8.5 Topics for Discussion

1. The role of weather on aviation.

2. Meteorological offices and their functions.

3. Weather maps.

4. Dangerous meteorological phenomena.

5. Standard atmosphere.

6. Natural catastrophes.

7. Geographical Coordinate System.

8. Navigation charts in professional activity.

9. Radio navigational aids.

10. The Earth planet and its geography.

11. Seasons of the year in different parts of the world.

12. Global Position System (GPS).

13. Volcano activity warning system.

14. Environmental protection and your personal contribution to help our planet.

15. Climate on the Earth. Global warming.

UNIT 9

Non-Standard Situations

9.1 Transponders Were Switched off to Prevent Aircraft Being Tracked by Air Traffic Control

Exercise 9.1.1 Read and translate the text.

American Airlines flight 11 and United Airlines flight 175, both Boeing 767 s bound for Los Angeles, took off from Boston Logan airport within a minute of each other at 07:59 and 07:58 local time. They both headed north – west initially and come close to colliding at one point, according to an FAA area controller, who told the Washington Post that AAO 11’s erratic behaviour indicates that the hijackers took only minutes to intervene after take-off. AAO 11’s transponder was switched off as the aircraft changed course for New York, but the aircraft remained visible on primary radar. Controllers learned of the hijack when from time to time the pilot pressed the transmit switch so that they could hear the hijackers talking. The controllers alerted the security services. At one point hijacker said that if no-one “did anything stupid” no-one would get hurt. The aircraft, heading south, hit the north tower of New York’s World Trade center (WTC) at 08:45.

UA 175 flew normally for longer, and the hijackers appear to have left at least one United Airlines pilot in his seat, possibly for all or almost all the flight.

Controllers who knew of the first aircraft hitting the WTC say they did not expected UA 175 to be used in a similar way. It passed New York heading south-west and then turned north-east, eventually to hit the WTC south tower at 09:05. Just before impact the 767 looked as if it was being flown to pass the WTC with the building very close to its left wingtip, but in the last seconds it banked left to hit the tower.

At 08:01 flight UA093 took off, it was a Boeing 757 from New York bound for San Francisko. The aircraft headed west for about an hour before turning south and then east. This change of course towards Washington DC sparked the evacuation of the Capitol and the White House. Cell-phone messages well into the 2h flight indicated that both pilots were under guard at the rear of the aircraft with cabin crew and passengers. They also indicated realisation among the passengers that their best chance for survival might be to overpower the hijackers. A US Air Force F-16 fighter shadowed the aircraft in the latter part of the flight. The aircraft crashed steely in countryside south-east of Pittsburgh at 10:10, with no clue yet as to what the hijackers real intention may have been.

At 08:10 flight AA077, another 757, took off from Washington Dulles airport, only about 50 km west of the hijackers’ ultimate target, the Pentagon. The aircraft headed west for its scheduled destination, Los Angeles. Then turned east and was lost on radar. But it is not clear whether this was the result of switching off the transponder or low flying. It crashed into the Pentagon, just across the Potomac River from Washington DC, at 09:40.

Exercise 9.1.2 Answer the questions.

1. What time did they take off?

2. Why did they come close to colliding?

3. What did an FAA area controllers tell the Washington Post?

4. What did the controllers alert?

5. What did a hijacker say?

6. What did the aircraft hit?

7. What did the controllers who knew of the first aircraft hitting the WTC say?

8. How did the 767 look just before impact?

9. What was the reason for evacuation of the Capitol and the White House?

10. What did cell-phone messages indicate?

11. How did the aircraft crash?

12. What aircraft took off from Washington Dulles airport?

13. What was the reason for the crash?

Exercise 9.1.3 Write T if the sentence is true and F if the sentence is false.

1. American Airlines flight 11 and United Airline flight 175, both Boeing 767s bound for New York.

2. They took off from Boston airport in two minutes of each other.

3. They come close to avoiding at one point.

4. The hijackers took only two minutes to intervene after take-off.

5. The controllers could hear the hijackers’ talking from time to time.

6. The controllers alerted the police officers.

7. The hijackers appear to have left only navigator in his seat.

8. They expected UA 175 to be used in a similar way.

9. Both pilots were under control at the rear of the aircraft with cabin crew and passengers.

10. They also notified the real danger among passengers.

11. A US Air Force F-16 fighter shadowed the aircraft at the end of the flight.

12. The aircraft headed west for its non-scheduled destination.

Exercise 9.1.4 Give the English equivalents for the following.

Направляться куда-либо; первоначально; сумасбродное поведение; изменить курс; первичный локатор; служба безопасности; действительное намерение; поднимать по тревоге; видимый; наилучший шанс; возможно на протяжении всего полета; местное время; угонщик самолетов

Exercise 9.1.5 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and word combinations.

To turn off; heading; to lead; originally; correspondingly; collision; to conduct; to transform; to interfere; to pain; ultimately; to vanquish; purpose; last part; to shatter; final goal; to dispatch; under defense.

Exercise 9.1.6 State what part of speech the following words belong to.

1. local

a) verb b) noun c) adverb d) adjective

2. erratic

a) adjective b) past participle c) noun d) verb

3. behavior

a) verb b) adjective c) noun d) adverb

4. possibly

a) noun b) adverb c) adjective d) verb

5. best

a) adverb b) verb c) pronoun d) noun

6. steeply

a) pronoun b) noun c) adverb d) verb

7. across

a) verb b) pronoun c) preposition d) adverb

8. clue

a) preposition b) pronoun c) adverb d) noun

9. indicate

a) noun b) verb c) adverb d) past participle

10. under

a) adverb b) noun c) preposition d) adjective

11. primary

a) adjective b) adverb c) verb d) noun

Exercise 9.1.7 Match the words and word combinations in column A with those in column B.

A	B
aircraft bounds for Los Angeles	a. сумасбродное поведение
within a minute of each other	b. по крайней мере
to come close to	c. борт, направляющийся в Лос Анджелес
according to	d. под стражей
erratic behavior	e. в пределах минуты друг от друга
to remain visible	f. конечная цель
from time to time	g. реальное намерение
hijackers’ talking	h. подойти близко
anything stupid	i. крениться влево
at least	j. оставаться видимым
in a similar way	k. в последней части полета
to bank left	l. разговор угонщиков самолета
under guard	m. смена курса
change of course	n. в соответствии с
ultimate target	o. время от времени
real intention	p. что-либо глупое
in the latter part of the flight	q. подобным образом

Exercise 9.1.8 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. American Airlines flight ____ from Boston Logan airport (took off, climbed, landed)

2. They _____ hear the hijacker’s talking (could, might, ought to).

3. The _____ alerted the security services. (controllers, pilots, captains)

4. UA 175 flew _____ for longer (generally, normally, officially)

5. They did not expect UA 175 to be used in a _____ way (same, similar, usual)

6. Both pilots were under _____ at the rear of the aircraft (control, radar, guard)

7. Their best chance for survival might be to _____ the hijackers (overcome, serve, overpower)

8. The hijackers’ real _____ may have been (decision, advice, intention).

9. It was only about 50 km west of the hijackers’ _______ target (last, ultimate, final)

10. Nobody would get _____ (injure, hurt, pain)

Exercise 9.1.9 Fill in the gaps with the related words.

1. They both _____ (head) north-west _____ (initial).

2. The _____ (hijack) took only minutes to intervene after take off.

3. They could hear the hijackers’ _____ (talk)

4. The aircraft headed west for about an hour before _____ (turn) south and then east.

5. They also indicated _____ (realize) among the passengers.

6. Their best chance for _____ (survive) might be to overpower the hijackers.

7. The aircraft crashed _____ (steep) in countryside south-east of Pittsburgh.

8. The aircraft headed west for its _____ (schedule) destination.

9. This was the result of_____ (switch) off the transponder or low _____ (fly).

10. They both came close to _____ (collide) at one point.

11. It passed New York _____ (head) south-west.

Exercise 9.1.10 Fill in the prepositions if necessary.

1. Both Boeing 767s bound _____ Los Angeles.

2. They came close to colliding _____ one point.

3. The hijacker’s took only minutes _____ take off.

4. The aircraft remained visible ______ primary radar.

5. The hijackers appear to have left at least one United Airlines pilot _____ his seat.

6. Just _____ impact the 767 looked as if it was being flown to pass WTC.

7. But _____ the last seconds it banked left to hit the tower.

8. _____ 08.01 flight UA 093 took _____ .

9. It was a Boeing 757 from New York bound ______ San Francisco.

10. Both pilots were ______ guard at the rear _____ the aircraft with cabin crew and passengers.

11. They also indicated realization ______ the passengers.

12. The aircraft turned east and was lost ______ radar.

13. It crashed ______ the Pentagon.

Exercise 9.1.11 Make up sentences using the given words.

1. off/ both/ took/ aircraft/ from/ airport/ other/ a / minute/ each/ of/ Boston

2. security/ the/ alerted/ controllers/ the / services

3. hit/ the/ tower/ aircraft/ the/ north

4. similar/ they/ UA 175/ way/ to/ in/ did/ be expect/ used/ a/ not

5. course/ transponder/ York/ was/ off/ changed/ switched/ as/ aircraft/ the/ for/ New/ the

6. destination/ the/ for/ aircraft/ west/ scheduled/ its/ headed

7. on/ then/ and/ radar/ turned/ east/ lost/ was

8. the/ but/ clear/ this/ off/ low/ if/ whether/ or/ of/ the/ is/ was/ not/ flying/ switching/ this/ result/ transponder

9. latter/ US/ flight/ a/ F-16/ Air/ the/ in/ part/ Force/ shadowed/ the of/ the/ fighter/ aircraft

10. tower/ but/ last/ if/ hit/ the/ banked/ tower/ in/ second/ left/ to

Exercise 9.1.12 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Оба самолета изначально направились на северо-запад.

2. Воздушным пиратам потребовалось только несколько минут, чтобы вмешаться после взлета.

3. Время от времени пилоты включали приемоответчик, так что диспетчеры могли слышать разговор воздушных пиратов.

4. Диспетчеры подняли по тревоге службу безопасности.

5. Самолет врезался в вышку (башню) Нью-Йоркского торгового центра.

Exercise 9.1.13 Make up your own sentences using the words and word combinations.

The aircraft headed; erratic behaviour; according to an FAA area controller; within a minute of each other; as the aircraft change course; at one point the hijackers said; just before impact; very close to its wingtip; but in the last seconds; before turning south; this change of course towards Washington; among the passengers; the best chance for survival; in the latter part of the flight.

Exercise 9.1.14 Retell the text.