1.3. Planning

Exercise 1.3.1 Read and translate the text.

Pilots, air traffic controllers and others involved in air travel operate on a central time, known as co-ordinated universal time (UTC), to avoid the mix-ups that might be caused by time zones. Its now 15.30Z, which happens to be the same as London time. Speedbird 25 is scheduled to depart in just 90 minutes, at 17.00 UTS. That doesn’tt leave much time so John, Bob and Harry get to work reviewing the paperwork prepared for the flight.

The thick pile of print-outs is the result of the careful work by a flight planner, who assembled the many pieces that go into the documentation, including weather reports and the „SWORD” flight plan (short for System for Worldwide Operational Route Data) which details aircraft weights, fuel requirements and routing.

The planner began the job several hours earlier by first looking at what routes were available. For the London Hong Kong flight, there are just three. The options are limited largely by the fact that the route through China is restricted to just a couple of airways. Chinese controllers don’t usually permit deviations off these routings, even for bad weather. In a few cases when an airway has been blocked by a thunderstorm, aircraft have been forced to turn around and retrace their journey out of Chinese airspace when just a small diversion would have taken them safely around the bad weather.

A hatch-marked box on the China chart warns that deviation north of today’s route is ‘prohibited’. The briefing notes explain that civilian controllers in China have responsibility for only the 20km width of the airway. Other airspace is controlled by the military. Pilots requiring deviations should only request vectors within the airway. ‘Crews having to deviate outside the AWY (airway) will be under MIL CTL (military control) and may be instructed to land at a nearby MIL (military) airfield. In such cases, consideration of returning to airport of origin or diversion must be considered,’ the notes say.

Exercise 1.3.2 Answer the questions.

1. Why do pilots, air traffic controllers involved in air travel operate on a central time?

2. What does a pile of print-outs include?

3. When did the planner begin the job?

4. Why are options limited?

5. What don’t Chinese controllers permit? (Give some examples)

6. What does a hatch-marked box warn about?

7. What do the briefing notes explain?

8. How is other airspace controlled?

9. What do the notes say?

Exercise1.3.3 Are the following statements true (√) or false (×)? Correct the false ones.

1. All passengers involved in air travel try to avoid mix-ups.

2. Central time is known as UTC.

3. Speedbird 25 is scheduled to land in 20 minutes.

4. John, Bob, Harry get to work looking through the paperwork prepared for the flight.

5. A lot of print-outs are the result of the careful work.

6. Documentation consists of weather reports and the “SWORD” flight plan.

7. The “SWORD” flight plan explains aircraft weights, fuel requirements and routeing.

8. The planner began the job by planning the routes.

9. The options are limited.

10. Chinese route is prohibited to a couple of airways.

11. Chinese controllers always permit deviations off routeings.

12. An airway has been blocked by a thunderstorm.

13. Aircraft have been forced to go around due to low visibility.

14. Deviation north of today’s route is dangerous.

15. Chinese civilian controllers are responsible for 20 km length of the runway.

16. Airspace is controlled by civil controllers.

17. Pilots requiring the deviation should only request vectors within the route.

Exercise 1.3.4 Give English equivalents for the following words and word combinations.

Воздушные перевозки; две (пара) воздушные трассы; кипа бумаг; аэропорт назначения; вес самолета; требования к топливу; отклонение от маршрута; рабочие документы; запасной аэродром; из-за плохой погоды; включая сводку погоды; рассмотрение чего-либо; предупреждать.

Exercise 1.3.5 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and expressions.

Two airways; deviation; evade; a dispatcher; leave; thorough; accurate; accessible; demand; itinerary; alternate aerodrome; map; come work; allow; go around; oblige; discussion.

