June 2012 - Indian Airforce

At present on our couriers flying oceanic
routes, the sole means of communication is the
HF for obtaining weather and other information.
The HF system employed suffers many limitations
due to ageing and interference. This places
additional work load on aircrew in terms of
updating of information for diversion.
Diversion. A major consideration when
flying overseas is the non-availability of diversions
en-route. There may only be a few routes that
have an island en-route with an airfield that
could serve as a diversion. Otherwise, there are
none available on most of
the routes. Therefore any
critical emergency which
otherwise requires aircraft
to divert, would require
ditching over sea due to lack
of diversions. Calculations
of Critical Point and Point of
No Return assume greater
significance in oceanic route
flying.
alike for decades. Most of
the convective weather
phenomena that occur
over land originate over
the sea. The large amount
of moisture available
over oceans gives rise
to weather developing
in a short span of time,
making it unpredictable
and intense in nature.
Weather radar is therefore
a pre-requisite on oceanic
routes. Weather check
through R/T from other
aircraft ahead / behind
on the same route also
helps. Briefings must take into account sea
surface temperature and lapse rate over the areas
being flown as they give an idea of the build up
expected.
Ditching. The term ditching is synonymous
with forced landing on land. Ditching is also a
procedure to recover aircraft on water.
The statistical chances of surviving a
ditching are high. It is estimated that 88% of
controlled ditchings result in few injuries to
pilots or passengers. You are more likely to die
Weather. Ocean
climatology has always been
a subject of mystery to the
aviator and meteorologist
14 Aerospace Safety J u n e 2 0 1 2
INDIAN AIR FORCE