THE
CONTROLLER April 2015
Journal of Air Traffic Control
4 Emilio Lopez Madrigal - An Exceptional Man
INTER-
4 Safety Over the High Seas
TION OF AIR TRAFF ERA IC C FED
LLERS’ ASSNS. TRO ON
Also in this Issue
NATIO NAL
4 CFS & WAC 2015
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Contents
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April 2015 Volume 54 Issue 1 – ISSN 0010-8073
Cover photo: An-225 at Gardermoen, Norway © Sverre Ivar Elsbak
EXECUTIVE BOARD OF IFATCA Patrik Peters President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Shallies Deputy President
Duncan Auld Executive Vice-President Technical
Eric Risdon Executive Vice-President Professional
Jeremy Thompson Executive Vice-President Finance (acting)
In this issue
Foreword from the Executive Board…….......................………....... 4 Vnukovo Accident Protest................................................................. 6 NATCA's Communicating For Safety.................................................... 8 Nellis Air Force Base - a Visit to the ATC Facilities................................ 10 World ATM Congress 2015..................................................................... 12 NATCA Norway Annual Meeting 2015..................................................... 14 Atypical Pilot Contracts.............................................................................. 15 Space Based ADS-B...................................................................................... 16 Safety over the High Seas............................................................................. 20 Spreading the Word - Teaching Cadet Pilots about ATC................................ 22 Flying in Laos.................................................................................................. 24 Software Defined ADS-B Receivers.................................................................. 27 An Exceptional Man - Emilio Lopez Madrigal................................................... 28 Aviation During WWI: part III - Dogfights & Flying Aces.................................. 30 Charlie's Column............................................................................................... 34
Keziah Ogutu Executive Vice-President Africa and Middle East John Carr Executive Vice-President Americas
Mike O'Neill Executive Vice-President Asia and Pacific Željko Oreški Executive Vice-President Europe
Philippe Domogala Conference Executive
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
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PUBLISHER IFATCA, International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers‘ Associations 360, St Jacques · Suite 2002 Montreal, Quebec · H2Y 1P5 · 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: editor@ifatca.org DEPUTY EDITOR Philippe Domogala email: dp@the-controller.net 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. Further distribution of this publication is permitted and even encouraged, as long as it is not altered in any way or manner. No part or extracts of this publication may be reproduced, stored or used in any form or by any means, without the specific prior permission of the IFATCA Executive Board or Editor, except where indicated (e.g. a creative commons licence).
VISIT THE IFATCA WEB SITES:
www.ifatca.org and www.the-controller.net 3
4 Foreword
SOCIAL MEDIA A Blessing And A Curse In One Patrik Peters, ^ by IFATCA President & CEO
W
ith our annual conference only a few days away, the Executive Board has been engaged in all sorts of preparatory work to make this conference week with our representatives and members a success. This years’ annual conference also marks an exciting milestone as we conclude the first year with a new team of board members. I am very pleased being able to say that we have a very dedicated and well-functioning Executive Board team. When we started off a year ago, we drafted an ambitious catalogue of tasks and projects we needed and wanted to tackle. We worked hard and despite having achieved a lot - not all of those points could be resolved. One major hurdle was that it has become increasingly difficult for a number of the Executive Board members to find the time required to perform Federation work. The more so, we are very appreciative of those service providers supporting IFATCA's goals and its voluntary workers. It has been one of the team’s goals to raise our profile with other international bodies. Gaining more visibility allows other organizations learn and benefit from our work, as a non-political, voluntary and non-profit Federation. This provides us with more opportunities to raise the controllers’ voice in a regional and global environment that has become increasingly hostile towards aviation professionals. Promoting our work and showing the potential a good collaboration between service providers and front line operators can have, benefits the overall system. Unfortunately obstacles such as economic interests and incomprehensible decisions curtail this potential. On several occasions it has been brought to the Executive
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Boards attention that individual members as well as complete member associations of IFATCA have been restricted in their national and/or international work. Whilst the Federation will always support its Member associations to protect and gain more influence with their national entities, it is of paramount importance that we together promote the goals of IFATCA. Member associations have an obligation towards their Federation to be actively involved and share the knowledge gained at regional and annual conferences. The future of our ATC profession demands the communication of ideas and experiences on an international level. The potential of technology and the ubiquity of social networks can be a big enabler - if chosen wisely. The Internet and more specifically the use of the IFATCA website and social media empowers us to publish fast, extensive and globally. Where physical attendance is impossible, the use of a web streaming feature or the production of tutorials allows us to close gaps. The Executive Board is studying these latter possibilities to further the interaction with the Federations’ members. Improved visibility of the Federation for our members will unfortunately also create vulnerability. I would like to take this opportunity and urge every individual member to scrutinize his or her posts on Facebook or Twitter. Be aware of the public nature of your submission – no matter how you manipulate the security settings – whatever you push out into the World Wide Web – it is public and retrievable.
Unfortunately, some people are learning this the hard way. Their innocent posts have been taken out of context, and even altered, to undermine and slander the image of themselves and the air traffic control profession. As it's hard to imagine a world without internet and social media, as a Federation we must warn and educate people about the possible boomerang effect an seemingly innocent post may have... Dear members, - keep up the good spirit and assist us in promoting our profession. It is your Federation! I am looking forward to meet you all in Sofia at our annual conference. Professionally yours,
pcx@ifatca.org
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INVITATION
WORLD CONTROLLERS‘ CUP The Global Soccer Tournament for Air Traffic Controllers & Pilots
8 to 14 14,NOV,2015 NOV,2015
MEXICO Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
WHAT IS REQUIRED?
To find out if there are any colleagues from your country participating send an email to contact@playthewcc.com
Photos: © LCDR
4 Just Culture
6
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4 Just Culture
VNUKOVO ACCIDENT PROTEST ^
by Philip Marien, Editor The Controller, IFATCA
We reported in the last issue on the accident at Vnukovo airport that killed Total CEO Christophe de Margerie on October 20th 2014. Along with three others, he was killed when his jet hit a snow plough during take-off. The controller on duty at the time was arrested as were 2 of the snow plough operators. A trainee controller and the head of operations at Vnukovo airport were placed under house arrest. On November 8th 2014, about 100 people protested the arrest and detention of two air traffic controllers and the director of operations of Moscow’s Vnukovo airport.
committed traffic safety violations under article 263 of the Penal Code. Even though the outcome of the investigation is not expected before the end of May 2015, the investigation into the criminal case of the above five suspects has been completed. Final charges have been brought against them. In addition, similar charges were also filed against the head of Moscow’s Air Traffic Control Centre.
More information can be found via the following links: The group of protesters gathered outside the airport and included controllers, airport staff and pilots. They demanded the release of “Sveta, Sascha and Roma”, as the initial investigation into the accident had failed to reveal any wrongdoing by the control staff. The interim report of the Russian Civil Aviation Safety Investigations Bureau (MAK), with support from the French Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) explicitly states that the runway was clear when the take-off clearance was given to the corporate jet. It also confirmed that no authorization had been given for the snow plough to be on the active runway. Nevertheless, together with those operating the snow plough, they are accused of having
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Le Courrier de Russie 13NOV2014 [French] Le Courrier de Russie 11MAR2015 [French] RAPSI [English] Thanks to http://www.lecourrierderussie.com and Thomas Gras for permission to use their photos.
