GAC UPDATE ISSUE 46 - FEBRUARY 2015
By Vivienne Sandercock
1. Message from the Editor
2. NTSN calla for better ways to find aircraft accident sites and retrieve critical light data.
3. Africa's 2015's Hazards, Incidents, Accidents and Safety Occurrences
4. Emergency Response Planning
5. Henley Global Safety and Quality Training
6. New aircraft may fly anywhere in the world in 4 hours
7. Why airlines do not talk about safety in their ads
8. Global warming linked to more extreme weather and a weaker jet stream
9. News from the Johannesburg Airports
10. Safety and Security
11. Commercial Airline News
12. SAAFA donations
13. Finale
1. MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
The southern hemisphere summer has seen its fair share of violent storms which gave us all plenty of rain, thunder, lightning and hail to contend with. Whilst the aircraft operators are counting the cost of damage to aircraft those of us that managed not to be affected were either grateful for our good luck or thanked the staff that had made proper contingency plans to protect the equipment. Whether you believe in Global Warming or not the information contained in item 8 makes interesting reading
A date for your diary - The Grand Rand Show will be held on 23 August 2015
Vivienne
2. NTSB CALLS FOR BETTER WAYS TO FIND AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITES AND RETRIEVE CRITICAL FLIGHT DATA
WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board today issued a series of safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration calling for improvements in locating downed aircraft and ways to obtain critical flight data faster and without the need for immediate underwater retrieval. The Board also re-emphasized the need for cockpit image recorders on commercial airplanes.
Recent accidents have pointed to the need for improved technologies to locate aircraft wreckage and flight recorders lost in remote locations or over water. In the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447, it took almost two years and $40 million to find the recorders. Investigators are still searching for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. So far the search has involved 26 countries using 84 vessels and numerous aircraft.
"Technology has reached a point where we shouldn't have to search hundreds of miles of ocean floor in a frantic race to find these valuable boxes,'' said NTSB Acting Chairman Christopher A. Hart. "In this day and age, lost aircraft should be a thing of the past."
Last October, the NTSB held a forum, Emerging Flight Data and Locator Technology, which explored these issues in detail. Among the recommendations to the FAA are to equip commercial airplanes with a tamper-resistant method to broadcast to a ground station sufficient information to establish the location where an aircraft terminates flight as a result of an accident within six nautical miles of the point of impact. The NTSB also called for the FAA to coordinate with other regulatory authorities and the International Civil Aviation Organization to harmonize implementation of several of these recommendations. The NTSB also repeated recommendations for a crash-protected image recording system that would record the cockpit environment during the last two hours of a flight.
A link to the recommendation letter can be found here: go.usa.gov/Jsaz. A link to the recorder forum page is here: go.usa.gov/JsCW.
www.ntsb.gov
2. AFRICA'S 2015 HAZARDS, INCIDENTS, ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY OCCURENCES
ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FIXED WING AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA DURING 2015
DATE A/C TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION
8 Jan Microlight 2 Hoedspruit, RSA
Source, amongst others, PlaneCrash info.com; News24, Aviation Herald, Flight Safety Information
ACCIDENTS INVOLVING ROTOR WING AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA DURING 2015
DATE A/C TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION
NONE REPORTED
HAZARDS & INCIDENTS INVOLVING FIXED WING AIRCRAFT DURING JAN 2015
HAZ INC DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATAL ITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OP TYPE INC
04 Jan Fokker 50 JKIA, Nairobi, Kenya 0 Belly landing due 2 sets landing gear failed COM INC
5 Jan B737-700 Luanda, Angola 0 The a/c attempted to turn around to line up for take-off from runway 29 when the nose gear sunk into a hole in the runway at the line of runway threshold lights. The a/c was disabled, the damage is being assessed. COM INC
6 Jan PA28 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Bird strike reported during take off R/W 29. Aircraft landed safely R/W 35 with no reported damage TRNG INC
9 Jan PA28 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Pilot reported fluctuating RPM Safe landing made R/W 17 TRNG INC
13 Jan C406 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Pilot reported that he did not have three greens. Safe landing made R/W 29 PVT INC
14 Jan C172 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Radio failure. Safe landing made R/W 29 TRNG INC
19 Jan B777-399 En-route Lisbon (Portugal) to Luanda (Angola), at FL350 about 75nm east of Marrakesh (Morocco), about to cross the Haut Atlas Mountains near M'Goun 0 The a/c encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to one passenger. The crew continued the flight to Luanda where the aircraft landed safely about 5.5 hours later. COM INC
21 Jan C172 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Aircraft had a serious engine oil leak. Safe landing made R/W 35 TRNG
HAZARDS & INCIDENTS INVOLVING ROTOR WING AIRCRAFT DURING JAN 2015
HAZ INC DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATAL ITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OP TYPE INC
09 Jan Huey Forest on Mount Kenya, Kenya 0 The a/c made an emergency landing after experiencing a technical fault. INC
28 Jan RH44 En-route South Sudan to Khartoum 0 Six pax working with the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) along with the crew were detained by Sudanese rebels after their helicopter made an emergency landing in Sudan's war-torn South Kordofan province. COM
AERODROME HAZARDS
Goma, DRC Construction Hazards - Aerodrome being fenced and runway is being rehabilitated
Goma, DRC Unmanned aircraft
Goma, DRC Very poor ATC
Lubumbashi, DRC Construction Hazards - runway and taxiway lighting rehabilitation taking place
Kadugli, Sudan Poor ATC control of aircraft in the area
O R Tambo, RSA Birds
Cape Town Heliport Birds
Wau, Sudan Eagles
Juba, Sudan Very poor ATC with only 1 frequency. Crews must be on the lookout for other aircraft in their vicinity.
Juba, Sudan Vehicular traffic not obeying any regulations in terms of overtaking aircraft on taxiways and weaving in and out of aircraft on the apron.
3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING
Blake Emergency Services is the International Crisis Management and Contingency Planning Consultancy who, although based in the UK, have serious experience in Africa having handled accidents, incidents, counselling, repatriation, DNA sampling and confirmation, in amongst others Lagos, Nigeria; Fez, Morocco; Pointe Noire, Congo; Moroni, Comores; Maputo, Mozambique. Please go to www.blakeemergency.com or contact rethea.mitchell@blakeemergency.com
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Blake Emergency Services then please do not hesitate to contact Rethea at the address given above.
4. HENLEY/GLOBAL AVIATION TRAINING
Should you wish to make a booking for any of these courses please contact Candice on 011 024 5446 or by email to candice@gaconsultants.net
DATES COURSE LECTURER COST EXCL. VAT PER DELEGATE
02-03 February Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R2,475-00
11 February 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
11 February 2015 Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 850-00
11 February 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
16-17 February 2015 Human Factors (AME and CRM) - Initial Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,475-00
24 February 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
24 February 2015 Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 850-00
02-03 March Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R 2,475-00
16-17 March 2015 Human Factors (AME and CRM) - Initial Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,475-00
17 March 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
17 March 2015 Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 850-00
On request Part 108 Air Cargo Security Familiarisation Doug Smit
Note: Cost per delegate includes all training materials, refreshments and lunch.
Note: Attendees paying in cash on the day are eligible for a 10% discount
Note: Both Recurrent CRM and Dangerous Goods Training Courses are available upon request - even at short notice.
First Aid and the Law, please contact candice@gaconsultants.net
Emergency Response, Incident Response, Operations Control, Emergency Response and Family Assistance training together with the writing of Emergency Response Plans and Procedures training is now offered by Blake Emergency Services. For more information, please contact Rethea on rethea.mitchell@blakeemergency.com
5. NEW AIRCRAFT MAY FLY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IN 4 HOURS
A British aerospace firm is developing an aircraft that would take passengers anywhere in the world in just four hours while flying at five times the speed of sound. Reaction Engines is working on an engine system that will pave the way for a plane that would transport 300 passengers anywhere in the world in four hours.
Chief engineer Alan Bond said that a cooling technology allows air entering the new 'Sabre' engine system to be cooled by more than 1,000 degrees Celsius in .01 seconds. This would allow a jet engine to run at higher power than what is possible today, 'Business Insider' reported. The cooling system uses an array of thin pipes, arranged in a 'swirl' pattern and filled with condensed helium, to extract heat from air and cool it to minus 150 degrees Celsius before it enters the engine. In normal circumstances, this would cause moisture in the air to freeze, coating the engine with frost, but the company has also developed a method which prevents this from happening, according to a previous report in 'The Telegraph'.
The aircraft, which comes with a USD 1.1 billion price tag, will measure 276 feet long, and will be called the Skylon. Flights of the Skylon are planned for 2019.
6. WHY AIRLINES DO NOT TALK ABOUT SAFETY IN THEIR ADS
Looking around at modern airlines' slogans, you might notice a common trend: Few of them stress safety. Not Delta's "Keep Climbing," not American Airlines' "The new American is arriving," not JetBlue's "You Above All."
There was a time when this wasn't the case. Safety was often mentioned in air travel ads when the aviation industry was still nascent in the 1920s and 1930s - back then, airlines had the tricky task of convincing travellers to try a then-unproven means of getting about. The trend lasted until the late 1980s, when Pan Am launched reassuring ads amidst terrorist threats targeting American airliners flying across the Atlantic. Those threats, however, eventually took form as that year's fatal bombing of Pan Am Flight 1o3, which claimed 270 lives in the air and on the ground. The Pan Am attack, says aviation security expert Glen Winn, is ultimately what convinced airlines to quit bragging about safety. "Leading up the destruction of Pan Am 103, [Pan Am] had advertised themselves as not only the safest, but also the most secure," Winn said. "Airlines since then have been really careful how they say what they say."
Safety has since all but disappeared from airlines' advertisements. And when airlines are required to discuss safety during on-board safety demonstrations, major brands are trying to make them more fun, revamping their in-flight safety videos to transform mandatory prepare-for-the-worst briefings into informative musicals and short films.
Why the shift? Yes, worldwide commercial aviation deaths per year have declined. But no airline can guarantee passengers total immunity from harm. And several high-profile disasters over the past few months, like Malaysia Airlines Flights 370 and 17 as well as AirAsia Flight 8501, have put travellers especially on edge. Putting the "S-Word" in slogans or commercials, airlines have found, doesn't reassure passengers - it just reminds them of the random chance of danger their next trip might bring, however slight it may be.
"When you talk about safety, you bring up a bad taste in people's mouths," said Andy Trinchero, Executive Director of marketing at aviation marketing firm. "It's something that people don't even want to hear about, really."
7. GLOBAL WARMING LINKED TO MORE EXTREME WEATHER AND WEAKER JET STREAM
We have seen a quantum jump in extreme weather events in the Northern Hemisphere in the last several years. Droughts, deluges, and heat waves are increasingly getting "stuck" or "blocked," which in turn worsens and prolongs their impact beyond what might be expected just from the recent human-caused increase in global temperatures.
A growing body of research ties that unexpected jump to a weakening of the jet stream - in particular to "more frequent high-amplitude (wavy) jet-stream configurations that favour persistent weather patterns," as a new study puts it. Much of this new research ties the weakening jet stream to "Arctic amplification (AA) - defined here as the enhanced sensitivity of Arctic temperature change relative to mid-latitude regions," in the words of the new study, "Evidence for a wavier jet
stream in response to rapid Arctic warming" by Jennifer Francis and Stephen Vavrus. But that is no by no means a universally accepted explanation. I'll review some of the evidence in this post.
MunichRe 2015
Reinsurer Munich Re has the most comprehensive database of global natural catastrophes. Their 2010 analysis, "Large number of weather extremes as strong indication of climate change," concluded "it would seem that the only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change. The view that weather extremes are more frequent and intense due to global warming coincides with the current state of scientific knowledge." For instance, a 2010 Journal of Climate study that found "global warming is the main cause of a significant intensification in the North Atlantic Subtropical High (NASH) that in recent decades has more than doubled the frequency of abnormally wet or dry summer weather in the south eastern United States."
In 2011, Dr. Peter Höppe, Head of the Geo Risks Research Department at Munich Re explained what had persuaded him of the causal link: For me the most convincing piece of evidence that global warming has been contributing already to more and more intense weather related natural catastrophes is the fact that while we find a steep increase in the number of loss relevant weather events (about tripling in the last 30 years) we only find a slight increase in geophysical (earthquake, volcano, tsunami) events, which should not be affected by global warming. If the whole trend we find in weather related disaster should be caused by reporting bias, or socio-demographic or economic developments we would expect to find it similarly for the geophysical events.
And that was before two years of off-the-charts extreme weather catastrophes, particularly in North America (in 2011, the head of NOAA said the record dozen billion-dollar weather disasters was "a harbinger of things to come."
Then, in an October 2012 study, Munich Re linked the rapid rise in North American extreme weather catastrophes to manmade climate change: "Climate-driven changes are already evident over the last few decades for severe thunderstorms, for heavy precipitation and flash flooding, for hurricane activity, and for heatwave, drought and wild-fire dynamics in parts of North America."
At the same time non-climatic events (earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis) have hardly changed, as the figure shows. Höppe said at the time: "In all likelihood, we have to regard this finding as an initial climate-change footprint in our US loss data from the last four decades. Previously, there had not been such a strong chain of evidence. If the first effects of climate change are already perceptible, all alerts and measures against it have become even more pressing."
That same month a study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "The recent shift in early summer Arctic atmospheric circulation" concluded global warming was driving changes in extreme weather in North America. As NOAA explained at the time: "Our research reveals a change in the summer Arctic wind pattern over the past six years. This shift demonstrates a physical connection between reduced Arctic sea ice in the summer, loss of Greenland ice, and potentially, weather in North American and Europe," said [NOAA's James] Overland, an oceanographer who leads the laboratory's Coastal and Arctic Research Division.
The shift provides additional evidence that changes in the Arctic are not only directly because of global warming, as shown by warmer air and sea temperatures, but are also part of an "Arctic amplification" through which multiple Arctic-specific physical processes interact to accelerate temperature change, ice variability, and ecological impacts.
Arctic amplification is often explained this way: Warming melts highly reflective white ice and snow, which is replaced by the dark blue sea or dark land, both of which absorb far more sunlight and hence far more solar energy. But a key point, as NOAA indicates, is that it actually consists of multiple, synergistic effects, as I discussed here.
"Enhanced warming of the Arctic affects the jet stream by slowing its west-to-east winds and by promoting larger north-south meanders in the flow," as NOAA explained. "The researchers say that with more solar energy going into the Arctic Ocean because of lost ice, there is reason to expect more extreme weather events, such as heavy snowfall, heat waves, and flooding in North America and Europe but these will vary in location, intensity, and timescales."
Prof. Jennifer Francis of Rutgers - co-author of the 2012 NOAA-led piece (and lead author of the new 2015 study) - said at the time, "What we're seeing is stark evidence that the gradual temperature increase is not the important story related to climate change; it's the rapid regional changes and increased frequency of extreme weather that global warming is causing. As the Arctic warms at twice the global rate, we expect an increased probability of extreme weather events across the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere, where billions of people live."
The path of the jet stream "typically has a meandering shape, and these meanders themselves propagate east, at lower speeds than that of the actual wind within the flow. Each large meander, or wave, within the jet stream is known as a Rossby wave." That brings us to an August 2014 study from a team of scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). That study offered a specific mechanism for why we're seeing this quantum leap in extreme weather - some Rossby waves are stalling out for extended periods of time: "the study shows that in periods with extreme weather, some of these waves become virtually stalled and greatly amplified."
As the PIK explained at the time: Weather extremes in the summer - such as the record heat wave in the United States that hit corn farmers and worsened wildfires in 2012 - have reached an exceptional number in the last ten years. Man-made global warming can explain a gradual increase in periods of severe heat, but the observed change in the magnitude and duration of some events is not so easily explained. It has been linked to a recently discovered mechanism: the trapping of giant waves in the atmosphere. A new data analysis now shows that such wave-trapping events are indeed on the rise.
Not every study comes to the same conclusion as NOAA, PIK, and Francis. One 2014 study claims to "disconfirm the hypothesis that deep tropospheric warming in the Arctic during OND - October, November and December has resulted substantially from sea ice loss." But as Francis explained to me, the authors of that 2014 study "state that the first link in the 'chain' connecting rapid Arctic warming with a wavier jet stream, as proposed in our 2012 paper, is sea-ice loss - but in fact it is Arctic amplification (Arctic warming faster than mid-latitudes). While sea-ice loss is one of the factors contributing to Arctic amplification (AA), it is certainly not the most important factor - only 20% according to this study." Francis also points out "their modelled response to sea-ice loss is presented as time-averages, so any signal of jet-stream wave amplification will not be detected unless the ridge/trough system occurs in the same place every time, which it often does not."
Clearly the interactions between global warming and Northern Hemisphere weather are complex. We still have much more to learn about "Recent Arctic amplification and extreme mid-latitude weather," as made clear in a recent Nature Geoscience paper (with that title) written by several of the leading researchers in the field, including Francis.
But the evidence is mounting that we have entered a new regime of extreme weather thanks to our as-yet unrestricted emissions of greenhouse gas. The latest 2015 study, by Francis and Vavrus, concludes: These results reinforce the hypothesis that a rapidly warming Arctic promotes amplified jet-stream trajectories, which are known to favour persistent weather patterns and a higher likelihood of extreme weather events. Based on these results, we conclude that further strengthening and expansion of AA in all seasons, as a result of unabated increases in greenhouse gas emissions, will contribute to an increasingly wavy character in the upper-level winds, and consequently, an increase in extreme weather events that arise from prolonged atmospheric conditions.
8. NEWS FROM THE JOHANNESBURG AIRPORTS
RAND AIRPORT, GERMISTON - www.randairport.co,za
Next Safety Meeting will be held on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 at 09.00 in the Old Customs Hall.
LANSERIA AIRPORT - www.lanseriaairport.co.za
Next Safety, Security and Stakeholders Meeting will be held on 10th February 2015 at 12.00 in the LIA Training School.
GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT, MIDRAND
Next Safety Meeting will be held on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 at 12.00 in the Boardroom
ACSA - ALL AIRPORTS
Thursday, January 29, 2015 | 00:00
South African airlines will soon implement hand baggage guidelines with stricter control in accordance with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) regulations.
A need was identified by domestic carriers to implement uniform controls on hand baggage on all flights departing from Airports Company South Africa airports. The international airlines agreed with the necessity of ensuring consistency across all flights and will also implement these controls. These principles are deemed necessary not only in the interest of ensuring compliance with legislation and airline hand baggage policies, but also in the interests of cabin and flight safety.
As of 2 February 2015, passengers travelling domestically on economy class on any airline, will be permitted carry-on baggage of one (1) bag of up to 7 kg in addition to one (1) slim line laptop bag. Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines as some carriers may further restrict the hand baggage allowance due to the size and type of aircraft.
For passengers flying business class, the carry-on baggage allowance is two (2) bags of up to 7 kg each in addition to one (1) slim line laptop bag. Slim line laptop bags must be of a size and thickness specifically designed to carry a laptop and charger.
Carry-on baggage will be checked at all Airports Company South Africa airports prior to proceeding through the security check point. If a passenger's carry-on baggage does not comply with the prescribed allowance, they will be referred back to the check-in counter.
"This policy has been initiated by airlines themselves, supported by Airports Company South Africa, the SACAA and Industry Associations to control the number of pieces of hand baggage carried on board aircraft from a space availability and safety perspective," said Chris Zweigenthal, Chief Executive, Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA).
No bag should exceed 56cm x 36cm x 23cm (total dimensions of 115cm) or weigh more than 7kg. Bag weight may vary according to airline specifications
.
"For some time, the Airline and Handling Agent Management through the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) have been working towards the implementation of the Hand Baggage Policy. At the request of the domestic carriers, a policy was put in place and consultations have taken place with all airlines," said Board of Airline Representatives South Africa (BARSA) CEO June Crawford.
Airports Company South Africa has reiterated its support to airlines in enforcing the programme. The company has advised passengers to adhere to the airline restrictions when using any of its network of nine airports namely; O.R. Tambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International, Port Elizabeth International, Upington International and Bram Fischer International Airports as well as George Airport, East London Airport and Kimberley Airport.
For media related inquiries, please contact:
June Crawford, CEO BARSA, Tel 011 305 2300, e-mail info@barsa.co.za
Chris Zweigenthal, CEO, AASA, Tel 011 609 0050, e-mail chris@aasa.za.net
Unathi Batyashe-fillis, Group Spokesperson ACSA, Tel 011 723 1400, e-mail unathi.batyashe-fillis@airports.co.za
9. SAFETY AND SECURITY
Airlines from at least three countries suspended flights to Baghdad on Tuesday 26th January after bullets hit a plane operated by a budget carrier as it was landing at Baghdad Airport. An aviation official and a security official told Reuters news agency that two passengers were slightly injured when three or four bullets hit the body of the plane on Monday evening. The security official said the authorities had rounded up suspects in farmlands south of the airport, which sits on the city's western outskirts. It was not clear whether the shooting was intentional. Guns are widely available in Iraq and celebratory gunfire into the air is not uncommon. Iraq's Shi'ite-led government, backed by US-led airstrikes, has been trying to push back Islamic State militants since they swept through northern Iraq in June. But the nearest fighting to Baghdad's airport is on the western outskirts of Abu Ghraib, more than 10 km (6 miles) away. The aviation official said Iraq had briefly suspended air traffic on Monday following the incident but permitted it to resume on Tuesday morning. However, flydubai, Emirates, Air Arabia and Etihad Airways suspended flights on Tuesday, in line with a directive from the UAE's civil aviation authority. Turkish Airlines and Middle East Airlines also suspended flights for the day without citing the shooting incident. Company officials said Iraqi Airways and Caspian Airlines were operating flights to Baghdad on a normal schedule. A spokesperson for the affected operator denied that any passengers had required medical treatment and said an investigation was under way. "After landing at Baghdad... on 26 January 2015, damage to the aircraft fuselage consistent with small arms fire was discovered the spokesperson said.
(Reuters)
10. COMMERCIAL AIRLINE INFORMATION
Cemair are scheduled to launch their O R Tambo to Bloemfontein service on 23 February 2015 - check out www.flycemair.co.za
SAA are scheduled to launch a new service to Abu Dhabi and cancel their flights to Beijing - check out the details on www.flysaa.com
11. SAAFA DONATIONS
Should you wish to make a donation to this more than worthy cause then please pay it (via EFT or as a deposit) into;
Standard Bank Bedford Gardens; Bank Code 018 305; Account Name: SA Air Force Association (JHB Branch); Account Number: 022 605 568. You may use either your Company or Individual name along with the word donation as the reference.
12. FINALE
SITUATIONS VACANT. If you are interested and qualified please send your CV to global@gaconsultants.net
Part Time Consultant Air Safety Officers required who comply with the requirements of SA CARS Part 135, Part 121, Part 127, Part 140, Part 141 and Part 145 - must have had appropriate SMS training, previous experience and preferably been approved by the South African Air Services Licencing Council.
Part Time Quality Assurance Consultants required who are appropriately qualified and comply with the requirements of Part 135, Part 121, Part 127, Part 140, Part 141 and Part 145.
Part Time Aviation Security Consultant required who is appropriately qualified for RSA and International Operations
ANNUAL PRECISION SKILLS DAY
Henley Air's 11th Annual Precision Skills Day 2015 has been confirmed for Saturday 11 April.
This is the day when teams navigate a bucket of water through a maze of gates and try to land the bucket on a target - All while flying a helicopter, of course. Closest time with the least penalties wins. Entries open soon!! Who will win the 11th Annual Precision Skills Day this year???
GLOBAL AVIATION CONSULTANTS (PTY) LTD
Can we help you with your aviation safety and / or quality requirements? Under SA CAR 140.01.2 if you and your organisation hold one of the following
? a category 4 or higher aerodrome licence;
? an ATO approval;
? an aircraft maintenance organisation approval;
? a manufacturing organisation approval ;
? an ATSU approval;
? a design organisation approval;
? an AOC issued in terms of Part 121, 127, 135, 141;
? a procedure design organisation approval; and
? an electronic services organisation approval,
then you shall establish a Safety Management System for the control and supervision of the services rendered or to be rendered by that organisation. If you do not already have an approved Air Safety Officer and an approved Safety Management System then please contact us for assistance.
We, at Global Aviation Consultants, deliver the following SA CAA Approved training courses for Air Safety Officers at Rand Airport;
? Safety Management Systems
? Integrated Safety Officer Course
? Quality Assurance Auditor
? Crew Resource Management (Initial and Recurrent)
? Dangerous Goods
? Human Factors for AME's
Should your operation be of a size whereby the full time employment of an Air Safety Officer and/or Quality Assurance Officer is not financially viable then we can provide you with Consultants who have previously held Air Services Licensing Council approval. We can also provide you with a tailor made SA CAA approved Safety Management System.
For further information on how we can help you please contact Rethea or Candice in Hanger 6, Rand Airport, Germiston on 011-024--5446/7 or e-mail global@gaconsultants.net
Global Aviation Consultants accepts no liability for the content of this email, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.
