Help for computer dummies…

I got this cartoon from the ATC training folks back when computers still had floppy disks. Some parts shown are obsolate, some are missing… where would the USB connector fit here? But the general idea is still sound…

Will training finally meet the future?

There are places in the world where ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information System) is still the hard to understand analogue affair, suffering not only from poor voice quality but also the multitude of accents their operators will dish out for you. Of course, somebody somehow will have approved them for use, poor quality, accent and all.… Continue reading Will training finally meet the future?

Station calling – Aerial photography par excellence

Whether for a project or just for fun, we all need nice, professional photographs every now and then. There are many sites with aircraft but few sites offer the amazing breadth of aerial photographs found here. More then 14k shots of natural and man-made beauty (and aircraft too!) captured by the experts of “Aerial Photography –… Continue reading Station calling – Aerial photography par excellence

Under Control – The story of The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations

By Neil Vidler Publisher: IFATCA ISBN – 0-646-40574-8 A book written about the history of a professional association, published by the same association, will tend to present events from their particular point of view and Neil Vidler’s work on IFATCA is no exception. 318 pages of sometimes laborious text that is no doubt factually correct… Continue reading Under Control – The story of The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations

Whatever happened to (the benefits of) Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS)?

Though there are few who will not be familiar with the term Mode S Enhanced Surveillance, let me quickly recap. Mode S is a legacy, ground based surveillance system which has a rudimentary data link capability. It is this latter that was being pushed in the 90s as a solution to all ills of air… Continue reading Whatever happened to (the benefits of) Mode S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS)?

A venerable old lady – the Ilyushin IL-18

She was born at a time when glasnost and perestroika were still only words in the dictionary. A four-engine, turboprop transport that was noisy inside and out, was difficult to fly and needed an oil-well to keep her in the air. Yet she formed the backbone of East European air transport for more years than… Continue reading A venerable old lady – the Ilyushin IL-18

EGNOS open service available

Quote from an airspace user position paper dated 1 July 2003: “Finally, the airspace users would like to recall that they have resisted the development of the European Geostationary Overlay System (EGNOS), which has been mainly developed for political reasons and for which all attempts to build a credible aviation business case have failed. As a… Continue reading EGNOS open service available