Brush up your vocabulary on navigation with this extract from L’Anglais pour voler.
2 – crossword
Then review some of the words with this crossword published in the Info-pilote’s March 2012 issue.
3 – reading comprehension
The UK Civil Aviation Authority publishes a series of safety leaflets aimed at general aviation pilots. These leaflets help pilots improve their airmanship and they provide good reading for anyone who wants to improve his/her aeronautical English.
First, on www.caa.co.uk, go to the General Aviation page, and more specifically to the Safety Guidance and Resources chapter. Then, towards the end of the page, click on the link leading to the safety leaflets summary and select the leaflet on VFR navigation (SafetySense Leaflet 05, published in December 2008).
Read the leaflet and answer these questions:
a – What do some pilots think VMC stands for? (caution, British humour!) p.1
b – Give two reasons why it is not advisable to fly below 1500 ft AGL. p. 3
c – What is a FREDA check? p. 5
4 – listening comprehension
For the listening comprehension exercise, we will borrow a tip from PilotWorkshops, entitled « Direct-to or not« ?
Listen to the audio:
Then answer these questions:
a – What is always good?
b – Name 2 of the 4 situations mentioned by Bob Martens.
c – During his fatal flight to Martha’s Vineyard on July 1999, JFK Jr. flew mainly over water. In which way did it create a situational awareness issue?
Read the full transcript here.
Remember that you can sign up for their newsletter at www.pilotworkshop.com to get the tip every week, directly into your mailbox.
5 – general English corner
Confused about lay and lie? Well, you are not the only one! These 3 verbs – yes, 3 – are treacherous!
To lay means to place something down in a resting position, to set down. It is a regular verb, but the spelling of the past tense and of the past participle is laid (not layed). It requires a direct object: you lay something down.
To lie is to be in a flat or horizontal position, to recline. It is an irregular verb and its past tense his lay, which is part of the problem. It doesn’t take an object: you lie down.
To complicate things, to lie also means to not tell the truth. In this case, it is a regular verb, its past tense is lied.
Here is a recap:
a – Very Marginal Conditions.
b -You may meet high speed military Aircraft, and it reduces options in case of engine Failure.
c – Fuel – Radio – Engine instruments – Direction indicator – Altimeter.
4 – listening comprehension
a – Flying with less stress.
b – Flying at night, over water, near international borders, over unfriendly terrain.
c – He deprived himself of information on fog and location.
