Page 12 - InterPilot Issue 1 2016

12 NEWS, NOTES & EVENTS

I continued flying regularly throughout my Chairman at the IFALPA Annual Conference
childhood and young adult years”. Airplanes – in Madrid, SF/O Rodriguez has served in the
from the exterior to the flight deck where Technical Department as Deputy Chairman
everything happens – have always fascinated for his Member Association, SEPLA. SF/O
th
him ever since. To fulfill his dream of Rodriguez attended the IATA’s 24 AVSEC
becoming a professional pilot, he attended World Conference as an IFALPA representative
Flight school in Tennessee, United States, to advocate the Federation’s policies and
where he learned how to fly and later on positions. During the conference, which was
received his commercial and instructor held in Dublin, discussions were based on risk
licenses and IFR rating. For four years he lived management and how to collaborate,
in the US and three years flew as a flight coordinate and communicate security-related
instructor in Dallas, Texas, before returning to issues. SF/O Rodriguez was asked to join a
Spain to go through the extensive process to panel to discuss the aftermath of Germanwings
obtain a Spanish flying license. Upon his 4U9525. He shared the Federation’s Security
Born in the Canary Islands, Tenerife, the return to Spain, he started his mandatory Committee’s position about responding to such
largest of an archipelago located off the coast military service while taking the necessary events by undertaking actions that are based
of Northwest Africa, Senior First Officer steps to become a certified flight instructor in on risk assessment and that rushing into
(SF/O) Agustin Guzman Rodriguez was his home country. He also taught some classes implementing recommendations without
elected IFALPA Security (SEC) Committee at a local flight school in the Canary Islands. carefully addressing all the implications could
th
Chairman at the IFALPA 70 Annual Later on, he joined Air Europa, one of Spain’s cause more harm than good. As IFALPA SEC
Conference held in Madrid, Spain. major airlines, and received his first type rating Committee Chairman, SF/O Rodriguez will
His dream of becoming a professional pilot as a B737 co-pilot. After two years with Air lead his committee to work on insider and
can be traced back to his tender youth. “I Europa, he was promoted captain. However in cyber threats, overflight of conflict zones,
cannot recall a time when I did not want to 2000, he changed airlines and is now a SF/O at screening, and other important issues that
become an airline pilot. My first flight as a Iberia, flying long-haul in the Airbus A340 and comprise air safety. With these goals in mind,
passenger was at a very early stage, less than A330 fleets, but hope to soon become captain he hopes to continue the great work of his
two weeks after I was born (so I was told), and again. Before being elected as IFALPA Security predecessors.

he 2015 Dangerous Goods (DG)
Committee Meeting TCommittee meeting, chaired by SF/O
Mark Rogers (US ALPA), took place from 29
Updates September to 1 October and was kindly hosted
by SEPLA at the headquarters in downtown
Madrid. Of the 21 Delegates, the Committee
was pleased to welcome, for the first time,
representatives from Airbus, who very much
haired by Captain Pete Kaumanns (VC), enjoyed the debates and already committed to
Cthe 2015 Accident Analysis and an ongoing participation, thereby joining the
Prevention (AAP) Committee meeting took Boeing Company. Hot topics continue to be
place in Bangkok from 10 to 12 November at Lithium batteries and undeclared Dangerous
the kind invitation of THAIPA. This was an Accident Analysis & Prevention Committee Members Goods. The Committee went through a great
extremely successful meeting, as is always the FLIRECWG meeting in Singapore, and number of WPs in preparation of the ICAO
case in Bangkok, with a massive attendance of identified a trend of major accidents resulting DG Panel meeting, in order to provide the
55 Delegates representing 31 Member from non-precision approaches in low Chairman with appropriate input. There was a
Associations, and for the first time 4 major visibility and the lack of appropriate go-around lively discussion on a proposal from the
aircraft manufacturers: Airbus, Boeing, ATR training. There will be a cooperation with newly-formed “Medical Device Battery
and Embraer. The Committee welcomed new HUPER on this topic. The 2016 meeting will Transport Council” to have “special treatment”
representatives from Bangladesh, China, take place in Casablanca from 11 to 13 and “relaxed measures” for the transport of
Egypt, Italy, Kenya, Mongolia, Singapore, October, at the kind invitation of the AAP their own batteries, which the Committee
Spain, Sri Lanka and Tunisia. With such a large Vice-Chair, Captain Najib Al Ibrahimi could not agree to for the time being. Two new
audience, the allocated three days were (AMPL). It is expected that holding this Position Papers were produced: one on
extremely busy. Hot topics are still Recorders, meeting in AFI-MID will keep the safety Lithium Battery fire Awareness and one on
data protection, FDA and ICAO Annex 19. momentum provided by the Accident fireproof containment Bags, as a direct
The Committee highlighted the excellent Investigation course that also took place in response to a request from both IALPA and
results obtained by the hard work of Captain Casablanca earlier this year, and led to 40 new BALPA. The 2016 meeting will be hosted by
Malcolm Terry (BALPA) and SF/OW IFALPA-accredited investigators in this ALPA Japan and take place in Tokyo from 17
Jean-Félix Barral (SNPL) at the ICAO Region. to 19 September.
Issue 1 | 2016 InterPilot | The safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA