Missing Malaysia Airlines plane 'sabotaged on board'

The Observer, Saturday 15 March 2014 18.45 GMT

The hunt for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has taken a dramatic turn after the country's prime minister confirmed that communications on board had been deliberately disabled and that the jet had flown off course for more than six hours after it lost contact with air traffic control.

The revelation came as police raided the home of the missing flight's pilot, sparking intense speculation that someone on the plane had been responsible for its disappearance or hijack.

No group has claimed responsibility, but the Malaysian authorities confirmed foul play was now the most likely theory to explain the plane's fate.

The Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, said his country's air force defence radar had picked up traces of the plane turning back westward, crossing over Peninsular Malaysia before heading into the northern stretches of the Strait of Malacca.

He said investigators had a "high degree of certainty" that the plane's Aircraft and Communications Addressing and Reporting System (Acars), had been disabled before the aircraft reached the east coast of Malaysia. Soon after, someone on board switched off the aircraft's transponder, the device that communicates the plane's location to the civilian air traffic controllers.

"These movements are consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane," Najib said. "In view of this latest development, the Malaysian authorities have refocused their investigation into the crew and passengers on board."

Tracing what happened to the Boeing 777, which disappeared from civilian radar last Saturday with 239 passengers and crew on board as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, has now become an international effort. Fourteen countries, 43 ships and 58 aircraft are already involved in the search, which is expanding rapidly as information on the plane's potential routes emerges.

On Saturday the UK-based satellite operator, Inmarsat, whose technology has helped to identify possible routes taken by the plane, confirmed that it was now working with the UK authorities in the search.

"Inmarsat has been appointed as a technical adviser to the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 so that we may fully support the Malaysia investigation," the company said in a short statement.

The Malaysian authorities said satellite data indicated that the aircraft had last made contact with a satellite more than seven hours after it took off. They said the signals had indicated that it was flown along one of two standard flight corridors: either north, towards an area stretching from northern Thailand to Kazakhstan, or south, towards airspace over Indonesia, out towards the southern Indian Ocean.

A source familiar with US assessments of the plane's electronic signals said the most likely explanation was that it had turned south over the Indian Ocean, where it is likely to have run out of fuel and crashed into the sea.

There are claims that Malaysian military radar last identified the plane in the Strait of Malacca, 1,000 miles west of Perth in Australia. There were reports on Saturday that, after Malaysia air traffic control had recognised it had lost the flight, it had repeatedly tried to contact the jet for more than two hours before issuing a red alert.

If the plane continued north towards Central Asia, it is unclear how it would have avoided detection by Indian air control or by other radars in the vicinity, including the US military airbase in Bagram, Afghanistan.

Investigators are combing passenger and crew records but American authorities have said they do not believe that anyone on board had links to extremist groups.

Experts said that whoever disabled the plane's communication systems and then flew the jet must have had a high degree of technical knowledge and flying experience. One possibility is that one of the pilots was intent on suicide.

On Saturday police began searching 53-year-old captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah's home on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. It was not clear if the home of co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, was also being investigated. Shah joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981 and was considered by colleagues to be an "aviation tech geek" who had clocked in 18,365 flight hours. The grandfather was considered "very friendly and safety-conscious" and enjoyed flying miniature planes and playing with a flight simulator he had built in his home.

The hunt for the plane has led to tensions between Malaysia and China, which had 153 of its citizens on board. The Chinese government's Xinhua news agency accused Malaysia of dragging its feet in releasing information. "Given today's technology, the delay smacks of either dereliction of duty or reluctance to share information in a full and timely manner," Xinhua said.

By: KATS On 9:37 PM

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A young pilot's journey to her dream

Haveeru Online

Mar 13, 2014 - 08:57

Hearing that a 22-year-old girl is a pilot may be unbelievable, but Aiminath Adam, 22, born unto Male, is a co-pilot for Island Aviation Services (IAS) - the national airline of the Maldives. She is also the first female pilot who wears the veil.

Though she wears Pakistani clothes, the veil and sits in a cockpit as the second in command, she is a fun-loving kid. Known as 'Amix' or 'Ant', she graduated from the flying academy at Malaysia in May 2013 and has been flying in the Maldives since January 2014. She spends an approximate eight hours in a Dash-8 plane every day, making sure her passengers are safe from the point of having taken off from the ground to landing again.

It had been her childhood dream to fly in the air "like Superman and Spiderman". She wants to be a "Spiderwoman" who would help many people every day; to travel freely to countries all around the world.

Staying in one place quietly to even study had been a problem for her since childhood. She never desired to have A's in all subjects, receive report cards from the stage with applause or win educational crowns or stars, -but if she was shown the diagram of an engine from her physics book, she was the first to fill it out in her class. Aminath said that her growing love for engineering had flamed her dreams of becoming a pilot. Another reason for her interest in the field is her father, who is an engineer by profession and this had enabled her to grow up being able to observe his work. Her father also was one of her greatest supporter in fulfilling her dream of becoming a pilot.

"My father was an inspiration. I used to call him whenever I had doubts about my lessons and he would always clarify for me. Eve when I was a kid, he used to answer all the questions; like, I would ask him what a carburettor is and he would still explain. His explanations slowly sparked my interest. I started wishing I could ride something with such huge engines. That was when I decided I would become a pilot, that planes would have the biggest engines," she said.

Although flying in the air was her dream, the beginning was difficult for her. The first challenge was that her family did not want to allow her to work anywhere as she was a girl. After completing her O-Levels from Aminiya School in 2007, she applied to many places, asking for help to go study aviation. However, nobody responded then; they all said that this was too expensive a course. Aminath did not give up then. The only opportunity she found to become a pilot was to join the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) air-wing, but she did not do it either on her mother's pleading.

"When I first told mother, she was not happy about it. Though my sister was working at MNDF, mother did not want her girls to work there. I felt really let down that day, cried a lot too, - but then thought that listening to my mother could bring me a better opportunity. I started looking for another job since then, but I always told my friends that I would become a pilot one day," Aminath conveyed how she had almost diverted away from her dream.

She had no wish to waste a single day in her life even if she could not be a pilot. Working as a shop clerk, she started studying business administration part-time. After a year of studying, she changed her field of work to a company called Palm Glow, which sold chemicals to resorts. She started studying IT while she was working at the administration department of the company, but she had still not let go of her dream to become a pilot. He sister, Fathmath Inaala became her biggest support in making her dream come true. From all the work her sister kept doing to get a loan for her to go abroad for her studies, luck caught up with them then. It was a unique chance.

"Even then my sister worked hardest at availing a loan for my education. She knew I talked about my pilot dream with my friends. She knew how much I wanted to be a pilot. After much trying, sister came and told me one day that I could get a loan from her work place, UN Women, lets apply. She applied for me and they agreed to give me a loan. She tried really hard for it," Aminath said.

The real hero in making Aminath's lifelong dream come true was her sister. She believes that her sister Inaala deserves all the credit for the story of how she accomplished her dream.

"She kept on supporting me throughout the course. She always checks on me. She was the closest person to me during those days. I realised my lifelong dream because of her. She always had my back whenever I needed anything," she explained.

Aminath began her voyage to achieve her dream from Sri Lanka in 2011, to do her IELTS before she left to study aviation. Staying with her brother who lives in Lanka, she passed in English Language, Mathematics and Physics enough to enrol at the university in a month's time. When she left to Malaysia, she was determined to not return to the Maldives before she became a pilot. She said that she stayed at a hostel during her whole stay in Malaysia to reduce her expenses and ensure that she did not get distracted with anything else.

"I told my lecturer that I was there to ride airplanes in my first class itself. Every day that I attended the theory classes, I kept wondering when I would be able to fly a plane ... I never believed for a minute that I couldn’t do this because I am a girl. I made it my ambition to do it. I didn’t want to waste this chance I got after so many years of trying. I knew I would succeed," Aminath said.

Even during her studies in Malaysia, Aminath kept on searching for a local airline that would hire a young girl in the Maldives. She kept on repeatedly applying to IAS long before she completed her studies. When she returned after finishing her course, she still waited for the work opportunity from IAS. Though job opportunities were available from the famous Malaysian airline AirAsia, she did not approach them as she had the honourable aspiration to serve her own country.

"Not long after I returned from Malaysia, IAS called me up for interview. I was really excited that day. I went for the interview with great confidence, determined to get the job this time. Then I had to wait for their response after the interview. The day I got to work as a pilot is the happiest day in my life, till now! ... I am most pleased for having the chance to serve my fellow Maldivians as a Maldivian woman. I wanted to work for IAS to serve my country in a diverse field like this, as a woman. This is also the greatest inspiration I have to climb higher in my career," Aminath explained enthusiastically.

After having joined IAS to serve Maldives, she had also attended a month long course in Spain to get acquainted with the Dash-8 planes. She is now looking forward to get promoted in her career; to fly higher in her pilot's career.

Her aim now is to achieve an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) so that she can fly planes like the Airbus and the Boeing, - planes that are bigger than the Dash-8 series she is now flying with her Commercial Pilot License (CPL). To achieve this, she now has to do comparatively little work; put 1500 hours of flying under her belt.

She has set her foot down on accomplishing this as well. She is flying the Maldivian skies, being an exemplar to Maldivian women and youth.  

By: KATS On 2:40 AM

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Malaysian MH370 co-pilot entertained teenagers in cabin on earlier flight

Jonti Roos and Jaan Maree in cockpit of Malaysia Airlines flight from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur

Source: The Guardian

Photographs of the co-pilot of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have emerged showing him entertaining teenage tourists in an aircraft cockpit during a previous flight.

The images came to light on the day Malaysian officials said they were investigating potential "psychological problems" of the crew or passengers for possible reasons as to why the aircraft could have gone missing.

The first officer, Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, invited two South African teenagers in to the flight cabin for the entirety of a flight in 2011 from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur. He and his colleague entertained the two girls, smoked cigarettes and posed for photographs with them.

Jonti Roos, who said she and a friend were once invited into the cockpit of a Malaysia Airlines flight by missing co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid. Photograph: Facebook

Jonti Roos, one of the passengers,told Australia's A Current Affair: "They were actually smoking throughout the flight, which I don't think they're allowed to do.

"At one stage, they were pretty much turned around the whole time in their seats talking to us. They were so engaged in conversation that he [Hamid] took my friend's hand, and he was looking at her palm and said, 'your hand is very creased – that means you're a very creative person', and commented on her nail polish."

The women were approached by an air steward as they took their seats on the flight and spent the whole of the one-hour trip, from takeoff to landing, in the cockpit with the two pilots.

Roos told the 9 Network programme she and her friend were picked out by Hamid as they waited to board the plane, and later were asked to have a night out in Kuala Lumpur in what Roos described as a "slightly sleazy" encounter.

In what is likely to be viewed as a damning reflection on Malaysian Airlines' security practices, Roos said she had come forward with the information because so little was known about what had happened to flight MH370.

"I'm really not saying that I think the co-pilot was in the wrong with this flight at all," she said. "It could have been absolutely anything. This is just the little bit of information that I have."

Hamid joined Malaysia Airlines in 2007 as a first officer, and had clocked up 2,763 flying hours by the time of the disappearance. His captain on the MH370, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, joined the airline in 1981, and had flown about 18,000 hours.

Shah was an "aviation tech geek" who spent his weekends at home going through drills on a Boeing 777 flight simulator and flying remote-controlled miniature aircraft, said colleagues.

His excellent track record with the airline has thrown doubt on pilot error as an explanation. "He knew everything about the Boeing 777," said a colleague. "Something significant would have had to happen for Zaharie and the plane to go missing. It would have to be total electrical failure."

Despite the potentially grave security lapse during Roos's flight, the South African, who lives in Melbourne, said she believed the two pilots had been "very competent in what they were doing".

"We wished they [would] stop smoking, because it is such a confined space. But you can't exactly tell a pilot to stop smoking[that]," she added.

It was only by reading messages that friends and family had posted on Hamid's Facebook wall that Roos realised he had been co-pilot on the MH370 flight.

"I was just completely shocked. I couldn't believe it," she said. "My heart really broke for them, and my heart broke for the family of the passengers. It's just a really sad story."

A statement issued by Malaysia Airlines said: "Malaysia Airlines has become aware of the allegations being made against First Officer, Fariq Ab Hamid which we take very seriously. We are shocked by these allegations.

"We have not been able to confirm the validity of the pictures and videos of the alleged incident. As you are aware, we are in the midst of a crisis, and we do not want our attention to be diverted.

"We also urge the media and general public to respect the privacy of the families of our colleagues and passengers. It has been a difficult time for them.

"The welfare of both the crew and passenger's families remain our focus. At the same time, the security and safety of our passengers is of the utmost importance to us."

By: KATS On 5:20 AM

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Malaysia Airlines hunts for missing plane carrying 239

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia Airlines said a flight carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing went missing early Saturday, and the airline was notifying next of kin in a sign it feared the worst.

Related Stories

• Malaysia Airlines says plane missing Associated Press
• Malaysia loses contact with plane carrying 239 Associated Press
• Malaysia Airlines Jet Goes Missing With 239 on Board The Wall Street Journal
• Malaysia Airlines loses contact with plane carrying 239 people Reuters
• Radar contact lost with Malaysian flight in Vietnam airspace: Xinhua Reuters

The airline said flight MH370 disappeared at 2:40 am local time (1840 GMT Friday), about two hours after leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It had been due to arrive in Beijing at 6:30 am local time (2230 GMT Friday).

A statement posted on the official Vietnamese government website said the flight disappeared in Vietnamese airspace.

"The plane lost contact in Ca Mau province airspace before it had entered contact with Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control," it said.

The plane was meant to transfer to Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control at 1722 GMT but never appeared, the statement said, citing a senior Ministry of Defence official.

Vietnam's Ministry of Defence has launched rescue efforts to find the plane, working in coordination with Malaysian and Chinese officials, the statement added.

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Graphic on the missing Malaysian Airlines flight carrying 239 on board (AFP Photo/)

The Boeing 777-200 was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, from 13 different nationalities, and 12 crew members.

China's state television said 158 of the passengers were Chinese. Some 160 Chinese had been due to be on the flight but two missed it, according to Xinhua, quoting China's Civil Aviation Administration.

"We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41 am earlier this morning bound for Beijing," Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said in a statement.

The statement said the Malaysian flag carrier was working with authorities, who had launched an effort to locate the aircraft.

"Our team is currently calling the next-of-kin of passengers and crew," Ahmad Jauhari said.

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A passenger checks information at a Malaysia Airlines booth at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in …

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members."

The airline's Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route passes over the South China Sea, and remote parts of the Indochinese peninsula before entering southern Chinese airspace.

A Malaysian Airlines spokeswoman said she could not immediately provide further details, but the airline said it would soon hold a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

"This news has made us all very worried," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing.

"We hope every one of the passengers is safe. We are doing all we can to get more details."

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Malaysian Airlines Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahyain, right, speaks during a press confere …

- 'Contact lost over Vietnam airspace' -

A report by China's Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese aviation authorities saying the plane did not enter China's air traffic control sphere.

A spokeswoman with a Thai agency that monitors the country's airspace told AFP the plane also did not cross over Thailand.

A Beijing airport spokeswoman said the facility had activated an emergency response system. Screens at the airport indicated the flight was "delayed".

An accident would be a huge blow for the carrier, which has bled money for years as its struggles to fend off competition from rivals such as fast-growing AirAsia.

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A Malaysian man who says he has relatives on board the missing Malaysian Airlines plane, talks to jo …

It recorded its fourth straight quarterly loss during the final three months of 2013 and warned of a "challenging" year ahead due to intense competition.

The carrier admitted in 2012 it was in "crisis", forcing it to implement a cost-cutting campaign centred on slashing routes and other measures.

In 2011, it chalked up a record 2.5 billion ringgit ($767 million) loss.

In July 2013, a Boeing 777-200 operated by South Korea's Asiana Airlines skidded off the runway upon landing at San Francisco's international airport after it clipped a seawall before touching down.

Three people died.

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Malaysian Airlines Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahyain, front, speaks during a press confere …

"We're closely monitoring reports on Malaysia flight MH370. Our thoughts are with everyone on board," the manufacturer said in a statement on its Twitter feed.

Boeing has been beset by problems with its high-tech 787 Dreamliners put into service two years ago, including a months-long global grounding over battery problems last year.

The information vacuum regarding the flight touched off a frenzy on social media, which saw an outpouring of concern for passengers and unconfirmed rumours that the plane had landed safely in southern China.

Malaysian Airlines has said those rumours were false, The Star newspaper reported.

A spokesman told the Sydney Morning Herald that Australian passengers were on board but could not confirm how many.

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Journalists attempt to interview a woman who is the relative of a passenger on Malaysia Airlines fli …

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has suffered few accidents in its history.

One of its jets crashed in 1977 in southern Malaysia, killing all 93 passengers and seven crew.

A smaller Twin Otter aircraft, operated by its unit MASwings, crashed upon landing in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island last October, killing a co-pilot and a passenger.

There were no immediate signs of passenger relatives descending in large numbers on Beijing's airport.

An AFP journalist saw one woman enter the arrivals zone at the airport and break down in tears. She was led away by police.

By: KATS On 9:36 PM

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Search Begins for Missing Malaysian Airlines Flight

VOA News

Malaysia Airlines says it has lost contact with a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing carrying 239 passengers and crew.

The airline said on its Facebook page that it deeply regrets losing all contact with Flight MH370, about two hours after it took off from the Malaysian capital early Saturday morning local time.

At a news conference Saturday, Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmed Jauhari Yahya said the airline is working with search and rescue teams to locate the aircraft and is calling the families of the passengers and crew.

China's official Xinhua news agency says contact with the plane was lost in Vietnamese airspace. It says the plane never entered China's air traffic control area.

The plane is a Boeing B777-200.

The most recent accident involving a Boeing 777 was the Asiana Airlines crash at the San Francisco International Airport in July, in which three people died. Pilot error is suspected in that accident 

Nationalities of those on board

Just to recap on the details given earlier by the airline. Here are the number of passengers from each country believed to make up the 227 on board:
China: 153
Malaysia: 38
Indonesia: 12
Australia: 7
US: 4
France: 3
New Zealand: 2
Ukraine: 2
Canada: 2
Italy, Taiwan, Netherlands, Austria: 1 each
There are also 12 crew, of which we know the pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and first officer Fariq Ab. Hamid, are both Malaysian.

 

By: KATS On 9:32 PM

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239 ފަސިންޖަރުންނާ އެކު ދަތުރުކުރި މެލޭޝިޔާގެ މަތިންދާބޯޓެއް ގެއްލިއްޖެ

ކުއާލަލަމްޕޫރު(މާޗް 8) : މެލޭޝިއާގެ ވެރިރަށް ކުއާލަ ލަމްޕޫރުން ފުރައިގެންޗައިނާގެ ބީޖިން އަށް ދަތުރުކުރި މެލޭޝިއާ އެއާލައިންސްގެ ފްލައިޓް ނަންބަރު އެމްއެޗް 370ގެ މަތިންދާބޯޓާ ގުޅުން ކެނޑިއްޖެ ކަމަށް އެ އެއާލައިނުން މިއަދު ބުނެފި އެވެ.

މެލޭޝިޔާ އެއަރލައިނުން ނެރުނު ބަޔާނެއްގައި ބުނެފައިވާ ގޮތުގައި އެމްއެޗް 370 ފްލައިޓް ގެއްލުނީ ރޭ މެންދަމު މެލޭޝިއާ ގަޑިން 2:40ގައި ކަމަށާއި ޗައިނާ ގަޑިން ހެނދުނު 6:30 ގައި އެފްލައިޓް ބެއިޖިން އިންޓަނޭޝަނަލް އެއަޕޯޓަށް ޖައްސަންޖެހޭނެ ކަމުގަ އެވެ. ބޮއިން ބީ 200-777 މަރުކާގެ އެ ބޯޓު ދަތުރުކުރަމުން ދިޔައީ 239 މީހުންނާ އެކުގައިކަމަށާއި އޭގެތެރޭގައި ތުއްތު ދެ ކުދިންނާ އެކު 227 ފަސިންޖަރުންނާއި 12 ފަޅުވެރިން ހިމެނޭކަމުގަ އެވެ. އެބޯޓުގެ ފަސިންޖަރުންގެ ތެރޭގައި 13 ގައުމެއްގެ މީހުން ހިމެނޭއިރު މީގެތެރޭގައި ޗައިނާގެ 160 މީހުން ހިމެނޭކަމަށް ޗައިނާގެ ޒިންހުވާ ނޫސްއެޖެންސީ ބުނެ އެވެ.

މެލޭޝިޔާ އެއަރލައިން ގްރޫފްގެ ސީއީއޯ އަހްމަދު ޖަވްހަރީ ޔަހްޔާ ވިދާޅުވީ އެބޯޓާ މެލޭޝިޔާގެ އެއަރޓްރެފިކް ކޮންޓްރޯލާ ގުޅުން ކެނޑުނީ ވިއެޓްނާމް ގެމަތިން އުދުހެމުން ދަނިކޮށެވެ. ދުނިޔޭގެ 80 އެއަރޕޯޓަކަށް ދުވާލަކު ގާތްގަނޑަކަށް 37 ހާހެއްހާ ޕަސެންޖަރުން އުފުލާ މެލޭޝިޔާ އެއަރލައިން އަކީ ނިސްބަތުން މައްސަލަތައް ކުޑަ އަދި ވަރަށް ރަނގަނޅަށް ސަލާމަތާއި މެއިންޓެއިންގެ ކަންތައްތައް ބަލަހައްޓާ އަދި އިތުބާރު ބޮޑު އެއަރލައިން އެކެވެ. މިހާދިސާއާ ގުޅިގެން އެފްލައިޓުން ދަތުރުކުރި މީހުންގެ އާއިލާތަކަށް ވަނީ ބޮޑު ޝޮކެއް ކުރިމަތިވެފަ އެވެ. (ނޫސްއެޖެންސީތައް)

By: KATS On 9:28 PM

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Off the Ground and into the Air Faster with NextGen at DFW

January 2014 —http://www.faa.gov

Throughput is the average number of flights that pass through an airport on a daily basis. When you increase the throughput during busy periods, more passengers and cargo get off the ground and to their destinations on time. At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the FAA has put in place a NextGen procedure that triples the number of departures the airport can accommodate, a significant increase in the airport's throughput.

American Airlines, which accounts for 80 percent of Dallas/Fort Worth traffic, has seen a 10-20 percent increase in its departure throughput on an average day using the NextGen procedures.

"If you can increase throughput by 1 percent, you uncork the champagne," said Captain Brian Will, American Airlines' director of Airspace Modernization and Advanced Technologies. "Ten to 20 percent, this was an off-the-charts benefit."

The NextGen procedure makes it possible for flights to take off with less distance between each aircraft — 1 nautical mile compared to the standard 3 nautical miles. This enables an increase of 15-20 percent of departures per hour when the airport is congested compared to conventional methodology, said Blane Doege, FAA's traffic management supervisor at Dallas/Fort Worth Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON).

The majority of aircraft operating at Dallas/Fort Worth are equipped to fly this Area Navigation (RNAV) procedure, which uses satellites and on-board equipment to ensure that the aircraft navigate and remain on a precise path. RNAV procedures for both departures and arrivals are available at many airports around the country. The difference at Dallas/Fort Worth is that the RNAV procedure starts on the runway and continues as the aircraft ascend into high-altitude airspace, whereas conventional RNAV procedures begin once the aircraft is airborne.

RNAV off the ground is especially helpful during peak traffic hours or when traffic picks up following periods of bad weather, such as thunderstorms. Once the weather clears, "we can get airplanes out faster than before RNAV off the ground," said Will.

Because flights don't have to wait as long on the taxiways with their engines running to take off, RNAV off the ground means aircraft burn less fuel. American Airlines is saving $10-$12 million in annual fuel costs at Dallas/Fort Worth, said Will.

Less fuel use also means reduced exhaust emissions. "We are significantly reducing the impact that flights have on our air quality," said Jim Crites, Dallas/Fort Worth's executive vice president of operations.

Another RNAV off the ground benefit is that there is less communication necessary between controllers and departing pilots. With conventional departures, controllers tell the pilots what their heading will be and the pilots acknowledge the heading instruction by repeating it back to the controller. The RNAV procedure has a pre-determined flight track programmed in the aircraft's flight management system, which reduces the number of verbal communications required and the risk of miscommunication. With the NextGen procedure, Dallas/Fort Worth has had a 40 percent decrease in pilot-controller verbal communications.

This means controllers can give additional time to other traffic that requires more complicated verbal instructions, said Greg Juro, FAA traffic management officer at Dallas/Fort Worth TRACON. Whereas in the past, other pilots waited for instructions while controllers worked with departing aircraft, those pilots now receive instructions at an opportune time, Juro said.

Highlights:

• At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the NextGen RNAV off the ground procedure enables a 15-20 percent increase in departures per hour.
• American Airlines is saving $10-$12 million in annual fuel costs at Dallas/Fort Worth using RNAV off the ground.
• Dallas/Fort Worth has had a 40 percent decrease in pilot-controller verbal communications, reducing the risk for miscommunication.

By: KATS On 11:31 PM

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ސަމާސައަކަށް ކޮށްލެވޭ ކުޑަކުޑަކަމެއްވެސް ހީނުކުރާވަރުގެ ބޮޑުކަމަކަށް ވެދާނެ

ސަމާސާ ކުރުމަކީ މައްސަލައެއް ނޫނެވެ. ސަމާސާ ކުރަންޖެހޭ ކަންކަމުގައެވެ. އެކަމަށް އެންމެ އެކަށޭނަ ދަނޑިވަޅުތަކުގައެވެ. އެކަމަށް އެކަށޭނަ މީހުންނާއި އެކުގައެވެ. ނަމަވެސް ކޮންމެ ކޮންމެ ކަމެއްގައި ސަމާސާ ކުރާކަށް ނުވާނެއެވެ. ސަމާސާ އަކީ ވިހަވާ އެއްޗެއްކަމުން އެކަށީގެންނުވާ ސަމާސާއެއްގެ ސަބަބުން އެ ސަމާސާ ހީވެސް ނުކުރާހާ ވިހަ އެއްޗަކަށް ވެދާނެއެވެ.
މިސާލަކަށް: ސަމާސާއަކަށް ހަދާފައި މަތިންދާ ބޯޓަކަށް ލޭޒަރ ލައިޓް އެޅުވުމަކީ އާދައިގެކަމެއް ނޫނެވެ. އެއީ ސީރިއަސް ކަމެކެވެ. ބައެއް ފަހަރާ އެކަން ޓެރަރިޒަމްގެ ޢަމަލަކަށްވެސް ވެދެއެވެ. އެހެން ވެފައިވެސް އެބަހުއްޓެވެ.

މިދިޔަ އަހަރުގެ ނޮވެމްބަރު މަހު 23 ވަނަ ދުވަހު ވަނީ އެފަދަކަމެއް ހިނގާފައެވެ. މީޑިއާގައި އެ ޚަބަރުވަނީ ޢާއްމުވެފައެވެ. އެއީ މާލެއިން ކައްދު އަށް ފުރަން ތައްޔާރުވެފައި އޮތް ފްލައިމީގެ ބޯޓެއް ގޮއްވާލާނެ ކަމަށް ބުނި ހަތަރު މީހަކު އޭވިއޭޝަން ސެކިއުރިޓީގެ ބެލުމުގެ ދަށަށް ގެންދާން ޖެހުމެވެ.
މިމައްސަލައާއި ގުޅިގެން ސިފައިންގެ އޭވިއޭޝަން ސެކިއުރިޓީ ކޮމާންޑްގެ ކޮމާންޑަރު ކާނަލް މުހައްމަދު ޒިޔާދު "ހަވީރަ"ށް ވިދާޅުވީ އެ ހަތަރު މީހުން ބޯޓް ގޮއްވާލާނެ ކަމަށް ބުނީ ފްލައިޓް ޑިލޭވަމުން ދިއުމުން ރުޅިގަދަވެގެން ކަމަށާއި އެއީ ސަމާސާއަކަށް ބުނި ވާހަކައެއް ކަމަށް އެ މީހުން ފަހުން ބުނެފައިވާ ކަމަށެވެ.

"ނަމަވެސް މިފަދަ މައްސަލަތަކުގައި އަޅުގަނޑުމެން ފިޔަވަޅު އަޅަންޖެހޭ. އެއީ އޭވިއޭޝަން ރެގިއުލޭޝަންތައް އޮންނަ ގޮތުން ބިރު ދެއްކުމުގެ ވާހަކައެއް ނުދެއްކޭނެ.  އެފަދަ ވާހަކައެއް، އިންޒާރެއް ދީފި ނަމަ އެ މީހަކު ފުރުން ހުއްޓުވަން.  އަދި އެ މީހުން ފުލުހުންނާ ހަވާލުކުރަން. މި މީހުން ވެސް ހަވާލުކުރާނަން،" ޒިޔާދު ވިދާޅުވި އެވެ. "އަދި މިދަނީ އެ މީހުންގެ ރިޕޯޓްތައް ތައްޔާރުކުރަމުން. އެއަށް ފަހު އެ މީހުން ފުލުހުންނާ ހަވާލުކުރާނީ."

މި މައްސަލައާ ގުޅޭ ގޮތުން ފުލުހުން ބުނީ އެފަދަ މައްސަލައެއް އަދި ފުލުހުންނަށް ލިބިފައި ނެތް ކަމަށެވެ.

ވިލާ އެއާގެ ފްލައިމީގެ މެނޭޖިން ޑިރެކްޓަރު ރިޟްވާން ޝަރީފު "ހަވީރަ"ށް ވިދާޅުވީ 7:30 ހާއިރު ފުރަން އޮތް ބޯޓުގައި ތިބި ހަތަރު ޕަސެންޖަރަކު ބިރު ދެއްކުމުގެ އިންޒާރު ދިނުމުން 45 މިނެޓަށް ފްލައިޓް ޑިލޭވެގެން ދިޔަ ކަމަށެވެ.
މިހުންނަނީ ޢާއްމުން ވިސްނާންޖެހޭ ސީރިއަސް ކަންކަމެވެ. ސަމާސާ ކުރާނީ ސަމާސާ ކުރާވަރުގެ ކަންކަމުގައެވެ. އެހެން ނޫނީ....

By: KATS On 11:18 PM

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How Air Traffic Control Works

by Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

The various air traffic control facilities encountered by a plane during its flight

Departure, En Route and Descent

Once your plane takes off, your pilot activates a transponder device inside the aircraft. The transponder detects incoming radar signals and broadcasts an amplified, encoded radio signal in the direction of the detected radar wave. The transponder signal provides the controller with your aircraft's flight number, altitude, airspeed and destination. A blip representing the airplane appears on the controller's radar screen with this information beside it. The controller can now follow your plane.

An airplane's transponder transmits flight data to incoming radar signals.

The departure controller is located in the TRACON facility, which may have several airports within its airspace (50-mile/80-km radius). He or she uses radar to monitor the aircraft and must maintain safe distances between ascending aircraft. The departure controller gives instructions to your pilot (heading, speed, rate of ascent) to follow regular ascent corridors through the TRACON airspace.

The departure controller monitors your flight during ascent to the en route portion. When your plane leaves TRACON airspace, the departure controller passes your plane off to the center controller (ARTCC controller). Every time your plane gets passed between controllers, an updated flight progress slip gets printed and distributed to the new controller.

En Route and Descent

Once your plane has left TRACON airspace, it enters a sector of the ARTCC airspace, where it is monitored by at least two air traffic controllers. The radar associate controller receives the flight-plan information anywhere from five to 30 minutes prior to your plane entering that sector. The associate controller works with the radar controller in charge of that sector. The radar controller is in charge of all air-to-ground communication, maintains safe separation of aircraft within the sector and coordinates activities with other sectors and/or centers. The controllers must monitor the airspace at high altitude (above 24,000 ft/7320 m) and low altitude (below 24,000 ft). The center controllers provide your pilot with updated weather and air-traffic information. They also give directions to your pilot regarding such aspects as speed and altitude to maintain a safe separation between aircraft within their sector. They monitor your plane until it leaves their sector. Then they pass it off to another sector's controller.

