Saturday, 9th November 2019
737 Max does not fly before March?
American Airlines has to reschedule
New setback for Boeing: The US aircraft manufacturer can continue to call a safe start date for the problem jets type 737 Max. As a precautionary measure, an important major customer is removing the aircraft from the flight schedule by spring.
The American airline American Airlines expects further delays in the Boeing 737 Max aircraft. The company, which is one of the major Boeing customers in the home market, announced before the weekend further adjustments in the flight plan. American Airlines therefore expects to be able to use the passenger jets again from 5 March 2020 at the earliest. Boeing 351.00 Previously, the airline had targeted the 16th January as an appointment for the resumption of flights with these machines. For Boeing, this results in further financial risks: every day the planes can not take off, the costs for the airlines, who had firmly reckoned with the new aircraft, are rising. The missing capacities have to be compensated by costly rescheduling. This not only increases the displeasure of customers. The volume of any claims for damages is also swelling. Inspection authorities all over the world had imposed a start-up ban on the Type 737 Max aircraft following two plane crashes with a strikingly similar course. In order to regain the operating license, Boeing must convince the authorities of the suitability of the model for flight. The work is going on. With the recent decision Boeing major customer American Airlines deleted the model for another one and a half months from the flight plan. The use of the 737 Max in regular passenger operation has been postponed for the umpteenth time. The US airline has earlier ordered 100 jets of the type in question Boeing ordered. The unit price is according to the list depending on the equipment between 100 and 135 million dollars (around 90 to 122 million euros) .Failure a full year? The 737 Max may not withdraw since mid-March. Airlines worldwide are waiting for the release of the machines. Production continues almost unabated. In total, more than 5,000 aircraft of this type have been ordered from Boeing. Manufacturer Boeing is under pressure to fix software issues that are considered to be a major cause of the two crashes, with a total of 346 fatalities. Whether and when the machines are allowed to start again depends on international regulatory authorities and is currently unclear. The start-up bans make it difficult for the airlines involved, so many flights are canceled.


Amazon's plan to start shipping deliveries via drone is really underway, as evinced by a letter the company sent to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week. In fact, Amazon is "incredibly passionate about" its Amazon Prime Air feature, wherein airborne drones would deliver packages to registered customers "in 30 minutes or less," according to the letter.
In the letter, Amazon says that it is developing drones that can travel over 50 miles per hour and carry packages of up to 5 pounds (which it says covers 86% of all packages sold on Amazon). The letter also asks the FAA to grant the company "expedited operational authorization" to research and develop civil unmanned aircraft under the FAA Modernization Reform Act of 2012.
According to the letter, sent by Amazon's VP of global public policy Paul Misener, Amazon is already on its eighth- and ninth-generation drones, and has been conducting private research indoors at a facility in Seattle. But it needs special permission to start testing the drones for outdoors use.
The FAA Modernization Reform Act of 2012 gives the FAA funding to update its air traffic control regulations, which is necessary before commercial drones can legally take to the skies. But the act also allows for some exemptions for the sake of drone research and development. That's what Amazon is requesting in this letter.
Many were originally skeptical of Bezos' drone plan, since the announcement first came just before the 2013 holiday season, leading many to think Bezos was just trying to put Amazon in people's heads.


For the very first time Mrs. Wakefield implemented the bottle rocket simulator project into her curriculum. Mrs. Wakefield thought this would be a very interesting experiment and one her students would love. Her students learned the effect of force on a rocket and were instructed to build their own rockets out of soda bottles, cardboard, and toilet paper rolls. Students had complete creativity on how they were allowed to design their rockets through decoration and design. They were allowed to determine how much weight or what shape the rocket would be in order to make it fly further. Mrs. Wakefield thought it would be fun to try this experiment and over all the students really enjoyed the project. They were building their rockets inside the classroom, but they launched them outside the school on the front lawn. They are not done launching the rockets yet, they have two more times this year to shoot their rockets into the sky. Check out some of the photos below.
by Chelsey Lange
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Nov. 21-22: Maui Electric aerial line inspections with drones in West Maui area
Release Date: 11/7/2019
KAHULUI, Nov. 7, 2019 – Maui Electric Company will be using unmanned aircraft, or drones, for routine aerial power line inspections on Thursday, Nov. 21 and Friday, Nov. 22, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the West Maui area and weather permitting.
The drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), are being used as a cost effective measure when accessing remote areas or challenging terrains, for increased employee safety, and to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
The company has begun to use drones for a variety of inspections, most recently in assessing power lines damaged in recent wild fires on the island.
The Maui Electric UAS program is in full compliance with all Federal Aviation Administration rules and has developed safety, training, operating and privacy procedures to make sure the unmanned aircraft are flown with the highest regard for the safety of the public and crews.


Hollywood’s Captain Kirk, 90-year-old WILLIAM SHATNER, blasted into space Wednesday in a convergence of science fiction and science reality, reaching the final frontier aboard a ship built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company.
The Star Trek actor and three fellow passengers hurtled to an altitude of 66.5 miles (107 kilometers) over the West Texas desert in the fully automated capsule then safely parachuted back to Earth. The flight lasted just over 10 minutes.
“What you have given me is the most profound experience,” an exhilarated Shatner told Bezos after climbing out the hatch. The words spilling from him in a soliloquy almost as long as the flight. “I hope I never recover from this, I hope that I can maintain what I feel now, I don’t want to lose it.”
What you have given me is the most profound experience. I hope I never recover from this.Shatner on his experience going into space.
He said that going from the blue sky to the utter blackness of space was moving. “In an instant you go, ‘Whoa, that’s death.’ That’s what I saw.”
Shatner became the oldest person in space. He eclipsed the previous record set by a passenger on a similar jaunt on a Bezos spaceship by eight years. The flight included about three minutes of weightlessness and a view of the curvature of the Earth.
#GetSOM via @djgojabean @StraightOfficialMag
#WilliamShatner #CaptainKirk #NewShepard #JeffBezoz #MissionNS18 #SpaceTravel


Skylab was launched on 14th May 1973 and was America's first manned orbiting space station. Visiting crews of three astronauts performed experiments to study the Sun, Earth and the impact of life in orbit on the human body. Three crews visited Skylab during its working life, with the astronauts on the last mision launched in February 1974 staying in orbit for 84 days. Skylab was intended to have two solar panels to supply electrical power to the station, but when the station arrived in orbit in 1973, one was found to be mising, while the other had not deployed. The first crew to visit the station made a spacewalk and were able to deploy the panel, restoring power to Skylab. The absence of the mising panel can clearly be seen in this picture.
© National Aeronautics & Space Administration / Science & Society


You are here:Home/Events/SpaceCom | Virtual Conference and Exposition | October 19-29, 2020
BPM-D is excited to announce that we will participate in SpaceCom Conference and Exposition. SpaceCom is the leading global space event designed for those serious about the immediate and long-term opportunities of space commercialization.
The event is dedicated to accelerating the global business of space by bringing together top business leaders, investors, government agencies, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs from more than 50 countries for 8 days of unprecedented innovation, superior thought-leadership and forward-thinking strategies all for FREE.
Join BPM-D’s Space Evangelist, Gonçalo Esteves, at our virtual booth during SpaceCom’s networking breakouts to learn how we are developing commercial space standards in the areas of mission design, manufacturing and human performance to derive and accelerate solutions for the challenges in commercial space.


Relive Pan Am's Glorious History Through the Words of Those Who Were There
Pan Am - Personal Tributes to a Global Aviation Pioneer
This anthology recounts the history of Pan Am from its first flight to its very last. It is illustrated with more than 400 images, many in full color and also includes posters, promotional brochures, timetables and baggage tags.
The over-sized coffee-table book contains more than 80 essays written by former Pan Am employees and international media friends who had personal experience with many of Pan Am key events during its history.


The space industry has long been the domain of multi-billion-dollar government-funded projects. However, that has changed with new launch vehicles like SpaceX, Virgin Orbit, and others dramatically lowering the cost per kilogramme of getting payload into orbit. This in turn has unlocked the opportunity for new use cases (e.g. low cost satellite based broadband, space robotics, improved earth observation by radar and imaging technologies for commercial uses). As a result, over the last five years, Space Tech investment has increased from $1.7bn in 2017 to $6.2bn as of Q3 2022.
This growing investment is reflected in the number of satellites set for deployment, which will rise from 3,300 today to an estimated 65,000 over the next decade. Many of these satellites have climate-related applications, allowing for rapid and accurate data collection over huge areas. And as deployment costs decline further, this number will only grow, significantly enhancing our ability to combat a wide variety of climate-related challenges.
The Path to Low Earth Orbit & Sustainability in Space
In order get those 65,000 satellites into orbit in the first place, there has been a been a quantum leap forward in launch technologies. SpaceX is the most high profile of this, but there are many others nipping at its heels such as GIC backed Skyroot from India, Astra and Rocket Lab from the US, enabling cheaper, on-demand, reusable launchers.
Much of the explosion in the volume of satellite deployment is in the overlapping segments: i) small satellites, and ii) Low Earth Orbits (LEO). Whilst those new launchers act like the big truck hauling those satellites up into space, there is a need for the equivalent of Fedex stepvan to then do last mile delivery to put those small satellites into the desired orbit.
Italy based D-Orbit helps solves this through their revolutionary ION (an in-orbit transfer vehicle) which can hold several satellites on top of a SpaceX (or other) launcher and then, once in space, go and deploy them each into the exact LEO that they need. This means that satellites benefit from dramatically lower time from construction to in-orbit (matter of a couple of months vs couple of years previously) and hence time to monetisation. D-Orbit completed 6 deployments in 2022 and 3 deployments already in the first few weeks of 2023.
LEO comes with its own set of challenges. Due to the thin atmosphere still extending a few hundred kilometres above Earth’s surface, satellites in LEO slowly decay and fall back to Earth over a handful of years. Hence there is a need to refresh constellations used in low cost satellite broadband providers (OneWeb, Starlink) etc. on an ongoing basis, providing repeat business for launchers, in-orbit transfer vehicles and other satellite services business.
Companies are also working on different ways of ensuring that putting those satellites in space in the first place is done sustainably.
One way is to extend satellites’ service lifetime in space through repairs and refuelling, reducing the need for a new launch in the first place. This is something which D-Orbit is also working on. MDA, of Canada, demonstrated the successful transfer of batteries and a computer on its Orbit Express mission.
Another way to reduce the impact is to ensure that satellites that have reached their end of life, and other non-functioning items in orbit (e.g. the discarded upper stages of launch vehicles) that make up space junk are safely dealt with before they collide showering debris into vital space infrastructure.
The effects of climate change are becoming more noticeable, with one of the most visible impacts being the rise in extreme weather events. In the last 40 years, extreme weather events have tripled, and this trend shows no sign of abating. Consider the recent flooding in Auckland, New Zealand, the most severe in recorded history, as a prime example.
Against this backdrop, a growing pool of satellite companies are looking to provide more granular detail and access to governments, especially in the developing world, that lack the radar infrastructure to alert their populations of extreme inclement weather. Companies such as Tomorrow.io, Cervest, and ICEYE are leading the way in providing satellite-based solutions that can help better understand, predict and prepare for these extreme weather events.
Tomorrow.io uses Earth Observation (EO) data and proprietary AI to monitor and predict weather and climate events. Their platform can provide users with a detailed, up-to-date view of weather and climate conditions in any given location. Cervest, on the other hand, has developed an advanced climate intelligence solution to help businesses and governments better prepare for and manage the risks associated with climate change. The company’s solution combines satellite imagery, weather station data and direct observations to create a dynamic climate model to monitor potential risks.
ICEYE, which recently raised an impressive $136m Series D funding round, is a world-leading SAR data provider and expert in NatCat solutions. The company owns the world’s largest synthetic-aperture radar constellation, which can deliver unmatched persistent monitoring capabilities for any location on earth.
It’s estimated that the United Kingdom loses one-fifth of its water supply due to pipeline leakages. This is a severe problem that’s only compounding water shortages caused by climate change. Companies such as Asterra and Rezatec are using satellites to detect water leakages from orbit, allowing utility companies to more rapidly identify and repair leakages. These technologies can save upwards of 5.5 million litres of water per day.
Asterra, a global leader in using Earth observation to reduce water loss, is able to use satellite data to map ground saturation levels over large areas, down to depths of 10 feet. This mean they can monitor the condition of underground infrastructure, the ground stability for roads and railways, and detect water leaks.
UK-based Rezatec provides geospatial data-driven platform solutions for water utilities, government agencies, and the greater infrastructure industry. The company’s solutions use Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PolSAR) data from satellites to monitor water, forestry and agricultural assets, enabling the optimisation of resources.
These (and other) companies are introducing game-changing capabilities in the global quest to achieve net zero emissions, opening up for the first time the potential to monitor in near real-time everything from the energy wastage due to poorly insulated buildings to how much energy a power station is generating.
With the planet’s population expected to reach 9.8bn by 2050, the demand for food production is set to grow exponentially in the coming decades. The primary challenge lies in the limited availability of arable land, especially in Africa, where the population is growing faster than anywhere else.
To meet demand, we will need to produce 56% more food by 2050, and with most arable land already utilised, we must look for ways to increase the efficiency of existing resources. A growing number of innovative space tech companies are now working on doing just that.
Israeli crop intelligence provider Taranis is utilising satellite imagery and sensors to provide farmers with real-time analysis of their crops and fields in order to increase their production and crop yields. Since launching in 2015, Taranis has worked with the world’s top agricultural retailers and crop protection companies, serving millions of acres for customers in the United States, Brazil, and Europe.
Waterloo-based SkyWatch has developed a platform to provide farmers a comprehensive view of their operations. The platform uses satellite and other remote sensing data to generate detailed reports and analytics about crops and soil health and other environmental factors such as weather and climate.
In Europe, Belgian satellite manufacturer Aerospace Lab, which raised 40m Euros in a funding round led by Airbus Ventures, is making geospatial intelligence more actionable and affordable. The company designs, manufactures, and operates a constellation of remote sensing satellites that enable enhanced forecasts and optimisation of food production.
German start-up Constellr is on a mission to safeguard the world’s food supply chain by harnessing the power of space-based water monitoring. The company is pioneering thermal infrared microsatellites for monitoring global land surface temperature (LST). The solution can detect early water stress via thermal imaging, contributing to enhanced yield, reduced operating costs, and optimised resource & supply chain management.
Space tech is taking off, and we’re only just getting started
With space-based data becoming more precise and costs decreasing, the ability of Space Tech to combat a wide variety of climate-related challenges is significantly expanding.
High initial investment costs mean there is a real first-mover advantage that investors should be looking to capitalise on. We can see Space Tech investment surpassing $7.5bn this year, despite the downturn across many other sectors in the market. The global space industry is expected to reach $1.4tn by 2030, and these current levels of investment will have to persist and accelerate to reach that goal.
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 UCS satellite database, 2021


President Barack Obama was not joking when he noted to midshipmen at the Naval Academy Friday how he relied on its graduates. Within 24 hours, he named Brig. Gen. Charles Bolden as his nominee for administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Bolden is a South Carolina native who adds to the growing list of science and technology role models being empowered by the new administration. As we point out in our new e-book The Black Students Internet Guide, there are a host of career choices for black students who become familiar with the exploits of cutting edge innovators, educators, entrepreneurs and policy makers.
Bolden became an astronaut in 1980, a dozen years after leaving the Academy.
Bolden accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps following graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1968. He underwent flight training at Pensacola, Florida, Meridian, Mississippi, and Kingsville, Texas, before being designated a naval aviator in May 1970. He flew more than 100 sorties into North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, in the A-6A Intruder while assigned to VMA(AW)-533 at Nam Phong, Thailand, June 1972 to June 1973. Upon returning to the United States, Bolden began a two-year tour as a Marine Corps selection officer and recruiting officer in Los Angeles, California, followed by three years in various assignments at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. In June 1979, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, and was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center’s Systems Engineering and Strike Aircraft Test Directorates. While there, he served as an ordnance test pilot and flew numerous test projects in the A-6E, EA-6B, and A-7C/E airplanes.
He has logged more than 6,000 hours flying time.
Selected by NASA in May 1980, Bolden became an astronaut in August 1981. His technical assignments included: Astronaut Office Safety Officer; Technical Assistant to the Director of Flight Crew Operations; Special Assistant to the Director of the Johnson Space Center; Astronaut Office Liaison to the Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Directorates of the Marshall Space Flight Center and the Kennedy Space Center; Chief of the Safety Division at JSC; Lead Astronaut for Vehicle Test and Checkout at the Kennedy Space Center; and Assistant Deputy Administrator, NASA Headquarters. A veteran of four space flights, he has logged over 680 hours in space. Bolden served as pilot on STS-61C (January 12-18, 1986) and STS-31 (April 24-29, 1990), and was the mission commander on STS-45 (March 24-April 2, 1992), and STS-60 (Feb. 3-11, 1994).
Bolden left NASA and returned to active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, effective June 27, 1994.
Increasing the technical and science acumen among African-American students is important for the nation and their communities. The presence of standouts like Bolden, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson, Food and Drug Administration administrator Dr. Margaret Hamburg and new appointees to the Presidential science board, Drs. James Gates and Shirley Jackson of the University of Maryland and RPI, respectively, should give black students powerful motivation to pursue math and science careers.
The purpose of the Black Students Internet Guide is to help educators clearly make that point.


