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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 1133.PDF
LETTERS Where is that whatsit engine? SIR - Sorry, but even after 30 years I cannot reliably identify engines using the numbers game. I still have to look at the controls. It's a wonder, because in the Royal Air Force, number two engine used to sit on the right, but in the navy every thing odd is on the left. In the Boeing 747, number two engine is on the left, but in the 757 you have to look right. Confused? Then let's look at the left inboard aileron, or the right brake unit. What about the port navigation light, or the air traffic controller telling traf fic "at left 11 o'clock"? Whatever nomenclature you use, it involves a translation exercise, and this can lead to a mistake. Personally, I belong to "The Uncle Roger School of Plain Speaking". "Which one is on fire? That one there!" is nor mally enough to get the adren alin going. Anyway, providing the crew is properly trained it should not make any difference. PETER M BURGESS Horsham, UK Accident can be stopped now SIR - CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) is one of the few types of aircraft accident that is increasing, with no suitable technology likely within a decade to reduce or solve the problem. There may be a way of using existing aviation tech nology, modified VOR and instrument landing systems to guide aircraft through terrain in bad weather using its autopilot. Put simply, the pilot would lock-on to an airborne ILS, which would guide the air craft's direction and height to a second ILS, on a slightly altered heading, then a third and so on, through the terrain in straight lines. Each ILS would "capture" the aircraft, control its rate of descent and give it a new heading before switching off for the next one to take over. With ILS units on hills around the approach, a full autoland- ing would be possible. Each ILS would need to be completely self-contained, generate its own power and be remotely controlled to switch on and off as aircraft approached them. Verbal warning through the pilot's headsets would also instruct them on imminent turns, minimum heights and high ground ahead using sim ple digitally recorded mes sages. Each ILS could be linked to the next and to the approach controller using a small satellite dish. This could give informa tion on any errors or problems before any deviation from track became dangerous. Katmandu in Nepal would be among the first to use such a system if it were feasible, but there are many approaches which could benefit from total autoland. The initial cost may seem high, but for safer all-weather operation for an airport with a poor record and unpredictable weather, present procedural operations are not good enough. NICK DUMANT South West London ILS ground stations could prexent accidents in difficult approaches Ways to avoid friendly fire SIR - The tragic shooting down of US helicopters in Iraq by friendly fire could have been prevented by using the new Swedish-invented GPS transpon der. This transmits not only identification, but also the three-dimensional GPS position by using TDMA VHF-datalink. The datalink can handle 240 aircraft reporting every six sec onds on a single 25khz VHF channel. The transponder mes sage can be encrypted. It makes it possible for the first time to put a functional but inexpensive transponder on all battlefield vehicles. The Swedish Navy is already operating the system, using 17 units on torpedo boats. CAPTJAN-OLOV NEWBORG Stockholm, Sweden Keep quality uppermost SIR - Your article regarding Airworks and Royal Air Force C-130s (Flight International, 13-19 April, P6), concluded that contract technical service (CTS) personnel are at fault. This same conclusion was made with the problems on the Tornado Fl project. CTS companies provide the highest calibre of aircraft struc tural engineers in the world to undertake maintenance. The air craft types, both civil and mili tary, are endless and our engi neers' skills are much sought. The problems with the con tracts mentioned in your story are that mainly ex-forces' per sonnel are recruited who will work on a lower hourly rate. These personnel are highly skilled but not always in the areas in which they are employed ie, structural repairs and modifications. All our engineers are highly skilled in the task they have been allocated, are familiar with up to date structural repair pro cedures and are vetted thor oughly by engineers. Paying professionals the correct salary keeps a stable WHAT'S ON Flight International Conference: Datalinking in Civil Aviation - What Happens Next? 5-6 May, Paris France. Contact: The Conference Desk, First Europe Communications; tel: +44 (71) 490 3318; fax: +44 (71) 490 3319. Airports Council International Pacific Regional Assembly and Conference 1-6 May, Cook Islands. Contact: Linda Johnson, Manager, Conferences and Exhibitions, Airports Council International, PO Box 125, 1215 Geneva 15 - Airport, Switzerland; tel: +41 (22) 798 4141; fax: +41 (22) 788 0909. D-Day Anniversary Show 2 May, Duxford Airfield, Cambridge, UK. Contact: Duxford Airfield, Cambridge CB2 4QR, UK; tel: +44 (223) 835000; fax: +44 (223) 837267. NBAA Maintenance Managers Conference 2-3 May, Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Contact: Seminar Department, National Business Aircraft Association, 1200 Eighteenth Street NW, Washington DC 20036-2598, USA; tel: +1 (202) 783 9284; fax: +1 (202) 331 8364. Eurofighter 2000 RAeS Bristol lec ture 3 May, Filton, Bristol, UK. Contact: Justin Matthews, Honorary Secretary, Royal Aeronautical Society, Bristol Branch, c/o British Aerospace Airbus, C2-3460, B56 C2 Technical Centre, PO Box 77, Filton, Bristol BS99 7AR, UK; tel: +44 (272) 364006; fax: +44 (272) 364270. EUROAVIA Helicopter Symposium 5-6 May, Aachen, Germany. Contact: EUROAVIA Aachen "Theodor von Karman", Templergraben 55, 52056 Aachen, Germany; tel: +49 (241) 806823; fax:+49 (241) 8888233. National Helicopter Champion ships 7-8 May, Las Vegas. Contact: Helicopter Club of America, c/o Las Vegas Events, 2030 E Flamingo Boulevard, Suite 200, Las Vegas NV 89119. Tel:+1 (702)731 2111. workforce and maintains a quality product. Quality main tenance must come before "bot tom line". DICK OSGUTHORPE General Manager Aircraft Maintenance Butler Service Group York, UK The opinions expressed in this page do not necessarily represent those of the Editor. Flight International cannot undertake to publish letters without name and address and reserves the right to select or edit letters. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2/Apnl-3May 1994 63
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