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Safety Enhancements for Private Aircraft

Interested in making your aircraft safer? Check out the latest issue of FAA Safety Briefing. In her article, “Small Cost, Big Benefit: A Look at Lifesaving Aircraft Safety Enhancements,” FAA aerospace engineer Della Swartz offers a variety of improvements that can have a positive effect on your safety and well-being without an undue strain on the wallet. Among the enhancements described are inflatable restraints, or air bags, whose safety benefits the NTSB recently highlighted. According to Swartz, inflatable restraint kits are available for about $1,000 per seat plus the cost of installation. The kit includes a shoulder harness, another inexpensive yet key life-saving device. Swartz also writes about helmets and emergency locator transmitters (ELT). For more on how to outfit your aircraft with low-cost and high-value safety enhancements, see the article on page 18 of the January/February 2011 issue of FAA Safety Briefing at www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/.

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    Boeing Fabricará 3 Satélites para el Gobierno de México

    EL SEGUNDO, California, 20 de diciembre de 2010 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] anunció hoy la adjudicación de un contrato por aproximadamente US$1,000 millones de parte del gobierno mexicano para la entrega de un sistema integral de comunicaciones satelitales. El sistema, denominado MEXSAT, consta de tres satélites, dos estaciones terrenas, los sistemas de operaciones de red correspondientes y terminales de usuario de referencia. MEXSAT proveerá comunicaciones seguras para las necesidades de seguridad nacional de México, así como una cobertura mejorada para las telecomunicaciones civiles.

    “MEXSAT es la cuarta generación de satélites que Boeing ha suministrado a México para comunicaciones satelitales gubernamentales y civiles,” dijo Craig Cooning, director general ejecutivo (CEO) de Boeing Satellite Systems International. “MEXSAT ha sido desarrollado con base en 13 años de experiencia de parte de Boeing en el diseño y la fabricación de avanzados sistemas de satélites geoestacionarios para servicios móviles.”

    Conforme a los términos del contrato, Boeing entregará un sistema llave en mano completo que se compone de dos satélites geoestacionarios para servicios móviles (o “GEO-Mobile”) Boeing 702HP denominados MEXSAT 1 y MEXSAT 2, así como un satélite para banda C extendida y banda Ku, llamado MEXSAT 3, que proveerá servicios satelitales fijos (FSS) desde una órbita geosíncrona. El primer lanzamiento programado es el de MEXSAT 3, a finales de 2012.

    Cada satélite Boeing suministrará 14 kilowatts de potencia mediante alas de arreglos de cinco paneles solares dotadas de celdas fotovoltaicas de arseniuro de galio de triple unión de alta eficiencia. Cada una de las naves transportará un reflector de banda L de 22 metros para servicios satelitales móviles (MSS), complementado por una antena de banda Ku de 2 metros.
    Boeing subcontratará la fabricación del satélite MEXSAT 3 y de un centro de operaciones a su empresa asociada Orbital Sciences Corporation [NYSE: ORB]. MEXSAT 3, un satélite Orbital Star 2.4, brindará cobertura total al territorio mexicano y sus aguas patrimoniales, y transmitirá comunicaciones civiles a fin de coadyuvar al desarrollo socioeconómico del país.

    Asimismo, Boeing desarrollará dos estaciones terrenas equipadas con avanzada tecnología de flexibilidad de conformación del haz para dirigir haces puntuales de usuario móvil a dependencias gubernamentales que operan en México y sus aguas patrimoniales, tanto en el litoral del Pacífico como en el Golfo de México.

    Con anterioridad, Boeing suministró cinco satélites para el gobierno mexicano: los satélites Morelos 1 y Morelos 2, ambos puestos en órbita en 1985; los satélites Solidaridad 1 y Solidaridad 2, lanzados en 1993 y 1994; y el Satmex 5, lanzado en 1998. Solidaridad 2, que ya ha rebasado la vida útil estipulada en el contrato, aún continúa en servicio, y se espera que el satélite Satmex 5 deje de operar en 2012.

    Boeing Defense, Space & Security, una unidad de The Boeing Company, es una de las mayores empresas del mundo en el sector de defensa, espacio y seguridad. Se especializa en ofrecer a sus clientes soluciones innovadoras desarrolladas a partir de capacidades operacionales y es el fabricante más grande y versátil de aeronaves militares en el mundo. Con sede en St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security es una empresa de US$34,000 millones con una plantilla de 68,000 trabajadores en todo el mundo.

