FAAST Blast — Week of Nov 02 – Nov 08, 2015
Biweekly FAA Safety Briefing News Update
FAA Issues NPRM on Modernizing AMT School Curriculum
On October 2, 2015, the FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes to amend the regulations governing the curriculum and operations of FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools. These amendments would modernize and reorganize the required curriculum subjects in the appendices of the current regulations. They would also remove the course content items currently located in the appendices and require that they be placed in each school's operations specifications so they could more easily be amended when necessary. The amendments are needed because the existing curriculums are outdated, do not meet current industry needs, and can be changed only through notice and comment rulemaking. These amendments would ensure that AMT students receive up-to-date foundational training to meet the demanding and consistently changing needs of the aviation industry. To view the NPRM, go to www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/10/02/2015-24841/aviation-maintenance-technician-schools. The comment window closes on December 31, 2015.
#FlySafe Topic Stresses Vmc and AOA Indicator Systems
The FAA and general aviation (GA) group’s #FlySafe national safety campaign aims to educate the GA community on how to prevent Loss of Control (LOC) accidents this flying season with a series monthly safety enhancement topics. This month’s topic deals with engine failure procedures for multi-engine aircraft and how angle of attack (AOA) indicator systems can help prevent stall/spin accidents. The FAA recommends that pilots seek training on Vmc — the minimum control speed with critical engine inoperative — with a qualified flight instructor to improve your response to a power loss. The agency also encourages pilots to investigate equipping with an AOA indicator system. Design approval requirements for AOA systems have been simplified so that pilots can more easily add this valuable cockpit aid. To learn more on this topic, please visit www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=84127 or visit the FAA Safety Briefing page for a list of current and archived safety enhancement topics.
Good N.I.G.H.T. (N = Nightlights)
One of the most important parts of night flying is to know and understand the various kinds of airport and approach lighting that you might encounter. In his article “N=Nightlights,” editor Tom Hoffmann examines different types of airport lights and how they help you compensate for the lack of visual detail that is part of night flying. Hoffmann also explores how LED technology is improving airport light and reducing maintenance costs. The article appears in the Nov/Dec 2015 issue of FAA Safety Briefing (www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing).
Produced by the FAA Safety Briefing editors, http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/
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