IMPACT OF ICT
IN AVIATION
INTRODUCTION
Aviation
communication refers to
the conversing of two or more aircraft. Aircraft are constructed in such a way that makes it very
difficult to see beyond what is directly in front of them. As safety is a
primary focus in aviation, communication methods such as wireless radio are an
effective way for aircraft to communicate with the necessary personnel and
crafts.
Before the coming on ICT in aviation,
aircrafts depend basically on Air-to-ground
communication means to communicate any form of information they wish to
communicate. This method is a process by which people on the ground and those
in airborne vehicles communicate with each other since the Wright brothers' first flight in 1903 in Kitty Hawk North Carolina, there
has always been a question of how to communicate with pilots in the air.
Originally it was seen as a very difficult task, ground controls used visual
aides to provide signals to pilots in the air.
After the Wright Brothers successfully completed the world’s first human flight in
1903, the industry grew rapidly and ground crews who initially relied on
coloured paddles, signal flares, hand signs, and other visual aids to
communicate with incoming and outgoing aircraft. Which were though effective
for ground crews, they offered no way for pilots to communicate back. As wireless telegraphy technologies developed alongside the
growth of aviation during the first decade of the twentieth century, wireless
telegraph systems were used to send messages in Morse code, first from ground-to-air and later air-to-ground. With
this technology planes were able to call in accurate artillery fire and act as
forward observers in warfare.
Next came the advent of portable radios
small enough to be placed in planes which for the first time offered pilots the
ability to communicate back to the ground. Today air-to-ground communication
relies heavily on the use of many systems. Planes are outfitted with the newest
radio and GPS
systems as well as internet and video capabilities.
Aviation is an international industry
and as a result involves multiple languages. However, as deemed by the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), English is the official language of aviation. The industry
considers that some pilots may not be fluent English speakers and as a result
pilots are obligated to participate in an English proficiency test.
BACKGROUND
To find out how ICT
applications can facilitate air passenger convenience and aviation security,
one can evaluate the extent to which the needs of air passengers and the
airport authority are met. Air Passenger Needs
TRAVEL
PLANNING
Through any 3G mobile
phone, one can use the in-built video conferencing facility with his business
partners or friends to discuss a travel plan. Once an itinerary has been
agreed, one can access the Web site of travel agents and ask for quotes from
different airlines regarding routes and accommodation types. Through e-mail
and/or short message service (SMS) messages from the travel agent, the traveler
can use his PC, mobile phone, or personal digital assistant (PDA) to find out a
plan most suitable to him. One can then purchase electronic air and rail
tickets through the Internet banking service (using his e-certificate). In
cities like Hong Kong, mobile e-certificates are issued to individuals to
authenticate the online identity of subscribers, and to provide a secure and
trusted environment for the conduct of online transactions, such as secure
e-mail services, online government services, online entertainment services,
online stock trading, and online banking services. Nowadays in places like
Japan, one can also send electronic passport information to an Authorized Agent
for the purpose of getting an entry visa for the destination countries. Having
matched the data provided by the air traveler to other systems such as law
enforcement and intelligence databases, the authorized agent would issue an
electronic visa to the traveler in a short time. Also, the traveler can have
the choice of traveling hands-free. This means that one can arrange with the
concerned airline before travel so that a delivery company would pick up the
traveler’s baggage at an agreed time before departure.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF ICT IN AVIATION
Today every plane in
the air is tracked by Air Traffic control towers across the globe. Most planes
in the US and all Commercial planes carry a device known as a transponder.
The transponder acts as an identification tool for aircraft allowing ATC towers
to immediately recognize the identity of each plane. They work by recognizing radar
frequencies as they interact with the plane. The transponder alerted by the
radar responds by sending a signal of its own back to the Tower, which
identifies the aircraft. Transponders can be used to avoid collisions with
other aircraft and with the ground.
Today Air-to Ground
communication has evolved to the point where pilots no longer need to be in the
plane to fly it. These planes are known as unmanned aerial vehicles or more commonly
UAVs. The US military uses several types of UAVs, these include the Predator,
Reaper and Global Hawk drones. These drones are used for video surveillance and
more recently air to ground attacks. These aircraft represent the pinnacle of
Air-to-Ground communications. They can be controlled by pilots thousands of
miles away and can safely navigate treacherous terrain using ground mapping
radars. They are able to transmit high-resolution video to military stations
across the globe. Not all UAVs are used for military purposes however. Some are
equipped with high tech sensors, which enable them to survey the ground. These
sensors are able to be used for geographical surveys to map the earth and look
for oil and mineral deposits.
