Flight safety and security committee (SSC)

Flight safety and security related issues are essential areas of FPA' work. Our safety and security committee (SSC) consists of volunteers otherwise working as professional pilots for airlines. The committee meets regularly and works in close contact with international pilot associations and authorities. The committee members take part in both IFALPA and ECA committee meetings and working groups specializing in different areas of flight safety and security. Our goal is to improve flight safety on all levels and to bring the pilot's view and experience to the table, independent of any financial or industrial issues.

We work in flight safety in:

• Following international flight safety progress
• Creating training material for professional pilots
• By making statements about flight safety
• By taking part of legislative projects
• Cooperation with stake holders

Turvatoimikunnan jäsenet edustavat maatamme myös kansainvälisten lentäjäjärjestöjen (IFALPA, ECA) lentoturvallisuuskomiteoissa. Komiteat ovat erikoistuneet kukin omaan lentoturvallisuuden sektoriinsa. Näiden komiteoiden kautta turvatoimikunnan jäseniä osallistuu myös moniin EASA:n ICAO:n ja muiden kansainvälisten organisaatioiden työryhmiin asiantuntijajäseninä, edustaen silloin kansainvälistä lentäjäyhteisöä. Kansainvälisiin työryhmiin voit tutustua vasemmalla olevan valikon kautta.

Turvatoimikunnan tavoitteena on puhtaasti lentoturvallisuuden kehittäminen maassamme lentäjien ammattitaitoa hyödyntäen. Se ei ota koskaan ota kantaa taloudellisiin tai edunvalvontakysymyksiin, vaan pysyy tiukasti niiden ulkopuolella. Ajamme asioita vain ja ainoastaan lentoturvallisuuden näkökulmasta.

Toiminnastamme voi lukea lisää sivuvalikoista "Lentoturvallisuustyö Suomessa" ja "Kansainväliset työryhmät".

Ota rohkeasti yhteyttä, asiantuntemuksemme on käytettävissä. Lentoturvallisuus on tärkein prioriteettimme ja yhteinen tavoitteemme.

Olli Jaarinen

FPA Safety Committee chairman

olli.jaarinen@fpapilots.fi

+358 40506 5554

Current topics in Flight Safety

Increase in drone operations

ECA has published guidelines for drone sightings for pilots and air traffic control. Careless drone operation poses a risk for airplanes, helicopters and the surrounding areas. FPA welcomes drones in our shared air space, but urges caution in their operation.

You can find the ECA Drone Sighting Guidelines here, and a more detailed discussion on drone operations on the: With drones, who has the 'skin in the game'?

Remote towers

The Remote towers -concept allows for air traffic control via a remote connection, with an aim to control costs especially at airports with fewer aircraft movements. From the flight safety point of view, remote towers raise concern for the reliability of these systems, especially when considering their impact on pilot decision making during adverse weather conditions, and when selecting potential alternate airports.

GPS interference

GPS based systems are used on aircrafts for navigation support when operating near airports. GPS has helped further development of airport approach systems, offering pilot suppot independent of ground based systems. In addition, GPS has allowed for more consideration for the surrounding areas around airports. GPS interference has been detected around the world, often linked with military activity. The reliability of GPS systems is therefore a central concern for flight safety considerations, and the civilian air traffic should be protected from any interference.

Upper age limit for commercial air transport pilots

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) sets the upper age limit for pilots in commercial operations, which then forms the basis for aeromedical assessment and granting medical certificates for commercial pilots. This is also impacted by the nature of flight operations, whether the pilot is operating a helicopter or an airplne, and the size of the aircraft. EASA has been evaluating current regulations and highlighted potential for futher revisions (for airplanes, 65 years, and for single piloted aircrafts, 60 years). From a flight safety viewpoint, the impact of long and irregular working hours over long periods of time are of particular concern to FPA.