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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 1211.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION EBAA concerned on European RVSM CHRIS YATES/LUXEMBOURG EUROPE'S BUSINESS avia tion community faces severe restrictions on its upper airspace operations when reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) proce dures come into force in Europe in November 2001, according to the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA). Speaking at die "RVSM for Europe" seminar held in Luxem bourg from 21-23 April, the EBAA revealed that, of the 1,105 business jets in die European fleet, nearly 60% are not RVSM compliant. "The business jet community is fac ing the uncomfortable challenge to comply [widi RVSM requirements] before implementation with no DAVE HIGDON/HOUSTON NASA AND THE US Federal Aviation Administration have begun studying the next step in general aviation revitalisation, even before programmes to devel op new aircraft and engine tech nologies have reached fruition. It already appears that infra structure will be the focus of the next NASA/FAA effort after the Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiment (AGATE) and General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) programmes meet their goals early in die next century. "The [NASA] Administrator gave us until about this time next year to study what the next level of existing solution, or be relegated to airspace below FL290, with the negative economic and environ mental impact of higher fuel con sumption," warns die EBAA. RVSM is being phased in world wide and became operational on North Atlantic routes in March. Europe is the next region sched uled to implement the new proce dures, followed by North America and then Asia. The Brussels, Belgium-based association claims that airframe makers have been reluctant to devote resources to RVSM compli ance. Bombardier, for example, is busy with RVSM certification for its latest models - including the Learjet 45 - but has not even start ed looking at die issue as it applies effort should be to continue the revival of general aviation," says Bruce Holms, director of NASA's general aviation programme office. According to Holms, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin "...realises that you can't just invent a better aeroplane and expect general aviation to be fine from then on". The AGATE and GAP pro grammes are geared to deliver new airframe, avionics and engine tech nologies that will make general avi ation aircraft cheaper to build and easier to fly. "There's got to be a fol low-on so diere are places to fly and ways to get there, in Administrator Goldin's view," says Holms. That means more and better airports to older Learjets. Dassault is one of the most advanced among the manufacturers in certificating upgrades for its older models. The EBAA also fears that the likely cost to the end user could be huge - for a Learjet 3 5 A, for exam ple, estimates from the manufac turer and industry sources suggest a minimum $250,000 to update to RVSM standards. If an autopilot change is also necessary, this is expected to soar to between S500,000 and 5600,000. "This is 12-27% of the average resale value of the aircraft - and it conies in addition to many other European airspace entry requirements such as B-RNAV [Basic Area Navi gation], 8.33 kHz [VHF channel spacing] and ground proximity and solutions to demands for all- weather access to more airports. "Our job is to try to identify what will be most helpful to continuing die expansion and revival of gener al aviation, where to put our resources and what results we need to see," he says. "Airports, facilities, mechanics, navigation systems... these are all pieces of the infra structure that need to evolve and adapt to the demands of what we expect will be a larger, more active community," I Iolms adds. The results of this "next step" study are not due until next year, "...but it's clear that other aspects of flying must be improved for the long term health and growth of all of aviation", says Holms. J warning system, which will push the total bill way above S1 million." The EBAA is now pushing the Eurocontrol to preserve some air space for non-RVSM-equipped aircraft so that operators can extend die useful life of non-con forming types. "The business avia tion community is generally not opposed to new- equipment requirements that provide com mensurate improvements in op erational capability or safety. However, RVSM must be imple mented with enough lead time to allow aircraft and equipment man ufacturers, certification authori ties, air traffic service providers and all airspace users to retrofit and certificate aircraft and ground infrastructure," die EBAA says. 3 Hartzell urges early compliance with AD HARTZELL IS urging opera tors to comply quickly with a US Federal Aviation Admini stration airworthiness directive (AD) affecting older light aircraft types, by upgrading or replacing the propellers. The appeal follows discover)' of more cracked compo nents during inspections of so- called "V shank" propellers affect ed by the AD. Hartzell says that more dian 40 cracked blades have been discov ered since the AD was issued last year. In die diree years leading up to the AD, 37 cracked blades were found, including two separations - one of which resulted in a fatal acci dent. Cracked blade clamps and hubs have also been discovered. The company has introduced an "MV shank" upgrade for die affected propellers, which are found on various Beech, Cessna, Navion, Piper, Twin Commander and other aircraft built in the 1950s and 1960s. Under a half-price offer avail able until the AD compliance date of September 1999, upgrades will cost $4,000-510,000 and new MV propellers $6,500-Sl4,000. The company warns diat it will discon tinue parts support for V-shank propellers after that date. • Superior Helicopters takes delivery of its second Kaman K-MAX KAMAN AEROSPACE has de livered a second K-MAX external lift helicopter to Superior Helicopter of Glendale, Oregon, primarily for logging operations. Superior joins a growing list of operators which have more than one K-MAX, Kaman says, which includes Utah-based Mountain West Helicopters, Canada's Mid west Helicopters and Japan Royal Helicopters. NASA and FAA get going on post-AGATE goals FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 6 - 12 May 1998 25
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