Airbus Proposes Flight Deck Toilets
Pilot unions object to Airbus’s proposal to equip at least some of its aircraft with flight deck toilets. The plan is to put an open biffy behind the captain’s seat so that single-pilot operations can flow smoothly during long haul flights on Extended Minimum Crew Operations (eMCO) protocols. Airbus is aggressively pursuing the technological and practical solutions to reducing the manpower required in its aircraft, particularly on the really long flights its latest wide bodies are designed to fly. Under eMCO, a lone pilot will be on the flight deck for up to three hours and any need to disrupt the slumber of the one or two other pilots would mess up their crew rest mandate compliance. The planemaker and European regulator EASA have looked at a full range of alternatives to deal with nature’s inevitable call and rejected things like diapers and diet or fluid restrictions as impractical.
Unleaded Fuel Sales Prompt Warnings
High-octane unleaded fuel is available at three California airports and industry groups are cautioning against misfueling errors. General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s (GAMI’s) G100UL is on sale for aircraft with the required STCs at Reid-Hillview and Watsonville Airports and Swift Fuels is conducting a trial of its 100R fuel for flight-school Cessna 172s at San Carlos Airport. Swift’s fuel has received an STC for late model 172s and is applying for an ASTM International fuel specification. GAMI is skipping the ASTM paperwork. Both the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions group and the National Air Transportation Association have published warning about not mixing GAMI’s fuel with Swift’s 94UL, which is available at several airports in California. G100UL is fully fungible with 100LL.
Total Accidents Up, Fatals Down
The total number of GA accidents is up but fatalities are down in AOPA’s Air Safety Institute’s 34th annual report. The report, now named for former director Richard McSpadden, who died in a 2023 plane crash, says the number of GA accidents went up from 1120 in 2021 to 1152 in 2022. That also coincided with a major increase in flight activity so the overall accident rate only jumped marginally from 4.26 to 4.30 accidents per 100,000 flight hours. There were 157 fatal fixed-wing crashes in that time period and that worked out to a drop from .76 to .68 per 100,000 flight hours. Pilot-related issues caused about 70 percent of all accidents.
GAMA Fights EU BizAv Actions
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association says crippling regulations by the European Union are strangling general aviation and threatening industry competitiveness across the board. In a paid-for Op-Ed in Politico, GAMA said the overall strategy to raise taxes on business aviation and restrict flights to lessen environmental impact are “misguided” in light of business aviation’s major role in the efficient operation of hundreds of businesses. “What is essential now is balancing growth, sustainability and prosperity amid rising international challenges,” the Op-Ed says. It also notes that business aviation alone generates 100 billion Euros annually and sustains hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs.
Argentina Drops Pilot Age Limits
Argentina eliminated age caps for commercial pilots, saying existing medical and proficiency exams keep flight decks safe. Like many countries, Argentina capped those flying single-pilot commercial flights to age 60 while those in two-pilot flight decks could hang on until 65. “With advances in medicine in general and the need to have pilots to meet the growing demand of the aeronautical market it is necessary to reevaluate the age limit at which pilot’s license holders can exercise their functions,” the country’s aviation regulator said in its decision.
NOTAMs
New York Police Department adopts surveillance drones … Sean Duffy was nominated to be next Transport Secretary … Boeing considers selling Jeppesen and Foreflight units … Artificial intelligence trial for KC-135 robot pilots approved … NBAA says cherrypicked data used in study bashing business aviation sustainability … BasicMed regulations relaxed to include larger planes and more passengers … Find breaking news in general aviation at AVweb.com.
