Micah's Blog

     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...

       As a passenger in an aircraft you probably do not pay a lot of attention to where your bags go. To be honest, if airlines didn't charge extra for heavy baggage then you probably would not pay a lot of attention to how much they weigh either. As a pilot and support crew for aircraft the weight of baggage, cargo, and even the weight of passengers and fuel are all taken into account. The weight and balance of an aircraft is vital to a safe flight and if done improperly can cause the aircraft to handle unexpectedly.       Additional weight or improperly distributed cargo, not only potentially stresses the airframe beyond its capabilities; the flying characteristics of the airplane can also become affected. Even if a pilot has flown an aircraft hundreds of times, they might be taken by surprise in the air when gravity has its say (Smith-Kohls, 2020).  The fuel is perhaps the most dynamic piece of the weight and balance calculation. As a fli...

 Ethics is on the surface a simple concept; do the right thing. I think we all understand what ethical behavior is from a young age, but we may know it by different words like fairness, integrity, politeness, honesty. These are all pieces of ethical behavior, but when that concept is played out in real life there are so many roadblocks that people encounter. I think people usually want to do the right thing, whether it be the right thing for a customer, for your family, or maybe just for yourself. Can professionalism and integrity be taught? Perhaps in principle, but applying them in the workplace is largely the responsibility of the individual, since they are based on values, not a technical process that can be measured and supervised (Baron, 2011). The individual needs to possess ethical values for them to contribute to the ethics of a group, community, or business. One purpose of ethics is to help our lives flow in a fair and considerate fashion. The aviation industry deals heav...