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

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Pilot Schedules/Routines

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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.

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Airline Alliances and a Changed Passenger Experience

Read the introductory text below. Follow links to additional material.

Passenger experience as a concept has been a matter of great transformation over the last years. Both airlines and airports have invested time and expertise into revamping interiors and procedures, introducing new technologies, going green, offering bonuses and frequent flier miles club memberships, forming alliances and expanding them, as well as reinventing the entire idea of aviation security in a way that is unnerving for many a traveler or human rights activist   Read here:

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Airline Customer Service

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/19airlinecustsvc.mp3|titles=Airline Customer Service]TOPIC: GRADING AIRLINE SERVICE

LEVEL: EASY

Read the introductory text about the National Airline Quality Rating. Pay attention to the key criteria used to evaluate airline service performance.

The National Airline Quality Rating  – a joint research project shared by Wichita State University and Purdue University – shows that airline performance is steadily improving. The results of the research made public in April 2010 (read article)  were based on several performance criteria: on-time arrivals, involuntary denied boardings, mishandled baggage and a combination of 12 customer complaint categories, such as oversales, refunds, discriminations, handling of pets, etc.

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Crew Resource Management (CRM)

[audio:http://aviationenglishblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/15crm.mp3|titles=CRM]TOPIC: Crew Resource Management (CRM)

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

Crew Resource Management (CRM) training originated from a NASA workshop in 1979 that focused on improving air safety. The NASA research presented at this meeting found that the primary cause of the majority of aviation accidents was human error, and that the main problems were failures of interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit. Originally, this concept was called Cockpit Resource Management because issues and communication among pilots was the core focus. However, over time, the name was changed to Crew Resource Management after the aviation industry realized that safety lies with everyone that is involved with flight.

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Flight Attendant Interviews

Do you know anyone who breezes through interviews without a hint of nervousness?  Wouldn’t that be great?  Unfortunately, it’s rare!  Most of us get nervous just thinking about it, and need all the help we can get.  For anyone planning to attend cabin crew interviews, some tailored advice follows.

4 tips to a successful cabin crew interview

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Parts of an Aircraft

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1. Read about the various major parts of an airplane, then proceed to Step 2

Although there are many aircraft designs flying today, most of them share a common assembly of major parts that all pilots should be thoroughly aware of. Ever since the early days of aviation, an aviator’s primary training included the fundamental knowledge of what each part is called, its function and where it is located.

Each major part of a fixed-wing aircraft serves an important purpose. For example, the propeller helps move the aircraft through the air via thrust. The wings are lifting bodies which help keep the aircraft airborne. The horizontal and vertical stabilizers contain vital control surfaces; and the fuselage is a major structural component containing crew and passenger areas.

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Countries and culture

Countries and culture

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Discuss cross-cultural communication
• Have fun!

A flight attendant will become familiar with a great number of countries and cultures over the course of her/his career, but the significance of this is more than just the interest value of visiting diverse geographical locations, witnessing different customs or meeting new people; for a flight attendant working with the public from all walks of life and from all over the world, having an understanding of cross-cultural communication is an essential part of the job.

Successful communication is important for reasons of both safety and service standards but there are more factors to consider than just getting the language right. Cultural differences may sometimes means the message is not received the way it is intended. Reasons for this include:

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Packing

Packing!

Aim

• Practice English skills in an aviation context
• Learn some packing tips and some new vocabulary
• Have fun!

When the cabin crew come striding through the airport, immaculately uniformed and groomed, you can be sure that none of them are carting luggage that’s bulging to the point of zips breaking, or a carry-on with a pair of shoes tied on to the outside!

And you just know that when they get to their destination they’re not going to be changing into crumpled clothing, or turning the contents of their bags out onto the hotel room floor in search of a pair of socks.

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Depressurization

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Depressurization – The Need, Types and Management

Depressurization is the reduction of air pressure in the cabin of an aircraft. Sudden depressurization can result from a failure in the pressurization system, a structural failure or can be initiated deliberately by a crew member of the aircraft.

Failure of the pressurization system is the most common cause of sudden depressurization. Malfunction of the engine or compressor, structural failures like incomplete or faulty sealing of doors, windows or cabin wall follow.

It is necessary to know why the cabin is pressurized in the first place to appreciate the importance of the task. Aircrafts fly at high altitude to avoid bad weather and turbulence. The air pressure at such high altitudes is extremely low and can make the human body uncomfortable. As the air pressure reduces, the pressure of the blood in the veins tends to rise and cause headaches, ear aches and other issues. It is essential to control the air pressure at such high altitudes to ensure that the human body stays comfortable. During landing the pressure is gradually lowered to match the air pressure outside.

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