SA F E T Y BALPA flight safety groups Taxi clearances should be heard and understood by both pilots highlighting not only what you expect, such as hot spots, but also planning where and when you may do other duties, such as flight-control checks or the before take-off checklist. Sterile flight deck (AO11) rules can also be applied on the ground, especially when theres a complex ground layout to navigate. Treating this as a critical phase of flight, similar to take off and landing, is key. Taxi clearances (AO12) should be heard and understood by both pilots in the flight deck. If theres any doubt, the safest course of action is to stop (if its safe to do so), set the park brake and clarify with ATC. I was able to get involved with working on GAPPRI through joining the ATMA specialist group as a flight safety rep. BALPA currently has a number of these committees, ranging from Accident Analysis and Prevention to Security. The groups work on a voluntary basis, and new joiners are always welcome and encouraged. The ATMA group acts as a link between ourselves, as pilots, and our colleagues at ATC and aerodrome level. Its a mix of retired and current pilots, as well as ATCOs and university lecturers, and our network is widespread, with contacts across Europe through the ECA, and around the world through IFALPA. We send reps to the National Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee, UK AIRPROX Board, CAA Industry Coordination for the Airspace Modernisation Strategy, and the Met Office User Forum. Some of our current projects include the updating of CAP745 (Aircraft Emergencies: Considerations for air traffic controllers), in collaboration with GATCO. We also work with industry experts to produce webinars for members, working most recently with Airbus and Boeing on GNSS jamming/spoofing. Previous to that, we did a space weather webinar in partnership with the Met Office. The group meets once a month, virtually, and has a yearly in-person meeting. There is great appreciation for busy working patterns, however, so attendance at every single meeting isnt necessary. The variety of study groups that BALPA operates caters for all interests, and allows you to network and learn from leaders in the industry. In my short time on the ATMA team, Ive been able to work with key figures from ICAO, ECA, Airbus, and many more learning a great deal from them. As with all the BALPA technical groups, ATMA is always keen to welcome new members. There is an immense amount of regulatory, technological and airspace change occurring at the moment, and we particularly need reps to get involved with issues affecting their local base airports. If you are interested in getting involved, or have any questions, please email the current chairman, Mike Thrower, at mikethrower@balpa.org References: Read parts I and II of GAPPRI at bit.ly/3ZYxAMk 38 THE LOG Autumn 24 pp36-39 Runways GAPRI.indd 38 13/11/2024 14:30