WingsOfun.com BLOG #48: June 9, 2014
WELCOME PILOTS
I wanted to give a “shout-out” to Steve Flippin, one of the movers and shakers in youth aviation education. He runs the Air and Auto Program at the Winston-Salem, N.C. (KINT) airport. This past weekend I finally had the opportunity to attend the open house they held at the airport. I was blown away by the offerings they had for the community such as, the Berlin Bomber, RV/Yak Flight Team, T-6, flight simulators and much more. Steve and his crew have a passion to bring the great things aviation can bring to today’s youth (including autos). I salute the efforts of this fine group of folks.
~TC Freeman
“Keeping the fun in high performance aviation training.”
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NEW PRESENTATION
“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"
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Your opportunity to continue the dialog is on Facebook:
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PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #48 ~ UNDERSTANDING ADVERSE YAW
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Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
Need a Speaker for your Next Event? We Can Help. See the Article;
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WHAT IS MORE POWERFUL, THE CARROT OR THE STICK?
By TC FREEMAN
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) press release states, “FAA Proposes $63,000 Civil Penalty Against Hixwood Metal, Inc.”* for not declaring the shipment of a flammable petroleum-based product. Employees at the shipping facility noted that the package was leaking and reported it to management and subsequently the FAA. While we all remember the ValuJet 592 accident** caused by the oxygen generators that were illegally shipped, I wonder if the stick-punishment approach, is more effective than the carrot-reward approach?
Being in the aviation safety business I have to remind myself of the victims and families connected to accidents such as ValuJet 592. Ultimately, it’s not about the oxygen generators and data, it’s about the families affected by the tragedy. For me, accident investigation is the beauty of the aviation, to make sure we honor the victims by never letting this happen again.
My question again is, do fines from some big bureaucracy (FAA) really work? Is the the only language we understand a financial penalty? I don’t know how much Hixwood Metal is worth, but maybe $63,000 is a drop in the bucket, financially speaking. On the converse, perhaps this amount causes the company to lay-off a key employee that takes pride in shipping efficiently and safely.
Speaking of financial penalties, I heard that in Sweden fines, for example traffic violations, are issued as a percentage of income. For instance, the guy in the Ferrari feels the same pinch as the fellow in the beat up Volkswagen Beetle. As progressive as this system is, I still wonder about the effectiveness of financial penalties.
Here’s a possible solution. How about having the FAA invest their time and energy into motivating and inspiring the employees of the company to do right? Send the FAA representative in to tell the shipping department (and management) about ValuJet 592 and develop a reward system (carrot) for years of efficient and safe shipping services.
True change is ultimately accomplished by getting away from the impersonal fine and move toward connecting on a personal level. My only disclaimer is that the financial penalty should always stay on the table for repeat offenders. A company that continues to break the law deserves to be broken financially; otherwise the safety system becomes a mockery. The FAA and aviation industry has to continually question “how, why and with what result” we expect from our initiatives.
*http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=16315
**https://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/reports/1997/AAR9706.pdf
About the author:
TC Freeman has been flying since he was a teenager and is now an aviation speaker and author. Being employed as an Aviation Safety Specialist for state government, he has a passion for spreading the thrill of flying just for the fun of it via the website,www.WingsOfun.com.
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“We are excited to donate this segment of the WingsOfun BLOG to this great program that promotes; airport visitation, education and tourism.”
~TC FREEMAN
OPERATION: FLY NC NEWS
Stamp NOTAMS (See the previous stamp NOTAMS)
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IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:
“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.
It is important to know how to safely and efficiently operate at Non-Towered Airports. In this audio book TC Freeman discusses; straight in approaches, dealing with aircraft on extended downwind and traffic pattern entries.
(Run time: 34 minutes)
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NEWS FROM THE WEB
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*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
*INCLUDES SPECIAL CAREER PILOT SECTION!
* ”New Times Call for New Executive Recruitment Methods”
* ”FAA considers approving drones for filming movies”
* FAA promotes new weather initiative.
* WingOfun Call to Action: “Senate Acts On Third-Class Medical Exemption” (AvWeb). A quote from the article from Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, "The FAA has had two years to review this request for an exemption.....Let's get this thing moving."http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Senate-Acts-On-Third-Class-Medical-Exemption221581-1.html
Contact your elected officials in support of the “expansion of the driver’s license medical exemption to more (non-commercial) pilots. To find your senate representatives go to:http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
OUR FAVORITE VIDEOS FROM THE WEB ~ Pat Finds the Ground
Long time pilot Pat Barber gets back in the cockpit after a year hiatius due to eye issues. It’s always great to see Pat and her husband Frank out and about in the aviation community. Looks like she still has it!
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Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com
*Aviation Presentations (live)
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*Operation: Fly NC program
Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com
