Civil Aviation Authority

Aviation, in general terms, is always related to flying. The moment you think about career in aviation, all that comes in you mind is a well dressed pilot seated in a cockpit. For most of us, it's a fascination that never wears off. But aviation isn't just flying and piloting. Its an entire world above and beyond the cockpit. Aviation is aircraft design, systems engineering, test piloting, search and rescue, human factors, air traffic control, jet mechanics, electrical engineering, computer systems, airport management, space exploration, customer service, and much more!!!!

Aviation is a global organization that requires disciplined, professional managers to design, manage, and operate the national and international aviation systems of the future. Aviation is a high-tech, swiftly evolving, competitive business operating in a global arena. As a result, educated and sufficiently trained managers are needed in dozens of different careers within the arena of the aviation management industry. Transportation, marketing and logistics, flight operations, and air traffic control are just a few.

The three primary areas of focus in aviation management are Fixed Based Operation Management, General Airport Management and Financial Management. Fixed Base Operation Management (FBO) centers on the business practices involved in operating a maintenance facility at a commercial airport. General Airport Management revolves around the practices and policies of planning and management within the wide-ranging areas of a commercial airport. Corporate Financial Management focuses on the principles and techniques of financial analysis and long-term financing, capital management and budgeting within the aviation industry.

PGDM in Aviation Management is designed to fulfill the needs of today's rapidly changing global aviation industry. Its course curriculum is drawn in direct response to fulfill the specific skill gaps and meet the rising need for developing core managerial skills required in the aviation sector today, both in domestic as well as at the international/global level Employments

The aviation industry offers career opportunities to suit many interests and backgrounds. As aviation remains an integral part of our society, there is still a growing need for qualified personnel. Wages vary from company to company, region to region, and even state to state. Alternatively, the amount earned after five (5) years or more is often much different that what you earn in the first year.

Careers in aviation management are as diverse as they are complex. The aviation industry requires effective management in the areas of public relations, finance, business operations, civil engineering, personnel and labor relations. The aviation manager is often asked to wear a variety of different "hats" and is also likely to become directly involved in executive business decisions. Managers in the aviation industry may also at times be responsible for making and enforcing airport rules and regulations, planning and supervising maintenance and safety programs, negotiating leases, determining the airport budget and promoting increased use of the airport. Thus a career in aviation management offers a plethora of unique management opportunities that offer variety, advancement potential and job security.

After a year beset with problems, predominately with the all-new 787 Dream liner, Boeing has started the New Year on a high note having resumed flight test activities on the 787 immediately before Christmas; having announced a boost to 777 production and having achieved significant progress with issues which occurred during last year with the 747-8 and thus being able to accelerate the types flight test programme.

As far as the Dream liner is concerned, Boeing has installed an interim version of updated power distribution system software and conducted a rigorous set of reviews to confirm the flight readiness of ZA004, the first of the six flight test airplanes which returned to flight on December 23. Flight testing of the 787 was suspended in November following an in-flight electrical incident on a test flight in Laredo, Texas.

"Initially, we will resume a series of tests that remain to be completed in the flight test programme. That testing will be followed later by a resumption of certification testing," said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 programme when he announced the resumption of the testing.

The first items involved after the resumption of testing included an intentional deployment of the ram air turbine, which is a small turbine that is deployed when back-up power is required. Boeing and Hamilton Sundstrand completed testing of the interim software updates a few days before hand. Verification of the system included laboratory testing of stand-alone components, integration testing with other systems, flight simulator testing and ground-based testing on flight test aircraft.

While the fleet was grounded, the company continued ground testing as part of the certification programme. Additional ground testing will be done on the production version of the aircraft to further verify performance of the changes being made. "As we return to flight test and determine the pace of that activity, we remain focused on developing a new programme schedule," Fancher added. At the time Boeing expected to complete assessment of the programme schedule in January.

777 Production Rate

Meanwhile, Boeing has announced its production rate for the 777 programme will increase to 8,3 aircraft per month by the first quarter of 2013. This is the second production increase announced for the programme since March last year, the first one being that production would be increased from five to seven aircraft per month beginning in mid-2011. The 777 has a large operator base, and a track record of proven performance including, at the time of writing, 1163 orders, 907 deliveries and a backlog of more than 250aircraft.

747-8 Freighter

After the cumulative effect of design changes added six-months to the first delivery of the first 747-8 freighter, Boeing appears to have found a steady pace with the acceleration of its flight testing. As it entered the New Year, the company was nearing 1500 hours of flight testing on the fleet of four, which began testing in February last year this year. Boeing announced in September it would slide first delivery to Cargolux to the middle of 2011, following required design changes to the aircrafts inboard aileron actuators, main landing gear doors ,nose landing gear wheel well and flight control laws to dampen out an oscillation.

"We made significant progress in resolving the issues we found during the flight test programme," said Michael Teal, 747-8 chief project engineer."We have implemented fixes on the airplane and we're now driving toward all of the fundamental testing we have to complete to certify and deliver the airplane." In August, Boeing undertook additional stall testing, continuing stability and control evaluations of the aircrafts low-speed handling characteristics .In October ,the 747-8F completed ground effects testing to collect data on thelow altitude performance of the aircraft close to the runway to better refine the aircrafts autoland system.

In November, RC501, the lead freighter test aircraft completed velocity minimum unstuck testing to determine the edge of the takeoff performance envelope by dragging the aircrafts tail on the runway during its takeoff roll. Additionally, Boeing bested its own maximum take off weight record of 455860 kilograms (1005000 lbs) from June by loading the 747-8F to takeoff weight of 458128 kilograms, 15875 kilograms higher than 442252 kilograms MTOW.

During December RC501 was "in layup" preparing for its flight loads survey which was due to have been held last month. The aircraft had pressure taps and strain gauges installed throughout the airframe to compare computer assumptions against observed performance.

Aviation under Increasing Pressure to "Go Green"

Going Green has become one of the biggest global challenges to date and many aviation companies could find themselves non-compliant when it comes to new legislation. As many aviation companies are still not 100% sure exactly what is required,Worl Air news approached Angela Hobbs, an analyst with Camco, a Woodmead, Johanessburg –based global developer of emission reduction and clean energy projects, for and explanation. The following are her views on the subject.

If your aviation activities include flights to and from European Union (EU) aerodromes, as well as flights to or from Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, you may appear on the European Commissions list of aircraft operators that fall under the legally binding emissions reporting scheme known as the European Unions Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

This is the world's largest emissions trading scheme and forms part of the EUs strategy to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is a major milestone in the global effort in the climate change challenge. The EU ETS is an emissions cap and trade scheme that covers the carbon dioxide emissions that are emitted as a result of specific industrial activities by installations (mobile and stationary). These activities are indicated in Annex 1 OF THE Directive.

Each member state or country participating in the EU ETS will set an overall cap or limit on the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted by all sectors covered by the system. This cap is further divided and allocated to the various installations that fall under the scheme.

For example, the aviation sector will only be allowed to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide within the cap. A number of emission "allowances ," which together add up to the overall cap, will be given out free of charge to each of the installations involved should the apply for this free allocation.

An allowance is a tradable commodity and is defined as equaling one tone of carbon dioxide. Aviation operators who fail to apply for free allowances can purchase emissions credits through project-based instruments under the Kyoto protocol, namely Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation projects.

Every year, each installation that falls under the EU ETS must measure its carbon dioxide emissions for that particular period. It will then need to surrender allowances that equal the number of tones of carbon dioxide emitted in that particular year.

In the context of aviation, if an aviation operator were to emit carbon dioxide in excess of the number of allowances received, the operator would need to purchase additional allowances on the open carbon market to balance this out. However, if the amount of carbon dioxide emissions emitted were fewer than the number of allowances received ,these spare allowances could be sold or banked.

In the event that operators fail to surrender sufficient allowances, financial penalties will prevail. The first date for operators to surrender allowances will be April 30, 2013, in respect to 2012 emissions.

Confirming Status

The first step for an operator is to confirm its status in terms of the new legislation by checking if it appears on the list. This list will be reviewed and published by the European Commission on an annual basis to account for new operators or those that are no longer in existence or have rescinded their operating license. Operators that appear on the list will need to develop a quick understanding of this new legislation as well as its requirements so as to avoid unnecessary delays and possible financial and civil penalties. Alternatively, service providers who are familiar with the legislation can carry out the procedures on behalf of the operator.

There are cases where operators are exempt from the legislation ,such as search and rescue and state flights transporting Heads of State to mention a few. A thorough understanding of the Directive is needed before further action is taken. There are two types of monitoring plans and reports that operators must submit, one of which is a mandatory plan that should have been submitted by operators towards the end of 2009. This plan describes the methodologies and responsibilities of operators when monitoring their emissions.

The EA plan, following submission to the Competent Authority, was approved in January 2010. Following approval of this plan, aircraft operators are required to put it into practice for the EU ETS reporting period which runs from January 1 to December 31 each year. For the calendar years starting from 2010, annual emissions must be monitored according to the approved plan in order to develop the AE report. Only accredited verifiers will be accepted by Competent Authorities. Verifiers must be accredited in the members state to which the operator reports.

The independent verifier will produce a verification opinion statement, which must then be sent along with the verified authority annual emissions report to the competent authority by March 31 the following year. Emissions will need to be monitored from 2010 and continues for as long as operators are part of the EU ETS. The Tonne Kilometre Monitoring (TKM) plan, also known as a benchmarking plan, is avoluntary plan that is required for the free allocation of emission allowances. Without this plan, operators will need to apply to its regulator by March 31, 2011, for free allowances.

Certain non-commercial operators are considered as small emitters. This applies to those operators that carry out less than 243 flights per year, or emit less than 10000 ones of carbo dioxides per annum. In this case small emitters are able to simplify their plans by calculating their emissions using the simplified emission calculation tool that was developed by EURO CONTROL. Angela Hobbs concluded:"The Aviation Directive is upon us and future roll-out of similar schemes is expected in locations outside of the EU."

The Execujet Group was at AAD showcasing the aviation specialist's full range of services including aircraft sales, operations, management and maintenance.A Bombardier Challenger 300 Corporate jet was also an display as part of the company's Bombardier sales efforts.

Execujet announced its maintenance department, in partnership with its avionics shop, had recently completed a complete retrofit of a customer Cessna Citation 1SP,replacing the analogue instrumentation with a full digital Universal Glass Cockpit, a Meggit instrument upgrade and glare shield modification. The aircraft was completely stripped down and a new interior fitted along with a modern air-conditioning system and exterior repainted. The company has also recently sold its first Honeywell /Bendix King KFD840 primary flight display unit which replaces six primary analogue instruments.

This system interfaces with most autopilots, GPS receivers and navigation radios. An SD card slot on the side of the unit allows rapid upgrades of software.

Agusta Westland

Italian manufacturer Finmeccanica Agusta Westland has achieved significant sales success recently on the African continent. The latest sales include an A109 Grand and AW139 TO THE Rwandan Government. These helicopters will be used for EMS and VIP transport respectively. Algeria has also ordered several Lynx and EH101 helicopters for its Navy. The company has completed delivery of the 30 A109 Light Utility Helicopters to the SAAF while the Super Lynx is providing sterling service to the South African Navy. The company is hopeful of follow-on orders for both types from the SAAF.

Further on the horizon is the replacement of the Oryx transport helicopter for which Agusta Westland considers their new AW149 model ideal. Civil sales of the type in South Africa have also increased with the SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service(AMS) having taken delivery of a fourth A119Ke Koala and having placed an order for a single A109 Grand for EMS operations.

ExecuJet Concludes Biggest BEE Deal In South Africa's General Aviation Industry

ExecuJet announced the conclusion of an agreement with the Guma Group, headed by IT Billionaire Robert Gumede, to buy a 26% black empowerment stake in ExecuJet South Africa, and in what is billed as the biggest BEE deal to date in the country's general aviation industry. The negotiations to strike the deal took over two years.

ExecuJet South Africa MD Ettore Poggi says that it regards transformation as fundamental to the long-term development and stability of the South Africa economy and its business in the entire Africa continent." It was imperative that we select the right partner for this transaction, and that our selected partner ascribes to similar business principles. Robert Gumede and the Guma Group provided significant comfort in this regard. I am excited about working with Robert and his management team in the future. We can now get down to the business of flying our clients, "he added, saying the Guma Group has a track record in assisting companies with business growth and transformation strategies."

The ExecuJet Aviation Group, headquartered in Switzerland, has a fleet of over 150 aircraft and its South African market leader in this industry. ExecuJet South Africa has over 40 aircraft ranging from turboprops to intercontinental jets under management and available for charter and has facilities at Lanseria International and Cape Town International airports.

The Guma Group of companies, which has over 12000 employees, was founded by Robert Matana Gumede, and is a black owned, hands-on operations and investing powerhouse focused on adding value and imitating growth by means of operations and managerial participation .Guma has operations in key African countries such as Nigeria, Namibia, Zimbambwe, Uganda, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Canada, the Caribbean, Turkey, Chile, Indonesia, Australia, the Middle East, China and United Kingdom.

The Guma Group of companies has interests in a wide range of sectors including information communication technology, smartcard manufacturing, energy, mining resources, real estate, tourism and hospitality, infrastructure development and construction."Through our vast entrepreneurial acumen, impeccable empowerment credentials, highly skilled management, respect for and adherence to sound corporate governance, fervent attention to detail and hands-on value-add,Guma is perfectly positioned within the African continent to grow the business of ExecuJet further," said Gumede.

"Given Gumas investments in tourism through Africa's largest integrated tourism company, Tourvest, we needed to be involved in the aviation industry for the benefit of our private and public sector clients who fly private. ExecuJet gives us just that. Both Guma and ExecuJet are committed to real black participation and transformation of the aviation sector throughout Africa".

This aviation sports event attracted many aircrafts and helicopters manufacturers for both military and general aviation as below find the real story,

SKA Takes Off With Fokker 70

Dubai based SKA Air Logistics took delivery of a Fokker 70 at AAD from Fokker Services which it will use on services in the Middle East .SKA is a world-class service provider of aviation and logistics solutions, typically in unsecured and hostile environments, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. SKAs track record boasts a full spectrum of projects in support of various governments, NGOs and humanitarian operations.

The carrier had previously leased Fokker F-28 -4000s from AirQuarrius but this aircraft, appropriately registered as ZS-SKA, will be operated by SKA SA Aircraft Leasing Pty Ltd. This company is a subsidiary operating under a South African AOC and in partnership with AirQuarrius, who have been a long term partner with SKA.

The aircraft has had a full heavy maintenance inspection and has been configured with 75 seats.

The program with SKA is part of the FLY Fokker program. It will be fully supported with the FLY Fokker take-off solution including comprehensive training, logistics, and MRO and engineering services. As such it enables SKA to serve its customers with the highest aircraft reliability.

Fokker is also confidant that this will be the first of many in the Middle East and Africa.

Interjet Agreements

Lanseria based avionics and aircraft maintenance specialists, interjet announced agreements with three American companies that promise to significantly expand the activities of the company.

Interjet will represent LoPresti Aviation on the Hawker,Citation,King Air and Caravan landing and taxi light upgrades. Thecompanys High Intensity Discharge Boom Beams landing and taxi light retrofit package provides increased safety and visibility ,reduces maintenance costs and is longer lasting . Interjet describes this package as providing aircraft with "a fresh pair of eyes" which greatly enhances pilot visibility in dark and adverse weather conditions.

Interjet now also represents Aero Twin in Africa on the Caravan 208/208B Honeywell TPE331 950hp engine upgrade.This provides operators of this popular workhorse improved take-off and climb performance; allows the aircraft to fly farther with the same fuel and comes with a five-year or 2,500-hour warranty.TBO intervals for commercial operators are now at 7,000 hours.

Interjet will also enter the very light jet (VLJ) market representing the Total Eclipse 500, a twin jet engine aircraft which has full EFIS avionics and is single-pilot certified for up to five passengers in single pilot operations. The factory-certified Total Eclipse 500 is ready for delivery within 30-60 days.

Interjet CEO, Paul Ludick, said,"We are very pleased to have been selected to promote the Eclipse 500 aircraft, which brings the benefits of VLJs to Africa at a very affordable price. The Eclipse 500 is well positioned to represent the needs of private and corporate operators and with Interjets strong maintenance and avionics support ability, will naturally support any Eclipse 500 customer throughout Africa.

Euro copter

Euro copter South Africa Ltd was bullish in its market outlook, fore-casting continued growth on the back of a 35% increase in its South African business, driven primarily by countries in the region investing in airborne law-enforcement and civic emergency response capabilities.

Addressing media at AAD, Euro copter Southern Africa Ltd CEO, Fabrice Cagnat said that despite the recession, which has affected the global aerospace industry and rotorcraft sector, Eurocopter has maintained its position as the leading manufacturer with 42.4 per cent of the total market."The proven suitability of our various civil and military products places Euro copter in the prime position to take advantage of the global and African markets resurgence. While corporate and utility sectors have followed the low trend of 2009, demand for helicopters has remained strong in the para-public domain for law enforcement, public safety and environmental protection", added Cagnat.

Euro copter currently supports a fleet of about 240 helicopters operating throughout Southern Africa. Most of these aircraft are in service with the police services in the region, emergency medical rescue organizations, VIP/Corporate operations and utility missions where they are used, for example, in geo-seismic missions, game counting and power line inspection. A number of helicopters are also flown in the tourism/charter market. The company can also count on its recently established Training Academy at Lanseria, near Johannesburg, to further develop business. This Academy provides type rating and technical training for helicopter pilots and engineers form customers across the region. To meet the increased training demand, Eurocopter Southern Africa will employ an additional instructor from 2011. To date, more than 150 pilots and 220 engineering personnel have undergone training at the Academy.

Euro copter Southern Africa continues to provide technical support to customers in the region, having deployed its engineers on more than 80 missions in the past year."Because our helicopters deliver superior performance and are easy to maintain, they are first choice for tough missions, often far from their home base. We are committed to supporting these aircraft and in honoring that commitment, our technical teams often have to service aircraft in some challenging and remote locations, such as the jungles in the Democratic Republic of Congo," said Cagnat.

Euro copter has also demonstrated the 12 seat EC 145 light twin IFR helicopter at AAD as part of a multi-country demonstration tour in the region. Shown in the "Stylence" configuration for VIP, Corporate and business applications, Eurocopter describes the type as the most versatile helicopters in its class and in service around the world in a multitude of missions such as law enforcement, EMS, utility harbor piloting, offshore oils and gas services and VIP/Corporate services. The first African customer, the Gendarmie Royale Maroc took delivery of two EC 145s which are used for a large variety of law enforcement and public service missions such as surveillance, rescue and medical evacuation.

Euro copter Delivers New AS350 B3 Helicopter to Namibia's Police Air wing at AAD

Euro copter delivered an AS350 B3 "Squirrel" to Namibia's fledgling Police Airwing during a ceremony at AAD. This is the Namibian Police Air wings second helicopter to be delivered since its inception in 2009. The helicopter is equipped with advanced crime combating equipment and aids including a stabilized camera and FLIR system, public address system, spotlight, winch and platforms on the skids for intervention unit personnel.

Inspector-General of the Namibia Police Force, Lt –Gen Sebastian Haitota Ndeitunga said: "Namibians like millions of people in other countries around the world, are reaping the benefits of this investment in modern, versatile, reliable and efficient crime-fighting assets such as our AS350 helicopter. We need the right tools and equipment and methods; we fight them with technology. Air support is essential in a country with vast areas where the helicopters are used for rescue and pursuit operations as well as supporting the activities of other ministries such as health and education.

In addition, Eurocopter Southern Africa Ltd has facilitated rotary-wing flight training for two Namibia Police Air wing pilots as Starlight Aviation in Durban and conducted type conversion training for two experienced pilots in Namibia. Euro copter has also sponsored training by Carl Zeiss Optronics for two LEO system operators. The LEO system incorporates a set of day and night optical sensors and cameras, enabling the helicopter crew to conduct surveillance and track and intercept suspects in daylight and in the dark.

NAC Bell 429

Local Bell Helicopter distributors National Airways Corporation (NAC) showed off the new Bell 429 light twin IFR helicopter which the manufacturer claims to be the most advanced of its type available on the market. The helicopter has been on an intensive demonstration tour, having flown 48 flights with 150 people from South Africa and the region. With orders in the triple figures, including from African customers, NAC is confident of securing even more following the type's local debut.

Bells regional managers, sales and marketing, Arnie Easterly said the type is well suited for the aerial law enforcement, EMS and corporate VIP markets. The Bell 429 was designed to meet the latest in customer requirements. It seats up to eight passengers in a number of spacious and luxury configurations.

NAC and HBC

National Airways Corporation showed off a number of the Hawker Beech craft Corporation (HBC) aircraft for which it is the regional distributor. The Hawker 400 made its show debut, having been in service with several regional clients for more than a year. With a maximum range of 3,300nm at Mach 0.75 and seating up to nine passengers in a spacious, stand-up cabin, NAC feels the type is the ideal solution for government and private corporate transport needs.

The King Air 350i ER was on display and NAC says this is the "greenest" aircraft in its class offering excellent fuel ecomony and efficiency for environmentally conscious clients. The new types extended range is the "ultimate solution "to both civilian and military users. NAC has also entered the military product market with the advanced HBC T-C turboprop trainer. Already ordered by the Royal Moroccan Air Force, the type has been on an African demonstration tour including Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Namimbia and South Africa.

NAC is confident the T-6C meets and exceeds customer requirements and HBC is geared for purpose built solutions and the aircraft is ideally suited to the modern, net-centric ISR, light precision attack and training operations. Former commanding officer of the US Navy Blue Angels demonstration team was also on hand to give potential clients his personal insights into the T-6Cs capabilities.

NAC ALSO DISPLAYED THE Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL extreme short take –off and landing aircraft equipped with the proven Carl Zeiss Optronics stabilized electro- optical airborne surveillance system. This system, along with a powerful searchlight, is fitted in a belly pod manufactured by Pretoria based Global Composite Solutions. NAC believes the aircraft is ideally suited to border control duties, as well as combating the poaching of natural resources.

Apart from the extreme example of manned space missions, air travel is probably the most heavily monitored and regulated mode of transport on earth. Although statistics show that most people suffer serious and fatal injury as a result of motoring accidents, this is because at any one time, there are far, far more people on the roads than there are in the middle of an airplane journey.

Safety in aviation unsurprisingly attracts much more attention because the dangers are more obvious and, when something does go wrong, the effects can be disastrous and headline grabbing especially if an accident occurs over a heavily built up area. It goes without saying therefore that those involved at the sharp end like airline pilots and air traffic controllers have to go through stringent selection procedures to make sure that they have the right temperament for the job well before they even start technical training.

Sadly for them but sensibly for the rest of us, it's largely a case of many being called but only a few being chosen. Yet, like an army on operations, the frontline troops who make it through the selection process have huge back-up behind the scenes.

In the UK, most of this back-up is provided by the CAA, the Civil Aviation Authority and passengers using air travel are effectively in their hands from the minute they arrive at the airport to the minute they leave it after their return. This almost comprehensive responsibility is not purely concerned with the airworthiness of aircraft and their crew. The organization also runs the ATOL scheme which ensures that passengers can get home in the event of an airline suffering financial collapse.

The effort that goes into maximizing passenger safety is based on the cumulative experience and knowledge gained from the circumstances causing past accidents.The result is that only 130 air accidents were recorded worldwide in 2010 compared with 200 in 2001when there were significantly less flights made and passengers carried.

Here in the UK, the CAA is widely regarded as one of the best regulators in the world and it is frequently consulted by its younger counterparts overseas. Over the years it has built up a rigorous roster of checks involving the medical condition of pilots and flight engineers, the qualifications of aircrew, air traffic controllers and maintenance engineers and the state of the country's airports.

It looks into everything from the flight simulators used to train pilots, potentially dangerous goods carried as luggage or freight and what it likes to call " Human Factors". These include things like pilots being affected by stress and fatigue or unruly behavior by passengers.

Away from large-scale commercial aviation, the CAA is also responsible for such esoteric areas as flying displays, civilian parachuting, hot air balloons and airships.

They started employment at all ages, from all backgrounds and in many different areas. They are Legal Advisers, Press Officers, Consumer Affairs Officers, Air Traffic Services Inspectors. And these are only just a few of the vital roles at the CAA, the UK's world class air transport regulator.

Many people are passionately interested in aviation and travel but, sadly, only a proportion can be employed as aircrew. That is why the Civil Aviation Authority is such a popular destination for those seeking to play an important role in shaping the future of air transport in the UK. Besides maintaining safety standards in the UK, the organization provides added value throughout the industry on an international scale. It promotes best practice regulation across Europe and aims to be a leading partner in EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Apart from its well- known involvement in air safety, the CAA is also responsible for ATOL, the Air Travel Organiser's License scheme which protects holidaymakers from losing their deposits or being stranded abroad when their travel company goes under.

As it positions itself for the future, the CAA obviously needs to recruit and retain some of the very best professionals and provide a culture which inspires and rewards high performance. To drive continuous improvement of aviation safety and effectiveness, it clearly has to be committed to the ongoing development of its people and their capabilities.

Needless to say the CAA is an extremely varied organisation having a broad spectrum of business areas, each requiring particular skills, knowledge and experience. Consequently, the types of role for which it recruits are equally varied and, to ensure that it's drawing on the best talents available, it takes equality and diversity very seriously.

While many of the thousands who are employed by the CAA are engaged in highly specialist work specific to aviation safety, many others are active in all the back-up roles that you would typically expect to find in any large organization. Although it is based at two main locations, in Central London and Gatwick, it also maintains regional offices and exam centres at sites throughout England and Scotland in order to work closely with the aviation industry at the sharp end.

Refreshingly, the CAA maintains its own recruitment website so that prospective applicants can get a close insight into the organization and the opportunities on offer. It is possible to apply for individual jobs directly via the site and it even has a facility to register one's interest and file one's CV in anticipation of future vacancies in specific key roles.

Perhaps one of the biggest attractions of working for the CAA are the generous terms and conditions, including one of the very few remaining final salary pension schemes. Above all, the level of job security is almost second to none. The CAA is going to exist in one form or another for as long as people use air travel and, as it is funded by the airlines themselves, it is not subject to any public sector cutbacks.

Gone are the days when Air travel was a preferred mode of transport only for the affluent section of the society. Today, with the low air fares, air travel has become a common mode of transport for people who desire to travel long distances over a short span of time.

The Aviation Industry of India has grown by leaps and bounds. Over the past years, the industry of aviation has witnessed a constant pace of growth as compared to other industries of the world. Due to the open sky policy of the government, many of the overseas players are entering into the Indian Aviation Market. From then, it has only been growing in terms of players and the number of aircrafts. At present, private airlines account for around 75% portion of the domestic aviation market. With the low cost fares and several private airlines coming up, the aviation industry is booming at much faster pace. The fast pace growth of the industry has increased the demand for aviation officers. Here comes the role of institutes like the Chimes Aviation Academy.

Chimes Aviation Academy (CAA), a division of Chimes Aviation Private Ltd., is India's Premier & Largest, fully integrated Pilot Training Institute in India.CAA is driving a culture of excellence in all facets of the academy. The "World-class, global scale academy" has the latest fleet, comprehensive curriculum and renowned faculty consisting of aviation specialist with global exposure to deliver comprehensive training for professional pilots in India.

Chimes Aviation Academy is staffed by a team of globally acclaimed aviation specialist with deep exposure across training, commercial and defense aviation space. The experienced faculty of CAA, consist of a team of more than 7 Flight Instructors with several years of global instructional experience along with 5 highly acclaimed ground instructors. This aviation training institute in India offers a wide range of courses that provide a platform for the growth and extensive learning in the field of aviation.

Launched in June 2008, CAA has achieved recognition for its marvelous training in Aviation. As a leading Pilot Training institute in India, CAA is the largest operating fleet, more than 6000 Hrs of flying, 60+ resident students, certified Cessna Pilot Centers and India's 1st and only ISO 9001: 2008 certified Pilot Training institute.

The solid infrastructure with cutting edge technology of the latest aircrafts in the aviation industry, CAA offers an excellent learning opportunity for young budding aviation officers who desire to give flight to their career in Aviation.

One would expect that the eruption of Eyjafyoll and its travel-paralyzing ash cloud would have by now had some sobering effect on the attitudes of low-budget airlines and airport overseers. The recent criticism of Nats, the airspace authority and of the Civil Aviation Authority are made with what appears to be an imagined sense of judgement, as if airline executives reach their position with the innate knowledge that the Met Office is otherwise required to search for.

It seems counter-intuitive to imagine that it would be beneficial for a government agency to be somehow drawing out the situation, instead of in fact having had to choose between what is safe and what is economically sound. Conversely, reports from oft-neglected transport providers have been positive in the extreme; so far more than three major ferry companies – whose passenger totals waxed fivefold during the no-fly sanction – have announced overwhelming customer satisfaction with their services, and a general attitude of disbelief from passengers who had not considered this option due to outdated misconceptions of the service.

Rail networks too have picked up the slack, providing extended services across the country in a bid to connect stranded passengers. In this light, the invective against the government authorities seems to be a natural by-product of the unfortunate, but essentially unavoidable sanction on airspace. So, what accusations were levelled against these authorities? A spokesman for BA had the following to say: "...it is clear there is too much reliance on the theoretical model of ash spread produced by a single body: the London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre."

Instead of relying on theoretical models and highly specified organizations monitoring volcanic activity, would it be more sensible to make safety decisions based on the beliefs of itchy airline executives desperate to claw back lost revenue? Probably not. The rail industry's unexpected flourishing in this time is purely incidental; despite great pressure, some of the largest providers have been receiving an increase in passenger satisfaction, even while serving the air-travel industry, such as trains to Manchester and trains to trains to Liverpool, allowing for easier flight connections.

The Civil Aviation Authority's defence shows best that the airlines' damning of its decisions is more finger-pointing than objective criticism. Answering to Richard Branson's declaration that the closing of Manchester Airport a second time was 'a joke', a CAA spokesman was puzzled by the contradictory fact that representatives from the entrepreneur's airline had attended the conference on the agreed restrictions, and were given ample freedom to work alongside the authority in the road to recovery. The blame-hurling can be understood also in the light of poor holiday flight bookings in this year's first quarter so far.

The recent demise of the XL Group, a major UK travel company with its own airline and trading under established brands such as Kosmar and Medlife Hotels is an unnerving event for all holidaymakers. With over 20 airlines ceased trading in the past year, how can we be sure that we will not be placed in a similar situation of loss when we book with any travel company or airline?

It is interesting that the statement on the XL group's website said: "The companies entered into administration having suffered as a result of volatile fuel prices, the economic downturn, and were unable to obtain further funding." In a comment from rival holiday firm TUI, it is clear that the industry mandarins are warning that due to rising fuel prices, and less money available from banks due to lending restrictions brought on by the credit crunch "airlines with less than robust business models" - such as XL - were now failing. Clearly the mandarins of the bigger holiday companies are clear that their business models are indeed robust, and we should believe them of course.

But clearly, company size is not everything - XL was actually the 3rd largest operator in the UK - and so it is important always to understand what financial protection is available in the event that the worst happens and your holiday company fails.

In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority oversees the ATOL licensing system whereby any operator or airline offering holidays by air pays into a bonding scheme based on its business turnover. Funds thus generated are used to repatriate holidaymakers, or refund money paid in advance for such bonded holidays. It seems even more important in these difficult times, to make sure that you ensure every element of your holiday is ATOL protected.

However, it is important to know that this scheme is no a "catch-all", when a holidaymaker has booked a "flight only" or a flight and accommodation separately. In the XL demise, it is estimated that more than 10,000 people were not ATOL protected because they booked separate flights and accommodation or flights only. In these days of do-it-yourself holiday packaging via separate bookings via the internet, this situation is unlikely to improve unless legislation changes.

Many consumer rights groups are vociferous in their demands that the Government should take steps to ensure all holiday companies must belong to the ATOL scheme, which offers package holiday makers financial protection. However, it is difficult to see how a scheme run via the Civil Aviation Authority should be able to cover elements of a holiday such as hotels which are purchased separately and are not in an "Aviation" remit.

Because such "Do-It-Yourself" holidays aren't protected by the ATOL scheme, it is important to think about alternative protection. Examples are:

Book with a credit card: But be careful here, because you still might not be covered. You must spend at least £100 on each element of the holiday - and charge cards or debit cards do not offer any protection.

Take out travel insurance: Look for policies which cover against holiday company or holiday provider insolvency. However, it is vital to check the small print, as many policies don't include this cover.

And also remember the important fact that you can only be covered for the component of your holiday that's gone out of business. You can't claim for the others and so you will need to rebook the missing element - possible at a higher price, or possibly with difficulty of any availability at all.

Sometimes, it seems much easier to book a complete package supplied by a single ATOL bonded operator - but taking these few small steps will at least ensure you have the same financial protection outside the scheme, even if you are more "on your own" in the event of a business failure.

There many news on flights on different developments going on globally .Below find the round up on flight news,

SAUDI ARABIA CONTRACTS FOR S-76Ds

The Kingdom of Saudia Arabia's Ministry of Interior has signed a contract to produce twelve Sikorsky S-76D helicopters and has taken options to acquire eight additional S-76Ds, this has been announced by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. The S-76D is the latest model in the highly successful S-76 helicopter line.Sikorsky has produced and delivered nearly 800 S-76 helicopters.

A400M WING PASSES CRITICAL TEST

The critical static test requires for certification for the highly advanced all-composite wing of the Airbus Military A400M has passed the ultimate-load up-bend test. During the test the wing was subjected to a load equal to 150% of the maximum bending load (limit load) predicted to be encountered in service. The wingtips of the full-size A400M static test specimen moved upwards 1, 41 metres (4, 6 feet) during the test which was completed at Airbus Military's Getafe, Madrid facility recently.

INTERJET WINS CONTRACTS

Interjet which is based at Lanseria International Airport has received approval from the South Africa Air Force (SAAF) and Armscor to provide steady state product support on the SAAF Raytheon King Air as well as the Cessna Caravan aircraft. This was announced in August this year by Interjet CEO, Paul Ludick who further said "The contract will include all levels of serviceable which allows the SAAF to provide the necessary readiness as required". Interjet recently received its B-BBEE accreditation for both maintenance and avionics departments which is a requirement to be met for medium and large companies in South Africa.

G450 SETS SPEED RECORD

A long-range Gulfstream G450 business jet recently established a city-pair speed record between Tokyo and Hong Kong. The G450 took off from Tokyo's Narita International Airport and flew the 1,694 nautical mile distance at an average cruise speed of Mach 0, 85, landing three hours and 58 minutes later at Hong Kong International Airport.

MALTESE HOT POTATO

In Malta during the past weeks a partenavia P68C Victor has been seen with huge ICCAT titles on the port side.ICCAT stands for international commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna. Lately, the issue of tuna fishing and penning has been a hot potato on the Mediterranean island of Malta, with fishermen being confronted by vessels from non-government organizations, namely Green Peace and Sea Shepherd. Maltese rural affairs Minister, George Pullicino, recently described the NGOs tactics as similar to those of "private armies". The issue of tuna fishing, which the Maltese Government insists is entirely legal, has also been raised at high level meetings in Luxembourg.

CATHY ORDERS 30 A350 XWBs

Following the signature of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Airbus for the order of 30 aircraft, Cathy Pacific Airways has selected the all-new A350 XWB to form the backbone of its future mid-size wide-body fleet. With the capability of flying over 8000 nautical miles non-stop, the airline has selected the A350-900 variant of the aircraft.

FIRST T-6C FOR RMAF

The first of 24 Beech craft T-6C Military trainers ordered by the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) has been rolled out by Hawker Beech craft Corp. The RMAF is replacing its existing fleet of T-34 and T-37 jet trainers with the T-6Cs.The T-6Cs upgraded avionics include a head-up display, up front control panel, three multifunction displays and hands-on throttle and stick and in addition to the hard-point wings.

The RMAF order represents a government-to government agreement between Morocco and the U.S. In addition to the 24 aircraft, the contract includes aircraft ferry services, site survey, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, facility infrastructure support, personnel training and training equipment, and other related elements of technical and logistics support.

COMAIR EXPANDS AFRICAN NETWORK

From November Comair, Operator of British Airways in South Africa and kulula.com,is again expanding its African route network and will offer five return flights per week between Johannesburg and Daresalam,in Tanzania. The new route and the flights will be operated by British Airways and will also be integrated and sold through kulula.com distribution network.

TRANSATLANTIC JOINT BUSINESS

British Airways ,American Airlines and Iberia have received final regulatory approval from the European Commission to enter into a joint business agreement on transatlantic flights. The airlines anticipate that they will receive the final decision on transatlantic anti-trust immunity from the US Department of Transportation shortly. The transatlantic joint business will strengthen competition across the Atlantic by enabling the oneworld alliance to compete on a level playing field with the other global alliances that already have anti-trust immunity. The airlines plan to launch the transatlantic joint business this autumn.

LUFHANSAS SECOND A380

Lufthansa has received its second Airbus A380 which was recently ferried from Hamburg to Frankfurt prior to being named "Munchen" at a festive ceremony at Munich Airport. Its inclusion in the Lufthansa fleet in August has already raised frequencies ex Frankfurt to Tokyo from thrice-weekly to daily services and has opened the way for the type to be introduced to the South African service from next month.

LANDMARK DESTINATION

Kenya Airways recently broadened its network by launching regular flights between Nairobi and Angola's capital city, Luanda.

POSEIDON ENTERS FLIGHT TEST

Boeings new P-8A Poseidon aircraft T3 successfully completed its first flight test in Seattle recently and during the two-hour and 48 minute flight Boeing and US Navy test pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations, autopilot flight modes, and auxiliary power unit and engine shutdowns and starts. The T3 is the P-8A programmes mission-system and weapon-certification aircraft. In the coming weeks, T3 will join the two P-8A test aircraft currently at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md, and complete additional ground and flight tests.

The Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8A anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet. Initial operational capability is planned for 2013.

ALAFCO OPTS FOR A350-900

ALAFCO, the Kuwait –based international aviation lease and finance company, has converted its existing firm order for 12 Airbus A350-800s placed in 2007, into the higher capacity A350-900 model. The A350-900 is the first of the three members of the A350 XWB family to be introduced and will enter service in mid-2013.The A350-900 typically has a capacity of around 40 more seats than the smaller 800 model.

RED BULL AIR RACES CANCELLED

The Red Bull Air Races have been cancelled for next year, according to a statement issued by the organizers in August. The one-year hiatus is needed to develop strong host city partnerships and secure a "long-term race calendar", according to Red Bull. Some late-in-the –game venue changes and cancellations disrupted the race schedule for this year, and a couple of near-accidents raised safety concerns.

CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., has announced the successful completion of the CH-53K heavy lift helicopter programme critical design review (CDR) event, signaling the program me is ready to proceed to assembly ,test and evaluation. Over the past four years, the CH-53K helicopter team has successfully completed numerous major reviews, including the system requirements review (SRR),system functional review (SFR), systems preliminary design review(PDR), 77 supplier-level critical design reviews (CDRs), 64 supplier and internal software reviews and 16 sub-system CDRs.

SVT FOR BARONS, BONANZAS

Hawker Beech craft Corp. has announced that Garmin's Synthetic Vision Technology (STV) and other associated avionics improvements will be included as standard equipment on its piston-engine Beech craft Baron and Bonanza Aircraft. Following the receipt of Supplement Type Certificates covering both models, the upgraded offerings were introduced on production aircraft as from August.

AWARD FOR ‘FATHER OF BOEING 747

Legendary Boeing aeronautical engineer, Joe Sutter, credited with leading the development of the iconic 747 jetliner ,won the inaugural Flightglobal Lifetime Achievement Award,Flight International magazine announced at the 2010 Farnborough International Air show recently " Joe Sutter helped shrink our planet for tens of millions of ordinary travelers," said Murdo Morrison, editor of Flight International. Sutter joined Boeing in 1946 as an aerodynamics specialist and worked on the Boeing 377,Dash -80,707,727,and 737.In 1965, he took on the role of chief project engineer of the new 747 programme,which pioneered the twin-aisle wide-body concept.

‘FIRST' FOR ARIK AIR

Nigeria's largest commercial airline, Arik Air, has scored another first by becoming, the first Nigerian airline to be re-certified by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The regulatory body announced recently that the airline had met the Federal Governments requirement of the new Civil Aviation Regulations. NCAA director-general, Dr. Harold Demuren, said Arik Air had fulfilled the 6th of the eight critical elements as stipulated by the United States of Americas Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to Dr. Demuren, the sixth element involved licensing and certification and one of the country's airlines needed to meet the new regulation. He expressed optimism that soon Nigeria would bag Category 1 status as the country was close to the end of the certification exercise by the American regulatory body.

ONE TIME TO MAPUTO

Voted by World Travel Awards for two in a row as Africa's leading low cost carrier,1 time Airline, in August launched a five-times –a-week service between Johannesburg and Maputo, Mozambique. It thus makes use of the full capacity granted to operate this route, in relation to existing bilateral agreements. 1times prices started at about 50% less than its competitors and current lowest airfare on the route is R2663 return inclusive, with 1times lowest fare coming in at R672 one-way all inclusive. Government –imposed airport taxes of R475 per way is included in the all-inclusive fare.

NEW A350 XWB HANGAR

From mid-2011 the worlds largest fuselage made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) will be assembled in Hamburg, Germany ,less than a year after Airbus celebrated the "topping-out" of the new A350 XWB fuselage assembly hangar. Completion of the hanger is expected within the next few weeks. Then the jigs, tools and machinery will be set up with start of production scheduled for spring 2011. Airbus is investing over Euros 150-million in A350 XWB hangar (including jigs, tools and machinery) in Hamburg.