Pilot training and confidence is everything when it comes to safety in the air according to this week’s guest, Captain Chinar Shah. She’s a professional pilot, flying for more than 19 years,13 as a pilot in the airline ranks including a number of months in the Boeing 737 Max.  
 
Shah used to fly for Jet Airways in India. She converted her license in the U.S. with the FAA and she has seen all sides of training in the United States and worldwide. 
 
In this week’s episode, Shah and the Flight Safety Detectives talk about the training, confidence, knowledge, steel nerves and experience it takes to be the best of the best. According to Shah, pilots need to know what “The Normal” is in the air so when there is an extraordinary dangerous situation, the pilot knows immediately what is wrong and how to correct it.
 
She says, “The concern here is the reaction to the malfunction, rather than the malfunction itself....You can’t have a complete power outage, for example, with only three minutes to land and not know what to do.”   
 
The culture of a country, the training and the airline may play a part in the way pilots react. Will a relatively new first officer with only 1,500 hours in the air comment on and help correct a mistake made in the cockpit by an experienced captain with more than 20,000 hours? She says, “There are times when I’ve seen people be completely submissive.”  
 
Shah has a deep respect for all of the professionals who inspect, repair and approve an aircraft before it takes to the air. She says, “I’ve always had great rapport with engineers and mechanics and they always teach you a thing or two about the airplane. Sure, it’s always the PIC (Pilot in Charge) who says whether the plane goes but it’s a collective decision.”
 
Shah started her flying in general aviation in India. She says that introduced her to a system she says might inhibit the growth of decision making skills because it is so restrictive. “[Overseas] they are very reluctant to let you go solo…In my opinion, that does hamper your growth as a pilot - your decision making.  In many parts of the world, you have someone telling you ‘do this, do that.’”

WASHINGTON, DC, October 16, 2019 – John Goglia and Gregory Feith are two of aviation’s most well-known, well-informed and outspoken aviation safety insiders. In the latest episode of their podcast series “Flight Safety Detectives,” they explore inconsistencies in training standards in the U.S. and worldwide that often lead to catastrophic crashes.  Goglia is a former NTSB board member and, Feith is former NTSB lead investigator, having investigated more than 2,500 air crashes.  

The podcasts are available at flightsafetydetectives.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Goglia and Feith today posted the sixth episode in their “Flight Safety Detectives,” podcast series -- an interview with Captain Chinar Shah, manager of safety for Jet Airways (where she used to be a pilot) and senior flight operations consultant at GHS Aviation Group.  

Shah is a professional pilot, flying for more than 19 years,13 as a pilot in the airline ranks including the Boeing 737 Max. Her career commenced with an appointment as an ATR72 First Officer in 2006. She then rapidly advanced within the Jet Airways organization in both grade and position being promoted to ATR72 Captain in 2011, ATR72 Line Training Captain in 2012, and B737NG and B737MAX Line Captain in 2014.

Shah and the Flight Safety Detectives talk about the training, confidence, knowledge, nerves and experience it takes to be the best of the best.  According to Shah, pilots need to know what “The Normal” is in the air so when there is an extraordinary and dangerous situation, the pilot knows immediately what is wrong and how to correct it.  

In previous podcasts, Goglia and Feith have covered extensively the Boeing 737 Max crashes, most recently questioning recommendations issued by the NTSB, tasking the FAA and aircraft manufactures with “dumbing down” the latest generation commercial airplanes to make up for the incompetent or unqualified pilots who may be flying these airplanes in the future.  Feith says that “these recommendations are an embarrassment and an insult to the well-trained men and women who spend hundreds of hours in training and are capable, competent and well qualified to handle any issue that they may face.”  

Goglia has more than 60 years in the aviation safety business. He is the only airframe and power plant mechanic to get a presidential appointment as an NTSB board member where he spent nearly a decade leading the most important aviation investigations and influencing policy. His experience in the industry has made him a highly sought-after consultant, expert, speaker and writer. He is frequent contributor to Forbes Magazine and author of Torqued, a monthly column appearing in AINOnline. Goglia is also chairman of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA).

Feith is a former NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator and “Go-Team” captain. He has more than 40 years of aviation safety experience. Feith spent more than two decades with the NTSB serving as the Investigator-In-Charge or U.S. Accredited Representative for numerous high-profile aircraft accidents including Valujet in the Florida Everglades, American Eagle ATR-72 in Roselawn, Korean Air Boeing 747 in Guam, among many others. 

He has investigated more than 2,500 aircraft accidents worldwide. In addition, Feith led a team of mountain climbers to 21,000 feet on Mt. Illimani in Bolivia to investigate the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 980, the highest “controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT)” crash in aviation history. Feith is also an aviation products inventor and has been inducted into the “Living Legends of Aviation.” 

Six episodes are currently available which include discussions about a variety of aviation subjects such as the October 2018 crash of a Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet, and the second MAX 8 jet crash that crashed in March 2019 involving Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.  

Goglia and Feith talk about how the industry, regulators and Congress are reacting not only to the controversial crashes that have grounded Boeing’s 737s, but also how the world regulators and the industry are reacting as well. Other podcast episodes address the regulatory and legal aspects of maintaining an aircraft, and “issues-of-the-day” that affect both commercial and general aviation pilots and mechanics.  The Flight Safety Detectives point fingers, interpret the facts, politics and policies related to specific incident and accident investigations, and ask the tough questions that haven’t been addressed by the industry or the national/international media.

In addition to flight safety-related topics, Goglia and Feith identify and discuss with their unique perspectives, topics of interest such as traveling with infants and children, tips and tricks for navigating through airports and security, dealing with unruly passengers, and packing your bags (what you can and cannot take through security) among many other topics.  There is no aviation-related topic that the Flight Safety Detectives won’t address.  The podcasts will also feature discussions with some of the world’s most knowledgeable and well-known aviation industry subject-matter experts, and Goglia and Feith also answer listener questions. 

To interview Goglia or Feith, please contact Robert Deigh 703-401-6339; robert@rdccommunication.com or call them directly. Also, to advertise on the show and/or website, or sponsor a Flight Safety Detectives show, please contact John Goglia at 703-597-4502 (gogliaj@gmail.com) or Greg Feith at 303-279-6096 (crashdetective@msn.com).  


 Robert Deigh
 703-401-6339
 www.rdccommunication.com

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University College of Aviation graduate student Beathia Tagoe is doing a capstone research project on AMT fatigue and is asking the PAMA community for help.

Please consider participating in a short, 10-minute survey in support the study. Respondents must be an active AMT, 18 years of age or older. Participation is anonymous and completely voluntary.

The survey will close Nov. 15.

It was a tropical Texas fall day sunny and 91 degrees and once again Roger Sickler hosted the PAMA booth at the DFW Airport Aviation & Transportation Career Expo, as he has for the past 15 years.

​The October 4 expo was attended by 2,000 students from surrounding Dallas/Fort Worth school districts ranging from elementary school to high school.

"The PAMA exhibit drew many people and I was very happy with the number of students, male and female with genuine interest in aviation maintenance," said Roger. "school administrators were offered information about PAMA to share at their schools."

The purpose of the expo is to give area students an opportunity to learn about careers, ask questions of industry experts and enjoy a hands-on experience in a variety of aviation and transportation fields. Thanks to Roger for his involvement and for waiving the PAMA flag.

WASHINGTON, DC, October 3, 2019 – John Goglia and Gregory Feith are two of aviation’s most well-known, well-informed and outspoken aviation safety insiders. In the latest episode of their podcast series “Flight Safety Detectives,” they not only question the validity of those recommendations, but also highlight the importance of pilot experience and training. 

The podcasts are available at flightsafetydetectives.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
 
In their podcast series, Goglia and Feith a wide-range of aviation issues that are making the news daily, as well as provide listeners with the “backstories” that are important to the flying public and the aviation industry. 
 
They talk about technical aspects of aviation and aerospace incidents and accidents, as well as bluntly discuss the politics and policies behind many issues that can mean life or death in the skies. In addition, they inform listeners about technologies and improvements in the industry that make aviation the safest form of transportation today.  
 
Goglia has more than 60 years in the aviation safety business. He is the only airframe and powerplant mechanic to get a presidential appointment as an NTSB Board member where he spent nearly a decade leading the most important aviation investigations and influencing policy. His experience in the industry has made him a highly sought-after consultant, expert, speaker and writer. He is frequent contributor to Forbes Magazine and author of Torqued, a monthly column appearing in AINOnline. Goglia is also chairman of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA).
 
Feith is a former NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator and “Go-Team” captain. He has more than 40 years of aviation safety experience. Feith spent more than two decades with the NTSB serving as the Investigator-In-Charge or U.S. Accredited Representative for numerous high-profile aircraft accidents including Valujet in the Florida Everglades, American Eagle ATR-72 in Roselawn, Korean Air Boeing 747 in Guam, among many others. 
 
He has investigated more than 2,500 aircraft accidents worldwide. In addition, Feith led a team of mountain climbers to 21,000 feet on Mt. Illimani in Bolivia to investigate the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 980, the highest “controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT)” crash in aviation history. Feith is also an aviation products inventor and has been inducted into the “Living Legends of Aviation.” 
 
Four episodes are currently available which include discussions about a variety of aviation subjects such as the October 2018 crash of a Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet, and the second MAX 8 jet crash that crashed in March 2019 involving Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
 
Goglia and Feith talk about how the industry, regulators and Congress are reacting not only to the controversial crashes that have grounded Boeing’s 737s, but also how the world regulators and the industry are reacting as well. Other podcast episodes address the regulatory and legal aspects of maintaining an aircraft, and “issues-of-the-day” that affect both commercial and general aviation pilots and mechanics.  The Flight Safety Detectives point fingers, interpret the facts, politics and policies related to specific incident and accident investigations, and ask the tough questions that haven’t been addressed by the industry or the national/international media.
 
In addition to flight safety-related topics, Goglia and Feith identify and discuss with their unique perspectives, topics of interest such as traveling with infants and children, tips and tricks for navigating through airports and security, dealing with unruly passengers, and packing your bags (what you can and cannot take through security) among many other topics.  There is no aviation-related topic that the Flight Safety Detectives won’t address.  The podcasts will also feature discussions with some of the world’s most knowledgeable and well-known aviation industry subject-matter experts, and Goglia and Feith also answer listener questions. 

To interview Goglia or Feith, please contact Robert Deigh at 703-401-6339; robert@rdcommunication.com. To advertise on the show and/or website, or sponsor a Flight Safety Detectives show, please contact John Goglia at 703-597-4502 (gogliaj@gmail.com) or Greg Feith at 303-279-6096 (crashdetective@msn.com). The series is available at flightsafeftydetectives.com and on many podcast apps. 

​MEDIA CONTACT                                   
Robert Deigh
RDC Public Relations, LLC
703-401-6339
robert@rdccommunication.com

WASHINGTON, DC, September 23, 2019 – John Goglia and Gregory Feith are two of aviation’s most well-known, well-informed and outspoken aviation safety insiders. They discuss -- in a new podcast series called “Flight Safety Detectives” -- a wide-range of aviation issues that are making the news daily, as well as provide listeners with the “backstories” that are important to the flying public and the aviation industry.  

Goglia and Feith talk about technical aspects of aviation and aerospace incidents and accidents, as well as bluntly discuss the “politics” and policies behind many issues that can mean life or death in the skies. In addition, they inform listeners about technologies and improvements in the industry that make aviation the safest form of transportation today.  The podcast are available at flightsafetydetectives.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

Goglia has more than 60 years in the aviation safety business. He is the only airframe and powerplant mechanic to get a presidential appointment as an NTSB Board member where he spent nearly a decade leading the most important aviation investigations and influencing policy. His experience in the industry has made him a highly sought-after consultant, expert, speaker and writer. He is frequent contributor to Forbes Magazine and author of Torqued, a monthly column appearing in AINOnline.  Goglia is also chairman of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA). 
 
