Contract Airline Services


"We are the protagonists of our stories called life, and there is no limit to how high we can fly."


PHD. MBA. MHS. Type rated on A350, A330, B777, B747-400, B747-200, B757, B767, B737, B727. International Airline Pilot / Author / Speaker. Dedicated to giving the gift of wings to anyone following their dreams. Supporting Aviation Safety through training, writing, and inspiration. Fighting for Aviation Safety and Airline Employee Advocacy. Safety Culture and SMS change agent.

Friday, August 24, 2018

Deaf Plane Guy

Friday's Fabulous Flyer!

Sohaib Khan 

My name is Sohaib Khan, I am 22 years old and currently studying BA(Hons) in Accounting and Finance (first year) at the University of Derby. Growing up in a hearing family as a Deaf person means that I have effective communication skills and can communicate with both hearing and deaf people using both British and International Sign Language and speech (through a BSL interpreter). I am an outgoing, strong, confident and positive individual with a love for aviation. 


I have my own YouTube Channel 
with over 1,400 subscribers. Link: 


I also have Instagram and Twitter accounts (@deafplaneguy). Both of those social media feeds have plenty of news and photos of aviation. 


From my childhood, I have been absolutely passionate about all forms of aviation. Around 5 years ago, I attempted to begin a career within the aviation industry. My first flight experience was PIA (Pakistan International Airline) Boeing B747-300 from Manchester UK to Islamabad Pakistan in 2000. However, following an application onto the Cabin Crew Training (Level 2) programme at Leeds City College, I was unfortunately rejected for health and safety reasons. However, I visited pilot school in Leeds Bradford airport to gain more information for training to become a pilot and, again for the same reasons was not successful. 



Despite my disappointment in not becoming a pilot, I wanted to share my passion with other people. My first video was a review on the flight I went on by Monarch Airlines Airbus A321 from Birmingham (BHX) to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) in February 2015. Following this video, I was delighted to get feedback from other plane-spotters and I learnt a lot on how to improve my following videos. 


After I post each flight review on my YouTube channel, I always update my followers on Instagram and Twitter so they can then view my new video blogs. Continued exposure to flight review videos will make your company more attractive for plane-spotters and also for deaf people who will learn about the good customer services they will receive. 


Because I am passionate about aviation, I believe I could contribute with doing flight reviews and showing others how they can enjoy the experience of flying with your company. This would be an amazing career for which I would work very hard in. 


In my research, I have found other travel bloggers on YouTube channel, are not always accessible which means deaf and hard of hearing people cannot watch them. 

When creating the flight review videos, I will use international sign language and it will be captioned so that any deaf or hearing people can watch and enjoy them. Using International Sign Language would mean that deaf people from all over the world can watch and understand my videos, regardless of which language they use. This will allow deaf people access to be able to partake in traveling across the world through watching my flight review videos. The bonus of this would highlight companies to increase their awareness in the issues deaf people face when flying with them. This will flight companies to be able to improve their services so that deaf people can enjoy their flights. One way of doing this is by teaching cabin crews basic sign language, to break down barriers when they communicate with deaf people. When it is easier for staff and deaf passengers to communicate, there will be less stress and confusion. 



According to the World Health Organization, “Around 466 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss (1), and 34 million of these are children.” And “It is estimated that by 2050 over 900 million people will have disabling hearing loss.” 

From Action on Hearing Loss website shows, “There are 11 million people with hearing loss across the UK, that's around one in six of us,” “By 2035, we estimate there'll be around 15.6 million people with hearing loss across the UK - that's one in five.” and “An estimated 900,000 people in the UK have severe or profound hearing loss.” 


For this project I am trying to secure some funding from flight companies to help with ticket costs. I am happy to use economy class seat during the flights. The fund will be very useful to help my future work with your company and spread more viewers to demand more the more you get the better economic. During the flight review videos, it will include your company brand watermark on any corner of video with my deaf plane guy logo too. However, I have Patreon profile link: this is very helpful to support on flight ticket cost. 


