[Webszemle] 55 fokban élni sokmilliós gázsiért

Ön mit választana? Luxuskörülmények között, villákban, elkerített, őrzött városnegyedben élhet, olyan fizetése lesz, amiről Magyarországon a többség csak álmodik, a cég fizeti a gyerekének a tandíját, nyugdíjat is ad öregkorára, és egy sor más juttatást is kap, a felesége hazajöhet szülni, de egy távoli, más kultúrájú országban kell élnie, bár sokszor nem is látja a családját, kinn, a szabad ég alatt pedig hőgutát lehet kapni. Az Emirates légitársaság pilótatoborzásán jártunk.

Budapest egyik elegáns szállodájának egyik termében 15 férfi és egy nő figyeli, ahogyan az előadó azt ecseteli, milyen az élet a fényűző Dubaiban, egy zárt és őrzött kisvárosi házban, akár villában is lakhat az ember, igaz, tanácsos a lakásban maradni, mert kint nem ritka, hogy 55 fok van. De megéri az egész – érződik ki szavaiból. A nő aztán egy kis idő után elhagyja a termet, a gyerekéhez siet az óvodába. A nő az egyik ott levő férfi felesége.

Ez a néhány perc alatt lejátszódó történet jól szemlélteti azt a dilemmát, amelyet annak a teremben maradó 15 férfinak kell feldolgoznia, akik a világ egyik legnagyobb légitársaságánál kívánna dolgozni. Az 1985-ben alapított Emirates légitársaságnak. amelynek a központja Dubaiban van, már most is csaknem 230 gépe száll a világ minden pontjára, köztük van a legnagyobb utasszállító is, hat év alatt pedig megduplázzák a flottát, ezért szinte csillapíthatatlan étvággyal keresnek pilótákat, mostanában hetente 10 ember áll be dolgozni hozzájuk. Kilenc magyar pilóta dolgozik nálunk, de pénteken és szombaton a pilótatoborzó roadshowjukkal Budapesten jártak, ami abból a szempontból is evidens, hogy 2014. október 27-én elindítják a Budapest és Dubai között naponta közlekedő, menetrendszerinti járatukat.

A fiúk szeretik a nagy játékokat

Az első nap mi is kinn voltunk. Délben kezdődött a program egy általános tájékoztatóval, azt gondoltuk, talán az időpont a magyarázata annak, hogy alig több mint egy tucatnyian mentek el rá, pedig jó pár nappal az előtt nagy hírverést csaptak a toborzásnak. Zsolt, aki még repülés előtt eljött meghallgatni az Emirates ajánlatát, elmondása szerint másodszor jelent meg az Emirates toborzásán, a Malév 2011 eleji csődje után nem sokkal volt egy hasonló rendezvény, elmondása szerint akkor tolongtak az emberek, körülbelül 200-an jöttek érdeklődni Dubai iránt. De azóta a Malév-pilóták jó része talál magának állást, legtöbbjük a két, Budapestről is induló fapados légitársaságnál, a Wizz Airnél és a Ryanairnél helyezkedett el. (A cikkben a toborzáson megjelentek nevét a személyes adatok védelme miatt megváltoztattuk.)

Az Emirates kötelékében repül a világ legnagyobb utasszállítója, az A380-as, az előadást tartó Michael Keating pilótatoborzásért felelős menedzser szerint szerint a „fiúk szeretik a nagy játékokat”. De a sok vonzerő közül ez csak az egyik. Az Emirates elsősorban elsőtiszteket keres. Keating a hvg.hu-nak azt magyarázta, hogy fiatal pilótáknak kivételes esélyeik vannak az Emiratesnél, a belépéshez minimum követelt 4000 repült órát egy fapados légitársaságnál 3-4 év alatt lehet teljesíteni, a cégen belül pedig biztos az előrelépés, így akár 30 éves korára kapitány lehet valakiből. Ezt más légitársaságoknál 15-20 ledolgozott év alatt lehet elérni. A toborzáson megjelent pilóták azonban más megfontolandó szempontokat is számba vettek.

Mindenhol jó, de a legjobb a saját ágyban aludni

Gábor jelenleg egy európai fapados légitársaságnál dolgozik, így gyakran haza tud járni a családjához és a „saját ágyában aludni”. Neki, bár az Emirates vonzó a stabilitása miatt, nagy áldozat lenne a hosszú utakat elvállalni. Mivel családja van, neki nagyobb döntést kell meghoznia, mint az egyedülálló Zsoltnak, aki szerint ezt az életformát csak így lehet csinálni. Gábor, bár az Emirates sofőrt küldene érte minden munkanap reggelén, alsó tagozatos fiáért és feleségéért is felelős, akiknek az Emirates ugyan biztosítana iskolázási támogatást, lakhatást, orvosi ellátást és bérautót, de idegen környezetben kéne megállniuk a helyüket – nélküle, hiszen ő havi 10-18 napot lenne csak új otthonukban. „Ez itt van, de fapados. Itt nem jön sofőr. Az viszont ott van, de más kultúrájú ország, az iskolák tele vannak, 55 fok van nyáron. Súlyozni kell” – gondolkodik hangosan Gábor. „Nem. Egy életünk van”- válaszolja, amikor arról kérdezem, opció-e, hogy a családja nélkül költözzön Dubaiba.

