Sunday, March 7, 2010

Delhi’s fog disrupts flights across India every winter. With ILS and autoland, it doesn’t have to


SEATED NEXT to me in GOAir’S so-called ‘business class’,
a businessman described his switch to low cost carriers. He
used to fly Jet Premiere, till he sat through three fog-grounded flights “Once I sat in the plane - in business class! - and
watched low-cost carriers taking off!”
We swapped notes on IndiGo’s Es 100 exit row upgrade and Go’s Es 1,000 biz-class upgrade... and how I went from platinum on Jet’s frequent-flyer programme down to ‘blue plus’. That’s after moving to Indigo... thanks to their on-time record, prices, and sandwiches.
Keeping passengers warm in Delhrs biting winters is the hot topic of the fog And why it affects some flights. And why we go though this horror every year while the world’s airports thrive. And why the low-cost carriers are doing so much better...
Delhi airport had the right equipment this year and the worst results. During 20 days in January when the fog peaked, 200 flights were diverted, 350 rescheduled and 339 were cancelled. Jet managed just 20 takeoff/landings from Delhi in those 20 days, while Indigo did 80- with far fewer scheduled flights Kingfisher and Air India did much better. So why the differences, when they all claim to be Cat-ifi ready?

A friend and aviation columnist asked around, and found out that most of Jet’s fleet and pilots are merely CAT ifiA-ready, while all of GoAir’s and IndiGo’s planes and most of their pilots are CAT IJIB-ready (see bit.ly/fog-10). So are most of Air India’s planes and pilots.

So what is all this Cat III stuff anyway?
That’s the category of instrument landing system. ILS gives precision guidance to aircraft, using radio signals and lighting arrays. Useful in fog. A pilot will follow the ILS ‘glidescope’, a path outlined by the radio beacon, until he reaches the decision height and RVR (runway visual range) at which he must either clearly see the runway or its lights - or abort the approach.
The categories of ILS describe the tolerance and precision. Category I allows a minimum height of 60 metres and RVR of 550 metres. Not much use in dense fog CAT II needs just 30 metres height and 350 metres RVR Better, but still no go in Delhi winters.
Then there’s Category ifi. CAT IIIA takes us down to 200 metres RVR Good for most conditions, but not Delhi’s peak fog.
CAT IIIB drops the minimum height to 15 metres, and the RVR to 75 metres. Good enough, except in zero visibility Delhi has a CAT HIB ready runway. But the plane and pilots also need to be certified, to land or take off in those conditions.

AUTOLAND
And then there’s CAT IIIC. That lets you land in zero visibility with zero decision height and RVR You can land blind, even cover up the cockpit windows with black paper,
sit back, and land. In practice, no airport allows CAT IIIC landings yet, because of practical issues-like how do you
taxi off the runway if you can’t see a thing?
Pilots can’t do much manually in dense fog
I can’t even take a brisk morning walk without bumping into people and trees, let alone drive. So aircraft use automatic landing, or Autoland. Even after touchdown, the system runs the aircraft: spoilers, autobrakes with ABS, and thrust reversers kick in... When it slows down, control is handed over to the pilot, who then has to taxi the aircraft very carefully, and avoid bumping into other aircraft..
With Autoland, “we usually sit back and watch the plane land,” says my pilot friend. So today, in those Hollywood scenarios - oops, both pilots died! - a passenger could actually be instructed to land a modem passenger aircraft.

HOW SAFE IS ALL THIS?

In Die Hard 2, terrorists took over the airport... a la Hollywood, they entered commands into an ATC computer to lower the ILS beacon by 200 feet... and a passenger jet crashed. Stuff and nonsense. The glidescope has to terminate on the runway touchdown zone. Even if someone changed its slope, pilots have GPS, radar altimeters, ground proximity warning systems, and brains.
Both ILS and autoland systems are designed so that if the rare failure occurs, it is detected, and acted upon.
The technology to land aircraft in zero visibifity is mature, and safe. Yes, installation, maintenance, certification and pilot training take time. But it’s possible to avoid the kind of flight disruptions that Delhi, and thus India, sees every winter. I’m hoping this winter will have been the worst of them: that the benchmarks set by
few airlines will force the others to follow, and to use the technology sitting with them.

NSCN leader Muivah’s Delhi visit brings hope of peace among Nagas

NEW DELHI / KOHIMA/ IMPHAL - National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) leaders Isak and Muivah’s recent New Delhi visit to hold peace talks with the Union Government has set the stage for ushering in a new era of peace in Nagaland.

After a gap of three years, NSCN (IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah along with other leaders arrived in New Delhi on the invitation of Centre for holding peace talks and finding a solution to the six -decade-old Naga problems.

On February 27, Muivah was given a welcome on his arrival to New Delhi by various Naga students’ organisations.

On March 2, NSCN delegation held a close door talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

The Naga leaders also held series of meetings with newly appointed interlocutor R.S Pandey during their stay in New Delhi.

Leaders of both sides seemed optimistic after the talks.

Speaking to media after the meeting Chidambaram expressed confidence that these talks would lead to a honourable settlement of Naga problem.

“It is my earnest desire that the talks will lead to an honourable negotiated settlement,” he said.

On the other hand Muivah also spoke on the same tone.

“Today I feel very proud to say that Prime Minister of India invited us to come to India for to resume their political talks,” Muivah said.

The visiting NSCN (IM) delegation has put forward 30 demands, which includes sovereignty for Nagaland, and unification of all Naga-dominated areas of neighbouring states.

However Union Home Secretary G K Pillai in a joint address to the media has already said that integration of Naga states and talks on sovereignty are not possible.

Meanwhile Muivaah’s participation in the talks have created hopes of peace. he local expressed hope that the talks would bring peace toNagaland.

“I am really glad to Indian leaders for welcoming the Naga leaders to resume the talks at highest levels,” said Shem, a local.

Not just in Nagaland, but Nagas residing in Manipur also showed their support for the Indo - Naga peace talks.

People of four districts Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong under the aegis of United Naga Council flagged off rallies for a lasting solution to the problem.

“We are conducting the public rally for supporting the Indo Naga peace talks,” said Lolia, president, Senapati District Women Association.

United Naga Council president Samson Remei said: “Public Peace Rally is to express the desire of Naga people to solve this issue of Indo - Naga political problem by hammering out honourable solution to the vex Naga problem.”

Many rounds of talks between the centre and NSCN (IM) leaders have already been held. The last time the leaders from both sides met were in Zurich a year ago. (ANI)

LG Cookie Pep GD510 Price in India

The LG Cookie is a very very popular phone in India and it has found its place in many young hands of India. The LG Cookie Pep GD510 is a watered down version of the popular LG Cookie. The LG Cookie range competes directly with the Samsung Star mobile phone ranges and this LG Cookie Pep is expected to be directly competing with the Samsung Corby mobile phone ranges.

The LG Cookie Pep was launched more than six months ago in the international market and it is expected that may have sold over one million units across the globe. The phone is available in India just now and the priced at Rs. 7,799 throughout India. But if you are a “comb the market for best prices” buyer, you can avail one at just a few bucks over Rs. 7,000.

The phone looks very sleek and attractive with its fashionable brushed aluminum look and has a 3 inch touchscreen that acquires almost all the face ofthe phone. In fact, this is perhaps the most compact touchscreen phone available in the market. The phone is a truly multimedia phone with 8GB microSD card support to store all you favorite music and videos. The internal memory of the phone is only 42MB though. Apart from getting you nice quality pictures from its 3MP camera, it can also shoot videos. It also comes with a number of applications including some motion sensor games and social networking features aimed at youngsters. There is also a back lit button that can work as menu, end or cancel key depending on the mode ofthe phone.

Woman, 22, breaks her 73-year-old gran’s heart - by stealing her man, 63!

LONDON - Keelie Roberts, 22, left her 73-year-old grandma in a shock when she had a fling with her other half.

Keelie now plans walk down the aisle with the 63-year-old fella.

The affair began when Margaret Linden and Jack Dobson asked the jobless girl to stay with them.

But when Margaret came home she was stunned to see her topless granddaughter romping with Jack on the sofa.

However, Keelie has defended her act.

“Jack’s better off with someone wild like me. We have a good, healthy sex life,” the News of the World quoted her, as saying.

She went on: “He’s far more experienced than boys my own age.

“I feel sorry for gran but you can’t help who you fall in love with.”

After Margaret threw them out, the odd couple now live in a flat in Camden, north London.

The unemployed Keelie said: “I did think about working as a hairdresser but I can’t be bothered. If I want money for new clothes or to go out, I just ask Jack.

“He’s just bought me a 3,000-pound engagement ring and gives me about 300 pounds a month to spend on myself, plus he pays the rent on our flat and all the bills.

“Obviously he’ll die before me but he’ll leave me financially secure. He’s written me into his will so I don’t have any money worrries.”

Keelie revealed how the former English teacher Jack made his first move during ITV drama Heartbeat while Margaret was not at home.

She said: “I was shocked.

“He’s no Brad Pitt but it doesn’t bother me that he’s old and wrinkly. And I love seeing people’s faces when they learn we’re lovers!”

And Jack was never happier.

He said: “I did think about how Margaret would feel but I just wanted to be with Keelie.”

Margaret has now disowned the pair.

She said: “Keelie’s ruined my life.

“I let her into my home and she repaid me by stealing Jack. It’s disgusting.” (ANI)

Delhi police to invoke MCOCA against godman Dwivedi

NEW DELHI - Delhi Police is likely to invoke the Maharashtra Organised Crime Control Act against godman Shiv Murat Dwivedi, who was arrested for running a sex racket.

Dwivedi was arrested for allegedly running a sex racket from his ashram in Khanpur.

Delhi Police who have built a strong case against Dwivedi are likely to invoke clauses of Maharastra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against him so that he can’t get away by paying just a fine if slapped with a charge under the Immoral Act.

“We have invoked the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against Shiv Murat Dwivedi,” DCP (South) HGS Dhaliwal said.

Investigaters believe that apart from running the sex racket, Dwivedi was also involved in many illegal activities.

“The sex racket was not his only business. He had invested in real estate and also use to lent money at high interest rates. He also got huge amounts of donations worth several crores from a Las Vegas based charitable organization,” Dhaliwal added.

Half a dozen diaries were recovered from Dwivedi’s possession which listed several names, including that of some politicians, police claimed.

Police believe that Dwivedi was in close association with some notorious pimps, including Sonu Punjaban and two others who were arrested in November 2008. (ANI)

Pak can wait for meaningful dialogue with India: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said his country wants a meaningful dialogue with India and can wait for the bilateral dialogue with New Delhi to resume.

Addressing media persons during a press conference in Multan, Qureshi said Pakistan prefers bilateral engagement with India to resolve the long pending water dispute, and the option of international arbitration would be explored only ifbilateral talks concerning the issue fails to deliver desired results.

“Pakistan is not in hurry and can wait for meaningful dialogue,” Qureshi said.

Responding to a question regarding reports that India had sought the custody of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, during the February 25 secretary-level talks, Qureshi said Saeed’s name did not figured in the talks.

Qureshi said Pakistan is committed to the trial of the Mumbai attack accused, and added that the legal process was in progress and the case would be decided by the court of law.

“One cannot remain stuck in a particular issue and the situation was untenable. While India was concerned about the Mumbai incident, Pakistan had faced several Mumbai-like attacks that not only killed innocent people but also affected its economy,” The Dawn quoted Qureshi, as saying. (ANI)