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Aviation History
1987
1987 - 2263.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT FAA sets A320 certificate conditions WASHINGTON D.C. The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking outlining its special conditions for US certifica tion of the Airbus Industrie A320. Replies are due in by January 19 next year, reports Julian Moxon. The special conditions are required because, in the FAA's view, the A320 represents a "significant technological leap" over earlier aircraft. While particular conditions for new aircraft are quite common in the industry, those covering the A320 are far more extensive. "The A320 has so many features which are un usual or novel when compared to the current standard," says Steve Wallace, manager of transport standards in the FAA's Seattle office. He notes that Concorde also required an extensive set of special conditions for certification. Wallace says the A320 certi fication process will set the standards for the next gener ation of commercial aircraft, and, as such, "We'll have to write a new rulebook in parts". He foresees no particular problem with A320 certifica tion at present, and says that communications with the French DGAC, and with Airbus Industrie, have been very good throughout. He adds that the DGAC has developed its own set of special condi tions. "We've been working very closely with them," he says, "but there's quite a lot of work to be done." Eight categories are addres sed by the NPRM: electronic flight controls; active con trols; engine controls and monitoring; protection from lightning and unwanted effects of RF energy; flight characteristics; flight enve lope protection; sidestick controllers, and flight recorder. In its preamble to the special conditions, the FAA notes that the A320 is of ::; : ;;: $** kfflM. \ \ r«ti . > tjKi^vk . v The US FAAsis setting special conditions for the Airbus A320 to gains US certification. Above Airbus Industrie conducts lightning strike tests on the A320 to verify the protection built into the fly-by-wire controls. conventional design, but that the design makes considerable use of composite materials in primary and secondary struc tures, that the structural design uses overspeed protec tion and active controls to provide load alleviation, and that fly-by-wire controls are essential to all but tailplane trim and rudder, and require a "continuous source of elec trical power". Wallace agrees that some of these features have already been partially introduced in other aircraft, but that the A320 nevertheless represents a "significant departure" in terms of the extent to which the tech nologies are used. The A320 is to be the first civil airliner to receive a Euro pean certificate at the end of February 1988, Airbus says. Canada scraps routes policy OTTAWA The Canadian Government has scrapped a 14-year-old policy which essentially divides international airline routes between Air Canada and Canadian Airlines Inter national. The new policy has led the two major carriers to swap routes and dormant territorial rights in a major redrawing of their spheres of influence. It has also opened the door for other Canadian airlines to launch international services to regions previously within the domain of the two major airlines. In September a new Canada-UK bilateral agree ment effectively deregulated air services between the two countries and opened the door for greater Canadian access to third countries via the UK. British carriers gained access to Asia and the Caribbean via Canadian cities. The net result of these two recent policy changes will be to increase the profile of Canadian carriers in any international markets just as competition in the domestic market is heating up under airline deregulation. While the reallocation affirms Canadian Airlines as the primary carrier on the Pacific and Air Canada as the primary carrier on the Atlan tic, Canadian Airlines will have more substantial participation in the European markets to strengthen its transatlantic operations. Air Canada has also been given an opportunity to participate? in Asian markets across 'the Pacific for the first time. v • Commuter Express of Ontario has become an Air Canada feeder carrier, serving between Toronto and a number of northern US cities. NEWS SCAN New Zealand's Mount Cook Airline has extended its tour ism routes between Christ- church, Wellington, Taupo, and Rotorua. The carrier has also started a twice-daily service between Christchurch and Nelson. The US Federal Aviation Administration has sent a four-man team to Algiers to advise the Algerian civil aviation department on planning for air traffic control needs in the years leading up to 2005. The FAA team has identified long-term equip ment needs valued at $500 million. Air India and Aeroflot have signed a joint agreement which will lead to the intro duction of Ilyushin 11-62 flights between New Delhi and Moscow. The 11-62 will replace an Airbus A310 pre viously used on the route, and inflight crew will comprise both Indians and Russians. Japan Air Lines has had an enormous response to its effort to recruit 100 European cabin attendants. More than 4,400 people applied for 80 jobs in London, and 450 applied for 20 jobs in Frank furt. Malaysian Airline System (MAS) is to double its flights between Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam to twice a week. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 7 November 1987 5
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