Why FAA Safetfy Regulations are Important to Know During Flight Training

If you are aspiring to be a pilot, it is important during your flight training to pay attention to safety regulations and directives passed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Being a pilot can be a dangerous job and if operating aircraft is your dream, be sure to consider all of the factors involved.

Window Inspections

As recently as July 9, Bloomberg Businessweek reported that the Federal Aviation Administration said US operators of Boeing Co. 757, 767, and 777 aircraft must inspect or replace the forward-facing cockpit windows. There is a risk of fire caused by loose electrical connections used to heat the window to prevent ice from forming.

In the past two decades, there were only 11 reports of fire or flames. The most recent incident was on May 16 when a United Airlines 757 was forced to make an emergency landing at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The airworthiness directive is assigning operators to being with inspections within 500 flight hours, or simply install a new, redesigned window. The FAA announced the intentions for the Boeing 747’s later this year. Although there have not been any reported fires, the windows are very similar.

The directive covers 1,212 US aircraft and will cost carriers about $103,020. The directive is in effect today, July 13.

Recent Aircraft Accident

According to the Aviation Safety Network the most recent fatal accident involving a Boeing aircraft, occurred in India. A Boeing 737-800 passenger plane operated by Air India Express, was destroyed when it crashed while landing at Mangalore-Bajpe Airport.

Preliminary reports suggest that the airplane overran the runway and slid down a wooded valley, bursting into flames. There were 160 passengers and six crew members on board. Only eight occupants survived the accident.

Flight Training Safety

Safety is likely the most important aspect of flight training you will take away from flight training school. Websites like the Aviation Safety Network and the FAA can help you stay up to date with passing regulations and accident occurrences during your flight training.

What Kind of Professional Pilot Program to Look for in Flight Training

Becoming a pilot is a serious career commitment. The airline industry holds very high standards for their professional pilots so it is very important to choose a flight training program that will educate you with a structured, effective curriculum.

Find an intensive and challenging flight training program that will provide what the airline industry demands of future professional pilots.

Professional Pilot Programs

There are important factors to look for when choosing a flight training school. Some of these include academic training in an organized environment, valuable ground and flight training, and a superior campus with housing facilities.

In terms of how long your professional pilot program training will last, quality flight training schools provide a minimum of 520 hours of instruction, and require at least 250 hours of actual flight. If you are training to be a professional pilot, at least 200 of those hours will be logged in a multi-engine aircraft. A good school will not log any of your flight hours in a flight simulator, or flight training device.

Aircraft & Maintenance

Generally a large fleet of aircraft is also an important factor to consider when searching for a good flight training school for you. Aviator College has a fleet of 14 multi-engine and 12 single engine aircraft.

The aircraft primarily used during training are the Beechcraft BE-76 and the Cessna 172 Skyhawk. The fleet also includes a Piper Arrow and a J-3 Cub. All aircraft are equipped for VFR and IFR flight (with the exception of the J-3 Cub, which is VFR Day only).

The aircraft are maintained in the maintenance facilities in St. Lucie County International Airport. Aviator has its own in-house maintenance facility as well, it is a 13,000 square foot environmentally approved hangar open six days a week. All maintenance technicians hold Airplane and Powerplant Certificates or better.

How the Mobile Boarding Pass is Changing the Airline Industry

Several airlines are now adopting mobile boarding passes. American Airlines has given passengers the option of having boarding passes sent directly to a mobile device on select flights since November 2008.

Mobile boarding passes were introduced as a partnership with TSA and are currently available for American Airlines and American Eagle flights from 42 airports including Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Denver, Las Vegas, New York LaGuardia, Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle.

American recently added its mobile boarding pass functionality at Reagan Washington National, San Jose International, Colorado Springs, and London Heathrow airports.

How does it work?

The mobile boarding pass has a barcode that can be scanned at security checkpoints and American’s gates. Passengers have the ability to scan their smartphone screens when going through security and boarding the aircraft.

Customers who choose to check bags can even use the mobile pass by scanning their smartphone screens at American’s self-service kiosks, ticket counters, or even curbside check-in facilities.

According to the American Airlines website, a mobile boarding pass is available to eligible travelers only. Travelers must be on eligible itineraries with only one passenger listed on the record locator.

How to use the mobile boarding pass

Here is a 4-step process explained on the American Airlines website, describing how to use the mobile boarding pass option:

Check in on AA.com and choose the “Email for use on Cell phone or other Mobile Device” option. Include the email address for your web-enabled phone.

Check your email from your mobile device and follow the link on the email to retrieve your mobile boarding pass.

Save the boarding pass to your device by clicking the “Save Boarding Pass” button below the barcode to save it to your phone for easy access at the security checkpoint.

Proceed to security and make sure the entire barcode is visible on your smartphone screen. Be sure the backlight setting is on the brightest level possible.

If there are any issues, you still have the option to print a paper copy of your boarding pass at the self-service kiosks.

Who is using the mobile boarding pass?

Trinity mobile, a leading company behind the mobile boarding pass option, announced in March 2010 that there has been a 1200% increase in usage from 2008 to 2009. There were 50,000 travelers using the mobile boarding pass in 2008, and that number exploded to 600,000 by 2009.

2010 is expected to distribute over 2 billion mobile boarding passes, exceeding 15 billion by 2014.

Aviation is a world leader in technology, and is growing at an exponential rate.
Who knows what they'll come up with next?