BURNING CONFLICT SMALL UAS VS. AERIAL FIREFIGHTERS - REALISTIC RECOVERIES - Flight Safety Foundation
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REALISTIC RECOVERIES
Updated Simulators
STUMBLES IN SAR
Global Reorganization Sought
UNRESTRAINED
Fatal Shift in Cargo Hold
BURNING CONFLICT
SMALL UAS VS. AERIAL FIREFIGHTERS
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PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE
SHARED
Responsibility
A
viation safety is both an individual Subsequently, a U.S. Federal Aviation together to encourage pilots to report
and a shared responsibility. The Administration (FAA) Aviation Rulemak- when they are unfit for duty and to seek
decisions and actions of individu- ing Committee (ARC) comprising avia- professional help for mental health issues.
als can have a profound impact on tion and medical experts made several Working to reduce the stigmas that sur-
safety in specific situations, and aviation’s recommendations regarding pilot mental round mental health issues will be key
justifiably admired safety record is the fitness. Peter Stein, a professional pilot to this effort. We as an industry cannot
result of cooperative risk identification and attorney who sits on the Foundation’s allow pilots with serious mental health
and mitigation efforts between industry Board of Governors, represented the issues to have access to the flight deck.
and government and across organizations, Foundation on the ARC. FAA, airlines All states need to examine their privacy
industry sectors and borders. and pilots’ unions considered the ARC’s laws with affirmative reporting obliga-
Both points have been driven home recommendations and agreed to several tions for individuals with known health
in the 16 months since the Germanwings actions, including airlines and unions conditions that can put the safety of the
Flight 9525 crash in the French Alps expanding the use of pilot assistance travelling public at risk.
killed 150 passengers and crew as a result programs and incorporating them into
of the “deliberate and planned action airline safety management systems; FAA
of the copilot, who decided to commit working with airlines to develop programs
suicide while alone in the cockpit.” As to reduce the stigma around mental health
has been well documented, the accident issues; FAA issuing guidance to airlines to
investigation found that the copilot was promote best practices about pilot support
taking prescription antidepressants with programs for mental health issues; and
possible significant side effects and that, FAA asking the Aerospace Medical As-
just weeks before the crash, a doctor sociation to consider addressing the issue
had recommended treatment in a psy- of professional reporting responsibilities
chiatric hospital. But neither the pilot’s on a national basis and to present a solu-
employer nor the appropriate regulator tion to the American Medical Association.
were informed. The crash was a result of a Reporting requirements currently vary by
decision made by an individual suffering state and by licensing and specialty boards. Jon L. Beatty
mental health issues, and the system set As is the case with issues of physi- President and CEO
up to mitigate such risks failed to do so. cal health, the industry needs to work Flight Safety Foundation
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 |1
contents
AeroSafetyWORLD
July–August 2016 Vol 11 Issue 6
features
15 InSight | Safety Management Harmonization
16 CoverStory | Small UAS vs. Aerial Firefighting
21 SafetyRegulation | Rules for Small UAS
26 CabinSafety | Analyzing Cabin Air
16 29 FlightTraining | New Simulator Requirements
21
35 InSight | Missteps in Search and Rescue
41 CausalFactors | Fatal Shift in Cargo Hold
departments
1 President’sMessage | Shared Responsibility
5 EditorialPage | Focus on M&E
7 SafetyCalendar | Industry Events
2| FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016
26 29 35
8 InBrief | Safety News
12 FoundationFocus | BARS and RPAS
46 DataLink | EASA Outlines Key Safety Risks
50 OnRecord | ‘Flight Level Two Hundred’
41
AeroSafetyWORLD
telephone: +1 703.739.6700
About the Cover
Intrusive small UAS aircraft have repeatedly forced
suspension of aerial firefighting operations.
Frank Jackman, editor-in-chief,
Composite image: Jennifer Moore FSF vice president, communications
Background image: © Shaun Lowe | iStockPhoto jackman@flightsafety.org, ext. 116
UAS image: © Jag_cz | AdobeStock
Wayne Rosenkrans, senior editor
rosenkrans@flightsafety.org, ext. 115
We Encourage Reprints (For permissions, go to )
Linda Werfelman, senior editor
werfelman@flightsafety.org, ext. 122
Share Your Knowledge
If you have an article proposal, manuscript or technical paper that you believe would make a useful contribution to the ongoing dialogue about aviation safety, we will be Mark Lacagnina, contributing editor
glad to consider it. Send it to Editor-In-Chief Frank Jackman, 701 N. Fairfax St., Suite 250, Alexandria, VA 22314-2058 USA or jackman@flightsafety.org. mmlacagnina@aol.com
The publications staff reserves the right to edit all submissions for publication. Copyright must be transferred to the Foundation for a contribution to be published, and
payment is made to the author upon publication.
Jennifer Moore, art director
Sales Contact jennifer@emeraldmediaus.com
Emerald Media
Cheryl Goldsby, cheryl@emeraldmediaus.com +1 703.737.6753 Susan D. Reed, graphic designer
Kelly Murphy, kelly@emeraldmediaus.com +1 703.716.0503
reed@flightsafety.org, ext. 123
Subscriptions: All members of Flight Safety Foundation automatically get a subscription to AeroSafety World magazine. For more information, please contact the
membership department, Flight Safety Foundation, 701 N. Fairfax St., Suite 250, Alexandria, VA 22314-2058 USA, +1 703.739.6700 or membership@flightsafety.org.
AeroSafety World © Copyright 2016 by Flight Safety Foundation Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 1934-4015 (print)/ ISSN 1937-0830 (digital). Published 10 times a year.
Suggestions and opinions expressed in AeroSafety World are not necessarily endorsed by Flight Safety Foundation.
Nothing in these pages is intended to supersede operators’ or manufacturers’ policies, practices or requirements, or to supersede government regulations.
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 |3
November 14–16
Dubai
69th annual International Air Safety Summit
UAS in
Your Skies
Understanding the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft
Systems (UAS) is presently a matter of great interest to the
aviation industry, government regulators, and the general
public. Attend IASS 2016 to gain insight into safety challenges
and current technology during a dedicated session on UAS.
