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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2563.PDF
HEADLINES AIR TRANSPORT LEITHEN FRANCIS / SINGAPORE Chinese directive may hit imports Instructions to airlines on pilot training and maintenance threaten to hold up airliner purchase and lease approvals The Chinese authorities have issued a sudden directive, in the wake of last month's fatal Bombardier CRJ200 crash, to address pilot shortages that could limit the importation of commer cial aircraft into the country. "If [Chinese airlines] want to bring aircraft into China they must have a report to ensure they have enough pilots and airworthiness capability," says the safety office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The new directive from the EADS has floated the possibility of splitting a US Air Force tanker pur chase between the Airbus A330 and Boeing 767 to maintain competi tion over the potential 20-year life of the procurement programme. The concept "deserves analysis", says Ralph Crosby, EADS North America chief executive, adding: "We would support it. The alternative is 20 years of sole- source procurement." EADS is encouraged by state ments by a senior US defence offi cial that there will be a tanker com petition and is in talks with potential US prime contractors. But Crosby emphasises that the acqui sition strategy will not be known until after the US Air Force com pletes its analysis of alternatives for the tanker programme. An announcement by the European company on establishing a US industrial base for its tanker bid can be expected soon, Crosby says. A tanker capture team has been working for nine months and has been moved under EADS North America Defense - the company formed in September to bid for US military work. "We are actively engaged in preparations and they will get more visible pretty soon," he says. CAAC's safety office applies to all aircraft ordered or leased after 1 December 2004. The CAAC official says airlines that seek to order or lease additional aircraft must file the required report with the regional administrations of the CAAC. "The intention is to limit the number of aircraft imported into China," says a Chinese airline source. The directive follows the 21 November crash of a Yunnan Air lines CRJ200 about lmin after take off, killing all 53 people on board and two people on the ground. Although the size of any initial USAF tanker purchase is uncertain, EADS sees a requirement for 300- 400 aircraft over 20 years. Because the competing designs are based on commercial aircraft, "there is a foundation for continuing compe tition between two different tankers, to keep the pressure on pricing", Crosby says. "They do not have to maintain the industrial base because it will be sustained by the commercial market." Crosby proposes that each man ufacturer receive around a third of every tranche of tankers and com pete for the remaining third, an acquisition strategy similar to that previously used by the USAF to sus tain fighter engine competition between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. Despite recent revelations on efforts by the previous US Air Force leadership to block EADS from competing for the tanker contract, Crosby says he "cannot imagine, given all that has gone on, that we will not see a straightforward, open procurement process". Events "have absolutely guar anteed that fair and equitable treatment of competitors will occur", he says. SEE FEATURE P48 The cause of the accident is unknown, but the rapid growth of China's commercial aircraft fleet in recent years has led to a pilot short age. The problem has prompted carriers such as Shenzhen Airlines to recruit foreign pilots from as far away as Brazil. In China there are now around 30 foreign pilots, according to the CAAC. Currently the country has 10,503 commercial pilots, but "we will probably need to recruit at least 12,000 commercial pilots from now to the year 2010", says the CAAC's flight standards office. This is because the CAAC esti mates China's commercial aircraft fleet will increase from around 700 at year-end to 1,200 by 2010. But currently China's two CAAC-certi- fied pilot training schools are capa ble of training only 750-900 pilots a year. The CAAC Flying College in Sichuan province can train 600- 700 pilots each year and the China Southern Airline Flying School in Perth, Australia can train 150-200 pilots a year, says the CAAC. Optica, last manufactured 11 years ago, may become the Dragonfly GENERAL AVIATION KATE SARSFIELD / LONDON Global security challenges breathe new life into Optica UK holding company Aviation Group International (AGI) is relaunching production of the Optica surveillance and patrol aircraft, 11 years after manufacture of the fixed-wing light aircraft was halted. The move has been prompted by the heightened terrorist threat worldwide and increased demand for low-cost airborne security, says AGI chairman Brian Kyme. The single Textron Lycoming IO-540-powered aircraft was designed in the UK in 1978, but was scrapped in 1993 by previous owner FLS Aerospace after only 18 aircraft were built, one of which crashed during police service. AGI, which now owns the type certificate and design rights for the Optica and its stablemate the Sprint aerobatic trainer, has formed a risk-sharing partnership with Aerostar Romania to manufacture sub assembly kits for the all-metal airframe. It is in final negotiations with Georgia, USA-based Thrush Aircraft to assemble the aircraft at its Albany facility for the North American market. AGI subsidiary British Light Aircraft will develop upgrades of the latest certificated design, the OA-7 Series 300. These include a redesign of the instrument panel and cabin interior, while the electrical system will be converted to a dual-bus configuration powered by two separate alternators. The Optica may be relaunched under the new name Dragonfly, but this has yet to be confirmed. DEFENCE GRAHAM WARWICK / NEW YORK EADS proposes split air force tanker deal 8 7-13 DECEMBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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