Feith is a former NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator and “Go-Team” captain. He has more than 40 years of aviation safety experience. Feith spent more than two decades with the NTSB serving as the Investigator-In-Charge or U.S. Accredited Representative for numerous high-profile aircraft accidents including Valujet in the Florida Everglades, American Eagle ATR-72 in Roselawn, Korean Air Boeing 747 in Guam, among many others. He has investigated more than 2,500 aircraft accidents worldwide. In addition, Feith led a team of mountain climbers to 21,000 feet on Mt. Illimani in Bolivia to investigate the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 980, the highest “controlled-flight-into-terrain (CFIT)” crash in aviation history. Feith is also an aviation products inventor and has been inducted into the “Living Legends of Aviation.” 
 
A number of episodes are currently available which include discussions about a variety of aviation subjects such as the October 2018 crash of a Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet, and the second MAX 8 jet crash that crashed in March 2019 involving Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. 

Goglia and Feith talk about how the industry, regulators and Congress are reacting not only to the controversial crashes that have grounded Boeing’s 737s, but also how the world regulators and the industry are reacting as well. Other podcast episodes address the regulatory and legal aspects of maintaining an aircraft, and “issues-of-the-day” that affect both commercial and general aviation pilots and mechanics.  The Flight Safety Detectives point fingers, interpret the facts, politics and policies related to specific incident and accident investigations, and ask the tough questions that haven’t been addressed by the industry or the national/international media.
 
In addition to flight safety-related topics, Goglia and Feith identify and discuss with their unique perspectives, topics of interest such as traveling with infants and children, tips and tricks for navigating through airports and security, dealing with unruly passengers, and packing your bags (what you can and cannot take through security) among many other topics.  There is no aviation-related topic that the Flight Safety Detectives won’t address.  The podcasts will also feature discussions with some of the world’s most knowledgeable and well-known aviation industry subject-matter experts, and Goglia and Feith also answer listener questions. Listener interest in “Flight Safety Detectives” has been strong and the numbers already are in the tens of thousands and growing.
 
To interview Goglia or Feith, please contact Robert Deigh 703-401-6339; robert@rdccommunication.com. To advertise on the show and/or website, or sponsor a Flight Safety Detectives show, please contact John Goglia at 703-597-4502 (gogliaj@gmail.com) or Greg Feith at 303-279-6096 (crashdetective@msn.com).  The series is available at flightsafetydetectives.com and on many podcast apps. 

The Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance (​AWAM) is excited to accept applications for the 2020 AWAM scholarship season.

Applicants can apply online and watch the application tutorial video at www.awam.org/scholarships.

Student, technician, and instructor scholarships are available (to be eligible, the instructor must be employed by an AWAM-member school).

Direct inquiries to scholarships@awam.org.

Update: The President has formally acknowledged AMT Day: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-message-aviation-maintenance-technician-day/

Aviation leaders sent a letter to the president earlier this week, seeking formal recognition of May 24 as Aviation Maintenance Technician Day. The day is already officially recognized by nearly all 50 United States, Commonwealths and Territories, United States Congress, and United States Senate.
​
The letter, initiated by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association and the Aerospace Maintenance Council, requests that "the White House honor a true American hero that was almost forgotten by history, and recognize the importance of the contributions made by Charles E. Taylor and the men and women who have followed in his footsteps by celebrating Aviation Maintenance Technician Day on May 24 of this year and each year following."

In addition to PAMA, AMFA and AMC, the letter was signed by--

​Aeronautical Repair Station Association
Aircraft Electronics Association
Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
Airlines for America
Aviation Mechanics Coalition
Aviation Technician Education Council
Helicopter Association International
National Air Carrier Association
National Air Transportation Association
Regional Airline Association