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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 0175.PDF
YOUR VIEW. Heathrow under pressure SIR—Your editorial comment on the Lockerbie disaster ("Relief Misplaced", Flight, January 7) looked at the long- term implications of increased levels of security and structural failure. My members feel that you should also have addressed the long-term probability of disasters at London Heathrow from all causes. The worst part of the Pan American 747 disaster is that totally innocent people in Lock erbie were involved, and it was a chance in a million that large sections of the aircraft should hit the town. The situation around Heath row is quite different, with more than 1,000 movements every day and aircraft taking off on easterlies directly over west London for a quarter of the year. The Civil Aviation Authority is working on plans to increase the number of move ments by 30 per cent, and BAA is forecasting (incorrectly) that there will be a dramatic increase in the size of aircraft in order to accommodate twice as many passengers with 30 per cent more movements. The history of accidents and disasters in transport generally shows that the main cause is human error. On this basis there will be an aeroplane crash in London which will make Lockerbie, Kings Cross, or Clapham look like a fire drill. Everybody in the industry knows that this is inevitable, with the world's busiest inter national airport located within the suburbs of one of the world's largest cities, and air traffic control constrained by the unfavourable position of other south-east airports. The long-term answer is to take the pressure off Heathrow and develop aviation in the area where the risk and disturbance to people is minimised. I refer of course to Maplin, and it is of interest to note that all the reasons given in the first place for cancelling Maplin now no longer apply. PETER DAVIES General Secretary The Federation of Heathrow Anti-Noise Groups Belhaven House 67 Walton Road East Molesey Surrey KT8 0DP Aero Lloyd left out SIR—Your news item "Private German airline challenges Lufthansa" (Flight, 24/31 December, 1988) is correct, except in saying that German Wings will be the first private competitor to Lufthansa. Since last October charter airline Aero Lloyd has operated scheduled domestic flights with DC-9/MD-83 aircraft. The fares are 20 per cent below those of Lufthansa. Aero Lloyd had asked for a reduction of 30 per cent, but this was not approved by the Ministry of Transport. Initial load factors were very low, and services were poorly advertised, but an advertising campaign has since been launched. A spokesman for Aero Lloyd told the Press that his company is determined to stay in the scheduled business. International flights to London, Paris, and Zurich are planned for next summer, although there are still some problems with traffic rights and slots. The latter applies even for German domestic flights, where the company was compelled to operate at times when it did not really want to do so. WILHELM PFLUG Stettiner Strasse 1 D-4443 Schtittorf West Germany Goose on gas? SIR—Regarding the story of the Pan Am 747 landing at Gander Lake, following a goose strike at 33,000ft (Flight, November 26, 1988), as an old Gander/Goose Bay-type member of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, I feel quali fied to argue that it was not a goose proper that did the damage visible in the photo. Rather, I suspect that it was caused by the impact of the oxygen tank she had strapped to her back. (You did not refer to a "gander strike".) Presumably she failed to take evasive action owing to her vision being obscured by her face mask. ROBERT DAVIS 9841 Swan Circle Fountain Valley California 92708 USA PS You don't suppose she might have neglected to jettison her empty Jato bottle? IN BRIEF No. 56(F) Squadron Associ ation (RAF) is holding its annual informal gathering on February 16 on board PS Tatters hall Castle, Victoria Embankment, London SW1. Contact: Sqn Ldr C. P. A. Hull, MM1, Y20 Building, RAE Farnborough, Hamp shire GU14 6TD; tel: 0252 24461 (ext. 5492). Ex-members of 613 (City of Manchester) Squadron and of No. 3613 Fighter Control Unit who