Jeff Townsend

Some recent graduates from our Career Pilot Program share their experiences in the nation's most efficient flight training program 😎 Become a career pilot in as little as 5.5 months: https://lnkd.in/eN6BgPFV #Pilot #Aviation

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Five more accredited Certifications from FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) 1) Human Factors For Pilot's 03(ALC-731 2)Class B Airspace VFR Operations(ALC-480) 3)2020 GA nominees Tips for safety(ALC-634) 4)FAA Safety briefing (ALC-661) 5)1800WXBRIEF- the best of future flight services(ALC-564)

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Just brushed upon this topic of Aviation Fatigue Managment after a while, it is a great resource designed by Federal Aviation Administration primarily for Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) but can be utilized by anyone (available for free on FAA safety website) in industry to gain a basic understanding of how fatigue can impact work performance and safety, especially during performing safety critical tasks. #AviationSafety #AviationFatigue #SafetyCulture #HumanFactors

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The risks of fatigue are often overlooked and extends to many other safety sensitive disciplines within the aviation industry. In Tech Ops we are constantly communicating the risks of fatigue as one of safety's dirty dozen. #fatigue #aviationsafety

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Aviation professionals, I have a conundrum I’d like some thoughts on. I work with a non profit who occupies a large hangar in AZ. They just received a fire Marshall violation for having a refrigerator in the hangar. Keep in mind it’s 110° today so having cold water and ice available is important. This was the violation “This violation is for a refrigerator or another type of electrical device which is on the floor in your hangar and this device in not UL rated for this hazard zone. Within an S1 building, used for an airplane hangar, the area at the floor and up 18inches from the floor could have the collection of fuel or other flammable vapors. This 18-inch area does not allow for electrical devices to be permanently located in this zone which are not specifically UL rated for that type of hazard zone. The easiest way to achieve is to either remove the item or raise it above this zone. You will notice all of the electrical outlets are several feet above the ground. This was part of the design of the building to avoid the need for higher rated UL conduits, outlets, and junction boxes which would cost a lot more to have installed.” Sounds screwy to me. Most hangars in the SW will have a refridgerator in them and I’ve never seen this kind of issue. Thoughts?

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Time for safety! I worked for Conair 10 years ago, it was a great company with excellent maintenance and a solid proactive safety culture. They taught a procedure called the 360 Check. When dispatched you removed your chocks and locks and stow them in the airplane. Then before entering the airplane and starting you do a quick walk around the entire airplane to check for anything abnormal. I lost count of how many times I've seen pilots starting, taxiing or taking off with covers and locks still in place on their aircraft. 360 Check takes me 23 seconds to complete on a Fireboss. (I've stolen that procedure from them and apply it to all my flying now, especially ski work) Years ago as Chief Pilot of a coastal seaplane operation I introduced a policy of flying overhead your landing and docking area before landing. It was common sense really, with winds and tides, boats and swells, logs, and currents it was never the same landing twice. However not all pilots agreed, and sometimes skipped it when in a rush. One time a pilot crashed in unassessed, very rough water. The plane was destroyed, everyone lived but only by luck. After that I started timing my overhead assessments and on average it added about 1.5 minutes to the flight. Put yourself in the shoes of a pilot nearly killing 6 people and himself over 1.5 minutes... So how much time do you or your organisation have for safety? By the way it took you about 57 seconds to read this post.

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Was NTSB runway collision rec the oldest? Last month the NTSB classified Safety Recommendation A-00-66 Closed Unacceptable/Superseded after 24 years. That recommendation asks the FAA to require that airliners be equipped with a system that provides a direct cockpit warning to pilots of the risk of a runway collision. Some people, including my friend who wrote that rec at the NTSB before he retired, asked if that was the longest lived recommendation at closure. I went through all 14,281 recommendations that the NTSB has closed since it was founded on April 1, 1967. Turns out it was not the oldest at closure, it was the ninth oldest with 8,741 days (23.95 years) since it was issued till when it was closed. The oldest at closure was H-72-17 asking each of the states to require the use of seat belts on intrastate trips. Closed after 10,655 days (29.19 years) but that looks kinda strange. Came out in 1972 and there was no correspondence or follow-up until in 2001 when letters were sent to all 50 states saying that on January 1, 1972 (8 months before the recommendation was made), NHTSA issued a regulation making H-72-17 unnecessary. But look at number 2 which was A-94-194, a recommendation about pilot fatigue (tail end ferry flights in particular). It was closed after 10,131 days (27.76). I can tell you from personal experience that the NTSB was fighting for that throughout that time.

