Introduction to flight crew

1. Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

Career in focus: Air Traffic Controller

As an Air Traffic Control Specialist for Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, Polk's first responsibility is to guide pilots to safe landings. Sometimes that means guiding planes through thunderstorms, tornadoes and low-level wind shear.

"The weather is a major player on stress," Polk said. "It helps a pilot that is in a very stressful situation to have a calm voice on the other end of the radio. Our responsibility is to offer avenues to help the pilot get the aircraft to a safe landing location," he added. Polk has been in the hot seat for 11 years.

"There are many aspects of air traffic control that I like. It's high-paced," Polk said. " Traffic volume keeps your energy levels up, and your alertness is maintained."

Like any team effort, air traffic controlling requires alert communication. When Polk reports for work every day, he is given a certain amount of airspace to monitor on a radar scope. He tracks all the planes flying into his zone, making sure none of the planes is in conflict with another. As a plane departs his airspace, Polk hands off responsibility to the controller monitoring the next patch of sky.

When the weather is nice, Polk and his colleagues may land over a hundred planes in an hour. It's a dizzying pace that can be complicated by unexpected weather conditions.

When aircraft start to face inclement weather conditions upon approach, air traffic controllers start changing flight courses to avoid problems. Often, planes are forced to fly into another section of air space, and controllers must scramble to adjust flight patterns to avoid a collision.

"When you deal with situations like that... everybody is tense, and it could be stressful," Polk said. ". "It’s one of the most challenging jobs I've ever experienced."

2. In pairs/groups discuss the following questions:

· How does inclement weather impact an air controller's job?

· What skills and training do air traffic controllers need to have?

· Why do you think each air traffic controller monitors a certain amount of air space?

· Why do you think it is important for air traffic controllers to remain calm in stressful situations?

· How do the air traffic control personnel work together to ensure the safety of airline travel?

· Do you think it is important for each person to have a specific task? Why or why not?

3. Read the text and do the tasks that follow.

Career in focus: Airline pilots

Airline pilots fly aircraft on scheduled and chartered flights, transporting passengers and cargo. There are usually two or four pilots, depending on the type of aircraft and length of journey. The most senior is the captain, who has full responsibility for the safety of the aircraft and its occupants, helped by the first officer/s and cabin crew. Pilots are employed in one of four areas: passenger scheduled services, passenger charter services, freight services and business aviation.

Before take-off, the work involves acquiring information about the route, weather, passengers and aircraft, working out a flight plan (the route, flying height, how much fuel to take), supervising the loading and fuelling of the aircraft, carrying out pre-flight checks on the navigation and operating systems, and communicating with air traffic control.

During the flight, pilots make regular checks on the aircraft's technical performance, position, weather conditions and air traffic, communicate with passengers and crew, and react timely to environmental changes and emergencies. Finally, they land the aircraft safely, under instruction from air traffic control, and write a report on the flight, including any problems experienced.

You must be at least 18 to begin training, and the maximum age varies between 24 and 28. You should be physically fit, with good hearing, eyesight (wearing glasses is sometimes acceptable) and normal colour vision. There may also be height and weight restrictions, and you must pass a medical examination.

Subjects studied would include avionics, aerodynamics, navigation, meteorology and aviation law. You would also fly simulators and real aircraft.

You would start work as a co-pilot, alongside a training captain, on short-haul flights to give you maximum experience of take-offs and landings. Eventually, you would become a fully qualified first officer. After about five years' experience, you can apply to be a co-pilot on long-haul flights. Promotion to captain usually requires a certain amount of flying hours, which might take around seven to ten years to achieve.

As a pilot, you would need excellent spatial awareness, allowing you to interpret maps and three-dimensional displays. You should be calm and able to take charge if an emergency arises, and you must be able to give clear, confident instructions to crew members and passengers. You would also need a high level of numeracy for making mathematical calculations.

Being a pilot is not a nine-to-five job. For safety reasons, working hours are strictly controlled, but you would regularly work unsocial hours including nights, weekends, and public holidays. The amount of time away from home would vary, depending on whether you fly domestic or long-haul routes.

4 In pairs/groups discuss the following questions:

· What are pilots’ main responsibilities?

· How many pilots are usually there in the cockpit? What does it depend on? A\

· Are their responsibilities different or similar?

· What does airline pilots’ job involve (before takeoff/during the flight/on landing)?

· What does the training include?

· What are the advantages and disadvantages of airline pilots’ job?

5. Do you think the following features are necessary to make a good professional pilot/air traffic controller? Agree or disagree. Give your reasons.

