Ethics in Aviation

       The Ground Controller and Local Controller are the two important types of air traffic control entities. Think about a large airport like the Los Angeles International airport (LAX), hundreds of flights are going in and out of that airport daily. Who do you think coordinates the logistical nightmare that has so many moving parts going to so many different destinations. Those people controlling the ground and sky are the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC). They are broken down into different specialties throughout ATC to ensure every single detail is covered and all aircrafts are moving smoothly and safely.       The ground controller is responsible for all ground traffic, which includes aircraft taxiing from the gates to takeoff runways and landing runways to the gates. The ground controller is the authority that determines when it is safe for an aircraft to move about on a runway/taxiway. The ground controller instructs the pilot to take a certa...

When we think about how airports impact the environment, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Exactly, its way too loud! Maybe that's not the first thing that comes to mind, but its a serious environmental impact to consider. Researchers have shown that exposure to excessively loud noises can cause changes in blood pressure and cause sleep problems. I've seen this or heard this first hand. Early in my military career I was stationed at a F-22 base and since I was young in rank I lived on base in the dorms. The nights the F-22 participated in night flying training I had trouble staying asleep. They had certain rules the pilots had to follow like not flying too low but we could still hear them. The base had to send out a notice to the nearby town that notifying them that they were conducting night training operations. Talk about a hit to operational security but that was the agreement the base had with the town. Living near an airport where there are constant flights in an...

     One of the most historic legislation acts that shaped the aviation industry is the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 that established the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Previous aviation regulations were regulated through the Civil Aeronautics Board but by an act of congress the FAA had sole responsibility for the nation's civil-military system of air navigation and air traffic control.      The 1950s hit a boom of traffic in the air space, with rising technology and a population eagerly using aircraft to travel more and more. This is when we saw one of the deadliest in-flight crashes to date. In 1956, a United flight collided with TWA flight over the Grand Canyon, resulting in 128 fatalities. This crash happened in uncontrolled airspace which was a concern for future flights in possible uncontrolled places. Two years later in 1958, a military jet and a commercial airliner over Brunswick, Maryland collided mid-air.     ...

    Human error has documented as a primary for more then 70% of commercial airplane accidents. These errors come from all facets in the aviation industry to include pilots during flight operations, mechanics engaging in bad maintenance practices, and air traffic management. Human error is used more and more because it is an increasing problem in the aircraft mishaps. Actual aircraft failure due to mechanical issues are a rare occurrence and could have been prevented with better practices. The instruments are only as good as the operators. Recently, their have been many advances in technology and software that can autonomously go through flight operations with the pilot having less and less responsibility. These technological upgrades are being made to prevent human error and making a safer flight experience for the industry and its customers.       Reducing error in airline maintenance is a challenge that the airline industry ...

     The Transportation Security Administration was enacted by President Bush on November 19, 2001 after the terrible terrorists’ attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Since then, we’ve seen an evolution of the TSA to continually update their practices, technology, and security measures.      One area of TSA I find very fascinating is their Explosive Detection Canine Program. The program trains canines to support day-to-day operations that protect the transportation domain. These highly trained explosives detection canine teams are a reliable resource at detecting explosives and provide a visible deterrent to terrorism directed towards transportation systems. You can see canine teams at airports across the nation consisting of a TSA inspector or local or state law enforcement officers who are paired with an explosive detection canine. TSA trains canines to operate in a multitude of areas to include aviation, multimodal, maritime, mass transit, ...

  For this week’s blog, I’d like to discuss the turbofan engine that is popularly used in passenger aircrafts today. The turbofan was developed to combine the advantages of the turbojet and the turboprop into one do all engine. The turbojet produces thrust by ejecting a high energy gas stream from the engine exhaust nozzle which leads to accelerating a relatively small mass of air to a high speed. A turboprop adds a propeller through a reduction gear and is great at slower speeds. When you combine the two you get the turbofan, it creates additional thrust by diverting a secondary airflow around the combustion chamber. The turbofan bypass air generates increased thrust, cools the engine, and aids in exhaust noise suppression. This provides turbojet-type cruise speed and lower fuel consumption (FAA, 2003). As we can see, the engine is one of the most important parts of the aircraft. An example of a turbofan not functioning correctly was recently in the news, this is definitely some...