Duty hours and incidents in flight among commercial airline pilots

Introduction. Working long duty hours has often been associated with increased risk of incidents and accidents in transport industries. Despite this, information regarding the intermediate relationship between duty hours and incident risk is limited. This study aimed to test a work hours/incident model to identify the interplay of factors contributing to incidents within the aviation industry. Methods. Nine hundred and fifty-four European-registered commercial airline pilots completed a 30-item survey investigating self-report attitudes and experiences of fatigue. Path analysis was used to test the proposed model. Results. The fit indices indicated this to be a good fit model (χ²?=?11.066, df?=?5, p?=?0.05; Comparative Fit Index?=?0.991; Normed Fit Index?=?0.984; Tucker–Lewis Index?=?0.962; Root Mean Square of Approximation?=?0.036). Highly significant relationships were identified between duty hours and sleep disturbance (r?=?0.18, p?r?=?0.40, p?r?=?0.43, p?Discussion. A critical pathway from duty hours through to self-reported incidents in flight was identified. Further investigation employing both objective and subjective measures of sleep and fatigue is needed.     

基于相似理论的飞机实际着陆距离预测方法

为防止飞机着陆时冲出跑道事件的发生,提出一种基于相似理论的飞机实际着陆距离预测方法。首先,通过量纲分析法结合影响飞机实际着陆距离的主要因素,推导出表征实际着陆距离的无量纲方程;然后,利用真实飞行数据,得出不同接地俯仰角条件下飞机实际着陆距离的预测方程;最后,对比分析方程预测结果与由真实数据所得的飞机实际着陆距离。结果表明:采用该方法能够在不同接地俯仰角条件下预测飞机实际着陆距离;在小接地俯仰角条件下,预测值与实际值吻合度最高,最大绝对误差在50 m范围内,最大相对误差约为3%。     

A bee in the corridor: centering and wall-following

In an attempt to better understand the mechanism underlying lateral collision avoidance in flying insects, we trained honeybees (Apis mellifera) to fly through a large (95-cm wide) flight tunnel. We found that, depending on the entrance and feeder positions, honeybees would either center along the corridor midline or fly along one wall. Bees kept following one wall even when a major (150-cm long) part of the opposite wall was removed. These findings cannot be accounted for by the “optic flow balance” hypothesis that has been put forward to explain the typical bees’ “centering response” observed in narrower corridors. Both centering and wall-following behaviors are well accounted for, however, by a control scheme called the lateral optic flow regulator, i.e., a feedback system that strives to maintain the unilateral optic flow constant. The power of this control scheme is that it would allow the bee to guide itself visually in a corridor without having to measure its speed or distance from the walls.     

电阻型传感器原子氧密度及环境效应探测技术

阐述了开展电阻型原子氧密度与环境效应飞行探测实验的必要性和重要性。在对各种方案进行了比较和选择的基础上,进行了锇膜探测器及银膜探测器关键技术研究和可行性试验验证。最后,对开展我国原子氧环境飞行探测实验研究提出了一些建议。     

机翼带外挂高阶高频颤振特性研究

目的研究机翼带多外挂物引起的高阶高频颤振的特性,为类似事例提供参考。方法基于某飞机带多外挂物构形进行结构动力学建模与修正、颤振计算分析和低速颤振风洞试验,最终进行颤振飞行试验验证。结果颤振计算分析和低速颤振风洞试验,可以得出明显的以副翼旋转和机翼二扭为主的高阶高频颤振,颤振飞行试验随着速度的增加,频谱分析图中低频峰值逐渐减小,高频峰值不断明显,与风洞试验规律基本一致,有高阶高频颤振迹象。结论各种研究方法均可得出高阶高频颤振现象及其特点,基本证实高阶高频颤振的存在。     

Potential Effects of the United States-Mexico Border Fence on Wildlife

Abstract:  Security infrastructure along international boundaries threatens to degrade connectivity for wildlife. To explore potential effects of a fence under construction along the U.S.–Mexico border on wildlife, we assessed movement behavior of two species with different life histories whose regional persistence may depend on transboundary movements. We used radiotelemetry to assess how vegetation and landscape structure affect flight and natal dispersal behaviors of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls ( Glaucidium brasilianum ), and satellite telemetry, gene-flow estimates, and least-cost path models to assess movement behavior and interpopulation connectivity of desert bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis mexicana ). Flight height of Pygmy-Owls averaged only 1.4 m (SE 0.1) above ground, and only 23% of flights exceeded 4 m. Juvenile Pygmy-Owls dispersed at slower speeds, changed direction more, and had lower colonization success in landscapes with larger vegetation openings or higher levels of disturbance ( p ≤ 0.047), which suggests large vegetation gaps coupled with tall fences may limit transboundary movements. Female bighorn sheep crossed valleys up to 4.9 km wide, and microsatellite analyses indicated relatively high levels of gene flow and migration (95% CI for F_ST= 0.010–0.115, Nm = 1.9–24.8, M = 10.4–15.4) between populations divided by an 11-km valley. Models of gene flow based on regional topography and movement barriers suggested that nine populations of bighorn sheep in northwestern Sonora are linked by dispersal with those in neighboring Arizona. Disruption of transboundary movement corridors by impermeable fencing would isolate some populations on the Arizona side. Connectivity for other species with similar movement abilities and spatial distributions may be affected by border development, yet mitigation strategies could address needs of wildlife and humans.     

基于飞行剖面的航空器试飞活动空管风险研究

为明确空中交通管理风险对航空器适航试飞活动不安全事件的影响,首先,依据航空器试飞科目绘制相应飞行剖面;其次,基于试飞活动飞行剖面,分析管制单位试飞保障流程,提取管制运行风险对试飞活动的影响因素;采用事故树分析法(FTA)分析事故发展过程,将事件和逻辑关系映射至贝叶斯网络(BN),依据国内外民航空管不安全事件分类统计结果...     

机组资源管理与飞行不安全行为关系的研究

通过对89起机组为主要原因的运输飞行事故征候进行分析,以卡方分析探讨CRM失效与飞行机组的不安全行为之间具有很强的关联性,即飞行机组沟通不当、情景意识削弱或丧失、不当决策与决策差错之间,机组沟通不当与违规之间显著关联;而且,这几方面的CRM失效正确预测对应飞行不安全行为的比例介于9.4%～43.8%之间,达到显著水平。研究以定量化的方式揭示出机组资源管理技能与飞行不安全行为之间的内部关系模式。也就是说,机组沟通不当、情景意识下降或丧失、决策过程不当与其决策错误显著关联,沟通不当与机组违规显著关联。研究结果对于CRM训练设计与制订飞行不安全行为干预策略具有应用价值。     

飞机结冰特性及防除冰技术研究

了解结冰对飞行的危害、预测结冰的特性和发展防除冰方法,对于保证飞行安全极为重要。阐述结冰的形成及其严重程度度量方法,分析结冰对飞机气动、操稳及起降特性的影响,总结现有的飞机防冰与除冰技术,并对飞机防冰试验进行综述。考虑到带冰飞行是不可避免的,强调容冰技术对于保障安全飞行的重要性,并给出结冰条件下的操纵建议。研究表明,影响飞机结冰的因素不同导致结冰严重程度上存在差异,结冰对飞机特性影响较大,导致飞行性能下降,而防除冰技术的使用及容冰能力的提高对于确保结冰条件下的飞行安全意义重大。     

基于灰色多层次的航空公司飞行安全评价研究

针对影响航空公司飞行安全诸多因素具有的灰色性,引入灰色理论对航空公司飞行安全进行风险评价,从机组、飞机、环境和管理4个因素,提出航空公司飞行安全风险评价的指标体系,采用层次分析法(AHP)确定评价指标权重,建立基于灰色多层次的航空公司飞行安全风险评价模型。根据建立的模型,对国内某航空公司飞行安全状况进行评价,通过分析认为该航空公司的飞行安全介于高风险与较高风险之间,急需加强安全防范,尤其应该加强对飞行安全管理。综合评价的结果为航空公司制定飞行安全措施及预防对策提供科学的依据。