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Aviation History
1982
1982 - 1091.PDF
GAB wants to cut GA slots in US IFR reservation system GENERAL AVIATION in the USA is strongly opposing a move by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to transfer some IFR slots from the Genera] Aviation Reservation (GAR) system to "new entrant" airlines. The US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (Aopa) says that the CAB's "call for confiscating GA capa city in the air traffic system and giv ing it to airlines is inappropriate, un necessary, and outside the authority of the CAB". Aopa says that there are many "new entrants" within the GA sphere which need to use the ATC system, and it would be very wasteful to give GA slots to create additional airline competition on already heavily com petitive routes. The National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) says that the CAB thinks there is a surplus of GA slots, but this is not so. The NBAA also points out that the GAR system only allows GA operators to book one slot at a time. They cannot schedule flights regularly. • The FAA should have exempted turboprop and turbocharged aircraft from the GAR system in the air traffic control regions handled by Salt Lake City and Seattle as this issue appears. Such aircraft will not be required to make a reservation if they fly between 18,000ft and 28,000ft. GA agencies have been pressing for such changes for some time and it is thought that these latest developments will act as test cases. If successful, similar relax ations may be made throughout the USA. Tighter customs in USA is hitting GA CONFUSION has been created by a Government decision to reduce the number of airports where GA air craft can clear customs in the south east and southwest USA. The restric tion applies to GA aircraft inbound from the Caribbean and South and Central America. It is intended to re duce the amount of illegal drugs being smuggled into the USA. Particular problems have been caused in Florida, where 16 airports were available for customs clearance before the changes, and now only six are, although heavy pressure has been put on the Government to add at least two more. General aviation agencies including NBAA, Aopa, and Nata have expressed anger at the Customs Service for implementing the changes with so little notice. It is hoped that a number of modifica tions can be made to lessen the im pact, but it will be some time before they are implemented. Pilots are being advised to check with customs representatives to find out reporting and inspection requirements. Business AND LIGHT TRANSPORT DHC Beavers (left) may soon become Turbo-Beavers (right) if de Havilland Aero Services proceeds with plans to offer a turbine conversion (see Flight, March 27, page 726) Elitos expansion in view ELITOS HELICOPTERS should take delivery of two Sikorsky S-76s in June, and the Italian operator has options on two more. The aircraft will be equipped with Bendix colour radar and digital instrumentation. Company director Gian Blower tells Flight that, despite the generally soft market for offshore oil-support worldwide, his company has experienced some under- capacity, and the arrival of the two S-76s should ease this. A decision on the two options is pending. In addition, Elitos has options on three BK-117s and the company has just acquired an AB-212. The remain ing fleet consists of five Pumas, two BO105s, and an Agusta 109. Elitos serves platforms in the Mediterranean between about 25 and 120 n.m. off shore operated by oil companies Elf, Total, and Agip. Free fuel offered BAT-AIR, Gulfstream American's dis tributor for central Europe, is offer ing free fuel for a year to purchasers of new Commanders. Under the offer, the cost of fuel consumed by the pur chased aircraft is reimbursed monthly by Bat-Air for a year (or 300hr— whichever comes first), starting from the date of delivery. To qualify, pur chasers must be within Bat-Air's ter ritory, which includes West Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, Italy, Austria, Yugoslavia, and France. The distribu tor is at Flughafen, Postf 980240, D-5000 Koln 90, telephone 02203 40 25 82/5. Rotary briefs ... Four pilots and two crewmen of the Bristow S-61Ns which evacuated 48 oilmen from the production platform Transworld 58 have been given the Avco/AWA heroism award. Trans- world 58 broke free from its moorings in storm-force conditions in the North Sea on November 24 last year. A British Airways Helicopters Com mercial Chinook has completed a Norwegian demonstration tour in ad vance of the delivery of the first of two aircraft for Helikopter Service. The FAA has asked for comments on a proposal to end the requirement for 20in-high numbers on the bottom of helicopters, and replace the 2in-high side numbers with 12in ones. The changes are being sought by Robinson Helicopters. The 20in numbers are ex pensive to paint on and cause prob lems when accessories like search lights, floats, and loud hailers are fitted to the bottom of aircraft. Aerospatiale Helicopter Corporation expects to deliver 200 aircraft this year, an increase of 75 per cent on last year. Chuck Shields has been pro moted to manager of customer con tract administration, and Ralph Pet- ragnani is now manager of sales service. Sikorsky has named John Balaguer as vice-president of S-76 / commercial business operations. He will direct assembly, support engineering, and cost control. FLIGHT International, U April 1982 1035
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