The NTSB just released its report on the ten things they most want to change. The list included all modes of transportation. There were two articles that paid particular attention to the aviation industry. One was titled, "Address Unique characteristics of Helicopter Operations". The one I would like to focus on was titled, "General Aviation: Identify and Communicate Hazardous Weather".
This article was focus on general aviation. The specific information that smaller planes get regarding weather conditions. It talked about the lack of communication by the ATC and National Weather Service and the lack of knowledge or overconfidence of the pilot when entering certain weather conditions. The NTSB felt solutions to be 1) Pilots training and Operations, 2) creation of weather information and advisories and 3) the collection and interpretation and relay of weather information by the FAA and NWS. The work they are doing is in the initial assessing stages, gathering information and creating teams to deal with the issues.
I feel that of all the hot topic issues in the industry it was important that these two made the list. Beginning in the GA as a student pilot, it is invaluable to know how weather can affect your equipment and impair your skill set. I feel that there should always be pilot training and improvement. It is hard to pick just one topic that should be focused on. I know in the past urgency has been placed on pilot sleep patterns and work hours. I feel these are more pressing issues, but we can only deal with one thing at a time. Weather is a crucial part to flight safety and should always be addressed.
I feel the potential for new jobs to address these issues is endless. Right now they have teams out researching. In the future they will need meteorologists, specialist, trainers, books written, pamphlets created, recurrent training, more weather service help in the airlines, more trained professionals when it comes to weather. This has created a whole new pocket of people who will have their own specialized group, maybe called Aviation Weather Specialists.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Wrong Airport Landings
On Tuesday August 7, 2012 a regional commuter operated by Silver Airways landed at the wrong airport. United Express 4049 was supposed to commute from Morgantown to Clarksburg but instead landed at Fairmont Municiple airpot ten miles away. The plane was carrying 11 passengers and 3 crew members. The crew was suspended pending the investigation. The route was new to the airline.
The hazards of making such a mistake are; the possibility of the airport not being able to handle that kind of equipment, traffic congestion and possible collision.
I do not feel there is just one reason for this mistake. I could be poor crew resource management, no sterile cockpit, overworked crew, confusing or common layouts of nearby airports or distraction, to name a few.
I do feel the media is always seeking for newsworthy stories. I feel like a lot of things are brought out by media attention and sensationalized. This type of incident is correctable. No people were harmed, just a minor inconvenience. That is great for now, but I am sure if another incident happened where there were fatalities, the media would be grateful they had a story to use as a background.
As a management professional I would say the decision for southwest to suspend its employees was proper. You can not keep someone on staff and defend them until you have enough time and information to protect your company and the individuals involved. It does not hurt anyone to make actions to satisfy the public cry for someone to pay for immediate actions and to give you and your company time to sort things out. I am sure we are all grateful this was not a fatal situation.
The hazards of making such a mistake are; the possibility of the airport not being able to handle that kind of equipment, traffic congestion and possible collision.
I do not feel there is just one reason for this mistake. I could be poor crew resource management, no sterile cockpit, overworked crew, confusing or common layouts of nearby airports or distraction, to name a few.
I do feel the media is always seeking for newsworthy stories. I feel like a lot of things are brought out by media attention and sensationalized. This type of incident is correctable. No people were harmed, just a minor inconvenience. That is great for now, but I am sure if another incident happened where there were fatalities, the media would be grateful they had a story to use as a background.
As a management professional I would say the decision for southwest to suspend its employees was proper. You can not keep someone on staff and defend them until you have enough time and information to protect your company and the individuals involved. It does not hurt anyone to make actions to satisfy the public cry for someone to pay for immediate actions and to give you and your company time to sort things out. I am sure we are all grateful this was not a fatal situation.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Introduction
My goal with this blog is to gain some practical and useful tools that will give me an edge in my aviation career. Hopefully through this I will gain a network of aviation professionals, friends and enthusiasts that respect each others opinions and help us all grow and learn.
I understand that the aviation field is a tight knit group of individuals with a similar mindset and I am excited to feel like I am more a part of it all. Being a woman in aviation is a thrill. I am with many others who always make me feel welcome and loved. The aviation field is always changing and always talked about. I hope this will give me the insight I need to continue to navigate this fascinating life I have chosen for myself.
I understand that the aviation field is a tight knit group of individuals with a similar mindset and I am excited to feel like I am more a part of it all. Being a woman in aviation is a thrill. I am with many others who always make me feel welcome and loved. The aviation field is always changing and always talked about. I hope this will give me the insight I need to continue to navigate this fascinating life I have chosen for myself.
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