aviation - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-28T21:39:50Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/aviationHow Nervous Flyers Can Increase Their Sense of Control Whilst Flyinghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/fear-of-flying-sense-of-control2023-11-04T06:05:00.000Z2023-11-04T06:05:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><h6><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12258730472,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12258730472,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12258730472?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a class="photographer fw5_Yz3l5KdK42jrm5qD" href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/portfolio/FrazaoStudio?mediatype=photography" target="_blank"><span class="lugKPUU4gjyDwmiWNX4N">FG Trade</span></a></em></h6>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>by David Lanzas</em></span><br /> <br /> One of the key causes of anxiety and stress for fearful flyers is their perceived lack of control. This in turn can make them avoid air travel – limiting their lives considerably – and if they do get on a plane, cause them suffering.</p>
<p>While it’s true that as passengers we have no control over the flight itself (fortunately), this doesn’t mean that there’s nothing anxious flyers can do to feel that they do have some control over the situation. And here are five simple ways you can do that:</p>
<ul>
<li>To start with, be sure to choose your airline seat. Something as simple as this will relieve the tension generated by the uncertainty of not knowing where you can sit. Some passengers prefer to be on the the aisle or in a certain part of the plane, and being able to make this choice helps them to face the flight in a better mood.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bring comforting ítems with you – it can be a book or device, or even a favourite blanket or pillow. Something simple that you associate with the security of your day-to-day life at home.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Go ahead and introduce yourself to and strike up conversations with airline staff, especially your flight attendants – and especially don’t hesitate to speak with them if any concerns arise. Don’t forget – they’re there to help everyone have a safe and comfortable flight, and being able to ask them for help is priceless.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Learn more about the process of flying itself; understanding how airplanes and safety systems work can help many people feel more secure and comfortable during their flights (this blog, for example, has published many posts on how airplanes fly). In addition, knowing the emergency procedures and the instructions of the flight crew can help people feel that they are prepared for any eventuality.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Last but not least, it's a good idea to consult a mental-health professional to help you manage your anxiety. Identifying traumatic experiences and limiting beliefs that can be feeding your aerophobia, then working to overcome them, is without a doubt the best way to gain a true sense of control.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Happy flying!</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em>Founder of the <a href="https://institutolanzas.com/">Lanzas Institute</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/psicolanzas/">David Lanzas</a> is a psychologist specialising in anxiety and trauma</em></h6>
<h6> </h6>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>Epic EFIS: The Modern Cockpit's Electronic Flight Information Systemhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/aviation-efis-cockpit-electronic-flight-information-system2023-03-02T15:10:00.000Z2023-03-02T15:10:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10953088700,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10953088700,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10953088700?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/una-vista-de-la-cabina-gm993366704-269085342?phrase=ASMR%20cockpit" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size:8pt;">ASMR</span></em></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The cockpits of old – with a bewildering multiplicity of levers, buttons and analogue displays – are long gone, phased out beginning in the 1980s in favour of digitised systems known as <strong>EFIS</strong>, comprising a bewildering multiplicity of liquid-crystal displays along with and joysticks and soft keys to manipulate them.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:14pt;">The EFIS Revolution in Aerial Navigation</span> </span></strong></h3>
<p><br /> This revolution was essentially threefold. First was cockpit design, of course. Second, it changed the way pilots and co-pilots worked as well as interacted with each other. But above all, imagine the huge difference between, for example, an analogue counter and an electronic screen which offers more information and at the same time makes it much more visually intuitive, easy to interpret, and with a greatly reduced margin of error.</p>
<p>The transition from analogue to digital was gradual, incorporating different elements throughout the years. One of the first to be digitised was the <strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_indicator" target="_blank">attitude indicator</a></strong> (<strong>ADI</strong>), monitoring the aircraft’s orientation with respect to the horizon, then later replaced by a screen called the EADI ( ) which besides the attitude also the flight director, and can also sometimes present additional data: radio altimeter, flight mode annunciator, relative speed scale.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Advent of the Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> The second is a combination of flight instruments which provide information on the aircraft’s position with respect to different navigation points. Today the old HSI is called EHSI (tjust adding "electronic" to the name), and like the EADI, it can incorporate other functions (speed over ground, DME or distance measuring equipment, the graphical representation of the flight plan...).</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">The 'Glass Cockpit'</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> That’s what pilots and others dub this digitalised cockpit. Of course even the most sophisticated EFIS has a backup system completely isolated from it in case something goes wrong, and to ensure proper navigation. Its main components are screens providing data to the crew about the various elements and navigation systems. If above we talked about the EADI and the EHSI, in the glass cockpits the screens that appear are more complete (and complex), and are as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>The <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">PFD (Primary Flight Display)</span></strong> incorporates the main flight instruments on a single screen. It’s easy to imagine the difference in terms of information processing and comfort compared to the cockpits of, for example, the 1970s. In addition to the attitude indicator (ADI), here we’ll find speedometer, variometer, altimeter, heading indicator and indicator of drift, along with other readouts including radio altimeter and navigation frequencies.</li>
<li>The <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">MFD (Multi-function Flight Display)</span></strong> or <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">ND (Navigation Display)</span></strong> is an evolution of the EHSI that can incorporate, in addition to the horizontal situation indicator, the <strong>GS</strong> (<strong>Ground Speed</strong>) or ground speed, DME, graphic representation flight plan, weather radar and other functions.</li>
</ul>
<p><br /> Beyond all this, some aircraft also have a screen called <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">ECAM</span></strong> (<strong>Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor</strong>), which monitors the status of the aircraft systems as well as that of the engines.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Control Panel</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> This essentially comprises the various controls and buttons which regulate the screens system, and also includes:</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Symbols Generator(s)</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> This device interprets the settings made on the control panel. It receives the information sent to it by the different systems and sensors of the aircraft, considers the adjustments made in the control panel (that is, how this information is going to be represented) and sends it to the screens.</p>
<p>Typically the smallest aircraft have only one but the largest can have up to three symbols generators in their EFIS. One sends information to the pilot's display system, another to the co-pilots, and the third is a backup generator, ready in case any of the other information systems fail.</p>
<p>There are three additional functions of the symbols generator: monitoring the screens to verify their operation; validating the data (that is, verifying that the information coming from the aircraft systems is correct); and comparing this with the data provided by the other symbols generators (so that if it finds data that do not match, it will inform the crew).</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>Airline Pilots and their Extremely Rigorous Traininghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/commercial-aviation-airline-pilots-training-avgeek2022-12-06T07:30:00.000Z2022-12-06T07:30:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10857795868,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10857795868,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10857795868?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/vista-de-cabina-gm666297356-121449315?phrase=airline%20cockpit%20pilots" target="_blank">Rathke</a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> A few of you may have had the privilege of visiting the flight deck of a commercial airliner, and found yourself fascinated by the myriad levers, buttons, and other mechanisms surrounding the captain and co-pilot. After seeing that instrument panel, have you ever wondered what kind of training a pilot has? Of course, they must have a flight license, but how do you study for it? How long does it take? Are there other requirements along with flight training itself? Here's a quick explanation of all that, plus a little more:</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Getting the Licence</strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> To earn the <strong>Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL)</strong> , you must have at least 1,500 flight hours, which include at least 500 in multi-pilot operations, 150 as PIC (pilot in command), 200 cross-country hours, 75 instrument hours and 100 night-flight hours.</p>
<p>The <strong>Commercial Pilot License (CPL)</strong> and <strong>Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) Frozen</strong> allow you to act as a pilot in command of a single-pilot aircraft or as a co-pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft. For the CPL, at least 650 theoretical hours and 150-200 flight hours - depending on whether the training is integrated or modular - are required. The theoretical requirements are the same as for the ATPL, but with fewer practical hours. At this point you could fly for an airline with the ATPL Frozen: the theoretical part completed and flight hours pending, with a number of restrictions.</p>
<p>Although the ATPL is the license to carry out air transport, it is the CPL with ATPL Frozen that allows you to receive compensation for it. Therefore both licenses are part of the integral training to be able to work as a commercial aircraft pilot.</p>
<p>There are currently three ways to get the ATPL:</p>
<ol>
<li>Through the university degree <strong>Commercial Aviation Pilot and Air Operations</strong>, offered by a number of institutions throughout the world. This degree takes four years and includes more than 50 subjects, including physics, meteorology, flight instruction, air legislation, commercial law, and geography. It's therefore, a well-rounded degree, since someone who puts himself or herself at the controls of an aircraft must be very prepared in various fields.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>Modular training, which enables those who complete the various courses to fly different types of aircraft until they reach the ATPL, passing through lower licenses (<strong>PPL</strong>, CPL, etc.). This is ideal for those who prefer to go step by step, especially if they need to combine it with other studies or jobs.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>An integrated degree, which usually takes two or three years (faster than the modular one). Some schools offer an Aviation Management degree along with it - which is not strictly necessary itself, experts recommend adding a university degree to the ATPL, since it is highly valued when it comes to finding work.</li>
</ol>
<p><br /> In <strong>Europe</strong>, the minimum training required by the <a href="https://www.easa.europa.eu/"><strong>European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)</strong></a> to become a pilot is 650 theoretical hours (and, of course, passing all subjects).</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Upon Receiving the Licence</strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> But even once future pilots do finally receive their licences, their training isn't yet over! Normally they leave school with a limited ATPL or "Frozen", which enables them to be first officers (i.e., co-pilots). Once the 1,500 flight hours have been completed, and having fulfilled the requirements above, they've officially passed and obtained the Airline Transport Pilot Licence.</p>
<p>To work at an airline, in addition to the ATPL pilots need a rating for each type of aircraft. For example, if the airline flies <strong>Airbus A320</strong>s, you can only work if you have the specific clearance for that aircraft model. The type rating course takes about a month and combines theoretical sessions with a flight simulator. Landings and take-offs are also carried out without passengers.</p>
<p>Each airline also provides additional training and tests its pilots in different subjects, such as operator conversion, <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2013/11/19/dangerous-goods/" target="_blank">dangerous cargo</a>, CRM, communications, <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2022/01/17/aircraft-safety/" target="_blank">safety</a>, and many more.</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Additional Schooling</strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> To obtain the ATPL, would-be pilots must have a secondary school diploma, and it's recommended to concentrate if possible in science, maths, and technology. For non-native-English speakers, proof of a minimum level of English equivalent to B1 or B2 is also required, since this is the international language of aviation. Both the EASA and the UN-affiliated <strong><a href="https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">ICAO</a></strong> require English accreditation with so-called "language competence", with a minimum level of 4 (Operational).</p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Other Requirements</strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> You've now gotten an idea of the enormous amount of training needed by a commercial pilot. But there are yet other considerations even beyond all that. Pilots must be in good health and obtain a special medical certificate before finally achieving their dream. <a href="https://www.copac.es/" target="_blank"><strong>COPAC</strong></a> (Spain's official commercial pilot school located in Madird) explains that this battery of exams includes vision and hearing testing, an electrocardiogram, blood and urine tests, etc. All this can take a whole day to complete. There are several conditions that may preclude someone from receiving the certificate, including cardiovascular diseases; epilepsy; certain types of diabetes; and colour blindness.</p>
<p>You pass all this, and congratulations - you're now an airline pilot! But even so. Throughout their careers, pilots must stay current with refresher courses and exams to maintain and update knowledge and skills.</p>
<p>It’s clear that pilot training is very extensive and demanding. By the way, according to one study, somewhere around 635,000 new commercial pilots will be needed around the world by 2037 - in case any of you wants to become one!</p>
<p> </p></div>Cabin Fever Strikes (in a Good Way) at Hamburg's Aircraft Interiors Expo https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/aircraft-interiors-expo-aix-hamburg-aircraft-cabins2022-08-08T09:05:00.000Z2022-08-08T09:05:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><h6><span style="color:#ff0000;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10755814674,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10755814674,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10755814674?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></em></span></h6>
<h6><span style="color:#ff0000;font-size:8pt;"><em>by Jorge de Luis Sierra</em></span></h6>
<p><br /> For aviation watchers, when it comes to annual industry expos late July's <a href="https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/"><strong>Farnborough International Airshow</strong></a> in the <strong>United Kingdom</strong> is probably tops, especially in terms of trades and commercial agreements between the major airlines and aircraft manufacturers: aerospace, defence, sustainability, innovation, and advance air mobility are also showcased at this event, which is well known because of its great impact on the aviation sector.</p>
<p>Another highly influential annual expo takes place in <strong>Hamburg</strong> in early June (in 2023, 6-8 June), where the major aviation suppliers display innovations and developments relating to commercial jetliner cabins. Back this year after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the <a href="https://www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com/en-gb/visit.html"><strong>Aircraft Interiors Expo</strong></a> (<strong>AIX</strong> for short) showcases the world’s top aircraft manufacturers’ top new offerings in terms of comfort, space, amenities, and ambience. So expo attendees can find, among others, all trends in the interior CMF (colour, material, and finish); the newest seats; innovations in IFE (inflight entertainment); and all the related technical and safety systems that come into play in the interior design of an aircraft cabin.</p>
<p>Particularly with regard to materials and finishes, one major point of interest is what the major upholstery and soft-furnishing suppliers bring to the expo, with an always stimulating narrative about their upcoming products, and to insiders it’s fascinating to see how they adapt to the aviation industry’s evolving business models and trends – and in recent years especially when it comes to boosting environmental sustainability and reducing carbon footprint.</p>
<p>At this past June’s expo, I personally was more focussed on venturing into the more technical side of things, and more deeply understanding how we can minimise carbon footprint by bringing lightweight materials and other innovations that can reduce aircraft fuel consumption.</p>
<p>Among the standouts I spotted among the many displays was a prototype for a “<a href="https://chaiselongue.3dseatmapvr.com/ChaiseLongue.html"><strong>Chaise Longue Economy Seat</strong></a>” (top), invented by <strong>Alejandro Núñez Vicente</strong>, a Spanish graduate student at the <strong>Delft University of Technology</strong> in the <strong>Netherlands</strong>. This revolutionary double-decker setup uses ultralight materials; could be installed without major structural modifications to the aircraft; and if adopted by airlines would be a potentially game-changing innovation combining efficiency and passenger comfort.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="wp-image-21822 size-full aligncenter" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/switch-aix-hamburgo-style-and-design.jpg" alt="switch-aix-hamburgo-style-and-design" width="1200" height="1200" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Another seat innovation which caught my attention was the <a href="https://styleanddesign.com/"><strong>Style and Design</strong></a> group with their upgrade of the “Switch” concept seat, a premium-economy product that can become a lie-down couch by lifting the middle armrest. They also developed their own IFE technology by providing a unique in-seat video experience, turning the seatback screen into a full sole HD display.</p>
<p>I also took note of the products from seatbelt manufacturer that which is already well established in the automotive industry and specially in the world of <strong>Formula 1</strong> - literally like holding a feather!</p>
<p>Because of the lingering effects of the pandemic, I didn’t see the same level of public attendance as at past expos, but still, it was great to meet again with industry colleagues and see how aviation suppliers are again back in the game, with growth plans and in particular focussed on developing sustainability-driven cabins. A good sign for the future of commercial aviation!</p>
<h6><span style="color:#ff0000;"><em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgedeluis/" target="_blank"><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;">Jorge de Luis Sierra</span></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"> is an aircraft interior-design specialist </span></em><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>and a</em><em>viation-branding expert </em></span></span></h6>
<p> </p></div>How Does an Aircraft's 'Black Box' Flight Recorder Work?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/how-does-an-aircraft-s-black-box-flight-recorder-work2022-04-06T07:40:00.000Z2022-04-06T07:40:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10261301081?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><h6> </h6>
<h6><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>by guest blogger </em></span><a href="https://puriruiz.es/"><em><span style="font-size:8pt;">Puri Ruiz</span></em></a></h6>
<p>Much has been written about this small device that all commercial aircraft have been incorporating for more than half a century. And little wonder: "black box" flight recorders are essential in order to identify the causes of an accident.</p>
<p>We know, thanks to ironclad statistics, that the airplane is the safest means of transportation, but several decades ago there was a model of aircraft, the <strong>Comet</strong>, whose accident rate was well outside of normal range. It was the early 1950s and the experts wanted to know what they were due to. Australian chemist and aeronautical engineer <strong>David Warren</strong> was the creator of the first black box, and developed it based on a technology that recorded in-flight conversation. But back in 1939 there was a more rudimentary prototype, created by Frenchman <strong>François Husseno</strong>, with photographic film and calibrated with mirrors, to which sensors launched flashes that reflected on it and thus recorded the flight history. An interesting fact: it's said that Hussenot, aware of the importance of his invention, hid the box near a beach on the <strong>Atlantic Ocean</strong> when the <strong>Nazis</strong> invaded <strong>France</strong>, so that they wouldn't get hold of it.</p>
<p>From Warren's device to today, black boxes have come a long way. To begin with, airplanes do not incorporate one, but two, both normally located at the rear of the aircraft. And each of them has a specific function:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>FDR (Flight Data Recorder):</strong> this device records all those parameters that can be recorded on a commercial flight, such as altitude, course, speed, engine performance, etc. Most of these devices today record between 17 and 25 hours of data and are subjected to exhaustive reviews annually to verify optimal reliability.</li>
<li><strong>CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder):</strong> records the voices and sound warnings of the last two hours of the flight (or the last half hour, depending on the plane and the device) via microphones located in the upper part of the cockpit, so that we can also have spoken information. A standard CVR records four different channels of audio data. Of course, digitization has brought noticeable improvements to its manufacture. On the one hand, yesterday's magnetic tapes are no longer used; these days all the information is stored in solid state drives, also known as flash memories, which can also keep this data for years, and have their own power supply that does not rely on the airplane's.</li>
</ul>
<p>Airplane black boxes also have an underwater beacon that emits geolocation signals for 30 days. Technology is advancing rapidly in this regard, and black boxes are getting better and better: since 2019, different aircraft have begun to be equipped with devices that capture up to 25 hours of sound recording, and due to their smaller size they can be placed in two locations: one at the front of the plane and the other at the rear. In this way, the possibilities of preserving all the information are much greater. Technological companies such as <strong>Leonardo</strong> or <strong>L3Harris</strong> are two of the leading companies in its manufacture.</p>
<p>But of course, all this would not make any sense without one fundamental thing: the extraordinary resistance of chosen materials. The FDR and CVR devices are protected by the <strong>CSMU</strong> (<strong>Crash-Survivable Memory Unit</strong>) system, which makes them virtually unbreakable for two reasons:</p>
<p>The materials. Titanium and steel encase and armor the recording system of both devices. Titanium is a metal with the best hardness-density ratio, very resistant to corrosion, fatigue and capable of being subjected to high temperatures without deforming. Steel has similar properties, although its weight is greater. People often ask why the entire plane could not be made from these materials: it would simply be too heavy to take flight.</p>
<p>The demanding resistance tests. In addition to the fact that these devices are periodically inspected, before being installed on aircraft they undergo numerous tests that certify their extremely high durability: resistance to fire, penetration, water pressure, crushing and strong impact.</p>
<p>All information stored in the FDR and CVR devices (that is, the two black boxes) is digitally extracted and processed in a specialized laboratory through sophisticated programs.</p>
<p>Finally, it is interesting to know why it is called a black box. The origin of this name is not entirely clear: some old prototypes of the British <strong>Royal Air Force</strong> were painted in that color, and others were a kind of camera obscura that incorporated photographic plates. But they might also receive this name based on systems theory, where a black box is an element that receives input and produces an output, or series of responses. Whatever the origin, black boxes aren't even black but rather covered with a special orange paint, also highly resistant to corrosion and high temperatures.</p>
<h6> </h6>
<h6><em>Photo | <a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/registrador-de-vuelo-conocido-como-caja-negra-utilizada-en-aeronaves-gm586725114-100720909" target="_blank">narvikk</a></em></h6>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>Inflight Dining: From Design to Seatback Trayhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airlines-inflight-dining-meals2022-03-18T05:50:00.000Z2022-03-18T05:50:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10216909265,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10216909265,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="750" alt="10216909265?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Admittedly, inflight dining has not gotten a lot of love over much of the course of commercial aviation's history. Actually, early in that history, in the 1930s, multi-course meals were cooked onboard. However, as the postwar demand for flights took off in the 1950’s and 60’s and aircraft sizes (and therefore passenger numbers on each flight) grew, this soon proved impractical, and the complexity of cooking for hundreds of passengers in a tight space within a limited time frame prompted airlines to switch to premade meals, heated in onboard galleys.</p>
<p> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s7hM4NtfMbY" width="1269" height="714" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nowadays, inflight meals for all classes of service are prepared in an elaborate process on terra firma according to <a href="https://www.academia.edu/28264120/World_Food_Safety_Guidelines_for_Airline_Catering" target="_blank">World Food Safety Guidelines for Airline Catering</a> by a handful of international catering companies, including <a href="https://www.gategroup.com/en-gb/brands/gate-gourmet/" target="_blank"><strong>Gate Gourmet</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.lsgskychefs.com/" target="_blank"><strong>LSG Sky Chefs</strong></a>, and <strong>Austria</strong>-based <strong><a href="https://www.doco.com" target="_blank">Do & Co</a></strong>, which has operations at 31 sites worldwide, including <strong>Madrid</strong> and <strong>Barcelona</strong> airports, where it services <strong>Iberia</strong>'s fleet. The catering chefs meet with airline representatives, with a lot of discussion and debate before a new menu is agreed upon and implemented. Decisions on menus and recipes also vary according to route to cater for international and regional tastes, as well as class of service (premium vs. economy).</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-19028" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/l2f-jan-22-pic-inflight-meals-being-packaged-in-central-kitchen-istock-1079717252.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="836" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Regardless of all that, another eternal challenge for menu designers is the fact that high altitudes suppress the functioning of the taste buds and thus our enjoyment of inflight meals. <strong>Guillaume de Syon</strong>, a history professor at <strong>Pennsylvania</strong>'s <strong>Albright College</strong>, has studied the history of airline meals, and suggests that pressurisation can make passengers thirsty and food taste "dry and flavourless” as a result. Other studies have shown that perception of saltiness and sweetness drops 30 percent when flying above 31,000 feet, and the pressurisation and resulting low humidity at cruising altitude (12 percent drier than most deserts) is also believed to dry out the nose and desensitise the olfactory sensors essential for tasting the full flavour of dishes. <strong>Russ Brown</strong>, a director for <strong>In-flight Dining & Retail</strong> in the <strong>USA</strong>, says, “proper seasoning is key to ensure food tastes good in the air, to account for the cabin dining atmosphere.” <strong>Gerry McLoughlin</strong>, an executive chef also based Stateside, agrees, saying he has to use “vibrant flavours and spices” to make in-flight meals taste "more robust".</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-18996 size-full" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/l2f-jan-22-pic-inflight-meals-doco-being-loaded-onto-airplane.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1200" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once the menus are decided, Do & Co's chefs do much of their cooking on various grills that are a metre and a half (five feet) wide, with opposite ends of the grill are used to cook different foods - one end for big batches of vegetables, for example, with sautéd potatoes at the other. And of course different grills and utensils are always used to keep meat and veg options separate. Designed to be served the very same day it's cooked, once the food is prepared for the passengers as well as for the crew, the chefs then clean up again to assemble the dishes on serving trays. The food that needs reheating on the plane is given priority, and ladled into foil containers topped with cardboard lids that have small holes for ventilation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-19034" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/l2f-jan-22-pic-inflight-meals-aircraft-galley-istock-489673526.jpg" alt="" width="1183" height="887" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>These packaged meals go onto trolleys which are rolled into special refrigerators, where they are blast chilled and organised according to the flight numbers. The next step is load them onto refrigerated containers (above) for transportation out to the aircraft, where they are transferred and further chilled in the oboard kitchens, known as galleys. On the larger planes there are usually four galleys. One at the back and front and two in the middle of the aircraft. On smaller planes, there are normally two galleys at the front and back. Cleverly fitted into these small galley areas are ovens, refrigerators, cafetières, coffee machines, and hot water dispensers, as well as space to store hundreds of alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, juices, and milk. Prior to takeoff, these galleys are thoroughly cleaned and the meals are prepared for service by the cabin crew, using tongs and other implements.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-19037" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/l2f-jan-22-pic-inflight-meals-pic-of-economy-meal-jab.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1200" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>After takeoff and before meal service begins, hot food is the first to be prepared. Meat is heated up in ovens while fish and vegetables are warmed up in steam ovens (microwaves and open flames are not allowed on aircraft for safety reasons). Pre-departure, drinks are teed up too. Alcoholic beverages (obviously recommended in moderation only) are paired with mixers; hot drinks are readied with sugar, milk, and stirrers; and soft drinks are lined up with ice. Ready for showtime!</p>
<p>(Finally, here's an interesting fact: Iberia Airlines are pioneers in the design and adoption of lighter trolleys and galley appliances, modernised equipment designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. During the last decade we’ve managed to reduce galley weight by 25 percent, saving millions of euros in fuel and significantly reducing our carbon footprint, as part of our long-term commitment to <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2021/12/01/airline-aircraft-biofuels-sustainable-aircraft-fuels/">decarbonisation</a>.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em>photos | Iberia Airlines, <a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/chefs-envolver-comida-bordo-tonificada-gm1079717252-289360453" target="_blank">Kondor83</a>, <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16" target="_blank">David Paul Appell</a>, <a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/galleys-stowages-gm489673526-74791227" target="_blank">Xtsukub</a>, <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido" target="_blank">José Balido</a> </em></h6>
<p><br />
</p>
<p> </p></div>The Hub System - a Great Innovation of Commercial Aviationhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-hub-system-a-great-innovation-of-commercial-aviation2022-01-12T08:55:00.000Z2022-01-12T08:55:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-hub-me-gusta-volar-baja.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-hub-me-gusta-volar-baja.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" alt="iberia-hub-me-gusta-volar-baja.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a> </p>
<p>Airline flights in much of the world are organised through a system called "hub-and-spoke," invented by U.S. airline <strong>Delta</strong> in 1955; made widespread in the <strong>USA</strong> after that country's deregulation of the airline industry in 1978; and commonplace in <strong>Europe</strong> as well since the <strong>European Union</strong> finally eliminated the last of its own air-industry restrictions in 1997. The model is named after the basic design of a traditional wheel, where the "hub" is a central airport and the spokes are the flights coming in and out (in the case of <strong>Iberia</strong>, of course, the hub being <strong>Madrid</strong>). </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-hub-me-gusta-volar-embarque.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-hub-me-gusta-volar-embarque.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" alt="iberia-hub-me-gusta-volar-embarque.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a> </p>
<p>Interestingly, it happened to be a Spanish airline, Iberia affiliate <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_Air" target="_blank"><strong>Viva Air</strong></a>, which set this reform in motion by appealing to the <strong>European Commission</strong> after the French government denied it permission to fly between Madrid and <strong>Paris</strong> based on an unpublished rule. <strong>Javier Gandara</strong>, president of the Spanish <strong><a href="https://www.alaspain.com/" target="_blank">Association of Airlines</a></strong> wrote in 2018, “The end result was an unprecedented increase in air traffic; in the number of routes; and, above all, in the level of competition. According to data from the Commission itself, between 1992 and 2015 the number of intra-European routes quadrupled to more than 3,500, and more importantly, the number of them served by three or more airlines increased sixfold. The consequence of all this has been an exponential increase in the accessibility by consumers to this mode of transport, democratising what until then was a luxury available to very few.”Little by little, with deregulation and liberalisation, the larger carriers gravitated toward the hub-and-spoke system, in which basically their aircraft operate in "waves." In the mornings, all the planes that overnight at the hub airport depart for the the various designated destinations, while a wave of planes that have spent the night at those destinations flies to the hub. The schedules are coordinated so that the planes arrive at the hub for between an hour and 90 minutes (this time may vary depending on the number of planes), and between a half hour and an hour after the arrival of the last one, they begin to take off in a new wave. In that time, passengers and their luggage will have disembarked from their arrival aircraft and embarked on those that will take them to their final destination. This operation is repeated two or three times a day. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-hub-barajas-baja.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-hub-barajas-baja.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" alt="iberia-hub-barajas-baja.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The main advantage of this system is that it allows multiplying the offer of destinations without having to multiply the number of planes, since from each city it is possible to fly, through a stopover, to all the others served from the hub. In addition, it allows offering more frequencies as there are more passengers to each destination.In this way, Iberia, for example, in its Madrid hub adds passengers arriving from Europe to those arriving from various Spanish cities, as well as those who board in Madrid, and are traveling to <strong>Latin America</strong>, to which Iberia offers the greatest airlift from Europe, with many destinations having at least two daily flights. And of course in reverse from Latin America into Spain and the rest of Europe. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-colas-hub-me-gusta-volar-baja.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/iberia-colas-hub-me-gusta-volar-baja.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" alt="iberia-colas-hub-me-gusta-volar-baja.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The hub-and-spoke system can also have even greater multiplier effects when partner airlines with which codeshare or joint ventures are in place come into play. This in turn makes it possible to offer all the destinations that this other in turn offers from its hub, and makes routes commercially sustainable that with a simple origin-destination operation could not be profitable.Last but definitely not least, this all allows more attractive airfares for passengers, since the average occupancy of the planes is higher and the costs lower (as fewer planes are required to achieve the same offer of seats for each destination).</p>
<h6> </h6>
<h6><em>By guest blogger <a href="http://www.fly-news.es">Fly News</a></em></h6>
<p> </p></div>For Avgeeks Only: In Praise of the Lowly Airport Tarmac Tughttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/for-avgeeks-only-in-praise-of-the-lowly-airport-tarmac-tug2021-12-29T15:35:00.000Z2021-12-29T15:35:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ib_mgv_02_articulo_1980x800.png" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ib_mgv_02_articulo_1980x800.png?profile=original" alt="ib_mgv_02_articulo_1980x800.png?profile=original" width="1200" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>In today’s commercial passenger aviation, understandably it’s the aircraft that get top billing and most of the attention. But the airport systems that make their operation possible include a complex array of equipment, much of which is unglamorous and goes largely unnoticed by the flying public. And one of the key contraptions along these lines is a low-slung vehicle called a pushback tug or tractor.</p>
<p>As the name implies, this doughty workhorse of the tarmac goes into action when it’s time to push an aircraft back from the gate at which it’s parked so that it can taxi out onto the runway. Now, if you known anything about modern aircraft, you’re aware that they can go into reverse on their own quite nicely, thank you very much, with a reverse-thrust mode called powerback. But there’s always the chance that this jet blast or propeller wash could cause damage to airport equipment or structures, so pushback using an external source is generally preferred.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="aligncenter wp-image-15153 size-full" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/l2f-nov-21-pic-avgeeks-airport-mototok-pushback-tugs-1.jpg" alt="l2f-nov-21-pic-avgeeks-airport-mototok-pushback-tugs-1.jpg" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pushback tugs comes in various shapes and sizes, and runs off either diesel fuel or battery-supplied electricity. Some are open-wheel, while others have enclosed cabs (especially at airports where the temperatures can get very cold). All are equipped with horn, lights (including turn signals), parking brake, and shifting gears. The driver sits at a large steering wheel, communicating with the pilots via headseat (either wireless or connected by cable to the communications box on the plane’s nose). Alternatively, some of the more recent, advanced tugs on the market are remote controlled by an operator who walks behind the tug as it tows the airplane.</p>
<p>(The tugs used by <strong>Iberia</strong>, manufactured by <strong>Germany</strong>’s <a href="https://www.mototok.com/"><strong>Mototok</strong></a> company, based northeast of <strong>Düsseldorf</strong>, are remotely controlled, as well as very compact and fully electric-battery driven. Operating at a speed of 5.4 kilometres (just over 3 miles) per hour, their dimensions are 2.6 metres (just over 8.5 feet) wide by 33m (a bit over 10.8 ft.) long, with a height of just .553m (about 1.8 ft.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/58HkU0QlzpY" width="1269" height="714" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the pilots request clearance from the control tower to push back from the gate, the tug operator will confirm that all systems are go from his or her end. Also playing an important role is a “wing walker,” who ensures prior to pushback that there are no vehicles, equipment, personnel, or other obstacles behind the plane.</p>
<p>Once everyone is on the same page, the pilot will affirm, "brakes released, clear to push"; the tug operator will clear him or her to start the plane's engines; and pushback will commence with the use of a towbar or (in the case of Mototok) a mechanism that actually encloses the aircraft’s front wheel and lifts it off the tarmac to guide it.</p>
<p>It’s a fairly simple maneuver, but without it, most planes would never get off the ground. So the next time you’re boarding a plane or looking out from an aircraft window while it’s sitting on the tarmac, keep an eye out for these mighty little machines, capable of moving jetliners weighing more than 78 tonnes (more than 171,000 pounds). They’re fascinating to watch!.</p>
<p> </p></div>A Question for Avgeeks: What Are 'Winglets?'https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-question-for-avgeeks-what-are-winglets2021-11-24T18:50:00.000Z2021-11-24T18:50:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9837192256,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9837192256,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9837192256?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>At some point when you're approaching your plane you've surely wondered to yourself why the wings are curved, no? This design feature is called a winglet (also known as a wingtip device), and it's there not just to look cool but for an important purpose: to maximise aerodynamic efficiency. Interested in learning more? Read on!</p>
<p>If you're an aviation geek, you know that airplanes stay in the air thanks to the interaction of four types of physical phenomena:</p>
<p><br /> Thrust - that related to the traction generated by the engines and their propellers</p>
<p><br /> Weight - that related to the force generated by gravity</p>
<p><br /> Lift - the upward force that the aircraft maintains (lift)</p>
<p>Aerodynamic drag. - And it's with this last one, aerodynamic drag or resistance, that winglets take center stage, especially. Their main objective is always be to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the aircraft, allowing a more gradual contact of both air masses. You will notice that these devices are organic in inspiration, similar to the wings of birds - even letting the feathers appear at the ends when they need it. And as with birds, aircraft are able to move due to the pressure difference between the upper part of the wing (the upper surface) and its lower part (the lower surface).</p>
<p> </p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;font-size:14pt;"><strong>Vortexes and Aerodynamic Drag</strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> This is the key point when it comes to winglets' function. Airflow from high pressure areas will always be directed to low pressure areas, and this difference in air masses can generate small eddies at the tips of the wings which are known as vortexes. And the difference in pressure between the lower part of the wing and the upper part causes increased drag and less lift, which leads to lower efficiency - and therefore increased fuel consumption.</p>
<p>Installing winglets counters this, weakening the force of the vortexes and reducing the flow of air that is mixed by the pressure difference, achieving energy efficiency and reducing aerodynamic resistance.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3><span style="color:#ff0000;font-size:14pt;"><strong>Winglets vs. Sharklets</strong></span></h3>
<p><br /> In 2013, manufacturer <strong>Airbus</strong> launched new wings called sharklets (meaning little shark fins) on its <strong>A320</strong> family models, considerably improving the performance of the aircraft. Since then, <strong>Iberia</strong> has integrated sharklets into its fleet on models such as the <strong>A321</strong>, <strong>A320</strong>, <strong>A319</strong>, and <strong>A350</strong> (with this new model, they allowed the evolution of the winglets to address three key points: greater aerodynamic, energy, and ecological efficiency).</p>
<p><br /> These devices serve to elongate the tip of the aircraft from the vertical axis by around 2.5 metres (just over eight feet) and reduce the aircraft's aerodynamic drag by around 6 percent. With less dynamic resistance, the engines need less thrust to overcome it and thus achieve a direct saving in fuel consumption - estimated between 3 and 4 percent depending on the route distance. So as engines require less thrust and consume less fuel, they also emit less CO₂ into the atmosphere - estimated that around 900 tonnes less per aircraft per year.</p>
<p><br /> And the benefits of this state-of-the-art design do not end here; the aircraft can also fly higher, approximately 39,000 feet. It can take off with a lower thrust or with a greater takeoff weight, in addition to being extended the flight hours of its service life.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/winglet_airbus_a319-132.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/winglet_airbus_a319-132.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" alt="winglet_airbus_a319-132.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750" /></a></h6>
<h3><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">Other Types of Winglets</span></span></strong></h3>
<p><br /> Though winglets and sharklets are the best known of these structures, over the decades the aeronautics industry has developed a number of additional variations, including:</p>
<p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><br /> Canted Winglets<br /> <br /> </strong></span></p>
<p>These are mini-wings - essentially, short wedges - with an upward slope that were once found on Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft as well as on the <strong>Boeing 747</strong>. These days, however, they're a rarity.</p>
<p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><br /> Blended Winglets<br /> <br /> </strong></span></p>
<p>Seen on many <strong>Boeing 737NG</strong> models, these combo winglets feature a smoother transition from wing to fin, as if it were an extension of the wing.</p>
<p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><br /> Split Scimitar Winglets</strong></span></p>
<p>Also found in the Boeing 737NG family (specifically the <strong>Boeing 737 MAX</strong>), this variation fine-tunes the blended winglet by adding a downward-pointing fin, providing a reduction in drag and a range increase corresponding to 2 percent or more for long-range emissions.</p>
<p><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Wingtip Fences</strong></span></p>
<p>These are the fins used on some Airbus models, such as the A330 and A340 or the A350 family and <strong>A320neo</strong>. Their surfaces extend both above and below the wing (as the name suggests), forming a wingtip “barrier” to prevent higher-pressure airflow from leaking to underneath the wing. In the case of Iberia, you could find old or traditional tips in <strong>A32X</strong> models that formerly used this type of device.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Images | <a title="User:Beninho" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Beninho">Bene Riobó,</a> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Till.niermann"><em>Hasta Niermann</em></a></em></span></p>
<p><br /> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>Get the 'C' out of Travelhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/get-the-c-out-of-travel2020-04-27T19:39:02.000Z2020-04-27T19:39:02.000ZTony Humphreyhttps://tripatini.com/members/TonyHumphrey<div><p>Fear of ‘C’ (China/Covid/Corona) virus. Ask, do I want to be in a crowded airport, take a flight wearing a mask, be in another crowded airport, perhaps in a country with lesser health controls, stay at an all-inclusive resort, line up at food buffets, join a tour bus with another 30+people, board a gigantic cruise ship with 1000’s of other travellers, land at ports for more crowded tours, get on a train, stay in ginormous hotels or visit countries that do not have acceptable health, safety and security systems in place?</p><p>The fear of ‘C’ is now present with many of us. I believe there will be a tremendous rejection of inbound Chinese tours which use the bus, train, boat, plane to visit our villages, towns, cities, cultural sites, parks and wilderness areas in large groups (often wearing face-masks). And, do we want to travel to China? </p><p>Finally, will insurance companies be 'fearful' of offering suitable and affordable coverage for 'all' age groups?</p><p>We are still open to SME travel biz to list/link FOC direct booking offers by destinations and activities. TTTC is an excellent resource for travellers to plan for when the fear of ‘C’ has dissipated. This is a mktg and promo opp. to consider for post ‘C’ sales.</p><p></p></div>How Do Airline Pilots Keep From Getting Lost?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airlines-pilots-navigation2015-07-21T15:59:27.000Z2015-07-21T15:59:27.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lost-with-map.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lost-with-map.png?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="lost-with-map.png?width=640" /></a><br /> <em>by Javier Pedreira</em><br /> <br /> Even with all the signs and signals on the roads and motorways, all of us have at one time or another gotten lost whilst driving. It would be natural to imagine, therefore, that in the vast expanse of the sky it would be quite easy to get lost without any signals for guidance. However, the fact is that there are indeed signals up there to rely upon.<span id="more-1994" style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"></span></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">Going back to the early days of aviation, it’s true that the intrepid pilots of the day did have to rely upon navigation by sight, seeking out cities, roadways, or geographical formations, with the aid of little more than a compass. Despite today’s fancy technology, flying by sight remains to this day every pilot’s core navigation skill, and he or she starts training by learning to apply<a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_flight_rules"><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">visual flight rules</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(<b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">VFR</b>)</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>as a critical Plan B, should all other systems fail.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">Of course, things get further complicated in bad weather or at night, so at a certain point a dedicated navigator was needed to take charge of calculating important factors such as position, velocity, route, wind speed (a process known as<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">dead reckoning</b>), so that the pilot could focus on actually flying the plane.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">In any case, before long the first navigation aids made their appearance in the form of radio signals emitted from stations whose positions were reflected in aeronautical charts. In this fashion, thanks to the on-board receiver which indicates the direction of a given station, it’s possible to trace routes between them regardless of whether it’s day or night, cloudy or clear.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><img width="300" height="156" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2003" style="background:none;margin:4px 24px 12px 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;width:auto;height:auto;vertical-align:baseline;float:left;display:inline;max-width:640px;" alt="aviation navigation" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/aviation-navigation.png" />Furthermore, tracing routes to two or more of these stations, it’s then possible to calculate the position of the aircraft because it coincides with the point at which the routes cross (the more stations involved, the greater the accuracy). These early<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">radio direction finders</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>were eventually replaced by a system called<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF_omnidirectional_range">VOR (VHF Omni Directional Radio Range)</a></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>which was similar but more precise, and which is the prototype for the radio assistance equipment most in use in world aviation today.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">The majority of VOR stations incorporate additionally a <b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_measuring_equipment">DME (distance measuring equipment)</a></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>system, which if an aircraft carries aboard the necessary instruments allows the crew to determine at all times its position just by receiving a signal from one of the stations.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">In recent years, besides, increasing numbers of planes are equipped with GPS receivers, augmented in precision in Europe since 2009 by a satellite- and ground-based system called <b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Geostationary_Navigation_Overlay_Service">EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service)</a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>Thus if VOR/DME has a precision of 900 metres (2,953 feet) and GPS of 9 metres (29.5 feet), with EGNOS it’s two metres (6.5 feet), therefore the more widespread this system becomes, the better use can be made of existing airspace, since as a result, less redundant margin of separation between planes in the air is needed; this is especially welcome at airports with high traffic and in areas with particularly congested air corridors such as those over much of Europe.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"> </b><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"> </b></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">As a backup to VOR and GPS, aircraft incorporate an<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_navigation_system">inertial navigation system (INS)</a></b>, which thanks to onboard sensors which detect ascents and descents, turns, accelerations, and other movements, constantly calculates position without receiving any external signals.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><img width="300" height="200" class="alignright size-full wp-image-2004" style="background:none;margin:4px 0px 12px 24px;padding:0px;border:0px;width:auto;height:auto;vertical-align:baseline;float:right;display:inline;max-width:640px;" alt="airplane control panel" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/airplane-control-panel.jpg" />It should also not be forgotten that thanks to radar and radio, ground-based air traffic controllers are able to see the big picture of the positions of all the aircraft within their zone of responsibility and will also do their part to keep pilots and navigators on track. With all of this, flight crews have more than enough resources at their disposal to monitor their position at all times, but this doesn’t mean that they can fly through the air willy-nilly.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">When planning a route from one airport to another, the first priority is to establish a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2013/10/straight-line-not-shortest-distance/">flight plan</a></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>which defines the passage of the aircraft through a series of determined waypoints on air navigation charts, known as “fixes,” with designations formed from five letters which are fairly easy to remember (and sometimes even whimsical, depending on who’s doing the naming), such as WOLVS, TURBO, and PESTO. In addition to the fixes, routes can also include radio navigation aids, whose names have three letters on charts – such as for example VES, the VOR/DME designation for Asturias in northern Spain.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">Also, in order to reach one of these points, a plane follows an airway, which is like a road in the sky between two or more waypoints. These airways have names which are a little less creative than the fixes, such as UN733, which covers Spanish airspace from HIDRA, in the northeast of Galicia, across the NDB station of Santiago de Compostela, crossing the entire Iberian peninsula via other fixes, leaving land via the NDB over Valencia, ending up at BASSO, above the island of Majorca.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">Thus a flight path between two airports is never going to be precisely<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2013/10/straight-line-not-shortest-distance/">the shortest route</a>, especially in an airspace as heavily trafficked as Europe’s. Routes preset by an airline’s operations department will be used repeatedly whenever possible (taking into account adjustments for weather and other factors). Thus a flight from A Coruña to Madrid generally follows the coordinates LECO.FORN1C.FORNO.UN733.ZMR.ZMR3A.LEMD</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/air-navigation-map.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/air-navigation-map.png?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="air-navigation-map.png?width=640" /></a><br /> <br /> This connects the airport of A Coruña in Galicia (LECO) with Madrid (LEMD), passing over FORNO, a fix situated over Monforte de Lemos (also in Galicia), and ZMR, the NDB of Zamora, travelling between the two waypoints via airway UN733.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">The flight plan also specifies the procedure for reaching FORNO from A Coruña airport, using the departure point FORNO 1C, as well as how to get from ZMR to Madrid airport, using arrival point ZMR 3A.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">Fixes, in effect, are quite comparable to traffic signals we encounter on ground roads, with air traffic controllers analogous to traffic cops. With all of these systems and safeguards in place, you can see it’s not so easy to get lost even up in the wild blue yonder.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">This entire process, tremendously simplified here, is part of a larger régime known as<b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_flight_rules">instrument flight rules (IFR)</a></b>, which specify not just how to get from place to place but at what altitudes, protocols for detouring to alternative airports, and so forth. But all that, dear avgeek, is for another blog post.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"></p></div>Get informed about the services offered by the ground staff on airporthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/get-informed-about-the-services-offered-by-the-ground-staff-on2017-07-24T11:00:13.000Z2017-07-24T11:00:13.000ZBob Conorhttps://tripatini.com/members/BobConor<div><p>When we are about to travel by plane we conduct a several activities like approaching the check-in area, where a staff member expects us to handover a boarding card, and drop off our baggage. After passing through security checks, we reach at the boarding gate, where another staff member ensures that our boarding card is in proper order. In addition, another staff member takes us to the aircraft. In the intervening time, other employees have filled the aircraft with fuel, other workers have offered the catering, and the luggage has been laden onto the hold.</p><p>All these workers and employees, who perchance remain hidden by most passengers, belong to <a href="http://www.jbs.aero/ground-handling/">what is known as ground handling</a>. To be more precise these are the servicing of an aircraft on ground, i.e., when it is parked on the terminal gate on an airport.</p><p><b>A variety of such services is included in ground handling. Some of them are listed below:</b></p><ul><li>Check-in</li><li>Boarding</li><li>Ramp handling</li><li>Upkeep</li><li>Cleaning</li><li>Fuelling</li></ul><p>Jet Business Solutions offer one of the best ground handling services. We help in having successful operations in and out of by providing satisfactory Iran Ground Handling on the airport. We have a team of highly qualified and well-trained ground staff in Iran that provides you adequate information of the places and understanding of the terrains. JBS has an excellent relationship with the Iranian authorities, which builds on faith and a high level of competence they have shown over the years in their dealings with them. </p><p>JBS is having the understanding and experience of the localities of some of the most distant locations around the world. It has been formed with the dream of offering personalised solutions to private and commercial aviation operatives.</p><p>Some of the services offered by JBS:</p><p><b>Fuel service</b>: JBS provide customers with <a href="http://www.jbs.aero/fuel/">planned fuel buying information</a> only after examining a series of zones for obtainability and pre-brief the inexpensive dealer in each location.</p><p><b>Transportation</b>: JBS also arrange <a href="http://www.jbs.aero/travel/">transportation services</a> and airport/hotel transfers in order to meet the standards of each operator. It completely depends on the location and the nature of the transportation needed.</p><p><b>Flight Planning</b>: <a href="http://www.jbs.aero/flight-planning/">Flight planning</a> is an initial step required to be taken before starting any flight. Varying on the purpose of the flight, type of aircraft, and payload to be transported, JBS make best routings with the ideal locations for fuel stops building your operation safe and well organized.</p><p>To get detailed knowledge about JBS, visit <a href="http://www.jbs.aero/">http://www.jbs.aero/</a></p><p> </p></div>How and Why Fear of Flying Can Starthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/how-and-why-fear-of-flying-can-start2017-02-10T21:30:00.000Z2017-02-10T21:30:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128260,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128260,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="640" class="align-center" alt="9009128260?profile=original" /></a><br /> <br /> <span class="font-size-1"><em>by Tom Bunn</em></span><br /></p><p>When <strong>fear of flying</strong> develops, it's sometimes because there has been a bad flight. But, in many cases, difficulty begins for no apparent reason. The average age of onset is 27. The truth is, many of us become more anxious as we get older and more mature. As teenagers, when parents told us to be careful, we thought they were from some other planet! We thought bad things happen to other people, or in places far away. <br /> <br /> <span id="more-4945"></span></p><p>As we grow older and (hopefully) wiser – or as something shocking hits home – we become more aware of how vulnerable we are, and we think more often about what could go wrong. We look for ways to stay in control, and avoid situations we do not control.</p><p><br /> Staying safe isn’t always a simple and straighforward matter. Our judgment is colored by feelings. Statistics point to flying as the safest mode of travel. Yet driving <em>feels</em> safer. Why? It’s because of how the mind works.</p><p><br /> When we drive, our attention is often divided. As we think about other things or have a conversation, the car is guided as if on autopilot. Usually we get away with it because a part of the brain called the <strong>amygdala</strong> monitors what is going on. If something unexpected happens, the amygdala releases stress hormones that grab our attention and force us to focus on what is going on.<br /></p><p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Amyg.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Amyg.png?width=189" width="189" class="align-right" alt="Amyg.png?width=189" /></a>The amygdala (right) is the size and shape of an almond. That’s where it gets its name: <em>amygdala</em> is the Greek word for almond. Though this gland operates outside of consciousness, we feel the effects of its operation. We also feel an increase in our heart rate and our breathing rate. That’s a primitive response that gets us ready to run or fight. In addition, a not-so-primitive response takes place. Stress hormones activate “executive function,” the brain’s high-level decision-making.</p><p><br /> Executive function assesses the situation. If no threat is noted, it signals the amygdala to quiet down. If a threat is detected, the hormones continue and keep us focused on the problem. We need to deal with it. If we can come up with a plan, the moment we commit to it and take action, executive function signals the amygdala to stop stress hormone release.</p><p><strong><br /> Acting Is the Key</strong></p><p><br /> Action, because it stops the release of stress hormones, makes driving feel safer than flying. By the way, it doesn’t matter whether the plan of action is a brilliant one or a lousy one: commitment to any plan extinguishes feelings of anxiety.</p><p><br /> Flying, though safer than driving, doesn’t permit the anxiety-stopping action that driving does. When a noise or a drop releases stress hormones, a person who regulates arousal automatically checks to see what is going on. But if nothing is obviously wrong, he or she drops the matter.</p><p><br /> How is this ability to regulate arousal automatically developed? Though there are genetic differences, it is believed the primary factor is early learning. When a young child experiences arousal, if a caregiver is consistently available, is attuned to the child, comforts the child, and reassures the child, arousal – even at high levels – becomes non-threatening. Over time, the attuned and responsive caregiver’s response is built into the child’s psyche. There is serves to automatically and unconsciously calm the child when aroused.</p><p><br /> Later as an adult, when aroused on a plane, if there is no obvious danger, the person who has built-in regulation drops the matter. But a person who regulates arousal consciously needs more. To that person, arousal means danger. The matter can be dismissed only if danger is ruled out. Unable to prove there is no danger, scenes of disaster come to mind which increase hormone release. Since there is no action a passenger can take, hormones build up and result in high anxiety, claustrophobia, or panic.</p><p><br /> Conscious and deliberate regulation of arousal may work satisfactorily on the ground. A person who controls things masterfully may be successful in business or in a profession. But not in flight. Except of course, for the pilot. Perhaps it will not come as a surprise that a lot of pilots are “control freaks”. Hopefully you will feel better by knowing that your pilot, like you, must make sure everything about the flight is under control.</p><p><br /> In future blog posts we will explore ways to deal with anxiety in flight by increasing your ability to regulate arousal automatically and unconsciously.</p><p><br /> Up next: why all too many fear-of-flying therapies <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/09/many-fear-of-flying-therapies-ineffective/" target="_blank">don’t really work</a> – and what does.</p><p><em><span><strong><br /> Tom Bunn</strong>, </span><span>L.C.S.W.,</span> <span>is a retired airline captain and licensed therapist who has specialized in the treatment of fear of flying for over thirty years. He is the author the bestselling book on flight phobia, </span></em><span>SOAR: The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying. <em>His company, <a href="http://www.fearofflying.com/" target="_blank">SOAR, Inc.</a>, founded in 1982, has helped more than 7,000 clients control fear, panic, and claustrophobia.</em></span><em><br /></em></p><p> </p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>photos| DPA, <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amyg.png" target="_blank">Washingtonirving</a> </em></span></p><p> </p></div>Century-Old Airplanes Still Fly at a New York Airfieldhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/old-rhinebeck-aerodrome-vintage-airplanes2016-08-07T00:30:00.000Z2016-08-07T00:30:00.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome.jpg"><img width="640" height="480" class="aligncenter wp-image-10030 size-large" style="background:none;margin:0px auto 12px;padding:0px;border:;width:auto;height:auto;clear:both;vertical-align:baseline;display:block;max-width:640px;" alt="L2F Aug 15 pic USA NY Rhinebeck Aerodrome" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-640x480.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> There are few<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">avgeek</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>treats quite as rare and wonderful as the chance to get up close and personal with restored, operational aircraft from the very earliest days of the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">history of manned flight</strong>, the early 20th century. That’s why a “living museum” in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">New York State</strong>’s <strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/09/new-york-hudson-valley-americas-loire/" target="_blank">Hudson Valley</a></strong>, extending from<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">New York City</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>north to the state capital Albany, has to count as one of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">aviation geekdom</strong>’s holiest nirvanas. <span id="more-10027" style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"></span></p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-trio-of-planes.jpg"><img width="640" height="423" class="aligncenter wp-image-10032 size-large" style="background:none;margin:0px auto 12px;padding:0px;border:;width:auto;height:auto;clear:both;vertical-align:baseline;display:block;max-width:640px;" alt="USA New York Rhinebeck Aerodrome Red Hook" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-trio-of-planes-640x423.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> I grew up 20 minutes away from the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/">Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome</a></strong>, located on a rural back road in my home town<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">Red Hook, NY</strong> (about two hours’ drive north of NYC), and visiting here was one of the highlights of my summers growing up (it’s open mid-June to mid-October, this year Oct. 23, with the last air show on Oct. 9).<br />
<br />
</p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Jul-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-field.jpg"><img width="640" height="359" class="aligncenter wp-image-10036 size-large" style="background:none;margin:0px auto 12px;padding:0px;border:;width:auto;height:auto;clear:both;vertical-align:baseline;display:block;max-width:640px;" alt="USA New York Hudson Valluy Rhinebeck Aerodrome Red Hook vintage planes" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Jul-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-field-640x359.jpg" /></a><br /> Founded in 1960 by local<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">aviation geeks</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">Cole Palen</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">Richard King</strong>, this former farm is home to an airstrip and various hangars displaying some 60 mint-condition biplanes, triplanes, monoplanes, and other aircraft, as well as tanks and other contraptions of the period from 1900 to 1939 (there’s also a pretty cool<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">model-airplane museum</strong>). What’s more, if you go on a weekend (and I highly recommend you do), you’ll be treated to the sight of these wonderful old flying machines in action, as two-hour shows focus on the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">World War I</strong>, the history of flight, and more (love the one called<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">Meet the Fokkers</strong>, lol).</p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-single-biplane.jpg"><img width="640" height="427" class="aligncenter wp-image-10035 size-large" style="background:none;margin:0px auto 12px;padding:0px;border:;width:auto;height:auto;clear:both;vertical-align:baseline;display:block;max-width:640px;" alt="USA New York Rhinebeck Aerodrome Red Hook vintage biplane" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-single-biplane-640x427.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> Wait, it gets even cooler. On a first-come/first-served basis, you can book a ride over the Hudson River in one of these biplanes ($75 per person for each 15 minute ride; just get there by 10 am when the booth opens on weekends, or reserve ahead for a weekday ride). Planes take up to four passengers at a time, and there is truly nothing like cruising along hundreds of feet over the lush, green valley landscape with the proverbial wind in your hair, just like those daring young men in their flying machines used to do.</p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-Curtiss-Model-D-Pusher-1.jpg"><img width="640" height="457" class="aligncenter wp-image-10038 size-large" style="background:none;margin:0px auto 12px;padding:0px;border:;width:auto;height:auto;clear:both;vertical-align:baseline;display:block;max-width:640px;" alt="USA New York Rhinebeck Aerodrome Red Hook Curtiss Model D Pusher vintage airplanes" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/L2F-Aug-15-pic-USA-NY-Rhinebeck-Aerodrome-Curtiss-Model-D-Pusher-1-640x457.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> Oh, and please do ask the pilot dip your wings over River Road and say hi to my dad!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><img class="wp-smiley" style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:;width:auto;vertical-align:-.1em;display:inline;max-width:640px;" alt=":)" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" /></p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jhU1zaJx6k4?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<br />
<span style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-size:8px;vertical-align:baseline;"><br />
<em style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;">photos: Old Rhinebeck</em></span></p>
<p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;clear:both;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"></p></div>Airport Marshallers: Traffic Cops of the Tarmachttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airports-marshallers-airlines-aviation2015-09-24T21:00:00.000Z2015-09-24T21:00:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/se%C3%B1aleros.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="614" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/se%C3%B1aleros.jpg?width=614" alt="se%C3%B1aleros.jpg?width=614" /></a></p><p><br /> Today we hit the tarmac to learn more about the important role played by the ladies and gents you see outside your aircraft window gesticulating up a storm. They’re called<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>marshallers</b>(known as<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong><i>señaleros</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong>in Spanish), and besides guiding planes whilst they’re on the ground, these individuals perform other less well known functions as well, such as cooperating with other airport authorities to monitor various vital technical procedures, and providing assistance in case of an unusual incident of any sort.<br /> <br /> These marshallers are of course the folks in the reflective vests and noise-blocking earmuffs we see guiding our planes in and out of parking positions, standing in front with paddles by day, flashlights by night, or in a vehicle with the words “Follow Me” on the back. They work day in and day out, in fair weather or foul (obviously including rain, snow, and freezing winter temperatures). Imagine what it’s like in summer, too, in many airports of the world where it can get intensely hot and either muggy or dry, and they must work long hours under the blazing sun.<br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/Marshall.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/Marshall-640x426.jpg?width=640" alt="Marshall-640x426.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br /> Other functions marshallers undertake include airfield inspections, emergency planning, accident/incident analysis, monitoring of security protocols, and even penalising lapses which affect the security of aircraft and others.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Aircraft_hand_signal_all_clear.svg/79px-Aircraft_hand_signal_all_clear.svg.png" target="_blank"><img width="79" class="align-right" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Aircraft_hand_signal_all_clear.svg/79px-Aircraft_hand_signal_all_clear.svg.png?width=79" alt="79px-Aircraft_hand_signal_all_clear.svg.png?width=79" /></a>Their work must at all times be coordinated with the operations centre and control tower; it’s that collaboration, as well as the marshallers’ experience and knowledge of the runways and tarmacs, that are so important to the success of this critical aspect of commercial flight. <br /> <br /> And since each aircraft they handle is different, the job of the marshall is anything but routine. Guiding a Fokker isn’t the same as bringing in an Airbus 340: the former occupies a parking stand with a capacity for larger planes, while the latter has to be placed in a stand where distances between stands are not as wide and any miscalculation could result in an accident. If in addition the 340 is parked at a gate with a jetway to connect, the precision in placement must be absolute, without any margin for error – this is one of the job’s most delicate moments.<br /> <br /> Much rests on the shoulders of these men and women – including our own safety as passengers. Do keep that in mind the next time you spot them gesticulating outside your window!</p><p></p></div>Landing Jetliners in Crosswindshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/landing-jetliners-in-crosswinds2015-08-25T15:30:00.000Z2015-08-25T15:30:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mMvLuUJFHYk?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p><br /> <br /> <span class="font-size-1"><em>by José Miguel Rodriguez</em></span></p><p>Not long ago, this video went viral on YouTube, racking up more than 10 million views. Apart from the fact that the 1,200-millimetre telephoto lens thoroughly flattens both the foreground and background, making the airplanes seem suspended in midair, what on earth are these pilots up to? Specifically, what’s up with the bizarre landing technique<br /> <br /> Believe it or not this technique is standard, by-the-book practice when there are strong lateral winds present during landing – aka a <b>crosswind</b>.<br /> <br /> If wind is absent, or blowing parallel to the runway, aircraft are able to align themselves directly from many miles out. Pilots need to monitor altitude and minor lateral displacements, but the longitudinal axis of incoming aircraft basically coincides with the direction in which they are traveling.<br /> <br /> It’s quite a different matter when winds of significant speed are blowing in a lateral direction across a runway. In this case if pilots were to attempt landing in a normal manner, these winds would push the aircraft completely off the runway axis. Drift of this type can be corrected in two ways:<br /> <br /> The first, more commonly utilised in general aviation (that is, smaller planes), is to counter the wind’s effects by deploying the <b>ailerons</b> (hinged wing flaps), keeping the wing that’s toward the source of the wind down, and correcting the ensuing turn with the vertical aileron, controlled by the pedals. This operation is known as <b>sideslip</b>, as the plane is in effect slipping against the wind, and at a greater than normal rate of descent for a given speed. It’s a delicate (but not dangerous) maneuver which requires some practice. When the plane is about to touch ground, it’s necessary to level it out smoothly so as not to make contact with the tip of the wing, even while continuing to maintain a slight sideslip. And it’s even normal to touch down with just one wheel first. <br /> <br /> The second crosswind tactic is more common to larger aircraft such as commercial jets. This is called a “<b>crab landing</b>,” and that’s what you see in the above video. It’s performed by positioning an aircraft at a certain angle with respect to the flight trajectory so that the nose points in the direction of the wind, but the line it draws on the ground is exactly that of the axis of the runway. If the angle formed is less than 10 degrees, usually the landing is continued just like that, and any additional necessary course correction is performed once in contact with the runway. If greater than 10 degrees, however, it’s necessary to “<strong>de-crab</strong>,” or straighten out, just before touching down in order to prevent lateral stresses on the landing gear.<br /> <br /> The reason this type of landing technique, more complicated and requiring more training, is used with large aircraft is that almost all such planes have engines under the wings, proportionately much closer to the ground, and so lowering them in a sideslip maneuver is not really feasible.<em><br /> <br /></em> Although windless or parallel-wind landings are simpler, and the images these crosswind landings provide can be somewhat startling for the uninitiated, they involve little risk, and are part of all pilots’ standard training – above all if they fly for commercial airlines. You might say that for them it’s a piece of crab cake. ;)</p><p></p><p></p></div>Landing Jetliners in Foggy Conditionshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/landing-jetliners-in-foggy-conditions2015-08-05T14:23:49.000Z2015-08-05T14:23:49.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/domodedovo-mosc%C3%BA.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/domodedovo-mosc%C3%BA.jpg?width=640" alt="domodedovo-mosc%C3%BA.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> There’s no doubt that landing a giant aircraft in fog is not among a pilot’s favourite things. Fortunately, many airports in the second decade of the 21st century are equipped with advanced<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_landing_system">instrument landing systems (ILS)</a></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>sophisticated enough to avoid cancelling operations merely because of foggy conditions.<br /> <br /> <span id="more-2062" style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"></span></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;">Pioneered as early as 1929, today’s ILS equipment allows an aircraft crew to perform a runway approach in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">low-visibility conditions</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>– even in nearly zero-visibility if necessary – by keeping it apprised in real time that the plane is correctly aligned along the runway’s axis and descending at the proper angle to achieve contact with the runway in the correct touchdown zone.<br /></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><img width="1200" height="1200" class="aligncenter" style="background:none;margin:0px auto 12px;padding:0px;border:0px;width:auto;height:auto;clear:both;vertical-align:baseline;display:block;max-width:640px;" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/EDDV-ILS_27R_Localizer.jpg" /></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> These systems function based on various radio signals emitted by equipment at ground-based installations, as well as corresponding onboard equipment that receives these signals and translates them into relevant information for the pilots.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> Runway axis alignment data is emitted by radio from an antenna array called a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;">localiser</strong>(above), installed beyond the far end of the runway. One of these highly directional signals is slightly oriented to the left, the other to the right; the onboard receiver is capable of detecting the difference between both, and on that basis calculating each aircraft’s position with respect to the runway axis.<br /></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><img width="320" height="240" class="alignright" style="background:none;margin:4px 0px 12px 24px;padding:0px;border:0px;width:auto;height:auto;vertical-align:baseline;float:right;display:inline;max-width:640px;" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/EDDV-ILS_09R_Glideslope.jpg/320px-EDDV-ILS_09R_Glideslope.jpg" />Data regarding aircraft descent along what’s called the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">glide slope</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>are calculated similarly, but using antennae set up alongside the runway (right). Here again, the onboard instruments can measure the difference in intensity in the signals received and from that calculate whether the aircraft is within the glide path, above it, or below it. The data received from the ILS appears to the pilots on a display which shows them at all times whether they need to adjust their approach in any way; in some models the ILS is even able to transmit landing commands directly to the automatic piloting system.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> It’s also interesting to note that the airport lights we see at night or in low-visibility conditions are not part of the ILS system but rather the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approach_lighting_system">ALS (approach lighting system, left)</a></b>, which can complement it, thereby permitting more reduced minimums in the landing operation.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Approach_lights_at_EFJY_20120818.jpg/320px-Approach_lights_at_EFJY_20120818.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Approach_lights_at_EFJY_20120818.jpg/320px-Approach_lights_at_EFJY_20120818.jpg?width=320" width="320" class="align-left" alt="320px-Approach_lights_at_EFJY_20120818.jpg?width=320" /></a>These minimums are what defines the different categories of the ILS, categories I, II, and III. ILS Category I allows landings with a minimum decision height of 61 metres (200 feet) over the level of the runway, and with visibility greater than 800 metres (2,625 feet), or an RVR, the distance at which a pilot can see the runway, the signals which mark its surface, or the lights which mark its axis, from at least 550 metres (1,804 feet). An ILS CAT III B, the most precise of those currently in use, allows landing with no mimum decision height so long as the RVR is not under 75 metres (246 feet); in the United States it’s 50 metres (150 feet). <em style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;"><strong style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /></strong></em></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> In addition, apart from whether an airport has an ILS of any type, each aircraft is required to be equipped and its crew trained to use it. For example, in a category III B instrument landing it’s the automatic pilot which takes the aircraft to the point of deceleration down to taxiing speed after landing, so obviously it’s necessary for the plane to have an auto pilot capable of receiving commands from the ILS. It’s also necessary for the plane to possess, for example, an altimetre radar in order to utilise category II and III ILS systems.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> The ground portion of the ILS system is able to monitor itself and disconnect automatically if it detects an error – within ten seconds in a CAT I system and in fewer than two seconds in a CAT III.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> In practice, air traffic controllers are responsible for guiding an aircraft toward the runway localisers as it approaches the airport, even though multiple planes may be using the ILS simultaneously, indicating the route to follow and enforcing the necessary safety distances between each incoming aircraft (known in navigation terminology as “separation”) which under low-visibility conditions needs to be greater than usual – leading, unfortunately, to delays even at airports with advanced ILS systems.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> There is still room for improvement in landing technology, since for example the highly directional nature of the radio signals used by localisers and glide path indicators can be affected by the presence of large nearby structures or even other aircraft on the ground. Thus testing is already underway for systems of the future such as<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;vertical-align:baseline;"><a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Geostationary_Navigation_Overlay_Service">EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service)</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>which via three satellites and a network of ground-based stations supplements GPS can achieve a precision down to fewer than two metres (6.5 feet) in calculating the location of any vehicle.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> A system such as this, moreover, can be utilized at all phases of flight, not just during landing, and will allow separation between aircraft to be safely reduced in all conditions, clear or foggy – thus allowing more efficient use of congested airways and ensuring that passengers get to their destinations on time as much as possible.</p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> And therein lies another blog post…<br /><br /></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"><br /> <span class="font-size-1"><em>images | <a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26490880@N03/2984127483/in/photolist-5xGr8R-5xTGmg-5F1ER7-5F1EWo-5FafHD-5GsE6q-5LHBW5-5QBDko-5TMCaT-5VEKcd-5VN29d-5YVF23-62kZAG-62kZD7-62m3xh-693vYU-6aEKgT-6gcFRJ-6pyPVD-6pyQov-6pyQEa-6pyQUH-6pyRpg-6pyRyz-6pCYDJ-6pCYQf-6pCZkd-6pCZAJ-6pCZK7-6pCZSW-6qUwFE-6vQMTf-6Bkj6Z-6C6pDQ-6FGcLB-6ZHYhL-7pkh8D-7rk5JC-7udmo1-7wqGHP-iiHCPr-dQSN1d-7y16Dc-7y17H2-8VaSck-9rhu8G-bE9Qah-bT4zpp-7Y6JXz-a6ehxP-9Dj1zz" target="_blank">Mikel Vidal</a>, <a title="de:User:Herr-K" style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Herr-K">Herr-K</a>, <a style="background:none;margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;color:#d7192d;vertical-align:baseline;" href="http://www.flickr.com/people/83138106@N03">anttilep</a></em></span></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"></p><p style="background:#ffffff;font:13px/16px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin:0px 0px 16px;padding:0px;border:0px;text-align:justify;color:#333333;text-transform:none;text-indent:0px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:0px;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;"></p><p></p></div>Does A Plane’s Paint Job Affect Fuel Consumption?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/does-a-plane-s-paint-job-affect-fuel-consumption2015-04-27T23:24:00.000Z2015-04-27T23:24:00.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Iberia-Airplane-paint.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Iberia-Airplane-paint.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="Iberia-Airplane-paint.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p>The answer is, quite simply,<strong> yes.</strong> There’s a direct correlation between the type and number of coats of paint covering an <strong>aircraft</strong> and both its weight and aerodynamics — and therefore, of course, its fuel consumption. This, in turn, has an impact on the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.<span id="more-1786"></span></p><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-1.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-1.png?width=250" width="250" class="align-right" alt="Airplane-paint-1.png?width=250" /></a><strong>Iberia</strong> is one of the first airlines in the world to utilise a new system of paint application which allows savings of some 30 percent in materials — not to mention time, as it requires only a single coat.</p><p>This has been and will be particularly important in recent and upcoming months as Iberia repaints its fleet with new livery and logos. The company has in fact taken advantage of this monumental project to launch a new base/clearcoat system in order to improve fleet aerodynamics and achieve meaningful reductions in fuel consumption, thereby reducing carbon emissions.</p><p>The technique involves applying the livery colours in one single coat via a basecoat which is highly pigmented, thus achieving maximum opaque coverage even with a single thin layer; up until now, at least two to three coats had been needed to achieve this type of coverage.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-2.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-2.png?width=250" width="250" class="align-left" alt="Airplane-paint-2.png?width=250" /></a>The process is finalised with the application of a clear varnish called a <strong>clearcoat</strong>, which brings the surface to a high gloss, known as the “wet effect”; beyond its pleasing aesthetics, it also acts to protect the fuselage against the effects of weather and erosion.<br /><br /><strong>Advantages of the New Airplane Paint System<br /><br /></strong>There are four principal advantages to the new basecoat/clearcoat paint technique:</p><p><br /><strong>1. Lower Fuel Consumption/Carbon Emissions</strong> One layer of paint instead of two or three means less atmospheric drag when flying, as well as less total weight to push through the air. This improved efficiency means not as much fuel is required, and so of course less carbon is emitted.</p><p><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-3.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-3.png?width=250" width="250" class="align-right" alt="Airplane-paint-3.png?width=250" /></a><br />2. Greater Durability of Colours and Shine</strong> The clearcoat protection which allows livery colours to last at optimal intensity for longer periods is also an operational and environmental plus, because it means aircraft can go longer between repainting, thus consuming fewer resources over the course of its lifetime.<br /><br /><strong>3. Greater Cleanliness.</strong> One of the clearcoat’s properties is what is known in chemistry as hydrophobicity, meaning it repels water, and also discourages build-up of other substances such as dust. Again, not only is this a plus aesthetically, but also in terms of resources and environmental impact in two ways: less cleaning is required, and during flight, fewer foreign particles clinging to the fuselage means more efficient aerodynamics and lower fuel consumption.</p><p></p><p><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-4.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Airplane-paint-4.png?width=250" width="250" class="align-left" alt="Airplane-paint-4.png?width=250" /></a>4. Quicker Application</strong> Since just one basecoat is needed, with a two-hour drying time, this new system drastically reduces the time an aircraft needs to spend in the hangar being painted.</p><p>Now tell the truth: Were you surprised to learn that something as simple and ordinary as paint can affect<strong>airplane fuel consumption?</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p></div>An Inflight Turbulence Primerhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/inflight-turbulence-airlines2015-04-16T10:36:42.000Z2015-04-16T10:36:42.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008939099,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008939099,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9008939099?profile=original" /></a></p><p><br /> <br /> <em>by VadeAviones.com</em><br /> <br /> <br /> At one point or another we’ve all experienced bumpy patches during a flight, and whether we’re nervous flyers or not, few of us enjoy it.<br /> <br /> So what exactly is <b>air</b> <b>turbulence</b>, technically speaking? <span id="more-1677"></span>Wind, of course, is the movement of air particles in greater or lesser degree, and turbulence is produced when that movement is disrupted and disturbances appear in the form of vortices. This is caused by different meteorological situations, the most common being vertically developed clouds – tall, dense cumulonimbus associated with atmospheric instability, with powerful updrafts and downdrafts. Another type, clear-air turbulence, can be caused by jet streams, immensely powerful currents that originate in the upper layers of the troposphere (even in the lower layer of the stratosphere) which can be thousands of kilometres long and hundreds of kilometres wide. Wind speeds can vary between 60 and 150 kilometres per hour (37-93 mph) but can exceed 200 kph (124 mph).<br /> <br /> We also need to take note of <strong>wind shear</strong>, one of the atmospheric phenomena that can most powerfully affect the flight of an aircraft. This is an abrupt or very abrupt change in wind direction and intensity within two zones very close to an air mass. Among the flight simulations pilots train on are those reproducing high-intensity wind shear. But of course the best defence is always preventive – simply to not operate out of airports with strong wind shear.<br /> <br /> There’s also a type of turbulence which is not external but is generated by aircraft themselves, along the ends of the wings. This involves two great cylindrical air masses whose turbulent air currents rotate upward. These vortices are dangerous only for an aircraft that follows one that has just landed or taken off, as it can make the second airplane experience strong warping movements, loss of altitude, or vertical variations, and in extreme cases — be assured, only in extreme cases — structural efforts.<br /> <br /> As for the effects on the aircraft and those in the cabin, if the turbulence is mild, some light movement will be noted on board, but there will be no variation in altitude, and all that passengers will feel is a light tension against seatbelts and seatbacks. Lighter objects on open tray tables might slide slightly, but all activity and cabin crew work continues completely as normal.<br /> <br /> In the case of moderate turbulence, there may be an adjustment in the aircraft’s position, speed, and altitude, but one so slight as to be unnoticeable, and certainly not by those in the cabin. Seatbelt tension and loose object movement may be a bit more apparent, and cabin crew may have more difficulty making their way through the aisles.<br /> <br /> If the turbulence is severe, passengers will note significant changes in altitude, position, and velocity, and all passengers and cabin crew will be asked to be seated. The important thing to remember, though, is that modern aircraft is designed to deal with almost any degree of turbulence, so the best thing to do is remain calm, and this, too, shall pass.<br /> <br /> What has your experience with turbulence been? Please feel free to share in the comments below.</p><p></p><p><br /> <br /> <br /> <span class="font-size-1"><em>from our blog <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com" target="_blank">Love2Fly</a></em></span></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>image| <a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-59982p1.html" name="portfolio_link">Andrey Armyagov</a>/Shutterstock</em></span></p><p></p><p></p></div>The Skinny on Aircraft Evacuation Slideshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-skinny-on-aircraft-evacuation-slides2015-03-27T15:05:29.000Z2015-03-27T15:05:29.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8685-640x478.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8685-640x478.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8685-640x478.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br /> <em>by VaDeAviones.com</em> <br /><br /><br />If you fly with any frequency, a phrase heard over the public address system, “crew, slide arm and cross check” is likely to ring a bell. That “slide arm” refers to activation for potential use of the inflatable evacuation slide required on all aircraft where the floor is at least 1.8 metres (6 feet) above ground level. These slides are manufactured of various approved forms of resistant plastic, similar in consistency to rubber, reinforced with various layers to minimise the possibility of punctures or tears.<br /><br />In order for these slides to be in optimal condition to be utilised correctly and safely, they are minutely examined as part of the various safety inspections all aircraft routinely undergo. Depending on the type of plane and on what portion of the fuselage they’re installed (for example over a wing or at one end or the other), evacuation slides may vary in size and inflation time).</p><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Iberia-inflatable-evacuation-slide1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Iberia-inflatable-evacuation-slide1.jpg?width=300" width="300" class="align-right" alt="Iberia-inflatable-evacuation-slide1.jpg?width=300" /></a></p><p>One slide for an Airbus A320 inflates in just three seconds via an internal system of highly compressed gas injection. It should also be pointed out that these slides are designed to endure a fire for at least 90 seconds as well as stand up to extreme gusts of wind without breaking or detaching from the fuselage. At Iberia’s hangars in La Muñoza, on the outskirts of Madrid, the maintenance staff showed us show they give these slides a thorough check-out.<br /> <br />The evacuation slides are extracted from the compartment in which they are stored within the aircraft and unfurled along the floor in a section of the hangar. Once all the material is exposed, the surface of the slides is inspected for any deterioration, including testing at partial inflation to verify that there is no leakage of air. After those tests have been passed, each slide is attached to an actual-size fuselage mock-up and subjected to additional testing including a fire-extinction simulation.<br /><br />Once all of the above procedures have been successfully completed, the final, very important step is to re-fold and return each slide to its compartment in an extremely careful manner, so as to ensure that in the event of an emergency, the inflation circuit can work unimpeded to assist an evacuation.<br /><br />This testing is performed exhaustively once annually throughout the useful life of each slide, which is generally three to five years, depending on whether and how many times it has been used. <br /><br />Hopefully and usually as little as possible!</p><p><br /> <iframe width="640" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XO82lLvl8tk?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p><p></p><p></p></div>Airline Maintenance Secrets Revealedhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airlines-maintenance-secrets2015-02-19T18:10:26.000Z2015-02-19T18:10:26.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8524.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8524.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8524.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><span><br /> <em>by Javier Pedreira</em><br /> <br /> <br /> That </span><strong>air travel</strong><span> is the safest form of transportation going is not mere happenstance but rather due to rigourous maintenance of equipment and exhaustive training of personnel.<br /> <br /></span> Although in 2010 Iberia added a major maintenance hangar at <strong>Barcelona airport</strong>, since the 1970s the primary maintenance facilities have been headquartered adjacent to <strong>Barajas Airport</strong> in a suburban Madrid industrial zone called <strong>La Muñoza. </strong>This 220,000-square metre (54-acre) is where aircraft engines constantly arrive for tuneups and repairs — whether after accumulating a standard number of flying hours or takeoffs/landings, or, much less commonly, due to malfunctions. Iberia’s own aircraft are brought directly in and their engines detached, while those of other airlines are trucked in from Barajas.<br /> <br /> Once the aircraft is inside the maintenance hangar, first off the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_fairing" target="_blank"><strong>fairing</strong></a> is immediately removed in three primary sections: the nucleus, the ventilator, and the accessories. These sections are dismantled in turn by company mechanics, and all their component parts (except those which have reached the end of their useful lives), are temporarily stored in bins according to the materials of which they are composed. These bins are put through a huge washing machine which cleans each type of component according to its specific materials and characteristics. Except for its size and scale, it is, interestingly enough, not dissimilar to a dishwasher.<br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8547/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8547.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8547.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p>Once they’ve been cleaned, the components are carefully inspected to ensure that they are still in optimal working order. Depending on the materials of which they are made, inspection methods may include visual; ultrasound; X-ray; ultraviolet light; and immersion in fluorescent liquids that reveal the tiniest of cracks.<br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8554/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8554.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8554.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br /> The components which pass this initial inspection are submitted to a second round of measurement by sophisticated equipment installed in a climate-controlled room, to ensure that they are not unduly affected by heat or cold, and their dimensions can be established to a precision of ten thousandths of a millimeter. If they pass this final inspection, they are finally declared ready to be re-installed in one of our aircraft engines.<br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8564/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8564.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8564.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />Those pieces which do not pass any of the above inspections undergo screening to determine whether they can possibly be repaired. Any repair procedures undergone by any aircraft component must be one approved by the manufacturer.<br /><br />One of the more spectacular repairs is <strong>plasma regeneration</strong>, in which layers of new material are ‘bombarded’ in plasma form onto the pieces. These pieces must then be rectified to eliminate any extra material and leave them at the exact size and shape required. For this, Iberia also use an advanced technique which allows the rectification of pieces that will go into the same engine. Another impressive technique is a robotic station for the treatment of turbine blades — those bladelike pieces we see when we look directly into an engine.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8582/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8582.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8582.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />All of these procedures are exhaustively documented each step of the way, with each engine check generating thousands of computer records.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8559/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8559.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8559.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />Once all the components have been screened, the engine is reassembled, with special care given to ensuring that they are all in balance, given that many of these are required to spin at a rate of thousands of times per minute. The reassembled engine is then submitted in its entirety to a final battery of tests in a facility adjacent to the engine shop; the engine is suspended from an adapter with the same hookups running from an aircraft wing – fuel lines, hydraulic circuits, control and signal lines, and so forth — and put in operation to verify that all parameters are correct with regard to vibrations, power output, temperature, and more.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8625/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8602.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8602.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />Interestingly, testing in different parts of the world can yield different results in part because of differences that include altitude variations. It is a tribute to the work that is executed in Iberia’s facility at La Muñoza, that it is extremely rare that any engine that has passed through here be rejected by any test battery.<br /><br />In fact, far from representing a cost for Iberia, thanks to its capacity for processing more than 200 engines per year of the models CFM56, RB211 and JT8D, this facility is actually a major source of revenue, due to the fact that up to 70 percent of the engines processed here belong to up to 100 or so other carriers, paying between $2 and $4 million each for this service.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8633/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8633.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8633.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />Let’s wind up our visit to the Iberia engine shop with a stop at Hangar 6, the one with the big yellow arch. This structure, which contained Europe’s largest translucent space when it debuted in the 1990s , is where Iberia’s maintenance crews conduct operations which go beyond the normal everyday. As in the engine shop, aircraft of other carriers are serviced here in addition to Iberia’s.<br /><br />These reviews and procedures can be minor maintenance (types A and C), or major maintenance (type D). During a type-A review, carried out after every 600 flight-hours, inspections are performed of the general systems, components, and aircraft interior and exterior structure to verify their integrity and that all equipment is functioning properly.<br /><br />A type-C review, performed every 18 months, is a complete and exhaustive interior and exterior inspection of an aircraft’s structure and all its systems. Type-D reviews, which take approximately a month to perform, require the nearly complete dismantling of an aircraft in order to reach and check areas not normally accessible, such engine wing supports, landing gear, flight controls, and other aircraft systems.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8653/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8653.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8653.jpg?width=640" /></a><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8666/" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8666.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="IMG_8666.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />As with the engine shop, all these maintenance procedures are impeccably documented–although it’s obviously unavoidable that an aircraft may occasionally need unexpected maintenance. Finally, once all reviews are completed, all engines and aircraft are submitted to flight tests before being returned to regular passenger service, as safety is the number-one priority.<br /><br /><br /></p></div>What Caused the AirAsia Crash? The Likeliest Theoryhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airasia-crash-pitot-tube2015-01-25T21:30:00.000Z2015-01-25T21:30:00.000ZCapt Tom Bunn LCSWhttps://tripatini.com/members/CaptTomBunnLCSW<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008919874,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008919874,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9008919874?profile=original" /></a><br /> <br /> On February 20, as crews were still struggling to raise the fuselage <strong>AirAsia flight </strong><strong>QZ8501</strong>, Indonesia's top transportation official said the aircraft climbed at an extreme rate just before it crashed. The accident investigators have had time to study the flight recorder; we can assume they now know what went wrong on the doomed <strong>Airbus A320</strong>.<br /> <br /> After being initially candid, why have Indonesian officials now decided that the preliminary report, due by the end of the January, will not be made public?<br /> <br /> It can be claimed that release of preliminary findings could cause problems later if further analysis leads to a different conclusion. But there is a more likely reason. As time passes, public interest wanes. The media moves on to other matters. Whatever the fault is, when revealed after a lengthy delay, the public will react far less.<br /> <br /> Similarity to the crash of <strong>Air France 447</strong> is striking. In that crash, the ice-blocked pitot tube (a crucial pressure measurement instrument; example from an A380 pictured below) sent incorrect speed information to the plane's computers and to its pilots. Though the pilots could be blamed for not recognizing the speed information was bad, every pilot is trained to trust what the instruments say.<br /> <br /> In my view, it is much too much to ask pilots to deal with bad speed information. The Air France pilots' union was of the same opinion when they told Air France that they would not fly the A330 unless the problematic Thales pitot tubes were replaced by reliable Goodyrich tubes.<br /> <br /> The Thales tubes that caused the AF 447 crash were quickly replaced with Goodyear tubes on the A330s. Thales tubes were. however, allowed to remain on the Airbus A320. Though there had been a number of problems with the Thales tubes on the A330, there had be relatively few on the A320.<br /> <br /> But a tube is a tube is a tube. If it causes a crash on an A330, doesn't it seem feasible that, even if it caused problems less frequently on the A320, that sooner or later, the tube will cause an A320 crash? <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296594294,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296594294,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9296594294?profile=original" /></a><br /> <br /> In my search for info about the pitot tubes, I ran across a remarkably interesting discussion on the Nolan Law Group web site. See: <a href="http://nolan-law.com/latest-air-france-crash-update-bereft-of-analysis/" target="_blank">http://nolan-law.com/latest-air-france-crash-update-bereft-of-analysis/</a></p><p><br /> It suggests that, in the case of AF 447, as the pitot tubes began to block, the lower pressure in the pitot system signaled the fly-by-wire computer (and informed the pilots in the cockpit) that the plane was flying too slow. Thus the fly-by-wire system added power to speed the plane up, causing the plane to fly faster than it should have.<br /> <br /> As the blockage increased, plane's speed continued to appear too slow. The fly-by-wire system added still more power. This, the discussion suggests, continued until the plane was flying much too fast. </p><p><br /> As a plane speeds up, more air flows across the wing. This additional airflow causes an increase in lift, which, if nothing is done, causes the plane to climb. But, if the autopilot is engaged, as the speed increases, the autopilot lowers to nose as necessary to keep the additional speed from resulting in a climb. If the speed continues to increase, the autopilot continues to lower the nose.<br /> <br /> With a conventional autopilot, lowering of the nose by the autopilot is obvious to the pilots. But not on the autopilot of the fly-by-wire Airbus. At some point - according to this analysis - the autopilot's authority to push the nose down reached its limits, and it disconnected. No longer pushed down, the nose rose abruptly. Due to the speed buildup, the plane zoomed rapidly upward. But, with the nose up so high, the speed build-up quickly dissipated to a speed slower than was needed for flight, and the "angle of attack" - the angle at which the wing meets the oncoming air - became too extreme for the wing to work. With the wing producing little or no lift, the plane descended rapidly, even though the nose was elevated.<br /> <br /> Indonesian investigators say the AirAsia plane zoomed up at an extremely high rate, and then stalled. An Indonesian weather official claimed the plane zoomed up due to an extreme updraft. An updraft would simply lift the plane, leaving its forward speed unchanged, and not cause a stall.<br /> <br /> Airbus recommended back in 2006 that the original Thales pitot tubes (model - AA) be changed, either to a later version (model - BA). This was only a recommendation, not a directive. In retrospect, changing would have made little or no difference, as a later assessment by Airbus found the - BA tubes were no better than the - AA. The Goodrich tubes, however, were said by Airbus to perform better than the either the - AA or the - BA Thales tubes.</p><p><br /> In 2009, following the AF 447 crash, the Air France pilots' union demanded the Thales pitot tubes be replaced, saying they would not fly the A330 unless the tubes were changed. Shortly thereafter, Airbus recommended all A330s and A340 have either three Goodrich tubes, or two Goodrich tubes and one Thales tube in a specified location. The Airbus recommendation did not extend to the A320. At about the same time, the FAA required tube replacement on all A330s and A340.<br /> <br /> So, where do things stand now?</p><ul><li>With the A330 and A340, the problematic Thales tubes have been replaced with Goodrich tubes.</li></ul><ul><li>Airbus has backup synthetic airspeed on the A380 and made it optional for other models</li></ul><ul><li>Boeing planes have had little trouble with pitot tubes. Even when speed troubles arise on a Boeing, natural feedback from the plane lets the pilot know what to do. Even so, Boeing has installed synthetic airspeed on the 787.</li></ul><ul><li>On the A320, the same Thales tubes have been problematic on the A330 have - at least until now - performed satisfactorily on the A320. On the routes, altitudes, and shorter flights the A320 flies, it may have less exposure to pitot tube icing conditions. This AirAsia crash may be the exception..</li></ul><ul><li>Accident rate stats show no difference in safety between the A320 and the Boeing 737.</li></ul><ul><li>My guess is that this will turn out to be a pitot tube accident and that a change of pitot tube will - at some point - be called for on the A320. But with no significant past pitot tube trouble with the A320, there is no reason not to fly it confidently in the meantime. If the accident turns out to be due to some other cause, again, the record of the A320 gives us reason to fly it with confidence. Emotion does not always follow logic, and if help is needed in feeling comfortable when flying, help is available at <a href="http://www.fearofflying.com" target="_blank">www.FearOfFlying.com</a>. </li></ul><p></p><p><br /> <br /> <em><strong>Tom Bunn</strong>, L.C.S.W., is a retired airline captain and licensed therapist who has specialised in the treatment of fear of flying for over thirty years. He is the author the bestselling book on flight phobia, </em><span>SOAR: The Breakthrough Treatment for Fear of Flying</span><em>. His company, <a href="http://www.fearofflying.com/" target="_blank">SOAR, Inc.</a>, founded in 1982, has helped more than 7,000 clients control fear, panic, and claustrophobia.</em></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>image: Wikipedia/Albion, Wikipedia/David Monniaux</em></span></p><p></p></div>Aircraft Navigation - When a Straight Line Isn't the Shortest Distancehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/aircraft-navigation-when-a-straight-line-isn-t-the-shortest2014-12-28T16:57:27.000Z2014-12-28T16:57:27.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="1024" class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route.jpg?width=1024" alt="L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route.jpg?width=1024" /></a><br /><br /><br /><em>by Javier Pereira</em><br /><br />One of the first things we learn in school about <b>geometry</b> (more specifically, <b>plane geometry</b>) is that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Obvious, right? And yet…<br /><br />The fact is, this obvious truism is only true in two dimensions, as on a flat map, which is how we usually think of the world. But when it comes to <b>spherical geometry</b> – and, unless you’re a Flat Earther, our planet is more or less a sphere – that’s simply not the case.<br /><br />If you’ve ever tried to flatten out an apple peel or orange rind on a table, you’ve surely noticed how it tends to crack at certain points. Something similar happens – and thus certain allowances must be made – when we try to render a sphere on paper (even though the Earth isn’t a perfect sphere).<br /><br />For example, in the very common <b>Mercator projection</b> (used, among many others, by <b>Google Maps</b>), <strong>Greenland</strong> <strong>appears to</strong> <strong>be as large as the entire continent of</strong> <strong>Africa</strong>, when in reality the latter is something like 14 times bigger than the former; similary, <b>Alaska</b> and <b>Brazil</b> appears to be similar in size, when in reality Brazil is five times larger. <strong> <br /><br /></strong>These two factors combined – and finally we’re getting more to how this all relates to aviation – can sometimes lead us to automatically think of all routes between origin and destination airports as straight lines, but oftentimes this can be considerably off base, depending on the airport pairs, the distance between them, and their differences in latitude.<br /><br />When it comes, for example, to the <b>Madrid-New York route</b>, the shortest distance on the following map is not the black line but the red one:<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route-map-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="580" class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route-map-1.jpg?width=580" alt="L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route-map-1.jpg?width=580" /></a></p><p><br />The reason for this is that on a spherical surface the shortest line between two points is the arc of the “great circle” which joins them, and this is represented on a flat map by the red line.<br /><br />Madrid and New York are more or less at the same latitude, but if we were to choose the route between New York and Tokyo, even just five degrees difference in latitude ends up multiplying the routing differences considerably, leading to a rather counter-intuitive route:<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route-map-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="580" class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route-map-2.jpg?width=580" alt="L2F-Oct-13-aviation-straight-line-isnt-fastest-route-map-2.jpg?width=580" /></a></p><p><br />Surprisingly, this flight takes place almost entirely over land and less than 60 minutes’ flight from an airport (as shown by the lighter areas on the above map), so that an airplane flying this route would not need <b>ETOPS certification</b>.<br /><br />A third, even more pronounced example would be a flight between Beijing and Buenos Aires – assuming there were an aircraft capable of flying nonstop a route with 75 degrees of separation in latitudes.<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/megustavolar-3.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="580" class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/megustavolar-3.jpg?width=580" alt="megustavolar-3.jpg?width=580" /></a></p><p><br />Given all the above, it would be natural to assume that any aircraft would unfailingly follow the routes delineated by the great circle between two airports. But in actuality there are some cases in which it wouldn’t. For example, there are zones that are off limits to civilian air traffic. Also, weather or other conditions such as an erupting volcano might come into play.<br /><br />Another reason for rerouting in various parts of the world but especially in the case of transatlantic crossings or flights across North America, would be <b>jet stream</b> conditions which would make it preferable to deviate from the great circle route rather than fight against jet stream headwinds.<br /><br />Also, not all airlines have aircraft equipped and certified for polar crossings, such as required by the aforementioned New York-Beijing route. ETOPS certification specifies the maximum distance a given aircraft may fly from a given airport. And to complicate matters even further, for safety reasons on trans-Atlantic flights, the established set of routes changes <em>daily</em> according to jet stream conditions.<br /><br />Lastly, within Europe as well as in other areas of the world where air traffic is particularly dense, there are air lanes to which flights must adhere to but which often do not coincide with great-circle routes.<br /><br />There are also undoubtedly other restrictions out there, but you get the idea. In any case, no worries, because if you take a look at Iberia’s in-flight magazine Ronda, you’ll see that its route also relies on straight lines, just the same as all other airlines I’ve ever seen.<br /><br />All the maps included in this post were created with <strong>Karl L. Swartz’ </strong><a href="http://www.gcmap.com/">Great Circle Mapper</a>, a tool which, incidentally, is great fun for us aviation geeks.</p><p></p><p></p></div>Airline Maintenance Secrets Revealedhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/airline-maintenance-secrets-revealed2014-12-05T11:59:19.000Z2014-12-05T11:59:19.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8524.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8524.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8524.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size:16px;"><span class="font-size-2"><br /><span class="font-size-1"><em>by <a href="http://www.microsiervos.com/" target="_blank">Javier Pedreira</a></em><br /><br />That</span></span></span> <span style="font-size:16px;"><span class="font-size-2"><strong>air travel</strong> is the safest form of transportation going is not mere happenstance but rather due to rigourous maintenance of equipment and exhaustive training of personnel.</span><br /><br /></span>Although in 2010 Iberia added a major maintenance hangar at <strong>Barcelona airport</strong>, since the 1970s the primary maintenance facilities have been headquartered adjacent to <strong>Barajas Airport</strong> in a suburban Madrid industrial zone called <strong>La Muñoza.</strong> This 220,000-square metre (54-acre) is where aircraft engines constantly arrive for tuneups and repairs — whether after accumulating a standard number of flying hours or takeoffs/landings, or, much less commonly, due to malfunctions. Iberia’s own aircraft are brought directly in and their engines detached, while those of other airlines are trucked in from Barajas.<br /><br />Once the aircraft is inside the maintenance hangar, first off the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircraft_fairing" target="_blank"><strong>fairing</strong></a> is immediately removed in three primary sections: the nucleus, the ventilator, and the accessories. These sections are dismantled in turn by company mechanics, and all their component parts (except those which have reached the end of their useful lives), are temporarily stored in bins according to the materials of which they are composed. These bins are put through a huge washing machine which cleans each type of component according to its specific materials and characteristics. Except for its size and scale, it is, interestingly enough, not dissimilar to a dishwasher.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8547/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8547.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8547.jpg?width=640" /></a><br />Once they’ve been cleaned, the components are carefully inspected to ensure that they are still in optimal working order. Depending on the materials of which they are made, inspection methods may include visual; ultrasound; X-ray; ultraviolet light; and immersion in fluorescent liquids that reveal the tiniest of cracks.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8554/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8554.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8554.jpg?width=640" /></a><br />The components which pass this initial inspection are submitted to a second round of measurement by sophisticated equipment installed in a climate-controlled room, to ensure that they are not unduly affected by heat or cold, and their dimensions can be established to a precision of ten thousandths of a millimeter. If they pass this final inspection, they are finally declared ready to be re-installed in one of our aircraft engines.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8564/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8564.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8564.jpg?width=640" /></a><br />Those pieces which do not pass any of the above inspections undergo screening to determine whether they can possibly be repaired. Any repair procedures undergone by any aircraft component must be one approved by the manufacturer.<br /><br />One of the more spectacular repairs is <strong>plasma regeneration</strong>, in which layers of new material are ‘bombarded’ in plasma form onto the pieces. These pieces must then be rectified to eliminate any extra material and leave them at the exact size and shape required. For this, Iberia also use an advanced technique which allows the rectification of pieces that will go into the same engine. Another impressive technique is a robotic station for the treatment of turbine blades — those bladelike pieces we see when we look directly into an engine.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8582/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8582.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8582.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />All of these procedures are exhaustively documented each step of the way, with each engine check generating thousands of computer records.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8559/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8559.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8559.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />Once all the components have been screened, the engine is reassembled, with special care given to ensuring that they are all in balance, given that many of these are required to spin at a rate of thousands of times per minute. The reassembled engine is then submitted in its entirety to a final battery of tests in a facility adjacent to the engine shop; the engine is suspended from an adapter with the same hookups running from an aircraft wing – fuel lines, hydraulic circuits, control and signal lines, and so forth — and put in operation to verify that all parameters are correct with regard to vibrations, power output, temperature, and more.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8625/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8602.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8602.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><br />Interestingly, testing in different parts of the world can yield different results in part because of differences that include altitude variations. It is a tribute to the work that is executed in Iberia’s facility at La Muñoza, that it is extremely rare that any engine that has passed through here be rejected by any test battery.<br /><br />In fact, far from representing a cost for Iberia, thanks to its capacity for processing more than 200 engines per year of the models CFM56, RB211 and JT8D, this facility is actually a major source of revenue, due to the fact that up to 70 percent of the engines processed here belong to up to 100 or so other carriers, paying between $2 and $4 million each for this service.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8633/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8633.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8633.jpg?width=640" /></a><br />Let’s wind up our visit to the Iberia engine shop with a stop at Hangar 6, the one with the big yellow arch. This structure, which contained Europe’s largest translucent space when it debuted in the 1990s , is where Iberia’s maintenance crews conduct operations which go beyond the normal everyday. As in the engine shop, aircraft of other carriers are serviced here in addition to Iberia’s.<br /><br />These reviews and procedures can be minor maintenance (types A and C), or major maintenance (type D). During a type-A review, carried out after every 600 flight-hours, inspections are performed of the general systems, components, and aircraft interior and exterior structure to verify their integrity and that all equipment is functioning properly.<br /><br />A type-C review, performed every 18 months, is a complete and exhaustive interior and exterior inspection of an aircraft’s structure and all its systems. Type-D reviews, which take approximately a month to perform, require the nearly complete dismantling of an aircraft in order to reach and check areas not normally accessible, such engine wing supports, landing gear, flight controls, and other aircraft systems.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8653/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8653.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8653.jpg?width=640" /></a><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/2011/02/la-munoza-itv-para-aviones-y-sus-motores/img_8666/" target="_blank"><img width="640" class="align-center" src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8666.jpg?width=640" alt="IMG_8666.jpg?width=640" /></a><br />As with the engine shop, all these maintenance procedures are impeccably documented–although it’s obviously unavoidable that an aircraft may occasionally need unexpected maintenance. Finally, once all reviews are completed, all engines and aircraft are submitted to flight tests before being returned to regular passenger service, as safety is the number-one priority.</p><p></p><p></p></div>What Planespotting Is All Abouthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/what-planespotting-is-all-about2014-10-14T09:35:09.000Z2014-10-14T09:35:09.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/340-Spotter-640x426.jpeg" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/340-Spotter-640x426.jpeg" class="align-center" alt="340-Spotter-640x426.jpeg" /></a><br /> <em>by <a href="http://vadeaviones.com/" target="_blank">Jorge Guardia/VaDeAviones</a></em><br /></p><p>Spectacular <strong>aircraft photos</strong> abound all over the Web these days–shots taken on runways, in hangars, taking off/landing, at cruising altitude. And many of us who glance at them, sometimes think, “how cool,” and move on.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:13px;">And then… there are the </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">planespotters</strong><span style="font-size:13px;">, along with their closely related–and sometimes overlapping–cousins, </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">aviation geeks</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> (aka “</span><strong style="font-size:13px;">avgeeks</strong><span style="font-size:13px;">”). </span><span id="more-65" style="font-size:13px;"></span><span style="font-size:13px;">These gloriously obsessed souls are a dedicated breed in love with </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">aviation</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> and </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">airlines</strong><span style="font-size:13px;">, follow industry news and developments in detail, and can cite chapter and verse in sometimes amazing detail about every make and model of </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">commercial airliners</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> under the sun, as well as their routes, </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">liveries</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> (the designs and logos emblazoned on plane exteriors) and particularities of deployment in the hands of various airlines.<br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">Oftentimes </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">spotters</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> are also photographers–mostly amateurs–who have made it their life’s hobby to photograph </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">commercial jets</strong><span style="font-size:13px;">. And in their quest for the best and most unusual and/or creative shots, they seek out some of the most obscure nooks and crannies imaginable, usually at or around airports, of course (for another point about these locations that might not otherwise occur to you, see below). Many go so far as to plan business travel and vacations around visits to various airports in their home countries and abroad.<br /> <br /></span> <strong style="font-size:13px;">HUNTING SUPPLIES<br /> <br /></strong> <span style="font-size:13px;">Planespotters refer to this as “</span><strong style="font-size:13px;">the hunt</strong><span style="font-size:13px;">,” with special trophies including new liveries; airplane registration numbers not yet in their collections; and sightings of airlines at unexpected airports. And they display these trophies on their own websites as well as group </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">sites specializing in spotting</strong><span style="font-size:13px;">, such as </span><a href="http://www.planespotters.net/" style="font-size:13px;">planespotters.net</a><span style="font-size:13px;"> and </span><a href="http://www.planespotting.net/" style="font-size:13px;">planespotting.net</a><span style="font-size:13px;">. It’s a game whose fun, in addition to bagging the above trophies, also comes from identifying the aforementioned obscure nooks and crannies from which photos have been taken. For one of our great spotter friends, “spotting is a way of life, a different way of looking at things that we’re passionate about; it’s the art of capturing everything that flies with a motor.”<br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">There are several basic elements to this most singular hobby, and the most basic is of course a</span><strong style="font-size:13px;">high-quality camera</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> (</span><strong style="font-size:13px;">smartphone cameras</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> are great for lots of things, but planespotting doesn’t strike us as one of them, as it requires the precision and control that only </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">high-end photographic equipment</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> can provide) and back-up batteries or other portable power source. Next in importance has to be plenty of patience, because an aircraft worthy of the hunt doesn’t always make its appearance on cue. After all, one can research airline schedules to a T, but variables like unforeseen schedule changes, flight delays, or airspace saturation can throw spanners into the best-laid of plans. That’s why good hunters, er, spotters must have the time and patience to wait–sometimes for hours–for their prey to show up.<br /> <br /></span> <strong style="font-size:13px;">PLANESPOTTING CHALLENGES<br /> <br /></strong> <span style="font-size:13px;">Another huge factor spotters have to contend with is weather. It takes dedication and fortitude to spend hours on end waiting–especially in the freezing temperatures of winter’s depths and the heat (and sometimes bugs) of high summer. Another thing that those who aspire to enter into this wonderful world of </span><strong style="font-size:13px;">aviation photography</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> should be aware of is that there are limits: you don’t want to be caught trespassing in areas that are off limits to the general public–and as a result risk getting collared by airport security and possibly fined or worse.<br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">But as we said earlier, planespotting is a hobby and so by definition it should be fun, not land its practictioners in hot water. So before venturing willy-nilly into out-of-the-way reaches of an airport–especially an unfamiliar one–spotters should do their online homework. And by now it may not surprise you to learn that there are folks who have taken the trouble to create and post</span><strong style="font-size:13px;">airport planespotting guides</strong><span style="font-size:13px;"> (</span><a href="http://madridspotting.blogspot.com/p/guia-de-spotting-aeropuerto-madrid.html" style="font-size:13px;">here’s a good one to Madrid Barajas Airport</a><span style="font-size:13px;">; you can use the widget on the right to translate it into English), complete with maps, describing not only runway layouts but also best spotting positions, how to access them, and even lighting conditions for different times of day (since the sun’s position has a huge effect on photo quality).<br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;"><br /> <span class="font-size-1"><em>image | </em></span></span><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jorgeguardia/9078210423/" target="_blank" style="font-size:13px;">Jorge Guardia</a></em></p><p></p><p></p></div>Aerofóbicos Distinguidos (y Confesos)https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/aerof-bicos-distinguidos-y-confesos2012-12-10T14:51:50.000Z2012-12-10T14:51:50.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><p><a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/garcia.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/garcia.jpg?width=560" width="560" class="align-center" alt="garcia.jpg?width=560" /></a></p><p><strong><br /></strong> <em>por Jorge Mira<strong><br /> <br /> Hay una larga lista de personas famosas con fobia a volar.</strong></em> Quizás el más destacado de todos ellos sea <strong>Gabriel García Márquez</strong>, quien hace ya tiempo escribió un cómico artículo sobre el asunto titulado <a href="http://sololiteratura.com/ggm/marquezseamosmachos.htm">“Seamos machos: hablemos del miedo al avión”</a>, en el que nos dejaba algunas perlas como éstas:</p><blockquote><p><br /> “Yo lo padezco como nadie, a mucha honra, y además con una gratitud inmensa, porque gracias a él he podido darle la vuelta al mundo en 82 horas, a bordo de toda clase de aviones, y por lo menos diez veces.</p><p>La vida me enseñó que el verdadero temeroso del avión no es el que se niega a volar, sino el que aprende a volar con miedo.”</p></blockquote><p><br /> En el mismo artículo, García Márquez habla de otros ilustres “temerosos del avión” como <strong>Pablo Picasso</strong>, que, según él, habría afirmado: “No le tengo miedo a la muerte, sino al avión”; el arquitecto<strong>Oscar Niemeyer</strong>, de quien dice que es el único que de verdad no vuela; l<strong>os escritores Jorge Amado y Carlos Fuentes</strong>, que están dispuestos a realizar viajes épicos de varios días en barco o tren con tal de no coger un avión, pero que también vuelan; <strong>el escritor Miguel Otero Silva y el director de cine Ruy Guerra</strong>, que, como el propio García Márquez, habrían llegado a la conclusión de que “la única manera de combatir el miedo al avión es volando con miedo”; y, finalmente, Luis Buñuel, del que el premio Nobel cuenta lo siguiente: “Para él, el verdadero terror empieza cuando todo anda perfecto en el vuelo y, de pronto, aparece el comandante en mangas de camisa y recorre el avión a pasos lentos, saludando a cada uno de los pasajeros con una sonrisa radiante”.<br /> <br /> Más recientemente, García Márquez ha revelado que Julio Cortázar, el ya mencionado Carlos Fuentes y él mismo vivieron una “noche irrepetible” en 1968 en un tren que cubría el trayecto París-Praga y que habían tomado debido, precisamente, a su común miedo a volar.<br /> <br /> Pero hay muchos más. <strong>Ray Bradbury</strong>, pese a ser uno de los grandes maestros de la ciencia-ficción, tiene auténtico pánico al avión y, de hecho, no voló hasta 1982. <strong>Stanley Kubrick</strong> se sacó de joven la licencia de piloto, pero luego le cogió tanto miedo a volar que, para evitar hacerlo, se fue a vivir a las afueras de Londres, desde donde mantenía largas conversaciones telefónicas con los responsables de su productora norteamericana. <strong>Lars von Trier</strong> debe encontrarse en una situación bastante parecida, ya que no suele rodar fuera de Europa y, aunque algunas de sus películas están ambientadas en Estados Unidos, nunca ha viajado a ese país. En cuanto a <strong>Orson Welles</strong>, basta con saber que declaró que “cuando uno va en avión sólo existen dos emociones, el aburrimiento y el terror”.<br /> <br /> Los “duros” <strong>Sylvester Stallone y Bruce Willis</strong> padecen esta fobia. Y también <strong>Jennifer Aniston y Megan Fox,</strong> quienes, por lo demás, tienen formas muy curiosas de afrontarla: Jennifer se siente segura cuando sube al avión con el pie derecho y Megan, cuando escucha a Britney Spears en su iPhone… Cosas de Hollywood.<br /> <br /> En cuanto a los cantantes, ahí están <strong>Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, Juanes o Robert Smith, el vocalista de “The Cure”</strong>, del que dicen que, cuando el grupo se va de gira a Estados Unidos, él sale varios días antes para cruzar el Océano Atlántico en barco.<br /> <br /> <strong>La princesa Mette-Marit de Noruega</strong>, esposa del príncipe heredero Haakon, también reconoció que tiene miedo a volar y que canta salmos para tranquilizarse en el avión. Pero los aficionados al fútbol se acordarán claramente del jugador holandés <strong>Dennis Bergkamp</strong>, que, cuando fichó por el Arsenal, introdujo una cláusula en su contrato que le eximía de desplazarse en avión con el resto de sus compañeros para disputar los partidos. Él prefería el coche, el tren o cualquier otro medio de transporte y, de ese modo, viajó hasta España, Túnez o Rusia.<br /> <br /> De esta fobia no se libran ni siquiera los personajes de ficción. Mr. T., más conocido por estos lares como M. A. Barracus, uno de los integrantes del incruento “Equipo A”, tenía tanto miedo a volar, que a sus compañeros no les quedaba otra opción que la de drogarlo para conseguir que subiera a un avión. Y la pobre <strong>Marge Simpson</strong> se puso tan nerviosa cuando el avión en el que se marchaba de vacaciones con su familia iba a despegar, que se vio obligada a bajar de él y a solicitar la ayuda de un psicoanalista para liberarse de su temor.<br /> <br /> Así que no debemos sentirnos solos en nuestra situación, ya que es muy probable que incluso el pasajero que va sentado a nuestro lado también sienta algo de miedo.<br /> <br /> Imagen | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thepluginguy/">thepluginguy</a><br /> <br /> <br /> <em>(Se publicó originalmente en nuestro blog <a href="http://megustavolar.iberia.com" target="_blank">Me Gusta Volar</a>)</em></p><p><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thepluginguy/"><br /></a></em></p></div>Fake Pilot Flew For 13 Years – Without A Licensehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/fake-pilot-flew-for-13-years-without-license2012-08-22T14:36:27.000Z2012-08-22T14:36:27.000ZTraveling Erikhttps://tripatini.com/members/TravelingErik<div><p><a href="http://travelingreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Sk%C3%A4rmavbild-2012-06-11-kl.-23.01.32.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3526" title="SvD excerpt" src="http://travelingreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Sk%C3%A4rmavbild-2012-06-11-kl.-23.01.32-620x480.png" alt="" width="620" height="480" /></a></p><p class="wp-caption-text"><em>Excerpt from Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet (svd.se).</em></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>FAKE PILOT SCAM</strong>. Did you think a pilot’s license and training are at least some kind of a guarantee for a safe journey?</p><p>Think again.</p><p>Nobody could guess the dark secret of Swedish pilot Thomas Salme: He had no pilot’s license. But for thirteen years, he navigated the skies as an airline pilot, much like the character in the 2002 Hollywood blockbuster movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264464/">Catch Me If You Can</a> about Frank Abagnale Jr who presented himself as a pilot go gain benefits.</p><p>But Thomas Salme did it for real – until 2010, when the Dutch Airline Police finally found out about his secret. He had been faking both his CV and flight certificate, a small shortcut from the beginning that accelerated and grew in size over time.</p><div id="attachment_3527" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="http://travelingreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MV5BMTY5MzYzNjc5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTUyNTc2._V1._SY317_.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://travelingreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/MV5BMTY5MzYzNjc5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTUyNTc2._V1._SY317_.jpg?width=214" width="214" style="padding:5px;" class="align-right" alt="MV5BMTY5MzYzNjc5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTUyNTc2._V1._SY317_.jpg?width=214" /></a></div><p>His story has now become a book, titled “A Fake Pilot’s Confession”, to be published by the Swedish publishing house Norstedts. The book partly accuses him for being a mythomaniac. But in an interview with the Swedish daily <a href="http://www.svd.se/kultur/hogtflygande-bluff_7262827.svd">Svenska Dagbladet</a>, Salme defends his actions, and also claims they are all for real.</p><p>“I wasn’t trying to kill people, but taking them from point A to point B in a safe manner. And I succeeded with that. You should know that I was one hell of a pilot. Or put it this way: I was lucky – and has talent,” Salme says to the newspaper.</p><p>The paper asks the obvious question how he could learn to fly an airliner.</p><p>“I have studied, read manuals and listened to the flight radio since I was nine years old. I spent hundreds of hours at my flight simulator at home, I’ve flown in real-time around the world countless of times.”</p><p>Thomas Salme actually holds an A type license, which provides the right to fly small planes. But nothing even close to a big airliner.</p><p>His fake credentials landed him a job at Italian airline Air One, among others, and Thomas Salme moved to Milan, where he lives today. With a family to provide for, it became harder and harder to get out of the lie of his life. It came to last thirteen years. Now, he wants to start a new career as a press photographer.</p><p>“I needed the money,” he says. “When I was blown I had already begun taking photos. My plan then was to continue flying a few years more, and then to become a full-time photographer.”</p><p>Today, he is rather proud than ashamed for his lie. “Nothing dangerous happened. I never crashed once,” he says in the interview.</p><p><br /> <span id="curate-us-tag"><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://s.tt/1e6Jv">http://travelingreporter.com</a> (<a href="http://s.tt/1e6Jv">http://s.tt/1e6Jv</a>)</span></p></div>In U.S., FAA Rethinking Electronics Ban for Take-Off and Landinghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/faa-rethinking-electronics-ban-for-take-off-and-landing2012-03-26T18:29:09.000Z2012-03-26T18:29:09.000ZSmarterTravelhttps://tripatini.com/members/SmarterTravel<div><p>At some point in the future, you may be able to continue skimming your Kindle or <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/12-most-ridiculous-moments-in-travel-2011-edition.html?id=9983085">playing Words with Friends</a></span> when jetting off the runway, <em>The New York Times</em> <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/disruptions-time-to-review-f-a-a-policy-on-gadgets/" target="_blank">reports</a></span>. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may be reconsidering its policy on use of electronic devices during take-off and landing.</p><p>Laura J. Brown, deputy assistant administrator for public affairs for the FAA, told the <em>Times</em>, "With the advent of new and evolving electronic technology, and because the airlines have not conducted the testing necessary to approve the use of new devices, the FAA is taking a fresh look at the use of personal electronic devices, other than cellphones, on aircraft."</p><div class="mpu"><span id="te-30c2-icon" style="display:block;opacity:.8;overflow:hidden;margin:0px;padding:0px;z-index:100002;width:19px;height:15px;left:291px;top:672px;"><span id="te-30c2-anch" style="font-weight:normal;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:8pt;text-decoration:none;"><span style="line-height:15px;vertical-align:top;"><img style="margin:0pt;padding:0pt;right:0px;top:0pt;" src="http://choices.truste.com/get?name=admarker-icon-tr.png" width="19" height="15" alt="get?name=admarker-icon-tr.png" /></span></span></span></div><p>Currently, the FAA prohibits use of electronic devices during taxi, take-off and landing; this means iPads, laptops, iPods, ereaders, and basically anything that has buttons and batteries must be powered down. Additionally, use of wireless devices like cell phones is banned on all flights.</p><p>It's all for our protection, of course.</p><p>The FAA says that signals from passengers' personal electronics could interfere with navigation and communication systems on planes.</p><p>As of now, FAA rules permit airlines to conduct their own testing on the effects of electronic devices on planes. Carriers may permit use of devices in the air as long as they can prove that they won't compromise safety. But the airlines havn't bothered, as such tests require time and money.</p><p>Now, the FAA is stepping in, promising to take a second look at the ban. At this point, it looks like the FAA will conduct its own tests, possibly in conjunction with electronic manufacturers, the airlines, and other key groups.</p><p>In a statement to <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Airline-passengers-may-get-a-break-on-electronics-3418717.php" target="_blank">the AP</a></span>, the FAA said that "no changes will be made until we are certain they will not impact safety and security." So flyers should have nothing to fear.</p><p>After all, it's been unclear from the get-go whether use of electronic devices during take-off and landing as well as use of cell phones in flight ever caused a legitimate threat.</p><p>No plane crashes have ever been blamed on passengers' gadgets. A study by the Radio Techinical Commission for Aeronautics conducted in 2006 found that "there was no evidence saying these devices can't interfere with a plane, and there was no evidence saying that they can," reports <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/disruptions-fliers-must-turn-off-devices-but-its-not-clear-why/" target="_blank">The New York Times</a></span>.</p><p>So until futher studies happen, the airlines will stick with their better-safe-than-sorry approach.</p><p>What's your opinion? Should passengers be allowed to use electronic devices during take-off and landing?</p><div align="center"><a name="pd_a_6058107" style="display:inline;padding:0px;margin:0px;" id="pd_a_6058107"></a><div id="PD_superContainer"><div style="top:0px;left:-2000px;" id="SwfStore_swfstore_0"></div></div></div><p><strong>You Might Also Like:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/op-ed-it-my-right-to-recline-my-seat.html?id=10799396">OP-ED: It's My Right to Recline My Seat</a></span></li><li><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/six-shocking-stories-of-travelers-gone-wild.html?id=10722164">Six Shocking Stories of Travelers Gone Wild</a></span></li><li><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/air-travel-in-the-future-it-going-to-be-crowded.html?id=10786401">Air Travel in the Future: It's Going to Be Crowded</a></span></li></ul><p>This article was originally posted on <span style="text-decoration:underline;"><a href="http://www.smartertravel.com">SmarterTravel</a></span>, the largest online travel resource for unbiased travel news, deals, and timely expert advice.</p><p>-- by Caroline Costello</p></div>Seychelles International Airport: A Step Back in Historyhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/seychelles-international2010-09-07T17:30:00.000Z2010-09-07T17:30:00.000ZChalets d' Anse Forbanshttps://tripatini.com/members/ChaletsdAnseForbans<div>Seychelles International Airport- A step back in history<br />The Seychelles International Airport officially opened on the 20th March 1972 with the official ceremony being carried out by her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II. However, interesting to note well before this on the 17th June 1939 a flying boat called GUBA 11 has flown to the Seychelles under its own steam.<br /><br />The Seychelles International Airport continued to grow and more aircraft's landed on the island of Mahe to discover the Seychelles. On the 4th July 1970 saw the landing of the first jet aircraft the BOAC SUPER VC10. The gates where now open for tourism in the Seychelles.<br /><br />A step back into the history: The Seychelles Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) was created in 1969 with a Director and three other employees. In 1971 the operations where conducted by Wilkenair, the air traffic control was carried out from a private house at Anse de Genet, the Fire Service was based in Victoria and only one Land Rover Fire vehicle was dispatched to the airport to attend to the flights while the meteorological station was situated at the Long Pier Road, at the old Port. The Seychelles International Airport has a runway 2987m long.<br /><br />The island of Praslin airstrip, which is the second largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, became operational in 1972 linking the outer island to the mainland. In 1988 a project was undertaken to build up an aerodrome for Praslin. A Control Tower, Fire Station and Terminal Building was constructed and the runway was paved and extended to 1250m by 23m.<br /><br />In 2001 the runway was further extended and the current terminal building was constructed.The<br /><br />The Seychelles International airport is located on the main island of Mahé and is only 10 km away from the capital Victoria. Positioned beneath the overlooking green mountains and aligned along the coastline, the Seychelles International airport consists of an International and Domestic terminal.<br /><br />The Seychelles International Airport has been through expansion plans both in the 1980s and in 2005/2006 and can now accomodate 800 passengers at one time.<br /><br />Chalets d' Anse Forbans offers Seychelles self catering beach bungalows on the South East Coast of Mahe Island. Looking for accomodation in the Seychelles- Try Chalets d' Anse Forbans. <a href="http://www.forbans.com">http://www.forbans.com</a></div>