B2 – Upper intermediate
Considering the recent airplane crash incidents and disappearance, airline industry leaders and regulators want to improve airline safety. They want planes to have more dependable devices that can follow planes as they fly.
Watch the video and read the article to find out their proposal to a better way to track passenger planes.
http://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/is-there-a-better-way-to-track-passenger-plane/2607915.html
Discussion Questions:
- Share your opinions about some proposals/devices that are being considered by the International Civil Aviation Organization or ICAO’s.
- What went through your mind when you heard the news about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?
- Share your thoughts on this, “We need better information-sharing across borders. We need better human intelligence on who’s on the passenger manifest and better sharing about that. We need better intelligence on crew personnel.“
- What can you say about this, “None of the new technology would prevent crashes. But they will help find downed planes more quickly. This might bring comfort to the family members of those who died.” Share your insights.
- Are you comfortable traveling by plane considering its risks? Why or why not?
8 replies on “A Better Way to Track Passenger Planes”
1. How often do you travel by plane?
Six to eight times annually.
2. Are you comfortable traveling by plane considering its risks?
I believe flying is one of the safest travel options, so I feel secure on planes. I don’t feel as comfortable travelling with local companies on underdeveloped countries. Aircrafts accidents continue happening but the flights and anything involved in them are safer every day.
3. Do you think the said proposal is possible?
I think it’s feasible. Considering the article was published ten years ago, I assumed the technology had already been implemented. For what I’ve search on the internet, it is not.
Flight tracking technology has evolved significantly over the years, making it possible to monitor aircraft in real-time from anywhere in the world. There are 4 key technologies used in flight tracking: Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Multilateration (MLAT); Satellite and Radar.
Good job sharing your thoughts about this topic.
Remember to always write in full sentences. Moreover, you can provide more details related to your response such as is it for work or for leisure or both.
Until your next post!
1. How often do you travel by plane?
Not very often, lately with the COVID issue I have not been able to travel much.
2. Are you comfortable traveling by plane considering its risks?
I think the plane is one of the safest means of transportation so I feel safe on them.
3. Do you think the said proposal is possible?
I find it very interesting and I think that in the long term it could be possible but right now I don’t think so.
Good work in writing your answers down.
See how this sentence can be revised:
Keep going with your writing practice!
1. How often do you travel by plane?
Not as often as i´d like to that´s for sure!
When i lived in LATAM, probably twice a year.
Now in Europe, 3 or 4. Maybe 5 this yeat but i have to travel due to my master.
2. Are you comfortable traveling by plane considering its risks?
Even with it´s risks, it still is the safest way to travel. Sometimes I get a little anxious because of the heights, but nothing i can´t control.
3. Do you think the said proposal is possible?
Of course it is. Actually, i´m surprised it still hasn´t been done, with all the techonological advancements we´ve had we can know where anything is at anytime, and automation is spreading.
Good job writing your answers to the discussion questions. Keep practicing your writing skills through this exercise.
See how you can change this sentence and make it better:
Until your next entry!
1. How often do you travel by plane?
Before the pandemia I used to travel quite often
Travelling was my main hobby.
Then, the pandemic arrived and I stop travelling because at the beg it was forbidden and when everything get back to normal, I was scared.
However, my partner lives in Germany so I went there once the situation stabilized.
I was willing to travel again, I missed being abroad surrounded by people from a different culture.
Even if I was scared and I took all the precautions required, I was worried during the trip but when I arrived there, the feeling of being in a different country made up all the effort.
2. Are you comfortable traveling by plane considering its risks?
As far as I know, the safety coefficients taken in the industry are quite huge. There are a bigger proportion of people dying in car crashes than in aircraft accidents. It is true that if something happens, there is high chance to sth catastrofic happens which is not the case in a car accident.
3. Do you think the said proposal is possible?
I think it is feasible to implement this. As the article was writte 6 years ago, probably this technology is already being used in the aircrafts.
Aircrafts accidents continue happening but the flights and anything involved in them are safer every day. Aeronautical industry is continously improving the safety and the control of the flights. New aircrafts are more automatics and the new technologies leave less and less control to the human interface
Thanks for writing your responses well and sharing your thoughts on this topic.
Here is a sentence you can write a little better:
Keep up the great job!