Another controller, called the radar hand-off controller, assists the radar and associate radar controllers during times of heavy traffic, watching the radar screen and helping to maintain smooth air-traffic flow.

While you are enjoying your meal, snack, in-flight movie or the view outside the window, your plane gets passed from sector to sector and center to center. In each sector, center controllers radio instructions to the pilots. The path of your plane may have to be changed from the original flight plan to move around bad weather or avoid a congested sector. Your pilots may request a change in altitude to avoid or reduce turbulence. This back and forth between pilots and center controllers continues until you are about 150 miles (241 km) from San Francisco (your destination). At this point, the center controller directs all planes flying into San Francisco to move from high altitudes to low altitudes and merges the descending aircraft into a single file line toward the airport. The controller gives instructions to your pilot, such as changes in heading, speed and altitude, to place your plane in line with these other aircraft. Depending on traffic conditions, the controller may have to place your plane into a holding pattern, which is a standard route around each airport, where you wait until the airport can handle your arrival. The controller continues to give directions to your pilot until your plane is within TRACON airspace.

By: KATS On 6:48 AM

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Air Traffic Control Systems Could Ditch Radar And Release 5G Spectrum

TV signals could be used to locate aircraft as 5G plans take shape

 On February 13, 2013 by Steve McCaskill & Peter Judge

Spectrum for 5G mobile networks could be freed up if a radical new system for air traffic control is approved.

Radar provider Thales has been given government funding by the Technology Strategy Board to investigate how existing TV signals could be used to locate and track aircraft – using a system called “multi-static primary surveillance radar”, or “passive radar“.  The study also involves the UK’s air traffic control provider NATS and research organisation Roke Manor.

The government likes passive radar as it would allow it to sell off the spectrum currently used by air traffic control, while Thales argues that it would be much more reliable than the existing method, which has been in place since the Second World War.

5G plans underway

“This two year project will be a feasibility study which will set up prototype systems that will use TV signals already being broadcast from transmitters around the UK,” said a Thales spokesman. “Absolutely no radar systems will be switched off during the study, which will report to regulators and the air transport industry.”

The proposed system would use a new set of receivers to monitor TV signals, as well as their reflections from objects such as aircraft.  In essence the system uses the phenomenon whereby passing aircraft can produce “ghost” interference on older TVs, but turns it to good use by detecting and measuring it more accurately.

By measuring the  timing of TV signals reflected from aircraft, the system will be able to locate them precisely, and measuring the Doppler shift of the signal would also allow their speed and direction to be measured. Such systems are called “bistatic” or “multistatic” because they use different stations to send and receive the signals.

The principle is not new – passive radar was the basis of the very first experiments that led up to the invention of radar during the World War II. Robert Watson-Watt’s first demonstration of the principle of radar in 1935 used the BBC shortwave transmitter at Daventry to detect a  Handley Page Heyford bomber at a distance of 12 km.  Radar systems moved to conventional radar enabled by antennas which could alternate between transmit and receive.

The multistatic technique has had a renaissance recently, with the arrival of powerful signal processing technology, and cheap directional antennas, which has allowed systems that are as good as conventional radar.

Thales argues that passive radar is actually more efficient than the current system which relies on one radar transmitter per airport putting enough signals in the sky, and which can be susceptible to confusing echoes and interference from the increasing number of wind farms in the UK. However the company acknowledges that it may encounter resistance to change and that it must convince people of the advantages and safety of the new system.

“This system should be more cost effective, as it  uses signals which are already being transmistted,” said the Thales spokesman. “Digital TV is part of the critical national infrastructure, so it is already safeguarded and will be reliable.” The system will also reduce power consumption, making a small contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of air travel.

No cost for the project has been revealed, but the  TSB is funding half of it, with the rest coming from the commercial partners  Thales, NATS and Roke Manor Research.

“The funding that we have secured today from the Technology Strategy Board is a significant endorsement of the potential long-term benefits of this research,” said Marion Broughton, head of Thales UK’s aerospace business. “Although in its infancy, this innovative application of new technology could reshape the way that air traffic is managed in the future. This is a good example of how Government and industry can work together, share expertise, and sustain innovation and high-technology research within the UK”.

EE is currently the UK’s only 4G operator but Ofcom has already started to plan for the next next-generation of mobile networks. It has identified spectrum in the 700MHz bandwidth used for digital terrestrial television that could be freed up in time for 2018 and used for 5G services.

Last year, TechWeekEurope revealed a trial of 5G services is set to go ahead in the UK in 2013, which should offer users speeds of up to 200Mbps. That will be delivered by the £35 million 5G Innovation Centre, based at the University of Surrey.

Peter Judge contributed to this story.

By: KATS On 6:39 AM

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