Notes for film #1 Your Flight in Their Hands Aviation

Documentary
By: DigiCom TV Published Jan 6/2013 (50 Min in Length)
Produced by: Chris Haws
Written and directed by: Richard Vaughan
At any moment half a million people are on a plane somewhere in the world,
in the next twenty years that will double (0:25)
To cope with this rush new technologies are being made to revolutionize the
guidance of aircraft through the skies (0:40)
How can a bat fly with such precision? With an onboard sonar system tucked
in brain size of large pearl. Tells precise distance from object and
maneuverability nothing can match, but human flight is catching up (1:552:25)
In Britain there are no more than a dozen near misses of significance in a
year (2:48)
Controllers in the tower are limited to the immediate vicinity of the runway,
get them in the air. And then a controller miles away keeps contact while
flying in the air. In this part about 40 controllers work around the clock, and
one person may have a dozen aircraft carrying maybe 1000 people to watch
over. (3:30)
To keep planes separated safely, in northern Europe, standard minimum
under radar control is 1000 ft vertically and 5 miles horizontally. (5:40). If
something goes wrong, reaction time is vital. (6:20)
In the early 1920s all it was is a guy waving a flag for takeoff, and a simple
radio conversation while in the sky with the ground control. (8:50)
Airplanes follow radio beacons to get to their destination on course. (10:55)
If air is clear may be able to skip some way points and fly from one straight to
destination. (12:00)
Some places have to have a horizontal separation of minimum 10, 15, 30, or
even 60 nautical miles (15:20)
Airplanes cant cue up like cars at a road junction, they have to fly huge
racetrack shape in sky when approach an area with a capacity shortage.
(15:35)

 In Europe, historically the main airways are for military so the commercial
airliners have to squeeze through it, but in the states it is the other way
around. (16:05)
A jumbo jet burns over a litre of kerosene every second it sits on the ground
over 5 billion a year are lost in aircraft waiting fees. (In Europe)(18:05)

24 global positioning satellites roam around the earth 12,000 miles up,
an airplane flying anywhere above the globe has line of sight of 4 of
them at any time, to locate itself in three dimensions within 100
meters. This technic was used in the cold war by both sides, however
now is of free use to commercial aviation.(24:15)

With communication satellites controllers can locate an aircraft with

greater accuracy than with ground radars. This allows planes to fly
closer together over oceans while staying safe. (24:45)
ADS or automatic dependence surveillance is the black box of the
airplane that automatically spits out the aircraft position via digital
data link at predetermined intervals that can be varied. If low traffic
area, the position report may be only every 20 min, but if high traffic
area maybe 5 or less min. (25:05). It was on trial at the time so not
sure if they are using it or not
TCAS or traffic collision avoidance system is an instrument on the
pilots panel that can detect and show another aircraft coming at you
and warns you to avoid the possible collision. (26:05)
(29:30) in many parts of the world flights can still be diverted 100s of
miles because landing conditions are dangerous.
Oldest technic for landing is the ILS instrument landing system. (30:05)
(33:12) ILS has limitations. You cant make a landing by coming in at an
angle, and local radio frequencies can upset the signal.
(33:30) NLS would be expensive to install on all major runways, but a
more advanced system that can overcome these problems. Using
microwaves it allows airplanes to locate themselves in 3-D, which can
do the things ILS cannot.
HUD or head up display doesnt need signal or beams. (33:55). Based
on surrounding landscape information, can project image on glass
screen in front of the pilots eyes.

 (34:25) Commercial airlines are experimenting with a sensor that

outlines the runway itself so the pilot can land without any ground
help.
(35:05) Human involvement is being overtaken in flight by computers.
(37:35) Computers can only do programmed stuff, but humans are still
needed for creative responses and thinking aspects, and unplanned
emergencies.
(38:45) to deal with increase in people air travelling, instead of getting
automated systems, get less airplanes but larger ones.
(39:10) No reason not be able to build aircraft to hold 800-1000 people,
other than finding routes for them to travel on.
(40:00) the existing airports wouldnt be able to cope with so many
people from one aircraft, and the safety aspect of it could show very
dangerous.
(40:50) Airports would have to expand or get bigger, runways and taxi
ways larger, and aircraft would have to have more emergency exits.
(42:05) Build new airports like the one in Japan surrounded by water.
They are however expensive and not able to be used by landlocked
cities.
(42:40) Denver airport wants 5 runways and eventually up to 12
runways once traffic demand is there.
(46:40) Growth will slow down is some parts of the world, but the
Asia/Pacific areas there is a huge demand.
(49:05) Despite our great technology, no individual has more than a

vague idea of what to do next.