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A pilot's life

Page history last edited by Béatrice H. Alves 5 years, 6 months ago


 

Is this the last generation of commercial pilots?

Kathryn Creedy is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the aviation industry since 1980, and for the past five years has focused on pilots and workforce issues.  Kathryn has been on the pilot shortage story like few others and has some strong views on the long tail impacts from the shortage.   Our conversation is something you may want to replay to catch all her ideas.  Bigger aircraft, single-pilot and unmanned aircraft.  Lots to think about here.

Listen to her on the Air Insight podcast

 

 

The cost of training

Airline pilots take various routes to the cockpit of their aircraft, but many experts agree the fastest and surest is through a full-time program focused on training pilots for airline careers. To be sure, getting the required ratings and flight experience may be expensive, but the real costs to consider, according to these experts, are the earnings and career benefits lost by dragging out the training process in an effort to economize. That’s especially true today with a growing airline pilot shortage boosting pay and accelerating career advancement at the regionals and majors alike.

“We really emphasize to potential students, get a quality education, but get one that’s fast, and helps get you to the airlines quickly,” says Chris Carey, a pilot for a major airline and creator of the website AirlinePilot.life, an online forum that offers advice from working airline pilots to career aspirants.

Data highlights the impact every extra year of a career can have on lifetime earnings. A first year First Officer earns an average of $59,970, not including per diem, health, retirement and other benefits, at 90 percent of the carriers in the Regional Airline Association (RAA), according to organization. If hired by a regional airline at age 28, by 35 the pilot can be flying for a major, and make captain in another eight years or less. At today’s pay scales, the average annual salary over the course of that captain’s career at American Airlines would be about $250,000; in later, peak earning years a senior captain “could easily make $400,000,” says Carey. This means that it could cost pilots $400,000 per year in lost earnings for every extra year it takes to complete training.

Read more on Flying

 

Crew declares PAN PAN due to fatigue

Incident: Air Berlin A332 at Munich on May 5th 2012, tired crew declared PAN

An Air Berlin Airbus A330-200, registration D-ALPA performing flight AB-9721 from Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain) to Munich (Germany) with 249 people on board, was on approach to Munich about 15 minutes prior to landing, when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting they were fatigued and needed to perform an automatic landing. The airport needed to temporarily invoke procedures to protect the ILS category III zones to permit an automatic landing. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 26L about 15 minutes later at 10:27L (08:27Z).
The German Luftfahrtbundesamt (LBA) confirmed the incident and reported they are investigating the occurrence.

Read more about it on Aviation Herald

 

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A Cathay pilot's life

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An AirFrance pilot's life (read subtitles for vocabulary)

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Occupation: pilot

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Corporate pilot - What do you usually do before a flight?
 

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How to stay awake

  


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Cargo Pilot

 

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The left seat

There are days in every pilot’s life that are destined to be remembered forever: first solo, the Private Pilot check ride, the first time landing a taildragger or seaplane. Those of us who fly for the airlines don’t have many memorable flights, which is by design. Airline flying, done properly, is a mildly enjoyable experience, and a perfectly forgettable one. That said, even at the airlines there are a few prominent milestones, and upgrading to captain for the first time is a big one.

All who have done so distinctly remember their first time in the left seat. In my case, it was April 15, 2008, and I was flying an Embraer 175 with 76 passengers from Minneapolis to Washington’s Dulles International Airport. As I lined up on Runway 12R and pushed the thrust levers forward, it seemed utterly surreal that so many souls were entrusted to my 26-year-old hands, and they all had no clue that it was my very first time. And then I got busy and forgot about it, and as with most things in aviation, after a few more flights the surreal became routine. But I always remembered that flight, and that feeling.

The airlines make a pretty big deal out of being a captain, which often seems a bit strange to general aviation pilots. So why the big fuss about the left seat anyway?

