Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms

I want to talk today and post again this  interesting information  I was posted years ago here on my safety blog, that can either make a good review to all Pilots flying all around the world to avoid thunderstorms and turbulence. Many times you as a good and Safety Pilot you have to make decisions involving thunderstorms and turbulence flying.

In some tropical regions, thunderstorms occur year-around, for example in United States thunderstorms develop most frequently in Spring, Summer, and Fall. In the Arctic Region occasionally experience thunderstorm during Summer time.

In general, thunderstorms occur varies widely from Season to Season. Well to explain and to be more specific, thunderstorms in general are most frequently during July and August and least frequent in December and January, in to the United States.

In fact, the planet earth is unique in that its atmosphere, as Pilots when we encounter bad weather during our itinerary, sometime are affected by weather, but we need to understand what you should know about weather how can shake your flight, weather is complex and sometimes difficult to understand, our restless atmosphere is almost continuously in motion as it strives to reach stability.

You remember when we are a student pilot we receive training regarding some meteorological conceptions, and the atmosphere are classify into layers based on temperature.

So, preparation for your weather briefing before your flying is very essential to any Pilot, meteorological and aeronautical information is provided by continuous sources.

Everyone who flies no matter in what Country you are flying encounters turbulence, at some time or other. Turbulence varieties from bumpiness which can bother Crew and Passengers and also can structurally damage the aircraft or injure its passengers.

So , Aircraft reaction to turbulence varies with the difference in Wind speed in adjacent currents, size of the aircraft , wing loading , and also aircraft attitude.

All Pilots know the first rule in flying turbulence is to reduce airspeed; you need to know very clear your limitations and follow up the recommended airspeed for penetrating turbulence when you knowing where to expect a thunderstorm or turbulence.

To a respectable review and always remember Pilots: the main causes of turbulence are: Convective Currents, Obstruction to wind flow, and also Wind Shear. Turbulence also occurs in the wake of moving aircraft whenever the airfoils exert lift – Wake Turbulence.

Be alert all the time Pilots, any combination of causes may occur at one time. I'm interested in writing today on my safety blog about this important concern, regarding thunderstorms and turbulence to require and maintain a safe flight and land safely without any difficult.

I became interested in writing about this subject because when I read some information regarding incidents and accidents involved commercial aircraft, who have had problems with some of its flights.

I found it very important that we review these incidents and share and learn more about what’s going on and could be more dangerous if don’t emphasis the fatal magnitudes that could be happen .

So, I want to share this excellent information , go to the links and read the information , you will learn more about what I’m talking about it about turbulence .

Always reporting Turbulence at any time you could realize be dangerous for other crews. Pilots should report all the time locations, time (UTC or Z), intensity, weather in or near clouds, altitude, type of aircraft and when applicable, duration of turbulence.

So, duration may be based on time between two locations or over a single location, all locations should be readily identifiable, also keep in mind there are different types of turbulence, I want to refresh your memory, Light, Moderate, Severe, and Extreme.

Always remember the good and Safety Pilot is one that is a conservative Aviator and learns every day from the unexpected things that can happen in your Cockpit.

               

                                                Safe Pilots, Safe Skies. Always Fly Safely.

Runway Incursions.

   Issue 418                                                                                                                              November 2014

Runway incursions, a top FAA safety concern, are formally defined as “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 takeoff of aircraft.”1 Runway incursions can be caused by Pilot Deviations, Air Traffic Controller Operational Incidents, and Ground Vehicle Deviations. Examples of these errors include:

Pilot Deviations

Crossing a runway hold marking without ATC clearance

Taking off without clearance

Landing without clearance

Controller Operational Incidents

Clearing an aircraft onto a runway while another aircraft is landing on the same runway

Issuing a takeoff clearance while the runway is occupied by another aircraft or vehicle

Vehicle (Driver) Deviations

Crossing a runway hold marking without ATC clearance

Regardless of whose actions caused it, the inappropriate or unauthorized presence of an aircraft or vehicle on an active runway can lead to serious consequences. The following ASRS reports offer insight into some of the human factors and other issues involved in runway incursions.

Source: ASRS

http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/docs/cb/cb_418.pdf

The Vision for Safety to Avoid Accidents

The Vision for Safety to Avoid Accidents

 

Commercial Air Transportation consists of the activities of the all commercial air carriers, the routes they fly to assist the public. So, today the Airline Industry is well positioned and growth every day, and the most important is to significantly improve Aviation Safety.

Improve Safety is the Key, there are three fundamental pillars of Civil Aviation of this decade, Safety, Security and environmental protection, so, also these important pillars are very significant to reduce incidents and accidents. There will be fewer accidents, if all together in the aviation business we share safety ideas all around the world to sharing and help pilots to understand well the concept of Air Safety.

Risks can be managed before they become accidents; this is why it is very important that all states and service providers have well established (SMS) Safety Management System programs inside any organization.

The information they develop form these systems helps in the further analyzing situations and developing ideas and solutions for the prevention of incidents and accidents in all General Aviation.

Improving Aviation Safety is the key to continue sharing ideas and used a good method in aviation industry to examine aviation accident/incident, and focusing and analyzing areas that errors mostly occurred in any organization, why accidents happen, when an aircraft accident occurs many questions are asked. So, the question WHY, rises a lot during investigation of the operator at the time of investigation.

Safety is a top priority at all time; the goal of the Aviation Safety is to improve aviation safety through the prevention of accidents and incidents programs .

 

Safe Pilots/ Safe Skies.

 

Mid Air Collisions Why?

Mid Air Collisions Why?

 

Why accidents happen it's a good question to answer and also difficult to respond, why, and what happen. So, sometimes we already know what happened, but the only question is why it happened again. There was a midair collision between two aircraft yesterday Thursday October 23, 2014 at the Frederick Municipal Airport, according to the federal agencies a Cirrus SR22 aircraft and a R44 helicopter collided in Mid Air, near the Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland.  

 

So, commonly Aviation Accidents categorize mid airs as one of the two types, associated and non-associated.

 

Associated Mid Air Collisions are when two aircraft were flying in each other’s vicinity and knew it.

 

Non Associated Mid Air Collisions are and occur when an airplane who is not intentionally flying in each other’s vicinity and neither knows the other is there. Where was each aircraft hypothetical to be?  Who had the right of way? And who could have seen who?

 

This type of investigation to resolve, and also to investigate, has a first priority to analyses, usually aircraft accident investigators focus on Air Traffic Control records and the radar data, also probably the Flight Data Recorders and Cockpit Voice Recorders if either aircraft was so equipped, regularly witnesses is a good key too, but the only difficult witnesses see the aftermath of the collision.

 

That is why I want to share again something I wrote on my Safety Blog few months ago, something regarding Mid Air Collisions, think about it this for a moment and read again my all post to avoid this type of accidents.

 

Midair Collision Avoidance

 

Recent studies of midair collisions involving aircraft by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that:

Most of the aircraft involved in collisions are engaged in recreational flying, not on any type of flight plan.

Most midair collisions occur in VFR weather conditions during weekend daylight hours.

The vast majority of accidents occurred at or near uncontrolled airports and at altitudes below 1000 feet.

Pilots of all experience levels were involved in midair collisions, from pilots on their first solo ride, to   20,000-hour veterans.

Flight instructors were on board the aircraft 37 percent of the accidents in the study.

Most collisions occur in daylight with visibility greater than 3 miles.

1.  Practice the "see and avoid" concept at all times regardless of whether the operation is conducted under Instrument (IFR) or Visual (VFR) Flight Rules.

 

2.  Under IFR control, don't always count on ATC to keep you away from other aircraft.  They're human, and can make mistakes.

 

3.  Understand the limitations of your eyes and use proper visual scanning techniques.  Remember, if another aircraft appears to have no relative motion, but is increasing in size, it is likely to be on a collision course with you.

 

4.  Execute appropriate clearing procedures before all climbs, descents, turns, training maneuvers, or aerobatics.

 

5.  Be aware of the type airspace in which you intend to operate in and comply with the applicable rules.

 

6.  Adhere to the necessary communications requirements.

 

7. Traffic advisories should be requested and used when available to assist the pilot’s own visual scanning -- advisories in no way lessen the pilot’s obligation to see and avoid.

 

 8.  If not practical to initiate radio contact for traffic information, at least monitor the appropriate frequency.

 

 9.  Make frequent position reports along your route and AT UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS BROADCAST YOUR POSITION AND INTENTIONS ON COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY (CTAF).

 

 10.  Make your aircraft as visible as possible - turn on exterior lights below 10,000 MSL and landing lights when operating within 10 miles of any airport, in conditions of reduced visibility, where any bird activity is expected or under special VFR clearance.

 

11.  If the aircraft is equipped with a transponder, turn it on and adjust it to reply on both Mode 3/A and Mode C (if installed).  Transponders substantially increase the capability of radar to see all aircraft and the MODE C feature enables the controller to quickly determine where potential traffic conflicts exist.  Even VFR pilots who are not in contact with ATC will be afforded greater protection from IFR aircraft receiving traffic advisories.

 

IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR PART 91.413, WHILE IN CONTROLLED AIRSPACE, EACH PILOT OPERATING AN AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED WITH AN OPERABLE ATC TRANSPONDER MAINTAINED SHALL OPERATE THE TRANSPONDER, INCLUDING MODE C IF INSTALLED, ON THE APPROPRIATE MODE OR AS ASSIGNED BY ATC.  IN CLASS G AIRSPACE, THE TRANSPONDER SHOULD BE OPERATING WHILE AIRBORNE UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUESTED BY ATC.

 

 12.      ABOVE ALL, AVOID COMPLACENCY

 

Promoting Aviation Safety is the key.

Aviation Safety, Analyses & Applications

Aviation Safety, Analyses & Applications

 

I want to share this safety post to all people in the Aviation Community all around the world, although my buddies on the different airlines will probably read it, just to see how to stay away from incidents and accidents in General and Commercial Aviation. So, also I would like to extend my appreciation and thanks to all my Instructors and teachers of different schools and colleges I was attended, where I learned the concept of Air Safety.

I could not have produced such all safety post without many aviation professionals who helped in my goal to understand why accidents happen in Aviation. My sincerest appreciation to:

 

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Nova South Eastern University.

The Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) in Oklahoma City,

The FAA in Miami Florida Aviation Safety Program FAA Safety Team.

L3 Communications Aviation Recorders.

Singapore Aviation Institute.

Colombian Civil Aviation Authorities.

Colombian Air Force Training Center.

 

Why accidents happen is a question that all pilots asked, in my personal view the topic frequently called in Aviation called Human Factors, and how it applies to all General Aviation. So, in the context this word Human Factors deals with errors that pilot make, why they make them, and how we as pilots can prevent them. When I wrote different concepts in my safety blog, the mayor issues that I can explain is how pilots can read and apply the causes and factors why pilots crashed.

Always remember that Human Factors is the study of how people interact with the situations, recall the meaning of Human Factors is a conceptual model, the original Shell concept, named after the initial letters of its components, Software, Hardware, Environment, Liveware.

A strong Safety Culture is the essential first element inside your Cockpit, always the safety culture in your organization is the Key to stay away from incidents and accidents, also maintain a good discipline of human factors to fly safely all the time.


Whether you go to work with your three stripes or four stripes, on your sleeve, remember there is abundance of resources to manage, the main Goal on all is Safety, Safety is first, a good pilot is the one who use all the available resources inside your cockpit, I hope this short safety post helps you to comprehend why accidents happen. As far as reading this safety post pick up the best and fly safely all the time always remember  we learned from other pilots mistakes. Safety is the Key.

