IMC News Service

NORAD, Russian Federation Air Force Prepare For Joint Exercise

Peterson Air Force Base, CO – Members of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and their Russian Federation Air Force counterparts met to prepare for the live-fly exercise.

The exercise is scheduled to take place in August in Anchorage, Alaska and Anadyr, Russia.

Working in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration and its Russian counterpart, this exercise will focus on national procedures for monitoring the situation and the cooperative hand-off of a hijacked aircraft from one nation to the other while exchanging air tracking information.

Both nations will focus on coordinating their response to the incident. The basic scenario involves a foreign flagged carrier on an international flight that is hijacked.

“The VIGILANT EAGLE exercise series has been an extraordinary and historic opportunity for NORAD and the Russian Federation to coordinate on the response to a mutually acknowledged hijacking threat,” said Joe Bonnet, Director of Joint Training and Exercises for NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. “From a participant’s perspective, it is more than a military exercise; it is creating lasting bonds and partnerships extremely valuable for the security of our nations.”

The final planning conference will take place this June in Ottawa. The U.S.-Russian Federation Armed Forces Military Cooperation Work Plan is the basis that allows the Russian Federation and NORAD personnel to conduct VE conferences and execution.

New Features, ADS-B Weather for AOPA’s FlyQ iPad Electronic Flight Bag

Frederick, MD – The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has just made the FlyQ ™ EFB (electronic flight bag), an in-cockpit iPad application, smarter with the release of version 1.1. This update offers powerful enhancements to FlyQ’s feature set.

New features include Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) in-flight weather with support for the new Dual XGPS 170 ADS-B + WAAS GPS receiver. When paired with the Dual ADS-B receiver, FlyQ EFB automatically begins downloading free weather from ADS-B stations around the country.

FlyQ 1.1 also now offers CSC DUATS support (in addition to existing DTC DUAT support) for weather information and flight plan filing, as well as new flight planning enhancements, including “Direct To” and “Add to Plan” buttons everywhere airports and navigational aids are listed.

There are also streamlined methods to access instrument approach procedures in FlyQ’s IFR version, including the ability to view an approach plate in full screen quickly and efficiently from the split-screen mode and a button to switch airports by entering a new identifier without leaving the “Procedures” tab. And FlyQ now even offers quick rental car booking through Enterprise Rental Cars.

Version 1.1 retains FlyQ’s features, including multiple auto-routing options based on forecast winds aloft; split-screen; moving map; airport information and diagrams; approach procedures; Track Up/ North Up views; 3D synthetic vision and flight simulator; and FlyQ’s patent-pending graphical wind optimizer displays.

Pilots with existing FlyQ subscriptions can upgrade to version 1.1 for free by accessing FlyQ on the iTunes App Store.  First-time FlyQ users are eligible for a free, 30-day trial subscription.

AOPA developed FlyQ EFB with Seattle Avionics, an aviation software and data developer.

FAA Requested Removal Of The Word "Sequestration" from a Seminar On The Subject Of Non-Towered Operations

Tampa, FL - In a letter mailed to the National Association of Flight Instructors, Jack W. Tunstill, Assistant Chief Flight Instructor at Trax Air SPG, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida, writes about his experience related to his FAA Safety Team seminar on the subject of non-towered operations at airports with towers closed by sequestration. The speakers listed were to be FAA Safety Team members, local ATC controllers, and FSDO inspectors.

In his letter, which we quote here with his full approval, Jack writes: “The document was released to 8,000-plus pilots in the Tampa Bay area by FAASafety.gov around April 1. On April 3, I got a phone call from FAA Safety Team management advising me to revise the notice and remove any mention of FAA involvement. I expressed my extreme displeasure with that direction, but I revised the notice. Two days later I got a call from the same manager telling me that FAA HQ wanted me to change the title and remove any mention of the word "sequestration." In addition, I was advised to not discuss budgetary items or sequestration with pilots.

I cannot detail here what I said to the manager because a censor would redact them. I refused to change the title. I also threatened to resign as a Lead Team Rep (been one for 25 years) because I will not let the FAA trample on my First Amendment rights. The manager asked me not to resign, especially when I told him the next call I was making would be to the media.

The FAA is not paying a penny for the countless hours I have devoted to the FAA Safety Program. I refuse to be intimidated by faceless Washington HQ types who cannot stand the heat brought on by their total disregard for aviation safety.

The title of the seminar was revised without me. It was held last week with 66 pilots attending. We discussed everything that the FAA told me not to discuss.

This attempt by FAA HQ to manage the story cannot be tolerated. That's why I am writing this letter.”

TSA Delays Allowing Knives On Planes

Washington, DC - In the face of a huge backlash from flight attendants, pilots, nearly every other stakeholder in aviation and the public, the Transportation Security Administration yesterday postponed its plan to allow knives on US flights starting Thursday, April 25.

The United States has banned all knives from commercial flights since the September 11, 2001, attacks for a reason: Knives were the terrorists' weapons of choice in bringing down four jetliners and murdering thousands of Americans.

