AVIATION : View Posts

Orion’s first mission, Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, is less than a year away now, and the team building the spacecraft is meeting milestones left and right as they prepare the vehicle for its debut.

The Orion crew module that will fly 3,600 miles above Earth on the spacecraft’s first mission is continuing to come together inside the Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Since the heat shield that will protect it from temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit was delivered to Kennedy in early December, the Orion team has been preparing it for installation. They’ve placed it on a work stand and begun drilling the holes necessary to attach it to the module. The heat shield is scheduled be put in place in the spring.

Once the heat shield has done its job getting Orion through the Earth’s atmosphere after its two orbits around Earth, it will be up to the parachutes to do the heavy lifting, literally. A total of 11 parachutes will be used for various landing functions, but three main parachutes that together could almost cover a football field ultimately will slow Orion’s descent down to less than 20 miles per hour for the finale: a relatively gentle splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

The three main parachutes that will be used for EFT-1 were installed on the vehicle this month. A crane lowered each of the 300-pound main parachutes into place near the top of the capsule, and technicians in clean suits fit them into their compartments. They’ll be deployed using three smaller pilot parachutes that pull them out after the preceding drogue parachutes have done the initial work of slowing the vehicle down.

While those activities are preparing the spacecraft in Florida, the rockets that will launch Orion into space are nearing completion in Decatur, Ala., home of United Launch Alliance’s final assembly facility. The core, port and starboard boosters of the Delta IV heavy lift rocket that will be used for EFT-1 are all final assembly, with the starboard section leading the charge. It’s currently in final acceptance testing, while the RS-68 engine was recently installed on the core booster, and the propulsion and wire harness assemblies are being integrated into the port booster.

The rocket is scheduled to be completed and shipped to Florida in the spring. With all this activity wrapping up 12 months of arrivals, installations and tests, 2013 has been a good year for the Orion Program. In fact, the only thing that could top it would be 2014 and the launch of EFT-1.

This Press Release is courtesy of NASA

WASHINGTON – At a meeting today with commercial aviation safety leaders, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta called on the airline industry to work together to assess and prioritize voluntary actions to further improve pilot, flight attendant, and dispatcher training through a new joint government and industry steering group.

“We are proud of our nation’s impressive aviation safety record, but we are always working to further strengthen aviation safety,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We are encouraging the industry to continue to invest in voluntary programs that identify and target risk.”

The purpose of this group will be to collaboratively evaluate best practices from across the industry, review recommendations from previous FAA rulemaking advisory committees on training issues, and examine newly identified areas of risk in order to develop voluntary training guidelines for air carriers. The group’s work will build on the FAA’s new rules for commercial air carrier pilot training and qualifications.

“Recent FAA rules to increase pilot qualifications and improve training are major steps toward addressing the greatest known risk areas in pilot training,” Administrator Huerta said. “Recommendations by several working groups of aviation experts show that there are additional voluntary initiatives we can take to make air carrier training programs even more robust.”

Voluntary government and industry safety programs have a track record of success. These investments in safety enhancements to reduce fatality risks in U.S. commercial aviation have contributed significantly to the nation’s safety record. The work of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), along with new aircraft, regulations, and other activities, reduced the fatality risk for commercial aviation in the United States by 83 percent from 1998 to 2008. CAST has evolved by moving beyond the “historic” approach of examining past accident data to a more proactive approach that focuses on detecting risk and implementing mitigation strategies before accidents or serious incidents occur.

In addition, commercial airlines are voluntarily implementing Safety Management Systems (SMS), a critical part of a successful safety culture. SMS gives operators a set of business processes and management tools to examine data from daily operations, isolate trends that may be precursors to incidents or accidents, and develop and carry out appropriate risk mitigation strategies. These systems are a formal approach to managing an organization’s safety through four key components – safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion.

Based on the success of the CAST model, the FAA will establish a joint government and industry Air Carrier Training Steering Group early next year to prioritize outstanding recommendations from a variety of sources including:

Air Carrier Safety and Pilot Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC)
Stick Pusher and Adverse Weather Event Training and Loss of Control and Recovery ARCs
Training Hours Requirement Review ARC
Performance-Based Aviation Rulemaking Committee (PARC) and Commercial Aviation Safety Team Flight Deck Automation Working Group report “Operational Use of Flight Path Management Systems.”
National Transportation Safety Board.

Administrator Huerta asked participants at today’s industry meeting to provide him with the top five focus areas to improve air carrier training. The new Air Carrier Training Steering Group—composed of safety experts from the airlines, crew-member unions, government and the aviation community—will consider these recommended focus areas as the first order of business when it convenes.

Since airline training evolves to address changes in operations and technology, the Steering Group and working groups will work on an ongoing basis for an undetermined time period. It will coordinate with the CAST as needed.

