For this blog discussion, I will choose a topic that has major impact on Part 121 operations and my career in aviation management, crew flight time limitations. If you go to the previous link, you will find the 314 page final rule on crew rest requirements for Part 121 operations, that's right 314 pages. When the FAA does a study, publishes a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), and adopts a final rule, they kill a few trees. This final rule applies only to passenger carrying operations in an attempt to reduce accidents caused by fatigue where a risk for greater loss of life exists. It does not apply to cargo operations which has the Airline Pilots Association very upset, as if cargo pilots are not allowed to use fatigue as cause for not being fit to fly. As if the cargo crews lives are not as valuable as the passengers in other operations. The FAA is attempting to make aviation safer for all but often doesn't take into account all of the side effects or missed opportunities for safety as with the cargo operations. As with many previous regulations this one is said to be written in blood. A handful of accidents where fatigue as cited as a contributing factor or probable cause has urged the FAA to make changes to policies relating to crew rest and on duty limitations.
The issue now lies in the hands of the Part 121 passenger carrying operators to make sure their flight crews are fit for duty and not fatigued. Operators must ensure crews meet specific off duty time rest requirements between operations. The cargo crews are still fighting for the FAA to make it a rule that includes them but has not happened yet. This rule has created a need to utilize more crews in 121 operations to conduct the same number of flights. The economic impact is increased pilot wages and decreased gross profits for 121 operators. Where ten crews may have flown 60 legs in a week prior to the rule change, it may now require twelve crews to fly the same 60 legs. The rule is in affect and Part 121 operators have to deal with the extra crew resource requirements and the financial impact it will have on them. They will either choose to higher more pilots and bare the cost or reduce the number of operations dropping the least profitable routes.
The issue of crew rest requirements will impact my future career in management because I will have to find more ways to be profitable on flights. With the increased need for flight crews to conduct the same number of operations, margins will be down. The way airlines are operating slim right now, this could be a major impact to some, enough so that it will make them cease operations. I will have a tough time trying to tell pilots I need to pay them less because I need more of them for the same number of flights. I will have to convince them that because they are flying less hours, they are less productive to me and thus will require a lower wage. This will not be an easy task, but it is that or tell them to look else where for employment because I will be cutting routes and have no need for excess crews. Either way the Part 121 operator will have less revenue in which to operate and may need to seek government bailouts to continue to exist.....
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
The Export-Import Bank
The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. provides financing for the export of U.S. goods to International markets. The Ex-Im bank attempts to give U.S. producers of goods a fair rate on financing exports in order to be competitive in the world market.
How it works, the Ex-Im bank doesn't compete with traditional lending institutions to finance the production of goods but rather takes on the risk of financing the exchange of goods in the export industry where there is a chance a U.S. supplier won't be paid. The Ex-Im bank provides rates competitive to other governments which is a large barrier to entry for companies wanting to export U.S. produced goods. The Ex-Im bank attempts to create jobs by providing some security in the foreign trades market, thus allowing U.S. companies to produce more goods and contributing to the overall Gross Domestic Product. The Ex-Im bank also provides financing to international buyers of U.S. goods to help pursuade them to purchase imported goods. So the Ex-Im bank provides both the exporter and importer of U.S. made goods financing and some security for the exchange of U.S. goods.
Historically, U.S. aviation component companies were unable to utilize Ex-Im bank financing for parts used on large commercial aircraft because of competition between Boeing and Airbus stemming back to 1972. At that time, they were the only two manufacturers of large commercial aircraft in the world that could sustain production and provide airplanes to all airlines, the Ex-Im bank did not want to finance the competition. In recent years, there have been many requests by aviation component producers to get export financing from the Ex-Im bank and they are obliging. As of May 25th, 2012 the Ex-Im bank expanded its aviation industry export policy to allow for export financing of U.S. made aviation components. One catch is that the company must be listed as an SBA small business in order to secure fininacing from the Ex-Im bank to service large aircraft manufacturers directly. Although U.S. producers can provide goods to international airlines and foreign users of large aircraft, only SBA approved small business can provide products to large aircraft manufacturers which is where most of the product utilization and profits are.
I feel the Ex-Im bank has many well thought out and utilized funding resources to help U.S. producers export goods. The savvy aviation component manufacturer will produce products for the global economy and not limit themselves to only providing equipment for Boeing aircraft which will be sold globally anyway. The key to any producer of goods is to maximize marketshare and the Ex-Im bank helps facilitate that by providing financing and some security for these transactions.
How it works, the Ex-Im bank doesn't compete with traditional lending institutions to finance the production of goods but rather takes on the risk of financing the exchange of goods in the export industry where there is a chance a U.S. supplier won't be paid. The Ex-Im bank provides rates competitive to other governments which is a large barrier to entry for companies wanting to export U.S. produced goods. The Ex-Im bank attempts to create jobs by providing some security in the foreign trades market, thus allowing U.S. companies to produce more goods and contributing to the overall Gross Domestic Product. The Ex-Im bank also provides financing to international buyers of U.S. goods to help pursuade them to purchase imported goods. So the Ex-Im bank provides both the exporter and importer of U.S. made goods financing and some security for the exchange of U.S. goods.
Historically, U.S. aviation component companies were unable to utilize Ex-Im bank financing for parts used on large commercial aircraft because of competition between Boeing and Airbus stemming back to 1972. At that time, they were the only two manufacturers of large commercial aircraft in the world that could sustain production and provide airplanes to all airlines, the Ex-Im bank did not want to finance the competition. In recent years, there have been many requests by aviation component producers to get export financing from the Ex-Im bank and they are obliging. As of May 25th, 2012 the Ex-Im bank expanded its aviation industry export policy to allow for export financing of U.S. made aviation components. One catch is that the company must be listed as an SBA small business in order to secure fininacing from the Ex-Im bank to service large aircraft manufacturers directly. Although U.S. producers can provide goods to international airlines and foreign users of large aircraft, only SBA approved small business can provide products to large aircraft manufacturers which is where most of the product utilization and profits are.
I feel the Ex-Im bank has many well thought out and utilized funding resources to help U.S. producers export goods. The savvy aviation component manufacturer will produce products for the global economy and not limit themselves to only providing equipment for Boeing aircraft which will be sold globally anyway. The key to any producer of goods is to maximize marketshare and the Ex-Im bank helps facilitate that by providing financing and some security for these transactions.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
One manufacturer in Oregon, Aerosight, builds UAV's for civilian use, and sees a bright future for them although they can not be utilized commercially yet. UAV's in the news from Aerosight. FAA regulations require an experimental type certificate for civil use UAV's which specifically excludes commercial operations, any operation for compensation or hire. The first two drones to receive the type certificate were the Scan Eagle X200 and Aero Vironment's PUMA. Unmanned Aircraft Systems, UAS's as the FAA refers to them are allowed to be utilized by government bodies, for border patrol, search and rescue and disaster relief. Some universities are allowed to utilize UAS's to conduct research as well as police and fire departments to aid in there duties.
UAV's will have to undoubtedly integrate into the National Airspace for the FAA to maintain a high level of safety. As noted on the FAA's website, some missions occur as high as 50,000 feet or more requiring UAV's to travel among and past manned aircraft on the way up. ATC will have to maintain separation of all aircraft whether the pilot is on board or not. Some of the problems that develop with this mingling is that the see and avoid principle would not apply to UAV's for obvious reasons. The responsibility would lie solely on manned aircraft to avoid UAV's compromising safety by having one set of eyes involving two aircraft in the same vicinity. Also there are enough citizens in the US that think they are being watched by the government already, that having UAV's fly over head would only heighten there anxiety levels.
The militaristic use of UAV's has been phenomenal, many lives have been spared with improved selective targeting practices. The ability to get a close up view of a target, and strike only that target has saved many civilian lives in active warzones. The US militaries ability to gain surveillance with UAV's, at a cost much lower than other projects such as the SR-71 Blackbird, has dramatically changed the way war is fought. The relativley low risk of a piece of equipment being shot down or captured has spared many pilots lives as well, due to the ability to control UAV's from 1,000's of miles away. The UAV's are much less expensive to build and operate, burn less fuel, and can stay in the air longer with no human physiological needs on board to tend to.