Read more on Flying 

 

Jeppesen Launches Improved Airline Crew Fatigue App

By Stephen Pope / Published: Oct 23, 2012

 

 

 

Jeppesen's CrewAlert App

 

Jeppesen and partner Gael Ltd. of the UK have created an upgraded Apple iOS app for airlines that is designed to automatically track and report crew fatigue.

Thanks to the collaboration, Jeppesen’s latest version of its CrewAlert fatigue risk management app is now able to submit crew fatigue reports directly into Gael’s Q-Pulse safety management system (SMS). The coordination allows airlines to create safety reports that can help uncover the root causes of crew fatigue, the companies say.

The upgraded app meets International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines that call for airline crew fatigue reporting to be “easy to access, complete and submit.” The app also meets an ICAO recommendation for airlines to integrate a fatigue risk management system into its normal safety reporting process.

“Not only does Jeppesen CrewAlert simplify the fatigue reporting process compared to filling out legacy paper or electronic forms, but the airline safety team also will receive more detailed, higher quality information,” said Tomas Klemets, head of scheduling safety at Jeppesen.

Jeppesen says its mobile CrewAlert app, designed to run on Apple iPads, provides insight into how sleep science applies to crew schedules. The app allows for data, collected in actual operations, to be fed back into an airline’s SMS to correlate with other pilot data.

 

Read about it on Flying Magazine

 

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Address by Dr. Curtis Graeber to the Fatigue Risk Management Systems Symposium & Forum

(ICAO Headquarters, 30 August - 2 September 2011)

 

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FLIGHT CREW OF US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549

Listen to the recording of the National Air &  Space Museum Trophy Award ceremony and how the crew discusses issues such as CRM, training, motivation, career, technology, etc... It's long but you don't have to listen to everything in just one time.

 

Flight Crew 1549FLIGHT CREW OF US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549

Current Achievement Trophy

 

April 28, 2010

RECORDING AVAILABLE

 

Access Recording

US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 jetliner, became disabled over New York City and “landed” in the Hudson River after flying through a flock of Canada geese. The successful end to US Airways Flight 1549 without fatalities lasted only a few minutes, but this heroic achievement exemplified the value of training, teamwork, and professionalism in commercial aviation.

This on-line education session will feature a live, interactive conversation with members of the US Airways Flight 1549 crew. The teamwork needed for a successful outcome extended beyond those aboard the aircraft; the program will also include a call-in from Patrick Harten, one of the key air traffic controllers involved in the water landing. [See resources and links related to US Airways Flight 1549.]

 

The National Air and Space Museum Trophy 2010 Current Achievement awardees (from top to bottom): Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III, First Office Jeffrey B. Skiles, Flight Attendant Sheila Dail, Flight Attendant Donna Dent, and Flight Attendant Doreen Welsh. Source: US Airways

 

 

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Pilots on food stamps

 

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Why become a pilot?

AS THE US GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS ADOPTING NEW pilot certification regulations in the aftermath of last year’s tragic Colgan Air Q400 crash that was blamed on pilot error, professionals involved in training future first officers and captains are asking a deeper question: Why would someone want to become an airline pilot in the US in 2010?

Navigating an intensive flight training program or attending a university with a professional pilot curriculum often means spending/accumulating debt of well over $50,000. “The military is not the presence it used to be” in producing commercial pilots, Embry-Riddle University Aeronautical Science Dept. Chair Dan Macchiarella tells ATW. He estimates that 55% of new commercial pilots come from four-year college programs  while civilian flight schools produce most of the rest.

There are the old romantic notions associated with piloting a commercial jet through the great blue yonder, and flight deck crew at major US airlines are generally well compensated.

Read more

 

 

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Need for food

Pilot 'delays flight to New York for more than TWO HOURS waiting on sandwich delivery from five-star hotel'

A foodie pilot allegedly delayed a New York-bound flight by two-and-a-half hours - for gourmet sandwiches.

Pakistan International Airlines' Captain Naushad reportedly demanded the hoagies after finding out there were only peanuts, chips and biscuits on board flight PK711 from Lahore, Pakistan on Saturday. 

