Flight of hope: DGCA in reform mode

The fake pilot scam, where fourteen persons were arrested, including six pilots and three Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officers, has prompted the aviation regulator to consider a change in the format of the commercial pilots licence (CPL) examination.

UNDERSTANDING FLIGHT

David Anderson (Author), Scott Eberhardt (Author), Scott Eberhardt (Author)

UNDERSTANDING FLIGHT - DAVID ANDERSON

USEFUL BOOK FOR PILOT TECHNICAL INTERVIEWS & LICENCE EXAMS

Compact Instrument Simulator (Lite)

Compact Instrument Simulator (Lite)

Compact Instrument Simulator

Instument Simulator & Many other interesting applications for pilot

obviously free of cost.

Try it

General Explanation of Features:

Compass Rose - Used as an aid to show the orientation of the Horizontal Navigation panel. It serves the same purpose as the compass rose symbol on IFR en route charts to show direction in relation to the magnetic north.

Horizontal Navigation Map - Displays the horizontal position of the aircraft in relation to the navigational facility the same way an IFR en route chart or an approach plate's plan view would.

Memory - Allows you to save a snapshot of aircraft position and settings to memory. In most browsers the memory will remain even if you close the page and load it again later so you can continue where you left off.

CAUTION: The behavior of the instruments and other information displayed is approximate for illustration purposes only and may not reflect the actual readings on real aircraft..

MDLR Airlines set to resume services in six months

MDLR Airlines Private Ltd, a regional carrier that closed down in 2009, plans to restart operations in six months under the brand name Jet Sapphire, according to a report in the Mint. The Gurgaon-based airline has hired Shakti Lumba, who set up the operations of InterGlobe Aviation Private Ltd-run low-cost carrier IndiGo in 2005 and, before that, Air India Ltd’s regional arm Alliance Air, to head the airline.

India probes helicopter crash near China border

INDIA on Wednesday began an investigation into a civilian helicopter crash near the Chinese border that killed 17 people, officials said.

The Russian-designed passenger helicopter apparently caught fire while flying in the Tawang region of the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday.

Government investigators travelled to the mountainous crash site to examine the wreckage.

'Two experts from the Director-General of Civil Aviation have arrived in Tawang to find out how and why the helicopter crashed,' state official N. Deb told AFP.

The aircraft, belonging to state-run Pawan Hans Helicopters, had 23 people on board including five crew members. Police had put the toll at 18 but on Wednesday night one missing passenger was found near the site.

'After a four-hour search, she was found badly injured,' police inspector general S.B. Singh told AFP. 'She remains in critical condition.' Tawang police chief S.N. Musoby said injured survivors were airlifted to Guwahati, the largest city in north-eastern India.

Terrafugia’s roadable aircraft, Transition, all set for take-off

Terrafugia’s roadable aircraft, Transition, all set for take-off

http://youtu.be/smGmrpn2Vrk

Flying car Transition from Terrafugia is set for take off, finally. With the US Federal Aviation Administration granting approval to the two-seater flying car developed over the last four years by Massachusetts-based Terrafugia, the ‘roadable aircraft’ is now ready to fly.

Designed to run on normal unleaded gasoline, the Transition would boast of a cruising speed in the air of around 185 kph at a flying range of 740 km. You can drive it along the highways with its wings folded. You can also make it fly as it has been designed as an environmentally friendly plane too. Fuel consumption is said to be around 7.85 liters per 100 km Transition will come features that all regular road vehicles have – air bags and all that is.
While cruising along highways, the wings remain folded and would rely on a conventional front-wheel drive. You ill also be able to park it any regular sized parking lot comfortably.

If you are looking at flying, you can do it via an airport, airstrip, or suitable flat land. The Transition will be ready for flight when the wings are spread out and the rear-facing propeller is engaged to enable the vehicle for take off. All it needs is a runway of just over 500 meters, said a physorg.com report.

The Transition had been made to wait for Federal approval as there were concerns about its weight. The 600 kg had been feared as over the limit for a light sport aircraft. However, the latest is that the Transition has received special exemption and it will now be able to fly without any legal hassles binding it. According to the report, the extra 50 kg allows the vehicle to include safety equipment needed to meet federal motor vehicle standards in addition to aviation standards.

Expected to cost $194,000, Terrafugia is likely to roll out Transition by end of 2011. Significant is the fact that Terrafugia has already bagged 70 orders for the vehicle. Designed by a team of engineers trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Transition could be seen as a modern day wonder.

DGCA launches probe into helicopter crash

Aviation regulator DGCA today launched preliminary investigations into the helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh that claimed 17 lives.

A high-level team of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation led by its chief E K Bharat Bhushan visited the accident site at Tawang, official sources here said, adding that a two-member panel started probe into yesterday''s incident.

They said the DGCA was also proposing to set up a full fledged Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the accident, as was done in the case of the Mangalore air crash last May. A CoI, which is assisted by independent technical assessors, goes into all aspects of an accident.

The team of two DGCA officials -- Sanit Kumar, Deputy Director of the Regional Controller of Air Safety, and H N Mishra, a senior official with air safety division -- conducted a site inspection on reaching Tawang this morning.

The Russian-origin MI-172 chopper, owned by Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd (PHHL), took off from Guwahati for Tawang but caught fire just before it was to land at the helipad located at an altitude of 11,000 feet, bordering China''s Tibet region.

There were 23 people on board the chopper - 16 adult passengers, two minors, two pilots, and three crew members.
Six people, including both the pilots, survived the crash with burn injuries.

Pawan Hans operates daily helicopter services between Guwahati and Tawang and other remote locations in Arunachal Pradesh under an MoU signed between the public sector company and the state government.

The chopper that crashed was in service for the past 14 years after being inducted in 1997.

"A thorough probe would unravel the reason behind the crash. In the meantime the second Mi-172 chopper would not ply on the route as it has gone for servicing,"

SpiceJet to hire pilots and cabin crew for its regional airline

Gurgaon-based budget airline SpiceJet will recruit 150 pilots and 300 cabin crew to launch the regional airline connecting smaller towns with metro cities in south India shortly.
The airline announced its intent to tap the growing regional market with an order for 15 Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft – which can accommodate 70-80 people – in December last year. It is likely to choose Hyderabad as its base for regional operations in the beginning.
“We will recruit 150 pilots and 300 cabin crew for the regional airline. We will recruit chief of pilots and chief of engineering for the regional operations as the aircraft is new for the Indian aviation market. These positions will be filled in by the expats and we are in the process of finalising the names,” said Neil Mills, CEO, SpiceJet.
The high crude prices have been a worry for the airlines – crude touched $119 per barrel mark on Monday – but SpiceJet will be going ahead with its expansion plans.
“There is some pain in the sector right now because of the oil prices, but we will continue to expand. There is huge opportunity in the tier II and the tier III cities and that is where we will be looking to expand,” he said.

Aviation experts feel SpiceJet will use the regional operations to carry the feeder traffic for the onward journeys for international legacy carriers like British Airways.

IndiGo to hire 1,500 people in 2011

Low-cost carrier IndiGo on Wednesday said it plans to hire up to 1,500 people this year to support its major expansion drive.“IndiGo will hire 1,200-1,500 people in the calendar year 2011, of which 400-500 would be cabin crew staff, 200-300 pilots, besides some engineers and ground staff,” IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh told PTI.

At present, IndiGo has about 3,400 employees and by the end of this year the number is expected to go up to 4,500-5,000. In January this year, the no-frill carrier made news by announcing acquisition of 180 A-320s, worth an estimated $ 15.6 billion, from European plane manufacturer Airbus — the single largest aircraft deal in global aviation history.

This is the second time IndiGo has placed such a massive aircraft order. The company had first entered into an agreement with Airbus in 2005, to buy 100 A-320s worth $ 6 billion

.
On being asked about the order delivery, Mr. Ghosh said, “One hundred aircrafts from the earlier order (2005) would be delivered by 2015. The delivery process of the 180 new planes would start thereafter and is expected to be completed by 2024.”

The airline has already sought government’s permission to launch global operations from the middle of this year, when it will also be completing five years of domestic service.

TEA - TEST OF ENGLISH FOR AVIATION

Test of English for Aviation (T.E.A.)

http://www.maycoll.co.uk/aviation-english/tea.html

TEA is:

• designed to assess a candidate's spoken and listening ability according to the ICAO Descriptors.
• an English communication test – it is not a test of operational knowledge.
• a test of plain English in an aviation context – it is not a test of aviation phraseology.
• conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview between the candidate and the examiner.
• a test comprising 3 sections and lasting approximately 20 minutes.

Throughout the three sections of the test the examiner will be assessing the candidate’s ability based on the following six ICAO language proficiency requirements: Pronunciation, Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Interactions.

The candidate will be awarded a score of 1 - 6 for each of the six skills.

Section One Introduction (5-6 minutes) The candidate is asked a series of questions on common, concrete and work-related topics relating to his/her aviation background. Click here to listen to an example. Section Two Interactive Comprehension (8-12 minutes) Part 2A: Candidates listen to aviation-specific recordings of non-routine and emergency situations. Candidates are required to explain what they understand about the situation. Click here to listen to an example. Parts 2B & 2C: Candidates listen to a series of problem-solving role-play scenarios. In Part 2B, the candidate is required to ask questions to the speaker. In Part 2C, the candidate is required to give advice to the speaker.

Rest Period For Cabin Crew

Rest Period For Cabin Crew

If the new draft circular introduced by the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) regarding flight duty time limit of aircraft crew comes into force, expect even more fatigued personnel to operate your flights.
While the draft allows airlines to make maximum use of manpower, it reduces rest hours of the cabin crew.
The circular on flight duty time limit (FDTL) of airline crew has reduced their rest period. “Under the new circular, there is no provision for horizontal bunker beds to be provided to the cabin crew on ultra-long-haul flights. Only pilots have this privilege now while the cabin crew has to rest on passenger seats, which is bound to leave them tired,” said a cabin crew member from Air India.
“Moreover, if the flight passes through four to seven time zones, the rest period has been reduced to 36 hours from 48 hours,” he said. The cabin crew also feels that their rest period onboard ultra-long flights should be at a stretch rather than be divided into two parts. “The rest period for pilots is eight hours at a stretch but for us it is five hours, and that too divided into two,” he said.
The local night time of the crew has also been reduced by two hours and starts from 10pm to 6am instead of the earlier 8pm to 6am. It is the time the crew spends (rests) at a destination after the flight lands. On a positive note, the airlines have to maintain a record of the crews’ rest period. “This rule already exists but there is no penalty on airlines for not adhering to it,” he said.

Rest Period For Cabin Crew

Rest Period For Cabin Crew

If the new draft circular introduced by the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) regarding flight duty time limit of aircraft crew comes into force, expect even more fatigued personnel to operate your flights.
While the draft allows airlines to make maximum use of manpower, it reduces rest hours of the cabin crew.
The circular on flight duty time limit (FDTL) of airline crew has reduced their rest period. “Under the new circular, there is no provision for horizontal bunker beds to be provided to the cabin crew on ultra-long-haul flights. Only pilots have this privilege now while the cabin crew has to rest on passenger seats, which is bound to leave them tired,” said a cabin crew member from Air India.
“Moreover, if the flight passes through four to seven time zones, the rest period has been reduced to 36 hours from 48 hours,” he said. The cabin crew also feels that their rest period onboard ultra-long flights should be at a stretch rather than be divided into two parts. “The rest period for pilots is eight hours at a stretch but for us it is five hours, and that too divided into two,” he said.
The local night time of the crew has also been reduced by two hours and starts from 10pm to 6am instead of the earlier 8pm to 6am. It is the time the crew spends (rests) at a destination after the flight lands. On a positive note, the airlines have to maintain a record of the crews’ rest period. “This rule already exists but there is no penalty on airlines for not adhering to it,” he said.

Govt blocks Lufthansa's A380 India plans

Mumbai/New Delhi: German airline Deutsche Lufthansa's plan to introduce Airbus A380 service on the Delhi-Frankfurt route has hit an air pocket. The ministry of civil aviation has blocked Lufthansa's proposal to operate the superjumbo jet between the two cities from next month, putting the airline's route planning in jeopardy. "There is neither a yes nor a no from the ministry," said Axel Hilgers, director (South Asia), Lufthansa.

The airline, which had recently increased frequency on two destinations--Frankfurt and Munich--from Delhi, was hoping to secure the permission soon as it had factored in an Airbus A380 for India in its route planning. The German carrier has seven of these super jumbos and it is acquiring another next month. It had planned to deploy the new jet on the India route from May 15. The civil aviation ministry, which clears seat entitlements on all sectors, is of the view that allowing Lufthansa to operate A380 will mean raising the airline's capacity on the sector. "An A380 coming into the country means cutting off the business of domestic carriers," said an official in the ministry with direct knowledge of the matter. "We can not allow that."
The superjumbo offers 139 more seats per aircraft as against a Boeing 747-400, or 255 additional seats as compared with a Boeing 777-300 ER or 777-200 LR, versions most used by airlines in India. Kingfisher Airlines is the only Indian carrier that has placed an order for A380, but it too is thinking of revisiting the order. However, the official said the main reason for not letting Lufthansa operate an A380 was the lack of facilities at the Delhi airport to handle an aircraft as big. He said an A380 might cause chaos at the airport.

Jet Airways Plans Fleet Expansion

India’s leading private airline Jet Airways said it will purchase aircraft from Boeing and Airbus as part of its fleet expansion program.

Yohan Paul, a senior official at Jet Airways, told Aviation Week the company has approved acquiring two additional Boeing 777–300ER aircraft. The delivery would take place between February and April 2013. “We are also planning to induct four A330-family aircraft over the next two years,” Paul said.
In addition, Jet Airways has entered into a purchase agreement with Boeing to acquire 30 737-800s to be delivered by 2015 and 10 Boeing 787-8s to be delivered by 2014. “These are, however, subject to requisite regulatory approvals and firm dates from the manufacturer,” Paul said.
Currently, Jet Airways operates a fleet of 97 aircraft, which includes 10 777-300ERs, 12 A330-200s, 55 next- generation Boeing 737-700/800/900s and 20 modern ATR 72-500 turboprops.
The airline, which flies to 71 destinations in India and abroad, has plans to increase services on its existing domestic routes, as well as to launch a nonstop flight to the U.S.; it currently operates a single daily connection to New York and New Jersey via Brussels—its hub in Europe.

TEA - TEST OF ENGLISH FOR AVIATION

Test of English for Aviation (T.E.A.)

http://www.maycoll.co.uk/aviation-english/tea.html

TEA is:

• designed to assess a candidate's spoken and listening ability according to the ICAO Descriptors.
• an English communication test – it is not a test of operational knowledge.
• a test of plain English in an aviation context – it is not a test of aviation phraseology.
• conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview between the candidate and the examiner.
• a test comprising 3 sections and lasting approximately 20 minutes.

Throughout the three sections of the test the examiner will be assessing the candidate’s ability based on the following six ICAO language proficiency requirements: Pronunciation, Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Interactions.
The candidate will be awarded a score of 1 - 6 for each of the six skills.

Section One Introduction (5-6 minutes) The candidate is asked a series of questions on common, concrete and work-related topics relating to his/her aviation background. Click here to listen to an example. Section Two  Interactive Comprehension (8-12 minutes) Part 2A: Candidates listen to aviation-specific recordings of non-routine and emergency situations. Candidates are required to explain what they understand about the situation. Click here to listen to an example. Parts 2B & 2C: Candidates listen to a series of problem-solving role-play scenarios. In Part 2B, the candidate is required to ask questions to the speaker. In Part 2C, the candidate is required to give advice to the speaker. Click here to listen to an example. Section Three Description and Discussion (8 minutes)

VATSIM - Virtual Air Traffic Simulation network

VATSIM -  Virtual Air Traffic Simulation network

http://www.vatsim.net

Let us give you an idea, what VATSIM is:

Flying with a computer

The main attraction of a flight simulation in real simulators or on your own home PC is the adventure, which is for most of us far away: to steer an aircraft safely from A to B. But when the first desktop simulators were created back in the late 70s, nobody ever expected, that they would be seen as an evening or weekend hobby.

Of course, the first sims for "home computers" were far away from a graphical adventure of today. But the developer of the 1^st flight simulator, Bruce Artwick and his company Sublogic created a "real" simulator on a home pc. The first flight simulator looked a bit like the right picture. If you click on it, you will be hovered to Flightsimulator History, where you can follow the whole story.

The development then is history, shortly told: Microsoft saw the potential of Artwicks program, bought Sublogic and developed out of Sublogic historical master piece an own simulator. And over the years of development of hard- and software, the software became more and more popular, since it consequently shows a complete different "game": a simulation.

But nobody of these early stages could have seen the real potential of the simulation. Beginning with Microsoft's Flight Simulator Version 5.0, we could simulate flying to many parts of the world. Flying, however, was a very lonely proposition. There were no other airplanes in the skies while we flew enroute and our arrivals at major airports were like landing in ghost towns. There was dynamic scenery and beginning with Microsoft's Flight Simulator 98, multi-player capability to keep you company. But other than that, Flight Simulator, as wonderful a program as it has been throughout its history, fell flat when it came to simulating air traffic control.

Various organizations were established to bring order and structure to this new wrinkle in the hobby. Maybe it started with the legendary Compuserve Flightsim Community, who started on this early (and exclusive) Blogging portal to exchange informations. Out of these groups the idea arose to connect Flight Simulators via a network to exchange the position and simply to fly together.

In 1997, all of that changed with the introduction of a "SquawkBox", an add-on program for Flight Simulator 95/98, and "ProController", a stand alone program. Over time, SquawkBox has been revised several times and works with all major Flight Simulation programs including Microsoft Flight Simulator, Precision Simulator and the Fly! series of programs. Through the use of ProController and the internet, people operating as air traffic controllers could track and control aircraft in real time as they flew in Flight Simulator by utilizing a simulated radar screen. Pilots, using SquawkBox, could now talk to and receive air traffic control from people using ProController. 

An enthusiast's network

The Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network, known as VATSIM.net or "VATSIM" was created in 2001 by a group of individuals who came together with a goal of creating an organization which truly served the needs of the flight simulation and online air traffic control community. With an eye towards more than just providing a network of computers for users to log into, VATSIM is an online community where people can learn and, at the same time, enjoy the pastimes of flight simulation and air traffic control simulation all while making new friends from all over the world.

VATSIM is not just for individuals who have experience in online flight simulation and ATC. It is perfect for both the new user, and the long time "simmer".

For someone who has just learned about online flight simulation and air traffic control and is interested in real world procedures, VATSIM and its members, many of whom bring real world experience and expertise to our community, offer an ideal environment to learn real world skills.

For pilots, you'll be able to fly with radar service by air traffic controllers who issue instruction and assistance in all phases of flight from getting your clearance to arriving at your destination airport.

For air traffic control enthusiasts, the entire world is simulated meaning you can work ATC virtually anywhere from a general aviation airport to the busiest airports in the world. Nearly all of the real world positions are available for you to choose and learn to work.

What's your benefit?

The best part of all of this is that VATSIM brings real people together who share with you the  passion for flight and air traffic control. When you contact that controller or pilot, you aren't contacting a computer generated voice or image - you will be communicating with a real person who shares the same interests as you!

And VATSIM is even more then that. It is a world wide community of approx. 200.000 members who share the idea, the fun and the adventure of flight simulation. The local communities around the world are really good places to meet and to share informations, and of course: not everything we are talking about is about this hobby. The communities are real life member communities.

You can be a part of VATSIM

All it takes is a few moments to register and join VATSIM. Once you do, prepare to learn and be rewarded with friendships that will span the globe. In addition, you'll receive the appreciation and thanks of the online flight simulation and air traffic control communities.

So why not head over to the VATSIM Members page and sign up? It is free of charge but not free of time. You will love flying in our environment.

Demand for pilots is ’set to soar’

Demand for pilots is ’set to soar’ as plane travel grows as published on www.bbc.co.uk

The number of pilots is set to treble in two decades, Boeing predicted.

The global aviation industry will need to train and employ almost half a million new pilots over the next 20 years, according to the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

In addition, more than half a million new maintenance staff must be found, the aerospace giant said.

Currently, some 233,000 pilots and 100,000 mechanics and engineers work for airlines worldwide, it said.

About 40% of the extra demand would come from Asia, Boeing said.

Limited training capacity

Some 466,650 newly trained pilots and 596,500 newly trained maintenance staff will be needed between 2010 and 2029, Boeing predicted.

With demand set to rise particularly fast in Asia, especially in China, some 180,600 of the pilots and 220,000 of the mechanics would be needed there.

Adapting training regimes is a major challenge for the industry, said Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer at Boeing Training and Flight Services.

“The infrastructure right now in the Asia Pacific is not necessarily on a scale that can address this entire requirement,” he added.

Recovery in the air

Passenger numbers have rebounded well since a downturn in demand for air travel that accompanied the financial crisis and recession in several countries.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said passenger traffic rose 9.2% in July compared with a year earlier. The strongest performance was in the Asia Pacific region, where growth rose by 10.9% year on year.

However, in Europe and North America, fragile consumer confidence could result in a slower pace of recovery, IATA’s director general Giovanni Bisignani warned.

‘A lot of new engineers’

In China, demand for pilots in could be twice or three times as great as the number going through current and planned training facilities, according to Mr Bisignani.