2. NTSN calla for better ways to find aircraft accident sites and retrieve critical light data.
3. Africa's 2015's Hazards, Incidents, Accidents and Safety Occurrences
4. Emergency Response Planning
5. Henley Global Safety and Quality Training
6. New aircraft may fly anywhere in the world in 4 hours
7. Why airlines do not talk about safety in their ads
8. Global warming linked to more extreme weather and a weaker jet stream
9. News from the Johannesburg Airports
10. Safety and Security
11. Commercial Airline News
12. SAAFA donations
13. Finale
1. MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
The southern hemisphere summer has seen its fair share of violent storms which gave us all plenty of rain, thunder, lightning and hail to contend with. Whilst the aircraft operators are counting the cost of damage to aircraft those of us that managed not to be affected were either grateful for our good luck or thanked the staff that had made proper contingency plans to protect the equipment. Whether you believe in Global Warming or not the information contained in item 8 makes interesting reading
A date for your diary - The Grand Rand Show will be held on 23 August 2015
Vivienne
2. NTSB CALLS FOR BETTER WAYS TO FIND AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITES AND RETRIEVE CRITICAL FLIGHT DATA
WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board today issued a series of safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration calling for improvements in locating downed aircraft and ways to obtain critical flight data faster and without the need for immediate underwater retrieval. The Board also re-emphasized the need for cockpit image recorders on commercial airplanes.
Recent accidents have pointed to the need for improved technologies to locate aircraft wreckage and flight recorders lost in remote locations or over water. In the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447, it took almost two years and $40 million to find the recorders. Investigators are still searching for Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. So far the search has involved 26 countries using 84 vessels and numerous aircraft.
"Technology has reached a point where we shouldn't have to search hundreds of miles of ocean floor in a frantic race to find these valuable boxes,'' said NTSB Acting Chairman Christopher A. Hart. "In this day and age, lost aircraft should be a thing of the past."
Last October, the NTSB held a forum, Emerging Flight Data and Locator Technology, which explored these issues in detail. Among the recommendations to the FAA are to equip commercial airplanes with a tamper-resistant method to broadcast to a ground station sufficient information to establish the location where an aircraft terminates flight as a result of an accident within six nautical miles of the point of impact. The NTSB also called for the FAA to coordinate with other regulatory authorities and the International Civil Aviation Organization to harmonize implementation of several of these recommendations. The NTSB also repeated recommendations for a crash-protected image recording system that would record the cockpit environment during the last two hours of a flight.
A link to the recommendation letter can be found here: go.usa.gov/Jsaz. A link to the recorder forum page is here: go.usa.gov/JsCW.
www.ntsb.gov
2. AFRICA'S 2015 HAZARDS, INCIDENTS, ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY OCCURENCES
ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FIXED WING AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA DURING 2015
DATE A/C TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION
8 Jan Microlight 2 Hoedspruit, RSA
Source, amongst others, PlaneCrash info.com; News24, Aviation Herald, Flight Safety Information
ACCIDENTS INVOLVING ROTOR WING AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA DURING 2015
DATE A/C TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION
NONE REPORTED
HAZARDS & INCIDENTS INVOLVING FIXED WING AIRCRAFT DURING JAN 2015
HAZ INC DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATAL ITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OP TYPE INC
04 Jan Fokker 50 JKIA, Nairobi, Kenya 0 Belly landing due 2 sets landing gear failed COM INC
5 Jan B737-700 Luanda, Angola 0 The a/c attempted to turn around to line up for take-off from runway 29 when the nose gear sunk into a hole in the runway at the line of runway threshold lights. The a/c was disabled, the damage is being assessed. COM INC
6 Jan PA28 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Bird strike reported during take off R/W 29. Aircraft landed safely R/W 35 with no reported damage TRNG INC
9 Jan PA28 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Pilot reported fluctuating RPM Safe landing made R/W 17 TRNG INC
13 Jan C406 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Pilot reported that he did not have three greens. Safe landing made R/W 29 PVT INC
14 Jan C172 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Radio failure. Safe landing made R/W 29 TRNG INC
19 Jan B777-399 En-route Lisbon (Portugal) to Luanda (Angola), at FL350 about 75nm east of Marrakesh (Morocco), about to cross the Haut Atlas Mountains near M'Goun 0 The a/c encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to one passenger. The crew continued the flight to Luanda where the aircraft landed safely about 5.5 hours later. COM INC
21 Jan C172 Rand Airport, Gauteng, RSA 0 Aircraft had a serious engine oil leak. Safe landing made R/W 35 TRNG
HAZARDS & INCIDENTS INVOLVING ROTOR WING AIRCRAFT DURING JAN 2015
HAZ INC DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATAL ITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OP TYPE INC
09 Jan Huey Forest on Mount Kenya, Kenya 0 The a/c made an emergency landing after experiencing a technical fault. INC
28 Jan RH44 En-route South Sudan to Khartoum 0 Six pax working with the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) along with the crew were detained by Sudanese rebels after their helicopter made an emergency landing in Sudan's war-torn South Kordofan province. COM
AERODROME HAZARDS
Goma, DRC Construction Hazards - Aerodrome being fenced and runway is being rehabilitated
Goma, DRC Unmanned aircraft
Goma, DRC Very poor ATC
Lubumbashi, DRC Construction Hazards - runway and taxiway lighting rehabilitation taking place
Kadugli, Sudan Poor ATC control of aircraft in the area
O R Tambo, RSA Birds
Cape Town Heliport Birds
Wau, Sudan Eagles
Juba, Sudan Very poor ATC with only 1 frequency. Crews must be on the lookout for other aircraft in their vicinity.
Juba, Sudan Vehicular traffic not obeying any regulations in terms of overtaking aircraft on taxiways and weaving in and out of aircraft on the apron.
3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING
Blake Emergency Services is the International Crisis Management and Contingency Planning Consultancy who, although based in the UK, have serious experience in Africa having handled accidents, incidents, counselling, repatriation, DNA sampling and confirmation, in amongst others Lagos, Nigeria; Fez, Morocco; Pointe Noire, Congo; Moroni, Comores; Maputo, Mozambique. Please go to www.blakeemergency.com or contact rethea.mitchell@blakeemergency.com
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Blake Emergency Services then please do not hesitate to contact Rethea at the address given above.
