MSP Chief Pilot Office Newsletter

Transcription

1 MSP Chief Pilot Office Newsletter March 2016 In this issue. Note from Brian Wall MSP Line Safety Coordinator; Wake RECAT program Airport Security checkpoints and KCM Location changes Winter/Spring MSP Flight Ops Base Visit Crew Scheduling MSP Base Visit Pilots for Power Walk a Mile program Health/ Wellness Annual Giving Campaign continues... April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day Converging Runway Operations Review and Required Pilot Actions Anniversaries Four Stripes! Congratulations Captains! Contact Information Wake RECAT program With safety in mind, Delta continuously seeks to improve efficiency in order to provide a better experience to our customers. Likewise, the FAA, at MSP airport, strives to do the same to provide a better service to their customers; predominately Delta. One of the most recent improvements to the MSP airspace was the change in spacing requirements for aircraft following a B757. This new spacing practice is just a piece of the current Wake RECAT program that has already been implemented at other airports throughout our system, including ATL, and is aligned with the Wake Turbulence section of the Airway Manual (OS.2.6). The FAA had been using wake turbulence separation categories formulated over 20 years ago, and based primarily on aircraft weight. Research shows that in addition to weight, other aircraft characteristics such as speed and wingspan also affect the strength of the wake and an aircraft s reaction to the wake generated by aircraft in front of it. Before Wake RECAT, a Delta MD-88 aircraft would have to wait three minutes for the wake to dissipate behind a Boeing 757. Now, as soon as the 757 takes off, the MD- 88 can start to roll. It s important to know that the objective of the Wake RECAT is to operate as safe or safer by using science based data that has been collected for over a decade. Flight Safety is in the process of producing a Flight Safety Flyer that will expand on this subject. Until then or if you have any other questions about Safety, we encourage you to reach out to your base s Line Safety Coordinator. Brian Wall is the Line Safety Coordinator for MSP. Brian can be reached at or brian.r.wall@delta.com Sources: Airway Manual OS

2 Airport Security checkpoints and KCM Location changes As a result of airport construction and TSA budget cuts, there have been changes to the MSP security checkpoints and location of the Known Crewmember (KCM). The main terminal now has two main security checkpoints for our customers and airport employee lines. The new checkpoints are labeled North and South with large lighted signs displaying information on expected wait times. Checkpoint 10 on the connector will remain unchanged. On March 14, the main terminal KCM portal will move upstairs from the baggage claim level to checkpoint 3 (the old employee security checkpoint location). Winter/Spring MSP Flight Ops Base Visit Please plan to join us for the spring Flight Ops Leadership Base visit on Wednesday, March 17 th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm in the Delta Employee Event conference room located across from C5 concourse level. Senior Vice-President Flight Operations Capt. Steve Dickson and members from his leadership team will be in attendance and welcome any feedback or questions you may have. A catered lunch will be provided. Crew Scheduling MSP Base Visit Members from Crew Scheduling will be here in the MSP crew lounge on Wednesday, March 23 rd from 9:00am to noon to receive any feedback or questions you may have. A catered breakfast will be provided. Pilots for Power There is no more powerful symbol of the Delta brand than pilots in uniform. You are regarded as trusted sources of information and when you interact with passengers, customer satisfaction scores increase markedly. It may sound simple but customers value your willingness to engage with them and value the service you provide. Wear your uniform properly and with pride. Keep our customers informed with timely PAs at the gatehouse, onboard, enroute and especially during an IROP. As a best practice, announce on-time departures and arrivals when they occur. Use airline wings and airplane trading cards to engage with our customers, both young and old. 2

3 Help mentor new hire pilots. Walk a Mile program In 2011, a Walk a Mile in my shoes program was developed by ACS and Flight Operations to allow individuals from each respective division to spend some time in the others shoes. The emphasis of this program was the Front Line Leaders, Agents and Pilots who have influence on mitigating challenges that cause delays or disruptions. These individuals are Aircraft Load Agents ALA s, Airport Coordination Center ACC employees, Performance Leaders Above and Below Wing, and our Line Pilots. If you have one of these employees in your jumpseat, please take the opportunity to extend a warm Flight Ops welcome and provide them with any feedback you may have from a pilot s perspective of the operation. Health/ Wellness The MSP CPO is looking for a pilot who would like to volunteer their services as a Health/ Wellness Champion for fellow MSP-based pilots. Ideally, this individual would have an interest in one or all of the following areas: fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness. The workload is fairly minimal, and would primarily consist of assisting the CPO in helping promote fitness and health initiatives for pilots in the MSP area. If interested, please contact Chief Pilot CA Ray Baltera or via ramon.baltera@delta.com. Trying to lose that post-holiday (or ever-present) bulge? Along with a regular exercise program, an important key to maintaining that svelte figure is proper nutrition. This is easier said than done, especially on the road, particularly when airport food is your only option. With this in mind, here are a few tips you can employ to ensure proper nutrition while travelling: Stay hydrated- drink plenty of water, avoid soft drinks and excessive quantities of coffee. Bring healthy snacks from home or purchase them while on the road. A bag of dried fruit/ nuts (low/ no salt), fresh fruits and vegetables, or even hard-boiled eggs can tide you over until you have access to a regular meal. Eat frequently and in smaller amounts. Eating 5-6 smaller meals helps maintain a steady metabolism. Eat plenty of protein- this helps stabilize blood-sugar levels. Avoid fried foods and excessive carbs. Read the fine print on menus or food packaging labels. Look for foods that are high in protein and low in saturated and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are generally good. Look for carbohydrates derived from dietary fiber and natural sugars. For additional information on maintaining proper nutrition on the road, see the following article: Annual Giving Campaign continues... The annual Care Fund drive continues through the month of March. This is your opportunity to make a difference in the lives of your fellow employees during a time of need. Please consider signing up to give or increasing your current contribution amount. Also, a big thank you to all who attended the comedy show "Around the World in a Bad Mood" performed by Delta Air Lines Flight Attendant Rene Foss. It was a great turn out and all the proceeds went to benefit the funds. 3

