An reaching the aircraft, we go first to greet the cabin crew. The boarding of passengers is about to begin. The gate attendant assures us that refuelling has been completed, so passengers can now board the aircraft. A print-out is waiting at the printer: the slot intended for us is on schedule – the weather has remained good in London.

The co-pilot puts on a yellow vest and takes a pocket torch as he leaves to assist the external check of the aircraft. I check that the landing gear safety pins have been brought inside and I sit on the left side of flightdeck. I also check that the aircraft’s technical logbook is in appropriate order, I start up the flightdeck computer, reset the Air Data and Inertial Reference System (ADIRS), which
is based on three lasers and, after checking the area update, download our flight plan.

We begin the flow. The ‘flow’ is the name given to a quick know-by-heart check verifying that the cockpit switches are in the right positions. Switches in the wrong position as easily spotted due to indicator lights. The idea, as a rule, is to extinguish all the white lights.

The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) located in the overhead panel is on, as is the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS); the emergency electrical power system is normal, the evacuation signal switches normal, the flight control system computers on, the external and internal lights OK, pressurisation OK, air-conditioning OK, electrical system OK, fuel pumps on, the hydraulic system OK, the engine fire detection loops are tested and the maintenance panel, too, is OK.

I adjust the speakers, select the correct altimeter settings and check the autopilot switches. I switch on the display terminal, check the stand-by instruments and ensure that the clock and the oxygen masks are OK. Next I move to the pedestal and check that all the switches, radios and radar instruments are OK. The co-pilot, who has been following my flow, announces that the aircraft is externally OK and that the wings are still clear of frost. He then begins his own flow as I modify the downloaded Flight Management & Guidance Computer (FMGC) data.

The flight number, alternate airport, cost index and planned cruising level are set in the information systems. The navigation starting point is checked in a number of ways. The satellite navigation data has already updated the aircraft’s location automatically, but we check again that the coordinates of the location assumed by the FMGC are correct, using reference information found on the base of the jetways, and that the ADIRS has reset. Then I start the modification of the flight route.

The co-pilot has obtained data from the airfield’s Automatic Terminal Information System (ATIS), from which I obtain the necessary information about the runway to be used for take-off. From the computer’s maps I find the default values for the standard instrument departure route (SID), the initial altitude and the presumed London runway and approach procedure. The co-pilot checks the loaded routing as I approve the downloaded winds for take-off, cruising and approach. I select the desired radio beacons and load the secondary flight plan – a return back to Helsinki in the case of an engine failure or corresponding situation. Together we go through items loaded into the FMGC, repeat know-by-heart normal and emergency procedures and safe altitudes usable in an emergency, and I brief how I intend to perform take-off today.

We ask air-traffic control for a report on our route. We hear the answer: “Finnair 831, clearance to London Heathrow, 22R, follow Runen 2A, QNH 1028, squawking 2231.” The co-pilot reads back the report. We check that the runway 22R and departure route Runen 2A are loaded into the FMGC. We further check that the pressure at sea level is set at 1028 mbar in all three altimeters. The co-pilot sets our secondary surveillance radar code (known also as squawk) at 2231.

In the mean time, the printer has output the final load sheet. From the print-out, I read to the co-pilot the centre of gravity and the zero fuel weight (ZFW). We check that there are 11 tonnes of fuel in the tanks. There are apparently two fewer passengers than planned – 139. Have they overslept perhaps? The co-pilot shows that the weight calculations are compatible with the aircraft’s systems. I read from the load sheet the take-off weight (TOW), which the co-pilot uses to determine the trim settings for take-off. We check the computer’s estimate of fuel consumption by comparing the values with the calculations provided by dispatch. Everything matches OK. At this point the cabin supervisor calls on the interphone: “Cabin secured”. All is well therefore on the cabin side.

The co-pilot calculates on his computer the engine thrust and the speeds to be used at take-off. Using as take-off values the wind, the temperature and the air pressure and as well as the characteristics of runway 22R, the performance calculation programme gives for take-off a flap setting of 3 and a flex thrust that would correspond to full thrust at a temperature of 56 degrees. The decision speed V1 (the speed after which we will continue take-off even if one engine were to fail) will be 144 knots. Nose rotation will begin at speed VR, which today is the same as V1 – 144 knots. The lowest safe speed after take-off V2 is 147 knots. I feed the values into FMGC.

I acknowledge the load sheet with a “text message” to the centralised load control centre in Prague. The last cargo hold hatch is closed and a pushback tractor has appeared at the nose of the aircraft. The dispatcher contacts us on the interphone: “All hatches are closed, departure check completed, aircraft ready for push back.” The co-pilot checks the right frequency on the radio panel one more time and presses the tangent: “Helsinki Ground, good morning, Finnair 831, gate 34, requesting start up and push back.”

Jussi Ekman

My clock rings before the cock crows. On my rostering list today is a morning flight to London departing at 8 a.m. I arrive in good time at our operating centre, located in the southwest end of the terminal building, and I report for the flight as the third member of the crew. The others will arrive no later than an hour before departure. I head for the clothing lockers to put on my “working gear”.

On my arrival at Flight Dispatch, the co-pilot has already printed out the flight papers. We both receive the log, namely a (today) seven-page operational flight plan, which has all the essential information about a preliminary flight plan prepared by the flight preparations office, better known as dispatch. The planned route runs south of the Åland Islands, across southern Sweden towards Aalborg in Denmark, then over the North Sea to the River Thames delta and London airspace.

Together we go through a 40-page stack of paper containing all the essential information about the flight. The CIS (Cockpit Information System) tells us that the aircraft is OH-LXK, i.e. an Airbus A320. It appears to have spent the night in Helsinki and is parked on stand 34. A total of 141 passengers have booked – so it’s almost a full flight. The aircraft’s zero fuel weight (ZFW) is 58,205 kilos, and the shortest onward connection from London is to Orlando, Florida, only an hour and 20 minutes after the scheduled arrival time.

The CIS also has contact information for the preparers of our load sheet in the centralised load control centre in Prague as well as for support functions, such as ground handling and passenger service, at our destination, London. We check the CIS for the latest flight deck computer updates, which should be in the aircraft computer. From the safety section, we receive a warning about a radio shadow in the northwest corner of Danish upper airspace, but our route today does not run so far north that it would bother our progress. From the navigation section, we see that our company is not restricted in terms of automatic landings at Heathrow. In the miscellaneous section, there is a note about swine flue. Finally, there’s the crew list. Today our flight has a normal size of cabin crew – four people, three female flight attendants and one male flight attendant.

A smooth flight in prospect

Then to weather information: the SWC (Significant Weather Chart) indicates fairly clear flying weather all the way to the British Isles. The headwind component is only four knots and dispatch has calculated our flight time to be 2 hours 35 minutes with the forecast wind. A jet stream from the north may possibly cause weak turbulence towards the end of the flight between flight level FL 370 (37,000 feet = 11,100 metres) and FL 240 (7,200 metres). This will not, however, interfere with the cabin crew’s serving of food and drinks.

On the return flight the jet stream will already be weaker and will probably not affect the flight. The tropopause (= the upper limit of the lower atmosphere, i.e. the troposphere) is smooth at an altitude of 10,500 metres on the route, slightly below our cruising level of FL 360 (10,800 metres) . A smooth tropopause also suggests a smooth flight.

London Heathrow’s corrected weather forecast predicts for our arrival time a weak northerly wind, visibility 8 kilometres and a few individual clouds at an altitude of 90 metres. With a 30 per cent probability, the visibility at arrival time will only be 400 metres: fog and a cloud base at 30 metres. What do those Brits care? Doesn’t it always rain there? The weather forecast is not below the operating minimum, so we need only one alternate airport. We choose London Gatwick. Its weather should have improved before our arrival time. The weather en route at Stockholm, Copenhagen and Amsterdam seems to be fine for flying.

A NOTAM (Notice To AirMen) states that there is a slight frost on Helsinki’s runways, but the braking coefficients are good. A few cranes are said to be located close to the airport. In London there is a warning about interference on the runway 27L instrument landing system, noise restrictions and a number of closed taxiways as well as an inoperative taxiway centre line light. The Gatwick list is a little shorter. With this flight time we would land 20 minutes before schedule. We have not yet been given any air-traffic control restriction, i.e. slot, but if visibility deteriorates, we may receive one. We therefore have no justifiable reason to change the cost index proposed by dispatch, which determines the least expensive possible flight speed taking into account variable costs according to flight time and the price of fuel – or not yet, at least.

Fuel in the tank

We decide not to fuel up for the return journey, because the price of fuel at Heathrow is not so expensive that it would be worth carrying it there from Finland. Every extra 1,000 kilos of fuel (or other extra weight) would increase, on this route and in these conditions, our fuel consumption by 111 kilos per hour. We check again with the dispatch service desk that no air-traffic control restrictions (slots) have been assigned to our flight. We decide, taking into account the above factors, to take 11,000 kilos of fuel onto our aircraft. On an aircraft, fuel consumption is determined in kilos, because the energy content of the fuel depends in fact on weight, not volume.

We plan that we will consume 200 kilos in taxiing and 7,300 kilos in flying. On top of consumption, 800 kilos is reserved for the alternate airport Gatwick and also, to fulfil official regulations, our flight plan requires a 300 kilo contingency reserve and a 1,200 kilo final reserve, which enables a 30 minute flight at the initial approach altitude. We also decide to take along another 1,200 kilos recommended by the fleet chief, because it is possible that the weather will deteriorate – in which case traffic can become congested very quickly. The cockpit information system tells us that the average holding time above London during the last month is 11 minutes.

With this amount of fuel, our departure weight is 69 tonnes and our operating time 4 hours and 17 minutes. If there is no delay, we would land in London with 61.5 tonnes – around four tonnes under the permitted landing weight. The co-pilot checks that the amount of fuel taken on board is logical – by entering the fuel figures into the flight dispatch computer, from where the data is transmitted to the refuelling company and the preparers of the load sheet in Prague. From the Capco system, I see that the frost that accumulated during the night has been removed from the aircraft’s wings.

We have spent 27 minutes on flight planning, leaving 33 minutes to departure. The co-pilot gathers the papers into a folder and we immediately walk towards the security check, from where a crew transfer will take us to the aircraft.