· must have good working knowledge of operating standards and regulations

· must have good working knowledge of computers and advanced systems

· must be able to relate to other people and understand their problems

· must have excellent memory

· must be organized

· must have spatial awareness

· must be able to stay calm under pressure

· must be able to absorb data quickly from a variety of sources

· must be a good team worker

6 Work in pairs and answer the following questions.

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1) What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘pilot’/air traffic controller?

2) What do you think the life of a pilot/an air traffic controller is like?

3) What is so special about being a pilot/an air traffic controller?

4) What part of your future job do you think will be the most interesting/the least interesting/the most difficult? Why? Explain.

5) Why do you think people become fighter pilots? Give your reasons.

6) What part of your future job do you think will be the most interesting/the least interesting/the most difficult?

7) What privileges and responsibilities does an airline pilot have?

8) As a pilot cadet, what are the things that you still need to learn and why do you need to learn them?

9) Would you feel safer if the pilot of your airplane was male or female? Why? Explain.

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1) What do you think of the job of a pilot/air traffic controller?

2) Would you rather be an airplane pilot or a helicopter pilot? Why?

3) How did you become interested in becoming a pilot/an air traffic controller?

4) How do you think pilots feel when they walk through airports in their uniforms?

5) What route would you prefer to fly, domestic or international? Why?

6) If you were a pilot, which type of aircraft would you like to fly and why?

7) What do you feel when you hear about accidents involving a passenger plane?

8) What are the pros and cons of being a pilot/an air traffic controller?

9) Will we need pilots in the future? Why?

7. Read some information about other aviation jobs then compare their responsibilities.

A purser is a chief of the cabin crew. She is responsible for Flight Service Management. She ensures compliance among her cabin crew for relevant Company policies and procedures during all phases of flight.

A security officer has to remain alert to spot anything suspicious throughout the working day. He needs to check people’s boarding cards and x-ray their hand luggage. He also spends time carrying out patrols within the airport.

A flight attendant welcomes the passengers and makes sure they are sitting in the correct seats. Following take off, she provides in-flight bar, meal and sales services. At the end of the flight she prepares the cabin for landing.

A customs officer’s job is to stop the illegal import or export of controlled drugs, drug money, firearms, indecent and obscene materials, and endangered species.

An air marshal’s aim is to assist the pilot in the safe manoeuvring of the aircraft on the ground. He communicates with the pilot by making visual signals with the arms and hands.

A maintenance engineer is a member of ground staff. His responsibility is to keep the aircraft serviceable.

An aircraft refuller drives an enormous fuel tanker to the planes and connects them up with the fuel tanks of the aircraft so that the precise amount of the fuel asked for by the pilots is piped on board.

A shuttle bus driver is in charge of the bus from the plane to terminal. Besides he assists boarding passengers with their baggage if called for.

8. Choose any job you like and make a short presentation of three or five minutes.

Topic: Aviation jobs (pilot/ATC/flight attendant/customs officer/purser/air marshal/shuttle bus driver/aircraft refueller/maintenance engineer/security officer etc.)

Suggestions: responsibilities and tasks; the future; perks and social advantages (e.g. foreign travel); qualifications, career structure.

9. Listen to three people working in the aviation industry talk about

their jobs. As you listen, be ready to say what each person’s main responsibility is.

a What jobs do Rebecca, Charlie and Mark have?

b What information on the tape helped you to decide?

10.Listen to the recording and fill in the table on the next page with the missing information.

Rebecca	Mark	Charlie
Aged 5
Aged 8		Aged 12		Aged 5
Aged 19		Aged 15		Aged 22
				Aged 24
1995-1999		Aged 25
		Aged 27		Aged 29
		1997-1999		Aged 30
				Next year

11. Role-play the situations.

Situation 1:

Student A:

You are a captain with Czech Airways but you would like to work for Pacific International Airlines. You are having an interview with a recruitment manager.

Student B:

Ask your partner about his working experience:

· how many flying hours he has;

· what aircraft types he is flying;

· what routes he is flying;

· why he would like to work for PIA;

· what his great strengths and weaknesses are;

· What his short- and long-range goals are and how he expects to achieve them.

Situation 2:

Student A:

You have just returned from a Job Interview. The advertisement asked for someone “accurate, prompt and reliable”, but you don’t think you have caused a good impression.

Student B:

Ask your partner about the interview and tell about it to your friend:

· what position he applied for:

· what the requirements were;

· what impression he caused.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-24