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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1640.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT BOARDING SYSTEMS MARY KIRBY / WASHINGTON DC Airlines weigh up automated bridge Indal's boarding system could benefit A380 A fully automated passenger board ing (APB) system that can deploy as many as three bridges to an aircraft with the push of a button is cur rently under consideration by sev eral airport operators and airlines, including Airbus A380 customer Lufthansa. The APB system is manufactured by Canada's Indal Technologies, which supplies Aircraft-Ship Integrated Secure & Traverse (ASIST) aircraft handling systems to navies throughout the world. Indal has adapted its ASIST tech nology to create what it claims to be the "first passenger boarding system that does not require a trained operator to drive". Using a camera and infrared light source to illuminate a small pattern of reflec tive markings on the aircraft, the APB system "sees" the exact loca tion of the aircraft door and deploys a bridge with an accuracy of 2cm (lin), says Indal. The APB system could prove interesting to A380 customers, as it can deploy up to three bridges simultaneously. Indal is in talks with Lufthansa and Frankfurt airport operator Fraport to supply a three-bridge installation. Operational trials par tially funded by the Canadian gov ernment have been under way with Air Canada at Toronto. TESTING Honeywell modification puts brake on FedEx MD-10 costs Boeing, FedEx and Honeywell have begun tests of a modified MD-10 with carbon brakes as part of plans to enhance commonality with the MD-11 fleet, save costs and improve performance. The MD-10 is being tested at Victorville, California where it arrived on 27 August from Los Angeles. The Honeywell carbon brakes, fitted to all main and nose-gearwheels, are lighter than conventional units and will result in significant savings to FedEx which plans to equip all 27 MD-10- 10s and five MD-10-30s in its current fleet, plus upcoming aircraft earmarked for conversion. This includes a further 35 DC-10-10s and two DC-10-30s, all of which are expected to be converted by the end of 2008. Boeing expects to obtain US Federal Aviation Administration certifica tion for the Boeing type change approval in the first quarter of 2005, after which shipments to FedEx will begin with retrofits being undertaken during C checks. "The modification will reduce spares holdings, as well as cut down on tyre and brake wear," says Boeing, adding that the improved brakes will "reduce stopping distances and increase safety margins by increasing wheel strength, tyre life and fuse plug capacity". Boeing has no plans to offer the retrofit to DC-10 operators as a whole, and says "it really only applies to FedEx", which will equip a grand total of 69 MD-10s. Brake testing with the original units was completed for baseline FAA evaluation on 31 August and, following modification with the new brake set, testing was due to begin again around 7 September. The Single European Sky (SES) Initiative of the European Communities puts forward a legislative approach to solving the issues that currently affect European air transport as well as enabling ATM to cope with future demands. The Single European Sky has the following objectives: • to restructure European airspace as a function of air traffic flows, rather than according to national borders; • to create additional capacity; and • to increase the overall efficiency of the European air traffic management system. The European Commission's Single European Sky ATM legislative package covers the essential regulatory elements to be developed in order to achieve a seamless European air traffic management system. The EUROCONTROL Agency has received seven (7) mandates from the European Commission, of which one specifically seeks assistance ment of Functional Airspace Blocks. Eurocontrol intends to organise a set of three workshops in order to ensure extensive interaction with stakeholders establishment of Functional Airspace Blocks. ; on till issues reiaced to trie Singl Functioi First Functional Airspace BlocksManda^A ipHEBBairita i Workshop: Second Functional Airspace Blocks mjm&ntormal Consulfmioyt^Wbrkshoi Third Workshop Functional AjiBB^ttlocks Mandate Informal Consultation: September 28-29,2004 November 22-23,2004 February 15-16,2005 Essential fdffllipilBfTai Authorities (civil and military), Military Airspace Users, Air Navigation Service Provider Organisations, International Organisations, Social and Industrial Representatives - to ensure that EUROCON1 'ffthe best possible situation to cover stakeholder COTPITV (civil and mil [aryj, Airspace users le input necessary to Interested in participating Contact EUROCONTROL at: afn.sec@eurocontrol.int or by phone at +32 2 729 3371 More information at: http://www.eurocontrol.int/ses EUROCONTROL www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 7-13 SEPTEMBER 2004 17
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