Do you have a Safety Culture?

Do you have a Safety Culture?



Based on Reason (1997) The Components of Safety Culture

Definitions of Informed, Reporting, Just, Flexible and Learning Cultures

A Safety Culture is something that is striven for but rarely attained…”

The process is more important than the product.” 

James Reason, “Managing the Risks of Organizational Accidents.”

Doing the right things, even when no one is watching.

Safety begins at top of organization .The safest organizations have more effectively committed themselves to controlling the risks that may arise from mechanical or organizational failures, environmental conditions and human error.

The organization collects and analyzes “the right kind of data” to keep it informed of the safety health of the organization – collects, analyzes and disseminates information on incidents and near-misses, as well as proactive safety checks.

James Reason.



Hurricane Season 2014

                                                                          Hurricane Season 2014

  

It’s Hurricane Season not only pilots need to know more about hurricanes, all people need to be prepare protecting the home inside and out: and follow all tips for hurricane season.

So, following a season with the fewest number of hurricanes since 1982, the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to follow up.

What is a hurricane? A hurricane is a severe tropical storm that forms in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, or in the Eastern Pacific Ocean too.

Hurricanes need warm tropical oceans, moisture and light winds above them which produce violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains and floods.

Hurricanes rotate in a counterclockwise direction around an eye. In a hurricane the most violent winds occur in the area immediately around the eye, called the eye wall.

What is a Storm Surge? A storm surge is a massive dome of water often 50 miles wide that sweeps across the coast near the area where the eye of the hurricane makes landfall.

 

What is Tornadoes? Most hurricanes also include tornadoes. So, 70% of hurricanes that hit land spawn at least one tornado.

 

Storm Alerts:

 

Tropical Storm Watch: Winds 39 to 73 mph, may hit coastal area within 36 hours.

 

Tropical Storm Warning: Winds 39 to 73 mph, may hit a specific coastal area within 24 hours.

 

Hurricane Watch: Winds 74 mph or higher, may hit coastal area within 36 hours.

 

Hurricane Warning: Winds 74 mph, or higher, hit specific area within 24 hours, storm either direct hit, or passing blow.

 

Hurricane Categories:

 

CATEGORY 1: Winds 74-95 mph, storm surge 3.5 ft.

 

CATEGORY 2: Winds 96-110 mph, storm surge 6-8 ft.

 

CATEGORY 3: Winds 111-130 mph, storm surge 9-12 ft.

 

CATEGORY 4: Winds 131-155 mph, storm surge 13-18 ft.

 

CATEGORY 5: Winds 156 or higher, storm surge 19 ft. plus.

 

Providing tips for hurricane season not only helps keep pilots safe and people, but it can also help aviation safety. Always taking the proper precautions, collecting emergency supplies and creating a family evacuation plan in your home too. Safety is everybody’s business.

 

 

 

 

 

Effects of Low Visibility during Landing Avoid Aviation Accidents.

Effects of Low Visibility during Landing Avoid Aviation Accidents

 

 

 

Approaching during Low Visibility in rain, snow, fog, or bad weather, will have serious impact on air traffic, and may even lead to an Aviation Accident.

 

However, throughout the final phase of the approach, pilots need visual reference from the runway to maneuver the airplane to touch down. The runway visual range (RVR) is the range over which the pilot of an aircraft on the center line of a runway can see the runway surface markings or the lights defining the runway or identifying its center line. The minimum RVR requirement for landing depends, amongst others, on the airport facilities, aircraft equipment, pilots' training and airlines' policy.

 

If the visibility deteriorates just before the plane touches down, that would pretend a great challenge to the pilot. Flights would hold in the air and wait for the visibility to improve. If low visibility condition persists, a flight may have to divert to another airport due to fuel consideration and make a safe landing. Occasionally a second approach to the same airport could be devastating after a Missed Approached, if you think the conditions  will continue the same , you never know ??. Make a good decision and fly to your alternate immediately.