4. HENLEY/GLOBAL AVIATION TRAINING
Should you wish to make a booking for any of these courses please contact Candice on 011 024 5446 or by email to candice@gaconsultants.net
DATES COURSE LECTURER COST EXCL. VAT PER DELEGATE
02-03 February Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R2,475-00
11 February 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
11 February 2015 Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 850-00
11 February 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
16-17 February 2015 Human Factors (AME and CRM) - Initial Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,475-00
24 February 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
24 February 2015 Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 850-00
02-03 March Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R 2,475-00
16-17 March 2015 Human Factors (AME and CRM) - Initial Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,475-00
17 March 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00
17 March 2015 Dangerous Goods Verity Wallace R 850-00
On request Part 108 Air Cargo Security Familiarisation Doug Smit
Note: Cost per delegate includes all training materials, refreshments and lunch.
Note: Attendees paying in cash on the day are eligible for a 10% discount
Note: Both Recurrent CRM and Dangerous Goods Training Courses are available upon request - even at short notice.
First Aid and the Law, please contact candice@gaconsultants.net
Emergency Response, Incident Response, Operations Control, Emergency Response and Family Assistance training together with the writing of Emergency Response Plans and Procedures training is now offered by Blake Emergency Services. For more information, please contact Rethea on rethea.mitchell@blakeemergency.com
5. NEW AIRCRAFT MAY FLY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD IN 4 HOURS
A British aerospace firm is developing an aircraft that would take passengers anywhere in the world in just four hours while flying at five times the speed of sound. Reaction Engines is working on an engine system that will pave the way for a plane that would transport 300 passengers anywhere in the world in four hours.
Chief engineer Alan Bond said that a cooling technology allows air entering the new 'Sabre' engine system to be cooled by more than 1,000 degrees Celsius in .01 seconds. This would allow a jet engine to run at higher power than what is possible today, 'Business Insider' reported. The cooling system uses an array of thin pipes, arranged in a 'swirl' pattern and filled with condensed helium, to extract heat from air and cool it to minus 150 degrees Celsius before it enters the engine. In normal circumstances, this would cause moisture in the air to freeze, coating the engine with frost, but the company has also developed a method which prevents this from happening, according to a previous report in 'The Telegraph'.
The aircraft, which comes with a USD 1.1 billion price tag, will measure 276 feet long, and will be called the Skylon. Flights of the Skylon are planned for 2019.
6. WHY AIRLINES DO NOT TALK ABOUT SAFETY IN THEIR ADS
Looking around at modern airlines' slogans, you might notice a common trend: Few of them stress safety. Not Delta's "Keep Climbing," not American Airlines' "The new American is arriving," not JetBlue's "You Above All."
There was a time when this wasn't the case. Safety was often mentioned in air travel ads when the aviation industry was still nascent in the 1920s and 1930s - back then, airlines had the tricky task of convincing travellers to try a then-unproven means of getting about. The trend lasted until the late 1980s, when Pan Am launched reassuring ads amidst terrorist threats targeting American airliners flying across the Atlantic. Those threats, however, eventually took form as that year's fatal bombing of Pan Am Flight 1o3, which claimed 270 lives in the air and on the ground. The Pan Am attack, says aviation security expert Glen Winn, is ultimately what convinced airlines to quit bragging about safety. "Leading up the destruction of Pan Am 103, [Pan Am] had advertised themselves as not only the safest, but also the most secure," Winn said. "Airlines since then have been really careful how they say what they say."
Safety has since all but disappeared from airlines' advertisements. And when airlines are required to discuss safety during on-board safety demonstrations, major brands are trying to make them more fun, revamping their in-flight safety videos to transform mandatory prepare-for-the-worst briefings into informative musicals and short films.
Why the shift? Yes, worldwide commercial aviation deaths per year have declined. But no airline can guarantee passengers total immunity from harm. And several high-profile disasters over the past few months, like Malaysia Airlines Flights 370 and 17 as well as AirAsia Flight 8501, have put travellers especially on edge. Putting the "S-Word" in slogans or commercials, airlines have found, doesn't reassure passengers - it just reminds them of the random chance of danger their next trip might bring, however slight it may be.
"When you talk about safety, you bring up a bad taste in people's mouths," said Andy Trinchero, Executive Director of marketing at aviation marketing firm. "It's something that people don't even want to hear about, really."
7. GLOBAL WARMING LINKED TO MORE EXTREME WEATHER AND WEAKER JET STREAM
We have seen a quantum jump in extreme weather events in the Northern Hemisphere in the last several years. Droughts, deluges, and heat waves are increasingly getting "stuck" or "blocked," which in turn worsens and prolongs their impact beyond what might be expected just from the recent human-caused increase in global temperatures.
A growing body of research ties that unexpected jump to a weakening of the jet stream - in particular to "more frequent high-amplitude (wavy) jet-stream configurations that favour persistent weather patterns," as a new study puts it. Much of this new research ties the weakening jet stream to "Arctic amplification (AA) - defined here as the enhanced sensitivity of Arctic temperature change relative to mid-latitude regions," in the words of the new study, "Evidence for a wavier jet
stream in response to rapid Arctic warming" by Jennifer Francis and Stephen Vavrus. But that is no by no means a universally accepted explanation. I'll review some of the evidence in this post.
MunichRe 2015
Reinsurer Munich Re has the most comprehensive database of global natural catastrophes. Their 2010 analysis, "Large number of weather extremes as strong indication of climate change," concluded "it would seem that the only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change. The view that weather extremes are more frequent and intense due to global warming coincides with the current state of scientific knowledge." For instance, a 2010 Journal of Climate study that found "global warming is the main cause of a significant intensification in the North Atlantic Subtropical High (NASH) that in recent decades has more than doubled the frequency of abnormally wet or dry summer weather in the south eastern United States."
In 2011, Dr. Peter Höppe, Head of the Geo Risks Research Department at Munich Re explained what had persuaded him of the causal link: For me the most convincing piece of evidence that global warming has been contributing already to more and more intense weather related natural catastrophes is the fact that while we find a steep increase in the number of loss relevant weather events (about tripling in the last 30 years) we only find a slight increase in geophysical (earthquake, volcano, tsunami) events, which should not be affected by global warming. If the whole trend we find in weather related disaster should be caused by reporting bias, or socio-demographic or economic developments we would expect to find it similarly for the geophysical events.
And that was before two years of off-the-charts extreme weather catastrophes, particularly in North America (in 2011, the head of NOAA said the record dozen billion-dollar weather disasters was "a harbinger of things to come."
Then, in an October 2012 study, Munich Re linked the rapid rise in North American extreme weather catastrophes to manmade climate change: "Climate-driven changes are already evident over the last few decades for severe thunderstorms, for heavy precipitation and flash flooding, for hurricane activity, and for heatwave, drought and wild-fire dynamics in parts of North America."
At the same time non-climatic events (earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis) have hardly changed, as the figure shows. Höppe said at the time: "In all likelihood, we have to regard this finding as an initial climate-change footprint in our US loss data from the last four decades. Previously, there had not been such a strong chain of evidence. If the first effects of climate change are already perceptible, all alerts and measures against it have become even more pressing."
That same month a study led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "The recent shift in early summer Arctic atmospheric circulation" concluded global warming was driving changes in extreme weather in North America. As NOAA explained at the time: "Our research reveals a change in the summer Arctic wind pattern over the past six years. This shift demonstrates a physical connection between reduced Arctic sea ice in the summer, loss of Greenland ice, and potentially, weather in North American and Europe," said [NOAA's James] Overland, an oceanographer who leads the laboratory's Coastal and Arctic Research Division.
The shift provides additional evidence that changes in the Arctic are not only directly because of global warming, as shown by warmer air and sea temperatures, but are also part of an "Arctic amplification" through which multiple Arctic-specific physical processes interact to accelerate temperature change, ice variability, and ecological impacts.
Arctic amplification is often explained this way: Warming melts highly reflective white ice and snow, which is replaced by the dark blue sea or dark land, both of which absorb far more sunlight and hence far more solar energy. But a key point, as NOAA indicates, is that it actually consists of multiple, synergistic effects, as I discussed here.
"Enhanced warming of the Arctic affects the jet stream by slowing its west-to-east winds and by promoting larger north-south meanders in the flow," as NOAA explained. "The researchers say that with more solar energy going into the Arctic Ocean because of lost ice, there is reason to expect more extreme weather events, such as heavy snowfall, heat waves, and flooding in North America and Europe but these will vary in location, intensity, and timescales."
Prof. Jennifer Francis of Rutgers - co-author of the 2012 NOAA-led piece (and lead author of the new 2015 study) - said at the time, "What we're seeing is stark evidence that the gradual temperature increase is not the important story related to climate change; it's the rapid regional changes and increased frequency of extreme weather that global warming is causing. As the Arctic warms at twice the global rate, we expect an increased probability of extreme weather events across the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere, where billions of people live."
The path of the jet stream "typically has a meandering shape, and these meanders themselves propagate east, at lower speeds than that of the actual wind within the flow. Each large meander, or wave, within the jet stream is known as a Rossby wave." That brings us to an August 2014 study from a team of scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). That study offered a specific mechanism for why we're seeing this quantum leap in extreme weather - some Rossby waves are stalling out for extended periods of time: "the study shows that in periods with extreme weather, some of these waves become virtually stalled and greatly amplified."
As the PIK explained at the time: Weather extremes in the summer - such as the record heat wave in the United States that hit corn farmers and worsened wildfires in 2012 - have reached an exceptional number in the last ten years. Man-made global warming can explain a gradual increase in periods of severe heat, but the observed change in the magnitude and duration of some events is not so easily explained. It has been linked to a recently discovered mechanism: the trapping of giant waves in the atmosphere. A new data analysis now shows that such wave-trapping events are indeed on the rise.
Not every study comes to the same conclusion as NOAA, PIK, and Francis. One 2014 study claims to "disconfirm the hypothesis that deep tropospheric warming in the Arctic during OND - October, November and December has resulted substantially from sea ice loss." But as Francis explained to me, the authors of that 2014 study "state that the first link in the 'chain' connecting rapid Arctic warming with a wavier jet stream, as proposed in our 2012 paper, is sea-ice loss - but in fact it is Arctic amplification (Arctic warming faster than mid-latitudes). While sea-ice loss is one of the factors contributing to Arctic amplification (AA), it is certainly not the most important factor - only 20% according to this study." Francis also points out "their modelled response to sea-ice loss is presented as time-averages, so any signal of jet-stream wave amplification will not be detected unless the ridge/trough system occurs in the same place every time, which it often does not."
Clearly the interactions between global warming and Northern Hemisphere weather are complex. We still have much more to learn about "Recent Arctic amplification and extreme mid-latitude weather," as made clear in a recent Nature Geoscience paper (with that title) written by several of the leading researchers in the field, including Francis.
But the evidence is mounting that we have entered a new regime of extreme weather thanks to our as-yet unrestricted emissions of greenhouse gas. The latest 2015 study, by Francis and Vavrus, concludes: These results reinforce the hypothesis that a rapidly warming Arctic promotes amplified jet-stream trajectories, which are known to favour persistent weather patterns and a higher likelihood of extreme weather events. Based on these results, we conclude that further strengthening and expansion of AA in all seasons, as a result of unabated increases in greenhouse gas emissions, will contribute to an increasingly wavy character in the upper-level winds, and consequently, an increase in extreme weather events that arise from prolonged atmospheric conditions.
8. NEWS FROM THE JOHANNESBURG AIRPORTS
RAND AIRPORT, GERMISTON - www.randairport.co,za
Next Safety Meeting will be held on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 at 09.00 in the Old Customs Hall.
LANSERIA AIRPORT - www.lanseriaairport.co.za
Next Safety, Security and Stakeholders Meeting will be held on 10th February 2015 at 12.00 in the LIA Training School.
GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT, MIDRAND
Next Safety Meeting will be held on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 at 12.00 in the Boardroom
ACSA - ALL AIRPORTS
Thursday, January 29, 2015 | 00:00
South African airlines will soon implement hand baggage guidelines with stricter control in accordance with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) regulations.
A need was identified by domestic carriers to implement uniform controls on hand baggage on all flights departing from Airports Company South Africa airports. The international airlines agreed with the necessity of ensuring consistency across all flights and will also implement these controls. These principles are deemed necessary not only in the interest of ensuring compliance with legislation and airline hand baggage policies, but also in the interests of cabin and flight safety.
As of 2 February 2015, passengers travelling domestically on economy class on any airline, will be permitted carry-on baggage of one (1) bag of up to 7 kg in addition to one (1) slim line laptop bag. Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines as some carriers may further restrict the hand baggage allowance due to the size and type of aircraft.
