Are you allowed inside the cockpit? When I tried with Emirates airlines the stewardess told me that after 9/11 the rules are different and not even kids can enter the cockpit.
RE:(the next time you appear to be in the air longer than you anticipated, take a walk to the cockpit to check what's really causing the delay!).
by Sheetal Kaur on Mar 23, 2008 05:11 AM Permalink
What the Emirates stewardess said was correct Cockpit doors are now kept locked from the passengers.
Couple of days ago I read a message in the newspaper from the aviation ministry saying that travelling by Indian aircraft is safe at any time. But what about the ground? Situation like this is never going to be improved if not taken seriously now itself. Moreover, if you look at the Bangalore airport's runway from a nearest tall building, you can observe that it is not at all safe. Anybody anytime can throw anything on it. We need more security of all the passengers. It wouldn't take much to keep runways clean on regular basis.
This is a frightening situation. Probably, this is an example of the existence of God, for otherwise, we would be seeing many disasters with this kind of a system in place. Where is the Minister and what is the Govt doing about this serious situation? Guess nothing, for when these VIPs fly, they probably ensure that they are safe.
There are some push cart vendors just beyond the runway tip (outside the baricaded area)on the Ring Road at Bangalore. They sell a variety of short eats and cool drinks. Surely this will invite birds to scavenge on the leftovers and also the foods thrown by these vendors. It is a pity that the authorities are not taking notice of this. Do they expect an incident and some loss of lives before they wake up? Similar may be the situation around many other Airports.
Recently the department has taken an advertising campaign to explain how safe is our air travel is. However, this article clearly shows some of the lapses in the system. God forbid but if something drastic happens, we can easily blame the dead pilot for human error and everybody else can escape the blame.Unprofessionalism is very evident in the work area and as we say 'Chalte hai'is the attitude. Who cares. Do we have a system where by we monitor the aptitude of the new recruits for their demanding job at the ATC? What is his mental capability? Can he handle multiple task? How clean is the Run Way? If you ask any of these questions then the answer is that this is not handled by our department but by some one else and so we do not know! Landing is lot more difficult thn take of in a very busy airport. Inefficiency cost more fuel burn - means more money and enviornmental problems too.So next time you take to air remember - two wings and a prayer!!
The crux of the matter is our attitude of 'Chalta Hai'. To the babus of the DGCA and the AAI, regulating the Indian skies is only another avenue for making money. You want a licence, competency is not the issue, its either connections or bribes. The DGCA exams conducted every 3 months are a mere sham. Its well known that all you need is a question bank and their answers to pass these. What is the knowledge level of the so called examiners? How updated are they in the fast changing world of aviation? The questions asked in these exams and their answers are a closely guarded secret. Why? What are they hiding? Their incompetence? Some invigilators are known to have disappeared from the exam hall and passed the word that examinees were free to cheat. If the Aviation official felt as if he was standing on a Delhi ring road, what did he do about it? Why are VIP vehicles permitted on the tarmac? How well versed are their drivers in safety requirements on an apron? Lets not blame all and sundry, lets introspect and see why whatever we do is inefficient and chaotic? What about our roads? How many of us abide by the rules of the road or are even aware of them? Lets begin the change within first. When we point a finger, three are pointing towards us.
I'm not surprised with these sort of near misses because of the sheer indifference and callous attitude by the airport authorities. No wonder the pilots are scared. I hope the concerned people look into this seriously before anything tragic happens. Obviously its a very dangerous situation that needs urgent attention.
as a pilot I am frequently inbound to Mumbai Vabb, remember our simulator training prepares us for runway incursions , Fod, airports in India are dumping grounds for waste and so the chances of Bird hits are very high, during FOG conditions , in India , esp in the north the comfort levels are not so , even at ground , apron , tarmac , Vip vehicles are most often parked far too close to the A/cft endangering life and property, also TCAS is for non visual, if u refer to TCAS by the time u get a visual , its most probably too late !! KF, Jet, IA & AI are quite upto the standard the others are compromising on Pilot training esp for Low visual conditions and this is the cause for fog related delays !!
