Cleared To Approach: The Aviation Blog

 One of the most distinctive features of Airbus aircraft is the sidestick. Unlike traditional yokes, Airbus sidesticks are mounted on the side console- right-hand for the First Officer and left-hand for the Captain. Once an FO is promoted to Captain, they don't just switch seats and responsibilities, they also switch hands. One may think that years of muscle memory and training dissipate. An obvious question arises: how difficult is it for them to transition from right-hand to left-hand? In this article we will scrutinise exactly that. Input, Not Muscle Memory Airbus sidesticks don't work the way the prevalence of people may think they do. Unlike yokes, they don't work like steering wheels: instead, they function more like requests. Instead of moving the aircraft yourself, directly through sidestick movement, you're giving instructions to the flight control computers on the aircraft, which handle the details and optimisations of the surface movement. If you push the sid...

  Fog Season Disrupts Flights: Dense fog has caused disruptions in north India.  Extremely poor air quality conditions have also complemented the low-visibility conditions. 177 flights were cancelled and ~500 delayed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL / VIDP). The Ministry of Civil Aviation issued an advisory, encouraging airlines to cooperate with passengers and serve refreshments in the case of delays. Air Congo Passengers Made to Jump off the Plane: In an appalling safety breach on Friday, passengers of an Air Congo Flight. the country's flag carrier, passengers jumped off the plane, about 3-4 metres, in order to deboard. After several hours, no air stairs were found at Kindu Airport (HND / RJTT) to allow the passengers to deboard the B737-800.

  Background Indigo, India's largest airline, faced an unprecedented operational crisis between the 2nd and 8th of December. It paralyzed the aviation system- with several hundred flights cancelled daily, chaotic airports, passengers protesting, and exploding fares.  Cause of Crisis The primary reason for the crisis was the DGCA's new FTDL (flight duty time limitations) regulations coming into effect. These FTDL norms follow the international standard of crew rest, complementing passenger safety. Notably, pilot rest hours increased from 36 to 48, night landings reduced from 6 to 2, and pilots' personal leaves cannot count as rest. Indigo 'miscalculated' their crew requirements. Indigo did not 'Miscalculate' Contrary to the previous point, Indigo did not miscalculate their crew requirements. These regulations were brought to their notice on January 1, 2024. They had nearly 2 years to hire new pilots, yet they took no action. Companies like Indigo have sophist...

  What exactly is happening? Indigo has been facing a severe operational crisis, mainly due to pilot-rostering problems linked to the second phase of the FDTL (Flight Duty Time Limitations). For several days, Indigo has been cancelling hundreds of flights per day. Around 350 flights were cancelled on December 4. Over 1000 flights were cancelled on December 5. Cancellations have come down but are still high. Consequences: Passengers have been stranded at major airports with long queues, chaotic counters, and overcrowded terminals, without their baggage being delivered to them. They are often notified very late about cancellations. They are paying unprecedented fares for last-minute flights and train journeys. For example, a one-way SpiceJet economy-class Kolkata-Mumbai flight hit INR 90,000. Root Cause: Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu said that the massive disruption in Indigo flights was due to the airline's miscalculation of crew requirements under the new FDTL norms. Weekl...

  India's Potential Su-57 Deal with Russia: With Russian President Vladmir Putin's visit to New Delhi between 4 and 5 December, experts have said that talks and negotiations about Su-57s and S500s may start, but no major deal is expected to be signed. ~71% of Indian fighter-aircraft are of Russian origin, such as the Su-30MKI and MiG-29. Despite pressure from Washington, India is expected to procure Su-57s as 5th-Generation fighter aircraft, which its air force currently lacks, as the HAL AMCA is in development  (Click Here for the HAL AMCA Article) . Indian defences currently have S400 Defence systems, which are SAMs with a range of ~350km. These proved to be instrumental during the Indo-Pak conflict in May this year. New Delhi is looking to procure upgraded S500 systems, with:  higher engagement altitudes (near the edge of space, up to ~200km)  Anti-Satellite (ASAT) capabilities Complete ballistic missile defence  Radar enhancements Longer range missiles Anti-...

Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport (IXL / VILH) in Leh is one of the most challenging airports for pilots to operate in, due to its high-altitude location surrounding Himalayan terrain, limited approach paths, weather, and qualification requirements that leave virtually no margin for error. Overview: The airport is located at an elevation of 3,256m above sea level. It is a dual-use facility, military operated by the Indian Air Force, and civil aviation managed by the Airports Authority of India. The runway orientation is 07/25. Arrivals are generally on Runway 07 while departures are from 25, due to terrain and winds. Difficulty of Landing at IXL: Reduced air density at heights leads to poorer aircraft performance, including longer takeoffs, reduced climb, and less engine thrust. Due to the Himalayas, there are significant terrain constraints.  The airport is surrounded by high mountains and valleys, limiting approach paths and aircraft maneuvering. Mountain weather can change within ...