The Act of going around from a missed approach should be classified as a normal phase of flight,but this did not mean that there were no safety issues associated with it, was the opinion of Captain Ed Pooley which he expressed when addressing the recent AviAssist Foundation 2Gether 4safety conference held in Lusaka, Zambia.

The conference attracted delegates from eight African countries and 15 presenters, all specialists in their respective fields.

Giving a fascinating insight in safety gains from improving training on go-around and go-around procedures, Pooley, a highly experienced airline pilot and author of a number of aviation books,said :”No other single decision could have as great an impact on the overall aviation industry accident rate.”

Pointing out that there was an average of three go-around per 1000 flights worldwide each year,Pooley emphasized: “We have to work more towards an atmosphere where a go-around is classified as a normal phase of flight and pilots should be encouraged to go-around when conditions warrant. However, promoting go-around as a normal flight phase does not mean that there are no safety issues associated with it.”

He stressed the importance of management recognizing that a valid decision to go-around was as much part of normal operations as the drive for punctuality and minimizing fuel costs.

He underlined this by saying: “There is a large variation of go-around rates among different aircraft operators and operational environments and that is why it is valuable to collect data on go-around from reporting and flight data recording.”

He continued: “Whatever the regulatory requirements are, operators must satisfy themselves that they are matching training with operational risk.”

Discussing cockpit workload sharing and Crew Resource Management, he added: “Better guidance is required on when to say something and if that fails when to do something. Whatever changes are made to training and procedures, it is crucial that the underlying logic of those changes should be evident to the user-compliance is then much better supported,” Pooley concluded.

Glass Cockpit Syn drone

The growing automation in the cockpit is something which has resulted in a growing fear in many quarters that pilots are starting to lose basic flying skills, but it appears that this increasing sophistication of equipment and its hidden challenges to the human factor are not only limited to the cockpit, but airport management as well.

The chairman of the Runway Safety Team (RST) of Amsterdam Airport, Jan Smeitink, issued a word of caution: “These days there is a dazzling amount of new technology available on the market. But complex technology is not the ultimate blessing. Like with any new system, new technology usually even creates new failure modes. It might be of limited use for smaller airports. Investment may not outweigh or justify the safety benefits. And other, less costly investments might be more effective in your particular situation.

“One could think of installing conspicuous signs and markings ,stop-bars, strict R/T protocols including checks on adherence and last, but not least, training for drivers who navigate the manoeuvrings area,” Smeitink continued.

“The Abuja Declaration on Aviation Safety in Africa calls for a reduction in runway-related accidents and serious incidents by 50% by the end of 2015,” Smeitink reminded the audience.”To help materialize such ambitions, the AviAssist Foundation and a number of partners are working on a joint initiative to realize and support Local Runway Safety Teams in the sub-region,” Smeitink concluded.

AviAssist Foundation Board member Margret Munyagi and a former Director General of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, underlined that “2Gether 4safety “was where professionals came to get their shot of safety update.

“It is not a political forum, but a place to exchange aviation operational experiences. It’s a seminar that doesn’t speak about challenges that African aviation faces, but about solutions that are out there.

“Exchanging experiences in an operational setting is crucial. Your experience differs from that of your neighbor -by exchanging our experiences, we can make an important step in learning from each other,” she said.

The next edition of the 2Gether 4Safety seminar and expo will take place on March 10 and 11,2014, in Entebbe ,Uganda.

Anthony A Juma is the Editor and Director Commercial & Flights Operations at Wings Over Africa Aviation Limited. This is an Air Charter Company that specializes on Private Charter Flights into Kenya. The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/flight-news.html

Anthony A Juma is the Editor and Director Commercial & Flights Operations at Wings Over Africa Aviation Limited. This is an Air Charter Company that specializes on Private Charter Flights into Kenya. The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/flight-news.html

Author Bio: Anthony A Juma is the Editor and Director Commercial & Flights Operations at Wings Over Africa Aviation Limited. This is an Air Charter Company that specializes on Private Charter Flights into Kenya. The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/flight-news.html

Category: Travel
Keywords: aircraft operators Kenya,aircraft operators Tanzania,aircraft operators Uganda,aircraft operators