This might result in Chinese airlines recruiting pilots abroad, he predicted.

Boeing’s forecasts are consistent with industry predictions of a doubling in air passengers by 2030, according to Jon Ostrower, a blog editor for the Flightglobal website.

By then, the skills airlines will require its staff to have could be drastically different, he said.

“You’re going to need a heck of a lot of new engineers, at a time when a large proportion of engineers, certainly in the US, are retiring,” he said.

“The focus for these skills will move to places like Brazil, home of [the aircraft manufacturer] Embraer, where the engineering workforce is significantly younger”

Keith Williams- JAR ATPL Question Bank CD ROM

Keith Williams- JAR ATPL Question Bank CD ROM

Keith Williams, JAR ATPL Question Bank CD-ROM includes more than 10537 real examination questions and correct answers, plus more than 4627 detailed explanations. Many of the explanations include supporting diagrams.

In the case of mathematical questions, the explanations include detailed step-by-step solutions. Unlike other products that are currently available, this program is intended to facilitate genuine learning and understanding of the subjects, rather than simply enabling users to memorise the answers to examination questions. To maximise the benefits gained by users it includes the following facilities. Its based on JAR CQB14 and CQB15.

Subject Area Selection Screen.

• 14 buttons permit users to select one of the 14 examination subject areas.

Function Selection Screen.

• 2 buttons permit the user to select either the Subject Revision screen or the Practice    Examination screen.
• A third button permits exit to the Subject Area Selection screen.

Subject Area Revision Screens.

• The selected examination subject is broken down into individual study areas. In the case of Aircraft instruments for example, this provides 21 individually selectable study areas. This enables users to consolidate their knowledge of each part of the syllabus as their training progresses.
• Detailed explanations including diagrams are provided for many of the questions.
• Step-by-step solutions are provided for a large number of mathematical questions.
• Users can move at will between a question and the relevant explanation and illustrations to confirm their understanding of the subject.
• A record of the % of questions that have been answered correctly is continuously updated and displayed on the screen, to enable users to assess their progress.

Practice Examination screens.

• During the final stages of examination preparation, students can use the program to carry out practice examinations, in which question are selected at random from all of the study areas relating the selected examination.
• Detailed explanations including diagrams are provided for many of the questions.
• Step-by-step solutions are provided for a large number of mathematical questions.
• At the end of each practice examination the program allows users to retake all of the questions for which they had previously selected the wrong options.
• Many of the explanations both in the Subject revision screens and in the Practice Examination screens include supporting diagrams.

System Requirements:

This product requires Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office 2000 (or later editions), at least 30 Mb of hard disk space plus at least 128 Mb of RAM to function correctly - compatible with Microsoft VISTA. 

Available @ http://proviationshop.co.uk

The Aerodynamics of Flight

The Aerodynamics of Flight

http://youtu.be/5ltjFEei3AI

Informative link for Pilots 

Its a cheeky Simulator Video, The Narration could have been better.... 

but still decent video, worth a watch

Comments if any, Follow the link

Flight Safety And Crash Survival

Brigadier General William Spruance (1998)

http://youtu.be/emHSdz0nWLg

More Video's on 'Airboyd.tv' 

How Airplanes Fly - Aviation Training Film - 1968

" How Airplanes Fly 1968 Aviation Training Film " 

http://youtu.be/_LXW3pHNn_U

Interesting video worth a watch. 

glad to have found this on YouTube 

How Airplanes Fly - Aviation Training Film - 1968

" How Airplanes Fly 1968 Aviation Training Film " 

http://youtu.be/_LXW3pHNn_U

Interesting video worth a watch. 

glad to have found this on YouTube 

Rest Period For Cabin Crew

If the new draft circular introduced by the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) regarding flight duty time limit of aircraft crew comes into force, expect even more fatigued personnel to operate your flights.
While the draft allows airlines to make maximum use of manpower, it reduces rest hours of the cabin crew.
The circular on flight duty time limit (FDTL) of airline crew has reduced their rest period. “Under the new circular, there is no provision for horizontal bunker beds to be provided to the cabin crew on ultra-long-haul flights. Only pilots have this privilege now while the cabin crew has to rest on passenger seats, which is bound to leave them tired,” said a cabin crew member from Air India.
“Moreover, if the flight passes through four to seven time zones, the rest period has been reduced to 36 hours from 48 hours,” he said. The cabin crew also feels that their rest period onboard ultra-long flights should be at a stretch rather than be divided into two parts. “The rest period for pilots is eight hours at a stretch but for us it is five hours, and that too divided into two,” he said.
The local night time of the crew has also been reduced by two hours and starts from 10pm to 6am instead of the earlier 8pm to 6am. It is the time the crew spends (rests) at a destination after the flight lands. On a positive note, the airlines have to maintain a record of the crews’ rest period. “This rule already exists but there is no penalty on airlines for not adhering to it,” he said.

Airlines - Flying High on Social Media !!!

SouthWest Airlines and Delta Airlines in the US had been appreciated for their social media presence on Facebook and both of them managed to boost their sales through the same channel. A useful compilation of contests on Facebook by these airlines is put together on Slideshare.

For its part Indian Airlines are playing catch up and haven’t been able to boost their sales so far using social media as yet. Some airlines which are doing serious work

Jet Airways

Jet Airways extended its presence on social media networks to LinkedIn and Foursquare. With this initiative, the company wants to reach out to a larger section of audience and provide information on a real time basis.

On LinkedIn, Jet Airways has created company page for itself. Here the company would provide necessary information to100 million users of LinkedIn with information such as latest initiatives and additional services to enhance their travel experience. The company page is interlinked with the official Twitter handle of Jet Airways – @jetairways which would be used for providing such information.

On Foursquare, Jet Airways becomes the first Indian flight operator to have its presence. Currently the Jet Airways user profile provides tips and discounts at various airports in India and outside India. There are also plans to utilise the platform to retain guests and also win new ones through virtual badges.

Jet had started its social media initiative through Facebook by forming a page on the popular network. The Facebook pagehas more than 1.7 lakh fans in approximately 14 months since the start. Just like the Twitter initiative of providing news and offers, Facebook does the same through regular updates on the wall. There is also an application created for booking tickets right from Facebook itself which is interlinked with the official website. One can also manage bookings, check flight status and/or web checkin from Facebook itself. This reduces the need to visit the website as Facebook can be used to navigate around the necessary sections for a passenger.

We have seen how the latest version of Foursquare can help brands use the tool even more than what it was possible earlier. Quite possibly, Foursquare would be the best tool for airliners to adopt as it is a location based social network which is conducive for airlines. Having said that, Foursquare doesn’t have a huge user base in India which the likes of Facebook and/or Twitter enjoy. Therefore, having a mixture of all these networks and bridging them together in the best possible manner would be a big task for Jet Airlines and other airlines who may follow suit in the future.

Kingfisher Airlines

Kingfisher Airlines has its presence on Twitter and Facebook. On Twitter the airline has more than 8,500 followers and onFacebook there is a page with more than 93,000 likes. Content on both the channels is more or less the same with Cricket dominating due to the World Cup going on. Alongside, information on flights and other offers are also shared with the users.

SpiceJet

SpiceJet also focuses on Facebook and Twitter as two primary channels for dissemination of information. The Facebook page has more than 1.8 lakh likes and Twitter handle has a little over a thousand followers.

The Facebook page is currently running a contest called “48 hours in Varanasi” where people are asked to submit the things to do in Varanasi in 48 hours which is a blend of travel and enjoyment. The winner would be given a ticket to fly on the route for free. Besides this, travel tips, announcement of new routes, prices of some routes are also announced on a regular basis.

On Twitter, SpiceJet is merely sharing the information on routes, prices and the contest. There is no engagement or interaction with users on the microblogging service.

Just like Jet Airways’ Facebook Page, SpiceJet also has a ticket booking store added to the page as a separate tab. This is interlinked to the official website which handles the payment process.

Air India

Recently Air India announced it would be aggressively targeting the social media industry by using Facebook and Twitter as its primary platforms. The official website of the government owned carrier doesn’t mention any Facebook or Twitter pages so there is no way to ascertain an official social media property. One Facebook page on Air India has amassed more than 5,000 fans but all posts are by the fans itself and not by the brand. Presently there is no Twitter account set up for the airline.

As per a post on Aviation India, Air India would offer ticket booking and the ability to check flight status via Facebook. On Twitter, however, the focus would be on understanding customer behaviour and address complaints.

Another innovative feature added by Air India is of mobile check-in by visiting http://www.flyai.mobi/. This service has been launched in 6 metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Interestingly, Air India plans to enhance its sales by 30% using social media which is a big number to have for a conversion rate.