Oct
12
2011

Bird Strikes

As a flier and Air Force chief of safety, fall migration season means one thing to me – our aircrews are at a dramatically increased risk of experiencing a bird strike.

Bird strikes cost the civilian and military aviation industry about $650 million a year. According to statistics maintained by the Safety Center’s Aviation Safety Division, the Air Force reported 64,946 strikes between 1995 and 2010, costing a total of $527 million. In 2010 alone, 4,723 reported bird strikes resulted in $22.5 million in damages, including $10 million to an F-15E following engine ingestion of a Black Vulture.

Most bird strikes occur below 3,000 feet, just as pilots are in initial climb or descent for field approach. My own “There I was” story began at approximately the same elevation. I wrote about that experience in the winter 2010 issue of Wingman.

For my last flight as the 19th Air Force commander I planned what I thought was a low-risk sortie in a T-38 from Randolph AFB, Texas, to Columbus AFB, Miss. Once airborne, I checked my wingman and he looked good. Just as I looked forward again, I saw a flock of birds and heard several simultaneous thumps.

My wingman confirmed exactly what I feared – a flash fire from my right engine exhaust; the engine was gone. I took the next couple of seconds to decide how to respond to the emergency. I called upon all my experience in the cockpit as well as all the emergency simulator training I’d received throughout my career. I completed all the appropriate checklists for multiple possible outcomes. A sudden weather change compounded the challenge, but I continued to use my training to counter each new predicament. I landed and was able to stop the aircraft about 1,000 feet from the end of the runway.

Relying on training and experience-based skills is a pilot’s first line of defense when things go terribly wrong. This includes handling an aircraft damaged by a bird strike. Risk management and hazard avoidance planning prior to launch can also help keep a pilot from being in a position of dealing with a worst-case scenario.

Extraordinary new technology provides credible information about migratory patterns and activity which has become an important reference when mission planning. Bird detection radar, better strike reporting processes, robust wing-level mitigation programs and increased partnering with local communities that surround our airfields has done much to help fliers avoid potential bird strikes.

The Safety Center’s Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) team is the Air Force’s POC for worldwide on-site technical assistance. The team’s depth of knowledge and expertise are recognized around the world and they are frequently called upon to provide everything from technical analyses to guidance on establishing a BASH program. You can find more information about the BASH team at http://www.afsc.af.mil/organizations/bash/index.asp

Bird strikes happen. Because we can’t prevent them all, it’s imperative that we understand the risks and know the tools available to reduce risk as much as possible.

By feestg | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Oct
05
2011

Our Ground Safety Program

I read Air Force Times’ article on last year’s Air Force Audit Agency report on the Ground Safety Program with great interest. I was disappointed to see that while the article highlighted program deficiencies–that we are aggressively working, I saw little mention of the hard work our ground safety professionals accomplish every day.

The Air Force employs 993 full time military and civilian safety professionals who are working diligently at every Air Force installation and deployed in every warfighting contingency around the globe with the sole aim of keeping Airmen safe. The task and responsibilities of these individuals are breathtakingly diverse. Interpreting and following Federal, Air Force, and Status of Forces directives in a fluid military environment, conducting mishap investigations and writing related reports, tracking progress of mitigating recommendations, assisting with job safety hazard and risk management programs, performing inspections and assessments, conducting training, producing safety-themed briefings and conducting meetings and councils for commanders are but a few of the myriad of responsibilities of the safety staffs at our bases located around the world. I am extremely proud of the hard work done by all of our safety professionals.

As FY11 draws to a close, we are currently on par with FY98 and FY01 for the fewest on-duty ground fatalities ever (three) and under the 10-year average for motor vehicle mishaps. The Air Force is on track to reduce fatal on-duty mishaps by 75% in ten years. Air Force Safety mishap prevention programs have also reduced automobile mishap deaths by over 75% in ten years from 52 in FY02 to 14 in FY 11. In addition, the Air Force ground safety program continues to lead the DoD with the lowest ground safety fatal mishap rate, a number dramatically lower (about 1/6th) than that of private industry. All these results are a testament to the effectiveness of our ground safety program and the diligence commanders and Airmen alike put toward safety.

One important note from the audit report is the career field was and is stretched thin by manning deficiencies and deployment taskings. During the audit, 36 of 104 positions were unfilled. With the workload required and the additional responsibility of filling deployed safety requirements, the current effectiveness of the ground safety program is a tribute to our Airmen safety professionals’ dedication to duty. In fact, a 2010 Air Force Safety Plaque recipient, the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, is one shining example. The unit did not have a deployment commitment in 2010 (they do in 2011). The seven assigned safety professionals conducted annual inspections on over 2,000 individual facilities in 2010 along with conducting a top notch safety program. That equates to about 10 inspections per duty day, all completed due to excellent management and strategic planning.

While the results of the 2010 Air Force Audit Agency report are sobering, and are illustrative of a program that can still benefit from improvements from the top down, the active safety programs being conducted throughout the Air Force are delivering results that save countless lives and prevent injuries each day. While needed improvements are being made, I will hold the current USAF safety program up to any other. Remember, safety is no accident!

By feestg | Posted in Ground, Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Aug
16
2011

Back to School

August is “Back to School Month.” It’s the time of year when you’ll see kids of all ages crossing the street or riding the bus to school. At the end of the day, I want all Air Force children to come home safely to their families. Commanders, supervisors, Airmen, parents and drivers on the road–let’s do our part to look out for children and keep them safe. For more information on what you can do, view our “Back to School Safety” video on www.afsc.af.mil. Let’s have a fun and safe school year!

By feestg | Posted in Critical Days of Summer Campaign | Comments (0)
Jul
13
2011

Don’t Let Your Guard Down This Summer!

Last Friday, we entered the seventh week of the Critical Days of Summer, and for the past two years, the Air Force has lost twice as many Airmen between now and Labor Day than in all of May and June combined. In fact, we lost 14 out of 21 and 14 out of 16 Airmen in 2009 and 2010 respectively to both on- and off-duty preventable fatalities.

Those are alarming statistics. Our goal is zero mishaps and fatalities! As the weeks go by, don’t let your guard down. Please join me in staying alert and reinforcing safety at every opportunity with your family, co-workers or Airmen and civilians who work for you.

By feestg | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (1)
Feb
09
2011

Motorcycle Safety Radio Spot 2011

Hello Wingmen and Battle Buddies,
I just finished recording the latest motorcycle safety radio spot to be heard at Commissaries and Exchanges worldwide.  Please let me know if you hear this message and give me your thoughts.

Thanks

By feestg | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (2)
Aug
26
2010

August and Fatalities

I need your help. During the first 10 days of August, we lost four active duty Airmen (plus one recent Citadel graduate awaiting active duty orders) to off-duty private motor vehicle crashes — three of which involved motorcycles. These PMV mishaps did not discriminate — the five victims were an E-3, E-6, O-1, O-4 and an O-5, from units in four different MAJCOMs and the Air National Guard (ACC, AETC, AFSPC, USAFE, and the ANG). Three were married and have left spouses and dependent children behind.

These losses are especially alarming given that, by now, we should all be aware of the historical surge in fatal off-duty mishaps during the month of August. As a reminder, in 2009, 10 out of 21 fatal off-duty mishaps during the Critical Days of Summer occurred in August, and in 2008 the number was 7 out of 17. Starting out this month with a PMV fatality average of one nearly every other day calls for immediate action.

In case you don’t know, we have the following resources/techniques available:

- The PMV, Motorcycle, Drinking & Driving and other AFCAST surveys at http://www.AFCAST.org
are designed to give commanders at all levels keen insight on the safety culture of their organizations. These surveys have proven to be one of our best prevention tools.

- Airman-to-Airman presentations (by video or in-person) by your MAJCOM A2A representative. Airmen relate to other Airmen. Videos can be accessed at https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af/USAF/ep/globalTab.do?channelPageId=s6925EC1356510FB5E044080020E329A9, click “Safety” tab then “A2A.” (This is a .mil restricted access site.)

- Communicate with your Airmen’s families directly. Recent focus groups revealed that spouses and family members want to be involved in the safety of their Airman. The following is a link to a short video of a dependent child reminding us that family members are counting on their moms, dads, husbands, wives, etc to make the right decisions when it comes to their safety. The video is at https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af/USAF/ep/globalTab.do?channelPageId=s6925EC1356510FB5E044080020E329A9, click “Safety” tab then “Off Duty Safety Message.” (This is a .mil restricted access site.)

- The Air Force Safety Center public (http://www.afsc.af.mil) and portal https://www.my.af.mil/gcss-af/USAF/ep/globalTab.do?channelPageId=s6925EC1356510FB5E044080020E329A9 sites (as well as your own MAJCOM sites) are a trove of information, resources, and links to other safety-related sites and social media. (The portal url is a .mil restricted access site.)

- The Air Force Safety Center Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirtland-Air-Force-Base-NM/Air-Force-Safety-Center/174186885619?ref=nf and YouTube site http://www.youtube.com/user/AirForceSafetyCenter are frequently refreshed with high-impact discussion, videos and other media specially designed to appeal to our Airmen at highest risk.

- The Save-a-Life Tour and Street Smart presentations that are currently underway Air Force-wide present a simulated but riveting demonstration of the consequences of reckless behavior behind the wheel.

- Command emphasis on compliance — encouraging leaders at all levels to constantly remind Airmen about risk management, personal accountability, zero tolerance for reckless behavior, and the consequences of poor decision-making.

I thank you all for your efforts to save lives and preserve our combat capability. As we work through this most dangerous part of the summer, let’s make a stronger push now to raise awareness and refocus our Airmen and families. Air Force Safety is NO accident.

By roggerof | Posted in Critical Days of Summer Campaign | Comments (0)
May
13
2010

The Critical Days of Summer

The Critical Days of Summer begin on 28 May, the Friday before Memorial Day and run through Labor Day, ending on 7 September. For those 15 weeks, we Airmen will be exposed to more risk because we’re most active in the summer. As we enjoy the warmer weather, we can minimize the risk to ourselves, our fellow Airmen and our families if we avoid reckless behavior, use the proper clothing and protective equipment, and employ good risk management to identify and mitigate danger.

In my 2009 Critical Days of Summer video, I said we were likely to lose 20 Airmen. I’m saddened to say that we lost 22 Airmen. Five were involved in motorcycle mishaps, 13 were in automobile mishaps, three were involved in sports and recreation mishaps and the remaining loss was involved in an alcohol-related mishap. Just so you know, we lost 17 in 2008 and 19 in 2007. The details of all of these mishaps are available on our public website at http://www.afsc.af.mil.

Preceding the start of the Critical Days of Summer, we have “Wingman Stand Down 2010.” This Stand Down will offer a pause in the day-to-day mission so we can focus on the rise in Air Force suicides, reinvigorate the wingman concept and examine the loss of Airmen to private motor vehicle accidents. Guided discussions will take center stage to encourage Airmen to strengthen wingman relationships and teach them to prevent private motor vehicle accidents by curbing reckless behavior and reduce suicide through proactive intervention. Since Wingmen have always looked out for each other, this Stand Down should also serve as a jump start into conscientious thinking as we transition to one of the most critical periods of the year.

Regardless of your summer plans, I encourage you to make a difference when it comes to safety. I need commanders and supervisors to join me and the rest of my safety team in our fight to eliminate reckless behavior–we need to work together to save lives this summer. We need to ensure everyone is equipped with the skills to take the “right” risks. I’m asking all Airmen–all Airmen–to join me in protecting the one resource that can’t be replaced – ourselves. I’m asking all Airmen to look out for their families. I’m asking the families to look out for the Airmen because you serve as the home-front, off-duty Wingmen.

Live to play, play to live. Let’s work together to make the summer of 2010 the safest ever.

By roggerof | Posted in Critical Days of Summer Campaign | Comments (0)
Mar
23
2010

Visits to PACAF Safety offices

I just returned from visits to PACAF Safety offices at Hickam, Yokota, Misawa, Osan and Andersen. During this trip, I even had the opportunity to personally thank the men and women of the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa on accomplishing a perfect flying year with no class A, B or C aviation-related mishaps. This accomplishment definitely contributed to 2009 as the safest mishap rate in AF history with only 17 aviation mishaps.

I was impressed. After hearing the pilots and maintainers talk about their jobs, I knew they were getting the right training. Leadership also plays an important role – from the flight chief all the way up to the wing commander, the correct leadership is required. Leadership is evident in PACAF!

It was great for me to get out and see our Airmen in the field; so I could get that one-on-one or group-on-one feedback on how we’re doing with safety throughout the Air Force. I need to go out and get feedback from the Airmen. I need to know whether or not we are hitting our safety targets and managing our risks. Risks both on and off-duty.

Those of you who’ve heard me talk know I believe we need to work with the Airmen when they are outside the gate. Over the last 20 years, we’ve lost an average of eight Airmen every year in on-duty ground mishaps. However, in that same time period, we’ve lost 66 Airmen off-duty. Off duty is where we have to rely on the family members to serve as the Wingmen, to speak up and help us stop reckless behavior. I believe we do a great job of keeping Airmen safe on duty with the tried and tested rules, policies and procedures. It’s when the Airmen are outside the wire that causes me sleepless nights.

With the Year of the Air Force Family upon us, one of my priorities is talking to family members. My goal is to give our safety messages to family members to help them and to also relay that information back to the Airmen. I think it’s different when you hear the information from a family member. The family sometimes has more influence than the supervisor, or even the peer.

It’s not all about us. We have to include the family in our risk management decisions. If we keep up the leadership, communication and outstanding safety will be another perfect byproduct. Just like it was in 2009.

By roggerof | Posted in Field Visits | Comments (0)
Jan
27
2010

Best PMV Safety Results for Thanksgiving-to-New Years

Over the Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s time frame, the AF had the lowest number of PMV fatalities (1) and the lowest number of PMV-4 fatalities (0) in our record books.  It was the first time in 13 years that the AF did not have a single active duty death due to any type of safety mishap during the Christmas-to-New Year’s time frame.

Thanks to all of you for your support.  Congratulations to all commanders/directors and safety professionals for a job well done during the hazardous time of year.  Please don’t let up on what you’re doing.  You’re making a difference and we all need to keep the pressure on!

By roggerof | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)