Kraków 2012-10-11
Aviation organizations.
Photo description: Boeing B.737 MAX registration SP-RZO No. 62336/8169. The plane was built for the BUZZ line. Delivered in March 2022 for the RYANAIR line. The plane was built in the Y197 system. It is powered by two CFMI engines.
FAA
Undoubtedly, the standards for flight safety are set by the country that leads in the number of people and goods transported, i.e. the USA. The main body dealing with this issue is the FAA, i.e. the Federal Aviation Administration. Its history dates back to 1926. At that time, there were already several companies producing aircraft and several shipping companies (operating these aircraft). Their bosses saw differences in the approach to the subject of air transport. They stated that only at the federal level they could standardize the procedures. Designate cruising routes, develop navigation standards, introduce air traffic regulations, verify pilots' qualifications, certify airplanes. Therefore, on May 20, 1926, the Air Commerce Act was established, operating within the Department of Commerce. The first actions of the new institution were; writing down safety regulations, certification of pilots and airplanes. An airway lighting system has been developed. (A bit like lighthouses). In the following years, the Department of Post Office and the Department of Radio Communications joined the cooperation. The next milestone was the introduction of the navigation system with beacons. It functions to this day, although in a different technical form.
In 1934, the Air Commerce Act was renamed the Air Commerce Bureau to reflect its growing position within the Department of Commerce. At that time, the first three air traffic control centers, ATC for short, were established. As early as 1936, the Bureau of Air Trade takes complete control of ATC and begins to develop it. Aeronautical charts, tables and tables are developed to ensure safe separation of airplanes between the first three cities equipped with an ATC system.
In 1938, the Air Trade Bureau gained complete independence and became the Civil Aeronautics Act. New federal laws have increased the powers of the Civil Aviation Authority, giving them the power and authority to regulate air fares and establish communication routes.
In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt divided the Civil Aviation Authority into the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The first (CAA) was responsible for; Navigation control and development (ATC), aircraft certification, safety and airway development law enforcement. The other (CAB) is entrusted with the safety regulations, accident investigations and business regulation of airlines.
After the US entered World War II, the CAA as part of navigation (ATC) takes over the control functions for take-off and landing and other airport operations. During this period, radar systems, i.e. radar, were introduced to military and civil aviation. The use of radiolocation stations has become the next step in increasing aviation safety.
Shortly after the end of World War II, the US Congress allocated huge sums to the development of airport infrastructure in the US, seeing it as the future of economic development. The huge development of aviation in the USA in the 1950s forced the transformation of CAA in 1958 into an independent body, the Federal Aviation Agency, i.e. the FAA (Federal Aviation Act). At the same time, the CAB was incorporated into the FAA. There was also a merger of the military navigation system with the civil one. Therefore, it is not surprising that the main functions in the FAA are sometimes performed by the military.
In the same year (1958) the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) was established.
In 1967, the Federal Aviation Act underwent minor organizational changes and becomes the Federal Aviation Administration, which is still the FAA.
Over the following years, the agency's powers were expanded. The FAA took part in inhibiting the development of various types of epidemics, combating drug trafficking and arms trafficking. Since 1968, the FAA has been addressing aviation noise. It sets standards in this area. Since 1970, it regulates the flight of kites and balloons (over 500 feet of flight altitude). In the mid-1970s, the agency launched a semi-automatic air traffic control system using both radar and computer technology. This system is currently still being developed and is a model for other parts of the world.
In 1990, the agency introduced satellite technology for navigation, communication, air traffic management and control. This system, known as GPS, began in 1981 for military use.
After the 9/11 attacks, the agency's powers increased even more. First of all, the area of FAA's jurisdiction has increased. Now not only the territory of the United States and Canada, but also the Pacific zone and part of the Atlantic Ocean are under the influence of the FAA. Some countries simply applied for accession to this already international agency.
FAA is a full and main member of the international civil aviation organization - Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. The main current (2012) tasks of the FAA are:
Regulation of commercial standards in the United States of space transportation. Regulation of air navigation geometry, objects and standards of flight control in air and space. Supporting the development of the aviation society, including new aviation techniques. Issue, suspension and revocation of certificates to pilots and aircraft. It not only certifies aviators, but also awards and awards them. Regulating civil aviation towards promoting safety rules. Development and application of an air traffic control and navigation system for civil and military aviation. Research and development of the National Airspace and Civil Aviation System.
NTSB
The National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) is an American government independent organization that investigates air, road, water and rail accidents in the US, as well as in other countries at their request. This organization is maintained by the Congress of the United States. The NTSB was founded in 1967. The office is based in Washington, DC. Since its inception, the NTSB has investigated over 124,000 accidents.
However, there were a few instances where the NTSB report was not truthful. Such was the case with the Boeing baggage deck door. Their improper closing has caused several tragedies. Public disclosure of the truth would force several thousand aircraft to be grounded and modified. The NTSB bowed to shipping companies that would suffer huge financial losses.
However, the NTSB is the most experienced accident investigation organization. Having access to the best specialists in narrow fields of science. Having professional laboratories and research methods. And most of all, having the most experience.
NORAD
The development of missile technology in CCCP and possible further consequences forced multi-track actions to increase the security of the US and its allies. On May 12, 1958, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was established, consisting of two countries; USA and Canada.
The main tasks of NORAD became;
detection, observation and estimation of the degree of threat to objects in outer space.
detection and warning against an attack on North America (air attack, missile attack or from vehicles in orbit).
cooperation and providing information to other levels of command.
ensuring control and defense in the US and Canadian airspace.
The main facility, or command center, is located inside Cheyenne Mountain. The object is immune to a nuclear attack. It is here that the center of the American global anti-missile and anti-aircraft defense system is located. It was built from 1961 to 1966.
After the break-up of the CCCP, it seemed that the center was no longer viable. Nothing could be more wrong. It is just that new threats have appeared in the world; Islamic fundamentalists, new countries with weapons of mass destruction, terrorism intensified, unforeseen actions by China and Russia, and more.
That is why the NORAD center is constantly developed and modernized. Currently there are (not only on Mount Cheyenne, also located at Peterson Air Force Base) the following cells; The Command Center, Battle Management Center, Missile Warning Center, Space Control Center, Combined Intelligence Watch Center.
Due to the importance of information processed and delivered to other levels of command of the US military, NORAD is one of the most closely guarded facilities.
The center knows, for example; What plane is in the air. Where is it going? Does it follow a designated route? For example, it knows if the flight is delayed. Constantly monitors air traffic and every plane and helicopter. Globally.
During the tragic events of 9/11/2000, the center almost immediately knew that the planes were traveling on the wrong routes, that they might have been hijacked. Such information was communicated to the services concerned. Further actions depended on the commanders and politicians, and above all the president.
The Americans, for example, have a wealth of knowledge about the flight of the President of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczyński to Smolensk on April 10, 2010, but the liberal-masonic government of Poland saw no need to obtain this information.
ICAO
The international organization dealing with the safety of air traffic is the International Civil Aviation Organization. It was established in 1944 under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, concluded in Chicago. Hence the name of the Chicago Convention. Montreal was chosen as its headquarters because Canada proposed such a location and adequate funding. Initially (until 1947, until ratification in individual countries), the institution had only advisory and opinion-forming functions. Poland has been a member from the very beginning. Currently, the organization has 190 members.
The purpose of the ICAO activity, as defined in Art. 44 of the Chicago Convention is "to develop the principles and techniques of international air navigation and to promote the planning and development of international air transportation". In practice, the most important elements of ICAO's activities are:
establishing international standards and recommended practices in the field of safety, security, facilitation and environmental protection in civil aviation, procedures for air navigation services and other documents in the nature of manuals, guidelines or collections of best practices;
promoting the liberalization of the international air transport market, publishing statistical data and analyzes, and issuing non-binding recommendations and guidelines for the economic regulation of this market;
the development of international aviation law through the work of the ICAO Legal Committee and the organization of diplomatic conferences on the adoption of international agreements, including offenses against international civil aviation or damages;
implementation of technical assistance projects commissioned by Member States;
monitoring compliance with international standards and recommended practices in the form of audits of safety and security oversight of civil aviation in the Member States;
conducting research, studies and analyzes leading to the development of civil aviation.
