The Piaggio Avanti is  produced by Piaggio Aero and seats up to nine passengers in a pressurized cabin, flown by one or two pilots. The innovative design places the horizontal stabilizer in front of the aircraft , while the main wing with engines in pusher configuration are mounted at the rear.

The P180 design was tested in wind tunnels in Italy and the U.S. in 1980 and 1981. A collaboration with Learjet to develop the aircraft began in 1983 but ended in 1986, with Piaggio continuing development on its own. The first prototype flew on 23 September 1986. U.S. and Italian certification was obtained on 7 March 1990. The first 12 fuselages were manufactured in Wichita, then flown to Italy for final assembly. Avanti Aviation Wichita ran out of money in 1994 and the production stalled until 1998. The 100th aircraft was delivered in October 2005 and the 150th in May 2008.

General characteristics

Crew: one or two pilots
Capacity: up to nine passengers
Cabin dimensions: 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) high, 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) wide, 4.45 m (14 ft 7 in) long
Payload: 907 kg (2,000 lb)
Length: 14.41 m (47 ft 3½ in)
Wingspan: 14.03 m (46 ft 0½ in)
Height: 3.97 m (13 ft 0¾ in)
Wing area: 16 m² (172.2 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,400 kg (7,500 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 5,239 kg (11,550 lb)
Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 turboprops, 634 kW (850 shp) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 732 km/h (395 kn, 455 mph)
Cruise speed: 593 km/h[8] (320 kn, 368 mph) (econ cruise)
Range: 2,592 km (1,400 nmi, 1,612 mi) at 11,900 m (39,000 ft) with reserves
Service ceiling: 12,500 m (41,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 14.98 m/s (2,950 ft/min)

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As opposed to radar, which works by bouncing radio waves from fixed terrestrial antennas off of airborne targets and then interpreting the reflected signals, ADS-B uses conventional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology and a relatively simple broadcast communications link as its fundamental components. In addition, ADS-B accuracy does not seriously degrade with range, atmospheric conditions, or target altitude and update intervals do not depend on the rotational speed or reliability of mechanical antennas.

A typical ADS-B application uses an ordinary GNSS (GPS, Galileo, etc) receiver to derive an aircraft’s precise position from the GNSS constellation, then combines that position with any number of other information, such as speed, heading, altitude and flight number. This information is then simultaneously broadcast to other ADS-B capable aircraft and to ADS-B ground, or satellite communications transceivers which then relay the aircraft’s position and additional information to Air Traffic Control centers in real time. ADS-B data is broadcasted every half-second on a 1090MHz, digital data link.

Automatic – Requires no pilot input or external interrogation.

Dependant – Depends on accurate position and velocity data from the aircraft’s navigation system (eg. GPS).

Surveillance – Provides aircraft position, altitude, velocity, and other surveillance data to facilities that require the information.

Broadcast – Information is continually broadcasted for monitoring by appropriately equipped ground stations or aircraft.

ADS-B is relatively inexpensive technology, which costs a fraction for the equivalent radar coverage. The footprint and power requirements for ADS-B are miniscule compared to radar, allowing an ADS-B ground station to be installed in even the most remote areas.

The ability of a ground station to receive a signal depends on altitude, distance from the site and obstructing terrain. The maximum range of each ground station can exceed 250 nautical miles. In airspace immediately surrounding each ground station, surveillance coverage extends to near the surface.

Australia is the first country with full, nationwide ADS-B coverage having installed 28 ground stations by the end of 2009. Their ongoing ADS-B program will see a total of 43 ground stations bringing coverage over the entire continent from 30,000 feet to much lower levels. While there is already substantial coverage at lower levels, this will extend to near the surface when all planned ground stations are installed.

In December 2009, ADS-B coverage in the Gulf of Mexico was implemented where helicopter pilots are now able talk to air traffic controllers in Houston, who see them on virtual radar, as they fly to increasingly distant platforms in the Gulf.

In the Caribbean, Guyana’s ADS-B surveillance system implementation program is on the way with scheduled completion by the end of 2012.

Relationship to ADS-A/ADS-C

The other commonly recognized types of ADS for aircraft applications are ADS-Addressed (ADS-A) and ADS-Contract (ADS-C), which are essentially the same.

ADS-B differs from ADS-A in that ADS-A is based on a negotiated one-to-one peer relationship between an aircraft providing ADS information and a ground facility requiring receipt of ADS messages. For example, ADS-A reports are employed in the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) using the Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) as the communication protocol. During flight over areas without radar coverage (e.g. oceanic and polar), reports are periodically sent by an aircraft to the controlling air traffic center.

The transmission delay caused by protocol, satellites, etc., is significant enough that significant aircraft separations are required. The cost of using the satellite channel leads to less frequent updates. Another drawback is that no other aircraft can benefit from the transmitted information.

Relationship to other broadcast services

The ADS-B link can be used to provide other broadcast services, such as TIS-B and FIS-B. Another potential aircraft-based broadcast capability is to transmit aircraft measurements of meteorological data.

Traffic information services-broadcast (TIS-B)

TIS-B supplements ADS-B air-to-air services to provide complete situational awareness in the cockpit of all traffic known to the ATC system. TIS-B is an important service for an ADS-B link in airspace where not all aircraft are transmitting ADS-B information. The ground TIS-B station transmits surveillance target information on the ADS-B data link for unequipped targets or targets transmitting only on another ADS-B link.

Flight information services-broadcast (FIS-B)

FIS-B provides weather text, weather graphics, NOTAMs, ATIS, and similar information. FIS-B is inherently different from ADS-B in that it requires sources of data external to the aircraft or broadcasting unit, and has different performance requirements such as periodicity of broadcast.

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The SWIM concept was initially presented by Eurocontrol to the FAA in 1997, where it has been under development ever since. It is an important element in both the FAA’s NEXTGEN and the European Union’s Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) toolboxes.

In 2005, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global ATM Operational Concept adopted the SWIM concept to promote information-based ATM integration.

The SWIM program will not only increase common situational awareness, but also enable interaction with other members of the decision-making community including other government agencies, air navigation service providers, and airspace users. It will provide consistent information to different users (pilots, controllers, dispatchers) for proactive decision-making.

SWIM is essential to providing the most efficient use of airspace, managing air traffic around weather, and increasing common situational awareness on the ground. SWIM core services will enable systems to request and receive information when they need it, subscribe for automatic receipt, and publish information and services as appropriate. This will provide for sharing of information across different systems. This will allow airspace users and controllers to access the most current information that may be affecting their area of responsibility in a more efficient manner. SWIM will improve decision-making and streamline information sharing for improved planning and execution.

SWIM will also help reduce infrastructure costs by decreasing the number of unique interfaces between systems. Initially, SWIM will provide a common interface framework, reducing the operation and maintenance costs of current interfaces. New systems will interface with each other via SWIM-compliant interfaces, thereby reducing future data interface development costs. Ultimately, redundant data sources will no longer be needed, and associated systems will be decommissioned.

Full implementation of SWIM is expected in 10-15 years.

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NEW YORK – Air-traffic control tower employees at New York’s Kennedy Airport are under federal investigation for apparently allowing a school-age child to direct pilots.

The FAA said the child was brought to the tower by its parent, a controller, on Feb. 17. The controller and the controller’s supervisor at the time have been relieved of their duties.

“Pending the outcome of our investigation the employees involved in this incident are not controlling traffic,” the FAA said in a statement. “This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees.”

The youngster, apparently under adult supervision, makes five transmissions on a tape obtained by Channel 26 in Boston and confirmed as genuine by the FAA.  The agency did not give any information as to the age of the child.

In a statement Wednesday, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association condemned the incident.

“We do not condone this type of behavior in any way,” ATC’s Director of Communication Doug Church said. “It is not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safety.”

Directing JetBlue flight

According to reports, the clip indicated the child cleared traffic over the course of five radio transmissions.

According to the recordings, one exchange went like this:

JFK TOWER: JetBlue 171 contact departure.

PILOT: Over to departure JetBlue 171, awesome job.

A male voice then laughs.

JFK TOWER: That’s what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.

