ISSUE 23 - APR / MAY 2014

Aviation training and safety around the world

31 March 2014 marked 40 years since British Airways was formally founded. Ever since the Board was established in 1972, London’s Heathrow Airport has always been the carrier’s main hub. Following the 14 March 2008 opening of Terminal 5, almost all of the airline’s services are now operated from this state-of-the-art facility.

Company Boeing 787 pilot Dheeraj Bhasin takes us on an after-hours tour of BA’s impressive operation.

& Heathrow Terminal 5BRITISH AIRWAYS

Pictures: Karl Drage

t is a rare privilege indeed to be able to tour around Heathrow Airport. Even having been a British Airways pilot for seven years, I am

amazed at how much there is to discover about the BA operation out of Terminal 5 when you scratch below the surface. It is why I start this article with thanks – thanks to the individuals who worked so hard to get Karl Drage, Natasha Verrall-Bhasin (from the RAF and writing for the

I Air Cadet magazine) and I access to the ‘inside’ of the operation that is British Airways and Terminal 5. From British Airways I must thank Paul Smiles, Sue Goldthorpe and Tony Cane; and from the British Airports Authority I must thank Rachel Betts. Special thanks also go to Glenn Palmer who was our escort around the airfield for the duration of our visit.for the duration of our visit.

& Heathrow Terminal 5

Words: Dheeraj BhasinBRITISH AIRWAYS

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner joined the British Airways fleet on 26 June 2013 with services commencing to Toronto on 1 September. To date, four examples have been delivered with a further four on order. The carrier also has orders in place for 22 787-9 variants and 12 787-10s.

I must of course thank Karl – it was his idea that we take a wander around Heathrow! I met Karl when I was a Jaguar pilot in the RAF; we worked together on making the withdrawal of the Jaguar Force from RAF Service an indelible part of history. And a good job he did of it too. So here we are again – same old Karl (he hasn’t eveneven aged!) and me (somewhat older looking) in my new guise as an Boeing 787 Dreamliner pilot with BA. I flew the Airbus A320 for five and a half years and then spent nine months on the Boeing 777 in between but have been on the 787 since October 2013.

For reasons of safety and security, many checks have to be done in order to get access to the ‘air side’ at LHR. Even though I have an ‘air side’ pass, it does not entitle me to run around the terminal uncontrolled. So we turn up at the Star Centre in the ‘Central Area’ of Heathrow (the area where Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are) and we get specialspecial passes issued, courtesy of the hard work of the BA and BAA people mentioned above.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner joined the British Airways fleet on 26 June 2013 with services commencing to Toronto on 1 September. To date, four examples have been delivered with a further four on order. The carrier also has orders in place for 22 787-9 variants and 12 787-10s.

Above - A sight few users of the airport will ever witness: an all but empty terminal.

RightRight - Terminal 5A, as seen in December 2009 from one of the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit’s EC145 helicopters during a security check, is the largest element of the Terminal 5 complex. The 747-400 is the largest of types currently operated by thethe airline that is able to use 5A, with the A380 restricted to using terminals 5B and 5C.

Left - Long-haul services dominate this scene of Terminal 5B

Armed with our passes the next challenge is to find somewhere to park. We go to the business parking area at Terminal 5 so that I can show Karl and Natasha the “Pods”. Terminal 5 is served by the world’s first personal rapid transit system – a four-person driverless vehicle that whisks you from car park to check-in desk in aboutabout five minutes. My son loves travelling in it because it is unique and also goes right under the aircraft as they approach to land – so every time he visits he insists on us parking in the T5 business park!

Moments later, we find ourselves in Terminal 5 – the largest single-span building in Europe, being the size of 50 football pitches. If it looks big from the outside, it is worth noting that there is as much underground as there is above ground. It is capable of handling 30 million passengers a year, and 12,000 bags per hour. It hashas over 100 shops, and has lounge space for 2,500 customers. But that’s just Terminal 5A – we have two satellites – 5B and 5C also. The check-in and security system is designed to have you ‘air side’ within ten minutes of walking in the building. We are about to prove it!

Above - A sight few users of the airport will ever witness: an all but empty terminal.