Comox Air Force Museum
The Comox Air Force Museum located within the Comox Valley on Vancourver Island is listed as one of the top ten things to do on a rainy day. Open year round, this major tourist attraction is dedicated to the preservation and history of the Canadian Armed Forces on the West Coast. The museum features history, artwork, and artifacts from early days of flight, through World War I and World War II.
The Comox Air Force Museum air park - located just 500 meters down the road from the museum - hosts a collection of vintage aircraft including a selection of aircraft of significance in the history of Comox and West Coast aviation.
Is this your business or attraction? Claim this listing today!


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BADER Treadmill Lab - 119
The BADER Lab uses biomechanics and motion analysis tools to understand the mechanics of human gait and applies that understanding to optimize the design and customization of assistive devices, such as orthotic and prosthetic devices. The overriding goal of this work is to assist people with limb loss and limb injuries to reach their highest level of function and quality of life.
Buzz Aldrin: Cycling Pathways to Mars Trailer | Stereoscopic | 3840
Buzz Aldrin wants to be remembered for more than just "kicking up moon dust." He wants his legacy to include laying the groundwork for a permanent human settlement on Mars, and he has a plan. As NASA prepares to send the first humans to Mars, LIFE VR, TIME and 8i have collaborated with the Apollo astronaut and historical icon to create a one of a kind virtual reality experience. In the world’s first holographic ‘archival VR’ project, created by 8i, viewers will have a unique opportunity to ‘meet’ and the astronaut through his hologram today. Dr. Aldrin is an American astronaut best known for piloting the Lunar Module on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, and the one of the first men to set foot on the moon. While it was a historic achievement, he wants his legacy to include laying the groundwork for a permanent human settlement on Mars, and he has a plan. In Buzz Aldrin: Cycling Pathways to Mars, travel with a photorealistic 3D hologram of Dr. Aldrin from his landing site on the moon to Mars where he’ll show
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Britain released hundreds of previously secret “UFO files” on Thursday, including a letter saying that Winston Churchill had ordered a 50-year cover-up of a wartime encounter between an unidentified flying object and military pilot.
The files, published by the National Archives, span decades and contain scores of witness accounts, sketches and classified briefing notes documenting mysterious sightings across Britain. Click image to see the full story
One Ministry of Defense note refers to a 1999 letter stating that a Royal Air Force plane returning from a mission in Europe during World War II was “approached by a metallic UFO.”
Story by Maria Golovnina Reuters MSNbc web news
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Mission briefing, mission card and recon photos will also be in your kneeboard. We also recently captured Sukhumi-Babushara and have stationed some aircraft there, so check for proximity for your flights/target areas. Continue mission by finishing the strikes at Sochi-Adler. The short runway needs attention as well as ammo and fuel dumps. There are potentially some SAM's left in the area, and AAA on the airfield proper. Watch for MAPPADS. There are also some juicy targets left at Gudauta if you have munitions left from striking Sochi-Adler.
Mission type: Airfield Interdiction
Situation: Enemy air activity has been high; the air threat needs to be reduced to allow us to support the ground war and strike strategic targets. We will strike Sochi-Adler. The objective is to reduce the operational capabilities of this airfield; the targets are the runways, control facilities, fuel and ammunition stores. Once these primary targets are hit, other targets of opportunity may be engaged.
2. Tac Admin
Callsigns and roles:
Anvil: airfield strike group
OOB Threats: various air threats; MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-29 (A and S), SU-27, SU-33, SU-30
OOB Friendly: US NAVY F/A-18C, F-14B, Pakistani JF-17, French Mirage 2000C, USAF F-15C, A-10C, F-16C, Georgian SU-25T, Ukrainian SU-33, MiG-29, German MiG-29
EMCON: Radar: standard, ECM: standard, Radio: standard
Loadout: set by flight lead for target
Gudauta: runway 15 center N43 6.774 E40 34.232 alt 69’
fuel dump N43 5.877 E40 34.409 alt 33’
ammo dump N43 7.44 E40 33.145 alt 52’
Sochi-Adler: runway 24 center N43 26.667 E39 57.56 alt 98’
runway 06 center N43 26.679 E39 56.525 alt 98’
fuel dump N43 26.160 E39 56.269 alt 98’
ammo dump N43 26.233 E39 55.915 alt 98’
BULLS: N42 307.972 E041 52.302 (Waypoint 1)
Boom tanker Shell KC-135 268.000MHz 14X
Basket Tanker Texaco KC-135MPRS 267.000MHz 13X
Basket Tanker Arco S-3B 238.000MHz 38X
CVN-71 127.500 MHz 71X ICLS: 1
CVN-74 128.500 MHz 74X ICLS: 4
Admiral Kuznetsov 129.500Mhz
3. Adversary Info: Known SAM threats are SA-10, SA-8, SA-6, SA-15, SA-18 MANPADS. Enemy air threats as noted previously, flights of 2 or 3 aircraft, occasional coordination between enemy flights to pincer.
4. Tac Conduct:
Anvil and Voodoo to carry self-protect A2A weapons as Ares may not be able to prevent all enemy air from reaching the target area. Anvil and Voodoo to clear with Package commander before going A2G.
Ares to aggressively engage enemy air that are vectoring to target area. Do not pursue more than 40nm from target area.
Voodoo ingresses to target area first to ensure the SAM threat is null. If fuel and loadout permit after SEAD/DEAD mission complete Vodoo to provide close escort for Anvil or assist Ares at Flight lead discretion.
ROE: weapons free on enemy units, must have positive ID, civilian casualties to be avoided at all costs
Comms rules: keep comms to all flights to a minimum after package commander calls zip-lip. comms within own flight at flight lead discretion.
Engagement: ALWAYS verify targets with AWACS, IFF or visual ID before launching; watch for friendly fire when enemy/friendlies are merged; coordinate with others to engage enemy.
Comms: as briefed
Lost Contact – Rally Point, fix comms
We will post info for game session/mission times here.
Moderator: RLG MGMT Team
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If you build an aircraft maintenance workforce, will investment for a maintenance facility come? If you’re in Chihuahua, Mexico, the answer looks to be yes, thanks to years of planning.
For the first time, IYF partner in the state Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica, or CONALEP, has anticipated and facilitated an important economic development investment by training a youth workforce with the necessary technical skills for a growing field. Specifically, a new Aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility is slated to open at the Chihuahua Airport in 2017.
This training falls under Rutas, an initiative of IYF with the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Chihuahua, with support from USAID. Rutas is preparing high school students in the border states of Nuevo Leon and Chihuahua to successfully transition into the workforce by ensuring that their technical schools' curricula match employer need.
Recently, CONALEP Chihuaha graduated a cohort of instructors who lead classes in aeronautic assembly and maintenance for students in the technical upper secondary education system. The first students trained in aeronautic maintenance will graduate in May 2016. Of the students who receive an industrial electro-mechanics degree (with an aerospace technical specialty) through CONALEP, half are expected to find jobs at the new MRO facility. The others will secure work at other existing and upcoming aircraft assembly plants in the city. One in three of the nation’s aerospace jobs is in Chihuahua.
Additionally, as part of a new collaboration, the Air Washington consortium of community colleges donated the curricular materials they have used to train aeronautic technicians in that state under a grant from the US Department of Labor. Using these materials, CONALEP developed curricula that complement the plan the Chihuahua Aerospace Cluster has shared for its growth over the next 10 years. CONALEP has offered these materials to two other Mexican public technical school systems, DGETI and CECyTECH, who are part of the Rutas alliance.


