How could government flights affect flight operations

How America’s government shutdown is affecting flyers

Miami airport is already closing one of its concourses due to a lack of airport-security personnel

By A.W. | WASHINGTON, DC

AS MOST airlines in America are privately owned, many flyers might think that their journeys will be unaffected by the government shutdown there, which is entering its fourth week. But those that think that are wrong. Many staff that enable flights to take place safely—from aeroplane-maintenance inspectors to airport-security personnel—are employed by the federal government. And as the shutdown goes on, the impact on travellers will only get bigger. On January 11th the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the government agency that operates the security checks for passengers at airports, was unable to pay its workers, who have now been unpaid since December 22nd. On January 10th the number of workers calling in sick increased by 55% on the same day a year ago, according to the agency. And the situation is only likely to get worse. Miami airport has already been forced to closes one of its concourses due to a lack of TSA employees on duty.

TSA personnel shortages may increase waiting times at airport security for some passengers. It could lead to less thorough screening of passengers. But the shutdown’s effect on another federal agency could be more troubling. The Federal Aviation Administration, the industry’s regulator, is running short of aeroplane inspectors. It is still responding to requests from airlines, for example, to certify a plane for flight, but it is not conducting its routine oversight of airline repair shops and operations, leaving those tasks to the airlines themselves. “Do you like the fox watching the hen house?” one unpaid inspector told the Associated Press, a news agency. “Every day the government stays shut down, it gets less safe to fly.”

Still, John Goglia, a safety consultant who used to be on the TSA’s board, says airlines are doing their own rigorous inspections, knowing full well they may be audited when the government reopens. “I am working with one of those carriers right now,” he told CNN, a broadcaster. “And I can tell you there is absolutely no change in their operations.”

But there are more reasons to be concerned about the FAA’s operations. Increasingly overburdened air-traffic controllers could restrict the number or frequency of flights coming into and out of airports, resulting in delays. Meanwhile its other activities are grinding to a halt. Andrew LeBovidge, who leads the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a trade group, warned this week that because training programmes for aviation-security officials have been halted, the shutdown could have a “ripple effect” on staffing shortages for months or years to come. “We are already in a critically staffed situation, and with the shutdown, the training pipeline has been cut short and there is no relief in sight,” he said.

Pilots also cannot get their licences renewed from the FAA. If the shutdown ends soon, that might not be a problem, since most pilots apply for renewals well in advance. But if it drags on much longer, the effect on pilots and security officials could grow more dire. “At this point in time, the traveling public has not anything to be concerned about,” Mr Goglia told CNN. “Three months from now, I might not say that.”

Quest 2 редактируемый

Термины в модуле (25)

So in order to prevent such things, airports and air companies should follow simple aviation security rules. For example, the airport authorities arrange security checks for passengers, crew and baggage using introscopes, metal detectors and sniffer dogs.

For inflight medical emergencies there is a first aid kit.(Для оказания неотложной медицинской помощи в полете имеется аптечка.)

Many major airports have parallel runways and can perform simultaneous(одновременнуые) landings or takeoffs. That increases traffic capacity greatly(пропускная способность).

Other airports have intersecting runways. Such airports are more flexible(гибкие) in terms of crosswind operations but much more difficult in terms of taxiing. They have more so-called hot spots.

It might seem at first that more engines mean higher reliability and thus(таким образом) lower safety risks. Historically, four-engine commercial airplanes were the first to get approved for transoceanic flights. But the truth is, more engines mean more hardware(аппаратного обеспечения на борту) onboard the aircraft that theoretically can fail. Higher complexity brings higher probability of fire, structural damage or other malfunctions.(Чем выше сложность, тем выше вероятность возгорания, повреждения конструкции или других неисправностей.)

For example, in case of any fire on board, the pilot must declare an emergency and say MAY DAY. It advises the ATC that the aircraft needs absolute priority and there is an immediate threat to the safety of the airplane and the passengers.

The PAN-PAN means that something happened onboard but the crew controls the situation and there is no immediate threat.

A guide to air travel during the government shutdown

How flights and security lines are being affected.

