On ALERT in Arkansas

The Arkansas Children's Hospital's aviation program---Angel One---has been awarded FAA approval for its Helicopter Flight Data Monitoring/Flight Operations Quality Assurance (HFDM/FOQA) program. As one of the leading small operators of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) programs in the country, Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) has continually set the standard for the industry, with this being the first HEMS program in the nation to reach such a milestone, ACH has utilized Appareo Systems' ALERTS - Aircraft Logging and Event Recording for Training and Safety - system as the backbone of their HFDM program. ALERTS, the first lightweight, low-cost and fully integrated system for light aircraft is in use by helicopter operators around the world and has recently seen increased implementation in HEMS operations.

FOQA and HFDM programs provide aircraft operators with concrete data on how their fleets are performing through flight data collection and analysis, allowing those operators to identify potentially problematic incidents and trends before they result in a dangerous and costly accident. An important factor to encourage participation in such FOQA/HFDM programs is that the FAA's approval of their program allows the operator to work more collaboratively with federal flight safety regulators in evaluating and, if necessary, remediating flight safety issues and concerns. All data generated in an approved program can only be used for the purposes of the HFDM and its operational plan. Additionally, the HFDM information can be presented to the FAA in a standardized, de-identified format to help them better allocate resources and infrastructure.

Croatia Air Using Lido/FlightBag

Lufthansa Systems has successfully implemented its Lido/FlightBag electronic cockpit communication platform for Croatia Airlines. The first scheduled Croatia Airlines flight to carry the EFB solution, an Airbus A320, took off in early October. Thirty of the Croatian national carrier's pilots are now using the electronic flight bag. Following a several- month operational approval phase with the Croatian aviation authorities, the airline will begin using Lido/FlightBag throughout its fleet for routine operations. Lido/FlightBag will significantly reduce costs for Croatia Airlines and it will also ease the workload in the cockpit, contributing to even greater flight safety. Croatia Airlines is using Lido/FlightBag as a so-called Class 1 EFB solution on laptop computers. The airline is the first to have an interface from Lido/FlightBag to the NetLine/Crew crew management system. This means that when the cockpit crew logs in to NetLine/Crew on the laptop for its briefing, the crew's personal data is automatically transferred to Lido/FlightBag. While the pilot downloads the briefing documents, all navigation charts and other information can be automatically updated if necessary. Shortly before the flight, the crew calculates the take-off speed with Lido/TakeOff. During the flight, they can view details about the planned route, NOTAMS and other information in the Electronic Flight Folder, as the so-called library contains all operating manuals in a clearly structured and easy-to-access electronic form.

Bush Intercontinental Gets ASDE-X

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental is now operating with an Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X), an advanced runway incursion detection and alerting system made by Sensis. Thirty-five airports will receive the technology through the FAA's ASDE-X program. ASDE-X combines surface movement radar, multilateration and Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) surveillance information to provide air traffic controllers with highly accurate, real-time position and identification information of all aircraft and vehicles on the airport surface. By integrating multiple surveillance technologies, the system delivers a comprehensive picture of ground operations, increasing controller situational awareness and improving airport safety in all weather conditions. The system also features advanced runway conflict detection and alerting technology, Safety Logic, which uses complex algorithms to alert controllers of potential aircraft and/or vehicle incursions. ASDE-X is compatible with NextGen systems such as ADS-B and will serve as the basis for the FAA's Runway Status Lights (RWSL) program. George Bush Intercontinental Airport is the 21st airport operational with ASDE-X.

FSF Board Elects New Chair

The Flight Safety Foundation says Lynn Brubaker has been elected chair by the Board of Directors. She served 10 years in executive leadership roles at Honeywell. Prior to that, she spent ten years as an executive at Douglas Aircraft. She started her career at ComAir and Northwest Airlines. Ms. Brubaker currently serves as a Member of the Boards for Hexcel Corp., a $1.2B multi-national company in leading advance materials and technology, Faro Technologies,, the world's leading provider of portable measurement and imaging solutions, The Nordam Group, the largest private aerospace company in high technology manufacturing and repair, and Graham Partners, a US private equity firm focused on middle market manufacturing companies. "At the end of my term as chairman, I am confident in turning the reins over to someone as experienced and knowledgeable as Lynn," commented Ed Stimpson, immediate past chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation Board of Governors. "She will bring a unique perspective and be a real asset for the board and the staff."

CAAC Kudos for Safety

Flight Safety Foundation President and CEO William R. Voss presented the Civil Aviation Administration of China with the 2009 Aviation Week and Space Technology Distinguished Service Award at the Foundation's 62nd International Air Safety Seminar in Beijing, China. The award was accepted by Vice Administrator Jian Li. "The Flight Safety Foundation is pleased to recognize the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for successfully overseeing aviation safety despite the challenge of an air traffic growth rate twice the world average," commented Voss at the luncheon ceremony. "The CAAC is leading the country's aviation industry away from a compliance-based approach toward a performance-based approach, and that has helped China achieve an excellent safety record in recent years. The accomplishments of the CAAC in managing and regulating China's explosive aviation growth while achieving such an extraordinary safety record is the type of work that Jerry wanted to recognize when he dreamed up this award. Any national regulator can learn many lessons from the work the CAAC is doing."

2009 Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award

The National EMS Pilots Association (NEMPSA) has been selected to receive the third annual Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award. The organization was chosen because of its contributions to safety initiatives and education throughout the industry. The National EMS Pilots Association is a non-profit professional pilot organization that is dedicated to serving pilots involved in the air-medical transport industry and to improve the quality and the safety of those services. The organization enjoys a rich history of innovation and excellence spanning over 25 years. NEMPSA was formed in 1984 with the mission to help the Air Medical industry prosper safely and enhance the delivery of healthcare. It has become synonymous with professionalism and safety, and NEMSPA works very closely with the federal agencies, industry organizations, health care systems, air medical providers and many others to promote quality and safety in the industry. Some of the NEMSPA initiatives include: a heliport safety sign campaign and EMS Pilot Fatigue Research Project in collaboration with Mark R. Rosekind, Ph.D. who has been nominated to join the National Transportation Safety Board.