The Aspiring Pilot

FAA eases reporting of lasers being shined into cockpits

As the number of dangerous laser incidents around the country continues to rise, the FAA has rolled out a new website to make it easier for pilots and the public to report laser incidents. The website also includes a knowledge base of articles and information on the subject, highlighting the dangers of shining a laser at the cockpit of any aircraft. 

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said that the 'safety of the traveling public is our absolute number-one priority. We will do everything we can to get the word out about how dangerous it is to point a laser at an aircraft. These incidents must stop.'

The website, http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/safety/report/laserinfo/, contains a collection of a wide array of laser information, links to reporting laser incidents, laser statistics, FAA press releases and FAA and industry research on the dangers these laser events pose to pilots. The site even includes downloadable videos. 

Read the rest of my article here. 

Now, this is definitely a good thing, but will it really do anything to decrease the number of incidents? Initially, I think it will make the numbers continue to increase, easier reporting means more incidents brought to the attention of the FAA. It won't necessarily mean there were more actual incidents, just more reported to be included in the stats. 

I forwarded the article to the ORD Airport Watch group as well, so they know how to report anything they may see. Who better to spot and report something like this than airplane spotters in and around the areas/villages surrounding the airport?! In cooperation with the Bensenville Police and area municipalites the ORD Airport Watch has already been a great addition to anti-crime in the area and provides a way for airplane geeks like myself to enjoy watching and photographing planes without the hassle that used to come from the police. 

Now, with an easy way to notify the FAA, we can easily report any suspicious activity or incidents that appear to involve lasers and airplanes. I've been 'lazed' on the ground once, while at a supermarket by a bunch of kids in the parking lot, and I will vouch that it really was uncomfortable and definitely effected my eyesight for at least 5 minutes. 

That's the main issue though here is that I think the majority of these incidents are just that, KIDS. These laser pointers are easy to get, and the more powerful ones are getting cheaper. I will bet that the majority of these kids don't really realize just how dangerous their actions are! It will eventually lead to an incident/accident and, I'm sure they won't be prepared for the onslaught of criminal charges and civil lawsuits that they'd face. 

I think it may be time to not only get the mainstream media to focus more on the dangers of the laser incidents (not just that they're occuring) but also look at having the aviation organizations like AOPA, EAA, ALPA, the airlines, etc. come together and get something into the schools to bring the actual dangers forth. It won't stop it, but I'm sure it will lead to a decrease in some of the events at least.

Probably the coolest and oddest NOTAM yet?

With the world turning their eyes skyward tonight to look for space debris, the FAA has issued a NOTAM that I don't think I ever even considered a possibility before. I did write an article on it here. However, this is just too cool, odd and well kinda scary to pass up writing about it again. 

NASA's UARS satellite is expected to come crashing back to Earth tonight, mostly burning up in the atmosphere; however, a few large chunks of the half-ton satellite are expected to make it all the way to sea-level. Granted, with the majority of Earth being water, the sea is most likely where UARS will end up, it's still a very news worthy event. There are thousands of pieces of space junk out there and some of these are constantly re-entering our atmosphere. Almost all burn to oblivion as they streak through the atmosphere. 

The UARS isn't expected to burn up completely, and is posing a danger to people, places and the FAA worries, airplanes. As astronomically remote a possibility, it's still a possibility. I'm almost 99.9% certain anyone flying tonight is safe (the night hours have very low air traffic). The primary purpose of the NOTAM I believe is to assist the FAA, NASA and the US Department of Defense in identifying where the UARS comes to rest and to try and pinpoint the location of any recoverable debris. So, if you haven't yet, here's the latest FAA NOTAM as of 8:30 PM CST. 

 !FDC 1/2720 FDC .. SPECIAL NOTICE .. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UNTIL 1109252359 UTC. AIRCRAFT ARE ADVISED THAT A POTENTIAL HAZARD MAY OCCUR DUE TO REENTRY OF SATELLITE UARS INTO THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. FAA IS WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND NASA TO ENSURE THE MOST CURRENT RE-ENTRY INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO OPERATORS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. FURTHER NOTAMS WILL BE ISSUED IF SPECIFIC INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE INDICATING A UNITED STATES AIRSPACE IMPACT. IN THE INTEREST OF FLIGHT SAFETY, IT IS CRITICAL THAT ALL PILOTS/FLIGHT CREW MEMBERS REPORT ANY OBSERVED FALLING SPACE DEBRIS TO THE APPROPRIATE ATC FACILITY AND INCLUDE POSITION, ALTITUDE, TIME, AND DIRECTION OF DEBRIS OBSERVED. THE DOMESTIC EVENTS NETWORK /DEN/ TELEPHONE 202-493-5107, IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY.

So, if you piloting an airplane tonight and see flaming space debris streaking by, please put your camera down and kindly notify the ATC controller your on frequency with as directed, or if you work at an airport, etc, you can call the FAA Coordination facility at the number provided. Oh... and post those pics and vids of the space debris as seen from your plane as soon as possible for us! 

