Increasing number of passengers The US airlines lack pilots

As of: 22.06.2021 10:05 a.m.

The number of air travelers in the US is rapidly increasing again. In the meantime, the remaining pilots at some airlines are no longer sufficient to carry out all the planned flights.

By Torsten Teichmann, ARD studio Washington

The US airline Delta is looking for staff again. 1000 pilots are to be hired in the coming months. A year ago, in the middle of the corona pandemic and with constantly falling passenger numbers, the airline threatened to fire 1,700 pilots. In the end, the airline forced the unions to accept indirect wage cuts. Now Delta could even have to pay more for new employees in order to find staff again.

American Airlines is canceling flights as a precaution

American Airlines has similar problems. Especially on weekends, the number of pilots who have already been trained and tested is apparently not enough. In the event of delays and bad weather, flights are canceled because pilots would otherwise exceed their working hours and there is no one who can take over the shift. Now American canceled almost 1,000 flights for July as a precaution. The staffing level is so tight that the airline has been overwhelmed by rising demand and its own ambitious plans. The Wall Street Journal reports that there is also a frequent lack of ground crews to refuel aircraft.

Vacation trips partly at pre-crisis level

The number of vacationers in the US could return to pre-pandemic levels this month for some airlines. Delta expects the restrictions on transatlantic traffic to fall in the second half of the year. So far, travelers from Schengen countries such as Germany are still banned from entering the USA. US President Joe Biden has not yet announced that he will change anything

Why are airplane windows oval? In the early 1950s, the world’s first commercial jet was developed and manufactured by De Havilland. This is considered the miracle of the aviation industry. However, after a year of use, the plane fell to pieces right in the sky and within a few months, two more suffered the same fate. Engineers scrutinized the plane’s screws and discovered that the main cause was the square window. With this design, the pressure is higher at the door corners and increases significantly in flight. So the engineers decided to replace it with round or oval windows. Why do airplanes have curved wing tips? During a flight, the pressure on top of the wing is lower than the pressure under the wing. Air tends to shift from high pressure below the wing to low pressure above and around the wing tips. In the past, the wing tips were designed to be straight, causing the airflow to cause serious turbulence. Therefore, the scientists decided to bend the wing tip upwards to reduce turbulence, prolong the durability of the wing and save a lot of fuel during travel. Thanks to this feature, everyone will feel more comfortable during the flight. Why do airplane noses have different shapes? The nose of a military aircraft is pointed, the sharper the nose, the faster it flies. However, if the nose is too long, the pilot cannot see the runway correctly, which is why civil aircraft have round noses. Russian engineers solved this problem in the 1960s. The fastest passenger jet could tilt its nose. During takeoff and landing, the aircraft tilts its nose down and during flight the nose will be brought back to its original position. This strange design is intended to help pilots see the runway better. Why are airplanes painted white? Airplanes are almost always painted white. There are several reasons to explain this problem: Heat Reflection: A plane painted white will accumulate less heat. This is better for passengers and economically beneficial for airlines.
White paint is cheaper than other paints.
Prevent bird collisions: Birds can see reflections from white surfaces better, reducing the risk of collisions with aircraft.
White paint helps reveal small cracks and dents: The paint makes cracks easier to see, identifies problems early, avoids accidents, and makes damage easier to see. Why is the exit on the left? Not all but most aircraft have the main entrance on the left side. There is an explanation: The right side is for luggage (the cargo hatch is also on the right) so it is not safe for passengers.
Some say it’s an old tradition: The train ramp is always on the left.
The aircraft door is installed on the left side, which allows them to park the plane in the passenger area better and move more easily. Why are some planes oddly shaped? You must have heard of stealth aircraft. It has an odd shape to avoid detection by radar, sonar, infrared and other detection means, and to be able to carry more luggage with less fuel consumption. The shape of the plane is inspired by birds. Birds of prey use that shape to increase their range and be less visible. However, these aircraft are often too expensive to be used in civil aviation. How do airplanes look spacious? The designers use a number of tricks to make the plane look taller and more spacious than it actually is. For example, the walls have certain shapes to reflect light correctly. The illumination between the ceiling and the overhead bin makes the ceiling visually taller. Thanks to these tips, people with plane phobia will feel more comfortable. Why don’t pilots have beards? Some airlines ban pilots from growing beards. This is explained that, the beard can cause the oxygen mask to not fit tightly to the pilot’s face and work properly in an emergency situation. In particular, in that case, the pilots must always be alert to save the lives of passengers on the plane.

This event is expected to be held in November 2021 in Ho Chi Minh City. Lai Chau, Phong Tho district and Tam Duong district with many special activities. It was the Opening Ceremony at the Provincial People’s Square; Caravan street carnival; Road bike racing; Exhibition space to introduce orchids, macadamia products and products meeting OCOP standards and typical agricultural products of Lai Chau; space to introduce the culture of ethnic groups in Lai Chau province;… Contestants at the Putaleng Paragliding Tournament 2020 (Photo VNA) In particular, the 2021 Putaleng Paragliding Tournament is expected to have 100 pilots participate in the competition, in a period of 3 days. The pilots will take off at Si Thau Chai village, located at an altitude of more than 1,400m above sea level and land at the stadium town of Tam Duong district. This is a place on the top of Putaleng mountain on the Hoang Lien Son range, known as the “second roof of Indochina” with an altitude of 3,049m, just behind Fansipan peak 3,143m high. The prize was organized by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the People’s Committee of Tam Duong district. Viet Wings parachute club – Yen Bai coordinated implementation. This is the third year that Lai Chau province organizes the Open Putaleng long-distance paragliding competition. The award is an opportunity for paragliding pilots to exchange and learn, contributing to further promoting the development of paragliding in Vietnam. At the same time, making Lai Chau a national paragliding destination for Vietnamese and international pilots to know and participate in the competition. In addition, at Lai Chau Tourism – Culture Week, there are many other attractive tourist activities to serve visitors, such as fairs, San Thang night market and Gia Khau tourist attractions, Rong May Glass Bridge tourist area , O Quy Ho (Heaven’s Gate) tourist area, Si Thau Chai village, Lao Chai 1 village, Tham village, Vang Pheo village, Sin Suoi Ho village,… According to the People’s Committee of Lai Chau province, the event was held with close cooperation between localities, forming a series of activities in promoting and promoting the potential and strengths of Lai Chau’s tourism resources, at the same time. create a good impression and spread among residents and visitors.

Flight preparation of the 937th Regiment. The highlight in the World War II movement of the 937th Regiment in recent years is that the pilots have tried their best to review the theory, practice the sand table, master the basic situations, emulate to complete the flight lessons and integrate into the field. safe flight time. The team of technicians promotes practical application initiatives, thoroughly overcomes breakdowns, and ensures the best technical condition for the aircraft… In particular, in rehearsals, participating in bombing flights, and firing live ammunition on land and at sea during the day and at night, the regiment always focused on launching emulation, building the will and determination for all officers and combatants. doctors, especially pilots and technicians. With the task of protecting the Spratly Islands and the southern waters of the country, the 937th Regiment regularly trained not to be surprised in any situation. The mission to fly to protect Truong Sa began on October 19, 1989, when at Phan Rang airport, pilots Vu Kim Dien and Nguyen Van Than successfully completed the first mission flight on the Sukhoi Sukhoi Sukhoi Aircraft. -22M4 to Truong Sa. At the end of October 1989, Su-22M4 continued to successfully carry out live fire at Hon Ty shooting range. After this event, the 937th Regiment was officially assigned by the Commander of the Air Defense Forces to protect the Truong Sa archipelago and the southern maritime economic zone of the country. Since then, in addition to the Su-22M4 fighter, there are also Su-30MK2 fighters and generations of pilots of the 937th Regiment, still the main force in charge of the role of patrolling and protecting the Truong Sa archipelago.

Even the first pilot to land on a warship was carrying safety gear: Eugene Ely, attempting to land on the deck of the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania in 1911, was flying Curtiss Pusher, wearing a leather soccer helmet, eyeglasses, and a makeshift life jacket made of bicycle tubes. The probability of the pilot being forced to end the mission with a parachute launch from the cockpit is very small – it happened exactly 1.33 times per 100,000 flight hours, according to the US Navy. But naval aviation officers still carry equipment for such a scenario. “Most equipment is used only in emergencies,” said Lt. Luke “Oslo” DeLisio, a flight officer from the 106th Strike Squadron. Inside, the pilot wears a cotton bra. In the event of a fire in the cockpit, the cotton will not melt and stick to the skin like nylon or polyester. In terms of underwear, the pilots wore a one-piece CWU 27 / P Nomex suit. Developed by the DuPont company in the 1960s, Nomex is a synthetic flame retardant that can withstand heat and flash (a form of electrical discharge) up to 400 degrees Celsius. When the Nomex suit encounters high temperatures, the fibers Its thickens and carbonizes, absorbing heat. The standard color of the CWU 27 / P is sage green, but the American pilots who served in the Persian Gulf area and nearby wore desert brown. The flight suit is a one-piece, zippered front jumpsuit design to ensure limited exposure to fire. DeLisio says it’s a comfortable fit. “We call it” pocket “. No need, this thing is ready-made, just stick the stickers in and go. It’s almost like wearing your pajamas to work. ” Equipped with a velcro and eight pockets (including a zippered arm pocket with a separate cap for holding the pen), the flight suit is standard work attire both on and off the plane. “I usually keep my wallet and canvas hat in my leg pocket,” says DeLisio that most other bags are difficult to reach while flying. Other pilots use arm pockets to carry their mission cards and a pen or two. American pilots are also equipped with long, fireproof GS / FRP-2 gloves. US Navy Lieutenant Alexander Klapka carries all the equipment an F-18 pilot wears. Why are most pilots not wearing black shoes? The carrier deck is like a construction site – there is always a risk of something falling or rolling over the pilot’s feet while he is on deck. The pilot wears military-issued or separately purchased leather boots (but approved by the US Navy) with steel toes protected. Integrated steel reinforcement protects the pilot’s toes when parachuting from the plane. High ankle support is a must for rough grounding. While a sports parachute slows a person down to about 5m / sec, a person falls in a faster military parachute – around 7.3m / sec. Each pilot has a preference for footwear, but DeLisio wears Bellville flying shoes that are issued by the naval air force. He says he has worn multiple pairs, but adds one difference: “My shoes are always brown.” Navy pilots are in constant debate about the color of the shoe – black or brown. “ A guy in black shoes is usually a guy working on deck, ” says DeLisio. Pilots tend to wear brown shoes, but some people still wear black shoes. Top Gun and Blue Angels show crew pilots still wear black boots, but brown stubbles are more common among fighter pilots. Outside of the flight suit, a pilot wears a CSU-15A / P. G-suit, which, as the name suggests, has airbags that compress the pilot’s legs and abdomen, helping to retain blood in the brain. of the pilot in high-speed maneuvers. Pilots can withstand six times the force of gravity without wearing a G suit, but the CSU-15A / P suit allows a typical F / A-18 fighter pilot to perform maneuvers. with a gravitational acceleration up to 7.6 G before losing consciousness due to this force.