Flight Safety Information April 3, 2013 - No. 069 In This Issue Embry-Riddle: 'Live the Safety Culture' LAX flight attendants, pilots protest lifting of TSA ban on knives PROS IOSA Audit Experts The World's Biggest Jet Engine Is Brawnier Than Alan Shepard's Orbital China Eastern to add 56 new aircraft in 2013 Embry-Riddle: 'Live the Safety Culture' Rotor & Wing recently had the opportunity to visit both the Daytona and Prescott campuses of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to observe the safety programs first- hand. By Keith Cianfrani When you first arrive at the Daytona Beach or Prescott campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), it does not take long to see that everyone there is well aware of safety management as they "Live the Safety Culture" every day. Dan McCune, vice president of safety, orchestrated the visit. I met McCune at a U.S. Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) safety management systems (SMS) course, where he presented a class on human factors analysis and classification. As you may know from my previous articles, I'm a very strong advocate of leadership and safety. Safety must start at the top to work throughout an organization. This is well demonstrated at ERAU. I sat down with the University President John P. Johnson and McCune for a one-on-one discussion about safety management. Safety is a top priority at the school and the university leadership gets involved at every level, they said. Students conduct preflight planning. The structure of the university's safety program could be compared to a military organization, with Johnson as the brigade or wing commander and the program managed by an outstanding safety officer (in this case McCune). A retired Army warrant officer, pilot, and established safety officer, McCune also authored Chapter 5, Safety Culture in Your Safety Management System, in the book, "Implementing Safety Management Systems in Aviation." Johnson and McCune have the innate ability to bring all employees of the university together for a common focus on safety. I also sat down with Tim Brady, dean of the College of Aviation (Daytona campus), and Alan Stolzer, department chair of doctoral studies, to discuss the challenges and achievements of safety in the university. Brady is a former Air Force pilot and safety officer. Stozler is the co-author of "Implementing Safety Management Systems in Aviation." We discussed some the challenges and achievements at ERAU. One issue discussed was the high turnover rate, which is due to the high demand of ERAU graduates in all areas of aviation. Jet Blue is a company that consistently hires ERAU graduates. Brady went on to say that graduates "live and breathe" the safety culture. When flight students at Daytona graduate the program, they receive an FAA rating of commercial and multi-engine instrument in fixed-wing. The Prescott graduates receive the same rating in rotary wing to include turbine but only single-engine. Many students go on to take the instructor and instrument instructor courses upon graduation. (L-R) ERAU President John Johnson, Dan McCune and Keith Cianfrani. The Prescott campus is operated much like Daytona, with a few differences. I spent time with Frank Ayers, the Chancellor and a retired Air Force pilot, Gary Northam, Dean College of Aviation (Prescott) and Jerry Kidrick, a retired Army pilot and chairman of the Flight Department. We discussed how "living the safety culture" is engraved in the every day operations on both the campus and flight line. We discussed the challenges of flying in a higher elevation environment and retaining quality flight instructors. Ayers went on to say "this culture builds a heightened safety awareness and consciousness." Universal Helicopters Inc. conducts the helicopter flight training. Owned and operated by Gordon Jiroux, a veteran of the helicopter flight training arena with more than 30 years experience in instruction, UHI is under contract with ERAU to provide helicopter flight training. The company operates 10 helicopters with 28 instructors. The fleet consists of Robinson R22s and R44s, and one Bell Jet Ranger aircraft. Gordon's team meets weekly with ERAU safety staff along with the operators of the airfield and air traffic control (ATC). He also holds a yearly safety conference for instructors. After the interviews, I had the opportunity to fly the R44 with director of operations and chief pilot Danny Mackenzie. He walked me through the process of flight planning and risk management for ERAU pilots. Every pilot must brief Mackenzie with flight profile and risk assessment prior to every flight. According to chief pilot Ivan Grau of Daytona (a 1980 ERAU graduate) the company's aircraft fly approximately 70,000 hours a year. ERU's fleet includes the Cessna 172, Piper Arrow, a Super Decathlon and a Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft. The university also trains in flight simulators such as the Diamond Decathlon, Cessna 172 and a CRJ200. ERAU graduates are hired as instructor pilots because they understand the ERAU safety culture and are familiar with their procedures. Only the best get hired with a selection of approximately 50 instructor pilots a year. ERAU also employs rotary wing instructors after graduation. Flight simulators are at both campuses. Daytona offers the high volume of traffic experience as it operates in the nation's second-busiest VFR airport. Prescott offers