“It’s too much to say I am a national hero, I am absolutely sure that any one of our pilots could have landed the plane and the result would have been the same because we train for situations like this on simulators”, So said Captain Wrona after the wheels-up landing of the LOT Polish Airlines Boeing… Continue reading Landing Gear Problems – Seen from the Cockpit
Category: Life around runways
Everything you need to know to operate on and around runways safely
Landing Gear Problems – Seen from the Tower
Next to the engines, the most complicated single system on retractable-gear aircraft is arguably the landing gear. Not only is it required to sustain huge static and dynamic loads, it must also be able to fold sufficiently to be tucked away in a compartment that would make anyone claustrophobic. Luckily, the landing gear is also… Continue reading Landing Gear Problems – Seen from the Tower
NATS and Partner Ferrovial to Take Over Services at 10 Spanish Airports
British Airways and IBERIA consumated their marriage a while ago and now the UK air navigation service provider NATS has also moved in to get a Spanich partner. Last month NATS and Spanish partner Ferrovial has been awarded a contract to provide air traffic control services at Alicante, Valencia, Ibiza, Sabadell, Sevilla, Jerez, Melilla, Madrid… Continue reading NATS and Partner Ferrovial to Take Over Services at 10 Spanish Airports
The crystal ball of surface movement analysis
We have all heard of the so called airport hot spots… places where extra caution is required to avoid nasty incidents like runway incursions. Until now, hot spots were discovered the hard way. Usually the dangerous places were identified as such following several incidents that made the situation clear: this is where danger lurks, extra… Continue reading The crystal ball of surface movement analysis
New airport in Hungary will become reality after all?
According to information leaked to the Hungarian media, the visiting Chinese premier during his stay in Hungary will raise the issue of the Szombathely cargo airport to Hungarian prime minister Orban. Building a cargo airport to serve as China’s main port of entry into Europe has been on the table for some time and the… Continue reading New airport in Hungary will become reality after all?
Save Berlin Tempelhof Airport
The Berlin government is seriously considering rebuilding Berlin Airport Tempelhof for 62 Million Euro (54 Million GBP) into an amusement park! Star-Architect Sir Norman Foster said about the world’s oldest passenger airport, “Tempelhof is the mother of all airports.” Candy Bomber – Berlin Sky-lift … and so much more is history and belongs to Berlin… Continue reading Save Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Changes are coming to a tower near you – the Distant Aerodrome Control Service
DFS, the German ANSP will be introducing its Distant Aerodrome Control Service for the first time at ATC Global Amsterdam (8 to 10 March). Using the Distant Aerodrome Control Service, aerodrome controllers can switch between the display of visual information and sensor data. They are no longer primarily reliant on the direct out-of-window view. Aerodrome… Continue reading Changes are coming to a tower near you – the Distant Aerodrome Control Service
Great potential in addressing the quality of the runways
Armann Norheim, Rapporteur of the ICAO Friction Task Force speaks to Bryan Camoens on the issues facing airfields around the globe, wet weather conditions and how maintainence and planning schedules should be set. Bryan Camoens: What are some of the issues that airfields are facing across the globe? Armann Norheim: Increased focus on safety areas… Continue reading Great potential in addressing the quality of the runways
Goodies for the fight against runway incursions
Although we hear the word runway excursion more often these days than runway incursion, these latter remain a problem and constant efforts are required to maintain the awareness of the dangers involved in stumbling on an active runway without clearance. Training of pilots, air traffic controllers and vehicle drivers is essential of course. Additionally, posters… Continue reading Goodies for the fight against runway incursions
Airfield expansion and renewal – Maximizing benefits while minimizing costs the key
Jeffrey Gagnon, a speaker at the Airfield Engineering and Asset Management Conference, talks to Bryan Camoens on the issues airfields are facing across the globe, as well as the challenges and solutions for airfield expansion and renewal projects. Bryan Camoens: What are some of the issues that airfields are facing across the globe? Jeffrey Gagnon: Airports… Continue reading Airfield expansion and renewal – Maximizing benefits while minimizing costs the key