Nowhere is safety more important than in Dryden's hangars and flightline. It is at the heart of what the Center does - flight research.
"If you are not aware of the aircraft hazards, things can happen. There are signs and blinking lights, but some people don't realize they have to be aware. The hangar is like a large industrial site - there are a lot of moving parts, it's noisy and difficult to communicate sometimes," said Bob Cummings, flightline safety officer.
And the influx of new people has created the need for more education about how to approach hangars and the flightline.
"A large portion of Dryden's workforce has only been here for five years or less. Many people are not aware of the hazards of the hangar or flightline, or the correct procedure to approach an aircraft - either on the flightline or in the hangar. If a person wants to see an aircraft, they must first approach the crew chief and ask for permission to be around the airplane and if there are any hazards," Cummings said.
"Sometimes it's difficult to see what the hazards are. If they are swinging the gear, or moving the flaps or ailerons, you might not be aware of what they are doing. The crew chiefs are very proud of the airplanes and projects they are on and they like sharing, but there are hazards in the hangar. There are trip hazards. Sometimes they have to say 'No, you can't come around the airplane now. But if you come back at another time I would be happy to show you and talk to you about the aircraft,'" he explained.
If the crew chief, or designee is not available, call John McKay, chief of aircraft maintenance at ext. 3360, or Dick Denman, deputy chief of aircraft maintenance at ext. 3356.
"If you are not working directly with a project, you should not be on the flightline. No one belongs out there except for the ground crews, pilots and engineers who absolutely need to be there," McKay said.
"Everybody needs to be aware of aircraft movement. We will be redefining the flightline and who can go on it. We will be looking at limiting the 840 flightline driver's licenses we have and limit access only to those who have jobs that rely on flightline access," Denman said.
The flightline can be a busy place where aircraft are towed, or taxi and support vehicles such as fuel trucks are present. New employee briefings and orientations during Make Dryden Safer Days are some of the tools to educate employees.
"The flightline is defined as anywhere aircraft are parked, towed or taxied. You can tell where the flightline starts and ends by the red striping. When you cross that striping you are considered to be on the flightline," Cummings said.
Traffic flow for vehicles on the ramp is 15 mph, 30 mph on the taxiways and 35mph on the lakebeds. And seatbelts are mandatory anywhere at Dryden, consistent with Air Force, California and federal laws.
"The flightline can be a high hazard area. People need to be aware. Expect the unexpected on the flightline," Cummings said.
Safety rules also are explained to visiting people and projects.
"People who work around the aircraft day to day know the rules, but small programs where a guest program comes for a short time - they don't know the rules of the flightline," Cummings said.
To mitigate safety risks, incoming project personnel are briefed individually to review the rules and regulations. And to keep Dryden employees from complacency, there are flightline driver's license classes, yearly license renewals and weekly safety meetings to remind people to be aware, he said.
The flightline safety officer said there are dangers such as aircraft inlets, for example. People cannot come within 25 feet of an inlet. And people must also maintain a distance of 200 feet from aircraft engines to avoid hot engine exhaust. For employees, the message is to be aware of their surroundings.
"People get busy and focused on a task and forget their surroundings. Hangars and flightlines can be dangerous places. We need to keep reminding people," Cummings said.
"If there is a trend we identify it and integrate the solutions with the quality assurance office, safety and during a monthly meeting with managers in flight operations.
Cummings credited the work of John Lapointe with setting the direction and initial procedures for keeping people safe on the flightline and in the hangars.
Lapointe wrote the Safety Information Guide during his two years as Dryden's first flightline safety officer. During his tenure as flightline safety officer, he went hangar to hangar and through the shops that he was responsible for to remind people not to take things for granted. He also stressed maintaining a situational awareness despite how focused they are on their tasks.
"Airplanes on flightline that are ready to fly are not like airplanes sitting in a hangar. There are things going on - hydraulics, fly-by-wire, electronic actuators, all sorts of new stuff and new hazards," Lapointe said.
He also talked about another danger.
"Foreign Object Damage/Debris (FOD) is everybody's responsibility. A cup you see outside your building could in an hour be in an engine inlet. Take the extra step and pick it up," Lapointe said.