Minima for Landing Operations under Different Categories of Instrument Landing System (According to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) DOC 9365-AN/910)

 

 

Dogs Are Part of Safety .

 Dogs Are Part of Safety

In memory of my lovely dog ​​my Golden Retriever Fergie who dead few days ago.

 

    

This article is very interesting to read.  I’m a very passionate about dogs, and is very true what this officer said about dogs “To a police officer, the dog is his partner,” dogs are part of the family, so it appears that dogs have become such an important part of the family In America, dogs are remarkable animals because they are uniquely sensitive to the cultural attributes of the people with whom they live.

Not only are dogs a product of culture, but they also participate in the cultures of human.

The dog is part of safety. They are used in airports to fight safety concerns too.

 

Miami’s police dogs to get more protection with bulletproof vests

 

 

 

               Police officers accompanied by their K-9 companions wearing Pet Armor protective vests

 

They serve in some of Miami’s most dangerous missions, but only two of the city’s 18 K-9 officers wear protective vests.

 

That soon will change when most of the police dogs in the city’s K-9 unit will get bulletproof vests, donated by Pet Armor and the nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K-9s. Each vest costs approximately $1,000.

 

So far this year, seven police dogs have died in action around the country — none from Florida. In 2013, three Florida dogs were among the 18 nationwide that died. They were from Miami Gardens, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Leon County.

 

“To a police officer, the dog is his partner,” said Sgt. Freddie Cruz, Miami police spokesman. “He trains him and takes him home every day.”

 

Losing a dog “is like losing a family member,” Cruz said. The most common causes of death are overheating, shootings or stabbings. The last dog to die in action in Miami was Atlas, partner to officer Wayne Cooper, in 2000.

 

This year, the company Pet Armor has donated money to departments around the country to buy bulletproof vests for police dogs.

 

Miami uses trained police dogs to detect narcotics, explosives and currency.

 

“They are used in airports to fight drug trafficking and money laundering,” said Sgt. Garret Wing, a K-9 supervisor. “We have recently developed a ‘dog weapon,’ whose specialty is to find hidden firearms and cartridge shells at shooting and murder scenes.”

 

A patrol dog specializes in “dissuading crime simply by his presence,” Cruz said. The animals can locate and detain suspects.

 

“They are good in armed robbery or assaults; when a suspect enters a house; and when there is suspicion that there are drugs in a house, the dogs walks around it,” Cruz said. “We don’t use a dog for a misdemeanor or when there is a minor involved.”

 

Most of the police dogs are German shepherds and Belgian Malinois. They come from Germany, the Netherlands and Mexico.

 

“They come already trained in a special academy,” Cruz said

 

They begin patrol when they finish a six-month training in a canine patrol, Wing added.

 

They can patrol for six to eight years. Some dogs need vests; others don’t. Temperature and the nature of the emergency call determine whether a dog should wear a bulletproof vest.

 

“The heat and the search in more dangerous places or when it is known that the criminals are armed make it more likely to use the bulletproof vest,” Wing said. Until now, the unit only had two vests.

 

K-9s work the same number of hours as a police officer. “We work 10 hours a day,” Cruz said. The dogs have two hours of daily training and are ready to patrol with officers the rest of the day.

 

Twelve four-legged K-9 officers — Tango, Onyx, Rambo, Bolt, Boss, Dash, Dino, Falco, Flash, Kane, Red and Rocket — will soon receive bulletproof vests. They will receive special training to get used to the new equipment.

 

“Part of their formation is to make them comfortable and familiar with different types of equipment,” Wing said.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/18/4187153/police-dogs-in-miamis-k-9-unit.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

FAA Orders Boeing To Protect 737s From Hackers.

 

FAA Orders Boeing To Protect 737s From Hackers

The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) published an order last Friday in the Federal Register, an official federal journal containing government rules and public notices, requiring Boeing to modify the technology aboard 737 jetliners to protect the planes against computer hackers.

