Two high-level officials among 13 people killed
A forensics team surveys the scene Wednesday of a jet crash in Mexico City that claimed Interior Minister Camilo Mouriño and anti-drug prosecutor Jose Louis Santiago Vasconcelos.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials asked U.S. and British experts to aid in the investigation of a Mexico City plane crash that killed the government's second-ranking official and a high-level lawman.
The officials said the crash appeared to be an accident, but they were not ruling anything out.
Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mouriño and longtime anti-drug prosecutor Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos were among the 13 people killed Tuesday night when an executive jet crashed into rush-hour traffic.
All eight people aboard the plane died in the fiery crash, as well as five more on the ground. Some 40 other people were injured, a half-dozen of them critically.
There have been no indications the crash was anything other than an accident, said Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez. "But," he said, "it will be investigated until all possibilities are exhausted."
Violence from drug-gang wars and the deployment of thousands of troops and federal police has killed more than 3,000 people this year alone.
Sabotage suspected
Speculation was rampant Wednesday that the plane had been sabotaged. The crash was the first of its kind in Mexico City.
Experts from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday to help with the investigation. Three British government investigators also were taking part.
"The United States will do all it can to assist in the investigation," said Tony Garza, the American ambassador.
Mexico City's media Tuesday night reported that the jet's pilots had issued a distress call shortly before the crash. But Tellez played conversations from the plane's flight recorder that suggested there were no indications of danger.
Radio went silent
After routine discussion about the doomed plane's impending landing, communication suddenly went silent.
The corporate jet slammed to earth under clear skies about 7 p.m. next to one of Mexico City's busiest intersections. The scene was near a major expressway and about a mile from President Felipe Calderon's offices and residence.
Dozens of cars were damaged in the crash, some bursting into flame with their occupants inside.
Officials evacuated about 1,200 people from the scene as police, firefighters and soldiers searched charred hulks of vehicles for the remains of bodies, many of which were burned beyond recognition.
The crash tore a gaping hole in Calderon's administration as he fights the drug syndicates and tries to shield Mexico from a global economic crisis, political analyst Federico Estevez said.
Mouriño, 37, was one of Calderon's closest aides and friends. He was the equivalent of Mexico's vice president. He served as the president's point man with Congress, especially the legislators from the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, whose votes are needed by Calderon to get legislation passed.
Mouriño also headed Calderon's National Security Cabinet — composed of the attorney general, senior military commanders and the head of the federal Public Security Ministry.
"It's a blow to Calderon, who likes to govern with a tight inner circle," Estevez said. "He has to fill the gap quickly."
Santiago, who served in the Mexican attorney general's office since the early 1990s, led Mexico's efforts against organized crime under former President Vicente Fox.
One of Mexico's foremost experts on the country's criminal gangs and their protection networks among officials, Santiago had only recently joined the presidential staff as a legal adviser.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6097369.html
quinta-feira, 6 de novembro de 2008
Accident reports should include mechanics' details: IFA
Airlines' abilities to learn from accidents involving maintenance errors is being severely compromised by investigators' failure to include in their reports the salient details of the engineers or mechanics who made the mistakes, claims an International Federation of Airworthiness representative.
IFA technical committee member and engineer Philip Hosey notes the prolific information provided about pilots in accident reports. This information includes their licences, ages, medical records, flying hours - both total and on type - flight and rest records, and other facts.
Speaking at the International Aviation Safety Seminar in Honolulu at the end of October, Hosey contrasted this with the lack of equivalent detail about the engineers involved or the circumstances associated with their work and the specific job on which the mistake was made.
He says that all the data pertaining to pilots was faithfully recorded even when they played no part in the accident cause or outcome, whereas detail about the engineer's training, health, experience, background and working hours was almost always omitted in reports, even when maintenance error was involved.
Hosey quotes only one recent report he was aware of in which all the appropriate detail about the engineer and task was provided.
He says it is remarkable that this difference in attention to the detail provided about two different professional groups in relation to accidents should exist, and it may be one of the reasons why managing the risk of error during maintenance receives less detailed attention than managing the risk of pilot error.
Recording engineer working hours and patterns, including shift times and rest periods, is at least as important as for pilots, Hosey argues, because the pilot's task can, at high-risk periods, generate adrenaline that can help overcome the affects of fatigue. An engineer's task does not benefit from an adrenaline burst toward the end of a long night shift, Hosey claims.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
IFA technical committee member and engineer Philip Hosey notes the prolific information provided about pilots in accident reports. This information includes their licences, ages, medical records, flying hours - both total and on type - flight and rest records, and other facts.
Speaking at the International Aviation Safety Seminar in Honolulu at the end of October, Hosey contrasted this with the lack of equivalent detail about the engineers involved or the circumstances associated with their work and the specific job on which the mistake was made.
He says that all the data pertaining to pilots was faithfully recorded even when they played no part in the accident cause or outcome, whereas detail about the engineer's training, health, experience, background and working hours was almost always omitted in reports, even when maintenance error was involved.
Hosey quotes only one recent report he was aware of in which all the appropriate detail about the engineer and task was provided.
He says it is remarkable that this difference in attention to the detail provided about two different professional groups in relation to accidents should exist, and it may be one of the reasons why managing the risk of error during maintenance receives less detailed attention than managing the risk of pilot error.
Recording engineer working hours and patterns, including shift times and rest periods, is at least as important as for pilots, Hosey argues, because the pilot's task can, at high-risk periods, generate adrenaline that can help overcome the affects of fatigue. An engineer's task does not benefit from an adrenaline burst toward the end of a long night shift, Hosey claims.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Two Mexican Officials Among Victims In Lear Downing
Plane Impacts Crowded Mexico City Neighborhood During Rush Hour
The rush hour downing of a Lear business jet into a crowded Mexico City neighborhood Tuesday claimed the lives of all onboard, including two prominent officials in the Mexican government.
The Houston Chronicle reports Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino and former Assistant Attorney General Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos died in the crash, along with six others onboard the small jet. The plane departed the northern city of San Luis Potosi, and was on approach to land at Mexico City International Airport.
Conflicting local media reports identify the accident type as either a Lear 24/25 series (shown below), or a larger Learjet 45.
At least 40 persons on the ground were injured as the plane crashed in the affluent Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood, and officials said the death toll could rise due to scores of people still missing.
Mourino and Santiago Vasconcelos were both top aides to Mexican President Felipe Calderon. The former was the president's top advisor in dealing with Mexico's tortured internal political structure.
"With his death Mexico loses a great Mexican, intelligent, loyal, committed to his ideals and to the country," said Calderon following the accident. "With Juan Camilo Mourino I shared for many years a fight for the ideal of a new country, the ideal of a new and better Mexico."
Santiago Vasconcelos was a top anti-narcotics official in former President Vicente Fox's administration, and retained a prominent role combating illegal drug cartels when he moved to the Attorney General's office in December 2006.
Officials say there is no reason to suspect foul play in the crash. There is presently no explanation for the cause of the accident.
FMI: www.presidencia.gob.mx/en/
aero-news.net
The rush hour downing of a Lear business jet into a crowded Mexico City neighborhood Tuesday claimed the lives of all onboard, including two prominent officials in the Mexican government.
The Houston Chronicle reports Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino and former Assistant Attorney General Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos died in the crash, along with six others onboard the small jet. The plane departed the northern city of San Luis Potosi, and was on approach to land at Mexico City International Airport.
Conflicting local media reports identify the accident type as either a Lear 24/25 series (shown below), or a larger Learjet 45.
At least 40 persons on the ground were injured as the plane crashed in the affluent Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood, and officials said the death toll could rise due to scores of people still missing.
Mourino and Santiago Vasconcelos were both top aides to Mexican President Felipe Calderon. The former was the president's top advisor in dealing with Mexico's tortured internal political structure.
"With his death Mexico loses a great Mexican, intelligent, loyal, committed to his ideals and to the country," said Calderon following the accident. "With Juan Camilo Mourino I shared for many years a fight for the ideal of a new country, the ideal of a new and better Mexico."
Santiago Vasconcelos was a top anti-narcotics official in former President Vicente Fox's administration, and retained a prominent role combating illegal drug cartels when he moved to the Attorney General's office in December 2006.
Officials say there is no reason to suspect foul play in the crash. There is presently no explanation for the cause of the accident.
FMI: www.presidencia.gob.mx/en/
aero-news.net
NTSB SENDS TEAM TO MEXICO TO ASSIST WITH LEARJET AIRCRAFT
The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team of investigators to Mexico City, Mexico, to assist in the investigation of yesterday's accident in which a Learjet L45(XC-VMC), crashed into a mixed, residential/commercial neighborhood. It has been reported that all 9 persons on board, including Mexican Interior Secretary, Juan Camillo Mourino, were fatally injured.
NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has designated senior aviation accident investigator Joe Sedor as the U.S. Accredited Representative. The U.S. team will also include technical advisors from the NTSB, FAA, Learjet, and Honeywell International.
Fonte: NTSB 06/11/2008.
NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has designated senior aviation accident investigator Joe Sedor as the U.S. Accredited Representative. The U.S. team will also include technical advisors from the NTSB, FAA, Learjet, and Honeywell International.
Fonte: NTSB 06/11/2008.
Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) Calls for Stronger Protection of Volunteered Aviation Safety Information
Oct. 30, 2008, Honolulu, HI – In the wake of recent judicial decisions forcing disclosure of voluntarily supplied aviation safety information, and the use of aviation accident investigation reports in civil litigation and criminal prosecutions, the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) today anounced its support for statutory protection against the release or use of information gathered by voluntary self-disclosure reporting programs.
“We can and must do everything possible to ensure the continued flow of critical safety information that is increasingly coming under assault in courts around the world, ” said FSF President and CEO William R. Voss.
In remarks here before the FSF International Air Safety Seminar, FSF General Counsel Kenneth P. Quinn yesterday noted the increasing tendancy to criminalize aviation accidents and said, “Since prosecutors and courts are not protecting the confidentiality of voluntarily supplied safety information, legislatures need to step in to prevent critical sources of safety data from drying up.”
FSF today endorsed the creation of a “qualified exception” from discovery of voluntary self-disclosure reporting programs, similar to the protection already provided in U.S. law against use of cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and surface vehicle recordings and transcripts. Examples of such voluntary self-disclosure reporting programs include the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), the Flight Operational Quality Assurance program (FOQA), and the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system.
Airlines and regulators increasingly are using these and other tools to obtain predictive information that allows preemptive interventions to be developed to mitigate threats revealed by the data instead of relying on forensic evidence after a crash. “We cannot tolerate waiting for a crash to show us there is a safety problem that needs to be fixed,” said Voss.
By most estimates, nearly 98% of safety information currently obtained from voluntary disclosure programs would not be available if program participants are exposed to prosecution and reprisal.
FSF recommends the adoption of stronger protections to shield such information from disclosure in any judicial proceeding, except to allow limited discovery when a court decides that the requesting party has demonstrated a particular need for the information, and that the party would not receive a fair trial if the information is not provided. If discovery is permitted, FSF urged that it only be made available under protective order, and not generally be made available to the public.
The FSF announcement comes on the heels of reports that American Airlines and its pilot union are considering abandoning their 14-year old ASAP program, and a judicial decision concerning the 2006 Comair crash in Lexington, KY, that ordered the release of ASAP reports, saying that Congress had the power to protect the ASAP information, as it had with CVR recordings and transcripts, but had not done so. Further, several recent criminal prosecutions in Europe have sought to establish criminal culpability through the use of information voluntarily provided to accident investigators.
Flight Safety Foundation has published several articles outlining the importance of these reporting programs in AeroSafety World, (http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/july07/asw_july07_p12-21.pdf) and (http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/mar08/asw_mar08_p12-17.pdf), and in news releases defending the confidentiality of these programs (http://www.flightsafety.org/news/nr97-07.pdf). The Foundation was one of the earliest supporters of ASAP programs.
Fonte: Flight Safety Foundation 30/10/2008.
“We can and must do everything possible to ensure the continued flow of critical safety information that is increasingly coming under assault in courts around the world, ” said FSF President and CEO William R. Voss.
In remarks here before the FSF International Air Safety Seminar, FSF General Counsel Kenneth P. Quinn yesterday noted the increasing tendancy to criminalize aviation accidents and said, “Since prosecutors and courts are not protecting the confidentiality of voluntarily supplied safety information, legislatures need to step in to prevent critical sources of safety data from drying up.”
FSF today endorsed the creation of a “qualified exception” from discovery of voluntary self-disclosure reporting programs, similar to the protection already provided in U.S. law against use of cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and surface vehicle recordings and transcripts. Examples of such voluntary self-disclosure reporting programs include the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), the Flight Operational Quality Assurance program (FOQA), and the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system.
Airlines and regulators increasingly are using these and other tools to obtain predictive information that allows preemptive interventions to be developed to mitigate threats revealed by the data instead of relying on forensic evidence after a crash. “We cannot tolerate waiting for a crash to show us there is a safety problem that needs to be fixed,” said Voss.
By most estimates, nearly 98% of safety information currently obtained from voluntary disclosure programs would not be available if program participants are exposed to prosecution and reprisal.
