#MH370 - Houston, I think you gotta problem!

In my 24 April 2014 update, (see link below) I argued that, in the absence of wreckage, the underwater search is likely to be a total waste of time. And so,  the latest decision to stop searching in the area where the pings were heard is hardly surprising.

For the reasons given in my blog, it is inconceivable that no wreckage should have been found by now.

Although I remain of the view, that the aircraft was hijacked or taken over by a rogue, possibly suicidal pilot, I have accepted that the theory that the aircraft ended up in the Indian Ocean as the more probable theory. (+50%)

I have never discounted the possibility, though, that the aircraft landed somewhere and that it could be used in a terrorist attack at some point, but have considered this to be only possible. (-50%)

However, the longer the absence of any wreckage persists, the more the Ocean crash theory loses a few percentage points to the other theories that it landed somewhere (and other conspiracy theories). Those relatives who flatly refuse to accept that their loved ones are indeed gone at one stage seemed to be doing so out of understandable desperation. I don't wish to offer false hope, but the odds that the aircraft may have landed somewhere are on an upward trajectory.

Houston, still think you gotta problem!

(PS, Also see link below to article on whitewash of cause of Air France 447 Air Crash!) "One wonders whether, instead of trained pilots, the plane was instead being flown by the recent Mayor of Toronto on a bad day."

And SEE link for WORLD CUP 2022 BRIBERY OF FIFA OFFICIALS. TIME TO RE_RUN VOTE

+MH370
+Malaysian MH 370
+Missing777


http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/04/mh370-24-april-2014-update.html

http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/05/air-france-447-bea-whitewash-af447.html


#WorldCup2022 FIFA Voting must be re-run #FIFA #WorldC... http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/06/2022-world-cup-voting-must-be-re-run.html?spref=tw …

#joke Hilarious explanatory letter by claimaint. #Humour

This has been on the internet for several years. An oldie but a goodie.  Author unknown

"Dear Sir:

 

I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block #3 of the accident reporting form. I put “Poor planning” as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient:

I am a bricklayer by trade.

On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building.  When I completed my work, I found I had some bricks left over which when weighed later were found to weigh 240 lbs. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor.

Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 240 lbs of bricks. You will note on the accident reporting form that my weight is 135 lbs.

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed.  This explains the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collarbone, as listed in Section 3 of the accident reporting form.

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley, which I mentioned in Paragraph 2 of this correspondence.  Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of the excruciating pain I was now beginning to experience.

At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe lacerations of my legs and lower body.

Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked.

I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope..."

 #joke
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/06/boxers-lucky-glove-stolen-ahead-of.html
Russian Boxer loses lucky glove ahead of title fight

Serious:
 

 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/467833  Oscar Trial Verdict by Judge Knott

 

LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE FROM A GUEST FROM HELL

RSVP LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE FROM INVITED GUEST TO THE HOST.

“Dear Sir

 

Your even dated invitation to me refers.

 

Let it be known in applicable polite circles that I hereby irrevocably declare my intention to present my good self in no uncertain manner at the Friday Soiree to which I have so graciously been invited.

I apologise in advance for any bad language, misconduct, drunkenness, lewdness or pillage which may be unjustly attributed to my person, and I trust that any damage which I, in my youthful exuberance, may cause to the venue, will be attributed to the resident dog, who I am reliably informed, already has a broken door to answer for.

 

Should the magnitude of the offence caused or the extent of the damage wrought result in an unwitting articulation of a spontaneous apology, such apology, even if expressed with more Claret than clarity, should be deemed to have been tendered strictly on an ex gratia basis and without any admission of liability.”

 

This is when the host, in anticipation, considers it wise  to remind himself to constantly refer to that guest as "someone my wife thought fit to invite."
 

 (C) Siegfried Walther 2008. Author of IN GUARDS WE TRUST & AIR CRASH SA 252 available worldwide in fine eBook stores. The former novel is temporarily available without charge as part of limited offer promotion.

#royalty #parties

Siegfried Walther @SG_Walther: DJ SIEGFRIED WALTHER - TOP 40 SONGS 25 May 2014

Siegfried Walther @SG_Walther: DJ SIEGFRIED WALTHER - TOP 40 SONGS 25 May 2014: DJ SIEGFRIED WALTHER   TOP 40 SONGS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER - 25 MAY 2014 SONG   ARTIST ...

+SG Walther
#@SG_Walther
#DJ
#Music Chart

Can Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup on South American soil?

 

By Siegfried Walther

 

3 times winners & habitual semi-finalists Germany will be playing the exciting brand of football which won them so many fans across the world at the last world Cup.

But Germany do have one curious Achilles heel in football competitions. They have never defeated Italy in any of ...the World Cup or European Championship matches they have played against them. Not sure whether to hope the two do not meet (until the final) or to believe that this time, Germany are ready willing and able to win and to dispatch this curious statistic to the rubbish bin of History.

 

Since the World Cup is being played in South America, the other question is whether any European Team will be able to turn the tables on 5 Times World Cup Champions Brazil who will have the home ground advantage.

Royal Revocation of US Independence

 

A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years... to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
-----------------------
1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
------------------------
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
-------------------
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
-----------------
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
----------------------
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
----------------------
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
--------------------
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
-------------------
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
-------------------
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
---------------------
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
---------------------
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
---------------------
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
--------------------
13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
-----------------
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
---------------
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!

PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!

#Massacres #Terrorist Bombs #Mass shootings. Media to blame? @Skynews.com @CNN.com

Mass Shootings in US. News Media are the primary cause, not the lack of gun control

   Apologies. A link on this blog to a revised and updated article follows below. 5 OCT 2015:

http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.co.za/2015/10/mass-shootings-in-us-news-media-are.html

 

Shocking Air France 447 BEA Whitewash #AF447 #AirFrance447 & #MH370 lessons

 
RECENT REPORT BY EXPERTS (LINK included below)



It comes as no surprise to me that five aviation experts have in effect found that the 2012 BEA conclusion reached by French authorities into the cause of Air France 447, namely that the crew were not to blame due to the technical problems they faced, was a shocking whitewash.


The report of the 5 experts came out around May 2014. My rejection of the BEA's whitewash came out on 19 Jan 2014 on this site. (link below) An extract of the relevant portion appears at the end of this article for your convenience. I'd like to say....not bad for Flight Sim pilot...but sadly, to me it was just logic and common sense....



I am a computer game pilot, (Microsoft Flight Simulator) and an Aviation Analyst, who has made a study of flying airliners and of air crashes.

Had I been in the cockpit of AF 447 at the critical time, I would have recognised Pitot Tube failure as the most likely cause of the alarms and would have been aware that, of all the alarms to pay attention to, the stall warning would be the major one.

I knew this due to studying earlier accidents where pitot tube failure occurred. Aero Peru for example. (About 1998 if I recall - see date in my AF449 blog.)

See the news 24 article below and my blog which is an article I wrote some time last year. I explain exactly why AF 447 should NEVER have happened and that Air France are totally negligent for failing to have trained their pilots to deal with accident situations which had occurred before.

