WingsOfun.com BLOG #50: June 23, 2014
WELCOME PILOTS
~TC Freeman
"Keeping the fun in high performance aviation training.”
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NEW PRESENTATION
“PILOT AND AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE"
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PILOT SAFETY MINUTE VIDEO #50 ~ SUMMERTIME WEIGHT AND BALANCE, Part II
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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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PARALLEL THE WALMART TRUCK ACCIDENT AND AVIATION
By TC FREEMAN
The driver of the Walmart truck that crashed into the limo with comedian Tracy Morgan recently pleaded “not guilty” in court.* Commonly referred to as the “Tracy Morgan crash,” sadly it was fellow comedian James McNair who was killed in the accident. Morgan and the other limo passengers are in various conditions (from release to serious) at this time. The crux of the story focused on reports that the driver had been awake for more than 24 hours before the accident. It was reported the driver swerved to miss stopping traffic and crashed into the limo. After hearing about the story I wondered if the trucking industry had similar regulations regarding “duty times” as the airline industry.
Listening to a National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast on the subject I learned that truckers can be permitted to drive 70 hours over the course of eight days with a 14 hour window of an 11-hour driving limit.** While the explanation by industry representatives further confused the moderator and members of the listening audience (including myself) there are couple of battleground issues that regulators and industry are fighting over. One of the issues is the proposal to stop all tractor trailer drivers from operating between one and five in the morning due to the concern of higher accident rates during this time. However, industry representatives felt that the risk would become higher due to congestion with limited driving hours. The second issue revolves around the 34 hour “restart” that drivers are required the take at the end of a driving week. Opponents of this regulation from the industry state that the 34 hour rule isn't flexible enough for efficient business operations and they claim it does not contributing to safety. I commend the NPR producers for bringing in representatives on both sides of the issue including truck driver advocacy groups, trucking industry representatives and government regulators. Sadly, all of the parties involved stated that no substantial data was available to support their perspectives and conclusions.
While crew duty days have been a hot button issue in aviation for many years I find it hard to believe the trucking industry couldn't utilize studies from aviation (and other transportation modes) for this purpose. While being a truck driver verses a pilot is different, both skill-sets (if we put our ego aside) rely on very similar motor skills. Heck, put me in bumper-to-bumper traffic in a major city and I wish that I was on an airway instead of a highway.
While the aviation crew duty day remains far from perfect, I bet the trucking industry could learn from aviation fatigue studies. On a personal note, I think it would be appropriate to have duty day limitations for maintenance crews, ramp operators and anyone that can be a hazard to others with respect to fatigue. For now the focus is on the pilot and the FAA has drafted a data supported matrix that takes into account not only duty time but time of flight, commute to duty station, number of flight segments (legs) and type of rest facility. In addition to the trucking industry, the question remains, how can general aviation use crew duty day limits in the absence of comprehensive regulation?
I suggest two critical requirements for setting your own personal standard: It should be reasonable and it should be easy to follow. The “one-size fits all” approach is short-sighted because everyone reacts differently to fatigue. As Shakespeare said, “Know thyself.” I have discovered two things about myself when it comes to this topic. First, don’t fly or drive between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Second, if I’m dosing off it is best to land or get off of the road ASAP because there is no sense in fighting it. The drone of the twin engine Beechcraft Baron trying to “sync up” can be a sweet as a lullaby if I’m tired.
However, we can probably agree that there are some conditions that contribute to fatigue such as quantity and quality of sleep, previous physical and mental demands, flight environment (bad weather or good weather), complexity of airspace (busy Northeastern US or rural flying), etc. For example, if a pilot stays in a hotel where an “off the hook” Amway convention is taking place (that’s happened to me) and wakes to find adverse weather conditions along the entire northeastern U.S. corridor, it’s wise to recognize the risk factors. Because pilots are ultimately responsible for the safety of each individual flight by “self-certifying” health, the example pilot can elect to shorten the duty day or delay the flight until sleep and weather conditions improve.
While I acknowledge this is a well-worn topic (like runway incursions), the Morgan Crash is a vivid reminder of the responsibility we all have while operating machinery that moves. “Knowing thyself” can be the best starting point for fatigue mitigation.
*http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kevin-roper-truck-driver-pleads-not-guilty-in-tracy-morgan-crash/
**http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/Interstate-Truck-Driver-Guide-to-HOS_508.pdf
***http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=13272
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 offlying just for the fun of it via the website, www.WingsOfun.com.
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IMPORTANT AUDIO PRESENTATION AVAILABLE:
“OPERATIONS AT NON-TOWERED AIRPORTS”… for pilots flying just for the fun of it.
With the issue of sequestration, the shut-down of many Air Traffic Control Towers is a possibility. Regardless, 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.
Available at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tcfreeman
(Run time: 34 minutes)
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*”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
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*Operation: Fly NC program
Questions? Contact: tom@wingsofun.com
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