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FAA Press Release: What Pilots Need to Know About Winter Flying

October 2009 – In the November/December 2009 issue of FAA Aviation News, the focus is on winter flying safety, including icing avoidance strategies, safe operations on icy runways, snow/frost contamination, and more.

In “On Thin Ice,” Aerospace Engineer Paul Pellicano writes about ice contamination, the differing vulnerability of different airplanes, and the havoc ice can play with lift, weight, and drag. Contributing writer and flight instructor Meredith Saini explains “known icing conditions,” provides resources for finding ice, and then outlines strategies to avoid it. In “A Long Winter’s Nap,” Airworthiness Safety Inspector Suzanne Mejia writes about what to consider in storing your aircraft for the winter.

Other articles address safety on icy or slushy runways, the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning during winter, and stress the importance of position reporting on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF).

To read the issue, and to see previous issues for more safety information, go to: www.faa.gov/news/aviation_news.

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    Boeing Hosts Global Educators at Weeklong Space Camp

    CHICAGO, July 12, 2010 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] this week is sponsoring more than 100 teachers from around the world at the 19th Annual Boeing Educators to Space Camp program at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala.
    The five-day Boeing Educators to Space Camp program uses space exploration initiatives to enhance teachers’ skills in presenting math, science and technology lessons in a way that will inspire students and help build a skilled work force for a globally competitive technology market.
    “Sponsoring educators to attend Space Camp each year is just one of the many ways Boeing is investing in the future,” said Rick Stephens, Boeing senior vice president of Human Resources and Administration. “The number of students pursuing math-, science-, and technology-related degrees is declining, particularly in the United States. It is important to work with educators, who have a direct influence on the students starting at a young age, to bring the excitement of these subjects into the classroom.”
    The teachers will be involved in hands-on workshops that include simulated space missions, astronaut training, and presentations by rocketry and space-exploration experts. The workshops help bring the excitement of real-world engineering challenges to levels suitable for students to achieve a better understanding of scientific and mathematic principles.
    “Space Camp provides a hands-on learning environment where the excitement of science, math and technology are explored and practiced through the mysteries and wonders of space,” said Ruth Oliver, director of Education at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
    Boeing worked with U.S. and international education institutions to select more than 100 applicants from 13 countries for the weeklong course, making this the largest, most diverse Boeing-sponsored group ever. Since 1992, more than 700 teachers have participated in Boeing’s annual program, reaching an estimated 30,000-plus students around the world.
    Boeing’s support of Space Camp aligns with the company’s community investment focus area in primary-secondary education, which promotes the professional development of teachers and provides them with the tools and resources they need to help improve student performance.
    “The teachers’ experiences at Space Camp will give them a unique perspective to share with their students,” added Stephens. “By sponsoring Educators to Space Camp, Boeing is helping the students of today become the citizens of the future and the next generation of scientists, engineers and space explorers.”
    After graduating from Space Camp on July 17, each teacher will return home with educational resources that can be easily implemented in the classroom to help their students meet national standards for science, math and technology. Boeing will follow their progress to accurately measure the program’s effectiveness.
    Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Additionally, Boeing designs and manufactures rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites, launch vehicles and advanced information and communication systems. As a major service provider to NASA, Boeing operates the space shuttle and International Space Station. The company also provides numerous military and commercial airline support services. Boeing has customers in more than 90 countries around the world and is one of the largest U.S. exporters in terms of sales.
    # # #
    *Note to editors:
    Teachers from the following locations will attend this year’s camp: Alabama (5), Arizona (1), California (10), Florida (4), Hawaii (1), Illinois (12), Maryland (3), Missouri (10), Oregon (3), Pennsylvania (10), Texas (19), Utah (6), Virginia (4), Washington (5), Australia (1), Canada (1), Greece (1), India (1), Italy (1), Japan (1), Korea (1), Poland (1), Singapore (1), Saudi Arabia (1), United Arab Emirates (1), United Kingdom (1).

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    JetSelect Aircraft Maintenance Services, LLC Obtains FAA Certification as a Part 145 Repair Station

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 22, 2011
    — JetSelect Aviation, LLC, a Global Aviation Service Provider, announced today that its maintenance division has obtained FAA Certification as a Part 145 Repair Station. JetSelect Maintenance Services, LLC operates its repair station and offers aircraft maintenance services from their primary base at the Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), Columbus, Ohio.
    JetSelect’s Maintenance Team consists of highly skilled and experienced technicians who have proven their capabilities maintaining one of the largest private charter fleets in the U.S. With this latest certification, they will be able to market their expertise and private jet maintenance services to the aviation community.

    Robert Austin, CEO for JetSelect Aviation, commented, “Our aircraft maintenance team has worked very hard for this achievement and we are very proud to have our private jet maintenance capabilities stand out in the aviation marketplace. As an organization we are experiencing solid and planned growth on several fronts and this certification will strengthen our ability to support our operations as well as to enhance our revenue streams.”

    Gordon MacSwain, Director of Aircraft Maintenance for JetSelect Aviation, said today, “We are pleased with this major achievement which is the result of a lot of hard work by our team. The timing is right, the location is right, and our market is steadily growing. We are excited about our accomplishments and you can expect us to build upon our outstanding capabilities, technology and experience to create a legacy of superior private jet maintenance service.”

    Mario Bustamante, Manager of JetSelect’s Avionics Department, added, “This is what we have been working towards. Our Airframe, Engine and Avionics capabilities can now be fully leveraged by the marketplace. We are extremely excited about this milestone achievement in the airplane maintenance industry.

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    FAA Proposes Safety Management Systems for Airlines

    For Immediate Release
    November 4, 2010

    WASHINGTON – In a continuing effort to take the U.S. aviation system to the next level of safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed to require Safety Management Systems (SMS) for most commercial airlines.
    Safety management systems give operators a set of business processes and management tools to examine data from everyday operations, isolate trends that may be precursors to incidents or accidents, and develop and carry out appropriate risk mitigation strategies. They are a formal approach to managing an organization’s safety through four key components – safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion.

    “Safety is our top priority,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This program can help airlines identify possible safety problems and correct them before they lead to accidents.”

    “We need a holistic approach to safety that allows us to spot trends in aviation and make necessary changes to help avoid incidents and accidents,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Safety Management Systems are a critical piece of a successful safety culture.”

    The requirements of the SMS proposal would define “what” is expected rather than “how” the requirement is to be met. This allows for development and implementation of an SMS that matches the size, complexity and business models of diverse organizations in ways appropriate to their unique systems and operating environments.

    Under the proposed rule, scheduled air carriers and a few others operating under Part 121 of federal aviation regulations would be required to implement an SMS within three years. The carriers would have to submit their SMS implementation plans to the FAA within six months of the final rule’s effective date. The plan would be required to show how the airline intends to comply with the rule within the three-year implementation period. An SMS would not take the place of regular FAA oversight, inspection and audits to ensure compliance with existing regulations

    The FAA began exploring system safety-based oversight concepts in the mid- to late- 1990s. During that time, the agency concluded system safety has to be practiced by operators, repair stations, flight schools, other aviation service providers and the agency itself. In 2006, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) required that all member countries implement SMS standards for operators and approved maintenance organizations.

    The FAA’s own Air Traffic Organization has already begun implementing an SMS, and the agency recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require FAA-certified airports to establish SMS for all airfield and ramp areas.

    The estimated cost of this proposed rule for U.S. air carriers is $390 million, with estimated benefits of $470 million. The proposal conforms to ICAO SMS provisions.

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    ICAO Press Release: Safety Conference

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    STRONG CONSENSUS REACHED AT ICAO SAFETY CONFERENCE ON WAYS TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS
    MONTREAL, 1 April 2010 – A High-Level Safety Conference which concluded today established a strong mandate for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to create a strategy to further reduce the global accident rate, through the sharing of safety-related information among Member States and the air transport industry.

    More than 600 participants at the four-day event, attended by Ministers and Directors General of Civil Aviation from 150 Member countries as well as industry representatives, recommended that ICAO create a global safety information exchange to enable analysis of key safety indicators. This will guide future strategic decisions related to the evolution of today’s air transportation system. The Conference called upon ICAO to facilitate the collection, analysis and dissemination of safety information provided by States and industry partners, throughout the international aviation community.

    The Conference further recommended that ICAO develop processes to give the general public access to relevant safety information, thereby allowing them to make an informed decision about the safety of air transportation and to further ensure that such information is used solely to improve aviation safety and not for retribution or the purpose of gaining economic advantage.

    “We have traditionally focused our efforts on accident reports as a means to improve safety. This new approach will help us to better identify and deal with safety threats before they result in accidents”, said Roberto Kobeh González, President of the Council of ICAO.

    “Regulators and industry must come to manage safety-critical information in the same way that they view accidents. Both must become triggers for action in preventing accidents,” he added.

    On Tuesday, ICAO, the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA), the Commission of the European Union (EC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) signed a Declaration of Intent on the development of a global safety information exchange agreement.

    In the months to come, the parties will establish an operational framework for the information exchange. It will address technical, confidentiality, legal and policy implications, as well as the relevance and timing of information collected.

    “ICAO has long promoted the concept of information sharing on a global scale so as to connect the various databases of regulators and industry. The recommendation from the Conference and the Declaration of Intent represent a breakthrough in achieving our objective of better utilizing data to reduce the accident rate globally and in specific regions and States around the world,” Mr. Kobeh emphasized.

    On the question of black boxes, the Conference recommended that ICAO look into technical enhancements that would improve the ability to locate and recover the units, such as longer time periods for signals, better resistance to crashes and floatability.

    “While the electronic transmission of information during flights is progressively improving, black boxes will remain absolutely indispensable for years to come as the primary source of technical data in cases of accidents or incidents,” Mr. Kobeh said.

    The Conference also called on States and industry to ensure improved communication and surveillance of flights over oceanic and remote areas through the use of all available technologies.

    Reaffirming the fundamental mission of ICAO to ensure the safety of international civil aviation, the Conference endorsed the creation of a new Annex to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, one dedicated exclusively to safety management principles.

    Recommendations from the Conference will be submitted to the Council of ICAO for consideration in the coming weeks.

    – END –

    PIO.04.10.ENGLISH PIO.04.10.FRENCH PIO.04.10.SPANISH PIO.04.10.RUSSIAN PIO.04.10.ARABIC PIO.04.10.CHINESE

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    Sharing of Information highlight of second day of Safety Conference
    March 30, 2010 — oacicomm
    On the second day of the High-level safety Conference, the more than 600 participants from some 150 ICAO Member States and industry unequivocally endorsed the twin concepts of transparency and sharing of safety-related information among States and with major stakeholders within the global aviation community, as well as with the general public.

    There was agreement that ICAO should be the body charged with coordinating the integration of the safety information provided by the international community as well as for the dissemination of safety intelligence. To that end, ICAO would convene a group of experts to define and harmonize safety metrics, associated data requirements and analysis processes.

    ICAO would also develop a code of conduct on the sharing of safety information, so as to ensure that such information is used solely to improve aviation safety and not for retribution or the purpose of gaining economic advantage.

    Processes would be developed to provide the general public with access to relevant safety information which would allow them to make an informed decision about the safety of air transportation.

    Recommendations on these and other items will be reviewed and approved on the final day of the Conference, Thursday, 1 April. Recommendations will subsequently be submitted to the ICAO Council for consideration in the coming weeks.

    Earlier in the Conference, in line with the discussions on the sharing of information as a means to improve aviation safety levels around the world, ICAO and three other State and industry parties signed a Declaration of Intent on the Development of a Global Safety Information Exchange Agreement: the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA); the Commission of the European Union (EC); and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

    In the weeks to come, representatives of the signatories will produce a work plan incorporating the following activities and concepts: identification of the safety information gathered by the Participants that would be most relevant to the enhancement of risk reduction activities; identification of the legal or policy constraints, if any, on the ability of Participants to share this information among the parties and development of mechanisms to overcome these constraints; identification of the appropriate timing of that information sharing; development of an efficient mechanism to ensure that this information is used to generate safety intelligence and identify critical safety trends in a timely fashion; development of policies and procedures to safeguard proprietary, confidentially submitted, and/or personal information in line with relevant applicable privacy laws, data sharing policies and regulations standardization of aspects of the audit metrics, data taxonomies etc, to maximize effective utilization of the safety information gathered in this process; and determination of how to disseminate this information globally as appropriate.

    Tomorrow the conference will discuss the creation of a new Annex to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, one dedicated to safety processes.

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    ASTRONAUT JOSE HERNANDEZ LEAVES NASA

    HOUSTON — After a decade working in various roles, astronaut Jose Hernandez has left NASA for a position in the aerospace industry.

    “Jose’s talent and dedication have contributed greatly to the agency, and he is an inspiration to many,” said Peggy Whitson, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “We wish him all the best with this new phase of his career.”

    The son of Mexican migrant farm workers, he joined NASA in 2001 as a materials research engineer at Johnson. He was promoted to the Materials and Processes Branch chief in 2002 and served there until he was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004.

    During the STS-128 shuttle mission in 2009, he managed the transfer of more than 18,000 pounds of supplies and equipment between the shuttle and International Space Station and assisted with robotics operations. He also served as a flight engineer in the shuttle’s cockpit during launch and landing.

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    Flying in the face of Fate

    George’s Point of View

    Sometimes heroes do things that are counter-intuitive.
    Police break up riots.
    Soldiers enter battle.
    Firemen run into fires.

    Our natures are designed to have the urge to run away from harm. It only makes sense.

    There are thrill seekers who defy that urge:
    race car drivers
    parachutists
    The Evel Knievils of the world.

    Pilots are trained to do whatever is necessary to avoid thunderstorms. Serious storms are taken seriously–especially if routed through the “inter-tropical convergence zone.”

    It is counter-intuitive to fly into a storm.

    Maybe the storm crept up out of nowhere. Engineers can claim new planes are safely flown into storms but some things that are counter-intuitive are that way for a reason.

    We humans are solvers by nature. We like to see what the problem is, analyze it, and fix it. But what we find, while doing our fixing, is that there’s never just one thing wrong.

    This is true for any airline event. When is it ever just one thing? It’s not just the rain; the runway is too short. And part of the brakes are down. It’s not just that the pilot is landing on the wrong runway–the runway isn’t long enough, and it’s on a collision course. Plus when there are maintenance issues, they snowball. Maintenance crews get fluids on the engine that burn and send fumes in the cockpit, which causes the crew to have an emergency landing with a fuel-filled plane that stresses the landing gear and explodes the tire, and damages the nose wheel…

    It’s never one thing.

    So this time, it looks like it’s turbulence, hail, lightning strike, rapid decompression, storms, and electrical failure in the desolate oragious Atlantic. The controversy will keep going for a long time.

    What we decide is futile. Ultimately the only thing you can call a tragedy is a tragedy. This is a tragedy.

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