A new day for the pilots and passengersExercise 3.10.1 Read and translate the text. At 23.37 UTC, Speedbird 25 is approaching UASA, northeast of Lake Balkhash in eastern Kazakhstan. On the NDs, the weather radar is painting a cluster of bright red returns south of the route. It looks like a line of towering thunderstorm but in fact is a mountain range, a demonstration of the radar’s rudimentary groundmapping abilities. The crew check in with the controller at UASA and are cleared to 10, 200m, (33, 500ft). Just 70 nm ahead is SARIN, which marks the boundary with China. Approaching this waypoint, responsibility for the flight transfers to Chinese air traffic control and Urumqi Control. Bob makes the radio call to announce the jet’s impending arrival. First Officer R/T: We check SARIN at two three five two, maintaining ten thousand two hundred metres standard, estimating Foxtrot Kilo Golf at zero zero two three, requesting flight level eleven thousand four hundred metres. The request for higher altitude is denied for now and the Urumqi controller instructs the flight to report passing FKG, a VOR near Urumqi some 268nm and 31 minutes ahead in the north. The flight is cruising at Mach 0.83 with a groundspeed of 519kt on a heading of 118°. Sixty tonnes of fuel remain. At 00.15 UTC, the eastern sky has begun to brighten, a sign that the short night is nearly over. For a bit of light relief and to exercise the brain sells, John has been scribbling numbers on scrap paper, performing 707s around the world with a sextant. He is trying to estimate the exact time that sunrise will be spotted from the flightdeck. It is not an easy calculation and he has to weigh a number of factors. But at 00.22 UTC, the sun peeks above the horizon, exactly as predicted. The sun rises to reveal clear skies with only a light haze obscuring the view. At FKG, the crew’s earlier request for 11, 400m (37, 400ft) is approved. On the right side, a ridge of saw-toothed mountains fringed with snow rises from the flat plains. This is the Tian Shan Range and its peaks reach 15, 000ft. A glance at this daunting terrain makes the need for special flight planning in this area apparent. Exercise 3.10.2 Answer the questions. 1. What time is Speedbird 25 approaching UASA? 2. Where is UASA? 3. What is the weather radar painting? 4. What does a cluster look like? 5. What altitude are the crew cleared to climb to? 6. What waypoint does the boundary with China mark? 7. Who is responsible for the flight at SARIN? 8. What does Bob announce? 9. When is Speedbird 25 estimating Foxtrot Kilo Golf? 10. What FL is the jet requesting? 11. Is the request for higher altitude approved? 12. What waypoint is it necessary to report? 13. What Mach number is the flight cruising at? 14. What is the groundspeed of the aircraft? 15. What heading is Speedbird 25 flying on? 16. What is remaining fuel? 17. What time did the sky begin to brighten? 18. What does this sign show? 19. What has John been doing and why? 20. What types of aircraft did John use to navigate? 21. What is John trying to do now? 22. What does the Sun do? 23. At what waypoint is 37, 400ft approved? 24. Where can a ridge of mountains be seen? 25. Why does a glance at terrain make the need for special flight planning apparent? Exercise 3.10.3 Are the following statements true (√) or false (×)? Correct the false ones. 1. At 23.37 UTC Speedbird 25 is approaching UASA. 2. Lake Balkhash is in the western part of Kazakhstan. 3. A cluster of bright red returns looks like a line of towering thunderstorms. 4. In fact a cluster of light red returns is a mountain range. 5. The controller cleared Speedbird 25 to climb to 11, 200 metres. 6. Waypoint SARIN marks the boundary with China. 7. Approaching SARIN, responsibility for the flight transfers to Chinese air traffic control. 8. The jet is going to be over SARIN at 23.52. 9. Speedbird 25 is maintaining 33.500 ft. 10. The crew are requesting FL 11.400 metres. 11. The request for higher altitude is not denied. 12. The flight is cruising at Mach 0.85. 13. Groundspeed of Speedbird 25 is 519 kt. 14. The jet is flying on heading 218. 15. Fifty tonnes of fuel are in the tanks. 16. The short night is nearly over as the eastern sky has begun to brighten. 17. John is trying to estimate the exact time that sunrise will be spotted from the flightdeck. 18. At FK the jet gets clearance to climb to 11.400 metres. 19. On the right side, a ridge of saw-toothed mountains fringed with snow rises from the flat plains. 20. Peaks of the Tian Shan Range reach 15.000 ft. 21. A glance at the same daunting terrain makes the need for special flight planning in these areas apparent. Exercise 3.10.4 Give English equivalents for the following words and word combinations. Самолет приближается к пункту ЮАСА; в восточной части чего-то; погодный локатор; скопление ярких вспышек; южнее маршрута; это похоже на …; линия башеннообразных линий гроз; на самом деле; действительно; горная цепь; отмечать (маркировать границу) с …; сделать вызов; объявить; рассчитывать пролет точки; запрос на набор более высокого эшелона; отрицать; путевая скорость; 60 тонн топлива; небо начинает проясняться; короткая ночь; немного (незначительно) отвлечься от основной работы; потренировать мозги; летать на Боинге 707 по всему миру; рассчитать точное время; восход солнца; это не очень легкий расчет; взвесить определенное количество факторов; над горизонтом; точно как было предсказано; с правой стороны; цепь зубчатых (остроконечных) гор; окаймлять (обрамлять) снегом; вершины гор; плоские равнины; взгляд на что-то; особое планирование полета. Exercise 3.10.5 What do the following abbreviations stand for?
Exercise 3.10.6 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and expressions. Come nearer; weather screen; group of; to come back; row of; a mountain line; report; to be allowed (permitted); denote (identify, indicate) marks; the border; report (declare); the need; refuse; glisten (glitter); bit of comfort; practise the brains; play a trick; estimates; take a number of factors into account; as forecasted; to show; chain (line) of mountains; a look at …; the desire; clear (evident, distinct, obvious, plain). Exercise 3.10.7 Match the word combinations and expressions in column A with those in column B.
Exercise 3.10.8 Fill in the gaps with the words from text choosing from the ones given in brackets. 1. Speedbird 25 is ________ (flying, coming, approaching) UASA. 2. The weather _________ (screen, radar, shield) is painting a cluster of blight red returns south of the route. 3. The crew are ________ (permitted, allowed, cleared) to 10, 200 m. 4. Waypoint SARIN __________ (denotes, identifies, marks) the boundary with China. 5. Bob makes the radio call to _________ (report, announce, advise) the jet’s impendial arrival. 6. Speedbird 25 _________ (reported, announced, checked) SARIN at 23.52. 7. The ________ (need, request, desire) for higher altitude is denied. 8. The sky has begun to ________ (shine, glitter, brighten). 9. The short night is nearly _________ (finished, ended, over). 10. For a bit of light ________ (rest, relief, peace) and to ________ (train, exercise, practise) the brain cells, John began to perform a trick. 11. John is trying to ________ (count, estimate, calculate) the exact time that sunrise will be spotted from the flightdeck. 12. The crew’s earlier request for 11, 400m is _________ (cleared, approved, advised). 13. On the right side, a ________ (chain, line, ridge) of saw-toothed mountains were in sight. 14. Mountains were ________ (edged, circled, fringed) with snow. 15. A ________ (glimpse, look, glance) at daunting terrain makes the ________ (need, desire, request) for special flight planning in the area apparent. Exercise 3.10.9 Fill in the gaps with the related words. 1. Speedbird 25 is _________ UASA at 23.37 UTC. (APPROACH) 2. Mountain range was a _________ of the radar’s _________ ground-mapping abilities. (DEMONSTRATE + RUDIMENT) 3. Approaching SARIN, _________ for the flight transfers to Chinese air traffic control. (RESPONSIBLE) 4. The request for higher altitude is _________.(DENY) 5. John is ________ to estimate the exact time of sunrise. (TRY) 6. It is not an easy _________ to estimate the exact time of passing the waypoint. (CALCULATE) Exercise 3.10.10 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. В 23.37 самолет подходит к пункту обязательного донесения ЮАСА, севернее озера Балхаш в восточной части Казахстана. 2. На локаторе отражаются ярко красные засветки южнее маршрута. 3. Линия гроз на самом деле была горной грядой. 4. Экипажу разрешили набор 10.200 метров. 5. Пункт обязательного донесения SARIN определяет границу с Китаем. 6. Приближаясь к САРИН, ответственность за управление полетом переходит к службе управления воздушным движением Китая. 7. Второй пилот доложил, что борт выдерживал 10.200 метров. 8. Экипаж запросил эшелон полета 11.400 метров. 9. Набор эшелона полета 11.400 метров не разрешили. 10. Путевая скорость 519 узлов, скорость по Маху 0.83. 11. Небо стало проясняться, и это было знаком того, что короткая ночь почти закончилась. 12. Чтобы немного потренировать свои мозги и отдохнуть, Джон начинает писать какие-то числа на небольшом клочке бумаги. 13. Он пытается рассчитать точное время, когда можно будет наблюдать восход солнца. 14. Это не очень простые расчеты, необходимо учесть (взвесить) некоторые факторы. 15. Солнце поднялось высоко и осветило ярко небо, и появилась слабая дымка, делая неясным небо. 16. Справа была видна гряда зубчатых гор, окаймленная снегом, поднимающихся с плоских равнин. 17. Вершины гор достигали высоты 15.000футов. 18. Осмотр местности, представляющей угрозу для выполнения полета, вызывал необходимость особого планирования полета. Exercise 3.10.11 Make up your own sentences using the following words and word combinations. The weather radar; south/north/east/west of the route; a mountain range; to mark the boundary with; responsibility for the flight; air traffic control; to make the radio call; to announce; to deny; for a bit of light relief; to estimate the exact time; sunrise; to weigh a number of factors; above the horizon; to reveal clear skies; on the right side; flat plains; a glance at; to make the need for; special flight planning. Exercise 3.10.12 Retell the text.
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