FAA Aviation Forecast Conference

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is holding its 35th Annual Aviation Forecast Conference, "Looking Ahead in Aviation: Rational Rebound or Irrational Instability." The FAA will release its Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2010-2030, which provides the latest data about activity and growth in aviation products and services, as well as future estimates.

WHO:

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt

WHAT:

35TH Annual Aviation Forecast Conference

WHEN:

Tuesday, March 9, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 10, 8:00 a.m.-12 noon.

WHERE:

Walter E. Washington Convention Center

801 Mount Vernon Pl, N.W.

Washington, D.C.

The first day of the conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will feature remarks by Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Babbitt starting at 12:00 Noon. American Airlines Chairman, President and CEO Gerard J Arpey will keynote the luncheon at 1:00 p.m. The latest agenda including a list of panels cane be found at: http://www.faa.gov/news/conferences_events/aviation_forecast_2010/agenda/

Business Aviation Safety Seminar (BASS) Asia 2010

Presented by Flight Safety Foundation,

International Business Aviation Council,

National Business Aircraft Association

and Asian Business Aviation Association

Hosted by the Singapore Aviation Academy

April 13-14, 2010

Singapore Aviation Academy

Changi Village, Singapore

Today's best safety practices for the Asia Pacific region.

The rapid growth of business aviation in the Asia Pacific region represents opportunity for organizations and national economies, and a safety challenge. BASS-Asia 2010 is a new safety seminar to transmit lessons learned and a forum for developing concepts and plans to manage growth safely in the region.

Business aviation's excellent safety record was achieved over many years by applying best practices and new safety tools as the foundation of industry safety standards. Asia Pacific aviation leaders can make the most of lessons learned around the world.

The BASS-Asia series of safety seminars are introduced as a mechanism for leaders to discuss lessons learned and as a forum for developing concepts and plans for managing growth in the region.

Day 1 seminar topics include a review of the global and regional industry safety record, new safety rules, safety programs such as SMS and safety tools and best practice. Leaders will discuss plans for managing change to maximize safety.

Day 2 will feature specialized workshops on the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) and Approach and Landing Accident Reduction (ALAR).

Join us in Singapore for BASS-Asia 2010 on April 13 and 14.

For more information, please contact Susan Lausch at lausch@flightsafety.org or phone +1.703.739.6700 ext 112.

'Miracle on the Hudson' Pilot Retiring

US Airways Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who ditched in the Hudson River after his Airbus jetliner suffered a bird strike in January 2009, is retiring. All 150 passengers survived the emergency river landing. The plane had departed New York's LaGuardia when it encountered Canada geese. After Flight 1549 -- dubbed "The Miracle on the Hudson" -- Sullenberger became a celebrity, appearing on TV shows and wrote a book. After a few months off, Sullenberger returned to US Airways in a new role consulting on safety management for the airline and flying the occasional flight. Sullenberger, 59, joined US Airways (PSA Airlines) in 1980. In addition to his flying duties, he became a member of US Airways' flight operations safety management team in September 2009.

CAAC/P&W to Provide Safety Training

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will team with Pratt & Whitney to form an executive leadership training programs for Chinese airlines, CAAC management and those in maintenance, repair and overhaul. "We are looking forward to the success of this program, which will surely help Chinese airlines to reduce their maintenance cost while promoting their safety operations," said Zhou Kaixuan, Deputy Director General of Flight Standard, CAAC. Under a five-year agreement, up to 30 executives will be selected annually by the CAAC to participate in nearly four months of training that will take place among Civil Aviation Management Institute of China and Pratt & Whitney's Huapu Aviation Engine Training Center in China, and Pratt & Whitney's Customer Training Center headquarters in East Hartford, CT Training topics will include aero engine awareness and engineering management, Achieving Competitive Excellence, change management, supply chain, regulatory environments, leadership, program management, MRO cost strategies, aviation finance, engaging employees in a global environment and other management and business topics.

ARINC in South Africa

Commercial passenger flights and business jets in South Africa can now have better access to important flight messages and data with newly-expanded ACAR data link coverage from ARINC. In cooperation with South Africa's Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), ARINC recently installed a new VHF ACARS data link station at Cape Town, and inaugurated coverage in December. The new station will enable better in-flight data transfer and communications between airline operations and aircraft flight decks. Cape Town International is South Africa's second busiest airport and a major gateway for tourists. ARINC is expanding its data link coverage in advance of the 2010 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa during June and July. Andy Wood, ARINC EMEA program director, said "new station deployments like this one benefit our European-based airline customers such as Virgin Atlantic and Lufthansa who fly to the African main bases, as well as many international airlines flying to Johannesburg, where we also provide VHF ACARS coverage." ARINC VHF ACARS data link service provides airlines with faster and more reliable operational messaging than traditional voice radio. Carriers using data link benefit from greater efficiency and on-time performance. ARINC's data link services are built on an integrated worldwide network of VHF and HF ground stations, along with Inmarsat and Iridium satellite networks, to provide seamless data communications to aircraft anywhere in the world. ARINC's exclusive HFDL (High Frequency Data Link) service gives carriers such as South African Airways cost-effective global coverage across oceans, continents and polar regions while seamlessly interfacing with VHF and SATCOM communications.

Airport Deicing

AAAE has submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on proposed new standards for limiting deicing fluid runoff at commercial airports. EPA's proposal would establish standards for the amount of aircraft deicing fluid (ADF) that commercial service airports must recapture and prevent from entering wastewater runoff. AAAE voiced concern that the standards would put undue financial burdens and create safety hazards at many airports. Under the proposed regulation, airports with more than 10,000 annual aircraft departures and 1,000 annual jet departures would be required to capture fluid. The recapture standards would vary based on the amount of ADF used each year, with heavy users required to recapture 60 percent of all fluid. In addition, airports determined to have "new sources" of pollution, such as new or extended runways, would be required to meet the highest standards.