Page 8 - 2017-Issue2

8 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Going the Distance

IFALPA’s membership spans six continents. It’s true our Federation’s glob-
al presence can sometimes pose challenges in how our members connect
to share information and ideas, but our global reach and scope is IFAL-
PA’s greatest resource and strength. Our nearly 100 national association
members allow us to merge the strongest competencies available world-
wide with intense local operational knowledge to advocate for aviation
safety like no other organization.
Captain Ron Abel
Acting President, IFALPA At a time when many in international business caution against relying too
heavily on communication technology, IFALPA’s expansive reach means
that while our volunteers depend on e-mail and video conferencing in our
daily work, we truly capitalize on the enormous opportunity presented
when we do come together. IFALPA’s work to create opportunities for our
members to meet face-to-face fosters essential conversations about the
existing and emerging challenges that confront our industry—challenges
that are often extremely complex.

One recent example is the Loss of Control In-Flight (LOC-I) Symposium,
which was held March 16–17 in Shanghai and sponsored in part by our
Member Association the China Airline Pilots’ Association (ChALPA).
LOC-I is a serious aviation safety concern that can involve many safety
issues, including mechanical failure, turbulence, icing, and stalls. As is
true for almost all aviation accidents, LOC-I events usually result from a
combination of factors rather than a single cause. A “systems” approach is
necessary in both investigating the accident and identifying solutions to
prevent future accidents.

The LOC-I Symposium gathered the globe’s premier aviation experts in
key disciplines including pilot training, manual flight skills, stall recovery,
and human factors. The event was led off by a summary of the Indonesia
AirAsia Flight 8501 accident investigation findings, and pilots from across
the globe explored existing LOC-I mitigation measures as well as oppor-
tunities for innovation in preventing LOC-I events.

The two-day LOC-I symposium was another extraordinary showcase
of IFALPA pilots’ expertise and dedication to enhancing flight safety. I
would like to extend my appreciation to Capt. Zejiang Shen, president of
ChALPA, for his association’s warm hospitality and for organizing this
important aviation safety symposium. Please look for coverage in this
edition.

ISSUE 2 | 2017 InterPilot | The Safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA