Luke Dunn

 Hello Class,  For this final blog, I want to bring attention to what I believe has been the most dangerous aspect of aviation weather. Although not as common as many other hazards like thunderstorms and fog, I have experienced icing incidents that scared me greatly. It should be noted that I was not in the aircarft during these times but in the control tower. Many weather hazards pose risk but in an area like Alaska, icing was the most dangerous in my opinion. For a brief overview, there are three types of icing: clear, rime, and mixed. Clear icing is heavy, smooth, clear, and forms from large supercooled water droplets landing on the surface of aircarft. Rime icing is white in color, rough, and is formed from smaller water droplets impacting the surfaces of the aircraft. Rime icing can also form "Horns" on the leading edges of wings causing increased drag and disrupts lift. Mixed icing is simply the combination of large and small supercooled droplets impacting the aircarft....

 Hello Class,  This is a great subject this week and something that I thoroughly enjoy. I have been in the career field of air traffic control since 2010. I started out in the Air Force but now work for a private company. It was great to see the ERAU video on airspace. As a visual learner myself, I wish I had something that profound when I was in training. For this blog I would like to focus on the air traffic control tower and the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).  Elmendorf Air Force Base air traffic control tower, JBER, Alaska. 2017 Now, this will be a broad description but the Tower air traffic controllers are responsible for runway separation between arriving and departing aircraft. This separation depends on the category of the aircraft and sometimes the surface condition of the runway. Within the tower, there are generally multiple controllers performing specific duties to their position, working in unison. Clearance Delivery may be present and is...

Jet engines are not considered quiet machines and adding multiple engines to one aircraft only compounds the level of piercing noise that is formed. Air travel is common place today with thousands of airplanes flying around the world from city to city but the noise pollution in the surrounding areas fall like a blanket of stress on residents. This is something that airport managers need to consider for their airfields and for the health and well being of the surrounding community. Image Retrieved from https://psmag.com/.image/t_share/MTQ3MTc2NTM4NDkwNTQ1NjE0/gettyimages-2663955.jpg Noise pollution from aircraft have been known to increase blood pressure, increase risk of cardiovascular disease, disrupt sleep patterns, increase stress levels, and stunt learning development in young children (Basner,..., 2017). This issue carries enough weight that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has written regulations governing noise pollution and airport design planning. The Airport Noise an...

 For this blog I pondered quite a bit. What is one of the most important legislative acts or Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR)? In my opinion, it would have to do with really anything that governs the rules and regulations over maintenance of an aircraft. I researched an article that pretty much sums up what I am trying to say. FAR 43.12 speaks to deliberate falsification of maintenance records (O'Brien, 2000). Image Retrieved from  https://businessaircraftrecords.org/wp-content/uploads/federal-aviation-regulations-business-jet-aircraft-maintenance-records.jpg Maintainers need to be meticulous, sharp, and consistent. If a shop or even one maintenance person has a bad day, the result can be catastrophic. An example of this would Alaksa Airlines Flight 261 on January 1, 2000 (Guzzetti, 2000). The horizontal stabilizer jackscrew was worn and had end play (Guzzetti, 2000). The lead mechanic two years prior to the incident had notified authorities and ordered it replaced but the ai...

 When I think of human factors in aviation, it always makes me think back to the study question of "What percentage of aviation accidents is Human Error?" To me, human factors are how people do their jobs. There is a social aspect, communication, team-work, and technical knowledge that hopefully pairs nicely with good decision making. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, n.d.) defines aviation human factors as a discipline that focuses on co-workers relationships and activities through the application of human sciences and system engineering. For this blog, the focus will be on team-work, or crew resource management (CRM), within the cockpit of an airplane. Image Retrieved from  https://vivekjois.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/officer-and-captain-in-cockpit_airasia-travel-3sixty.jpg?w=640 Operating a commercial aircraft is no easy task. Pilots and crews must be physically and mentally sharp and receive accurate and appropriate technical training. They are entrusted with the...

There are many threats facing the aviation industry. After the attacks on 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been vigilantly monitoring and improving safety for travelers. These advancements to security screening and passenger monitoring like with the advanced baggage screening, CT scanning with 3D imaging, and full body passenger scanners brings new threats with it as well. The reliance on technology to aid in detection of nefarious activity could very well be the avenue used for said activity. Cyber Security is a rapidly growing form of attack that is relatively inexpensive to conduct (Tran, 2015). Cyber security threats at airports could cause loss of power, flight delays, and communication issues with grounds personnel and airborne aircraft. It could also cause issues with aircraft's communication, flight controls, and navigation controls (Tran, 2015). Image Retrieved from https://www.kaspersky.com/content/en-global/images/repository/isc/2017-images/What...