Sunday, April 28, 2013

TOP SECRET - INSIDE JETSTAR'S HEADQUARTERS (behind the scene's at the Airport)

Hello and welcome back...... Found this very interesting

Behind the scenes at Jetstar

Let the team a Jetstar take you on a behind the scenes look at what really happens when you fly.
 
Jetstar


Being on the plane alone is a strange feeling. 
I'M sitting on a completely empty passenger plane. Not another soul is in sight and there's not an object out of place. It's an eerie and surreal feeling, and I know I'm witnessing the calm before the storm... the storm of passengers, that is.
But before I know it the flight attendants and pilots sweep onto the Jetstar plane with an air of confidence, and congregate at the front of the Airbus A321. The crew perch on the edges of the seats with their carry-on luggage beside them as they listen to the head cabin crew member’s briefing, while the pilots ready the cockpit.

They're told to be on the lookout for passengers bringing overweight bags on board - a common problem for budget airlines these days. They're also informed it will be a full flight, and that a trainee member will be watching on.

A few minutes later they spring into action and busy themselves checking the plane including the seats, overhead lockers, toilets, the galley and oxygen tanks which are positioned at the back of the plane.


Jetstar
Behind the scenes at Jetstar. Picture: Kate Schneider

In the galley they remove each compartment and check it before placing it back in position, to make sure there's nothing in there that shouldn't be.

They move fast. They have just 15 minutes to complete the briefing and “turn around” before passengers begin boarding.


Jetstar
Jetstar flight attendants perform their checks. Picture: Kate Schneider

I then watch as they then greet passengers, with one placing a dirty tissue in the hand of a staff member, who remains polite and smiles at the passenger.

This is what it's like behind the scenes at an airline.

Jetstar have taken me on a tour of their operations, both at Melbourne Airport and their nearby Operational Control Centre (OCC).


Jetstar
Jetstar. Picture: Kate Schneider


Before we leave the airport for the OCC I was given a glimpse of where the baggage belt ends up – underneath there’s a collection area where the bags are shuffled off into large containers and driven to the planes - but it's an area where filming isn't allowed.

Last stop at the airport was the crew area, where weary staff can relax. The room has a splash of orange paint, and computers line the side of the office facing the window, which also had a TV screen displaying the flight departure times. Of course, there were also several tables and chairs and an equipment room.

At the airline headquarters

Next stop was the Jetstar Operational Control Centre, located approximately 15 minutes away in the heart of Melbourne's CBD. It's where all of the airline's operations are co-ordinated.

I couldn't wait to see the wheels turning. How do they keep track of so many planes and what routes they’re taking? What happens when a passenger - or a flight attendant - falls ill? Or when a volcanic ash cloud is threatening flights? And how do they cope with the flow-on delays any action will cause?

Well today’s my lucky day, but not so much the airline’s: a volcano has been spewing a plume of ash 4570 metres into the sky over southern Indonesia. Let’s just say it was all systems go.

A map displayed on the computer shows a dizzying array of lines and colours tracking planes from different airlines and routes, along with two large red icons that indicate the extent of the volcanic ash plume. The maps are definitely the most intriguing part of the operations.



Luckily the ash cloud eventually abated so it didn’t cause too much disruption, but it did spark some flight delays for Jetstar while a “wait and see” approach was adopted. The situation needed close monitoring in case it escalated, and it was one this team of 20 people was highly skilled in dealing with.




The headquarters are covered in blue wallpaper dotted with clouds, with a large world map positioned near the centre. Six clocks displaying times from around the world adorn the one side of the wall.

And if you were wondering, this is the device they use when there’s a medical emergency on board:




The roles

Twenty employees work at the Jetstar Operations Control Centre monitoring up to 300 flights over 24 hours.

The Duty Manager is responsible for getting you there on time, while the Operations Controller monitors the network and looks out for events such as airport delays, engineering requirements and weather.

Meanwhile, the Flight Dispatch team provides pilots with information on routing, fuel requirement and weather forecasts for each trip. They communicate with pilots when required during the flight via radio, satellite phones and a data system that allows them to send short messages to and from the aircraft – similar to an SMS. They can help handle medical emergencies, diversions and security concerns.

There’s a Crewing Team who handle the rosters of the staff and arrange a replacement crew member in the event of illness or lack of sufficient rest. The Customer Recovery Team looks after passengers affected by disruptions including notifying them of delays, finding alternate flights if needed and arranging hotel accommodation and transport.

And of course, there’s also an engineering and maintenance team.So the next time your flight is delayed, spare a thought for the team figuring out how to get you in the air as soon as possible and dispose of your own dirty tissues.




Massive thanks to News.com for the article and photos.

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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

MOBILE ONE ANTENNA - SCATX (Antenna Review)


 Hello and welcome back....... Living in the Blue Mountains has it advantages and disadvantages in regards to scanning and receiving frequencies, I live in Springwood NSW, and while the height is a advantage, the distance is not......That's where the Mobile One SCATX antenna comes into play. This incredible antenna pulls in distant frequency's with ease.

To explain how it works, I spoke to the master himself..... Peter Pride from Mobile One Antennas in Camden NSW. Peter designed this amazing antenna himself so he knows what he is talking about.

These antennas are made in the factory at Camden airport and are made for Australian conditions, They also come with a full 5 year warranty.

The SCATX works best on a ground plane environment, meaning in the center of a car roof or a flat part of a house roof.... Also always use a UHF base for optimum reception, but you can also mount them anywhere and they exceed just about any antenna I have used.

The SCATX covers 25mhz to 1.3ghz...... although I have personally used it on the Shortwave bands and it worked beautifully picking up Radio China on 15210khz and a Christian station (World Harvest Radio) on 11565khz which is based in Indiana, America (Both registered between 7-8 on the signal meter).

Also the SCATX has gain, something I look for when buying an antenna..... with the amount of frequencies floating around out there, you need all the help you can get. On UHF you get 5db gain, On VHF you get 2.14db gain and on the Airband, you get 1.5db gain

I have been using this antenna now for about 4 months after replacing my old antenna which was around 10 years old (seen better days). The first thing you notice is how clear every thing comes in, working as a home base antenna, I got my son to mount it in the middle of the outside awning with the new coax going inside to my rig..... I am currently using a Icom IC-PCR1000 communications receiver (computer controlled).....I must say, the SCATX is one of the best antennas I have tried, for a mere $47....Its money well spent.

For more Information give Peter at Mobile One a call on 02 46556677 or Email at = tech@mobileone.com.au

Visit their website = http://www.mobileone.com.au/antennas/m1antennas.html

Please let them know you saw it at scanradionsw.blogspot.com / radio communication nsw.






 Many thanks to Peter Pride for the photos & Diagrams used on this site and for the valuable information.



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