“One of the finest achievements in Canadian aviation history, the delta wing Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was never allowed to fulfill its mission. Its role was to replace the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck as a supersonic all weather interceptor. A source of national pride, the Arrow incorporated advanced technical innovations and became a symbol of Canadian excellence.
The Mark 2 production version of the arrow, powered with two Avro Canada Iroquois turbo jet engines, would have been capable of achieving beyond Mach 2 with full military load. This aircraft was a culmination of research and development unprecedented in Canada's aeronautical history. Thousands of people witnessed the first flight of the prototype flown by Chief Test Pilot, Jan Zurakowski, on March 25, 1958.
For various reasons, mostly due to high costs, the Federal Government cancelled the Avro Arrow program on February 20, 1959. Almost everything connected to the program was destroyed. Fortunately the forward fuselage of the first Mark 2 Arrow was saved and is on display at the
National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. There are also some portions of the wings and control surfaces at the museum in Ottawa.” (Quoted from an Avro Arrow historical site)
Lloyd Walton, former Saultite, film maker and painter, took it upon himself to donate two paintings of the Avro Arrow that are on display at the Bushplane Museum in 2008.
They were unveiled during a reception for 100 pilots and aviation enthusiasts that were flying vintage aircraft across the country. The Soo, and Bushplane Museum was a featured stopover.
While speaking about the Arrow to the group, Lloyd noticed a woman in the front row pointing to the man beside her. After his speech, the man introduced himself as one of the men who built the Arrow. He went on to say that he has never had a job like it since. " Every day thousands of men and women rushed excitedly to work knowing that they were producing something that was destined to be the best in the world. " The man's wife went on to tell Lloyd that he still cries when he thinks of that Black Friday when he was told to go home and leave his tools where he left them.
The brainpower working on later even more sophisticated models of the Arrow were also working on lunar modules. They were the Bill Gates and Steve Jobs of their time. Alas many in that group left Canada to help NASA put a man on the moon. Others went to Britain to develop the Concord.
Lloyd remembers that Black Friday back in 1959. I was 13 years old and I remember my dad, an aviation enthusiast, coming home from work and turning on the radio. He sat with his head in his hands. Lloyd got his wings through Air Cadets and wanted to have a career as a pilot but because his math skills didn't fit the profile, he decided to become an artist and enrolled in the Ontario College of Art. From there he went on to be a successful film director-cinematographer. Through the years he would meet people that worked on the Arrow and hear their stories of pride and sorrow. While doing research for a film on Bushplane history in Ottawa , which incidentally plays in the Ranger Theatre at the museum, Lloyd came across some startling classified material about the Arrow. "It ignited my passion and made me want to dig deeper, and I did. The more I found out, the angrier I got. So I translated that energy into two paintings, called the Rise and Fall of the Arrow, which are now displayed in the Ranger Theatre in the Bushplane Heritage Museum.”
Credit: Lloyd Walton
The Museum is presently trying to find funding to do a French translation of the film Bush Angels which plays in the Ranger Theatre.
I graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1970. I was in the Advertising Program, majoring in animation in my last year.
Right out of school I became a director-cinematographer. I make mostly documentaries, linking history, culture and nature. My movies have won over 35 national, provincial, and international film awards.
I have painted in oils and acrylics all of my life. The locations where the Group of Seven painted were often my workplace for filming. I’ve met buddies of Grey Owl, Tom Thompson, and Lawren Harris, and worked with A J Casson of the Group. Their influences in style, content and use of colour are evident in my work. The American painter, Edward Hopper also nourished my vision with his blend of story, lighting and architecture.
I enjoy showing the power of the landscape, using the human form or objects consumed by time and weather.
My next showings of work will be in Muskoka and Newfoundland.
Exhibitions (Group)
John B. Aird Gallery - Queens Park
Art Gallery of Algoma - Sault Ste Marie
Canadian National Auto Show Cross Canada Tour
The Ontario Bushplane Heritage Centre - Sault Ste. Marie
Chapel Gallery - Bracebridge
The Art Space - Huntsville
Art Square Gallery - Toronto
Exhibitions (Solo)
Catto Gallery (Muskoka Lakes Museum) - Port Carling
INVESTORS will be looking for signs that Qantas is managing costs - in particular a soaring fuel bill - when the airline posts its full year results on Thursday.
Qantas shocked the market with a massive earnings downgrade in June, slashing its underlying profit before tax estimates to between $50 million and $100 million for the year to June 30, 2012.
It blamed the downgrade on a $450 million pre-tax loss in its troubled international division plus a $100 million cost from industrial action.
Chief executive Alan Joyce has flagged a looming statutory loss and, in a note issued after the profit downgrade, investment researcher Morningstar estimated Qantas would turn in a statutory loss of $198 million after restructuring costs of between $370 million and $380 million.
The airline is in the middle of a restructuring program that will cut a total of 2,800 jobs and includes closing its heavy maintenance facility at Melbourne's Tullamarine airport and selling two catering centres.
Morningstar has estimated Qantas's full year net profit at $67 million before abnormal items, down from $277 million prior to the downgrade.
Goldman Sachs has estimated full year net profit, before abnormal items, of $54.1 million.
Qantas posted a $250 million profit for 2010/11.
Goldman Sachs analyst Andrew Gibson said in a June note to clients that 2012/13 earnings should benefit from the end of industrial action in FY12, the cutting of loss-making routes and other restructuring initiatives.
However risks remain from increased competition in the domestic market, which has been Qantas's best-performing division.
Qantas also flagged it would incur its highest yet fuel bill in 2011/12, and Fat Prophets analyst Greg Fraser said management of fuel costs through hedging and currency strategies will be a factor to watch.
Thursday's results will be the last filed by Qantas in its current configuration, with the airline having split its domestic and international operations into separate reporting entities from the start of the 2012/13 financial year.
I have a joke with a friend of mine that airline pilots are nothing but glorified bus drivers. As cynical as this may be, for the majority of us with regular jobs who fly economy air travel is increasingly becoming like its land-based cousin: cramped, overcrowded and at times downright unpleasant.
Most people living in our modern industrial society take air travel for granted. We think very little about hopping on a plane and travelling around the world for little more than a couple of weeks wages. As jet fuel prices bounce along with the price of crude however many airlines are increasingly struggling to break even. Fuel prices now account for 35 percent of operating costs compared to 15 percent a decade ago. Air travel has always been a fickle business, earning an average net profit of one to two percent, compared with an average of over five percent for U.S. industry as a whole. Research from the 1980s found that some carriers would have zero profitability if they had lost just one out of ten business passengers.
So how does the future look for the airline industry? If recent trends are anything to go by, not good. Not good at all.
Plane Trends
Airlines have increasingly been moving towards smaller aircraft despite the popularity of the “Superjumbo” Airbus A380 since its release in 2007. Airbus has sold 253 A380s while Boeing has orders for 106 747-8s with the large majority of these being used for cargo operations. Richard Aboulafia from Teal Group, an Aerospace and Defense Market Analysis company believes that smaller, sleeker aircraft are the future of international air travel ““The market for large aircraft in general is disappearing fast. Most of the 747-8 planes are cargo. There’s just a limited market.”
Packed Like Sardines
In an effort to increase profits from each flight a number of airline companies are trying to fit more passengers onto each plane. The sale of an extra one or two seats can mean the difference between breaking even and a loss. While standing room only flights appear to be nothing other than a cheap marketing ploy companies have reduced the seat width in order to fit an extra seat in each row.
Air New Zealand recently replaced it’s older 747s with a significantly narrower 777-300ER. To accommodate the same 3-4-3 seat configuration the new seats are one inch narrower and the aisle has decreased in size as well. Air New Zealand was named the most innovative airline in the world last year Airlinetrends.com and so it is likely that other airline companies will follow suit.
In 2010 an Italian company, Avio Interiors, introduced the world to its “Skyrider” saddle-style seat. Intended for up to four hour long flights the passenger sits at an angle with 23 inches of legroom (compared with 30 inches on a standard configuration) allowing more passengers per flight. Two years later no airlines have yet committed to the Skyrider seating but as fuel prices continue to rise one has to wonder how long it will take before it is seriously considered.
At the other end of the spectrum some airlines have introduced what has colloquially been termed “chub class.” In an effort to accommodate the expanding waistline of Western flyers Airbus is increasing the size of aisle seats to 20 inches wide on its A320 jets while decreasing middle and window seats by one inch. The premium wide seat will be sold at for an extra US$10.
Weight Reduction
Scoot Airlines, based out of Singapore has recently removed television monitors from airplane seats replacing them with Apple iPads. The television monitors and associated electronics are reported to weigh two metric tonnes. According to Bloomberg this has enabled the airline to add 40 percent more seating while decreasing the weight of a fully loaded flight by seven percent.
Extra Charges Everywhere
Traditionally the most successful airlines traded on glamour and providing a service experience. Recent trends however show that airlines are increasingly moving towards a no-frills approach in an effort to cut expenses. To do this airlines are imposing costs on everything possible under the thin veil of “increased consumer choice.” Changes seen over the last few years include the removal of a complimentary item of check-in luggage, the removal of complimentary meals and extra charges for window seats and seats towards the front of the plane. The iPads on Scoot flights mentioned above will cost US$17 to hire for the flight.
Recommendations from a 2005 study suggest that a low-cost strategy should no longer be considered an exception but should rather become the norm for the airline industry. We can see this recommendation playing out today with the stripping of services from flights shifting to an almost purely user pays model.
Case Study: The Air New Zealand Situation
A good example of this new user pays model is Air New Zealand. In 2010 they changed to single class short haul flights with radically rebundled fares. Travellers can now choose from one of four options beginning with a seat, one 7kg carry-on bag, tea, coffee and water and access to some entertainment options but no new release entertainment. At the other end they have the ‘Works Deluxe’ which allows two priority bags, a carry-on bag, meal and drinks, a seat request, a guaranteed empty seat next to the passenger, premium check in, lounge access and better entertainment options.
Being the most innovative airline company does not necessarily make you the most profitable. Air New Zealand announced a 71 percent earning slump in February 2012. As part of it’s recovery plan the company announced it was cutting 441 jobs. The airline blamed a decrease in passenger numbers as well as as fuel costs NZ$173 million more than forecast. This is despite the airline enjoying “a solid performance from the domestic network including benefits from the Rugby World Cup and improved market share on the Tasman” according to Air New Zealand chairman, John Palmer.
The outgoing chief executive Rob Fyfe says the price of jet fuel has doubled over the last three years and due to the weak global economy it has been difficult to pass on the higher costs to passengers.The inflation adjusted average price of jet fuel was US$3.04 per gallon for the six months to December 31st. Going off jet fuel prices alone it is unlikely the airline will see much of a turn around in profitability for 2012. In the first six months of 2012 the average price barely moved, up US$0.04 to $US3.08.
The full year earnings are not released until the end of August but the few media releases coming out of Air New Zealand the last few months are beginning to sound increasingly desperate. On 19th July 2012 Fyfe and Palmer called for an “urgent review” of New Zealand tourism. Palmer told Parliament's finance and expenditure committee that despite operational improvements (newspeak for job cuts), Air New Zealand's financial performance was not healthy and decreased expenditure was yet to be reflected in its currently "disappointing" share price.
Air New Zealand is looking to focus on its domestic, Australian and Pacific service as these have been the most economically sustainable. According to Fyfe, "An aircraft flying to London and back, a 777-300, it costs $1.25 million to get that aircraft to London and back and over 50% of the cost of fuel, a 737 flying to Auckland - Wellington about 23% of the cost is fuel."
The Global Situation
Globally the situation does not look much better. Some Middle Eastern airlines and Asian carriers are still recording strong growth but they are the exception. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) revised the Middle Eastern profit forecast in March 2012 from USD300 million to USD500 million assuming jet fuel prices stay stable. A spike in oil prices could however could turn the forecast profit into a USD200 million loss for the region’s airlines. According to the IATA average oil prices could reach as high as US$135 per barrel this year in the unlikely event of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices this high would create a US$5.3billion loss for the global aviation industry.
U.S. airline profits have historically followed a cyclical profit-loss pattern of three to five years since U.S. deregulation in 1978. Profit margins have always been thin, sitting at 1.6% during the 1980s and only 1.0% for the period between 1990 and 2000. The early 2000s however saw economic downturn accompanied by huge industry-wide losses of $7 billion in 2001, $7.5 billion in 2002, and $5.3 billion in 2003. The impact of 9/11 and the associated changes to the way airlines run as well as the Dot-com crash cannot be denied either. Between 2000 and 2005 the industry plunged into record operating losses of $40 billion in total.
Figure 1: World economic growth and airline profit margins: 1970 to 2011. Source: IATA Financial Monitor for Jan/Feb-2012 released on 01-Mar-2012, sourcing IATA, ICAO & Haver.
Figure 1 clearly illustrates the cyclical nature of the airline industry. Whenever world GDP growth drops below two percent this is reflected by the net post-tax profit margin turning negative.
The director general and CEO of IATA, Tony Tyler, has cautioned that global GDP is not expected to pass two percent in 2012. “The risk of a worsening Eurozone crisis has been replaced by an equally toxic risk – rising oil prices. Already the damage is being felt with a downgrade in industry profits to $3.0 billion… With GDP growth projections now at 2.0%...it will not take much of a shock to push the industry into the red for 2012,” Mr Tyler said.
Rising fuel costs have taken a massive chunk out of the airline industries profit margins. The cost of jet fuel closely maps that of crude oil prices. This means that when prices are high at the local pump the airline companies are also hurting.
The IATA has forecast the airline 2012 fuel bill is expected to be $US213 billion, equivalent to 34 percent of total operating costs. The IATA fuel price average for 2012 is currently $US128.6 per barrel which is estimated to add an extra $US31billion onto the forecast 2012 jet fuel bill.
These IATA forecasts illustrate the fragility of the airline industry. Profitability is an elusive prospect for the industry with the IATA commenting that “the best collective margin of the last decade of 2.9% (2007 and 2010) does not cover the cost of capital”. Cargo traffic around the globe declined 1.9 percent in May 2012 compared to May last year. Cargo traffic generated US$66 billion in 2010 but has declined every month since May 2011. “Business and consumer confidence are falling,” Tyler said. “And we are seeing the first signs of that in slowing demand and softer load factors. This does not bode well for industry profitability.”
Dirty Air
If airlines are struggling this much with the current economic conditions it is almost certain that a globally unified approach to carbon taxing would cripple the industry. A report from 2008 found that airlines were emitting 20 percent more carbon dioxide than previously estimated. This could grow to 1.5 billion tons a year by 2025, far more that the worst cast IPCC predictions. As a comparison the entire European Union currently emits 3.1 billion tons of CO2 annually. This emission prediction does assume that oil prices will stay relatively low and that economic growth gets back on track, two assumptions that are looking increasingly unlikely.
Travel While You Can
Environmental concerns aside if you want to travel anywhere in the next five years now is the time to do it. The global economy is extremely fragile at the moment. Petroleum deliveries are at their lowest point since September 2008, with the weakest July demand since 2005 and yet Brent crude prices are still sitting above $US116 per barrel. This is not to mention the impending US “fiscal cliff” where $600bn in tax increases and spending cuts come into effect on January 1, 2013. Unless the US Congress comes to some kind of agreement on raising the debt ceiling again by the end of this year GDP growth could be reduced by four percent, plunging the US into recession. Europe is cannot escape its current quaqmire without huge upheaval and there is now talk that France will be the next to crumble leaving Germany on its own. China’s growth has slowed to a three year low of 7.6 per cent with little sign of recovery in the next few months.
This is all bad news for airlines that are already combatting high fuel prices. I expect to see a number of big name airlines fold or amalgamate in the next two years as financiers can no longer afford to prop up an industry that is hemorrhaging with no relief in sight. This could mean a reduced number of flights, less options of places to travel and skyrocketing ticket prices. While mother nature might thank us for the reduction in emissions the airline industry is running on empty.
The 90th Flying Training Squadron plays an integral role in accomplishing the 80th Flying Training Wing's mission of producing the world's best pilots for the NATO alliance in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program.
"We teach advanced jet pilot training for ENJJPT on the T-38," said Lt. Col. John Moran, 90th FTS commander. "We have instructor pilots from seven different countries flying with us right now, including the United States, Italy, Spain, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada."
Moran said his squadron teaches 51 ENJJPT students who fly about 120 sorties per day on the squadron's 46 T-38 aircraft. Students learn advanced maneuvers in the T-38, beginning in simulators, and continuing with an instructor seated behind the student in the actual aircraft. Students must learn the maneuvers and be able to perform them before being allowed to advance to the next set of skills.
"It's their first time flying a jet, so they have to think a lot faster and process more information," said Italian air force Lt. Col. Vincenzo Tozzi, 90th FTS director of operations and a 1995 graduate of the ENJJPT program. "The greatest thing about it is at the end of their training, we get to see them walk across the stage with wings on their chests."
Moran said much of the training occurs not in the actual flight, but in briefings before sorties and in debriefings afterward.
"They'll spend about an hour and 15 minutes before the sortie and then will get the most out of the flight in the debriefing afterward, learning about what they did during the flight and how to improve," Moran said.
The squadron also trains pilots on how to become an instructor in a three-month course, Moran said, including teaching ENJJPT-specific training information.
"It's a constant learning process," Moran said. "It's a different experience because you're in the back seat, instructing and evaluating the student."
Both Moran and Tozzi said getting to train with NATO member nations in a joint environment at the 80th FTW and in the squadron helps ensure smooth missions later, when pilots from the U.S., Italy and other nations are already familiar with each other and have the same basis upon which to work together.
"We have the same mindset on getting things done. When I flew missions in Bosnia and Kosovo, I flew with people I had trained with here, and everything was standardized," Tozzi said.
Along with spending 10 to 12 hours a day training, Moran said the squadron members participate in community service projects like the Project Thanksgiving food drive, where last year personnel collected 1,200 pounds of food. He said the squadron also was home to the most designated "professional performers" of any squadron in the 80th FTW's Air Education and Training Command Consolidated Unit Inspection in May.
NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented whistleblowing act, former Indian Airlines chief Sunil Arora wrote to the then cabinet secretary B K Chaturvedi in May 2005 complaining that he and the IA board were being pressured by then civil aviation minister Praful Patel and his OSD to take financially damaging and commercially unviable decisions.
In his May 28, 2005, letter, Arora listed the decisions on which the board was overruled: purchasing more jets than required, disallowing IA to fly on viable routes to make way for other operators and, even "changing the seating configuration" to favour a particular aircraft manufacturer.
Two Lok Sabha MPs, Prabodh Panda (CPI) and Nishikant Dubey (BJP) have now approached the CVC for a probe into Arora's allegations, saying the government has failed to act.
"I would like to place before you a series of events and certain directions given to me by my immediate superior officer and the minister of civil aviation which have a vital bearing on certain critical decisions being taken in Indian Airlines and Air India... I have been constrained to write in detail to be able to explain the nuances of the verbal directions, the infirmities in the subsequent decisions taken and my consequent sense of unease in the matter," Arora wrote.
He also expressed apprehension over the consequence of his action. "Sir, kindly pardon my impertinence but I implore you to share the contents of this communication only with the Prime Minister... I would not have taken the liberty of making such a suggestion but for the fact that like every mortal, I fear for my personal and family safety."
Complaining of pressure, Arora said, "During the last one year, almost all board meetings of Air India, and even some board meetings of Airports Authority of India have become a farce. Instructions on key agenda items are communicated before hand on telephone or personally by minister, civil aviation, or by his OSD K N Choubey. No suggestions to the effect, that the issue in question requires a more detailed examination or that there are some implications are countenanced. The key word is 'immediate and unquestioned compliance'." Some of the most glaring instances are cited:
"AI discussed their dry leasing plans in 99th board meeting held in Mumbai on 17.7.04. Prior to this meeting, minister spoke to me... said since he and secretary, civil aviation, were satisfied about the correctness of the plans, it is expected that we should immediately endorse it during the board meeting. When I tried to tell him on telephone that the agenda item raises some issues, I was curtly asked to endorse the proposal and a counter question was posed on the telephone that when the minister and the secretary himself are satisfied, what more is there for us to see?"
Arora further wrote that the minister forced him to seek flight slots for IA to the UK and the US during the winter schedule instead of the profitable summer schedule even as private airlines were allowed to fly to these destinations in the summer.
"There is a clear mismatch between the reply given before the members of Parliament and the real facts. On 18.01.05, I got a message to immediately speak to the minister on telephone at his Mumbai landline... There was a conversation which went on for 15 to 20 minutes and minister civil aviation clearly told us not to file for flights to London, for the summer schedule 2005. He started by saying that since Indian Airlines does not have wide-bodied aircraft, it would not be advisable for Indian Airlines to apply for the slots at this stage.
I politely remonstrated that none of the other airlines, which have been permitted to go abroad viz Jet and Sahara, had wide-bodied aircraft till that time and if they can be considered for flights to London, Indian Airlines being the national carrier, should at least be given equal footing, if not precedence. The response on the other side was that, Indian Airlines should apply for flights to London or for other UK and US destinations only from the winter schedule."
