herroyalmelness

Air traffic control school: A look inside the FAA's largest training class
The Federal Aviation Administration's training academy in Oklahoma is trying to get thousands more controllers into chronically understaffed towers.

This popped up in my suggestions on YouTube. I recently watched the Thunderbirds documentary. This one isn't as highly produced like the Blue Angels & Thunderbird ones on Netflix, but a nice behind-the-scenes look at the recruiting & practice of the #RedArrows. This looks to be one of others in a series. The On the Move YouTube channel has more, if you're inclined to watch the bunch.

John Oliver discusses the working conditions of air traffic controllers, why those conditions are impacting us all, and – for those under 30 – what a “floppy disk” is.

Acta Astronautica
Volume 222, September 2024, Pages 69-80

"As the number of rocket launches and commercial aircraft flights increase, the probability of a catastrophic collision between an aircraft and reentering space debris is also growing.
• Technologies and mission designs exist to enable all rocket bodies to be returned to Earth in a controlled manner, eliminating the casualty risk.
• From a broad economic perspective, space companies are externalizing some of their risks and costs and imposing them on the aviation industry.
• States are liable for damage caused by reentering space objects and could be liable for the economic costs caused by precautionary airspace closures.
• The 2023 Montreal Recommendations offer actionable steps to reduce the risk of collisions between space debris and aircraft."

I love how Kevin was able to turn his passion & his photo news skills into something that sustains him.

"Unexpected Role: Flight attendants were told they would fly rock bands, sports teams and sun-seekers. Then Global Crossing Airlines started expanding into federal deportation flights.
Human Struggles: Some flight attendants said they ignored orders not to interact with detainees. “I’d say ‘hola’ back,” said one flight attendant. “We’re not jerks.”
Safety Concerns: Flight attendants received training in how to evacuate passengers but said they weren’t told how to usher out detainees whose hands and legs were bound by shackles."

I meant to post this earlier and was reminded to when it got circulated at work & made the rounds. In light of the Delta/Endeavor Air crash at Toronto, I commend all the local crews & first responders for attending to the passengers & flight crew so expediently & professionally.

"Background music is no longer an afterthought at many airports, which are hiring local musicians and carefully curating playlists to help lighten travelers’ moods."

I have a distinct memory of hearing and seeing a pilot play a baby grand piano in Frankfurt airport during a transfer, and it was such a pleasant impromptu experience. I welcome both thoughtfully curated recorded & live music in airports. It's a win also for local talent.

"Former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Air Safety Investigator Gregory Feith joins WIRED to answers the internet’s burning questions about aviation accidents. What’s the safest seat on an airplane? How likely are you to be in an aviation accident? At what stage of flight to most accidents occur? Can a flock of birds really bring down a jet? Why don’t planes have parachutes to prevent crashing? What happens if a window on a plane cracks during flight? And what really happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370? Answers to these questions and many more await on Aviation Accident Support."

"The flight map isn’t the least entertaining thing on a plane—it’s the most...
While numbers fluctuate depending on region and route, industry data holds that 70 percent of passengers use their seat’s IFE during a flight. Of those, about half shun movies, TV, and games in order to watch the map."

Oct. 20 is International Day of the Air Traffic Controller. You don't need to know who the host Michelle Khare is, you can just follow her experience trying ATCing as an ab initio. I was more interested in the behind-the-scenes (BTS) of FAA's training academy in Oklahoma City.

Fears of a broader conflict between Israel and its Middle East neighbors like Iran and Lebanon are complicating flights in one of the most densely traversed regions of the world. Some airlines deem Taliban-controlled Afghanistan a safer route than Iran or Israel now.

WSJ explains how commercial airlines adjust to the volatile situation in the Middle East.