EL AL captain Ronnie again commanded the complex flight in the company's history: With 8 pilots he arrived in Melbourne to bring home 183 Israeli travelers • On the way they broke the time record of staying on a plane
"exciting". Ronnie again // Photo: EL AL spokesmen
"The mission we embarked on is a very important national and social aspect, at a very difficult and difficult time," says Rooney again, an AL captain who oversaw the historic flight to Melbourne, Australia. "Everyone thanked us for making the effort and bringing them back to the country. There was a sense of gratitude, and it's worth everything."
Last weekend, Ben Gurion landed the first El Al flight to Melbourne and back, with 183 Israeli travelers stranded in Australia and New Zealand due to the Corona crisis, and 19 crew members. It was the longest flight in the company's history, lasting more than 17 hours each way, and the The Dreamliner had eight veteran, experienced pilots and 11 flight attendants.
"It is definitely exciting to do something for the first time, and especially at such a time when everyone is sitting secluded in houses," says Ronnie (63) excitedly. "We, the pilots, could not get in the cabin and see how the passengers were, because of the situation. I was very curious to see who they were, And as I peeked through the curtain toward the end of the flight, I saw a lot of young guys with guitars, our good guys coming back in. The flight attendants switched between them during the flight, with full shielding, and gave full service.
"It is important to me that I am not a hero. I screw up a system with wonderful people, many of whom are not working now and need help and find an immediate solution, because without them, things would not have happened."
How to prepare for such a long and complex flight?
"We got the material for the flight two days before take-off, and we started studying it. The Air and Land Operations Department sent us the route, expected weather information and technical information that must be known to make the flight. We also studied El Al's previous flight to Perth, Western Australia, Two weeks ago.
"With me on the flight were the pilots Yehuda Gefen, Itai Regev, Udi Uri, Amnon Kaplan, Maoz Tzur, Thorin Brown and Asa Gutkin - all are veteran pilots with decades of experience. Our average age is 61, and their average seniority in El is 27 years. He has been flying for 43 years, and the youngest pilot on the plane has flown for 37 years. Most of us have had serious training in the Air Force, and even those who do not come from the Air Force have very high capabilities.
"Our collaboration was very clear. It's a bunch of eight very experienced pilots, and like every flight, everyone had a role. I was the flight commander. There were some sitting next to the pilot and serving as first officers, even though they have been captains for 30-20 years.
"One of the most important things in civil aviation is putting the ego aside. It doesn't help anything. Everyone was very cooperative. Everyone said their opinion when it had to make real-time decisions and it was always welcomed. It's teamwork, not one-person work." .
It's also about breaking the record of an uninterrupted stay in a plane because you didn't get off it in Melbourne.
"Indeed, we have broken the record of staying in a plane for almost 40 hours. But we are not bringing a plane into the air to break records. We had one goal, which is to bring the Israelis home safely. If we broke a record on the road, that's nice."
Were there problems along the way?
"You could say it wasn't boring. We were in high adrenaline, in areas we didn't know. We had to study the airports in an emergency (which is on the way, in case of urgent landing; SJ), so that if anything happens, we will know how to reach them. There was also quite a bit of work in the cockpit, because a new area had to be learned, asked about not coming to it.
"We embarked on this flight with full fuel tanks, 100 tons of fuel that should have been enough to Melbourne. The way back was simpler, because there were no passengers. We flew south over the Red Sea, from there close to India, the Maldives, Seychelles, and then crossed Australia. eastward.
"The road back was more complicated. We were really close to the fuel limit, and we were constantly checking whether we could continue to the house or whether we had to stop for refueling in one of the states in the route. We were able to shorten the route, fly at optimal heights and save fuel efficiency, and come back with great confidence, in time 17 hours and 10 minutes - even shorter than planned.
"A good word comes to El Al's planners, who are responsible for all the operation behind this complex operation. They gave us all the possible options from which we could choose the best route."
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How do you spend so many hours on a plane?
"The most significant parts of the flight, and the more complex ones, are take-off and landing. Because today's planes are automatic, once you've reached cruise altitude, you're mostly following the systems and computers, and much less busy flying the aircraft. It's not like 50 years ago. It's so elaborate that it informs you For every little deviation.
