By ALPA Staff When it comes to aviation safety and security, and pilot
assistance issues, everything matters. “For ALPA, it’s not just our job,
it’s a moral imperative,” said the Association’s president, Capt. Lee Moak,
during his opening remarks at the 58th ALPA Air Safety Forum, held August
6–9 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
Moak reviewed several of ALPA’s recent successes, including expansion of
the Known Crewmember program and U.S. regulations that set science-based
flight- and duty-time limits and minimum rest requirements for U.S.
passenger-transporting pilots. Yet he acknowledged that more work needs to
be done regarding the cargo carveout. Moak also drew attention to several
highly successful ALPA conferences that addressed topics like laser
illumination of aircraft cockpits, Aviation Safety Action Programs, pilot
fatigue, closing the gaps in air cargo safety and security, and pilot
training and qualification. He then talked about the Association’s strategic
priorities.
Capt. Charles Hogeman (United), ALPA’s Aviation Safety chair, who
moderated the forum, said, “Our theme for this year’s forum is ‘Everything
Matters.’ What does it mean for us? Just this: In a system as complex as
commercial aviation, no single element can enhance safety on its own.
“Equipment, systems, and human factors are interrelated and affect
everything else and must work together to function effectively, just as a
crew must work together,” Hogeman continued. “Everything matters.”
Introducing keynote speaker John Pistole, Transportation Safety
Administration (TSA) administrator, Moak declared that Pistole “embodies
many qualities that we at ALPA have come to rely on heavily as we advance
our aviation safety and security goals.”
Pistole noted that only three months ago, “an extraordinary foreign
intelligence coup” helped to foil a second attempt by Al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula to bring down an airliner with a nonmetallic explosive
device. Terrorists, he said, “are going to school” on explosives, so the TSA
has recalibrated its explosives detection equipment throughout the United
States, encouraged its international partners to do likewise, and even
retrained explosives-detecting dogs.
Pistole reported that his agency has trained more than 35,000 officers in
procedures for de-escalating conflicts with passengers and crewmembers at
screening checkpoints. “The partnership with ALPA has continued to be a key
enabler in helping us to provide the best possible security in the most
efficient way,” he concluded.
Sidebar
Coming Together
This year’s Air Safety Forum brought together ALPA pilot representatives
from the safety, security, and pilot assistance disciplines along with
government officials, members of airline management, and other industry
stakeholders. Members of ALPA’s Air Safety Organization (ASO) spent two days
in closed sessions, sharing information, discussing pressing matters, and
receiving presentations. The forum held its “public days” the following two
days, with panel discussions, presentations from top-ranking government
officials, and ceremonies to recognize ASO pilot accomplishments for
technical work as well as superior airmanship.
ASO Workshops, Committee Briefings, and Presentations
At a brief general session open to all ALPA members and staff, Moak and
Capt. Sean Cassidy, ALPA’s first vice president, thanked the members of the
audience for their notable achievements and laid out a strategic roadmap for
the coming years. Then it was time for everyone to roll up their sleeves and
get to work.
Day One
CASCs Collaborate
ALPA’s Safety Council, made up of master executive council (MEC) Central
Air Safety chairs (CASCs), held its semi-annual meeting to review
safety-related activities at each of ALPA’s pilot groups and to hear
presentations about new programs and best practices. The chairs reviewed the
status of voluntary data collection programs like ASAP and FOQA and the
safety-related experiences and culture at their airline.
Sharing information was a recurring theme in much of the discussion, and
Capt. Mike Schilz (Delta), director of ALPA’s Safety Information and
Analysis Program, talked with the group about the status of the FAA’s ASIAS
(Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing) data fusion project. The
intent of the project is to blend data from several sources to provide a
more complete picture of flight operations.
Capt. Greg Downs (United), his pilot group’s ALPA FOQA/FSAP chair,
reported on a novel and confidential information-sharing program between the
United pilots and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).
Using the pilots’ Flight Safety Action Program (FSAP) feedback and the
controllers’ Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP), the two groups work
together on common problem areas identified by their members.
