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Weather Hazards

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Thunderstorms prove to be one of the deadliest weather hazards that can affect any pilot and any aircraft. Thunderstorms can drastically endanger the performance of an aircraft due to hazards such as wind shears, hail, low clouds, heavy precipitation, icing and lightning. A wind shear, as defined in the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) is a drastic and sudden change in speed and/or direction. What makes a wind shear dangerous is the rapid change it can cause to the performance of an aircraft. A tailwind can quickly change to a headwind to create an increase in airspeed and performance. The pilot must be ready to react and maintain control of the aircraft when experiencing a wind shear. Hail is the result of supercooled droplets beginning to freeze. Once a drop freezes, other drops attach and freeze to it to allow the hailstone to grow and potentially become a huge ice ball. Hail is dangerous because of the damage it can to the aircraft exterior, windows, and engine. Vi...
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Air Traffic Control Entities

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       Terminal Radar Service Area also called (TRSA) were established originally as part of the Terminal Radar Program. TRSA is an airspace where ATC and radar services become available to pilots flying under visual flight rules or instrument flight rules to maintain aircraft separation. It is also an area where pilots are given the choice to receive radar service in a location which has not been qualified as a Class C or Class B airspace. While participation in TRSA services is voluntary, VFR operators are recommended to contact radar approach control and to make use of TRSA service.      Terminal Radar Approach Control or (TRACON) are FAA facilities that hold air traffic controllers who use radios and radar displays to safely guide approaching and departing aircraft within a 30- to 50-mile radius up to 10,000 feet (FAA). Aircraft landing within 5 miles of an airport and below 2,500 feet are handed over from TRACON controllers to the Tower controll...
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Environmental impact of Aviation operations

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Aviation has a huge impact on the environment, from noise pollution, to the large carbon footprint the engines create, to the waste that becomes run off. Airplanes are economically important due to the revenue that comes from traveling, business, exports, imports, and tourism. The most dangerous kind of pollution that comes from aviation is the gasoline. The main type of gas used in aviation is called Aviation Gasoline (AvGas) which uses a dangerous organic compound called “Tetraethyl Lead” (TEL). This type of lead or any kind of lead is dangerous towards human health, especially to infants and young children. This low lead gas is typically used for General Aviation piston aircraft. Jet aircraft and turbine-powered, propeller aircraft use an aviation type kerosene jet fuel. This fuel is dangerous to the environment due to its carbon dioxide pollution it creates when burned. When thinking about carbon emissions in transportation, cars and trucks come to mind first. Airplanes also produc...
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Air Commerce Act of 1926

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  The most important Regulation act of Aviation must be the Air Commerce Act of 1926. This Act is important because it orchestrated the federal regulations of navigational facilities, airmen, aircraft, air traffic, and more. It required that aircraft be regularly inspected and that they exhibit identification markings. It also made it mandatory that pilots are tested on their aeronautical knowledge and that they would have physicals done to determine their health and ability to fly. Lastly, the Act would make the federal government responsible for the advancement of air commerce, the establishment of airways and aids to air navigation, and the enforcement of safety rules and standards.  This act is the reason why pilots new and old are tested on their aeronautical knowledge and their ability to fly. I would argue that this Act would pave the way for more pilots to come. The act of making the ability to fly safer and easier made it a clear window for interested individuals to l...
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Human Factor Challenges

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  Human factors is the understanding of how mental and psychological issues affect how a person does their job. It is the difference between a successful job and a complete disaster. Human factors goes in depth into how human error underlies most aviation accidents versus mechanical failure (AMT Handbook, 2008). Human factor research in Aviation Maintenance searches to identify and study the factors that affect how a technician performs in maintenance and inspection. While the focus of the study in mainly on the technician, it also extends to the engineering and technical organization. By incorporating the many disciplines that affect human factors, research is made easier and helps to understand what must be done to where people can work more efficiently and maintain work performance. Team-based human factors is problematic, especially when focusing on communication. Communication is important between Aviation technicians. Lack of communication can lead to maintenance error and ...
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Aviation Security

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Flight hijacking is uncommon but when it does occur, it can be a deadly and scary situation. One of the most recent flight hijackings is the hijacking of EgyptAir 181 on March 29 th , 2016. A passenger named Seif Eldin Mustafa siege the plane and threatened the safety of the people aboard with a fake explosive belt. His demands were not correlated to terrorism, rather a set of requests including that he sees his wife and gains asylum in Cyprus, mailing a letter to his former wife, and that female prisoners were released in Egypt. He eventually surrendered at Larnaca International Airport in Larnaca, Cyprus.             One of the more fatal hijackings occurred on December 7 th , 1987 when a recently fired USAir agent David Burke boarded Pacific Southwest Airlines flight 1771 with a Smith and Wesson .44 magnum. Burke was fired after stealing $69 from flight cocktail receipts. The boss of David Burke, Ray Thompson was aboard the fli...
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Aircraft System Failure

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One of the most dangerous failures that can occur in an aircraft is the blockage of the pitot-static system. The pitot static system consists of the pitot tube and the static port. The pitot tube is responsible for measuring dynamic pressure which is present when the aircraft is moving, and static pressure, which is always present, whether the aircraft is at rest or moving. The pitot tube collects total pressure (dynamic and static pressure) but sends only the dynamic pressure to the airspeed indicator (ASI). The static port collects the undisturbed air on the side of the aircraft and as atmospheric pressure changes, the air is moved freely to correspond to the changes in pressure. The altimeter and vertical speed indicator (VSI) both utilize static pressure to correctly display altitude and rate of climb or descent. When the pitot tube becomes blocked, it will display incorrect airspeed information and will act as an altimeter. Blockage can be due to moisture, ice, insects, and debris...
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