Flight Safety Information November 3, 2011 - No. 226 In This Issue FAA Safety Briefing - November/December 2011 - Issue Gulfstream and Flightsafety Team To Curb Aircraft Damage LAX tightens security but remains terrorist target, report says Global Aerospace Deploys New Aviation Safety Poster Series Jet Crashes Near NAS-Kingsville Airports come in all shapes and sizes and can provide pilots with opportunities for both education and enjoyment at any level. This is the focus of the November/December 2011 issue of FAA Safety Briefing, which takes an in-depth look at the nation's wide array of public-use airports. Articles highlight the benefits of exploring new places to land as well as help raise awareness of runway safety and wildlife hazards. In this issue you can also read about what goes in to building an instrument approach, learn more about deciphering airport sign language, and appreciate the lessons learned from a runway incursion. In addition, the issue's Nuts, Bolts, and Electrons department takes a look at some changes on what it means to be actively engaged. Be sure to check out all this issue has to offer! The link to the online edition is: http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/. FAA Safety Briefing is the safety policy voice for the non-commercial general aviation community. The magazine's objective is to improve safety by: · making the community aware of FAA resources · helping readers understand safety and regulatory issues, and · encouraging continued training Thomas Hoffmann Writer/Editor Flight Standards Service - General Aviation & Commercial Division thomas.m.hoffmann@faa.gov (202) 385-9605 FAA Safety Briefing www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/ Back to Top Gulfstream and Flightsafety Team To Curb Aircraft Damage Faced with a continuing trend of ground-handling incidents during transient aircraft operations, Gulfstream and FlightSafety International have jointly created a new program to instruct FBOs on the best practices developed by the Savannah-based airframer to minimize the potential for accidental harm to aircraft. "Incorrect ground- handling procedures continue to cause significant aircraft damage and schedule delays, which impact our customers and the dispatch availability of the Gulfstream fleet," said Mark Burns, Gulfstream's president of product support. For the remainder of the year, a free preview of FlightSafety's Gulfstream G350/G450/G500/G550 ground- handling and servicing e-learning course is available to FBO managers. The course reviews all aspects of handling and servicing, from the aircraft's arrival to its departure, and covers activities such as parking, fueling, towing and lavatory servicing, as well as ice and snow removal. Jet Aviation's Bedford, Mass. and Teterboro, N.J. facilities were the launch FBOs for the program, which will expand to other Jet Aviation locations this month. Gulfstream said FBOs that choose to participate in the program will be highlighted in its customer publications. http://www.ainonline.com/?q=aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2011-11- 01/gulfstream-and-flightsafety-team-curb-aircraft-damage Back to Top LAX tightens security but remains terrorist target, report says Los Angeles International Airport remains a terrorist target, but security has "improved significantly" with help from $1.6 billion worth of improvements made over the past decade, according to a report released Wednesday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The 162-page study by a blue-ribbon panel of aviation, homeland security and law enforcement experts assembled by Villaraigosa found that further enhancements should be made at the nation's third-busiest airport, including improved coordination between LAX's police force and the Los Angeles Police Department. "This report confirms what we have known to be true: LAX is safe and is safer today than it was following 9-11," Villaraigosa said in a prepared statement. "We intend to remain a very safe and secure airport," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that owns and operates LAX, Ontario and Van Nuys airports. "But I appointed this panel because we are committed to making LAX the safest, most secure airport in the nation in its class around the world," Villaraigosa said, adding that many of the report's 187 recommendations are already being implemented. Villaraigosa ordered the study a year ago after the head of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association alleged that LAX was "more vulnerable to a terrorist attack than at any time since 9-11" because of budget and staffing cuts to the Airport Police Department. After conducting more than 200 interviews, the 27-member panel disagreed with the union's claim, noting that LAX's police force has nearly doubled to 448 officers over the past 10 years. The report found that the union has helped fuel "historical tension" between the airport police force and the LAPD. "The union leadership's attitude towards LAPD in some cases borders on hostility," undermining the willingness of some LAX police officers to work with LAPD officers, the report said. Marshall McClain, president of the LAAPOA, disputed the statement and said he does not have an issue with the LAPD. "If the blue-ribbon panel wants to attack the leadership of LAX and the airport police, then we echo those sentiments," McClain said. "But we raised legitimate issues last year that needed to be addressed so that the traveling public is protected in the best way possible." The panel said it would be "ideal" to create a single police force at LAX, but acknowledged that may not be "politically feasible," since it would require a change in the city charter. "I support consolidation, but it is a matter that the people already voted on," Villaraigosa said, noting that 64 percent of city voters rejected a proposed merger of the two police agencies in 2005. As a follow-up, Villaraigosa announced a 10-point plan aimed at furthering safety measures at LAX, including updated procedures for emergency management and improved collaboration between airport police and the LAPD. The report also found that the absence of a high-level executive directly responsible for security oversight "contributes to the perception that security is not the highest priority" for LAX's managers. James T. Butts Jr. had previously served as LAX's deputy executive director of public safety for four years, but the position was eliminated in 2009 as part of a reorganization of the airport's leadership. To remedy that, Villaraigosa on Wednesday named Arif Alikhan as the airport's new deputy executive director of law enforcement and homeland security. "I think it was a very wise move to reinstate that position," said Butts, who now serves as mayor of Inglewood. "There needs to be a strong, coordinated leader to act as a single liaison for all the agencies working at the airport, and I think Arif Alikhan is an excellent choice to fill my old position." Alikhan previously worked for Villaraigosa as deputy mayor of homeland security and public safety for three years, and then was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama as an assistant secretary for policy development at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The report also criticized the leadership of airport Police Chief George Centeno, who plans to step down at the start of the new year. Alikhan will head up the search for Centeno's replacement, airport officials said. "We intend to remain a very safe and secure airport," said Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that owns and operates LAX, Ontario and Van Nuys airports. "To do so, we must be vigilant in our public safety efforts, evolve our security measures to meet emerging threats and constantly evaluate whether we are doing the right thing in the right way," Lindsey said. LAX was praised for having a significant amount of resources from the Los Angeles Fire Department, including a new $13.5 million firehouse used by the team of firefighters known as Crash 80. However, the panel found that all four of the airport's firefighting rigs are outdated and need to be replaced. The report said additional fire inspectors are needed at LAX. For now, only one inspector is permanently assigned to the airport, while two others were recently hired to oversee the ongoing expansion of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. LAFD Capt. Jaime Moore declined to comment on whether he believed additional fire inspectors should be assigned to LAX. While specific threats to LAX were redacted from the report, the panel devoted more than 2,000 hours to reviewing security, safety, fire protection and emergency management at LAX. "Throughout the process, the panel found the airport to be safe and sought to provide recommendations to enhance it further," said Lourdes Baird, a retired U.S. District judge who chaired the committee. The airport already has spent $1.6 billion over the past decade to boost security by building an emergency operations center, fortifying the airfield's perimeter and installing concrete bollards to keep vehicles from plowing into terminals. LAX also boasts the largest team of canines capable of sniffing out bombs hidden inside luggage, while the airport's police force implemented a new system to randomize patrols and vehicle searches. Additionally, new sets of scanners have been installed throughout the airport to seek out weapons and explosives stashed inside checked bags. The most visible change over the past two years has been the arrival of nearly 50 full- body imaging scanners that create intimate images of travelers. The machines emit low- level X-rays to detect weapons that may be hidden on airline passengers, according to the TSA. Soon, the airport will spend another $36 million to expand its system of 800 closed- circuit security cameras to more than 3,000 cameras trained on travelers, workers and planes, Villaraigosa said. The project will be partially funded with a $13.5 million grant from the TSA. Additionally, efforts are under way to revamp the system that controls all doorways leading to sensitive areas accessed by airport personnel. TSA Security Director Randy Parsons said the panel "indicated we are on the right path, with more work to be done." Find out more To read the blue-ribbon panel's entire study on airport security, link to http://bit.ly/urVGPF http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_19247800 Back to Top Global Aerospace Deploys New Aviation Safety Poster Series Global Aerospace, Inc., a leading provider of aerospace insurance products and services, has introduced a new poster series as part of its ongoing commitment to fostering greater safety among its customers and the aviation community at large. The posters were revealed at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Annual Meeting & Convention in Las Vegas on October 10, 2011. The posters focus on four essential aspects of a proactive safety culture: Planning, Prevention, Response and Recovery. They are designed to be used to enhance the Safety Promotion pillar of a Safety Management System and are available free of charge to aviation professionals, safety managers and risk managers. Delivered on a quarterly basis throughout 2012, interested parties can order a set of the posters by contacting Global Aerospace at safety@global-aero.com or by visiting the company's SM4 safety program website at www.sm4.global-aero.com/safety-posters. "Our customers want an insurance partner who supports their safety initiatives," said Jeffery Bruno, Chief Underwriting Officer at Global Aerospace. "The poster series is a dynamic new tool to help aviation companies fulfill the safety promotion component of a comprehensive safety management system." Richard Keltner, the leader of Global's SM4 program said, "A vital component of a safety management system is the promotion of safety through frequent reminders to employees and other stakeholders. The posters were designed to do just that." In addition to this dynamic poster series, Global Aerospace offers other valuable safety resources to the aviation community including: a safety resource website; training seminars featuring numerous thought leaders in aviation safety; safety newsletters; and other instructional resources. The posters were designed by The Creative Alliance, a Colorado-based branding and communications firm specializing in general aviation marketing. About Global Aerospace Global Aerospace is the world's leading provider of aerospace insurance with a worldwide portfolio of clients engaged in every aspect of the aviation and space industries. Headquartered in London, Global Aerospace has offices in Canada, Paris, Zurich and throughout the United States. Across the world, the company employs more than 350 people. With experience dating back to the 1920s, the company's underwriting is backed by a pool of high quality insurance companies representing some of the most respected names in the business. Back to Top Jet Crashes Near NAS-Kingsville KINGSVILLE -- This morning just after 10:00 a.m., a T-45 Goshawk aircraft crashed in a wooded area south of the NAS Kingsville runways. The aircraft is assigned to Training Squadron 21 based out of NAS Kingsville and crashed shortly after taking off from the Naval Air Station while doing routine flight training. The two pilots ejected safely. They were treated at the clinic for minor injuries. NAS Kingsville fire and emergency rescue and security personnel responded to the crash site. Firefighters extinguished the fire with foam and security personnel have secured the site. The names of the pilots aren't being released. The cause of the crash is under investigation http://www.kztv10.com/news/jet-crashes-near-nas-kingsville/ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC