GAC UPDATE ISSUE 51 - JULY2015By Vivienne Sandercock1. Message from the Editor2. A small matter of knowledge 3. Africa's 2015's Hazards, Incidents, Accidents and Safety Occurrences 4. Emergency Response Planning 5. Henley Global Safety and Quality Training 6. All airlines have the security hole that grounded Polish planes 7. Frequency of general aviation accidents is still troubling for the NTSB 8. Commercially derived carbon braking systems enhance airplane efficiency 9. Nigeria Air Safety - AIB wants aviation professionals to raise standards 10. News from the Johannesburg Airports 11. News from the Regulatory Authorities 12. Safety and Security 13. SAAFA donations 14. Finale 1. MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Winter here on the Highveld of South Africa has really taken a hold with early morning temperatures hovering on the +/-0 but the plus side is that the exotic sun rises at places like Lanseria make for a revisit to the romance of aviation - something which very few people understand in this rushed technological environment that we now work in. It also helps to take 5 minutes out from AvSaf and AvSec concerns which plague most aviation professionals. Major General Hugh Payne, President of SAAFA, awarded our Managing Director, Rethea Mitchell the SAAFA Presidential Merit Award in recognition of meritorious service in the promotion of the ideals of the South African Air Force Association at a lunch held on 26 June at the Old Edwardian Club in Houghton. Vivienne 2. A SMALL MATTER OF KNOWLEDGE - CONTRAILS Geography professor Andrew Carleton said there was some research done regarding contrails, or rather, the lack thereof, during the days after 9/11 when no commercial jets were flown. Taking it a step further, Carleton said longer research needed to be done on the effects of the trails of condensed water left in the sky. First, here's a bit of information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on how contrails form and persist in the atmosphere: Contrails form when hot humid air from jet exhaust mixes with environmental air of low vapour pressure and low temperature. Vapour pressure is just a fancy term for the amount of pressure that is exerted by water vapour itself (as opposed to atmospheric, or barometric, pressure which is due to the weight of the entire atmosphere above you). The mixing occurs directly behind the plane due to the turbulence generated by the engine. If condensation (conversion from a gas to a liquid) occurs, then a contrail becomes visible. Since air temperatures at these high atmospheric levels are very cold (generally colder than -40 F), only a small amount of liquid is necessary for condensation to occur. Water is a normal by product of combustion in engines. This cloud formation is very similar to the process that occurs when you breathe on a cold winter day and you can see your own breath in the form of a "cloud". You may have noticed that on some days this "cloud" you produce lasts longer than on other days where it quickly disappears. The length of time that a contrail lasts is directly proportional to the amount of humidity that is already in the atmosphere. A drier atmosphere leads to a more short-lived contrail, while an atmosphere that has more humidity will lead to longer-lived contrails. However, if the atmosphere is too dry, no contrails will form. Occasionally a jet plane, especially if ascending or descending, will pass through a much drier, or more moist layer of atmosphere which may result in a broken pattern to the contrail, with it appearing in segments rather than in one continuous plume. Carleton and graduate student Jase Bernhardt identified weather stations in the U.S. - one in the South in January and one in the Midwest in April - that they knew were frequently under contrails or not under contrails and proceeded to record daily temperatures at these locations. The researchers made sure the stations were in similar area in terms of land use, soil moisture and other conditions. Like "ordinary clouds," a news release from the university stated, contrails seemed to decrease the daily maximum temperature in an area and raise the minimum temperature: In the South, this amounted to about a 6 degree Fahrenheit reduction in daily temperature range, while in the Midwest, there was about a 5 degree Fahrenheit reduction. Temperatures the days before and after the outbreaks did not show this effect, indicating that the lower temperatures were due to the contrail outbreaks. "Weather forecasting of daytime highs and lows do not include contrails," Carleton said in a statement. "If they were included in areas of contrail outbreaks, they would improve the temperature forecasts." 3. AFRICA'S 2015 HAZARDS, INCIDENTS, ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY OCCURENCES ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FIXED WING AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA DURING 2015 DATE A/C TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION 8 Jan Bantam B22J 2 Hoedspruit, RSA 14 Feb Lancair 360 2 Close to R59 near Parys, RSA 12 Mar Raven 500 2 Near the army base, close to Potchefstroom Aerodrome, RSA 25 Mar RAF200 GTX 2 Outside of Uitenhage Aerodrome, EC, RSA 20 Apr Magni MI6-Gyro 1 18km NE of Citrusdal, WC, RSA 24 Apr Karakorum-8 (K-8) 0 Gweru, Zimbabwe 15 May RV7 0 The Coves, Hartebeesport, NW, RSA 24 May Aero Trike 1 Ditlou, Limpopo Province, RSA 26 May Microlight 1 RWY03 Springs Aerodrome, GP, RSA 28 May C206 0 Maun, Botswana 31 May Light Aircraft TBA 1 Limuru, Kenya 09 Jun Microlight 1 West of Akasia, Pretoria, RSA 18 Jun Spotter Aircraft 0 Witflag, Limpopo, RSA Source, amongst others, PlaneCrash info.com; News24, Aviation Herald, Flight Safety Information ACCIDENTS INVOLVING ROTOR WING AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA DURING 2015 DATE A/C TYPE FATALITIES LOCATION 28 Feb MI17 0 Khartoum Airport, Sudan 08 Mar Bell UH1H 1 Cape Point, Cape Town, RSA 17 Mar Apache 2 Nr Gao, Northern Mali. 09 Apr Eurocopter B3 Squirrel 1 Mazabuka, Zambia 10 Apr RH44 0 Verulam, KZN, RSA 19 Apr MIL Mi24 2 Illizi, Algiers 22 Apr Bell UH1H 2 Bainskloof, Cape Town, RSA 30 Apr RH22 0 Rand Airport, GP, RSA 30 May RH44 1 Delareyville. NW, RSA HAZARDS & INCIDENTS INVOLVING FIXED WING AIRCRAFT DURINGJUN 2015 HAZ INC DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATAL ITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OP TYPE INC 1 Jun Sling Rand Airport, GP, RSA Aircraft bounced, Student did not recover or go around and a very hard landing resulted in a broken nose wheel INC 05 Jun TBA Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Airport Medina, Saudi Arabia 0 The A/C experienced a shattering of the front screen and the crew carried out an unscheduled diversion. COM HAZ 6 Jun Chipmunk Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Pilot reported falling oil pressure. Safe landing made PVT INC 06 June B737-400 En-route Lagos to Kaduna Nigeria. 0 Depressurisation caused the crew to divert the aircraft to Abuja, COM HAZ 10 Jun PA28 Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Landing light was loose. Safe landing made. TRNG INC 10 Jun Cessna 172 Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Pilot was clearly lost when returning to Rand from Parys. CTR violation PVT HAZ 10 Jun Navajo Chieftain Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Crew member exited the aircraft after engine start to remove nose wheel chock which was then left on apron PVT INC 13 Jun Jabiru N2 outside of Colchester, EC, RSA 0 A/C experienced a vapour lock requiring the Pilot to make a precautionary landing on the N2. PVT INC 13 Jun ATR-72-212A Algiers, Algeria 0 Runway Excursion - all gear on soft ground. COM HAZ 14 Jun Boeing Stearman Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 On frequency crew member was argumentative with ATC PVT HAZ 14 Jun Baron 55 Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Low battery warning indicated. Safe landing made PVT INC 21 Jun Cessna 172 Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Burst tyre after landing. TRNG INC 24 Jun PA 28 Arrow Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Nose wheel green light not illuminated. Safe landing made TRNG HAZARDS & INCIDENTS INVOLVING ROTOR WING AIRCRAFT DURING JUN 2015 HAZ INC DATE A/C TYPE LOCATION FATAL ITIES CIRCUMSTANCES OP TYPE INC 4 Jun Bell 222 Rand Airport, GP, RSA 0 Engine failure. Safe landing made. TRNG AERODROME HAZARDS Goma, DRC Construction Hazards - Aerodrome being fenced and runway is being rehabilitated. Unmanned aircraft. Very poor ATC. Possible volcanic activity. Libreville, Gabon Poor ATC coupled with inadequate navaids. Poor Marshalling combined with inappropriate behaviour of drivers on the ramp and taxiways. Lubumbashi, DRC Construction Hazards - runway and taxiway lighting rehabilitation taking place Kadugli, Sudan Poor ATC control of aircraft in the area Juba, Sudan Very poor ATC with only 1 frequency. Crews must be on the lookout for other aircraft in their vicinity. Vehicular traffic not obeying any regulations in terms of overtaking aircraft on taxiways and weaving in and out of aircraft on the apron Rand Airport, RSA Birds Lanseria Airport, RSA Birds Wau, Sudan Yellow Billed Kytes 4. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING Blake Emergency Services is the International Crisis Management and Contingency Planning Consultancy who, although based in the UK, have serious experience in Africa having handled accidents, incidents, counselling, repatriation, DNA sampling and confirmation, in amongst others Lagos, Nigeria; Fez, Morocco; Pointe Noire, Congo; Moroni, Comores; Maputo, Mozambique and more recently Ukraine for MH017, Air Asia and Mali for Air Algerie. Please go to www.blakeemergency.com If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for Blake Emergency Services please contact Rethea at the address given above. Should you wish to make a booking for any of these courses please contact Candice on 011 024 5446 or by email to candice@gaconsultants.net 15 July 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00 15 July 2015 Dangerous Goods - Refresher Verity Wallace R 850-00 20 - 21 July 2015 Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R 2,475-00 27 - 28 July 2015 Human Factors Course (CRM Initial And MRM) Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,475-00 29 July 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00 29 July 2015 Dangerous Goods - Refresher Verity Wallace R 850-00 3 - 4 August 2015 Quality Assurance Auditor Course Dan Drew R 2,475-00 12 July 2015 Crew Resource Management - Refresher Verity Wallace R 1,050-00 12 July 2015 Dangerous Goods - Refresher Verity Wallace R 850-00 17 - 18 August 2015 Human Factors Course (CRM Initial And MRM) Dr. Joel Hughes R 2,475-00 On request Part 108 Air Cargo Security Familiarisation Doug Smit Note: Cost per delegate includes all training materials, refreshments and lunch. Note: Attendees paying in cash on the day are eligible for a 10% discount Note: Both Recurrent CRM and Dangerous Goods Training Courses are available upon request - even at short notice. First Aid and the Law, please contact candice@gaconsultants.net 6. ALL AIRLINES HAVE THE SECURITY HOLE THAT GROUNDED POLISH PLANES MORE THAN 10 airplanes were grounded on Sunday after hackers apparently got into computer systems responsible for issuing flight plans to pilots of Poland's state-owned LOT airline. The apparent weak link? The flight plan-delivery protocol used by every airline. In fact, though this may be the first confirmed hack of its kind, it's very similar to a mysterious grounding of United Airlines planes that happened last month. Hackers breached the network at Warsaw's Chopin airport, causing some flights to be cancelled and others to be delayed. Approximately 1,400 passengers were affected by the grounding. The problem was reportedly fixed after about five hours. "We're using state-of-the-art computer systems, so this could potentially be a threat to others in the industry," LOT spokesman Adrian Kubicki told the BBC. It's possible that potentiality is already a reality. Last month, all United flights in the US were grounded for nearly an hour after the airline apparently experienced problems with flight plans dispatched to its pilots. United provided few clues about what occurred at the time-saying only that flights were delayed "to ensure aircraft departed with proper dispatching information." But passengers onboard several delayed aircraft tweeted that they'd been told bogus flight plans were the problem. Passenger Edward Benson, founder and CTO of the tech firm Cloudstitch, tweeted that his pilot had told passengers they were being grounded due to a possible hack of United's computer network, which resulted in bogus flight plans popping up in the system. After the problem was resolved he later tweeted, "Pilot said flight plan system had been spitting out 'random plans over and over.'" The Problem Is Systemic Although Polish authorities haven't provided details about what occurred with the flight plans in that case, the problem with both the LOT and United planes may very well be the protocol for delivering flight plans: It doesn't require authentication, according to Peter Lemme, an independent consultant who chairs the SAE-sponsored Ku/Ka band satcom subcommittee, which is developing a proposed standard for end-end secure networking using broadband radios installed on airplanes. Lemme says the issue would allow a hacker to send bogus flight plans to pilots, irrespective of which branded flight-plan system an airline used. Here's how the protocol works: Ground computers calculate the appropriate flight plan for planes, and generally someone on ground also approves the plan before distributing it to pilots. Pilots receive plans before taking off, as well as en route if a change occurs during a flight. Plans can be uploaded to planes via a datalink. Any flight plan sent to a plane has to conform to the protocol standard for that particular plane's software-which would be different for 757s than it would for 767s, Lemme notes. But once a hacker figures out those protocols, it would be possible to issue a bogus flight plan. "There's more we could do in this area as far as authenticating that the flight plan is coming from a legitimate source," he says. "Right now, [the system] is relatively trusting-if it comes in and it's properly formatted, the system will accept it." This doesn't mean, however, that a pilot would blindly follow it. It's important to note that while this loophole could cause confusion resulting in planes being grounded before takeoff, Lemme says it wouldn't be a safety concern since there are checks in place to ensure that pilots don't follow incorrect flight paths that take them into the course of another plane. These checks apparently worked as they were intended in Poland when flights were grounded. "[The flight plan] doesn't just go into the system and take over the airplane," Lemme says. "The pilot has to accept it or has to manually transcribe it into the flight avionics system." If the flight plan is odd, that will stand out. "The pilot will see a presentation of the flight routing, like with a car GPS, and he'll say, 'What the hell, it has me going out to Alabama when I'm going to California. That's not right'." The flight crew will then contact the airline, and "that's where everything will grind to a halt," Lemme says. "There's not a single situation where you can issue a command to the airplane and have it go into an active memory without the pilot first accepting it and taking action to load it into the system. And ultimately you've got two pilots at every single flight who are going to look at that and they're going to have a conversation over it" if a flight plan doesn't make sense. Security expert Peter Lemme says the problem of bogus flight plans is not a safety issue. Lemme says the problem of bogus flight plans is not a safety issue. "It's more confusing than anything else. It would leave the airplanes flying inefficiently and not going in the correct route," he says. Even if the changes in a flight plan were so subtle that they wouldn't cause a pilot to be alarmed, Lemme says passengers shouldn't worry about pilots flying their planes into one another. If a pilot were to receive a flight plan via data link en route that indicated he or she should change route, the pilot would negotiate this with air traffic through voice communication first. "And air traffic would have something to say if [a change] would put them in the path of another airplane.... Air traffic is constantly looking at the path of every airplane and determining whether it might intersect with another airplane and will raise an alarm," he says. Planes are also equipped with sensors that will alert pilots if they're in the vicinity of other aircraft. But Lemme says the system currently operates under the assumption that the data sent to pilots is legitimate, and it really should be designed in such a way that it rejects bogus flight plans before they reach the pilot. "We're working on that right now." 7. BLING FOR NTSB WASHINGTON - Transportation safety has been generally improving across the board except in one area: general aviation. "We're troubled that the general aviation safety trend has been flat for few years," NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart told WTOP. "When you break out the personal flying from the business flying, the business flying is improving which means the personal flying is getting worse which is troubling." Hart addressed the topic with attendees of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Homecoming Fly-in Saturday morning in Frederick, Va. "We are the accident investigators, so we are there when something goes wrong," Hart explained. "That's why we inform the process of improvement is because we see what actually went wrong as opposed to what might go wrong. We've seen it and been there up close and personal with what really did go wrong." The NTSB investigates about 1,500 general aviation accidents every year, whereas the agency can go years at a time without a commercial aviation accident. The biggest cause of death in general aviation crashes is from loss of control, generally some form of aerodynamic stall. "It basically comes down to the familiarity of the pilot with the machine, the situation, and being ready for the unexpected," noted Hart. The NTSB chairman also said there are other factors that pilots need to consider to understand their risk when they takeoff. "How current are you, how long has it been since you last flew, how good is your training, are you ready to go into that weather you are expecting to encounter, do you even know what the weather is you expect to encounter?" Hart said that pilots need to know the weather conditions, whether that is thunderstorms rumbling through in the summer or ice in the winter, to help reduce their risk of a crash. He also recommended shoulder belts for all on board rather than lap belts to reduce the chance of death just in case something does go wrong. 8. COMMERCIALLY DERIVED CARBON BRAKING SYSTEMS ENHANCE AIRPLANE EFFICIENCY What does it take to safely stop a 150,000-pound aircraft in its tracks? While this is a complex process, the main answer is the brakes. Traditional steel brakes have played this essential role in bringing speeding aircraft to a halt for more than 75 years, but today, innovative, long-lasting and lightweight carbon brakes are triggering radical improvements in aircraft braking efficiency. UTC Aerospace Systems engineers have developed carbon brakes with fewer parts and a lifespan that is many times longer than steel brakes, enabling aircraft to fly longer and more often, with long-term cost savings for both commercial airlines and military fleets. And, since most aircraft carbon braking systems were first deployed on civil commercial aircraft, the military has reaped the benefits of using these systems without having to invest in the up-front development costs. Modern examples include the carbon brakes for the F-16, which were derived from those in use on the Boeing 747-400, as well as the new C-130 carbon brakes, which were a derivative of those in use on the Airbus A320 and Boeing 777LR. Rick Pyatt, Director of Defence and Aerospace Policy at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Global Government Relations, and Jeff Atkinson, Director of Military Programmes for UTC Aerospace Systems Landing Systems, explained why these carbon brakes make a big difference, and how the military is benefitting from these commercially-derived innovations. Here are four ways carbon brakes work better for military and commercial aircraft: Less downtime Carbon brakes have a much faster cooling rate versus steel brakes, which can require over an hour to cool down. Carbon brakes also "operate better at higher temperatures than steel brakes," Atkinson said. This innovative technology means aircraft spend less time on the ground cooling their brakes, so planes can turn more quickly for the next flight or mission - a critical requirement for the military. This is especially important for U.S. Central Command military flights operating in high-temperature regions like the Persian Gulf where crews must land, refuel, rearm and fly again. Lighter weight = less fuel burn = savings, and enhanced operational flexibility "On big airplanes, if you take steel brakes off the plane and use carbon brakes, you can reduce the aircraft weight by 2,000 pounds, saving thousands of dollars in fuel costs annually," said Pyatt, who is a former Air Force pilot and commercial airline Captain. This grows to millions of dollars when aggregated across a fleet of aircraft. Equally important, carbon brakes enhance operational flexibility, allowing pilots the option to carry more fuel, more cargo, or more people per mission. As an example, on long range flights, Pyatt said "the ability to carry more fuel provides an important operational advantage; giving pilots the opportunity to re-route around bad weather, hold while destination weather improves, have enough fuel to make another approach to the runway when the weather is really bad or divert to a suitable alternate airfield." This provides additional cost savings, according to Pyatt. "There are costs associated with not completing a flight or mission as planned," Pyatt said. "Carbon brakes provide fuel saving up front and dollar savings at the end of the flight because my airplane, its people, and cargo are where they're supposed to be." Less maintenance Carbon braking systems last longer than steel braking systems. "They perform as well on the 2,000th landing as on the first," Atkinson said. Carbon brakes are widely used in U.S. Air Force planes such as the C-130 and C-5 cargo planes, as well as various fighter aircraft like the F-15 and F-16 and are factory-installed in most new aircraft. "Carbon brakes stay on the aircraft longer, reducing taxpayer costs, reducing work for maintainers and the downtime associated with more frequent brake changes," Pyatt said. Shorter braking distance Pilots have reported shorter stopping distances using carbon brakes versus steel brakes. "The stopping advantage of carbon brakes provides an enhanced safety cushion for pilots, especially when they are landing on shorter runways, landing with higher than normal gross weight and when stopping during an aborted takeoff." Benefits of Using Carbon Brakes and Lock Ring Wheels on C-130 Aircraft: Despite these benefits, carbon brakes are not on every airplane. UTC Aerospace Systems hopes to change that. "Carbon brakes developed for the commercial market have brought major benefits to the commercial airlines, and now to the U.S. Air Force. This innovative technology also offers improved braking performance and fuel savings, operational flexibility, lower maintenance costs, and longer brake life for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps too," Atkinson said. 9. NIGERIA AIR SAFETY - AIB WANTS AVIATION PROFESSIONALS TO RAISE STANDARDS The Commissioner/Chief Executive, Accident Investigations Bureau (AIB), Dr Felix Abali, has said that for Nigeria's air safety sustainability, aviation professionals in the country must raise the standard, professionalism and efficiency. He particularly emphasised quality Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) as a panacea to avoiding most of the air accidents in Nigeria. Dr Abali spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at an event to mark the World Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) day, saying that all over the world, the aviation sector is undergoing rapid transformation and becoming more technical intensive and technologically driven. "I implore the management of NCAA, NCAT and NAMA to train and motivate all AIS staff for effective delivery of the task ahead of them. Capacity development is a vital solution to the growing cases of human factor, which underlies most of the accidents and serious incidents in the aviation industry," he stated. He said: "Aeronautical information management is the way forward, not only in Nigeria but globally for the sector to be able to provide its noble role for the effectiveness and efficiency of air navigation. There is no Nigeria aviation. There is only one global aviation, with the same Standards and Recommended Practice (SARPs), with which you must comply assiduously, being the minimum requirements for safe navigation of flight operation." In another development, there are indications that the AIB, may soon release the full reports of at least four air crashes that have occurred in the country in the recently. A source at AIB said the Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, has ordered the release of the findings from before May 29, 2015. The impending reports were accidents that occurred between 2006 and 2010. 