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This year’s event will be out of this world!
17 to 30 August 2019
Aliens, astronauts and space rockets will land in Sheffield this summer as Sheffield BID brings back its hugely successful Sheffield Bricktropolis.
Building on the success of the World landmarks trail last year, this summer sees a new space trail join the Bricktropolis programme.
Celebrating 50 years of the moon landing, Bricks in Space is a visitor trail of galactic LEGO-brick models.
Families are invited to take part in an exciting space mission to discover planets, astronauts, rockets – and even a friendly alien from the farthest edge of the Green Spiral Galaxy!
There are 15 incredible Bricks in Space models to find on the fun interstellar trail. Standing 1.9m tall, the Neil Armstrong model is made up of more than 57,000 bricks, while the 2.8m-tall Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket has 68,583 bricks. There will also be models of astronauts Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, as well as planets, the first flag on the moon, and various space vehicles.
There will be a fun astronaut selfie zone, and visitors can share their pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by tagging @SheffieldBID and using the hashtag #SheffieldBricktropolis.
Visitors can download the Sheffield Bricktropolis app to scan the models and reveal fun facts. Scan them all to be in with the chance of winning prizes including a fabulous free family trip to LEGOland. Last year’s winners, the Randerson family, will share their fantastic experience as part of this year’s event. You could be a winner this time!
Sheffield Bricktropolis returns 17 to 30 August 2019. Register NOW to receive regular updates about the trail, interactive workshops and an even bigger fringe programme this year!


Solid mechanics, structural design and materials intersect in the engineering of all mechanical systems and so this research area is broad and inclusive. The types of inquiry include experiment and computation to understand basic phenomena and complex systems. Applications supported by our research are broad, including aircraft structures, propulsion systems, power generation equipment, ground vehicles, pressurized systems, biomechanical implants and heavy equipment. The intersection with materials is often related to minimum weight design and the development of structural systems robust to failure by impact, corrosion and fatigue. The influence of manufacturing process is also included. Material types of interest include metals, ceramics and composites, where the study of composites includes the behavior of thin-walled structures under bending, torsion and axial loads. For aerostructures, areas of emphasis include complex loadings such as residual stress fields or vibratory loads assessed through the study of structural dynamics and aeroelasticity. Specialized work includes degradation of composite materials, aeroelasticity, biomechanics, residual stress measurement, fatigue design and development of advanced finite element methods to solve advanced problems. Composite materials are being used extensively in new airplanes and helicopters, space structures and in other engineering areas such as wind energy, ships, transportation, infrastructure and biomedical joints. Areas of current research in composite structures that encompass several areas of engineering include durability of composites due to in service load (e.g., thermo-hygro-mechanical fatigue, impact) and structural health monitoring methods.


When a company is forced to navigate choppy waters, a single mistake can undermine a brand’s credibility and disheartened customers may take the opportunity to turn to competitors. Boeing is not the first company to fail when responding to a negative situation. However, keeping important information from the public and the FAA on two separate occasions definitely helped turn public perception against the company, especially as more details concerning the safety of flight crews and passengers come to light. How did Boeing stumble and could their chosen route of action influence their brand?
Boeing faces serious credibility problems after their response to two deadly crashes involving the 737 Max plane: the first occurring in Indonesia and the second happening en route to Nairobi. A misstep was made when only a partial picture was disclosed by Boeing after the Lion Air crash. After the second crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight, six weeks elapsed before Boeing finally related the underlying software issue to the public and to the FAA. As a result, Boeing faces an uphill battle when meeting with influential union members representing flight attendants. The head of the union, Sara Nelson, sharing that she does not feel confident in telling travelers and flight attendants to fly on the 737 Max until certain conditions are met.
Boeing is concerned about the mark left on their reputation as it faces multiple federal investigations and lawsuits. The company has focused its public relations strategy on passengers as it waits for the decision that will allow the Max to return to commercial service. Transparency and full accountability need to be improved in order to reassure the flying public and secure the support of pilots and flight attendants.
There was a concerning lack of communication between airlines, pilots and regulators about the software issue that directly affected the operation of the 737 Max planes and the safety of its passengers. The company was not forthcoming with pilots about how the basic system and some automatic features operated. It was only after the Lion Air accident that regulators and some pilots were informed that the key cockpit warning light did not operate unless the airline had also purchased the angle of attack indicator.
When it comes to safety, getting all the details to your customers is paramount. Takeaways that reflect the need for honesty and transparency in a company include:
Think from your customers’ point of view. What would you, as a customer, need to know in order to mitigate any potential issues arising from a partner’s shortcomings? As an airline or pilot, wouldn’t you feel it a priority to know about any system updates or faulty systems that could compromise the safety of your passengers and crew?
B2B and B2C companies need to be customer-centric and offer clarity when situations come up to allow for adjustments. This can help a company maintain a positive impression and protect their brand.
What do people say about you when you are not around? Whatever it is, that is your brand. After all, your brand identity is built by your actions and how you deliver, not on your stated values. The response or lack thereof to a serious situation is a reflection of a company’s core values and whether it deserves to be trusted — or not.


The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III is a launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It is intended to launch satellites into geostationary orbit and as a launcher for an Indian crew vehicle. The GSLV-III features an Indian cryogenic third stage and a higher payload capacity than the current GSLV.
Whole World eyes were set at the launch of ISRO’s heaviest rocket on June 5, 2017, and it was successfully launched. The 640-ton GSLV Mk III rocket is carrying a satellite weighing more than three tons into a high orbit above Earth.
Here are 10 things to know about the GSLV MkIII-D1 mission:
- The 43-meter (140-foot) GSLV MkIII-D1 rocket was launched from the Second Launch Pad at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
- Dubbed ‘Monster Rocket’ by scientists, it is India’s most powerful homegrown rocket to date to be launched from our own soil and weighs as much as 200 fully grown elephants or five fully-loaded Boeing Jumbo Jets.
- The GSLV Mk III D1 is a three-stage vehicle with indigenous cryogenic upper stage engine designed to carry heavier communication satellites into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
- The GSLV Mk III D1 is capable of lifting payloads of up to 4,000 kg into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 10,000 kg into the Low Earth Orbit.
- GSAT-19 satellite the heaviest satellite made and to be launched from India and is a voluminous animal and it will be launched using GSLV Mk III.
- GSAT-19 is going to be powered for the first time with indigenously-made Lithium-ion batteries. These batteries have been made so that India’s self-reliance quotient can increase. In addition, similar batteries can then be used to power electric vehicles like cars and buses.
- A successful launch of the 640-tonne rocket will be another feather in the cap for ISRO.
- Scientists say the rocket, developed over 15 years at a cost of Rs 300 crore.
- Till date, India had to depend on foreign launchers for communication satellites weighing more than 2,300 kg.
- The GSLV MkIII was earlier known as Launch Vehicle Mark-III or LMV Mark III – If it successfully clears tests –then it could be India’s first vehicle to ferry people into space.


The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust and the Royal Air Force were delighted to announce the affiliation of the locomotive with RAF Marham as part of the station’s centenary celebrations. To mark the affiliation, Tornado
now carries the RAF Marham crest on the fireman’s side nameplate. RAF Marham is the home of the RAF’s Tornado GR4 two-seat, all-weather, day/night attack and reconnaissance aircraft.
On Friday 26th
August the Nene Valley Railway (NVR) at Wansford, Cambridgeshire, hosted the rededication of No. 60163 Tornado
and its affiliation with RAF Marham as part of the station’s 100th
birthday celebrations. Following a briefing on the building and operation of the locomotive by Trust chairman Mark Allatt, representatives of the stations military and civilian staff witnessed the unveiling of Tornado’s
nameplate bearing the RAF Marham crest by Station Commander Group Captain Rich Davies ADC MA RAF and Trust President David Champion. This was followed by a blessing by station Padre Reverend Geoffrey Firth.
Group Captain Rich Davies commented, “We are delighted to affiliate RAF Marham in our centenary year with the magnificent achievement that No. 60163 Tornado
represents. It’s sheer power and presence is reflective of that of the Tornado aircraft that operate from RAF Marham and have been the backbone of the RAF for the past 30 years.”
Mark Allatt, chairman, The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, added, "It’s a great privilege for No. 60163 Tornado
to be affiliated with RAF Marham as it celebrates its 100th
birthday. The locomotive was named in honour of the RAF aircrews who fought in the first Gulf War and in many other subsequent conflicts. We are delighted to be re-invigorating our relationship with the RAF and look forward to future collaborations."
Following the dedication ceremony those present were given the opportunity to drive Tornado
under supervision and later that evening the station hosted a ‘dining in’ night on the railway’s dining train also hauled by Tornado
. It is hoped that No. 60163 Tornado
will play a role in the Royal Air Force’s centenary celebrations in 2018.
The new nameplate fitted to the fireman's side - Crown Copyright
A1 Trust President David Champion and Group Captain Rich Davies ADC MA RAF
No. 60163 Tornado was named after the RAF Tornado aircraft of the same name which were on active service in the middle east during the first Gulf War when the project to build the new Peppercorn class A1 Pacific was in its infancy. The nameplates were originally presented to The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in a ceremony at Birmingham Railway Museum in 1995 and bore the crests of the then RAF Cottesmore and its Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE) which trained British, German and Italian aircrews to operate the aircraft. With The Trust’s establishment of its permanent base at Darlington Locomotive Works in 1997 and the dissolution of the TTTE in 1999, the crest on the latter plate was replaced by that of nearby RAF Leeming (then an RAF Tornado station). This was the nameplate unveiled by TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall when Tornado was formally named at York station on 19th February 2009. Coincidentally, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming.
Images all Crown Copyright


Personal jet charter is among the most effective methods to travel and is the appropriate selection in many different scenarios. There are great deals of reasons jet charter may be the preferred approach of reaching your following destination, whether you are taking an organisation trip or taking place a household trip. Prior to you choose to take into consideration exclusive jet charter, nevertheless, there are a few things to learn more about hiring personal air transport.
Facts and also Details Concerning Personal Jet Charter
Among the initial and essential points to discover when thinking about exclusive jet charter is that you have a great deal of adaptability related to the kind of flight you can use. If they decide to fly exclusive, lots of people incorrectly think that they will be stuck in a small prop airplane. In fact, this is not the case in all.
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Those Member States shall apply Annexes II and VII from 8 April 2018 to non-commercial operations with balloons and from 8 April 2019 to non-commercial operations with sailplanes or from the dates indicated in their decision, as the case may be. Annexes II, III, VII and VIII shall apply to specialised operations with balloons and sailplanes from 1 July 2014, except for Member States that have decided not to apply all or part of them in accordance with the provisions in force at the time of that decision, and to the extent they have decided to do so.
Those Member States shall apply Annexes II, III, VII and VIII from 8 April 2018 to specialised operations with balloons and from 8 April 2019 to specialised operations with sailplanes or from the dates indicated in their decision, as the case may be. Annexes II, III, VII and VIII shall apply to specialised operations with aeroplanes and helicopters from 1 July 2014, except for Member States that have decided not to apply all or part of them in accordance with the provisions in force at the time of that decision and to the extent they have decided to do so.
Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 of 5 October 2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 of 5 October 2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council This text is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect.
However, they shall be replaced by certificates, authorisations and approvals, as appropriate, issued in accordance with this Regulation no later than six months from the date of application of the relevant requirements of this Regulation; ‘accelerate-stop distance available (ASDA)’ means the length of the take-off run available plus the length of stopway, if such stopway is declared available by the State of the aerodrome and is capable of bearing the mass of the aeroplane under the prevailing operating conditions; ‘acceptance checklist’ means a document used to assist in carrying out a check on the external appearance of packages of dangerous goods and their associated documents to determine that all appropriate requirements have been met with; ‘aided night vision imaging system (NVIS) flight’ means, in the case of NVIS operations, that portion of a visual flight rules (VFR) flight performed at night when a crew member is using night vision goggles (NVG); ‘alternative means of compliance’ means those means that propose an alternative to an existing acceptable means of compliance or those that propose new means to establish compliance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and its Implementing Rules for which no associated AMC have been adopted by the Agency; ‘anti-icing’, in the case of ground procedures, means a procedure that provides protection against the formation of frost or ice and accumulation of snow on treated surfaces of the aircraft for a limited period of time (hold-over time); ‘approach procedure with vertical guidance (APV) operation’ means an instrument approach which utilises lateral and vertical guidance, but does not meet the requirements established for precision approach and landing operations, with a decision height (DH) not lower than 250 ft and a runway visual range (RVR) of not less than 600 m; ‘cabin crew member’ means an appropriately qualified crew member, other than a flight crew or technical crew member, who is assigned by an operator to perform duties related to the safety of passengers and flight during operations; ‘category I (CAT I) approach operation’ means a precision instrument approach and landing using an instrument landing system (ILS), microwave landing system (MLS), GLS (ground-based augmented global navigation satellite system (GNSS/GBAS) landing system), precision approach radar (PAR) or GNSS using a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) with a decision height (DH) not lower than 200 ft and with a runway visual range (RVR) not less than 550 m for aeroplanes and 500 m for helicopters; ‘category A with respect to helicopters’ means a multi-engined helicopter designed with engine and system isolation features specified in the applicable airworthiness codes and capable of operations using take-off and landing data scheduled under a critical engine failure concept that assures adequate designated surface area and adequate performance capability for continued safe flight or safe rejected take-off in the event of engine failure; ‘category B with respect to helicopters’ means a single-engined or multi-engined helicopter that does not meet category A standards.
Category B helicopters have no guaranteed capability to continue safe flight in the event of an engine failure, and unscheduled landing is assumed; ‘certification specifications’ (CS) means technical standards adopted by the Agency indicating means to show compliance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and its Implementing Rules and which can be used by an organisation for the purpose of certification; ‘clearway’ means a defined rectangular area on the ground or water under the control of the appropriate authority, selected or prepared as a suitable area over which an aeroplane may make a portion of its initial climb to a specified height; ‘cloud base’ means the height of the base of the lowest observed or forecast cloud element in the vicinity of an aerodrome or operating site or within a specified area of operations, normally measured above aerodrome elevation or, in the case of offshore operations, above mean sea level; ‘continuous descent final approach (CDFA)’ means a technique, consistent with stabilised approach procedures, for flying the final-approach segment of a non-precision instrument approach procedure as a continuous descent, without level-off, from an altitude/height at or above the final approach fix altitude/height to a point approximately 15 m (50 ft) above the landing runway threshold or the point where the flare manoeuvre shall begin for the type of aircraft flown; ‘critical phases of flight’ in the case of aeroplanes means the take-off run, the take-off flight path, the final approach, the missed approach, the landing, including the landing roll, and any other phases of flight as determined by the pilot-in-command or commander; ‘critical phases of flight’ in the case of helicopters means taxiing, hovering, take-off, final approach, missed approach, the landing and any other phases of flight as determined by the pilot-in-command or commander; ‘dangerous goods (DG)’ means articles or substances which are capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment and which are shown in the list of dangerous goods in the technical instructions or which are classified according to those instructions; an occurrence other than a dangerous goods accident associated with and related to the transport of dangerous goods by air, not necessarily occurring on board an aircraft, which results in injury to a person, property damage, fire, breakage, spillage, leakage of fluid or radiation or other evidence that the integrity of the packaging has not been maintained; ‘defined point after take-off (DPATO)’ means the point, within the take-off and initial climb phase, before which the helicopter’s ability to continue the flight safely, with the critical engine inoperative, is not assured and a forced landing may be required; ‘defined point before landing (DPBL)’ means the point within the approach and landing phase, after which the helicopter’s ability to continue the flight safely, with the critical engine inoperative, is not assured and a forced landing may be required; ‘dry lease agreement’ means an agreement between undertakings pursuant to which the aircraft is operated under the air operator certificate (AOC) of the lessee or, in the case of commercial operations other than CAT, under the responsibility of the lessee; ‘dry runway’ means a runway which is neither wet nor contaminated, and includes those paved runways which have been specially prepared with grooves or porous pavement and maintained to retain ‘effectively dry’ braking action even when moisture is present; a Very Light Rotorcraft with a MTOM not exceeding 600 kg which is of a simple design, designed to carry not more than two occupants, not powered by turbine and/or rocket engines; restricted to VFR day operations; ‘final approach and take-off area (FATO)’ means a defined area for helicopter operations, over which the final phase of the approach manoeuvre to hover or land is completed, and from which the take-off manoeuvre is commenced.
In the case of helicopters operating in performance class 1, the defined area includes the rejected take-off area available; ‘GBAS landing system (GLS)’ means an approach landing system using ground based augmented global navigation satellite system (GNSS/GBAS) information to provide guidance to the aircraft based on its lateral and vertical GNSS position.
It uses geometric altitude reference for its final approach slope; ‘ground emergency service personnel’ means any ground emergency service personnel (such as policemen, firemen, etc.) involved with helicopter emergency medical services (HEMSs) and whose tasks are to any extent pertinent to helicopter operations; ‘head-up guidance landing system (HUDLS)’ means the total airborne system that provides head-up guidance to the pilot during the approach and landing and/or missed approach procedure.
Such operations shall be conducted under conditions determined by Member States.
Member States shall notify the Commission and the Agency of the conditions being applied. By way of derogation from the first sentence of Article 5(3), operators of complex motor-powered aeroplanes with a maximum certificated take-off mass (MCTOM) at or below 5 700 kg, equipped with turboprop engines, involved in non-commercial operations, shall operate those aircraft only in accordance with Annex VII. By way of derogation from Article 5(5)(a), training organisations shall, when conducting flight training on complex motor-powered aeroplanes with a maximum certificated take-off mass (MCTOM) at or below 5 700 kg, equipped with turboprop engines, operate those aircraft in accordance with Annex VII. Air operator certificates (AOCs) issued by a Member State to CAT operators of aeroplanes before this Regulation applies in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 shall be deemed to have been issued in accordance with this Regulation. AOCs issued by a Member State to CAT operators of helicopters before this Regulation applies shall be converted into AOCs compliant with this Regulation in accordance with a conversion report established by the Member State that issued the AOC, in consultation with the Agency.
No later than 18 February 2019 the Agency shall produce a first report on the results of this review.
That review shall involve scientific expertise and shall be based on operational data gathered, with the assistance of Member States, on a long-term basis after the date of application of this Regulation.
MLR.105 of Section 2 of Annex III to this Regulation at the earliest opportunity and not later than 18 December 2017 or two years after the operational suitability data was approved, whichever is the latest.Tags: Adult Dating, affair dating, sex dating


“Even in the statement of Iran there is a hint that our crew was acting independently, or that it could have acted differently,” said the airline director, Yevhenii Dykhne.
The crew received no warning before leaving Tehran, Ukrainian officials said. The plane took off as Ukrainian flights from Iran had dozens of times before, and followed the same departure routes as other airliners leaving that morning, Ihor Sosnovsky, the vice president for flight operations, told journalists.
“There was no deviation from any routes that some are hinting at,” he said.
The crew maintained normal radio contact with the tower in Tehran, he said, and followed a standard departure procedure for the airport. After having reached an elevation of 6,000 feet, they were instructed to make a slight northerly turn. In the last communication, he said, one of the pilots read back this instruction from the tower, saying “turn and climb.”
Addressing criticism that the airline should not have sent a plane to Iran at all, in light of tensions in the region, the airline officials said it was Iran’s responsibility to close airspace if it had intended to fire missiles.
Mr. Danilov said Iran had no choice but to admit to shooting down the plane because the facts had become apparent to Ukrainian experts on the ground and to the international community.
The “cherry on top” in Ukraine’s probe, he said, came on Friday evening Iran time, when Ukrainian investigators found fragments of the top part of the airplane cabin that had been pierced by what appeared to be the shrapnel of a missile warhead.
“As we saw it, Iran had to face the reality that there’s no way they’ll get out of this,” Mr. Danilov said.


SkyPixl & Drone
ELEVATE YOUR IMAGES
Drone photography and videography is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, to capture aerial images and videos. Drones are equipped with cameras that can capture high-resolution images and videos from unique angles and heights, allowing for stunning visual content. This technology has become increasingly popular in recent years for various applications, such as real estate marketing, landscape photography, surveying, and cinematography.
Using a drone for photography can provide a unique perspective and allow you to capture stunning images from an aerial view. Here are some tips to keep in mind when using a drone for photographs
Using a drone for video production is essential for creating dynamic and captivating visuals. With the ability to capture unique and elevated perspectives, drones can provide a cinematic feel to any project. Additionally, drones can capture footage that would be difficult or impossible to get with traditional filming techniques, making them a valuable asset in any video production.
A 360 image from above allows the user to see the area in a unique way. Adding hotspots on important locations can provide context of the property location.
3D mapping with a drone is the process of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a camera to capture aerial images of an area, and then using specialized software to stitch the images together to create a 3D map or model. The resulting map or model can be used for a variety of purposes, including land surveying, construction planning, urban planning, and environmental analysis. 3D mapping with a drone is a cost-effective and efficient way to gather accurate data and produce detailed visualizations of an area.


The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter used in both military and civil applications. First flown in 1987, it was developed by a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the United Kingdom and Agusta in Italy in response to national requirements for a modern naval utility helicopter.
Top speed: 309 km/h
Length: 23 m
Weight: 10,500 kg
Unit cost: $21 MIllion USD (2009)
Engine type: Turboshaft


LINE OPERATIONS SAFETY AUDIT
1.1.1 Historically, the way the aviation industry has investigated the impact of human performance on aviation safety has been through the retrospective analyses of those actions by operational personnel, which led to rare and drastic failures. The conventional investigative approach is for investigators to trace back an event under consideration to a point where they discover particular actions or decisions by operational personnel that did not produce the intended results and, at such point, conclude human error as the cause. The weakness in this approach is that the conclusion is generally formulated with a focus on the outcome, with limited consideration of the processes that led up to it. When analyzing accidents and incidents, investigators already know that the actions or decisions by operational personnel were bad or inappropriate, because the bad outcomes are a matter of record. In other words, investigators examining human performance in safety occurrences enjoy the benefit of hindsight. This is, however, a benefit that operational personnel involved in accidents and incidents did not have when they selected what they thought of as good or appropriate actions or decisions that would lead to good outcomes.
1.1.2 It is inherent to traditional approaches to safety to consider that, in aviation, safety comes first. In line with this, decision making in aviation operations is considered to be 100 percent safety-oriented. While highly desirable, this is hardly realistic. Human decision making in operational contexts is a compromise between production and safety goals. The optimum decisions to achieve the actual production demands of the operational task at hand may not always be fully compatible with the optimum decisions to achieve theoretical safety demands. All production systems, and aviation is no exception, generate a migration of behaviors: due to the need for economy and efficiency, people are forced to operate at the limits of the system’s safety space. Human decision making in operational contexts lies at the intersection of production and safety and is therefore a compromise. In fact, it might be argued that the trademark of experts is not years of experience and exposure to aviation operations, but rather how effectively they have mastered the necessary skills to manage the compromise between production and safety. Operational errors are not inherent in a person, although this is what conventional safety knowledge would have the aviation industry believe. Operational errors occur as a result of mismanaging or incorrectly assessing task and/or situational factors in a specific context and thus cause a failed compromise between production and safety goals.
1.1.3. The compromise between production and safety is a complex and delicate balance. Humans are generally very effective in applying the right mechanisms to successfully achieve this balance, hence the extraordinary safety record of aviation. Humans do, however, occasionally mismanage or incorrectly assess task and/or situational factors and fail in balancing the compromise, thus contributing to safety breakdowns. Successful compromises far outnumber failed ones; therefore, in order to understand human performance in context, the industry needs to systematically capture the mechanisms underlying successful compromises when operating at the limits of the system, rather than those that failed. It is suggested that understanding the human contribution to successes and failures in aviation can be better achieved by monitoring normal operations, rather than accidents and incidents. The Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) is the vehicle endorsed by ICAO to monitor normal operations.
1.1.4. The Line Operations Safety Audit Program describes the process by which all airline flight crewmembers are evaluated on professional standards. This section is designed to provide instructions, guidance, and regulatory requirements for evaluating flight crewmembers during these observations. As professionals, airline flight crewmembers are expected to exhibit the highest degree of airmanship, integrity, professionalism, proficiency, and safety. The flight crewmembers should be a master of the airplane, and demonstrate an ability to operate under complex circumstances throughout the range and scope of his/her duties. Additionally, the flight crewmember bears the final responsibility for the safe conduct of the flight. This standard, more than any other, distinguishes the flight crewmember as a professional. This mastery of complex problems, good judgment, situational awareness, crew resource management, and leadership skills is necessary to ensure that safety is never compromised. Flight Manual Part 1, the appropriate Aircraft Operating Manual, and the Line Operations Safety Audit Program provide the framework for ensuring standardized flight operations. However, when situations arise that are not specifically addressed by these manuals or FARs, the Flight Crew is expected to exercise professional judgment while maintaining safety of flight as the first priority. The Line Operations Safety Audit Program is the responsibility of the Manager of Flight Safety. Written comments and suggestions may be submitted via board mail to the Safety Department. All flight operations are subject to the Line Operations Safety Audit Program. The determination of whether a flight crewmember’s performance is acceptable is derived from the experience and judgment of the LOSA Observer. The LOSA Observer must evaluate carefully, consistently, and in accordance with the operating procedures outlined in the appropriate Aircraft Operating Manual.
Reactive strategies/ Accident investigation
1.2.1 The tool most often used in aviation to document and understand human performance and define remedial strategies is the investigation of accidents. However, in terms of human performance, accidents yield data that are mostly about actions and decisions that failed to achieve the successful compromise between production and safety discussed earlier in this chapter.
1.2.2 There are limitations to the lessons learned from accidents that might be applied to remedial strategies vis-a-vis human performance. For example, it might be possible to identify generic accident-inducing scenarios such as Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), Rejected Takeoff (RTO), runway incursions and approach-and-landing accidents. In addition, it might be possible to identify the type and frequency of external manifestations of errors in these generic accident-inducing scenarios or discover specific training deficiencies that are particularly related to identified errors. This, however, provides only a tip-of-the-iceberg perspective. Accident investigation, by definition, concentrates on failures, and in following the rationale advocated by LOSA, it is necessary to better understand the success stories to see if they can be incorporated as part of remedial strategies.
1.2.3 This is not to say that there is no clear role for accident investigation within the safety process. Accident investigation remains the vehicle to uncover unanticipated failures in technology or bizarre events, rare as they may be. Accident investigation also provides a framework. If only normal operations were monitored, defining unsafe behaviors would be a task without a frame of reference. Therefore, properly focused accident investigation can reveal how specific behaviors can combine with specific circumstances to generate unstable and likely catastrophic scenarios. This requires a contemporary approach to the investigation. Should accident investigation be restricted to the retrospective analyses discussed earlier, its contribution in terms of human error would be to increase existing industry databases, but its usefulness in regard to safety would be dubious. In addition, the information could possibly provide the foundations for legal action and the allocation of blame and punishment.
Combined reactive/proactive strategies
1.2.4 A tool that the aviation industry has increasingly used to obtain information on operational human performance is incident reporting. Incidents tell a more complete story about system safety than accidents do because they signal weaknesses within the overall system before the system breaks down. In addition, it is accepted that incidents are precursors of accidents and that N-number of incidents of one kind takes place before an accident of the same kind eventually occurs. The basis for this can be traced back almost 30 years to research on accidents from different industries, and there is ample practical evidence that supports this research. There are, nevertheless, limitations of the value of the information on operational human performance obtained from incident reporting.
1.2.5 First, reports of incidents are submitted in the jargon of aviation and, therefore, capture only the external manifestations of errors (for example, misunderstood a frequency, busted an altitude, and misinterpreted a clearance). Furthermore, incidents are reported by the individuals involved, and because of biases, the reported processes or mechanisms underlying errors may or may not reflect reality, this means that incident-reporting systems take human error at face value, and, therefore, analysts are left with two tasks. First, they must examine the reported processes or mechanisms leading up to the errors and establish whether such processes or mechanisms did indeed underlie the manifested errors. Then, based on this relatively weak basis, they must evaluate whether the error management techniques reportedly used by operational personnel did indeed prevent the escalation of errors into a system breakdown.
1.2.6 Second, and most important, incident reporting is vulnerable to what has been called normalization of deviance. Over time, operational personnel develop informal and spontaneous group practices and shortcuts to circumvent deficiencies in equipment design, clumsy procedures or policies that are incompatible with the realities of daily operations, all of which complicate operational tasks. These informal practices are the product of the collective expertise and hands-on expertise of a group, and they eventually become normal practices. This does not, however, negate the fact that they are deviations from procedures that are established and sanctioned by the organization, hence the term normalization of deviance. In most cases, normalized deviance is effective, at least temporarily. However, it runs counter to the practices upon which system operation is predicated. In this sense, like any shortcut to standard procedures, normalized deviance carries the potential for unanticipated downsides that might unexpectedly trigger unsafe situations. However, since they are “normal, it stands to reason that neither these practices nor their downsides will be recorded in incident reports.
1.2.7 Normalized deviance is further compounded by the fact that even the most willing reporters may not be able to fully appreciate what are indeed reportable events. If operational personnel are continuously exposed to substandard managerial practices, poor working conditions, and or flawed equipment, how could they recognize such factors as reportable problems?
1.2.8 Thus, incident reporting cannot completely reveal the human contribution to successes or failures in aviation and how remedial strategies can be improved to enhance human performance. Incident reporting systems are certainly better than accident investigations in understanding system performance, but the real challenge lies in taking the next step understanding the processes underlying human error rather than taking errors at face value. It is essential to move beyond the visible manifestations of error when designing remedial strategies. If the any airline is to be successful in modifying system and individual performance, errors must be considered as symptoms that suggest where to look further. In order to understand the mechanisms underlying errors in operational environments, flaws in system performance captured through incident reporting should be considered as symptoms of mismatches at deeper layers of the system. These mismatches might be deficiencies in training systems, flawed person technology interfaces, poorly designed procedures, corporate pressures, poor safety culture, etc. The value of the data generated by incident reporting systems lies in the early warning about areas of concern, but such data do not capture the concerns themselves.
1.2.9 The observation of training behaviors (during flightcrew simulator training, for example) is another tool that is highly valued by the aviation industry to understand operational human performance. However, the production component of operational decision making does not exist under training conditions. While operational behaviors during line operations are a compromise between production and safety objectives, training behaviors are absolutely biased towards safety. In simpler terms, the compromise between production and safety is not a factor in decision making during training. Training behaviors are by the book.
1.2.10 Therefore, behaviors under monitored conditions, such as during training or line checks, may provide an approximation to the way operational personnel behave when unmonitored. These observations may contribute to flesh out major operational questions such as significant procedural problems. However, it would be incorrect and perhaps risky to assume that observing personnel during training would provide the key to understanding human error and decision making in unmonitored operational contexts.
1.2.11 Surveys completed by operational personnel can also provide important diagnostic information about daily operations and, therefore, human error. Surveys provide an inexpensive mechanism to obtain significant information regarding many aspects of the organization, including the perceptions and opinions of operational personnel: the relevance of training to line operations, the level of teamwork and cooperation among various employee groups, problem areas or bottlenecks in daily operations, and eventual areas of dissatisfaction. Surveys can also probe the safety culture. For example, do personnel know the proper channels for reporting safety concerns and are they confident that the organization will act on expressed concerns? Finally, surveys can identify areas of dissent or confusion, for example, diversity in beliefs among particular groups from the same organization regarding the appropriate use of procedures or tools. On the minus side, surveys largely reflect perceptions. Surveys can be likened to incident reporting and are therefore subject to the shortcomings inherent to reporting systems in terms of understanding operational human performance and error.
