Happy New Year! · Happy New Year! Thank you for being with us throughout last year, and to those...
Transcript of Happy New Year! · Happy New Year! Thank you for being with us throughout last year, and to those...
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January 2018
• Aviation Rewind 2017
• People in the Aviation Industry: Interview with Kristina Limcumpao
In this issue:
‘Happy New Year!’
Ladies and gentlemen,
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being with us throughout last year, and to those who joined us in 2017, a big
thank you as well! It is a pleasure to have you all on board with us!
2018 promises to be exciting, as more events will happen in our club. Some of you and
some of us will graduate and take-off to the working world or further education, while others
may join our executive team next academic year. And that’s only scratching the surface.
We hope you all had a wonderful winter break. The new semester is upon us shortly, and
with more ATC tours, more UTIAS simulator sessions, another guest talk, a presentation
competition and a networking event on our flight path, there is no time to be bored! Keep an
eye out on our website and social media, as applications for the ATC tours will reopen soon
and only for a short period of time (don’t miss it!). Registration for the presentation competition
will open by the end of the month, and other updates are posted there as well.
We look forward to seeing you at our events and booth hours throughout the upcoming
semester!
Enjoy the last few days of the break, and here’s to a great 2018!
UTAC executives
Website: www.utorontoac.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: University of Toronto Aviation Club
Twitter: @utorontoac
Instagram: @utorontoac
Aviation Rewind 2017
A look back at some of the aviation news of 2017.
Several aircraft types and versions made their first test flights in 2017. To name just a few
larger ones, Embraer’s re-engined E195-E2 took to the skies in March, Boeing’s more stretched
version of the Dreamliner, the B787-10, and Airbus’ smallest of the A320neo family, the A319neo,
both first flew on the last day of March, COMAC C919 and Irkut MC-21-300 - in May, and Airbus
A330-900neo - in October.
Airbus announced its plan to acquire a 50.01% stake in Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft soon
after the United States announced that they will introduce 300% tariffs on CSeries aircraft to be sold
to airlines in the US.
Airlines in the United States
ended their B747 operations.
United’s last 747 flight took place in
November, and Delta’s in December.
Taiwanese airline Eva Air also retired
their 747-400s in 2017, in August.
KLM ended operations of
Fokker aircraft, with KLM
Cityhopper’s last Fokker 70 flight in
October. KLM operated various
Fokker models for 97 years.
In March, the United States
introduced a ban on electronic
devices larger than a mobile phone in carry-on on flights from certain Middle Eastern airports, and
the UK followed with a similar ban. The ban sparked safety concerns due to the dangers of lithium
batteries in luggage where it would not be possible to put out a fire should one start. There was also
suspicion that this was protectionism in disguise rather than a security move. The ban was eventually
relaxed and then lifted.
On September 30, an Air France A380 suffered an engine failure in cruise above Greenland,
with parts of the engine detaching. Originally en route from Paris to Los Angeles, the aircraft made
an emergency landing in Goose Bay, Labrador. There were no injuries. The aircraft was ferried
back to France on three engines (with a non-operating replacement engine) on December 6.
Eva Air B747-400 at Vancouver International Airport in August
2017. This was one of Eva Air’s last 747 flights.
Canadian carrier Air Transat
celebrated its 30th anniversary. Three
A330-300s were painted in a special
livery to mark the occasion. The airline
also announced a plan to lease
A321neo LRs to replace their A310s.
Air Transat Captain Robert Piché
retired in October. Captain Piché was
the pilot in command of flight TS236 that
on August 24, 2001, flew the longest
glide by a passenger jet in history and
made an emergency landing at Lajes in
the Azores after losing all engine power
above the Atlantic due to a fuel leak.
EASA has approved single-engined turboprop commercial operations in Europe. In Canada,
such operations play an important role and have long been allowed. EASA’s rules on the matter,
however, are not the same as Transport Canada’s.
The year did not go by without sad news, as several airlines ceased operations due to
bankruptcy. Monarch Airlines grounded all flights in October after 50 years of operations. Later that
month, Air Berlin also stopped flying.
On June 7, in the worst aviation accident of 2017, a Myanmar Air Force An-12 stalled and
entered a spin in a loss of control accident in an area close to cumulonimbus clouds. The aircraft
crashed into the Andaman sea, killing all 108 passengers, consisting of military personnel and their
families, and 14 crew members.
In the worst civil aviation accident of the year, on January 16, a MyCargo Airlines B747-
400F, operated for Turkish Airlines cargo, collided with terrain while attempting a go-around at
Bishkek Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek was a planned refuelling stop en route
from Hong Kong to Istanbul. All 4 crew members along with 35 people on the ground were killed.
References:
Airbus. (11 Jul. 2017). Air Transat to become first North American A321LR operator. Airbus. Retrieved from
http://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2017/07/air-transat-to-become-first-north-american-
airbus-a321lr-operato.html
Flight Safety Foundation. Aviation Safety Network database. Retrieved from https://aviation-
safety.net/database/dblist.php?Year=2017
Royal Aeronautical Society. AEROSPACE. Vol. 44 all issues.
Various news sources throughout the year.
Air Transat A330-300 C-GTSO in 30th anniversary livery
landing at London Gatwick in August 2017.
People in the Aviation Industry
Interview with Kristina Limcumpao
In the first interview of 2018 we speak to WestJet flight attendant Kristina Limcumpao.
UTAC: How did you become interested
in aviation?
KL: To be honest, aviation was never on
my radar when I was younger. I loved to
travel but never considered it as a career
until a friend of mine got a job as a flight
attendant with a Canadian airline and I
loved hearing about her many amazing
experiences.
UTAC: What airline and aircraft do you
work on? Do you work in both economy
and other classes? Or are you always in
one specific portion of the plane?
KL: I work for WestJet Airlines and I fly
mainly on our Boeing 737 aircraft,
however I am also qualified to work on
our B767s. WestJet likes to do things a
little differently than other airlines, so every
cabin crew member is trained to work as
Cabin Manager (or Flight Director as
known at other airlines). When in this
position, we work mainly in our premium
economy class and change it up day-to-
day by rotating through our different
positions.
UTAC: What can you tell us about training?
KL: Many people don’t know how
grueling flight attendant training can be.
Initial training often runs anywhere
between 4-6 weeks, Monday - Friday for
8 hours a day. During this time you are
tested every 1-2 days on the material
written in the Flight Attendant Manual
which is based on the Canadian Aviation
Regulations, with a passing grade of 85%
or higher. 95% of the training is on
emergency procedures. Emergency
evacuation shouted commands are
ingrained in your head by the end of the
training period that you could recite them
in your sleep. The remaining 5% of the
training is on service delivery for what
makes up the day-to-days of the job.
Once initial training is successfully
completed, we are required to attend an
annual training which is anywhere
between a couple of days to a week
depending on the airline, where we are
tested on all emergency procedures.
UTAC: What made you choose to be a
flight attendant, and what was your
career path?
KL: I was fresh out of university with my
bachelor’s degree in hand, unsure what
my next move should be. I was craving
something different, something new. I had
just gone on a vacation to the Caribbean
and had been hit hard with the travel bug,
so I sent my resume in to a couple airlines
and the rest is history.
UTAC: What do you enjoy the most
about your job? What is the most
challenging part?
KL: The thing I enjoy the most about being
a flight attendant are all the opportunities
this job has given me. I am privileged
enough to have met some amazing
people and to have visited some amazing
places, both for work and during my own
travels. I see many people who are
unhappy with their jobs and their day-to-
day routine. You get a bit spoiled in this
People in the Aviation Industry
industry, it would be hard for me to go to
a 9 - 5 job after this.
I would say the most challenging part is
being away from your friends and loved
ones for extended periods of time and
during major holidays or special events.
Although, there are ways around it. There
are many day turns that bring you home
every night and you have the ability to
request days off, however they are not
always guaranteed, our scheduling is
based on a bidding system.
UTAC: Do you have any advice for
people interested in a job as a flight
attendant?
KL: Airlines are always looking for great
new personalities to add to their team, but
there is also a lot of competition for those
jobs. However, this shouldn’t discourage
anyone from applying. Something that
could get your resume to the top of the
pile is knowing other languages. French is
always an asset when applying to a
Canadian airline, but if you don’t speak
French don’t sweat it. As different airlines
try to break into new markets they are
always searching for fluent speakers of
those languages, just do a bit of research,
they will always list the languages they are
looking for on their job postings. Keep in
mind though that speaking these
languages is only an asset, the biggest
thing airlines look for is a great
personality.