Approach articles from July 2007

Approach archives from July 2007

A passion for Naval Aviation safety.(Admiral's Corner)
July 1, 2007... What is the secret to having a mishap-free Navy and Marine Corps? I don't think it's programs. We have plenty of those that provide the tools for our Sailors and Marines to manage risk, improve communication, and help us do business more...

Capt. Ed "Clyde" Langford, director Aviation Safety Programs.(The Initial Approach Fix)
July 1, 2007... I have been on the job at the Safety Center for four months, and I have had the opportunity to review many of the well written mishap and hazard reports. My initial assessment is we continue to lose aircraft and people to relatively simple...

The aviation training command.(The Initial Approach Fix)
July 1, 2007... This issue leads off with comments by RDML Don Quinn, CNATRA, and Cdr. John Minners, CNATRA safety officer, followed by "there I was" articles from students and instructors. You've all been there, and we trust each article will not only bring...

The Naval Safety Center is proud to announce the winners of the CY 2006 CNO Aviation Safety Awards.(The Initial Approach Fix)
July 1, 2007... COMNAVAIRLANT VFA-87 HS-3 VP-45 VFA-103 HSL-48 VS-22 VAW-123 HSC-2 VX-1 COMNAVAIRPAC VFA-192 VAQ-137 HSL-45 VAQ-142 VFA-27 VAW-115 HSC-21 VQ-2 VAQ-139...

The Admiral Flatley Memorial Award.(The Initial Approach Fix)
July 1, 2007... The Admiral Flatley Memorial Award is awarded to recognize the CV/CVN and LHA/LHD ships with embarked CVW or MAGTF, which surpass all competitors in overall contributions to safety. These teams are selected based on operational readiness and...

Update on Safety Award Nominations.(The Initial Approach Fix)
July 1, 2007... The grading criteria for the CNO Aviation Safety Awards was modified to give added emphasis to the reporting of hazards (hazreps). The reports are a key ingredient to improving the way we do business. Check OPNAVINST 1650.28A for detailed...

Focus on training: building the foundation for safety.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Naval Air Training Command produces the world's finest combat-quality aviators, ready on arrival for tasking in the Global War on Terror. We train them at the right time, in the right number and at the right...

A matter of trust.
July 1, 2007... Training student aviators involves significant risks. The backbone of the Naval Training Command's (NATRACOM's) risk-mitigation efforts is the instructor. Although syllabi, NATOPS, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) provide many built-in...

Come on baby, light my fire.
July 1, 2007... The final hurdle of advanced flight training at NAS Corpus Christi is the infamous review stage. This block of five flights in the TC-12 Huron requires the student to call upon all the skills gained throughout the rigorous five-to-six-month...

Home 'drome.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was a beautiful night at NAS Pensacola, and I was scheduled for what we now call a "dual night contact" flight. For these flights, I go out and get the student navigator (SNAV) some stick time doing a turn pattern...

Engine out: what was supposed to be a routine, night, contact sortie turned out to be a more interesting flight than I ever would care to repeat.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The evening's event started with an 1800 brief for a 2000 takeoff. The sky was clear and calm. The student was eager for his first exposure to night, ground, and flight operations in the sleek T-6A Texan II. The...

The last resort: getting out obviously was the last resort and one I didn't want to use.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As an avid hunter and outdoorsman, I have my fair share of outdoors "there I was" stories. As a naval aviator and primary instructor pilot in the JPATS T-6A Texan II, I have a similar list of stories and it is...

Mishap-free milestones.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mishap-Free Milestones HSL-48 17 years 110,000 hours VFA-146 21 years 90,000 hours VFA-192 24 years 100,000 hours BZ to VT-2 for being Class A/B/C Mishap-Free in FY06 A comparison of mishap...

Let's go home.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The amount of training student naval flight officers have aboard NAS Pensacola is incredible. In the classroom, in the simulators, and in the air, our instructors strive to give us the best real-world training, while...

Wheel bar nose job!
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ask an HT instructor how they feel about attaching the ground-handling wheels to a TH-57, and you probably will get a response along the lines of, "I only put them on if I absolutely have to." I always have been...

How do you spell HEFOE?(Crew Resource Management)
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How many fingers do you see? Do they mean what you think they mean? These were just a couple of unexpected questions facing us at the end of a busy week in the training command. It was Friday afternoon and time...

The big picture.
July 1, 2007... Our aircraft was the first of four Eightballers to arrive in Key West. A little more than eight hours earlier, we had begun our journey from South Whiting, completing three day VFR navigation legs and one night VFR nav leg. My two students had...

When family issues become safety issues.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I just had been scheduled for my first cross-country and looked forward to the experience. My wife was having chronic back issues (later we would find out it was three ruptured disks), but according to the Navy...

My first solo.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I was taxiing out to the ground run-up area on my first solo in the mighty T-34 Turbo Mentor. I had an equal mix of nervousness and excitement as I finished all my checks...

Train like we fight: this article was submitted anonymously to the Commander of Training Air Wing Five. A student used an end-of-training critique to assert that the instructor had made a cell-phone call while airborne. This article presents the instructor's side of the story.
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With relentless training and expert execution, our aviators maintain the ability to put bombs on target, place critical supplies in needing hands, and achieve aerial supremacy. Yet, we still have unreasonable numbers...

ORM in action.(ORM Corner)
July 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From May 2005 to June 2006, Training Air Wing Five's two advanced helicopter-training squadrons suffered a string of eight flight mishaps: three Class Cs, four Class Bs, and one Class A. The end result of the...

A message to Aviation Cadets entering the U.S. Naval Flight Preparatory Schools (April, 1943).
July 1, 2007... You have been selected for flight training from a large number of applicants. The U. S. Navy welcomes you as an Aviation Cadet and future officer. You now have the most important job of your life to do. Absolutely nothing must stop you from...