1.4. Pilots’ paperwork

Exercise 1.4.1 Read and translate the text.

A computer has analyzed the choices and after crunching data such as aircraft performance and weather, including the upper winds, it recommends the minimum cost route and the optimum altitude. With this choice in hand, the planner then checks for air traffic control delays or significant weather en route that might make the computers selection a bad choice.

Once the route is selected, a planner’s attention turns to the weather forecasts for the arrival airport and the task of selecting alternative airports. The preliminary weight figures are obtained, the fuel load calculated and a flight plan filed with air traffic control agencies along the route. The job takes about 30 minutes for an experienced planner who will prepare about 20 flight plans in a typical shift.

The paperwork for the pilots comes in two parts. The first is the „SWORD” flight plan, the airlines computerized fuel and flight planning system.

It is a long flight and the flight plan is equally long, stretching to 13 pages of print-out with 104 waypoints in all. But the cover page provides the important details. The planner has chosen Route 78 for Speedbird 25 tonight, a 5,781nm journey that is expected to take 11 hours and 34 minutes. After take off, the flight will proceed to the Brookmans Park VOR (VHF omni-directional radio range) in north London, east to the Clacton VOR near Colchester, Essex, then across the North Sea. Nearing the Netherlands, the flight will pass the appropriately named waypoint TULIP, on to the Spijkerboor VOR (SPY) north of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. The flight will turn northeast to track airway UN873 across the top of The Netherlands, then to Helgoland VOR on a small island in the North Sea, to the Codan VOR on another island in the Baltic Sea, then to ELVIX, a waypoint on the southern tip of Sweden.

The flight will pass over Liepaja on the coast of Latvia and then over Riga, across Russia, passing south of Moscow, then traverse the expansive country of Kazakhstan. From there, the flight will proceed to SARIN, a waypoint that marks the border with China, and an area of high terrain that dictates special planning considerations during the flight.

The routing through China parallels the border with Mongolia before turning south, Chengdu, to Hong Kong. The trip across China will cover 2,567nm, almost half the journey.

Exercise 1.4.2 Answer the questions.

1. What has a computer analyzed?

2. What does a planner check?

3. What does a planner’s attention turn to when the route is selected?

4. How many parts does the paperwork consist of?

5. What is the first part?

6. What does the cover page provide?

7. What route has a planner chosen?

Exercise 1.4.3 Are the following statements true (√) or false (×)? Correct the false ones.

1. A computer has made the choices.

2. It approves the minimum cost route.

3. Then the planner clears for air traffic control delays.

4. Significant weather enroute might make the computers choose a bad variant.

5. A pilot’s attention turns to the weather forecasts.

6. The preliminary weight figures are obtained

7. The paper work for the pilots comes in several parts.

8. The cover page provides the necessary events.

9. Journey is estimated to take 11 hours and 34 minutes.

10. After landing the plane will proceed to stand 8.

11. The flight will pass waypoint TULIP.

12. An area of high terrain specifies special planning considerations during the flight.

13. A waypoint marks the border with China.

Exercise 1.4.4 Give English equivalents for the following words and word combinations.

Анализировать выбор; рекомендовать; плохой выбор; аэропорт прибытия (назначения); предварительный вес; вдоль маршрута; обычная рабочая смена; рабочие документы; пункт маршрута; соответственно; южная конечная точка; на протяжении / во время полета; характеристика самолета.

Exercise 1.4.5 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and expressions.

Height; selection; advise; prognosis; well-trained, beforehand; profession; significant; trip; accordingly; wait; peak; to go by/ past; territory; be bound; get/ to have; boundary; stay too long; discussion.

Exercise 1.4.6 Match the word combinations and expressions in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. upper winds	a. авиадиспетчерское агентство
2. minimum cost route	b. соoтветственно названный пункт маршрута
3. optimum altitude	c. задание выбора запасных аэропортов
4. air traffic control delays	d. ветер в верхних слоях атмосферы
5. significant weather en route	e. топливо, занесенное в компьютер воздушных линий
6. air traffic control agencies	f. маршрут с минимальными затратами
7. airlines computerized fuel	g. рассмотрение особого планирования
8. flight planning system	h. диспетчерские задержки
9. important details	i. прогноз погоды
10. appropriately named waypoint	j. оптимальная высота
11. expansive country	k. существенные изменения погоды на маршруте
12. area of high terrain	l. опытный диспетчер по планированию полетов
13. special planning considerations	m. огромная страна
14. weather forecast	n. система планирования полетов
15. task of selecting alternative airports	o. зона гористой местности
16. experienced planner	p. важные детали

Exercise 1.4.7 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. It ______ (advises, controls, recommends) the minimum cost route.

2. The ______ (pilot, controller, planner) checks for air traffic control delays.

3. The ______ (different, useful, prelimitary) weight figures are obtained.

4. A planner will prepare flight plans in a/an _____ (usual, real, typical) shift.

5. The cover page _______ (does, provides, recomends) the important details.

6. After take off, the flight will ____ (fly, proceed, return) to Brookmans Park VOR.

7. The flight will ________ (go, pass, avoid) over Liepaja on the cost of Latvia.

8. The flight will traverse the ______ (huge, small, expansive) country.

9. The ________ (waypoint, flight, aircraft) will proceed to SARIN.

10. The trip _______ (above, below, across) China will cover 2,567 nm.

11. A flight plan is filed with ______ (search and rescue, an traffic control, investigation) agencies along the route.

Exercise 1.4.8 Fill the gaps with the necessary form of the words given in brackets.

1. A computer has ____ the choices. (ANALYSE)

2. A significant weather might make the computer’s ______ a bad choice. (SELECT)

3. A planner’s attention turns to the task of _____ alternative airports. (SELECT)

4. The job takes about 30 minutes for an __________ planner. (EXPERIENCE)

5. The first part is the airline’s ____ fuel. (COMPUTER)

6. The flight plan is _____ long. (EQUAL)

7. The journey is _______ to take 11 hours 34 minutes. (EXPECT)

8. The flight will pass the appropriately ____ waypoint TULIP. (NAME)

9. The flight will pass across Russia, ___ south of Moscow. (PASS)

10. An area of high terrain dictates special ____ considerations. (PLAN)

Exercise 1.4.9 In the list below the box find the definition for the given words.

Performance Upper winds En route Weather forecast Waypoint Terrain Take off Shift

1. the ground, especially its physical features, hills, valleys and so on

2. the capability or flying characteristics of the aircraft

3. the process of flying the aircraft off the ground at the beginning of a flight

4. on or along the path of the journey

5. one of the set periods of time during which people work; for example in a factory.

6. an en route position used for navigation, position reporting, holding etc.

7. a statement of expected weather conditions for a particular place at a particular time or period of time based on regular observations

8. the winds that blow high up in the atmosphere

Exercise 1.4.10 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Компьютер анализирует выбор.

2. Диспетчер по планированию полетов проверяет задержки или существенные изменения погоды на маршруте.

3. Внимание диспетчера по планированию полетов обращено на прогноз погоды для аэродрома посадки.

4. Вес предварительно подсчитывается.

5. Рабочие документы для пилотов поступают в двух частях.

6. Первая часть – план полета, компьютерный подсчет топлива и система планирования полетов.

7. Маршрут 78 предположительно займет 11 часов и 34 минуты.

8. После взлета борт будет следовать на ВОР Брукмэнс Парк.

9. Борт будет пролетать над Лиепаей по побережью Латвии.

10. САРИН – пункт маршрута, который обозначает границу с Китаем

11. Это зона возвышенности, которая предписывает рассмотрение специального планирования во время полета.

Exercise 1.4.11 Make up your own sentences using the following words and word combinations.

Including; t upper winds; significant weather en route; bad choice. weather forecasts task of selecting alternative airports; tfuel load calculated; flight plan; filed flight plan; important details; after take off; waypoint; pass over a waypoint; area of high terrain; during the flight.

Exercise 1.4.12 Retell the text.