Several different unions representing French Air Traffic Control (ATC) under the French Civil Aviation Authority have called for industrial dispute from June 11 up to June 13, 2013. Controllers are striking over a plan to unify European airspace which will ensure greater efficiency and cope with the projected increase in traffic.
As a consequence, on request of French Civil Aviation, all airlines operating within or to France have to reduce their flight schedules by 50% for this period. This has caused a ripple impact across flights. Greater on medium and short haul flights (domestic France, intra-Europe, North Africa, etc.), and less on long haul flights.
Bangalore Aviation recommends passengers travelling to or from or within France to contact your airline immediately to determine the level of impact, if any. Many airlines are permitting changes to itineraries without fees.
All of us in India has experienced a disruption in our lives due to "VIP movement".
This video from Jenf777 on a humorous exchange between the air traffic controller at Boston's Logan airport and the pilot of American Airlines 573. After hearing the exchange, all I could think, we need to get some more pilots like him in India, may then Indian airports will not be shut down for hours whenever there is a "VIP movement".
ATC: American 573 Roger. Uh...let's see. Hold your push [back]. Stay with me. You'll be number three to push ...... due to VIP movement ...... the airport's stopped. AA573 Pilot: Due to what?? ATC: Uh..VIP movement. AA573: What's that? ATC: That's a Very Important Person that's moving and nobody else can move. AA573. We're more important than they are. ATC: I wouldn't argue with you, but you've got to stop right there for now. Another ATC controller (which the AA pilot can hear): Air Force One [The US President's plane] Boston Tower good morning. Winds three-two-zero at one three, runway four right, cleared for take-off. Air Force One pilot: Air Force One cleared for take off four right, thanks.
What would be your rejoinder to the American Airlines pilot if you were the air traffic controller? Post a comment. Keep it humorous in the spirit of the story.
Some more light hearted articles in the spirit of the Diwali holidays.
On the night of 12 November, 2012, Jet Airways Boeing 737-800 VT-JGS was performing flight 9W-556 from Kochi, India to Doha, Qatar. Routing was via airway M300 waypoints IGAMA OSIRI NITIX MESAN LEMAX KADOL.
The pilot attempts to radio in his AIREP informing Mumbai Radio that the flight is over waypoint MESAN.
He does not follow the prescribed ICAO format of saying Jet Airways 556 check position MESAN 15:58 (UTC time), maintaining Flight Level 340 (34,000 feet), estimate LEMAX at 16:18 next, (optional) estimate KADOL next at 16:39.
In true desi style, the Air Traffic Controller manning the HF frequency of Mumbai radio gives the Jet Airways pilot a dressing down, followed by a lesson on the correct protocol and ICAO procedure to be followed for an AIREP which the chastened pilots meekly follow.
The congested Air Traffic Control (ATC) system at Mumbai airport is under-going a major leap forward with trials of the SITA Departure Clearance System (DCL) through Data Link Communication (DLC).
The Datalink Control and Display Unit (DCDU) the pilot interface for CPDLC messages. Image courtesy Wikipedia.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) which manages civilian ATC operations across most of India, has begun has begun trial operations of Data Link Communication for pre-departure clearance. This new system is expected to significantly reduce workload of ATC controllers by automating the transmission of routine information like clearance delivery, Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS), meteorological (weather etc.) information (VOLMET) etc. The system is supplied by SITA and its components at Mumbai are :
PDC (Pre Departure Clearance delivery) through data link using ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) capability.
Centralised d-ATIS
d-VOLMET
however, initially only the automated PDC system will be operated.
Read this SITA PDF document for more information on this technology.
Pre-departure clearance is an authorisation issued by ATC to a pilot regarding the runway to be used, route to be flown right from take-off to destination, including use of SIDs (Standard Instrument Departure), and cruising level that the aircraft is expected to maintain. The PDC system can be extended to include taxi information i.e. the route the aircraft is expected to take from its parking bay to the runway.
At present, pilots obtain their PDCs from the ATC through voice radio communication. The pilots then read back the entire clearance to confirm correct receipt of the PDC. (See and hear this clearance delivery at Long Beach airport in Los Angeles). This is a time consuming exercise leading to increased communication workload, along with having the potential of misunderstanding.
In the new system the pilot requests pre-departure clearance using the Flight Management Computer (FMC) in the cockpit. The request is transmitted via data-link to the air traffic controller (ATCO), who then selects the appropriate clearance sends the PDC back to the aircraft at the press of a button, again via an ACARS data link. At the aircraft, the PDC can be printed out.
