| Throughout the twenty-first century, many | | | | to Mark R. Rosekind, president and chief scientist of |
| unprecedented revolutions have come into existence. | | | | the Cupertino, California, pilot fatigue is defined as a |
| In the technetronics domain, the age of Technology | | | | collection of symptoms that are experienced from |
| was understood to be mankind’s way of | | | | disrupting sleep and our internal biological clock. That is |
| overcoming the various obstacles that once limited | | | | to say, operating at night and flying across different |
| the human capital. During the infancy of the Jet Age | | | | time zones can disrupt the normal human sleeping |
| around the 1950s, many mysteries were solved | | | | pattern simply because the body thinks its supposed |
| through that amazing chain of invention. Over the | | | | to be asleep. As a result, sleep deprivation, does not |
| past few decades, however, as evidence has clearly | | | | only it incapacitate pilots to maintain safe flying, it |
| demonstrated the insidiousness that flying entails, | | | | increases susceptibility to errors and most |
| safety becomes the mindset of the airline industry. | | | | importantly, accidents. Moreover, the first step in |
| There are many economic factors associated with | | | | implementing alertness management programs is to |
| airline safety. | | | | develop training strategies, educate crews, and move |
| Implementing new guidelines helps addressing the | | | | to improve scheduling, Rosekind writes. Many carriers, |
| safety issue. After the recent tragedies of | | | | including Airborne Express and UPS, are in the early |
| September 11, American Airlines along with numerous | | | | planning stages aiming toward minimizing and even |
| other airline companies has begun renovating its | | | | eventually eradicate pilot fatigue from the airline |
| safety standards. In order to increase the feasibility | | | | industry. Furthermore, to efficiently deal with the |
| of the plan, Civil Aeronautics Board investigators have | | | | fatigue issue, it is imperative that the aviation |
| began reading information from flight recorders which | | | | industry take a different approach to the situation at |
| provide a detailed history of the flight, logging | | | | hand. For instance, a recent survey conducted by |
| information on more than 100 technical aspects, | | | | NASA illustrated that a scheduled nap in flight |
| including power- and flight-control settings, engine | | | | improved performance 34% and alertness 100%. |
| performance, altitude and gravitational forces and | | | | British Airways, Air New Zealand and Qantas and |
| resolving some of the initial problems caused by | | | | Finnair have already adopted the new rest- period |
| previous crashes. Basically, the airline industry is taking | | | | theory, but despite that degree of success, the FAA |
| all the possible steps necessary to insure safety in | | | | has never moved forward on it. |
| the aviation system. | | | | The Airline Industry has yet to renew consumer |
| The Airline Industry has taken a new approach on | | | | confidence in the safety of air travel. Over the past |
| securing airplanes. Many airliners have begun | | | | few weeks, Congress has been struggling with how |
| implementing new security measures including cockpit | | | | to restore faith in a flawed system that allowed 19 |
| locks and limited carry-on. In addition, the | | | | hijackers onto four jets, causing the deaths of more |
| government rapid-response teams along with armed | | | | than 5,000 Americans. Moreover, the Senate |
| National Guardsmen at airport security checkpoints | | | | unanimously approved a bill that would strengthen the |
| recommend more baggage-scanning equipment and | | | | air-marshal program, provide enhanced anti-hijacking |
| FBI checks of passenger lists. According to Charles | | | | training for flight crews and fully federalize the airport |
| Leblanc, managing director at Air Security | | | | security system. House Republicans, on the other |
| International, reconstructing airport security will | | | | hand, wish to gain control of the situation by |
| resume in the next six months from adopting new | | | | selecting a system of privately contracted employees |
| theories to putting them into effect. Some | | | | with federal oversight, the glaring loophole in the now |
| suggestions such as retraining flight crews on how to | | | | inconsistent system. According to many U.S. Senators |
| handle an attempting hijacking and allow pilot to carry | | | | including Bob Graham, rebuilding confidence is one of |
| guns could add some exponential factors to the | | | | the first steps that will help Americans feel |
| timing. Above all, timing is far from being the main | | | | comfortable getting back on airplanes and ultimately |
| problem; instead, the disparity that exists between | | | | rejuvenate the tourism industry. The main |
| the procedures throughout the system is causing the | | | | component in restoring faith encompasses improving |
| disruption. At Washingtons Dulles airport, screeners at | | | | consistency and uniformity of airport security |
| one checkpoint were doing a thorough check of bags | | | | throughout the nation. Generally speaking, all airports |
| and staff at a checkpoint 25 yards away wasn't | | | | follow Federal Aviation Administration procedures; |
| checking anything says David Stempler, president of | | | | however, the guidelines are construed and carried out |
| the Air Travelers Association. Based on the | | | | differently by individual airlines. For instance, in |
| obtrusiveness of the systems failure, the aviation | | | | Jacksonville, Florida, to access some terminals, a plane |
| industry needs to go a step further to minimize the | | | | ticket as well as photo of identification is required, as |
| gaps and create the congruency that will get the | | | | opposed to some others terminals whereby only a |
| system auspiciously off the ground. | | | | plane ticket is required. By covering all the safety |
| Pilot errors play an important role in airplane crashes. | | | | characteristics, consumer confidence will ulterioly get |
| According to Susan P. Baker, one of the authors of a | | | | to a level where people will deem flying as one of |
| report by Johns Hopkins researchers, there is a very | | | | the safest means of transportation. |
| high correlation between bad weather and pilot error. | | | | Because of the problem of scarcity, there will always |
| Since the dawn of the jet-age, pilot error has been | | | | be an imbalance between the amount of safety the |
| blamed as the primary cause of about three-quarters | | | | airline industry provides, the safety level that it needs |
| of all air crashes. While many opposing parties are still | | | | to boost consumer confidence about flying and |
| trying to reach consensus about the real causes of | | | | resources in place to minimize to gaps and help |
| some plane crashes, air-crash investigators know that | | | | facilitate air travel in the future. Technology has |
| there is rarely a single cause in an air crash. Usually, | | | | revolved around virtually all levels of existence during |
| there is a series of events leading gradually to a | | | | the Jet Age. We design machines so well, now it is |
| major problem. Unfortunately, as the situation gets | | | | the human that creates the risk. The safety issue |
| more demanding, the pilot becomes more susceptible | | | | encompasses factors dealing mostly with human |
| to make error and ultimately loose control of the | | | | instead of airplane itself. Specifically, the FAA needs |
| aircraft. In some older airplanes, a pilot needed to try | | | | to take positive actions in what has been proven to |
| to maintain a constant picture in his mind about what | | | | work and regulate accordingly. Moreover, the |
| his aircraft was doing and where it was going. | | | | nationwide standardized procedures have to be |
| Moreover, he was helped by a co-pilot and both | | | | strictly implemented. Subsequently, by conquering |
| were advised by a flight engineer who would sit | | | | those major characteristics, the airline industry will |
| behind them monitoring instruments. Now, however, | | | | hopefully be where it once was which could be the |
| computers automate most of the rudimentary tasks | | | | culmination of many years of blood-and-guts battles, |
| and replace the flight engineer, which to a large | | | | but nonetheless, it entirely possible. |
| extent is the economically equivalent move, but | | | | References |
| according to some safety experts one of the biggest | | | | Graham, Bob. |
| problems pilots face is that of interacting properly | | | | Airport Safety. The Orlando Sentinel. November 2001. |
| with their high-tech cockpits. Therefore, improving | | | | Newsbank Infoweb. 29 Nov. 2001 [ |
| our ability to predict poor weather conditions and | | | | Holiday Wish: Peace of Mind. Conspiracy Theory. |
| providing better guidance to pilots in precarious | | | | September 28 Nov. 2001. |
| situations would be an optimistically efficient approach | | | | Malnic, Eric. |
| toward the safety issue. | | | | Airline Crash Unites States. The Orlando Sentinel. |
| In addition to errors leading to crashes, pilot fatigue is | | | | November 2001. Newbank Infoweb. 29 Nov. 2001. |
| one of the main causes of many crashes. According | | | | |