Blog Elements : Flight Training Central

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

FAA Enforcement & the Aviation Safety Reporting System

February 9, 2015/in Regulations, Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

How to pause, rewind and replay your flight lessons

January 30, 2015/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

It’s no secret that the airplane cockpit doesn’t provide the best classroom experience in the air. With new technology though you can easily record the audio, video and GPS flight track from each flight to better debrief with your instructor and get more out of each flight lesson.

FAA Enforcement & the Aviation Safety Reporting System

February 9, 2015/in Regulations, Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

How to pause, rewind and replay your flight lessons

January 30, 2015/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

FAA Enforcement & the Aviation Safety Reporting System

February 9, 2015/in Regulations, Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Maybe it was skirting the edge of that Class B airspace or inadvertently overflying a college football stadium within an hour of kick off. The event was over as fast as it began. You’re quick to dismiss what seemed the innocuous event as there was no observed traffic within sight and you didn’t hear a word about it on the local approach frequency – no harm, no foul. But weeks, if not months later, you receive the dreaded letter that no pilot wants to receive. You’re the subject of an FAA investigation. Now what?

The letter is from an FAA Safety Inspector based at your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). He states the purpose of the letter, description of the particular event, and as required, informs you that you’re the subject of an investigation. It’s worth noting that I count among my closest friends in aviation, FAA Safety Inspectors. They are pilots just like us – flight instructors, aircraft owners and students with similar backgrounds and a passion for aviation that unites us. That being said, FAA Safety Inspectors have a job to do which is primarily to protect the general public. And in that capacity, they are bound to investigate suspected FAR violations.

Your first response to such an inquiry can be significant in the course of action an Inspector may choose; however, it’s always advisable to seek some level of counsel ahead of providing an official response. In these cases, having the resources available of a program such as the AOPA Legal Services will more than pay for itself. It would also be advisable to file a report, within 10 days of the event, with the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). This report is also known as a NASA Report, and should be filed any time you are involved or witness an event with significant safety implications – including a potential violation.

The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS)

The ASRS was established in 1975 under an agreement between the FAA and NASA by which the FAA provides most of the funding for the program and NASA serves as the independent administrator. As administrator, NASA collects, analyzes, and responds to the voluntarily submitted safety incident reports which can be submitted by pilots, controllers, flight attendants, mechanics, ground personnel and anyone involved in aviation operations.

The reports are used to describe safety related matters and, in turn, identify deficiencies and discrepancies to support policy formulation and planning and ultimately make the aviation system better. Reports can be submitted online at asrs.arc.nasa.gov.

When a report is received it is de-identified before being entered into the incident database. During this process, personal and organizational names are removed and dates, times, and related information are generalized or eliminated. The most important aspect of the program is that proof of report submission can be used for sanction (not enforcement) immunity.

Yes, by regulation, FAA will not use ASRS information in enforcement actions (14 CFR 91.25). Fines and penalties are waived for unintentional violations of federal aviation statutes and regulations. Notable limitation of the immunity are:

Does not extend to reports of accidents or criminal activity
Alleged violation must be inadvertent
Cannot be criminal in nature or involve an accident
Reporter must not have had violation within five (5) years
ASRS report must be submitted within 10 days.

Enforcement Actions

Inspectors are empowered with a great deal of discretion and latitude in resolving suspected violations and factors that may be considered are

the nature of violation (inadvertent or deliberate)
level of experience and responsibility
attitude of the suspected violator
hazard to safety of others
action taken by employer of other authority
length of time since a previous violation
need for a special deterrent
presence of any factors involving national interest.

Enforcement actions at the disposal of your local Inspector include an administrative action, reexamination, certificate action, revocation or suspension, civil penalty (typically for organizations) or criminal action.

Administrative actions are used for minor violations which are found not to be deliberate or significantly unsafe and do NOT show lack of competency. The administrative action can take the form of a warning notice or letter of correction. The letter of correction includes the provision that the pilot has taken or will take corrective or preventive action (e.g. remedial training.) Administrative actions remain on your official airman record for two (2) years.

The reexamination option is technically not an enforcement action although it essentially serves the same purpose. You’ll often here the reexamination process described as a “709 ride” which refers to the U.S. code granting the authority of the FAA to take such action. The reexamination can occur anytime reasonable ground exists but generally would occur after an accident, incident or suspected FAR violation according the Inspector’s Handbook. It’s worth noting that the reexaminations have a very low failure rate and if successful, result in no official airman record.

Certificate suspension or revocations are reserved for serious FAR violations indicative of lack of technical proficiency or qualification deemed too serious to remedy through reexamination or administrative action.

Of course, as pilots, we would much prefer, and should strive to avoid the FAA investigative or enforcement process. But we’re all human and mistakes can be made so an important point is that the process is generally fair and can even be a positive, productive learning experience. Remember, if in doubt to the proper response of an FAA investigation, or if concerns exist as to the ramifications of an enforcement action, always take the time to seek out expert advice.

Safe flying!

How to pause, rewind and replay your flight lessons

January 30, 2015/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Over the course of your flight training there will be times when things feel like they’re happening very fast and it’s tough to keep up with the airplane. This is completely normal and typically happens during the first few weeks of training. It also is common when learning a new maneuver or procedure, or when getting checked out in a high-performance airplane. We all know the airplane isn’t the ideal classroom environment with engine noise to shout over, turbulence to ride through, aircraft instrumentation to interpret, all while your CFI guides you through a lesson plan. Wouldn’t it be nice though, if you could relive your flight lessons in a more controlled environment, to replay the flight and see how you handled each scenario?

The good news is that you can; and it’s never been easier thanks to advancements in a wide-spectrum of mobile technology. New iPad apps and action cameras make it a snap to record the details of each lesson, including your audio communications, cockpit video and GPS flight path. In my experience incorporating these techniques will help you progress more quickly towards your checkride, ultimately saving you time and money.

Audio recording

The easiest way to get started is to record the cockpit audio from your flight using an iPhone or iPad app. You’ll will find it beneficial to go back and listen to the dialogue between yourself and the CFI as they give real-time feedback on maneuvers and procedures from the flight. You’ll hear things you missed, along with reinforcements of what you did right and wrong throughout the flight. This is also useful when learning ATC communications, allowing you to review radio calls from Approach and Tower controllers and analyze your responses.

The simplest way to to do this is to use the included Voice Memos app on your iPhone and an audio adapter cable that interfaces between your intercom jack and headset. If you want to use an iPad or Android phone, a quick search in the app store will reveal several audio recording apps. If you have a newer Lightspeed headset check out the FlightLink app, which seamlessly interfaces with these modern headsets. The app will even record wirelessly over Bluetooth with the new Lightspeed PFX headset.

In-flight cockpit video

To take things to the next level, consider adding a small action camera to record video of your flights. Everyone knows the name GoPro these days, and these mini cameras do an excellent job at recording HD video from your flight. You’ll be able to see the instrument panel, flight controls and each event from the flight. You can even add an audio adapter cable to tie into the aircraft intercom to record both ATC and cockpit audio synced with the video.

Another in-flight camera option is the Garmin Virb, which records high-quality HD video like the GoPro, but also simultaneously logs your GPS position data. This allows you to quickly locate various points in the flight when reviewing the video by seeing your ground track on an adjacent map. The Virb is also a better option when recording cross-countries since it has about double the battery life of the GoPro and lasts about 3 hours. And after you earn your pilot certificate you’ll love taking these cameras with you on all your flights and capturing your experiences out the window as you travel to new airports and destinations.

GPS flight path logging

Ok so we’ve covered options for recording both the video and audio, what’s next? The latest trend in aviation is flight data recording, where you capture your GPS flight path with a portable device, and then analyze the data when back on the ground to visually debrief your maneuvers. Since most pilots are flying with iPads these days, the easiest way to do this is with an iPad/GPS combo and an aviation app. Both ForeFlight and WingX Pro, two of the mainstream aviation apps for pilots, include this capability right in the app.

When back on the ground you can then easily view your flight path on satellite imagery or aviation charts. You can also export the data to Google Earth for a 3D picture of your flight. And for the ultimate review, you can export the flight data to a premium-app like Cloud Ahoy, which will allow you to visualize each maneuver. It’ll even analyze them to show you where you deviated from altitude on steep turns, or heading when performing slow flight, for example.

Another option for data-recording is to use a dedicated device like the Stratus ADS-B receiver, which contains a built-in data recorder. The benefit here is that it starts recording automatically, leaving you with one less task to handle in the airplane. Just like when recording with ForeFlight’s built-in flight tracking feature, you can quickly export this data for review on aviation maps, Google Earth or CloudAhoy.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

FAA Enforcement & the Aviation Safety Reporting System

How to pause, rewind and replay your flight lessons

FAA Enforcement & the Aviation Safety Reporting System

How to pause, rewind and replay your flight lessons

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

FAA Enforcement & the Aviation Safety Reporting System

How to pause, rewind and replay your flight lessons

Audio recording

In-flight cockpit video

GPS flight path logging

Email Subscription

Recent Articles