RightRight - Terminal 5A, as seen in December 2009 from one of the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit’s EC145 helicopters during a security check, is the largest element of the Terminal 5 complex. The 747-400 is the largest of types currently operated by thethe airline that is able to use 5A, with the A380 restricted to using terminals 5B and 5C.

Left - Long-haul services dominate this scene of Terminal 5B

“The Dove” (above) was one of two special schemes British Airways applied to some of its A319 fleet to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games. A total of seven aircraft sported this design, while a further aircraft, G-EUPC (below), received “The Firefly” livery in recognition of the fact it was used to deliver the Olympic flame to the UK.

Whether you are a passenger or staff, you have to go through exactly the same security checks. So having spent about ten minutes getting from the car to the Terminal, we proceed on our two-minute walk to security. Despite Karl carrying his usual 150kg of camera equipment(!), we whip through the checks and findfind ourselves in the relaxed atmosphere of the ‘air side’ within 20 minutes of getting out of the car.

We are going to do the night shift. The time is about 7pm and the sun will soon be setting. So our first job is to try and get some photos of the aircraft at dusk. I ring Glenn who will pick us up and guide us around the airfield. Glenn drives “Leader 6” – a pickup truck in an attractive shade of bright yellow which helps to marshal aircraftaircraft and vehicles on the manoeuvring areas of the airport. He is a highly qualified driver – so much so that he is permitted to “free-range” around the airport – he is authorised by Air Traffic Control to drive anywhere on the airfield, with the exception of the runways, without needing to get permission. This is because his expertise andand experience is such that he can make all the safety decisions he needs “within his own cockpit”. Luckily for him - and us -, he likes aeroplanes so we’re in for a good night.

While we wait for Glenn to arrive, we watch a short haul turnround. Put simply it is a massive version of a formula one pit stop. The aircraft is an Airbus A319. It happens to be in the “Dove” paint scheme – a special paint scheme that celebrates “Great Britons” and commemorates BA’s partnership with the London 2012 Olympic andand Paralympic Games. The aeroplane will depart on its next flight just 40 minutes after it arrives.

The aircraft taxies in on one engine only to save emissions, part of our “One Destination” Corporate Responsibility policy. The second engine is still winding down when the jetty attaches to let the passengers out. Door One Left opens at about the same time as the cargo doors open on the right and the bags come off – – it is not unusual for the bags to beat the

“The Dove” (above) was one of two special schemes British Airways applied to some of its A319 fleet to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games. A total of seven aircraft sported this design, while a further aircraft, G-EUPC (below), received “The Firefly” livery in recognition of the fact it was used to deliver the Olympic flame to the UK.

The fuel truck appears under the left wing as the caterers hook up to Door Two Right. Attaching to Door One Right is the high lift – a mobile arrival hall that will take care of our Passengers with Reduced Mobility.

UnderUnder the tail of the aircraft the water truck appears as the ground electrics are plugged into the jet under the nose. At this point the aircraft’s Auxiliary Power Unit can be switched off, further saving on emissions. As the last passenger gets off, the Cabin Crew do a security sweep of the aircraft, and the cleaners follow them up.

OnOn the right of the jet the baggage containers for the next flight are ready to be loaded as the cleaners do their own security check on completion of their task. The new Cabin Crew get on and do their own security check also. The pilots are staying on the aircraft, going immediately into another flight in a technique knownknown as a “Fixed Link”. One goes to do the “walk round” – an external inspection of the aircraft, and one prepares the flight deck and the flight management system, the FMGS, for the next flight.

Under the watchful eye of the Turnround Manager, the loading is completed. With her fourth pair of hands, the Turnround Manager liaises with the cabin crew and the gate staff to ensure that passenger embarkation starts precisely 28 minutes prior to departure. She has been monitoring electronically the movement of passengerspassengers through check-in and security to make sure that everyone is in the right place at the right time. Most people check in online at home these days, and they can even get electronic boarding passes on their smart phones – all of this makes life a little less stressful at the airport and assists in the on-time departure.

One by one, the doors close, the trucks go to their next jobs, and at ten minutes to go, the pushback truck connects up and the pushback crew do a final check that the outside of the aircraft is correctly configured for flight. With three minutes to go the jetty detaches and the aircraft pushes back on time. All we are missing is a NASA countdown....is a NASA countdown....

A bright yellow pickup with a big black number “6” painted on the side appears with beacons flashing. Glenn is here and he picks us up as the “Dove” extends its flaps and slats and taxies away. He explains all the safety aspects of being on the airfield and equips us with hi-vis jackets and hearing protection. We spend the next couple of hours into darkness moving around the terminal and the airfield as a whole.

Above - Glenn Palmer is seen marshaling a BA 767 on to its stand after the failure of the automated system. This is just one of the many tasks Glenn can be asked to fulfil in his hugely varied role.

Below - There are very few quiet periods at Heathrow. In this picture a BA A319 taxies to stand as an Alitalia example vacates the runway and four other aircraft prepare to touch down. Above - G-BZHA, a Boeing 767-336ER,

takes a well deserved rest on the concrete outside Terminal 5 after a full day of operations. Despite being an ‘Extended-Range’ version, British Airways primarily employs this aircraft on some of its higher-density routes within Europe.within Europe.

Right - The lights in the background illuminate the efflux pouring out of this A320’s number 2 engine as day turns into night and it prepares to kiss the tarmac on Runway 27R after completing the last sector of the day.

Above - G-BZHA, a Boeing 767-336ER, takes a well deserved rest on the concrete outside Terminal 5 after a full day of operations. Despite being an ‘Extended-Range’ version, British Airways primarily employs this aircraft on some of its higher-density routes within Europe.within Europe.

Right - The lights in the background illuminate the efflux pouring out of this A320’s number 2 engine as day turns into night and it prepares to kiss the tarmac on Runway 27R after completing the last sector of the day.

Above - The Airbus A380 is now the biggest aircraft in the British Airways fleet following the arrival of the airline’s first example on 4 July 2013. Five aircraft have been delivered to date and a futher seven remain on order. They are currently operating servicesservices to Los Angeles and Johannesburg, with Singapore and Washington-Dulles set to commence in September.

Left - The central console, featuring, amongst other things, the throttle quadrant of the Boeing 747-400.

T5 is busy all the way into the late night. BA and its partner airlines serve a global network of over 600 destinations and BA and its subsidiaries operate 263 aircraft - that number has increased in recent times as BMi migrated across to BA, andand we continue to receive our new Boeing 787s and Airbus 380s - and of course we have welcomed our IAG partner Iberia into T5. The terminal in total has 76 aircraft parking stands, of which most connect directly to the terminal via jetties. This might seem a lowlow number but most of the aircraft are airborne at any one time, it being normal for a short-haul aircraft like an A319 to fly six times a day!

Above - The Airbus A380 is now the biggest aircraft in the British Airways fleet following the arrival of the airline’s first example on 4 July 2013. Five aircraft have been delivered to date and a futher seven remain on order. They are currently operating servicesservices to Los Angeles and Johannesburg, with Singapore and Washington-Dulles set to commence in September.

Left - The central console, featuring, amongst other things, the throttle quadrant of the Boeing 747-400.

Above - A rather different cockpit to that which your author (right) is used to! This, of course, is the mighty Boeing 747-400. With an active fleet of 49 aircraft, British Airways is the world’s most prolific operator of the type.

Below - While the 747-400 currently remains the flag-ship of British Airways’ long-haul fleet, the first of the company’s A380s’ first flight looms.

Bottom - The elongated profile of one of BA’s 18 A321s, G-EUXF.

Main - British Airways has a 56-strong fleet of Boeing 777s. All bar ten are from the 200-Series, like this one, G-VIIC.

We take time to visit all aircraft in the fleet that are present – those undergoing routine maintenance on the ramp are on the ground for a little longer so we are able to walk around the outside and the inside of the 777s, 747s, 767s and the Airbuses. I am particularly happy to show Karl and Natasha the new First Class fit in one of our Jumbos. It has nice soft blue lighting and the big TV screens – well – I’d like one like that in my house please! This adds toto the other passenger facilities that are being continuously improved such as flat beds in some of our A321s and airborne internet and mobile text messaging in our A318s.

