Micah's Blog

       The Control Tower at the airport may seem like there is only one job, launch, control, and land the aircrafts safely. In order for that to happen though, there are different cogs to the clock to make it work. While each entity in the tower is there for the same objective, they all have specific tasks to monitor and control in order for safe flight operations to occur. Two of those entities are the local control and Air Route Traffic Control Centers.      The local controllers are responsible for getting the aircraft in the air and landed safely. They ensure the spacing between aircrafts are sufficient. Spacing is especially important during the takeoff and landing portions of flight. Think of just about any commercial airport and you can literally watch the planes cycle through; one will take off then about 1 min later one will land, and repeat. That spacing allows for the safe movement of aircraft in case of an emergency, an efficient flow of a...

      Carbon emissions are a topic that is being focused on worldwide and I believe it is the greatest environmental impact facing airport managers right now. Through the normal day to day operations of an airport carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) is being released and further damaging the planet in a variety of ways. It is not only the exhaust released when aircraft burn their fuel, but also by running HVAC systems and vehicle traffic to name a few. The aviation industry was responsible for 2.4 percent of the total global CO 2 emissions in 2018 (Overton, 2019). Airport managers are essential to helping to reduce the carbon footprint that airports have, they have a duty to the aviation industry and to the communities they are apart of to help reduce emissions and create a healthier environment.                                                     ...

     In 1988 the Aviation Safety Research Acts was passed. This was a major milestone for the advancement of the aviation industry. This act aimed to highlight human factors in aviation, air traffic control improvements, and the effects of corrosion on aircraft structures to name a few. The results of this at help to sustain long-term research into what human factors are contributing to aviation accidents and incidents. Prior to this there had been little research done to determine the underlying factors outside of just attributing accidents to human error.       Additionally, this helped to shine light and allocate resources to older airframes still in use. With both the deep look into what can be done to save or replace older aircraft fleets and the effects of corrosion on aircrafts the entire fleet was made safer by not allowing potentially unairworthy aircraft to fly. The Aloha Airline flight 243, coincidentally occurred in 1988 too. This was a res...

Human factors in aviation has always and will always be an area that requires attention to ensure the risks are mitigated. I am sure we have all heard some form of the phrase “I’m only human” referencing a mistake that was made. Despite rapid gains in technology, humans are ultimately responsible for ensuring the success and safety of the aviation industry (Graeber, n.d.). Human factors are a focus on how to optimize the performance and output of human workers while also taking the proper precautions to avoid human error events. This spans across all fields of aviation and is not just limited to pilots. If a maintenance technician does an improper repair or forgets a step it can cause a crash, that is a human error. The human factors are complex because they include things like training, competence, professionalism, and human limitations (Federal Aviation Administration [FAA], n.d.). As technology continues to advance there are constant innovative way to enhance human factors and limi...

Cyber Threats       An emerging threat within the aviation industry and involving airports is cyber attacks and cyberterrorism. A cyber attack is a n attack, via cyberspace, targeting an enterprise’s use of cyberspace for the purpose of disrupting, disabling, destroying, or maliciously controlling a computing environment/infrastructure; or destroying the integrity of the data or stealing controlled information  (Computer Security Resource Center, n.d.). In todays digital age the consequences of cyberterrorism are far reaching and can be catastrophic. The TSA's 20 layers of security primarily focus on the physical security side of things. I think the cyber security is a part of many of the 20 layers, but as the world and aviation industry rely more on technology cyber security should have a more predominate focus. By adding cyber security to the layers the TSA will help ensure a more complete protection of the assets and passengers they protect. Many of the cybe...

       As an aircraft goes through the stages of taxi, takeoff, in-flight, and landing the systems within are working together to allow proper operation of the aircraft. The landing gear allows the plane to move around while on the ground. That is including the takeoff and landing portions of it being on the ground. Without landing gear aircraft would never land, they would just crash.        As a pilot takes off and retracts their landing gear for the duration of the flight everything is going smooth, all systems including the pilot’s inputs are working in unison. The time comes for the pilot to enter the landing patter at their airport, but they forget to lower the landing gear. They make their final approach and still no landing gear has been lowered to absorb the shock of landing and allow a roll once on the ground. The aircraft slams into the runway and the airplane crashes. Forgetting to lower the landing gear has caused the plane to cra...