On the Contribution of Academia to the Air Safety System in the … · 2017-03-30 · Air Safety Invstigation in the MENA Region 20-21 September, 2016 Rabat, Morocco On the Contribution

The Experience of the

University of Balamand

Tuesday 20 September, 2016

14:05-14:35

Oussama C. Jadayel, Ph.D., FRAeS

Chair, Mechanical Engineering Department

Director, Balamand Institute of Aeronautics

[email protected]

MENASASI Seminar 2016

Air Safety Invstigation in the MENA Region

20-21 September, 2016

Rabat, Morocco

On the Contribution of Academia to the

Air Safety System in the MENA Region

Why am I Here???

1. Introduction

2Role of Academia in Air Safety in MENA.… MENASASI Seminar, Rabat, 2016

• Presentation Outline:

1. Introduction

• Who I am I…What I do…Where I come from…

• Integrity of Air Safety System and Need to Keep it that Way

• Some Previous Experiences/Lessons Learnt (the Hard Way)

2. Challenges against Air Safety• The Complexity of Sustaining Air Safety

• The Air Safety Culture

3. The Role of the Academic Sector…• State of Affairs…MENA Vs. West…

• Direct

• Indirect

4. Our Experience at the UOB-BIA…

5. Conclusions…

6. Acknowledgements

• Objectives:

• To talk about the Contribution of

Academia to Air Safety (Actual &

Potential)…

• Discuss Prospects & Challenges

of such Contribution…

1. Introduction

3

• Professor of Mech. & Aero Engineering at UOB

• Head of Mech. & Aero Engineering Department at UOB

• Director of the BIA

• Many other things…• Head the Training Committee• Head of Commencement

Committee & MC• Etc.

Who am I?...The Academic

Role of Academia in Air Safety in MENA.… MENASASI Seminar, Rabat, 2016

1. Introduction

4

Who am I?...The more fun stuff…


• Commercial Pilot

• Flight Instructor & Designated Flight

Test Examiner

1. Introduction

5

Where I Come From…Balamand

• The University of Balamand…The Uni on the Beautiful Hill…

• The University that overlooks the Mediterranean...


1. Introduction

6

Integrity of the Air Safety System


Air Space

Airports

AirOperators

Air TrafficServices

GroundServices

EmergencyResponse

SecurityMROs

Meteorology

CivilAviationAuthority

Air-worthiness

Flight CrewLicensing

OEMs

TrainingOrg.s

InfoDissemin-

ation

Nav Aids

Int’lLiaison

Air Space

Airports

AirOperators

Air TrafficServices

GroundServices

EmergencyResponse

SecurityMROs

MeteorologyAviationAuthority

Air-worthiness


OEMs

TrainingOrg.s

InfoDissemin-

ation

Nav Aids

Int’lLiaison

1. Introduction

7

vIntegrity of the Air Safety System


• An Air Safety System is:

• Highly Complex

• Highly Regulated

• Highly Dynamic

• Very Expensive

• Interweaved

• To be efficient and safe,

complexities have to be:

• Well identified

• Well understood

• Well managed A Spider Web

1. Introduction

8



• A perfect spider web is:

• Beautiful

• Well-connected

• Uniform

• Ordered

• Delicate…yet…

• Strong…to the extent

that it carries loads

much heavier than

itself!!!

1. Introduction

9



However, if it is disconnected from one or

more sides ….

….or has holes in it, then…..

We have a problem with a big P!!!

At best causing discomfort…at worst disaster…

Our Air Safety System has to be viewed globally without ignoring any of its details…

1. Introduction

10

Lessons Learnt…(The Hard Way…)


• When holes are seen…things can be very disturbing...

• AF447 (2009):

• Weather

• Complacency

• Disorientation

• Lack of Crew Coordination

• Lack of Basic Flying Skills

• ET409 (2010):

• Bad Weather

• Bad ADM

• Disorientation

• Lack of Crew Coordination

• Lack of Basic Flying Skills

1. Introduction

11



• BA5390 (1990):

• Design Fault

• Maintenance Fault

• BTC2937/DHL611 (2002):

• ATC Error

• TCAS Ambiguity


1. Introduction

12



• UG1153 (2005):

• Fault in Design

• Complacency

• Lilienthal Glider

(1896):

• Fault in Design


2. Challenges Against Air Safety

13

Complexity of Sustaining Air Safety


• What holds this system together are:

• Rules & Regulations

• Clear Procedures

• Qualified, certified & skilled personnel

• Equipment & Technology

• Funds (lots of Funds)

• Open mindedness & Transparency…THE CULTURE

Air Space

Airports

AirOperators

Air TrafficServices

GroundServices

EmergencyResponse

SecurityMROs

MeteorologyAviationAuthority

Air-worthiness


OEMs

TrainingOrg.s

InfoDissemin-

ation

Nav Aids

Int’lLiaison

Areas of Concern seem to depend

primarily on the Human Element!!!


14



Areas of Concern seem to depend primarily on the Human Element!!!

• What’s with the Human Element in our part of the world?....Quality & Quantity


15



• What’s with the Human Element??....Quantity…

No

Dat

a G

ive

n!!

! W

hy?

!Include Africa


16



• Observation

• Experienced Aero-Persons lured from other establishments• Fishing in the Same Pond (A very small

pond it is…)• Poaching

• Minimal attempt to recruit “fresh” graduates…• No time to train!

• “Training Entities” for the formation of New Persons set as business ventures• Academies• Colleges• Schools

• Some have proved successful…• Many have problems!!!


17



• Poaching

• No reflection on ethics

• Loyalty/dissatisfaction issues started

emerging• Interesting to measure!!!

• Penal Clauses/Conditions Starting to

Appear in Contracts• Poached Companies needed to retain staff

• Apprehension among Staff

• Gentlemen’s agreements between

companies (Poached & Poachers)• “Don’t touch my people and I won’t touch

yours”

• Apprehension among Staff


18

The Air Safety Culture


• Contemplating the Quality of the

Human Element required by the

industry…

• The keyword is…Certification…

• But is certification the only

sufficient trait required from a

modern aero-person?!

• Sadly not…the industry is looking

for well-roundedness!!!

Certification is necessary

but not sufficient!!!

The Culture!!!


19



• Conceptual Problems with catering for Certification only:

• Forms the minimum acceptable standard:• by the regulator…• Not by the

establishment• Nor by the persons

contemplating a career!

• Understood by Industry and hardly no one else!

• This is why many of the MENA training organizations had very limited success!!!

Certification is necessary but not sufficient!!!


20



• Problem:

• Supply and Demand

of aero-persons are

presently highly

mismatched!!!

• The gap is getting

wider with time!

• Challenge is:

• How to align the

mismatch!!!

• Build the Culture!!!


21



• Observation: there is very limited communication from either side!

• They have to open up…

• To harness its potential for the aerospace industry, new blood needs to be:

• Excited, motivated, enlightened about the industry

• Clear about fact & fiction of the industry

• Aware of the opportunities and career options

3. The Role of the Academic

Sector

22

Academia Supporting Aero-Industry


• Academia can be very effective in providing:• Teaching-Learning-Capacity Building• Research & Development Studies• Community Service & Social Projection• Orientation & Outreach

• In general, Academic Institutions seek to:• Generate• Accumulate • Disseminate knowledge…

• In our part of the world, they have been doing that very nicely in many fields:

• Medicine• Engineering• Law• Literature• Business• etc.

• But not in Aeronautics…why?

Academia can be a

THINK TANK

supporting the Industry

Supply

Demand


Sector

23

State of Affairs…MENA Vs. West…


• In the West, major aeronautical breakthroughs were made at academic institutions through…

• Research & Development programmes• Teaching/learning programmes• Of Industrial relevance

• Examples:

• Ludwig Prandtl…Father of Aerodynamics (1904)• University of Hannover, University of Göttingen


Sector

24



• Theodore Von-Karman (1930s)• California Institute of Technology


Sector

25



• Sir Frank Whittle (1940)• Cambridge University


Sector

26



• Sir John Randall & Prof. Harry Boot(1940)• Birmingham University


Sector

27



• Prof. Jim Reason, the Swiss Cheese Man(2000)• Manchester University


Sector

28



• Also, they offer academic

programmes that:

• Have a clear outcome…

• Help students fulfill their

ambitions…

• And be proud of…

• Supported by the industry…


Sector

29




Sector

30




Sector

31




Sector

32



Country Institution Approval Levels Academic

Level

UAE Emirates Aviation University GCAA B1.1 &

B2

Not Clear

UAE Higher Colleges of Technology Not Clear Not

Clear

Bachelor

UAE Al-Ain International Aviation Academy GCAA,

EASA

B1.1 &

B2

Higher

Diploma

Qatar Qatar Aeronautical College QCAA,

EASA

B1.1,

B1.2 &

B2

Diploma

and

Certificate

Kuwait Australian College of Kuwait KDGCA,

EASA

B1.1 &

B2

Diploma

Bahrain Gulf Aviation Academy jointly with

AFAQ Institute of Aviation Technology

EASA B1.1 &

B2

Not Clear

Jordan Middle East Aviation Academy JCARC Not

Clear

Not Clear

Tunisia Airline Flight Academy TDGCA B1.1 &

B2

Certificate

Egypt Egypt Air Training Center ECAA Not

Clear

Not Clear

• In our Region:

• Most programmes designed to meet minimum regulatory requirements!!!

• No particular consideration of students’ aspirations…including the social…

• No clear academic outcome…

• Do they open academic/career progression paths?

• Not very attractive…not very convincing to candidates…

• Deadlock needs investigation…& strategic mitigation…

• Once graduates are out, industry is critical of their qualities!!!! (lack experience, soft skills, general skills, etc…)

• Total oblivion on where they can be in five years time…


Sector

33



• Further:

• Academia and the Regional Aviation

Industry hardly talk to one another…

• Industrial placements are not optimised…• Internships are very difficult to provide

• Interns are looked down at!!!

• Interns lose heart and are discouraged by the

industry…

• No particular joint research programmes…


Sector

34

Academic-Industrial Partnerships…


• Direct Path

• Assess Training Needs (TNA)

• Develop Academic & Non-Academic Programmes that:

• Have clear learning outcomes• Meet Industrial needs…• Meet Young persons’ aspirations…

• Incorporate soft skills…

• Identify joint strategic Research & Development areas

Question: Is there a role for Academia to play in building a sustainable Air

Safety Culture???!!!

• Indirect Path

• Share experiences

• Open facilities to one another• Libraries, Lecture Halls, etc.

• Apply jointly for grants & other types of funding

• Host joint seminars, workshops, and conferences…

• Introduce staff & student mobilities

• Awareness, Orientation & Outreach

4. Our Experience at the UOB-BIA

35

The Balamand Institute of Aeronautics


• Some Background

• Established in 2011with a grant from the EU…

• To advance all aspects of aeronautics in-line with the needs of the Lebanese and regional aviation industry…

• Of course, the BIA is concerned with:

• Aviation Personnel shortage• The Air Safety Culture

• Based and rooted within the Engineering Faculty…

• Conceived as a flexible entity that over-sees all aeronautical related activities within the University of Balamand…

Underlying spirit at the BIA is one of

openness and interdisciplinarity as

Aeronautics simply is!


36

The Balamand Institute of Aeronautics


Technical Programs(Maintenance Technology)

Academic Programs(Eng’g, Mngm’t, Med., etc.)

Non-Academic Programs(Short Courses, Certification, Career

Development,etc)

Capacity Building

Aviation Safety,(Safety Management, Safety

Cultures, Human Factors, etc.)

Global Aviation System(Regulatory Frameworks,

Harmonization, Standards, etc.)

Aviation Arts & Sciences (Technology, History, Quality,

Erogonomics, etc.)

Research & Development

Aviation Orientation,(Schools Lectures, Open Days, Site

Visits, Museums, Publications &

Media, Newsletters, etc.)

Consultancy & Services(Advice & Assistance to Industry,

Community and Regulators)

Aviation Networking(Nat’l, Reg’l & Int’l framework for

meeting of Aviation Leaders, Societies,

Conferences, Workshops)

Awareness, Outreach and External Interaction

Three Levels of Operation


37

What has the BIA Done Since 2011?


• Academic programmes

• BS/MS programme in Aero.

Eng.

• BTech programme in Aircraft

Maintenance Engineering

• A Part-66 Testing Centre

approved by the BCAA

• Developing new

programmes in ATM

• Developing new courses in:• SMS

• Accident Investigation


38



• Extra-Curricular Efforts

• Students & Faculty attend the 50th ISASI Reachout Workshop on Continuing

Airworthiness, Flight Operations and Aircraft Accident Investigation (Feb 2016 at MEA)

• Students & Faculty attend SMS workshop at MEA (April 2015) - Part of their SMS course


39



• Development

• OLS & Aerial Zoning for an

Lebanese Airport

• In accordance with Annex 14


40



• Orientations, Awareness &

Outreach

• Embraer Aviation Day

• A Forum for Academics,

Student and Industry to meet

and interact


41



• Orientations, Awareness & Outreach

• Meetings with prominent aviation persons

• A Forum for Academics, Student leading industry professionals


42



• Orientations, Awareness &

Outreach

• Organise trips to Aviation

Establishments

• Our Students and Students

from Local Schools

5. Conclusions

43

• Academic-Industrial Partnerships have proved their value in the West…• No Reason why should not work in our part of the world…

• We are already late…

• There is an important role for academia to play in:• Sustaining the Air Safety System and

• Maintaining an Air Safety Culture

• Academia can support the industry in:• Teaching-learning

• Research and Development

• Identifying trends and conducting studies

• Producing the right calibre of aero-persons

• Industry and Academia have better chances to harness many available opportunities if

the work jointly…

6. Acknowledgements

44

• Thanks and recognition are due to:

• All respected guests…

• ISASI for accepting the UOB-BIA as a Corporate Member

• MENASASI for accepting our contribution to this seminar

• Captain Mohammed Aziz of MEA…for his encouragement, inspiration and for doing

so much for promoting Aviation Safety in MENA

• My Colleagues at the BIA for their support and enthusiasm and passion about

aeronautics

• UOB administration for supporting the BIA all along…

Documents

On the Contribution of Academia to the Air Safety System in the … · 2017-03-30 · Air Safety Invstigation in the MENA Region 20-21 September, 2016 Rabat, Morocco On the Contribution