09 OCT 2009 _______________________________________ * Pilot fatigue 'safety concern' * Latest Air-Safety Idea: Naps in the Cockpit * DOT Issues Lithium Battery Safety Advisory to Increase Aviation Industry Awareness * ITT Implementing Technology to Improve Aviation Safety, Decrease Passenger Delays and Reduce... * Regional Airlines Announce Enhanced Safety Programs * UK to retain airline fluid ban * HEMS Webinar Set for Oct. 29 **************************************** Pilot fatigue 'safety concern' By DON PEAT, SUN MEDIA 9th October 2009, 3:44am An Air Canada Pilots Association initiative to track pilot fatigue is taking off. The association started collecting the data at the end of May but announced the details of the initiative at its international winter operations conference in Toronto yesterday. "Pilot fatigue is a top safety concern for our members and a major issue that aviation authorities around the world are working to address," Captain Barry Wiszniowski said yesterday. "As part of our mission to protect and promote aviation safety, Air Canada pilots are assuming a leadership role to ensure pilot fatigue is also addressed in Canada." Wiszniowski, chairman of the association's technical and safety division, said the program was launched because Transport Canada said it has no data on pilot fatigue in Canada. "You can't monitor what you don't measure and you can't measure what you don't monitor," he said. "What we have here is a system in which we can monitor pilot fatigue and then we can measure it and through that measuring we can come up with proactive ways to correct incidents of fatigue," Wiszniowski said. Recently, the International Civil Aviation Organization adopted new standards requiring member countries, including Canada, to adopt science-based fatigue risk management systems. Under the association's fatigue tracking initiative, pilots are documenting incidents of fatigue and contributing factors with an internationally-accepted form used by pilots at other major airlines and agencies. The results will be shared with Air Canada and Transport Canada. DON.PEAT@SUNMEDIA.CA http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/10/09/11351806-sun.html ************** Latest Air-Safety Idea: Naps in the Cockpit Airlines, Unions Urge FAA to Allow Pilots to Sleep Midflight to Alleviate Fatigue; a Tough Sell for Passengers October 9, 2009 By ANDY PASZTOR U.S. airlines and their unions have joined forces to push the Federal Aviation Administration to let pilots do what was once unthinkable: sleep on the job. Though the practice of nodding off midflight in the cockpit is now strictly forbidden by the FAA, U.S. airlines and pilot unions say there is reputable research supporting the notion that so-called controlled napping can enhance safety by making crews more alert during critical, often hectic descents and landings. For years, several large foreign airlines, including British Airways, Qantas and some Asian carriers, have allowed one pilot at a time to catch a few minutes of shut-eye during routine cruise portions of certain flights, when crews sometimes have relatively little to do for hours. Such rest strategies have been most relevant to long-range international or transcontinental flights, though it isn't clear whether the FAA also might consider their use for certain short-haul schedules. Either way, the idea is a tough sell for passengers who might have trouble relaxing if they think their captain may be asleep at the controls. "It may seem counterintuitive to folks in the back of the plane, but it's the right thing to do" for safer skies, said Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation, an international safety group that has studied ways to combat fatigue in the cockpit. Fatigue particularly afflicts pilots who cross multiple time zones, work successive late-night and early-morning shifts and commute long distances to report to work. Napping is "an excellent fatigue-mitigation measure" and "there's no question it produces better pilot performance at the critical phases of flight," said Gregory Belenky, a sleep scientist at Washington State University. He briefed airline and union representatives before they submitted their recommendations to regulators. Pilots say naps not only make sense, but that they also already take them. To avoid incriminating comments that could be captured on cockpit voice recorders, they sometimes use code with their onboard colleagues. "I think I'm going to meditate now" is one signal, according to pilots. A recent study reported that a majority of commuter pilots in a survey revealed that they had fallen asleep at least once behind the controls. It's not unusual for some commuter crews to work 14-hour days flying multiple short hops requiring as many as five or six landings. More broadly, safety experts around the world have long recognized the dangers of overworked or sleep-deprived pilots in dozens of fatal crashes and hundreds of close calls. In the U.S., aviation-accident investigators list tired pilots as one of their top 10 safety concerns, linking them to at least 10 U.S. airliner accidents and 260 fatalities since 1990. In February 2008, both pilots of a regional jet en route from Honolulu to Hilo, Hawaii, operated by commuter carrier Go!, fell asleep while cruising at 21,000 feet. For about 18 minutes, they failed to respond to frantic calls from air-traffic controllers. The flight eventually landed safely at its destination, but after an investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board in August urged the FAA to identify ways to reduce pilot fatigue during such short-haul flights. In the past, fears about how pilot naps would play with the public doomed similar proposals. In the mid-1990s, the FAA and the Air Line Pilots Association agreed to the idea of controlled napping in a broader revision of fatigue rules. But high-ranking political appointees at the Department of Transportation stripped out the language over fears of negative political fallout and ridicule, according to people familiar with the matter. The entire proposal later stalled in squabbles among airlines and unions. Safety experts have since stepped up their support. Last year, participants in an FAA fatigue symposium agreed that naps should be made legal. "The excuse that "it doesn't pass the Jay Leno test" [for fear of ridicule] is no longer valid," Curt Graeber, a former government and industry sleep expert who did some of the earliest studies on the topic, told a House transportation panel this summer. U.S. airlines that shied away from taking a public position in the past now seem convinced. Research provides "overwhelming evidence that controlled napping provides significant" ways to reduce fatigue risk and "other regulatory agencies have endorsed it for many years with no adverse consequences," according to a recent letter to the FAA from industry groups representing U.S. passenger and cargo carriers. The letter was first reported last month by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A position paper adopted by the Aerospace Medical Association, which represents flight surgeons and aviation sleep specialists, concluded that in-seat naps of 40 or 45 minutes-taken when pilot stress and workloads are low-can "significantly improve alertness" during later phases of a flight. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines is one of three major U.S. carriers gearing up to collect real-time fatigue data from pilots before, during and after long-haul international runs. The findings are expected to influence FAA decisions. Deliberations about napping come as part of a comprehensive review of federal rules covering pilot fatigue. A joint industry-labor committee recently submitted a package of proposed changes to help the FAA rewrite decades-old pilot-scheduling regulations to reflect the latest findings about the causes of fatigue. The recommendations, which could bring sweeping changes to airline operations, also call for limiting flying time and duty periods based on the time of day, the number of takeoffs during a trip and the internal body clocks of pilots. Under these principles, the FAA would jettison rigid, one-size-fits-all fatigue rules covering all types of airline operations. Some passenger advocates are likely to balk at the napping clause. "Both pilots in the cockpit need to be well-rested," said Kate Hanni, head of FlyersRights.org, which has clashed with the FAA previously over safety and passenger rights. "If the FAA decides to let one of them nap during any part of a trip" without requiring a replacement to sit behind the controls, "I have a huge problem with that," she said. FAA chief Randy Babbitt has pledged to quickly finalize new rules, though he and other agency officials haven't yet expressed opinions about pilot napping. Airline trade groups and pilot union leaders also have declined to comment. As financially strapped airlines seek to increase efficiency by squeezing pilots to fly more hours per month, pilots say secret naps behind the controls are becoming more widespread. Safety experts caution that cockpit snoozing shouldn't be used to extend pilot workdays or to replace planned sleep in aircraft rest areas. On long-range international flights, which can stretch well beyond 16 hours, there are up to two replacement pilots aboard. Various foreign regulators years ago approved catnaps in the cockpit at 40,000 feet-though some Asian aviation authorities stopped short of explicitly sanctioning the practice. In Europe, where controversy is brewing over whether to reduce maximum daily and weekly work hours, pilots representing 36 countries demonstrated outside the European Parliament in Brussels to complain that current rules put passengers at risk If in-flight naps gain the imprimatur of the FAA, they could become a formal part of everyday airline procedures, "even if they may not be politically correct," said Mr. Voss. The latest industry-government effort to find common ground on nagging fatigue disputes, Dr. Belenky said, shows both sides have decided: "Let's do what the science recommends." Write to Andy Pasztor at andy.pasztor@wsj.com http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125504526670974763.html ************** DOT Issues Lithium Battery Safety Advisory to Increase Aviation Industry Awareness Washington, D.C. In its continuing effort to promote the safe transportation of lithium batteries, the Department of Transportation today issued a safety advisory in the Federal Register targeting shippers and carriers responsible for compliance with hazardous materials regulations covering both passenger and cargo aircraft. (Media-Newswire.com) - Washington, D.C. - In its continuing effort to promote the safe transportation of lithium batteries, the Department of Transportation today issued a safety advisory in the Federal Register targeting shippers and carriers responsible for compliance with hazardous materials regulations covering both passenger and cargo aircraft. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, published the advisory to highlight recent aviation incidents involving lithium batteries, outline the current regulatory requirements for the safe transportation of lithium batteries, and announce that the two agencies are stepping up enforcement of the safety standards. The agencies are particularly concerned with undeclared shipments of lithium batteries and in bringing enforcement action against those responsible for offering them in transportation. "This advisory puts all shippers on notice that non-compliance with the safety regulations is not acceptable," said Secretary Ray LaHood. "I have asked the department's enforcement personnel to increase their inspections and step up enforcement where necessary." Since 1991, more than 40 air transport-related incidents involving lithium batteries and devices powered by lithium batteries have been identified. Many of these incidents were directly related to the lack of awareness of the regulations, risks and required safety measures applicable to the shipment of lithium batteries. Recommended battery safety practices and guidance are available at http://safetravel.dot.gov. For more detailed information on battery shipment requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations go to: http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat. http://media-newswire.com/release_1102135.html ************** ITT Implementing Technology to Improve Aviation Safety, Decrease Passenger Delays and Reduce... Publication: Business Wire Date: Thursday, October 1 2009 ADS-B system poised to bring unprecedented air traffic control capabilities to the Gulf of Mexico HOUSTON -- ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT) announced today that a new technology it is implementing will dramatically improve aviation safety and efficiency in the Gulf of Mexico while reducing passenger delays and greenhouse gas emissions. The company is planning to help bring the same technology to other areas across the United States in 2010, including New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Los Angeles. The new technology -- called Automatic Dependent Surveillance -- Broadcast, or ADS-B -- will enable air traffic to be managed more efficiently, allowing airplanes to use more direct routes to save fuel and reduce flight times. ADS-B is the backbone of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, the Federal Aviation Administration's effort to steadily transform the ground-based air traffic control system of today to a more efficient, satellite-based system of the future. "We are proud to help the FAA usher in a new era of aviation," said Steve Loranger, ITT's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "This transformation of U.S. air traffic control is not only going to improve safety and reduce passenger delays, it will also help the airline industry make significant cuts to its greenhouse gas emissions." Fully implemented, NextGen and ADS-B are expected save the U.S. economy more than $40 billion a year through fuel and passenger time cost savings. Specific benefits ADS-B will enable include: * Decreased passenger delays: FAA estimates a 35-40% reduction by 2018 due to NextGen implementation * Decreased fuel consumption: Tests show that an ADS-B-equipped Airbus on a trans-Atlantic flight could save 350 lbs. of fuel per trip * Reduced carbon emissions: A UPS pilot program of ADS-B reduced greenhouse gas emissions of its Boeing 757 aircraft by 38% * Greater safety: An ADS-B pilot program in Alaska coincided with a 47% decrease in accident rate * Comprehensive tracking: GPS technology now allows the path of aircraft to be tracked anywhere -- on the ground or in the air * Shorter flight times due to more direct routes "We are delighted to be on time and under budget for ADS-B system development and deployment," said Loranger. "ITT is pleased to partner with the FAA and we look forward to working together for years to come." ADS-B will also address challenges specific to airspace over the Gulf of Mexico, one of the most highly trafficked airspaces in the world with hundreds of commercial airline flights and more than 600 helicopters operating every day to service 9,000 offshore oil and gas platforms. Currently, radar coverage exists in a very limited area, requiring the application of inefficient air traffic control procedures. As a part of the ADS-B program, ITT is also installing equipment to monitor weather in the area and enable the transmission of real-time weather information to aircraft. Currently, such information is only available for approximately one-quarter of the Gulf of Mexico. ITT was awarded a $1.86 billion contract by the FAA in 2007 to lead a team to develop and deploy the ADS-B system nationwide and operate and maintain the system after deployment through September 2025. About ITT Corporation ITT Corporation is a high-technology engineering and manufacturing company operating on all seven continents in three vital markets: water and fluids management, global defense and security, and motion and flow control. With a heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver extraordinary solutions that create more livable environments, provide protection and safety and connect our world. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company generated 2008 sales of $11.7 billion. www.itt.com ************** Regional Airlines Announce Enhanced Safety Programs Roger Cohen, President of the Regional Airline Association, testified before the US House Subcommittee on Aviation regarding enhanced safety programs at RAA member airlines. Click here to read the full written testimony. Click here to read the full oral testimony. Washington, DC -The Regional Airline Association (RAA) announced today at a U.S. House hearing that nearly all its member airlines, which carry 98 percent of regional airline passengers, have either established or committed to establishing both a Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) program and an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). "These achievements are but one demonstration of our member airlines' commitment to safety," said Regional Airline President Roger Cohen. "Aviation safety is a shared responsibility, and we look forward to continuing our work with Congress, the FAA, our employees and mainline partners to ensure the U.S. air transportation system remains the safest mode of travel." RAA also outlined to the House Aviation Subcommittee the elements of its own independent Strategic Safety Initiative, including study of human performance and fatigue issues and a more thorough review of pilot check rides. With safety as its highest priority, RAA represents North American regional airlines, and the manufacturers of products and services supporting the regional airline industry, before the Congress, DOT, FAA and other federal agencies. With more than 13,000 regional airline flights every day, regional airlines operate more than 50 per cent of the nation's commercial schedule. Some 160 million passengers annually -- more than one of every five domestic airline passengers -- travel on regionals, and the more than 2,700 regional aircraft comprise about nearly 40 percent of the US commercial passenger fleet. Most notably, regional airlines serve 631 communities across the country and in 486 of those communities -- 77 percent of the US - - regional airlines provide the only scheduled service. Founded in 1975, Washington, DC-based RAA also provides a wide array of technical, government relations and public relations services for regional airlines. The association's 31 member airlines and 280 associate members represent the key decision makers of this vital sector of the commercial aviation industry. http://www.raa.org/index.php?option=com_content &task=view&id=277&Itemid=1 ************** UK to retain airline fluid ban 9 Oct 2009 Britain is set to remain the only nation in the European Union to retain its restrictions on carrying liquids. European transport minister are meeting in Luxembourg next Friday when they are expected to lift the 100 ml limit, but the UK is expected to opt out. The first stage of the EC proposals would come into force next April, and would mean transfer passengers from outside the EU would no longer have to surrender liquids they bought from duty free shops at the start of their journey if they were changing planes. The next stage would see the scrapping of the 100 ml limit at major airports by April 2012, followed by a European-wide lifting two years after that. The proposals follow intense lobbying by manufacturers of scanners, such as Smiths Industries, who claim they now have technology in place that enables passengers and their hand luggage to be screened for potentially dangerous liquids. But airports are understood to be opposed and airlines remain sceptical as to whether the technology is yet in place. The Department for Transport also remains unconvinced. "We have always said that current restrictions must remain in place until technology solutions which provide robust detection performance and a better passenger experience become available," a spokesman told The Telegraph. "We do not believe April 2010 is a realistic target for the introduction of technology to screen duty free liquids carried by transfer passengers." A complete ban on taking liquids and gels was imposed following a plot to down transatlantic aircraft in August 2006. The ban was later eased with passengers being told that they could not put liquids in containers bigger than 100 ml into their hand luggage. However this has exacerbated security queues at airports because of the need to screen passengers' hand luggage before allowing them on aircraft. Some airports, including Manchester, have been accused of cashing in on heightened anti-terrorism measures by charging passengers for plastic security bags. http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/uk-to-retain-airline-fluid-ba n/ ************** HEMS Webinar Set for Oct. 29 Aviation Today will present a webinar that will solicit some of the world's top helicopter air safety experts to provide a realistic assessment of the current status of the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) industry. Scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, the webinar will focus on topics such as pilot training, safety management systems, flight safety equipment, data collection, autopilots and reimbursement, and how they relate to HEMS operations. The panel of speakers will include Robert Sumwalt, NTSB member, Gary Sizemore, spokesman and past president of the National EMS Pilots Association, and Rotor & Wing Editor-at-Large Ernie Stephens. Air Safety Week Editor-in-Chief Ramon Lopez will moderate the discussion. To register, visit AvToday 's webinar page. http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/topstories/HEMS-Webinar-Set-for-Oct-29_35767 .html ************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC