Can pilots trust their airplane?

Since January 19, 2022, I have no idea what behavior the Radar Altimeters on board of the airplane I fly will show when flying in the USA. It could either fail, generate no data or even worse, create erroneous data which will be used by other aircraft systems. Pilots, just like myself, could be presented with the wrong flight altitude and unexpected behavior of other flight control systems. This all as a result of the rollout of 5G in the USA. Keep reading +

by Otjan de Bruijn, ECA Vice-President

International Pilot Organizations on Tensions in Eastern Europe

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) and the European Cockpit Association (ECA) are highly concerned with the situation of heightened tensions in Eastern Europe. The situation appears comparable to that of summer 2014, which led to the tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17. Keep reading +

Airlines, pilots, NGOs Unite Behind Push for Clean Jet Fuels in Europe

Airlines, pilots and environmental groups are teaming up for the first time to support a European Union plan for big increases in climate-friendly jet fuels. Major carriers have joined forces with prominent non-governmental organisations in a “Fuelling Flight Initiative” meant to help advance a key draft EU law.

The legislative proposal from the European Commission would spur aviation's take-up of renewable energy, which so far has developed much more slowly in this industry than in others including automotive and power.

 Keep reading +

New background check requirements and why you should be aware of them

Just before the start of the pandemic the European Commission changed the requirements that the EU Member States must fulfill before a crew or airport identification card may be issued. There are two major changes that may have important consequences for crew. They will enter into force from the beginning of 2022. Keep reading +

No pilots!
 

Two years ago I attended the joint EASA/FAA Conference in Cologne on behalf of ECA. My mission: find out how aircraft certification would evolve after the two fatal crashes and subsequent grounding of the B737MAX. I was only one of the few pilots present, attending along with aircraft manufacturers (Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, ATR...) or OEMs (Honeywell, Thales, Rockwell-Collins...) curious to see what new requirements they would face in the future. To be honest, I didn’t get much additional information on the MAX than what was publicly available since most of the discussions between regulators and the manufacturer were probably held behind closed doors. But what I learned about the efforts on Reduced Crew Operations (RCO) was appalling. Keep reading +

Pilot’s Best Practices for the Prevention of Runway Excursions