For passengers flying business class, the carry-on baggage allowance is two (2) bags of up to 7 kg each in addition to one (1) slim line laptop bag. Slim line laptop bags must be of a size and thickness specifically designed to carry a laptop and charger.
Carry-on baggage will be checked at all Airports Company South Africa airports prior to proceeding through the security check point. If a passenger's carry-on baggage does not comply with the prescribed allowance, they will be referred back to the check-in counter.
"This policy has been initiated by airlines themselves, supported by Airports Company South Africa, the SACAA and Industry Associations to control the number of pieces of hand baggage carried on board aircraft from a space availability and safety perspective," said Chris Zweigenthal, Chief Executive, Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA).
No bag should exceed 56cm x 36cm x 23cm (total dimensions of 115cm) or weigh more than 7kg. Bag weight may vary according to airline specifications
.
"For some time, the Airline and Handling Agent Management through the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) have been working towards the implementation of the Hand Baggage Policy. At the request of the domestic carriers, a policy was put in place and consultations have taken place with all airlines," said Board of Airline Representatives South Africa (BARSA) CEO June Crawford.
Airports Company South Africa has reiterated its support to airlines in enforcing the programme. The company has advised passengers to adhere to the airline restrictions when using any of its network of nine airports namely; O.R. Tambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International, Port Elizabeth International, Upington International and Bram Fischer International Airports as well as George Airport, East London Airport and Kimberley Airport.
For media related inquiries, please contact:
June Crawford, CEO BARSA, Tel 011 305 2300, e-mail info@barsa.co.za
Chris Zweigenthal, CEO, AASA, Tel 011 609 0050, e-mail chris@aasa.za.net
Unathi Batyashe-fillis, Group Spokesperson ACSA, Tel 011 723 1400, e-mail unathi.batyashe-fillis@airports.co.za
9. SAFETY AND SECURITY
Airlines from at least three countries suspended flights to Baghdad on Tuesday 26th January after bullets hit a plane operated by a budget carrier as it was landing at Baghdad Airport. An aviation official and a security official told Reuters news agency that two passengers were slightly injured when three or four bullets hit the body of the plane on Monday evening. The security official said the authorities had rounded up suspects in farmlands south of the airport, which sits on the city's western outskirts. It was not clear whether the shooting was intentional. Guns are widely available in Iraq and celebratory gunfire into the air is not uncommon. Iraq's Shi'ite-led government, backed by US-led airstrikes, has been trying to push back Islamic State militants since they swept through northern Iraq in June. But the nearest fighting to Baghdad's airport is on the western outskirts of Abu Ghraib, more than 10 km (6 miles) away. The aviation official said Iraq had briefly suspended air traffic on Monday following the incident but permitted it to resume on Tuesday morning. However, flydubai, Emirates, Air Arabia and Etihad Airways suspended flights on Tuesday, in line with a directive from the UAE's civil aviation authority. Turkish Airlines and Middle East Airlines also suspended flights for the day without citing the shooting incident. Company officials said Iraqi Airways and Caspian Airlines were operating flights to Baghdad on a normal schedule. A spokesperson for the affected operator denied that any passengers had required medical treatment and said an investigation was under way. "After landing at Baghdad... on 26 January 2015, damage to the aircraft fuselage consistent with small arms fire was discovered the spokesperson said.
(Reuters)
10. COMMERCIAL AIRLINE INFORMATION
Cemair are scheduled to launch their O R Tambo to Bloemfontein service on 23 February 2015 - check out www.flycemair.co.za
SAA are scheduled to launch a new service to Abu Dhabi and cancel their flights to Beijing - check out the details on www.flysaa.com
11. SAAFA DONATIONS
Should you wish to make a donation to this more than worthy cause then please pay it (via EFT or as a deposit) into;
Standard Bank Bedford Gardens; Bank Code 018 305; Account Name: SA Air Force Association (JHB Branch); Account Number: 022 605 568. You may use either your Company or Individual name along with the word donation as the reference.
12. FINALE
SITUATIONS VACANT. If you are interested and qualified please send your CV to global@gaconsultants.net
Part Time Consultant Air Safety Officers required who comply with the requirements of SA CARS Part 135, Part 121, Part 127, Part 140, Part 141 and Part 145 - must have had appropriate SMS training, previous experience and preferably been approved by the South African Air Services Licencing Council.
Part Time Quality Assurance Consultants required who are appropriately qualified and comply with the requirements of Part 135, Part 121, Part 127, Part 140, Part 141 and Part 145.
Part Time Aviation Security Consultant required who is appropriately qualified for RSA and International Operations
ANNUAL PRECISION SKILLS DAY
Henley Air's 11th Annual Precision Skills Day 2015 has been confirmed for Saturday 11 April.
This is the day when teams navigate a bucket of water through a maze of gates and try to land the bucket on a target - All while flying a helicopter, of course. Closest time with the least penalties wins. Entries open soon!! Who will win the 11th Annual Precision Skills Day this year???
GLOBAL AVIATION CONSULTANTS (PTY) LTD
Can we help you with your aviation safety and / or quality requirements? Under SA CAR 140.01.2 if you and your organisation hold one of the following
? a category 4 or higher aerodrome licence;
? an ATO approval;
? an aircraft maintenance organisation approval;
? a manufacturing organisation approval ;
? an ATSU approval;
? a design organisation approval;
? an AOC issued in terms of Part 121, 127, 135, 141;
? a procedure design organisation approval; and
? an electronic services organisation approval,
then you shall establish a Safety Management System for the control and supervision of the services rendered or to be rendered by that organisation. If you do not already have an approved Air Safety Officer and an approved Safety Management System then please contact us for assistance.
We, at Global Aviation Consultants, deliver the following SA CAA Approved training courses for Air Safety Officers at Rand Airport;
? Safety Management Systems
? Integrated Safety Officer Course
? Quality Assurance Auditor
? Crew Resource Management (Initial and Recurrent)
? Dangerous Goods
? Human Factors for AME's
Should your operation be of a size whereby the full time employment of an Air Safety Officer and/or Quality Assurance Officer is not financially viable then we can provide you with Consultants who have previously held Air Services Licensing Council approval. We can also provide you with a tailor made SA CAA approved Safety Management System.
For further information on how we can help you please contact Rethea or Candice in Hanger 6, Rand Airport, Germiston on 011-024--5446/7 or e-mail global@gaconsultants.net
Global Aviation Consultants accepts no liability for the content of this email, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.
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