Safety UAS Integration Challenges: Views
and Concerns from the Airline Cockpit
Anthony ‘Jim’ Pala, UAS Member and William ‘Chris’ Lucius,
UAS Project Lead, Aircraft Operations & Design Group, ALPA
Organized by How Much Safety do Small
Drones Embed?
Dr. Nektarios Karanikas, Associate
Professor of Safety & Human Factors,
Aviation Academy of the University of
Amsterdam Applied Sciences
Hosted by
REGISTER NOW
• Early registration at discounted rates
available until August 19.
Sponsored by • Discounts available for 3+ participants
PLATINUM from the same organization.
flightsafety.org/meeting/iass-2016
EDITORIALPAGE
Focus on M&E
A
irbus forecast in July that $1.8 trillion will be So, I’m extremely excited that at our 69th an-
spent on commercial aviation maintenance, nual International Air Safety Summit (IASS) in
repair and overhaul (MRO) activities over mid-November in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,
the next 20 years as part of a projected $3 we will be offering a one-day maintenance and
trillion spend on global aftermarket services. In engineering (M&E) track that will run concur-
its first Global Services Forecast, which was re- rently with the regular schedule on day two of our
leased at the Farnborough Air Show, the airframe three-day IASS. Foundation Vice President, Global
manufacturer said that on an annual basis, MRO Programs, Greg Marshall and the FSF International
spending will grow from $53 billion to $132 bil- Advisory Committee have developed an agenda
lion over the forecast period, which works out to that will feature presentations on practical risk
average annual growth of 4.6 percent. management, maintenance human factors, safety
MRO is a big and potentially lucrative business. culture as a contributor to operator safety, main-
It’s also a complex endeavor that takes training, skill tenance line operations safety audits, and fatigue
and coordination to accomplish effectively. And, risk management for maintenance organizations.
most importantly, it is critical to the safety of flight. This won’t be the first time we’ve run an M&E-
Many of the same issues we discuss regularly focused event — we’ve done maintenance events
in terms of flight operations also apply to the the last two years in Singapore as part of our Sin-
maintenance and engineering realm. Fatigue risk gapore Aviation Safety Seminars series, but this
management, fitness for duty, communications, will be the first time in recent memory that we’ve
crew resource management, safety culture and ef- done a concurrent track at IASS. I think you will
fective oversight, to name a few, all play important find the content useful and actionable. For more
roles in MRO. information on IASS 2016, please visit our website
I think the MRO world is fascinating. I spent a at .
number of years in a previous job editing a maga-
zine that focused on the commercial, military and
business aviation aftermarkets. I also think that
many aviation safety conferences and seminars
focus largely on flight operations, and the organiz-
ers of most — but not all — maintenance events
are content to deal with commercial issues and Frank Jackman
seldom stray further than the occasional human Editor-in-Chief, ASW
factors discussion when it comes safety. Flight Safety Foundation
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 |5
Serving Aviation Safety Interests
for Nearly 70 Years
OFFICERS AND STAFF
S
Chairman ince 1947, Flight Safety Foundation has helped save lives around the world. The
Board of Governors Kenneth J. Hylander Foundation is an international nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to
President and CEO Jon L. Beatty provide impartial, independent, expert safety guidance and resources for the aviation
General Counsel and aerospace industry. The Foundation is in a unique position to identify global safety
and Secretary Kenneth P. Quinn, Esq.
issues, set priorities and serve as a catalyst to address the issues through data collection
Treasurer David J. Barger
and information sharing, education, advocacy and communications. The Foundation’s
effectiveness in bridging cultural and political differences in the common cause of safety
FINANCE
has earned worldwide respect. Today, membership includes more than 1,000 organizations
Vice President, Finance Brett S. Eastham
and individuals in 150 countries.
Controller, GSIP Grants
Administrator Ron Meyers
MEMBERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Vice President,
Business Operations Susan M. Lausch MemberGuide
Senior Manager of Flight Safety Foundation
Events and Marketing Christopher Rochette 701 N. Fairfax St., Suite 250, Alexandria VA 22314-2058 USA
Manager, Conferences tel +1 703.739.6700 fax +1 703.739.6708 flightsafety.org
and Exhibits Namratha Apparao
Member enrollment ext. 102
Membership Ahlam Wahdan, membership services coordinator wahdan@flightsafety.org
Services Coordinator Ahlam Wahdan
Seminar registration ext. 101
Consultant, Caren Waddell
Special Projects Namratha Apparao, manager, conferences and exhibits apparao@flightsafety.org
Donations/Endowments ext. 112
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COMMUNICATIONS
Technical product orders ext. 101
Vice President, Namratha Apparao, manager, conferences and exhibits apparao@flightsafety.org
Communications Frank Jackman
Seminar proceedings ext. 101
Namratha Apparao, manager, conferences and exhibits apparao@flightsafety.org
TECHNICAL
Website ext. 116
Vice President, Frank Jackman, vice president, communications jackman@flightsafety.org
Technical Mark Millam
Basic Aviation Risk Standard
David Anderson, BARS managing director anderson@flightsafety.org
GLOBAL PROGRAMS
BARS Program Office: 16/356 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia
Vice President, tel +61 1300.557.162 fax +61 1300.557.182 bars@flightsafety.org
Global Programs Greg Marshall
BASIC AVIATION RISK STANDARD
BARS
Managing Director David Anderson
facebook.com/flightsafetyfoundation
Past President Capt. Kevin L. Hiatt
@flightsafety
Founder Jerome Lederer
1902–2004 www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1804478
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016
➤ SAFETYCALENDAR
JULY 25-26➤ Aircraft Interior Design, SEPTEMBER 26–28➤ Air Medical Transport NOVEMBER 14–16➤ 69th annual
Engineering and Safety Course.Association Conference.The Association of Air Medical International Air Safety Summit (IASS
of Aerospace Industries (Singapore). Singapore. Services. Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. . Arab Emirates. Namratha Apparao, , +1 703.739.6700, ext. 101.
JULY 26–27➤ Pro Auditor Training Course. SEPTEMBER 27–OCTOBER 7➤ ICAO 39th
Mentair Group. Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Triennial Assembly.International Civil Aviation
NOVEMBER 24–25➤ 5th annual Safety in
. Organization. Montreal. .
Livingston, Zambia. .
JULY 28➤ Flight Safety Foundation
OCTOBER 5–7 ➤ BowTie Barrier-Based
Annual Networking Dinner.Flight Safety
Training.TAG Bologna. Bologna, Italy. NOVEMBER 28–30➤ AACO 49th Annual
Foundation. Washington. Namratha Apparao,
. . General Meeting.Arab Air Carriers Organization.
. +1 703.739.6700,
Casablanca, Morocco. .
Helicopter Expo and Conference.European
AUGUST 1–5➤ 53rd Conference of Directors Helicopter Association. Amsterdam.
MARCH 6–9➤ HAI Heli-Expo. H elicopter
General of Civil Aviation Asia and Pacific .
Association International (HAI). Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Region.Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka.
OCTOBER 11–13➤ ERA General Assembly. .
Colombo, Sri Lanka. .
European Regions Airline Association. Madrid.
AUGUST 15–19➤ Electronic Systems . MARCH 28-30➤ Singapore Aviation
Investigation.Southern California Safety Safety Seminar (SASS) 2017.Flight Safety
OCTOBER 12–13➤ Air Ops Europe.
Institute. Long Beach, California, U.S. . , +1 703.739.6700, ext. 101.
OCTOBER 17–20➤ ISASI 2016. International
AUGUST 22–25➤ 62nd Air Safety Forum. Society of Air Safety Investigators.Reykjavik, MAY 4-5➤ 62nd annual Business Aviation
Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA). Iceland. . Safety Summit (BASS) 2017.Flight Safety
Washington. . Foundation in partnership with the National
OCTOBER 24–27➤ Eighth Triennial
Business Aviation Association. Phoenix,
SEPTEMBER 7–8➤ Asia Pacific Aviation International Aircraft Fire and Cabin Safety
Arizona, U.S. Namratha Apparao, , +1 703.739.6700, ext. 101.
Airlines (AAPA). Tokyo. . .
JUNE 6-7➤ 2017 Safety Forum.Flight
OCTOBER 31–NOVEMBER 2➤ SAFE Safety Foundation, Eurocontrol and European
SEPTEMBER 12➤ Advancing Business
Association 54th Annual Symposium.Dayton, Regions Airline Association. Brussels, Belgium.
Aviation in Southern California.Southern
Ohio, U.S. SAFE Association. . .
California Aviation Association. Carlsbad,
.
California. .
NOVEMBER 1–3➤ NBAA’s Business Aviation
SEPTEMBER 19–20➤ Barrier-Based Risk Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).
Management Network Event.CGE Risk National Business Aviation Association. Orlando, Aviation safety event coming up?
Management Solutions. Amsterdam. . If you have a safety-related conference,
NOVEMBER 3–4➤ International Cross- seminar or meeting, we’ll list it. Get the
SEPTEMBER 25➤ AACO 77th Executive Industry Safety Conference.Aviation Academy information to us early. Send listings
Committee Meeting. A rab Air Carriers’ of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. to Frank Jackman at Flight Safety
Organization (AACO). Dubai, United Arab Amsterdam. . Foundation, 701 N. Fairfax St., Suite
Emirates. . 250, Alexandria, VA 22314-2058 USA, or
NOVEMBER 6–11➤ CANSO Global ATM .
SEPTEMBER 26➤ ICAO World Aviation Safety Conference 2016.Civil Air Navigation Be sure to include a phone number,
Forum.International Civil Aviation Organization. Service Organisation. Budapest, Hungary. . readers to contact you about the event.
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 |7
Safety News
INBRIEF
Ice-Protection Alerting Manufacturers Association (GAMA) to develop the alert-
T
ing system for use in turbofan airplanes that require a type
he U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),
rating and that are certified for single-pilot operations and
citing a fatal 2014 crash that it attributed largely to
flight in icing conditions.
structural icing, is calling for development of a system
The NTSB sent similar recommendations to GAMA and
to automatically alert pilots when ice-protection systems
to the National Business Aviation Association.
should be activated on certain turbofan airplanes.
The recommendations cited a Dec. 8, 2014, accident in
In a safety recommendation letter to the U.S. Fed-
which an Embraer EMB-500 (Phenom 100) crashed on ap-
eral Aviation Administration (FAA), the NTSB said
proach to Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Mary-
that the agency should work with the General Aviation
land, U.S. The airplane struck three houses about 0.75 nm (1.4
km) from the runway, killing all three people in the airplane as
well as three people in one of the houses.
The NTSB said the probable cause of the accident was “the
pilot’s conduct of an approach in structural icing conditions
without turning on the airplane’s wing and horizontal stabilizer
deice system, leading to ice accumulation on those surfaces,
and without using the appropriate landing performance speeds
for the weather conditions and airplane weight, as indicated in
the airplane’s standard operating procedures, which together re-
sulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude at which a recovery
was not possible.”
Josh Beasley | Wikimedia CC BY 2.0
Performance, Reviewed
T he number of controlled flights by European air trans-
port aircraft, total flight distance and total flight hours all
increased in 2015, with increases in average annual growth
expected to continue over at least the next seven years, accord-
ing to the annual Performance Review Report.
The report — issued in June by the independent Perfor-
mance Review Commission (PRC), which was established in
1997 by the Permanent Commission of Eurocontrol — said that
the highest rates of annual growth in 2015 were recorded by
Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, the United Kingdom and Spain.
An average annual growth rate of 2.2 percent is expected © Eurocontrol
through 2022, the report said.
