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7/30/2019 Icanfly Gak En

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I Can Fly Programme Online Initiatives

General Aviation Knowledge

Pilot Qualities and Cadet Pilot Programme

Have you consider joining Cathay Pacific as one of our cockpit crew? Apart from therequirements listed under Careers at the Cathay Pacific website, what other qualities dowe look for when conducting an interview?

The right candidate will possess the following qualities:- Acute judgement and problem solving skills- Excellent command of English- Motivation and Aspiration- Leadership and Team Spirit

- Enthusiastic about a career in aviation- Technical Aptitude

A 60-week training will be provided to the right candidate. The programme consists of awritten test covering 42 subjects, flight training and examinations and flight simulatortraining. In addition, topics of aerodynamics, navigation, radio communication,meteorology will be introduced. Moreover, cadet pilots are required to accumulate morethen 200 flying hours inorder to graduate from the Cadet Pilot Programme.

If you possess all of the above qualities, we are looking forward for your consideration tojoin our team.


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I Can Fly Programme Online Initiatives


Show and Tell, and your Answer is...

Q: There is a height requirement for pilots. Do you know why?

A: There is a height requirement for pilots and the optimum height is 160cm or above.The reasons are:

Because the aircraft cockpit is very small, aspiring pilots should not be too tall. So, if youare as tall as the basketball player, you are best advised not to pursue a career as a pilot.Even if you adjust the seat to squeeze yourself in, your head will hit the switches theoverhead. This is not only an issue about comfort but the safety of the flight as well.

However, pilots cannot be too short, either as one will be required to control the rudder pedals to steer the aircraft

to control the control panels in front and next to him/her to see out of the cockpit window

Therefore, candidates will be asked to take a seat in the simulator during the interviewso as to ensure that they can fit in the cockpit and reach the control panels.

(Source: Bo eing 747-400 First Off icer Patr ick Lau)


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Cathay Pacific I Can Fly Programme

General Aviation Knowledge26 May 2003

Cabin Air Quality

If you think there is no fresh air in the enclosed aircraft cabin, think again.

Air circulation systems in commercial aircraft are designed to the specifications of internationalaviation regulations as well as guidelines laid down by aircraft manufacturers, including Boeingand Airbus. Cabin air is maintained fresh and chilled. So, how does the cabin ventilation systemwork?

1. Circulation:In flight, fresh air is introduced into the cabin continuously.The entire cabin air volume is exchanged every 3 minutes.

2. Airflow:

The airflow movement is designed to minimise the potential for spreadingof bacteria through the cabin.

3. Filter:The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters,are highly efficient (99.97% ) in removing dust and airborne contaminantssuch as droplets, bacterium and large viral particles.This filter type is also used hospital operating theaters.

4. Humidity/Air Quality:

The cabins low humidity is also inhospitable to germs survival and growth.

So, next time, when you travel on a long haul flight, such as from Hong Kong to London, dontthink that you are still breathing in the air from the departuring country.


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Cathay Pacific I Can Fly ProgrammeGeneral Aviation Knowledge

26 May 2003


Q: Would the cabin crew make a public announcement and seek medical assistanceimmediately if a passenger was found to be ill?

The cabin crew will not make an inflight public announcement nor seek medical attentionimmediately if a passenger is found to be ill on board.

Its mandatory for all Cathay Pacific cabin crew to attend a safety training programme toprepare them in handling any normal emergency procedures in the aircraft. Their lessonon first aid includes topics on nosebleeds to cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, oxygentherapy and emergency childbirth. Cabin crew also go through an annual refreshercourse to maintain their skills. They are also required to sit and pass an examination

before they are allowed to operate on an aircraft.

For minor injuries and accidents, fully stocked first aid kits are carried aboard. Theycontain ammonia inhalants, paraffin gauze dressing, bandages, triangular bandagecompresses, safety pins, eye dressing, scissors, forceps, tourniquet, disposable gloves,which will be used to help passengers when needed. Portable oxygen is available too.

The Cathay Pacific aircraft is also equipped with a well-stocked doctors kit for anemergency. For minor injuries, this kit will not be used. If needed, the cabin crew will firstinform the Captain who will then seek professional medical advice from MEDLINK. Thekit can only be used with guidance from doctors/nurses on board. If not advised byMEDLINK, cabin crew will not make public announcement for medical assistance.


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Flight Simulator

Boeing Flight Simulator Airbus Flight Simulator

Have you ever wondered how pilots from international airlines land their aircraft whenthey have no reference to a new airports runway or facilities? Thanks to flight simulators,pilots have been able to land safely.

A flight simulator is similar to the cockpit of an aircraft and it is used for flying training. Itcan create simulations like take-off, landing, speed control, air turbulence as well as

portray the runways and nearby landscape of different airports. The flight simulator givespilots a real flying experience made possible with computer programmes. For instance,the simulator will vibrate along with windscreen effects like blur views with lightning if themode of thunderstorm is turned on.

Many pilots have been trained in flight simulators. They provide good opportunities forpilots to improve their flying skills, especially during emergencies such an engine failure.The flight simulator can also help to test a pilots familiarity with the aircraft system, hisresponse and decision-making skills.


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Show and Tel l , and you r An swer is . ..

Q: Cathay Pacific pilots are divided into three groups according to aircraft fleet type -Boeing 744, Boeing 777 or Airbus. Different aircraft are employed on different routes, soBoeing 744 aircraft will be used mainly on long-haul routes such as from Hong Kong toLondon and Vancouver, while the Boeing 777s will be used on short- and medium-haulroutes such as to Bangkok or Seoul. If a pilot is assigned to a particular fleet now, will itlimit his or her ability to fly on routes currently being operated by other aircraft types?

A: Although different aircraft types are scheduled to operate different routes, a pilot hasthe ability to fly an aircraft anywhere.

Apart from factors such as the range of an aircraft and length of the runway, where anaircraft is deployed is a purely commercial decision. Passenger and cargo loads alongwith fuel consumption, etc, are taken into account when making this commercial decision.So where a pilot regularly flies does depend on which type of aircraft they currently fly.

Cathay Pacific cadet pilots are assigned to join either the 747-400, 777 or Airbus fleetafter their 60 weeks training in Adelaide. But chances are that pilots will not stay with asingle fleet throughout their career. When they change, pilots are required to be trainedon the new aircraft type and sit a series of exams before thay are allowed to changetheir pilot license. This training covers ground school, simulator and flying training whichwill last for a minimum of 2 to 3 months.

Piloting an aircraft is a lot like being able to drive a car. Any Hong Kong motorist candrive from Central to Kowloon Tong, as long as they follow the roads and obey the trafficsigns. Air corridors are like roads in the sky, and every pilot is taught how to follow them.

A pilots may not have flown to every airport in the world, but he or she could get therewith the help of internationally accepted rules laid down by International Civil AviationOrganization (ICAO) and by using the following:

Jeppesen Chart:1. airport information, including length and width of runway, frequencies

of control tower and ground;

2. geographical environment of airport, such as the highest level nearbythe airport like mountains or high-rise buildings;And,

Instrument landing systems (ILS) of aircraft and airport.



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Pilot Ranks

Pilots board the aircraft almost an hour prior a flights department to make pre-flightpreparations, so passengers rarely have a chance to meet them. Have you ever thoughthow many pilots it takes fly an aircraft?

Each airline operates according to its own guidelines. Generally at Cathay Pacific, thenumber of pilots operating a flight depends on the flight time:

Short-haul flight (8 hours or less, such as Taipei):Two pilots Captain + First Officer

Regional/medium-haul flight (flight time 8 -10 hours, such as Sydney):Three pilots: Captain + First Officer (Relief Commander*) + Second

Officer

Long-haul flight (flight time: 10 hour or more, such as London):Four pilots: Captain + 2 First Officers (Relief Commander*) + Second

Officer

* Relief Commander is the pilot who will substitute for the Captain whenhe is resting

So, what are the pilot ranks?

Pilots are promoted based on their seniority and flying experience. Once pilots graduatefrom the Cadet Pilot Programme, they will start out as a Second Officer, then progress toJunior First Officer, First Officer, Senior First Officer and Captain. Their uniform varies bythe number of stripes on their sleeve and epaulettes.


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Their experience, responsibilities and the seat that they sit in is described below:

Epaulettes Rank and Job Duties Accumulatedyears of

experienceSecond Officer

The most junior pilot inflight Mainly take part in radio communication Simulator training at least once a month

Normally occupies the pilot seat when theaircraft reaches cruising level

When they firstjoin

Junior First Officer

Second Officer will be promoted to JuniorFirst Officer after a series of checks andinterview

A monthly evaluation flight is required Start taking part in take-off and landing

1-2

First Officer

Have substantial experience in take-offand landing

Like other senior pilots, they have checksevery half a year

Usually occupies the right-hand seat

2-3

Senior First Officer

Will act as the Commander while Captainis away from his seat for rest.

4-8

Captain/Commander

The most experience pilot inflight, beingpromoted to the position after a series of tests

The Commander of the flight Occupies the left-hand seat in the cockpit

10

Though captain is the commander of the flight, he/she will still have promotionalopportunities to Senior Captain and Training Pilot, but they will still have only four bars


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on their uniform, just like a normal Captain. Promotional opportunities depend on the

airlines business development and therefore differs between pilots and some by makeSenior Captain sooner while others may have to wait.



Q: Since pilots are frequent flyers, do you think they will have a special passport withvisas worldwide?

A: If pilots are required to have their visa application approved on every single trip, thentheir passports would be as thick as the Yellow Pages! In fact, pilots have get aroundthrough their special crew card issued by the local civil aviation authorities and approved

by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). With the ICAO crew card, pilotscan have their necessary immigration procedures speeded up.

Apart from the ICAO card, most international airports have also established a specialcrew channel for cockpit and cabin crew to pass through. These counters are usuallylocated at the two ends of the Immigration Hall. When passing through the counters,they are required to present their ICAO card and passport. Although most countriesexempt crew from visa application, they still have to show their crew visa and passportswhen visiting countries like United States.

Airlines will usually facilitate the application of the ICAO card from the local civil aviationauthorities for their crew. In Hong Kong, the Civil Aviation Department is the local

authority responsible for issuing the ICAO card. Information like name, date of joining,ICAO number and a photograph of the crew in uniform are shown on the card.

Dont ever think ICAO card is just another card. Its almost like our identity card inaviation industry. Its number is widely used at work - on flight documents which containsinformation on take-off and landing. Instead of having pilots names recorded, thesedocuments will show their ICAO card numbers.

The ICAO number is given according to the date of issuance. Therefore, its also a wayfor crew to recognise their seniority by looking at the number.

The ICAO card can only be used during duty travel and crew cannot travel alone with it.

The ICAO card will have to be supplemented with a General Declaration Form preparedby the airline. The form which contains the crews name list, will be handed to the localimmigration authorities by the captain or the inflight services manager.

(Source: Boeing 747-400 First Officer Patrick Lau)


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Roles of pilots

Do you remember how teamwork was mentioned as one of a pilots qualities in the firstchapter of the General Aviation Knowledge? If you have sit in the cockpit you will see aclose working relationship between pilots from the moment they commence pre-flightpreparations until the moment they shut down the aircrafts engines at their destination.

Work during a flight is distributed according to who plays the role of Pilot Flying (PF) andPilot Non Flying (PNF). On Cathay Pacific flights, the PF will first carry out a series of

operation procedures, with the help of the PNF reading out the items from the flightchecklist, the PF and PNF will check simultaneously and the PF will report when eachhas been done. The two pilots will counter check each others operations. However, thePF role is not necessarily taken by the Captain.

Standard Operation Procedures determine the respective roles of each pilot, and laydown things that must be done and should not be done. Details, such as theconversation that should take place between the two if they switch PF and PNF roles,are specified and must be followed word for word.

Even though the control systems at the left and right pilot seats are the same, the twowill not operate them at the same time. Two pilots are always required at the controls.That means neither the PF nor the PNF should leave their seat for a prolonged period. Ifone needs to use the washroom, especially during a short-haul flight where there will beonly two pilots operating, then he/she must return as quickly as possible.

(Sourc e: Boeing 747-400 First Off icer Patr ick Lau)


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S h o w a n d T e l l an d Y o u r A n s w e r i s

Q: Cathay Pacifics fleet includes both passenger and freighter aircraft. Our freightersare B747-200 and B747-400 aircraft. Your pilot leaders are all from the passenger fleet.Do you think they can fly on a freighter of the same aircraft type? Who serves meals ona freighter? Do pilots cook for themselves?

A: Cathay Pacific Cargo aircraft have their own set of crew who fly only freighter aircraft.However, your pilot leaders are capable of flying cargo flights, if required, if their licensecovers freighters of the same model. That means B747-400 passenger aircraft pilots canfly the B747-400F freighter, but they cannot fly the B747-200F which requires a flightengineer.

photo caption: Can you tell whats the differences between the cargo flights andpassenger flights from this picture? The answer is: Cargo flight has fewer windows.

Freighters are aircraft that transport cargo. So, what do you think the differences of thebetween passenger flight and freighter are? Answer as below:

1. Configurations


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photo caption: cabin of freighter

Passenger flight: Only cargo space at the belly of the aircraft can be used totransport goods. The upper and main deck arecompartments with passenger seats, gallery andwashrooms.

Freighter: There is only a small cabin with 6 passenger seats at theupper deck and the remaining inflight area are cargo space,which is comparatively larger than normal passengerflights.

Photo caption: cargo space at freighters main deck

2. Air system

Passenger flight: The air system cargo area runs automatically, only that ofcabin can be adjustable.

Freighter: The adjustable air system is specially designed to cater theneeds of the special cargo, such as flowers and fruits, etc

3. Electrical system

Passenger flight: Inflight entertainment, telecommunication systems,electrical equipment at gallery are available inflight

Freighter: Nose door and electrical systems are available for cargohandling


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4. Emergency system

Photo caption: Emergency door on freighter

Passenger flight: Larger passenger doors would allow two passengers to getthrough in case of evacuation

Freighter: Small doors are used on freighters as the maximumnumber of passenger carried is eight.

Photo caption: the lunch made by our pilot leader Ray


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No cabin crew will be on duty on freighters as they are mainly used for transportinggoods. Pilots will, therefore, have to make their own meals. Of course, they are notrequired to cook for themselves but they will have to reheat the inflight meals preparedby the Cathay Pacific Catering Services HK Limited.

Though freighters are said not to carry passengers on board, there are exceptionalcases. So, who will be the passenger? Airline staff or those special guests like thecompanion of special cargo, such as the horse groomer will then be only passengeron board. They will take the 6 passenger seats outside the cockpit. Then, the pilots willdemonstrate the safety demonstration and they will also have to reheat their own meals

too.

Apart from large animals, freighters carry goods like corrosive or inflammablesubstances which are forbidden on passenger flights. Of course, those goods withstrong smells, like durains are one of the frequent flyers on freighters.

(Source: Boeing 747-400 Senior First Officer Ray Cheung)


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Pilots pre-flight preparations

Dont ever think that pilots jump straight into their pilot seat, switch on the engine andtake off. Pilots will have to arrive at least in 1 hour and 20 minutes prior the flightdeparture to go through pre-flight preparations.

Pre-flight preparations are not simple. They include the studying and analysing fivemajor documents, which run to as many as 40 pages. They must also make twoimportant decisions. Details as below:

Five documents:

1. WeatherWeather will have direct impact on the flight time. Therefore, pilotsstudy the weather information of the countries or locations where theflight will take them. Weather forecasts for wind direction and strength,thunderstorms, turbulence and other unstable conditions are takeninto account. Pilots will also review weather information of nearbyareas. Such information will be useful in case of emergency if anemergency landing or diversion is required.

2. Notice to Airmen (NOTAM)

Latest information, operational changes and operating hours ofairports, such as temporary closure of a runway, as well as specialarrangements in the sky will be included.

3. Flight Plan

The flight plan contains detailed information of flight time, fuelconsumption rate, wind direction and speed at different altitudes,respective altitudes of each way points, as well as the distances,location and necessary fuel requirements and flight time between twoway points. The information will be input into the computer systemand checks, such as fuel consumption rate and the arrival atwaypoints, will be carried out.


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4. Notification To Captain (NOTAC)

If there is any cargo that requires special handling on the flight, suchas dry ice, the Captain will be informed on the quantity carried andwhere it is stored. Its special handling requirement, safety standardand limitations will be noted.

5. Others

Information such as a security alert at an airport, reports on damageto aircraft systems and passenger information will be reviewed.

Two major decisions

1. Fuel required

Pilots must decide how much fuel is required for the flight. They also addsome margin for safety, just weather turns bad or in case of holding or

forced to make a diversion.

2. Special Operating Procedure

Pilots make adjustments to the standard operating procedures basedon the weather forecast and their experience. Wind shear is one ofthe examples where special operating procedures on take off climbingand accelerating apply.

In addition to the five major documents and two important decisions, pilots are requiredto check flight instruments in the cockpit and exterior aircraft parts to ensure all is normal.



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S h o w a n d T e l l an d Y o u r A n s w e r i s

Q: As mentioned in the article on the pre-flight preparations of General AviationKnowledge, pilots will check the exterior aircraft parts during walk-around. Do you knowwhat aircraft parts will pilots check?

A: One of the major tasks of the pre-flight preparations is the walk-around. It involvesa detailed checkup of the aircrafts exterior and aircraft parts. This is carried out after thenormal checkup conducted by the engineering team. The walk-around is very importantas it minimizes the possibility of defects or system errors after take-off. This task will bedone by the Pilot Non Flying (PNF), i.e. Captain or First Officer, but second officers arenot permitted to carry out external inspections.

PNF will have detailed checkup of the aircrafts exterior and aircraft parts, with reference

to the arrows shown in the diagram above

For safety reason, PNF will have to wear the high visibility jacket when they carry out theinspection at the apron. They will also need to bring a torch with them if the check isdone at night. Inspection will start from the head of an aircraft and the parts to bechecked are summarised as below:

1. Engine

- ensure the exterior of the engine is not damaged or no screws are loose- check if there was a bird strike or any dead birds trapped inside the engine


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2. Gears and Tyres

- Wheel steering ground lock pins at nose gear and body gear are removed- No fuel leakage or damage to the gears

- Tyres are pumped with ambient air- Tyres are not worn

3. Wipes- Windshield wiper stop visible

4. Fuselage- Crew, passenger and cargo doors that are not in use are closed- Fuselage skin in acceptable condition

5. Navigation lights and landing lights- Navigation lights and landing lights at wings, flap and fin are functioning- Light lens unbroken and lights illuminated

6. Air exit and inlet cowl

- Ensure air exit and inlet cowl are not blocked

7. Oil pressure system- No fuel leakage

8. Control services- Aileron, rudder, flap are not damaged or stuck with branches


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Navigation Bag and Documentation

Do you know why cockpit crew who operate long haul flights such as Hong Kong to NewYork are required to stay at the destination before their return flight? However, thisovernight arrangement may not apply to those who operate short haul flight such asHong Kong to Taipei. Based on a mandatory requirement called minimum crew rest, itensures crew get enough rest before they operate on an aircraft. The mandatory crewrest requirement of different airlines may vary, yet their ultimate objective is to ensureflight safety.

Safety is always a top priority at Cathay Pacific. The maximum working time for ourcockpit crew will depend on the flight time and the calculation of the number of resthours to be allocated is fairly complicated. Take a long haul flight for example, pilots will

have a minimum of 13 rest-hours after the flight if it is operated by 3 cockpit crew. Incontrast, its 18 rest-hours if the same flight is operated by 4 cockpit crew. Sucharrangement would also have taken the acclimatised time into account.

Air crew are required to rest for a certain number of hours based on the mandatory crewrest requirement. Cockpit crew are considered to be working once they report for dutyand their working hours will end half an hour after the flight landed. Such arrangement isto eliminate the possibility of mistakes due to fatigue as well as to ensure flight safety.

Cockpit crew will normally stay at outports after their long haul flight and their length ofstay varies from one to three days. As a result, they would carry suitcases just like anytraveller. In addition to the suitcase, you may have noticed pilots will include a hand

carrier too. Do you know whats inside this special bag?

The hand carrier is divided into two types:

1. Navigation Bag

The navigation bag includes documentation of each flight which is prepared bythe staff at the flight despatch. Such information will be available for reviewbefore a flight departure.


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Apart from the Five Documents including the weather information, Notice toAirmen (NOTAM), flight plan, Notification to Captain (NOTAC) and other flight

information which was discussed in the last chapter, a mini Jeppensen chartwhich contains necessary airport details will be included for reference. Othermiscellaneous items in the navigation bag include earplugs, disposable earmufffor the headphone, disposable wipes for cleaning the microphone of theheadphone etc.

2. Briefcase

The briefcase contains personal necessities which differs from one pilot toanother. However, there are some common items such as pen, notebook,sunglasses, torch, windbreaker, lip balm and lotion (which is useful for a chilled

inflight environment). Besides, some pilots will also bring along a sleep suit fortheir change during rest time during a long haul flight. Licence, ICAO card,Cathay Pacific staff card and passport are definitely a must.

(Source: Bo eing 747-400 Senior First Off icer Ray Cheun g; Special thank s to

Airbus Second Off icer Ricky Wong and Nick Tong)


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Show and Tell and Your Answer is...

Q: Is Black Box black in colour? Where do you think it locates?

The so-called Black Box is not black in colour; in fact it is bright orange so that itcan spotted easier if it has to be found on the ground.

There are two units; one is a Cockpit Voice Recorder which picks up pilotsconversations, and the other the Flight Data Recorder which records thefunctions and movements of the aircraft.

Each can reveal vital information during the investigation of an incident.

The boxes are installed in the cargo area towards the tail of the aircraft. They arewatertight, heat proof and can withstand heavy impacts.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder functions like an ordinary tape recorder. It recordsthe conversation between the cockpit crew, Air Traffic Control, as well asannouncements made by cockpit and cabin crew. Although the tape is only 30minutes long it loops round continuously so that will always record the last 30minutes of any flight.

The Flight Data Recorder records the movements of the elevator, rudder, landing

gear, aileron and flaps. It also captures information on the altitude, speed,direction, change in altitude, fuel consumption, data from the engines and manyother things.

It is routinely used as a reference to see if pilots are following standard operatingguidelines and whether they responded appropriately to problem.


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Identification of aircraft

Do you know how to identify an aircraft? In fact, all you have to do is to pay attention to their ensize and number of deck. . Below is the quick reference:

Aircraft type

Single/Doubl

e deck

Single Single Single Double

Winglets No No Yes Yes

Length 73.9m 63.73m 57.12m 70.66m

Height 18.51m 18.51m 12.92m 19.41m 1

Other information:

Wing span 60.93m 63.3m 45.23m 64.92m 6

Seat 382 336 251/311 345/373/389

Backgroundinformation

Cathay Pacific isthe first airline to

acquire thisefficient, high

capacity aircraft in

May 1998

Fondly known asthe Triple Seven

The Airbus A330 isa twin-engine

aircraft used forregional and

medium haul routes

It is the largestcommercial jetliner

ever built and is alsocalled the Jumbo.

Cathaylaunchthis wocomm

the long

aircraftstop fl

loads thyear

Kong tomajor d

th

(Source: Airbus First Officer Sophia Chan and Senior First Officer Mark Lam)


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Q: Please identify the following aircraft.

2.


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3.

Photo 1: Boeing 747-400Since it possess the following characteristics:

- Double deck- Four engines- Winglets

Photo 2: Boeing 330-300Since it possess the following characteristics:

- Single deck

- Two engines- Winglets

Photo 3 Boeing 340-600-300

Since it possess the following characteristics:- Single deck- Four engines- Winglets- Ultra Long fuselage


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Aircraft parts

As discussed in the chapter on Pre-flight preparation, pilots will have to study a series ofdocuments and weather information is one of the five major documents to be analyzed.While weather forecast can give pilots a general idea of what the weather is like, it isunreliable as the weather changes so rapidly. Pilots will then have to rely on other

sources for weather information during a flight.

The weather radar is vital to flight safety. This instrument is used to detectthunderstorms and by inference, severe weather turbulence. The weather informationwill be displayed on a black-and-white TV screen and pilots can use this to navigate theaircraft around the storms.

The system has a radar aerial fitted in the nose of the aircraft which can scan up to 90degrees left and right and tilt 15 degrees up and down. It uses a pulse radar techniquefrom a conical beam, whereby pulse returns that have been reflected back off waterdroplets in a cloud are interpreted and displayed as black areas by the system. Differentcolours are used to depict differing levels of return. See below for different levels of

storm activity and turbulence:

1. Black colour

Rainfall rate: Below 0.7mm per hourStorm category: -Condition: Very light or no returns, no significant danger

2. Green colour

Rainfall rate: 0.7mm to 4mm per hour

Storm category: Weak (1)Condition: The weakest return, however, moderate rainfall possible.

Light to moderate turbulence and lightning possible. Nohail threat.


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3. Yellow colour

Rainfall rate: 4mm to 12mm per hourStorm category: Moderate (2)Condition: Medium returns with less severe but still heavy rainfall.

Light to moderate turbulence, hail (0 to 0.25% chance) andlightning possible.

4. Red colour

Rainfall rate: More than 12mm per hourStorm category: Strong and above (3-6)Condition: Strong returns with heavy rainfall. Severe turbulence, large

hail (25-100% chance) and lightning possible.

(Source: Cathay Pacific Airbus Junior First Officer KW Chan & Second OfficerJohnny Ko)


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Show and Tel l and Your A nswer is . ..

Where do you think wastes in the lavatory are disposed?

Wastes that flushed into the lavatories are vacuumed into lavatory service carts whichlocate at the rear of the aircraft. The waste will be sucked and removed through pipesfrom the belly of the aircraft when it lands and will then be transferred to sewage facility.So, next time when you see a plane flying overhead, dont worry if there will be disposeditem dropped off from the plane.


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Fuel Tank

There is a common misinterpretation that the number of fuel tanks associates with thenumber of engine of an aircraft. But this is false. So, how many fuel tanks are there onan aircraft and where are they?

There are eight fuel tanks in a Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft, three on each side of in the

wings, one in the belly and one in the horizontal stablisers at the rear.

Fuel must be used in sequence to maintain balance on the aircraft during a flight. That means fuel

in the wings must be used at the same time.

How much fuel can the fuel tanks hold? A Boeing 747-400 can uplift as much as 172 tonnes.

With that much fuel a normal car could drive around the world 70 times!

A typical short-haul flight, such as Hong Kong to Taipei may need around 12 tonnes of fuel and along haul flightm such as Hong Kong to Toronto may need 150 tonnes. Of course, the exact

amount needed depends on the distance involved and the loading of both passengers and cargo.


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Show and Tell and Your Answer i s...

Q: You can see clearly that there are some flashing lights on the exterior of an aircraft at night.Can you tell what colours are they and what are their functions?


Q: Flashing lights on the exterior of an aircraft can be clearly seen at night. Can you tell what

colours they are and their functions?

Thank you member numbers 9, 19, 29, 39, 49 for your inputs. Please find below the answer to our

"Show and Tell, and Your Answer is..."

We can see the flashing lights on the exterior of an aircraft at night. The lights combine the

function of anti-collision, warning and directional. Can you tell what colours they are?

Beacon lights

The beacon lights are red anti-collision strobe lights located on the top and bottom of the fuselage.

Navigation lights

The navigation lights are standard red (left forward wingtip), green (right forward wingtip), and

white (tail cone) position lights.

Logo lights

Logo lights are located on the stabilizer to illuminate the airline logo on the vertical tail surface.

Taxi lights

The Taxi lights located on the nose gear provide illumination.

Wing lightsWing lights are installed on the fuselage and illuminate the wings and engine nacelles.