F/O Marc Henegar (Alaska), ALPA’s Air Traffic Services Group chair,
discussed the status of the Terminal Area Reporting Program (TARP), an
automated program that reports any loss of required separation between
aircraft. Henegar reviewed the process for reporting loss of required
separation and the need for pilots to file timely ASAP reports. “If you even
think something happened, ASAP it,” he said.
Training Council Chairs Share Information and Address Mutual Issues
The ALPA Training Council, made up of the MEC Training Committee chairs
from ALPA pilot groups, discussed vital issues pertaining to pilots. F/O
Marc Henegar (Alaska), ALPA’s Air Traffic Services chair, reviewed ATC
phraseology regarding speed restrictions and “climb via” clearances slated
to go into effect later this year.
Dr. Kathy Abbott, FAA chief scientific and technical advisor for flight
deck human factors, provided an update on current FAA and
government/industry activities on several fronts. Abbott discussed aircraft
automation, including control automation, information automation, and
management automation. “What’s considered automation at one time—for
example, yaw dampers—may not be considered automation in the future.”
Security Chairs Share Info at Security Council Meeting
ALPA’s MEC security coordinators and committee chairs assembled as the
Association’s Security Council to review ongoing security issues for ALPA’s
member pilot groups.
Capt. Fred Eissler (FedEx Express), ALPA’s Aviation Security chair,
talked about the status of the Federal Flight Deck Officer program,
security-sensitive information, expansion of the Known Crewmember program,
secondary cockpit barriers, threatened airspace management, and a new
federal statute that criminalizes the intentional laser illumination of an
aircraft’s cockpit or its flight path. Eissler examined both the challenges
and the progress being made in each of these areas, emphasizing that “the
key to solutions is working relationships.”
Security committee coordinators and chairs provided comments and feedback
from their pilot groups about airport security screening experiences,
layover hotel issues, and laser incidents.
Jumpseat Council Promotes Captain’s Authority
Pilots in command play a critical role in ensuring that the jumpseat
remains available to fellow crewmembers, said F/O James Berzon
(Continental), ALPA’s acting Jumpseat Council chair.
Capt. Craig Stephens (Delta), ALPA’s international jumpseat coordinator,
told the group that the major hurdle in gaining widespread international
jumpseating is standardizing databases and procedures across company lines
so that each airline has an easily recognizable master crew list.
Canada, unfortunately, still lags behind its U.S. counterparts when it
comes to cockpit access. Canadian regulations only allow pilots to use
cockpit jumpseats on their own airline if every cabin seat is full, a
situation Moak says must be changed.
The Jumpseat Council took time to honor two outstanding ALPA volunteers
for their contributions to helping airline pilots get to and from work:
• Capt. Shannon Smith (Continental), his pilot
group’s MEC jumpseat chair, who created the “No Pilot Left Behind” program
several years ago, and
• Capt. Rob Frank (US Airways, formerly Air
Wisconsin), who served as ALPA’s National Jumpseat Committee representative
for almost a decade and was the driving force behind the creation of ALPA’s
www.jumpseatinfo.org
website and ALPA’s smartphone app.
PA Forum Begins with In-depth Briefs from PA Leaders
ALPA’s Pilot Assistance leaders discussed the five areas under Pilot
Assistance: Aeromedical, Canada Pilot Assistance, Critical Incident Response
Program (CIRP), the Human Intervention and Motivation Study (HIMS), and
Professional Standards. Approximately 75 attendees received briefings on the
issues that each of the five areas are tackling to improve Pilot Assistance
services.
Following these updates, participants received a thorough HIMS
presentation. Dr. Lynn Hankes from the University of Washington’s School of
Medicine explained how alcoholism is a chronic, treatable disease and that
complete abstinence is crucial to recovery.
Dr. Daniel Zenga, a licensed psychologist, examined certain behaviors
that PA volunteers need to recognize to resolve potential conflicts within
peer groups.
Capt. Dave Noble (Air Canada, Ret.) received a plaque in recognition of
his efforts to build and maintain the Pilot Assistance program in Canada.
Noble is considered by many to be one of the founding fathers of Pilot
Assistance in Canada and has worked tirelessly for more than 25 years to
assist pilots in need.
Day Two
AvSec Forum Speakers Address Risk Mitigation
ALPA’s Aviation Security Forum attendees heard from speakers who examined
airline industry security issues. The U.S. approach to airport passenger
screening has changed significantly in the period since 9/11. Doug Hofsass,
TSA associate administrator for risk-based security, looked at its
transformation from a one-size-fits-all legacy screening system to the
current risk-based security philosophy. “We’re using our resources more
effectively,” he noted.
Warren Miller, TSA branch chief for air cargo policy, spoke about the
agency’s efforts to screen air cargo coming into and leaving the U.S. After
the enactment of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, the TSA has been working
with freight forwarders, shippers, and independent cargo screening
facilities to ensure that the entire air cargo supply chain is covered.
Politics play a tremendous role in determining the direction of air
transportation security, and Elizabeth Baker, ALPA’s senior legislative
representative, reviewed U.S. aviation security legislation during the last
decade. She noted that the U.S. has spent $636 billion on security since
9/11.
F/O Darrin Dorn (Alaska), his pilot group’s MEC Security Committee chair
and a former U.S. Special Forces member, examined the details of four
terrorist attacks that occurred in recent years, offering recommended
practices that crewmembers can use to protect themselves.
Training Issues at the Forefront
Stall prevention, recognition, and recovery dominated the second day of
the ALPA Training Council’s meeting. Capt. Dave McKenney (United) described
the new pilot test standards for stall recognition and recovery that the FAA
recently published. The new standards call for the pilot to demonstrate
recognition and recovery from three approaches to a stall—one each in
takeoff or partial flap configuration, clean cruise, and landing
configurations—one of which must be encountered with autopilot engaged (if
installed).
New stall standards emphasize reducing the wing’s angle of attack as the
fundamental and a primary recovery step for any stall event. Evaluation
criteria for a recovery from an approach to stall should not mandate a
predetermined value for altitude loss and should not mandate maintaining
altitude during recovery.
Capt. Aaron Bolduc (Compass) discussed ALPA’s participation in the
Aircraft State Awareness Joint Safety Implementation Team, a
government-industry group chartered by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team
to research loss-of-control accidents specifically caused by loss of flight
crew awareness of the aircraft’s energy status.
Capt. Don Dobias (United) led a lively discussion on crew resource
management evaluation issues. A Training Council member asserted, “CRM may
be the most important thing we teach.”
Information Is Power When Managing Security Threats
You’re a captain piloting an A330 from Chicago O’Hare to Washington
Dulles when your lead flight attendant reports that there’s a credible
threat of a passenger on board with an explosive device implanted in her
body. That was the scenario presented to ALPA’s aviation security group as
part of a tabletop exercise.
If a possible security threat escalates, the U.S. and Canadian militaries
may be called on to intercept the aircraft. U.S. Air Force officers from the
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) gave an overview on
“Intercept 101,” explaining what happens when fighters are sent aloft. “Ten
years after 9/11, the primary information-sharing tool used by U.S. and
Canadian air security partners is still the telephone,” said USAF Col.
Robert Hehemann.
PA Forum Focuses on Training in Core Areas
The Pilot Assistance Forum resumed as participants received a briefing on
how ALPA’s CIRP members mobilized after the Sept. 16, 2011, crash at Reno’s
National Championship Air Races, which killed the pilot and 10 spectators
and injured 69 others.
Professional Standards then took the stage to discuss effective
communications skills for resolving conflicts. Participants engaged in
exercises to practice seeing and understanding various situations from
different perspectives. The skills learned will help volunteers interact
with their peers.
Dr. Quay Snyder, ALPA’s aeromedical advisor, detailed the scope of
services provided by the Aviation Medicine Advisory Service and touched upon
recent trends within the field. Dr. Gordon Turnbull, one of the world’s
leading experts on trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, closed the
forum with a presentation on trauma.
Day Three
ALPA’s Public Offerings
Voluntary Safety Reporting Helps Raise Safety Bar
While aviation is safer than ever, the airline industry is collaborating
successfully with government to make it even safer by participating in
voluntary reporting programs that provide information to analyze to help
identify risk factors. This is important because as aviation transitions to
a risk-based safety model, “you realize you can’t do it all,” said Martin
Eley, director general of civil aviation for Transport Canada.
Eley; Peggy Gilligan, FAA associate administrator; and others joined ALPA
pilot safety leaders to discuss current government efforts to achieve one
worldwide level of safety.
“We’re at a point now where we have access to information that we’ve
never had before, and our ability to use it and look into the future is
excellent,” said Tom Hendricks, Airlines for America’s senior vice president
for safety, security, and operations.
On the international front, ICAO Chief of Flight Operations Mitchell Fox
said the three highest safety priorities are reducing runway excursions,
loss of control in flight, and controlled flight into terrain.
Where the Rubber Meets (and Leaves) the Pavement
“On the Radar: Critical Safety Issues at Our Airports” was the title of a
panel moderated by F/O Steve Jangelis (Delta), chair of the ALPA Airport
Ground and Environment Group.
Patrick Doyle, the FAA’s director of runway safety, said that educating
pilots and airport drivers to reduce runway incursions is “a very high
priority for the FAA Runway Safety Office,” which is developing new training
for both groups.
Christopher Oswald, vice president for safety and technical operations,
Airports Council International, North America, noted that his organization
has “worked to develop best practices and checklists for airport drivers—no
FOD on the vehicle, all vehicle systems working properly, proper radio
frequencies set, that sort of thing.”
NATCA’s Rick Loewen said, “One message I’ve been trying to get out to our
members is, take the airport tour. You may have worked at your facility for
years; but unless you’ve gotten in a vehicle or an airplane and traveled
around the airport surface, you don’t really know your airport. Having that
perspective is huge.”
Wildlife hazard mitigation may get a big boost from avian radar, designed
to detect and display flocks of birds on and near airports. Oswald warned,
“Five to 10 miles from the airport is still a wild west show. Who has the
jurisdiction [over bird attractants like garbage dumps near the airport] is
a terribly important question.”
Air Wisconsin, AirTran Pilots Receive 2011 ASL Awards
Three ALPA members who serve as the Association’s eyes, ears, and voices
at their local airports received ALPA’s 2011 Airport Safety Liaison (ASL)
Awards.
Capt. Nick Chichester (Air Wisconsin), ALPA’s ASL at Philadelphia
International Airport, was recognized for the strong relationships he has
built with airport staff, but most especially with the airport rescue and
firefighting unit. He’s helped airport firefighters become familiar with the
most common aircraft types operating there.
Washington’s Reagan National Airport was under construction as Hurricane
Irene was bearing down on the D.C. area last year. The main runway had three
different surfaces that could affect braking response. Capt. John Jester
(Air Wisconsin), ALPA’s ASL at the airport, provided timely safety alerts
that helped prevent potential problems.
When a pipeline problem disrupted fuel flow at Billy Mitchell
International Airport in Milwaukee, F/O John Crow (AirTran) notified ALPA
safety representatives, enabling them to monitor the situation and advise
pilots of potential delays.
Top Docs Talk Shop
As part of a presentation titled, “The Federal Air Surgeon Is In: Airline
Pilots’ Top Health Issues,” Dr. Snyder explained how ALPA’s Aeromedical
Office maintains a close liaison with the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine,
the NTSB, international pilot unions, and the military.
Snyder introduced Dr. Frederick Tilton, the FAA’s federal air surgeon,
who declared that the primary reason the FAA’s aeromedical certification
function exists is “to keep the airspace safe,” but that “the second reason
is to try to certify everyone we can and get them in the air.” Tilton said
he talks with Snyder “frequently about individual cases and specific
issues.”
Capt. Mark Pinsky (Delta), his pilot group’s MEC Aeromedical chair,
praised the FAA for its decision to permit pilots to fly while using certain
antidepressant medications, which is done with safety foremost in mind.
“It’s made a difference in many, many lives,” he reported.
Day Four
Risk-Based Security
In the world of aviation, nothing has changed more since the tragic
events of 9/11 than security. There has been much debate about whether the
tougher measures have made the system more cumbersome for users or whether
they have made a more efficient system.
The theme throughout presentations and subsequent discussion was that a
one-size-fits-all approach to security is not the answer. Speakers
emphasized the need to move toward a risk-based system, which the panelists
agreed would increase the efficiency and effectiveness of aviation security
for all its users.
Moderated by Capt. Fred Eissler (FedEx Express), ALPA’s Aviation Security
chair, the panel included Robert Bray, TSA assistant administrator, Office
of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); Doug Hofsass, TSA
associate administrator for risk-based security; Elizabeth Shaver, director
of cargo services, Airlines for America; and Carey Davis, assistant port
director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Cockpit Automation
Capt. Dave McKenney (United), ALPA’s director of Pilot Training,
moderated a panel on “Automation and Technology in Aviation.” McKenney
cautioned, “Automation training for pilots must enable pilots to correctly
interpret and predict the system’s actions and to control them during normal
and abnormal situations, as well as high workload environments.”
Capt. Mike Carriker, Boeing chief pilot, New Airplane Product
Development, acknowledged the tremendous strides in cockpit automation from
the B-727-200 to the B-787. He maintained nonetheless that, “Unless you know
of a ‘killer app,’ the competitive race (between airframe manufacturers) is
for production rate and greater use of key assets.”
Capt. Terry Lutz, Airbus experimental test pilot, observed that “the
pilot’s role is to fly, navigate, communicate, and manage the mission—with
aircraft systems management largely automated. As for the flying task, a
manual skill set and an extensive mental skill set are needed, and the
weather, aerodynamics, and runway environment remain unchanged.”
Dr. David Woods of Ohio State University explained how systems adapt in
the face of complexity. He also described new techniques developed by the
new discipline of “resilience engineering” to monitor and measure the
“brittleness” of a system and enhance overall system “resilience.”
“Philosophy is the guiding light, and from that emerge policies for
everything—automation, emergencies, and normal and abnormal situations—which
then translates to procedures, checklists, flows, approaches, and so forth,”
said F/O Helena Reidemar (Delta), ALPA director of Human Factors programs.
FRMP vs. FRMS
Capt. Don Wykoff (Delta), chair of ALPA’s Flight Time/Duty Time Committee
and IFALPA president, chaired a panel on Fatigue Risk Management Plans (FRMP)
and Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS). Wykoff noted that the similarity
of the two names and their acronyms has caused some confusion about “two
completely different programs although they are both designed to address
pilot fatigue.”
FRMP, he noted, “is mandated by law, and every FAR Part 121 air
carrier—domestic, flag, and cargo—has an FRMP.” These programs are required
by the Airline Safety and FAA Extension Act of 2010.
The FRMP, Wykoff explained, “is an airline-generated plan that outlines
the airline’s policies and procedures for reducing the potential effects of
day-to-day flightcrew member fatigue and improving flightcrew member
alertness. These plans are submitted to the FAA for review and approval and
must be updated every 24 months.”
FRMS, by contrast, is an optional fatigue mitigation tool that is
designed to be used with specific flight pairings and is part of the new FAR
Part 117 rules on flight time and duty time limits and minimum rest
requirements. One of the additional requirements, Wykoff noted, “is to
gather information from pilots so it can be scientifically validated and
applied to a specific flight pairing.”
UAS Integration Not Quite Ready for Prime Time
Safety must not be sacrificed to meet deadlines for UAS to be allowed
unrestricted access to the U.S. national airspace system, according to a
panel of UAS experts who spoke on the subject.
There are currently no federal standards for unmanned aircraft, systems,
or commercial operators, but the FAA is working to roll out a comprehensive
integration plan by later this year, said Richard Prosek of the FAA’s UAS
Integration Office. ALPA is an integral part of that effort on both policy
and technical levels.
Prosek said the government’s challenge is to find the “sweet spot” in
balancing the competing needs of safely introducing UAS in an efficient and
timely manner. One important thing to remember is that the congressional
language in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 doesn’t call for
full UAS integration by 2015, but for safe integration, he said.
Paul McDuffie, a representative for a company that currently builds UAS
for the American military, said many of the general public’s perceptions
about “drones” are incorrect. Current systems are not a cheap alternative to
manned aircraft, but are complex and expensive and require large teams of
ground support workers.
For ALPA, the most important safety criterion is that such systems should
be flown by pilots who are trained and certified to the same high standards
as pilots of other aircraft in the same airspace. “Equal access to the
national airspace system requires the equal responsibility of providing a
highly trained pilot,” said Capt. Ellis Chernoff (FedEx Express), ALPA’s UAS
Project Team lead. Chernoff said remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) should go
through a civil certification process like any other aircraft, including
certification of manuals and other training aids. RPA pilots should be
instrument-rated and meet high professional standards.
FAA Chief Closes Forum
Michael Huerta, FAA acting administrator, offered the closing remarks to
formally end the Air Safety Forum. “I value the relationship we have with
ALPA,” said Huerta. “Working together on safety issues in a proactive way
really makes a significant difference. The future of aviation depends on
this collaboration.”
Aviation, Huerta noted, has always been “a spirited, forward-thinking,
and very innovative industry.” And today, he added, “we are in the midst of
revolutionary change,” with the “complex transition” to NextGen and many
other new developments.
Huerta emphasized the importance of improving pilot training. To maintain
pace with rapid technological transformation in today’s aircraft, he said,
“our training must keep pilots up to speed with new and sophisticated
technology. It must also stress the fundamental aspects of flying.”
He added, “We believe scenario-based training will enhance safety for the
kind of emergencies that happen so rarely. But we want pilots to have
sufficient knowledge, experience, and confidence so they can appropriately
handle any situation.”
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), Huerta acknowledged, “must be integrated
into our [U.S. civil] airspace with the highest degree of safety. We are not
going to do anything that compromises safety when it comes to integration.
In order to do that, we need good, solid data.”
For full coverage of the 58th ALPA Air Safety Forum, including articles,
photos, and videos,
click here.
Banquet Caps off Forum by Honoring Some of ALPA’s Best
The culmination of the annual ALPA Air Safety Forum was the awards
banquet, which each year highlights the hard work and achievements of the
Association’s safety, security, and pilot assistance efforts. ALPA’s top
honors in each of those disciplines were presented. The banquet, held the
evening of August 9, also honored two pilot crews for their superior
airmanship and quick thinking in the face of adverse flying conditions.
Air Safety Award
Capt. William “Bill” de Groh (American Eagle) received the ALPA Air
Safety Award, the Association’s highest safety honor, for his outstanding
commitment to advancing aviation safety.
“Ever since attending the ALPA Basic Safety School in 2001, Capt. de Groh
has been actively and integrally involved with ALPA safety activities at the
local, MEC, national, and international levels,” Moak explained. “His
focused dedication to aviation safety and his unwavering willingness to
serve when asked exemplifies the ALPA spirit of volunteerism and sets a high
standard for excellence in aviation safety.”
In 2004 de Groh was named director of ALPA’s Aircraft Performance
Programs, and in 2005 he presented a paper on rejected takeoffs at the
Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Seminar in Moscow.
He also testified as an expert at the NTSB’s public hearing regarding
Southwest Airlines’ landing overrun accident at Chicago Midway Airport in
December 2005.
Moak declared, “Capt. de Groh’s commitment to aviation safety touches
every professional aviator in the skies today.”
Aviation Security Award
ALPA honored Capt. Everett Reese (ExpressJet) with its Aviation Security
Award for his leading efforts to detect and mitigate potential threats to
aviation security.
“As professional aviators, we stand constant guard against
ever-increasing threats—both at home and abroad,” said Moak. “Capt. Reese’s
efforts to ensure a safe and secure working environment, particularly for
flight crews operating in areas of unrest in Latin America, spurred an
industrywide movement among pilot groups and airlines to establish similar
security protocols for operating in hostile foreign environments.”
Reese was elected to serve as the ExpressJet pilot group’s Security
Committee chair in fall 2006, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to
advancing aviation security. Because of his expertise in foreign security
threats and solutions, he was selected to help lead an ALPA-hosted seminar
on terrorism and situational awareness in Herndon, Va., in March 2009.
“Capt. Reese’s expertise in addressing a myriad of aviation security
threats and issues is invaluable to ALPA, its members, and the industry as a
whole,” Moak pointed out. “He is a leading authority in advancing security,
particularly as it relates to foreign operations.”
Pilot Assistance Award
Capt. Thomas O’Toole (Jazz) received the ALPA Pilot Assistance Award for
his commitment to providing outstanding support to his fellow pilots. He has
worked with Canadian pilots in all aspects of Pilot Assistance and helped
many pilots overcome professional and personal obstacles to perform at their
very best in the cockpit.
“Capt. O’Toole’s work in Pilot Assistance has touched the lives of pilots
and crewmembers across Canada for more than 20 years,” Moak pointed out. “We
owe him a debt of gratitude for his dedication to making a difference in the
lives of pilots and for strengthening the pilot community.”
Through his work with ALPA’s Critical Incident Response Program (CIRP),
O’Toole has helped pilots and crewmembers who have experienced stress and
trauma as a result of airline accidents and incidents. Starting with the
1998 crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Halifax, Nova Scotia, and continuing
through the 2011 crash of First Air Flight 6560 at Resolute, Nunavut, he has
supported crewmembers in the aftermath of tragedy. O’Toole has been
instrumental in connecting people with resources they need to ensure their
recovery and return to service.
Superior Airmanship Awards
Delta pilots Capt. Rodney DeWeese and F/O Paul Skluzacek received the
ALPA Superior Airmanship Award for their skill in overcoming physically
challenging control issues to successfully stop their airplane from an
uncommanded roll caused by a stuck right outboard spoiler shortly after a
night takeoff from Honolulu on Oct. 4, 2010.
Capt. Tim O’Malley (Delta), his pilot group’s MEC chair, noted that
DeWeese and Skluzacek “exemplify the high standards required and training
accomplished to react appropriately and successfully in dangerous and
time-critical circumstances…. No amount of training can prepare for every
situation, as this event demonstrates. That’s when professionalism and raw
airmanship developed over a career can make the difference.”
Moak asserted that DeWeese and Skluzacek “demonstrated the consummate
skill and extraordinary professionalism that characterizes all airline
pilots and reaffirms the importance of the highest standards of training in
all areas, including manual flying. I congratulate both pilots for setting a
model of excellence for the airline piloting profession.”
United pilots Capt. Dale Nordhausen and F/O John Eskuri also received the
ALPA Superior Airmanship Award for safely landing after their airplane’s
right main landing gear door failed to open fully and thus blocked the right
main landing gear from extending and locking into position.
“Capt. Nordhausen and F/O Eskuri are a testament to the skills and
training that define a United Airlines pilot,” said Capt. Jay Heppner
(United), his pilot group’s MEC chair. “With each flight, United pilots
enter the cockpit prepared and equipped to handle such situations as these
two faced. We earn our reputation of being among the world’s safest
aviators, and Capt. Nordhausen and F/O Eskuri represent the best of the best
among superior airmen.”
Moak added, “Both pilots deserve tremendous credit and serve as a model
of professionalism for all airline pilots.”
To view video coverage of the Air Safety Forum banquet,
click here.
Sidebar
Mineta Talks Safety
Norman Mineta, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, delivered the
evening’s keynote address. “ALPA has demonstrated like no other
[organization] what it truly means to care about safety,” Mineta declared.
“We’d be here all night if I had to recount all the great things we’ve
accomplished together.
“Thank you, ALPA, for lending your expertise on this important endeavor.
The safety and well-being of passengers has been ingrained in your history
from day one.”
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