ICING CONDITIONS

Icing Conditions

Icing conditions is one of the most dangerous environmental factors that can affect a plane. Once encountered, the pilot has very limited options to deal with the situation. 

How does it form?

Ice forms when droplets are exposed to near or below zero temperatures, freezing to a solid state. According to NASA (2016), "Ice typically forms on an aircraft in flight when the aircraft surface collides with dater droplets that have remained liquid although they are below the freezing point (supercooled water)" (p. 1)

What are the types of Icing?

There are 3 types: Induction icing, structural and instrument. Inside the structural icing we can find different forms of ice such as clear ice, rime ice, mix ice and frost.

The reason I chose ice formation is because it has caused several accidents, as it can severely affect the air flow in the airfoil by changing its shape, reducing lift and increasing its weight. Instruments can be blocked by ice, causing inaccurate or false readings, which can be fatal in IMC.
If the static port or pitot tube becomes clogged in a GA aircraft, the pilot would lose airspeed, altitude and vertical speed indicator. Induction ice, which clogs the venturi, air filter and the fuel distribution unit, reduces engine performance to marginal levels and can even cause an engine failure.

Few GA aircraft have the ability to deal with icing conditions, specially structural icing, so the FAA recommends to avoid flying through areas of potential icing, even if the risk is minimum. Additionally, pilots must be aware of the appropriate procedure established by the manufacturer if they encounter this conditions airborne. 

References
Aviation Weather Center (n.d.). Icing. Retrieved from
https://www.weather.gov/source/zhu/ZHU_Training_Page/icing_stuff/icing/icing.htm
Federal Aviation Administration (2020). Seminar: Icing. Retrieved from
https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/course_content.aspx?cID=33&sID=152&preview=true
NASA (2016). Basic Icing Physics. Retrieved from https://aircrafticing.grc.nasa.gov/1_1_2_2.html

 (Links to an external site.)

F

Air Traffic Control Entities

There are several air traffic control entities. On this blog I would like to talk about two specific ones: Flight Service and Automated Terminal Information Service. Personally I consider Flight Service one of the most important to consider prior to any flight, mainly for General Aviation. They can offer a variety of services, but one key aspect is the weather briefings. It is vital for a pilot to gather all the necessary information regarding weather conditions before making the decision of flying or not. This becomes an excellent tool for student pilots, who may not be able to understand weather charts, so having a briefer stating all relevant conditions is helpful. 

According to the FAA (2020):
Flight Service communicates directly with pilots for pilot briefings, flight plans, inflight advisory services, search and rescue initiation, aircraft emergencies, and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs). Flight Service provides services in Alaska by government personnel and by a contract service provider (Leidos) in the continental U.S. (CONUS), which includes Puerto Rico and Hawaii (p. 1).

However, not every controlling entity must be human. The Automated Terminal Information Service provides pilots with important information of the airfield conditions. Winds, temperature, pressure, runways in use, NOTAMS, closures and advisories are some of the information transmitted by controllers in an automated recording. This information is updated every hour or as needed. 

Both services give the pilot information regarding weather, so he/she can decide the best course of action. However, being able to file flight plans, talk to a briefer and initiate rescue services are unique features offered by the Flight Services stations. ATIS just gives a glimpse of the airfield's situation and that is why is it used while airborne. However, prior to a flight or even in the air, gathering information from a Flight Services station is always the best and more complete way of informing yourself.


(Forbes, 2016)

References

FAA (2020). Flight Service. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/fs/
Forbes (2016). Air Traffic Control Reform Is Not A Lost Cause Yet. But It's A Cause In Need Of A Champion. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielreed/2018/03/29/air-traffic-control-reform-is-not-a-lost-cause-yet-but-its-a-cause-in-need-of-a-champion/#1caadace3514

Airport Wildlife Management

Airport Wildlife Management

Airports all around the world rely on thousands of day-to-day tasks that must be done to operate safely and efficiently. One clear example of this is wildlife control. Airports are one biggest and complex infrastructures, and the fact that they are open spaces makes them vulnerable to wildlife incursions. The most common type of wildlife in the U.S. are birds, coyotes, and house pets. These animal incursions in airport property or near it pose a major risk for aircrafts. One of the most famous accidents in the United States was U.S. Airways flight 1549, in which a A320 encountered a flock of birds a few hundred feet after take-off. Birds entered both engines severely damaging it, causing the aircraft to land on the Hudson River.

Is because of the danger that wildlife represent to airport operations that managers and staff have designed several countermeasures. Visual deterrents have become the best way to prevent this animals from entering to runways and taxiways. According to Devault L. Travis (2013) "visual deterrent are generally intended to provoke a fear response. Examples include scarecrows or other human forms, object movement, animal effigies, methods that provoke neophobia, and methods that combine movement and neophobia" (p. 11). Airports like London Heathrow for example, employ sound signals to scare birds and have constant patrols all around the airport to identify and mitigate this threat.

However, there are many other methods to accomplish this task. Animals have different sensory systems and responses to the environment, so one method can not work for every species. Different targeted methods are applied to the specific need of the airport.



References
Devault L., T. (2013). Wildlife in Airport Environments: Preventing Animal-Aircraft Collisions through Science-Based  Management. John Hopkins University Press.
Taylor, J. (2018). London Heathrow Airport reveals expansion masterplan. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/heathrow-airport-expansion-plans-revealed-intl-scli-gbr/index.html

PARTT 147 ACT

PROMOTING AVIATION REGULATIONS FOR TECHNICAL TRAINING 2019

Personally, I consider the PARTT 147 Act of 2019 (Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training) an important change in aviation regulation. Maintenance is an area not commonly considered when talking about aviation, but they are the doctors that keep our industry safe and sound.

Nevertheless, in the past 20 years mechanics have faced a major gap between what they were taught in their schools and what they encountered in the airline job. Training became outdated as consequence of the evolving technologies in the industry. Manufacturers redesigning their aircraft constantly and airlines meeting the increasing demand for air travel has created an constantly changing landscape. Newer and more effective methods needed to be created, and in response, Congress created passed this bill.

According to ATEC group (2019):The Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act (S.3043/H.R.5427) would direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to replace current training requirements with a new, community-drafted regulation that would establish a performance-based oversight system. Under the new law, aviation maintenance technician schools certificated and governed by Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 147, would have the flexibility to teach content that is reflective of today’s high-tech environment (p.1).

This new Act promoted new guidelines for schools in order to educate highly professional mechanics that are able to face modern technologies. Creating a system in which first-hand experience along with close supervision was key to enable mechanics to have the necessary set of skills.

References

ATEC (2019). Congress Introduces New Legislation to Modernize 50-year-old Aviation Maintenance Training Regulation. Aviation Pros. https://www.atec-amt.org/news/congress-introduces-legislation-to-modernize-50-year-old-aviation-maintenance-training-regulation

United States Congress (2019).  S.3043 - Promoting Aviation Regulations for Technical Training (PARTT) 147 Act of 2019. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3043/text