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Aviation History
1979
1979 - 0067.PDF
Week ending 13 January 1979 Number 3643 Volume 115 Published In association with Aeroplane Monthly and Airports International by IPC Transport Press Ltd, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LU, England. World's first and only complete aeronautical weekly (g) Copyright IPC Business Press 1979 Founded 1909 Second-class postage paid at New York, NY, and additional entries. Editor J. M. Ramsden Associate Editors Hugh Field, Mark Lambert Defence Editor Doug Richardson Defence Graham Warwick Production Editor Brendan Gallagher Technical Editor Mike Hirst BTech Technical David Velupillai Air Photography Tom Hamlll Air Transport Blll'Sweetman, Bron Rek General Aviation Hugh Field, Cliff Barnett News Ian Goold Technical Artists Frank Munger, John Marsden Keeper of records Dennis Baldry Pictures Stephen Piercey Publisher Bryan C- Cambray FIMI Deputy Publisher and Group Advertisement Manager David Holmes US Publishing Consultant Warren H. Goodman Advertisement Representatives Jack Bush Clive Rigden Richard Chandless Advertisement Production Howard Mason Overseas advertisement representatives: at back of this issue Telephone: 01-261 8081 (Advertisement Sales) 01-261 8392 (Advertisement Production) 01-261 8070 (Editorial) Telegram/Telex 25137 BISPRS G Subscriptions Manager B. F. J. Nason Telephone: England (0444) 59188 (UK and overseas subscrip tion rates at back of this Issue) [ibp»| International Business Press Associates [ABCI Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation NEXT WEEK • Our quarterly safety special presents the definitive analysis of the Tenerife disaster, makes the first appraisal of the 1978 record, and ranks the safest air-transport nations. The brush-off ALL-WEATHER operation starts and finishes on the ramp, but for some airlines using Heath row last week that was where it came to a full stop. Snow at the beginning of the week fol lowed by very low temperatures, defeated the British Airports Authority and tempers began to fray. "We shall sue," shouted one major airline, though it is difficult to see on what grounds. The plain fact is that the volume and intensity of snow is none too easy to forecast in the temperate latitudes. At both the beginning and end of 1978 Flight saw the American air transport system brought to its knees by widespread snow, so this is not some local European difficulty. There does however seem to be the odd lesson to be learned from life at Heathrow last week. Some airlines, for instance, found that their schedules could con tinue with little delay if they diverted to Stansted. Perhaps be cause that generally under-used airport did not have the con gestion problem experienced by Heathrow, it seems to have been relatively easy to keep swept and operational. The relative scarcity of aircraft on the Stan sted ramp meant that it could be cleared. Meanwhile, the docks at Heathrow were almost always occupied. It is no longer beyond the wit of man to clear airfield runways and taxiways, provided always that the operating authority is prepared to invest in the right equipment. Salt, grit or chemi cals, all of which can be spread about on roads to the detriment of the private car, are just not compatible with aircraft. The only way to achieve a workable "black-top" surface is by scrap ing, brushing or, preferably, blowing the snow away. The equipment for the task is too big to be manoeuvred in congested aircraft parking areas, and prob lems seem to arise when these berths are left untouched long enough to allow the compacting of snow into hard ice. The public scrapping between the airlines and the British Air ports Authority was not an edify ing spectacle. If the authority really did rebuff the airlines' expressed concern as bluntly as has been widely reported, it was scarcely being helpful. To those who wonder why Canada and the Scandinavian countries can keep their airports operational when the United Kingdom and other more temperate countries can not, it should be pointed out that the comparative rarity of snowfalls of the kind that hit Britain last week is almost a drawback. Airports that know they have to face prolonged snow every year can budget accordingly. When the chances are that costly equipment may lie idle for four years out of five, it is understandable if authori ties are reluctant to pay up. Whatever the probability of snow, an airport needs a contin gency plan. As ever more of the real estate is put under concrete the problem becomes magnified. Plans that were good enough five years ago may not meet the need today. Perhaps these plans should be dusted off more often. Certainly the airlines and airport operators have much to gain by reviewing the problem in a less frenzied atmosphere. H.O.F. IN THIS ISSUE World News Air Transport Defence General Aviation Business Private Avionics Industry International Letters INTERNATIONAL TURBINE ENGINE DIRECTORY PIPER SEMINOLE IN THE AIR SAFETY SENSE: LOOK SHARP AFTER DARK GLIDING IN AUSTRALIA 66 69 72 75 76 78 79 80 81 107 117 119 PLOTTING, PLANNING AND THE PRIVATE PILOT 121 HOW MUCH7-A GA PRICE GUIDE Spaceflight 122 138 Front cover: The Garrett AiResearch TFE731-3 turbofan powers the BAe 125-700 and can be retrofitted to earlier variants, supplanting the R-R Viper. Both powerplants are included in the International Turbine Engine Directory, which begins on page 81
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