Jussi Ekman

In my previous blogs, I covered the topics of instrument flying, locating an airport with radio waves, the autopilot and airport equipment. All these play a role when we make a landing at an airport in foggy weather. This is how we do it.

If we are flying to a destination airport commonly affected by fog, this is taken into account during flight planning. Generally, landing in thick fog, namely a CAT III procedure, slightly increases the time it takes for landing aircraft to clear the runway, so the full capacity of the airport in terms of traffic numbers is not available. Often this means waiting on the ground at the airport or in the air in a holding pattern close to the destination airport.

For this, “extra” fuel is carried along just in case. During the flight we monitor the development of the weather. Before descending from cruising level, information on the approach and the landing runway is loaded into the flight management systems. In addition, we go through the details and performance of the approach procedure.

Before starting the approach, we check that the aircraft and airport equipment are functioning perfectly and make sure that the airport is applying low visibility procedures and that the visibility is at least 75 metres. Seats are adjusted to ensure that the visual segment from the cockpit is optimal. With Finnair, when the RVR (runway visual range) is below 400 metres, the captain always does the flying while the first officer, on the captain’s right, focuses on monitoring the flight instruments.

On reaching the initial approach altitude, the aircraft’s speed is already low enough to ensure that we can gradually deploy the landing configuration (leading and trailing edge devices that improve lift). Generally through instructions given by the radar controller, sometimes by navigating independently, we reach the Instrument Landing System (ILS) localiser. The checklist for landing has already been performed and both autopilots can be armed by the captain for the approach.

The autopilot captures the localiser and turns onto the final track. A little later the glide slope is captured. Often the landing gear will be deployed at this point. Landing lights are often kept off in low visibility, because they are dazzling, rather like a car’s full headlights in fog.

By viewing the distance measuring equipment 10 km away from the runway, or with the aid of a radio beacon, we check at around 500 metres height that the glide slope is correct.

The first officer checks that the final approach checklist is ready, and the captain asks the cabin crew to be seated with seat belts fastened for landing.

At 300 metres height at the latest the aircraft should be stabilised: in addition to the flight path, the vertical speed, thrust setting and aircraft configuration must be such that the autopilot can remain on the ILS beam. In the event of a malfunction after this altitude, the approach will be abandoned for a new approach attempt. Let’s continue this Airbus automatic landing, however.

At around 100 metres height we check that the autopilot’s internal logic has detected no faults and that it has advanced to LAND mode. At 30 metres height – if all the preconditions still hold – the captain decides to land by stating: “Landing”. The runway is only a couple of hundred metres away – the captain gazes outwards, but the runway may not yet be visible.

The first officer continuously monitors the automatic systems and announces “FLARE” when the autopilot shifts from LAND mode to FLARE mode. The aircraft’s audio system fetches information from the radioaltimeter and reads aloud the radioaltimeter values. Without glancing at the altimeter, the pilots receive the distance of the main gear from the surface of the runway to within an accuracy of metres.

At around six metres height the audio system says “RETARD”, which urges the captain to pull back the thrust levers, thus ensuring that the engines are idling.

The aircraft typically touches the runway surface at a speed of around 240 km/h. The captain obtains the first visual signs of the runway at the same time as he engages the engine jet blast, namely thrust reversers, to slow the landing roll-out. The sound of the engines changes slightly at this point.

The first officer monitors the deployment of the spoilers, checks the thrust reversers and the operation of automatic braking: “SPOILERS, REVERSE GREEN, DECEL”.

The captain’s eyes are on the centreline of the runway, whose individual lights disappear under the radome one after another. When the first officer states that the speed has slowed to around 150 km/h, the captain disengages the thrust reversers and the engines are idling once again.

With a light touch of a pedal, the captain switches from automatic braking to manual. Moreover, with a press of a button on the left-hand control stick, the “AUTOPILOT COMES OFF”. The captain’s left hand moves to the tiller situated next to the control stick, which is used to turn the nose gear.

The green and yellow centreline lights guide the aircraft off the runway. The first officer reports to the tower that the aircraft has cleared the active runway. A routine landing has taken place. In fact it is only now that the most demanding stage of the flight begins: taxiing in thick fog following the airport signs to the aircraft parking place.

For the take-off back to Helsinki, visibility of at least 125 metres is required. The higher visibility requirement is due to the fact that take-off is always performed manually and, in the event of an engine failure before a certain decision speed, there must be enough visibility to allow the captain to abort the take-off on the remaining length of runway. But perhaps we’ll leave that subject for another time…

With his sword he smote the billows,
From his magic blade flowed honey;
Quick the vapour breaks, and rises,
Leaves the waters clear for rowing;
Far extend the sky and waters,
Large the ring of the horizon.*

Wishing you a clear and bright autumn,
Jussi Ekman

*Extracts from the Kalevala, Finland’s national epic. Translation by John Martin Crawford (1888).

With the onset of autumn, nights become cooler and moisture condenses: fog, smog, mist, haar, haze! But with the modern equipment now available perhaps only stardust would prove to be impenetrable.

Even nowadays, however, many aircraft types and airlines require visual contact with the runway, making landing in the thickest fog impossible. The newspaper headline “Air traffic disrupted by fog” is not unusual. Landing in the thickest fog is indeed possible, however. This is facilitated by airport procedures and the aircraft’s automatic flight control system – namely the autopilot.

Automation releases pilot capacity for decision making for safe landing from actual aircraft handling. It has been possible to land by autopilot since the 1960s. Finnair has used autolands since April 1965 – among the first airlines in the world to do so. Nevertheless, it has only in recent decades been considered safe to land without visual contact with the runway. Finnair’s Airbus fleet, for example, is officially certified for such landings. Faster air data computers in aircraft and improved accuracy of navigation instruments have made this possible.

Landing without visual contact demands much of the airport, the aircraft and the crew.

Pilots are trained in low visibility procedures on a totally separate training course, which covers the workings of the Instrument Landing System (ILS), runway markings, lights and signs, meteorology, aircraft systems and possible malfunctions, obstacle clearances, standard operating procedures, and operating procedures in the case of malfunctions (in ground facilities and/or in the aircraft).

Simulators provide an extremely realistic environment for practising normal operating procedures as well as malfunctions. Before pilots advance to performing these landings in practice, they must have solid experience of their type of aircraft. Furthermore, an official regulation decrees that low visibility procedures are practised and reviewed at least once a year in an inspection flight using a simulator.

When all of the above-mentioned requirements are fulfilled and the authorities have approved the procedure, the pilot can make a CAT III B no DH approach and landing (Category III B, no decision height). Then the cloud base is not significant, but a runway visual range of 75 metres is required. This visibility requirement ensures that the pilot will find the taxiway and clear the runway after landing.

If each condition is not fulfilled in its entirety, a higher cloud base and visibility (CAT I-III A) are required.

Negotiating a landing in fog has therefore nothing to do with a pilot’s courage. Rather it requires certain equipment on the ground and on the aircraft, and also for the pilot to have the required experience and expertise.

Jussi Ekman

As a new member of the Executive Board, I will be responsible for ensuring that Finnair’s flights are operated safely, economically and punctually. It sounds simple, but this goal is actually very complex and highly challenging.

Currently our organisation employs Finnair’s 800 pilots and around 400 cabin staff. In addition to flight operations, we are also responsible for arranging ground functions that support traffic, maintaining the airworthiness of our fleet, and cooperating with the authorities on flight permit issues.

Our route network control centre (NCC) monitors the company’s traffic at all times and is responsible for managing traffic changes. The NCC’s work not only safeguards our passengers’ connections but is also decisively important for the company’s financial result. Traffic irregularities carry a big price tag.

Work in the control centre is conducted at a brisk tempo and demands high professional expertise, as well as a capacity to work under extreme pressure. Although Finnair is one of Europe’s most punctual airlines, every day we encounter challenging situations in which we have to switch aircraft, make reroutings and find new staff for flights at short notice. Decisions are made quickly and often at difficult times of the day in terms of the crew availability.

How well we succeed and the quality of our work are reported in the media from time to time. A further challenge is presented by the fact that our aircraft currently fly in 16 different time zones. Annually we operate around 45,000 return flights.

The operational cornerstones of my organisation can be summed up in three words: safety, economy and punctuality.

In relation to quality and reliability, Finnair has achieved a level that is currently at the top of our sector and which withstands comparison with all of our main competitors.

At the same time, however, the company has regrettably underperformed in terms of key production factors, especially in productivity of work and capital resources.

The challenge is now to improve both the use of the aircraft fleet and the work productivity of personnel. From an operational perspective, there is simply no other remedy for improving competitiveness.

In addition to maximising use of resources, we have set ambitious targets for the continuous development of flight economy.

We are spurred on towards these targets by a major external factor: the high prices of oil and jet fuel. We also been working for a long time now on developing flying and approach methods aimed at cutting the fuel consumption of aircraft. We have succeeded in this, and at the same time we have borne our responsibility for environmental issues, too. Our modern fleet is economical and it adversely affects our environment as little as possible.

Finnair flight operations’ use of resources has traditionally been divided into two areas: scheduled passenger services and leisure traffic. Traffic has been handled partly with shared and partly with separate aircraft and crew.

The goal of the new organisation is to create a foundation for structural efficiencies by standardising scheduled and leisure traffic and traffic planning while at the same time increasing cross-utilisation of resources, particularly where our aircraft fleet is concerned.

The number of leisure trips made each winter from Finland has been continually growing for decades now. In our strategically key Europe-Asia traffic, on the other hand, the peak of demand occurs in the summer season. This presents opportunities for improving the use of the fleet, thereby minimising the impact of the traditionally quieter traffic periods. An aircraft is a factory that produces only when it is in the air. That’s why its efficient use is vital also from a financial standpoint.

The intention is also to lengthen the traffic planning period to enable productivity to be improved more effectively than it has to date and to remove overlapping functions in the organisation.

The Finnair world of flying is therefore not yet ready, but we have rolled up our sleeves and started working towards a better tomorrow.

I am confident that Finnair has what it takes to operate in today’s competitive environment, when we have all members of the team pulling in the same direction. In this respect the challenges are not inconsiderable, but problems are there to be solved.

I believe that the gravity of the economic situation and the inappropriateness of old attitudes for today’s competitive situation have also been understood in the air transport sector’s employee organisations, which have traditionally focused on the robust defence of their interests. Adjustment measures are painful but necessary to ensure the continuity of operations.

Although a significant part of the work of the Production unit takes place behind a closed door on the flight deck or otherwise in support services unseen by customers, I even so consider customer-orientation to be extremely important. We exist to serve air travellers.

To our passengers, our work is evident as safe and punctual flights to wherever Finnair’s blue and white wings carry our aircraft around the world.

Erno Hildén
The writer is Finnair’s SVP, Operations as of 1 October.

One of the most basic items on the lesson list for all trainee pilots is the use of Flight instruments. When you’re in the clouds, you can lose track of your own – and your aircraft’s – attitude in a matter of seconds if you only trust your instincts.

Instrument flying is based on continuous practice and on the unshakeable belief that the instruments are showing the real figures, not ones that have been guessed at.

The various flight instruments show speed, artificial horizon, altitude, turn and slip, and compass and vertical speed data. In addition, of course, the cockpit contains engine instruments, as well as displays for the control of navigation and systems and all kinds of other apparatus.

In the most modern passenger aircraft, digital technology and displays have made it possible to combine many of these different functions, but the basic principles of instrument flying are the same as ever. It’s based on monitoring a variety of information and using it to keep desired attitude and navigate, which is why pilots require the ability to multi-task and put many skills into practice at the same time.

To mitigate for the unlikely event of instrument failure or error, several instruments of the same kind are required as well as a system that gathers data from different sources. The modern-day pilot also most likely receives automatic warnings if an instrument is faulty.

There are three separate and independent instrument systems on the latest passenger aircraft: one for the captain, one for the first officer, and one ‘emergency’ system.

So modern flying continues to be a combination of automation and human piloting skills, in which the instrument functions are confirmed three times over and continuously monitored by two pilots, not just one. Another example of how safety is ensured to the maximum possible degree.

Safe flying is based on the good training of the pilots and the technical condition of the aircraft. But the airport’s equipment is also vital.

Aircraft fly continuously in different weather conditions, which means that it is important to obtain continuously updated information on what the weather is like at the destination airport: wind, visibility, cloud base, precipitation, dew point, air pressure. In low visibility, an RVR device (Runway Visual Range) measures visibility to an accuracy of metres.

The most important instrument for approach and automatic landing is the ILS (Instrument Landing System).

A localiser antenna, which transmits radio signals to the right and left of the centreline of the runway, is located on the threshold at the opposite end of the runway. These signals ‘draw’ an extension of the runway into the sky.

At the side of the runway, at a distance of around 300 metres from the threshold, there is a glideslope antenna array, which like the localiser ‘draws’ the correct approach angle for the runway. This angle is rather gentle – only around three degrees.

In addition to the ILS, on the final track there is a radio beacon or distance display by which the aircraft can check that it is approaching at the correct altitude. In addition to navigation equipment, the runway also has painted markings, signboards and strong lights.

Lights on the approach line, the edge of the runway, the centreline and the touchdown zone help the pilot observe the aircraft’s true location when landing and also help the pilot exit the runway.

In addition to all this equipment, airports are also required to employ low visibility procedures in visibility of less than 400 metres. Such procedures ensure that the equipment will function in the event of incidents, i.e. for example that a back-up energy source is available and that the movement of aircraft and ground equipment is monitored and controlled.

Because the air-traffic controller may not be able to see out from the air-traffic control tower in bad weather, traffic movements in the airport area are best tracked using surface movement radar. Many air-traffic control and other airport employees therefore require training in low visibility procedures. In the next few months, after a few minor improvements, Helsinki-Vantaa will be equipped for automatic landings where a couple of hundred metres of visibility is sufficient for landing.

The aircraft, on the other hand, must have an ILS receiver and, for automatic landings, an automatic fail operational flight control system, which means two separate autopilots that can be switched on simultaneously, so that in the event of one malfunctioning the other can independently handle the entire approach and landing process without the intervention of the pilot.

Moreover, air speed control should be switched on when an automatic landing is being performed. For the autopilot to be able to perform an automatic landing, the aircraft must be in the correct orientation at the correct time, which means that the aircraft must have two sensitive pressure altimeters, which, with the aid of radio signals, calculate the aircraft’s true altitude from the ground surface with an accuracy down to a few ten of centimetres. In bad weather, automatic braking can also be used after landing.

In order to achieve the perfect automatic landing, the aircraft must be able after landing to remain on the centreline of the runway. This is done with the aid of the ILS localiser, but using to some extent different controls than in the air.

An aircraft can therefore land automatically, but this rather complex technical achievement is continuously monitored by the pilots.

Jussi Ekman

Occasionally, the airline passenger finds himself/herself in the unfortunate situation of discovering that the flight is delayed because of a technical reason. The text appearing on the screen or the announcement heard on the loudspeakers may evoke questions in the minds of passengers. In such a situation, one should remain calm, however. “Technical reason” on the screen actually means that either a malfunction has been detected in the aircraft – and it has to be repaired before the next flight – or one of the maintenance tasks planned for the aircraft is still in process. Every detail is carefully checked before departure.

When discussing means of transport the lay person is more familiar with – such as a car or a boat – the time that elapses between maintenance check-ups, or before mandatory equipment is acquired, may become unduly long. When it comes to commercial aircraft, it is an entirely different matter. Strict guidelines apply in terms of the condition of the aircraft as well the equipment in an aircraft. The guidelines are based either on the requirements of the aircraft manufacturer or official regulations. The airline itself has additional requirements of its own – relating to operating conditions, for example. In Finland, we are masters in handling icy conditions.

Finnair Technical Services is on duty every hour and every minute of the year ready to handle any malfunction that may occur. Professionals set out to find the root cause of the malfunction and take measures to correct it. When necessary, the aircraft manufacturer is contacted. Compromises are not made. The flight will not take off, unless the condition of the aircraft unequivocally meets all requirements. This principle – based on ensuring flight safety – is always our first priority. Our passengers can always count on it. We are aware that delays are not pleasant. By the same token, we believe that each of our passengers surely appreciates the fact that with us, safety always comes first.

Next to the airport is an extensive area occupied by Finnair Technical Services, where approximately 1,600 people work. Occupations include mechanics, foremen, inspectors, planners, technicians, various logistics specialists, assistants and engineers. This group of people has the responsibility of ensuring that the technical condition of Finnair aircraft is impeccable. As the skills of the individuals in this group are so diverse and of such a high level, a market exists for these skills outside of Finland as well. Approximately one third of the jobs performed by Technical Services are performed for other airlines.

Before entering Technical Services becomes an option, most of our employees have completed the three-year aircraft-assembly training. In addition to general occupational subjects, the training includes subjects pertaining to aviation technology, as well as guided practice in an aircraft – the actual work environment.

After mastering theory, the mechanics begin work. At first, they work for several years in aircraft maintenance-related tasks alongside an experienced licenced mechanic. When switching to another type of aircraft, more in-depth knowledge to supplement theoretical information is gained through additional training. After a person has accrued a minimum of five years of combined training and work experience, the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority grants him or her an aircraft mechanic’s licence, provided that other eligibility requirements are also fulfilled.

Provision of the aforementioned training is limited exclusively to educational institutions, which have been granted the pan-European EASA Part 147 approval by the Finnish Civil Aviation Authority. There are a few such institutions in Finland.

Aircraft are not serviced randomly. Instead, each maintenance task is performed according to the maintenance programme approved by the authorities. Each maintenance task is entered in the official records of the appropriate maintenance service by the person who performed the task (”signature”). In addition, each aircraft operating in the Finnair fleet is signed off by a skilled and duly authorised professional (“certifying staff)”, whose personal signature testifies to that effect.

The right to an authorised signature – known as the Certificate of Release to Service (CRS) in professional terms – is granted by Finnair. The authorisation entitles the mechanic to grant the aircraft the permission to operate after maintenance procedures have been completed. Typically, at that stage, a mechanic has accrued a total of approximately 10 years of combined training and work experience. Foremen and inspectors who started out as mechanics also grant CRS. Additionally, the decision to grant a CRS is backed up by a sufficient number of support personnel, who confirm the authenticity of the maintenance service accounts, for example.

Working with aircraft offers continuing opportunities for development, challenges and learning new things. People like working with us – at Technical Services, the longest careers span more than 40 years. Experienced mechanics possess an in-depth knowledge of several types of aircraft, and the ability to resolve even the most challenging issues they may be faced with. Some mechanics make a career shift to maintenance planning or other specialised tasks, such as preparing maintenance service guidelines, for example. Some end up – via inspector training –as trouble-shooters or quality control specialists.

“Airmanship” is a widely-known concept within aviation. The dictionary offers “aviation skill” as an equivalent. In actual fact, the term has a much more comprehensive meaning. First and foremost, it signifies the sense of responsibility and seriousness, which each aviation professional applies to his or her work.

Vesa Paukkeri

The fear of flying may take over by surprise. Your palms begin to sweat, and every noise or slight movement of the aircraft in turbulence become signs of danger.

Fear itself can be either rational or irrational. Rational fear is a normal feeling that protects us in threatening situations. Situations in which threat and danger are real, prepare the body to act. This phenomenon is usually referred to as the “fight-or-flight” response.

Irrational fear refers to feelings that occur in situations that do not contain any actual threat of danger, for example when speaking in public or flying. The fear of flying is irrational; it consists of many different factors and is a learned reaction. The consolation here is that since it is a learned reaction, it is possible to be unlearned, and to gain control over the fear.

Often the reason behind the fear is flying in a stressful or somehow altered time in one’s life. The confined cabin on an aircraft is enough to cause discomfort for many, and the fear of flying does indeed appear to be connected to claustrophobia and vertigo. The feeling of losing control combined with negative images cause discomfort.

The fear of flying can be like a bad case of the flu, as it is in fact contagious, and often learned from others.

Once the fear of flying has emerged, it reminds the sufferer of its existence continuously. A person who is afraid to fly accepts accidents and other irregularities as proof on the dangers of flying. They confirm the uncomfortable or scary images and perceptions of flying the person has. A sufferer may sometimes unknowingly choose information to support their views, and look for evidence of danger, generalize, exaggerate, and even ignore facts that suggest flying is not dangerous.

Many who find flying uncomfortable or dangerous have personal experiences of, for example, turbulence. Even measures that enhance safety can be interpreted as threatening, for example, if the pilot has to pull up because the runway is occupied, or if the flight is diverted to another airport due to bad weather conditions.

It can be said, that there are many factors behind the fear of flying. One of the most significant of these is what the person knows about flying, and what kind of perceptions have developed in one’s mind based on this knowledge.

Both the media and the entertainment industry are interested in aviation, and even the slightest mishap immediately becomes news. In addition, the entertainment industry has created an atmosphere of fear around flying, on which people’s negative perceptions may partially be based on.

Levels of fear and the feelings related to them vary. Some experience slight discomfort on board an aircraft, but can still fly in spite of it. To others, even thinking about flying arouses fear that limits their opportunities to travel for work and leisure. Gradually the fear may become stronger and lead to avoidance. For people who are afraid of flying, statistics are of no importance, since they contradict the perceptions they have constructed in their minds. Changing these images requires accurate and precise knowledge about flying.

The importance of knowledge is significant in the formation of fear. People who are afraid of flying are preoccupied by many questions, and in an overactive state. They are alert and observe their surroundings keenly, listen carefully to the aircraft’s sounds, monitor its attitude, and watch the staff closely. At the same time, they watch and attempt to control themselves.

I’m employed as a Captain at Finnair, and for me, the aircraft is an agreeable, comfortable and safe place. I’m a psychologist by my other profession, and hope that I can offer some advice to those who are afraid of flying. You may find the following tips useful:

• Bear in mind that your safety is in the hands of a great number of responsible professionals. No other line of business is as closely monitored and regulated as aviation.
• The most dangerous part of your trip is your journey to the airport. Once you get there, you become the responsibility of the world’s safest and most trustworthy system.
• Alcohol and tranquilizers do not cure the fear of flying.
• Don’t focus on your fear, as it grows the more you feed it. Instead, familiarize yourself with relaxation techniques and bring some entertaining reading along.

Wishing you a comfortable, safe and relaxing flight,

Tommi Vänskä
Finnair Airbus Captain

Finnair’s aircraft are fitted with instruments from a different speed sensor manufacturer, namely Goodrich, which have had no defects. Finnair has received no recommendation from Airbus or the authorities to exchange parts or perform any modification work on its aircraft. According to current information, the event will therefore have no impact on Finnair’s flights or schedules.

Flight safety is the most important factor in Finnair’s operations. Our company invests in a reporting culture, risk management, quality assurance, cooperation and communication. All international airlines and aircraft manufacturers openly share information relating to safety.

I wish all our passengers a relaxing Finnair flight. You can trust in the fact that we at Finnair will closely monitor both the results of the accident investigation and any guidance issued, and the company is constantly prepared to act if necessary.

Pekka Peräkylä
Flight Captain
Finnair Airbus Group Manager

The layman’s term “hitting an air pocket” is a good characterization of a situation in which the aircraft shakes or vibrates, creating discomfort; it’s similar to driving a car on a bumpy road. But how can there be bumps in the air?

The way that an aircraft moves in the atmosphere resembles the movement of a boat in water. If there are swirls and vortexes in the stream, the vessel’s path becomes uneven. In addition to the magnitude of the flow disturbances, also the size of the vessel has an impact on its rocking. Larger vessels and aircraft are less affected than small ones.

Turbulent weather feels uncomfortable, but is by no means dangerous. Aircraft have been built to last sudden strain caused by turbulence. For example, the wings are designed to be flexible, and they bob up and down. Due to this flexibility, the wings will not fracture or change shape, and neither will bumps destroy wing lift. In fact, a sudden gust may even increase wing lifting power.

Pilots attempt to predict and avoid turbulence, but sometimes there is no forewarning available. For this reason, the cockpit crew keep their safety-belts fastened at all times. I recommend keeping safety belts fastened in the cabin as well, even when the “fasten safety belt” sign is off. This way, you can avoid any bumps or bruises caused by sudden turbulence if standing on the aisle.

Young children often observe and mimic the reactions of their parents. You can teach your children to become more relaxed air travellers by taking a natural approach to turbulence yourself. Remember that children usually love being on a roller coaster, so you could try and point out the fun side of turbulence to them. You may feel butterflies in your stomach, but even severe turbulence will not damage the aircraft, as it has been designed to swim in these currents.

As pilots, we concentrate on flying the aircraft to its destination as smoothly as possible, so that passengers can focus on keeping their coffee in the cup. Here’s a tip for doing that: first sip any excess coffee, and then lift the cup off the tray table and keep it in your hand instead, but don’t use the armrest for support. Your hand on its own is surprisingly steady, and can usually keep your cup balanced without spilling the coffee.

Takeoff and landing more turbulent than cruise

Turbulence usually takes place when no coffee is served, during takeoff and landing. The air at lesser altitudes is “bumpier” than higher up. The reason for this is that the roughnesses of the earth’s surface, as well as temperature differences, cause plenty of flow disturbances in other words: turbulence in air masses at lower altitudes. Once again, air can be compared to water: a shallow stream has more swirls than a deep river.

There are several reasons for vortices in air currents. At cruising altitude, “air pockets” are usually caused by CAT, Clear Air Turbulence. It has been named thus, because the turbulence does not appear to be caused by anything visible to the human eye, for example clouds. CAT is caused when bodies of air moving at different speeds or heading in different directions meet and mix together. CAT is an ordinary atmospheric phenomenon, which usually occurs close to high mountain ranges and jet streams. Jet streams are fast-flowing (even over 300 km/h), thermal air currents found in the upper levels of the troposphere, which balance temperature differences in different parts of the world.

Pilots are informed about jet streams and any possible CAT on the route before departure, during their flight planning. The location of the streams can be predicted quite accurately, but the exact time of occurrence, duration, and severity of turbulence is still difficult to estimate due to its scattered nature.

Clear air turbulence is not visible to the naked eye or recognized by traditional radars, but modern Doppler radars are able to identify it. In the future, when the resolution and velocity detection of Doppler radars are further increased, measurements will become even more accurate.

Summers are more turbulent than winters

Frequent flyers have probably noticed that the air is “bumpier” in summer than in winter, when there are less warm currents. In addition, various weather phenomena, such as cumulonimbus clouds and weather fronts, cause vertical wind shifts in the troposphere. When this hits the aircraft, it abruptly changes the angle of attack “sensed” by the wing and causes turbulence. In other words, disturbances in air flow are experienced as turbulence in the cabin. Vertical wind shift and even ordinary wind can cause turbulence, which actually means rapid changes in air flow in relation to time.

Wake turbulence is an entirely different kind of turbulence. Just like boats, aircraft leave a wake or trail, but usually an invisible one. Wingtip vortices are tubes of air that trail from the tip of each wing, and are created as a side-effect of the wing generating aerodynamic lift. The heavier the aircraft, the bigger is its wake vortex as well. The wake vortices flow in a circular motion, anti-clockwise from the right wing and clockwise from the left, leaving a downwards sloping trail behind the aircraft. The wingtip vortices begin to recede, expand and fade with the wake, just like a boat’s trail in water. The duration of wake vortices depends on the evenness of the air mass. At high altitudes in even parts of the atmosphere, wake vortices can last for several minutes. When another aircraft hits this kind of vortex, it causes a sudden jerk, which may frighten passengers.

Aircraft have been divided into three groups based on wake vortex categories. Aircraft that weigh less than 7,000 kilograms are categorized as light. Private “small planes” usually belong to this category. Anything from fairly small propeller planes (for example the ATR) to aircraft as large as the Boeing 757 used by Finnair leisure flights, belong to the medium group. Finnair’s Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, as well as the MD-11 in our use for a few months longer, all belong to the heavy category.

However, it is a good thing that several airports, such as Helsinki-Vantaa, treat the Boeing 757 as a heavy aircraft, due to its effective wing lift. What this means in practice is that longer intervals are left between take offs and landings. The intervals prevent the following aircraft from getting caught in the wake of a previous one, or at least provide enough time for the wake vortex to fade.

Wind shear is practiced in flight simulators

The most dangerous of all meteorological phenomena is wind shear. Wind shear refers to the quick variation of wind between two points either horizontally or vertically.

Wing lift is directly proportional to flying speed squared, and therefore, a reduction in speed results in a decrease in lifting power. In order for it to not decrease significantly, aircraft are flown 10-30% faster than required, to cover any ordinary changes in air flow. However, with wind shear this may not be enough. The change is so sudden and great that the aircraft may stall, which means that the air no longer flows along the wing, and lifting power is lost. Excess speed during approach should still be avoided, as this makes landing more difficult, and increases the landing distance.

Therefore, pilots practice for these rare situations in their simulator training, and handling wind shear is also one of the compulsory topics in annual refresher training and simulator flight inspections. Pilots practice scenarios that have led to accidents in the past in flight simulators, where there is no unnecessary risk.

In my experience, I can safely say that most situations could have been avoided by good decision-making and by taking the appropriate measures. Then again, most of these methods have been developed by analyzing accidents carefully, and learning from them. It is justified to claim that the losses of past accidents are part of the total cost of flight safety today. In any case, wind shear is an awe-inspiring meteorological phenomenon, which should not be taken lightly. The general rule at Finnair is to avoid flying to places where it has been detected. For this reason, our aircraft are equipped with Windshear Detection System radars, which can detect wind shear and even alert aircraft in advance.

To conclude, turbulence is an annoying but mainly harmless phenomenon. Flight safety and passenger comfort are vital for Finnair. This is why our pilots have been trained to anticipate and avoid the worst areas.

The next time your aircraft hits turbulence, tell your neighbours how to avoid spilling their coffee, and comment on how nice it is to get a free massage while seated – at least your back won’t go numb on a long flight! You might even get to enjoy a longer conversation with them, and have the time pass quicker.

Jussi Ekman