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The incarceration of a loved one can be very overwhelming for both children and caregivers. It can bring about big changes and transitions. In simple everyday ways, you can comfort your child and guide her through these tough moments. With your love and support she can get through anything that...
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Arg - anyone esle struggling to mark their mock exams (OCR)
Discussion in 'Religious Education' started by san38, Dec 17, 2010.


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By deploying smart meters at 500 homes in the coming months, the county is looking to get a more granular read on water usage and provide consumers with more detailed information on their own consumption.
Officials in north central Georgia's Gwinnett County say they don't have a problem with water leaks today. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, though, and so they want to be ready.
With a smart meter pilot now underway, they are looking to get a more granular read on water usage, while also providing consumers with more detailed information on their own consumption patterns.
"We recognize that this technology is becoming more widespread and that customers will be expecting this ability to manage their water, by seeing more frequent data than the monthly data they see now," said the county's project manager Steve Seachrist. "It's really an enhancement to our service."
The county is deploying smart meters at approximately 500 homes, including 450 Neptune meters and 50 advanced Capstone meters.
The Neptune ultrasonic meter can register a low rate of flow, just 5/100ths of a gallon per meter. At this level of sensitivity, "it will measure tampering, if someone tries to move a meter, as well as detecting leaks on the customer side," Ken Thompson, a senior fellow technologist with Colorado-based CH2M Hill Engineers, which is helping to manage the project.
"It will also register if water starts to flow backward on the customer side. If there is a pipeline break in the system a meter will reverse flow because there is a loss in pressure, so if we see clusters of meters showing this backflow problem, that could show us a local break in near real time," he said. "That speed is critical. The quicker you can identify a pipeline break and shut the water down and try to fix it, the less damage it is going to do."
The more sophisticated Capstone meters also register changes in pressure and temperature. "That allows us to get a more complete profile of how the system is changing within this area," Thompson said. "That's important from a service perspective: We want customers to have a nice steady pressure level. Also if pressure starts to drop that may signify a pipeline break, or it could mean that someone is on the system trying to steal water."
The advanced meter has another advantage over conventional models. Unlike traditional meters, which run on 10-year batteries, the Capstone powers itself off an internal turbine, and is thus constantly recharging. Industry analysts say this is a significant consideration. Because water metering is rarely located within convenient reach of a main power supply, "smart water meters are dependent on a reliable and long-lasting battery to power data transmission," they note.
With a population of almost 900,000 individuals, Gwinnett County does not have a big problem with leaks, averaging only about a 10 percent water loss rate annually. But county planners look at the worldwide average of about 30 percent, and they see some counties where water loss can go as high as 70 percent. They say their smart meter project could help some of those places do a better job.
"We can develop this new capability and share that information with other utilities," Seachrist said. "Maybe we could help other systems to address those needs."
The new meters also will help the county to keep a firm grip on the tiller when it comes to water usage as circumstances change over time. "To be a good water steward you have to be sure of where you stand. You need to track it continuously. We could always have a change that increases our leakage, and we want to know about that," Seachrist said.
It takes some finesse to roll out a 500-home prototype of a smart meter system. Planners did a careful search to identify the right set of homes for the trial. They needed houses close to the central office, in case the meters need servicing. They also wanted homes that incorporate a range of different pipe materials in order to get a wide read on the meters' abilities.
The greatest challenge involves the installation of a master meter vault. Planners need access to an 8-inch pipe but they also need room to work: With equipment and added piping, the vault occupies a 10-by-12 foot space. "You don't want to be bumping into other utilities, and you can't be in someone's front yard," Seachrist said.
In this case fortune smiled on the project's planners. "There happened to be a vacant lot close to the feed location, with no underground utilities. That was a lucky find," Seachrist said.
The county started deploying the new meters this spring, and while they hope to see a significant uptick in the quantity of information coming off the system, they do not anticipate having to put additional hands to the task of monitoring that new information.
"It will be an automated system with algorithm and software applications to process the data in real time," Thompson said. "Then it will provide alerts when something is happening. The idea is not to have someone sitting there watching the screen — that is just not feasible with this amount of data. So we will be using big data analytics to do that processing."
In the initial phase of the project, data will be consumed only by the county. While the long-term intent is to make the information available to consumers, planners say they want to tackle the data themselves first in order to get a handle on the kinds of information the meters can provide, and in what form.
"Part of the reason for doing the pilot is to understand the value of the data and how the customers could benefit from it," Seachrist said. "We want to look at it first in order to start to understand that."


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by Founder, Sacha
It is strange to think now, but decades ago when I first started creating animal designs one of the biggest obstacles was the simple act of finding images and detailed information on what these animals actually looked like.
Long before I started my own company I designed for David Webb where it became my specialty to create animal designs commissioned by an exclusive clientele. On one occasion a well-off man, who owned a large rhino preserve in South Africa, requested a bracelet featuring a rhino for his wife. It was then I realized how serious it is that my finished work truly resembles the animal. Like this man, the people seeking this jewelry have a special relation to that specific animal and often a lot of knowledge about it.
Gathering the necessary information at that time was a hard thing to do as there was no internet! Instead, I spent my time at the Metropolitan Museum walking around with my sketch book, sketching different shapes inspired by the various exhibitions. I frequented the New York library studying old documents with information about the animals I was commissioned to design.
When I started my own company I began creating my own series of animals. Over time I fixated on the jaguar, a most attractive looking animal. They are delicate, but powerful creatures and have all manner of terrific aspects about them. My first collections were more extravagant. Often they depicted an entire animal, including the silver jaguar you see in the image which could be worn or displayed as an ornament. More recent works have shifted to offer a perhaps more subdued way for women to indulge in their love this stunning feline.
While I have a great passion for creating animal designs, after you have completed several you move on to something else. Designing is not a perfect system and inspiration demands that you follow your instincts. You zigzag between ideas, some of which will remain as sketches. Others you are inspired to revisit. This is the nature of the beast. It will be exciting to see what animal design I will create next.


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CSE 271 Object-Oriented Programming (3 credits)
Catalog description:
The design and implementation of software using object-oriented programming techniques including inheritance, polymorphism, object persistence, and operator overloading. Students will analyze program specifications and identify appropriate objects and classes. Additional programming topics include dynamic memory recursion, using existing object libraries, and binary/ASCII file processing.
CSE 174 (with C- or above) or equivalent
CSE 271 is a second-tier course in the CSE2 "Computer Programming" thematic sequence.
Computer software plays an important role in our daily lives: Our mobile phones, laptop computers, online banking, Internet applications such as YouTube, video games and movies, cars, and almost all aspects of daily life are touched by software. In your personal and professional life you will utilize computer software. It is also likely that you will select, or even influence the design of, software that is used in your professional or personal life. This thematic sequence will give you a deep understanding of how software works and is created, its limitations, and its potential. You will be able to read software and therefore be able to make informed decisions when selecting or participating in the design of business, scientific, or information systems that utilize computer software.
The CSE2 thematic sequence consists of both of the following introductory computer programming courses.
- CSE 174, Fundamentals of Programming and Problem Solving
- CSE 271, Object-Oriented Programming
Followed by one of the following courses
- CSE 274, Data Abstraction and Data Structures
- CSE 252, Web Application Programming
- CSE 283, Data Communications and Networks
CSE 271 is a course in which you build upon the programming concepts and techniques learned in CSE 174 to design and implement more sophisticated programs using object-oriented design and programming techniques.
Required Topics (approximate week allocation):
- Defining classes (2.5)
- Data members
- Setters, getters, constructors
- equals, toString, compareTo
- Deep and shallow copies
- Information hiding and encapsulation
- Object-Oriented Programming (4.0):
- Inheritance
- Interfaces
- Polymorphism
- Composition
- Object Oriented Design
- Binary files
- Random file IO
- Exception Handling (1.0)
- Try-Catch blocks
- Throwing exceptions
- Graphical User Interfaces (2.0)
- Standard graphics libraries
- Applets
- Recursion (1.5)
- Analyze and synthesize recursive algorithms
- Sorting (1.0)
- Quicksort
- Mergesort
- Collection Classes (1.0)
- Sets
- Iterators
- Exams (1.0)
Learning Outcomes:
1. Design and implement computer programs using object oriented programming techniques.
1.1. Implement basic control structures, nested control structures, single and multi- dimensional arrays, input and output methods, and string methods as learned in CSE 174.
1.2. Implement a class definition from a given design that incorporates primitive types, 3rd party classes, accessor and mutator methods, constructors, method overloading, static data and methods, and other methods for processing the object 1.3. Describe object-oriented programming concepts including objects, classes, methods, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism
1.4. Use class libraries to assist in problem solving
1.5. Write programs that use inheritance, polymorphism, composition, abstract classes, and interfaces
1.6. Write programs that use of two or more collection classes
1.7. Write basic UML class diagrams based on a problem statement
1.8. Break a programming problem down into an appropriate set of classes, identify appropriate methods for each class
1.9. Research and use classes not studied in the course to solve programming problems
2. Write robust programs
2.1. Resolve compilation errors, validate program input, use the debugger to locate logic errors, and generate basic test cases as learned in CSE 174
2.2. Design and document a complete set of test cases and use this to identify logic errors
2.3. Use exception handling features to write exception classes, handle exceptions, and throw problem specific exceptions
3. Use permanent storage to preserve the state of a program
3.1. Read and write data and objects to binary files
4. Use recursion as a problem solving technique
4.1. Trace through recursive computations
4.2. Recognize problem situations where recursion is appropriate and
4.3. Write recursive methods that process both numeric and structured data
5. Describe and implement sorting algorithms
5.1. Describe and implement non-recursive sorting algorithms including bubble sort, insertion sort, and selection sort algorithms
5.2. Describe and implement recursive sorting algorithms including mergesort and quicksort algorithms
5.3. Compare sorting algorithms with respect to efficiency
6. Design and develop applications with a graphical user interface
6.1. Use fundamental classes to design a functional user interface
6.2. Implement event-driven programs within the context of a GUI


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1. Who hires Kinsey Millhone at the beginning of F is for Fugitive? What will Kinsey be paid to do?
2. What were the circumstances of Bailey Fowler's arrest in Los Angeles a few weeks before Kinsey is hired?
3. Why is Royce Fowler particularly interested in proving his son's innocence with Kinsey's help?
(read all 60 Short Essay Questions and Answers)
This section contains 4,956 words
(approx. 17 pages at 300 words per page)


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This information is targeted toward Extension Faculty only. The content here is for the development of faculty competencies related to volunteer management.
- New Agent Resources
- Overview of Volunteers
- Volunteer Management
- Evaluation of Volunteers
- Random/Episodic Volunteers
- Associations (including Master Volunteer Groups)
- 3 R's of Volunteer Management
- Risk Management
- Online Training Oppportunities & Resources
New Agent Resources
Helping new agents understand their role as a volunteer administrator is a key component of the onboarding process for new hires. In this section you will find the general "game-plan" for the experiences and information you will be exposed to related to volunteer management during your first two years as a County Extension Agent. You will also find information from volunteerism presentations made at Extension Foundations and the Extension Program Excellence Academy.
Overview of Volunteers
Volunteers are one of Extension's most valuable assets, helping reach more people and ensuring the relevancy of Extension programs. The following resources and related tools provide an overview of the volunteerism in Extension and help volunteer administrators understand the roles of volunteers.
|Roles Volunteers Play in Texas Extension (D-1451)
|Volunteer Administration Checklist
|Volunteer Interest Form
|Volunteer Trends and Impacts
Volunteer Management
All Extension employees are somehow connected to volunteers, serving as a volunteer administrator. The following resources are available to assist and support Extension employees in their volunteer administrator role.
Evaluation of Volunteers
Just as we evaluate programs offered in Extension, it is important to evaluate Extension volunteers, measuring the impact of their work.
|Measuring Behaviors in Volunteers (Example Questions)
|Measuring Knowledge Using Pretest/Post Test
Associations (including Master Volunteer Groups)
This information is specific to Associations and Groups. Volunteer groups will learn to network as well as their role in Master Volunteer Programs.
|Volunteer Associations and Groups (D-1454)
Random/Episodic Volunteers
Current trends indicate that the number of random/episodic volunteers are on the rise. Many people want to volunteer but with a more flexible schedule, not serving as a regular, ongoing volunteer throughout the year. Therefore, it's important for volunteer administrators to understand how to manage this growing group of volunteers.
|Understanding and Managing Direct and Episodic Volunteers (D-1455)
3 R's of Volunteer Management
The three R's of volunteer management are Recruitment, Recognition and Retention. Proper recruitment and recognition of volunteers can lead to increased retention, therefore maximizing the potential of one's volunteer program.
|A Little Recognition Goes a Long Way: Strategies to Recognize Volunteers (E-416)
|Volunteer Recruitment & Retention Powerpoint
|4-H Recruitment Tools
|Website Resource
Risk Management
There is risk in almost everything we do. Risk can be minimized, but never completely eliminated. Risk management involves planning ahead for problems that could arise and doing everything possible to prevent them.
|Managing the Risk Associated with Volunteer Service (D-1456)
Online Training Opportunities/Resources
The following are additional online training opportunities available to Extension volunteer administrators.
- Texas Extension Online Courses
Four online courses on volunteerism are available for Extension volunteer administrators to complete. While they are tailored for new Extension employees, they may also prove to be helpful to the experienced volunteer administrator.
- Everyone Ready
National 4-H Council/Cooperative Extension Service has enrolled in Everyone Ready, an online volunteer management training, developed to provide all Extension employees with cutting-edge, practical information you can access anytime from anywhere. Click here for instructions on how to access this great online, self-paced professional development opportunity.
- Strengthening Extension Advisory Leaders
The Strengthening Extension Advisory Leaders (SEAL) conference provides Extension agents and volunteers across the Southern Region curriculum resources which provide a common theme throughout the region. It also provides best practices for building advisory leadership. Visiting the SEAL site can help volunteer administrators learn of the history of SEAL as well as access curricula developed over the years.
The following are website resources available for Volunteer Administrators
|Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration
|Energize! By Susan J. Ellis
|e-Volunteerism, Electronic Journal of the Volunteer Community
|Hands on Network
|Help Org – Want to Volunteer? Want Volunteers?
|Independent Sector
|Nonprofit Risk Management Center
|One Star Foundation
|Points of Light Foundation
|Texas Department of Public Safety – Crime Records Service
|Virtual Volunteering
|Volunteer Match
|Volunteer Today
|Volunteering in America


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Hacettepe University Institutional Repository
Hacettepe University Institutional Repository is a growing collection of Hacettepe University's research that includes peer-reviewed articles, technical reports, working papers, theses and more.
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It's okay to make money in today's world. Even necessary to survive and raise a family. But when somebody becomes greedy in the process where they cheat, pollute and hurt others, well that's not cool. That's the message in the song "Greedy," which is on Tommy Castro's new CD The Devil You Know.
"Greed is the root of all the problems in our country and other countries. The video spells that out," he said. "I'm not big on political statements like Bob Dylan, but that song came out of me because I'm concerned about the huge economic divide in our country. Like John Lee Hooker said: 'That song was in me and it had to come out.' Castro, one of the hottest guitarists on the national blues scene, will bring his rock and roll blues to the Rhythm Room May 23, backed by his band, The Painkillers.
"I've played the Rhythm Room several times over the years. I love the place because the crowd knows what it's all about," he said. "Castro fans will be there and blues fans will be there. The room sounds great. It doesn't look like it would have great acoustics, but it does."
Castro predicts that the Painkillers' performance at the Rhythm Room will rock the house, as they will play new and old songs to keep the audience happy.
"We're a high energy band. I'm hard on the band, but they know what I want," he said.
Drummer Byron Cage left the band to go back to New York to donate a kidney to his brother, so David Tucker, of the Maria Muldaur band, has replaced him. James Pace remains the star on keyboards, and Randy McDonald supplies the bass. All of the Painkillers provide vocals.
Castro has been touring for more than 20 years, and this tour began a couple weeks ago in Memphis during the Beale Street Music Festival. Prior to that, Castro was performing on the Legendary Blues Cruise to the Virgin Islands.
"But it wasn't about where we were going. It was about 25 of the best blues bands performing," he said.
Castro and the Painkillers perform more than 150 shows each year.
Castro has performed at the annual Arizona blues festival several times, which used to be held in Mesa, but is now held at Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix. He also performed at the Celebrity Theater with John Lee Hooker.
"Hooker was a sweet old guy. He was an icon in the blues world. His presence was heavy," he said. "Even though he was a blues icon, he was nice to everybody."
Hooker sang on an album with Castro. The song was "Guilty of Love," and it was the last recording of Hooker's career.
"One week later he passed. I said, 'When I grow up I want to be like John Lee Hooker,'" he recalled. Just like Hooker, Castro wants to keep performing to the end and die peacefully in his bed at home.
Castro's The Devil You Know CD has received great acclaim from the industry and fans.
"It's edgy, but different," he said. "It's guitar driven, inspired by the new wave of blues-based music that has found its way into the mainstream," referring to guitarists like Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks and Jack White.
For The Devil You Know, on Alligator Records, Castro wanted to reshape his band's sound. He started with the drums.
"Traditional blues and soul uses a handful of beats," he said. "We wanted something different so we came up with some good songs and reworked the arrangements into a fresh, modern sound."
Castro, like many greats, as no problem enlisting the help of other great musicians. Special guests on the CD include Joe Bonamassa, Marcia Ball, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Magic Dick, The Holmes Brothers, and Tasha Taylor.
Aside from "Greedy," there are at least three other songs that stand out on the CD.
"The Devil You Know" is also the album's opening track. This guitar riff is about a gal going with somebody she knows rather than somebody she doesn't. "When I Cross the Mississippi" is about Castro's feelings for when he crosses the Mississippi so he can bring the music to the people. Tab Benoit joins Castro on guitar on this tune.
"Benoit plays a fiery guitar, has an amazing voice and does a lot of good work for the planet," he said.
"Two Steps Forward" is about having a goal, but knowing you're going to face setbacks along the way.
"It's a good inspirational tune to keep moving forward, and that is what our band is doing," Castro said.
The Holmes Brothers provide the vocals and Magic Dick "nailed the harmonica part," Castro said.
Tommy Castro is scheduled to play the Rhythm Room on Friday, May 23.
Visit the next page for the CD Pick of the Week. CD Pick of the Week: All the Right Moves by Little Mike and The Tornadoes
If you love Chicago blues, this CD is for you. Little Mike took 11 years off from music to raise his family, but he's clearly back in the groove.
From the first note of the first song, "Hard Hard Way," listeners know this is fun blues. The second song, "So Many Problems," will make anyone who can keep a beat want to get up and dance.
"All the Right Moves" is also a song on the CD, about everyone needing to make the right choices in life. The contradiction comes with the party tune "Little on the Side."
Between Little Mike's harmonica and Jim McKaba's piano, "All the Right Moves" comes alive.
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{No.14} Chamomile Blossoms
Delicately fragrant, chamomile blossoms have long been known for their calming and soothing properties.
Delicious when served with a little honey.
Ingredients: Chamomile flowers
Origin: Imported Ingredients
Brewing Instructions:
1 teaspoon per cup
Brewing Temperature: 100 °C
Brewing Time: 5-10 minutes
Contains No Caffeine
Health Benefits:
Chamomile flowers act as a mild sedative treasured for its ability to relieve insomnia and encourage a good nights sleep! Also known to relieve anxiety and act as a nerve relaxant, showing it to be an effective way to reduce anxiety and depression.
Please note that due to the handmade nature of our stainless tea caddies slight variances may be present.
Just like you, handmade items are unique and special in their own way.
Buying handmade means that you are supporting someone's passion, by doing so we strengthen the connection between the artist and the consumer, bringing the world closer together through ethical fashion.


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Reviewed by Jennifer Bogart
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patillo
"...blending equal parts fictional travelogue, mystery, and chick-lit romance in a breezy journey of personal discovery."
I must admit that the recent penning of Jane Austen hybrids pairing sea monsters and zombies with the beauty of Regency-era England have left me somewhat horrified. Yet their incredible popularity combined with the plethora of Janeite fan-fiction, movie re-makes, and historical fiction re-imaginations of the life of England's most celebrated female novelist point only towards the undying devotion her large body of devotees holds for this once anonymous wordsmith.
Novelist Beth Patillo's homage to the celebrated author — Jane Austen Ruined My Life — takes a somewhat different tack, blending equal parts fictional travelogue, mystery, and chick-lit romance in a breezy journey of personal discovery. Emma Grant is a recently divorced Austen scholar who has gathered what few resources she possesses and departed for England on a wild-goose-chase to discover (and hopefully publish) a series of secret and previously unpublished letters from the pen of Jane Austen.
Assigned a series of mysterious Austen-related tasks by a secretive group, Emma finds herself traipsing across the English countryside in search of clues that combined with the revelations in the secret (fictional) letters, cast light on a concealed (and fictional) romance of the author's. Blaming her penchant for happily-ever-after romances that she believes doomed her marriage, Emma plans to use these letters to vault herself into the academic limelight and rebuild her tragically tarnished career. Emma's own romantic life also isn't as straightforward as it seems when an estranged friend reappears in her life, instigating an emotional maelstrom.
Patillo's work is markedly contemporary and free from any Austen-esque stylings despite her clear esteem of Austen's character, body of work, and personal correspondences. This delightful read is enhanced by previous familiarity with Austen's work (nearly a requisite), and a basic grasp on the details of Austen's life – the better with which to sort fact from fiction. Patillo's own visits to the historic Austen sites and throughout England are greatly appreciated in her careful sharing of architectural and landscape detail.
As I have noted in my review of a previous Patillo novel, the author does incorporate some references to God and His carefully orchestrated plans, but doesn't include any signs of a personal relationship with Him or His Son in any of her characters. Emma is the daughter of a ministry family and refers to God as though He is a force of nature, but her decisions and morality are not depicted as being influenced by Him. That being said, Jane Austen Ruined My Life is still a good, clean read, free of both profanity and pre-marital intimacy (barring a few rather non-descript kisses.)
Adam, Emma's friend from the past, is rather lacking in character, being limited to general friendliness and a variety of grins. This combined with other aspects of the budding romance left me generally unsatisfied by the book's romantic tenor, leaving me more focused upon the focus on Jane Austen and the mystery of her letters. Another male character slips in and out of the story-line in what could have made a great sub-plot but is never developed or fully resolved.
Still, I can credit this work with two late-night reading sessions, it was incredibly difficult to put down. This pleasant diversion for Austen devotees is a pleasantly diversionary way to spend the long, dark, cold winter nights. Readers eager for more in the same vein won't have long to wait – Patillo's Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is newly available.
Jennifer Bogart is a child of God, wife and homeschooling mother of three young children (so far). She writes homeschooling resources with her husband at Bogart Family Resources, and reviews as a creative outlet. Passionately dedicated to promoting the work of Christian authors and artists, her blog Quiverfull Family features reviews, contests, family updates, homeschooling tidbits and well - a bit of everything.


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Aodhan LS008
The newest wheel from Aodhan, the LS008. Built with a deep attention to detail the Aodhan LS008 is a truly beautiful wheels. Aodhan did not just engineer this wheel for ultimate concavity, it was also built to fit with very friendly specs that clear BBK.
Available Diameter:
| 17 Inch | 18 Inch | 19 Inch | 20 Inch
Available Finish:
| Bronze | Gold with Machined Face | Matte Black | Matte Gunmetal | Silver with Machined Face | White


