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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1999.PDF
GENERAL AVIATION Heathrow business operators fight on KATE SARSFIELD/LONDON BUSINESS JET operators at London Heathrow Airport have suffered a further setback in their fight for improved treatment at Europe's busiest hub, following the loss of a court appeal against slot co-ordinator Airport Co-ordi nation (ACL). The Heathrow Executive Jet Operators Association (HEJOA) failed to convince the appeal court judges that the new tactical slot allocation procedure introduced by ACL on 6 May last year is unlawful and unfairly restricts its access to the airport. "The judges decided that the slots concerned were not part of declared capacity and are therefore not governed by European Union regulations," says HEJOA. The association's claims that the system was introduced without adequate consultation was also dismissed by the court. "The judge also refused our request to refer the issue to the European Court of Justice, but we will fight on and are considering taking our protest to the House of Lords," adds HEJOA. The legal wrangling between ACL, which is governed by 12 UK- based airlines, and HEJOA, has continued for nearly a year. The first court case was heard last July. The association believes that operations have become restricted since the introduction of tactical availability, whereby business air craft operators have to apply for slots up to 18 days in advance. "We are not given the chance to use the natural gaps on the runway any more because the slots are not reviewed after 06.30. We are left with the scraps," says HEJOA. ACL managing director Peter Morrisroe believes the system was designed to alleviate congestion at the airport. He says: "Our aim is not to drive out business aircraft operators, but we have a legal duty at our airports to administer UK and European law in the distribu tion of traffic in a neutral, transpar ent and non-discriminatory way. Don't shoot the messenger." • Eurocopter/Kawasaki fly EC145 EUROCOPTER and Kawa saki have begun test flights of the EC14S medium utility heli copter, a successor to the jointly developed BK117 twin turboshaft. The manufacturers decline to reveal programme details, but the helicopter is understood to be a development of the BK117, incor porating some cockpit and forward fuselage features of the Eurocopter EC 135. The new aircraft was previ ously known as the BK117 C-2. According to sources close to the programme, the helicopter will have a maximum take-off weight of 3.51 - 150kg (3 301b) more than the BK117 B-2 - and will accommo date up to 13 people, including the crew. The aircraft is powered by two Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 tur- boshafts and will feature a new- generation cockpit that allows the use of night-vision goggles. Range will be about 700km (380nm) and the aircraft can hover at altitudes exceeding 15,400ft (4,700m), even in crosswinds. Eurocopter is understood to have a slightly greater workshare in the programme than Kawasaki, which will be responsible for the aft section of the aircraft, according to programme sources. Last August, the French interior ministry placed a Si70 million order for 32 of the helicopters for use by its civil guard for transporta tion and rescue roles. These air craft will be delivered from next year to 2005, replacing a fleet of Aerospatiale Alouette Ills. Euro copter is understood to be planning to publicise the programme at the US Helicopter Association Inter national show in February. • The crash aircraft did not have Cirrus' parachute system Cirrus alters SR20 design after NTSB crash report CIRRUS HAS ALTERED the design of its single-engined SR20, following the release of findings by the US National Trans portation Safety Board (NTSB) into the fatal crash on 23 March of the first production aircraft. Safety investigators found signs of interference between the right aileron and the right wing which, they claim, may have precipitated the loss of control leading to the accident. The NTSB also believes that the rub marks on the wing in dicate that the interference wors ened as the wing flexed. Cirrus test pilot Scott Anderson announced he was having a control problem shortly after launching the second test flight of the first production SR20 from Duluth International Airport, Minnesota. On approach to the airport, he declared an emergency. After a series of left-only turns and a failed landing attempt, the SR20 crashed into a federal prison. Anderson was killed in the accident. The aircraft did not have the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, stan dard on production aircraft. Following the investigation, Cirrus has increased the clearance between the wing skins and the aileron leading edges. The rear of the wing and part of the aileron have also been modified to remove potential hazards, says Cirrus. The crash has failed to dampen interest in the four-seat, 160kt (300km/h) aircraft, as Cirrus has chalked up a further 50 orders since the accident, bringing die backlog to around 315. The company has recently increased the SR20's price tag by a further 10%, to $179,400. "Certification and the first two customer deliveries are planned for this month. There are six other SR20s in assembly," says Cirrus. • Eagle 150 popularity soars in North America AUSTRALIA'S EAGLE Air craft has started to export its two-seat Eagle 150 to its US sub sidiary, less than six months after the single-engined aircraft was granted US certification. According to the Orlando, Florida-based company that will assemble the Teledyne Conti nental IO-240-powered aircraft for the North American market, orders "are nearing double-digit levels" in the region. Eagle is tar geting the individual, club and training markets and will offer the aircraft in three models: the $105,000 Standard, the $120,000 Sport and the $122,000 Training variant. Eagle forecasts sales of more than 2 5 15 0s by the end of this year, with further increases anticipated following night visual flight rules and aerobatic approval in the fourth quarter and instrument flight rules approval next year. • 22 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 7 - 13 July 1999
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