The Training Program

Classroom ground training is designed to teach the aircraft systems. The training then concentrates on the operational checklists and their responses and then gets you up to speed on the flow patterns associated with the checklists. Airline operations treat the checklists as check-lists rather than do-lists. We work our way around the cockpit accomplishing items in a structured flow from one side of our work area to the other. When both pilots have finished their flow patterns, the captain calls for the appropriate checklist. The copilot reads the items on the list and the person responsible for the item then looks at the switch or gauge and responds with the actual position or quantity. Sometimes, in the case of items such as the oxygen masks which are duplicated on each side of the cockpit , both pilots are required to respond. So, in effect, each item is covered twice. Once during the flow pattern and again when it is visually and aurally checked and confirmed to be in the proper position. Once the checklists and flow patterns can be accomplished smoothly, the simulator training begins. This phase concentrates on the procedures required for normal and abnormal operations during flight. Usually you are given one simulator session to get used to flying with everything working, but after that it is rare that you take off without losing at least one engine or aircraft system of some sort. At the end of the simulator phase the pilot receives a couple of different evaluations which, if successfully accomplished, culminate in the awarding of a type certificate in the aircraft. Then the training moves to the operational environment. An OE instructor is assigned to the pilot and training is conducted on regularly scheduled passenger flights. On the last flight of OE training the pilot is administered a Line Check and, ideally, is released to the line to begin flying with regularly scheduled flight crews.

Watching Training

Watching someone accomplish his/her first flight in a new airplane brings back all sorts of fun and somewhat disturbing memories. I remember feeling like I was really behind the power curve but I can’t really remember when that feeling went away. After you have been operating in an aircraft seat for a few months, you develop a routine that you use to get all the things accomplished that you know need to be done before departure. For you, that is the best way to work, but that doesn’t mean that it is the best way for the next guy to work. There are an infinite number of ways to get from A to B, all of them safe. The hardest parts about being an instructor are letting the student find their own pace and realizing that your way isn’t the only safe way to accomplish the task at hand. I have seen instructors on both ends of the spectrum. One end finds an instructor who has no patience with a student and rather than let the student accomplish a task does it himself and then criticizes the lack of performance. The other end finds an instructor who just lets the student flail, assuming that eventually they will find their way. Those instructors you find in the middle are usually the most successful. They know to be patient, but they also know when to provide the ‘helpful hint’ that will steer the student in the right direction. The instructor I watched the past few days was one of the ‘helpful hint’ types. Very enjoyable to watch and easy to learn from.  It was also educational to watch the new pilot start developing his personal routine and pace.

The instructor and student are continuing their flights in a different direction from me. Based upon his performance on the first flight, I’m sure that he’ll do fine. Even though he was on his first flight, I managed to learn (or relearn) a few things by watching and listening. I hope I never lose that ability.

That is why I found myself preflighting my side of the cockpit on Thanksgiving Day morning in preparation for a nearly 12-hr flight from the U.S. West Coast to Japan. We were leaving beautiful weather and turkey-laden dinner tables to fly into what was predicted to be howling winds, moderate turbulence and landing crosswinds very close to the limits for our airplane.

I drew the straw that provided me with the opportunity to make the takeoff. Today our weight was right at 825,000 lbs. and we seemed to roll forever before the V1 call was made, followed shortly thereafter by the command to rotate. The book says that we could stop if we stomped on the brakes as we reached V1, but it never looks like there is enough runway to me. Luckily I’ve never had to make a near-V1 abort outside of a simulator.

We ‘coasted out’ just north of San Francisco, meaning we made our turn to the northwest and out over the Pacific at that point, flying to latitude/longitude coordinates rather than named navigation points. As we progressed west all of the turbulence warning areas that our meteorology department had sent to us with the preflight paperwork were canceled, indicating that previous flights had not reported the forecast turbulence. We turned off the seatbelt sign and continued westward, climbing as our weight decreased, thankful for the unexpected smooth ride.

Our navigation display has a nice little wind arrow in the top left of the screen. It had been pointing out of the northwest, on our nose, but slowly rotated around to show winds out of the southwest, directly across our course. Much better than a headwind, but certainly not a helping tailwind. Our enroute crosswind continued to get stronger until it reached it’s peak of 185 knots, then slowly decreased to a more reasonable 70 knots as we turned southwest toward Japan on our great circle route.

By about three hours into the flight the cabin crew had finished their passenger service and asked if we would care to eat our crew meals. The answer was, of course, yes. About 20 minutes later the meals arrived in all their glory. Actually, today was better than the usual fare. In honor of the holiday, we were given turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and mixed veggies, with a dessert of apple pie. It was a nice effort, but processed turkey and canned gravy just didn’t touch the ‘real stuff’ that we would have had at home. But we were thankful, just the same.

We were manned with three pilots for the flight, since it was scheduled to be more than 8 hours long, but less than 12, so we each received an out of cockpit break of just under 4 hours. I worked the first first 2/3 of the flight and had the last break, expecting to return to the cockpit as we began the descent and entered the worst of the forecast turbulence. The forecasts had called for code 3 to 4 turbulence (moderate to severe) along an upper front that we would cross just as we were beginning our descent for landing. Then the terminal forecast was for low clouds, intermittent rain and gusty winds across the runway. The cabin crew was warned and finished their breakfast service early, put everything away and sat down and strapped in for the ride.

The weather forecasters had a really bad day today, because none of the forecast turbulence materialized. The descent to landing was almost completely smooth. The clouds had moved out of the area for the most part, with scattered to broken conditions prevailing. The tower was calling the surface winds right down the runway at 5-10 knots, very different than we were expecting. Those strong winds were in the area, though. We had a direct crosswind from at 30 knots all the way down final until 1200′ agl when they started dying off and swinging around to blow down the runway.

It’s amazing how many different things you can find to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

Border Crossings

On November 17th the Department of Homeland Security announced their final rule entitled The Advance Information on Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the United States. The link takes you to the government regulations site where you can view the original NPRM, some of the comments that were submitted and the TSA’s final rule with their responses to the comments. As it stands:

• Private aircraft operators must electronically transmit (via eAPIS or another CBP-approved method) advance notice of any flight that crosses the U.S. border and include passenger and crew manifests. This must be done no later than 60 minutes before the flight departs to cross the U.S. border, either direction.
• The flights would be allowed to proceed only after the passenger and crew list has been vetted through the TSA’s terrorist watch list and confirmation is received from the TSA.

The good news(?) is that the departure and arrival flight manifests can be submitted at the same time and there is no limit (so far) on how far in advance the lists may be submitted. Also, you may make changes in ETA, destination or even flight cancellation by telephone or by radio to Flight Service if the internet is not available.

What is a Private Aircraft?

Here’s were the fun comes in.Their response to the definition of ‘aircraft’ is:

“…’aircraft’ is defined as any device now known, or hereafter invented, used or designed for navigation or flight in the air.”

According to the CBP:

“Any size aircraft (large or small) may meet the definition of a private aircraft under CBP regulations,” CBP maintains. “Furthermore, even though large aircraft may inflict more damage if flown into infrastructure, both large and small aircraft present a threat because they may be used to transport terrorists or terrorist weapons. Creating an exemption for private aircraft would provide a loophole that could compromise our national security. Furthermore, the purpose of the rule is not only to provide CBP with advance aircraft information, but to also provide CBP with advance information regarding pilots and passengers traveling via private aircraft. This will allow DHS to conduct threat assessments and reduce the probability of a terrorist attack by allowing for the advance identification of individuals on the “No-Fly” list prior to their gaining access to U.S. airspace via an airborne aircraft, and granting, denying or restricting landing rights accordingly. This information is needed for each flight by private aircraft arriving in and departing from the United States, regardless of the size or weight.”

And what about the argument that, since it’s a private aircraft the pilot already knows everybody onboard? The CBP response is:

“The purpose of this rule is to increase U.S. national security as well as that of private aircraft operators. As such, it is entirely possible that the family members, friends, acquaintances and employers who may travel as passengers on private aircraft are in fact on the “No-Fly” list unbeknownst to the pilot, which will affect whether CBP grants, denies, or restricts landing rights to the aircraft. Because the advance screening will allow for the identification of individuals on the “No-Fly” list and as such will prevent these individuals from gaining access to U.S. airspace, the rule will in fact increase security for private aircraft operators. As previously stated, CBP believes that the passenger manifest information allows CBP and other law enforcement officials to better identify the travel plans of individuals on the “No-Fly” list. The final rule addresses the threat to national security presented by private aircraft or any of its occupants, whether or not the operator of the aircraft has a personal relationship with any or all passengers.”

