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Less Flights... More Fatalities? Airline Accident Fatalities Rise in 2020

Despite a historic drop in airline activity in 2020 because of COVD-19-related travel restrictions, fatal accidents in 2020 were just as high as in recent years with normal commercial flying activity. 2019 had four-to-five times the number of flights flown in 2020, and 2020 saw more fatalities. Globally, there were 12 fatal airline accidents in 2020, resulting in deaths of 332 passengers and crew compared with 22 fatal accidents and 297 fatalities in 2019 when the commercial airline activity was operating a a normal level in 2019. There were four jet accidents in 2020, three of which were the result of poorly planned and badly executed approaches to serviceable aircraft in conditions that should not have been a problem for the crews. These accidents were Pegasus Airlines Flight 2193 at Istanbul on February 5, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303 that crashed in Model Colony May 22, and Air India Express Flight 1344 that overran a runway on August 7. These accidents alone resulte
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USAF Recieves first two HH-60W "Jolly Green II" Helicopters

The US Air Force's first pair of Sikorsky HH-60W "Jolly Green II" combat rescue helicopters arrived at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia on November 5. Pilots from the 41st Rescue Squadron flew the helicopters from Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky Training Academy to Moody AFB on November 6. The new model is critical to personnel recovery missions. It's equipped with a wide range of capabilities for combat search and rescue operations in diverse environments. The first two Jolly Green IIs prepare to land at Moody AFB in Georgia (Photo Courtesy USAF) An enhanced version of the US Army's UH-60M Black Hawk, the new variant comes with technologies to protect against surface-to-air missiles, including digital radar warning receivers, laser warning system and a missile and hostile fire warning system.  The Jolly Green II also has additional fuel tanks to extend its combat radius and ensure safe and successful rescue missions for all U.S. military services. Even its name, Jo
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F-35 Full-Rate Production Delayed Once Again

The Pentagon will need to put off moving the F-35 program to full-rate production due to another delay in starting critical simulations tests. Top weapons buyer for the Defense Department, Ellen Lord, cannot clear the F-35 for full-rate production, also called Milestone C, until the jet goes through a series of tests in the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE). An F-35A flies over Utah (Photo Courtesy U.S. Air Force) The testing and $398 billion production program have been postponed from December 2020 to sometime in 2021 due to difficulties finishing technical preparations, according Lord's spokesperson, Jessica Maxwell. Tests at JSE simulate a range of high-threat scenarios that can't be replicated in live flight tests. Had testing begun in December, it would have taken an addition two to three months to analyze the data and draft a final report to the Pentagon by March 2021. Now, with both testing and production delayed, the team is "preparing an updated project schedule
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JAMCO Develops Incremental Cabin Improvements for COVID Safety

Jamco Corporation, a Japan-based aircraft interiors manufacturer, is focusing its attention on incremental, cost-effective passenger-experience improvements amid the COVID-19 crisis, in a new initiative called Project Blue Sky.  The global leader in building aircraft galleys and lavatories revealed a new door handle and locking knob that enable passengers to open the lavatory door with their elbows and forearms, as part of its global, collaborative effort between Jamco and its affiliates to develop and produce touchless, hygienic cabin interior products for the aerospace industry. Jamco Corporation's new hands-free lavatory technology. The initiative, announced Aug. 8, hopes to increase cabin cleanliness and to alleviate passenger stress during air travel. The pandemic will change travel habits, and Jamco has already started looking into how that will affect aircraft cabins.  Hands-free, low-touch concepts for the toilet seat lid and waste flap are close to follow the new door han
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Lufthansa Grounds More Planes as Summer Travel Dies Down

Lufthansa announced it will have to make more staff cuts and pull more jumbo jets than originally planned because the outlook for air travel is worse than the company anticipated. Lufthansa disclosed Sept 21 it would retire 50 more aircraft than previously announced  in a decision to retire 150 aircraft by the middle of the decade. It will also pull its remaining eight Airbus A380 jets from service, and they will only be reactivated in the event of an “unexpectedly rapid market recovery”. A Lufthansa A380 takes off from Frankfurt. (Image Credit Mr. Worker on Pixabay) Lufthansa had previously put all its 14 A380s fleet in storage in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and accelerated a retirement plan by withdrawing six of them immediately. The company said the modest rebound in airline travel dropped after the end of the summer vacation season and this has led it to make these difficult decisions. It expects to offer only 20-30 percent of its normal capacity in the last three months of
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Soldiers Awarded for Daring Creek Fire Rescue, Pushing Aircraft and Crew to Their Limits

Crews of two California Army National Guard helicopters were awarded the nation’s highest flying honors personally by president Donald Trump on Sept. 14, for rescuing more 200 people from the path of raging wildfires in California. Each of the seven crew members was presented a Distinguished Flying Cross, which is awarded for "heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight". President Trump delivers an address at the award ceremony Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, at the Cal Fire Hangar in McClelland Park, California. (Photo Courtesy Shealah Craighead/White House) The soldiers honored include the crew of the UH-60M Black Hawk; Chief Warrant Officer Five Kipp Goding, Chief Warrant Officer Two Irvin Hernandez and Warrant Officer One Ge Xiong; and the crew of the CH-47 Chinook, Chief Warrant Officer Five Joseph Rosamond, Chief Warrant Officer Two Brady Hlebain, Sgt. George Esquivel and Sgt. Cameron Powell. These seven soldiers flew a dangerous mission to res
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What are the 5 branches of military?

What are the 5 branches of military? Different Military Branches - In simple terms, the U.S. Armed Forces are made up of the five armed service branches: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy. There are three general categories of military people: active duty (full-time soldiers and sailors), reserve & guard forces (usually work a civilian job, but can be called to full-time military duty), and veterans and retirees (past members of the military). The President of the United States is the Commander in Chief, who is responsible for all final military decisions. The Secretary of the Department of Defense has control over the military and each branch - except the Coast Guard, which is under the Dept. of Homeland Security. With over 2 million civilian and military employees, the Department of defense (DOD) is the world's largest "company." What are the differences between military branches? Each Service has a corresponding Reserve, and mos
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