When crew told him sandwiches could only be ordered from a five-star hotel which could take hours to arrive, he insisted he needed his lunch at any cost. 

 

Picky: A foodie pilot allegedly delayed a New York-bound flight by two and a half hours - for gourmet sandwiches

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Picky: A foodie pilot allegedly delayed a New York-bound flight by two and a half hours - for gourmet sandwiches

 

The Nation reported that crew sent the pilot's request to the national carrier's catering department and then to PIA's management office in Karachi. 

Management 'directed the catering department to meet (the pilot's) demand.'

The flight, scheduled to leave at 6.45am, ended up flying out of Allama Iqbal International Airport at 9.15am.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2527023/Pilot-delays-flight-New-York-TWO-HOURS-waiting-sandwich-delivery-five-star-hotel.html#ixzz2xjM4MBuR 

 

Read the full article on the Mail Online

 

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Interview with a pilot: 7 insights from the cockpit

As we feared. Some jobs are just cooler than others

By Violet Kim 4 September, 2012

 

pilot interviewMost people's biggest decisions on a plane are usually deciding between chicken or fish. Not so this guy.

Senior Pilot, Captain Han Hee-seong, 58, has been flying for 33 years, and despite near-death experiences, constant jet lag and rogue combat planes, he still loves what he does. 

After a shining career at Korean Air (where he was nominated as a top pilot), Han now resides in Shanghai and flies Boeing 777s to Europe and the United States for China Eastern Airlines. 

"When I was young my dream was to be a judge," he says.

"But in high school all this changed. I realized that I wanted to travel and fly around the world."  

Based on our interview with him, we think he made the right decision. 

He shares seven things we didn't know about life in the cockpit. 

 

1. Jet lag doesn't get easier with practice 

The most difficult part of being a pilot, according to Han, is actually something most of us might understand. 

"The hardest part is adjusting to different time zones and trying to get enough sleep before flying," says Han. "This problem plagues all of us pilots throughout our career." 

[...]


2. It's not about the airline, it's about the aircraft

"Whether you take a major carrier or a low-budget carrier, the aircraft itself is the same aircraft: a Boeing 737," says Han.

"Maybe a Boeing 777 or an Airbus 330 -- those seem to be popular these days. And the pilots are veteran pilots who have done their time, until about 55 to 60, at large airlines. Flights today are very safe." 

[...]

 

3. But you have to like the food 

When asked if pilots dislike the airplane fare, Han replies, "If they're picky." 

Han is not. "I like foods from all over the world -- everything tastes fine to me." 

The pilot and the copilot, according to Han, eat different meals. Usually the pilot gets the first class meal and the copilot the business class meal. 

"This is just in case one of the meals might cause food poisoning," says Han.

 

 

4. A good airport is like a good wife (or husband) 

"A good airport -- such as Incheon International Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Singapore's Changi Airport, or Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok -- is above all comfortable, with good facilities and good service," says Han. "Like a good spouse." 

So which airports are likely to end up dying alone? 

[...]

5. 'The seatbelt sign is a lie' 

"Keeping the seatbelt sign turned on whenever the aircraft is below 10,000 or 20,000 feet (depending on the airline) is a rule designed to keep the passengers safe," says Han.  

[...]

But we're with him in thinking that it's better to be lied to than laid out on a stretcher.  

"We have several cases each year of passengers who did not have their seatbelt on during thunderstorms, hailstorms or particularly violent gusts of wind -- when even the aircraft was actually damaged, and the passengers, obviously, even more injured," says Han. 

 

6. There is (or was) a real reason for regulating mobile phones on flights 

"I remember mobile phones disrupting the communication systems -- but then again, it was 15 years ago," says Han. 

[...] 

7. It's not just hotel suites and golf, the cons include near-death experiences and health problems

"I've had two dangerously close encounters with combat planes," says Han.

"The first encounter was because the combat plane ignored regulations and infringed on civilian (commercial) air routes, and the second near-collision involved four planes who failed to signal that they were flying above the airport I was trying to lift off from."

 

At least the thrill never dies 


"Flying is, simply, fun. That's why I've done it for so long, and, as long as my health allows, why I can keep doing it, until I retire at 65." 

And despite what you might have imagined from cockpit photos or watching unrealistic action films, it's a lot more hands-on than you might expect.

According to Han, that's what's so fun about it. 

[...] "I have never, ever felt that my job was boring," says Han.

"Of all the pilots I've met -- they number about 2,000 -- there were less than five pilots who quit simply because they disliked the job." 

Read the complete interview and more on CNN

 

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Polish crash puts spotlight on pilots

Pressures can sometimes override safety considerations

 

 

 

 

 

By Adam Geller, David Crary

updated 9:03 p.m. ET April 12, 2010

NEW YORK - Even up against tough weather and tight schedules, pilots are supposed to have the last word on when, where and how to land their aircraft. But aviation veterans, trying to make sense of the fog-shrouded crash that killed Poland's president, say pressures on pilots to keep VIP passengers on schedule can sometimes override safety considerations.

"There are certain CEOs and bosses — you are going to get them to where they want to go, and there aren't any ifs, ands or buts," said David Weitz, a pilot who has flown many corporate and union leaders.

"It plays on the pilot's mind," said Weitz, of Leesburg, Va. "He may go to some heroics that maybe he wouldn't normally do, if there's some pressure from the back of the plane."

 

No official conclusions have been drawn about the weekend crash in Russia that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others, including dozens of Polish political, military and religious leaders.

Pressured by superiors?

However, the pilot of the government plane had been warned of dense fog at the destination airport in Smolensk and was advised by traffic controllers to land elsewhere, even though that would have delayed observances of a World War II massacre.

The circumstances sparked speculation in Poland that the pilot had been pressured by his superiors to land at Smolensk rather than diverting.

Under standard aviation procedures, a landing has to be cleared by an air traffic controller. If a pilot wants to land despite controllers' advice, he can declare an emergency and land at his own risk.

"In this country, it's totally the pilot's responsibility," said FAA spokesman Les Dorr. "The only thing the controllers do is relay the weather conditions and the conditions of the runway and so forth. It's the responsibility of the captain of the aircraft to decide whether it's safe to land."

But airlines and aircraft owners sometimes pressure pilots to fly or to land against their better judgment, said safety consultant Jack Casey, a former airline pilot.

Usually, that kind of pressure — known in the industry as "pilot pushing" — is subtle, rather than overt, Casey said. Pilots may feel their job is at risk if they rebuff an employer, he said.

Not enough rest

The issue of pilot pushing was raised last year at a House committee hearing on airline safety, which included a discussion of the FAA's effort to rewrite rules on how many hours airlines can require pilots to work in a day and how much rest they must be given between flights.

John Prater, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, testified that some regional airlines pressure pilots to fly even when they have not had enough sleep.

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An editorial cartoon roundup by Daryl Cagle depicting the trials and tribulations of air travel.

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In general, though, it would be unusual for an airline or an aircraft owner in the U.S. or most other Western countries to attempt to override a pilot's judgment, Casey said.

"In corporate aviation, you might find a case where the boss has spent $45 million for his Gulfstream and, because of weather or whatever, he's being told he can't go where he wants to go" and resorts

Pilot error in Polish plane crash?

 

"It's a pilot's job to separate themselves from other things in the environment such as a desire get home or a desire to get someplace on time," said Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation in Alexandria, Va. "You are supposed to be weighing things based on the risk."

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Insiders expose little-known facts the industry would rather you didn't think about.

However, William Yavorsky, who retired in 2008 after a 40-year career as a private pilot flying political and business leaders, recalled facing intense pressure from one of his former corporate employers — including flying on a six-day, multi-stop flight around the world with working hours far exceeding the safe norms for pilots.

"The captain has the ultimate responsibility and authority, and everybody else is in an advisory capacity, including air traffic control," said Yavorsky, of Merritt Island, Fla.

"But in reality, we were scared to death of the chairman of board," he said. "When the boss has to go some place, he can make your life miserable."

Potential problems

Yavorsky, whose passengers over the years included a former president of the Republic of the Congo and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, said the top VIPs often were deferential to the pilots, while their executive assistants would be the ones exerting pressure to stay on schedule.

"These are the guys trying to make things work for the boss at your expense," Yavorsky said.

One potential problem, said David Weitz, is pressure by VIP passengers to land at the airport closest to their final destination, even if safety conditions would be better at a more distant airport.

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"Maybe it isn't the best choice in terms of runway length, or maybe there's no mechanic there," he said.

While pressure on pilots is often subtle, investigators have pointed to it as a contributing factor in several air crashes over the years.

In its investigation of the March 2001 crash of a chartered jet at the Aspen, Colo., airport, the National Transportation Safety Board found the pilot had been under intense pressure. The flight was pushing up against the destination airport's closing time, and the customer who paid for the charter arrived late for departure from Los Angeles.

When the pilot explained he might be forced to divert to another airport, the customer was "irate" and had his assistant call the charter company to say the pilot should "keep his comments to himself."

Read more

 

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Upgrading to Captain on an Embraer 145

Ever want to know what it takes to upgrade to Captain at the airlines. Upgrading to Captain is one of the more challenging events in a pilots flying career. The transition to flying as first officer to pilot in command is more than a simple checkride. The process of becoming a Captain takes weeks of hard work and study.

If you are curious what it takes to upgrade to Captain we will describe the process and give you advice on how to prepare for the upgrade training and how to pass your check ride.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Today I am with Len Costa a newly minted airline Captain. Len is also the publisher of The Piot Report.com and is Host of The Stuck Mic Avcast. Len and I discuss:

  • Flying the Embraer 145
  • The upgrade process
  • How to prepare for upgrade training
  • What are some of the common causes for upgrade training failure.
  • Advice on how to prepare mentally for the training and the check ride.

Visit http://www.aviationcareerspodcast.com/10 for show notes and to Subscribe;

 

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Hiring and training pilots: New regulations considered in aftermath of Colgan Q400 crash

The investigation into the February crash of a Colgan Air Q400 in Buffalo that killed 50 people has cast a harsh light on pilot screening and training, leading both the US Congress and FAA to consider revising regulations, particularly in regard to regional airlines that fly an increasing percentage of US mainline carriers' domestic routes. The Air Line Pilots Assn. last week released a white paper on the issue, arguing that "many pilots in the current pool of applicants lack the level of experience that generations of pilots ahead of them had when they came into the airlines."

By Aaron Karp

In-Depth, September 28, 2009

The union said that neither airlines nor regulators in the US and Canada have "kept pace" in terms of pilot qualification requirements and training oversight. "Today's archaic regulations allow airlines to hire low-experience pilots into the right seat of high-speed, complex, swept-wing jet aircraft in what amounts to on-the-job training with paying passengers on board," ALPA said. "Investigations of recent accidents reveal that safety margins have been eroded at some carriers as a result. A complete overhaul of pilot selection and training methods is needed."

FAA is in the process of reviewing an Aviation Rulemaking Committee's Sept. 1 recommendations on pilot fatigue and shortly will issue a new flight/duty-time rule that Administrator Randy Babbitt has said will reflect the latest scientific research on the issue (ATW, August). But members of Congress, ALPA and others are pushing for new legislation that also would revamp regulations for hiring and training pilots as well as sharing pilot records.

House aviation subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.)said at a hearing last week that Congress and FAA need to "closely examine the regulations regarding pilot training." Babbitt has ordered FAA investigators to review pilot training programs at all airlines and said last week he is considering issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on hiring/training. He told Congress that he will use his "bully pulpit" to push carriers and unions to do a better job of developing and enforcing "professional standards" for pilots and more extensively sharing pilot records.

While all carriers do follow basic regulations for hiring and training pilots, Babbitt said that "unfortunately, while the regulations are the same, the mentality is not the same" across the industry. He explained that he is pushing mainline airlines to mandate hiring and training standards for regional carriers that operate much of their domestic schedule. Prater told lawmakers that "codeshare and fee-for-departure agreements mean that mainline carriers exert enormous pressure on regional airlines to operate as cheaply as possible. . .Airlines outsource their routes to the lowest bidder."

US Air Transport Assn. President and CEO James May testified that mainline carriers "highly value their relationships with regional airlines" but emphasized that "the bedrock principle in civil aviation is that the entity to which the FAA has issued a certificate is solely responsible for its activities . . .That principle avoids any confusion about ultimate responsibility, an absolutely essential consideration in promoting safety. . .As separate regulated entities, regionals are independent of mainline airlines."

ALPA warned in its white paper that with regionals now flying around 50% of US domestic flights, it is increasingly common for "low-experience" pilots to be flying regional aircraft: "Flying today's complex airline aircraft in very congested and complicated airspace is a challenging undertaking by even experienced pilots. . .Low-experience pilots are hired by some airlines and expected to operate in these conditions without the benefit of learning the art of airmanship and gaining experience under the tutelage of veteran pilots over a protracted period as was historically the case. Not surprisingly, these pilots, who perform as well as their experience, knowledge, and skills will permit, often exhibit deficiencies. . .[that] ultimately impact safety."

Costello has introduced the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act, proposed legislation that would require FAA to issue a rule "mandating that air carriers establish remedial training programs for flight crewmembers who have demonstrated performance deficiencies or experienced failures in the training."

The bill, which has bipartisan backing, additionally would force carriers to establish a "pilot mentoring program" and "modify training to accommodate new-hire pilots with different levels and types of flight experience and provide leadership and command training to pilots in command." It further would create a "Pilot Records Database" that would give carriers electronic access to "a pilot's comprehensive record," including information on a pilot's licenses, aircraft ratings, check rides, official notices of disapproval and other flight proficiency tests he or she has passed or failed. Under the legislation, mainline airlines would be forced to disclose on the front page of their websites which carrier is operating each segment of a flight for which they are selling tickets.

Regional Airline Assn. President Roger Cohen said his organization's members back establishment of "a single database of pilot records to be maintained by the FAA to enable airlines to access critical, real-time information" about pilots' records, complaining that today, "it takes weeks if not months to access" details on prospective pilots carriers are considering for hire. RAA also favors extending the background check timeframe "to the last 10 years of a pilot's flying record." Current law only allows airlines to review the last five years of such records. Cohen also recommended that Congress/FAA mandate a "more detailed analysis of check rides over the entirety of a pilot's career" so airlines are able "to ensure all pilots are up to par."

 

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Pilots in crashes had failed multiple tests

 

 

 

Pilot qualifications on regional carriers was at the center of an NTSB hearing

 

last month into the February crash of a turboprop near Buffalo

 

that killed 50 people.

 

The pilot at the controls when the plane plunged had failed five checks,

according to records revealed at the hearing.

By Stan Honda, AFP/Getty Images[1]

 

By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

 

In nearly every serious regional airline accident during the past 10 years, at least one of the pilots had failed tests of his or her skills multiple times, according to an analysis of federal accident records.

In eight of the nine accidents during that time, which killed 137 people, pilots had a history of failing two or more "check rides," tests by federal or airline inspectors of pilots' ability to fly and respond to emergencies. In the lone case in which pilots didn't have multiple failures since becoming licensed, the co-pilot was fired after the non-fatal crash for falsifying his job application.

Pilots on major airlines and large cargo haulers had failed the tests more than once in only one of the 10 serious accidents in this country over the past 10 years, according to a USA TODAY review of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident reports.

At a time when fatal aviation accidents have become increasingly rare, regional carriers have had four since 2004, compared with one by a major airline. Regional airlines fly roughly half of all airline flights, carrying about 20% of passengers.

Pilot qualifications on regional carriers was at the center of an NTSB hearing last month into the February crash of a turboprop near Buffalo that killed 50 people. The pilot at the controls when the plane plunged had failed five checks, according to records revealed at the hearing.

Three of the accidents in which pilots had repeatedly failed tests involved a single airline conglomerate, Pinnacle Airlines. The crash near Buffalo was on Colgan Air, which is owned by Pinnacle. The captain on a Pinnacle jet that crashed in 2004 after accidentally killing both engines had failed seven checks.

Pinnacle spokesman Joe Williams said the airline was not aware of all the test failures.

"I'd say this is a symptom of a larger problem in selection and certification" of pilots, said Bill Voss, president of the independent Flight Safety Foundation. A shortage of pilots this decade, prompted in part by the lower numbers of former military pilots seeking airline jobs, prompted lower minimum qualifications, Voss said.

Failing a single check during a career means little, but failing multiple times "really sends up the red flags," said Patrick Veillette, a corporate jet pilot who has written extensively on safety issues.

Regional Airline Association President Roger Cohen defended the industry's safety practices. "All of our members are flying under the exact same standards as the mainline carriers," Cohen said.

The NTSB has voiced concern about a loophole in a law requiring airlines to check pilots' records when hiring. The 1996 Pilot Records Improvement Act orders airlines to check pilot records from previous employers, but that does not cover failures that occurred while a pilot was in flight school.

Airline pilots receive dozens of written and flying tests during a career.

 

 

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Full flight on an Airbus

AND THE BEAUTY OF IT

 

 

... BUT beautiful views, violating rules of the air

The pilots of Instagram are internet famous. Their stunning photos of the skies, captured from their unusual perspective inside the cockpit, garner hundreds, sometimes thousands of likes from fans.

 

 

 

But taking photos, or using most any electronic device, while piloting a commercial aircraft is prohibited by American and European regulators. Pilots for airlines large and small, flying planes of all sizes, seem to be violating the safety rules, taking photos with their phones as well as GoPro cameras mounted inside the cockpit. Some also appear to be flaunting even stricter regulations for takeoff and landing, when not even idle conversation is allowed in the cockpit.

 

 

 

Experienced pilots, safety experts, and airlines say the rules are important. Pilots are prohibited from using most personal electronic devices, even at cruising altitude when the plane is on auto-pilot, to ensure they stay focused on flight duties. While restrictions on using electronics have been loosened for passengers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US has actually strengthened its rules for pilots in recent years.


Continue reading on Quartz 


 

Kathryn Creedy is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the aviation industry since 1980, and for the past five years has focused on pilots and workforce issues.  Kathryn has been on the pilot shortage story like few others and has some strong views on the long tail impacts from the shortage.   Our conversation is something you may want to replay to catch all her ideas.  Bigger aircraft, single-pilot and unmanned aircraft.  Lots to think about here.

Audio Player

© 2018, Addison Schonland. All rights reserved.

Kathryn Creedy is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the aviation industry since 1980, and for the past five years has focused on pilots and workforce issues.  Kathryn has been on the pilot shortage story like few others and has some strong views on the long tail impacts from the shortage.   Our conversation is something you may want to replay to catch all her ideas.  Bigger aircraft, single-pilot and unmanned aircraft.  Lots to think about here.

Audio Player

© 2018, Addison Schonland. All rights reserved.

Kathryn Creedy is an award-winning journalist who has been covering the aviation industry since 1980, and for the past five years has focused on pilots and workforce issues.  Kathryn has been on the pilot shortage story like few others and has some strong views on the long tail impacts from the shortage.   Our conversation is something you may want to replay to catch all her ideas.  Bigger aircraft, single-pilot and unmanned aircraft.  Lots to think about here.

Audio Player

© 2018, Addison Schonland. All rights reserved.

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