Lastly, how long do you have to wait after transmitting the data before you can depart? They never really say how long they expect it to take, however,

“A pilot may not depart without receiving a “cleared” message from CBP and following all other instructions provided by DHS in the response to the eAPIS submission. Pilots will know that the eAPIS transmission has been received, based upon CBP’s response to the transmission. Clearance for a flight to or from the United States should never be assumed regardless of the amount of time that has elapsed; only the pilot’s receipt of a cleared response from CBP ensures that the agency has received the arrival and/or departure manifest submission.”

The TSA’s Large Aircraft Security Program

That title is a link the the 260-page pdf file of another NPRM that the TSA has filed. The Program would apply to all aircraft operations, corporate or private, with aircraft that have a MTOW over 12,500 lbs. It requires the operators to adopt a security program based on the program already in place for the airlines. In the beginning it sounds a little like the rule we just talked about, but realize that this NPRM effects ALL FLIGHTS WITHIN THE U.S., not just those that cross a border.  To quote their NPRM, the major points are:

• Ensure that their flight crew members have undergone a fingerprint-based
  criminal history records check (CHRC).
• Conduct watch-list matching of their passengers through TSA-approved watchlist
  matching service providers.
• Undergo a biennial audit of their compliance by a TSA-approved third party
  auditor.
• Comply with the current cargo requirements for the twelve-five all-cargo program
  if conducting an all-cargo operation.
• For aircraft with a MTOW of over 45,500 kilograms operated for compensation
  or hire, screen passengers and their accessible property.
• Check property on board for unauthorized persons.

The TSA admits that it will increase the operators requiring a TSA-aproved security program from the current 650 to approximately 10,000. They propose that the crew member check (CHRC) would only be valid for 5 years and that the TSA will be charging the operator for doing the check. The watchlist matching will be done by a third party who the operator must then contract to do the work.

The proposal also would require airports which provide service to these aircraft to adopt security programs. Those airports would be:

• Reliever airports, which perform the function of relieving congestion at
  commercial service airports and provide more GA access to the overall
  community.
• Airports that regularly serve large aircraft with scheduled or public charter
  service.

So, those of you based at airports which have received funds from the government for improvements by qualifying the airport as a reliever airport for your local air carrier airport, are probably looking at a new use for that qualification. The NPRM estimates that 315 more airports will be required to implement TSA-approved security programs.

Scared Yet?

Take another look at these two regulations. In the first one the CBP is making no distinction at all between a 747, a King Air, a Piper Cub or a Hot Air Balloon. The TSA is trying to extend their tentacles down to the 12,500 MTOW aircraft, without regard for how the aircraft are used. Do you really think they will stop with ‘Large Aircraft’ ? As an EAA commenter said:

“I would think many more people, such as owners of large recreational vehicles, also would share many of the same concerns aircraft owners have about this proposed regulation.”

Do your own research. Read the NPRM (you now have the link to the full text). Make up your own mind about what this could mean if it is passed. Then, make your (civil) feelings about this proposal known! Comment on this NPRM! The comment period has been extended until February 27, 2009. Sit down now and start the process of submitting your comment!

How to Submit a Comment

To comment - refer to Docket No. TSA-2008-0021, “Large Aircraft Security Program, Other Aircraft Operator Security Program, and Airport Operator Security Program.”

By Mail, In Person or Fax to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington DC 20590-0001. Fax 202-493-2251.

To comment electronically - access the Federal eRulemaking portal at www.Regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

It was just a coincidence (I assume) that waiting for me on my desk when I returned was an ALPA magazine with an insert titled The Airline Pilot’s Guide to Fighting Fatigue. A few days later, when I could again focus and interpret what I was reading, I looked through the pamphlet to see what it said that I should be doing to minimize the ‘drained’ feeling I always have when I get home. It was put together by the union’s Fatigue Blue Ribbon panel, formed in 2007.

What is fatigue?

