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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0769.PDF
HEADLINES GENERAL AVIATION FAA to help firefighting inspections The US Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to step up efforts to develop inspec tion and maintenance procedures for ex-military fire- fighting aircraft, working with the US Forestry Service and air tanker operators. The Forestry Service has grounded 33 multi- engine aircraft leased from private operators, arguing it lacks the capability and resources to ensure their airworthiness (Flight International, 18-24 May) The FAA says it is prevented by law from assuming responsi bility for oversight of the public- use aircraft, but will "kick up" efforts already under way to develop inspection and mainte nance procedures for the air tankers, which include Douglas DC-4s and DC-7s and Lockheed P-2s. The agency does not know when, or if, the 40- to 60-year-old aircraft can resume flying as the process involves establishing the stress history of each aircraft in original military operation and subsequent civilian service. The Forestry Service will move to maintain oversight of the air tankers, but has warned it lacks the resources to compensate operators for the costs of any inspections and maintenance procedures deemed necessary. IN BRIEF MOOG SELECTED Moog has been selected to build the primary flight-control actua tion system for Boeing's recently launched 7E7. The contract stems from Moog's involvement in the team of 20 companies appointed by Boeing last year to develop technologies and design concepts for the aircraft. Moog's system will control all of the primary flight-control sur faces on the aircraft, as well as the spoilers and the horizontal stabiliser. Shipsets will include 30 actuators and associated control electronics. DEFENCE TOLGA OZBEK / ISTANBUL Turkey drops helicopter/UAV buys in favour of new tenders Accelerated contests to lead to direct purchases of aircraft, but with high local content The Turkish ministry of defence has torn up two of its leading defence procurements and intends to launch accelerated contests to deliver new attack helicopters and unmanned air vehicles featuring a high level of national content. The decision to abandon the armed forces' current projects was announced on 14 May. Turkey launched its attack heli copter project in 1997 and in 2001 selected Bell Helicopter's AH-1Z King Cobra as its preferred solution for a 145-aircraft requirement worth $2.5 billion. Negotiations to conclude the deal, which included local production by Tusas Aerospace Industries (TAI), stalled amid technology transfer wrangles and rising programme costs, and Turkey last year resumed discus sions with second-choice Kamov and Israel Aircraft Industries over the Ka-50-2 Erdogan. These also proved unsatisfactory, so the MoD and the national Defence Industry Committee (DIC) are preparing new bids to directly purchase 80 aircraft, which will be provided with electronics and other mission equipment by TAI. A renewed contest is expected to attract fresh bids from AgustaWestland (A129 Mangusta), Boeing (AH-64D Apache) and Eurocopter (Tiger), and local sources suggest a European solu tion could be favoured in a bid to strengthen Turkey's ambition to join the European Union. Turkey has also cancelled a planned $600 million contest to acquire short- and medium-range unmanned air vehicles from European, Israeli or US suppliers, in preference to launching a new requirement for UAVs designed and built in Turkey. The DIC intends to hold discussions with TAI about relaunching the project within the next few months, says Murad Bayar, head of the DIC. The attack helicopter acquisition and the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project will be Turkey's leading defence aviation priorities for the next 20 years, says Bayar. TAI is to modernise 78 Block 30/40 F-16C/Dsto the enhanced Block 50 Plus standard to meet Turkish air force requirements until its new aircraft are available. J» a Jndependenceair ._ Independence Air will start service with Bombardier CRJ200s, but will introduce Airbus A319s from September AIR TRANSPORT DARREN SHANNON / WASHINGTON DC ACA declares Independence days Atlantic Coast Airlines' (ACA) low- cost offshoot Independence Air has unveiled the 35 airports it will begin serving in a programme to be rolled out between June and September this year. Tickets for the Washington Dulles-based airline last week went on sale via its website at one-way prices ranging from $39 to $178 plus fees. Independence will ini tially fly with Bombardier CRJ200s released from ACA as the carrier winds down its United Express operations, but will begin introduc ing 27 Airbus narrowbodies from September. Independence Air will next month will kick off a $30 million marketing campaign to promote the airline's "low-cost, high-value, high- frequency service," says chairman and chief executive Kerry Skeen. Marketing will be expanded when the carrier completes its tran sition from a Delta Connection and United Express feeder to a low- cost carrier in August. Until then, parent company ACA (which also disappears in August), will operate both feeder and Independence Air regional jet services from its Dulles hub. Independence Air's new schedule starts with five destinations and 39 frequencies on the 16 June launch date, and expands to 35 destina tions and 300 services by 1 September. The airline intends to boost its network to 700 services to 50 cities across the East Coast, Florida and the transcontinental market by 2006, when it should have all its 27 Airbus A319s and 80 Bombardier regional jets. 6 25-31 MAY 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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