Friday, January 24, 2020
Trends And Current Problems In Aviation: Cockpit Voice And Flight Dat
Problem statement One of the most scrutinized pieces of evidence gathered from an aircraft accident is the collection of information contained in the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder. CVRs and FDRs paint an often haunting, but frequently useful picture of what occurred during the last minutes of an accident flight. This is not to say, however, that the recorders are always conclusive, or even useful. There are a handful of cases where the CVR and FDR tapes have broken, failed to record, stopped recording early, or not captured enough information to be useful to the investigation. Advancements in these devices are not new to the industry; however, the pace is slow to incorporate new technology into current fleets. Justification Concerns surrounding Cockpit Voice Recorders and Flight Data Recorders stem from all corners of the aviation industry. There are currently five outstanding NTSB recommendations to the FAA regarding the use of and reliability of CVRs and FDRs. Of these five suggested improvement areas, the FAA has yet to respond to any of them, prompting the NTSB to place the issues on their list of Top 10 Most Wanted Safety Recommendations. Documented cases will be presented in this text where CVRs and FDRs have stopped recording seconds, and even minutes, before an accident. Other cases will examine incidents where the focus shifts to a hypothesis as to what may have been recorded on earlier portions of the tape. Either way, strong cases will be built to justify having CVR and FDR tapes not only record longer, but to record more information as well. Herein, we shall identify existing problem areas, areas where work is ongoing, and areas for which future plans are in existence. These topic areas can be identified as follows: à ºÃ‚     FDR and CVR carriage requirements for new aircraft à ºÃ‚     FDR and CVR carriage requirements for existing aircraft (retrofit) à ºÃ‚     Independent power supplies à ºÃ‚     Cockpit video recording à ºÃ‚     Deployable recorders à ºÃ‚     NTSB recommendations Background History Flight information recorders have been in use on commercial aircraft since the 1950’s. The FAA requires both CVRs and FDRs to be installed on all aircraft capable of carrying ten or more passengers when u... ... a loss of power would result in 1/3 of the transcript being taped over. A good case is presented for 2 hour-long tapes. As technology speeds into the blue yonder, we can expect to see more innovations in in-flight recordings. Civil aviation has not progressed to the point where video cameras and deployable recorders are viable and reliable devices. Will it ever? We can speculate. For now, the recommendations that lie before the FAA appear sufficient. The current trends and problems surrounding recorders have seemed to be addressed by the Safety Board. It is up to the Feds now. Works Cited FDR/CVR. 2 May 2000. Frostell, Caj. â€Å"Flight Recorder Carriage Requirements.†Online Posting. 2 May 2000. Nordwall, Bruce. â€Å"Deployable Recorders Provide Potential Boon to Crash Recoveries.†IPN International Product News. 20 March 2000. 86-87. Safety Issue: Automatic Recording Devices. 2 May 2000. Sight Recorder. 2 May 2000. Chris Dahlstrand Trends and Current Problems in Aviation
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Attribution Theory Essay
No creature in this planet can exercise the faculty of reason as much as we human persons do. As rational beings, we normally engage in an array of activities which require critical thinking or thoughtful consideration. At least for those who are fortunate to be gifted with normal bodily functions, it is axiomatic to suppose that we human persons are expected to put reason to everything that we do. For instance, we do not wake up at two in the morning and prepare to go to school simply for no reason whatsoever. In a manner of speaking, the faculty of human reason allows us to do things on account of some reasonable purposes. The way we make sense or put reason to almost everything that surrounds us makes us, more than anything else, human persons by right of logic and supposition.            Reading through the article â€Å"The Attribution Theory†, I am able to even more affirm the fundamental tendency of human reason to seek for explanation of things. Therein I was able to learn that the theory of Attribution draws from the basic supposition that human reason so naturally tends to seek for explanation to things. This, in many ways, is intricately knitted to the logic underneath the principle of causality, which basically assumes that our minds try hard to grapple for sufficient explanations to help us make sense of everything that happens. The theory of Attribution is no less different in that, like the principle of causality, it too tries to seek for an adequate explanation of things. All things considered, it can enable us to peek into the seemingly insatiable desire of human persons to seek explanation for things.            