One of the initial points the panel brought out is that fatigue is not just being drowsy or tired. The  MedlinePlus website, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health says that

Fatigue is different from drowsiness. In general, drowsiness is feeling the need to sleep, while fatigue is a lack of energy and motivation. Drowsiness and apathy (a feeling of indifference or not caring about what happens) can be symptoms of fatigue.

The Mayo Clinic says that fatigue can be caused by one or more of the following five factors:

1. Lack of sleep,
2. Stress or anxiety,
3. Inactivity,
4. Eating habits, or
5. Certain medications

All of these factors except the medications could easily be present in a professional pilot’s daily schedule. Pilots are regulated fairly heavily in the medication department, with only a small number of relatively benign medications acceptable for use.

Lack of sleep can definitely have detrimental effects on your ability to function efficiently. According to the Canadian Safety Council:

Losing as little as two hours of sleep can negatively affect alertness and performance. Sleep deprivation affects a person’s carefulness and ability to respond to an emergency. Symptoms can include: decreased judgment, decision-making and memory; slower reaction time; lack of concentration; fixation; and worsened mood.

I had never seen a comparison of the effects of fatigue to the effects of alcohol, but apparently studies have linked the two lists of symptoms and effects and a fatigue-induced relative alcohol content is possible. Being awake for 17 hours is comparable to a blood-alcohol level of .05% (above the legal limit for flying). If that time is extended to 24 hours without sleep, it is equivalent to a blood-alcohol level of .10% ( legally drunk). I’d rather be off duty and having the drinks, myself.

The physiology of fatigue involves both the amount and quality of sleep that you get as well as your body’s circadian rhythm. Studies have shown that the average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Sleep loss is cumulative and losing one hour of sleep a night for a week is equivalent to just not sleeping at all for one of those nights. I know from experience that the older you get, the harder it is to get a good night’s sleep. Sometimes the loss of sleep is due to something simple like too many liquids close to bed time, other times it’s a function of the stresses of life popping into a brain that seems to not want to shut off. The pamphlet reinforced this when it brought out that older crew members (50-60 yrs old) on long haul flights tended to have 3.5 times more sleep loss than their younger counterparts (20-30 years old).

Circadian Rhythm

Our bodies have an internal clock that tends to regulate our sleep/wake cycles that is called “circadian rhythm.” The Medical College of Wisconsin on their Healthlink site has this description:

Circadian rhythms are regular changes in mental and physical characteristics that occur in the course of a day (circadian is Latin for “around a day”). Most circadian rhythms are controlled by the body’s biological “clock.” This clock, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus or SCN, is actually a pair of pinhead-sized brain structures that together contain about 20,000 neurons. The SCN rests in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, just above the point where the optic nerves cross. Light that reaches photoreceptors in the retina (a tissue at the back of the eye) creates signals that travel along the optic nerve to the SCN.

Signals from the SCN travel to several brain regions, including the pineal gland, which responds to light-induced signals by switching off production of the hormone melatonin. The body’s level of melatonin normally increases after darkness falls, making people feel drowsy. The SCN also governs functions that are synchronized with the sleep/wake cycle, including body temperature, hormone secretion, urine production, and changes in blood pressure.

The body clock isn’t like a watch, however, and will take days or weeks to synchronize to a new time zone. That means that flight crews will probably never adapt to the new time zone at their layover location. Some crew members use their layover time zone to sleep, others try to stay on their home time zone for their sleep/wake cycles and some vary their method depending on the length of their scheduled trip. You have to figure out what works for you.

The ALPA pamphlet provides some ‘helpful hints’ you can use to get better rest.

1. If you can’t fall asleep in 15-20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing that will help you feel more sleepy. (Reading an aircraft or company manual seems to work for me.) Then try again - and don’t stare at the clock!
2. Make the room as dark and quiet as possible. (Most of our hotels have blackout curtains. I use earplugs, some people have ‘white noise’ machines.)
3. Take a hot shower before bed. The body exerts energy to cool itself, which will increase drowsiness and make it easier to get to sleep.
4. Go to your ‘happy place.’ Relaxing thoughts or images can help you fall asleep.
5. Eat the right stuff. No large meals, lots of liquids or large shots of protein before bed. The effects of caffeine can last as long as 4 hours. Dairy products, bananas, turkey and granola will help you get to sleep. Stay hydrated, dehydration causes fatigue.
6. Avoid alcohol less than 3 hours before bed time. It may help you get to sleep, but the sleep you experience will not be as restful as if you had abstained.
7. Exercise, but not less than 3 hours before bed. It will help you get a deeper sleep, but too close to bed time will make it harder to get to sleep.

