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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1885.PDF
HCADLINCS Lockheed Martin seeks commercial GPS role Boeing steps up 777X efforts in Asia-Pacific age will be required for full WAAS capability. The FAA, which has come under considerable pressure from the US Government to resolve the space segment issue, had been consider ing building its own navigation satellites or going to a consortium to provide the additional satellites. A study of WAAS concluded that four geostationary satellites, in addition to 24 GPS satellites, would satisfy all positioning requirements. The RPS would be financed by a consortium of investors and cus tomers would be charged for the service. Lockheed Martin says ini tial service would be provided over the Americas, timed to coincide with the FAAs need for the WAAS space segment. The system would be expanded as odier regional cus tomers commit to the service. "While the licensing approval is in process, we will be lining up ven ture partners and focusing on securing commitments from an chor tenants who will buy these services," says Don Antonucci, president of Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management. RPS would enable WAAS, the first phase of which is to become operational in September next year, to be used for Category 1 approaches. The network would also be compatible with European and Japanese systems. Q i 777 effort i Asia-Pacific More 777s could be headingfor Cathay, which is studying the -300X version GRAHAM WARWICK/WASHINGTON DC LOCKHEED MARTIN has taken the first step towards fielding a commercially owned and operated satellite network for worldwide augmentation of the global positioning system (GPS), enabling it "to serve as the back bone for future air navigation". The company, which signalled its intent last year to take an increas ing interest in satellite communica tions business, has applied to the US Federal Communications Commission for broadcast spec trum and orbital slots for a regional positioning system (RPS). This would use dedicated geostationary FAA scrutinises repair stations RULES GOVERNING main tenance of US-registered transport aircraft at foreign repair shops are to be tightened, the US Federal Aviation Administration says. The move will affect 525 for eign repair stations. The action follows criticism of the FAAs oversight of repair shops following the May 1996 crash of a ValuJetMcDonnell Douglas DC-9 in Florida and a 1995 incident in which a Valujet DC-9 suffered an uncontained engine failure. In the latter case, after the airline had bought the Pratt & WhitneyJT8D engine from a Turkish maintenance centre, undetected cracking caused a compressor disc to fail because, the USA says, the centre had not inspected it properly. The notice of proposed rule making will include making for eign repair stations responsible for all work contracted out and estab lishing quality assurance pro grammes and inspection regimes for contractors. Technical manuals will have to include qualification and training procedures for work on new equipment and compo nents. Each station will have to list the work it is allowed to perform, and identify all contractors. Train ing for all maintenance workers must meet FAA requirements. • satellites to broadcast signals that increase the integrity and availabil ity of the GPS-based wide area aug mentation system (WAAS). Lockheed Martin says the RPS is a company initiative to meet the US Federal Aviation Administration's stated requirement for a WAAS space segment. The FAA declines to comment on the company's pro posal, but is expected to make a decision on the WAAS space seg ment in September. The FAA is contracted to use two Inmarsat-3 satellites, covering the Pacific Ocean region and the Atlantic Ocean region-west, but die agency has known for some time tfrat additional satellite cover- BOEING IS MAKING a renewed pitch to launch the Boeing 777X in the Asia-Pacific region, bolstered by Singapore Airlines' (SIA) decision to trade in its Airbus Industrie A340-300s for 777s and Cathay Pacific Airways' emerging requirement for a 747- 400 replacement. SIAhas struck a deal with Boeing to exercise ten 777-200ER options to supplement 30 Rolls-Royce Trent 800-powered 777-200/300s in service or on order. Boeing in return has given the airline "back stop", or reserve pricing on 17 A340-300s that SIA plans to sell from 2 001. This includes one A3 40 due for delivery next mondi, and die final two aircraft on order due to enter service in 2 003. The deal to displace Airbus from SIA is regarded as of strategic importance to Boeing, says a com pany source. In May last year, the US manufacturer suffered a major setback when SIA opted to order up to 10 ultra-long-range Trent 500-powered A340-500s (includ ing five options), rather than die rival 777-200X, for non-stop transpacific services. The firm orders are due for delivery in 2 002, while the options. The airline also has 21777 options of any type. Questions are being asked about the future of the A340-500 at SIA, given the small standalone fleet it will require to operate non-stop from Singapore to Los Angeles, particularly as recent engine dirust growth is promising to allow the rival 777-200X to more than match die ultra-long range A340. Airbus officials are confident, how ever, diat SIA will honour die deal, given diat the rationale for select ing the -500 has not changed, notably its concerns over 777- 200X extended-range twin- engined operations. Cathay Pacific, meanwhile, is also showing renewed interest in die planned ultra-long-range derivative of the 777-300, the -300X, as a potential 747-400 replacement. The Hong Kong- based carrier operates 19 passenger versions of die -400. Boeing could deliver the first -300X in die sec ond quarter of 2003 on present projected development schedules. The airline is to take delivery of the last of seven stretched 777-300s in September. It has not yet exer cised its 11 777 or six remaining 747-400 options. Cadiay is expect ed to complete its new evaluation diis year, deciding between the -300XandtheA340-600. Cathay has indicated that, unlike with the original Trent 800-pow ered 777-200, it does not want to be lead customer for die new ver sion of the aircraft. • 6 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 30 June - 6 July 1999
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