1 Preparing for the Hazards of Winter Ops2 Welcome to the Leading Edge e-Edition

3 Takeoff and Landing Report4 Links to Great Smart Phone Websites for Flight Planning

5 Making Sense of NOTAMs6 Aviation Safety Action Program Upate

Can you depart in heavy 1. snow without a published holdover time?

Can you depart with reports 2. of freezing fog combined with snow?

What parts of the aircraft 3. must be touched by hand on the preflight when the temper-ature falls below 5°C (41°F)?

It’s that time of year when ice and snow cling to wings and cover run-ways, testing pilots’ knowledge, pa-tience, and judgment as they deal with anti-ice holdover times and TLR data.

The past couple of years have seen several changes to holdover times and a dramatically different way for calcu-lating performance numbers.

With all the new rules and limitations, the goal is the same: ALWAYS make sure that frost, ice, or snow is not

NOTE: For additional Bombardier-specific deicing guidance, see the Icing Awareness video located in the PilotTraining Center on EPIC.

Please see Winter Ops page 2

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Comair N691CA dusk departure off runway 27 at General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport, Boston.

A Comair Central Air Safety Committee PublicationFall 2009

The EdgELEading

Hazards of Winter OpsPreparing for the

adhering to any critical surface prior to takeoff.

The FAA-approved Ground Deicing/Anti-Icing Program for Winter 2009−2010 is Revision 18 dated Sept. 15, 2009. It should be in the back of the Operations Manu-al and provides detailed information calculating holdover times.

New Jeppesen-style pink pages are being issued to all pilots by Comair Flight Standards and will include this deic-ing information in a readily acces-sible place for all pilots. These pages will replace the laminated pages previously found in the aircraft’s power pack.

The Flight Standards Manual Chapter 2, Limitations, and Chapter 3.A.5, Cold Weather Operations, also pro-vide deicing/anti-ice information.

PreflightThis is the time to find any frost, ice, or snow on critical surfaces, which in-clude the wings, horizontal stabilizer,

vertical stabilizer, control surfaces, and engine inlets. The CRJ50 does not have the benefit of slats on the leading edge and is particularly vul-nerable to lower takeoff stall speeds with contamination.

A touch check of the wing leading edge, forward upper surface, and rear upper surface must be done if the OAT is below 5°C, the wing fuel tem-perature is below 0°C, or atmospheric conditions have been conducive to frost formation.

Crews should pay close attention to snow or ice accumulation inside the cowls near the engine fan blades. Comair aircraft have suffered dam-age from fan blades being frozen to the cowling. If unsure, pilots should ask Maintenance to make sure the fan blades spin freely prior to engine start.

Pilots should also ensure that there is N1 fan rotation prior to thrust lever advancement during starts to prevent engine damage.

By Steve Petersen, CRJ50 Captain, and Dean Weaver, CRJ50 First Officer

InsIde…

2 ThE LEading EdgE

Winter OpsContinued from page 1

The EdgELEading

Please share any ideas, questions, or comments you have with us.

Editor: Dean Weaver

E-mail: Dean.Weaver@alpa.org

Mail inquiries to: Comair MEC

Attn: Leading Edge 3490 Olympic Blvd., Suite 120

Erlanger, KY 41018

The Leading Edge is a quarterly publication produced by volunteer Comair pilots who are members of ALPA’s Central Air Safety Committee. The goal of the commit-tee is to promote and enhance safety at Comair.

Welcome to the Leading Edgee EditionBy ALPA’s Air Safety Committee at ComairWelcome to the new e-edition of Comair’s Leading Edge newsletter produced by the ALPA Safety Committee.

This e-newsletter replaces the printed newsletter and will be sent to pilot e-mail addresses on file with ALPA. The new format allows the Safety Committee a quicker way to communicate time-critical safety info to pilots. The e-newsletter is in a PDF file format that can be accessed over the Internet so it can be read anywhere. It can be easily viewed on the screen or printed for future reference.

Publishing this newsletter online ver-sus print also provides a substantial cost savings.

Please make sure you have a current e-mail address on file with ALPA so you can stay abreast of urgent safety articles and bulletins.

As always, your ideas and feedback on how to improve the Leading Edge newsletter are welcome.

Please submit any comments to the Leading Edge newsletter editor, Dean Weaver, at Dean.Weaver@alpa.org.

Please see Winter Ops page 3

Remember: Bombardier has released training material that states that if the leading edge of the CRJ100/200 aircraft had contamination equivalent to 40-grit sandpaper, then lift coeffi-cient would be reduced by 30 percent and the stall angle of attack would be reduced by as much as 7 degrees.

Bombardier has put out stringent pre-flight guidance and reduced rotation-rate guidelines after some Challenger and CRJ aircraft suffered accidents and incidents from uncommanded roll on takeoff. Wing contamination of the leading edge and forward upper-wing surface was a factor in these takeoffs.

The asymmetrical stalling of one wing prior to the other caused the roll. Some pilots were able to regain con-trol but only after lowering the pitch angle. Aileron control input could not overpower the roll until the angle of attack was reduced, according to Bombardier’s Icing Awareness Video available on EPIC.

deicing/Anti-IcingThe FAA Deicing/Anti-Icing charts have not changed much from the pre-vious year. Heated Type I fluid is still used for deicing, with Type IV being the primary means of keeping the ice off the wings and tail until takeoff.

Be careful to read the Warnings and Notes when using the charts.

Deice with the flaps at zero to prevent fluid from freezing inside the flap actuation flex shaft lines on the CRJ50. Before exiting the deice pad, allow time to perform the taxi checklist, lower the flaps, and restart the APU.

CRJ50 limitations now require the wing anti-ice to be selected after the second engine is started during “final taxi” when the OAT is below 5°C (41°F), even on clear days. This is done to ensure that any frost or contamination on the wing is melted prior to takeoff.

Captains need to provide adequate taxi time to start the second engine

and let it stabilize for two minutes with the wing anti-ice on to ensure that the leading edge heating is complete.

Crews should exercise extreme cau-tion when operating in heavy snow. No published holdover times exist for heavy snow; however, the Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-Icing Program (page 6-23) does permit a departure if the aircraft is checked five minutes prior to takeoff.

The aircraft must be inspected to determine if it has a clean wing.

In heavy snow:The aircraft must be anti-iced with 100 percent Type IV.

The CRJ 50 MUst have a tactile check of all critical surfaces within five minutes of takeoff. Look for these inspections near the end of the runway. If this cannot be done, the aircraft must be deiced again.

The CRJ70/90 may have the wings visually checked by a cabin check or tactile check. To conduct the cabin check, the first officer should look

through the windows in the cabin’s emergency exit row. Or a tactile check can be done five minutes prior to takeoff. The cabin check can substitute for a tactile check only on the CRJ70/90, and the parking brake must be set during this inspection.

The FAA has given pilots more discre-tion this year in determining snow intensity by using the prevailing Visibility Chart. A trained weather observer in the control tower often reports the snow intensity as light, moderate, or heavy. The ATIS and RVR reports also provide support-ing visibility data. However, if a snow squall approaches a runway, the pi-lots may determine that the intensity has increased.

On the CrJ50, heavy snow requires a tactile check five minutes prior to takeoff because it is more vulnerable to wing contami-nation without the aid of leading-edge slats. At CVG, these tactile inspec-tions are sometimes done with an observer near the end of the runway. However, tactile inspections are lim-ited at other airports.

Good judgment certainly allows CRJ50 pilots to perform a cabin inspection of the wings to help ensure a clean wing prior to takeoff, but in heavy snow a tactile check must be performed.

The CRJ70/90 pilots can perform a cabin check of the wing surface from

the emergency-row exit windows dur-ing periods of heavy snow if they are unable to get a tactile check.

Multiple Forms of Freezing PrecipitationLast year, some Comair crews were confronted with freezing fog com-bined with snow or other forms of freezing precipitation.

A Warning Note on page 6-15 of the FAA-approved Aircraft Ground Deicing/Anti-Icing Program prohibits dispatch in these conditions.

WARnInG—When SAE Type IV fluid has been applied, dispatch

ter 6B, and use the Single Section TLR Data to obtain the maximum runway takeoff weight and V-speeds.

If actual takeoff weight is within 1. 1,000 pounds of Maximum Runway Takeoff Weight (MRTW), use the V-speeds from the Single Section.

