Air Traffic Controllers ( ATC )

Air traffic controllers are very important workers for aviation. 

As a pilot, I greatly admire their work those guys do.

So, not all of the recent issues, in our country, are the fault of the air traffic controllers.

Yes, air traffic controllers have a very challenging and stressful job, they do this job every day with a lot of responsibilities.

Today, I like to dedicate an express my appreciation to all the air traffic controllers around the world.

Air traffic controllers are responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of aircraft in the skies. 

They always monitor airplanes movements, provide the best  and professional instructions to all pilots, and maintain safe distances between airplanes in the skies.

Their responsibilities also include to providing critical information like the weather updates and always alerting authorities in case of any emergencies. 

Thank you to all of you guys inside the control towers and my admiration and appreciation are with you. You guys doing and excellent job.

Safety Information is a free service of :

CRM 4 Pilots Aviation Consulting Inc

Miami-Florida

Why Runway Markings ?

Pilot Awareness:

Why Runway Markings are important and what they indicate?

Standardized markings help pilots be more aware of their position and surroundings on the airfield. 

Pilots review the concept of why incidents and accidents happen if you do not have clear the meaning of why runway markings are important to know.

Always be a safety pilot, runway markings are the meaning, the road signs of the airfield, guiding the pilots land the aircraft safely and efficiently through the critical phases of takeoff and landing.

Safety Information is a free service of:

CRM 4 Pilots Aviation Comsulting Inc

Miami- Florida

Distraction in the Cockpit

 What is a Distraction?

Distractions in the Cockpit:

Distractions in the cockpit, can take numerous forms, so,distractions can occur during any phase of the flight.

We are humans and nobody is perfect, the error will be there always, but in the bottom line is that simple distractions, such as our routine in doing our tasks inside the cockpit, as reading the checklist, communication with ground or in the air with the ATC, PA announcements, and also other tasks during flying. Always focus safety.

Review these subjects, we as pilots can take a perfectly good pair of eyes and hands away from flying the airplane to avoid incidents /accidents.

The lessons learn and practical applications to reduced incidents during our tasks inside the cockpit, regarding distractions, the most important are fly the airplane no matter what, always remains in control of the airplane. 

Be decisive with the delegation of responsibilities, don’t complete nonessential tasks during critical phases of flight , keep everyone in the circle , following ATC communications , maintain situational awareness, isolate a distraction, make sure one distraction doesn't spread into other parts of the operations, don’t allow a minor distraction to turn on an incident or accident, be careful, maintain vigilance at all time during any phase of the flight, if you don’t pay attention, distractions can negatively affect situational awareness, decision making and judgment .

Safety Information is a free service of:

CRM 4 Pilots Aviation Consulting Inc.

1(954) 617-5374

Miami-Florida

Sterile Cockpit

Sterile Cockpit Perception

In the last few months, I wrote something motivating concerning about distractions in the cockpit and cockpit discipline. 

So, distractions will always be part of a cockpit environment, but how we as pilots can handle them, well this issue inspiring me again to focus and post something remarkable that can often mean the difference between a safe flight or an Incident or accident, the sterile cockpit what that mean this word to you as a safety pilot? 

So, it is important that there is a difference between having good judgment and making good decision.

The mental ability to perceive and differentiate alternatives permanently to have a good and a safety flight all the time. 

Good judgment comes from the ability to perceive, become aware, observe, detect, and understand. 

Making the right decision is actually the end result of having good judgment and stay away of incidents and accidents.

What that Mean Sterile Cockpit ?

It's no secret. When a flight crew's attention is diverted from the task of flying, the chance of error increases. 

Over the years there have been dozens of air carrier accidents that occurred when the crew diverted attention from the task at hand and became occupied with items totally unrelated to flying. Consequently, important things were missed. 

Things like setting the flaps prior to takeoff, or extending the landing gear before landing. 

Things like monitoring altitude on an instrument approach, or using engine anti-ice for takeoff during a blinding snow storm.

In 1981 the FAA enacted FAR 121.542 and FAR 135.100 to help curb the number of these accidents. 

Commonly known as the "sterile cockpit rule," these regulations specifically prohibit crew member performance of non-essential duties or activities while the aircraft is involved in taxi, takeoff, landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet MSL, except cruise flight.

Sterile Cockpit Rules:

FAR 121.542 / FAR 135.100--Flight Crew Member Duties

(a) No certificate holder shall require, nor may any flight crew member perform any duties during a critical phase of flight except those duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft. 

Duties such as company required calls made for non-safety related purposes as ordering galley supplies and confirming passenger connections, announcements made to passengers promoting the air carrier or pointing out sights of interest and filling out company payroll and related records are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft.

(b) No flight crew member may engage in, nor may any pilot in command permit, any activity during a critical phase of flight which could distract any flight crew member from the performance of his or her duties or which could interfere in any way with the proper conduct of those duties. 

Activities such as eating meals, engaging in non-essential conversations within the cockpit and non-essential communications between the cabin and cockpit crews, and reading publications not related to the proper conduct of the flight are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft.

(c) For the purposes of this section, critical phase of flight involves all ground operations involving taxi, takeoff and landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet, except cruise flight.

Note: Taxi is defined as "movement of an airplane under its own power on the surface of an airport."

I know any pilot when well-read this post will be more alert, and going to be more vigilant about any situational awareness inside your cockpit, so this especially critical at any activity during a critical phase of flight , take off , landing etc. 

Remember always fly safely all the time.✈️

Safety Information is a free service of: 

CRM 4 Pilots Aviation Consulting Inc.

1(954) 617-5374

Miami-Florida



Runway Incursion ( RI )

 What is a Runway Incursion?

A runway incursion (RI) is any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and take off of aircraft.

FAA has made Runway Safety a top priority, with a specific focus on developing new and more effective RI avoidance strategies.

Runway Safety is a significant challenge and a top priority for everyone in aviation.

In the United States, an average of three Runway Incursions occurs daily. 

Each of these incidents has the potential to cause significant damage to both persons and property.

Runway incursions are a serious safety concern and have involved air carrier aircraft, military aircraft, general aviation (GA), and pedestrian vehicles.

Runway incursions have resulted in collisions and fatalities.

Fatalities have occurred at both towered and non-towered airports. 

A few seconds of inattention can cause a Runway Incursion.

Causal Factors of Runway Incursions:

Detailed investigations of Runway Incursions over the past 10 years have identified three major areas contributing to these events:

 1. Failure to comply with ATC instructions.

 2. Lack of airport familiarity.

 3. Non conformance with standard operating procedure.

Always Fly Safely.

Safety Information is a free service of:

CRM 4 Pilots Aviation Consulting Inc.

1(954) 617-5374

Miami-Florida

Hard Landing Definition:

A hard landing on a snow-contaminated runway can lead to several dangerous consequences, including: loss of directional control, inability to slow down effectively, increased risk of runway overrun, potential for skidding or hydroplaning, and damage to the aircraft due to excessive forces on the landing gear; all of which can significantly increase the risk of an accident due to the reduced friction between the tires and the runway surface caused by the snow. 

Key points about hard landings on snow-covered runways:

Reduced braking effectiveness:

Snow significantly reduces the friction between the tires and the runway, making it much harder to decelerate the aircraft upon landing, potentially leading to a longer landing roll and overrun. 

Hydroplaning risk:

If the snow is slushy or wet, the aircraft can experience hydroplaning, where the tires lose contact with the runway due to a layer of water between them, further impairing braking ability. 

Directional control issues:

On a slippery surface, even slight rudder inputs can have a reduced effect, making it harder to maintain the aircraft's heading during landing rollout. 

Increased stress on landing gear:

A hard landing on a contaminated runway puts additional stress on the landing gear, potentially causing damage if the impact is too severe. 

Important considerations for landing on a snow-covered runway:

Pilot technique:

Pilots should use a "soft-field" landing technique with a lower touchdown speed and gentle braking to maximize friction and minimize the risk of skidding. 

Runway condition reports:

Carefully review the latest runway condition reports (RCR) to assess the level of snow contamination and determine if landing is safe. 

Decision to divert:

If the runway conditions are deemed too hazardous, pilots should consider diverting to an alternate airport with better conditions.

Safety Information is a free service of:

CRM 4 Pilots Aviation Consulting Inc.

1(954) 617-5374

Miami-Florida

Source: Web Safety Information 

( Hard Landing on contaminated runways)

Aviation Weather

Aviation Weather:

Weather influences all pilots on every flight. 

So, there is a serious to all pilots understanding this critical area of Aviation Information. 

As pilots, how can we be anticipated to develop the needed skill in this area? 

What is the difference between Weather and Climate?

Weather is a major cause of fatal aircraft accidents and has the highest rate of fatalities, over 80%.

Between one-quarter and one-third of fatal GA accidents are weather related.  

What is the difference between weather and climate?

WEATHER: Weather is principally the way the atmosphere is behaving, mainly with respect to its effects.

As pilots we ask what is the weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure, as in high and low pressure etc. 

In most countries and places, weather can change from Minute-to-Minute, Hour-to-Hour, Day-to-Day, and Season-to-Season.

CLIMATE: Climate is the report of the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area.

Some meteorological experts define climate as the typical weather for a particular region and time period. 

When meteorologists experts talk about climate, they're looking what that means the terms of precipitation, temperature, humidity, wind velocity, phenomena such as fog, frost, and hail storms, and other measures of the weather that occur over a long period in a particular place.

According to the NASA.gov information, the difference between weather and climate is the measure of time. 

Weather is what the conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time and climate is the average weather over a very long period of time.

Keep in mind deeper information of weather also allows you to adjust your flights, and avoid potential weather hazards.

Always Remember Fly Safely, the weather plays a huge part in your flying all the time.

Safety is the First gate to Success / Working without Safety means Failure.

The weather, something everyone should respect.

Safety Information is a free service of:

CRM 4 Pilots Aviation Consulting Inc.

1(954) 617-5374

Miami-Florida

http://aviationweather.gov/