The soft blue lighting of BA’s new First Class cabin aboard its 747-400s.

The four throttle levers of the 747-400.

Speaking of engineering, you have got to see these people at work. With confidence and aplomb, they work on the massive Boeing 747-400 like they are feeding a newborn baby, taking great care and concentrating hard, but having the obvious competence of an experienced parent. I cannot remember the last time I asked an engineer a technical question about these extremelyextremely complex machines and they didn’t just answer it – straight off the bat!

Above - Just one view of the North Galleries Lounge, offering a very comfortable experience, and a view across the airport, while you await your flight.

Below - The view from the balcony across a very quiet Terminal 5A.

Bottom left - One wonders just who might have sat on the Royal sofa inside the Royal Suite....?

Top left - Heathrow’s impressive air traffic control tower at night, as seen from the Airfield Ops car park.

During our trips with Glenn, we go to places that few people go – the taxiways, the ramp, the engineering base, the grass verges of the runway. Every minute we learn something new about the world’s busiest airport and the world’s biggest jigsaw. How Air Traffic Control (in my opinion the best in the world) manages all the movements, how the airfield is able to operate in 75m visibility on a foggy day, how the fuel is distributed, how the food is kept fresh, and how the windows on T5 stay clean! You cannot fail to be impressed. impressed.

Speaking of impressed, we take a trip to the Royal Suite, on the south side of Runway 27L. Although T5 has its own VIP hosting facilities, it is lovely and somewhat nostalgic to see this facility that is still very much operational; the staff of course highly trained and fully conversant with all the necessary protocol and etiquette. Natasha cannot resist having a picture taken of her sitting on the Royal sofa.....

Above - Just one view of the North Galleries Lounge, offering a very comfortable experience, and a view across the airport, while you await your flight.

Below - The view from the balcony across a very quiet Terminal 5A.

Bottom left - One wonders just who might have sat on the Royal sofa inside the Royal Suite....?

Top left - Heathrow’s impressive air traffic control tower at night, as seen from the Airfield Ops car park.

Having gone back to Airfield Ops with Glenn, we get some “stay awake juice” (coffee) and head back to T5 for a look round the departures levels. It is 2am. There are no passengers here now but the place is still an amazing hive of activity.activity. We go to the North Galleries Lounge. T5A alone has five premium lounges and we see the facilities being cleaned and replenished. Here there are business facilities, showers, food, drink, children’s play areas, newspapersnewspapers and magazines, and some lovely staff. It’s a strange feeling chatting to them because when the Terminal is operating we’re all focussed on the customers and we don’t really notice each other. Now that the placeplace is full of staff only and people have time to talk, I feel a bond with them; a connection that we are all here doing the same job, pulling in the same direction. BA calls it “One Team”.

As we walk around the vast shopping areas and the multitude of seating facilities, I feel this when meeting the security staff, the cleaners, the people re-stocking the shops, the people preparing to open the customer service desks. QuiteQuite a humbling experience in fact.

And the people here work well. You rarely see long queues anywhere in this Terminal; you don’t see people struggling to find a seat. When the passengers get on the aeroplane they look relaxed, which is some achievementachievement when you consider the processes that one must go through, and the experiences of years gone by in other places. You see people receiving a personal service. I’m glad I stayed up all night to see this.

An amazing sky welcomes the Speedbird 56 back to the UK after an 11-hour return trip from Johannesburg, the first arrival of the day.

As we look out of the huge windows to the East we see the horizon start to lighten. Time for Karl to unleash his 150kg of camera equipment as the sun rises! By coincidence, it’s his birthday too. Good present, even if I do say so myself. We catch “Speedbird 56”, the first jet in. It’sIt’s a Boeing 747-400 that has been flying for 11 hours, coming back to Heathrow from Johannesburg with some 337 passengers on board. With a perfect touchdown on Runway 27L, slowing to a taxying pace with spoilers, reverse thrust and wheel brakes so quietly that we don’tdon’t even have to raise our voices, it heralds the start of a new day at LHR. Soon, aircraft start arriving at exact 2½ mile intervals, landing on Runway 27R at a rate of about one every 50 seconds.

