Flight Safety Information - August 20, 2024 No. 166 In This Issue : Incident: American B773 at Sao Paulo on Aug 16th 2024, could not fully retract gear : Incident: Transat A332 near Athens on Aug 13th 2024, autoflight failures : Accident: NORRA AT72 at Gothenburg on Aug 10th 2024, hard landing and tail strike : FAA to inspect Boeing 787 planes after mid-air dive, as 777X tests put on hold after structural damage found : Boeing Halts 777-9 Certification Tests For Engine Mount Checks : FAA Issues New Directive For Boeing 787s Following Multiple Reports Of Pilot Seat Issues : Boeing has new problems with 2 different planes : Flights cancelled in Japan after scissors go missing : Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are one big step closer to merging : Lufthansa is using artificial sharkskin to streamline airplanes : New Atlas Air academy creates direct pathway for hiring young pilots : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY : Calendar of Events Incident: American B773 at Sao Paulo on Aug 16th 2024, could not fully retract gear An American Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration N725AN performing flight AA-930 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to Miami,FL (USA), was climbing out of Guarulhos' runway 09L when the crew stopped the climb at FL160 due to problems with the landing gear and decided to return to Sao Paulo. The aircraft entered a hold and landed safely back on Guarulhos' runway 09L about 65 minutes after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 28 hours, then departed again and reached Miami with a delay of about 30 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=51c9ee83&opt=0 Incident: Transat A332 near Athens on Aug 13th 2024, autoflight failures An Air Transat Airbus A330-200, registration C-GTSJ performing flight TS-691 from Athens (Greece) to Montreal,QC (Canada) with 326 people on board, was enroute at FL320 about 170nm northwest of Athens when the crew received "AUTO FLT FM 1+2" fault messages on ECAM, declared PAN PAN and decided to return to Athens in manual control (hand control and no auto-thrust). The aircraft landed overweight but safety on Athens' runway 03L about 70 minutes after departure. The Canadian TSB reported emergency services checked the brakes, then the aircraft taxied to the apron under its own power. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 25 hours, then departed again and reached Montreal with a delay of about 27 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=51c9cb37&opt=0 Accident: NORRA AT72 at Gothenburg on Aug 10th 2024, hard landing and tail strike A NORRA Nordic Regional Airlines Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A on behalf of Finnair, registration OH-ATK performing flight AY-865 from Helsinki (Finland) to Gothenburg (Sweden), landed on Gothenburg's runway 21 at 18:21L (16:21Z) but touched down hard, bounced and touched down a second time with the tail contacting the runway surface. The aircraft taxied to the apron. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, was unable to continue its schedule and remained on the ground in Gothenburg until Aug 16th 2024, then positioned to Helsinki not climbing above FL100 and is still on the ground in Helsinki since (for 3 days). On Aug 16th 2024 the Finnish Onnettomuustutkintakeskus reported, that they are aware of the occurrence, however, as this happened in Sweden, the Swedish Accident Board is going to investigate. The Finnish AIB has not yet received an invitation to participate in such an investigation. On Aug 19th 2024 the Swedish SHK reported that they have NOT been informed about the occurrence, based on the inquiry by the AVH they have spoken to the operator and reviewed photographs, rated the occurrence an incident and are not going to investigate (the AVH is going to follow up on that reply). https://avherald.com/h?article=51c7a092&opt=0 FAA to inspect Boeing 787 planes after mid-air dive, as 777X tests put on hold after structural damage found The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it would require inspections of Boeing (BA) 787 Dreamliners following an incident in March when a LATAM Airlines plane went into a sudden mid-air dive that injured more than 50 passengers. The FAA said the apparent reason for the dive was the uncommanded movement of the captain's seat, which caused the auto-pilot to disconnect. The agency said it had received a total of five reports of similar problems with the captain and first officer seats on 787s, the most recent in June, and two remain under investigation. The FAA's airworthiness directive impacts 158 US-registered airplanes and 737 airplanes worldwide and requires airlines to inspect the captain’s and first officer’s seats on 787-7, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes for missing or cracked rocker switch caps or for cracked switch cover assemblies within 30 days. Airlines must perform any necessary