ICAO is subordinate to the UN and is organized like a parliament. The ICAO assembly meets at least once every three years. The ICAO Council is a permanent body. It consists of representatives of 36 countries. ICAO has a structure of 8 committees; Air Navigation Commission, Air Transport Committee, Legal Committee, Committee for the Support of Air Navigation Services, Finance Committee, Committee for Environmental Protection, Committee for the Prevention of Acts of Unlawful Interference, Committee for Technical Cooperation.
It is difficult to unequivocally assess the achievements of ICAO. The main reason is the inability to draw consequences from failure to comply with the jointly developed law. As a result, most of the pair went off the whistle. And like the United Nations as a whole, ICAO needs reform to be more effective.
ICAO's relations with the European Union were also interesting. All European Union countries are independent members of ICAO. It was, however, in 1989, as a result of the ICAO Council Decision, that the European Community was incorporated into the group of organizations as a separate entity. In 2002, the European Commission proposed to the EU Council to formally start negotiations on the Community's membership in ICAO in order to ensure a uniform representation of the European Union within this organization. If the assumed trend continues, the national members of ICAO will disappear and it will be only Community. It would be good were it not for the particular interests of the biggest players in the Community; France and Germany. The Community has already announced the closure of Greece's national airline.
European Union (TEN-T).
At this point, it is worth mentioning the Community concept of transport, also known as TEN-T. The concept of trans-European networks (TENs) was developed in the European Community in the 1980s with the project to create the Single Market. It was to cover transport, telecommunications and energy infrastructure. The common transport network was to include land, sea and air transport. In air transport, Community managed corridors were to be designated. 10 Pan-European corridors were to run through the countries of Central Europe. The member states were to have privileges in these corridors. Others had to pay dearly. Fortunately, this aviation project failed. This is due to the idea promoted mainly by the USA, equal access to the airspace and the removal of barriers.
Although this project was implemented by the European Union, each member state had an individual vision. For example, so far (2011) 1/3 of the airspace over France is not available for civil aviation. As a result, all planes flying from North America to Central Europe and further east are squeezing the bottleneck over the English Channel.
Second thing. Until now, the European Union has not developed a uniform airspace management system. It was only with great difficulty that Europe was divided into airspace control areas using military patterns.
Schengen Agreement.
What is the Schengen Agreement? It is an international agreement concluded between some EU Member States, aimed at ensuring the free movement of people in an area consisting of the territories of the countries that signed the agreement. The agreement is open to all members of the European Union. The resulting freedom of movement of people inside the so-called Schengen area (Schengen area) applies not only to nationals of the signatory states, but to all people of all nationalities and citizenship who cross internal borders within the territory covered by the agreement.
The whole Schengen acquis is based on the principle that the lifting of internal border controls must entail an increase in external border controls. Therefore, the convention specifies the conditions that must be met when third-country nationals enter the Schengen area.
Currently, 28 countries of the European Union and beyond belong to the Schengen agreement. Interestingly, some only partially. The Republic of Poland acceded to the Agreement on December 21, 2008.
However, those who claim that the treaty opened the borders for Polish citizens are wrong. No, because they were already open. The only convenience is no need to have passports. The rest is unchanged. On the other hand, it was a great convenience for strangers coming to Poland, because they do not have to apply for a visa.
In fact, Schengen is a small, quiet wine town in south-eastern Luxembourg, in the municipality of Remerschen. The city became famous on June 14, 1985, when the Schengen Agreement was signed here.
IATA
We will also mention the great organization that is IATA, i.e. the International Air Transport Association, the International Air Transport Association, founded in 1919 in The Hague, as the International Air Traffic Association, operating under its present name since 1945, based in Montreal. It groups airline companies (including PLL LOT since 1939) from individual countries and coordinates their activities in the global network of connections.
