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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2464.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT SAFETY Runway-incursion warning radars face the flak of mounting criticism FAA turns to new measures to resolve rising mishaps as the performance of AMASS is questioned once again The US Federal Aviation Admin istration's new runway-incursion warning radars, the Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS), is continuing to come under fire as the agency explores other technologies and human fac tors in its efforts to prevent runway mistakes and possible mishaps. Northrop Grumman's AMASS is seven years behind schedule and almost three times over its pro jected cost, officials recently told the House of Representatives avia tion subcommittee. It is now in operation at just two of the 34 air ports it is planned for - San Francisco and Detroit Metro - where its operational capabilities are already being questioned. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) acting chairman Carol Carmody told the aviation panel that AMASS "does not appear to be able to provide sufficient warning time to prevent some run way collisions and does not pro vide direct warnings to flight crews and other vehicle operators". FAA associate administrator for research and acquisition Steve Zaidman concedes that the agency had been overly optimistic about AMASS, prompting it to develop the Airport Surface Detection Equipment-X band, which will provide traffic data derived from automatic dependent surveillance- broadcast-equipped aircraft. The FAA is also looking at the use of red-and-green stop and go lights of the type used on roads, but has struggled to develop appro priate sensor technology. The runway safety office is adding a human factors focus by looking at initiatives in training, communications, procedures, air port signs, marks and lighting, data collection and establishing more detailed metrics, says William Davis, FAA runway safety chief. The FAA is also studying in-cockpit moving maps of airport surfaces. The developments come as run way incursions at US airports are on the increase - 200 incidents up to 25 June compared with 198 inci dents in the same period last year, according to the NTSB. The FAA is still balking at adopt ing standard International Civil Aviation Organisation phraseology for air traffic controller use in dir ecting surface operations. FAA has also resisted the NTSB's recommen dation to end the practice of giving multiple landing clearances and a safety board recommendation to stop allowing departing aircraft to hold on active runways at night or in poor visibility, Carmody says. The FAA says that adopting such steps would complicate the runway situation, increase controller work loads and possibly increase risks. FLEET ACQUISITION Vietnam to talk A320s with Airbus Vietnam Airlines is about to start negotiating its first direct purchase from Airbus as part of a 10-year fleet expansion. The state-owned carrier says it has decided to pur chase five A320-family aircraft and is "inviting" Airbus to enter into negotiations. Vietnam Airlines operates ten leased A320s and is adding two leased A321s. In May it received backing from the country's prime minister for the first five years of a 10-year expansion plan that should see its fleet doubling to 46. The first stage will see 12 aircraft added by 2005 - three ATR 72s ordered in January, five narrowbody aircraft and four widebodies. The carrier is expected to order the Boeing 777 to meet its widebody needs following signing a letter of intent for three 777s last year. AVIONICS EMMA KELLY / LONDON CMC secures 747 cockpit customers CMC Electronics has secured Saudi Arabian Airlines, Corsair and Dragonair as cus tomers for the Boeing 747 Classic cockpit upgrade it pioneered with KLM. The Dutch airline became the first carrier to commit to a major cockpit upgrade of 747 Classics in 1997 when it launched the ambitious pro gramme with CMC, formerly BAE Systems Canada. The upgrade, which receiv ed supplemental type certifi cation in 1999, extends the life of 747 Classics through the addition of communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM). Saudi Arabia Airlines is upgrading 12 of its Classics - 747-200S, -300s and -SPs - while Corsair is equip ping four 747-200s. Dragonair will upgrade three -300s. All of the air craft will use CMC's CMA-900 flight management system (FMS), which features a colour liquid crystal multifunction display and a 12- channel global positioning system upgrade extends 747 Classics service (Q) sensor, to provide GPS-based navigation and oceanic and remote area operations capability. Saudi Arabian aircraft will include a triple CMA-900 installation. The configu ration for French carrier Corsair features a multi-sensor system based on the CMA-900 FMS integrated with the Carousel IV inertial sys tem. Dragonair of Hong Kong will use a multi-sensor system based on the CMA-900 FMS integrated with the Litton LTN-92 and new dis tance measuring equipment. Meanwhile, CMC has launched flight trials of its new infrared-based enhanced vision system (EVS) as the first stage in a modular appr oach to EVS development. CMC plans to develop EVS for aircraft equipped with head-up displays in the air transport, general aviation and military markets. The Infrared EVS (IR-EVS) features a CMC-developed infrared sensor that, installed under the aircraft's radome, can detect subtle thermal gra dients of the terrain ahead. The sys tem is designed to improve vision during poor visibility approaches, take-off, taxiing and parking. The manufacturer is in discussions with airlines on the system and has let ters of intent from unidentified corporate aircraft operators. CMC's second response to the EVS market will be the Electronics Millimeter Wave Imaging Radar (MVVIR). Flight trials of this are planned next year. 10 3-9 JULY 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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