Electronics and other things.

I just got back from a week performing an IOSA Audit of an Airline based in Europe. This in itself is not odd, but this was the first airline I've encountered that is completely electronic.  There are no printed manuals, no printed checklists or other documentation.  This presented a challenge for us as it's not always easy, when searching a PDF document, to rapidly find what you're looking for.  Couple this with the fact that the auditee's representatives are not always as computer literate as one would like, made it slow going.  We got there in the end, but not without a few tears.

I'm impressed at the level of sophistication involved.  The crews are supplied with Pen Tablet computers  at the time of dispatch and these, along with the onboard aircraft computers, contain all the documentation required for the flight.  The only hard copy information carried in the cockpit are High Altitude Enroute Charts and the QRH. All loadsheets, weather, NOTAMS etc. are presented, signed and stored electronically.  I can see that this is the way things are going in the industry, but I still have nagging fears about data loss and lack of accessibility due to computer failure, battery failure etc.  I guess I'm just an old dinosaur who likes to have some paper to scribble on.

Thanks

I'd like to thank all the colleagues and new friends I met at the BA Meetup for your comments about my presentation on the IS-BAO program.  I think this will be a major addition to the safety of corporate and business flight operations in the near future.  If there's any further information I can get for you, please let me know.

I spent today at Tangmere Aviation History Museum in West Sussex.  I volunteer as a guide there one day a week and am also the deputy chief simulator instructor.  We have the only English Electric Lightning simulator open to the general public in the UK.  It's a real Lightning cockpit and has a large visual screen, which gives a quite realistic effect.  Quite fun to roar around Southern England at 100 feet and 600 knots.  If you're in the neighbourhood, drop in.  

BA Meetup

I've just returned from this year's BA Meetup at RAF Northolt, London, UK.  This Business Aviation conference is destined to become a "Must do" event for anyone interested in Business and Corporate aviation.  Bud Slabbaert puts together a truly eclectic mix of speakers.  In an informal and relaxed atmosphere, you can meet and get to know a wide variety of folks from all over the world who have an interest in this area of the profession.  The range of topics presented is truly varied and interesting. Surprisingly, some of the discussions were presented by people from outside the industry, but who offered valuable insights into areas sometimes overlooked by the Aviation community.   This year saw an inspired presentation by Stephan Cheliotis on Brand analysis and development and an equally interesting talk on Search Engine Optimisation.  These might not sound as though they could inspire, but there are applications to our business which are sadly overlooked.  Count me in for next year.

At the meeting, I met a considerable number of delegates from Russia and Eastern Europe. This is an area which deserves attention.  These people are developing ambitious young companies and there will be ongoing opportunities for consultance and assistance in the coming years.  Ignore them at your peril.

Aruba Signs on with IS-BAO

On 30 July, 2010 the Department of Civil Aviation of Aruba issued a letter stating that Operators of Aircraft wishing to register in Aruba would encounter no problems in doing so if they were IS-BAO registered.  This is one more example of a regulator recognizing the value of this program.  

This change to the regulations goes into effect on 18 November.  Operators not IS-BAO registered can still opt to have their manuals individually approved.

See the attached letter for full details.

As time goes on, more regulators are expected to accept the IS-BAO as a means of compliance for registration. it would behoove operators to seriously consider this program as a value added component of their operational strategy.



Talking Points

I've been participating in a discussion on Linkedin which has to do with the impact of teleconferencing, telepresence and such on the air travel industry.  There is a move to use these means of communication in order to eliminate or reduce air travel for business.  It seems to me that we in aviation can either embrace this technology and try to turn it to our advantage, or moan about it and hope it goes away.  Well, it won't just go away, so we might as well get used to it.  

The advantages as I see them are that the tools could be very useful for conducting safety seminars, training and conferencing.  This would be particularly true in the case of telepresence technology, where everyone can see and be seen. This would lend itself to a classroom or seminar type environment, where group participation can be promoted and developed.  The ability to see each other and make eye contact would render the experience more intimate and personal than something like a conference call.  

The technology could also be used to conduct ground school and systems training in initial and recurrent training for aircrews, and cut down on the time currently spent away from base on such activities.  If a crew could complete all the classroom activity at the home station and only travel as necessary to complete the simulator or aircraft portion of the training, flight departments might be able to save a bit of cash here and there.   

Any thoughts on this?