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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0033.PDF
Left Air traffic control at Sea Lion Island. Once the sheep have been cleared from the runway the "tower" can be manned. The Falkland Islanders responsible for each airstrip have a runway orientation card, and use hand-held VHF radios. Right An Islander undergoes routine maintenance in Figas's new hangar at Stanley Airport skill of the Figas pilots. The first Falkland Islander to become a Figas pilot did so in 1957. Since then, at least one of the three pilots has been a local. Although all the current pilots, Ian McPhee, Mike Good win, and Paul Robertson, were trained in the United Kingdom, the conditions they encounter in the Falklands demand skills which are more akin to bush flying. Figas pilots quickly become adjusted to the unpredictability of the weather. The strong winds which buffet the Islands for most of the year call for steady nerves, but it is the sudden deterioration in visibility which frequently causes the biggest prob lems. Pilots are often forced virtually to circumnavigate an island, rather than fly over it. Such diversions regularly add to the flight times, making the schedule very erratic. The route structure has largely governed the choice of aircraft for Figas operations. The Islander offered rugged reliability, and its piston engines made it ideal for the stop-start operations which the Falkland routes dictate. The de Havilland Canada Twin Otter was consid ered, but would have been too heavy to operate from some of the Falkland airstrips. Even with the Islander, payload has to be restricted when operating out of three or four strips during wet conditions. Overall, Figas has achieved a 75 pej cent serviceability rate with the Islanders. Hovever, following the crash of an Islander on take-off from Brookfield Farm, East Falkland, on June 24 last year, Figas was left without a serviceable aircraft until August. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt in the crash. The whole incident was the subject of* an interim report which has been passed to the Civil Commissioner. In the meantime, a replacement Islander has been flown out, the crashed aircraft having been assessed as -a write-off. When it became clear that Figas's aircraft would be Figas milestones 1948 Figas conceived by Sir Miles Clifford. 1953 De Havilland Canada Beaver seaplane increases the number of settlements covered by Figas. 1955 Second Beaver purchased. 1957 Figas recruits first local pilot, Vic Spencer. 1979 First Pilatus Britten Norman Islander supplied by the Overseas Development Agency. 1982 Falklands War results in dest ruction of Figas aircraft and facilities. 1983 Two Islanders and a Beaver supplied from the rehabilitation fund. 1985 Third Islander purchased. 1987 Number of airstrips reaches 41. unserviceable for much of the winter, an alternative service was provided by Bris- tow Helicopters' Sikorsky S-61Ns. (These helicopters are normally on contract to the Ministry of Defence, and operate out of Mount Pleasant Airport, transporting troops and equipment around the various military installations on the Falkland Islands.) The only privately-owned aircraft on the Islands, a Cessna 172M belonging to Bill Luxton, a sheep farmer from Chartres on West Falkland, was also placed at Figas's disposal for the carriage Below Figas serves the "camp", all the land outside Port Stanley of essential post and light freight. Clearly, Figas suffers from being at the end of a very long spares-supply link. Similarly, although the service's eight engineers and technicians can carry out routine maintenance and structural repairs to the Islanders, no facilities exist for the major overhaul of engine components or avionics. The rear-spar replacement is probably the most compli cated repair that can be tackled. Most of the engineers are locals who have received their training in the United Kingdom. Figas's operations are based at Stanley Airport, the Islands' original permanent runway facility. The service has its hangar and maintenance facilities there, and util ises a refurbished control tower. At dusk, semi-permanent obstructions are towed across the runway to deny its use to anyone attempting a second invasion of the Islands. The airport is three or four miles from the town of Stanley, where Figas has its office. Dominating the small room is a large map of the Falkland Islands, with pins marking each airstrip. Flight oper ations are planned using coloured thread to link the next day's airstrips in the most economical pattern. Occasionally, the HF or 2m radios will crackle into life with either a Figas pilot relaying a situation report or a Falkland Islander calling in to book a flight. Since 1982 Figas has shown its resilience and adaptability. After living alongside military operations at Stanley Airport in the immediate post-war years, Figas is once again its sole user. Today, flights to nearly every inhabited island are possible, and some aspects of the Islands' development, such as tourism, would not have been possible without the expansion in services. Figas's first 40 years have been characterised by steady growth and the diversification of its roles. Above all, for the Falkland Islanders, "service" has been Figas's watchword. C FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 2/9 January 1988 31
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