However, the one who thinks that IATA cares about the safety of the transport of people and goods is wrong. It is a profit-making organization. It was she who blocked access to air transport for new entities and blocked the idea of free access to airspace. None of the aviation companies established after 1995 joined this organization.
Polish aviation safety structures.
Despite the poor results of ICAO activities, Poland was and is an active member. Many times, the Polish side made proposals to increase the safety of air transport. Our experience in this field, over more than 80 years, is huge. Being on the edge of two different cultures and having a sensitive geographic location, security has never been neglected in Poland.
A few months ago, another project from Poland to ICAO was brought to ICAO, raising safety standards in the field of airport operation and maintenance, including installing devices and equipment in the operational area. (Draft amendments to ICAO Annex 14 "Aerodromes" by the Air Navigation Commission, International Civil Aviation Organization.). If half of the Member States agree, the project will enter into force. The proposed changes are to concern, inter alia; New landing area signs including taxiways, touchdown lights and runway guard lights, stop bar and obstacle lighting. The change also concerns the equipment of the airport rescue and firefighting service and the rules of airport operation and maintenance, including the installation of devices and equipment in the airport's operational zone.
Polish aviation safety structures began to emerge in the 1930s. They were modeled on the achievements of the Dutch, French and the USA. Especially on the latter, as it was already planned to start regular air navigation to the USA with Douglas and Lockheed airplanes. At that time, LOT Polish Airlines had several pilots of passenger planes who belonged to the elite club of millionaires. That is, they had air traveled over 1,000,000 km. The connection network was impressive. There were regular flights to Italy, Greece and Romania. There were 11 civil communication airports in the country. A modern airport station was built in Okęcie.
Unfortunately, an attack by the German army in 1939 wiped it all away. The turmoil of war threw us under the rule of Moscow. Although in 1944 LOT was reactivated, it was completely dependent on the military. It was even worse with airspace control. Polish airspace was controlled by the Polish Army and the Red Army stationed in Poland. By the end of the 1950s, each flight of a passenger plane had to be approved by the military. All possible data had to be given. On the day of departure, confirm it and report that the flight is terminated. In the 1960s, the air corridors that could be used by passenger planes were deleted. The corridors were 20 km wide and the height was limited by the ceiling of the given aircraft. As they were propeller machines, their cruising altitude did not exceed 6,000 m. Only in the 70's appeared machines with a turbojet drive with a ceiling of 12,000 m.
Organizationally, Polish Civil Aviation was subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense, and in it to the Chief Inspectorate of Civil Aviation. This, in turn, was divided into departments, including the department dealing with PLL LOT. There were no other civilian air carriers. The new governance structure for Civil Aviation did not begin to emerge until 1989.
There was also an enterprise called Państwowe Przedsiębiorstwo Porty Lotnicze. At various times it was subordinated to various ministries. It managed the property in the form of airports, if they were not owned by the Polish Army. There were also mixed systems; joint military and civilian management.
Civil Aviation Authority.
Until 2000, civil air transport was subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense. At that time, the Department of Civil Aviation was established at the Ministry of Infrastructure, which in 2002 was transformed into a more independent institution called the Civil Aviation Authority.
Civil Aviation Authority. Its goals are as follows;
Taking care of internal conditions, thanks to which Polish civil aviation will be able to develop efficiently.
Taking care of external conditions, thanks to which Polish civil aviation will be able to develop efficiently.
Influencing the shape of the Polish and international legal system in the field of civil aviation.
Caring for the safety of air transport.
Protection of civil aviation against external attacks and other unlawful interference.
Taking care of the high level of services provided by civil aviation.
Taking care of state security.
Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA).
Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA), established on April 1, 2007 as a state air traffic management body. It arose from the transformation of the Air Traffic Agency, which was previously subordinate to the military.
PANSA's tasks are; airspace management (ASM), air traffic flow management (ATFM), provision of air traffic services (ATS). The agency is to ensure air traffic safety. Control an airplane in the air all the time. Separate planes. Provide all possible assistance to the flight crew.
The activities of the Agency take place at three levels of control of the territory of Poland: area control service, approach control service, airport control service. It is also expected to cooperate in search and rescue.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman