Editor’s Note: This graphic first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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The capacity for Q2 2024 is up about 4 percent over Q2 2019 for seats on international and domestic flights with about 1.51 billion seats on the schedule compared to 1.45 billion seats. 

• READ MORE: Like Copilot, Like Captain: The Importance of Left-Seat Mentoring

OAG found that the majority of regions have recovered capacity from 2019 except for Southeast Asia, Eastern and Central Europe, Southwest Pacific, and Southern Africa. 

OAG reported: 

• Southeast Asia had 128.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 114.2 million seats offered in Q2 2024, an 11.3 percent decrease. 
• Eastern and Central Europe had 59 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 50.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 13.8 percent  decrease. 
• Southwest Pacific had 35.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 34.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 2.1 percent decrease. 
• Southern Africa had 10.1 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 8.5 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 15.5 percent decrease. 

The U.S. aviation market remains the largest in the world with 310.9 million seats scheduled for this Q2, a 6.5 percent increase over Q2 2019 when 291.8 million seats were offered. Of the top 10 country markets, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Indonesia haven’t recovered to Q2 2019 levels. 

OAG reported:

• Japan had 53.4 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 49.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 6.5 percent decrease. 
• The U.K. had 47.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 47.2 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 1 percent decrease.
• Germany had 42.1 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 35.6 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 15.5 percent decrease.
• Indonesia had 37.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 34.6 million seats offered in Q2 2024, an 8 percent decrease. 

Germany’s global flight capacity decline can be attributed to travel pattern changes, reductions in domestic capacity, and one of the slowest long-haul market recoveries post-pandemic, OAG said. Japan relies on China for capacity and the operational challenge of Russian overflights for some airlines. 

• ‘Inside Aviation:’ The Zillow for Airplanes & Serial Airline Founder David Neeleman

United Airlines is the top carrier by capacity, up 5.7 percent in Q2 2024 over Q2 2019, according to OAG, while Delta Air Lines and EasyJet have yet to exceed Q2 2019. 

OAG reported:

• Delta had 62.7 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 61.9 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 1.3 percent decrease.
• EasyJet had 28.9 million seats offered in Q2 2019 but only 28.5 million seats offered in Q2 2024, a 1.2 percent decrease. 

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I half-joked that if John was younger and more junior, I could probably guess with reasonable accuracy whether he was a “McChord C-17,” “Whidbey P-3,” or “Whidbey Growler” guy. This is because even though military pilots make up less than half of my airline’s new hires for the first time in our history, they comprise a surprisingly high percentage of the newbies in the Seattle 737 base. I attribute this to the presence of multiple nearby Air Force and Navy Reserve units, which allow pilots who have recently separated from active duty to continue to fly for the military part-time, building toward the 20 years of service that merits a government retirement and healthcare. The largest of these is the Air Force’s 446th Airlift Wing, with three squadrons of C-17s at McChord AFB in Tacoma, Washington. Up at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, there are three Navy Reserve squadrons: VP-69 (until recently flying the Lockheed P-3 Orion, now converted to the Boeing P-8A Poseidon), VAQ-209 (EA-18G Growler), and VR-61 (Boeing C-40A Clipper).

My limited claim to omniscience perked up John’s attention and he demanded, with a grin, that I take a stab at his background. I knew he was retired military, but his demeanor offered few clues to branch, base, or aircraft. I guessed McChord C-17 and was wrong; in fact, John spent 20 years flying and teaching on P-3s for the Navy and Navy Reserve. But he also spent years in Boeing Flight Test and has been at our airline for six years, which is more than enough to blur the differences not only between military branches and communities but also between military and civilian pilots. Molded by our various backgrounds and experiences, time spent in the airline’s culture tends to erode the edges of all but a few particular individuals.

There was a time, when I was quite young, that my bedroom was adorned with F-16 posters and I had aspirations of military flying. At 12 years old, I was disabused of the notion by an Air National Guard recruiter who noted my substandard eyesight—in those days before LASIK acceptance—barred me from a flight slot in every branch. No matter; I committed to the civilian path and stuck with it.

