--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 196 AVIATION Ref: EEZ00006 Date: 10/29/97 From: KEITH JILLINGS Time: 06:03pm \/To: BILL WUNSCH (Read 0 times) Subj: DIESEL ENGINES Sunday, 26 October 1997 Bill Wunsch wrote to Jim Dawson BW> When I was on the farm (and my first years in the city) you BW> fully expected your engines in cars and tractors to start at 40 BW> below. The diesel tractors that showed up from time to time were BW> not popular in the winter. Even with oversized batteries and things BW> like heater plugs in each cylinder, they did not like the cold. BW> Aircraft engines certainly needed some heat at those temps Diesel starting problems are the result of two factors: First, the fuel is a different mix of hydrocarbons, and some of them turn to solid at 40 below! Heat is needed to get them back into liquid form so that the fuel will move. That could probably be cured by using a different brew -- I don't know, but I suspect a Diesel would run quite happily on Jet-A1. Second, Diesel ignites the fuel by compression-ignition. If the gases in the cylinder don't get hot enough under compression, the fuel won't ignite. Hence some Diesels have glowplugs in the cylinders (or in the intake manifold) to preheat the air. I remember watching local farmers take off the tractor air filter and drip burning paraffin into the intake manifold while cranking the engine. Never failed (but a bit hairy!). Greetings from Keith Jillings .!. Never enough time, unless you're serving it. --- Terminate 5.00/Pro *Ancient* *user* * Origin: Keith's Point (amen@earthling.net) (2:257/71.10) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 196 AVIATION Ref: EEZ00007 Date: 10/28/97 From: CHARLES MIELKE Time: 12:57pm \/To: ERIC DE WACHTER (Read 0 times) Subj: Garuda flight tape EDW>Salut Charles, tu vas bien ? Kinda dragging, lately, Eric. Sorry, I don't speak anything but English. Your meaning came through. EDW> CM> For example, I might be heading 240, and the controller EDW> CM> says turn left 270. He meant right, of course, and most EDW> CM> pilots would question the turn. EDW> CM> .. EDW>This happend to me today at BCN (Barcelona). During the take-off phase EDW>the controller ask us to turn left heading 290 climb flight level 190. EDW>Our heading was 200. EDW>I ask the clearance again and he confirmed, turn left 290. EDW>Then i ask confirmation about the turn right 290. EDW>He apologizes and confirmes to turn right. EDW>Fortunately it was cavok, but such misunderstanding during T/O should not EDW>happend, but ... CAVOK? Yep, I understand that, too. I once called, via landline for a weather briefing for a flight, and the forecaster told me the visibility was CAFB. Sorry, you'll have to figure out that one yourself, as it contains an obscenity, and we are forbidden to use bad language. I might add that when we got what appeared to be a turn in the wrong direction, we would usually say, "Roger, , confirm left turn the LONG way to heading whatever." Occasionally the controller would say something to the effect that what he said was what he really meant to say. The apparent wrong turn was for a tempo move, or for spacing, or for positioning on an intercept. One of the problems with being a controller is that the radar scopes are all "North Up", and if you are going South, it gets confusing for the controller. In my A-7, we could orient our PMDS (Projected Map Display System) to "North Up", if we were flying South, which made it much easier to read the filmstrip - it was also confusing, so I would activate the North Up switch just long enough to read the writing, then turn it back to the normal display. I note Brussels in your tear line - I got into Brussels during a brief tour of Belgium, back around 1968-1969. Also chased an airliner, SAS, into the Brussels Airport, after being scrambled to identify an unknown. By the time we caught up with him, he was on final, and as soon as I called in the identification, from the tail flash, the GCI controller broke off the intercept. These controllers didn't want to take any chances of the passengers sighting us, as the passengers can sometimes get moderately upset upon seeing a fighter aircraft near them. TTYL, Chuck. .. --- * SLMR 2.1a * - Once you've made all the mistakes, you're an expert. --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: The Looking Glass * Greer, SC * (864) 848-1961 * (1:3639/2.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 196 AVIATION Ref: EE^00000 Date: 10/29/97 From: TONY PATON Time: 11:02am \/To: GRAHAM DRUMMOND (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: media -=> Quoting Graham Drummond to Tony Paton <=- -=> Quoting Tony Paton to All <=- TP> Our local News had a field day on this un-news worthy incident. GD> Your story reminded me for some reason of a strange thing I saw a GD> couple of years ago at Brisbane Airport. It was a Fokker (uhm.. GD> it's so long since I've been out there I've forgotten what GD> they're called. Little twinjets that look like a shrunken 727) F28 Fellowship. GD> that did a go-around with the gear up (but the gear was also up GD> on approach). What made it odd was that my friend and I noticed GD> it was only running on one engine - starboard - the other was not GD> trailing smoke like the other Fokkers we had seen. It climbed GD> away west not to be seen or heard of by us again. I managed to GD> snap a photo of it first though, and on careful inspection of the GD> photo later we found that there was indeed only one line of GD> smoke. Any idea what was going on? Unsure, it could of been a few things. Practice engine out approach, testing of the ILS or it could of been a real emergency and they went somewhere else, strange that it wouldn't land at Bris. Sorry I can't help you much, was it an East West, Ansett or CAA? \ ------------ >-==- TONY PATON / ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR] --- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0 * Origin: Computropolis Interactive Net Server +612-9545-0186 (3:712/407) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 196 AVIATION Ref: EF300000 Date: 10/29/97 From: JIM SANDERS Time: 06:31pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Atrc part 1 of 2 I thought this short and concise article on the Air Traffic Control system would benefit those beginners who are not more experienced with the system. Jim Sanders AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, management of aircraft proceeding along civil airways, including airport arrivals and departures. Different rules of operation apply to pilots proceeding under visual flight rules (VFR) and those under instrument flight rules (IFR). The minimum instruments required under VFR include an airspeed indicator, altimeter, and magnetic direction indicator. Minimum flying conditions in radar-controlled airspace in transition areas specify a cloud ceiling about 215 m (700 ft) above ground level and 1.6 km (1 mi) visibility. Other VFR requirements for visibility and distance from clouds depend on altitude and operation in either controlled or uncontrolled airspace. VFR flight is permitted in all airspaces, but terminal control areas require positive (radar) air traffic control. Airport traffic areas typically encompass a radius of 8 km (5 mi) and can be extended laterally for controlling instru- ment-dependent departures and landings. Control zones around air- ports extend upward with no limit. Radio communications with the tower is required during landing and takeoff. Other regulations ap- ply to high-speed, high-altitude operations in the continental con- trol area above the U.S. and in the flight information regions on international routes. The remainder of this article will concern itself primarily with aircraft operating under IFR. Operation and Equipment. At major airports, air traffic control begins with the ground controller in the airport tower, who guides airliners from the load- ing ramp, along the taxi strips, up to the runway threshold. The ground controller must consider other aircraft as well as the legions of vehicles, such as fuel pumpers, luggage and cargo vehicles, and maintenance vehicles needed for airport operation. The job continues day and night, in all weather, so that at times of reduced visibility large airports rely on special radar to aid the ground controller. For takeoff, an air traffic controller located in the airport tower takes over, confirming an assigned runway clearance and providing information on wind and weather and other data needed for departure. Another departure controller may pass on additional data as the air- liner is handed over to the air route traffic control (ARTC), the personnel of which remain in communication with the airliner from one ARTC center to the next, until the air traffic control tower at the plane's destination takes over. The ARTC system of radar and computerized equipment represents a major advance in air traffic control, in that controllers are re- lieved of the accumulation and interpretation of immense amounts of routine material, thereby permitting them more time to assess data relevant to key decisions. In the control room, the controller wears earphones and a microphone for radio communication with aircraft and other controllers. The planes themselves are represented as a data block on a special radar screen in front of the controller. The data block includes a symbol for individual aircraft, along with each plane's identifying call sign, speed, and altitude. Some radar equip- ment can display additional information pertaining to a particular flight. All flights are kept at separate altitudes and at specific distances from one another. Flight plans are fed into computers and updated as the flight progresses. Air traffic controllers watch these displayed assignments carefully to prevent midair collisions. Col- lision-avoidance radar systems for individual aircraft are under development. As aircraft converge on airports and begin descent for landing, aerial congestion can develop. In this case, new arrivals are directed to a holding area in the sky, about 50 km (about 30 mi) or so away from the field. Waiting planes in this area repeatedly circle a beacon, so that they create an aerial "stack," maintaining a vertical spacing of 305 m (about 1000 ft) between planes. Each time a suitable runway becomes available, a plane is taken from the bottom of the stack, permitting