Page 14 - June Volume 10 Volume 6

Recent Developments in Aviation
Study Recommends New o-around Procedures
in Go-around Decision Making” also finds these pilots score lower on all measures of situational awareness and are less communicative with other crewmembers than compliant pilots.
The study recommends making 300 feet, rather than 1,000 feet agl, the go-around height for unstable approaches; and also recommends enhancing landing go- around criteria. In the interim, recommended measures include installing stable approach and alerting systems on aircraft, as well as ensuring flight crews actively communicate during approach and landing.
FAA Proposes Eliminating Hundreds of Remote Communication Outlets
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notice of Proposed Policy to reduce the number of remote communication outlets (RCOs) used by flight service stations (FSSs). Currently there are 1,621 RCOs in the United States, and under the proposal 666 would be decommissioned starting next year. Frequencies especially designated for emergency and military use are not included in the proposal, as well as frequencies in the state of Alaska.
The FAA states that currently RCO coverage includes duplicate, overlapping and seldom used frequencies. Last year, it contracted the MITRE Corporation to study the areas covered by RCO and VOR frequencies for “possible removal without significantly impacting the area of coverage.” The study concluded that the 666 frequencies could be removed and still provide 99-100 percent coverage at 5,000 feet; 98-100 percent coverage at 3,000 feet; and 93-100 percent coverage at 1,000 feet.
By reducing radio coverage, the agency estimates it can save up to $2.5 million annually in
Safety Seminar, recommends redefining approach criteria for business and commercial aviation operations. Only three percent of commercial pilots comply with SOPs mandating go-arounds if the aircraft is not on a stabilized approach at or below 1,000 feet agl, and corporate pilots are believed to be the same.
According to the study, compliance could eliminate 54 percent of accidents, but most pilots believe the standard is unrealistic and thus have little incentive to observe it. “Understanding the Psychology of Non-compliance
by Kim Blonigen
GA
new study, which was commissioned by the Flight Safety Foundation and presented at a recent Flight Safety Foundation/NBAA Business Aviation
12 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
JUNE 2016
AVIATION ISSUES