I had little contact with military aviators at the regional airlines. Horizon had a few Vietnam-era guys on the cusp of retirement, and they were a wild-and-wooly lot even in their dotage. At Compass almost everyone was civilian, but my initial simulator training partner, Rich Metcalf, was a former Air Force F-15C driver who hadn’t touched an airplane in eight years. He had never flown a transport category jet, nor a multicrew airplane, nor one with a glass cockpit or flight management system. Yet for all that, he was magnificent, arguably the sharpest training partner I’ve had in a happy procession of excellent ones.

The major airlines, by their hiring practices, gave credence to the popular notion that military selection and training produced superior pilots, and in Rich I seemed to find terrible confirmation of my inherent inferiority. But then, six years later, I was hired at my current airline, where 95 percent of the captains I flew with were former military aviators. I was startled to find just how similar they were to the pilots I’d known in my decade at the regional airlines. Some were very sharp, others less so; some had natural flying ability, others were wooden; many were kindhearted souls, a few were loudmouthed boors. Every single one made mistakes I’d seen a dozen times before, mistakes I’d made myself. These folks were not superhuman at all; they were working pilots like me. Relieved of my lingering sense of inferiority, I got along famously with almost all these captains and really enjoyed hearing stories of the Ronald Reagan-era military: chasing Russian subs during the Cold War, intercepting TU-95s off the Aleutian Islands, landing on a heaving carrier deck in a typhoon. Often these captains, so used to flying with birds of their own feather, were quite interested to hear my own stories of dark, anxious nights spent alone in the thrumming cocoon of an ancient, overloaded Piper Navajo.

Every once in a while, I’d fly with someone who had never really left the service in their own mind, whose whole identity and ego were wrapped up in their past as a military aviator (most often in the single-seat fighter community). Such captains occasionally earned themselves a private eye roll, but for the most part I indulgently peppered them with questions about their past, to which they predictably rose like a choice trout to a well-presented fly. I received hours of entertaining, most certainly embellished tales out of the deal, plus more than a few free layover beers.

Once I upgraded to captain, I continued to fly with many military pilots, but now they were mostly my age or younger and had been hired within the last few years. Unlike the mostly peacetime Reagan-era captains, these folks spent much of their adult lives at the pointy end of the two-decade “global war on terror.”

The differences are interesting: The egos are smaller, even among fighter jocks, there’s a great deal more diversity, and there’s much more skepticism about the military’s role in the world—and more frank discussion about the highs and lows of service life. I am constantly impressed by the high quality of our new hires, both military and civilian. With rare exceptions, they are extremely sharp individuals and great cockpit companions. They make my job easy. The military pilots, in particular, must learn a great deal in their first months at the airline, especially if they haven’t been flying transport category or multicrew aircraft. Most are very quickly up to speed. I’ve come to realize the airlines’ preference for military aviators isn’t because they’re necessarily superior pilots but because they are predictably trainable in stressful environments. They are used to “drinking through a fire hose.”

A year or two into these pilots’ airline careers, it’s increasingly difficult to tell what branch they came from, even if they continue to fly in the reserves. Another year later, you can’t tell them apart from the civilians. The military pilots have relaxed while the civilians have added some spit and polish. After a few years, most everyone has drifted to a happy medium, which is on the whole a quite good standard—and a big part of the airlines’ enviable safety record the past two decades.

Speaking of which, during our flight to Phoenix, John and I had a eureka moment in which we recalled the details of our previous trip. It was the day of the Christmas bomb cyclone I wrote about in the March issue, with historically terrible weather in Boston, Detroit, and Seattle. John was a fantastic first officer that day, but his cool competence in tough conditions was so utterly normal to my experience that it didn’t make him particularly memorable. This is a great credit not only to John but to all the excellent first officers, military and civilian, with whom I ply the nation’s skies every week. As I near the top third of the seniority list, these folks coming up behind me are becoming the backbone of our airline, remolding our culture in their image. It is a very heartening thing to see.

This column first appeared in the July 2023/Issue 939 print edition of FLYING.

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Having flown a 777 for nine years and having responsibly contributed to the media frenzy as an aviation analyst, the story resonates on a personal level. Perhaps that’s why I take issue with the Netflix three-part docuseries MH 370: The Plane That Disappeared. But more than my own angst, it is a disservice to the families and friends that lost loved ones to focus on theories that defy the facts for the purpose of generating a profit. Spoiler alert: Among other topics, this column summarizes the three conspiracy theories presented.

Much of the series’ production revolves around aviation journalist Jeff Wise. While contributing with Wise, on and off air during the media coverage of MH 370, I found him to be affable, articulate, and well-read.

That said, it boggles my mind, considering the irony of his last name, why he would jeopardize his integrity by touting conspiracy theories despite data from credible sources. Initially, the Malaysian government and other aviation experts involved in the search were overwhelmed. Poor communication and a lack of definitive information served to create an atmosphere of skepticism and anger among MH 370 family members. Without concrete answers, the grieving process remained in limbo.

Searches were initially conducted in the South China Sea near the area of the waypoint intersection, where communication with MH 370 was last reported by the crew and civilian radar appeared to have momentarily tracked the airplane after it abruptly turned back toward Malaysia. The first game-changer came with the knowledge that the Malaysian military may have tracked MH 370 on a bizarre northwest heading over the Malaysian peninsula. As the search transitioned from hours to days, a British satellite company, Inmarsat, revealed the significant communication characteristics of the equipment on board the 777.

Apparently, despite the absence of radio communication and an active transponder code, the airplane had been acknowledging reception of a discrete satellite signal, colloquially called a “handshake.” In a startling revelation, this information indicated the airplane had continued to remain airborne long after its last known position. Inmarsat applied additional analysis, backchanneling the great circle satellite arcs of the handshakes utilizing mathematics and geometry. On that basis, it was determined MH 370 continued toward the vast south Indian Ocean. The analysis included various estimated flight times, distances, and altitudes to determine possible points of fuel exhaustion. The calculated search area was almost the size of Australia but refined after more data was baked in, inclusive of ocean currents.

• READ MORE: Malaysian Government Releases Report on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

Despite an international effort and two extensive search expeditions, the final resting place of MH 370 has never been found. Approximately 20 fragments of what is suspected to be the airplane has been discovered off the coast of Africa, with the most notable piece being a flaperon that washed onto the beach of Réunion Island.

So, irrespective of data-based information and the input of respected subject matter experts, conspiracy theories abound. Widebody jumbo jets don’t just disappear. With the assistance of Wise, the Netflix docuseries presents three of those theories. Note their scant plausibility.

The most popular is that the well-respected and liked Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is responsible for a mass-murder suicide. Rumors of discontent with the Malaysian government found their way into the media. Shah’s sophisticated and geeky desktop flight simulator was suspect, especially when it was alleged the FBI discovered a track similar to the calculated route of MH 370. That said, a portion of this track may actually have just been the movement of the simulator’s computer cursor.

Wise proposed a scenario whereupon just as the flight approached the last reporting point, entering Vietnamese airspace, Shah requested his copilot “go into the cabin and get me something,” under the guise that he is plotting a nefarious act. I can’t speak for Malaysian culture, but the majority of pilots make such a request to a flight attendant via the intercom rather than the other pilot.

Anyhow, the copilot finds himself locked out while Shah manually opens the pressurization outflow valve with the overhead switch. Oxygen masks drop for the passengers, while Shah dons his crew mask. The passengers and remaining crew eventually become asphyxiated because of the limited time their masks generated oxygen. The “evil” captain continues flying for at least another six hours and then dives the airplane into the ocean. Crew oxygen supply lasts longer than for the passengers, but it’s very limited, certainly not six hours’ worth. So, the airplane would have to be repressurized. I’ve never deliberately depressurized an airplane, but I can’t imagine it’s a fast process unless you’re ready for major eardrum pain.

The second theory involves two passengers with Russian backgrounds. Wise speculated these operatives gained access to the electronics equipment bay. One disabled communication and obtained navigational and operational control of the airplane through a laptop, while the other distracted crew and passengers. Motive? To distract the world from Russia’s invasion of Crimea in Ukraine. Access to the electronics equipment bay is through the floor of the first-class galley, nearest the forward entry door. The cabin crew would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to miss the activity. And how does one land a 777 from beneath the cabin floor?

The final and third theory was authored by French journalist Florence de Changy, who speculated that because the cargo manifest included 2.5 tons of electronics bound for China, the U.S. made the decision to shoot down MH 370. The basis for the theory? Two Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft were operating in the vicinity. And an amateur sleuth analyzed satellite photos of what was claimed to be a debris field in the waters of the South China Sea that corroborated this.

Aside from the conspiracy required for such a diabolical plot, the theory ignores the fact that pieces of MH 370 were found on the beaches of African islands far from the South China Sea. Additionally, AWACS aircraft direct fighter jets toward an aggressor and do not engage themselves. So, where did the fighters depart from?

This docuseries would have received higher marks had the conspiracy theories been analytically disputed on air. But if you enjoy good quality cinematography, well-edited B-roll, and melodrama, then by all means tune in for about two hours. If you want credible answers to this inconceivable 21st century mystery, you’ll probably have to wait until the actual wreckage is found.

My apologies to 239 families.

This column first appeared in the July 2023/Issue 939 print edition of FLYING.

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The company on Thursday announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, to explore a potential strategic partnership that would bring eVTOL aircraft to Europe. Combined with its subsidiaries, Lufthansa is one of the largest European airlines by passengers carried—and by some estimates the top dog.

The German airline’s fleet comprises more than 700 commercial aircraft. But as part of a strategy to reduce fleet emissions and improve cost-efficiency, the company has been snapping up new aircraft—such as the Airbus A350-900 or Boeing 777-9—that it says deliver 30 percent lower carbon emissions and fuel consumption than predecessors. 

Now, zero-emissions aircraft are in its crosshairs. The airline hopes to slash carbon emissions in half by 2030 and become completely carbon-neutral by 2050.

“Innovation is part of our DNA,” said Dr. Detlef Kayser, a member of Lufthansa’s executive board who oversees fleet and technology. “The Lufthansa Group aspires to be a global leader in the integration of state-of-the-art products and processes. We want to develop aviation further and drive the transformation of the industry… Only with innovation, courage and determination can we, as an industry, make aviation more sustainable and master the challenges of the future.”

Lilium and Lufthansa want to examine ways the European aviation industry can innovate in areas such as ground and flight operations, aircraft maintenance, crewing, and flight training, the companies said. Should the manufacturer and the airline enter into a strategic partnership, as has been proposed, the two also want to loop in third parties, such as airports and regional partners.

Those collaborations could lead to the development of crucial advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure: vertiports, electric aircraft chargers, and the like. The firms also intend to work with third parties to tackle airspace integration and define clear operational processes—if the partnership comes to fruition.

“The Lufthansa Group has been at the forefront of some of Europe’s most important aviation initiatives, especially in the area of environmental sustainability,” said Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium. “We are thrilled to explore opportunities on bringing eVTOL flights to Lufthansa Group customers.”

Lilium on Wednesday announced it began building the inaugural model of its flagship Lilium Jet, a seven-seat eVTOL air taxi designed for 25 to 125 sm (22 to 109 nm) trips between towns and inner cities.

According to the company’s internal projections, the European market is expected to demand around 9,200 eVTOLs through 2035. The manufacturer will compete with German air taxi rival Volocopter, and several other firms targeting European operations, to eat up market share.

To do so, it will first need to certify the Jet with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Lilium expects to conduct crewed flights with the regulator next year, and the campaign aims to culminate in type certification in 2025.

Last month, the firm notched another key milestone in that process by obtaining EASA design organization approval (DOA). The approval is essentially Lilium’s License to Operate: It grants the manufacturer authority to design and type certify the Jet for safe operations under the agency’s special condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL) rules. DOA is a rigorous process—and a requirement for type certification of EASA Part 21 commercial aircraft.

Simultaneously, Lilium is working to certify the Jet in the U.S. The manufacturer is the first and only eVTOL air taxi company with certification bases from both EASA and the FAA, setting it up for commercial launches in both markets in a few years. South Florida could be the firm’s U.S. launch market.

Lufthansa isn’t the only flag carrier Lilium has agreed to work with. Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, intends to purchase 100 Jets to build a nationwide eVTOL network.

The company’s largest agreement is with Brazil’s Azul: a billion-dollar commercial deal for the purchase of 220 aircraft. It’s also working with Chinese GA transport and helicopter services company Heli-Eastern to bring 100 Jets to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

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“Christmas epaulets,” they’re called, because they replace the regular colored-stripe epaulets worn by airline pilots with alternating red and green.

The holiday drive raises funds for the Gary Sinise Foundation’s Snowball Express program and the Chetek-Weyerhauser Scholarship Foundation and honors former Northwest Airlines captain and U.S. Army veteran John Knutson. 

Knutson was a graduate of Chetek-Weyerhauser High School in northwest Wisconsin. He died from stomach cancer in 1997 at the age of 56, and his widow, Mary, launched the idea of creating the festive epaulets in his memory. 

Though at first all of the proceeds from the sale of the epaulets went to the Chetek fund, it was determined a couple of years ago that in honor of Knutson’s military service, the proceeds would be split  50-50 with the Snowball Express program. 

The Snowball Express is dedicated to aiding the surviving spouse or guardian and children (ages 5 to 13) of deceased military veterans through its 501(c)3 organization. Though the name ties its charitable efforts to the winter holiday season, its programming now runs year-round. But each December the foundation hosts a special event for roughly 1,750 children and spouses/guardians at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. American Airlines sponsors the event as well, providing a lift to those who need to travel by air to make the five-day experience.

How to Buy

Pilots (or those who wish to gift them to pilots) can purchase the epaulets through the Christmas Epaulets website. They come in traditional and Velcro-style attachments and in three- or four-stripe versions. There is also a flight attendant/flight engineer version with two stripes.

The epaulets cost $20 a pair, plus $5.50 shipping and handling for one to four pairs, $7 for five to 12 pairs, and free shipping for orders over 12. To ship internationally costs $15.

All told, more than $130,000 have been donated to date through the program. To keep up with demand, Mary Knutson no longer does all of the crafting of the epaulets but is joined by local Chetek friends Lois and Bob Hartman and the extended Knutson family.

For more information, email Tim Knutson at: info@christmasepaulets.com.

The post Christmas Epaulets Raise Funds for the Snowball Express, Other Charities appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This year the event in central Florida is expanding to five days. It will be held during the Sun ‘n Fun fly-in at Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL) from Tuesday, March 28 to Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets are $45 per day, and may be purchased here.

“Expanding the Career Fair that takes place during Sun ‘n Fun was a common request from participating companies and job seekers alike,” said Abbey Hutter, executive director for JSfirm.com.

Hutter noted that the career fair began as a one-day event and has steadily grown, fueled by requests from participants. The career fair is an opportunity for employers to meet potential applicants and those searching for career opportunities to see their options.

“We always look forward to having hiring companies on site,” said Richele Floyd, scholarship director for the Aerospace Center for Excellence. “The networking capability truly is limitless even outside of show hours.”

Who Can You Expect To See:

The 2023 career fair exhibitors include: 

• Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services
• Air Wisconsin
• Cirrus Aircraft
• Commuteair
• Endeavor
• FAA
• flyExclusive
• Frontier Airlines
• GoJet Airlines
• Legends Airways
• LIFT
• Mesa Airlines
• National Airlines
• Piedmont Airlines
• PlaneSense
• PSA Airlines
• Republic Airways
• Silver Airways
• SkyWest Airlines
• VistaJet

Floyd adds that the partnership with JSfirm.com continues to grow, to the extent the two entities now have a new five-year agreement in place.

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For those from a civilian background, Part 121 training will be much more structured and proscribed than Part 61 or even Part 141 certification courses, while also being longer and more in-depth than previous aircraft checkouts. For military aviators, you’ll find airline training to be highly compressed compared to what you’re used to, with lower expectations regarding systems knowledge but a much faster pace of learning. Going from a civilian CFI or even military instructor pilot (IP) to airline training is a big jump, one made more stressful by the knowledge of how important passing your first Part 121 program is to your career. Failure at this stage would make it difficult to get hired elsewhere.

Thus far in my career, I’ve had the pleasure of preparing for, undertaking, and passing five different initial qualification (IQ) courses at three different airlines: Bombardier DHC-8 (Q400), Embraer 170/190, McDonnell-Douglas MD88/MD90, Boeing B757/767, and Boeing B737. I went through three of these programs as a new hire, one as a transitioning first officer, and one as a captain upgrade. Three were under the airline’s Advanced Qualification Program (AQP), and two were under old-school Part 121. Between these five programs, I’ve developed a pretty good system of preparing for airline training in ways that have set me up for success; each program has been easier than the last. These preparation tips are what I’d like to share with you today.

Clear Your Schedule, Clear Your Mind

When you’re first hired at an airline, there’s a lot out of your control, and your inclination will rightly be to take the first class that is offered and get that coveted seniority number. That said, I would highly suggest that you build a buffer of a few weeks between your current flying job and your class date. For civilians, this might mean a missed paycheck at a moment when you’re unlikely to be flush with cash. It’s tempting to work up to the last possible minute. I’d suggest you consider the extra time off an investment in setting yourself up for success. Most military aviators have terminal or separation leave to bridge the gap; if you can, I’d suggest using it to build yourself a buffer.

The reason for this is that almost all airline training programs today require a certain amount of self-study beforehand, usually including a mandatory computer-based training (CBT) course. You can certainly complete this while working at your current job, but retention is likely to be shaky, and you’re less likely to study more than the required minimum. Transitioning to a new transport category type—and especially an entirely new type of flying—requires a total and conscious “brain dump” of your current aircraft. This is difficult to do while still flying it.

Get ‘The Gouge’

“Gouge” is military slang meaning the body of unofficial knowledge that one needs to pass a training program, start a new job, or fit in at a new posting. It implies a peeling away of unnecessary errata, telling you only what you really need to know. Gouge is often passed between new and old squadron mates and also extends to a transition to civilian flying. There is gouge about applying to airlines, acing interviews, and even passing training programs.

Over time in the civilian world, “the gouge” has become increasingly standardized and even officially adopted. For example, there are third-party training guides commercially available for all the most popular aircraft types (for the Boeing 737 alone, there are at least four, and I have two of them). The airlines have been increasingly accepting of “the gouge” and, in many cases, make it freely available to students. Every fleet at my airline, for example, publishes a Learning Objectives Document (LOD) with every systems question one might be reasonably expected to know, a Student Guide that finely details every lesson and checking event, various PowerPoint tutorials, FMS and auto-flight training software, and E-Brief videos that powerfully demonstrate every single maneuver you will do in training. All these are extraneous to the officially required manuals and CBT. They are resources of which the savvy student will avail themselves, and the sooner the better. It behooves you to make a good contact in the fleet you’re headed to—line pilot, check airman, or sim instructor, in ascending order of preference—and get “the gouge,” official and unofficial, in addition to the required manuals and training materials, well before you show up for class.

Study Early, Study Often

Once you’re actually in training, you will be drinking from a firehose. It will take enough effort to keep up; what you really don’t want to do is fall behind. The better prepared you are beforehand, the easier it will be to keep your head above water.

The very first thing I would start studying are the flow patterns for your fleet. Knowing your flows cold—even before you understand the systems that each flow covers—will make your early training go far, far smoother. Get a set of physical cockpit posters, tape them up wherever you are doing most of your studying, and practice your flows often. Once you move to your training hotel, bring the posters and put them up in your room.

The next things I work into my study are limitations and memory items. This is rote memorization, and you must learn it verbatim, so you can start studying these before you have much understanding of the aircraft. These items lend themselves to flash cards. I have created a thick deck of 3×5 index cards for every aircraft I’ve trained on. You can study these alone or use a non-pilot friend or family member. I use my wife to quiz me over dinner, in the car, and at the bar, and have always had limitations and memory items down cold at least two weeks prior to training.

If this is your first Part 121 operation, I would memorize everything in the flight operations manual (FOM) that relates to flight planning, dispatch, op specs (especially!), dangerous goods, and Part 117 crew flight and duty limitations and rest requirements. These all lend themselves well to rote memorization and flash card quizzing, and are important to get down sooner rather than later as airline programs vary widely in how much effort they put into teaching these items during ‘indoc.’ My airline, for example, includes a single hour of classroom training on op specs. For those unfamiliar with them, this barely scratches the surface.

Only then do I start learning aircraft systems. The company-provided/required CBT is a good starting point. I jot down notes and questions while going through it, particularly noting any items I got wrong on the CBT quizzes. After completing each system, I read the corresponding chapter of the aircraft systems manual, answering my questions and making further notes. Then I refer to the LOD, and then to my commercial study guide, noting any points of emphasis. Finally, I prepare flash cards for that system before moving on to the next section of CBT. I generally ensure that CBT is complete at least one week prior to training, giving me that week to study flash cards and start on procedures.

Once all this is done, you’ll have the knowledge required to start learning procedures, referring to your fleet’s aircraft operations manual. These will be taught early in your training, usually in a “paper tiger,” procedures training, or flight training device. It’s not necessary to have them down cold (except the associated flow patterns), as there will be subtleties of timing and emphasis best imparted by an instructor, but these lessons will go smoother if you are at least familiar with the procedures beforehand. The ground procedures are the most intensive (preflight, pushback, engine start, taxi, before takeoff, after landing, and shutdown/parking) and take the longest to get down, so place your emphasis there. In-flight procedures come much easier, and in-flight maneuvers take place much later in training (usually in a full-flight simulator), so you can delay study of these items until later.

Prepare Your Bubble

I don’t have kids, my spouse is self-reliant, and I’ve never lived in the same city as the training center while doing IQ, so this has always been pretty easy for me. It will be much harder for some of you. Nevertheless, it has to be said.

You need to create a training bubble for yourself, into which as few distractions as possible can penetrate. This means taking the airline up on their offer of a training hotel, even if you live nearby. It means leaving the spouse and kids at home. It may mean saving yourself the time and stress of commuting home when you have only one or even two days off between training blocks. This doesn’t mean you should spend four or five weeks nonstop in the pressure cooker of the training environment. It means that when you aren’t in the classroom, procedures trainer, or simulator, you need to leave yourself significant time to study, exercise, eat healthily, socialize with your training partner or partners, and study some more. The distractions of family and home life impede you from doing these things, so you need to minimize them. Explain the importance of what you are doing to your family; they’ll understand.

In a later installment of V1 Rotate, I’ll cover passing the Part 121 training program itself, but using these guidelines to prepare will go a long way in setting you up for success. 

The post How To Prepare for Your First Airline Training Program appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The accident at Montgomery Regional Airport (KMGM) happened in daylight on New Year’s Eve when the aircraft, which was flying for American Airlines’ regional American Eagle, was parked at a gate, NTSB said.

The aircraft had an “inoperative auxiliary power unit (APU),” which prompted the crew to leave both engines running for the required two-minute engine cool-down period.

Per the report, the ground crew reported that a safety briefing was held about 10 minutes before the airplane arrived at the gate, and a second safety huddle was held before the aircraft arrived to reiterate that the engines would remain running until ground power was connected.

“It was also discussed that the airplane should not be approached, and the diamond of safety cones should not be set until the engines were off, spooled down, and the airplane’s rotating beacon light had been extinguished by the flight crew. ” the report said.

“As the airplane approached the gate, three ramp agents were present, but clear of the safety area. After stopping the aircraft and setting the parking brake, the captain gave the hand signal to connect the airplane to ground power,” the report noted.