“All knives should be banned from planes permanently. If the TSA wishes to explore a drastic departure from this logical, 11-year-old policy, it must comply with the rule-making requirements that it should have observed when it first announced its decision to allow knives on planes on March 5.” – said the Association of Flight Attendants’ in its press release.

Like any agency, before TSA changes a rule it should be legally required to issue a notice of rule-making, to allow all interested parties the opportunity to submit comments, and to fairly consider that input. 

The FAA Furloughs 15,000 Air Traffic Controllers; LAX Flights An Average Of Three Hours Late

Los Angeles, CA - Federal budget cuts are now forcing air traffic controllers to take extra days off, which means fliers may have to get used to extra delays and flight cancellations.

The delays hit Los Angeles International yesterday night. The FAA reported a "staffing" problem, causing arriving flights to run an average of three hours and seven minutes late.

The FAA decision furloughs its nearly 15,000 air traffic controllers, forcing them to stay home one day every other week.

The biggest pilots union says the LAX delays point to trouble ahead. President of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, issued the following statement after participating in a news conference to call attention to the significant chaos that could ensue beginning this week as a result of the furloughs of front line safety personnel in the aviation system.

“(…) we call on the administration and Congress to work together to provide the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the funding flexibility it needs to ensure that essential aviation services are maintained during sequestration and that front-line safety personnel are not affected by these budget cuts.

“This is a unique situation. Our entire aviation system will struggle to maintain normality due to furloughs of these essential workers. The economic viability of our country depends on this mode of transportation; everyone will be affected.”

ALPA is also joining a legal actions against the Department of Transportation and the FAA. The groups are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the agencies’ Capacity Reduction Plan for sequestration and to authorize issue of an emergency stay to prevent implementation of that plan pending the court’s review.

Two Students Earn EAA/DAHER-SOCATA Scholarships And Will Work Overseas At Socata Facility In France

Oshkosh, WI - Kalena Glover of Prescott, Ariz., and William McAleer of Birmingham, Ala., will receive the work internships of a lifetime, as they have been named recipients of this year's EAA/DAHER-SOCATA International Scholarships.

The internship program is now in its seventh year. Each recipient receives a five-week internship at DAHER-SOCATA's Tarbes facility in France, located in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains, followed by a week at the EAA Air Academy in Oshkosh where they'll help Socata during EAA AirVenture 2013. All travel, lodging, and work experience is included, as well as a side trip to the Airbus facility at Toulouse. For an aspiring student working toward a career in the aviation industry, it's a dream situation.

"This opportunity gives a one-of-a-kind experience for the internship recipients," said Nicolas Chabbert, President and CEO of SOCATA North America. "They will spend time with our team in France, gaining expertise in their fields of interest - such as marketing, production, organization, design, support and service. We hope the experience will make a difference in their future careers, while also benefitting our company by working with the next-generation of aviation industry decision-makers."

While DAHER-SOCATA is currently providing American students a chance to study abroad, the company has encouraged EAA to find companies in the U.S. willing to share such an experience with young people from other parts of the world. For instance, the two interns will have the opportunity to interact with Socata employees as part of a unique cultural exchange.

"DAHER-SOCATA's commitment provides an incentive, a challenge to EAA Young Eagles, an opportunity for them to explore a variety of career directions within the aviation field first hand, to see what the future holds," said Elissa Lines, EAA's vice president of business and donor relations. "For a student, nothing is more important. The cultural exchange, the educational opportunities, and the impact on their lives are tremendous."

Glover is a senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, majoring in aerospace engineering. She is a former EAA Young Eagle and Air Academy attendee. Her career goal is to work on the management side of aircraft and spacecraft design and contribute to the development of new aircraft or spacecraft.

McAleer is a junior at Auburn University, majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He already holds a commercial pilot certificate, and has a career goal of using both his aviation experience and engineering education in the aviation industry.

NTSB Chairman Hersman - While Commercial Aviation Has Had An Exemplary Safety Record, The Same Can't Be Said For General Aviation

Washington, DC - NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman updated members of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee on the status of the NTSB's Boeing 787 battery fire investigation and warned against complacency in aviation safety after one of the safest periods in U.S. commercial aviation.

Since the February 2009 Colgan Air flight 3407 crash near Buffalo that killed 50 people, some 3 billion passengers have traveled safely on the U.S. airlines.

"Despite the lack of accidents in commercial aviation, we cannot be complacent," Hersman said, "The absence of accidents does not mean our work is done. Safely defying gravity thousands of times each day requires constant vigilance."

Hersman said the NTSB continues to investigate a number of incidents and accidents, notably the Japan Airlines Boeing 787 auxiliary power unit lithium-ion battery fire at Boston's Logan International Airport on Jan. 7.The investigation identified multiple, internal short circuits in cell 6 of the battery that started a thermal runaway and progressed to neighboring cells.

On March 7, the NTSB released an interim factual report and hundreds of pages of related documents. Last week, the NTSB held a two-day forum that explored lithium-ion battery technology in transportation. And, on April 23 and 24, the NTSB will hold an investigative hearing to focus on the design and certification of the 787's battery system.

