Air Carrier Certification

Archive for June, 2011

The FAA has revised their checklist for reviewing your air carrier flight crew training programs so if you have an inspection coming up soon download a copy here so you won’t have any surprises when they review your program.

The checklist also includes you 91K folks. The content summary is listed here for your convenience.

FAA Revised Checklist Revision Date (6-16-2011)
• Air Carrier/Operator to Include 91k

Aircraft Specific Curriculum Evaluation Checklist
• SECTION B – CONTRACT TRAINING AND CHECKING
• SECTION C – GROUND TRAINING
• SECTION D – FLIGHT TRAINING
• SECTION E – CREWMEMBER QUALIFICATION PROCESS

Again get your checlist here

Cheers,
Jim

It saddens me when we lose part of our flying history like the Liberty Belle. This airplane did not crash as has been reported. A fire started in the left wing and was immediately reported to ATC. “Directly below the B-17 was a farmer’s field and the decision was made to land immediately. Approximately 1 minute and 40 seconds from the radio report of the fire, the B-17 was down safely on the field. Within that 1:40 time frame, the crew shutdown and feathered the number 2 engine, activated the engine’s fire suppression system, lowered the landing gear and performed an on-speed landing. Bringing the B-17 to a quick stop, the crew and passengers quickly and safely exited the aircraft. Overhead in the T-6, Cullen professionally coordinated and directed the firefighting equipment which was dispatched by Aurora Tower to the landing location”. (Read more)

My congratulations go out to Capt. John Hess and Bud Sittic, who are both Delta Captains, for a job well done! Precisely 1:40 seconds following the in-flight fire report the aircraft was safely landed in a field directly below the occurrence. The aircraft was later consumed by fire when the fire trucks were not able to cross the soft wet field to extinguish the flames.

Training and experience is an essential component when faced with in-flight emergencies that require correct split second decision making followed by coordinated action. Obviously each flawlessly did their part in executing a safe landing and evacuation of the aircraft.

Cheers,
Jim

Follow @AirCarrierCert

Flashing a laser pointer at an aircraft could cost the offender $11,000.00 per occurrence according to the FAA, its considered interference with the flight crew. The intent is good but how do you catch the offender when the flash comes out of the city lights when the aircraft is approaching to land. It seems a bit problematic to me, worse odds than finding a needle in a haystack. Those who would be guilty of such action are not likely to be reading FAA press releases either.

Individual protection against the hazard would probably be the wise choice for those who frequently find themselves targeted. NoIR has some protection options listed on their website here.
NoIR also has this to say about the range of various office type laser pointers.

“The hazard is significant: A 5-milliwatt green laser — the maximum output for any device labeled and sold as an office laser pointer — is a distraction to pilots over a mile away, while a 125-milliwatt laser can cause a cockpit distraction at a distance of greater than 5 miles. The danger posed by a bright laser illumination is increased at night, as the target’s eyes are low-light adapted and the effect is more pronounced. Standard sunglasses typically afford no protection from high-intensity green, blue and red laser pointers; in fact, normal sunglasses can have the undesired effect of increasing the time it takes to adapt to the bright glare of a laser illumination”.

The FAA encourages flight crews to report all occurrences and have recorded over 1,100 incidents already this year. “Laser event reports have steadily increased since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005 to collect information from pilots. Reports rose from nearly 300 in 2005 to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010”. Source

Common sense seems to have left our population along with consideration for causing others harm. The numbers certainly indicate a rising problem.
Be Safe,
Jim