Civilian UAV jobs- here is one from Northrop Grumman that requires a commercial certificate and 500 hours minimum flight time. An AUVSI study reports 70,000 new jobs with the integration of UAV's in the U.S. While there are a number of jobs for pilots, there are less jobs available for Aviation Management. I feel with the integration of UAV's into our everyday lives, the management jobs will surely follow.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Aviation Organization Membership
Two significant organizations for me to be a member of are AAAE (American Association of Airport Executives) and AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association). With aspirations of being in airport operations and eventually a Part 121 certificate holder, it will be significant for me to be involved with an organization like AAAE to be connect with the industry. As an aircraft owner, AOPA is an important organization for me to be a part of to help support the growth of aviation as a whole and not just general aviation. I am currently a member of both.
From AAAE's website, "AAAE serves its membership through results-oriented representation in Washington, D.C. and delivers a wide range of industry services and professional development opportunities including training, meetings and conferences, and a highly respected accreditation program." AAAE exists to support airport executives in their job functions by keeping them connected with innovation and advancements at other airports.
AOPA is the worlds largest support group of GA (general aviation). They are the collective voice for pilots and owners of aircraft other than 14 CFR part 121 owner/operators. AOPA lobbies in Washington, D.C. against agenda items and actions affecting GA pilots and aircraft supporting the growth of GA in the United States. There are membership benefits such as low cost insurance policies for aircraft, life, flight instructor and renters. Members receive discounts on pilot supplies, rental cars, hotels and a number of other items. AOPA also provides low cost legal services from aviation attorneys to it's members. AOPA takes approximately 400,000 voices and turns them into one loud voice that is heard in Washington, D.C.
The benefit to joining any group is to be part of like minded individuals coming together to create one voice. Both of these organizations, AAAE and AOPA are highly respected in there industries and provide benefits that an individual couldn't possibly achieve on their own. Both provide training respective to their industries, job opportunities and up to date information on their industry. If you are expecting to be in airport management, joining AAAE is a something that should seriously be considered. If you intend to become an aircraft owner, life long flight instructor, charter or corporate pilot, then AOPA should be on the top of your "to do" list. The benefits of both of these organizations will heavily out-weigh the annual cost of membership.
From AAAE's website, "AAAE serves its membership through results-oriented representation in Washington, D.C. and delivers a wide range of industry services and professional development opportunities including training, meetings and conferences, and a highly respected accreditation program." AAAE exists to support airport executives in their job functions by keeping them connected with innovation and advancements at other airports.
AOPA is the worlds largest support group of GA (general aviation). They are the collective voice for pilots and owners of aircraft other than 14 CFR part 121 owner/operators. AOPA lobbies in Washington, D.C. against agenda items and actions affecting GA pilots and aircraft supporting the growth of GA in the United States. There are membership benefits such as low cost insurance policies for aircraft, life, flight instructor and renters. Members receive discounts on pilot supplies, rental cars, hotels and a number of other items. AOPA also provides low cost legal services from aviation attorneys to it's members. AOPA takes approximately 400,000 voices and turns them into one loud voice that is heard in Washington, D.C.
The benefit to joining any group is to be part of like minded individuals coming together to create one voice. Both of these organizations, AAAE and AOPA are highly respected in there industries and provide benefits that an individual couldn't possibly achieve on their own. Both provide training respective to their industries, job opportunities and up to date information on their industry. If you are expecting to be in airport management, joining AAAE is a something that should seriously be considered. If you intend to become an aircraft owner, life long flight instructor, charter or corporate pilot, then AOPA should be on the top of your "to do" list. The benefits of both of these organizations will heavily out-weigh the annual cost of membership.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Flying cheap and Professionalism, A Regional Pilots mission.
To answer the first question, President and owner of Pan American Airlines.
