Aviation International News
September 2015
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Drone conflicts surge, FAA threatens action by Kerry Lynch Concerned that pilot reports of drone sightings have already nearly tripled in the first eight months of the year, the FAA stepped up its warnings about potential fines and jail time for unauthorized uses. The agency noted that pilot reports of drone sightings have skyrocketed from 238 in all of last year to 650 through early August this year. It received reports of 16 drone sightings in June 2014 and 36 in July 2014. This year, the number
of pilot reports leapt to 138 in June and 137 in July. The agency said the reports have come from pilots flying a range of aircraft types and many have seen drones at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet. Recreational unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have interfered with firefighting efforts, approached airliners and helicopters, and injured people on the ground, the FAA added. The U.S. Forest Service,
which has been posting nodrone warnings in firefighting areas, had to issue another appeal after drone flights disrupted wildfire operations at the San Bernardino National Forest in southern California twice in one week. “If a UAS is detected flying over or near a wildfire, we will stop airtankers from dropping fire retardant, helicopters from dropping water and other aerial firefighting aircraft from performing wildfire-suppression missions until we can confirm that the UAS has left the area and we are confident it won’t return,” said Steve Gage, U.S. Forest Service representative on the Continues on page 16 u
Hanscom GIV crash docket: OEM and owner at odds by Nigel Moll & Robert P. Mark The fatal crash of a Gulfstream IV attempting to take off from Boston-area Hanscom Field on the night of May 31 last year is a standout among business aviation mishaps for numerous reasons, all of which were up for discussion and speculation in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy: flightcontrol problems; pilot judgment; their apparent failure to adhere to required procedures; and the design effectiveness of a cockpit safeguard intended to prevent such a disaster.
The NTSB has yet to issue its final report on the probable cause of the accident but in the meantime, on July 31, GIV manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace sent a 58-page “party submission” to the NTSB’s evidence docket– ERA14MA271–that Board members will consider in the process of arriving at their final finding. Gulfstream’s contribution to the docket (http://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/ search/document.cfm?docID=43014 4&docketID=57175&mkey=89324) makes for sobering reading. The owner of the GIV, N121JM, filed a “non-party submission” to the docket as well (see page 36), in which it portrays the accident in a different light. The accident claimed the lives of the two pilots, the flight attendant and all four passengers. The captain was the pilot flying when the aircraft failed to leave the ground and went off the end of Runway 11 at speed after the attempt to take off at BED was aborted. In its submission Gulfstream
DAVID McINTOSH
Continues on page 36 u
The Night Is Always Young at Latin America’s Bizav Show Despite a downcast forecast for the Brazilian economy, the business aviation industry made the most of last month’s 2015 Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition held once again at São Paulo’s Congonhas Airport. It’s not until after dark when the networking action heats up at LABACE, with visitors enjoying a party atmosphere on the static display. There was a full turnout of business aircraft manufacturers (see pages 30 and 32 for more news from the show).
Special Report
Charter
Safety
Industry
The no-pilot cockpit?
Bound for Cuba
Blown tires on older Challengers
Deliveries down in first half
While it is interesting to think about a brave new world where airplanes fly autonomously, more likely is a truly collaborative relationship between technology and humans. page 24
With relations thawing between the U.S. and the Caribbean nation, the number of people searching for charter flights is increasing, and several operators are staying ahead of the curve. page 47
After suffering a tire failure on landing early this year, one Challenger 601 operator is urging the FAA to investigate the safety of the tire, the only one approved for the aircraft. page 16
Some industry analysts are revising their predictions down for the rest of the year, as manufacturers handed over fewer aircraft than expected in the first six months. page 6