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Aviation safety investigations & reports
Operational event involving Boeing 737, VH-YIR, Sydney Airport, NSW on 4 June 2013
Final Report
What happened
On 4 June 2013, a Boeing 737-800 (737) aircraft, registered VH-YIR and operated by Virgin Australia (Virgin), was on a scheduled passenger service from Melbourne, Victoria to Sydney, New South Wales. During descent into Sydney, the crew was advised by air traffic control (ATC) to expect an independent visual approach (IVA) to runway 16 Right (16R).
As the aircraft approached the extended centre-line of runway 16R, the aircraft's traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) provided a traffic alert followed by a resolution advisory (RA) in relation to an Airbus A320 aircraft on approach to parallel runway 16 Left (16L). As the crew commenced descent in response to the RA, the aircraft continued through the extended centreline of runway 16R by about 300 m. When the TCAS alert ceased, the pilot flying captured the extended runway centre-line from the other side. The flight crew continued the approach and landed, whilst the A320 executed a go-around procedure.
As both aircraft were cleared and utilising IVA procedures, the occurrence did not constitute an ATC loss of separation assurance.
What the ATSB found
The ATSB found that the 737 passed through the centreline as a result of the aircraft's automatic flight control system not being set to the correct flight mode for an intercept and turn onto the runway 16R localiser. This most likely occurred due to insufficient force being applied to the approach mode push-button and, as the flight crew did not perform an effective check of either the mode control panel or the flight mode annunciator to verify a mode change, they were unaware that the aircraft's flight mode was not set as intended.
The ATSB also found that the risk of an undetected mode selection error was increased as the Virgin procedures did not mandate that flight crew announce flight mode changes.
There were no technical failures of the aircraft, aircraft tracking systems or ground equipment in relation to this occurrence.
What's been done as a result
In response to this occurrence, Virgin introduced a flight policy requiring crews to verbally announce flight mode changes when operating above 500 ft.
Safety message
During an IVA, accurate interception and tracking of the runway centreline is essential to maintain separation with aircraft using the parallel runway. This occurrence highlights the importance of pilots remaining vigilant during this type of approach, including to the consideration of and response to all RAs. The importance of crews conducting comprehensive checks of the mode control panel and flight mode annunciator to ensure that the flight mode selected is consistent with the crew's intention is also reinforced.
The occurrence
On 4 June 2013, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft (737), registered VH-YIR and operated by Virgin Australia, was on a scheduled passenger service from Melbourne, Victoria to Sydney, New South Wales. The captain was the pilot flying (PF) and the first officer (FO) was the pilot monitoring (PM).[1]
On first contact with an approach controller, flight crews are required to notify receipt of the latest automatic terminal information service[2] broadcast for their destination. At 1845 Eastern Standard Time,[3] the flight crew contacted the Sydney Approach controller for approach clearance and were cleared to descend to 8,000 ft for runway 16 Right (16R).[4] The crew were also advised to expect an independent visual approach (IVA).[5] At that time, the aircraft was 46 NM (85 km) to the southwest of Sydney.
At 1848, the flight crew of an Airbus A320 (A320), registered VH-VFL and operated by Jetstar Airways, contacted the Sydney Approach controller from a location 53 NM (98 km) to the north of Sydney. The approach controller cleared the A320 flight crew to descend to 8,000 ft for runway 16L and advised the crew to expect an IVA. At that time the 737 was 25 NM (46 km) to the southwest of Sydney on descent to a re-cleared 6,000 ft.
The Sydney Director[6] assigned the 737 flight crew a right turn heading 070° and descent to 3,000 ft at 1854:51. Shortly after at 1855:07, the Director instructed the crew to continue on their current heading and advised that there was a chance they may be taken off the approach as there was medical traffic heading north-east from Bankstown. Figure 1 illustrates the relative position and flight paths of the 737 and A320 to Bankstown Airport.
Source: Google earth (modified by the ATSB)
At 1856:10 the Director instructed the 737 flight crew to turn right onto a heading of 125° to join final for runway 16R, and cleared the crew for a visual approach with a requirement to not descend below 2,000 ft until established on the precision approach path indicator (PAPI).[7] The 737 flight crew reported that at that stage of an approach they would normally select the approach mode, which involves the PF pressing the approach push-button on the aircraft's mode control panel. With this flight mode armed, and given the reliance on the instrument landing system (ILS)[8] at Sydney to conduct IVA approaches (see the section titled Independent visual approaches), the aircraft's automatic flight control system (AFCS) flies the heading selected by the crew until the aircraft captures the ILS localiser signal. Once captured, the AFCS follows the localiser course, which coincides with the runway extended centre-line in this case. The captain recalled selecting the approach mode using the push-button but stated that the action may not have been sufficiently forceful to enable the selection. The FO also recalled the captain announcing a mode change by stating 'arming approach', and considered that the approach pushbutton was pressed. However, recorded data indicated that the captain's action to select the push-button was not effective. Neither pilot could clearly recall verifying a change on the flight mode annunciator (FMA)[9] to confirm that the approach mode was armed.
Radar data indicated that at 1857:27, the 737 was at 3,100 ft, with a ground speed of 210 kt, on a heading of 124° and 1.7 NM (3.2 km) from the extended centre-line of runway 16R. The 737 was 1.6 NM (3.0 km) from the A320 with 700 ft vertical distance between the aircraft.
At 1857:42, the A320's traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS)[10] provided a traffic advisory (TA)[11] in relation to the proximity of the 737. The 737 crew received a TCAS TA at about the same time. The FO on the 737 recalled hearing the TA and initially thought it related to the medical traffic referred to earlier by air traffic control (ATC). The FO looked at the aircraft's navigation display and noted an aircraft behind and to the left of the 737.
At 1857:53, the 737's TCAS provided a resolution advisory (RA)[12] alert to descend. The captain reported becoming aware of a flight path deviation at about the same time as the RA, and noticed that the aircraft was about to pass through the centre-line for runway 16R. The captain disconnected the autopilot at 1857:57 and manually commenced a descent to comply with the RA.
At the same time, the 737 passed through the extended centre-line for runway 16R and, at 1858:03, the RA changed from 'descend' to 'don't climb'. At 1858:12 the aircraft reached its maximum deviation (320 m) to the left of the runway 16R extended centre-line.
The A320's flight crew received a 'climb' RA at 1857:54 before advising ATC at 1858:05 of that alert. The 737 crew advised ATC at 1858:10 that they too had received an RA.
At 1858:17 the 737's TCAS provided a 'clear of conflict' annunciation, which the crew conveyed to ATC. The Director asked the 737 crew if they were able to continue the approach, and the crew replied that they could. At 1858:30, the 737 captain armed the approach mode. At 18:58:32 the AFCS captured the localiser and, at 18:59:44, the AFCS captured the glideslope before the aircraft landed at about 1900.
At 1858:26 the A320 crew advised they were clear of the conflict, and were provided instructions to re-sequence for another approach. This entailed a left turn to re-intercept the extended centreline of runway 16L (Figure 1).
As both aircraft were cleared for and using IVA procedures, the occurrence did not constitute an ATC loss of separation assurance.[13]
The aircraft flight paths during final approach and the sequence of recorded TCAS events for the 737 and A320 are shown in Figure 2.
Source: Google earth (modified by the ATSB)
Flight data for selected parameters associated with approach mode selection and the TCAS advisories from the 737 are illustrated at Figure 3.
Source: ATSB
- Pilot Flying (PF) and Pilot Monitoring (PM) are procedurally assigned roles with specifically assigned duties at specific stages of a flight. The PF does most of the flying, except in defined circumstances; such as planning for descent, approach and landing. The PM carries out support duties and monitors the PF's actions and aircraft flight path.
- An automated pre-recorded transmission indicating the prevailing weather conditions at the aerodrome and other relevant operational information for arriving and departing aircraft. At Sydney, this operational information would include for relevant arriving aircraft/crews to expect an independent visual approach.
- Eastern Standard Time was Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) + 10 hours.
- Runways are named by a number representing the magnetic heading of the runway.
- Independent visual approaches conducted at Sydney Airport allow simultaneous operations to parallel runways under specific conditions. One requirement of these approaches is that aircraft do not cross the extended centre-line of the assigned runway during an intercept of the final approach path.
- The Director is an air traffic controller who is responsible for spacing and horizontal separation on final approach to the runways at Sydney airport. This is distinct from 'Sydney Tower' controllers, who provide aircraft with final clearance to land and for take-off.
- A ground-based, visual approach indicating system that uses a colour discriminating system to assist pilots identify the correct glide path to the runway.
- A standard ground aid to landing, comprising two directional radio transmitters: the localiser, which provides direction in the horizontal plane; and the glideslope, for vertical plane direction, usually at an inclination of 3°. Distance measuring equipment or marker beacons along the approach provide distance information.
- The FMA is located at the top of each pilot's primary flight display and informs the crew of the active and armed autoflight and auto-throttle modes.
- Traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) is an aircraft collision avoidance system. It monitors the airspace around an aircraft for other aircraft equipped with a corresponding active transponder and gives warning of possible collision risks.
- When a TA is issued, pilots are instructed to initiate a visual search for the traffic causing the TA.
- An indication given to the flight crew recommending a manoeuvre or a manoeuvre restriction to avoid collision. RAs can be divided into two categories: corrective advisories, which advise the pilot to deviate from the current flight path (for example 'descend'); and preventive advisories, which advise the pilot to maintain or avoid certain vertical speeds (for example 'don't climb').
- Loss of separation assurance describes a situation where a separation standard existed but planned separation was not provided or separation was inappropriately or inadequately planned.
Personnel information
Qualifications and experience
The captain held an Air Transport Pilot (Aeroplane) Licence ATP(A)L. The captain's total aviation experience was about 16,000 hours of which 7,000 hours were on the 737. They had flown the 737 with Virgin Australia (Virgin) for 11 years, with 6 years as pilot in command.
The first officer (FO) held an ATP(A)L and had previously obtained their Commercial Pilot Licence in 2004. The FO had flown with Virgin for about 5 years and had about 2 years' experience in 737 aircraft.
Crew duty
The captain and FO each commenced duty in Sydney at approximately 0755 and operated a sector from Sydney to Cairns and then from Cairns to Melbourne before the occurrence flight from Melbourne to Sydney. Total duty time[14] for each pilot was 11 hours 43 minutes and the flights were conducted within the same time zone.
Prior to the occurrence flight the captain had 3 days off duty and a 9-day break from flying.
The captain stated that they commuted from Brisbane to Sydney on the previous evening to preposition for the first leg out of Sydney the next morning. The Captain reported experiencing a typically restful sleep the night before the occurrence flight.
The FO was returning to work from a period of simulator training in the days preceding the occurrence. They reported receiving about 7 hours of quality sleep during the night before the occurrence.
Aircraft and operational information
Mode control panel
The aircraft's automatic flight control system includes an autopilot flight director system (AFDS) and auto-throttle, which are controlled using the AFDS mode control panel (MCP) and the flight management computer (FMC). Normally, the AFDS and auto-throttle are controlled automatically by the FMC to fly an optimised lateral and vertical flight path through climb, cruise and descent.
The MCP facilitates more direct control of the aircraft flight modes and can be used to intervene between the FMC and either of the AFDS and auto-throttle. Pilots may use the MCP to make a range of flight mode selections including autopilot engagement, course and heading, target speeds and altitudes.
The mode selector switches are pushed to select desired command modes for the AFDS and auto-throttle. The switch illuminates to indicate mode selection and that the mode can be deselected by pushing the switch again. While a mode is active, deselection can be automatically inhibited and is indicated by the switch being extinguished.
When engagement of a mode would conflict with current AFDS operation, pushing the mode selector switch has no effect. All AFDS modes can be disengaged either by selecting another command mode or by disengaging the autopilot and turning the flight directors off (Figure 4).
Source: ATSB
Once the approach mode push-button on the MCP is pressed, the system approach mode is armed. The approach mode becomes active when the localiser and glide slope signals are captured, causing the green light on the MCP approach push-button to extinguish. Once this occurs, the only means to deactivate approach mode include:
- selecting take-off/go around (TOGA) thrust
- disengaging the autopilots and switching the flight directors off
- retuning the very high frequency navigation (VHF NAV) receivers.
Illumination of the approach push-button light indicates that the armed or active mode can be deselected. It is not an accurate indicator of the status of a selected mode. As discussed in the following description, only the flight mode annunciator (FMA) provides a true indication of the mode status.
Flight mode annunciator
As previously stated, auto-flight system mode selections are made using the MCP. They are displayed from left to right on the FMA at the top of each pilots primary flight display (PFD) and include:
- auto-throttle
- roll (or lateral) mode
- pitch (or vertical) mode.
Engaged flight modes are displayed on the top line of the FMA in green letters and are the primary indication to the pilot that an AFDS mode is active. Armed modes are displayed in smaller, white letters beneath the engaged modes. A highlighting rectangle appears around the relevant mode annunciation for a period of 10 seconds following mode engagement. Confirmation of the status of the auto-flight system modes is made by reference to the FMA.
Figure 5 is an example of a B737 PFD for an aircraft on approach to Sydney runway 16R. The representation shows the aircraft close to touchdown with both Localiser and Approach correctly captured by dual autopilots.
Source: Aerosoft Australia (modified by the ATSB)
Flight mode monitoring
The Virgin Operations Manual provided guidance regarding crew monitoring of indications, limitations and on systematic cooperation and exchange of information between flight crew. The manual also included a requirement to check FMA annunciations that may indicate downgraded capability, and for flight crew to monitor the FMA during low visibility approach and auto-land operations. However, the document did not mandate that flight crews verbally announce FMA changes.
Aircraft and ground-based systems
Under certain conditions, including as a result of ground-based technical factors, the aircraft's automation may allow the aircraft to fly through the localiser briefly, before intercepting the localiser from the other side. However, the known onboard or ground-based technical factors with the potential to cause these brief incursions did not contribute to this occurrence.
Independent visual approaches
Sydney Airport operates two parallel runways (16L/34R and 16R/34L) that are set 1,037 m apart (Figure 6). Use of the independent visual approach (IVA) procedure, which is only possible in visual meteorological conditions,[15] allows two aircraft to be established on final approach to the parallel runways at the same time.
IVA procedures were introduced with the commissioning of runway 16L/34R in 1994. At the time of writing, Sydney Airport was the only location in Australia with parallel runways and where IVAs were in operation. All runways at Sydney Airport are instrument landing system (ILS) equipped.
Source: Airservices Australia (modified by the ATSB)
At the time of the occurrence, Airservices Australia (Airservices) published the requirements and procedures for IVAs in the Australian Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). The AIP stated that IVAs could be conducted to parallel runways with centrelines separated by at least 760m, provided that aircraft were making straight-in approaches that commenced at the ILS outer marker or 4 NM (7.4 km) from the runway threshold, and air traffic control (ATC) maintained a minimum 1,000 ft vertical or 3 NM (5.6 km) radar separation between the affected aircraft. These preconditions were stipulated until a number of additional conditions were met and an aircraft was cleared for an IVA. When an aircraft was vectored by ATC to intercept the final course, the final vector had to permit the aircraft to intercept that course at an angle not greater than 30°.
The AIP also contained a section on pilot responsibilities during IVAs. These included flying accurate headings, ensuring that the runway centre-line was not crossed during intercept, accurately tracking the runway centreline, maintaining a visual lookout for aircraft approaching the parallel runway and advising ATC immediately when avoiding action was initiated or contact with the runway was lost.
During an IVA, accurate tracking of the runway centreline is essential. This can be achieved either electronically (localiser, RNAV[16] or ground-based augmentation system (GBAS) landing system[17]) or visually.
The difference between reporting 'visual'[18] and reporting the runway in sight is significant. A visual call by the flight crew to ATC is all that is required if established on the centreline using electronic indications. In contrast, a specific runway in sight call is required from flight crews if they are not electronically established on centreline (Figure 7).
Any aircraft being processed for an IVA needs to inform the Sydney ATC Director[19] when they have the runway in sight as soon as possible.
Source: Airservices Australia
A local ATC restriction was in place that did not allow foreign-based airlines (excluding New Zealand-based operators) to participate in IVAs until their aircraft was established on the runway centreline. In addition, Qantas Airways Limited Boeing 747 aircraft were treated by ATC as a foreign international operator, due to a limitation imposed by the airline.
At Sydney Airport, the ILS critical areas[20] were not protected during IVAs. Airservices reported that aircraft operating on IVAs to runways 16L and 16R were spaced 4 NM (7.4 km) apart in trail for each runway in order to optimise the efficiency of landing rate. If the ILS critical areas were to be protected, this spacing would need to be increased to 7 NM (13 km). Together with the requirement for ground traffic to be positioned outside the ILS critical areas, leading to congestion and towing and taxiing restrictions in the remaining aircraft ground movement areas, this would result in a 39 per cent reduction in the arrival rate into Sydney per hour.
Design and implementation
The design and implementation of IVAs at Sydney was a collaborative undertaking involving industry, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices.
Due to the different runway lengths and airport layout in Sydney, extensive analysis was conducted by Airservices on the operation of a parallel runway (16L/34R) prior to its construction and commissioning in 1994. A design group was formed to investigate different methods of achieving an efficient mixed-mode operation, where both runways are used for arrivals and departures. The group focused on airports with a distance between their parallel runways similar to that of Sydney.
Minneapolis St Paul and Raleigh Durham Airports, which are both located in the United States (US) and operated under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, were selected as possible models given the distance between their parallel runways was similar to Sydney. As those airports had accumulated years of experience with mixed-mode parallel runway operations, it was determined the most efficient approach would be to adopt a similar mixed-mode operation at Sydney Airport.
Conservative restrictions were applied to the baseline FAA model to develop the IVA procedures for application at Sydney Airport. These restrictions reflected the local conditions at Sydney Airport and the then inexperience in highcapacity parallel runway operations in Australia.
Implementation of IVAs at Sydney was managed by Airservices. With support from industry and CASA, this included an information/education program involving industry meetings and presentations, the development of a training video outlining pilot and ATC responsibilities and the production of operational documentation.
Reviews of IVA operations at Sydney Airport prior to the occurrence
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Civil Aviation Safety Regulation 1998 (CASR) Part 172 Manual of Standards - Air Traffic Services specifies the regulatory framework for the approval of air traffic service providers in Australia, and includes standards for air traffic facilities, safety management and the provision of air traffic services. In January 2013, CASA published the results of a review of its CASR Part 172 approval of Airservices. The review sought to identify areas for improvement of Airservices safety and service performance and to determine if conditions needed to be applied to the Airservices approval.
CASA's review determined that there was a high instance of traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) alerts at Sydney involving IVAs, and that the IVA operation was implicated in TCAS incident reports more frequently than any other event. These included traffic advisory (TA) and resolution advisory (RA) occurrences. In addition, CASA noted a number of changes in operating dynamics since the introduction of IVA procedures, such as aircraft utilising the TCAS RA mode instead of the original TCAS TA mode once used for arrivals into Sydney.
CASA also found that there were frequent occasions during the conduct of IVAs where controllers issued visual approach clearances from the downwind or base legs that resulted in aircraft intercepting adjacent, parallel final approach paths. Aircraft would then fly either 'side-by-side' or one overtake the other during final approach. It was also noted that ATC standards did not require controllers to provide positive separation between aircraft on adjacent final approaches, nor was ATC required to provide traffic information to flight crews of aircraft vectored into close proximity.
One of the recommendations from the CASA review was that, in respect of IVA operations at Sydney Airport:
