During the era which the aircraft and aviation industry largely growth up, the aircraft manufacturer, and selected industry participants form groups called Maintenance Steering Groups (MSG).

This Maintenance Steering Group MSG aim to determine an appropriate time and to overhaul in fact all component (whether they need it or not was not a consideration). During the latter part of the 1960’s a task force was created to investigate more cost effective (but equally safe processes) from this, led the concept we now call “on condition maintenance”.

A document was produced during 1968 by ATA (Air Transport Association) -titled Maintenance Evaluation and Program Development, which also became known as “MSG-1” The process was trialed on the Boeing 747. The MSG-1 process used decision logic to develop scheduled maintenance.

MSG-2 was developed and used for developing scheduled maintenance for 1970’s, MSG-2 was process orientated and for first time introduced ‘condition monitored maintenance’ concept.

MSG-3 was first published in 1980 is a task orientated and the main idea behind this concept is to recognize the inherent reliability of aircraft systems and components, avoid unnecessary maintenance tasks and achieve increased efficiency.

Control Processes

1. Hard Time: life limit or maximum interval gave to the component until performing maintenance tasks on a part or unit. Such intervals apply to overhaul, but also to the total life of the part or unit.
2. On condition: mean we not left the component until it’s failure, but during its life we do repetitive inspections, test and analysis to measure part integrity and determine the conditions, then we can take the proper decision.So, we can define as maintenance process having repetitive inspections or tests to determine the condition of units, systems, or portions of structure with regard to continued service-ability (corrective action is taken when required by item condition.)
3. Condition Monitoring: means we left the component / part until it’s failure, but we pay attention to the part without any regular inspections, tests…etc.Simply we can define as a maintenance process which allows a unit to operate until failure. Condition monitoring is not permitted for units whose failure has an adverse effect on operational safety.
4. Zonal Inspection Programs: means to do regular inspection to the aircraft component according to different inspection programs like: Corrosion Protection Program CPP, sampling program…etc. these programs replace the condition monitoring in MSG3.The zonal inspection programs are very important and need to be done carefully to be effective because if not it may affect the safety.

Below table give brief difference between 3 revisions of MSG

What’s next?

After Maintenance Steering Groups (MSG) and Industry Steering Committees (ISC). through numerous meetings determine the frequency and scope of aircraft inspections to be performed. This information is provided to another group called the maintenance review board (MRB) group led by the Airworthiness Authority. The MRB will issue their final recommendations as a MRB Report (MRBR) to the manufacturer on how an aircraft should be maintained. The manufacturer then publishes this information in Maintenance Planning Documents (MPD) to be provided to the customer. For airline or commercial operators, the recommendations of the MRB and subsequent MPD are used to develop its Customized Maintenance Program (CMP).

Finally , if you want add extra information ,question or query we like to hear in the below comment

An emergency landing is a prioritized landing made by an aircraft in response to an emergency containing an imminent or ongoing threat to the safety of:

1- Operation of the aircraft.

2- A passenger /crew on board (such as a medical emergency).

It is usually a forced diversion to the nearest or most suitable airport or airbase, in which air traffic control must prioritize and give way immediately upon the declaration of the emergency.

Of course, during aircraft design, they take into consideration the redundancy for all vital systems, for example almost all commercial aircraft has 3 hydraulic systems with 3 or more independent pressure pump source with independent feed and return pipes , also the hydraulic pump types redundancy ,you can find EDP (Engine Driven Pump) and electrical pump as redundancy in same hydraulic system , in some hydraulic systems designs you can find PTU (Power Transfer Unit) to pressurize hydraulic system from other hydraulic system as redundancy

What are Emergency Landing Causes?

There are many causes for emergency landing, for example and not limited to:

• Emergency medical for any of human been on board.
• Engine failures.
• Major failure in any system may affect directly / indirectly on aircraft safety (hydraulic system, pneumatic system, fuel system…)
• Structure damage (like what may happen as a result of bird strike or lightning strike).
• Tire burst.
• Partial or complete failure in cabin pressure.
• Smoke or fire (after proper action to fir extinguish and eliminate the smoke)

What are the Types of Emergency Landing?

1. Forced landing: the aircraft is forced to make a landing due to technical problems. Landing as soon as possible is a priority, no matter where, since a major system failure has occurred or is imminent. It is caused by the failure of or damage to vital systems such as engines, hydraulics, or landing gear, and so a landing must be attempted where a runway is needed but none is available. The pilot is essentially trying to get the aircraft on the ground in a way which minimizes the possibility of injury or death to the people aboard. This means that the forced landing may even occur when the aircraft is still flyable, in order to prevent a crash or ditching situation.
2. Precautionary landing: may result from a planned landing at a location about which information is limited, from unanticipated changes during the flight, or from abnormal or even emergency situations. This may be as a result of problems with the aircraft, or a medical or police emergency. The sooner a pilot locates and inspects a potential landing site, the less the chance of additional limitations being imposed by worsening aircraft conditions, deteriorating weather, or other factors.
3. Ditching: is the same as a forced landing, only on water. After the disabled aircraft contacts the surface of the water, the aircraft will most likely sink if it is not designed to float, although it may float for hours, depending on damage.

The FAA does not require commercial pilots to train to ditch but airline cabin personnel must train on the evacuation process. In addition, the FAA implemented rules under which circumstances (kind of operator, number of passengers, weight, route) an aircraft has to carry emergency equipment including floating devices such as life jackets and life rafts.

Some aircraft are designed with the possibility of a water landing in mind. Airbus aircraft, for example, feature a "ditching button" which, if pressed, closes valves and openings underneath the aircraft, including the outflow valve, the air inlet for the emergency RAT, the avionics inlet, the extract valve, and the flow control valve. It is meant to slow flooding in a water landing

How often Emergency Landing happen?

The good news is that large aircrafts have multiple engines and redundant systems, so emergency landings are extremely rare for them, but even that some notable ones have occurred.

As a result of neat aviation accident investigations and corrective / preventive actions taken by the authorities in form of AD’s issuance, the traveling by airplane are the safest traveling method today.

As 2016 statistics, there were only 185 emergency landings total in the domestic U.S. out of an estimated 9.7 million flights — all of which concluded without incident. That's a nerves-alleviating 0.00002 % chance of having an emergency landing.

Who is responsible for aviation accident investigations?

“The State of Occurrence shall institute an investigation into the circumstances of the accident and be responsible for the conduct of the investigation, but it may delegate the whole or any part of the conducting of such investigation to another State by mutual arrangement and consent. In any event the State of Occurrence shall use every means to facilitate the investigation.” ICAO annex 13- CHAPTER 5. INVESTIGATION RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSTITUTING AND CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION

Of course, you will find more details in above reference as it may differ according to circumstances like the accident / incident locations.

Finally , if you want add extra information ,question or query we like to hear in the below comment

May be first time you hear about “aircraft technical record” it might seem obvious, but in this article we tried to uncover a set of rules and regulations which describes what we mean by “Aircraft technical Records” or “aircraft continuing airworthiness records”

Please at any circumstances don’t underestimate the importance of the technical records, without documentary evidence supporting the airworthiness status of the aircraft simply it would not be allowed to fly (in fact if the aircraft continuing airworthiness technical records were not available then the certificate of Airworthiness would be also be declared invalid!)- and ofcourse the aircraft not airworthy.

Regulatory definitions:

            EASA definitions:

“Detailed maintenance records” are required to be kept by an AMO (respectively Part-M/F organization or Part-145 organization). Maintenance organizations are required to retain all detailed records in order to be able to demonstrate that they maintained aircraft and components in compliance with applicable requirements. as defined in M.A.614 or 145.A.55(c)

“Detailed maintenance records”: are those records, coming from the AMO having performed maintenance, required to be kept by the owner/operator (or the CAMO when required by M.A.201) allowing to determine the aircraft configuration, the airworthiness status of the aircraft and all components installed, as well as to plan future maintenance as required by the AMP, based on the last accomplishment. as defined in M.A.305(h)

What the tasks required from “Technical record department”?

1. a) Maintain and manage any records associated with the maintenance management or operation (track hour /cycle /calendar to aircraft /engine/units/ components).
2. b) Liaise with the Stores inspector regarding the management of components and the control of Form 1’s for fitted components.
3. c) Raise, Issue and Distribute end of month status and engineering reports.
4. d) Liaison with Maintenance Planning and Engineering Departments in particular in respect of component configuration and status.
5. e) Support the performance of Airworthiness Reviews (ARC) process to ensure correct availability of back to birth records for Continuing Airworthiness.
6. d) Importation and Exportation of Aircraft Technical Records as required.
7. e) Perform QC Data checks of the various information’s which managed by the Technical records office and resolve any ambiguities, technical or other problems from Engineering, Operations and Crew.
8. f) General and administrative support to Engineering for additional support tasks for example management of Calibration and or servicing records of Ground Support Equipment (GSE)
9. g) Support for the Quality Department to track and manage Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Licenses (LAME) and Organization Company Approval as appropriate.
10. h) Perform Training and Mentoring to Technical Records support staff and junior administration staff regarding the correct functioning of the organization’s procedures.

Record keeping / Retention:

It is considered a best practice as part of the AMO record-keeping system, (and it is also required by certain competent authorities) to record information (e.g. batch number or other tracking reference) relevant to the identification of all standard parts and material used during any maintenance. This practice may limit safety and industrial risks in the case where a batch is recalled by the manufacturer. Such record does not need to be transmitted to the owner/operator/CAMO. See below figure

Finally, we in digital world, so it’s preferable to use digital software for all record. the software record system has many benefits than old fashion record (paper record), it gives you more control, ease the tracking process, searchable, can make better decision by making data analysis easily and ton of other benefits than paper record.

References:

           1- EASA.

           2-SOFEMA

Finally , if you want add extra information ,question or query we like to hear in the below comment

In this article we try to simplify the science answer the question: how airplane fly?

What are the forces affect airplane during flight?

There are 4 main forces on object during flight they are:

• Thrust: is the force that propels a flying machine in the direction of motion. Engines produce thrust.
• Drag: is the force that acts opposite to the direction of motion. Drag is caused by friction and differences in air pressure.
• Weight: is the force of gravity. It acts in a downward direction—toward the center of the Earth.
• Lift: is the force that acts at a right angle to the direction of motion through the air. Lift is created by differences in air pressure.

Simply, what is the secret makes the airplane fly?

If we try to put the answer in simple form, we can say: as a result of engine thrust the air flows across the wing and because of special shape of the wing (the airfoil shape) it generates enough lift force to carry the airplane

Reference:

• https://www.grc.nasa.gov/
• https://www.jaescompany.com/

If you have any question or query, we'd like to help, just leave us comment here and we will back to you with the answer.

After the success of three generations of the narrow-body aircraft B737, Boeing 737 MAX is designed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, succeeding in the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG).

This 737 series was publicly announced on August 30, 2011. The first 737 MAX airplane, named The Spirit of Renton, performed its first flight on January 29, 2016. The 737 MAX series gained FAA certification on March 8, 2017. The first delivery was a MAX 8 on May 6, 2017, to Malindo Air, which placed the aircraft into service on May 22, 2017. The 737 MAX is based on earlier 737 designs, re-engined with more efficient CFM International LEAP-1B engines, aerodynamic changes (including distinctive split-tip winglets), and airframe modifications.

According to Boeing website “The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history with about 5,000 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide”

What's different about the Max?

Compared with previous 737 versions, the Max 8 has bigger, more powerful and more efficient CFM LEAP engines (more on those in a minute), improved aerodynamics and a redesigned cabin interior. It also can fly farther and carry more people than the previous generation of 737s, like the 737-800 and 737-900.

Lion Air Flight 610 crash

On October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610, 737 MAX 8 registration PK-LQP, plunged into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia. The flight was a scheduled domestic flight to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang, Indonesia. All 189 onboard died. This was the first fatal aviation accident and first hull loss of a 737 MAX. The aircraft had been delivered to Lion Air two months earlier. People familiar with the investigation reported that during a flight piloted by a different crew on the day before the crash, the same aircraft experienced a similar malfunction but an extra pilot sitting in the cockpit jumpseat correctly diagnosed the problem and told the crew how to disable the flight-control system. Following the Lion Air crash, Boeing issued operational manual guidance, advising airlines on how to address erroneous cockpit readings. The accident is under investigation with the final report expected to be released between August and September 2019.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash

On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, 737 MAX 8 registration ET-AVJ, crashed approximately six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on a scheduled flight to Nairobi, Kenya, killing all 149 passengers and 8 crew members on board. The aircraft was four months old at the time. The cause of the crash is unclear as of March 19, 2019, though the aircraft's vertical speed after takeoff was reported to be unstable. Evidence retrieved on the crash site suggests that, at the time of the crash, the aircraft was configured to dive, similar to Lion Air Flight 610. According to Ethiopian transport minister Dagmawit Moges, on April 4, the crew "performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft". On May 21, CNBC reported that according to a person familiar with the matter, U.S. aviation officials believe a bird strike may have led to the crash of ET302. Boeing's shares rose in response to this information. The subsequent findings in the Ethiopian Airlines crash and the Lion Air crash led to the Boeing 737 MAX groundings across the world.

Accidents and incidents

In the two years of the 737 MAX's commercial service prior to its grounding, the global fleet of nearly 400 aircraft flew 500,000 flights and suffered two hull loss incidents. According to a statistical metric gathered on March 11, 2019, the 737 MAX's accident rate was second behind the Concorde, with four accidents per million flights, compared to the 737 Next Generation's 0.2 accidents per million flights.

On April 29, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg stated that the aircraft involved were "properly designed" and that the crashes were caused in part by flight crew not fully following procedures that they were provided. On April 4, Muilenburg had said "It's our responsibility to eliminate this risk. We own it and we know how to do it.”

On May 14, reports surfaced of meetings between American Airlines pilots and Boeing executives before the Ethiopian Airlines crash, where the pilots asked Boeing to work urgently on a fix of the MCAS software. The FAA had already issued one directive after the Lion Air crash, instructing airlines to revise their flight manuals to include information on how to respond to a malfunction of the anti-stall system known as MCAS. In a closed-door meeting pilots and pilot union representatives argued that Boeing should push authorities to take an emergency measure that would likely had resulted in the grounding of the Max, including changes to the MCAS, while Boeing executives resisted. Mike Sinnet, Boeing Vice President present at the meeting, said he felt confident that pilots had adequate training to deal with a problem, especially now that pilots — who were not initially informed about existence of the new MCAS system — were aware of it. The pilots expressed frustration that Boeing did not inform them about the new software on the plane until after the Lion Air crash. "These guys didn’t even know the damn system was on the airplane, nor did anybody else," said Michael Michaelis, the union’s head of safety at the meeting. Mr. Sinnett said in the meeting. "The worst thing that can ever happen is a tragedy like this, and the even worse thing would be another one."

On May 18, 2019, Boeing admitted that flaws in 737 MAX simulator software made the system unable to reproduce flight conditions that contributed to the crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

B737 Max Grounding

Ethiopian Airlines grounded its fleet on March 10. The Civil Aviation Administration of China ordered all MAX aircraft grounded in the country on March 11, stating its zero-tolerance policy and the similarities of the crashes. Most other regulators and airlines individually grounded their fleets in the next two days.

On March 11, the FAA issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC) for operators. The CANIC listed the activities the FAA had completed after the Lion Air accident in support of continued operations of the MAX.

On March 13, Canada received new information suggesting the similarity between the crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau informed U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao of his decision to ground the aircraft. Hours later, President Trump announced U.S. groundings, following consultation among Chao, acting FAA administrator Daniel Elwell and Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. The FAA issued an official grounding order, citing the new evidence and acknowledging the "possibility of a shared cause for the two incidents". The U.S., Canadian, and Chinese regulators oversee a combined fleet of 196 aircraft, nearly half of all 387 airplanes delivered.

What went wrong to cause these tragedies?

According to BBC News “Pilots of the crashed Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max were unable to prevent the plane repeatedly nosediving despite following procedures, an initial report has found.

The captain and first officer followed safety procedures recommended by Boeing. But they couldn't stop the aircraft going into a fatal dive shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on 10 March, the report by Ethiopian investigators said. All 157 people on board were killed.”

“The preliminary report into the accident, by Ethiopia's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said the plane's take-off appeared normal.

However, a short time later two sensors that measured the angle of the plane's flight began to record different reading”

What is the system under question?

The report did not attribute blame for the crash, but a detailed timeline suggests the pilots were struggling to deal with an automated safety system - known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

The system is designed to prevent the plane stalling when making steep turns under manual control.

How long is the 737 Max grounded for?

References:

• Boeing Website
• BBC News
• C-NET

Introduction

Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines are known to be installed on, but not limited to, Boeing 787 aeroplanes, according to Rolls Royce these engines are “Optimized specifically to power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family of aircraft, it draws on the technology and experience of four previous generations of Trent engines.”

RR Trent 1000 is 3 shaft high by pass ratio, axial turbofan with low, intermediate and high pressure compressor driven by separate turbines through coaxial shafts, with :

• the highest bypass ratio of any Trent engine 10:1,
•  20% More fuel efficient than the 767 that the Trent 1000-powered 787 replaces,
• 99.9% Dispatch reliability since EIS,
• Least environmental impact,
• Bleedless design

Challenges faces Trent 1000 engines

1. Several Dreamliner operators have reported corrosion-related fatigue cracking with the Trent 1000 Package C engines’ intermediate-pressure turbine (IPT) blades, defects that may result in engine failure. The issue has led to increased rates of inspection (reducing the inspection interval from 200 flights to 80 flights), which adds to maintenance costs and reduces aircraft availability.
2. Boeing reported to the FAA that the engine manufacturer recently determined that intermediate pressure compressor (IPC) stage 2 blades have a resonant frequency that is excited by the airflow conditions existing in the engine during operation at high thrust settings under certain temperature and altitude conditions.
3. EASA issue Airworthiness Directive AD #2018-0167R2 Intermediate Pressure Compressor Blades / Shafts – Inspection on Trent 1000-A, Trent 1000-AE, Trent 1000-C, Trent 1000-CE, Trent 1000-D, Trent 1000-E,Trent 1000-G, and Trent 1000-H engines, all serial numbers. These engines are known to be installed on, but not limited to, Boeing 787 aeroplanes. (Reference EASA AD #2018-0167Revision 2 effective16 October 2018).
4. After 3 superseded AD, EASA issue Airworthiness Directive AD #2018-0257 Intermediate Pressure Turbine Blades –Replacement (Reference EASA AD #2018-0257 effective 12 December 2018) on Trent 1000-A, Trent 1000-C, Trent 1000-D, Trent 1000-E, Trent 1000-G, Trent 1000-H, Trent 1000-AE, Trent 1000-CE, Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2, Trent 1000-L2, Trent 1000-AE2 and Trent 1000-CE2 engines, serial numbers (ESN) as listed in the AD, These engines are known to be installed on, but not limited to, Boeing 787 aeroplanes.
5. The US Federal Aviation Administration FAA has limited Dreamliners Model 787-8 and 787-9 airplanes, certificated in any category, powered by Rolls-Royce plc (RR) Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-AE2, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE2, Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2, and Trent 1000-L2 turbofan engines to 140 minutes from the nearest airport instead of the 330 minutes they were originally certified for. (Reference: FAA Airworthiness Directive # 2018-08-03 effective April 17, 2018).
6. As Rolls Royce mention them self  :“As part of our ongoing inspection and testing of those engines we have decided to carry out additional engine inspections to those previously planned. The increased inspection frequency is driven by our further understanding of the durability of the Trent 1000 Package C compressor, a condition that we highlighted earlier this year. These inspections will be supported by service management and flight operations guidance to airlines to be issued by the airworthiness authorities. This will unfortunately lead to additional disruption for our customers. There are 380 Package C engines currently in-service with airlines. This new regime does not impact Trent 1000 Package B engines or Trent 1000 TEN engines.”

References:

• Rolls Royce website
• EASA
• FAA

“It is not possible to manage what you cannot control and you cannot control what you cannot measure!”

Key Performance Indicators

Definition

Key performance indicators (KPI) are a set of quantifiable measures uses to gauge the performance over time. These metrics are used to determine a company's progress in achieving its strategic and operational goals, and also to compare a company's finances and performance against other businesses within its industry.

• Performance measurement is a fundamental principle of management.
• The measurement of performance is important because it identifies current performance gaps between current and desired performance and provides indication of progress towards closing the gaps.
• Carefully selected key performance indicators identify precisely where to take action to improve performance.

What makes a KPI effective?

• Powerful form of communications.
• Demonstrate business data in easy to understand and clear way.
• Make decisions more clear and based on data.
• Help you to evaluate the success.
• Give you a broad understanding of your business’s current position.
• Show your progress towards key goals.

Always use SMART objective when thinking KPI

The letters are typically taken to stand for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. In other words ask yourself these questions before start:

• Is your objective Specific?
• Can you Measure progress towards that goal?
• Is the goal realistically Attainable?
• How Relevant is the goal to your organization?
• What is the Time-frame for achieving this goal?

Also the KPI objectives must be DUMB: Doable. Understandable. Manageable. Beneficial.”

Types of KPIs

There are many types of KPIs that you can use . The common thread is that all of these are objectives and you should use the ones that make most sense for your business strategy. Types of KPIs include:

• Quantitative indicators that can be presented with a number.
• Qualitative indicators that can’t be presented as a number.
• Leading indicators that can predict the outcome of a process
• Lagging indicators that present the success or failure post hoc
• Input indicators that measure the amount of resources consumed during the generation of the outcome
• Process indicators that represent the efficiency or the productivity of the process
• Output indicators that reflect the outcome or results of the process activities
• Practical indicators that interface with existing company processes.
• Directional indicators specifying whether or not an organization is getting better.
• Actionable indicators are sufficiently in an organization’s control to effect change.
• Financial indicators used in performance measurement and when looking at an operating index.

How to define a KPI

Defining key performance indicators can be tricky business. The operative word in KPI is “key” because every KPI should related to a specific business outcome with a performance measure. KPIs are often confused with business metrics. Although often used in the same spirit, KPIs need to be defined according to critical or core business objectives. Follow these steps when defining a KPI :

1. Find a desired objective for the business.
2. Dissect the steps you need to take to reach that goal. 
3. List the data you need to monitor to track your progress towards that goal. 
4. Keep your strategy on check: come back to and observe the evolution of each stream of data at a fixed frequency. 
5. Focus on indicators/parameters that aid in improving results.
6. Understand the required metrics to enable better learning.
7. The KPIs need to be simple but be able to provide timely information.
8. Should be correlated and aligned with the objectives of the company.

and one of the most dangerous ways to spread COVID-19 around the world is traveling from place to place and of course the flight industry one of the most popular travel way across the countries.

