Ice Skating, July 2008

Have a look at this video of the students ice skating in the summer!

The ice rink is only a one-minute walk from the school.

Ahmad's Anniversary

With this post we would like to celebrate Ahmad's full year at our school.

He has always been a positive student - always smiling, very hard-working, very supportive of his fellow-students, always polite - with a great sense of humour.

We've really loved having you at the school Hamoodi!

PANSA & ASECNA: Leaving Party

On Friday 25 April 2008 we said goodbye to our nine PANSA students (Polish Air Traffic Controllers), who had been with us for three weeks and our 17 ASECNA (African ATC/Technicians), who had been with us for four weeks.

To mark the occasion we had a buffet leaving party, where we handed out the certificates to all our students.

Social Programme: Ice Karting

Here's a photo of Yu-Jin cruising into the pit lane!

On 20th March 2008 we went ICE KARTING!!! As you can see from the photos they divide the group into four teams: red, green, yellow and blue.

The Teams then race arounds the ice-rink (10-laps per person).

The winning team got champagne!!!

Avon Gorge Cruise in pictures

On Saturday 12 April 2008 at 9:30 we took one of the Bristol Packets boats (the Tower Belle) out of the floating harbour, through the lock out onto the River Avon, under the Suspension Bridge and into the Bristol Channel.

With the sun behind the clouds and a chill wind blowing - many of us became frozen, as well as choking in the lock from the fumes of so many boats as we lost the height from the 9.6m depth of the floating harbour to the lower level of the Avon (with the tide coming in).

However, when the sun came out, the wind died down and clear water ahead of us it turned out to be a memorable, beautiful cruise.

Visit to Kemble Airport

ICNA 04/F & PANSA
16.04.08

ASECNA: Craig in Africa

Craig Stevens (the Academic Manager of our school in Bristol) went to Dakar, Senegal last month to visit ASECNA.

Here are some of Craig's photos

Or follow this link for Isle de Goree

ASECNA: message from Abdel-Aziz Abderahamane, in Tchad

Sent 21 February 2008
As you know there was a war in our country. It is the first time I am opening my [mail]box since that. it was terrible. We thought we were going to die and it will be the end of our lives. But thank GOD almighty we are now safe and the war lasted only two days. Many people fled away with their families. I didn't leave the capital but [if] it had lasted more I should have done the same thing. Many innocent people died. There was also many robberies. But I am OK and all my family and also our houses. We say in islam alhamdulillah which means thank GOD. we have started working now and the capital is peaceful even though the rebels are present in the south eastern part of the country. During this period our airspace was managed by Brazzaville and Niamey. We are going to resume our normal duties and manage the aircraft tomorrow at 1200 UTC time God willing.
My colleagues are all OK and their families. I am talking about Benjamin, Tougue and Roger. But Roger left the country and he's now in Niamey. I don't know when our people are going to understand that we should stop fighting each other and work together for the development of our countries maybe it will take centuries as it was the case for European countries

Trip to Concorde

In Bristol we are very lucky to have excellent examples of engineering, the Great Britain, the Suspension Bridge, and Concorde.

We took the no. 75 bus north to Filton, and walked down to the BAWA Centre to wait for the tour coach, which would take us inside the secure site, owned by Airbus UK.

Photographs are not allowed inside the Airbus UK main factory (in case we steal engineering secrets!) but we were taken on a brief bus tour, with a talk by Alan, the tour guide. Many of the buildings are now listed (which means they cannot be altered or knocked down).

On the underside of Concorde we can see the logos of Rolls Royce and SNECMA.

This is the first group of PANSA (Polish Air Traffic controllers), plus Pedro, a Spanish pilot. The guides particularly enjoy having students from within the aviation industry visit Concorde.

The complicated hydraulics of the nose landing gear.

Since Concorde has four engines, each of the instruments is multiplied by four. Shige is asking, "Is it really necessary to have so many switches to fly this thing?"

You can just see the brim of a pilot's cap in the picture. During supersonic flight, Concorde expands lengthwise by 15cm. On its last flight the pilot took his cap off and left it in the space created, and accidentally forgot to remove it before the plane's speed became subsonic again. Now his cap is stuck there forever!



Concorde's last flight: On its arrival at Filton members of the crew signed the cockpit door (strengthened after the 9/11 attacks) with goodwill messages.

The WC on Concorde (very small!)

Here we can see Bernard and Ahmad (with Rayan peeking out behind him!)