Continue reading on Examiner.com FAA issues NOTAM for UARS space debris - National General Aviation | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/general-aviation-in-national/faa-issues-notam-for-uars-space-debris#ixzz1YpYA7GBL

AP reporter notifies pilot's family after Oshkosh area crash?!

UPDATE - The airplane was identified as well as the pilot and passenger and it came out that the original identification 'made' by the AP reporter was completely incorrect. The plane was NOT the one they thought it was and was not in any way realted to Mr. Wood as originally mentioned below. So not only did they jump the gun and risk being the ones to notify a family of a fatal wreck, but they misindentified the airplane and possible pilot and probably gave a family an unnecessary scare. 

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Okay, I'll leave the actual reporting of the incident to the media that has more details; however, to summarize, a Piper Cub departed Oshkosh (Airventure is this week) this morning and attempted an emergency landing in Lake Winnebago. The plane flipped and sunk, killing both occupants before the dive teams could rescue them. 

Now, I have a HUGE issue with the way this story is playing out in the media, particularly the stories being run via the Associated Press (AP) information. It appears that the AP obtained the tail number, or somehow identified the aircraft involved. They then were able to check, I'm assuming via the FAA airplane N-number database, who the plane was registered to. Here's the part of the story I am absolutely astounded by:

The single-engine Piper Cub is registered to Kenneth Wood of Mt. Carmel, Ill. A man who answered the phone at Wood's home and identified himself as one of Wood's sons told The Associated Press that his brother, William Wood, had been flying. But he says the 28-year-old William had already landed in Oshkosh and posted pictures.

Based on the son's response to the report, it's almost very obvious that the family was NOT AWARE of the accident involving their father's airplane! The AP reporter essentially was the one's to notify them that it's probably that one of Kenneth Wood's son's perished in the plane. (A male and female were both recovered from the crash site.) Writing on General Aviation news at Examiner.com, I would NEVER contact the family of someone that was possibly involved in a fatal incident until I KNEW 100% they've been informed by the proper authorities first. 

Remember, there is no-way the family will not figure out that their loved one is most likely dead. He landed 'safely' at Oshkosh, true, but that was yesterday and the accident occured this morning. I can't imagine the uncertainty, stress and fear that accompanied the family members as they tried to contact their family at Airventure to ensure their safety after the reporters calls? 

I guess that's one problem with the FAA Databases being public, (knowing the names and cities, we can even now pull up the pilot's certification information as well!) It's a great tool for research, but this shows that it can be abused, with negative consequences. 

Please feel free to comment on here, actually I highly encourage it. I understand the reporter didn't do anything illegal and was within his right to obtain the information and 'inquire' with the family, but do you think he crossed the line by calling the families of someone that may have been killed in an accident PRIOR to proper notification? 

 

FAA shutdown begins shortly, 12 AM EST July 23rd

While it's expected to have little impact on commercial or general aviation flights this weekend, the US Congress has failed to overcome disagreements about aspects of the most recent attempt at an FAA Reauthorization Bill. As of midnight EST tonight, the FAA will need to cease all non-essential operations, resulting in the layoff of nearly 4,000 FAA employees. ATC services will not be affected and those employees will remain at their consoles, safely guiding planes to their destinations. 

Beyond the layoff of FAA employees, the FAA Airport Improvement Program grant payments will also come to a halt. This will result in the stoppage of hundreds of construction projects that are reliant on nearly $2.5 billion in grant funding. As a result, over 86,000 construction workers will also be without a job as their worksites are brought to a standstill.

Continue reading on Examiner.com As reauthorization bill fails to pass Congress, FAA begins shut down process - National General Aviation | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/general-aviation-in-national/as-reauthorization-bill-fails-to-pass-congress-faa-begins-shut-down-process#ixzz1StgMvxSE

 

FAA electronic NOTAM system will be down this weekend

If you plan on doing any flying this weekend, and I expect plenty will be given it's Memorial Day weekend, this is a very important notification! Please read and ensure you are familiar with the times of the outage and the backup methods of obtaining NOTAMs. 

(excerpt from my General Aviation column at Examiner.com)

The FAA announced today that a planned outage will make Notices to Airman (NOTAM's) unavailable for a 4.5 hour period over memorial day weekend. The outage is planned to last from 0600Z to 1030Z. The outage will affect the ability of pilot's planning flights over that period to obtain NOTAM's electronically. 

The FAA is in the process of moving the US NOTAM System from Herndon, Va, to its new location in Oklahoma City, Ok. The servers that handle the electronic NOTAM's will be taken offline while the data is moved to new servers at the new location. The FAA states the move is part of its efforts to relocate the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) to a new location in Warrenton, Va. 

Continue reading on Examiner.com: FAA announces planned NOTAM outage May 28, 2011 - National General Aviation | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/general-aviation-in-national/faa-announces-planned-notam-outage-may-28-2011#ixzz1NHWL5JIG

 

Close call at O'Hare, media hops on fact it occurred shortly after Air Force Two arrival

Again, there was another ATC error on Monday (this time at KORD, O'Hare), and even though it DIDN'T involve Air Force Two, the mainstream media had to include it in the story. Air Force Two's mention seems almost to add sensationalism, as some news organizations then reference the close call with Michelle Obama's plane a few weeks back. 