In many central European states, including Bulgaria and
Hungary, the increased traffic was attributed to the rerouting implementation of state safety programmes … and facilitate
of flights to avoid Ukrainian airspace, the report said. Malaysia the exchange of safety information in the future,” the report
Airlines Flight 17, a Boeing 777-200ER bound for Kuala Lum- said.
pur, Malaysia, from Amsterdam, was shot down over Ukrainian The document also noted ongoing changes in the safety-
airspace on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew. reporting environment and said that a “transition phase” is
The report noted that Europe has not yet developed a likely over the next few years.
definition and guidance for “acceptable levels of safety perfor- “During this time, in order to maintain and improve
mance” — actions recommended by the International Civil European reporting, it is important that actors responsible for
Aviation Organization (ICAO). Although there is an “urgent the collection of safety data work together in order to create an
need to provide this type of support and guidance,” the report optimum solution,” the report said. “Nevertheless, the PRC has
said, “it is still not clear how this concept will be introduced to express its concern that during this transition phase, avail-
within the regulatory environment.” ability, completeness and quality of safety data may deteriorate
A common approach to the measurement and manage- due to the lack of arrangements between all parties involved in
ment of safety performance “would ensure a harmonized the process.”
8| FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016INBRIEF
Updated EU Blacklist
T he European Commission (EC) has updated its Air Safety
List — its so-called blacklist — of airlines banned from
operating within the European Union (EU) because they
do not meet international safety standards.
The revised list, issued in mid-June, names 216 airlines,
including 214 that are based in 19 countries “due to a lack of
safety oversight by the aviation authorities” and two individual
airlines “based on safety concerns,” the EC said. In addition,
six airlines are prohibited from operating except under specific
conditions, including requirements that they use specific
aircraft types.
The update removed from the blacklist all airlines certified
in Zambia, along with three airlines certified in Indonesia and
one in Madagascar; most aircraft flown by Iran Air also were
permitted to resume EU operations.
The updated list was developed “based on the unanimous
opinion of the safety experts from the member states” during a
meeting in early June, the EC said.
The full list of banned airlines is available at .
© JackRust | Vectorstock
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We have trained investigators and safety managers from around the world for over 35 years for national
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www.cranfield.ac.uk
Peter D. Blair | U.S. Navy
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 |9INBRIEF
Benefits of Space-Based ADS-B
S
those benefits to airspace
pace-based automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast currently not covered by
(ADS-B) networks will not only boost aircraft surveillance conventional surveillance
but also enable reduced oceanic separation, according to a technology.”
study conducted for Flight Safety Foundation. Flight trajectory moni-
The study was designed to assess the ability of space-based toring currently is limited
ADS-B networks to meet anticipated safety challenges of air to about every 30 minutes
traffic growth over the next 20 years by introducing near- in oceanic and remote
real-time flight surveillance capability with 100 percent global airspace, but space-based
coverage. ADS-B would provide data
“The integrity and accuracy of space-based ADS-B updates about once every
should introduce significant safety benefits to avoid posi- eight seconds, the Founda-
tional errors for aircraft within adjacent flight information tion said.
regions (FIRs),” the Foundation said. “In addition, handover Another benefit of
between air traffic controllers at FIR boundaries should be space-based ADS-B would be its ability to provide time-critical
more precise due to near-real-time situational awareness,” flight data to assist in aircraft accident investigations, the
which will reduce the workload for both air traffic control- Foundation said, noting that past accidents have shown that
lers and pilots. “locating black boxes can prove challenging to rescue teams
Greg Marshall, Foundation vice president for global and air accident investigators due to extensive search areas and
programs, added that “the many benefits of terrestrial-based inhospitable environments.”
ADS-B are now very well known, with many countries The study also reviewed areas that are likely to present
already having adopted the technology to the benefit of air challenges to ADS-B use, including the need for some air nav-
carriers and air navigation service providers alike. Space- igation service providers to upgrade their air traffic control
based ADS-B is one technology that promises to extend systems, as well as for avionics equipage mandates to be met.
Data Exchange
E
urocontrol and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)
Transport Canada of the UAE have implemented real-time flight data exchange,
Eurocontrol representatives say.
The data exchange was implemented in early June as part of the
Anti-Laser Campaign
Collaborative Global Air Traffic Flow Management Concept, which
T he Canadian government has stepped up its ef- Eurocontrol described as supporting the seamless management of
forts to inform Canadians of “the dangers and major air traffic flows required under the International Civil Avia-
consequences of pointing a laser at aircraft.” tion Organization’s Global Air Navigation plan.
Pointing a laser beam at an aircraft can “dis- “Real-time updates of departure times and other trajectory in-
tract pilots, cause glare that affects their vision, or formation is now being exchanged between the operational systems
worse, temporarily blind them,” Transport Canada of Eurocontrol Network Manager and the UAE main air traffic con-
(TC) said in launching its campaign in June. trol centre on the major traffic flows between Europe and the UAE,”
Transport Minister Marc Garneau added, said Eurocontrol Director General Frank Brenner.
“Pointing a laser at an aircraft is not only a reckless About 400 flights are conducted each day between the two
act that puts people at unnecessary risk, it’s simply regions, as well as an additional 150 to 200 overflights, Eurocontrol
not a bright idea. … Canadians and their families said, noting that traffic is increasing 3.6 percent a year.
deserve to feel safe while flying. We want people Joe Sultana, director of the Network Manager Directorate at
to know there are serious consequences, including Eurocontrol, said that full implementation of the agreement will aid
$100,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.” air traffic management (ATM) by providing more accurate flight
TC asked the public to report laser strikes on information and improving the predictability of traffic flow.
aircraft to local police or to a TC regional office. “ATM predictability is a major enabler of capacity, and the 64
Nearly 600 laser strike incidents were reported to air traffic control centers in Europe and the European airports
TC in 2015, compared with 502 that were reported will directly benefit from the receipt of … updated trajectory
the previous year, TC said. information.”
10 | FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016INBRIEF
International Military
Safeguarding Walrus ‘Haul-Outs’
NOAA
Airworthiness
Regulation Conference
P ilots are being warned against low
flights over the Alaska Peninsula that
might alarm walruses, causing them to
stampede, endangering both their young and
humans on the ground.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administra-
tion (FAA) said in June that it was col-
laborating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
14-15 November 2016.
