Aviation Safety and Security

[ajstoner21]

I would like to make a request to everyone in the aviation community. If you see someone doing something unsafe, or make a comment about something unsafe that they've done and acted as if it was OK, please speak up and say something. You may save a life.

Security Awareness Training is required for flight instructors and flight school employees. I urge everyone to do it anyway just to help increase awareness

http://download.tsa.dhs.gov/fssa/training/

I have noticed several kind of scary things in aviation. I think it is completely "polarized". Those who care about safety - people who participate in online forums such as this, go to ASI's Safety Seminars or Webinars, and those who dont.

I feel it is really difficult to reach those who don't participate in this stuff and from my discussions with other instructors, they usually have major hazardous pilot atttitude problems and refuse to listen to advice. I would like to ask everyone to try to reach out to pilots you feel are unsafe or have bad habits.

I'd like to suggest everyone take some time and go over some of AOPA's online courses and stories. (NOTE: It is free to create an account to view these)
http://www.aopa.org/asf/online_courses/

http://www.aopa.org/asf/pilotstories/index.html

It just may shed light on one of your own unsafe habits.
********
The reason I am posting this: I know of a pilot who is a textbook example of at least three hazardous pilot attitudes. This fellow "follows the spirit of the law" and not necessarily what is in print. His primary instructor has taught him bad habits (whether directly or indirectly). For example. We were discussing ceiling, visibility and cloud clearnce requirements for VFR flight and were discussing VFR on Top and VFR Over the top and he made the comment that it was OK to go through clouds to get to the top without an instrument rating. I told him unless his instructor filed IFR in the air prior to going through those clouds, they violated a FAR. This is a guy who doesn't seem to care about passenger currency day or night. He once let maybe 2 1/2 months go by and decided to fly somewhere for a wedding and landed on a short narrow grass strip. No one can convince me he was proficient enough to do that safely. This is all stuff he tells me. I have yet to witness any such unsafe act.

It seems there are alot of people who have forgotten some of the things "every pilot should be well aware of". I would just like to suggest every pilot just take a few hours to review a textbook or some online materials. A lot of instructors I've spoken with tell me they get many people like the one i described above come in for a BFR or IPC and its just scary to know they are in the air. So lets help reach out to these people.

Ok, I guess thats the end of this rambling. Maybe someone will do something...

 

[SCCutler]

Andrew, you make good point; it is a certainty that, if we do not choose to tend to ourselves, we'll surely be tended-to by others, and not in a way we'll enjoy.

I once watched a guy I know do a maneuver, low and near a crowd, that was genuinely preceded by the classic phrase, "Hey, watch this." It was followed by "Ooh, I think I got tree in my wing!" That may have been that fellow's wake-up call, because he has not done anything at all remotely like that since. He was lucky to survive the experience.

 

[dmccormack]

Well, all I can say is... good luck.

Let me humbly suggest we all fall into one of these camps:

Roger Dodger: Flies anything, anytime, anywhere he can. Preflight consists of a look to see if tie downs are removed and wings are still on.

Lunchtime Louie: Logs 6.2 hours per year. Knows to turn left on takeoff and climb to 8000 feet before descending to land left downwind at the one other runway he's seen in 15 years. The burgers are good.

Low Approach Al: Darn it! It's nice out! Prefers landing with at least 2" of rime ice. Flies a twin and hasn't done a Vmc exercise since he bought it. Position annoucements are for sissies -- who else would be flying in this stuff?

Putt Putt Bill: I think I saw the windsock move... Maybe tomorrow will be nicer... Flies a beautifully restored Steinway Huggermuff 3 Cylinder Fuel Injected biplane, but only on Tuesdays after an eclipse. Of Jupiter.

Newsgroup Neal: Can tell you the exact location of the center of lift on a 57 Swift, but hasn't logged an hour in a real airplane. Ever.

 

[ajstoner21]

Dan, I have no doubt alot of pilots fall into those categories. Did you come up with those? They are pretty funny (although sad too....)

 

[EdFred]

Here's my security awareness training.
*holds middle finger towards the DHS/TSA*

 

[EdFred]

Holy facepalm, Batman. I just went to that TSA security awareness. They really are the dumbest of the dumb. On the final page of the flash presentation, I am guilty of the following at the airport:

Working on an airplane with a toolbox at my feet with no uniform on.
Looking in an airplane with a screwdriver in my hand (prying instrument)
Aircraft with wheels and undercarriage looking as if it wasn't on standard runway
Looking at an aircraft and peering in windows
Asking questions that don't seem relevant to training
Appearing agitated and angry
Avoiding eye contact and keeping to myself
Loitering in the pilot lounge
Taking pictures of aircraft
Paying with cash
Sweating excessively
Making statements incosistent with normal aircraft uses
ASking about renting a plane without showing my certificate

(13/22 suspicious activities)



I shall continue to one-finger salute the TSA and their recurrent training.

 

[chucky]

Appearing agitated and angry

I'm gonna start reporting every TSA agent as acting suspiciously from now on, then.

 

[fgcason]

On the final page of the flash presentation, I am guilty of the following at the airport

If that list is any example of what they believe to be suspicious behavior, they could save themselves a lot of searching and wondering and paranoia by simply pulling up the FAA pilot and mechanics database files and changing the filename from "pilots" and "mechanics" to "suspicious characters" and their work is done. Filename, right click, rename, type "suspicious characters", done. It really is that easy to get a complete list.

They're screaming bonkers fruitcakes.

 

[gismo]

Holy facepalm, Batman. I just went to that TSA security awareness. They really are the dumbest of the dumb. On the final page of the flash presentation, I am guilty of the following at the airport:

Working on an airplane with a toolbox at my feet with no uniform on.
Looking in an airplane with a screwdriver in my hand (prying instrument)
Aircraft with wheels and undercarriage looking as if it wasn't on standard runway
Looking at an aircraft and peering in windows
Asking questions that don't seem relevant to training
Appearing agitated and angry
Avoiding eye contact and keeping to myself
Loitering in the pilot lounge
Taking pictures of aircraft
Paying with cash
Sweating excessively
Making statements incosistent with normal aircraft uses
ASking about renting a plane without showing my certificate

(13/22 suspicious activities)



I shall continue to one-finger salute the TSA and their recurrent training.

I'm turnin you in!

 

[gismo]

Well, all I can say is... good luck.

Let me humbly suggest we all fall into one of these camps:

Roger Dodger: Flies anything, anytime, anywhere he can. Preflight consists of a look to see if tie downs are removed and wings are still on.

Lunchtime Louie: Logs 6.2 hours per year. Knows to turn left on takeoff and climb to 8000 feet before descending to land left downwind at the one other runway he's seen in 15 years. The burgers are good.

Low Approach Al: Darn it! It's nice out! Prefers landing with at least 2" of rime ice. Flies a twin and hasn't done a Vmc exercise since he bought it. Position annoucements are for sissies -- who else would be flying in this stuff?

Putt Putt Bill: I think I saw the windsock move... Maybe tomorrow will be nicer... Flies a beautifully restored Steinway Huggermuff 3 Cylinder Fuel Injected biplane, but only on Tuesdays after an eclipse. Of Jupiter.

Newsgroup Neal: Can tell you the exact location of the center of lift on a 57 Swift, but hasn't logged an hour in a real airplane. Ever.

Which of those groups are you in?

 

[John Baker]

I'm not at all sure if turning a serious thread into comedy is all that great of an idea. People do stupid things in the air, I know a lot of us have seen it. Other people do have their airplanes stolen, broken into, and tampered with, on a fairly regular basis.

Keeping an open eye around the airport is actually a darn good idea, even if we did not have all this TSA paranoia everywhere, getting all over everything.

I've only been flying a few years, and I have already had four near misses, all based on other pilots stupidity or inattention.

Another time a couple of pilots from the Los Angeles area, while flying down here, used our San Diego airplane to airplane frequency as their own private intercom. We have a whole lot of students in this area, all trying to report their positions and what maneuvers they are attempting, so as no one will bump into them.

Nobody could do it with these two clowns hogging the frequency (122.75) I finally, after about an hour was able to bring the problem to their attention and asked them to change to another frequency, which they did.

We genuinely should be involved in what is going on around us, if for no other reason than to save our own butts.

John

 

[gprellwitz]

I'm not at all sure if turning a serious thread into comedy is all that great of an idea. People do stupid things in the air, I know a lot of us have seen it. Other people do have their airplanes stolen, broken into, and tampered with, on a fairly regular basis.

Keeping an open eye around the airport is actually a darn good idea, even if we did not have all this TSA paranoia everywhere, getting all over everything.

I've only been flying a few years, and I have already had four near misses, all based on other pilots stupidity or inattention.

Another time a couple of pilots from the Los Angeles area, while flying down here, used our San Diego airplane to airplane frequency as their own private intercom. We have a whole lot of students in this area, all trying to report their positions and what maneuvers they are attempting, so as no one will bump into them.

Nobody could do it with these two clowns hogging the frequency (122.75) I finally, after about an hour was able to bring the problem to their attention and asked them to change to another frequency, which they did.

We genuinely should be involved in what is going on around us, if for no other reason than to save our own butts.

John

What frequency did you want them to switch to? Per 47CFR187(j)

The frequency 122.750 MHz is authoried (sic) for use by private fixed wing aircraft for air-air communications. The frequency 123.025 MHz is authorized for use by helicopters for air-air Communications.

Now, I agree that they shouldn't be "hogging" the frequency, but I'm not aware of another legal frequency for them to use.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Holy facepalm, Batman. I just went to that TSA security awareness. They really are the dumbest of the dumb. On the final page of the flash presentation, I am guilty of the following at the airport:

Working on an airplane with a toolbox at my feet with no uniform on.
Looking in an airplane with a screwdriver in my hand (prying instrument)
Aircraft with wheels and undercarriage looking as if it wasn't on standard runway
Looking at an aircraft and peering in windows
Asking questions that don't seem relevant to training
Appearing agitated and angry
Avoiding eye contact and keeping to myself
Loitering in the pilot lounge
Taking pictures of aircraft
Paying with cash
Sweating excessively
Making statements incosistent with normal aircraft uses
ASking about renting a plane without showing my certificate

(13/22 suspicious activities)



I shall continue to one-finger salute the TSA and their recurrent training.

In all fairness, the "best response" listed for most of those was to go talk to the person to see what is going on. And they do point out that these can be legitimate activities.

On the other hand. Some of the scenerios are inane -your student comments on how much damage would do if an ariplane were flown into the Hoover Dam. The TSA response - contact authorities. My response - laugh my ass off that someone could be so stupid as to think they could damage the Hoover Dam with an airplane - 6.6 million tons of concrete.

 

[John Baker]

I believe that there have been two frequencies assigned for air to air com. 122.75 is what we use for training here in San Diego.

These guys were more than hogging, they were engaging in long dissertations with each other, with less than a second break between transmissions. When I first switched to the frequency, it was kind of interesting, like I was eves dropping in on a phone conversation.

I flew east, practicing VOR tracking on V-66 then over the mountains and up to the Julian VOR, then west to the practice area over the ranch north of Ramona. That whole time, no one, but no one, could get on the radio other than those two.

I was wanting to do steep turns and stalls that day, but I felt uncomfortable not being able to transmit my intentions. I flew over the ranch for about ten minutes and I was able to get on the air with these guys. I explained what was going on, and they did make a switch. Then everyone else jumped in to report where they were and what they were doing, I still could not make my call for another five minutes.

At that time I was still a student. I recognized at least one CFI on the frequency, and started wondering why it was they had not intervened?

Anyway, I know one of them called a frequency to the other after I splained the situation, so they did switch. Heck, 121.5 would have been fine as far as I was concerned, it was out of service at the time anyway, at least that was on the NOTAM list for that day.

John

 

[Ted]

Which of those groups are you in?

I'm guessing Lunchtime Louie, since you and I are Low Approach Al (wait, I was doing Vmc exercises a few weeks ago...).

 

[gprellwitz]

I believe that there have been two frequencies assigned for air to air com. 122.75 is what we use for training here in San Diego.

I had a recollection about two frequencies too, but couldn't find one written. If you can point it out to me, I'd be interested. Some people take over a frequency assigned to test aircraft (e.g. 123.45), but that's not what it's intended for.

Anyway, I know one of them called a frequency to the other after I splained the situation, so they did switch. Heck, 121.5 would have been fine as far as I was concerned, it was out of service at the time anyway, at least that was on the NOTAM list for that day.
John

Now that would be a BAD idea. I'll almost guarantee that it was a single facility that was unable to monitor 121.5. Other airplanes, facilities, etc. would have been monitoring it, and using 121.5 for anything other than emergency communications is Bad Juju.

 

[ejensen]

I had a recollection about two frequencies too, but couldn't find one written. If you can point it out to me, I'd be interested. Some people take over a frequency assigned to test aircraft (e.g. 123.45), but that's not what it's intended for.

Now that would be a BAD idea. I'll almost guarantee that it was a single facility that was unable to monitor 121.5. Other airplanes, facilities, etc. would have been monitoring it, and using 121.5 for anything other than emergency communications is Bad Juju.

Used to be 122.85 but it went away a few years ago, I forget where the FCC reallocated it. 122.75 can become unusable for anything but training in metro areas. Along the front range you listen constantly to the APA students and the cadet trainees out of COS or the Academy. At least the AF trainees have a unique freq once they get to the dedicated practice areas.

 

[John Baker]

Now that would be a BAD idea. I'll almost guarantee that it was a single facility that was unable to monitor 121.5. Other airplanes, facilities, etc. would have been monitoring it, and using 121.5 for anything other than emergency communications is Bad Juju.

Now that I think about it, your right, it was the Julian VOR that was not monitoring it, I believe.

I was actually being a little facetious with my remark.

John

 

[gprellwitz]

Now that I think about it, your right, it was the Julian VOR that was not monitoring it, I believe.

I was actually being a little facetious with my remark.

John

Yeah, I figured you were being facetious, but newbies may not get it, so I had to point it out. And I really do wish there were a legal alternative to 122.75. I just don't know what it is.

 

[NotSure]

Holy facepalm, Batman. I just went to that TSA security awareness. They really are the dumbest of the dumb. On the final page of the flash presentation, I am guilty of the following at the airport:

Working on an airplane with a toolbox at my feet with no uniform on.
Looking in an airplane with a screwdriver in my hand (prying instrument)
Aircraft with wheels and undercarriage looking as if it wasn't on standard runway
Looking at an aircraft and peering in windows
Asking questions that don't seem relevant to training
Appearing agitated and angry
Avoiding eye contact and keeping to myself
Loitering in the pilot lounge
Taking pictures of aircraft
Paying with cash
Sweating excessively
Making statements incosistent with normal aircraft uses
ASking about renting a plane without showing my certificate

(13/22 suspicious activities)



I shall continue to one-finger salute the TSA and their recurrent training.

Wow, i've done all of those, guess that makes me a terrorist. Well i've got to get back to the jihad, later.

 

[dmccormack]

Dan, I have no doubt alot of pilots fall into those categories. Did you come up with those? They are pretty funny (although sad too....)

Yep, met each and every one.

 

[dmccormack]

Which of those groups are you in?

Have you seen my airplane?

Roger Dodger.