What is a Near-Miss?

Exercise 10.4.1 Read and translate the text.

Two or more airliners, small aircraft, helicopters, balloons, or military jets come closer to each other than it is legally allowed, such creating the danger for a collision.

The minimum distance of the aircraft depends on the airspace they are flying in. In the approach or departure sector, the spacing can be reduced to a minimum of approximately four nautical miles (7,4 km).

The vertical spacing almost anywhere in the world is 1000 ft for aircraft on opposite headings. Beginning at 29,000 ft altitude the spacing between the flight levels is doubled.

The spacing en-route is most often expressed in flight minutes since, without radar, this is the only practical way to control the distance.

Aircraft flying according to visual flight rules (VFR) in Germany, are fitted in between the IFR flight levels.

The danger arises when aircraft change flight altitudes without coordination, VFR aircraft can climb or descend through IFR flight levels without talking to a controller beforehand. Since light aircraft are often equipped with only a simple transponder (no altitude, encoding), the TCAS of an airliner can’t pick the radar signal up, such not be able to give the airliner crew a resolution advisory. Only the incidents that almost caused a serious accident or that caused an accident with many fatalities are investigated. Many near-misses either go undetected by the crews or, are not being reported.

Still the possibility for a mid-air collision is small. When the airspace is radar monitored the pilots are often released from the mandatory calls at the reporting points. Otherwise the frequencies would be blocked.

If workload permits, good controllers, and there are many of them in the USA and in Europe, will always give traffic information anyway.

By introducing modern systems, such as autopilot, INS, and satellite navigation, the navigational capabilities of the aircraft in maintaining the desired track, altitude and speed have made tremendous progress over the recent years. This makes aircraft fly much more precise both, laterally and horizontally. This capacity is highly desired for precision landings. Enroute, however, the ultimate precision is unintentionally generating a new risk. If aircraft fly on opposing tracks and altitude, they will almost surely collide.

The lateral distance of aircraft depends much on the country they are flying in and on the phase of flight.

Exercise 10.4.2 Answer the questions.

1. What is a near-miss?

2. What does the minimum distance of the aircraft depend on?

3. What is the only practical way to control the distance en-route?

4. When does the danger arise?

5. Can VFR aircraft climb or descend through IFR flight levels without talking to a controller beforehand?

6. Why can’t the TCAS of an airliner pick up the radar signal of light aircraft?

7. What accident are being investigated?

8. Why have the navigation capabilities of the aircraft in maintaining the desired track, altitude and speed made tremendous progress over the recent years?

9. What makes aircraft fly much more precise?

10. What does the lateral distance of aircraft depend much on?

Exercise 10. 4.3 What do the following abbreviations stand for?

INS; IFR; VFR; TCAS; RA; ft; km; n; m; FL.

Exercise 10.4.4 Write T if the sentence is true and F if the sentence is false.

1. ______ The spacing can be reduced to a minimum of approximately 7.4 miles.

2. ______ Beginning at 29,000 m altitude the vertical spacing between the flight levels is donated.

3. ______ The spacing en-route is most often expressed in flight minutes.

4. ______ Light aircraft are often equipped with only a simple transponder.

5. ______ Near-misses are always investigated.

6. ______ The possibility for a mid-air collision is large.

7. ______ If the pilots weren’t often released from the mandatory calls at the reporting points, the frequencies would be blocked.

8. ______ If workloads permits controllers will always give traffic information.

9. ______ En-route the ultimate precision is intentionally generating a new risk.

10. _____ If aircraft fly on opposite tracks and at the same altitude, they will almost surely collide.

Exercise 10.4.5 Give the English equivalents for the following.

Авиалайнер; вертолет; воздушный шар; военный реактивный самолет; создавать опасность столкновения; воздушное пространство; сектор подхода; сектор вылета; морская миля; встречные курсы; без радиолокатора; контролировать расстояние; высота полета; без согласования; простой ответчик; кодирование; обнаружить и захватить сигнал радиолокатора; серьезное происшествие; экипаж ВС; возможность; воздушное пространство; контролируемое радиолокатором; обязательный вызов; заблокированный.

Exercise 10.4.6 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and word combinations.

Hazard; colliding; decrease; about/roughly/around; nearly; in accordance with; appears; prior; resulted in; probability; allows; great; exact; wished.

Exercise 10.4.7 State what part of speech the following words belong to.

1. collision
a) verb	b) noun	c) adverb	d) preposition
2. mandatory
a) adjective	b) adverb	c) noun	d) verb
3. precision
a) adverb	b) noun	c) verb	d) adjective
4. autopilot
a) noun	b) adjective	c) verb	d) adverb
5. satellite
a) adjective	b) noun	c) adverb	d) verb

Exercise 10.4.8 Match the words and word combinations in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. Mid-air collision	a. пункт донесений
2. near-miss	b. загруженность
3. reporting point	c. столкновение в воздухе
4. INS	d. консультативное сообщение по устранению конфликтной ситуации
5. workload	e. опасное сближение
6. resolution advisory	f. спутниковая навигация
7. traffic information	g. навигационные возможности
8. satellite navigation	h. значительное продвижение
9. navigation capabilities	i. информация о движении
10. tremendous progress	j. инерциальная навигационная система

Exercise 10.4.9 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. Beginning at 29.000 ft altitude the vertical _________ (spacing, distance, separation) is donated

2. The danger arises when aircraft change flight altitudes without _________ (permission, separation, coordination).

3. VFR aircraft can climb or descend through IFR flight levels without talking to a controller _______ (prior, encoding, beforehand).

4. Introducing modern systems makes aircraft fly much more ___________ (precision, precise, undetected).

5. Enroute the ultimate precision unintentionally __________ (generating, making, creating) a new risk.

Exercise 10.4.10 Fill in the gaps with the related words.

1. If aircraft fly on opposite tracks and at the same altitude, they will almost ______ (SURE) collide.

2. TCAS of an airliner is not able to give the airliner crew a resolution __________ (ADVISE).

3. Many near-misses often go ____________ (DETECT).

4. The vertical ____________ (SPACE) almost anywhere in the world is 1000 ft for aircraft on opposite headings.

5. Near-misses create the danger of __________ (COLLIDE).

Exercise 10.4.11 Make up sentences using the given words.

1. The /without / when / danger / change arises / aircraft / flight altitudes / coordination.

2. Aircraft / are / light / equipped / a / transponder / aircraft / with / simple.

3. Many / being / reputed / near-misses / are / not.

4. Possibility / mid-air / small / the / for / a / is / collision.

5. Pilots / are / the / from / calls / released / mandatory / often / the.

Exercise 10.4.12 Fill in the gaps with a suitable preposition.

1. The minimum distance _________ the aircraft depends _______ the airspace they are flying ________.

2. _______ the approach or departure sector the spacing can be reduced ________ a minimum ________ approximately four nautical miles.

3. Aircraft flying according _______ visual flight rules in Germany are fitted _________ between the IFR flight levels.

4. VFR aircraft can climb or descend _______ IFR flight levels _________ talking ____ a controller beforehand.

5. When the airspace is radar monitored the pilots are often released ______ the reporting points.

Exercise 10.4.13 Translate the following sentences into English.

1.Минимальное расстояние ВС зависит от воздушного пространства, в котором они летят.

2. Интервал на маршруте чаще всего выражен в минутах полета.

3. Это единственный возможный способ контролировать расстояние.

4. Опасность возникает, когда ВС меняют высоту полета без согласования.

5. ВС, выполняющие полет по ПВП? могут набирать высоту или снижаться через ЭП ППП без предварительного согласования с диспетчером.

6. О многих случаях опасного сближения не докладывают.

7. Вероятность столкновения в воздухе остается небольшой.

8. В противном случае радиочастоты были бы заблокированы.

9. Хорошие диспетчеры всегда дают информацию о движении.

10. Боковой интервал между ВС во многом зависит от страны, в которой они летят, и от этапа полета.

Exercise 10.4.14 Retell the text.

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