Sleeping pilots and other flight safety concerns highlighted in new TV documentary
‘Omerta above the clouds’ is a documentary exposing flight safety concerns amongst pilots and cabin crew working for European airlines. The documentary released by Dutch broadcast organisation BNNVARA, paints a disturbing picture of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and its political overseer, the EU Commission, accusing them of failing to address safety concerns due to being unduly influenced by economic pressures from...
EC study recommends development of training programme
A study published by the UK CAA, conducted on behalf of the aviation regulator by the General Aviation Safety Council (GASCo) and Jarvis Bagshaw, explores the importance of Electronic Conspicuity (EC – see and avoid) technology used in light aircraft, has recommended that a new training programme for the use of EC be developed. As well as enhancing airspace safety, EC is also viewed as being vital to enabling the safe and...
CAA launches second phase of PMD consultation
The UK CAA has launched the second phase of its public consultation on the use of self-assessed pilot medical declarations (PMD) for private pilots, following concerns that a small number of pilots who might otherwise been declared unfit to fly had abused the system. The PMD has been around since October 2016 and is an extremely popular route used by private pilots to confirm medical fitness, given that it is the least restrictive...
Ravenair airline preparation course
Liverpool John Lennon Airport-based approved training organisation (ATO) Ravenair has launched a new course designed to prepare commercial pilot graduates applying for airline positions. Ravenair has developed the course in collaborations with an experienced Virgin Atlantic recruitment pilot, who has devised and delivered pilot recruitment programmes for a number of airlines. Named the Airline Preparation Course, it comprises a...
Eurocontrol launches contrails database
Eurocontrol, in collaboration with Airbus and Thales, announces that it is establishing ContrailNet, a new network of European research experts to create a common repository of contrail observation data to advance the aviation sector’s efforts to reduce the climate impact of non-CO2 aviation emissions, in particular contrails and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The aim is to make the common repository of data available to existing and future...
L3Harris pilot training division sold
American defence company, L3Harris Technology, has announced that it has sold its Commercial Aviation Solutions (CAS) division, including its training academies in the UK, US and Thailand. The deal, valued at up to $800m, will see private equity firm TJC L.P. takeover L3Harris’ CAS division, a move which is understood to be part of a broader strategy by L3 Harris to reduce debt following the acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne in July...
