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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 1010.PDF
LETTERS Does nobody want to preserve G-HVEY? Please rescue historic Huey SIR — May I use your columns to express considerable concern for the future of the ex- Argentinian Air Force and Falklands War helicopter, G-HUEY, which has been a popular attraction at air shows for the pasl few years. This historic Bell UH-1H air craft has appeared regularly in support of ibe RAF Benevolent Fund under the auspices of International Air Tattoo (IAT) on the remit that it was oper ated on a no-cost basis. Thanks to a small, but dedicated band of service and civilian volun teers sacrificing many hours, G-FIUEY has achieved this aim and, additionally, has been re sponsible for the contribution of thousands of pounds to the Benevolent Fund in the process. The survival of G-HUEY is due solely to the drive and initiative of a military pilot, who, immediately after the Falklands War, "liberated" this abandoned machine and com menced flying it to provide val uable medevac support at a time when helicopter resources were scarce. Using remarkable pow ers of persuasion, he then ar ranged the aircraft's shipment to the UK and embarked on a seemingly impossible quest al most single-handedly to keep it flying as a museum piece. The thorny problem of regis tering an aircraft that was tech nically the Ministry of Defence's was also solved by the Benev olent Fund taking G-HUEY under its wing, with 1AT arrang ing sponsorship. The original Falkkmds pilot, though, remained the aircraft's Healthy future for aviation SIR — I wish to strike an unfashionable note of optimism for the currently beleaguered aviation industry. There is understandable doom and glooni circulating, including your comment (Des perate times, F/ig/i( Interna tional, 27 March-2 April), which concludes: "...the long-term growth in demand for air travel must still be in question". I take issue with that state ment lor a number of reasons, the most basic, indisputable and relentless being the continuing acceleration of world popula tion growth. The more people crowd on to this planet, the more aircraft will be needed to move them. The percentage of the population could reduce but the number of bodies airborne is bound to increase, even in the short to medium term. "guardian" and over the years, he has cajoled many companies, museums and foreign air forces into donating expertise, provid ing additional sponsorship, car rying out overhauls and donat ing numerous spares, including major components. After many increasingly suc cessful seasons, however, the team last year began to feel that IAT's support for G-HUEY was waning. Its last-minute entry into the 1990 Battle-o('-Britain auction, where it failed to reach an unrealistic reserve price, came as a total surprise to the team and acted as further indi cation of diminishing support. Regrettably, the Benevolent Fund through IAT has now announced its intention to dis pose of G-HUEY, purportedly after having failed to obtain sponsorship for 1991. The ethics of the helicopter's disposal, after so many individ uals, air forces and companies have supported its very exis tence for charitable purposes, are questionable in the extreme. Its value for commercial use is debatable due to the limited remaining life of key compo nents and the restricting Civil Aviation Authority Permit to Fly. For these reasons there remains the possibility that this historic aircraft may be sold Historically, too, there can be no argument that sustained growth in aviation has been solid since Orville and Wilbur made their move. True, there have been regional and global hiccups, but the trend remains firmly upward. Air traffic con trol and airport managers are planning for it and inter national companies continue to anticipate it. There is no doubt that growth will continue; the ques tion is at what rate. The sudden shock from over drive two years ago, with panic pilot training and big money deals on airliner delivery slots, to today's emergency stop is very uncomfortable, but the well-known causes are transient and have conspired to arrive inconveniently together. There are, however, hopeful signs that these causes are now receding almost as rapidly as they arrived. overseas or reduced to spares. As a serving armed forces member, it would be imprudent and improper for the original pilot to comment, but as one of the G-HUEY pilots, I feel 1 speak for the team in expressing dismay at lAT's seemingly arbi trary decision, made without consultation with the very peo ple who, ironically, made the intended sale possible in the first place. If the aircraft is to be dis posed of, surely a more fitting action would be to offer it to one of the major aviation muse ums, particularly as the Benevo lent Fund has already profited handsomely out of the aircraft at virtually no effort to them selves and has no capital to recoup. The proposed sale merely appears to be an attempt to gild the lily. If this does prove to be the demise of G-HUEY' though, I should like publicly to thank all of those who have supported us so generously over the years and, like we are, they will surely be very disappointed if the air craft fails to appear once again in support of the RAF Benevo lent Fund. MALCOLM REEVES 17 Rookswood Close Hook Hants, UK The Gulf War is over, oil prices are under control, excess capacity is being cut dramati cally, if painfully, and interest rates arc on the way down. The dollar has regained its 1989 strength, helping European ex porters and bringing some sta bility to the dollar-based avia tion industry. Confidence in the future will gradually return. People want and need to fly and will continue to do so. It is tough to be positive when you are unemployed and the mort gage is due, but those of us out of a job must survive in the short term. Our professional skills will be in demand again soon. I am convinced aviation still has a great future and 1, for one, look forward to it. TIM BLOFELD 4 Beech Park Walters Ash High Wycombe HP 14 4XL UK WHAT'S On IATA Symposia 24-25 April 'Aircraft Financing Today — Third Annual Aircraft Financing/Leasing "; 11-15 June Fifth Annual General Session /Conference & Exhibition; September "Aircraft Financing in the Asia-Pacific Region"; November "Worldwide forecasting & Economics Seminar'' and "Airline Marketing in the New Europe". Contact: Anita Macleod, Conference & Exhibition Services, IATA, Geneva; tel: +41 22 799 27 52. 21-23 April "Aircraft Maintenance — Management Strategies for the 21st Century", Hamburg, Germany. Con tact: Emma Gardner, International Events, 1IR, 28th Floor, Centre Point, 103 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DD, UK; lei: +44 (071) 379 8040; fax: +44 (071) 412 0158. The opinions expressed in these pages do not necessarily represent those of the Editor. Flight International cannot undertake to publish tellers without name and address and reserves the right to select or edit letters. 52 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 17-23 April, 1991
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