FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1991
1991 - 1437.PDF
OPERATIONS: DEFENCE Israeli AF/EI Al Ethiopian airlift smashes passenger-load record BY ARIE EGOZI IN TEL AVIV In a record-breaking airlift, the Israeli Air Force, aided by El Al, brought 14,000 Ethiopian Jews from Addis Ababa to Israel — 1,200 of them in one 747 —within 33h just days before the capital fell to rebel troops. Some of the flights were per formed by a specially config ured El Al 747, carrying 1,200 passengers. The top-secret Op eration Solomon began on 24 May when an air force C-130 Hercules brought the first group of high-ranking Israeli officers and experts to Addis Ababa International Airport. The airlift was completed a few hours be fore the first rebel units reached the airport area. The group, headed by deputy chief of staff Gen Amnon Sha- hak, set up a command post in the airport while Israeli special forces and paratroops secured the runway and airfield perime ter. An Israeli mobile air traffic control unit performed advisory control, parallel to that given by the airport's tower. By noon on 24 May prepara tions were complete and the green light was given for the first aircraft to land. In the next 24h 18 air force C-130s and eight Boeing 707s aided by nine Elderly AMRA Full-rate production of the AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) is unlikely until the at least end of 1991 following the findings of a US Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). The DAB is instructing the US Air Force to live-fire examples of missiles which have been carried on aircraft for an "opera tionally significant" period. The air force is now trying to track down missiles which have been carried for more than lOOh — although the exact carriage El AL aircraft — three 747s, four 767s and two 757s — flew 14,000 Jews from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Air port. All El Al aircraft had their logos covered. An El Al 747-200C Combi was converted to passenger con figuration, with 760 seats. With the arm rests folded, these seats allowed 1,200 of the new Israeli immigrants to be crammed into the aircraft. (The previous re cord was 674 people in a Qantas 747 after a cyclone hit Darwin.) The 747 was on the ground at Addis Ababa for only 37min before leaving with the record number of passengers. The passenger-configured Operation Soloman: up to 1,200 pas: time required is not specified by the DAB. A number of examples are understood to have passed the lOOh mark during Desert Storm. No AMRAAMs were fired during the war. The air force says other mis siles with the required carriage time could come from the development programme or from the batch deployed for operational test on Navy F-18s. Some of those have also under gone carrier landings. It is not clear why the DAB is 747s carried 920 passengers on their 454 seats and on the floor, while the 767s carried 430 on their 224 seats and floor. The 757s carried 360 passengers on their 197 seats and in any avail able space. An Ethiopian Air lines 757 made one flight to Tel Aviv as part of the airlift. The air force's 707s had their seats removed and rubber mattresses put on the cabin floors. Each 707 carried 500 passengers and 180 passengers were packed into air force C-130s. The Israeli authorities had notified some Arab and African countries along the Tel Aviv- Addis Ababa route about the traffic near their airspace. O igers per flight duction delay issuing those particular instruc tions but vibration during car riage, particularly on the F-15 which was the type that carried the missiles in the Gulf, has been one of the main problems during development. A Congress General Account ing Office report last year rec ommended that full-rate pro duction not be approved until reliability and affordability questions are resolved. First firing of the new tests could take place as soon as this month. • Soviet teams spread wings One of the Soviet Air Force's new aerobatic teams, the Swifts or Blue Lightning, is to display in the UK in September. The team is scheduled to arrive at RAF Scampton, the Red Arrows' base in Lin colnshire, on 12 September and will give a display at one or possibly two of the Battle of Britain anniversary air shows on 14 September. The Swifts, who fly MiG-29 Fulcrums, are led by Col Vladi mir Bychkov, are stationed at Kubinka AB near Moscow. They are conducting the reciprocal visit following the Red Arrows team visit to the Soviet Union last year. The other aerobatic team based at Kubinka, Blue Light ning, which operates Sukhoi Su- 27 Flankers may also visit the USA and Canada in August or September. • UTA kits out first French MACS The French Air Force has taken delivery of its first Boeing E-3F Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) at Avord AB south east of Paris. The Sentry is the first of four ordered from Boeing for the French early warning fleet. De livery of the other three E-3Fs will be phased over six months; one every two months with the last due to be handed over in November, according to manufacturer Boeing. The first aircraft arrived at Le Bourget last October, where a Boeing/UTA Industries team in stalled the mission equipment. The aircraft was flown to Avord last December for equipment testing. UTA will assume the major role in the installation and testing of the mission equipment for the remaining three aircraft. France co-operated in the AWACS procurement pro gramme with the UK, which has ordered seven of the aircraft. The RAF took delivery of its first Sentry in March. • Ms cause pro FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 5-11 June, 1991 13
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