the others to spiral down one layer. End of Part 1 --- DB 1.39/004487 * Origin: Volunteer BBS (423) 694-0791 V34+/VFC (1:218/1001.1) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 196 AVIATION Ref: EF300001 Date: 10/29/97 From: JIM SANDERS Time: 06:32pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Atrc part 2 of 2 Part 2 of 2 Navigational Aids. Navigation between airports increasingly relies on ground beacons and on electronic and computerized equipment within the airplane. The most widely used ground system is the very high frequency omnidirec- tional range beacon (VOR). VOR stations, which are not always located directly on an airport, operate on frequencies that are generally free of atmospheric noise and provide an accuracy lacking in previous equipment. Aboard the airplane, a visual display indicates the mag- netic course the pilot must fly in order to travel directly to or away from the VOR station. Most VOR stations also have distance meas- uring equipment (DME), which tell the pilot distances to and from VORs. These VOR/DME stations provide excellent service for both pri- vate aircraft and scheduled airliners worldwide. For intercontinental routes, a radio and electronic system called Omega uses a network of eight global transmission sites that emit powerful long-range signals. A computer on board the aircraft receives the signals, analyzes their pattern, and calculates the position of the plane anywhere in the world. A different method, the inertial navigation system (INS), re- quires no ground stations or radio beams that might be subject to distortion or interruption. The INS uses a gyroscopically stabilized inertial platform, aligned to true north. Accelerometers associated with the system can determine the direction and speed of the air- craft, and a computerized display indicates this information, along with wind speed, drift, and other data. These systems, when combined with an autopilot, enable large jet transports literally to fly them- selves on global routes. Many airlines also carry compact weather radar to detect storm conditions en route. Military equipment uses VOR, Omega, and other systems, including more sophisticated radar. For instrument landings, pilots use an instrument landing sys- tem (ILS), similar to VOR signals. Cockpit instruments indicate deviations to either side of the localizer beam leading directly to the runway, and guidance information from the glide-slope beam indicates if the plane is too high or too low on the approach, which may start some 13 to 16 km (about 8 to 10 mi) from the air- port. The ILS system, which is subject to "ground clutter" and occasional distortions, began to be replaced by a microwave land- ing system (MLS) in the early 1980s. The MLS equipment is more precise, permits multiple curving approaches (unlike the rigidly linear ILS-mediated approach) over a broader gateway area to ac- commodate more aircraft, and is cheaper to operate. Some existing ILS systems, however, can accommodate totally automatic landings, permitting operations in heavy fog. Elsewhere, special radar sys- tems can be used by air traffic controllers to "talk down" aircraft in bad weather. Air Traffic Control Problems. Despite the impressive sophistication of electronic aids and computerization, air traffic control continues to rely heavily on people, whether the airplanes are on the ground, approaching or de- parting the airport, or en route. Direct responsibility for people's lives rests with the men and women who control air traffic. Training standards are demanding, and the attrition rate for experienced con- trollers is high. The controllers also occupy an increasingly power- ful position when they strike or initiate a work slowdown while bar- gaining on working conditions, pay scales, and other contract clauses. In the late 1970s, such actions created many problems for passengers and airline management alike, especially in Europe during busy air traffic seasons. In August 1981, 11,800 members of the 15,000-member Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization struck for a shorter work week, higher pay, and other benefits. The administration of President Ronald Reagan reacted by dismissing all 11,800 strikers and decerti- fying their union. The growing number of private aircraft using major airport facil- ities creates additional problems in air traffic control planning. Some officials would prefer to ban all but scheduled airline traffic at major air terminals, citing the example of a midair collision in 1978 between an airliner and a private plane in California, as well as other near-misses. Even without the presence of private aircraft, increased airline traffic has intensified the concern for passenger safety. For this reason, collision-avoidance radar systems were developed during the 1980s. End Part 2 of 2 CD-ROM Disk InfoPedia Version 2.0 --- DB 1.39/004487 * Origin: Volunteer BBS (423) 694-0791 V34+/VFC (1:218/1001.1) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 196 AVIATION Ref: EF300002 Date: 10/29/97 From: JIM SANDERS Time: 08:35pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: News-823 Laos returns possible remains of pilot to U.S. BANGKOK, Thailand - October 29, 1997 08:16 a.m. EST -- Laos has returned the possible remains of an American aviator missing in action from the Vietnam War to U.S. officials. The remains were presented Tuesday to U.S. Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin by Soubanh Srinthirath, Laotian vice minister for foreign affairs. "We appreciate the compassion of the Lao citizens who have co- operated in the retun of these remains and hope ... that other Lao citizens will come forward with information which will help other American families come to closure on the death of their loved ones," Chamberlin said. The remains were the first returned under a new program in which Laotian teams unilaterally investigate leads on cases that joint U.S. -Laotian teams have been unable to resolve. They are believed to be those of an Air Force pilot lost Dec. 24, 1970, over Xiangkhouang province in northeastern Laos. They will be flown to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. Washington has made improved relations with Laos conditional on cooperation in resolving the fate of 454 Americans still missing there from the Vietnam War. The United States has reported excellent cooperation, and visits by American investigators have accelerated. The remains of 115 Amer- icans have been identified. The U.S. war in Laos was conducted under secrecy. Most missing American servicemen were aviators shot down on bombing runs designed to cut supplies from communist North Vietnam passing through offic- ially neutral Laos to U.S.-backed South Vietnam. ------------------------------------------------------------------- United, TWA Top Third Quarter Forcasts Chicago, Oct. 28 - United Airlines' parent company reported better-than-expected earnings Tuesday and Trans World Airlines Inc. posted a profit for the third quarter, its first since last year's crash of Flight 800. UAL Corp., the parent of United, the nation's largest airline, said earnings rose 5 percent to record levels in the third quarter, and TWA said it earned $9 million in the quarter and that it had enough cash to get through the slow winter travel season. Chicago-based UAL said earnings excluding one-time items rose to $499 million, or $3.75 a share, in the quarter, from $475 million, or $3.58 a share, a year earlier. The results assume that all stock has been distributed to employees under an employee stock ownership program that took effect in 1994. Analysts had expected earnings of $3.65 a share on that basis, according to First Call, which tracks estimates, and UAL stock closed at $87.50, up $1.375, on the New York Stock Exchange. --------------- TWA, the nation's No. 7 carrier, said it earned $9.4 million, or 17 cents a share, in the quarter, compared with a loss of $10.8 million, or 24 cents a share, a year earlier. The profit was the first for TWA since the second quarter of 1996, when Flight 800 crashed shortly after takeoff July 17, from New York City. Sales fell to $908 million from $1 billion. But TWA said expenses fell 14 percent and average fares rose. Fare Hike in September Like other airlines, both companies benefited from lower fuel prices, ongoing traffic strength and a 5 percent industry-wide fare hike initiated in September. TWA to Weather the Winter TWA, based in St. Louis, also said it has modernized its fleet, paid off debt and taken other steps so that it uses up less cash during the winter travel season, traditionally a slow time for major airlines. It also said average fares were expected to continue to improve. "Thus we believe that we have the resources necessary to finance this airline through the winter season," Chief Financial Officer Michael Palumbo said in a statement. Some industry analysts had said the company was facing a difficult winter if its finances did not improve. TWA stock rose 37.50 cents to close at $7.31 on the American Stock Exchange. UAL sold 55 percent of the company to pilots, mechanics and other employees for $4.9 billion in July 1994. Flight attendants, who did not participate in the employee stock ownership plan, recently ratified a new 10-year contract. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Flying carpets would have been cheaper BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Oct. 29, 1997 1:05 p.m. EST - Prime Minister Rafik Hariri bought so many Persian carpets during a visit this week to Iran that he had to order a second plane to carry the extra luggage. Hariri paid $173,000 in customs duties Tuesday in Lebanon on the 69 carpets, believed to be worth about $1 million, government offi- cials and shipping agents said on customary condition of anonymity. Iran is renowned for its quality, handmade carpets -- its second- largest foreign currency earner after oil. Hariri is a billionaire who made his money on construction pro- jects in Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. He has been prime minister of Lebanon since 1992. Hariri, the first Lebanese prime minister to visit since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, met Iranian leaders and signed economic agreements during the five-day trip. ------------------------------------ --- DB 1.39/004487 * Origin: Volunteer BBS (423) 694-0791 V34+/VFC (1:218/1001.1)