Life Lessons From Cockpit

If you have been in the cockpit of an airplane or if you have seen pictures of an airplane cockpit, you would have noticed a myriad of switches, buttons and dials to control the various systems and as an indication of systems status. The bigger the aircraft, the more complex is the system. These switches and buttons would have to be manipulated during each phase of the flight with different buttons or switches for different phases. Correct and timely switching of the switches and buttons is critical to the safety of the flight. Have you therefore wondered how could pilots possibly remember and not miss a single step of the procedure as dictated? The answer is the use of checklist.

[singlepic=82,320,240,,center]

Sample of a checklist

The airplane checklist has long been regarded as a foundation of pilot standardization and safety. Studies have indicated that the non-use or the improper use of the checklist is one of the major contributing factors to aircraft incidents and accidents. Learning from the strict cockpit discipline and the effectiveness of the checklist, a lot of high-risk and critical industries such as medical care, space flight, maritime and power production have adopted the use of checklist as part of their procedures. The following are reasons why checklists are widely used in the above industries including aviation:

• Offers standardization. With the use of checklists there is no ambiguity with the various procedures. Everyone knows exactly what to expect and what to do during all phases of flight.
• Provides added safety. During a non-normal situation the checklist allows one pilot to manipulate the various switches and buttons on his own without much supervision and frees the other pilot to concentrate on flying the airplane.
• Reduces workload. Checklist reduces pilots’ workload since they do not have to memorise some of the procedures as these procedures are referenced to the checklists.
• Aligns expectations. All modern airplanes are manned by two pilots. Most airlines would have a few hundred pilots flying the same aircraft type. Checklist allows pilots to fly with any of them as whomever that they fly with, will know what to expect.
• Manages workload better. Pilots have to carry out certain procedures during different phases of the flight. By using checklist, their workload would be evenly distributed. One pilot can concentrate in flying the plane while the other pilot can carry out other required tasks.

Learning from the pilots we can use checklists in many of our daily activities. As an example we can create a checklist to plan and arrange our activities for the day. By doing so we will be able to plan our life better, reduces our workload and helps us to distribute our workload better. It ensures that we do not miss anything of importance.

Written by Azharuddin Osman

Tags: airplane, checklists, Life Lessons from Cockpit, non-normal, normal

The recent incident involving a Qantas B747 aircraft that experienced a loss of cabin pressure whilst flying from Hongkong to Melbourne has stirred a lot of interests and debates amongst aviation enthusiasts and flight crews alike. Common after every incident or accident, where comments and speculations are aplenty and some people are even quick in apportioning blame.

What I would like to do is to comment on the incident and lessons learned from it. These comments are purely my own expressed views based on my experience as a pilot, as a flight instructor and from the information obtained from the internet and newspapers.

Modern airplane rarely encounters malfunctions with the aircraft systems that could cause major problems let alone such structural damage. This is attributed to the advanced technology that could detect potential problems with the aircraft systems, improved systems reliability, systems redundancy, plus the stringent regulatory requirements for aircraft maintenance. Despite the above, malfunctions and incidents still continue to happen.

As the last line of defense, this is where the skills and the training of pilots are called upon to solve those problems. In fact the reason why pilots have to attend training classes, simulator training and undergo periodic checks and tests is to prepare themselves for such eventualities.

Yes flying is becoming safer and safer despite the occasional incident and accident. There are more fatalities on the road than in the air. Because of this, we tend to take safety for granted. Whilst sitting down comfortably in the cabin we place our trust in the hands of the pilots flying the airplane assuming that they are well trained and able to handle any problems during the flight.

Looking at the picture of the QANTAS aircraft one could not help but wonder what had happened and was it a miracle that the aircraft landed safely? Well to allay any fear, aircrafts structures are durable and airplanes are known to be able to sustain flights even after experiencing such structural damage. Two classic incidents involving a Boeing 737 and another, a Boeing 747 will attest to this. The B737 had part of the upper fuselage torn off, whilst the B747 had its forward cargo door blown off in mid air. In both cases, both aircrafts landed safely.

After the above incident both the aircraft manufacturer and the regulator’s safety board will disseminate information to all concerned operators on the outcome of the investigation, lessons learned and any other recommendations such as modifications to the aircraft systems or structure that would further enhance safety.

Therefore if you still have any fear of flying, don’t worry anymore. Be rest assured that flying has become one of the safest means of transportation. Both aircraft manufacturers and airlines have put in a lot of efforts and energy to make flying more comfortable and safer. The regulators too have played a pivotal role in enforcing safety oversight and requiring operators to invest in safety management systems and mandating crew resource management (CRM) training for pilots.

Written by Azharuddin Osman

Tags: airplane, incident, Lessons learned from cockpit, Training