Publisher: The Flying Engineer | Technically and Operationally Commercial Aviation

1. Concerning Concerning me, I am a freelance aviation journalist / author for SP’s Airbuz & Aviation, Indian magazines catering to civil aviation. I also am an aerospace designer, and a flight simulator instructor. I was formerly employed with Honeywell, but now completely on my own. I’ve left Honeywell with a US Patent Grant (US8552649), and a US Patent Application (yet to be publicized by the USPTO). In 2011, I developed and installed 5 Boeing 767-type fixed base flight simulators, serving as Initial Procedure Trainers (IPTs) intended for systems training for Honeywell’s designers / developers working on aerospace products. I was also part of a program which attempts to bridge the gap between engineers and modern avionics and airliner systems. I have been part of, and led quite a few initiatives at the company, all related to skill development, and I now have taken this to the next level through programs that benefits all aerospace engineering students across the nation. My unwavering focus in aviation, of more than a decade has seen me at airline dispatch, airport facilities (NDB, VOR, ILS, Radars, and ATC), aircraft maintenance, airline training (simulator centres using CAE and Thompson Level-C FFS), avionics system development, teaching (aircraft systems), and aircraft system design. I have designed LED based navigation lights, and worked on programs, for the Boeing 737, A320, Embraer 135/145, C-17, and the Boeing 787, while at Honeywell. The Flying Engineer’s brainchild, Project Airbus Tech (PAT) is executed by Sushank Gupta, who is a graduate engineer in the field of production/industrial engineering, a commercial pilot, and now rated on the Airbus A320, soon to be released online. Karthik Kumar BV, a young teenager, contributes some of his photos to The Flying Engineer, and are appropriately watermarked with his name and logo. Previously used to blog at http://theflyingengineer.blogspot.com/. For want of my own space a professional formatting, I have moved here. 2. Approximately Everything technical in aviation. But strong focus on: Aircraft Performance and Economy Flight Deck Design & Technology Human factors (Crew Resource Management) Avionics and Systems. Airline Training & Operations. 3. Surrounding Surrounded by pilots rated on the Airbus A300/A320/A321/A330, ATR 42/72, Boeing 727/737-ORG-CL-NG/757/767/777, Bombardier Q400, and more. Most of everyone I know are in aviation, be it pilots, engineers, designers, manufacturers, directors, Air Traffic Controllers or…just anyone. Always surrounded by airplanes. 4. In Circulation In circulation are my videos, my articles, & my training material. Published Articles: Instrument Landing System My first, detailed, technical article on the ILS and its use. Took the inputs of many pilots, while also capitalizing on my first hand experience on the system. From the radio waves to the approach plates, very comprehensive. Read Here, on page 14 Beach Landing Imagine landing airplanes on the soft sands of a beach! That too in India. By actively participating and helping with the NAL sponsored event, here is a first hand description of an unusual general aviation event in India. Read Here, on page 28 Airbus A320 Experienced first hand a flight in the cockpit of an A320 from Jakarta to Surabaya. I even switched on my Garmin GPS to cross check the accuracy of the on-board navigation systems. Ofcourse, only the serious experience was published. Read Here, on page 24 Very High Frequency Omnirange No article ever can deliver to you in lucid language the intimate details of a VOR. First hand experience and an eye for technical detail gives you the much needed details in one single article. Ready to understand this marvelous technical aid? Read Here, on page 27 Simulator Training My first hand experience in an Airbus A320 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) Line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) session with Kingfisher Airlines reveals much about training in an airline. There is a reason and history behind every emergency scenario. What are they? This juicy article will keep you hooked. Read Here, on page 13 Flight School : IGRUA On an invitation to IGRUA by the Director, Air Marshal (retd) Verma, I set out from Banglore to Rae Barelli to see what I had heard so much about. Through these portals truly pass some of the finest in the world. Why? Read Here, on page 20 Interview: Marcel Hungerbuehler In an interview of the then CEO of Bangalore International Airport, a German with rich aviation experience, I explore some of his, and his team’s thought processes that have made BIAL what it is today. Read Here, on page 18 Flying a Turboprop My best research article ever. The most comprehensive comparison of the ATR72 and the Q400, the two best selling turboprop aircraft in the world. With inputs from the manufacturers, and six pilots who fly the type, no other article can be as comprehensive and as unbiased. The conclusion is left to the reader, but the simple take away: One aircraft is all about economy, while the other about performance. Want to know more about these marvelous air chopping birds? Read Here, on page 24 A320’s Sharklets An article that analyses Airbus’ winglets:”Sharklets”. Despite mired in a legal battle regarding the design, this wintip addition can save airlines loads of fuel. This article also descrivbes the evolution of winglets, and the major players. Read Here, on page 15 Iran Air 727: Nose gear up landing An Iran Air 727 landed without the nose wheel extended. The landing was a piece of art, and is a reflection of great CRM and good training. Read more to understand the pilot’s perspective: written after interviewing the very captain who pulled off the feat!. Read Here, on page 21 NFTI: A flight school that promises flying jobs An article on the newly founded CAE-National Flying Training Institute, NFTI, located at Gondia, Maharastra. This school came under flak from its students, for low flying hours and apparently being “kicked” out of the hostels when the 17 month hostel contract came to an end. Despite this, the Indigo-cadet pilot program that is offered gives a student pilot the greatest chance of landing wit a flying job, that too, with one of India’s best managed airlines. Read Here, on page 35 Volatile Glamour An article on the low prospects of jobs for CPL holders with not much experience, thanks to an airline that collapsed, many that didn’t take off, and a country that doesn’t have sufficient airplanes to hie a vast number of unemployed pilots. Read Here, on page 10 Easy to Fly (ATR 72-600’s Cockpit) A brief overview of the ATR 72-600’s New Avionics Suite (NAS), associated training, differences with respect to the 72-500, and what it means for safety. Read Here, on page 27 Interview: Radka Machova Radka is a lady pilot, with seemingly limitless energy. She leads the Red Bull’s Aerobatic team: The Flying Bulls, and takes the Zlin through maneuvers that most humans, and especially someone her age, cannot handle. Printed in Shownews, no online version available except the interview reproduced on this site. Click Here. Interview: Filippo Bagnato The CEO of ATR, Filippo Bagnato is interviewed on the ATR, its future & value in India, its mertits against its competitor, the Q400, and on ATR’s sales and plans for a 90 seat turboprop . Read Here, on page 24 Revolutionizing Taxiing An article diving inot the technical depths of the Electric Taxi system as offered by Honeywell-Safran’s EGTS International, and a small section on it’s market competitor, the WheelTug. Read Here, on page XX Videos of mine worth a mention: General Aviation Flight Simulator A flight simulator which was developed by myself, and few very skilled people. IGRUA The first ever video on IGRUA. It was an honor to make this. The Beauty of Flying My first video on my heartthrob: commercial aviation. Was originally made for India Aviation 2008 in my younger days, but later realized that business and passion are not always like alcohol and water. And my video channel: www.youtube.com/user/TheFlyingEngg Want to share something on aviation? Get in touch, at: editor[at]TheFlyingEngineer[dot]com