Flight Following

[skidoo]

Just wondering how many pilots feel that their flight following system isn't really functioning as well as it should, especially after hours. Does your company make you take the phone home with you to flight follow at night? Just trying to see what others are doing?

[Rudy]

If your unsatisfied with your flight followers (ie. "Just lock up the door after you get back tonight.") I suggest filing a flight plan with Nav Canada. The only catch is if you haven't done this for a number of years there is a good chance you could forget to close it with them. This could end up costing your company $20000+ in SAR fees vs. the $20 it would have cost them to have the follower stay the extra hour.

Have something though. If you're hurt and alone in the bush every minute counts. You want someone reliable noticing you never came back.

[just curious]

Our evening dispatches have Skytrac to watch us on Google Earth, with posits and ETAs. When we taxi in, we call' em on the panel mounted sat phone and tell 'em good night.

[ahramin]

NavCanada isn't exactly a paragon of reliability either.

There is no excuse for poor flight following. Talk to your CP and get it addressed.

[Rudy]

There is no excuse for poor flight following. Talk to your CP and get it addressed.

+1

JC,
Wow, what an age we live in.

[Hot Fuel]

Not to be overly picky but this one of my pet peeves...Whats my job and who's responsible for what!

I think its worth pointing out that flight following is not part of a chief pilots responsibilities, it rests with the Director of Flight Operations, Operations Manager or whatever title your particular opertion chooses to use for the position.

(2) Qualifications and Responsibilities of Operations Personnel

(a) Operations Manager

(i) Qualifications

(A) hold or have held the appropriate licence and ratings for which a pilot-in-command is required to hold for one of the aircraft operated by the air operator or have acquired not less than 2 years related flight operations experience with an air operator of a commercial air service or equivalent military experience; and
(amended 2004/12/01; previous version)

(B) have demonstrated to the air operator knowledge with respect to the content of the operations manual, Air Operator Certificate and Operations Specifications and the provisions of the regulations and standards necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities to ensure safety.

(ii) Responsibilities

The operations manager is responsible for safe flight operations. In particular, the responsibilities of the position include:

(A) control of operations and operational standards of all aircraft operated;

(B) operations co-ordination functions which impact on operational control (eg. maintenance, crew scheduling, load control, equipment scheduling);

(C) contents of the air operator's Company Operations Manual;

(D) the supervision of, and the production and amendment of, the Company Operations Manual;

(E) training and qualifications of flight operations personnel;

(F) liaison with the regulatory authority on matters concerning flight operations including any variation to the Air Operator Certificate;

(G) liaison with any external agencies which may effect air operator operations;

(H) ensuring that the air operator's operations are conducted in accordance with current regulations, standards and the Company Operations Manual;

(I) ensuring that crew scheduling complies with flight and duty time regulations;

(J) ensuring that all crew members are kept informed of any changes to applicable regulations and standards;

(K) the receipt and actioning of any aeronautical information affecting the safety of flight;

(L) dissemination of flight operations safety information;

(M) qualifications of flight crews;

(N) maintenance of a current operations library; and

(O) ensuring that responsibilities for operational control functions are delegated to qualified personnel.

(b) Chief Pilot

(i) Qualifications

(A) If the Air Operator Certificate authorizes:

(I) VFR day only - hold a valid Airline Transport Pilot Licence or Commercial Pilot Licence for the category of aircraft operated;

(II) VFR at Night - hold a valid Airline Transport Pilot Licence or Commercial Pilot Licence valid for night and a valid Instrument Rating for the category of aircraft operated. Where the Air Operator Certificate authorizes VFR at night only without an instrument rating, the chief pilot need not be instrument rated;

(III) IFR - hold a valid Airline Transport Pilot Licence or Commercial Pilot Licence and a Valid Instrument Rating for the category of aircraft operated;

(B) if applicable, hold a type rating for one of the aircraft operated;

(C) have at least 500 hours of flight time, of which 250 hours were acquired within the preceding three years on the category of aircraft operated by the air operator;
(amended 2000/12/01; previous version)

(D) be qualified in accordance with the air operators training program to act as pilot-in-command on one of the types operated by the air operator;

(E) have demonstrated knowledge to the air operator with respect to the content of the operations manual, provisions of the regulations and standards, and if applicable, the company check pilot manual and standard operating procedures.

(ii) Responsibilities

The chief pilot is responsible for the professional standards of flight crew and in particular:

(A) developing standard operating procedures;

(B) developing or implementing all required crew member approved training programs;

(C) issuing directives and notices to the flight crews as required;

(D) the actioning and distribution of accident, incident, and other occurrence reports;

(E) the processing and actioning of any crew reports;

(F) the supervision of flight crews;

(G) assuming responsibilities delegated by the Operations Manager; and

(H) ensuring that duties are delegated to qualified individuals.

At this point I'll add that if your Ops manager has "delegated" flight following to the chief pilot it still does not remove the responsibiliy from his portfolio otherwise they would simply delegate all thier responsibilities and avoid the heat of the frying pan completely.

[Widow]

There have been too many incidences in the past where a failure to properly flight follow has resulted in rescue delays and even death.

Please, don't put yourself at added risk. Insist someone is paying attention, no matter what time of day or night.

[SAR_YQQ]

This could end up costing your company $20000+ in SAR fees vs. the $20 it would have cost them to have the follower stay the extra hour.

Bit of a misnomer there... Nav Canada doesn't active SAR as soon as you are overdue. They conduct a comprehensive comm search to all points between your departure and destination. They will even call that phone number that you put on the bottom of the ICAO. RCC isn't even notified until after all of these steps have been met.

[Widow]

And on that note, when has a CDN company been charged for an unneccessary SAR search?

[ahramin]

Hot Fuel, my pet peeve is people with pet peeves: what a silly concept.

Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't suggesting that the chief pilot is responsible for flight following. I was saying that the pilot in question should bring up the problem to the chief pilot. Not that a written job description is the ultimate say in a person's responsibilities but point E) the processing and actioning of any crew reports is the chief pilot's responsibility. Poor flight following should be brought up to the CP, who is then responsible for bringing it up to the person responsible. Clear as mud?

[Sidebar]

What really matters here is getting SAR activated in a timely manner.

If you're badly injured and stuck in a torn up wreck out in the boonies, you don't want to be waiting till the next morning when some desk jockey gets to work and realizes you're not back before someone comes looking for you.

Test your system, make sure it works and covers YOUR ass.

[Tim]

after our twin spun into the woods north of fredericton, our dispatcher was the one that initiated the SAR. when he realized the plane was overdue, he tried getting them on the radio, then he hauled out the big red binder and started going through the list. he was just doing his job, but the fact that he did it promptly and properly allowed SAR to locate and rescue our pilots in very short order.

[flyinthebug]

I was found by SAR in 20 mins and im more then grateful to all involved. Nothing excuses poor flight following in this era of aviation.

Fly safe all.

[nookie201]

Good example is Dynamic Aviation's King Air A90 that went down in Amazon last november (2008).

Shows you can't have enough real-time flight following information. Essentially they know 20 minutes after last (GPS) contact it went down. Aircraft not found to this date.
...and that is only 20 minutes. Obviously good position data is just as important as having someone report it.

Two US Pilots, & 1 Canadian equipment Operator on a survey mission still missing.

G