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NEW CASE STUDY: Trim blockage The background of this incident involves a trim wheel malfunction on a Cessna 152 during a pre-test revision lesson for a PPL course. 1. Situation The instructor and the student were flying a Cessna 152 to the northwest of their home airfield, which had full ATC coverage. The weather was clear with few clouds and a moderate south-westerly wind.  Everything was going smoothly until the student noticed that the trim wheel was jamming and would only move in the nose-down direction. 2. Task The task was to conduct a pre-test revision lesson in preparation for the student's PPL check ride.  This involved performing various manoeuvres and checks to ensure the student was ready for the test. 3. Action The instructor took control to verify the problem but inadvertently made it worse by adding more nose-down trim without a way to reverse it.  This required significant back pressure on the control column to maintain level flight.  Deciding to terminate the lesson, control was returned to the student, who conducted a full flight control check to ensure the aircraft was manageable in all axes and at various speeds.  On the way back, the instructor informed ATC of their pitch control issue but did not request priority, considering the aircraft controllable despite the effort needed.  The instructor planned to issue a PAN PAN call if the student became fatigued, or a MAYDAY if the situation deteriorated. 4. Result The aircraft made an uneventful approach and landed routinely on runway 23, with a slightly tired student onboard.  Investigation revealed a loose fitting had caused the trim wheel to jam in the nose-down direction.  ATC had misunderstood the "pitch control" issue as a radio problem, despite clear communication.  A subsequent safety meeting debated whether a PAN call was necessary, but the instructor felt it wasn't as the aircraft's safety was not compromised unless fatigue set in or the problem worsened. The lesson learnt is to carefully consider when to issue emergency calls and ensure clear communication with ATC to avoid misunderstandings.

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"GPS IFR dIrect" eliminated most Class G above 1200 agl. Pilots are confused about E-G airspace and this is a safety issue because VFR and IFR mix here. https://lnkd.in/eqp4dCJB Resources and tools FREE from SAFE #SAFEpilots #CFIpro #FAA #MasterCFI #safepilots

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For my helicopter friends. Asking for your opinion…respectful replies only please. The FAA is approving power-on glides in lieu of throttle-to-idle autorotations in single engine helicopters for Part 135 training/checking events. This is now identified in multiple Part 135 Training Manuals. Multiple operators now only train collective reduction with throttle at fly position as their “power failure at altitude” training module. This is common within several of the larger air medical operators training programs. Only the instructor may demonstrate a single throttle-to-idle autorotation to a power recovery. Many pilots do not train autorotations in the aircraft. NOTE: There is no path for power-off landings for these maneuvers as the requirement is a power recovery per the standard. Although strong feelings about this topic exists, please keep comments related to power recovery only. Operators and FAA are citing engine overspeeds and lack of instructor/inspector currency as the issue. Do you feel that simulated autorotation training should include throttle-to-idle to meet power recovery autorotation requirements?

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Do you want to make a difference within the EOD community? Do you have an idea for a tool, technology, or concept development to reduce/eliminate an explosive hazard? Do you see a capability gap between a problem and your current tool sets? The Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD), a government entity under the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations Low Intensity Conflict (ASD/SOLIC), Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Explosive Operations (EOD/EXO) Subgroup was established to fund the development of advanced technologies that will shape the future of the EOD field. The IWTSD EOD/EXO subgroup annual requirements meeting is just a few months away. The purpose of the Annual Requirements Meeting is for DoD operational users to identify irregular warfare technology requirements that may be satisfied by IWTSD sponsored R&D. To that end, we are pleased to invite you to the EOD/EXO Annual Requirements Meeting, which is a gathering of professionals from the bomb disposal field and the organizations that support them, to identify what ideas for new technologies should be funded. Event Details: • Date: 10 January, 2024 • Time: 0800 – 1600 EST • Venue: Booz Allen Hamilton Conference Center                  8283 Greensboro Drive                  McLean, VA 22102. A zoom link will be provided to those who want to join, but are unable to attend in person. Please register for more information. Please go to the following link to register for the event: https://lnkd.in/eeRv5VRy Why Attend? • Collaborate: Engage with fellow experts and share insights on the challenges faced by the bomb disposal community. • Innovate: Submit your ideas for groundbreaking technologies that can be developed over a 12 to 24-month period. • Evaluate: As a submitter, you will have the unique opportunity to evaluate proposed technologies and conduct operational testing of the developed technology. • Benefit: If you are a submitter, your organization has first call on receiving one of the developed systems to test and evaluate, ensuring that your contributions directly benefit your team. Submit Your Ideas: We believe that the best innovations come from those who are on the front lines. Your experience, expertise, and insights are invaluable. By submitting your ideas, you have the chance to directly influence the next wave of technological advancements in the bomb disposal field. Think about the challenges you face daily, the tools you wish you had, and the solutions that could make a difference. This is your opportunity to turn those thoughts into reality. To submit an idea, go to IWTSD.gov and scroll to the bottom of the main page. Click Submit Capability Gap in the Business column. Please submit by 15 December to give us time to prepare a brief for the requirements meeting. We look forward to your participation. Together, we can shape the future of bomb disposal technology.

