Flight Training - November/December 2020 - 36

at attitude is no different than wearing one
on the ground, which most people are well
accustomed to at this point.
An ERAU team also did some detailed
survey work with the school's instructor
corps to examine the perception of mask
use as a safety measure in the cockpit.
Other than some predictable grumbling,
they concluded, the biggest issues appeared
to be fatigue and fogging of glasses. A
school official said ERAU made minor
tweaks to its policies based on the surveys,
but nothing substantial.

AT EACH OF THE
SCHOOLS, MASK
USAGE IS
MANDATORY AT
ALL TIMES, EVEN
OUTSIDE.

SAFETY MEASURES

It is a surprise to no one that colleges and
universities are breeding grounds for the
virus. Thousands of people live in close
proximity; bars and restaurants are open
in many parts of the country; and health compliance
isn't high on the list of priorities for most young people.
Parents are right to be concerned.
That said, aviation programs have worked hard
to mitigate the risks, with many creating even more
enhanced health measures than students might ﬁnd
more broadly on campus. The measures can be broken
down into three broad categories: information, prevention, and containment.
Overriding all efforts is an information campaign. At
the University of North Dakota, daily reports are issued
for new cases and quarantines for both staff and students. The aviation department requires instructors to
notify staff if they test positive, and encourages students
to do the same. "Part of our ability, in order to operate, is
to communicate," said Brian Willis, the director of avia36

FLIGHT TRAINING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020

tion safety. "I've been surprised at how
open and honest everyone has been."
Auburn's Ceynowa said every
day includes a major campaign to
make sure students are aware of the
risks, and that they abide by the rules.
Coronavirus mitigation and preventing
the spread were big issues in orientation, and Ceynowa said the university
continues to push the message that
compliance is mandatory.
Prevention efforts are vast at the
schools we spoke with. Auburn, UND,
and Purdue University in Indiana all
utilize a wristband system, similar to
what you'd see at a concert. Before
entering a building for a lesson or class
students must answer a questionnaire
about their recent locations and habits,
and then take a temperature check. They are then
cleared to enter and issued a wristband for that day.
Willis said students face consequences if it has been
determined they weren't honest on the forms.
At each of the schools, mask usage is mandatory
on campus grounds at all times, even outside. Certain
exceptions are made for closed offices with only one
person inside or when more than six feet away from
other people, but in general most students and faculty
wear masks at all times.
For ﬂight training programs the issue of masks
inside the airplane is a complicated one. Many private
ﬂight schools make their use optional, but the stakes
are high for a university program-especially one with
public funding. At Auburn and UND, mask use in the
airplane is mandatory, and UND even issues surgical

Flight Training - November/December 2020

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