GA Safety
Priority No. 1
GA SAFETY, SPECIFICALLY FOR RECREATIONAL flying, is EAA’s top priority.
Recently, the NTSB placed GA safety on its “most wanted” list,
initiating a program to help prevent accidents and save lives. EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 provided a venue for the two organizations
to meet and discuss ways to work together to achieve common goals.
NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman and board member Earl
F. Weener arrived at AirVenture in a GA airplane piloted by Weener.
This marked the first visit to AirVenture for Hersman, while Weener
has attended many times.
Shortly after their
arrival, Hersman and
Weener met with the
presidents of EAA,
AOPA, NBAA, NATA,
GAMA, and HAI and
discussed how they
could work together to
improve GA safety. The
General Aviation Joint
Steering Committee
(GAJSC) provides the
best channel through
which all of the
associations’ collective efforts can be funneled. EAA and NTSB
participate in the GAJSC, the Safety Analysis Team under it, and
NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman, EAA founder
Paul Poberezny, and board member Earl Weener pose
for a photograph at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011.
NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman talks with Andy Werback, EAA 699040, about his
personal experience building a Lancair Legacy.
the newly formed Loss of Control Working Group.
While walking the flightline, Hersman met Andy Werback,
EAA 699040, and had an impromptu conversation about GA
safety. Andy recounted his personal experience building a Lancair
Legacy, using EAA’s technical counselor program and chapter
members’ knowledge to help when he needed it. Andy spoke about
his transition training program in which his CFI provided make
and model training in another Lancair, flew the first few hours
on Andy’s Legacy, and once he felt Andy’s skills and aircraft were
sound, gave Andy the green light to finish the phase one test flying
of his aircraft. By using proven effective programs and processes,
Andy’s build and transition were safe and provided a great example
of how the process can and should work.
Chairman Hersman, who was recently confirmed to another two-year term, left AirVenture 2011 with a better sense of what makes up
GA and what EAA is doing to improve its safety.
TYPE CLUBS TALK TRANSITION TRAINING
Participation is key
SAFETY STUDIES ROUTINELY SHOW that pilots
who are actively engaged in type clubs
suffer fewer accidents than pilots who are
not involved with such clubs. With that
knowledge in mind, along with a desire to
improve safety among all GA operators,
leaders from aircraft type clubs and pilot
associations met at AirVenture 2011 to discuss
forming a coalition to improve GA safety.
One objective of the coalition is to
reach pilots who are not yet members of an
organization familiar with their aircraft and
get them the information they need to fly in a
safe, effective manner.
At the meeting, attendees discussed a
“push” strategy to reach those pilots: When a
pilot registers his or her aircraft, the coalition
would send the registrant type-specific
safety information, including how to obtain
transition training.
FAMILIARITY BREEDS SAFETY
For many type-certificated GA aircraft,
training can be found easily at a local FBO.
For experimental amateur-built, warbird,
and some specific makes and models of
GA aircraft, however, that training can be
difficult to obtain. This coalition will lever-
age its knowledge and resources to better
prepare GA pilots for flight risks associated
with known accident “hot spots.” Risk will be
reduced through focused training, outreach,
and cultural change.
For a link to a current listing of the various type
clubs, visit www.SportAviation.org.