If you want to reach out to 
Sohaib Khan 
And help him with his adventure... 

Deafplaneguy@gmail.com  (Best communication option) 
Twitter: @deafplaneguy 
Instagram: @deafplaneguy 


Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene 

Friday, August 17, 2018

Automation Challenges

Friday's Fabulous Flyer!

Framepool and Right Smith

A Pilot interested in Performance and Safety...

A pilot sent me a message and was curious what we all thought. I'm on the way to Paris, so will write my response sometime this weekend. But... here are some things to think about concerning missed approaches.

WSJ Go Around research at SFO:


"Shortly after the SFO Asiana accident, an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal which looked at Go Arounds at the SFO airport. The article compared Go Around statistics across domestic and foreign carriers inbound to SFO during the studied period, which included a period of time when SFO ILS 28L & 28R Glideslope were OTS.


Shortly after the WSJ article a Flight Safety Group member Cathy Pok-Poy (formerly with the Civil Aviation Authority of Papau New Guinea) and I each reached out to the WSJ reporters, who offered insight as to how they derived the data and tabulated the results.


ATC Tracon data for 341,000 flights inbound to KSFO during a 12 month period were filtered using an algorithm written to identify 'flights' which met specified criteria.


A total of 991 Go Arounds were identified by the algorithm.


Prior to the Glideslope Outage:
  • Foreign Carriers executed Go Arounds at a rate of 3.7 per 1,000 approaches
  • Domestic Carriers executed Go Arounds at a rate of 2.7 per 1,000 approaches


During the Glideslope Outage:

  • Foreign Carriers executed Go Arounds at a rate of 11.1 per 1,000 approaches
  • Domestic Carriers executed Go Arounds at a rate of 4.3 per 1,000 approaches


It is unclear whether this reinforces the premise 'Pilots of foreign carriers are more reliant on automation' or the premise 'Pilots of domestic carriers are more reluctant to execute a Go Around.'

Botched Go Arounds:

There have been several cases of botched Go Arounds which were executed from a high-energy state and resulted in flap overspeeds or worse.

I have learned that Airbus has developed a 'Soft Go Around' designed to be utilized in such a high energy situation. You may have been exposed to this prior to switching to the 777.

I have also learned that UPS, for it's Airbus fleet, has developed a 'Discontinued Approach' procedure, which is included in every Approach Briefing.

I am interested to learn whether other carriers have implemented similar such standardized procedure for high energy Go Arounds.


Could a Challenge & Response Checklist be the answer? 
 Is this a universal Human Factors challenge?


Going around from a "non-practiced" point in space creates stress and confusion....and perhaps fear in the mind of the pilot who needs to execute this very maneuver from this unfamiliar position. Could this be another reason why PF's are hesitant to execute a Go Around?

Earlier this year, after my (first) Recurrent, I may have communicated to you the difficulty I experienced performing a high energy Go Around in the Sim.


As you know, commanding a Go Around from this high energy state is quite complex and demanding, especially given the already high-workload Approach phase of flight. The usual triggers (triggering the standard flows and callouts) are absent and one is relying on one's own (and the PMs) memory to complete time critical and essential tasks outside of (the well-practiced) sequence.

Could it be that this type of Go Around might warrant the development of a Challenge & Response checklist? I am told the US Air Force has a different philosophy regarding what gets memorized in a flow, what gets 'read and done,' and what gets 'challenged & responded to.' I have been unable to get any concrete examples of how a Go Around is be executed in the C-17 or C-5.




What are the issues with the Go-Around?

  1. PF reluctance to Go Around (despite rationale/conditions supporting a Go Around)?
  2. A lack of training/practice performing high energy Go Arounds higher/faster than DH/DA/DDA and Vref+?
  3. The question as to whether a Go Around under non-normal conditions might be so unpracticed and complex as to justify the development of a challenge and response checklist to ensure items are performed and so done in the correct sequence?"
Your Thoughts are Appreciated!!

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene



Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Fly-In at the Olympic Peninsula

At the Sequim Valley Airport! 

Saturday August 25 and 
Sunday August 26, 2018
 at the Sequim Valley Airport 
(W28).



2018 marks the 6th Annual Olympic Peninsula Air Affaire / Fly-In at the Sequim Valley Airport in Washington. Antique plane exhibitions, classic car show, hot air balloon rides, helicopter rides, remote control aircraft, aerial demonstrations, aviation crafts, music, food and more. 


Saturday August 25 and 
Sunday August 26, 2018
 at the Sequim Valley Airport 
(W28).

A fun filled day for 
still only $5 per car load! 



2018 PLANNED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:


Around 7 am – Hot Air Balloon 

9am – 4pm: 

Saturday: Car Show Including Emergency Vehicles, Kid Activities & Safety Fair


Sunday: big rigs of all sorts and Rock Climbing Wall sponsored by the Sequim Boy Scout Troop



Throughout the weekend:

Live Music – full lineup on our music page

Wing Walker (early afternoon)

Vendors & Food


R C – Radio Control &

Experimental Airplanes 


Helicopter Rides


Saturday Car Show & Safety Fair


WOW, This sounds fun! 
How do I volunteer, sponsor or participate…. 
send an email to: olympicpeninsulaairaffaire.com

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene 

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Doctoral Research

Well underway! Despite a little delay. All Spare moments have been spent at the computer working my dissertation and writing up the results section. Below is cartoon my husband set on my desk. I thought we could all appreciate the humor and the perfect timing of a much needed smile. 








Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene 

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Richard Russell's Last Flight

Eastern Airlines
Kitchen Talk Radio


Join the Eastern Airlines 
Kitchen Talk Radio

To discuss Richard Russell 
stealing a plane and crashing it. 


With heartfelt sorrow to Richard's family, 
and all those who cared about him...
May he rest in peace, may your hearts heal. 

Richard's actions may have just identified a hole in security at airports worldwide, and this could have been far more tragic. Perhaps because of Richard Russell we can solve a problem before the wrong person steps through that hole.

Episode 378
August 13, 2018 

Call-in number at

at 7:00 P. M. EDT 

or listen in by clicking the hyperlink:

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene 






Tuesday, August 7, 2018

The Gift of Flight!

And FREE gas! 

First Time Flyers Day is scheduled!


September 9th, 2018
8-5 pm!
The day we share the gift of flight! 

We need pilots to join the fun. 
Do you have 500 hours and are current? 
The let me know if you're available 
and I'll send you the information. 

The Museum of Flight will pay for your gas too! 



For the ladies who want a first time event
and live in the Seattle area...

Email Stacy at the Seattle Museum of Flight
SHarbour-VanHoy@museumofflight.org
And we'll get you on the schedule~

Enjoy the Journey
XO Karlene 

Keep Flying

When the going gets tough
The tough keep going...


Don't ever stop flying! 

Enjoy the journey!
XO Karlene

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Eastern Flies Again

Eastern Airlines
Kitchen Talk Radio


Jetphoto.com


Join the Eastern Airlines 
Kitchen Talk Radio

Breaking news and so much more!

Episode 377
August 6, 2018 

Call-in number is 

at 7:00 P. M. EDT 


Breaking News:


Latest MH370 Report Remains Inconclusive...

Aeroméxico Crash Investigation 
Recovers Flight Recorders...

Hard Landing Creases 767 Fuselage...

American, Southwest and United Pilots Agree: 
No One-Pilot Cockpits...



Aviation Explorer

So Much More...

Two topics for discussion tonight: 

1. Training at the Miami Springs Villas and 
2. 36th Street from Lejeune Road to “Cockroach Corner at the northwest boundary of the Airport. 

We will try to focus our attention to what we remember about our training days.


Call-in number at

at 7:00 P. M. EDT 

or listen in by clicking the hyperlink:

Enjoy the Journey!
XO Karlene