lørdag 31. desember 2016

Helikopter - Ulykken som gjorde sterkest inntrykk på meg i 2016

Det var Turøy ulykken den 29. april da 13 mennesker mistet livet.
En EC225 mistet hovedrotoren og havariet var et faktum.

Uttalelser fra Airbus til Bergens Tidende:
— Det er en dypt tragisk hendelse. Flysikkerhet er vår førsteprioritet, og vi gjør og vil gjøre alt for å sikre flysikkerheten. Ellers er det ikke noe poeng å lage helikoptre, sier Alvaro Beteta Meredith, kommunikasjonssjef i Airbus Helicopters UK.
Helikopteret som havarerte vest for Bergen, falt mot bakken uten sin aller viktigste komponent.På spørsmål sier kommunikasjonssjefen at de ikke har opplevd at helikopterets hovedrotor faller fra maskinen på denne typen.
— Nei, det har ikke skjedd før på en EC225, sier han.
— Vi er i sjokk. Vår aller høyeste prioritet er å finne ut hva som er årsaken til ulykken, sier han.

Det Meredith ikke sier er at MGB, altså hovedgearboksen, er den samme som sitter i AS332L2 Super Puma. I 2009 havarerte sn slik utenfor Peterhead, Skotland. Hovedrotoren løsnet og alle omkom. Ulykken skyldtes et tretthetsbrudd i et planetgear i MGB.

På Solakonferansen den 20. september holdt CEO i Airbus Helicopters, Guillaume Faury, et foredrag. Han hadde også en egen konferanse for inviterte fra pressen. Undertgnede var med. Jeg sa tydelig i fra at helikoptertypen ikke ville komme i luften igjen i norsk sektor før vesentlige endringer var utført i MGB, samt at den hadde bevist at den fungerte slik den skulle. Da ble jeg sjokkert over å høre unnskyldningen til Faury. Naturligvis ingen erkjennelse av at det var noe feil med deres MGB. Han mente at et uhell under transport av MGB`en i ulykkeshelikopteret førte til en skade som kunne ha ført til ulykken. Han sa ikke noe om hva MGB i 2009 ulykken var utsatt for, ei heller noe om hvorfor man satte en skade MGB inn i helikopteret. Jeg følte sterk uro etter denne seansen.

Noen dager senere er Statens Havarikommisjon for Transport, SHT, ute med sin preliminære rapport om ulykken og skriver at den mest sannsynlig skyldtes et tretthetsbrudd i et planetgear i MGB. UK og Norge har da satt sine EC225 på bakken.

Airbus fortsatte å selge den militære utgaven av EC225 til både Polen og Singapore, senere også til andre land. Markedsføringen fra Airbus Helicopters var totalt uberørt av de to havariene nevnt over.

EASA hadde også satt typen på bakken, men til min store overraskelse løftet de groundingen, men UK og Norge opprettholdt den. Dette er særdeles bekymringsfullt. Det virker nemlig som om EASA har kjøpt argumentasjonen til Faury, og desavuert SHT`s funn.

Den lærdom man kan trekke av dette er at Airbus Helicopters ikke mener det de sier at flyskkerhet er deres førsteprioritet. Dernest at avstanden fra EASA i Køln til Airbus Helicopters i Marseille synes for kort; ubehagelig kort.

Det vil enda ta en stund før SHT`s endelige rapport er på bordet.

Godt Nytt År til alle mine lesere!

Helikoptersikkerheten offshore - Stavanger Aftenblad
















            Helikoptersikkerheten på norsk sokkel er under press, men det er 
foreløpig ingenting som tyder på at Super Puma-helikopteret vil 
bli satt inn igjen i offshore-trafikken. Her svever en Eurocopter 
EC 225 LP fra Bristow over helidekket på en av Ekofisk-
installasjonene. FOTO: Jon Ingemundsen

Sterkt press på helikoptersikkerhet

Selv uten innføring av et nytt felleseuropeisk regelverk for helikopterbransjen i Norge, vil kostnadspress føre til svekket helikoptersikkerhet i Norge.
Helikopternæringen er allerede under sterkt press om å kutte kostnader for å tilpasse seg den nye situasjonen i oljeindustrien. Uavhengig av om de felleseuropeiske tilleggsreglene innføres i Norge, vil det kunne få konsekvenser for flysikkerheten.
Det klare budskapet kommer fram i konsekvensutredningen som Samferdselsdepartementet har bestilt om regelverksendringer for helikopteroperasjoner offshore. Det er Safetec som har gjennomført arbeidet som ble lagt fram like før jul.

Oljeselskapenes kostnadsreduksjoner og lav oljepris er i første rekke truende for helikoptersikkerheten. Ved innføring av nytt felleseuropeisk regelverk HOFO (Helicopter Offshore Operations) vil det føre til fri, europeisk konkurranse om helikopterkontrakter på norsk sokkel. Operatørene kan da velge hvor i Europa de får utstedt sertifikat til kunne å fly på norsk sokkel.

Her kan du lese hele rapporten.

Svekker sikkerheten
Safetec har sett på fire ulike modeller for den videre driften av helikopteroperasjoner på norsk sokkel. Gitt at et felleseuropeisk regelverk innføres i Norge, mener Safetec at det i første omgang skjer en norsk tilpasning ved at særnorske krav til sikkerhet videreføres. Det er denne modellen Safetec antar vil innføres i Norge.
Gjennomgangen viser også at ingen av scenarioene ved innføring av et felleseuropeisk regelverk for helikopterbransjen vil styrke helikoptersikkerheten.
-Flysikkerheten ved innførong av HOFO på kort sikt vil bli påvirket i marginalt negativ retning. På lang sikt er det større usikkerhet og vanskeligere å konkludere, men Safetec mener at det på lang sikt vil være en ytterligere forverring fra marginalt negativ til moderat negativ påvirkning av flysikkerheten, skriver Safetec i rapporten.

LES OGSÅ:






Utflagging og mindre sysselsetting

Ved en innføring av regelverket i Norge forventes det lavere sysselsetting og fagkompetanse i helikopternæringen i Norge, fordi stillinger og vedlikehold flagges ut til andre land. Men selv om det skjer, viser også Safetec at en åpning av markedet vil ha positive effekter på samlet skatteinngang og utbytte til norske eiere gjennom lavere priser på helikoptertjenester.

Dette vil også oljeselskapene nyte godt av, når prisene på kontraktene går ned. Fire ulike modeller er vurdert i konsekvensutredningen.
1. Dagens praksis fortsetter
Dagens modell fortsetter ved at de de felleseuropeiske reglene for offshore operasjoner ikke gjennomføres i Norge. Prisene for helikoptertjenester vil ligge omtrent på dagens nivå. Aktører vil ligge mellom to til fire.
Omstilling gjør at antall ansatte i helikopterbransjen vil stabilisere seg på et noe lavere nivå enn i dag. Sikkerhetsarbeidet og sikkerhetskulturen opprettholdes omtrent som i dag eller svekkes marginalt. Kutt og omstilling gir grunn til å stille spørsmål om prioriteringen ved sikkerhetsarbeidet vil vedvare i tiden framover.

2. Nytt regelverk innføres med norske særkrav
HOFO-regelverket innføres i Norge og markedet åpnes for operatører med utenlandsk operatørsertifikat. Her vil det stilles særnorske krav til tjenestene. Likevel vil det skje utflagging som gir kostnadsbesparelser, høyere skatteinntekter og økt utbytte for norske eiere.
Sikkerhetsarbeidet forventes å nærme seg minstekrav i regelverket. Selskapets hjemlandsmyndigheter er villige til å inngå avtaler om tilsynssamarbeid med Luftfartstilsynet. Selskapene er positive til norske kjøpsbetingelser og deltakelse i samarbeidsforum for helikoptersikkerhet.

3. Fri konkurranse i et felles marked
Utenlandske operatører innordner seg ikke norske konkurransevilkår. Oljeselskapene går fra å være kjøpere i et nasjonalt marked til et integrert europeisk marked og får billigere tjenester. Spesifikke kundekrav bortfaller. Norsk sysselsetting reduseres, men helikopterselskapenes lønnsomhet vil være lik som i den første modellen.
Ved økt konkurranse antas det at operatørene vil utfordre den rådende sikkerhetskulturen. Luftfartstilsynet vil ikke ha tilsyn med virksomheten.

4. Nytt regelverk med norske bransjekrav
Mest sannsynlig scenario gitt at de felleseuropeiske tilleggsreglene innføres i Norge. Bransjestandarder eller kundekrav som er strengere enn regelverket fortsetter som før. Liten forskjell på kort sikt sammenlignet med den første modellen. Men på lenger sikt større forskjeller mellom oljeselskapene kundekrav på norsk sokkel. Samtidig økt press for fjerne krav som bare stilles i Norge. Økt konkurranse gir lavere priser og billige arbeidskraft i utlandet.
Høy kjøpermakt gjør at det er oljeselskapene som sitter igjen med hovedgevinsten av kostnadsreduksjoner hos helikopteroperatørene. Omtrent lik lønnsomhet for helikopterselskapene. Større sikkerhetsvariasjon blant selskapene.

Statoil bekymret, men kan gjøre lite

Mens den første modellen gir marginal reduksjon i sysselsetting, vil de tre andre scenarioene gi moderat negativ effekt på kort og lang sikt, mens modell tre gir markant nedgang. De sikkerhetsmessige konsekvensene vil i all hovedsak være knyttet til at tilsynsansvaret overføres til sertifikathjemlandet til helikopteroperatøren.
Statoil har tidligere uttrykt bekymring ved innføring av endret regelverk, men har tidligere uttalt til Aftenbladet at for å sikre at sikkerhetskravene holdes minst like strenge som i dag, vil selskapet uansett stille selskapsspesifikke krav i helikopterkontraktene som fordrer en sertifisering godkjent i Norge og et tilsyn underlagt norske myndigheter.
Som følge av EU og EØS-regelverkets krav om fri konkurranse er det uklart om Statoil kan gjøre selskapsspesifikke krav med nasjonale tilpasninger.
Roy Erling Furre i oljefagforeningen Safe har vært intervjuet i konsekvensutredningen. Han uttalte før jul til Aftenbladet at han frykter at EU-regelverket innføres og sa at representanter i Samferdselsdepartementet tenker annerledes når det gjelder dette spørsmålet.
Samferdselsdepartementet har ikke svart på Aftenbladets henvendelser, men det gjør samferdselsminister Ketil Solvik-Olsen (Frp), som sier at departementet har mottatt rapporten, men han ønsker foreløpig ikke gi noen kommentar til rapporten. 

Offshore - Men transporten vil være med helikopter - TU

En god del oljearbeidere vil gå ut i pensjon. Ikke alle vil bli erstattet, på grunn av ny teknologi, ifølge Norsk olje og gass.
En god del oljearbeidere vil gå ut i pensjon. Ikke alle vil bli erstattet, på grunn av ny teknologi, ifølge Norsk olje og gass. (Bilde: Harald Pettersen / Statoil)

OLJENÆRINGEN I FRAMTIDEN

– Det vil bli en utskiftning offshore. På grunn av teknologi vil trolig ikke alle erstattes

– Vi ser en bølge av gråhårede folk.

IKT. Geologi. Automasjon. Kanskje til og med biologi. Samt godt,
gammaldags ingeniørhåndverk. Oljebransjen har behov for folk i
årene fremover, men fallende oljepris og fallende omdømme har
gitt fallende søkertall på petroleumsfag. 
Fra å være et nesten umettelig ingeniørmarked for et par år siden,
med kø til oljefagene på høyskoler og universitet, kan det nå virke
som om det er motsatt. Men både Oljedirektoratet og Norsk olje og
gass mener at behovet vil bli stort, blant annet fordi folk går av med
pensjon. 

Norwegian vil trene i Europa med langdistansefly - Aftenposten

Syden-reisende kan få seg en stor overraskelse

De som skal reise til Spania eller Frankrike med Norwegian i sommer, kan få seg en overraskelse. Selskapet setter inn store langdistansefly på flere av de tunge ferierutene fra Oslo til Middelhavet.

Fakta: Planlagt flyprogram med DreamlinerOslo – Nice – mandager, torsdager, fredager, lørdager, søndager, kveldsavgang fra OsloOslo–Barcelona – mandager, fredager, søndager, tidlig morgenavgang fra Oslo. Oslo–Malaga – tirsdager, onsdager, torsdager, tidlig morgen, unntatt onsdager, hvor det er ettermiddag/kveld.
Det er avganger til Barcelona, Malaga og Nice som vil bli fløyet med flytypen Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Disse flyene opererer normalt ikke på Europa-ruter, bare på de interkontinentale og oversjøiske rutene til USA og Thailand. Dette fordi de har kapasitet til å frakte store passasjermengder over lange distanser. Dreamlineren kan ta inntil 344 passasjerer, mens den vanlige flytypen – Boeing 737–800 – har en kapasitet på 189 seter. Dreamlineren har ni seter i bredden og to midtganger.
– Det er bare å glede seg! Vi har fått svært mange positive tilbakemeldinger på Dreamlineren fra kundene våre som trekker frem mindre støy og bedre luft som det beste med denne flytypen, sier kommunikasjonssjef Lasse Sandaker-Nielsen i Norwegian.

Du kan få plass på «business-klassen»

Har du ekstra flaks kan du, når Norwegian har fulle fly, bli blant dem som kan sitte helt foran i kabinen.
De 35 beste setene, i premium-klassen, er Norwegians beste tilbud og selskapets «businessklasse». I denne delen av kabinen er setene bredere og benplassen større enn bak i økonomiklasse.
– Det vises når du bestiller billett på nettsiden hvilken flytype som er satt opp på de aktuelle flyvningene. Det vil være både 787–8 og 787–9. Flere av disse rutene har flere daglige avganger, slik at noen da opereres med 737–800.
– Menyen om bord er den samme som brukes på Europa-rutene og tilbys i hele kabinen. Passasjerer med fullflex-billett vil ha førsteprioritet til plass i premium-kabinen, sier Sandaker-Nielsen.

Pilotene skal trene på ny flytype

Norwegian får inn ni nye Dreamliner-fly i flåten sin dette året. Disse skal settes inn på allerede eksisterende langruter for å øke frekvensen, og på helt nye ruter. Blant annet skal Norwegian etablere en ny langdistansebase i Barcelona.
Flere nye fly krever flere nye piloter for denne flytypen. Derfor er mange og korte treningsturer i Europa en god måte å skaffe de nye pilotene god erfaring med å operere Dreamlineren. Dette er et opplegg Norwegian også har prøvd tidligere.
Til Nice skal storfuglen fly opptil fire ganger i uken, til Malaga og Barcelona tre ganger pr. uke.
Norwegian vil benytte begge utgavene av flyet, den opprinnelige Dreamliner 8 og den nye versjonen Dreamliner 9 med større rekkevidde og flere seter. Flyprogrammet for Dreamlineren gjelder for tidsrommet 27. mars til 29. oktober.

fredag 30. desember 2016

Citation 525 savnet over Lake Erie - CNN

 
 
 

6 missing after small plane loses contact over Lake Erie

Story highlights

  • Plane is owned by a Columbus, Ohio beverage company CEO
  • Three adults, three children on board the plane, US Coast Guard says
  • Search operation hampered by high waves on Lake Erie
(CNN)A small plane believed to have crashed in Lake Erie is registered to a beverage company executive and is based at Ohio State University Airport, the airport's director told CNN Friday.
The executive's father, John W. Fleming, told the Columbus Dispatch that his son, John T. Fleming, was at the controls of the Cessna that went missing Thursday night after the pilot, his family and friends attended a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game.
"The airplane is based at our airport, it left from the airport and it did not come home last night," said Doug Hammon, the airport's director.
Also on board the plane were Fleming's wife, Suzanne Fleming, 46, their two sons, John Robert, 15, and Andrew Thomas, 14, a neighbor and a neighbor's daughter, the pilot's father told the newspaper.
John T. Fleming, an experienced pilot, was taking his family and neighbors to the Cavaliers game as a treat for the holidays, according to his father.
Fleming is president and CEO of Superior Beverage Group, according to his LinkedIn page.
The US Coast Guard and its Canadian counterpart were searching Lake Erie for the plane Friday.
Three adults and three children were on board the aircraft, US Coast Guard Captain Michael Mullen told reporters Friday. Their identities have not been officially released.
"At this point we believe it's [members of] two families," Mullen said of the missing.
The last radar contact with the plane came as it flew about two miles north of the Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport, where it took off, according to Mullen.
"We are actively searching for any signs of survivors or people on board the aircraft itself," Mullen said.
The twin-engine Cessna Citation 525 was headed for the university airport in Columbus, Ohio, when it disappeared from radar, a Coast Guard statement said.
 