Geetika Sharma death case: Gopal Goyal Kanda surrenders after 13 days
New Delhi: After giving the Delhi Police the slip for 13 consecutive days, former Haryana minister Gopal Goyal Kanda finally surrendered in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The MDLR Airlines owner, a prime accused in the suicide of air-hostess Geetika Sharma, surrendered amidst much chaos and high drama.
But what's most shocking is the cat-and-mouse game that this Sirsa MLA was playing with the police.
Sources said that Gopal Kanda was present in Delhi on Friday evening. At 10 PM, Kanda's lawyers unofficially told the media about his 'surrender' plans. At 10:40 PM, the Delhi Police Commissioner tweeted that Kanda would be nabbed soon.
By midnight, Kanda's brother Govind was detained when he apprised the police of his 'surrender' plans. At 12:40 AM, Kanda's lawyers told the police that he is not absconding.
At 4 am on Saturday, Gopal Kanda surrendered at the Ashok Vihar Police Station in a media van dodging the police.
Geetika's family is now skeptical that Kanda will use his political clout to get away.
Geetika's brother Ankit said, "12 days is enough time to destroy evidence and he has abused his power as much as he could. I hope the investigation is unbiased and recorded."
The delhi Police will never be able to explain why with all the resources at their disposal they couldn't arrest the former Haryana minister.
But now that he's been arrested the only way they can save face is to try and ensure that they gather evidence enough to prove the allegations against Kanda.
While pilots are often cited as having fitness and longevity levels that exceed those who work in non-flying professions, there are certain factors that have raised concerns in the past and need to be considered in the operation of long- haul flights. With modern aircraft promising to increase flight times still further, medical specialists are using previously gathered data in an attempt to foresee problems that may arise when flight times increase.
Over the years, one of the prime health concerns to those who fly regularly has centered on whether flight crew have an increased risk of cancer due to prolonged exposure to high doses of cosmic radiation. This has led to a number of studies into this matter including one carried out by the California Department of Health Services on Cabin crew, which found that there was a twofold increase in the risk of melanoma skin cancer and that breast cancer was 30% higher.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that while airline crews are subjected to higher levels of naturally occurring radiation than the general public, levels are still low. Dr. Ian Perry, an aviation medical expert who sits on a number of advisory panels, believes that there is too much blame placed on flying and that such illnesses may have more to do with airline crew's "lifestyle and irregular diet over the years." He also says that crews go to more exotic locations and are therefore exposed more frequently to sunlight which in turn means they have a higher risk of skin cancer.
At a seminar on The Aeromedical Challenges of Ultra-long Haul Flying held at the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAes) in London in April 2004, Dr. Michael Bagshaw of British Airways (BA) presented a paper on cosmic radiation. Bagshaw discussed how at low altitudes we are protected from cosmic radiation by the Earth's magnetic field. The area over the equator enjoys the greatest protection with zero protection offered over the geomagnetic poles and - somewhat anomalously - reduced levels of protection over an area in the South Atlantic. Air travel at altitude can take us beyond this protective 'blanket' and increases our exposure to cosmic radiation. With ULH flights setting to favor the use of polar routes in travel, it is clear that exposure on these flights will be even greater.
We are all exposed to 'background' radiation, measured in milliSieverts (mSv), throughout our daily lives and the International Radiological Protection Commission suggests a General Public limit dose of one mSv per year in excess of exposure to background levels. Placed in context, this equates to eight return transatlantic flights or five antipodean return flights in a year. Supersonic aircraft travel at higher altitude and as a result iust 100 hours per year of supersonic flight is enough to expose an individual to the recommended maximum dose. These guidelines are intended for passengers, for Cabin and Flight Crew, an occupational exposure limit of 20mSv per year is set instead.
Bagshaw explained how radiation exposure is calculated by taking a flight, its profile and airports used and then measuring the altitude, latitude and longitude of the flight as well as other contributory factors - such as the solar cycle. This is generally carried out using a range of computer programmes specifically designed for this task. While there have been reports of increased risk during times of solar flare, cosmic radiations itself "is a fairly constant flux," says Bagshaw.
BA has carried out a number of studies into radiation levels in flight crew and continues to monitor this issue. In one such study, flight crew levels were measured against those recorded in people working in other areas of industry. While the maximum levels recorded in flight crew were almost equivalent to those seen in people working in the nuclear fuel industry, the statistical average fell well below this rate.
So how does the overall picture look? Between 1950 and 1992, BA monitored 6,209 pilots and 1,153 flight engineers comprising 143,500 person years of observation. The results were encouraging and revealed that life expectancy for long haul crew was four to five years better than that of the average recorded in members of the public - with short haul crew having an increased life expectancy of two to three years. Although radiation levels are known to present a heightened risk of leukaemia, they were found to be far less than expected in those studied - in fact there was no occupational increase in cancer levels, bar that of melanoma.
Fatigue
The effects of fatigue in flight crew have also been repeatedly flagged up as a health care issue by both the aviation medical professionals and pilots themselves. At the Royal Aeronautical Society seminar, Dr. Ian Hosegood of Emirates Airlines discussed how the airline is looking at this issue.
Also to be brought into use by Singapore Airlines and Canadian Airlines, the four-engine 313-seater aircraft has a range of 8,360 nm (16,000 km) and will enable the airline to extend its operations to the east and west coast of the USA although it is likely to be used on shorter routes initially.
According to Hosegood, "there has been scant data on the medical effects of flying over 14 hours with pilot fatigue having been traditionally viewed as an industrial issue." Hosegood says that for the first time, safety is going to be dependent on flight crew being well-rested and that a paradigm shift in how this matter is approached by regulators is needed as the existing "football team approach" will no longer suffice.
Emirates has been busy reviewing scientific literature on the effects of fatigue using in-house expertise on this matter as well as that of Qinetiq and Harvard University and a number of other organizations conducting research in this area. Within the aviation industry, information from the United Augmented Flight Study, NASA and DERA reports and the results of the Emirates Pilot Questionnaire was reviewed. ULR meetings and workshops provided another source of information particularly as did those held by the Flight Safety Foundation in recent years.
Alternative modelling is to be carried out and Hosegood said, "we need to work out how much sleep crew get and what it's worth - for example we know it's important that crew rest at circadian lows." It has been found that if a rest period is simply split down the middle, crew are often fatigued. Having two sleep opportunities should ensure that at least one is successfully used and this is also said to reduce crew anxiety. Other ways that Emirates is planning to tackle this matter include a "stepwise" increment in sector lengths whereby crew can become slowly accustomed to flying longer sectors, integration into the company Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) and light exposure - although this is still seen as a tricky thing to get right and may potentially cause more of a problem if done incorrectly.
Educating crew and management and carefully devising rosters is also a key step in improving matters. Flight crew, especially, need to be armed with the knowledge to make "tactical decisions" and devise personal strategies for ensuring they are as well rested as possible and that they look at factors such as exercise, diet and caffeine intake and have a strategic plan for each route.
With plans to eventually use two captains and two first officers on the planned long haul A340 flights, Emirates has initially approved the use of the "City Pair" system whereby crew fly out and back in single sectors. Various designs of crew rest facilities are being looked at for onboard the new aircraft. Flight crew will be segregated from cabin crew and considerations include: noise / vibration, temperature / humidity, bedding, ablutions and relaxation as well as full IFE facilities.
In further fatigue modelling, testing and validation, Emirates will be using data gathered from using wrist actometers such Actiwatch. This "watch like" device can be worn by pilots to test fatigue levels and can be plugged into a laptop computer where data - similar to that seen in an electro-cardiogram - is downloaded and analyzed.
Other ways in which fatigue will be measured include using electro-encephalograms (EEC) and electro-oculograms (EOG), and sleep logs as well getting crew to participate in Psychomotor Vigilance Tasks (PVT).
However, one of the onegoing issues, says Dr. Hosegood, is the recognition that everyone is different and with this in mind it is difficult to know whether to model on the average or the worst case. Another factor to be considered is integrating with current Flight Time Limitation (FTL) schemes.
Recognizing the risks posed by fatigue, a number of organizations have published advice on alertness management. In their Guide, the Air Transport Association provides basic information on the physiological causes of fatigue and also prescribes some preventive and operational fatigue countermeasures. As well as obvious measures such as developing good sleeping habits and trying to minimize sleep loss, there is information on strategies that actively reset the body's circadian clock. Operational countermeasures include increasing social interaction and conversation, taking exercise and also the use of caffeine during a flight.
The Guide also cites ajoint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) study in which crewmembers who were allowed to take planned naps showed better performance (34 percent) and higher physiological alertness (100 percent) during the last 90 minutes of flight than the control group crewrnembers who had not napped.
The FAA does not currently sanction this practice, but research is ongoing and there are always going to be opportunities for 'strategic naps' outside of the cockpit. Napping is the only operational countermeasure that addresses one of the major physiological causes of fatigue - the need for sleep - and reverses it. While other operational countermeasures primarily mask fatigue, naps actually reduce it.
BA, as with many airlines, takes flight crew fatigue extremely seriously and has been taking steps to address this issue. Representatives from the airline have attended a Fatigue Countermeasure course run by NASA and then devised a training module, which is given to all flight and cabin crew. Flight crew receive this as part of their annual refresher course in aviation medicine, and cabin crew as part of their Crew Resource Management (CRM) training. As well as classroom sessions, printed notes summarize what they have been taught and highlight details on topics such as sleep scheduling, good sleep habits and napping. Long-haul crew also receive "preventative and operational recommendations, individualized to the operations they are flying." This translates as route and time specific advice cards for every long-haul sector flown by British Airways developed from a concept pioneered by Airbus Industries.
Stress
Stress and fatigue can be closely related and there are a number of environmental issues that can contribute to the levels of nervous tension in flight crew. For example, with aircraft travelling at increasingly high speeds it is vital that pilots have a high degree of alertness and are able to concentrate for the long periods of time required. This is especially true in poor weather and night conditions where there is an increased risk of an accident as visual references are lost. During such difficult conditions, pilots need to be extra vigilant and ensure that flight instruments are accurately monitored and this is naturally very tiring.
On long haul operations, the design of the cockpit itself can be an important contributory factor when measuring stress and fatigue levels. As well as ease of instrument use, heating and ventilation are important in maintaining comfort levels thereby reducing stress and areas of distraction.
Altitude can cause stress, particularly below 5,000 feet as this is where the greatest atmospheric changes generally occur and flight crew can suffer from trapped gases within the body. Common health problems such as a common cold can cause significant ear and sinus discomfort during descent.
'Self-imposed' Stress
While fatigue may generally be the main cause of stress amongst the pilot community, the lifestyle itself has much to answer for. A long-haul pilot is less likely to have a stable home life and multiple marriages are common. With divorce and relationship problems being high on the list of life's stressful events, this is a factor that can push an indivdual to a high point of anxiety and potentially into alcohol and drug abuse.
Many flight crew indulge in activities that are not always conducive to promoting good health. These do not only have adverse effects on their physical and mental well-being but can also be a real threat to safety. An acronym often used to list these factors is DEATH which stands for "Drugs, exhaustion, alcohol, tobacco and hypoglycaemia."
Psychological Problems
While the vast majority of pilots are extremely competent people of sound mind, they are not immune to the psychological disorders anymore than any other sections of the working public. A pilot's flying life - especially when flying long-haul routes - can be very stressful and it is important that colleagues or line managers are able to quickly respond to warning signs of psychological distress.
A case of what can happen when these warning signs are not observed is that of Gamil el Batouti, relief pilot of Egyptair Flight 990 who was thought to have crashed the aircraft on purpose. Post accident reports indicate that Batouti may have been an "acute psychotic" and that there were numerous warning signs that should have been noted. He was said to have exhibited frequent mood changes and was argumentative and was also said to have been invoked in a number of high-risk activities.
In light of this tragic event, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggested that it might be prudent for the industry to introduce psychological profiling of pilots. This suggestion caused outrage amongst the US pilot population who thought it would be ineffective and an invasion of privacy.
Aerotoxic Syndrome
While rare, there have been various reports on crew suffering health problems due to cabin vapours caused by either leaking engine oil or faulty air conditioning units. Exposure to such fumes can cause symptoms that range from skin, nose, eye and respiratory irritation through to neurological dysfunction and chronic fatigue syndrome. Chris Winder, from the School of Safety Science at the University of New South Wales, Australia says that any aircraft that leaks oil can cause such problems and said this can include Boeing 757, Airbus A320, BAe146 and MD80 types. A recent report by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, highlighted the problem and cited details from a number of recent surveys that revealed the extent of the problem.
One of the most recent of these was an analysis of 21 BAe146 pilots who had experienced diarrhoea, recurring headaches, and intolerance to certain types of food and alcohol as well as brain impairment. These toxic vapours are said to range from "light blue to a black cloud and can smell like strong blue cheese," according to members of a research project on this matter.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
In recent years, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) has received more coverage - at least in the popular media - than any other air travel related issues. Michael Reynolds has set up 'Airhealth.org', a non- profit-making organization dedicated to educating air travellers on the risks of DVT. Reynolds and his team are quick to point out that the popularly termed 'economy class syndrome' is a condition which has the potential to affect all air travellers, pilots included. Quoting Dr. David McKenas, medical director at American Airlines, the website states that 'the most common causes of sudden pilot incapacitation are cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, and fainting', all of which are often caused by a blood clot in the lung.
Indeed, 5% of DVT sufferers who have contacted the website are pilots. In contrast to flight attendants who exercise enough during a flight to reduce the risk of DVT, pilots tend to move around less and the risk is higher, especially if coagulability is already high from a previous flight and they fall asleep sitting upright.
Airhealth's stance is supported by a number of studies such as Gianni Belcaro's LONFLIT series. However, in a presentation to the Royal Society of Medicine in London in January 2002, Dr. Michael Bagshaw, pointed to Swiss research published in 2001 which found professional pilots were less likely to suffer DVT than the general population, and that 16 out of 27 pilots who did had well recognized, pre-disposing factors.
There are, of course, many acute, short-term conditions or illnesses brought on by working as flight crew. The diet and eating patterns can suffer due to time zone changes and can lead to number of medical issues within individuals. In exotic locations, crew may be more susceptible to food poisoning or may be exposed to contagious illnesses as in the case of the recent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak. Another very serious health risk is hypoxia which is an issue in its own right and can affect crew on both short and long haul flights.
Also referred to as "mountain sickness", hypoxia is a condition that can be caused by flying at altitude and can cause a pilot's mental coordination to slow down and may potentially reduce night vision. According to Group Captain David Gradwell, Consultant adviser in Aviation Medicine with the Royal Airforce, it is a condition that can affect even the fittest and youngest of pilots and there is no known predictor of susceptibility. Although it is extremely rare for flight crew to be affected by hypoxia, it is a potentially serious condition and there are often no symptoms. Research into this condition is ongoing with much of it being carried out in conjunction with aircraft air quality studies. One of the most notable studies has been instigated by the European Union (EU) and is primarily looking at lowering cabin altitude.
So will the ULH flights of the future pose an increased medical risk to flight crew? Certainly the view of the speakers at the RAeS seminar is that jury is still out on this matter. It is clear that fatigue is the primary concern and that crew on these flights will be carefully monitored. It could even be that ULH flights will prove safer if crews are doubled up and have adequate rest facilities onboard. It will be interesting to see what further research and monitoring on this matter will reveal.
The High Court has temporarily stopped national carrier Kenya Airways from retrenching its employees until a suit brought by the workers union challenging the layoffs is heard and determined.
The airline, which is 26.73-per cent-owned by Air France KLM, said this month it would shed off staff through voluntary retirement, redundancies, and outsourcing of non-core roles to contain soaring operation costs.
“The respondent (Kenya Airways) is hereby restrained by way of temporary injunction from proceeding with any negotiations or any staff rationalisation that may render members redundant pending the hearing,” Judge Onesmus Makau said in court orders seen by Reuters yesterday.
The Aviation and Allied Workers Union filed a lawsuit in the industrial court seeking to stop the airline’s action on the grounds the management had breached the labour relations act that requires a firm to engage workers through their union before laying them off.
The parties will return to the court on September 21 for direction on the case, said Leonard Ochieng’, the lawyer for the workers.
Kenya Airways was forced to raise workers’ pay in 2010 after a strike that nearly paralysed its operations.
Pre-tax profit
High costs caused the carrier’s pretax profit to plunge 57 per cent in the full year that ended last March.
The carrier, one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa alongside Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways, did not indicate the level of savings it was targeting or how many jobs would be lost in the exercise. The airline plans to shed staff through voluntary retirement, redundancies and outsourcing of non-core roles to contain soaring costs and protect its bottom line but unions said they would fight the job cuts.
The airline, now owned 26.73-per cent by Air France KLM and 29.80 per cent by Government after the recent Rights Issue, which attracted increased interest from foreign investors said the programme will first offer a Voluntary Early Retirement Package to staff followed by a redundancy programme.
According to Kenya Airways Chief Executive, Titus Naikuni, the decision was informed by long term sustainability of the airline in an environment marked by low passenger volumes, unstable fuel prices and increasing competition.
“Despite various initiatives that we have put in place, our cost base continues to be extremely high. This coupled with other direct operating costs, have put pressure on our contribution margin reducing our overall ability to operate profitably,” he said in a statement explaining the move by the carrier.
Naikuni said employment costs have more than doubled over the last six years, having risen from Sh6 billion in the year 2007 to Sh13.4 billion this year.
Employment act
Kenyan employees have grown from 3,729 to 4,170 during the period, while overseas employees rose from 425 to 664. The total number of employees stood at 4,834 at the end of the last financial year.
New York: AMR Corp’s American Airlines renewed a bid to cancel its contract with Pilots and impose cost cuts, revising a proposal that a bankruptcy judge rejected earlier this week.
American filed a motion in US Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan on Friday seeking permission to void the labour agreement after Judge Sean Lane on August 15 said two elements of American’s plan to reduce expenses weren’t justified.
American’s request extends the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline’s effort to reduce labour costs as part of its restructuring. American blamed its November bankruptcy on labour costs that it said exceeded competitors’ by as much as $800 million a year.
The airline said in a statement it filed the motion “to keep moving forward to achieve the savings and flexibility needed for our successful restructuring.”
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American’s flight attendants are scheduled to finish voting on a new contract with the airline on August 19. If they reject the agreement, Lane will rule on whether American can impose new terms on the union. The Transport Workers Union, which represents mechanics, baggage handlers and other ground workers at American, has ratified new contracts.
Pilots’ Union
Lane’s ruling against American’s plan to impose cost- cutting on pilots came after the Allied Pilots Association on August 8 turned down a sweetened offer that would have eliminated furloughs and given them a 13.5 percent stake in AMR after it emerged from bankruptcy.
Even if Lane allows AMR to void the contract, the company would have to negotiate a long-term deal. The judge scheduled a hearing on American’s request for September 4.
“If you want to have the irrevocable anger of 8,000 pilots, this is the path to go down,” Tom Hoban, a union spokesman, said in an interview. “It doesn’t appear to be a wise strategy.”
The union is hoping American will consider returning to negotiations before Lane rules, he said.
The committee representing unsecured creditors said it “reluctantly” supports equity stakes for the three unions when American emerges from bankruptcy as long as consensual labour agreements “are reached promptly.”
“The committee will not support equity stakes or claims for any labour organization that does not ratify a collective bargaining agreement nor will the committee support any further economic value to labour organizations beyond the current proposals,” the committee said in an August 16 statement.
Potential Mergers
The wrangling over labour contracts comes as American Chief Executive Officer Tom Horton weighs potential mergers for the company’s reorganization. American’s three unions have reached tentative labour deals with US Airways Group, which backs a tie-up with American.
In his decision, the judge agreed that “significant changes” must be made to the pilots’ contract for American to reorganize. Lane said American’s plan to lift restrictions on code-sharing and pilot furloughs wasn’t justified. He invited the airline to make changes and file a new request to reject the contract.
Furloughed workers are those who have been laid off and are offered their jobs back before new employees are hired. Code- sharing is the industry practice of agreements between airlines to put each other’s codes on flights and book passengers on those planes.
Workforce Reductions
American originally said it would cut 13,000 jobs, or about 18 percent of its workforce, under a plan to reduce annual operating expense by $2 billion. Labour made up $1.25 billion of the total, including $990 million sought from union workers.
The airline later modified its demands, agreeing to freeze rather than terminate employee pensions and lowering total cost reductions sought to 17 percent from 20 percent for each work group.
American has dropped any provision on possible pilot furloughs from its revised proposal. The airline will retain existing limits in its current contract, which provides furlough protection to 77 percent of pilots, said Bruce Hicks, an American spokesman.
American said in its court filing that it “materially circumscribed” the circumstances under which it would be permitted to engage in code-sharing.
“American has taken heed of the court’s decision as to deficiencies of its previously open-ended domestic code-sharing proposal and has made a revised proposal that imposes real limits,” the company said.