In an attempt to establish my credentials as an aviation analyst you can rely on, kindly note that I did not need to read this latest report by the five experts to conclude that the BEA report was wrong. I did so last year on my blog. (see link below)

THIS BLOG GETS IT RIGHT FIRST!!!
(Oh, and for the record, on MH370, I concluded that cockpit incursion, i.e. unlawful cockpit interference by someone, be it a pilot, crew or hijacker, was the cause of the plane's disappearance within 36 hours (see my various blogs) whilst other analysts and some so-called experts, including experienced airline pilot's were trying to suggest all sorts of theories linked to catastrophic failure (e.g. the zombie theory) were equally or more likely to be the cause.  But the experts now all seem to agree on that which you read first on this blog!!)

I acknowledge that if had I encountered pitot tube failure in a modern automated cockpit on board the Aero Peru flight, (also described in the blog) I would also have been confused by the conflicting over speed and stall warning alarms. These alarms are also accompanied by erratic air speed and altitude readings and various other alarms such as rudder ratio. Very intimidating if you don't understand the likely cause.

But that is precisely why I study airliner accidents. To become a better pilot and to learn from them. If I do that in order to fly airliners on my computer, as a hobby, surely it's not to much to expect pilots and airlines, who have the lives of passengers in their hands, to at least do that much.

How anyone at Air France, who had any responsibility for ensuring that pilots were properly trained at the time (2008 & prior),  can dare to show their faces in public is a mystery to me. Criminal charges should be laid. As a trial lawyer, I can say that proving negligence should be relatively easy. And I know better than to say that very often in my line of work.

The experts' conclusions, with which I fully agree, raises serious questions about the competence of the BEA. Which God do they serve. Safety or Air France?

THE PLANE WAS FULLY CAPABLE OF FLYING

It should be borne in mind that the engines and flight controls of the aircraft were all functional. Thus there was nothing to prevent it from continuing to fly.


WHAT WAS THE SHORTCOMING THEN?

Essentially,  there were two failures by Air France Trainers.

Firstly: The failure to drill the pilots to be able to identify symptoms of likely pitot tube failure in a modern automated cockpit and the failure to ensure that pilots were fully conversant with the procedures to recover control or keep control of the aircraft in the event of such a failure.

Secondly: Air France failed to ensure that their pilots were familiar with the challenges of flying at high altitude.

HIGH ALITUDE

Pilots normally use the autopilot shortly after take-off,  usually for the whole flight, and then they may choose to fly manually for the landing.

As a result, high altitude flying is something not often practised.  At cruising altitude, particularly above 35 000 feet (Flight Level 350 & above,) the air is extremely thin.

The result is that the difference between stall speed, at which speed the airflow over the wings is insufficient to allow for the lift required for flight and the plane simply falls out of the sky (as indeed occurred) and over speed, a speed at which the aircraft's speed is too high for the airframe, risking a catastrophic breakup of the aircraft, is far narrower than at lower altitudes.

This means that the higher you go, the narrower the margin for error becomes between stalling and overspeed. Pilots flying at high altitude need to be acutely aware of this reality during any high altitude emergency and, if the auto pilot should fail, care is required to keep the aircraft flying safely between those two critical air speeds.

It amazes me that in flight simulation drills, the setting of emergency scenarios to deal with and demonstrate the peculiar risks of high altitude flight, including recovery from stalls and over speed, situations does not appear to have been standard practice at that time.

PITOT TUBE

Pitot tubes are responsible for measuring air speed and air pressure, and this gives altitude and air speed readings on the pilot's instruments, i.e. the air speed indicator and the altimeter. There are two or three such tubes on board an airliner.

When one or more such tubes fail, the problem which arises is that air speed and altitude readings become erratic and totally unreliable.

PITOT TUBE FAILURE ON AUTO PILOT

Although Pitot tube failures are not a major problem in themselves, (one can work around faulty airspeed and altitude readings) if the pitot tube which is linked to the Auto Pilot happens to fail, especially in a highly automated & computerised cockpit, this can become a major problem if not identified quickly.

An autopilot requires reliable information from the instruments. Faulty information will cause Auto pilot malfunction & in the case of pitot tube failure, this can include the autopilot switching to manual, which requires immediate pilot intervention to take manual control.

Irrespective of whether the autopilot switches off or not, a pilot should, in most in flight emergencies dealing with likely systems failures, disconnect all the autopilot systems, and try to fly the aircraft (normally straight and level first) in order to establish if there is anything preventing the aircraft from flying straight and level. If the aircraft can proceed to fly straight and level, then one knows that one then has time to find out which alarms are actually sounding and which of them, if any, require action.

PITOT TUBE FAILURES SHOW THEMSELVES
Pitot tube failures are usually accompanied by a series of warnings, which may include, stall warning, rudder ratio warning and an overspeed warning.

As stated above, the first pilots (Aero Peru), and only the first pilots, who encountered conflicting stall warning and over speed alarms have an excuse for losing an otherwise functional aircraft.

Even for non-pilots, it should become apparent that the confusion arises because one alarm is warning that the aircraft is about to fall out of the sky in a stall (you are flying too slowly) whilst the other warning over speed alarm warning that you are flying far too quickly and the air frame is likely to start breaking up at any moment.

The Aero Peru pilots, bless their souls, could not understand what could possibly be the cause of these conflicting alarms, not to mention several other alarms, all sounding at once. They panicked and the airliner crashed into the sea.

WHICH WARNING?
If you suspect a pitot tube failure, (clue, erratic and nonsensical airspeed or altitude readings) then you know you can't be over speed if you are flying at a normal power setting for the condition of flight prior to the emergency. Try to fly straight and level and use a standard N1 Thrust setting for the altitude and air speed you were last travelling at.  Problem solved.

The alarm to watch out for, if you suspect pitot tube failure, however, is the stall warning.

Reason: The stall warning and related stick shaker mechanisms are not linked to the pitot tube. So if you hear the stall warning or feel the stick shaker in the steering column, you know that you're not over speed and you know that the plane is stalling or is about to enter a stall.

The solution is simply to add thrust and to lower the nose slightly. ....Hey presto, problem solved as easily as that. If the AF 447 pilots had studied the Aero Peru accident, OR if they had been properly trained, they would have known what to do and how easy it was to do it.

WHAT DID THE AF447 PILOTS DO WRONG?

They failed to pay heed to the stall warning. When they did take action, instead of lowering the nose or increasing thrust, the two basic stall recovery steps, they raised the nose until the aircraft in fact entered a stall, from which it never recovered.

Worse still, as the aircraft literally fell out of the sky in that stall, the two pilots had no idea what had gone wrong or even that the aircraft had entered a stall.

Only when the Captain returned to the cockpit did he manage to solve the problem. But it was too late. They solved the simple puzzle only seconds before the aircraft "belly flopped" on the sea after falling at thousands of feet per second. I can only hope no passenger happened to look out of the window or managed to see anything in the dark. A terrifying thought...

One might be forgiven for wondering whether, instead of trained pilots, AF447 was instead being flown by someone more like the recent Mayor of Toronto on a very bad day.

TWO PRIOR ACCIDENTS
Apart from the Aero Peru accident (caused by washing crews failing to remove see-through tape which covered the aircraft's pitot tube while on the ground) there was another accident from which Air France ought to have learned. It occurred around 2002 if memory serves.

I should mention in passing that the use of see through tape was a major error by the ground crew in Lima because it prevents the tape from being spotted during the pre-flight inspection.

The second incident was a charter airline flight from the Caribbean to Europe. The aircraft had stood for about a week at the Caribbean AirPort without being flown.

It is believed that insects laid eggs in the pitot tubes, which stood unprotected instead of having their covers on, which is standard.) This resulted in similar alarms etc. as occurred in the Aero Lima incident, and the crew were also unable to work out how to solve them.

After those two accidents no airline or flight instructor, no chief pilot, and no pilots could possibly have any excuses at all for not knowing what to do. I knew what to do, and I am not a professional pilot.


PITOT TUBE FAILURE & VISIBILITY

In good visibility and in daytime, pilots will be able to pick up an altitude or air speed anomaly with reference to the ground. This would normally assist with identification of pitot tube failure and with recovery.  You're unlikely to ignore a stall warning if you're flying with nose high attitude in the day and if you can't see the horizon ahead of you.

In IFR conditions or at night, a pilot needs to be able to fly the aircraft on instruments and this requires a knowledge of average N1 power settings at various altitudes for straight and level flight as well as for descent and ascent. But even if you fail to do this, DON'T IGNORE the STALL WARNING or the STICK SHAKER or Plane will stall and fall out of sky. Get it? Stall Recovery is Flying 101, not rocket science.

ONE LAST POINT TO NOTE ABOUT PITOT TUBE FAILURE

Now, even you know how to deal with pitot tube failure, and you didn't even require an instructor. You now know that you cannot rely on autopilot, airspeed reading, altimeter, rudder ratio warning and the overspeed warnings. But the Aero Peru accident teaches us one more basic thing to avoid.

The Aero Peru crew were over the sea on a dark night and were trying to deal with a host of conflicting alarms and an aircraft which did not seem to be flying properly. (It was fine and quite flyable, but they had no idea. The alarms and unreliable airspeed and altitude readings while flying over the sea in total darkness all added up to a veritable nightmare from hell.

In their confusion and desperation, the pilots made the mistake of asking Air Traffic Control to advise them about their true altitude.

Given all the sounding alarms and their confusion, the pilots could be forgiven for forgetting that ATC's radar usually can only show a dot on the screen i.e. no altitude, no aircraft ID, and no airspeed reading. These readings may appear to the controller to be on his radar screen, but they are provided to ATC by the Aircraft's transponder when ATC's radar interrogates it intermittently after a four digit identifying code provided by ATC is entered into the transponder by the pilots. And therein lies the problem. The transponder's reading also comes from the faulty pitot tube.

ATC told the Aero Peru flight, which was trying to return to Lima in pitch black darkness, that Approach Radar had the plane on their screen at about 10 000 feet, which (of course) roughly accorded with one of the erratic readings they were occasionally getting on one of their altimeters.

However, in truth, they were not at 10 000 feet. The airliner was in fact flying at a few hundred feet over the sea, but the pilots could not spot this is the moonless darkness.

To make matters worse, the aircraft was not flying straight and level as they intended, but it was slowly descending.

It was not long before they realised that they had made a terrible mistake. The pilot felt one of the wings had hit water. That must have been a sickening feeling. A second later, the plane cartwheeled around that wing tip and crashed into the sea and broke up, killing all on board.

When they found the wreckage, the bits of tape left by the washer crews were still on the pitot tubes. Apart from that, nothing else was wrong with the aircraft. It was perfectly capable of flying. Sadly, no one at that stage knew how pitot tube failures would reveal themselves in a modern automated cockpit. Aero Peru was a Boeing 757.

Understandably, no one can blame the crew of Aero Peru aircraft for what occurred. I would certainly have been confused in that situation.

But I can say that after I read the ATC transcript of this accident in 2001 (contained in a book I have called the Black Box), I too felt sick. I felt as though I had suffered through that accident with the crew. And I swore, that I would never be caught out in the manner they were by such a simple technical failure.

ONE OTHER POINTER TO DISASTER FOR AERO PERU

On the take off roll, if the airspeed readings of the pilot and co-pilot do not agree, one ought to abandon the take-off, if this occurs prior to V1 (the point of no return on the take off roll), the usual procedure is to abort the take-off.

The airspeed indicators of the pilot and co-pilot on the Aero Peru Flight did differ during call-out on the take off roll, prior to V1.

The pilots chose to ignore it, thinking it was a minor discrepancy which soon appeared to have rectified itself. They were not to know that this was a sign that their lives, and those of their passengers, would soon be a thing of the past.

If memory serves me correctly, the Caribbean flight (insect eggs) also encountered such an airspeed discrepancy during the take off roll.

Now, with hindsight, I would, if I were an instructor testing pilots in a simulator, programme a pitot tube discrepancy on the take off roll.

I would not only expect the pilots to respond by aborting the take-off roll (if before V1) but I would also expect them to be able to tell me about the likely problems this event might be foreshadowing. If they can't tell me about Aero Peru and the other flights, I'd ban them from flying and instruct them to go and study those accidents before being retested.

This is what Air France ought to have done. There can be no excuse whatsoever for their failures in this regard! This constitutes clear criminal negligence.

And this makes BEA's report, which attempts to exonerate the pilots (to some extent) and thereby exonerate Air France, so equally inexplicable and so shocking. The opinions in that report are so obviously misguided that the conduct of those who wrote it also borders on criminal conduct. You can't address gross negligence if you don't call it by its name, and instead, choose to look the other way.

Heads ought to roll at BEA and at Air France. Prosecutions should follow. After all, lives were needlessly lost on a fully flyable aircraft. What more need I, or the families of the victims say.

OTHER LESSONS FROM AF447
You can take comfort from the fact that now, most airlines do include pitot tube failure AND high altitude flying and recoveries in the tests they set for pilots on their simulators.

BUT....then the airlines went on to ignore another lesson. The missing plane lesson. It took a long time to find and locate the wreckage of the aircraft under the Atlantic Sea. But despite this:

1. No black boxes with longer ping periods were installed.
2. No compulsory satellite tracking system has been installed to assist recovery teams to find the plane.

3. ALSO, the one or two hour voice recording limit on the black box dates back to the limits imposed by recording onto actual tape. Digital recordings take no real space and the whole flight could easily be recorded.  Normally this won't be necessary since the event in question is usually last to occur.

But what if there's a suicide pilot or some event which gives rise to a zombie plane which flies on its on own for hours on end. We'll have data but no voice. Seems truly silly in this digital age. Full voice recordings should be mandated at once!

So I leave you with one final question. Do we again have to wait for 3 or more such events before we learn the lessons?
SG WALTHER July 2014


Update 1 Jan 2014 Air Asia 8501crash.....
http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/12/qz8501-similarities-with-af447.html





http://www.news24.com/World/News/Pilots-blamed-for-Air-France-Flight-447-tragedy-20140513-2

http://siegfriedwalther.blogspot.com/2014/01/air-france-447-and-lessons-for-saa.html  earlier


Here is an excerpt of precisely what I said in my blog on this site on 19 Jan 2014, prior to the Five Experts weighing in to agree:




"Chillingly, the French report into this accident comes to its erroneous conclusion despite the above two prior fatal air crashes where similar problems confronted the crew. In the light of what pilots and airlines should have learned from that accident, the French report cannot stand.

43. If that is not enough, the report goes on to make an inexplicable concession that several other pilots have encountered this issue on twelve other occasions, and they all made it home safely.

44.  Any passionate airlne pilot, flight sim, or real world, has to study and understand prior crashes. It could save your life and the lives of all on board. Also, airline pilots are subject to regular evaluations in airline flight simulators. Here instructors can set emergencies which cannot be risked in a real world aircraft. Studying air crashes to prepare is like studying past papers for an upcoming exam.

In my view, the Air France pilot in control was negligent in failing to prepare himself for the events which occurred on the A330 that evening.

Air France also have to explain why their instructors permitted pilots to fly without testing to see whether they could deal with incidents like the Aero Peru air crash. 


 If I were the instructor doing the flight-sim training for Air France pilot assessments, the Aero Peru accident would arguably be the first on my list of flight-sim emergency scenarios. This is precisely because of the confusion this type of failure can cause.

On the take-off roll, I would wait for the pilots to spot the altimeter discrepancies. If they did, and irrespective of whether they aborted or not, I would pause the simulation to ask the crew what accident this is based on and what events are likely to occur next. If they failed to answer either question correctly, I would tell them to get out of the simulator, to go away and find out and not to return until they do.

49.Air France ought never to have allowed any pilot to fly a real airliner without such pilot being able to recognise and deal with a pitot tube failure at low and high altitude. Had they done so, I am convinced the pilots would have reacted calmly and would have instinctively coped with the apparent chaos in the cockpit.

Since the Air France report confirms that other pilots, faced with this situation in twelve other incidents, arrived home safely, one imagines that they were either taught to deal with pitot tube failure or they studied it for themselves. "

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3 Amusing Aviation tweets & 10 Pilot Secrets & Dirty Cabin Secrets

Siegfried Walther ‏@SG_Walther 2m

Man on flight from Taiwan mistook aircraft door for toilet. Expensive error. Big fine. Musta wanted the old fashioned LONG DROP! #flightsim

 

Siegfried Walther ‏@SG_Walther 23m

"Mumbai, what number am I in the landing sequence?"

"By the time you land, sir, you will be number one." #ATC #flightsimulator #Airliners

 

 

 

Siegfried Walther ‏@SG_Walther 27m

"Tower, be advised. A flock of seagulls near south end of runway 13 R" Tower: (singing) "And I ran, I ran so far away.." #ATC #flightsim

 

If you didn't find the last one amusing you probably don't know the song I Ran by the band A Flock of Seagulls.....


And on another aviation note:, you might want to have a look at this link

Siegfried Walther @SG_Walther  ·  4m

10 secrets pilots wont tell you: http://n24.cm/1kzKZQr  via @News24 #airliners_net #fsxsimulator #aviation

& Some dirty Cabin Secrets

Dirty little cabin crew secrets #aviation #airlines http://www.news24.com/Travel/Flights/Dirty-little-cabin-crew-secrets-20140522 … pic.twitter.com/62LKSCS4H0

In Guards we trust - Now free at ebooks stores worldwide for limited period

Extract from Chapter 1 of:
 In Guards we trust by Siegfried Walther - Now Free at iBooks, Smashwords.com, Kobo & other fine eBooks stores worldwide for a limited period only.

Also see: Air Crash SA 252

‘May I join you, your majesty?’ a familiar voice enquired from behind him.

‘Indeed you may, your grace,’ the king replied before turning to face Duke Emile Le Riche. The latter, as commander of the royal guard, enjoyed special leave to enter the king’s presence without announcement and at will. The duke’s shiny new boots squeaked as he stepped onto the balcony. The duke removed his hat and waved it before the king as he bowed. He replaced his hat, which completed his immaculate uniform. Both men were silent for a while as they surveyed the unfolding events. Years of experience had taught the king that even when his old friend had something pressing on his mind, he would always wait for royalty to open the discussion.

‘You have news?’ the king probed eventually as he considered the shadows cast by the two of them on the marble tiles. It was a splendid Mediterranean morning in the summer of 1792.  It piqued him to detect that one shadow reflected a man in good shape for his advanced years whilst the expanded circumference of the other stood in stark contrast to it. At sixty-six, the duke was fourteen years older than the king. Unlike the king, however, the duke still had most of his hair albeit that the ravages of time had turned it white.

‘I regret, bad news, your majesty. The protests in France have become even more violent. Aristocrats have apparently been dragged from their estates in certain areas. It pains me to mention that some of them have even been executed in the streets. Looting is said to be widespread.’

‘And what of Paris?’ the king inquired while fingering a pouch in his robe. He produced his pipe and a sachet containing tobacco.

‘The situation there is tense but apparently still under control. Sporadic riots have been subdued. But King Louis’ position remains perilous. A few nobles are reputed to have joined the rebels. There is even talk that the loyalty of the French army is now divided between the king and the revolutionaries. No-one is certain who has majority support. The rebels have convened a national assembly. King Louis is under pressure to recognise it.’

‘They will end up like the English. With a prime minister,’ king Julien observed glumly. ‘I warned Louis that it would only be a matter of time before his support for the Americans and their appalling revolution would backfire on him. However, there is no reasoning with the French if they sense an opportunity for a war with the English.’

 

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The Four Certainties of Life #GermanSoccer #WorldCup2014 #Brazil2014 #Brasil2014

There are only four certainties in life:

1. Death

2. Taxes

3. You cannot have a World War without inviting the Germans.

4. Germany at least make it to the Semi-Finals of the World Cup.

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Can Flight Sim pilot save 747?

Chapter 1

 

Eric Gates awoke to find that all of the cabin lights had been turned up to maximum brightness. A chorus of creaking seats, coughs and yawns grew louder as the ranks of the rudely awakened swelled. He glanced at his watch. Four in the morning. Another three hours to Cape Town. Too early for the breakfast service.

‘They'd better have a very good reason for this, if they know what's good for them,’ a woman exclaimed.

‘Madam, for what do you want a good reason?’ asked an elderly man seated in the middle row. His long grey beard and his orthodox attire led Eric to assume that he was possibly a Rabbi. ‘They wake us like this in the middle of an overnight flight. God forbid that it should be for a good reason.’

The remark provoked nervous laughter from a few passengers, but no response from its target.

An assured female voice crackled through the cabin.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, we apologise for the interruption. This is a precautionary announcement.’ A momentary pause. ‘If we have a commercial pilot on board, would he kindly announce himself to a member of the cabin crew by pressing the service button located in the panel above. Our co-pilot is unwell and the Captain considers it prudent to have a replacement on standby in the unlikely event of an emergency.’

Muted conversations gradually replaced the stunned silence.

‘Don't they usually have two crews on long-haul flights?’ asked the man in the next seat. He had earlier introduced himself as Norman something or other, a retired detective who now free-lanced as a private investigator.

‘I wondered about that too,’ Eric said.

‘Then why the fuss about one ill pilot?’ Norman spoke with a noticeable Afrikaans accent. ‘Something more serious must have happened.’

Eric's brows furrowed. He kept pinching his chin.

‘Surely they know they can't wake us in the middle of the night to ask us that without causing alarm or panic?’

‘You're right,’ said Norman. ‘It would have been a damn side less worrying coming from the guy doing the actual flying. Maybe the Captain had his hands full-’ Norman interrupted himself and glanced at Eric. ‘You're looking a little green yourself. Can't say I'm surprised.’ He shifted his gaze to the bulging seatback pocket in front of Eric's seat.

Eric wondered about how many of those little plastic whisky bottles it had taken to cause the protrusion. He recalled Norman's enthusiastic participation in securing the bottles and during the ensuing toasts. Judging from his throbbing head, however, Norman's contribution to the plastic mound had been the more modest.

‘Pressing the button for an aspirin now is probably not a good idea?’ Eric held his head.

‘Definitely not!’ A grin followed Norman’s admonition. ‘Ask not what they can do for your hangover.’

Eric ignored the remark.

An eerie silence persisted for several minutes. It was interrupted by the public address system.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, we repeat that if there is a pilot on board, kindly advise the crew by pressing the service button in the overhead panel.’

‘Hell's teeth!’ Eric exclaimed under his breath. ‘First they wanted a commercial pilot. Now just a pilot.’

‘Ja,’ Norman agreed. ‘Well then I’ll say what we both are thinking. Something must be wrong. Maybe something happened to the pilots. They must need someone to fly the plane.’ He turned towards Eric. ‘It's up to you to respond.’

‘I think they are looking for a real pilot,’ Eric replied.

‘Well, then they must come over here and say so,’ Norman declared and he pressed the button in the overhead panel.

Eric felt strangely self-conscious as dozens of pairs of eyes turned towards the two of them. Before long, a blonde flight attendant arrived. Her well-rehearsed smile could not disguise a hint of anxiety in her pale blue eyes.

‘Hello, I’m Michelle, the senior flight attendant.’ She glanced at the lit service light on the panel above Norman’s seat and reached to extinguish it. ‘Which of you is the pilot then?’

Eric attempted to reply, but Norman interjected.

‘If you don’t have anyone else, then this is your man.’ Norman pointed at Eric. ‘Last night he told me that he often flies 747s on his computer. Seems he also owns several books on flying airliners.’

Eric glared at Norman.

‘Are you speaking about a computer game?’ Michelle’s forehead creased and her smile retreated. Her tone remained polite.

‘More of a simulation than a game,’ Eric said.

The attendant’s eyes narrowed.

‘Look, I don’t wish to waste anyone’s time. I’m not a pilot. I’ve never flown anything except for the aircraft on my computer,’ Eric volunteered.

‘I’m sorry, but we are trying to determine whether anyone on board is a qualified pilot who flies real aircraft.’ A hint of condescension marred her otherwise professional tone.

Heat rushed to Eric's cheeks as he realised that all of the passengers in his section of the cabin were focused on their exchange. His jaw clenched. A ready retort to the patronising remark escaped him.

‘But I’ll mention you to the Captain, just in case,’ she added. Her smile returned and she departed down the aisle.

‘Man, I'm sorry about that.’ Norman spoke quietly. ‘I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I thought you were serious when you said that you could fly this plane.’ He paused. ‘I suppose it was all that whisky.’

‘I guess I’m not immune to a spot of spirit-infused bravado.’ Eric grinned contritely.

‘Who knows? They might still call on you.’

‘Seriously, I hope not. I’d prefer to be left with my delusions intact.’ Eric’s thoughts returned to aspirin and water, but the idea of more unwelcome attention discouraged him from pressing the button.  

A tense quiet prevailed for a while as everyone waited for a further announcement. It never came. The main cabin lights dimmed a few minutes later, suggesting that if there had been a problem, it was now resolved.

‘That must be the end of it then,’ Norman said. ‘Probably wasn’t serious after all.’ After emitting an audible sigh of relief, he closed his eyes.

Eric switched between the channels on the mini-screen in front of him without focusing on anything at all. He became distracted by the head flight attendant making her way back down the now dimly lit aisle. Her eyes were firmly fixed on him.

He drew a deep breath.

She leant over towards him, smiling feebly.

‘I mentioned you to the Captain,’ she whispered. ‘He thought you might find it interesting to visit a real cockpit. Would you care to follow me?’

‘I thought that, since 9/11, visits to the cockpit by passengers were strictly prohibited,’ Eric replied nonchalantly. He made no effort to rise.

She blinked. Her jaw dropped fleetingly. A few seconds passed.

‘Ultimately, the Captain is the one in charge of the cockpit,’ she spluttered. She ceased blinking and glared at him instead. Her tightly pursed lips did not detract from her appealing facial features.

Eric estimated her age at around thirty-five, making her his junior by about ten years. He considered himself to be in reasonable shape for a man of his age, and not unattractive, yet he could not help feeling rather ordinary in her presence.

‘Look here my dear, we're not fools!’ Norman spoke firmly and without raising his voice. ‘At least have the courtesy of telling us what the devil is going on. Is the Captain still in charge of this plane?’

‘Sir, I must ask you to remain calm,’ Michelle whispered. ‘I can assure you that the Captain is flying the plane.’

‘What about the reserve crew?’ Norman asked.

Eric studied Michelle's body language as she replied.

‘We don’t have a reserve crew on this flight. Our allocated reserve crew exceeded their maximum flying hours.’ Michelle’s eyes darted to the right for an instant.

You’re lying through your teeth, Eric thought. But he did not interject.

‘Surely you're not supposed to depart without a reserve crew?’ Norman asked.

‘Sometimes we do. Regulations only require two pilots.’ She glanced expectantly at Eric.

Norman seemed less than convinced, but he left it at that.

***

Eric followed Michelle down the aisle. He drew close enough to speak without being overheard.

‘You may have convinced him, but you haven't convinced me.’

‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

‘I am a trial attorney. You lied back there. I could tell.’

Resignation flickered across her deadpan face.

‘Everything will be explained shortly,’ she whispered. Without warning she turned towards him. ‘And you took your sweet time back there, didn't you?’ she hissed in his ear.

Eric found it a little disconcerting and yet strangely sensual in equal measure.

‘I hardly defied some pre-arranged signal.’ He could smell her conditioner.

‘Come off it. You were obstructive and you know it. Couldn’t you read between the lines?’

‘I didn’t want to intrude and get in the way of any real pilots.’ Eric allowed himself a slight grin. ‘You know, like the ones you mentioned earlier...who fly real aircraft.’ He paused and became more serious. He continued to speak in a whisper. ‘Look, I can see you’re upset about something. But you’re in no position to lecture to me. You appear to have misled the passengers. You were initially dismissive towards me. And now that it appears you may need me, you expect me to jump to accept some obviously phoney invitation to visit the cockpit. But, I’ll reserve further comment until you can tell me what’s actually happening.’

‘Thank you,’ Michelle said abruptly. ‘Keep up.’

As they progressed down the aisle, Eric became aware of the gentle rumble of the four enormous Rolls Royce jet engines as their combined thrust propelled the Boeing 747-400 airliner through the night sky at high velocity. Ordinarily he found it to be a comforting and nearly musical noise. Now, the sound of all that raw power seemed strangely ominous.

‘Is he a pilot?’ a young stewardess asked as she approached from the opposite direction.

‘Only a computer pilot,’ Michelle whispered. ‘Has anyone else come forward?’

‘Nobody.’ The young stewardess shrugged and sighed.

Her response caused a knot in his stomach as he sensed destiny summoning him towards something more ominous than he had initially imagined.

Michelle’s pace increased appreciably. They lost no time ascending the stairs to the upper deck. They reached a door marked “PRIVATE. CREW ONLY”. She used a key to open it and gestured that Eric should enter. Once in the crew’s quarters, they moved through a narrow galley towards the cockpit door. To the right was another door, marked “BUNKS.”

A flushing sound emanated from one of the two crew toilets to the left. The door opened and a fit looking young man in his late twenties emerged.

‘This is our air marshal, Harry Sykes,’ Michelle said. As she turned towards Eric, she blushed. ‘I’m sorry, but I forgot to ask your name.’

‘Eric Gates.’

Harry Sykes shook Eric’s hand with a firm grip.

‘Thank you for coming, Mr Gates. We don’t have much time so I’ll be brief.’ He paused as if unsure where to begin. ‘About half an hour ago, our co-pilot left the cockpit, apparently to relieve himself. Instead he killed both reserve pilots in their bunks. At this stage we're not sure quite how or why. There was no commotion. Both seem to have broken necks. No one heard anything.’

‘You can’t be serious,’ Eric declared before he could stop himself.

Harry ignored Eric's remark and continued.

‘He then returned to the cockpit. Attacked the Captain, using a screwdriver. Fortunately, our Captain is ex-Special Forces. He gave as good as he got. He managed to kill the co-pilot. But the Captain was injured. Two puncture wounds to his abdomen.’

‘Abdomen? You’d think he would have gone straight for the Captain’s head.’ Eric’s eyes narrowed.

‘Oh, he did. It’s lucky the Captain turned to ask something, and managed to duck.’

‘How did the co-pilot manage to sneak a screwdriver through security?’

‘We don’t have time for all that.’

‘Sorry Harry. I want to help. But all this sounds incredible. If you want my help, you need to answer my questions.’ He paused. ‘I need to be sure that you are not involved. There’s no way I’m assisting you if you are.’

‘He’s not,’ Michelle intervened.

Harry raised his hand slightly to silence her.

‘He’s right,’ Harry said. ‘Fair enough. I think he took the screwdriver from the small emergency tool-kit in the cockpit. I haven’t had time to check, though.’

 ‘Where is the Captain now?’ Eric inquired.

‘In the cockpit. His condition is serious. One of the passengers, a medical doctor, is doing what he can. The worst of it is that the autopilot control panel has been damaged.’ He paused. ‘The Captain is flying manually. Although the doctor managed to stop the blood flow, he says the Captain won't remain conscious for too much longer. He requires urgent surgery.’

‘Hell’s teeth,’ Eric said. He pinched his chin. ‘Why did the Captain not use the last half hour to descend and make an emergency landing at the nearest airport rather than hand over control to someone like me?’ As he spoke it dawned on him that they would probably be flying over the Atlantic Ocean at this stage of the flight.’

‘I asked him the same thing. We aren’t near any airports. We’re over the Atlantic. Worse still, the Captain told me that we departed from our normal course earlier to avoid a huge thunderstorm. We are considerably to the west of our usual track.’

‘Heading for?’

‘Don’t know. You’ll have to ask the Captain. The Doctor wants him out before he loses consciousness. With medical attention, and some rest, he might be able to return later for long enough to land the plane. We need someone who can handle a 747 in manual flight from now until then.’ Harry broke off. ‘But to be frank, Mr Gates, I doubt that the Captain will be in any state to fly later. We've asked if there are any pilots aboard. Simply put, you’re all we have. A computer game pilot, I understand.’

‘A flight simulator, rather than a game,’ Eric explained.

‘Well, all those buttons, lights, levers and displays in there scare the living shit out of me. If you know what most of them do and if you have some idea about how to fly and land, then we must count our blessings. We may have a fighting chance of surviving this. Now, let’s get you in there.’

‘Before you do, how can you be certain I’m not involved?’

‘We're pretty sure he acted alone. A cockpit is a confined space. Makes it difficult to take control. I doubt that he would have risked taking on the Captain alone if he’d had the choice. Easier to first admit his collaborator to the crew’s quarters and then to the cockpit. Would have been a different outcome with two against one.’ Harry opened his jacket and revealed a concealed firearm. ‘But I do have this if I’m wrong.’

‘And yet you seem to have excluded me?’

‘Easy. If you were involved, you'd have posed as a real pilot. Makes no sense for you to pose as a simulator pilot, since we'd only use a simulator pilot as a last resort...if no other pilot came forward.’ Harry smiled apologetically. ‘No offence intended.’

‘None taken,’ Eric replied.

‘Of course, it would make no difference if you were involved,’ Michelle added.

Eric frowned.

‘Why ever not?’ he asked.

‘Because you’re all we have.’ Harry said.

Eric had dreamed of flying a Boeing 747-400. As a young boy he had often watched these massive, yet elegant aircraft landing and taking off from the viewing decks at Cape Town International.

And now he found himself at the cockpit door of a real Boeing 747-400. The cold reality of it seemed more of a nightmare instead of a dream.  In flight simulator he always had the option to press the escape button, and this would instantly interrupt or reset a problematic flight. Of course, no such button lurked anywhere on the other side of that door.

Michelle drew closer.

‘Well now you’ll understand why I acted as I did earlier,’ she whispered quietly so only he could hear. ‘But if you manage to get us on the ground in one piece, I’ll be sure to make it up to you.’

All of Eric's faculties were focused on the enormity of the challenge ahead. Michelle's words scarcely registered. He turned to her.

‘Michelle, please fetch the gentleman who was sitting next to me. He is a retired detective. Former South African Police.’

Michelle glanced at Harry.

‘You can vouch for him?’ Harry asked.

‘We only met on board a few hours ago. Still, I think I can. Seems in good nick for someone who is recently retired and he'd be useful to have around if we have any trouble.’

‘I am not expecting any. But it can't do any harm to be safe.’ Harry glanced at Michelle. ‘Fetch him.’

After Michelle departed Eric turned to Harry.

‘Where were you during all this?’

‘I’m always seated amongst the passengers, posing as one.’

‘Do you have any idea as to what the co-pilot's intentions were?’

‘None at all. Perhaps a hijacking. Perhaps a suicide mission, although I doubt it.’

‘Why?’

‘Suicide attacks are usually anti-western. Can’t think of any country around here which is particularly pro-western?’ Without waiting for an answer, Harry spoke to someone in the cockpit on the intercom.

As the cockpit door opened, a small bespectacled man in his late fifties emerged.

‘Dr Barker, this is Eric Gates.’

‘I hope you have some idea about what to do in there, young man,’ the Doctor said to Eric in a tone which seemed neither friendly nor confrontational.

‘How is the Captain?’ Eric enquired, changing the subject. He had no appetite for adding the misgivings of others to the weight of his own doubts.

‘Not at all good, I'm afraid. It’s internal bleeding, I suspect. He’s not going to stay conscious for long so you’d better get in there.’

Eric permitted the doctor to pass and then he poked his head into the cockpit. The cockpit lights were partially dimmed, causing the instrument panels and displays to resemble the city lights of Cape Town at night.

The Captain was a stocky man in his early fifties. He occupied the left seat, the seat reserved for the most senior pilot in the cockpit. He had one hand on the steering column.

‘Good morning, Captain, I’m Eric Gates. Permission requested to enter and to take up residence in the right seat.’

‘Hello Eric.’ He only turned to face Eric briefly without smiling. ‘Carry on.’

On first impressions, the Captain struck him as introspective and cautious. Somehow, he had expected the former Special Forces man to be more gregarious and outgoing.

As Eric shifted over the centre console to get to his seat, he noticed the blood spatters and stains on the Captain's white shirt.

‘I’m Mike Langford,’ he said. His eyes were sunken and his face was pale. His drawn expression evidenced the pain and fatigue he continued to endure.

Broken glass, damaged consoles and miscellaneous blood spatters and smears throughout the cockpit bore testament to a struggle and to some effort to clean up afterwards. Eric spent several moments examining the various instruments in the glass cockpit display panels. To his considerable relief, everything looked decidedly familiar.

Predictably, the Captain divided his attention between observing Eric and the task of flying the aircraft. He could hear the latter breathing slowly, heavily. Eric switched from scanning the instrument panels to inspecting the damage. He ran his right hand through his short dark hair as he did so.

‘So we've lost the autopilot console, the flight management computer, and the co-pilot's radio stack,’ Eric eventually noted. ‘Anything else damaged?’

‘No.’

Eric inspected the autopilot console at the top of the dashboard more closely. The entire panel had been smashed inwards. He rubbed his chin.

‘The damage to the auto pilot seems deliberate.’ He posed his question more as a rhetorical one than anything else and then turned to observe the Captain’s reaction.

‘Backhand jab. Screwdriver missed me. Hit the autopilot console. Penetrated it rather deeply.’

Eric considered the explanation. The location of the autopilot on the dashboard did not exclude the possibility of the Captain's version being true.

‘Can’t say whether he intended it, but the automated flight systems are out of order just the same. I've managed to disconnect the auto-pilot master. But the wiring behind the panel is damaged. I hope nothing shorts. We don’t want one of the autopilot systems to re-engage erratically or without warning. You’ll have to watch out for that.’ He paused to catch his breath. ‘Your familiarity with the location of the autopilot and the flight management computer… Is this because you mainly use those systems on your computer?’

‘Of course I use the autopilot on long-haul flights. Like airline pilots in the real world,’ Eric conceded. ‘But I’m not short on manual flying hours on the 747.’

‘How do you control the ailerons and the elevator?’ The Captain was referring to the flap-like control surfaces of any aircraft. The former, located on the wings, controlled the plane’s left and right movements, whilst the latter, located on the tail, caused upward and downward movement.

‘With a force feedback motorised joystick. It’s supposed to mimic the feel of the aircraft's real-world handling and response. The joystick also has a number of additional controls on it - flaps, throttle, trim, landing gear, and the rudder.’

‘What do you know about flying a 747?’

‘I started with lessons for light aircraft which were built into the simulator programme. It took time for me to work my way up to flying airliners. I’ve studied books written by real world pilots about flying big jets.’

‘Books are useful, but of limited value without hands-on instruction from experienced instructors,’ the Captain replied. He used his free arm to wipe newly formed beads of sweat from his forehead.

‘I didn’t have the luxury of instructors. When I found the conversion from small turboprops to the bigger jets difficult, the books helped me to understand what I was doing wrong and helped me to fix it.’

‘What were you doing wrong?’ Despite his obvious discomfort, the Captain seemed determined to persist with his interrogation.

‘The secret is to stay ahead of the jet, especially during approach and landing. I tended to react too slowly to deviations from my intended approach path.’

‘Why?’

‘On account of their size, big jets will initially resist inputs from flight controls to correct a deviated flight path in favour of continuing along the deviated flight path. This situation is aggravated by the higher speed of a big jet, which means things happen so much more quickly. Then there’s the time delay jet engines take in spooling up or down from one power setting to another. I had to learn to react to the smallest deviations in the approach flight path as they occurred and to make small subtle corrections continuously to avoid coming in too low or too high or to avoid stalling.’ He noticed the Captain wince as he mentioned stalling. ‘Seemed difficult at first, but the books explained ideal power settings, pitch, and airspeed for different landing weights and flap settings. Using what I'd learnt, I soon found myself landing the 747's and other jets effortlessly.’

The Captain focused on the flight displays during an ensuing silence. A bout of turbulence caused the airframe to vibrate and the Captain had to work a little harder on the control column to maintain straight and level flight.

‘I realise my experience is limited to my computer, but the books are written by real world big jets pilots and they worked for me,’ Eric offered.

‘I'm not knocking what you've learnt. This aircraft handles magnificently in trained hands. But it’s easy to lose control if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.’ The Captain breathed deeply, and his face contorted. ‘But if you've learnt how to stay ahead of a big jet, that at least is something.’ He paused to cough. ‘How do you configure the 747 for landing?’

‘If the landing fuel weight is less than 40000 pounds, I use 140 to 150 knots, flaps 25 and pitch at around 0 to 3 degrees. Given adequate runway length at Cape Town, I set the auto break to position one and the spoiler is armed. Thrust is usually around 40-45% N1, depending on landing weight and wind.’

‘Descent rate on final?’

‘Around six hundred to seven hundred feet a minute, slowing to five hundred feet a minute or thereabouts for touchdown. Never exceeding 6 degrees nose up. I fly the plane onto the runway. I don't hold it off like one does with a light aircraft.’

The Captain's eyes closed for a few seconds.

‘Hmmm,’ he mumbled eventually as he stared ahead.

Eric could not determine whether or not this constituted approval.

‘Are the airports in your simulator like the real ones to any extent?’

‘The same. The frequencies of the navigational beacons are also the same.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘I have the actual approach charts for Cape Town International and books on South African Air Traffic Control. Everything's the same.’

‘And you've landed the 747 at Cape Town before on your simulator?’

‘Often. It's my home airport.’

‘What about weather? Cross winds on landing, for example?’

‘You can set the weather as you like or you can download real world weather off the internet. I've often landed in real world weather conditions in Cape Town.’

‘How would you deal with a North Westerly on runway zero one, gusting from fifteen to thirty knots?’

The conditions were typical of those which prevailed during passing cold fronts in the Cape winter.

The Captain coughed profusely. His complexion had turned ashen white.

‘You don’t look good at all, Mike. Don’t you think you should get some rest?’

The Captain glared at Eric without replying.

‘We don’t have other candidates waiting back there. I’m it. So perhaps we can skip the interview and let me get on with it while you rest up,’ Eric persisted.

‘You’re forgetting that this aircraft is my responsibility. It took several thousand hours of training and experience before I was allowed to fly her.’  His face contorted as he struggled to breath. ‘They tell me you’ve never flown anything before? Not even a glider. True?’

‘True,’ Eric replied ruefully.

‘If you think that I’m going to hand over to you, and hope for the best, you’re sadly mistaken. Maybe you can land her, maybe you’ll end up killing us all. Lord alone knows. But you’ll forgive me using what strength I have left to find out what you know, and what you don’t. If you do crash, it won’t be because I didn’t do my damnedest to pass along what little advice I was able to in what little time I may have left. Is that clear?’

‘Perfectly,’ Eric replied ‘Runway 01's heading is 009 degrees. I'd use left wing low technique with a little opposite rudder, switching to the crabbing technique shortly prior to touchdown, perhaps with a modicum of increased thrust on one of the right engines. I'd also increase landing speed by seven and a half knots being half the difference between the high point and low point of the gust.’

‘Are you familiar with the dash-400’s glass cockpit displays?’ Once again, the Captain had changed the subject without commenting on Eric's response to the previous question.

‘Yes, these displays are much the same as on the simulator,’ Eric replied. To reassure, the Captain, Eric pointed towards one of the panels. ‘This is the primary flight display. We are at flight level 370, our speed is 0.84 Mach, and our heading is 125 degrees. We have 3.25 degrees nose up pitch.’ He glanced at the Captain expectantly.

The Captain persisted in refraining from comment. Eric couldn’t help finding the lack of feedback to be a little annoying. At the same time, it occurred to him that the Captain’s declining condition did not permit him to waste any time. Presumably, the silences indicated an acceptance that Eric had some idea of what he was doing.

‘Do you wish me to take control?’ Eric eventually inquired.

‘Very well. You have control,’ the Captain declared.

‘I have control’ Eric replied.

Eric placed his hands on the right hand control column. As he did so, the aircraft encountered a patch of turbulence and it lurched forwards. Eric pulled the column towards him to prevent the plane from descending. He soon discovered that he had pulled it a little too far back, because the aircraft commenced a gentle ascent.

The Captain's hands drew closer to the left hand column, but without intervention. He watched intently as Eric moved the column forwards and backwards in ever decreasing increments until the aircraft stabilised.

‘I can’t make out the horizon and I can’t see any stars. High altitude cloud?’

‘Yes,’ said the Captain. A slight smile creased his face. ‘You took control without once looking outside. And you managed to stabilise her to straight and level flight without looking outside. You're familiar with flying on instruments?’

‘Yes,’ Eric responded.

‘Good. You may need to fly on instruments for some time until visibility improves. And you may also be required to fly an ILS approach. The forecast for Cape Town when we left London was for instrument conditions.’

The captain was referring to the instrument landing system, a system of radio signals transmitted from the threshold of a runway. Typically an aircraft's navigation radio would be tuned to the frequency of the ILS. This permitted the aircraft's instruments to reveal whether it was flying above or below the approach path required to land on the runway. It also displayed whether an aircraft was flying to the left or the right of the required path to the runway. It allowed an aircraft to approach a runway in weather conditions where no or poor visibility prevented a standard visual approach.

‘I’m familiar with instrument approaches,’ Eric responded.

They were interrupted by a short beeping sound similar to that of a short wave Morse code transmission. It repeated after a few seconds. Eric looked at the Horizontal Situation Display. The NAV 2 radio needle now pointed towards a new beacon, VMO.  It was reflected as being one hundred and ninety three nautical miles away at one hundred and seventy four degrees.

‘Are we navigating by VOR radio?’ Eric was referring to an FM type directional transmitter with a maximum range of between one hundred and eighty to two hundred nautical miles and which, prior to GPS, was one of the main navigational tools used by pilots.

‘Yes, the GPS system is linked to the flight management system. Since that's out of order, we're using VOR.’

‘Shall I make a slight course correction to Victor Mike Oscar then?’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Changing course to 174.’ Eric added a hint of thrust together with a little back pressure on the steering column whilst he executed a gentle turn to the new course.

The Captain pressed the Ident button on the centre console and the Morse code transmission ceased.

‘I'm familiar with most of the beacons in South Africa. But I don't know this one. Where is VMO?’ Eric started to level off a few degrees before the aircraft’s nose pointed to the new course. He reduced thrust and added downward pressure on the steering column as he did so. Now he would have to watch for course deviations caused by high altitude cross winds, which he expected would come from the West.

‘South Angola. Along the coast. We'll cross it from the Atlantic.’

‘Then on to the Walvis Bay VOR, Alexander Bay, VOR and Charlie Tango Victor, the VOR transmitter at Cape Town?’

‘Correct.’

‘Have we declared an emergency?’

‘No, there's no Air Traffic Control, on our route until we reach Namibia. Luanda Area has been non-operational between 00H30Z and 07H00Z for some time now.’

The Captain was referring to Zulu time, known as GMT in common parlance.

‘I have tuned the COMM 1 radio to Namib Control, and the COMM 2 radio to Cape Town Area.’

‘Given your condition, would it not be wiser to divert to Windhoek? It will save one and a half hours.’

The Captain’s breathlessness grew steadily worse.

‘I don't think I'm likely to make it either way.’ He allowed his words to sink in before he continued. ‘But as Captain, and possibly also a dying man, I must insist upon... a final wish.’

‘What is it?’

‘Promise!’

Eric complied.

‘As acting Captain, you must put the welfare of everyone on this aircraft ahead of my own. Your choice of airport must be the one you feel you will best be able to perform a solo landing on. Nothing else matters. If your choice costs me my life, know that nothing matters more to me than this airliner, the passengers, and the crew. My condition must be regarded as irrelevant! Do I make myself perfectly clear?’

‘Perfectly,’ Eric replied. He considered asking for that aspirin and water, but immediately thought better of it. How could he request a pill for a self-inflicted ailment considering the Captain’s struggle to stay alive? Fortunately his headache had moderated.

‘Cape Town has the longer runway and you may need all of it. Without wishing to cast any aspersions on your abilities, it’s possible that the landing may be less than successful, yet survivable. We have three hundred and ninety seven passengers and fifteen crew. I doubt that Windhoek has the capacity to deal with a high number of casualties all at once. You will have to consider all that. If I do recover sufficiently to land or to assist, I will accept whatever decision you have made.’ He paused as his face contorted. ‘There are approach charts for Cape Town over there.’

‘I won't require them. Unless something has changed in the last fourteen months.’ Eric adjusted the aircraft's heading a couple of degrees to the right to correct for drift caused by high altitude wind.

‘Nothing has changed. But this is what I mean. If you have the airport's data and its obstacles committed to memory, it will be of enormous assistance.’ More coughing. ‘That said an instrument approach without any autopilot assistance in bad weather is not easy. Only you can know whether you're up for it. If you have the slightest reservations about your instrument approaches, I'd recommend a visual approach at an unfamiliar airport over an ILS approach at Cape Town every time.’

‘What do you think Captain? Do you think he knows what he is doing?’ Harry asked from the rear of the cockpit.

Eric had been too preoccupied to be aware of Harry’s presence.

‘Well, at least I can say that if I had the option to choose between Eric and someone with a private pilot’s licence whose only ever flown light aircraft, ...’ The Captain's voice, which had become weaker, faded away. He coughed profusely, and then slumped forward in his seat. His safety harness prevented him from falling against his steering column.

‘Doctor, please come in here quickly.’

Dr Barker slipped into the cockpit and examined the Captain.

‘He is still breathing, thank God. But we will need to get him out of his seat and onto a flat surface so that he can rest.’ Harry assisted the Doctor to move the Captain. It took considerable effort to extract the latter’s stocky, tall body from his seat and to move him out of the cockpit.

+Flight Simulator X (FSX)
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An in-flight announcement inquiring whether a pilot happens to be on board is one which most passengers hope never to hear. Yet, this is what occurs on a British Airways 747 flight from London to Cape Town.

One of the passengers on board is attorney Eric Gates. His hobby involves flying airliners on his computer using a popular flight simulation programme. Eric had always dreamed of having a chance to fly a real airliner. Yet now, when faced with just such a possibility, he regrets having procrastinated about taking time off work to treat himself to flying lessons.

When South African Air Traffic Control learns that an airliner en route to Cape Town may be under the control of a passenger without any pilot’s licence, they decline permission to land at Cape Town International. Their decision is partly motivated by the fact that the 747’s auto pilot and auto land systems have reportedly been damaged.

The decision is also partly attributable to the fallout from the recent and as yet unexplained demise of SA Flight 252, an Air South Africa Boeing 777 airliner which crashed into a Cape Town suburb, killing all on board and hundreds of others.

All this transpires amidst media speculation that an air crash investigation report relating about the cause of Flight SA 252 has been delayed due to disputes between the US NTSB and South Africa’s National Aviation Board.

When the 747 fails to react to ATC instructions to divert to a smaller military airfield, two jet fighters are dispatched to intercept the airliner. Will the South Africans make good on their threats to fire upon the non-compliant airliner?

Unbeknown to everyone, the 747 holds a key to solving the mystery of Flight 252 and its survival is imperative.


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