AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION

INTERNATIONAL ALPA

JOHN O’BRIEN

Director

Engineering & Air Safety Department

ALPA

64,000 MEMBERS

Flying for 42 Airlines in U.S. and Canada

Representing Domestic/International/Pax/Cargo

Member, International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations - IFALPA

AREAS OF DISCUSSION

• ALPA APPROACH• EDUCATION• TRAINING• OUTREACH

VOLCANIC ASHMulti-Faceted Approach

• Twenty-plus Years of Progress• Helped Identify and Categorize Damages• Promoted Operational Awareness• Promoted Research and Development• Promoted Improved Detection Capabilities• Helped to Improve and Coordinate Global

Communications• Working on Education Program

VOLCANIC ASH Education and Training

• No Innocent Ash cloud• Detection and Warning – Limited in Scope• Fundamental 1st step – Avoidance• Appropriate Reactions if Ash is Encountered• Procedures to Minimize Impact of Encounter– Understand, some damage inevitable

• Examples of Materials for Academics

VOLCANIC ASHMaterials for Academics

• US Geological Survey (USGS) Bulletin 2047 - Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety: Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety, Edited by Thomas J. Casadevall, Washington, DC, 1994

VOLCANIC ASH Materials for Academics

• International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Doc. 9691-AN/954 – Manual on Volcanic Ash, Radioactive Material, and Toxic Chemical Clouds, First Edition – 2001

VOLCANIC ASH Materials for Academics

• US Geological Survey (USGS) World Map of Volcanoes and Principal Aeronautical Features, by Thomas J. Casadevall and Theodore B. Thompson, Prepared in cooperation with Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc., 1995

VOLCANIC ASH Materials for Academics

• FAA Aviation Safety Journal Reprint, The Volcano Threat to Aviation Safety, Washington, DC, 1991

VOLCANIC ASH Materials for Academics

• US Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report 93-518, Volcanic Ash and Airports: Discussions and Recommendations from the Workshop on Impacts of Volcanic Ash on Airport Facilities, by Thomas J. Casadevall, Seattle, WA, April 26-28, 1993

VOLCANIC ASH Materials for Academics

• Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Volcanic Activity Reporting Form (VAR), 2004

VOLCANIC ASHEducation and Training

• Dispersion Path• Difficult to model forecast

• Critical to define footprint

• Airport Contamination• Equipment damage

• Runway surface effects

VOLCANIC ASHEducation and Training

• Key Elements• Detection – Seismic, satellite, visual• Path prediction – Environmental winds, forecast

algorithms• Communications – Interagency & intergovernmental

• Difficulties• Areas often remote – North Atlantic and North Pacific• Night – Lightly populated, no seismic monitoring• Lack of lead time – Minimal communications

VOLCANIC ASHOutreach

Research and Development

• Detection – Satellite Sensor Improvements– Resolution – hot spots

– Day/night/all weather

– Effective alert/action network