In this instance, Air Force Two wasn't part of the reason for the close call; however, the increased traffic congestion as a result led to a much higher workload and may have led to the lapse.  Just prior to the incident, traffic began to back up as departures and arrivals were held during the landing of Air Force Two. Then, controllers had to deal with the helicopters hovering over, then escorting the vice-president's motorcade to downtown, off the departure paths for the East/West runways. 

The incident had an ExpressJet flight departing 32L with a Skywest flight cleared for landing on 9R. (View .pdf of the ORD Airport Diagram here.) You can see that the approach end 9R is just east of the midpoint of 32L.  So a regional jet departing on 32L will lift off across the path of any incoming aircraft into 9R, which is what happened in this instance.

The controller handling the arrival saw the conflict as an alert sounded notifying them of the loss of separation. That controller proceeded to immediately order the Skywest flight to go-around. Some news reports have stated the distance was less than 300' vertical and 200' horizontal between the two aircraft. 

You can't hear the go-around call, but you can hear one controller notify the secret service helicopter ('Hunstman 1') of the plane going on a missed approach and then clearing the departing Skywest jet to 4,000', (Skywest 6958). Audio courtest of LiveATC.net. 

KORD-Twr-May-16-2011-1430Z_edit

The departing ExpressJet flight is believed to have delayed it's rotation off the runway due to seeing the approaching aircraft about to cross the runway which possibly helped to avoid a collision as well.  

According to reports, a few choice words were issued by the departing pilot, and the controller apologized for the error.  The Skywest flight made a second approach without incident after being vectored back around for a landing. 

Also, reports are the the controller in error was also just recently certified, with some reports saying as recently as 2 weeks ago. There will obviously be discussions on if such a new controller should have been at the scope during such a hectic, busy, time as a VIP arrival at a peak traffic period for ORD. 

Finally, some people have called for the FAA to increase the required separation between landing aircraft on 9R, when 32L is in use for departures , to 10 miles, to allow ATC more time to get planes spaced for landings and takeoff and avoid close calls such as this. So far, nothing has come of this, but we'll have to wait and see how the new and additional runways play into the mix once the O'Hare modernization program is complete in a few years. 

Anyway, just another close call, another ATC PR issue in the public eye and another story sensationalized further by the media by bringing Air Force Two, a plane not involved in the incident, into the story.  Further proof as well of the need for the new runway's and configuration at O'Hare to limit the number of operations that cross as they do in these instances. 

Congress agrees on an extension, again.... (and quick blog update)

Just as I finished writing two articles for my National General Aviation column on the possible effects of a looming government shutdown on general aviation and the FAASTeam seminars and events.  Though both articles may be relevant next week though, if the budget isn't passed on Thursday. 

Suprisingly, as I was researching the articles (and realizing how little the FAA wanted to say on a possible shutdown) I was amazed by how little we would be affected as pilots if planning any flights in the national airspace system during a shutdown. It's impressive that virtually all aspects were considered as vital, essential, functions and would not be shutdown. 

Now, the issues get to focus the economy and oil, with oil surpassing $113/bbl yesterday, airlines will once again begin to feel the pinch of increasing fuel costs. Automotive gas is possibly going to see $5+ gasoline this year, with AvGas and JetA probably.

I'm still hoping to get back in the air withing the next few months, all depending on how badly fuel prices (both car and plane) effect my budget.  We'll see! 

FAA Airman knowledge test changes cause huge jump in failure rates.

It may be a good thing I postponed taking my FOI (Fundamenals of Instructing) test from February until sometime this summer. Per ASA, (as noted in my General Aviation Examiner article), the failure rate for the FOI has jumped from 14% to 59%. This is due to the FAA changing the knowledge tests without any prior notice to ANYONE. This resulted in new topics being introduced that were not in the study guides or instructing materials. 

The FAA added material from newer advisory circulars among other sources and students were not aware to include these in their study methods/curriculum.  The negative of this is that the tests cost $150 PER test, and each failure sticks with your FAA history.

Other tests that are currently 'new' in addition to the FOI are the ATP and FE tests. I haven't heard anything further on if (or when) the remaining tests will be modified. 

 For more on this, see my examiner article here. 

SpaceX receives first FAA license for commercial spacecraft reentry

The FAA today has announced that they have grantedSpaceX a license for spacecraft reentry.  The license will allow Space X to continue testing of it's Dragon capsule and perform reentry back into the Earth's atmosphere.  

Per the SpaceX website, the Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft that can be utilized to transport cargo and possibly crew-members into low earth orbit.  The capsule was developed under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, beginning in 2005.  

For the NASA Statement and more on the story, please visit my General Aviation Examiner article here. 

EU postpones EASA vote

The EU commission has postponed the vote on the EASA new proposals that would have virtually restricted FAA certificated pilot's from flying in Europe or from EU airplane owners from registering aircraft in the US.  The vote is postponed until December at the earliest and hopefully, will provide ample time for AOPA and IAOPA to continue to fight the proposal.  

For the full story and article on this new development, visit my General Aviation examiner article.