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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 0872.PDF
880 FLIGHT, 24 June 1960 AIR COMMERCE . . . NOISE AND PUBLIC RELATIONS TET noise is second only to safety in importance, in the view of** the US Federal Aviation Agency. Speaking recently in Columbus, Ohio, to American airport operators, James T. Pyle,FAA deputy administrator, said: "A proper solution of our dilemma can begin only with the recognition of one fact. Allmembers of the aviation community—including airport'operators —share the responsibility for reducing this nuisance to acceptableproportions. It does no good to try to place the blame or avoid blame. Whatever the justice of the complaint might be, thecensure for noise falls first and heaviest on the airport itself. It is thus mandatory that airport operators assist in this problem." Mr Pyle went on to give expression to the belief that goodpublic relations is an important factor in the airport noise problem. He said that perhaps a good deal of public anger stems from fearand ignorance—"a loud noise has from time immemorial meant danger." He recognized the public feeling that "nobody in avia-tion is doing anything about the noise problem." These mis- apprehensions could, in his opinion, be corrected. It is "in thefield of education," he said, "in the field of community relations that the airport can provide a genuine service to aviation today." To the airport operators he added: "Tell them [the public]that aviation is concerned with the noise problem. Tell them we are working on the solution. Help them understand. . . . Unlesswe in the aviation community solve it by ourselves, we will be forced to accept a very harsh solution imposed on us from outside.In blunt terms . . . this could mean a restriction on carrier opera- tions. <4t could well mean die shutting down of certain airports." "OUR FINAL FIGURE" IN the same address as that referred to above, Mr Pyle had aword to say to airport operators about the increasing length of runways. "In the past," he said, "to accommodate the new turbo-jet transports, the Government decided to increase Federally sponsored runways from a maximum 8,400ft to a maximum uncor-rected length of 10,800ft. Let me say, gentlemen, right here and now—this is our last increase. We have made it indisputablyclear to the carriers and the manufacturers that this is our final figure. We shall not in the future provide Federal aid for theconstruction of runways of greater length. We do not intend to solve aviation's problems by adding more cement. This Federallimitation should provide a measure of deterrence to any future unreasonable demands." ALITALIA GET LOS ANGELES IT is expected that, as a result of the recent US-Italian bilateralagreement negotiations, Alitalia are to be granted traffic rights in Los Angeles. It is understood that these rights apply to flightsfrom Rome via intermediate points, including Montreal. It is reported also that Alitalia are to have traffic rights atChicago; whether this city is one of the intermediate stops on an Italy - West Coast route is not yet known. Furthermore, Italy'sfifth freedom New York rights are to be broadened to include a foreign "beyond" point, to be decided upon, later. In return the US has won from Italy a promise to supplyorigin-destination traffic statistics in respect of Italian traffic (pre- sumably between Italy and the USA). In addition, the Italianshave added Genoa and Turin to the cities which may be served by US carriers. ANGRY PRESTWICK MOTORISTS THERE was a three-hour road traffic jam at Prestwick Airporton June 17 as a BOAC 707 practised take-offs and landings on the main runway, which cuts the Glasgow - Ayr highway. Aftermotorists had waited in mile-long queues at the airport's "level- crossing," Ayrshire County Convener Daniel Sim said: "I willcall for an inquiry tomorrow." Motoring organizations were later bombarded with complaints from drivers who had been delayedfor almost an hour. A police official reportedly said: "There were even cars stranded on the 200yd runway strip between the crossing-gates. Things were almost out of hand at times, especially when the aviation factory workers in buses and cars were going home." Mr Sim, coming to the real point at issue here, said: "Therewas never any hint that the traffic would be upset to this extent, particularly by training flights. We have pressed for a tunnel. Weknew it was the only solution. But the Ministry of Aviation rejected it. This has proved that we were right." A BOAC official said: "We have to make these flights to trainour crews to use Prestwick Airport. We would be blamed if any- thing were to happen, so our crews have to make familiarizationflights. The only alternative would be to stop using jets at Prest- wick." Last year an inquiry commission agreed with localauthorities that the road tunnel proposal was the only solution for Prestwick, but the Ministry overruled the decision. Two of the ex-Air France Viscount 700-ser/es bought by Maitland Drewery Aviation Ltd ("Flight," June 3, page 774) have now arrived at Cambridge, where they are seen here. They are to be maintained by Marshall Flying Services. The sale was handled by W. S. Shackleton— the first involving Viscounts handled by this company, which now claims to have sold 154 different types of aeroplane THE COMET AND LATIN AMERICA ^ TT is reported from Argentina that FALA, the projected unionA of the smaller non-IATA airlines of Chile, Colombia, Panama and Peru, are interested in getting Aerolineas Argentinas to join.This Aerolineas may do—provided the others purchase Comet 4s in order to unify equipment with the Argentine airline, which hasfour Comet 4s. The de Havilland Aircraft company, according to an Argentine source, has approached the FALA airlines '"witha very tempting offer" of six to eight Comet 4s at extended credit terms and with early delivery. Other news from Latin America is that Cubana, a Britanniaand Viscount operator, has been encouraged by the Castro govern- ment to consider the East German BB.152 short-range jet, and thatthe Government has approached the manufacturers to send an aircraft to South America for demonstration. Meanwhile Trans-continental, the Argentine independent, has refuted allegations that its order for four Convair 880s has been cancelled; they saythat they are to have Convair 600s instead, and intend to operate them on a new route to Japan. UNREST ON THE FLIGHT DECK 1JOTH Eastern Air Lines and Pan American schedules have-*-* been severely disrupted recently by the refusal—tantamount to a wildcat strike—of pilots to allow FAA flight inspectors to sitin the third pilot's seat while carrying out their inspection duties. The pilots' Association, ALPA, has advised the men to go backto work, and has made clear that it does not deny the right of the FAA to inspect crew standards in flight. But it says that thismust be done without infringing pilots' contracts that call for three-pilot-crew operation. In the UK no flight-inspection of pilots (not to be confusedwith routine type-examination testing) is carried out, though there have been suggestions that such a scheme might be introduced. CAPITAL'S DAY OF RECKONING TATEST development in Capital Airlines' struggle for survival'•^ is the appointment of Gordon Billard, a New York investment banker, to the board of directors and executive committee. Mean-while the third extension of Vickers' foreclosure proceedings, announced on June 3, gives Capital until next Monday, June 27,to file an answer to the British manufacturer's claim for $33.8m (£12m) outstanding on the airline's Viscount payments. Previousdevelopments in Capital's fight were recorded in our issues of May 13 (page 668) and April 29 (page 610). Capital president David H. Baker carried out in May a reorgan-ization of top management to boost revenue and reduce the operating deficit. Thomas D. Neelands, a Wall Street consultantand merger specialist, and former Capital director, was recently appointed chairman of the board and has been in the UK fordiscussions with Vickers and the other parties concerned. Vickers, who hold a mortgage on 89 of Capital's fleet of 96aircraft, actually filed the foreclosure suit on April 18. To answer this suit Capital was later granted three extensions of time, oneof 18 days expiring on May 27, one of ten days granted on May 26 and a third granted on June 3. After Mr Neeland's visit to thiscountry it was rumoured that Capital is working on an arrangement whereby a leasing company would take over the Viscounts andlease them back to Capital. This is one of several ideas for avoiding foreclosure believed to be under consideration. Capital's situation seems to have improved, if only relatively.On May 27 the CAB dropped its plan to make a thorough inves- tigation of the airline's financial position following Capital's with-drawal of its request for an annual subsidy of $12.9m. The airline hopes to gain from fare increases due on June 30 as a result ot
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