Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 06, 2019 News
For years, it was a public secret in the aviation sector. Pilots would log to fly to a specific area in the hinterlands. However, during the time, a number of them would make dashes to other locations, shuttling fuel, or helping a miner move gold.
It was all highly a no-no. It was all about making a little something on the side.
However, two recent plane crashes have sparked authorities to announce a number of measures that will likely make pilots think twice about deviating from their flight paths. They could lose their licence and the operator’s permits could be cancelled too.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) yesterday announced that it has put into operations a flight tracking system which although in testing phase will work fine.
It is expected to be fully operational by mid-year.
The regulator also has introduced a hotline where persons can call and complain about operations of pilots and by extension, the behaviour of aviation operators.
Up to recently, planes flying in the hinterlands were left largely to themselves…well largely unchecked.
This is all about to change, with immediate effect.
According to Director-General, Lt. Colonel (Ret’d), Egbert Field, the country has a ADS-last, B system (automatic dependent surveillance—broadcast (ADS–B) in place.
The system is a surveillance technology in which an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation and periodically broadcasts it, enabling it to be tracked. The information can be received by air traffic control ground stations as a replacement for secondary surveillance radar, as no interrogation signal is needed from the ground. It can also be received by other aircraft to provide situational awareness and allow self-separation.
Other than the main Air Traffic tower at Timehri, there will be four repeater stations- at Kaieteur, Annai, Port Kaituma and Kamarang.
According to Field, the decision was taken to move to immediate implementation after two accidents within a matter of days.
The first, on February 18, saw a Guyana Adventist Medical Aviation Services, (GAMAS) plane- Cessna 182 bearing registration number N8704T, going down in Region Three, in the water conservancy area.
The pilot and a policeman were in the plane with the body of a missionary when it ran out of fuel. Both men suffered injuries in the evening crash but were rescued.
On February 21, last, a Cessna 206 aircraft, belonging to Domestic Airways, crashed in the Eteringbang area. Killed was Captain Randy Liverpool.
Investigating the crashes is former GCAA head, Paula McAdam.
According to the Director-General, it is a fact that over the year that Guyana would have enjoyed an unprecedented level of safety within the domestic aviation sector.
Returning from overseas recently, the official met Monday evening with pilots and operators.
According to Field, they were told that more stringent oversight is coming, beyond the work of GCAA inspectors.
The official admitted that the authority is limited in personnel.
Immediately, the authority has also introduced a programme called “See Something, Say Something, Step-up, Save A Life”.
Field explained that the programme involves the public playing a role, by providing tips to the hotline on 608-4222.
The authority will investigate all calls about deviations and violations of the airspace, from ground-level to 60,000 feet.
According to the Director-General, new powers under the amended aviation laws, will allow him to exercise sanctions against pilots and operators.
Another area that the authority is moving to is having more of the experienced pilots to mentor younger ones.
GCAA has also stepped up inspections and will be posting educational literature at aerodromes at strategic points.
Field explained that currently, only about 65 percent of aircraft are equipped to be tracked by the ADS-B. The planes have to comply by July.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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