence ministry US Air Force covering the construction of two Baghdad’s lead pair of the type have moved to Tucson prototypes of the design, which TRANSFER CRAIG HOYLE will have a 6.5t payload capacity. LONDON The high-wing Il-112V – a competitor to the Antonov Iraqi pilots begin F-16 training in USA An-140 – was one of the focus programmes outlined in a recent ilots from the Iraqi air force month, the first two production outside of the USA prompted strategic consolidation involving Phave started training on the examples had been formally de- Baghdad to acquire nine second- Ilyushin. First flight of the new service’s first two Lockheed livered to Iraqi ownership at the hand Sukhoi Su-25 ground-at- model is scheduled for 2016. Martin F-16Ds, following a US company facility last June. tack aircraft via Russia, as an in- Ilyushin says it expects to sign a government decision to transfer Iraq has ordered 24 single-seat terim means of engaging Islamic further contract with the defence the aircraft to an Air National F-16Cs in the Block 52 produc- State militants. ministry that year, and for series Guard base at Tucson Interna- tion standard, plus 12 D-model “Six more F-16s are scheduled production aircraft to emerge from tional airport in Arizona. trainers. to be delivered [to Tucson] over the VASO manufacturing facility Relocated from Lockheed’s Washington’s decision in 2014 the next five months,” the USAF in Voronezh from 2018. ■ Fort Worth site in Texas last to block the transfer of the aircraft said on 18 December. ■

16 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com F-35 chiefs return DEFENCE fire on ‘baseless’ cannon reporting DEFENCE P18

FLEETS DOMINIC PERRY LONDON Upgraded Russian strategic bombers back on duty

ussia’s air force has received Kuznetsov NK-32 engines, ac- Rits first upgraded Tu-95MS cording to a report by Russian and Tu-160M strategic bombers, news agency Itar-Tass. following modernisation work Flightglobal’s MiliCAS data- performed by airframe manufac- base records the Russian air turer Tupolev. force as having current in-ser- An unspecified number of up- vice fleets of 58 Tu-95s and 12 graded Tu-95MS were returned to Tu-160s, as well as 107 shorter- operational use before the end of range Tu-22Ms. 2014. The turboprop-powered Development work has also

type received ehancements to its Tupolev started on a next-generation electronic warfare and targeting A second phase of Tu-160 modernisation work is set for 2016 strategic bomber, via Moscow’s systems, Tupolev says. According PAK DA programme. Due to be to the company, a further 20 ex- “partial replacement” of its avion- A second phase of modernisa- flown before 2019, the design is amples are to be modernised to ics and weapons systems. Deliv- tion work for the variable- also being headed by Tupolev. ■ this configuration by 2016. ery of the first modified aircraft geometry type is scheduled to To download our free World Air Improvements made to the followed a debut flight in the begin in 2016, and will include Forces directory, go online at supersonic Tu-160 included the standard in mid-November 2014. the integration of uprated flightglobal.com/WAF BidsCOMPETITION DOMINIC in PERRY for LONDON Polish helicopter contest

AgustaWestland, Airbus and Sikorsky consortia table proposals in pursuit of tri-service deal for 70 multirole rotorcraft

hree bidders will ﬁght it out back by one month at the request of a potential contract award in No. 2 in Bydgoszcz and ZM Tin a contest to supply 70 mul- of AgustaWestland and Sikorsky. the second half of 2015. Tarnów to deliver as many as 50 tirole helicopters to Poland’s The latter’s PZL Mielec subsidi- Shortly before the ministry’s an- offset projects. armed forces, after Sikorsky back- ary had suggested in October that nouncement, AgustaWestland These include the fabrication tracked on its threat to withdraw it would not table a bid unless signed several tentative offset of helicopter subassemblies and from the process. Poland altered its terms for the deals with local companies, which the design, production and over- Warsaw on 30 December con- contest, which stipulated the de- it says are worth around €800 mil- haul of weapons and weapon ﬁrmed that consortia led by Air- livery of a single aircraft type. lion ($954 million) and will form systems for the AW149. bus Helicopters, PZL Swidnik – The defence ministry says it part of an overall package amount- The company says it also will the Polish subsidiary of will examine the competing ing to “billions” of euros. establish “a global production AgustaWestland – and Sikorsky EC725, AW149 and S-70i Black AgustaWestland plans to work and development centre” for the had all submitted bids to the de- Hawk/S-70B Seahawk before with Fabryka Broni Radom, Mili- 8.3t type in Poland if it wins the fence ministry. choosing which rotorcraft will be tary Aviation Works No. 1 in deal, “opening up global export Responses to its tri-service re- taken forward for testing. Addi- Łódź, Military Aviation Works opportunities”. ■ quirement had previously been tional study of the industrial off- scheduled for delivery by the end sets proposed by the bidders will of November, but were pushed also be carried out, it says, ahead PAYLOAD BARTOSZ GLOWACKI WARSAW Warsaw signs JASSM weapons deal

Poland’s defence ministry has inert training rounds, support equip- signed a $250 million contract to ment and personnel training. purchase Lockheed Martin The Polish air force’s fighters will AGM-158A JASSM weapons for the also undergo an operational nation’s air force. Finalised at flightplan upgrade to the M6.5 Krzesiny air base last month, the software standard to enable inte- deal will equip the service’s gration of the JASSM. Lockheed F-16C/D aircraft. Under the terms of the Foreign Lockheed will supply 40 of the Military Sales deal, an initial $75 stand-off-range missiles under the million payment was made by the contract, with a first batch of weap- end of 2014. A further $100 million ons to be delivered in 2017. will be transferred this year, and the

Airbus Helicopters The manufacturer will also provide remainder of the contract sum paid The EC725 is in the running, alongside the AW149 and S-70i/B two instrumented test weapons, plus in 2017. ■ flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 17 DEFENCE For all the latest news on defence developments and deliveries, visit ﬂightglobal.com/defence F-35PROGRAMME STEPHEN chiefs TRIMBLE WASHINGTON return DC ﬁre on ‘baseless’ cannon reporting

Joint programme office insists General Dynamics design Lockheed Martin and electro-optical sensor on track for 2017 inclusion An external pod is used to house the B-model’s GAU-22 weapon

wo critical close air support Countering a claim that the development was subsequently concedes the system will initially Tsystems – a 25mm cannon F-35’s General Dynamics GAU-22 delayed by four years. lack several features commonly and an electro-optical targeting gun is unable to be fired until In its statement, the JPO con- found on the latest generation of system (EOTS) – will both be 2019, the JPO says it will be deliv- firms that laboratory tests con- targeting pods, including higher available and meet expectations ered when the aircraft’s Block 3F ducted in December identified a definition video, longer range tar- on the Lockheed Martin F-35 by software becomes operational. “minor low-level issue” with the get detection and identification, 2017, programme officials say. That is now scheduled to occur in software controlling the gun sys- video data link and an infrared Defending the systems in a 7 fiscal year 2017, with aircraft to be tem, but says this is due to be fixed marker and pointer. Customers January response to what it calls built during the ninth lot of low- early this year and will have no will be able to add those capabili- “nameless/sourceless/baseless rate initial production (LRIP 9). impact on its fielding schedule. ties in later block upgrades, it says. reporting” over recent weeks, the The JPO says operators accepted The JPO also countered a Daily “As with all development pro- F-35 joint programme office (JPO) the timeline for the cannon system Beast report by asserting that the grammes, the F-35 baseline re- acknowledged one new develop- in 2005, at which point the Block EOTS sensor will enter service quirements define the starting ment problem for the gun, and 3F software was supposed to be in- with the ability to transmit still im- place for capabilities that will be some operational limitations for stalled on LRIP 5 aircraft handed ages to the ground via the aircraft’s evolved and upgraded over the life the Lockheed-built EOTS sensor. over in 2013. However, software Link 16 transmitter. However, it of the programme,” says the JPO. ■

UNMANNED SYSTEMS STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC Hawkeye unit to take UCLASS fleet under its wing he US Navy has decided to and missiles and directs strike as August 2014, the USN’s options and Northrop Grumman have Tembed its future unmanned aircraft from the vessel. had also included operating been waiting for six months for carrier-launched airborne sur- While the Naval Air Systems UCLASS aircraft as a standalone the navy to release a final request veillance and strike (UCLASS) Command has decided to assign unit, or as a detachment to a wing for proposals for a contract worth aircraft in the same air wing that the unmanned strike fleet to the of Lockheed Martin F-35C fighters. up to $6 billion. Last September, operates the Northrop Grumman control of a Hawkeye unit, it has Meanwhile, the future of the Pentagon officials put UCLASS on E-2C/D airborne command and not yet settled on the details of how UCLASS programme remains un- hold, including the programme in control platform. future E-2 crews will operate certain. Boeing, General Atomics a wider review of intelligence, Naval officials confirmed their alongside the system. As recently Aeronautical Systems, Lockheed surveillance and reconnaissance decision in a little-noticed direc- spending. tive dated 18 December, which There has been a long-running says a new UCLASS unit called debate over the design require- the “fleet introduction team” will ments for UCLASS. Some mem- be established on 1 October 2015, bers of Congress have criticised the as a detachment to an E-2C/D- USN for relaxing a requirement to equipped airborne command and make the aircraft less detectable on control logistics wing aboard an radar, instead limiting the type to

aircraft carrier. The latter moni- US Navy mainly performing surveillance tors airspace for hostile aircraft Northrop Grumman’s X-47B set the scene for the $6bn contest tasks in uncontested airspace. ■

Download the 2015 IN ASSOCIATION WITH World Air Forces Report www.flightglobal.com/waf

18 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com Can maths solve BUSINESS AVIATION mystery of MH370’s resting place? NEWS ANALYSIS P20

DELIVERY KATE SARSFIELD LONDON TURBOPROPS KATE SARSFIELD LONDON Gulfstream ships first all-new G650ER Piaggio prepares first Avanti Evos Gulfstream delivered its first connect to more city pairs than Meanwhile, an automatic de- all-new ultra-long-range its stablemate. pendent surveillance – broadcast for service entry G650ER business jet to a private The long distances are made (ADS-B) solution by Garmin has owner on 19 December. possible by an extra 1,810kg been certificated for Gulfstream’s iaggio Aerospace is readying Up to this point, Gulfstream (4,000lb) of fuel carried in the G150, bringing NextGen air traffic Pthe first two Avanti Evos for had only completed a $2 million G650ER’s wings. Gulfstream has control compliance to global op- delivery to their Indian owners ER retrofit of a baseline G650. updated the type’s software for erators of the midsize business jet. this month, following certifica- The G650ER was launched in fuel-quantity measuring to The upgrade is being offered at the tion in late December by the May 2014, securing US approval account for the added fuel and airframer’s service centre in Dal- country’s civil aviation authority. five months later. The $66.5 mil- performance gains. las, Texas. It entails replacing the The announcement comes as lion aircraft is the longest-legged The G650ER’s closest rivals are G150’s transponders with the lat- joint venture partners AirGo production business jet, boasting Bombardier’s in-development est regulatory compliant units, a Flugservice and Fractional Jet Eu- a range of 7,500nm (13,900km) at Global 7000 and 8000, which are universal access transceiver and rope (FJE) prepare to launch their Mach 0.85 – 500nm more than projected to have a range of three antennas. Avanti-based fractional owner- the standard G650, which en- 7,300nm and 7,900nm when they Garmin is planning to intro- ship programme. tered service two years ago. This enter service in 2016 and 2017, duce an ADS-B solution this year “We plan to buy our first air- extra mileage allows the type to respectively. for the super-midsize G200. ■ craft in the next few weeks and then launch services in April,” say FJE founder and chief execu- DEVELOPMENT STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC tive Chris Moody. “The first aircraft will be a pre- Passport to success as GE owned Avanti II, but we plan to add the Evo to the fleet as demand grows,” he adds. begins engine flight testing Mainz, Germany-based AirGo already operates four Avantis, Powerplant for Global 7000 and 8000 on track for year-end certification, despite delays which will be used to provide sup- plemental lift to FJE jet card cus- he Passport engine selected to tomers. “We have had really posi- Tpower Bombardier’s in-devel- tive feedback about the Avanti. opment Global 7000 and 8000 Prospective customers are particu- business jets has entered flight larly drawn to the aircraft’s spa- testing at GE Aviation. cious [midsize] cabin and low op- Trials started on 30 December erating costs. The Evo will be even on a GE flying testbed – a Boeing more appealing,” Moody adds. 747-100 – based in Victorville, The $7.4 million Evo is an California, GE says. upgrade of the nine-year old The 16,500lb-thrust (73kN) Avanti II, featuring a revamped powerplant remains on track to and quieter interior, enhanced

complete certification by the end Bombardier safety features and increased of 2015, despite entering flight The Global 7000 is projected to have a range of 7,300nm performance – thanks to new tests about six months late. The programme was delayed us great confidence as we close in GE is also introducing a new The $7.4 million Evo while GE ran tests of the power- on certification,” Mottier says. form of ceramic matrix compos- is an upgrade of the plant in a windtunnel at low alti- The Passport replaces the ites (CMC) in the Passport engine. tudes, according to vice-presi- venerable CF34 in GE’s portfolio, The Leap engine series in de- nine-year old Avanti II, dent of business and general but with several key new tech- velopment by GE-Snecma joint featuring a revamped aviation Brad Mottier, who nologies. One is a 1.32m- (52in)- venture CFM International is the and quieter interior briefed journalists on the delay diameter front fan “blisk”, which first to use CMCs inside the core last October. is a single component instead of a of an engine, with these being Bombardier is counting on GE separate rotor and blades. made from a silicon-carbide ma- to certificate the Passport engine The advantage of a blisk is that terial, while the Passport is de- winglets, redesigned engine na- by the end of this year. The pow- it minimises the size of the rotor signed with CMCs using an ox- celles, a reshaped front wing and erplant can then join a certifica- hub, allowing more air to flow ide-oxide material. They will be five-bladed composite scimitar tion programme for the first around and through the core of used to make the exhaust mixer, propellers. Global 7000, which is scheduled the engine to improve fuel effi- the centre-body and core cowls. Piaggio has secured 16 orders to enter service in 2016. ciency. The risk is that the Pass- In ground testing the Passport and 28 options for the seven-seat “Since its first test in 2013, the port will feature the largest blisk engine programme has so far aircraft to date, and plans to Passport engine has met or ex- designed to date for a commercial accumulated 750h and 300 produce around 12 of the type ceeded our expectations, giving aircraft engine. cycles, GE says. ■ this year. ■ flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 19 NEWS ANALYSIS David Learmount offers his succinct views on the complexities of aviation safety: flightglobal.com/Learmount CanSEARCH DAVID LEARMOUNTmaths LONDON solve mystery of MH370’s resting place?

Senior 777 captain believes he has calculated crash site of missing Malaysian airliner

n original geometric ap- Hardy currently works as a over the Indian Ocean from the Aproach to the sparse data senior 777 captain for a major in- 777’s last known position, and dis- available about the flight path of ternational airline. Like other covering the only trajectory that – missing Malaysia Airlines flight aviators he was distressed by uniquely – matches the ratio of ac- MH370 suggests a final resting MH370’s loss, and his concern tual elapsed times between the place in the Indian Ocean just that relatives of those on board consecutive Inmarsat/MH370 outside the far south-western might never know what hap- “handshakes”. He then found that edge of the core search area desig- pened inspired him to begin a ge- certain known data made sense, nated by the Australian Transport ometric investigation of known when tested against that naviga- Safety Bureau (ATSB) in the navigational facts. He emerged tional trajectory. For example, the southern Indian Ocean. with a set of conclusions that en- actual elapsed time between The Boeing 777-200ER has abled him to isolate what he be- “handshake arcs” would occur if been missing since 8 March 2014, lieves to be MH370’s actual track. the 777 was flying at its long-range and no trace of it has been found, cruise speed – possibly a coinci- despite an extensive multination- REVERSE ENGINEERING dence, but a likely choice by the al search. “Rather than picking speeds and a person directing the flight. Capt Simon Hardy’s calcula- route at random and making them Hardy worked with one key as- tions are based on a combination fit with the [satcom handshake] sumption: that, once set on this of data which include Inmarsat arcs, I have managed to let the arcs southward cruise, the aircraft’s satellite communication “hand- tell us both the speed and direc- true air speed and its track (based shake arcs” and his expertise in tion, and finally a location – the on true north), remained the same. speed required to fly Line A: 777 performance calculation, as exact track between arcs 4 and 6 – He explains: “For the purposes of 541kt [1,000km/h].” Using the well as some mathematical “re- where it was doing that speed and this purely mathematical/geomet- same elapsed-time ratio between verse engineering” of the naviga- heading,” Hardy says. His ‘reverse rical investigation I am making one handshake arcs, he says the tion geometry known to apply to engineering’ involved testing a se- assumption: that in most scenarios speeds required to fly to random this flight. ries of plausible tracks southward [hypoxia, fire, a hidden hand], the points B and C would have been track and speed of the aircraft from 428kt and 491kt, respectively. ‘WHAT IF’ TRACKS BETWEEN THE 4TH AND 6TH SATCOM ‘HANDSHAKE’ ARCS 2141Z [UTC/GMT at the 4th hand- All these lines appear to be A shake arc] to 0011Z [time at the 6th nearly parallel. “This is great 601kt Speeds inbound from ANOKO 443kt arc] would be constant.” news,” says Hardy, “as we can

C S37˚ measure the angle of the lines. 485kt INFORMATION We ﬁnd that they only vary from He continues: “In order to extract 188˚T [track] to 192˚T.” This sug- the information from the arcs we gests that the aircraft’s true track have to introduce some ‘what ifs’. between 2141Z and 0011Z was B S22˚ What if the aircraft crossed the 190˚T, plus or minus 2˚. 601kt 4th arc at some random posi- The next task – again purely

ancer tion… say Position A [see dia- using maths – was to try to find pic of C Tro gram left]? And if it did, what out where MH370 actually route could it have taken from crossed the arcs, assuming it was S27˚ there? If a series of straight lines flying this approximately 190˚T are projected from point A through arcs 4 and 5 to different 4th arc 541kt Actual track 188˚T 488kt constant points on arc 6, only one satisfies 21:41UTC 5th arc 491kt the ratio of 1:1.5.” That ratio is S32˚ 22:41UTC derived from the 1h between the

6th arc satellite handshakes at arcs 4 and 00:11UTC 428kt 5, and 1h 30min between 5 and 6; 7th arc the actual times for MH370. S37˚ “Line A shows the only straight line from point A that satisﬁes this ratio. If we now measure the distance of the line from arc 4 to Not to scale S42˚ arc 5 we will get the distance trav- SOURCE: Capt Simon Hardy elled in that hour, hence the

20 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com NEWS ANALYSIS Believe it or not, it’s safer to fly FEATURE P22

The Boeing MH370 TRACK FROM WAYPOINT ANOKO TO ‘SPLASHDOWN’ 777-200 went ANOKO missing on Visible to military radar 8 March 2014 Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur

0 MH370 timing (UTC) with corresponding rings

ANOKO

Arc 4 21:41 Arc 5 22:41 10S Satellite ring derivation Arc 6 00:11 Ring of locations equidistant Arc 7 00:19 from satellite on earth surface

110111101 1151111155

20S

rack 188˚T T c

Not visible to radar r a h t 7

True airspeed 488kt/ M0.84

Australia

30S Area surveyeeyedeyee AirTeamImages Previous searcha area track, starting from a known posi- “This meeting of all tion. The last radar contact position of the aircraft was at 1822Z. three lines in one Splash zone position: S38.082 E87.400 Inmarsat-measured beat frequency place makes one offset data indicates that the 777 feel great confidence was still on a westerly heading 40S 3min later, and that it had turned in the result” 85E 90E 95E 100E 105E 110E 115E 120E southerly by 1840Z, leaving a SIMON HARDY SOURCE: Capt Simon Hardy/Inmarsat/Boeing/Google point somewhere within a 15min Senior 777 captain window when the turn happened. and 91.25E. Using the same logic, the same place where the fuel cir- “Extending the line from just if at this point a fourth line is cle crosses the 7th arc,” he says. south of Penang [where the air- window so we will use ANOKO drawn just 5nm west of line C, “We have not used any reference craft’s radar track passed] to the as the turn point.” the speed that fits the equations to fuel in the analysis whatsoever, 1822Z position, it lines up within Again using the “what if” at this line is 488kt and the true so this meeting of all three lines 2˚ with waypoint ANOKO on the points A, B and C, which are all track is 188˚T, which Hardy sug- in one place makes one feel great Chennai FIR boundary,” Hardy on the 4th arc as defined by a sat- gests is MH370’s actual track. confidence in the result.” The says [see diagram right]. “Its com handshake at 2141Z, this 188˚T track line crosses the 7th route and speed are known from means MH370 had 3h 5min to fly VALIDATION arc at S38.528 E87.336. 1722Z until 1822Z, so we can from ANOKO to arc 4. Hardy’s Another group of aviators, calling Finally, he refines his data for work out a time at ANOKO of measurements suggest respective themselves the Independent variations created by the aircraft’s 1836Z. This satisfies the 15min results of 443kt, 485kt and 601kt, Group – and also offering advice descent. “This method gives a with the speed required to cover for the ATSB team – like Hardy splash zone position of S38.082 the distance increasing the more calculates the southbound leg as E87.400. The maximum range westerly the track is from the start beginning at ANOKO and offers a cruise [fuel exhaustion] arc also point. As a result, he says, there is remarkably similar track, of goes extremely close to this point only one place where the speed 187˚T. As the group reached its [within 30nm].” from ANOKO to the 4th arc is the conclusions via slightly differing Hardy notes: “The ATSB [Octo- same as the speed from that point logic, the calculations could be ber] area of interest extends some to the 5th and 6th arcs. considered to validate each other. 600nm along the 7th arc, but Plotting a graph of true air Hardy tests his argument stops 20nm short of where the speed against longitude using the against calculations about where 188˚T crosses arc 7, where I be- three speeds derived for the sec- the aircraft’s fuel would have lieve the aircraft is positioned.” ■ A multinational search failed tors from ANOKO to arc 4 and been exhausted. “If we follow the For a more detailed version of to find any trace of MH370 then for the legs beyond points A, 188˚T line to the 7th arc we find Capt Hardy’s calculations, go to flightglobal.com/MH370 Rex Features B and C, the lines cross at 488kt that it meets it almost exactly at flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 21 COVER STORY

BELIEVEDuring January, Indonesian authorities have been trying to recover theIT AirAsia Airbus A320OR that crashed into theNOT, Java Sea on 28 December IT’S SAFER TO FLY

Despite public perception, DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON an accident. Although doubts exist about the status of missing Malaysia flight MH370 (see 2014 was an extraordinarily alendar year 2014 has turned out to accident tables), that incident has been in- good year for aviation safety be the best 12 months ever for air- cluded in the fatal accident rates. If the disap- C line safety, according to Ascend, a pearance were, however, eventually con- – but the gloom of MH370, Flightglobal advisory service. For firmed as the result of a deliberate act by many this may seem an unexpected result, someone on board – as many experts in Ma- MH17 and December’s given the perceptions created by the high-pro- laysia and elsewhere now believe – and if it AirAsia disaster casts a file losses of two Malaysia Airlines Boeing were therefore excluded from the accident 777s and the crash of an AirAsia Airbus A320 statistics, its absence would make the 2014 long shadow over the just before year-end. figures even more impressive. MH370 was the positive figures Ascend’s director of air safety and insur- largest single loss of the year in terms of peo- ance, Paul Hayes, reveals that the global air- ple presumed dead as a result of the incident. line fatal accident rate in 2014 was one fatal accident per 2.38 million flights. On this basis IMPROVING 2014 was, narrowly, the safest year ever. The previous best airline safety year was 2012, The figures exclude the 17 July loss over with a fatal accident rate of one per 2.37 mil- eastern Ukraine of Malaysia flight MH17, on lion flights, says Hayes. In the other years since the grounds that it was shot down by a guided 2010, the fatal accident rate was one per 1.91 missile and is considered a war risk loss, not million flights in 2013, one per 1.4 million in

22 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com ANALYSIS

OUTLOOK CONTINUING THE DRIVE FOR IMPROVEMENT

SEVERAL STUDIES or projects Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) sys- shared, with whom, and under aimed at reducing threats to tem could be better used to what circumstances. It is also airline safety are likely to share urgent and critical con- investigating setting up perfor- come to fruition in 2015. flict zone risk information. mance-based international In one of these, reacting to Meanwhile, “key ICAO part- standards to ensure “the the French investigator’s rec- ners” are working on setting broader adoption of airline ommendations in the report up a new centralised system flight tracking throughout the on the loss of Air France flight aviation system”. 447 over the South Atlantic in “The problem for Analysts at Ascend, a 2009, Airbus says it is prepar- the risk-takers in Flightglobal advisory service, ing to fit deployable flight data note that the aviation insur- recorders with embedded both the war and ance war-risk market has hard- emergency locator transmit- all-risk markets is ened slightly because of the ters in A350s and A380s. huge overcapacity” MH17 shoot-down loss and The European airframer fighting in Libya – but not as says there is more work to do ASCEND much as the providers had yet, and at the same time Flightglobal advisory service hoped. there is debate in the industry Ascend predicts that unless about how practical this is. No there are more war losses next aviation authorities – at pre- for “the prompt sharing of con- year, rates will soften again. sent – are planning to man- flict zone risk information”. Meanwhile, remarks the con- date deployable FDRs (see However, says ICAO, it will re- sultancy: “The ‘all-risk’ market Feature P32). main the responsibility of air- has hardened a little in that ICAO’s task force on risks to lines to decide where they fly. they are not giving so many civil aircraft from conflict In 2014, ICAO, with the full reductions, and they are either zones, set up after the shoot- backing of IATA and following holding the line or getting ing down of Malaysia Airlines the loss of Malaysia Airlines small increases, but nothing to flight MH17, will almost cer- flight MH370, also set up a write home about.

PA tainly produce its conclusions task force on flight tracking “If nothing much happens, this year – perhaps as early as which should report this year. next year the market will sof- February, at the organisation’s The organisation wants to de- ten again,” it adds. “The prob- 2011 and one per 1.26 million in 2010. The av- High Level Safety Conference. velop a flight tracking “concept lem for the risk-takers in both erage for the last five years is now about one So far the task force has been of operations” covering how the war and all-risk markets is fatal accident per 1.75 million flights. exploring how the existing the new tracking data gets huge overcapacity. ■ The 2014 Malaysian disasters, however, have twisted perceptions of airline safety, despite 2014 being such a safe year. Ascend’s 2014 Safety Perception Survey starts by quot- ing an actual newspaper headline fairly repre- sentative of media reaction: “As another jet crashes… is it safe to fly?” The study later sums up why this appears to be the perception: “The year 2014 will be remembered for the loss of the two Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777s, resulting in 510 passenger and 27 crew deaths. “Given the strange circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the first 777, which is considered likely due to some form of unlawful interference, and the shooting down of the second, these losses would seem to be more to do with security than safety. Nevertheless, they still would have had a significant impact on the public perception of airline safety.” The fact is that passengers died in aircraft. Nervous travellers do not distinguish between the causes of death. Ascend’s fatal accident rate statistics include all commercial airline flights by jets and

turboprops with a seat capacity of 14 and Rex Features above. Each year Flight International ❯❯ A TransAsia Airways ATR 72-500 crashed as it tried to land in Magong, Taiwan, in July flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 23 COVER STORY

WORLD AIRLINE FATAL ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES 2005-2014 The downing of Malaysia Airlines Fatalities Fatal accidents ﬂight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July is considered a war risk 1,600 40 34 34 loss rather than an accident 1,400 32 35 27 28 1,200 26 30

1,000 26 21 25 1,050 25 19 800 863 20 749 817 600 15 744 425 671 583 400 514 10 200 5 10-year average fatal accidents = 27 10-year average fatalities = 670 281 0 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

SOURCE: Flightglobal

❯❯ publishes figures in its global airline safe- year – 2012 – there were only 21 fatal acci- ty review which also include relatively rare – dents, but 425 fatalities. The logic of choosing but still existing – accidents to commercial the “best” year as the one with the lowest airline flights operated with piston-engined number of fatal accidents rather than deaths is aircraft. As a result, although the figures are that the fatalities total depends mostly on the similar and tell the same broad story, the size of the aircraft that crashes. So 2014’s total numbers differ slightly. Flight International’s of 671 fatalities results from the fact that three 2014 figures, like those of Ascend, do not in- of the accidents involved big jets, and one a clude MH17 on the grounds that it was a war large turboprop. If evidence emerges that loss, but assume until evidence suggests oth- MH370 was not an accident and its figures erwise that MH370 was an accident. were removed from the accident tables, the 2014 numbers would fall to 18 fatal accidents INTERPRETATION and 432 fatalities. According to the Flight International terms of The statistical risk to each individual pas- reference, there were 19 fatal accidents – the senger is affected more by the number of pas- lowest ever figure – and 671 fatalities in 2014 sengers that died than the number of fatal acci- (see graph). This compares with 2013, in dents. As a result 2014 took a backward step in which the respective figures were 26 fatal ac- this respect, as three big jets suffered fatal acci- cidents and 281 fatalities – the number of dents with the subsequent loss of everyone on deaths an all-time low. In the previous best board. The Ascend 2014 figures show that ❯❯

INVESTIGATIONS ACCIDENT REPORTS PUBLISHED IN LAST SIX MONTHS OF 2014

THE FACT that no aircraft system any evidence of a failure of the flight ter early suspicions that the flight at the minimum descent altitude alarms triggered before a 2013 LAM management system. “Therefore it is was sabotaged by the captain. No (MDA). Italian investigation authority Mozambique Embraer 190 crash possible to infer that these transi- distress call was made, although the ANSV has determined that the pilots has led Namibian investigators to tions were manually commanded,” crew had been in radio contact with demonstrated a “poor attitude” to- conclude that the captain deliber- the inquiry states. The captain had Gaborone controllers before the sud- wards crew resource management ately disengaged multiple systems been alone as the first officer had left den descent at the EXEDU waypoint. and failed to maintain a sterile cock- before the aircraft crashed. The air- for the lavatory. Flight data recorder The Namibian inquiry states that “no pit during the descent, or to carry out craft had been cruising at 38,000ft information shows that the jet de- mechanical faults were detected”, proper approach briefings. The air- when cockpit voice recordings picked parted from its assigned altitude and and the first officer left the cockpit craft landed 367m (1,200ft) short of up the sound of the altitude pre-se- began a rapid straight-line descent minutes before the 29 November the runway 07 threshold and skidded lect being dialled to 4,288ft, then to that lasted for 6min 42s before 2013 crash. “Repeated banging” on for 850m, suffering such extensive 1,888ft and again to 592ft. Shortly Namibian radar lost contact. The rate the cockpit door is suspected to have damage that the twinjet was written afterwards the autothrottle was dis- of descent reached a maximum been the copilot’s attempt to gain off. The ANSV says there was “delib- engaged and one of the air condition- 10,560ft/min and a nose-down pitch access to the flightdeck. erate disregard” for procedures at ing packs deactivated. Neither event of 10˚, triggering several overspeed the point of reaching the MDA, when generated a caution alarm, and the warnings. The aircraft crashed in ■ Italian investigators have conclud- the crew should confirm the runway Namibian transport ministry, in an Bwabwata National Park. None of the ed that a Wind Jet Airbus A319 that as being in sight – and execute a interim statement, says this indi- six crew members or 27 passengers landed well short of Palermo’s run- go-around if it is not. However, as the cates the actions were intentional. survived. Investigators are yet to way on 24 September 2010 did so aircraft crossed the minimum alti- Similarly, the aircraft’s mode was draw any official conclusions from after deciding to continue a non-preci- tude of 710ft, the captain urged the subsequently switched from ‘altitude the recorded information, but there is sion approach at night in poor weath- first officer, who was flying, to con- hold’ to ‘flight-level change’ without little in the interim statement to coun- er, despite failing to sight the runway tinue the approach despite being

24 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com ANALYSIS Rex Features

unable to confirm a runway sighting. approach. The A319 crossed over to a visual steep approach of 5.1˚ “target fixation” and a “mental block- The first officer subsequently identi- the airport’s terminal VOR beacon at and a reference airspeed of 99kt ing” of any decision to execute a fied the runway at 480ft, and the cap- a height of 92ft – less than half the (183km/h). They also accepted a go-around. While still airborne, below tain took control of the aircraft. At 200ft expected for a normal crosswind limitation 6kt above the a height of 20ft, the crew retarded 240ft the first officer exclaimed that glideslope at that point. Thirty-four operator’s limit of 25kt, so the land- the throttle below the flight-idle set- he saw “four red” – a reference to passengers and a crew member suf- ing should have been abandoned. ting into the ‘beta range’ designed the precision approach path indicator fered minor injuries in the event. The wind conditions and chosen low for use only on the ground. The HCL lamps, which showed the A319 was flap setting of 15˚ “made it difficult” observes: “At that point, no safety far below the correct glidepath. The ■ Danish investigators reporting on to maintain stabilised approach cri- barriers were left.” With a 6.6˚ left inquiry says the adverse weather and a 29 January 2014 Air Greenland de teria. As it passed below 1,000ft the bank, the Dash 8 touched down hard darkness, combined with the de- Havilland Canada Dash 8-200 ac- Dash 8’s airspeed was still at 144kt on its left main landing-gear with an scent over water, created a “black cident determined that the crew car- – exceeding the operator’s stable- impact of 2.4g, and it collapsed. hole” illusion which led the pilot to ried out an unstable steep approach approach maximum of 119kt for the believe the aircraft was high on the to Ilulissat in above-limit crosswinds. aircraft’s configuration. The crew re- ■ The Japan Transport Safety Board The resulting hard landing caused a tarded the throttle levers to the flight- (JTSB) released findings from an in- The latest on a 2013 main-gear collapse and the aircraft idle setting at 200ft, causing the vestigation into the 16 January 2013 LAM Mozambique was destroyed as it skidded off run- aircraft to descend more rapidly – in main battery incident aboard an All way 07 and down a snow-covered excess of 1,000ft/min – and sink Nippon Airways Boeing 787 which Embraer 190 crash slope, although only minor injuries beneath the 5.1˚ glideslope. This resulted in an emergency landing does little to counter were sustained among the 15 occu- descent rate increased to 1,100ft/ and contributed to a global grounding sabotage suspicions pants. Danish investigation authority min at 50ft, with the airspeed still at of the type. While the 100-page HCL found that the crew had agreed 128kt. HCL says the crew developed investigation report does not ❯❯

flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 25 COVER STORY

The total in 2014 of 671 2014 PASSENGERS CARRIED PER FATAL ACCIDENT (EXCLUDES ACTS OF VIOLENCE) fatalities results from the Passengers (millions) fact that three of the 16 Passengers carried per passenger fatality accidents involved big jets, 14 Five-year average and one a large turboprop 12

❯❯ 8 6 million passengers were carried for every one that was killed in a jet accident, 6 whereas in 2013 – in which the number of fatal 4 accidents was higher, but the resulting fatalities much lower – almost 16 million passen- 2 gers were carried for every one that died (see 0 graph, right). This measure is useful for deter- 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 mining how safe commercial aviation is as a SOURCE: Ascend Note: Jet and turboprop aircraft of more than 14 seats mass public transport system, but it feels rather artificial to a passenger who, on boarding a flight, hopes the entire flight will be safe, rather 2014 FLIGHTS PER FATAL ACCIDENT (EXCLUDES ACTS OF VIOLENCE) than taking comfort in the fact that his personal Flights (millions) chance of survival is 6 million-to-one in favour. 2.5 There were two accidents in 2014 that oc- Flights per fatal accident curred in similar circumstances – both were Five-year average in tropical latitudes at cruising level, and just 2.0 before they disappeared their crews radioed that they needed to manoeuvre to avoid bad 1.5 weather. The first was an Air Algerie/Swiftair

Boeing MD-80 over Mali in July, the second 1.0 an AirAsia Airbus A320 over the Java Sea in December (see accident list). For reasons yet to be established, neither crew managed to re- 0.5 tain control of the aircraft. It is worthy of note that in recent years the 0.0 same circumstances have had a similar result 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014 in two other cases. One was the 1 June 2009 SOURCE: Ascend Note: Jet and turboprop aircraft of more than 14 seats or cargo equivalent

CONTINUED ACCIDENT REPORTS PUBLISHED IN LAST SIX MONTHS OF 2014

❯❯ identify a specific cause for the the heat generation in cell six was The board recommends that the FAA that shows the bad weather and lithium-ion battery failure aboard ANA “probably” due to a short circuit, but instruct manufacturers to test equip- poor visibility immediately prior to the flight 692, it provides probable caus- says “the conclusive mechanism ment under conditions simulating crash that prevented the flightcrew es and has recommendations for thereof was not identified”. During actual aircraft configurations, and from seeing the runway. The first of- both the US Federal Aviation the Yamaguchi Ube-Tokyo flight the review the technical standards for ficer, who was flying, mentioned that Authority and Boeing. “Internal heat flightcrew received several battery testing lithium-ion batteries. Boeing the runway was not in sight as the generation in cell six very likely devel- warnings and smelled fumes in the has since redesigned the battery aircraft descended through 900ft on oped into venting, making it the initi- cockpit. They made an emergency and its stowage area. final approach after an uneventful ating cell, resulting in cell-to-cell landing at Takamatsu, where all 129 flight from Bandung. Although the propagation and subsequent failure passengers and eight crew were ■ The final report into the crash of a aircraft’s automated systems issued of the main battery,” the report says. evacuated via the aircraft’s slides. Lion Air Boeing 737-800 into the sea a “minimum” warning at 550ft, the “It is very likely that cell six internal The ANA incident followed another on short final to land at Denpasar’s crew disengaged the autopilot and heat generation and increased inter- lithium-ion battery failure on 11 Ngurah Rai International airport on autothrottle and continued the de- nal pressure caused it to swell, melt January 2013, aboard a Japan Air 13 April 2013 has identified several scent manually. At 300ft the cockpit the surrounding insulation material Lines 787 parked at Boston Logan pilot skill deficits and failures in the voice recorder identifies a sound and contact the brace bar, creating a International airport. Echoing com- carrier’s emergency response proce- consistent with rain hitting the wind- grounding path that allowed high cur- ments from both the NTSB and dures. The National Transportation shield. When the 737 had descend- rents to flow through the battery box. Boeing itself, the JTSB states that Safety Committee (NTSC) report ed to just 150ft, the captain took The currents generated arcing inter- the airframer’s original testing regi- highlights the failure of the captain control and the first officer again said nal to the battery that contributed to men for the battery was insufficient, and first officer to communicate ef- he could not see the runway. After cell-to-cell propagation consequently mainly as it did not adequately simu- fectively during the approach. The the enhanced ground proximity warn- destroying the battery.” It adds that late a realistic operational scenario. report also refers to CCTV footage ing system called a 20ft height alert

26 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com ANALYSIS

loss of Air France flight AF447, and the other the 16 August 2005 loss of a West Caribbean Airways McDonnell Douglas MD-82. AF447 was lost in the inter-tropical convergence zone over the South Atlantic Ocean while the pilots were known to be manoeuvring to avoid storm clouds. The aircraft’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders were eventually recovered, re- vealing that the pilots had been confused by an icing-related loss of airspeed information for less than a minute, but quickly lost control of the aircraft. The MD-82, flying from Panama City to Martinique, went out of control while the pilots were discussing how to deal with the airframe and engine icing the aircraft seemed to be suffering in the cruise. The crew were cleared by air traffic control to descend because they said they could not maintain altitude. The stall warning is known to have operated during the descent, which took 3.5min from cruise at 33,000ft to impact with the ground. Perhaps the primary message from 2014 – delivered by the fate of flights MH370 and MH17 – is that security is as important as operational and engineering safety for preserving life. An ICAO commission is looking at the risks of flying over or close to conflict zones as MH17 did, but determining what to do about a mystery like MH370 is more difficult. If, as conjectured, the aircraft’s flightpath was delib- erately planned and executed by a person on board with some kind of revenge motive, how can such a person be recognised? ■ David Learmount offers his views on aviation

PA operational and safety issues via his blog at A de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter operated by Nepal Airlines crashed in February ﬂightglobal.com/learmount

the pilot commanded a go-around A ﬂight attendant after touchdown in Afghanistan. The says the articulating arm at the top but, just 1s later, the aircraft hit the aircraft (TC-ACB) had been arriving of the main gear leg fractured due to water. Although there were no fatali- was unable to detach at Bagram air base after a cargo fatigue cracking – adding that this ties among the 101 passengers and a life raft from the service from Bahrain on 1 March fracture “probably” occurred as the seven crew, four passengers suf- 2010. Its crew had already been gear retracted after take-off. The left fered serious injuries. The aircraft crashed Lion Air alerted to a possible problem during gear subsequently deployed under (PK-LKS) was a complete loss. The Boeing 737-800 the visual approach to runway 21 gravity when the undercarriage was report also shows the crew handled because cockpit indications showed extended for landing, leading to a evacuating the passengers from the the left main gear was not locked, hydraulic leak. BEA’s inquiry states aircraft poorly. The first officer initially port operator PT Angkasa Pura I and and an absence of pressure in the that some maintenance tasks on attempted to evacuate passengers the Directorate General of Civil green hydraulic system. The A300 the gear, during its last overhaul at from the jet through the right cockpit Aviation. The key recommendations, carried out two passes over the tow- Turkish Technic, were “not complet- window. When this proved unviable, however, focus on ensuring the pilots er for air traffic controllers to ob- ed in the prescribed manner”. he conducted the evacuation have effective skills in crew resource serve the state of the undercarriage. Pitting and corrosion in the landing- through the right-hand service door. management, hand flying and emer- It appeared normal. About 18s after gear assembly went undetected. Meanwhile, a flight attendant on the gency procedures. touchdown, during braking, the left Turkish Technic and landing-gear left side of the twinjet was unable to gear collapsed, says French investi- manufacturer Messier-Bugatti-Dowty detach a life raft from the aircraft, as ■ French investigators have deter- gation authority BEA. The A300 de- subsequently carried out a review of her only training for this exercise con- mined that fatigue cracking in the parted the runway and came to rest procedures, with Messier and Airbus sisted of watching a video. The re- undercarriage of an ACT Airlines 2,000m (6,560ft) beyond the emphasising the need to apply cor- port contains 13 recommendations Airbus A300B4 freighter caused the threshold. All five crew evacuated rosion protection promptly to parts for five parties including Lion Air, air- left main landing-gear to collapse from the aircraft without injury. BEA awaiting plating treatment. ■

flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 27 AIRLINE SAFETY ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS 2014

NOTES ON TABLES This data comes from Flight International’s research in association with Flightglobal advisory service Ascend, which compiles the World Aircraft Accident Summary, among other safety analysis products. Details of non-fatal incidents are not made available ofﬁcially by authorities in many countries, but Flight International continues to list known signiﬁcant incidents to maximise the availability of relevant information. We accept that the non-fatal listing may be weighted against the airlines of those countries that make safety information more readily available.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AA airfield approach/early descent EFIS electronic flight-instrument GPWS ground proximity warning PF pilot flying AAIB UK Air Accidents Investigation system system PNF pilot not flying Branch EGPWS enhanced ground proximity HP high pressure RA runway/final approach AAL above airfield level warning system IFR instrument flight rules SID standard instrument departure ACARS automatic communication EGT exhaust gas temperature IMC instrument meteorological TAWS terrain awareness and addressing and reporting system EICAS engine indicating and conditions warning system ADC air-data computer crew alerting system ILS instrument landing system TO take-off ADF automatic direction finder ER en route ISA international standard TOGA press-button selected take- AF air force ETOPS extended-range twin atmosphere – sea level pressure of off/go-around thrust AGL above ground level operations 1013.2hPa and standard temp- VASI visual approach slope indicator AMSL above mean sea level FAA US Federal Aviation erature/pressure lapse rate with VFR visual flight rules AOA angle of attack Administration altitude VHF very high frequency ASI airspeed indicator FDR flight data recorder L landing VMC visual meteorological ATC air traffic control FL flight level = altitude, in LP low pressure conditions C climb hundreds of feet, with international MEL minimum equipment list VOR VHF omni-range navigation C-B circuit breaker standard pressure-setting (ISA) of MTOW maximum take-off weight beacon CFIT NDB V controlled flight into terrain 1013.2mb set on altimeter (eg non-directional beacon 1 take-off decision speed CNK cause not known FL100 – altimeter reading of NTSB US National Transportation CVR cockpit voice recorder 10,000ft with ISA set) Safety Board Conversion factors DME distance measuring equipment FMS flight management system PAPI precision approach path 1nm = 1.85km ECAM electronic centralised aircraft G on ground indicator 1ft = 0.3m monitor GPU ground power unit PAX passengers 1kt = 1.85km/h

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Fatalities Total occupants Phase (crew/pax) (crew/pax) FATAL EVENTS: SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHTS 8 March Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER (9M-MRO) Over Malacca Strait 12/227 12/227 ER The Malaysian authorities believe the circumstances of this flight’s disappearance probably suggest deliberate action by a person or persons on board. The aircraft, operating flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing, took off shortly after midnight and climbed to FL350. Over the Gulf of Thailand, just after Kuala Lumpur ATC had handed the aircraft over to Ho Chi Minh ATC and the crew had acknowledged the handover call, the aircraft’s transponder stopped operating, so MH370 was no longer visible to ATC on secondary radar. The MH370 crew never contacted HCM. No more automatic ACARS transmissions were received after one was received in the early climb. On military primary radar the aircraft was seen to turn west and fly across the Malaysian peninsula, then head northwest over the Malacca Strait before contact was lost. Inmarsat estimates the aircraft, when over the Andaman Sea, turned south towards the open Indian Ocean. This was deduced from automated aircraft responses to “handshake” signals from Inmarsat satellites. The aircraft’s handshake responses contained no data, but the aircraft’s range from the satellite could be deduced each time. These range “pings” each provide a long arc on the globe’s surface, somewhere along which the aircraft must be. This happens each time the handshake takes place, so together with the primary radar data showing the aircraft’s early track and speed, this enables an estimated plot of the aircraft’s track to be proposed. The last satellite response received came shortly after 08:00 Malaysia time – about the time the aircraft would have run out of fuel. Searches have been conducted in the Indian Ocean to the west and northwest of Australia, but have so far found nothing on the surface or sea bed. The search was suspended in May during winter but resumed in September. The aircraft remains missing and no wreckage has been found. The crew and passengers are missing, presumed dead. 24 July Air Algerie Boeing MD-83 (EC-LTV) SE of Gossi, Mali 6/110 6/110 ER En route from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to Algiers, the aircraft encountered a line of storm cells over the Burkina/Mali border and turned to navigate past them. With the autopilot and autothrust set to maintain FL310, it appears the aircraft, operated by Spanish carrier Swiftair for Air Algerie, entered an area of descending air and/or severe icing associated with nearby storm clouds. The autothrust reacted by increasing power, but thrust was insufficient to maintain height and speed, and pitch attitude increased gradually with the autopilot still engaged. The aircraft eventually lost flying speed with its trimmable horizontal stabiliser still commanding a nose-up attitude, then entered a descent with the autopliot engaged, autothrust disconnected and thrust at idle. The aircraft’s attitude eventually changed, reaching 80˚ nose down and 140˚ left bank, with crew control inputs commanding nose-up and right-roll. Impact with the ground occurred about 3min after the flight began to be unstable, and in the last 20s of the descent the engines began winding up toward full power. The aircraft had been leased from the Spanish carrier Swiftair for the summer. 28 December AirAsia Indonesia Airbus A320 (PK-AXC) Java Sea between Sumatra and 7/155 7/155 ER Borneo The aircraft took off at 05:35 local time and reached its 32,000ft cruising level en route Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore. At 06:12 the crew advised Jakarta ATC that there was bad weather ahead and they wanted to climb to 38,000ft and alter course to avoid storms. That was the last transmission by the crew. Five minutes later the aircraft’s radar return disappeared, and at 06:18 the A320’s ADS-B signal was lost. The Indonesian authorities are conducting a search with multinational resources. Some floating wreckage from the aircraft has been oundf in the sea. FATAL ACCIDENTS: REGIONAL AND COMMUTER AIRLINES 16 February Nepal Airlines DHC Twin Otter 300 (9N-ABB) ER Jumla-Pokhara, Nepal 3/15 3/15 ER Hit high terrain in cloud and deteriorating weather that included embedded cumulonimbus. Investigators say the accident was caused by a crew loss of situational awareness.

28 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS Rex Features French investigators determined that an Air Algerie MD-83 lost over Mali entered a rapid spiral descent from which it failed to recover

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Fatalities Total occupants Phase (crew/pax) (crew/pax) 23 July TransAsia Airways ATR 72 (B-22810) Nr Makung, Penghu Islands, Taiwan 4/44 4/54 RA While attempting a night VOR approach to runway 20 at Makung the crew notified ATC that they were going around, but the aircraft was too low and hit trees about 500m short of the runway and 500m left of the extended centreline. The weather was bad, affected by the passage of Typhoon Matmo, with 800m visibility, heavy rain and gusting wind. Press reports say a thunderstorm was stationary over the airfield. The flight had been delayed by 1.5h because of the weather at Makung. 10 August Sepahan Airlines HESA IrAn-140 (EP-GPA) Tehran Mehrabad airport, Iran 6/42 6/42 C Almost immediately after take-off from runway 29L the aircraft veered right and crashed about 1.5km (1 mile) northwest of the departure end of the runway. Local press reports suggest the right engine failed after V1. The weather was hot and clear, with a temperature of 38˚C (100˚F). Mehrabad’s elevation is 3,962ft. 20 September HeviLift DHC Twin Otter (P2-KSF) Mount Lawes, Nr Port Moresby, 2/2 2/7 AA Papua New Guinea The aircraft crashed into Mount Lawes close to its peak while positioning visually to land at Port Moresby. The weather was rainy with low cloud, and the mountain was shrouded in cloud at its peak. The aircraft was on an IFR flightplan but some 32nm (60km) from PM it was cleared for a visual approach. ATC repeated several times during the descent that the flightcrew must maintain visual contact with terrain, and join via a left base leg to land on runway 14R. When closer the captain radioed that he was “running into a bit of cloud” and was going to position to join an ILS for 14. Actually, under the circumstances, he could not have made a visual intercept of the ILS from his position, and ATC reissued the warning to stay visual with terrain. The alternative would have been to climb and ask for radar vectors to join the ILS. FATAL ACCIDENTS: NON-PASSENGER FLIGHTS 18 January Trans Guyana Airways Cessna Grand Caravan (8R-GHS) Mazaruni region, Guyana 2 2 ER This cargo flight crashed in forest not long after take-off from OIive Creek bound for Imbaimadai. The pilot put out a mayday call stating that the aircraft was going down. 17 February Global Air Connection BAe 748-2B (5Y-HAJ) Rabkona airport, South Sudan 1 4 L The aircraft was chartered by the International Organisation for Migration, which reports that it veered off the runway and across a ditch. One of its wings hit vehicles, causing a fire. 8 April Hageland Aviation Services Cessna Grand Caravan (N126AR) 50km SE of Bethel, Alaska, USA 2 2 ER The aircraft entered a steep descent during crew training manoeuvres in good daylight weather and hit the ground. 8 May Aliansa Douglas DC-3 (HK4700) North of San Vicente del Caguán, 55 ER Colombia The aircraft was operating a cargo flight from Villavicencio to Florencia but came down in high terrain north of San Vicente. Official casualty reports say there were five crew on board, but press reports maintain there were six. 2 July Skyward International Aviation Fokker 50 (5Y-CET) Nairobi International airport, Kenya 4 4 C The aircraft veered left after a night take-off from runway 06, lost height and crashed into a building about 2,000m (6,560ft) beyond the runway end and 1,000m left of the extended centreline. It was destroyed by fire. 23 August Doren Air Congo Let L-410 (9Q-CXB) Nr Kalika, DR Congo 2 2 ER The aircraft disappeared en route from Kavumu airport, Bukavu to Kama, and was later found crashed and burned in a remote part of the Kahuzi-Biéga National Park about 30km (18 miles) southwest of its departure point. It was carrying about 1,500kg of cargo. 30 August Ukraine Air Alliance Antonov An-12 (UR-DWF) Nr Tagrambait, Algeria 7 7 C The aircraft, en route from Tamanrasset to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea and carrying a load of oil drilling equipment, crashed with no distress call in the desert about 15km (9 miles) south-southwest of Tamanrasset. It was a clear night and there was a long wreckage trail over the flat ground it crashed on. 31 August Safari Express Cargo Fokker F-27 (5Y-SXP) Nr Kogatende, Tanzania 3 3 ER En route from Mwanza to Nairobi, Kenya, the aircraft was lost with no communication while in cruise at FL140 over Serengeti National Park. 29 October Skyway Enterprises Bombardier Short 360 (N380MQ) Maho Bay, St Maarten, Netherlands 22 C Antilles After a night take-off from runway 28 at St Maarten in poor weather, the aircraft crashed into the sea about 5km (3 miles) beyond its departure point. 14 November Global Air Connection BAE Systems HS748 (5Y-BVQ) Panyagor/Kongor airstrip, South 23 L Sudan The aircraft touched down about 300m short of the runway and hit some small houses under the approach path, coming to rest 20m from the threshold where it burned out. 28 December Air Services BN Islander (8R-GHE) Position uncertain, Guyana ? 2 ER The aircraft took off from Mahdia bound for Karisparu, and was declared missing when it did not arrive. A search continues. 28 December Unconﬁrmed Antonov An-26 DR Congo nr border with Burundi 6 6 ER The aircraft was on a night cargo flight from Bujumbura, Burundi to Pointe-Noire, DR Congo when it hit high ground. flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 29 AIRLINE SAFETY

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries Total occupants Phase (crew/pax) (crew/pax) SIGNIFICANT NON-FATAL ACCIDENTS (ALL OPERATIONAL CATEGORIES) 2 January Nature Air Bombardier Dash 6 (TI-BFN) La Fortuna airport, Costa Rica -/- 2/? L The aircraft overran the runway and the nose gear collapsed. 5 January Air India Airbus A320 (VT-ESH) Jaipur International airport, India -/- 5/168 L Touched down on soft ground to the left of runway 27 in fog with a visibility of about 200m, before receiving substantial damage when it veered further left and its port wing struck a tree. The aircraft had diverted from Delhi, where poor visibility precluded landing, and it is understood to have had insufficient fuel on board to divert elsewhere from Jaipur. Runway 27 has a Cat 1 ILS. 10 January Carson Air Fairchild Metro (C-FJKK) Regina airport, Saskatchewan, -2 L Canada The aircraft touched down about halfway along the runway in poor visibility with a 5kt tailwind and a contaminated surface. It overran the end by about 100m (328ft). 18 January Aeronaves McDonnell Douglas DC-9F (XA- Plan de Guadelupe airport, Mexico - 3 L UGM) The aircraft landed at night in poor visibility about two-thirds of the way along the runway and ran off the left side. 29 January Air Greenland DHC Dash 8-200 (OY-GRI) Ilulissat airport, Greenland -/3 3/12 L The crew expected a crosswind on landing and checked the threshold wind frequently as they carried out their choice of an NDB approach to runway 07. On short final the wind was reported from 140˚ at 26kt, gusting 39kt. On landing the left main gear failed – an investigation later determined it was a stress failure. The aircraft swung left off the runway and down a slope to rocks, and the crew ordered an evacuation. 1 February Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737 (PK-GFW) Juanda, Surabaya, Indonesia -/- 6/104 TO Tread from the aircraft’s left outer main gear tyre was shed during the take-off run. At the destination, the crew carried out a fly-by with the gear down in front of the tower to see if damage was visible, then landed on runway 28. During the landing roll the tyre failed and debris caused major damage to the left spoilers, thrust reverser, wing underside and aft fuselage. 1 February Lion Air Boeing 737-900 (PK-LFH) Juanda-Surabaya airport, Indonesia -/5 7/215 L The aircraft bounced four times during its landing on runway 28, also triggering the tailskid indicator, smashing the nosewheel and bursting a main gear tyre. The final touchdown registered nearly g4 and caused fuselage wrinkling aft of the wing. The surface wind was reported to be 270˚ at 16kt 2 February East Air Airbus A320 (EY-623) Kulob, Tajikistan -/- 6/186 L Inbound from Moscow Domodedovo, the aircraft carried out a daytime approach in heavy snow. It overran the runway end into deep snow and suffered major damage. 13 February Jetstar Asia Airbus A320 (9V-JSN) ER over Java, Indonesia -/- ?/? ER Unintentionally flew, at night, through volcanic ash cloud downwind of Mount Kelud, sustaining major damage to both engines. However, they continued to function. The aircraft landed safely at Jakarta. 17 February Jet2 Boeing 737-800 (G-GDFC) Funchal airport, Madeira, Portugal -/- 7/175 L The aircraft suffered windshear on short final approach to runway 05, owing to a variable crosswind from the left reported at 330˚ at 14kt, gusting to 24kt, caused by the fact that the runway is on the lee side of high ground when the wind is from that direction. The captain persisted with the approach despite the fact that a high sink rate developed just before touchdown, and the aircraft bounced on landing. The aircraft came to a halt safely, but suffered a tail-scrape and some fuselage deformation. 22 February Travel Service Airlines Boeing 737-800 (OK-TVT) Lajes airport, Azores -/- 6/164 L The flight was from Prague, Czech Republic to Montego Bay, Jamaica, with a planned fuel stop at Lajes. The wind at Lajes was strong, gusting and variable with a crosswind from the right. The aircraft encountered severe windshear and turbulence in the last 5nm (9km) of the approach to runway 15. The aircraft touched down hard on the main and nose gear simultaneously, bounced and touched down a second time with a deceleration of 3.5g that caused damage to the undercarriage and fuselage frames. 25 February Guicango Embraer Brasilia (D2-FFZ) Nr Lukapa airport, Angola -/- 3/14 ER A technical issue – thought to be engine problems – developed en route from Luanda to Dundo, forcing the crew to attempt a diversion and emergency landing on runway 18 at Lukapa. The crew lost directional control on the wet runway, veered right and came to rest on rough ground, sustaining substantial damage. Rex Features On 10 August 2014, Sepahan Airlines’ sole airworthy IrAn-140-100 was involved in a fatal crash near Tehran Mehrabad airport