This Press Release is Courtesy of FAA.gov

The Department of Justice today announced that it is requiring US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines’ parent corporation, AMR Corp. to divest slots and gates at key constrained airports across the country to low cost carrier airlines (LCCs) in order to enhance system-wide competition in the airline industry resulting in more choices and more competitive airfares for consumers.

The department said the proposed settlement will increase the presence of the LCCs at Boston Logan International, Chicago O’Hare International, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International, Miami International, New York LaGuardia International and Ronald Reagan Washington National. Providing the LCCs with the incentive and ability to invest in new capacity and permitting them to compete more extensively nationwide will enhance meaningful competition in the industry and benefit airline travelers.

“This agreement has the potential to shift the landscape of the airline industry. By guaranteeing a bigger foothold for low-cost carriers at key U.S. airports, this settlement ensures airline passengers will see more competition on nonstop and connecting routes throughout the country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “The department’s ultimate goal has remained steadfast throughout this process – to ensure vigorous competition in airline travel. This is vital to millions of consumers who will benefit from both more competitive prices and enhanced travel options.”

Six state attorneys general–Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia–and the District of Columbia joined in the department’s proposed settlement, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. If approved by the court, the settlement will resolve the department’s competitive concerns and the lawsuit.

“The extensive slot and gate divestitures at these key airports are groundbreaking and they will dramatically enhance the ability of LCCs to compete system-wide,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement will disrupt the cozy relationships among the incumbent legacy carriers, increase access to key congested airports and provide consumers with more choices and more competitive airfares on flights all across the country.”

On Aug. 13, 2013, the department, six state attorneys general and the District of Columbia filed an antitrust lawsuit against US Airways and American alleging that US Airway’s $11 billion acquisition of American would have substantially lessened competition for commercial air travel in local markets throughout the United States. The department alleged that the transaction would result in passengers paying higher airfares and receiving less service. In addition, the department alleged that the transaction would entrench the merged airline as the dominant carrier at Reagan National, where it would control 69 percent of take-off and landing slots, thus effectively foreclosing entry or expansion by competing airlines.

The settlement requires US Airways and American to divest slots, gates and ground facilities at key airports around the country. Specifically, the settlement requires the companies to divest or transfer to low cost carrier purchasers approved by the department:

All 104 air carrier slots (i.e. slots not reserved for use only by smaller, commuter planes) at Reagan National and rights and interest in other facilities at the airport necessary to support the use of the slots;

Thirty-four slots at LaGuardia and rights and interest in other facilities at the airport necessary to support the use of the slots; and

Rights and interests to two airport gates and associated ground facilities at each of Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International and Miami International.

The Reagan National and LaGuardia slots will be sold under procedures approved by the department. Under the terms of the settlement, JetBlue at Reagan National and Southwest at LaGuardia will be given the opportunity to acquire the slots they currently lease from American. The remaining 88 slots at Reagan National and 24 slots at LaGuardia plus any JetBlue or Southwest decline to acquire will be grouped into bundles, taking into account specific slot times to ensure commercially viable and competitive patterns of service for the recipients of the divested slots. The parties will divest these slot bundles and all rights and interests in any gates and other ground facilities (e.g., ticket counters, baggage handling facilities, office space and loading bridges) as necessary to support the use of the purchased slots.

The gates at the five airports will be transferred on commercially reasonable terms to the new acquirers. The acquirers of the slot and gate divestitures also require approval of the department. Preference will be given to airlines at each airport that do not currently operate a large share of slots or gates.

The proposed settlement allows the department to appoint a monitoring trustee to oversee the divestitures or transfers of the slots and gates. The settlement also prohibits the merged company from reacquiring an ownership interest in the divested slots or gates during the term of the settlement. The companies must also provide advance notice of any future slot acquisition at Reagan National regardless of whether or not it is a reportable transaction under the premerger notification law and further provides for waiting periods and opportunities for the department to obtain additional information in order to review the transaction.

AMR is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Fort Worth, Texas. AMR is the parent company of American Airlines. Last year American flew more than 80 million passengers to more than 250 destinations worldwide and took in more than $24 billion in revenue. In November 2011, American filed for bankruptcy reorganization.

US Airways is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Tempe, Ariz. Last year US Airways flew more than 50 million passengers to more than 200 destinations worldwide and took in more than $13 billion in revenue.
COURTESY OF US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today proposed a rule that would require air charter brokers to disclose to their passengers information such as the name of the carrier operating their flights, the type of aircraft that would be used, and the total cost to the passenger.