the challenge of a windy, high-altitude flying environment. Both campuses use scenario type training in their curriculum totaling approximately 300 daily flights. McCune always has safety coins on him and often gives them to employees he sees doing something to enhance safety, whether it is filling in holes in the grass along walkways or recognizing a pilot for a job well done. McCune oversees an army of safety professionals at both the Daytona and Prescott campuses. Justin Johnson is the aviation safety director at Daytona and Brian Roggow is his Prescott counterpart. They both have three safety teams working for them, encompassing flight instruction, operations and maintenance. The safety status of the university is monitored by color status green, yellow and red. Green is all go, yellow indicates a concern and red indicates cease operations. As a result of good safety management, there never has been a red status. McCune consistently briefs the president on the current status. It's like a having huge safety hazard log. All safety personnel know their jobs well and are constantly out on "spot checks" to enhance the safety process. Embry-Riddle's ASAP (incident reporting program) is outstanding. The safety culture encourages employees to report safety issues, no matter how insignificant. On average, both campuses receive more than 400 reports a year. This assists the safety mangers in identifying and mitigating safety risks. Embry-Riddle employs approximately 3,200 people. During my visit, I always make it a point to speak with employees at every level to evaluate job satisfaction. This relates to the issue of good leadership when we speak of safety. I was very pleased to see that ERAU embraces their employees and considers them a part of a huge family working together to accomplish a common goal or mission safely. Johnson and his staff surely use the "leader server concept," where the employer resources its employees to succeed, thus reducing risks and empowering people, which acts as a huge part in the success of the organization. They are "stakeholders" in the organization. Jack Haun oversees the maintenance at Daytona and John Tracy at Prescott. Both have more than 20 years experience in the maintenance field. As a part of risk management the parts department has a chain of custody procedure for ensuring the right part on the proper aircraft. They both are an integral part of the safety culture. Safety Culture poster at ERAU facilities. One of the practices I thought was outstanding was the fact the ERAU has no Mission Essential List for their aircraft. If something is found on a preflight the aircraft is grounded, no matter what the discrepancy, until a mechanic corrects the issue. You won't find that practice in any Part 135 or 91 operation. Safety management is alive and well at ERAU. As a result, they have a strong safety record and have been free from serious accidents for more than 10 years. There is true leadership from the university president and his staff of safety professionals. There is outstanding risk management from the flight instructors to the landscaping crews. Remember, it's the process. ERAU truly "Lives the Safety Culture." As always, take action to Fly Safe! http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/topstories/Embry-Riddle-Live-the-Safety- Culture_78892.html Back to Top LAX flight attendants, pilots protest lifting of TSA ban on knives LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KABC) -- The fight to keep small knives off planes has gone to the front lines: Flight attendants lobbied passengers Monday to join them in putting pressure on the TSA not to change current security policy. Flight attendants were walking from terminal to terminal to enlist grass-roots support, urging passengers to petition the White House. It's the latest in a campaign to overturn a Transportation Security Administration decision that would allow flyers to carry small knives. The ban was imposed after September 11, 2001. The TSA plans to lift the ban on April 25. "It is not only foolish, it is dangerous," said Dante Harris, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. The flight attendants were joined by local members of Congress and five labor unions who say the change would cause longer security lines and increase potential hazards for everyone on a plane. One pilot says a friend was flying a 9-11 jetliner that was hijacked and crashed. "That day happened because knives were allowed on airplanes," said Scott Freeman, Air Line Pilots Association. In a statement, the TSA said lifting the ban will improve efficiency: "This is part of an overall Risk-Based Security approach, which allows Transportation Security Officers to better focus their efforts on finding higher threat items such as explosives." But one man said allowing knives could give passengers a fighting chance against a terrorist. "If there was a terrorist on board and everybody had knives, we'd have a chance. Everybody would be armed," said Diamond Bar resident Bert Perez. The proposed restriction is very specific: no blade longer than 2.36 inches. Critics say that just raises more questions. "Won't that mean more needless work for the screeners while transportation security officers supposedly inspect each knife to see if it exceeds the maximum size?" asked U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles). As the unions apply more pressure, some members of Congress threaten to impose a restriction of their own: a law to overturn the lifting of the TSA ban. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=9049168 Back to Top Back to Top IAG Close to Ordering Airbus's New A350 Jet International Consolidated Airlines Group SA IAG.MC -0.75%could as soon as this week place an order for the new Airbus A350 long-range jetliner for its British Airways unit, according to two people familiar with the talks. If completed, the deal would be a significant win for the Airbus unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. EAD.FR -0.75%over rival Boeing Co., BA -1.36%which has been trying to persuade IAG to buy a proposed update of its 777 model, dubbed the 777X, intended to compete with the A350. Boeing hasn't started formally offering the 777X yet-the company needs approval to launch the model from its board. A decision is expected as early as this month. But the Chicago company has provided extensive detail about the updated jet to prospective clients, and has made offers conditional on board approval to sell the plane to airlines and lessors including IAG, Japan Airlines Co., 9201.TO +1.51%Deutsche Lufthansa AG, LHA.XE -0.19%Air Lease Corp. AL -1.21%and Emirates Airline, according to industry officials. Boeing aims to deliver the first new 777 model to customers by late 2019 or early 2020. "We continue to see IAG as an important customer, and look forward to working with IAG to meet its fleet needs," said Karen Crabtree, Boeing spokeswoman. She said Boeing has been "developing options to improve on the 777's popularity" and that customers are "happy with the airplane design." Even if IAG orders the A350 for British Airways, Boeing is "not out of the running" for a later order for the 777Xs, said one of the people familiar with the carrier's plans. But another person said that if IAG orders A350s, it wouldn't receive preferential terms on Boeing orders. Early buyers of a new jetliner model, known as launch customers, generally receive preferential terms and big discounts, potentially exceeding 50% off catalog prices. Boeing's product development unit was scheduled to meet on Monday with top executives and the company's senior advisory group, which is made up of retired top engineers that designed the company's earlier jetliners. The meeting is an important step in the process of preparing the jet's business model ahead of seeking the board's approval, said two people familiar with the meeting. British Airways currently has 52 of the existing versions of the long-range 777 that is among Boeing's best-selling planes. The carrier currently flies no Airbus long-range, twin-aisle jetliners but is due soon to receive its first Airbus A380 superjumbo, which it ordered alongside Boeing's 787 Dreamliner in 2007. The exact number of planes in IAG's A350 order, and its value, are still under negotiation, according to the people familiar with the talks. IAG's talks with Airbus focus on the A350-1000 model, the largest of three A350 versions Airbus is developing and is due in 2017, the people said. The order could also include a smaller, longer-range version, the A350-900, one of these people said. The purchase of the largest A350 model is likely designed to replace the company's aging fleet of 747-400 aircraft, which were delivered from 1989 to 1999. An IAG spokeswoman declined to comment on possible orders. Japan Airlines, which has long operated an all-Boeing fleet, also is weighing a possible order for the A350, one person familiar with the situation said. "When we look to introduce new planes we weigh all of the options available to us whether it's from Airbus or Boeing. But JAL presently has no specific plans to purchase the Airbus A350," said a JAL spokesman. IAG was created in 2011 by the merger of British Airways with Spain's Iberia. Iberia's fleet is all Airbus planes. British Airways' short and medium-haul European fleet is all Airbus models and its twin-aisle long-range jets have been Boeing jets for nearly a decade. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324020504578396771770111436.html Back to Top China Eastern to add 56 new aircraft in 2013 China Eastern Airlines will be inducting 56 new aircraft into its fleet this year, the majority of which will be narrowbodies. These include 22 Airbus A320s, 26 Boeing 737NGs and eight A330s. During the year, it will also dispose of 14 jets, including A320s, 737NGs and five unspecified freighters. In 2014, the airline is scheduled to take delivery of a further 62 aircraft, mostly A320s and 737NGs, but also including four 777-300ERs. These aircraft numbers could change, however, subject to future market conditions, the carrier said in a recent presentation to investors. Last week, the Shanghai-based airline reported a 39% dip in its 2012 net profit to CNY2.81 billion ($452 million). It said that the global economic downturn, high fuel prices and strong competition among carriers on domestic routes have affected its business. In the second half of 2013, the carrier, together with Qantas Airways, is also set to launch Jetstar Hong Kong. The low-cost carrier will begin operations with three A320s, with plans to grow to a fleet of 18 aircraft by 2015. Flightglobal Pro data shows that China Eastern operates a fleet of 255 aircraft and has a further 117 on order. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/china-eastern-to-add-56-new-aircraft-in- 2013-384137/ Curt Lewis