Flight data recording
1.2.12 Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Quick Access Recorder (QAR) information from normal flights is also a valuable diagnostic tool. There are, however, some limitations about the data acquired through these systems. DFDR/QAR readouts provide information on the frequency of exceedences and the locations where they occur, but the readouts do not provide information on the human behaviors that were precursors of the events. While DFDR/QAR data track potential systemic problems, pilot reports are still necessary to provide the context within which the problems can be fully diagnosed.
1.2.13 Nevertheless, DFDR/QAR data hold high cost/efficiency ratio potential. Although probably underutilized because of cost considerations as well as cultural and legal reasons, DFDR/QAR data can assist in identifying operational contexts within which migration of behaviors towards the limits of the system takes place.
Normal line operations monitoring
1.2.14 The approach proposed in this manual to identify the successful human performance mechanisms that contribute to aviation safety and, therefore, to the design of countermeasures against human error focuses on the monitoring of normal line operations.
1.2.15 Any typical routine flight – a normal process – involves inevitable, yet mostly inconsequential errors (selecting wrong frequencies, dialing wrong altitudes, acknowledging incorrect read-backs, mishandling switches and levers, etc.) Some errors are due to flaws in human performance while others are fostered by systemic shortcomings; most are a combination of both. The majority of these errors have no negative consequences because operational personnel employ successful coping strategies and system defenses act as containment nets. In order to design remedial strategies, the aviation industry must learn about these successful strategies and defenses, rather than continue to focus on failures, as it has historically done.
1.2.16 A medical analogy may be helpful in illustrating the rationale behind LOSA. Human error could be compared to a fever: an indication of an illness but not its cause. It marks the beginning rather than the end of the diagnostic process. Periodic monitoring of routine flights is therefore like periodic physical: proactively checking health status in an attempt to avoid getting sick. Periodic monitoring of routine flights indirectly involves measurement of all aspects of the system, allowing identification of areas of strength and areas of potential risk. On the other hand, incident investigation is like going to the doctor to fix symptoms of problems; possibly serious, possibly not. For example, a broken bone sends a person to the doctor; the doctor sets the bone but may not consider the root cause(s): weak bones, poor diet, high-risk lifestyle, etc. Therefore, setting the bone is no guarantee that the person will not turn up again the following month with another symptom of the same root cause. Lastly, accident investigation is like a postmortem: the examination made after death to determine its cause. The autopsy reveals the nature of a particular pathology but does not provide an indication of the prevalence of the precipitating circumstances. Unfortunately, many accident investigations also look for a primary cause, most often pilot error, and fail to examine organizational and system factors that set the stage for the breakdown. Accident investigations are autopsies of the system, conducted after the point of no return of the system’s health has been passed.
1.2.17 There is emerging consensus within the aviation industry about the need to adopt a positive stance and anticipate, rather than regret, the negative consequences of human error in system safety. This is a sensible objective. The way to achieve it is by pursuing innovative approaches rather than updating or optimizing methods from the past. After more than 50 years of investigating failures and monitoring accident statistics, the relentless prevalence of human error in aviation safety would seem to indicate a somewhat misplaced emphasis in regard to safety, human performance and human error; unless it is believed that the human condition is beyond hope.
1.3 A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO
OPERATIONAL HUMAN PERFORMANCE AND ERROR
1.3.1. The implementation of normal operations monitoring requires an adjustment on prevailing views of human error. In the past, safety analyses in aviation have viewed human error as an undesirable and wrongful manifestation of human behavior. More recently, a considerable amount of operationally oriented research, based on cognitive psychology, has provided a very different perspective on operational errors. This research has proven, in practical terms, a fundamental concept of cognitive psychology: error is a normal component of human behavior. Regardless of the quantity and quality of regulations the industry might promulgate, the technology it might design, or the training people might receive, error will continue to be a factor in operational environments because it simply is the downside of human cognition. Error is the inevitable downside of human intelligence; it is the price human beings pay for being able to think on our feet. Practically speaking, making errors is a conservation mechanism afforded by human cognition to allow humans the flexibility to operate under demanding conditions for prolonged periods without draining their mental batteries.
1.3.2. There is nothing inherently wrong or troublesome with error itself as a manifestation of human behavior. The trouble with error in aviation is the fact that negative consequences may be generated in operational contexts. This is a fundamental point in aviation: if the negative consequences of an error are caught before they produce damage, then the error is inconsequential. In operational contexts, errors that are caught in time do not produce negative consequences and therefore, for practical purposes, do not exist. Countermeasures to error, including training interventions, should not be restricted to avoiding errors, but rather to making them visible and trapping those before they produce negative consequences. This is the essence of error management: human error is unavoidable but manageable.
1.3.3. Error management is at the heart of LOSA and reflects the previous argument. Under LOSA, flaws in human performance and the ubiquity of error are taken for granted and, rather than attempting to improve human performance, the objective becomes to improve the context within which humans perform. LOSA ultimately aims through changes in design, certification, training, procedures, management and investigation – at defining operational contexts, including buffer zones or time delays between the commission of errors and the point in which error consequences become a threat to safety. The buffer zone or time delay allows for recovery from the consequences of errors. The more resistant the buffer or the longer the time delay, the stronger the intrinsic resistance and tolerance of the operational context to the negative consequences of human error. Operational contexts should be designed in such a way that allows front-line operators second chances to recover from the consequences of errors.
1.3.4. In making an analogy with flight instruments, human performance can be considered as falling into three bands: a green band, a yellow band, and a red band. Within the green band, the operational context demands are low. Task and situational factors are compatible with cognitive resources, operational personnel make the fewest errors and, as indicated by the high recovery rate, the operational personnel have ample cognitive resources in reserve to recover from the negative consequences of errors. Task and situational factors put human performance into the yellow band when the operational context demands increase and become more complex and, consequently, errors increase in number and the recovery rate decreases. As operational context demands continue to increase and eventually peak, task and situational factors force human performance into the red band. In this band, the number of errors sharply jumps and the recovery rate dips to a point at which cognitive control is lost. At this point, cognitive resources are no longer available to cope with the situation at hand; the mental batteries are totally depleted.
1.3.5. This classification of human performance into bands is beneficial to organizations to apply the LOSA data. As an example, the term coffin corner is used to describe the point in the operational envelope of an aircraft at which the (low) stall speed and the (high) buffet speed are the same and the aircraft exhibits bizarre behavior and eventually goes out of control. Weight-verses-altitude-and-speed capability charts and other tools provide flightcrews with the necessary information to avoid operating aircraft in this condition and, therefore, to stay within a safe operating envelope. LOSA generates the information necessary for organizations to define the green band of safe operations in the human performance envelope, thus avoiding taking operational human performance into the coffin corner of cognition.
1.4 THE ROLE OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
1.4.1. In order to understand how an organization can effectively implement approaches to error management, it is essential to examine the organization’s daily processes, the kind of corporate culture such processes generate, and the organization’s attitudes toward error and punishment. This will make it possible to assess the effectiveness of the controls that the organization has in place to ensure that its processes foster the green band of operational human performance. It is good to remember the following points: humans do not live in a vacuum so their behaviors are affected by many external factors; corporate culture is an organizational mandate that conditions operational personnel decision making; and humans exhibit the kinds of behaviors an organization fosters and which they therefore assume the organization expects of them.
1.4.2. In closing this section, it is important to clearly point out the distinction between errors – which are products of human limitations, and violations – which have a motivational component. While errors should be considered as the inevitable downside of human intelligence and flexibility and the aviation industry must learn to live with it, violations should be considered from a different perspective. Violations are an emerging topic of research, and in due time, the aviation industry might need to change prevailing attitudes towards them. However, for the purposes of this manual, violations should not be condoned.
1.5.1. There is no denying that monitoring normal operations on a routine basis poses major challenges. Significant progress has been achieved in tackling some of these challenges. From a methodological point of view, some of the early problems in defining, classifying and standardizing the data obtained have been solved with this program revision. From an organizational perspective, there is a need to consider using multiple data collection tools, including line observations, surveys, self-reports such as ASAP Reports, and more refined safety incident reporting and Flight Data Analysis systems such as FOQA. Each tool can provide its own unique part of the whole picture and, taken as a whole, provide any airline with a comprehensive look at their actual operations.
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Following the passive aggressive flex comes the sheepish flex. So today at work while closing out an issue with a coworker, the Angry Asian Girl walked by trying not to be noticed. Why? Because she was rocking these today! These being the Nike Air Force 1 07 Limited Edition that’s decorated with Japanese cherry blossoms […]
Tag Archives | air force
The end of 2010 brought up a totally unexpected social media opportunity – to watch the arrival of Air Force One and its primary passenger, President Barack Obama. President Obama and the First Family have been making it their Holiday tradition to vacation in Hawaii, but never would I have thought that I would be […]
To witness a moment in history is why I found myself staring at the sky near the end of a runway at Hickam Air Force Base. A group of social media, traditional media, and crew members from PACAF and the Hawaii Air National Guard were all gathered to say one final aloha and mahalo to […]
I knew the F-15 Eagles would be moving fast during takeoff, but they were WAY fast. Check out my movie fail while recording the takeoff. Yes, it’s blurry, and I couldn’t even pan the camera fast enough to keep up with the jet. FAIL!!
Just the pictures from today’s farewell ceremony for Hawaii’s last F-15 Eagles fighter jets. Blog post coming later…
Fighter jet pilots? I only know of them from the movies. Maverick, Ice Man, Goose, Jester, Merlin, Viper – the all stars from Top Gun is my sole exposure to the world of fighter jet pilots, but thanks to Pacific Air Forces and the Hawaii Air National Guard, I got to meet real-life fighter pilots […]
On the heels of touring the USNS Mercy,Â attending the opening of the RIMPAC 2010 exercise then enraptured by the arrival of Hawaii’s first F-22 Raptors, I had the fortune of flying on a C-17 Globemaster as it performed a simulated airdrop over the Big Island. During these events, my style is to observe and […]
A panorama of inside a C-17.
Four F-16 jets perform an intercept.
From the cockpit of a C-17
Check out this view!


|Poehalii by Boris Missirkov & Georgi Bogdanov (BG)
Video, 3 Minutes 55 Seconds, 2011
Poehali! (Let's go!) was the phrase uttered by Yuri Gagarin during the launch of his Vostok 1 spaceship on April 12, 1961.
For us, born in the early 70’s, space flight was an everyday topic of childhood games and conversations. It was an integral part of the Socialist propaganda as well, offering a dream that was worth devoting your life to – and was actually feasible, if you try really hard. Then the Star Wars trilogy came out, revealing new and exciting perspectives of a future life in space. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, space programs everywhere gradually slowed down the pace and lost a great deal of the public interest. And now, you don’t necessarily have to spend a lifetime achieving your dream – some cash is just enough to send you up there as a space tourist.
Fifty years after the flight of Gagarin we asked our friends to collect all sorts of cosmic memorabilia they had – toys, hand-made scale models, autographed photos of our astronauts, Star Wars figurines – and set them on their own last flight in space. Most probably, marking the end of the space flight dreams – for our generation, at least.