Coronavirus symptoms

As CDC -Center of Disease Control and Prevention- “Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.^*

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath”

COLOGNE, March 13, 2020 - The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a safety directive to reduce the risk of spread of the novel coronavirus through flights to and from high-risk areas. This is the first EU-wide operational measure to control the spread of COVID-19 in Europe

• Safety Directive 2020-01 effective date 23 March 2020 – which applicable on national Aviation Authorities (NAAs) responsible for the certification and oversight of aircraft
  operators involved in commercial air transport of passengers in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012
• Safety Directive 2020-02 effective date 23 March 2020- which applicable on Third Country Operators (TCOs) authorized by EASA pursuant to Commission Regulation (EU) No 452/2014 to perform commercial air transport of passengers into, within or out of the territory subject to the provisions of the Treaty on European Union.
• Annex 1 - attached to previous SD’s which contain a list of airports located in affected areas with a high risk of transmission of the CoViD-19 infection (This Annex is developed in coordination with EASA Member States and based on the information from WHO, ECDC, and other reputable public health institutes.)

Previous safety directive specifies measures to be taken for flights serving high-risk destinations. It mandates thorough disinfecting and cleaning of aircraft which operate from high-risk destinations after each flight. Exceptions can be made only when disinfectants with a longer-lasting effect are used – but even in those cases, thorough disinfection is mandated no later than 24 hours after departure from a high-risk airport.

Safety Objective(s) to be achieved:

To minimize the risks to passengers and to the general public, due to operations from airports
located in affected areas with high risk of transmission of the CoViD-19 infection by aircraft
operators certified in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012.

Recommended Corrective Action(s) to be taken:

(1) NAAs to ensure, by taking the appropriate national measures, that aircraft operators under
their oversight and involved in commercial air transport of passengers in accordance with
Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012 from an airport located in an affected area with high risk
of transmission of the CoViD-19 infection:
(1.1) Clean and fully disinfect the aircraft using substances suitable for aviation use after each
flight coming from an airport located in an affected area with high risk of transmission of
the CoViD-19 infection (see Note 1 of this SD).
Note 1: Such as substances containing 62%-71% ethanol alcohol, 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, or
0.1% sodium hypochlorite. Suitability of the substances should be checked against the aircraft
manufacturers’ documentation.
The operator may implement different disinfection frequency based on a risk assessment
which takes into account the operational circumstances and the duration of the
disinfecting effects of the substance used. In such a case, the operator shall ensure that
the aircraft is fully cleaned and disinfected not later than 24 hours after the departure
from an airport located in an affected area with high risk of transmission of the CoViD-19
infection.
(1.2) Equip the aircraft with one or more Universal Precaution Kits. Such kits should be used to
protect crew members who are assisting potentially infectious cases of suspected
CoViD-19 and in cleaning up and correctly discarding any potentially infectious contents.
Information on the actions taken:
(2) NAAs shall take measures to achieve the determined safety objective within 7 days from the
the effective date of this Safety Directive and inform EASA of those measures

Update 10 Apr 2020

In response to the CoViD-19 world situation and to limit the spread of the disease and protect EASA staff, EASA decide to cancel all travels and external meetings, as EASA mentioned on the web site : "

EASA update on impact of CoVid-19 on its operations

In response to the CoViD-19 situation, EASA has taken measures to protect the health of its staff and limit the spread of the disease. This includes the cancellation of all travel and external meetings, which means that scheduled site visits and audits, for example, cannot take place as planned. The relevant staff are in contact with their counterparts in our stakeholder organisations to work together to manage this situation and ensure that no additional risks to aviation safety arise in these difficult times."

References:

• EASA
• CDC

Definition

A Service Bulletin SB is document released by manufacturers of product like aircraft, engines, APU, landing gear, appliance or any other components.

What is the purpose behind releasing SB?

The purpose of SB is to communicate with operators for details of modifications, new product release which can be embodied in aircraft.

Service Bulletin SB may issue by the manufacturer to:

• Fix safety issue (Mandatory & Alert SB)
• Avoid potential maintenance errors.
• Increase product reliability.
• Ease product maintenance ability.
• Add a new feature.
• Introduce a wholly new product exchange old one.
• Enhance aircraft, engine or any other product design.
• Enhance aircraft, engine or any other product performance.
• A modification which extend product life.

Service Bulletin SB document structure:

SB document structure may vary from manufacturer to another, but all SB should contain the main titles as it’s important to understand and comply with SB.

The main SB document structure:

• Effectivity:

In this section the manufacturer discus which aircraft, component, serial numbers or part numbers which will apply this SB on.

• Concurrent requirements
• Reason:

Discuss the reason of issuance, and the importance level of the SB also what the operator gain from complying with this SB

• Description:

General description of what to do to execute the service bulletin

• Compliance:

This section gives if required to execute the SB in a certain time frame, and if there are SB’s or AD’s in compliance with this SB

• Approval

This section discusses the approval level of the SB

• Manpower:

Manpower required to complete and execute the SB task in details

• Weight and balance changes:

Tell the operator if the aircraft weight will be affected by executing this SB.

• Material Information:

Discusses the material required availability, support information, parts necessary for each aircraft and prices.

• Tool and Kit Information

The tools, special tools and kits required to carry out the SB task

• Accomplishment Instructions:

Instruction needed to complete and carry out SB tasks including subtasks and job setup and preparation and may refer to Aircraft Maintenance Manual AMM or any other standard manual.

What are the categories/classifications /types of SB?

SB Category differs from manufacturer to another, but sometimes to standardize the engineering work and ease the decision-making process, the CAMO engineering put their category and classification with consistence with different manufacturer classifications.

If a service bulletin is not an alert service bulletin, mandatory or a bulletin referenced in an AD, it becomes optional and may or may not be incorporated by the operator.

Here will browse some of famous manufacturers service bulletin categories /classification/types:

· Boeing SB types:

Boeing classifies Service bulletin to two main types then under these two other types as you will see in below classification,

   a- Change Type:

           1)      Master Change.

           2)      Miscellaneous Retrofit.

           3)      Other.

          4)      Production Revision Record.

   b- Product Safety Type:

          1)      Alert.

          2)      Standard.

         3)      Unusually Significant.

Of course, the importance of safety type higher than change type as you can guess, but here I want to draw your attention in some points

• Safety alert SB, in this type of service bulletin SB, you will find the “ALERT “phrase at the top of each page, and of course, this type is incorporated with AD issued by FAA or possibly will release an AD to make task compliance and time frame mandatory.
• Significant safety issue SB, in this type of service bulletin SB, you will find “SPECIAL ATTENTION “phrase in the top, also this type of SB usually Boeing recommend each aircraft operator to examine this SB immediately, also may recommend time frame to complete and the FAA possibly will release an AD for this SB type

· Pratt & Whitney:

Thank you “Pratt & Whitney” for making it organized and simple to understand, as you can see in their Canada website.

The following P&WC compliance guidelines apply to service bulletins issued or revised after August 8, 1998.

Also, they make a group for compliance of the service bulletin as you can see in below table:

· GE SB category classification

GE Service Bulletins are issued with different compliance categories and recommendation statements to assist an operation/shop in assessments of the Service Bulletin priority.

Category 1
 
Usual Statement: Do before a subsequent flight or before XX hours, YY cycles, or specific end date or specific interval. 
 
Explanation: Compliance is mandatory and is the result of FAA action - AD, NPRM, or pending AD. This category does require action within a specified time frame and must be complied with on all engines presently in the shop. 
 
Category 2
 
Usual Statement: Do as soon as possible without effect on revenue service or before XX hours, YY cycles, or specific end date or specific interval. 
 
Explanation: Compliance is recommended based on GE technical evaluation and when an aircraft can stay at a line station or maintenance base with the capability to do the procedure. Justification for an hour, cycle, and end date requirements will be based on technical considerations only(safety, risk analysis, etc). This category may cause non-routine operator action and must be complied with on all engines presently in the shop.
 

Category 3
 
Usual Statement: Do at the next shop visit of the engine or module. 
 
Explanation: Compliance is necessary regardless of shop visit reason. Disassembly of engine or module may be required to incorporate bulletin. Incorporation of this SB will enhance engine reliability and reduce the potential for operation disruptions. May cause further disassembly than planned.

Category 4
 
Usual Statement: Do when the area is exposed. 
 
Explanation: Technical evaluation indicates that incorporation of this SB may enhance engine operational reliability or improve time on-wing. Disassembly of a module to piece part may be required to incorporate this bulletin. 
 
Category 5
 
Usual Statement: Do as soon as the affected part is removed from the engine 
 
Explanation: Technical evaluation indicates that the incorporation of this SB is expected to improve (reduce) maintenance costs. This SB should be incorporated when the part is removed from the engine for other reasons. 
 
Category 6
 
Usual Statement: Do when the part is routed for repair 
 
Explanation: Do when the affected part is being routed for repair. Incorporation of this SB should improve maintenance costs in the future.  

Category 7
 
Usual Statement: Do at customer convenience/option 
 
Explanation: An alternate configuration/part is being introduced into production that may have a different appearance or may require unique assembly or maintenance practices. 
 
Category 8
 
Usual Statement: Spare parts information 
 
Explanation: Use for release/introduction of spare parts that are fully interchangeable and are not anticipated reliability or maintenance costs improvements. 
 
Category 9
 
Usual Statement: Information only 
 
Explanation: Issued to announce specific name brand information (approved oils, etc.) or for administrative purposes. 

Frequently asked questions FAQ about SB:

• What is "Alert SB"? Is the operator have to comply with?

Alert service bulletins are issued by the manufacturer when a certain condition exists that may be a safety-related item as a proposal to just a product improvement. Until here the operator has the right to not comply with, but these SB's usually result in the FAA/EASA issuing an AD. The AD will reference the alert service bulletin as a method of compliance with the AD airworthiness directive.

• Do I have to comply with a "mandatory SB" Service Bulletin?

As per EASA site” Through the DOA (Design Organization Approval) oversight process, the Agency promotes that TC/STC holders designate a Service Bulletin (SB) as mandatory only if it is known to them that this SB will also be covered by an AD. In all other cases, the TC/STC holder should use a term like ’highly recommended ‘(or equivalent). However, this is not yet common practice and there are still cases where an SB is termed ’mandatory ‘by the TC/STC holder, although no AD is to be issued. The Agency has no legal tools to prohibit the use of the word ‘mandatory’ by TC/STC holders, but EASA Certification Memorandum CM-21.A-J-001 has been issued to provide advice and guidance on this subject.

The case of an SB for which an AD has been issued, irrespective of whether it is designated by the TC/STC holder as ‘mandatory’, ‘alert’ or ‘highly recommended’, is clear: these are part of the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Instructions and must be applied in all cases.

The case of SBs designated as ‘mandatory’, ‘alert’ or ‘highly recommended’ by the TC/STC holder for which no AD has been issued is more complex and the following cases should be considered:

• The TC/STC holder subsequently includes such SB (e.g. repetitive inspection instructions) in the manufacturer maintenance program (Maintenance Review Board Report (MRBR) or Manufacturer Recommended Program) for the aircraft concerned. In this case, the SB under consideration will need to be included in the aircraft maintenance program as defined in Commission Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, M.A.302(d) and (g) (see also AMC M.A.302(d)) to ensure compliance with instructions for continuing airworthiness issued by the TC/STC holder.
• The TC/STC holder does not include such SB in the manufacturer maintenance program (MRBR or Manufacturer Recommended Program) for the aircraft concerned. In this case, the final decision to apply such SB lies with the owner/operator or contracted CAMO, as M.A.302(g) does not apply.
• The TC/STC holder issues an SB defining a modification, the related embodiment instruction and the relevant scheduled maintenance requirements, where these may or may not be subsequently included in the manufacturer maintenance program (MRBR or Manufacturer Recommended Program) for the aircraft concerned. In case the SB will not be included in the manufacturer maintenance program, the final decision to apply it or not lies with the owner/ operator or contracted CAMO. If the final decision is to apply the SB, then the aircraft maintenance program needs to be updated to include the scheduled maintenance requirements.

Finally, in relation to points 2. and 3. above, for all non-mandatory modifications and/or inspections, including SBs classified by the TC/STC holder as ‘mandatory’, ‘alert’ or ‘highly recommended’ and not covered by a corresponding AD, for all large aircraft, or aircraft used in commercial air transport, an embodiment policy is to be established, as required by M.A.301(7.). That policy should then result in a substantiated (and recorded) operator’s decision for each SB to apply it, or not.”

Finally , if you want add extra information ,question or query we like to hear in the below comment

Definition:

Airworthiness Directives (ADs) are legally enforceable regulations issued by the authority to correct an unsafe condition in a product. product may be an aircraft, engine, propeller, system, units or appliance.

When Authority issue Airworthiness Directives?

ADs usually result from safety issue reported by operators or from the results of aircraft incident/ accident investigations. They are issued either by the national civil aviation authority of the country of aircraft manufacture or of aircraft registration. When ADs are issued by the country of registration they are almost always coordinated with the civil aviation authority of the country of manufacture to ensure that conflicting ADs are not issued.

Who can issue Airworthiness Directives?

Airworthiness Directive AD issued either by:

• the national civil aviation authority of the country of aircraft manufacture, for example EASA (Airbus) and FAA (Boeing).
• Local civil aviation authority of the state of registration.

When ADs are issued by the country of registration they are almost always coordinate with the civil aviation authority of the country of manufacture to ensure that no conflict.

What are the AD types?

The AD types and roles differ from authority to other but here we will take a look on the most popular in commercial and non-commercial aviation field EASA and FAA

EASA classification:

1-      Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information MCAI

All mandatory Airworthiness Directives containing emergency airworthiness directives and proposed airworthiness directives.

2-      Sensitive Security Airworthiness Directive (SSAD)

An SSAD is an AD issued or adopted by EASA that mandates certain corrective actions, the content of which includes security sensitive information.

An SSAD record is uploaded in the EASA Safety Publications publishing tool, but only after the end of the SSAD compliance time and without attachments;

3-      Alternative Methods of Compliance to Airworthiness Directives (AMOC to ADs)

An Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) is an EASA approved deviation to an AD. It is a different way, other than the one specified in an AD, to address an unsafe condition on products, parts and appliances. An AMOC must provide an acceptable level of safety, equivalent to the level of safety intended for compliance with the original AD.

4-      Non-EU Member State Airworthiness Directives

For products, parts and appliances, for which the Agency only exercises the design responsibilities of the State of Registry, its policy is to endorse automatically the airworthiness directives issued by the State of Design, except if it itself issues a different airworthiness directive or a decision to not adopt the airworthiness directive (Executive Director Decision .

5-      Proposed Airworthiness Directive PAD

In this consultation period of Proposed Airworthiness Directives (PAD), EASA allows users to submit their comments via Safety tool

6-      Emergency Airworthiness Directive EAD

In this type of airworthiness directives often all affected product grounded until corrective action taken to the emergency unsafe condition.

FAA classification:

1-      Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), followed by a Final Rule

After discover condition affect safety or result of accident /incident investigation, the proposed solution is published as an NPRM Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which solicits public comment on the proposed action

2-      Final Rule; Request for Comments

After the comment period closes, the final rule is prepared, considering all substantive comments received, with the rule perhaps being changed as warranted by the comments the preamble to the final rule AD will provide response to the substantive comments or state there were no comments received.

3-      Emergency ADs

In certain cases, the critical nature of an unsafe condition may warrant the immediate adoption of a rule without prior notice and solicitation of comments. This is an exception to the standard process.

Finally , if you want add extra information ,question or query we like to hear in the below comment

1-     FAST magazine -Airbus Customer Services

This free Airbus technical magazine stands for Flight, Airworthiness, Support and Technology.

The articles are written by Airbus engineers, maintenance staff, pilots, instructors, upgrade services, etc. Its objective is to spread over the aviation community, airworthiness authorities, schools and universities, Airbus’ philosophy on technical, research & technology, maintenance and environmental matters, to name a few.

The subjects vary from one edition to another for Airbus’ entire fleet.

You can freely download magazine online or download Airbus application from below links:

• App Store,
• Google Play
• Windows Store.

2-     Safety First- The Airbus Safety Magazine

The Airbus magazine contributing to the enhancement of the safety of aircraft operations by increasing knowledge and communication on safety related topics.

You can freely download magazine online or download Airbus application from below links:

• App Store,
• Google Play

3-     Innovation Quarterly Magazine - Boeing

Innovation Quarterly is a publication by and for the community of technical professionals at Boeing worldwide. Expected release of each edition is February, May, August and November. Comments and letters are invited by email and may be published in subsequent editions. Submissions are subject to editing; no more than 90 words will be published. To submit a letter to the editor, email junu.kim@boeing.com.

4-     Spaceport Magazine - NASA

Spaceport Magazine is a monthly NASA publication that serves Kennedy Space Center employees and the American public. The magazine’s wide topic variety mirrors Kennedy's diverse spaceport operations. From launch processing to center development and employee stories, Spaceport Magazine covers it all.

5-     FAA Safety Briefing

The FAA Safety Policy Voice of Non-commercial General Aviation, FAA Safety Briefing focuses on emergencies in aviation and how we react to them. Feature articles focus on the kind of events that can cause an emergency in flight and how we might prevent and react to them. These topics include: engine failures, the startle effect, smoke and fire, and balloons and power lines

All aircraft should periodically inspect and maintain in airworthy condition to be safe to fly. Some of that maintenance is pre-scheduled. Other types of maintenance are sudden and unscheduled.

Scheduled maintenance:

Aircraft scheduled maintenance is preventative maintenance that is performed at regular intervals. This type of maintenance based on maintenance program regular checks / inspection and these intervals can be determined based on maintenance program planning method, we can categorize scheduled aircraft maintenance to:

1. Line maintenance like:
   • ALC (After Landing Check).
   • PDC (Pre-Departure Check).
   • DC (Daily Check).
   • WC (Weekly Check)
   • Any other check doesn’t need hangar and could be performed as line maintenance.
2. Hangar maintenance like:
   • Heavy Checks.
   • Progressive inspections.
   • Aircraft weighing or any other maintenance activity need hangar to be performed.

Unscheduled Maintenance:

Unlike the scheduled aircraft maintenance, the unscheduled aircraft maintenance occurs anytime a component / unit has malfunctioned or is suspected of malfunctioning, and by definition, this maintenance is unforeseen.

What are reasons for unscheduled maintenance?

The reasons of unscheduled aircraft maintenance are such:

• Pilot or maintenance staff finds a problem during the preflight inspection.
• An in-flight malfunction.
• Problems found during scheduled inspections / check.

How to minimize fleet unscheduled maintenance?

As business wise, aircraft operator aims to decrease the unscheduled maintenance to minimum this can be achieved by:

1. Effective reliability program.
2. Experienced RCB (Reliability control board) take the right decisions and follow up to measure the effectiveness and feedback.
3. Update maintenance program according to operator utilization, special operation past unscheduled maintenance study, occurrence reports study and reliability to minimize fleet unscheduled maintenance.

ADs are issued when the aviation authority -usually manufacturer aviation authority - finds that an unsafe condition exists in a product (aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance.)
These AD's notify aircraft owners and operators of potentially unsafe conditions and require special inspections, repairs, or alterations to correct the unsafe condition.

Types of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) according to FAA:

• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM):

After an unsafe condition is discovered, a proposed solution is published as an NPRM, which solicits public comment on the proposed action. Request for Comments. In certain cases, the critical nature of an unsafe condition may warrant the immediate adoption of a rule without prior notice and solicitation of comments. This is an exception to the standard process. If time by which the terminating action must be accomplished is too short to allow for public comment (that is, less than 60 days), then a finding of impracticability is justified for the terminating action, and it can be issued as an immediately adopted rule. The immediately adopted rule will be published in the Federal Register with a request for comments. The Final Rule AD may be changed later if substantive comments are received.NPRM link

• Final Rule:

After the comment period closes, the final rule is prepared, taking into account all substantive comments received, with the rule perhaps being changed as warranted by the comments. The preamble to the final rule AD will provide a response to the substantive comments or state there were no comments received.
Final Rule Link

• Emergency Airworthiness Directives EADs:

An Emergency AD is issued when an unsafe condition exists that requires immediate action by an owner/operator. The intent of an Emergency AD is to rapidly correct an urgent safety of flight situation. For more information, see the Emergency AD page.

• Superseded AD:

An AD is considered no longer in effect when it is superseded by a new AD. The superseding AD identifies the AD that is no longer in effect. There are no compliance requirements for an AD that has been superseded.

Types of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) according to EASA:

• Sensitive Security Airworthiness Directive (SSAD):

An SSAD is an AD issued or adopted by EASA that mandates certain corrective actions, the content of which includes security-sensitive information. An SSAD will be disseminated by EASA to those states having affected aircraft on the register. Further distribution of the SSAD to operators of the affected aircraft or other concerned parties remains under the State of Registry responsibility and should be done on a "need to know" basis only. An SSAD record is uploaded in the EASA Safety Publications publishing tool, but only after the end of the SSAD compliance time and without attachments;

• Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information MCAI:

The EASA Safety Publications publishing tool (SP Tool) offers a complete list of Airworthiness Directives that have been issued or approved by EASA since 28/09/2003. The tool also contains all Proposed Airworthiness Directives (PAD) and allows users to submit their comments during the consultation period. After 15/09/2008, new Safety Information Bulletins, Foreign State of Design Safety Publications and Foreign State of Design ADs are published within the EASA SP tool. From July 2016, the EASA SP tool also includes Conflict Zone Information Bulletins (CZIB). The subscription service for new publications enables users to define their own filter and to receive notifications for these filtered documents.

Please consult the user guide for information on how to view and filter new publications and on how to subscribe to their automatic notification

From September 2016, the Safety Publications Tool has been changed to include a new taxonomy for Parts and Appliances ADs – click here for details.

Not all the ADs issued by the NAAs prior to 28/09/2003 (start date of the Agency) are included at this time. Any State of Design AD not (yet) located in the EASA SP Tool should be retrieved from the original State of Design National Airworthiness Authority (NAA), likely available on the respective NAA websites.

Service Bulletins (SB)

SB are noticing to aircraft operators from a manufacturer notifying them of product improvement.

Having realized that there were distinct levels of seriousness to a service bulletin, manufacturers started to categorize them as optional, recommended, alert, mandatory, informational, etc. It was left to the manufacturers to classify a service bulletin as they considered best for there was no standard for the terminology. Differentiation between non-mandatory service bulletins is done and decided only by the authority (FAA - EASA).