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    GPO LAUNCHES FACEBOOK PAGE

    11news09GPO LAUNCHES FACEBOOK PAGE
    WASHINGTON—The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has launched a Facebook page in an effort to continue to use social media as way of increasing transparency and engage with the public on the workings of this critically important agency of our Government. GPO’s Facebook page will feature announcements, press releases, agency job listings, photos, videos and a link to the award- winning Government Book Talk blog. GPO joins the White House, National Archives & Records Administration, Library of Congress and other Federal agencies on Facebook. GPO also utilizes other social media tools, such as Twitter and YouTube, to interact with Federal agencies, the library community and the public.
    Link to GPO’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/US?Government?Printing? Office/162592897126454?v=wall
    GPO maintains a Facebook account to share information with the public about agency activities. Please review all polices under the information section on the page. All official information can be found and verified through the agency’s official Web site: www.gpo.gov.
    With 2,300 employees, GPO is the Federal Government’s primary resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government in digital and tangible forms. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies. In addition to publication sales, GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through GPO’s Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program.

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  • The Families of Air France Flight 447 Turn to US

    The Association of the relatives of the victims of Air France Flight 447 are proceeding against European manufacturer Airbus. To spearhead their undertaking, the families have contracted aviation consultant George Hatcher and the law firm of Masry & Vittoe.

    Hatcher conferred with the victims’ relatives monday (20), in Rio De Janeiro, to discuss legal strategies that will be adopted in the case. According to the specialist, at this stage, regardless of the cause of the accident, the responsible party is the manufacturer of the airplane, France’s Airbus, subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company.

    In a disaster of this stature, payments can reach up to $700 million dollars (U.S.).

    According to Mr Hatcher who maintains a list of hundreds of pilot experts, “Two of our Airbus pilots agree that in their expert opinion, a significant responsibility for the loss of the aircraft lies within defective computers and/or flawed computer technology. The Airbus, in their evaluation is far from perfect.”

    Hatcher will be working the Air France case, in addition to his work on the TAM case in Florida. “In respect for the family’s deep feelings,” he explained, “we are moving forward as quickly and carefully as the wheels of justice allow. Settlements in the US tend to be higher than elsewhere. The Tam hearing is scheduled for March of 2010. We came to a partial agreement with the TAM, but the case is pending on the responsible parties like BFGoodrich, responsible for the brakes, and the Pratt&Whitney, manufacturer of the turbines, one of which was with the broken reverser.”

    The Air France is eligible to be tried in Florida where Airbus maintains a training center commercial office of the Airbus.

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    NTSB INVESTIGATING TODAY’S JETLINER RUNWAY EXCURSION IN WYOMING

    The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into an incident in which a passenger jetliner departed the runway while landing at Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming.

    At about 11:38 am MT today, American Airlines flight 2253, a B-757 (N668AA) inbound from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, ran off the end of runway 19 while landing at Jackson Hole Airport. No injuries were reported among the 181 passengers and crew on board.

    The aircraft came to rest in hard packed snow about 350 feet beyond the runway overrun area. The weather was reported to be snowing at the time of the incident. No damage to the aircraft has been reported.

    Senior NTSB Air Safety Investigator Joseph Sedor has been designated as the Investigator-In-Charge.

    At this time, parties to the investigation are American Airlines, Boeing, the Allied Pilots Association, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

    Improving runway safety has been on the NTSB’s Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements since its inception in 1990: http://go.usa.gov/rTn

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    FAA Proposes Hazmat Civil Penalties Against 11 Companies

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing civil penalties ranging from $54,000 to $91,000 against 11 companies for alleged violations of Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.

    For further information on the following cases, please contact Arlene Salac or Jim Peters at 718-553-3015.

    • $91,000 against Boston Scientific Corporation of Natick, Mass, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing medical-grade silicone fluid, a flammable liquid, to DHL for transportation by air from Alajuela, Costa Rica, to Boston Scientific headquarters, Oct. 23, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. DHL employees at its Cincinnati sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $78,000 against Westfield Coatings Corp., of Westfield, Mass., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing paint, a flammable liquid, for transportation by air from Westfield to Hudson, N.C., August 11, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the non-hazardous material leaking from the package.
    • $54,000 against Fragrance Resources, Inc., of Clifton, N.J., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing a flammable liquid for transportation by air from Clifton to Ft Lauderdale, Fla., Dec. 23, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the package.

    For further information on the following cases, please contact Elizabeth Cory at 847-294-7849/-7427.

    • $65,000 against Flight Options, LLC of Cleveland, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing isopropyl alcohol, a flammable liquid, to UPS for transportation by air from Cleveland to Las Vegas, Sept. 9, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $54,000 against the Hammelman Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing methanol, a flammable liquid, for transportation by air from Pompano Beach, Fla., to Dayton, March 23, 2010. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.

    For further information on the following cases, please contact Kathleen Bergen at 404-305-5100.

    • $58,000 against Kemet Electronics Corporation of Simpsonville, S.C. for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing silver paint, a flammable liquid, to UPS for transportation by air from Brownsville, Texas to Simpsonville, Aug. 20, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $56,000 against MSI Aircraft MTC SVS International, GMBH of Ruesselsheim, Germany, for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing a fuel control unit, to FedEx for transportation by air from Ruesselsheim to Miami, May 22, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. A fuel control unit containing jet fuel is considered a hazardous material. FedEx employees at Fort Lauderdale discovered the shipment was leaking.
    • $65,000 against Federal Express of Memphis, Tenn., for allegedly accepting a fiberboard box containing an unspecified toxic, corrosive liquid classified as a poison, for transportation by air from Oxford, Ala., to Chino Calif., April 1, 2010. An FAA hazardous materials special agent identified the mislabeled shipment before it could be loaded on an aircraft.
    • $54,000 against Vitacost.com of Lexington, N.C., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing a flammable liquid and non-hazardous material for transportation by air from Lexington to Boca Raton, Fla., Jan. 29, 2010. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the leaking package.
    • $91,000 against Cardinal Health of Madison, Miss., for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing skin care products containing alcohol, a flammable liquid, to DHL for transportation by air from Madison to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sept. 11, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. DHL workers at the Cincinnati sorting hub discovered the leaking package.

    For information on the following case, please contact Lynn Lunsford at 817-222-4455.

    • $54,000 against PSS Medical of Lubbock, Texas for allegedly offering a fiberboard box containing ammonium nitrate, a corrosive material, to UPS for transportation by air from Lubbock to Las Cruces, N.M., Dec. 31, 2009. The shipment was undeclared. UPS workers at the Louisville sorting hub discovered the package while sorting packages for shipment and delivery.

    In all instances, the companies allegedly offered the hazardous material for transportation (or, in the case of Federal Express, accepted it) when it was not packaged, marked, classed, described, labeled or in condition for shipment as required by regulations.

    Companies have 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s notice of proposed civil penalty to respond to the agency.

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    FAA Proposes New Policy on Antidepressants for Pilots

    For Immediate Release
    April 2, 2010

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced that it will consider the special issuance of a medical certificate to pilots who are taking medication for mild to moderate depression, conditions that now bar them from all flying duties.

    On a case-by-case basis beginning April 5, pilots who take one of four antidepressant medications – Fluoxetine (Prozac), Sertraline (Zoloft), Citalopram (Celexa), or Escitalopram (Lexapro) – will be allowed to fly if they have been satisfactorily treated on the medication for at least 12 months. The FAA will not take civil enforcement action against pilots who take advantage of a six-month opportunity to share any previously non-disclosed diagnosis of depression or the use of these antidepressants.

    “I’m encouraging pilots who are suffering from depression or using antidepressants to report their medical condition to the FAA,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “We need to change the culture and remove the stigma associated with depression. Pilots should be able to get the medical treatment they need so they can safely perform their duties.”

    The FAA’s policy is consistent with recommendations from the Aerospace Medical Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Air Line Pilots Association and the International Civil Aviation Organization. The Civil Aviation Authority of Australia, Transport Canada and the U.S Army already allow some pilots to fly using antidepressant medications.

    Psychiatrists and Aviation Medical Examiners who have specialized training under the Human Intervention and Motivation Study (HIMS) program will help the FAA evaluate and monitor pilots under this new policy. The HIMS program was established 40 years ago and has been highly effective for the assessment, treatment, and medical certification of pilots who need help with alcohol and drug issues.

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