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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0133.PDF
FLIGHT, 27 January 1961 133 Operational Control — DOES IT BELONG IN THE COCKPIT? "Flight" photograph OPERATIONAL control is an aspect of airline working thathas always been taken very much for granted. Yet in itsapplication it is a practical means of safeguarding regularity of scheduled services and promoting operational efficiency. The international bodies charged with the co-ordination ofcivil aviation seem reluctant fully to define operational control. ICAO references to the duties and qualifications of flight-opera-tions officers are still "recommended practices," not "standards," and in the introduction to their own pamphlet on this subject(ICAO Circular 45—AN/40) the organization's air navigation council dissociates itself from any official recommendation. Yetthis publication contains a comprehensive description of the func- tion of operational control in airline operations, how it shouldbe carried out, and the duties of officers associated with its performance. Systems of flight supervision vary with the character of theroute and the type of operation; accordingly most airlines have established and follow their own systems of control Distinctionshould be made between flight dispatch, which is a regulatory function designed to plan the most efficient and economic conductof a flight, and operational control, the definition of which is "the exercise of authority by an operator over the initiation,continuation, diversion or termination of a flight." Following the US example, there is a growing trend towardsthe introduction of flight-dispatch departments, while operational control is still left to the pilot-in-command with varying degreesof participation from ground agencies. When control is exercised solely by the aircraft commander, with such assistance as provided By W. J. ANSON, GradlnstT, MIN bv State-maintained facilities, there is a tendency for him to thinkand act in terms of one particular flight or aircraft, without relating it to the pattern of operations as a whole. This draw-back can be overcome only if a co-ordinating agency exists, which by correlating information affecting current and future operationsis able to advise the captain of the most desirable course of action. It will be seen that such flight-movement control becomes increas-ingly significant as the speed and size of aeroplanes increases. Operational control is more than just a system of flight dispatch;us purpose is to achieve a complete continuity of flying operations, present and planned. To this end there must be a high degreeof co-ordination between the crew and the control agency on the ground, the latter assuming responsibility for flight movement con-trol and the pilot retaining overriding authority in matters of flight safety. The need for a co-ordinated operational control system must-• regarded in the light of the economics of airline working today. he high-speed, large-capacity aeroplane has a high revenue•uential, but its operation is also more sensitive to mismanagement :d misdirection than was its smaller and slower counterpart ofvent years. Jet operations are more susceptible to service inter- ptions, delays and cancellations than is piston-engined equip-i'nt. The need to counteract the imponderables of traffic con- ation in the air and on the ground; weather problems; andtier factors detrimental to schedule maintenance: these can be "t only by a vigilant system of flight supervision—co-ordinationoetween aircraft and ground station, and between one ground station and another. An effective system of operational controlcannot completely obviate interruptions to schedules, but it can try to prevent them or at least to minimize their effect. Operationalcontrol staffs must be able to anticipate eventualities so that effective measures can be taken in time. The following stages form the basis of operational control frompre-fiight planning, throughout the performance of a flight and until us completion: (1) Pre-flight dispatch; (2) in-flight dispatch;provision of monitoring and advisory services to the pilot-in- ^jrcunand with facilities for communication between aircraft andg y pd, with facilities for communication between aircraft and station; (3) inter-station co-ordination and provision of-formation to ground services to ensure that their information is ••"ays up to date (this also calls for familiarity with alternative,"- anc^ surIace-transport facilities); (4) constant liaison with •••"•te authorities providing navigational, meteorological, air traffic•:i:trol and air information services; (5) flight co-ordination and movement control, which entails the ability to survey the completeoperational (or fleet) pattern at any time, and to relate to it any deviation from scheduled operation.As a rule, an airline's operating policies, methods and procedures are set out in a manual distributed to all personnel concerned.The application of rules and regulations to a given situation, and the formulation of ad hoc decisions in the spirit of company policyare essential factors in the performance of operational control. The more complex the pattern of operations, the more respon-sible the task; an uninformed decision could spell the disruption of a tightly planned utilization schedule. When navigation, communication and meteorological facilitieswere in a less developed state it was only natural that all opera- tional decisions affecting a flight would be made by the pilot.Scarcity of faculties was reflected in high take-off and landing minima, and prolonged weather delays were not uncommon.Further, large fuel reserves often imposed severe economic penalties. Only in large companies was there a properly qualified personor organization on the ground available to provide any useful advisory service. A long-haul aircraft away from its base becamea self-dependent operational unit. Procedures and methods of slower-moving days are nowinadequate. Over the last ten years the speed of aeroplanes has doubled and trebled; modern cruise-control systems, coupled withrestrictions imposed by an airspace which has suddenly become too small, require constant watchfulness on the part of the crew—at 600 m.p.h. and fuel-flow rates of 4,000kg/hr, errors can be costly. Moreover, whilst the aeroplane has grown, flight-crewstrengths have been reduced; radio operators have all but dis- appeared, and engineers and navigators seem likely to suffer asimilar fate. What is needed is better liaison between aircraft and the com-pany agency on the ground. This can best be achieved by an organization combining dispatch and flight-movement control.Such an organization is able to take care of the pre-flight phase of operations, to maintain a monitoring flight watch in the courseof flight, and to be available for immediate advice and assistance should an abnormal situation occur. It bears a direct share ofresponsibility in the planning and in the conduct of a flight. In this concept of operational control the duties of dispatch areintegrated with those of movement control, creating a single co-ordinating agency. The whole pattern of movement is knownat any time and a regulatory influence exerted upon it if current and future operations are threatened by deviations from schedule.Whereas in any one particular flight the operations control organ- ization is functionally subordinated to the captain of the aircraft,the organization exercises overriding authority in those aspects of flight supervision where movement control is predominant.This is not to suggest that the ultimate responsibility for the safe conduct of a flight should rest with anyone but the pilot. Co-operation and Confidence Joint authority is a concept which managements and manypilots find difficult to accept. There is a disparity in status between pilot and operations-control officer and some latent resentmenttowards authority being exercised at a lower level. Yet an opera- tions officer must consider himself on the flight deck in spiritthroughout the progress of any flight with which he is concerned. More than that, he must be able to anticipate the course of eventsshould they take a turn that might directly affect operations. Provided there is respect and confidence in the ability of theman on the ground the success of this system is assured. In the final analysis, the responsibility for flight co-ordinationand operational control rests on the shoulders of only one man at a time. The technical skill required makes the selection of per-sonnel very important. Apart from initial training and instruction, the successful operational control officer must have considerablepractical experience, and be authoritative in his manner without being overbearing. Managements are likely to be wary of dele-gating operational authority to the full unless they can be sure of its proper and effective use.How much support there is, and will be, for the concept advo- cated here will largely depend on the success of schemes actuallyin operation. Airlines are always ready to exchange operational experiences, and an excellent forum is created for this purposethrough the medium of IATA.
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