ARIELLE MAE N.

ILAGAN
SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
REFLECTION PAPER
GE51

The Impact of Engineering Solution in CAAP

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is the national aviation
authority of the Philippines. CAAP is responsible for implementing policies on civil
aviation to assure safe and efficient flights. Being in charge of the regulation of
airways nationwide, CAAP has a lot on its plate that influences a whole lot of context
such as globally, economically, environmentally, and socially.
Last August 14, 2015, we visited the CAAP office in the Naga Airport in Pili.
The engineers working for CAAP showed us around the place, stated their positions
and their respective parts in the aviation management, how the aircrafts
communicate with the control tower, the instruments they use, they also gave us a
tour inside the VOR/DME station and inside the control tower. While inside the
control tower, we witnessed the take-off process of a Cebu Pacific commercial
aircraft. I saw the importance of the engineers and their technologies, like VOR/DME
and VHF radio, in the aviation management.
CAAP monitors airways in the Philippines. Monitoring airways nationwide, you
need to have the appropriate equipment and technology. CAAP is able to properly
monitor the airways and flights due to their equipment like VOR/DME, like the one
we saw on our tour at the Naga Airport. VOR/DME refers to the combined radio
navigation station for aircraft, which consists of two radio beacons, VHF
Omnidirectional Range (VOR) and the Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), placed
together. Proper monitoring airways nationwide means proper guidance to every
aircrafts, foreign and local, in our airspace. Without the engineers and their
equipment, aircrafts and airways will not be regulated. Flights would be extremely
dangerous, and safe air commute would be impossible.
Impossible air commute would hinder our connection to other places
nationally and globally. With the existing technology in the Naga Airport, they can
only accommodate small commercial planes, which is still nice, because it means
that Camarines Sur can still be easily accessed by other people. Just imagine the
possibilities if the Naga Airport is upgraded, bigger airport and better facilities
means bigger planes, which means more people. People are consumers, which
means bringing more people would boost the economy. Bigger airport would mean
additional equipment and facilities to be monitored. Additional manpower will be
needed in monitoring the equipment, hence, there will be more jobs offered.
Having a CAAP office in your airport, means having a functioning airport.
Having a functioning airport means easier access to the site. Frequent typhoons

causes the need to deliver reliefs such as, relief goods and medical supplies to sites
around the world, having the engineers and their technology on those sites will
ensure safe landing and prevent overshoot and undershoot which frequently
happens.