As for the second question, the title is fairly self explanatory but to elaborate, I have been following Pan Am's ownership history for the last 12 years or so. At one point the name sold for $1 million dollars. The love affair airline has been reduced to a training academy and there are still Pan Am memorabilia being sold under a different owner. Ideally I would buy all parts of the name, the training center, the charter service and the sellers of Pan Am logo items, get issued a Part 121 certificate, and recreate what Juan Trippe once had. I would like passengers to again be able to fly as much for the experience and joy of flying as for the utility of getting from here to there quickly and safely.
There are certainly safety concerns when operating aircraft under a Part 121 air carrier certificate. From every aspect of flight crews, airplanes, maintenance, selection of routes, selection of missions, training, ground handling and operations there are safety concerns. To ensure safety, I would strictly adhere to the FAR's, provide industry leading training for crews, keep up to date with maintenance functions and training, provide cutting edge technology in all of the aircraft to give flight crews the best possible opportunity for success in completing missions. I would allow the crews to have a voice and speak up without repercussion when safety issues arise, and actually listen to what they have to say. The crews are the front line and if they are not comfortable, we are not maximizing efficiency as industry leaders.
Professionalism is to be proficient at a skill and be able to teach that skill conscientiously to others. It is to respect others related to your industry and your customers, know when you are right, know when you are wrong and listen to corrections. Professionalism is to be diligent, forming a knowledge bank that constantly improves your skill helping you to become an expert in your field. Professionalism is to be humble remembering that no one is perfect, anyone can have an off day and when they do be there to help if they ask. Do not be forceful but do not be weak. Find the balance of power that comes with your superior knowledge of a skill or work area. Professionalism is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Professionalism is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Professionalism is doing the right thing even though there may be personal consequences such as losing a job, at least you will sleep at night. Lastly professionalism is doing the right thing when everyone else is doing wrong because it is easier and "not that big of a deal".
The video Flying Cheap pointed out many unprofessional activities. The two that stuck out the most in my mind were from management. The first was the pilot that was given the opportunity to have his on duty time reflect a 20 minute later start time. The idea was that the plane still flew, the mission would have been completed and the pilot would have been home a day sooner. This reflects a poor corporate culture of adherence to regulations. The rules are built on previous expert experience and are not there to be bent or broken. The second issue of unprofessionalism was managements scheduling and crew expectation to fly missions at nearly all cost. As pointed out in the video, some Regional Carrier contracts are based on completed flights and not the number of passengers flown. There are other unprofessional acts committed by crews in the documentary but they are isolated to bad pilots. To me management sets the stage for the promotion of safety and adherence to regulation. This is a corporate culture issue that impacts the entire operation of the Regional Carrier.
Two specific ways I can improve my professionalism will be to listen to those before me. I can learn and grow from there mistakes, I do not need to repeat them. This is having respect for the individuals that made the mistakes before me and not believing I can always do it better than them. They tried and failed, I will try another path. Another way is to continually train and grow into the position being able to change and adapt with the environment of change. It is easy to get stuck in the mind set that we will do it this way because it is the way we have always done it. I will listen to my front line individuals and adapt to change to become the best airline on the planet.
As for the second question, the title is fairly self explanatory but to elaborate, I have been following Pan Am's ownership history for the last 12 years or so. At one point the name sold for $1 million dollars. The love affair airline has been reduced to a training academy and there are still Pan Am memorabilia being sold under a different owner. Ideally I would buy all parts of the name, the training center, the charter service and the sellers of Pan Am logo items, get issued a Part 121 certificate, and recreate what Juan Trippe once had. I would like passengers to again be able to fly as much for the experience and joy of flying as for the utility of getting from here to there quickly and safely.
There are certainly safety concerns when operating aircraft under a Part 121 air carrier certificate. From every aspect of flight crews, airplanes, maintenance, selection of routes, selection of missions, training, ground handling and operations there are safety concerns. To ensure safety, I would strictly adhere to the FAR's, provide industry leading training for crews, keep up to date with maintenance functions and training, provide cutting edge technology in all of the aircraft to give flight crews the best possible opportunity for success in completing missions. I would allow the crews to have a voice and speak up without repercussion when safety issues arise, and actually listen to what they have to say. The crews are the front line and if they are not comfortable, we are not maximizing efficiency as industry leaders.
Professionalism is to be proficient at a skill and be able to teach that skill conscientiously to others. It is to respect others related to your industry and your customers, know when you are right, know when you are wrong and listen to corrections. Professionalism is to be diligent, forming a knowledge bank that constantly improves your skill helping you to become an expert in your field. Professionalism is to be humble remembering that no one is perfect, anyone can have an off day and when they do be there to help if they ask. Do not be forceful but do not be weak. Find the balance of power that comes with your superior knowledge of a skill or work area. Professionalism is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Professionalism is doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Professionalism is doing the right thing even though there may be personal consequences such as losing a job, at least you will sleep at night. Lastly professionalism is doing the right thing when everyone else is doing wrong because it is easier and "not that big of a deal".
The video Flying Cheap pointed out many unprofessional activities. The two that stuck out the most in my mind were from management. The first was the pilot that was given the opportunity to have his on duty time reflect a 20 minute later start time. The idea was that the plane still flew, the mission would have been completed and the pilot would have been home a day sooner. This reflects a poor corporate culture of adherence to regulations. The rules are built on previous expert experience and are not there to be bent or broken. The second issue of unprofessionalism was managements scheduling and crew expectation to fly missions at nearly all cost. As pointed out in the video, some Regional Carrier contracts are based on completed flights and not the number of passengers flown. There are other unprofessional acts committed by crews in the documentary but they are isolated to bad pilots. To me management sets the stage for the promotion of safety and adherence to regulation. This is a corporate culture issue that impacts the entire operation of the Regional Carrier.
Two specific ways I can improve my professionalism will be to listen to those before me. I can learn and grow from there mistakes, I do not need to repeat them. This is having respect for the individuals that made the mistakes before me and not believing I can always do it better than them. They tried and failed, I will try another path. Another way is to continually train and grow into the position being able to change and adapt with the environment of change. It is easy to get stuck in the mind set that we will do it this way because it is the way we have always done it. I will listen to my front line individuals and adapt to change to become the best airline on the planet.
Monday, January 27, 2014
NTSB's Top Ten Most Wanted List in 2014
There are two aviation related safety areas that made the NTSB's 2014 list. The first is Unique characteristics of helicopter operations and the second is General Aviation: Identify and communicate hazardous weather. I am more concerned about the second issue because it address's a very significant problem with information and communication.
The NTSB is interested in developing better ways to identify and communicate hazardous weather in a more timely manner in an attempt to make general aviation safer. One of the problems today though is that the weather information is very timely. So much so in fact that pilots feel they have an up to the minute picture in the cockpit on a well colored technically advanced display screen. Pilots feel they have the weather right there in front of them and can utilize the picture to navigate through hazardous conditions narrowing there safety margins dramatically. One thing forgotten about weather is that it is very dynamic and ever changing. Many pilots of general aviation aircraft get to far into hazardous weather and are to slow to escape when things get dangerous often finding themselves disoriented.
Pilot ability to read and understand weather is also a major issue. Some pilots of general aviation aircraft have weather display equipment that rivals that found in commercial airliners. The difference is the time spent using and level of training on the equipment combined with the understanding of actual weather phenomena. That is what makes up the large difference in the accident statistics and fatalities between the two different operations. In my opinion, at the private pilot level, there is an insignificant amount of relevance placed on weather training. You are taught the regulations of visibility and ceilings that you must abide by to conduct a flight but do not have thorough enough coverage of frontal zones and changing pressures to understand what weather is or may be developing. Timely information is not the answer if you don't understand the information you are being given.
This has been a significant topic for me because nearly anyone can fly an airplane on a calm, severe clear day. It is when the weather changes that causes the greatest workload on general aviation pilots. You have to collect the weather for the route of flight, recognize and understand what weather is significant, and determine what weather may develop throughout the flight. With the amount of gadgetry in the cockpit today, the question arises as to how much weather information is actually being collected and utilized in the preflight go no-go decision anyway.
The NTSB aims to make hazardous weather communication a forefront issue this year and as a result there will be new jobs. There will be expansion in weather collection and forecasting as well as weather research. Although these jobs may not increase those available under the aviation title, there will be new jobs none the less. The place where there may be new jobs in aviation as a result would be teaching weather to new pilots and training on new weather depiction equipment.