For those of you in Canada, the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR 720-23) allow “controlled rest on the flight deck” for air carriers with it included in their Operating Specifications. That means it’s legal to coordinate with the remaining crew and then take a short nap while you’re in the seat. A 20-minute nap can increase alertness by 50%, take 40 minute nap and alertness gets a 100% increase. The U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations have no such provision. I guess the FAA just doesn’t believe that all this research on fatigue is anything to worry about.

Fatigue was one of the concerns I had when I checked out as a narrow-body captain. I live on the west coast and knew that a lot of my trips would be on the east coast with morning departures as early as 6 am.  As the captain, you have to be alert enough to analyze the situation and make the appropriate decision as well as monitor the operation of the aircraft. The trips, long-haul or domestic, are never long enough for your body to adapt to the time zone changes. You have to do the best you can to get exercise, eat as well as you can and sleep whenever it’s convenient. At least the U.S. regulations limit the time you can be on duty without a break. There are flight time limitations (such as 30 flight hours in 7 days) and there are limits on the length of time you can be on duty in the cockpit without a break (which varies with the number of required crew members and whether it is domestic or international flying). There are also minimum crew rest times between work periods. It all sounds good on paper, but your alertness hinges on your ability to sleep on your break/crew rest or the night before the flight.

What do you do to ensure you have the rest you need to complete your next flight as safely as possible?

Related Posts

The Commuting Pilot Flying International Routes

I am just finishing up a 3-day layover in south-central Japan. I just went out for a little walk looking for a light lunch and found myself walking up to an escalator as I would at home only to find that the ‘up’ side is on the left. It makes sense, knowing that the Japanese drive on the left side of the street, but it’s not something that you consciously think about.

We’re housed in a very nice hotel and this time, probably because of the extended layover, I have been given a nicer room than usual. It has a two-area main room with king bed and television on one end and a desk and sofa with coffee table and another television with DVD player on the other end. It has a nice big walk-in closet and a very nice marble-lined bathroom. And that is where I found my biggest surprise this trip. Shortly after I checked into my room I found it necessary to make a visit to the bathroom. I did my thing and then attempted to flush the toilet. Hmm. No handle anywhere in sight. I found a small panel with an illuminated indicator light on the side of the bowl, but it didn’t look like it did anything. Then I looked up at the wall beside the commode and just above the paper rolls.  This is what I found (click for a larger version).

This all happened a couple of days ago and I thought it might be an interesting post to describe what was going through my mind as I sat there looking at this panel trying to figure out how it worked. There are no English instructions anywhere on the unit nor anywhere in the bathroom, though there are often accompanying English instructions on machines like ATMs. Yesterday morning I took a couple of photos of the unit for this post and started working on what I might write. Then this morning, while I was working out in the hotel gym, I was listening to podcasts that I had downloaded to my iPhone. One of them was a recent episode of TWiT (This Week in Tech) with Leo Laporte and, for this episode, Jason Calacanis (Episode 169). Right in the middle of the episode they had a discussion of exactly the same control panel. Calacanis had returned from Japan just prior to the recording. Jason was a bit braver than I, since he pressed one of those buttons in the second row with the ominous rear-end caricatures. He said a small arm motored out from under the rear of the unit and proceeded to produce a stream of water that almost reached the nearly 8-ft high bathroom ceiling. Only a Matrix-worthy maneuver kept him from getting soaked. I guess he had never seen bidet controls before. It was a pretty funny description, though.

My reasoning process figured that the most-used function would probably be the first button, so I closed the lid, stood back and pressed it. Success! Luck wins out over brains, yet again. I imagine one of the buttons activates the heated seat function that I’ve seen on other units, but it’s not that cold here yet and I haven’t been in an experimenting mood. I didn’t bring that many extra changes of clothes.