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Aviation History
1976
1976 - 2417.PDF
FLIGHT International. 23 October (976 1237 year. Average DC-9 utilisation is 3,000hr a year, while the F.28s clock in at 2,200hr. Schroder is considering a fourth DC-10-30CF for delivery in the spring of 1978 and would like to trade in his last DC-8 as part of the deal. He doesn't believe in narrow- body freighters now that the wide-body convertibles have shown their worth. "Never again," he says, "will I buy a single-door aircraft." He sees the DC-10-30CF as ideal for many years to come. Martinair's DC-lOs are fitted with triple inertial navigation platforms with computer-plotted VOR/DME/ADF up dating. Autoland is fitted and the airline currently operates to the middle of Category 2—decision height 150ft, run way visual range 500m. Although Schroder expects to get full Category 2 clearance (decision height 100ft and RVR 200m), he sees Category 3 operations as far too expensive. UK-US COMPROMISE ON NORTH ATLANTIC CAPACITY BRITAIN and the United States last week agreed on the number of transatlantic services to be mounted during the coming winter season. Two months ago the UK Department of Trade told the American Government that it regarded as excessive US proposals for services, from London to Miami (daily) and Chicago (five per week). On London-Miami the agreed compromise allows six wide-body return services a week for each airline over five months, and five a week for the remaining month. A similar London-Chicago arrangement provides for five return services each week in the first four months and four a week during the remaining two months. FLOOR-VENTING DEADLINE PUT BACK AMENDMENTS to the US Federal Aviation Administra tion's wide-body floor-venting airworthiness directive will allow airlines an additional year in which to incorporate modifications. The directive now also applies to the Airbus Industrie A300. Following the 1974 THY DC-10 accident in which the loss of a cargo door led to a floor collapse and subsequent loss of control, the FAA sought ways in which to minimise the effect of a "sudden opening" in the cargo compart ments of wide-body aircraft. The result was a requirement that all wide-body types should be able to withstand the sudden appearance of a 20 sq ft opening without the floor collapsing or control being lost. This in-service modifi cation is the most expensive ever required and some esti mates put the cost to the airlines at over $100 million. The original compliance date was December 31, 1977, but representations from the Air Transport Association of America have resulted in a conditional extension. The FAA says that by the end of next year (the original com pliance date) most wide-body aircraft will be modified. The few remaining unmodified aircraft will not be essen tially unsafe, and the FAA is now allowing individual carriers to request an extension of the compliance date up to December 31, 1978, so that modification work can be carried out during planned major inspections. • The National Transportation Safety Board is "looking into" the FAA decision to delay the deadline because of claims that an unsafe condition does exist. It is generally accepted that the cargo-door problem has been overcome; NTSB concern must therefore involve the basic philosophy of the modification. UK DOMESTIC FARES UP AGAIN THE UK Civil Aviation Authority last week approved domestic fare increases of between 4-5 per cent and 12 per cent. Effective from November 1, this is the fourth increase in two years. On the London-Glasgow domestic trunk routes the one-way economy-class fare will rise by £2 to £26. The peak-period £2 discount available to passen gers travelling from Gatwick will however be retained. In addition, the Gatwick discount for passengers travelling to Belfast has been extended to all available flights. Fares to the Channel Islands are to rise by five per cent next month, and by a further five per cent in April next At 100 tons capacity, the 747 is too big, says Schroder, who would however be very interested in a stretched DC-10. Schroder would like to modernise the DC-9s, but doesn't expect to see a replacement emerge before 1982. Of the A300B4FC freighter conversion, which will carry about the same as his DC-8s, Schroder says: "It is a fine aircraft, but slightly too small for Martinair. I would like something to carry 250/275 passengers or 45 tons of freight between Amsterdam and the Canary Islands." The Martinair president expects a result similar to the 1975 figure at the end of this financial year, and is con fident of doing still better in 1977. He is not worried about the future but pays close attention to political and econo mic factors when planning medium-term strategy. "You need modern equipment and must always be on your toes; you must be flexible yet aggressive." year but there were two routes, London-Aberdeen and Aberdeen-Sumburgh, on which the CAA decided that the increases were too high in relation to the profitability which could be achieved. Increases on these routes were reduced by 212 per cent to 5 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. Dan-Air was not among the eleven airlines seeking domestic fare increases and is holding its fares steady on four of its routes, including Gatwick-Newcastle. ATC BLAMED FOR US AIRMISS AN AIRMISS between an arriving Hughes Airwest DC-9 and a departing Northwest DC-10 at Spokane, Washington State, last April was caused by the "inadequacy of local air traffic procedures," according to the National Trans portation Safety Board. Contributory factors were the tower controller's failure to resolve the impending traffic conflict, and the DC-9 pilot's failure to follow normal com pany procedures. The DC-9 crew flew a high and fast approach and failed to make a correct call over the outer marker at 3-9 miles from touchdown. The DC-10 was meanwhile given clear ance to take off, in contravention of a local requirement for at least four miles' separation between arriving and departing traffic. The DC-9 overshot and carried out a non standard missed approach. According to flight-recorder readouts, the two aircraft missed each other by less than 300ft vertically during the climb-out. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS WOOS EUROPE LAST weeks' transatlantic mission by McDonnell Douglas president Sandy McDonnell is seen as evidence that the US company is seeking a variety of partners with which to build a short-to-medium-range 160/180-seater. He spoke with British Prime Minister James Callaghan and aero space minister Gerald Kaufman before going on to Paris, where he met French transport minister Marcel Cavaille. Go-ahead for the Mercure 200—on which Dassault and MDC may co-operate'—depends on an initial firm commit ment for 50 aircraft, according to M Cavaille. He told Flight that France was trying not to miss the market as it had done in the past. "France," said M Cavaille, "would like to see Douglas increase its share of Mercure 200 beyond the agreed 15 per cent." Although France has its eye on Germany as a partner, a forthcoming meeting between M Cavaille and Mr Kauf man, due to take place in London on November 2, will permit discussions on British participation. France feels that the point of no return for a Mercure 200 launch will not be reached until the second half of next year, but M Cavaille sees co-operation with the US as "a necessary evil." Replacement of Air France Caravelles with DC-9s is not a condition of McDonnell Douglas participation in Mercure 200, and though McDonnell Douglas might suggest this, M Cavaille says that his job is to defend French interests and resist any such proposal. The Caravelles could con tinue in Air France service until 1980, according to M Cavaille, and if necessary the airline could buy second hand interim equipment.
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