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Thunderstorms in Aviation

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 If you have traveled by commercial air a time or two, then you have most likely experienced the dreaded delayed flight. It is just one of those things that are hard to plan for. One of the main causes for these delays is the weather, but more specifically, thunderstorms. Thunderstorms can sometimes completely stop all operations of an airport, from not letting airplanes take off or even land, to preventing or slowing down ground operations. So why do thunderstorms have this much of an effect? A lot of it has to do with what comes with it. The obvious danger is the lightings strikes, but there are a few more hazards that come with these thunderstorms. For instance, wind shear is a sudden change in the direction of the wind, this can be especially dangerous during takeoff and landing. The storm could cause hail or even icing of the aircraft, and this could stop the aircraft from functioning properly. Then in extreme cases, the storm could cause tornados, I’m sure you can guess how t...
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Air Traffic Control

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Have you ever looked up what jobs are the most stressful? Well, if you have you probably saw Air Traffic Control (ATC) near the top of every list. One of the things that makes this job stressful is the fact that they must keep accountability of a lot of moving parts and one small mistake could cost the lives of hundreds of people. It is for this reason that ATC is split up into a few different entities so that all the responsibility is not just put on one person or group of people. The two that we will focus on are the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON).                                                      ATCT mostly deals with all the ground traffic, this includes movement to the...
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Airport Noise Pollution

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 There are a lot of different environmental factors that affect airports. As a manager, you must assess these impacts and decide the severity of each of them, and if possible, find ways to reduce the impact of the factor. One of these environmental factors is noise pollution. The noise of an airport may not seem to be anything more than annoying, but unfortunately, noise pollution can have many negative effects on people exposed to it. Some of these effects include it could keep people from being able to sleep which will affect their overall health, children have been known to struggle academically from overexposure to airport noises, this could also affect adults work productivity.  One of the more serious effects of this noise is that it will increase the chance of someone suffering from cardiovascular disease.                            ...
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Human Factor in Aviation

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 “To err is human” (Alexander Pope), unfortunately, this saying is always in effect, even in the aviation industry. This is why it is important to understand what the human factor is and its role in aviation. The human factor takes into account that we humans are affected by external and internal stressors like fatigue or sadness (PHAK). These stressors cause us to make mistakes, lose focus, it diminishes our attention to detail. Even without these stressors, humans are prone to make mistakes. In simpler terms, the human factor is the understanding that any process that requires human involvement is subject to imperfections (Kozuba). In aviation, imperfections can lead to accidents and human endangerment, for example, in the aircraft service of refueling there are a few things that could go wrong like a fire or a fuel spill. If another vehicle were to drive too close while the plane is being refueled the exhaust could cause a fire, or if someone leaves a cell phone in their pocket ...
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TSA Insider Threats

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One of the security threats that are present in the aviation industry is an insider threat. This is a threat that is a little bit harder to catch at times. It can be hard to believe that someone that you work with every day could end up being a threat. Insider threats do not just include employees, it could also be ex-employee or a contractor that does temporary work at the airport. An insider threat basically means someone who has in-depth knowledge of a place and its processes, and they are now working against whatever business.  The first layer of security put into place that relates to this threat is crew vetting. As in any job, they check the qualifications of an individual to see that they are a good candidate for the job, but after that, they still must do a more in-depth background check to ensure each employee has nothing in their past that might cause them to be a threat at any point. One of the other layers of security that helps to counteract an insider threat is that t...
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Aircraft Ignition System

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 The ignition system consists of magnetos, spark plugs, high tension leads, and the ignition switch. The magnetos are not attached to the electrical system in the aircraft, instead, it uses a magnet to create an electric current that will ignite the spark plugs, as long as the crankshaft is moving.  Most aircraft have two magnetos that work independently of each other. Each magneto is connected to one of the two sparkplugs in each cylinder. Having two sparkplugs as opposed to one assist in the combustion process with the fuel-air mixture. There are a few things that could go wrong with the ignition system. The magneto could go out, there could be a problem with the wire that connects the magneto to the sparkplug or the spark plug could be firing improperly. This could impact the engine power output. The good news is that since there are two magnetos and two spark plugs per cylinder if one side fails during flight you can still rely on the other side. Despite this, if you k...
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Water on the Runway

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One environmental factor that has an effect on aircraft performance is water, more specifically water that is found on the runway. The main concern whenever you have water on a runway is the possibility of hydroplaning. This causes the wheels to lose contact with the ground. When this happens you can lose all of your ability or some of your ability to brake or turn. another concern when water accumulates on the runway is the possibility of it turning into ice if the temperatures were to drop low enough.  Some runways have grooves in them that work to drain the water, but a lot of them do not have those grooves. knowing the pressure of your tire can help you know the speed at which your plane will start hydroplaning. At the end of the day, the best thing you can do is just be aware that the water is present and do whatever you can to minimize its effects, like landing into the wind. Refrences Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2016). Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (...
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