Narrative:

I fly for a part 135 air cargo company that operates several large transport aircraft and employs over 20 pilots most of which use national oceanic survey united states terminal procedures (all 16 volumes). You should know that all of us are extremely upset by the change in format. 1) the main issue is safety. The pages are now prone to tear out and get lost or destroyed with the slightest provocation. Just picking the book up the wrong way while open can result in a torn out page that can easily be lost. This was never a problem with the old format. One of a pilot's worst nightmares...opening the approach book and not finding the needed page! 2) the metal rings affect the magnetic compass. Care has to be taken to avoid the natural tendency to lay the book on top of instrument panel. 3) metal rings are very time consuming to install, add weight, and clutter up valuable needed space in the flight bag. Have you seen the mess with all 16 metal rings installed??? 4) when books are stacked in flight bag it is no longer possible to read the states' names on the binding and even the volume name is barely visible. This can be a time and attention consuming problem when flying in instrument conditions with no autoplt (just what we need -- more excitement!!!) 5) metal rings are relatively costly. Also easily bent and rendered useless (just what we need -- more hassle, more expenses!!!). To sum it up: the last thing the serious instrument pilot needs is the government to come up with something to increase workload in the cockpit, decrease safety, and add expense. The only very minor problem with the old format was the inability to lay flat in the lap by itself. This is easily solved with a simple $1.59 clip from the office supply store (or, of course, the old rubber band trick -- usually free if you knew the right person!). Please -- admit the mistake now and go back to the original tried and true method. Or...at least make the previous bonded format an option. Surely it would not break the budget of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration to offer this simple alternative. After all, we, the pilots are paying for it. Let's do it now. Before it contributes to a crash (or my ulcer)!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR UPSET BY NEW NATIONAL OCEANIC SURVEY UNITED STATES TERMINAL PROCS FORMAT.

Narrative: I FLY FOR A PART 135 AIR CARGO COMPANY THAT OPERATES SEVERAL LARGE TRANSPORT ACFT AND EMPLOYS OVER 20 PLTS MOST OF WHICH USE NATIONAL OCEANIC SURVEY UNITED STATES TERMINAL PROCS (ALL 16 VOLUMES). YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT ALL OF US ARE EXTREMELY UPSET BY THE CHANGE IN FORMAT. 1) THE MAIN ISSUE IS SAFETY. THE PAGES ARE NOW PRONE TO TEAR OUT AND GET LOST OR DESTROYED WITH THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION. JUST PICKING THE BOOK UP THE WRONG WAY WHILE OPEN CAN RESULT IN A TORN OUT PAGE THAT CAN EASILY BE LOST. THIS WAS NEVER A PROB WITH THE OLD FORMAT. ONE OF A PLT'S WORST NIGHTMARES...OPENING THE APCH BOOK AND NOT FINDING THE NEEDED PAGE! 2) THE METAL RINGS AFFECT THE MAGNETIC COMPASS. CARE HAS TO BE TAKEN TO AVOID THE NATURAL TENDENCY TO LAY THE BOOK ON TOP OF INST PANEL. 3) METAL RINGS ARE VERY TIME CONSUMING TO INSTALL, ADD WT, AND CLUTTER UP VALUABLE NEEDED SPACE IN THE FLT BAG. HAVE YOU SEEN THE MESS WITH ALL 16 METAL RINGS INSTALLED??? 4) WHEN BOOKS ARE STACKED IN FLT BAG IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO READ THE STATES' NAMES ON THE BINDING AND EVEN THE VOLUME NAME IS BARELY VISIBLE. THIS CAN BE A TIME AND ATTN CONSUMING PROB WHEN FLYING IN INST CONDITIONS WITH NO AUTOPLT (JUST WHAT WE NEED -- MORE EXCITEMENT!!!) 5) METAL RINGS ARE RELATIVELY COSTLY. ALSO EASILY BENT AND RENDERED USELESS (JUST WHAT WE NEED -- MORE HASSLE, MORE EXPENSES!!!). TO SUM IT UP: THE LAST THING THE SERIOUS INST PLT NEEDS IS THE GOV TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING TO INCREASE WORKLOAD IN THE COCKPIT, DECREASE SAFETY, AND ADD EXPENSE. THE ONLY VERY MINOR PROB WITH THE OLD FORMAT WAS THE INABILITY TO LAY FLAT IN THE LAP BY ITSELF. THIS IS EASILY SOLVED WITH A SIMPLE $1.59 CLIP FROM THE OFFICE SUPPLY STORE (OR, OF COURSE, THE OLD RUBBER BAND TRICK -- USUALLY FREE IF YOU KNEW THE RIGHT PERSON!). PLEASE -- ADMIT THE MISTAKE NOW AND GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TRIED AND TRUE METHOD. OR...AT LEAST MAKE THE PREVIOUS BONDED FORMAT AN OPTION. SURELY IT WOULD NOT BREAK THE BUDGET OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION TO OFFER THIS SIMPLE ALTERNATIVE. AFTER ALL, WE, THE PLTS ARE PAYING FOR IT. LET'S DO IT NOW. BEFORE IT CONTRIBUTES TO A CRASH (OR MY ULCER)!!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.