30 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS Rex Features The crew of a Transasia ATR 72-500 called for a go-around at Taiwan’s Makung island airport while at an altitude of just 72ft

Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries Total occupants Phase (crew/pax) (crew/pax) 13 March US Airways Airbus A320 (N113UW) Philadelphia International airport, -/2 5/149 TO USA The aircraft was taking off from runway 27L bound for Fort Lauderdale when the crew, immediately after rotate, aborted the take-off because of indications of a No 1 engine fire. The nose gear touched down and collapsed and the aircraft came to a halt partly off the runway. Two passengers were injured in the evacuation. 11 April Kenya Airways Embraer 190 (SY-FFC) Dar es Salaam, Tanzania -/- 6/49 L The aircraft ran into a heavy rain shower on short final approach to runway 23, and the captain took control from the co-pilot how had lost sight of the runway. On landing the aircraft veered right off the runway before returning to it. The aircraft suffered major damage. 20 April Blue Bird Aviation Fokker 50 (5Y-VVJ) Guriel landing strip, Somalia - 3 L The aircraft landed long and ran off the end of the runway at high speed. The left wing failed and broke away. 24 April Wasaya Airways Beechcraft 1900 (C-FWXL) Sachigo Lake airport, Ontario, -/- 2/9 C Canada The crew heard “wind noise” soon after take-off and suspected a door failure despite getting no warnings. When a crew member went to check it, the main cabin door “popped open” about 25cm and the door warning light came on. The crew elected to turn back and declared an emergency. On approach the door had opened fully, and it separated on landing. 8 May Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 737-400 (YA-PIB) Kabul International airport, -/- 5/130 L Afghanistan The aircraft overran the end of runway 29 by about 300m, destroying the ILS localiser array. The aircraft encountered heavy rain on short final approach and the runway was wet. 10 May IRS Airlines Fokker 100 (5N-SIK) Kwasi Posa, Nr Magaria, Nigeria -/- 2 ER The aircraft was carrying out a post-maintenance (C-check) ferry flight from Bratislava, Slovakia to Kano, Nigeria. Shortly after waypoint GANLA on airway UA604, the crew reported an unspecified system problem that appears to have affected navigation, because they got lost in a sandstorm. Fearing that they would run out of fuel, the crew force-landed on flat ground, and the right main landing gear and nosewheel collapsed. 7 July Air Asia Airbus A320 (9M-AQA) Brunei International airport, Brunei -/- 7/102 L The aircraft ran off the runway to the left and the engines suffered ingestion damage. There was light rain and 3,000m daylight visibility. 10 July Precision Air ATR 72 (5H-PWA) Kilimanjaro airport, Tanzania -/- 4/36 ER The No 2 engine failed in the cruise on a flight from Mwanza to Dar es Salaam, and the crew elected to divert to Kilimanjaro. The aircraft made a normal night touchdown on runway 09, but after selecting ground idle on the No 1 engine the crew lost directional control and the aircraft ran off the runway to the left. 28 September Air Labrador DHC Twin Otter (C-GKSN) La Tabatiere airfield, Quebec, -/- 2/17 L Canada The aircraft landed about halfway along the 540m (1,770ft) gravel runway in daylight and good visibility. Worried that he could not stop before the runway end, beyond which is a 20m drop, the captain turned the aircraft off the side, hitting a runway sign with the right propeller and impacting another obstruction with the right forward fuselage. 25 October Biega Airways Let L-410 (9Q-COT) Shabunda, DR Congo 2 2 L The aircraft landed more than 800m short of the runway in daylight VMC. 6 November Jazz Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 Edmonton International airport, -/- 4/71 L (C-GGBF) Canada The aircraft had suffered a right main gear tyre burst during take-off from Calgary for Grande Prairie, and the crew decided to divert to Edmonton. On touchdown the starboard main gear collapsed, the right propeller hit the ground and blades penetrated the fuselage. The crew had moved passengers to seats away from the starboard propeller disc plane, so no-one was hurt. 4 December Tropic Air Cessna Caravan (V3-HHU) Belize City airport, Belize -/- 1/5 L Overran the runway into the sea

flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 31 AIRLINE SAFETY NO SECOND CHANCE

The industry needs to make a radical shift in pilot training, to get ﬂightcrews safely in tune with modern airliner technology, but the authorities are dragging their feet

DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON

irlines and the world’s aviation authorities have been warned that if they Amiss the opportunity to modernise pilot training now, when the Interna- tional Pilot Training Consortium (IPTC) and ICAO have finished preparing the ground for change, they may be stuck with 1950s-based training regulations for the foreseeable future. The industry has acknowledged that airline pilot training desperately needs updating for the modern piloting task, but national aviation authorities (NAA) are doing nothing to enable it. In September 2013, a US Federal Aviation Administration-led committee published a study showing that pilot training needs radical change if it is to prepare aviators for the specific task of flying the latest generation of complex, highly automated modern airliners safely. In parallel, a cross-organisational expert group called the IPTC was working to define the changes in pilot training philosophy that

would deliver the goods. Rex Features Based on operational incident and accident The IPTC was formed to bring together several groups working to modernise flightcrew education data, the FAA-led study established that the flying task and navigational environment has level, on the grounds that pilots remain essential sistance to change that broad-based action evolved with advancing technology, but train- components of a safely operated airliner. still seems impossibly distant. ing for the task has not evolved at all, so safety ICAO, IATA, IFALPA, RAeS and ICCAIA to- This has become so clear that, at the end of was suffering. It concluded that pilots are some- gether look like a formidable set of big guns to the 2014 RAeS International Flight Crew times proving unprepared for today’s flightdeck train on what is, ostensibly, a simple problem: Training Conference (IFCTC) at its London and air traffic management environments. to modernise and harmonise pilot training. The headquarters in September, the IPTC’s outgo- IPTC’s stated mandate is this: “To improve the ing executive chairman Peter Barrett effective- CORPORATE ACTION safety, quality and efficiency of commercial avi- ly asked the participants whether they want- Since this is a recognised global phenomenon, ation by developing international agreement on ed to renew the consortium’s researching and several years ago, the UK-based Royal Aeronau- a common set of pilot training, instruction and campaigning mandate, or just give up. tical Society drew up a partnership with two evaluation standards and processes.” As it happened, the conference renewed the other international industry bodies to identify Meanwhile a lot of work had already been IPTC’s mandate, but the work is still completely what action was needed. Overseen by ICAO, the done through ICAO to determine what mod- unfunded and continues to be carried out vol- RAeS joined forces with IATA and the Interna- ern pilot training should look like. One of sev- untarily by industry people with busy day jobs. tional Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associa- eral results was the development of the com- IPTC has worked hard with ICAO to create a tions and set up the IPTC. More recently, manu- petency-based training system that leads to series of updated training standards, but the re- facturing industry body the International the multi-crew pilot licence (MPL). sulting published ICAO standards and recom- Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries What has transpired, however, is that the mended practices (SARPs) on pilot training are Associations (ICCAIA) has also joined the IPTC. industry and NAAs have proved to have such being comprehensively ignored in almost all Before the formation of the IPTC, each of deeply-embedded inertia, prejudice and re- the organisation’s 192 signatory states. Speak- these bodies was working individually on what ing at the RAeS IFCTC, the director of ICAO’s might be done to correct the mismatch between “We will publish a report. air navigation bureau Nancy Graham said the traditionally trained pilots and state-of-the-art Please do not read that report increased frequency of fatal accidents resulting flightdecks. The automation itself was not reck- from loss of control in flight (LOC-I) is a major oned to be the problem – it was making aero- and do nothing about it” focus for the organisation, which it believes is planes safer and more efficient. So the correc- PETER BARRETT one result of traditional pilot training being tion, according to logic, had to be at piloting Outgoing executive chairman, IPTC mismatched with the modern flying task.

32 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com PHILOSOPHY

The situation today, Barrett observes, does “We have included a task in And the fact that neither EASA nor the not represent a failure to agree that change is FAA has openly adopted ICAO’s updated needed; it is failure to implement the new our rulemaking programme PANS-TRG (procedures for air navigation ser- SARPs that would bring about the change. to address EBT and the ATQP” vices – training) leaves the world rather short But while Capt John Bent, chairman of the EASA of regulatory role models where pilot training IPTC’s training practices workstream, laments and licencing is concerned. the failure of implementation, he has noted that at least “a broad global interest is being generat- EVIDENCE ed.” It seems to be this faith that the word is get- FltDAWG warns that in future operations, au- ICAO’s PANS-TRG Doc 9868 addresses the ting through – even if nothing is being imple- tomatic systems will become even more domi- new system known as evidence-based training mented yet – that led Barrett to propose a nant in pilots’ working lives, so it is vital to find (EBT) that an increasing number of top-line three-year extension of the IPTC and its work – quickly – a way of enabling pilots to retain carriers – unwilling to wait for the regulators – programme through 2017. He said to the IFCTC their skills and situational awareness with the are adopting for their crews’ recurrent training. as he closed it: “We will publish a report [sum- advanced systems. The IPTC has, independent- This is a system of monitoring real pilot performing up the findings of the IPTC workstreams ly, come to the same conclusion. mance in line operations via flight data moni- as reported to the conference]. Please do not But the FAA has now handed the problem toring (FDM) and line operation safety auditing read that report and do nothing about it.” back to the industry to work out practical solu- to identify where training is clearly needed, tions for adapting pilot training in the USA to to- and supplying it accordingly. However, these DIMINISHING day’s needs. It would rather that US carriers, hav- airlines are based in countries where the NAA Barrett also announced that there will be a ing been provided with a stark picture of the is prepared to approve an alternative training meeting at ICAO’s Montreal headquarters in existing system’s failings, come up with the an- and qualification programme (ATQP). spring 2017 as the three-year mandate ap- swers because after all they – and the world’s air EASA, however, says it was involved in one proaches its end, to review progress on imple- training organisations – are supposedly the ex- of the IATA-led working subgroups in develop- menting the IPTC’s recommendations. perts in what it takes to conduct safe operations. ing the EBT documents released by ICAO. Meanwhile last year, the FAA-led study con- The FAA may be leading global thinking EASA says it does indeed plan action: “We firmed beyond argument that traditional pilot with this ground-breaking report, but it does not have included a task in our rulemaking pro- training methods often leave pilots ill-prepared intend to impose a solution on its own carriers, gramme [RMT.0599] in order to address this for complex modern aircraft. The ultimate result let alone foreign ones. It is also one of numerous subject [EBT] and the subject of the ATQP.” is, said the report, that pilots from time to time, NAAs that has not adopted ICAO’s new training It adds that the review will include the fol- lose control of a perfectly serviceable aeroplane SARPs. Neither has Europe’s EASA. In fact the lowing items: “EBT taking into account recent with fatal consequences for everyone on board. FAA is particularly badly placed at present as ICAO amendments; ATQP taking into ac- The FAA-led report, The operational use of far as global training harmonisation is con- count experience gained in commercial air flight path management systems, was based on cerned, because legislation passed recently by transport aeroplane operations and extension extensive study by the performance-based op- Congress requiring a minimum 1,500h flying for to CAT helicopter operations.” erations rulemaking committee working with copilots flying commercial passenger aero- So at least EASA is on the case, even if imple- Commercial Aviation Safety Team’s flight deck planes means that the MPL training and licens- mentation will take a few more years. The FAA automation working group (FltDAWG). Its con- ing system, which is competency-based not says it has already acted in the spirit of ICAO clusions were entirely data-driven. hours-based, would not work in the USA. Doc 9868, explaining: “The FAA offered a voluntary competency-based training programme to its operators starting in 1990 in the form of the Advanced Qualification Program [US equivalent of ATQP]. At this point, 90% of pilots have transitioned to this programme and 10% have not. There is no need for the FAA to engage in additional rule-making, as the AQP rules provides all the flexibility offered by EBT.” The in- consistency is that the old rules remain on the books as well as the voluntary AQP. The objective of the 2014 RAeS IFCTC was to assess where the IPTC’s work stands, and where it is to go from here. The verdict at the meeting was that the IPTC can show none of its planned deliverables – yet, but awareness of the need for change is growing. For that reason, the conference decided, the IPTC should continue in ex- istence but focus on implementation. There is distress that most NAAs are not prepared to push EBT and ATQP, and that “petty politick- ing” takes place in corners of the IPTC. So the IPTC has had its life extended, but only with a fragile sense of confidence. As outgoing chairman Barrett observed as he closed

Rex Features the show: “I don’t think this industry will get a The industry has been warned that it must update a training regime with its roots in the 1950s second chance if they don’t take this one.” ■ flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 33 AIRLINE SAFETY MISSING LINK Slow but steady progress is being made towards the implementation of deployable ﬂight data recorders, although reliability is still a concern

The wreckage of AF447 was found quickly, but it took two more years to locate the A330’s black boxes

DAVID LEARMOUNT LONDON use on commercial transport aircraft. searching to locate the wreckage of the Airbus The June 2009 loss of Air France flight 447 A330-200 on the seabed and recover the FDR/ ommercial air transport aircraft will in the South Atlantic led to renewed – and CVR. When recovered, the recorders did, soon be required to be equipped strident – calls for deployable FDRs (DFDRs) however, yield up their data. C with deployable flight data record- with embedded emergency locator transmit- The delay in recovering important AF447 ers, or flight tracking equipment, or ters (ELT), because it took two years of costly data and the expense of the two-year search to both. The only question is how soon. find the seabed wreckage led to the recently- ICAO has set up working groups to investi- announced Airbus decision to install a de- gate the available technologies and make rec- ployable FDR/CVR with a locator beacon on ommendations, and influential organisations future A350s and A380s. Speaking in Wash- like the Flight Safety Foundation have thrown ington DC at the US National Transportation their weight behind the idea. Airbus now says Safety Board’s forum on emerging flight data it is preparing to equip its large widebody and locator technology, Airbus head of secu- fleet with deployable flight data and cockpit rity operations Pascal Andrei said that the air- voice recorder (FDR/CVR) systems, while framer has been working with suppliers on Boeing has already installed deployable re- deployable recorders and technology will be corders on at least three military fleets, but so available “very quickly”, while admitting the

far disagrees with its European competitor Rex Features company has to complete some additional that the technology is appropriate or safe for The Air France A330 crashed in June 2009 studies. More recently, when Malaysia Air-

34 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com LOCATOR BEACONS

lines flight MH370 went missing over the In- dian Ocean in March, there were concerted calls for universal flight tracking, because the idea that a modern airliner could just go missing and not be found – however rare such an event might be – is deemed unacceptable by an incredulous travelling public. This point was quickly taken up by ICAO and IATA. The Malaysia Boeing 777-200 has still not been found, and there is no certainty it will be. The aircraft’s estimated position information at the time it would definitely have run out of fuel is very imprecise. This contrasts with the AF447 case where its last transmitted position left a relatively small circle of uncertainty. Also, in the AF447 case, some floating wreckage was quickly found, but in the Malay- sia case no trace of anything associated with the missing aircraft has yet been identified.

UNPRECEDENTED Under the agreed ICAO framework, contribu-

tions by industry through an Aircraft Tracking Rex Features Task Force (ATTF) coordinated by IATA “will Airbus will install deployable FDR/CVRs with locator beacons on A350s and A380s in the future help address the near-term needs for flight tracking”. ICAO Council President Olumuyi- surveillance technology for aircraft beyond at least five or six inadvertent recorder de- wa Benard Aliu explains: “Malaysia Airlines radar coverage, plenty of alternatives also exist ployments annually. Smith adds: “I’m not Flight MH370 has been an unprecedented for automatic dependent surveillance-type sys- saying deployables are a bad idea, but there’s event for aviation and we have responded tems reporting via satellite, but since tracking a balance of benefit and consequence we need here in a similarly unprecedented manner. is not considered essential for air traffic man- to keep in mind.” While our flight safety work logically focuses agement (ATM) purposes in low-traffic oceanic New Jersey, USA-based Finmeccanica the majority of our energy and resources on and wilderness areas, it has not been mandated company RDS Technologies is the manufac- accident prevention, everyone in our sector because of the communication costs involved. turer of this DFDR technology, which it calls also deeply sympathises with the families of DFIRS. It is an integrated FDR and ELT that is this lost aircraft’s passengers and crew.” Whatever system is chosen, standard equipment on the Boeing F/A-18C, But the slow Malaysian and international the authorities have to D, E, and F model aircraft. Its built-in ELT, reaction to the MH370 loss indicated a sys- says the company, provides immediate alert temic failure of communications that ICAO consider whether it should be of a downed aircraft, supporting prompt loca- believes needs a remedy, even if mandatory designed to be tamper-proof tion of the crash site and the crew and recov- universal flight tracking and DFDRs are im- ery of the flight recorder module. The deploy- plemented. ICAO says: “The meeting also rec- ment of the DFIRS is triggered automatically ognised the challenges faced by states when by an impact sensor or through activation of coordinating their search and rescue efforts Meanwhile Boeing has installed similar sys- the ejection seat, ejecting the device into the across national and regional areas of responsi- tems on military aircraft, including the F/A-18 aircraft slipstream where it “flies” away from bility, stressing the usefulness of regularly run fighter and commercial derivatives such as the the aircraft on deployed aerofoils. It is de- practice exercises to identify procedural or E-4B airborne command post (747) and P-8A signed to be impact resistant and to float “in- operational gaps.” maritime aircraft (737). That experience over definitely”, says RDS. ICAO has been calling for states to set up more than four decades has made Boeing contingency communications systems, and to aware of potential reliability problems, espe- RESPONSIBLE REPORTING carry out joint exercises to prove them. cially with aircraft that lack ejection seats as an Airbus and Boeing have agreed on other areas The highly influential Flight Safety Foun- activation system for the deployable recorder. where flight tracking and data reporting via da- dation says it believes that a deployable flight Commercial aircraft must instead rely on talink can be improved. For example, aircraft data recorder or triggered data transmission sensors that can detect when a crash or mid- health monitoring systems can already send should be required “in addition to the stand- air collision is imminent, which can lead to updates at pre-selected intervals, such as every ard cockpit voice recorder and flight data re- dangerous miscalculations, according to Mark 10min or 30min using ACARS (aircraft com- corder already in all transport aircraft”. The Smith, a Boeing air accident investigator. He munications addressing and reporting system). DFDR should include an emergency locator cites an example from the mid-1970s of an If the aircraft turns off a flight-planned route or transmitter as well, it says, adding: “By using E-4B inadvertently jettisoning a deployable exceeds predetermined limits, the reporting GPS technology, there would be no reason recorder over downtown Seattle on final ap- updates can be accelerated to once every min- that it wouldn’t be found and retrieved very proach to Boeing Field. Designing a system ute. Whereas an aircraft tracker is designed quickly after an accident or incident.” that yields as little as one inadvertent deploy- only to transmit the aircraft’s position and DFDRs are not a new idea. The technology ment in 10 million flights would be “difficult identification throughout its flight, existing on- for deployables not only exists, it is already in to achieve”, Smith says. There are nearly 55 board FDR/CVR systems just contain the re- ❯❯ use with some of air forces. As for tracking or million commercial flights per year, implying cordings of the aircraft’s operational, engine flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 35 AIRLINE SAFETY

❯❯ and systems data, plus cockpit communi- not long after departure, but just before the air- cation and ambient sound, to help investiga- craft turned away from its flight planned route. tors determine what happened in the event of The most widely-proposed theory for this is an accident. The position of a crashed aircraft that the act of switching off the signals and the is not provided by a standard FDR, but by sepa- diversion from the flight plan was a deliberate rate ELT embedded elsewhere in the aircraft. action by someone on board. But what ICAO Today’s aircraft ELTs are activated by im- and the industry has to consider is whether the pact-caused deceleration to transmit an emer- inability of a crew to isolate any piece of elec- gency signal that search teams can home in trical equipment is an unacceptable fire risk, on. If the ELTs fail (there are usually two), especially in the light of the fact that deliberate there is a risk the aircraft and its data/voice acts to harm aircraft and their passengers by recorders will not be found – or not for a long flying them to their doom are vanishingly rare. time anyway. ELTs also have limited range, a broadcasting life of about 30 days, and they FLOATING CONCEPT do not have sufficient power to provide an In May 2014, ICAO set up the ATTF to be co- above-water signal if the wreckage comes to ordinated by IATA, and in parallel with this, rest on a deep sea-bed. the organisation aims to develop a concept of In its recommendations in the AF447 final operations covering how the new tracking accident report, French accident investigation data would be shared, with whom, and under agency BEA recommended the use of deploy- what circumstances. It is all very well saying able FDRs with embedded ELTs so it would flights must be trackable anywhere, but track- never again take so long to find and download ing could be carried out for malign as well as a “black box” recorder. A DFDR in the AF447 benign reasons.

A330 would have been deployed either on Rex Features The Airbus DFDR concept involves de- impact with the sea or triggered by other France’s BEA recommended use of deployable ploying one of two FDR/CVR “black boxes” in agreed parameters. In any case, it would have FDRs with ELTs after the AF447 accident the event of a mid-air collision or impact with been designed to float so its locator signal the ground, one embedded and the other de- would have been picked up by search teams. company offers several products and backup ployable. The deployed unit would include a services. One of them, called AFIRS UpTime, locator beacon, and be designed to float if a HYBRID allows airlines to monitor and manage aircraft The last signals from a standard flight tracking operations anywhere in real time. In an emer- It is all very well saying system would help rescuers and investigators gency, a triggered data-streaming mode mar- flights must be trackable, but find an aircraft after an accident even if the air- keted as FLYHTStream automatically sends craft’s ELT failed, but it does not supply aircraft FDR data and position information to desig- tracking could be carried out operational and engineering data – only the nated sites on the ground in real-time. for malign or benign reasons FDR/CVR does that. There is, however, a hy- A serious issue raised by what happened to brid system which can enable position track- MH370 is this: whatever system is ultimately ing and also transmission of real-time aircraft chosen, the authorities have to consider data via a datalink, like the well-established whether it should be designed to be tamper- crash occurs in water. In the case of the Yem- ACARS can be set up to do. Canada-based proof. This issue arises because, for unknown enia crash in 2009 – which involved impact Flyht Aerospace Solutions offers such a hybrid reasons the MH370 aircraft’s ACARS and sec- with the sea close to shore while the aircraft system. Under the brand-name FLYHT, the ondary radar transponder stopped transmitting was positioning to land at night – a floating locator beacon might have saved lives. One passenger was found alive, but others may potentially have been saved too. One of the Airbus suppliers at the US Na- tional Transport Safety Board forum, Honey- well vice-president of aerospace regulatory affairs Chris Benich, described how a deployable recorder would work. The system first senses the start of a crash sequence and releases the deployable recorder from the aircraft. In a previous patent filing, Airbus described the installation as a lower panel in aft fuselage near the tail cone. If the system lands on water, it is designed to float indefinitely, with a locator beacon alerting search crews of its presence. A purpose-built DFDR also has the potential to address a chron- ic reliability problem for existing ELTs. Each commercial aircraft is required to carry two, but they often do not survive the crash. Airbus

Rex Features statistics show that ELTs were activated in only Existing ELTs are located apart from the FDR and have a broadcasting life of only about 30 days 28% of reviewed incidents. ■

36 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com STRAIGHT&LEVEL

From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@ﬂightglobal.com

When modesty Minesweepers ruled at Qatar Rex Features That seaplanes could be of Airline entrepreneurs are rarely some assistance in dealing known for their modest dreams, with mines has so Hamad Ali al-Thani must get long been thought some award for understating the possible. Our potential of his creation. picture touches Former Budgie scribe Ian upon one of the most Goold recalls how the founder dastardly phases of the of Qatar Airways told him in present war, in which the 1994 that the one-aircraft outfit Prussian Huns have violated was “the national carrier, but every international law of not a prestige airline”. Rather, it humanity and decency, under was a “low-cost operation”. the cloak of their wonderful Of course, that was before the creation, “Kultur.” appointment of Akbar Al Baker two years later, and the rest is Adolf’s Christmas history. Who would have I trust Adolf, in his mountain predicted then that the mighty vultures’ nest, had just exactly Gulf Air would be eclipsed – A little less Convair-sation: Elvis’s favourite jet is up for sale the sort of and the world of long-haul Christmas he aviation transformed – by a deserves. I hear cocky start-up in Dubai, a flag Beverley thrills fully familiar with French there was a tree carrier with a fleet of one and a bizjets and have a proven record there. I should love to have national airline that would not Our piece about the Blackburn of the ability to count above the decorating of it. How even be named for almost Beverley prompted Ray Neve to two.” Touché. about a coal(less) scuttle for another decade. add these “recollections” from Adolf, a bladder of lard the type’s time with the RAF. covered with tinsel stars for 1. Its cruising speed was so Hat trick Goering, and for Goebbels a Hound flog low that it was the only aircraft Stuck for somewhere to lay your clever little adaptation of the It’s now or never if you fancy in RAF service which suffered pilot’s hat between flights? lie detector. owning one of Elvis’s jets and birdstrikes on its trailing edges. Veteran aviator Aaron Rogers have around $10 million to 2. Pilots were forbidden to believes he has the answer. His Eyes on the prize spare. Two private aircraft spin the Beverley in case the HatPak cap case (below) allows If a fat purse is the spice of belonging to the King – a torque reaction with planet airline pilots, military personnel competition there should be Lockheed Jetstar called Hound Earth caused the latter to speed and law officers to carry their no reason why this Dog II and a 1960 Convair 880, up or slow down, depending on headgear with their luggage year’s Royal Aero Lisa Marie – are up for auction. the aircraft’s spin direction. without damage. Club sporting Neither are airworthy and Most pilots, he says, stuff calendar should have been on display at Elvis’s their hats in with their clothes, not interest practically every former home, Graceland, for 30 Yuckspeak #195 tuck them under their arm or pilot in Britain. There is to be a years. But a failure to agree a “Strategically located in the balance them on their suitcases, round-the-Isle of Man air race continuation of a revenue- heart of the airport, Jewel is... a with far from ideal results. He is with prize money totalling at sharing lease with the visitor world-class lifestyle destination raising funds on Kickstarter to least 1,000 guineas. attraction means the owners, that will enable the Changi air bring his invention to market. OKC Partnership, are offloading hub to capture passenger Habsheim crash them. The Convair’s last flight mindshare, and strongly boost The crash of an Air France was to take the former Mrs Singapore’s appeal as a stopover Airbus A320 at Habsheim on Presley, Pricilla, from California point for travellers.” 24 June 1988 was to Graceland for Elvis’s funeral = We’re opening some shops. caused by the in 1977. crew putting themselves in a Must tri harder situation beyond their ability to Thanks to Rod Holdridge for control fully, say investigators. pointing out this Budgie Blues – a photograph of the Dassault 100-YEAR ARCHIVE Falcon 8X (left) on our contents Every issue of Flight page last week. “A new vacancy from 1909 onwards has arisen in the caption-writing can be viewed online at

Dassault department,” he suggests. “The ﬂightglobal.com/archive Falcon obvious, isn’t it?successful candidate should be Cap-ital idea or mixed bag? flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 37 LETTERS [email protected]

shaped. I watch these events EDUCATION FLIGHT wishing that there was some INTERNATIONAL In an emergency, it’s hands-on mechanism whereby people with We welcome your letters on Many people and much of the media hail Airbus for its new hands- my sort of experience could feed any aspect of the aerospace on approach to flight training. Pilots never had any doubt that manu- back into the current commercial industry. al flying is what a pilot needs to do in an emergency. Especially in an Please write to: The Editor, pilot environment some of the Flight International, Quadrant abnormal flight situation, automation and computerisation does not ‘seat of pants’ survival intuition House, The Quadrant, Sutton, help. It rather confuses the pilot’s rather slow brain. that I and my peers grew up with. Surrey SM2 5AS, UK. Even software cannot be programmed for all possible situations I have survived 20,000h of air- Or email flight.international@ arising in such a quickly changing environment. The “new fashion” line operations and would like to flightglobal.com of excessive computerisation made pilots lose their manual skills help my young colleagues better and mental abilities. This led to many fatal crashes, and will con- my record. The opinions on this page do not Dave Baker necessarily represent those of the editor. tinue to do so. LettersFlight International without a full cannot postal publish address letters sup- Again we learned through blood, sweat and tears that the cockpit By email pliedwithout may name not beand published. address. Letters mustmay and the computerisation design needs to fit our brain’s capabilities alsobe no be more published than 250 on flightglobal.comwords in length. and – which includes manual skills based on personal experience in the must be no longer than 250 words. real environment. Missing trainers You will see that the MPL [multi-crew pilot licence] will again pro- I realise that Flightglobal has duce different kinds of abnormal flight situations, if not crashes, as great databases, but that does not Incompetence again the brain will not get enough information in a simulator to mean they are complete. I note behind AF447 learn how to process certain feelings correctly. an omission in the training air- Who believes that the feelings you have in a simulator during an craft section of the Mexican air Regarding AF447, two conclu- emergency are really the same as those you have at the “point of force in your World Air Forces sions are incontrovertible. One: no return” over the sea, on a dark night with bad weather all around directory (Flight International, the crash was 100% preventable you? Many pilots, if they are honest, will agree that the first flight on 9-15 December 2014). There is with even remotely capable pilots, the real airplane after the simulator was very different in the way no mention of the Boeing-Stear- and two: it was probably the most your mind worked and coped with the situation. man PT-13/PT-17s still operated incompetently caused crash in It is time to accept that the training of pilots in modern cockpits for basic training in Jalisco, with civil aviation history (rivalled per- requires a completely new approach based on mental training, rath- about 10 aircraft still in daily use. haps only by the Aeroflot Airbus er than on pure manual skills and some button-pushing. From reports these aircraft are A300/310 where the captain’s Capt Awad Thomas Fakoussa kept in tip-top condition. teenage son was at the controls). By email John M Davis As to the pitot tube malfunc- Wichita, USA tion, two facts have to be under- Editor’s reply: Our annual direc- stood. First, it is virtually impos- KIAS bleed-off will occur very failure of basic airmanship. What tory is compiled using informa- sible for an A330 level at FL350 quickly in a reduced to no-power a tragedy. tion from Flightglobal’s Ascend and at a fixed power setting to climb at that high altitude. Chris Skillern Fleets and MiliCAS databases, maintain Mach 0.82 cruise, to As for the captain, once in the San Diego, USA neither of which track piston- or overspeed. cockpit his situational aware- radial-engined basic/elementary Second, an A330 at FL350, ness should have almost imme- trainer types, such as the anti- with the thrust levers retarded diately encompassed three in- How can I help? quated PT-13/PT-17 Stearman. and side-stick back pressure strument readings: the ADI I am a retired pilot – 31 years To download your free copy, visit generating a positive rate of would disclose the aircraft had a with British Airways and 10 flightglobal.com/waf climb, will within a minute or nose-high attitude, the VVI with other operators (because of two run out of flyable airspeed would show 1,000 fpm or more BA’s age 55 retirement mandate). and enter a stall. of descent rate and the engine I was a training captain and Venting air At that altitude the KIAS must thrust indicators would reveal learned my trade the hard way – And the award goes to Flight be in the neighbourhood of 300 or very low power settings. no FMCS, no GPS, no CPDLC. Just International for its support of ox- a little more, and if the clean con- These are the classic indica- raw data VOR and ADF approach- ymoronspeak in the form of per- figuration stall speed at MSL is tions of a stall, and there was es, with the odd PRA thrown in sistent use of the term “airframer” about 120kt, then at FL350 or more than adequate time and al- for good measure. It concerns me in every 2014 issue. The prize is a above and in a climb the plane titude to effect a full (and very that modern pilots do not have the giant trophy made of pure air. would likely stall at around 200 simply executed) recovery. Ergo, background experience to fall Arthur Nilssen KIAS or a little less. That 100-150 the crash occurred due to a back on when it all goes pear- Bergen, Norway

Build your career

7U\)OLJKWJOREDO7UDLQLQJ¶VQHZVLWHIRUWKHIDVWHVW Training courses to take you there URXWHWREXLOGLQJ\RXUDHURVSDFHDQGDYLDWLRQFDUHHU ZZZÀLJKWJOREDOFRPWUDLQLQJ

38 | Flight International | 13-19 January 2015 flightglobal.com READER SERVICES

EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING, PRODUCTION & READER CONTACTS EVENTS 1-3 February EDITORIAL +44 20 8652 3842 DISPLAY ADVERTISEMENT SALES READER SERVICES Routes Americas Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Subscriptions Denver, Colorado Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS, UK Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS, UK Jenny Smith routesonline.com flight.international@flightglobal.com Flight International 8-10 February Group Display Sales Manager Stuart Burgess Subscriptions, Reed Business Information, Abu Dhabi Air Expo Editor Murdo Morrison FRAeS [email protected] PO Box 302, Haywards Heath, Sales Support West Sussex, RH16 3DH, UK Al Bateen Executive airport, UAE +44 20 8652 4395 [email protected] Gillian Cumming abudhabiairexpo.com Head of Strategic Content/ +44 20 8652 8837 [email protected] Subscription Enquiries Flight Daily News Editor EUROPE 16-18 February Dominic Perry +44 1444 475682 Loyalty conference +44 20 8652 3206 [email protected] Sales Manager Shawn Buck Fax +44 1444 445301 Managing Editor/Defence Editor Craig Hoyle Istanbul, Turkey +44 20 8652 4998 [email protected] [email protected] flightglobalevents.com/Loyalty2015 +44 20 8652 3834 [email protected] Key Account Manager Grace Hewitt Business Editor Dan Thisdell +44 20 8652 3469 [email protected] Subscription Rates 18-22 February € +44 20 8652 4491 [email protected] NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA 1 Year: £141/$225/ 174 Aero India Operations/Safety Editor David Learmount 2 Years: £239.70/$382.50/€295.80 Vice-President, North & South America Rob Hancock Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru 3 Years: £338.40/$540/€417.60 aeroindia.in +44 20 8652 3845 [email protected] +1 703 836 7444 [email protected] Business & General Aviation Editor Kate Sarsfield Only paid subscriptions available. Cheques Regional Sales Director Warren McEwan payable to Flight International 24 February - 1 March +44 20 8652 3885 [email protected] +1 703 836 3719 [email protected] Avalon Airshow Aerospace and Defence Reporter Beth Stevenson Sales Executive Kaye Woody Flight International welcomes unsolicited contributions Geelong, Australia +44 20 8652 4382 [email protected] +1 703 836 7445 [email protected] airshow.com.au Magazine Enquiries Dawn Hartwell from readers but cannot guarantee to return Reed Business Information, 333 N.Fairfax Street, photographs safely. +44 20 8652 3315 [email protected] Suite 301, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA 17-20 March © and Database Rights 2015 Reed Business Information Asian Ground Handling AIR TRANSPORT TEAM ITALY International Conference Editor Airline Business Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be Max Kingsley-Jones Sales Manager Riccardo Laureri reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in Conrad Hotel, Macao +44 20 8652 3825 +39 (02) 236 2500 [email protected] any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, groundhandling.com [email protected] Laureri Associates SRL, Via Vallazze 43, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior Editor Flightglobal Premium News Graham Dunn 20131 Milano, Italy permission in writing of the publishers. 23-24 March Operating Lease Masterclass +44 20 8652 4995 [email protected] ISRAEL Managing Editor Niall O’Keeffe Ascend, a Flightglobal Park Plaza County Hall Hotel, London Sales Executive Asa Talbar +972 77 562 1900 advisory service, is a leading +44 20 8652 4007 [email protected] everestevents.co.uk/events Fax: +972 77 562 1903 [email protected] provider of expert advisory Air Transport Editor David Kaminski-Morrow Talbar Media, 41 HaGiva’a St, PO Box 3184, Givat and valuations services to 25 March +44 20 8652 3909 Ada 37808, Israel the global aviation industry. Its specialist, independent European Corporate Aviation Summit [email protected] services inform and shape the strategies of aviation The Broadgate Tower, London Air Transport/MRO Reporter Michael Gubisch ASIA/AUSTRALASIA businesses worldwide. Ascend offers an unrivalled aeropodium.com +44 20 8652 8747 [email protected] Sales Manager Michael Tang breadth and depth of aviation expertise and experience, Senior Reporter +65 6780 4301 [email protected] backed by unique access to robust industry data. 20-23 April Oliver Clark www.ascendworldwide.com Tel: +44 20 8564 6700 AeroDef Manufacturing +44 20 8652 8534 [email protected] Fax: +65 6789 7575 email: [email protected] 1 Changi Business Park Crescent, Hilton Anatole, Dallas AMERICAS #06-01 Plaza 8 @ CBP, Singapore 486025 aerodefevent.com Americas Managing Editor Stephen Trimble RUSSIA & CIS 29-30 April +1 703 836 8052 [email protected] Director Loyalty@Freddie Awards Deputy Americas Editor – Air Transport Ghim-Lay Yeo Arkady Komarov Flightglobal’s dashboard is a paid-for news and data Atlanta, USA +1 703 836 9474 [email protected] [email protected] service for professionals who need to find new Air Transport Reporter Tel/Fax: +7 (495) 987 3800 opportunities or track competition within the air transport flightglobalevents.com/ Edward Russell loyaltyfreddies2015 +1 703 836 1897 [email protected] World Business Media, Leningradsky Prospekt, 80, industry. The service puts a wealth of global intelligence at Air Transport Reporter Korpus G, Office 807, Moscow 125190, Russia your fingertips, covering everything from airline fleets, 4-7 May Jon Hemmerdinger routes and traffic, through to aircraft finance, industry +1 703 836 3084 [email protected] CLASSIFIED & RECRUITMENT regulation and more. www.flightglobal.com/dashboard AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems Aviation Reporter Dan Parsons Group Sales Manager Louise Rees Atlanta, USA +1 703 836 7442 [email protected] +44 20 8652 8425 [email protected] auvsishow.org Sales Manager ASIA/PACIFIC Sophie Wild 10-11 May [email protected] Aviation Africa Asia Editor Greg Waldron Recruitment Sales Executive Flightglobal Insight provides a range of tailored research Katie Mann reports and analysis, with access to information and Dubai, UAE +65 6780 4314 [email protected] +44 20 8652 4900 Asia Air Transport Editor Mavis Toh industry expertise from the unrivalled Flightglobal Premium aviationafrica.aero [email protected] services portfolio. www.flightglobal.com/insight +65 6780 4309 [email protected] Classified Sales Executive Daniel Brooker Tel: +44 20 8652 3914 email: [email protected] 19-21 May Asia Finance Editor Ellis Taylor +44 20 8652 4897 EBACE +65 6780 4307 [email protected] [email protected] Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper. Geneva, Switzerland Reporter Aaron Chong Key Account Manager – Asia Michael Tang Published by Reed Business Information Ltd, Quadrant ebace.aero/2015 +65 6780 4851 [email protected] +65 6780 4301 House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS, UK. Tel: +44 20 8652 3500. 26-28 May EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION Newstrade distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, Blue Fin AP&M Europe Israel Correspondent Arie Egozi Production Manager Sean Behan Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU, UK. Olympia London, UK Russia Correspondent Vladimir Karnozov +44 20 8652 8232 [email protected] Tel: +44 20 3148 3300. apmexpo.com Production Manager Classified Alan Blagrove FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM Classified advertising prepress by CCM. 31 May - 3 June +44 20 8652 4406 [email protected] Editor Stuart Clarke Printed in Great Britain by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd. 1st International Symposium on +44 20 8652 3835 [email protected] MARKETING Flight International published weekly 49 issues per year. Sustainable Aviation (ISSA) Web co-ordinator Rebecca Springate Marketing Director Justine Gillen Periodicals postage paid at Rahway, NJ. Postmaster send Istanbul, Turkey +44 20 8652 4641 +44 20 8652 8031 changes to Reed Business Information, c/o Mercury issasci.org International Ltd, 365 Blair Road, Avenel, NJ 07001 [email protected] [email protected] This periodical is sold subject to the following conditions: 4-6 June EDITORIAL PRODUCTION DATA TEAM namely that it is not, without the written consent of the France Air Expo Head of Design & Production Alexis Rendell Head of Data Pete Webber publishers first given, lent, re-sold, hired out or in any Lyon-Bron airport, France Global Chief Copy Editor Lewis Harper +44 20 8564 6715 unauthorised cover by way of trade, or affixed to, or as franceairexpo.com Chief Copy Editor, Europe Dan Bloch [email protected] part of, any publication of advertising, literary or pictorial Commercial Aviation Steven Phipps matter whatsoever. No part of the content may be stored 15-21 June Layout Copy Editors Andy Hemphill, Sophia Paris Air Show +44 20 8564 6797 electronically, or reproduced or transmitted in any form Huang, Tim Norman, George Norton without the written permission of the Publisher. Le Bourget, Paris Global Production Editor Louise Murrell [email protected] Defence & GA ISSN 0015-3710 siae.fr Deputy Global Production Editor Rachel Warner John Maloney Deputy Digital Producer Damion Diplock +44 20 8564 6704 Digital Production Editor Colin Miller [email protected] Web Production Editor PUBLISHING MANAGEMENT For a full list of events see Andrew Costerton flightglobal.com/events Senior Designer Lauren Mills Head of Flightglobal Melanie Robson Consulting Technical Artist Tim Hall Executive Director, Content Mark Pilling flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 39 TEL +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 FAX +44 (0) 20 8652 3779 EMAIL [email protected] CLASSIFIED 0| 40 Tenders Ref: DACGO/Consultant/2014/1410 Date: 22-12-2014 Date: Ref: DACGO/Consultant/2014/1410 Calls may bemonitored for trainingpurposes TEL CLASSIFIED 6) Proven cross-cultural peoplemanagement skills. Remuneration package/Fee: Negotiable. mustsubmithis/herexpected Theapplicant 4) Experience of working withproven working environments successindifficult Experienceof 4) jointventure/technical managing contract cooperation/management Experience of 3) inBangladesh(i.e. andSylhet).Bimanis, Dhaka,Chittagong therefore,airports looking for aConsultant toassistinthisprocess, by andcoordinating bothmanaging 2) Ground service management experience, seniorlevel avery Groundservice at including 2) 5) Knowledge on all aspects of ajointventure/technical cooperation/management Knowledge onallaspectsof 5) gateway Joint handlingfor international Venture inground/airport arrangement coaching Bimanteamstomanage theJointcoaching Venture infuture. efficiently infusion,maximizing capital operating determining control/relationship, modalitiesof Biman Bangladesh Airlines isexpandingBiman BangladeshAirlines itshorizons, andisplanningtoenterintoa criteria), evaluation/selection criteria,Joint Venture (criteriafor future agreement a The applicant shouldmeetthefollowingThe applicant criteria: future profitability andrecovery sharingprocedure)etc.,future profitability andalsotraining and 1) Minimum of 10 years working experience in a ground/airport service rolewithone service 10years workingexperience inaground/airport Minimumof 1) involvements. However, Bimanprefers for for atotalpackage theentireassignment. on-site fee alongwithadetailedactionplantimeline. shouldalso Theapplicant The start date is as soon as possible. Workplace can be partially offsite, with at least isassoonpossible. withat offsite, date Workplace canbepartially The start submit separate off-site fee that would fee bepayable that off-site submit separate against actualrequirements/ one week per month in Dhaka, including the implementation period. Applicants with period.Applicants one week theimplementation permonthinDhaka,including requisite experience should send their CVs with supporting information/documents requisite experience shouldsendtheirCVswithsupporting by [email protected]. 20January Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. reserves therighttoacceptorrejectany Ltd.reserves application Biman BangladeshAirlines without assigningany reason,whatsoever. ll aspects of the Joint Venture including preparation of RFP(containingeligibility theJoint Venture of preparation including ll aspectsof Flight International PHONE: 8901600-14,8901680-94,FAX: 88-02-8901558,www.biman-airlines.com determination, to full implementation and post-implementation issues, if any. issues, if andpost-implementation tofullimplementation determination, or airline leastwithalarge, handlingat fullservice ground/airport in thefieldof contract, throughGBR(General fromcontract BusinessRules) negotiation, airports. managing experience of outside Europe and North America,preferably intheIndianSub-continent. outside EuropeandNorth handlingagent. major ground or more major international airline(s) or major ground handlingagent(s). ormajorground airline(s) or moremajorinternational Ground HandlingJoint Venture Consultant HEAD OFFICE,BALAKA, KURMITOLA, DHAKA-1229,BANGLADESH +44 (0)2086524897+44 | 13-19 January 2015| 13-19 January Advertisement forAdvertisement FAX Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. Biman BangladeshAirlines Balaka, Kurmitola, Dhaka-1229 Balaka, Kurmitola, +44 (0)2086523779+44 Manager Employment A.H.M. ShafiulBari Maintenance &Service Equipment, Courses andtuition Courses EMAIL [email protected] flightglobal.com flightglobal.com Courses andtuition Courses courses from the practicing UK experts. courses fromthepracticing Reach newheightsin2015 withtraining standards asaminimum,ourtrainingcoversallofaviation’s for abetter, saferaviationworld.BasedonICAOandEASA standards everyday, deliveringpracticalregulatory training Our trainingexpertshelpaviationprofessionals achievehigher and Industryacross theglobe. relevant, best-in-classtrainingtoNationalAviation Authorities in auniqueposition;weare perfectlyplacedtoprovide and awhollyownedsubsidiaryoftheUKCAA.Thisputsus CAAi isaleading,globallyrecognised aviationconsultancy region, you’llreceive aneducationthat’s inaclassofitsown. Malaysia, Singapore, orcommissionustodeliverinyour UK CAARegulators,sowhetheryoutrainwithusintheUK, What’s more, everyoneofourcoursesisdevelopedbycurrent for trainingsolutions. major disciplines,providing youwithawiderangeofchoices e:+4()16 413 [email protected] Tel: +44(0)1865841234 Apply now: Enrolment forcourses willcommencefrom June2015 become an Do youhavewhatittakesto

airline pilot www.caeoaa.com/easyjet • • • • • Specialisations include: visit courses are nowavailableonourwebsite–please Dates anddetailsforour2015professional training Defence Regulation, ComplianceandMonitoring Airports, AirTraffic andAirspace Design, Production andMaintenance Safety andRiskManagement www.caainternational.com/training2015 ? of A320aircraft. easyJet asapilotontheirfleet Academy andthenflywith train withCAEOxford Aviation is anexceptionalopportunityto Crew Pilot’s Licence(MPL).This Programme basedontheMulti- a Mentored AirlinePilotTraining European airlineeasyJettooffer is partnered withmajor CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 13-19 January 201513-19 January | A whollyownedsubsidiaryoftheUKCAA www.caainternational.com Flight International | 41

TEL +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 FAX +44 (0) 20 8652 3779 EMAIL [email protected] CLASSIFIED TEL +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 FAX +44 (0) 20 8652 3779 EMAIL [email protected] CLASSIFIED 42 | Flight International | 6-12 January 2015| 6-12January ﬂightglobal.com flightglobal.com EMAIL offtheground Getting careers flightglobal.com/jobs and HMSBelfast).IWMisproud ofitsreputation asaforward thinkinggroup of museums.IWMDuxford isBritain’s bestpreserved wartimefighterstation branches (IWMLondon,IWMNorth,Duxford, Churchill War Rooms With over600staff, twomillionvisitorsayearandmajorattractionsatfive Airfield isanAirNavigationServiceProvider andhasateamof Flight Information ServiceOfficers andaFire Team. This isavariedandchallengingrole, havingatitsheartresponsibility forthe bird activity, airshows,flyingeventsandadhocdisplaypractice.Duxford strategic developmentofAirfieldservices.You willtaketheleadinmanaging with approximately 20,000movementsayear, includingGA,military, Duxford Airfieldholdsaderogated ordinary licence,operatingtworunways and aworkingairfieldfrom whichhistoricaircraft stillfly. training, pleasure flights(AOC/PublicTransport Operation),extensive war Authority, partnerorganisations, thelocalcommunity/districtcounciland emergency services, militaryaviationrepresentatives andprivatecompanies As aseniormanagerwithsignificantrelevant experienceina flight provide supportforairshows. IWM Duxford’s relationship withkeystakeholdersincludingtheCivilAviation IWM iscommittedtoapolicyofEqualOpportunities professional interest, willbeofvalue. You willbeassistedbya professional teamtogetherwithcontractstaff who based attheairfield. The closingdateforapplicationsis For afulljobdescriptionandtoapplypleasevisit operations orairfieldmanagementenvironment, youwillhaveexcellent communication, budgetmanagement,organisational andleadershipskills. An interest inheritageaviation,andIWMbroader areas ofpublicand Build yourcareer new site for the fastest route new siteforthefastestroute Training courses to takeyouthere ZZZÀLJKWJOREDO to building your aerospace to buildingyouraerospace Try Flightglobal Training’s Try FlightglobalTraining’s and aviationcareer [email protected] F £44,537-£50,397 perannum range: Salary Head ofAirfield IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMS RPWUDLQLQJ Noon, Monday 26 January 2015 Noon, Monday26January www.iwm.org.uk CALL +44 (20)86524900 +44 training willbe provided toapplicantsnew totheindustry, inorder toassist with your current [email protected]. Closingdatefor which willbelinked qualificationsandexperience tothetechnical ofthe You willbebasedeitherinLondonorDubaiandmust alsobeprepared to their development inthischallenging andrewarding occupation. travel overseas, notice. oftenatshort The ofa abilitytowork bothaspart equivalent) aircraft maintenanceengineers licence, withproven experience For thesepositionswe offer acompetitive salaryandbenefitspackage, team andindependently isessential. is essentialfor thepreparation reports. andnon-technical ofbothtechnical To apply for aposition, pleaseemailyour CVandcovering letter, together applicants. The Surveyor role involves considerable clientliaison, demandsfirst class is notessential. aviation aircraft, ideally includinghelicopters. The holder ofanEASA(or communication skillsandaconfidentpersonality. Fluencyinwritten English with eitherprevious and/orcomprehensive adjustingexperience Aerospace Due tocontinued growth anddemandfor ourservices, we invite applicants engineering experience toapplyengineering experience forthefollowing positions: would bepreferred. Inaddition, Pilotexperience would alsobeuseful, but technical andmanagementtechnical experience ofaircraft maintenance, structural willhaveApplicants astrong Aerospace engineering background with toaviation insurers andtheirclientsworldwide. expertise and consultancy C applications is26thJanuary 2015. repairs andaircraft inspectiononlarge commercial, businessorgeneral overseas work experience. Previous adjustingexperience isdesirable, althoughnotessential. Extensive Also, theabilitytospeakasecondlanguage would beuseful, aswould harles Taylor Adjusting – Aviation provides awide range ofclaims, technical Aviation Insurance Surveyors FAX FAX London andDubai +44 (20)86524877+44 13-19 January 201513-19 January | Flight International | 43

HUNDREDS OF JOBS @ flightglobal.com/jobs RECRUITMENT Captains and Co-Pilots Excellent salary and beneﬁts. Lisbon and Porto, Portugal

NOTFOR LIVING JUST UNDER FLYING THE SUN, BELOW IT

At easyJet, we’re all about making Europe accessible to more and more people. As part of our exciting growth plans, Porto opens as our new Portuguese base, alongside Lisbon, in March 2015. And for Captains and Co-Pilots already based there, or those thinking of a move to sunnier climes, this opens up all sorts of amazing opportunities. We’re looking for both A320 type-rated and non type rated Captains and also talented Co-Pilots to start on a fast-track programme to command in Portugal. Operating our young Airbus fleet and enjoying growth prospects that are unmatched in the industry, you’ll help us deliver world-class service and operational excellence across our extensive European network. We’re looking for: A320 Type-Rated Captains Non-Type-Rated Captains Currently operating as Captain on A320 family Currently operating as a Captain on aircraft above aircraft, with at least 5,000 total flying hours 50 Tonnes MTOW, with at least 6,000 total flying and 1,000 total PIC hours (of which 500 are on hours and 2,000 total PIC hours (of which 1,000 the A320). are on aircraft above 50 Tonnes MTOW).

A320 Type Rated Co-pilots Non-Type Rated Co-pilots With at least 4,000 total flying hours (of which With at least 4,000 total flying hours (of which at least 1,000 are on Airbus fly by wire aircraft). 3,000 are on aircraft above 40 Tonnes MTOW). Successful candidates will be considered for a Successful candidates will be considered for a command position after 1 year (2 recurrent flight command position after achieving 1,000 hours on sims) and completion of all aspects of the the Airbus, 2 recurrent flight sims and completion command process. of all aspects of the command process.

Choose a career like no other, with an airline like no other. Visit careers.easyjet.com Hello Tomorrow

Make the move that moves you forward

Join Emirates as a pilot to enjoy unparalleled professional stability and faster career progression. With a ﬂeet of over 200 modern aircraft and more than 280 on order, we are one of the fastest growing and most proﬁtable airlines in the world. To move up with us, apply today.

Where could you be tomorrow? emirates.com/pilots

Tax-free salary Global network Generous beneﬁts Comprehensive insurance Coleg y Cymoedd Lecturer in Electronic & Avionic Engineering

RECRUITMENT Full Time

Salary - You will be salary assessed on qualifications and experience £21,945 – 34,530 Based at our Nantgarw/Ystrad Mynach Campus Start ASAP

The successful candidate will be able to teach Electronic/Avionic Engineering both theory and practical, Electronics, Avionics, Electronic Maintenance, Electronic Principles, Mathematics for Engineers, Project Management and other associated electronic/avionic engineering subjects up to HND level.

Ideally the candidate will have served a formal/recognised apprenticeship in electronic/avionic maintenance engineering and in the aerospace sector. It would also be desirable to either possess or be working towards an appropriate teaching qualification.

A minimum qualification of a HND in Electronic/Avionic Engineering is essential; however it is desirable that you possess a BEng/BSc in Electronic/Avionic Engineering.

This vacancy can be viewed at: http://www.cymoedd.ac.uk/about-us/jobs

The preferred company for Stress (Fatigue & DT), GFEM, Composites), Aeronautical Research. Business units: Contract staff, Workpackages, Innovation and New Concepts, Aeronautical Research. www.bishop-gmbh.com Contact [email protected] Tel 0049-(0)40-866-258-10 Fax 0049-(0)40-866-258-20

>4561789,:# Call: +44 (0)1524 381 544 >?9-@/,@34#A9563?/-9# Email: [email protected] Tel:+353 1 669 8224 www.safehands.aero B9536119,! Fax: +353 1 669 8201 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] !""#$%&'%#()**#(*+(####,-./0./1234561789,:49-.;-6<# www.sigmaaviationservices.com you’re in safe hands with us www.sigmaaviationservices.com ===;34561789,:;-6<#

46 | Flight International |13-19 January 2015 ﬂightglobal.com WORKING WEEK

WORK EXPERIENCE ANDREY STEPANYUK Domodedovo does the business A trained engineer, Andrey Stepanyuk runs the private terminal at one of Moscow’s big two airports, as well as an aircraft charter and management company, and has high hopes for Russia’s young corporate aviation sector

What are your duties? have a “critical mass” of general As with any general manager I am aviation clients yet. responsible for the company’s op- How can the Moscow help? eration. Business jet ground ser- Though these are early days for vice is a complex living organism the industry, I can assure you that which consists of different com- here in Russia business aviation ponents. These are production, will become as highly developed economical and organisational is- as the USA in due course. I am a sues, as well as communications market participant, so I cannot ad- with the base airport. vise on any changes that can be Why is Domodedovo an ideal made by the government. Howev- destination for business jets? er, in my opinion we need to har- Moscow Domodedovo airport is monise our national aviation reg- Russia’s major hub in terms of ulations with the other passenger traffic. However, busi- internationally recognised sys- ness aviation is comfortably es- tems. There is no business jet pro- tablished and developing here, duction here and maintenance despite airline activity, and does provision is limited and insuffi- not interfere with its main traffic. cient. To help improve and devel-

The point is that unlike the other Sfera Jet op the country’s business aviation Moscow airports, there is no pri- Stepanyuk founded charter and management company Sfera Jet in 2005 industry, there needs to be more ority here for special flights – Russian aircraft owners and a presidential and governmental – early 1990s, engineers were not “While demand is much stronger charter industry. and neither does national flag widely in demand. However, it We can also help to improve the carrier Aeroflot get special treat- gave me a chance to pass all the strong, the country current situation. We plan, for ex- ment. So our clients do not face necessary civil aviation grades, lacks infrastructure ample, to concentrate business jet problems getting slots and are from apron personnel to top such as airports to maintenance in one place to re- not left waiting to take off or management. I joined the busi- duce the cost of services and cre- land. The Domodedovo Business ness aviation world in 2005 support general ate new qualified jobs. The Aviation Centre also offers full when I founded charter and aviation aircraft” Domodedovo Business Aviation fixed-base operator services at a management company Sfera Jet, Centre fills this niche. As the mar- high standard. We have just con- of which I am the director gener- ket grows and becomes more ma- ducted a feasibility study with al. The Domodedovo Business ture, we can take new business the airport for the reconstruction Aviation Centre owns Sfera Jet, grown fivefold, and it has suc- and move on to the next stage of of the centre with a new terminal which operates Gulfstream and cessfully fought to remove duties development. Q and additional hangars. Embraer business jets. on imported aircraft under 20t Check out our listings of the Did you always want a career Is the industry supporting the maximum take-off weight. It latest jobs in aviation online at working in aviation? growth of business aviation? would be fair to say that Russia’s flightglobal.com/jobs Both my parents are aviation en- Sfera Jet, along with more than business aviation industry is still gineers, so my career choice was 100 other companies, are mem- in its infancy. While the fleet is If you would like to feature in never in doubt. I am an aviation bers of the Russian United Busi- growing and demand is strong, Working Week, or you know engines specialist, but unfortu- ness Aviation Association, which the country still lacks the infra- someone who does, email your nately I have never worked as an is developing into a strong and structure – such as airports – to pitch to kate.sarsfield@ engineer. Due to the dramatic efficient lobbyist for the industry. support general aviation aircraft flightglobal.com changes in our country in the Since 2009 its membership has and their passengers. We do not

Build your career

7U\)OLJKWJOREDO7UDLQLQJ¶VQHZVLWHIRUWKHIDVWHVW Training courses to take you there URXWHWREXLOGLQJ\RXUDHURVSDFHDQGDYLDWLRQFDUHHU ZZZÀLJKWJOREDOFRPWUDLQLQJ flightglobal.com 13-19 January 2015 | Flight International | 47 AN ICON JUST GOT LARGER

THE NEW NAVITIMER 46 mm