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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1067.PDF
604 FLIGHT International, 16 April (964 AIR COMMERCE . . . conditions ? In cold, stable air, as in fog, some aircraft will almost land themselves, by ground effect. But the same low visibility might be associated with a gusty cross-wind or a low level wind-sheer, when the pilot must fight every inch of the way. Even in calm conditions the aircraft may be flying on asymmetric power; will the overshoot with full flap extended still be permissible ? These are some of the main questions which deserve consider- ation. There are many others, for the whole subject might benefit from rethinking. Should the landing RVR be lower or higher than the take-off RVR? Opinions differ on this. Again, should the RVR be related to the aircraft weight, remembering that a heavy aircraft may operate at 20kt more than a light one of the same type? Would it be logical under conditions of high critical height to allow a lower RVR, and vice versa? Can mirage effects in fog be entirely discounted? How about clearing the runway, should low limit landings be permitted if no radar plan position indicator is available. Needless to say, the publication of lower landing limits does not necessarily mean that pilots must approach to those limits. But in general most of them will feel obliged to do so, and it is here that some risk lies. Precision approach aids certainly tend to increase economic efficiency and regularity, but of themselves they do not necessarily increase safety. An illustration of this fact can be seen in the record of London Heathrow Airport. This airport has been renowned for the quality of its approach aids, which during the last 18 years have sometimes been the best in the world. However, the airport's safety record has been far from unblemished, and nearly every major incident has been under marginal weather conditions. Conclusion If an aircraft is being flown on instruments it is as safe at a height of 1,000ft as at 10,000ft. But below 1,000ft the dangers of instrument flight begin to increase steeply, and below 300ft, very steeply. For the eventual landing the aircraft is still as dependent on visual aids as any surface vehicle, and indeed more so, because these visual aids must give adequate cues for the judgment of height, lateral level, and fore-and-aft level. It is worth recalling that fog still disrupts most surface transport, even that which is on rails. Thus the various problems of the transition increase out of all proportion as limits become lower. Whilst aware of this, pilots also appreciate the stark economic requirement that delays and diver- sions must be kept to a minimum, and have shown themselves ready to co-operate in this direction by developing procedures such as monitored approaches. But pilots still feel that there are questions to be answered; when satisfactory answers have been given they will know that aviation has taken another considerable step forward. Caravelle Sales Tour A Sud Aviation Caravelle is to leave Toulouse on April 25 to begin a fortnight sales tour of Africa that will involve calls at 20 airfields. Longer East African Runway The main runway at Beira Airfield in Portuguese East Africa is being extended to take jet aircraft. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year. New Shannon Runway? Work is to begin on surveying an addi- tional 3,000 acres of land near Shannon Airport with a view to building a second 10,000ft runway. Longer Electras? Lockheed are exploring with Electra operators the possibility of stretching the fuselage of existing Electras by 152in to increase maximum seating capacity from 98 to 118. Cost of the modification, which would add 76in fore and aft of the wing, is estimated at about £150,000 based on a minimum of 75 conversions. Career Prospects in Civil Aviation are described in a new booklet obtainable, price Is 6d, from Her Majesty's Stationery Offices. Called Choice of Careers, number 116 in the series, the booklet explains the duties, qualifications, and training background for all grades of airline personnel. The BOAC VC10 Flight Superintendent Capt Ronald Hartley has been appointed flight superintendent of BOAC's VC10 fleet. In addition to normal route flying, his duties include ensuring—on the flight manager's behalf—the adequacy of route facilities and pilot efficiency within the fleet. Air Service to Kos The sixteenth point within Greece to have air service connections with Athens is the island of Kos. Olympic Airways began a twice-weekly return service into the island's newly completed airport on April 6. Altimeter Static Pressure Systems in US transports must pass a periodic inspection after January 1, 1965, according to new rules proposed by the FAA. Details are available from the FAA at 800 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC, telephone 20553. Air Traffic Controllers'conditions of employment are the subject of a paper published as a reprint from the September 1963 issue of International Labour Review. The reprint, price Is 9d, is available from the sales department of the International Labour Office, 38-39 Parliament Street, London SW1. Aloha's Financial Difficulties The intra-Hawaiian Islands local service airline Aloha has asked the CAB for a temporary subsidy and a lump sum of 1100,000 to meet April running costs and guaranteed loans amounting to $ 161,000. The airline operates four F-27s and three 700 series Viscounts; the latter it acquired second hand last year. Pan American Overshoot A Pan American Boeing 707 carrying 136 passengers and a crew of nine overran the runway while landing in poor visibility at Kennedy International Airport on April 8 and plunged into a marshy inlet off Jamaica Bay. Although the fuselage broke in half and the aircraft was extensively damaged there were no fatalities. BALPA Appointments For the third successive year, the central board of the British Air Line Pilots Association has elected Capt J. R. Jeffrey as the Association's chairman for 1964/5. Capt R. T. Merrifield has been re-elected to a second term of office as vice- chairman. Air Cdre P. E. Warcup was recently appointed to the post of general secretary. More F-27s From Fairchild Following a recent order for five F-27s, and in the light of improved prospects for further sales of the type to other local service airlines in the United States, Fair- child have laid down a production block of a further 15 F-27s with first deliveries due in April 1965. Pacific Air Lines has also recently re-ordered the F-27. World-wide sales for the twin Rolls-Royce Dart-powered airliner, including those booked by Fokker, total over 270. The new F-27s will be certificated at a maximum landing weight of 40,0001b. Variable-sweep Safety In anticipation of airline fears that a system malfunction could prevent the Boeing 733's wings from sweeping forward for landing, the manufacturer has said that any one of three independent hydraulic systems could do the job and that a mechanical linkage would prevent one wing moving without the other. Landing with the wings fully swept, Boeing say, would be like a flapless approach in a 707. Old Boats Never Die After a world-wide search for a suitable flying-boat that included investigating an offer from behind the iron curtain (presumably a conversion of the twin-jet Beriev M-10), Airlines of New South Wales have bought a Short Sunderland from the RNZAF for its Sydney to Lord Howe Island service to replace the aircraft destroyed at its moorings during a cyclone last year. The Sunderland's interior will be fitted with 43 passenger seats as part of the aircraft's demobilization treatment.
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