Phil Derner

Next week (Thursday the 28th), the Arizona Business Aviation Association will be hosting a business aviation Safety Day in Phoenix. For any role in aviation, being there is a great way to expand your knowledge, engage with others in the industry, and revisit vital ingredients that make up our industry's strong safety culture.

Those who do not attend these types of events are at a major disadvantage. You can also get CAM credit for attending.

My session, which will consist of an industry update, starts at 8am! I hope to see you there.

I was super excited to try a new camera setup this morning at March ARB and immediately upload my shots to the NYCAviation photo hangar when getting home.

If you heard my recent interview on the Aviation Spotters Podcast you would know how big of a deal aviation photography was to me for all of my early years as an aviation enthusiasts. I haven't owned legit camera gear in almost a decade. It is amazing to feel like my old spotter self again, even though the photos themselves are nothing special.

I don't know what other airlines did but JetBlue put their dispatchers into the simulators and into several initial training classes that were shared with pilots. This was great for CRM and it gave dispatchers an understanding of how pilots were applying their knowledge and some of the tricky situations that pilots encounter where our help was vital.

We shot RNP approaches, tried landing hot, high, and heavy, fought turbulence, windshear, and attempted to respond to engine failures. No, we didn't always get through them successfully. Actually, we rarely got away from those dangerous ones, which showed us the value of great pilot training and the respect for those who sit in the left and right seats who have kept our skies safe for so long.

This photo is from the Spring of 2012.