corrective actions if issues are found. The FAA said uncommanded horizontal movement of an occupied seat could result in a rapid descent of the airplane and serious injury to passengers and crew. Boeing and LATAM Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Separately, Boeing said Monday it had halted test flights on its 777-9 that is awaiting certification after a component between the engine and airplane structure was identified as failing to perform during a maintenance check. The FAA said Boeing had informed it the company discovered a damaged component following a 777-9 flight test last week. Boeing in July began certification flight testing of its long-delayed 777-9 with FAA regulators onboard after receiving Type Inspection Authorization. Boeing added "no near-term flight tests were planned on the other flight test airplanes" and said the part is custom to the 777-9. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/us-faa-adopts-safety-directive-204442367.html Boeing Halts 777-9 Certification Tests For Engine Mount Checks Boeing says it has halted certification flight testing of the 777-9 following the failure of a thrust link mounting component attached to one of the two GE Aerospace GE9X engines powering a test aircraft. The discovery was made during post-flight inspections of the third test aircraft, WH003, following its return to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, from a 5 hr. 31 min. certification test flight over the Pacific. Boeing says “during scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed. Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready. “ The failure of the component, which was first reported by The Air Current, comes just as Boeing was accelerating into the first phase of 777-9 type inspection authorization (TIA), FAA-required testing for certification. Formal TIA tests began July 12 after a delay of almost three years and represent the last major milestone before anticipated FAA approval and initial deliveries—still currently scheduled for late 2025. There are two fail-safe thrust links on each engine for redundancy and are designed to transfer vertical and lateral mechanical stresses between the engine and the aircraft. The Boeing-designed thrust links attach to the fan frame and carry mechanical loads—as well as engine torque about the engine axis and thrust —to the aft engine mount at the rear. Company sources confirm the accuracy of reports that one of the links was severed, and that subsequent inspections on the other two active test aircraft, WH001 and WH002, have revealed cracks. Both of these aircraft are currently in lay-up undergoing scheduled maintenance at Boeing sites in Everett and Boeing Field, Seattle, respectively. “We are inspecting the flight test fleet for this condition. No near-term flight tests were planned on the other flight test airplanes, which have scheduled maintenance and layup activities. We are keeping the FAA fully informed on the issue and have shared information with our customers,” says the company. Although no further details of the issue have been made available pending completion of the investigation, a speed and altitude graph of WH003’s final flight before grounding shows several rapid accelerations and decelerations were conducted while flying at 38,000 ft. indicating testing that involved potentially rapid changes in thrust setting. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/boeing-halts-777-9-certification-tests-engine-mount-checks FAA Issues New Directive For Boeing 787s Following Multiple Reports Of Pilot Seat Issues Summary • FAA mandates inspection of Boeing 787 cockpit seats, affecting 158 US planes and 737 worldwide. • An issue related to the cockpit seat caused a sudden drop during a LATAM 787 flight earlier this year, injuring over 50 passengers. • Despite recent problems, the Boeing 787 remains popular for fuel efficiency and modern tech, with hundreds in service globally. • The Federal Aviation Administration has mandated an inspection of all Boeing 787 aircraft worldwide for switches responsible for the movement of the pilots’ seats in the cockpit. This relates to the LATAM Dreamliner incident in which the aircraft faced a sudden drop after the captain’s seat inadvertently moved forward. New directive Boeing 787 Dreamliner operators around the world have been asked by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to inspect the seats of the captain and first officer on all three 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 types for missing or cracked rocker switch caps or for cracked switch cover. Airlines operating these planes have been asked to complete inspections within 30 days and perform any required corrective actions. According to Reuters, the directive affects 158 planes in the United States and 737 planes worldwide. The LATAM 787 incident The latest FAA order is in response to the LATAM Airlines incident in March this year in which a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, registered CC-BGG, faced a terrifying sudden drop at cruising altitude. The plane was performing a 5th freedom flight between Sydney and Auckland, and the incident injured over 50 passengers, leaving many with severe injuries, with at least one person in critical condition. A preliminary report released by the authorities said that the captain’s seat moved forward , potentially causing the aircraft to suddenly lose altitude. The report confirmed that weather had no role in the incident, which occurred when the plane was flying at 41,000 feet. Reports also suggested that a flight attendant accidentally hit a switch on the pilot’s seat during meal service in the cockpit. This caused the seat to move forward and push the pilot into the controls, eventually causing the plane to drop into a nose-down position. Soon after the incident, Boeing issued an advisory for airlines to inspect the switches on their Boeing 787 Dreamliner cockpit seats during their next maintenance check on the airplanes. The FAA’s current directive is more urgent than that, requiring carriers to complete it within a month. Reuters states that the FAA has also received five reports from airlines related to the issue with the captain and first officer seats on 787s. The most recent of these came in June, and two of them are still being investigated by the agency. Popular aircraft Despite some of the problems faced by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner over the years, it remains one of the most popular long-haul widebody jetliners. As of June 2024, more than 390 examples of 787-8, 621 of 787-9, and 97 of 787-10 are currently in service worldwide. Airlines like the Dreamliners because they are made up of 50% lightweight composites, which improve their fuel efficiency and aerodynamics, giving them an advantage over previous-generation planes. Boeing says that the 787 uses more composite materials in its airframe and primary structure than any previous Boeing commercial airplane. This, together with other modern tech, helps make the plane popular with several airlines globally. https://simpleflying.com/faa-boeing-787-seat-problems-directive/ Boeing has new problems with 2 different planes The troubled plane maker had to pause 777X flight tests and faces a new FAA inspection of its 787 Dreamliners Aerospace giant Boeing is facing new complications with two of its planes, less than two weeks after its new chief executive took over the embattled company. Boeing (BA) paused test flights of its 777X fleet, its new flagship aircraft, after a routine inspection uncovered damage to a part that connects the engine to the plane’s body, the company said Monday. Several planes in the fleet showed similar cracks in the structure. “During scheduled maintenance, we identified a component that did not perform as designed,” a Boeing (BA) spokesperson said. “Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready.” There are currently 481 orders for the 777X, whose commercial rollout — originally slated for 2020 — has been pushed back until 2025, according to One Mile at a Time. Almost half of those orders are from Emirates, which placed a $52 billion order for the wide-body planes last year to replace its retiring Airbus (EADSY) A380s. Also on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered inspections into Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners, related to a March incident that injured 50 when a pilot unexpectedly slammed forward into the controls while piloting a LATAM Airlines flight. The airworthiness directive will require airlines to inspect the captains’ and first officers’ seats for missing or cracked rocker switch caps or for cracked switch cover assemblies on 787-7, 787-9, and 787-10 planes within 30 days. The inspection will affect 158 U.S.-registered aircraft and 737 planes worldwide. “We fully support the FAA’s Airworthiness Directive which makes mandatory a supplier’s guidance to 787 operators,” Boeing said in a statement. This isn’t the first major setback for the 787 this year. In April, the Virginia-based aircraft manufacturer projected a slower increase in production of its 787 Dreamliner planes due to supply shortages of a “a few key parts.” By the end of 2023, the airplane maker was producing 787 Dreamliners at a rate of five per month, the company said in its fourth-quarter earnings report in January. It hopes to double that figure by as early as next year, CFO Brian West said in a call with analysts. Quality problems brought the delivery of 787s to a grinding halt for more than a year. The company resumed its deliveries of the aircraft in mid-2022. Boeing’s 2024 has gone from bad to worse after a door plug blew out mid-flight on a 737 Max 9 plane in January. The aircraft maker was subsequently hit with a barrage of regulatory scrutiny and complaints from multiple whistleblowers over the safety of its planes. Its new CEO and industry veteran Kelly Ortberg, who stepped into the role Aug. 8, will be tasked with handling the onslaught of criticism and scrutiny that has continued to bog down the company financially and in reputation. Boeing’s stock fell more than 1% in pre-market trading Tuesday. Its shares are down roughly 30% so far this year amid the controversies. https://qz.com/boeing-ba-777x-787-dreamliner-faa-test-pause-1851626497 Flights cancelled in Japan after scissors go missing • New Chitose is one of Japan’s busiest airports Thirty six flights were cancelled and 201 delayed at a Japanese airport on the weekend after a pair of scissors went missing in a store near the boarding gates. Security checks at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport domestic terminal were suspended for about two hours on Saturday morning, leaving hundreds of travellers temporarily stranded. There were huge bottlenecks and queues as passengers in the departure lounge were forced to retake security checks. Authorities tried to locate the missing scissors, which were found at the same store the following day. Although the scissors weren’t located on Saturday, the day they went missing, security checks and flights eventually resumed that day. Hokkaido Airport, the operator of New Chitose airport, announced on Monday that the scissors had been found by a worker at the store on Sunday. Authorities explained that they held off on making the announcement until they had confirmed that the scissors were the same as the ones that were lost. Many travellers affected by the cancellations and delays were flying home after Japan’s annual Bon holiday. “I don't think we have any choice (but to wait),” one traveller told local media at the time. “But I do hope they are bit more careful about it.” Another traveller said there were “So many things to worry about these days… it never ends. And I don't feel safe until I get home.” The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked Hokkaido Airports to investigate the cause and prevent it from happening again. "We recognise that this occurred as a result of insufficient storage and management systems at the store,” Hokkaido Airport said. “We are aware that this is also an incident that could be linked to hijacking or terrorism, and will once again work to ensure thorough management awareness." Social media users on X praised the airport's response to the incident, with several saying it reaffirmed their confidence in Japanese air safety. "This incident showcased the safety of Japanese aviation and the thoroughness of its manuals!" one user wrote. Another said it "made me realise once again that New Chitose Airport is a safe airport to use." New Chitose is one of Japan’s busiest airports, serving the world's second-most travelled domestic air route – between Tokyo and Sapporo – according to aviation analytics company OAG. More than 15 million travellers used the airport in 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd9d7gg2599o Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are one big step closer to merging The $1.9 billion tie-up between the U.S. carriers would be the largest industry merger in years The merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines would enhance competition in the industry, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green. The proposed merger between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines just got one step closer to completion. Alaska late on Monday said the time period for Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust regulators to investigate the deal ended without a lawsuit seeking to block the $1.9 billion combination. Now, the airlines will need to win approval from the Transportation Department in order to seal the deal. The Alaska Airlines-Hawaiian Airlines merger is on shaky ground Their tie-up would become the largest merger of U.S. carriers in eight years, when Alaska combined with Virgin America for $2.6 billion. “This is a significant milestone in the process to join our airlines,” Alaska said in a statement, noting that it worked with Hawaii’s attorney general to “reinforce and expand upon our commitments for the future of Hawaiian Airlines (HA) and to Hawai‘i consumers.” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a statement that the merger would “vastly expand” the number of destinations throughout North America for his state’s residents, while preserving and increasing the number of union jobs. He added that he is confident that the combined — “stronger” — airline will enhance competition in the industry. Last month, fears were raised that the DOJ would sue to block the merger after the agency sought to extend its review period. Earlier in the year, the DOJ successfully blocked the $3.8 billion merger between Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU), which would have merged the U.S.’s sixth- and seventh-largest carriers. Alaska is the fifth-largest airline in the nation. Hawaiian Airlines stock climbed more than 11% in pre-market trading Tuesday on the news. Shares are now up 13% year-to-date. Alaska Air Group (ALK) stock is up by almost 1% in pre-market trading, although its year-to-date performance is down by almost 9%. https://qz.com/alaska-hawaiian-airlines-merger-clears-doj-antitrust-1851626498 Lufthansa is using artificial sharkskin to streamline airplanes Copying a trick from the animal kingdom can help cut aircraft emissions. Companies are often caught between wanting to cut emissions but also grow profits. But for airlines, these two different imperatives actually align. Cutting carbon emissions means burning less fuel and spending less money buying fuel. This is why Lufthansa has been copying a trick from the animal kingdom: applying a special film that mimics sharkskin to parts of its aircraft. When it comes to decarbonization, reducing the emissions of air travel is both a high priority and something of a difficult task. Globally, air traffic accounts for about 2.5 percent of carbon emissions, but since those emissions are emitted at altitude, studies have found that the warming effect may be almost twice as large. The problem is that it's extremely difficult to rival the volumetric energy density of jet fuel, which contains almost 50 times as many megajoules per liter than alternatives like hydrogen, ethanol, or lithium-ion batteries. That's less of a problem for ground or sea transportation, where weight and volume is less important, but it's a real stumbling block for switching jet airliners to a different fuel source. Synthetic carbon fuels are obviously of great interest to the aviation sector, but they have their own problems—biofuels can divert cropland away from feeding humans, and the direct air capture of carbon dioxide to turn it into methane (and then more complex hydrocarbon fuels) is massively energy intensive and extremely expensive, costing perhaps five times as much as oil extracted from underground. And we're yet to see direct air capture working at a proper industrial scale, either. Sharkskin isn’t a magic fix Lufthansa will fit four Boeing 777-200ER aircraft (operated by Austrian Airlines) with the shark skin technology, joining 17 other airframes (a Lufthansa Boeing 747-400, 12 Swiss Boeing 777-200ERs, and four Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777Fs), which already feature the film. Nearly 9,000 square feet (830 m2) of the planes' surface—along the fuselage and also the engine nacelles—will be covered with sheets of AeroSHARK film, which mimics the scales on actual sharkskin with 50-micron-thick riblets that reduce friction by minimizing the turbulent boundary layer. Lufthansa is adding the sharkskin panels to four more aircraft. In sharks, it's calculated this equates to about a 10 percent reduction in drag versus smooth skin, and using this approach has helped Olympic swimmers cut through the water more easily. But that's for swimming through water; the effect on a plane traveling through the air is more modest, but it should still cut fuel by around 1 percent per flight. (For a longer explanation of how this works, check out this coverage from Ars Senior Reporter Jennifer Ouellette from last week.) "We take our responsibility seriously and take every possible step to reduce CO2 emissions within our flight operations. At one percent, the sharkskin's efficiency potential may not sound like much, but in total it will save thousands of tons of CO2 per year on long-haul flights," said Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino. "Even though our Boeing 777-200ERs are in their final years of service, we take this investment to get one step closer to our CO₂ reduction targets." Lufthansa says the upgrades should be completed by March next year. https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/08/lufthansa-is-using-artificial-sharkskin-to-streamline-airplanes/ New Atlas Air academy creates direct pathway for hiring young pilots Cargo airline collaborates with Spartan flight school on tailored training Atlas Air, the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747 aircraft, is partnering with an aviation education group to provide a hiring pathway for aspiring pilots who want to work for the large cargo airline. The program is designed to attract young people whom the company can prepare according to its requirements as it continues to grow internationally. Many passenger airlines have established pathways with flight schools to facilitate the recruitment of new pilots, but New York-based Atlas Air is one of the only known cargo airlines to work directly with a flight school on a dedicated pilot training academy. Spartan Education Group, which provides government-approved training programs and career pathways for pilots and aviation technicians at a handful of U.S. campuses, announced Monday that it has opened the Atlas Cadet Academy at its West Chicago, Illinois, flight school. The initiative offers participants a defined avenue to potential first officer positions with Atlas Air, which also operates Boeing 767 and 777 widebody aircraft. In addition to the normal curriculum covering essential aeronautical knowledge and preparation for Federal Aviation Administration certification and rating exams, the academy will provide customized instruction and firsthand exposure to the airline’s culture. The idea is to facilitate integration of new employees and give Atlas Air better control of the labor pipeline. Unlike a typical flight school where graduates can eventually be recruited by any airline, the academy clears a lane for students to work at Atlas Air. “We work very closely with Atlas to design a program that creates the skills and competencies that they’re looking for. If I’m a university or flight school and I’ve got 20 airlines all recruiting, it’s really tough for me to tailor my program for any one of those airlines,” said Dan Bregman, Spartan Education Group’s vice president of strategy and development, in a phone interview. “We are recruiting students from day one who are interested in flying for Atlas, which is different from a lot of other partnerships. We don’t want another airline poaching you. We want to keep you focused on this path that you’ve chosen.” Enhanced training might include flying a 250-mile route with three stops to replicate what a short-haul cargo pilot might experience. The Atlas Cadet Academy initiated its first class in June with 13 new students and one certificated flight instructor. It will continue to grow each month as more people meet the entry requirements, including an FAA-approved medical exam, and complete the Academy orientation, said Bregman. Cadets can earn their FAA certifications and ratings (instrument, multiengine, etc.) as quickly as 13 months flying small, single-turboprop planes and then build toward the 1,500 hours necessary to earn an unrestricted Airline Transport Pilot certification by working as a certified flight instructor. (Those who obtain a business degree in aviation only require 1,200 hours of flying time.) After that, each flight instructor will continue training with a minimum of 250 hours in more advanced aircraft – Cessna Caravan, Beechcraft 1900, Saab 340B and Aerostar turboprop aircraft – flying for unscheduled charter operators Castle Aviation and Planemasters, Bregman explained. Planemasters is co-located with Spartan’s College of Aeronautics and Technology at DuPage Airport. It may take four to five years for a high school graduate to achieve an unrestricted commercial pilot’s license because certification has a minimum age of 23. Spartan’s relationships with Castle Aviation and Planemasters allow fledgling pilots to earn money and build necessary hours until they’re eligible to join Atlas Air. The airline employs more than 2,900 pilots. It traditionally has picked up pilots out of the military, from smaller regional airlines and passenger airlines that have furloughs or go out of business. And because the job of extended overseas flying away from home is tough, Atlas has an added challenge of retaining pilots, according to aviation experts. International Aviation Professionals Local 2750, the Teamsters union that represents Atlas Air pilots, says 532 pilots resigned last year and 269 have left the company this year. Tailored approach Bregman said Spartan plans to unveil a proprietary app in late September that will contain features such as supplementary Atlas Air training materials, interview tips and the ability to do virtual fireside chats with Atlas crew members and managers. Atlas Air doesn’t cover students’ costs or pay Spartan for each graduate but has made an undisclosed investment in the program and provides resources, according to Bregman. Potential program benefits include visits from Atlas Air pilots to discuss professional development and company safety practices, touring Atlas’ flight operations center to see how an airline operates behind the scenes, experiencing a flight simulator, having lunch with executives, and attending training for flight attendants (Atlas operates some 747 passenger aircraft under charter contracts) to gain the cabin crew perspective. Familiarizing students with the company early on demystifies the hiring process and makes the transition to a first officer much easier, he said. Cadets can finance their training through a private loan program or get an associate flight degree from the College of DuPage, which provides access to federal financial aid and has a relationship with Spartan. Spartan a couple years ago changed its strategy to one that treats airlines, rather than the student, as the customer and the student as the product, said Bregman. The approach resembles the way community colleges work with a manufacturer or other company to develop students with specific skills that make them more attractive hires than someone with generic industry skills. The Atlas academy is similar to a recent program Spartan started with Allegiant Airlines. “It allows us to incorporate into the FAA-mandated training other kinds of experiences that we think make you a more competent pilot and enhance your skill set. We don’t want our students to be the deer in the headlights. We want them to walk into ground school at Atlas feeling full of confidence that they can do this,” Bregman told FreightWaves. He made clear that Spartan doesn’t guarantee employment. Difficult hiring environment Airlines are increasingly setting up pilot academies because of the growing challenge finding qualified aviators. Reasons for the shrinking talent pool include fewer pilots coming out of a downsized military, more missions being flown by drones, the expense of earning a pilot’s license and a lifestyle that doesn’t appeal to many young people, said Kit Darby, an aviation consultant who specializes in pilot development. It can cost up to $150,000 for a commercial pilot’s license and international cargo pilots can be away from home for a week or two. “Anytime you’re working with young people it is a really tough sell. They don’t know what they want to do, even though these jobs are excellent, almost like no other these days,” Darby told FreightWaves. United Airlines in February 2022 opened a pilot academy at Phoenix Goodyear Airport with the goal of training 5,000 pilots by 2030, including more minority candidates. It is the only flight academy operated by a major U.S. airline. Most airline academies are affiliated with independent flight schools. Spartan College also provides an academy program for American Airlines that is structured differently than the ones for Allegiant and Atlas Air. “A lot of guys have stars in their eyes over the 747, they’re all excited about flying these big airplanes. But after a while it becomes a job. So it’s a tough sell. I’m not sure that an Academy will solve all of that. a lot of guys have stars in their eyes over the 747, you know, triple seven, they’re all excited about flying these big airplanes. And it is exciting for a while, but after a while it becomes a job. I’m not sure that an academy will solve all of that. “I understand why they’re (Atlas) doing it, but it’s got probably not going to work as well as it might at a legacy major airline,” Darby said. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/new-atlas-air-academy-creates-direct-pathway-for-hiring-young-pilots GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Brian Huh, and I'm a graduate student in applied psychology studying aviation human factors at the University of Southern California (USC). I'm currently assisting the ISASI Human Factors Working Group, under the direction of Toni Flint, Treena Forshaw, and Daniel Scalese, in its effort to enhance the existing, outdated Human Factors Guide. Our research aims to gather insights from aviation professionals to ensure this guide remains a valuable resource for a wide audience within the aviation safety community. We're focusing on identifying key areas of information and addressing specific challenges in the field of human factors in aviation safety. As part of this research, we've developed a survey to collect feedback from professionals like yourself. The survey takes about 20-30 minutes to complete and will close on August 12, 2024. Your input would be invaluable in shaping this comprehensive guide for aviation safety. And the Link to the Survey: https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bmv6n323oHr3Rwq -Survey title: Aviation Investigator Needs Assessment Survey -Purpose: To inform the next iteration of the ISASI Human Factors Guide -Content: Feedback on the current guide, professional experiences, and challenges in applying human factors principles -Estimated Time to Complete: 20-30 minutes Your input is crucial in shaping this comprehensive guide. We realize the turnaround time is short, which is due to the deadlines associated with Brian's graduate program requirements. Even a small number of additional responses could be extremely valuable for this research. CALENDAR OF EVENTS • Stay Informed with NATA’s Regulatory Intel for Certification Success Webinar; August 22nd. Register: https://mynata.my.site.com/nata/s/lt-event?id=a1YRj0000012lrtMAA • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) - September 17-18, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX • Safety is not a Secret - September 27-28, 2024 - Seminar, JUNGLE AVIATION AND RELAY SERVICE • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • DEFENCE AVIATION SAFETY 2024 - 2 OCTOBER - 3 OCTOBER 2024 - LONDON • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • Safeskies Australia Conference, Canberra Australia - 16th and 17th of October 2024 - www.safeskiesaustralia.org • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) • Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore Curt Lewis