The Operating Environment and Aircraft Performance

    There are so many environmental factors that play a role in aircraft performance. Most people know the big ones, sometimes referred to as the three H's, Heat, High, and Humidity. Meaning temperature, elevation, and humidity. Although these are the core of aeronautical environmental factors, one that is commonly missed, and often times the cause of many aircraft accidents, is atmospheric environmental factors. These would be your weather conditions.

    Weather conditions are something that anyone who has had a flight cancelled on them can relate to. These factors can include, but are not limited to, thunderstorms, rain, hail, fog, ice, wind, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, you name it. All of these conditions are not only always changing and therefore unpredictable, but they are often times the cause of many aviation accidents because of the uncertainty and lack of experience in different situations.

    Thunderstorms bring a whole mess of issues with them including destroying runways with the amount of rain and therefore water on the runway leading to flooding or icing making it impossible to land or takeoff safely. Rain can also cause many issues with the aircraft, leading to icing the aircraft, visibility problems for the pilot and for ground, and it drastically changes one of those H's (Humidity). Then you also have the issue of lightning that is a whole other beast of a problem to deal with.

Resources:

Impact of Environmental Factors on Aviation Safety. (2014). Advances in Aerospace Science and    

    Applications. Retrieved on March 11, 2022 from https://www.ripublication.com/aasa-

    spl/aasav4n1spl_12.pdf

Weather Hazards - Rain

    Everyone in Aviation knows there is a plethora of weather hazards that pose great risks to aviation operations, but one in particular strikes me as the MOST hazardous: rain. I say rain for three reasons. For one, it is the most common risk-posing weather condition that the aviation industry has to work around. Secondly, rain is very complex, always changing, and is never black and white; often times it can be the first sign of a storm coming in as well. Sometimes it can be no problem at first, and then all of the sudden it is an extreme condition that causes an aircraft to land immediately, or an airport to stop all inbound and outbound flights. And finally, rain brings issues all across the board from aircraft icing, to runway icing, to lack of visibility for the tower and for the pilots.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Plane_landing_Sydney_during_rain_storm.jpg

    Like I said, rain is often times one of the first signs of a a bad storm, but what is the first sign of rain? The atmospheric conditions required in order for rain to start forming is clouds; without clouds you cannot have rain. In fact, that exactly what clouds are! Clouds are made up of millions of water particles, and in that cloud, the water droplets start to come together to form even larger water droplets. Once the water droplets become heavy enough for the cloud to no longer be able to hold them up anymore, they fall, causing rain.

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    As previously stated, this rain is not simple. It can cause icing on the aircraft, icing on the runways, and icing during flight! If the temperature anywhere between the ground and the cloud the rain is falling from is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the water will freeze causing icing on any surface it touches.

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Word Count: 300

Sources:

What Makes It Rain? (n.d.). SciJinks. Retrieved on March 9, 2022    

from https://scijinks.gov/rain/#:~:text=Clouds%20are%20made%20of%20water,fall%20t 

o%20Earth%20as%20rain.

Air Traffic Control Entities - ARTCC & ATCT

    In the United States, airspace responsibility is split amongst many entities in order to ensure safe air travel and operations. Our airspace is divided into 21 different "zones", and those zones are divided even further into their own sectors. Each zone is divided into 50 mile diameter sections of airspace called Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) airspaces. In these TRACON airspaces are smaller individual airspaces of 5 mile radii that airports are in charge of. 

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    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) runs the entire air traffic control system, composed of 5 divisions. 1) Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC), in charge of all air traffic control especially when something bad happens like bad weather, or inoperative runways; 2) air route traffic control centers (ARTCC), one for each center to manage air traffic; 3) terminal radar approach control (TRACON), for departing and approaching aircraft; 4) air traffic control tower (ATCT), one at each airport to manage takeoff/landing and ground traffic; and 5) flight service station (FSS), which provides flight information like weather, route, terrain, and flight plans, especially during emergencies like search and rescue operations. Today I'd like to compare and contrast the responsibilities of the ARTCC and the ATCT.

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    The ARTCC and the ATCT both deal with aircraft traffic, ensuring safety with all aircraft during movement by tracking them at all times while in their respective airspace. However, ARTCC manages traffic in all sectors except for TRACON and local airport airspace. ATCT on the other hand, is stationed at every airport and is in charge of managing all GROUND traffic, and takeoffs/landings.

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Word Count: 262

Sources:

Freudenrich, C. (2021). How Air Traffic Control Works. How Stuff Works. Retrieved on March 2, 2022

from https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/air-traffic-

control.htm#:~:text=The%20air%20traffic%20control%20in,and%20%E2%80%9CFlight%20Servi 

ce%20Station%E2%80%9D.

The Airport and the Environment - Rain and Icing

    The environment is a beautiful, and dangerous thing. Take flying out of the equation, and harsh weather conditions still pose a threat to everyone regardless of their location. When you add flying in an aircraft into the mix, the possible hazards that can arise from inclement weather multiply. Although there are many environmental conditions that can wreak havoc on an airport attempting to provide flights for passengers, there is one in particular that stands out as the most common cause of cancelled flights, therefore posing the biggest concern for airport managers. Rain.

https://www.wearefinn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/rain-plane-adobestock_192225520-min.jpg

    Rain may sound like a vague and simple weather condition that doesn't have many drawbacks, however, the problem with rain is that it usually doesn't come alone. Rain is often times the first sign of a storm coming. Rain itself not only causes low visibility for pilots, but also for the ground crew and tower. This alone is a very dangerous situation to attempt flying in. Often times after rain, comes high winds especially higher up in the air from temperature changes. Rain also poses a risk of fog, which adds to the low visibility issue. And finally if that wasn't enough, rain causes a major concern for icing conditions at higher elevation and in colder climates. 

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    When weather conditions like this come into play, airport managers are forced to make an educated decision with their team of experts to determine if the flight is too much of a risk and should be canceled, or if they are still able to fly. This is somewhat of a lose-lose situation because if they approve the continuation of the flight, and the weather gets much worse, then the airport manager can be held liable for any injuries or damages. Alternatively, if the flight is cancelled for safe measure, the airport loses a lot of money giving refunds to customers as well as many customers will be unhappy, regardless of how at fault the airport is for the inclement weather conditions. Luckily for the customers, weather caused cancellations are almost always refunded; on the flip side, however, the airlines are usually not so lucky.

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    Although there is not much that can be done about rain causing low visibility, and causing possible icing conditions, I believe we can help prevent such problems with a better insulated material for the aircraft we use. We may have many ice detection and anti-icing parts systems on our aircraft, but if we could somehow make a material that could retain heat and even emit heat on the exterior of the aircraft, that would help prevent any issues with icing hazards.

Word Count: 434

Sources:

At What Point Do Flights Get Cancelled Due to Weather?. (October 30, 2019). Travel Refund. 

Retrieved on February 24, 2022 from https://travelrefund.com/articles/when-do-flights- 

get-cancelled-due-to-weather/

Legislative Acts

    The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 is when the idea of the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, was born. It has molded the way we work in the aviation industry into the well-oiled machine it is today. Because of its existence, we have been able to continue the evolution of flight and air travel into what it is today. We have learned how to manage, maintain and pilot our aircraft with safety, efficiency, uniformity, and ethics in order to overcome the skies and make them our oysters. 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/1958-caa-becomes-faa.jpg/220px-1958-caa-becomes-faa.jpg

    On August 23, 1958, the Federal Aviation Act was passed and signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The act's purpose was to safeguard the Federal Aviation Agency, which would later become known as the Federal Aviation Administration. The main purpose of this agency being created was to encourage safety for all in the aviation industry. This act was also built to replace, with improvements, the CAA (Civil Aeronautics Administration), which it did with flying colors. 

https://www.aaae.org/AAAE/images/AAAEBlog/Elwood_Quesada_takes_oath_FAA_Administrator_1958.jpg

    This act was instrumental in shaping the aviation industry because it created a standard. It allowed for an agency/administration to create a uniformity for all aircraft and organizations with aircraft to follow a specific set of rules and regulations to ensure safety in all areas of the aviation industry. Without the FAA we would have people maintaining and operating their aircraft with now set standard, making it impossible to provide a safe flying environment not only for each individual company, but for each individual person as well. Without these safety and operating standards, we would not know who to trust, and even those companies following all safety measures would not be safe in the sky knowing there are other aircraft operating under a completely different set of rules.

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References:

Milestones in International Civil Aviation (n.d.). ICAO: Uniting Aviation. Retrieved 

on February 15, 2022 from https://www.icao.int/about-icao/History/Pages/ 

Milestones-in-International-Civil-Aviation.aspx

John W. Gelder S.Ed., Air Law - The Federal Aviation Act of 1958, 57 MICH. L. REV. 1214 (1959). 

Retrieved on February 15, 2022 from https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol57/iss8/5

Team-Based Human Factors Challenges

    Fatigue, complacency, attitude, and stress; these, along with many others, are the human factors in aviation (FAA, 2016). They are the human causes and contributions to aviation mishaps accounting for more than 70 percent of aircraft accidents in aviation (FAA, 2016). The individuals that are the root cause of many of these factors include aircraft operators, air traffic managers, maintainers, and more. Today we will be discussing the maintenance technician roles and contributors that lead to human factors in aviation that cause challenges associated with team-based activities.

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    Although many people will initially relate human factors in aviation with pilots and aircraft operators, maintainers are just as susceptible to aviation-crippling human factors. Maintenance is something that must be done by humans in order to account for intuition and care, however must also be carried out in a controlled manner by the use of tech data, without deviation, almost like a machine. However, because humans are not perfect and we make mistakes, there is plenty of room for error. 

