FAA proposes to raise Airline Pilot qualification standards

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today proposed to substantially raise the qualification requirements for first officers who fly for U.S. passenger and cargo airlines. Consistent with a mandate in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, the proposed rule would require first officers – also known as co-pilots – to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, requiring 1,500 hours of pilot flight time. Currently, first officers are required to have only a commercial pilot certificate, which requires 250 hours of flight time. The proposal also would require first officers to have an aircraft type rating, which involves additional training and testing specific to the airplanes they fly.

Other highlights of the proposed rule include:

· A requirement for a pilot to have a minimum of 1,000 flight hours as a pilot in air carrier operations that require an ATP prior to serving as a captain for a U.S. airline.

· Enhanced training requirements for an ATP certificate, including 50 hours of multi-engine flight experience and completion of a new FAA-approved training program.

· An allowance for pilots with fewer than 1,500 hours of flight time, but who have an aviation degree or military pilot experience, to obtain a “restricted privileges” ATP certificate. These pilots could serve only as a first officer, not as a captain. Former military pilots with 750 hours of flight time would be able to apply for an ATP certificate with restricted privileges. Graduates of a four-year baccalaureate aviation degree program would be able to obtain an ATP with 1,000 hours of flight time, only if they also obtained a commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating from a pilot school affiliated with the university or college.

The proposal addresses recommendations from an Aviation Rulemaking Committee, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the FAA’s Call to Action to improve airline safety.

Air traffic in US hits a ten year low

U.S. airlines in 2011 operated the fewest number of flights since the hijack attacks on New York and Washington depressed air travel and accelerated the industry's worst-ever financial downturn, government figures on Tuesday showed. The Transportation Department said major airlines, their chief low-cost competitors and the biggest regional carriers, recorded 6.08 million departures last year. Takeoffs were not that low since 2002, when they totaled 5.27 million.

Reduced operations and good summer weather, especially in the East, helped airlines post a 79 percent on-time rating in 2011, unchanged from the previous two years.The overall number of flights by U.S. airlines have steadily declined since 2008 when the recession dampened travel demand. Most recently, stubbornly high fuel prices have prompted airlines to further cut capacity to reduce costs and maintain higher fares.

The industry operating figures were released as President Barack Obama signed into law $63 billion legislation authorizing guaranteed funding of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through 2015. The FAA oversees U.S. air traffic operations at more than 400 airports. The measure approved by Congress last week also includes funding for the next steps in transforming the air traffic network from a radar-based system to one relying on satellites. Proponents say the change will allow for more flights, better routing and fewer delays.

FAA approves IPAD's in cockpit

Apple's iPad has won approval from US regulators to display navigational charts for some charter pilots, a step that may see the end of paper maps in the cockpit. With the Federal Aviation Administration endorsing iPads in a test project at Executive Jet Management, a unit of Warren Buffett's NetJets, the way is open for others to seek authorisation for, said Les Dorr, an agency spokesman.

IPad use by professional pilots would support Apple's goal of winning more business buyers. The company's total corporate sales may rise 51 per cent to $11.3 billion (Dh41.50b) in 2011, said Brian Marshall, a Gleacher and Co analyst in San Francisco. Revenue was $76.3 billion last year. "This is mission-critical computing," said Marshall, who has a "buy" rating on Apple. "For them to win this type of approval speaks volumes about the level of sophistication of what can be accomplished with the iPad."

Charts showing data such as airports and radio frequencies for a state or region have been staples of US flying since the 1930s. But so-called electronic flight bags, computers configured for aviation use, began winning FAA approval for use at airlines in the last decade, superseding paper charts. A unit from Milwaukee-based Astronautics Corporation of America weighs 8.2 kilograms, 12 times as much as the iPad.

Apple's tablet wasn't cleared as a navigation device in a professional cockpit until FAA's February 1 approval to Executive Jet. While the decision only covers Executive Jet, commercial carriers now have a citable case for iPad use, according to Jeppesen, the Boeing map and accessory business that designed the application used.

Pilots at Alaska Air Group's Alaska Airlines, which uses only paper charts in its 116 aircraft, are testing iPads for some functions, said Marianne Lindsey, a spokeswoman. AMR's American Airlines and American Eagle rely on paper charts in its 900-plane fleet, said Ed Martelle, a spokesman. Delta Air Lines, the world's second-largest carrier, is still paper driven, according to Gina Laughlin, a spokeswoman. Delta is pursuing approval to test iPads and other tablet devices next quarter, Laughlin added.

"Many air carriers have been using electronic flight bags for years, but they've been carrying the paper with them as well," said Alison Duquette, an FAA spokeswoman. The iPad's touch-screen and illumination display could be an advantage over folded paper in finding information such as an emergency-landing site, said John Cox, a former US Airways pilot who is now chief executive officer of consultant Safety Operating Systems LLC in Washington. "It's easier to sort through the charts that you need."

FAA & JetBlue to bring NextGen precision to the East coast

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today that the FAA and JetBlue have signed a NextGen agreement that will allow the airline to fly more precise, satellite-based flights from Boston and New York to Florida and the Caribbean beginning in 2012.

NextGen is the transformation of the U.S. national airspace system from a ground-based system of air traffic control to one based on satellites, which will enhance safety and reduce aviation congestion. Today’s NextGen announcement follows President Obama’s State of the Union Address last week, in which he stressed the importance of targeted investments to foster American innovation that will make our nation more competitive globally and strengthen our economy here at home.

“In his State of the Union address, President Obama called for targeted investments that harness American innovation to strengthen our nation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “NextGen is a critical investment in the future of our transportation system, one that uses the latest technology to transform our airspace to make aviation safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly.”

Under the agreement, as many as 35 of JetBlue’s A320 aircraft will be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) avionics over the next two years, enabling them to fly in two major routes off the East Coast even if traditional radar coverage is not available. The improved accuracy, integrity and reliability of aircraft surveillance under ADS-B will allow JetBlue to take advantage of these routes at all times since the satellite-based system tracks the precise position of aircraft.

The agreement will also allow JetBlue to fly a new route to the Caribbean, and could lead to the development of two new, shorter ADS-B-only routes to the Caribbean from Boston, New York and Washington. The FAA will collect valuable NextGen data by observing and conducting real-time operational evaluations of ADS-B on revenue flights.

“NextGen will help improve the travel experience for passengers and give airlines more flexibility to find the most efficient way to reach their destinations,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “This agreement will allow us to collect important data to further demonstrate the benefits of NextGen.”

“As the youngest major airline in the United States, with a majority of our operations in the Northeast – arguably the most congested airspace in the world – JetBlue enthusiastically joins the FAA in this effort to begin rebuilding the skyways,” said JetBlue Airways CEO Dave Barger. “Our investment today will yield dividends far into the future, not just for JetBlue but for all airlines. Our customers and crewmembers deserve our best efforts.”

The FAA has agreed to pay $4.2 million for the ADS-B avionics. JetBlue will provide flight operations, pilots, and aircraft maintenance and will pay for the cost of aircraft downtime while the ADS-B avionics are installed. JetBlue will also fund the necessary training for dispatchers and flight crews, including simulator time. The airline will demonstrate the cost savings of ADS-B technology and potentially equip the rest of its A320 fleet at its own expense with ADS-B avionics.

Plane Crash caught on FAA weather cam

A small plane crashed in the snowy Southwest Alaska village of Kipnuk on Thursday and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) weather cam caught the whole incident.  There were five people aboard the Era Aviation Cessna 206 when it ran out of runway and hit a snow bank in the village's small airport.
No one was injured, although passengers including a woman with an infant were driven to a clinic on snow machines to get checked out.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator Josh Cawthra says this is the first time he's seen a crash captured on weather cam images.

Passengers might fly supersonic very soon

Supersonic passenger travel was grounded in 2003 when British Airways and Air France cancelled their transatlantic Concorde service because of falling revenues and rising maintenance costs. The Aerion Supersonic Business Jet (SBJ) promises to help travelers break the sound barrier again. Named after a fleet-of-foot horse in Greek mythology, the Aerion SBJ will be able to carry a dozen passengers at speeds of up to Mach 1.5 for more than 4,000 miles. It is currently undergoing proof-of-concept aerodynamic testing of critical components in NASA wind tunnels and under the belly of a NASA F-15 supersonic jet. This Aerion SBJ will make it possible to fly from Paris to New York in four hours and 14 minutes, saving three hours off the trip compared to conventional jets.
And even in the United States, where supersonic flight is banned because of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sonic boom restrictions, the SBJ will be able to fly at a high subsonic speed of Mach 0.98 because of its unique, patented wing design, reducing coast-to-coast travel by 41 minutes vs. conventional aircraft.
Design breakthrough
The Aerion SBJ's wing represents a breakthrough in supersonic design and is the key to why the SBJ will be able to avoid the fate of the Concorde. Drag - the resistance caused by air as an airplane flies though it - is the enemy of speed and the enemy of economical operation. The Aerion SBJ's magic sauce is the use of supersonic natural laminar flow (SNLF) technology in the design of the wing. SNLF reduces drag.
Aerion's design completes a virtuous circle - it satisfies environmental regulations while providing economical operation and high performance.  Fastest aircraft are in museums
The passenger jet has been in the performance doldrums for nearly half a century. The first Boeing passenger jet, the four-engine B-707 introduced in the late '50s had a design speed of Mach 0.83. Today's state-of-the art commercial passenger jets such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus 380 and business jets such the Gulfstream are basically still in the same Mach range because of their wing design, Aerion wants to change that.

The company hopes to have its new generation aircraft certified by the FAA and in the air by 2015. In spite of the worldwide recession that has toiled the entire aviation industry, Aerion has received 50 deposits of $250,000 for the $80 million for SBJ. The company is actively discussing development of the aircraft with a number of potential OEM (original equipment manufacturer) partners and hopes to have a deal in place by the end of the year. Aerion also sees a supersonic future that involves larger commercial passenger jets.

FAA orders airlines to inspect wind shield on wide body boeing

After a cockpit fire forced a United Airlines Boeing 757 to make an emergency landing in May at Dulles International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to either inspect or replace windows in their Boeing airplanes.
The agency issued an airworthiness directive Friday telling airlines to inspect the front-facing windows in their Boeing widebodies, their 747s, 757s and 767s. The problem is with improperly tightened screws in the heating elements that keep the windows from heating up.
There have been 11 cockpit fires related to the problem in 20 years.
The FAA hasn't exactly moved swiftly on this issue. In its press release it says that it first proposed the airworthiness directive more than two years ago.

Pilots - Licensed to kill

A good old instructor of mine used to say "Got your Commercial? here you go you are now licensed to kill" with some laughter. Bumped into a couple of youngsters last week, more than a year since they had their Com, still job hunting. Learn't that these guys where due for a renewal and preparing to do it. As i got involved in a conversation with the two guys the first topic of conversation started revolving around the job hunt and stuff which is quite understandable, as seconds passed by i started observing how ignorant or should i say illiterate where the two guys. The way they spoke, trying to give me an impression that they where the Gods of aviation and there was nothing they did not know. They never gave it a thought i believe before they spoke about anything. But what ever they spoke regarding aviation was utter rubbish. I believe these guys listen to people talking about something and grasp the wrong meaning of it or read something and interpret it wrong, if am not wrong then i suspect these guys are potential killers of their passengers regardless of what they fly. 
This was the best which i can quote here, the conversation some how tilted towards the FAA and their way of flying in the USA. One of the dude said that the reason for that was USA is not a member of ICAO. Initially i was surprised and had to check it on the internet that the dude was wrong. Then had to check in the internet and understood that the guys where just showing off.

Did they do this intentionally to get the upper hand on the conversation or were they so ignorant?

ANA pilots test fly the B787

Two of the senior All Nippon Airways (ANA) pilots flew the B787 Dreamliner on Wednesday. The flight happened over the Washington state airspace. Boeing had obtained a special airworthiness certificate from FAA to conduct the flight. The two ANA pilots were B777 rated. Boeing's test pilot for B787 showed the difference in cockpit layout between the B787 and B777 for the pilots. ANA has ordered for 50 B787's of which their first aircraft is expected to be delivered in late 2010. The two ANA pilots had performed different sorts of landing and take off and had a good feel of the aircraft, the flight lasted for 2 hours and 40 minutes.  

Southwest jet and a Copter on collision path in Houston

A Southwest jet that just took off from the Houston airport had almost collided with a helicopter. The jet which just took off was at 100 feet AGL when the pilot spotted a helicopter on collision path. Both the pilot's had to take evasive action to avoid a crash. The Southwest jet's pilot eased back on the power and slowed down the rate of climb and the helicopter pilot had to bank very steeply to stay away from flight path of the jet. The jet and the helicopter missed each other by 100 feet vertical and 125 feet lateral distance. FAA has probed an investigation.

Next Generation - CAROPLANE!

Wouldn't it be amazing and great if you could have a car which can fly as well!
No need to wait for a friend of yours to come and pick at the airport, no traffic delays.
Terrafugia has completed the flight test of the caroplane, land at an airport and just fold your wings and drive home, awesome isn't it? It requires the Pilot/Driver to have a special license to operate it.

Range - 725 Kilometers at 185 KMPH max both on air and road.

For now it can be operated only under VFR. Terrafugia is expected to do a flight test under IFR, so that it can be operated under IF conditions as well.

Mid Air collision averted - KSFO

Looks like the National Transportation Safety Board have already started their investigation for the near mid air collision at San Fransisco.
It was reported that a United Airlines flight 889 was departing to Beijing, China. It was a Boeing 777 carrying 251 passengers, scheduled to depart 11h15m. As it got its departure clearance and got airborne, the pilot quickly spotted a light aircraft reported as Cessna 182 was on the jumbo's flight path.
According to United Airlines spokes person, the C182 pilot was cautioned about the jumbo on its flight path. But there was no action taken by the Cessna pilot to divert from the jumbos' flight path.
United Airlines flight 889 pilot had to maneuver to avoid a mid air collision. How ever the flight continued to China with out any Incident.

World War II plane crash site spotted

A world war II US Navy plane has been spotted in the woods along the Oragon coast.
The tail section, a wing and the landing gear where the debris spotted scattered over 200 yards.
It seems the area has been preserved untill the investigators can come to a conclusion, no signs of explosives that could have resulted to the fatal. The aircraft has been identified as a Dash five.

Curtains' for American Airlines?

Japan Airlines Corp (JAL) is likely to choose Delta Airlines as its overseas partner, ending its ties with American Airlines and the Oneworld alliance. JAL Asia's largest airlines by revenue has denied this it seems.

"We are still in discussions with JAL and we continue to maintain that American Airlines' offer is superior to that of any other rival," said Carlo Niederberger, a public relations official representing American Airlines in Japan.

Looks like the Delta spokeswoman denied to comment on this issue.

If JAL prefers Delta over American, this is adding salt to the wound for the crippled airliner.