Issues, Fears and Remedies in Air Safety Today
A Webinar presented by Aviation Today
Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon. (EST)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the scheduled airlines
repeat this mantra, over and over again: air travel has never been safer. But is
it? To be sure, commonly cited statistics seem to indicate safe skies for air
travelers everywhere. However, a different story lurks beneath the surface.
This no-nonsense webinar asks one of the world's top air safety experts
to look beyond the numbers and provide a realistic assessment of the state of
air safety today. The discussion will provide a summary of the current top
safety concerns and issues and regulatory actions----or inactions---of the past
year while also looking ahead at the 'hot button' safety issues in 2008.
Continued prosperity in aviation has led to crowded skies and gridlocked
airports, putting further pressure on an already overburdened Air Traffic
Control system. A spate of high-profile accidents and safety lapses in 2007 have
underscored chronic vulnerabilities in air safety that still need to be
addressed. This webinar will discuss these challenges head on, providing
practical and useful insights that aviation professionals of all types can apply
to their jobs and businesses.
You'll learn:
* Why the NTSB has decided to press the FAA to set working hour limits
for flight crews, aviation mechanics and now air traffic controllers, based on
fatigue research, circadian rhythms, and sleep and rest requirement. Meanwhile,
there is a new focus on improving safety among ground workers on the tarmac.
* Why the NTSB has extended its runway incursion reduction crusade to
other types of ground accidents, such as runway overruns and takeoffs from the
wrong runway, in the wake of high-profile fatal accidents in Illinois, Kentucky
and Brazil.
* Why over a decade after the loss of TWA Flight 800, the FAA has yet to
issue a final rule that would eliminate flammable fuel/air vapors in fuel tanks
on transport category aircraft. On the other hand, you'll hear about the FAA's
recently issued mandate setting for the first time maintenance safety standards
for aircraft wiring.
* How in the face of a commercial transport pilot shortage, the FAA still
requires air transport pilots to retire before their 60th birthday. But
observers believe a decade of lobbying may allow the banned commercial pilots
back on the flight deck.
* About concerns over the outsourcing of aircraft maintenance to foreign
repair shops, and the related gaps in the FAA's supervision of both safety and
security practices.
* How the NTSB handled its first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
investigation and the dozens of safety recommendations growing out of the
accident probe. At issue is whether drones will ever be able to achieve an
equivalent level of safety to manned aircraft and thus be welcomed in the
National Airspace System.
* How the FAA is working to reduce congestion in the crowded skies and
gridlocked airports. Can "congestion pricing" or draconian cuts in airline
flights at New York's Kennedy International prevent another summer travel
meltdown next year?
John J. Goglia, a former member of the U.S. National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) and currently senior vice president for aviation operations
and safety programs at JDA Aviation Technology Solutions, is the distinguished
guest speaker, offering his views on the wide range of air safety issues facing
the industry and the nation today.
Go to the AviationToday.com website to register for the webinar.