"There are certain situations where we do intervene, and take the autopilot flight, like extreme weather. We are very aware of the weather, trying to get around the points where clouds are developed, to avoid shaking. On a round trip, for example, we detoured over 100 miles (160 miles) to avoid the clouds over the Seychelles. Sometimes there is no choice, because you don't see it on the radar and don't get the information from the flight planners, and that's how you get into air pockets. For most of the flight there is time to talk, read newspapers, have to pass the time. We want to be bored because if you're not bored, it means something is wrong. "
Attached to medical flight?
"No. In general, it is not healthy to be in such a closed area for so many hours, but in the Dreamliner the good ventilation system always comes with fresh air from outside, and for us, the pilots, we are all fit. I don't think any of us felt it was beyond its limits.
"I personally make a couple of hours to do some gymnastics and get the blood flowing, and that helps. Overall, when it comes to a one-off and non-regular event, that's fine."
Were there any concerns that you would stick to Corona?
"Everything was very organized and organized, but you can't say there were no concerns. You are in a closed plane for 40 hours, most of them with people you don't know. Even if the eight captains on the flight are healthy - there are also passengers and there are flight attendants who come in contact with them. According to the data, almost every recent flight was carried.
"We worked in coordination with the Ministry of Health, and in fact produced a sterile cabin. We closed part of the front business class, and passengers and flight attendants did not enter the pilots' kitchen. We took care of our own. We had our own services, prepared food for ourselves, and at rest each had its own set of sheets.
"In fact, the flight attendants are the ones who need to take off their hat. We, the pilots, are older and at risk, but the flight attendants are the front ones. Every flight they are in contact with potential patients. They have worked with masks and gloves, but it is hard work, without Suitable resting places.
"Of course, there are also the ground crew, the station staff, those who check the passengers and check in. All of these workers were exposed to the possibility of contagion."
Can you say that this flight was the peak of your career?
"Certainly it is not a flight that does every day, but I had more records. 12 years ago I opened the El Al line to Nigeria, with the 747-400. These were seasonal flights where we brought pilgrims to Israel.
"I also had challenging glitches. For example, when I was a young captain, a plane tire exploded immediately after takeoff. It hit the hydraulic systems, we had to manually lower wheels and land without brakes at all. I also had some intermediate landings because of passengers who felt bad during the flight "And that was challenging. But as a Phantom pilot in the Air Force, I did a lot more challenging tasks."
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The Corona crisis has seriously damaged the Israeli aviation industry, including El Al.
"The State of Israel cannot afford to have no major airline, nor should it be Israeli airlines. Our only connection to the world is aerial, and from history we have learned that in seven problems and tensions, foreign airlines stop flying and the only ones flying are Israeli airlines.
"You have to do it right, and there are many options. One is that the state will decide that it is a national resource. In the big crisis of 2008, for example, the US nationalized the banks, rescued them and released them to the free market. This is also the case in this case.
"Of course, companies need to be efficient and competitive, and we compete with low-cost companies and foreign-flagged companies that are subsidized by the countries. Look at Turkish, for example, the Chinese companies, the Russian Aeroflot. All national companies are pouring money, so it's very difficult to cope It is very complex to be a national company that is also commercial, so as the State of Israel develops a light rail, it can also develop the airport here.
"Another option is to produce an incentive, such as giving farmers or other bodies, when dividing the state budget. Without such backing, we will have a difficult problem.
"In El Al, there are only 50 pilots working, out of 650. Thousands of the company's employees sit at home. El Al's employees and the aviation circles - for example, people working in the tourism industry or taxi drivers - remain unemployed. Until everything is restarted, there will be loads of families in financial need greatness".
What is the responsibility of the companies themselves for the situation?
"They need to be efficient. Inappropriate employees should not be in the company. Everywhere people should be dedicated to the company. I think the Scandinavian model is a true model - non-pig socialism, a corporate culture where landlords understand that they all have employees, and employees understand that they all have An airline, which needs to be good, when these things are understood, it will be possible to get far.
"I am not an economist, but the world of aviation in general has been severely hit, and without the support and assistance of the countries, not only in Israel, we will not return to what it was. The world is going to a new place, and it will be a major crisis. Time for people to get out of the trauma and go back abroad. "
shishabat@israelhayom.co.il