Above - The most recent addition to the British Airways fleet is the Boeing 777-300ER. Two big puffs of smoke are emitted as G-STBF’s main undercarriage touches down on Runway 27R.

Below - A typical Heathrow scene with a stream of inbounds flying down the approach, headed by a 747-400.

Bottom left - A 744 prepares to land on Runway 27L, passing in front of what will become Heathrow’s new Terminal 2 in the process.

An amazing sky welcomes the Speedbird 56 back to the UK after an 11-hour return trip from Johannesburg, the first arrival of the day.

As we look out of the huge windows to the East we see the horizon start to lighten. Time for Karl to unleash his 150kg of camera equipment as the sun rises! By coincidence, it’s his birthday too. Good present, even if I do say so myself. We catch “Speedbird 56”, the first jet in. It’sIt’s a Boeing 747-400 that has been flying for 11 hours, coming back to Heathrow from Johannesburg with some 337 passengers on board. With a perfect touchdown on Runway 27L, slowing to a taxying pace with spoilers, reverse thrust and wheel brakes so quietly that we don’tdon’t even have to raise our voices, it heralds the start of a new day at LHR. Soon, aircraft start arriving at exact 2½ mile intervals, landing on Runway 27R at a rate of about one every 50 seconds.

G-ZBJD, a Boeing 787-8, crosses the moon as it departs from Runway 09R.

Unlike Terminal 5A, many of the first movements of the day on the two satellite terminals are arrivals.

Occasionally, Air Traffic Control will land aircraft on both runways at the same time to speed things up – this reduces airborne holding and thus gets aircraft in earlier and having produced fewer emissions. We watch all manner of aircraft, large and small, even the odd helicopter, take off and land as the LHR and T5 operation gets into full swing by about 6am.

AtAt any one time in T5 alone, there will be maybe ten aircraft arriving and departing, with thousands of staff doing their individual jobs with professionalism and diligence in order to keep the most complicated show on earth on the road. It is testament to that professionalism and diligence that the BA/T5 passengers have come to expect nothing less than a perfect performance.

British Airways is a full member of the oneworld global airline alliance, as indicated by the logo on the side of this 747-400.

Above - Completing the current BA Mainline picture are the two Airbus A318s based at London-City Airport. Fitted out in an all business class configuration, they operate services to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, clearing customs and refuelling in Shannon, Ireland, on the westbound leg.

Above - A hugely busy Terminal 5A as the first wave of passengers board.

Above - A head-on encounter with a 777 as a second example continues its landing rollout behind.

Fully loaded, door secured, safety brief performed, aircraft pushed back, time to taxi.

By about 7am even Karl is getting tired! So we exit to Terminal via arrivals, noting the huge baggage hall in full swing, and arrive back ‘land side’. We have a quick look at the “CRC” – the Crew Report Centre, where we see teams of Cabin Crew briefing their next trip, pilots printing out flight plans and making technical and fuel decisions for the flight ahead, and support staff doing everything from activating standby crew members to handing out bug spray.

WeWe visit the all-important coffee bar in the CRC for one last time and then hand in our passes to the BAA pass office. I breathe a sigh of relief that the car is only a short journey away in the “Pod” but get a bit jealous as I see the business travellers going into the Galleries Arrivals Lounge for a shower and a full fry and a newspaper before heading off to work!

G-DBCH & G-DBCD, two of the A319s absorbed into the BA fleet following the takeover of British Midland International (BMI).

A 777-236ER makes the turn onto stand after returning from an overnight long-haul sector.

G-XLEB, British Airways’ second A380 is seen on short final to Runway 27L against a menacing sky.

A remotely parked A321 complete with company airstairs.

Flying the flag, by far the most common sight to be seen around London’s Heathrow Airport.

So ends a quite unique visit to BA and Terminal 5, one that I, even with five years’ experience as a BA pilot, have learned so much from. It has been a long night, but worth every minute of lost sleep, and we have all been impressed with the work that goes on to make such a complicated operation look simple – in the highest traditions of the motto of British Airways – “To Fly, To Serve”.