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Aviation History
1969
1969 - 0142.PDF
126 AIR TRANSPORT. . . FLIGHT International, 23 January 1969 747: Ground handling problems WHEN THE BOEING 747 enters service, the check-in of an international passenger, which used to average three minutes, is targeted for one minute. Such elements as the airline check on passports and health documents must be eliminated and the speediest method of embarking and dis embarking passengers must be applied. With door-sill heights of 16ft and more, air jetties are no longer merely desirable— they will be essential at airports where major load changes occur. From the engineering viewpoint the problem posed by the 747 is essentially one of access and weight. The stabiliser trim actuator, for instance, weighs 5651b and the windscreens, which need cleaning, are 25ft from the ground. These prob lems will be overcome, but their solution creates others. There will be 70 people around the aircraft operating 17 different types of self-propelled and three types of towed equipment—comprising 43 units of the one and 32 of the other. A high degree of control and discipline is therefore vital. These were some of the points made respectively by Mr Gordon Davidson, BOAC's general traffic manager (now general manager, western region) and Mr Leslie Uncles, manager, line maintenance, speaking to 150 members of the West Middlesex group of the Institute of Transport on January 7 on Ground Handling Problems of the 747. Necessary integration Mr Davidson opened by emphasising the need for close integration between the traffic-handling and engineering/ maintenance branches because of the highly sophisticated equipment required by the aircraft and the consequent demand for servicing of such equipment, upon which the efficient transit and turnround depended. The 747 is a big aeroplane, but both speakers emphasised that it was not entirely the size which created the problem; rather, it was the growth of traffic which demanded aircraft of this size. Admittedly, the 747 presented this traffic in larger unit loads and to achieve present time intervals in the acceptance, carriage and dispersal, without large increases in staff, more efficient and productive ways were needed to deal with these aspects. Mr Davidson then spoke of the passenger processing and embarkation/dis embarkation problems already mentioned, saying also that other devices such as lifts and escalators had been examined, but all suffered from the serious disadvantages of high initial and maintenance costs. Above all, none offered the speed of movement presented by steps—assuming that air jetties were not available. Such steps would be wide, fully enclosed and would incorporate a rest platform at a mid-point. Perhaps the most radical innovation on the 747, Mr Davidson said, was the container system for deadload. Containers were costing some £500 per unit and each aircraft carried 30. Additionally, there were requirements for main tenance and the loading of baggage and cargo prior to aircraft arrival. BO AC estimated an outlay of £2.25 million for the first three years of operation. The degree of sophistication in the loading equipment was illustrated by the need to offer the container to the aircraft hold system within a tolerance of one degree to the plane of the system, at a time when the loading of fuel, or of passengers and cargo, gave rise to a constantly changing attitude of the fuselage. All big aircraft of the future would have a container system and the days of hand truck and manpower were passing. The emphasis on integration with engineering was again underlined. Following a slide presentation snowing the turnround of a 747, using models, Mr Davidson closed by stating that this would, in reality, occur at London Airport on May 2, 1970, when BOAC's first commercial 747 operation was scheduled. Mr Uncles spoke from the engineering standpoint, saying that the 747 presented no new problems in this respect. Essentially, as already mentioned, it was a question of access and weight. A series of slides were used to show the difficulties of access to servicing points, in terms of height above the apron, and also the proposal for the carriage of spare engines in a fifth-pod installation. Touching upon de-icing, Mr Uncles indicated a requirement of from 500-900 gallons of fluid against 200-400 for a 707—depending on the severity. In the discussion he spoke of the auxiliary power unit and the problem of noise level (98dB at the refuelling point) which was not completely solved. Ground power would be needed to supplement the APU in certain circumstances and to provide >power if the unit was unservicealble. As the aircraft would be fitted with an inertial navigation system, the gyros of which would need to be kept running, no interruption could be tolerated in the supply of power. On the question of parking, the aircraft would be placed 90 degrees nose-in and the AGNIS guidance system at Heathrow was adequate longi tudinally. Lateral indication of the stopping point was a problem yet to be solved, but, with extensible air jetties capable of movement in azimuth, high accuracy was less essential. The pilot lost view of the apron 80ft forward of his eye level. Replying to a question on equipment costs, Mr Davidson declined to reveal figures but said that the total was "many millions of pounds." BOAC was in the forefront in seeking the co-operation of other airlines in obtaining standards in pro cedures and equipment to reduce costs. Some 30,000 sq ft was needed to park a set of ground equipment for one 747 and it would be necessary to employ a man specifically for the marshalling of surface transport on the apron and to control the timing throughout the operation. At some stations, transit passengers would be encouraged to remain on board, for otherwise, facilities on the ground might be swamped by the numbers involved. A pattern might emerge of, perhaps, two quick transits followed by a longer one to allow disembarka tion and a greater degree of cabin cleaning. In a vote of thanks, Mr R. D. Cooling, development manager, London Station, BOAC, spoke of the complexity of the problems which had been revealed and referred to the impression of confidence which the speakers had manifested that "all would be right on the night." R.H.C;. Brancker Memorial Lecture This year's Institute of Trans port Brancker Memorial Lecture is to be given on February 10 by Mr R. Burns, Second Secretary, Board of Trade. The title will be "What are Airlines For?"—which suggests a controver sial approach. The lecture will be given in the Commonwealth Hall, 16-20 Craven Street. London WC2 at 5.15 for 5.45 pm. Austrian Airlines Changes The top management of Austrian Airlines was changed again at the beginning of January, when Dr Anton Heschgl and Dr Hubert Papousek took over from Engelbert Heidrich and Dr Lambert Konschegg. Dr Heschgl had previously been in the Styrian provincial government service and had played a leading part in civil aviation in the Graz area; Dr Papousek was previously head of the air line's sales department. More BOAC Appointments Among new appointments announced earlier this month by BOAC is that of Mr Basil Bampfylde, general manager, eastern region, who is now deputy commercial director; his earlier post is taken by Mr Tom Orpin, previously manager, USA. Mr Gordon Davidson becomes general manager, western region, in succession to Mr Richard Hilary, who was earlier appointed commercial director. Mr John Jennings, previously planning manager for the southern region, is now general traffic manager.
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