Air Traffic Control

UniqueBeauty asked:


I’m interested in air traffic control but i’m confused about how some sites say that you need a 4 year degree.But aren’t you wasting money cuz some AT-CTI schools are 2 year and you can still be accepted to the FAA Academy.

Anyone went to the 2 year AT-CTI schools and got into the FAA Academy?

Will there be a difference in where i would work at if i have only a have an associates in Air Traffic Control?

Bernard

Lauren Siegel asked:


High traffic is inevitable at private airports during popular events or holiday seasons (think Super Bowl or winter in Aspen). With that in mind, we have put together some information and helpful tips to ensure that your private jet travel to bustling airports is both relaxing and stress-free.

“What is an STMP?” Special Traffic Management Programs (STMP’s) are implemented for special events that attract thousands of people and aircraft to participating airports. The FAA requires users to make arrival and departure reservations to and from these airports to manage the flow of arrivals and departures for these events.

“What is a slot time?” Slot times refer to airports expecting high traffic volume due to special events or seasonal activity. Slot times are issued to stagger incoming flight traffic in order to relieve air traffic control duties. Slot time reservations are typically available 72 hours prior to the estimated time of arrival.

Private Jet Travel Tips:

• Be flexible with your departure time requests. Allow a window for departure times. Slot times will not be assigned more than 72 hours in advance to the flight departure request.

• Avoid changing flight dates & times. Slot times are valuable and go quickly, so try to stick to your flight schedule to avoid conflicts.

• Arrive on time. Particularly in mountainous areas, weather can change rapidly. The closer you leave to your intended time, the better opportunity you have to guarantee your arrival time. So if your slot departure is 8am, please allow time for boarding so the jet will be ready and in position for an 8am departure.



Agnes

Chanel Miller asked:


Air Traffic Controller

Air traffic controllers regulate airplanes in the sky, from making sure they fly a safe distance apart to coordinating airport arrivals and departures. Individuals who want to become air traffic controllers, who can easily make more than $100,000 a year, must enroll in a course given by the Federal Aviation Administration and pass a test.

Elevator Repair

Those who provide elevator repair service generally install, repair, and maintain elevators and escalators. While a college degree is not required, there are some qualifications to work in elevator service repair, including a high school diploma (or GED), good physical shape, and applicants must pass an aptitude test. Most people new to the industry get their start by applying for an apprenticeship through a local chapter of the International Union of Elevator Constructors.

Home Health Aides

With an aging demographic, home health aides and related occupations are in high demand. After a brief training period, workers can make well over $50,000 annually providing basic medical care and assistance to elderly individuals unable to leave their homes.

Non-Retail Sales Supervisor

Sales supervisors are generally responsible for the training, supervising, and scheduling of sales associates within an organization. Qualifications include strong communication skills, computer literacy, and problem-solving skills. The average salary for a sales supervisor working in a non-retail industry is $73,000.

Real Estate Broker

Real Estate brokers assist their clients in selling residential and commercial property. Obtaining the job requires first 60 to 60 hours of classroom instruction, followed by on-the-job sales training.

Transportation Managers

In charge of working out the logistics for transportation firms and trucking companies, transportation managers often earn more than $70,000 a year. Transportation managers typically start out as truck drivers or working in transportation sales – roughly half have some college experience but less than 25% received a bachelor’s degree.

Truck Driving

CDL driver jobs are in high demand given the necessity of professional transportation services to transport and deliver goods all throughout the country. Most truck drivers attend a specialized truck driving training program and can earn more than $35,000 in just their first year. Pay rapidly increases with the more experience drivers have behind-the-wheel.



Luis

Mercedes Oestermann Van Essen asked:


I simply don’t get it: Most of you reading this are probably using your mobiles, sit in front of your computer screens and love the latest electronic gadgets in your cars totally oblivious to the inherent dangers. Let’s face it, these dangers are well known and are largely ignored.

Now I am going to be blunt: The reason? Because I want you to sit up and listen and understand what is at stake here:

I am talking about your health!

You are surrounded by electronic equipment polluting the air you breathe in your office and your home. The wide spread use of electronic equipment in all parts of the world is wreaking havoc with the body’s energy system.

Odds are this constant bombardment of electro pollution is affecting your emotional and physical health. Scientific studies have conclusively shown how EMF or electromagnetic field emissions from electronic equipment affect our well being. If you are working in built up areas, in a call centre, as a stock market or commodity trader, an air traffic controller or in any other job where you are constantly exposed to electro pollution your health is particularly at risk!

Post mortems of engineers working in power stations have consistently shown degeneration of the brain. Now, nobody will tell you this, because the implications are too wide reaching and would cost industry potentially billions in compensation cases. And individuals in the know cannot afford the cost of fighting court cases.

This isn’t scare mongering but fact. The increase of EMF and Geopathic Stress puts strain on our well being. G.S. has been on the increase for a number of years. Sunspot activity, global warming and a possible shift in the magnetic poles of the earth are contributing factors. EMF and geostress are interconnected: I found in my year long studies if one increases, so does the other.

If you have damp problems in your house you ought to be extra vigilant for geopathic stress and EMF too. Water has high conductivity and will increase the exposure to electro pollution and geopathic stress.

So, how does electro pollution affect us?

The continuous strain of these pollutants eventually causes a breakdown of your immune system, because our bodies are not built to cope with this continuous onslaught. Imagine running a car constantly at top speed. The engine will wear out sooner rather then later. This is what is happening to your immune system when you constantly expose it to Electro Pollution or Geopathic Stress.

The body repairs itself at night, however, when it is overloaded it needs more time to do the job. There are not enough hours to do this properly. Many of us sleep in electro polluted or geopathically stressed places too. This means the body misses out on the chance to repair itself at night.

If you are constantly feeling tired, stressed and anxious, have damp problems in your home, difficulty recovering from illness you may be living or working in a geopathically stressed place.

Fortunately you can counteract the bad effects of EMF and geo stress. Energy vitalisers are your answer. They come in many sizes and also different price ranges. Most products are not as effective as they promise though. So, be careful what you purchase to protect yourself properly. A cheap device is wasted money if it does not work. I have tested many vitalisers in the last 10 years, in part to reduce my own exposure to electro pollution, which was affecting my health badly.

EMF and geo stress are on the increase, so you need to go for a vitaliser that is powerful enough to deal with these harmful energies. Do your research and don’t go for the cheapest models.You might as well save your money. Go for models which neutralise both elctro pollution and geopathic stress, because electro stress and geostress are often present together.



Lydia

anonymous asked:


The old, grizzled pilot was asked, “How should I fly through a thunderstorm that I could not avoid?”

The answer he wanted to give was either, “You can’t.” or “Don’t try.”

But the question needed to be answered. Here is his advice:

Just about the only way to inadvertently get into a thunderstorm is by flying instruments in clouds with embedded thunderstorms and without either weather radar equipment onboard or ground-based weather radar available to your air traffic controller. Let’s assume this is how Fate dealt you such a poor hand.

The biggest danger in a thunderstorm is structural failure. My advice is: don’t do anything that helps the thunderstorm break your airplane. When you realize that you are in trouble, slow down. I mean not just to maneuvering speed but much slower than that. Slow to what is known as ’slow cruise’ - the speed that you use in holding patterns. This will be fairly close to the best rate of climb airspeed for your airplane. Slow cruise is slow enough to minimize the adverse effects of turbulence and fast enough to keep your controls responsive. Consider putting your wheels down. This will help you stay slow. Most airplanes are not as strong with flaps out, so don’t use flaps unless there is no restriction against it in your pilot’s handbook for the airplane.

The reason to slow down is that the higher your airspeed, the greater force turbulence can impart on your airplane. That destructive force comes in the form of lift. Remember that lift is proportional to the speed of the airplane squared. Slow is good.

Too slow is not good simply because the last thing that you need is to stall and spin when you are in a thunderstorm.

There is an adage in aviation that says a pilot’s priorities are aviate, navigate and communicate, in that order. I agree. Certainly your most important task is to fly the airplane. However, you need all the help you can get. So tell air traffic control (ATC) that you are in trouble and need help. Ask them to vector you out of the thunderstorm. Tell them that you cannot maintain the assigned altitude - because you cannot. Ask them to vector you away from high terrain. Be aware that your inability to maintain altitude can easily put you in a position where you cannot hear ATC for some time.

The intensity of rain in a thunderstorm can be truly phenomenal. Quite possibly your engine or engines can start to ingest a great deal of water. This water can turn to ice in your carburetor especially at high altitudes and low power settings. When you apply carburetor heat, the mixture enriches forcing you to lean the engine or risk fouling the spark plugs. Tuning the engine is an integral part of flying the airplane, your most important task.

The updrafts and downdrafts in a thunderstorm can far exceed a general aviation airplane’s ability to climb or dive. So just ride them out. Don’t start building airspeed by pushing your nose down to stay at your assigned altitude in a strong updraft. If you get caught in a strong downdraft, go to your best rate of climb airspeed at full power. You will still go down - just not as fast and not so far. When the downdraft subsides, you will start climbing back to your assigned altitude. If you have oxygen and perhaps if you don’t, ask ATC for a higher altitude so you will have a greater margin of safety when you enter your next overpowering downdraft. If ATC will not grant you a higher altitude, do not be afraid to declare an emergency and tell ATC that you are going to a higher altitude.

There are two things that you should remember here. First, if the FAA issues a violation, it is better to argue in court that you needed that higher altitude than it is to have the surviving members of your family argue in court that the FAA should have cleared you to a higher altitude. Second, when you go high without oxygen, you get so stupid you don’t know how truly stupid you are. Having said that, when you are at 10,000 feet facing 12,000 feet peaks and a known thunderstorm behind you, the options start to narrow. For me, it is better to face hypoxia than certain death.

To sum it up: Plan your fight and check your weather well enough to be certain that you are not going into a thunderstorm.

If, by some fluke of nature, you end up in a thunderstorm that was not predicted and you could not see, then

1.) Slow down.

2.) Remember that flying the airplane is your most important job.

3.) Get out of the thunderstorm as quickly as possible.

4.) Keep going straight with wings level while you ride out overpowering up and downdrafts.

5.) Tell ATC.

6.) Ask for help.



Eric

Adam A asked:


I am joining the USAF this summer.

One of the most intriguing jobs to me is Air Traffic Control. When I mention this to people, all the feedback I get is that this is the most stressful job in the world.

My dad was a pilot for 20 years and says that the stress of the job is over-hyped.

Any thoughts?

Beatrice

Mike H. asked:


I was an Air Traffic controller in the Navy for 5 years but I did not stay in one place long enough to get fully qualified. The FAA says I don’t have enough experience to be hired. What can I do with what I know?

Chester

Stacey Wilson asked:


Volvo earlier released a statement that it is recalling approximately 360,000 cars due to a problem in speed-controls that can cause the vehicle to lose power without any warning. The automaker added that the defect in the electronic throttle module in Volvo cars manufactured between 1999 and 2002 could throw engines into the so-called “limp home” mode having about 15 miles per hour as the maximum speed.

Said recall, which is ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), applies to Volvo used parts found in the C70 and V70 models that are manufactured between 2001 and 2002. Other cars subject to recall are the S60 models manufactured between 2001 and 2002, and S70 and V70X models, which are manufactured between 1999 and 2000. Christer Gustafsson, spokesperson of the automaker said that Volvo has fixed the speed-control problem on about 165,000 vehicles of the recall total after sending out notices to owners in March.

The speed-control problem was first flagged by California’s Air Resource Board. After said problem was reported and investigated by the NHTSA, the latter ordered a mandatory recall early this month. Gustafsson added, “Volvo owners who bring their cars to dealerships will have new software reinstalled for the throttle-control unit. We’re already doing about 2,000 or 3,000 of these a week.” In addition Gustafsson noted that “limp home” setting is the safety feature in Volvo cars. Said feature is designed to avoid unintended acceleration in case of a throttle malfunction.

Separately, the NHTSA also ordered recall of 128,000 DaimlerChrysler’s Pacifica sport utility vehicles built between 2005 and 2006 due to software problem. Said software controls Chrysler car parts governing the fuel pump and powertrain control. According to NHTSA, the problem could cause the engine to stall in some cases. As part of the recall, the automaker will reprogram the powertrain controls and substitute the fuel pump on some Chrysler cars.

It can also be recalled that Toyota, a rival of GM, Ford and Chrysler, recalled 368,000 SUVs in July. The recall is all about the defective clip used in Toyota carpet. The defective carpet clip could hinder with brake usage and cause further road misfortunes.



Erica

Erik Johannessen asked:


There are millions of Persons around the world, who have learned to fly. Some of them do it just for fun, others use it as a way to travel to work and there are others who become career pilots to earn a living.

If you are starting to do research on how to learn to fly, it can sometimes become an overwhelming task, but stay calm it is not as hard as it looks!!! There are 9 different types of basic certificates. In successive order of qualifications they include student, sport, recreational, private, instrument rated, commercial, certified flight instructor, airline transport pilot and designated pilot examiner. This system of certificates, together with a set of add-on ratings is used to specify the different types of flying a pilot may do.

To successfully acquire a certain certificate, a pilot must complete ground school, written examination, oral examination and flight test. The good thing is that these certificates never expire until they are surrendered, suspended or revoked. However to be able to fly the pilot is required to remain current in certain things such as to hold a valid medical certificate and to fly a certain amount of hours per year.

Let me explain to you each certificate in more detail. Note that this information is based on FAA rules. The rules imposed by the Regulatory Agencies of your country might be slightly different, however in context they are pretty much the same.

Student Pilot

This is the starting point for everyone who wants to learn to fly. It is also the point where you will know if you will like flying or not. This can happen as early as your first flight. In my case, on the first flight I felt like I was the King of the World. Student pilot privileges are very limited, however they provide enough freedom to allow you to learn all of the basics, including cross country flying and interaction with ATC.

When you are starting to learn how to fly, you complete all of your flights with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) on board. If you have reached the age of 16, have a valid Class III medical and have mastered the basic skills and educational topics of flight, you can make your first solo (Make a flight normally at an airport with low traffic, the location may vary from CFI to CFI, without an instructor or other certified pilots at the controls).

As a student pilot you are allowed to operate only near to your “home-base” and with a sign-off by your CFI you can travel to other local airports to practice your cross country skills. You may only fly in good weather during the day and night. You may think “I have a CFI on board and if weather gets worse he can fly back”. In general terms that is true, but it would be a waste of your money, since those hours do not count towards your certificate. I personally do not recommend it, but hey, it is your money. As a student pilot you are not allowed to carry passengers or fly for hire. Flying on busy Class B airspaces is usually not permitted without a special permission from your CFI.

Sport Pilot

Sport pilots fly in aircraft that fly at low speeds – less than 100 mph. The sport pilot certificate created new medical standards for pilots. These pilots usually do not require Medical Certificates. The only proof they need is to have a current valid driver’s license.

To get this certificate you must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 20 hours of flight time. This includes 15 hours of flight training and 5 hours of solo flight.

As a Sport pilot you may fly cross-country; however, you cannot operate at airports or airspaces that require ATC communication unless you receive the proper training and endorsements from a CFI. You are also not allowed to fly after dark and with more than one passenger on board.

Every 24 months the pilot is required to revalidate their certificate by undertaking a flight review with a CFI.

Recreational Pilots

Recreational pilots are primarily people who learn to fly for fun, with little interest in becoming professional pilots or using airplanes as a practical means of traveling from place to place. Recreational pilots must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 30 hours of flight time (the real-world average is more than 40 hours), including a minimum of 15 hours of flight instruction.

Recreational pilots may not fly more than 50 nautical miles (about 58 miles) from an airport at which they have received instruction, unless they receive appropriate cross-country training and a special instructor’s endorsement. Recreational pilots may not carry more than one passenger at a time, and they may not fly for hire or at night. They are not permitted to operate an aircraft on any charity flights, nor in connection with a business or their employment. They may fly only single-engine airplanes that have fixed landing gear, no more than four seats, and an engine of no more than 180 hp. They may not fly in airspace where communication with air traffic control (ATC) is required unless they receive the appropriate training and have a special endorsement from a certificated flight instructor (CFI).

As a result of these restrictions, the vast majority of people studying for their recreational pilot certificate continue to earn their private pilot certificate. Because of this, there usually are only about 300 pilots with the recreational certificate each year.

Recreational pilots must have a current Class III medical, which they must renew every 24 or 36 months (depending upon age). They must revalidate their pilot certificates every 24 months by undertaking a flight review with a CFI.

Private Pilots

Private pilots comprise the largest group of pilots and are among the most active flyers. In 2003, there were 241,045 private pilots. To become a private pilot, one must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 40 hours of flight time (the actual average is about 70 hours), including 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo. Pilots trained according to accelerated curricula defined in Part 141 of the Federal Aviation Regulations may be certified with a minimum of 35 hours of flight time.

A private pilot — with appropriate training, ratings, and endorsements (e.g., floatplane, tail dragger, multiengine, helicopter, jet, retractable gear, pressurized, high-performance, complex, etc.) — may carry passengers in any aircraft, day or night, good or bad weather (see Instrument Rating below).

Private pilots may not fly for compensation or hire (no passenger or revenue services) but may share equally with their passengers the direct operating expenses of a flight — specifically fuel, oil, airport parking and landing fees, and aircraft rental charges.

Private pilots must have a current Class III medical, which they must renew every 24 or 36 months (depending upon age). They must revalidate their pilot certificates every 24 months by undertaking a flight review with a certificated flight instructor (CFI).

Instrument Rating

While technically not a pilot certificate, the instrument rating is the most common and logical step to take after gaining some experience while flying with a private pilot certificate. This add-on rating allows a pilot to fly in weather with reduced visibilities such as rain, low clouds, or heavy haze. When flying in these conditions, pilots follow instrument flight rules (IFR). The instrument rating provides the skills needed to complete flights without visual reference to the ground, except for the takeoff and landing phases. All pilots who fly above 18,000 feet mean sea level (msl) must have an instrument rating.

The instrument rating makes the use of aircraft more practical for routine transportation because most of the time, an “IFR-rated” pilot will be able to safely conduct their flight in spite of the weather conditions they may encounter.

The instrument rating requires highly specialized training by a certificated flight instructor (CFI) with a special instrument instruction rating (CFII), and completion of an additional written exam, oral exam, and flight test. Pilots applying for an instrument rating must hold at least a current private pilot certificate and medical, have logged at least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, and have at least 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time including at least 15 hours of instrument flight training and instrument training on cross-country flight procedures.

If not used on a regular and sufficient basis, pilots must revalidate their instrument rating every 12 months by undertaking an instrument proficiency check with a CFI.

Commercial Pilots

As the name implies, commercial pilots can be paid to fly aircraft. Commercial pilots must be at least 18 years old and have a minimum of 250 hours of flight time (190 hours under the accelerated curriculum defined in Part 141 of the Federal Aviation Regulations), including 100 hours in powered aircraft, 50 hours in airplanes, and 100 hours as pilot in command (of which 50 hours must be cross-country flight time). They must hold an instrument rating, or be restricted to flying for hire only in daylight, under visual flight rules (VFR), within 50 miles of the originating airport. They may fly for hire in accordance with applicable parts of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Certified Flight Instructor

A certificated flight instructor (CFI) is authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to give instruction to student pilots and pilots taking recurrent training or preparing for additional certificates or ratings. They also may give flight reviews and recommend their students for flight tests. CFIs must be at least 18 years old and must hold at least a commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating. CFIs may earn a special instrument instructor rating, allowing them to teach instrument flying (operating an aircraft in the air solely by instrument indications without visual reference to the ground). An instructor with this rating is called a CFII.

In addition to undertaking their normal flight review every 24 months, CFIs must revalidate their instructor certification every 24 months. There were 87,816 flight instructors in 2003.

Airline Transport Pilots

This is the doctorate degree of piloting — and 143,504 pilots were in this distinguished category in 2003. Airline transport pilots (ATPs) must be at least 23 years old and have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time, including 500 hours of cross-country flight time, 100 hours of night flying, and 75 hours in actual or simulated instrument flight conditions. Most ATPs have many thousands of hours of flight time. ATPs also must have a commercial certificate and an instrument rating. ATPs may instruct other pilots in air transportation service in aircraft in which the ATP is rated. They may not instruct pilots outside of air transportation service unless they also have an appropriate fight instructor certificate.

ATPs must have a current and much more stringent Class I medical, which they are required to renew every six months. Like all pilots, they must revalidate their certificates every 24 months with a flight review. However, most active ATPs undergo a check ride in an aircraft or simulator every six months.

Designated Examiner

If the airline transport pilot is the doctorate degree of piloting, then becoming a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated pilot examiner (DPE) is the equivalent of mastering advanced post-doctoral work. These individuals are few and far between. They’re almost like judges in that they have to be appointed by the regional FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). Before one can become a DPE, he or she usually has to wait for one of the current DPEs in that region of the United States to retire. As the name implies, these people have been designated by the FAA to test or examine the performance of their fellow pilots. DPEs typically have decades of real-world experience and perform the majority of official FAA check rides or flight tests for everyone from new pilots to seasoned airline captains.



Frank

James Bunter asked:


The technology used by Amelia Earhart allowed her to travel 22,000 of the 29,000 miles she needed for her around the world journey. Had GPS (Global Positioning System) technology been present in July 1937, there is no doubt that she would have succeeded in locating and landing on Howland Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

GPS technology is now available to anyone: hikers, divers, boaters, and, most importantly, pilots.  Smart and responsible pilots will take advantage of this technology that is so pervasive that it is even found on cell phones today.

The Global Positioning System, which is officially called NAVSTAR GPS, was created by the United States Depart of Defense in the 1970s for use by the military.  In 1983, the Soviet Air Force shot down Korean Air Lines flight 007 after it entered Soviet airspace.  All two hundred sixty-nine passengers on board lost their lives.  As a result, President Ronald Regan declared that the Global Positioning System would be opened up to access by civilian users around the world free of cost once it was completed. 

Three components make up the Global Positioning System: a grouping of 24 or more satellites which orbit the earth and send specific microwave signals, control and monitoring stations back on earth, and receivers.  The receivers each detect signals supplying a three dimensional location including latitude, longitude, altitude, and time.  It gives authentic information to the public regarding positioning, navigation, and timing.

The Global Positioning System has both military and civilian applications.  The United States government has control over the parameters of GPS receivers exported for civilian use to ensure that enemies cannot utilize the guidance component of the GPS for military or weaponry purposes.

The Global Positioning System is based on three basic components: absolute location, relative movement, and time transfer.  The absolute location component is implemented as an aid to navigation along with being a tool for surveying.  Time, a fourth factor in global positioning, is growing as a factor for many industries.  Several atomic clocks are housed in each GPS satellite, which allows for extremely accurate time information to accompany signals sent out from the GPS system.  They can clock the time as precisely as 100 billionths of a second.  This precise measurement of time is utilized by communication systems, power grids, and financial networks.  The GPS time element is employed by Hollywood studios to control both audio and video data and for multi-camera sequencing.

GPS has greatly improved the aviation industry because the Global Positioning System now provides all phases of flight with much needed, exact, dependable, and nonstop positioning data.  It has allowed fuel efficient, flexible, and secure routes to be designed for all users of airspace.  Since GPS allows for reduced separation between different airplanes and more efficient management of air traffic, aviation delays have been cut down and air traffic control has been streamlined.

A GPS receiver’s usefulness far outweighs the cost, and all pilots should consider them essential equipment when flying.  If you are considering purchasing a GPS receiver, keep in mind that, while it may be cheaper to bid on a unit on eBay, it will be your safety that you are gambling on.  It pays to purchase your receiver from a company who has a solid reputation and excellent customer service, a company with a vast understanding of aircraft and the aviation industry.



Heather