Megkérdeztük Vajkot, egy volt pilóta fiát, milyen volt úgy felnőni, hogy édesapja Afrikában lakott. „Ha hazajött, havonta körülbelül egy hétre, az iskola, különórák akkor sem álltak meg”. Vajk szerint a pilóta teljesen kimarad a családi dolgokból, édesanyja döntött mindenben a hétköznapokban. Ők nyaranta tudtak kiutazni édesapjához Afrikába, a hotelt a légitársaság fizette. Korábban kiutaztak a családdal Koreába, Vajk ott kezdett iskolába járni, ahol az Emirateshez hasonlóan a cég biztosított nekik lakhatást, de a leépítések során első körben a külföldi munkaerőt küldték el.

Ugyanakkor Zsolt sem biztos, hogy szeretne az Emiratesnél dolgozni, bár a 777-es Boeing nagyon tetszik neki. Szerinte szakmailag mindenki előrelépésként és biztos előrehaladási lehetőségként tekint az Emirates Airlines-ra, de a Dubaiba való költözéssel fenntartásai vannak, „nyáron, az 55 fokban meg lehet dögleni”.

Nem ennyire kritikus a helyzet az életvitel, család szempontjából Bondor István szerint, aki tudja, mit beszél, az Emirates első magyar pilótái között volt, és már lassan 15 éve repül Dubaiból. A megjelenteknek el is mondta, hogy nála szakmai döntés volt a váltás, a Malévnél elérte a legmagasabb, oktatókapitányi rangot és új szakmai kihívást keresett, légiutaskísérő feleségével és kisfiával költözött el. Ő nagyon elégedett volt azzal, ahogy a cég fogadta őket, illetve nagy kultúrsokkot sem jelentett a váltás – ő is és felesége is jártak már korábban Dubaiban, tudták, mire kell számítani. István emellett Dubait nagyon nyitott és befogadó helynek ismerte meg, szerinte egymás szokásainak alapvető tiszteletben tartása mellett nagyon jól együtt élnek európaiak, indiaiak, fülöp-szigetekiek és muszlimok, még karácsonyfát is lehet kapni. Az ő családjának a hosszú utak sem jelentenek megterhelést – korábban ő is és felesége is vállaltak hasonló feladatokat, a háztartásba pedig könnyen lehet kisegítő munkaerőt, szittert, maidet felvenni. Nekik az éghajlattal kell leginkább megküzdeniük: nagy divat a légkondícionálás, de így a család be van zárva a házba, „ők nem menekülhetnek el Ausztráliába, ahol éppen tél van”.

Az Emirates egészen bőkezű a hozzá igazolókkal, de ez kell ahhoz, hogy a fent taglalt nehézségeket, köztük a 14-16 órás repülőutat, a folyamatosan új repülési útvonalakat és a legkínzóbb jetlaget bevállalja valaki. A náluk dolgozó pilótáknak és családjaiknak komplett csomagokat kínálnak mind karrier, mind életvitel szempontjából. A pilótáknak és családjaiknak a légitársaság zárt és őrzött kisvárosban biztosít lakást vagy villát, ha valaki mégsem szeretné igénybe venni a biztosított ingatlanokat, akkor igény szerint lakhatási hozzájárulást adnak. A gyerekek 4-19 éves koráig az Egyesült Arab Emírségekben szokásos tandíj körülbelül 90 százalékát a társaság fizeti, továbbá orvosi és fogorvosi ellátást is biztosítanak, amit igény szerint támogatnak a „tengeren túlon” is, vagyis egy magyar pilóta felesége hazajöhet szülni Magyarországra. Ezen kívül a pilóták alapfizetése adóterhektől mentes, ehhez jön a repülési órabér, továbbá az igénybe vehető támogatások autóbérlésre, hazautazásra, lakhatásra, oktatásra, valamint az Emirates nyugdíjat is biztosít minden pilótájának.

A toborzásnak az általános része után egyenként ülhettek le és tehették fel kérdéseiket a megjelentek az Emirates munkatársainak. Az után kaptak egy kis csomagot, benne egy pendrive-val, amelyen már az is rajta volt az egyik legfontosabb információ, amit az előadások során kerültek az Emirates-esek, és kérdésünkre sem árulták el: hogy mennyi pénzt kínálnak a hozzájuk igazolóknak. Ha azonban egy számítógépen megnyitják az adathordozót, könnyen lehet, hogy az meggyőzi őket arról, hogy csatlakozzanak a vállalathoz.

Szakmabeliekkel beszélgettünk, elmondásuk szerint amikor még volt Malév, annak pilótái havonta 1-1,2 millió forint körüli összeget tehettek zsebre, de nagy volt a szórás, az elsőtisztek feleannyit kerestek, mint a nagyobb tapasztalattal rendelkező és nagyobb felelősséget is viselő kapitányok. Ezzel szemben a maléves fizetés többszörösét kínálták már 2010-ben is az európai fapados cégek és az ázsiai légitársaságok. A Ryanairnél szerintük például havi 13 ezer euró (körülbelül bruttó 3,6 millió forint) volt a pilóták átlagfizetése. A gyorsan fejlődő közel-keleti és ázsiai piac légitársaságai már négy éve is ennél is jobban fizettek: az Emiratesnél a kapitányi havi kezdő fizetés adómentesen 34410 dirham (9370 dollár, azaz durván 2 millió forint), volt, amihez még olyan juttatások jöttek, és ez ma is így van, mint a repült órák és a hatékonyság után járó prémiumok.

Forrás:
http://hvg.hu/itthon/20140920_55_fokban_elni_sokmillios_gazsiert/

Leszállás Reggióban 717-essel

Leszállás a calabriai Reggióban a Volotea 717-esével, női elsőtiszttel.. :)

Repülés drónnal MEX felett

Mexikóváros repterén a hivatalos szervek felkérésére készültek ezek a remek felvételek.. :)

La Palma B757-essel

Az alábbi videón a Condor 757-esével Frankfurtból La Palmára látogatunk egy gyors utascsere erejéig.. ;)

[British Oversees Territory Airports] Wideawake Airfield

Busy apron during the Falklands War in 1982

RAF Ascension, more commonly known as RAF Ascension Island, and sometimes known as Wideawake Airfield or Ascension Island Base, is a British Royal Air Force station on Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Equator.

In 1943, by arrangement with the British government, the United States built an airbase, known as "Wideawake", on Ascension Island to supply and augment extensive amphibious aircraft antisubmarine patrol operations ongoing from the early days of the war. (The name is after a nearby colony of sooty terns (locally called 'wideawake' birds because of their loud, distinctive call, which would wake people early in the morning). The airbase, which was under construction by the 38th Combat Engineer Battalion of the Army Corps of Engineers, was unexpectedly visited by two British Fairey Swordfish torpedo planes on 15 June 1942. According to one of the pilots, Peter Jinks, the planes were fired upon before being recognised as allies. The Swordfish had to land on the unfinished airstrip, thus becoming the first land-based aircraft to land on Ascension Island proper — which had long served as an ASW base for Catalina (PBY Catalina) flying boats.

The airfield was used by the US military as a stopping point for American aircraft crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the way to theatres of operation in Europe and Africa. American bombers based at Wideawake were engaged in the Laconia incident. After the end of World War II, and American departure, the airbase fell into disuse.

3054m long runway (13/31) with strange humps

With the Space Race and the Cold War, the Americans returned in 1956. Wideawake Airfield expanded in the mid-1960s. The runway, with its strange hump, was extended, widened, and improved to allow its use by large aircraft, and later to act as an emergency runway for the Space Shuttle, although the Shuttle never had occasion to use it. The United States Air Force uses the island as part of its Eastern Range.

In 1982 a British task force used Ascension Island as a staging post during the Falklands War, though according to Matthew Parris, "...at the start of the Falklands conflict Washington at first refused Britain permission to use the USA-operated airfield facilities for refuelling RAF jets. Only after Mrs Thatcher intervened with Ronald Reagan did the Americans reluctantly concede." The Royal Air Force deployed a fleet of Vulcan bombers and Victor tankers at the airfield. Vulcans launched the opening shots of the British offensive from Ascension in Operation Black Buck. The RAF also used the base to supply the task force. Because of the increase in air traffic during the war, Wideawake was the busiest airfield in the world for a short period. The Royal Navy's fleet stopped at Ascension for refuelling on the way. Following the war, the British retained an increased presence on the island, establishing RAF Ascension Island, and providing a refuelling stop for the regular airlink between RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, and RAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands.

Air Seychelles B767 on behalf of the UK MOD

In 2003 the British and US governments signed the Wideawake agreement designed to allow a limited number of non-scheduled civilian aircraft to land on Ascension Island, under responsibility of the British government. The island has a regular airlink with the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands, with twice weekly flights from the RAF Ascension Island to the UK (RAF Brize Norton) and to the Falkland Islands (RAF Mount Pleasant). These are by an Airbus A330 aircraft operated by AirTanker Services on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) although a limited number of commercial passenger tickets are available. All visitors to Ascension Island need the Administrator's written permission before travelling. The United States maintains a weekly flight between the island and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida for the use of its personnel only.

Ascension serves as a diversion airport for ETOPS aircraft crossing the Atlantic. In January 2013, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 777-232LR en route from Johannesburg to Atlanta diverted to Ascension as a result of engine problems.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Ascension_Island

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_Island

Leszállás Tűzföldön MD-80-assal

Leszállás az Austral Líneas Aéreas MD-80-asával az argentín Ushuaia repülőterén.. :)

Cockpit view HD-ban Swiss-módra

Egy különleges hangulatú útifilm a Swiss A320-asával, a végén egy nizzai leszállással.. :)

Horror on the ramp

On January 16, 2006, at 0905 mountain standard time, (unless otherwise noted, all times in this report are mountain standard time based on a 24-hour clock) a Boeing 737-524, N32626, operated by Continental Airlines as flight 1515, was parked at the gate in preparation for departure from El Paso International Airport, El Paso, Texas, when a mechanic was fatally injured while performing maintenance on the right engine. The right engine was substantially damaged. The scheduled domestic passenger flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight's intended destination was Houston, Texas. The airline transport rated captain, first officer, 3 flight attendants, and 114 passengers reported no injuries.

During the preflight inspection conducted by the first officer, a puddle of fluid was noticed on the tarmac under the right engine. Both the captain and the first officer re-inspected the puddle of fluid under the right engine and agreed that it appeared to be an oil leak. The captain notified Continental El Paso Operations via radio from the cockpit to request authorization for contract maintenance to check for problems on the right engine.

Continental El Paso Operations contacted Continental Headquarters Maintenance Control and received authorization for contract maintenance to respond to the aircraft based on the captain's report. Three mechanics from Julie's Aircraft Services, Inc., a fixed based operation at the airport, arrived at the airplane and began to investigate the source of the reported oil leak. Both sides of the right engine fan cowl panels were opened for inspection, and the mechanics requested that the captain conduct an engine run to check for the oil leak.

Witnesses on the ramp and in the airplane observed one mechanic position himself on the inboard side of the right engine and another mechanic position himself on the outboard side of the right engine. The third mechanic was positioned several feet clear of the engine during the accident sequence; this mechanic was assigned by the lead mechanic to observe the maintenance procedure as part of his on-the-job training.

At this point in the accident sequence, the airplane was completely boarded with all passengers and crew via an air stair truck (the jetway was inoperative), except for one passenger in a wheel chair who was being prepared to be boarded on a lift truck. (The accident occurred prior to this passenger boarding the airplane).

The engine was started and stabilized at idle RPM for approximately three minutes while the initial oil leak check was performed. One of the mechanics called the captain on the ground intercom system and reported that a small oil leak had been detected. The mechanic requested that the captain increase the engine power to 70 percent for three minutes. According to conversations recorded on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) just prior to the accident, the captain asked the mechanic on the intercom: "clear back there?" and the mechanic replied "yeah, we're all clear." The captain then stated: " 'kay here goes."

Shortly after the engine power was increased, two witnesses on the ground (mechanics) and one witness in the airplane (passenger) observed the mechanic on the outboard side of the right engine stand up, step into the inlet hazard zone, and become ingested into the engine.

The captain stated that approximately one minute and 30 seconds after increasing the RPM to 70 percent, he sensed an engine buffet which increased in intensity, and this was followed by an engine compressor stall. The captain stated that he retarded the power lever back to the idle position. The first officer informed the captain that something went into the engine, and the captain immediately cut off the start lever.


PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The mechanic who was fatally injured, age 64, held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airframe and power plant certificate, issued on July 13, 1966. In addition, the mechanic held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, issued on July 6, 1962. The mechanic was hired by Julie's Aircraft Services in November 1997. According to Continental Airline training documents, the mechanic received line maintenance training from the Continental Airlines in on-call maintenance paperwork, policy, and procedures on March 2, 2004. The records also indicate that he received training regarding alternate fueling, auxiliary power unit operations, and contractor tow procedures for the B737, B757, and MD-80 series airplanes. He also received additional audiovisual training in extended operations (ETOPS) and CAT awareness. The documents did not indicate any specific training regarding ground engine runs.


AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The Boeing 737-524 transport category airplane (serial number 27530), was manufactured in 1995 and was powered by two CFM-56 series engines. According to the airport operations manual for Continental Airlines, the ingestion danger zone for this type configuration covers a 13-foot radius around the front of each engine and extends to 5-feet behind the front of each engine. The maintenance practices manual for Boeing Aircraft defines a similar area as the inlet hazard zone and encompasses a 9-foot radius around the front of each engine and extends to five feet behind the front of each engine on the inboard side and four feet behind the engine on the outboard side of the engine.


METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 0851 surface weather observation at the El Paso International Airport reported wind from 110 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 5,500 feet, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet, temperature 43 degrees F, dew point temperature 18 degrees F, and an altimeter setting of 29.92 inches of Mercury.


COMMUNICATIONS

There was no communication between the flight crew and El Paso air traffic control during the engine run and maintenance check. Communication was established between the flight crew and the maintenance personnel on the ground via the airplane's ground intercom system.


AERODROME INFORMATION

At the time of the accident, a Letter of Agreement (LOA) was in effect between the El Paso Air Traffic Control Tower and the El Paso International Airport, with an effective date of April 16, 1996. The subject of the LOA was "Engine Run-up Procedures". A cover letter was attached to the LOA. The letter was dated October 19, 2005, and titled "Priority Briefing Item." These documents outlined engine run-up procedures while aircraft are parked at the gate. The LOA states: "Except for power-up associated with beginning taxi, engine power is restricted to idle RPM on one engine at a time for a maximum of five minutes while on any parking or service apron areas, including the terminal ramp."

Neither Continental Airlines El Paso Operations nor the contract maintenance company had a copy of this document on file. A survey of all tenant aviation units at the airport revealed that this directive had not been distributed by the El Paso International Airport.


FLIGHT RECORDERS

The airplane was equipped with a Fairchild model A-100S, 30-minute, digital cockpit voice recorder (CVR), and a Honeywell Universal Flight Data Recorder (UFDR), Model 980-4100. The recorders were removed from the aircraft following the accident and shipped to the Vehicle Recorder Laboratories of the National Transportation Safety Board on January 18, 2006. The recorders arrived in working condition and data was recovered from both devices.


MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The El Paso County Medical Examiner stated that neither an autopsy nor toxicological tests were possible due to the nature of the accident and the condition of the remains.


TESTS AND RESEARCH

Airline Maintenance Procedures

Interviews with airline representatives, and review of airline procedures, indicate that contract maintenance is used frequently at airports where airline maintenance is not available. Once the ground services support agreement was signed by the contract maintenance station, the airline provided training that was conducted by classroom, interactive computer based scenarios, and training videos.

According to the airline's General Maintenance Manual (GMM) that was in effect at the time of the accident, Julies Aircraft Services was listed as an "approved contract agency" that had "entered into a contractual agreement to provide on-call maintenance resources."

All maintenance manuals were maintained at Continental Headquarters Maintenance Control, and extracts of those manuals were transmitted to the contractor when specific maintenance was to be performed. This procedure was developed by the airline to insure that the most current procedures were used, and to eliminate the need for several airport contractors to maintain publications libraries.

According to the airline GMM that was in effect at the time of the accident, under the section entitled "Approved Contract Maintenance Arrangements", the following instructions are cited: "The Pilot-in-Command or the station personnel must make contact with approved contract maintenance personnel, however, maintenance is not to be performed on the aircraft until Maintenance Control is contacted by telephone and has approved the action to be taken." The GMM also states: "The [airline] Maintenance Controller will send a teletype message authorizing the mechanic to perform the maintenance and execute the required maintenance release."

According to the senior maintenance controller at Continental Airlines Maintenance Control who was working the accident flight, he was contacted by the airline's El Paso operations that the captain noticed the oil leak. The controller stated that he advised El Paso operations to notify Julies Aircraft Services to "investigate the pilot report." The controller further stated: "Some time went by and I heard nothing back from [Julies] or [El Paso] operations. As departure time became near, I tried to contact operations to find out the outcome of the problem, and still could not reach anybody." The controller then attempted to call Julies directly several times. He stated that when he finally contacted them, the accident had already occurred.

The investigation revealed that Julies Aircraft Services did not make contact with Continental Airlines Maintenance Control to obtain the required maintenance approval and required documentation.

In an interview with the surviving mechanic who was assisting in the troubleshooting of the engine, the mechanic was asked how and why he conducted the engine run with no maintenance procedures from the airline. The mechanic responded that engine oil leaks were a common occurrence, and that he continued without the instructions because of his past experience.


Airport Procedures

There were no written procedures in place at the airport requiring the flight crew to contact either the Continental El Paso Operations or El Paso Airport Air Traffic Control prior to starting the engines.


Awareness of the Use of Lanyards

The airline reported that interviews were conducted with aircraft mechanics at their main maintenance facility in Houston, Texas, to determine the use and awareness of the Boeing recommended safety lanyard while performing maintenance related functions in the vicinity of running engines. Nearly all of the mechanics indicated they never use lanyards and expressed concerns with quick release and escape during an emergency.


Post-Accident Airline Safety Efforts

Following the accident, Continental Airlines developed the following safety enhancements:

- An interface system requiring coordination and communication with the appropriate Maintenance Control Center by mechanics and the airline's System Operations Control Center by pilots prior to engine runs.

- A series of checklists to coordinate communication and documentation between flight crew pilots, mechanics, and the System Operations Control Center prior to performing any required engine run.

- Requirements and a maintenance training system to include an enhanced Contract Maintenance training syllabus utilizing Computer Based Training (CBT) technology.

- An Enhanced Engine Safety Training Video to highlight the hazards of running engines. This video was made mandatory viewing for all maintenance providers.

- Evaluation and audit checklists for contract and on-call maintenance providers. The checklists were included in the GMM.

- Policies and procedures for Flight Operations in support of engine run procedures at non-maintenance stations.
- The airline purchased an additional 23 safety lanyards following the accident and reinforced procedures for their optional use.

Source:

http://ntsb.gov

[British Oversees Territory Airports] St. Helena Airport

RWY 18/36 can be seen on the right side of the island

Saint Helena Airport is an airport under construction since early 2012 in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The airport is scheduled to open in February 2016, which is when the ship serving the island is to be retired.

Rationale

Saint Helena is located more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) from the nearest major landmass, and it can currently only be reached by ship. This takes 5 days from Cape Town, with departure once per 3 weeks, making Saint Helena one of the most remote populated places on earth, measured as travel time from major cities.

History

The first considerations for an airport on St Helena were made in 1943 by the South African Air Force which undertook a survey on Prosperous Bay Plain from October 1943 until January 1944 but concluded that while technically feasible, an airport was not a practical proposition. From the 1960s, there was an idea to build an airport on the St Helena Island. In 1999, this was taken up by the island government. After a long period of rumour and consultation, the British government announced plans to construct an airport in Saint Helena in March 2005 and the airport was originally expected to be completed by 2010. However constant delays by the British government not least due to inaction by Prime Minister Gordon Brown who insisted on reviewing the paperwork himself meant an approved bidder, the Italian firm Impregilo, was not chosen until 2008. Then the project was put on hold in November 2008, allegedly due to new financial pressures brought on by the credit-crunch.

By January 2009, construction had not commenced and no final contracts had been signed, and the then Island Governor Andrew Gurr departed for London in an attempt to speed up the process and solve the problems. On 22 July 2010, the new British government agreed to help pay for the new airstrip using taxpayer money. It was only on 3 November 2011 that the new Governor Mark Andrew Capes announced construction contracts were signed.

The airport is expected to open in 2016, by which time the RMS Saint Helena, the only regular ship to call at St Helena, will be retired. Its advocates hope the airport will bring growth to the isolated island economy through the tourism sector which, in the long term, is expected to lead to financial self-sustainability and an end to UK budgetary aid.

Funding

A total amount of £201.5 million has been funded for design and construction which will be carried out by South African engineering group Basil Read (Pty) Ltd. Additional funds of up to £10 million in shared risk contingency, and £35.1 million for ten years of operation by South-African airport operator Lanseria Airport have also been granted by the UK Government. According to the St Helena government this represents a saving of more than 20% in real terms from the 2008 price, taking into account inflation and the value of the pound. The airport will be the largest single investment ever made in the island.

Location and dimensions

The airport is due to be built on Prosperous Bay Plain, on the east side of Saint Helena entailing a concrete runway of 1,550m (5,085 ft) with taxiway and apron, approximately 8 million m³ rockfill embankment through which a 750m long reinforced concrete culvert will run, an airport terminal building of 3,500m² and support infrastructure, air traffic control and safety, bulk fuel installation for 6 million litres of diesel and aviation fuel, a 14 km airport access road from Rupert's Bay to the airport, and all related logistics.

Aircraft compatibility

Given its dimensions the airport will be capable of accommodating up to two twinjet passenger aircraft up to the size of the Airbus A319, Boeing 737 and also the Boeing 757-200. Following the decision for a shorter runway of 1,550 m the previously planned use of Boeing 737-800 aircraft had been ruled out in the first instance. Instead the airport was to be designed to receive Boeing 737-700 aircraft. However on 17 July 2012 the St Helena Government and Basil Read agreed to a change to the runway design which includes widening the embankment over an additional 40m at the southern end, paving an additional 100m of the runway with concrete, providing larger turning circles at the runway ends, and increasing the size of the apron. In contrast to the 2011 Reference Design for the airport it will now have a full 240m Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at the southern end of the runway instead of the originally planned Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS). The intention is to add an EMAS designed for Boeing 737-800 at a later date butting onto the southern end of the paved runway to increase the declarable Landing Distance Available (LDA) to 1,650m, which will then allow receiving larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320.

The additional earthworks and concrete will increase duration of construction by 12 weeks so works are now expected to be completed by 25 February 2016. Extending the embankment once the airport is operational would have involved prohibitive costs as heavy equipment would have needed to be brought back to the island and huge quantities of rock from another site to be moved, while now material excavated from Prosperous Bay Plain will be used to fill Dry Gut.

In June 2013 the St Helena Government announced it was again assessing changes that can be made to the design of the runway to cater for operations of a wider range of aircraft, in particular the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and the Boeing 757-200, the latter enabling direct flights to Europe, which are believed to be crucial for the island's tourism plans. These are Code D aircraft requiring the addition of shoulders along both sides of the runway, a wider taxiway and apron, and a higher fire fighting capacity (ICAO Rescue Fire Fighting Service Category 7).

In October 2013 a formal agreement was signed for the proposed design changes. These enhancements will also make it possible for the Lockheed C-130 Hercules to operate to and from St Helena, though the runway is unlikely to be able to accommodate larger Code D aircraft, such as the Boeing 767. The upgrade will be funded from cost savings on other parts of the project, particularly by a simplified runway drainage system.

Potential routes

Flights may potentially operate services to London and Cape Town, and possibly Johannesburg. A link to Ascension Island is still subject to negotiation between the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the US Defense Department since the Wideawake Airfield at Ascension island is closed to commercial air traffic. Therefore it also cannot be listed by an airline as an alternate aerodrome; although situated 800 miles north-northwest from St Helena it is the closest alternative airport. This leaves Lubango Airport in Angola at a distance of 1,300 miles as the next best diversion option for which every inbound aircraft must carry enough fuel reserve, limiting its load capacity.

Cargo

It is believed that reductions in ticket prices can be obtained by utilising spare payload capacity on flight to and from St Helena to carry air freight (e.g. agricultural products, coffee, fish). At 70% passenger load factor a B737-800 operating, on an average day, into St Helena would have a spare payload capacity of some 4,000 kg. The extra income possible per in-bound flight from cargo could be as high as the income equivalent of 19 passengers. This would give an effective load factor of 88% and could reduce ticket prices.

Issues

Due to the short runway and the long distance to South Africa a Boeing 737-700 flying to Cape Town or Johannesburg will not be able to use its full seat and cargo capacity. Only flights to and from Namibian and Angolan destinations would allow using a Boeing 737-700 near its full load capacity.

As of January 2012 TAAG Angola Airlines is the only airline in Southern Africa operating aircraft that would be appropriate for flights to and from St Helena (fleet of 4 Boeing 737-700).

If Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island was open for commercial (i.e. non-military) flights, it could be listed as an alternate aerodrome; this would mean that the load capacity of an inbound Boeing 737-700 could be increased as less fuel reserves would be required.

The distance from key destinations, the length of runway available, and the type of aircraft available in the region dictate that air services to St Helena will have to operate to the requirements of Extended Twin Engine Operations (ETOPS) which implies the provision of an instrument approach system based on an off-set Instrument Landing System Localiser (ILS LLZ).

Such is also required by the terrain of the airport which, in commercial passenger air transport terms, is safety-critical, due to its steep approaches, high elevation (1,000 ft above sea level) and rocky outcrops. Without an instrument approach the provision of a viable air service is considered impossible.

There are doubts concerning local weather conditions and, in particular, there are doubts about the amount of turbulence that could be expected on the approaches from fallwinds resulting from the elevated location and the surrounding bluffs. Therefore it has been recommended a charter aircraft to perform approaches to and departures from the intended runway, which have not taken place so far.