Getting the information both on screen and print saves on both the radio chatter and time for both the controller and the pilot, and eliminates human errors enhancing safety and operational efficiency. For the passenger this translates to quick departures as pilots do not have to wait in a queue for obtaining clearance.
Image courtesy Wikipedia.
In case you are wondering on the importance of clear communications between the pilot and controller, the worst accident in the history of aviation occurred on the ground, due to mis-understanding and mis-communication. 583 people died when a KLM 747 collided in to a Pan Am 747 at Los Rodeos Airport, Tenerife.
See a 84 minute video on this incident at the end of this article.
Kingfisher and IndiGo to benefit most
This system is dependent on the aircraft having the data link capability. Bangalore Aviation contacted the major domestic airlines to determine their fleet capability.
Air India confirmed that their wide body fleet i.e. Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 777-200LR and 777-300ER fleet is fully equipped up to a higher level of data link called CPDLC (Controller Pilot Data Link Communication) which is part of FANS. However their narrow body fleet Boeing 737-800 of Air India Express, and Airbus A319/A320/A321 of the erstwhile Indian Airlines is not equipped with any data link capability.
Kingfisher confirmed their Airbus A320/A319/A321 fleet is equipped to receive PDCs via ACARS. Their ATR-72 "are also capable of receiving PDC messages, when ACARS is activated."
Jet Airways, SpiceJet and IndiGo did not respond to our requests.
IndiGo advertises its use of ACARS, so it is safe to assume their aircraft will have the ability to benefit from this system. Airline sources indicated that SpiceJet aircraft are not equipped with data link, and technical airport sources indicated that narrow body aircraft at Jet Airways and Jet Airways Konnect may not have data link capability. It is not clear if Jet's wide-body aircraft are data link capable.
In addition to Mumbai, such Data Link Departure Clearance (DLC) systems are also being deployed at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad airports.
Sources at Bangalore Airport informed that the DLC system is already built-in to their Selex air traffic control equipment from the time of its delivery almost five years ago. It is awaiting activation pending some software updates from the manufacturer and a green light from the AAI operated ATC.
Air France has confirmed it will operate all of of its long-haul flights.
On its short and medium haul network, Air France will operate nearly all its flights at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and 70 per cent of its flights at Paris-Orly, but warns that some flights may have to be cancelled during the day, and other delays may occur.
Air France is re-assuring its passengers that it will ensure that all its passengers travel.
Air France ground and sales staff will do their utmost to inform passengers if a flight is cancelled and, if necessary, offer an alternative flight either on Air France, on KLM via Amsterdam or one of the SkyTeam partner airlines.
Passengers are requested to log on to www.airfrance.com for all the latest information in the flight status tab or contact their travel operator.
Passengers in France may also call Air France on 3654, or, send a text message on their cell phones to 6 3654 indicating their flight number (e.g. AF2062).
Air France flight schedules will be updated on March 19th at noon.
Passengers on other airlines should check with their respective airlines. It will be a tough day to fly in France.
Air traffic control is one of, if not, the most stressful job in the world. Air traffic control officers (ATCOs) have to be constantly on the alert, even when pilots make a mistake. We as passengers never hear of their deeds, only of their mis-deeds. In a tribute to ATCOs around the world, I present a collection of videos and audios.
We begin with a happy ATCO at JFK airport in New York.
Humour is always a good stress buster, and mothers-in-law appear to be a globally common source of pain, as this conversation between a JFK ATCO and a Virgin Atlantic flight demonstrates.
About a year ago, there was extreme commotion in the Indian skies with ATCOs bitterly complaining about the expatriate pilots, and their lack of English language skills, the universally accepted language of the skies. This audio exchange between Air China 981 and JFK ATC demonstrates the language problem.
Sometimes it is the accent or idioms of the ATCO that pilots do not understand. Given the busy conditions at most airports, it leads to confusion, then irritation, and anger, as we hear in this conversation between Etihad 503 (UAE), Asiana 222 (Korea) and a JFK ATCO.
And then there are times, where pilots really screw up and need to be rescued, as this re-creation of a scary incident at Providence, Rhode Island.
And as a closing, I am sure you too will feel sorry for this JFK ATCO, who is having a really bad day in the office.
So please take some time, and send a thank you letter to the ATCOs at your local airport.
