During a recent General Aviation Joint Steering Committee (GAJSC) meeting, the term "Safety Drift" was brought up for discussion. What is safety drift?

In the purest form, safety drift is when safety is compromised due to a variation in a standard process of operations and/or procedures. For example, before taking off in a fixed-wing aircraft, the checklist calls for a check of the flight controls.

In most GA aircraft, the pilot looks out the window to observe that the controls are moving in the correct direction. When you turn the yoke to the left, the left aileron should go up. When you turn the yoke to the right, the right aileron should go up.

Safety drift occurs when the pilot moves the yoke but does not look for the proper control surface movements. Thus, if there is improper rigging of the control surfaces, pilots could find themselves in a bad situation that may lead to an accident.

Safety drift is also present during the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft (MRO).

Aircraft mechanics need to be aware as they perform what may be considered routine MRO processes. Deviations can and do lead to system and/or equipment failures.

Safety drift is a major cultural topic point for pilots and mechanics. As FSANA works collaboratively to reduce the GA accident and fatal rates in America, safety drift will play a larger role in moving toward the "GA Zero Accident" goal.

Another example of safety drift is when we check the fuel in the aircraft. The checklist calls for a visual observation of the fuel tanks. When a pilot does their pre-flight and does not check the fuel tanks visually and then checks the fuel gauges in the cockpit, that becomes safety drift.

A discussion about any drift from safety norms is something that all pilots need to think about when operating an aircraft. Lets start 2022 with a new and focused safety culture which will help move the industry toward the "GA Zero Accident" goal.

For those of you attending our 2022 conference and trade show in Las Vegas, the FSANA safety committee will be meeting on February 16, 2022. Please join us as we begin to further move the safety needle toward a safer GA industry.

Respectfully,

Bob Rockmaker

President & CEO

FSANA

Now is the time to begin making plans to attend. Start by marking your calendar. It is not too early to register and guarantee your rooms reservation. Check out the program to see all of the topics that will be covered during the 2022 conference.

$200! One more reason to register early.

Make your room reservations early.

If you or your business is interested in exhibiting or sponsoring at the 2022 Conference and Trade Show, visit the following on FSANA's website:

To exhibit / To sponsor

The Study in the States program, host of Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has reminded providers of training for foreign nationals that as the year comes to an end, there may be documentary requirements that need to be addressed.

Visit the SEVP End-of-Year Reminders page to access some resources and reminders if your operation is working with foreign students.

In a continued effort to issue reporting on expected needs of the aviation industry, Boeing has updated its outlooks with the Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook 2021-2040.

There is no doubt that there is a continued need for staffing both in the cockpit and in the hangars that keep the aircraft that passengers ride on operating. By some estimates, the shortage of technicians may actually outpace the need for pilots. Without enough of either, our ability to serve the needs of public transportation will be constricted.

In a couple of highlights from this report, Boeing notes that:

"Long-term demand for newly qualified aviation personnel remains strong, as 612,000 new pilots, 626,000 new maintenance technicians, and 886,000 new cabin crew members are needed to fly and maintain the global commercial fleet over the next 20 years.

"Meeting projected pilot, aircraft mechanic, and flight attendant demand is wholly dependent on industry’s investment in a steady pipeline of newly qualified personnel to replace those who have left or will soon exit the industry through mandatory retirement, early retirement, recent layoffs, and furloughs, and ongoing attrition. The global aviation industry will need to keep a sharp focus and engage in collective efforts to build a robust, diverse talent pipeline through more educational outreach and recruitment, development of new pathways to aviation careers, investment in early-career learning opportunities, and deployment and adoption of more efficient learning methods. Opportunity for aspiring aviators will abound while operators will face stiff competition in recruiting and retaining top-tier talent.

"Those in this industry who emerge from market downturns have historically resumed their growth trajectory through collaboration, adaptation, and innovation. To address challenges created during the COVID-19 pandemic, the training industry is adopting increasingly innovative solutions. Many training providers have transitioned their offerings to online and virtual formats where possible, allowing students to continue their learning safely and remotely. Immersive technologies, adaptive learning and flexible distance learning methods have allowed the training pipeline to remain intact while evolving how training is delivered. Continued investments in these technologies will likely lead to a long-term fundamental shift in how training is conducted."

There is much more to discuss, but a read of this report includes a variety of pertinent discussion points that also relate to the flight training industry.

To see more of the Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook 2021-2040, click here.

Beginning Dec. 8, students accepted into the Purdue Global professional flight degree program will complete their Bachelor of Science degree courses online through Purdue Global, while completing flight training at CRAFT Flight Training or one of several other Purdue Global affiliates across the country.

“CRAFT Flight Training is pleased to partner with Purdue Global University to provide our students and staff the opportunity to save time and money while pursuing the degree that they need to get to the majors,” said Amanda Aldea, co-owner of CRAFT Flight Training in Charleston, South Carolina.

Students who complete all five flight certificates/ratings – Private Pilot Certification, Instrument Flight Rating, Commercial Pilot Certification, Flight Instructor Flight Certification and Multiengine Flight Certification – will receive 45 college credits from Purdue Global towards their bachelor’s degree in professional flight, equivalent to one year of college credits. Students who have college credits from previous schools may also receive additional transfer credits, thereby saving them more money and allowing them to graduate faster.

“We are pleased to join forces with an established flight training center like CRAFT Flight Training to bolster our popular professional flight program,” said Sara Sander, Purdue Global vice president and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the School of Education. “The benefits to our students training under CRAFT Flight Training is the significant cost savings and speed to obtaining the five flight certificates/ratings required within our professional flight program. Students can realistically accelerate their path to the airlines by one or two years.”

CRAFT Flight Training students, employees and immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, children, siblings and parents) will receive 20% tuition reduction for undergraduate degrees and certificates and 14% reduction for graduate degrees and certificates.

Purdue Global’s professional flight degree program is a collaboration between Purdue Global and Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology – announced in 2019. It combines the quality of Purdue’s legendary aviation program spanning more than six decades with the flexibility and affordability that Purdue Global offers.

FSANA has been collecting DPE names who have expressed a willingness to travel to help flight training providers secure practical tests.

An up-to-date List of Travel-Willing DPEs with contact information is available on the FSANA website. If you are a flight training provider who is finding a challenge of scheduling DPEs in your local area, feel free to reach out to these individuals. They may be able to serve some of your local testing needs.

While this effort is being made in general, it is even more relevant as many DPEs self-selected to delay a return to providing practical tests during this period of COVID-19 uncertainties.

If you are a DPE who is not on this list but would like to be, please let FSANA know by emailing us at info@fsana.com with your name, city, state, email and phone number and we will add you.