Air India Operations Head Licence Temporarily Suspended By Aviation Authority

NEW DELHI:  Acting tough, aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday suspended the flying licence of Air India operations head Capt A K Kathpalia for skipping mandatory pre-flight medical test repeatedly.

The action comes within a week of the national carrier taking Capt Kathpalia, a senior executive pilot, off flying duties.

Interestingly, Capt Kathpalia -- who is the Executive Director (Operations) -- has been selected for a board level position at Air India pending final approval.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now suspended the licence for failing to undertake breath analyser test, either before or after operating a domestic flight on January 19.

In an order, the regulator said that in public interest, "the privileges of the pilot licence held by Captain A K Kathpalia ATPL No.1330" is being suspended for three months.

The suspension "shall be endorsed on his licence", the order issued by DGCA Joint Director Lalit Gupta said. In this context, endorse refers to mentioning about the particular action in the personal records of the violator.

The suspension would be effective from February 7 -- the day when he was taken off from flying duties by the airline after directions from the DGCA.

There was no response from Air India to queries in this regard.

Sources at the airline said the five-member committee, set up to probe allegations of violations against Capt Kathpalia, has submitted its report to the DGCA.

DGCA officials were not available for comments.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) had complained that Kathpalia had evaded pre-flight medical test on several occasions.

Laser Detect System ltd Unveils The SpectroDrone This Week In Israel

LDS Unveils The SpectroDrone This Week In Israel

Following extensive testing in the laboratory and in the field, Laser Detect System (LDS) Ltd. is unveiling SpectroDrone – the world’s first drone-based explosive detection sensor.

Utilizing LDS’ laser-based explosive detection system, SpectroDrone detects explosives and other hazardous materials, in gas, liquid, powder or bulk form, at a distance of several meters from the threat. SpectroDrone can perform such missions over an operational radius of up to 3 Km. In addition to the detection of dangerous materials, SpectroDrone can remotely analyze different materials in real time, fulfilling essential role in mining and other industrial operations.

LDS unveiled the SpectroDrone at Israel’s HLS & Cyber Expo in Tel Aviv. At the exhibition, SpectroDrone is displayed integrated on the Airobotics Optimus drone – a high capacity multi-mission multi-rotor drone.

In this new configuration SpectroDrone automatically detects and analyzes explosives materials and IEDs, hazardous compounds, and narcotics from a distance, in addition to its surveillance role, thus enhancing situational understanding and real-time response to emergency situations. The SpectroDrone payload can also be mounted on ground robots and in fixed operation such as LDS’ SPHERE vehicle inspection systems.

“We are very excited to unveil this innovative solution for security and anti-terror applications at Israel’s HLS & Cyber,“ said Eli Venezia, LDS founder and President. “We are also encouraged by the great promise our technology offers for commercial applications.”

“When running security, emergency or surveillance missions in an industrial environment, the ability to dynamically and swiftly replace payloads, as well as introduce new innovative ones, is a real step forward,” says Ran Krauss, CEO, and Co-Founder of Airbotics. “The next generation of security lies in introducing unique technological capabilities, which I believe LDS and Airbotics bring jointly to market.”

SpectroDrone implements LDS’ patented, laser-based detection technology. The payload comprises multiple electro-optical assemblies comprising a laser source emitting several wavelengths, laser range finder and high-resolution camera - all integrated with state of the art spectrometers which that operates LDS’s software package and proprietary algorithms.

This algorithm enables to achieve the sensitivity required for remote operation, increasing the probability of accurate detection while reducing false negative and false positive detection rates, bringing detection performance level to that of laboratory equipment.

Event Will Be Back In San Jose October 2017

The 2nd Annual Drone World Expo attracted 2,711 commercial drone professionals this week to the San Jose Convention Center.  The exhibit hall featured nearly 100 exhibiting companies showcasing the newest products and solutions with a world-class education program featuring a stellar line up of 120 end users, industry and government experts.

"The energy and excitement at Drone World Expo was fantastic, fueled by the new product announcements, unique educational content and incredible networking opportunities.  We would like to thank our exhibitors, attendees, speakers and partners for making this event more than a tradeshow but a true community gathering in the heart of Silicon Valley," said Joelle Coretti, Event Director, Drone World Expo.  "We heard a lot of great buzz on the show floor from the commercial end users who were discovering many innovative and dynamic new products and solutions for their needs."
 
The exhibitors responded enthusiastically about their experience at the trade show with many already renewing booth space for the 2017 Show which will take place October 3-4, again at the San Jose Convention Center.
 
John Sheehan, Leader, Commercial Aviation Inspection Service, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company said, "This was our first time at Drone World Expo and we were very impressed with the audience which was the right mix of users, operators and producers.  This event is what the industry needs - an opportunity for real businesses to find solutions for their real needs.  We will definitely be back in 2017."
 
Rosalie Bartlett, Marketing Manager, Kespry said, "We were thrilled to have met with end users in all of our target markets agriculture, construction, insurance and mining.  So many of the attendees walking the floor did their research about the industry and came ready to buy seeing the huge ROI in using drone technology.  The Drone World Expo education program was great - providing end users with compelling and informative reasons to invest in drone technology. We couldn't be happier with the results."
 
Steve Snow, Marketing Specialist, Esri said, "Drone World Expo delivered an excellent conference which brought us a lot of good leads.  The event is helping to build a stronger community."

Steve Gitlin, Vice President Corporate Strategy, AeroVironment said, "Drone World Expo was very productive from an integration of ideas standpoint. We launched our new Quantix™ drone at the show and now the operators who were in attendance can see the benefits of the range, reliability and efficiency of the product and the commercial applic
ations." 
 
In addition to the exhibits, Drone World Expo offered a world-class education program which kicked off with an opening day keynote presentation on The Future of Drones: Clearing the Flight Path to a Connected World.  Prior to the keynote Gretchen West of Hogan Lovells, provided an overview of the last year for the drone industry where UAS/drone user registration topped 600,000 by the end of September 2016 compared to 250,000 manned aircraft registrations.  West discussed the key factors driving the growth in the industry which have been fueled by the implementation of the long-awaited/anticipated Part 107; as well as; recommendations for the FAA Micro UAS ARC; the creation and adoption of the NTIA and Industry Privacy Best Practices; and the Congressional Extension of FAA Reauthorization Act to name a few.

On Wednesday morning, attendees had a chance to hear from Zipline International, Crisfield Clinic, X (formerly Google x) and the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership who discussed the implementation of drone delivery, and the realities and challenges the industry faces.  Lawrence Williams of Zipline showcased the work they are doing in Rwanda delivering medical supplies and said, "Instant delivery is what people expect and in healthcare logistics it can save lives.  Currently our drones in Rwanda are capable of delivery of life saving medical products, in a 15 to 35-minute time frame, which is truly transformative."  He and Dr. Kerry Palakanis of Crisfield Clinic discussed the work they are doing toward bringing this technology to rural areas in the United States.
 
Drone World Expo 2017 will be held October 3-4, once again at the San Jose Convention Center.

Asking Passengers To Take An Active Role In Aviation Safety

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta is encouraging travelers to Fly Smart this holiday season.

“I’m asking air travelers to take an active role in aviation safety when they fly this holiday season,” said FAA Administrator Huerta (pictured). “Fly Smart and be prepared. Your actions can save your life and those around you.”
 
Flying is incredibly safe. In fact, this is the safest period in aviation history. Government and industry have significantly reduced the risk of accidents by working together on airplane design, maintenance, training, and procedures – but emergencies can happen.
 
“While tens of millions of passengers will rely on air travel this holiday season to connect them to destinations around the world, pilots across the country stand ready. On each and every flight, pilots and crewmembers work together to ensure that the passengers and cargo we carry arrive safely and efficiently to their destinations. Over the next few weeks, airports and aircraft will be a little more crowded, and as always, we encourage passengers to be patient and listen carefully to crewmember instructions. Aviation is the safest mode of transportation in the world, and passengers have played an important role in maintaining that incredible record by working with crewmembers and complying with federal guidelines,” said Capt. Tim Canoll, Air Line Pilots Association, International President.
 
"Bring a spirit of community, watch the safety briefing and listen to your Flight Attendants. As aviation's first responders we are proud to help usher you safely and securely on your travels," said Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants.
 
Travelers can make their flight even safer by taking a few minutes to follow these guidelines:

• In the unlikely event that you need to evacuate, leave your bags and personal items behind. Your luggage is not worth your life. Passengers are expected to evacuate an airplane within 90 seconds. You do not have time to grab your luggage or personal items. Opening an overhead compartment will delay evacuation and put the lives of everyone around you at risk.
• Pack safe and leave hazardous materials at home. From lithium batteries to aerosol whipped cream, many items can be dangerous when transported by air. Vibrations, static electricity, and temperature and pressure variations can cause hazardous materials to leak, generate toxic fumes, start a fire, or even explode. When in doubt, leave it out.
• Leave your Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone at home. You are prohibited from transporting this recalled device on your person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the United States.
• If you have spare batteries, pack them in your carry-on baggage and use a few measures to keep them from short circuiting: keep the batteries in their original packaging, tape over the electrical connections with any adhesive, non-metallic tape, or place each battery in its own individual plastic bag. You cannot fly with damaged or recalled batteries.
• Prevent in-flight injuries by following your airline’s carry-on bag restrictions.
• Use your electronic device only when the crew says it’s safe to do so.
• Pay attention to the flight attendants during the safety briefing and read the safety briefing card. It could save your life in an emergency.
• Buckle up. Wear a seatbelt at all times.
• Protect young children by using a child safety seat or device. Your arms cannot hold onto a child during turbulence or an emergency. An FAA video shows how to install a child safety seat on an airplane.

Multiple Components Available To Meet 2020 Mandate

Among the numerous ADS-B options available, one company has a track record of producing proven transponder technology that’s both affordable to buy and cost effective to install - saving you even more money. Trig Avionics produces the TT31 transponder, a ‘plug and play’ retro-fit that’s ADS-B capable and replaces old Bendix KT76A, KT76C and KT78A transponders.

Trig also produces the TT22, a compact ADS-B capable transponder, designed to save space in the panel. Both transponders are class 1 devices and meet the 2020 ADS-B mandate.

Aircraft owners contemplating the merits of a Trig transponder can now take advantage of Trig’s complimentary TN70 WAAS GPS and antenna. This provides a C145 compliant GPS source for a TT22 or TT31 transponder. The TN70 price has been cut and is now available at a list price of $ 1,975.

Trig’s Marketing Manager Jon Roper said, “With the FAA Rebate available we have reduced the price of the TN70. This means you can now secure a complete ADS-B Out system from only $ 3,763.” This superb package includes a TT22 Mode S transponder and TN70 WAAS GPS system.

The TN70 is a blind GPS unit, installed away from the panel; the pilot can continue to use an existing non WAAS navigator without disruption. Alternatively, aircraft owners with Garmin GNS or GTN WAAS navigators can use Trig’s FAA ADS-B STC that covers both TT31 and TT22 transponders and has an STC AML list covering hundreds of airplane models. The STC is free and a custom PMA parts kit for air ground determination in Part 23 aircraft costs just $ 100.00.

Trig is a U.K. company with an extensive US dealer network and a US based service center at Mid Continent Instruments and Avionics. Jon Roper shared, “Trig products are better by design, we offer pilots great value, quality and the best support in the industry.”

Pre-Flight Planning, In-Flight Operations Improved In Latest Release

Garmin has announced integrated weight and balance calculations, as well as aircraft performance tables and calculations within the Garmin Pilot app on Apple mobile devices. Also new to Garmin Pilot, Freehand flight planning allows for quick and easy flight plan editing from the moving map page.

Pilot-configurable checklists are also integrated within Garmin Pilot, providing pilots the option to create custom checklists that are accessible within the app. These new features and more are available as a free update for existing customers and provide pilots with even more tools to aid in flight planning and in-flight navigation all within a single mobile application.

“We continue to pack more features and incorporate more capabilities into Garmin Pilot to provide our customers with a premier, all-inclusive application,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “Pilots have been requesting an all-in-one app that merges their flight plan with other information pertaining to the flight, such as performance calculations, weight and balance and more. We’re excited to be the first to bring our customers this fully integrated experience so pilots have everything they need - from pre-flight to post-flight – all within Garmin Pilot.”

Garmin Pilot is the first application that incorporates weight and balance calculations into a flight plan or a saved trip, taking into account fuel burn and more for a comprehensive look at weight and balance characteristics throughout an entire flight. Pilots can take advantage of pre-loaded aircraft types or enter aircraft weight and balance figures manually, noting the arm, moment and station of each point from the Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH). Figures such as center of gravity (CG) are easily referenced in the application relative to an active flight plan. In the event CG limits entered within the app are exceeded, pilots receive a visual alert. Additionally, customized weight and balance profiles can be shared across multiple Garmin Pilot accounts. For example, pilots that operate a single airplane in a club can easily share the same weight and balance profile across different Garmin Pilot accounts. 

New performance tables conveniently calculate climb, cruise and decent profiles so pilots can easily reference performance characteristics specific to their aircraft within Garmin Pilot. Pilots are provided with an interactive and graphically-rich interface to input figures that calculate aircraft performance, including variables such as power setting, fuel and distance to climb and cruise. All aircraft performance calculations also take into account pertinent factors such as outside air temperature (OAT) and altitude. Several of the most popular fixed-wing aircraft models among Garmin Pilot users are pre-populated within the app, however, similar to weight and balance data, aircraft performance tables that are manually created may be shared across multiple Garmin Pilot accounts. Additional aircraft types are expected to be added to the aircraft library in upcoming Garmin Pilot releases.

Enhanced flyGarmin integration provides customers with more opportunities to easily customize and save data within the Garmin Pilot app. Pilots now have the option to input and save their own aircraft performance characteristics manually within the flyGarmin website, which can be shared across individualized aircraft profiles with other pilots across different accounts. Customized checklists can also be created within flyGarmin and synced to the Garmin Pilot app on a mobile device.

