缺乏練習！機師因為疫情停飛太久而導致在航程中犯錯　Out-of-practice! Pilots are making in-flight errors due to the COVID shutdown

Many pilots had been on long-term leave since last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. As more and more countries are opening up their borders with increasing vaccination rates, planes are back in the sky. Pilots are also back on deck after several months off.

However, a lack of proficiency means these newly returned pilots are making mistakes. For example, one pilot anonymously reported to the US Aviation Safety Reporting System that he mistakenly took off on a taxiway instead of a runway. Another forgot to start the second engine at take-off.

Though what we see now are minor procedural errors, the situation could be critical. Experts warn that even though some airlines are retraining their pilots, we still need sufficient regulations to prevent a possible tragedy.

友善讓你懂 │ 解說：

　
新冠病毒也讓空中交通變危險了嗎？從去年開始，不論主動或被迫，許多機師都受到疫情影響而開始休起了長假。如今，隨著疫苗接種率的提升，越來越多國家開放邊界，空中的飛機也多了起來。機師們在休息了幾個月的時間後，終於也回到崗位上準備開始執勤。

然而，許久未開飛機的生疏感，使得這群重回崗位的機師錯誤頻頻。舉例來說，有位不具名的機師向美國航空安全報告系統小組委員會（Aviation Safety Reporting System, ASRS）回報，他在起飛時，不小心直接從滑行道起飛、而非在正規應使用的跑道上起飛。另外則有一名機師回報，在起飛時忘記啟動第二引擎。

雖然我們現在看到的都是比較次要的程序錯誤，整體情況卻可能是很嚴峻的。專家警告，即使航空公司有在為機師們進行再培訓，我們仍舊需要更足夠的規範，來避免可能出現的災難。

輕鬆帶著走 │ 學習：

　
on deck 字面上的意義是「在甲板上」，出自航海術語 ”All hands on deck“，意味「全體總動員、所有人手都出來幫忙」，現在口語中也常常使用。而on deck可延伸成「預備好（要做某件事）…、（把某些東西）…準備齊全」或是「接著要上場…（打擊、比賽）」。

　
例句：
We should know what we have on deck before any negotiation.
在任何協商談判前，都要先知道我們自己手上有什麼籌碼。

本篇其他相關單字，介紹如下：

• proficiency (n.) 熟練度
• anonymously (adv.) 匿名地
• aviation (n.) 航空
• take off (phrasal verb) 起飛；take-off (n.) 起飛
• taxiway (n.) 滑行道，連接跑道、停機坪或航廈間的道路；runway (n.) 跑道
• minor (adj.) 輕微的
• procedural (adj.) 程序上的