Unfortunately for me, this week has gone incredibly slowly as I flew on Monday, then haven't been scheduled since. The main irritation is that I am so close to flying solo, but have now sat on the ground all week bored senseless, pretty much waiting for the schedule to be published each afternoon. This frustration is probably exacerbated by missing my family and girlfriend, and the fact i'm on the other side of the world being unproductive makes me feel quite helpless! It'd be nice to get the roster a few days in advance as this would give the opportunity to make plans and see friends, but given previous courses are slightly behind due to the weather, we're effectively on permanent standby until we get on schedule.
On the upside I have been scheduled for a flight at 0900 tomorrow, so hopefully I get off the ground. Although the rather comedic weatherman has already forecast early morning fog, so my plans to aviate may be scuppered! But again this concern is fed by the fact Alice is coming in two weeks, and I don't want to be behind when she arrives so that I need to fly whilst she's here. So because your attention is probably waning right now due to the lack of pictures, I saw this fellow in the gym. And we complain about ants in England?!
As I have had nothing to talk about, and someone I know is applying to the easyJet MPL, I thought i'd talk about airline and new technologies that have made the news recently. easyJet as an airline have often embraced new technology, and their commitment to low prices means they need to do everything possible to lower costs. Certain costs like airport charges and staff salaries will only ever tend to go one way, but with the continually rising price of crude oil, making the operation more fuel efficient needs to become part of airline culture. Those recent ones (ie. last 2 years) include:-
- Nano Technology- 8 aircraft were coated with an ultra thin polymer, developed for use on Military aircraft. The paint (which only weighs 4oz for the entire aircraft) prevents the build-up of debris/dirt on the surface, thus potentially lowering fuel costs by 2%
- Recaro seats- seats constructed by the famous racing car outfitters were designed specifically for aircraft, and are approximately 25% lighter than their conventional counterparts. Each aircraft fitted with the new seats weighs roughly 600kg less, so the fuel savings are obvious!
- Ash aware- following the disruption caused by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, easyJet became part of a group developing effective ash detection systems, utilising one of the Airbus aircraft during the equipment trials.
- Electronic flight bag/paperless aircraft- legally all aircraft engaged on public transport flights are required to carry on board paper copies of the charts and approach plates relevant to the airspace in which they are operating. Again this is a weight saving exercise, with the relevant documents being copied electronically on a tablet style device, easy to use in the flight deck.
- Inspection drones- this is the newest technology, using remote controlled drones during engineering inspections. The drones are equipped with lasers and cameras which can spot any defects significantly quicker than the human eye, and these are then electronically mapped. The plan is that the pilot then wears some rather fetching 'smart' glasses during the walk-around, and if he spots a defect which isn't already indicated on the inside of the lens, he can report to engineering. Again, this should save time and money, as well as prevent angry passengers, as delays due to technical faults don't require an engineer to be flown out for every inspection.
The drone, credit to telegraph.co.uk
So that's it, hopefully more to report next Sunday and a happier Kieran! And if the above has been helpful ahead of any upcoming assessments, you're welcome.
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