"The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter from air station Detroit," the statement said, adding that it had partnered with the Royal Canadian Air Force, which sent a C-130 plane down to assist in the search.
Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay is also on its way from Detroit to help, the Coast Guard said.
The search operation was being made "very difficult" by 12- to 15-foot waves on Lake Erie, the Coast Guard said.
Air traffic control reported to the Coast Guard at about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday that the plane had just taken off from Burke Lakefront Airport in downtown Cleveland and "dropped off radar about two miles when it was over Lake Erie," Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Yaw told CNN.
The missing Cessna has room for up to 11 people, but the plane's flight plan indicates it had six people on board, Yaw said.
Ohio State University Airport, where the plane was headed, is certified for commercial service and serves as a research and teaching facility. The airport is owned and operated by the Ohio State College of Engineering, according to its website.

Andøya Flystasjon - Hele bygda Haugnes ble fraflyttet da tverrvindbanen ble bygget - NRK


– Jeg vil ha tilbake eiendommen Forsvaret tok fra foreldrene mine

Da Andøya flystasjon ble bygget på 1950-tallet, mistet foreldrene hus og hjem. Nå krever Bjørnar Sellevold å få tilbake eiendommen når flystasjonen legges ned.
Bjørnar Sellevold
Bjørnar Sellevold står på tomta han krever å få kjøpe tilbake. Da Andøy flystasjon ble bygget på 50-tallet, tok Forsvaret over tomta og huset til foreldrene hans.
Foto: Mette Helene Berger-Amundsen / Andøyposten
Kari Skeie
Journalist
– Når Stortinget har vedtatt at flystasjonen skal legges ned, synes jeg det er naturlig å si ifra til storsamfunnet at jeg vil ha tilbake den eiendommen som mine foreldre ble fratatt, sier Bjørnar Sellevold.
Like før jul sendte han brev til Forsvarsdepartementet med krav om å få kjøpe eiendommen tilbake. Det skjer en drøy måned etter at Stortinget i november vedtok å legge ned Andøya flystasjon.
Eiendommen, som Sellevold vil ha tilbake, ligger på et område av flystasjonen der det i dag er hangarer. Foreldrenes eiendom besto av bolighus, fjøs, innmark- og utmark og gikk helt ned til sjøen, sier Sellevold.
Han er den første som fremmer krav, men tror ikke han blir den eneste.
– Jeg vet at det er flere som tenker i samme bane som meg, og har fått flere positive kommentarer på at det jeg gjør er riktig.

300 måtte flytte

Til sammen 300 personer måtte flytte fra hjemmene sine da Nato bygde opp Andøya flystasjon. Arbeidene kom i gang på 1950-tallet og stadige utvidelser gjorde at hele bygda Haugnes ble jevnet med jorda.
Familien til Sellevold flytta på begynnelsen av 1970-tallet. Bjørnar Sellevold var da 16 år.
Haugnes
De 300 innbyggerne på Haugnes i Andøy hadde blant annet skole, tre butikker, ungdomshus og eget korps. I dag er området en del av Andøya flystasjon. Ingen hus står igjen.
Foto: Forsvaret

Ingen automatikk i å få tilbakeført eiendom

I Forsvarsdepartementet sier seniorrådgiver Asgeir Spange Brekke at Sellevold vil få et svar tidligst over nyttår.
Hos Skifte eiendom, som blant annet selger forsvarets nedlagte eiendommer, sier fungerende direktør, Trond Eliassen, at det er for tidlig å si noe spesifikt fordi vedtaket om nedlegging er så ferskt. På generelt grunnlag sier han at dersom Sellevold skal ha rett til å kjøpe tilbake eiendommen, må det først undersøkes om det eksisterer en kontrakt om tilbakekjøp.
Trond Eliassen i Skifte Eiendom
Fungerende direktør i Skifte eiendom, Trond Eliassen, sier det kan være en omstendelig prosess å finne ut om folk har rett til å kjøpe tilbake eiendom fra Forsvaret.
Foto: Sigurd Steinum / NRK
– Hvis det ikke finnes en slik kontrakt, blir det behandlet som et ordinært salg. Det betyr at vi følger et regelverk der kommunen og fylkeskommunen har forkjøpsrett. Hvis de ikke vil kjøpe, går det ut på det åpne markedet. Vi har ikke anledning til å selge direkte til noen uten at det er hjemlet i en kontrakt, sier Eliassen.

– Smålig erstatning

Sellevold mener at det var nødvendig å bygge Andøya flystasjon for å sikre et godt forsvar, men erstatningen foreldrene hans fikk synes han var smålig.
Summen på 63.000 kroner var ikke nok til å skaffe seg et nytt sted å bo. I likhet med mange på Haugnes, måtte foreldrene ta opp lån, sier Sellevold.
I brevet til Forsvarsdepartement skriver han derfor:
Oppgjøret fra staten var rett ut sagt helt for jævlig lavt! Folk hadde gjeld helt til de døde. Med de lave erstatningsbeløpene som ble gitt på 1970-tallet, regner jeg med at tilbakekjøpstallene vil holde seg på minst de samme nivå
Brev til Forsvarsdepartement
Asta og Toralf Sellevold
Toralf og Asta Sellevold fikk 63 000 kroner i erstatning for eiendommen sin. Ifølge sønnen Bjørnar Sellevold, nektet staten å betale for strandområdene fordi de ikke ble funnet til å ha noen verdi.
Foto: Privat

Forsøk på fylleflyging - ABC Nyheter video

Sjekk video her: http://tinyurl.com/zu5d6n8

Tilsynelatende stupfull kaptein snublet seg gjennom sikkerhetskontrollen

Først da passasjerene protesterte tok flyselskapet affære.


Passasjerene på Citilink-flyet som skulle fra Surabaya til Jakarta i Indonesia 28. desember, ante ugler i mosen da kapteinen tydelig snøvlet og slet med annonseringene før takeoff.
Da hadde kapteinen ifølge overvåkningskameraer allerede snublet seg gjennom sikkerhetskontrollen, der han mistet både solbriller, baggen og slet tydelig med balansen. Sikkerhetsvaktene hjalp ham med bagasjen og sendte ham videre.

Passasjerer protesterte

Men etter at passasjerene hadde hørt hans mumlende forsøk på en annonsering, valgte flere å forlate flyet i protest. Da flere fulgte etter ble sikkerhetsvakter tilkalt og kapteinen tatt med for medisinske undersøkelser.
Ifølge indonesiske medier ble kapteinen erstattet med en annen pilot og flyet kunne til slutt fly sin planlagte rute. Ni passasjerer av de opprinnelig 154 om bord, valgte å kansellere sin billett.
Passasjerer filmet den famøse annonseringen, som tydelig gjorde flere medpassasjerer urolige.

Suspendert

Lavprisselskapet Citilink, som er regnet som én av de ti farligste flyselskapene i verden, sier i en uttalelse at de tar hendelsen alvorlig og at kapteinen er suspendert, mens saken etterforskes. De innrømmer at piloten virket «fysisk uskikket» til å fly.
Les også:  Dette er de sikreste flyselskapene i verden
Den medisinske undersøkelsen viste i utgangspunktet ingen tegn til alkohol eller andre rusmidler i blodet til piloten. Flyselskapet har krevd en grundigere helseundersøkelse og resultatene fra denne er ventet å komme om en drøy uke.
Også indonesiske myndigheter er bekymret over hendelsen og samferdselsministeren har bedt Citilink Indonesia om å få full rapport om hendelsen.

F-22 Raptor video - UAS Vision

F-22 Raptor Video Compilation


The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF’s Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities.
The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22′s airframe and weapons systems and did its final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

NASA tester nytt fly - UAS Vision video

NASA X-56 Moment of Inertia Tests


Engineers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center examined the X-56 Multi-Use Technology Testbed as the aircraft underwent “moment of inertia” testing in the center’s Flight Loads Laboratory (FLL).
The tests, which were the final series for the vehicle in the FLL, featured a swing test to determine how easy or difficult it is for the vehicle to pitch up or down. Tools to assist researchers during the tests included everything from a laser ball and tracker to a simple stop watch. Data from the tests will go towards updating the finite element model, bringing the team closer to possible flight testing.

torsdag 29. desember 2016

Drones - Friend or foe? May they solve pilot shortage in Alaska? Curt Lewis


Alaska, Reliant on Air Transit, Faces Pilot Shortage. Are Drones an Answer?

Matt Gallagher, a pilot for Warbelow's Air, cleaning snow off a plane in subzero temperatures in Fairbanks. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Never climb into an airplane cockpit in winter without your best military-grade arctic boots, rated to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Green, cocky pilots fresh from the lower 48 tend to forget that rule just once. Knowing when not to climb aboard the plane at all is harder, and comes only with deeper experience.

"If my gut tells me this is not good, we don't go," said Matt Anderson, 55, who has spent more than 25 years flying small planes across Alaska's wild, empty and hazardous landscapes.

Generations of pilots like Mr. Anderson once came north for adventure, and to hone their skills in small planes, flying the Alaskan bush in the nation's most aviation-dependent state. Their derring-do, in turn, helped create the Alaskan mystique.

But now a shortage of pilots - global in scope, fueled by the growth of aviation in Asia and a wave of baby boomer retirements - is rippling across Alaska with gale force. A state with six times as many pilots per capita as the rest of the nation, and the need for every one of them to connect its many far-flung dots on the map, is rewriting the equations of supply and demand.

Competition is pushing up salaries, and luring pilots and mechanics to jobs in the lower 48 states. Airlines are grooming pilots from within, bypassing the old system that made Alaska a proving ground where a pilot could log the thousands of hours of flight time needed to qualify for a major airline job. International freight haulers have also hired away Alaskan pilots as Anchorage, which has the fourth-busiest air-freight airport in the world in annual tonnage, has become a refueling and crew-change hub for aircraft flying between Asia and North America.

"The pilot shortage is affecting the whole commercial aviation industry from the beginning to the end, the small to the large, and I think Alaska is going to get hit hard," said Bill Thompson, 47, who left the state in 2015 for a job with a regional airline in Minneapolis.

From 2011 to 2015, Alaska lost about 12 percent of its commercial-pilot work force, which was in fact slightly less severe than the 16 percent falloff rate for the nation as a whole, according to federal figures.

But flying is the lifeblood of commerce, government and society in a state that is twice the size of Texas and has hundreds of communities beyond the road system. Gov. Bill Walker jokes that he has three offices: in Juneau, the capital; in Anchorage, the biggest city; and on a plane getting back and forth.


Loretta Fogg and her husband, Matt Anderson, both pilots, with their son Aidan. "If my gut tells me this is not good, we don't go," Mr. Anderson said of the challenges of flying in Alaska. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
Or consider, for example, the small passenger and freight airline called Warbelow's Air, based here in Fairbanks in east-central Alaska. The company needs about nine full-time pilots to meet its weekly schedule, serving tiny towns north of the Arctic Circle and beyond. But nine pilots these days have become hard to come by. So this year the company began recruiting Air National Guard pilots to work part time on their days off, with six part-timers now adding up to one full-time pilot.

"One pilot out of six, that's how we fix that problem," said Greg Probst, Warbelow's chief pilot.

Matt Gallagher, a Warbelow's pilot since 2014, is leaving next spring for a job in Colorado to be closer to his family, and to seize the chance to move on to bigger and faster aircraft.

"I want to fly jets that go 40,000 feet in the air for two hours at a time," Mr. Gallagher said. "There are great opportunities for guys like me."

That flying small planes in Alaska is a very dangerous line of work is part of the shifting dynamic. From 1990 to 2009, more than a third of all commuter and air taxi crashes in the nation, and about a fifth of the fatal crashes, occurred in Alaska, according to federal figures. With only about 730,000 people, Alaska has less than a quarter of 1 percent of the nation's population.

The state's plane crashes and flat-out disappearances are the stuff of legend. In 2012, a military transport plane missing since 1952 was found on a melting glacier. A plane that left Anchorage for Juneau in 1972 carrying two members of Congress, Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana - the House majority leader at the time - and Representative Nick Begich of Alaska, has yet to be found.

Just this year there have been 91 aircraft accidents or incidents in the state, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, 13 with one or more fatalities. Alaska also has most of the nation's active volcanoes, which can spew corrosive ash into flight paths and engines; Bogoslof, in the Aleutian Islands, erupted just this month.

Those hazards, on top of a worsening pilot shortage, are making some researchers and entrepreneurs see opportunity for pilotless drone aircraft to fill the gap, especially for work that pilots refer to as "the three d's": flying jobs that are dirty, dull or dangerous.

The University of Alaska's Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, one of six federal drone research centers, is testing aircraft in arctic conditions, and flying unmanned craft hundreds of miles out over Arctic waters. Oil companies are starting to deploy drones to patrol pipelines for leaks or other damage.



Mr. Gallagher, center, with colleagues at Warbelow's Air. He plans to leave for a job in Colorado. "There are great opportunities for guys like me," he said. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
Researchers and pilots say they see a time - sooner or later, depending on when federal safety regulation might allow it - when mail, medicine or groceries might be delivered to remote villages by drone.

"Is it technologically feasible to do it right now? The answer is yes," said Nickolas D. Macchiarella, a professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. "And one of the first places it could occur is Alaska."

Ben Kellie, 30, founded a drone company in Anchorage last year, K2 Dronotics with Nick, 27, his brother. Their father, Mike Kellie, was a swashbuckling bush pilot of the old school, they said, who arrived in Alaska with a duffel bag and $500 to his name, wanting only to fly. Drones, said Ben Kellie, the company's chief executive and chief engineer, are the future, and are less likely to produce injuries or harm if they crash.

"In Alaska, you can fly for hundreds of miles, and if you have issues you're going to hit tundra, or a spruce tree," he said.

Carl France once considered the pilot's life, but decided that the future was pilotless.

"I decided I'd get bored, flying back and forth from the same place," said Mr. France, 30, the chief executive of a drone start-up called Aquilo, which is based in Fairbanks and was founded by engineers from the University of Alaska.

Aquilo and K2 Dronotics are both focused, at least for now, on commercial data collection - Aquilo in scientific and industrial applications, K2 Dronotics in remote-area mapping.

Mr. Anderson and his wife, Loretta Fogg, 55, who is also a commercial pilot, said the idiosyncrasies of Alaska - the weather, the terrain, the difficulty in getting help if trouble arises - bred a mentality of improvisation and intuition about how to keep passengers and oneself safe.

In flying small planes, often with fewer than nine passengers - likely as not to be repeat customers traveling to and from villages - the pilots get to know people and their lives. With pilots increasingly being drawn to greener - and warmer - pastures, some of that old hands-on intimacy and continuity could fade.

"I know families, and I know their kids," Ms. Anderson said. "Where else are you going to get that?"

Growlers and Super Hornets grounded - Curt Lewis


Navy: Temporary grounding of Super Hornets, Growlers caused by jet's canopy that exploded

An E/A-18G Growler from the Shadowhawks of Electronic Attack Squadron 141 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington on Aug. 1, 2015.
NORFOLK

A Growler's canopy exploded off the jet earlier this month, which led the Navy to temporarily ground Super Hornet and Growler squadrons, according to a Naval Safety Center summary of the incident.

The Growler's pilot and electronic warfare officer were injured Dec. 16 at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Washington state as it prepared for a training flight. The Navy said at the time it was an "on-deck emergency" that involved the aircraft's canopy but did not elaborate.

The Navy suspended flight operations for Growlers and Super Hornets throughout the fleet for several days while they conducted an initial investigation. Super Hornets were included in the stand-down because they share common aircraft systems with the Growler, the Navy said in a statement. Several Super Hornet squadrons are based at Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach.

The Naval Safety Center classified the incident as a "Class A" mishap, its most serious type. It means there was at least $2 million in damage to the Growler or a "permanent total disability" to a crew member.

The pilot and electronic warfare officer were taken to a hospital to be treated for their injuries. The Norfolk-based Naval Safety Center described the officers' injuries as "severe." The center did not provide any more details.

Helicopter - Apache down in the US - Curt Lewis


Military Helicopter Crashes Off Texas Coast, Killing 2


















Cause of the crash is not known.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Two people were killed on Wednesday when an Army Air National Guard helicopter crashed into waters near the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Texas, military officials said.

The cause of the crash of the AH-64 Apache helicopter, some 25 miles southeast of Houston, was not known.

