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Showing posts with the label Life

The Indian truth behind the ruins of Takshasila

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        The truth behind the ruins of Takshasila Takshasila (Taxila ) was a vital Buddhist centre from the fifth century B.C. to the Sixth Century A.D. Takshasila illustrates the different stages in the development of a city on the Indus. It included the ancient Neolithic Saraikala mound, the Sirkap fortification (2nd century B.C.) and the town of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.). Central Asian, Persian and Greek influence can be witnessed at Takshasila. (Centre, 2023). Ancient Takshasila was situated at the pivotal junction of South Asia and Central Asia. The common association of the Huns with Takshasila has been the destroyer of the Buddhist structures at Takshasila. The name “Huns” has been associated with atrocities committed against select groups and vandalism, especially by Attila  in Europe. However, no reliable evidence exists of the Alkhan carrying out such atrocities and destruction in the outgoing fourth century. New archaeological research has revealed that this image does not
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Does food taste different inflight, at 35000 feet? Here is why.

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In-flight meal(Courtesy CC Commons)   Passengers in general love the in-flight meals. There may be a scientific reason behind the way in-flight meals taste. The humidity in the air at 30,000feet is less than 12% which is drier than that in the desert. The altitude of the cabin is equivalent to that at 8000feet even though the aircraft is flying high. This is possible due to pressurised air maintaining sufficient breathable air under pressure. Under this combination of low pressure, dry air and high speed of the aircraft, the taste buds and sense of smell changes. The sensitivity of the tastebuds reduces by almost 30%. The latest research shows that loud noise suppresses our ability to taste sweetness and saltiness, while other studies show that the background buzz in airplanes actually enhances the taste of umami (one of the five basic tastes). A number of airlines offer tomato juice or bloody mary which contains umami rich tomatoes. Some food expert advise not to have Champagne even i
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Privacy laws missing, there is a need to regulate the Drones hovering overhead

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  The Civil Aviation Ministry has vowed to keep up with the developments in the unmanned air systems or drones but unfortunately suffers from myopic vision. The projects are driven not for public welfare but to foster business or personal interests of a few.  Drone Aircraft Privacy and Transparency Act of 2017 In the name of creating a roadmap, a cut ,copy ,paste document has been put out in the public domain for comments. The National Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)Traffic Management Policy has been released by the Civil Aviation Ministry.  Public participation The concept of public participation is missing in the document. The proposed role of the general public is limited to availability of data on a need to know basis to report a UAS not complying regulations or breaching their privacy. Privacy rules India does not have explicit rules governing personal privacy. P ersonal data is protected through indirect safeguards developed by the courts under common law, principles of equity a
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RASE an anonymous safety experience exchange system by Safety Matters

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 What is there was a simple platform to share our daily experiences, apprehensions, doubts etc with the world? Instead of small groups holding critical safety related information, there is a need for a pilot of a particular type or operating to an airport, to know whats bothering others around the globe with similar issue that they are facing with. Safety Matters/mindFly by Amit have created a simple to use application which is open for all to use. A few fields for data entry and a search options to retrieve data. It is anonymous and no personal or digital data is recorded. There is a approval process before the data is presented to the end users to filter out erroneous entries, malicious data and other anomalies. RASE is not a mandatory occurrence reporting platform and is just an experience sharing platform which is easy to use and can benefit others by sharing it freely.
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Certificate by National Association of Flight Instructors, USA for my contributions

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 NAFI provides valuable resources to all flight educators to further its 50+ year commitment to raise and maintain the professional standing of flight instructors in the aviation community. NAFI members follow a  Code of Ethics  in their flight instruction practices that provides a standard of character and professionalism, setting them apart in the flight training community. I thank NAFI for honouring me with a certificate of membership for my contributions towards sharing knowledge, seeking professional development, continued learning and personal growth.  
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Etihad incident at Calicut,June'19, highlighted airport infrastructure issues. This could have been the wakeup call!

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Etihad June 2019 Two incidents that could have saved the Air India Express accident at Khozikode. Unfortunately, no one acted on the concerns raised by the GCAA investigators. Isn't it criminal negligence? Synopsis First SpiceJet Q400 runway excursion in rain, August 2017 and now on 20 June 201 9 , an Etihad Airways, Airbus A320 - 232, registration A6 - EI T , operated a scheduled passenger flight EY2 5 0, from Abu Dhabi International Airport , the United Arab Emirates, to Calicut International Airport , India .  During the ILS approach to runway 28 , the flight crew initiated a go - around due to heavy rain over the runway as reported by air traffic control ( ATC ) . Approximately 16 minutes later, the flight crew initiated a second i nstrument landin g system ( ILS ) approach to runway 28.  On landing, the Aircraft touched down to the right of the runway centerline, and the right main landing gear then struck five runway edge lights. The Commander was able to steer the Aircraft
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In Public's Interest, Govt. must release Air India Express accident preliminary report

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           The public has an overarching interest in safety data or safety information(ICAO) . The Air India Express aircraft VT-AXH accident at Kozhikode was unfortunate and a matter of public concern. The regulator made a public statement that in a few weeks, information on the circumstances leading to the accident would be released. It is over 30 days and the public is still being kept in the dark.  The reason this routine information is being withheld by the investigating authorities is quite intriguing since transparency promotes safety culture and awareness of the threats. Is it their lack of understanding of the investigation concepts or the usual posturing on the high horse? The regulation does not mandate the release of the preliminary report but at the same time does not restrict or recommend withholding the report from public disclosure . Objective of Investigation      The sole objective of an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 investigati
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The brain might block the Go-Around call by the Co-Pilot & the Driver might not see traffic ahead

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I have always wondered how a normal situation turns abnormal in a split second. Is it a twist of fate or is the brain programmed to do so in order to help in cognition?   How does the crew performing an approach to land continue to land on an unstable approach   despite the SOP’s which have multiple checks and call outs from the second pilot? The general perception is that the brain is facilitating attention by blocking out certain sensory inputs but the flip side is that   when the pilot is focusing on the vision to sight the runway, the brain can also be filtering out sensory inputs from the co-pilot to discontinue the approach and go-around for safety reasons.   Similarly, if you are engaged in an intense conversation over the phone while driving, it doesn’t matter if the phone is held in the hand or you are using a hands-free, the brain is more engaged in the conversation than driving and unexpected objects might be missed. Preventing distractions Imagine yourself parking your car
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In-flight face mask brawl seriously disrupts KLM flight from Amsterdam to Ibiza

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KLM release"This Friday an incident occurred on board of KL1495 from Amsterdam to Ibiza. Two passengers misconducted themselves in a violent and brutal way. The pilot informed the local authorities and upon arrival, both passengers were arrested. The flight safety was not compromised during the flight"
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A gentleman gives life & wings to a baby parrot from the egg, destiny!

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Mother Parrot died, leaving behind an unhatched egg. This gentleman rescued the baby parrot from the egg and grew him further. What a journey of life..!!!
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