“We believe that all consumers purchasing air transportation have a right to basic information about the flight they are taking, such as who is operating the flight and how much it will cost,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We will insist on transparency from air charter brokers, just as we do from major commercial airlines and public charter companies”

Air charter brokers are persons or companies who purchase the use of an aircraft operated by another company and make arrangements to carry customers. In today’s marketplace, when arranging charter flights, most air charter brokers act as either an agent of the customer or as an agent of the company operating the aircraft. DOT’s proposal would establish air charter brokers as a new class of “indirect” air carriers that provide air transportation to customers as principals in their own right.

If made final, the rule would require brokers to make a number of disclosures to passengers before selling them a charter flight. They would have to identify the name of the carrier and the type of aircraft providing the flight. They also would be required to disclose any corporate or business relationship between the broker and the carrier providing the flight, and whether the broker was acting on behalf of the consumer, the carrier or as a middleman. In addition, the broker would have to disclose the full price to be paid by the charterer for the transportation, including all taxes and fees, just as airlines must do. The broker also would be required to disclose whether it had liability insurance independent from the operator of the aircraft. The rule would also prohibit brokers from engaging in certain types of unfair and deceptive practices, such as advertising in a way that makes them appear to be the carrier on which a consumer is flying.

Similar rules regarding disclosure of information would also apply to small aircraft operators, known as air taxis, when they arrange to fly their passengers with other carriers due to lack of suitable aircraft or other reasons. This action is a response to a recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board that DOT require air taxis to disclose information about the operator of the aircraft used for their flights, following the 2004 fatal crash of a charter flight in Montrose, Colo. that involved questions about the identity of the aircraft’s operator.
COURTESY: US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $17 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants to eight airports around the country to reduce the use of conventional fuels and improve air quality.
“This program supports President’s Obama’s efforts to combat climate change and reduce aviation’s carbon footprint,” said Secretary Foxx. “These funds will help airports around the country make the necessary investments that will reduce fuel costs and help protect the environment.”

The grants, awarded through the FAA’s Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) program, will enable the airports to purchase equipment that will allow aircraft to shut off their auxiliary power units while parked at the gate and instead connect to a cleaner central heating and cooling system, saving fuel and reducing emissions. The funds come from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

“The FAA encourages airlines and airports to find creative ways to reduce aviation’s impact on the environment,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We applaud these airports for their efforts to make their facilities environmentally friendly members of the community.”

Through VALE, airports are reducing ozone emissions by approximately 370 tons per year, which is equivalent to removing 20,604 cars and trucks off the road annually.
For more information about the program, including a list of eligible airports and projects, go to the VALE web site:www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/vale.

The airports that received VALE grants include:
Albuquerque International Sunport, $464,000 – The project will improve air quality in the area by providing funding to purchase and install charging units for ground support equipment.

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, $45,000 – The project will improve air quality in the area by providing funding to convert diesel-fueled vehicles to compressed natural gas.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth (Alabama) International Airport, $2,847,790 – The project will help improve air quality in the area by providing funding to purchase and install efficient electric air handling equipment such as air conditioning and heating units in the terminal.

Boston General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, $2,000,000 – The project will provide funding to purchase and install low-emission airport equipment, such as pre-conditioned air units and associated systems, to improve air quality in the area.

Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, $2,179,006 – This project will improve air quality in the area by providing funding to purchase and install low-emission airport equipment, such as pre-conditioned air units and associated equipment.

San Diego International Airport, $3,109,162 – This project will improve air quality in the area by providing funding to purchase and install low-emission airport equipment, such as pre-conditioned air units and associated equipment.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, $3,547,527 – The project will improve air quality in the area by providing funding to purchase and install low-emission airport equipment, such as pre-conditioned air units and associated equipment.
Syracuse Hancock International Airport, $2,885,400 – The project will improve air quality in the area by providing funding to purchase and install low-emission airport equipment, such as pre-conditioned air units and associated systems.

VALE is designed to reduce all sources of airport ground emissions in areas of poor air quality. The FAA created the program in 2004 to help airport sponsors meet their air quality responsibilities under the Clean Air Act. Through VALE, airport sponsors can use AIP funds and passenger facility charges to acquire low-emission vehicles, refueling and recharging stations, gate electrification, and other airport air quality improvements.

Since 2005, the FAA has funded 56 VALE projects at 33 airports, which represents a total investment of $161 million in clean airport technology. That amount includes $129 million in federal grants and $32 million in local airport matching funds.

AIP provides $3.35 billion in annual funding for projects that are vital to maintaining the safety, capacity, and environmental stewardship of our nation’s airports. More than 3,300 airports are eligible for AIP grants benefiting commercial passengers, cargo operations, and general aviation activities throughout the nation.
-Courtesy FAA

Scientists at the Chemicals and Science Fair in Sacramento, California have reported a discovery of new characteristics of hydrocarbons. This will go a long a long to reduce carbon emissions from petro-chemicals usage and impact the auto industry as well.