Hersman also said that while commercial aviation has had an exemplary safety record recently, the same can't be said for general aviation.

"General Aviation accounts for nearly 1,500 accidents each year, resulting in nearly 500 annual fatalities," Hersman said. "What is especially tragic is that we see the same types of accidents over and over again, and so many are entirely preventable."

GA safety is on the NTSB's Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements, and is part of the NTSB's education and outreach to decrease these accidents, and last month the safety board met to examine some chronic problems in general aviation. The NTSB issued five safety alerts to pinpoint hazards and provide practical remedies.

Chairman Hersman's full testimony is available here.

Cessna And CAIGA Joint Ventures Gear Up For Operations in China

Shanghai, China - Cessna Aircraft Company, is beginning operations in China through joint ventures to be formed with China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Company (CAIGA) in Shijiazhuang and Zhuhai.

In November 2012, Cessna and CAIGA signed agreements to form joint ventures to assemble Citation XLS+ business jets through CESSNA-AVIC Aircraft (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd and Cessna Caravan utility turboprops through CESSNA-AVIC Aircraft (Shijiazhuang) Co., Ltd.

Speaking today at the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), William Schultz, Cessna’s senior vice president – business development, China, said: “Together with CAIGA, we are making swift progress toward establishing the joint venture operations. The construction of facilities is complete and we expect tooling and equipment to be in place in Shijiazhuang by June and in Zhuhai before the end of the year.” Formation of the joint ventures and the beginning of operations remain subject to various government approvals.

In addition, Cessna and CAIGA announced key senior management appointments for both joint ventures.

In addition to conducting aircraft assembly and sales, the joint ventures are also expected to develop customer support capabilities to meet aftermarket needs in China. These services are intended to complement the activities of Cessna’s existing service network in the country: Beijing DINGSHI GA Tech Service Center (CFIC) was appointed a Citation authorized service facility in March 2012, and Cessna is working towards awarding the same status to Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre.

Leading Chinese Flight Academy Announced An Order For A Beechcraft King Air

Shanghai, China – Beechcraft Corporation announced an order for a Beechcraft King Air C90GTx turboprop from Qingdao Jiutian International Flight Academy (JTFA), one of two Civil Aviation Administration of China certified, CCAR-141 certificated domestic flight schools in China. This purchase will help the academy meet the growing demand for its high-performance pilot training program in China.

The deal was signed on the opening day of the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition by Shawn Vick, president & CEO of Beechcraft International Services Company, and Mr. Siubun CHU, President of JTFA, and witnessed by U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke and officials from Pacific-China Aero Technology (PCAT).

“We are proud to close our first training aircraft deal with a private aviation school in China,” Vick said. “The King Air C90GTx has proven its high performance and reliability with outstanding mission flexibility throughout the world, and offers a proven, stable and efficient platform for advanced pilot training.”

“We are impressed by the outstanding performance and economics of the King Air C90GTx,” Mr. CHU said. “The solid support of Beechcraft also contributed much to our final decision.”

In China, the King Air C90GTx enjoys the good reputation among other aviation colleges and companies for advanced pilot training, including The Civil Aviation University of China (CAUC), Xinjiang Tianxiang Aviation College, Shenzhen Kunpeng International Flight Academy, Xi’an Tenglong General Aviation Co, Ltd., and Ordos General Aviation Co, Ltd.

9/11 Flight Attendant Alfred Marchand Widow Tells TSA - Keep Knives Off Planes “The attacks in Boston prove once again that we can’t be selective in our vigilance."

Washington, DC – The Flight Attendants’ Union Coalition released an open letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole from Rebecca Marchand, widow of Flight Attendant Alfred Marchand who was murdered by men with small knives on 9/11, United flight 175. She is also a mother of a current Flight Attendant.

“The attacks in Boston prove once again that we can’t be selective in our vigilance. We must guard against all threats, big and small,” Marchand writes. “As the wife of a Flight Attendant killed on 9/11, and the mother of a Flight Attendant who flies today, I have earned the right to say this: Knives have NO place on an airplane.

Rebecca Marchand is calling on Congress to make sure the dangerous policy change to allow knives will not be allowed to take effect.  She and her Flight Attendant son are visiting with lawmakers this week to build support for bipartisan legislation that will keep knives off the plane.

The No Knives Act of 2013, H.R. 1093 was introduced by Congressmen Ed Markey (D-MA) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) last month. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have called for a reversal of the policy and last month filed a budget amendment resolution aimed at keeping the ban on knives in the aircraft cabin.

“Do not demean the lessons of 9/11 by dismissing the outcry over knives as ‘emotional’. TSA was created because knives were used against crew and passengers to bring down four flights that day,” Marchand reminds the Administrator. “Knives have NO place on an airplane.”

Read the full letter from Rebecca Marchand here.

Air Marshals, Transportation Security Officers, and Pilots agree with Flight Attendants. There is a consensus among those in aviation security. The people on the front lines know knives must be kept out of the aircraft cabin.