Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The Safety of the NTSB

Transportation safety is very important to the world in a numerous amount of ways. One way is the safety of innocent people who have no recollection of what's going on, and being caught in someone else's negligent acts. The two main aviation topics the NTSB include on their most wanted list that include aviation are, general aviation safety, and helicopter operations. For the sake of this blog I will be discussing the safety of general aviation in relation with this years NTSB's most wanted list. They would like to identify how hazardous weather has taken a toll on general aviation. A frequent cause or contributing factor to general aviation accidents is a failure to recognize or take appropriate steps to avoid hazardous weather. The NTSB investigated a total of 1,466 general aviation accidents in 2011, resulting in 444 deaths. By using teaching methods and redundancy of specific knowledge that should be aware by general aviation pilots would decrease the risk of people being injured or killed, and increase flight safety.


Out of all the other safety issues there are in the industry if I had to decide if these two topics were to make the list I would half way agree. Helicopter operations are important because it deals with safety and humans so of course it needs to be looked at. But at the same time learning to fly a helicopter has certain steps, procedures, and rules you must follow to become applicable enough to fly just like starting with a Cessna 172. No matter what career you want to pursue in aviation, you must start by abiding the FAR Part 91 which is GA, thus dealing with weather. Unfortunately not knowing how to read or understand certain weather patterns and signs can turn a good day into a bad one real fast. This makes flying in GA a big risk factor because if you do not no; storms, fronts, wind shifts, types of fog, icing conditions etc. You put your life in jeopardy along with your passengers and surrounding civilians.


With these new safety issues identified I believe there is a few potential job openings. First looking at hazardous weather. With fatalities occurring due to weather, possibly flight schools or flight instructors need to pay extra more attention in certain areas of weather. Especially for areas a new private pilot plans on flying around that sees a substantial change in the weather climate, such as Michigan. Not to many jobs come to mind for weather services, you can teach something to a student as much as you want, but if they don't want to get a grasp on something and learn it then they wont. Remember its always the pilots final word to go up and fly or not. As for helicopter jobs, with the accidents and fatalities numbers increasing, civil helicopter industries should look into more practice and flight time. This would result in more flight instructors.

Monday, January 27, 2014

The Dreamliner

Believe it or not pilots mistakenly land at wrong airports quite frequently. Rather its general, commercial, or cargo aviation pilots hold the responsibility of where their aircraft is flying and going to land. On November 20, 2013, a Boeing 747 Dreamliner landed at the wrong airport about 9 miles from its original destination. The aircraft was flying around the world collecting parts for a 787 Dreamliner, when they were arriving at McConnell Air Force Base to retrieve nose pieces, the crew mistakenly landed north of the Air Force Base at Jabara airport. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20131121/NEWS05/131129952/747-pilots-we-re-in-kansas-somewhere


There are many issues and hazards that are apparent and likely to happen dealing with an issue like this. The Dreamliner was cleared for the approach for 19L to the McConnell Air Force Base and was shooting the approach. By the time ATC informed the aircraft it was 9 miles to the North the Dreamliner already began landing at Jabara airport (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P6LV-DKMrc). Luckily no one was hurt with an incident like this happening. There could of been other aircraft on the airfield security personal or anything in the way of the Dreamliner's landing, not to mention the runway at Jabara airport is only 6,101 feet long. With that kind of distance the aircraft easily has the capability to run off the runway especially if they are not familiar with the runway distance off hand. At maximum weight this aircraft needs 10,000 feet of runway to take off safely. Engineers worked hard to determine if the aircraft could takeoff safely even though the runway is a third in length of what the Dreamliner needs. After calculations and performance checks were done most of the fuel it used coming from JFK was used and gave the aircraft a respectable amount of weight to takeoff safely from Jabara and arrive at its original destination, McConnell Air Force Base.


With mistakes happening like this it seams to be the identifiable reasoning behind it would be poor crew resource management. Pilots should be familiar with where they are flying and should be aware of surrounding airports along there route, especially close by there destination. Also in most cases pilots would rather fly a visual approach rather than an instrument approach because that's what they like to do, fly. ATC can play significant rolls also because they are aware of there surroundings so additional information when necessary very important. Without the proper teamwork to complete a flight from ATC and the pilots, that is an act of neglagiance and poor CRM. Fortunatly from this mishaps no damages or accidents were made, with this happening more frequently I'm sure the issue will be addressed a little more in depth before innocent lives are put on the line.


Looking at the southwest flight and the pilots landing at the wrong, I believe suspending the pilots were not a bad decision. As being a flight major some things just shouldn't happen having all of those hours in my log book, categorizes you in a way of not to land at wrong airports and trust your equipment and instruments. Just until the investigation is over suspending the pilots seems reasonable, if something tragic were to happen from this mishaps then no lesson would be able to be taught.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

About Kyle Y.

Where to start about my self. Well I am a Flight Student going on my 5th year of college. Graduated in 2009 from Belleville high school so I pretty much been around the area my whole life. Recently I just turned 23 on January 9th so made it another year.


If I had to choose a few words to describe my self, would first have to say social. Conversations of different topics can be very interesting and at the same time informing. I can be a people person so that can help with my social skills. Another word that could describe me would have to be kind hearted. I'm not really sure how to sum this one up, I guess I just have a big heart.


Lastly the third thing I will share with you is my future and goals. Hopefully in the future I have a nice house built just like I want it. Hot tub in the heated pool, the perfect man cave with the pool table and bar, 3 car garage, but not to many rooms. Don't want company to stay that long! I hope to have my dream viper, not really sure what kind or year, in my garage right next to my beautiful wifes. With enough work and effort I believe I will reach this goal with some bumps in the road but nothing I cant handle.


This is a quick background about me and some of my dreams.


 Kyle Y.