Airservices should review Independent Visual Approach (IVA) procedures at Sydney in order to determine if sufficient risk mitigators are in place to ensure the continued safe operation of aircraft.
Airservices Australia
Airservices conducted a review of parallel runway operations at Sydney Airport in 2003. The review included an evaluation of the IVA procedures at Sydney and recommended a number of improvements.
Subsequently, Airservices became aware of a potential recommendation from CASA's CASR Part 172 review in respect of IVA procedures at Sydney Airport. Airservices advised CASA that they would review the procedures in conjunction with industry and implement any agreed actions.
On 14 November 2012 Airservices revised the wording on the Sydney Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS)[21] in respect of IVA approaches to advise pilots to 'not pass through the assigned runway centreline'. This revision of the Sydney ATIS was in place at the time of the occurrence on 4 June 2013.
On 20 November 2012, following a discussion with airlines, Airservices published a safety bulletin on IVAs[22] noting that their reporting system had identified the inconsistent application by some pilots of their responsibilities during IVAs. The following five pilot responsibilities were reiterated in the safety bulletin:
- Pilots ensuring that the runway centreline is not crossed during intercept (Figure 8)
- Pilots maintaining a visual lookout for aircraft approaching the adjacent parallel runway centreline
- TCAS RAs during IVAs
- Importance of "Visual" reports and the specific requirements for "specific Runway XX Right or left in sight"
- Pilots understanding of radio failure procedure as described in ERSA (En Route Supplement Australia)
Source: Airservices Australia
In addition to the safety bulletin, Airservices reported that they planned to review the IVA procedures, with airline input, in the first quarter of 2013.
The Airservices review of IVA procedures was attended by CASA and airline and Airservices representatives. It identified a number of potential risk mitigation factors and considered the release of an order by the US FAA for ATC to review approach speeds to reduce potential overshoot situations during parallel runway operations.
On 24 November 2013, standard circuit speeds for application by Sydney ATC during IVA procedures were introduced. On 12 December 2013, a change was introduced to the phraseology used by ATC to clear an aircraft for an IVA to increase pilot awareness of the IVA procedure, given pilot responsibilities 'change slightly between a visual approach and a visual approach as part of the IVA procedure'. This required controllers to include the word 'independent' when clearing an aircraft for a visual approach during IVA procedures.
Related occurrences
A review of the ATSB and Airservices occurrence databases was undertaken to examine the number of TCAS RA occurrences during IVA operations at Sydney Airport in the period 20082013 (Figure 8). Based on the available information, in that period there were 277 reported RAs during IVA procedures.
Source: ATSB
Airservices advised that over the period 2008–2013, there were about 154,000 approaches per year at Sydney Airport, and that about 60 to 85 per cent involved IVAs. Given this broad range, it was not possible to determine whether there were any trends in the rate of RA occurrences (per approach) in recent years. The ATSB was unable to compare this alert rate against the US airports using similar procedures because there were more limited requirements for reporting TCAS RA occurrences in the US.
A review of the ATSB database indicated that about 30 per cent of all reported TCAS RA occurrences in Australia, or involving Australian aircraft overseas, occurred at Sydney Airport. Data provided by Airservices indicated that about 62 per cent of all RAs in the Sydney terminal area occurred during IVA procedures. The other 38 per cent included other approaches, departures and overflying aircraft.
In certain situations, two aircraft can be flown on IVAs at Sydney in a manner consistent with the required procedures, yet both aircraft's TCAS can generate an RA. For example, of the 277 reported RA occurrences during IVAs at Sydney during 2008–2013, 30 involved one of the aircraft passing through the extended centre-line. For many of the other occurrences there was insufficient information to determine whether a deviation occurred.
The extent to which centre-line deviations occurred during IVAs when no RA was reported could not be reliably determined as there were no specific reporting requirements for such events.
- Duty time may be defined as the period from when a crew member is required to report for a duty, until the crew member is free of the duty.
- Conditions in which pilots have sufficient visibility to fly the aircraft maintaining visual separation from terrain and other aircraft.
- A method of navigation that permits aircraft operation on any desired course within the coverage of station-referenced navigation signals or within the limits of a self-contained system capability, or a combination of these.
- A system for approach and landing operations using the GBAS augmentation system, in which the user receives information directly from a ground-based transmitter.
- By reporting 'visual' the pilot indicates their acceptance of responsibility to see and avoid obstacles during flight below the minimum vector altitude or minimum sector altitude/lowest safe altitude.
- In Sydney, the Director(s) are the only ATC persons permitted to apply IVAs.
- To maintain ILS signal integrity, the critical areas needed to remain clear of vehicles, aircraft and equipment.
- An automated pre-recorded transmission indicating the prevailing weather conditions at the aerodrome and other relevant operational information for arriving and departing aircraft.
- Available from www.airservicesaustralia.com.
Safety analysis
While conducting an independent visual approach (IVA) to runway 16R at Sydney Airport, the flight crew of a Boeing 737 (737), registered VH-YIR and operated by Virgin Australia (Virgin), passed through the runway centreline as an Airbus A320 aircraft, registered VH-VFL, was conducting an IVA to parallel runway 16L. Both flight crews received a traffic advisory (TA) followed by a resolution advisory (RA) through their aircraft's traffic collision avoidance systems (TCAS) and acted in accordance with their respective RA instructions. At that time, the 737 captain realised they were passing through the extended runway 16R centreline and disengaged the autopilot before manually flying the aircraft back towards the centre-line. The flight crew then armed the approach mode, which captured the localiser course. The flight crew of the A320 performed a go-around, and both aircraft landed safely. Although the occurrence was far from developing into a collision, and both aircraft were in visual meteorological conditions, this analysis examines the crew actions and IVA procedures at Sydney Airport and their influence on the development of the occurrence.
Arming the approach and mode awareness
The mode control panel (MCP) is the interface between the flight crew and the aircraft's automatic flight control system (AFCS). Pressing the approach mode pushbutton on the MCP illuminates the integral pushbutton light, indicating that the crew have 'issued an instruction' to the AFCS. The flight mode annunciator (FMA) then displays a message as a means of feedback from the AFCS to the crew confirming either that a mode is armed or active. Checking both the MCP and the FMA is therefore critical to the flight crew's continued awareness of the aircraft's mode status.
Checking the FMA
Although it seems logical that a pilot would check the FMA, research has shown that they do not always do so, even when flight crews are required to call out auto-flight mode changes (Björklund and others 2006). Other research has suggested that 32 per cent of pilots do not observe the FMA within the first 20 seconds of a manually-selected mode change (Mumaw and others 2001).
Björklund and others (2006) state:
Two out of five mode transitions on the FMA were never "seen" by the flight crews. In contrast to instrument monitoring in non-glass-cockpit aircraft, monitoring for mode transitions is likely to be based more on a pilot's mental model of the automation that drives expectations of where and when to look. Such models are often incomplete and buggy (e.g., Sarter, 1995). Therefore, it may not be surprising that many mode transitions in this study are neither visually nor verbally verified by flight crews, and that the FMA triggered only 4% of call-outs in this study, of which one out of four was not the official call-out. The FMA did not get consulted for 40% of all mode transitions.
Goteman and Dekker (2006) also found that FMA call-outs were shed when pilots were under a higher task load. It was also found that compliance with the required call-outs was higher when the operator only required a selected set of mode changes to be called.
Mode awareness
In an effort to increase pilots' mode awareness, aircraft manufacturers have recommended that pilots call out mode (or FMA) changes. Many operators have incorporated this into their operating procedures.
Ineffective auto-flight system mode awareness has been identified as a contributing factor in many occurrences since the introduction of complex auto-flight systems (Federal Aviation Administration 1996). Attempts to address the problem have only been partially successful, as a 2013 report into operations of flight path management systems (Flight Deck Automation Working Group 2013) stated:[23]
The 1996 FAA report[[24]] identified insufficient autoflight mode awareness as an important vulnerability area. Since that [the 1996] report was published, some changes to flight deck equipment design have been made in new aircraft to address this vulnerability area (e.g., only showing selected target values or modes on the PFD [Primary Flight Display], to foster the pilots reviewing the information on the mode annunciator display rather than on the mode selection panel).
In addition, the issue has been addressed in training through increased emphasis on mode awareness and in some operators' flight crew procedures by having the pilots call out all mode changes. However, other operators find this use of callouts to be too burdensome and a potential distraction.
These mitigations are only partially successful. The data analysis reveals that autoflight mode selection, awareness and understanding continue to be common vulnerabilities.
In this occurrence, it was found that, contrary to their intentions, the 737 flight crew did not arm the approach mode, probably as a result of applying insufficient force to the mode push-button. Subsequently, the crew's check/confirmation, if any, of the mode change using either the MCP or FMA was ineffective. This meant the crew's belief of their selection of the approach flight mode led to an incorrect expectation that the aircraft would automatically capture the localiser.
Virgin did not mandate that its crew announce mode changes at the time of the occurrence. Despite the absence of this procedural requirement, the 737 captain made a verbal call announcing their selection of the approach mode. However, the flight crew did not effectively verify via the FMA display that approach mode was armed.
Flight path monitoring
As the 737 turned on final to intercept the extended runway 16R centre-line, the flight crew expected that the aircraft's autopilot system would capture the localiser via the automated approach mode. As the flight continued, the flight crew did not anticipate that the aircraft was about to fly through the centre-line.
About 16 seconds prior to passing through the centre-line, the TA provided by the aircraft's TCAS was the first indication of a potential problem with the aircraft's flight path. The first officer (FO), who was the pilot monitoring, reported hearing the TCAS TA and that they considered it may have been due to the previouslyadvised medical traffic departing Bankstown. Although the captain, who was the pilot flying, described the medical traffic as a minor distraction, the FO remained concerned about its location. This distraction probably reduced the crew's ability to fully appreciate the location of their own aircraft and anticipate its future position relative to the runway centreline.
Flight crew response to the TCAS advisories
Automated conflict detection and alerting systems such as TCAS form a fundamental layer of defence against collision through their traffic and resolution advisory functionality. In this occurrence, the TCAS system performed as expected and provided the necessary stimulus for the crew of the 737 to disengage the autopilot and manually fly the aircraft back toward the runway16R centre-line.
The FO recalled the TCAS TA and, although immediately thinking it must have been a consequence of the medical traffic, decided to refer to the TCAS display. This display indicated the traffic as an A320 to the left-rear of the 737. The captain was previously aware of the A320 and acknowledged the value of TCAS as a situation awareness tool.
Twelve seconds passed between the TCAS TA and RA, with recorded data verifying that the 737 flight crew responded by disengaging the autopilot within 4 seconds of the RA. Recorded data also showed that, during the initial 12-second period, the captain described observing a number of unexpected external visual cues, until such time as the aircraft continued through the runway 16R centreline. There was no obvious action taken to rectify the aircraft's flight path during the period between the TA and the RA.
Although Virgin's Operations Manual stated that all TCAS warnings were to be treated as genuine and action taken in response, there have been anecdotal reports among a number of operators of TCAS TAs being considered of nuisance value during IVAs at Sydney. This may be due to the technical limitations of TCAS, leading to a 'cry wolf' effect (Wickens and others 2009), or reduced trust and use of the system during IVAs due to false alarms associated with the inherent parallel runway proximity to other aircraft.
There was no irrefutable evidence to suggest that pilots ignore TCAS TAs or RAs during IVA procedures at Sydney.
Thomas and Ferguson (2010) examined the effects of different amounts of sleep on the performance of Australian airline flight crews. The study found that the average amount of sleep in the previous 24 hours for captains was 7.0 hours and 7.1 hours for FOs. The occurrence of crew errors was higher, and threat management poorer, during flights when the crew included a captain with less than 6 hours sleep or a FO with less than 5 hours sleep in the previous 24 hours.
It is generally agreed that most people need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each day to achieve maximum levels of alertness and performance. Both pilots reported receiving an adequate amount of rest which was conducive to the vigilance, reaction times and cognitive requirements of the flight.
Although both of the crew reported obtaining an adequate amount of quality sleep the previous night, the occurrence took place during the last leg of an 11 hour 43 minute duty period. Although consistent with the captain's report of experiencing some degree of tiredness during the final leg, it could not be concluded that this equated to a level of fatigue likely to affect the crew's performance of the task; in particular, their ability to make and verify flight mode selections.
Independent visual approaches
As the crew approached the extended centreline of runway 16R, the captain was aware of an A320 on approach to runway 16L. The captain reported that it was only from using the TCAS that they gained an accurate understanding of the A320's position and altitude. This may be due, in part, because ATC did not, and was not required to provide, traffic information to aircraft using adjacent runways and abeam each other during independent visual approach procedures at Sydney. Traffic information regarding the A320 may have assisted the crew of the 737 form an accurate traffic picture at a critical point during the final approach phase.
Relative to other approaches and flight operations, there is a relatively high rate of RAs during IVA procedures at Sydney. This reinforces the need for compliance with the IVA procedures into Sydney and for flight crew to assure themselves that the correct flight mode has been selected. Confirmation of the correct flight mode will allow crews to focus on additional aspects of the approach, including surrounding traffic and flight path monitoring during the critical stages of flight.
From the evidence available, the following findings are made with respect to the flight path management occurrence involving Boeing 737, registered VH-YIR and operated by Virgin Australia, which occurred at Sydney Airport, New South Wales on 9 June 2013. These findings should not be read as apportioning blame or liability to any particular organisation or individual.
Safety issues, or system problems, are highlighted in bold to emphasise their importance. A safety issue is an event or condition that increases safety risk and (a) can reasonably be regarded as having the potential to adversely affect the safety of future operations, and (b) is a characteristic of an organisation or a system, rather than a characteristic of a specific individual, or characteristic of an operating environment at a specific point in time.
Contributing factors
- The flight crew applied insufficient force to the approach mode push-button on the mode control panel to arm the mode, which was not identified during their subsequent check of the flight mode annunciator.
- Due to their expectation that the aircraft approach mode was armed, and a subsequent degradation in monitoring the aircraft's systems, the flight crew did not anticipate that the aircraft's automated systems would not capture the runway 16R localiser and did not immediately detect the flight path deviation.
- The flight crew did not recognise that the traffic advisory alert provided by the aircraft's traffic collision avoidance system 12 seconds prior to the aircraft passing through the runway centreline was a potential indication of a problem with the aircraft's flight path.
Other factors that increased risk
- The Virgin Australia procedures did not require its flight crew to, whenever practicable, announce flight mode changes. [Safety issue]
- Air traffic control did not, and was not required to provide traffic information to aircraft using adjacent runways and abeam each other during independent visual approach procedures at Sydney. [Safety issue]
Other findings
- Relative to other approaches or flight operations, there is a relatively high rate of traffic collision avoidance system resolution advisory alerts during independent visual approaches at Sydney Airport.
Safety issues and actions
The safety issues identified during this investigation are listed in the Findings and Safety issues and actions sections of this report. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) expects that all safety issues identified by the investigation should be addressed by the relevant organisation(s). In addressing those issues, the ATSB prefers to encourage relevant organisation(s) to proactively initiate safety action, rather than to issue formal safety recommendations or safety advisory notices.
All of the directly involved parties were provided with a draft report and invited to provide submissions. As part of that process, each organisation was asked to communicate what safety actions, if any, they had carried out or were planning to carry out in relation to each safety issue relevant to their organisation.
Where relevant, these safety issues and actions will be updated on the ATSB website as information comes to hand. The initial public version of these safety issues and actions are in PDF on the ATSB website.
Annunciation of mode changes
The Virgin Australia procedures did not require its flight crews to, whenever practicable, announce flight mode changes.
Issue number: AO-2013-095-SI-01
Provision of traffic information
Air traffic control did not, and was not required to provide traffic information to aircraft using adjacent runways and abeam each other during independent visual approach procedures at Sydney.
Issue number: AO-2013-095-SI-02
Sources and submissions
Sources of information
The sources of information during the investigation included:
- Virgin Australia (Virgin) and Jetstar Airways
- the 737 flight crew
- Airservices Australia (Airservices)
- the Manual of Air Traffic Services
Björklund, CM Alfredson, J & Dekker, SWA 2006, 'Mode monitoring and call-outs: An eyetracking study of two-crew automated flight deck operations', The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, vol. 16, pp. 257–269.
Civil Aviation Safety Authority 2013, Review of CASR Part 172 Air Traffic Service approval of Airservices Australia.
Federal Aviation Administration 1996, Human Factors Team Report on The Interfaces Between Flightcrews and Modern Flight Deck Systems.
Goteman, O & Dekker, S 2006, Flight crew callouts and aircraft automation modes: An observational study of task shedding, International Journal of Applied Aviation Studies, vol. 6, pp. 235–248.
Mumaw, RJ Sarter, NB and Wickens, CD 2001, 'Analysis of pilots' monitoring and performance on an automated flight deck'.Proceedings of the Eleventh International Symposium in Aviation Psychology,p. 6.
Performance-based operations Aviation Rulemaking Committee/Commercial Aviation Safety Team Flight Deck Automation Working Group 2013, Operational use of flight path management systems. Available from www.faa.gov.
Thomas, MJW & Ferguson, SA 2010, 'Prior sleep, prior wake, and crew performance during normal flight operations', Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, vol. 81, pp. 665–670.
Wickens, CD Rice, S Keller, D, Hutchins, Hughes, J & Clayton, K 2009, 'False alerts in air traffic control alerting system: Is there a "cry wolf" effect', Human Factors, vol. 51, pp. 446–462.
Under Part 4, Division 2 (Investigation Reports), Section 26 of the Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (the Act), the ATSB may provide a draft report, on a confidential basis, to any person whom the ATSB considers appropriate. Section 26 (1) (a) of the Act allows a person receiving a draft report to make submissions to the ATSB about the draft report.
A draft of this report was provided to the flight crew, Virgin, Airservices, Jetstar and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Submissions were received from Virgin and Airservices. The submissions were reviewed and where considered appropriate, the text of the report was amended accordingly.
To download, click the link, then right-click and select Save As.
Copyright in material obtained from other agencies, private individuals or organisations, belongs to those agencies, individuals or organisations and should be credited accordingly.
Safety Issues
Annunciation of mode changes
The Virgin Australia procedures did not require its flight crews to, whenever practicable, announce flight mode changes.
|Issue number:
|Who it affects:
|Virgin Australia flight crews
|Adequately addressed
Provision of traffic information
Air traffic control did not, and was not required to provide traffic information to aircraft using adjacent runways and abeam each other during independent visual approach procedures at Sydney.
|Issue number:
|Who it affects:
|All Sydney Terminal Control Unit Director controllers
|Adequately addressed
General details
|04 June 2013
|Investigation status:
|Investigation level:
|Systemic - click for an explanation of investigation levels
|Location (show map):
|Sydney Airport
|New South Wales
|Occurrence type:
|ACAS warning
|Release date:
|07 August 2015
|Occurrence category:
|Report status:
|Highest injury level:
Aircraft 1 details
|Aircraft manufacturer
|The Boeing Company
|Aircraft model
|Aircraft registration
|Serial number
|Virgin Australia
|Type of operation
|Air Transport High Capacity
|Damage to aircraft
|Departure point
|Melbourne, Vic.
|Sydney, NSW
Aircraft 2 details
|Aircraft manufacturer
|Aircraft model
|Aircraft registration
|Serial number
|Jetstar Airways
|Type of operation
|Air Transport High Capacity
|Damage to aircraft
|Departure point
|Gold Coast, Qld
|Sydney, NSW


