When it isn’t the Safest form of Travel….

On 7 August 2020, Air India Express Flight 1344, a COVID-19repatriation flight, part of the Vande Bharat Mission from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Kozhikode, India, overshot the runway during landing run at Calicut International Airport. The aircraft fell into a gorge killing 16 passengers, and both pilots. The remaining four cabin crew and 168 passengers survived, of whom over 100 were injured. A very tragic accident. The accident has rattled the nation, the aviation community, and especially all the pilots in particular. Flying is not inherently dangerous but it is terribly unforgiving. The aviation industry which was fraught with adversity and at times…

Distractions in Cockpit

The airlines make a conscious effort to expose its flight crew to the potential hazards of distractions. Strict adherence to the ‘Sterile Cockpit Rule’ is implemented. Cabin crew and ground staff are trained and instructed to refrain from interrupting the cockpit crew while they’re in the midst of a briefing or entering critical flight data into the FMS, including computation of takeoff speeds. Strict adherence to SOP is mandated and checklist discipline is reinforced during line and simulator training. The key here is for every company to “educate” it’s staff with regards to the challenge that is posed by distraction, affecting the safety of the flight.

What is a blindfold check for military pilot and why is it important?

Before a military pilot goes solo, he/she has to successfully demonstrate the ability to locate switches blindfolded. It is not without reason. And this is checked periodically, generally every fortnight along with critical emergency actions. The pilot is made to sit in the cockpit as if during flight with eyes shut and instructor checks out pilots’ ability to locate and activate cockpit switches, to make sure they could find them in a nerve blinding situation (bird strike, smoke in the cockpit, electrical failure by night, etc.).  This practice remains with…

8 THINGS TO DO JUST BEFORE YOUR VIVA

That crucial 15 minutes before a VIVA can become the longest 15 minutes in an aspiring ATPL seeker’s life. What are you doing in those last few moments before you go into high stake Viva? Most people are getting just nervous or more nervous. They are thinking about all the things that can go wrong and all the ways in which they might screw up. They are worried about being judged by others and found lacking. In other words they are sabotaging themselves. Not many professionals are able to collect…

PILOT LICENCE (ATPL. CPL) EXAMINATION: TOP 3 TIPS FOR VIVA

Reading time: 5 min Once you have passed the written examination, life can seem a little flat for a while. Congratulate yourself, take a breath – but try not to lose your momentum. Remember that this is not an interview but is an oral examination and, like any other examination; you need to revise and prepare for it thoroughly. And, as with other exams, there are strategies that you can adopt that may help you with this. Purpose of the Viva Voce Examination. Literally, “viva voce” means by or with…

PILOT LICENCE (ATPL, CPL) EXAMINATION: TIP # 7: EXAM DAY PREPARATIONS

Reading time < 2 min Get plenty of rest the night before. Sleep, learning, and memory are complex phenomena that are not entirely understood. However, animal and human studies suggest that the quantity and quality of sleep have a profound impact on learning and memory. Research suggests that sleep helps learning and memory in two distinct ways. First, a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently. Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information. We suggest to sleep…