Tag Archives: ICAO

682 Organ Transplant Flights

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:30:55 — 41.6MB)

In this episode, we speak with the Founder and CEO of ParaFlight and OrganFlights about life-saving organ transplant flights. There’s a lot more to this than you might think, and it’s a conversation you’ll want to hear.

In the news, sustainable aviation fuel for British Airways, Captain Sully heads to ICAO, gender-neutral NOTAMs that also apply to drones, the Beech Denali first flight, commercial aviation and spreading viruses, and in-flight relief devices. In the Australia Desk, we hear about the history of the F/A-18 A and B Hornets in RAAF service.

Guest

Sim Shain is the Founder and CEO of ParaFlight EMS and OrganFlights.com, a lifesaving organ transplant aviation company with an on-call network of jets, helicopters, and emergency transport vehicles. These provide efficient transportation of organs and transplant teams nationwide.

Sim Shain, Founder and CEO of ParaFlight and OrganFlights providing organ transplant flights.
Sim Shain

The transplant process is regulated by the Federal government in the United States, and Sim explains the large number of participants and steps involved in getting an organ from donor to recipient. We learn about the role of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the transplant centers, and organ procurement organizations.

Sim provides a lot of detail about the complexities of matching organ transportation requests to available aircraft considering such factors as the type of organ, flight length, operating room schedule, size of the team, use of a transmetics pump, power and WiFi requirements, and even pilot duty time constraints.

We learn about how Part 135 operators can use the Organ Flights app to register, add aircraft, and receive flight requests via smartphone and the PC.

Over a twenty-eight-year career, Sim has worked in the pre-hospital emergency medical space leading corporate, medical, and charity flights and missions, specializing in organ transplants. He began his career working as a 911 medic and flight medic, and he continues to fly patients and organs around the world. He volunteers for local first aid squads and is a nationally certified paramedic, medical escort, and flight medic.

To learn more, visit OrganFlights.com and explore these other resources:

Aviation News

Airline signs historic deal to use recycled cooking oil to fuel its planes

British Airways signed a multi-year contract with Phillips 66 Limited to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) beginning next year. Phillips becomes the first company to produce SAF at a commercial scale in the U.K. The SAF will be produced at the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery in North Lincolnshire from sustainable waste feedstock. BA and Phillips 66 say SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by over 80 percent compared to traditional jet fuel.

Sully Named To ICAO

Capt. Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the U.S.  ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO was established in 1944 by the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention. Originally composed of 54 nations, now the Organization is funded and directed by 193 national governments.

Name change signifies a bigger mission for NOTAMs

The meaning of the acronym NOTAM has changed from “Notice to Airmen” to the gender-neutral “Notice to Air Missions.” The new acronym now easily applies to un-crewed flights of free balloons and drones.

Beech Denali Makes First Flight

The first flight of the Beechcraft Denali turboprop lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes, reaching an altitude of 15,600 feet and a top speed of 180 knots. The clean-sheet design uses the new 1,300-shp GE Aviation Catalyst engine.

How 2 Flights to Europe May Have Spurred Spread of New Variant

If air travel represents an opportunity for virus transmission, what does it mean for airlines and airports?

Air Force To Issue Pilots New In-Flight Relief Devices

A new in-flight bladder relief device is available for U.S. Air Force pilots. The Omni Gen. 3 Skydrate for men is hands-free and automatically collects urine at 2.25 LPM, “keeping the user dry and on-mission.” The Air Force hopes these devices will reduce the number of pilots who intentionally dehydrate before missions.

Australia News Desk

Steve and Grant are joined by aviation author and historian Stewart Wilson to discuss the history of the F/A-18 A & B Hornets in RAAF service, following the type’s withdrawal from service this week.

RAAF F/A-18A Hornet A21-8 (msn 306/AF-08 – delivered 28 Aug 1986) in 75SQN markings, departs RWY16 at Shellharbour Airport (NSW) for its final public display at the Wings Over Illawarra Airshow – 28 Nov 2021. Image by Jai Balmer.
Group Captain Jason Easthope – aka “Easty” – shuts down A21-8 after the final public display of the RAAF F/A-18A Hornet at WIngs Over Illawarra, 28 Nov 2021. Image by Jai Balmer.

Mentioned

A Flock Of U.S. Military Business Jets Has Descended On Southern California

What Happens When You Drop a Cell Phone From 13,200 Feet?

JetTip Alerts for AvGeeks – This app analyzes air traffic for unusual flights.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, David Vanderhoof, and Rob Mark.

AirplaneGeeks 370 NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:36:16 — 44.1MB)

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System, the European Aviation Safety Agency takes issue with pilot license renewal practices in Germany, medical requirements under the Pilot’s Bill of Rights, ICAO creates a site for aircraft tracking, the consequences for air traffic controllers who make mistakes, and the first woman cleared to fly the F-35A Lightning II.

Guest

Linda Connell

Linda Connell

Guest Linda Connell is Director of the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System and a Research Psychologist for NASA Ames Research Center. The ASRS collects and acts on voluntarily submitted aviation safety incident/situation reports from pilots, controllers, and others.

Linda has been working at NASA Ames Research Center since 1981, and has participated in a number of studies with domestic and international research teams exploring human factor issues in aviation environments.

A Registered Nurse and member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Linda continues to evaluate proactive aviation safety information on a variety of topics, including pilot/controller voice communication, emergency medical helicopter operations, aviation maintenance, cabin safety, and technology applications in aviation environments.

We talk with Linda about the formation of the ASRS, the process to collect safety data in a way that guarantees immunity, the analysis of the data and how subcontractors are utilized, and the 10 day window. We also discuss the alerts process and how to submit reports.

News

EU Challenging Germany’s Air Safety Authorities Post Germanwings Crash

The European Aviation Safety Agency says license renewal practices for pilots in Germany favor privacy over safety. Noting that Germany has addressed some of the concerns, the EU says others remain.  If Germany does not comply with the Commission’s demands, it could be taken to court.

Pilot’s Bill Of Rights Changes; One-Time Medicals For Some

The Pilot’s Bill of Rights introduced earlier this year by Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. was designed to waive the third-class medical for private pilots flying light aircraft. Now the bill has changed to include:

  • An online aeromedical course every two years.
  • Logbook entries that certify the pilot has seen their personal doctors at least once every four years (and received any needed treatment for medical conditions).
  • A one-time medical for new pilots and pilots who haven’t had a medical in the last 10 years.

ICAO starts aircraft tracking information web page

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has created a Global Tracking Initiatives web page to serve as “a repository of documents related to aircraft tracking.” The page presents a timeline of events and documents. Adoption of a 15-minute aircraft tracking Standard is expected at the end of 2015.

Air traffic controllers making major errors remain on job, including at IAH

KPRC-TV in Houston, Texas reports that “air traffic controllers who have made major errors have been allowed to stay on the job, without loss of rank or pay.”  This has occurred at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and at other airports. KPRC reporter Joel Eisenbaum asked, “So you can make an error that causes a plane to crash and you’re not losing your job?”

The FAA response was, “The FAA has learned through experience that a non-punitive safety culture encourages employees to share information and engage in frank and open discussions about situations that they might otherwise be reluctant to bring to a supervisor’s attention. In cases involving willful neglect or dereliction of duties by an employee, the agency does not hesitate to take the appropriate measures as defined under agency policies and collective bargaining agreements.”

Textron Aviation customer Wheels Up completes capital raise

The New York-based private aviation membership company Wheels Up has an order for 105 Beechcraft King Air 350i’s, and has raised $115 million in capital for business expansion.

Boeing’s new tanker achieves first flight

Boeing flew the KC-46A Paine Field in Everett, Washington for a four hour first flight. The KC-46A is based on the Boeing 767 commercial airliner.

Other Segments

Lieutenant Colonel Christine “Grinder” Mau

Lieutenant Colonel Christine “Grinder” Mau

  • David attended the Joint Base Andrews’ open house on September 19th 2015, where he interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Christine “Grinder” Mau, Deputy Commander for the Operations Group of the 33rd Fighter Wing. Col. Mau was the first woman cleared to fly the F-35A Lightning II, and one of only 52 women fighter pilots in the USAF. She talks about what it’s like to fly the F-35A, and believing in your dreams.

F-35A and R2D2

F-35A and R2D2

  • Micah gives us some thoughts on the late Alan Purwin.
  • Brian talks with listener Hendrik in Hamburg, Germany.

Mentioned

Listener Photo

Michael sends this photo from his Cirrus SR22T looking over Los Angeles on airway V186 from the Paradise VOR to Van Nuys VOR, September 17, 2015. The light in the top right of the picture is a 777 going into LAX.

Cirrus SR22T looking over Los Angeles

Credit

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at brotherloverocks.com.

AirplaneGeeks 336 Airplane Pre-Buy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:37:42 — 44.8MB)

Beechcraft King Air F90 and Don Sebastion

The airplane pre-buy process, an update on some recent aviation accidents, the safest seats on an airplane, ICAO  proposes an aircraft tracking standard, FAA Amends ADS-B Rule for General Aviation, building the Boeing 777x wing, and some aviation technology.

Guest

Don Sebastian is President of Aviation Consulting Services Incorporated and has performed over 2,000 pre-buys and flight tests. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, and holds a CFII and helicopter commercial and instrument ratings. Don testifies as an expert witness and has eight lecture tours under his belt. Outside of aviation, Don contributes his energy to a variety of community and charitable activities.

We talk with Don about the airplane pre-buy process: making a squawk list for the buyer, conducting flight tests, log book reviews, and maintenance record reviews.

IMG_3016

To speak with Don about your airplane purchase, call:

+1 (910) 315-0099.

News

Preliminary Report on the Cirrus SR-22 Ditching near Hawaii

The NTSB released a preliminary report on the January 25, 2015 recovery parachute deployment over the waters near Maui, Hawaii. The pilot was unable to transfer fuel from the aft auxiliary fuel tank.

Surviving a Plane Crash: Does Where You Sit Make a Difference?

A University Of Greenwich, London study examined over 100 seating charts from plane crashes. People sitting close to the emergency exit rows were much more likely to survive.

ICAO Safety Conference Proposes New Aircraft Tracking Standard

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is recommending a performance-based tracking standard using existing and planned technologies and procedures. Aircraft flying in remote areas that do not have air traffic radar surveillance would report their position every 15 minutes. This can be achieved through onboard Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C), or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), and other connectivity solutions.

Industry Group Opposes ICAO’s New Aircraft Tracking Standard for Business Jets

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) says the ICAO tracking standard should exempt aircraft with 19 passenger seats or less.

FAA Amends ADS-B Rule

The FAA has corrected the May 2010 final rule on ADS-B requirements for general aviation. The rule required that ADS-B equipment must meet the requirements of certain TSOs. Now the FAA says the equipment must “meet the performance requirements” in those TSOs.

Boeing’s 777X Wing Plant Sprouts Steel

Orginally, the composite wing for the 777X was to be manufactured in Japan. Boeing decided to keep the technology in Washington State and is building a 1.3M square foot plant at a cost of $1B to build and equip.

Formula One technology to be used in jet engines

UK industry and government project funding includes using McLaren’s Formula 1 gearbox expertise future jet engines, and landing gear using electric motors to taxi without burning fuel.

Full scale mach 5.5 cruising Sabre engine on track for 2019

Reaction Engines says they’ll have a static demonstration of the SABRE engine by 2019. The engine uses proprietary pre-coolers and starts in air-breathing mode up to Mach 5.5. It then transitions to rocket engine mode.up to Mach 25 using stored liquid oxygen.

Airplane of the Week

Avro Canada C-102 Jetliner

Avro Canada C102 Jetliner by Jamie Dodson. The jetliner that never was.

The Australia News Desk

Qantas’ first 747-400 VH-OJA is being donated to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) at Wollongong where the arrival is likely to be rather spectacular.

Virgin Australia are closing off their New Zealand based Pacific Blue operations.

The outback’s version of The Onion newspaper has run an amusingly false story of a pilot who tried to land on top of Ayres Rock (aka Uluru).

The Aviation Minute

Rob Mark talks about pilot wages.

Airplane Geeks on Ice

Report 7 by Juan Fernandez from McMurdo Bay brings to a close the Airplane Geeks on Ice series about aviation in Antarctica. Be sure to visit Juan’s Photo Gallery for some great photographs and videos.

Mentioned

Credit

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at brotherloverocks.com.

AirplaneGeeks 300 – Military Aviation with Bill Sweetman

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:57 — 46.7MB)

F-35 Lightning II

We celebrate our 300th episode with Bill Sweetman, Senior International Defense Editor at Aviation Week & Space Technology.

We talk about black programs, the Aurora, and the mysterious aircraft photographed in the skies over Texas. Also, F-35 program strategy and how adversaries respond to the long program length and a strategy that relies on one aircraft. We discuss developing programs in the black compared to in the white, and harvesting existing technology versus developing new technology.

We consider the F-22 program and if the line should have been kept open, and the cost to maintain stealth coatings. Bill describes his original recommendation on what to do with the A-10 fleet, and answers the question, “Is there a role for manned reconnaissance aircraft?”

The week’s aviation news:

ICAO makes global flight tracking a priority in MH370 aftermath
and
ICAO Delivers Agreement Between States, Industry Groups on Global Airline Flight Tracking Capability

The International Civil Aviation Organization is a UN-sponsored organization created in 1944 under the Chicago Convention. Working with industry, ICAO develops Standards and Recommended Practices which are used by the member States as they develop their own national civil aviation regulations. Recently, ICAO held a Special Meeting on Global Flight Tracking of Aircraft and the member states agreed to make the tracking of airline flights a near-term priority.

Brooksville to be hub for new saucer-shaped aircraft

Corporate Jet Solutions entered into a joint-venture agreement with Aerobat Aviation, with hopes of launching the Geobat FS-7, kind of a flying saucer. They hope to have saucers ready for the 2014 Airventure Oshkosh.

SoCal sonic boom: Calling card of the top-secret Aurora spy plane?

Southern California residents were shaken lately by what some thought was an earthquake. But the US Navy confirms it was a sonic boom by an aircraft 50 miles off the coast. But one witness says he knows sonic booms and this was no sonic boom. Is it the Aurora?

Mystery Aircraft Over Texas

Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works is developing the SR-72 spy plane. Is this what has been spotted in the sky?

Become a Pilot, Family Day and Aviation Display

Join Max, Rob, David, and a whole community of Avgeeks June 14, 2014, at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, located in Chantilly, Virginia. The annual Become a Pilot day features aircraft and activities for the whole family.

In this week’s Australia Desk:

In amongst all the congratulations for episode 300, the boys take us back to Qantas as, after all, it’s been a couple of months since they last talked about them!

From lay-offs to “weekend departure charges,” there’s much to say as Qantas celebrates 60 years of flying across the Pacific.

Then, for a change of pace, it seems the Australian Government are considering buying the F35B as well as the 72 F35As they’ve already committed to?

Finally, we round out by chatting about Hobart’s runway being upgraded to handle A330’s & 777’s.

Find more from Grant and Steve at the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast, and follow the show on Twitter at @pcdu. Steve’s at @stevevisscher and Grant at @falcon124.

In this week’s Across the Pond segment:

With Pieter recently crossing a major milestone in life, his reminiscing seems to be overwhelming. And with the recent passing of the VC10, L1011 and DC10 into living memory it is a little further back that he looks for solace and he finds it in the project  “Ode to Concorde” which aims to be a visual celebration of the aircraft that’s imprinted in our minds for its exquisite aesthetics and iconic status in aviation history. Pieter talks to Director Chris Purcell about the project and how the aviation industry and you can step in to help create this film.

Find Ode to Concorde on Twitter and Facebook, and support them on Indiegogo. Find Pieter on Twitter as @Nascothornet, on Facebook at XTPMedia, and at the Aviation Xtended podcast.

Mentioned:

  • AvTunes – Sky High Songs That Fly

Opening and closing music courtesy Brother Love from the Album Of The Year CD. You can find his great music at www.brotherloverocks.com.