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Home repairs are tasks that are best left to professionals. You would not want to commit the biggest mistake by trying out any handyman projects yourself when you have no idea how. For example, you suddenly noticed that you have leaky skylights or a faulty smoke alarm. These are not tasks for amateurs. That is why when you need someone to deal with home repairs and maintenance, it is best to hire a trusted handyman Sydney has to offer.
With the help of the internet, it is now easy to locate a handyman who can do home repairs. However, finding a handyman that is honest and worth your money can be quite challenging. Sometimes, getting a handyman to repair minor home issues is difficult. That is why you need to find out in advance which firms specialise in small home repairs and not just on major renovations. This will save you time and money when you finally need someone to get the job done.
Take a look at these tips below so you can find the right professional to tackle minor home repairs.
1. Licensed. With the many fly-by-night contractors available, it is important that you deal with someone who is licensed to do the home repair job. Not only will this ensure quality work, a licensed handyman will also give you necessary paperwork that you can put in your file. If you decide to sell your home one day, having a history of home repairs done will actually increase its value.
2. Positive Client Feedback. Do not just trust word of mouth. Make sure that the handyman in Sydney you select has a good record to back his claim. Ask him for referrals from his past clients so you will have an idea exactly what kind of service he offers. It would be best if their company has a website so you can read reviews and client feedback.
3. Offers Insurance and Contracts. It is important that the handyman you hire has insurance to protect you from any liability just in case an unforeseen event happens in your home. Even if it is a minor repair job, it is still important that you have a contract. This will protect you in the event that the contractor you hire did not fulfill their obligations.
4. Offers Free Quotes. It would be better if the company offers to give you a free quote. This will ensure that you are aware of all potential costs like material costs, labor fee, contractor price and other related costs. Do not just choose the contractor who offers cheap services. You also have to compare pricing from other providers to ensure that their price is within range.
The above are just a few things you have to remember when choosing a contractor. Don't forget to ask their payment option as well. They might not accept checks and only prefer credit card, cash or other payment options. Once the minor repair is complete, be sure to give them a positive feedback so people like you can also find handyman Sydney has today that they can trust. You can also visit http://www.hireahubby.com.au/residential/handyman-services/ for more details.


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Survey of Western Culture II - HUM 202
Distance Learning
Time of Day
- HUM 202 - Survey of Western Culture II
- Studies thought, values, and arts of Western culture, integrating major developments in art, architecture, literature, music, and philosophy. Covers the following periods: Renaissance, Baroque, Enlightenment, Romantic, and Modern.Lecture 3 hours per week.
3 credits


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On Thursday 25 September 2008, Michael Ernst wrote: > Checklink suffers an infinite loop when run with the -r switch. Ouch, thanks for the report. > PREV > > Such a link works fine in my browser (Firefox), and checklink shouldn't > infinite loop. Hm, but that's somewhat different than your testcase. The above link starts with "..//" (two dots) while the subdir link in your testcase starts with ".//" (one dot). All the browsers I've tested (Firefox, Opera, Konqueror on Linux) behave the same as checklink - every click of the "This very file" link in subdir/index.html in your testcase results in one slash added between subdir and index.html. > I have attached a patch that corrects the problem. While the problem is very real, I don't think the fix is correct. I could not find anything in any URI specifications that would say multiple successive slashes in the path part could be treated as one (or put another way, empty path segments could be discarded), so doing that could break some (strange though) cases where they actually mean something else than the same URL with only one slash there as usual. I think a better fix would be to keep an eye only on relative links that start with . or .. followed by two or more slashes. For each such link found, truncate the successive slashes to one before handling it as usual, and flag the link with a descriptive warning what was done, and why (to prevent possible infinite loops in recursive retrieval tools such as link checker, maybe someone can suggest some other reasons too?). I don't think successive 2+ slashes in other cases than when followed by a relative link starting with . or .. can cause this problem, therefore I think it'd be better to leave them alone (and for the same reason, only the slashes immediately following the . or .. in relative links, not 2+ slashes further down the relative URL, should be truncated to one). Did I miss something?Received on Friday, 26 September 2008 18:43:28 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 22:59:09 UTC


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Niagara actors bring short film to TIFF
Denis Morris alums Paul McGillion, Wesley Salter get the invite
Posted By JOHN LAW
Posted 1 day ago
Long before they wrestled with their acting careers, Paul McGillion and Wesley Salter wrestled each other.
In the mid '80s, they were part of the wrestling team at Denis Morris high school in St. Catharines – Salter as a junior and McGillion a senior. They remained friends, and as McGillion left Niagara in the early '90s to pursue acting, Salter seemed to follow his lead.
McGillion worked on The X-Files, Stargate Atlantis and 24. Salter worked on Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural and Eureka. This year, they finally found something to work on together: A Fine Young Man, a 13-minute short film the duo helped finance and starred in, will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
"We're old friends," says McGillion, on the line from Vancouver where he lives. "A couple of Redmen coming from St. Catharines. I used to coach him when he was wrestling at 12 years old, and now we've got a film in the Toronto Film Festival together."
REST AT LINK ABOVE, and he talks about "V", which could lead to a recurring role!


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A Photozine about the Bangkok Street. This is Hean Kuan's 3rd photozine of the Asian Street Series, the aim of the series is to record his journey to various Asian cities.
In Thai, gender differences apply to their choices of words. Hean Kuan was mesmerized by the uniqueness of Thai. He feels the day and night in Bangkok are of different gender. A series of photographs were taken in the year 2015 and 2018. With the unique style of Hean Kuan Dual Zine arrangement, the book "Sawasdee Kha" interpreted as female and the book "Sawasdee Khrap" interpreted as male.
The Asian Street Series includes:
這是攝者王顯權,亞洲街頭攝影系列的第三冊小誌。2018年,是時候該逛一逛曼谷了。泰語裡面,是有性別區分的。攝者被泰語的特性所迷惑,對於在曼谷的所見所聞對號入座。一系列照片拍攝於2015和2018。照片以攝者一貫性的雙誌風格呈現," Sawasdee Kha " 詮釋「女性」,而 " Sawasdee Khrap " 詮釋「男性」。


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This post was originally posted on Sweet Tea & Saving Grace.
Yes, Christmas is over but there is still some fun to be had before the year ends! It's time to start thinking about New Year's Eve! How do you plan to ring in the new year? These New Years Eve confetti poppers are the perfect touch for midnight celebrations!
*This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for my full disclosures.
- Cake push pops
- Scrapbook paper or other embellishments
- Confetti
- Metallic shred
Cut a piece of scrapbook paper to the size needed to wrap around the push pop. Mine measured x but you can just eyeball it.
Secure the paper with a piece of invisible tape.
There are so many ways to decorate your confetti poppers. I like the sparkly paper but you could also use New Years stickers or a gold Sharpie marker.
If you want to get really fancy, you can spray paint the popper in gold before you begin!
If you like the labels I created, you can click the image below to download.
Once you have your push pops all decorated, fill them at least 1/2 way with confetti.
Top it off with the metallic shreds.
Put the top back on until you are ready to celebrate. You may have to fight with the metallic shreds a little (they can be stubborn!)
When the clock strikes midnight and you are ready to party, just take the tops off and push up hard on the bottom!
So fun, right? I know my kids will love these easy confetti poppers!
Looking for more New Years inspiration?
I hope everyone has an AMAZING new year!


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We had a great trip to the US-saw lots of friends and family. Here are some photos-unfortunately I didn't get everything, but this is a start:
We caught the tail end of Thanksgiving and enjoyed a lovely party for my dad's 80th. Here is a picture of the Rambo grandchildren, minus Moses:
Next, I took Sara and Hannah on a college tour and we had a great time with friends on the way. here are some pictures of Wheaton, Boston, and Wellesley.
We put up the biggest Christmas tree ever, with much difficulty (the kids and me-Caleb was still in Rwanda):
Caleb came in time to be a godfather for my nephew Jacob who was baptized. Lots of family came, including my Uncle Birch, who is one of my heroes-a career medical missionary in Zaire/Congo:
We enjoyed a warm day in December at the beach and enjoyed catching up with Pawley's Island friends:
We visited with our special friends the Laings, who made yet another amazing meal and treated us like, well, Kings!
I got to see my 100 year old grandmother, still smiling!:
Time to say good-bye :(. Thanks to all who helped us,cooked for us, lent us cars, coats, and hats, and bought us groceries! Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings you give us and for keeping us safe!
Here are my parents and oldest brother William, just before we pulled out of the driveway:


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Adriana Lima Plastic Surgery Before and After Photos
Do you ever think that models have been so good looking since they were born? If you answered yes, you're totally wrong. There are so many models now who are rumored to have gone under the knife in order to get their best appearance. Adriana Lima, the Brazilian supermodel, is one of them.
It can be easily seen that Adriana's upper lip has changed recently. She had a very thin upper lip in the past, whereas she has a thicker and fuller upper lip right now. Even the shape of her upper lip is more plumped up than before. Another plastic surgery rumor related to Adriana Lima, who was born on June 12th, 1981, is breast implants. People are able to take a look and see that her breasts are getting bigger, possibly the impact of having breast implants.
This is difficult to prove, because the changes in her breasts may be due to other factors. As most people know, she has had two children already. Therefore, the changes in her breasts and their getting bigger may just be due to the impacts of breastfeeding. Overall, she still looks charming, even though can't tell if her appearance is natural.