Exercise 1.3.6 Match the word combinations and expressions in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. air traffic controllers	а. избежать путаницы
2. coordinated universal time	b. в нескольких случаях
3. avoid mix-ups	c. плохая погода
4. pile of print-outs	d. приземлиться поблизости от аэродрома
5. several hours	е. диспетчеры
6. flight planner	f. скоординированное всемирное время
7. result of careful work	g. в пределах трассы
8. in a few cases	h. под контролем военных диспетчеров
9. blocked by thunderstorm	i. кипа (стопка) печатных материалов
10. be forced to turn around	j. результат тщательной работы
11. bad weather	k. несколько часов
12. briefing notes	l. заметки, сделанные отделом брифинга
13. responsibility	m. диспетчер по планированию полетов
14. outside the airway	n. заблокирован грозой
15. under military control	o. вне воздушной трассы
16. within the airway	p. вынужден развернуться
17. land at nearly airfield	q. ответственность

Exercise 1.3.7 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. Air traffic controllers are _____ (included, worked, involved) in air travel.

2. The flight is scheduled _____ (to depart,to land, to take off) in 90 minutes.

3. The pilots get to work ____ (observing, looking through, reviewing) the paperwork.

4. A flight planner has assembled the many pieces of _____ (documentation, paperwork, planning).

5. The planner ______ (commenced, finished, began) looking at available routes.

6. The route through China is _____ (dangerous, prohibited, restricted).

7. Due thunderstorm aircraft have been forced to _____ (retrace, come back, arrive) their journey out of Chinese airspace.

8. Civilian controllers have _____ (responsibility, opportunity, chance) for 20km width of the airway.

9. Crews may be ____ (informed, instructed, consulted) to land at nearby airfield.

10. _____ (Revision, Discussion, Consideration) must be considered.

Exercise 1.3.8 Fill in the gaps with the necessary form of the words given in brackets.

1. A central time is ______ as coordinated universal time. (KNOW)

2. The mix-ups might be ______ by time zones. (CAUSE)

3. A thick pile of print-outs is the result of the _____ work by a flight planner. (CARE))

4. The options are ________ largely. (LIMIT)

5. Chinese controllers don’t usually ________ deviations off these routeings. (PERMISSION)

6. An airway has been _____ by a thunderstorm. (BLOCK)

7. A small diversion would have taken them ____ around the bad weather. (SAFE)

8. Pilots ________ deviations should only request vectors. (REQUIRE)

9. Crews ______ to deviate outside the airway will be under military control. (HAVE)

10. _____ of returning to airport of origin must be considered. (CONSIDERATE)

Exercise 1.3.9 In the list below the box find a definition for the given words.

Controller Schedule Thunderstorm Weather Flightplan Route Chart Airway

1. an air route marked by navigation aids, such as beacons and direction finding equipment

2. a storm accomplished by thunder and lightning

3. the airway or series of airways which the aircraft will follow to reach its destination

4. a person authorized to provide air traffic control service

5. a specially prepared map for use in navigation which often shows airways, reporting points, navigation aids and major geographical features

6. a plan showing all specified information for a planned flight submitted orally or in writing to ATC

7. atmospheric conditions prevailing at a given place and time

8. a defined and published time at which a flight either departs or arrives as in the airline timetable

Exercise 1.3.10 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Пилоты и диспетчеры осуществляют перевозки по скоординированному всемирному времени.

2. Центральное время известно как скоординированное всемирное время.

3. Боб и Хэрри приезжают на работу для просмотра рабочих документов, подготовленных для полета.

4. Диспетчер по планированию полетов начал работу на несколько часов раньше.

5. Маршрут через Китай ограничен всего лишь несколькими воздушными трассами.

6. Только в нескольких случаях, когда воздушная трасса была заблокирована грозой, воздушные суда вынуждены были изменить маршрут следования.

7. Китайские диспетчеры ответственны только за 20 км ширину воздушной трассы.

8. Другое воздушное пространство контролируется военными диспетчерами

9. Пилоты должны запросить радиолокационное наведение только в пределах трассы.

10. Экипажи, отклоняющиеся за пределы трассы, будут под контролем военных диспетчеров.

Exercise 1.3.11 Make up your own sentences using the following words and word combinations.

Avoid the mix-ups; paperwork; the result of the careful work; flight planner; go into the documentation; including weather reports; by the fact; for bad weather; deviations off these routings; a small diversion; briefing notes; have responsibility for; request vectors within the airway; in such cases; airport of origin.

Exercise 1.3.12 Retell the text.