Navigation aids

St Helena Airport will be equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS) and a Doppler VHF Omni-directional Radio Range system (DVOR) supplied by Thales Group. Further to that Honeywell Aerospace will supply a SmartPath Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS), a technology that augments Global Positioning System (GPS) signals to make them suitable for precision approach and landing. It overcomes many of the limitations of Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) traditionally used by airports to guide aircraft as they approach the runway.

Infrastructure and logistics

Logistics of the airport's construction are critical, because of the island's isolated location and the lack of construction equipment, which will require everything such as extremely heavy duty equipment and materials to be shipped in, thus resulting in a huge and unique logistics operation.

Due to the limited landing infrastructure, with no breakwater or mooring facilities at the sea front, new harbour facilities capable of handling construction equipment and fuel supplies were constructed at Rupert's Bay. Fuel transfers between Rupert's Bay and the aerodrome connected by a 14 km haul road are assumed to be by road tanker for 20 years, after which a capital allowance has been made for enlargement of the bulk fuel storage and the installation of a fuel transfer pipeline.

Basil Read has been sourcing its own ship, a roll-on/roll-off vessel called NP Glory 4 flying the Thai flag, which, as planned, docked for the first time at St Helena on 11 July 2012 and has since been regularly supplying the island with cargo and personnel for the project.

The company also considers developing a temporary runway to enable the use of a C-130 Hercules-type aircraft to facilitate quicker access to the site within 18 months of the beginning of construction.

Project progress

On 4 November 2011 Basil Read has been awarded to construct an airport on St Helena Island. The first representatives of Basil Read visited the island on Saturday 19 November 2011 for initial investigations and discussions. Following a second team's visit during December 2011 Basil Read's project manager has settled to the island and the first St Helenian citizen has been employed. Preparation works are expected to begin in early 2012 in Rupert's Valley on the west coast, which includes establishing storage facilities, a temporary fuel farm and the design and construction of a temporary wharf.

Basil Read CEO Heyns in November 2011 said design phase would begin immediately and anticipated that construction could begin in May 2012 which at peak would employ some 300 people of which as many locals as possible should be involved. Migrant workers arriving for the airport development project will be subject to a screening for HIV. Construction is said to take place over a 48-month period.

Only four weeks after the approval for the airport to be constructed and years before operations would start, Geo. Robson & Co. (Conveyors) Ltd had already completed and shipped a baggage reclaim carousel for the airport. It will sit half inside the terminal and half outside for the baggage handlers to load with passengers' luggage. The company stated that with a 12 metre perimeter it is one of the smallest baggage reclaim carousels they have ever manufactured. Until the airport opens it will be used at St Helena's harbour to deliver baggage to passengers arriving by the RMS St Helena.

In June 2013 the 100,000th truckload of fill went into Dry Gut, a gorge which must be raised by almost 100m in order to create an embankment that will finally carry parts of the runway. This is equivalent to nearly 19% of the total of 8,000,000m³ required. Basil Read’s calculations showed that a further 430,000 truckloads of material is needed to complete the fill. As of July 2014, the Dry Gut fill project has a projected completion date of 8 September 2014.

Project prospects

Air access would allow St Helena to develop its tourism sector. A to-be-constructed wharf in Rupert's Bay - if sized appropriately - could allow regularly passing cruise ships to land passengers at the island and bring tourists. To date the lack of a protected landing facility represents a limitation on the development of cruise tourism because, in unfavourable sea conditions, landing is hazardous and potential revenue is lost as many cruise ships refuse to allow passengers to land in such circumstances. In addition, due to the lack of a protected landing facility, many cruise companies do not incorporate St Helena into their itineraries. The sea is roughest in summer which marks the peak of the cruise season.

Medical evacuations to South Africa for treatment of serious cases of illness would be sped up significantly, as currently it may take up to one month until transport to South Africa by the RMS St Helena becomes available.

The availability of heavy construction equipment would facilate alternative energy projects, such as the construction of larger wind turbines, a tidal power plant or a dam with a hydro-power station in one of St Helena's valleys. Currently limitations in cargo size of RMS St Helena and the unavailability of a large crane prohibit construction of larger wind turbines.

Airlines and destinations

St Helena will have an open skies policy; this allows any airline operator who meets all the required standards to fly in and out of St Helena. AviaSolutions has been appointed to support the St Helena Government and DFID in reaching a contract with an air service provider to provide services to the island. The St Helena Government expects that a return economy flight from St Helena to South Africa will cost around £600. Assuming that an off-peak economy seat from South Africa to the UK are available for approximately £700, return tickes for flights via South Africa to the UK would take the ticket price to around £1,300.

In June 2013 Atlantic Star Airlines which was incorporated in England and Wales on 20 November 2012, announced that it would bid for the contract to fly to St Helena when the airport opens in 2016. It plans to serve a route network that will operate from the UK, down to the island and on to Cape Town with a used Boeing 757 aircraft. Adding a further route to Johannesburg within a relatively short time frame as well as less frequent air links to Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands are also under consideration.

Strategic relevance

The airport will extend the United Kingdom's capabilities to carry out airborne missions in the South Atlantic region, such as maritime patrols in accordance with international fishing agreements (e.g. ICCAT), counter-piracy missions along important trade routes, and also airlift operations notably into Southern Africa.

According to analysts the UK government's decision to finally go ahead with the airport, after long delays, seems to be driven in part by concerns over a continuing tense standoff with Argentina in the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands. The island is about 3,812 miles (seven hours and 40 minutes flight time) from the Falklands. But, analysts say that was nevertheless an improvement over the present state of isolation from the UK for both St. Helena and the Falklands.

