No sugar from mil.aviation panel

Years of budgetary indifference has severely impacted military aviation causing a degradation of readiness and loss of lives, according to a recommendations-filled report by the National Commission on Military Aviation Safety. The recommendations say aviators need more flight hours, maintenance personnel need better training and manning, and supply chains need more and faster throughput. The commission studied aviation safety between 2013-18. During that time, there were 6,079 "incidents" resulting in 198 personnel killed, 157 aircraft destroyed and $9.41B in losses. This does not include personnel and aircraft lost in combat. Retired Army Gen. Dick Cody chairs the commission along with Richard Healing, a renowned safety expert, as vice chairman. The duo did not sugarcoat the findings. Morale was degraded with pilots and maintenance personnel. The commission called for services to restore flight hours to FY 2010 levels in training and operationally. Some of the other recommendations: increase aviation bonuses to $100,000 per year to improve retention; ensure administrators stop assigning down- aviators/maintainers to collateral duties not germane to their primary occupations. Safety experts have asked for better ways to monitor the physiological needs of aviators. The commission wants DoD/services to adopt "an aggressive, proactive and coordinated approach to understanding and meeting" these physiological needs. (Source: DoD 12/04/20) Air Safety Panel Recommends Flight Hour Increase, Emphasis on Maintenance, Steady Funding > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Defense Department News