Aviation industry to take flight again, analyst says
The turmoil surrounding the aviation industry is finally expected to calm, consulting firm Frost & Sullivan said. According to Cheong Chern Wai, the firm’s Asia Pacific research analyst of aero-space and defense, passenger traffic statistics in the first half of 2009 were down. As the economy began its slow ascent to recovery, passenger traffic also followed the same path to recovery, with the fourth quarter showing much improved growth. The first regions to show positive signs of recovery were the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, he said.
The fatal accident of Colgan Airlines Flight 3407 outside Buffalo, New York, in February 2009 has the potential to change the airline industry more than any other in recent memory. In early February 2010, the NTSB released a final determination of pilot error as the cause, with factors such as fatigue, training, professionalism, and other human factors as the primary links leading to the accident.
The FAA, with its history of regulating first and asking questions later—and of not always heeding NTSB recommendations—set in motion significant steps prior to the final report that have major potential to change the way airline pilots are selected, trained, and worked. The agency first summoned the airline industry’s players last summer to explore the issues and offer solutions. More than 1,300 people convened in 12 cities coast to coast. Just days before the NTSB’s report, the FAA issued its final report of the meetings, or what it has named the “call to action.” Here are the key areas of concern for future and current pilots.
Fatigue: The FAA chartered a committee comprised of labor, industry, and FAA representatives. The goal is to develop recommendations for an FAA rule based upon current fatigue science and a thorough review of international approaches to the issue. It is hoped that a single approach addressing fatigue concerns that consolidates and replaces existing regulatory requirements for FAR parts 121 and 135 will be the end result.
The on-demand charter operators working within Part 135 regulations are a totally different breed than scheduled Part 121 airlines, which can lock in a pilot’s schedule in advance. A continuing question that must be resolved is this: How can an air taxi pilot be assured of adequate rest when he is tied to a pager that goes off 12 hours into an on-call shift for eight hours of flying?
Some believe the duty day starts when the pager is turned on since the pilot is beholden to the operator and is restrained from doing most things personal, such as going on a picnic or having a beer. Others say that merely having a pager turned on is not really work, but rest, and that a duty day starts when the pager beeps and the pilot arrives at the airport for a flight.
It is no secret that many pilots travel to their local airport, park the car, wait an hour to jumpseat on a two-hour flight to a hub, and then get into an RJ, Boeing, or Airbus to fly six hours in a 12-hour day, similar to Colgan First Officer Rebecca Shaw. Should any new rules mandate that a commuting pilot be positioned at a hub at least 24 hours before the flight to assure adequate rest? If the rulemaking committee neglects to wrestle with these issues, which have a direct impact on quality of life as well as safety, it will have missed some extremely important considerations.
Focused inspections: Checkrides are scary events for a good number of pilots. The FAA conducted a number of airline meetings and inspections this past year to determine airlines’ abilities to identify, track, and manage low-time crewmembers and those who have failed evaluation events or demonstrated a repetitive need for additional training, which Colgan Capt. Marvin Renslow did. Of special interest was remedial training for pilots who have not achieved proficiency standards during checkrides. This position at least acknowledges that not all pilots who bust their rides are unsalvageable, and a robust remedial training program can turn the corner for the airman who just had a bad day.
There are some company check airmen conducting checkrides who feel that a failure is a necessary rite of passage. For instance, a young woman in Embraer 170 training failed an oral exam because the check airman said she didn’t sound like a confident captain. Never mind that she answered the bulk of the questions correctly. She was being careful and thoughtful in her responses. When a different check airman conducted her third attempt, he told her she knew more than most captains.
Training standards and performance: There is strong interest and concern in proposals in Congress, such as H.R.3371, which would direct the FAA to impose regulations requiring an airline transport pilot certificate and its associated 1,500 hours of flight time for all Part 121 crewmembers. Congress may ultimately come to the realization that time behind the yoke doesn’t necessarily equate to ability or sound judgment skills.
The current sentiment seems to be that while experience (total flight time) can be an indicator of a pilot’s proficiency and suitability for air carrier operations, the quality of training and the quality of experience are far more important in determining an individual’s readiness to operate in the airline environment. There does not appear to be industry or FAA support for mandating an ATP certificate for all Part 121 pilots. Enhanced training is the order to include training in a multicrew environment; heavy reliance on flight simulators and realistic flight scenarios; special hazard training such as CFIT avoidance; icing training; and CRM.The FAA in early February opened a 60-day comment period. Comments are being accepted through April 9, 2010
Mentoring programs: The FAA is encouraging the industry to develop programs in which low-time aviators can benefit from the wisdom and expertise of the seasoned captain or first officer. The FAA is also advancing the notion that such programs extend from the air carrier to university-based aviation programs.
The FAA is also looking at air carrier responsibility, labor union commitments, ongoing regional safety forums, and the agency’s own safety oversight. Each area has the opportunity to affect pilots, although not nearly as much as potential regulations on training, flight time, and fatigue.
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