Bidding process

According to Private Eye magazine, all of the companies tendering for the job of building and running the airport had by late September, 2006 withdrawn from bidding for the project, which was to be funded by the Department for International Development (DfID). The local Access Office explained that the reasons were unclear but it seems the bidders considered the DfID has been unhelpful by not providing the possibility of on-site investigations in order to complete a detailed design before providing a fixed price for the project. According to the DfID's Director for Overseas Territories, his department remains committed to an airport for St Helena but at the time of the article there were no new bidders.

DfID restarted the procurement process to identify a suitable Design, Build and Operate contractor in October 2006. Capability Statements were received by DfID in March 2007 and four bidders were pre-approved for the Design, Build and Operator contract and a further three applicants have been pre-approved for the Air Service Provider contract. The applicants for the DBO visited the island for six months from June 2007 before submitting their final proposals, and as of January 2008 DfID is down to a shortlist of two bidders.

It was reported in The Guardian on 10 December 2008 that UK Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander had announced a "pause in negotiations over the St Helena airport contract", apparently related to the 2008 economic downturn.

The St. Helena Leisure Corporation (Shelco) was set up by Arup's Sir Nigel Thompson and Berwin Leighton Paisner's Robert Jones, planning to construct luxury resorts and a hotel to be run by Oberoi Hotels & Resorts in conjunction with the airport. The real estate was to be sold even before construction had started; the proposal was turned down by the local government and the DfID.

Environmental issues

Prosperous Bay Plain is one of the few remaining sites on Saint Helena that holds significant ecological diversity; according to a 2004 review by Atkins Management Consultants, the survival of numerous endemic species critically depend on preservation and protection of the location; it also is an important nesting site for the Wirebird, Saint Helena's national bird which is nearly extinct. Although Shelco still continues to be a major force pushing for the airport's construction, its co-founder Sir Nigel is the chairman of the environmental charity Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Helena_Airport

XL Airways Germany Flight 888T

Tail section of D-AXLA

XL Airways Germany Flight 888T was an Airbus A320 which crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, 7 km off Canet-en-Roussillon on the French coast, close to the Spanish border, in November 2008. The technical flight originated from Perpignan - Rivesaltes Airport, made an overflight of Gaillac and was flying back to Perpignan Airport, doing an approach over the sea. This flight took place immediately following light maintenance and repainting to Air New Zealand livery on the aircraft done at EAS Industries in preparation for a transfer of the plane from XL Airways Germany, which leased the aircraft, to Air New Zealand, the owner.

Seven people were aboard, two Germans (pilot Norbert Kaeppel and co-pilot Theodore Ketzer from XL Airways) and five New Zealanders (one pilot, three aircraft engineers and one member of the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand). Two bodies were recovered within hours of the crash; the others were found during later weeks.

The extent of shattering of the wreckage indicated that the crash occurred at high speed.

The crash area was declared a crime scene and the French justice system opened a manslaughter investigation.

The aircraft had been overhauled by a local French company located at the Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport prior to its return off lease.


Investigation

On 30 November 2008, divers recovered the second "black box" flight recorder and a third body, unidentified at the time. Although the cockpit voice recorder was damaged, experts said that there was a good probability of recovering data from it.

In late December, French investigators attempted to retrieve data from both black boxes, but the data could not be read. Usable data from the flight recorders was later recovered at the manufacturer's facility.

The investigators' interest focused on the Air Data Inertial Reference Unit following recent similar Qantas incidents on A330s, exhibiting sudden uncommanded maneuvering (see: Qantas Flight 72). The investigation was led by the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA), with the participation of its counterparts from the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation (BFU), the New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), and the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Specialists from Airbus and from International Aero Engines (IAE), from XL Airways Germany, operator of the airplane and from Air New Zealand, the owner of the airplane, were associated with the work of the technical investigation.

Analysis of the data led to an interim finding that the crew lost control of the aircraft. While conducting a planned test of low-speed flight at low altitude, the aircraft was descending through 3000 feet on full autopilot for a go-around. Landing gear was just extended when at 15:44:30 UTC the speed dropped from 136 to 99 knots in 35 seconds. The stall warning sounded four times during violent maneuvering to regain control. By 15:46:00 the warning had silenced as the aircraft regained speed in a rapid descent, but six seconds later, at 263 knots, the aircraft had only 340 feet elevation and was 14 degrees nose down. A second later it was in the water. In September 2010, the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile published their final report into the accident. The primary cause was incorrect maintenance procedures which allowed water to enter the angle of attack (AOA) sensors. The water then froze in flight, rendering the sensors inoperative and thus removing the protection they provided from the aircraft's flight management system. When the crew attempted an improvised test of the AOA warning system (which was not functioning due to the blocked sensors) they lost control of the plane. The aircraft's computers received conflicting information, and completely disconnected. This led to all automation built into the plane's systems to deactivate. Since the pilots were likely relying on the computer to optimize the aircraft to climb, and it didn't, the crew was unable to recover from the dive. The crew was unaware that the AOA sensors were blocked, but they also disregarded the proper speed limits for the tests they were performing, resulting in a stall. Five safety recommendations were made.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XL_Airways_Germany_Flight_888T
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aiechh7K6iak9lektMdXVKbTQ/view?usp=sharing

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