The pilots were from a helicopter battalion at Ellington Field in Houston.

The two men who were killed were pilots from a helicopter battalion at Ellington Field in Houston, a CBS affiliate reported.

The names of those killed have not been released.

The crash did not affect navigation in the Houston Ship Channel, which links the busiest U.S. petrochemical port to the Gulf of Mexico, the Houston Pilots Association said.

Sochi crash - Mysterious problems with the flaps - Curt Lewis


Russian Plane Crash Probe Rules Out Explosion
















MOSCOW - Flight recorders revealed no evidence of an explosion on board a Russian plane that crashed into the Black Sea, killing all 92 on board, but investigators haven't ruled out foul play, a military official said Thursday.

Russian air force Lt. Gen. Sergei Bainetov, who heads the Defense Ministry commission conducting the crash probe, said that a cockpit conversation recorder contained the captain's words that indicated a "special situation" that began unfolding on board the plane.

Bainetov wouldn't elaborate on what may have led to the crash, but noted that it likely had been caused by several factors.

The Tu-154 of the Russian Defense Ministry crashed into the sea early Sunday, moments after taking off in good weather from the city of Sochi. It was carrying members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, widely known as the Red Army Choir, to a New Year's concert at a Russian military base in Syria.

Bainetov said that the plane crashed 70 seconds after takeoff from an altitude of 250 meters (820 feet) while it was traveling at a speed of 360-370 kilometers per hour (224-230 miles per hour).

"After deciphering the first flight recorder we have made a conclusion that there was no explosion on board," Bainetov said at a news conference.

But asked if that means that investigators have ruled out a terror attack, Bainetov said "we aren't ruling out that version yet."

"A terror attack doesn't always involve an explosion," he said. "Along with an explosion on board, there could have been some mechanical impact."

He wouldn't offer any details, saying that Russian law-enforcement agencies are working on the case.

Bainetov's words appeared to contradict a previous statement from Russia's top domestic security and counter-terrorism agency, the FSB, which has said it found "no indications or facts pointing at the possibility of a terror attack or an act of sabotage."

It said investigators were looking into whether the crash might have been caused by bad fuel, pilot error, equipment failure or objects stuck in the engines.

Bainetov noted that "according to a preliminary assessment of information from the flight parameter recorder there had been no obvious equipment failures."

Investigators also have taken samples from a fuel tank used to fill the plane, which flew from Moscow's Chkalovsky military airport and stopped in Sochi for refueling.

In an apparent attempt to downplay Bainetov's statement, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov emphasized that "the version of a terror attack isn't being considered as the main version."

Sokolov said search teams have completed the bulk of efforts to recover bodies and debris from the crash site. He said 19 bodies and more than 230 body fragments have been recovered, adding that 13 big fragments of the plane and about 2,000 smaller fragments have been pulled from the seabed.

Bainetov said that Syria-bound planes normally stop for refueling at the North Caucasus military air base in Mozdok, but the plane that crashed had been diverted to Sochi because of bad weather in Mozdok.

Flights of the military's Tu-154s have been suspended during the investigation.

The Tu-154 is a Soviet-built three-engine airliner designed in the late 1960s. Russian airlines decommissioned the noisy, fuel-guzzling aircraft years ago, but the military and other government agencies continue using the plane, which is still loved by crews for its maneuverability and sturdiness.

"The aircraft has proven itself well," Bainetov said, but said they will likely resume after the investigation is over.

The plane that crashed Sunday was built in 1983 and underwent factory checkups and maintenance in 2014, and earlier this year. Investigators have taken relevant documents from the plant that did the job.

The crash wiped out most singers of the Alexandrov Ensemble, popular for its fiery performances.

"It will be very difficult to replace the gifted artists who were famous around the world," Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said, adding that the military will work on reviving the choir.

ADS-B og karbonutslipp fra fly - Særdeles interessant studie fra USA - Curt Lewis


Purdue study claims ADS-B technology can drastically lower aviation carbon emissions

MCLEAN, VA Dec. 21, 2016 A new report, based on research from Purdue University's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, analyzes the potential impact of space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) technology on global aviation carbon emissions in remote and oceanic airspace. Authored by Dr. Karen Marais, the report titled Environmental Benefits of Space-based ADS-B, indicates that the implementation of this technology can offer benefits preventing approximately 14.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere between 2020 and 2030. This is equivalent to removing more than 300,000 cars from U.S. roads each of those years, while making no changes to aircraft design or fuel.

According to 2015 estimates from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), commercial aviation contributes about 2 percent of global manmade CO2 emissions annually. Significant contributors to this are oceanic and remote airspace routes, which lack radar coverage and operate under separate procedures as compared to radar-controlled airspace. That difference comes with a heavy emissions penalty. Due to lack of real-time surveillance in those regions, air traffic control separates aircraft "procedurally" by approximately 50 nautical miles.

While procedural airspace helps manage safety-risk, it can also be inefficient. Marais found that space-based ADS-B offers a near-term solution for the aviation industry to limit fuel emissions by improving operations and efficiencies in remote and oceanic airspace. It accomplishes this by using more precise locating capabilities and enabling optimum altitudes, speeds and routes.

"When tackling the issue of emissions in aviation, the industry has three options. Designing and building more efficient engines and airframes, developing sustainable alternative fuels and flying aircraft more efficiently from point A to point B," says Marais. "The only one of these poised to make a near-term, most immediate impact is to fly aircraft more efficiently, and to do so, new technologies like space-based ADS-B are imperative. This technology offers both immediate cost savings to airlines and long term environmental benefits to society--a win-win combination."

Further, significant benefits exist for airlines outside of reduced emissions. The report cites a 2016 analysis from NAV CANADA pertaining to a major U.S. carrier indicating that, better routing, access to higher altitudes as fuel is burned and variable airspeed can result in an annual savings of approximately $18.25 million, or $475 per flight.

The report concludes that space-based ADS-B has the capability to, "...proactively contribute to reducing aviation's contribution to climate change today and meet current and future CO2 reduction commitments and international agreements being considered by agencies such as the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the U.N. ICAO." This includes initiatives like the Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), established by ICAO this past Fall to reduce aviation emissions. It also supports the White House goal to reduce the United States emissions below 2005 levels, a reduction of 26 to 28 percent.

Aireon's space-based ADS-B service is expected to be operational in 2018, shortly after the completion of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. The constellation will consist of 66 operational low-earth-orbit satellites providing 100 percent global coverage. The service will also provide Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) with global aircraft surveillance capability, and is expected to help reduce fuel costs, increase safety and enable more efficient flight paths.



For additional information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com.

About Aireon LLC


Aireon is deploying a global, space-based air traffic surveillance system for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipped aircraft over the entire globe. For the first time, Aireon will provide real-time ADS-B surveillance to oceanic, polar and remote regions, as well as augment existing ground-based systems that are limited to terrestrial airspace. Aireon will harness next generation aviation surveillance technologies and extend them globally to significantly improve efficiency, enhance safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings benefits to all stakeholders. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, NAV CANADA, ENAV, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon will have an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system by 2018. For more information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com.

Drone - Norskprodusert i media - UAS Vision video

New Drone Can Hoist 500 Pounds


The GRIFF 300 is the first in a planned line of unmanned aerial systems (U.A.S) designed to lift and carry huge loads. The 300 refers to its gross lifting weight in kilograms, so this one can carry up to 496 pounds (payload).
The company’s website proclaims two more “megadrones” are on the way: A 125 (about 275 lbs.) and an 800. Yes that’s right, 800 kilograms, over 1,700 lbs.
The true payload will be somewhat less than that, but still come in at more than a half-ton.
According to reports, the GRIFF 300 can carry its 500-lb. payload for up to 45 minutes.
No price has been released as yet, but we’re guessing if you have to ask, you’d better have corporate or government sponsorship.
The implications of a drone that could lift over 1,000 lbs. could be big.
A first-of-its-kind, the GRIFF line foreshadows a day when small drones rival manned helicopters for carrying capacity. In the future, these drones could be used in place of operations that are potentially hazardous for human operators.
Think construction, fire and mountain rescue, or wind turbine maintenance. Imagine a drone that carries and holds a firehose or needed supplies.
As a U.A.S., the drones are still less favorable than an actual human-controlled vehicle for rescues, for now. But with the rapid cascade of developments in recent years, it seems as though this type of application could be just over the horizon.
GRIFF Aviation already received approval by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority and its systems are compliant with European UAS safety regulations. While similar regulatory hurdles will need to be addressed for more uses in the U.S., it seems that with a little creativity, the sky’s the limit for new heavy lifting drone technology.

onsdag 28. desember 2016

Russian subs are closing the noise gap - Sputnik


Russia Closing the Gap on US With Cutting Edge Yasen Submarines
© Sputnik/ Vitaliy AnkovMilitary & Intelligence10:51 03.10.2016Get short URL1110613592

The United States has enjoyed unparalleled naval supremacy for more than two decades, but the most advanced submarine in Russia's arsenal, known as Severodvinsk, has recently emerged as a formidable opponent to the Pentagon's cutting-edge subs, 

Dubbed Virginia, defense and national security writer Kyle Mizokami asserted."Both submarines are the pinnacle of their country's submarine technology and, pitted against one another, would be fairly well matched," he wrote for the National Interest. The analyst also described Severodvinsk as "an unusual challenge to US naval superiority, But nevertheless one with a long, lethal pedigree." True, the Yasen (Ash Tree) class, also known as the Project 885, is impressive. Armed with cruise, anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles, the highly autonomous nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine is fast, silent and deep-diving. 

Press-service of JSC PO SevmashRussian Subs to Don New Generation Noise Absorbing TilesThe 394-foot-long boat is capable of moving at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour submerged. The Severodvinsk is armed with up to 32 P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, 40 Kalibr-PL anti-ship, anti-submarine and land attack submarine launched weapons or an unspecified number of Kh-101 cruise missiles. The expert maintained that the Virginia class has an edge over the Severodvinsk. "The Virginia class is quieter and has a better sonar rig than its Russian opponent. In the world of submarine warfare, that's an unbeatable combination. It can move and detect in ways that would give away Severodvinsk. One thing to be said for Severodvinsk is that it is more capable of quickly responding to a sudden target opportunity via her supersonic Klub ASW missiles," he explained. 

Designed to replace the Akula-class subs, the Yasen class is expected to become the backbone of the Russian Navy. © Photo: press-service of JSC "PO "SevmasRussian Yasen-Class Nuclear Submarines to Be Ready by 2023 – Russian NavySeverodvinsk, the first Yasen-class sub, entered service in June 2014 and was assigned to Russia's Northern Fleet. The second Yasen-class submarine, dubbed Kazan, will be the first watercraft of the improved Project 885. It is expected to be ready by early 2017 and will be reportedly handed over to the Russian Defense Ministry in 2018. Four more Yasen-class subs are currently under construction, with the sixth Project 885 watercraft, called Perm, laid down in late July. A total of six updated Yasen-class submarines are due to join the Russian Navy by 2020.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/military/201610031045940127-russia-yasen-submarine-virginia/