Good or bad?

There have been some very high profile hull losses, thrusting the industry into the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Even so, if nothing else, it has heightened the awareness of what goes on in the immediate aftermath. We have seen examples of cabin crew at their best and some passengers at their worst. As the crew deployed slides and directed evacuations, some of the travelling public have decided to get into altercations, film the chaos or take their baggage with them. The genuine urgency of the situation seemed to be lost as twisted priorities drowned out common sense – but then again, aviation doesn’t have that market cornered.

By comparison, the release of the movie Sully demonstrated how successful outcomes can be achieved when calm heads are kept and skilled crew do their job. While the film highlighted the benefits of experience, Hollywood seemed to insist on conjuring a ‘black hat’ and chose the NTSB and investigators to unfairly wear it. Still, compared to the absurdity of Flight, starring Denzel Washington, movie goers were at least given a more accurate profile of aircrew and airline operations.

Preflight safety videos are obviously ignored by those evacuating passengers who choose to take their luggage. However, many airlines have brought a number of eye-catching techniques to these mini-productions in an attempt to convey their safety message.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone became a feature when its maker wishes it hadn’t. Far from a case of sponsored product placement, these devices took to catching fire and exploding. This very unairworthy behaviour not only called the phone into question but again raised the debate about the carriage of any lithium batteries on board aircraft.

And on the issue of unairworthy behaviour, onboard violence surfaced again and even caused a flight to be diverted. Zero tolerance to these occurrences must be maintained in the interests of safety and the comfort of the broader travelling public.

Even though fatigue is recognised as a major threat on our roads, once again CASA’s deadline for operators to establish a fatigue risk management system (FRMS) was pushed back. A collective groan of frustration could be heard from pilot bodies across the country as flying hours continue to climb as the industry grows and new pilots are only just beginning to feed into the system. Ultimately, the fitness to fly will always be determined by the individual crew on board, but those same pilots are keen to see a new regime established that is suited to the current demands.

Drones also began popping up in the media and near aircraft on approach. It is a rapidly growing issue that won’t go away – ever. They are here to stay and the challenge now lies in finding a way in which we can all fly in harmony and respect each other’s personal airspace. Such dynamic growth is always difficult to legislate and educate in a timely manner, but doing so is imperative for safety’s sake.

Amid the apparent chaos, there were also many positive aspects to report. As mentioned, in many of the well-publicised emergencies, the crew performed admirably under difficult circumstances. In doing so, they not only ensured the welfare of their passengers, but highlighted the importance of quality training. Training is never cheap, but it is always worthwhile. Year after year it may be seen as a debit on the airline balance sheet, but it only needs to be actioned for a matter of seconds to justify its true value.

Our national carrier returned a substantial profit, paid a dividend and even started recruiting pilots for the first time in many years. Across the airlines, the demand for pilots appeared to rise and any movement in the ranks is good for morale. The only question is whether there are enough young pilots currently feeding into the system at the grass roots level? So, was 2016 a good or bad year? Good and bad probably aren’t the best terms to use – “challenging” is probably more appropriate. The behaviour of passengers is more a reflection of the broader community than anything that is aviation-specific. A sense of entitlement and bent priorities is commonplace in a world where Brad and Angelina splitting causes shockwaves while the tragedy of Aleppo is pushed to page 10.

The rise in drone activity represents the most rapid growth in aviation. This is not a bad thing. We are just finding it difficult to keep pace and ensure that the way forward is both safe and functional for all parties. Make no mistake, these machines are the way of the future and will ultimately perform tasks that we can’t even imagine at this stage. They will introduce an entirely new generation to aviation, albeit in a very different form to the old school. Let’s not forget that the Wright brothers probably invoked the ire of some with their infernal contraptions.

That these issues are creating debate would suggest that we are not remaining stagnant, nor resting on any ill-conceived laurels. Airlines and the aviation industry have always been innovative, venturing into areas that were previously untouched. Other industries have frequently piggy-backed on their concepts such as safety management and CRM. That the industry is still moving forward is a good thing and will inevitably raise more questions than answers at times.

2016 was a year of progress, but the challenges that have arisen will be passed on to 2017. Yet as we move forward, it is equally important not to try to reinvent the wheel or forget the lessons of the past, particularly if driven by a perceived commercial imperative. To do so could raise a whole new set of problematic variables and set the process back even further.

Good or bad? I don’t know – you be the judge. Until next year, stay safe.

Onboard violence surfaced again and even caused a flight to be diverted.