4.4 In contact with Hong Kong Radar

Exercise 4.4.1 Read and translate the text.

Captain R/T: ‘Hong Kong Radar, good afternoon, it’s Speedbird two five, flight level one seven zero, approaching Sierra.’

There is no response. The Captain switches back to the previous frequency and asks the Chinese controller to confirm the frequency for Hong Kong Radar.

Guangzhou Control:’ Hong Kong Radar is one two four decimal three.’

John had the correct frequency dialed in the first time. So he tries again and this time gets a reply.

Captain R/T: ‘Hong Kong Radar, Speedbird two five.’

Hong Kong Radar:’ Speedbird two five, good afternoon, left heading one four zero and descend to flight level one two zero.’

Speedbird two five is operating in feet rather than metres, under the guidance of staff in the Hong Kong air traffic Control facility located at the airport.

Back on the flight deck, the controller calls with instructions to turn left to a heading of 120˚. Just as the NOTAMs hinted, it appears Speedbird 25 is being vectored off the STAR for an abbreviated arrival routeing. The controller’s next transmission confirms their suspicion.

Hong Kong Radar:’ Speedbird two five, about 65 track miles to touchdown.’

The controller’s vectors will shave some 50 nm off the published STAR, saving time and fuel. This has come as no surprise to the pilots who had anticipated the shorter route.

Hong Kong Radar:’ Speedbird two five, descend to niner thousand feet, QNH is one zero one six, information is Echo.’

‘Echo’ is the latest ATIS (automatic terminal information service) broadcast for Hong Kong International Airport and it reports good conditions. Scattered cumulus clouds are now visible in the haze, looking like bright white icebergs afloat in a murky grey ocean.

Hong Kong Radar:’ Speedbird two five, left heading zero eight zero.’

The First Officer has raised the nose of the jet slightly, slowing it to 250 kt, and reduced the rate of descent to 1,250 fpm. He turns the control column to take up the new heading.

Other arriving aircraft are overheard on the frequency. ‘Dynasty 652’, a China Airlines Airbus A300-600R from Kuala Lumpur, and Asiana 301, a 747-400 inbound from Seoul, are ahead of the British Airways flight on the approach. Dragonair 435, an Airbus A330 arriving from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, checks in levelling at 11,000ft. And China Eastern 537 from Fuzhou, China, is heard calling the arrival controller.

Hong Kong Radar:’ Speedbird two five, turn left heading three two zero, descend to five thousand feet.’

Exercise 4.4.2 Answer the questions.

1. Why does the Captain switch back to the previous frequency?

2. What level and heading instructions is Speedbird 25 given at first?

3. What is the distance from the touchdown?

4. How many nautical miles will the controller’s vectors shave off the published STAR?

5. What weather conditions at Hong Kong International Airport does information Echo report?

6. What speed has the First Officer slowed the jet to and what rate of descent has he reduced to?

7. What other aircraft are overheard on the frequency?

8. What was the onward heading and descent frequency?

Exercise 4.4.3 Are the following statements true (√) or false (×)? Correct the false ones.

1. The captain has the immediate response on his initial contact with Hong Kong Radar.

2. The Hong Kong Radar Controller initially instructs the Speedbird to turn left heading 120 and descend to flight level 140.

3. Speedbird 25 is operating in metres.

4. The controller’s vectors will shave some 50nm off the published STAR, saving time and fuel.

5. “Echo” is the latest ATIS information.

6. Other arriving aircraft, Dynasty 652 and Asiana 301, are behind of the British Airways on the approach.

Exercise 4.4.4 Give English equivalents for the following words and word combinations.

Нет ответа, предыдущая частота, подтвердить частоту, набранная частота, под управлением персонала, расположенный в аэропорту, сокращенный маршрут прилета, передача, опубликованный стандартный маршрут прибытия, рассеянные кучевые облака, яркие белые айсберги, ручка управления, штурвал, диспетчер прилета.

Exercise 4.4.5 What do the following abbreviations stand for?

R/T NOTAM QNH ATIS itnl

Exercise 4.4.6 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and expressions.

Reply; reveal; true; right; accurate; expected; answer; dark; gloomy; leadership; direction; in front of; situated.

Exercise 4.3.7 Match the word combinations and expressions in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. anticipate shorter route	a. подтверждать частоту
2. confirm the frequency	b. ожидать укороченный маршрут
3. control column	c. рассеянные кучевые облака
4. guidance	d. предыдущая частота
5. scattered cumulus	e. сокращенный маршрут прибытия
6. previous frequency	f. видимый во мгле
7. flight deck	g. ручка управления
8. abbreviated arrival	h. кабина экипажа
9. routeing visible in haze	i. скорость снижения
10. rate of descent	j. наведение управления

Exercise 4.4.8 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. There is no _________ (reply, response, resume).

2. The captain switches back to the ___________ (previous, primary, secondary) frequency.

3. The Hong Kong Air Traffic Control __________ (instrument, equipment, facility) is located at the airport.

4. Speedbird 25 is being ________ (guided, controlled, vectored) off the STAR for a/an ________ (shortened, shorter, abbreviated) arrival routeing.

5. The controller’s _________ (radials, vectors, guidance) will shave some 50 nm off the published STAR.

6. Scattered cumulus clouds are now __________ (visible, unvisible, visual) in the haze.

7. The First officer has raised the nose of the jet ________ (slowly, slightly, lightly).

8. He turns the control ________ (column, yoke, stick) to take up the new heading.

9. Other _______ (inbound, arriving, arrival) aircraft are overhead on the frequency.

10. China eastern 537 from Fuzhou, China, is heard calling the ___________ (arrival, approach, ground) controller.

Exercise 4.4.9 Fill in the gaps with the necessary form of the words given in brackets.

1. It’s Speedbird 25, flight level 170, _____________ SIERRA. (APPROACH)

2. John had the correct frequency _________ in the first time. (DIAL)

3. Speedbird 25 is operating under the ______________ of staff in the Hong Kong ATC. (GUIDE)

4. The controller calls with _________ to turn left to a heading of 120. (INSTRUCT)

5. The controller’s next ________ confirms their suspicion. (TRANSMIT)

6. Descend to 9,000 feet, QNH 1016, ____________ is Echo. (INFORM)

7. The First officer has raised the nose of the jet ____________ . (SLIGHT)

8. An Airbus A330 checks in __________ at 11,000 feet. (LEVEL)

Exercise 4.4.10 In the list below the box find a definition for the given words.

Frequency Staff Facility Vector Transmission Confirm Broadcast Haze Slightly Control column

1. equipment

2. rate at which a sound wave or a radio wave vibrates

3. radio transmission of information relating to air navigation that is not addressed to a specific station

4. thin mist

5. not strongly

6. group of people working together responsible to a manager or a person in authority

7. guide a pilot in flight

8. stick

9. passing or handling on; sending on

10. establish the truth of

Exercise 4.4.11 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Эшелон полета 170, подхожу к СИЕРА.

2. Подтвердите частоту Гонконг Радар.

3. Влево, курс 140 и снижайтесь до ЭП 120.

4. Снижайтесь до 9.000 футов, QNH 1016, информация ЭКО.

5. Влево, курс 180.

6. Развернитесь влево курс 130, снижайтесь до высоты 5 000 футов.

7. Капитан возвращается на прежнюю частоту.

8. Спидберд 25 дается наведение с уклонением от схемы захода на посадку для укороченного маршрута прилета.

9. Наведение диспетчера срежет около 50 морских миль от опубликованной схемы, экономя время и горючее.

10. Пилоты ожидали укороченный маршрут.

11. Рассеянные кучевые облака сейчас видны во мгле.

12. Второй пилот немного поднял нос ВС, замедляя его до 250 узлов.

13. Он уменьшил скорость снижения до 1250 футов в минуту.

14. Он поворачивает ручку управления, чтобы взять новый курс.

Exercise 4.4.12 Make up your own sentences using the following words and word combinations.

Response; previous frequency; confirm frequency; dialed frequency; located at the airport; transmission; control column; arrival controller.

Exercise 4.4.13 Retell the text.