Types of Service Bulletins:

Mandatory Service Bulletins :

Through the DOA (Design Organization Approval) oversight process, the Agency promotes that TC/STC holders designate a Service Bulletin (SB) as mandatory only if it is known to them that this SB will also be covered by an AD.

• Alert Service Bulletins :

are issued by the manufacturer when a condition exists that the manufacturer feels is a safety-related item as opposed to just a product improvement. These SB's usually result in the FAA /EASA issuing an AD. The AD will reference the alert service bulletin as a method of compliance with the airworthiness directive.

• Service Information Directive (SID) :

Serviced documents that have been determined by the manufacturer to be of value to an owner/operator in the use of a product by enhancing safety, maintenance or economy.

• Service Information Letters (SIL) :

This category includes all information that may be of use to the owner, operator or maintainer of the aircraft.

If a service bulletin is not an alert service bulletin or a bulletin referenced in an AD, it becomes optional and may or may not be incorporated by the operator.

if you want to know more about service bulletin, types, categories ...etc, you can read the post: All About Service Bulletin SB

References :

• EASA.
• FAA.

“It is not possible to manage what you cannot control and you cannot control what you cannot measure!” (Peter Drucker)

PDCA :

(plan–do–check–act or plan–do–check–adjust)

PDCA is an iterative four-step management method used in business for the control and continual improvement of processes and products. It is also known as the Deming circle/cycle/wheel, the Shewhart cycle, the control circle/cycle, or plan–do–study–act (PDSA). Another version of this PDCA cycle is OPDCA. The added "O" stands for observation or as some versions say: "Observe the current condition." This emphasis on observation and current condition has currency with the literature on lean manufacturing and the Toyota Production System. The PDCA cycle, with Ishikawa’s changes, can be traced back to S. Mizuno of the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1959.

Observation

First of all, as a manager you have to observe the current situation, before making any decision maybe you need to go down and work with every management -as one of them-beneath your management for a certain time, for this reasons:

• Closely understand the employees' potentials and skills.
• Define resources.
• Deep understanding of the current processes and activities.
• Know how the team complies with the standard.

Plan

The planning phase involves assessing a current process, or a new process, and figuring out how it can be improved upon. Knowing what types of outputs are desired helps to develop a plan to fix or improve the process. It is often easier to plan smaller changes during this phase of the plan so that they can be easily monitored and the outputs are more predictable. Establish the objectives and necessary to deliver results in accordance with the expected output (the target or goals)

Do

The do phase allows the plan from the previous step to be enacted. Small changes are usually tested, and data is gathered to see how effective the change is.

Check

During the check phase, the data and results gathered from the do phase are evaluated. Data is compared to the expected outcomes to see many similarities and differences. The testing process is also evaluated to see if there were any changes from the original test created during the planning phase. If the data is placed in a chart it can make it easier to see any trends if the PDCA cycle is conducted multiple times. This helps to see what changes work better than others and if said changes can be improved as well.

Example: KPIs, Gap analysis, or Appraisals

Act

If the check phase shows that the planning phase which was implemented in do phase is an improvement to the prior standard (baseline), then that becomes the new standard (baseline) for how the organization should act going forward (new standards are thus said to be enACTed). Instead, if the check phase shows that the planning phase which was implemented in do phase is not an improvement, then the existing standard (baseline) will remain in place. In either case, if the check phase showed something different than expected (whether better or worse), then there is some more learning to be done... and that will suggest potential future PDCA cycles. Note that some who teach PDCA assert that the act phase involves making adjustments or corrective actions, but generally it would be counter to PDCA thinking to propose and decide upon alternative changes without using a proper plan phase, or to make them the new standard (baseline) without going through doing and check steps.

Adjust

The adjust phase is the alternative version of the active phase. Once PDCA has been run multiple times, the process generally has enough information for it to be considered a new standard. This is usually completed in the action phase. The adjust phase allows the process to continue to be monitored after the changes have been implemented and fix them accordingly. Doing this lets the PDCA cycle truly be for continuous improvement instead of changing a process and letting it become inefficient again.

No, it is not necessary, many people misunderstand this point, in fact, an airline pilot is a commercial pilot but not the opposite, the commercial pilot can be an airline pilot, cargo pilots, tour pilots, or back-country pilot.

By definition as a commercial pilot, you may act as pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire and may be paid to act as pilot in command.

If you're interested in becoming a commercial pilot, don't be intimidated by thoughts of airline pilot training. Commercial pilot training is not usually done in a jet, although it can be. In fact, many people complete the commercial pilot certificate in the same aircraft that they completed their private pilot certificate in a small four-seat aircraft. The main difference is that for the commercial certificate, students need to acquire 10 hours of flight time in a high-performance aircraft, so some choose to do the entire training in a high-performance aircraft.

The Road to be a Commercial Pilot :

01-Eligibility requirements:

•  at least 18 years old.
• be able to read, speak, write, and understand English
• hold at least a private pilot certificate.

02-Medical /Fitness Requirements:

• Commercial pilots (that is, any pilot that flies for compensation or hire- not airline pilots!) need at least a second-class medical certificate.
• Airline Transport Pilots (ATPs) must have a first-class medical certificate.

How Do I Get an Aviation Medical Certificate?

04-Now You Can Fly

To obtain a commercial pilot certificate under CFR Part 61, you'll need at least 250 flight hours, including 100 hours of pilot-in-command time and 50 hours of cross-country flying.

note that the flight hour differ according to local authority requirement ! as all rules can deffer because of local authority requirements 

References :

• FAA Requirements to Obtain a Commercial Pilot Certificate ( PDF )
• https://www.thebalancecareers.com/

In aviation, any article or substance, alien to an aircraft or system, which could potentially cause damage. Here talking about two type of objects Damage could happen:

Foreign Object Debris / Damage FOD

Definition: damage due to foreign bodies, not come from the aircraft itself.

FOD Examples :

• Bird strikes,
• Hail (can break windshields and damage or stop engines),
• ice, sandstorms, and ash-clouds (can clogging the air intakes).
• Objects left on the runway (i.e:  solid garbage, Parts from ground vehicles, ground tools or equipment ).
• Tools left inside the aircraft after manufacturing or servicing.
• Tools or other items can get tangled in control cables, jam moving parts, short out electrical connections, or otherwise interfere with safe flight.

DOD Domestic Object Damage

Definition: damage by objects or Fragments thereof derived from the aircraft's own components.

DOD Examples :

• loose blade from the engine compressor or turbine.
• loose screw, nut or rivet.
• cockpit DOD is a situation where an item gets loose in the cockpit and jams or restricts the operation of the controls.

All aircraft may occasionally lose small parts during takeoff and landing. These parts remain on the runway and can cause damage to tires of other aircraft, hit the fuselage or windshield/canopy, or get sucked up into an engine. Although airport ground crews regularly clean up runways, the crash of "Air France Flight 4590" demonstrated that accidents can still occur: in that case, the crash was said to have been caused by debris left by a flight that had departed only four minutes earlier.

The aviation and airline industry is suffering from the PDA-Parts Departing from Aircraft - occurrences, things falling from aircraft may range in size from a single small rivet to the large fan cowl doors, all these parts are already do falling from aircraft, so airbus need to aware the aviation personnel about the already existing solutions to mitigate and decrease these occurrences, the responsibility will fall on the manufacturer like airbus and the operator or the airline itself, both need to cooperate to mitigate these PDA occurrences, pilots need to make a thorough walk around before departure, maintenance personnel also need to properly close all access panels before departure.

1- Pilots and co-pilots can’t eat the same meal on a Flight

The practice is not mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration, however, most of the airlines make the flight crew should never, under any circumstances, be served the same meal.