Service to educate pilots about the locations
of walrus “haul-outs” — areas of sea ice
Melbourne, Australia.
where walruses rest after foraging for food
on the ocean floor. Changes in sea ice have
prompted walruses to haul out on land, Hosted by the Australian Director General
prompting concerns about their reaction to Technical Airworthiness, this two day
low-flying aircraft, the FAA said.
conference provides Airworthiness
Authorities and Industry partners with a
In Other News …
forum to gain insight into:
No immediate changes in U.K. civil avia-
tion regulations are expected as a result of
the June decision by U.K. voters to leave the
• the benefits of an emerging
European Union (EU), the U.K. Civil Aviation global convention on military
Agency (CAA) says. Future changes “will
depend on the outcome of the U.K.’s negotia-
airworthiness regulation,
tions on exiting the EU,” the CAA said. …
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration • lessons learned from organisations
(FAA) has not provided sufficient oversight of that have transitioned to a new
aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF)
services at U.S. airports, according to an audit airworthiness system.
by the Department of Transportation’s Office
of Inspector General. The audit says that FAA For information and to register go to
inspectors have not consistently reviewed
airports’ compliance with ARFF regulations www.defence.gov.au/DASP/IMARC
and policy and have “not sufficiently investi- GT21371D
gated potentially serious violations of ARFF
requirements or reported enforcement data to
[their] own database.”
Compiled and edited by Linda Werfelman.
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 | 11FOUNDATIONFOCUS
®
BARS and
E
arlier this year, Flight Safety Foundation’s Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program Of-
fice in Melbourne, Australia, announced that the state government of Victoria’s Department
of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) had become a Tier 1 BARS Member
Organization. Subsequently, Lisa Frye, manager of the DELWP Aviation Services Unit, which
is responsible for planning, procuring and developing aviation capability for fire and emergency
management in Victoria, talked with AeroSafety World about the benefits of BARS. Her following
comments have been edited for length and clarity:
How vital is BARS for improving aviation safety incidents in other industries as well as our own.
standards for service organizations in Australia and In that respect, BARS is like a one-stop shop,
around the world? representing the collective wisdom of the avia-
tion industry. The next step would be to have
Having a documented aviation risk standard
a BARS-equivalent tailored to the needs of our
means that when we say something about safety,
fire aviation sector, like the resource sector does.
we all know what that looks like, and everyone
I like BARS because it is clear, transpar-
is on the same page. This is important to us
ent and easy to understand across all areas
because we don’t own or fly the aircraft. We
of our business. Most importantly, it doesn’t
contract the services from professional aircraft
just highlight the risks or threats; it also tells
operators, and we need to know that they have
us what to do about them, what controls are
effective safety management systems in place.
needed in order to mitigate particular risks. The
BARS is a consistent, independent and interna-
audit checklists then ensure that those risks are
tional standard.
mitigated.
It’s a great tool for linking back to busi-
ness priorities, too. For example, we can show Has your support for the program been reciprocated
how investment in particular aviation projects by industry or has there been resistance?
(like training) can reduce our risk profile and
I don’t think there is resistance to the pro-
improve safety.
gram in general; in fact, several of our aircraft
operators are already BARS members and have
You have been advocating for BARS to be a compul-
regular audits.
sory standard. What is the impetus behind the push?
DELWP signed up to the program so that
Although we are fire and emergency services, we could manage risks for our remotely piloted
we are also part of the broader aviation sec- aerial systems (RPAS) trial. The working group
tor, so we can learn from aviation safety and for the project has been very supportive because
12 | FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016FOUNDATIONFOCUS
RPAS
we’re not leaving safety to chance. Even though RPAS, unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs] or drones)
this is an innovation project, we are proactive quadcopter to fly over a live fire and provide
in managing safety. There is a standard, and real-time intelligence to the Fire and Emergency
we’re following it. Resistance might come from Services Planning and Incident Management team.
aircraft operators who are unclear about what The Indago was able to provide information on the
they can get out of the standard. location of the fire edge, the intensity and location
For example, they might see safety as time of hotspots, as well as identify through smoke the
consuming or a barrier to operations. I think people and assets at risk. The Indago also assessed
this is a mistake. Safety standards are an enabler damage and transmitted real-time images of
to efficient operations. activities occurring on the ground. Australia’s Civil
Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has formed its
You have a Ph.D. in human factors; as a specialist in own position on this use of UAS in the past. What
this field, how can support for BARS be increased? place do UAVs have in aviation and emergency
services?
People need to see the value in the program.
They need to see that it is successful and that it We are still exploring the use of UAVs or RPAS
will be an asset to their business. I think afford- and how they might work for different opera-
ability of the program might also be an issue for tions, including fire and emergency. As with
some smaller aircraft operators. any other industry, the issues are about safety,
When an AO [aircraft operator] shows us that deconfliction and airspace management.
they have done a BARS (or similar) independent Currently, DELWP is trialling different types
safety audit, it immediately makes our decisions of UAV platforms and sensors for our land
easier. We can see evidence about their systems management operations. For example, we’re
and processes, and we don’t have to guess. If looking at coastal surveillance, dam inundation
they keep their BARS certification current, you mapping, inspection of road infrastructure and
can see a track record of safety management and wildlife surveys. We’re using rotary-wing and
improvement, and it gives you confidence in their fixed-wing UAVs to see which platforms work
operation, which counts for something. best for different tasks.
We’re also trialling a Lockheed Martin
In 2015, firefighters in Western Australia used a extended endurance UAS for surveillance of
Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies Indago planned burns. We are looking at doing over-
UAS (unmanned aircraft system, also known as night surveillance and longer-range missions at
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 | 13FOUNDATIONFOCUS
higher altitudes so that we survey large areas of for the FAA’s approval. Do you feel Australia should
landscape, using thermal imagery to monitor introduce a similar MoU?
hotspots and assist with pre-burn and post-
I can’t speak for CASA about what it may or may
burn assessment. Taking imagery before a burn
not be doing. However, we have been working
enables us to assess assets and different types of
with CASA for our UAV trials, exploring what it
land tenure, while the after photos show how
takes to fly above 400 ft and beyond visual line
effective the burn was. We’re trialling this at the
of sight. The area approvals do take a long time,
moment to see if it adds value to the planned
and this limits how the UAV capability can be
burning process.
used operationally. I think this will improve as
we all get used to the technology, and the regula-
Is using UAVs to drop incendiary devices in global po-
tory processes become more efficient.
UAV operators will sitioning system–marked positions for back-burning
Although drones have been around for more
a safer and more accurate way of controlling fires by
need to develop than 50 years in the military, it is still relatively
removing fuel in the path of the fire front?
early days when it comes to civilian and commer-
a safety culture, It’s an exciting area to think about, but we still cial applications. I think that at some point, general
have a long way to go before we could safely aviation traffic will have to learn how to share the
like the rest of the do anything like that. It’s also important to ask airways and that might not be popular with pilots.
what type of problem we’re trying to solve with At the same time, UAV operators will need to
aviation industry.
the technology, and also what makes the most develop a safety culture, like the rest of the aviation
I think BARS will business sense. industry. I think BARS will help with that.
DELWP is watching the use of UAVs over-
help with that. seas, such as the recent trials with the Lockheed
Martin K-Max helicopter for firefighting trials
in the United States.
What is the viability of flying an intelligence-
collecting UAV at an altitude higher than other
firefighting aircraft (helicopters, air tankers, etc.)? As Basic Aviation Risk Standard
Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems
long as it remained in the temporary flight restric-
tion area, interference with piloted aircraft would be
minimized, but are there other concerns? T
M EN
OM
This sort of thing is already being done by the YC
military. Some of the challenges for us are about U STR
R IND
how to manage safety in a more civilian setting. T FO
Again, the issues are about deconfliction, oper- D RAF
ating procedures and training.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and
the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) have signed
Version 1, May 2016
a memorandum of understanding (MoU) allowing the
use of small UAS in Class G airspace (flying below 400
ft) to monitor natural resources and to conduct search A copy of the Basic Aviation Risk Standard
and rescue missions. DOI is only the third agency to for Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) is
be granted this status, which enables staff to submit now available for industry comment on the FSF
a certificate of waiver or authorization to the FAA to website under The BAR Standard .
14 | FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016INSIGHT
BY RÉGINE HAMELIJNCK
Safety Management
Harmonization
AND AMER YOUNOSSI
S
afety management systems (SMS) The group has also held eight successful for Regulators; SMS Integration – Points
can be misunderstood, and the Industry Day outreach events and will to Consider; and Determining the Value
more civil aviation authorities can continue such interactions. of SMS.
harmonize SMS requirements, ICAO requires SMS for the man- The SM ICG currently has three
the better for global aviation safety and agement of safety risks in air opera- project teams developing guidance on
industry organizations — in particular, tions, maintenance, air traffic services comprehensive safety performance
for those that have multiple regulators. and airports. These requirements have management, including determining
This principle led to the establishment been expanded to include flight train- the acceptable level of safety perfor-
of the Safety Management International ing and the design and production mance; a safety culture evaluation tool
Collaboration Group (SM ICG). of aircraft. ICAO has also published and guidance; and alignment of the SSP
SM ICG was formed by the U.S. safety management requirements for assessment tool with ICAO Annex 19,
Federal Aviation Administration, the states by mandating that they establish Safety Management, Amendment 1.
European Aviation Safety Agency, a state safety program (SSP) to achieve After these publications are available,
Transport Canada Civil Aviation acceptable safety performance in their SM ICG members will promote their
and the International Civil Aviation civil aviation systems. As such, it is existence and inform industry organiza-
Organization (ICAO) in 2009, when the beneficial for civil aviation authori- tions, ICAO and regulators that they
aviation industry became concerned ties to harmonize their SMS and SSP can be downloaded from SKYbrary and
about the potential problems of meet- requirements and implementation ac- tailored in ways that will work best for
ing multiple sets of SMS requirements tivities, and to collaborate on common each user organization. Additionally,
in order to operate in different coun- topics of interest. the SM ICG seeks feedback from the
tries. The industry asked regulators to To that end, the SM ICG establishes aviation community on the products it
harmonize the requirements. short-term project teams to develop produces. Further information about the
The SM ICG now includes the initi- specific products for the wider avia- group, its membership and its products,
ating members and 15 additional avia- tion community. Product development is available at the SM ICG’s SKYbrary
tion regulatory bodies that collaborate focuses on creating a common under- website home page at .
across the international aviation com- ing implementation support, both for Régine Hamelijnck is SMS coordination officer
munity. Since its formation, the group states (SSP) and aviation service pro- within the Flight Standards Policy and Plan-
has published 20 information products viders (SMS), in the form of guidance ning Department of the European Aviation
for safety management standardiza- material, tools, promotional material Safety Agency (EASA) and represents EASA
in the SM ICG. Amer Younossi is deputy
tion and promotion; these products are and training program guidance. The
division manager for safety management and
distributed to the greater aviation com- most recent SM ICG publications in- research planning for the U.S. Federal Aviation
munity via SKYbrary, an electronic re- clude SMS for Small Organizations; SMS Administration Aviation Safety Organization.
pository of aviation safety information. for Small Organizations: Considerations He initiated the SM ICG.