wish to join the Squadron's newly formed Association should write for an enrolment form to: Ken Lloyd (Treasurer), 35 Whitehaven Road, Bram- hall, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 1EL; tel: 061439 7851. Celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Squadron's formation will be held on March 1. Ex-members of 228 Squad ron are advised that it is proposed to re-form the 228 Squadron Association, with a reunion envisaged for 1989 or 1990. Contact: Eric N. Harrison, 57 High Grove Road, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1NW. WHAT'S ON January 26 Royal Aeronautical Society Air Transport Group, lecture, "Chirp •—confidential human-factor incident reporting programme", by R. Green. 6.00 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place, London W1V 0BQ; tel: 01-499 3515. January 26-27 SAL seminar, "Naval Air Defence", by Dr N. Friedman. Palais des Congres, Paris. Also at: (Jan 30-31) Inter-Continental, Hamburg; (Feb 2-3) Sheraton, Rome; (Feb 6-7) Royal Aeronautical Society, London. Contact: SAL, Suite M9, Victoria House^ Southampton Row, London WC1B4EF; tel: 01-242 4045. January 30-31 SAL seminar, "Advanced Concepts and Techniques in Imaging Radar", by John Kirk. Mount Royal Hotel, Marble Arch, London. Also at: (Feb 2-3) Munich, venue to be confirmed; (Feb 6-7) Ambasciatori Palace, Rome; (Feb 9-10) Palais des Congres, Paris. Contact: SAL, Suite M9, Victoria House, Southampton Row, London WC1B 4EF; tel: 01-242 4045. January 31 RAeS Historical Group, lecture, "Special Delivery—the ferry route for short-range aircraft across Africa", by AVM A. G. Dudgeon and Air Cdre D. Rixon. 7.00 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place, London W1V 0BQ; tel: 01-499 3515. February 1 RAeS Graduates' and Students' Group, Young People's Lecture, "Airsports", by Ann Welch. 2.30 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place, London W1V 0BQ;tei: 01-499 3515. February 2 RAeS Aviation Medicine Group, one-day symposium on clinical aviation medicine, "Post-operation Return to Flying", including panel discussion "Would you fly with this pilot?", then Group annual general meeting. 5.30 p.m., 4 Hamilton Place, London W1V GBQftefe 01-499 3515. February 2 IMechE/RAeS Manchester Branch, lecture, "From Blue Steel to Beyond HotoP', by Prof J. Allen. 6.30 *p.m., Lecture Theatre, Salford University. Contact: Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 1 Birdcage Walk, London SW1H 9JJ; tel: 01-222 7899. February 2 RIN Boscombe Down Branch, lecture, "Satellite-based Systems in the Civil Environment", by G. Selves. Lecture Hall, A&AEE. Contact: Fit Lt A. J. Snowball, MoD (PE), A&AEE, Boscombe Down, Salisbury, Wilts SP4 0JF; tel: 0980 23331 (ext. 2464): February 2 RAeS Southend Branch, lecture, "The Story of British Test Flying", by D. H. Middleton. 8.00 p.m., Flight Sports and Leisure Complex, Aviation Way, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Tel: 01-499 3515. February 2-3 Two-day helicopter fire course. Offshore Fire Training Centre, Forties Road, Montrose, Angus DD10 9ET, Scotland; tel: 0674 72230. February 5-9 Israel Ministry of Transportation/El Al, International Seminar on Aviation Security. Centre for Special Studies in Memory of the Fallen of Israel's Intelligence Community, Gelilot, North Tel Aviv, Israel. Contact: A. Lewis, ISAS secre tariat, PO Box 574, Jerusalem 91004, Israel. February 6-7 NBAA medical seminar, "Stress and Fatigue—their warning signs, remedies, and consequences". Ramada Inn, Montvale, New Jersey. Contact: Ann Devers, National Busi ness Aircraft Association, 1200 18th Street NW, Washington D.C. 20036, USA; tei: (202) 783-9007. February 15-16 NBAA seminar, "Flight Department Survival Alternatives". Radisson Gunter, San Antonio, Texas. Contact: Ann Devers, National Business Aircraft Association, 1200 18th Street NW, Washington D.C. 20036, USA; tel: (202) 783-9007. February 20-22 FSI international pro cedures course. Montreal, PQ, Canada. Contact: FlightSafety International, Marine Air Terminal LaGuardia Airport, Flushing, NY 11371, USA; tel: (718) 565-4120. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 21 January 1989 61
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