The Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences was privileged to host Capt James R Lee, the former US Coast Guard pilot and currently Captain and Lead Line Check Pilot for the B717 and CS100 aircraft, on 15th March 2018. Capt Lee held guest lecture about his rich military and civil career as well as Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) that enables pilots to report errors to their company without risk of disciplinary action and Threat and Error Management (TEM) tool that enables crews to learn new strategies to identify threats in advance, how to prevent errors from reoccurring and the importance of creating time when faced with uncertain circumstances. The lecture was held for all military and civil pilot students at the Department of aeronautics. It was very interesting and the students had a lot of questions for the captain.
Category Archives: Students
Invitation to the Guest Lecture at the Department of Aeronautics
The Department of Aeronautics is privileged to host Capt James R Lee, on March 15th 2018 at 10.15 AM, in lecture room D3, Building 70. Captain Lee is a former US Coast Guard pilot and currently Captain and Lead Line Check Pilot for the B717 and CS100 aircraft. Official language of the lecture is English and the chairman will be Full Professor Tino Bucak, PhD. The most interesting details from captain’s CV are presented below. You are all invited, welcome!
Captain Lee graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy with a BS degree in Applied Mathematics in 1986. He was initially assigned as a Deck Watch Officer on the Coast Guard Cutter Buttonwood, a buoy tender in the Gulf of Mexico. After that he attended US Navy Flight Training and was then assigned to fly theCoast Guard’s HC-130H aircraft. After tours of duty in Clearwater FL and Kodiak, AK, Lee left the Coast Guard and was hired by Delta Air Lines in Atlanta GA in 1996. During his time with Delta, Captain Lee has accumulated more than 20,000 flight hours in the B727, MD88, MD90, B737, B757, B767, B717 and CS100 aircraft.
In 2011 Captain Lee was selected to become a Line Check Pilot on the MD88. Line Check Pilots are responsible for training and evaluating new line pilots as well as conducting “standardization checks” on current line pilots. In 2013 Captain Lee was selected to become a Lead Line Check Pilot for the B717. Lead Line Check Pilots not only train, evaluate and check line pilots, they are also responsible for the training and mentoring of Line Check Pilots. In 2016 Captain Lee was selected to become a Lead Line Check Pilot on the new CS100 Aircraft.
Over the last several years Captain Lee has also been a key member of Delta’s ASAP ERC team. Aviation Safety Action Program or ASAP is a system that enables Pilots to report errors to their company without risk of disciplinary action. This arrangement promotes a “just culture” and enable the airline to adjust pilot training and education bases on the feedback that comes through the ASAP system. Some events that are reported via the ASAP system are egregious enough that the crew requires additional Threat and Error Management training. This training is conducted in a non-punitive manner and is designed to ensure crew competency. Captain Lee has served as one of two primary “de-briefers” that are responsible for conducting this training.
As a “de-briefer” Captain Lee has conducted more than 100 face to face interviews with crews that have made serious errors. These interviews include a discussion of the technical issues as well as the Human Factors issues that contributed to the event. Delta has developed and Threat and Error Management (TEM) Tool that enables crews to learn new strategies to identify threats in advance, how to prevent errors from reoccurring and the importance of creating time when faced with uncertain circumstances. The combination of ASAP, ERC debriefing and the TEM model are ground breaking and have placed Delta at the forefront of aviation safety in North America.
Visit to the 93rd Air Base Zemunik
On the 14th of September 2017, Department of Aeronautics, together with the management of the Faculty, visited the 93rd Croatian Air Force Base Zemunik. The primary purpose of the visit was to evaluate the presentation of undergraduate theses for the students of aeronautics attending the military pilot module. Besides the presentations of the theses, there was also time for a quick tour of the air base and its aircraft and helicopters.
Colonel Goran Huljev (commander of the Air Force Training Center) and the management of the Faculty talked about the future and importance of military training within the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences in Zagreb.
The Internship of Two French Air Force Academy Cadets at the Department of Aeronautics has successfully finished
Two French Air Force Academy cadets 2nd Lieutenants Mathilde Marc and Mathilde Widehem have spent 15-week internship at the Department of Aeronautics of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences.
During their stay at the Department of Aeronautics they worked as a team members of the wider project dealing with the improvement of the air traffic control simulators and have finished their diploma thesis. 2nd Lieutenant Mathilde Marc worked on the “Development of the 3D TWR simulator” under the supervision of assistant professor Biljana Juričić, while 2nd Lieutenant Mathilde Widehem worked on the “Development of a Radar Model for ATC Simulation” under the supervision of Jurica Ivošević, PhD.
On the June 21 2016. they successfully defended their diploma thesis at the French Air Force Base in Salon de Provence in France.
Assistant professor Biljana Juričić with two French students after their diploma thesis defence at the French Air Force Base in Salon de Provence.
