Safety in the skies and how GCAA contributes

Nothing in this world that is worth having comes easy. I didn’t say that but I have found it to be true in almost all endeavours of life. Aviation is no exception.

It has a very interesting timeline in the history of mankind where each step was, in fact, a stepping stone for the next, culminating in the ancient dream of human civilization – fly like a bird!

Flying like a bird was a dream for Abbas Qasim Ibn-Firnas too. Ibn Firnas was an Arabic-speaking Berber who lived in the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in al-Andalusia and in the year 875, at the age of 65, made his first attempt at a controlled flight using a rudimentary ornithopter from the Mount of the Bride in the Rusafa Area, near Córdoba, Spain. His flights were partly successful but suffered from the problem of directional control.

From Ibn Firnas to the Wright brothers, there is a long list of well-known pioneers who established basic principles of flights.

The period from 1910 to 1950 is considered the golden age of innovation for aviation. The haphazard growth of this nascent industry required the need of an over-arching authority, which could channel the strength of the industry for the benefit of general public, while addressing the weaknesses and safety concerns it posed.

From 1920-40s was the time when aviation rules started appearing in their rudimentary form in various countries.

In November 1944, an International Civil Aviation Conference was held in Chicago. The conference led to the setting up of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a means to secure international co-operation and the highest possible degree of uniformity in regulations and standards, procedures and organisation regarding civil aviation matters. Perhaps, the most important work accomplished was in the technical field. The conference laid the foundation for a set of rules and regulations regarding air navigation as a whole, which brought safety in flying a great step forward and paved the way for the application of a common air navigation system throughout the globe.

United Arab Emirates did not exist as a country until 1971 and, accordingly, it was fortunate enough to receive a mature form of aviation from a regulatory point of view. Currently the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is the air safety regulator for the United Arab Emirates.

The role as the safety regulator for a country known to be the commercial hub of the Middle East is not easy. It is multidimensional and multifaceted. It has to ensure that not only the aircraft are of a good design but also that their maintenance is completed to the highest possible standard. What about the people who fly and who maintain the aircraft? Are they knowledgeable? Are they healthy? Are they experienced? Are they being trained? And, what about the management of umpteen numbers of flights taking off and landing at various airports?

How exactly does the GCAA ensure all that? Here are some of the various functions the GCAA performs day-in and day-out:

• Bilateral aviation agreements between the UAE and other countries to ensure fair competition.
• Validate Type Certificates of new aircraft models to ensure the aircraft meet the UAE design standards, including additional national requirements.
• Approve modifications, repairs and other design changes ensuring that the aircraft still meets its type design after the change and is safe to fly.
• Issue temporary flight permits in situations when an aircraft does not meet its type design. The GCAA ensures the safety of flight through alternate means of compliance and through additional operating limitations.
• Develop clear, concise, safety-focussed, easy-to-follow, aviation standards, which are in line with global standards but also address UAE’s unique national requirements.

• Review and update the regulations as required, taking into account changes in technology, overseas developments and the needs of the local aviation industry.
• Conduct comprehensive surveillance of the aviation industry to review safety indicators and to identify safety trends and risks. The airlines are subject to programs of formal and informal safety checks, which include audits, spot checks and operational observations. Regular audits of airlines involve looking in-depth at various aspects of organisations, such as pilot training, flight operations, aircraft maintenance, safety systems and risk management.
• Effective enforcement so that compliance with the safety standards is amicably achieved without compromising on growth of economy of the country.
• Issue various certificates to aviation organisations, like air operator certificate (AOC) certificates of aircraft registration (C of R), certificates of airworthiness (C of A), approvals for aircraft maintenance facilities (AMO) etc.
• Issue licences and approvals to individuals involved in the aviation industry like pilots, engineers and personnel at key positions.
• Maintain aircraft register.
• Encourage the aviation industry to maintain high safety standards through education, training and advice.
• Issue appropriate guidance material on how to achieve compliance so that intent of the rules is clear and all operators are able to meet the intent and incorporate it into their organisational structure and procedures.
• Investigate aircraft incidents and accidents and issue recommendations to address the causal factors; and to work with / assist other regulatory authorities investigating the accidents.
• Air Traffic Control.
• Find and isolate personnel and organisations not-abiding by the rules and expected standards. The GCAA may then issue infringement notices. If it is necessary to do so in the interests of safety, it may vary, limit, suspend or cancel any certificate, approval or licence. The GCAA has stopped aircraft and/or operators from operating in the past on the basis of established safety breaches and the risks it posed to flying public.
• Assess major defect reports and identify emerging or changing risk in UAE aviation environment and readjust safety oversight to address identified risks.
• Help local departments of civil aviation (DCA). The UAE has seven emirates and each has a DCA responsible for managing airports, air traffic control and a few other responsibilities vested into them by the GCAA. Being a Federal authority, the GCAA retains the premier role.
• Issue approvals to aviation maintenance, manufacturing and design organisations. The applicant organisations are expected to meet specified standards, to have appropriately qualified staff, required facilities and equipment for the work, quality control systems and appropriate training for staff.
• Ensure compliance with applicable airworthiness directives (AD); and issue local airworthiness directives to address unsafe condition noted in an aircraft type posing immediate and grave threat to the safety.
• Control and regulate carriage of dangerous goods by air.
• Ensure all aircraft and flights are safe and secure in general. The GCAA works with other enforcement agencies such as police and military if unlawful activities are suspected.

It is because of actions like these that there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of aircraft accidents over last 100 years.

Now human factors (pilot errors) and weather have emerged as the main causal factors behind aviation accidents. That is the challenge for all regulators of the world and the GCAA will not lag behind in playing its role!

The GCAA remains in touch with the other top class regulators like FAA of the USA, EASA of the European Union, Transport Canada, CASA of Australia and sees its role as an important regional authority, contributing to the global and regional safety wherever possible.

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT…

Regulators play their role silently but effectively, as pages of history tell us. In order to appreciate their contribution, imagine a world where there is no system of aircraft type certificates! It was 29 March 1927 when USA Aeronautics Branch issued the first airworthiness type certificate to Buhl Airster CA-3 aircraft. Currently many type certificates, new and revised, are issued every year and there has been no turning back. 

Imagine a world where there is no control over airports. It was 1926 when the first airway light beacon erected by Aeronautics Branch began operations. Every year there are new advancements.

Imagine a world where there is no control over pilots. It was 6 April 1927 when William P MacCracken Jr received Pilot Licence No 1. He was the first person to obtain a pilot license from a civilian agency of US government. Currently GCAA grants licenses to many eligible pilots every year.

Imagine a world where there is no control over technical staff. It was 1 July 1927 when Aeronautics Branch issued the first federal aircraft mechanic license to Frank Gates Gardner. Currently GCAA grants licenses every year to many eligible engineers and technicians.

Imagine a world where there is no organised regular passenger transport. It was 1936 when US domestic airlines carried one million passengers in scheduled air operations in a single year. Currently UAE major operators carry millions of international passengers every year without an accident.

Imagine a world where there is no coordination between nations. In 1944 the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was formed. One year later, International Air Transport Administration (IATA) was created with 41 airlines from 25 nations as charter members. The UAE has been the member of ICAO since inception. 

On 30 June 1956, TWA Super Constellation and United Airlines DC-7 collided over Grand Canyon Arizona, killing all 128 occupants of both the planes. On 21 April 1958 and 20 May 1958, two midair collisions result in 61 fatalities. If the trend had continued our media would have no time to cover any other topic.

In fact, 1980 was the first calendar year in USA without fatal accident for Part 121 airlines, including flag, trunk and local service categories. In the UAE we have enjoyed many such years in a row.

A HISTORY OF IMPROVING AIR SAFETY FROM 1960

4 April 1960: the FAA issues its first series of regulations designed to minimise aircraft noise at major airports by procedural methods. Then, in December 1969, it issues Part 36 regulations on allowable engine noise levels, followed up in March 1977 when new rules were published for three stages of aircraft noise levels.

9 June 1960: rules requiring installation of airborne weather radar systems on most of the airliners in passenger services, are introduced. Today’s weather radars are much more advanced.

26 June 1960: cockpit voice recorders are initially required on certain aircraft. On 25 March 1987, new rules requiring CVR on new jets and turboprop commuter aircraft are introduced.

31 December 1964: codification of previous regulatory issuances into a single body of rules is completed in the USA. The new code is called Chapter 14 – Code of Federal Regulations – Aeronautics and Space. The Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) are divided into parts. Major engineering-related parts are Part 23 – design rules for small aircraft, Part 25 – design rules for large aircraft, Part 27 – design rules for small helicopters, Part 29 – design rules for large helicopters, Part 33 – design rules for aircraft engines, Part 35 – design rules for aircraft propellers and Part 43 – aircraft maintenance. Similar classifications have been adopted by regulators worldwide including GCAA.

7 June 1965: rules relating to the rapid evacuation of passengers for commercial carriers with more than 44 passenger-carrying capability are first released. Since then, more and more provisions for crashworthiness have been introduced; ensuring survivability of passengers even after the aircraft has crashed.

24 December 1974: requirements to have ‘Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) – capable of issuing visual and aural warnings whenever an aircraft is within 2,500 feet from the ground’ are introduced. On 5 November 1976, the FAA commissions the first minimum safe altitude warning system warning Air Traffic Control if an aircraft descends dangerously close to the ground.

9 June 1976, the FAA implements a conflict alert system, warning Air Traffic Control of less-than-standard separation between aircraft under their control. On 23 June 1981, the FAA decides to adopt the Threat Alert & Collision Avoidance System (later renamed as Traffic Alert & Collision avoidance system).

11 September 1981: the FAR Part 108 ‘new rule on aviation security’ is introduced. Then on 5 September 1989, FAA is authorised to require airlines to install explosives detection systems to screen passengers’ baggage for international flights.

26 October 1984: new rules calling for installation of fire-resistant seat cushions and emergency escape path markings to provide evacuation guidance are introduced. Then on 21 July 1986, more rules for stricter flammability standards for materials used in cabins come into force. The rules require use of fire-resistant and slower-burning materials for cabin sidewalls, ceilings, partitions, storage bins, galleys and other interior structures. On 12 February 1998, a rule requiring fire detection and suppression systems in aircraft cargo compartments is introduced.

17 December 1993: Continental Express begins using for the first time GPS for non-precision airport approaches. On 10 July 2003, Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is first commissioned. WAAS is the first national navigational aid comprising of many geographically dispersed subsystems, utilizing GPS. Later, on 1 January 2001, Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology is first used to track air traffic lacking radar coverage. ADS-B is a satellite based situational awareness tool that provides the pilot with information similar to that possessed by ATC.

27 March 1997: Phase 1 of Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM) is introduced, reducing separation from 2000 feet to 1000 feet. It is the first reduction of separation over the Atlantic in 40 years. On 22 October 2003, a new rule reducing minimum vertical separation between aircraft from 2000ft to 1000ft for all aircraft between FL290-410 is introduced.

8 May 1999: the first use of Emergency Materials Arresting System (EMAS) takes place as an aircraft overruns a runway at JFK and safely stops within EMAS. Not every airport is currently equipped with EMAS but the future looks brighter.

29 March 2000: all USA-registered planes, carrying more than six passengers, are required to have Terrain Awareness and Warning System (also known as Enhanced GPWS).

16 August 2001: Enhanced Airworthiness Program (EAPAS) for Airplane Systems is issued to ensure continued safety of aircraft wiring systems from design, installation through to retirement.

15 June 2002: new standards to protect cockpits from intruders and effects of small arms or fragmentation devices like grenades are introduced.

1 September 2004: Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) Rules, encompassing manufacture, certification, operation and maintenance of aircraft with weight less than 1320 pounds, but faster and heavier than ultra-light vehicles are introduced. The LSA rule includes airplanes, gliders, balloons, powered parachutes, weight shit control aircraft and gyroplanes.