In another exchange, the kid is playful with a pilot from Aeromexico flight 403, adding “Adios amigos,” to his directions for the pilot.

Wayne Farley’s Comments

Like a cockpit, an air traffic control facility should be a sterile environment that requires authorization for entry. Once there are authorized visitors in a facility, every effort should be made to ensure that the visit in no way interfere with the operations. Allowing the visitors to utilize the air-ground frequency  is an act of irresponsibility and unprofessionalism. It should be noted here that only licensed personnel should be allowed to carry out such tasks. Air traffic control assistants in the facility at which I work are not even allowed that privilege. Serious discipline should be in order for this incident, and controllers everywhere should learn from this case.

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Women in Aviation International

As we look back across the last few decades in aviation, it’s easy to spot the events that made us stand up and take notice of what’s going on in our business. The TWA 800 and ValuJet headlines come to mind right away. Those lapses galvanized our response and our resolve in terms of preparedness, in terms of a willingness to do whatever it takes to prevent a recurrence.

With hindsight providing crystal clarity, looking at smaller events is, I think, the best way to spot the larger safety issues. Lately, we’ve had a string of events in our system that have given me some pause, that have been a cause for concern. I’m talking primarily about the lack of professionalism that seems to be rippling through our system. In my opinion, our vigilance needs to be stepped up. America holds us to a very high standard. We have to get it right first time and every time.

For several years, we’ve been beating the drum about the safety of this system. In truth, we went more than two years without a fatal commercial crash. More than 2 billion passengers flew during that time. Our runways have never been safer. Our international partnerships have never been more rock-solid.

But now, the more I see, the more I realize that the moment there’s a crash, all of the safety numbers, while impressive, are history; and history isn’t any reassurance when things go bad. We’re in the same spot that any surgeon finds him or herself. 999 successful operations in a row might help put the patient at ease, but it’s the procedure happening right now that’s really of primary concern to the patient on the table. Track records are important, but, well, this job is the one you want to see get done right.

I’m not signaling that I think a string of accidents is around the corner. In fact, far from it. I have high regard for the pros in this business at each an every level. But we have to focus everyone’s attention to the never-ending need to do everything we can for safety. As a pilot, I feel the same way. And as a passenger, let’s face it, there’s no wiggle-room here. What I ask is that everyone in this business take a big step up.

And I don’t mean just for next week or next month. No, we need to climb and maintain a higher level of safety in this industry.

This system, our system, is made up of many parts of people with many different jobs, and each one of them has a role in safety. All of us have to be involved in to detecting unsafe trends before they result in an accident.

This industry is absolutely the safest of the safe because we have taken so many preventive steps. The very fact that we have so few accidents is the very reason we have to identify these situations in which an accident did not actually occur but it could have. We know that most accidents are simply a collection of poorly timed errors. To keep stopping those errors we have to pay attention to all of them, however small.

I’m here today to say in no uncertain terms that professionalism is our primary weapon against the possibility of minute lapses that could develop along the way. When you see something wrong, you raise your hand, and you speak up. There’s not a person in this room who’d want to live with the regret of wishing that you’d said something about a sterile cockpit, about a maintenance lapse, about a corner that you’re pretty sure is being cut.

We have safety rules in place to make sure that corners don’t get cut. When things get moving very fast, that’s the precise time you need to bear down on that checklist. We can’t taxi with our heads down to make for an on-time takeoff. That’s a genesis of an incursion in which lots of people could get hurt. When the budgets get tight, that’s the very moment in which you as CFO, CEO or baggage handler — it doesn’t matter to me — that’s the time you need to stop, think, then ask, “Does this look like the procedure that’s been error free, or are we pushing so hard that it doesn’t even resemble our standard operating procedure?”

As I’ve said before, I can’t regulate the person who’s just going to flat out do the wrong thing. I can’t write a rule that’s going to work if I’m dealing with a person who’s going to ignore it. Our training now is so sophisticated, so realistic that it’s hard to imagine a scenario that can’t be recreated in a virtual world. But no training, no matter how good is going to help someone who thinks that situational awareness is a slogan that we only use during check rides. The right thing to do is always the right thing to do.

For my part, the goal is to push the envelope in terms of stepping things up in every aspect of our business, especially on professionalism, particularly mentorship as the foundation of professionalism. Aviation safety is all about taking care of the small details, watching for trends before they become a problem. The seasoned professionals among us have to teach the less-experienced among us how to spot these trends.

Forensic science is necessary to understand the causes of individual accidents and is the first step in the route to preventing accidents. Everyone recognizes that the future route to success is in risk-free, non-punitive incident reporting, knowing that you’re not going to get punished for pointing out a problem. This will get us much further along as we try to eliminate accident causes. Electronic databases like FAA’s ASIAS system aggregates millions of data points received through anonymous, non-punitive incident safety reporting programs such as ASRS, ASAP, and FOQA. This type of data allows us to review the information with experts and implement safety enhancements before an accident occurs.

As you know, I’m also pushing very hard to revise and update pilot flight, duty and rest time rules. Back in D.C. during the snowstorm, road crews were trying to clear 24 inches. One driver who’d been on the job for 18 hours straight stopped everything dead in its tracks by trying to make it through an underpass with the rear part of his rig raised in the air. Everyone agrees that there some things a dump truck driver just should not do but when you’re too tired, you make mistakes you normally wouldn’t.

Let me give you the snapshot of where we stand with our flight and duty time rule. I convened an aviation rulemaking committee specifically to make recommendations on flight time, rest and fatigue. I invited industry and labor to work with us to wade through the science and design a practical approach to fatigue management. While the timetable is still not as fast as I’d originally wanted, we are issuing a proposal this spring. As I said recently during testimony on Capitol Hill, I take exception to the suggestion that nothing’s happening here. As rulemaking efforts go, this one was at Mach 2.

In addition to pushing through some tough safety reform and pushing for data-sharing that heads off accident causes at the pass, I’m pushing for safety solutions, big or small. A week ago, I was with Senator Rockefeller in Charleston, West Virginia, at Yeager Airport. As most of us know it sits atop a big mountain. In January, we had a tremendous save there, when US Airways flight 2495 skidded off the runway and came to a complete stop because of EMAS, the engineered material arresting system. It’s a system made of pliable concrete that breaks up kind of like ice, bringing an aircraft to a stop with minimal damage. In my view, it’s the least expensive safety net you’re ever going to find. And I can find a couple of pilots and a few dozen passengers who will shake their heads vigorously in agreement. It’s now been used six times at different airports with six successful saves.

On the high-tech front, I’m also making sure that our efforts to launch NextGen stay in high gear. NextGen is changing the aviation landscape for the better. Its power and flexibility enables us to look at equipment and facilities in ways that we’ve never been able to. Consider ADS-B, which really has the potential to turn the concept of radar-based control on its ear. As you know, we’ve been able to get ADS-B up and running in the Gulf and in Louisville. Philadelphia and Alaska will follow thereafter.

ADS-B is the satellite era coming to aviation. In the Gulf, where there’s no radar at all, we go to the separation standards that we’ve come to expect. That’s quite a departure from the World-War 2 radio procedures that had been in place there. It’s in the initial operating stages, small first steps but the payoff in safety and efficiency is enormous. This is a technological leap on the same order of magnitude as radar itself; maybe bigger. The Gulf is known for a lack of weather reporting, position reporting and communications. ADS-B can close that chapter for good. As a pilot, I know ADS-B is going to change the way we fly.

These aren’t inexpensive technologies we are talking about but the safety, efficiency and environmental benefits make the business case.

There’s more coming on line with NextGen. As a foundation for future NextGen capabilities, the latest in air traffic control software, which we call ERAM, is showing that it can handle 24-hour testing in Salt Lake. ERAM replaces the backbone of the NAS with a system that was designed to support future NextGen capabilities. Performance-based navigation is saving fuel, reducing delay, and cutting emissions at many airports across the country. With all of these innovations and technological advances, we can’t forget one really important factor: us.

As long as there are humans in this loop, as long as humans must interact with machines, there is a chance for error. We must take a hard look at human factors in aviation. We must be equally tough in our assessment of training. Technology is moving along so fast we have to redouble our efforts to ensure the human keeps up. .

The larger question must be asked and answered:  Have we created a safety culture?  That’s the linchpin here, because safety is a shared responsibility — shared by FAA and the manufacturers and the carriers and the pilots alike; shared by all of us in the aviation community. Total perfection is not realistic but we can make it the norm not the exception.

And that should not stop us from striving to climb to that next level of safety or professionalism. As members of the aviation community we have a shared responsibility to make that happen.

That responsibility is what drives me as FAA Administrator and that’s why I am asking all of you to renew your commitment to helping us reach this goal.

Thank you.

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During a private “fly-in” fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered pilot and fishermen left a cooler and bait in the plane. And a bear smelled it. This is what he did to the plane.

The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic. He patched the plane together, and FLEW IT HOME!

The shredded aircraft.

The shredded aircraft.

The shredded aircraft.

The aircraft after being patched up with plastic and duct tape.

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The cause of flight or simulator sickness can vary from individual to individual. Frequently it is caused by a sensory mis-match: the sense that one is moving more, less or in a different direction than what is actually occurring. This mismatch causes the symptoms of motion sickness: fatigue, nausea and vomiting, headache and confusion. There may in addition be a vestibular (inner ear) pathology that contributes to the symptoms. There is some documentation and research that suggests certain individuals are more sensitive to acquiring motion sickness than others. Motion sickness can be quite disabling, especially if one operates a moving vehicle, boat or aircraft for a living.

The good news is that you can desensitize yourself to the symptoms. The National Dizzy and Balance Center is one of many organizations that has developed a series of exercises to directly address the symptoms of motion sickness and the causes of the sensory mismatch. Therapists will determine the appropriate starting point for the program and assist in progressing through the phases of the exercises. Most of the work can be done independently, with occasional phone or email check-ins with the therapists. Occasionally, it may be necessary for you to return to the therapists for additional testing if required by your employer, or if you need specific assistance with progressing through the phases of the program. You may feel worse for a few weeks before you begin to feel better! This is a normal part of the desensitization process and occurs because the exercises challenge your balance systems to recalibrate themselves.

If you have experienced prolonged motion sickness while in a simulator, or while flying, their program may be of benefit for you. For more information, visit their website at www.stopdizziness.com

Contributed by Jennifer Ginkel

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1. review the policies and rules of the network;

2. coordinate and establish development priorities for STPs;

3. explore areas of possible cooperation and collaboration amongst participating training institutions;

4. exchange views and share experiences;

5. establish goals and objectives for Regional Conferences; and

6. address training issues of mutual interest.

Fifty-two (52) countries were represented at the conference and symposium.

Trainair Symposium

The TRAINAIR Symposium was conducted from 7-9 December, 2009. The following presentations were made:

1. Enhanced Organizational Effectiveness through Human Factors Training

2. Evolution of the Trainair Course Development Methodology

3. Effective Interaction between Operational Level and Aviation Training Centers through TRAINAIR Methodology Approach

4. Application of System Wide Information Management Concept in Aviation Training

5. Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Initiatives

6. Global Aviation Training Strategies for Air Safety

7. e-Learning Share in Civil Aviation Training

8. Competency and Proficiency – Airfield Engineering Personnel

9. Enhanced Training across the Borders with E-Learning

10. The Need to Know

11. The Use of Distance Learning applied to the TRAINAIR Methodology courses – the Brazilian Experience with the Airport Noise Control Course

11th Global Trainair Conference

The following matters were addressed at the 11th Global TRAINAIR Conference conducted on 10 and 11 December, 2009:

1. Implementation Process for Membership of Private Training Institutions in the TRAINAIR Programme

2. TRAINAIR Programme Status

3. Technical Cooperation Activities

4. TRAINAIR Policies and Strategies

5. STP Development

6. TRAINAIR Programme Evaluation

7. Future TRAINAIR Activities

8. Sharing System

9. Review of the Report of the Fourth Regional TRAINAIR Coordination Conferences

10. E- Sharing System

11. Standardized on-demand Training

Download hi-res group photo. [3.9 MB]

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