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Aviation History
1995
1995 - 0958.PDF
SiSMSItAL AVIATION Rotary groups fight FAA Robinson rules US AND AUSTRALIAN helicopter associations are disputing new US Federal Aviation Administration proposals governing Robinson helicopter- pilot qualifications, as "unneces sary and restrictive." The Australians believe that the rules should apply to all helicopters. The FAA recommends diat "...additional specific pilot training is necessary for the safe operation of these helicopters as part of a comprehensive programme that responds to the high number of accidents". Although the Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) is an interim measure, pending a final FAA report dealing with the R22 and R44 types, the Australian Helicopter Association (AHA) and the Helicopter Association International (HAT), believe that, now implemented, the requirement will be difficult to reverse. AHA president Gary Ticehurst says: "We are strongly opposed to the operational limitations already applied relating to wind and turbu lence conditions and believe that any training requirements imposed by the SFAR should apply across the board to all helicopter types. The AHA and the US-based HAI have identified flying training stan dards as the key problem." A group of Australian operators is in talks with the Australian Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) on the question of implementation of FAA rules relating to Robinson. Aus tralian operators fear that the ACAA will follow the same course. The SFAR, circulated as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), calls for special training and experience requirements for R22 and R44 type ratings. The SFAR requires an approved awareness course, a minimum of lOh dual training for a pilot endorsement with an endorsed instructor, and an annu al flight review. Dual instruction must include enhanced auto-rotation-proce dures training; engine rotor- RPM control without the use of the governor; low rotor-RPM recognition and recovery; and effects of low g manoeuvres with recovery procedures. Minimum qualifications for an instructor conducting endorse ments or flight reviews will be 200 helicopter flight hours, with at least 50 in Robinsons. • Oryx kitplane deliveries imminent FRENCH KITPLANE BUILDER Construction Aeronautique Technologie Avancee is about to commence deliveries of its LMK.1 Oryx two-seater. Three kits are expected to be deliv ered by June, followed by one a month until the end of the year. Production of the Toulouse-based company's low-wing com posite aircraft is expected to reach 30 a year. The Oryx has a retractable tricycle undercarriage and is powered by a 120kW (160hp) Lycoming EO-320BIE driving a Muhlbauer constant speed propeller. Bell ties up Indonesian deal BELL HELICOPTER Tex tron and IPTN of Indonesia have finalised an agreement to expand their existing co-operation to include marketing, completion and support of the Bell 407T light twin and Bell 430 intermediate twin in Indonesia. IPTN has been assembling the Bell 412 medium twin in Indonesia for 13 years, as the NB412. The new agreement will increase licence manufacture of the current NB412HP and expand marketing and product-support activity on all three helicopters. Under the agreement, Bell and IPTN will improve the customer- support network in Indonesia for the US manufacturer's heli copters. Expanded product opera tions and sales efforts will begin in 1995, Bell says. The 430 will be certificated later this year, followed by the 407Tinl996. • Sweden looks at range of duties for CL-215 SWEDEN IS LOOKING for two water bombers — proba bly Canadair CL-215s or CL- 215Ts — to combat forest fires between May and the end of August. The move follows a feasi bility study which also examined possible alternative uses for the aircraft, including Coast Guard activity and joint operations with neighbouring countries. The country's search-and-res- cue organisation and the Coast Guard have set up a joint project group to run the trial operation. Although its primary purpose will be firefighting, the Coast Guard will also test alternative uses with in its sphere of operation. If the results are satisfactory, another two aircraft will be leased in 1996. The project will then be terminated and a decision taken on future strategy. The aircraft will be based at Skavsta Flygplats, Nykoping. Tenderers for the 1995 task will have to be prepared to compete for a similar two-aircraft opera tion the following year. The Swedish initiative follows a trial of two CL-215Ts managed by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in the 1994 fire sea son. The purpose of the trial was to evaluate response times, the realities of integration with sur face appliances and overall fire- fighting effectiveness. Because of moderate fire condi tions, no conclusions were reached and the Department has recom mended a further trial this year. Italy's Canadair CL-415 water- bombers, meanwhile, have been used for the first time to fight fires. On the first two missions, in late March, the turboprop CL-415 proved to be more productive than the Mediterranean Air Service's existing piston-powered CL-215s. Bombardier released the infor mation in the aftermath of a French Ministry of Interior deci sion to reject acceptance of the first of 12 CL-415s on order because of difficulties with the air craft's water-drop system (Flight Intel-national, 29 March-4 April). The crew of a CL-415, fighting a fire near Genoa on 21 March, completed eight drops in lh, while 15 drops in 3h were made from the accompanying CL-215, which followed the same circuit between sea and fire. The follow ing day, fighting a fire north-east of Milan, the crew of the CL-415 completed 24 drops in lh; and that of the CL-215 achieved 15 drops in 2h 15min. The water source was an adjacent lake. Bombardier quotes Air Service pilots as attributing the CL-415's greater productivity to its faster climb rate and increased water-tank capacity. Italy received two CL- 415s in January and will shortly take delivery of the remaining pair, the manufacturer says. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 5 - 11 April 1995
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