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Aviation History
1974
1974 - 0608.PDF
472 FLIGHT International. ISAbril 1974 AIR TRANSPORT FAA PROPOSES NEW NOISE REGULATIONS THE American Federal Aviation Administration has issued a notice of proposed rule making which would require all subsonic jets weighing more than 75,0001b, 34,000kg to comply with the requirements of FAR Part 36 after July 1. 1978. Comments on the proposed rule are invited. The new rule, if it is accepted, will apply to American domestic and flag carriers, supplemental airlines, commer cial operators, air-travel clubs and air-taxi and general- aviation operators. Significantly, it would also apply to foreign carriers which operate into airports in the United States. The notice points out that hush kits are available or are being flight tested for most of the aircraft covered by the proposal. In the case of older pure-jet types, for which no kits are available, the FAA says that it expects that few of these types will be in service by 1978. The date for compliance is based on the time needed to produce and install acoustically treated nacelles. Mr Alexander Butterfield, the FAA Administrator, said when announcing the proposed rule: "Under the proposal, operators will have the alternative of achieving the noise reduction goal by modifying existing aircraft, replacing them with quieter aircraft or taking a combination of these actions." Although FAR Part 36 was first made a requirement for the certification of new designs in December 1969, all new JT8D-powered aircraft, including the 727, 737 and DC-9, now have to comply with the requirements. All new JT3D-powered types (in practice that means the 707) will have to comply with the regulations after January 1, 1975. • Successful tests have already been carried out by Pratt & Whitney with a refanned JT8D. The engine has been run through its complete operating range and has demon strated thrusts some 15 per cent higher than present models of the J TOD. Douglas has been awarded a Nasa contract to flight test a DC-9 powered by two refanned JTSDs, while Boeing is contracted to ground tesl a 727 fitted with the modified engine. • The British Noise Advisory Council, in a report pub lished last week, recommends that flight trials of hush- kits fitted to aircraft like the Trident and One-Eleven should be carried out as a matter of urgency. The Council also recommends that studies of ways of reducing the noise of supersonic transports should be vigorously pursued. 58 TWO-SEGMENT AIRPORTS? TO enable two-segment approaches to be carried out, the United States Federal Aviation Administration is con sidering introducing Instrument Landing System pro cedures at 58 airports. Mr Alexander Butterfield, the FAA administrator, said in Washington that the introduction of this technique could cut noise levels by 5EPNdB to 15EPNdB. The greatest improvement would occur from three to five miles from landing. Small fuel savings, he said, would also be made since power requirements are reduced on a two-segment approach. Compulsory adoption of the procedure would entail adding distance-measuring equipment to existing 1LS equipment on some 100 runways. The cost of around $5 million would be borne by the FAA. Airlines and other aircraft users would be responsible for buying all aircraft-fitted equipment. Assuming that all the 1,800 jet airliners now in use in the United States were equipped, this would cost some $66-6 million. Business jets, the FAA estimates, would require a similar figure. A final decision on each of the 58 airports will depend on a number of safety, economic and environmental factors. These will include the effectiveness of the pro cedures in reducing noise, their compatibility and the effect on aircrew. The FAA's recommendation follows several months of trials carried out at Los Angeles International under joint FAA and Nasa auspices, using a Boeing 727 and a DC-8 belonging to United Air Lines. POOLING NOT APPROVED THE American Department of Transportation made it clear at the beginning of the month that while it does not oppose discussions between Pan Am and TWA on the restructuring of the North Atlantic services, it will not approve discussions on pooled revenues (see Flight for April 11). The DoT believes that pooling discussions are premature at present because other alternatives are avail able. In the short term the DoT suggests that changes in passenger, charter and cargo rates, service suspensions, internal cost reduction, increased charter operations and changes in the Federal Energy Office fuel-allocation regu lations will be of great benefit to Pan American. "We also believe," adds the Department, "that Pan American's pattern of transportation service needs to be fundamentally restructured for the. long term, particularly in the North Atlantic." The American Civil Aeronautics Board will begin hearings into the longer-term desirability of changes in transatlantic services in June. INCREASE IN AIR CARRIER'S LIABILITY THE sterling limits on the liability of British airlines have been increased by about 12 per cent under a British Government order which came into effect on April 12. Under the Carriage by Air Act 1961 (which gives effect in the United Kingdom to the Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague 1955), an air carrier's liability for death and personal injury and loss of and damage to baggage or cargo is in most cases limited by reference to gold francs. The sterling equivalents are, however, fixed by the British Secretary of State for Trade. The latest changes take account of recent fluctuations in the value of sterling in relation to the United States dollar. In consequence, the limit of liability of the air carrier in respect of death and personal injury has been raised from £7,773 to £8,723 for each passenger in international car riage, and from £27,206 to £30,531 for each passenger in domestic and other non-international carriage. Individual British airlines are free to offer higher limits to liability as part of their contract with their passengers, and British Airways, for example, currently offers compen sation of up to £25,000 on international flights. The corresponding increases in the limits of liability for loss of and damage to registered baggage and cargo are from £7-78 per kg to £8 73 per kg. In the case of baggage of which the passenger takes charge himself the increase is from £155-57 to £174-47 per passenger. The figures for baggage and cargo apply to both international and domestic carriage. In the case of a claim the limit is that in force at the date of the judgment, not of the accident. The increased limits therefore apply to claims not disposed of by the courts or by settlement before April 12, 1974. • Discussions are under way between the American Government and airline officials aimed at setting up a trust fund which would allow claims of up to a total of $300,000 for the death or injury of American passengers in air accidents. The Guatemala protocol, which updated the Warsaw Convention but was not fully ratified, tried to take liability to $100,000. The latest United States discussions would add $200,000 to this by asking passengers to pay an additional $2 for international tickets in return for an insurance. The scheme will be administered by a large, as yet unnamed, insurance company.
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