Picture 2 - Volcanic Ash

TEST 2
1) What made you decide to become a pilot?

As a matter of fact, I’ve had my heart set on becoming a pilot since I was a child. When I grew up I had the opportunity to
make this dream come true.
I started my Pilot Course in 1999 and I finished it in 2014.
As far as I understand, having studied to become an airplane pilot, it was not easy, because my parents and I had a lot of
difficult paying the theoretical course and flown hours. But I never thought to give up.
2) What’s the main responsibility of a captain?

Based on my Knowledge, Captain is a person designated by the operator of an aircraft to be responsible for the flight crew
members, passengers and things transported by the aircraft. But the main responsibility of a captain is the safety of the flight.
3) What’s your favorite aircraft?

As a matter of fact, I have never flown this aircraft. It’s an Airbus-320. It’s a low-wing twin-engine turbofan aircraft with a
very good performance that can accommodate up to 220 passengers.
Its ceiling is 39,000 feet and it has eight hours of endurance.
Due to its technologies, low operating cost and high in-flight performance, the airbus 320 was recognized as the world's
best-selling commercial airplane.
4) What would you tell a person who wants to be a pilot and fly big aircraft?
As far as I know, I would tell him or her to study hard, especially English. I would also tell him or her to continue with his or
her dream and never give up because aviation has some ups and downs moments, but when you are employed, you’ve got a
broad view of the world, you can have contact with different cultures and people and you can know different places as well.
5) In your opinion is it important to train emergency situations? Have you ever done any training? If so, what’s your favorite?
Based on my knowledge, when an aircraft is in an emergency situation, a pilot should be capable to maintain the aircraft
flying to a nearest suitable aerodrome following the check-list step by step to find out and sort out any problem during the
flight. When there are no possibilities of keeping the aircraft in an emergency situation flying to the nearest suitable airdrome,
the pilot must know how to choose a suitable place to perform an emergency landing without injuries to the passengers, flight
crew members and people on the ground.
That is why it is important to train emergency situation constantly.
Recently, I have been training different types of emergency situations giving systematic practice in engine failure situations
training.
6) Can you describe your present activity as a pilot?

As a matter of fact, I am an airplane flight instructor at the Sorocaba flight school assisting students to become a pilot.
On the ground I have to apply a good briefing to the student. During the flight instruction, I have to be careful not to teach
the student wrongly and at the same time I have to be attentive to the different types of instruments the aircraft, air traffic
control communication and others aircrafts flying nearby.
It is a profession that requires a lot of attention and responsibility.
7) What’s the importance of the briefing before the flight?

As far as I understand, briefing is the time when you have the opportunity to have a systematic view of your flight. At this
time you can reinforce some emergency procedures coordinating actions with your crew and you can anticipate solutions for
problems that may occasionally appear during the flight.
Lacking a good briefing is the primary factor that can lead to a disaster.
1) Please describe this picture to me.
Here, we’ve got an interest picture of a white and blue, low-wing, twin-engine turbofan aircraft. It is an Embraer 190 that
has the passengers-carrying version because there are windows crossing the fuselage. I can also see red and gray stripes
on the fuselage.
I cannot identify to what air company this aircraft belongs to.
Looking at this photo makes me believe that this situation happened at a big airport because it supports the operation of an
aircraft of this size.
This picture shows the airplane parked on the airport apron incredibly covered by volcanic ash. So, I believe there was a
volcanic activity nearby that airport.
I may say that this picture is poor in details.
I cannot see in this picture vehicles, airport ground staff, buildings and wooded area. But it is possible to see there are
engines inlet protections to prevent volcanic ash, cones signaling the plane to avoid impacts and a ‘’jet way’’ on the right side
of this picture.
Weather conditions weren’t good because there were a lot of volcanic ash spread out in the air.
2) Choose one:
A) What do you think happened before this picture was taken?
Before this picture was taken, I believe that out of the blue a volcano erupted nearby that airport, a lot of volcanic ash was
released/ scattered into the atmosphere and fell over the aircraft parked on the airport apron.
Before this picture was taken, I also believe that all flights of that day were canceled due to bad weather conditions.
B) What do you think these people were doing before this picture was taken?
Before this picture was taken, I think the flight crew members were preparing the aircraft for a flight, airport ground staff
were carrying cargo and luggage in the aircraft cargo compartment, passengers were boarding on the plane and some of
them were doing some type of work at the airport.
C) What do you think was happening before this picture was taken?
Before this picture was taken, I think that a volcano was erupting nearby that airport. A lot of volcanic ash was being
released into the atmosphere and falling over the aircraft parked on the airport apron.
Before this picture was taken, I also believe that all flights of that day were being canceled due to bad weather.
D) Can you create a short story based on this picture? Use your imagination.
An isolated airport in South America has been hit by volcanic ash from a dormant volcano for years. A lot of volcanic ash
was realized into the atmosphere and it fell over the aircraft parked on the airport apron. The airport got closed for days and
when the volcano's activities finished, landing and takeoff operations were being normalized.
3) Imagine that this picture has just been taken:
What do you think will happen next?
I believe the airport will remain closed for days, but I also believe, there will be improvements in the weather conditions.
When the volcano's activities to finish, the airport and all the aircraft parked on the airport apron will suffer a cleaning. After it,
landing, takeoff operations and other airport services will be normalized.
4) What kind of damage can volcanic ash cause to the engine?

Based on my knowledge, when the volcanic ash is ingested by a working engine, due to a high temperature on the internal
parts of the engine, it turns into lava with high incendiary and corrosive power. When the incandescent lava cools, it solidifies.
The results are clogging of the combustion chamber, damaging the turbine blades and other internal parts of the engine due
to the buildup of rocks.
5) Do you foresee improvements in technologies in the future that can minimize the threats of volcanic ash?
As a matter of fact, the technology has improved aviation a lot in the last few years and there will certainly be more
improvements in the coming years. In the future, there will be sophisticated radars capable of detecting volcanic ash clouds
into the atmosphere. Thus, pilots will be capable to deviate from it.
6) Now, I am going to read a statement to you and then you will have to tell me to what extent you agree or disagree with it:
“Volcanic ash when thrown into the atmosphere tends to be more harmful at night because it reduces visibility.”
I agree with this statement. Volcanic ash must be avoided by the aircraft at all times. At night period causes pilots attention
to be redoubled due to a lack of contact with meteorological phenomena in the atmosphere. Even using sophisticated
meteorological radar, it isn’t capable to detect volcanic ash in the atmosphere. Thus, when volcanic ash is ingested by
working engine, the outcomes or damage can be incalculable.

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TEST 2

1) What made you decide to become a pilot?

2) What’s the main responsibility of a captain?

3) What’s your favorite aircraft?

6) Can you describe your present activity as a pilot?

7) What’s the importance of the briefing before the flight?

4) What kind of damage can volcanic ash cause to the engine?

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