A “Safety Standdown” is a pre-planned event where a company, organization, or group of people suspend normal operations for a given amount of time (a few hours, all day, etc.) to discuss safety issues. The idea is to bring the entire group together, including top management, to identify and remedy safety issues.

Safety Standdowns are frequently done in the military (an entire base or a single ship, etc.) but also are done in many high-risk industries and companies. For example, Bombardier in partnership with NBAA, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, will host the 16th Annual Safety Standdown USA, a non-commercial effort to improve business aviation safety, in October of this year. More information can be found at http://www.safetystanddown.com/.  Continue reading →

ASAG president Stacy Howard at the FAASTeam workshop. In the background Deer Valley airport director Art Fairbanks, shows a promotional video about the airport to the thirty-some attendees. (Photo by Kim Stevens)

The Aviation Safety Advisory Group of Arizona (ASAG) hosted the annual FAASTeam workshop and appreciation dinner Saturday May 12th at Deer Valley Airport to honor volunteers who dedicate their time and abilities to promote aviation safety in Arizona.

ASAG promotes the event, not only to learn but as an opportunity to renew old friendships, make new ones and have some fun. This year’s event was organized by ASAG vice president Edward Daror.

ASAG members along with FAASTeam representatives will gather for the annual FAASTeam workshop and appreciation dinner on May 12th. The event is hosted by the Aviation Safety Advisory Group of Arizona (ASAG) and the FAASTeam.

The workshop and dinner will be held at the Deer Valley Airport Restaurant. The workshop will run from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm with dinner following at 4:30 pm. ASAG sponsors this yearly event to honor the volunteers who dedicate their time and abilities to promote aviation safety in Arizona, and to provide an opportunity to renew old friendships, make new ones, enhance cooperation and exchange ideas around mutual goals.

The dinner and workshop are complimentary for active FAASTeam Representatives, ASAG members and FAA personnel. Guests are welcome at a nominal cost of $22 per person for dinner.

For more information contact Ed Daror, Vice President of ASAG at 72ae@cox.net.

The May/June 2012 issue of FAA Safety Briefing has been released. This issue focuses on extreme weather and is now available online at: http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2012/media/MayJun2012.pdf

FAA Safety Briefingis the safety policy voice for the non-commercial general aviation community. The magazine’s objective is to improve safety by: www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/. Articles provide important tips on how to detect, prepare for, and/or avoid some of the more extreme varieties of weather conditions you may encounter in your region of the country. The issue also highlights several weather-related tools and resources for improving general aviation safety. Check it out today!

The FAA Safety Team will conduct a pilot seminar on navigating the reconfigured Falcon Field Airport taxiways from 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 5 at CAE Global Academy, 5010 E. Falcon Drive at the Mesa airport. For details or to register, visit http://bit.ly/ICTOEk For questions, contact Dr. H.C. ‘Mac’ McClure at (480) 586-0762 or faasteam.mac@gmail.com

On April 16, 2012, the FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) advising pilots of an airworthiness concern relevant to all airplanes equipped with a seat restraint system. A 2011 NTSB study of inflatable restraint systems revealed that in some accidents the restraints were not used correctly (i.e, passengers inadvertently fastened the wrong restraint or did not position the restraints properly). Both the FAA and NTSB contend these safety issues apply to any type of restraint, and that when these systems are used improperly, it could impair their life-saving benefits. The SAIB contains a diagram illustrating the correct way to fasten and position both a three- and four-point inflatable restraint system and recommends referring to your aircraft’s POH for specific instructions. The FAA also reminds aircraft operators that it is the PIC’s responsibility to ensure that all passengers are instructed on the proper use of the seat restraint system and to fasten them prior to take off. The SAIB is available here: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgSAIB.nsf/(LookupSAIBs)/CE-12-27?OpenDocument

While loss of control flights lead the pack when it comes to GA fatal accidents, NTSB accident data from 2000-2009 shows poor preflight inspections caused or contributed to 156 GA accidents and 41 fatalities. One way of shoring up your preflight skills is to follow the steps of an “advanced preflight,” a concept that FAA Airworthiness Inspector Steve Keesey outlines in the March/April 2012 FAA Safety Briefing. “Advanced preflight is a program that helps aircraft owners and pilots become more aware of all the safety-related data pertaining to their aircraft,” says Keesey. “In addition, it focuses on being more aware of who maintains your aircraft, and how to apply a detailed approach to your preflight based on a review of the aircraft’s maintenance history.”

For more on how an advanced preflight can increase your chances of a safe flight, be sure to read the article on page 18 (http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/.)

ASAG Secretary,  Jim Anderson recently volunteered to use his plane to fly special needs children at an event at Goodyear Municipal Airport called Sky Kids. The organization, a 501(c)(3), is for children ages 6-19 years old with special needs/disabilities. They partnered with Hope Kids, an organization that works with children who have life threatening conditions to give them an hour long flight. “I probably had more fun flying yesterday than the kids and families did,” said Anderson. “When you have the privilege to fly with kids blessed with endless smiles and the joy they bring to your day, I wouldn’t miss this event for the world.” Joe Husband, Goodyear Airport manager and ASAG Treasurer was also instrumental in making sure the event took place.

Volunteer pilot Jim Anderson, left, poses with Braydon Fuller, his Mom Hetter Fuller and family friend Darryl Kannberg. (Photo by Kim Stevens.)

New research by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation’s Air Safety Institute reveals that the increase in glass panel cockpits in general aviation aircraft has not had a dramatic impact on safety. Glass panels were introduced first in higher-performance aircraft that are typically used for business and personal travel, and have since become standard in virtually all production aircraft. Recently certified designs, such as the Cirrus SR22, transitioned very quickly to glass panels. Very few new aircraft of any type are delivered with analog gauges.

The accident rate in lower-powered aircraft, with or without glass panels, is higher, but the accidents are less likely to be fatal. “What you have on the panel doesn’t matter nearly as much as what you’re flying and how you’re flying it,” said ASI Manager of Aviation Safety Analysis David Jack Kenny. Continue reading →