Airliner Automation
Airline pilot Daniel Fahl is often asked about the autopilot and whether it can fly the aircraft. In his column, he gives us the answer.
The automation used is extremely accurate, even more so in many cases than the pilots hands themselves. However, an autopilot can do an incredibly precise job of maintaining an undesired state. Thorough interfacing by the flight crew and knowing when manual intervention is necessary is crucial.
Iberia pilots to strike again
Iberia pilots plan a strike action January 25, January 27, and January 30.
[The strike is] to protest company plans to create a lower-cost carrier, Iberia Express, for its loss-making medium-haul network (ATW Daily News, Jan. 18). Pilots want management to abandon the plan.
The new strikes follow four one-day walk-outs Dec. 18, Dec. 29, Jan. 9 and Jan. 11 (ATW Daily News, Jan. 9).
Fuel costs spur airlines’ cuts in usage
Even before the new fees implemented by the European Union to cut carbon footprints, airlines are looking to lower costs further by reducing fuel usage.
Fuel accounts for nearly one-third of an airline’s expenses, according to Robert Herbst, founder of the industry website www.airlinefinancials.com, up from about 14 percent a decade ago.
“Fuel is the largest cost for any airline,” said Steve Lott, a spokesman for the industry group Airlines for America. “There is a huge incentive for airlines to reduce their fuel burn and become more efficient.”
(Photo: Elliott P./Flickr Creative Commons)