Industry and academina in cooperation at the Department of Aeronautics
Continuing with good cooperation with the industry, representatives of Croatia Airlines held a meeting with undergraduate students (commercial pilot module) on Wednesday June 8 at the Department of Aeronautics. Meeting was initiated by capt. Josip Grgec, Director of Operations, accompanied by capt. Tomo Hubak (Dash Q400) and f/o Nikica Klasić (A319/320). All of them are alumni of our Faculty. Capt. Grgec explained the need for educated pilots at the company, possibilities for professional development, and relayed his observations on pilot’s market worldwide. Capt. Hubak and f/o Klasić told their stories and personal experience on their journey from graduated aeronautical students to airline pilots. Very interested part of the meeting was capt. Grgec’s explanation of future training plans and possibilities of employment within the company. Students expressed their interest by attending the lecture in large number and by asking a lot of proficient and well structurated questions. We hope that this kind of gathering will continue in the future.
Visit to the Laboratory for Remote Sensing and GIS
On 28 April 2016 graduate students of the Department of Aeronautics, led by the teachers, Tomislav Radišić and Jurica Ivošević, visited the Laboratory for Remote Sensing and GIS of the Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb. The visit came at the invitation of the Head of the Laboratory and vice dean of the Faculty, Professor Renata Pernar, who was, together with her team, a very cordial host.
The visit, held in a constructive and friendly atmosphere, was divided into two parts. First part was the presentation of interesting projects which use remote sensing technology in the field of forestry. In the second part of the visit students were introduced to practical examples of analogue and digital image processing. Both parts are very important for understanding the practical uses of theoretical knowledge acquired at Airborne Reconnaissance and Surveillance course and later at Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Operations course.
We hope to continue cooperation in the coming years.
Department of Aeronautics Receives a Visit from the Ambassador of France
Department of Aeronautics has been privileged to host a visit by the Ambassador of French Republic to the Republic of Croatia, Ms. Michèle Boccoz on 18 April 2016. Ambassador was hosted by the Dean of the Faculty prof. Hrvoje Gold, accompanied by employees of the Department of Aeronautics. The direct reason for the visit was the third year of successful cooperation between the French military aviation academy and Faculty on mentoring of French officers during the preparation of their master theses.
During a short meeting, the Ambassador was briefed on the structure, study programs and activities of the Faculty, and after the meeting the Ambassador visited the premises of the Faculty Campus Borongaj where the French officers currently on exchange at the Faculty presented their progress in preparing their master theses. The Ambassador visited the Laboratory for air traffic control and Laboratory for aerodynamics, and at the latter she talked with students who gave her a first-hand account of student life and activities at the Faculty.

Left to right: prof. Biljana Juričić, prof. Doris Novak, French Ambassador to Croatia Ms. Michèle Boccoz, Ms. Jasna Bas, 2nd Lieutenant Mathilde Marc, 2nd Lieutenant Mathilde Widehem, Dean of the Faculty prof. Hrvoje Gold, dr. Jurica Ivošević, Colonel Laurent Vonderscher, dr. Tomislav Radišić.
The Ambassador expressed her support for this form of cooperation and a desire to deepen the cooperation in the future to mutual benefit.
The meeting was also attended by the military attaché Colonel Laurent Vonderscher, attaché for scientific and university cooperation Ms. Jasna Bas, from the French Embassy, and prof. Doris Novak and prof. Biljana Juričić from the Faculty.
Elementary school students from Jastrebarsko in visit
On 29 January 2016, group of current and former elementary school “Ljubo Babić” students from Jastrebarsko with their teacher Irena Peruš came to visit Aerodynamic Laboratory at Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. They were interested into wind tunnel operational possibilities and background physics for lift creation since they also made their own wind tunnel and won the 3rd prize on national competition in physics this year in Trogir. At the Aerodynamic Laboratory, students from Jastrebarsko met master diploma students of Aeronautics who showed them flight possibilities of their octacopter drone and 3D printer used for making some of the drone parts.
During the stay students also visited Laboratory for Control of Air Navigation where they saw BEST radar simulator used for air traffic controller training and for scientific research and Laboratory for Modelling and Simulation of Railway Systems.
New Modular ATC Basic Training Course Started
On November 30 2015, a new class of 18 candidates selected by CroControl Ltd (Croatian ANSP) started their modular ATC basic training at the Croatian Air Traffic Control Education Centre, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. Training will be held by employees of the Department of Aeronautics with significant input from the ATC instructors employed by CroControl.
The goal of the course is to teach the candidates about basic theory needed for future rating training and for eventual work within the ANSP. Basic training covers following topics: Introduction, Air Law, Navigation, Air Traffic Management, Aircraft, Equipment and Systems, Human Factors, Meteorology, Professional Environment, and Aviation English.
With the help of ATC instructors, during the Basic training, the candidates will also gain valuable skills on the BEST radar simulator.
Lecture on UAV Regulation
On 23 November 2015, a lecture on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations regulation was held by Damir Bezik (Croatian Civil Aviation Agency) at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. Mr. Bezik, who is the Head of the Flight Operations Department at CCAA, presented the relevant international and national regulation with emphasis on documentation required for class C and D operations.
The lecture was intended for second year students of the graduate study program in aeronautics as an addition to the coursework of the two courses: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operations and Quality Management in Aviation. Part of the coursework in these two courses is development, building and operation of the UAV (hexacopter) and creation of the documentation needed for the establishment of the UAV operations organization.
The lecture was also attended by prof. Stjepan Bogdan and his team from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, prof. Škorput from the Department of Intelligent Transportation Systems (FPZ), and Mr. Tihomir Šašić from the In2 Ltd.