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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1195.PDF
Philippines focus the Philippines air force for many years, providing maintenance, technical support and upgrades for aircraft including the Bell UH-1H, Fokker F-27, Lockheed Martin C-130 and Rockwell OV-10 Bronco. The IFS aims to provide smaller air forces - particularly those of Asian countries - with a lower-cost alternative for outsourc ing pilot training. Target customers include Japan, Taiwan and Singapore. Low-cost training Villoria reckons establishing the IFS in the Clark Special Fxonomic Zone will enable him to offer overseas air forces pilot training at a cost "25-50% lower" than comparable schools such as BAR Systems Australia or the Bombardier-led NATO Flying Training in Canada centre. "While these |schools| have been able to offer their services to the air forces of a number of European countries as well as to such small nations as Singapore, nei ther has actually sought to develop an all- encompassing regimen running from pri mary to advanced military flight training, rotary-aircraft use, search-and-rescue pro cedure and commercial training for civil ian fleets," he says. Villoria is trying to persuade BAF. or Bombardier to take over the initial run ning of the 1FS - but he acknowledges they may be unwilling to help establish a competitor to their own businesses. "If they don't go with us we'll go to someone else," says Villoria. Preparations for the IFS are gathering pace following the signing of a formal contract with the Clark Development Corporation in January. The Toronto Dominion Bank has subsequently pledged to invest $300 million in the IFS to fund Villoria's 60% stake, while indus try partners are being sought to hold the remaining 40%. GMII is negotiating a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Philip pines Department of National Defense. The aim is to secure the former US Air Force Crow Valley Gunnery Range, which is adjacent to the proposed IFS site. The 17,800Ha (44,000 acres) Crow Valley would provide 340km3 (81 cubic miles) of "unbeatable" training airspace, says Villoria, who aims to sign an MoU with the ministry by the end of May. Military trainer aircraft and helicopter manufacturers as well as other suppliers have been invited to a bidders' conference in Manila in late April. Attendees will pre sent their responses to requests for pro posals due to be released by GMII by the end of March. GMII wants to equip the IFS with a squadron each of primary and basic train ers, 12 twin-engined Beech King Airs, up to 26 jet trainers and 20 helicopters. It plans to evaluate the Aermacchi MB339, M-346 and SF260, Beech T-6A, Cessna 172, Embraer Super Tucano, Moravan Zlin Z 242, and Pilatus PC-9 and PC-21. An MoU has already been signed with Pacific Aerospace of New Zealand to acquire CT/4E piston-single primary trainers. The jet requirement could be met with used Northrop Grumman F-5s sourced from Saudi Arabia, Switzerland or Taiwan. Under consideration for the helicopter requirement are the Bell 206 and UH-1H, but talks with Eurocopter are planned. The BAE Systems Hawk is not being considered because "we feel it's going to be very expensive," says Villoria. Longer term, Villoria envisages the IFS possibly acquiring Lockheed Martin F-16s. Another possibility is the purchase of ex-New Zealand air /orce McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks to be flown as "enemy" aircraft during training exer cises. The aircraft evaluation is being car ried out very carefully because "if we fail in our selection it's very difficult to recover," says Villoria. Talks are meanwhile under way with EADS, nT, Lockheed Martin and Thales, for the supply of air-traffic control and long- range surveillance radars for the IFS. "We are at an advanced stage of negotiation Three of UPS's Boeing 757s will be based at Clark, along with a single 767 with ITT," says Villoria. The IFS is due to become operational by the end of the year. Clark International Airport is increas ing in popularity, having attracted several existing and start-up airlines. With its two 3,200m (10,500ft) main runways, Clark could eventually replace Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport. But estab lishing Clark as an international passen ger gateway would almost certainly require the construction of a high-speed rail link connecting the airport to the city. <g Proposed Philippine new-entrant § freight carrier Evercrest is preparing an * application to the country's Civil 1 Aeronautics Board for an air operator's certificate and hopes to begin flying from Clark later this year. Aviation consultant Jaime Matibag, who is helping to establish the carrier on behalf of a group of private investors, says Evercrest plans to operate a fleet of three leased Boeing 737-200 freighters - and will base its operation at Clark. "We are hoping to fly as soon as possi ble," says Matibag. "We have already reg istered the aircraft." Preparatory work is focused the production of flight opera tions manuals, he says. The first 737 is due to enter service "in a month or two" and will be followed by a second aircraft six weeks after the start of operations. A third will be added about a month after that, adds Matibag. Evercrest will serve primarily domestic and "some regional" routes transporting tuna fish and other "wet cargo", he says. United Parcel Service (UPS), mean while, has its new Asian hub at Clark. Flights will initially be operated to nine Asian cities, but UPS is also considering several other regional destinations. Asian hub UPS is basing three Boeing 757s and one 767 at Clark, and the carrier has also wet- leased an Airbus A300 for a year from Turkey's MNG Airlines. It is using the A300 to link Clark with Hong Kong, a route UPS does not have authority to operate with its own aircraft. Hong Kong, also a regional hub for UPS, will be connected to Clark using the MNG aircraft on what is expected to be the busiest route from the new hub. Shanghai, which UPS will serve with a 757 via Beijing, is expected to be the sec ond largest market served from Clark. Other services will be to Tokyo Narita, following the opening of its second run way, with a continuation to Osaka Kansai. Taiwan and Singapore, both of which also act as UPS regional hubs, are expected to generate roughly equal traffic and will also be served from Clark, as will Seoul in South Korea. • www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 16-22 APRIL 2002 31
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