The NTSB is interested in developing better ways to identify and communicate hazardous weather in a more timely manner in an attempt to make general aviation safer. One of the problems today though is that the weather information is very timely. So much so in fact that pilots feel they have an up to the minute picture in the cockpit on a well colored technically advanced display screen. Pilots feel they have the weather right there in front of them and can utilize the picture to navigate through hazardous conditions narrowing there safety margins dramatically. One thing forgotten about weather is that it is very dynamic and ever changing. Many pilots of general aviation aircraft get to far into hazardous weather and are to slow to escape when things get dangerous often finding themselves disoriented.
Pilot ability to read and understand weather is also a major issue. Some pilots of general aviation aircraft have weather display equipment that rivals that found in commercial airliners. The difference is the time spent using and level of training on the equipment combined with the understanding of actual weather phenomena. That is what makes up the large difference in the accident statistics and fatalities between the two different operations. In my opinion, at the private pilot level, there is an insignificant amount of relevance placed on weather training. You are taught the regulations of visibility and ceilings that you must abide by to conduct a flight but do not have thorough enough coverage of frontal zones and changing pressures to understand what weather is or may be developing. Timely information is not the answer if you don't understand the information you are being given.
This has been a significant topic for me because nearly anyone can fly an airplane on a calm, severe clear day. It is when the weather changes that causes the greatest workload on general aviation pilots. You have to collect the weather for the route of flight, recognize and understand what weather is significant, and determine what weather may develop throughout the flight. With the amount of gadgetry in the cockpit today, the question arises as to how much weather information is actually being collected and utilized in the preflight go no-go decision anyway.
The NTSB aims to make hazardous weather communication a forefront issue this year and as a result there will be new jobs. There will be expansion in weather collection and forecasting as well as weather research. Although these jobs may not increase those available under the aviation title, there will be new jobs none the less. The place where there may be new jobs in aviation as a result would be teaching weather to new pilots and training on new weather depiction equipment.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
A Southwest 737 lands at wrong airport
Southwest flight 4013 landed at the wrong airport on Sunday, January 12th, 2014. The high time captain and first officer said they had the airport in site after being told they were still 15 miles out by the Branson Airport controller. They were cleared for a visual approach and proceeded to land at the much smaller M. Graham Clark-Taney County Airport. The pilots appeared to be confused by the smaller airports runway lights and beacon mistaking it for the larger airport farther south.
So, now we have a big airplane at a little airport. What do we do next? First, we commend the pilots for stopping the Boeing 737-700 mid-size airliner on the pavement of that short of a runway. The airport is listed as over 3,700 feet long but in reality, the landing distance available was considerably less. If you notice in the video from the first link, you can see that runway 30 has a displaced threshold as does runway 12 that you don't see (google maps and zoom in). So both pilots definitely deserve a job well done.
Next we have to ask the two high time pilots, why they weren't paying attention to and believing there navigation equipment? The pilots told investigators they programmed the flight management system for Branson but didn't go there. They should have also realized the heading was off by possibly 20 degrees, runway 12 at Taney County and runway 14 at Branson. The pilots were looking for an airport in a small city, in the middle of nowhere, in the Ozark mountains and found one that seemed to fit so they landed.
Why did the pilots land at the wrong airport? There were certainly cues, as stated above that should have tipped them off. These are not fresh out of school pilots, no offense to anyone, we all start at zero time, but a captain with 16,000 hours and a first officer with 25,000 hours of flight time. There may have been some perceptual blindness, they were looking for an airport in a small city in the mountains and they found one. They did make mistakes that led to this event and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and hopefully uncover for all of us to learn from.
Now Southwest has passengers to deal with that need to be transferred to the correct airport and the final leg of their trip still needs to be completed. Busing becomes a priority because they certainly can't take off safely with the passengers on board. Once the passengers and luggage have been safely transferred, the concern changes to getting an airplane out of a 3,700 foot airport that requires a minimum 3,000 foot takeoff roll when empty. There is very little tolerance here for an aborted takeoff so the regulators will be heavily involved in the planning process for an incident like this.
Southwest management will have to work closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to determine if the 737-700 can takeoff safely. This will become a planning and dispatching nightmare. There will be waivers to fill out, insurance forms to update, minimal crew but excess regulatory personnel on board, optimal weather to wait for and the list goes on. If not, the plane will have to be disassembled and trucked to a larger airport or back to Southwest maintenance and reassembled.
So, for management to suspend the pilots pending the investigation, I would agree. A mistake like this is very costly both economically and to the face of Southwest. If they do nothing to the pilots, the seats will start to empty as the flying public's concern grows over the quality of pilots that Southwest hires. Late night talk shows will make jokes and everyone will be made aware of the incident. An airline of any size can not afford that kind of bad press so they must take action. Southwest is honorably suspending the pilots at this time and not just firing them which says a lot about managements faith and equity they put into their flight staff. This is certainly not an isolated incident though, there are other airplanes that land at wrong airports. The significance here is the size of the airport and the fact they can't just create a new flight plan and release the aircraft.
Another similar incident occurred when a Boeing 747 Dreamlifter landed at the wrong airport in Wichita, Kansas November 20, 2013. Fortunately the very large airplane was able to get out successfully as you can see in the video. This case everything worked out but again it is bad press for the aviation industry. People quickly jump to the negative and focus on the fact that the airplane landed at the wrong airport and not the fact that it got out safely.
So, now we have a big airplane at a little airport. What do we do next? First, we commend the pilots for stopping the Boeing 737-700 mid-size airliner on the pavement of that short of a runway. The airport is listed as over 3,700 feet long but in reality, the landing distance available was considerably less. If you notice in the video from the first link, you can see that runway 30 has a displaced threshold as does runway 12 that you don't see (google maps and zoom in). So both pilots definitely deserve a job well done.
Next we have to ask the two high time pilots, why they weren't paying attention to and believing there navigation equipment? The pilots told investigators they programmed the flight management system for Branson but didn't go there. They should have also realized the heading was off by possibly 20 degrees, runway 12 at Taney County and runway 14 at Branson. The pilots were looking for an airport in a small city, in the middle of nowhere, in the Ozark mountains and found one that seemed to fit so they landed.
Why did the pilots land at the wrong airport? There were certainly cues, as stated above that should have tipped them off. These are not fresh out of school pilots, no offense to anyone, we all start at zero time, but a captain with 16,000 hours and a first officer with 25,000 hours of flight time. There may have been some perceptual blindness, they were looking for an airport in a small city in the mountains and they found one. They did make mistakes that led to this event and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and hopefully uncover for all of us to learn from.
Now Southwest has passengers to deal with that need to be transferred to the correct airport and the final leg of their trip still needs to be completed. Busing becomes a priority because they certainly can't take off safely with the passengers on board. Once the passengers and luggage have been safely transferred, the concern changes to getting an airplane out of a 3,700 foot airport that requires a minimum 3,000 foot takeoff roll when empty. There is very little tolerance here for an aborted takeoff so the regulators will be heavily involved in the planning process for an incident like this.
Southwest management will have to work closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to determine if the 737-700 can takeoff safely. This will become a planning and dispatching nightmare. There will be waivers to fill out, insurance forms to update, minimal crew but excess regulatory personnel on board, optimal weather to wait for and the list goes on. If not, the plane will have to be disassembled and trucked to a larger airport or back to Southwest maintenance and reassembled.
So, for management to suspend the pilots pending the investigation, I would agree. A mistake like this is very costly both economically and to the face of Southwest. If they do nothing to the pilots, the seats will start to empty as the flying public's concern grows over the quality of pilots that Southwest hires. Late night talk shows will make jokes and everyone will be made aware of the incident. An airline of any size can not afford that kind of bad press so they must take action. Southwest is honorably suspending the pilots at this time and not just firing them which says a lot about managements faith and equity they put into their flight staff. This is certainly not an isolated incident though, there are other airplanes that land at wrong airports. The significance here is the size of the airport and the fact they can't just create a new flight plan and release the aircraft.
Another similar incident occurred when a Boeing 747 Dreamlifter landed at the wrong airport in Wichita, Kansas November 20, 2013. Fortunately the very large airplane was able to get out successfully as you can see in the video. This case everything worked out but again it is bad press for the aviation industry. People quickly jump to the negative and focus on the fact that the airplane landed at the wrong airport and not the fact that it got out safely.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Hello and Welcome
Hello everyone and welcome to my aviation blog. I am currently a senior at Eastern Michigan University enrolled as an undergraduate in the Aviation Management Technology program with an accompanying business minor. I will be graduating in April, 2014 with a Bachelor of Science and intend to complete the Dispatch practical exam shortly after graduation to obtain that certificate.
I started flying when I was 16 years old in a Piper Cherokee 140 at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti. I accrued about 4.5 hours that summer cutting grass to pay for flying lessons. At $5/hour cutting grass and $60/hour for the flight training, you can see why I only accrued 4.5 hours. I stopped flying for awhile until years later when I got a gift certificate to the Aviation Center at the Ann Arbor Airport. I logged another 1.3 hours in a Piper Cherokee 140/180 in 2005 and thought my flying career was going to take off.
Well, it didn't. I decided to start saving money to finish my private license but couldn't seem to save enough, something always came up that took the funds. Eventually, in 2011, I decided to finish my education so I enrolled at EMU in the Aviation Management Program to fix my flying bug. Coming in with an Associate degree in Applied Sciences, I was able to dive right in to the aviation classes and haven't looked back since. I have been enrolled at least 12 credit hours every semester, except summers, to finish the degree in three years and have also started flying again.
I took a job at the Aviation Center in February 2012 as a line crew member. I never took a paycheck, just loaded up my credit account and started flying again, you guessed it, in a Piper Cherokee 140. Since, I have logged about 35 hours and am nearing the end of my private training. I did not fly much in 2013 because I was saving to purchase an airplane. With two other partners, I did just that in July 2013. We bought a 1973 Piper Archer I (a grown up Cherokee) with an IFR certification so I can move into instrument training when I am ready. I have just begun to fly again and am planning on finishing the private pilot license before I graduate. I will move into the instrument training this spring/summer with an expected late summer completion.
So that is a little about me and my aviation career up to this point. I hope to be employed at an airport or with an air carrier this spring after graduation and intend to keep this blog active with current aviation topics, both commercial and general aviation.
Thanks for looking,
Scott
I started flying when I was 16 years old in a Piper Cherokee 140 at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti. I accrued about 4.5 hours that summer cutting grass to pay for flying lessons. At $5/hour cutting grass and $60/hour for the flight training, you can see why I only accrued 4.5 hours. I stopped flying for awhile until years later when I got a gift certificate to the Aviation Center at the Ann Arbor Airport. I logged another 1.3 hours in a Piper Cherokee 140/180 in 2005 and thought my flying career was going to take off.
Well, it didn't. I decided to start saving money to finish my private license but couldn't seem to save enough, something always came up that took the funds. Eventually, in 2011, I decided to finish my education so I enrolled at EMU in the Aviation Management Program to fix my flying bug. Coming in with an Associate degree in Applied Sciences, I was able to dive right in to the aviation classes and haven't looked back since. I have been enrolled at least 12 credit hours every semester, except summers, to finish the degree in three years and have also started flying again.
I took a job at the Aviation Center in February 2012 as a line crew member. I never took a paycheck, just loaded up my credit account and started flying again, you guessed it, in a Piper Cherokee 140. Since, I have logged about 35 hours and am nearing the end of my private training. I did not fly much in 2013 because I was saving to purchase an airplane. With two other partners, I did just that in July 2013. We bought a 1973 Piper Archer I (a grown up Cherokee) with an IFR certification so I can move into instrument training when I am ready. I have just begun to fly again and am planning on finishing the private pilot license before I graduate. I will move into the instrument training this spring/summer with an expected late summer completion.
So that is a little about me and my aviation career up to this point. I hope to be employed at an airport or with an air carrier this spring after graduation and intend to keep this blog active with current aviation topics, both commercial and general aviation.
Thanks for looking,
Scott
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