Secondly, the article also made me realize how potent, nay, powerful human reason can become. In the article, it cites a number of studies that were done so as demonstrate the efficacy of the theory. The mainline thesis is to show that the theory of Attribution, especially when it is internally reinforced, can produce behavioral changes to a person or groups of persons. The article even notes that when people tend to attribute certain events as directly stemming from their personal involvement, it produces significant behavioral changes. When for instance, a person is repeatedly introduced to the idea, say, that his or her high grades are attributable to the painstaking but admirable effort he pours into his studies, it creates a personal belief system that appear to cater to such reinforcements. This means that a person who is able to embrace a belief that his or her efforts serve him or her well in the process will normally become motivated to study on his or her own. This displays, more than anything else, the power of human reason to translate personal belief systems into tangible behavioral patterns.            But reading through the article also made me feel a bit cautious as well. If through the theory of Attribution we can make people â€Å"create new attitudes or beliefs or behaviors depending upon the explanation they make†, then it behooves us to proceed with much care in reinforcing beliefs on them (The Attribution Theory). Surely, we cannot allow people to think negatively about themselves, especially on issues which may involve anger, grief, guilt, among others. As indeed, we cannot let people believe that some tragic moments in life, which can happen beyond our control, are internally attributable to their doings just the same. If we truly want to create an empowered individual by applying the theory of Attribution, then it is only justified that we ought to inculcate positive reinforcements on to everyone so as to create positive avenues for behavioral changes. Along the same vein, we must always help protect people from creating a monster out of internal belief-systems, which, on the final analysis, can eventually, nay only translate to ill-natured and unfortunate behaviors. Work Cited â€Å"The Theory of Attribution†, SBB: 1996. Retrieved 10 September 2008,            Â
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Click Beetles, Family Elateridae
Click beetles, as you might suspect, are named for the clicking sound they produce. These entertaining beetles belong to the family Elateridae. Description: Click beetles are usually black or brown, with some species bearing red or yellow markings. Most fall within the 12-30 mm range in length, though a few species can be considerably longer. Theyre easiest to recognize by shape: elongate, parallel-sided, with rounded front and hind ends. A click beetles pronotum has pointed or spiny extensions at the posterior corners, which fit snugly around the elytra. The antennae are almost always serrate in form, though some may be filiform or pectinate. Click beetle larvae are often called wireworms. Theyre slender and long, with shiny, tough segmented bodies. Wireworms can be differentiated from mealworms (darkling beetle larvae) by examining the mouthparts. In the Elateridae, the larval mouthparts face forward. The eyed click beetle, Alaus oculatus, bears two enormous false eyespots on its pronotum, most likely to deter predators. Classification: Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – ColeopteraFamily - Elateridae Diet: Adult click beetles feed on plants. Most larvae also feed on plants, but they tend to prefer newly planted seeds or plant roots, making them a pest of agricultural crops. Some click beetle larvae inhabit decomposing logs, where they hunt other insects. Life Cycle: Like all beetles, members of the family Elateridae undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Females usually deposit eggs in the soil around the base of host plants. Pupation occurs in the soil or under bark, or in some species in rotting wood. Overwintering occurs in the larval and adult stages. Special Adaptations and Defenses: When stranded on its back, a click beetle has an unusual way of righting itself to flee from danger. The juncture between the prothorax and mesothorax is flexible, enabling the click beetle to do a backbend of sorts. This movement allows a special peg, called the prosternal spine, to fit into a catch or hold between the middle pair of legs. Once the peg is secured in the hold, the click beetle suddenly straightens out its body, and the peg slips into a mesosternal groove with a loud click. This motion hurls the beetle into the air at a speed of roughly 8 feet per second! Some species in the tropics have a special light organ which they use to communicate with potential mates. The click beetles light burns much brighter than that of its cousin, the firefly. Range and Distribution: Click beetles live throughout the world, in nearly every terrestrial habitat except for the most extreme montane and arctic environments. Scientists have described over 10,000 species, including almost 1,000 in North America. Sources: Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity, by Stephen A. MarshallBorror and Delongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th Edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. JohnsonFamily Elateridae - Click Beetles, Bugguide.net. Accessed online June 4, 2012.Elateridae, South Dakota State University. Accessed online June 4, 2012.BioKIDS - Kids Inquiry of Diverse Species, Critter Catalog, Elateridae, click beetles. Accessed online June 4, 2012.
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