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    The main human factors that arise from maintenance stem from technician physical and mental exhaustion after a long-day's-work, lack-of-sleep caused fatigue, lack of following tech data (aviation ethics), and finally maintenance turn over on shift changes causing communication errors. In the maintenance field some days can be more exhausting than others. Maintenance can be very strenuous work both mentally and physically depending on the job at hand. At the end of a day is when many people become lazy and begin to cut corners. Another fatigue-related issue that becomes a problem is a lack of sleep. It is no secret that many people have developed a culture of late nights, little sleep, bad dietary habits, and relying on energy drinks to get them through the day. This is a recipe for low mental acuity and poor performance in the maintenance field. Tech data is another thing that gets people in trouble when it is not followed correctly due to a lack of experience, and often times a desire to cut corners to save time; BAD MAINTAINER! And finally we get to a serious issue that many have seen first hand: poor communication on maintenance turn over during shift changes. Maintenance is often times a 24 hour job between 3 shifts. If not done properly, this can lead to miscommunication on what has been done, what needs to be done, and even where some equipment is located. The number of times that people have experienced a lost tool or misplaced item due to someone wanting to go home after a shift, and forgetting a tool/fastener/nut in their pocket or somewhere else in the aircraft is astonishing. This can lead to a large number of human-caused mishaps to occur including aircraft damage, wasted time, cancelled flights, and even aircraft going down.

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Resources:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2016). Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK)

Chapter 2: Aeronautical Decision-Making. Retrieved from

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/media/04_phak_ch2.pdf

 

Aviation Security - Firearms

    Threats in airports is one of the most unsettling and scary things for someone like myself. I have personally aided in testing the security measures of members working for TSA at our local McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. I worked as an undercover sting for TSA in something called a covert role-play scenario, where a coworker and I made many attempts at breaching the airport security line with items that were not allowed, including firearms, explosives, and drug paraphernalia. Although I cannot give specifics, let's just say somebody got talked to for not doing their job to the best of their ability. Because of my role in assisting in teaching and training our airport security, I am terrified at how easily one individual's slip-up could lead to such a catastrophic event. This subject, like many in our course, provides another excellent example of why it is so important for every person working around aircraft to have the utmost aviation ethics in all that we do. 

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    Firearms on an airplane or near an airport is something that ranks pretty high on the list of things to be extremely observant and cautious of. This is because it is one of the few things that not only provides potential for an extreme threat, but is also something that is allowed at airports and on aircraft. Many people, myself included, will choose to fly with a firearm in checked luggage; which makes the subject that much more important. There are many levels of TSA that provide the opportunity to be able to fly with a firearm, while at the same time providing security for all passengers and employees working at airports. 

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    TSA has many layers of security that can mitigate this threat; one of which being CBP, or Customs and Border Protection. This organization has more than 60,000 officers and agricultural specialists that ensure terrorists and their weapons stay out of the United States. Often times this is where a large amount of security breach risks take place, including firearm smuggling. This organization along with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which essentially does all of the investigating and evidence gathering for all suspicious people/suspects, work together to ensure the safety of passengers and travelers in and out of the United States. 

    The more noticeable security measures that are taken by citizens of the United States traveling in airports are the efforts of canines, behavior detection, travel document checkers, checkpoint/transportation security officers, checked baggage, transportation security inspectors, transportation security specialists, federal air marshal service, federal flight deck officers, trained flight crew, law enforcement officers, a hardened cockpit door, and the passengers. All of these efforts are pretty clearly seen and understood by all passengers, and are self-explanatory in how they help in efforts to reduce the likelihood of an incident with a firearm in an airport or on an aircraft. 

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    With all of that security that TSA offers, it begs the question of how anyone would smuggle a firearm through all of them and onto an aircraft! Through personal experience, I have the key to cover the final hole in this process, making airport security almost foolproof: STOP BEING SO GENTLE WHEN FRISKING. In the world we live in today everyone is so concerned about hurting someone's feelings or doing something that will get them in trouble. Priorities are not falling in the right order and that is exactly how people get hurt. It happens and maintenance, and it's happening in security. If a handicapped or injured person is going through security, and cannot go through the metal detector/scanner (say due to a wheelchair), do you know what they do instead? They let them bypass the scanner completely and do a quick once-over wand scan (which they assume is only peeping due to the metal on the wheelchair) and send you on your way. Unbelievable! If someone is has a habilitating injury or condition that inhibits them from getting out of a wheelchair, then they assume the risk of some discomfort when going through security. If anyone has a problem with that then they can turn around and not fly. The safety and security of our United States citizens is far more important than Joe Jock, or Aunt Meg feeling some discomfort and even some slight pain in order for TSA to do their job with integrity and ethics to ensure this person does not have any malicious intent. Priorities. 

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Sources:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2022 January, 4). "About CBP." cbp.gov.

https://www.cbp.gov/about#:~:text=With%20more%20than%2060%2C000%20employees,lawful%20international%20travel%20and%20trade.

FBI. (2022 February, 2). "What We Investigate: Joint Terrorism Task Forces." fbi.gov.

https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism/joint-terrorism-task-forces