Spring 2018 | Edition 3
Our spring newsletter brings industry updates and news to our partner schools. ATPdigital & Textbook Improvements Enhanced Vision Systems Wings Alliance Update Industry Update
Introduction We are delighted that you have chosen to partner with us. We have developed this newsletter to help keep our partner schools up-to-date with our latest developments and those in the industry. With a dedicated team with years of industry experience in aviation, we who work very hard to ensure we provide our partner schools with a high-quality product and service. If you have any questions please get in touch.
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Contents Industry Update 3 On The Horizon - EVS
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Training Material Update
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Wings Alliance 10
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update
INDUSTRY
The EASA Question Bank – new questions Last year EASA started to introduce four styles of questions: 1. Multiple-choice – the candidate selects a single answer from four options. 2. Multi-select – candidates must select options from a list to correctly answer the question. 3. Inline – involves the correct completion of sentences using a drop-down menu containing words, numbers, or a combination of both. 4. Text – type-in-the-answer questions requiring the input of keystrokes. This style may be used to answer calculation-type questions, or questions requiring the extraction of data from a chart or table. As an EASA examination centre Bristol Groundschool receives regular feedback from students directly after their exams. As a result, our question bank (BGS Online) and course materials are frequently updated to ensure our students and that of our training partners are in the best possible position to pass their exams first time. 3
Industry update EASA ED Decision 2018/001 ED Decision 2018/001 was published on 6th February 2018. It introduces several significant changes to theory training. The last significant update was in 2006, so this is a welcome revision. The syllabi are changing and the ECQB will be updated to reflect the changes. The main changes are: • Some topics have been moved between or deleted from subjects to avoid duplication;
• Area 100 KSA has been introduced, but in a significantly different way to that proposed in the NPA; and • The concept of ‘Basic Knowledge LOs’ (BK LOs) is introduced (BK LOs need to be taught as they are ‘building blocks’ of knowledge on which higher levels of knowledge are built, but they will not be examined directly);
• Out-of-date Learning Objectives (LOs) have been removed; • New LOs have been added to take account of new technology, current safety priorities, changes in operational practices and the outcome of the work done in other Rule Making Tasks such as UPRT; • The subject areas common to both aeroplanes and helicopters have been reviewed and new aeroplane or helicopter-specific LOs have been introduced, where considered necessary; • The TEM concept and its application has been introduced;
There is a lot of detail about this in the ED document; an internet search for ED Decision 2018/001 will result in a link to the EASA document. We will not reproduce the detail here but suffice to say that the implementation period is between 2 and 4 years. We will be using the next 2 years to redevelop our course materials to comply with the new standard, in case some authorities are in a position to start the revised exams at the beginning of 2020. However, it is likely that the first exams will be some time after this. It is our intention to provide schools with a ‘turnkey solution’ for delivering the courses including KSA100.
Updated Jeppesen Route Manual The Student Pilot Route Training Manual otherwise known as the Jeppesen is being replaced with an updated version simply called the Jeppesen Airways Manual. The new Jeppesen manual is user friendly for the modern pilot whose prime interest is in airways and waypoints relying on a computer to do the plotting. For exams, which feature manual plotting, it is not so friendly, the key changes include: • Magnetic north lines on beacons have gone • Gridlines and deviation lines are at best difficult to see and on some charts virtually not existent • Magnetic variation has changed • Beacons have been removed • Airports opened/closed These changes will undoubtedly slow down students during exams. From an exam perspective our understanding is the new Jeppesen manual will be required for anyone sitting their EASA exams from 1 September 2018, this may vary from country to country, so we recommend you check this with your own authority. At the beginning of June, we will be introducing new ATPdigital syllabi and textbooks based on the new manual. The subjects affected are Flight Planning and Monitoring, and General Navigation. ATPdigital syllabi numbered v7.3 and later will incorporate these changes. 4
Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) produce an underlay on the Primary Flight Display (PFD), or, if so equipped, on the Head-Up Display unit (HUD). But here the resemblance ends, because EVS is a real time view of the world using two different parts of the Infra-Red (IR) spectrum. Whilst the technology used is not new – far from it, as we shall see – EVS is a relative newcomer to aviation. Gulfstream were the first to offer EVS as standard equipment as long ago as 2003, but the story starts much further back...
EVS Camera on a Gulfstream G450 (Wikimedia commons, Spartan 7W)
In 1878 the American astronomer Samuel Pierpoint Langley invented the ‘bolometer’, a device used to measure the power of incident electromagnetic 5
radiation. Bolometer comes from the Greek ‘bole’, for a ray of light, and ‘metron’, to measure. His early bolometer consisted of two strips of platinum, both covered in lampblack (carbon). One strip was shielded from radiation, the other exposed to it. The electromagnetic radiation falling on the exposed strip heated it more than the shielded strip, therefore changing the resistance. The strips formed two branches of the familiar Wheatstone Bridge, allowing the difference in the resistance of the two strips to be measured on a galvanometer supplied from a battery. Langley’s bolometer was accurate enough by 1880 to detect the thermal radiation from a cow up to 440 yards (400 metres) away. The sensitivity claimed for his bolometer was one hundred thousandth of a degree (0.00001⁰C) – quite impressive for the same year that electric light was first used on Broadway! Modern technology has miniaturised Langley’s bolometer into the microbolometer. In essence, the microbolometer is an uncooled thermal sensor – nothing more nor less. It does not require expensive, heavy and complex cooling systems like some other thermal sensors do. There is also no cooling time to factor in, so the microbolometer is ready for action immediately.
On The Horizon
Infrared sensors effectively see through haze, smoke, smog and even through light fog. Let’s have a look at a single pixel of a microbolometer array, like the simplified diagram above. Starting from the bottom layer, we have a silicon substrate with a read-out integrated circuit (ROIC) incorporated. The contacts – electrodes – are applied, and then etched away until all that remains is the minimum required. The layer above the substrate is a reflector, of whatever material the manufacturer decides is needed – it may be titanium, or some other suitable material. The outer layer is made from a material that allows infrared radiation to be absorbed. The gap between the reflector and outer layer is in the order of 2 micrometres. Finally, the pixel sensor is sealed in a vacuum and made into an array with many more pixels, like the array shown on the right.
Microbolometer Array (Allied Scientific Pro)
So far, so good. Now let’s put it all to some use on our aircraft. The very latest systems blend near- and far-infrared with visible light sensors, the latter to see better the types of LED lighting common to many airports today. The infrared sensors effectively see through haze, smoke, smog and even through light fog. Consider the image below, with the database generated Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS) view on the left, and an EVS image of the same threshold on the right. I know which I would prefer, especially on the less busy municipal and private airfields… SVS vs EVS – Bambi Lives! (Cirrus Aircraft)
The imagery generated from these sensors can be displayed into any system that will accept a composite video, NTSC or PAL input – in other words just about any modern display unit. It can be on a dedicated screen but is much more useful as an underlay to the EFIS PFD view, or better yet as a HUD underlay as shown below.
EVS-3000 on a HUD (Rockwell Collins)
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ATPdigital and Textbook Improvements CBT Syllabi Versions 7.2 and 7.3 are coming soon what are the changes? ATPL(A) CBT syllabi called version 7.2 incorporate several changes. Instrumentation and Principles of Flight have had a thorough review and re-write and have been re-issued. This means any students upgrading to v7.2 syllabi who have already completed these subjects will lose their existing exams results in these subjects. In General Navigation, we have added four ‘tutorial lessons’ covering the CRP5. These are a resource to be used by the students through the subject and feature a 3D animation of the CRP5 with a voiceover. EASA have stayed with the rather confusing and illogical JAA subject titles in their recent syllabus releases. Instrumentation is still a subset of Aircraft General Knowledge (AGK), but the other sub-subjects are still examined in one AGK exam! We have been asked by some customers to split our AGK course material into it’s three sub-subjects and, as this has no negative impact on other customers, we have bowed to this pressure. So AGK is, in ATPL syllabi v7.2, split into: • Airframes, Systems and Emergency Equipment • Electrics • Power Plant
ATPL(H) and ATPL(H)/IR syllabi designated v7.2 share the General Navigation updates and AGK has similarly been split into three; however, the update to Instrumentation and Principles of Flight will follow at a later date. As mentioned earlier, examinations in General Navigation and Flight Planning and Monitoring sat after 1st September 2018 will use the new Jeppesen Manual, so we are planning a new release of these subjects in June 2018. These may be accompanied by an update to Meteorology and Radio Navigation, which will incorporate PBN training. ATPL(A) and (H) CBT syllabi to this standard will be called v7.3. It will be important that you have students on the appropriate syllabi to match their exams.
ATPdigital version 7 Not to be confused with syllabus versions, the software itself is currently undergoing an extensive re-write. We have a series of releases planned; in fact, the first occurred last year (version 6.1), which incorporated ‘behind the scene’ changes and improvements, paving the way for a more extensive update in 2018. We are entering the final stages of testing version 7 and anticipate a release date in the second quarter of 2018. It will be accompanied by a major update to BGS Online and improvements to the ATPdigital Admin System, or Management and Reporting System (MRS), adding capability and efficiency.
There are new releases of the textbooks to match these changes, except the CRP 5 tutorials are available in the CBT only.
MRS tutorials The MRS already has a vast range of capabilities that few users know about or use if they do. One feature which some schools make extensive use of is the ability to set and deliver tests using the student software for their students. The tests can be self-administered question practice, or formal mock exams. They may be open to all students, or only to selected students and only at a pre-determined time. They can be mock EASA exams generated by the system, or bespoke tests put together by your instructors. We can provide you with links to Google document-based tutorials detailing how to carry out tasks in the MRS: this is the current list: • How to create and use classes • Creating printable exams • Creating and editing fixed tests It is our intention to create new tutorials on other features of the MRS, so if you have any requests, please email support@bristol.gs and we will do our best to accommodate your wishes.
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Training material update
Example of part of an exam generated from our MRS system.
Perfect Bound Textbooks Our textbooks are normally issued in loose-leaf format, for incorporation in ring binders. Many students find this a convenient format as they may remove individual pages. However, there is a demand for bound books, so we are about to launch our textbooks in a ‘perfect bound’ format. For those of us unfamiliar with printers’ terms, perfect bound is what most of us would refer to as a ‘paperback’. Here is an artist impression of the new books. If you are interested in switching over to this format our would just like a set for your library, please speak to Gill.
Placing a Training Partner order Just a reminder: when you are placing your order for Bristol Groundschool material please complete the online order form on the BGS website. If you require a member login or you have forgotten your login details, please email gill@bristol.gs. 8
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Wings Alliance
Wings Alliance update It has been a busy few months for the Wings Alliance. Airline
Over time, we believe this programme is going to have a major
recruitment remains strong throughout most of Europe and
impact on the industry and the students making use of it and we
plans for long-term resourcing of pilots and concerns about pilot
are delighted that several of our schools have agreed to participate.
shortages continue to dominate airline conference agendas. This can only bode well for our industry. We now have many students undergoing licence training with our partner schools and our graduates are flying with many European Airlines. We are in the process of refining our programmes and have made the decision to launch our own cadet programme which is being branded the Wing Alliance Whitetail Programme. This will be based on modular training, with several unique features, taking advantage of the flexibility of the modular licensing rules. The resulting programme is accessible to a wider range of candidates, both financially, and practically. What this means is that the programme
Further details are on the Wings Alliance website
will be much better value than competing integrated or MPL based
www.wingsalliance.eu or call +44 (0)1275 345 914
training programmes, and will feature several different routes through it, for example offering cadets different locations for the training and part-time as well as full-time options, so making it accessible to those with differing personal circumstances. Rather than graduates being restricted to working for aligned airlines, we will encourage and support graduates to gain employment with any airline which is recruiting, whether they are formally associated with the programme or not.
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Contact us Your primary point of contact for all queries other than technical support issues is Gill Fowkes. For any topics or articles, you would like to submit for future newsletters is also Gill. Email: gill@bristol.gs Tel: +44(0) 1275 345 915
Support with software installation or courseware issues For support with ATPdigital or BGS Online contact our support team, who will be able to help you. Email: support@bristol.gs Tel: + 44 (0)1275 340 444 It is always useful to find out the computer’s hardware and the operating system that is being used before you contact us.
+44(0)1275 340444 www.bristol.gs