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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 0007.PDF
Iraq buys 60 Hughes CULVER CITY ~ Hughes has announced the sale of 30 500Ds and 30 300Cs to Iraq. The order is worth about $25 million, and the aircraft will be used by Iraq's Ministry of Communications and Transportation. Both types will be used for training, transport, and agricultural flying. Deliveries should be completed early this year. The agreement calls for the pro vision of spares, ground sup port equipment, and training for pilots. Jack Real, president and chief executive officer at Hug hes, says that "Iraq's interest in our commercial helicopters developed... at Farnborough International Air Show". Bandeirante forced landing The UK Accidents In vestigation Branch (AIB), has ordered an Inspector's in vestigation into the recent forced landing in Scotland in volving a Bandeirante. Pre liminary details have now been released by the AIB. The Bandeirante, carrying one pilot and no passengers, was en route from Prestwick to Aberdeen on a day of low cloud and rain. The port en gine failed as the aircraft was approaching its planned level of FL70 and attempts to re start were unsuccessful. Soon afterwards, the starboard gen erator went "off line" and could not be re-set. Following an unsuccessful Surveillance Radar Approach into Aberdeen, the pilot was by then having commu nication problems and, being uncertain of his position, de cided to break cloud over the sea and return for a visual landing. He eventually broke cloud at about 800ft in rain with a visibility of 3,000-4,000 metres but was unable to es tablish his position accurately on reaching the coast and de cided to attempt a field land ing. The field was covered in winter barley and the nose- wheel collapsed, with damage to the starboard engine and propeller. Dornier has started certification flights with the wheel/skid-equipped Po lar Servant version of the Do 128-6. A similarly equipped Do 228-100 should enter testing in the next few months, and both aircraft should be ferried to the German Antarctic stations in December 1983. The Do 128-6 is fitted with weather radar, radar altimeter, Doppler, VLF/Omega, and geophysical equipment. The aircraft will also be used for transport of personnel and equipment AeroAsahi to fly for China Aero Asahi is to fly a Bell 412 for China. Under a leasing agreement with the China Aviation Supplies Cor poration, Asahi will supply the aircraft and two crew for oil support flying in the South China Sea. Oil exploration off Zhujiang is expected to lead to in creasing demand for helicop ter operations. The Asahi 412 will operate from Zhanjiang, near Zhujiang. An Asahi 212 has been used for oil ex ploration in the Bohai Gulf. Helicopter manufacturer for Canada? The general-aviation fleet in Canada comprises some 24,000 aircraft, and is second in size only to that in the USA, according to a study by Montreal consultants Avi ation Planning Services (APS). The country's helicop ter fleet numbers around 1,500 machines, including in active units. An APS study for the Cana dian Government examines national helicopter require ments and assesses the possi bility of domestic manu facturers supplying the Canadian demand. The study indicates an anticipated de mand for almost 1,400 new units over the next 18 years. This would require 50-60 a year early in the period, and well over 100 a year later. The consultants point out that their forecast is much more conservative than some produced by industry sources. While the market is large, APS believes it is too frag mented in both both class and type to support major in vestment in production facili ties without access to external markets. If a Canadian manu facturer were to obtain half the domestic market for the most numerous class (Cate gory A—turbine up to 4,4001b), production would not reach one a month until 1986. Two units a month would come in 1994. It appears imperative to the consultants that any pro duction facility acquire a world product mandate from a current manufacturer in order to generate the volume neces sary to support a successful programme. The consultants favour Category B (turbines ACTIVE FLEET & FORECAST FOR HELICOPTERS IN CANADA Class 1981 A—Piston 209 A—Turbine 915 B/C—Piston 23 B—Turbine 15 C—Turbine 94 D/E—Turbine 12 Total 1.268 1982 125 1,395 0 30 370 75 1,995 2000 100 2,060 0 55 570 75 2,860 BUSINESS AVIATION 4,400-7,5001b), as it repre sents a market gap that must be filled with new aircraft such as the MBB BO105. Sub stantial growth is forecast in this class, and it may still be possible to enter a new pro gramme, as opposed to li censed pro-duction of a type already beyond its market peak. Short finals... Scotia Safari has been granted an air operators certificate, and intends to start an air taxi service serv ing Prestwick, Carlisle, and Halfpenny Green in the UK. Three de-iced Cougars and an Aztec will be used. Alvair Aviation has ap pointed Peter Dance as chair man. The company is the sole UK, Ireland, and Channel Islands distributor for Par- tenavia and is based at Coventry Airport, telephone 0203 301502. The Flight Safety Founda tion's corporate aviation safety seminar will be held on April 17-19 at the Fairmount Hotel in New Orleans. FSF is at 5510 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia 22204- 3194, telephone 703 820 2777. Rotary briefs... British Airways Helicopters (BAH) is reported to have offered some 60 pilots (out of 187) voluntary redundancy. Reductions in other BAH staffing levels have yet to be announced, and aircrew may be asked to work extra flying hours. The British Air line Pilot's Association has criticised both proposals as being likely to affect air safety. Bristow now has all 12 of its first batch of Tigers in com mercial service at Aberdeen. Average aircraft utilisation over the first six months of operation was 157hr a month. Floyd Carlson has retired from Bell after 40 years with the company. He was the third person in the USA to hold a helicopter licence, and was "instrumental in the development of many... stan dards as well as flying techniques" Bell says. His last post with Bell was as technical advisor. FLIGHT International, 1 January 1983
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