Despite nearly a
century of innovation in air-to-ground communications, many of the original
techniques used to communicate with the ground are used by today’s aircraft.
Planes landing at night are guided into the runway by a series of intricate
lighting arrangements. These visual aids allow pilots to orient themselves in
zero visibility situations. Military personnel also rely heavily on visual
aides to distinguish themselves and enemy. All Army ACU uniforms include what
are known as IR tabs which when viewed through night vision goggles glow
bright, US Helicopter pilots can distinguish between soldiers on the ground and
the enemy by these tabs. Army Pathfinders also use colored smoke, brightly
colored panels and inferred strobe lights to mark suitable landing areas for
helicopters.
SETBACK
/LIMITATIONS OF ICT IN AVIATION
COMMUNICATION
ERROR
Communication error
can occur between pilots and between pilots and air traffic controllers.
Communication error contains:
·
Amount of information
·
Unclear pronunciation
·
Misunderstanding
The more information
needing transfer, the more chance for error. Unclear pronunciation could happen
with non-English speakers. Sometimes lack of self-confidence and motivation
affects expression in communication. Misunderstanding happens with both native
speakers and non-native speakers through communication, so a standard aviation
language is important to improve this situation.
Sources of
communication error come from: phonology (speech rate, stress, intonation,
pauses), syntax (language word patterns, sentence structure), semantics, and
pragmatics (language in context). Even though English is the international
aviation language, native English speakers still play a role in
misunderstanding and situational awareness. Both the ICAO and the Federal
Aviation Administration use alternative phrases, which is confusing to both
native and non-native English speakers.
The biggest problem
regarding non-native English speakers' transmissions is speech rate. In order
to understand alternative and unfamiliar accents, people's rate of
comprehension and response slows down. Accents also affect transmissions
because of the different pronunciations across languages. Some of the earlier
miscommunication issues included the limitation of language-based warning
systems in aircraft and insufficient English proficiency.
According to US
department of transportation's report, errors between pilots and controllers
include:
·
Read-back/hear-back errors - the pilot
reads back the clearance incorrectly and the controller fails to correct the
error - accounted for 47% of the errors found in this analysis.
·
No pilot read-back. A lack of a pilot
read-back contributed to 25% of the errors found in this analysis.
·
Hear-back Errors Type H - the
controller fails to notice his or her own error in the pilot's correct
read-back or fails to correct critical erroneous information in a pilot's
statement of intent - accounted for 18% of the errors found in this analysis.
CONCLUSION/
RECOMMENDATION
Generally,
miscommunication is caused by mis-hearing by the pilots for 28%, pilot not
responding for 20%, controller mis-hearing for 15% and 10% that controllers do
not respond. Also, a professional research shows that 30% of the information
will be lost during the miscommunication. Moreover, miscommunication exists in
personnel with different background of linguistics is shown to be one of the
major problem in miscommunication to cause aviation accidents. Avoiding or
minimizing miscommunication could be achieved by standardized debriefing or an
interview process, and following a checklist to supplement written data.
REFERENCE
Britten, Cyril. "VOICES IN FLIGHT -- First World
War in the Air". Anna Malinovska. Retrieved
2011-11-07.
"Technology Timeline - The First
Air-to-ground & Ground-to-air Communication". AT&T Labs.
Retrieved 2011-11-07.
Craven, W. F.; Cate,
J. L. "Army Air Forces in WWII: Volume
VII: Services Around the World [Chapter 12]". The HyperWar
Foundation. Retrieved 2011-11-07.
Umar I. Ibrahim. Nigerian University
Research Topics:
The Role Of Ict In The 21st Century Aviation: http://nurt9jageneral.blogspot.com.ng/2016/11/impact-of-ict-in-aviation.html, http://nurt9jageneral.blogspot.com.ng/2016/11/the-role-of-ict-in-21st-century-aviation.html
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