 

Effective immediately, the order applies to 737-700, -700C, -800, -900ER, -7, -8 and -9 aircraft. These models feature a digital systems architecture composed of several connected networks. According to the FAA, the network configuration on these models allows increased connectivity with external networks, such as passenger entertainment and information services, which create possible vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers.

 

"This may allow the exploitation of network security vulnerabilities resulting in intentional or unintentional destruction, disruption, degradation, or exploitation of data and systems critical to the safety and maintenance of the airplane, which could result in unsafe conditions for the airplane and its occupants," the FAA explained in its order.

 

According to the FAA, existing regulations do not cover the types of system architectures present on these airline models. The proposed order ensures that unauthorized sources external to the plane do not receive access to the airplane's electronic systems.

 

"14 CFR regulations and current system safety assessment policy and techniques do not address potential security vulnerabilities that could be caused by unauthorized access to airplane data busses and servers," the FAA's order said.

 

Although the order is open for public comment until July 21, the FAA determined that public comment was unnecessary and "would significantly affect the certification of the airplane." The model subject to the order is the most popular plane made by The Boeing Company. By making the rule effective immediately, the FAA hopes to avoid slowing down design and delivery of new planes.

 

"The FAA has determined that notice of, and opportunity for prior public comment on, these special conditions is impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay issuance of the design approval and thus delivery of the affected aircraft," the FAA said.

 

Doug Alder, a Boeing spokesman, said the special conditions laid out in the FAA order are not unusual and help to institutionalize actions already planned by the manufacturer.

 

"They are a normal part of the process for introducing new technology or design features not previously addressed by regulation," Alder said. "Special conditions are one way regulators and manufacturers work together to ensure that commercial airplanes are safe and secure."

 

Source :

http://www.hstoday.us/briefings/industry-news/single-article/faa-orders-boeing-to-protect-737s-from-hackers/f52534c49760584b58f8ca9e317f9141.html



The Decision Making Process.

The Decision Making Process

 

Decision Making Models in Aviation

What that mean the term Decision Making Process to you as an airmen, and why decision making process normally involves several steps in which you as a pilot make selections based on gathering of some factors and also some beyond your control? So, by recognizing the elements you can control, you will improve your aptitude to make intelligent and good effective decisions inside your cockpit.

As pilots, our personalities and attitudes toward risk taking, combined with pressures on us from others, so and may cause us as pilots to make decisions that would be considered imprudent by others.

Pilot Judgment is the mental process that we use in making decisions. Decision making in the flight environments is the choice to use proper phraseology and also to follow all the rules and flying safe by recognizing the elements, you can control and improve safety inside your cockpit to make and effective good decision to stay away from incidents and accidents.

Recognize a change, always maintaining a good situational awareness, this enable you to easily detect a change in your flight environment. Continuously define the problem, choose a course action, implement your decision, and ensure that you made the correct action all the time to have a safe fly in all phases during flying, so, I would like to recollect today in this safety post, the acronym DECIDE, that is used by the FAA to describe the basic steps in the decision making process.

All over the world, pilots learn to fly by studying the rules and regulations, so most accidents are caused by pilot error, as I stated on my previous posts, many errors are a result of poor decision on the part of the pilot, good judgment and good decision making is the key to stay away from accidents.

Remember we are humans and human factors involve the overall performance of human beings.

Any pilot can make mistakes; the most important is to recognize our mistakes on time to make a good decision to avoid any incident or accident.  

DECIDE:

ü  Detect the fact that a change has occurred.

ü  Estimate the need to counter or react to the change.

ü  Choose a desirable outcome for the success of the flight.

ü  Identify actions which could successfully control the change.

ü  Do the necessary action to adapt to the change.

ü  Evaluate the effect of the action.

To use the DECIDE technique, first my best advice to all pilots is memorize the meaning of each of the terms. So, as you repeatedly think through the acronym DECIDE, it will become to you and help you in all your flight decisions, Safety is the Key , think safety all the time.