SMS does have it's critics, that say it's simply allowing the airlines to police themselves without oversight. They feel that due to the fact airlines are profit driven that they will simply just "sweep" potential issues under the carpet rather than spending the money needed to address them. I agree airlines are profit driven, they have to be, it's a necessity to survive. The other side of it though is that they also need to establish confidence in the flying public and nothing can damage that more than an accident or incident. Nothing can be more damaging to an airline than the public seeing a damaged aircraft in their colors. It is for this reason that most major airlines see the benefit in investing in SMS, in the hopes of avoiding an accident before it happens. Will there be a time when aircraft accidents never happen, of course not, however, I believe the pro-active approach that SMS promotes will go a long way in preventing many.
Sunday 19 February 2017
Proactive Flight Saftey
A growing trend in the aviation is an approach to flight safety called SMS ( safety management system). SMS is a way of being proactive rather than reactive toward flight safety and is being promoted by both airlines and regulators alike. In the "old days" if an accident or incident happen, the regulators would simply send in the investigators, make some finding and then issue new rules or regulations to hopefully prevent it from happening again. All good except for one thing, an accident or incident had to happen first which resulted in major damage and more seriously injuries or loss of life.
The SMS philosophy is to spot trends, risks or deviations from SOPs (standard operating procedures) in the airline that are occurring which could lead to an accident or incident. By identifying these risks early, hopefully they can be addressed before an accident or incident takes place. The airlines gather this data in numerous ways. The first and most important is through the pilots themselves. Most airlines have a "no repercussion" reporting system that allows pilots to freely report possible safety issues that they see or have experienced. This can be done by reports that pilots can fill out or by anonymous surveys. Another source of seeing possible risks is via the aircraft it's self. Most modern aircraft have FDA ( flight data acquisition) systems. These systems gather flight parameters during flight that can be downloaded and reviewed. Airlines use certain triggers that can alert them if a flight parameter was exceeded, or the aircraft was in an undesired state. The key to the system is that the the info is de-identified which is crucial in developing trust with the airline's pilots. The data will just show that it occurred on a flight at a specific airport. The airline can then gather this data, determine the risk involved and develop an action plan to reduce the risk. If the airline determines that there is potential risk, they can then address it by alerting their pilots via information newsletters, bulletins, or SOP changes. The risk can also be addressed in training as well. Airlines will use this data in developing simulator training scenarios that pilots are required to do every 6-8 months. They create scripts which place pilots in situations that will recreate the risks and allow them to recognize them and prevent them.
SMS does have it's critics, that say it's simply allowing the airlines to police themselves without oversight. They feel that due to the fact airlines are profit driven that they will simply just "sweep" potential issues under the carpet rather than spending the money needed to address them. I agree airlines are profit driven, they have to be, it's a necessity to survive. The other side of it though is that they also need to establish confidence in the flying public and nothing can damage that more than an accident or incident. Nothing can be more damaging to an airline than the public seeing a damaged aircraft in their colors. It is for this reason that most major airlines see the benefit in investing in SMS, in the hopes of avoiding an accident before it happens. Will there be a time when aircraft accidents never happen, of course not, however, I believe the pro-active approach that SMS promotes will go a long way in preventing many.
SMS does have it's critics, that say it's simply allowing the airlines to police themselves without oversight. They feel that due to the fact airlines are profit driven that they will simply just "sweep" potential issues under the carpet rather than spending the money needed to address them. I agree airlines are profit driven, they have to be, it's a necessity to survive. The other side of it though is that they also need to establish confidence in the flying public and nothing can damage that more than an accident or incident. Nothing can be more damaging to an airline than the public seeing a damaged aircraft in their colors. It is for this reason that most major airlines see the benefit in investing in SMS, in the hopes of avoiding an accident before it happens. Will there be a time when aircraft accidents never happen, of course not, however, I believe the pro-active approach that SMS promotes will go a long way in preventing many.
Wednesday 1 February 2017
Promoted - Captain Upgrade
After a 3 plus year hiatus I thought I would revive my blog. As with all airline pilots with families our lives and careers just sort of take over and before we know it 3 years has gone by. Hopefully I can be much more active keeping this blog updated!
The last year has been a monumental one in my aviation career as I achieved my upgrade to the left seat. With 'legacy airlines' like the one I fly with, you reach the ability to become Captain when your seniority allows it. A few times per year the company will post the positions they require which is called an "equipment bid". It is usually broken down into pilot staffing requirements by pilot base showing any vacancies or reductions to specific fleet types at each base. As pilots, we then submit our desired positions in ranking order and then the "super computer" does its thing and assigns you what your seniority can hold. It is quite a day when you are awarded and see your name on the Captain's list. After this, the next big question is "when will I get trained" and "when do I start getting paid"? Again, as with almost everything in the airline industry your seniority is the decider in this and will decide if you are trained soon or up to a year away. I was fortunate and began my training 7 months after being awarded the position.
The first 2 weeks of ground school and ground based trainer sessions are designed to learn the aircraft systems and hone your standard operating procedures. The benefit of learning the procedures here is that you are prepared and not wasting time in the much more expensive full motion simulator.
Example of a ground based trainer.
After you have successfully passed this phase of your training it is off to the full motion flight simulator. It is in the 'box", as we call it, that the real fun begins. Due to the very realistic graphics and full motion almost any flying situation can be experienced to a high level of realism. In the box you will rarely have an aircraft with all of its engines or systems operating. It will be what seems endless crisis situations with alarms bells and sirens sounding along with warning and caution lights continually flashing. After roughly 8-10 4 hour sessions which culminates in a check ride, you are given a congratulatory handshake and your license is signed. Endorsed!
Example of a full motion simulator and graphics. (The box)
So there you are, a freshly signed license, a month of training behind you and full of confidence now that you are endorsed on the aircraft. After a few celebratory "pint" arm curls with your training partner and a couple of days off to catch your breath, the next phase starts - line in doc or line flight training. You meet up with a training pilot and get to apply all your new found skill and knowledge out on the line and with "real passengers"! Unlike the controlled make believe world in the simulator this is the real world. Requests from the flight attendants, ground personnel, and station operations coming at you as you try to pre-flight the aircraft, load the FMS (flight management system) all while trying to remain on time. Basically baptism by fire! Although a bit overwhelming at first, the line training phase is truly where you learn the most and your confidence is solidified. After 50 hours of honing your skills on the line, you are given a final check-ride. The Check Pilot acts as your First Officer as you operate a normal multi-day trip. I'll never forget that last setting of the park brake, final parking checklist of the pairing which was followed by the final congratulatory hand shake.
The last year has been a monumental one in my aviation career as I achieved my upgrade to the left seat. With 'legacy airlines' like the one I fly with, you reach the ability to become Captain when your seniority allows it. A few times per year the company will post the positions they require which is called an "equipment bid". It is usually broken down into pilot staffing requirements by pilot base showing any vacancies or reductions to specific fleet types at each base. As pilots, we then submit our desired positions in ranking order and then the "super computer" does its thing and assigns you what your seniority can hold. It is quite a day when you are awarded and see your name on the Captain's list. After this, the next big question is "when will I get trained" and "when do I start getting paid"? Again, as with almost everything in the airline industry your seniority is the decider in this and will decide if you are trained soon or up to a year away. I was fortunate and began my training 7 months after being awarded the position.
The first 2 weeks of ground school and ground based trainer sessions are designed to learn the aircraft systems and hone your standard operating procedures. The benefit of learning the procedures here is that you are prepared and not wasting time in the much more expensive full motion simulator.
Example of a ground based trainer.
After you have successfully passed this phase of your training it is off to the full motion flight simulator. It is in the 'box", as we call it, that the real fun begins. Due to the very realistic graphics and full motion almost any flying situation can be experienced to a high level of realism. In the box you will rarely have an aircraft with all of its engines or systems operating. It will be what seems endless crisis situations with alarms bells and sirens sounding along with warning and caution lights continually flashing. After roughly 8-10 4 hour sessions which culminates in a check ride, you are given a congratulatory handshake and your license is signed. Endorsed!
Example of a full motion simulator and graphics. (The box)
So there you are, a freshly signed license, a month of training behind you and full of confidence now that you are endorsed on the aircraft. After a few celebratory "pint" arm curls with your training partner and a couple of days off to catch your breath, the next phase starts - line in doc or line flight training. You meet up with a training pilot and get to apply all your new found skill and knowledge out on the line and with "real passengers"! Unlike the controlled make believe world in the simulator this is the real world. Requests from the flight attendants, ground personnel, and station operations coming at you as you try to pre-flight the aircraft, load the FMS (flight management system) all while trying to remain on time. Basically baptism by fire! Although a bit overwhelming at first, the line training phase is truly where you learn the most and your confidence is solidified. After 50 hours of honing your skills on the line, you are given a final check-ride. The Check Pilot acts as your First Officer as you operate a normal multi-day trip. I'll never forget that last setting of the park brake, final parking checklist of the pairing which was followed by the final congratulatory hand shake.
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| PROMOTED! |
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