Many of people have heard this expression before, but only few of them are privileged to contribute in the huge efforts done to reach the moment where the ATC controller says this with full confidence!

In today’s world, airports become more and more congested, which add challenges to the aviation specialist to maintain smooth traffic at the maximum capacity but without jeopardizing the airfield safety. Here the importance of having efficient Aeronautical Ground Lighting (AGL) system rises, to provide sufficient visual guidance to pilots at all times and under different conditions including Low Visibility Operation, from the moment the aircraft is landed safely on the runway till it reach to its allocated parking stand.

Driven by their utmost keenness to meet the best levels of airfield safety, through applying the highest standards, adopting the latest procedures and technologies, many airport operators decided to invest in the implementation of CATIIIB routing. This system is deemed the highest available AGL standard that ensure airfield is safe and smooth operation within visibility conditions as low as 50m. With thousands of lights of different types and function, connected through a huge network of different types of power cables, controlled and monitored by a state-of-the-art Airfield Lighting Control & Monitoring System that can control and monitor each individual light in the airfield, which gives the ability not only to establish dynamic secured CATIIB routing based on the operation’s needs, but also its increase the efficiency of the AGL maintenance teams through sending real-time feedback about the instant status of each individual light; this help to save thousands of Manhours spent annually on the periodic check on the AGL lights, which remains incomparable to the efficiency and accuracy that can be achieved by the ALCMS.

Smart Airports is trending in all aviation conferences and within the leaders of the aviation industry; it aims to create a smart environment where all systems interact harmoniously with each other; to attain the optimal passenger-experience. In line with this concept, AGL system is interfaced these days with a number of other systems such as Visual Docking Guidance System (VDGS) so as to light up only the parking stand designated to the docking aircraft so as to ensure the air-safety during Low Visibility Operation (LVO).

Among many airport special systems, AGL is considered at the top positions within a very limited list of systems that any small degradation in their performance may deeply influence the airport operation, it is no wonder airports never hesitate to invest in the continual improvement of this system; as its correct and accurate performance may draw the line between nonstop operation and traffic diversion.

Such essential and vital system needs unique expertise and high caliber specialist for the implementation, testing and commissioning phases; in addition to the complicity of the system structure, the allowable tolerance in AGL is measured in millimeters, it is even more challenging, when the construction is managed by zero-tolerance persons.

By

Ashraf Alsharif, MIET, IAP

The game of cricket originated in England in late 16^th century and spread to all British occupied countries which are now known as Commonwealth countries. It is now a popular international sport played in different formats. The oldest version of the game is the 5 day test matches followed by the shorter versions – the One Day Internationals or ODI’s and the latest Twenty Twenty’s (T20’s). Though the game originated in England, it has found the most popularity in the Indian Subcontinent consisting of India, Pakistan, Srilanka and Bangladesh. In India, cricket is more than a sport. It is a religion, and cricket stars are equated to demi-gods with huge fan following. Traditionally, India and Pakistan are the biggest arch rivals in the game and as such a match between the two nations is inadvertently an unofficial National Holiday in both the countries.

In UAE, the game has grown in popularity thanks to the expatriate community. The UAE has now got an International team which plays with other Cricketing countries in major tournaments. Cricket in UAE has also manifested into another popular version – Indoor Cricket. This is a scaled down version of International Cricket with rules modified to suit Indoor Playing. But, for all die-hard cricket lovers, the true spirit of the game lies in an outdoor game. The cool weather prevailing in UAE during October to March every year, favours the cricketing season and it renders most, if not all open areas and empty parking lots as makeshift cricket grounds.

For the more professional league players, there is no dearth of school, university or private sports academy grounds which are in high demand and offered on full day, half day, weekly, monthly and annual packages. Indoor cricket stadiums are also available for groups and corporate bookings at venues like the Insportz Club in Al Quoz, Dubai.

So, as an avid cricket follower, sports lover and player myself I encourage all cricket lovers to make the best use of RentByClick to locate the best grounds available in your vicinity and to grab the best tariffs for hosting your tournaments.

by Thomas Mathew

As a construction contractor, you’ve got to wear plenty of hats. You are quality control, business manager, human resources, and keeper of the budget, just to name a few. Part of the job is knowing how to combine all these roles to ensure smooth Construction Project Management and satisfied customers.

After all, poor management means dissatisfied customers, frustrated employees, and possibly even claims against your contractor license bond. To avoid all these hassles, just check out these top five rules for smooth construction project management.

Rule 1: Be a Team Player

Sure, it’s a bit of a cliche, but working well within a team is at the core of being a good manager. It’s just not something you can compromise on. But doing this starts with good communication between you, the architect or designer, the client, and your team. This should be an easy feat to accomplish, as there are many project management applications and technologies ready to help you out.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is attitude. All the software or technology in the world can’t create a teamwork-friendly attitude. Updating everyone working with you on the project’s status at a regular interval (say, bi-weekly) also helps create a predictable flow to teamwork and avoids any potential frustration resulting from lack of knowledge.

So whatever it takes to get you there — the right team or the right coffee — just dive in and make sure you get to work.

Rule 2: Budget Smartly

Perhaps the greatest complaint clients always seem to have about construction contractors is that they go over budget. If you’ve explained a thousand times that this is a normal part of the process, why not join the growing ranks of construction companies and contractors who budget for these costs from the start?

Try starting with a realistic budget and adding at least 10 percent to it for unexpected costs. Explain to your customers that the budget includes this contingency and hopefully, instead of having the “we need more money” conversation, you can have the “we finished under budget” conversation at the end of the job. Wouldn’t that be a nice change?

Rule 3: Take Design Seriously from Day 1

Okay, so you’re a manager and a contractor, not a designer, engineer, or architect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep good design in mind on your projects.

At the very least, advising clients to consult a design professional before beginning major work can leave you with a happier client and a more predictable, and on budget, project.

Convincing clients to work with related professionals also has the added benefit of helping you to build trust. A client will feel more comfortable knowing you’re not afraid to bring in another person or firm and work with them if needed. Without that comfort, client worries can translate into slow decision making, cost overruns, and major headaches.

Rule 4: Make and Refer to a Comprehensive List of Goals

Most contractors and managers make lists, but making a comprehensive list, which incorporates information on the priorities of the client, makes a big difference.

Having important project information at your fingertips avoids having to turn to a client with questions about whether they would prefer one feature over another. You can even make this list visible to the client through one of the project management software platforms mentioned above.

This can drastically cut down on the number of phone calls requesting updates or asking questions, and allows you to focus more on what you’re doing, leading to better and more efficient work.

Rule 5: Look at the Big Picture Before Starting a Project

Before you start any work, make sure you’ve taken a step back to think about the wider construction implications. These can be anything from how an addition will affect the structural integrity of a building, how drainage will affect a site, or how green technology might save money on the project.

These considerations can save incredible amounts of time and money in the long run. Because ultimately having a clear idea of the bigger picture  helps immensely with remembering details.

Plus, catching a potential disaster before it occurs is another solid way to build a good relationship with a client. Show them you’ve got their back and they’ll reward you down the road.

Thanks for reading.