TOPICS:
Security (Airport and aircraft)
Emergencies
Rules of the Air (VFR, etc.)
Radars
Airspace classifications
Air navigation
The effects of weather on aviation
ATC
Human factors in aviation
Visual aids for Navigation; ILS
Airport
Aircraft
13. Radio navigation aids.
1. Security
Civil aviation security exists to prevent criminal activity on aircraft and in airports. Criminal activity includes acts such as hijacking (air piracy), damaging or destroying aircraft and nearby areas with bombs, and assaulting passengers and aviation employees. Nowadays all airports have security to prevent attempted crimes of unlawful interference.
When a person gets inside the airport, he will have to pass through metal detectors, bomb-sniffing dogs and possibly a search of his clothes (body search) and luggage.
One of the most important security measures at an airport is confirming the identity of travelers. This is done by checking a photo ID, such as a driver’s license or a passport. Another import security measure is not to leave your baggage unattended. It is very important because terrorists might hide a bomb inside other people’s luggage. Also terrorist might dress as business men and women, that’s why personnel are trained to use psychological screening to detect hijackers. Inside the airport every person must walk through a metal detector and all items must go through an X-ray machine. X-ray machines identifying explosive substances and being able to detect even plastic explosives are called explosive detectors. In addition to passenger’s baggage, most planes carry a lot of cargo. All of this cargo has to be checked before it loaded. One old-fashioned method of bomb detection still works even better than most hi-tech systems – the use of trained dogs called sniffer dogs. That dogs have been trained to sniff out chemicals that are used to make bombs or drugs. A dog barks at suspicious bag or package, alerting the human companion that this item needs to be investigated.
The assumption nowadays is that terrorists are not to afraid to blow up an aircraft they are travelling on themselves. A rule is now in place banning liquids (except for very small quantities carried in transparent bags) on all flights. This measure was introduced to prevent the possibility that liquids would be carried on board by different people and then mixed together to create an explosive device.
In US on board aircraft operate anonymous air marshals, that are attend to deter terrorist attacks.
All these measures are effective but still there must be coordination between governments, airlines, security forces, airport authorities, pilots and passengers to safeguard civil aviation.
2. Emergency.
Emergency is a serious event that needs immediate actions. The type of emergency that may occur is very unpredictable. There is no official classification of emergencies, because each of them is an event on its own. Summarizing aeronautical experience the most common reasons for crew to declare an emergency are: midair explosion, serious fire in the engine or in the cabin, illness on board. However, this list will never be comprehensive and complete, because there hardly could be two identical incidents. That is why it is impossible to determine instructions for all cases and to write phraseology for emergencies. But there are some standard procedures that help to prevent chaos and make controller’s work organized and regulates.
Some types of emergencies have specific instructions as to the actions which the pilot and ATC controller must take an aircraft under emergency get priority over other aircraft.
An aircraft in distress informs ATC using radiotelephony signal MAYDAY, radiotelephony signal SOS. The aircraft in distress sets its transponder mode A code 7700.
An aircraft having some difficulties but does not need immediate assistance can inform about it switching on and off its landing lights or flashing its navigation lights in different from normal one.
An aircraft which has an urgent message concerning people safety, other aircraft or vehicle transmits radiotelegraphy signal XXX or radiotelephony signal PAN.
There are certain actions which are common to a controller handling of all occurrences. They should inform supervisor (he will be able to do most of needed communication). Also, it is very important not to forget about other traffic. In addition – it is very important to keep calm, not let it shiver handing out its nervousness.
In some cases it can be difficult to determine to which of the categories a particular incident belongs, but in other cases it can be clear. The English, used in these events can be confusing and often does not give the information a controller needs to make a reasonable assessment of the situation. The pilot may not to be proficient in the use of English outside the phraseology standards. And there are no laid down phraseologies for emergencies. It is difficult to exact the nature of the problem, then ask for classification. And also it is very important not to forget, that one unusual situation can lead to another and they can overlap.