FAA Proposes $1.9 milllion Fine for Chicago Drone Operator. Good or Bad?

Last week, the FAA proposed a $1.9 million fine for a Chicago based operator for operating drones outside of US regulations.  According to the FAA, the company "conducted 65 unauthorized operations in some of our most congested airspace and heavily populated cities, violating airspace regulations and various operating rules, the FAA alleges. These operations were illegal and not without risk."

As it is with drones, this action stirred up some strong feelings on both sides of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) issue.  A Chicago Tribune article on the subject generated several such comments from online readers.  There were those that applauded this proposal, stating that "There's no excuse to allow the existence, much less the use of drones without [sic} our borders."  There is no doubt about how that person feels is there?  Apparently in agreement with that sentiment, another commenter suggested that all drones "need to be grounded".  

There were other opinions that basically blamed the FAA for overreacting and comparing drone flights to those of kites being flown in public parks.  One commenter proclaimed that "Their danger to manned aircraft is basically zero as they do not fly in manned aircraft airspace unless you are literally right next to an airport."  I have to wonder whether these people would feel the same way if drones operated by uncertified pilots were ever to share airspace with their airline flight! 

Being an ex-FAA employee and a drone advocate myself, I could definitely have some biases about this subject and like the company that is the subject of this story, I too plan to use UAVs for commercial purposes in the not-too-distant future.  The difference is, I plan to do it legally, after receiving approval and authorization from the FAA and in accordance with all rules and regulations that have been designed with the safety of our public in mind.  

Drones are a wonderful technological addition to the aviation community and they will be good for this country in so many ways.  However, when it comes to the safety of our flying and non-flying public, proper certification and following the rules are mandatory basic requirements, not mere inconveniences.  We simply have to follow the rules to keep everyone safe and happy!

Your thoughts are welcomed!

How do you guarantee airport construction safety?

On many occasions worldwide, airport construction has produced safety events despite careful planning on the part of the airport operator, construction contractors, ATC, and the airport flight operator community.  

In some cases the events were catastrophic, such as in Lexington, Kentucky and Taipei, Taiwan.  In others, and as luck would have it, they turned out to be just another opportunity to learn a frightening lesson, or more typically, lessons.

When embarking on a construction project, many of the airport stakeholders often and somewhat understandably believe that they have the necessary experience to handle whatever the project may throw at them.  After all, "they have done this hundreds of times".  "This is just a small project" is also frequently stated.  Worse, when confronted with past evidence of airport construction related safety events, these same people often unknowingly take comfort in blaming past operators "who should have known better".

The problem is that this mindset is a common and almost necessary starting point for airport construction accidents and incidents. Like it or not, small projects, even minor taxiway segment construction projects, have the potential to create large amounts of confusion.  Also, past successes with local airport construction safety techniques have been proven not to guarantee future safety.  

So how do you safeguard your airport and operation?  You begin by first acknowledging that a true safety culture doesn't rely on blaming the people as a plausible explanation for past failures.  As Sidney Dekker would profess, finding and removing the so-called bad apples only creates an "illusion of safety" and not real safety.  Real safety, such as that desired during your airport construction project, can only be achieved by acknowledging this and by seeing the people as a source of wisdom and creativity and not a convenient target of blame.  

Second, treat any airport construction project as a potentially harmful one.  An airport is a complex environment and any alterations to it, even small ones, can have catastrophic results.  Don't underestimate the effects of your construction project no matter how large or small it is.

Finally, seek out the real experts that you need. Air traffic controllers, pilots, airport operations specialists, and vehicle operators, are close to you.  Tap into their knowledge and creativity to enhance the safety of your airport construction project.

Runway 14L-32R closed

ORD 08/490 ORD RWY 14L/32R CLSD 1508200302-PERM

Runway 14L-32R has been in existence at O'Hare Airport (ORD) for a long time but as of early today, it has reportedly seen its last takeoff or landing.  Initially, this permanent closure was needed to facilitate the final build of the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP) and more importantly, was required to respect state law at the time that limited the number of runways at ORD to a total of eight.  A new (eighth) runway, 10R-28L,  will be commissioned in October 2015.

This leaves 32L as the last northwest-southeast runway at ORD and 32L arrivals are not authorized.  Thoughts?