With a single tap pilots can utilize new Freehand flight plan editing, which can be quickly accessed via the radial menu within Garmin Pilot. Freehand allows pilots to easily plan or fly around weather, airspace, terrain or other pertinent features without leaving the moving map. Simply access Freehand by long-pressing over an active flight plan route on the map. By selecting the graphically edit icon within the radial menu, pilots can either tap individual waypoints or utilize Freehand mode to dynamically draw a route, which uses a combination of NavAids, intersections and airports to generate a new flight plan with a simple finger swipe across the map.

Checklists can now easily be created and displayed within the Garmin Pilot app. Similar to an aircraft POH, these checklists can be categorized by normal, abnormal and emergency and then sorted even further by phase of flight, such as preflight, before take-off and before landing. Customized checklists are also interactive, allowing pilots to select each individual checklist item. When selected, the checklist item turns green and a green checkmark confirms the step has been completed.

With this new release, pilots can easily import multiple user-defined waypoints into Garmin Pilot using a CSV file format from a computer, and fight plans can now be created online using AOPA’s Flight Planner or SkyVector on a computer and sent to Garmin Pilot on a mobile device.

Pilots can also configure home screen icons to suit their flight planning preferences.

Garmin Pilot 8.5 for Apple mobile devices is available immediately as a free update, providing existing customers access to these latest features. For new customers, Garmin Pilot is available in the Apple App StoreSM as a free download for the first 30 days. After the 30-day trial period, customers may purchase an annual subscription of Garmin Pilot for the U.S. starting at $74.99.

Flytenow CASE hanging in the balance

The Obama administration has advised the U.S. Supreme Court that it should let a ruling of the D.C. Circuit stand and not take up the case of Flytenow Inc., a web-based service through which pilots offered seats on private airplanes to people willing to share the expense of the flight.

When the site was closed down last year, the government said that Flytenow was acting as a "common carrier", much line a scheduled airline. Common carriers must use commercial pilots, and Flytenow violated the common carrier rules by allowing private pilots to offer rides to people who wanted to go where they were going.

The National Law Journal reports that the D.C. Circuit agreed with the FAA in its application of the Common Carrier standard. Flytenow appealed to the Supreme Court, but Ian Gershengorn, the acting solicitor general, said in the government's official response that the company's argument "is that the FAA and the court of appeals erroneously applied a long-established and legally appropriate definition of 'common carrier' to its particular business model. That fact-bound and case-specific argument does not warrant this court's review."

Flytenow has argued that since its pilots do not make a profit from offering open seats to the public, they should not be governed by the common carrier rule. They also say that their First Amendment rights of free speech are being violated by forcing the website to close. In its filing with the Supreme Court, the government said that the very act of offering transportation of passengers or property by aircraft meets the definition of a common carrier.

Flytenow is backed by the Cato Institute, Tech Forum, National Federation of Independent Small Business, Southeastern Legal Foundation, Buckeye Institute and others, which are urging the Supreme Court to take up the case.

In a statement, NATA said that Flytenow is using deception to sway public opinion to its side. "Flytenow attorneys continue to try and use smoke and mirrors in an attempt to convince people it is now acceptable to allow the general public to 'ride-share' with private pilots with potentially little flight time or training for challenging weather conditions,” stated NATA President Marty Hiller. “Rather than admit that for safety reasons our laws prohibit air transportation by unlicensed operators, their lawyers argue the FAA is anti-technology and is banning pilots from using the Internet. In fact, the FAA has not banned pilots from communicating on the Internet. As the U.S. Court of Appeals noted in one of several legal rebukes issued to Flytenow, 'Pilots communicating to defined and limited groups remain free to invite passengers for common-purpose expense-sharing flights…so long as they share a common purpose and do not hold themselves out as offering services to the public.' Consistent with previous attempts to offer the same service using telephone-based technology, the FAA determined the Flytenow service establishes private pilots as common carriers and therefore requires additional safety certifications for both the pilots and their aircraft."

Hiller continued, “The very existence of a 'common-purpose' test is Flytenow’s real legal dilemma and it is instructive to look at the legislative language that it supports. In order to override the agency’s safety regulations, Flytenow proposes to eliminate the common-purpose test. We do not believe the Supreme Court will grant cert in this matter because it is neither a novel question of law nor are there any disputes between the lower courts as to the FAA’s interpretation of the Flytenow model. NATA will continue to educate lawmakers on how Flytenow is simply selling old wine in a new bottle to ultimately undermine the safety of the flying public.”

"FlyteNow proposes offering its service to the general public," said NATA Board Chairman Andy Priester, President and CEO of Priester Aviation, a provider of on-demand air charter. "Right now, the public is protected through commercial authorizations by the FAA and DOT that require charter operators to adhere to significant maintenance requirements and pilot training – requirements that are completely neglected by the FlyteNow model."