One ramp agent located near the right wing tip stated that he observed the ramp agent who was killed approach the back of the airplane to set the rear safety cone. He told investigators that she “almost fell over” from the engine’s exhaust. He attempted to alert her to the exhaust to warn her to stay back and wait for the engines to be shut down. He told investigators that the airplane’s upper and lower rotating beacon lights were illuminated at the time.

As the captain was shutting down the right engine, known as the number 2, the “DOOR CRG FWD OPEN” engine indicating and crew alerting system (EICAS) message appeared, indicating that the forward cargo door had opened.

The first officer opened his cockpit window to inform the ramp agent that the engines were still operating.

The captain then made a brief announcement asking the passengers to remain seated until the seat belt sign had been turned off. He told the first officer that the seat belt sign would stay illuminated until they had connected to ground power and could shut down the left engine.

The captain then saw a warning light illuminate, and the airplane shook violently. This was followed by the immediate automatic shutdown of the number 1 engine.

The captain shut down the emergency lights and both batteries before leaving the flight deck to investigate.

Surveillance Video

There was video surveillance on the ramp, NTSB said. As the accident happened around 3:45 p.m. in VFR conditions, there was good light on the ramp. The video captured the airplane being marshaled to the gate. The nose wheel was chocked, and then the ramp agent marshaling the airplane walked toward the forward cargo door located on the right side and near the front of the airplane.

Simultaneously, another ramp agent appeared, carrying an orange safety cone and walking toward the area behind the airplane. She disappeared from view.

A third ramp agent standing near the right wing tip could be seen gesturing with his hand toward the rear of the airplane.

Meanwhile, a fourth ramp agent knelt near the airplane’s nose wheel.

The ramp agent from behind the airplane reappeared and began walking away from the airplane and then towards the left wing tip. She momentarily disappeared from the camera’s view.

The marshaller could be seen backing away from the airplane’s open forward cargo door as the ramp agent who had been behind the airplane reappeared. She walked along the leading edge of the left wing and directly in front of the left engine, which was still spooling down. The ramp agent was sucked into the engine.

Operations manual review

As part of the investigation, the NTSB reviewed the airline’s Ground Operations manual, which was referenced in the NTSB report under the heading To Keep Employees Alive and Aircraft Intact. The manual states: “You Will NEVER approach an aircraft to position ground equipment next to an aircraft or open cargo bin doors until the engines are shut down, and the rotating beacon(s) turned off, except when conducting an approved single engine turn.

Employees are reminded that the Jetblast/Ingestion Zones extend to 15 feet from the engines. You must never enter the ingestion zone until the engine has spooled down.”

The accident remains under NTSB investigation.

The post NTSB Releases New Details in Airport Ramp Fatality appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The FAA also reiterated that their preliminary investigation into the notice to air missions (NOTAM) system crash did not uncover evidence of a cyber-attack or “malicious intent.”

“Contract personnel unintentionally deleted files while working to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database,” FAA said in a statement Thursday.

According to the agency, the necessary repairs have been made to the system, and they are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the outage. The FAA noted the agency has taken steps to make the NOTAM system more resilient, and is using the experience as a teaching tool.

System Meltdown

Early January 11, airline travelers found their morning flights canceled or significantly delayed after the FAA uncovered that a failure in the NOTAM system had occurred overnight.

NOTAMs provide essential information to pilots about the abnormal status of a component of the national airspace system, such as ground-based navigational system failures at airports, GPS outages, and facility closures. Pilots are required to check for NOTAMs pertinent to their departure airport, route, and destination as part of preflight planning.

• READ MORE: Have You Checked the NOTAMs Today?

The FAA ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. eastern time “to allow the agency to validate the integrity of flight and safety information.” The agency continued to provide updates throughout the day as they worked to mitigate the situation.

According to FlightAware.com, more than 4,000 flights were impacted by the outage as more flights were canceled or delayed and rescheduled.

• READ MORE: Damaged Database Likely Cause for NOTAM Outage, FAA Says

The post Accidental File Deletion Led to NOTAM Crash, FAA Says appeared first on FLYING Magazine.