FSF recommends the adoption of stronger protections to shield such information from disclosure in any judicial proceeding, except to allow limited discovery when a court decides that the requesting party has demonstrated a particular need for the information, and that the party would not receive a fair trial if the information is not provided. If discovery is permitted, FSF urged that it only be made available under protective order, and not generally be made available to the public.
The FSF announcement comes on the heels of reports that American Airlines and its pilot union are considering abandoning their 14-year old ASAP program, and a judicial decision concerning the 2006 Comair crash in Lexington, KY, that ordered the release of ASAP reports, saying that Congress had the power to protect the ASAP information, as it had with CVR recordings and transcripts, but had not done so. Further, several recent criminal prosecutions in Europe have sought to establish criminal culpability through the use of information voluntarily provided to accident investigators.
Flight Safety Foundation has published several articles outlining the importance of these reporting programs in AeroSafety World, (http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/july07/asw_july07_p12-21.pdf) and (http://www.flightsafety.org/asw/mar08/asw_mar08_p12-17.pdf), and in news releases defending the confidentiality of these programs (http://www.flightsafety.org/news/nr97-07.pdf). The Foundation was one of the earliest supporters of ASAP programs.
Fonte: Flight Safety Foundation 30/10/2008.
FAA Selects Avionics Manufacturers for NextGen Technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Robert Sturgell today announced that the agency has signed a $9 million agreement with two companies to accelerate the testing and installation of NextGen technology.
Teams led by Honeywell and Aviation Communications & Surveillance Systems (ACSS) will help the FAA test and develop technology that will be used on an airport’s airfield to detect and alert pilots of potential safety issues.
“Safety in the air starts with safety on the ground,” said Sturgell. “This technology is a real jump for aviation. Getting it into the cockpit as fast as possible is the smart thing to do.”
The FAA encourages industry to install avionics equipment early and receive benefits from ADS-B sooner rather than later. ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast. It is the NextGen satellite-based technology that broadcasts traffic and flight information to pilots and air traffic controllers.
Two Honeywell test planes and pilots from JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines will be used to provide operational input from concept development through flight evaluation and demonstration.
Honeywell will conduct the work at Seattle Tacoma International and Snohomish County Paine Field airports. Under the agreement, Honeywell will receive approximately $3 million from the FAA.
The FAA will provide approximately $6 million to ACSS, which will work with US Airways to develop standards, flight demonstrations and prototypes. Twenty Airbus A330 aircraft will be equipped with cockpit displays, transponders, antennas, wiring kits and Class 2 Electronic Flight Bags.
Demonstrations will be conducted at Philadelphia International Airport.
Fonte: FAA 04/11/2008.
Teams led by Honeywell and Aviation Communications & Surveillance Systems (ACSS) will help the FAA test and develop technology that will be used on an airport’s airfield to detect and alert pilots of potential safety issues.
“Safety in the air starts with safety on the ground,” said Sturgell. “This technology is a real jump for aviation. Getting it into the cockpit as fast as possible is the smart thing to do.”
The FAA encourages industry to install avionics equipment early and receive benefits from ADS-B sooner rather than later. ADS-B stands for Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast. It is the NextGen satellite-based technology that broadcasts traffic and flight information to pilots and air traffic controllers.
Two Honeywell test planes and pilots from JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines will be used to provide operational input from concept development through flight evaluation and demonstration.
Honeywell will conduct the work at Seattle Tacoma International and Snohomish County Paine Field airports. Under the agreement, Honeywell will receive approximately $3 million from the FAA.
The FAA will provide approximately $6 million to ACSS, which will work with US Airways to develop standards, flight demonstrations and prototypes. Twenty Airbus A330 aircraft will be equipped with cockpit displays, transponders, antennas, wiring kits and Class 2 Electronic Flight Bags.
Demonstrations will be conducted at Philadelphia International Airport.
Fonte: FAA 04/11/2008.
"Knowledge is Happiness"
Ruth Leverenz,
Washington, D.C. November 3, 2008
ATCA Scholarship Luncheon
Thank you so much, Neil [Planzer]. And, congratulations on your successful service as Chairman. Peter, my very best wishes to you as you assume your role next week as ATCA’s Chairman. You have some very big shoes to fill — literally and figuratively — following our friend and distinguished colleague Neil Planzer. I’m happy to see this orderly transition of power at ATCA.
Speaking of orderly transitions of power, we will elect our 44th President tomorrow. All across the Executive Branch, we are in full swing preparing issue papers and other documents and briefings to assist the transition teams from winning party. On November 5, our duty will be to accept the outcomes of the election and to faithfully carry out our responsibilities to ensure an orderly transition of government.
I counted up. In my 33 years with the FAA, I have served 19 different Administrators, counting the actors and the reactors. Each one accepts this critical appointment because he or she wants to accomplish something big for aviation and for our country. And, they have.
I want to take a moment and recognize our current FAA Acting Administrator, the Honorable Bobby Sturgell, with whom it has been my great privilege to serve. Bobby has led us through some tough spots this year. I have seen him weary to the core with all the demands and challenges of this position because he cares so much for aviation, for this industry and for the men and women of the FAA. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Bobby Sturgell has stood tall for all of us.
Let’s talk just for a moment about the orderly transition of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. I believe everyone in this room will agree that NextGen is one of the most important transition issues for the new administration. No matter where you stand, there’s no argument that safety is neither red nor blue. Let’s all work with the transition teams and the new administration to get this done. We need to continue to pull together to make sure the importance of NextGen is made clear. We need to demonstrate that a joint vision, a cooperative effort is what’s gotten us this far and is what is needed for future successes.
NextGen is vitally important to our nation’s and the world’s transportation, commerce, environment, infrastructure, communications, and defense. I applaud ATCA for hosting the Industry Day Forum last September to get industry’s perspective on implementation of NextGen. I thought it was an outstanding exchange of ideas and discussion of the challenges ahead. I know we in the FAA listened and have taken to task what we heard at the forum and what we are hearing in the panel discussions this week.
Now, let me turn to your great scholarship program. ATCA, you are doing a tremendous job with this scholarship program. What a significant legacy for each of the individuals and companies who have contributed. It’s hard work organizing fund raisers, reviewing applications, making choices among so many terrific applicants. You are leveraging benefits for years to come. In the spirit of Presidential transition matters, I am reminded that our first President, George Washington, said at the beginning of his first term in office, “There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature.” He continued on to say, “Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.” Here at ATCA you are “walking the walk” — not just “talking the talk.”
You are going to be hearing more in a moment about this year’s scholarship winners. For just about all of them, man has always been on the moon. We heard several speakers talk this morning about the challenges and excitement of incorporating this new generation of data natives into the workforce. We also heard that we are the ones who will need to adapt. In another speaking opportunity a couple of weeks ago, I emphasized mentoring as one of the things we need to foster more of in the workplace. When you mentor these young people, you help them avoid land mines, and they show you a thing or three. And, some of them inspire you. Barry Hyde is here today with his guide dog, Lincoln. Barry is a 3-peat winner of the ATCA Scholarship. You will hear lots more about him in a minute from Becky Umbaugh, but I want to share some words about Barry from an email I received from Cindy Costillo of CSSI. Cindy said in her email, “He is a true inspiration and blessing. My life has been touched and is better for having him in it.” Congratulations, Barry!
In addition to the scholarship program, ATCA is very involved in aviation education and STEM initiatives, as is the FAA. I’ll quickly tell you about a program we are very excited about. We’re deeply involved with a project run by the Department of Energy — the Real World Design Challenge. The goal is to align high schools with 21st Century workforce needs. And, the needs include replacing the more than 60,000 aerospace engineers who will retire in the next 10 years.
That’s not a bow wave. That’s a tsunami. So, what’s the challenge, you ask? The high school students will be working on designing the next generation airplane wing! Kids will get the engineering challenge of a lifetime. Teachers will get professional development. They both get to work with science and engineering mentors from government and industry. I think I am looking at a roomful of people who could be outstanding mentors!!
Ten states will be participating in the Challenge this first year. They are: Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Kansas, Washington, Hawaii, Virginia, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. If you want to get involved, just let us know!
Let me close by saying thank you again for inviting me back to speak at your scholarship luncheon.
I am passionate about education. Education changes lives. To all the fine applicants and the mentors, educators, family, and friends, who support them, we salute you. Our hope is that you will be using your scholarship, opportunities, and freedoms to encourage even greater numbers of young people to pursue careers in aviation.
Fonte: FAA 03/11/2008.
Washington, D.C. November 3, 2008
ATCA Scholarship Luncheon
Thank you so much, Neil [Planzer]. And, congratulations on your successful service as Chairman. Peter, my very best wishes to you as you assume your role next week as ATCA’s Chairman. You have some very big shoes to fill — literally and figuratively — following our friend and distinguished colleague Neil Planzer. I’m happy to see this orderly transition of power at ATCA.
Speaking of orderly transitions of power, we will elect our 44th President tomorrow. All across the Executive Branch, we are in full swing preparing issue papers and other documents and briefings to assist the transition teams from winning party. On November 5, our duty will be to accept the outcomes of the election and to faithfully carry out our responsibilities to ensure an orderly transition of government.
I counted up. In my 33 years with the FAA, I have served 19 different Administrators, counting the actors and the reactors. Each one accepts this critical appointment because he or she wants to accomplish something big for aviation and for our country. And, they have.
I want to take a moment and recognize our current FAA Acting Administrator, the Honorable Bobby Sturgell, with whom it has been my great privilege to serve. Bobby has led us through some tough spots this year. I have seen him weary to the core with all the demands and challenges of this position because he cares so much for aviation, for this industry and for the men and women of the FAA. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Bobby Sturgell has stood tall for all of us.
Let’s talk just for a moment about the orderly transition of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. I believe everyone in this room will agree that NextGen is one of the most important transition issues for the new administration. No matter where you stand, there’s no argument that safety is neither red nor blue. Let’s all work with the transition teams and the new administration to get this done. We need to continue to pull together to make sure the importance of NextGen is made clear. We need to demonstrate that a joint vision, a cooperative effort is what’s gotten us this far and is what is needed for future successes.
NextGen is vitally important to our nation’s and the world’s transportation, commerce, environment, infrastructure, communications, and defense. I applaud ATCA for hosting the Industry Day Forum last September to get industry’s perspective on implementation of NextGen. I thought it was an outstanding exchange of ideas and discussion of the challenges ahead. I know we in the FAA listened and have taken to task what we heard at the forum and what we are hearing in the panel discussions this week.
Now, let me turn to your great scholarship program. ATCA, you are doing a tremendous job with this scholarship program. What a significant legacy for each of the individuals and companies who have contributed. It’s hard work organizing fund raisers, reviewing applications, making choices among so many terrific applicants. You are leveraging benefits for years to come. In the spirit of Presidential transition matters, I am reminded that our first President, George Washington, said at the beginning of his first term in office, “There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage than the promotion of science and literature.” He continued on to say, “Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.” Here at ATCA you are “walking the walk” — not just “talking the talk.”
You are going to be hearing more in a moment about this year’s scholarship winners. For just about all of them, man has always been on the moon. We heard several speakers talk this morning about the challenges and excitement of incorporating this new generation of data natives into the workforce. We also heard that we are the ones who will need to adapt. In another speaking opportunity a couple of weeks ago, I emphasized mentoring as one of the things we need to foster more of in the workplace. When you mentor these young people, you help them avoid land mines, and they show you a thing or three. And, some of them inspire you. Barry Hyde is here today with his guide dog, Lincoln. Barry is a 3-peat winner of the ATCA Scholarship. You will hear lots more about him in a minute from Becky Umbaugh, but I want to share some words about Barry from an email I received from Cindy Costillo of CSSI. Cindy said in her email, “He is a true inspiration and blessing. My life has been touched and is better for having him in it.” Congratulations, Barry!
In addition to the scholarship program, ATCA is very involved in aviation education and STEM initiatives, as is the FAA. I’ll quickly tell you about a program we are very excited about. We’re deeply involved with a project run by the Department of Energy — the Real World Design Challenge. The goal is to align high schools with 21st Century workforce needs. And, the needs include replacing the more than 60,000 aerospace engineers who will retire in the next 10 years.
That’s not a bow wave. That’s a tsunami. So, what’s the challenge, you ask? The high school students will be working on designing the next generation airplane wing! Kids will get the engineering challenge of a lifetime. Teachers will get professional development. They both get to work with science and engineering mentors from government and industry. I think I am looking at a roomful of people who could be outstanding mentors!!
Ten states will be participating in the Challenge this first year. They are: Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Kansas, Washington, Hawaii, Virginia, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. If you want to get involved, just let us know!
Let me close by saying thank you again for inviting me back to speak at your scholarship luncheon.
I am passionate about education. Education changes lives. To all the fine applicants and the mentors, educators, family, and friends, who support them, we salute you. Our hope is that you will be using your scholarship, opportunities, and freedoms to encourage even greater numbers of young people to pursue careers in aviation.
Fonte: FAA 03/11/2008.
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