Safety & Technology Trends

Air Safety Week, Oct 27, 2008

First European Airlines Obtain ADS-B Approval

Air France, AirOne and Volkswagen, three of the 18 aircraft operators participating in EUROCONTROL's ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast) Pioneer Airlines project, have become the world's first airlines to obtain EASA's (European Aviation Safety Agency) approval to use ADS-B in airspace not covered by radar.

The airworthiness approval, covers Airbus, Boeing and Dassault airframes and allows ADS-B messages broadcast via 1090 MHz Extended Squitter to be used as the sole surveillance source for an air traffic control service. Currently Portugal, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy and Turkey are committed to implementing ADS-B in those parts of their airspace not covered by radar. The EASA approval is also valid in the Hudson Bay area of Canada where the ADS-B operational service will commence in November 2008.

Safety Management in Africa

The AviAssist Foundation in Southern Africa has received several technology donations from two companies in Europe. "The first step to managing anything is to measure it. Safety management and data analysis are tools that can be highly efficient in predicting where ought to be taken to prevent accidents and incidents," noted AviAssist Director Tom Kok. "The exposure to the technology from ADSE Consulting & Engineering of the Netherlands and Gael Ltd. of the UK will assist the Foundation in enabling African operators and governments to draw valuable lessons from normal operations and incidents. In these activities, the AviAssist Foundation aims to work complementary to IATA's activities on flight safety data management in our region." FSF President and CEO William R. Voss said "aviation is growing strongly throughout the African continent. The important role of safety management systems and state safety programs in coping with such growth should not be underestimated. The Foundation's drive to support SMS proliferation is undiminished. The AviAssist Foundation supports safety management implementation in East and Southern Africa as our regional affiliate.'

FAA Coms Maintained Despite Hurricanes

Teams of Harris employees provided emergency support during the past three months to ensure the integrity of the FAA telecommunications network in the face of four hurricanes and a severe tropical storm. Harris is the prime contractor and system architect for the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) program, one of the largest government telecommunications initiatives ever undertaken. The network ensures the efficient, secure and reliable transmission of voice, data, radar, weather and other information critical to the operation of the National Airspace System. When key FAA communications facilities were in the paths of hurricanes Dolly, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike this summer, Harris worked closely with the FAA to deploy and stage mobile satellite communications systems that provided on-demand communications capabilities as a safeguard against damage to the commercial telecommunications infrastructure that air traffic control facilities normally rely upon. One such satellite system -- called a "Fly Away" for its portability -- is currently operating on Galveston Island, which was devastated by Hurricane Ike. The system was delivered, set up, and operating within 24 hours of the FAA's request for assistance despite the challenges of gaining access to the island and lack of all essential utility services after the storm.

Pilots Discuss Safety Culture

The Coalition for Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA), consisting of pilots from Airborne Express, AirTran, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and UPS, hosted its annual safety conference in Dallas Oct. 21-22. This year's theme was "One Level of Safety," focusing on pilot fatigue and safety communications. CAPA President Capt. Paul Onorato said "fatigue is an issue in today's environment of increased productivity and extended duty days. This conference provided CAPA pilots the opportunity to share information and experiences unique to their operation with the intent to improve safety throughout our industry." CAPA Director of Safety Capt. John Gadzinski said "this safety event brought together key personnel responsible for investigations and safety management to further professional skills, share knowledge, and promote best practices in fatigue, investigations, and risk management. This event was an important milestone in our work as we continue to promote one level of safety for all commercial pilots." CAPA is committed to promoting modern safety practices. It is working to address fatigue and runway safety issues, and promote vital safety programs such as ASAP.

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