Safety Brief: Flight-Line Procedures

Posted by Maj Paul Cianciolo on October 7th, 2009 filed in Advice, Aircraft Operations, Safety

Civil Air Patrol’s primary concern during any flight-line operation is Safety.  No activity is important enough that the safety of any personnel should be compromised for any reason.  All personnel are authorized to stop any activity on a flight-line if any actual or perceived unsafe activity is occurring.  Aircraft marshallers should contact the Flight Line Supervisor, Mission Safety Officer or Incident Commander if there is any concern about safety.

Hazards

During flight-line operations various hazards are encountered. They include:

• Explosive hazards such as gasoline, oil and cleaning solvents.  The Flight Line Supervisor will ensure all personnel are aware of potentially flammable fuel vapor areas.  Fuel vapors are heavier than air and will settle to ground-level and enter below ground areas.  Some examples of hazardous fuel vapor areas are fuel pits below ground-level and areas within 10 feet of aircraft fuel vent systems and fuel spills.
• Tripping hazards such as cables, tie-down ropes or chains, fuel hoses and ladders.
• Slipping hazards such as oil, hydraulic fluid, grease spills and weather conditions.
• Lightning and high static electricity conditions.
• Cell phones and pagers are a distraction and can be an ignition source.  Do not wear either while working on the flight-line or refueling.
• Antennas, static wicks, pitot tubes and other projections.
• Medical conditions such as dehydration and fatigue should be treated as hazards too.  Both can result in unsafe operations and poor performance.

Safety Procedures

While on the flight-line there are a number of other safety procedures you must observe.  After entering the designated flight line area:

• No saluting.
• No smoking.
• No running.
• No horse-play.
• No walking backwards.
• Personnel should remain at least 15 feet from propellers.  It is very difficult to see a propeller when it is rotating at high speed, so personnel must be especially careful when approaching a rotating propeller from the front.  The aircraft could suddenly move forward without warning.

 

Hats

No covers allowed on the flight-line!

 

Eye Protection

Eye protection may be worn when operating on the flight-line if there is a danger from flying debris (use safety glasses instead of goggles, as goggles tend to fog up).  You can get safety glasses that are also sunglasses for sunny days.  Goggles are preferred during helicopter operations.

 

Hearing Protection

It is recommended that hearing protection be used at all times.

Dehydration

It is very easy to become dehydrated while working on the flight-line.  All personnel should consume sufficient liquids to maintain their health.  Flight Line Supervisors shall insure sufficient water is available so all personnel can drink at least every 15 minutes.  Limit the consumption of drinks containing carbonation or caffeine (i.e., sports drinks, coffee or soda), which can cause you to become dehydrated.

 

Fatigue

Fatigue is a major contributor to many safety incidents and accidents.  The Flight Line Supervisor will brief you on how to request time for a restroom break and how meals will be handled.  The Flight Line Supervisor and/or marshallers are authorized to remove any personnel from the flight-line area if they seem fatigued. 

CAP flight-line personnel will make a conscientious effort to avoid or reduce fatigue by:

• Periodic rest breaks.
• Periodic light refreshments (i.e., moderate amounts of hot foods, soup, fruit-juice).
• Avoid excessive smoking.
• Rest when they have the opportunity.  Typically during search missions (especially training) aircraft are launched in surges.  Between surges, take advantage of opportunities to rest in comfortable surroundings.

 

Sun Protection

All flight-line personnel should use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.  Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed skin surfaces at beginning of the day and periodically after that (remember the ears!).  The Flight Line Supervisor or Mission Safety Officer will ensure that cadet personnel have and use sun protection as needed.  Chap Stick (lip balm) containing sun protection should also be available.

 

Foreign Object Damage (FOD)

FOD is a threat to engines and, as such, is a big concern for flight-line and aircrew personnel.  It can also be a threat to other portions of an aircraft as well as people.  Aircraft propellers and tires are extremely vulnerable to FOD.  Foreign objects can be rocks, dirt, hats, paper, trash, bolts, screws, safety wire, tools, rags and pens.  If any FOD material is seen, it should be picked-up and placed in a suitable trash receptacle. 

To prevent any object from doing damage to an aircraft or person, the flight-line should set aside a few minutes each day for inspection and physical pickup of foreign objects.  This is known as “FOD WALK.”  You stand side by side in a line formation and walk slowly down the flight-line looking for any foreign objects.  Flight line personnel should perform a “FOD WALK” just before opening any CAP flight-line for operations.

For questions and concerns, either leave a comment here or e-mail NatCap Wing Safety at se@natcapwg.cap.gov.