October 2, 2024 - No. 40 In This Issue : NTSB Issues Urgent Safety Recommendations on Boeing 737 Rudder System : Silent Arrow Secures AFWERX Funding for Advanced Cargo Drone with 300-500 Mile Range : Textron Aviation’s company-owned service centers recertified as Green Aviation Business from NATA : The first flight after maintenance : Elon Musk has just created the fuel that Hawking predicted: : Sitting pretty – the evolution of the passenger airline seat : B-52 Maintenance Might Get A Lot Easier Thanks to This Airman : Magnetic Takes On Unique CFM56-5B Conversion Work : BA forced to cancel long-haul flights due to lack of spares : NTSB Rips FAA For Delayed 737 Rudder Response NTSB Issues Urgent Safety Recommendations on Boeing 737 Rudder System The NTSB issued urgent safety recommendations to The Boeing Company and the Federal Aviation Administration in response to the potential for a jammed or restricted rudder control system on some 737 airplanes. The NTSB is investigating a Feb. 6, 2024, incident in which the rudder pedals on a United Airlines Boeing 737-8, a MAX variant, were “stuck” in their neutral position during the landing rollout at Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey. The captain used the nosewheel steering tiller to control the airplane’s direction after touching down. There was no damage to the airplane or injuries to the 155 passengers and six crewmembers. A preliminary report detailing the circumstances of the event was published on March 12. • Read the press release for more details Silent Arrow Secures AFWERX Funding for Advanced Cargo Drone with 300-500 Mile Range Silent Arrow today announced it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase II contract in the amount of $1.25M focused on the Silent Arrow CLS-300 (“Contested Logistics System, 300nm Range”) powered cargo drone to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now Silent Arrow will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. “We’d like to thank the U.S. Air Force, AFWERX, AFRL and our Air Force Customer and End-User organizations for expanding our successful partnership by awarding this follow-on Phase II,” said Chip Yates, Silent Arrow’s Founder and CEO. “We look forward to building on our Phase I propulsion test success as we prepare a number of full-scale aircraft for flight tests in Q3 and Q4 of 2025.” About Silent Arrow The Silent Arrow® product line consists of five attritable, autonomous cargo delivery aircraft capable of carrying 350 to 2,000 pounds of emergency, disaster relief and humanitarian response supplies anywhere in the world on short notice. The Silent Arrow GD-2000, Widebody, SA- PGB, CLS-200 and CLS-300 provide a wide array of contested logistics capabilities to the warfighter. Silent Arrow’s engineering team has been awarded more than 22 patents, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) aircraft world records and 2 FAI Louis Bleriot medals for disruptive contributions to the aerospace industry. In 2021 Silent Arrow® was selected as a finalist for the Robert J. Collier Trophy as the “Greatest Achievement in Aeronautics or Astronautics in America,”. Textron Aviati on’s company-owned service centers recertified as Green Aviation Business from NATA Textron Aviation Press Release | April 16, 2024 The Beechcraft Denali (pictured) and Cessna Citation Ascend embody the company’s dedication to reducing emissions and enhancing efficiency through its aircraft projects. Textron Aviation Photo Textron Aviation’s commitment to sustainability has been recognized once again as its global service network received recertification as a Green Aviation Business from the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). This recognition is part of NATA’s Sustainability Standard for Aviation Businesses program, which encourages environmental sustainability within the industry. Four of Textron Aviation’s 20 company-owned service centers–Singapore, Paris, Zurich and Indianapolis—recertified their Tier 1 status, going above and beyond NATA’s certification requirements and implementing additional sustainable practices. This includes phasing out single-use plastic items, installing motion-sensor lighting and ensuring energy-efficient kitchen appliances and plumbing fixtures. These locations have also developed policies to reduce idling in ground support equipment. For the first time this year, the company’s Valencia Service Center achieved Tier 2 status. Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker customers receive factory-direct support, maintenance and modifications by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, through its global network of service and part centers, mobile service units and 24/7 1CALL AOG support. “We continue to invest in our processes and facilities to encourage sustainable solutions across the globe, because we understand the importance of driving economic growth while preserving our natural resources,” said Brian Rohloff, senior vice-president, Customer Support. To achieve base-level certification, all facilities must establish a baseline carbon footprint and work toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They must also offer recycling programs, implement paperless systems, install LED lighting and reduce the use of plastic water bottles. The company is actively supporting the development of sustainable propulsion solutions, such as hydrogen electric and hybrid electric, and remains actively engaged in sustainability initiatives within the aviation industry. Sustainability at Textron Aviation Textron Aviation is committed to environmental sustainability and natural resource conservation and supports the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change. Aligned with the overarching vision of Textron Inc., Textron Aviation has set forth enterprise-wide goals, spanning a five-year horizon, to forge a path towards a greener future. By the close of 2025, the company aims to curtail greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent, while concurrently striving to achieve a 10 per cent reduction in energy consumption, water usage, and waste generation. Additionally, Textron Aviation has harnessed the power of renewable wind energy to meet nearly all its electricity needs in Kansas. This blend of sustainability and innovation serves as a testament to the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Robust investments in Textron Aviation’s products and facilities encourage sustainability in its designs and operations. The Beechcraft Denali and Cessna Citation Ascend embody the company’s dedication to reducing emissions and enhancing efficiency through its aircraft projects. Customers are offered the opportunity to take delivery of their aircraft utilizing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and they can refuel their aircraft with this environmentally friendly alternative at the company’s service center in Wichita, Kansas. The first flight after maintenance By General Aviation News Staff September 26, 2024 The first flight after maintenance is one of the most dangerous. (Photo by Peter F.A. van de Noort) By MATT JOHNSON Flying has always had its dangers — and one of the biggest dangers is flying an aircraft the first time after maintenance has been done to it. So I should ask myself if, say, the engine sputters or the prop goes into an overspeed condition or I notice the oil temperature is spiking or a cylinder is running very hot: “What changed between this flight and the last?” Did the mechanic remove — and hopefully replace — the oil? Or did they get distracted by a text or email or phone call or social media post and forget to put oil in? Or forget that little “crush washer” around the oil drain plug? Did they do anything with the hydraulic system? How about the electrical system which, it turns out, is really, really complicated and has tons of wires like a pile of spaghetti and is all hidden from view, anyway, so even if I was Nikola Tesla I couldn’t figure out if there was something wrong with it, much less in flight? Did they add fuel or drain any? How about the control surfaces — are they attached and do they move in the proper directions when I move the stick and rudders? (Photo by Matt Johnson) A major error in maintenance — not caught by me in a not-good-enough walkaround — almost got me. A mechanic worked on my aircraft for six (SIX!) months, gave it back to me with almost-empty fuel tanks. A poor preflight by me missed that one, though I caught several other things. I guessed at the amount of fuel in the mains because the gauges were bad, and believed my buddy who looked in the front auxiliary tank and said it was full. It was, if by “full” he meant “full of air.” We lived, but barely. Another time, a mechanic installed new brakes, then reinstalled the brake lines so that they rubbed on the brake discs and severed the lines. Again, the walkaround didn’t catch it. But it really gets your attention when you try to stop, let me tell you. Another mechanic forgot to fasten a bolt with a locking device on a brand-new cylinder and, well, let’s just say that if you do that, bad stuff happens. This error wasn’t visible on the preflight. I hope NOW I’ve had enough scares to realize that I just cannot trust maintenance 100%. Not Just Flying A non-flying story: Just the other day we were using a hydraulic scissor lift to do some work near the ceiling in a hangar. We were hanging some disco balls, but not for parties — these shiny silver balls are to scare off birds. My fellow pilot raised himself to the ceiling, but later couldn’t get the lift to come down. Nothing we could do with the device — and we tried everything, including creative cussing — would bring the lift down. There was no emergency hydraulic release like on a hydraulic floor jack, although there were electrical switches on the side of the machine complete with little pictures on how to electrically lower it in case of malfunction. They didn’t work. Finally we called the people we rented it from, and they came over, opened up the inside, and found a wiring harness and plug detached, they said, by a new young mechanic. He forgot to reattach it. Our using the lift was the first time since he had worked on it — the first “flight” after maintenance. Back In The Air Another time I had two cylinders running hot in my Lancair IV and had my local mechanic look under the cowling. He undid the last screw, lifted the cowling, and there was a rag stuffed in between two cylinders — stuffed in there by another mechanic who had taken me aside and warned me, some time before that, in a very serious tone of voice to “do a very good walkaround after maintenance.” I took a picture of it and sent it to the guy saying “I found your rag.” He hasn’t responded yet, but it’s only been four years. Matt’s Lancair. (Photo by Matt Johnson) So after maintenance, maybe I should: • Look closely — very, very closely — at the aircraft and the logbook. • Do my best walkaround ever. • Stay in the pattern on the first flight, within gliding distance of the runway. • Say to myself: “I bet there’s something wrong. Look for something wrong, look for something wrong. It just came out of maintenance, and they were turning nuts and bolts and screws…” • Do not assume the mechanics did it right. Distractions These maintenance errors I described are from all different mechanics, in different states — Missouri, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Minnesota — so it’s not “something in the water” that is affecting a pocket of mechanics. I watch mechanics when I enter their maintenance shops. They’re all usually checking their cell phones, like people do nowadays. Maybe that’s what the guy was doing when he put my cowling back on with rag inside — he stuffed the rag there “just for now,” answered a text or took a call or something else broke his focus. Not all mechanics get distracted by cell phones of course. Look at the Wright brothers — they practiced “cell phone discipline” and refused to even own one. All kidding aside, if mechanics are human and can make a mistake that’ll down my aircraft and maybe kill me, it makes sense to do a very thorough post-maintenance walkaround. And a very careful post-maintenance flight. A careful examination of the logbook and an extra-vigilant preflight can prevent me from taking off, having a problem, and landing out in the middle of nowhere versus landing at my home airport. Elon Musk has just created the fuel that Hawking predicted: It only existed inside the stars, and it’s futuristic by Edwin O. 09/29/2024 in Mobility In a remarkable leap for space exploration, Elon Musk and SpaceX have taken another bold step towards the future of interplanetary travel. On June 6, 2024, the highly anticipated fourth test flight of the Starship rocket captivated audiences worldwide. This mission demonstrated the ingenuity behind SpaceX’s ambitious goals and marked a significant milestone in the quest for affordable and reusable space travel. As the world’s most powerful rocket ascended into the sky, it promised to turn science fiction into reality, with plans to make human life multi-planetary. Join us as we explore the thrilling highlights of this groundbreaking launch, the challenges faced during its execution, and what lies ahead for the Starship program. Witness the Dramatic Launch and Splashdown of the Super Heavy Booster The launch’s main objective was to test the capability of the Super Heavy booster for a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. At liftoff, 32 of 33 Raptor engines that powered the rocket fired, sending the 400-foot-tall mega-rocket upward with a brilliant column of flame. The one that didn’t fire did not impact the mission’s outcome—the Super Heavy could do a controlled descent. During the live broadcast, SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot described the scenes at the firm’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California: “This whole building was going absolutely insane. When we saw the booster hit the water, wow.” Only 12 of the booster’s 13 engines had also fired during the landing burn, but still, Super Heavy pulled it off, splashing softly into the water to wild cheers from the crowd at SpaceX mission control. A successful splashdown is essential because the Super Heavy booster, built to be reusable, is crucial for helping to keep costs down and allowing more space travel. The result brings SpaceX closer to its dream of a reusable launch system. Overcoming Challenges: The Starship Upper Stage Reentry Experience The mission’s objectives also included verifying an upper stage, a ship called a ship, which is responsible for reentering and landing on the surface of celestial bodies. The descent of Starship was undoubtedly not easy. For instance, one of the flaps that assisted in the reentry phase of the craft got burned. Views from live cameras showed steadily aggravating situations when the heat shield was being burned away, making the camera views unstable and the lens even shattered. This, however, did not deter Starship from going off course and executing a landing burn effectively. “Even though the loss of other tiles and flap damage occurred, we were able to keep Starship in a manner which allowed a gentle impact on the water,” Musk wrote. This was the first successful immersion that proved that Starship could return to the Earth and deal with only due emergencies. This further indicates an enormously advanced ability of the upper stage to withstand the vicious physical forces created when entering the atmosphere. It has to take control and guide into a steady state of land. It is important to note that continued achievement of these test exercises is necessary to prepare SpaceX for further missions beyond the Earth’s surface. What Lies Ahead: Preparing for Future Space Missions with Starship The philosophy of design in Starship is to make space travel very different, with a fully reusable architecture. Its next-generation Raptor engines—33 for the Super Heavy and six for Starship—burn liquid oxygen and methane, both of which could be sourced on Mars. This may make interplanetary journeys more sustainable and reach the long-term mission of SpaceX—to make human life multi-planetary. The nearest project that Starship will feature is the NASA Artemis program, which is dedicated to establishing a firm presence of people on the Moon. NASA has tapped Starship for the first crewed lunar lander mission for its Artemis flights, aiming to put astronauts on the Moon’s surface as early as September 2026. However, meeting that ambitious goal will take several more test flights. The company plans for about six test flights of the Starship mega-rocket in 2024, of which four more are still to be done. Each success in launch and landing marks a step drawing closer to the dream of cheap, reusable space travel. Meanwhile, the ongoing schedule of test flights keeps the space community guessing what this could mean for the future of the phenomenal spaceship. Sitting pretty – the evolution of the passenger airline seat By André Orban- 23 September 2024 Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/urbazon?mediatype=photography A comfortable seat to sink into when you board a plane wasn’t always a given for air travel. Artemis Aerospace investigates – take a seat and find out more! You’ve made it to the airport, checked your luggage in, browsed the shops and finally got on the plane. You’ve bagged a window seat, stowed your bag in the overhead locker and perused your fellow passengers, hoping you won’t end up with a seat-kicker behind or seat recliner in front . . . what you’re probably not thinking about is the design of your seat. However, there’s an interesting history behind the evolution of airline seats. Here we delve into it … Today, the comfort of travellers during their journey is a top priority for airlines competing for business; designers battle it out to provide the most relaxing experience. This is quite a change from the very first seating arrangements for passengers in the 1920s, which were plain wicker chairs – and these weren’t even fastened to the floor, so any in-flight turbulence had the potential to cause an untidy heap of wicker and people. The wicker chairs lasted for around ten years and were subsequently fitted to the floor as well as having extra padding and being lined with leather. Leather was a practical option as it was easy to clean back in the day when air travel was a much dustier experience. By the end of the thirties, velour covers were making their way in. In 1930, the Aluminum Company of America designed an aluminium passenger seat which was light and adaptable. Fast forward to the present day and nearly all airline seats are still manufactured in aluminium. This first seat may have been a state-of-the-art invention, but there was still no means of adjusting it, although foam-filled rubber seats were introduced to prevent discomfort from sitting on a hard metal chair. Initially, seats were usually arranged in a 2+1, 2+2 or 3+3 formation as aircraft grew in size. As longer flights gradually became possible, the recliner chair was introduced in 1929, thus igniting the age-old issue of whether to recline and possibly annoy the person behind or remain upright. Some airlines introduced seats which converted to beds for an overnight flight, and the move towards the comfort of passengers began to grow in momentum, with improved shock absorbency in the seats and the introduction of head and footrests. Some of the first seating arrangements involved seats configured around a table, as they are in trains, and when food began to be served on aircraft, it was brought to the traveller on a real tray. One can imagine the mess if the plane hit a rough patch! The tray tables which fold down from the back of the seat weren’t introduced until 1973. In 1952 multi-fare flights were permitted by IATA (International Air Transport Association) and that was the beginning of the airline class system, with standard class seats being roomier than those in coach class (which became economy), but still with all the seats facing the front. In the 21st century, with increased emphasis on customer experience, airlines are experimenting with different seating configurations, such as reverse or staggered herringbone set-ups, which give more privacy and enable people to access the aisle without clambering over their fellow passengers. Back-of-seat screens didn’t appear until 1988; prior to that onboard entertainment consisted of a large screen at the front of the cabin and individual headphones. Top-of-the-range LED high-definition touch screens on seat backs are now beginning to be replaced by direct-to-device screening. Interestingly, recliner seats are on the decrease. Finnair has removed them entirely from business class, while BA’s new Airbus models have pre-reclined seats. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, the cost of reclining seats is high, and with many complicated parts, they are easily broken by impatient passengers and require frequent maintenance. They are much heavier, adding to the weight of the plane and the subsequent cost of fuel. Removing them also saves space – and eliminates the regular necessity for cabin crew to mediate between the recliners and the irate reclined-on! Today’s aircraft seat is manufactured with strict guidelines on flammability in the materials used and is designed to protect the passenger as much as possible in the event of an accident. Interestingly, in this age of sustainability, Air France has an initiative whereby its old aircraft seating materials are recycled into no doubt très chic bags and accessories. Latest high-end seat designs can include LED screens with Bluetooth, USB charging ports, noise-cancelling headphones or even headrest speakers and motorised leg rests. Emirates airline’s first class seats even have a zero gravity setting which helps create a sense of weightlessness for better sleep. It’s a long way from a wicker chair… Source: Artemis Aerospace B-52 Maintenance Might Get A Lot Easier Thanks to This Airman July 12, 2024 | By David Roza Keeping a 60-year-old B-52 bomber ready to fly takes hard work, and poor tools make that work even harder. At the 307th Maintenance Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., TTech Sgt. Jermey Vickers noticed one tool in particular was slowing down the process: the metal stands maintainers use to get up close to the wings and engines. “The maintenance stands we were using had been purchased in 1994 and you couldn’t get parts to fix them anymore,” Vickers said in a July 11 press release. “They also were purchased used, so it’s difficult to know how old they are.” The stands are a headache during a B-52 phase maintenance inspection, a weekslong process where dozens of maintainers have to work on the plane at the same time. The problem is that the current stands can support only two people at once, so Airmen must keep setting them up, taking them down, and setting them up again as they inspect different parts of the jet. “Those stands were heavy and required a couple of people to move them, so there was a lot of potential for safety risks,” Vickers said. But the tech sergeant had a solution: design his own stands. The process began six years ago, when he drew up the first blueprints and reached out to a company that could produce them. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the effort, and it took three years to fund the project, but after working with the 307th Bomb Wing Safety Office and Air Force Reserve Command, Vickers eventually managed to secure more than $6,000 in National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriations (NGREA) funding. “He was extremely persistent and stayed the course,” David Griffore, the wing’s occupational safety supervisor, said in the release. An Engine Pod Stand runs the length of a B-52 Stratofortress wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, July 3, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Ted Daigle) When the Engine Pod Stands arrived earlier this year, Vickers put the segments together and ensured the hydraulics lifts worked correctly. The stands finally debuted on July 1 for a phase inspection, and they are already making a difference. “With the old stands, it took over an hour to get ready just to work on an engine,” Vickers said. “With the Engine Pod Stand, we are ready to go in five minutes.” The stands can be set up in different configurations: one arrangement provides a fixed platform stretching the length of the roughly 90-foot wing, while another uses a hydraulic lift to raise a smaller platform up to the engines or other components. Still, Vickers plans to refine the stand if other maintenance squadrons want to adopt it too. Whether the 307th will buy more is yet to be decided, said wing spokesperson Senior Master Sgt. Ted Daigle. “Although the stands are very effective in their first use, Vickers wants to ensure their long-term viability before committing to more,” Daigle told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Senior Airmen Alexander Orta, with the 2nd Maintenance Squadron, and Tech. Sgt. Michael Starkey, assigned to the 307th Maintenance Squadron, use a new Engine Pod Stand to perform a Phase inspection on a B-52 Stratofortress at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, July 3, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Ted Daigle) Vickers is the latest in a long line of inventive, persistent maintainers improving on Air Force platforms and processes. Airmen at the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing, for example, manage to keep 40-year-old F-15C fighter jets flying with spare parts made in-house at the wing’s metals technology shop. Meanwhile, Airmen at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, saved the Air Force millions of dollars by inventing 3D-printed magnetic sensor covers for the F-35 fighter, a vast improvement over the fragile, expensive sensor covers that originally came with the jet. Inventions like these help make maintenance a little easier, which helps make for healthy aircraft. “We’ve already halved the engine-top inspection time,” Vickers said. “So our maintainers are loving it.” Magnetic Takes On Unique CFM56-5B Conversion Work Keith Mwanalushi September 10, 2024 Credit: Magnetic Engines Magnetic Engines has converted a CFM International CFM56-5B engine from a double annular combustor configuration to the original single annular combustor version as one of several special projects conducted this year. The conversion is aimed at reducing maintenance costs. The double annular combustor (DAC) was first applied to the CFM56-5B in the 1990s to reduce nitrogen oxides emissions. Filip Stanisic, head of Magnetic Engines, says the DAC variant has a different configuration of main hot-section modules—combustion chamber, combustion case, supports and others—and various fuel components such as fuel nozzles and manifolds. “However, time has shown that the ordinary version of the [CFM56]-5B engine single annular combustor (SAC) has better maintainability and lower maintenance costs,” he says. “Currently, most engines with [a DAC] configuration are either torn down into piece parts or converted to the SAC versions.” The project included replacing the fan and low-pressure turbine (LPT) major modules due to the expiration of life-limited parts (LLPs) in those modules. Magnetic modified the customer's engine to bring it to regular SAC configuration by replacing around 110 line items. According to Stanisic, the turbine rear frame (TRF) usually requires replacement, too; however, in this case, the workshop replaced the whole LPT major module due to time expiration. “Thus, there was no need to replace the TRF and the fan modules were also replaced due to the LLPs' life expiration,” he says. The higher maintenance costs associated with the DAC version are linked to its scarcity. “Searching for a vendor capable of repairing DAC components is a significant challenge,” says Stanisic. For example, several months ago, Magnetic Engines began searching for a vendor to repair the combustion chamber of a DAC engine, but despite best efforts, they found the turnaround time for this repair would be over six months with an unpredictable cost. “Repairing DAC fuel nozzles also proved to be a daunting task,” Stanisic adds. “It is not so much about the price but more about the physical capability of repairing DAC parts.” Magnetic reports that post-repair engine testing has proven the quality of the work and even shown that the engine's exhaust gas temperature margin improved slightly after the repair. Looking ahead, Stanisic sees no significant DAC to SAC conversions market, citing only a handful of CFM56-5B DACs still operating in Europe. “From the databases, we can see that only four active airplanes with DAC engines are still in operation, but several of those engines are in storage,” he says. Magnetic will not make predictions based on such quantities, and globally, it sees around two or three dozen DAC engines still in operation—a figure supposedly too low to suggest a potential future market for that work. Stanisic authenticated the interchangeability of the engines but said, “it might require certain cockpit adjustments, but the DAC and SAC engines can be operated on the same A320 aircraft in most cases.” BA forced to cancel long-haul flights due to lack of spares By Linsey McNeill 30/09/2024 Home » BA forced to cancel long-haul flights due to lack of spares British Airways has cancelled ‘a number’ of flights operated by its fleet of Boeing 787s over a 10-day period due to delays in the delivery of engines and parts. In a letter sent to employees, BA said the issue was in relation to Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to the 787s. It wrote: “We’ve apologised to customers and thankfully are able to offer the vast majority a flight the same day, either travelling with us or one of our partner airlines. “We’re sorry for the impact that this is also having on you. We continue to work closely with Rolls-Royce to ensure the company is aware of the impact its issues are having on our schedule and customers, and seek reassurance of a prompt and reliable solution.” Rolls-Royce said ‘supply chain constraints’ were ‘affecting the whole aerospace industry’. BA did not say how many flights had been cancelled, but today, from Heathrow alone, it has grounded flights to Chicago and Washington, along with at least eight UK and European flights. In the same letter to staff, which has been seen by The Independent, BA said 42% of its flights had been disrupted this year due to air traffic control, up from 24% in 2019. “That equates to 75 per cent more BA flights disrupted due to air-traffic control restrictions than before Covid,” it said. It added “We’re working with [air-traffic control provider] Nats to learn lessons from our recent experiences so that together, we can build additional resilience for our customers and you, our colleagues.” NTSB Rips FAA For Delayed 737 Rudder Response The FAA has now contacted its counterparts in 40 countries about the problem. Russ Niles Updated Oct 1, 2024 6:32 AM EDT The NTSB has followed up an oddly timed urgent safety recommendation with a harsh rebuke of the FAA, alleging the agency didn't act on a flaw in Boeing 737 NG and MAX models until the NTSB raised the alarm. As a result, the board says as many as 288 aircraft, most of them flying for about 40 different international airlines, still have an improperly assembled rudder actuator that can cause the rudder to freeze stuck in cold weather. In a letter to FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy alleged the FAA “did not take this issue more seriously until we issued our urgent safety recommendation report.” As we reported last week, the NTSB issued a press release on its safety recommendation on an issue that arose more than seven months earlier when the crew of a United 737 MAX couldn't move the rudder on rollout at Newark last February. The cause was quickly traced to the rollout guidance actuator, a servo linked directly to the rudder controls that is normally only used in CAT IIIb approaches. The bearing was installed backward in the affected units, which were made by Collins, and that allowed moisture to get into the internal mechanism and freeze in cold weather. United was the only U.S. carrier with the suspect actuator and it said it swapped them out on the nine affected aircraft earlier this year. Whitaker said Monday the FAA is taking the matter seriously and has contacted other countries to “ensure they have the information they need from the FAA including any recommended actions.” It did not say why giving the heads-up to other aviation authorities took seven months. Boeing said it told all customers with the affected aircraft about the issue in August. Curt Lewis