While the rule may seem arbitrary, there is actually very good reasoning behind it. If, for example, something goes wrong with one meal (like food poisoning). the other pilot will not have been affected and can take over duties.

2- Weird black triangle in an aircraft cabin!

Windows aren’t there just to give passengers a good view – they are also a safety feature.

If the crew believes there is an issue with a wing - such as a problem with the flaps, the slats or even the engines - looking out of the window may be the best way to check. And to do that they will head to the seat with the clearest view of the wing, usually marked by a small black triangle on the wall.

3- The bleed hole :

Surely You don’t have to be an aerospace engineer to know that an airplane cabin is pressurized to keep us from passing out as we soar through the skies, 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) above sea level.so we shouldn’t have holes in the windows of planes? On the contrary, those holes, which are only present in the middle pane of our triple-glazed planes, are actually there to keep us safe. Without them, passengers could be in trouble.

The air pressure inside the cabin places an enormous strain on the windows. The inside pane is largely superficial-the one you can touch and dirty up with fingerprints – is called a scratch pane.
The middle pane is the one with the bleed hole that hole actually reduces the pressure on the middle pane, so only the outer pane takes the force of the cabin pressure - and it experiences that pressure more gradually during flight. Outer pane is taking the brunt of the pressure. the most important one, since it protects you from the pressure difference outside

So that means that if the outer pane somehow was broken by debris, we'd still have the middle pane to protect us from the lack of air pressure outside. Sure, it'd have a small hole in it, but that's nothing the plane's pressurization system couldn't compensate for.

While this tiny hole plays an important role in keeping us safe, it also helps keep the window panes from fogging up – a result of the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the cabin – allowing us to stare out into the clouds.

Thank you, little weird window hole.

4- Passenger oxygen from the chemical cocktail :

Commercial aircraft provide emergency oxygen to passengers to protect them from drops in cabin pressure. Chemical oxygen generators are not used for the cockpit crew, who are typically supplied using compressed oxygen canisters also known as oxygen bottles. In narrow-body airliners, for each row of seats, there are overhead oxygen masks and oxygen generators. In some wide-body airliners, such as the DC-10 and IL-96, the canisters and oxygen masks are mounted in the top portion of the seatbacks, since the ceiling is too high above the passengers. If a decompression occurs, the panels are opened either by an automatic pressure switch or by a manual switch, and the masks are released. When the passengers pull down on the mask they remove the retaining pins and trigger the production of oxygen.

5- Pointless ashtrays

Ashtrays are a surprising feature of modern aircraft. After all, smoking at 35,000 feet has been banned for around 20 years.
But why are they still there? Because if someone were to have, illegally, a cheeky fag, they’d still need to stub it out, and it's best they have somewhere to do that rather than cause a fire by dropping it in the bin. Therefore an ashtray is a mandatory requirement in most countries.

6- It's impossible to lock yourself in the bathroom

You ever notice how the flight attendants flip a little switch on the lavatory door before takeoff and landing?

That switch locks the door so it won’t fly open and can be flipped on or off at any time. So if they think you’re in there joining the mile high club or smoking a cigarette, they can catch you in.

7- Dimming the lights for takeoff and landing isn't a mood effect

Dimming the light done so passengers’ eyes can adjust to the dark, just in case there’s an emergency that shuts off the lights. That way people aren’t running around blind in sheer chaos. So almost all aviation authorities make it as mandatory in the regulation.

8- The toilets are actually vacuums

Unlike your toilet at home that siphons water down into the sewer, airplane toilets are basically vacuums: a valve opens when you flush, and the air pressure sucks what’s in the bowl down into a tank. It uses about half a gallon of water and can flush in any direction.

9- Red light on the left-wing and a green light on the right

At night, it’s hard for pilots to see other aircraft. Every plane has a red light on the left wing and green on the right, so other pilots can easily identify which way the plane is facing and what direction it’s going.

10- Aircraft can fly with one engine, and land with none

Commercial aircraft are designed to fly with only one operable engine. And can glide their way to the ground with no engine power at all. So if your plane breaks down mid-air, you’ll still likely land in one piece!

Wind direction :

Wind direction is the opposite of the direction in which the windsock is pointing (note that wind directions are conventionally specified as being the compass point from which the wind originates; so a windsock pointing due north indicates a southerly wind). Wind speed is indicated by the windsock's angle relative to the mounting pole; in low winds, the windsock droops; in high winds, it flies horizontally.

Estimate the speed of the wind

Each stripe adds up 3 knots to the estimated wind speed,

• the first stripe indicates a 3-knot breeze;
• the second stripe indicates  a 6-knot wind;
• the third stripe indicates  a 9-knot wind;
• the fourth stripe indicates 12 knots;
• the last stripe indicates  15 knots or stronger wind;

in the end, these numbers are not standard and may be different depending on the windsock itself

References :

• FAA standards
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsock

The vertical axis (yaw)

• The yaw axis has its origin at the center of gravity and is directed towards the bottom of the aircraft, perpendicular to the wings and to the fuselage reference line. The motion about this axis is called yaw. A positive yawing motion moves the nose of the aircraft to the right. The rudder is the primary control of yaw.

Transverse axis (pitch)

• The pitch axis : (also called transverse or lateral axis) has its origin at the center of gravity and is directed to the right, parallel to a line drawn from wingtip to wingtip. The motion about this axis is called pitch. A positive pitching motion raises the nose of the aircraft and lowers the tail. The elevators are the primary control of pitch.

Longitudinal axis (roll)

• The roll axis : (or longitudinal axis) has its origin at the center of gravity and is directed forward, parallel to the fuselage reference line. The motion about this axis is called roll. An angular displacement about this axis is called a bank. A positive rolling motion lifts the left-wing and lowers the right-wing. The pilot rolls by increasing the lift on one wing and decreasing it on the other. This changes the bank angle. The ailerons are the primary control of the bank. The rudder also has a secondary effect on the bank.

References :

• FAA (2004). Airplane Flying Handbook.
• https://www.grc.nasa.gov/

For Training Purpose Only

If you have any question or query, we'd like to help, just leave us comment here and we will back to you with the answer.

Like World War I, aviation technology made tremendous gains during World War II and these gains were enjoyed primarily by the United States, particularly in the area of high-capacity and long-range air transport. Why this happened was a result of an agreement between U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill: the U.S. would focus on the manufacture of high capacity and long-range transport aircraft and bombers and the Allies would focus on the manufacture of fighters and light bombers. As the war began to wind down, the potential of United States superiority in the manufacture of transport aircraft became inevitable.

In the United States, a policy needed to be developed as to post-war international aviation and it came in the form of government-to-government negotiations for landing rights. This, in effect, ended Juan Trippe’s term as a “shadow” foreign minister for U.S. aviation. As put forth by President Roosevelt, “Juan Trippe can’t have it all”, and indeed, as a reward for their support during the war effort, domestic airlines such as TWA, American Overseas Airlines (formerly American Export Airlines until American Airlines’ merger with owner American Export Lines) and Northwest were granted authority to operate international routes by the CAB.

Chicago Convention :

The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the UN charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel. The Convention establishes rules of airspace, aircraft registration and safety, and details the rights of the signatories in relation to air travel. The Convention also exempts air fuels in transit from (double) taxation.

The document was signed on December 7, 1944, in Chicago by 52 signatory states. It received the requisite 26th ratification on March 5, 1947, and went into effect on April 4, 1947, the same date that ICAO came into being. In October of the same year, ICAO became a specialized agency of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Convention has since been revised eight times (in 1959, 1963, 1969, 1975, 1980, 1997, 2000 and 2006).

Reference :

• https://www.faa.gov/
• https://jpbtransconsulting.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/