The Cockpit

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/10thecockpit.mp3|titles=The Cockpit]The Cockpit

The cockpit is the area in the front of the aircraft from where a pilot controls the aircraft. Referred to as flight deck on an airliner, it is basically the driver’s seat. However, the things that go on in a cockpit are far more complicated than what happens behind the wheel. The cockpit comprises of an instrument panel and controls which allow the pilot to fly the aircraft.

The cockpit of an aircraft has undergone a dramatic change over the years. After all the changes, the layout has been standardized today. Modern cockpits are fully computerized and the manual flight control has been replaced by a fly-by-wire system with an electronic interface and the control column with an electronic side-stick.

… Continue Reading

Why it’s great to be a pilot

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/11greattobeapilot.mp3|titles=Why it’s great to be a pilot]TOPIC: Why it’s great to be a pilot

You can always spot a pilot…even when he/she is not on the airport property. It’s something about the way they carry themselves and they way they react to everything that has to do with flying. They are the ones that don’t complain about “airplane noise” and actually prefer to live close to an airport. Whenever an airplane flies overhead, all pilots will look up and try to identify the kind of aircraft…guaranteed. This I what truly makes aviators a breed apart from the rest of the population.

The ability to travel in a three-dimensional environment so totally different from our ground perspective is the main draw. Pilots enjoy the best view that any office building would never even come close to. The aviator works in another world and enjoys seeing our world from a completely different perspective. In this world, we have the opportunity to enjoy the planet in an environment that is mostly free from the signs of human interference.  There is something about flying through the clouds that detaches you from everything that is happening on the ground.

… Continue Reading

Santos Dumont, Pioneer Aviator

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/13santosdumont.mp3|titles=Santos Dumont]

Alberto Santos Dumont, Pioneer Aviator

Santos Dumont, born in 1873, grew up in a coffee plantation owned by his family but spent most of his adult life in Paris. He was so fascinated by machinery that even as a child he learned to drive steam tractors and the steam locomotive of the plantation train too.

A great fan of Jules Verne, the father of science fiction, Santos Dumont had read all his books by the time he was ten. As a child he would reflect deeply while gazing at the magnificent skies of Brazil in the long sunny afternoons in his vast plantation and dream of flying airships and flying machines.

The first thing he did on arrival in France at the age of 17 was to buy an automobile and hire a private tutor for studying physics, chemistry, mechanics and electricity. His passion for flying eventually made him one of the most famous people in the aviation industry during the early 20^th century.

… Continue Reading

Prepositions of Place/Location IN/ON/AT

TOPIC: Prepositions of Place/Location

GOAL: To learn about the proper use of prepositions of place/location

Level: Easy

Exercise #1: Read about Prepositions of Place and then proceed to Exercise #2

A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.

Even for the most advanced students, propositions can always use more practice. Many verbs are (usually) followed by certain prepositions. Some even entirely change the meaning of a verb by turning it into a phrasal verb.  Learners just have to memorize most prepositions, especially those that follow certain verbs (and even more so for those that create phrasal verbs). Some prepositions can be used interchangeably depending on the situation. This just adds more confusion for people learning English.

The good news is that prepositions of place, perhaps, are among the most consistent (that is, they have fewer exceptions). Prepositions of place are almost logical, if you can understand the preposition on its own.

… Continue Reading

Helicopters

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/08helicopters.mp3|titles=Helicopters]

Exercise #1: Read about helicopters and then proceed to Exercise #2

Helicopters are the most versatile flying machines in existence today. This versatility gives the pilot complete access to three-dimensional space in a way that no airplane can. If you have ever flown in a helicopter you know that its abilities are exhilarating. The amazing flexibility of helicopters means that they can fly almost anywhere. However, it also means that flying these machines is complicated. The pilot has to think in three dimensions and must use both arms and both legs constantly to keep a helicopter in the air. Piloting a helicopter requires a great deal of training and skill, as well as continuous attention to what is happening with the aircraft.

… Continue Reading

Airline vs. Executive Aviation

Exercise #1: Read about the differences between airline flying and executive aviation and then proceed to Exercise #2

The physical aspects of flying an airplane are fairly similar in most segments of the aviation industry. However, the overall economic scope and nature of this flying can be quite different, depending on the segment. A good case is the comparison between executive/business aviation and the airline market.  Both operate a range of turboprop and jet aircraft but their use and customer base is very different.

So, we know that the typical airline passenger is the casual traveler, and frequently, a businessman/woman flying to a major market. But who uses business aviation? The answer is: companies and individuals seeking a fast, hassle-free option of air travel. While companies that rely on business aviation represent many different professions and locations, they all have one thing in common: the need for fast, flexible, safe, secure and cost-effective access to destinations across their country and around the world. Business aircraft allow employees to make a trip involving stops at several locations, then return to headquarters the same day. Hundreds or thousands of dollars can be saved on hotel rooms, rental cars, meals and other expenses that would be needed to make the same trip over several days via auto, train or airline transport. Because employees can meet, plan and work with each other aboard business aircraft, productivity en route is greatly enhanced.

… Continue Reading

Jet Engines

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/06jetengines.mp3|titles=Jet Engines]

TOPIC: Jet Engines

GOAL: To learn about the benefit of jet engines and how they operate

Level: Medium

Exercise #1: Read about jet engines and then proceed to Exercise #2

Have you ever looked at a large airplane takeoff and sail into sky and wondered how much power it must take to get that vehicle off the ground? Many people have. Jet engines move the airplane forward with a great force that is produced by a tremendous thrust and causes the plane to fly very fast. All jet engines, which are also called gas turbines, work on the same principle. The engine sucks air in at the front with a fan. A compressor raises the pressure of the air. The compressor is made up of fans with many blades and attached to a shaft. The blades compress the air. The compressed air is then sprayed with fuel and an electric spark lights the mixture. The burning gases expand and blast out through the nozzle, at the back of the engine. As the jets of gas shoot backward, the engine and the aircraft are thrust forward. The air goes through the core of the engine as well as around the core. This causes some of the air to be very hot and some to be cooler. The cooler air then mixes with the hot air at the engine exit area.

… Continue Reading

Airbus A380: World’s Largest and Most Advanced Airliner

Airbus A380: World’s Largest and Most Advanced Airliner

The largest airliner in the world, the A380 is a double-deck, widebody airliner from the house of Airbus. Its success is attributed to cutting edge technology and innovation which is evident from the fact that more than 380 applications filed for various technology patents that went into making the world’s most advanced aircraft.

The engineers of Airbus had been working secretly on developing an ultra-high-capacity airliner since 1988 but the project for A380 was formally announced in 1990. The primary focus of the company was a 15% reduction in operating costs. Dubbed by the media as the Gentle Giant, the A380 is now not only in regular service but has become extremely popular with airlines as well as passengers.

… Continue Reading

Meteorology

Exercise #1: Read about aviation meteorology and then proceed to Exercise #2

Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and short term forecasting (in contrast with climatology). Aviation meteorology (MET) deals with the impact of weather on Air Traffic Management (ATM). It is important for air crews to understand the implications of weather on their flight plan as well as their aircraft.

Weather conditions concern all aspects of ATM operations, for example, by variations in head and tail-wind components, through changes in pressure and temperature values at airports, and in imposing low visibility operating conditions. Adverse meteorological conditions have the greatest impact on the ATM system creating disruption and the consequent problems of disturbed flow rates, lost capacity and induced additional costs

… Continue Reading

Pilot Schedules/Routines

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/12pilotschedules.mp3|titles=Pilot Schedules/Routines]

TOPIC: Pilot Schedules/Routines

GOAL: To learn about the types of schedules and daily routine pilots live

Level: Easy

Exercise #1: Read about pilot schedules and their typical lifestyle, and then proceed to Exercise #2

It’s simple: If you want a typical “9-5” job, then flying airliners is not for you. In fact, most airline pilots have a very non-traditional work schedule. Expect to work weekends, holidays, and lots of early mornings or late nights as a junior pilot. There is no such thing as a "9 to 5" schedule in most flying jobs. Whether you work weekends or holidays depends on your seniority and what schedules you can bid.

… Continue Reading