IFATCA The Controller - April 2013

THE

CONTROLLER April 2013

Journal of Air Traffic Control

4 World ATM Congress 2013

INTER-

4 ICAO ANC12

TION OF AIR TRAFF ERA IC C FED

LLERS’ ASSNS. TRO ON

Also in this Issue:

NATIO NAL

4 Focus on Indonesia

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Contents

THE

CONTROLLER

April 2013 Volume 52 Issue 1 – ISSN 0010-8073

THE

CONTROLLER Journal of Air Traffic Control

April 2013

4 World ATM Congress 2013

INTER-

4 ICAO ANC12

TION OF AIR TRAFF ERA IC C FED

LLERS’ ASSNS. TRO ON

Also in this Issue:

NATIO NAL

4 FOCUS ON INDONESIA

In this issue:

Cover photo:

(cc) mikaku via Flickr

EXECUTIVE BOARD OF IFATCA Alexis Brathwaite President and Chief Executive Officer Patrik Peters Deputy President

Patrick Forrey Executive Vice-President Technical

Scott Shallies Executive Vice-President Professional

Darrell Meachum Executive Vice-President Finance

Obituary ....................................................................................... 4 Foreword from the Executive Board…….......................………....... 5 Indonesia: Introduction  .........………..……..........……..........…….. 6 IATCA  .....................………….……..…….……...……... 7 Interviews General Manager ATC & DGCAA ............. 8 Jakarta Tower & ACC ....………….…........….............. 10 Aviation Training in Indonesia  ...….....…....…........….... 11 Indonesian Airlines  .........……….....…...…........…...... 14 Sukhoi Mt. Salak Crash  .........……….....…...…........... 16 Air Navigation Commission 12 ...…........…................ 20 ICAO: Africa & Middle East: Impact of Crisis and War on ATC .....…........…........... 22 Re-Defining Wake Turbulence .....…........…........….... 23 Americas: 40 Years of Change .....…........…........…........…........ 24 Asia-Pacific: Europe: Eurocontrol Institute .....…........…........…........…....... 26 World ATM Congress 2013 .....…........…........…........ 27 Industry: Charlie: …........…........…........…........…........…........…........…........…........….. 29

Keziah Ogutu Executive Vice-President Africa and Middle East Vacant Executive Vice-President Americas D. K. Behera Executive Vice-President Asia and Pacific Željko Oreški Executive Vice-President Europe

Philippe Domogala Conference Executive

Adell Humphreys Secretary

The editorial team has endeavored to include all owner information, or at least source information for the images used in this issue. If you believe that an image was used without permission, please contact the editor via http://www.the-controller.net

PUBLISHER IFATCA, International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers‘ Associations 1255 University Street · Suite 408 Montreal, Quebec · H3B 3B6 · CANADA Phone: +1514 866 7040 Fax: +1514 866 7612 · Email: office@ifatca.org

REGIONAL EDITORS Phil Parker, Asia Pacific Serge Tchanda, Africa & Middle East COPY EDITORS Paul Robinson, Jez Pigden, Brent Cash, David Guerin Alasdair Shaw & Helena Sjöström

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Philip Marien Van Dijcklaan 31 B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium email: bm@the-controller.net

LAYOUT & PRINTING LITHO ART GmbH & Co. Druckvorlagen KG Friesenheimer Straße 6a D 68169 Mannheim GERMANY

Deputy EDITOR Philippe Domogala email: dp@the-controller.net

Tel: +49 (0)621 3 22 59 10 Fax: +49 (0)621 3 22 59 14 email: info@lithoart-ma.de

CORPORATE AFFAIRS Vacant

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA) only when so indicated. Other views will be those of individual members or contributors concerned and will not necessarily be those of IFATCA, except where indicated. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct, IFATCA makes no warranty, express or implied, as to the nature or accuracy of the information. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or used in any form or by any means, without the specific prior written permission of IFATCA, except where indicated (e.g. a creative commons licence).

VISIT THE IFATCA WEB SITES:

www.ifatca.org and www.the-controller.net

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Obituary

4 Jacques on the right, Jean-

4 Jacques in his element an

Pierre Chaberty in the middle, and myself. (Yes, we all looked like this during the 70s)

SNCTA Conference in 1976 Photo: Jean-Gab Napoli

4 A more recent photo of Jacques...

Jacques Fournier (° 1948 † 2013) A TRIBUTE TO A GREAT CONTROLLER Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor Jacques was one of a kind, the revolutionary kind to be precise. Amidst the 1968 protests, he was the first trainee-controller to ever to organise a student strike at ENAC, the French aeronautical school (still in Paris-Orly at the time). He even managed to convince the instructors to join the action in solidarity with the students! My first encounter with Jacques was in 1976, during my first IFATCA Conference in Lyon. While from the same rebellious generation, he was a few years older than me. More importantly, he already had considerable trade union-experience. For me working at Eurocontrol, where we had no union and a military style of management, his views were like a breath of fresh air. Besides passionate about the profession, he was also a ardent defender of anything French. With some others, he was spearheading the fight of the Quebecois in Canada to get French as an approved language on the R/T! And against all odds, they managed to push it through! He was very active during the long strikes in 1973 until the mid-80s in the SNCTA Union. As the union’s spokesperson, he talked to the press and the pilots. He was a sweet clever talker and won nearly all his argu-

ments. Politicians, management and the military establishment feared him and his statements! His special sense of humour and good mood were contagious. While putting in lots of work, there were always plenty of laughs too. He was always accompanied by his alter ego, Jean Pierre Chaberty, who was the “reasonable“ guy drafting the texts and making it acceptable to the others...The two were very efficient together. He was also extremely active to support controllers in the USA during, and especially after, the PATCO strike in 1981. He is the one that organised a boycott of US bound flights, and pushed others to send letters to everyone, including President Reagan himself on many occasions (he even got replies!). He also collected money well into the 1990s for the dismissed controllers. He also worked hard to unite the European controller unions, and was a driving force in establishing ATCEUC, in which he was active until he retired to a village in the Provence in 2000. He then began writing his memoirs. They’re a very funny, and in some cases revealing, account of his

experiences with lots of photos. For those who’re interested, they’re online at http:// www.controleur-du-trafic-aerien.com (but in French of course). Jacques passed away on February 13th 2013, taken away too early by a very aggressive cancer, an illness that he called “le crapeau“ (the toad). He fought it with the same vigour as he had fought management and the establishment countless times. Only this time, he could not win the battle. Controllers in France have lost one of their best friends. Many controllers today in Europe, and probably beyond, owe a bit of their status and salaries to people like this man: at the time, France was at the forefront in the battle for better salaries and working conditions for controllers. When they gained something, it would eventually spread to other countries. Everyone who ever had the privilege of working with him will sorely miss Jacques and we’d like to extend our sincerest condolences to his loved ones, especially Marie-Paule. ^ dp@the-controller.net

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Foreword

WISH YOU WERE HERE...

Photo: © Pink Floyd Music Ltd

Foreword from the Executive Board Patrik Peters, ^ by IFATCA Deputy President

Don’t get me wrong, I am not becoming sentimental writing this foreword for the magazine, nor am I promoting a Pink Floyd revival – some though might recall their 1975 album. I am more referring to what some of our colleagues might have thought after they got involved in an aviation incident or accident that could have been avoided would they not have been alone on position. ‘Single person operations’ (SPO) versus the ‘four eyes principle’ (4EP) has been in the focus of our profession for many years and gained sad publicity through some of the worst aviation accidents – amongst others, the Zagreb mid-air collision in 1976, the Überlingen mid-air collision in 2002 and very recently the Sukhoi accident at Mount Salak/Indonesia in May last year (see the article on pages 16-19 in this issue). In hindsight, many incidents could be avoided by having two appropriately qualified air traffic controllers in position. IFATCA takes a clear position and issued policies avoiding ‘single person operations’ (Geneva 2001, Hong Kong 2004) and encouraged member associations to work together with their respective service providers to cater for the ‘four eyes principle’ (Melbourne 2005). IFATCA policy states: “Individual ATCOs shall not be held liable for incidents or accidents resulting solely or in part from the non-implementation of the 4EP safety net”.

been ‘optimized’ to the extent that peak traffic hours and holiday seasons can often only be managed with overtime being worked by controllers. This can become a dangerous habit. The use of overtime or forced single person operations due to acute staff shortage is wearing staff out and can therefore not be tolerated. Looking at the Asian aviation market, we read reports that this region is forecast as the fastest growing aviation market over the next twenty years. By 2025 Asian airports are expected to handle more than three times the volume of movements handled in 2005, with growth averaging 6 percent per annum. The recent Airbus Global Market Forecast, which was released in early September 2012, recognises that some 35% of the 28,000 global demand for new aircraft over the next 20 year period will be delivered in the Asia Pacific region. Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest market and by far the most populous country in the region, has emerged as one of the most dynamic and biggest growth markets in the world. Indonesia’s domestic market, which was expected to end 2012

with about 70 million passengers, is now the world’s fifth largest domestic market after US, China, Brazil and Japan. It has been growing at a double-digit clip since 2008 and this is expected to continue as all of Indonesia’s major players are planning ambitious domestic expansion in 2013. This has leverage on the air traffic control sector which is currently undergoing major changes and is required to adapt in order to be prepared for the growth anticipated. Only proper staffing levels, appropriate training and socially acceptable working conditions for air traffic controllers will pave the way to safe aviation as a backbone of this modern society. And even if there was no direct contribution of the controller to the Sukhoi accident at Mount Salak, he was forced to work alone, performing additional tasks to controlling aircraft and felt overloaded. Even if the pilot was solely responsible for terrain clearance, but maybe another pair of eyes would have been helpful and could have detected the proximity of the jet to dp@ifatca.org the mountain... ^

Photo: DP

The economic downturn in the western world and resulting decreased revenues in the aviation sector has put pressure on air navigation service providers to become more cost efficient. In an attempt to reduce their expenses, recruiting and training has been cut back or even stopped whereas usage of air traffic controllers has

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4 Focus on Indonesia

Focus on Indonesia Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world with some 238 million inhabitants. It has 17.500 islands that spread across 5.000 km from West to East. There are 34 provinces, many of which are on islands and isolated from the main capital, Jakarta. So it’s only logical that air travel has become the most popular means of transportation in the country. Over 60 airlines serve more than 200 airports and the rate

of their expansion matches the economic growth, between 5 and 7 % a year. Indonesia is currently in the middle of a large upgrade of their Air Traffic Control systems, with brand new buildings under construction and new systems out for tender. As if these plans weren’t ambitious enough, they also plan to expand ADS-B coverage across the territory in the next few years. The 2013 IFATCA Annual Conference will be held in Bali, Indonesia. This gives us the opportunity to focus on Indonesia in this issue. ^

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4 Focus on Indonesia

Indonesian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association President AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. I GUSTI KETUT SUSILA Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor

4 President of the Indonesian Controllers’ Association, Mr. I Gusti Ketut Susila

bours, our pay scales are by far the lowest. Looking at Thailand for example, a country that has a cost of living comparable to that of Indonesia, the controllers there earn about 5 times our salaries. On top of that, they have more controllers and less traffic! These very low salaries also mean that almost all controllers have a second job on the side to be able to support their families. This of course has implications, as in some cases, they are not 100% concentrated on controlling traffic or even not well rested... This is also a safety issue.

Photo: DP

The Controller (TC): What is the main problem for Indonesian controllers at the moment? Susila (S): Our biggest problem, the main issue in fact, is the lack of controllers. In the whole of Indonesia we currently have around 1200 controllers. We estimate that we need to at least double that number to cope with the traffic increase across the country. In some bigger airports, the lack of personnel often results in sectors being combined into one. Even more worrying is that we see controllers working alone at positions. Overtime is also excessive, leading to fatigue, which is of course a safety issue in itself. TC: Is the traffic increase only in Jakarta? S: No, it is everywhere in the country. In 2011, the airport in Denpasar, Bali had on average 283 movements per day. In 2012, this had risen to an average of 311 movements per day. During peak hours, we don’t even have enough parking space for the aircraft…

TC: How do you plan to remedy this? S: Primarily, we need a single ATS provider in the country. Hopefully, this will become a reality later this year. At the moment, it’s the main obstacle for things to change: nothing moves at the moment because everyone is waiting for the new ATS provider to be established. This is the founding stone, the real foundation of the whole new ATC system they are planning. Only when that is in place, can the smaller stones be put in place and controller salaries will be among the issues that need to be solved. But it’ll also be important to put the right person in charge of this new organisation to make it work. That is also a challenge. Our association is following this very closely and will make sure the controllers‘ voice is heard. The forthcoming

IFATCA Conference here in Bali will help us in that too. TC: Following the Sukhoi accident, we know you got personally very involved to help the controller. What are the lessons you draw from that experience? S: Well, apart from the main lesson out of this tragic accident, we’ve highlighted a lot of potential improvements from our point of view. First, we do not have any Critical Incident Stress management (CISM) in place at the moment. While there is a form of psychological support organised by our management, it is more medical than anything else. We also saw that our Safety Management System (SMS) exists mostly on paper but there are no real processes actually being applied. The final report of this accident has many safety recommendations in it. Let’s hope they will be implemented soon. ^

4 View of the tower

at Sukarno Hatta international airport, Jakarta. Photo: Hullie via Wikipedia

TC: Are there any other issues for the controllers? S: I would have to say the very low salaries. If we compare ourselves to our neigh-

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4 Focus on Indonesia

Indonesian Controllers’ Association (IATCA) The Indonesian Air Traffic Controllers Association (IATCA) was established in Jakarta in 1999. It currently has 36 branches and around 800 members throughout the country. In 2000 IATCA affiliated with the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA).

Director General of Civil Aviation (Ministry Of Transport) to manage the availability of controllers on duty when the December 2004 Tsunami struck the Aceh province, and during its aftermath, until April 2005. IATCA has also contributed to create the Indonesian Aviation Act (UU No. 1 /2009). For the past ten years, it has advocated and contributed to create a Single Air Navi­-

The association is working in close cooperation with the management of the service providers in order to improve the conditions of the controllers. In addition, they’ve established themselves to act as a reliable partner in professional issues. One perfect example of this was when IATCA was appointed by the

gation Service Provider in Indonesia. The framework for new single ANSP, a stateowned enterprise called LPPNPI, was finally established September 13th 2012. On the IFATCA front, IATCA hosted the 28th IFATCA Asia Pacific Regional Meeting in Bali 2009 and organises the 52nd Annual Conference, also in Bali. ^

Photo: Andy Irdiansyah /IATCA

Jakarta’s General Manager of Air Traffic Services INTERVIEW WITH MR SARYONO Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor Photo: DP

The Controller (TC): What is at present your main concern? General Manager Saryono (GMS): Our major issue here

is capacity. We have to cope with the everincreasing demand, as traffic growth since 2010 has been around 11% a year. We need to solve this and we plan to increase the number of sectors in Jakarta ACC from currently 5 to something like 11 when the new ATS system – called New JAATS – will come online. The building is almost ready and we’ve just recently put out the tender for the system. (TC): What will change with the new system? (GMS): Almost all technical components, including AIS, radars, ADS-B, etc. will be upgraded. We also plan to include ad-

vanced new features, like Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) Flow Control, Advanced Surface Movement Guidance System in the tower etc. We expect the new centre to be operational by 2015. (TC): How about the staff to man the new sectors? (GMS): We do have a lack of staff. We estimate that we need about 500 to 600 additional controllers. With about 100 students graduating per year for our ATC Academy, we should be OK in 5 to 6 years. ^

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4 Focus on Indonesia

Indonesia’s Director General Civil Aviation AN INTERVIEW WITH MR HERRY BAKTI

Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor The Controller (TC): What is the situation of Indonesian aviation today? Director General Bakti (DGB): Aviation in Indonesia is booming. We currently have some 200 Airports with commercial operations; 117 of these AFIS and 52 are controlled. Currently, around 1300 controllers handle our air traffic services. But we still need more controllers and to overcome this situation, we have planned to speed up the recruitment process. We will do this with a new training system, which will increase our training capacity. Besides ATM, as Director general, I am also responsible for regulating the operations of 20 scheduled airlines and over 40 non-scheduled airlines. This involves checking their staff; verifying the pilot training school and the maintenance organization. Overall, it’s a big task. TC: Besides the number of controllers, what is your main challenge? DGB: Coping with growth is the challenge. We’ve experienced a tremendous increase of traffic in the last years. We now

have a huge number of airlines in Indonesia. Some of them are buying new aircraft by the hundreds! We try to follow the airlines growth but it can be hard to cope. The airlines just follow the demand of the public to travel, which is in turn fuelled by the country’s current high economic growth. Major challenges for the immediate future will be the establishment of the single Air Navigation Service provider; introduction of a new ATC system; and the upgrade of all the major airports in the country. A big task ahead. TC: What are your plans to improve ATC? DGB: We have concrete plans to upgrade the ATC automation system to provide advanced air navigation services within the Jakarta and Makassar FIR. Currently, the Jakarta system will implement an upgraded system (that we call E-JAATS) as an interim solution from February this year. The existing system (called JAATS) will be used as a backup. The tender process for a totally new JAATS or as known as JATM (Jakarta Air Traffic Management)

4 Mr Herry BAKTI, DG Civil Aviation Photo: DP

has already been launched by one of our service providers, Angkasa Pura II. This new system is foreseen to be fully operational by 2015. We will also restructure our airspace management along with the implementation of PBN (Performance Based Navigation) and ATFM (Air Traffic Flow Management) in our region. TC: Indonesia is a pioneer in ADS-B. Do you plan to replace radar by ADS-B? DGB: Indeed, we currently have 31 ADS-B stations. This ADS-B system is mainly used to complement the radar system in areas that are not covered by radar. For the future, ADS-B will become the main means of surveillance. ^

The New Jakarta Air Traffic System (New-JAATS)

Photo: DP

PLANNED SPECIFICATIONS Construction of the new ATC centre is almost complete and it is expected to enter into operations in 2015. It is currently foreseen to remain online until 2028. Plans currently foresee 80 workstations and an initial capability to open 28 sectors. This should be expandable to a total of 40 sectors. It will cover the complete Indonesian airspace, which currently consists of 2 FIRs: Jakarta and Makassar. The system

should be able to process up to 32 radar sources (PSR, SSR, MSSR) as well as ADS-B and MLAT (Multilateration). Other features specified in the tender are: Electronic Flight Progress Strips (FPS), flight plan conflict detection, CPDLC Support, AIDC support, ATFM features. Finally, it should have integrated record and playback features for both video & audio. ^

Photo: Proposed JAATS / © CENGKARENG

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4 Focus on Indonesia

Jakarta Tower mark. Not only is it 60 metres high, but at night it’s also illuminated by a rainbow-range of colours. Inside, it’s a bit more basic yet functional. The tower cab room is divided into 2 main sectors, one for each runway. They have around 1100 movements per day. In total, around 120 controllers work in the combined approach & tower facility.

4 The control tower changes colours

The new Control tower in Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is a true land-

Their main difficulty is coping with the tremendous growth of the traffic over the last years. In September 2012, the controllers’ association – IATCA – in cooperation with the Indonesian pilots’ association and with the support of their management, developed and introduced RNAV 1 approaches, including SIDs and STARs. While this has significantly reduced congestion, staff shortage still remains an issue. ^

4 View from the tower across Jakarta’s main runways.

4 Inside the tower.

Jakarta Acc The Area Control Centre (ACC) is located in the same building as the approach controllers, at the base of the Control Tower. It controls over 2000 Movements per day in 7 en-route sectors plus the Indian Oceanic Services (IOS). The en-route sectors use large colour radar displays. The system has advanced features such as Short Term Conflict Alert and Minimum Safe Altitude Warning. Without strips, all data is presented electronically to the controllers. Roughly 60 % of their traffic is domestic and about 40 % is international. The IOS consists of a large oceanic sector, which uses procedural control via HF radios. It’s in a separate room inside the ACC, adjacent to the main OPS room. The traffic mostly consists of aircraft en-route to or from Australia. They use paper strips but a digital display

4 Inside the OPS room

(here the APP sector)

All photos: DP

is also available to show them the estimated position of traffic. The controllers work in 5 teams of around 20 controllers. With only about 100 controllers, staff shortage is also a big issue. Too often, positions have to be combined due to lack of staff, or worse, operated by a single controller rather than the required 2 controllers per sector. Recently, the air navigation service provider began construction of a larger, brand new ATC facility to replace the ACC. It’s some

4 The Oceanic sector with its flight plan situation display

5 Km away from the airport and it will have a brand new and advanced ATC system. They’ve just put out the tender. “We need this to accommodate the traffic demand, which is growing at an alarming rate“, says one supervisor in the ACC. But new hardware alone will not be enough. Across Indonesia, conservative estimates of the management suggest they need between 500 and 600 controller in the short to medium term. The president of the Controllers’ Association strongly believes the actual number is closer to 1000… ^

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4 Focus on Indonesia

4 The BIFA operates from Let.Kol. Wisnu airfield on the north side of Bali.

4 One of the academy’s C172s

Aviation Training in Indonesia

4 RedBird full motion simulator

THE BALI INTERNATIONAL FLYING ACADEMY This flying school was founded in 2008 by Robby Djohan, a famous figure in Indonesia (see box) and is currently the only well organized private flying school in Indonesia. Robby wanted to help the Island of Bali develop its own school. For starters, he looked for a good location. He selected the small Let.Kol. Wisnu airfield on the northern side of the island. Well away from the busy Denpasar international airport, housing and living is also cheaper for the students. He then contacted 10 of his wealthy business acquaintances and friends to each invest 300.000 USD each. The rest is history: they bought a bunch of Cessna 172s, hired a few instructors and started the school in 2009 as a non-profit organization. All prof-

its are reinvested in the school to improve facilities and to purchase new aircraft.

Robby is a well-known figure in Indonesia. He is the former CEO of Bank Niaga and Bank Mandiri. He was also responsible for merging four large state banks, which helped them to avoid serious difficulties. He also wrote a successful management book about it.

of Lufthansa to improve management and upgrade services. All of this soon had results and he was able to return to banking

But in the aviation circles, Robby is best known for having saved the national airline Garuda from bankruptcy. In 1998, when things looked very bleak for the company, the transport minister asked Robby to come and turn around the airline like he had done for the government banks previously. He accepted the challenge. Among the measures he took were heavy lay-offs; a revamp of the employee benefit and incentive schemes; and a complete reorganization of the carrier’s domestic and international routes, and significantly reducing the number of leased airframes. He asked the consulting arm

The aim is to help local young people to train as pilots to help alleviate the pilot shortage in Indonesia’s airline industry. And this also boosts the local economy. “If you want to be competitive among other nations, you need to have the people participating. To do that, you need to invest in education. That will provide wealth ad prosperity“, says founder Robby Djohan. The school can currently accommodate about 100 students on 2 campuses. In 2013, they plan to run 5 courses of 20 students each. They currently use 17 C172s

and 2 simulators including one 3-axis motion RedBird. The typical training module includes private, commercial and instrument ratings. In addition, they all go through a ten-day jungle and survival course. Something that can be quite useful, given the region they fly in. I had the pleasure to make a flight with them and visit the school last November – see the January 2013 issue of The Controller. ^

within a few years, with Garuda now back in profit with a modern fleet. ^

4 Robby Djohan with one of the school’s aircraft All photos: DP

Robby Djohan

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Aviation Training in Indonesia INDONESIAN CIVIL AVIATION INSTITUTE The institute is located in Budiarto airport near Curug, some 25km away from the capital Jakarta on the island of Java. It’s a huge training complex for every profession in civil aviation. Besides pilots and controllers, they also provide training for aircraft maintenance staff, fire fighters, administrative staff, etc. This is the largest government-training institute in Indonesia and they train all controllers and most of the pilots. Other smaller aviation academies exist in Medan, Surabaya, and another in Makassar. Beside this, there are a small number of private pilot academies,

like in Bali, Cirebon, etc. For pilot training, the institute operate a fleet of 45 aircraft. Most are light, single engine aircraft like Socata TB10s, Beech Barons, Piper 28s. They’ve just placed an order for 18 new PA28 Warriors III. They also have a few instrument flight simulators, including the A320 and B737.

clude modern and state-of-the-art technology laboratories, simulators and workshops. The institute’s campus can accommodate 1500 students. Besides the necessary academic facilities, it also has extensive sports facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts, football field, etc.

For ATC training, they are currently installing an impressive 360-degree full aerodrome control tower simulator, a radar surveillance simulator, an aeronautical telecommunication navigation laboratory and workshop, and an Aeronautical Message Handling System & Aeronautical Information Management (AMHS-AIM) simulator in a new building.

What is interesting to see is the “military approach“. Although the institute is entirely civilian, students wear uniforms comparable to those of cadets in a military school. They walk around in marching order just like in a military unit. The instructors also wear uniforms. The classes are mixed, but men and women are housed in separate dormitories. ^

Aircraft maintenance training is given in a number of very large hangars. Facilities in-

4 Academy aircraft on tarmac

4 Typical classroom, here the Manual Tower simulator

4 Students marching to school

4 A group photo of one of the pilot courses.

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Director of the Indonesia Civil Aviation Institute, (ICAI) INTERVIEW WITH MRS MARYATI KARMA Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor The Controller (TC): The institute seems huge. Most aviation academies I’ve visited are much smaller units. Why is it so big? Mrs. Karma (MK): Yes, We run a big operation. We have 200 instructors here, with around 1500 students at any one time. On top of that, we employ 250 technicians. We are constantly upgrading our institute, and we are in the middle of a multi-million upgrade program as you have seen. Although the institute is currently only for Indonesians and only a small number of international students study in this institute presently, we are planning to open our facility for a larger number of international students in the near future. TC: How are the courses arranged? MK: We have many courses for various groups. Our main focus is on pilots, controllers, and aircraft maintenance. Currently, we take in about 100 controller trainees per year, who are expected to complete the 3-year course. For the pilots, we only take Indonesians nationals at the moment. We train them for private and commercial pilot licenses and instrument rule type rating. We also do the conversion training of military pilots to civil licences.

We have 2 large full-motion flight simulators: one Airbus A320 and one Boeing 737NG. Our airline industry have ordered these aircraft types in very large numbers, and it is therefore important that we are able to support them as best as we can. But it’s not only pilots that the airline industry needs in large numbers. They also need aircraft maintenance staff. Therefore, we also do a lot of maintenance staff training – about 150 students per year. Generally, we have 30 students per class, mostly are just about 18 years old and freshly out of high school. Unfortunately, only a small number of them are girls but we are working on making the various professions more attractive to women. TC: I have noticed the institute is run in a military style. Why is that? MK: With such large groups of young people between 18 and 20, a certain discipline is needed to maintain students performance. The military approach is one of the ways to support that goal. TC: With such a large number of young people in that age of group you must have many couples, is that a problem once they graduate and want to be sent to the same place?

4 Mrs Karma, Director of the Aviation Academy

MK: For students having relationships, the institute provides a counselling service. In terms of after graduate placement, ICAI works together with the government and the aviation industry to manage these manpower issues. TC: Do you train people according to Indonesian rules or ICAO? MK: Indonesia is fully compliant with ICAO standards. All courses are based on ICAO specifications. Indonesia currently has 3rd grade membership and our aim is to become 2nd grade very soon. In conjunction with all other stakeholders, our institute is working hard on achieving that aim. ^

Best Instructor Mr Aminarno Budi Pradana is an instructor at the school. Nicknamed “The Father of ATC“ by his students throughout the years, he is considered as one of the founding controllers of Indonesia. He is a well know figure and appreciated by all the controllers in In-

donesia: nearly all of them at one point or another attended his lectures. He will soon retire and will receive a special award during the April 2013 IFATCA Annual Conference in Bali. ^

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Indonesia’s Booming Airline Industry A LOOK AT THE SIX LARGEST AIRLINE OPERATORS Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor Indonesia currently has over 60 airlines, ranging between large scale and small regional ope­ rators. Since January 2012, all Indonesian scheduled airlines have to operate at least ten aircraft, of which they should

Merpati Nusantara Airlines, is based in Jakarta. It is a major domestic airline operating scheduled services to more than 25 destinations in Indonesia, as well as scheduled international services to East Timor and Malaysia. The word merpati is Indonesian for “dove“, and Nusantara is a Javanese word meaning “the outer islands“ and now referring to the Indonesian archipelago. It is the second oldest airline in Indonesia, having started operations in 1962 flying DC-3s on domestic routes. They are owned by the Indonesian government

own at least five. The Ministry of Transport can withdraw their operating certificate in case they do not comply with this regulation. According to the government, the law was introduced to protect passengers from small, financially unsound operators. It was further argued that companies that did not have

sufficient capital to purchase at least five aircraft, and rent five others, would not be able to ensure compliance with safety standards. A number of mergers between some of the smaller operators are expected to comply with this law. ^

(93%) and Garuda (7%). Today they operate 39, including B737s, Xian MA-60 (an upgraded Chinese version of the Antonov 24) and DHC-6 Twin Otters. They have 23 aircraft on order, mostly CASA 212 turboprop aircraft. They also run one of the largest aviation training centres in Indonesia, the Merpati Training Centre. It conducts ground school courses for pilots, flight attendants, flight operation officers (dispatchers), commercial airline operations and administration staff in the region. Initially training Merpati's own staff, they began offering training services to other airlines and companies in the region, including Garuda, Sriwijaya Air, Batavia Air, Lion Air and others. ^

4 Merpati Air Xian MA-60

Photo: Paul Spijkers

Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is currently Indonesia’s largest privately run airline. It was established in October 1999 and started operations six months later, when they began scheduled passenger services between Jakarta and Pontianak using a leased Boeing 737-200. It currently operates about 95 aircraft. In November 2011, the airline placed an order for Boeing 737

MAX and 29 Boeing 737-900ER planes, thereby setting the record for the world’s biggest single order of 230 planes for a commercial airline worth US$21.7 billion. It operates on a low-cost business model. While its main focus is currently on the domestic market, it also operates regular pilgrim flights to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. They use two Boeing 747-400s with 496 seats each for this route. In March 2013, the company broke their own record by placing an order for 234 Airbus A320s for a total value of US$24 Billion. ^

4 Lion Air B737

Photo: Paul Spijkers

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4 Focus on Indonesia forbids majority foreign ownership on domestic civil aviation operations. They currently have 25 A320s, with another 35 on order. Besides domestic destinations, they also serve destinations in Australia, Malaysia, pore and VietThailand, Singa­ nam. ^

Photo: Paul Spijkers

Indonesia AirAsia is a low-cost airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It operates scheduled domestic, international services and is an Indonesian associate carrier of Malaysian low-fare airline AirAsia. The airline started as AWAIR in 2000, flying A300s & A310a. It quickly ran into difficulties and all flights were suspended in March 2002. It restarted as an associate of AsiaAir at the end of 2004 and changed their name to Indonesia Air Asia in 2005. The airline however remains for 51% in Indonesian control, because Indonesia’s law

pand its international destinations to include China, Macau, Taiwan and Australia. ^

4 Sriwijaya B737

Sriwijaya Air is based in Jakarta. It offers domestic flights to major cities in Indonesia and limited International destinations. It’s categorized as a medium service airline, serving only light snacks, but is planning to expand this to offer full-service flights this year. They started operations in 2003 and rapidly expanded to a fleet of 23 aircraft with some 35 destinations by 2009. Currently it operates 66 Boeing 737s of various versions. It has 20 B737-NG and 40 Embraers (170 & 190) on order. It’s speculated that the airline has plans to ex-

network again. The company is listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange, with the government of Indonesian retaining a majority of the shares.

4 A Garuda B737

Garuda Indonesia is one of the oldest airlines in the world that still operates. They started in 1940, following Indonesia’s independence from the Netherlands. During the 1980s, they expanded to a worldwide network serving the USA, Europe, Asia and Africa. This decade of rapid expansion was followed by some very difficult times in the 1990s. As a result, they had to drastically cut back their operations (see the interview with Robby Djohan on page 11). Thanks to the Asia’s booming economies, they are able to expand their

Photo: Paul Spijkers

Photo: Paul Spijkers

They operate a fleet of 85 aircraft, mostly Boeings 737s and Airbus A330s. They have 50 aircraft on order, mostly A330s and Boeings 777s. ^

Indonesia’s third largest airline, Batavia Air, ceased operations on January 31st 2013 after a planned buyout by AirAsia fell through over the restriction that forbid majority ownership in local businesses. Until then, it operated a fleet of 34 aircraft, 26 B737s, 7 A320s and 1 A330. Based in Jakarta, it had 42 domestic and 6 international destinations. Six airlines were interested in taking over the Batavia Air route network. ^

4 Batavia Air B737 Photo: Paul Spijkers

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4 Focus on Indonesia

Sukhoi Mt. Salak Accident FATAL COCKTAIL OF ASSUMPTIONS AND DISTRACTIONS Philippe Domogala, ^ by Deputy Editor This article is mainly based on the public information contained in the preliminary report and the final report but also from my notes taken while talking to the President of the Indonesian Controllers Association. The aim of this article is for ATC (as a whole) to draw lessons from this tragic event.

The basic facts as reported in the preliminary report (published in August 2012) On May 9th 2012, Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100) took off from Halim Perdanakusuma military airport near Jakarta, Indonesia. The flight was part of a set of demonstration flights planned across Asia, to promote the relatively new aircraft to potential buyers. It was the second such flight that day. An operations officer from a local handling agency had filed two identical IFR flight plans, with only the departure times differing. It had a requested altitude of 10,000 ft. and the first flight went without problems. When the second flight took off, it was cleared to climb to 10,000 ft. on radial 220 from HLM towards a military training area (BOGOR or ATAN area, identified as WI (R)-4 – see map). The area, which lies just to the north of mountainous terrain, ranges from GND to 6,000 ft. Some 20 minutes into the flight, overhead the training area, the pilot requested to descend from 10,000 ft. to 6,000 ft.

turn, this time without asking approval. Undetected by the controller, the aircraft left the training area towards the south and flew straight towards Mt. Salak, a peak of just over 7250 ft. Just over 30 minutes after takeoff, it crashed into a near vertical slope of the mountain. All 45 people on board were killed.

The rest of the story based on the Final report (published in December 2012) Due to lack of staff in the ACC/APP that day, the supervisor had to occupy a working position. This meant that no dedicated supervisor was available‌ When the involved controller arrived, he was told to work the APP sector on his own. Normally, three controllers are foreseen to work the two approach sectors (i.e. one controller for the West and East sectors and one acting as coordinator for both). Not surprisingly, such a combined sector can get very busy very quickly.

According to the report, the controller had to perform the tasks of assistant and supervisor in addition to controlling aircraft. Around the time of the accident, he was controlling 14 other aircraft and during the interview afterwards, he declared he had felt overloaded. No one in the Jakarta Operations Room knew anything about any demonstration flights planned that day. Neither the controllers nor the supervisor had been briefed. The controller first learned of the flight about 30 minutes before the scheduled take-off time: working without strips, information on the flight popped up in a window on his radar display. This data listed the aircraft type as a SU30, which is a Sukhoi fighter used by the Indonesian Air Force. A flight data assistant in Halim had tried to enter the type as filed, SU95, into the system. But the computer had rejected the designator as unknown. Not surprisingly, the assistant associated Sukhoi with

4 The ill-fated Sukhoi Superjet 100-95, seen here at Ramenskoye Airport (UUBW) in 2011 Photo: Dmitry Zherdin via wikipedia

The controller approved this and a little later, the request to make a right-hand orbit was also granted. The controller became occupied with other traffic and after the first orbit, the aircraft started another

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4 Focus on Indonesia a fighter aircraft and he simply substituted SU95 for SU30, which the system was happy to accept. [This would continue to cause confusion long after the crash: when search and rescue people called and asked the supervisor for the number of people on board, the supervisor had said maybe one or two. Later when they were told the aircraft had 45 occupants, they maintained it had to be mistake. They did not know Sukhoi also made civil airliners.] A few minutes before take off, the TWR controller at Halim called the APP to request the release. He stated that the pilot requested not to go to the RATU area (near the coast) as mentioned in the flight plan but use the BOGOR area on its way and stay there. The APP controller approved this and updated his system. The datablock on the radar display of the controller had the call sign, RA36801, the type as an SU30 fighter, taking off from a military airbase going to a military training area, which has an upper limit of 6000ft. On top of that, when the aircraft took off, it had a rather high climb rate – up to 4000 ft/min. All this reinforced the controller’s assumption that this was a fighter aircraft. So when the request came to descend to 6000ft. above the BOGOR area, there was no doubt in the mind of the controller he was talking to a fighter going into a military training area…

4 An aeronautical map of the area. The pilots only had an en-route map, which didn’t show elevations.

Photo: Indonesian NTSC

The investigation revealed that several versions of the flight plan went around. The handling agent and local ATC in Halim had changed the plan, as the original route requested was too close to the main airport in Jakarta. They had altered it to go to an area near the coast, some 50 miles away. Just prior take off, Halim TWR changed again the route to the BOGOR area and informed the Jakarta APP controller. The investigation could not ascertain to what extent the crew was aware of these changes or of the consequences. It would also seem that the crew used an IFR High Altitude enroute chart, which didn’t contain terrain information or the military areas. They may not have been aware of high terrain in the vicinity of the orbit they were performing.

What the CVR revealed From the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), the pilot’s request to descend was not to enter any area, but to prepare for the approach back to Halim. The orbit they requested was in fact to lose altitude in preparation for landing. The CVR also shows that there were a lot of people inside the cockpit prior to the crash, including a potential buyer in the jump seat.

4 A screenshot of the APP working position. Halim airport is central on the

screen, just south of the dual runways at Soekarno-Hatta. The military area is marked in red in the south.

Continuous talking between him and the Captain, who was the pilot flying, very probably distracted the crew. The copilot was apparently lost as to what heading they should take to go back and land: after the orbit, the aircraft flew in the opposite direction to the airfield. As they approached Mount Salak, the Terrain Awareness System (TAWS) gave off 7 warn-

ings but there was no action to climb during the whole event. The captain indicated that these were probably wrong warnings due to faulty database and disabled the system. The person in the jump seat remarked marked that “it’s all flat here”. Heavy cloud obscured the view of the ground

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4 Focus on Indonesia

4 A Sukhoi 30 operated by the Indonesian Air Force.

Photo: © Commonwealth of Australia

most of the time… Simulation showed that the crew could have recovered the aircraft up to 24 seconds before the crash, had they realised what was going on…

ing of the imminent danger to the flight… On top of this, the ANSP had also not established nor published any minimum sector altitudes for vectoring on its charts or in its procedures.

Minimum Safe Altitudes

The final report concluded that among a long series of errors and assumptions, the main causes of the crash were: the presence of customer in the cockpit that distracted the crew and delayed the determination of the direction to take to return to land; the aircraft “unintentionally left his orbit“ and flew toward high terrain not mentioned on the charts carried on board the aircraft; the captain inhibited the terrain avoidance system assuming a problem with its database; the

The Jakarta ATS system has a minimum safe altitude and terrain warning system. But the system was not operational in that sector. Even if it had been, terrain info around Mt Salak had not been inserted into the system. So at no point was the controller given any warn-

Conclusions

Jakarta APP system MSAW was not functioning; and the ANSP had not established minimum safe vectoring altitudes for that sector. The report issued twelve safety actions: four to the Indonesian CAA; four to the local ANSP; and four to the Sukhoi company for organizing Demo flights. In additions, there were 14 recommendations. The full report can be downloaded from the NTSC web site: http://goo.gl/dvQZO

What Happened To The Controller On Duty Immediately after the crash, the controller was suspended. The Indonesian and Russian media criticized ATC and squarely blamed the controller for clearing the aircraft into a mountain. The preliminary report, which was published in August, did not clearly exonerate the controller, so he remained suspended on much reduced pay. At the end of November, during my visit in Jakarta in preparation of the IFATCA Conference, the President of the Indonesian Controllers’ Association and I pleaded the controller’s case to the Director General of Civil Aviation. We asked him to have the controller reinstated as he was given the wrong information and did not vector the aircraft. The applicable ICAO rules are very clear: unless radar vectored by a controller, it is the pilot’s responsibility to avoid terrain. This was agreed and the controller was reinstalled on 26 November 2012. ^

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4 Focus on Indonesia 4 The Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 Photo: Sukhoi

Sukhoi Superjet 100 The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. The civil aircraft division of the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi in co-operation with its main partner Boeing had started the development in 2000. The maiden flight was conducted on 19 May 2008. On 21 April 2011, the Superjet 100 undertook its first commercial passenger flight, on the Armavia route from Yerevan to Moscow. Marketed to compete internationally with its An-148, Embraer and Bombardier counterparts, the Superjet 100 claims substantially lower operating costs, at a lower purchase price of $35 million.

But there appear to be important lessons for ATC as well. Working alone on a sector is a real danger, which is all too easy underestimated. Having adequate staffing levels is a must if one wants to open all sectors and accommodate all traffic. Even if changes to a flight plan appear trivial, it can have disastrous consequences, especially if the error is propagated through mo­ dern electronic system – the idea that it must be correct, because the computer says so can be very persistent… And it highlights the importance of having complete and relevant briefings given to control staff prior to starting their duty. Of course, ATC did not cause this accident. The controller acted according correctly with the information he had and did what most of us would have done in the same circumstances. But a more redundant and robust ATC system as a whole could have helped to prevent it by mitigating the errors committed by the crew. That is after all what we are there for... If one day you are forced to work alone on a sector planned for two or more or are involved in discussions to make these sort of schedules possible, remember this report. Add the Ueberlingen one from 2002 and show it to your management. We do not need more accidents like these. ^

The final assembly of the Superjet 100 is done by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association. Its SaM-146 engines are designed and produced by the French-Russian PowerJet joint venture and the aircraft is marketed internationally by the Italian-Russian SuperJet International joint venture. The three variants were originally called the RRJ-60, RRJ-75 and RRJ-95, with the numbers designating the average passenger capacity of each type. How­ ever, when the project was renamed as Superjet 100, the RRJ-75 was re-labelled the Superjet 100–75 (or SSJ-75 for short), while the RRJ-95 became known as the SSJ 100–95. The smallest variant, called the SSJ 100–60, was temporarily postponed, and efforts are currently concentrating on the largest variant, with the smaller SSJ 100–75 to follow later. Longer variants based on extended fuselages, called the SSJ 100–110 and the SSJ 100–130, are also planned, as Source: wikipedia well as business, VIP and cargo variants. ^

Mount Salak In the decade between 2002 and 2012 there were seven aviation crashes in the area of Mount Salak. Three people were killed in a crash of a training aircraft not

4 Mount Salak Photo: Hiroshi Sanjuro via Wikipedia

long before the SSJ-100 accident; 18 people were killed in a crash of an Indonesian Air Force military aircraft in 2008; five people were killed in a small crash in June 2004, two in April 2004, seven in October 2003, and one in October 2002. The Jakarta Post has dubbed Mount Salak “an airplane graveyard“. High turbulence and fast-changing weather conditions of the mountainous terrain are cited as contributing factors to multiple aviation crashes in the area. ^ Source: wikipedia

dp@the-controller.net

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4 ICAO

2012 Air Navigation Conference ASIA PACIFIC REGION CRITICAL TO GLOBAL ACCEPTANCE OF ATC MODERNIZATION Dr Ruth Stilwell, ^ by IFATCA ICAO Representative The ICAO 12th Air Navigation Conference was convened in Montreal in November 2012 in order to achieve worldwide acceptance of a new Global Air Navigation Plan. While the European SESAR and the US NextGen programs draw a great deal of attention from the aviation community, a truly global air navigation system must include more than two regions of the world. Recognizing that the demands on aviation systems are not homogeneous between states and regions, the conference endorsed the concept of Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU) to allow flexible implementation of new technologies.

ICAO forecasts indicate that by 2030, when block 3 of the ASBUs are phased in, the Asia Pacific region will be responsible for 31.7% of the world’s air traffic. Managing rapid growth and increasing demand will present unique challenges for the region. Unlike the USA and Europe, the region does not have a harmonized regulatory framework, which increases complexity when implementing new ATC technologies. The 12th AN Conference, in adopting the ASBU approach, hoped to facilitate global harmonization. The fundamental goal of the 12th Air Navigation Conference was to obtain states support for the Aviation System Block Upgrades as the foundation for a new Global Air Navigation Plan and associated roadmaps. Debate was robust with States and International Organizations adding their contributions to the ICAO work programme,

in many cases endorsing the current work programme, but in others, the states helped chart a new course for ICAOs work. It was the kind of technical interaction and debate that serves to enhance the final product and as a check and balance between the work of the ICAO staff and the States they serve. For ATCOs, the new Global Air Navigation Plan will offer both challenges and opportunities. The deployment of GNSS constellations from China, Russia and Europe will make the satellite navigation systems more robust, but can still be subject to disruption from space weather and ground based interference. While more and more aviation data can be derived from these systems it is becoming increasingly difficult to defend the aviation spectrum. The line between safety of life service and commercial services becomes increasingly blurred with more

IFATCA’S Contributions durin The IFATCA delegation to the 12th Air Navigation Conference included our President, Executive Vice President Technical and the ICAO/ANC Representative. We contributed five working papers and one information paper. These were prepared through the collaborative efforts of IFATCA members with specific expertise in the given areas. Each of our papers generated considerable support from the states and even in

the cases where our recommendations were not specifically adopted, states and ICAO worked to ensure our underlying concerns were addressed. Subjects of our working papers were Harmonized Transition Altitude; Future Aerodrome Concept; ACAS Resolution Advisory Down Link to Controller Work Position; Deployment of Automation in Future ATM Systems; and Fatigue Risk Management in ATC. In addition we offered a comprehensive Information Paper on the Environment Case. The IFATCA paper on harmonized transition altitude was

presented along with a similar one by IFALPA. Both papers proposed 18,000ft as a globally harmonized transition altitude. IFATCA’s intervention stressed that global harmonization should be considered as a factor in meeting the ICAO requirement that the altitude should be as low as possible. While there was considerable support for the concept, the selection of the transition altitude itself was controversial: some states expressed concern about mountainous terrain. The European States stressed that the implementation of a globally harmonized altitude

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4 ICAO

Photo: RS

Photo: M.Jackson (IFALPA)

advanced data capabilities. The competition from other interests for resources that the aviation community may have taken for granted will present a unique challenge moving forward. The Air Navigation Conference painted a bright picture for the future, taking advantage of the efficiency gains in both capacity and environment offered by new and existing technologies. Unlike prior conferences where many barriers to overcome were technological, that is not the case today. For much of the new Global Air Navigation Plan, to be presented to the Assembly for endorsement in 2013, the barriers are not technological. Most of the tools already exist. The challenges ahead are economic. In order for ANSPs to invest in the ground based infrastructure and training, the resources need to be available. For operators, each investment in air-

g

Photo: caribb via flickr.com

borne equipment needs to consider whether there will be a return on that investment. The industry has asked for incentives to support airborne equipage, but it is unclear who would provide these incentives. Will they ask the ANSPs, who will be struggling to make the investment on the groundside to deliver operational incentives? Will the commercialized ANSPs have access to incentives from the States? Are the States themselves expected to shoulder the burden of increasing capacity so that the operators can increase their profit margins? Or will operators who invest in advance CNS equipment expect their competitors with less advanced equipment to accept a penalty in order to incentivize others? These are unanswered questions that will have political implications for every region. It is critically important that these questions are not addressed within the con-

text of a western solution. In facing global challenges, there needs to be global solutions. A framework that addresses the concerns of Europe and North America with congested airspace and slow to flat growth projections, may not meet the needs of the Asia Pacific region with rapid growth forecasts, new aircraft fleets, and burgeoning markets dependent upon aviation growth. ^ anc@ifatca.org

Teyssier, Narjess, Chief, ICAO Economic Analysis & Policy Section presentation to 37th Session of ICAO Assembly, 29 September 2010. 1

ANC12 could prove costly and did not believe that ICAO should move forward with the concept until a full cost benefit analysis could be completed. The final text adopted reflected these concerns, calling upon ICAO to study the concept from all possible angles. On the subject of ACAS Resolution Advisory Down Link to Controller Work Positions, IFATCA and IFALPA objected to language that implied there is an automated interaction between ground based (i.e. conflict alert) and airborne (i.e. ACAS, GPWS) safety nets. Text was adopted that called for careful prior

evaluations on the technical, safety and human performance perspectives; highlighted the need for recurrent pilot and air traffic controller training; and highlighted a need to ensure that the downlinking of ACAS RAs does not introduce new ambiguities concerning the division of responsibility between flight crews and air traffic controllers. To this end, new guidance material should be developed. IFATCA also presented a paper on the need for ATCO Fatigue Risk Management Systems, which was adopted through a recommendation that asks ICAO to establish provisions for

fatigue risk management for safety within air traffic services. It’s worth noting that IFATCA’s contributions to the 12th Air Navigation Conference were well received by the aviation community and many of our recommendations were incorporated into the final conference report. ^

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4 Africa – Middle East

Impact of Social Crisis and War on ATC Performance AN AFRICAN ISSUE Serge Tchanda, ^ by Africa-Middle East Correspondent Social crises and wars have raged in many parts of the African continent for several decades. The Arab Spring in Northern Africa, political crises in Chad, Ivory Coast, Libya, DRC, Central African Republic, and Mali are but some of the more recent events. These are just some of the conflicts that have taken place in a region where aviation activities are under close scrutiny due to the relatively high incidents/accidents rate. This is even more evident when taking the overall volume of traffic in the region into account. Communication problems, ATC proficiency issues and poor ATC procedures are the most frequent contributing factors to these accidents. While it’s not easy to draw a link between an accident and a certain conflict situation, some observations can be made that give some food for thought.

Communication problems Most of the communication problems be it air/ground or ground/ground, arise from unreliable connections between remote VSAT antennas and the terminals located at the airports in some of the aforementioned countries. Among other reasons and from reading through some of the reports, one can conclude the following:

Photo: Routard via www.crash-arien.aero

Some maintenance activities on remote - VSATs cannot be performed properly because they are located in occupied or conflict areas; - Some of those VSATs have been destroyed or dismantled by one of the fighting fractions, in the belief that they are being used by their opponents to spy on them; - Replacing damaged or destroyed equipment is often not possible for the same reasons as above, without even considering the cost of doing so.

ATCO performance ATC proficiency and ATC error are frequently pointed out as main contributing factors in aviation incidents and accidents. Looking at the social unrest across the continent, it should be quite obvious that this must have an influence on how an ATCO performs. During such moments ATCOs and their family usually face tough moments such as: - Being forced to move away from home in fear of violence; - Abandoning their belongings and even families; - Losing their love ones - Being trapped at the airport or at the ACC and forced to work for several days without access to basic supplies or protection. The impact of such issues on the social welfare of controllers is often underestimated. Only in exceptional cases have ATCOs received psychological or financial support. They are just expected to work as if nothing had ever happened. Yet whether we like it or not, a downturn in social wellbeing can be very detrimental to the quality of air traffic control services.

ATC PROCEDURES When an ATC service provider is no longer able to provide safe air traffic services, contingency plans are usually deployed. This was the case in the republic of Congo in the nineties, or in Chad, Ivory Coast and Libya more recently. These contingency plans are aimed at providing continuous ATS services within a restricted set of rules and procedures. But this is usually left up to other service providers, which are usually not effectively prepared for these calamities. For instance the case of the no-fly zone established over Libyan airspace in 2011, caused south/northbound traffic from/to Europe to go around their usual routing. This situation created traffic “overloading” in some sectors in the southern Sahara, where ATC capacity was not sufficient to cope with these sudden peaks. The aforementioned three areas of contributing factors to incidents/accidents are just the tip of the iceberg: there are certainly some other war-related factors that have an adverse effect on aviation performances in Africa. It is therefore necessary that aviation experts and decision-makers give a closer look at the situation in order to find some relevant solutions. We believe that a proactive action in building a harmonised global contingency plan for: airspace management, human resources management, protection of infrastructure (ground base NAVAIDs, communications and surveillance facilities) during critical situations will certainly help to alleviate the impact of social crisis or war on aviation performances in Africa. ^

tchanda_serge@yahoo.fr

Photo: Dreamshot | Dreamstime.com

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4 Americas

Re-defining Wake Turbulence OPTIMIZED SPACING INCREASES CAPACITY Doug Church, ^ by Director of Communications NATCA, USA Experts in wake turbulence, and safety and risk analysis determined that decreasing separation between similar type aircraft is as safe, or safer, than current standards and increases efficiency and capacity.

Photo: (cc) Heather Ingram via Flickr

On Jan. 30, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association’s (NATCA) representative on the recategorization (RECAT) program, Scott Pressley, met with Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Chief Operating Officer David Grizzle and FedEx Express CEO David Bronczek at Memphis International Airport. They celebrated the success of the implementation of RECAT wake turbulence separation standards at Memphis Tower/TRACON (MEM). Capacity at MEM has increased significantly since the revised and recategorized standards were applied on Nov. 1, 2012. The recategorization of wake turbulence separation standards resulted from a decade of collaboration between the FAA, NATCA, DOT/Volpe National Transportation System Center, EUROCONTROL and the aviation industry. Pressley, also NATCA’s facility representative at Birmingham, Ala., Tower and TRACON, was the NATCA lead in the collaborative process of developing and implementing the RECAT. He explained that this new standard is the first time since 1994 that these categories have been reviewed and changed. The only criterion used in 1994 was the maximum certified gross takeoff weight of each aircraft. “The tremendous amount of scientific research since 1994 tells us that there are several other factors that should be considered when determining the wake turbulence signature that each aircraft produces,” said Pressley. “These factors include aircraft weight, wing length, wing structure, engine placement and many other factors.”

“While developing this science it was determined that the wake turbulence separation was overly conservative with a large number of aircraft types that are most commonly used throughout our National Airspace System,” said Pressley. “In developing the new categories it was determined that you could split the heavier aircraft into two categories and the next large size group of aircraft into two categories and realize huge results in reduced separation while remaining as safe as we are today.” The FAA previously used five wake turbulence separation categories based primarily on aircraft weight. The RECAT initiative resulted in six categories, based on weight, approach speeds, and wing characteristics. The categories are labeled A to F, with Category A including very large aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Category F including smaller planes such as the Cessna Citation and Embraer 120. FedEx is the largest carrier at Memphis, with about 500 operations each day. Most FedEx aircraft fall under the FAA Category C, including the MD-11, B767, and A300 series aircraft. Because they are in the same category, these aircraft can now be separated by 2.5 to three nautical miles instead of the previously required four nautical miles. Closer spacing enables FedEx aircraft to be cleared for takeoff with less separation from the previous departure off the same runway.

Previously, controllers were required to wait until a departure was several miles from the end of the runway before clearing a second aircraft for takeoff. This reduces by five minutes, under certain runway configurations, the time FedEx aircraft spend in airspace controlled by Memphis TRACON. As a result of the change, FedEx aircraft may now proceed directly from the gate to the runway, cutting average taxi time by three minutes. The FAA estimates a more than 15 percent increase in capacity at MEM as a result of RECAT, an increase of nine additional flights per hour using the new separation standards, lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions. “This is by far the single-biggest way we can add capacity to the system without pouring an inch of concrete,“ NATCA Southern Regional Vice President Victor Santore said. “It‘s a big deal.“ The FAA plans to expand the new standards to other airports in 2013 and 2014, and estimates an average capacity increase of seven percent. Capacity increases at each airport will depend on the mix of aircraft categories operating at that airport. ^

dchurch@natcadc.org

Photo: (cc) redlegsfan21 via Flickr

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4 Asia-Pacific

40 Years of Change

John Wagstaff, ^ by Asia Pacific Representative

4 The demolition of the old

tower at Heathrow airport Photo: Peter Bish

As I am about to hand over watch for the final time after a career of more than four decades in ATC, the recent photographs of the demolition of the old control tower building at Heathrow Airport brought a tear to my eye, as that is where my life in ATC began (back in the days when it was simply called ‘London Airport’).

land (EGTK). As part of their expansion plans they planned a new control tower that was to be built on top of the existing tower – and normal operations had to continue ‘downstairs’ throughout the construction. Peering around scaffolding and dodging metal beams became standard practice when clearing aircraft for take-off or landing. Lesson learned No.1: Architects and builders talk to airport managers but they never talk to ATC.

However, such events are part of the normal development cycle of airports and ATC – places change and people change. I have been fortunate in having had the opportunity to work at 14 airports in many different parts of the world, so I have experienced many of these changes – my final tally is opening 4 new airports, two control towers and one new area control centre. One thing this has taught me is that although architects, builders and engineers are experts and highly qualified in their own trades and specialised fields, they do not know anything about ATC.

A few years later, I was in the Sultanate of Brunei working at the small airport just outside the capitol, Bandar Seri Begawan (WBSB). This regional airport had not changed much since it was built during World War II, but down a jungle track a brand new international airport was under construction and I was there to organise the training and opening of the new control tower. As is often the case in airport construction projects – there was some ‘slippage’ in the construction programme. The runway was ready, the control tower was ready, but little else. With a number of new airlines eagerly waiting to commence services, it was decided a temporary terminal building would be quickly built on the apron and the airport would open on time! However the airport was only open for the new flights and once they had departed the airport returned to the status of a building site with the construction teams finishing building the taxiways and terminal building.

My first experience was at Kid­ lington Airport, Oxford, Eng-

On several occasions arriving aircraft were requested to make a low pass to encourage the workers who refused to answer R/T messages, to vacate the runway. Lesson Learned No.2: Always have a plan B. My next encounter with a building site was on a totally different scale – King Abdul Aziz International Airport at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (OEJN). Each year at Haj pilgrimage time, Jeddah becomes one of the major transport hubs of the world. The old Jeddah Airport was in the middle of town and grossly overcrowded at normal times, so when almost 1 million pilgrims descended on the airport during a two-week non-stop procession of aircraft from around the Moslem world, ATC got challenging. The new airport out in the middle of the desert with three runways, two terminals and a separate Haj terminal and apron was in itself a vast self-contained city. Throughout the construction phase everyone drove across runways, taxiways or aprons as it was one very big building site. Therefore in preparation for the first proving flights and calibration flights, all of the construction workers were warned not to drive on the movement areas and to only drive on the airport roads. Inevitably there were some drivers, including several bosses, who insisted on following their usual routes and when they intruded on to a taxiway or runway they were surprised when they were intercepted by the very enthusiastic airport police and given a traffic ticket.

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4 Asia-Pacific 4 View of the apron at Lesson Learned No.3: One easy way of solving runway incursions. My most recent experiences have involved a city that is always changing, where construction is a way of life with new residents continually arriving as others depart. Hong Kong is one of the most dynamic cities on earth and its airport is equally outstanding. For those with a long memory, Kai Tak Airport was one of the great airports of the world. Now, Hong Kong International Airport (VHHH) is frequently amongst the top three best airports in world traveller polls and surveys. When it came to moving from the old to the new Hong Kong Airport, the training and transition team was large and well organised, with a comprehensive instruction programme for the controllers and detailed plans for the changeover. This culminated in the move of all operations from Kai Tak Airport to the new Hong Kong International Airport, in a single overnight period during the early hours of 6 July 1998. After the final arrival at Kai Tak a few minutes before midnight and the last commercial departure at two minutes past midnight, a mass migration of vehicles and equipment took place on the ground and 22 aircraft at Kai Tak made the brief ferry flight to the new airport. All was ready at the new Hong Kong International Airport control tower for the first landing by a commercial flight

Hong Kong Airport

Photo: Phil Parker

at 0620. Since that time, a back-up control tower has been commissioned and planning is well advanced for the move of operations to this location. This will enable a total renovation of the primary control tower in preparation for further development of the airport. Lesson Learnt No.4: There is no substitute for good planning, good coordination, good training and more good planning. I have swapped my headset for a hard hat many times. Although this type of work is far removed from the norm of ATC, the different challenges can be equally taxing and stressful. However, with efficient planning

and effective communication, together with some lateral thinking, the problems can be overcome with very rewarding results. So if you are ever given the opportunity to work on a new project, design a new plan or even participate in a major new development, I would encourage you to consider accepting the challenge, develop new skills and meet new people. ^

john.wags@gmail.com

4 A380 at Hong Kong’s

Chek Lap Kok Airport

Photo: Phil Parker

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4 Europe

EUROCONTROL Training Institute Luxembourg New courses, improved tools and services for the ATM community Alex Wandels, ^ by Head of the EUROCONTROL Training Institute As the Single European Sky (SES) plays an ever-increasing role in our profession, the Institute has created the SES community, where all interested parties can follow developments in SES legislation.

Air Traffic Management Training

All photos: eurocontrol

On 23-24 January, the EUROCONTROL Network Manager User Forum 2013 – aviation professionals’ annual ATM rendezvous – focused on how network performance can be improved in today’s global economic context. At the wrap-up session, Joe Sultana, DNM/COO, concluded: “We want to work together with you, to improve network performance in a practical way: the results have to be genuine, they have to be tangible.” Training and education play an essential role in meeting performance goals. The range of courses offered by EUROCONTROL’s training institute in Luxembourg is fully in line with today’s needs and challenges. Our training programme offers something attractive for almost every player in the game. Whether you work for a service provider, a regulator, a national supervisory authority or an airline, one of the new classroom or e-learning courses will be just right for you.

In 2013, we have beefed up our ATM training by taking on new instructors and adding courses to our programme. This was made possible by the decision to discontinue ab initio controller training. We can now respond to demands for more regulatory courses as well as courses on scarce resources and capacity planning.

Training courses in your company The Institute can deliver a training course at your company or organisation. Requests for training should be sent to the course reservation office via ians.reservations@eurocontrol. int. Network Operations Training delivers tailormade, on-site courses (see http://goo.gl/m5bvh) or online ones (via http://goo.gl/d7aSo).

Working together to develop and deliver training courses The Institute works in partnership with other training establishments, at least if this partnership creates mutual benefit and value for the EUROCONTROL Member States. Our course portfolio is subject to consultation processes with the stakeholders in our Member States.

NSA Oversight of the Performance Scheme In July 2012, Siim Kallas, European Transport Commissioner, observed: “The Performance Scheme is the cornerstone of the Single European Sky.” To support national support authorities (NSAs) and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) as they develop Performance Plans, the Institute is pleased to offer a new course, NSA Oversight of the Performance Scheme, as part of the NSA Training Initiative. More information can be found on http://goo.gl/ mDkUi. Although largely focused on the role of the NSA, the course will also enable ANSPs to understand how their activities can contribute to improved performance. After completing the course, participants will be better equipped to play their part in underpinning the European network’s efficient performance!

Get the 2013 Training Brochure In the 2013 brochure, we have taken a themed approach, grouping our specialised courses together as much as we could, so we now have training programmes designed to give you key insights into themes such as Flight Efficiency, Network Performance and ATM Regulation. You can download the training brochure with an overview of courses via this URL: http:// goo.gl/R5GZC. ^

alex.wandels@eurocontrol.int

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World ATM Congress 2013 FIRST EDITION OF MADRID TRADE SHOW DRAWS BIG CROWDS Guadalupe Cortés, Vice President of Aprocta, ^ by Spanish Professional ATCO Association 4 The Feria de Madrid, venue of the World ATM Congress 2013

Photo: (CC) Photo by www.ReservasdeCoches.com

INTRODUCTION According to the organisers, more than 5,000 participants from over 100 countries attended the very first World ATM Congress last February in Madrid. Running over a total of three days, the international air traffic and aviation event combined a Conference with an Exhibition involving the industry’s leading organizations. Aisles were filled with 160 exhibiting companies. Dozens of Air Service Navigation Provider (ANSP) CEOs, air traffic specialists and controllers, aviation manufacturers and suppliers, and technical students were all in attendance at the event organized by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) in association with the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA).

Madrid and the Spanish government welcomed the Congress; Ana María Pastor, Spain‘s Minister for Public Works and Transport, opened the event. Presenting the keynote was Roberto Kobeh González, President of the Council, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Companies had three full presentation theatres at their disposal, where they touted their latest research and products. Discussions covering all aspects of aviation took place in roundtable formats, featuring industry experts including EUROCONTROL, SESAR JU, and Airbus ProSky. EUROCONTROL hosted a panel in which speakers discussed how to align the global plan formed at ICAO ANC/12. Presenters included Nancy Graham, ICAO; Bo Redeborn, EUROCONTROL; Patrick Ky, SESAR JU. There was also a European Space Expo created by the European Commission to show the benefits of space and its applications. Visitors had the chance to see and touch the innovative technologies and services.

4 Over 160 companies had exhibition booths. Photo: GC

SESAR-JU Forum: “From Innovation to Solution“ The Single European Sky (SES) initiative was launched by the European Commission in 2004 to reform the architecture of European air traffic management (ATM). This legislative approach at the European level is designed to meet future capacity demands and safety requirements. The goal is to improve capacity and increase efficiency through restructuring European airspace. SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) is the technological dimension of the SES. The SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) was created under European Union law in February 2007, in order to manage the SESAR development phase. The aim of the SESAR JU is to ensure the modernisation of the European air traffic management system. Marc Baumgartner, IFATCA’s SESAR/EASA Coordinator and former President of IFATCA, participated in the SESAR panel on the integration of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) in ATM, together with representatives from EUROCONTROL, EASA, the French DGCA, Swedish LFV, UK Military, and the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD). RPAs are not some future concept, but a reality. Presently, there is work in progress to find a framework to integrate them into mixed-use airspace.

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4 Industry Maastricht UAC Demonstrates Operational Use of Mode S at WAC2013 IFATCA had the opportunity to attend a demonstration of the operational use of Mode S at the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre. The enhanced mode S offers better means of identification, and it is possible for a controller to verify his instructions against those entered by the pilot into the flight management system: flight level, the heading and the speed in indicated airspeed (IAS) and Mach number. MUAC’s system (automatically) provides the controllers with a warning if the airborne information does not match the ground cleared flight level (CFL), by displaying the CFL in the radar label in yellow in such a case. This functionality greatly reduces the risk of loss of separation caused by wrongly spoken or misheard Flight Levels on the part of either the pilot or the controller, or caused by call-sign confusion and / or misidentification. In the event of any discrepancy the CFL in the radar label turns yellow as an active warning after a short “Grace Period”, allowing the pilot to receive and execute the clearance. Recently, the airborne selected level was also linked to the Short Term Conflict Alert. It allows the controller more time to react before separation is lost. ^

It is essential to develop new regulations before introducing these operations into the existent flow of traffic. Before this technology can be implemented, consideration of phraseology, terminology, 4D-trajectory prediction, detect and avoid systems, voice communication systems, command and control, data link, licensing, training, certification and many more concerns must be resolved. Matthew Baldwin commented that there is high interest in the civil implementation of RPA’s, for example aerial photography, agriculture, electrical ca-

ble surveillance, fire prevention, rescue and high risk missions, and natural disasters just to name a few. The principal objective is to integrate RPA operations into the European ATM system in a safe way by 2016. Before any implementation, there are issues to be solved: the safety of the airplane, the impact on the other aircraft, the responsibility of the operations and the cross-border matters. EASA has decided in their rulemaking activities to approach the RPA related to their differences in operational scope, such as visual line of sight (VLOS); Extended Visual Line of Sight (E-VOLS); Beyond VLOS (B-VLOS), below 500 feet; VFR/ IFR radio operated line-of sight (R-LOS); and beyond the radio operated line-of-Sight (BROLS).

Due to the involvement of CANSO, and thereby a large number of influential ANSPs, I expect the World ATM Congress to quickly become the reference event. if ANSPs attend, it results in all the major manufacturers and industry experts also participating. Most interesting to see was the fact that so many ANSP's were displaying the technology they currently use. This makes attendance so very informative for ATCOs from other countries. Also, all of the major manufacturers are there, so all of the newest technology is on display. While I didn't discover any real “new“ technology, it was interesting to see the different interpretations of the same functionality. The SESAR SWIM demonstration gave me a better perspective and understanding of how this new technology will work and benefit ATCOs. Pat Forrey, IFATCA EVP Technical

4 Ángel-Luis Arias, Director General of Civil Aviation of Spain

Photo: GC

4 IFATCA EVPT during one of the panels Photo: GC

ICAO has been working on this subject. In Amendment 43 (November 2012), some prerequisites have been defined which must be consistent with States’ standards: certificates of airworthiness, air operator certificate, and pilot license. Marc Baumgartner explained how the RPA concept is not something completely new, and as an example, showed a Second World War photograph where a RPA operator is “flying” the aircraft from a remote position. IFATCA´s position is that RPA’s become just another type of operation, and therefore must completely comply with all ICAO requirements, specifically, the Rules of the Air, from Annex II (new definitions). With the help of the ICAO conflict management layers, he explained that the detect and avoid concept is in between the tactical and the conflict avoidance layer. Marc Baumgartner argued that integration of RPA in class A and B airspace might be less complicated owing to the detect and avoid concept, it will be extremely challenging to do it in class C, D, E, F and G air space. Civil air traffic should not be penalized by the introduction of RPA’s. One of the mains concerns for IFATCA is the introduction of RPA’s into congested airspace when ATCO’s are working at maximum capacity. The potential adverse impact might be detrimental to the rest of air space users. Any future regulation and any possible change to be published must take into account safety and the impact on all the airspace users. In addition, there were SESAR workshops on System-Wide Information Management (SWIM), SES Performance, and RPAS Integration in ATM.

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4 Industry / Charlie The conference: “Augmented Reality: Moving to a Transformed Global ATM system.“ According to Frank Brenner, the new EUROCONTROL Director General, in the last few years, we have seen a dramatic change in ATM, and now there is a much wider acceptance that we need a more competitive ATM industry. “Airspace users in Europe pay twice as much for ATM services than in the US“. Mr. Brenner stated that air traffic in December 2012 was the lowest in the last five years, and EUROCONTROL predicts a further decline in 2013 compared to 2012. Patrick Forrey, Executive Vice President Technical who participated on the panel Delivery ATM Reality – Effective Implementation of New Technology, represented IFATCA. The panel was moderated by Patrick Ky, Executive Director SESAR JU, with industry experts Daniel Weder, Skyguide CEO, Ricardo Génova, Director of Flight Operations, Iberia Airlines and Patrick Goudou, Executive Director EASA. Ricardo Génova stated that there is a difference of perception concerning the needs of airspace users and air navigation service providers, regarding introducing change in the industry. Airlines should be part of the process, since change imposed on the systems never works. All stakeholders must come to an agreement and shared understanding of what the new change will be. He explained how Iberia is competing with the low cost carriers in a free market scenario and the result has been dramatic for the company. He suggested that there must be a change of ATM, and adaptation to a more cost-efficient operation, so that in the future a low cost ANSP cannot take “your place”. Mr. Génova also underlined the fact that any investment

4 Nothing new: over 400 De Havilland de Havilland DQ.82s (a remotely con-

trolled, budget version of the Tiger Moth) were built for the RAF. These were used for target practise and for coastal reconnaissance in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Photo: UNKN

of airlines must be followed by the same investment on the ground. According to Daniel Weder, competition is perceived as negative, and it is necessary to “construct a business model” and fast. Consolidation is also perceived as negative, because it is only physical consolidation that is considered, bringing Air traffic control centres together. However, it is necessary to perform this in a virtual manner: with dedicated data services, optimized architecture, ATCOs cooperation in peak times (for example, sharing airspace at night), and operational flexibility. The idea is that implementation of new technology should focus this new reality.

tant because new technologies cannot be delayed, but safety must be ensured. Patrick Forrey expressed that controllers are used to constant change and evolution, and accept it willingly. “ATCO’s want new technology to help us perform more efficiently and safer, but it is imperative that all of the stakeholders are involved in the development and implementation of new technology to ensure it actually helps.” ^

vicepresidente@aprocta.es

Patrick Godou explained that innovation from a regulator perspective is very impor-

Charlie’s Column Duct Tape (again), Psychology, Snakes and More

^ by Charlie Duct Tape Saves the Day AGAIN Last January, one passenger on an Icelandair Boeing 757 from Keflavik to JFK decided to consume his duty free allowance during the flight. When he became unruly, (i.e. trying to choke the woman next to him and screaming

the plane was going to crash), a couple of other passengers subdued him. One of them had a roll of duct tape and taped him up to his seat for the rest of the flight. On arrival, he was deducted and escorted off the flight by New York airport police. Here at Charlie, we just love duct tape!

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4 Charlie Controller Psychological Testing These days, everyone does psychological tests of applicants wanting to become Air Traffic Controllers. In one system, our future colleagues are allegedly assigned one of 4 possible categories: I won’t tell you which ones. But according to an insider, they may well be equivalent to what Army recruiting officers used in the past: 1) Passive and dumb. No problem: he or she will be able to perform certain duties. 2) Active and clever. No problem: might even make it to a leading function. 3) Passive and clever. No problem: they respect and understand the complexities. 4) Active and dumb. Be careful: they can make an unbelievable mess of things in the blink of an eye.

know of a nice, or unusual looking one, take a high resolution photo of it and send it to us. We can start a competition of who has the best one.The one for this month is taken at the Indonesian civil Aviation institute airport: a local artist’s version of a Boeing 747.

2013 – Year Of The Snake The Chinese Year of Snake officially began on February 10th 2013. But a number of sightings indicate that the reptiles didn’t wait for “their year” to manifest themselves: The most recent incident, in January 2013, involved a 3-meter long python slithering onto a Qantas aircraft while on the ground in Cairns, Australia. After the aircraft took off, the snake appears to have gotten itself stuck in one of the control surfaces on the wing. Thanks to smartphones and the internet, the whole event was on the internet within minutes of the aircraft arriving in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Sadly, the python didn’t survive the 2-hour ordeal.

all treatment, saying that the snake had just grazed his skin… In October, workers at Glasgow Airport in Scotland found a half-meter long, nonvenomous snake under the seats of a plane that had arrived from Cancun, Mexico. They called in experts of the local animal protection branch, who caught the critter and promptly named it Furtivo, a Spanish word that translates to “sneaky“. And last April the single pilot of a Beech Baron belonging to Air Frontier of Australia had to make an emergency landing back to Darwin because he spotted a snake poking his head from behind the instruments. He called ATC on the R/T “I‘m going to have to return to Darwin. I‘ve got a snake on board the plane.“ While performing the approach the snake moved on top of his legs, which was a bit “frightening” as he described later. But it did not bite. The local fire brigade couldn’t find the stowaway, so the aircraft remained grounded with a mouse-baited trap in the cockpit… While there may be more snake stories coming, the Year of the Horse is next. Could be interesting…

I have indeed seen all four types in my Ops room: in fact, in combination with automation, type 4 is a disaster waiting to happen!

Chameleon Aircraft It seems that the ATR 42 has an unknown feature: when it crashes, it can transform itself into an unmarked cargo aircraft! As can be seen on the photos, taken recently in Rome, Italy, the aircraft turned white overnight. After a bit of a mishap during landing, it took just a few hours for all references to a certain large Italian airline operator to magically disappear. Reports that passengers got splashes of white paint all over them during the evacuation were vehemently denied by an anonymous spokesperson, who was dressed in painter’s overalls. And while even the windows turned white, the Romanian flag and registration were mysteriously left for all charlie@the-controller.net to see… ^

Fire Fighting Aircraft Designs Every airport has its own “aircraft”, which they use for fire fighting practice. Some are just disused actual aircraft hulls cut and converted; others are custom built constructions that resemble an aircraft. I have seen some looking just like a big black tube, but some were more “artistic“. I would like to start a competition; if you

Before that, last December, a passenger smuggled a large cobra onto an EgyptAir flight to Kuwait. The passenger in question, owner of a reptile shop, had brought the snake in his hand luggage. After take-off, it escaped and bit its owner’s hand, while causing a bit of a panic amongst the rest of the passengers. Fearing for the man’s life, the crew diverted the aircraft to Hurghada on the red sea. The snake’s handler refused

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LESS TO LOOK AT SEES MORE.

A CONTROLLER WITH

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25 years ago, Airbus introduced a groundbreaking digital aircraft Flight Management System (FMS) for pilots. Today, Airbus subsidiary Airbus ProSky, in collaboration with ATRiCS, delivers a long-awaited, Tower Surface Management System (TSMS) for air traffic controllers.

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