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Vol. 1, No. 2 Summer 2024
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Welcome to the latest edition of the General Aviation Joint Safety Committee's (GAJSC) new quarterly newsletter, the FlySafe Flyer! This newsletter is intended to keep you apprised of GAJSC-related news and updates, as well as relevant safety information that impacts the general aviation community. The FlySafe Flyer also aims to convey the GAJSC's purpose and collaborative role in advancing aviation safety. We encourage you to read and share this content with your fellow airmen. Please copy the link here to share. For a list of previous newsletters, go to gajsc.org/newsletter.
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General Aviation Safety Performance
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A critical data metric that many follow is the GA fatal accident rate. As you can see in the chart here, that rate for fiscal year 2024 is currently trending below the 3-year baseline. You can also see the total GA fatal accidents broken out by month in FY24 (as of 6/26/24) here.
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For more details, see the Pareto chart on general aviation fatal accidents, which can be customized to display a specific date range of accident data and sort results by aircraft classification, FAR part, operational category, and accident category.
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What Does Compliance Data Say About General Aviation?
At the FAA, an open and transparent exchange of data is important to foster a safety culture among the general aviation community. Learn how the FAA is using Compliance Program data to identify and reduce safety risks in this recent article.
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Recent Fly Safe Topics Cover Energy Management, Human Factors, and Regulatory Roadblock Reduction
April's Fly Safe topic of month delves into the fundamentals of aircraft performance awareness, the intricacies of flight aerodynamics, and the critical role of energy management in ensuring safe flying experiences.
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The May Fly Safe topic introduces pilots to the concept of human factors and how research in this field helps better design tasks and technology to optimize the relationship between human operators and the environment they work in. The topic also covers the five main ingredients needed for a robust safety culture.
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An important component of reducing general aviation (GA) accidents is leveraging the rapid growth and evolution of technology in the aviation industry. The June Fly Safe topic explains how a successful integration of this technology may help the GA fleet reap the potential benefit of reward with a balanced risk approach.
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FlySafe topics are monthly outreach focus areas designed to support and promote the GAJSC's data-driven safety mitigation strategies, or Safety Enhancements.
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- July — Short Field Operations: Understanding the benefits of training and practice with short field operations.
- August — Use of Weather Information: A review of best practices on obtaining and using weather information for your flight.
- September — GA Aircraft Exhaust Systems: The benefits of proper inspection and maintenance of general aviation aircraft exhaust systems.
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FAA Amends AME Guidance on Uncomplicated Anxiety, Depression, and Related Conditions
The FAA has revised its guidance to Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) on “uncomplicated anxiety, depression, and related conditions,” allowing them to issue a medical certificate if a pilot has been off medication for 2 years, there are no issues raised by a questionnaire, and the AME has no concerns. And since it’s not unusual to have more than one mental health condition like anxiety and depression, or anxiety and PTSD, your AME can now issue a medical certificate for any class if you have up to 2 mental health conditions provided certain criteria are met. In addition, if your medical application was deferred for a mental health condition prior to a recent change in policy and you meet its criteria, your AME can request an expedited review if he or she determines that you now qualify. Review the questionnaire and conditions at Uncomplicated Anxiety, Depression, and Related Conditions (faa.gov).
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There is also a new option for AMEs to issue a medical certificate to pilots who used to be on medication for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) if otherwise qualified. This option requires that pilots be off medication for 4 years, have no symptoms, and not have been diagnosed with any other mental health condition. For more, see the latest Pilot Minute video at bit.ly/PilotMinute or go to faa.gov/ame_guide/media/ADHD_pathway_chart.pdf.
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Navigating the New GAJSC Website
If it's been some time since you last checked out the GAJSC website, we encourage you to have another look. We've redesigned and enhanced all areas of the site, including the Safety Enhancements and the Reports and Documents sections, and added a News Brief section to capture the latest GAJSC news. Also, our new Fly Safe section lists all the Fly Safe topics by month and year along with shareable links and supporting materials.
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New Rotorcraft Safety Videos
Two new videos were recently added to the Rotorcraft Collective playlist. The Master Your Mission in a Sim First video covers how realistic scenario-based training in a full-motion simulator, or even a basic aviation training device, can expose a pilot to hazardous scenarios in a safe and controlled environment. The Just Say No! video covers why it's so hard to say no in a go-oriented environment and the importance of setting and holding yourself to personal minimums.
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GAJSC Member Profile
Founded in 1970, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) exists to foster and advance the general welfare, safety, interests and activities of the global business and general aviation industry. This includes promoting a better understanding of general aviation manufacturing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul and the important role these industry segments play in economic growth and opportunity, and in serving the critical transportation needs of communities, companies and individuals worldwide. See the GAMA website for more information. See here for a list of all GAJSC partners.
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Thanks for reading and #FlySafe!
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Partners in Aviation Safety
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We need your feedback! Please tell us what you think.
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