The General Aviation Joint Steering Committee identified loss of control–inflight (LOC-I) as the number one cause of fatal general aviation accidents over the last decade. Consequently, this year’s FAASTeam Safety Standdown offers a multi-layered approach to help pilots reduce the risk of an inflight loss of control. The recently videotaped program is hosted by FAA Research Psychologist Dr. Katrina Avers and includes interviews with FAA Director of Flight Standards John Allen, accident survivor Barry Hyde, and three loss of control subject matter experts (SMEs).

The heart of the program looks at four actual scenarios from the perspectives of aircraft preflight, aeronautical decision-making, and stick and rudder skills. FAA Airworthiness expert Steve Keesey addresses aircraft preflight issues and introduces the FAA’s new Advanced Preflight Program. Dr. Janeen Kochan and CFI Rich Stowell are SMEs representing the light airplane industry: Kochan, a Human Factors Research Scientist and Designated Pilot Examiner, discusses aeronautical decision-making issues; Stowell, a seven-time Master Instructor and the 2006 National Flight Instructor of the Year, talks about techniques for recovering from loss of control events. Both are members of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators.

According to the FAASTeam’s Kevin Clover, “This program is incredibly rich with practical information, and includes natural breaks where program participants can engage in discussion before moving on to the next scenario.” He added, “This is the best Standdown program the FAA has produced to date.”

The 2012 Safety Standdown will debut at Sun-n-Fun on March 31st followed by presentations at more than 90 locations across the country in April. Feature articles by the on-camera talent will also appear in the March/April edition of FAA Safety Briefing magazine, and additional resources will be made available on FAASafety.gov.

FMI: http://www.FAASafety.gov

NEWS—The Chamber of Commerce for the City of Santa Paula, CA recently named CP Aviation, Inc. its 2011 Business of the Year. Presented annually since 1983, CP Aviation is only the second airport business in Santa Paula to receive such recognition. The flight school will be honored at an awards luncheon on February 7, 2012.

Started by Clay Phelps in 1987, this year also marks CP Aviation’s 25th anniversary on the Santa Paula Airport. The business has thrived through five U.S. Presidencies, two significant economic downturns, the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and a flood that washed away one-third of the airport’s only runway. Perhaps best known for its world-renowned Emergency Maneuver Training and tailwheel transition programs, CP Aviation is a full-service, Part 61 FBO and Cessna Pilot Center.

Nowadays, Phelps manages the maintenance side of the business, while wife Judy Phelps manages the flight school side. The operation currently has 25 employees and 19 aircraft. Rental aircraft range from the Cessna 162 Skycatcher to the Cessna 182RG, and from the 7ECA Citabria to the Pitts S-2B. The fleet logs 6,000 hours annually. CP Aviation has a Designated Pilot Examiner on staff, and is home to two National Flight Instructors of the Year: Judy Phelps (2011) and Rich Stowell (2006), both of whom are Master Aerobatic Instructors and Charter Members of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE).

According to Clay Phelps, “Our business is really about building relationships. We have been privileged to operate from an historic general aviation airport located in a scenic valley, work with a very supportive local community, attract wonderful employees, and enjoy the best customers a business could ask for.” CP Aviation is planning a 25th anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 2nd.

The flight was EMT Module II, Lesson 1, full and half aileron rolls left and right; the trainee was a law enforcement pilot based in Alaska from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

The run time for the snippet is 1:37. Though a rudimentary attempt, I enjoyed the process and am looking forward to improving with more practice and familiarity with the editing software.

A newer generation Nflightcam+ is on its way, which has been modified to eliminate most of the “venetian blind effect” when shooting through the propeller arc. The two cameras will allow videoing two points of view simultaneously. Both cameras have been modified by Nflightcam with headset jacks to record audio directly.

Thanks to Patrick Carter at Nflightcam for providing the camera to play with.

As founding members and an early provider of member benefits of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE), Qref recently announced its support for the goals of pilot training reform. Consequently, Qref is now offering PDF versions of its syllabi and acclaimed checkride checklists at no charge.

Acting on a recommendation from the training reform symposium, Qref joins ASA, Sporty’s, and SAFE in providing free syllabi. According to a Qref representative, “We praise ASA’s and Sporty’s lead on this and challenge other courseware providers to similarly offer online versions of their syllabi at no charge. With a wide selection of syllabi freely available, instructors and students should be able to find syllabi that work best for them. All of aviation will benefit from this.”

Qref syllabi address all FAA requirements as well as the reality of learning to fly in today’s complex and highly regulated environment. With a combined thirty years of flight instructing experience, the syllabi have been excerpted from Flight Instructor Notebooks created by Bridgette Doremire and Gene Hudson. Additionally, Qref’s Instrument Rating Syllabus was designed for use with flight simulators, allowing students to practice in a simulator before proving their knowledge and skills in flight, thereby reducing costly flight hours. The free Qref syllabi and checklists for Private, Instrument, and Commercial are available at http://www.qref.com/aviation/lesson-plans/

FMI: www.PilotTrainingReform.org, www.qref.com

Safety Panel Available, Others to Follow

The Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) has announced that the first in a series of high-definition videos of its Pilot Training Reform Symposium is now available for online viewing. Produced by the symposium’s official media partner, Aero-News Network, the Safety Panel has successfully been uploaded. In time, the entire symposium will be available for viewing.

The symposium proceedings were recorded using two HD cameras. Even with a high-speed Internet connection, the massive 62-minute Safety Panel video file alone required the better part of a day to upload. Additional segments are currently being uploaded and will populate a unique 2011 SAFE Symposium channel created on Vimeo.com. Viewers can select a number of options as well, including full screen, like, embed, and share.

Other post-symposium information is being posted to the training reform website as it becomes available. Moreover, the symposium committee is in the process of generating a preliminary report that will soon be publicly released.

According to McWilliams, “I think it was a very smart decision for IAC to modify the rules regarding this award to encourage pilots like me during this phase of flight training. I had a very positive experience, and am enjoying my modest bragging rights.”

Susie McWilliams with MCFI-A Rich Stowell after earning her Aerobatic Achievement Award in the Primary Category

Based on a proposal submitted by Stowell in 2010 and endorsed by other Master Aerobatic Instructors, the IAC changed how pilots can qualify for its Smooth Achievement Awards. For Primary, Sportsman, and Intermediate Smooth awards, pilots can now fly the required maneuvers in front of a ground-based IAC judge, or with a qualifying instructor on board the airplane.