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4 Americas
NATCA’s COMMUNICATING FOR Safety Is In Our DNA SAFETY ^ by Patrik Peters, IFATCA PCX & CEO
Photos: DP & NATCA
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA, USA) hosted its annual Communicating for Safety (CFS) conference March 2-4 in Las Vegas. The event has grown from 40 attendees in 1999 to more than 1,500 this year, further reflecting the growing level of collaboration between NATCA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the international aviation community and industry stakeholders. This year IFATCA participated, following its Executive Board meeting, with several members of the Board. DP Scott Shallies, EVPP Eric Risdon, EVPT Duncan Auld, EVP AFM Keziah Ogutu, EVP EUR Željko Oreški, EVP ASP Mike O'Neill and PCX Patrik Peters proudly represented IFATCA in a booth in the exhibition hall with information promoting the Federation and our annual conferences, both Sofia/Bulgaria April 2015 and the following year 2016 in tandem with the CFS Las Vegas. NATCA President Paul Rinaldi opened the
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conference with a keynote address focusing on the important need to talk about aviation safety. “We are all here because safety is in our DNA. Our common dedication to creating the safest transportation system in the world brings us together to start conversations that move the needle on aviation safety.” Rinaldi stressed the increasingly global nature of aviation and the airspace. This conference hosted aviation safety professionals from around the world. “It really doesn’t matter where we’re from or what system we work in, we are one large aviation community, one worldwide airspace,” Rinaldi said. “We’re the same breed, the same family, the same DNA, and together we can implement the unbelievable.” Other speakers at this year’s event included FAA Administrator Michael Huerta; Christopher Hart, acting chair, National Transportation Safety Board; Edward Bolton,
FAA assistant administrator for NextGen; Tom Costello, correspondent, NBC News; Gordon Graham, risk management expert; and James H. Fallon, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California, Irvine. Several panels were conducted covering topics on how voluntary reporting has advanced aviation safety, aviation weather, human factors in pilot and controller communications, foundations of professionalism, and the national safety initiative. A special presentation focused on the incredible story of how nearly three-dozen facilities responded to the Chicago Center outage over 17 days last fall. Together with other international guests, IFATCA President Patrik Peters participated in a panel on air traffic control modernization and safety. Introduced by Teri Bris-
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4 Americas
Members’ Finest Work Honoured at Annual Awards Banquet On March 4, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) honored air traffic controllers involved in nine flight assists from around the U.S. at the 11th annual Archie League Medal of Safety Awards. Named for the first air traffic controller, the NATCA Archie League Medal of Safety Awards honors the top examples of skill, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by NATCA members in the previous year. Each honoree saved a life or lives in emergency situations. “Every day, air traffic controllers keep us safe and sound, seamlessly,” said NATCA President Paul Rinaldi. “Controllers will say it’s routine, but these assists are remarkable and life saving. These men and women provided help during incredibly tough moments; they demonstrated an unbelievable combination of skill, quick thinking and grace under pressure. We are proud to recognize their exemplary efforts.” The honorees include a Houston TRACON air traffic controller who provided assistance to a pilot stuck above the clouds in terrible weather for two hours and was getting low on fuel; a controller at Potomac Consolidated TRACON who prevented a collision between two aircraft flying under visual flight rules; a Central Florida TRACON air traffic controller who spotted a pilot heading directly into the path of a commercial aircraft and prevented a collision; and two Boston Tower air traffic controllers who prevented a runway collision between two commercial aircraft. “These award winners went to work ready to handle anything,” said NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert. “They relied on their training, their skill, their team and their supreme professionalism. These incidents all ended safely because of the controllers using every available tool at their disposable. They were determined to do whatever was needed. Congratulations to them on their incredible performances.” Watch the awards ceremony on the NATCA YouTube Channel. See the photo album of the awards ceremony on the NATCA Flickr Page. The 2015 Archie League Medal of Safety Award winners: Alaskan Region: Parker Corts, Anchorage Center Central Region: Travis Arnold, Omaha TRACON Eastern Region: Joseph Rodewald, Potomac Consolidated TRACON Great Lakes Region: Justine Krenke, Adam Helm, and Mike Ostrander, Green Bay Tower/TRACON New England Region: Kelly Eger and Sarah LaPorte Ostrander, Boston Tower Northwest Mountain Region: Mark Haechler, Al Passero and Matt Dippe, Seattle Center Southern Region: Sarina Gumbert, Central Florida TRACON Southwest Region: Hugh McFarland, Houston TRACON Western Pacific Region: Jesse Anderson, Brackett Field Tower
tol, COO of Air Traffic Organisation, FAA, NATCA's Director of Safety and Technology (and former IFATCA EVP Finance). Dale Wright and Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) President Margaret Jenny moderated the discussion providing a national and international perspective on NextGen and other safety topics. Panellists discussed PBN procedures in the US, new technology introduced at controller workstations at National Air Traffic Services (NATS/UK) and compared those with pilots' experiences with new technology and procedures to enhance safety and efficiency. Peters highlighted the importance of training from a global perspective and gave examples of how technology can assist controllers in dealing with traffic shifts due to re-routings around conflict zones. On March 4, NATCA concluded CFS with its 11th annual Archie League Medal of Safety Awards banquet. Named after the first air traffic controller, Archie League, the awards honour top examples of skill, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by NATCA members in the previous year. “These award winners went to work ready to handle anything,” Trish Gilbert, NATCA Vice-President said. “They relied on their training, their skill, their team and their supreme professionalism. These incidents all ended safely because of the controllers using every available tool at their disposal. They were determined to do whatever was needed.” Participation at the CFS not only was a learning exercise for all of us who attended, it also offered a great opportunity to exchange views and discuss with our sisters and brothers of NATCA and other international organizations. We thank NATCA for the invitation as we all enjoyed the warm welcome by the delegates. IFATCA is looking forward to a continued good collaboration and invite NATCA members to actively participate in their Federation - for example at the upcoming conferences in Sofia/Bulgaria 2015 and Las Vegas 2016. ^
pcx@ifatca.org
More information about the award winners, their stories, and the audio recordings of the events, with transcripts can be found via the NATCA page.
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4 Americas
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE
A Visit To The ATC Facilities
^ by Philippe Domogala, Deputy Editor During the IFATCA Executive Board meeting, held last February in Las Vegas, board members visited the ATC facilities at the nearby Nellis Air Force Base. This was made possible thanks to Capt. Matthew Francom, the unit’s ATC commander. As expected, security to enter the base was tight and it took a while to have our photos taken and passes issued. Once these formalities were out of the way, a waiting bus took us to the TWR, located on the opposite side of the airport. The ride gave us an opportunity to appreciate the size of the base, and gave us a distant view of a long line-up of B-1 and B-52 bombers. In addition to the operational squadrons based here, the base is used for test and training purposes. These make extensive use of the enormous military operational training area to the north of Las Vegas. This area covers the infamous Area 51, which often features in the movies. This massive area is known as the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). It is the largest contiguous air and ground space available for peacetime military operations in the free world. The tower cab has all the normal facilities a civil one would, including a radar screen,
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which shows the traffic in the terminal area as displayed to the terminal controllers. About 60 controllers work here and their main challenge is to integrate the various aircraft types operating on this base: these range from bombers such as the B1s and B52s we saw, to all variants of the fighter jets including F-16s, F-15s, F-22s, A-10s. More recently, the new F-35 was also being flight-tested here. Then there are helicopters, C-130s and almost every other type of aircraft you can think of. As if that wasn’t enough, it is also home of the Thunderbirds, the USAF’s aerobatic display team. These use F-16s and practice here regularly. The huge performance differences of these aircraft make them difficult to integrate. Although the number of movements is not that high (around 77.000 in 2014), traffic can come in very concentrated peaks during the day. Fighter aircraft returning from practice combat missions can be a special kind of challenge, as the pilots are usually
high on adrenaline and short of fuel. All this adds to the pressure for the controllers. On the positive side, 99% of the time the weather is good in Nevada! We then visited their terminal facility, which includes the approach and area control centres. Security is even tighter here. Visitors and staff are required to leave their mobile phones behind. There are huge signs everywhere to remind staff about this, including a crushed phone under a rock at the reception area reminding people of what happens to their phone if they forget to hand it in! It’s a bit more forceful than the “Turn off - Tune In” slogan that NATCA uses in FAA facilities. Last September, the facility was upgraded to use the new US ATM System, STARS, which allows
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4 Americas automatic hand-off to the FAA’s ATC system. In the TMA area, they control traffic up to 23.000 ft. Within the training range, this goes up to unlimited, which in practice is about 60.000 ft. They can have up to 16 sectors, but only 13 are in fact used to cover both the terminal area around the base and the training range. Most of their work is to separate, inform and integrate all the training and testing activities. This extends to include UAVs and VFR transits. Perhaps surprisingly, VFR traffic can transit the area as long as they do not look like military aircraft: otherwise they could be mistaken as targets! They all operate 24/7 with around 90 controllers. As in other places, controller training and validation is an issue, mainly due to complexity. Their current failure rate is quite high, at around 70%, comparable to what other high complexity units experience across the world. There are also some private controlling agencies that coordinate specific tasks, like flight testing, which are co-located in their facility.
4 A B-1B Lancer taxis at Nellis AFB. In the background, the Las Vegas skyline. Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Siuta B. Ika
Located near the ATC facilities is the Threat Squadron, which operates Russian equipment bought around the world to act as targets for the USAF. In front of their
hangar are a Sukhoi Su-7 and a MiG-17, but far more modern Russian jets are also at their disposal. All-in-all, a very interesting and informative visit that gave us a glimpse into a lesser known side of aviation, despite having to work alongside them every day. A special thanks to Sgts Diaz and McNeese for their time and friendly reception during the actual visit, and to Capt. Francom for authorising our tour of his facility. ^
dp@the-controller.net
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4 Conference
WORLD ATM CONGRESS 2015 March 10-12 2015, Madrid, Spain
^ by Phlippe Domogala, Deputy Editor If there was a buzzword at this 3rd World ATM Congress, it was “remote”. Nearly every stand was promoting a product or service that was promoting a product or service that would enable something to be done remotely. Naturally, Remote Towers were prominently featured, but there were also remote virtual centers, remote AIS and pretty much anything else in between. This year, the congress part of the event had a much larger attendance than the two previous editions. According to the organiser’s website, there were around
promoting IFATCA’s points of view. A visible trend this year was also the increasing number of service providers (ANSPs) that had massive, impressive and probably very expensive stands. They really gave the impression of trying to sell an actual product alongside the “real” manufacturers. It probably shows that competition among ANSPs is really heating up. It also makes you wonder how these entities are going to cooperate: because the news and future of the European Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) looks
4 IFATCA PCX & CEO Patrik Peters during one of the panel discussions.
gloomier than ever before. Most people seem to agree, at least when talking to them informally, that they serve little other purpose than nice “talking clubs” rather than as anything “functional”! An odd paradox perhaps was that some of the larger ANSPs had smaller stands in the exhibition than some of the ones they are targeting for a take-over. It certainly looks as if these smaller ones won’t give up without a fight. One of the most visited stands – it even had a queue in front of it on Wednesday – was that of Frequentis. This Austrian manufacturer of voice communication equipment demonstrated its tools for remote control towers. But at the same time, Thomas Fränzl, their New Business Development Manager and well known to IFATCA, gave a very down-to-earth view during one of the many “educational workshops”. He warned that the remote towers concept is much more than a camera on top of a mast: it requires an extensive infrastructure, not in the least reliable high-speed connections and
7000 people attending the exhibition, 200 exhibitors and 300 attending the conference part. Sharing a booth with our U.S. NATCA colleagues, IFATCA was present at both the exhibition and conference. Patrik Peters, our President & CEO actively participated in discussions and panels (one on “Just Culture” and another one on “Making Smart Choices”), delivering and
4 Stand of Guntermann & Drunck 12
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4 ROMATSA (Romania) was one of the many service providers with a stand.
4 Demonstration at the Frequentis stand.
4 One of the pioneers
back-up systems. Combining all these to work seamlessly together is not as simple as it sounds and the end-product could be expensive, perhaps contradicting what some advocate it to be... IMTRADEX, the winner of our first IFATCA Technical Award was also present and seems to have gained lots of interest for their nice new headsets. The CANSO conference/panel discussion consisted of four sessions spread across two mornings. They brought together speakers from all branches of the industry to discuss different aspects of Air Traffic Management. During one of the sessions, phrases like “controller salary reductions“ and “more flexibility from highly paid controllers is required” were mentioned, as was the prospect/threat of moving operations to low-cost countries. Though it was perhaps not surprising given the focus on remote operations in the exhibition area, and we’re unsure whether it was said as a warning, a threat or just wishful thinking, but the remark was made.
Risdon, our EVP Professional, mostly manned the booth. We placed a lot of focus on professionalism and clarified that safety should always be the top priority. Many exhibitors came to visit us and all indicated that they would like to be more involved with us. Some even expressed interest to join as Corporate Members. Particularly worth mentioning was the excellent contact with Airbus, through their "ProSky" division. Closer cooperation with them is expected in the future.
After the accident of the Turkish Airlines Airbus 330 in Katmandu, while performing an RNP (RNAV) approach, there were a lot of discussions regarding these types of procedures and on the different GPS augmentation systems in place. The European one, EGNOS, is now operational and many regional operators are already using it. An increasing number of airports are introducing RNAV approaches with Vertical guidance, down to 200 feet decision height (the LVP-200) using EGNOS as a kind of “virtual ILS”. We’ve been invited to Toulouse next May to see some demonstration flights using the system. More on this in next issue. Everyone present in Madrid seemed very satisfied with this year’s event. It’s an invaluable opportunity to network with manufacturers, providers, decision makers and others. Next year, the World ATM Congress will reconvene again in Madrid, from 8-10 March 2016. ^
4 The IFATCA
delegation and NATCA's Trish Gilbert at the shared booth.
As mentioned earlier, IFATCA shared a booth with our U.S. colleagues from NATCA. This proved to be very successful and we plan to explore whether this can be done again in the years to come. Eric
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All photos: Philippe Domogala
of the Remote Tower concept, SAAB
4 Europe
NATCA NORWAY ANNUAL MEETING 2015 March 20-21, 2015, Stavanger, Norway
^ by Phlippe Domogala, Deputy Editor Robert Gjonnes, President of the Norwegian air traffic controllers association (NFF – Norsk Flygeledereforening; www. natca.no) invited IFATCA to their annual meeting, Patrik Peters as President & CEO and Željko Oreški as EVP Europe, to explain what IFATCA is and what we are doing for our members; and myself to give some media communications training.
courts when ATC is involved.
Patrik explained IFATCA, what we do, what our goals are and how we work inside our committees. He gave examples where the Federation was able to help a member association, or an individual controller being caught in a difficult situation, like in Latvia, Uganda and Kazakhstan. He furthermore explained the difficulties we are facing with accidents (like the recent one in Vnukovo/Russia) where individual controllers are arrested and facing legal charges for executing their profession.
Philippe delivered the media communication training in several sessions, stating with basic techniques on how to address the press and manage television interviews. This was followed by a lecture on how to use social media highlighting its dangers and potential.
PCX reported about the work IFATCA is doing to promote just culture and the education of the judiciary through the training in the EUROCONTROL/IFATCA prosecutor courses. These courses are held twice a year, providing experts to
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Željko then explained how Europe is structured and functions with all our other partners, like ATCEUC, IATA, ICAO, Eurocontrol, IFALPA, ECA etc. to make sure our policies are known and interests are addressed.
A formal dinner concluded the day. Local controllers and several retired members were invited. As usual, its was a superb organization by our Norwegian MA. We would like to thank Robert, Christian, Sverre and Tom for their invitation and hospitality. It was a great opportunity to explain IFATCA to the Norwegian executive board, representatives and members. A better understanding of what our work consists of will hopefully create an
increased interest in the Federations activities. Initiatives linking us directly with our membership are very valuable and are definitely worth further exploring and encouraging. With our current membership at 132 different associations, it is certainly not possible to attend every MAs annual meeting. But every MA should consider doing this once in a while. It is a very positive experience for both parties. Once again - Norway shows its leading role amongst our member associations in Europe.^
dp@the-controller.net
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4 Conference
ATYPICAL PILOT CONTRACTS
New European Study Confirms Trend and Raises Concern
^ via the European Cockpit Association (ECA) At a conference on Atypical Forms of Employment in Aviation was held in Paris in February 2015. During this gathering, the outcomes of an extensive academic study led by the University of Ghent (Belgium) and an international network of researchers were presented. It was organised with the assistance of ECA, the Association for European Airlines (AEA), and the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF).
Young pilots are the ones who are most affected by such casualisation of labour. 40% of 20-30 year old pilots are flying without being directly employed by the airline. While finding a job is difficult for young pilots in the first place, they also face situations where they end up subsidising their airline, e.g. by paying the airline to fly its aircraft in order to gain flight experience (“pay-to-fly” schemes). This creates potential conflicts of interests for an independent safety professional, and constitutes straight financial exploitation.
The study was co-financed by the European Commission and carried out on behalf of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Civil Aviation, which comprises the social partners from the airlines, both employers and employees. The study found that an alarming number of pilots are working with no direct link to the airline they actually fly for. Some airlines, especially in the low fares sector‚ draw significantly upon such a “casualised” workforce. Surveying over 6000 participants, more than 1 in 6 pilots in Europe are ‚”atypical” employees, i.e. working through a temporary work agency, as selfemployed, or on a zero-hour contracts with no minimum pay guaranteed. ”The study clearly shows that casualised pilots are worrying about their working conditions and where to pay their taxes and social security. This puts crew under disproportionate strain”, says Emmanuel Jahan, Chair of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue for Civil Aviation, which commissioned the study. “For the social partners a strengthened “home base” principle for air crew is the key criterion towards a common definition of the workplace in labour and social security laws."
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Much of this is possible because the existing legislation has loopholes or is not enforceable. Social security legislation, labour rules, and safety regulations must be adapted to ensure that employment models and management modes do not harm fair competition, nor damage the wellbeing or safety of passengers and crew.
According to the researchers, self-employment is one of the most prevalent types of atypical employment. 7 out of 10 of all self-employed pilots work for a low fares airline. Yet, self-employment is sometimes used to disguise what is in reality regular employment. This creates an unfair competitive advantage for those airlines that use it and severely distorts the aviation market. The study also reveals the safety implications of bogus self-employment: nearly half of self-employed pilots struggle to amend instructions of the airline based on safety or liability objections. Casualisation of labour in aviation is more than just about avoiding social security and taxes. It raises serious concerns about the safety of the industry.
”The study represents a real milestone - the most comprehensive, rigorous, and concrete attempt to quantify and qualify some of the employment problems in the aviation industry.” says Jon Horne, Vice-Chair of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee. ”We are keen to analyse and discuss together with decision-makers the action needed to ensure long-term stability in European air transport, in particular with regard to the detrimental burden placed on younger pilots, exemplified by abhorrent “pay-to-fly” schemes.” ^ More information, including the full report, can be found on the
ECA website.
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4 Technology
SPACE BASED ADS-B The Next Layer of Air Traffic Surveillance
^ An interview with Vincent Capezzuto, Aireon Chief Technology Officer Since the 1940’s, controllers have relied on radar as their primary method of surveillance. In recent years, technology such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) and Wide Area Multilateration (WAM) have become accepted alternatives for radar, providing detailed aircraft information to controllers and pilots. Current ADS-B and radar systems are limited to line of sight, leaving an estimated 70% of the world’s Flight Information Regions (FIR) uncovered by any real-time surveillance. Controllers have become familiar using tools that enhance their situational awareness such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Contract (ADS-C), but with restrictions in both aircraft equipage and an update rate between 10-18 minutes, most controllers remain limited in their ability to provide the desired optimum flight profile of modern aircraft. In 2017, Aireon's space-based ADS-B
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surveillance system will allow for real-time ADS-B data transmissions to Air Traffic Management (ATM) automation platforms and controllers in every FIR, throughout the world. Aireon’s Chief Technology Officer, Vincent Capezzuto, explains how Aireon’s spacebased ADS-B surveillance data will change the way controllers see aircraft throughout the world in 2018 and beyond. How does space-based ADS-B surveillance work and what makes it such a unique solution? Aireon is leveraging the investments that Iridium made in their new Iridium NEXT constellation by leasing space for Aireon’s ADS-B receivers on 72 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The LEO satellites will orbit approximately 485 miles above the earth and each satellite will be crosslinked, creating a dynamic network to ensure continuous availability in every FIR on the globe with low latency and update
rates suitable for air traffic surveillance. Each satellite contains a highly sensitive receiver, designed to collect ADS-B transmissions and interact with Iridium’s mesh network of receivers, satellites and antennas, making the system highly available, redundant and dependable. Aireon’s flexible receiver design takes full advantage of the upcoming ADS-B transponder mandates around the world ensuring compatibility with all 1090 ADS-B versions currently in use. This will allow airlines to maximize the benefits of their investment in this technology. Aireon’s space-based ADS-B surveillance will introduce improved predictability to any air traffic system. Why do we need space-based ADS-B for that? It is imperative that controllers have enhanced situational awareness, from a
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4 Technology
g l o b a l perspective. With the introduction of space-based ADS-B, controllers will have visibility into neighbouring FIRs and experience aircraft track improvement in continuity. This means the controller will be provided with real-time information that is consistently updating the aircraft track in all areas of the FIR, essentially eliminating blind spots and radar stitching across sector boundaries. Reducing the time it takes to establish an aircraft position from minutes to seconds will empower controllers to offer more flexibility and control of aircraft in their region. The current goal is to enable 15Nm separation standards with a combination of High Frequency (HF and Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) in the oceanic domain. With direct controllerpilot communication, 5NM separation will be achievable for ANSP’s to use as a sole surveillance source or as augmentation to an existing surveillance infrastructure. Another use scenario is to have spacebased ADS-B as an independent contingency layer of surveillance for a safer and more predictable surveillance picture for controllers, in the event of a legacy system outage or malfunction. In this scenario the service would be established but turned off until needed to support the emergency response. What will a space based ADS-B target look like to a controller? Aireon is aiming to make system integration seamless for controllers. Aireon’s ADS-B system will behave in a very similar way to ground based ADS-B, and to many automation platforms, it will be treated as any another layer of surveillance. Optically, there may not even be a difference other than displaying more aircraft as “surveillance identified.” For controllers, there will no longer be any blind spots in FIRs. All areas of the world will have full surveillance capabilities for
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ADS-B equipped aircraft and there will be no requirement for any ground-based investments by the Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP). So how does it compare to other solutions, such as ground-based ADS-B and ADS-C? Space-based ADS-B will offer the same efficiency gains that ground-based ADS-B offers to airlines and service providers, but without the significant cost and lead times it takes to build ground infrastructure. A radar site easily costs USD 1 million per year to operate and maintain, where ADS-B costs only a fraction of that amount. Aireon will simply extend those benefits across the entire FIR. Space-based ADS-B takes advantage of the existing world-wide mandates, meaning airlines will be equipping with the avionics anyway and now they will realise additional benefits through the use of both oceanic and terrestrial services. ADS-C is designed for oceanic services and it requires airlines to equip with specialised avionics, which in many parts of the world, only a small percentage of carriers actually use. This limits the controller to providing the surveillance standards based on the lowest equipped aircraft in the mix, limiting overall benefits to airlines. Adding actual real-time surveillance over oceans and remote terrain using existing avionics will drive billions in fuel savings for airlines, far outweighing the costs of implementing the system. There is already a positive business case through fuel savings for airlines by just allowing optimum flight levels using existing communications. It will save an estimated USD 127 million in fuel between Gander and Shanwick in the first year of operation in 2018.
system. In the sky, the Iridium constellation operates with 66 active orbiting satellites, 6 orbiting spare satellites and an additional 9 satellites on ground, all intended to sustain the service. Service providers will be continuously updated with a map containing the status of coverage across service volumes and flight information regions. In the unlikely event of a failure, the status map will automatically reflect the failure and predict where coverage will degrade. The prediction is very accurate as the motion of the satellites is precisely modelled. On the ground, the Aireon processing system will be redundant across multiple dedicated locations. This redundancy will allow Aireon to continue to operate during emergencies such as communications failures and natural disasters. Aireon will staff a 24-hour operations center to continuously monitor the status and performance of the system, including links to Service providers. The operations team will be trained and ready to respond to any critical situation. The system will undergo rigorous testing over the next two years. The testing will be done by Aireon and its launch customers in the North Atlantic and Europe and will ensure all safety cases are being completed. With the first launch of satellites coming up this year, and the constellation completed in 2017, NAV CANADA, ENAV, IAA, NAVIAR and NATS will have several years to prove the concept before implementing it, with many ANSP’s in the process of joining this group of pioneers. So, space based ADS-B will really transform the way we see the sky in 2018? Absolutely. ^
Jessie.Hillenbrand@Aireon.com
Will there be a risk if the system fails and I have no surveillance image? Aireon’s system is highly available, intended to support the function of Air Traffic Control (ATC) separation. Aireon is able to achieve the availability through the deployment of a multi-redundant
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NATIO NAL INTER-
LLERS’ ASSNS. TRO ON
TION OF AIR TRAFF ERA IC C D E F
Performance Tomorrow How PBN is shaping our profession
IFATCA PANEL 2015 23. April 2015
10:00 - 12:30 Hotel Kempinski Zografski Sofia/Bulgaria
featuring speakers from IATA, IFALPA, NATCA/USA & IFATCA.
Next Generation Aviation Professionals - what is the Task Force doing?
ICAO Workshop
NGAP & Competency based training
by Nicole Barrette, Technical Specialist ICAO and Ashley Lauryssen, Training Strategies Manager EUROCONTROL
FFIC CONTROLLER TRA S’ A AIR
INTE R-
IONAL FEDERATION NAT OF
NS. SS
Kempinski Zografski Hotel IFATCA Conference Room Sofia 1 & 2 Thursday 23. April 2015 13:30 - 15:00
4 Workshop
SAFETY OVER THE HIGH SEAS
EUROCONTROL Expert-Workshop on Enhancing Safety for Civil and Military Flights
^ by Michael Steinfurth, Head of CMAC Division, EUROCONTROL In response to a request from its Member States and with due regard to the ICAO European Air Navigation Planning Group Conclusion 56/031 on safety concerns regarding operations involving civil and military aircraft over the High Seas, EUROCONTROL has conducted a Workshop looking at options to increase the safety for civil and military flights over the High Seas on 2 and 3 March 2015. More than 70 civil and military technical experts from 24 States2, NATO, EU, IATA and EUROCONTROL have been working together under the “Chatham House Rules” to stay outside of any political dimension. In his opening remarks, the Director General of EUROCONTROL emphasised that the aim of the Workshop was to review and understand the legal and regulatory
framework3, resulting obligations and the different needs of civil and military actors with the aim to enhance safety for all, without interfering with the international right of every State to freely navigate over the High Seas with “due regard” to the safety of civil aviation. To start the workshop, existing legal and regulatory frameworks have been tabled by presentations of the EUROCONTROL Legal Service and ICAO, followed by several civil and military presentations detailing requirements and applied procedures of civil Air Navigation Service Providers, airlines and military aviation. The presentations on the legal and regulatory frameworks reminded all workshop participants on existing facts like the international right of free navigation for all over the High-Seas outside territorial waters of
a State and the ICAO delegated task to provide safety for civil aviation over parts of the High-Seas to many States with a coastline. The presentations from civil ANSPs and IATA showed that it has become standard practice for civil aviation to operate over the High Seas in a similar fashion as above national territories, applying rules and procedures as in controlled airspace (Class A, B, C or D). This may give civil Air Traffic Control Officer and Pilots the perception that standard minimum IFR separation criteria are mandatory. The military presentations from States and NATO made it clear that neither States nor the Alliance will accept interference with the right for free navigation over the High Seas, however, they will always ensure due regard to the safety of civil aviation, mainly
1 That, noting the growing safety concern regarding events involving civil and military aircraft over the High Seas, the ICAO Regional Director, Europe and North Atlantic, on behalf of the EANPG, encourage States and International Organizations concerned to take action, in accordance with EANPG Conclusion 51/03, to review and enhance at national and international level their civil/military arrangements and coordination procedures involving all State authorities concerned, with a view to reducing the risk of serious incidents or accidents.
2 Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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United Nations Convention on the High Seas; ICAO Doc 7300; Doc 4444, Annex 2 and 11; Circular 330.
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4 Workshop by adherence to the ICAO Rules of the Air for VFR in uncontrolled airspace (e.g. Class G). The measures that States have taken to ensure “due regard” are usually tabled in respective national operational instructions issued to their aircrews. From these presentations, it became clear to the workshop participants that in a “simplified” technical-level view, the issue for aviation over the High Seas is the mixed mode operation of IFR (civil) and VFR (military) in the same airspace. In this mixed mode operation, the civilian side is conducting its operation with procedures on regulatory grounds for class A, B C or D airspace and the military side is conducting its operation on regulatory grounds for class G airspace. The UN Convention on the High Seas only knows and guarantees the free navigation over the High Seas for all States, which strongly suggests that the only applicable regulatory framework internationally agreed by all States for the High Seas would be the ICAO rules for VFR in uncontrolled airspace, like for Class G over national territory. Within this scenario, the workshop participants discussed potential options to increase safety for both, civil and military
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aviation conducted over the High Seas. I n these discussions it became clear that in commercial civil aviation as it is organised today, civil pilots are not allowed to fly VFR or “due regard”, which means that contrary to their differently trained military colleagues, they have other perceptions on the safe conduct of flight and generally consider procedures under VFR or “due regard” as the very last option for avoiding a mid-air collision.
44 Sharing primary radar data, including military radar 44 Military transponder utilisation 44 Use of flight plans for military flights 44 Required airmanship and safety culture 44 Design and utilisation of airspace over the high seas with all partners 44 Developing common civil-military understanding of ‘due regard’ 44 Considering an information campaign on roles and responsibilities of all pilots and ATCOs for flights over the high seas
This leads to the conclusion that the different civil and military philosophies of aviation, based on their different operational requirements, encounter each other in an airspace over the High Seas for which “due regard” is the legal basis.
The results of this workshop will be presented at a Civil-Military ICAO Symposium that will take place mid-April in Paris and is intended to support further works to increase the safety for civil and military flights over the High Seas under the ICAO umbrella.
This suits the military side, as it provides them with the required operational flexibility. But the high volume of civil traffic today, and the predicted increase, requires a sophisticated way to safely manage this flow, supported by ground and airborne automated tools. In such an environment, a sudden and unforeseen appearance by military aircraft has the potential to create problems for the civil ATM system. With these different civil and military needs in mind, the workshop participants considered civil-military information-sharing as the most promising way-forward and identified several potential options:
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson
“We all know that flights over the High Seas are a delicate political issue, as it touches on the rights – agreed by international law - of each State to freely operate over the High Seas; nevertheless all States and relevant International Organisations should work together that this right can be executed in the safest manner possible”, says Frank Brenner, Director General of EUROCONTROL. ^
michael.steinfurth@eurocontrol.int
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4 Asia/Pacific
SPREADING THE WORD Teaching Cadet Airline Pilots About Air Traffic Control
^ by Phil Parker, Asia/Pacific Correspondent The world airlines are facing a huge shortage of pilots over the coming years. Worldwide, it is estimated that 498,000 pilots will be required by 2033. In Asia alone, 193,300 new pilots will be needed. (Source: Boeing 2013). So what has that got to do with ATC? More than you think. Pilots are finding themselves in the right hand seat of sophisticated aircraft such as the A320 or B737ADV with only a few hundred hours under their belt, especially in Asia and to lesser extent at the moment, the Middle East. The experience level on the flight deck is getting more and more diluted every day as older pilots retire, and this will have to have an effect on aviation safety. I’m not saying that the low hour pilots can’t fly the aircraft. What I’m saying is that there is a big difference between being endorsed on an aircraft type and flying it in a busy operational environment as part of a crew. It’s already having an effect on training captains with airlines as they struggle to train these brand new First Officers to
operate the aircraft in a safe and confident manner.
on the airline, it may take less than 5 years to get a command.
Now you might say, “hasn’t that always been the case?” Well the answer is no. Until the last few years, the pilots recruited by the airlines had already been very experienced when they started, with sometimes thousands of hours and years of experience, or they have had the benefit of military training. In the past, they may have taken 10 to 15 years to get a command. This has rapidly changed over the last few years. Because of the shortage of pilots and rapid expansion of some airlines, the airlines themselves now have their own cadet pilot training schemes, where they select the pilot candidates and then pay for them to be trained up to Airline Transport Pilot license standard by a dedicated flying training school. After passing an 18 month to 2 year course with the required licenses, they do a simulator endorsement with their airline and then sit in the Right hand seat of an advanced multi-crew airliner. In addition, depending
One Training captain I know with a major Hong Kong airline says it’s like flying single pilot IFR, as until the new pilot gets familiar with the airline Standard Operating Procedures, (SOPs), and the ATC operating environment, they can be more of a hindrance than a contribution as part of a multi-crew operation. He also said that pilots with very low hours, are in fact scared of ATC and of using the radio. They are more concerned with getting the R/T right than flying the aircraft. ICAO, IATA, IFALPA and the RAeS are acutely aware of these problems and formed a working group called the IPTC, (International Pilot Training Consortium), which is a group put together by ICAO, IATA, IFALPA & the RAeS to look at pilot training on a world wide basis. Part of this working group is concerned with training cadet airline pilots more about ATC communications than has been done in the past. Believe it or not,
4 B747-8 simulator lined up on 07R
Photos: Phil Parker
in Hong Kong.
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4 Asia/Pacific ATC communications was not mandated for legacy commercial pilot license training in the past. Pilots simply learnt as they went. ICAO has partially changed this state of affairs in Doc 9868 with reference to the multi-crew pilot license and competency assessment requirements. This in turn requires learning more about the ATC interface during training both in the classroom and simulator. You also may not be aware that many countries, in compliance with Doc. 9868, are now putting in place regulations for multi-crew pilot training which involves the ‘progressive introduction of a sophisticated flight environment including ATC’ (Doc 9868 Para 3.10.2), as part of the pilot training course. The only trouble with this is that these cadet pilots, are being taught about ATC operations by pilots. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but from my point of view, this is giving student pilots a one sided view of their future operational environment. I attended AAETS 2015, (APATS Aviation Education and Training Symposium), in Seoul in early February on behalf of a small company involved in training solutions for airline cadet pilots. I made a presentation on ‘Simulating ATC for Pilot Students’. There were 780 delegates there, mostly pilots, instructors and pilot training companies. The presentation went very well and I mainly discussed the fact that very few pilots know anything about ATC and the problem training cadet airline pilots about ATC operations was that they are being taught by pilots with insufficient
4 Controllers in an A330 simulator. knowledge of the ATC system as a whole.
work environment safer and more efficient.
Legislation by regulators as a result of Doc 9868 for better educated pilots with regard to ATC, should be just part of the training process. We controllers, as a group, need to be more involved with educating aircrew about how ATC actually works instead of how they think it works. The earlier in a pilot’s career we can do this, the better operational outcomes, especially in the high-density environments we have. This is not just a one sided problem. We as controllers should also obtain a better understanding of pilot operational problems and aircraft performance. There is a need for initiatives at both the international and local levels for controllers and pilots to get together formally and informally for a better understanding of each other’s problems to make our mutual
I actually started work on this education process of pilots and controllers 25 years ago in Hong Kong. I did this by arranging ATC/Pilot gatherings, pilot briefings and visits to ATC, the use of flight simulators by controllers, (an arrangement started with Cathay Pacific in 1990 and still going), and the writing of articles for airline crew magazines explaining how ATC works. Mike O’Neill, EVP Asia Pacific, is carrying on pilot visits with the help of the HKATCA members. I would like to suggest that other member associations get involved with this sort of initiative by contacting local flight training organizations and airlines to promote better understanding of ATC by pilots. ^
philatcinhk@gmail.com
4 Future airline pilots training at Flight Training Adelaide.
4 Airline type rating. THE
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4 Asia/Pacific
FLYING IN LAOS ^ by Philippe Domogala, Deputy Editor
Whenever I travel to a country I haven't been to before, I try to make time to make a VFR flight. So far, I've managed to do this in about 40 different countries around the world, and each time, it's a different experience. My latest trip took me to Laos...
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4 Asia/Pacific As is mostly the case around the world, a country that has the letters P.D.R. in front of its name is usually not the most VFR-friendly. While those letters stand for People’s Democratic Republic (although it’s locally better known as “Please Don’t Rush”, which is closer to the truth!) but PDR also implies it’s a communist country, with a military government that considers people flying VFR, especially if they are foreigners, as potential spies. A friend who flies helicopters in the region told me that they are required to bring a military “observer” along on every VFR flight!
It’s clear that we’re not exactly in a well-regulated country: the balloons weren’t very new to say the least and they didn’t have any registration marks. As soon as the balloons were inflated and upright, a helper opened a door in one basket and the first group was ushered inside. For me, it was the first time I saw a door on a balloon basket. Even more concerning was that it was “secured” with a piece of wire, which didn’t look like it offered much protection against the door opening mid-flight.
So although there are a couple of C172s parked at Vientiane airport, they are not for hire! And definitively not by a foreigner.
Because I had talked to the crew before, I was given a bit of a VIP treatment: I was asked to join one of the pilots in the “cockpit” of one of the balloons. It wasn’t more than a small separate section within the basket, with a divide separating the pilot, and the gas bottles, from the passengers. Oddly/fortunately enough, that section did not have a door.
But in Vang Vieng, a small city some 150 Km north of Vientiane, I found a company that organizes balloon flights. This company is run by Chinese and offers sightseeing flights for about US$80. If I wanted to get in the air, even only as a passenger, that seemed to be the only way. It didn’t look too bad on paper, so I decided to contact them. As I quickly discovered, language was the first barrier. Nobody in this company spoke any English, only Chinese. Despite this, I went along and got to meet 2 of their 3 pilots. Using a lot of gestures and pointing (something they are obviously very used to), I understood that they came from Guillin in China. They have 3 balloons and are were there to make money by flying tourists around. A flight would last around 35 minutes at the most, as they were not allowed to go beyond certain points in the valley. The problem wasn’t any big military secret or something they didn’t want tourists to see, but rather that certain areas are still full of landmines (see box). A minivan picked me up at my hotel and together with a few more fellow-tourists, brought me to a nearby rice field. There, we found 3 balloons lying on the ground, surrounded by a handful of “local helpers”. The passengers were nicely divided into 3 groups. No weights were asked or checked, let alone that we got any safety briefing: there were still no English speakers around.
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Without wasting time exchanging pleasantries (or anything else) with his passengers, the pilot turned up the burners full blast and we took off. It was a gorgeous evening and we were treated to beautiful sunset views over the mountains. Ballooning is always a wonderful experience. Unlike most of the passengers, I had done this before. So I
4 Taking off
4 Our Chinese Crew
enjoyed the ride and the views rather than continuously talking and taking photos. Not that I can blame them – I did the same on my first balloon flight. After about 25 minutes, we started flying lower and lower. I was a bit puzzled, as there wasn’t a site anywhere I could see that looked suitable to land a balloon. I knew from experience that choosing the right landing site and the approach technique are in fact the trickiest parts of ballooning. We overflew some houses and cleared treetops and power lines by only a few meters. Yet there was still no open space in sight. My pilot didn’t appear to be worried, so I simply thought: “Well, he does this everyday, so who am I to worry hey?” This turned out to be a wrong assumption. Obstacles were coming closer and closer to our basket. By now, everyone on board went dead silent and started to hold on tight without having been asked or told. The pilot
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4 Asia/Pacific
4 Selfie at 2000ft with our pilot
All Photos: Philippe Domogala
has not said a word to anyone since take off. It seems that brushing against trees is an effective way to keep your passengers quiet and attentive during landing. At that point, a large tree came into view at the same height as our basket. It was extremely obvious to everyone that there’s no way we could avoid it. And we didn’t: as it turned out, it was a “flexible“ tree. It slowed our balloon to a negligible speed and when we cleared the branches, the pilot threw a neatly rolled nylon strap-rope overboard. About 10-15 metres below us was a very small rice field surrounded by trees. Five or six locals ran to grab the rope, which brought the balloon to a dead stop. Then the “coolies”, as they are called, started pulling hard to drag the
balloon to a parking area near For US$80, it was definitely a good a dirt road where a minibus experience. It’s a bargain when compared was waiting. A few minutes to a similar trip in other countries. Would I later, the basket finally hit do it again? Most probably, even if it would the ground softly. The pilot be a stretch to call it a “safe” experience jumped up and down to get by our western standards. When seen it a few centimeters off the from a local perspective, it probably less ground again to allow the dangerous than taking a bus trip through coolies to move it further the mountains on the way to this place. into the parking area. We all Or than riding a bike at night, which jumped to help him, which some tourist do. If you want a 100% safe made him smile for the first environment, then a balloon trip like this time, saying “Good! Good!”, is probably the least of your worries. But the only English words he you’ll also miss one of the nicest countries spoke during the entire trip. in South East Asia. dp@the-controller.net When the balloon was where they wanted it, a coolie opened the door and everybody The Most Bombed Country in the World walked out into the Between 1964 and 1973, the CIA conducted a secret war against waiting minibus. It was surprising to see the coolies walking barefooted. A local later explained me that these rice fields are relatively safe and that there’s normally no snakes in them, as they are “too dry”. I’m sure that the other passengers, most of whom were wearing flip-flops, would have been happy to know this.
the Hò Chí Minh trail, a logistical trail used by the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (called the Vietcong or "VC" by its opponents) and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), or North Vietnamese Army, during the Vietnam War. One of the results is that Laos was, and still is today, the most bombed country on earth – far more than Germany, Japan or North Vietnam. It is estimated that 80 million bombs still lay unexploded in the country. Each year, these claim the lives of hundreds of people a year, mostly children. By far the most dangerous ones are the cluster bombs. These were dropped in so-called carpet bombings by B52s toward the end of the war. A larger bomb delivers a load of very 4 Unexploded cluster sub-munition small bombs (locals Photo: Seabifar via wikipedia call them “bombies”), the size of a tennis ball, which explode on contact. Tourists are reminded not to wander outside marked roads and tracks in the wild. So, back to our notion of safety: in Laos, it’s better to land a balloon near or even in a “safe“ tree than in a wide open field where a few bombs may still lie waiting to be touched… If you want to know more about the cluster bombs in Laos visit www.copelaos.org
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SOFTWARE DEFINED ADS-B RECEIVERS Follow Air Traffic Using a Cheap USB Dongle
^ by Philip Marien, Editor About 10 years ago, The Controller featured an article on a personal ADS-B receiver. This enabled aviation enthusiasts to receive ADS-B transmissions from aircraft. A disadvantage was that it was a relatively expensive solution for (occasional) home use… In the meantime, some hackers have discovered a method to use a simple USB stick that is normally used to receive digital broadcasts (DVB and DAB). This can be turned into a powerful Software Defined Radio system. Radio components such as modulators, demodulators and amplifiers are traditionally implemented in hardware components. The advent of modern computing allows most of these traditionally hardware based components to be implemented using software instead. Hence, the software defined radio, or SDR. This enables easy signal processing and thus cheap wide band scanner radios to be produced. The biggest advantage of using software is that it can be used for a much broader range of frequencies than a traditional hardware solution. If you think about an FM radio, it’s usually limited from around 80 MHz to 108MHz.
within the range that these cheap SDRs can receive. This means they can pick up ADS-B signals broadcast by aircraft and that, much like the more expensive, dedicated systems discussed earlier, they can be used to show a traffic display on any PC or even tablet. In addition, they can also receive radio transmissions from/to aircraft on the normal aviation band (112 – 138 MHz), though not simultaneously. The fact that it works on laptops and tablets means it can be a great asset to spotters and other enthusiasts. Depending on your setup – mainly the location and quality of your antenna – a range of 200 Nm is possible. But even with the simple antenna that usually comes with the USB dongle, a range of 50+ Nm is possible.
Some software even allows multilateration, though this needs an additional GPS module to ensure the signals have an accurate timestamp. For those keen to experiment, it’s possible to receive all sorts of transmissions: decoding aircraft ACARS messages; tracking and receiving meteorological agency launched weather balloon data; receiving NOAA weather satellite images; listening to satellites and the ISS; radio astronomy and much more. Google “RTL SDR” will show many websites that get you started. ^
editor@ifatca.org
A number of sites, such as flightradar24.com, rely on a network of volunteers to supply them with ADS-B data. Some use high-end receivers, but others use a very simple and cheap setup using these dongles. Even lowend system, such as a Raspberry Pi board can be used to decode the ADS-B data and share it on the internet. If you’re in an area that has little or no coverage, some sites will even provide the equipment free of charge. The only thing you’ll need to get going is a permanent internet connection.
A simple DVB receiver, costing less than US$20, can be used to receive transmissions from around 25 – to 1750 MHz. In addition, it’s not limited to a specific modulation, such as AM or FM, but it’s limited only by what the software can be told to do. Other traditional filters, like squelch, are also handled by software. The cheapest solution currently available uses a Realtek chip called the RTL2832U. Why would this interest us? Well, you’ll notice that 1090MHz is well
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4 Top: an example of a suitable USB dongle
Middle: ADS-B decode from a number of aircraft Botton: web-based tracking of aircraft within range
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4 Europe
AN EXCEPTIONAL MAN The Inspirational Story of Emilio Lopez Madrigal
^ by Pedro Contreras Blanco, former ATM Safety Manager, Aena It's hard to believe that during the 50's, in a country in which disability was still a permanent stigma, a man lacking both forearms, the fibula of one leg and the tibia of another, could ever become a an air traffic controller. Yet everything in Emilito's life, both at a professional and personal level, has been truly exceptional. Although his friends still call him by his affectionate nickname Emilito, meaning “Little Emilio” in Spanish, Emilio López Madrigal is one of the most exceptional human beings one can come across in life. He was born in Madrid, Spain on 29th November in 1929. It’s not hard to imagine how painful it must have been for his parents, Emilio and Victorina, to learn that their long-awaited son was born with a serious disability: he was missing two forearms, the fibula of one leg and the tibia of the other. Despite the obvious difficulties in the first few years, little by little they managed to teach their son how to overcome his handicap. He learned how to walk by going
around the dinner table and strengthened his legs by kicking a ball around. When he was 11, he started using a special boot that made his left leg the same as his right. His fathered challenged him to pick up pins from the table. Having mastered this, he learned how to scribble on paper, eventually got better at drawing, and soon mastered writing. His father, a very cultured man, home-schooled him and the boy dedicated long hours to reading and listening to the radio.
even sat the exams, although it didn’t get him an official grade.
When he became a teenager, they found that no school would enrol their son as a student. Eventually, his parents managed to register first at the British Institute, where he learned to speak English. He finished secondary school at the French Institute, having also mastered French.
After passing selection tests for a post in Madrid Youth Radio Station, only to be turned down again due to his “disabled condition”, his mother learned that the control tower at Barajas Airport was looking for Air Traffic Controllers. Emilio passed the selection tests with flying colours and began working in the tower. Soon however, the commanding officer in charge of the airport sent him away stating that “this was an airport, not a hospital for the disabled”. At beginning of 1957, he was transferred to the Air Traffic Control Center (Paracuellos) to work as Chief of High Frequency Radio ATC Services.
Along the way, he helped out his father, who had been trained as an industrial engineer and had his own workshop. Emilio took to simple tasks such as welding, assembly and installations, even those related with repairing and theoretical-practical knowledge of telecommunication systems This inspired Emilio to go further and study engineering. As other schools before however, the national School of Telecommunication denied his entry on the grounds of “his disabled condition”. Despite this setback, he regularly attended the lectures and
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The early death of his father was a huge setback. Emilio had to give up his studies and take charge of his father's workshop. When the building’s lease expired, the shop had to close. To make ends meet, his mother took to renting rooms in their apartment. Emilio gave English lessons and worked as a translator, all the while searching for other professional paths.
The commanding officer in charge of the airport sent him away stating that "this was an airport, not a hospital for the disabled"
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4 Europe There he became a Short Wave Radio operator and manager of Recording systems of Aerial Communications. It was there that I had the pleasure of meeting him. I had been working as a controller for a few months, and that afternoon during my break, I went down to the canteen for refreshments. Emilio was at the counter and, after being introduced, he asked for a Coke. And while I pondered whether I would have to help him sit on the chair or help him drink his Coke, he
jumped into the seat, grabbed the bottle with his stump and poured part of the contents into his glass using his other stump. I was left completely speechless. At the Control Centre, he quickly gained everyone's trust, affection and admiration. Always on the lookout for new challenges, in 1965 he heard that airline company Iberia was looking for a technician in Flight Operations, and he decided to sit through the tests. They consisted in a long questionnaire regarding aeronautical knowledge, English skills, and finally a typing exam.
Emilio surprised the examiners when he told them that his typewriter was broken. He then stunned them by disassembling it to get at the broken part and continuing his exam on a working machine to finish the exam perfectly. He joined the Iberia team as Flight Operations technician. Everyone soon got to know his extraordinary skills in using the radio microphone while simultaneously transcribing all data and Feisty Driver messages, both received On the 26th July 1972, Emilio and I were returning from the ATC Center in his specially and transmitted. A few adapted car, which he drove seemingly effort- years later he became flight dispatcher, lessly. Suddenly, another car ran a red light. Re- a acting instantly, Emilio stepped on the brakes combining it with his work and swerved abruptly. He managed to avoid the at the Control Centre. other vehicle by centimetres. Emilio jumped out of his car and challenged the occupants of the Even so, he continued other car to do the same “or I'll kick them out”. looking for new It took some convincing to get him back into the opportunities and taking car. As we passed them, I could see the faces of the other two guys, paralysed and stuck to their advantage of the boom seats, shocked by what they had just witnessed. of television in Spain, he decided to partner up with Enrique Moreno, a colleague air traffic controlle). They started a company that installed televisions and antennas. After looking at the outside, Enrique would tell the client that his partner would be arriving to sort out the internal installation of the cables and the television set. When they opened the door to Emilio, they were all stunned: how could he possibly install a TV set? Some wouldn’t even let him in until Enrique assured them they were partners. In the end, the quality of their work never failed to impress their clients. This often resulted in generous tips and even more importantly, recommendations towards relatives and friends.
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A Lucky Girlfriend
Once while out for a walk with Vicky, Emilio tripped and fell. Concerned he had been hurt, Emilio calmed her noting that the only thing broken was his prostheses. He asked her to go the village to buy screws, a pair of pliers, a hammer, some wire and water. When she came back with these supplies, Emilio fixed his boot and prostheses. “Perfect, just like new,” he said. “Vicky, see how lucky you are to have me as a boyfriend. Anyone else would have broken their foot and we’d be in an ambulance on the way to hospital by now.”
Years later when the medical examiners granted him a permanent disability, Emilio embraced early retirement and moved to La Adrada (Ávila), where he owned a second house. There, far from dedicating his time to a contemplative life, he became a radio amateur and volunteer of the Civil Protection. He even worked as a mayor's lieutenant at the City Hall for a few years. Thus not only has Emilio lead a normal life in the workplace, he's also been a dynamic, socially active man. He has always lived surrounded by friends. Two years after his courtship with Vicky, he married her when he was 28. Quoting Emilio, his wife “saw the man and not the cripple”, and she became an essential support for him for the rest of his life. Nine years after their marriage, their first daughter was born, also named Vicky. She followed in her father’s footsteps and works as an air controller in the Torrejón ACC. For Emilio, the fact that his daughter was born without any type of disability was of an immense relief. Shortly after, Carmen was born, and some years later, Emilio. Today Emilio is 84 years old. Despite having to undergo physically exhausting kidney dialysis, he maintains his typical cheerfulness and good humour, sharing his life with his wife, son and daughters, and seven grandchildren. Thanks to his family’s belief in him and their efforts, this extraordinary individual overcame adversity. He turned the trials and tribulations caused by his physical disadvantage to his advantage. In doing so, he’s an example for those who had the privilege and fortune of having met him. Emilio is, indubitably a role model for many people. ^
pcontrebla@outlook.es
Translated by Laila Ruiz Castillo
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4 Feature
AVIATION DURING WORLD WAR I ^ by Philip Marien, Editor Given that aviation was a relative novelty at the start of World War I, it is no surprise that aerial combat wasn’t the main focus of pilots. The emphasis was clearly on reconnaissance, as we saw in part I of this series. No one had ever considered aircraft or pilots fighting each other. There are even accounts that crews of opposing reconnaissance aircraft were exchanging collegial smiles and waves. But humans being humans, this didn’t last very long. All too soon, they began throwing things at each other: from grenades to grappling hooks and chains. They were trying to prevent that the other side could gather any useful information.
First Casualties
Allegedly the first aircraft brought down by another was when Russian pilot Pyotr Nesterov rammed an Austrian reconnaissance aircraft. This happened on 8 September 1914 in Galicia on the Eastern Front. Both planes crashed as the result of the attack, killing all occupants. Pilots soon began carrying pistols and riffles that they would use to shoot at enemy aircraft. Needless to say, these were not only too inaccurate at the distances involved, but also quite ineffective: unless you happened to hit the pilot, hitting an opponent’s aircraft with a single shot was extremely unlikely to do any real damage.
Part Three: Dogfights and Flying Aces
second crew member to occupy himself with loading, aiming and firing a gun. Early tests had a forward-facing machine gun on so-called pusher aeroplanes. In these, the engine and the propeller are at the back of the aeroplane. Aerodynamically however, these had a number of disadvantages compared to aircraft with a propeller in the front. Main problem was that they were much slower and less manoeuvrable than those with propellers at the front. It was possible to free-fire ‘through’ the propeller, but unavoidably a number of bullets would strike the blades. While metal sheeting provided some relief, finding a way to shoot ‘through’ the propeller without hitting the blades became a primary focus of aviation research. Several designs and patents by German, Russian, British and French inventors all had one thing in common: they worked most of the time, but when they didn’t, they failed catastrophically. This included ricocheting bullets as well as disintegrating propellers. Mid 1915, Anthony Fokker and his team perfected an effective synchronization
mechanism. Originally Dutch, Fokker had begun his aircraft manufacturing business in Germany. At the outbreak of World War I the German government took control of the Fokker plant. Fokker remained as director, designing many aircraft for the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkräfte). In July 1915 the Fokker E.I became the first aircraft to enter service with a "synchronisation gear" which enabled a machine gun to fire through the arc of the propeller without striking its blades. This aircraft and its immediate successors, collectively known as the Eindecker (German for "Monoplane") gave the Germans an important advantage over other contemporary fighter aircraft. By late 1915 Fokker’s technology had given the Germans air superiority. The socalled “Fokker Scourge” limited Allied access to the vital intelligence derived from aerial reconnaissance, as the aircraft used for this were proven particularly vulnerable. It also introduced the world to the first German “flying ace" pilots, such as Max Immelman and Oswald Boelcke.
Guns
On October 5, 1914, French pilot Louis Quenault was the first to shoot a machine gun at a German aircraft. It quickly became obvious that this was an effective way of disabling an opponent. Soon, more and more aircraft were fitted with machine guns. But aiming fire at the enemy aircraft was a huge problem: they quickly realized that, ideally, shots should be fired in the same direction as the aircraft was flying. This allowed the pilot to keep the target in sight. It also eliminated the need for a
4 The first true fighter aircraft: the Fokker E.I with synchronised guns (and, for some reason, a little dog) 30
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4 Feature
4 Adolphe Pégoud,
the very fist flying ace.
Flying Ace
Before looking at some of the more infamous flying aces, perhaps it’s worth looking at what it takes to become one. A “flying ace” is military aviator credited with shooting down multiple enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more. French newspapers first used the term when they described Adolphe Pégoud as “l'as” (the ace), after he downed five German aircraft. More than just a title, it’s been statistically shown that about 5 percent of the aerial combat pilots account for the majority of air-to-air victories. This implies that flying aces are of vital importance in gaining air superiority.
4 Billy Bishop standing in front of his Nieuport 17 Scout.
While the counting systems differed significantly between the various nations/air forces and claimed kills vastly outnumber confirmed ones, there are over 1800 recognised flying aces during World War I.
Balloon Ace
Raids on observation balloons were especially dangerous, as pilots had to get close to the balloons to effectively damage them. This not only meant low level and therefore vulnerable to ground fire, but the balloons were also filled with the highly explosive hydrogen. Because of the danger involved, shooting down a balloon was counted in the “ace” statistics. Some pilots used to specialise in taking these down, but none more so than a Belgian pilot named of Willy Coppens. Between April and October 1918 he was credited with destroying 34 German observation balloons. That it took a special kind of crazy is illustrated by the following two accounts: using his usual tactics of close range fire, Coppens cut a balloon loose from its ties. It bounced up beneath him and momentarily carried his Hanriot aircraft skyward. After his aircraft fell off the balloon, he restarted its engine and flew back to base. The balloon sagged into an explosion. Later when on another attack run, he got shot at from a balloon. He parked his plane on top of the damaged balloon(!), shut down his engine in order to protect its propeller, and waited until the balloon descended to slide off the balloon and fly away. From then on, Coppens' record was spectacular. He scored nearly as many victories as Belgium's other five aces combined. His royal blue plane with its insignia of a thistle sprig became so well known that the Germans called it ‘der blaue Teufel’ (the blue devil) and went to special pains to try to kill him. On 3 August he shot down a balloon booby-trapped with explosives that when detonated 4 Willy Coppens and his Hanriod HD.1 from the ground narrowly missed killing him. On his last mission, 14 October, Coppens was severely wounded by an incendiary bullet, smashing the tibia of his left leg and severing the artery. Coppens crash landed near Diksmuide and was taken to hospital, where his leg was amputated. Despite his disability, he flew from Brussels to Leopoldville (modern day Kinshasa, D.R. Congo) with two others in 7 stages. Two years later, he set a parachute jump record by leaping from 19,700 feet. The record stood for 4 years. He died in 1986, aged 94.
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First Ace
Before synchronised machine guns came into play, it was French pilot Adolphe Pégoud who became the first flying ace in history. Oddly enough, fellow French pilot Roland Garros (after whom the tennis club that hosts the French Open is named) is often referred to as the world's first. In fact, he shot down only four aircraft before being killed in action. And thus the honour goes to Pégaud, who has more claims to fame: he was allegedly the first to make a looping in an aircraft (though other sources claim Russian pilot Pyotr Nesterov beat him to it by just 12 days). He was also the first pilot to jump from an aircraft with a parachute. Before the war, he was a popular flight instructor for many French and other European pilots. On 31 August 1915, Pégoud was shot down by one of his pre-war German students while intercepting a German reconnaissance aircraft. He was 26 years old. The same German crew later dropped a funeral wreath above the French lines to honour their fallen enemy.
Canadian
Arriving in France in the summer of 1915, William “Billy” Bishop quickly became frustrated with the mud of the trenches and the lack of action. In July 1915, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps as an observer and became an expert at aerial photography. In his first months, Bishop flew on reconnaissance and bombing flights, but never fired his machine guns at enemy aircraft. During one take-off in April 1916, Bishop's aircraft experienced an engine failure, and he badly injured his knee. Returning to England to recover, he was accepted for pilot training, receiving his wings in November 1916. Initially
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4 Feature assigned to patrolling London’s skies in search of German airships, Bishop requested a transfer to France early 1917. At that time, the average life expectancy of a new pilot was 11 days, and German aces were shooting down British aircraft 5 to 1.
the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, which trained over 167,000 airmen in Canada during the Second World War. He died in 1956, aged 62.
executions. He was also reputed to able to spot enemy observation aircraft from very far away, where most other pilots would have missed seeing them.
French
Despite the high number of victories Fellow Frenchman and top allied flying ace and the fact that he is the highest scorHe was nearly sent back to flight school was René Fonck. He completed his flight ing ace to survive the war, Fonck is often after crash landing his aircraft during a training only in May 1915 and initially flew overshadowed by his fellow-ace Georges practice flight in front of a General, but observation aircraft. He himself claimed his Guynemer. At the time he went missing in after convincing his superiors to give him first victory in July 1916, but this remained September 1917, Guynemer had racked another chance, went on to score his first unconfirmed. His first official win over an up 53 confirmed kills. He had survived bevictory. In addition to the usual patrols with enemy aircraft came a few weeks later, ing shot down 7 times and was much more his squadron comrades, he flew many un- when he forced a German Rumpler C.III to charismatic and thereby popular than the official "lone-wolf" missions deep into en- land behind French lines. By the time he stoic Fonck. There’s little doubt that if emy territory, with the blessing of his com- scored his second kill, Fonck had accumu- Guynemer had survived until the end of manders. As a result, his total of enemy lated over 500 hours flight time, an incred- the war, he would have easily out passed ible amount in those early days of aviation. Fonck as France’s top ace… aircraft shot down increased rapidly. From then on, he piled up the num- After World War I, Fonck unsuccessfully 4 René Fonck in front of a Spad XIII in 1918. ber of victories to entered the transatlantic race: in Septeman incredible 75 ber 1926, he crashed on takeoff when the by the end of the landing gear collapsed, killing two of his war. Known for three crew members. The prize was won his clinical profes- seven months later by Charles Lindbergh. sionalism, he ap- Fonck eventually returned to military aviaplied mathemati- tion and rose to Inspector of French fighter cal principles and forces from 1937 to 1939. He died in 1953, his engineering aged 59. knowledge to combat flying. Top Ace Fonck took few But the title of 'ace of aces' during World chances, patiently War I is for a German pilot called Manfred stalking his intend- von Richthofen. Having been transferred ed victims from from the cavalry division, Richthofen behigher altitudes. came an observHe then used de- er on reconnaisflection shooting sance missions. at close range with He is believed to In April he scored his fifth victory and be- deadly accuracy: by anticipating where the have shot down attacking came an ace. Bishop's style was always target would be when the bullets arrived, an had him "at the front of the pack," lead- he was able to achieve an astonishing French Farman ing his pilots into battle over hostile terri- economy of ammunition expended per aircraft with his tory. After one patrol, a mechanic counted kill. More often than not, a single, five- observer's ma210 bullet holes in his aircraft. This made bullet burst from his Vickers machine gun chine gun in a him switch tactics. Using surprise attacks was sufficient. Rather than engage in dog- tense battle over proved successful: during one raid, he fights, he carried out surgically merciless French lines. claimed 12 aircraft, which won him the Military Cross and a promotion to Captain. 4 Baron von Richthofen in front of his infamous red Bishop and his blue-nosed aircraft were Fokker DR.I triplane. noticed on the German side, and they began referring to him as “Handlanger des Teufels” (The Devil’s Accomplice). At the end of the war, his official count of enemy kills stood at 72. After the war, he held various functions, including a brief stint as Chairman of British Air Lines in 1929. In 1936, he was appointed the first Canadian air vice-marshal. Just before World War II, he was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal of the Royal Canadian Air Force. He helped to create
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After meeting ace fighter pilot Oswald Boelcke, Richthofen started training as a pilot in October 1915. Initially, this didn’t go too well: he struggled to control his aircraft, and crashed during his first flight at the controls. After a brief tour flying two-seaters on the Eastern Front, he met Oswald Boelcke again in August 1916. Boelcke selected Richthofen to his new fighters squadron. Richthofen won his first aerial combat over Cambrai, France on 17 September 1916. Instead of using risky, aggressive tactics like his brother Lothar (40 victories), Manfred observed a number of rules, known as the "Dicta Boelcke", to assure success for both the squadron and its pilots. Rather than a spectacular or aerobatic pilot, he was a notable tactician and a fine marksman. Typically, he would dive from above to attack with the advantage of the sun behind him, with others covering his rear and flanks. Despite the popular link between Richthofen and the Fokker Dr. I tri-decker, only 19 of his 80 kills were made in this type of aircraft. It was his Albatros D.III Serial No. 789/16 that was first painted bright red, in late January 1917, and in which he first earned his name and reputation. While he usually flew in red-painted aircraft, it is somewhat part of the propaganda myth created around his figure. Not all of them were entirely red, nor was the "red" necessarily the brilliant scarlet often seen in models or drawings. In fact, most of his squadron had taken to painting their aircraft red to avoid him being singled out in a fight. During "Bloody April" 1917, he alone downed 22 British aircraft, including four in a single day. In June of that year, he became wing commander of a number of
4Eddie Rickenbacker in his SPAD S.XIII
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tactical units that could move at short notice to different parts of the front. These became known as "The Flying Circus" or "Richthofen Circus", its name coming both from the unit's mobility (including, where appropriate, the use of tents, trains and caravans) and their brightly coloured aircraft. In July 1917, Richthofen sustained a serious head-wound during a dogfight. The wound is thought to have caused lasting damage and may even be linked to his death, which occurred on 21 April 1918. During a low level pursuit of a Canadian Sopwith Camel, a single bullet hit Richthofen. It severely damaged his heart and lungs forcing him to make a hasty but controlled landing in a field just north of the village of Vaux-sur-Somme. Richthofen died moments later at the age of 25 and with 80 air combat victories officially credited to him. Though his Fokker Dr.I was not badly damaged by the landing, it was soon taken apart by souvenir hunters. The seat and a side-panel of the Fokker triplane were later donated to the Royal Canadian Military Institute. The engine and machine guns of Richthofen's DR.I is on display in the Imperial War Museum in London. The control column of the aircraft can be seen at the Australian War Memorial, in Canberra.
Honourable Mention
On the American side, the best-known and highest scoring ace was Edward “Eddie” Rickenbacker. Born as Richenbacher to Swiss-German parents, he changed his name to the less German sounding Rickenbacker after the outbreak of the War. Thrill seeker Rickenbacker arrived in France June 1917, shortly after the USA declared war on Germany. Rickenbacker managed to shoot down 26 enemy aircraft. He flew a total of 300 combat hours, reportedly more than any other U.S. pilot in the war. Until Lindbergh’s crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, Rickenbacker was the most well-known and celebrated aviator in the USA. In 1938,
he bought Eastern Airlines and remained at the helm of the company until 1963.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, aviation technology made great progress during World War I. From a past-time for daredevils, the rapid advances would soon find more peaceful applications. ^
editor@the-controller.net
Ace in a day
The first military aviators to score five or more victories on the same date, thus each becoming an "ace in a day", were pilot Julius Arigi and observer/gunner Johann Lasi of the Austro-Hungarian air force, on August 22, 1916, when they downed five Italian aircraft. Fritz Otto Bernert scored five victories within 20 minutes on April 24, 1917, even though he only had use of one of his arms. Raymond Collishaw of the British Royal Naval Air Service, piloting a Sopwith Triplane, scored six Albatros D.V fighters near Menen, 6 July 1917. John Lightfoot Trollope of the Royal Air Force shot down and destroyed seven German planes on 24 March 1918. Henry Woollett shot down and destroyed six German airplanes on 12 April 1918, setting two afire. René Fonck scored six in a day on two occasions, 9 May and 26 September 1918. Billy Bishop, piloting an S.E.5, scored four Pfalz D.III fighters and a LVG C two-seat reconnaissance aircraft near Ploegsteert, 19 June 1918. Arthur Rowe Spurling, a Bermudian pilot of 49 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, with his observer, Sergeant Frank Bell, On 23 August 1918, flying a DH.9 bomber, single-handedly attacked thirty Fokker D.VII fighters, downing five of them (three by Spurling, two by Bell). Two days later Spurling shot down another D.VII over Mont Notre Dame. The two crewmen shared each other's victories, each attaining ace status in a single mission.
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All photos: Public Domain via wikimedia
4 Feature
4 Charlie
CHARLIE'S COLUMN
ATIS COMEDIANS
charlie@the-controller.net
AIRBORNE DOODLING A while ago, The Controller reported on a flight test of the Boeing 787, in which the aircraft ‘flew’ the Boeing logo and the numbers 787. This looks very impressive on the flight tracking sites on the internet, such as FlightAware. Since then, others have had similar ideas. Their designs were a bit more limited, as they don’t seem to have had the endurance of a Boeing 787. Taking a Piper PA34 for a spin, someone in California drew a flower overhead Silicon Valley. Perhaps this was a tribute to the birthplace of ‘flower power’ and the hippie culture back in the sixties… But what to think of an intrepid Florida pilot, who took his aircraft to the skies to form a… well let’s call it not-suitable-forwork image… Let’s hope that now it’s been done, it doesn’t need to be done again! ^
FATIGUE You all know about the “dead tired” campaign that IFALPA and ECA are promoting to combat the proposed legislation on maximum duty hours for cockpit crews. Well, the flight attendants also joined in to point out that pilots on long-range flights at least have a decent place to rest. In addition, the pilots always have better hotel rooms than the cabin attendants on a stopover. A well known low-cost airline has found a solution for them. The overhead lockers can be used on overnight stops to save on hotel costs! ^
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There are a number of “entertaining “ ATIS recordings on YouTube, but so far, this is our favorite: This is XXXATIS information Sierra. Time 1230 – wind whatever we say, it will be a tail wind – Visibility: it is a lovely day but we’ll give you the RVR anyway, it’s above 2000m – Temperature: bloody hot – Dew point: insignificant – QNH: very low, but by now you must be feeling the pressure rising – Tell ATC on first contact that you have information Tango, because we noticed that you finished writing so we changed the ATIS. I bet you wished you came here every day… ^
PIGS CAN FLY, IN THE USA Last November, just before Thanksgiving, a passenger on a US AIRWAYS flight from Connecticut brought a pig on board as an “emotional support animal”. The small pig, estimated to weigh between 35 to 40 kg was on a leash and the owner tied it up to the armrest of her seat. But even before the flight took off, the pig became “disruptive”, which is apparently airline terminology for “incontinent”. As a foul odor and squealing noise filled the cabin, the crew asked the woman and her pig to deplane. According the USA Department of Transportation’s (DOT) rules, animals, so including pot-bellied pigs, must be granted passage on airplanes if their owners need them for “emotional support”. This political
correctness is referred to as the “Policy on non-discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel”. Pot-bellied pigs are permissible, but the DOT forbids some animals to travel in the passenger cabin, such as ferrets, rodents, spiders, snakes and other reptiles. Miniature horses(!) and monkeys§ are permitted on the other hand, as long as they are not disruptive. A few weeks earlier, another passenger that needed to be comforted brought a very large – arounf 150 Kg -pound pot-bellied pig on a US Airways flight from Philadelphia to Seattle, and had to be accepted in the cabin because the animal was deemed a therapeutic companion pet. Apparently this one did not need to go to the toilet. ^
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More information via www.ifatca2015.com