10. NEWS FROM THE JOHANNESBURG AIRPORTS Users of the Johannesburg aerodromes must be aware of the fact that they all take Aviation Safety and AVSEC very seriously. If you want to use them as a Pilot or are employed in any way on them then we would recommend that you make yourself very aware of Part 139 in the SACARs and the Rules and Regulations applicable to that particular aerodrome. Be prepared for fines being levied if you breach any of the SARPs. RAND AIRPORT, GERMISTON - www.randairport.co,za Next Safety Meeting will be held on Tuesday 7th July 2015 at 09.00 in the Old Customs Hall. · The wearing of high visibility jackets/waistcoats is mandatory for all persons, excepting for passengers under escort, on airside. (SA CAR 139.02.22(6)) · Drivers found to be speeding on airside will have their access remote taken from them. · Vehicles being driven on airside must carry proper mandatory insurance cover · All delivery vehicles and visiting vehicles requiring access to airside MUST be escorted from the access gate to the premises and then after closure of their business back to the gate for egress. · All operators are required to report Bird Strikes to the Safety Office even if there has been no structural damage to the aircraft as a result of the strike. A date for your diary - The Grand Rand Show will be held on 23 August 2015 LANSERIA AIRPORT - www.lanseriaairport.co.za Next Safety, Security and Stakeholders Meeting will be held on Tuesday 14th July 2015 at 12.00 in the LIA Training School. · The wearing of high visibility jackets/waistcoats is mandatory for all persons, excepting for passengers under escort, on airside. (SA CAR 139.02.22(6)) · Drivers shall obey the published speed limits which are 30 on airside and 40 on landside - these will be enforceable from 1st May 2015 · The ring road is under repair from the water treatment plant through to the entrance. Check with the Operations Centre for up to date information. GRAND CENTRAL AIRPORT, MIDRAND Next Safety Meeting will be held on Tuesday 7th July 2015 at 12.00 in the Boardroom · The wearing of high visibility jackets/waistcoats is mandatory for all persons, excepting for passengers under escort, on airside. (SA CAR 139.02.22(6)) · Drivers found to be speeding on airside will have their access revoked Effective 1st July 2015 there has been a change of Management positions at Grand Central - GAC UPDATE would like to congratulate Mr. Tiaan Joseph on his appointment as the New Fire Chief and Fuel Bay Manager. 11. NEWS FROM THE REGULATORY AUTHORITIES Part 101 which covers Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems came into effect on 1st July 2015. Part 140 is undergoing an upgrade. The Director of the SA CAA cordially invites members of the aviation industry to participate in Safety Management Industry interactive Sessions. Details are the SA CAA website. 12. SAFETY AND SECURITY FAA RE-AUTHORIZATION MUST PUT SAFETY FIRST by Captain Tim Canoll President Airline Pilots' Association Anyone who has boarded a plane has been welcomed with the familiar greeting, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking." What those passengers might not be as familiar with is the rigorous training process these pilots have successfully gone through before they qualify for an airline pilot position and allowed to make that announcement. U.S. pilots must complete thousands of hours of flight, simulator, and classroom training to meet strict standards that ensure the United States continues to maintain the safest aviation system in the world. The impressive safety record in the U.S. commercial aviation industry is a direct reflection of the intensive education, exhaustive training, and experience that are at the core of our profession. Whether a pilot flies passengers or freight, safety is the foundation of everything we do. We also know that our success, and the success of our industry, hinges on putting safety first. That is why, as Congress works to create the framework for the FAA reauthorization, we believe safety has to be the top priority. The legislation that allows the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate expires at the end of September, in just a few short months. Congressional leaders are deliberating and attempting to create the framework for a bill that will be signed into law before the current authorization expires. Safety must continue to be the central element of any legislative framework of FAA reauthorization. Unfortunately, not everyone in Washington shares the pilots' views. Some are calling for relaxed pilot training and qualification requirements that would streamline and shorten an individual's entry into the airline pilot profession. Any attempt to reduce oversight, relax safety standards for airline pilot licensing, training, and qualification or to weaken the measures that prevent pilot fatigue reintroduce unacceptable risk to the traveling public and our flight crewmembers. Our paramount goal must be to maintain the highest level of safety in order to safeguard passengers, air cargo, and flight crews. We should not settle for anything less. Airline pilots want to see a clean, on-time FAA reauthorization bill this year that puts safety first. The legislation must reinforce science-based flight and duty rules that mitigate pilot fatigue. The bill must also enable the FAA to fully implement NextGen, which will further increase the level of safety in our industry as well as improve the efficiency and capacity of our aviation system and allow our airlines to grow and remain profitable. In recent years, federal regulations have strengthened our system and maintained its status as the safest in the world. But in the past, extraneous measures caused unnecessary and unacceptable delays for completing FAA reauthorization legislation in a timely fashion - including a string of more than 20 stopgap extensions the last time around that prevented the aviation community from making meaningful progress on a number of fronts. In early June, nearly 200 ALPA pilots from across the country met in Washington, D.C. to call on Congress to prevent attempts to roll back safety regulations that could delay the passage of the FAA reauthorization bill. This year, Congress must provide the FAA with the dedicated, stable funding necessary to both fulfill its mandate and also move ahead with its vital work to enhance safety and system efficiency. We remain hopeful that this FAA reauthorization will be accomplished without numerous delays and extensions required to enact the current law. The FAA reauthorization legislation is typically the vehicle by which the safety and regulatory standards for the industry are updated and improved. We cannot allow this bill to reverse that trend. ALPA will remain a consistent advocate for protecting and promoting the U.S. aviation industry and making the system even safer and more efficient. We will continue to promote additional safety measures and work to prevent any attempts to roll back safety, but Congress must do its part as well. 13. SAAFA DONATIONS Should you wish to make a donation to this more than worthy cause then please pay it (via EFT or as a deposit) into; Standard Bank Bedford Gardens; Bank Code 018 305; Account Name: SA Air Force Association (JHB Branch); Account Number: 022 605 568. You may use either your Company or Individual name along with the word donation as the reference. 14. FINALE Part Time Consultant Air Safety Officers required who comply with the requirements of SA CARS Part 135, Part 121, Part 127, Part 140, Part 141 and Part 145 - must have had appropriate SMS training, previous experience and preferably been approved by the South African Air Services Licencing Council. Part Time Quality Assurance Consultants required who are appropriately qualified and comply with the requirements of Part 135, Part 121, Part 127, Part 140, Part 141 and Part 145. Part Time Aviation Security Consultant required who is appropriately qualified for RSA and International Operations GLOBAL AVIATION CONSULTANTS (PTY) LTD Can we help you with your aviation safety and / or quality requirements? Under SA CAR 140.01.2 if you and your organisation hold one of the following Q a category 4 or higher aerodrome licence; Q an ATO approval; Q an aircraft maintenance organisation approval; Q a manufacturing organisation approval ; Q an ATSU approval; Q a design organisation approval; Q an AOC issued in terms of Part 121, 127, 135, 141; Q a procedure design organisation approval; and Q an electronic services organisation approval, then you shall establish a Safety Management System for the control and supervision of the services rendered or to be rendered by that organisation. If you do not already have an approved Air Safety Officer and an approved Safety Management System then please contact us for assistance. We, at Global Aviation Consultants, deliver the following SA CAA Approved training courses for Air Safety Officers at Rand Airport; Q Safety Management Systems Q Integrated Safety Officer Course Q Quality Assurance Auditor Q Crew Resource Management (Initial and Recurrent) Q Dangerous Goods Q Human Factors for AME's Q Should your operation be of a size whereby the full time employment of an Air Safety Officer and/or Quality Assurance Officer is not financially viable then we can provide you with Consultants who have previously held Air Services Licensing Council approval. We can also provide you with a tailor made SA CAA approved Safety Management System. For further information on how we can help you please contact Rethea or Candice in Hanger 6, Rand Airport, Germiston on 011-024--5446/7 or e-mail global@gaconsultants.net |
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