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As the longest government shutdown in US history continues, Americans are restructuring their travel plans. National parks are either closed, trashed, or both, museum doors remain shut, and some people have even had to reschedule their weddings.

But the place where perhaps the greatest number of people are feeling the effects of the partial shutdown is at the airport, which is stressful even when functioning at full capacity.

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Transportation Security Administration agents are deemed “essential” employees and therefore must report to work even when they aren’t guaranteed a paycheck, and since they haven’t been getting paid, many are calling out sick. According to TSA, unscheduled absences of TSA agents reached 6.8 percent on January 14 and 6.1 percent on the 15th, significantly higher than what they were on these same days last year. The lack of staffing has led to both security and convenience concerns for flyers. Here are answers to a few questions you might have if you plan to take a trip sometime soon.

How is the shutdown affecting agents?

TSA agents make up 51,000 of the 420,000 federal employees who are deemed “essential,” and while they will be paid for their work eventually, they have no clue when exactly that day will come.

So hard going through the airport today. I looked into the eyes of our workers who deserve better. A TSA officer said: «Don’t stop fighting. Keep it up.» I broke down & felt the weight of the responsibility on me. I will never become numb to the human impact. We must end this.

Is airport security worse?

Although TSA spokesperson Michael Bilello tweeted, “security standards remain uncompromised at our nation’s airports,” some alarming information has suggested otherwise.

On January 2, 11 days into the shutdown, a Delta Airlines passenger took a loaded gun through security at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and onto a Tokyo-bound flight. The passenger, who claimed they simply forgot the firearm was in their bag, discovered the gun and alerted the authorities, who met them in Japan when the plane landed.

About 5 percent of TSA employees nationwide did not report to work on the day of the incident, but Bilello says the breach of security had nothing to do with low staffing or the shutdown; it happened, he said, because “standard procedures were not followed.” According to TSA, in 2017, 3,957 firearms were recovered in carry-on bags at American airports and 84 percent of them were loaded.

Although this specific case is both extreme and murky, president of the national TSA employee union Hydrick Thomas told CNN that the number of TSA callouts “will definitely affect the flying public who we [are] sworn to protect.”

On January 14, one out of every 13 airport screeners (employees who screen passengers and luggage at security checkpoints) nationwide didn’t come into work. According to CNN’s sources, the screeners will likely do fewer random pat-downs, bag inspections, and other screenings. That could create a potential security vulnerability — an ironic, if potentially dangerous, situation given that the root cause of the shutdown is a fight over people coming into the country.

Are airport lines longer?

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta on January 15, travelers waited more than an hour in security lines. And at Dallas Love Field Airport, travelers waited 44 minutes.

Some airports have closed terminals due to lack of staffing and are filtering more travelers through fewer checkpoints. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston closed a checkpoint in Terminal B due to low staffing, funneling those passengers to terminals C and E. Over the weekend, Miami International Airport closed checkpoints in Terminal G and diverted passengers to other terminals, also citing low staffing.

Last week at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, employees and flyers were confronted with “endless lines,” ABC News reported. At Terminal C, which houses Delta, passengers waited 90 minutes in security lines. A similar situation arose at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which was already dealing with a TSA agent shortage.

Are flights getting delayed or canceled?

Not yet. Flight delays may be caused by winter storms across the Midwest, but so far, the government shutdown has not led to widespread delays or cancellations. Southwest Airlines was supposed to start flying to Hawaii early this year, but the shutdown has kept the company from pursuing that route.

There is, however, potential for future delays because of air traffic controllers. Air traffic controllers are also essential employees, and therefore have also been working without paychecks. If they start calling in sick, the government may have to limit the amount of air traffic, but it hasn’t come to that yet.

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AIR NAVIGATION. AIRBORNE NAVAIDS

11. What is INS? What does INS compute?

(A totally self contained aid which uses gyros and accelerometers to measure continuosly the acceleration of an aircraft and from this computes velocity and position information)

12. How does INS direct the aircraft?

( InS equipment automaticaly stabilizes aircraft to true north )

13. Does Inertial Navigation System have any ground stations?

14. What is transponder? Why is transponder very helpful for ATC?

15. What modes does it have? What are they used for?

(A – identification, B – in military use, C – altitude, S – datalink)

16. What do you know about mode “S” datalink?

(is an air/ground data comunication facility using modern SSR technlogy)

17. What does SSR stand for? What is it used for?

(easy to get AFT identification without requesting 30 degrees turn from the original position)

18. VOR can operate more accurately using additional NAVAID. What aid increases the VOR accuracy?

(Accuracy is increased by the addition of Dopler)

19. What does TCAS stand for? What is its function? What two resolutions does it issue in case of assumed collision?

(This equipment reacts to the transpomders of other aircraft in the vicinity to determine whether or not it is potential for a collision)

20. What is the difference between TA(Traffic Advisory) and RA(Resolution Advosory)?

Traffic Advisory warning indicates where the pilot must look for the traffic.

Resolution Advisory gives the pilot advice to climb or descend)

AVIATION METEOROLOGY

1. What is flight safetysubject to in terms of meteorology?

2. Why must pilots have knowledge of weather behaviour?

(To avoid hazardous flight conditions, pi­lots have to be aware of the atmosphere and of weather behavior.)

3. What are meteorological predictions based on?

(Based upon movements of large air masses and local conditions at points where weather stations are located )

4. Define atmosphere.

5. What layers does the atmosphere have? For what purpose is it divided?

(Upper layer and lower layer, for flight purposes)

6. What kind of motion in the atmospheredo pressure and temperature changes produce?

7. Why air motions should be of primary interest to the pilot?

8. What is a surface wind?

(Near the earth surface)

9. At what height is surface wind measured?

(Is measured at 10 meters)

10. What should a pilot flying through turbulence anticipate?

( pilot should anticipate the bumpy )

11. What does the intensity of turbulence depend on?

(depends upon the size of the obstacle and the velocity of the wind of the wind )

12. On what side is it more favourable to approach the hill or the moutain –

on the windward or on the leeward and why?

13. Why is the wind blowing on the windward side more favourable in approaching a hill or mountain than the wind blowing on the leeward side?

14. At whatheight is it recommended to clear mountain ridges and peaks?

15. What is wind shear?

(Change in wind direction and or speed within a very short distance in the atmosphere)

16. What hazards can wind shear cause?

(2 potentially hazardous situations)

17. Name the most important meteorological phenomena that cause significant low-level wind shear problems.

(thunderstorms and certain frontal systems near the airport)

( is a gust порыв with change in direction and speed)

19. What is a moving front?

(Which boundaries are moving)

20. What is a stationary front?

(Which boundaries are not moving )

21. What is the difference between cold and warm fronts?

( warm front usually has hight humidity’)

22. What is occluded front?

( this is a condition in which an air mass is trapped between two colder air masses and forced aloft to higher levels )

23. What phenomena usually accompany thunderstorms?

24. What types of clouds are associated with thunderstorms?

(With cumulonimbus clouds)

25. What dangers can thunderstorms cause?

26. What is dew point?

( is the temperature ti which air must be cooled to become saturated)

28. What is mist? What is the difference between fog and mist?

29. What is ceiling?

( is defined as the height above the surface to the base of the lowest layer of clouds)

30. What is visibility?

( the greatest horizontal distanse at which objects can bee seen with the naked eye.)

31. What precepitation do you know?

32. What are the two categories of weather information?

(Forecasts and reports)

33. What forecasts doyou know?

(Area forecasts, aerodrome forecasts, special forecasts)

34. What reports do you know?

35. What kinds of wind do you know?

( surface wind, tail, headwind, crosswind, winshear)

36. What kinds of fog do you know?

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

1. What is the function of the Tower?

(The tower issues information to aircraft under its control to achieve a safe, prevent colisions )

2. What is a manoeuvring area used for?

3. How can the Aerodrome Control be subdivided?

(Air Control and GMC-ground movement control)

4. What kind of information is broadcast on ATIS frequency?

5. How is the traffic circuit divided? How many parts does the traffic circuit have?

(the curcuit devided into four legs: crosswind, downwind, base and final approach)

6. What is the standard circuit-joining procedure?

(Is to arrive overhead the field at 2000 ft and descend to 1000 ft on the dead side)

7. What is an orbit?

8. What do you know about the vortex wake? Why may it be dangerous?

(This is a rapidly moving cylinder of air from each wingtip. It can be dangerous fo following aircraft)

9. How can fuel burn be minimized on ground?

(Aircraft on IFR flight plans should firs require premission to start engines so that ATC can warn of any delays and thus minimize fuel burn)

10. What are SIDs designed for?

(are designed to minimize conflict between arriving and departing aircraft)

11. What does ACC stand for? Decribe the ACC’s basic function.

(The ACCs basic function is to separate aircraft using horizontal and / or vertical sepa­ration, either by procedural methods or with the aid of radar.)

12. What is squawk/SSR code?

( is allocated in accordance with a predetermined system)

13. Define procedural separation. How is it achieved?

(by calculating time the AFT pass each reporting point in advance)

14. Why does an ATC controller need actual time over each reporting point?

( the actual time over each reporting point is monitored by the controller and compared(сравнивается) with the pre calculated figure to ensure that the requaried time separation from a preceding aircraft is being maintained)

15. What is route clearance based on?

(The ACC issues route clearancec based on the information in filed Flight Plans )

16. What kind of information does advisory service issue?

(advisory service does not issue clearances but only advisory information and it uses the words «advise» or «suggest»)

17. In what case may an ADR revert to full airway status?

(when crossing a national or FIR/UIR boundary)

19. What does Approach Control ensure? At what point is AFT transferred from Area to Approach Control?

20. Why is it necessary to put AFT into the holding pattern?

(In busy traffic situation)

21. Where are holding patterns published?

(In navigation chatrts or approach plates)

22. What is the decision height?

( is the level at which the pilot on a precision approach (точныйьзаход на посадку) must carry out a missed approach(заход на второй круг) if he fails to acheve the required visual reference to continue the approach to a landing)

23. Define threshold.(торец впп)

(is a begining of runway used for landing)

24. Decode FIS, ADR, ETA, ETD, EET, EAT, PAR, TW.

(Flight Information Service, Advisory Route, Estimated Time of Ariwall, Estimated Time of Depature,Estimated Elapses Time, Expected Approach Time, Precision Approach Radar, Taxi Way)

25. What ATC units control AFT flying en route?(ACC)

26. Which AFT is the priority given to?

27. What is Expected Approach Time?

(This indicates to a pilot that if he has a radio failure he must not commence an instrument approach until this specific time to allow preceding aircraft to descend and land )

28. What is STAR?

( is a route or track by which aircraft should preside from en route phase to approach )

AIR LAW

1. What is the airspace division?

FIR/UIR)upper

2. What do the boundaries of FIR/UIR normally follow?

(geographicqal state borders)

3. In what cases FIR’s boundaries assume straight lines?

(Over international waters and parts of the world having good relations with their neighbours they are able to assume straight lines in accordance with ICAO recomendation.)

4. Where does each FIR/UIR take its name?

(from an important city or country)

5. How is airspace subdivided within the FIR structure?

(according to the amount and type of aeronautical activity)

6. What are the categories of airspace?

(Controlled and uncontrolled)

7. Define controlled airspace. Why is it established?

(to protect the departure, arrival and holding paths of the IFR flights)

8. What is controlled airspace made up of?

(it is made up of various aerodrome Controll Zones (CTR),Terminal Control Areas(TMA), Control Areas and Airways (CTA)

9. What is CTR? Its dimensions.

10. What is CTA? Its dimensions.

(Is a portion of airspace in which ATC is provided and which extends upwards from a specified base altitude to an upper limitexpressed as a flight level)

11. What is the difference between Control Zone and Control Area?

12. What is a Terminal Control Area? Where is it established?

(Is a control area established at the confluence of controlled airspace routes in the vicinity of one or more major aerodromes,)

13. Give the definition of an airway.

(Is a Control Area in the form of a corridor and is marked by radio navigation aids.)

14. How are Visual Meteorological Conditions criteria expressed?

(minimum visibility and distance from cloud)

15. What does uncontrolled airspace consist of?

(Consists of Advisory Routes and Open FIR. )

16. Where may advisory routes be established? What class are they allocated?

(Advisory Routes are located Class F. AR may be established instead of an airway in some less developed parts of the world where traffic is relatively light)

17. Name ATC services in Open-FIR.

(information and warnings meteorological conditions, changes of serviceability in navigational and approach aids, condition of aerodrome facilities, AFT proximity warning)

18. How is special use airspace subdivided?

(danger, restricted, prohibited areas)

19. Give definitions to danger area, restricted and prohibited areas.

(Danger area is a defined airspace in which activities dangerous to fly may occur. Restricted area is defined airspace in which flight is restricted according to certain conditions. Prohibited area is defined airspace in which flight is prohibited.)

20. What are the two types of flight categories available in aviation?

21. What does IFR and VFR stand for?

22. What is more restrictive (ограниченный)IFR or VFR? Why?

23. What is the pilot flying VFR responsible for?

24. What rules allow a pilot to operate in conditions not suitable for visual flight?

25. What is a flight plan?

26. What is known as the Visual Flight Rules?

27. What must a pilot flying IFR follow?

28. In what cases may a pilot switch from IFR to VFR?

29. What does any typical position report consist of?

(AFT identification, position and time, level, next position, estimated time over it)

FLIGHT SAFETY

1. How do you understand the term flight safety?

2. Why is flight safety one of the key requirements for civil aviation?

(Because aviation security is safeguarding civil aviation againstacts of unlawful interference)

3. What are the main factors influencing flight safety?

(Man, machine, environment)

4. What do you mean by the term ‘man’ as a contributive factor to flight safety?

(we mean human factor. Their relation with other people, with machine, equipment and procedures)

5. Does ‘man’ as a cause factor contribute a lot to the flight safety? Yes

6. What do you mean by the term ‘machine’?

(by the term machine we mean an aircraft and its design)

7. How can technical factor (‘machine’) influence flight safety?

(Modern aircraft design therefore attempts to minimize the effect of any hazard)

8. What do you mean by the term ‘environment’?

(the environment in which aircraft operation take place, equipment is used)

9. How can ‘environment’ influence flight safety?

10. How is ‘environment’ factor classified?

11. What is the subdivision of man-made environment?

( physical and non physical)

12. Which part of the environment influencies the flight safety greater than the other one? Why?

(Elements of natural environment)

13. Give the examples of natural environment.

14. Give the examples of man-made environment.

(ATC, airports, navigation aids, landing aids)

15. Give the examples of physical and non-physical parts of the environment.

(non-physical: national and international legislation, orders and regulations, standarts operating procedures etc.)

16. Give the examples of man-made environmental hazards.

17. Explain the term ‘human factor’.

(Human role in aviation)

18. How can you define the term ‘accident/incident’?

19. What are the main causes( причина) of accidents and incidents?

20. Which cause facror of accidents is considered to be the most important nowadays?

23. What systems were developed to reduce risks of accidents and incidents? (CNS/ATM, GPWS, CRM)Relationship Management System

24. What does CNS/ATM, GPWS, CRM stand for? Say a few words about them. Relationship Management System

25. What is the purpose of the Ground Proximity Warning System?(to reduce the number of accidents when mechanically worthy AFT collide with the ground)

26. Do you agree that hazards are also found in the design, manufacture or maintenance of AFT?

28. What is CFIT?

( controlled flight into terrain)

29. What are the reasons for CFIT?

30. What is done nowadays to prevent these phenomena?

(CFIT prevention program is worked out and adopted by ICAO)

SEARCH AND RESCUE

1. Give the definition to the term ‘search and rescue’.

(Is emergency services which is designed to asist people in need)

2. What tools can be used for search and rescue operations?

3. What are the four basic categories of search and rescue?

(Wildeness serchers, structural colapse rescue, air sea rescue, water rescue. )

4. What kind of service is provided by mountain search and rescue? What skills do wilderness searchers need?

(wilderness searchers. Searchers need advanced navigation and wilderness survival skills )

5. Give examples of some natural disasters.

6. Why structural collapse rescue is called disaster or urban rescue?

(urban search and rescue is utilized in case of building collapses, explosions, and similar incidents to locate people who need assistance)

7. What emergency equipment is search and rescue aircraft provided with?

(The equipment includes individual life-jackets, oxygen masks,vinflatable slides, escape ropes, crash axes, fire extinguishers and rescue raft)

8. What service conducts searching for lost watercraft? What experience does it need?

9. When was the SRS of EMERCOM of Russia organized?

(established on 10 january 1994 by Presidential Decree)

10. Who is the minister of the SRS of EMERCOM of Russia?

(The Minister in charge of emercom is Puchkov)

12. What are the main tasks of the SRS?

(an important task assiciated with this requirement is dealing effectively with batural and man made disasters)

14. What are Central Air-Mobile Rescue Teams equipped with?

(These teams are equipped with aviation facilites that include helicopters and cargo aircraft, il 76, an 74)

15. What is the term ‘civil defense’ referred to?

( It is belived that the reference is to the forces of EMERcOM)

Will the government shutdown affect your next flight?

If no deal is reached this week, TSA workers will miss their first paycheck Friday.

The nation’s airports continue to operate, even as parts of the government remain shut down: air-traffic-control workers and airport security officers remain on the job. But as the shutdown moves into its third week, some fear it’s only a matter of time before the nation’s air-traffic system begins to feel the impact.

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Transportation Security Administration officials acknowledge that growing numbers of security screeners are not showing up for work but say the call-outs aren’t significant enough to have an impact on airport operations.

According to TSA officials, roughly 51,000 employees are involved in the airport screening process. The TSA is part of the Department of Homeland Security, which is the largest federal agency affected by the partial shutdown.

Nationwide, @TSA screened just over 2 million passengers yesterday (Monday). 99.9 percent of passengers waited less than 30 minutes; 92.9 percent of passengers less than 15 minutes. In TSA Pre✓® lanes, passengers on average waited less than five minutes.

TSA spokesman Michael Bilello said Tuesday that “call outs” were slightly higher at 4.6 percent versus 3.8 percent at this time last year but that that the number was not large enough to have a significant impact on operations.

To date, “call outs” nationwide are having minimal impact. Jan 7, 2019 “call outs” are 4.6% vs 3.8% on Jan 7, 2018. Security standards will NOT be compromised.

TSA officials have declined to detail the total number of screeners who aren’t showing up for work, saying that personnel who would provide those answers have been furloughed.

There have been scattered complaints about long lines, but for the most part, travelers say they aren’t seeing an impact. Many report security lines are moving and that at many airports, the checkpoints appear to be fully staffed.

#ShutdownStories Just dropped our daughter off at RDU for a flight back to college and the TSA line seemed shorter than normal actually.

But that could change after Friday, when most TSA employees are scheduled to be paid. No deal to end the shutdown means no paycheck.

For concerned travelers, the advice remains the same: Airlines and airport officials advise passengers to allow plenty of time to get through security.

And, if you have questions, the agency’s @askTSA Twitter handle is staffed and responding to questions, including whether screeners who are on the job even despite not being paid can accept tips. (No, they cannot.)

Thanks for asking, Michael. We appreciate the gesture of kindness; however, our officers aren’t allowed to accept gifts. Enjoy your day!

Note that those who apply for the Global Entry program may face delays since many appointments have been canceled due to the shutdown. However, TSA’s Precheck program is continuing to accept applications. Precheck is funded by user fees, so it is not affected by the shutdown.

Still, the uncertainty of what might happen should more TSA screeners call out is drawing attention from the Hill.

In a follow-up to a letter sent Tuesday, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, blasted DHS for failing to be “forthcoming about the security implications of President’s shutdown on DHS” and continued to press for answers on whether TSA is able to carry out security functions, particularly at foreign airports.

On Monday, Thompson sent a letter seeking answers from TSA Administrator David Pekoske about how many officers had failed to show up for work and whether TSA has a contingency plan in place to ensure the nation’s airports are secure. However, TSA officials said they could not provide written answers due to the shutdown.