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Are you someone who sits at their desk sneakily checking FlightRadar every time a plane flies overhead? 📡🔍 Well, you’re not alone. But do you know about the critical role aircraft sealants plays in maintaining the safety of them? ✈️ If you’re in the industry (or love planes), you probably have. But even if you haven’t, this blog will give you all the information that you need to know, including best practices and how Froilabo’s -86°C Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) Freezers can be used for the safe storage of aircraft sealant. https://ow.ly/e3Ts50ROqUq #Aircraft #PlaneSpotting #AircraftMaintenance

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The loadable CPDLC clearances can be confusing to pilots. This is especially true for the DCL (Departure Clearance) while on the ground. After loading the route in the FMC, when a revised loadable clearance shows up, pilots must very carefully review, load, accept and then execute them. Unfortunately, this process eliminates the pre-selected SID and it must be re-loaded, which can be easily overlooked by pilots if not carefully reviewed and creates a safety risk. Many of us have filed FSAP/ASAP Safety reports since the start of the loadable revised clearances, but FAA still has not corrected this programming error.

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Enhanced Qualification program for #pilots from the Federal Aviation Administration #reauthorization. Sec. 372. Enhanced qualification program for restricted airline transport pilot certificate. This section requires the FAA to establish requirements for the Enhanced Qualification Program (EQP) under which air carriers are certified to provide enhanced training for pilots seeking to obtain restricted airline transport certificates, either directly by the air carrier or by certified training institutions. Under this program, the FAA must also establish curriculum for qualified instructors and evaluators to use to provide such enhanced training, and establish guidelines for an assessment that prospective pilots are required to pass in order to participate in the training under the program. The FAA must also establish a process for air carriers to apply for training program certification. The provisions of this section have no effect on the total number of flight hours required under part 61.159 of title 14, nor on the Administrator’s authority as established under section 217(d) of the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010. Wish they would have gotten rid of this nonsense or at least approve those that come up with solutions that deliver better pilots. ahem. Republic Airways https://lnkd.in/e_5Ksg8a

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Time to address performance issues with your employees? It doesn't have to be dramatic. Here are some tips to keep the review drama free. #clearancejobs #nationalsecurity

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You are definitely a risky pilot if you ‘drag it in low and slow’ on final. Last week around midnight a Southwest B737-800 lined up on a 10 mile final at KOKC. Seconds later ATC advised the crew of a low altitude alert and asked if everything was ok. The crew immediately executed a missed-approach. The local 911 dispatcher office received hundreds of calls about a low altitude aircraft flying over their homes. Investigators later determined that the jet flew over the city at approximately 500’ agl instead of the recommended 3000’ agl. Takeaway: the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook instructs us to apply ‘mental math’ when approaching an airport. It states that we should be approximately 3000’ agl at 10nm, 1500’ agl at 5nm, and 1000’ agl at 3nm to replicate a 3 to 1 stabilized glide path to the runway. Airline crews regularly use this basic rule of thumb when executing visual approaches to avoid being high or low—so can we! The NTSB has added this most recent low altitude incident to it’s two previous investigations. They mentioned that this is the third low altitude incident in recent months for Southwest. Fly safe friends ✈️

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