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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0037.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 January 1961 35 were attributed to pilot error, five to errors of other personnel,and 15 only to material failure. Perhaps what is most needed—and this may be worth con-sideration by the Air Safety Board—is the regular publication of lessons learned from aircraft accidents. There comes to mindthe excellent work done in this respect by the US Flight Safety Foundation, whose motto is "Share Your Experience." THREE MEN IN AN ARGOSY "THOUGH the FAA has refused Riddle Airlines' request for aA concession to permit the operation of Argosies on MATS Logair work with a two-man crew, Riddle are appealing to theAdministrator, Mr E. R. Quesada. The airline evidently failed to convince the FAA that the 88,0001b Argosy should be exemptfrom the 80,0001b gross weight limit which requiries, under US law, a flight engineer. Riddle based their request on the fact that the Argosy is nomore complex than the Viscount, which with the same power plant is cleared by the FAA for two-crew operation. But forthe moment the Argosy cannot be legally operated in the US without a flight engineer. Hopes that a concession will be madein this case still appear to be high, and upon their realization may well depend future Argosy sales to operating-cost-consciousUS freight operators. Sabena is the first airline to carry out the conversion of a DC-7C for all-cargo operation, previous modifications to 7F standard having been undertaken by Douglas or by Lockheed Aircraft Services. The conversion took two-and-a-half months and 35,000 man-hours AUSTRALIA AND THE 727 "THE basic attitude of Australian domestic operators to jet air-*• liners, a correspondent writes, is not changed by the Boeing 727 orders. TAA has always taken for granted the decision to producethe 727, as they believed this aircraft would be built once it was clear that Boeing was not interested in the D.H.121 and thatDouglas would not produce the DC-9. TAA and Anseu-ANA will in 1961 evaluate and decide between the 727, the Trident andCaravelle 7, 8 and 14. There is a belief in the Commonwealth that the recent state-ment by Mr Pearson in the Financial Times asking for Govern- ment support—which came as a shock to Australians—hinted thatthe RB.141 is not now to be put into production. Anyway, that conclusion was drawn from lack of mention of the engine in theFinancial Times statement. If this is correct, then the Caravelle 7 and not the 8 would be evaluated by our domestic operators. Australian reaction is that it must now be most difficult for BACto decide to produce the VC11. The BAC offer (Flight, October 28, 1960) of a package VC11/BAC-107 deal to Australian domesticoperators, still fascinates Ansett-ANA. TAA also are interested. By 1965-6 Australian domestic business may demand an aircraft Capt P. A. Trovers has been appointed commercial manager of East African Airways' new commer- cial department, formed on January 1 with 90 seats, where 70 is themean now. The 727 has a greater productivity than the Trident orCaravelle, Australian operators consider, but both feel that if theVC11 is built it could have the edge. The whole 727 appeal is not onlyeconomic, for the Boeing's short- take-off capability also has greatattractions here. It is understood tyre pressures are quite low, too. For Qantas' lesser routes, such as those to South Africa andHong Kong, which will not see 707s (though the 707 will go on the Tokyo run), the 727 might appeal as an Electra-Constellationreplacement. Qantas intend keeping the Electra on the Sydney - New Guinea - Hong Kong run indefinitely and will introduce iton the South Africa route if SAA agree. At some stage there must be a jet replacement. Qantas have been so pleased with the 707that the 727 decision must influence their thinking at some stage, although it is too early to do so yet. BREVITIES On December 30 the CAB examiner approved the proposed mergerbetween United and Capital. Lord Douglas, chairman of BEA, has been granted a salary increaseof £1,000 a year. His present salary is £7,500, plus £1,000 expenses. The instalments on MEA's order for four Comet 4Cs is underwritten by BOAC and not, as inadvertently stated in last week's issue, by BEA. Air France Boeing 707 pilots and crews ended their 19-day strikeon December 27 following government intervention. Maiden flight of the Douglas DC-8-50 (P & W JT3D turbofans) tookplace on December 20 at Long Beach. The type has been ordered by KLM, Iberia, Aeronaves and United. Philippine Air Lines have ordered a third Fokker Friendship. Thecontract, signed in Manila on December 19, brings to 86 the total number of Fokker-built aircraft on order, and 169 including Fairchild. Today, January 6, is to be the occasion of a formal ceremony atLiverpool Airport marking the transfer of control (as from January 1) from the Ministry of Aviation to the City Council. Newcasde Corporation has applied to the Minister of Aviation fora Government grant towards the cost of a new terminal building. Mr Peter Thorneycroft recently received a delegation of MPs and repre-sentatives of local authorities. Yesterday, January 5, Plymouth ratepayers went to the polls to votefor or against the City Council's decision to promote a Bill empowering it to acquire land on which to build a new airport at Harrowbeer,nine miles from the city. Mr M. A. Snowball, BOAC's assistant general manager for SouthAmerica, has been appointed manager responsible for the whole of the corporation's South American effort. Mr G. W. W. Dodd becomesresponsible for BOAC sales in the area. The Caravelle order-book has now passed the 100 mark, actuallystanding at 102. The most recent contract was a repeat-order placed by Finnair for one Caravelle, to bring their fleet up to four. PreviouslyAir France placed a repeat-order for six, bringing their fleet up to 35. More than 50 Caravelles have now flown nearly 100,000hr. According to Aviation Week, the six II-18s bought by Ghana Airwayswere offered at a price of £670,000 each, the order—according to other reports—providing for the free delivery of four spare engines per air-craft. Payment is believed to be spread over eight years at 2.5 per cent, with a 10 per cent down payment. [ Opened at Montreal i on December 75 by Canada's Minister of Transport, the Hon Leon Baker, was TCA's new $20m maintenance base for the overhaul of Vanguards, DC-8s, Conways and Tynes. A training base is adjacent
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