1.2. The pilot and cabin crews’ preparations

Exercise 1.2.1 Read and translate the text.

Just as the jet is readied for the trip, the pilots and cabin crews have begun their own preparations. Their workday has started at the Compass Centre, British Airways’ operations complex on the airport’s north side. Within this building, airline staff are responsible for all aspects of a flight, starting with the allocation of an aircraft for the trip a few days prior to departure, through to the completion of the journey. Multiply that effort by the more than 300 aircraft in the fleet and the logistics of making sure each one of the hundreds and hundreds of daily flights operates on time are staggering. In an operation of this size, problems are bound to occur. And they do, by the hour. Usually Mother Nature is to blame, throwing up weather roadblocks that cause delays and force diversions. It is the job of operations staff to anticipate such situations and respond with contingency plans to ensure the safety of the flights and minimize disruptions to passengers. They can find themselves planning around the snowstorms along the eastern seaboard of the United States, a typhoon closing in on Taipei and thick fog at the Heathrow hub – sometimes all in the same day. Or occasionally a mechanical problem will ground a jet, sending staff scrambling to make alternative plans to get passengers to their destination.

Exercise 1.2.2 Answer the questions.

1. What are airline staff responsible for?

2. What are the reasons for delays and force diversions?

3. What is the job of operations staff?

4. Where can operations staff find themselves planning around the snowstorms, a typhoon and thick fog?

5. What problem will ground a jet?

Exercise 1.2.3 Are the following statements true (√) or false (×)? Correct the false ones.

1. The pilots and flight attendants have begun their own preparations.

2. Their workday has finished at the Compass Centre.

3. Airline staff are responsible for all aspects of their job

4. In the operation of this size, problems are bound to occur.

5. Usually Mother Nature is to blame due to weather that causes delays and diversions.

6. It is the job of operations staff to analyse these situations.

7. The job of operations staff is to guarantee the safety of the flights.

8. Operations staff have to minimize disruptions to passengers.

9. They can find themselves planning around snowstorms.

10. Typhoon is closing in on Taipei and thin fog is at the Heathrow hub – sometimes all in the same day.

11. Usually a technical problem will ground a jet.

Exercise1.2.4 Give English equivalents for the following words and word combinations.

Рабочий день; быть ответственным за что-либо; несколько дней до начала вылета; завершение путешествия; минимизировать разрушения; тайфун; центр деятельности; гарантировать безопасность; вынужденное отклонение от маршрута; густой туман; доставить пассажиров в пункт назначения; механическая проблема; материально-техническое обеспечение; предвкушать.

Exercise 1.2.5 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and expressions.

Airfield; mechanical troubles; land; take passengers; reduce; personnel; diverting; reduce disruption; tour/voyage; happen; every day; reason for delays; the end of the journey; be convinced; by chance.

Exercise 1.2.6 Match the word combinations and expressions in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. be ready for the trip	a. вовремя
2. own preparation	b. завершение путешествия
3. airline staff	c. ежедневные полеты
4. daily flight	d. быть готовым к поездке
5. all aspects of flights	e. механические проблемы
6. force diversion	f. персонал авиалиний
7. ensure safety	g. вынужденное отклонение
8. around snowstorms	h. комплекс действий
9. mechanical problems	i. все этапы полета
10. to ground a jet	j. составить дополнительные планы
11. on time	k. гарантировать безопасность
12. operations complex	l. собственное приготовление
13. allocation of an aircraft	m. размещение самолета
14. to make alternative plans	n. приземлить реактивное ВС
15. completion of the journey	o. снежные бури

Exercise 1.2.7 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. The jet is readied for the ____ (voyage, trip, journey).

2. The ______ and cabin crews have begun their own preparations. (flight attendants; co-pilots, pilots).

3. Airline staff are _____ for all aspects of a flight (responsible, ready, in charge of).

4. Hundreds of daily flights operating on time are ______ (regulating, staggering, happening).

5. In an operation of this size, problems are bound to ______ (occur, happen, raise).

6. It is the job of operations staff to _____ (anticipate, look forward, suppose) such situations.

7. They can ______ (look for, find, search) themselves planning around snowstorms.

8. _____ (sometimes, always, occasionally) a mechanical problem will ground a jet.

9. It is the job of operations staff to ______ (provide, ensure, guarantee) the safety of the flights.

10. There is _____ (thin, deep, thick) fog at the Heathrow hub.

Exercise 1.2.8 Fill in the gaps with the necessary form of the words given in brackets.

1. The cabin crews have _____ their own preparations. (BEGIN)

2. Their workday has _____ at the Compass Centre. (START)

3. Usually Mother Nature is to blame, ____ up weather roadblocks. (THROW)

4. They can find themselves ____ around snowstorms. (PLAN)

5. Airline staff are responsible for all aspects of a flight, _____ with the allocation of an aircraft for the trip. (START)

6. Typhoon ____ in an Taipei and thick fog at the Heathrow hub – sometimes all in the same day. (CLOSE)

7. In an operation in this size, problems are _____ to occur. (BOUND)

8. The jet is _____ for the trip. (READY)

Exercise 1.2.9 In the list below the box find a definition for the given words.

Cabin crew Diversion Flight Fleet Contingency Passenger Airline staff Operations staff Safety

1. staff who prepare flight plans, coordinate and dispatch flights

2. a person being conveyed by bus, taxi, tram, train, ship, aircraft

3. dependent on circumstances or something else which might happen

4. the mix and number of aircraft types operated by an airline

5. the employees of a company. The team that forms an airline.

6. the condition of being safe from causing or suffering harm, injury or loss

7. members of the aircraft crew who are responsible for the safety of the cabin and passengers and whose duty is to serve the passengers during a flight

8. the ability to move through the air using wings

9. it is occurred when a flight does not land at its planned destination but at another airport for any reason

Exercise 1.2.10 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Пилоты и обслуживающий персонал начали свою подготовку.

2. Персонал авиалиний ответствечает за все этапы полета.

3. Погода может быть причиной задержек и вынужденных отклонений от маршрута.

4. Работа персонала по аэронавигационному обслуживанию полетов - предвидеть такие ситуации.

5. Механическая поломка будет причиной внеочередной посадки реактивного самолета.

6. Персонал вынужден осуществить дополнительные задания, чтобы доставить пассажиров в пункт назначения.

7. Усилия более, чем 300 самолетов и материально-технического обеспечения направлены на выполнение ежедневных рейсов вовремя и по расписанию.

Exercise 1.2.11 Make up your own sentences using the following words and word combinations.

Jet; airline staff; all aspects of a flight; a few days prior to departure; the journey; blame; anticipate; contingency plans; ensure the safety of the flights; minimize disruptions; mechanical problem.

Exercise 1.2.12 Retell the text.