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Aviation History
1975
1975 - 0015.PDF
FLIGHT International, 2 January 1975 15 Icao aeronautical charts The Civil Aviation Authority has published the first in a new series of 1:500,000 Icao charts. This series will replace the GSGS 5154 series and the first sheet, Northern England, number 2171AB, is available from agents and AIS Units, price 75p. The new series has clearer tints, radio frequencies of Special Rules Zones and Areas, an improved legend and the morse code and phonetic alphabet. Blown turbocharger A Beechcraft Bonanza operated by the American Federal Aviation Ad ministration was engaged in circuit practice at Culpepper airport, Vir ginia, when the cabin filled with smoke during the climbout, necessi tating an immediate landing. The undercarriage would not extend by the normal electrical system so the co-pilot began to lower it manually, but it could not be fully extended before the touchdown and! the aircraft suffered minor damage. Inspection showed that a bellows connection on the AiResearch turbo- charger system had failed due to fatigue, allowing the exhaust to play on the main fuel line and electrical wiring. The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that the FAA require regular inspections of such connections and that a modifica tion is incorporated which would pre- vent separation of the parts of the assembly if the bellows do fail. CAA hourly costs Increased certification costs given in Flight for December 19 show fixed costs for routine processes but also maxi mum charges for work for which an unpredictable time is required, by Civil Aviation Authority personnel. In order to obtain some means whereby an applicant for certification can assess the charges to be levied upon him, Flight asked the CAA to give an indi cation of the manhour costs attribu ted to their surveyors. For the first time, the CAA Airworthiness Division agreed to release such figures and is toi be complimented on this far-sighted change of policy, especially as the figures are alarming and will no doubt draw much criticism. The costs are based on times re corded on the surveyors' weekly returns, as is the normal industrial practice. To the direct costs, which include salaries, insurance, assurance and pension increments, are added indirect costs including administration salaries, non-chargeable time costs, office costs, etc. Costs of research, BCAR and defect investigation andl publishing are apportioned according to the number of hours for each chargeable item. The average salary for each grade of surveyor is divided by annual working time of l,820hp for this accounting. The hourly cost breakdown for 1973-74 is as follows: — Direct costs £2-891 UK overheads £2-034 Non-chargeable time £3-626 BCAR and defects £1-588 Previous DTI services £ -695 Research £ -527 Central Division costs £ • 577 7J2 per cent £ • 895 Total £12-833 This total is 20 per cent larger than the 1972-73 figure. The increase between 1971-72 and 1972-73 was 41 per cent. Continued increase of 20 per cent would give costs of £15.40 for 1974-75 and £18-48 for 1975-76. Of particular concern to the light aircraft operator is the following ex tract from the comprehensive budget analysis sheet, giving surveyor rates per hour for airworthiness certifica tion. Prototypes £16-54 Major modifications £16-67 Permits to fly £15-00 Series certification £16-55 Renewals and extensions £16-63 It can be seen that the home- builder cannot expect much change from a £100 deposit paid to the CAA before a surveyor is sent to look over his creation. In fact, a 6hr working day would consume it completely. To those within the industry the most depressing feature is that these hourly costs are several times those used for accounting costs of produc tive personnel, an imbalance which is as puzzling as it is in need of recti fication. It should be noted that most CAA members, at a personal level, have considerable sympathy with the air craft operators and are open to sug gestions by which costs can be reduced. They appear to be hamstrung by pressure of routine work and by the Government directive which decreed that all ARB employees were to be offered CAA positions and that costs are to be covered by 1976. Greek Cherokee crash Three ex-British Caledonian air hostesses were killed when a Chero kee, rented from Olympic Airways, crashed on the island of Mykonos on December 18. It was reported that the pilot attempted aerobatics, which caused a spin into a hillside. Air-portable bicycle Weighing only 181b, the Bickerton portable bicycle when wrapped in its polythene bag is a 30in x 20in x 9in parcel for the baggage locker of an average light air craft. The lightweight, simple construc tion allows easy folding and unfolding, Flight staff members taking little over a minute after a minimum of practice. We found the bicycle to be more rugged than its simple construction led us to expect (other than its rather frail centre hinge which makes unfolding awkward) and its wide range of adjustment allowed most of our staff to find a com fortable riding position. We think there is a place for such a machine in these fuel-conscious times. Available from: H. Bickerton Ltd, Mimram House, Tewin Water, Welwyn, Herts. Price £114 (ex cluding VAT).
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