If actual takeoff weight is 1,000 2. pounds or more below MRTW, compare the flap setting for the de-parture runway with the Max Temp Section.

If the flap settings do not match, 3. use the Single Section V-speeds.

If flap settings are the same, compare 4. the charts and use the lowest V1.

Compare charts and use the lower 5. VR and associated V2.

Use the Thrust Setting from the 6. Single Section.

When landing on a contaminated runway, refer to the Minimum Land-ing Distance Section on the TLR and reference the appropriate runway sur-face condition. FSM Chapter 6B ex-plains the landing charts and contami-nation definitions and abbreviations.

Aerodata’s Takeoff and Landing Report (TLR) will need additional scrutiny when departing with wing and cowl anti-ice. Performance weights and V-speeds also change with runway contamination. Refer to Flight Standards Manual Chapter 6B for TLR planning.

nOte: Using the TLR in adverse weather conditions presents pilots with many challenges. There are numerous tables and more than 25 pages of explanation in the Flight Standards Manual. Do not rush through the process, reference the books, and use good Crew Resource Management making sure both pilots agree on thrust settings, weights, and V-speeds prior to pushback.

Start with the Max Weight Sec-1. tion and use the report titled “A/I PER LIMITATIONS” to get the correct N1 Normal Thrust number and Runway Limited Performance number.

Takeoff and Landing ReportBy ALPA’s Air Safety Committee at Comair

V-speeds in the Max Temp chart 2. should not be affected by the 14th Stage Bleed Air configuration when using Wing and Cowl Anti-Ice, according to Comair Flight Standards. For the CRJ50: When departing 10th Stage Bleeds Open, use the “BLOP” correc-tions at the bottom of the chart.

For the CRJ50: Go to the Max 3. Temp Chart for “A/I OFF – NORM” and use the V-speeds appropriate for the aircraft’s weight and runway surface condition. The CRJ70/90 does not distinguish between NORM and FLEX thrust charts since it has the performance advantages from Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).

CRJ50 pilots need to make sure they have selected the correct anti-ice bleed configuration in the FMS when copying the max thrust, max continu-ous, and climb thrust numbers onto the worksheet.

If departing on a contaminated run-way, determine the level of contami-nation by consulting the FSM Chap-

NOTE: More detailed guidance on TLR Winter Ops is available from a Flight Standards “PIREP” report available on EPIC.

3Fall 2009

Winter OpsContinued from page 2

Please see Winter Ops page 4

is prohibited in conditions of heavy ice pellets, snow pellets, moderate and heavy freezing rain, hail, or conditions where no holdover time exists.the phrase “conditions where no holdover time exists” was added as the result of an ASAP report. The crew refused to depart in freezing fog and snow because of concerns about holdover times. The ASAP Event Review Committee unanimously agreed to change the language for the warning note.

the FAA does not provide hold-over times for multiple forms of freezing precipitation. The excep-tions to this are ice pellets with other forms of precipitation and a note that allows for light-freezing-rain holdover times to be used when light snow is mixed with light rain.

Holdover times do not take the place of a pre-takeoff check for a clean aircraft, but the times do provide a guideline for anti-ice fluid effective-ness. Pilots should always pay close

attention to the wiper arms and out-board wings while on the flight deck to monitor ice accumulation. The first officer can perform a cabin check of the wings if needed.

If there is any doubt the wings are clean, the aircraft must be deiced again.

Comair’s ALPA Central Air Safety Committee has stood, and will con-tinue to stand, behind any crew who correctly chooses not to depart in con-ditions where no holdover time exists.

Captains always have the final authority in making a go/no-go deci-sion. Pilots should never let them-selves be pushed into departing in hazardous icing conditions without a holdover time. Any crew that feels pressured to dispatch should immedi-ately contact an ALPA Safety repre-sentative at 1-800-283-1335, and call the ASAP Hotline.

One final concern that caused icing trouble last year was low nozzle tem-perature when applying heated Type I deicing fluid. This forced crews to re-

turn to the deicing pad at more than one airport. The minimum tempera-ture for deicing with heated Type I is 160°F (71°C). The deicing staff will provide this information to the crew if it is requested.