4 April 2nd is Autism Awareness Day MSP Delta Flight Ops needs your help. Since 2013, Delta Pilots have been helping MSP METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION (MAC) with their monthly Navigating Autism program. Many families who have children with autism avoid flying for fear of how their children will respond. This program helps to alleviate that anxiety. On April 2nd, we re looking for volunteers to help pay it forward to our local community. The first half of the festivities will focus on escorting the team from Can-Do-Canines. Can- Do-Canines is an organization that trains service dogs for individuals with cognitive and/or physical disabilities. Pilots and an airport volunteer will escort the dogs and their trainers/owners through the terminal, showcasing all MSP airport has to offer. They also will be able to practice boarding and seating arrangements allowed for service dogs on board one of our aircraft or mock cabin trainer, fondly known as Happy Tails Airline The second half will involve bringing families of children with autism and other special needs through a practice run of what it s like to travel. Our pilots and MAC volunteers will escort each family through all the steps from checking in, to security, to boarding the actual airplane. A free luncheon will be provided to those who attend. Sign up will be available through the MSP Chief Pilots Office. Families are invited to help and we promise you will finish the day with a smile. It is our favorite Saturday of the month! The events will run approximately from 11:00am 3:00pm. If you have friends/family that would benefit from this free event please send them this link: Ian Barrett MSP 7ERB Rich Kargel MSP M88B Andrea Ratfield NYC M88A Converging Runway Operations Review and Required Pilot Actions Converging Runway Operations Overview: As a reminder, the FAA has changed their procedures and stated that all converging runways within the National Airspace System (NAS) that project a potential intersection point within 1 mile of the departure end must be treated as if they are actually intersecting runways. Runways 35 and 30L and Runways 35 and 30R fall into this category. The concern is that a go-around from RWY 35 will conflict with a takeoff from 30L or 30R. Due to its unique runway configuration, KMSP is the only airport in the NAS that must use a specific ADW (Arrival/departure window) procedure, adding a significant amount of complexity to the local control situation. This is necessary to keep KMSP arrival and departure rates at a high enough level to successfully operate our hub. Since this hasn t been done elsewhere, KMSP ATC personnel are literally inventing the wheel. Pilot Operational Concerns: Departing aircraft on 30L/R may be held in position longer than normal for arriving aircraft on Runway 35 to clear the ADW. When subsequently cleared for takeoff, departing aircraft must roll immediately to avoid either takeoff clearance cancellation or forcing an arriving aircraft to go around. Departing aircraft holding in a Line-up and Wait status on 30L/R may not see the arrival aircraft on 35 that they are being sequenced around. If departing aircraft require extended time on the runway, such as for a static engine run-up, pilots MUST advise ATC so the controllers can plan appropriately. 4

5 Expect more fluidity with runway transition assignments (meaning runway transition changes) both on initial contact with Approach Control or even after established communications. Changed runway transition assignments should take place no later than miles from the transition waypoint. If pilots are unable to make FMS entries prior to the transition waypoint they should request a heading and altitude assignment from the ATC. In good weather and dry runway conditions all aircraft, including heavy 330s and 767s, may be assigned landing on Runways 30R (8200 ). If any aircraft require 30L/12R for operational considerations they will be accommodated; however that accommodation may slow our overall arrival rate. ATC stressed that if aircraft do not need 30L/12R for operational considerations to please accept the assigned runway. Potential Departure Delays: ATC will attempt to depart as many aircraft as possible before a heavy arrival rush occurs. If departing aircraft get significantly delayed leaving the gate for whatever reason, they may end up being further delayed by ATC if a departure window is not able to be built within the arrival stream. ATC will not routinely assign gate holds to aircraft that encounter a departure delay, however, aircraft may be taken to a deice pad to wait out their sequencing. Shutdown approval will be determined on an individual basis. ATC envisions that the Delta OCC/SOC will be able to work out delay swaps for critical flights. Anniversaries 15 Year: Keith Anderson, Anthony Cochand, Troy Edelman, Todd Gierke, Scott Hagel, Joe Jarobe, Eric Lindstrom, David Lunow, 20 Year: Chris Bobka, Jim Burger, Joel Hoppe, Stephen Krikorian, David Robinson, Steve Tiefenthaler, Jim Treutel 30 Year: Joe Astrologo, Doug Fitz, Don Fleischmann, Ted Furman, David Rausch, Lamar Sieg, Willard Wilson Retirements CA Lee Brandt 29 Years CA Dennis Coe 26 Years CA Dan Handlin 29 Years Four Stripes! Congratulations Captains! Jim Treutel- 320A Your MSP Chief Pilot Office: Regional Director of Flying Greg Cardis Regional Ops Manager Jon Martin Chief Pilot Gordy Goss Chief Pilot Ray Baltera Assistant Chief Pilot Jon Erickson Assistant Chief Pilot John Klinger Base Administrator Tammy Bauer Base Administrator Carol Murray Base Administrator Christina Malic-Malinis Gregory.Cardis@Delta.com Jonathan.F.Martin@Delta.com Gordon.Goss@Delta.com Ramon.Baltera@Delta.com Jon.M.Erickson@Delta.com John.R.Klinger@Delta.com Tammy.Bauer@Delta.com Carol.M.Murray@Delta.com Christina.M.Malic-Malinis@Delta.com 5