U.S. AIR FORCE - Special Warfare First

"In Special Warfare Milestone, Female Enlisted Airman to Enter Combat Controller Training" by Stephen Losey, Military.com 4/15/2021

The first female enlisted airman soon will enter training to become a combat controller, a milestone for the Air Force's efforts to add women to its elite special warfare ranks.

In an email Thursday, Air Education and Training Command spokeswoman Marilyn Holliday said that the unidentified airman is one of two enlisted women now in the special warfare training pipeline.  This airman recently completed the assessment and selection course, Holliday said, and will soon begin formal combat controller training.

The second enlisted airman will start the assessment and selection course in May, Holliday added.

Air Force Times was first to report that the female airman will enter combat controller training.

This is the furthest an enlisted woman has ever made it in the process to become a combat controller, Holliday said.

She explained that this airman -- like all those seeking to enter a special warfare career field -- will face the same standards used to evaluate male candidates.

Last summer, a female enlisted trainee began the Tactical Air Control Party Apprentice Course [AETC].  AETC said in December; at that time, she was still in the program.

However, AETC said Thursday that the trainee has since left the program and reclassified into another Air Force specialty.

The first female airman to enter the combat controller training pipeline did so in October 2019, though she ultimately did not make it to the formal training stage.

Combat controllers are highly trained airmen who often deploy with units into combat.  They can call in airstrikes, conduct air traffic control; command and control; and other operations under fire, as well as establish assault zones or airfields.  They are also certified FAA air traffic controllers.

FLIGHT RISK - Boeing 737 MAX

"Pilot messages reveal 2016 concerns over safety of Boeing 737 MAX" PBS NewsHour 10/18/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Boeing is facing new questions about its dealings with federal safety regulators over the grounded 737 MAX jet.  At issue are 2016 messages from a Boeing pilot who says he lied to officials about a flight-control system now linked to two deadly crashes.  The FAA wants to learn what else Boeing knew about the flaw -- and when.  Amna Nawaz talks to David Shepardson of Reuters, who broke the story.

AIRLINE SAFETY - Did the FAA Compromise Safety?

Why do you ask?  Does the FAA's policy of giving aircraft manufacturers to be the primary approver of their own aircraft sound like a good idea, really?

"Did the FAA’s deference to Boeing compromise safety of 737 MAX?" PBS NewsHour 7/29/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Boeing 737 MAX passenger jetliners in March, after the plane’s second deadly crash in five months.  But questions remain about why the agency didn’t act sooner.  Now, a New York Times investigation suggests the FAA’s role in the 737 MAX's approval process may have compromised its safety.  John Yang talks to investigative reporter Natalie Kitroeff.

John Yang (NewsHour):  Judy, The Times found that FAA engineers were increasingly sidelined and kept in the dark about key developments during the approval process of the 737 MAX, and that FAA managers often deferred to Boeing.

In fact, after the first deadly crash, the newspaper says FAA officials realized they didn't fully understand the automated system now blamed for helping send the two planes into fatal nosedives.

FLIGHT #302 - Boeing 737 MAX, FAA Approval Process

My question, why didn't the manual control have enough effect to override the computer system?  Says something about the poor design of the manual control.

"Faulty sensor led to horrifying ‘tug of war’ in cockpit of downed Boeing plane" PBS NewsHour 4/4/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  A preliminary investigation on the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 concluded a controversial software system did contribute to the downing of the Boeing plane, and the pilots followed manufacturer guidelines to no avail.  Boeing said it will release a software update to fix the problem, but how did the FAA approve the plane in the first place?  William Brangham talks to Miles O’Brien.

FAA - Fundamental Conflict on Aircraft Approval?

What do you mean?!  Leaving aircraft manufacturers to be the inspector of their aircraft safety worthlessness is a problem?  NO KIDDING, yes.

Note that a more recent statement by Boeing sad they will install a safety feature for the system in question, that they removed from some aircraft to lower the cost to customers, will be installed for free on those 737 MAX aircraft.  Which means Boeing could have done that in the first place.

"Does handling of Boeing safety issue reveal ‘fundamental conflict’ for the FAA?" PBS NewsHour 3/27/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In the aftermath of a second deadly plane crash, Boeing is trying to reassure the U.S. government and the public that it is addressing the flight control system on its 737 MAX jets.  The feature is suspected of a role in the fatal Ethiopian Airlines incident in March as well as an October Lion Air crash.  Amna Nawaz reports and talks to science correspondent Miles O’Brien for technical details.

BOEING 737 MAX - Disastrously Bad Decision Making

"This aviation expert says Boeing made ‘disastrously bad decision’ on training for 737 MAX" PBS NewsHour 3/18/2019

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The recent Ethiopian Airlines crash led to the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX planes across much of the globe.  But as new details emerge about the cause of the model’s second crash within five months, questions are being raised about how the plane's safety was approved in the first place.  John Yang talks to Jeff Wise, a pilot and author of a book about MH370 the flight that vanished in 2014.