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 Modern cockpits are fully computerized and the manual flight control has been replaced by a fly-by-wire system with an electronic interface and the control column with an electronic side-stick.

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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.

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Cabin crew procedures

Cabin crew procedures

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Revise some typical procedures and test yourself on knowledge you not only need to know but may be tested on during interviews
• Have fun!

The list of cabin crew procedures can be daunting but don’t worry, there’s always a Flight Attendant’s Manual on board! For this lesson, let’s focus on the pre-flight safety announcement, followed by some revision of ICAO abbreviations.

ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, sets international aviation safety standards. A typical pre-flight safety announcement will include:

• A  reminder to review the aircraft safety card
• The use of the seat belt
• The requirement that passengers must comply with lighted signs, posted placards, and crew members instructions
• The location and use of the emergency exits, evacuation slides and emergency floor lighting
• The use of the oxygen mask
• The location and use of the life vests, life rafts and flotation devices (not typically included if the flight does not overfly or fly near vast masses of water)
• The brace position
• A reminder not to smoke onboard, including the toilets
• The precautions to take before take-off and landing: to stow luggage under a seat or in an overhead compartment, to return folding trays and seat backs to the upright position, to turn off electronic devices

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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.

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Air Rage – Causes and Prevention

Air Rage – Causes and Prevention

Air rage is defined as ‘disruptive or unruly behavior exhibited by passengers and crew of an aircraft during a flight’. The reasons for this kind of behavior have often been assigned to excessive alcohol consumption, crowded or long flights that agitate passengers, problems with crew members or other psychological problems. Air rage can create an environment of tension in the air putting both the crew members and the passengers at risk.

According to aviation expert, Diana Fairechild recycled air on planes aids in spreading infections like flu and tuberculosis and minimal oxygen in the cabin can also lead to a higher level of temper tantrums and boisterous behavior among kids. There have been many reports of air rage resulting in unscheduled landings, jail time and penalties for passengers, career changes for flight attendants and even death of a passenger.

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.

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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.

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Stress Management for Flight Attendants

Stress management for flight attendants

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Improve vocabulary while learning stress management tips (difficult)
• Have fun!

By now everyone has heard or read about the flight attendant who made his own emergency exit upon landing, when a bad day at work became too much.

Link to article Raging flight attendant makes his own emergency exit

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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.

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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.

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