Deicing during winter operations adds to task saturation on the flight deck. Pilots are encouraged to slow down and use good judgment in determining how to get the aircraft to the end of the runway with a clean wing.

Remember that holdover times are needed for dispatch, but there are other factors to consider. The ef-fectiveness of anti-ice fluid changes as the type and intensity of the precipitation changes. Strong winds, jet blast, falling temperatures, and cold, soaked wings also shorten the effectiveness of anti-ice fluid.

Deice and anti-ice operations are not an exact science. It takes a diligent, well-trained crew to make sure the aircraft’s critical surfaces are contam-inate-free prior to takeoff.

4 ThE LEading EdgE

Links to Great smart Phone Websites for Flight Planning My-Cast

www.digitalcyclone.comDigital weather for smart phones includes animated Nexrad radar and satellite imagery, current con-ditions and observations, six-day forecasts, and the ability to store multiple locations. My-Cast is a Garmin company, and there are fees for some of the services.

Aviation Mobi www.wxsys.comA free mobile website that gives pilots the tools of a dispatcher on their phone. Get METAR, TAF, NWS Regional/National radar, NOTAMs, SIGMET/AIRMET, Winds Aloft, airport runway lengths, and even instrument approach procedures. Just type in the ICAO identifier for the airport.

Flight stats www.flightstats.comA free mobile website that provides estimated and actual flight arrival and departure times. Information on flights can be accessed by route, flight number, or airport. It also includes airport weather, real-time flight maps, and next-flight-out information.

Winter OpsContinued from page 3

5Fall 2009

A critical part of every pre-flight includes scanning dozens of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) looking for a hid-

den gotcha, something that overrides a procedure on a Jeppesen diagram.

These obscure, abbreviated NOTAMs tagged onto the end of a dispatch release reference dozens of changes to instrument-approach minimums and missed-approach procedures, along with changes to arrivals and departures.

Not adhering to some of these notices could result in a Letter of Warning from the FAA or put the aircraft dangerously close to an unseen obstruction.

The most recent gotcha for several pilots at several airlines came buried in this NOTAM, which raised the Newark Seven and Mariner Two De-parture altitude from 2,500 to 3,000 feet when departing 4L/R.

see example:This serves as a reminder that not ev-erything is “as advertised” on the ATIS or in the Jeppesen diagram.

This is not the only instance airline crews have been caught off guard. A couple years ago several Comair crews accepted an instrument ap-proach into KLGA and later learned they were not legal to conduct the approach. A NOTAM had raised the minimum visibility on the approach for Category D aircraft, and this change was not reflected on the Jeppesen Instrument Approach chart.

The problem with deciphering NOTAMs is compounded by their volume. The above Newark Seven NOTAM was one of 31 issued to pilots for KEWR.

A quick scan of NOTAMs at other airports shows a similar deluge of information. At KJFK, there were 64

!USD 08/236 (KEWR A1688/09) EWR AIRSPACE

NEWARK SEVEN DEPARTURE MARINER TWO

DEPARTURE CHANGE TAKE-OFF RWY 4L/R

DEPARTURE ROUTE DESCRIPTION TO READ:

CLIMB VIA HEADING 060, UPON CROSSING

4 DME RWY 4R ILS (USE RWY 4L ILS ONLY

IF 4R ILS IS NOT AVAILABLE), TURN LEFT HEADING 290 MAINTAIN 3000 FEET.

THENCE... CHANGE TAKE-OFF RWY 11 DEPARTURE ROUTE DESCRIPTION TO READ:

CLIMB VIA HEADING 060 (DO NOT PROCEED

EAST OF COL R-023). UPON CROSSING 4 DME

RWY 4R ILS (USE RWY 4L ILS ONLY IF 4R

ILS IS NOT AVAILABLE), TURN LEFT HEADING

290 MAINTAIN 3000 FEET. THENCE... ALL OTHER DATA REMAINS THE SAME.

Making sense of

NOTAMs; KLGA, 48; and KBOS, 34. Combine ar-rival and departure airport NOTAMs onto one dispatch release, and there are sometimes more than 100 notices vying for the crew’s attention.

Why so many nOTAMs?The Federal Aviation Admin-istration changed the way it issues NOTAMs on Jan. 28, 2008. Now, all local (L) NOTAMs have been inte-grated into the distant (D) NOTAMs. This means a NOTAM (L) that is broadcast on the ATIS now gets the same widespread dissemination as the NOTAM (D) and will be printed on the dispatch release.

These changes occurred when the FAA took over the NOTAM function from Lockheed Martin with the intent to standardize and consolidate differ-ent databases into one.

Flight Data Center (FDC) NOTAMs remain unchanged and contain infor-mation that is regulatory in nature pertaining to flight including, but not limited to, changes to charts, proce-dures, and airspace usage.

Sifting through all these NOTAMs isn’t easy. But a few simple strate-gies may help captains and first of-ficers avoid filing an ASAP after they discover a pilot deviation has been filed by Air Traffic Control.

Use All Available resources1. When you check in for a flight as-signment at the beginning of a trip and print your DSL, take a couple of

NOTAMs

extra minutes to check the weather and click on the tab labeled QBS, Query by Station. Input the airports on your trip, and it will show you a list of NOTAMs. Take a moment to scan through FDC NOTAMs to look for changes to ILS visibilities or decision altitudes, espe-cially if you are planning for instru-ment conditions. Missed-approach procedures also may be different.

Review any USD and UAR NOTAMs that may change departure or arrival procedures. Make a note of the af-fected runways on your DSL so you know what to look up in the release once under way.

Harness the power 2. of the internet.

Technology and smart phones have put the tools of an airline dispatcher in the palm of a pilot’s hand. New Weather-on-Demand Internet sites like www.wxsys.com give Windows Mobile and iPhone users the ability to look up NOTAMs for any U.S. airport in seconds. While these free websites are not a substitute for a dispatch

By Dean Weaver CRJ50 First Officer

Please see nOtAMs page 7

6 ThE LEading EdgE

UpdateThe Event Review Committee made up of Comair’s Corporate Flight Safety, the FAA, and the ALPA Safety Committee has been tracking several safety concerns since the new ASAP program was launched in June.

safety concerns that pilots should be aware of include:

scheduling issues 1. Pilots are being asked to closely monitor their schedules for one-in-seven issues per FAR 121.471. The FAA consid-ers a long-call reserve pilot’s obligation to call the company the day before a reserve win-dow begins to be a day of duty. Please monitor your schedule to ensure you have at least 24 hours free from duty during each seven calendar days.

The ASAP ERC has received several reports of inaccu-rate block-in and block-out times. These times are what Scheduling uses to comply with FAR duty and rest requirements. Pilots should monitor their schedules to make sure they are not sched-uled to fly more than 8 hours per day, 30 hours during any seven-day period, and that they comply with the current rest requirements. Please submit changes to block times using the form available on Epic at the end of each duty

day. Unfortunately, this is the only method pilots have to change block times.

Headset Usage2. The ASAP ERC has received several reports of headsets being unavailable for pushback at congested ramps in JFK and BOS. Headsets should always be used for pushback. On the rare occasion a functioning headset cannot be used, the Comair Operations Manual requires that the ramp personnel discuss the use of hand signals with the captain prior to pushback.

Being pushed back without a headset creates an unneces-sary safety risk.

If headsets are not available for pushback, ask the tug driv-er to locate a headset. If a sta-tion does not have headsets available, submit an ASAP so the station managers can be made aware of the need for functioning headsets.

Flight Attendants required for Boarding AnD Deplaning Aircraft

Make sure the flight attendant(s) are on the aircraft for boarding and deplaning. A pilot cannot take the place of a flight attendant to assist in the process, according to Comair manuals. The required number of flight attendants

must be on board to assist passengers getting on or off the aircraft since an emergency could still occur on the ground that might require a rapid evacuation.

navigating the Kennedy One 3. Departure

When performing the Canarsie or Breezy Point climb-out of JFK, it is permissible to allow the nonflying pilot to use White (FMS-derived) Navigation Data. Per the Pink Pages, the flying pilot must re-main in Green (VOR-derived) Navigation Data. By utilizing both sources of navigation data, the nonflying pilot can assist the flying pilot and help lead the turn to the appropri-ate radial. However, building a departure is still prohibited.

When departing 31 Left from KK intersection, pilots may want to consider using the most favorable thrust/flap-setting combination to ensure they turn inside the Canarsie 039 radial.

New RNAV departures are being developed for JFK that will allow both pilots to navigate using White (FMS-derived) data. Comair is flight-testing these departures in the simulator, as are other airlines in working with Air Traffic Control to adopt more precise departure tracks out of New York’s congested airspace.

pLeAse4. Update Your phone Contact information or risk enforcement Action

Aviation safety Action Program

ASAP Hotline 1-866-274-7088(Call within 24 hours at the end of the duty day)

Electronic reports are submitted to: www.comairsafety.com

ImPortAntASAP

Info:

Please see AsAp page 7

7Fall 2009

nOtAMsContinued from page 5

ThE LEading EdgE

release, they do help in flight planning and are quite accurate.

The FAA has its own official NOTAM Internet search site at https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/distribu-tion/home.html.

And, of course, there is the old standby DUATS system, which still provides plain English text NOTAMs to pilots.

practice Decoding a Few 3. nOtAMs.

On the right is a quick refresher on how Notices to Airmen are written.

nOTAM (d) Falls into One of 12 Categories: 1. rWY: Runway

2. tWY: Taxiway

3. rAMp

4. AprOn

5. AD: Aerodrome used to denote airports, helipads, and heliports. Includes 5nm radius around each.

6. OBst: Obstructions including obstruction lighting outages usually identified by distance from airport.

7. nAV: Navigation aids

8. COM: Communications

9. sVC: Services

10. AirspACe

11. U: Unidentified

12. O: Other

Now, a quick lesson on how the FAA writes a NOTAM and how the information appears starting from the left:

1. Exclamation point.

2. Identifier for the accountability location.

3. Identifier for the affected facility or location. For obstructions, this is the closest airport.

4. Keyword such as RWY or OBST to categorize notice.

5. Surface location for RWY, TWY, and RAMP notices.

6. Condition being reported.

7. Time notice is effective.

Perhaps the most confusing part of many NOTAMs is decoding the effec-tive times. The date and times from left to right are:

two-digit year/two-digit month/two-digit day/Four-digit time

example:!ABC ABC AD CLsD 1100-1900 DLY WeF 0811011100-0811151900

Explanation: The ABC airport is closed from 1100 to 1900 daily from november 1, 2008, at 1100 until november 15, 2008, at 1900.

While the FDC NOTAM format remains unchanged for 2009, there are still a couple of ways to simplify reading them:

The FDC NOTAM begins with a num-ber code, which is often followed by contraction USD or UAR.

UsD notices depict changes to the published departure procedure (DP) for an airport.

UAr notices are for Standard Termi-nal Procedures (STAR) to an airport.

Knowing any changes to these arriv-als and departures prior to being as-signed the route by ATC is essential.

Improvements Are ComingEvery pilot knows that the NOTAM system is in desperate need of mod-ernization. The formatting, number-ing, and abbreviations that make the NOTAMs so difficult to read is a holdover from the era of the teletype. Changes are on the way, but pilots may have to wait a couple more years to see the result.

In the future, computers will lock on to key phrases in the NOTAMs and group pertinent notices together by runways. As moving-map technology finds its way into modern cockpits, some of this digital data may be able to depict closed runways and taxiways with an “X” on the screen. Crews could be alerted to new ILS minimums when they program the FMS for an arrival runway.

Until then, a few extra minutes scan-ning the release at the gate will have to be done by each airline crew that wants to avoid the “gotcha.”

AsAp UpDAteContinued from page 6

The ASAP Event Review Committee occasionally becomes aware of pilot deviations filed by Air Traffic Control. A representative of the ASAP ERC will try to contact pilots by phone to invite them into the ASAP program. We need current phone numbers to invite pilots into the program. Please make sure you have a current phone number on file with Scheduling. If someone from Comair or the ALPA Safety Committee contacts you about ASAP, please return the call and help us gather valuable safety data. Participating in the program shields you from company discipline and grants you FAA enforcement incentives. Your pilot certificate may be at risk—protect it.

Once you have filed an ASAP, make sure your personal con-tact information is up-to-date in the ASAP WBAT system.