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 | 15COVERSTORY
Fire Traffic Control
G
overnment and industry safety special- for low-level resource operations. Resource
ists within commercial air transport and operations including reconnaissance and aerial
business aviation have confronted a num- application with extremely limited reaction
ber of situations in recent years in which time usually operate without the protection a
pilots reported low-altitude traffic conflicts with [U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Among temporary flight restriction (TFR)] provides
concerns have been sightings of UAS aircraft — within most incident operations.”
unknown to air traffic controllers — operating National protocols3 direct air
higher than 400 ft above ground level (AGL), and ground wildland firefighters’
evasive maneuvers and near-midair collisions response to UAS intrusions,
near airports (see “Opening the Skies,” p. 21). derived from a fundamen-
These specialists’ counterparts in the U.S. tal policy that states,
wildlands1 aviation firefighting community “The protection
have welcomed opportunities to share parallel of human life
experiences and the defensive measures they is the single
have taken so far, as discussed in their reports, a overriding
public education campaign and an update brief- suppression
ing with AeroSafety World. prior-
They are applying risk-analysis methods, ity. Setting
tools and tactics through their safety manage- priorities
ment systems to discourage intrusions by UAS among pro-
operators that repeatedly have forced suspension tecting public
of aerial firefighting operations in the fire traffic communities and
control areas (FTCAs) of wildfires. Research community infra-
by subject matter experts shows that wildfires structure, other property
larger than 50,000 acres (20,234 hectares) have and improvements, and natu-
increased since 1986, with the largest increase ral and cultural resources will
in quantity of wildfires occurring since 2003 be done based on the values to be
and many recent large wildfires ranked as more protected, public health and safety, and
intense than those in historical records.2 the costs of protection. Once people have
In this context, an Interagency Aviation been committed to an incident, these human re-
Safety Alert to the wildlands aviation fire com- sources become the highest value to be protected.”
munity in July 2014 said, “Increased unmanned Three shutdowns of aerial firefighters’ re-
aircraft activity presents hazards to all [wild- sponses to major California wildfires in June and
lands fire] aviation users, including resource July 2015 — now believed to have involved five
operations. Most commonly (but not exclusive- privately flown UAS aircraft — received exten-
ly), unmanned aircraft will be operating within sive news media coverage, but such incidents
close proximity to terrain, thus increasing risk are not entirely unprecedented. For example,
16 | FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016COVERSTORY
BY WAYNE ROSENKRANS
Unauthorized UAS flights near U.S. wildfires — about 33 in 18 months —
pose untenable risks for air and ground responders.
the Aviation Safety Communiqué (SAFECOM) remotely piloted aircraft) and the demographics
system — a of their operators; analysis of about 33 wildfire-
publicly accessible database shared by Depart- intrusion incidents by operators of small UAS
ment of Interior agencies and the Department since January 2015; and a campaign to educate
of Agriculture’s Forest Service for wildfire safety the public about this threat and UAS safety in
education, safety research and operational general, says Jessica Gardetto, deputy chief,
risk management — contains reports external affairs, U.S. Bureau of Land Manage-
of intrusions or related incidents ment (BLM) National Fire and Aviation, and the
by FAA–authorized civilian and National Interagency Fire Center.
military UAS aircraft, airplanes “People maybe don’t realize at first exactly
and helicopters operated how dangerous it is to interfere with wildfire
by government agen- response. They think, ‘I’ve got this little device —
cies, and pri- how dangerous could it be?’ But even a small UAS
vately operated being sucked into the rotor can cause a helicopter
airplanes and to go down. That would be a very severe situation
helicopters. and definitely an extreme safety issue,” she said.
Regardless
of aircraft Tightly Confined Airspace
category, Hazards are inherent because of concentrated
land man- aerial firefighting traffic in a confined area even
agement before considering the threat created by an
agencies’ basis intruding drone.
for prohibiting “The world of wildfires is very complex,
such aircraft intru- especially regarding air traffic,” Gardetto said.
sions (and prosecuting “In most wildfires, firefighting helicopters, small
offenders) is 43 Code of fixed-wing air tankers, large air tankers, air-attack
Federal Regulations, “Pub- planes and, sometimes, numerous other types of
lic Lands: Interior,” Part 9212.1, helicopters are working in different areas over a
“Prohibited Acts,” which says, “Unless fire. A lot of these aircraft fly low. For example,
permitted in writing by the authorized helicopters are dropping water on the fire while
officer, it is prohibited on the public lands flying hundreds of feet above the ground, which
to: … Resist or interfere with the efforts of is the same level at which people fly UAS aircraft.
t
en
em
ag
firefighter(s) to extinguish a fire.” “Then you have someone who is trying get
an
M
nd
Recent interagency strategy, intended first pictures of the wildfire. From what we have seen
La
of
u
ea
to persuade UAS operators not to intrude in — assessing and working to try to determine who
ur
r, B
io
FTCAs, has led to new policies and procedures; buys UAS and who flies them regularly — it’s a
r
te
In
he
agency familiarization with the characteristics pretty broad demographic of people. Wildfires
ft
to
en
rtm
of popular small UAS (also called drones or are interesting, and we understand that most
pa
De
S.
U.
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 | 17COVERSTORY
operators don’t mean any harm. But they some of the firefighting aircraft because
don’t know that flying UAS aircraft in they’re coming in and out of the fire. So
the area is actually risking the lives of the we’re asking people, ‘If you see a fire,
pilots and the ground firefighters.” please do not launch your UAS even if
The National Interagency Fire Cen- you’re miles away, which is hard because
ter’s database received about 13 reports people are curious. For the safety of pi-
between January and late June 2016 of lots and firefighters, it’s just the best call.”
small UAS wildfire intrusions in the Regardless of TFR issuance, air
United States and Canada (see “UAS traffic control (ATC) personnel and/
Intrusions in U.S. Wildfire Airspace in or non-ATC airport staff anywhere
2016,” p. 20). In 2015, at least 20 such near a wildfire typically advise pilots of
flights occurred over or near wildfires manned aircraft through various stan-
in California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, dard modes of communication.
Wyoming and Washington. During “In some cases, firefighting agen-
2015, aerial firefighting operations in cies are going to be flying tankers out
these states were temporarily shut down of a nearby airport or flying within the
on at least 12 occasions, and two cases airport’s airspace, so other pilots defi-
of near misses with drones occurred, nitely will be made aware that we have
Gardetto said. fire traffic in the area,” she said. “Our air
tankers, helicopters and air-attack planes
Temporary Restrictions are always being tracked by FAA air traf-
Training of pilots to fly manned fic controllers and our automatic flight
aircraft covers compliance with TFRs tracking.” If information about aerial fire-
whenever issued, for various reasons, fighting has not been received, the nearest
by FAA. “For a lot of wildfires, they ATC tower or other ATC facility typically
will issue a TFR for the airspace over is the best source to check, she said.
the fire. However, there’s not always a Similarly, information about
TFR in place largely because some fires extreme weather phenomena gener-
haven’t been burning long enough to ated by wildfires, included in forecasts
get through that process for submit- and current observations (ASW, 2/11,
ting a request for a TFR. That’s why p. 35), is readily available to pilots and
we’re asking people just to keep those UAS operators from standard avia-
devices as far away from fire as possible tion weather sources. “The National
regardless of whether or not there’s a Weather Service puts out a fire weather
TFR in place,” she said. warning to all weather services near the
What constitutes a safe distance area and/or nationally so that they will
from firefighting operations, for either know if there’s a large column of smoke
manned aircraft pilots or small-UAS op- in the area” or if they’re going to be ex-
erators, is difficult to state exactly. “The pecting high winds, dry fuel and/or low
Jeffrey McEnroe, U.S. Department of the Interior,
Bureau of Land Management|Flickr CC-BY-2.0
aerial firefighting traffic over a fire can relative humidity, Gardetto said.
be coming from any or all directions,”
Gardetto said. “If you’re a member of Self-Preservation
the public, you could be close enough The current UAS wildfire-intrusion
to interfere, even though you’re not safety campaign primarily focuses on
technically flying your device over the threats to air and ground firefighters.
fire. If you’re anywhere near it, you still This argument alone has persuaded
run the risk of your device colliding with some operators to state in internet
18 | FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016COVERSTORY
forum posts that they are heeding the affected, typically degrading the real- United States
Department
United States
Department
no-fly warnings, and to criticize fellow time intelligence from observers.
of Agriculture of the Interior
IF YOU FLY,
operators who argue that their photo/ The unexpected interruptions of
video missions cannot be harmful, for firefighting have many negative impacts
WE CAN’T
example, because they take precautions for the pilots, not to mention ground
to avoid manned aircraft at wildfires. firefighters. “Many different aircraft are
The campaign does not focus on the
life-threatening risk to UAS operators.
coming in and out of the area constant-
ly throughout the day,” she said. “Fire-
!
“Although people want to get closer, fighters and pilots are already working
a wildfire is actually quite a dangerous in an extremely dangerous situation. To
situation. So we ask the public, ‘If you add an additional dangerous element is
see a wildfire, go the other direction.’ very frustrating to them.” DRONES NEAR WILDFIRES ARE NOT SAFE!
FLYING DRONES OR UAS (UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
SYSTEMS) WITHIN OR NEAR WILDFIRES WITHOUT
Fire can switch direction in a heartbeat PERMISSION COULD CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH
TO FIREFIGHTERS AND HAMPER THEIR ABILITY
TO PROTECT LIVES, PROPERTY, AND NATURAL
Campaign Update
CULTURAL RESOURCES
— especially if they’re in an area expe- FIRE MANAGERS MAY SUSPEND AERIAL
FIREFIGHTING UNTIL UNAUTHORIZED UAS
LEAVE THE AREA, ALLOWING WILDFIRE TO
riencing high gusts of wind. You may Since an ASW article (ASW, 10/15,
GROW LARGER.
CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAND
MANAGEMENT AGENCY OFFICE TO LEARN
think it’s moving away from you in that p. 30) first noted the UAS wildfire- USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
MORE ABOUT UAS AND PUBLIC LANDS
case, but the fire can easily overtake you intrusion campaign, officials have August 2015
Forest Service FS-1057c
before you know it.” reviewed or updated a few aspects.
The campaign by the Forest Service
Mandatory Grounding — called “If You Fly, We Can’t” — has analysis by the aviation specialist at
Situations described in the BLM data- expanded links to public awareness and BLM National Fire and Aviation who
base of wildfire UAS intrusions show educational materials, such as extensive now tracks UAS incursions using all the
standdowns of aerial firefighting per the multimedia content downloadable from available data sources.
national protocol. The protocol’s flow the FAA website . Within government agencies, BLM
charts, checklists and decision points Most importantly, FAA’s free smart National Fire and Aviation also issues
cover suspending aerial firefighting op- phone application — called B4UFLY — alerts called Safety Nets to the wildlands
erations, diverting participating aircraft has been released for public use. aviation firefighting community that
pilots to alternate areas, holding these air- “B4UFLY is very useful if there is a consolidate facts from SAFECOMs and
craft at an alternate location and altitude, TFR in an area because people can see it related internal analyses, Gardetto said,
briefing ground crews and investigating right away,” Gardetto said of UAS opera- “The entire wildfire community culture
the intrusion — until the air tactical tors planning flights. “In many cases, they has the aspect of people being able
group supervisor (ATGS) is confident will use that to get their data updated. If to freely report any safety issue at all,
that the intruder UAS aircraft has left the there’s not a TFR issued for the wildfire, and not face any sort of repercussions
area and will not return to the area. however, that’s going to be an issue.” or punishment — or even feel embar-
“If there is a UAS aircraft spotted in BLM National Fire and Aviation has rassed about it.”
the area, we have to shut down all air been working more closely than last Online forums of UAS operators
traffic until we determine that the UAS year to assist UAS manufacturers that — some at risk of federal enforcement
is no longer a threat,” Gardetto said. already utilize wildfire TFR data from action by posting their UAS-generated
“Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, if we the FAA for built-in, no-fly geofencing footage of wildfires — interest the
have to shut down air operations, the restrictions in their UAS devices, such wildlands aviation firefighting com-
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
fire can grow larger because we don’t as DJI . Geofencing tech- how best to reduce intrusions. So far, as
drops and we don’t have air tankers nology is promising and expected to noted, appeals to these groups’ shared
making retardant drops, so it’s very become especially useful in protecting interest in building a reputation for
detrimental to fire suppression over- wildfire operations, Gardetto said. safely flying UAS and minimizing risk
all.” Aircraft transporting an ATGS or Also important to the campaign of harm to others have resonated, if
surveillance crewmember are similarly are refinements to data collection and the posts to forums are to be believed.
FLIGHTSAFETY.ORG | AEROSAFETYWORLD | JULY–AUGUST 2016 | 19You can also read
