Field of activity
The primary concern of the “Aircraft Design and Operation” (ADO) Committee is to continuously increase air traffic safety for the operation of commercial aircrafts worldwide and to continuously improve the cockpit crews’ work environment. In the process, this committee deals with all topics, which can be summarised under the generic terms “design” and “flight operations”.
At the same time, the area of design includes all aspects of aircraft construction (e.g. flight characteristics, certification requirements, engine construction, emissions), aircraft systems (e.g. flight instruments, pilot assistance systems, on-board systems) and installations (e.g. cockpit safety devices, crew break areas, emergency exits)
In the area of flight operations, you can find arrival and departure procedures, performance computation or operational procedures among other things.
Work approach
The foundation of our work is the daily experiences of our members from the operation of commercial aircrafts in its overall environment.
The committee meets for 5-6 one-day meetings a year. The meetings are the central element of the work in the committee because an intensive, direct exchange between the committee members can take place here. Topics are worked on individually or in small groups between the committee meetings.
If possible, this work is supported by leaves of absence.
Work objectives
The ADO Committee supports fundamental research from the very beginning by means of close contacts to various academic research facilities. In this connection, the objective is to facilitate good ideas, identify trends and see questionable projects through in a critical manner.
Developments by aircraft manufacturers are monitored and if necessary, commented through extremely good contacts to Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer.
On an international level, the ADO Committee is consistently represented in the relevant ADO Committee of IFALPA, which ensures an international exchange. Basic considerations, which comply with the ideal of IFALPA and VC and which cannot yet be found in the respective guidelines, are defined and published as position papers or policies. These policies and position papers are enunciated at the responsible offices through IFALPA’s permanent seat at the ICAO “Air Navigation Commission” as well as the routine participation of the VC on behalf of the European Cockpit Association in European legislation.
The VC members are sporadically informed through the articles in VC Info.
Topics
In addition to many minor topics and requests, the following main topics are currently being dealt with in the ADO Committee:
1. On-board IT security
2. Cabin air quality [collaboration]
3. Unmanned aircraft systems
The committee dealt with the following topics in the past or with less intensity:
· Electronic flight bags
· Performance
· Approach procedures, performance based navigation
· Wake turbulence
· Runway incursion prevention
· Human machine interface
· Cockpit design
